Andrew Bell

Anchor, Reporter

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Here are five things you need to know this morning:

Don’t miss it: At 10:20 a.m. EDT, we’ll be joined by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who is calling on Ottawa to bar the planned takeover of HSBC Bank Canada by Royal Bank of Canada. He warns that the deal would reduce banking competition. Meanwhile, iPolitics.ca reports Poilievre’s feisty “orchard interview” has exploded across social media. American media personality Megyn Kelly tweeted, “Can we get him in our country?” Elon Musk endorsed the remarks with a “fire” emoji.

Crypto moves: Poilievre has in the past expressed support for cryptocurrencies and the Wall Street Journal reports cryptos rose this morning after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dropped a lawsuit. Investors also hope the regulator will soon approve a bitcoin exchange-traded fund. SEC said it will withdraw its case against two Ripple Lab executives who oversaw US$1.5 billion in sales of the token XRP.

China graphite: The struggle for “strategic” raw materials continues. Reuters says China plans to require export permits for some graphite products to protect national security “in its latest move to control supplies of critical minerals.” China refines more than 90 per cent of the world's graphite, which is used in virtually all EV batteries.

Natural gas expansion: U.S. regulators have backed the expansion of a natural gas pipeline by Canada’s TC Energy in the Pacific Northwest. The Associated Press reports the approval was “over the protest of environmental groups and top officials in West Coast states.”

Antimicrobial resistance: The federal Auditor General says the federal government's plan to address antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics, which is seen as a growing health risk, doesn't include any measurable goals or timelines. Sounds like traditional public service obscurantism.