Good morning; it's Therese Kehler with your morning news update, and an admission: my complete surprise that Canada Post employees could be back on strike — again! — on Friday.

If you were equally caught off guard, we'll get you back up to speed with a fascinating breakdown by CBC journalist David Michael Lamb about Canada Post's formidable business woes.

With another strike looming, Canada Post says it is fighting for its life amid staggering losses

Canada Post resumed operations in December after a month-long strike but is now set to strike once again on Friday. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

You're not imagining it: Canada Post workers could go on strike at midnight Friday, disrupting mail services for the second time in six months. 

Given the 32-day strike before Christmas that disrupted everything from Christmas gifts to passport delivery, this newest phase of the labour dispute seems to come out of nowhere. Actually, that labour dispute was never resolved. The expired collective agreement was extended until May — but a new deal still hasn't been negotiated.

My colleague David Michael Lamb broke down some of the problems faced by Canada Post. Here is some of what he learned:

The bottom line: Canada Post last made a profit in 2017 and has lost $3 billion since then. The annual loss in 2023 alone was $748 million.

More addresses, less mail: In 2006, Canada Post delivered 5.5 billion letters, compared to 2.2 billion in 2023. However, it still has a mandate to service every single address in Canada. As the population (and number of addresses) increases, the mismatch of revenue and expenses has been described as an "existential crisis."

Working for (not on) the weekend: The parcel delivery business in Canada is booming, but not for Canada Post. It delivered 29 per cent of Canadian parcels in 2023, a huge drop from its 62 per cent share in 2019. A key issue, according to Canada Post, is that it doesn't deliver on weekends.

• From sending mail to banking to assistance cheques, here's what you need to know about a potential Canada Post strike.

Iran says it is 'ready for talks' about renewing relations with Canada, but Ottawa must make the first move

CBC’s senior international correspondent Margaret Evans speaks with Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s foreign minister, in Tehran. (Stephanie Jenzer/CBC)

Recent efforts to restore talks between Washington and Tehran over a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions have raised hopes among ordinary Iranians that countries like Canada will also renew diplomatic relations, potentially helping to end their country’s isolation and economic pain.

During a rare visit by a Canadian journalist into Iran, CBC correspondent Margaret Evans spoke with government officials about the long-dormant diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

"The relationship was frozen unilaterally by Canada, not by Iran," said Esmail Baghaei, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, at a recent media briefing in Tehran.
"And we never welcomed that decision because we think that decision was not for the benefit of either of the two nations," he said.

Ottawa severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012, citing the Islamic Republic's perceived ambition for nuclear weapons, its support for the dictatorship of the now-ousted Bashar al-Assad, and persistent human rights abuses. 

As a result, Iranians with family in Canada face visa and consular challenges, making family reunification and travel more difficult. As well, the absence of diplomatic relations has complicated efforts to seek accountability for the downing of Ukrainian flight PS752, which killed all 167 passengers, most of whom were travelling to Canada via Ukraine.

Canada wants to join Golden Dome missile-defence program, Trump says

U.S. President Donald Trump says Canada has asked to join the U.S. missile defence program. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)

U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the design for a $175-billion US project to build a multi-purpose missile shield, dubbed the Golden Dome, which will be aimed at blocking threats from China and Russia.

However, Trump's Tuesday announcement also noted Canada wants to be part of the project. "They want to hook in and they want to be a part of it," Trump said, adding, "We'll work with them on pricing."

Space-based defence: The Golden Dome is a proposed U.S. space-based missile defence system inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome. It would involve hundreds of satellites for early detection and interception of missile threats.

Time and money: While Trump is determined that the project will be completed by January 2029, experts are skeptical, citing cost estimates ranging from $175 billion over 10 years to $831 billion over two decades.

Silicon Valley involvement: Tech companies like SpaceX, Palantir and Anduril are emerging as key players, rather than traditional defence contractors. 

Challenges: The project faces scrutiny over procurement processes and political ties, especially regarding Elon Musk's involvement.

Ottawa confirmed it's talking to the U.S. about the defence system. In a statement, the federal government cast missile-defence discussions as part of the overall trade and security negotiations Prime Minister Mark Carney is having with Trump. 

What this means is still extremely murky. It's unclear what, exactly, Canada would contribute; what its responsibilities would include; what it would pay; and how different this arrangement would be from what Canada already does under the Canada-U.S. NORAD system.

In case you missed it

• At the trial of five former Hockey Canada world junior players in London, Ont., the Crown suggests inconsistencies in testimony from NHLer Brett Howden. 
   
• A 19-year-old appeared in court Tuesday morning following a deadly Toronto crash early Sunday that killed three children and sent three others to hospital.
   
• George Wendt, the actor known for his portrayal of beer-loving Norm Peterson on the hit NBC sitcom Cheers, has died at the age of 76.
   
• Their families never accepted the official account of their deaths. Now, police are taking another look.
   
• Emily Clark scored early in overtime as the Ottawa Charge edged the defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost in Game 1 of the PWHL final.

And, in today's weird-but-true news...

File this reading list in your stranger-than-fiction folder

Actual books on display at a Toronto Indigo store in 2023. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

A summer reading list published by a Chicago newspaper recommends books by authors you've heard of — but the books themselves don't exist.

On Tuesday, the Chicago Sun-Times was taking heat for its Heat Index supplement, which included a reading list described as "15 titles, new and old, that promise to deliver the perfect summer escape."

Readers quickly pointed out that nine of the titles were so new that they hadn't even been written, while social media posts criticized the paper for allegedly using artificial intelligence software to generate the list.

"Of the books named on this reading list, Brit Bennett, Isabel Allende, Andy Weir, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Min Jin Lee, Rumaan Alam, Rebecca Makkai, Maggie O'Farrell, Percival Everett, and Delia Owens' titles are all books that DO NOT EXIST!!!" wrote Bluesky user Bracken MacLeod.

A newspaper spokesperson said the insert was licensed editorial content from Hearst-owned King Features. The writer who produced the reading list confirmed that it was at least partially generated by AI. 

"I do use AI for background at times but always check out the material first. This time, I did not and I can't believe I missed it," Marco Buscaglia told the tech journalism company 404 Media. 

"On me 100 per cent and I'm completely embarrassed."