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VANCOUVER — Politicians and business leaders in British Columbia say talk of separation in Alberta is an opening for better co-operation between Ottawa and Western provinces, but dividing the country is a step too far.

The reactions come after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said this week that she would put the issue to a referendum if enough residents sign a petition in support, even if she doesn’t want Alberta to leave Canada.

B.C. Opposition Leader John Rustad says he understands the frustration and it’s an opportunity for Prime Minister Mark Carney “to step up to the plate” and for the federal government to “unleash the potential of provinces.”

B.C. Premier David Eby said last month the idea of Western separatism was a “waste of time” when the country needs to work together against tariff threats of U.S. President Donald Trump.

However, the Business Council of British Columbia says “Alberta’s concerns around policies like emissions caps on oil and gas must be taken seriously.”

While the BC Chamber of Commerce wouldn’t comment on Alberta separation, it did push for the “importance of removing unnecessary interprovincial trade barriers and the need to have a single, seamless market in Canada.”

“The BC Chamber of Commerce is focused on critical issues that will unlock the economic potential for British Columbia and Canada,” says chamber CEO Fiona Famulak in a statement.

“Foremost is the need for the federal government and provincial governments to work collaboratively and create a single market in our country, where businesses and consumers can buy and sell products without onerous interprovincial restrictions impeding productivity and growth.”

Business Council of B.C. CEO Laura Jones says we need a strong economy, not a fractured country.

“When Alberta thrives, Canada thrives,” she says. “The reality is that implementing an emissions cap risks undermining affordability, reconciliation, and trade diversification.”

Industry experts and researchers say separation wouldn’t be a helpful solution to a landlocked province like Alberta needing more access to outside markets.

“The idea of Alberta becoming a separate nation, what would it do other than to create barriers between it and other provinces?” says University of British Columbia-Okanagan associate professor of economics Ross Hickey.

“I don’t know what Alberta’s situation would be fiscally if it weren’t for the flow of capital from outside of the province into the province, and the flow of labour from outside the province in the province. The oil does not extract itself.”

B.C. Trucking Association president Dave Earle says Alberta separatism has long, historic roots — and the reasons for its re-emergence should not be dismissed.

“I don’t think Canadians really understand the level of dissatisfaction and upset that exists there,” Earle says. “And that’s something we have to find a way both to honour … and really hear what Albertans have to say.”

But Earle adds that he isn’t worried about a hypothetical separation isolating B.C., where most roads and land links to other parts of Canada go through Alberta.

He says the North American land transport system is fully integrated, and Alberta will continue to need the goods being brought in from other jurisdictions through that system — necessitating the routes to stay open and accessible.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press


WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s Opposition leader says he is hoping for changes to a bill that would add gender expression to the province’s human rights code.

Obby Khan says he’s concerned the bill could infringe on free speech, and he wants the NDP government to amend the bill to clarify what would prompt a complaint to the human rights commission.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe has said the change would include protections for people to be called by their preferred pronouns, and would deal with areas such as employment, housing and accessing public services.

The bill recently went before public hearings, where the head of the human rights commission said cases seen in other provinces have involved malicious and repetitive misgendering.

The bill is expected to be passed into law this spring, given the NDP majority in the legislature, and would bring Manitoba in line with most other provinces.

Khan was asked whether he will allow his Tory caucus members a free vote on the bill, and said he plans to do so on all matters of conscience.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press


Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, is meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, a week after winning the job with a promise to confront the increased aggression shown by Trump.

As the two countries struggle to resolve Trump’s trade war, the U.S. displayed his unique mix of graciousness and discourtesy. Shortly before Carney’s arrival, Trump said on social media that the United States didn’t need “ANYTHING” from its northern neighbor — a theme he revisited in the Oval Office alongside efforts to show warmth.

The Latest:

Trump says he isn’t calling the new Canadian prime minister a ‘governor’

Trump says he has yet to give Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney the same “governor” nickname that he placed on Justin Trudeau, Carney’s predecessor. The nickname was a slight meant to imply that Canada’s leader would eventually be just one of many U.S. governors.

“As far as calling him Gov. Carney, no, I haven’t done that yet, and maybe I won’t,” Trump said. “I did have a lot of fun with Trudeau. But I think this is, this is a big step. It’s a good step up for Canada.”

Trump added that the Tuesday meeting with Carney had been “great” and that he thought the ongoing relationship would be “strong.”

Senators troubled over delivery of health care to Native Americans and Alaska Natives

In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the bipartisan trio of Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, expressed “deep concerns” over “federal actions that diminish the quality of and access to health care” at the Indian Health Service.

The senators said that while the IHS was itself exempt from a federal hiring freeze, it has impacted other positions that help the service provide health care and “continues to exacerbate existing clinical staffing issues.” Last month, President Trump extended the hiring freeze to July.

The group also said it seems HHS was not taking substantial input from tribes on its actions, including the shifting of staff and services.

The three lawmakers called on Kennedy to “reevaluate all actions that jeopardize delivery of any health care services for American Indians and Alaska Natives.”

Kennedy met with tribal leaders last month and called the service “a top priority.”

Trump says overseas visitors coming for the World Cup will have a ‘seamless experience’ in the US

Trump says fans traveling from abroad for the World Cup will have a “seamless experience,” despite skepticism from some around the globe that they may not be welcome in the U.S.

The president said his government will ensure that “those traveling to America to watch the competition have a seamless experience during every part of their visit.” Some overseas travelers have scrapped plans to come to the U.S. given the Trump administration’s aggressive policies toward its allies and other nations.

But Trump insisted during a White House event celebrating the 2026 World Cup — which will be played in the U.S., Canada and Mexico — that officials were working “to make the World Cup an unprecedented success.”

He added that the 2026 World Cup will be “the best-run soccer tournament the world has ever seen.”

US business group opposes the White House possibly ending tax treaty with China

The U.S.-China Business Council wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to express its deep concern over the White House’s plan to review whether to suspend or end a tax treaty with China that has prevented double taxation on U.S. companies.

Should the tax treaty be terminated, U.S. companies doing business in China could face potentially higher tax rates and greater compliance burden in China, lessening or eliminating profits, the council wrote in the letter dated May 1. Ending the tax treaty also would disadvantage U.S. companies competing with others in the Chinese market, the council wrote.

A Feb. 21 White House memo said the U.S. would “use all necessary legal instruments to further deter United States persons from investing in” China’s military-industrial sector.

Declassified intelligence memo contradicts Trump’s claims linking gang to Venezuelan government

A newly declassified U.S. intelligence assessment finds no evidence of coordination between the Tren de Aragua gang and senior Venezuelan officials.

The redacted memo contradicts statements that the Trump administration has used to justify invoking the Alien Enemies Act and deporting Venezuelan immigrants it has labeled gang members.

“While Venezuela’s permissive environment enables TDA to operate, the Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States,” the memo says.

A spokesperson for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard rejected suggestions that the assessment contradicted Trump and noted the assessment did find links between the gang and mid- to lower-level Venezuelan officials.

▶ Read the full memo here

Carney describes meeting with Trump as constructive, but it’s just a start

Carney says he feels better about his country’s relations with the United States after meeting with Trump, but he didn’t see one meeting resolving the issues set off by Trump’s tariff hikes.

“I wouldn’t have expected white smoke coming out of this meeting,” Carney told reporters after the Tuesday meeting, referencing the signal that a new pope has been selected.

Asked whether Carney had asked Trump to stop calling Canada the 51st U.S. state, Carney replied, “Yes, today.” As to whether Trump would stop the rhetoric, Carney said, “I don’t know. He’s the president. He’s his own person.”

Trump is set to participate in a FIFA task force meeting

President Trump created the task force to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, which will bring the globe’s premier soccer tournament to North America at a time when his on-again, off-again tariffs have ratcheted up tensions across the continent.

The task force, which Trump will chair, will coordinate the federal government’s security and planning for the tournament, which is expected to draw millions of tourists to the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The 48-team tournament will pose challenges to the federal government when it comes to awarding visas to the players, officials and more than a million fans expected to visit.

Carney acknowledges uncomfortable body language with Trump

Asked about his at-times-uncomfortable body language during his meeting with Trump, Carney said: “I’m glad that you couldn’t tell what was going through my mind.”

Carney at times appeared to be looking at the floor and occasionally struggled to get a word in during his Oval Office meeting with Trump — even sometimes raising his hand.

Asked about that by reporters afterward, the prime minister said, “I’ve been careful always to distinguish between wish and reality.”

Carney noted that Trump again referenced the idea that Canada could somehow become the 51st U.S. state. Carney said afterward he personally made it clear Canada wasn’t for sale and said it was “never going to happen.”

“I look forward and not back, and I think we established a good basis today,” Carney said.

Carney calls talks with Trump ‘wide-ranging and very constructive’

In comments to reporters at the Canadian embassy in Washington after the closed-door meetings, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday’s talks “marked the end of the beginning of the U.S. and Canada redefining” their joint cooperative relationship.

The prime minister said “now is the time to build” both at home and overseas, including with the U.S.

Judge bars Trump administration from shrinking 3 agencies

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration from dramatically shrinking the agencies, which fund libraries across the U.S., settle labor disputes with public sector workers and support state business contracting programs.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. in Rhode Island said Trump cannot unilaterally end the funding and programs for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. All three agencies were established by Congress.

Trump’s March 14 executive order directing them to cut as many staffers and programs as legally possible was “arbitrary and capricious,” McConnell wrote in Tuesday’s order.

“It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated.”

Twenty-one states sued over the executive order.

Trump Pentagon nominee under scrutiny in hearing for partisan comments

A retired U.S. brigadier general who failed to get through the confirmation process in the first Trump administration got renewed scrutiny for his political and anti-Islamic social media posts during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday.

Anthony Tata, a staunch supporter of the president, has been nominated to become the defense undersecretary for personnel. He was criticized for tweets in 2018 calling Islam the “most oppressive violent religion I know of,” and calling former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader” and referring to him as Muslim. The tweets were later taken down.

▶ Read more about the hearing

Senate confirms Wall Street veteran to lead Social Security Administration

Frank Bisignano will be taking over at a turbulent time for the agency, which provides benefits to more than 70 million Americans. He was confirmed in a 53-47 vote.

Bisignano’s confirmation came after a monthslong series of announcements at the SSA of mass federal worker layoffs, cuts to programs, office closures and a planned cut to nationwide Social Security phone services, which were eventually walked back.

Many of the changes are driven by the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire adviser Elon Musk, who said this week that he is preparing to wind down his role with the administration.

The upheaval has made Social Security a major focus of Democrats, including former President Joe Biden, who said in his first public speech since leaving office that Trump has “taken a hatchet” to the program.

State Department disbanding the Office of Palestinian Affairs at the US Embassy in Jerusalem

The State Department said the office will be folded back into the broader diplomatic mission.

The move will restore the Palestinian Affairs Unit at the embassy that President Trump created during his first term after moving the embassy from Tel Aviv and then closing down the consulate in Jerusalem, which had served as the main U.S. point of outreach to the Palestinians.

The Palestinian Affairs Unit reported directly to the U.S. ambassador to Israel, a move that was reversed in President Joe Biden’s administration, which formalized it into an office that stepped up engagement with the Palestinians and reported directly to State Department headquarters in Washington.

“The United States remains committed to its historic relationship with Israel, bolstering Israel’s security and securing peace to create a better life for the entire region,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. She did not mention how the change would affect relations with the Palestinian Authority.

As Trump battles elite colleges, House GOP looks to hike endowment tax by tenfold or more

The president’s feud with America’s elite universities is lending momentum to Republicans on Capitol Hill who want to increase a tax on wealthy college endowments by tenfold or more.

House Republicans already were considering a hike in the tax on college endowments’ earnings from 1.4% to 14% as part of Trump’s tax bill. As the president raises the stakes in his fight with Harvard, Columbia and other Ivy League schools, lawmakers are floating raising the rate as high as 21% in line with the corporate tax rate. It appears no decisions have been made.

▶ Read more about college endowments

White House confirms review of Smithsonian museums has begun

The White House confirmed in a statement that a review of Smithsonian properties is underway after an executive order calling for the removal of “improper ideology.”

“We are undertaking a comprehensive review of the Smithsonian museums to assess alignment with the directives outlined in the executive order,” Lindsey Halligan, a special assistant to the president, said in a statement. “We are committed to transparency and will share updates as the review progresses.”

Officials did not elaborate on the details of how the review is being carried out.

A pastor and veteran of the Civil Rights movement who loaned books to the museum told The Associated Press that his items would be reviewed by a panel to determine whether they will remain at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Supreme Court allows Trump ban on transgender members of the military to take effect, for now

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to enforce a ban on transgender people in the military, while legal challenges proceed.

The court acted in the dispute over a policy that presumptively disqualifies transgender people from military service.

The court’s three liberal justices said they would have kept the policy on hold.

Just after beginning his second term in January, Trump moved aggressively to roll back the rights of transgender people. Among the Republican president’s actions was an executive order that claims the sexual identity of transgender service members “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life,” and is harmful to military readiness.

Critic of drug industry and COVID-19 measures to lead FDA vaccine program

Dr. Vinay Prasad, a prominent critic of the pharmaceutical industry and the Food and Drug Administration, has been named to oversee the health agency’s program for vaccines and biotech drugs.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary announced the appointment Tuesday in a message to agency staff, praising Prasad’s “long and distinguished history in medicine.”

Prasad is the latest in a series of medical contrarians and critics of COVID-19 measures to join the federal government under President Trump.

Unlike political roles such as FDA commissioner, the job Prasad is stepping into has traditionally been held by an FDA career scientist. His appointment raises new questions about whether vaccines and other new therapies will face additional scrutiny from regulators.

Prasad replaces Dr. Peter Marks, FDA’s longtime vaccine chief who resigned in March after clashing with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over concerns about the safety of vaccinations.

Rwanda says it’s talking with the US about taking in third-country deportees. Here’s why

Rwanda drew international attention, and some outrage, by agreeing to take in Britain’s rejected asylum-seekers in a plan that collapsed last year. Now Rwanda says it is talking with the Trump administration about a similar idea — and it might find more success.

The negotiations mark an expansion in U.S. efforts to deport people to countries other than their own. It has sent hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama but has yet to announce any major deals with governments in Africa, Asia or Europe.

Rwanda has argued that despite being one of Africa’s most densely populated countries, it has space to help alleviate what many countries in Europe — and the United States — consider to be a growing problem with unwanted migrants.

▶ Read more about Rwanda and third-country deportees

US trade deficit hits record high as businesses, consumers try to get ahead of Trump tariffs

The U.S. trade deficit soared to a record $140.5 billion in March as consumers and businesses alike tried to get ahead of the president’s latest and most sweeping tariffs, with federal data showing an enormous stockpiling of pharmaceutical products.

The deficit — which measures the gap between the value of goods and services the U.S. sells abroad against what it buys — has roughly doubled over the last year. In March 2024, Commerce Department records show, that gap was just under $68.6 billion.

According to federal data released Tuesday, exports for goods and services totaled about $278.5 billion in March, while imports climbed to nearly $419 billion. That’s up $0.5 billion and $17.8 billion, respectively, from February trade.

Consumer goods led the imports surge — increasing by $22.5 billion in March. And pharma products in particular climbed $20.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis noted, signaling fears about future levies.

Key Republican says he won’t back Trump’s pick for top DC prosecutor because of Jan. 6 ties

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says he has told the White House he will not support Ed Martin, Trump’s pickfor top federal prosecutor in Washington, stalling the nomination in the Senate weeks before the temporary appointment expires.

The North Carolina Republican told reporters Tuesday that he met with Martin and opposes the nomination because of his defense of rioters who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Martin, a leading figure in Trump’s campaign to overturn the 2020 election, spoke at a rally on the eve of the violent riot and represented defendants who were prosecuted for the attack.

“We have to be very, very clear that what happened on Jan. 6th was wrong,” Tillis said. “It was not prompted. It was not prompted or created by other people to put those people in trouble. They made a stupid decision, and they disgraced the United States by absolutely destroying the Capitol.”

Disabled workers have faced prejudice. Now they face DOGE firings

For decades the federal government has positioned itself as committed to inclusive hiring and long-term retention across agencies. But as mass layoffs ripple through the federal workforce under President Trump’s administration, disabled employees are among those being let go.

Amid the firings, rollbacks of accommodation guidance for businesses and skepticism of disability inclusion practices, advocates and experts wonder if the government’s status as a “model employer” will hold true.

Trump has said he ended diversity, equity and inclusion programs because people should be hired based on work quality and merit alone.

However, under Schedule A, candidates already have to be qualified for the position with or without an accommodation. They don’t get a job solely because they have a disability.

Disability advocates point to a slew of statements from Trump administration officials that indicate they view disabled workers as a liability.

▶ Read more about disabled workers in government

Second judge rules that Trump’s use of 18th century wartime act was improper

Trump used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 for only the fourth time in history, declaring that a Venezuelan gang had invaded the United States and its alleged members could be deported without regular legal process.

A Trump-appointed judge in Texas last week ruled the act can’t be used against a gang. On Tuesday, District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein in New York came to the same conclusion.

The gang, Hellerstein wrote, “may well be engaged in narcotics trafficking, but that is a criminal matter, not an invasion or predatory incursion.”

The media is dismissed as Carney’s White House visit continues

The appearance with Carney grew increasingly uncomfortable as it continued, with Trump repeatedly asserting that the United States has been “subsidizing Canada.”

But the meeting never devolved like an earlier encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We had another little blow up with someone else,” Trump said. This is a very friendly conversation.”

Trump digs at Democrats during his meeting with Carney

Trump, a former real estate developer, offered during the meeting with Carney to help former President Barack Obama build his presidential library.

Obama left office in 2017. His library is under construction in Chicago. Trump said it’s taking too long and that, in and of itself, is “bad for the presidency.”

“If he wanted help, I’d give him help,” Trump said of Obama. “I’m a really good builder.”

Trump also criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom over a project to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco by rail, calling it “the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen.”

___

This entry has been updated to correct the year Obama left office to 2017, not 2009.

Carney finally gets a word in

As Trump went on a long aside about former President Barack Obama’s presidential library and California water issues before veering back to trade, Carney kept trying to get a word in, raising his hand about half a dozen times to try to interject.

Trump kept talking as reporters fired questions, holding forth with extended answers.

When the Canadian leader finally got to speak, he addressed Trump’s repeated needling about making Canada a 51st U.S. state and said, “Respectfully, Canadians’ view on this is not going to change.”

Trump talks more on tariffs

Trump continued his tough talk on tariffs, saying other countries need to deal with the United States.

“They want a piece of our market,” he said. “We don’t care about their market.”

He also said that other nations “think of us as a super luxury store, a store that has the goods.”

Trump also said that China wants to meet for trade talks. He didn’t offer details but asserted that the Chinese are not doing business and that ships full of goods from China are turning around the Pacific Ocean.

Friendly vibe shrouds Trump’s meeting with Canada’s new leader

Trump had a lot of praise for Carney, despite the president’s desire to make Canada the 51st state in the U.S.

He complimented Carney on winning election and said Carney had helped himself with the debate.

“I think Canada chose a very talented person, a very good person,” Trump said.

At another point, when asked concessions he wants from Canada, Trump replied, “friendship.”

And at still another point in the Oval Office meeting, Trump said: “I love Canada.”

Carney rebuffs Trump’s Oval Office push for 51st state, says Canada ‘won’t be for sale, ever’

Trump said he was still interested in making Canada the 51st state, although he admitted “it takes two to tango.”

“It would really be a wonderful marriage,” the president said.

Carney responded by telling Trump that “as you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale.”

The White House and Buckingham Palace aren’t, he said, and Canada is “not for sale, it won’t be for sale, ever.”

“Never say never,” Trump said. Carney smiled and mouthed “never, never, never.”

Trump teases a ‘very, very big announcement’

The president told reporters that he will make his mystery announcement Thursday or Friday before his trip to the Middle East next week, though it wasn’t clear if the announcement was related to the trip.

Trump wouldn’t say what the announcement was about but said it will be “one of the most important announcements” that have been made in many years “about a certain subject.”

Trump says US is halting airstrikes on Houthis rebels in Yemen

Trump says he’s calling off any more air strikes against Yemen’s Houthis, saying the rebel faction has ‘capitulated’ and doesn’t want to fight anymore.

In March, Trump’s administration launched strikes against Houthis rebels. But he told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, “We will stop the bombings. They have capitulated but more importantly, we will take their word.”

The president added, “I think that’s very positive. They were knocking out a lot of ships.”

Meeting between Trump and Carney begins

Trump graciously welcomed Carney to the Oval Office, praising him as “a very talented person, a very good person.”

The U.S. leader said Carney’s comeback victory in Canada’s recent election was “maybe even greater than mine.”

Trump also gestured to the upgrades that he’s made to the Oval Office, saying it was renovated with “great love and 24 karat gold — that always helps too.”

Carney opened by saying, “Mr. President, I’m on the edge of my seat.”

Canada’s new prime minister arrives at the White House for Trump meeting

Carney received a handshake and a couple of shoulder pats from the U.S. president.

Trump then turned toward the news media and did a fist pump, which Carney then emulated with a fist pump of his own.

The two leaders then entered the White House without exchanging any words for the gathered reporters.

Before Carney’s arrival, Trump expressed doubts on social media about the benefits of an economic relationship with Canada.

It’s a position that defies the underlying economic data as the United States depends on oil produced in Canada, in addition to an array of other goods that cross border trade makes more affordable in ways that benefit growth.

Just before Canadian PM arrives at White House, Trump says US doesn’t need Canada

Just before meeting Carney, Trump posted on social media that the U.S. doesn’t need autos, energy, lumber or “ANYTHING” from the United States’ northern neighbor.

“I very much want to work with him, but cannot understand one simple TRUTH — Why is America subsidizing Canada by $200 Billion Dollars a year, in addition to giving them FREE Military Protection, and many other things?” Trump posted on Truth Social.

While Trump said he still welcomes Canada’s friendship and hopes to maintain it, he’s indicating despite economic data to the contrary that the United States would be fine without Canada.

“The Prime Minister will be arriving shortly and that will be, most likely, my only question of consequence,” Trump posted.

Homeland Security secretary says ‘people will be allowed to fly’ even without REAL ID

Kristi Noem told a Congressional panel Tuesday that travelers who miss Wednesday’s deadline to get the more secure ID cards should be prepared for extra scrutiny, but “we will make sure it’s as seamless as possible.”

Noem said 81% of travelers already have IDs that comply, and passports and tribal identification will be accepted at checkpoints.

Travelers who aren’t REAL ID compliant “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step,” she said.

Implementation of the REAL ID, a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card, has been repeatedly delayed since it was recommended by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005.

Treasury secretary says the United States ‘will not default’

Scott Bessent is testifying on the Hill this morning for the first time since his confirmation in January.

On the table for questions are tariffs, taxes, layoffs at the IRS, Department of Government Efficiency access to IRS data, national finances and more.

Bessent said the U.S. and China “have not engaged in negotiations” but “as early as this week” the U.S. will be announcing trade deals with some of the U.S.′ largest trading partners.

Bessent also spoke about America’s upcoming default date — what officials are calling the “X-date.”

“Just as an outfielder running for a fly ball, we are on the warning track. When you’re on the warning track, it means the wall is not that far away,” he said. He added, however, that the U.S. “will not default.”

Republican member of Congress praises program cut by Trump administration

A Republican member of Congress says there’s “strong bipartisan support” for a program designed to help communities protect against natural disasters and climate change.

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program was eliminated by the Trump administration in April.

Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma told Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a hearing Tuesday that the BRIC program has been “extraordinarily helpful.” He said he wants to know more about the department’s plans to “reform those grants.”

US stocks sink again as more companies detail damage from Trump’s trade war

Artificial intelligence mania is losing more steam and more companies are scrubbing forecasts amid Trump’s tariffs uncertainty.

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite were down more than 1% in morning trading. Palantir Technologies, which offers an AI platform for customers, was falling 13.5%, and Nvidia was down 2.4%.

    1. CEO Linda Rendle said Clorox, down 5.3%, is seeing shoppers change behavior and expects slowdowns to continue

    2. DoorDashfell 8.5% after reporting weaker-than-expected revenue

    3. Toymaker Mattel was swinging between losses and gains after “pausing” financial forecasts, saying the “evolving U.S. tariff landscape” makes it too hard to predict this year’s gift-buying

    4. Ford Motor is expecting to take a $1.5 billion hit and joined a lengthening list of companies cancelling forecasts

House speaker responds to Trump’s ‘fewer dolls’ statement

Reporters caught up with Mike Johnson in a Capitol hallway on Monday, and one asked about Trump saying that some kids may have fewer dolls or pencils and stroller prices may go up as a result of his tariffs policy.

“Is that the message that you want to send to the American public?” the Republican leader was asked.

“We had to disrupt the system and we’re gonna have the desired results,” Johnson responded. “So whatever short term of disruption there is or or discomfort, I think what he’s trying to say there, I think, is that it will well pay off in the long run and I think that will happen sooner than many people anticipate.”

Trump isn’t backing down against media coverage of Kilmar Abrego Garcia deportation

Despicable. Unpatriotic. All wrong. No credibility. Sensationalistic. Disgusting.

All labels that Trump or his loyalists have used to describe media coverage of his administration’s deportation of the asylum-seeker in Maryland to a Salvadoran prison.

With media covering Abrego Garcia’s removal as a test case about the absence of due process, the White House has attacked the man’s character and said he shouldn’t be allowed to stay, said Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of Hofstra University’s communication school.

“The song is the same,” said former CNN Washington bureau chief Frank Sesno, “but the volume is a lot louder.

▶ Read more about media coverage of the White House

One of Trump’s golf courses in Scotland to host a European tour event

Trump International Golf Links Scotland will stage the Scottish Championship from Aug. 7-10 after being added to the 2025 schedule by the tour on Tuesday. The course also will return as a seniors tour host.

Trump Organization vice president Eric Trump called these back-to-back events a “significant milestone.” The course has a panoramic view of offshore wind turbines that Trump has criticized as “unsightly” view-spoilers for his luxury guests.

The other course, Trump Turnberry, hasn’t staged a British Open since 2009, despite Trump’s lobbying.

Carney said he’ll fight for Canada ahead of Trump meeting. Some said he should have stayed home

These Oval Office meetings have been challenging for world leaders. The United Kingdom’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, engaged in a charm offensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was met by Trump with anger.

“We’ve seen what he does. We saw what he did with Zelenskyy,” said Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto. “He would sure as hell try to do the same with Carney. It’s not in Carney’s interest. It’s not in Canada’s interest.”

Carney said ahead of Tuesday’s Oval Office encounter that he was elected specifically to “stand up” to the U.S. president, and that he expected they’ll have “difficult” but “constructive” conversations at their White House lunch.

A bipartisan group of Trump critics launches the ‘Cost Coalition’

According to preliminary plans shared with The Associated Press, the coalition’s messaging will include paid advertising, social media, press interviews and on-the-ground events with small business leaders, veterans and the faith community ahead of key elections.

Republican Terry Holt and Democrat Andrew Bates, both former presidential spokespersons, will lead communications. The nonprofit with a hybrid political action committee won’t have to publicly disclose all its funding sources.

“In 100 days, Donald Trump put the best-performing economy in the world on a crash course toward recession. Trump’s tariffs — the biggest middle class tax hike in modern history — are making everyday prices skyrocket and wreaking havoc for businesses large and small,” Holt and Bates said in a joint statement. “Next up are grossly inflationary tax cuts for the wealthy that will only saddle future generations with staggering debt.”

▶ Read more about the Cost Coalition

The Associated Press



COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal appeals court upheld the racketeering convictions of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and an ex-lobbyist on Tuesday in a $60 million bribery scheme that a prosecutor had described as likely the largest corruption scheme in state history.

The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati represented a win for the Department of Justice, which had secured the convictions in March 2023 after a yearslong investigation. Householder, a Republican, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and lobbyist and former Ohio Republican Party chair Matt Borges was sentenced to five years in prison.

Householder was convicted of masterminding a $60 million bribery scheme funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to elect allies, secure power, pass a $1 billion bailout of two of its affiliated nuclear plants and then defend the bill, known as House Bill 6, from a repeal effort.

Prosecutors had described Borges’ primary role in the scheme as working to thwart a ballot campaign aimed at repealing the tainted legislation. Specifically, he was accused of paying $15,000 to someone who was helping spearhead the effort in order to get inside information. The referendum ultimately failed to make the ballot.

Both men have a couple long shot legal options remaining: They could ask for a review by the full Sixth Circuit, or seek what’s known as certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court, hoping for consideration by the nation’s highest bench. Both types of requests are rarely granted.

Messages seeking comment were left for their attorneys, as well as with a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cincinnati.

Householder’s appeal failed on all six claims he brought in hopes of a reprieve. He alleged erroneous jury instructions, insufficient and inadmissible evidence, violations of his right to counsel, judicial bias and that his sentence was unreasonable for the circumstances.

The 65-year-old Householder argued that the government was wrong in describing what he had engaged in as a bribery scheme. Instead, he cast the money that flowed from FirstEnergy into a network of secret dark money accounts that he controlled as legal campaign contributions. Federal prosecutors charged that the money was given to Householder in exchange for the passage of House Bill 6, providing the necessary quid pro quo to make his conduct illegal.

Householder had also faulted U.S. District Judge Timothy Black in his appeal, asserting that he failed to properly instruct the jury that an agreement is necessary to prove bribery and that Householder needed to have agreed he would take action “on a specific and focused question or matter” at the time that agreement was struck.

The judicial panel said all of his claims failed.

Borges’ appeal hinged on three technical points of law. All failed.

However, Circuit Judge Amul Thapar wrote in a concurring opinion that each of Borges’ contentions “raises tricky and unresolved issues in honest services fraud jurisprudence.”

“And here, Borges has a good argument his conduct fell within a murky middle: perhaps objectionable, but not clearly illegal,” he wrote. “Until the Supreme Court revises its caselaw, however, we must follow its precedent.”

Julie Carr Smyth, The Associated Press


VICTORIA — British Columbia’s ombudsperson says the provincial government unfairly required some workers to repay $1,000 they received after losing their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BC Emergency Benefit for Workers was introduced in 2020 and, in an effort to work quickly, the B.C. government initially required recipients to also be receiving the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Jay Chalke’s office says in a news release that the province was unaware that some people who had lost their job due to COVID-19 were being paid through other federal benefits, including employment insurance.

He says the B.C. government paid those applicants, then ordered them to repay the funds.

Chalke says people applied for the benefits in good faith to get through a crisis, then were ordered to pay back the money, not because they lost their jobs, but because of how a federal benefit claim was processed behind the scenes.

His report makes one recommendation that the Finance Ministry change the Income Tax Act to extend the benefit eligibility to workers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 but were excluded only because of employment insurance claims.

Chalke says “it was unjust for the province to require repayment in such circumstances.”

The report also found some eligible workers were told to repay even though they met all the criteria.

It says the repayment letters people received were confusing and offered no explanation as to why they were being asked to repay the benefit.

The report also says the ministry did not use available federal data to verify their eligibility and instead placed the burden on the individual.

“This report isn’t about trying to undo a program that was created in a hurry,” Chalke says. “It’s about what governments do when they later find out that parts of those programs were flawed.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.

The Canadian Press


Prime Minister Mark Carney met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday in their first face-to-face meeting since Carney’s Liberal party won the most seats in the April 28 election.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has threatened and imposed broad-based tariffs and talked about wanting to make Canada a U.S. state.

While the two met with reporters at the White House, Trump made a few claims alongside his other comments. Here’s how some of them measure up:

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“We have a tremendous deficit with Canada,” Trump said. “It’s hard to justify subsidizing Canada to the tune of maybe US$200 billion a year.”

A trade deficit — when one country exports less to a partner nation than the partner exports to it — is not a subsidy, any more than spending more at the grocery store than it spends on one customer would amount to a subsidy.

Even if it were, Trump’s US$200-billion figure strays far from the actual statistics. The trade deficit for goods and services stood at about US$45 billion in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And when goods alone are considered, Statistics Canada found that Canada’s trade surplus with the U.S. last year was $102.3 billion.

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Asked whether the North American free trade pact was dead in the wake of U.S. tariffs, Trump replied: “No, it was actually very effective. And it’s still very effective, but people have to follow it …. We’re going to be starting to possibly renegotiate that, if it’s even necessary. I don’t know that it’s necessary anymore.”

Known as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the trilateral deal was negotiated, signed and ultimately entered into law in 2020 by Trump. At the time, he touted the pact — a reboot of the North American Free Trade Agreement — as “very, very special” and the “largest, fairest, most balanced and modern trade agreement ever achieved.”

The biggest violator of that agreement may be the U.S. itself, which recently raised tariffs on auto, steel and aluminum imports to 25 per cent in spite of the deal.

It was set for a joint review in 2026 to decide whether it should continue, something Carney and Trump touched on as a likely possibility for further discussions.

———

Asked whether he believes Canada should become “the 51st state” — a go-to phrase from the president in recent months — Trump dialed down the annexation rhetoric: “I still believe that but, you know, it takes two to tango, right?” he said, adding that a merger between the countries would make for a “wonderful marriage.”

He also said the move would be “a massive tax cut for the Canadian citizens.”

Canadians have roundly rejected the idea of annexation by their southern neighbour. Just nine per cent of residents wanted Canada to become the 51st state, while 85 per cent did not, according to a Leger poll released in March.

The sentiment appeared clear across all regions, political parties and age groups.

The prime minister expressed that view to Trump on Tuesday:

“If I may, as you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale. We’re sitting in one right now,” Carney said during their Oval Office sit-down.

“And having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign (the) last several months, it’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale ever. But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together.”

If the U.S. and Canada were to form a political union, it is unclear what that would mean for either country’s tax regime.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press


REGINA — Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP is planning to introduce legislation that aims to amend referendum and plebiscite rules, a move it says will hold Premier Scott Moe’s feet to the fire on talk of separation.

NDP Leader Carla Beck’s private member’s bill contains the words “Keep Saskatchewan in Canada” in its title.

The Opposition was unable to provide details on the legislation as it has not been put before the legislative assembly.

A notice of motion from the legislature says Beck plans to introduce the bill tomorrow.

The NDP has accused Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government of pandering to separatist sentiment following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s election win for the Liberals.

Moe has said the province is not interested in separating from Canada but wouldn’t stop a public vote on the issue if it came forward.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press


WASHINGTON (AP) — Wall Street veteran Frank Bisignano was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday to lead the Social Security Administration, taking over at a turbulent time for the agency that provides benefits to more than 70 million Americans.

The Senate confirmed Bisignano in a 53-47 vote.

Bisignano’s confirmation comes after a months-long series of announcements at the Social Security Administration of mass federal worker layoffs, cuts to programs, office closures and a planned cut to nationwide Social Security phone services, which were eventually walked back.

Many of the changes are driven by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire adviser Elon Musk, who said this week that he is preparing to wind down his role with the administration. The upheaval has made Social Security a major focus of Democrats, including former President Joe Biden, who said in his first public speech since leaving office that Republican President Donald Trump has “taken a hatchet” to the program.

Bisignano, a self-professed “DOGE person,” has served as chair of Fiserv, a payments and financial services tech firm since 2020. He is a one-time defender of corporate policies to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. Bisignano takes over from the agency’s acting commissioner, DOGE supporter Leland Dudek. Bisignano’s term ends in January 2031.

Asked during his March confirmation hearing whether Social Security should be privatized, Bisignano responded: “I’ve never heard a word of it, and I’ve never thought about it.”

Democrats and activists have for weeks railed against Bisignano’s confirmation, holding rallies and other events protesting his nomination.

During the final roll call vote, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden called Bisignano “unfit” to be the steward of Americans’ Social Security benefits. Wyden said Trump wants Bisignano to “gut” Social security, and that Republicans who support Bisignano’s confirmation would be to responsible if their grandmother misses a Social Security check and can’t pay rent.

“By confirming Mr. Bisignano, the Senate will be signing a death sentence to Social Security as we know it today,” Wyden said.

The chaos at the the agency began shortly after acting commissioner Michelle King stepped down in February, a move that came after DOGE sought access to Social Security recipient information. That prompted a lawsuit by labor unions and retirees, who asked a federal court to issue an emergency order limiting DOGE’s access to Social Security data.

Most recently, the full panel of judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 9-6 not to lift restrictions on the access that DOGE has to Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans.

Also in February, the agency announced plans to cut 7,000 people from the agency payroll through layoffs, employee reassignments and an offer of voluntary separation agreements, as part of an intensified effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce.

Dudek also announced a plan to require in-person identity checks for millions of new and existing recipients while simultaneously closing government offices. That sparked a furor among lawmakers, advocacy groups and program recipients who are worried that the government is placing unnecessary barriers in front of an already vulnerable population. That plan has since been rolled back.

The SSA provides benefits to roughly 72.5 million people, including retirees and children.

Fatima Hussein, The Associated Press


A federal judge has temporarily barred President Donald Trump’s administration from dramatically shrinking three agencies that fund libraries across the U.S., settle labor disputes with public sector workers, and support state business contracting programs.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell, Jr. in Rhode Island said Trump can’t unilaterally end the funding and programs for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. All three agencies were established by Congress.

Trump’s March 14 executive order directing the agencies to cut as many staffers and programs as legally possible was “arbitrary and capricious,” McConnell wrote in Tuesday’s order.

“It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated.”

Twenty-one states sued over the executive order, which directed the agencies to eliminate every program that isn’t mandated by law and to cut staffers and all other functions to the bare minimum allowed by statute. The states said the “shredding” of the agencies puts hundreds of millions of dollars of grant funding at risk and hurts the general public. Threatened programs include a braille library in Washington, a literacy program in California, and a program supporting veterans in Rhode Island, according to the lawsuit.

But attorneys for the government told the judge that the lawsuit is too broad, in part because some of the states are contending that specific grants have been terminated but others are simply anticipating future increased costs or that some grants may not be renewed.

In some cases, U.S. Department of Justice attorneys wrote in court filings, the various grant recipients haven’t even requested payment of the grants yet. Disputes over personnel claims, like employee terminations or reductions in force, must first be litigated before other entities before they can be brought to federal court, the attorneys wrote, suggesting the states were trying to “jump the line.”

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Rebecca Boone, The Associated Press


OTTAWA — The world was watching when Prime Minister Mark Carney met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday.

Here’s a sample of what politicians and other prominent figures are saying:

“It sounds like the prime minister and the president had a very productive meeting … Hopefully, through this meeting with the president and the prime minister, we’ll be able to rekindle our great relationship.” — Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Fox News

“I think Prime Minister Carney has his work cut out for him, as we saw in the opening press conference with the president. I’m really hopeful that behind closed doors they’ll be able to have a meeting of the minds and come out with an agreement to restart the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement negotiations.

“I’m just as hopeful as anyone else that they’re able to have a reset on the relationship. I don’t think it’s any secret that the relationship with the prior prime minister was very poor and I think led to a lot of the challenges that we’ve had over the last five or six months. So we’ll see if Prime Minister Carney can reset that in the meeting he has today and I’m hopeful that he can.” — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith

“The Trump meeting showed that Carney is an adult. Canadians understood that. He is the right person right now.” — Former federal environment minister Catherine McKenna.

“Strong representation for Canada and our workers today. Thank you to Prime Minister @MarkJCarney for his diplomacy and focus. Canada is not for sale.” — Joseph Mancinelli, international vice-president and Canadian director of the Labourers International Union of North America

“Canadian workers stand with Prime Minister @MarkJCarney today as he meets with President Donald Trump! Our jobs. Our plants. Our mills. Our economy. Our country.” — Lana Payne, national president of Unifor

“Mark Carney’s ‘as you know from real estate, some places will never be for sale’ — very well handled. Trump’s ‘never say never’ was very revealing. Nobody yelling about having the cards here. Firm response delivered by Canada without losing our cool.

“We also found out that (Canada’s) USMCA negotiator Chrystia Freeland still* lives rent free in Trump’s head.” — Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association

“Very proud to be Canadian watching PM @MarkJCarney represent our country confidently, with moral clarity, and with diplomacy and grace.” — Benjamin Perrin, law professor at the University of British Columbia

“PM @MarkJCarney was outstanding today. Proud to be Canadian.” — Don Darling, former mayor of Saint John

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.

David Baxter and Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press