**Carney Returns to Ottawa Without U.S. Tariff Deal** OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney returned to Ottawa today without securing a deal to eliminate U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. Despite the lack of agreement, Carney left two key ministers in Washington to continue advocating for Canada’s position. Carney met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon. This was their second meeting in less than six months. Ahead of the meeting, Trump told reporters that Carney would leave “very happy,” but no concessions on tariffs were made during their discussions. Following the meeting, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc addressed reporters. He stated that while no deal was reached, “substantial progress was made” and noted that there is now momentum for future negotiations that was absent before their talks. In other news, the Liberal government has established a new artificial intelligence task force, which has been criticized for being overly focused on industry perspectives. Critics, including Teresa Scassa, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, argue that the task force's 27 members are too industry-heavy. Scassa emphasized that the risks posed by AI to Canada’s culture, environment, and workforce need more attention in the national strategy. Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon announced the task force last month, giving it a 30-day deadline to draft recommendations for a revised AI strategy. Solomon indicated that the new strategy is expected to be released later this year, nearly two years ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, the union representing striking Canada Post employees plans to meet with the federal minister overseeing the Crown corporation. The union has accused the government of undermining the collective bargaining process. Postal workers began their strike nearly two weeks ago after Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound announced significant changes to Canada Post's operations during ongoing negotiations. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is urging the minister to reverse changes that would allow the end of daily mail delivery and the closure of some rural post offices. The union argues that these changes threaten the long-term viability of the postal service. In Ontario, hospitals are reporting a need for an additional $1 billion this year to address challenges such as population growth and inflation. The Ontario Hospital Association stated that many hospitals ended the previous year with deficits, and the overall hospital deficit for 2024-25 is projected at $360 million, down from an earlier estimate of $706 million due to increased year-end revenues. In sports, the Edmonton Elks are providing support to high school football players affected by the Alberta teachers strike. The strike has halted several school sports teams, including football. Ryan Brower, community coordinator for amateur football with the Elks, reported that the team organized practice sessions, filling 125 slots quickly, with an additional 90 students on a waiting list. Lastly, the Toronto Blue Jays are looking to bounce back against the New York Yankees in their American League Division Series. After losing a game in which they held a 6-1 lead, the Jays aim to secure a win tonight to advance in the series. This report was first published on October 8, 2025.