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Company wants some Branson boat death lawsuits dropped

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The company that owns the Ride the Ducks operation in Branson asked a judge Monday to dismiss some of the lawsuits filed after one of its boats sank in a Missouri lake in July, killing 17 people.

Ripley Entertainment said in its motions that the boat’s sinking on Table Rock Lake was “an unforeseeable and unintentional occurrence” and that the company’s amphibious vehicle tours complied with U.S. Coast Guard regulations.

The boat went down on July 19 when a strong thunderstorm blew in shortly after it headed out on the lake near Branson with 31 people on board.

Survivors and relatives of those who died have filed several lawsuits against Ripley and five other companies involved with the manufacture and operation of the tourist attraction. They contend the boat’s operators should not have put the boat on the lake because of the weather. They also contend that the manufacturers ignored warnings for years that the boats’ design should be changed to reduce the risk of sinking.

Ripley also asks the judge to strike what it calls hyperbolic and inflammatory language from the lawsuits, which the company contends would make it more difficult to receive a new trial.

“The facts show that Defendants had an impeccable safety record with vessels certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as in full compliance with applicable regulations,” Ripley Entertainment says in its motions.

Andrew Duffy, a Philadelphia attorney representing some of the lawsuit plaintiffs, said he will “vehemently oppose” the motions that seek to dismiss the lawsuits.

“We stand by our well-pled complaints and nothing in the motions to dismiss will prevent these matters from moving forward,” Duffy said.

The motions for dismissal were over lawsuits filed by John Coleman, brother of drowning victim Ervin Coleman; Lisa Berry and Marlo Rose Wells, suing on behalf of the estates of Belinda Coleman, Angela Coleman and Maxwell Ly; and Tia Coleman, who survived the sinking and also sued on behalf of some of her relatives who died on the boat, Glenn Coleman, Reece Coleman, Evan Coleman and Arya Coleman.

It is unclear how the lawsuits will proceed. The U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri has asked a federal judge overseeing the lawsuits to halt most of the discovery in the civil cases while it investigates whether criminal charges are warranted.

Records: NE Kan. woman plotted killing while jailed for poisoning kids

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OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Court records say a Kansas woman plotted to kill her ex-husband when she was in jail on suspicion of trying to poison their three children.

Roever -Photo Johnson County

Therese Roever, of Olathe, was charged in February in the attempted capital murder of her children and last month in the attempted capital murder of her ex-husband.

Court records released last week say Roever’s former husband was contacted by a relative of another Johnson County jail inmate who told him his ex-wife was trying to find someone who would kill him. He then contacted police.

The documents say Roever told another inmate she would rather die in prison or have the children go to foster care, than have her ex-husband get custody.

Judge raises concern about Missouri voter photo ID law

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A judge hearing a challenge to Missouri’s voter photo identification law raised concerns Monday that people lacking photo IDs are being asked to sign an inaccurate sworn statement, but he expressed reluctance to strike down the full law.

Senior Cole County Judge Richard Callahan said he expects to rule next week on a lawsuit claiming that the photo ID law enacted in 2016 violates the state constitution.

The decision will have implications for people wishing to vote in Nov. 6 elections, in which Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill faces a challenge from Republican state Attorney General Josh Hawley.

Voter photo ID requirements have been contentious in numerous states, and the Arkansas Supreme Court also is weighing whether to strike down its state law before the general election.

Photo ID requirements are backed most commonly by Republicans who tout them as a means of preventing fraud and opposed most frequently by Democrats who contend they can disenfranchise poor, elderly, disabled and minority voters who are less likely to have photo IDs.

Missouri’s law was enacted when the Republican-led Legislature overrode the veto of then-Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat. Voters in 2016 also approved a constitutional amendment intended to permit photo identification laws — a response to a 2006 state Supreme Court ruling that found a prior photo ID law unconstitutional.

The new law says voters shall establish their identity with a valid government-issued photo identification. But people can still cast regular ballots if they show one of several non-photo forms of identification and sign sworn statements saying they don’t have a photo ID, understand they can get one for free from the state and acknowledge that a photo ID is required to vote.

People also can cast provisional ballots, which will be counted if their signatures match those on file or they return later to show a photo ID.

Callahan said the sworn statement appears to be “inaccurate” because it states people must have a photo ID to vote even though there are ways to do so without one.

The judge said the statement could cause confusion for his elderly mother, whose driver’s license has expired and who now lives in a St. Louis County facility while potentially still listing her voting residence as the home she owns in St. Louis city.

“I think my mother would have a problem looking at that and signing it without fear that she was stating something that was not true,” Callahan told attorneys defending the law.

Report: There are 5,424 untested rape kits across Missouri

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — At least 5,424 rape kits remain untested across Missouri, but a new federal grant might help reduce the backlog, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office announced Monday.

The attorney general’s office said 372 of Missouri’s law enforcement agencies, 87 health care providers and five crime labs voluntarily responded to the 11-month audit. The Columbia Missourian reported only 57 percent of the state’s 655 law enforcement agencies responded to the audit.

A $2.8 million Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will be used to try and complete the inventory of untested kits, a condition of receiving the grant. After that, the money will be used to standardize collection, retention and testing protocols across the state, Hawley said in a news release.

A law Missouri lawmakers approved last session created a more formal, electronic tracking system that would allow victims to track the status of their forensic evidence. The grant will help the attorney general’s office create that system.

“To undergo a sexual assault evidence examination is a brave act,” said Hawley, the Republican candidate in Missouri’s U.S. Senate race. “No kit should languish untested when its collection requires such courage. My hope is that this grant funding will allow Missouri to test all existing kits and to establish statewide protocols that will prevent any kit from going untested in the future.”

The audit began in November, about a week after the Columbia Missourian published an investigation into the backlog.

The attorney general’s office has formed a group of stakeholders that will develop the tracking system and comprehensive statewide standards for handling and processing of sexual assault evidence kits. The group’s first meeting is scheduled for Oct. 10.

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US Supreme Court won’t hear complaint against Platte Co. Attorney

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PLATTE CITY, Mo. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court will not review a reprimand the Missouri Supreme Court issued against Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd.

Missouri’s high court reprimanded Zahnd in May for publicly naming some residents of a northwest Missouri town who defended a convicted child sex offender. The U.S Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider the issue.

The case began in October 2015 when Zahnd issued a news release naming residents of Dearborn who wrote letters supporting Darren Paden while Paden was awaiting sentencing for sexually abusing a young girl.

The Kansas City Star reports the Missouri Press Association and the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys supported Zahnd’s request. They argued that the case raised issues of whether an elected prosecutor can tell the truth in a news release about public information once a case is over.

Food safety inspections for September

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The City of St. Joseph has released its Food Safety Inspections for the month of September 2018.

 

AMERICAN TAVERN

1001 N 3rd St

Observations:

Repairing

-Damaged floor tiles

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

-New floor tiles purchased and will be laid down in October as per manager

 

TIGERS DEN

519 Felix

No observations.

 

VFW POST

821 N 4th

No observations.

 

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK

915 Douglas

No observations.

 

SWISS HIGHLANDS 66

3011 N Belt Hwy

Observations:

Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils.

-Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.

 

Food Labels

-Label must display business and address for tracking purposes

 

Repairing

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

 

Cleaning, Frequency and Restrictions

-The physical facilities shall be cleaned as often as necessary to keep them clean

 

NOYES HOME

801 N Noyes

No observations.

 

ALBRECHT KEMPER MUSEUM OF ART

2818 Frederick Ave

No observations.

 

SOUTH SIDE FAMILY

6938 King Hill Ave

No observations.

 

SUBWAY-SPEEDY’S

4623A N Village Dr

Observations:

Cleaning Ventilation Systems, Nuisance and Discharge Prohibition*

-Intake and exhaust air ducts shall be cleaned and filters changed so they are not a source of contamination by dust, dirt, and other materials. If vented to the outside, ventilation systems may not create a public health hazard or nuisance or unlawful discharge

*According to the report, issues noted in this section were corrected.

 

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN N BELT

5332 N Belt Hwy

Observations:

Nonfood-Contact Surfaces

-Nonfood-contact surfaces shall be free of unnecessary ledges, projections, and crevices, and designed and constructed to allow easy cleaning and to facilitate maintenance.

 

Repairing

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

 

DOMINOS 2

2223 N. Belt

Observations:

Thawing.

-Food must be thawed in walk-in-cooler or submerged in cold running water, or in microwave, NEVER at ROOM TEMPERATURE!!

 

Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils.

-Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.

 

McDONALDS LAKE AVE

6108A Lake Ave

No observations.

 

PARKWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

2900 Duncan

No observations.

 

DOMINOS PIZZA

2110 Messanie

Observations:

Eating, Drinking, or Using Tobacco*

-Employee drink bottles placed next to food

-An employee shall not, eat, drink, or use any form of tobacco only in designated areas where the contamination of exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; unwrapped single-service and single-use articles; or other items needing protection can not result. Drinks must have lids and straws to prevent hand to mouth contact.

-Put employee drinks in a designated area and away from consumer food

*According to the report, issues noted in this section were corrected.

 

Separation.

-Unlabeled sanitizer spray bottle

-All containers that hold cleaning product, sanitizers, chemicals, must have a label that clearly identifies what is in the container

-Label all bottles Including water bottles

 

Using a Handwashing Facility.

-Sink used for for prep -A handwashing facility may not be used for any purposes other than handwashing

-Use sinks for the right purposes

 

Thawing.

-Thawing sauce on top of oven

-Food must be thawed in walk-in-cooler or submerged in cold running water, or in microwave, NEVER at ROOM TEMPERATURE!!

-Use cold running water. Walk in cooler seems to be too cold to thaw food. Sauce voluntarily discarded

 

BENTON HIGH SCHOOL

5655 S 4th St

No observations.

 

CABANA GRILL

2131 St Joseph Ave

No observations.

 

EDISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

515 N 22nd

No observations.

 

McALISTER’S DELI

3518 Frederick Ave

Observations:

Eating, Drinking, or Using Tobacco*

-Employee cups have no straws and lids

-An employee shall not, eat, drink, or use any form of tobacco only in designated areas where the contamination of exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; unwrapped single-service and single-use articles; or other items needing protection can not result. Drinks must have lids and straws to prevent hand to mouth contact.

-All cups must have lids and straws

*According to the report, issues noted in this section were corrected.

 

Using a Handwashing Facility.

-Sink used for storing tea whisk

-A handwashing facility may not be used for any purposes other than handwashing

-Use sinks for intended purposes

 

System Maintained in Good Repair.

-Dishwasher is leaking

-There should be no leaks, clogged/slow drains, properly installed

-Repair leaks to prevent contamination of potable water

 

CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

2602 Edmond

No observations.

 

TRUMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL

3227 Olive

No observations.

 

SKAITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

4701 Schoolside Ln

No observations.

 

SPRING GARDEN MIDDLE SCHOOL

5802 S 22nd

No observations.

 

MARK TWAIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

801 S 31st

No observations.

 

PICKETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

3923 Pickett Rd

No observations.

 

FIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

2602 Genefield Rd

No observations.

 

HYDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

509 Thompson

No observations.

 

COLEMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

3312 Beck Rd

No observations.

 

ROBIDOUX MIDDLE SCHOOL

4212 St. Joseph Ave

No observations.

 

HOSEA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

6401 Gordon

No observations.

 

LINDBERGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

2812 St. Joseph Ave

No observations.

 

OAK GROVE SCHOOL

4901 Cook Rd

No observations.

 

CARDEN PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

1510 Duncan

No observations.

 

LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL

412 E Highland

No observations.

 

SAINT FRANCIS PAROCHIAL SCHOOL

2641 Seneca

Observations:

The leak in the walk in freezer needs to be addressed during the summer of 2019, it is leaking and freezing, this is not normal, and can cause harm to foods being stored.

 

WEBSTER ADULT EDUCATION & CATERING

1211 N 18th

Observations:

Mechanical Warewashing Equipment, Wash Solution Temperature

-Sanitizing temperature in dishwasher is too low -A) Except as specified in (B) of this section, in a mechanical operation, the temperature of the fresh hot water sanitizing rinse as it enters the manifold may not be more than 90°C (194°F), or less than:   (1) For a stationary rack, single temperature machine, 74°C (165°F); or (2) For all other machines, 82°C (180°F).

-Repair dishwasher right away. Temperature must be 180.0 degrees

 

PERSHING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

2610 Blackwell Rd

No observations.

 

CATHEDRAL PAROCHIAL SCHOOL

518 N 11th

No observations.

 

BIGGINS SPORTS BAR & GRILL

408 Hickory

Observations:

Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils.

-Dirty floor in the walk in cooler

-Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.

-Clean cooler to eliminate pathogens

 

Cleaning, Frequency and Restrictions

-Clean walls, floors, ceiling on a regular basis.

 

SUBWAY #6381

3114 N Belt Hwy

Observations:

Eating, Drinking, or Using Tobacco*

-An employee shall not, eat, drink, or use any form of tobacco only in designated areas where the contamination of exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; unwrapped single-service and single-use articles; or other items needing protection can not result. Drinks must have lids and straws to prevent hand to mouth contact.

-1. Employees drink, no lid or straw

 

Controlling Pests.

-Pest control is a must, any sign of pest can signal a possible major problem as pest are known to harbor and spread bacteria and virus, and must be dealt with immediately

-1. Way too many flies, on prep board, wrappers, tongs, needs immediate attention.

 

INDEPENDENT CHILD MONTESSORI SCHOOL

1302 N. 49th Terr

Observations:

Packaged and Unpackaged Food – Separation, Packaging, and Segregation.

-Employee food in the cooler is not separated from the children’s food

-(A) Food shall be protected from cross contamination by: (1) Separating raw animal foods during storage, preparation, holding, and display from: (a) Raw ready-to-eat food including other raw animal food such as fish for sushi or molluscan shellfish, or other raw ready-to-eat food such as vegetables, and (b) Cooked ready-to-eat food;

-Separate food to prevent cross-contamination

 

Handwashing Cleanser, Availability.

-Each handwashing lavatory or group of 2 adjacent lavatories shall be provided with a supply of hand cleaning liquid, powder, or bar soap.

-No soap at kitchen hand sink -Supply soap at handsinks at all time

-Must have hand washing soap. Dishwashing soap is designed for dishes only

 

SUBWAY #15194

4514 S 169 Hwy

No observations.

 

SUBWAY #33872

3022A S Belt Hwy

Observations:

Controlling Pests.

-Pest control is a must, any sign of pest can signal a possible major problem as pest are known to harbor and spread bacteria and virus, and must be dealt with immediately

-1. Many house flies, far fewer than last visit, are doing appropriate procedures to lower pest activity.

 

PIZZA SHOPPE OF ST JOSEPH

2229C  N Belt Hwy

Observations:

Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils.

-Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.

 

Repairing

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

 

Good Repair and Proper Adjustment

-Equipment components such as doors, seals, hinges, fasteners, and kick plates shall be kept intact, tight, and adjusted in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications

 

SAINT JAMES PAROCHIAL SCHOOL

120 Michigan

Observations:

Mechanical Warewashing Equipment, Wash Solution Temperature

-Rinse water temperature is too low; 159.0 degrees -A) Except as specified in (B) of this section, in a mechanical operation, the temperature of the fresh hot water sanitizing rinse as it enters the manifold may not be more than 90°C (194°F), or less than: (1) For a stationary rack, single temperature machine, 74°C (165°F); or (2) For all other machines, 82°C (180°F).

-Sanitizing temperature must reach 180.0 degrees. Repair dishwasher right away

 

CHEDDARS CASUAL CAFE

5302 N Belt Hwy

No observations.

 

APPLEBEES NEIGHBORHOOD GRILL

4004 Frederick Ave

Observations:

Using a Handwashing Facility.

-A handwashing facility may not be used for any purposes other than handwashing

 

BODE MIDDLE SCHOOL

720 N Noyes

No observations.

 

RESTAURANT 1785

513 Francis

No observations.

 

PIZZA RANCH

3007 N Belt Hwy

Observations:

Repairing

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

 

TREX MART #10

3508 Pear

No observations.

 

GALLERY ON 6th DELI & THEATER

107 S 6th

No observations.

 

BROWN BEAR INC

2028 St Joseph Ave

Observations:

Repairing

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

-replace tiles in women’s restroom

Former Missouri church pastor charged with child enticement

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INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a former Missouri pastor who recently left for a Wisconsin church has been charged with child sex crimes.

Patschke -courtesy Marathon Co. Sheriff

53-year-old Scott Patschke is free on bond after he was charged last week in Marathon County, Wisconsin, with child enticement.

He had been a senior pastor at the Messiah Lutheran Church in Independence, Missouri, until he left in August for a job as an associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wisconsin.

He is accused of sending sexual messages last month to someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy.

A church newsletter says he has since resigned from the Wisconsin job. In Missouri, Messiah Lutheran Church congregation president Todd Bodenstab said he hadn’t heard of any complaints about Patschke’s behavior there.

Major GOP committee pulls money from Kan. congressman’s re-election bid

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By SAM ZEFF

The National Republican Congressional Committee has pulled more than $1 million in advertising support from Rep. Kevin Yoder’s re-election campaign in the Kansas 3rd District, according toThe Hill newspaper.

The Hill broke the story late Sunday and quotes an unnamed source “familiar with the NRCC’s strategic thinking.”

Photo courtesy Congressman Kevin Yoder

The report comes on the heels of Inside Politics Saturday moving the race to “Tilt Democratic.” Other ratings organizations have the race as a “toss up.”

The last poll was from the New York Times which has Democrat Sharice Davids up eight points on the incumbent.

Yoder’s campaign isn’t ready to concede that the NRCC is abandoning the race.

“Chairman (Steve) Stivers reiterated the NRCC’s commitment to helping Kevin directly to him last week,” campaign spokesperson C.J. Grover said it a text. “The committee remains engaged in our race and is sending coordinated TV dollars this week.”

Even if the NRCC is pulling out of town, Yoder is getting plenty of outside money. The Congressional Leadership Fund, the largest GOP PAC, has already poured $1.8 million into the race and has hundreds of thousands of dollars more in TV time reserved in Kansas City.

In a tweet, University of Kansas Political Science Professor Patrick Miller said the NRCC pulling back money from Yoder is “not a sign of confidence in his re-election odds.” He also said that the NRCC has been “triaging several vulnerable Rs (Republicans) in the last week” whose poll numbers look similar to Yoder’s.

The NRCC story also comes at the end of the fundraising quarter for candidate committees. The news could discourage some Republicans from putting money into the race. Sunday marks the close of the latest fundraising period for congressional campaigns. Federal Election Commission reports for candidates are due Oct. 15.

Sam Zeff is KCUR’s Metro Reporter in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. You can follow Sam on Twitter @samzeff

Audit: Whereabouts of 100s of Missouri sex offenders unknown

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Elmer Shawn Belt is one of dozens of missing sex offenders -image MSHP

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A state audit has found that police across Missouri don’t know the whereabouts of nearly 1,300 registered sex offenders, including hundreds who fall into the most dangerous category.

Missouri state Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat, released the audit in St. Louis on Monday.

Missouri law requires convicted sex offenders to register their name, address and other information with county law enforcement where they live, most often the sheriff’s department. The Missouri State Highway Patrol then maintains a publicly available database. Offenders must keep their information up-to-date and notify police when they move.

The audit says 1,259 sex offenders are unaccounted for — about 8 percent of the nearly 16,000 registered sex offenders in Missouri — and blames inadequate enforcement of the registration requirement at the local level.

Galloway said the findings are “disturbing and alarming.”

“As it stands the sex offender registry really provides a false sense of security,” Galloway said at a news conference in St. Louis.

Galloway said the audit did not compare compliance rates in Missouri with other states, nor did it examine if non-compliant sex offenders committed additional crimes.

However, other states have had similar problems with keeping up with sex offenders. A state analysis in August found that Wisconsin didn’t have current information on 2,735 offenders. A 2017 audit in Massachusetts found no address on file for nearly 1,800 of the state’s more than 13,000 registered sex offenders.

The registration requirement law took effect in Missouri in 1995 and was updated this year to classify sex offenders into three tiers. The most dangerous sex offenders are listed in Tier III for offenses that include rape, sodomy or first- or second-degree child molestation. Those offenders must register with local police every 90 days for the rest of their lives.

Galloway said the audit found that at least 794 of the non-compliant offenders met the criteria for Tier III. She singled out St. Louis, where 197 of the 244 unaccounted for sex offenders fall into the most dangerous category.

The audit showed the problem persists in places large and small. Stoddard County in rural southeast Missouri had the highest rate of unaccounted for sex offenders, 25.2 percent, followed by Jackson County, which includes Kansas City, at 20.7 percent. Butler County, also in southeast Missouri, was third-worst at 20 percent, followed by St. Louis city at 19.3 percent.

Phone and email messages seeking comment from officials in St. Louis and the counties with the highest rates of unaccounted for offenders were not immediately returned. But Galloway said law enforcement officials often cite a lack of resources. She acknowledged that understaffed police agencies face an uphill battle in maintaining the registry. “But this is critically important,” she said.

Failure to comply with registration requirements is a felony. The audit found that less than 10 percent of noncompliant offenders had an active arrest warrant against them.

In addition to urging strong control at the local level, the audit cites a need for the highway patrol to improve procedures for maintaining the database and for helping local police enforce registration requirements. A highway patrol spokesman did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.

Galloway also encouraged the Legislature to strengthen the state law to require background checks for school volunteers, and to allow her office to access all court records.

Click here to view the full audit of the sexual offender registration program.

WATCH: Trump hails ‘historic’ Canada, Mexico trade pact

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday celebrated a revised North American trade deal with Canada and Mexico as a return of the United States to a “manufacturing powerhouse,” vowing to sign the agreement by late November.

 

But the president noted that the deal would need to be ratified by Congress, a step that could be complicated by the outcome of the fall congressional elections. When told he seemed confident of congressional approval, he said he was “not at all confident” but felt ratification would be granted if lawmakers took the correct action.

“Anything you submit to Congress is trouble no matter what,” Trump said, predicting that Democrats would say, “Trump likes it so we’re not going to approve it.”

Trump embraced the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement during a Rose Garden ceremony, branding the pact the “USMCA.” The president said the name has a “good ring to it,” repeating U-S-M-C-A several times.

The agreement was forged just before a midnight deadline imposed by the U.S. to include Canada in a deal reached with Mexico late in the summer. It replaces the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump has lambasted as a job-wrecking disaster that has hollowed out the nation’s industrialized base.

Flanked by Cabinet members, Trump said the pact is the “most important deal we’ve ever made by far,” covering $1.2 trillion in trade. The president said his administration had not yet agreed to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, a contentious issue between the two neighbors.

For Trump, the agreement reached in the weeks before the November congressional elections offers vindication for his hardline trade policies that have roiled relations with China, the European Union and America’s North American neighbors while causing concerns among Midwest farmers and manufacturers worried about retaliation.

Trump’s advisers view the trade pact as a political winner in Midwest battleground states critical to the president’s 2016 victory and home to tens of thousands of auto workers and manufacturers who could benefit from the changes.

Trump said he would sign the final agreement in late November, in about 60 days, and the pact is expected to be signed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto before he leaves office Dec. 1. Trump said he spoke to Trudeau by phone and told reporters that their recent tensions didn’t affect the deal-making. “He’s a professional. I’m a professional,” Trump said, calling it a “fair deal.”

Pena Nieto will be replaced by President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whose incoming administration said the deal would offer more certainty for financial markets, investment and job creation.

Ratifying the deal is likely to stretch into 2019 because once Trump and the leaders from Canada and Mexico sign the agreement, the administration and congressional leaders will need to write legislation to implement the deal and win passage in Congress.

Trump threatened to go ahead with a revamped NAFTA, with or without Canada. It was unclear, however, whether Trump had authority from Congress to pursue a revamped NAFTA with only Mexico.

NAFTA tore down most trade barriers between the United States, Canada and Mexico, leading to a surge in trade among them. But Trump and other critics said it encouraged manufacturers to move south of the border to take advantage of low Mexican wages, costing American jobs.

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