Trump halts Canada trade talks after dispute over Ontario advertisement (Agri-Pulse): President Donald Trump announced yesterday that the United States is ending trade negotiations with Canada after the province of Ontario aired an advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan’s voice and remarks critical of tariffs. Trump accused Ontario of deliberately manipulating Reagan’s message to influence an upcoming Supreme Court decision on tariff policy, calling the ad “fraudulent” and saying that all trade talks with Canada are terminated.
Canada still faces high U.S. tariffs on exports not covered by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) and industry-specific levies on goods like steel, aluminum, vehicles and lumber. While talks had progressed this month — including efforts to address steel, aluminum and energy trade by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — the sudden collapse of negotiations threatens to derail that momentum. Canada signaled readiness to resume discussions, noting the benefits to workers and families in both countries.
Millions face food aid cutoff as early as next week as shutdown threatens SNAP and WIC (NPR): With the U.S. federal government shutdown stretching into its fourth week, more than 42 million Americans who rely on federal food-aid programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are facing the real possibility that their November benefits will not be issued if funding isn’t restored. States are issuing alerts to recipients and food banks are bracing for a surge in demand as they anticipate a “mass hunger” scenario akin to the Great Depression if the shutdown persists.
SNAP payments, which normally reach recipients via EBT cards, were funded for October, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has warned that unless a budget deal is reached, there is “insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits.” Meanwhile, WIC’s funding is already stretched thin, kept afloat temporarily by redirected tariff revenue, and could fail in the next few weeks without federal intervention. States and cities are scrambling — declaring emergencies, deploying National Guard troops to food banks, asking for donations — but many warn they can’t fully fill the gap if federal support stops.