Canada paid out $9.2 million in foreign aid to China last year, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. China owns more than $3 trillion in its foreign reserves. So why are we still paying aid to China, and why does it qualify to receive aid?

Guest: Tom Korski, editor of Blacklock’s Reporter (the only independent, journalist owned and operated daily news website in Ottawa)

Can we look at Oregon as a cautionary tale for Cannabis legalization in Canada?  The state was one of the first to get into the production of pot but now they have more of the stuff than they know what to do with.  The production exceeds consumption and half a million kilos of marijuana are sitting in the unsold inventory. Prices have dropped to the point where it is sometimes cheaper than buying cigarettes.  The Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer is here with his take on the day's headlines.

Chapter 1 - A new poll by Angus Reid shows targeted campaigns such as Doug Fords  buck-a-beer announcement do little to chalk up targeted support among specific segments of the population. And there is more research that shows conservatives are more likely to enjoy liquor while New Democrats supporters like crackin’ a beer.  So did the buck-a-beer play to a different base?

Chapter 2 - World renowned autism advocate and acclaimed animal scientist Dr Temple Grandin will be in Vancouver this week to present her talk: Developing Individuals Who Have Different Minds on August 17 at the PNE Agrodome, in collaboration with Autism BC.

Chapter 3 - Another exclusive by Sam Cooper reveals a former Canadian ambassador received cash payments - delivered by hand in Vancouver - linked to an investment in a Macau casino VIP room leased by Hong Kong tycoon Stanley Ho.

The city council in Victoria was at least a little embarrassed by the decision to evict the statute of founder/first prime minister Sir John A from the site near city hall and you can tell because the crews started work at 5 am, the better to avoid public protest and scrutiny.

A new structure for ICBC out yesterday details how individuals will be penalized for bad driving instead of the owner of the vehicle being driven.  Before everyone gets too excited, remember that ICBC will jack up insurance rates in the spring. The Province newspaper's Michael Smyth is here with his take on the day's headlines.

Emmy nominated comedian Neal Brennan will perform two shows of his Here We Go stand up tour on August 16 (next Thursday) at the Rio Theatre! Brennan rose to fame as the co-creator of the Chappelle Show, and is currently the on-air correspondent for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

Guest: Emmy nominated comedian, writer, producer, director Neal Brennan

There is an announcement by Attorney General David Eby today on highly anticipated changes to ICBC's rate structure.  Eby is expected to outline how he intends to change ICBC's system for setting auto-insurance premiums to a new model that rewards "good drivers" and harshly punishes "bad drivers."  The Province newspaper's Michael Smyth is here with his take on the day's headlines.

Chapter 1:

-The problem plagued pipeline will cost you $1.9 billion dollars more to build (price tag now stands at $9.3 billion), and it’s estimated it’ll take a year longer to construct (new completion date December 2021). The developments were contained in filings by Kinder Morgan lawyers to the US Security and Exchange Commission.

Chapter 2:

-Last week, a pair of 22 year old men were busted driving at excessive speeds in their luxury, high powered sports cars on the Lougheed Highway between Maple Ridge & Mission (apparently on their way to the racetrack..). One guy was on his N Plates. Both drivers, one in a Lamborghini (worth $450,000) and the other in a McLaren (worth $190,000), were clocked doing 50kms over the speed limit (doing 138kms an hour). Both had been busted for speeding in the past.  Each escaped with a $368 fine, incurred three points, and their respective cars were seized for seven days. So does a $360 fine really serve as a deterrent to these people? That’s how much it would cost to fill up one of those cars with gas! How do BC’s penalties compare to other provinces/states of the US?

Making Cents of the Markets with Lori Pinkowski, Senior Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Mgr at Raymond James.  The Canadian dollar weakened against its U.S. counterpart on Tuesday, with the currency pulling back from a nearly eight-week high intraday as a diplomatic dispute worsened between Canada and Saudi Arabia.

Jagmeet Singh will announce today that he is running in the Burnaby South by-election. This is a risky move for Singh. It's a riding he SHOULD win, but you can never be sure in politics.  The Province newspaper's Michael Smyth is here with his take on the day's headlines.