Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross discusses the negotiations with China and the possibility of agreement on ‘Phase-1’ aspects prior to December.  Secretary Ross is not necessarily optimistic the agreement will be made based on Beijing’s outlook toward the enforcement mechanisms and forced compliance. Ross also discusses Brexit from the position of mutual benefit.
On the subject of USMCA Secretary Ross outlines the only reason for Democrats to hold back ratification is Pelosi’s politics. [Only 20 legislative days left in 2019] Mr. Ross discusses the options if Pelosi refuses to take up ratification.  On this subject the commerce secretary does not sound optimistic.

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Trying to find the details within the U.K-EU Brexit deal is more difficult than finding evidence of a Yeti.  The negotiating team secrecy is inherent to the way the elites within the European systems work. Essentially the “betters” rule the proles by hiding the details and relying upon the electorate to “trust” the outlined framework of their elected superiors.
Hiding details is a feature within the European system and the way the government looks at their role.
That said, tomorrow British members of parliament will begin debating the deal for the UK to exit the EU.  The deal was modified by Boris Johnson.  A backgrounder:

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Farage is concerned, rightly, about how the framework of the EU customs union is constructed to influence the UK after Brexit.  From what can be determined there’s a triggering mechanism where the UK and EU begin a lengthy process to construct a UK trade agreement with the EU after Brexit takes place.
Within that post-Brexit automatic trade-framework is where the European Union is seeking to retain their influence over the United Kingdom. However, it is not accurate to overlay EU influence too heavily, and here’s why….
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Office for Trade and Manufacturing Policy’s Peter Navarro discusses the China trade negotiations, the UAW General Motors strike, U.S. tariffs in European goods, and USMCA.
On the U.S-China ‘Phase-1’ construct the key issue is going to be the enforcement mechanism to ensure any agreement has strength.  On U.S. placing tariffs on the EU due to the Airbus ruling Navarro reminds everyone the WTO ruling does not permit the EU to place tariffs on U.S. productions.  On USMCA everyone avoids telling the truth; that is  Nancy Pelosi is waiting to see what happens in the Canadian election in three days.  If Trudeau wins re-election, the USMCA will likely be scrapped (tabled) by Pelosi.

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{*Note* We are holding-back on BREXIT-EU deal outlines until we complete reading the majority of the 2,000+ pages of UK-EU legal agreement construct.}
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Earlier today Nancy Pelosi was questioned about why the House was not voting to pass the USMCA trade agreement.  Speaker Pelosi immediately fell back upon her talking point: “we are working toward yes.”   This is complete hogwash.  There are no discussions. Pelosi is doing what Pelosi does best, politicizing anything positive for the U.S. economy in a concerted effort to undermine Trump in 2020.
Here’s what is going on.
Nancy Pelosi and her far-left ideologues entered an agreement with their Canadian liberal allies and Justin Trudeau to stall the USMCA passage.
Trudeau’s government ideologues agreed not to call the USMCA up for a vote in the Canadian parliament.
Speaker Pelosi is waiting to see if Trudeau can win re-election.  If Canada re-elects Trudeau on October 21st, Pelosi will announce the labor provisions are not strong enough within the USMCA deal; discussions with the Trump administration are not resolving the issues; the U.S. workers are not protected enough, and she is tabling any vote.
Speaker Pelosi will then wait until after the 2020 election.  The purpose is political.
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As more pictures of Justin from Canada begin to surface; and with at least three instances currently known by media; the Canadian prime minister said today he cannot remember how many times he wore blackface.

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Oh, the modern hypocrisy is almost as funny as the historic event. Photographs have surfaced of Justin Trudeau in 2001 wearing “brownface” (apparently a less troublesome modification of ‘blackface’) during a school party when he was a teacher at the West Point Grey Academy.  [*Update* Justin give press conference below]
Justins’ über-leftist and politically-correct media support groups are now twisting themselves into pretzels while defending his cultural appropriation…. too funny.

(TIME) Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, wore brownface makeup to a party at the private school where he was teaching in the spring of 2001. TIME has obtained a photograph of the incident.
The photograph has not been previously reported. The picture was taken at an “Arabian Nights”-themed gala. It shows Trudeau, then the 29-year-old son of the late former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, wearing a turban and robes with his face, neck and hands completely darkened. The photograph appears in the 2000-2001 yearbook of West Point Grey Academy, a private day school where Trudeau was a teacher.

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This is a topic we have previously discussed.  The current status is unfortunately what CTH previously predicted….  The consequences here are very serious.

Representative Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, claims a significant number of House Democrats are ready to vote to approve the USMCA trade deal.  However, Nancy Pelosi is holding back the vote.

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Everyone agrees that passage of the USMCA would provide leverage for the U.S. position in both China and EU trade negotiations.  Representative Andy Barr says despite a likely 300+ vote of support, he believes Pelosi is stalling to block that exact leverage.
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Mercedes Stephenson from Global News has done some excellent follow-up coverage on the arrest of RCMP Intelligence Director Cameron Ortis.  Mr. Ortis is facing seven serious charges of intelligence violations including obtaining information to pass to a “foreign entity.”  The intelligence compromise is the biggest scandal in “a generation”.
New evidence shows the arrest was a result of a 2018 international intelligence operation that targeted the encrypted communications service known as “Phantom Secure”.
A man named Victor Ramos was the CEO of Phantom Secure, an enterprise that provided encrypted communication devices to criminal agents involved in drug smuggling, money laundering and human trafficking.
Ramos was arrested by United States FBI officials in Washington State.  Ramos gave the FBI information about intelligence for sale that was coming from a source deep inside the Five-Eyes intelligence apparatus.  That information led to RCMP Director Cameron Ortis.
The scale of the compromise is still being analyzed. Ortis was director general of the National Intelligence Coordination Centre in Canada. In essence, Ortis was the Canadian equivalent of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (James Clapper/Dan Coats); and had access to the most sensitive intelligence information amid the entire Five-Eyes network that includes: Canada, The United States, The U.K. Australia and New Zealand.
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Cameron Ortis, a director general with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s intelligence unit (RCMP), faces three charges of violating intelligence laws and leaking sensitive information.  While the destination for his leaked intel is not revealed, his professional business profile shows he speaks “fluent mandarin Chinese“. So, connect the dots…

Obviously Justin from Canada wants to keep a tight lid on the spying compromise; and unfortunately, with the Canadian election a little more than a month away, the compliant state-run media are more than willing to try and downplay the issue.

OTTAWA (Reuters) – A top Canadian police intelligence officer has been charged with leaking secret information, authorities said on Friday, in what could be a major security breach.
Cameron Ortis, a director general with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s intelligence unit, faces three charges under a little-used 2012 security of information law.

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President Trump and Justin from Canada hold a bilateral discussion on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France.   No-one is exactly sure why Justin from Canada is there; both leaders talked about the USMCA, again; and the media did not have any questions for anyone about Canada. [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU: Well, it’s always a pleasure to sit down with President Trump. We’ve had some good conversations already, particularly on the global economy. The Canadian and American economy are doing well, partially because of the trading relationship we have and the great work we did.
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