The United States is standing down in its tariff dispute with Canada and lifting a 10 per cent levy on aluminum imported from north of the border. The office of the U.S. Trade Representative says it will lift the tariffs retroactive to Sept. 1 because it expects Canadian exports to "normalize" over the remainder of the year. In a statement, the USTR says it will continue to monitor trade in aluminum and reimpose the tariff if levels spike unexpectedly. The sudden about-face comes just hours before the federal Liberal government was expected to announce a suite of countermeasures in retaliation

Forecasters say Sally, now an extremely dangerous Category 2 hurricane, could approach major hurricane strength as it nears the U.S. Gulf Coast.The National Hurricane Center said Monday that Sally has recently strengthened and developed an inner core, while the warm waters of the Gulf favour additional strengthen in the coming hours. The hurricane is currently packing 100-mph (155-kph) winds as it meanders offshore.The Miam-based forecasting centre said sustained winds of around 110 mph (177 kph) are now expected just before the hurricane makes landfall. That is just shy of a Category 3 hurri

A new book by journalist Bob Woodward says US President Donald Trump seemed to understand the severity of the pandemic, even as he was downplaying the COVID-19 threat to Americans. Trump had insisted earlier this year that the virus was no worse than the seasonal flu and that the U-S government had it totally under control. But Woodward says in a February phone call with Trump, the president stressed the deadly nature of the novel coronavirus. Trump is also quoted as saying, ``It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu.'' Trump told Woodward on March 19 that he deliberately minimized

Wildfires are raging unchecked across parts of the western United States as winds sweep the region. More than 14,000 firefighters are on the lines California's fires from the Sierra Nevada to the San Francisco Bay region and south to San Diego County. In Washington, more acres burned in a single day than firefighters usually see all year. Fires also have forced people to flee in Oregon and Idaho. A temperature plunge helped slow wildfires in the Rocky Mountains. The National Weather Service says critical fire weather conditions are continuing on Wednesday but winds will diminish by Thursday.

A 59 year old south Florida woman is dead following an argument with her son over orange juice, an air conditioner remote and the use of her car. Luis Pages told police he ``he lost it'' during the Sunday evening argument and shot 59 year old Miriam Gonzalez multiple times in their North Miami Beach home. 29 year old is charged with one count of second-degree murder and is being held without bond. Pages told investigators he tried to shoot himself too, but was out of bullets. He then called 911. When an officer arrived Pages told him, ``take me to jail.''

President Donald Trump says he's committed to helping Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is promising more federal resources for police and small businesses. US President Donald Trump says Kenosha, Wisconsin, ``would have been burnt to the ground by now'' if he hadn't deployed the National Guard to quell demonstrations over the police shooting of a Black man.Trump is visiting the city over the objections of some state and local leaders, fearful that he will increase tensions. The city saw unrest after a police officer shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back on Aug. 23. Blake's family says the 29 year o

The NBA and its players have agreed the playoffs will resume tomorrow. NBA players want change that makes their communities safer. They want people to vote hopefully in their home arenas. And they want to keep playing basketball. Teams returned to the court Friday after the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association agreed on commitments that made players comfortable continuing. The two sides say they are going to immediately establish a social justice coalition, made up of players, coaches and owners, that will push for meaningful police and criminal justice reform. Play stopped Wed

The Reverend Al Sharpton says tens of thousands came to the Lincoln Memorial today as Dr. Martin Luther King Junior did 57 years ago to say they are tired of broken promises. Protesters are calling for police reform and marking the anniversary of King's 1963 ``I Have a Dream'' speech. Sharpton told the crowd that enough is enough saying ``If we have to march every day we will get your knee off our neck.'' Sharpton says demonstrators want action, including Senate passage of a bill, named for the late John Lewis, to protect voting rights.

US President Donald Trump is urging people to pay attention to local officials and get out of the path of hurricane Laura, which is now a powerful Category 4 storm. There are fears Laura will come ashore with a six-metre storm surge that forecasters say would be deadly and capable of submerging entire towns. Laura is expected to make landfall tonight near the Texas-Louisiana state line with top winds of more than 200-kilometres an hour. Thousands of Gulf Coast residents fled inland from an approaching hurricane deemed "unsurvivable" by forecasters, heeding warnings from leaders in two states