Live updates: Trump leaves for Scotland to inaugurate a new golf course in Aberdeenshire
While there, Trump will talk trade with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a meeting he's said will take place at 'probably one of my properties.'
Using this week's presidential overseas trip — with its sprawling entourage of advisers, White House and support staffers, Secret Service agents and reporters — to help show off Trump-brand golf destinations demonstrates how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests.
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Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures rise as earnings flood in, jobs data on deck
US stock futures moved higher on Tuesday, eyeing a bid for more records as investors combed through a fresh rush of corporate earnings and waited for key economic data in a big week on Wall Street. S&P 500 futures (ES=F) rose 0.3% on the heels of narrowly notching a sixth all-time closing high in a row. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) also edged up 0.2%, while contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) led the way higher with a 0.5% gain. The mood is modestly upbeat as a blockbuster week for markets gets into full swing. The Federal Reserve kicks off its two-day policy meeting on Tuesday, while the JOLTS job openings update for June due later ushers in a series of crucial labor data culminating in Friday's nonfarm payrolls report. Meanwhile, earnings take center stage as before-the-bell reports from Spotify (SPOT) and UnitedHealth (UNH) disappointed Wall Street. Results from Boeing (BA) and Starbucks (SBUX) will be scrutinized for signs of turnaround progress and of the impact of tariffs on outlooks. That sets the tone for this week's highlights, results from tech giants Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta (META). Read more: Full earnings coverage in our live blog Also looming large is President Trump's deadline Friday for trading partners to strike deals or face blanket tariff rates. Hopes for an extension to the US-China trade truce are buoying the likes of AI chipmaker Nvidia's (NVDA) stock. Read more: The latest on Trump's tariffs Trade war fears may have lost their grip on markets, given the S&P 500 (^GSPC) and Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) only barely managed new records on Monday despite a new US-EU trade deal. On Tuesday's economic docket, Conference Board's July reading on consumer confidence and a S&P CoreLogic print on home prices in May provide a health check on the economy ahead of an update on second quarter GDP later this week, Nvidia leads Mag 7 premarket amid sign of 'enormous pent-up demand' from China Nvidia (NVDA) led the Big Tech "Magnificent Seven" stocks higher Tuesday before the market open, climbing 1.4% after Reuters reported that the AI chipmaker ordered 300,000 H20 chips from its contract manufacturer TSMC. "This supports our theory that there is enormous pent-up demand for NVDA chips from China right now," wrote Hedgeye Risk Management analyst Felix Wang in a note to clients Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META), and Amazon (AMZN) rose fractionally ahead of their quarterly earnings reports later this week. Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Tesla (TSLA) traded down less than 1%. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. Economic data: S&P CoreLogic 20-city home price index (May); Conference Board consumer confidence, July; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (June); Dallas Fed services activity (July) Earnings: Boeing (BA), Booking Holdings (BKNG), Caesars (CZR), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Merck (MRK), PayPal (PYPL), Procter & Gamble (PG), Spotify (SPOT), Starbucks (SBUX), SoFi (SOFI), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), UPS (UPS), Visa (V) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: The market is finally getting what it wants 35 charts explain markets and the economy right now UnitedHealth stock falls after reporting mixed Q2 earnings Sarepta stock soars as FDA reverses course on gene therapy pause Spotify stock slides after Q2 earnings and revenue miss Trump's DOJ puts companies on notice on tariffs US, EU rush to clinch final details and lock in trade deal Apple to Shutter a Retail Store in China for the First Time Ever Stellantis faces $1.7B hit from US tariffs this year Trending tickers: UPS, Whilepool and Royal Caribbean Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: UPS (UPS) stock fell over 2% before the bell on Tuesday after reporting a drop in second-quarter profit and revenue, as demand took a hit from new "de minimis" tariffs on low-value Chinese shipments and mounting risks from President Donald Trump's trade policies. Whirlpool (WHR) stock fell premarket on Tuesday. after the appliance maker slashed its earnings outlook the day prior. Royal Caribbean (RCL) stock rose 4% before the bell after raising its annual profit forecast on Tuesday, banking on resilient demand for the cruise operator's high-end private island destinations and premium sailings. The market is finally getting what it wants Wall Street's busiest week of the summer is turning out to be an inflection point. Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban explains why in today's Morning Brief: Read more here. Spotify stock sinks after Q2 earnings miss Spotify (SPOT) shares fell as much as 10% in early premarket trading Tuesday after the company missed second quarter earnings and revenue expectations. The results follow a remarkable 120% rally over the past year, as the stock rebounded from 2022 lows on the back of price hikes, cost cuts, and investor enthusiasm for AI and advertising. Spotify hit a record high of $738.45 earlier this month, but shares slid to around $635 immediately following the results. Spotify reported second quarter revenue of €4.19 billion ($4.86 billion), missing analyst expectations of €4.27 billion, though up from €3.81 billion in the same period last year. The company posted an adjusted loss of €0.42 ($0.49) per share, sharply missing forecasts for a profit of €1.97 and down from earnings of €1.33 in Q2 2024. "Outsized currency movements during the quarter impacted reported revenue by €104 million vs. guidance," the company said in the earnings release. Operating income also fell short of expectations in the quarter, though subscriber metrics for both premium and ad-supported tiers came in ahead of estimates. Gross margins of 31.5% came in as expected. Spotify's massive rally heading into the earnings report was fueled by a sweeping business overhaul, including layoffs, leadership changes, and a pullback from costly podcast exclusivity. After spending $1 billion to build out its podcast business, the company has since scaled back and narrowed its focus. Still, it remains committed to the medium, paying over $100 million to creators in Q1 alone, including high-profile names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. Read more here. UnitedHealth stock slips after mixed Q2 results Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) fell nearly 3% after its quarterly results before the bell painted a mixed picture. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Sarepta stock rockets higher after FDA greenlight Shares in drugmaker Sarepta (SRPT) rocketed up over 30% in premarket after the embattled company got the FDA's go-ahead to resume shipments of its Elevdis gene therapy. The greenlight comes after Sarepta put a voluntary pause on shipments for some patients while the US regulator reviewed its safety following deaths. The FDA on Monday recommended that the compa lift that halt. Sarepta's stock is poised to build on a 16% gain on Monday, continuing a recent volatile spell triggered by changing fortunes for its best-selling product. AP reports: Read more here. Nvidia orders 300,000 H20 chips from TSMC to satiate Chinese demand Reuters reports: Nvidia placed orders for 300,000 H20 chipsets with contract manufacturer TSMC last week, two sources said, with one of them adding that strong Chinese demand had led the U.S. firm to change its mind about just relying on its existing stockpile. Read more here. Oil maintains gains with tariffs and OPEC+ supply in sight Oil maintained gains following Trump putting pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine with economic sanctions against Putin's government on the table. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Nvidia leads Mag 7 premarket amid sign of 'enormous pent-up demand' from China Nvidia (NVDA) led the Big Tech "Magnificent Seven" stocks higher Tuesday before the market open, climbing 1.4% after Reuters reported that the AI chipmaker ordered 300,000 H20 chips from its contract manufacturer TSMC. "This supports our theory that there is enormous pent-up demand for NVDA chips from China right now," wrote Hedgeye Risk Management analyst Felix Wang in a note to clients Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META), and Amazon (AMZN) rose fractionally ahead of their quarterly earnings reports later this week. Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Tesla (TSLA) traded down less than 1%. Nvidia (NVDA) led the Big Tech "Magnificent Seven" stocks higher Tuesday before the market open, climbing 1.4% after Reuters reported that the AI chipmaker ordered 300,000 H20 chips from its contract manufacturer TSMC. "This supports our theory that there is enormous pent-up demand for NVDA chips from China right now," wrote Hedgeye Risk Management analyst Felix Wang in a note to clients Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META), and Amazon (AMZN) rose fractionally ahead of their quarterly earnings reports later this week. Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Tesla (TSLA) traded down less than 1%. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. Economic data: S&P CoreLogic 20-city home price index (May); Conference Board consumer confidence, July; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (June); Dallas Fed services activity (July) Earnings: Boeing (BA), Booking Holdings (BKNG), Caesars (CZR), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Merck (MRK), PayPal (PYPL), Procter & Gamble (PG), Spotify (SPOT), Starbucks (SBUX), SoFi (SOFI), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), UPS (UPS), Visa (V) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: The market is finally getting what it wants 35 charts explain markets and the economy right now UnitedHealth stock falls after reporting mixed Q2 earnings Sarepta stock soars as FDA reverses course on gene therapy pause Spotify stock slides after Q2 earnings and revenue miss Trump's DOJ puts companies on notice on tariffs US, EU rush to clinch final details and lock in trade deal Apple to Shutter a Retail Store in China for the First Time Ever Stellantis faces $1.7B hit from US tariffs this year Economic data: S&P CoreLogic 20-city home price index (May); Conference Board consumer confidence, July; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (June); Dallas Fed services activity (July) Earnings: Boeing (BA), Booking Holdings (BKNG), Caesars (CZR), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Merck (MRK), PayPal (PYPL), Procter & Gamble (PG), Spotify (SPOT), Starbucks (SBUX), SoFi (SOFI), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), UPS (UPS), Visa (V) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: The market is finally getting what it wants 35 charts explain markets and the economy right now UnitedHealth stock falls after reporting mixed Q2 earnings Sarepta stock soars as FDA reverses course on gene therapy pause Spotify stock slides after Q2 earnings and revenue miss Trump's DOJ puts companies on notice on tariffs US, EU rush to clinch final details and lock in trade deal Apple to Shutter a Retail Store in China for the First Time Ever Stellantis faces $1.7B hit from US tariffs this year Trending tickers: UPS, Whilepool and Royal Caribbean Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: UPS (UPS) stock fell over 2% before the bell on Tuesday after reporting a drop in second-quarter profit and revenue, as demand took a hit from new "de minimis" tariffs on low-value Chinese shipments and mounting risks from President Donald Trump's trade policies. Whirlpool (WHR) stock fell premarket on Tuesday. after the appliance maker slashed its earnings outlook the day prior. Royal Caribbean (RCL) stock rose 4% before the bell after raising its annual profit forecast on Tuesday, banking on resilient demand for the cruise operator's high-end private island destinations and premium sailings. Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: UPS (UPS) stock fell over 2% before the bell on Tuesday after reporting a drop in second-quarter profit and revenue, as demand took a hit from new "de minimis" tariffs on low-value Chinese shipments and mounting risks from President Donald Trump's trade policies. Whirlpool (WHR) stock fell premarket on Tuesday. after the appliance maker slashed its earnings outlook the day prior. Royal Caribbean (RCL) stock rose 4% before the bell after raising its annual profit forecast on Tuesday, banking on resilient demand for the cruise operator's high-end private island destinations and premium sailings. The market is finally getting what it wants Wall Street's busiest week of the summer is turning out to be an inflection point. Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban explains why in today's Morning Brief: Read more here. Wall Street's busiest week of the summer is turning out to be an inflection point. Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban explains why in today's Morning Brief: Read more here. Spotify stock sinks after Q2 earnings miss Spotify (SPOT) shares fell as much as 10% in early premarket trading Tuesday after the company missed second quarter earnings and revenue expectations. The results follow a remarkable 120% rally over the past year, as the stock rebounded from 2022 lows on the back of price hikes, cost cuts, and investor enthusiasm for AI and advertising. Spotify hit a record high of $738.45 earlier this month, but shares slid to around $635 immediately following the results. Spotify reported second quarter revenue of €4.19 billion ($4.86 billion), missing analyst expectations of €4.27 billion, though up from €3.81 billion in the same period last year. The company posted an adjusted loss of €0.42 ($0.49) per share, sharply missing forecasts for a profit of €1.97 and down from earnings of €1.33 in Q2 2024. "Outsized currency movements during the quarter impacted reported revenue by €104 million vs. guidance," the company said in the earnings release. Operating income also fell short of expectations in the quarter, though subscriber metrics for both premium and ad-supported tiers came in ahead of estimates. Gross margins of 31.5% came in as expected. Spotify's massive rally heading into the earnings report was fueled by a sweeping business overhaul, including layoffs, leadership changes, and a pullback from costly podcast exclusivity. After spending $1 billion to build out its podcast business, the company has since scaled back and narrowed its focus. Still, it remains committed to the medium, paying over $100 million to creators in Q1 alone, including high-profile names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. Read more here. Spotify (SPOT) shares fell as much as 10% in early premarket trading Tuesday after the company missed second quarter earnings and revenue expectations. The results follow a remarkable 120% rally over the past year, as the stock rebounded from 2022 lows on the back of price hikes, cost cuts, and investor enthusiasm for AI and advertising. Spotify hit a record high of $738.45 earlier this month, but shares slid to around $635 immediately following the results. Spotify reported second quarter revenue of €4.19 billion ($4.86 billion), missing analyst expectations of €4.27 billion, though up from €3.81 billion in the same period last year. The company posted an adjusted loss of €0.42 ($0.49) per share, sharply missing forecasts for a profit of €1.97 and down from earnings of €1.33 in Q2 2024. "Outsized currency movements during the quarter impacted reported revenue by €104 million vs. guidance," the company said in the earnings release. Operating income also fell short of expectations in the quarter, though subscriber metrics for both premium and ad-supported tiers came in ahead of estimates. Gross margins of 31.5% came in as expected. Spotify's massive rally heading into the earnings report was fueled by a sweeping business overhaul, including layoffs, leadership changes, and a pullback from costly podcast exclusivity. After spending $1 billion to build out its podcast business, the company has since scaled back and narrowed its focus. Still, it remains committed to the medium, paying over $100 million to creators in Q1 alone, including high-profile names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. Read more here. UnitedHealth stock slips after mixed Q2 results Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) fell nearly 3% after its quarterly results before the bell painted a mixed picture. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) fell nearly 3% after its quarterly results before the bell painted a mixed picture. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Sarepta stock rockets higher after FDA greenlight Shares in drugmaker Sarepta (SRPT) rocketed up over 30% in premarket after the embattled company got the FDA's go-ahead to resume shipments of its Elevdis gene therapy. The greenlight comes after Sarepta put a voluntary pause on shipments for some patients while the US regulator reviewed its safety following deaths. The FDA on Monday recommended that the compa lift that halt. Sarepta's stock is poised to build on a 16% gain on Monday, continuing a recent volatile spell triggered by changing fortunes for its best-selling product. AP reports: Read more here. Shares in drugmaker Sarepta (SRPT) rocketed up over 30% in premarket after the embattled company got the FDA's go-ahead to resume shipments of its Elevdis gene therapy. The greenlight comes after Sarepta put a voluntary pause on shipments for some patients while the US regulator reviewed its safety following deaths. The FDA on Monday recommended that the compa lift that halt. Sarepta's stock is poised to build on a 16% gain on Monday, continuing a recent volatile spell triggered by changing fortunes for its best-selling product. AP reports: Read more here. Nvidia orders 300,000 H20 chips from TSMC to satiate Chinese demand Reuters reports: Nvidia placed orders for 300,000 H20 chipsets with contract manufacturer TSMC last week, two sources said, with one of them adding that strong Chinese demand had led the U.S. firm to change its mind about just relying on its existing stockpile. Read more here. Reuters reports: Nvidia placed orders for 300,000 H20 chipsets with contract manufacturer TSMC last week, two sources said, with one of them adding that strong Chinese demand had led the U.S. firm to change its mind about just relying on its existing stockpile. Read more here. Oil maintains gains with tariffs and OPEC+ supply in sight Oil maintained gains following Trump putting pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine with economic sanctions against Putin's government on the table. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Oil maintained gains following Trump putting pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine with economic sanctions against Putin's government on the table. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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Trump suggests Sir Sean Connery helped get his golf resort plans ‘into line'
Donald Trump suggested late James Bond actor Sir Sean Connery's support for his golf resort in Aberdeenshire helped him secure permission for the development. Mr Trump even attempted to recreate the late actor's voice as he addressed a crowd of invited guests and media in Menie on Tuesday. In 2008, Sir Sean described Mr Trump's proposals to develop the land in north-east Scotland as 'terrific' – though he did not know what the local impact would be. John Swinney said the controversial proposals were handled with 'due process' by the Scottish Government's planning reporter. During the final day of his trip to Scotland, Mr Trump hit the first ball at the New Course in Menie. He was joined by members of his family including his sons Donald Jnr and Eric – the latter of whom has overseen the creation of the course. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the president said: 'This has been an unbelievable development. 'The land, they said it couldn't get zoned, it was an impossibility. 'And Sean Connery said 'let the bloody bloke build his golf course'. 'Once he said that everything came into line. John (Swinney) and I were talking about that last night.' The president met First Minister Mr Swinney on Monday evening for a private dinner, and the two had a more formal meeting on Tuesday ahead of the course opening. The president also said: 'We started with a beautiful piece of land, but we made it much more beautiful.' Mr Swinney spoke to journalists about his earlier exchange with the president and the suggestion that Sir Sean helped to secure permission for the golf courses. The First Minister said it was matter of 'historical record' that two committees of Aberdeenshire Council came to different conclusions on Mr Trump's proposals, which had proved divisive in the area. Mr Swinney said that as a minister at the time he had taken a decision to 'call in' the application, with a government reporter reviewing the planning application according to 'due process'. Asked if Sir Sean had no involvement, the First Minister said: 'Well, that's an explanation of the due process.' Opponents of the development were concerned about the environmental impact and staged a high-profile campaign against the plans. In August 2008, Sir Sean spoke of his enthusiasm for Mr Trump's plans for the north-east of Scotland. He told an audience in Edinburgh he had met the businessman after the plans were announced, saying: 'I said 'Well, I think it's terrific'. 'But I had no idea what local repercussions would be. 'My first response was I couldn't see anything but benefits for that part of Scotland because it's pretty neglected, apart from the oil fields.'
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Trump coveted Canada as 51st state. Most Canadians differ with him on religion's role in public life
MONTREAL (AP) — Throughout his new term, starting with his inaugural address, President Donald Trump has said he was 'saved by God' to make America great again. In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney rarely evokes religion in public; his victory speech in April never used the word God. 'Canada forever. Vive le Canada,' he ended. As Canada and the U.S. now skirmish over Trump's tariff threats and occasional bullying, the leaders' rhetoric reflects a striking difference between their nations. Religion plays a far more subdued role in the public sphere in Canada than in its southern neighbor. Trump posed in front of a vandalized Episcopal parish house gripping a Bible. He invites pastors to the Oval Office to pray with him. His ally, House Speaker Mike Johnson, says the best way to understand his own world view is to read the Bible. Such high-level religion-themed displays would be unlikely and almost certainly unpopular in Canada, where Carney — like his recent predecessors — generally avoids public discussion of his faith. (He is a Catholic who supports abortion rights.) There are broader differences as well. The rate of regular church attendance in Canada is far lower than in the U.S. Evangelical Christians have nowhere near the political clout in Canada that they have south of the border. There is no major campaign in Canada to post the Ten Commandments in public schools or to enact sweeping abortion bans. Kevin Kee, a professor and former dean at the University of Ottawa, has written about the contrasting religious landscapes of the U.S. and Canada, exploring the rise of American evangelist Billy Graham to become a confidant of numerous U.S. presidents. Christianity, Kee said, has not permeated modern Canadian politics to that extent. 'We have a political leadership that keeps its religion quiet,' Kee said. 'To make that kind of declaration in Canada is to create an us/them situation. There's no easy way to keep everybody happy, so people keep it quiet.' A dramatic loss of Catholic power in Quebec The mostly French-speaking province of Quebec provides a distinctive example of Canada's tilt toward secularism. The Catholic Church was Quebec's dominant force through most of its history, with sweeping influence over schools, health care and politics. That changed dramatically in the so-called Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, when the provincial government took control of education and health care as part of a broader campaign to reduce the church's power. The rate of regular church attendance among Quebec's Catholics plummeted from one of the highest in Canada to the one of the lowest. Among religiously devout Canadians, in Quebec and other provinces, some are candid about feeling marginalized in a largely secular country. 'I feel isolated because our traditional Christian views are seen as old-fashioned or not moving with the times,' said Mégane Arès-Dubé, 22, after she and her husband attended a service at a conservative Reformed Baptist church in Saint Jerome, about 30 miles (nearly 50 kilometers) north of Montreal. 'Contrary to the U.S., where Christians are more represented in elected officials, Christians are really not represented in Canada,' she added. 'I pray that Canada wakes up.' The church's senior pastor, Pascal Denault, has mixed feelings about the Quiet Revolution's legacy. 'For many aspects of it, that was good,' he said. 'Before that, it was mainly the Catholic clergy that controlled many things in the province, so we didn't have religious freedom.' Nonetheless, Denault wishes for a more positive public view of religion in Canada. 'Sometimes, secularism becomes a religion in itself, and it wants to shut up any religious speech in the public sphere,' he said. 'What we hope for is that the government will recognize that religion is not an enemy to fight, but it's more a positive force to encourage.' Denault recently hosted a podcast episode focusing on Trump; he later shared some thoughts about the president. 'We tend to think that Trump is more using Christianity as a tool for his influence, rather than being a genuine Christian,' he said. 'But Christians are, I think, appreciative of some of his stances on different things.' Trump's religion-related tactics — such as posing with the Bible in his hands — wouldn't go over well with Canadians, Denault said. 'They'd see that as something wrongful. The public servant should not identify with a specific religion,' Denault said. 'I don't think most Canadians would vote for that type of politician.' Repurposed church buildings abound in Montreal In the Montreal neighborhood of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, the skyline is dotted with crosses atop steeples, but many of those churches are unused or repurposed. For decades, factory and port workers worshipped at Saint-Mathias-Apotre Church. Today it's a restaurant that serves affordable meals daily for more than 600 residents. The manager of Le Chic Resto Pop, Marc-Andre Simard, grew up Catholic and now, like many of his staff, identifies as religiously unaffiliated. But he still tries to honor some core values of Catholicism at the nonprofit restaurant, which retains the church's original wooden doors and even its confessional booths. 'There's still space to be together, to have some sort of communion, but it's around food, not around faith.' Simard said during a lunch break, sitting near what used to be the altar of the former church. Simard says the extent to which the Catholic Church controlled so much of public life in Quebec should serve as a cautionary tale for the U.S. 'We went through what the United States are going through right now,' he said. Elsewhere in Montreal, a building that once housed a Catholic convent now often accommodates meetings of the Quebec Humanist Association. The group's co-founder, Michel Virard, said French Canadians 'know firsthand what it was to have a clergy nosing in their affairs.' Now, Virard says, 'There is no 'excluding religious voice' in Canada, merely attempts at excluding clergy from manipulating the state power levers and using taxpayers' money to promote a particular religious viewpoint.' History reveals why role of religion is so different in U.S. and Canada Why are Canada and the U.S., two neighbors which share so many cultural traditions and priorities, so different regarding religion's role in public life? According to academics who have pondered that question, their history provides some answers. The United States, at independence from Britain, chose not to have a dominant, federally established church. In Canada, meanwhile, the Catholic Church was dominant in Quebec, and the Church of England — eventually named the Anglican Church of Canada — was powerful elsewhere. Professor Darren Dochuk, a Canadian who teaches history at University of Notre Dame in Indiana, says the 'disestablishment' of religion in the U.S. 'made religious life all the more dynamic.' 'This is a country in which free faith communities have been allowed to compete in the marketplace for their share,' he said. 'In the 20th century, you had a plethora of religious groups across the spectrum who all competed voraciously for access to power,' he said. 'More recently, the evangelicals are really dominating that. … Religious conservatives are imposing their will on Washington.' There's been no equivalent faith-based surge in Canada, said Dochuk, suggesting that Canada's secularization produced 'precipitous decline in the power of religion as a major operator in politics.' Carmen Celestini, professor of religious studies at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, said that even when Canadian politicians do opt for faith-based outreach, they often take a multicultural approach — for example, visiting Sikh, Hindu and Jewish houses of worship, as well as Christian churches. Trump's talk about Canada becoming the 51st state fueled a greater sense of national unity among most Canadians, and undermined the relatively small portion of them who identify as Christian nationalists, Celestini said. 'Canada came together more as a nation, not sort of seeing differences with each other, but seeing each other as Canadians and being proud of our sovereignty and who we are as a nation,' she said. 'The concern that Canadians have, when we look at what's happening in America, is that we don't want that to happen here. ' ___ Crary, who reported from New York, was the AP's Canada bureau chief from 1995-99. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Solve the daily Crossword
