The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, Sept. 12, edition that Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland pressed pause on North American free-trade agreement negotiations with the United States after one day in Washington this week, saying she needed to leave the talks to speak in person with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the state of discussions. A triple bylined item in The Globe reports that Ms. Freeland says negotiations are at a juncture where she, chief negotiator Steve Verheul and David MacNaughton, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., need to consult on NAFTA talks with Mr. Trudeau. She said, "This is really a moment when speaking and meeting face to face with the Prime Minister is really essential." She gave no details on her planned discussions with Mr. Trudeau, saying that Canada would not negotiate in public, but said this was not a conversation she wanted to have over the phone. She said she, and other Canadian negotiators, need to brief the PM in person. "Telephone lines are just not the same. We need to be able to talk to him directly and answer his questions." The approach of Hurricane Florence may frustrate plans to return to Washington later this week.