We start today’s brief with some tariff talk.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade czar says if Canada wants a deal with Washington, it will have to accept “some level of higher tariff” and help to re-shore American industries.

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CBC News’ Katie Simpson on Tuesday that “if Canada wants to come in and participate in this type of reshoring we are trying to do, we are happy to have those discussions.”

Greer’s comments came after Trump delivered a 108-minute State of the Union address Tuesday night. In that speech, the president told Congress he remained committed to realigning global trade through tariffs — even though the United States Supreme Court struck down a key tool he used to impose those tariffs.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday he had not watched the president’s speech.

In a 6-3 decision last week, America’s top court concluded it was not legal for Trump to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, better known as IEEPA, for his “Liberation Day” tariffs and fentanyl-related duties on Canada, Mexico and China.

The Canadian Press explains.

Meanwhile, Canada and South Korea are set to sign a defence agreement today, roughly a month after Prime Minister Mark Carney urged middle powers to band together in the face of “great power” economic coercion.

Following negotiations that concluded in October, the two countries are expected to sign a deal today related to the exchange and protection of classified military and defence information.

In October, Ottawa said the agreement would be a legal base to improve collaboration on everything from defence procurement and industrial security to research.

In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, Carney urged middle powers to work together against “American hegemony” and the efforts of great powers to subjugate smaller countries.

CP also has this one.

Marco Vigliotti has more. 

Two federal ministers signalled today that Ottawa could act to improve online safety related to artificial intelligence as questions mount about OpenAI’s decision not to warn police about Tumbler Ridge shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar.

The company’s handling of the issue has been under scrutiny since the Wall Street Journal reported that Van Rootselaar’s OpenAI account was shut down over troubling posts, including some that cited scenarios of gun violence.

The shooter was banned by OpenAI from its ChatGPT platform at least seven months ago, but OpenAI did not inform police about her problematic behaviour until after the Feb. 10 killings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

Following a meeting Tuesday with OpenAI representatives, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said federal officials expressed their “disappointment” to the company about its decision not to warn law enforcement.

CP again has this one.

In Other Headlines

Internationally

President Trump’s surgeon general nominee Dr. Casey Means testified before Senate committee on Wednesday in her bid to be confirmed as the nation’s top doctor.

The hearing was a long time coming for Means — a wellness influencer, entrepreneur and author — who had to delay the confirmation hearing in late October because she was pregnant and went into labor.

During her testimony, Means praised Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership and echoed many of the talking points of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, while sidestepping pointed questions about the administration’s controversial actions on vaccines and other issues.

In a back and forth between Means and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, she said that she believes “vaccines save lives,” but stopped short of encouraging mothers to have their kids vaccinated against measles and flu. She said that it is a matter for conversation and informed consent between doctors and patients.

Later when pressed by Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, on whether she disagreed with Kennedy’s statement that there’s a lack of evidence on the efficacy of the flu vaccine, Means eventually agreed that at the “population level” the shot does lower the risk of injury or hospitalization.

NPR has more.

Meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been blocked from directly accessing French government ministers after he failed to appear to a summons by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

Kushner had been summoned over comments made about the death of French far-right activist Quentin Deranque earlier this month, but “did not appear” on Monday, a statement from France’s foreign affairs ministry, the Quai d’Orsay, said.

“Faced with this apparent misunderstanding of the basic expectations of an ambassador’s mission, the Minister has requested that he no longer have direct access to members of the French government,” the statement said.

Kushner will still be permitted to carry out his duties and have “diplomatic exchanges” with officials.

The spat deepened further on Tuesday when Barrot said the US ambassador’s failure to appear on Monday will “naturally affect his ability to carry out his mission in our country.”

The French foreign minister insisted that while Kushner’s actions will not “affect the relationship between the United States and France in any way,” they demand “an explanation.”

CNN has the latest.

In Other International Headlines

The Kicker

A Gen-Z mannerism may have reached the White House on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address.

During the broadcast, the camera panned to Sage Blair, who then “clocked it,” a likely first-ever appearance of the mannerism in Congress’ 200-plus year history.

Have a great night, folks!