Good morning. Some – but not all – of Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel take effect today. More on that below, along with the ceasefire proposal in Ukraine and a new national school food program. But first:

• CRA tells taxpayers reporting 2024 capital gains to hold off on filing their tax returns
• Ottawa has failed to collect almost 40 per cent of fines for violations of its Temporary Foreign Worker Program rules
• The Bank of Canada is expected to deliver another rate cut today. Follow our live updates

Ontario Premier Doug Ford lit a fuse, watched it burn for about 24 hours, then trampled all over it yesterday. After slapping a 25-per-cent levy this week on electricity exports to the United States – which he repeatedly insisted would stay in place until Donald Trump rescinded his tariffs for good – Ford backed off the whole surcharge business. He agreed yesterday afternoon to suspend his electricity fee after a “productive conversation” with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who invited him to Washington to meet. “In any negotiation,” Ford said, “there’s a point where both parties are heated and the temperature needs to come down.”

If you didn’t spend your Tuesday glued to social media, let me commend you, then catch you up. Trump began the morning by firing up Truth Social, where he vowed to double the tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent, effective today, in response to Ontario’s surcharge. Ford was unmoved. He made a pair of appearances on American media – duly posted to the Premier’s X feed – pledging to stand firm. Trump escalated the rhetorical attacks. “Can you imagine Canada stooping so low as to use ELECTRICITY, that so affects the life of innocent people, as a bargaining chip and threat?” he posted. “They will pay a financial price for this so big that it will be read about in History Books for many years to come!” Ford’s social media feed went quiet. He and Lutnick got on the phone.

“It’s called an olive branch,” Ford told reporters once his surcharge was off. Someone in the scrum wondered whether he was caving to Trump’s jacked-up tariff threat. “We don’t roll over to anyone,” the Premier shot back. On the White House driveway soon after, standing in front of a fleet of Teslas, Trump said he’d “probably” reconsider the 50-per-cent tariffs; a spokesman then confirmed it. But Trump’s original 25-per-cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports go ahead today, and they’re already having an impact : Algoma Steel, one of Canada’s largest steelmakers, has laid off 20 people. Ottawa intends to announce dollar-for-dollar retaliation on U.S. steel and aluminum at a news conference this morning.

It’s unclear what exact assurances Ford received from the Trump administration, other than the chance to talk trade and a shrugged-off tariff threat that existed for less than five hours. That was still plenty of time, though, to compel Canada’s federal politicians to respond. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Trump’s “unjust tariffs” yesterday morning as “yet another betrayal by the President of the long friendship between Canada and the United States.” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said “Donald Trump’s about to learn that Canada’s got nerves of steel.” Newly minted Liberal Leader Mark Carney insisted “President Trump’s latest tariffs are an attack on Canadian workers, families, and businesses.” None of the leaders’ social media accounts later acknowledged those tariffs had been dropped.

And I get it! Oh boy, do I get it – it can be paralyzingly difficult to know when and how to devote attention to this relentless tariff whiplash. One sympathizes with the stock market, careening between record highs, annual lows and partial rebounds every time Trump adjusts his trade war. It’s left us with a remarkably sour opinion of America: 90 per cent of Canadians say their view of the U.S. had worsened in the past year. The temptation to play hardball is strong.

It might be time, however, to consider a softer touch. Perhaps not literally, like French President Emmanuel Macron, whose recent meeting with Trump involved much forearm-patting and gentle squeezing of thighs. But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s more muted approach seems to be paying dividends. She secured a month-long reprieve on the March 2 tariffs hours before Canada; Trump has referred to her as “a wonderful woman” rather than any sort of governor. At a massive rally in Mexico City over the weekend, Sheinbaum celebrated her “respectful dialogue” and “respectful relationship” with the U.S. President, for whom Mexico “must always be grateful,” she said. More than 350,000 people chanted “¡Presidenta!” Sheinbaum let the crowd make all of the noise.

Ukraine said it would accept a 30-day ceasefire proposal from the U.S. and begin negotiations with Russia toward peace. After more than eight hours of negotiations in Saudi Arabia yesterday – and nearly two weeks after the disastrous Oval Office meeting between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – the U.S. announced it would lift its restrictions on military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv and work toward a critical minerals deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to respond to the proposal; read more on the latest developments here.

At home: Nearly a year after it was first announced in the federal budget, Canada now has a national school food program, which promises to feed as many as 400,000 kids annually.

Abroad: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was flown to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity over his deadly anti-drug crackdowns.

On the ice: Once hated for trading Wayne Gretzky, former Oilers owner Peter Pocklington is now coming to the Great One’s defence.

On the wall: A 16th-century painting stolen more than 50 years ago has been found – and is now at the