Good morning. The trade file continues to teeter. More on that below, along with a matriarchal maison in Montreal and where to get pickle coffee.

TOP STORIES

Canada rushes to make a Friday night deal

Two sources familiar with the negotiations say the prospective trade deal being negotiated in Washington this week would lower U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian autos from 25 per cent to 15 per cent and preserve an existing exemption for the value of American content in the vehicles. However, the deal would not make Canadian and Mexican content tariff-free, as Ottawa had pushed for.

The context: Prime Minister Mark Carney’s concessions at the bargaining table drew criticism from Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette, meanwhile, suggested that she might not help close the deal by returning U.S. alcohol to store shelves.

Yesterday: Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and chief negotiator Janice Charette spent more than three hours with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at Greer’s office near the White House. Carney’s chief of staff Marc-André Blanchard joined the meetings in person for the first time.

The complications: The U.S. is conducting negotiations with Mexico and Canada separately, but all three countries need alignment on what is agreed to in the auto sector because of how integrated the supply chain is. Carney’s office said he spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday.

The alcohol: All provinces except for two have retained the bans imposed on American alcohol in March 2025. But if you ask Globe columnist Marsha Lederman, although it may come back to the shelves, Canadians should still not buy U.S. booze.

MSF calls for more Canadian support on Ebola crisis

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) is calling for greater Canadian support to fight Congo’s rapidly escalating Ebola epidemic after Ottawa’s $8-million response fell far behind the contributions of other donors and its own past spending.

The context: Twelve years ago, Ottawa announced more than $110-million in aid to battle an Ebola outbreak in West Africa. But this time, despite the signs that this outbreak could be much bigger, it has only announced $8-million, MSF noted. More than 5,100 Ebola cases have been reported – nearly 10 times more than in the 2014 epidemic at the same stage, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control.

America warns Iran of ‘toughest sanctions in history’

Oil prices rose to more than a three-week high after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a focus on economic measures would lessen the need for new major military operations against Iran.

Up next: Bessent told CNBC he would share more details and “talk about exactly what we’re going to do” on Iran at a news conference on Monday. Iran’s foreign ministry said it condemned U.S. economic and trade sanctions, calling them “economic terrorism.”

Meanwhile: The former crown prince of Iran, who is pitching himself as the best option to lead Iran back to democracy, has accepted an invitation from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to visit Canada.

Banks launch prediction market restrictions

Canadian financial institutions are implementing prediction market betting rules for their employees after the platforms’ arrival in the country. Some companies are barring certain staff from wagering on particular types of events, to prevent unethical behaviour such as insider trading.

The details: The newly launched exchanges allow users to wager on events such as Bank of Canada interest rate decisions or corporate earnings metrics. Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto-Dominion Bank, National Bank and Manulife have all updated their employee policies.

The Take

The separatists are mad about it, and therefore distrustful of Elections Alberta, and on this front they’re not entirely wrong; it sure looks like different sets of rules for each side.

— Tyler Dawson, Edmonton-based editor for The Globe and Mail’s Opinion section

The Alberta referendum process has a trust problem, writes Tyler Dawson.

The Shot

At a Montreal housing collective, lesbians and allies live intentionally and age joyously.

The Wrap

What else we’re following

At home: Alberta hosted a second town hall on AI data centres after jeers and boos at a Wednesday event.

Abroad: A collection of soccer fan groups from around the world launched a petition calling for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA president.

In the bay: Year-round shipping is possible in Hudson Bay, according to studies that some believe bolster the case to expand the Port of Churchill.

In photos: The Globe interviewed former residents to understand the dark legacy of Ontario’s institutions for people with developmental disabilities.

Catch up: What to know about Grifols plasma collection centres and Health Canada’s safety concerns.

BTS: Lovers of K-pop and the BTS Army take over Toronto ahead of the band’s first show in the city in more than a decade.

CNE: Kraft Dinner smoothies, nitrogen-infused Oreo treats and pickle-flavoured coffee are among the wild food offerings at the Canadian National Exhibition this year.

Editor’s note: We updated yesterday’s newsletter edition after incorrectly stating that the star S301 moves faster than the speed of light. It moves faster than 8 per cent the speed of light.