Good morning. Americans are paying more attention to Canada — but it may not be in the best way. We'll get into that below, as well as the situation with flight cancellations and climbing cucumber costs.
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THE LATEST
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- U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his job, making him the first head of a military service to depart during President Donald Trump's second term — and the latest top defence leader to be ousted.
- Judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday confirmed all three counts of murder as crimes against humanity against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and committed him to trial.
- Two local trains collided head-on in Denmark on Thursday, injuring at least 17 people, four of whom were in a critical condition, the emergency service told Reuters.
- The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 6-4 to pull even 1-1 in their opening round playoff series on Wednesday. And Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins are on the brink of elimination after the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Pens 5-2 in Game 3.
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FEATURED STORIES
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(Robert Bumsted/The Associated Press)
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Americans are paying more attention to Canada. Should we worry?
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If ever Canadians felt irked at their issues being ignored in the larger country to the south, they now have the opportunity to find out what it’s like when the U.S. takes an interest.
What’s happening: A throwaway line from an opposition backbencher in a minor Ottawa news conference went viral in the U.S. New Democrat MP Leah Gazan’s use of the phrase "MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+" became fodder for hilarity on Fox News and was mocked across the MAGAsphere. Everyone from Elon Musk to Ted Cruz chimed in with their thoughts on the matter.
Why it matters: Once engaged, Aengus Bridgman, director of McGill University’s Media Ecosystem Observatory, says it’s hard to disengage American interest. Could U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, or other administration figures, try to campaign in Alberta to sway voters toward separatism? Experts aren’t ruling it out. In fact, they say Alberta looks likely to be ground zero for Americans sticking their oar into Canadian politics in the near future, if the present is any guide.
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Flight cancellations stacking up as jet fuel shortage continues
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The head of the International Energy Agency warned last week that Europe has "maybe six weeks or so" of remaining jet fuel supplies and warned of possible flight cancellations.
What’s happening: The Strait of Hormuz has remained mostly closed since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran at the end of February. Oil tankers have been blocked from getting through the critical waterway, causing the price of jet fuel to more than double from where it was a year ago.
Why it matters: Airlines around the world are cutting flights as they face what some experts are calling the worst aviation crisis ever. Several Canadian airlines have cancelled flights in the last week, and the list of carriers making cuts globally continues to grow as peak travel season approaches.
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Consumers crunched by climbing cucumber costs
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It's the produce section of your local grocery store that may trigger a double-take these days.
What's happening: Fresh veggies cost 7.8 per cent more year over year in March, according to Statistics Canada's most recent inflation numbers. After prices increased 0.5 per cent in February, March's increase is the largest since August 2023. Meanwhile, cucumbers are the standout item in terms of price spikes, increasing 28.4 per cent over the past year. While that's largely seasonal, and prices are expected to come down in the spring and summer months, it's still up from March 2025.
Why it matters: A TD Bank senior economist warned that food inflation is particularly vulnerable to higher fuel prices — the kind prompted by the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, because the grocery sector has thin profit margins, and transportation costs make up a sizeable share of expenses.
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