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  • TikTok to pay $400m to US in one of largest child privacy settlements

    TikTok to pay $400m to US in one of largest child privacy settlements

    For nearly two years, TikTok has faced mounting regulatory and political pressure in the United States, and the latest chapter of this scrutiny has concluded with a major legal settlement. The short-form video platform and its parent company ByteDance have agreed to pay a $400 million penalty to the U.S. government to resolve a federal lawsuit claiming the platform violated long-standing U.S. child online privacy rules. This settlement ranks among the largest financial penalties ever imposed for violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

    The lawsuit behind this resolution was first filed in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Justice during the administration of former President Joe Biden. Prosecutors alleged that TikTok and ByteDance illegally gathered massive volumes of personal data from millions of platform users under the age of 13, a direct violation of COPPA. Enacted in 2000, COPPA mandates that online platforms obtain explicit parental consent before collecting personal information from children younger than 13, the same federal regulation that is now at the center of multiple ongoing lawsuits against Meta from dozens of U.S. states.

    In a statement announcing the settlement, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate emphasized that the outcome leaves children and families with stronger privacy protections than existed when the legal action was first launched. This $400 million penalty far outpaces many previous COPPA-related fines: Google’s YouTube paid a $170 million penalty for similar violations in 2019, while video game developer Epic Games paid $275 million to resolve COPPA claims in 2022. Currently, Meta is facing potential penalties that could surpass hundreds of billions of dollars, after 29 state attorneys general brought suit against the social media giant. A jury trial in that case started earlier this week, where Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, stands accused of deliberately targeting child users to generate advertising revenue off minor users.

    Notably, the 2024 lawsuit against TikTok predates the 2025 divestment of TikTok’s U.S. operations from its Chinese parent company, a process mandated by U.S. political pressure. Under the terms of the current settlement, only TikTok’s pre-divestment corporate structure faces penalties. The agreement outlines a staggered payment schedule: TikTok and ByteDance will pay an initial $300 million to the Department of Justice immediately, with the remaining $100 million due only after U.S. regulators vacate an existing 2019 consent decree issued by the Federal Trade Commission.

    This is not TikTok’s first run-in with COPPA regulators. In the 2019 consent decree, Musical.ly – the predecessor app that ByteDance acquired and rebranded as TikTok – paid a $5.7 million fine for COPPA violations and committed to implementing age verification and parental consent processes for under-13 users.

    The Department of Justice announced on Friday that no additional action against TikTok will be pursued beyond the financial penalty. Regulators did note, however, that since the lawsuit was filed, TikTok has implemented sweeping changes to its platform, including overhauls to its ownership structure, privacy policies, and content and data controls for young users. When the lawsuit was originally filed, federal prosecutors noted that more than 170 million American minors used the platform, arguing that TikTok was inherently designed to appeal to children yet failed to implement effective age checking or required parental consent for underage users.

    Political pressure on TikTok predates the 2024 lawsuit. In 2024, former President Biden pushed U.S. policymakers to either implement a full national ban on TikTok or force a full divestment of its U.S. operations from ByteDance. Former President Donald Trump, who first raised national security concerns about TikTok during his first term, supported the 2025 divestment process that has restructured the platform’s U.S. ownership. Today, a consortium of U.S.-based investors holds 81% of TikTok’s U.S. operations, while ByteDance retains a 19% minority stake.

    As of this reporting, a TikTok representative has not responded to requests for comment from the BBC.

  • Watch: BBC takes a 180mph spin around Washington’s IndyCar circuit

    Watch: BBC takes a 180mph spin around Washington’s IndyCar circuit

    Ahead of one of the most anticipated motorsport events on the U.S. calendar this year, the BBC has released exclusive footage capturing a blistering 180mph lap around the newly configured IndyCar circuit cutting through downtown Washington, D.C. The race, dubbed the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, carries far more than sporting stakes: it stands as a centerpiece event marking the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding. What makes the event even more notable for motorsport fans across the country is that it will be the first major open-wheel auto race hosted within the boundaries of the U.S. capital in over two decades, ending a 24-year drought of top-tier racing in the nation’s heart. For years, major racing series have focused their schedules on permanent road courses and speedways outside major metropolitan areas, making this street course event in Washington a landmark departure that has drawn widespread attention from racing fans and casual observers alike. The BBC’s on-track test run gives audiences a first-person view of the challenges drivers will face when they take to the track, from tight turns past iconic D.C. landmarks to long straightaways that allow cars to hit speeds north of 180 miles per hour.

  • Watch: How does the US national debt affect consumers around the world?

    Watch: How does the US national debt affect consumers around the world?

    The United States has crossed a staggering fiscal milestone: official Treasury Department data confirms the country’s total national debt has surged past $40 trillion (£29.4 trillion) — more than doubling over the past 10 years. This unprecedented growth in America’s outstanding obligations has sent ripple effects through global financial markets, leaving economists and consumers alike questioning what this ballooning debt load will mean for everyday people across every region of the world.

    For decades, US sovereign debt has been viewed as the global financial system’s safest asset, underpinning interest rates, currency exchange rates, and investment flows on every continent. Shifts in America’s fiscal position therefore do not stay contained within US borders. The current unsustainable trajectory of debt growth already pushes up borrowing costs for governments, businesses, and individual borrowers across the globe. As the US government issues more debt to cover its ongoing spending and deficit gaps, competition for available capital increases, driving up interest rates for all types of loans, from home mortgages to business expansion capital, for consumers in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas alike.

    Another key channel of impact runs through exchange rate dynamics. Persistently rising US debt can create downward pressure on the value of the US dollar over time, though the dollar has retained its status as the world’s primary reserve currency for the moment. Even so, currency volatility stemming from debt uncertainty drives shifts in the price of imported goods, energy, and commodities that consumers buy every day. For nations that peg their currencies to the dollar or rely heavily on dollar-denominated trade, the instability linked to America’s growing debt burden can lead to higher inflation and eroded purchasing power for working households.

    For US consumers, the immediate impacts are equally tangible. Higher debt levels increase the government’s interest payment obligations, which can crowd out public funding for social programs, infrastructure, and other services that rely on federal support. Over time, sustained debt growth also raises the risk of future austerity measures or tax increases that directly reduce household disposable income.

    Economists are divided on the long-term outlook: many argue that the current trajectory poses significant systemic risks to global economic stability, while others note that the unique position of the US economy and the dollar have allowed the country to sustain higher debt levels than many predicted. Regardless of differing viewpoints, the passing of the $40 trillion milestone has reignited global conversations about fiscal responsibility and the far-reaching influence of US fiscal policy on the everyday financial well-being of consumers around the globe.

  • Supreme Court temporarily unfreezes Trump ballroom construction

    Supreme Court temporarily unfreezes Trump ballroom construction

    In a high-stakes legal ruling released Friday, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has issued an administrative stay that temporarily clears the way for work on the Trump administration’s $400 million White House ballroom expansion project to continue, as the nation’s highest court prepares to review a full legal challenge aimed at halting the development permanently. The temporary order will remain in effect until the Supreme Court issues further guidance on the case.

    The legal battle stems from a lawsuit originally brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a leading heritage advocacy group that argues the construction project inflicts irreversible damage to the historic White House complex. The case reached the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court issued an order earlier this month to halt all work on the site. In that appeals court ruling, judges held that sitting presidents are only “temporary tenants” of the White House, and lack the authority to carry out major structural alterations without explicit approval from Congress. The ruling gave the Trump administration two weeks to file an appeal with the Supreme Court, setting the stage for Friday’s temporary action.

    The preservation group responded to the stay in a statement to the BBC Friday, noting that the court’s action does not constitute a final ruling on the merits of the administration’s request to keep construction moving. “To be clear, this is not a final decision on the merits of the government’s stay application, and we await further action,” a representative for the group said.

    For the Trump administration, Friday’s ruling delivers at least a temporary win. President Trump has pushed for the expansion for years, arguing the White House currently lacks sufficient event space to accommodate large-scale official gatherings. He has more recently framed the project as a critical national security priority, a claim amplified after an assassination attempt targeting the president at the April White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

    Administration legal officials, including US Solicitor General D. John Sauer, emphasized the urgency of continuing construction in an emergency filing submitted to the Supreme Court ahead of the stay. Government lawyers argue the new facility’s integrated underground security complex is designed to defend the White House against emerging threats including drones, ballistic missile attacks, and biological hazards, protections they say are essential to safeguarding the president, his family, and all White House staff. Trump has publicly stated the expanded ballroom is needed to host large state visits and official celebrations, framing the upgrade as long overdue.

    When the project was first announced in July 2025, plans called for a 650-person ballroom that would integrate with existing White House structures. Those plans have since been revised twice, expanding capacity first to 900 attendees and then to 1,000. The current scope calls for full demolition of the existing East Wing to make way for the new structure, which will combine a large above-ground event space with a secured underground complex. The ballroom project is not the only controversial infrastructure initiative the Trump administration has advanced in Washington DC; it is paired with a new helipad under construction on the White House South Lawn, a major renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and a planned “Arc de Trump” that would be larger than Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe. Across all of these projects, the administration has faced repeated accusations that it bypassed legally mandated environmental review and public comment processes, claims the president has repeatedly rejected. Congress was not consulted on the ballroom project before demolition work began, a core point of criticism from the plaintiffs.

    Had the Supreme Court declined to issue the stay, the administration would have been legally required to halt all construction work by the end of Friday. The legal fight now moves toward a full hearing on the merits of the challenge, with the future of the multi-hundred-million-dollar project hanging in the balance.

  • Two injured in stabbing attack at Canada Sikh temple

    Two injured in stabbing attack at Canada Sikh temple

    A suspect has been taken into custody following a violent early morning stabbing attack at a Sikh place of worship in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that left two people with injuries, local law enforcement has confirmed. The violent incident unfolded inside the expansive Nanaksar Gurdwara at approximately 5 a.m. local time Friday, which translates to 12 p.m. British Standard Time. As of the latest updates, investigators have not released the identity of the person arrested nor have they outlined any clear potential motive for the attack. This stabbing comes just one week after Edmonton-area police confirmed they were probing a series of hostile threatening calls targeting two separate Sikh gurdwaras in Calgary, a major Alberta city located roughly two hours’ drive south of the site of Friday’s violence. The Canada-based World Sikh Organization has issued a formal statement condemning the attack, describing it as deeply alarming and noting it takes place amid a documented surge in anti-Sikh hate crimes and sentiment across the nation. According to the organization’s account, the person accused of carrying out the attack was an unauthorized intruder who gained access to the gurdwara before carrying out the assaults on people inside the sacred space. The organization also added that multiple local reports confirm a copy of the Sikh holy scripture held within the temple was desecrated during the incident. “Police are currently on scene and the Gurdwara has been closed to the public while the investigation continues,” the World Sikh Organization said in its official public statement. Jeromy Farkas, mayor of Calgary, previously denounced the threatening calls received by gurdwaras in his city in a public social media post, labeling the threats as “utterly disgusting.” “Gurdwaras are places of hospitality, generosity and service. Everyone is welcome,” Farkas said of the Sikh community’s sacred spaces. Local law enforcement has not yet shared additional updates on the investigation’s progress, including whether the recent threats in Calgary are linked to the stabbing attack in Edmonton.

  • Tupac murder accused told police in 2008 his nephew fired fatal shots

    Tupac murder accused told police in 2008 his nephew fired fatal shots

    Nearly 30 years after the fatal drive-by shooting that claimed the life of rap icon Tupac Shakur, the long-stalled cold case has finally reached a Las Vegas courtroom, with Duane “Keffe D” Davis standing trial on a single charge of murder with a deadly weapon. The 63-year-old, identified as a founding leader of a notorious Compton-based street gang, has entered a plea of not guilty, setting the stage for a high-stakes trial that has reignited global public fascination with one of the most high-profile unsolved murders in modern pop culture history.

    On the fourth day of proceedings, jurors were granted access to a never-before-publicly-heard 2008 police interview recording, which forms the backbone of the prosecution’s case against Davis. The interview was originally conducted by Los Angeles Police Department detectives investigating the 1997 murder of another rap legend, The Notorious B.I.G., when Davis first offered detailed accounts of his role in the Shakur shooting.

    Per the prosecution’s narrative, Davis did not pull the trigger the night of September 7, 1996, but orchestrated the attack in retaliation for an earlier casino brawl that left his nephew, Orlando Anderson, beaten by members of Shakur’s entourage. Prosecutors argue Davis believed the assault on his relative could not go unpunished, and that he supplied the murder weapon to carry out the planned attack to advance his gang’s criminal standing.

    In the 2008 interview transcript played for the court, Davis described the moments leading up to the shooting, when the Cadillac he was riding in pulled alongside the vehicle carrying Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. “Yeah, if we would’ve been on my side, I would’ve blasted,” Davis told investigators. He went on to explain that he passed his loaded gun back to rear-seat passenger Deandre “Big Dre” Smith, who declined to fire. It was Anderson, Davis said, who took the weapon and unleashed the barrage of gunfire that hit Shakur. Anderson, who long denied any involvement in the murder, was killed in a separate gang-related shooting in 1998, two years before the 2008 interview, meaning he can never testify to defend himself against the claims.

    Detective Greg Kading, one of the investigators who led the 2008 interview, told Davis at the time that nothing he shared could be used against him as part of a cooperation agreement for information on the Biggie murder. Prosecutors argue that this immunity agreement was voided after Davis published a 2019 memoir *Compton Street Legend*, in which he publicly repeated his claims about his role in the killing. In the book, Davis wrote that the attack on his nephew gave the group “the ultimate green light to do something to their ass,” and reaffirmed he was in the car during the shooting and disposed of the gun afterward. Davis has since walked back those claims, arguing much of the memoir was fictionalized by his co-author to boost book sales and that he did not approve the final content.

    One of the most explosive revelations to emerge from the played interview was Davis’ claim that he repeatedly discussed a plot to kill Shakur with Sean “Diddy” Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, a rival label to Shakur’s Death Row Records. When pressed by detectives to confirm where the discussions took place and who was targeted, Davis acknowledged he and Combs had talked about killing both Shakur and Knight. Representatives for Combs have not yet issued a public response to requests for comment on the allegation.

    Davis’ defense attorney, Michael Sanft, has launched a full-throated challenge to the prosecution’s case, centering his argument on the unreliability of Davis’ past statements. Sanft asked jurors to question whether uncorroborated claims made years after the killing can be trusted as evidence of guilt. “What facts do you have to support any of what Keffe D said in any of his interviews or the book?” Sanft asked the panel. “If I just say things, is that going to end up being one of those things where I’m going to be handed up for a murder by just repeating that fiction? The answer is no. You have to corroborate everything I say in order for it to be true.”

    Sanft has also argued that other prosecution witnesses lack credibility and that the three-decade-old police investigation is marred by critical procedural flaws. Earlier in the week, a retired Las Vegas homicide detective admitted to the jury that no surviving witness has ever been able to positively identify the shooter. However, former Shakur entourage member James “Mob James” McDonald testified that within hours of the shooting, members of the rapper’s inner circle had already identified Anderson as the gunman. “It was a gang war. People were getting hurt. People were being sought,” McDonald told the court. “Orlando (Anderson), him and certain other people were being sought because people wanted to kill them.”

    As the trial unfolds, public attention remains fixed on the case that has captivated true crime and music fans alike for three decades, with many hoping the proceedings will finally deliver a definitive answer to one of pop culture’s most enduring unsolved mysteries.

  • Meghan in talks for role in Netflix series The Gentlemen, BBC understands

    Meghan in talks for role in Netflix series The Gentlemen, BBC understands

    Nearly seven years after stepping back from her professional acting career to join the British royal family, the Duchess of Sussex is reportedly exploring a high-profile return to the screen, with early-stage discussions underway for a role in Guy Ritchie’s hit Netflix original series *The Gentlemen*, the BBC has confirmed.

    If a deal is finalized, the gig will mark Meghan’s first major acting credit since her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry, ending a nearly decade-long hiatus from full-time on-screen work. It also comes as the couple prepares for a major life shift: the pair are set to relocate from their current California home back to the United Kingdom later this month, where they will take up residence in a private non-royal estate outside London, according to initial reports from the *Daily Telegraph* and The Sun.

    Intriguingly, the timing and location align closely with *The Gentlemen*’s production history. The show’s first two seasons, which star Theo James in the lead role of an aristocrat turned drug baron, were primarily filmed on location in the Cotswolds, the English rural region long rumored to be a favored area for Harry and Meghan’s UK base. The series has already attracted high-profile British acting talent including Hugh Bonneville and Vinnie Jones in previous installments.

    As of yet, no details have been released regarding the specific character Meghan might play, nor have negotiations progressed far enough to confirm the part will be offered. The duchess, who is a U.S. native, built her acting reputation over seven seasons on the long-running American legal drama *Suits*, where she portrayed sharp-witted corporate lawyer Rachel Zane until her final episode aired in 2018, just months after her wedding. When she stepped away from acting that year, she framed the decision not as a sacrifice, but as an exciting new life chapter in an interview with the BBC.

    Meghan has dipped her toes back into on-screen work in recent months: she recently filmed a small cameo as herself in the upcoming comedy *Close Personal Friends*, which stars A-list leads Lily Collins and Brie Larson, marking her first acting appearance in nearly 10 years.

    Industry analysts note that a return to regular acting would likely be financially lucrative for the duchess, who stepped back from official royal duties in 2020 and has since built independent commercial ventures alongside Harry. During her upcoming time based in the UK, the BBC understands she also plans to expand the global footprint of her U.S.-founded lifestyle and culinary brand As Ever.

    The couple’s upcoming relocation also includes major changes for their young family: their two children, 7-year-old Prince Archie and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet, have already been enrolled to start at a British school in September. A source close to the couple confirmed there are no current plans for either Harry or Meghan to resume their former roles as working members of the British royal family following the move.

  • US borrowing costs rise as attempts to ease rates prove short-lived

    US borrowing costs rise as attempts to ease rates prove short-lived

    A last-ditch intervention by the U.S. Treasury Department to cool rising long-term borrowing costs has delivered only temporary relief, leaving bond yields back on an upward trajectory just days after the policy announcement and raising fresh concerns about the impact on household lending and economic stability.

    Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled plans to ramp up government debt buybacks, a move designed to stimulate bond market demand and pull down the yields that set benchmark borrowing costs for governments and major corporations around the globe. Immediately after the announcement, 30-year bond yields dipped from an almost two-decade peak of 5.34% to 5.18%, marking a sharp short-term drop. But by Friday, that momentum had fully reversed: the 30-year yield climbed back to roughly 5.27%, erasing most of the initial decline.

    For American consumers, this backslide carries tangible consequences: movements in government bond yields directly influence the interest rates on 30-year mortgages, auto loans and other forms of consumer borrowing, meaning higher rates are likely to persist for households looking to borrow for big-ticket purchases.

    Economists across leading financial institutions have characterized the intervention’s impact as predictably short-lived, rooted in deeper structural pressures that no small-scale policy signal can resolve. The core source of market anxiety, analysts note, is the recent milestone of U.S. national debt surpassing $40tn, doubling from less than $20tn a decade ago. Decades of elevated public spending under both the Trump and Biden administrations, paired with growing interest payments that add to the total balance, have left investors demanding higher returns to hold U.S. government debt.

    “The response to the government’s intervention was unsurprisingly short-lived,” noted John Canavan, lead analyst at Oxford Economics. He added that traders remain fixated on the daunting volume of global borrowing by both governments and corporations, alongside recent spikes in global oil prices that have stoked fresh inflation fears.

    Economists at Capital Economics echoed that assessment, pointing out that Bessent himself framed the buyback plan as largely a signaling measure to demonstrate the Treasury’s willingness to act when yields hit current levels. “It is not necessarily an effective one, however, as much of the initial fall in 30-year yields has now been reversed,” the firm said.

    Bessent has pushed back against criticism of the current fiscal trajectory, blaming the prior Biden administration for the ballooning debt in comments to U.S. media Thursday. “We did not get here in a day, we were left with a mess,” he said. The BBC has confirmed it has reached out to the Treasury Department for additional comment on the bond market’s weak response to the intervention.

    Beyond fiscal expansion, multiple overlapping factors have driven global borrowing costs higher in recent months. The ongoing U.S.-Iran war has disrupted global oil supplies, pushing energy prices up and reigniting investor fears that inflation will remain elevated. At the same time, large-scale borrowing by technology firms chasing artificial intelligence development — a sector where long-term returns remain deeply uncertain — has increased competition for capital, pushing yields up. Tax revenues that continue to fall short of public spending commitments have added further pressure on bond markets.

    The ongoing bond market volatility has already triggered ripple effects across other global asset markets. The U.S. dollar, the world’s primary reserve currency held in bulk by central banks for international transactions and exchange rate stabilization, has weakened amid the uncertainty. A weaker dollar makes U.S. exports more competitive on global markets, but it also raises the cost of imported goods for U.S. consumers, reduces the purchasing power of American travelers abroad, and makes U.S. travel and tourism more affordable for international visitors.

    In response to the market uncertainty, safe-haven assets have rallied: gold hit a three-month high on Friday, as investors continued to view the precious metal as one of the most stable stores of value during periods of economic and market volatility.

  • Canada ‘should fight’ as US trade deadline looms, Manitoba premier says

    Canada ‘should fight’ as US trade deadline looms, Manitoba premier says

    With less than 48 hours remaining until a self-imposed deadline set by the United States, ongoing Canada-US trade negotiations are facing growing internal friction in Canada, as a high-profile provincial premier has publicly rejected proposed concessions and launched a scathing personal attack on US President Donald Trump.

    Negotiating teams from both nations face a Friday night deadline to finalize a new preliminary trade agreement, or Washington will move forward with a new round of sweeping punitive tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Canadian exports, ranging from industrial metals to finished consumer goods. Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc emerged from a more than three-hour closed-door negotiating session with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday to tell reporters the two sides are now “very close” to reaching a tentative agreement, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for Friday morning.

    Leaked details of the draft framework published by multiple Canadian and US outlets show the proposed compromise would cut existing US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum from 50% to 25%, and reduce tariffs on imported Canadian automobiles from 25% to 15% — a partial rollback rather than a full elimination of the levies imposed by the Trump administration. In exchange, Canada would be required to make two key concessions: reopening provincial liquor store shelves to US-made alcohol, and granting expanded market access to American dairy producers.

    The agreement requires buy-in from Canada’s provincial premiers, who control alcohol retail sales regulations across most of the country, putting Prime Minister Mark Carney in a precarious position as he works to secure provincial support ahead of the deadline. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, the first provincial leader to break ranks publicly, has emerged as the most vocal opponent of the proposed compromise, calling on Ottawa to hold out for better terms rather than rushing to accept unfavorable terms.

    Kinew did not limit his criticism to the trade deal itself, launching a personal attack on Trump, labeling the US president a “bad person” who is “erratic, irresponsible, and not to be trusted.” He questioned why Canada would surrender its key negotiating leverage by lifting restrictions on US alcohol sales to secure a partial tariff cut, arguing the country should fight for a better deal rather than make concessions to an untrustworthy counterpart. While Kinew said he would reluctantly comply with a national agreement for the broader good of Canada, he urged Canadian consumers to boycott any US alcohol that enters his province’s stores, saying “Let it sit on the shelf.”

    Other provincial leaders have echoed Kinew’s caution, even as some have signaled they are willing to comply. Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette, whose province hosts Canada’s largest and most politically powerful dairy industry, said she is still reviewing the draft agreement’s potential impact on Quebec dairy farmers before committing to lift alcohol sales restrictions. Doug Ford, Premier of Canada’s most populous province Ontario, has so far declined to comment publicly on the draft deal. By contrast, premiers from Nova Scotia and Yukon have already said they are prepared to restore US alcohol sales to meet the deal’s terms.

    Concerns over the proposed terms are not limited to provincial political leaders. Matthew Shoemaker, mayor of Sault Ste. Marie — the Ontario city home to Canada’s second-largest steel producer — told public broadcaster CBC that a deal locking in 25% tariffs on Canadian steel is “wouldn’t be something to celebrate.” He added, “I am worried with the news that’s coming out that we are not seeing a deal that will benefit our community at the very least.”

    The fractured provincial response lays bare the political challenge facing Carney, who campaigned for prime minister on a promise to take a tough, “elbows-up” negotiating stance with Trump. Public opinion polling supports the hardline approach: a recent survey by Canadian polling firm Leger found that 56% of respondents want Canadian negotiators to reject major concessions and take a hard line in talks with Washington.

    The political friction was amplified this week after a leaked audio recording of a closed private fundraiser, first reported by Canadian media, captured US Vice President JD Vance mocking Carney’s negotiating posture. Vance claimed that Carney has tried to “out-tough Donald Trump” in talks, but added that “It’s hilarious because Carney presents this as some victory for Canada when fundamentally, like, they climb down on a lot of issues.”

    While Trump has praised the draft deal as a major win for American farmers and manufacturing firms, Carney has defended the ongoing negotiations, saying the emerging agreement addresses Canada’s “most important strategic sectors” and that both sides are close to a breakthrough. With the clock ticking down to Friday’s deadline, all eyes remain on Ottawa as negotiators work to finalize terms and Carney works to rally enough provincial support to avoid triggering a new round of US tariffs.

  • Tornadoes touch down in New York and Delaware

    Tornadoes touch down in New York and Delaware

    Two tornadoes have made landfall across the U.S. Northeast, touching down in parts of New York and Delaware as a powerful system of severe thunderstorms unleashes heavy precipitation across the entire Mid-Atlantic region. Meteorological agencies confirmed the twisters formed after a surge of unstable, moisture-laden air moved through the area, triggering the severe weather event that has disrupted local communities. The intense storms accompanying the tornadoes have dropped torrential rain across wide swathes of the Mid-Atlantic, bringing risks of flash flooding, downed power lines, and travel disruptions for local residents. Emergency management teams have been deployed across affected areas to assess damage, respond to calls for assistance, and issue updated safety guidance for residents who remain in the path of lingering storm activity. Authorities have urged the public to stay tuned to official weather alerts, avoid flooded roadways, and seek shelter immediately if new severe weather warnings are issued in their areas. As of the latest updates, no major casualties have been reported, but assessment teams are still working to survey the full extent of structural damage and infrastructure impacts from the tornadoes and accompanying rainfall.