Good morning everyone, and happy Friday. Another week down in this wild timeline we all share. This morning, Donald Trump woke up furious at Canada for airing an ad featuring Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. In response, Trump cut off all trade talks with Canada.
Inflation rose to 3%, the highest since January, as prices continue to climb. Target announced it will lay off more than 1,000 corporate employees because of slumping sales, adding another sign of economic strain.
Today will be a busy one. This afternoon, I am speaking with Adelita Grijalva, the Congresswoman-elect from Arizona’s 7th District. Speaker Mike Johnson still has not sworn her in because of the Epstein files. I will not stop fighting for their full release and demanding transparency from our leaders.
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With that, here’s what you missed:
Donald Trump abruptly ended U.S.-Canada trade talks after Ontario aired a TV ad featuring Ronald Reagan’s 1987 anti-tariff speech, accusing Canada of attempting to influence a forthcoming Supreme Court case on his tariff policy. The Reagan Foundation criticized the ad’s unauthorized use and distortion of Reagan’s remarks.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford defended the message, emphasizing U.S.-Canada friendship. The move marks Trump’s second suspension of trade talks with Canada this year, following earlier disputes over tariffs, tech regulation, and dairy trade.
This is the Reagan ad that made Donald Trump very upset:
U.S. inflation rose to 3% in September, the fastest pace since January, as consumer prices climbed 0.3% despite expectations for a steeper increase, according to new CPI data released amid the ongoing government shutdown. The rise was driven by higher costs for gas, food, and tariff-affected goods such as clothing and coffee. Economists warned that tariffs and sanctions on Russia could further fuel price pressures.
Following the release of today’s numbers, the White House is now warning that future numbers may no longer be released due to the government shutdown.
The Trump White House has updated the historical timeline section on the White House website, in violation of the hatch act, attacking its political opponents including former President Joe Biden and his son Hunter:
Target is cutting 1,800 corporate jobs (about 8% of its global office workforce) — mostly at its Minneapolis headquarters — to simplify operations and speed up decision-making as part of a turnaround plan led by incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke, who said the retailer’s complexity has slowed progress amid declining sales and competition from Walmart and Amazon.
The Trump administration approved a long-disputed plan to build a road through Alaska’s Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and reopened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. The 11-mile road, long opposed by environmental groups, would cut through protected wilderness to connect the remote community of King Cove to a nearby airport for medical access. Critics argue the move threatens vital habitats for migratory birds and bears and reverses decades of conservation policy, while supporters say it fulfills a local safety need and promotes economic development.
Ethics concerns have arisen in Georgia after Republican state election board member Janice Johnston began receiving anonymous donations through a GiveSendGo fundraiser created by GOP official Salleigh Grubbs, who has close ties to the election integrity movement. The money is funding Johnston’s legal defense in a lawsuit by watchdog group American Oversight, which accuses her of withholding official emails.
At least three people were killed in Haiti as Tropical Storm Melissa caused severe flooding and landslides across the Caribbean, with the National Hurricane Center warning of “life-threatening and catastrophic” conditions across Hispaniola and Jamaica. The storm, nearly stationary south of Kingston and Port-au-Prince, has already disrupted water systems for over half a million people in the Dominican Republic and could strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane as it drifts west toward Jamaica.
Alaska Airlines resumed flights after an IT outage forced a nationwide ground stop and the cancellation of 229 flights, disrupting operations for several hours on Wednesday. The airline said more delays were likely as it worked to reposition aircraft and crews, advising passengers to check flight statuses. The issue affected both Alaska and Horizon Air flights, though Hawaiian Airlines, owned by Alaska Air Group, was unaffected. This marks the second major tech-related grounding for Alaska Airlines in recent months.
A new book by journalist Jonathan Karl reveals that Donald Trump appointed Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary as a personal favor to former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, despite concerns she was “obviously unqualified.” The book, Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America, details internal disputes over Trump’s cabinet picks, including criticism from allies like Steve Bannon who warned the choice was “dangerous.”
Stephany Gauffeny, widow of Miguel García-Hernández, is questioning whether rising political hostility under the Trump administration contributed to her husband’s death after he was fatally shot during an attack on a Texas ICE facility. García-Hernández, an undocumented immigrant detained for a minor offense and awaiting legal status, was one of three detainees hit when a gunman opened fire on an ICE van before killing himself.
A federal jury awarded $40 million to the family of Erie Moore Sr, a 57-year-old man who died from head injuries sustained while in custody at a Louisiana jail in 2015, finding private operator LaSalle Management Co and several guards liable for negligence, battery, and excessive force. Evidence showed Moore was pepper-sprayed repeatedly, dropped on his head by guards, and left without medical attention for hours in a camera-free area before falling into a coma.
See you this afternoon.
— Aaron
