The Latest: Trump says US and Canada reached deal to delay US tariffs on Canadian imports
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7:58 AM on Wednesday, August 19
By The Associated Press
President Donald Trump says he's delaying the 50% U.S. tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports. The countries reached a deal less than two hours before the sanctions were to go into effect, buying time for more negotiations and avoiding for now another strain in already tense relations. The South Korean and U.S. militaries detailed how they're scaling back joint drills, a reduction Trump ordered in an apparent bid to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. And primary voters elevated a progressive Democrat for Senate in Florida, where Trump’s chosen candidate, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, could become the state’s first Black governor.
The Latest:
A mysterious political firm admitted to fabricating multiple election polls this month. The fake results from a company called Median Strategies, none of which appeared in AP coverage, claimed to evaluate support in the Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin, the gubernatorial race in Nevada, and the mayoral race in Los Angeles.
The California poll was shared by Mayor Karen Bass’ campaign on social media and covered by local news outlets before the company admitted its results were faked and shut down.
The trajectory of the false data offer a cautionary tale about the perils of trusting unvetted polling. While high-quality political polls still exist, they appear amid a slew of other surveys produced by outside groups, campaigns or super PACs using undisclosed or questionable methodologies.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement “substantial progress” had been made but that important work remained, confirming Canada had agreed to the three-day delay while negotiations continued.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Candace Laing said in a statement that the three-day tariff delay offered businesses some relief but fell short of the certainty a signed interim agreement would provide.
“This limbo state is not anyone’s preferred outcome,” she said, urging negotiators to reach a deal quickly.
The International Criminal Court has responded to the latest Trump administration sanctions it faces, saying they undermine the rule of law. “When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” its statement says.
The State Department said Tuesday it had hit ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in U.S. jurisdictions or come into contact with the U.S. financial system.
The Trump administration has sought to dismantle the tribunal, which it accuses of trying to unfairly prosecute U.S. and Israeli soldiers for alleged crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement calls it “a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate.”
As the long, contentious primary season nears its end, Democratic voters elevated another progressive Senate candidate in Florida, while Trump’s chosen candidate in his adopted home state, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, won the nomination to be the state’s first Black governor.
It was a mixed bag for incumbents in the state, where Republican-led redistricting efforts scrambled congressional maps. Voters in Alaska, Wyoming and California were also choosing their nominees, sometimes considering multiple people running with matching last names.
Tuesday’s contests will help shape the midterms this fall to determine control of Congress, where Republicans have a narrow edge.
▶ Read more takeaways from Tuesday night
The South Korean and U.S. militaries detailed how they’re scaling back joint drills, a reduction Trump ordered in an apparent bid to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump had ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially reduce” the allies’ summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, just before they began Monday for an 11-day run. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with Kim and South Korea’s refusal to support him over Iran.
South Korean officials said Trump’s surprise announcement came without prior notice, baffling many people in the Asian country and raising concerns about joint defense readiness.
South Korea’s military said Wednesday the allies agreed to adjust the duration and scale of the exercises at the request of the U.S. It said the ongoing drills would end Friday, not Aug. 27 as initially planned. The allies also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises.
President Donald Trump says he’s delaying the 50% U.S. tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports. The countries reached a deal less than two hours before the sanctions were to go into effect, buying time for more negotiations and avoiding for now another strain in already tense relations.
“I have paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three day period, based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
If they had gone into effect as scheduled at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Trump’s import taxes would have hit Canadian products ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors.
But the political impact would likely have been bigger than the economic one. Canada had threatened to retaliate against any new tariffs with levies of its own, aggravating a trade fight between countries that sold each other $880 billion worth of goods and services last year.
A federal district judge said Tuesday that paint tests on a 19th-century historic landmark building next to the White House can go ahead, advancing Trump’s plans to add a new coat of white paint to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, for now.
Trump has suggested the massive building be painted as part of his push to remake and beautify the nation’s capital. Planners said the paint job would cost at least $7.5 million.
The proposal to paint the building has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and degrade the stone.
U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich said plaintiffs in an ongoing case had not shown that minimal tests planned for the historic building would cause irreparable harm if those tests go ahead.
