(NEW YORK) -- Apple announced its first-ever foldable iPhone at its annual products event on Wednesday as customers worldwide watched for fresh products, as well as the debut of Apple CEO John Ternus.

The foldable smartphone, called iPhone Duo, folds open like a book, producing one continuous screen that is 80% larger than the company's latest version of the iPhone Pro, the company said, adding that when opened it will also be the thinnest iPhone ever.

The screen will be compatible with the iPhone Pencil, currently available only for iPad users, and can also be unlocked with Apple Watch, according to Apple.

iPhone Duo will come in two colors, Apple said -- Star White and Night Sky -- and can also be used partially folded.

The announcement marked Apple's splashy entry into a long-existing product category. Foldable phones came onto the market in 2018, but they account for a small fraction of smartphone sales.

"Others have created a foldable that feels like two phones awkwardly stuck together," Ternus said, adding that iPhone Duo will "redesign the experience of using a foldable phone."

Prices for the iPhone Duo start at $1,999. It will be available for pre-order on Oct. 16 and in-store on Oct. 23, Apple said.

The company also unveiled the latest models of its smartphone: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The products boast an improved camera, a bolstered memory chip and a longer battery life compared to their predecessors, Apple said. Each of the models is also equipped to integrate Apple Intelligence, the company's AI capability.

The price of the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299. Both smartphones are available for pre-order on Sept. 12 and in-store on Sept. 18, according to Apple.

The glossy showcase comes days after Ternus took the helm of the tech giant on Sept. 1, after having worked at the company for 25 years. Ternus replaced former CEO Tim Cook, who succeeded co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011.

The world's second-largest company, as measured by market capitalization, depends largely on its smartphone business while offering an array of other products such as its iPad, Apple Watch and MacBook.

Shares of Apple have surged 22% in value over the past six months, far outpacing the S&P 500's growth of 13% over that period.

The expected announcement of a foldable iPhone marks Apple's latest effort to weigh in with a standout option in an existing product category, often at a higher price point.

In 2024, the company unveiled Apple Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset meant to compete with Meta Quest and other early-to-market offerings. At the time, the most affordable version of Apple Vision Pro sold for $3,499.

Apple also unveiled AI-driven features across several key products in 2024, heralding its long-awaited entry into the high-stakes AI race. The AI capability, dubbed Apple Intelligence, amounts to the "next big step for Apple," Cook said at the time.

Apple released Apple Watch in 2014, referring to it then as the company's latest "category-defining product."

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(NEW YORK) -- Barters Island Bees, a honey seller in Maine with flavors like "Gentle Ginger" and "Blueberry Lemon," grew year after year -- until a trade dispute broke out between the United States and Canada, chief executive Garret Denniston said.

Sales shrank last year after a drop-off in Canadian tourists hammered business at farmers’ markets and fairs, Denniston said. But revenue has bounced back, he added, surging 75% this year compared to the same period in 2025, in part due to an uptick in Canadian customers as tensions appeared to thaw.

“We thank Canadian tourists every time we see them,” Denniston told ABC News, but he said he’s worried a rekindled trade spat will curtail tourism again. “I’m just astounded. It’s only reasonable to expect it will go back in the other direction.”

When asked whether the trade war could help shape a highly competitive U.S. Senate contest in Maine, Denniston said, “Oh, absolutely. It definitely can."

Tit-for-tat tariffs issued by the U.S. and Canada in recent weeks risk outsized harm for consumers and businesses in states near the northern border, some analysts told ABC News. Many of those states play host to key races in the battle for control of Congress in November's midterm elections, including Senate contests in Maine, Ohio and Michigan.

Fresh levies on $20 billion in Canadian goods are expected to hike prices for imports ranging from orchids to hockey sticks, many of which are sold predominantly in states along the border, some analysts said.

A set of matching retaliatory tariffs that took effect on Tuesday, they added, may crimp sales for nearby U.S. businesses that export products to Canada. A drop in cross-border tourism could also damage companies located within a short trip from Canada, they said.

"If you go far up north, it's an arbitrary line in the dirt between what's in Canada and what's in the U.S.," Tyler Schipper, a professor of economics at the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, told ABC News.

For now, levies apply to a sliver of goods that travel between the U.S. and Canada, limiting the overall impact of the trade dispute. The tariffs issued in recent weeks apply to only 6% of U.S. imports into Canada and 5% of Canadian imports into the U.S.

Still, some analysts said, the effects will likely be more pronounced in several states near the U.S.-Canada border, which account for a disproportionately large share of trade with the nation's northern neighbor.

Canada is the top foreign buyer of exports from 26 U.S. states, and the top source of imports for 22 states, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data issued by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) late last month.

Maine and Michigan each rank among the top 10 states in combined annual import-export business with Canada, while Ohio ranks as the 15th-highest state, RBC found. Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota also rank among the top states on the measure.

“Someone in Oklahoma doesn’t feel this as much as someone in Dearborn, Michigan,” Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, told ABC News, pointing to a major city in the U.S. auto industry. "It's purely a geography story."

Even as supply chains stretch across a vast, global economy, trade remains simpler and cheaper along short distances, Miller said.

"Business-to-business relationships still matter, and at the end of the day, the farther you have to transport something, the more challenging and expensive things are," Miller said.

In Michigan, the powerhouse auto sector has already felt the effects of President Donald Trump's tariffs -- and car companies would face additional fallout from a potential escalation, Glenn Stevens Jr., an executive director of MichAuto, a statewide industry trade group, told ABC News.

Last spring, Trump slapped 25% tariffs on imported cars and auto parts, putting strain on a highly integrated auto supply chain between the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The measure excluded goods compliant with United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a free trade agreement, but it still resulted in $12.5 billion in duties paid on auto-related imports last year, according to the Anderson Economic Group.

Last month, Trump threatened to ratchet up tariffs from 25% to 50% on Canada-made cars and auto parts beginning in January. Trump did not mention an exemption for USMCA-compliant products.

The potential measure, Stevens said, "would absolutely be untenable for the industry to operate under. It would decimate supply chains and virtually grind business to a halt."

A higher tariff would likely raise prices for consumers and threaten job losses in the state, Stevens added, before noting the attention garnered by trade policy as midterms approach.

"There’s no question in an increasingly intense, rhetoric-filled political season, tariffs and trade are very much a primary issue," Steven said.

On the campaign trail, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said Republican Rep. Mike Rogers would be a "rubber stamp" for Trump in the Senate as Rogers has largely defended the president's trade strategy, arguing that economic pressure on Canada is necessary to protect American jobs.

"Trump is escalating a trade war with Canada for his own vanity," El-Sayed wrote in a social media post.

Rogers' campaign previously declined to comment on the new round of tariffs on Canada, pointing instead to his past comments on bolstering U.S. manufacturing.

The White House said the tariffs put Americans first.

"Countless American workers, farmers, and businesses have borne the brunt of America's lopsided trade relations, including with Canada which has demanded total access to the American market without reciprocity," Desai wrote in a statement. "President Trump will never stop fighting to put Americans and America First."

In Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who is running for reelection, said the dispute would raise costs for families and businesses in the state.

"The on-again/off-again trade talks between the U.S. and Canada lead to higher costs, risk, and uncertainty for Maine businesses. If the Administration proceeds with these tariffs, they will increase costs for Maine families, as most businesses will have no choice but to pass on the tariffs to their customers through higher prices," she wrote on X late last month.

Despite her opposition, Trump's tariffs have become a campaign talking point as Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, a former state senator, attempted to tie Republicans to Trump's policies.

Jackson called the tariffs a "direct tax on working families."

"Having spent most of my life working along the border, I know how vital trade with Canada is to Maine. Trump’s tariffs are a direct tax on working families," Jackson said.

For some who live in states near the U.S.-Canada border, however, the trade war may not play a role in their ballot decisions.

Fred Fritz, a retiree who lives in East Lansing, Michigan, sharply criticized the tariffs on Canada imposed by Trump. Still, Fritz added, he remains undecided in the state's high-stakes U.S. Senate contest between Rogers and El-Sayed.

"I don't like either candidate," Fritz said, before describing what he considers flaws of each one. "I'm not impressed."

ABC News' Gaby Vinick and Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) -- The global price of oil topped $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since July, as continued tensions between Iran and the United States added to uncertainty over future supply.

The rise followed a statement on Tuesday by U.S. Central Command, which said that its forces destroyed five Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tankers.

The IRGC followed those strikes by issuing a warning that all oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahrani waters should be evacuated.

Brent crude oil prices, a benchmark for global trading, climbed about 2.7%, trading at about $100.57 a barrel for contracts with November deliveries.

U.S. oil traded at about $95 a barrel, up by about 2%.

A large-scale U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran in late February prompted Iran's near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which facilitates one-fifth of global crude supply.

The ensuing war set off the largest oil supply disruption on record and prompted the release of hundreds of millions of barrels of reserve crude from emergency storage in dozens of countries. A six-month stretch of on-again, off-again fighting has continued to choke off oil supply and keep prices elevated.

Oil prices account for a large share of the price of gasoline. The average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. currently registers at $4.22, according to AAA, marking a 41% jump since the war broke out.

Diesel prices in the U.S. hit a new record high on Wednesday, jumping to an average of $5.94 a gallon, AAA data showed. High diesel prices push up transport costs for many everyday products, including groceries, clothes and furniture.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Retaliatory tariffs issued by Canada hit some imports from the United States at one minute after midnight Eastern Time on Tuesday, intensifying a trade war between the longtime allies and risking an escalation from President Donald Trump.

Levies as high as 50% apply to hundreds of U.S. products, ranging from aluminum foil to raincoats to cheese. U.S. elected officials in states bordering Canada, including Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, have warned the trade dispute will hurt local businesses and consumers.

Canadian officials said the retaliatory measure would target about $20 billion worth of U.S. products, mirroring the size of a recent batch of U.S. levies. The targeted goods amount to nearly 6% of annual U.S. exports to Canada, according to U.S. Census Bureau data for 2025.

A tit-for-tat trade war erupted last month after official negotiations collapsed and a fresh round of U.S. levies took hold. Within days, Canadian officials announced what they described as matching tariffs that would begin in the second week of September.

The Canadian tariffs target many products included in a batch of U.S. levies last month.

Trump has repeatedly warned of a forceful response if the Canadian tariffs were to take hold.

On Monday afternoon, Trump threatened to bar the sale of planes made by Canada-based aerospace company Bombardier unless the firm agreed to manufacture products in the U.S.

"If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a 'piggybank,'" Trump wrote in a social media post.

In a statement to ABC News, Bombardier said it generates jobs and other economic benefits in the U.S.

"The American aerospace industry is a clear winner on trade and exports. Bombardier is a strong contributor to the sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs across the United States. Aerospace is routinely one of the top export sectors for the United States and a continual trade surplus winner," the statement said in part.

Late last month, Trump vowed to ratchet up tariffs from 25% to 50% on Canadian-made cars and auto parts beginning in January.

"On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the worst Nations in the World to deal with," Trump said on his social media platform at the time. "They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!"

Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 27 changing the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America." Days later, Trump posted on social media an AI-generated video of birds with Trump's signature hairstyle marching with firearms to protect a body of water labeled "Lake America."

Canada said it will continue referring to the lake as "Lake Ontario." In a post on X late last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, "This lake is called Lake Ontario -- today and forever."

Carney rebuked the Trump administration further last week, saying U.S. public messaging signaled an unwillingness to negotiate a resolution.

"When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions,” Carney said.

In the first half of 2026, the U.S. exported $175.8 billion in goods to Canada -- the second-biggest export trading partner after Mexico -- accounting for 14% of all U.S. exports, according to the Census Bureau.

For now, levies apply to a sliver of goods that travel between the U.S. and Canada, limiting the impact of the trade dispute, but a potential escalation threatens to deepen the pain for both economies.

"This is a classic trade-war situation: Somebody puts on a tariff, another country retaliates dollar for dollar and then more tariffs are added," Campbell Harvey, a professor at Duke's Fuqua School of Business who studies commodity markets, previously told ABC News. "Then we get into this really bad equilibrium."

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(NEW YORK) -- The Transportation Security Administration has launched a new program that allows some people without a plane ticket to go through airport security.

The program, called Gateside by TSA PreCheck, allows eligible TSA PreCheck members to enter the secure area of participating airports to meet or see off friends and family at their gate, meet someone during a layover, or visit airport restaurants and shops.

Gateside is currently available at 13 airports across the United States, including Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and San Diego International Airport.

The other participating airports are Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, Will Rogers International Airport, Eppley Airfield and Salt Lake City International Airport.

TSA is assessing the program as it looks to expand it to additional airports.

The program offers a new way for people without boarding passes to access airport gates, which has been heavily restricted since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

To use Gateside, visitors must have TSA PreCheck benefits and a Known Traveler Number, or KTN.

Visitors can apply online for a Gateside pass between one and three days before their planned airport visit. The Gateside pass is free and valid only for the approved visit.

Once approved, visitors must bring an acceptable form of identification and their Gateside approval to the airport and go through a TSA PreCheck security lane.

Visitors who do not have an acceptable form of identification can use TSA ConfirmID to verify their identity for a $45 fee, according to TSA.

Children can also participate but must be included on their parent or guardian's application.

The new program comes as TSA continues to test new ways to change the airport security experience.

Earlier this summer, TSA began testing self-service ID checks for eligible travelers at several airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

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(NEW YORK) -- Hiring grew far more than expected in August, bouncing back from a decline in employment a month earlier, according to the federal government's monthly jobs report.

Employers added 162,000 jobs in August, which marked a major improvement from 23,000 jobs lost in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed.

Hiring came in well above a monthly average gain of 31,000 jobs over the previous 12 months.

The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, a low level by historical standards.

Employment surged in restaurants and bars, which added 59,000 jobs in August, after averaging just 12,000 jobs gained each month over the past year. Hiring also grew in manufacturing, continuing a period of steady gains since the end of last year.

The fresh data demonstrated economic health, despite a bout of elevated inflation that continues to weigh on shoppers and nudge central bankers toward a possible interest rate hike.

The economy has shown signs of additional strain in recent weeks, including a bond selloff that threatens to raise consumer borrowing costs and a rise in oil prices amid renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran.

The labor market grew at a solid pace over the first half of 2026, despite a historic oil shock that has driven up fuel prices and hiked supply-chain costs for a host of other goods.

The U.S. added an average of 92,000 jobs per month over the initial six months of this year, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed. That pace marks an improvement from an average of about 7,000 jobs lost per month over the second half of 2025.

The Iran war drove up gasoline prices and catapulted inflation to a three-year high in May. Inflation eased in June and July, but a burst of on-again, off-again fighting in recent weeks caused crude prices to rise again.

The annual inflation rate stands at 3.4% as of July, the most recent month on record, putting inflation more than a percentage point above the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%.

The combination of elevated inflation and a fairly resilient labor market has raised the chances of an interest rate hike at the Fed's meeting later this month, financial markets show.

Investors peg the odds of a quarter-point rate hike on Sept. 16 at about 62%, according to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

A rate increase could help fight inflation but the move risks a slowdown in hiring. Central bankers, in turn, may examine the jobs report for information on the sturdiness of the labor market.

The Fed opted to hold interest rates steady at its most recent meeting in July, but central bankers appeared divided over the move. Three of the 12 members on the Fed's policymaking board voted in favor of a rate hike, marking the largest number of dissenters casting ballots in the same direction since 2016.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who took the helm of the central bank in May, said in recent days that it should prioritize fighting inflation.

"Inflation is running above our 2% target so the Fed's predominant focus right now should be on prices," Warsh said in remarks last week at the Fed's annual summer gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

"If the Fed gets inflation wrong and judges the economy wrong, who gets the worst of it? Not the financial high-fliers. Hard-working Americans are the ones left to deal with inflation that is too high or jobs that suddenly appear less secure," Warsh added.

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(NEW YORK) -- Diesel prices hit a record high in the United States on Friday, jumping to an average of $5.85 a gallon as the Iran war choked global oil supply.

Gasoline prices also climbed on Friday, registering at an average of $4.14 a gallon, the highest price ever recorded at this time of year, AAA said.

High diesel prices push up transport costs for many everyday products, including groceries, clothes and furniture.
The average price of a gallon of diesel has soared 55% since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February set off a historic oil shock, AAA data showed. The conflict prompted Iran's near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which facilitates one-fifth of global crude supply.

Since diesel is the lifeblood of the supply chain, a rise in fuel costs may result in higher prices charged by wholesalers in response to elevated transport expenses. In turn, retailers could pass those costs along to shoppers, raising prices on shelves.

The price hike for any individual item would likely be modest, but the pileup of extra costs across an array of goods could weigh on wallets, analysts previously told ABC News.

Global oil prices stood at about $94 a barrel on Friday, putting them well above a level of $72.50 before the war began. A resumption of fighting in recent days pushed prices higher as investors feared an escalation of the conflict, though prices eased slightly on Friday.

The rise in diesel costs threatens to worsen a bout of elevated inflation that continues to weigh on shoppers and nudge central bankers toward a possible interest rate hike.

The annual inflation rate stands at 3.4% as of July, the most recent month on record, putting inflation more than a percentage point above the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%.

Grocery prices fell slightly in July, according to the latest government data, marking a bright spot in the inflation report and cooling off from a surge in the spring. The previous uptick in grocery prices owed in part to elevated diesel costs, as well as droughts and other agricultural issues.

Costs ticked lower last month for cheese, salad dressing and candy, among other foods.

The relief for grocery prices included some notable exceptions, however. Increases remained elevated for some household staples like fruits and vegetables, beef, coffee, milk and rice.

The combination of elevated inflation and a fairly resilient labor market has raised the chances of an interest rate hike at the Fed's meeting later this month, financial markets show.

Investors peg the odds of a quarter-point rate hike on Sept. 16 at about 62%, according to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who took the helm of the central bank in May, said in recent days that it should prioritize fighting inflation.

"Inflation is running above our 2% target so the Fed's predominant focus right now should be on prices," Warsh said in remarks last week at the Fed's annual summer gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

"If the Fed gets inflation wrong and judges the economy wrong, who gets the worst of it? Not the financial high-fliers. Hard-working Americans are the ones left to deal with inflation that is too high or jobs that suddenly appear less secure," Warsh added.

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(NEW YORK) -- TikTok is giving users new ways to join conversations on the platform.

The social media company on Thursday announced several new comment features that will allow people to leave voice messages, vote in polls and share multiple photos under videos.

More than 1.7 billion comments are shared on TikTok each day, according to the company.

Among the updates is Voice Comments, a new feature that TikTok says it will allow users to record and post audio messages directly under videos.

"Sound and music have shaped TikTok from the very beginning, turning songs into trends and audio clips into jokes shared across the app," TikTok said in its announcement.

To leave a voice comment, users can tap the microphone icon in the comment box and record a message up to 60 seconds long. Once posted, anyone can tap to listen.

Voice Comments will roll out globally over the next month to accounts belonging to people ages 18 and older, according to TikTok.

The company also announced Comment Polls, which will allow creators to ask followers to vote directly under their videos.

Creators can add a poll while commenting on their own video, choose up to five options and set a timeframe for voting. They can also track results as votes come in, TikTok said.

TikTok is also expanding its photo comment feature with Photo Carousel Comments and Live Photo Comments.

With Photo Carousel Comments, users can share up to nine photos in a single comment. TikTok said the feature is designed to allow people to "share a full moment instead of just one frame."

The feature will roll out globally over the next month.

Live Photo Comments, meanwhile, allow people to upload Live Photos directly from their camera rolls, giving images a brief burst of motion. The feature is now available globally, according to TikTok.

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(NEW YORK) -- For the first time ever, Southwest Airlines is joining the airport lounge race with plans to open lounges in four cities next year.

The airline announced Wednesday it will open lounges in Austin (Austin-Bergstrom International Airport), Baltimore (Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport), Honolulu (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport) and Nashville (Nashville International Airport) in 2027.

At least seven more lounges are expected to open over the next several years, according to Southwest.

The Dallas, Texas-based carrier is partnering with Chase on the lounges, and travelers will need to have a Southwest credit card to access them.

The card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card issued by Chase, will also launch in 2027, according to Southwest.

In opening lounges, Southwest is keeping up with competitors like American and Delta Airlines that already offer lounge access for travelers who hold certain credit cards.

With airline-specific credit cards, the airlines get a cut of the profit from purchases on the credit card, and the cards help build brand loyalty to the airline.

Earlier this year, Southwest made another change that also put it in line with competitors when it switched to assigned seats on its planes instead of using boarding zones.

In 2025, the airline also ended its longstanding policy of free checked bags, charging customers $35 for their first checked bag and $45 for their second checked bag.

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(NEW YORK) -- The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has dropped to its lowest level since 1982, Department of Energy data this week showed, revealing the continued drawdown of emergency oil as the nation weathers a global energy shortage.

The reserve shrank by more than 3 million barrels of oil over the week ending on Aug. 28, the DOE said, leaving the stockpile at 286.6 million barrels or about 40% of overall capacity.

The largest global oil supply disruption on record has catapulted U.S. gasoline prices above $4 a gallon, rekindled inflation and helped set the stage for November's midterm elections.

At one point, global oil prices climbed above $92 a barrel on Tuesday, after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said late Monday it had received reports of an oil tanker having been struck by three projectiles off the coast of Oman.

Established after the Arab Oil Embargo triggered an energy crisis in the early 1970s, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve provides an emergency source of oil that is intended to protect the U.S. against a sudden supply crunch.

The reserve, which can reach as many as 714 million barrels, is stored in large, high-security underground salt caverns along the gulf coastlines of Louisiana and Texas.

The president retains wide discretion to release oil from the reserve when the statutory conditions under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act are met. In such cases, the U.S. sells the oil on the open market, which in theory should bring oil prices down by increasing supply.

Days after the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said its 32 member nations, including the U.S., would release a combined 400 million barrels of reserve oil. When completed, the move would amount to the largest oil release in the IEA's history, the group said at the time.

The U.S. said at the time it would release 172 million barrels from its reserve over as part of the EIA commitment. So far, the U.S. has released about 128 million barrels of reserve oil since the war began, according to data compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a government agency.

Before the Iran war, the U.S. had put petroleum on the market under emergency conditions four times since it was founded in 1975, according to the DOE.

Most recently, President Joe Biden authorized the release of 180 million barrels over six months in March 2022 after a spike in oil prices that followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed firm opposition to President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canada this weekend, saying that the result of a trade war could be harmful to both countries.

"Everyone's feeling bullied by President Trump, and this is the worst thing you could do for the American economy," Ford told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. "I just don't see the purpose. It's absolutely backwards."

The U.S. and Canada -- two usually close allies -- are once again locked in a trade war. Trump announced he would add 50% tariffs to many Canadian goods after trade talks between the two countries fell apart. Canada responded, adding retaliatory tariffs on many U.S. goods starting Sept. 8.

The U.S. and Canada have long had a strong trade relationship, as the U.S. is Canada's largest trading partner. More than 70% of total exports in Canada go to the U.S., and nearly 60% of imports to Canada come from the U.S.

One big reason for the trade deficit is oil: of the crude oil the U.S. imports from other countries, 60% comes from Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney said.

But over the weekend, the U.S. and Venezuela reached a deal for the U.S. to take a majority stake in more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil reserves.

Raddatz asked Ford about the deal and whether it gives the U.S. leverage.

"Canada makes up 60% of the United States' crude oil imports. Does this give him a bigger bargaining chip?" Raddatz asked.

"Well, you know something? That's going to be up to President Trump. Who do you want to deal with? An unstable government like Venezuela, or do you want to deal with your #1 trading partner, your #1 ally?" Ford said. 

Last week, Trump also said he would double the auto tariffs on Canada starting Jan. 1, 2027, writing on social media that "Canada will be treated like a state no longer."

Ford said that if the auto tariffs were doubled, the result would be "devastating" for both countries.

"It'd be devastating on both countries, but it'd be definitely devastating on the U.S. We're the largest purchaser of vehicles in the entire world off the U.S. … and they're already seeing the effect," Ford said. "A tariff on Canada is nothing more than a tax on American people, and it's probably the worst move he could ever do."

Since the trade war began, the attacks and insults have extended beyond trade. After bashing Canadian leaders on social media, Trump signed an executive order last week renaming Lake Ontario -- one of the five Great Lakes which is in both the U.S. and Canada -- as "Lake America." Ford called that move "disappointing."

"It was like something out of 'Saturday Night Live' when he signed documents saying change to Lake America. No one's going to call it Lake of America. It's been Lake Ontario for hundreds of years. It's going to continue being Lake Ontario, and it's just so, so disappointing," Ford said.

Despite the back-and-forth criticism, Ford made it clear that he loves the American people, just not their government.

"I love the American people. Canadians love the American people," Ford said. "We differentiate between the great American people and the president."

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(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump has formally signed a proclamation temporarily lifting tariffs on some foreign imports of beef beginning Sept. 1, despite the firestorm of backlash he has received from farmers and Republican lawmakers over the action. 

This action only applies to lean beef trimmings "to combine with U.S. beef" for ground beef, the White House said. These meat parts already entered the U.S. at a low tariff, but this action expands the amount to 300,000 metric tons.

The proclamation does not specify any countries by name that this action applies to -- something the administration has been tight-lipped about. 

On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was asked in an interview where the U.S. is importing this beef from.

"I am actually not part of any of those conversations, so I am not sure what that looks like," she said, deferring to the U.S. Trade Representative.

But the proclamation does specify that it does not apply to countries with existing country-specific beef quotas, and it does not modify preexisting beef commitments for countries with a free trade agreement with the U.S.

The proclamation said the temporary tariff pause “encourages” beef to be sold at a 25% discount. Trump suggested the possibility of ending the action early if the companies do not follow through in lowering the price of beef.

“If the action taken in this proclamation does not result in a lower sale price of imported ground beef, I may end the action taken in this proclamation in order to, among other things, prevent a windfall to foreign producers,” he wrote in the proclamation.

The president initially announced this move last Friday, touting it as an effort to lower beef prices in the U.S. This comes as midterm elections are around the corner, with grocery prices top of mind for voters. But it prompted swift backlash from farmers, ranchers and Republican lawmakers who argue that it hurts the domestic agriculture industry and undercuts American beef production. 

Montana Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy criticized the administration's decision and said he even advised the president against it.

"I’ve advised President Trump against this course of action for a year because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them - most of whom are MAGA Republicans,” Sen. Sheehy posted on social media.

Wyoming Republican Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso also expressed his disapproval for the plan, saying on social media that "Americans want US beef on the table – not foreign imports."

"It needs to be easier – not harder – for Wyoming ranchers to feed America. I will continue to fight for policies that strengthen Wyoming beef producers and invest in the American cattle herd," he added. 

In addition to this proclamation, the Trump administration is considering a rollout of separate policy changes sought by the beef industry in an attempt to allay some criticism from ranchers and Republican lawmakers, a source familiar with the discussions told ABC News.

The administration has repeatedly stressed that this beef import plan is short term and will only be in effect for 90 days, which will not officially begin until Sept. 1.

The 300,000 metric tons of imported lean beef trimmings that are facing tariff relief are expected to be delivered in three 30-day tranches.

ABC News' Soo Youn contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) -- The state of Connecticut sued Kalshi on Thursday to block alleged unlicensed sports gambling offered by the online prediction platform, the Office of the Attorney General said.

According to Attorney General William Tong, Kalshi allows customers to bet on a variety of real-world events, but its sports-related wagers constitute a violation of Connecticut's consumer protection laws prohibiting sports gambling.

In the statement, the Office of the Attorney General said the platform "offers sports event contracts that resemble sports wagers" including how many wins a team will have in a season, the number of points scored in a game, the points spread and more.

"This is gambling," the statement further said.

The lawsuit marks the latest legal action taken by state officials to regulate online prediction markets like Kalshi. A federal court last month temporarily blocked a Minnesota ban on prediction markets, siding with defendants who said they were subject to federal and not state oversight.

Days later, New York also sued Kalshi, alleging its prediction market is illegal, unlicensed gambling, in large part because the states says outcomes depend more on chance than skill.

“Sports event contracts are no different than sports betting and are not magically shielded by federal law from Connecticut’s commonsense consumer protection laws," Tong said in the statement.

In response to a request for comment, Kalshi directed ABC News to a post on X by Jovy Dedaj, the head of litigation for Kalshi, which called for federal oversight of prediction markets while criticizing the Connecticut lawsuit for singling out Kalshi while allegedly allowing other prediction markets to operate in the state.

"This is the latest in a line of arbitrary and inconsistent enforcement by the states, which shows this has nothing to do with consumer protection. If it did, the states would be seeking the same relief across the board. This unequal treatment is exactly why federal oversight is necessary," Dedaj said in the post.

In December, a Connecticut consumer protection agency ordered Kalshi and two other platforms to cease and desist conducting unlicensed online gambling, specifically sports wagering, the Office of the Attorney General said.

Kalshi responded by suing Connecticut in an effort to pause the legal action, claiming that its prediction contracts are financial instruments regulated exclusively by the Commodity Futures Trade Commission, a federal agency.

Earlier this month, a federal judge denied Kalshi’s motion, the Office of the Attorney General said. Kalshi has appealed the ruling.

On its website, Kalshi states that it is "regulated as a Designated Contract Market (DCM), which is a financial exchange designated to trade futures, swaps, and or options on commodities" and as such is subject to federal oversight.

In a statement after last month's temporary reprieve from Minnesota's proposed state ban, Kalshi further argued that the company's wagers fall under federal oversight.

"Today’s decision makes it clear: States cannot ban things that they don't have jurisdiction over. It runs directly against what Congress intended when it gave explicit, exclusive jurisdiction over financial markets to federal regulators, and it hurts the traders and everyday citizens who rely on these markets," Elisabeth Diana, a spokesperson for Kalshi, told ABC News at the time.

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(NEW YORK) -- Nvidia surpassed Wall Street expectations for revenue over a recent three-month period, the company said on Wednesday, demonstrating strong performance as a data center boom drives demand for the company's advanced artificial intelligence chips.

The California-based company recorded $96.2 billion in sales over three months ending in July, which beat a Bloomberg forecast of $92 billion. The jump in revenue marked 106% growth compared to the same quarter a year earlier.

In recent years, Nvidia has defied skeptics with blockbuster revenue quarter after quarter, despite political backlash against data centers and looming concern about a financial bubble in AI.

Rip-roaring growth transformed Nvidia from an ascendant AI player into the world's most valuable company.

The results hold implications well beyond Nvidia. Many analysts view the company as a bellwether for the stock market and the overall economy, which have both come to rely in part on massive spending on AI.

As big-tech names spend hundreds of billions on chips and data centers necessary for the energy-intensive technology, however, the financial benefits remain uncertain.

The earnings reported by Nvidia offered a gauge of demand for a key building block of AI, showing whether appetite for the technology remains at a fever pitch.

Before the earnings report, Karan Girotra, a professor of operations, technology, and innovation at Cornell Tech, said investors would watch whether the company has retained its dominance in chip manufacturing.

As opposed to the highly competitive markets for AI models and enterprise products, the chip sector has given way to a clear winner.

Nvidia "does not face a serious challenger at its layer of the stack and is probably the best chance for public market investors to profit from the AI boom," Girotra said.

Fears of an AI bubble persisted ahead of Nvidia’s previous earnings report, but the company rebuked naysayers. Nvidia recorded $81.6 billion in sales over three months ending in April, which beat analyst expectations of $79.2 billion. The jump in revenue marked 85% growth compared to the same quarter a year earlier.

Despite Nvidia's continued expansion, investors have proven jittery in recent months. Shares have climbed 13% so far this year after soaring nearly 39% in 2025.

The company boasts a market cap of $5.1 trillion, making it roughly equivalent to the GDP of Japan or Germany. Nvidia expanded at a breakneck pace after an AI craze set off by the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, soaring nearly 700% over the ensuing two years.

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(NEW YORK) -- A bipartisan coalition of 52 attorneys general on Wednesday reached a landmark settlement with Meta that will change how young users interact with Instagram and Facebook.

The settlement includes a default daily time limit of two hours for users under 18 that can only be lifted by an individual's parent. Meta will also stop displaying numbers of likes or reactions for young users.

Young users will have access to an optional non-personalized feed, which doesn't use an algorithm to target them with content aimed to keep them endlessly scrolling.

The tech giant agreed to pay up to $18 billion in installments over the next 10 years, according to a statement issued by the company. Meta did not admit wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.

Meta confirmed the settlement in its statement, saying the company "partnered with state attorneys general to set a new industry standard."

"Ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is an absolute imperative for Meta. We want to get this right for parents and teens," the company said.

In an interview with ABC News Live, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport touted the settlement.

"Every day we think about different ways to protect our kids, and we know the harms of social media," she said.

The set of app changes forced upon Meta, Davenport added, is "not something that any court has ever ordered."

State attorneys general had accused Meta of designing a dangerous product for young users, claiming the company knew it was dangerous and lied about it. Meta had pushed back on the claims, calling them "unsubstantiated" and arguing the company has created protections for younger users.

The high-profile federal case at a courthouse in Oakland, California, began last week. The two sides reached a settlement a day after testimony from Instagram head Adam Mosseri, who on Tuesday denied hiding information from the public about the safety of the popular social media app.

The settlement comes weeks after Meta lost a separate case brought against the company in state court by the New Mexico attorney general. A judge said Meta contributed to a youth mental health crisis and ordered the company to pay $567 million and make changes to its apps. Meta said it would appeal the ruling.

The settlement agreement reached on Wednesday must be approved in court. The only states not included in the settlement agreement are New Mexico and Florida.

In a statement sent to ABC News, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sharply criticized the settlement as "nothing more than a slap on the wrist for a trillion-dollar company."

"The payouts to the states are peanuts compared to the profound harms Meta's profit-driven addictive features have inflicted on our children," Uthmeier said. "We'll see them at trial."

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(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods are set to take effect early Saturday morning, just days after he pushed back a previous deadline while the two sides negotiated a trade agreement.

Trump claimed earlier this week the United States had reached a preliminary deal to resolve a dispute with one of its top trade partners, saying the breakthrough had prompted him to issue a reprieve from the levies.

A statement from Canada appeared to downplay Trump's assertion about the trade agreement, touting "substantial progress" but noting that important work remained.

The new tariffs, targeting dozens of products from hockey sticks to wine, are poised to take hold at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Due to exemptions on key goods, the tariffs were expected to hit only a fraction of U.S. imports from Canada. Still, the list of affected goods features an array of food items such as dairy products, honey, whey protein and molasses as well as alcoholic beverages like whiskey and vodka.

It all comes weeks after Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on 60 trade partners, including the European Union. Those levies ramped up an effort to reconstruct far-reaching duties struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year.

Trump said Wednesday that he had held a "very good conversation" with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday night, repeating that he'd struck a deal to avert the 50% American tariff on a hodgepodge of Canadian goods.

The president claimed that as part of the deal, Canadian tariffs on American agricultural goods would be "non-existent."

"The tariffs will be non-existent for our farmers. Our farmers were paying tremendous tariffs into Canada. And those tariffs are going to be totally eviscerated down to zero," Trump noted.

In a statement, Carney said the country's representatives aimed to achieve an agreement that would bolster its domestic industry.

"While we continue this work, Canada remains focused on building a stronger, more independent, and more competitive economy at home," Carney said in a statement.

When later asked by a reporter whether the deal would reduce tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, Trump added, "Well, we're looking at that."

The U.S. trade representative's office on X responded to Trump's announcement Tuesday, providing a bit of insight into what a final deal might entail.

"The deal will include comprehensive market access for all American goods, economic security commitments, digital trade alignment, and many important provisions that will continue to protect our market and American workers, along with our Canadian partners," the USTR posted.

Trump had suggested the deal might include a renewed effort to build the Keystone Pipeline despite the project being canceled in 2021 after years of criticism about the project's environmental impact.

"Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!" Trump added in the post.

Unlike previous tariffs, the new U.S. tariffs on Canada would have applied to products compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a free trade agreement. The levies included significant exemptions, however, leaving out some top Canadian imports such as oil, gas and potash.

Trump has carried out on-again, off-again trade negotiations with Canada since he took office, aiming to resolve a dispute that began with tariffs announced by Trump early in his second term.

Trump sought to impose the new tariffs under a legal authority enshrined in section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows the president to enact levies up to 50% for countries found to have discriminated against the U.S. relative to their treatment of other nations.

The provision has never been invoked before, meaning the move lacks judicial precedent, Abigail Watt, an economist at UBS, said in a memo shared with ABC News.

ABC News' Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) -- A Trump-appointed national bank regulator granted a wing of the Trump family's crypto business conditional approval to establish a bank charter, opening the door for larger clients and potentially heightened profits.

The decision marks the first time in U.S. history that a company owned by the sitting president's family has been granted bank status, as Democratic lawmakers express concerns over potential conflicts of interest.

In a letter published Friday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted World Liberty Trust Co., an organization that is 38% owned by "an entity affiliated with Donald J. Trump and certain of his family members," according to its website, the ability to issue stablecoin cryptocurrency tied to the U.S. dollar.

World Liberty Financial, the listed sponsor of the conditionally approved trust, has previously relied on a third-party crypto company, BitGo, to provide a stable digital currency. Friday's approval allows the Trump family's business to cut out the middleman and provide the service directly. 

Digital currencies, like Bitcoin, are historically volatile and therefore less appealing for entities making large transactions.

Crypto tied to more stable values, like the U.S. dollar or the price of gold, can be more attractive to big spenders and can be "marketed for use as a means of making payments, transmitting money, or storing value," according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The decision allows the Trump-linked business to act as a bank, issuing digital currency to clients for transactions. Clients would exchange the U.S. dollar for the stablecoin, with profits going directly to the Trump family's crypto business. 

The president's family has seen extensive profit from World Liberty Financial, securing around $5 billion in the company's first days after going public, according to the token's value at the time, with major investments from individuals and foreign nations continuing to fuel the company's value.

Trump himself has made more than $1.4 billion in business revenue from his family's crypto ventures, according to his released financial disclosures. 

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly has maintained that the president "only acts in the best interests of the American public," and said that no conflict of interest exists in part because the president's assets are held in a blind trust managed by his children. Typically, a blind trust would operate with an independent trustee.

"President Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children," Kelly said. "There are no conflicts of interest."

State-backed Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX invested another $2 billion in the company in May 2025, promising to use the Trump family's USD1 stablecoin in large transactions with crypto exchange company Binance.

The deal later came under scrutiny when the Trump administration then agreed to supply the UAE with highly coveted American-made AI chips despite prior administration concerns that they may make their way to China.

"We thank MGX and Binance for their trust in us, and I think it's only the beginning," World Liberty Financial co-founder Zach Witkoff said after announcing the deal, alongside the president's son Eric Trump at a crypto convention in Dubai.

Witkoff is the son of the president's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

Ranking Member of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., urged the OCC to halt approval of Trump-linked business ventures, writing a letter to the comptroller in January. As an executive branch office, the president has ultimate authority over the OCC, though the office considers itself independent.

"For the first time in history, the president of the United States would be in charge of overseeing his own financial company," Warren wrote.

Following the OCC's preliminary approval, Warren described the decision as the "most brazen act of self-dealing our financial system has ever seen."

"I’m introducing a bill to stop this kind of unprecedented corruption," Warren said in a post on social media.

"The Comptroller and staff acted consistently with their statutory duties and ethical obligations with respect to the Application," the OCC wrote Friday. "OCC staff reviewed this Application in accordance with the agency’s established policies and procedures."

The charter application will not be fully approved until some conditions are met, including increasing the company's capital, the OCC said.

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(WASHINGTON) -- The U.S. economy unexpectedly lost jobs in July, demonstrating a wobbly labor market as shoppers continued to withstand a surge of inflation set off by the Iran war.

The U.S. lost 23,000 jobs in July, according to the federal government's monthly jobs report, which marked a decline from 57,000 jobs added in June.

The unemployment rate fell slightly from 4.2% in June to 4.1% in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said. Unemployment remains low by historical standards.

The lackluster figure recorded in July departs from largely resilient performance for the labor market so far in 2026, despite a historic oil shock that has driven up fuel prices and hiked supply-chain costs for a host of other goods.

A government report issued last week showed a steeper slowdown in gross domestic product than expected over three months ending in June, however, suggesting strain in the underlying economy over the early months of the war.

The U.S. added an average of 92,000 jobs per month over the first half of 2026, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed. That pace marks an improvement from an average of about 7,000 jobs lost per month over the second half of 2025.

The Iran war drove up gasoline prices and catapulted inflation to a three-year high in May. A preliminary peace agreement in June offered up some relief, but a burst of on-again, off-again fighting in recent weeks caused crude prices to rise again.

The combination of elevated inflation and a resilient labor market has raised the chances of an interest rate hike, futures markets show. Investors peg the odds of a quarter-point rate hike next month at about 56%, according to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

The Fed opted to hold interest rates steady at its meeting last week, but central bankers appeared divided over the move. Three of the 12 members on the Fed's policymaking board voted in favor of a rate hike, marking the largest number of dissenters casting ballots in the same direction since 2016.

A rate increase, however, could risk a slowdown in hiring and economic growth over the coming months as corporations face the prospect of higher borrowing costs.

The benchmark rate stands at a level between 3.5% and 3.75%. That figure marks a significant drop from a recent peak attained in 2023, but borrowing costs remain well above a 0% rate established at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who took the helm of the central bank this summer, has repeatedly vowed to dial back inflation.

"The committee remains resolute -- you’ve heard this before -- that we will deliver price stability," Warsh told reporters in Washington, D.C., last week.

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(NEW YORK) -- Inflation dropped more than expected in June as gas prices eased in response to negotiations between U.S. and Iran over the Middle East conflict.

Prices rose 3.5% in June compared to a year earlier, marking a retreat from a year-over-year inflation rate of 4.2% in the prior month, federal government data released on Tuesday morning showed.

The reading for June marks the lowest inflation since March, though the pace of price increases remains more than a percentage point higher than its pre-war level.

Last month, oil prices fell to their lowest level since before the late February outbreak of the Iran war. That drop came after a preliminary agreement included provisions aimed at resolving a global crude shortage.

A spike in oil prices over recent days amid a resumption of fighting, however, threatens to push gas prices higher, erasing some of the relief delivered last month.

Brent crude futures, the benchmark index for worldwide trading, rose to $86.90 a barrel on Tuesday. That figure stood roughly even with its level a month earlier, though it remained more than 20% higher than its pre-war level.

The inflation report on Tuesday offered some additional bright spots outside of energy prices.

Core inflation -- a measure of price increases that strips out volatile food and energy prices -- clocked at 2.6% over the year ending in June. That reading indicated a slight decline from the previous month, suggesting the cooldown had extended beyond gasoline.

Even after easing last month, overall inflation stands markedly higher than the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%.

Speaking to a House committee on Tuesday, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh vowed to address elevated inflation.

"My colleagues and I recognize that high inflation has been an undue burden on American households and businesses," Warsh said, before noting that "volatilities and variations are inevitable, especially in an unsettled world."

Inflation spiked in the early 2020s in response to economic disruption wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Price increases eased significantly by 2024, but sped up in recent months as the Iran war choked off global oil supply. Over that entire period, inflation remained above the Fed's target rate.

"If we get policy right -- and I assure you, we will -- the inflation surge of the last five years will be a thing of the past," Warsh told lawmakers.

In roughly two weeks, the central bank will issue its next decision on the level of interest rates. The Fed is widely expected to hold interest rates steady, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

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(NEW YORK) -- Oil prices climbed and stocks closed lower on Wednesday after President Donald Trump said he believes an agreement with Iran is "over" amid an exchange of strikes in the Middle East.

Brent crude, the benchmark measure for worldwide oil trading, climbed more than 6% on Wednesday, pushing the price up to about $79 a barrel.

Oil prices stand above pre-war levels, though they have fallen from a high of as much as $118 reached earlier in the conflict.

Stock prices fell in response to the heightened tensions and rising oil prices.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 575 points, or 1%, while the S&P 500 declined 0.2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.2%.

The war prompted the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping route that facilitates about one-fifth of worldwide oil supply. In turn, the global economy suffered a historic oil shock, sending oil prices surging.

A U.S.-Iran agreement last month, however, included a provision allowing commercial shipping to resume through the strait, and to do so toll-free for 60 days. Over the ensuing weeks, oil prices prices fell below pre-war levels.

The tensions in recent days rekindled upward pressure on oil prices.

Trump said that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran will continue, but he told reporters of the agreement, "For me, I think it's over."

"It's just a waste of time dealing with them," Trump said of Iran at a press conference in Ankara, Turkey, where he is attending the NATO summit.

Iran's military said it launched on Wednesday attacks targeting 85 U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, saying they were retaliatory strikes following a wave of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian targets.

U.S. forces hit over 80 targets overnight in a new round of airstrikes that came as an "immediate response" to Iran's attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command.

ABC News' Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

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