Ontario hits Michigan, Minnesota and New York with energy tariffs
TORONTO (NYT) — Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, retaliated against President Donald Trump’s economic threats Monday by imposing a 25% tariff on the energy that it exports to Michigan, Minnesota and New York.
The move will cost businesses and residents in each state up to $400,000 per day, and lift the average energy bill by about $100 per month, Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference. The province exports enough energy to power about 1.5 million homes and businesses in those states, he added. They went into effect Monday.
Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian exports last Tuesday, but then on Thursday decided to suspend most of them for 30 days as part of his on-again, off-again use of economic weapons against various countries.
Ford said he would continue to leverage the province’s key exports to the United States and exert “maximum pressure,” warning he would shut off the supply of electricity completely if the Trump administration does not back down on tariffs.
A young prince of Luxembourg dies of a rare genetic disease
(NYT) — A prince of Luxembourg has died at 22 of a genetic disease for which he spent his brief life raising awareness.
Prince Frederik, the second cousin of the heir to the Luxembourg throne, discovered at age 14 that he had a mutation in his POLG gene, which is involved in the replication and repair of DNA. He died March 1 in Paris, his father, Prince Robert, said in a statement through the POLG Foundation.
Estimates vary, but roughly one in 10,000 people are thought to have POLG, or polymerase gamma, disease, according to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. It is a mitochondrial disorder, a group of conditions that affect how mitochondria in cells produce energy. POLG disease affects multiple organs and can lead to seizures and poor coordination, among other symptoms.
Trump administration to restrict Obamacare enrollment period
NEW YORK (Reuters) — The Trump administration aims to close the enrollment period for Obamacare health insurance plans on December 15, one month earlier than the current deadline, the agency that oversees the program said in a press release.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the move aimed to address “improper enrollments”, which it said had increased taxpayer spending on the program. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment and details on the alleged discrepancies.
It will also tighten the eligibility for the special sign-up period outside the enrollment dates of November 1 through December 15 and require additional income verification, without providing details.
The health plans, which are subsidized based on income, were introduced under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the signature legislation of former U.S. President Barack Obama. Since inception, 49.4 million Americans have signed up for the health plans, including a record 20.8 million people enrolled in 2024.
The Medicare agency said it would also ensure consumers are not being enrolled in the plans without their consent.