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Mexico and Washington Race for Trade Deal Before Midterms: September 11, 2026

Mexico and the United States are racing to strike an interim bilateral trade deal before the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections, according to six sources in both countries familiar with the talks, Reuters reported Friday.

Officials see political benefits for President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum if they can announce tariff relief and investment rules before voters go to the polls. “We both want to reach a deal before the midterms,” one Mexico-based source said.

The push accelerated after U.S.-Canada talks collapsed last month and Washington this week banned a broad swath of Canadian alcohol, motorcycle, and dairy imports. Mexico sends more than 80% of its exports to the United States and has pursued a more conciliatory track than Ottawa.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met virtually with Sheinbaum on Thursday. A major sticking point remains Section 232 tariffs of 50% on Mexican steel and 25% on vehicles. Automakers expect a possible framework similar to one discussed with Canada: about 15% on vehicle imports, with further cuts tied to U.S. content. Mexico this month floated investment-screening powers widely seen as answering U.S. pressure over Chinese capital.

Sources: Reuters, Globe and Mail

Americans Mark 25 Years Since September 11 Attacks: September 11, 2026

Americans paused Friday to mark 25 years since the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

In New York, Vice President JD Vance and the four living former presidents — George W. Bush, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton — joined Mayor Zohran Mamdani and victims’ relatives at the downtown memorial. Family members were to read the names of all 2,977 victims, with moments of silence marking the crashes and collapses. No speeches were planned at the Ground Zero ceremony.

President Donald Trump commemorated the anniversary at the Pentagon. A parallel ceremony was held in Shanksville. A drone display of 2,977 lights rose over New York Harbor ahead of the memorials, organizers said, one light for each person killed.

The New York City Fire Department lost 343 members on the day of the attacks; department figures show more than 600 additional firefighters, including some retirees from the rescue effort, have since died of 9/11-related illnesses, 26 of them this year alone, Reuters reported.

Sources: Reuters via Straits Times, BBC, RTÉ

New York Fashion Week Opens Under CFDA’s First Full Fur Ban: September 10, 2026

NEW YORK — New York Fashion Week’s official Spring/Summer 2027 schedule opened Thursday under the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s first full ban on animal fur at official events, after prelude shows from Ralph Lauren and Coach on Wednesday, AFP reported via agency wires and the CFDA schedule.

Henry Zankov presents his first collection as artistic director at Diane von Furstenberg to open the official week, which runs through September 15 and closes with Thom Browne. Roughly 70 runway shows and presentations are listed, with returns including Tommy Hilfiger and Monse.

Ralph Lauren’s Wednesday presentation drew a front row that included Viola Davis, Ariana DeBose and Cynthia Erivo, agency coverage said, underscoring the house’s continuing pull as preppy Americana cycles back through European runways. Coach staged the other major eve-of-week show.

The fur ban, announced by the CFDA in December for this season, arrives as fashion faces sharper scrutiny over materials, waste and climate impact. Brands on the official calendar must comply; the policy does not by itself rewrite off-calendar presentations across the city.

Other Thursday names include Proenza Schouler, Christian Siriano, Tory Burch and Tommy Hilfiger. Michael Kors and Calvin Klein follow Friday, with the Friday start delayed out of respect for the September 11 anniversary.

For editors and buyers, the week’s test is whether New York can set a clear commercial story — debuts, returns and a materials rule — before the calendar moves on to London, Milan and Paris.

Sources: CFDA; AFP/The Star

US Existing Home Sales Fall to 14-Month Low as Mortgages Climb: September 10, 2026

WASHINGTON — U.S. existing home sales fell to a 14-month low in August as rising mortgage rates continued to suppress demand, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday, Reuters reported.

Resales declined 2.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million units, matching economists’ forecasts and marking the weakest pace since June 2025. Sales were down 1.2 percent from a year earlier. Closings typically reflect contracts signed in prior months, when the 30-year fixed rate was already climbing.

Freddie Mac data showed the popular 30-year rate averaging about 6.71 percent last week, the highest in more than a year. MBA figures put the rate at 6.85 percent for the week ended September 4. Mortgage costs have risen more than 70 basis points since the U.S. and Israel struck Iran in late February, as oil-driven inflation fears and heavy government borrowing lifted Treasury yields.

“It’s not surprising to see a mild dip in home buying activity due to high mortgage rates,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said. Inventory nonetheless rose 3.2 percent to 1.62 million units — the highest since November 2019 — equating to a 4.9-month supply. The median existing-home price increased 1.6 percent year over year to $429,100.

First-time buyers made up 30 percent of sales, still short of the roughly 40 percent share associated with a robust market. Distressed sales remained low at 2 percent. Regional sales fell in the Northeast, Midwest and South and held steady in the West.

For households, the message is familiar: more listings help shoppers on paper, but monthly payments remain the bottleneck while Middle East risk keeps long-term rates sticky.

Sources: Reuters; NAR; Reuters

Apple Unveils $1,999 Foldable iPhone Duo in Ternus Debut: September 9, 2026

CUPERTINO, California — Apple on Wednesday unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, priced from $1,999 and shaped like a passport, as new CEO John Ternus made his debut at the company’s biggest hardware showcase of the year, Reuters reported.

The Duo opens to a 7.6-inch inner display and carries a 5.4-inch outer screen, both sharing the same aspect ratio so content scales between closed and open modes. Apple said the open device is its thinnest iPhone yet, powered by the A20 Pro chip, with dual-battery architecture and a custom hinge intended to feel familiar in one hand.

Ternus framed the launch as a productivity bet, showing multitasking, video calls and side-by-side apps on the larger canvas. He also criticized rival foldables as awkward for everyday scrolling and viewing, arguing Apple’s delayed entry would set a new standard rather than chase an existing niche.

Analysts have long said Apple’s arrival could expand foldables beyond early adopters. IDC expects Apple could take roughly 40 percent of the foldable phone market by the end of next year if it can supply demand. Samsung, which pioneered the category in 2019, has stepped up marketing as it defends leadership, especially in North America.

Pre-orders are set to open October 16, with retail availability from October 23 in more than 70 countries, according to Apple’s announcement and follow-on coverage. The company also showed iPhone 18 Pro models starting at $1,199 and $1,299, new AirPods with noise cancellation from $129, and Apple Watch updates focused on health tracking.

Apple shares closed slightly lower after the event. The commercial test will be whether shoppers pay nearly $2,000 for a form factor Chinese rivals and Samsung have sold for years — and whether Ternus can turn privacy-centered on-device AI into a durable differentiator.

Sources: Reuters; Reuters; Apple

US Gasoline Hits $4.22, Diesel Sets Records as Oil Tops $100: September 10, 2026

NEW YORK — U.S. drivers faced another jump at the pump Wednesday as Brent crude settled above $100 a barrel and AAA data showed the national average for regular gasoline at $4.22 a gallon—nearly 42 percent above the $2.98 prewar average—while diesel hit a record $5.94, up 58 percent since the conflict began, the Associated Press reported via OPB.

Brent settled at $101.21 and U.S. crude at $96.05 after U.S. strikes on Iranian tankers and Houthi attacks on Saudi facilities tightened already constrained supplies. Higher diesel costs feed into trucking, farm equipment and parcel hubs, often showing up as supermarket prices and shipping fees; airlines have cut flights while raising fares as jet fuel climbs.

Market research head Lukman Otunuga of FXTM called Brent above $100 “a major psychological milestone,” saying the larger worry is inflation if prices stay elevated. Bank of America analysts this week raised their second-half oil forecast and said a durable deal before the midterms looks “increasingly unlikely.”

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he does not expect oil prices to cool before November’s elections but that they would come down “right after”—linking pump pain directly to the midterm calendar for U.S. consumers.

Sources: AP via OPB

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Trump Says Iran War Will End After Midterms, Threatens Pickaxe Mountain: September 10, 2026

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he expects the U.S. war with Iran to end immediately after November’s midterm elections, arguing Tehran is “desperate to try and affect the election,” Reuters reported.

“I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer,” Trump told reporters. The conflict and higher fuel prices have weighed on his popularity ahead of the vote that will decide control of Congress.

At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Trump also said the United States may strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified site with deeply buried tunnel complexes near the damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility. The U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February over nuclear concerns; Tehran says its programme is peaceful.

Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers. Just seven vessels transited the strait Wednesday, half the 10-day average, preliminary ship-tracking data showed.

Sources: Reuters

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Trump Bans Canadian Alcohol, Dairy and Motorcycles: September 9, 2026

WASHINGTON — After Canadian counter-tariffs of up to 50 percent on hundreds of U.S. goods took effect, President Donald Trump issued proclamations Tuesday night banning certain Canadian alcohol, dairy products, and motorcycles and mopeds from entering the United States effective Sept. 29 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern.

The orders also expand 50 percent tariffs to additional goods, including golf carts, cotton mattresses, bamboo and rattan furniture, and more aluminum and cheese. Some items were removed from the 50 percent list, among them non-white cement, tissues, bed sheets, fishing rods, sugars, and road salt.

Trump further directed that Canada be barred from U.S. government procurement through the General Services Administration and the U.S. Trade Representative.

The measures escalate a bilateral trade conflict that has already raised prices and disrupted cross-border supply chains.

Sources: ABC News

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GOP Opens First Midterm Convention in Dallas: September 9, 2026

DALLAS — Republicans opened a two-day midterm convention Wednesday at the American Airlines Center, with President Donald Trump set to deliver a Wednesday keynote and a Thursday closing address. Vice President JD Vance is also scheduled Thursday. Roughly 100 House members and candidates are expected.

RNC chair Joe Gruters cast the gathering as “putting the president on the ballot.” The event comes about 55 days before the midterms. Recent polling cited by Euronews put Trump’s approval near 33 percent. Some battleground candidates are skipping the convention.

Decision Desk HQ projects a Democratic House majority of 230–205, a projection that underscores Republican urgency heading into November.

Organizers say the Dallas meeting is an unprecedented midterm showcase centered on the sitting president.

Sources: ABC News, Euronews

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U.S. Sinks Another Ecuadorian Vessel Alleged Drug Link: September 8, 2026

QUITO — U.S. Southern Command said Monday it sank another Ecuadorian vessel in the Eastern Pacific that it alleged was linked to the criminal group Los Choneros, which Washington designates a foreign terrorist organization. The command said a joint task force intercepted a floating refueling station supporting illicit drug trafficking; people on board were removed for transfer to Ecuadorian authorities.

A video released with the announcement showed boarding, a helicopter overhead, and a projectile striking and sinking the boat. Southern Command said it was the fifth vessel targeted in less than two weeks. Earlier actions included the fishing vessel María Candelaria and vessels identified as OM2 and Los Tres Hermanos.

Ecuadorian authorities did not immediately comment. Families of fishermen from previously struck boats have demanded information; crews of some vessels say they were sunk while engaged in fishing. AP noted that at least 227 people have been killed in 68 U.S. government boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific over more than a year, and that critics question the legality and effectiveness of the campaign.

The Trump administration is seeking deals with regional allies to extend operations ashore. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras had agreed to joint operations against criminal groups; Guatemala denied such a deal.

Sources: AP

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