Trudeau and Trump Want NAFTA Deal by End of Year: Here’s What We’re Reading

Colin Rabyniuk September 1, 2017

The Daily 5 is Sharp’s essential reading list for what’s happening in the world today. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or subscribe to the Sharp Insider newsletter to stay up to date.

Here’s what we’re reading today.

1. Canada, U.S. aim for NAFTA deal by end of year as Round 2 begins

“Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the prevailing view in Ottawa is that if the negotiation drags on a long time and the result is that nothing changes in NAFTA, this would be a good result for Canada. One of these officials, however, said there is a minority view that it would be good to finish negotiations quickly simply to have them out of the way.”

– The Globe and Mail

2. Mexico, Canada to stay in NAFTA even if U.S. leaves

“‘NAFTA will continue to regulate the relationship between Mexico and Canada,’ Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said at an event in Mexico City, noting that only Washington might consider leaving the accord. ‘The one that could take that decision, depending on how we get on with the negotiation, is our neighbor the United States.’

– Reuters

+1: Loonie jumps to highest point since 2015 as traders bet rate hike is coming next week – CBC News

3. Jared Kushner’s real estate empire is running out of cash

“Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser, wakes up each morning to a growing problem that will not go away. His family’s real estate business, Kushner Cos., owes hundreds of millions of dollars on a 41-story office building on Fifth Avenue. It has failed to secure foreign investors, despite an extensive search, and its resources are more limited than generally understood. As a result, the company faces significant challenges.”

– Bloomberg

4. Midrise housing has bright future in Toronto — whether residents like it or not

“As Toronto planners tell it, midrise development could well be this city’s saviour. Lining the main streets with four- to 11-storey buildings, they argue, would provide housing for thousands without overwhelming the neighbourhoods of which they are part.

“So why are so many midrise projects greeted with howls of outrage by disapproving locals and/or unimpressed planners? Each one is treated as if it were an affront to civic good taste and municipal well-being. Getting the go-ahead for something as benign as a six-storey condo can be as arduous and expensive as a 60-storey tower.”

– Toronto Star