8.24.26 Firefighters’ religious accommodations, national debt milestone, and Pompeii’s ruins

**Jennie Ruff** (0:05)
Good morning. Today on Legal Docket, eight firefighters seek Supreme Court review of a COVID era religious accommodation case.

**Lauren Peterson** (0:13)
We're a single income family. It meant losing all of our insurance and all of our income.

**Nick Eicher** (0:18)
Five years later, the legal fight may just be getting started. Also today, the Monday Money Beat, the national debt hits $40 trillion. David Bahnsen standing by.
Later, the WORLD History Book, it was preserved for nearly 2,000 years.

**Stephen Tuck** (0:32)
It's a wonderful tapestry of an ancient city that we had no idea really beforehand.

**Nick Eicher** (0:37)
What Pompeii revealed about life in Rome.

**Jennie Ruff** (0:47)
It's Monday, August 24th. This is The World and Everything In It from listeners supported World Radio. I'm Jenny Ruff.

**Nick Eicher** (0:53)
And I'm Nick Iger.

**Jennie Ruff** (0:58)
Up next, Ken Covington with today's news.

**Kent Covington** (1:01)
Wine, furniture and hockey sticks are among the Canadian goods now facing a 50% US tariff. The duties took effect on Saturday on $20 billion in exports. President Trump previously said last week that the two sides had a deal in place to avoid the tariffs. But Canada walked away on Friday saying that US negotiators wanted limits on its trade with other countries, while American officials say Canada made new demands. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso.

**John Barrasso** (1:30)
It would be wise for them to come back to the table, have the discussions and make sure that we move forward because we need to continue trade with Canada.

**Kent Covington** (1:37)
Roughly three quarters of Canada's exports go to the United States. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicts the talks will resume in short order.

**Sean Duffy** (1:46)
You're going to see Mark Carney come to the table very, very quickly because it's going to be devastating for his country.

**Kent Covington** (1:52)
Canada is set to strike back on September 8th on American Steel, Dairy and Farm Equipment. Senator Susan Collins of Maine says the tariffs will raise costs for families back home.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney insists that his administration did all it could and there isn't much to talk about right now.

**Mark Carney** (2:10)
We pursued every opportunity to reach an agreement that protects Canadian workers and their families, that strengthens our economy, and that respects Canadian sovereignty.

**Kent Covington** (2:23)
Carney added that his government has been under no illusions and quote, recognized from the start that America has changed.

**Mark Carney** (2:30)
We can't control the storm that blows in from Washington. We can, however, chart a new course by building Canada strong at home and diversifying our trading relationships abroad.

**Kent Covington** (2:43)
US trade officials say more measures could follow.
Senator John Barrasso also weighed in on Washington turning up the economic pressure against Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to spell out a new round of sanctions today meant to force Iran to give up its nuclear program. They would hit any bank or company anywhere still trading with Iran. Senator Barrasso.

**John Barrasso** (3:05)
The suffering that's going on in Iran right now, the maximum sanctions being applied are the things that are going to make Iran finally say, you're right, we were wrong, no nuclear weapon, straits open.

**Kent Covington** (3:18)
But Tehran says it will not submit. Iran's Security Council chief says the Strait of Hormuz remains closed until the US changes course, and Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi calls the sanctions, quote, bound to fail. And the standoff continues after U.S.-Iran nuclear talks collapsed weeks ago. The Navy continues to blockade Iranian ports.
More rain is falling on Hawaii's Big Island, a week after Hurricane Lala tore up many of the island's roads and hillsides. Tropical storm Moki is passing well south of the islands. A flood watch runs through this afternoon. Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned over the weekend.

**Josh Green** (3:56)
It will drop five to ten inches of rain, most likely, on the Big Island, which is impactful because we just had so much rain from Hurricane Lala there.

**Kent Covington** (4:04)
Lala killed multiple people and dropped more than 40 inches of rain and thousands still have no power. Governor Green has asked the White House for a federal emergency declaration.

**Josh Green** (4:15)
We know there's already at least $43 million of damage to infrastructure on the Big Island. Another $4.6 million to homes, at the very least. There's going to be a lot more to account for and we will be there to provide recovery and resources, but it's going to take some time.

**Kent Covington** (4:29)
Forecasters expect drier weather to return tomorrow.
Hundreds of data center projects in Texas are frozen in place, blocked from plugging in to the power grid. Governor Greg Abbott ordered the freeze after complaints from residents about rising electric bills and water use, he said on Sunday.