Trump Doubles Tariffs

Where news meets rational thinking

Good morning, It’s Wednesday, June 4th. In today’s news, Carney is caught flat-footed as Trump doubles tariffs on Canadian metals, Liberals table sweeping border bill with major surveillance powers, Mexican cartels are collaborating with Canadian indigenous communities, Liberals lose a budget vote as opposition unites to demand fiscal transparency, and much more.

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Trump Doubles Tariffs on Canadian Metals—Carney Caught Flat-Footed

On the eve of escalating trade tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a devastating blow to Canada’s export economy—doubling tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50%. The move, effective immediately, threatens a core pillar of Canada’s industrial sector, with over 90% of its steel and aluminum exports historically bound for American markets.

Prime Minister Mark Carney swiftly condemned the measure as “unlawful and unjustified,” promising that his government is engaged in “live negotiations” to reverse the decision. Yet his response reveals a familiar pattern: crisis reaction without clear leverage or outcomes. In his statement, Carney pledged that every dollar from Canada’s retaliatory tariffs would be used to support affected businesses—though he provided no specifics on how or when.

Trump’s executive order cites long-standing grievances: that foreign governments are dumping low-priced metals into the U.S. market, undermining domestic producers. “This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after visiting a Pennsylvania steel plant. His message is clear: economic nationalism is back, and Canada is in the crosshairs.

The damage is not merely economic—it is strategic. Canada’s reliance on U.S. markets has long made it vulnerable to protectionist swings in Washington. Yet the Carney government’s response is to reiterate hopes for a “new economic and security partnership” while scrambling to find alternative buyers for its surplus. Meanwhile, Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne offered vague assurances about using more domestic steel and finding new markets—neither of which can replace the American demand overnight.

Industry voices are urging stronger retaliation. The Canadian Steel Producers Association has called for a full reinstatement of tariffs on U.S. steel and broader levies on all foreign metal imports. “This closes the U.S. market to our domestic industry for half of its production,” said CSPA head Catherine Cobden.

Carney campaigned on a vision of economic modernization and strength. But with the U.S. cutting off one of Canada’s vital trade arteries, the test is no longer theoretical. This is the moment where promises meet pressure. Whether his government can respond with the clarity, force, and urgency required—or simply tread water while the industry suffers—remains to be seen. Source.

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Liberals Table Sweeping Border Security Bill With Major Surveillance Powers

The Liberal government has just introduced Bill C-2, a sweeping 139-page piece of legislation that expands federal authority across multiple areas, including border control, asylum claims, surveillance, intelligence sharing, financial crime enforcement, and the Canadian Coast Guard’s mandate.

Key Proposals in the Bill:

• Expanded Surveillance Powers: Grants CSIS and other agencies expanded powers to access communications data—in some cases without a court warrant—and authorizes the search of Canadians’ mail as part of criminal investigations.

• Tightened Asylum Rules:

  • Claims made over 365 days after arrival could be deemed inadmissible, retroactive to June 2020.

  • Closes a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement by blocking claims 14+ days after illegal border crossings from the US.

• Mass Immigration Suspension Powers: Enables the government to suspend or cancel immigration applications en masse for public health or national security reasons.

• New Role for the Canadian Coast Guard: Empowers the CCG to conduct security patrols and share intelligence with the military and national security agencies—powers it previously lacked.

• Increased Container & Export Inspections: CBSA gets greater access to warehouses and ports for export enforcement.

• Crackdown on Financial Crimes:

  • Tougher penalties for violating anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing laws.

  • New limits on cash transactions over $10,000.

• Mandatory Data Readiness: Nearly all organizations offering electronic services in Canada must structure user data so it can be accessed by law enforcement when required.

Government Justification:

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree insists the bill maintains Charter protections and strikes a balance between civil liberties and national security. He acknowledges the bill may address long-standing US concerns but claims it was not a direct response to pressure from former President Trump.

Expert Concern:

Security expert Wesley Wark warns the legislation extends far beyond border issues and signals a major shift in how Canada handles surveillance, data control, and law enforcement coordination—much of it under the radar of public debate.

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Canada’s Cartel Corridor: How Organized Crime Took Over Indigenous Land

For years, warnings about organized crime exploiting Canadian Indigenous land have been ignored. Today, those warnings are reality. A recent multi-agency bust dubbed “Project Panda” uncovered a sprawling counterfeit tobacco factory on Six Nations territory—run not by locals, but by Mexican cartel operatives with links to Chinese Triads. What began as a criminal enterprise has escalated into a national security crisis.

Police seized over 11 million contraband cigarettes, narcotics including cannabis and psilocybin, firearms, and millions in packaging material. Yet, this is just the surface. Intelligence reports show cartels have embedded themselves across southern Ontario and Quebec, using Indigenous reserves as production hubs and smuggling corridors. These networks are protected by legal grey zones and political cowardice.

In one damning report, Canada was labeled a “safe zone” for Chinese and Mexican criminal syndicates. Over 73 illicit factories have operated here, funding global trafficking operations—fentanyl, weapons, tobacco—all shielded by Ottawa’s silence. Even U.S. officials have raised concerns, especially after Justin Trudeau lifted visa requirements for Mexicans in 2016, reportedly accelerating cartel expansion into Canada.

This isn't just about cigarettes. The trade stretches from Ontario to Latin America, Asia, and U.S. cities like New York—where over half the cigarette market is now illegal. Profits fund the same networks responsible for North America’s fentanyl epidemic and gun violence. The Six Nations corridor has become a critical artery for laundering dirty product into clean profits under the guise of legal loopholes and Indigenous tax exemptions.

The criminal syndicates profiting from this trade are non-Indigenous actors who manipulate jurisdictional gaps to avoid accountability. This crisis devastates local communities and undermines public trust in government institutions.

Despite testimony going back to 2008 and intelligence stretching back to the 1990s, Ottawa has consistently failed to respond. Even as violence escalates and cartels tighten their grip, media coverage is minimal and political will is nonexistent.

The Liberal government talks endlessly about reconciliation and equity, yet turns a blind eye while Indigenous lands are used as staging grounds for global narco-trafficking. Canadians deserve answers—and action. Because what’s unfolding is no longer a crime story. It’s a story of political failure, foreign influence, and the quiet collapse of national security. Source.

Liberals Lose Budget Vote as Opposition Unites to Demand Fiscal Transparency

The Liberal government downplayed a narrow loss in a non-binding House vote Monday evening, where all opposition parties united to demand a spring budget or economic update before Parliament breaks on June 20. The motion, introduced by Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, passed 166 to 164, reflecting the Liberals’ razor-thin minority.

While not legally binding, the vote signaled growing opposition pressure for fiscal transparency amid economic uncertainty. Prime Minister Mark Carney has dismissed a spring budget, promising a “comprehensive” fall budget instead, citing global instability and time constraints. Opposition MPs are using the result to question whether the Liberal government respects the will of Parliament. More

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Whistleblowers Claim Airlines Are Pushing Through Failing Pilots to Meet DEI Quotas

A veteran airline captain has raised alarm over declining aviation safety standards, blaming diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. She described a case where a failing trainee pilot was allegedly passed through training to meet DEI goals, sparking fears about unqualified pilots flying commercial planes. Other pilots and flight attendants echoed similar concerns, saying safety is being compromised to prioritize identity over merit. Some flight instructors and line-check airmen are stepping down in protest, citing stress and safety risks. While airlines and DEI advocates insist safety remains the top priority and standards are intact, whistleblowers claim otherwise, warning that political agendas are quietly reshaping aviation—possibly at passengers' expense. More

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Canada Excludes India for G7 Summit Amid Row Over Nijjar Killing and Khalistani Movement - More

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Ursula von der Leyen Backs 'Bone-Crushing' US Senate Bill to Sanction Russia - The Senate bill envisions 500% tariffs on countries that buy Russian fossil fuels. If applied as intended, it would target several EU countries. More

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25,000 Residents Evacuated as Wildfires Rage in 5 Canadian Provinces - More

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Chinese Nationals Charged With Smuggling 'Agroterrorism Agent' into US: 'A Direct Threat' - More

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Dutch Government Collapses as Geert Wilders Pulls Party from Coalition, Leading to PM Dick Schoof’s Resignation - Wilders said his party was leaving the coalition after other parties refused to approve his measures to stop illegal immigration. More

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Meta to Pay President Trump $25 Million Settlement for Suspending his Facebook Accounts - More

AI Pioneer Announces Non-profit to Develop ‘Honest’ Artificial Intelligence

AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a $30M non-profit aimed at building “honest” AI to monitor and flag harmful or deceptive behavior in autonomous systems. The initiative will develop Scientist AI, a model designed to predict the probability that an AI agent’s actions could cause harm and block them if necessary. Unlike current AIs, it will offer probabilistic, humble responses rather than definitive ones. Bengio warns that without such safeguards, powerful AI systems could become dangerously deceptive and self-preserving. More

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OECD Warning: Canada to Take the Brunt of One of the Worst Slowdowns Since the Pandemic - Economic watchdog predicts just 1% growth this year — and that's an upgrade. More

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Musk Calls Trump's Tax Bill a 'Disgusting Abomination' - "Shame on those who voted for it," Musk said in a post on X. More

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Meta Signs 20-Year Deal With Nuclear Plant to Meet Energy Demands for AI - More

Playing With Fire: Harnessing Lava to Build Sustainable Cities

A new project called Lavaforming, showcased at the Venice Biennale, explores using lava as a sustainable building material to reduce carbon emissions from construction—one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gases. Led by Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and s.ap architects, the project simulates molding lava flows, like those in Iceland, into structural elements. Just 10% of lava from a single 2021 eruption could build over 10,000 three-story buildings. While still theoretical, the initiative highlights lava’s potential in eco-friendly urban design. More

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Scientists Just Found Out Dinosaurs Had Chubby Cheeks - More

Marc Maron Calls it Quits On His Long-Running Podcast Show

Marc Maron is ending his long-running podcast WTF With Marc Maron after nearly 16 years, citing burnout and shifting industry demands toward video. Since launching in 2009 with producer Brendan McDonald, the show has aired over 1,600 episodes and reached more than 1.1 billion streams. While Maron isn’t retiring from broadcasting entirely, he says it's simply time to move on. The podcast will conclude sometime this fall. More

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Knicks Fire Tom Thibodeau After Leading Team to First Eastern Conference Finals Appearance in 25 Years - More

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The Price Is Right’ is Getting a Canadian Spinoff Hosted by Howie Mandel - More

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NBA Trade Rumors Roundup: Interest Between Antetokounmpo and Raptors - This would be huge. More

Dutch Museum to Display 200-Year-Old Condom Which Looks to be Made From a Sheep’s Appendix

A Therapy Chatbot Told a Recovering Addict to Have a Little Meth as a Treat - "Pedro, it’s absolutely clear you need a small hit of meth to get through this week"

On This Day in 1989, the Tiananmen Square Massacre unfolded as Chinese troops violently cracked down on pro-democracy student protesters. Unofficial estimates put the death toll at nearly 1,000.

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