Good evening, readers.
Perhaps Fridays are for good news?
U.S. President Donald Trump is poised to lift tariffs on some Canadian products as Republicans in border states lobby for relief from trade actions that have put them in a shaky political position ahead of November’s midterms.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said on Friday that the Trump administration will scrap tariffs on some paper and plastic products, refrigeration and packaging equipment, agricultural machinery and seaweed and algae products, among others, after she relayed how damaging these levies have been for consumers and businesses in her state.
Canada and the EU are continuing negotiations on a digital trade agreement that would make it easier for businesses to buy and sell across borders.
International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu was in Ireland on Thursday to push forward negotiations ahead of next week’s Canada-EU Summit in Montreal.
In a statement, Sidhu says Canada and the EU are “closing in on an agreement” to help “create less friction” around e-signatures and e-contracts, paperless trade, secure cross-border data flows, duties on electronic transmissions and e-commerce.
Sidhu says Canada exported nearly $15 billion in digital services to the EU in 2024 and there is an opportunity now to grow that further with an agreement in place.
Ontario Liberal MP Giovanna Mingarelli is hoping to change the tenor of political discourse in Canada.
Earlier this week, she rose in the House of Commons to mark Global Dignity Day, a non-partisan, non-religious event that celebrates something that Mingarelli said it often missing in political debates — kindness.
“When you treat someone with kindness, it enables trust, and with trust, people can be more productive and collaborative together,” she said in an interview.
“We often relate to kindness in elementary schools, or in high schools as being something that younger people are taught, but we honestly seldom talk about it in politics, and I think that it’s missing.”
Mingarelli was previously the chair of Global Dignity Day Canada, and brought together politicians from all stripes for a press conference in February to mark National Kindness Week.
Also, Ottawa must lower monetary thresholds to access crucial financing programs or risk delays and cost overruns for planned major projects in the far north, according to a coalition of Yukon businesses.
The business owners, who visited the capital this week, said they often can’t qualify for federal loan programs because the government’s “one size fits all” approach has created minimum qualifying standards that don’t reflect the unique needs for the North.
And while not all are directly involved in any already announced major projects, the business owners said they represent key sectors necessary to their success, including hospitality, energy, transportation and First Nations economic development.
“Our basic intent in this mission is to get to Ottawa with the capability of the private sector, and to ensure that the money that’s being spent in the north is driving work, activity, employment for local businesses,” said Eric Brohman, president of Ketza Construction.
In Other Headlines
- Alberta Referendum maps: See how Alberta, Edmonton and Calgary voted (Edmonton Journal)
- Why a Brad Bradford victory could have a different look than any other Toronto mayoral race (Toronto Star)
- Carney defends doing business with other countries that don’t share Canada’s values (CBC)
- ‘Comfort kills dreams’: Family of Prince Albert soldier killed in CFB Wainwright fire remembers him as a dreamer (CTV)
- Ferry crossings in Atlantic Canada cancelled Friday due to high winds (CTV)
- Germany leads push against EU’s ‘associate membership’ label for Canada (Politico)
- Trump expected to remove some tariffs on Canada in bid to help Susan Collins (WSJ)
- What slim margins from B.C.’s last election can tell us about the coming vote (The Globe and Mail)
Internationally
President Trump’s express wish to take over the East Potomac Golf Links has thrust a municipal D.C. golf course into the national spotlight. But locals rely on that area for much more than golfing — and worry the district could lose an invaluable recreational oasis.
The southern tip of East Potomac Park, known as Hains Point, is beloved by cyclists, runners, picnickers and birders for its waterfront views, cherry trees and Ohio Drive, the scenic three-mile loop around its perimeter. Runners use the wide, flat road to train; it’s even a fixture of several major race courses, including the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday.
“It’s such an important part of the fabric of this region, even though it’s not very well known [beyond it],” said Elizabeth Kiker, the executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association. She herself took her now-husband on a bike ride on their second date 20 years ago.
Locals describe Hains Point as a rare public resource in D.C. It’s easily accessible from the National Mall yet removed from the crowds, full of people but free of traffic. Congress created it in 1897, “to be forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people.”
The White House has said that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, where a deepening humanitarian crisis has left thousands of civilians struggling to survive.
In a statement on Friday, the White House said both sides had agreed to halt all military operations in the city from 27 October to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and preparations for the evacuation of civilians.
Residents of the southern Ukrainian city, which has been under Russian occupation since February 2022, have described increasingly desperate conditions amid severe shortages of food, water and electricity. An estimated 2,000 people remain in the city, with some reportedly forced to survive on weeds, boiled grass, bread and meagre rations.
In Other International Headlines
- France’s Macron arrives in Trappes after ‘racist terrorist attack’ (France 24)
- France to deploy 70.000 police on Saturday to prevent civil unrest (The Guardian)
- White House says Melania Trump brokers truce for Ukraine city ‘on brink of disaster‘ (BBC)
- DOJ charges two former top FBI officials who were frequent targets of Trump allies (NBC)
- Trump DOJ sues to block Alaska U.S. Senate results if Republican incumbent loses (CNN)
- Trump called Musk and asked him to lift Ukraine Starlink restrictions (WSJ)
- Massive student-led rally marches in Belgrade ahead of Serbian election (The Guardian)
- Israeli forces begin demolishing Palestinian buildings in Hebron after two Israeli soldiers shot dead (BBC)
- Trump says Rep. Ilhan Omar should resign ‘immediately’ amid federal probe (USA Today)
- New York City bans horse-drawn carriages from Jun 2028 (Reuters)
The Kicker
On a more provincial news, Ontario is introducing I.D., which is going to bring some massive convenience for residents and businesses.
It’s currently still in the consultation phase, and a legislation is set to be introduced in 2027, as the province still need to look into privacy protection.