In the news today: Republicans continue convention reinvigorated

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Republicans continue convention reinvigorated

The second day of the Republican National Convention is set to begin as the party pushes forward reinvigorated following Donald Trump’s first public appearance after the attempted assassination of the former president.

Trump was formally elected as the 2024 presidential nominee Monday in Milwaukee and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance his running mate for the campaign.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley told party faithful they must show the same strength and resilience as the former president.

The Saturday shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania has hung over the four-day convention but many of the thousands of Republicans streaming through the streets of downtown Milwaukee say it has only inspired them to push harder.

Wisconsin is among the handful of states expected to be battlegrounds in this year’s general election.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

StatCan to release June inflation data

Statistics Canada is set to release the latest inflation reading for June this morning.

In May, the agency reported inflation rose to 2.9 per cent year-over-year, driven higher by prices for services.

Economists polled by Reuters are forecasting consumer prices rose 2.8 per cent in June compared with the same month last year, according to LSEG Data and Analytics.

Tuesday’s release will be the last inflation reading before the Bank of Canada’s next interest rate decision on July 24.

Earlier this month, the central bank began its rate-cutting cycle, opting to lower its key lending rate by a quarter-point to 4.75 per cent.

Ottawa flags digital wallet competition

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the issue of competition in the big tech-dominated digital wallet market should be on the Competition Bureau’s radar.

In a letter to the bureau, Champagne points to other countries that are taking action to ensure no one entity dominates the space.

In a deal approved last week, the European Union accepted a promise by Apple to open its “tap to pay” iPhone payment system to rivals, ending an EU anti-trust case.

Mobile wallets rely on near-field communication, or NFC, which uses a chip to wirelessly communicate with a merchant’s payment terminal.

The EU said Apple Pay is the biggest NFC-based mobile wallet on the market, and accused the company of denying others access.

AI wildfire system like a forest fire alarm: chief

Vernon Fire Chief David Lind likens the Interior B.C. city’s new artificial-intelligence-driven wildfire detection system to a fire alarm in the forest.

The system involves cameras and scores of air sensors scattered among trees and other high points, collecting data that is fed into an AI system for analysis.

Its creator, Vancouver-based tech firm SenseNet, says it warns firefighters when it detects a pattern indicative of ignition and allows for a response within minutes instead of an hour or more when using traditional visual detection.

Fire Rescue Services in Vernon, about 400 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, have been testing the system for the past two years.

SenseNet says the sensors monitor the air for volatile organic compounds — or chemicals commonly found in the air — particulate matter, carbon monoxide, methane and nitrogen oxides along with thermal imaging, which can pick up smouldering fires not visible to the naked eye.

B.C. university sues Gaza protesters

Vancouver Island University says it has “regrettably” launched legal action against pro-Palestinian protesters, who it says ignored a trespass notice and a deadline to leave their encampment at the campus in Nanaimo, B.C.

The university says in a statement that it has retained external counsel and filed a notice of civil claim in the B.C. Supreme Court, seeking an injunction against the camp and damages from the protesters.

The move comes after the university last Thursday issued a trespass notice, saying legal action would be launched if the camp that has been in place since May 1 was not dismantled by 8 a.m. Monday.

The university says the encampment’s “continued presence” left them disappointed and forced them to take action to ensure the safety and well-being of the campus community.

The protesters say in a post on social media platform Instagram that they remain “steadfast” and that by issuing the deadline the university chose to put students at risk, “to villainize them and punish them for using their right to protest.”

They say the university is “supposed to encourage critical thoughts” but is instead threatening students.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press