Good morning \u2013 I\u2019m subbing in for Sierra today. Mark Carney popped up on YouTube to reassure Canadians who are frustrated that he hasn\u2019t cut a trade deal with Donald Trump. More on that below, along with Iran\u2019s meme wars and Doug Ford\u2019s private-jet U-turn. Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n
Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Mark Carney posted an address to the country on YouTube yesterday.Supplied<\/p>\n Top storyCarney tries to manage expectations<\/p>\n The latest: Mark Carney once again reminded Canadians that our close ties<\/a> to the United States have become \u201cweaknesses\u201d that need to be corrected. In a 10-minute, FDR-style fireside chat posted on YouTube yesterday, the Prime Minister promised to \u201cstrike new partnerships abroad, so we can sell into new markets\u201d while the video cycled through photos of Carney\u2019s many international trips meeting world leaders.<\/p>\n The context: Carney seemed to be asking for patience as Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs threaten the jobs of Canadian auto, lumber and steelworkers. The pre-recorded video came two days after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick slammed Carney for striking a trade deal with China and said the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement could be allowed to lapse this summer. <\/p>\n What\u2019s next: As Ottawa expands its pitch to attract more foreign investment<\/a> to Canada, Carney\u2019s office announced that it would invite more than 100 of the world\u2019s largest investors to a summit in Toronto in September.<\/p>\n What else: \u201cNostalgia is not a strategy,\u201d Carney said in his address, taking aim at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre\u2019s desire to maintain a stable relationship<\/a> with Washington. Meanwhile, a new poll found that 57 per cent<\/a> of recent Conservative voters want to maintain a stable relationship with Poilievre, believing he should lead the party into the next election. <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n One of the AI-generated animations created by a pro-Iran studio.Sam Mcneil\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n WorldIran is out-trolling Trump<\/p>\n The latest: Iranian content creators \u2013 funded by the government and fluent in American internet culture \u2013 are churning out AI-generated videos<\/a> that mock U.S. President Donald Trump. Often set to a hip-hop diss track, they usually feature a Lego-style Trump looking weak or ridiculous, along with nods to the Epstein files or soaring oil prices. The White House\u2019s own memes haven\u2019t managed to keep up.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next: Trump said peace talks with Iran would continue in Pakistan this week, although Tehran rejected the meetings<\/a> and vowed to retaliate after the U.S. seized an Iranian cargo ship<\/a> in the Strait of Hormuz. The tenuous ceasefire between the two countries is set to expire on Wednesday.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next at the pump: A tax break from Ottawa on diesel fuel won\u2019t make up for the sharp rise<\/a> in prices driven by the war.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Shoulders back, little shrimp!Illustration by Heidi Berton<\/p>\n How We LiveTech-neck support<\/p>\n The latest: Let\u2019s all do a quick posture check. Are you hunched over your screen right now? (Guilty.) Is there a stubborn pain in your neck or along your spine? (Both, because I\u2019m writing this on the couch.) Good news for those of us who\u2019ve made poor ergonomic choices: It is possible to get your posture back on track<\/a>.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next: Start by doing these three simple moves<\/a> for better body alignment \u2013 one of which, conveniently enough, is called \u201cthe couch stretch.\u201d <\/p>\n PoliticsDoug Ford ditches the \u201cgravy plane\u201d<\/p>\n The latest: Just days after the Ontario government confirmed it had bought a private plane for the Premier, Doug Ford announced he planned to sell<\/a> the $28.9-million jet. The purchase set off a wave of criticism across the political spectrum, and yesterday, Ford said he understood \u201cthat now is not the right time for the expense of a government plane.\u201d <\/p>\n What\u2019s next: Ford pledged to work with Quebec company Bombardier \u2013 which made the 12-seat jet \u2013 to find a buyer as quickly as possible. He\u2019ll have to find another way to get to Ottawa, where he\u2019s meeting today with other premiers for a business summit.<\/p>\n JusticeKenneth Law will plead guilty<\/p>\n The latest: Ontario prosecutors agreed to settle the case<\/a> against Kenneth Law, whom police allege sold toxic salts through his online business to people looking for a way to kill themselves. Law will soon plead guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicide, after the Crown dropped the greater charges of first-degree murder in the death of 14 Canadians.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next: The murder charges collapsed largely because of court rulings<\/a> in a separate case, which drew a distinct line between murder and assisting suicide. The Crown is still expected to secure a strict sentence in the plea deal. <\/p>\n BookmarkedThe Quote<\/p>\n We are at the nuclear-blast stage of AI.<\/p>\n \u2014 Peter W. Klein, journalist, professor and documentary filmmaker<\/p>\n There\u2019s already a rapidly growing body of evidence about the risks of autonomous AI \u2013 and just like atomic weapons or the pesticide DDT, its destruction can spread even further than people anticipate. Peter W. Klein wonders if we\u2019re approaching<\/a> the Silent Spring of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n