*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."
The Tony Awards on Sunday lured 4.85 million viewers to CBS, its largest broadcast audience in six years. CBS says Monday that Nielsen data shows the telecast — hosted by “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo — scored a 38% increase over last year’s 3.53 million viewers. That’s the largest audience for the Tonys since 2019, when the telecast that year nabbed 5.4 million viewers and “Hadestown” was crowned best new musical. The latest version also had to compete with the second game of the NBA Finals, between the Thunder and Pacers,
After stumbling out of the starting gate in Big Tech’s pivotal race to capitalize on artificial intelligence, Apple tried to regain its footing Monday during a developers conference that focused mostly on incremental advances and cosmetic changes in its technology.
Six weeks before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel last December, Luigi Mangione mused about rebelling against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel” and expressed that killing the executive “conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming."
Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson once clashed on the court in the 2001 NBA Finals, but now the basketball legends are joining forces to revive the Reebok brand they helped make iconic.
Midea is voluntarily recalling about 1.7 million of its popular U and U+ Smart air conditioners because pooled water in the units may not drain fast enough, leading to mold growth.
