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US, Canada trade negotiators meet after Trump sets new tariff deadline

US, Canada trade negotiators meet after Trump sets new tariff deadline

By Promit Mukherjee and David Shepardson OTTAWA, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Canadian and U.S. trade negotiators met on Wednesday after President Donald Trump paused planned 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods for three days, as sources said auto tariff levels remained a sticking point.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson Warns Against Data Center Bans Amid AI Race with China

House Speaker Mike Johnson Warns Against Data Center Bans Amid AI Race with China

House Speaker Mike Johnson has issued a warning regarding the critical artificial intelligence (AI) race between the United States and China. He emphasized that the U.S. cannot afford to fall behind, stating that China surpassing the U.S. in AI would create a dangerous situation. Johnson made these comments while opposing broad moratoriums on data centers, arguing that such restrictions would impede America's ability to compete. He advocated for a localized approach to data center development, citing community agreements on energy rates and resource use, similar to those in Louisiana, as a practical model. The Speaker views data centers as essential infrastructure for maintaining AI leadership in the technological competition with China. His remarks were made during a campaign stop in Michigan supporting Representative Tom Barrett.
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House Judiciary Committee Launches Investigation into Allegations of Political Manipulation in Trump Administration's University Anti-Semitism Prob...

House Judiciary Committee Launches Investigation into Allegations of Political Manipulation in Trump Administration's University Anti-Semitism Prob...

Representative Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, has initiated an investigation into whistleblower allegations that the Trump administration's political appointees manipulated federal anti-Semitism investigations at American universities. The allegations, detailed in a protected disclosure from a veteran Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney and other federal employees assigned to the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, claim that investigations into institutions like Brown, Columbia, and Harvard Universities had "predetermined" outcomes. The whistleblowers allege that political appointees overruled career investigators, pursued investigations with findings unsupported by evidence, and targeted professors based on religion and ethnicity without allegations of wrongdoing. They also claim that the administration threatened to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to coerce universities into politically driven settlements, even when inve...
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Scottish Tory Peer Nigel Biggar Defends Contextual Use of the N-word in Essay

Scottish Tory Peer Nigel Biggar Defends Contextual Use of the N-word in Essay

Scottish Tory peer Nigel Biggar, a priest and theology academic appointed to the House of Lords in 2025, has penned an essay defending the contextual use of the N-word. Biggar argues that it is 'stupidly unjust' for individuals to face punishment for using the term if their intent was not racist. He stated that he learned the N-word could be used 'in an ironic, not a racist, manner' from media like 'Pulp Fiction' and 'The Wire.' Biggar suggested that a white person might use it in jest with a close Black friend without expressing or perceiving racist contempt. While he does not wish to revive the word's use and has only used it twice himself, he expressed concern that people are being 'unjustly and gravely penalised through a combination of malice, thoughtlessness, and fear.' His blog post was republished by The Spectator, a right-wing magazine, in an edited version that removed his repeated use of the N-word. Biggar also criticized what he perceives as some members of 'victimised' groups exploiting their ...
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UW-Milwaukee Initiative Saves Students Millions on Textbooks

UW-Milwaukee Initiative Saves Students Millions on Textbooks

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is continuing its Open Textbooks and Open Educational Resources (OER) project to alleviate the financial burden of course materials for students. Launched in 2015, the program provides a free online database for students to access textbooks and other course materials, eliminating the need for costly purchases. Kristin Woodward, the teaching and learning team lead at UWM Libraries, stated that the initiative was created in response to high textbook costs driving students to avoid purchasing necessary materials, which negatively impacted their academic success. A 2023 national survey indicated that seven out of ten students worry about course material costs, and 41% received poor grades due to not buying textbooks. The project has been successful, with UWM reporting that in the 2024-2025 school year alone, 28,534 students saved $1.7 million. Since its inception, the program has helped over 43,100 students save more than $6 million.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Promotes Business Investments and Education Initiatives in Toledo

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Promotes Business Investments and Education Initiatives in Toledo

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Promotes Business Investments and Education Initiatives in Toledo
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Reform UK Proposes Welfare System Overhaul to Save £50 Billion, Shifting Responsibilities to Local Councils and Employers

Reform UK Proposes Welfare System Overhaul to Save £50 Billion, Shifting Responsibilities to Local Councils and Employers

Reform UK has released a report outlining its proposals to overhaul Britain's welfare system, aiming to save £50 billion. The report primarily focuses on reallocating existing costs and duties, altering eligibility criteria, and shifting some responsibility for 'getting people back to work' to local councils and employers. Key proposals include requiring local authorities to run 'Welfare Recipient Hubs' where recipients would attend for supervised work, and implementing a 'Return to Work Cover' scheme that would mandate employers to administer sick pay and support employees returning to work. The report estimates that tighter eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the health component of Universal Credit could yield savings of £20.15 billion by 2033–34. However, critics question how the full £50 billion in savings would be achieved without explicit spending reductions, noting that the report assumes spending will fall once the new system is in place.
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Trump says US and Canada strike deal, temporarily pauses tariffs

Trump says US and Canada strike deal, temporarily pauses tariffs

By Kanishka Singh, Promit Mukherjee and Maria Cheng WASHINGTON/OTTAWA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - U.S.
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US, Canada hold last-minute talks to stop 50% U.S. tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods

US, Canada hold last-minute talks to stop 50% U.S. tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods

Tension between Washington and Ottawa is already high, stoked by trade disputes and President Donald Trump's inflammatory comments about making Canada the 51st U.S. state
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President Trump's Second White House Features Record Number of Ultra-Wealthy Appointees

President Trump's Second White House Features Record Number of Ultra-Wealthy Appointees

A report from the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen indicates that President Trump's second administration has appointed a significantly higher number of ultra-wealthy individuals compared to his predecessors. The report, published on Monday, reveals that 57 Trump officials are worth at least $100 million, including 17 ambassadors and 40 individuals in senior executive branch positions. This figure is more than four times the combined total of ultra-rich appointees under the three previous presidents. Notably, eight of the 23 Cabinet members meet this criterion, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, both billionaires. Other prominent wealthy appointees include Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg and Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler, who are billionaires, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and special envoy Steve Witkoff, both with hundreds of millions of dollars in net worth. President Trump, himself a billionaire, has o...
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Justice Clarence Thomas Claims Stanford Law School is 'Off Limits' to Conservatives

Justice Clarence Thomas Claims Stanford Law School is 'Off Limits' to Conservatives

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas stated that elite institutions, specifically naming Stanford Law School, are "presumptively off limits" to conservative figures like himself. Speaking at a Hoover Institution forum on August 11, Thomas asserted that such campuses foster an environment of hostility towards conservative viewpoints. He claimed this reality extends to other institutions, including Yale Law School, and that denying it would be dishonest. This assertion comes after a March 2023 incident at Stanford Law School where federal appeals court Judge Kyle Duncan faced significant backlash from students, particularly those affiliated with LGBTQ groups, preventing him from completing a speech. The students used signs and bullhorns, and a DEI administrator, Tirien Steinbach, acknowledged Duncan's free speech rights but appeared to side with the protesters, questioning if the "juice was worth the squeeze." Stanford Dean Jenny Martinez and President Marc Tessier-Lavigne later issued a written apology to ...
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Carney and Trump speak again as tariff deadline looms

Carney and Trump speak again as tariff deadline looms

By Promit Mukherjee and Maria Cheng OTTAWA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon, Carney's office said, as Canada tries to hash out a last-minute deal to avert new 50% tariffs from taking effect at midnight.