Good morning. Today we are catching up on the death of a cartel leader in Mexico and developments in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. We will also make sense of tariff talks and our Olympic performance. Let’s get to it.
A woman visits a growing makeshift memorial on the steps of the town hall in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. Feb. 14, 2026.Jennfier Gauthier/Reuters
TOP STORY
OpenAI knew of Tumbler Ridge shooter’s concerning content
The latest: A representative of tech giant OpenAI met with the B.C. government one day after an 18-year-old killed six people in a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge and two others at a nearby residence, but the company did not disclose that it had suspended the shooter’s ChatGPT account months earlier because of concerning content.
The context: The shooter’s communications with an artificial-intelligence chatbot were flagged by OpenAI and the account was banned in June for violating the company’s usage policy, but it was not reported to law enforcement – months before the deeply troubled teen killed five young students and an education assistant, as well as her mother and half-brother.
What’s next: The RCMP is continuing to investigate threats that have circulated online and within the community. Meanwhile, experts in AI policy say the coming federal online harms bill must create a framework for reporting credible threats.
Healing continues: The principal of the Tumbler Ridge school has received support from a colleague with devastating shared experience: the former principal of Columbine High School helps out educators who have also gone through school shootings.
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The killing of a powerful Mexican drug lord set off several hours of roadblocks yesterday.ULISES RUIZ/AFP/Getty Images
World
Mexican army kills powerful cartel leader
The latest: The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes (El Mencho) on Sunday. The killing of the powerful drug lord set off several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles to block military operations. The state of Jalisco is the base of the cartel known for trafficking huge quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the U.S.
What’s next: Global Affairs posted travel advice that Canadians in Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination in the state, should shelter in place and keep a low profile because of the escalating violence. Several flights were suspended by airlines, and an updated advisory said Canadians in Jalisco State should stay informed of the situation on the ground as the situation develops.
Valérie Maltais and Steven Dubois carry the flag during the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics yesterday in Verona, Italy.Natacha Pisarenko/The Associated Press
Olympic Games
Missed chances haunt Canada as Olympic Games end
The latest: The Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games’ closing ceremony took place in Verona, showcasing odes to the athletes and Italian arts, and featuring performances from opera stars, dancers and musicians. Speed skater Valérie Maltais and short-track speed skater Steven Dubois carried the Canadian flag into the stadium and the country’s final medal tally puts us in 11th place overall.
The games: The U.S. knocked off the Canadian men’s hockey team in the final on Sunday, winning 2-1 in overtime. That wasn’t the game, nor the Games, Canada wanted, writes Cathal Kelly. Canada finished outside the top five countries in the medal table for the first time since 1994.
What’s next: Losing ground to other countries is a symptom of a sport system under strain, said a Canadian Olympic Committee leader Sunday. Committee leaders predicted more slippage without correction. The next Winter Games will take place in the French Alps in 2030.
Opinion: Sport is Canadian. It’s time to start acting like it.
Trade
EU says that the U.S. must honour trade deal
The latest: The European Union’s executive arm requested “full clarity” after some of Donald Trump’s most sweeping tariffs were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. On the weekend, the President lashed out at the court decision and said that he wants a global tariff of 15 per cent.
Catch up: In a 6-3 ruling, the court determined that the President acted illegally when he used emergency economic powers to impose sweeping tariffs on trade partners last year.
What’s next: Despite the ruling against a swath of his existing tariffs, Trump vowed to ramp up his use of sector-based duties, which have delivered the harshest blow to Canada.
Also next: Six months after a tariff exemption expired, small businesses scramble to cope with a labyrinth of rules.
Keep reading
- In-Depth: Out of nowhere, Canada became poorer than Alabama. How is that possible?
- Opinion: A ruling against Trump’s tariffs changes nothing, and everything
- Explain: What happens to the billions of dollars in tariffs the U.S. collected?
Crime
Charges previously dropped against officer in police probe
The latest: A Toronto man named as a central player in a police corruption investigation that has shaken Ontario’s criminal justice system was set to stand trial for cocaine trafficking three years ago, until the case was suddenly dropped. The 2023 prosecution of Brian Da Costa collapsed when the federal Crown stayed charges against him without providing a reason in court, according to a recording of the proceeding.
What’s next: Da Costa is again an accused drug trafficker. Officials say he is at the centre of the police corruption case known as Project South, a sprawling investigation announced by York Regional Police in which seven Toronto police officers and one former officer were charged.
Bookmarked
- At home: Experts warn that Canadian travel to Cuba will be stalled well into the rest of the year.
- Abroad: Iran’s right to “peaceful nuclear enrichment” must be recognized, a senior official of the regime says, adding that new talks are planned in early March.
- Way abroad: Grounded until at least April, NASA’s Artemis II rocket is headed back to the hangar this week for more repairs.
- For your finances: The common belief among many investors is that fortune favours the brave. Now is the time to invest like a coward.
- Conversation starter: We live in a political age defined by anger, but love is one of democracy’s most powerful resources.
The Quote
You don’t run out of things to say within a minute. You’ve got 25 years of material to work with.
— Sandy Balcovske, theatre director and Second City veteran who views Survivor as “long-form improv”
With Survivor kicking off its 50th season this week, Television critic J. Kelly Nestruck writes about how it helps friends stay connected.
The Shot
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NIKKI ERNST
Margaret Atwood explains why our brains are hard-wired to tell a great yarn. In her universe, science is not separate from the humanities. It’s part of the package.