The Latest: Canada strikes back with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of US goods

The Latest: Canada strikes back with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of US goods Canada struck back at U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to his latest round of tariffs on Canada - Bookmark Canada struck back at U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to the latest round of tariffs on Canada. The outcome could resonate far beyond Canada, showing other governments whether a smaller U.S. ally can withstand Trump’s economic pressure. The U.S. struck multiple Iranian tankers Tuesday in response to more attempted missile attacks on a Navy warship, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations. And Americans’ satisfaction with the quality of K-12 education in the country has hit a low point. Just 32% of American adults say they are “completely” or “somewhat” satisfied with the U.S. school system, according to a new poll. That’s the lowest since Gallup began polling on the subject 27 years ago. Here's the latest: Trump expands trade actions against Canada The president has directed the U.S. General Services Administration to declare Canadian products ineligible for large, long-term contracts until Canada allows “full and fair’’ reciprocity for American products. The latest strikes are part of a dual economic and military approach by Trump That’s as he struggles to bring an end to the more-than-six-month war with Tehran. The Trump administration also on Tuesday imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran’s aviation industry, targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers in its new push to isolate Tehran from its remaining trading partners. Both the U.S. and Iran are seeking to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war began. Rising energy prices are posing political problems for Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections. A barrel of international standard Brent crude briefly climbed as high as $99.46 on Tuesday. A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has squeezed the country’s economy by limiting its oil exports, while the American military has been helping a limited number of ships transit through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman. Iranian state television says tankers attacked near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island A state TV reporter in Jask says an Iranian tanker was struck near the coast of Yekbeni, while another explosion was heard in the area. Its source and location were not immediately clear. State TV later reported that the U.S. military attacked a second tanker near waters off Jask. It said the crews of both vessels were being evacuated by lifeboat toward the Jask coast in the Persian Gulf. Separately, state television reported that another Iranian tanker was attacked in the Kharg Island anchorage area. It said the crew was safely evacuated shortly after the strike. US strikes Iranian tankers after more attempted missile attacks on Navy warship The U.S. has struck multiple Iranian tankers in response to more attempted missile attacks on a Navy warship, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations. It marks the latest tit-for-tat strikes as Washington and Tehran lurch back toward fighting during more than six months of war. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy has warned crews of oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to immediately leave their vessels, saying the ships could be targeted in retaliation for U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers. —Konstantin Toropin Justice Department marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, attended the memorial event at Justice Department headquarters on Tuesday alongside Attorney General Todd Blanche and other officials. Blanche gave brief remarks in the department's central courtyard near a tree that grew from a seedling of the Manhattan tree known as the Survivor Tree. The Survivor Tree was damaged in the World Trade Center attack but nursed back to health and replanted at the site. Two stones from the foundations of the two World Trade Center towers are being added to the Justice Department’s courtyard memorial. Giuliani was a Justice Department official and the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York before becoming New York City mayor. Expert says restarting closed nuclear plants is risky Edwin Lyman, at the Union of Concerned Scientists, says there’s no evidence the investments being made to restart closed nuclear power plants will return them to the condition where they can operate safely. The U.S. Energy Department announced a loan of up to $1.9 billion Tuesday to help restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa. It’s also investing in restarting nuclear power plants in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Google wants to purchase power from Duane Arnold for data centers. Duane Arnold shut down in 2020 after a powerful storm damaged portions of the plant including the cooling towers. Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at UCS, said unless the plant is hardened to better withstand such severe events, it will pose an unacceptable risk. Ranking committee members ask for GAO review of Freedom 250 data collection Reps. Jared Huffman and Joseph Morrelle, ranking members of the Natural Resources and House Administration committees respectively, requested Tuesday that the Government Accountability Office investigate how personal data generated during Freedom 250 events is used. The request, made in a letter to acting GAO Secretary Orice Williams Brown, stems from a July report from the Democratic staff of the Natural Resources committee that examined Freedom 250’s activities during semiquincentennial celebrations. That report highlighted that a number of vendors were Trump allies and collecting personal information in several venues. “Based on our preliminary findings, President Trump and his allies are in a position to use information on American voters, harvested with taxpayer money and government resources, in an attempt to tip the scales in the upcoming midterm elections,” it said. A call to a Freedom 250 spokesperson was not immediately returned. Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian leadership following clash with Trump administration Trump has been pushing to reshape how U.S. history is portrayed, affecting entities like the Smithsonian. Bunch announced his departure Tuesday, expressing mixed emotions and gratitude. He will leave at the end of the year. Two months ago, a White House report criticized the Smithsonian’s leadership, especially at the National Museum of American History, labeling the leaders as radical activists. Trump has been scrutinizing museum leadership, but he lacks the power to make swift changes. Canada retaliates as Trump response looms Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will move faster to reduce economic reliance on the United States as retaliatory tariffs took effect on Tuesday on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods. “In too many areas, they wanted dependency, not a true economic partnership,” Carney said in a prerecorded video outlining his government’s plan to withstand the trade war. About 400,000 people crossed the border each day. Now Canadians have sharply cut U.S. travel and are boycotting U.S. goods. Rubio says he’ll visit Venezuela ‘eventually,’ touts oil deal as positive for Venezuelans Rubio says Venezuela would be “much better off partnering with the United States” than with other countries that had managed the country's oil fields, such as China, Russia and Iran. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez agreed last week to give the U.S. control of roughly one-fifth of Venezuela’s oil reserves. While the deal could eventually generate billions for an economy wrecked by years of mismanagement, many Venezuelans say they believe gaining control of Venezuelan oil was the ultimate objective when Trump ordered U.S. forces to capture then-President Nicolás Maduro. Trump’s social media mapping now rattles Iceland as well as Greenland and Denmark Trump posted a map showing the U.S. sprawling across all of North America and extending to Greenland and Iceland. Trump has repeatedly talked of making Canada the 51st U.S. state and taking control of Greenland, Denmark’s self-governing territory. Iceland’s foreign secretary summoned the U.S. ambassador to make it clear that Monday’s Truth Social post was unacceptable, national broadcaster RÚV said. “The U.S. president still harbors some kind of maximalist vision in his own mind. We need to rein that in,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told the national broadcaster DR on Tuesday. Trump’s post came as the European Union sought to reassure Greenland by promising a stronger partnership and major investments. US secretary of state says US ‘obviously’ won’t follow UK lead on West Bank trade ban Speaking to reporters before a trip to Latin American countries, Marco Rubio said the U.S. was given a heads-up to the decision by the United Kingdom, which earlier Tuesday banned trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where it says “settler terrorists” are carrying out “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians. Israel in response said it would close the British consulate in Jerusalem. Asked about Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia that have wounded dozens, Rubio said the U.S. was watching the situation “very closely,” calling Houthis “agents and proxies” of Iran. He deferred more comment to the Pentagon. US Secretary of State begins a three-nation tour of Latin America Marco Rubio is visiting U.S.-aligned conservative leaders as the Trump administration steps up military operations to combat drug trafficking and seeks further inroads in the Western Hemisphere aimed at improving America’s energy standing and combating illegal migration. Just a week after sealing a massive oil deal with Venezuelan leaders, Rubio is traveling Tuesday to neighboring Colombia to meet President Abelardo de la Espriella. Colombia’s new leader has embraced Trump’s policies on issues ranging from drugs to immigration and energy. De la Espriella is one of a new generation of right-wing conservatives to win election and show support for Trump’s muscular approach to a region that had tilted leftward in recent decades. Top Pentagon official warns Ukraine supporters to plan for a very long war Russia’s war on the country could drag on for years, and Europe must be ready to sustain its military support long term, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby said Tuesday. “We cannot predict when this tragic war will end,” Colby said as Ukraine’s supporters held an online meeting seeking more air defense systems, arms and ammunition. “Russia is reconstituting its forces and its defense industrial capacity,” Colby said. “We must be prepared for a protracted conflict and for Ukraine’s requirements to persist in the months and years ahead.” Zelenskyy says US envoys have ‘very good’ ideas to end Russia’s war on Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that U.S. envoys who visited Kyiv presented some “very good, worthwhile ideas” for ending Russia’s 4 1/2-year-old war, adding that he hopes to meet with Trump within two weeks. But Russia remains determined to accomplish its military goals and it believes it is close to winning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Ukrainian and Western observers believe that Moscow has been unable to make any significant progress on the front line. U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Moscow and Kyiv for separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy over the weekend. The meetings appeared to produce no substantial breakthrough on ending the fighting, and both countries resumed their deadly air war after a weekend truce in their capitals for the American visitors. The Kremlin says Putin assured Trump that Moscow doesn't intend aggression toward Europe Vladimir Putin made the assurance during a phone call with Trump on Tuesday, a senior Kremlin official said. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, told reporters that “in view of the speculation about Russia’s alleged hostile intentions toward European countries, it was underlined that we don’t have any aggressive plans regarding Europe.” Ushakov also said Putin told Trump about the combat situation in Ukraine and Russia’s plans to make battlefield gains and achieve its military goals. He said that Moscow has a positive view of the results of the weekend visit to Moscow by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Trump’s threats against Canadian jetmaker Bombardier put thousands of American jobs at risk Canadian jetmaker Bombardier is responding with a reality check to Trump’s threats to ban U.S. purchases unless it makes the planes in the United States. The manufacturer of private jets is noting that its wings and many other components are made in America, with a supply chain that supports tens of thousands of jobs with about 2,800 companies across 47 U.S. states. The statement from Bombardier says the American aerospace industry is already a “clear winner on trade and exports.” More than 1,000 of those jobs are in Kansas. A statement from Republican Sen. Jerry Moran says he’s reached out to make sure the Trump administration understands how important the jetmaker is to the Kansas economy. ▶ Read more Texas Sen. Ted Cruz urges Republicans to unite behind Ken Paxton Cruz warned Tuesday on “Fox & Friends” that Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is a “talented” candidate with plenty of campaign cash and an energized opposition to Trump. He said it’s time for Texas Republicans who backed Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP primary to set aside their reservations about the scandal-plagued Paxton. “Listen, primaries — they’re good, they’re healthy, they’re part of politics. But when they’re over, they’re over,” Cruz said. “Often moderates in our party, if they win a primary, will tell conservatives, ‘Now shut up and support the moderate. The primary is over.’ Well, this time the shoe is on the other foot,” Cruz continued, “and it’s time to come together. You may think Ken Paxton’s fantastic. He may not be your cup of tea. That’s not the question.” Texas has not elected a new Democratic U.S. senator since Lloyd Bentsen in 1970. Trump’s first major midterm money move: A $10M Texas Senate ad blitz The political group associated with Trump is spending $10 million on television and digital advertisements in the Texas Senate race, according to a Saturday filing with the Federal Election Commission. This is the first significant spending in a premier general election contest by MAGA, Inc., and reflects how a once-safe Republican seat in Texas may be viable for Democrats with the candidacy of James Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is the Republican nominee in the race. Trump’s endorsement helped Paxton to defeat the incumbent, Sen. John Cornyn, in a May primary runoff election. The ads seek to highlight taxes as a dominant issue at a time when many voters have expressed concerns about continued inflation. Talarico has favored higher taxes on wealthier households and the two ads seek to portray him as seeking tax hikes more broadly while claiming that Paxton would give tax breaks to first-time homebuyers and families with children. ▶ Read more Americans’ satisfaction with schools is at a low point, new Gallup poll shows Americans’ satisfaction with the quality of K-12 education in the country has hit a low point, driven by a growing political divide and concerns that schools are not preparing children for college and future jobs. Just 32% of American adults say they are “completely” or “somewhat” satisfied with the U.S. school system, according to an August poll published Tuesday by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation and shared exclusively with The Associated Press. That’s an 11-point drop over the past two years and the lowest since Gallup began polling on the subject 27 years ago. At the same time, dissatisfaction has increased to a high of 67%. Experts on education and school policy say the findings are deeply concerning but not surprising. The Trump administration has played a role in eroding public confidence by depicting schools as political battlegrounds, raising concerns about what teachers should be allowed to say in the classroom and moving to abolish diversity programs and dismantle the Education Department, said Jack Schneider, director of the Center for Education Policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. ▶ Read more Republicans will gather in Dallas for Trump’s unusual midterm convention Republicans will descend on Dallas this week for a two-day convention dreamed up by Trump to rally his supporters for this year’s midterm elections. Trump has said he wanted to channel the kind of political extravaganza that each party holds every four years to formally nominate a presidential candidate and showcase their vision for the country. There’s even going to be a huge drop of balloons at the end. Trump had long floated the idea of holding such a convention and Republicans worked to make his wish a reality. Midterms are often difficult for the party in power in Washington, and Trump believes the event can juice enthusiasm for the party and boost turnout among his voters. “Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said recently in South Carolina. “Just come and vote.” Republicans said the event will help catapult GOP candidates into November, but it will also showcase the first two years of Trump’s term. Although the president’s poll numbers are sagging, he insists that running on his record will give Republicans their best shot. ▶ Read more What to know about Canada’s escalating trade war with the US as Carney retaliates with tariffs Canada struck back at Trump on Tuesday with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to the latest round of tariffs on Canada. The outcome could resonate far beyond Canada, showing other governments whether a smaller U.S. ally can withstand Trump’s economic pressure. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says U.S. demands could hollow out key Canadian industries and limit the country’s independence, and Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty have rallied the public behind him. “Carney and Canada have become symbolic of resistance to him,” Canadian historian Robert Bothwell said. “And what he’ll want to do is make an example of Carney and Canada and theoretically terrify everybody else while in fact showing them that they need to remove themselves even further from the United States.” The tariffs hit hundreds of American products, including steel, aluminum, cheese, appliances, clothing, cosmetics and farm equipment, at rates of 15%, 25% or 50%. ▶ Read more [Image text:] F.D.N.Y. F.D.N.Y FIRE FAMILY TRANSF FIRE TRA MILY ORT