Monday morning news: August 24, 2026

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Canada tariffs » Wine, furniture, and hockey sticks are among the Canadian goods now facing a 50% U.S. tariff.

The duties took effect on Saturday, on $20 billion in exports. President Trump previously said last week that the two sides had a deal in place to avoid the tariffs.

But Canada walked away on Friday, saying that U.S. negotiators wanted limits on its trade with other countries, while American officials say Canada made new demands.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso:

BARRASSO: It'd be wise for them to come back to the table, have the discussions, and make sure that we move forward, 'cause we need to continue trade with Canada.

Roughly three-quarters of Canada's exports go to the United States. 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicts talks will resume in short order.

DUFFY: I think you're gonna see Mark, uh, Carney come to the table very, very quickly because it's gonna be devastating for his country.

Canada is set to strike back on September 8th, on American steel, dairy, and farm equipment. Senator Susan Collins of Maine says the tariffs will raise costs for families back home.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney insists that his administration did all it could, and there isn't much to talk about right now.

CARNEY: We pursued every opportunity to reach an agreement that protects Canadian workers and their families, that strengthens our economy, and that respects Canadian sovereignty.

Carney added that his government has been under no illusions and —quote— "recognized from the start that America has changed."

CARNEY: We can't control the storm that blows in from Washington. We can, however, chart a new course by building Canada strong at home and diversifying our trading relationships abroad.

U.S. trade officials say more measures could follow.

Iran » Sen. John Barrasso also weighed in on Washington turning up the economic pressure against Iran.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to spell out a new round of sanctions today meant to force Iran to give up its nuclear program. They would hit any bank or company anywhere still trading with Iran. 

BARRASSO: The suffering that's going on in Iran right now, the maximum sanctions being applied are the things that are gonna make Iran finally say, You're right, we were wrong. No nuclear weapon. Strait's open.

But Tehran says it will not submit. Iran's security council chief says the Strait stays closed until the U.S. changes course.

And Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calls the sanctions "bound to fail."

And the standoff continues after U.S.-Iran nuclear talks collapsed weeks ago. The Navy is continues to blockade Iranian ports.

Tropical Storm Moke » More rain is falling on Hawaii's Big Island a week after Hurricane Lala tore up many of the island's roads and hillsides.

Tropical Storm Moke is passing well south of the islands. A flood watch runs through this afternoon.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned over the weekend:

GREEN: It will drop five to ten inches of rain, most likely on the Big Island, which is impactful because we just had so much rain from Hurricane Lala there.

Lala killed multiple people and dropped more than 40 inches of rain. And thousands still have no power. 

Green has asked the White House for a federal emergency declaration:

GREEN: We know there's already at least forty-three million dollars of damage to infrastructure on the Big Island, another 4.6 million dollars to homes at the very least. There's gonna be a lot more to account for, and we will be there to provide recovery and resources, but it's gonna take some time.

Forecasters expect drier weather to return tomorrow.

Texas moratorium on new datacenters » Hundreds of data center projects in Texas are frozen in place, blocked from plugging into the power grid.

Governor Greg Abbott ordered the freeze after complaints from residents about rising electric bills and water use.

ABBOTT: They had not been working in collaboration with the state, they'd not been working in collaboration with local governments, and so they basically dug their own grave for the problem that's been caused for them, and that's why they got the backlash they deserve.

He told ABC’s This Week that fewer than one in ten companies told the state how much power they'll need.

Since the freeze, Google, Meta, OpenAI, and Amazon have pledged to cover their own power and water costs.

President Trump called the freeze a mistake, saying data centers could be bigger than oil.

State regulators say an audit of the industry's power and water use could take several months, and the freeze remains in place until then.

Freedom 250 Grand Prix » A historic moment in Washington Sunday. For the first time ever, Indy cars raced through the streets of the nation's capital:

AUDIO: They will see the green flag waved by President Trump. / Ready for green. / We have green, we are racing in the Freedom 250. Alex Palou with a great start!

It was part of the ongoing celebration of America's 250th birthday.

Drivers raced 147 laps around the National Mall, past the Capitol and Air and Space Museum. Cars topped 190 miles an hour, flying past permanent road signs that read “speed limit 25.”

Organizers expected a crowd near 140,000, most with free tickets handed out by lottery.

Before the start, President Trump circled the course in the presidential limousine, as Air Force One and four fighter jets passed overhead.

I'm Kent Covington.

And coming up: David Bahnsen is here for the Monday Moneybeat. Plus, on the WORLD History Book: The archaeological discoveries found at Pompeii.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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