Good morning. This is Hanna Lee.

Canadians' boycott of the U.S. is still holding strong. We'll have more on that below.

Then, what we know so far about the plot to seize land in Quebec, and a look at the Druze, an esoteric minority in Syria.

The U.S. boycott remains strong. Why Canadians are digging in their heels

Maker House, an Ottawa gift shop, sells Canadian-made goods including chocolate with well-known Canadian expressions such as 'elbows up' and 'eh.' (Max Paris/CBC)

Boycotts tend to wane over time as people lose interest and return to old habits. But the buy Canadian movement appears to still be going strong, months in.

What's happening: A majority of Canadians polled in a new survey for e-commerce software company Lightspeed said they support stores removing U.S. products. Meanwhile, travel to the U.S. continued to fall, with air travel falling by about a quarter in May and land travel by more than a third.

The continued boycott: U.S. President Donald Trump can take much of the credit for that, as his annexation musings and tariffs continue. But it's also easy for many Canadians to find domestic replacements for American products like food; a good deal of people have also replaced U.S. travel with other countries — or their own, as many of you wrote in about a few months ago. The trade war has allowed Canadian consumers to see domestic products in a new light; for some, stakeholders say, buying Canadian may well become a habit, long after it's over.

What we know (so far) about the plot to seize land in Quebec and the military men allegedly behind it

A photo from Raphaël Lagacé's Facebook, it included a caption protesting the Liberal's gun-control legislation. (Raphaël Lagacé/Facebook)

This week the RCMP made shocking allegations when it accused four men, including military members, of collecting weapons to take over land near Montreal. Here's what we know so far. 

What's happening: All the accused are relatively young men from Quebec with ties to the Canadian Armed Forces or cadets. Their plot involved creating an "anti-government militia," the RCMP says, with members allegedly already beginning "military-style training." The police released a photo showing seven people allegedly participating in these exercises in what looks like a pit.

Their motivation: That's not quite clear, other than that it was anti-government. But the RCMP determined the alleged activity began in June 2021, which would coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic and repeated lockdowns. The men's next court date is July 14; they have yet to enter a plea and a bail hearing hasn't been scheduled. 

Syria's Druze avoided the worst of the 14-year civil war — and want little to do with new rulers

Bader Kmash, left, seated next to a fellow activist, says the Druze ‘do not trust’ Syria’s new authorities. (Neil Hauer/CBC)

It's been six months since the stunning toppling of longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. The months since have been as hopeful as they have been challenging. One minority group finds itself in a particularly delicate position: the Druze.

What's happening: Neither Muslim nor Christian, the group's secretive beliefs include reincarnation. Many live in Suwayda, just 90 minutes from the capital of Damascus. But it's unique among Syria's provinces; the new government's security forces are absent there, and it's managed to avoid nearly the entirety of the country's 14-year civil war. 

Looking ahead: Now, the Druze want little to do with Syria's new rulers. Deadly clashes with other groups have hardened Druze attitudes toward the necessity of their own militias. They particularly fear increasing influence from longtime foe Turkey, making many open to the protection of Israel. That distinguishes them from most of their fellow Syrians; the Druze are well integrated in Israel and are also among the only minority communities to serve in its military. Israel has also threatened to intervene in Damascus if the safety of the Druze were jeopardized.

In case you missed it

• Canadian wildfire smoke is ruining Americans' summer, states a letter from U.S. Congress members to our U.S. ambassador.
   
• U.S. President Trump has issued tariff notices to seven more trading partners, including Algeria, the Philippines and Moldova.
   
• X CEO Linda Yaccarino has stepped down after two years of leading the Elon Musk-owned social media company.
   
• Rest in peace to Coal Taurozzi, a cat who has died at 17. He was the last feline from the beloved former cat colony on Parliament Hill. 

And finally, some supportive spouses...

She ain't heavy, she's my wife: Wife-carrying contest returns in Finland

The 2025 Wife-Carrying World Championships concluded over the weekend in Sonkajärvi, Finland. (Reuters)

Over the weekend, the 2025 Wife-Carrying World Championships concluded in Sonkajärvi, Finland. More than 200 people from 18 countries took part to see who could carry their wife the fastest through water and other obstacles. In the end, U.S. couple Caleb and Justine Roesler emerged victorious in the main race.