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Politico

August 2026

Trade talks collapsed. Now Canada and the US are fighting over why.

Both sides are now jostling for credibility as reliable narrators, while the fallout risks further escalating the trade war

Howard Lutnickcommerce Secretary
We saw him a couple of times during these most intensive negotiations, with an effort to try to make sure he understood where we were coming from and what Canada’s interests and positions were,

Republicans ask Supreme Court to block campaign advertising ruling

Democratic candidates, especially in the Senate, have a strong fundraising edge in direct donations — making their dollars go farther on the airwaves

D. John Sauersolicitor General
Candidates and political parties need immediate relief from the uncertainty created by the Fourth Circuit’s decision,

Getting through to officials on tariffs

President Donald Trump has promised some tariff relief for U.S. ag producers

Susan Collinsunited States Senator from Maine since 1997
For small towns, a new and unexpected expense of this size could jeopardize some basic services,
Howard Lutnickcommerce Secretary
For Mainers, commerce with Canada is a regular occurrence,
There isn’t really a process at this point,
They’re not just luxury items,
Extending coverage of the Section 232 steel tariffs to even more steel intensive derivative products, as proposed in this rule, will close the gap foreign producers are using to blatantly circumvent the tariffs,
The Section 232 steel tariffs are clearly working,

Bernie bites back

There’s much more indispensable coverage to come of the personalities and policies that will shape both parties’ paths to recapture or maintain power in November and through 2028

Bernie Sandersname
You’re talking about a small number of people who are at the head of the Democratic Party. You’re talking about the donor class,
Bernie Sandersname
Like every other podcaster in the world, he says dumb things that people should reject,
David Sirotaamerican blogger
If the Democratic leadership could find a way to win the Senate and have Abdul lose, I’m sure they would take that bargain.”
Bernie Sandersname
Stay on the issues that impact working families in Michigan,
Matt Bennettamerican actor
The idea that Democrats are trying to get a Dem Senate nominee to lose is preposterous,
Bernie Sandersname
I think there are a few who would say, ‘You know what? It’s not worth it,
David Sirotaamerican blogger
A disciplined political party that didn’t want to undermine somebody like Abdul would not validate and elevate those, what I would call bad faith attacks, would not want to add gas to that little fire,
Apparently it works when you and others talk about Mr. Piker,
Matt Bennettamerican actor
Everyone in Democratic politics understands the task before us between now and November: beat Republicans and put a check on Trump. There are real factional differences inside the party, but post-primaries we are setting those aside in service of that goal,
The endless war in Iran is costing us all,

Inside the blame game

DANIELLE SMITH adds Nashville meetings to a personal U.S. trip

Janice Charettechief Trade Negotiator
Every note and every document” sent to U.S. negotiators had this demand on what the Canadian side wanted to see on autos
Janice Charettechief Trade Negotiator
I can tell you that back in the latter part of July, in proposals that I was sending to the United States, it was very clear that when we talked about the automotive industry, that trucks were in there,
Janice Charettechief Trade Negotiator
But to us, it represented a constraint,
Dominic LeBlancminister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy
Publication of the notices does not constitute a decision to list either project,
Howard Lutnickcommerce Secretary
The words ‘medium- and heavy-duty trucks’ were raised in these negotiations on Friday at 4 o’clock,
Encourage the procurement of locally grown food across the public sector to strengthen and enhance Ontario’s food supply chain and provincial economy.”
Donald Trumppresident
People using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario.’”

US strikes Iran’s Larak Island

Tim Hawkinsnavy Captain
U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely, and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,

Albo's problems on two oceans, and disaster in Secret Harbour

When we start talking about conceding, or coming in second or finding ways to work with other people before we’ve even run the race, then people are not going to back us.”
Kos Samaraspollster
A primary vote approximately in the mid 30s, whilst Labor dropping into the 20s and the Liberal Party finishing third,
Pauline Hansonaustralian politician (born 1954)
There’s no such thing as a safe seat in Australian politics anymore.”
Across the world hard right populists are on the march, peddling politics that is dangerous, divisive and downright dishonest. We simply must defeat them. We owe it to history.”

Trump calls for NBC’s Kristen Welker to face ‘rebuke or punishment’

In his statement Sunday, the president also accused the “Radical Left News is going out of their way to harass, demean, and libel anything “TRUM P.”’

Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her.”
Donald Trumppresident
The Press is a Disgrace to our Nation, and I hope that Chairman Brendan Carr, and the fine people of his Commission, will take this Threat to our Country very seriously,
Kristen Welkerhost
He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the primaries,

Trump won the heart of Michigan’s Arab American community. They're moving away from Mike Rogers.

A dip in support from Arab American former Trump voters could hurt Rogers ’ path to election in what’s shaping up to be a tough year nationally for the GOP

[Trump] promised to make America great again,

The mail ballot mess

Adrian Fontesarizona Secretary of State
It’s another blatant and obvious attempt by the Trump administration to pick their own voters,
In this moment, they’re just believing and hoping that the courts will step in and prevent this from happening because there’s no way that they can do what is being asked of them,
Time is a hot commodity that election officials don’t have,
Ben GinsberggOP election lawyer
It would be really hard to implement without sowing chaos and confusion over the ’26 elections,
Glenn Thrushamerican political journalist
Self care as comms policy,
I’m doing 99 other things,
Chris Pappas (American politician)american politician in New Hampshire (born 1980)
Well, look, I welcome the support of individuals. And I’ve shown I’m willing to take on the [Benjamin] Netanyahu government, to support legislation and to support efforts to restore stability and an opportunity for peace and a two-state solution in the Middle East.”
Doug Fordontario Premier
Everyone’s feeling bullied by President Trump, and this is the worst thing you could do for the American economy. It did not grow this way over decades and decades of being protectionists.”

USS Abraham Lincoln sails past Singapore on way home from Middle East

Its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days

Judge declares Rubio’s speech-based student deportations violate the Constitution

Noël Wisedistrict Judge
Here you can simultaneously hate the content of a person’s speech and love the country that cherishes the freedom to allow it,
More broadly, the Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,

Kevin Warsh has a timeline problem

I don’t think he indicated that the situation is so urgent to call for a rate hike at the next FOMC meeting,
The presence of the task force represents a particularly Trump-era indignity for the city: both comic and menacing; abusive and ineffective; appalling to some and, as time goes on, exhaustingly commonplace,
If that factors into his calculus at all, that will really damage him for the entirety of his term,
He has always been more than a lawyer; a man with a political function, acting as a link between different protagonists in the world of football,
Kenneth Rogoffeconomist
It’s always difficult before an election to change interest rates,
He is the man who operates for Infantino worldwide.”
What Abdul thinks is walking something back is not always walking something back,

How Trump took control of Venezuela’s democratic transition

Now it is exerting equally tight control over how Venezuela pursues a new democratic government, along with who gets to take part in the process