Trump is threatening new Canadian auto tariffs. That will hurt US automakers and workers

 

Vehicles parked outside the GM Assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario. President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian cars and auto parts as of January 1.

Carlos Osorio/Reuters

President Donald Trump’s threat of 50% auto tariffs on all imports from Canada is just the latest action to rattle an industry that’s endured shifting trade rules since he returned to office.

Trump issued the auto tariff plans early Monday, just as trade tensions between the two neighbors ratcheted up. On Saturday, the US slapped 50% tariffs on a much more limited group of Canadian exports after efforts to strike a deal collapsed.

But the steep auto tariffs, if enacted, could disrupt long-established business practices and have far-reaching consequences across the auto industry, experts say.

“Sweaters, honey and hockey sticks are not a trade war. What the president just threatened this morning is a trade war,” said Patrick Anderson, CEO of Anderson Economic Group, a Michigan-based consulting firm. “It would be a body blow to the auto industry. We would see plants closing on both sides of the border.”

Canada does have a large trade surplus with the United States. But when it comes to the auto industry, it’s the opposite — the US has a nearly $1 billion a month trade surplus with Canada.

America imported $24.5 billion worth of Canadian vehicles and auto parts in the first six months of this year, according to Commerce Department trade data, compared to the $30.4 billion Canada imported.

Since the North American Free Trade Agreement was first introduced in the 90s, and then the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement during Trump’s first term, the auto industry has been able to operate as if North America is a single market. Companies move parts and vehicles freely across borders, often multiple times before the car is assembled and sent to dealer showrooms.

Trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Canada, to Detroit. The flow of vehicles between the two countries could be severely reduced if Trump implements 50% tariffs on Canadian cars and auto parts.

Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images

Even with last year’s auto tariffs, that process continued. That’s because carve-outs greatly reduced the cost of the 25% tariffs that were put in place on Canadian cars and parts.

Automakers could deduct the value of the US parts that went into Canadian-made vehicles, said Anderson. They could even deduct the value of Canadian-made parts if they complied with the terms of the USMCA.

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Trump is threatening 50% tariffs on Canadian cars. Here’s what else he’s targeting

 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at a press conference in Ottawa, Ontario, on August 22 after trade talks with the US collapsed.

Dave Chan/AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian cars on Monday, the latest sign that the United States and Canada are barreling toward a deeper trade war after last-ditch efforts to strike a deal collapsed Friday.

The failed efforts resulted in President Donald Trump enacting 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods early Saturday morning. Canada is preparing to retaliate with “dollar-for-dollar” tariffs starting September 8, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced over the weekend.

And on Monday, Trump escalated matters further, threatening to double duties charged on Canadian cars and car parts to 50% come January 1.

“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!”

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Trump criticism leads to rare criminal charges for Air Force officer who called for impeachment

 

US Air Force Maj. Jason Watson was arrested by police on the Capitol steps after calling for the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump, in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2026.

Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/AP/File

A US airman who was arrested twice, once on the steps of the US Capitol while calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, was officially criminally charged Monday for his comments, according to a charging document his attorney shared with CNN.

Maj. Jason Watson faces the following charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to the document: three violations of Article 88 for alleged “contemptuous” remarks about Trump, five violations of Article 92 for allegedly disobeying orders and two violations of Article 133 for alleged conduct unbecoming an officer.

The rare Article 88 charges are connected to the Air Force officer’s June interview with the Defenders of our Republic Substack newsletter, his July 1 protest in uniform at the US Capitol, and an August 17 CNN interview.

It can be considered a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice to participate in uniform in any overtly partisan activity, such as a political protest, or to use “contemptuous words” against the president and other high-ranking civilian officials. Many low-level offenses of these rules are resolved informally, but Watson’s violations were unusually high-profile.

Watson was first arrested in July while protesting in uniform at the US Capitol, and he was then arrested again last week just days after criticizing Trump again during a CNN interview. One of his attorneys, Chris Mutimer, told CNN that his client was ordered to remain in “pre-trial confinement” — an action analogous to a denial of bond in civilian court — pending legal action against him.

“Not only is (Trump) a failure as president, he is flagrantly violating the Constitution, breaking the law, engaged in rampant corruption, and is killing Americans,” Watson told CNN’s Erin Burnett during the interview. “And that is unacceptable to me.”

In July, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in a social media post that he expected all airmen to “comply with all laws and policies government personal conduct, political participation, and the wear of the uniform.”

“Americans place their trust in us,” Meink said. “We cannot, and will not, compromise the trust of the nation.”

The disobeying orders charges against Watson allege that he violated Defense Department regulations barring troops from speaking out in favor of partisan causes; “wrongfully” wore his uniform at a Capitol press conference; broke leave regulations by traveling to Washington, DC; and refused to wear his uniform to work the morning after his CNN interview.

Air Force prosecutors also alleged that Watson’s Capitol protest and CNN interview constituted “conduct unbecoming an officer.”

Mutimer, Watson’s attorney, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront” that he spoke with his client Monday and “he is basically in solitary confinement for his safety.”

Mutimer said, “He truly believes in everything about our constitution and what it represents, and the oath that he swore, and he stands by the fact that he did this so others wouldn’t have to, and to share that to anyone who’s scared and feels alone.”

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Supreme Court backs Trump’s order to curb mail ballots

 

Rain clouds roll over the United States Supreme Court building on June 18.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Supreme Court on Monday said that President Donald Trump could begin carrying out parts of an executive order intended to restrict mail voting, but additional legal challenges could hinder implementation of his plan before the November midterm election.

Though the court framed the order as limited, its decision injects new uncertainty about the voting rules for the midterms by keeping alive the possibility that Trump will ultimately be permitted to impose policies outlined in the March order that gave the US Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security unprecedented roles in the running of elections.

The high court’s 10-page order, handed down in an unsigned opinion over the dissent of the court’s three liberal justices, means that the Trump administration may move forward with a proposal for DHS to compile state-specific lists of people it believes are eligible to vote in the Democratic-led states that had challenged the plan in court.

Another part of Trump’s executive order instructs the Postal Service to impose new mandates on states that want to send ballots through the mail, requiring that they submit their own lists of eligible voters to the agency and include information on ballot envelopes to allow those ballots to be tracked. The justices gave USPS the green light to implement that aspect of Trump’s plan, but a lower court blocked that effort nationwide in a separate case.

That means more court action will likely be needed before the USPS can move forward. And that court action could result in new emergency appeals to reach the Supreme Court quickly, potentially in a matter of days. Put another way, the decision Monday will almost certainly not be the last word on Trump’s executive order on mail ballots.

“If the Postal Service’s final rule harms the states, they may challenge that rule,” the court said in its order.

The Supreme Court’s decision did not address the legality of Trump’s executive order, only the timing of the challenge to it. Trump for years has made baseless claims about widespread voter fraud while specifically attempting to undermine confidence in mail voting.

“The court’s disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the government to implement the order will necessarily be lawful,” the court wrote. “On that score, time will tell.”

Still, the order Monday represents a loss for the Democratic states, which warned they will need to immediately begin diverting time and resources away from preparing for this year’s elections.

“The ruling is a win for Trump for the moment, but it doesn’t fully clear the way for his effort to limit mail-in ballots to go into effect,” said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at Georgetown University Law Center. “As soon as tomorrow, a Massachusetts district court may block the underlying USPS rule at issue — which is the real thing to watch heading into November.”

The White House celebrated the ruling in a statement Monday. “This is a major win for the security of American elections. These are commonsense measures that protect the security of mail-in ballots and ensure only Americans are electing American leaders,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said.

“This Administration will continue to lawfully enact the agenda President Trump was elected on – which includes the safety and security of our elections,” Bis added.

Jackson: ‘Kafkaesque nightmare’

Election cases have become particularly contentious this year at the Supreme Court, drawing sharp writing from members of both the conservative and liberal wings. In the highest profile case, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority gutted the Voting Rights Act in a significant ruling in late April dealing with Louisiana’s congressional districts.

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He was waiting for his son to return from the USS Lincoln. Then Border Patrol arrested him

 

Luis Manuel Aviles, left, and his son Joshua Aviles stand outside their home in October 2025, shortly before Joshua deployed on the USS Lincoln the following month in Key West, Florida.

Katherine Delgado/AP

AP —  

When Luis Manuel Aviles was arrested by immigration authorities, his son was entering his ninth month on the USS Abraham Lincoln with the Navy — a vessel that set a US military record for uninterrupted time at sea, stirring concerns about supply shortages and deteriorating mental health among soldiers.

Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was arrested after leaving his house to take his car to the mechanic, according to his wife, Argelia Aviles. She said her husband, a handyman in Key West, Florida, has a permit to work in the United States. Originally from Nicaragua, he has lived in the U.S. for 19 years.

“He dedicates himself only to work so he can put food on the table at home. He is a good father. He loves his children with all his soul,” said Argelia, 47.

Aviles’ arrest comes as the Trump administration rolls back immigration protections for military families to pursue its mass deportation agenda, detaining at least dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. troops.

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Robot beats Usain Bolt record, then hits a wall

 

 A Chinese two-legged robot has broken Usain Bolt's 100-metre world record, clocking 9.32 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.

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Bessent promises ‘economic D-Day’ ahead of expected Iran sanctions, offers little detail on strategy

 

Here's the latest

• Economic squeeze: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned an “economic D-Day is coming” for Iran in a Financial Times op-ed published ahead of his Monday news conference, where he’s expected to unveil details on the United States’ pressure campaign on Tehran.

• Hormuz threat: Iran warned that ships violating transit rules in the strait could face penalties including detention or confiscation. Top security chief Mohsen Rezaei also threatened to halt oil flow out of the Strait of Hormuz should any neighboring countries join the US’ economic crackdown. Some oil companies have developed new tactics to enable their tankers to pass undetected through the waterway.

• Fractures in Tehran: There are signs of growing differences within the Iranian leadership. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran “cannot continue with war forever” and he defended the agreement reached with the US in June, despite the supreme leader’s purported misgivings.

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Disney parks and cruises saw their best growth in two years despite a travel slowdown. Here’s how they did it

 

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland on August 6.

Christina House/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Los Angeles —  

Influencers have been flooding social media this summer with videos of short wait times at Disney parks. In June, one content creator recorded a relatively empty Disneyland while noting the absent daytime crowd.

“It’s the middle of summer, the weather is perfect and the park is not crowded,” said Kel Warner, who posts at @themeparkmomlife.

The short wait times, it seems, were a red herring.

Disney pulled a series of strategic levers to get people through their park gates at a time when many are being choosy about how to spend their dollars, according to industry analysts.

The company offered a slew of aggressive, targeted discounts; expanded programming and shows for young children; retooled some existing attractions to entice repeat visits; and got to a “sweet spot” in operational efficiency with its skip-the-line service.

That allowed Disney to pull off a great quarter while everyone else felt a dip. Universal parks and resorts saw softening attendance at its two older theme parks in Orlando, and attendance at Sea World and Busch Gardens dropped.

Targeted discounting

Conventional wisdom is that summers at Disney parks mean crowds. But attendance during the season has waned over the last decade, according to Gavin Doyle, founder of MickeyVisit.com, a Disney news and planning site.

Then came the twist: Revenue for Disney parks and cruises in the most recent quarter rose 10% from the year before, the strongest increase in two years. Global parks attendance grew 4% from last year, per-guest spending increased and even the occupancy of the company’s domestic resort hotels hit a whopping 91%.

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Paramount agrees to delay Warner Bros. Discovery takeover for months

 

The Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, on November 9, 2025.

Ethan Swope/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Paramount says its takeover of CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, will be delayed for many months, and potentially well into 2027, due to pending lawsuits by state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America.

Paramount said in a Friday afternoon court filing that it has agreed not to complete the mega-merger until an antitrust trial takes place, or until June 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

The current Paramount–Warner merger agreement expires on March 4, and is subject to an automatic extension through June 4, 2027.

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The iPhone Air is Apple’s attempt to make smartphones exciting again

 

A person holds an Apple iPhone Air during Apple's "Awe-Dropping" event.

Nic Coury/AFP/Getty Images

New York —  

For the better part of the last decade, sharper cameras, bigger screens and longer battery life have defined annual smartphone upgrades.

But that may no longer be enough to dazzle consumers – at least not in Apple’s opinion.

The company on Tuesday announced the iPhone Air, the first major design overhaul to its flagship product in nearly a decade. An Apple executive described it as being “so thin and light, it seems to disappear in your hands” during the company’s keynote presentation.

The iPhone Air’s debut comes as Apple’s hit product, and smartphones more broadly, are in need of a refresh. The smartphone market has finally rebounded after years of slumping sales, dragged lower in part by a lack of compelling new features. That means consumers are holding onto their smartphones for longer periods of time.

Launch weekend sales of the iPhone 16 in 2024 were estimated to be lower than the previous year, ramping up pressure for Apple to deliver with the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 lineup.

Analysts have been waiting more than a decade for an upgrade “supercycle” like the one Apple experienced more than a decade ago with the iPhone 6, one of Apple’s most successful phones in history.

It’s unclear if the iPhone Air can help Apple deliver that, but some analysts are optimistic that a sleek new iPhone will do more to persuade shoppers to upgrade than the iterative updates of years past. And more importantly, the new device could set the direction for where Apple takes the iPhone next.

“The new iPhone 17 lineup represents the biggest design overhaul since the iPhone X. In itself, this is a strong reason for users to upgrade,” Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst for the International Data Corporation, said Tuesday via email.

Slow smartphone sales

The smartphone market is coming out of a rough patch, with sales seeing their largest ever decline in a single quarter in the fourth quarter of 2022 because of sluggish demand, according to the IDC. Counterpoint Research, another major firm that tracks global smartphone shipments, also reported that the smartphone market saw eight consecutive quarters of decline in 2023.

The situation is different in 2025; sales grew by 1.4% year-over-year in the second quarter of this year according to the IDC, although the report says unemployment, inflation and tariff uncertainty are still hindering demand.

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