logo
Could Canada actually become the 51st U.S. state?

Could Canada actually become the 51st U.S. state?

Yahoo14-05-2025

U.S. President Donald Trump has recently doubled down on his threats to make Canada the 51st American state despite repeated claims from Prime Minister Carney that Canada is "not for sale" and that Canadian sovereignty is not up for discussion.
"You get rid of that artificially drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security," Trump has said, referring to the border between Canada and the U.S.
Yahoo editor and host Shibani Gokhale spoke to Robert Huish, an Associate Professor in International Development Studies at Dalhousie University, to find out whether the annexation threats have any merit.
Could Canada actually become an American state?
I asked an expert to get you some answers.
Technically, it could, but it would take a lot of processes to get there.
And by could, I mean by aggressively being taken over by the United States.
On the Canadian side, there is nothing within our charter or our Constitution, or within the fiber of our own being.
That would tolerate that.
On the American side, with gaining territory, there's only 3 ways that it's been done in the past.
And so the first is session.
So session means that that's a mutual agreement between the between Washington and whatever other territory we're we're we're discussing here.
Second would be through purchase, right?
So that's where we see that.
Uh, the Louisiana Purchase, the original expansion of the colonies outwards, Alaska was purchased, and then finally, subjugation is the last one, and that's where we talk about annexation.
The only time in US history where that's admitted to have occurred was just immediately following World War II.
So those are the three ways of doing it, and there's no way that the United States could purchase Canada with a G7 nation with an economy bigger than Italy, bigger than Russia, so that's out.
Uh, there's really no way that you're gonna see session ever occurring.
So the last move is subjugation, and I already think that Donald Trump's White House has miscalculated just how patriotic Canadians will get on this topic.
Do you have any other questions?
Let us know in the comments and follow for part two.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Why Brands Are Still Betting on the US
Why Brands Are Still Betting on the US

Business of Fashion

time31 minutes ago

  • Business of Fashion

Why Brands Are Still Betting on the US

Serena Uziyel isn't giving up on the US. Over the last year, the Istanbul-based luxury shoe brand has opened two stores in Florida and one in New York in what is now its second-largest market after Turkey. The brand hopes to open more stores in Florida, as well as new markets like California and Texas. Those plans were made before the Trump administration unleashed its tariffs, and when the US economy was on more solid footing. But the brand has no intention of changing course now. 'We know how to deal with it, so we are not going to change our plans,' said chief executive Nadir Celik. It helps that the brand has experience navigating economic turbulence and high inflation in Turkey, he added. Countless brands are making their own assessment of whether trying for a slice of the world's biggest fashion market is still worth the investment. All signs point to a weak economy with consumer confidence plummeting as the costs for essential goods like eggs go up. Retail sales on discretionary items fell in April. Trump's trade policy is also in flux, with the Supreme Court potentially weighing in on whether he can impose tariffs on dozens of countries on top of a 10 percent global levy that went into effect in April. Investing in America could be a costly mistake in a worst case scenario, where Trump imposes prohibitive tariffs, the economy enters a deep recession, or both. But missing out if the turbulence is milder than expected has its own costs. Brands operating in the US are moving quickly to protect themselves, such as by reconfiguring their supply chains to minimise potential tariffs, or operating on parallel tracks, growing their US presence while speeding up expansion elsewhere. For many, the choice to stay is clear – the market is simply too big to ignore. 'America as an economy is too important to be canceled,' said the Switzerland-based designer Philipp Plein. 'People have money to spend; people will keep on spending money.' A Resilient Market Philipp Plein International Group is going ahead with a number of US store openings for its Plein Sport activewear brand, as it looks to at least double sales for that business to $40 million, Plein said. The line is made in China, where Trump has slapped 30 percent duties on all products, but he's betting that the tariff uproar won't be as detrimental as many fear. He's even more confident in the American consumer. He noted the country's economy bounced back quickly after Covid compared to other leading economies like China, which has struggled to recover from the pandemic. Brands are also banking on customer loyalty to get them through a potential rough patch. When it comes to customers, 'once we get, them we keep them,' said Peta Heinsen, co-founder and director of the Australian womenswear brand Matteau. Heinsen said the label aims to have more than half its sales come from the US, up from 35 percent today. If US customers replicate a 70 percent global repeat purchase rate, they'll get there, tariffs or no tariffs, Heinsen said. The more that happens in the US, 'we can see huge potential without having to do too much more than we're already doing,' she said. Supply Chain Alignment Where brands are changing course, it's often behind the scenes. Ever-changing tariffs have underscored the need for brands to have a global supply chain — particularly one that isn't wholly dependent on China. The more suppliers and factories in its network, the more flexible a brand can be in relocating production when the cost of doing business increases. Diversified supply chains will help in most tariff scenarios, experts say. Several brand founders cited Portugal, Turkey and India as countries with relatively low manufacturing costs that were likely to dodge the highest tariffs. In February, Matteau moved production of its swimwear line from China to Portugal, sidestepping the roller coaster ride in April and May that saw tariffs on Chinese imports set as high as 145 percent before temporarily settling at their current level. (Whether the brand's bet pays off in the long run remains to be seen; in late May, Trump threatened a 50 percent tariff on goods from the European Union). After moving into 1,700 Target stores, supplement maker Imaraïs Beauty is in talks to move production of its gummy supplements from Canada to the US so it can keep its big new retail customer consistently supplied without having to pay tariffs. 'As a brand, and a brand owner, you're putting out fires nonstop,' said co-founder and chief executive Aaron Hefter. 'This is a forest fire.' With a trade war still brewing and consumer sentiment in flux, brands have to move forward with their growth plans while minimising any threats to their business, said Anshuman Jaiswal, chief business officer at software firm OnePint, which helps global businesses manage inventory. 'The only thing that you can control is, 'Can I have more risk cushion in my business plan?'' Jaiswal said.

DHS says FEMA head was joking when he said he wasn't aware of hurricane season
DHS says FEMA head was joking when he said he wasn't aware of hurricane season

Yahoo

time31 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

DHS says FEMA head was joking when he said he wasn't aware of hurricane season

Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Richardson was joking when he said at a meeting Monday that he was not aware of the upcoming hurricane season, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Reuters reported that Richardson said at a briefing that he was not aware the United States has a hurricane season, confusing staffers. The report, which said it was unclear if Richardson was serious or joking, cited four unnamed sources familiar with the situation. 'Despite meanspirited attempts to falsely frame a joke as policy, there is no uncertainty about what FEMA will be doing this Hurricane Season. FEMA is laser focused on disaster response, and protecting the American people,' a spokesperson for DHS said. The spokesperson added that Richardson is 'activated in preparation for Hurricane Season.' Richardson took the reins at FEMA last month. The previous acting administrator, Cameron Hamilton, was removed from his job after he told lawmakers at a congressional hearing that he did not believe the agency should be eliminated. DHS has denied that Hamilton's ouster was related to his testimony. FEMA is responsible for coordinating the government's emergency response to areas affected by natural disasters, such as hurricanes. Hurricane season runs from June through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted there is a 60% chance of an above-normal season this year, during which the United States could get six to 10 hurricanes, three to five of which could be 'major.' Democrats blasted Richardson following the report about the meeting. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., referred to the Reuters report when he wrote on X, "And I'm unaware of why he hasn't been fired yet." Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also took aim at Richardson, writing on X, "Bare minimum requirement for the leader of FEMA: know when hurricane season is." President Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly floated the idea of terminating the emergency disaster agency. During a visit to North Carolina in January to survey the damage of Hurricane Helene, which swept across the state late last year, Trump suggested overhauling or doing away with FEMA, calling it 'very bureaucratic' and 'very slow.' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has also suggested that FEMA should be eliminated. But without an alternative plan and with hurricane season approaching, Noem has also quietly made efforts to keep the agency running, sources familiar with the situation have told NBC News. This article was originally published on

FEMA head told staff he was previously unaware US has a hurricane season
FEMA head told staff he was previously unaware US has a hurricane season

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

FEMA head told staff he was previously unaware US has a hurricane season

Staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency were caught off-guard and left bewildered when the disaster relief agency's new acting head David Richardson told personnel that he was previously unaware the United States has a hurricane season, which started Sunday. Richardson made the comments during a briefing Monday morning, multiple sources told CNN. While some interpreted the remark as a joke, others said it raised concerns about the recently appointed acting administrator, who has no prior experience managing natural disasters. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN the comment was made in jest, adding, 'FEMA is laser focused on disaster response, and protecting the American people.' It remains unclear whether Richardson's comment – joking or not – reflects a lack of knowledge before assuming his current role. In recent weeks, he has repeatedly referenced FEMA's preparations for hurricane season in meetings and interviews. Reuters first reported Richardson's comments in the meeting. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appointed Richardson – a former Marine combat veteran and martial-arts instructor – in early May, firing President Donald Trump's first acting FEMA chief just hours after he broke from other Trump officials and told lawmakers he did not support eliminating FEMA. Richardson has promised to enforce Trump's agenda. In an all-hands meeting on his first day at FEMA, Richardson told agency staff he will 'run right over' anyone who tries to prevent him from carrying out the president's mission, CNN previously reported. Since then, the Department of Homeland Security has installed more than a half-dozen of its officials into key roles at FEMA to effectively run the agency. Most of them, like Richardson, have little experience handling disasters. In Monday's meeting, Richardson announced that FEMA will not release an updated disaster plan for this hurricane season as previously promised, saying the agency does not want to get ahead of Trump's newly formed FEMA Review Council, sources said. Instead, FEMA will largely default back to its operating procedure from 2024, though the agency enters this hurricane season in turmoil, with a dramatically smaller workforce. Roughly 10% of FEMA's total staff have left since January, including a large swath of its senior leadership, and the agency is projected to lose close to 30% of its workforce by the end of the year, shrinking FEMA from about 26,000 workers to roughly 18,000, according to a FEMA official briefed on the numbers. In a memo issued last month that was obtained by CNN, Richardson officially rescinded FEMA's 2022-2026 strategic plan, saying it 'contains goals and objectives that bear no connection to FEMA accomplishing its mission.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store