5 Things posted Jul 4, 2025 @ 08:00am by Iain Burns

5 things you need to know this morning: July 4, 2025

Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.

Five things you need to know

1. Group of academics calls on Canada to speed up visa approvals for Palestinians

A group of academics in Canada has called on Ottawa to speed up the approval of visas for Palestinian students. Naming themselves the "Palestinian Students and Scholars at Risk Network," the activists said the federal government has "an amazing opportunity here to step up its game and do something."

A group of Canadian academics is calling on the federal government to speed up approvals of student visas for Palestinians after two students who were accepted at a Canadian university died before they could leave the region. https://t.co/KyCCqwwKVd
— CityNews Toronto (@CityNewsTO) July 4, 2025

2. Keep babies away from Calgary Stampede, doctors warn

Doctors have warned parents to keep their babies away from the Calgary Stampede this year because of the risk of contracting measles. There are more than 1,000 reported cases of the disease in Alberta, with the pediatrics president of Alberta Medical Association warning: "If I had an infant child I would be avoiding Stampede and any large gathering like that because I would want to protect my child as much as possible."

https://t.co/Xs8l7zgAgN
— Susan Marjetti (@Brdcaster) July 4, 2025

3. Office building near Parliament converted into housing for asylum seekers at cost of $5.6M

An office building in downtown Ottawa just a few blocks away from Parliament has been converted into housing for asylum seekers at a cost of $5.6 million. The city's mayor, Mark Sutcliffe, said the move "is exactly the kind of creative solution that we need right now" to solve Ottawa's "housing and homelessness crisis."

Ottawa opens transitional housing centre in vacant downtown office space https://t.co/xUedsbRfAz
— CTV Ottawa (@ctvottawa) July 4, 2025

4. Head of auto group 'cautiously optimistic' Carney will see sense on EV mandate

The head of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association has said he's "cautiously optimistic" after urging Mark Carney to drop the Liberal Party's contentious EV mandate. Brian Kingston – who met Carney alongside the CEOs of the Canadian branches of Ford, GM and Stellantis – said the mandate "makes absolutely no sense" and insisted there is "simply no way" it can work.

Automakers ‘cautiously optimistic’ on changes to EV sales mandate after meeting with Carney https://t.co/TTFaiIh2J4
— The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) July 3, 2025

5. Trump celebrates 'Big Beautiful Bill,' promises UFC fight at White House

As Americans celebrate the 249th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, US President Donald Trump is celebrating the passage of the tax and spend legislation he's named the "Big Beautiful Bill." The president also said today marks the start of year-long celebrations for the 250th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's document, which, he said, will be marked in 2026 by a UFC bout on the grounds of the White House.

“We’re gonna have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House” Trump announces at today’s America250 kick-off celebration event pic.twitter.com/3MfPThv88J
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) July 4, 2025