Canada
PM Justin Trudeau Holds a News Conference
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discusses his government’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump placing 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods. In a statement yesterday, the prime minister confirmed Canada would respond with tariffs of its own. Probably worth watching the entire response.
Trudeau responds to US trade war, blasts Trump for 'appeasing' Putin, a 'lying, murderous dictator'
"Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend," Trudeau said. "At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense," he added.
Anger, betrayal and anxiety: Canadians say they’re ready to fight back after tariffs drive views of U.S. to new low
- The United States’ 24 per cent favourability is four-points higher than China’s (20%) and well behind the United Kingdom (82%) and Mexico (75%).
- Half of Canadians (51%) believe their government should approach the U.S. as a threat to national interests (38%) or an enemy (13%). Those views have skyrocketed from November (13% threat, 2% enemy)
Trump may meet Canada, Mexico ‘in the middle’ on tariffs Wednesday: Lutnick
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News Trump will 'work something out with them' after imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
Can potash be a trade war weapon for Trump tariffs? Experts urge caution
Potash is a key ingredient in fertilizer, and roughly 85 per cent of the supply used by American farmers comes from Canada — particularly Saskatchewan.
Steelworkers blame Trump for layoffs, but company says it's temporary
Early Tuesday, the Quebec branch of the United Steelworkers announced that 70 of its members had been laid off at the Alubar Métaux plant in Bécancour because of the tariffs. “We are the first to be punched in the face and we need help,” said the company’s union representative, Jessy Trottier.
Trade War Impact: Take Two
Douglas Porter: Trump’s tariff hammer will come down hard on Canada’s economy. If the announced tariffs remain in place for one year, the economy would face the risk of a moderate recession. A couple quarters of contraction are well within the realm of possibility. With little confidence given the lack of historical precedent, we estimate that the tariffs will reduce real GDP growth by roughly 1.5 ppts to around 0.5% in 2025.
Conservatives restore double digit lead over Liberals: poll
A possible factor in the loss of support for the Liberal party was Carney’s performance in the debates, said Andrew Enns
L’ex-joueur des Alouettes de Montréal Steve Charbonneau sera candidat pour le PCC
Le Parti conservateur du Canada (PCC) a annoncé mardi, par voie de communiqué, que l’ex-joueur des Alouettes de Montréal Steve Charbonneau sera candidat pour les prochaines élections fédérales dans la circonscription de Brome-Missisquoi, en Estrie.
Former B.C. cabinet minister told he can’t run for Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives
Mr. de Jong was informed by the party late Monday that his application to run in the nomination contest for Abbotsford-South Langley was declined. No reasons were given in the initial rejection, but Mr. de Jong told The Globe and Mail in an interview Tuesday he was later told by a party insider there were some doubts about his qualifications. His career in provincial politics spans three decades, and he served in several cabinet positions in B.C. Liberal governments. “Having served the area for over 30 years in an official capacity, to be told you’re not worthy or qualified to compete is disappointing and surprising,” he said. What the ...?
The David Moscrop Show, Episode 2: Karina Gould
We cover her plan for dealing with Donald Trump, reforming the Canadian economy, addressing the housing crisis, managing a changing global order, and more.
The Provinces
Canadian official who threatened to shut off oil to US fires back after Trump's tariffs
After President Trump implemented 25 percent blanket tariffs on Canada, Justin Trudeau retaliated with targeted tariffs on US goods. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has threatened to cut off oil to the United States over tariffs, discussed the ongoing trade dispute between the US and Canada with CNN's John Berman.
LCBO removing U.S. alcohol from its shelves as Trump tariffs hit
Ontario's main liquor store has begun removing U.S. alcohol from its shelves and website in response to tariffs imposed on Canadian goods by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ford, Smith vow to fight tariffs but disagree on playing energy card
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she would not be following Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s lead in levying energy exports to the U.S., as a full-blown trade war got underway on Tuesday. “I’ve already said that we’re not going to retaliate on energy,” Smith said in a Tuesday morning interview on CNBC. “That is such an essential product for American consumers and American businesses.”
Ontario’s housing sector in for ‘severe repercussions’ with Trump’s tariffs: builders
Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports and governments’ response to them will have 'severe repercussions' for Ontario’s housing sector.
‘An attack on Canada’: N.B. premier reacts to U.S. tariffs, how province will respond
Premier Susan Holt said Trump’s “illegal, unjustified” tariffs will have a big impact in the province, where 92 per cent of exports go to the United States.
N.S. premier calls Trump ‘short-sighted man,’ announces U.S. tariff response
“Donald Trump is a short-sighted man who wields his power just for the sake of it, not having any consideration for the destructive impact of his decisions on both Canadians and Americans,” premier Tim Houston said in a statement.
Tariffs could cost Quebecers 160,000 jobs, Legault says
The blanket tariffs, set at 25 per cent, apply to all Canadian goods exported to the U.S. Legault estimates the measure will cost Quebecers around 160,000 jobs over a few months, he told Radio-Canada's Patrice Roy Monday evening before the tariff deadline.
John Abbott resigns from cabinet, announces bid for Liberal leadership and NL premier
With the shadow of a trade war between Canada and the United States weighing heavily in the public's consciousness, Abbott held a low-key news conference in the lobby of Confederation Building, with only a handful of supporters on hand. He said he will launch his campaign in the days ahead.
Elsewhere
6 takeaways from President Trump's address to Congress
After a firehose of a first six weeks back in the White House, President Trump delivered a boastful and partisan address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. Here are six takeaways from the speech.
Zelenskyy expresses 'regret' over Oval Office blowout with Trump, calls for 'strength to move forward'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expresses regret over last week's Oval Office blowup with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump and adds: “we must find the strength to move forward"
Trump gets poor marks on how he is handling the cost of living, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
The two-day poll, carried out just before the Republican president was due to address a joint session of Congress, showed Trump's approval ratings below 40% on a range of issues - including the economy, foreign policy and corruption - with the notable exception being his 49% rating on immigration policy.
China retaliates with additional tariffs on U.S. farm products
The tariffs announced by China's Commerce Ministry are due to take effect from March 10, though goods already in transit will be exempt until April 12.
How tariffs could upend the auto industry and increase car prices
From raw metal to engines, components travel all over North America before they’re put into cars. What happens if they’re taxed at every stop? A good explainer here. (🎁 link)
U.S. Vehicle Sales (February 2025)
TD Economics: Given the degree of supply chain integration between the three countries, higher prices are likely to filter through to consumers on the roughly 80% of U.S. vehicle sales sourced in North America. The actual impact on the market will be a function of the tariffs' duration, but lower sales and material supply chain disruptions are expected moving forward.
Protests, broken windows, even arson: Tesla’s massive Elon problem
Elon Musk's involvement with US President Donald Trump has changed the nature of the spotlight on the Tesla CEO. Instead of cute cameos in Marvel movies and being name-checked by Star Trek, Musk now makes headlines for boosting far-right politics in Europe and suggesting cuts to Social Security. This has made him some new friends, but it has lost many more in the process. And the consequences for Tesla's core business—selling electric cars—have been disastrous.
EU defense spending surges 122% in a decade
Over the last decade, the European Union raised its defense expenditure by 121.77%, and the share of its gross domestic product (GDP) benefitting the armed forces rose from 1.3% to 1.9%, according to the data Finbold retrieved from the European Council.
Serbia opposition members throw smoke bombs, flares inside parliament
Serbian opposition lawmakers have thrown smoke grenades and tear gas inside parliament to protest against the government and support demonstrating students, with one legislator suffering a stroke during the chaos.
Media
The new ‘army’ of journalists: Creators and influencers impact our industry
As creator and influencer journalism reshapes news, traditional media is learning from social-first journalists who connect deeply with audiences. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Substack are now key news sources, driving trust shifts and engagement strategies.
Vietnamese Journalist Gets 2 ½ Years in Prison for Facebook Posts
The sentence for Truong Huy San, an influential reporter, was the latest crackdown on speech by Vietnam, a rising regional power.
Reader Notes
A reminder that: The headlines, excerpts, and photos here are generated by the publishers of the clipping. The publisher is at the bottom left of the clipping. If I've got a comment, you''ll see that in italics. But if I've generated the headline and the excerpt, you'll see me taking attribution by finishing with -DA in bold. The stamp stuff at the bottom are scans from my collection and, if there’s a stamp blurb, I’ve written that bit. -DA
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Science and tech
Lenovo unveils solar-powered laptop that charges itself
On show now at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), an annual technology trade show in Barcelona, Lenovo's concept Yoga Solar PC swaps out the laptop's usual top panel for edge-to-edge solar cells. But who sits outside in the sun all day to use their laptop?
The Calendar
- 0900 ET: Vuaghan, ON - LPC MP Chrystia Freeland visits and automotive parts manufacturer.
- 1000 ET: Ottawa - Labour Min Steven MacKinnon makes a funding announcement
- 1000 ET: Toronto - Energy and Natural Resources Min Jonathan Wilkinson speaks to the Economic Club of Canada.
- 1000 ET: 135B West Block - NDP MP Niki Ashton speaks to reporters.
- 1000 ET: Montreal - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks at the Building Strong Locals CUPE convention.
- 1030 ET: 135B West Block - NDP MP Charlie Angus speaks about Canada-US relations.
- 1030 ET: HoC foyer - BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet speaks to reporters
- 1045 ET: Moncton, NB - Seniors Min Joanne Thompson meets with provincial and territorial counterparts.
- 1100 ET: 135B West Block - GPC MP Elizabeth May speaks to reporters about strategic voting.
- 1130 ET: Toronto - Small Business Min Rechie Valdez speaks at the launch of the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
- 1200 ET: Ottawa - LPC MP Marie-France Lalonde and Yasir Naqvi make a funding announcement
- 1230 ET: Etobicoke, ON - FEDDEV Min Ruby Sahota and LPC MPs James Maloney and Francesco Sorbara make a funding announcement.
- 1230 ET: Cambridge, ON - Energy and Natural Resources Min Jonathan Wilkinson speaks about nuclear energy.
- 1230 ET: Winnipeg - PrairiesCan Min Terry Duguid makes a funding announcement
- 1300 ET: Montreal - Environment Min Steven Guilbeault speaks about the management of chemical substances.
- 1300 ET: Vancouver - LPC MP Taleeb Noormohamed makes a funding announcement.
- 1330 ET: Kingston, ON - LPC MP Mark Gerretsen makes a funding announcement
- 1430 ET: Saint-Sauveur, QC - BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet speaks at the nomination meeting for the BQ EDA in Les Pays-d ‘en-Haut.
- 1900 ET: Pincourt, QC - BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet speaks at the nomination of the BQ candidate in Vaudreuil
- 1900 ET: Montreal - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh attends the nomination meeting for the NDP EDA in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun
