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US President Donald Trump speaks as he attends a “Summer Soiree” held on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on June 4, 2025.
Hard Numbers: Trump issues sweeping travel ban, BoC holds rates steady, US funds “self-deportations,” and more...
12: US President Donald Trump has banned visitors to the US from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Another seven countries will face greater restrictions. The ban, which Trump based on national security grounds, takes effect on Monday.
2.75: The Bank of Canada held its key interest rate steady for the second time in a row, leaving it at 2.75% amid uncertainty about the extent and effect of US tariff increases. The bank said it may still cut rates later this year if the economy continues to struggle.
20: US intelligence believes Ukraine’s expansive drone attack on Russian airfields last weekend struck just 20 planes, destroying 10 – half the numbers claimed by Kyiv. Still, the damage was significant and Russia will respond “very strongly,” according to Trump, who spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
$250 million: The US State Department has earmarked $250 million to cover travel expenses for migrants without legal status who chose to “self-deport.” The money has been repurposed from funds previously used to aid refugees.
31: Oilers forward Leon Draisatl scored with 31 seconds left in the first extra period, to give Edmonton a comeback win in game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the defending champ Florida Panthers. As many of our readers will be (painfully) aware, a Canadian team hasn’t won the cup since 1993.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States, appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, on May 8, 2025.
Hard Numbers: Conclave selects new pope, American TV loses amid Canadian hockey wins, Trump makes Ovechkin a Canuck, Wildfires scorch Alberta, Measles ravages Ontario, JD Vance’s half-brother advances in mayoral race
78 million: The 78 million Catholics living in the US and Canada finally have one of their own at the head of the church. After two days of deliberations, the Vatican conclave on Thursday named Robert Francis Prevost as pope, the first American ever to hold the job. Pope Leo XIV, as he will be known, is seen as a middle-of-the-road choice by comparison with his reform-minded predecessor, Pope Francis. But his strong, recent criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policy sets up immediate tension between the Vatican and the White House.
29%: Canada’s hockey success is America’s loss, if TV ratings are anything to go by. Canada has five teams in the National Hockey League playoffs for the first time since 2017, but US audiences don’t seem interested. Playoff viewership on ABC/ESPN dropped 29% from last year, and the corresponding ratings for TNT/TBS fell 16%. No team from Canada has won the Stanley Cup since 1993. If it happens, a lot of Americans might miss it entirely.
895: Speaking of hockey, US President Donald Trump appears to think that the Washington Capitals’ star player Alexander Ovechkin is Canadian. “You happen to have a very, very good hockey player right here on the Capitals,” Trump said during his meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. “Just broke the record, and he’s a great guy.” Ovechkin, who just broke the record for all-time goals in the NHL with his 895th gino last month, is Russian. At least the US president knows where The Great One is from.
72 hours: Wildfires northeast of Edmonton have caused two county offices to issue states of local emergency, with Thorhild County ordering the residents of rural Boyle to evacuate their homes for 72 hours. But the effects may not be confined to Alberta: two years ago, Canadian wildfire smoke and pollution turned blue skies orange across North America.
1,383: The number of confirmed or probable measles cases in Ontario hit 1,383 on Tuesday, with another 265 cases in Alberta, and 40 more in Quebec. Canada’s total cases now exceed those in the United States, which stand at 935. On a per-capita basis, Ontario’s outbreak is 21 times larger than America’s. Experts blame the measles spread on falling vaccination rates – a study last year found that immunization rates among Canadian children in five provinces fell seven percentage points between 2019 and 2023.
2,894: Coffee shop owner Cory Bowman, half-brother of Vice President JD Vance, advanced to the general election for Cincinnati mayor, despite receiving just 2,894 votes (13%) in the all-party primary. Incumbent Mayor Aftab Pureval, a Democrat, dominated the primary election, winning 18,505 votes. The general election will take place in November.
Brady Tkachuk, right, and Charlie McAvoy, left, during the training of Team USA in Montreal on Feb. 11, 2025.
Hard Numbers: US vs. Canada, Canadians see US as “enemy,” Steel tariffs could hit food prices, Florida’s sewers go WILD
27: Tensions on the ice are reinforced by a new Leger poll, which shows that more than a quarter of Canadians – 27% – see the US as an “enemy,” a sign of the stunning transformation in what was one of the world’s most stable geopolitical relationships since Trump took office.
70: Trump’s plan to impose 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum on March 12 could impact prices at the grocery store by raising prices of manufacturing cans in the US. This could make everything from canned food to beer more expensive. The US annually produces 135 billion metal cans – 115 billion aluminum beverage cans and 20 billion steel cans. With 70% of steel can materials imported, manufacturers will likely face higher costs that would eventually be passed on to consumers.
3,800: University of Florida researchers installed 39 cameras in Gainesville's storm sewers, documenting a surprising diversity of wildlife over 60 days. They captured 3,800 sightings of 35 different species, including 50 alligator appearances and 1,800 raccoon visits. Alligators used the tunnels to travel between ponds and to hunt fish, while mischievous raccoons occasionally stole the cameras. The study also spotted bats, armadillos, and various bird species in the underground network.A snow plow clears the road along Main Street in downtown Brampton, Ontario, on Jan. 2, 2025.
Hard Numbers: Bundle up, New capital gains rules, Big cocaine bust, CEOs rake it in, Hockey highlights
40: After a mild December, winter decided to finally show up. A powerful polar vortex will bring extreme cold and heavy snowfall to parts of Canada and the US in the coming days, with temperatures plunging as low as -40°C (-40°F) in the Canadian Prairies and dipping to -25°F (-32°C) in parts of the northern US Midwest. Regions from Alberta and Saskatchewan to the Great Lakes and New England will be most affected.
67: Tax filers in Canada face new tax rules on capital gains for 2024 after last year’s federal budget raised the capital gains tax inclusion rate from 50% to 67% on gains above $250,000. Taxpayers can still hope to avoid the increase: While the Canada Revenue Agency has provisionally enforced the measure since June 25, the changes were never passed by Parliament, so if the minority government falls or an election is called before it passes, it will not become law.
189: Canadian authorities announced that they seized 189 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated $2 million, at Alberta's Coutts border crossing with Montana, following a joint investigation by the Integrated Border Enforcement Team and Canadian Border Services Agency in November. The news came after the Alberta government’s announcement in December about a new Interdiction Patrol Team to intercept drug and firearms smuggling, in response to calls from US President-elect Donald Trump to beef up border security.
210: Canada's 100 top-paid CEOs earnedan average of $13.2 million in 2023 – 210 times more than the average worker, down from a high of over 240 times more in 2022 and 2021. The Centre for Policy Alternatives ascribes the difference to rising wages and declining corporate profits but notes that long-term trends show CEO-to-worker pay ratios have still steadily grown.
1: Team USA beat an “undisciplined” Team Canada 4-1 at the 50th World Junior Hockey Championship on New Year’s Eve, despite “plenty of fan noise” from their Ottawa audience. After the game, Canadian captain Brayden Yager commented, “We want to play those guys again and get some revenge.” That will have to wait until next year, but the first-place Americans face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Thursday while third-place Canada plays Czechia.
Florida Panthers celebrate beating the Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena.
Hard Numbers: Panthers win first Stanley Cup, Liberals lose in longtime stronghold, Dali set free, Deadly South Korean fire, Tories can’t cash out, Rising German Islamophobia
2: The Florida Panthers won their first Stanley Cup Monday night after beating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in the Panthers' hometown of Sunrise, Florida, outside Miami. It was a devastating blow for Canadian fans, who had watched the Oilers claw their way back after the Panthers established an early 3-0 series lead. The incredible tiebreaker ended with the Panthers on top – and with the Stanley Cup staying in the US for the 31st consecutive year.
30: Conservative candidate Don Stewart’svictory Monday in Toronto-St. Paul’s, a Liberal stronghold for over 30 years, signals significant voter discontent with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of issues like the housing crisis, inflation, and the war in Gaza. This upset raises questions about Trudeau’s leadership and suggests huge vulnerabilities for the Liberals ahead of next year's election as similar vote swings could jeopardize what were once assumed to be “safe” seats.
3: Almost three months after the cargo ship Dali crashed into and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the ship is nowheaded to Virginia for repairs. The Dali lost power on March 23, causing it to veer off course into the bridge, claiming the lives of six construction workers, and destroying the Baltimore bridge, a $1.9 bil and four-year restoration project.
22: A fire in a lithium battery factory outside of Seoulkilled 22 workers, mostly Chinese migrants, and injured eight on Monday. Authorities suspect the fire – one of the country’s deadliest in recent years – erupted because of an explosion in the plant containing roughly 35,000 batteries and have opened an investigation.
5: Insider betting is a no-no. A fifth Tory is now under investigation for allegedly placing bets on the date of the July 4 UK election – before Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the announcement. The allegations mean more negative press for the beleaguered Conservative leader, who is facing calls to suspend the party figures being investigated.
1,926: Islamophobic crimes more thandoubled in Germany last year, according to the lobbying group Claim – totaling 1,926 criminal cases, more than 1,000 over 2022. Claim noted a significant spike in Islamophobic-motivated crimes following the Oct. 7 attack, with over 60% of 2023’s attacks falling in the last three months of the year.
Graphic Truth: Most successful ice hockey teams
Ice hockey is by far the most popular sport in Canada, and the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens the most beloved NHL teams. Unsurprisingly, these two teams lead the pack in total Stanley Cup wins, while the Detroit Red Wings just south of the border boast third place in those ranks.
What is surprising: A Canadian NHL team has not won the Stanley Cup in over 30 years.
This year, two Canadian teams — the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks — remain in the playoffs. So, will 2024 be the year Canada brings home the biggest prize in hockey?
Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) stick checks Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser (6) during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena.
Can a Canadian team end 31-year Stanley Cup drought?
For the past 31 years of hockey folly, Canadian fans have greeted the NHL playoffs by telling anyone who will listen that “this year is different.”
It was 1993 when the Stanley Cup was last brought north of the border – that time by the Montreal Canadiens. But there are genuine grounds for optimism this year, with four Canadian teams competing in the last 16 for the first time in seven years.
The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t won the Cup since 1967 and are already behind 2-1 in their best-of-seven series with the Boston Bruins at the time of writing.
The Winnipeg Jets are tied with the Colorado Avalanche, but hopes are high at the Whiteout street party, where fans gather wearing white Jets jerseys in downtown Winnipeg, after their team finished the season with eight straight wins.
Vancouver Canucks are tied with the Nashville Predators, but the Canadian fans are quietly confident after winning their division.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers are tied in their series against the LA Kings after game one, in which the world’s best player, Connor McDavid, proved unstoppable, providing five assists in a 7-4 win. The bookmakers have the Oilers as the third favorite, behind the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers, both of whom are 2-0 up in their series against the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning respectively.
Despite the prospect of making history, there is no sense that the country is getting behind any one franchise as “Canada’s team.” This is for good reason: If Vancouver and Edmonton triumph, they will face off against each other in round two.
Tribal loyalties run deeper than national ones in a country like Canada, with more geography than history.