Trudeau and Trump Discuss U.S.-Canada Trade and More In Politics Today

It’s difficult to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in this country and to break through the clutter, so we’re here to make it easier. Here’s what we at Countable are reading today:

1. "Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump discuss U.S.-Canada trade"

"the first time Monday with President Trump, attempting to bridge gaps in style and strategy between the two leaders. Few issues are as high on a Canadian leader’s agenda as the country’s ties with the United States, a warm relationship that was reflected in Mr. Trudeau’s unusually close relationship with former President Barack Obama."

"Many of Mr. Trump’s policies, particularly his protectionist stance on trade, are chilling for Canada, which counts on trade with the United States for about 25 percent of its gross domestic product. A statement issued after the two leaders met suggested that Mr. Trudeau had largely succeeded in achieving his goals."

Read more at the New York Times.

2. "Pelosi to Trump: Time to tell Flynn ‘you're fired!’"

"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is calling for President Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, to be fired immediately. “Michael Flynn's conduct was alarming enough before his secret communications with the Russians were exposed," Pelosi said in a statement released Monday. “Now, we have a National Security Advisor who cannot be trusted not to put Putin before America.””

"Pelosi's comments come after reports that Flynn talked about sanctions against Russia with the country's ambassador before Trump was sworn in. The report, which cites current and former U.S. officials, contradicts Flynn's earlier comments that he never discussed the topic with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during a series of phone calls the month before Trump took office."

Read more at The Hill.

3. "Trump may defer to China for help on North Korea"

"Donald Trump repeatedly pledged to take an aggressive stance against North Korea on the campaign trail, but nearly a month into his presidency, he may cede control of the issue to China."

"Pyongyang claimed it successfully test-fired a medium-to-long-range ballistic missile on Sunday. Called the Pukguksong-2, the weapon was powered by solid fuel and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, according to North Korean state media. In response, Washington, Tokyo and Seoul have requested an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday."

Read more at CNBC.

4. "Rights group says Pakistan forcing Afghan refugees home"

"In a scathing indictment of Pakistan’s treatment of Afghan refugees, a human rights group charged Monday that the country is forcing hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees back to their homeland, which is still beset by war and crushing poverty."

"It also said that a $400 stipend the United Nations refugee agency gives to refugees who return to Afghanistan is tantamount to a bribe to convince reluctant Afghans to leave Pakistan. “The exodus amounts to the world’s largest unlawful mass forced return of refugees in recent times," the Human Rights Watch report says. Both the U.N. and Pakistan denied the allegations.”

Read more at the Washington Post.

5. "Mexico ready to retaliate by hurting American corn farmers"

"Mexico is one of the top buyers of American corn in the world today. And Mexican senator Armando Rios Piter, who leads a congressional committee on foreign relations, says he will introduce a bill this week where Mexico will buy corn from Brazil and Argentina instead of the United States. It's one of the first signs of potential concrete action from Mexico in response to President Trump's threats against the country."

"American corn goes into a lot of the country's food. In Mexico City, from fine dining restaurants to taco stands on the street, corn-based favorites like tacos can be found everywhere. America is also the world's largest producer and exporter of corn. American corn shipments to Mexico have catapulted since NAFTA, a free trade deal signed between Mexico, America and Canada."

Read more at CNN Money.

— Erin Wright

(Photo Credit: US Embassy Canada via Flickr / Creative Commons)