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The Trump Administration Has Decided Not to Extend USMCA Trade Deal

William Attardi on July 2, 2026

The United States has declined to extend the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during its mandatory six-year review, launching a 10-year countdown that could ultimately bring an end to the agreement unless the three countries agree to significant revisions. The move, announced Wednesday by the Trump administration, does not immediately terminate the agreement. Instead, it activates the treaty’s “sunset clause,” requiring annual reviews until 2036 unless the United States, Mexico, and Canada reach a consensus on extending the pact for another 16 years. The decision injects fresh uncertainty into one of the world’s largest trading blocs, which governs nearly $2 trillion in annual trade among the three nations. The Trump Administration Has Decided Not to Extend USMCA Trade Deal. Now A Countdown Begins to Change It | IBTimes

GM to invest $4 Billion to Shift Some Production from Mexico to the US

William Attardi on June 11, 2025

Shares of General Motors rose before the opening bell after announcing plans to invest $4 billion to shift some production from Mexico to U.S. manufacturing plants as the automaker navigates tariffs that could drive prices higher. President Trump signed executive orders in April, relaxing some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, a significant reversal as the import taxes threatened to hurt domestic manufacturers. GM said late Tuesday that the investment will be made over the next two years and is for its gas and electric vehicles.  GM to invest $4 billion to shift some production from Mexico to the US | AP News

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”