All posts tagged: national news

Today’s News: SpaceX IPO, Trump’s Birthday and El Niño Season | National News

Today’s News: SpaceX IPO, Trump’s Birthday and El Niño Season | National News

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump’s birthday weekend is set to take over Washington, D.C., with large crowds and a full slate of programming expected, including a UFC event at the White House. At the same time, eyes will be on the U.S.-Iran conflict amid shifting signals from Trump and Tehran. Meanwhile, investors are watching SpaceX’s potential record-setting IPO, Team USA is preparing for its first World Cup match as the tournament captures worldwide attention and climate officials are monitoring a strengthening El Niño pattern that could shape weather risks in the months ahead. Here are five stories worth following: Make Your Inbox Smarter Sign up for these free email newsletters from U.S. News:Pick Newsletters Quote Driving the News:  “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran, and we’re going to be subject to finalization of documents, which should get done over the next few days,” President Trump said at the White House on Thursday. SpaceX IPO Could Become a Record-Breaking Market Moment What we’re watching: SpaceX is preparing for what could become the largest …

Four States Hold Primary Elections: What to Know | National News

Four States Hold Primary Elections: What to Know | National News

Published by Sam Flores

Primary elections are taking place Tuesday in Maine, South Carolina, Nevada and North Dakota, featuring contested races for governor and congressional positions that will help settle ballots for November’s general election. Republicans in several states are dealing with retirements and intraparty challenges, while Democrats are looking to take advantage of fissures in the GOP and hold onto moderate seats in red districts. Here’s what to keep an eye on as results roll out. The Best Cartoons on Donald Trump Maine Voters Face Many Options  One of the most widely discussed races Tuesday pits Gov. Janet Mills against embattled oyster farmer Graham Platner for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate contest against longtime incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. The nomination seemed all but certain for Platner after Mills dropped out of active campaigning in April. But new accusations of infidelity and abusive behavior toward past girlfriends have emerged against Platner, leading Mills to recently remind Maine voters that her name remains on the ballot. Mills’ term-limited seat is up for grabs in a state that’s …

Airports, AI and Affordability: Week in Review | U.S. News Decision Points

Airports, AI and Affordability: Week in Review | U.S. News Decision Points

Published by Sam Flores

Summer’s in full swing as international travel heats up, Americans grapple with costs and Florida sues OpenAI. I’m Stella Garner, here with the week in review. Monday As anticipation builds for the U.S.-hosted World Cup, Olivier covered Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s threats to block international flights in “sanctuary” cities where local laws limit federal immigration enforcement. The U.S. Travel Association said such a move could cost the country roughly $8 billion in international travel spending and risk “nearly 50,000 American jobs.” President Donald Trump has been silent on Mullin’s plan, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy condemned the idea during a congressional hearing last month. Tuesday Next, Olivier explained Florida’s new lawsuit against OpenAI over safety and health concerns. Florida is the first state to sue the AI firm. The state’s 83-page complaint repeatedly uses the term “AI addiction,” reminiscent of state lawsuits against tobacco companies in the 1990s. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s conduct “reckless” and argued he should be held personally liable for harm to Floridians. The suit …

Survey: Few Americans and Canadians Say They Are ‘Financially Fulfilled’ | National News

Survey: Few Americans and Canadians Say They Are ‘Financially Fulfilled’ | National News

Published by Sam Flores

Key Takeaways Fewer than one in five Americans and Canadians report being “financially fulfilled.” Nearly one third of Americans and more than 40% of Canadians say they are experiencing financial stress.  Those reporting stress would like more money to pay bills and reduce their debt. Only a small percentage of Americans and Canadians describe themselves as financially fulfilled and having enough money to support the lifestyle they desire. For Americans that number is 16%, and for Canadians it is even lower at 12%, according to the first Edward Jones and Gallup Money and Meaning survey on financial fulfillment released early Tuesday morning. At the same time, 32% of U.S. adults and 41% of Canadian adults experience consistent financial stress, where they struggle to meet their obligations and need to make trade-offs between financial and life goals, while feeling a lack of control over their finances. The largest share in each country describe themselves as “financially conflicted,” making progress toward their goals yet experiencing ongoing financial strain. The survey took place from late March to early …

Here’s Who’s In and Who’s Out of the ‘Great American State Fair’ | National News

Here’s Who’s In and Who’s Out of the ‘Great American State Fair’ | National News

Published by Sam Flores

Several artists have dropped their performances for the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary in Washington, D.C., this summer. Freedom 250, a public-private partnership backed by President Donald Trump, is hosting the “Great American State Fair,” which is a 16-day exposition from June 25-July 10 on the National Mall. “The Great American State Fair will bring together all 56 U.S. states and territories,” Freedom 250 said, “featuring live entertainment, immersive exhibits, patriotic tributes, innovation showcases, cultural programming and family-friendly attractions stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument.” But shortly after it announced participants, a handful of them said they would not be performing. Here are some of the artists who said they will not participate and others who said they will: Bret Michaels: Not Participating Bret Michaels, the lead singer of the band Poison, was supposed to play on July 3. He’s known for songs including “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” Michaels cited safety concerns and divisiveness for his decision to drop out from the show. “Unfortunately, what …

Trump-Xi Summit Key for Both Geopolitics, Consumer Pricing | U.S. News Decision Points

Trump-Xi Summit Key for Both Geopolitics, Consumer Pricing | U.S. News Decision Points

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump will sit down this week in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a summit overshadowed by the Iran war. Geopolitics aside, the meeting could have major ramifications for everyone from American farmers to shoppers for cars and phones. Trump, who postponed his trip from late March to reckon with the new Middle East conflict, predicted in mid-April that Xi would give him “a big, fat hug when I get there in a few weeks,” adding: “We are working together smartly, and very well!” There almost certainly will not be a literal hug. But Xi is expected to roll out all of the pomp and pageantry he can muster for what will be the first state visit by a U.S. president since Trump went to Beijing in November 2017 amid tensions over the two superpowers’ economic ties. Those tensions still define what is often called the most important bilateral relationship in the world. With U.S. midterm elections barely six months away, Trump will be under pressure to deliver cost-of-living wins. And Xi …

King Charles III Delivers Subtle, Witty Commentary on America in Address Before Congress | National News

King Charles III Delivers Subtle, Witty Commentary on America in Address Before Congress | National News

Published by Sam Flores

King Charles III addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday in a speech that reinforced the like-mindedness between the United States and Great Britain in what he described as these “turbulent times.” And while his remarks were cordial, frequently witty and drew heavily on the shared history of the two countries’ “special relationship,” they were also laced with subtext about America’s global leadership and responsibilities, its loyalty to its allies and its commitment to democratic values. Amid a strain in relations that has seen disagreements over the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and has tested the integrity of the NATO alliance, the king urged the U.S. and the United Kingdom to rededicate themselves to each other in service to the people of the world. He honored the foundational friendship and “consequential alliance” that the countries must continue to build on. “Ours is a partnership born out of dispute, but no less strong for it,” Charles said. “So perhaps in this example, we can discern that our nations are, in fact, instinctively like-minded, …

Influencer Bots, Bad Bets and Grocery Bills: The Week in Review | U.S. News Decision Points

Influencer Bots, Bad Bets and Grocery Bills: The Week in Review | U.S. News Decision Points

Published by Sam Flores

Artificial intelligence is filling up our social media feeds and driving up prices, but the physical world still has its perks – like this week’s beautiful spring weather. I’m Sidney Slon, and here’s the week in review. Monday To start the week, Olivier examined the rise of AI-generated influencers and why AI is making it harder to determine reality from fiction on social media. Many of the content creators posting about last week’s Coachella, the popular music and arts festival held every year in Southern California, were not all real people, The Verge reports. A number of influencer posts showed AI-generated avatars with celebrities or around the festival grounds. In many cases, the posts attracted millions of views despite featuring glitches and “uncannily attractive figures,” author Jess Weatherbed wrote. But it’s not just Coachella content that’s being AI-generated. The New York Times reviewed a multitude of right-leaning social media videos that featured a diverse group of people using the same script soliciting comments from Trump supporters. The accounts did not identify they were AI-generated but …

Tariff Refunds Are Coming. Just (Probably) Not for You. | U.S. News Decision Points

Tariff Refunds Are Coming. Just (Probably) Not for You. | U.S. News Decision Points

Published by Sam Flores

The federal government this week launched a platform to process refund requests to comply with the Supreme Court ruling in late February that President Donald Trump’s signature tariffs were illegal. And you almost certainly won’t see a dime. That’s because reimbursements are limited to “importers of record and authorized customs brokers” – the people who paid the tariffs directly. If a business passed that cost on to you in the form of a higher price, you may have paid for the tariff, but you did not pay it to the government. The odds are, therefore, that the millions of Americans who paid more because of the duties won’t see any of the estimated $166 billion the feds collected from the tariffs Trump levied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The administration said in a court filing that more than 330,000 importers had paid tariffs on more than 53 million import entries. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says repayments (via the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE) “will generally be issued within …

Explainer: What’s Next for NASA After Artemis II? A Mission to Test Lunar Docking and Mars Tech | National News

Explainer: What’s Next for NASA After Artemis II? A Mission to Test Lunar Docking and Mars Tech | National News

Published by Sam Flores

NASA’s most recent spaceflight mission, Artemis II, is now in the home stretch of its 10-day journey.  Artemis II on Monday night began its return trip home after successfully completing a loop around the moon. The crew journeyed 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled into space. The Artemis II crew is scheduled for a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday. Assuming its success when it touches down, NASA will launch its next mission – Artemis III – next year. What Is Artemis III?  Artemis III is the midpoint of the planned missions for NASA’s Artemis program, currently a five-pronged space initiative to return to the moon with the intention of establishing a permanent base there. The first of the Artemis missions was launched in November 2022, sending an uncrewed test flight on a 1.4 million-mile journey around the moon and back to Earth. Artemis III is scheduled to launch its crew in an Orion spacecraft on top of a …