Ottawa's clapping back at Meta

Plus, the Stellantis EV plant and a massive investment in nuclear [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on Ottawa’s online news law, the Stellantis EV battery plant and demand for green energy in Ontario. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Justin Tang federal politics [The Trudeau government will stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram]( In its first direct response to Meta’s promise to retaliate against Ottawa’s online news law by removing Canadian news from its platforms, the Trudeau government has announced it will stop running ads on Facebook and Instagram. Although Google also threatened to block Canadian news, the government is not targeting the search engine because it “has been open to finding a solution,” Raisa Patel reports. [Can Ottawa shake Meta’s resolve?]( - On the home front: “The reality is the web giants need to respect Canadian law. They need to respect Canadian democracy and that is the profound message that we are sending today to Meta and Google,” said the NDP’s Peter Julian. - Across the border: Leading a similar effort in the U.S., Amy Klobuchar said governments cannot “back down” in the face of “monopolies” that will “fight us every step of the way.” - Susan Delacourt’s take: Trudeau has come out swinging against social media. [For a government that’s come to rely on it, now what?]( Carlos Osorio/AP Photo federal politics [Ottawa has reached a deal with Stellantis to resume construction of an EV battery plant ]( After months of tense negotiations and a government commitment to provide up to $16 billion in subsidies, auto giant Stellantis has announced it will accept an offer from Ottawa and Queen’s Park to keep an electric-vehicle battery plant in Windsor. Although the project was originally announced last year, the European automaker later sought subsidies to match new U.S. incentives. Ultimately, Justin Trudeau and Doug Ford agreed, Tonda MacCharles, Robert Benzie and Rob Ferguson report. [Here’s what the deal means for the Canadian economy and the future of the EV industry in Canada](. - More: Stellantis and its partner LG Energy Solution said they signed a binding agreement “that secures the future of battery cell and module production in Windsor … and honours the commitments that were made by the Canadian government to level the playing field with the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).” - Context: U.S. President Joe Biden rolled out the IRA, which aimed to attract companies to build clean energy and EV projects in the country, six months after the EV venture was announced in Canada. Courtesy of Bruce Power ontario politics [The Ford government has announced a massive expansion to the Bruce nuclear power plant]( Facing growing demand for electricity, Doug Ford’s government wants to nearly double the capacity of the Bruce Power nuclear plant. It would be the first major new construction of nuclear reactors in more than three decades, Rob Ferguson reports. But critics say sustainable sources of electricity can be developed in less time and for less money than nuclear, and that Ford has been ill-prepared to meet the electric energy moment and is scrounging together resources. [Here’s how experts and politicians are reacting](. - Go deeper: Ford’s Progressive Conservative government [cut 758 green energy projects after it was elected in 2018](. - More: The new proposal requires as much as a decade of community consultation, environmental assessments and federal approvals. WHAT ELSE As refugees struggle to find Toronto shelter beds, mayor-elect[Olivia Chow says Ottawa is to blame for the crisis](. Justin Trudeau is showcasing new MPs — and not his top ministers. [What does that mean?]( Ten years after the catastrophic derailment that killed 47 people, [here’s why another Lac-Mégantic disaster can happen at any time](. The gap between Canada’s rich and poor is increasing at record speed, StatsCan data shows. [This is who is bearing the financial burden](. Hamilton’s poster child for the fight against LRT tenant displacement has died. [Here’s what to know about her.]( Families of the downed Flight PS752 victims are [applauding action from Canada and three other countries against Iran](. A grocer is putting security tags on steaks to prevent theft — [will others follow?]( Doug Ford has named one of his toughest critics to [help lead the breakup of Peel Region](. Businesses say soaring home prices are causing trouble for other parts of the economy. [Take a closer look at the challenges](. GTA home prices are up slightly compared to last June. [Here’s how much the average home now costs](. The safest city in Canada is in Ontario, a new report has found. [Here’s where Toronto falls on the list](. Justin Trudeau has tweeted to Taylor Swift, [asking her to bring her international tour to Canada](. POV Lance McMillan/The Star [David Olive: Why I will speak in favour of a planned highrise in my High Park community.]( CLOSE-UP Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star NORTH YORK: A shady spot beside a waterfall at Mel Lastman Square provides a break from the scorching sun. [See how else people in the GTA are keeping cool in a stretch of summer heat](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_190152). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. TORONTO STAR SUMMER SALE Get unlimited access for: $3.33/month for 12 months [Get This Offer]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. 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