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Written by Hanna Lee Copy Editor, Digital News
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Good morning. In 2024, Canada signed a pact with Finland and the United States to construct icebreakers together, in an attempt to help NATO compete with adversaries' shipbuilding efforts. Fast-forward to today, and some in Canada may be wondering whether the deal itself involves a threat to Canadian sovereignty.
We'll get into that below, as well as the latest on the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and the Liberals' new grocery announcements.
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THE LATEST
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- At least 6,126 people were killed in Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests, activists say, while many others still are feared dead.
- Ottawa will host an event for Holocaust Memorial Day. Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to attend.
- The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is set to take effect today.
- The EU-India Summit is scheduled for today, where the two are expected to sign free trade and defence deals.
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FEATURED STORIES
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(Kenneth Armstrong/Reuters)
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Canada's icebreaker pact looked great — until the threats began
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Despite recent threats, Canada is still assisting the U.S. in developing technology that could allow it to one day seize all or part of our Arctic archipelago.
What's happening: Canada's co-operation and design is central to a new fleet of ships, which the U.S. intends to use to strengthen its presence in the regions surrounding the North Pole. The fleet enters service under a new national security strategy that claims the right to demand access to key terrain of the Western Hemisphere. It comes from a 2024 pact called the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort Pact, where Canada, the U.S. and Finland are set to construct icebreakers together. That gives the U.S. far greater reach into the High Arctic than it currently has.
Why it matters: A 2024 company release from Davie Shipbuilding, one of Canada's largest shipbuilders, which is involved in the deal, said "trusted allies" can help NATO catch up to adversaries' shipbuilding efforts. But the Americans' status as "trusted allies" has been called into question recently. One saving grace is that the first icebreaker deliveries aren't expected until 2028-29, when Trump's second term is meant to end. |
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How Trump's immigration crackdown is starting to hurt him politically
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The Trump administration's immigration policies — and its repeated justifications for killing protesters — may be losing the public's support.
What's happening: The White House has pushed the narrative for months that federal agents are targeting the most violent criminals for deportation, something it said only radical leftists engaging in domestic terrorism are protesting against. But after the recent killings of two citizens in Minneapolis — the latest being just this weekend — polls suggest voters are disapproving. The fear now for the White House is that the crackdown will galvanize Democratic voters to turn out in droves for the U.S. midterm elections this fall, risking Republican control of Congress.
The latest: Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino is expected to leave Minneapolis today, as U.S. President Donald Trump reshuffles leadership of his immigration crackdown.
Meanwhile, credit cards: Trump is trying to cap credit card interest rates at 10 per cent, urging Congress to pass legislation to make his proposal into law. While it could bring short-term relief to some, it's likely to cause a broader crisis in the long run, experts say. That's because it will make it harder to borrow money, further pressuring low-income households, who rely on debt to pay their bills.
And in travel news: Canadian applications for the Nexus trusted-traveller program have fallen off a cliff since Trump's return to the White House, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. It got just under 350,000 applications in 2025, compared to nearly 700,000 the year before. |
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In Canadian politics, a new world order can't overshadow the price of groceries
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The Liberals' new food affordability measures show that even in a new world order, the cost of living even trumps Trump, writes my colleague Aaron Wherry.
What's happening: Yesterday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced measures meant to help families with affordability. The most major one is the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which gives the GST credit a one-time, 50 per cent top-up. It will also get another, permanent increase in July, by 25 per cent.
- In the first year, a low- or modest-income family of four will get $1,890, up from $1,100. An individual will get $950, up from $540. After that, it'll remain at the 25 per cent higher level for the remaining years.
Why it matters: Though Trump-related threats loom large, that this is the Liberals' first move upon returning to Parliament shows higher grocery prices remain a top concern. But what isn't clear, apparently, is whose fault they are. The Conservatives criticized the new measure, calling it ineffective and a repeat of the Justin Trudeau era, though they also said they'd vote to implement it. They blame government policies for our food-price inflation, while the Liberals blame external factors. One professor from the University of Guelph said the focus should be on diversifying our supply chains and boosting our domestic production. |
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