Good morning. On the same day Canada’s countertariffs took effect, the U.S. fired back with expanded trade barriers. More on that below, along with a loan from the Smithsonian and the new season of the In Her Defence podcast.

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping ban on imports of Canadian alcohol, motorcycles and some dairy products as Washington ratchets up pressure in response to Ottawa’s latest countertariffs. Trump signed an executive order stopping the import of a broad range of alcoholic beverages, including beer sold in cans and bottles, rye whisky and many types of wine. He issued separate orders banning the import of whey protein, molasses and motorcycles.

The politics: In a video posted online yesterday, Prime Minister Mark Carney sought to rally Canadians behind the government’s decision to retaliate while warning of tough times ahead. For now, Canadians appear to be backing Ottawa’s approach. A recent Nanos Research poll for The Globe and Mail found 80 per cent of respondents support or somewhat support dollar-for-dollar countertariffs.

The provinces: Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette announced measures aimed at directing more public spending toward local businesses, while Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe and Alberta’s Danielle Smith urged Canada and the U.S. to get back to negotiations.

Up next: Federal cabinet minsters will fan out in days ahead to reassure companies of support they can access. While formal talks with Washington are stalled, Carney‘s focus will remain on domestic policy: attracting investment and stimulating economic growth.

Keep reading:

• Bombardier shares fall after Trump threatens a ban on U.S. sales
• RBC launches $1.4-billion fund to invest in Canadian technology companies
• Washington D.C.’s lobbyists are cashing in on the economic chaos
• What’s on the list of U.S. goods hit by Canada’s countertariffs?

The leaders of Canada, Britain and France have announced that they will ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The move has been backed by nearly a dozen European countries that have taken similar action or offered support for trade restrictions.

Back home: Canada has taken a harder line on Israel under Carney. In the past year, Ottawa also recognized the state of Palestine and has sanctioned several individuals and businesses involved in settler violence. The Prime Minister has said he would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to set foot in Canada, in compliance with an International Criminal Court order.

A group of Alberta landowners is taking the province’s energy watchdog to court, arguing that a levy the regulator charges oil and gas companies is so low that it chronically underfunds a program that cleans up old wells with no owners.

The context: Alberta has for years grappled with a rising number of orphan wells. The levy in question bankrolls the Orphan Well Association, which steps in to close wells, oil and gas facilities, and pipelines when companies can no longer meet their cleanup obligations. The Alberta Energy Regulator sets the levy, collects it from industry and passes it to the OWA.

Our true crime podcast returns with the launch of a new series In Her Defence: Breach of Trust. This seven-episode season explores the case of Robert Semenchuck, a former Regina police officer who preyed on hundreds of vulnerable women using information from police databases, and the women who risked it all to hold him accountable.

The details: Based on more than 50 hours of exclusive interviews with dozens of women, police officers, lawyers and legal experts, In Her Defence: Breach of Trust reveals serious gaps in the way law enforcement agencies in Canada are policing themselves, and the serious harm women are suffering as a result.

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