Good morning. It seems that many Canadians are continuing to steer clear of the U.S. after more than a year into a travel boycott. We'll have more on that below, along with the latest on the shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner and a look at the case of the Canadian "mastermind" in the Panama Papers.
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FEATURED STORIES
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(Dax Melmer/CBC)
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Many Canadians have avoided the U.S. for over a year. Have we reached the point of no return?
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The ongoing U.S. travel boycott is showing no signs of letting up. March marked the 14th consecutive month of steep declines, with Canadian return trips to the U.S. plummeting 32 per cent compared to pre-boycott March 2024. Canadians are still travelling, but more are opting for domestic and overseas trips.
What's happening: Beyond the ongoing trade tensions, some Canadian travellers cite the Immigration and Customs Enforcement incidents in Minnesota among reasons why the U.S. is becoming a "scary place" right now. In response to the decline, Las Vegas tourism industry officials are currently travelling across Canada, meeting with travel agents, airlines and tour operators to spread the word that the city is rolling out the welcome mat.
Why it matters: The decline in Canadian travellers helped drive a $8.5-billion (4.6 per cent) drop in international tourism spending in the U.S. last year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. While year-over-year Canadian travel to the U.S. declined by double digits in 2025, overseas trips rose by nine per cent. Meanwhile, domestic tourism rose by 2.5 per cent last year. And if the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran war continues to drive up jet fuel prices, Canadians may further embrace domestic travel, according to an RBC economist.
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What we know about the White House correspondents' dinner shooting
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U.S. President Donald Trump says he "wasn’t worried" during Saturday night's correspondents' dinner shooting, and called the suspect a "sick person" when interviewed about the incident on 60 Minutes last night.
What happened: A man armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby outside the White House correspondents' dinner attended by Trump and multiple senior U.S. leaders, rushing toward the ballroom before Secret Service agents swarmed and took him into custody. Trump and other officials were escorted offstage as gunshots rang out in the lobby. The Secret Service said one officer was shot while wearing a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering.
The suspect: Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of California, is in custody. Authorities say he travelled by train from California to Washington, D.C., and checked into the hotel hosting the dinner. Police officers who interviewed Allen's family also examined his electronic devices and writings, and believe he intended to target members of the Trump administration at the dinner. Officials said Allen will be formally charged in federal court today and could face more indictments later.
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Canadian 'mastermind' in Panama Papers is still a free man despite criminal charges
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West Vancouver businessman Fred Sharp is known as the Canadian mastermind in the Panama Papers. But despite losing case after case in court, being ordered to pay the equivalent of more than $70 million to the U.S. government and $2 million to Quebec's securities regulator for his role in schemes to manipulate share prices, he still has his freedom.
What's happening: Despite a push within the Canada Revenue Agency years ago to criminally investigate him, he's never been charged in Canada. And while the U.S. Justice Department indicted him two years ago for securities fraud and conspiracy, there is no public evidence of an effort to extradite him.
Why it matters: Former financial crime investigators who spoke to CBC News say it's not unusual for Canadian authorities to prefer that people accused of committing cross-border white-collar offences out of Canada be charged and tried in the U.S. But that requires the defendants be arrested and brought to a Canadian court for an extradition hearing, and — five years after Sharp was first charged in the U.S. — that has not happened. It's not clear why.
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