Travel restrictions will stay Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here to get it delivered weekday mornings. The White House confirmed Monday it will not lift travel restrictions "at this point" due to concerns over the Delta variant and the rising number of U.S. cases, Reuters reports. "Driven by the Delta variant, cases are rising here at home, particularly among those who are unvaccinated and appear likely to continue to increase in the weeks ahead," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. Last week, the Americans said the land border with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to nonessential travel until at least Aug. 21—even as Canada said it would begin allowing in fully vaccinated Americans starting Aug. 9. Globe health columnist André Picard has a strongly argued column urging Canadian leaders to stop debating and start working on a vaccine passport. So let’s dispense with the pointless rhetorical “debate” about whether vaccine certificates or passports are necessary, or represent some gruesome violation of rights and freedoms, and focus on how to make the rules as clear, simple and fair as possible. Canada has, to date, failed miserably on that count, with an incomprehensible jumble of wishful thinking, buck-passing and illogical public policies that vary by province and often by individual institution. COVID-19 vaccination should be mandatory for health care workers, those who work with vulnerable populations (such as seniors and people with disabilities) and child-care workers. This needs to be an overarching law , as it is in France and Italy, not a facility-by-facility decision. Similarly, all students who want to study at a university or college, and the staff who teach them, should get their shots. Not just those at some institutions, not just those living in residence – everyone. Restaurants and bars, and other places where people mingle in close proximity over prolonged periods of time, such as concert halls and sports facilities, should also require proof of vaccination. Governor General Mary Simon: History was made on Monday as Simon was made the first Indigenous person to serve as Governor General. Simon, an Inuk from Kuujjuaq, took her oaths in the Senate chamber and gave a speech in which she expressed the desire to "bring people together," CBC reports. Her appointment comes during a time of reckoning in Canada's relationship with Indigenous Peoples—after reported discoveries of unmarked graves containing the remains of hundreds of children near former residential schools. "My view is that reconciliation is a way of life and requires work every day," Simon said. "Reconciliation is getting to know one another." Many Inuit welcomed the moment, the Canadian Press observed, seeing a reflection of the resilience of their people. Paul Quassa, a former Nunavut premier who negotiated a land claims agreement alongside Simon in the 1980s, found it emotional: "As I watched this morning, I thought of all the Inuit that worked with her. All her community members, all the Inuit who have survived for thousands of years." Spies warn profs: The Globe had an interesting item Monday on CSIS's outreach to universities, beginning in April 2020, to warn them they could be the targets of international espionage. Documents show CSIS met with more than 230 Canadian research and industry groups and briefed more than 2,000 individuals to sound an alarm about potential threats to Canadian research. It appears to be about about China. As geopolitical realities change, primarily due to the rise of China as a potential adversary, universities have become a new focus for security agencies in Canada. The result could restrict the way researchers in Canada engage with colleagues, corporations and institutions around the world. Rules for TFWs: Ottawa announced Monday proposed regulations to “help prevent the mistreatment or abuse of temporary foreign workers,” the Lawyer's Daily reports. The new rules will require employers to provide workers with information about their rights and increase the number of inspections. American reconciliation: The CBC's Alexander Panetta has a long feature on the similarities between residential schools in Canada and the United States. After seeing coverage of unmarked graves in Canada, Deb Haaland, the U.S. secretary of the interior ordered an investigation into the legacy of similar schools in her country. Getting ready: The Hill Times has a report on a Liberal campaign meeting where Azam Ishmael, the party’s campaign director, advised organizers to rent offices for two months. “He [Mr. Ishmael] said, ‘Start looking for a campaign office, go get a campaign office.’ And someone said, ‘How long a lease should we get?’” a Liberal source who was present at the meeting, and quoted Mr. Ishmael as replying, “two months is a good idea.” Also, the Prime Minister was glad-handing in New Brunswick on Monday, which is the kind of thing that happens during election campaigns. — Stephen Maher | 