Canada readies new tariffs on US; Trump gets Supreme Court win on mail voting

Canada is expected to lay out its retaliation to President Donald Trump’s new 50% tariffs Tuesday, while the president threatens even tougher penalties.

Plus, the Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to move ahead with key parts of its mail-voting plan, but the justices left unresolved whether the changes themselves are legal.

And Trump has put his endorsement, a campaign stop and allied super PAC money behind Darline Graham, as South Carolina Republicans decide today whether to stick with her or choose five-term Rep. Ralph Norman.

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026.

Canada prepares new retaliatory tariffs as Trump warns Canada to “fall in line”

Canada is preparing to hit back again, with new retaliatory tariffs expected to be announced Tuesday.

The announcement comes after President Donald Trump told Canadian leaders to “fall in line” or face consequences “far worse” than the tariffs already in place.

Trade talks collapsed Friday, and the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods Saturday.

Then on Monday, Trump threatened another 50% tariff on Canadian vehicles, auto parts and steel.

Prime Minister Mark Carney accused the Trump administration of wanting to “destroy our major industries.”

“It’s not a surprise for us that the U.S. would take some form of reprisal to our response to their unjustified tariff, which was on top of other unjustified tariffs. That’s not a surprise. But what message does that send to the workers in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Alabama who rely on Canadian demand? An attitude at the negotiation table that Canada is a subsidiary of the United States, the Canadian industry is going to be disadvantaged relative to American industry, that we’re going to set up terms so that over time, Canadian industry is going to face constant headwinds. That’s not something we’re going to accept.”

— Mark Carney

Carney says Canada may move away from simply matching U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar and instead target its response to better protect Canadian workers and businesses.

Canadian officials are also expected to announce new support today for workers hit by the tariffs.

And the fight is getting personal.

Ontario premier Doug Ford accused Trump of trying to “bully” Canada, then went after the president directly.

“I can go back and forth with Trump. You know, I’m not going to. I’m just not going to take the bait. This guy’s a loser. He’s going to be a loser. And simple as that. We’re going to fight with everything we have,” Ford said. “And he’s actually tariffing his own people, taxing his own people. And I’m going to make sure I communicate through the U.S. media. I’m going to be reaching out to every single governor, every single senator, and every single congressperson. And when it comes to the midterms, I have a message to the Americans: don’t vote in a person that’s going to kill your jobs.”

— Doug Ford

And that midterm message isn’t random.

The trade fight is playing out just months before voters go to the polls, with several competitive Senate races in states that rely heavily on trade with Canada.

Trump wins reprieve on mail voting but court did not rule on whether the plan was legal

The Supreme Court is giving the Trump administration a green light, at least for now, to move ahead with key parts of the president’s plan to tighten the rules for mail-in voting.

The justices ruled 6-to-3 Monday to lift a lower-court block in a lawsuit brought by 23 Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C.

But the court did not rule on whether Trump’s plan is legal.

Instead, the majority said the states sued too soon because the president’s executive order itself has not yet hurt them.

The court wrote, “the order itself does not harm the states, so the district court lacked jurisdiction to bar the government from trying to implement it.”

And the justices made clear that whatever the administration ultimately does won’t necessarily be lawful.

For now, the ruling clears the way for Homeland Security to move forward with a proposal to create state-by-state lists of people eligible to vote.

The postal service has also published new rules for mail-in ballots, including required envelope designs and data that states would submit about voters receiving them.

The three liberal justices dissented.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, “Today’s decision does not address whether the president’s attempts to interfere with states’ administration of the November 2026 elections are lawful…Nor does it suggest that the executive branch has any constitutional or statutory authority to implement the president’s directives.”

So the administration can keep moving forward, but the legal fight over whether these changes can actually take effect is not over.

Iran says it’s prepared to face new US sanctions the administration is calling ‘economic asphyxiation’

Iran says it’s ready to weather the new wave of U.S. sanctions as the Trump administration threatens to squeeze not just Tehran, but countries and companies that keep doing business with it.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday unveiled new sanctions targeting digital assets, gold, aviation, technology and shipping. It’s part of what the administration is calling “Operation Economic Outcast.”

Bessent also warned countries and companies that continue doing business with Iran that they could face penalties of their own, including being cut off from the U.S. dollar system.

Iran says it has been preparing for the new sanctions “for a long time,” and is ready to face them.

The new restrictions also reach into daily life, affecting some money sent from the U.S. to family members in Iran, while sports and academic exchanges have been suspended

And the U.S. is tightening the screws in the Strait of Hormuz.

Vessels and companies that comply with Iranian demands for information while traveling through the strait could now face U.S. penalties on top of existing penalties for paying Iranian tolls.

Hawk Fire reaches 27% containment but 63,000 remain under evacuation orders or warnings

Firefighters are finally gaining ground on the Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada, but about 63,000 people are still under evacuation orders or warnings.

The fire has burned more than 15,000 acres northwest of Reno, but crews have now pushed containment to 27%, mostly along the southern edge near Somersett.

That progress has allowed some people to return home.

But 23,000 residents are still under “go now” evacuation orders, with another 40,000 told to be ready to leave.

The fire has destroyed at least 32 homes and damaged six others, and officials expect those numbers to rise as damage assessment teams reach more of the burned area.

Four civilians and three firefighters have been injured. 

And even with containment growing, officials warn hot spots could flare back up if the winds increase.

The speed of this fire has been part of the problem.

Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam says it raced from the mountain into a nearby neighborhood in about 45 minutes as residents were trying to get out and firefighters were trying to get in.

Officials say the fire was human-caused, but have not determined whether it was accidental or intentional.

More than 700 firefighters and other personnel are now on the ground, including crews from 15 states, Australia and New Zealand.

Trump puts political muscle behind Darline Graham as she faces Norman in GOP runoff

South Carolina Republicans vote Tuesday in a Senate runoff that has become a big test — not just for the two candidates, but for Trump.

Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, faces Congressman Ralph Norman for the Republican nomination.

Graham finished first in this month’s special primary but fell short of the majority needed to avoid today’s runoff.

Graham had never held public office before Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to serve out her brother’s term following his death last month.

Now she’s trying to win a full six-year term, with Trump putting some serious political capital behind her.

Trump flew to Myrtle Beach Friday to campaign for Graham, even telling supporters to pretend he was the one on the ballot to get them to the polls.

“Elect Sen. Darline Graham to fight, fight, fight for South Carolina and to always put America first,” Trump said. “She only knows how to put America first. She will be somebody you’re going to be very proud. You vote for her. You’re going to be very proud of that vote.”

And Trump’s political operation is putting money behind that endorsement.

New campaign finance filings show his MAGA Inc. Super PAC has spent more than $827,000 on phone calls and texts supporting Graham 

It’s first significant spending this year on one of Trump’s chosen candidates.

But Norman is no political newcomer.

He’s a five-term congressman who finished second in the primary, and he’s trying to turn Graham’s lack of experience into a liability.

That argument got some help during last week’s debate, when Graham struggled with a question about Taiwan.

On Tuesday, Republican voters get the final say.

The winner faces Democrat Annie Andrews in November, in a state Trump carried by 18 points two years ago.

Polls close tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

Russia’s first giant panda, Katyusha, turns 3 with celebration at Moscow zoo

Happy third birthday to Katyusha, the first giant panda ever born in Russia.

Katyusha’s parents, Ding Ding and Ru Yi, arrived in Moscow from China back in 2019.

And their daughter has become something of a star, even described by a Chinese diplomat as a “special envoy” for cultural exchange between China and Russia.

The birthday girl got a special meal at the Moscow zoo, complete with a cake and plenty of treats.

Katyusha mugged for the cameras as fans pulled out their phones to capture the celebration.

Chinese officials were there as well, with China’s ambassador using the occasion to talk up the relationship between Moscow and Beijing.

And Katyusha?

She seemed much more interested in the birthday treats.

All in all, not a bad panda party.

More from Straight Arrow:

How much recess time do kids really need?

Lisa Cassidy hated silent lunches as a kid.

When she first became principal at Liberty Middle School in Liberty, South Carolina, ending the silent lunch era was her top priority.

Students “need to talk and interact,” she said. “They’re social beings. If they don’t do it there, they’re going to do it in your class, and then it’s going to cause all sorts of problems.”

So nine years ago, Cassidy added in a block of time for recess.

While administrators expected a week-long transition, the kids shocked them, adapting on day two. Cassidy said the teachers were on board from the start. Over the next few years, the low-performing, Title-1 school completely transformed.

Read the full story now>