u/LlawEreint

The American and Venezuelan people remain in the dark about how the Trump administration is controlling billions of dollars of Venezuelan oil revenue. Without accountability mechanisms or a clear democratic roadmap, the United States risks entrenching a corrupt successor regime.

The Trump administration has shared some details with Congress. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in January that $300 million had flowed through a “short-term” account in Qatar and been disbursed to Venezuela, while another $200 million was “still sitting” in the account. He indicated the administration would conduct a retroactive audit on the funds that moved through the Qatar account. The following month, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said during a press interview that the full $500 million had been transferred to Venezuela and that the administration would use U.S. Treasury accounts going forward.

But the administration has yet to provide a public accounting of the Qatar account, including how the funds were spent or what safeguards were in place to prevent corruption and money laundering. In April, a State Department witness told Congress that the department had authorized the disbursement of about $3 billion to Venezuela, but the witness did not know how much money remained in the U.S. Treasury accounts. It is not clear if the balance in either the Qatar or U.S. Treasury accounts has been shared with Congress.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, July 24, Donald Trump said the European Union "will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about."

He said he would "immediately initiate a 301 Investigation" into what he called the EU's practice of "ROBBING" American companies, and said he anticipated a "substantial TARIFF" on the bloc "at the earliest possible moment."

The fines underscored Europe's determination to prevent Big Tech companies from thwarting rivals, defying U.S. criticism and retaliatory tariff threats.

One fine of 460 million euros was handed out to Google by the European Commission ​under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for favouring its own services in shopping, hotels, ​transport and sports results in search results.

A second fine of 430 million euros targeted Google's restrictions on its app store Google Play preventing app developers from steering users free of charge to cheaper offers on rival app stores or websites.

"Our duty and obligation ‌is to comply with the laws, that our laws are fully respected," EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera told reporters when asked about U.S. pushback.

David Frum discusses Prime Minister Carney's efforts to build a coalition of middle powers as Western allies reconsider their relationship with an increasingly unreliable United States. He argues that Trump's threats against allies—from Greenland to Canada—have fundamentally severed America's alliance system, creating a more transactional and unstable global order. He also examines whether Carney's "rupture thesis" represents sound policy or risks provoking American retaliation and discusses the limits of expecting a return to traditional U.S. leadership.

• President Donald Trump announced a trade probe into the EU, saying it will likely result in a “substantial” tariff on the 27-member bloc.
• Trump accused the EU of ”‘ROBBING’ American Companies” through its fines against U.S. tech giants, including a recent $1 billion fine on Google.
• Trump said the U.S. will immediately launch a “301” probe, the same authority his administration just used to impose new tariffs on more than 80 countries.
• A federal lawsuit challenging those new tariffs was filed hours after they took effect.

When it hit Nick Palmiter at the beginning of July, he didn't think much of it.

"I'll be alright," he said to himself.

But symptoms persisted. And as days turned into weeks, the stomach cramps became unbearable.

"I was absolutely in pain," Palmiter said. "And it was just to the point to where I was probably using the bathroom at least 15 to 20 times a day."

Despite being prepared, Trade Minister Todd McClay told RNZ it was still unwelcome.

"It's another day and another tariff story from the US. Ultimately, we reject strongly any suggestion that we're involved in the things that they've said we are."

Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira accused the Trump administration of pressuring the South American nation to give American companies exclusive access to some sectors of its economy. He said Brazil has never left the negotiating table.

Canadian spending on travel to the U.S. declined by $3.3 billion in 2025 amid the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement, new data shows.

Data released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday states that in 2025, “Canadians shifted outbound leisure travel away from the United States (-21.5 per cent; -3.2 million visits) in favour of overseas options (+12.2 per cent; +1.1 million visits).”

Travel to visit family and friends in the U.S. also declined nine per cent in 2025.

In total, Canadian travel spending to the U.S. equaled $18.8 billion in 2025, while spending on overseas travel came to $81.3 billion.

The US government’s latest allegations that Cuba is behind “many of the most significant upheavals in recent American political history” and that its leaders pose “a unique threat to American homeland security” have come as startling revelations to those living under the six-month-long US oil blockade in Havana, where desperate people search through piles of uncollected rubbish for food, or else swelter at home in 24-hour-plus blackouts.

The unsigned 100-page report, Cuba: Capital of 21st-Century Communism, published by the US state department on Monday, blames Havana for everything from “the George Floyd riots to the rise of antifa to the explosion of pro-terrorist activism on American college campuses”.

Hours after the two leaders were pictured smiling and chatting inside the stadium, the US announced a fresh round of tariffs against one of its closest trading partners.

The surprise move slapped a 50% levy on a range of goods, from hockey sticks to candles and synthetic wigs.

Canadians, however, are now used to riding out the storm, says pollster David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data.

"Most Canadians are largely of the view that they cannot trust the Trump administration," he said.

There remains "deep anger" among many over what they view as unfair treatment from the US, he said, adding that "most people do not want Mark Carney to cave".

The U.S. announced a new package of tariffs on Tuesday, this time on generic drugs made overseas, to begin in 2028.

• Greer said “we expect to see some action soon, I can’t really specify a timeline right now” when asked by CNBC about a Financial Times report earlier Monday that said Trump would impose tariffs on dozens of additional countries.
• Trump is reportedly weighing the new levies as a 10% temporary global tariff expires Friday.
• Greer hinted that the new levies could be imposed on countries that have failed to prevent forced labor, a proposal initially announced in June that covers 60 countries and about “99% of our trade,” Greer said.
• The forced-labor tariffs would range between 10% and 12.5% on countries including Mexico, Taiwan, the U.K., China, Australia, Japan and Brazil.

Despite falling sharply from May, gasoline remained 20.5% more expensive than in June 2025. That annual increase was lower than the 33.2% surge recorded in May, but fuel remained one of the largest sources of household price pressure.

The broader energy category increased 14.3% year over year. Inflation excluding gasoline held steady at 2.2%, showing that much of the headline improvement came from lower monthly fuel prices rather than a broad decline across the consumer basket.

For comparison, in the U.S., the consumer price index rose 3.5% in June 2026 from a year earlier.

“Today, the United States administration announced its intention to impose a new 50% tariff on a significant number of Canadian goods.

This is the latest in a series of unilateral U.S. trade actions that began with the U.S. imposing a series of tariffs in direct violation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the free trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

These include tariffs on the Canadian auto sector, in violation of CUSMA. Canada, as is its right, has merely matched those measures.

More broadly, in response to these measures and threats to Canadian sovereignty, provinces, territories, and Canadians from coast to coast to coast have stood together, taking the necessary actions to support our economy and defend our workers, farmers, businesses, and families.

Recognising that the U.S. has been transforming all of its trade relationships, including those covered under CUSMA, over the past 18 months, Canada has made a series of detailed and comprehensive proposals to resolve this dispute and to modernise CUSMA. We stand ready to intensify those discussions in the coming weeks.

Canada believes in the benefits of free and fair trade, as evidenced by our new government signing more than 20 new economic and security partnerships. This trade dispute has raised costs for families, particularly in the U.S. Canada stands ready to engage intensively to address outstanding issues with the U.S. to the mutual benefit of our citizens.

In all circumstances, Canada will work relentlessly and take any measures necessary to build our strength at home and to support Canadian workers, farmers, businesses, and families.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will impose tariffs of 50 per cent on a wide range of Canadian exports, a dramatic ramping up of his trade war against his northern neighbour.

The 50 per cent rate is being imposed in response to what a senior administration official described as Canada's retaliation against U.S. trade policy and its discrimination against U.S. motor vehicles, dairy and alcohol.

The new rate is set to take effect in 30 days.

While energy, potash, critical minerals and fish would be exempt, other products that until now have been allowed into the U.S. tariff-free under terms of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) would be hit.

The 50 per cent tariff is five times higher than the current duty imposed on the small portion of Canada's exports to the U.S. that don't comply with CUSMA's rules of origin regulations.

The new rate would apply to a variety of Canadian imports, "ranging from wine to hockey sticks to cement," the official said, adding that the White House will publish a full list of the affected products.

>“When California was burning, Canada sent fire fighters, planes and assistance — not insults,” Sen. Adam Schiff of California said in a social media post on Sunday.

>“As California and other states step up to repay the [favour], we should do so without the threats and ramblings of a failing leader. We should show some humanity.”

This is good advice for people of good conscious on both sides of the border. The US president sees a disaster and asks "how can I benefit from this?"

There are some in Canada who seem all too eager to follow his lead. This is not the Canadian way. If we see someone in need, we help them. This will make the air cleaner for all of us.