On today's podcast:
1) President Trump is aiming for a quick win in a pivotal Thursday meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, even if the outcome falls short of the sweeping deal he’s teased on issues at the heart of the rivalry between the world’s two largest economies. Ahead of the sit-down, the US president said he wants to extend a pause on higher tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for Xi resuming American soybean purchases, cracking down on fentanyl and backing off restrictions on rare-earth exports — all while maintaining some trade barriers he sees as essential.
2) President Trump said he would immediately halt all trade negotiations with Canada, citing a Canadian advertisement against his signature tariffs plan featuring the voice of former President Ronald Reagan. The ad in question comprises excerpts from an address Reagan gave in 1987 in which he defended the principles of free trade and slammed tariffs as an outdated idea that stifles innovation, drives up prices and hurts US workers. Funded by the government of Ontario, the ad seeks to sow doubt among Republican voters by using one of the party’s most iconic voices.
3) Senate Democrats blocked a Republican measure aimed at paying military troops and some federal workers during the US government shutdown in the latest sign the spending deadlock shows no sign of ending. The vote on Thursday to advance the bill failed on a 54 to 45 vote, with 60 votes needed. Democrats have blocked a temporary spending measure 12 times in the Senate since, arguing that they cannot support it without new healthcare spending attached. Despite the ongoing shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is set to release the long-delayed September CPI report on Friday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time.
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