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Today we're covering the Dunkin’ Donuts backlash ad, the $200 million dollar ballroom in the White House, and the art of letter writing.

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President Trump announced Thursday that U.S. tariffs on certain Canadian goods will increase from 25 percent to 35 percent beginning Friday. The White House cited Canada's failure to cooperate on curbing fentanyl flow and retaliation against previous U.S. actions as justification for the escalation.

Goods covered under the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement remain exempt from the higher tariff rate. Trump initially imposed 25 percent tariffs earlier this year, despite experts noting relatively little fentanyl crosses the northern border compared to the southern border with Mexico (More).

The president has repeatedly criticized Canada and suggested annexing it as the 51st state, proposals Canadian leaders have rejected. Trump also cited Canada's recognition of Palestinian statehood as complicating trade negotiations between the neighboring countries. Trump’s 2.0 tariff tracker here.

President Trump announced plans to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom replacing the East Wing, marking the biggest White House transformation since Harry Truman's presidency. The $200 million project begins in September and will be funded through private donations and Trump's personal contribution.

Trump has already implemented changes including gold Oval Office accents, new flagpoles, and Rose Garden paving to accommodate high heels. He's also renovating the Lincoln Bedroom bathroom to reflect the 16th president's era. Construction workers receive weekly visits from the president. See this announcement.

The ballroom project aims to eliminate outdoor tents for large events and could become Trump's lasting legacy at the White House. While decorative changes can be reversed by future presidents, the ballroom may endure for decades like Truman's famous balcony addition.

Here’s a virtual tour of the White House.

Dunkin' released an advertisement featuring actor Gavin Casalegno promoting its Golden Hour Refresher drink, with Casalegno referencing his "golden" tan as genetics-based. The commercial aired days after American Eagle's controversial Sydney Sweeney campaign faced similar criticism. Dunkin' has not responded for comment.

The ad's genetics reference and "color analysis" mention drew online criticism linking the messaging to exclusionary ideals. Critics connected it to recent backlash against American Eagle's campaign, which faced accusations of promoting eugenics messaging through genetics references.

Responses remain divided, with some viewers defending the advertisement as harmless marketing while others see problematic undertones (More).

In a brutal display of corporate power, Steve Jobs delivered this ice-cold message to Adobe's CEO:

The result? This 47-word email became legendary in Silicon Valley for its:

This is how you protect what's yours while projecting unshakeable confidence.

Physicist Richard Feynman penned a deeply moving love letter to his wife Arline sixteen months after losing her. In the October 1946 letter, he expresses his enduring devotion and struggles with understanding how to love someone who is gone. He confesses that other women "seem ashes" compared to her and that she remains so vivid in his memory that he cannot form new relationships, ending with the simple declaration: "I love my wife."

Read the letter here. Chris Williamson shares here.

> Trump pressures 17 pharma CEOs to slash US drug prices matching overseas levels by September 29 deadline (More).

> Apple CEO Tim Cook says company ready to spend more on AI acquisitions and data centers (More).

> Kamala Harris releases memoir on historic 107-day presidential campaign after Biden's July exit, publishing September 23 (More).

> Harvey Weinstein details prison relationship with five kids, says family now "number one" in rare interview (More).

> Nazi-obsessed amateur historian Darryl Cooper rises to top of Substack despite extreme background (More).

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