Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 12:06 am
He's reading the oath enlistees take when sworn into the military.
He's reading the oath enlistees take when sworn into the military.
Talk About Tennis 2.0
We still talk about tennis. And much more.
https://talkabouttennis2.com/
National, Regional and Local News
Page 200 of 201
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 12:16 am
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 12:29 am
https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/sports/n ... 187419007/As part of a halftime ceremony where Trump read the Oath of Enlistment to on-field service members from his luxury suite, the loud boos essentially drowned out Trump's voice over the stadium PA system.
Trump is no stranger to mixed reactions at sporting events and is often booed. But Sunday's scene was so overwhelmingly negative that Trump even appeared to take notice.
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 4:24 pm
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyn9jwqzy8o
I think it would be difficult to argue that the current government hasn't had a lot of success in sorting out US-Mexico border. I've been to El Paso in Biden years and indeed it didn't make the best impression.
I think it would be difficult to argue that the current government hasn't had a lot of success in sorting out US-Mexico border. I've been to El Paso in Biden years and indeed it didn't make the best impression.
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2025 12:54 am
Pete Buttigieg
@petebuttigieg.bsky.social
· 7h
The President wouldn't last five minutes as an air traffic controller, and after everything they've been through - and the way this administration has treated them from Day One - he has no business (expletive) on them now.
@petebuttigieg.bsky.social
· 7h
The President wouldn't last five minutes as an air traffic controller, and after everything they've been through - and the way this administration has treated them from Day One - he has no business (expletive) on them now.
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2025 1:04 am
‘REPORT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY’: Trump threatens to replace absent air traffic controllers with ‘true Patriots’
The president “wouldn’t last five minutes as an air traffic controller,” Biden-era Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded.
By Sam Ogozalek, Pavan Acharya and Chris Marquette11/10/2025 11:46 AM EST
President Donald Trump on Monday railed against air traffic controllers who took time off from their high-stress jobs during the federal shutdown and threatened to replace them with “true Patriots.”
“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.”
The Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But Trump’s tone appeared somewhat at odds with the concern that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed recently about the shutdown’s burden on the FAA’s controllers, who as essential employees were required to work without pay.
“We have controllers who, again, are making decisions to feed their families as opposed to come to towers or [Terminal Radar Approach Control] or centers and do their jobs,” Duffy said Sunday on CNN. “I want them to come to work. The problem is they’re confronted with real economic problems.”
After Trump’s post Monday, Duffy wrote on X that he agrees with the president: “Air traffic controllers NEED to show up for work! To those who have worked throughout the shutdown — thank you for your patriotism and commitment to keeping our skies safe. I will work with Congress to reward your commitment.”
But Biden-era Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg slammed Trump’s remarks.
“The President wouldn’t last five minutes as an air traffic controller,” Buttigieg wrote on X, “and after everything they’ve been through — and the way this administration has treated them from Day One — he has no business (expletive) on them now.”
The top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington, was also blunt.
“This is nuts! The women and men working long hours in air traffic control towers to keep the aviation system running deserve our thanks and appreciation, not unhinged attacks on their patriotism,” Larsen said in a statement. He added that Trump’s “rant also runs counter to Secretary Duffy’s public statements of support and empathy for the aviation safety workforce.”
“So, which is it: patriotic Americans doing the best they can under tough circumstances or punishing these patriots for wanting to support their families?” Larsen asked.
Sporadic staffing shortages of controllers, whose workforce has long struggled with a national shortfall, have cropped up during the shutdown, causing delays at major travel hubs. The FAA last week began to phase in a 10 percent reduction in domestic flights at 40 major airports, aiming to alleviate fatigue among controllers, who haven’t been paid during the lapse in appropriations.
At the same time as Trump’s broadside, the head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, Nick Daniels, was briefing reporters about the shutdown’s impacts on members of the high-stress profession — during which he said that some controllers have been struggling with basic life expenses due to the lack of pay, such as buying gasoline.
When POLITICO read a part of Trump’s social media post to Daniels, he said in response, “I’ll take anything that recognizes these hard-working men and women, but we’ll work with the administration on any issues that are out there.”
“Air traffic controllers have continued to show up during this shutdown,” Daniels added. “Every single day, they absolutely not only deserve their pay, they deserve to be recognized for what’s going on.”
He said the workforce “should not be the political pawn” during a shutdown. NATCA has repeatedly called on Congress to avert the funding stalemate, and Daniels said Monday there are no organized sickouts among controllers.
Trump said that for controllers who “did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU.”
“You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A. against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our Country. You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record,” Trump said. “If you want to leave service in the near future, please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind! You will be quickly replaced by true Patriots, who will do a better job on the Brand New State of the Art Equipment, the best in the World, that we are in the process of ordering.”
The administration aims to revamp the national aviation system’s aging infrastructure and technology using $12.5 billion from this summer’s Republican domestic policy package.
Several GOP senators sought Monday to remain in line with the president or didn’t engage with the substance of POLITICO’s questions about his Truth Social post.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma said he was “excited” about Trump “trying to reward those that stayed,” while Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis touted the president’s pitch for bonuses.
Asked if she thinks Trump’s remarks will discourage controllers from staying in the workforce, or deter people from wanting to join their ranks, Lummis replied: “I doubt it. ... [Trump] was probably speaking out of frustration — if that’s what he said — so I don’t think it’ll make much difference.”
Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee’s aviation panel, said simply: “We need every qualified air traffic controller that we can hire and retain.”
Duffy has said the FAA ordered the 10 percent flight cuts at major airports due to troubling signs in the aviation system, including complaints from pilots about controllers being “less responsive” or “more stressed.” Daniels, the NATCA president, said Monday he has not seen that data.
As of September 2024, the FAA reported a nationwide shortfall of about 3,900 fully certified controllers at agency facilities. There were 10,730 of these workers employed at the time. Duffy earlier this year launched an effort to boost hiring.
It’s unclear how many controllers have not shown up for work during the shutdown — and there are potential long-term effects on the profession. Daniels told reporters that the union still needs to figure out how many have resigned or retired due to the funding lapse.
A deal in the Senate appears poised to end the spending stalemate as soon as later this week. But Daniels said he’s not sure when controllers will be paid. In 2019, at the end of the last prolonged shutdown, he said it took them about “two to two-and-a-half months to be able to be made whole.”
Duffy told CNN on Sunday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has offered him military air traffic controllers to help, but the Transportation chief was not sure if he could use them.
Daniels suggested the union has not “directly engaged” with DOT about that idea, though it would take “quite some time to have anyone else control the airspace.”
He added that ending the shutdown isn’t like a “light switch,” noting that the current agreement in the Senate would extend the FAA’s funding until only early next year.
“They [controllers] know, based on what is in the current bill, that Jan. 30 will loom around the corner,” Daniels said.
Cheyanne M. Daniels contributed to this report.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/1 ... s-00644514
The president “wouldn’t last five minutes as an air traffic controller,” Biden-era Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded.
By Sam Ogozalek, Pavan Acharya and Chris Marquette11/10/2025 11:46 AM EST
President Donald Trump on Monday railed against air traffic controllers who took time off from their high-stress jobs during the federal shutdown and threatened to replace them with “true Patriots.”
“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.”
The Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But Trump’s tone appeared somewhat at odds with the concern that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed recently about the shutdown’s burden on the FAA’s controllers, who as essential employees were required to work without pay.
“We have controllers who, again, are making decisions to feed their families as opposed to come to towers or [Terminal Radar Approach Control] or centers and do their jobs,” Duffy said Sunday on CNN. “I want them to come to work. The problem is they’re confronted with real economic problems.”
After Trump’s post Monday, Duffy wrote on X that he agrees with the president: “Air traffic controllers NEED to show up for work! To those who have worked throughout the shutdown — thank you for your patriotism and commitment to keeping our skies safe. I will work with Congress to reward your commitment.”
But Biden-era Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg slammed Trump’s remarks.
“The President wouldn’t last five minutes as an air traffic controller,” Buttigieg wrote on X, “and after everything they’ve been through — and the way this administration has treated them from Day One — he has no business (expletive) on them now.”
The top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington, was also blunt.
“This is nuts! The women and men working long hours in air traffic control towers to keep the aviation system running deserve our thanks and appreciation, not unhinged attacks on their patriotism,” Larsen said in a statement. He added that Trump’s “rant also runs counter to Secretary Duffy’s public statements of support and empathy for the aviation safety workforce.”
“So, which is it: patriotic Americans doing the best they can under tough circumstances or punishing these patriots for wanting to support their families?” Larsen asked.
Sporadic staffing shortages of controllers, whose workforce has long struggled with a national shortfall, have cropped up during the shutdown, causing delays at major travel hubs. The FAA last week began to phase in a 10 percent reduction in domestic flights at 40 major airports, aiming to alleviate fatigue among controllers, who haven’t been paid during the lapse in appropriations.
At the same time as Trump’s broadside, the head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, Nick Daniels, was briefing reporters about the shutdown’s impacts on members of the high-stress profession — during which he said that some controllers have been struggling with basic life expenses due to the lack of pay, such as buying gasoline.
When POLITICO read a part of Trump’s social media post to Daniels, he said in response, “I’ll take anything that recognizes these hard-working men and women, but we’ll work with the administration on any issues that are out there.”
“Air traffic controllers have continued to show up during this shutdown,” Daniels added. “Every single day, they absolutely not only deserve their pay, they deserve to be recognized for what’s going on.”
He said the workforce “should not be the political pawn” during a shutdown. NATCA has repeatedly called on Congress to avert the funding stalemate, and Daniels said Monday there are no organized sickouts among controllers.
Trump said that for controllers who “did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU.”
“You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A. against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our Country. You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record,” Trump said. “If you want to leave service in the near future, please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind! You will be quickly replaced by true Patriots, who will do a better job on the Brand New State of the Art Equipment, the best in the World, that we are in the process of ordering.”
The administration aims to revamp the national aviation system’s aging infrastructure and technology using $12.5 billion from this summer’s Republican domestic policy package.
Several GOP senators sought Monday to remain in line with the president or didn’t engage with the substance of POLITICO’s questions about his Truth Social post.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma said he was “excited” about Trump “trying to reward those that stayed,” while Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis touted the president’s pitch for bonuses.
Asked if she thinks Trump’s remarks will discourage controllers from staying in the workforce, or deter people from wanting to join their ranks, Lummis replied: “I doubt it. ... [Trump] was probably speaking out of frustration — if that’s what he said — so I don’t think it’ll make much difference.”
Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee’s aviation panel, said simply: “We need every qualified air traffic controller that we can hire and retain.”
Duffy has said the FAA ordered the 10 percent flight cuts at major airports due to troubling signs in the aviation system, including complaints from pilots about controllers being “less responsive” or “more stressed.” Daniels, the NATCA president, said Monday he has not seen that data.
As of September 2024, the FAA reported a nationwide shortfall of about 3,900 fully certified controllers at agency facilities. There were 10,730 of these workers employed at the time. Duffy earlier this year launched an effort to boost hiring.
It’s unclear how many controllers have not shown up for work during the shutdown — and there are potential long-term effects on the profession. Daniels told reporters that the union still needs to figure out how many have resigned or retired due to the funding lapse.
A deal in the Senate appears poised to end the spending stalemate as soon as later this week. But Daniels said he’s not sure when controllers will be paid. In 2019, at the end of the last prolonged shutdown, he said it took them about “two to two-and-a-half months to be able to be made whole.”
Duffy told CNN on Sunday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has offered him military air traffic controllers to help, but the Transportation chief was not sure if he could use them.
Daniels suggested the union has not “directly engaged” with DOT about that idea, though it would take “quite some time to have anyone else control the airspace.”
He added that ending the shutdown isn’t like a “light switch,” noting that the current agreement in the Senate would extend the FAA’s funding until only early next year.
“They [controllers] know, based on what is in the current bill, that Jan. 30 will loom around the corner,” Daniels said.
Cheyanne M. Daniels contributed to this report.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/1 ... s-00644514
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 12:47 am
It's Veterans Day in the US today
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 12:52 am
Trump Brings Usual Lies And Political Attacks To Arlington National Cemetery
Veterans Day becomes another day that ends in “y.”
By
S.V. Date
Nov 11, 2025, 02:11 PM EST
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump took his usual lies and political attacks to Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, making his Veterans Day remarks sound more like a rally speech.
“We were going in the wrong direction for a period of time, but we’ve never been hotter than we are right now,” he claimed, notwithstanding rising inflation and unemployment, while praising House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune for their “victory” over Democrats in the government shutdown.
“Congratulations to you and to John and to everybody on a very big victory. We’re opening up our country. Should have never been closed. Should have never been closed,” he said.
He lied about tariffs — “We’ve taken in trillions of dollars in tariffs” ― and energy costs — “Energy prices are way down.”
In fact, Trump’s trade war against the rest of the world has generated about $130 billion in new tariffs thus far, and every dime has been collected from Americans. None has been “taken in” from other countries. Gasoline prices are about the same as they were a year ago, while electricity costs are dramatically higher.
(...)
“When I see other countries celebrating Victory Day, I watched it. I watched U.K., I watched Russia; they were selling ― celebrating — Victory Day, World War II, and I said, ‘We got to have a Victory Day.’ Nobody even talked about it in our country. But from now on, we’re going to be celebrating Victory Day for World War I, for World War II, and frankly, for everything else,” he said, referring to a “proclamation” he signed declaring that Veterans Day will also be known as Victory Day.
In fact, the United States already marks two “victory” days, one each for the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany in May 1945 and of imperial Japan three months later.
He then bragged about giving the Department of Defense his preferred nickname, the Department of War. “Under the Trump administration, we’re restoring the pride and the winning spirit of the United States military. That’s why we have officially renamed the Department of Defense back to the original name, Department of War. And remember, we won World War I, we won World War II. We won everything in between. We won everything that came before. And then we brilliantly decided to change the name of this great, this great thing that we all created together, and we became politically correct. We don’t like being politically correct, so we’re not going to be politically correct anymore.”
Trump’s claim of “officially” renaming the Pentagon is false. Congress named it the Department of Defense after World War II, and only Congress can rename it.
Trump in 2018 infamously refused to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France during the 100-year commemoration of the end of World War I because it was raining and he did not want to ruin his hair. The site is the resting place for 1,800 U.S. Marines who died in 1918’s critical Battle of Belleau Wood. Trump’s then-chief of staff John Kelly, a former Marine general, went with then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford.
(White House officials claimed at the time that Trump could not go because his Marine Corps helicopter could not safely fly in the rain – an assertion belied, yet again, on Sunday, when Trump flew Marine One through rain back to the White House from a football game.)
Kelly also confirmed that Trump had called those who serve in the military “suckers” and “losers” for their sacrifice. Trump himself avoided military service by claiming “bone spurs” in his heels during the Vietnam War.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-ve ... f8e6ce7328
Veterans Day becomes another day that ends in “y.”
By
S.V. Date
Nov 11, 2025, 02:11 PM EST
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump took his usual lies and political attacks to Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, making his Veterans Day remarks sound more like a rally speech.
“We were going in the wrong direction for a period of time, but we’ve never been hotter than we are right now,” he claimed, notwithstanding rising inflation and unemployment, while praising House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune for their “victory” over Democrats in the government shutdown.
“Congratulations to you and to John and to everybody on a very big victory. We’re opening up our country. Should have never been closed. Should have never been closed,” he said.
He lied about tariffs — “We’ve taken in trillions of dollars in tariffs” ― and energy costs — “Energy prices are way down.”
In fact, Trump’s trade war against the rest of the world has generated about $130 billion in new tariffs thus far, and every dime has been collected from Americans. None has been “taken in” from other countries. Gasoline prices are about the same as they were a year ago, while electricity costs are dramatically higher.
(...)
“When I see other countries celebrating Victory Day, I watched it. I watched U.K., I watched Russia; they were selling ― celebrating — Victory Day, World War II, and I said, ‘We got to have a Victory Day.’ Nobody even talked about it in our country. But from now on, we’re going to be celebrating Victory Day for World War I, for World War II, and frankly, for everything else,” he said, referring to a “proclamation” he signed declaring that Veterans Day will also be known as Victory Day.
In fact, the United States already marks two “victory” days, one each for the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany in May 1945 and of imperial Japan three months later.
He then bragged about giving the Department of Defense his preferred nickname, the Department of War. “Under the Trump administration, we’re restoring the pride and the winning spirit of the United States military. That’s why we have officially renamed the Department of Defense back to the original name, Department of War. And remember, we won World War I, we won World War II. We won everything in between. We won everything that came before. And then we brilliantly decided to change the name of this great, this great thing that we all created together, and we became politically correct. We don’t like being politically correct, so we’re not going to be politically correct anymore.”
Trump’s claim of “officially” renaming the Pentagon is false. Congress named it the Department of Defense after World War II, and only Congress can rename it.
Trump in 2018 infamously refused to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France during the 100-year commemoration of the end of World War I because it was raining and he did not want to ruin his hair. The site is the resting place for 1,800 U.S. Marines who died in 1918’s critical Battle of Belleau Wood. Trump’s then-chief of staff John Kelly, a former Marine general, went with then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford.
(White House officials claimed at the time that Trump could not go because his Marine Corps helicopter could not safely fly in the rain – an assertion belied, yet again, on Sunday, when Trump flew Marine One through rain back to the White House from a football game.)
Kelly also confirmed that Trump had called those who serve in the military “suckers” and “losers” for their sacrifice. Trump himself avoided military service by claiming “bone spurs” in his heels during the Vietnam War.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-ve ... f8e6ce7328
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 3:34 am
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2025 1:25 am
Trump repeals tariffs on some foods as Americans face high grocery prices
The president is rolling back import levies on a host of agricultural goods after administration officials signaled coming changes aimed at addressing consumer complaints about high food costs.
November 14, 2025 at 6:50 p.m. ESTToday at 6:50 p.m. EST
By Alec Dent
and
David J. Lynch
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday rolling back tariffs on certain agricultural products, including beef, tomatoes and coffee.
“Many of the announced trade deals and ongoing negotiations involve countries that produce substantial volumes of agricultural products that are not grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the United States,” the White House said in a document circulated to reporters about the order.
Friday’s announcement represents the most significant shift in the “reciprocal tariffs” that the president announced on April 2. It comes after administration officials signaled changes aimed at addressing consumer complaints about high grocery prices were in the offing.
The move exempts scores of common agricultural goods from the tariffs, including tea, orange and pineapple juices, bananas and cashew nuts.
A White House spokesman explained the move as a long-planned part of the administration’s strategy. But it comes after Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the president’s chief trade negotiator, told the Senate Finance Committee in April that the president planned no “exclusions and exemptions” from the historic tariffs.
“The Trump administration is committed to pursuing a nimble, nuanced, and multi-faceted strategy on trade and tariffs,” Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said in a statement. “President Trump’s September 5th executive order specifically laid out various natural resources and agricultural products not produced in the United States that could be eligible for tariff-free treatment.”
The Trump administration has maintained its stance that tariff costs aren’t passed onto consumers. But an early April analysis from Yale University found that price increases from tariffs would cost the typical U.S. household $3,800 this year.
A majority of Americans say they are spending more on groceries than they were last year and they blame Trump for the increased costs, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted in late October.
Critics of Trump’s tariffs celebrated the move and called on the president to end his other tariffs as well.
“President Trump is finally admitting what we always knew: his tariffs are raising prices for the American people,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia), a member of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on trade and co-sponsor of the bipartisan No Coffee Tax Act, said in a statement. “The same logic — that Trump’s tariffs are driving up prices on coffee, fruit, and other comestibles — is equally true for the thousands of other goods on which his tariffs remain.”
“We encourage the administration to build on today’s announcement and provide additional tariff relief for other products not readily available from domestic sources and in instances where tariffs threaten American jobs,” said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a statement.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... ry-prices/
The president is rolling back import levies on a host of agricultural goods after administration officials signaled coming changes aimed at addressing consumer complaints about high food costs.
November 14, 2025 at 6:50 p.m. ESTToday at 6:50 p.m. EST
By Alec Dent
and
David J. Lynch
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday rolling back tariffs on certain agricultural products, including beef, tomatoes and coffee.
“Many of the announced trade deals and ongoing negotiations involve countries that produce substantial volumes of agricultural products that are not grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the United States,” the White House said in a document circulated to reporters about the order.
Friday’s announcement represents the most significant shift in the “reciprocal tariffs” that the president announced on April 2. It comes after administration officials signaled changes aimed at addressing consumer complaints about high grocery prices were in the offing.
The move exempts scores of common agricultural goods from the tariffs, including tea, orange and pineapple juices, bananas and cashew nuts.
A White House spokesman explained the move as a long-planned part of the administration’s strategy. But it comes after Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the president’s chief trade negotiator, told the Senate Finance Committee in April that the president planned no “exclusions and exemptions” from the historic tariffs.
“The Trump administration is committed to pursuing a nimble, nuanced, and multi-faceted strategy on trade and tariffs,” Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said in a statement. “President Trump’s September 5th executive order specifically laid out various natural resources and agricultural products not produced in the United States that could be eligible for tariff-free treatment.”
The Trump administration has maintained its stance that tariff costs aren’t passed onto consumers. But an early April analysis from Yale University found that price increases from tariffs would cost the typical U.S. household $3,800 this year.
A majority of Americans say they are spending more on groceries than they were last year and they blame Trump for the increased costs, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted in late October.
Critics of Trump’s tariffs celebrated the move and called on the president to end his other tariffs as well.
“President Trump is finally admitting what we always knew: his tariffs are raising prices for the American people,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia), a member of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on trade and co-sponsor of the bipartisan No Coffee Tax Act, said in a statement. “The same logic — that Trump’s tariffs are driving up prices on coffee, fruit, and other comestibles — is equally true for the thousands of other goods on which his tariffs remain.”
“We encourage the administration to build on today’s announcement and provide additional tariff relief for other products not readily available from domestic sources and in instances where tariffs threaten American jobs,” said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a statement.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... ry-prices/
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2025 4:38 pm
Anyone who actually had to buy their own groceries would know this already.
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2025 1:55 am
Department of the Interior Announces Modernized, More Affordable National Park Access
New digital passes, new annual pass artwork, America-first pricing and expanded motorcycle access launch under President Trump’s leadership
11/25/2025
Last edited 11/25/2025
WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior today announced the most significant modernization of national park access in decades, delivering new digital America the Beautiful passes, updated annual pass artwork, expanded motorcycle access and a new resident-focused fee structure that puts American families first. These improvements, launching on Jan.1, 2026, reflect President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to making national parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people.
Under the new system, the America the Beautiful passes – including Annual, Military, Senior, 4th Grade and Access – will be available in a fully digital format through Recreation.gov. Visitors will be able to purchase and use their passes instantly, store them on mobile devices and link them to physical cards for added convenience. Digital validation tools and updated training for field staff will ensure faster entry and a smoother visitor experience across the National Park System.
“President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.”
The Department also unveiled new, modernized graphics for all annual passes, featuring bold, patriotic designs that honor America’s landscapes, heritage and outdoor legacy. These refreshed visuals will appear on both digital and physical passes.
As part of the Administration’s commitment to enhancing access for American residents, the Department is also implementing America-first entry fee policies. U.S. residents will continue to enjoy affordable pricing, while nonresidents will pay a higher rate to help support the care and maintenance of America’s parks.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the Annual Pass will cost $80 for U.S. residents and $250 for nonresidents, ensuring that American taxpayers who already support the National Park System receive the greatest benefit. Nonresidents without an annual pass will pay a $100 per person fee to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee.
The Department also highlighted resident-only patriotic fee-free days for 2026:
President’s Day (February 16, 2026)
Memorial Day (May 25, 2026)
Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday (June 14, 2026)
Independence Day weekend (July 3–5, 2026)
110th Birthday of the National Park Service (August 25, 2026)
Constitution Day (Sept. 17, 2026)
Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (Oct. 27, 2026)
Veteran’s Day (November 11, 2026)
In addition, the National Park Service is expanding affordability and access for motorcycle riders. All America the Beautiful passes will now cover two motorcycles per pass, making national park adventures more accessible for riders and families who travel on two wheels.
Revenue generated from new fee policies will be invested directly back into America’s national parks, supporting upgrades to visitor facilities, essential maintenance, and improved services nationwide.
For more information on digital passes, pricing updates, and how to prepare for the 2026 changes, visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm or Recreation.gov.
New digital passes, new annual pass artwork, America-first pricing and expanded motorcycle access launch under President Trump’s leadership
11/25/2025
Last edited 11/25/2025
WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior today announced the most significant modernization of national park access in decades, delivering new digital America the Beautiful passes, updated annual pass artwork, expanded motorcycle access and a new resident-focused fee structure that puts American families first. These improvements, launching on Jan.1, 2026, reflect President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to making national parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people.
Under the new system, the America the Beautiful passes – including Annual, Military, Senior, 4th Grade and Access – will be available in a fully digital format through Recreation.gov. Visitors will be able to purchase and use their passes instantly, store them on mobile devices and link them to physical cards for added convenience. Digital validation tools and updated training for field staff will ensure faster entry and a smoother visitor experience across the National Park System.
“President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.”
The Department also unveiled new, modernized graphics for all annual passes, featuring bold, patriotic designs that honor America’s landscapes, heritage and outdoor legacy. These refreshed visuals will appear on both digital and physical passes.
As part of the Administration’s commitment to enhancing access for American residents, the Department is also implementing America-first entry fee policies. U.S. residents will continue to enjoy affordable pricing, while nonresidents will pay a higher rate to help support the care and maintenance of America’s parks.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the Annual Pass will cost $80 for U.S. residents and $250 for nonresidents, ensuring that American taxpayers who already support the National Park System receive the greatest benefit. Nonresidents without an annual pass will pay a $100 per person fee to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee.
The Department also highlighted resident-only patriotic fee-free days for 2026:
President’s Day (February 16, 2026)
Memorial Day (May 25, 2026)
Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday (June 14, 2026)
Independence Day weekend (July 3–5, 2026)
110th Birthday of the National Park Service (August 25, 2026)
Constitution Day (Sept. 17, 2026)
Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (Oct. 27, 2026)
Veteran’s Day (November 11, 2026)
In addition, the National Park Service is expanding affordability and access for motorcycle riders. All America the Beautiful passes will now cover two motorcycles per pass, making national park adventures more accessible for riders and families who travel on two wheels.
Revenue generated from new fee policies will be invested directly back into America’s national parks, supporting upgrades to visitor facilities, essential maintenance, and improved services nationwide.
For more information on digital passes, pricing updates, and how to prepare for the 2026 changes, visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm or Recreation.gov.
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2025 2:02 am
Campbell’s executive says products are for poor people, mocks Indians, lawsuit claims
A former employee brought a discrimination complaint claiming he was fired after reporting the executive’s behavior.
November 25, 2025 at 5:47 p.m. EST Today at 5:47 p.m. EST
By Victoria Craw
and
Emily Heil
A senior executive at the Campbell’s Co. has been placed on leave after a lawsuit filed by a former employee alleges he disparaged the company’s products and made offensive remarks about “poor people” and Indian co-workers.
Martin Bally, a vice president and chief information security officer at the food giant, said during a meeting that Campbell’s products were “highly process food” for “poor people,” and that Indian employees were “idiots” whom he disliked working with, according to the employment discrimination complaint filed by Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst for the company. Garza said in the lawsuit that he was fired after telling a supervisor about the comments and that he planned to report them to the human resources department.
Garza’s attorney provided The Washington Post with a lengthy recording of a conversation in which Bally can allegedly be heard complaining about an incident during which employees couldn’t be reached in a technical emergency. “F---ing Indians,” he said. “They couldn’t think for their f---ing selves.” He also can allegedly be heard suggesting that the company’s soups possibly used “bioengineered meat.”
“I don’t buy … Campbell’s products anymore,” the person Garza alleges is Bally says in the recording. “I don’t want to eat a … piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer.”
Campbell’s said in an emailed statement that Bally had been placed on leave temporarily while the company carried out an investigation, adding that any claims that the company did not use “real chicken” in its products were false. If the comments attributed to Bally “were in fact made, they are unacceptable. They do not reflect our values and the culture of our company,” the statement added.
Garza, who worked remotely for the New Jersey-based company, filed the employment discrimination suit Thursday in Michigan’s Wayne County Circuit Court, alleging that his contract was “abruptly terminated” after he raised concerns about Bally’s remarks, the lawsuit says.
The suit names the Campbell Soup Co., Bally and Garza’s supervisor, J.D. Aupperle, as defendants. The Post was unable to reach Aupperle for comment.
Garza said he met with Bally at a restaurant in November 2024, expecting to discuss his salary. Instead, he heard a lengthy tirade from Bally, which he secretly recorded because he had an “instinct that something wasn’t right with Martin,” Garza told the media outlet Local 4. In Michigan, it is legal for someone to record a conversation in which they are a participant without the other person’s permission.
According to the suit, Garza reported his concerns to Aupperle on Jan. 10, but his manager did not encourage Garza to report the incident to human resources or direct him on how to proceed. On Jan. 30, Garza’s employment was “abruptly terminated,” the suit claims, alleging it was in retaliation for his complaints about Bally’s behavior. He worked at the company almost four years, according to his LinkedIn profile. In the complaint, Garza said he suffered stress, mental anguish and economic damage. He is seeking attorney fees and unspecified damages.
The lawsuit also claims that Bally told Garza that he “often appeared at work high from marijuana edibles.” In the recording, Bally seemed to speak about how he used to take edibles to sleep because the lack of sleep was affecting his job performance.
Bally has worked as vice president and chief information security officer at the company since January 2022 and has almost 25 years experience in the IT industry, according to his LinkedIn profile. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Garza’s attorney, Zachary Runyan, emailed a joint statement with his client: Garza “thought Campbell’s would be thankful that he reported Martin’s behavior, but instead he was abruptly fired,” it read. “We look forward to obtaining justice for Robert.”
After news of the lawsuit emerged, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the state bans lab-grown meat and its consumer protection division would start an investigation and “demand answers from Campbell’s,” in a post on X.
The company, which changed its name from the Campbell Soup Co. to the Campbell’s Co. last November to better reflect its range of brands, said it was proud of the food it makes and the comments about the products are “completely inaccurate and absurd.”
“We use 100% real chicken in our soups,” the statement said, adding that the chicken comes from “USDA approved U.S. suppliers” and “claims to the contrary are completely false.”
“The person alleged to be speaking on the recording works in IT and has nothing to do with how we make our food,” the company added.
The company, founded in 1869 and known for its red and white branded soups, made $103 billion in net sales in the most recent fiscal year and employs 137,000 people across North America, according to its website. Its meals and beverage division includes such brands as the Rao’s Homemade pasta sauces, Prego and SpaghettiOs, while the snack division contains household names such as Goldfish and Kettle.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... ert-garza/
A former employee brought a discrimination complaint claiming he was fired after reporting the executive’s behavior.
November 25, 2025 at 5:47 p.m. EST Today at 5:47 p.m. EST
By Victoria Craw
and
Emily Heil
A senior executive at the Campbell’s Co. has been placed on leave after a lawsuit filed by a former employee alleges he disparaged the company’s products and made offensive remarks about “poor people” and Indian co-workers.
Martin Bally, a vice president and chief information security officer at the food giant, said during a meeting that Campbell’s products were “highly process food” for “poor people,” and that Indian employees were “idiots” whom he disliked working with, according to the employment discrimination complaint filed by Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst for the company. Garza said in the lawsuit that he was fired after telling a supervisor about the comments and that he planned to report them to the human resources department.
Garza’s attorney provided The Washington Post with a lengthy recording of a conversation in which Bally can allegedly be heard complaining about an incident during which employees couldn’t be reached in a technical emergency. “F---ing Indians,” he said. “They couldn’t think for their f---ing selves.” He also can allegedly be heard suggesting that the company’s soups possibly used “bioengineered meat.”
“I don’t buy … Campbell’s products anymore,” the person Garza alleges is Bally says in the recording. “I don’t want to eat a … piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer.”
Campbell’s said in an emailed statement that Bally had been placed on leave temporarily while the company carried out an investigation, adding that any claims that the company did not use “real chicken” in its products were false. If the comments attributed to Bally “were in fact made, they are unacceptable. They do not reflect our values and the culture of our company,” the statement added.
Garza, who worked remotely for the New Jersey-based company, filed the employment discrimination suit Thursday in Michigan’s Wayne County Circuit Court, alleging that his contract was “abruptly terminated” after he raised concerns about Bally’s remarks, the lawsuit says.
The suit names the Campbell Soup Co., Bally and Garza’s supervisor, J.D. Aupperle, as defendants. The Post was unable to reach Aupperle for comment.
Garza said he met with Bally at a restaurant in November 2024, expecting to discuss his salary. Instead, he heard a lengthy tirade from Bally, which he secretly recorded because he had an “instinct that something wasn’t right with Martin,” Garza told the media outlet Local 4. In Michigan, it is legal for someone to record a conversation in which they are a participant without the other person’s permission.
According to the suit, Garza reported his concerns to Aupperle on Jan. 10, but his manager did not encourage Garza to report the incident to human resources or direct him on how to proceed. On Jan. 30, Garza’s employment was “abruptly terminated,” the suit claims, alleging it was in retaliation for his complaints about Bally’s behavior. He worked at the company almost four years, according to his LinkedIn profile. In the complaint, Garza said he suffered stress, mental anguish and economic damage. He is seeking attorney fees and unspecified damages.
The lawsuit also claims that Bally told Garza that he “often appeared at work high from marijuana edibles.” In the recording, Bally seemed to speak about how he used to take edibles to sleep because the lack of sleep was affecting his job performance.
Bally has worked as vice president and chief information security officer at the company since January 2022 and has almost 25 years experience in the IT industry, according to his LinkedIn profile. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Garza’s attorney, Zachary Runyan, emailed a joint statement with his client: Garza “thought Campbell’s would be thankful that he reported Martin’s behavior, but instead he was abruptly fired,” it read. “We look forward to obtaining justice for Robert.”
After news of the lawsuit emerged, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the state bans lab-grown meat and its consumer protection division would start an investigation and “demand answers from Campbell’s,” in a post on X.
The company, which changed its name from the Campbell Soup Co. to the Campbell’s Co. last November to better reflect its range of brands, said it was proud of the food it makes and the comments about the products are “completely inaccurate and absurd.”
“We use 100% real chicken in our soups,” the statement said, adding that the chicken comes from “USDA approved U.S. suppliers” and “claims to the contrary are completely false.”
“The person alleged to be speaking on the recording works in IT and has nothing to do with how we make our food,” the company added.
The company, founded in 1869 and known for its red and white branded soups, made $103 billion in net sales in the most recent fiscal year and employs 137,000 people across North America, according to its website. Its meals and beverage division includes such brands as the Rao’s Homemade pasta sauces, Prego and SpaghettiOs, while the snack division contains household names such as Goldfish and Kettle.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... ert-garza/
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2025 4:31 am
Woman with family connection to White House press secretary arrested by ICE in Revere, Mass.
Imani Clement
Digital Content Editor
REVERE, Mass. —
A woman with a family connection to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Revere, Massachusetts.
The woman, Bruna Ferreira, has an 11-year-old son with Michael Leavitt, Karoline Leavitt's brother.
Ferreira migrated with her family to the United States from Brazil as a child and is currently in custody at an ICE facility in southern Louisiana.
Michael Leavitt released a statement, saying that his "only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of [his] son."
In a conversation with WCVB-TV sister station WMUR-TV, Michael Leavitt, a New Hampshire resident, said that his son lives with him and his wife full-time, but that Ferreira has maintained a relationship with her son.
Michael Leavitt told WMUR that he always tried to maintain a relationship with Ferreira. He said their son has not spoken to Ferreira since she was detained by ICE several weeks ago.
Todd Pomerleau, an attorney who represents Ferreira, says she came to the U.S. under DACA or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that shielded immigrants brought to the country from deportation.
"She’s in the process of actually getting her residency and she was abruptly arrested and taken from her young child right before Thanksgiving," Pomerleau said.
According to a statement provided to WCVB from a source familiar with the matter, Karoline Leavitt has not spoken to Ferreira in many years:
"This individual is the mother of Karoline’s nephew and they have not spoken in many years. The child has lived full-time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born. He has never resided with his mother."
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson also released the following statement on Ferreira's arrest:
"ICE arrested Bruna Caroline Ferreria, a criminal illegal alien from Brazil. She has a previous arrest for battery. She entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the U.S. by June 6, 1999," the statement read. "She is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”
However, Pomerleau says that Ferreira has no criminal record.
"Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever," Pomerleau said. "I don’t know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. There’s no charges out there. She’s not a criminal illegal alien."[/b]
Karoline Leavitt is a native of New Hampshire and unsuccessfully ran for Congress before becoming White House Press Secretary. She has declined to comment on the matter.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/karoline-l ... t/69547219
Imani Clement
Digital Content Editor
REVERE, Mass. —
A woman with a family connection to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Revere, Massachusetts.
The woman, Bruna Ferreira, has an 11-year-old son with Michael Leavitt, Karoline Leavitt's brother.
Ferreira migrated with her family to the United States from Brazil as a child and is currently in custody at an ICE facility in southern Louisiana.
Michael Leavitt released a statement, saying that his "only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of [his] son."
In a conversation with WCVB-TV sister station WMUR-TV, Michael Leavitt, a New Hampshire resident, said that his son lives with him and his wife full-time, but that Ferreira has maintained a relationship with her son.
Michael Leavitt told WMUR that he always tried to maintain a relationship with Ferreira. He said their son has not spoken to Ferreira since she was detained by ICE several weeks ago.
Todd Pomerleau, an attorney who represents Ferreira, says she came to the U.S. under DACA or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that shielded immigrants brought to the country from deportation.
"She’s in the process of actually getting her residency and she was abruptly arrested and taken from her young child right before Thanksgiving," Pomerleau said.
According to a statement provided to WCVB from a source familiar with the matter, Karoline Leavitt has not spoken to Ferreira in many years:
"This individual is the mother of Karoline’s nephew and they have not spoken in many years. The child has lived full-time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born. He has never resided with his mother."
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson also released the following statement on Ferreira's arrest:
"ICE arrested Bruna Caroline Ferreria, a criminal illegal alien from Brazil. She has a previous arrest for battery. She entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the U.S. by June 6, 1999," the statement read. "She is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”
However, Pomerleau says that Ferreira has no criminal record.
"Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever," Pomerleau said. "I don’t know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. There’s no charges out there. She’s not a criminal illegal alien."[/b]
Karoline Leavitt is a native of New Hampshire and unsuccessfully ran for Congress before becoming White House Press Secretary. She has declined to comment on the matter.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/karoline-l ... t/69547219
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2025 4:15 pm
She will be free in a few days. Leavitt will see to it.