*By Carlo Versano*
Markets were higher across the board Monday after President Trump announced his framework for a trade deal with Mexico that he hopes will replace NAFTA. The Nasdaq marked its first-ever close above 8,000, and the Dow rose more than a percent, crossing the 26,000 mark for the first time since Feb. 2.
The announcement from Trump in the Oval Office ー with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on the phone ー could ease concerns among American manufacturers that the administration's tough stance on trade could scuttle the chance for a reworked NAFTA deal.
Trump said Monday that he wanted the new agreement to be called the "United States-Mexico Trade Agreement."
"NAFTA has a lot of bad connotations for us, because it was a rip off," he said.
Canada has stayed conspicuously absent from this round of negotiations. No foundation with the Canadians was established for an expanded North American deal.
President Peña Nieto [tweeted](https://twitter.com/EPN/status/1034089218220249088) that he was angling to get the Canadians back to the table. Trump said "we'll see" if Canada can be part of an expanded deal.
A spokesman for Canada's foreign minister replied: "We will only sign a new NAFTA that is good for Canada and good for the middle class. Canada’s signature is required."
Amazon is being sued by U.S. regulators and and 17 states over allegations that the company abuses its position in the marketplace to inflate prices on other platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition.
President Joe Biden grabbed a bullhorn on the picket line Tuesday and urged striking auto workers to “stick with it” in an unparalleled show of support for organized labor by a modern president.
The confidence of American consumers slipped this month, particularly about the future, as expectations persist that interest rates will remain elevated for an extended period.
JPMorgan Chase agreed Tuesday to pay $75 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands to settle claims that the bank enabled the sex trafficking acts committed by financier Jeffrey Epstein.
