CNN —
Fighting fish, thirsty camels and hairy shrimp are all featured among the winning images of the 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition.
Spanish photographer Alvaro Herrero was named overall winner for his image showing the relationship between a humpback whale and her newborn calf, according to a statement from organizers on Friday.
Herrero took the photograph, which is named “Radiant Bond,” in French Polynesia.
“The mother is accompanying her calf to the surface, because the baby is still so small and clumsy,” said Herrero in the statement.
“The calf is releasing a few bubbles underwater showing it is still learning to hold its breath properly. For me, this photo really shows a mother’s love and communicates the beauty and fragility of life in our ocean.”
The image triumphed over 6,750 entries in this year’s competition.
“This delicate yet powerful study of a mother and calf’s bond says all that is great and good about our world,” said contest judge Peter Rowlands in the statement.
“We face our challenges, but the increasing populations of humpback whales worldwide shows what can be achieved,” he added.
Other category winning images include a shot of two male Asian sheepshead wrasse jousting by Japanese photographer Shunsuke Nakano, and a photograph of camels drinking in the desert taken from below the water by Kuwaiti photographer Abdulaziz Al Saleh.
The competition first ran in 1965 and this year attracted entries across 13 categories.
In 2024, Alex Dawson was named overall winner for his image of minke whale bones in shallow waters off eastern Greenland.
And in 2023, US photographer Kat Zhou’s photo of a river dolphin, or “boto,” seemingly posing for the camera at dusk, with the tip of its nose above the water and the sun setting behind it, was named the competition’s overall winner.

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Spoiler alert! This story discusses The White Lotus Season 3 episode “Special Treatments,” which aired February 23. The episode is available to stream with a Max subscription if you’re not caught up.
We’re off to a pretty mysterious start as The White Lotus’ new adventure unfolds on the 2025 TV schedule , and we’ve already got some huge theories about Season 3 . Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), for one, seems like he’s headed for a world of trouble after a business associate confirmed during a tense phone call that Timothy was “implicated” and needed to lawyer up. I thought the voice on the other end of the line sounded familiar, and I was delightfully shocked to learn the cameo came from an Oscar winner.
EW reports that Ke Huy Quan was the voice of Kenny, who Timothy apparently did a favor for in the past — for a measly $10 million — that has come back to haunt them. In the Season 3 premiere, Timothy was unable to reach Kenny from Thailand after he learned that the Wall Street Journal was investigating their shady deal.
By the time Timothy finally gets Kenny on the phone in “Special Treatments,” Ke Huy Quan’s frenzied voice informs his associate that a whistleblower in his company reported them to the FBI, and Timothy is well aware that he’s going to be on the wrong end of some money laundering and bribery charges.
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)
Ke Huy Quan is having quite a big moment in his career. Formerly a child actor who played Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data in The Goonies, Quan stopped acting for decades due to a lack of opportunities. Twenty years later Quan made a triumphant return , winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Not only is the actor making important calls on The White Lotus Season 3 , but the phone is finally ringing for him, too. Ke Huy Quan will appear in multiple projects on the 2025 movie calendar , including Love Hurts — which is in theaters now — as well as The Electric State, coming to the 2025 Netflix schedule March 14.
This isn’t the first time The White Lotus has pulled an Oscar winner for an important voice cameo. Back in Season 2, Laura Dern was the voice of Abby, the estranged wife of Michael Imperioli’s Dominic. Dern never appeared in person on the show, but it would be quite the treat if Ke Huy Quan’s Kenny decided to go on the lam and join Timothy in Thailand.
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Parker Posey has been devouring scenes as Victoria , Timothy’s wife, and I can only imagine the hilarity that would ensue from a scene between her and Kenny.
Jason Isaacs’ character may be guilty of some white-collar crime, but he’s certainly not the only shady guest at the Thailand resort. The mysteries are only just starting to unravel, and after Tanya McQuoid’s Season 2 death , I’d be shocked if her husband doesn’t come into play somehow, since Jon Gries’ Greg has already turned up in Season 3 .
Tune in to see who the Season 3 dead body belongs to and if we’ll see (or hear, rather) more of Ke Huy Quan. New episodes of The White Lotus air at 9 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO and streaming on Max.

Amelia Kerr is known as a steadfast all-rounder for Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). However, her success on the field could not avert a tough time for her with the autowalas of Mumbai city who have become quite a sensation for their stringent measures with the residents of the city.
The star all-rounder got a taste of what it’s like to ask for a ride from the auto-drivers of Mumbai as the official social media handle of Mumbai Indians shared a fun video of Kerr and actor influencer Mithali Palkar spending some time trying to book a ride.
Mithali Palkar’s fun challenge to Amelia Kerr
In the video which has now become an internet sensation, Palkar can be seen challenging Kerr to get a ride with the auto-drivers of the city in a fun manner. Kerr accepts the challenges and after several unsuccessful attempts at trying to get a ride, the Blackcaps showed her Marathi skills and convinced a driver to give her a ride.
Palkar’s fun gimmick with Kerr didn’t end there. She placed a traditional turban on her head and finally deemed her a true Mumbai-kar for her skills to get a ride for the two of them. Fans loved the plot of the video and appreciated the young MI all-rounder for her acting skills.
Here’s the video
Also Watch: Amelia Kerr pulls off an outstanding catch to dismiss Dayalan Hemalatha
Mumbai up for the next big challenge against UP Warriorz
Fun and laughter is much needed during the intense competition of the WPL 2025. However, the fixtures for MI are set to turn more challenging as teams give their all to qualify for the play-offs of the coveted tournament. MI currently sits at 2nd place in the WPL points table with 2 wins and 1 loss. Their next epic face-off is against UP Warriorz who are right behind them in the points table and would try their best to outperform the former WPL champions.
Also Read: No Amelia Kerr as New Zealand announces ODI and T20I squads for Sri Lanka series
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

Patriots Bill Belichick, UNC reportedly to be featured on ‘Hard Knocks: Offseason’ NFL Films and HBO reportedly couldn’t find an NFL team willing to participate this year. Bill Belichick is entering his first season in North Carolina. AP Photo/Ben McKeown
Bill Belichick’s career-long evasion of Hard Knocks will reportedly come to an end this year.
According to Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, Belichick and his University of North Carolina football program are set to appear on the show in 2025.
BREAKING: Bill Belichick and UNC will be featured on Offseason Hard Knocks after NFL Films could not find an NFL team to do it after the Joe Schoen debacle last year, sources tell @FOS — Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) February 28, 2025
UNC will be featured on an offseason edition of the television series produced by NFL Films and HBO. Hard Knocks: Offseason debuted last year, following the New York Giants.
The production companies have been unable to find an NFL team willing to participate in the show after what came of the Giants’ appearance.
Last year, Hard Knocks included footage of New York general manager Joe Schoen on the phone with former Giants and then-free agent running back Saquon Barkley’s agent. Schoen was seen explaining that New York wasn’t going to be able to match Barkley’s party’s contract offer of $12.5 million per year.
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Barkley ultimately landed with the Giants’ division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. He recorded one of the best regular seasons by an RB in league history and went on to win Super Bowl LIX.
Keith Crossrow, NFL Films’ vice president, told Pat McAfee about the fact that they were struggling to secure a team to continue the Hard Knocks: Offseason series last month.
“There’s definitely a chance. We hope it’s back. We’re talking to a bunch of teams about it. But we’ll see what happens,” Crossrow said. “I mean, we need a willing participant on that one. We’re not going to force someone to do that show.”
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Crossrow had acknowledged that the offseason series could have ended up being a one-and-done scenario.
Enter the 72-year-old Belichick in Chapel Hill to save the day.
It’s a surprising turn of events for both the NFL and Belichick regarding Hard Knocks. If he were still coaching in New England, it’s hard to imagine he would have allowed those cameras anywhere near Foxborough.
Thus, if UNC does appear on the show, it will be fascinating to watch. It should also answer these compelling questions on an entirely different level than previously thought possible:
Will Belichick tone down his famously tough coaching style in a collegiate setting?
Given that he missed this past season as a coach, will he be rusty during practices? Or will he look like his past Patriots self?
How will Belichick’s players respond to him?
Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants consisted of five episodes, with the first one airing on July 2, 2024. If the 2025 edition of the series follows suit, fans will be able to watch Belichick prepare himself and his UNC team for the upcoming season in roughly five months.

An ugly and unprecedented confrontation in the Oval Office hammered home President Donald Trump’s hostility toward Ukraine and its president, along with his persistent affinity for Russia’s autocratic ruler.
As television cameras rolled, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance berated Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the democratically elected leader of a country that has been under attack by Russia since 2014, calling him “ungrateful,” “disrespectful,” and “gambling with millions of lives.”
The lecture left no doubt that Trump sees Ukraine merely as one of the parties in a negotiation, and not as a democratic U.S. ally grappling with the invading force of a much larger, autocratic neighbor, Russia.
It also seemed to illustrate Trump’s lopsided negotiating tactics, demanding the weaker side — Kyiv — make concessions instead of trying to pressure Moscow into a compromise.
The extraordinary scene left Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, who was in the room, holding her head in her hands — an image that went viral.
Previous American presidents have had plenty of tense exchanges with allies, but often in private, and never like this.
What made this one different was not just that it unfolded with cameras rolling, but that it featured an American president siding with an autocratic and longtime adversary, Russia, against a nascent democracy that has struggled for years to break away from Moscow’s orbit and join the NATO alliance of Western democracies.
For decades, presidents from both parties embraced the idea that backing democratic countries served America’s interests and reflected its values. U.S. foreign policy viewed democratic states as better allies and better trading partners, helping to promote stability and the free flow of commerce.
But Trump, and the Republican party he has transformed, appears to have rejected that decades-old American consensus.
For Trump, Russia is apparently a powerful country that the U.S. can cut a deal with, and Ukraine is a less powerful country that does not necessarily have a seat at the table or a sympathetic ear at the White House. Democracy doesn’t seem to figure in this president’s equation.
Zelensky and Trump openly clashed in the White House where they were due to sign a deal on sharing Ukraine’s mineral riches and discuss a peace deal with Russia. SAUL LOEB / AFP – Getty Images
Partisan gulf
After the tense exchange was broadcast, Republicans in Congress almost uniformly praised Trump for attacking Ukraine’s leader. “Thank you for standing up for OUR COUNTRY and putting America first, President Trump and Vice President Vance!” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted on X.
Senator Jim Banks, (R-Ind.) suggested that the Ukrainian leader was spoiled. “Zelensky ungratefully expects us to bankroll and escalate another forever war—all while disrespecting the President,

From joking about date rape drugs to exploring an extended bit about Ken Burns‘ The Civil War docuseries, Shane Gillis‘ second turn as host — from his previous and shortlived home of Saturday Night Live — featured some ham-fisted, self-deprecating humor poking fun at the audience’s politics and its lack of uproarious laughter.
The comedian began his 7-minute monologue by addressing politics, saying that president Donald Trump’s being in office is “funny” due to his “fifth-grade ideas.”
“Greenland? Ooh. Now I want Greenland. I never even thought about Greenland; now it’s all I think about,” he quipped.
From across the aisle, he joked, “I miss Biden, Biden was fun — also hilarious. My favorite thing about Biden was, anytime he was given a speech, in between teleprompters his face would go back to being dead,” completing the remark with a not-too-uncanny impression that got a couple chuckles.
Watch on Deadline
“Look, I get it, you’re pretty liberal here,” he said, making a quip about how being liberal makes a person feel “powerful like a Sith.” When that garnered wan laughs, he added, “All right now I’m going to lose you even more, for my next trick…”
Gillis then segued into a joke about a “thing white guys do and it is racist,” eventually revealing that the thing in question was asking romantic partners if they have ever had sex with Black men before.
The latter three minutes of Gillis’ monologue was dedicated largely to Burns’ documentary, which he called “kryptonite to women. If you put that on, they will fall asleep immediately. They’re yapping a little bit, how about a little Ken Burns? That’s a [Bill] Cosby tip for you: Who needs roofies when we have Ken Burns presents the history of the buffalo on PBS?”
He then discussed Shelby Foote, who authored The Civil War: A Narrative, a three-volume history of the American Civil War, and who Gillis said was “clearly cheering for the South the entire documentary.” Making light of the historian’s made-up anecdotes and asides in the documentary, Gillis eventually closed with “All right, I don’t know how to get out of this joke.”
Eventually though, he found a way out, circling back to his question to romantic partners by narrating Foote’s reading of a Civil War-era letter from a soldier who asked his beloved Clara “would you ever…” before trailing off and finishing up the monologue.
Gillis, who is on the show alongside musical guest Tate McRae, was fired in 2019 prior to even making an appearance as a cast member on the late-night show, an executive decision made by network NBC after his previous anti-Asian and anti-gay comments were resurfaced. Since then, however, Gillis has maintained a steady career as a standup with a couple of specials on Netflix and the streamer’s comedy series Tires, which he stars in and co-created.
Watch the full monologue above.

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is hosting an event focused on the design for a reconstruction of Rochester’s busiest intersections.
See Also: Byron School District Approves Sweeping Budget Cuts
There was light work that prompted lane closures at the intersection earlier this week to facilitate pavement testing for the massive project.
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The intersection reconstruction is one of two projects that will take place along the heavily-traveled road in Rochester before the end of the decade.
Hwy. 14 Resurfacing Project to Start This Year in Rochester, MN
A resurfacing project for two stretches of Hwy. 14 in Rochester is set to begin this year. Crews will resurface the busy four-lane highway from the Hwy. 52 interchange near Apache mall to the intersection with Crossroads Dr. Southwest and from 3rd Ave. to Marion Rd. Southeast.
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Construction is set to return to Hwy. 14 in 2027, when crews will begin a project to rebuild the often-congested Hwy. 14 and South Broadway Ave. intersection, which MnDOT says sees 50,000 vehicles daily.
MnDOT Reveals Potential Design for New Hwy. 14/South Broadway Ave. Intersection in Rochester, MN
A proposed design of the intersection calls for significantly reducing the size of the medians between the two roads and the onramps for motorists making right turns onto Hwy. 14 and South Broadway.
The proposal also calls for two left turn lanes for eastbound and westbound Hwy. 14 traffic seeking South Broadway Ave.
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MnDOT says the work area on Hwy. 14 will span from 4th Ave. Southwest to 3rd Avenue Southeast and from south of 9th Street Southeast to the access points north of 14 Street Southwest on South Broadway Ave.
The project’s website indicates the final design is not set in stone and that officials plan to refine it based on public feedback. Additional meetings, surveys and other feedback gathering measures are planned to take place until this Fall.
MnDOT is hosting a public meeting about the project on Tuesday. It takes place from 4-6 p.m. at Aune Hall at Graham Park in Rochester.
A survey for the project is currently live online until 11:59 p.m. on March 11. It can be accessed by clicking here.

United States Department of Transportation announced a proposal Thursday to increase recruitment efforts and speed up the hiring process in an effort to solve the persistent lack of air traffic controllers. The program aims to solve long-standing staffing problems that have caused the country’s aviation infrastructure to become more and more stressed.
In a statement released on Thursday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that air traffic controllers need to be highly skilled and precise, and that it is crucial to fill these roles in order to maintain the effectiveness and safety of American airspace.
Photo: ArtByArthur | Shutterstock

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at a press conference at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 20. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon
California’s efforts to build the nation’s first high-speed rail network, which has seen its projected costs nearly triple since it was initiated in 2008, may see $4 billion of previously approved funds eliminated following a review of the program by the Transportation Department.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump indicated his displeasure with the project, falsely claiming it had “hundreds of billions of dollars of cost overruns.” In fact, the total projected cost of the 400-mile network is pegged at about $100 billion, of which $15.7 billion has been spent–using only about $3 billion of federal money so far. Still, newly appointed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that both the rising cost of the railway, which has climbed from an initial estimate of about $33 billion, and its fuzzy timeline for completion make it a bad continuing bet for U.S. taxpayers.
“I’m going to exercise my authority as the Secretary of Transportation to direct the Federal Railroad Administration, or FRA, to initiate a compliance review of funding to the California High-Speed Rail Authority,” Duffy said at a press briefing at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. “This is going to help determine whether billions of dollars in taxpayer money should remain committed to California’s High-Speed Rail. We’re going to look at whether California High-Speed Rail has actually complied with the agreements that they’ve signed with the federal government.”
The loss of any funding for the project at this time would risk the state’s ability to open the initial 171-mile segment running through the Central Valley, connecting cities including Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield. That first portion, which currently employs about 15,000 workers, was targeted to open in the early 2030s. There’s no firm timeline for when connections to San Francisco and Los Angeles would be completed, owing to the need to secure at least $70 billion of additional funding.
“We welcome this investigation and the opportunity to work with our federal partners,” said Ian Choudri, CEO of the state rail authority. “With multiple independent federal and state audits completed, every dollar is accounted for, and we stand by the progress and impact of this project.”
While Duffy and Trump aren’t fans of the state project, billionaire Wes Eden’s $12 billion Brightline West bullet train, which aims to connect Las Vegas to suburban Los Angeles with the help of a $3 billion federal grant, appears to remain in favor with the new administration. A private bond offering to cover the remaining cost of the Brightline project priced today, valuing the offering at $2.5 billion.
Protesters voice their opposition during a press conference by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at Union Station in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
It “seems like a project that is worthy of investment,” Duffy said. “But this project, if completed, 400 miles from LA to San Francisco at best it’ll cost $106 billion. Most people will say that is a rosy estimate. There’s no way it’s going to be completed for $106 billion.”
As Duffy completed his remarks, a few dozen protesters gathered near the press conference at the train station, holding signs in favor of the state rail project and chanting anti-Trump, anti-Musk and anti-Duffy slogans.
Coincidentally, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that his government intended to provide $2.7 billion to help build a high-speed rail line to connect cities including Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City.
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Photo via Tri-Board Transportation.
Some area students may be left without school buses next week, as contract negotiations between Stock Transportation and its Bus Drivers and Monitors are taking place this week.
“As early as Monday, February 24, 2025, routes contracted to Stock Transportation may be suspended until further notice, and families would be responsible for making alternative arrangements for their students to travel to and from school,” Tri-Board Transportation said in a statement.
“Routes not operated by Stock Transportation will continue to operate as planned, subject to regular cancellations/delays (i.e., due to weather). Unfortunately, due to a myriad of factors, students cannot be temporarily assigned to other routes.”
According to Tri-Board, Stock Transportation operates 119 routes within Tri-Board’s service area, transporting approximately 6,500 students to and from school daily.
Both Limestone District School Board (LDSB) and Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board (ALCDSB) have sent letters to families with brief details about this possible disruption to service, and noted that families will only receive a notice from Tri-Board if their child takes a bus operated by Stock Transportation.
“All details on your child’s bus can be found on the Tri-Board Transportation student portal: https://triboard.ca/student-portal/,” ALCDSB stated.
Tri-Board also detailed that some routes use different buses to and from school, and urge families to check their student portal as well.
“Many students ride buses operated by different companies in the morning and afternoon, so it is important to check all assigned transportation, including transfers. For example, if a student rides on a bus operated by Stock in the morning, but rides a bus operated by another company in the afternoon, then only their morning transportation would be suspended. The suspension of services will be reflected as cancellations in BusPlanner for those who are subscribed to bus status alerts,” Tri-Board explained.
“Families should consider contingency plans if transportation services are suspended, such as carpooling or using public transit, where possible. Schools have been advised that there may be an increase in traffic congestion at and around school sites.”
Students with the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board or the Provincial School Board are not affected by this disruption.
“Tri-Board and the school boards have no influence on contract negotiations between the Bus Drivers/Monitors and their employer, Stock Transportation. We are hopeful that both parties will reach an agreement soon, and there will be no disruption to transportation services,” Tri-Board continued.
“We recognize that any withdrawal of services will affect students and their families, and we will provide updates on this situation as soon as possible. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us.“
Tri-Board said it will provide affected families with an update on this situation by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.
Read Tri-Board’s statement about the potential disruption to transportation services at triboard.ca/stock-service-disruption25/.
In response to Kingstonist inquiries, Stock Transportation provided the following statement:
Stock Transportation has been negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement with the Teamsters Local 91 but unfortunately, they have rejected our offer, which would have made these drivers among the highest paid in the local school bus industry. We are disappointed in their decision to contemplate a strike which would disrupt transportation services next week. We remain hopeful that cooler heads will prevail and that they will uphold their commitment to our students by providing reliable, safe and warm transportation during this cold, bitter winter season.
Final negotiations will take place this Friday at the bargaining table with the possibility of a strike as early as Monday, February 24, 2025. Our team has been working behind the scenes in preparation for a strike scenario in hopes to minimize disruptions as much as possible, but a strike will inevitably cause service disruptions.
Kingstonist will continue to follow this story.

Transportation Secretary asks for compliance review of California’s High Speed Rail project
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has asked for a compliance review of California’s controversial High Speed Rail project.

At the behest of President Donald Trump, Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy on Thursday ordered a Federal Railroad Administration review of California’s high-speed rail project, questioning a $4 billion commitment to the project. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) — At the behest of President Donald Trump, Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy Thursday ordered a Federal Railroad Administration review of California’s high-speed rail project, questioning a $4 billion commitment to the project.

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats want Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to stop mass layoffs and firings at the Department of Transportation and are questioning Elon Musk’s role in the department’s downsizing strategy.
Duffy at his nomination hearing on Jan. 15. Credit: U.S. Senate
DOT’s roughly 57,000 employees have been among those affected by the sweeping federal workforce reduction mandate initiated during the first weeks of the Trump administration.
“At the Department of Transportation, safety must come first, but that commitment appears in doubt as the Trump administration promotes cost-cutting over protecting the public,” wrote Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., in a letter sent on Thursday to Duffy, co-signed by 12 of his Senate colleagues.
“We urge you to cease this dangerous approach to governing and request important information on how the [DOT] plans to prioritize safety in this environment.”

A luxury Manhattan apartment in a building featured in HBO’s “Succession” and A24’s “Babygirl” has sold for $20.1 million, marking the most expensive sale on the Upper West Side this year and one of the top real estate deals in New York City so far in 2025.
The full-floor residence, located on the 41st floor of 200 Amsterdam, was originally listed for $23.5 million before its price dropped to $22.5 million.
The undisclosed buyers, a local family who had been renting in the area, secured the deal below the asking price, Peter Zaitzeff, sales director at Serhant, told Mansion Global.
5 The kitchen. Evan Joseph
5 One of four bedrooms. Evan Joseph
Spanning 4,670 square feet, the high-end unit includes four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms and a 626-square-foot terrace with sweeping views of Central Park.
Luxury finishes also include French white oak floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a chef’s kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and Calacatta marble countertops.
The primary suite features a marble-clad bath with heated floors, two walk-in closets and a private bar.
While Residence 41 is now off the market, an even pricier unit in the same building remains available.
5 The unit is located at the luxe 200 Amsterdam building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Christopher Sadowski
5 A scene from “Babygirl” with Antonio Banderas and Nicole Kidman. Courtesy Everett Collection
5 A still from a season 4 episode of “Succession.” David M. Russell/HBO
Currently on the market for nearly $35 million is the penthouse that was featured as Nicole Kidman’s character’s home in the 2024 film “Babygirl.”
Also, fans of the HBO series “Succession” may also recognize the penthouse from when it served as the home of Roman Roy (played by Kieran Culkin).
That penthouse, spanning the 49th and 50th floors, features a private elevator and a 116-foot terrace.
Initially listed at $38 million since May 2023, that unit has yet to find a buyer.

Adding capacity to the Borman Expressway without adding lanes is no easy task, but the Indiana Department of Transportation is working on it.
The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission’s executive board passed a series of resolutions Thursday aimed at putting a $127 million grant to create a flex road to good use for that purpose on Interstate 94, known as the Borman as it goes through Northwest Indiana.
Adam Parkhouse, director of operations for INDOT’s northwest district, explained what that project could entail as transportation planners aim for “less stop, no go.”
Large gantries could be built across the expressway to alert drivers to lanes closed ahead and urge them to merge now rather than waiting until the last minute. Or speed limits could be adjusted ahead of accidents to get drivers to slow down.
Traffic lights could be installed at the base of on-ramps to tell drivers when it’s safe to merge onto the Borman, a process called ramp metering, just like on some of Chicago’s expressways.
“We have an existing wide inside shoulder” that could be used as an additional lane at times,” Parkhouse said. The display on the gantry would tell when that lane is open or closed.
The idea is to reduce the number and severity of accidents, Parkhouse said.
“It’s the busiest road in the state of Indiana, the busiest corridor,” with about double the number of trucks that would be expected, Parkhouse said.
That heavy truck traffic is the result of Lake Michigan forcing truck traffic between the East Coast and Chicago through Northwest Indiana.
Adding actual lanes would mean relocating homes and businesses neighboring the Borman, something that would be expensive, painful and highly controversial.
“We’ve been talking about this for a number of years,” he said.
The Borman flex road project is the first planning and environmental linkage project INDOT has launched. Others have been started since.
The PEL is “hyper-focused” on getting public involvement throughout the planning process.
“It’s an exciting project,” Parkhouse said.
Tom Vander Woude, NIRPC’s director of transportation, said fiber optic work will be installed this summer, with road construction to begin in spring 2026. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2028.
The flex road project aims to improve both safety and congestion. Congestion affects air quality.
Beverly Shores Town Council President David Phelps asked about data on emissions from vehicular traffic, a question made more timely as state Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, presses for an end to emissions testing for vehicles in Lake and Porter counties.
“What’s important to our constituents is, are we making progress,” he said.
As a metropolitan planning organization, NIRPC uses figures provided by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to calculate the impact of road projects on air quality, Vander Woude said.
“It’s hard to convey that to the public at large, that our success was continuous funding,” Porter County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke said. Breitzke heads NIRPC’s Transportation Committee.
That success includes federal funding for major projects like the Borman Expressway flex road project.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The South Carolina Department of Transportation is in the process of a resurfacing project on the upper peninsula.
Officials with the City of Charleston say the goal is to enhance safety for pedestrians and bikers.
The work is being done on Meeting Street, North of Mount Pleasant Street, to where Spruill Avenue comes in.
The City of Charleston along with SCDOT, which is funding this, describes this as a road diet.
The part of Meeting Street in question will decrease from four lanes to three lanes and will have a center turn lane once completed.
“It’s going to be hugely helpful when we have truck traffic up there going to facilities that are on the waterfront, the trucks can use that center turn lane and won’t have to stop the traffic behind them,” City of Charleston Planning Manager Christopher Morgan said.
A bike lane and sidewalk improvements are the other main elements of this construction.
Andrew Augustine works on Meeting Street and says he fully supports this project
“I think this section of Meeting Street has become increasingly dangerous over the past few years, with more traffic heading up the peninsula, and the neck area becoming more developed, and there’s no signs of that stopping anytime soon,” Augustine said.
The contract work must be completed by June, and with good weather, officials say the repaving could potentially begin by the end of the month.
Morgan asks for people to be patient while construction takes place.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

The Issue: The federal Transportation Department revoked its approval of NY’s congestion-pricing scheme.
The editorial board’s points about the MTA’s perpetual fiscal woes and ongoing mismanagement hit the mark (“Big Win for the Little Guy,” Editorial, Feb. 20).
But you left out the strongest argument for denying congestion-pricing toll revenue: the hundreds of millions the MTA loses every year by turning a blind eye to turnstile jumpers.
It shouldn’t get another dime until it fixes that.
Bob Wilson
Hunter’s Point
President Trump is trying to kill Gov. Hochul’s congestion-pricing program, calling it unfair to the working class.
What’s really unfair is that New York has one of the highest tax rates in the country.
Where is all our money going?
I suggest that The Post asks New Yorkers whether they want DOGE to investigate where all our tax dollars are spent.
Owen Kelly
Valley Stream
Hochul’s insistence on pushing this universally unpopular tax defies logic and any sense of political self-awareness.
It underscores just how out of touch she and fellow Democrats are.
Hochul would be wise to take a page from the DOGE play book and start investigating fraud, waste and corruption in her own state.
Michael D’Auria
Bronxville
President Trump kept his word, and the federal government has promised to kill the commuter tax here in New York.
Now I’d like to say: Power to the people!
This is an unpopular program.
I work for a plumbing supply house, and we transport supplies by private contractors who have to charge more when they go into Manhattan, and in turn, we have to charge customers more.
Congestion pricing negatively affects many companies and hardworking people.
Frederick Bedell Jr.
Bellerose
In the most heavily taxed city and state in the country, Gov. Hochul and the MTA are crying poverty because the federal government is ending congestion pricing.
I suggest that President Trump call Hochul and MTA CEO Janno Lieber and offer the services of Elon Musk and the DOGE team.
They should audit the MTA for fraud and waste before another cent is robbed from the citizens of New York and the surrounding communities.
I’m sure the result of any audit would find billions of wasted dollars.
Christopher O’Keefe
Manhattan
Trump’s opposition to congestion pricing could be accompanied by an offer to provide the governor with the services of DOGE to root out wasteful spending in the MTA, along with federal assistance for essential infrastructure projects.
Tony Giametta
Queens
This fare is unfair.
Even the blind could see that Hochul’s congestion tax is just a form of highway robbery.
Apparently, Hochul believes that the road to heaven is paved with bad intentions.
James Evans
Worcester, Mass.
Hochul’s popularity has soared, because going against Trump makes you a superstar of the left.
But Hochul will lose, and lose big.
John Avelli
Brooklyn
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All I can say is thank you, Trump, for axing the congestion tolls that New Yorkers had to pay just to come into the city.
This congestion pricing was a burden on the middle class — a class who always gets hit the hardest.
The congestion pricing was hurting all the businesses in New York, especially the small businesses.
The people pay enough taxes. We do not need anymore.
Rob Johann,
Queens
Trump wants to get rid of not only congestion pricing, but also bike lanes.
That’s a terrible idea: Without them, cyclists would ride on sidewalks.
Also, the majority of food-delivery workers use bikes.
If they are unable to get around, stores will be forced to rely on cars for deliveries, causing even worse congestion and parking issues.
Removing bike lanes will only make the problem worse.
Raymond Mangano
Brooklyn
Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@nypost.com. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.

An Open Letter to the Trucking Industry: The Playbook Is Here
There are moments in life when an idea takes shape in a way you never expected — when the right conversation happens at the right time, setting off a chain reaction that leads to something bigger than you anticipated.
For me, that moment started with a tweet.
I was sharing my thoughts on a compliance issue — one of the many daily battles small carriers and owner-operators face — when Craig Fuller, CEO of FreightWaves, saw it. He reached out via direct message, inviting me to speak at the FreightWaves F3 Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee. What began as a simple tweet turned into a 15-minute conversation on stage, one that resonated so deeply that when we stepped off, we both knew it couldn’t end there.
A few weeks later, we met on Zoom, and as we started talking, the first thing that came to our minds was The Playbook.

The federal government has rescinded its approval of the program, US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Wednesday, calling the toll “a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners.”
Launched on Jan. 5, the city’s system uses license plate readers to impose a $9 toll on most vehicles entering Manhattan neighborhoods south of Central Park. In its early days, transit officials said the toll has brought modest but measurable traffic reductions.
NEW YORK — President Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered a halt to congestion pricing tolls in New York City, which thin traffic and fund mass transit by making people pay to drive into some parts of Manhattan.
The Federal Highway Administration will work with the state to carry out an “orderly termination of the tolls,” according to Duffy’s statement.
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Trump, whose namesake Trump Tower penthouse and other properties are within the congestion zone, vowed to kill the plan as soon as he took office, calling it a regressive tax. The Republican declared victory on his social networking site Truth Social after the Transportation Department announcement.
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“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED.” Trump wrote, adding, “LONG LIVE THE KING!” The White House later posted an image of Trump wearing a crown in front of the New York skyline.
Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said the fight isn’t over.
She pointed out that a lawsuit aimed at keeping the congestion pricing program alive had already been filed by the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the New York City subway and other public transit.
“We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king,” Hochul said. “We’ll see you in court.”
Similar tolling programs that get more people into public transit by making driving cost-prohibitive have long existed in other global cities, including London, Stockholm, Milan, and Singapore, but the system had never before been tried in the US.
New York plans to use the money from tolls to issue bonds that would fund billions of dollars in improvements and repairs for the city’s creaky and cash-strapped transit system, which carries some 4 million riders daily.
As in other cities, the New York congestion fee varies depending on the time and the size of the vehicle. Trucks and other large automobiles pay a higher rate, and the fee drops to $2.25 for most cars during the quieter overnight hours — less than the cost of a subway ride.
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The tolling system has been divisive. It’s hated by many New Yorkers who own cars, particularly those who live in the suburbs or parts of the city not well-served by the subway system.
However, transit advocates and environmentalists heralded it as an innovative step to reduce air pollution and speed up traffic for vehicles that truly need to be on the road, like delivery trucks, police cars, and other first responders.
“By blocking this successful policy, Trump will be directly responsible for more traffic, more crashes, more polluted air, slower buses and less funding for our transit system,” said state Senator Andrew Gounardes, a city Democrat.
The tolling plan was approved by New York lawmakers in 2019, but stalled for years, awaiting a federal environmental review during Trump’s first term before being approved under the Biden administration.
The toll survived several lawsuits trying to halt it before its launch. Democratic Governor Phil Murphy of neighboring New Jersey fought it in court and wrote a letter to Trump on Inauguration Day imploring him to kill the program.
Hochul also had misgivings. Last June, she abruptly halted the tolling system’s planned launch, citing concerns about its impact on the local economy. The Democrat then revived the toll in November following Trump’s election, but reduced the toll for passenger vehicles from $15 to $9.
Since then, she has lauded it as a win for the city and has discussed the issue multiple times with the president.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a Democrat, had been a one-time supporter of congestion pricing but has more recently punted on the subject, appearing unwilling to wade into a brewing fight between Trump and the state.
“If the federal government has the authority to do something within their powers, then we can’t sit back and complain about it, because we do things within our powers,” Adams told reporters last month when asked about the potential for Trump to cancel congestion pricing.

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada has provided an initial update on its investigation of the safety event involving the Endeavor Air Mitsubishi CRJ900 , which was operating a flight on behalf of Delta Connection, that happened in Toronto, Canada, on February 17.
Dozens of investigators collecting information
In a statement published on February 19, Ken Webster, the manager of regional operations of Ontario at the TSB, detailed that a team of more than 20 investigators has been examining the wreckage of the CRJ900, conducting interviews, and collecting data about the incident to begin the process of determining causes and contributing factors that led to the event.
Webster added that Transport Canada (TC), the National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ), the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ), the manufacturer (Bombardier sold the assets of the CRJ program to Mitsubishi in 2020), and Endeavor Air are supporting the investigation.
Furthermore, the TSB has been in coordination with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) and Peel Regional Police.
The CRJ900 crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) on February 17. Operating Delta Air Lines Flight 4819 , the regional jet crashed while landing at the airport.
Videos shared on social media showed the aircraft landing at the airport, swaying right, and then flipping. Miraculously, and due to the exemplary efforts of the flight crew, all 76 passengers safely evacuated the regional jet. The four Endeavor Air employees also safely disembarked the belly-up CRJ900.
Impacting the runway
Webster affirmed that the CRJ900 was operating a flight with 80 people onboard from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to Toronto-Pearson.
“[The CRJ900] impacted the runway during landing. Following this initial impact, parts of the aircraft separated, and a fire ensued. […] the fuselage came to rest slightly off the right side of the runway, upside down, facing the other direction.”
According to the TSB’s representative, the board’s other duties include examining the wreckage and the runway. The TSB had already removed the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR) and sent them to its lab for further analysis.
Webster concluded that it was too early to say what caused the accident, promising to share more information once the TSB had it.
Related Delta Endeavor CRJ900 Crash In Toronto On Landing: Everything We Know So Far The NTSB will join the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada to investigate the Delta Connection CRJ900 incident at Toronto-Pearson.
21 injuries
Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines’ latest update, published on February 18, detailed that, in total, 21 passengers were transported to local hospitals. As of early February 18, 19 had been released.
Ed Bastian, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Delta Air Lines , said that now, the most pressing priority remains taking care of the customers and the Endeavor Air crew members.
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
“We’ll do everything we can to support them and their families in the days ahead, and I know the hearts, thoughts, and prayers of the entire Delta community are with them.”
Bastian expressed his gratitude to all the first responders and medical teams that treated the 80 people who were onboard the regional jet.
Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection flights have resumed at Toronto-Pearson. However, two flights were operating with larger aircraft on February 18 to allow for greater capacity. The airline has an active travel waiver for travelers flying to Toronto-Pearson until February 20.

WASHINGTON — Americans’ confidence in air travel and the federal agencies tasked with maintaining air safety has slipped a little from last year, following a recent crash in Washington, according to a new poll, but most still believe air transportation is generally safe.
The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 64% of U.S. adults say plane travel is “very safe” or “somewhat safe.”
That’s down slightly from last year, when 71% said that. About 2 in 10 U.S. adults now say air transportation is very or somewhat unsafe, up from 12% in 2024.
3 Airport workers survey the site of a Delta Air Lines plane crash that injured at least 18 passengers at Toronto Pearson International Airport on February 18, 2025 in Toronto, Canada. Getty Images
Faith in government agencies’ ability to ensure safe air travel dipped as well.
Just over half of U.S. adults have “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of confidence in federal government agencies to maintain air safety, down slightly from about 6 in 10 last year.
The poll was conducted Feb. 6-10, shortly after the Jan. 30 collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Washington but before a Delta jet flipped on its roof while landing in Toronto.
3 A plane seen near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. AP
3 A crane offloads a piece of wreckage from a salvage vessel onto a flatbed truck, near the wreckage site in the Potomac River of a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Arlington, Va. AP
The Washington collision, which killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, was the country’s deadliest aviation disaster since 2001.
The decline in confidence, while small, suggests that the event may have rattled some Americans.
The 2024 poll was conducted after another incident that raised questions about the safety of air travel, in which a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines jetliner above Oregon, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane.
Overall, Americans think traveling by plane is about as safe as walking or taking a car. About two-thirds say either walking or driving are safe forms of transportation. Only about half of U.S. adults say a local subway, metro or light rail system is safe, in line with 2024.
After the Washington crash, President Donald Trump, a Republican, blamed federal diversity and inclusion promotion efforts and reassured Americans that it is safe to fly.
That may help explain why Democrats and independents, but not Republicans, have seen a drop in trust.
Independents’ belief that plane travel is safe fell substantially, from about 6 in 10 calling it safe last year to about 4 in 10 now.
About 7 in 10 Democrats say plane travel is safe, down slightly from about three-quarters in 2024.
Republicans have not changed their views about air travel being safe.
Democrats and independents also have less faith in the government’s ability to ensure air safety than they did four years ago.
The poll was conducted before the firing of probationary Federal Aviation Administration employees, but at least some of the shift is likely related to the change in presidential administration, from Joe Biden, a Democrat, to Trump.
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In January 2024, when Biden was still president, about 7 in 10 Democrats said they had high confidence in federal government agencies to maintain air safety.
Now only 6 in 10 Democrats say that.
Independents’ confidence also declined, while Republicans’ opinions did not move.
The poll found that U.S. adults’ confidence in pilots and commercial airlines remains unchanged.
About 8 in 10 U.S. adults have a high level of confidence in pilots, and about three-quarters say that about commercial airlines.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ confidence in air travel and the federal agencies tasked with maintaining air safety has slipped a little from last year, following a recent crash in Washington, according to a new poll, but most still believe air transportation is generally safe.
The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 64% of U.S. adults say plane travel is “very safe” or “somewhat safe.” That’s down slightly from last year, when 71% said that. About 2 in 10 U.S. adults now say air transportation is very or somewhat unsafe, up from 12% in 2024.
Faith in government agencies’ ability to ensure safe air travel dipped as well. Just over half of U.S. adults have “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of confidence in federal government agencies to maintain air safety, down slightly from about 6 in 10 last year.
The poll was conducted Feb. 6-10, shortly after the Jan. 30 collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Washington but before a Delta jet flipped on its roof while landing in Toronto. The Washington collision, which killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, was the country’s deadliest aviation disaster since 2001. The decline in confidence, while small, suggests that the event may have rattled some Americans. The 2024 poll was conducted after another incident that raised questions about the safety of air travel, in which a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines jetliner above Oregon, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane.
Overall, Americans think traveling by plane is about as safe as walking or taking a car. About two-thirds say either walking or driving are safe forms of transportation. Only about half of U.S. adults say a local subway, metro or light rail system is safe, in line with 2024.
After the Washington crash, President Donald Trump, a Republican, blamed federal diversity and inclusion promotion efforts and reassured Americans that it is safe to fly. That may help explain why Democrats and independents, but not Republicans, have seen a drop in trust.
Independents’ belief that plane travel is safe fell substantially, from about 6 in 10 calling it safe last year to about 4 in 10 now. About 7 in 10 Democrats say plane travel is safe, down slightly from about three-quarters in 2024. Republicans have not changed their views about air travel being safe.
Democrats and independents also have less faith in the government’s ability to ensure air safety than they did four years ago. The poll was conducted before the firing of probationary Federal Aviation Administration employees, but at least some of the shift is likely related to the change in presidential administration, from Joe Biden, a Democrat, to Trump.
In January 2024, when Biden was still president, about 7 in 10 Democrats said they had high confidence in federal government agencies to maintain air safety. Now only 6 in 10 Democrats say that. Independents’ confidence also declined, while Republicans’ opinions did not move.
The poll found that U.S. adults’ confidence in pilots and commercial airlines remains unchanged. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults have a high level of confidence in pilots, and about three-quarters say that about commercial airlines.
___
The AP-NORC poll of 1,112 adults was conducted Feb. 6-10, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

One aircraft that stands out as a true embodiment of Italian aerospace innovation is the Piaggio PD.808. This Italian business jet was designed as a joint venture between Piaggio Aero Industries and Douglas Aircraft Corporation. It was offered in various versions, including as a five-seat executive, as a seven-seat executive transport, and as a six-seat version for the Italian Air Force and other military applications.
Photo: Alan D R Brown | Wikimedia Commons
The story of the twin-engine Piaggio PD.808 began in the mid-1960s and retired with the final model’s retirement on May 17, 2003. At that point, Piaggio Aero Industries embarked on an ambitious journey to create a VIP transport jet/utility aircraft that would not only meet the demands of the modern executive but also reflect Italian design.
The story of the Vespa Jet
Piaggio Aero, founded in 1884 in Genoa, North Italy, has a rich history in the aerospace industry. During the early 1920s, it built the Piaggio P.1 and P.2 fighter prototypes. The company pursues research-led innovation and continuous product improvement, ensuring maximum efficiency in industrial processes and distinction in styles and products.
Photo: Koboldmaki | Pinterest
Collaborating with the design of Douglas Aircraft Company, a famous American aircraft manufacturer, Piaggio set out to develop an aircraft that would revolutionize business aviation. The Piaggio PD.808 made its first flight in August 1965, marking the start of an era for Italian business jets.
With its distinctive Italian flair, the Vespa jet received its name after Piaggio, the Italian Vespa motor manufacturer, carved a niche for itself in the world of aviation. It blends style, performance, and versatility in a way that only an Italian creation could.
Mastering versatility and adaptability
While it was originally conceived as a business jet, the aircraft’s design and performance capabilities have made it suitable for a wide range of applications. Over the years, the PD.808 has been adapted for various roles, incorporated into the Italian Air Force fleet for electronic intelligence, aerial reconnaissance, and even as a flying laboratory for scientific research.
Moreover, the Italian Air Force ordered 20 aircraft (plus the two prototypes), which served until 2003, for training and Instrument Landing System ILS calibration to guide aircraft during their approach and landing. This means the aircraft’s adaptability and reliability have made it a valuable asset in military and civilian aviation.
The art of performance
Douglas contributed to the PD.808’s design with its low-wing cantilever and tip-tanks, inspired by Douglas’ aerodynamic principles known from its successful business jets like the Douglas DC-3, DC-9, and the canceled Douglas F6D Missileer. The use of rear-mounted turbojets was common in business jets of that era, providing better balance and reduced cabin noise, which improved the overall passenger experience.
At first glance, the PD.808 captivates with its distinctive appearance. The aircraft’s streamlined fuselage, regular tail, and low-mounted wings land on retractable tricycle landing gear. It includes a standard cockpit for two pilots and a cabin accommodating 6–8 passengers, 10 troops, or three patients. Powered by two Bristol Siddeley (later Rolls-Royce ) Viper Mk.526 turbojet engines mounted on the rear fuselage, each of which generates approximately 3,360 lb of thrust.
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This powerplant configuration allows the aircraft to reach a cruising speed of 460 knots (529 MPH, 852 km/h) and a maximum range of 1,332 NM (1,533 mi, 2,466 km). The aircraft’s service ceiling is 45,000 feet, enabling it to fly above various weather and providing a smoother ride for passengers.
Feature Specifications Max takeoff weight 18,023 lb (8170 kg) Take off distance 3,180 feet Landing distance 2,990 feet
Comfort and Space Above the Clouds
Inside the PD.808, passengers are greeted with an interior filled with luxury. The cabin features genuine leather seats, polished wood veneers, and elegant fixtures that create an ambiance of refined sophistication. Large windows provide passengers with a sense of spaciousness.
The PD.808 also offers ample luggage space, allowing passengers to travel with their essentials without compromise. It has a well-appointed galley and a fully equipped lavatory, ensuring a convenient travel experience.
Dimension Measurement Length 42 ft 2 in (12.85 m) Wingspan 43 ft 4 in (13.2 m) Height 15 ft 9 in (4.8 m)
Exploring the different variants
The flying Vespa is a symbol of Italian ingenuity and a testament to Piaggio Aero Industries’ enduring legacy. With its combination of style, performance, and versatility, the PD.808 has left an indelible mark on the world of aviation. It existed in various variations, each built for a distinct job and mission:
PD-808VIP: VIP transport. PD-808TA: Trainer. PD-808RM: ILS calibration. PD-808GE: Electronic warfare aircraft. (Latest Model)
The 71st Group of the 14th Wing in the Italian Air Force had eight GE1 and GE2 platforms in service between 1972 and 1977. The Electronic Countermeasure ECM versions were equipped with a manual-type radar jamming system, VHF radio communications jammer, and Electronic Support Measures ESM system for collecting electromagnetic signals.
However, the company attempted to pique commercial operators’ interest in supplying a General Electric CJ-610 engine variation. On April 28, 1967, cooperation with Piaggio was hampered when Douglas and McDonnell merged.
Leading to the end of civil operations, On June 18, 1968, a PD.808 aircraft registered as I-PIAI crashed in terrible weather onto the slope of Mount Jaizkibel, northern Spain, killing all six onboard, including the Italian appliance manufacturer Lino Zanussi and the Piaggio chief test pilot. The aircraft’s last civil registration was I-PIAY, while its last military aircraft was under serial MM62015 AMI Aeronautica Militare Italiana.
Italian Aerospace Industry
Italy emerged as a significant player in the aviation world, producing iconic aircraft series during World War I like the Caproni bombers. Additionally, Fiat and Macchi contributed to developing avant fighter aircraft. Then, after World War II, the Italian aerospace industry continued to evolve, with companies like Agusta leading the way in developing 50 helicopters.
Photo: RuthAS | Wikimedia Commons
The renowned Fiat G.91 and the Aermacchi MB-326 trainers became symbols of Italy’s capacities. Up to the present day, Italy’s aircraft manufacturing industry remains a vital force, with Leonardo S.p.A. at the forefront and ATR with French collaboration. Piaggio Aerospace also develops unmanned aerial systems, aircraft, and engines for private and military operators.
Italy’s business jet sector is also home to a slew of innovative startups and mid-sized manufacturers, each bringing their own flair to the aerospace arena. Companies like Vulcanair and Tecnam are pushing the boundaries of design and functionality, infusing their aircraft with Italian elegance and engineering excellence.
Photo: Tecnam
The Piaggio of today
As we look to the future, the spirit of innovation that gave birth to the PD.808 continues to inspire new generations of aircraft designers and engineers. The lessons learned from its development and success serve as a guiding light for those who strive to push the boundaries of what’s possible in aviation.
Photo: Piaggio
Piaggio continues to excel in private jet design, building the Avanti P.180 in 1986. The Piaggio Avanti P180 is known for its unique design, exceptional performance, and luxurious comfort. It offers jet-like speed with turboprop efficiency, making it a popular choice for private operators. Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66B turboprop engines powered the aircraft.
It was revived in 2014 under the new name Avanti EVO . The new EVO is a modern business jet that is EASA and FAA-certified. It can fly up to 1,770 NM (2040 mi, 3280 km). The Avanti is a handful on the ground, especially in a crosswind, and lands remarkably well.
Photo: Piaggio Aero
The EVO is an aircraft that combines Italian style and intelligence to create a superior aircraft. It offers greater range, reduced fuel costs, safety systems, and a luxurious cabin. With a speed exceeding 400 KTAS (460 MPH, 741 km/h), it’s faster than many jets and at a fraction of direct running costs.
”Piaggio Aerospace aims to drive forward leading edge solutions that ensure maximum efficiency in our industrial processes and distinction in the products and services we offer our customers,” Piaggio Aerospace.
Piaggio Aerospace works under license and in partnership with leading international aircraft manufacturers, benefiting from cutting-edge technology. It specializes in constructing components, final assembly, testing, and maintenance of engines under license from Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, and Pratt & Whitney .
The company has also entered into long-term agreements with Pratt & Whitney, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and Micro Turbo, whose engines are used in civil and military aircraft and helicopters worldwide.
On December 27, 2024, the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy approved the transfer of the business complexes of Piaggio Aero Industries and Piaggio Aviation (two subsidiary companies under Piaggio Aerospace) to the Turkish Company Baykar , a leading provider of UAV systems and advanced aerospace technologies.

Despite the letter from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to Gov. Hochul, congestion pricing is still in place and it will stay place as the feds have no say in ending the tolling program for vehicles driving south of 60th St. Only New York, not Washington, can decide to pull the plug and Gov. Hochul is gamely pushing back. It is a fight that she will win.
The Duffy letter to Hochul was first published by another local newspaper Wednesday at 12:02, but not sent to Hochul. At 12:29, USDOT sent out a press release with the letter, but not to Hochul. Hochul said that her office received the letter at 1:01 and at 1:02, the MTA’s lawyer Robbie Kaplan filed a lawsuit against Duffy in Manhattan Federal Court, requesting that Judge Lewis Liman get the case.
Liman, who has been handling four of the lawsuits against congestion pricing, is well versed on the matter and has consistently ruled in favor of the MTA and New York that all the required studies, reviews and approvals were done properly and correctly. That was the same finding by federal judges Cathy Seibel in White Plains and Leo Gordon in Newark with their various congestion pricing lawsuits.
The issue before Liman is simple: Does the Federal Highway Administration (a subsidiary of USDOT) have the authority to revoke its signature on the Value Pricing Pilot Program, which is needed to put a toll on a federally-funded roadway?
The answer is likewise easy: No.
The VPPP document, signed by the state Department of Transportation, the MTA’s Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, the city Department of Transportation and FHWA on Nov. 21, only permits one of the four parties to cancel the tolls, which are anticipated to last “at least 10 years.”
Paragraph 11 states in full: “That NYSDOT, TBTA and NYCDOT agree they will work with FHWA to return the Project to its original operating condition if TBTA decides to discontinue tolls on the Project.”
The TBTA alone can cancel, which is why President Trump was pressuring Hochul to stop the tolls, as only New York has that power. Not the president, not Duffy, not FHWA. The tolls started on Jan. 5, 2025, so the 10-year minimum window is Jan. 5, 2035, when Trump and Duffy will be long gone. Liman will come to the same conclusion.
It’s taken decades to get here and congestion pricing is duly enacted in New York law and approved by the federal government. A letter from Sean Duffy does nothing to change that.
Liman will be asking the lawyers for FHWA, who have been in court since 2023 supporting congestion pricing, why they are suddenly switching sides. A new president and new USDOT secretary is not a sufficient answer.
Duffy says congestion pricing has to go because it “provides no toll-free option for many drivers.” However, there is “no toll-free option” to traverse the Hudson River unless you drive all the way to downtown Albany to use the Dunn Memorial Bridge. All 10 crossings to the south have tolls.
He is also bothered that the revenue is going to transit and the toll is not geared solely to curbing traffic. Easy solution: increase the toll to keep more cars out of Midtown. We doubt that’s what Duffy’s thinking.
Judge Liman should make quick work of this.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sought to alleviate fears about flying amid a spate of plane crashes and incidents in recent weeks, telling CBS News in an interview Wednesday,

Baton Rouge interior designer featured on the 11th season of ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ on ABC
BATON ROUGE — A Baton Rouge resident has been making over homes on this season of ABC’s

Marina Mabrey wants out.
And the Sun are saying, “No, thanks.”
Things are turning ugly in Connecticut with one of the WNBA’s premier teams rejecting the veteran guard’s request to be moved in an offseason that has featured a mass exodus from the franchise.
Mabrey’s agent, Marcus Crenshaw, slammed the Suns for not acquiescing.
3 Sun guard Marina Mabrey. AP
“In this current age of women’s empowerment and support of the players, the CT Sun threatening to force Marina Mabrey to play for them after her trade request is mind-boggling,” Crenshaw told ESPN in a statement. “Why would anyone try to force someone to play on their team when they don’t want to be there? It’s counterproductive in a ton of ways and everyone we have spoken to is perplexed about how they are handling Marina, after trading away Hall of Fame caliber players
“The coach parted ways. No free agents returned and they are doing all they can to try and force Marina to stay when she clearly doesn’t want to be there. It’s interesting.”
The Sun have emerged as the Buffalo Bills of the WNBA, putting together eight straight playoff appearances and six straight semifinal berths, including two trips to the finals but zero titles.
This past season included a Game 5 loss in the semis to the Minnesota Lynx.
Instead of trying to run it back, the Suns are going through a massive overhaul.
3 Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti. John Shishmanian / Special to The Bulletin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Head coach Stephanie White left to join the Caitlin Clark-led Fever, while Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones, DiJonai Carrington and Ty Harris are all gone.
They are the first WNBA or NBA team since 1970-71 to lose all five starters from their last playoff game in the previous season, according to ESPN.
Mabrey joined the team last year via a trade from the Sky and averaged 14.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
The Sun sent a first-round pick, two players and a pick swap to Chicago to land the former Notre Dame star, and Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti told ESPN the “value” they “gave up” to land Mabrey and that the organization currently places on her factors into the decision.
“The reasons that we have for not trading Marina are rooted in positivity,” Rizzotti told the outlet. “It’s rooted in a desire to build around her, have her here, have her be the catalyst for what we want to do offensively, taking advantage of her versatility, knowing that the style that (coach) Rashid (Meziane) plays with will suit her game, and knowing that we can put her in an individual situation to be really successful as this current CBA closes and a new one opens.”
3 Stephanie White (r.) left the Sun for the Fever this offseason. Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Sun have added players like Tina Charles this offseason, but they may struggle to make it seven straight years with a semifinal appearance after such seismic changes.
“I think there’s probably a lot of professional athletes that are on teams that they don’t necessarily prefer to be on,” Rizzotti told ESPN. “I don’t think that this would be an isolated situation. … I think Marina is as competitive as they come. It’s one of the reasons that we wanted her here … it might also be seen as counterproductive for us to give in to every single trade request, right? So I think sometimes you get put in a no-win situation, and I think we’re trying to be as fair as we can to a lot of different constituents.”

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is halfway through a monthlong project to repair two aging culverts under US 50 at the 1st Street intersection.
The culverts connect two sides of an irrigation channel that has a reduced water flow before the growing season, and that makes working on the project easier.
Wayne Pittman, a CDOT engineer, said that crews are replacing the liners in the culverts; each of them is 72 inches in diameter.
He also said that a balloon is a key part of the repairs.

With wintry weather in the forecast for Dallas-Fort Worth, officials with the Texas Department of Transportation announced the closure of all TEXpress lanes, effective 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The lanes would be closed until further notice, TxDOT said.
The closures comes as crews across North Texas were prepping roads for temperatures to drop and remain below freezing for several days. The sub-freezing temperatures followed rain showers that began falling midday Tuesday.
Officials with Dallas’ streets department said crews were sanding roads “as needed” to dry wet spots ahead of freezing temperatures.
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Temperatures in Dallas-Fort Worth were just below freezing at 5:30 p.m., according to the forecast from KXAS-TV (NBC5). Temperatures were expected to reach a low of 17 degrees by Wednesday morning around 7 a.m, with a low of 13 expected Thursday at 7 a.m.
Temperatures are not expected to above freezing until Friday, according to the NBC5 forecast.

1 of 4 | New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks to the media following President Trump’s efforts to kill New York’s congestion pricing at Grand Central on Wednesday in New York City. Trump’s U.S. Department of Transportation, directed by Transportation Secretary San Duffy, is moving to put an end the Manhattan toll program. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 19 (UPI) — The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced it will end New York City’s congestion pricing enacted by the state. President Donald Trump, whose Manhattan home is in the congestion zone, vowed to kill the toll soon after he took office. Advertisement
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Gov. Kathy Hochul in a letter the agency is ending the tolling structure that went into effect on Jan. 5. The date for the end wasn’t listed.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is preparing for potential impacts of winter weather once again visiting the Palmetto State.
SCDOT said they are spraying salt brine or salting roadways where impacts are expected, specifically northern counties of South Carolina. They’re beginning with interstates and primary routes before transitioning to secondary roads.
The department said as impacts form, crews will shift from salting roadways to de-icing them.
WIS’ First Alert Weather team has issued two First Alert Weather Days for Wednesday and Thursday due to the potential for widespread cold rains across the Midlands, with some northern counties seeing a transition to a wintry mix.
As of Wednesday morning, Kershaw, Lee, Sumter and Clarendon counties have been placed under a winter weather advisory, due to possible light accumulations of ice with Wednesday’s cold rains combined with sub-30 temperatures.
Anyone driving in areas that could see potential impacts is advised to slow down and leave room between your vehicle and others to increase safety and protect your vehicle.
SCDOT urges the public to monitor local officials for updates as Wednesday’s weather develops.
Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.
Copyright 2025 WIS. All rights reserved.

The Trump Administration announced Wednesday it is killing the NYC congestion pricing program, sparking an immediate legal effort by the MTA to block the move by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
MTA chairman Janno Lieber said in a statement that the tolls will not be turned off without a court order.
“Today, the MTA filed papers in federal court to ensure that the highly successful program – which has already dramatically reduced congestion, bringing reduced traffic and faster travel times, while increasing speeds for buses and emergency vehicles – will continue notwithstanding this baseless effort to snatch those benefits away from the millions of mass transit users, pedestrians and, especially, the drivers who come to the Manhattan Central Business District,” Lieber said.
The MTA’s move came quickly on the heels of an announcement by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that the federal government was withdrawing its approval of the plan. The president has long voiced opposition to congestion tolling, under which most drivers are paying $9 a day for traveling south of 60th Street in Manhattan.
“New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners,” Duffy said. “Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes,” Duffy wrote.
“But now the toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways,” he said. “It’s backwards and unfair.”
Gov. Hochul struck a defiant tone Wednesday, calling Trump a “king” for meddling in the laws of the state.
“New York hasn’t labored under a king in 250 years,” she said at a press conference at Grand Central. “I don’t care if you love congestion pricing or hate it—this is an attack on our sovereign identity, our independence from Washington.”
“We are a nation of states,” Hochul said “This is what we fought for—what people like Alexander Hamilton and others fought for—to set up a system where we are not subservient to a king or anyone else out of Washington.”
In a letter — which appeared online in the New York Post before it was sent to Hochul — Duffy told the governor that he was revoking the federal government’s authorization for the program under the so-called the Value Pricing Pilot Program, an authorization that was given by the Biden DOT in December.
“I have concluded that the scope of this pilot project as approved exceeds the authority authorized by congress under the VPPP,” Duffy wrote.
The Value Pricing Pilot Program agreement, signed in the waning days of 2024 by the state, local and federal departments of transportation, was the final sign-off required to authorize congestion pricing. In Wednesday’s statement, the federal DOT argued that Congestion Pricing was not allowed because it did not do enough to curb congestion.
“The toll rate was set primarily to raise revenue for transit, rather than at an amount needed to reduce congestion,” read a statement released by the department. “By doing so, the pilot runs contrary to the purpose of the VPPP, which is to impose tolls for congestion reduction – not transit revenue generation.”
Congestion pricing, approved by state lawmakers in 2019, is meant to reduce traffic congestion in Midtown and lower Manhattan while also raising a revenue stream that would allow the MTA to issue $15 billion in bonds to fund its 2019-2024 capital program.
It was not immediately clear what legal authority if any the Trump administration has to renege on the December VPPP agreement.
“It’s mystifying that after four years and 4,000 pages of federally-supervised environmental review – and barely three months after giving final approval to the Congestion Relief Program – USDOT would seek to totally reverse course,” the MTA’s Lieber said.
The MTA’s 51 page response, in a suit filed Wednesday, states the toll will continue, absent a court order.
“To be clear, while the Trump Administration has purported to unlawfully terminate the VPPP agreement, its actions—as a mere signatory to a multi-party agreement—obviously do not require plaintiffs to cease operation of the program,” attorneys for the transit agency wrote. “The status quo is that congestion pricing continues, and unless and until a court orders otherwise, plaintiffs will continue to operate the program as required by New York law.”
The suit calls the surprise revocation unconstitutional, and says there is no legal basis for the Trump administration’s actions.
The “purported” termination of the program, they add, “is in open disregard of a host of federal statutes and regulations, not to mention the MTA and [Triborough Bridge Authority’s] rights under the United States Constitution.”
The suit also claims the move to kill congestion pricing stands in stark contrast to previous Trump and Duffy statements lauding state’s rights.
Congestion pricing has been in effect since Jan. 5. Preliminary data collected by the cameras used to assess the toll have shown massive decreases in cross-river travel times, even if overall traffic into the tolling zone has decreased by a modest 5%.
According to the MTA’s court filings, $879 million in short term bonds at least partially reliant on congestion pricing revenue have already been issued by the agency.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy says he has invited SpaceX to provide input on improving the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control system, reaching out to a company that has previously sparred with the agency.
In a post on social media late Feb. 16, Duffy said SpaceX employees would be visiting the FAA’s air traffic control system command center in Northern Virginia Feb. 17.
“Tomorrow, members of @elonmusk’s SpaceX team will be visiting the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in VA to get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current tools, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system,” he wrote.
“The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer,” Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, responded in another post.
Neither Duffy nor Musk elaborated on what contributions they expected SpaceX could make to any modernizations to the FAA’s air traffic management systems, and it was not clear what expertise SpaceX could offer.
Musk’s role as the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the rebranded U.S. Digital Service organization now charged, under a Jan. 20 executive order, “to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity,” has raised numerous conflict-of-interest concerns given Musk’s leadership of SpaceX and other companies.
Those concerns extend to the FAA. “Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launches share the airspace with commercial airplanes, and the FAA has the responsibility for keeping the entire airspace safe,” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, wrote in a Feb. 6 letter to Duffy. “Secretary Duffy, you must make sure that all conflicts of interest between the FAA and Elon Musk are removed.”
Cantwell’s letter focused on the FAA’s oversight of SpaceX launches and the sometimes-fractious relationship between the company and the agency. That has extended to the use of airspace, particularly on the most recent Starship test flight Jan. 16, when the vehicle broke up in flight and rained debris on part of the northern Caribbean, causing dozens of flights to be rerouted or diverted.
That prompted criticism from some aviation professionals. “SpaceX put people in danger yesterday and their for-profit corporation should reimburse every other for-profit corporation that had to divert, change course or delay because of their operations in the national airspace system,” wrote Steve Jangelis, aviation safety chair for the Air Line Pilots Association, in a social media post after the incident.
During a panel discussion at the 27th Annual Commercial Space Conference Feb. 12, Shana Diez, director of Starship flight reliability at SpaceX, said the company coordinates with the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO) on airspace notifications for launches. “We work very closely with ATO. We have a great relationship with them,” she said.
One area of improvement she mentioned was on real-time information on launches. “That’s really the answer to this,” she said of issues of closing airspace for launches or in the event of incidents like the Starship breakup. “That would be of benefit for the entire industry.”
In the case if January’s launch, Diez said SpaceX coordinated “debris response areas” with ATO beforehand, as it had done on past flights, but this was the first time the areas were activated. “It was only a matter of minutes from when it was activated to when airspace began to be cleared,” she said, sufficient given the time it would take for debris to fall into the airspace. The airspace was cleared in about 15 minutes, she added.
Those debris response areas are developed in coordination with the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, or AST, said Katie Cranor, acting deputy director of AST’s office of operational safety, on the same panel. After the mishap, she said “only certain sections of the debris response areas were activated to allow traffic to still move freely.”
Diez acknowledged that, in the case of January’s launch, airspace was closed for longer than necessary. “We did clear airspace for longer than we would have liked to, and what’s an improvement that we want to discuss,” she said, adding it was done “out of an abundance of caution.”

Turk Transportation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The Carnegie, Pennsylvania-based company, owned by Mehmet Uzun, offers interstate general freight services, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s SAFER website.
According to Turk Transportation’s four-page voluntary petition, the company has up to $1 million in assets and liabilities of between $1 million and $10 million. The petition states the company has up to 49 creditors.
Some of the 20 largest unsecured creditors include TPine Leasing of Mississauga, Ontario, owed over $398,000; Northland Capital of Saint Cloud, Minnesota, owed over $240,000; and Hitachi of Norwalk, Connecticut, owed over $249,000.

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!
Raise your hand if you’re exhausted by the firehose of information coming from every direction. Yeah, me too.
At TechCrunch, we’re focused on helping readers (that’s you!) become informed; that’s different than blasting information your way. Instead, we work to answer the “Why should I care?” question and provide important context.
Take the Department of Transportation’s decision to pause funding for a $5 billion EV charging infrastructure program. As senior reporter Sean O’Kane notes in his coverage, this is more than just the latest attempt from the Trump administration to hack away at federally funded renewable energy projects around the country, which has been a stated priority of the president.
It also illustrates the growing conflict between Elon Musk’s politics and his car company’s goal of advancing the transition to sustainable energy. Tesla, which Musk runs and is the largest shareholder of, received $31 million in funding from the program.
In other how-we-are-keeping-you-informed actions, we also monitor certain topics of interest and provide updates when warranted. Reporter Rebecca Bellan has been keeping track of Tesla’s Dojo program, updating it on the regular. Check it out.
A little bird
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
A little bird reached out to me recently to share this nugget, which was confirmed via a LinkedIn post. Brian Lerner, a former Apple software engineer who spent the past four years at Built Robotics, was hired as director of factory software at Ford.
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com, Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com, or Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.
Deals!
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
Dual-use technology — meaning it can be used by civilians and military — attracted quite a bit of investment in 2023 and 2024. This year is shaping up to be even bigger as founders take advantage of President Donald Trump’s platform.
Archer Aviation, the developer of electric vertical and take-off vehicles, is the latest company to tweak its mission in order to capture those sweet, sweet dual-use dollars.
Archer Aviation, which went public in September 2021 via a special purpose acquisition merger, raised $300 million from institutional investors, including BlackRock and Wellington. The funds will mainly be used to accelerate the work Archer is doing with Anduril to build a hybrid craft (VTOL).
The raise brings Archer’s total funding to around $3.36 billion. And as reporter Rebecca Bellan noted, this fresh capital comes off the back of a $430 million round in December to fund its new Archer Defense program.
Reminder: It wasn’t too long ago that Archer’s go-to-market strategy was an air taxi network across several cities in the U.S. and abroad.
Other deals that got my attention …
Auto Hauler Exchange, the Michigan startup that developed a digital marketplace for vehicle transportation, raised $5 million in a Series A funding round led by MHS Capital. Golden Ventures, which led Auto Hauler Exchange’s seed round, also invested in the Series A round.
Endera, an electric bus manufacturer in Ohio, raised $49 million in equity and debt. The round included a $36 million equity investment led by Magnetar. Pulse Fund also participated. The total also included a $13 million credit facility.
GreenSpark Software, a New York City-based startup building software for the metal recycling industry, disclosed last month it raised $9.4 million from investors Zero Infinity Partners, Third Prime, Bienville Capital, and several unnamed strategic investors. We now know that BMW i Ventures is one of them.
Innoviz, the lidar company, raised $40 million from institutional investors at a share price of $1.39 — a discount that caused its stock price to fall steeply. As of Wednesday, the company’s stock had fallen 37% since its Friday closing price of $1.59.
JLR is expanding its U.S. technology hub in Portland with a $180 million investment that will be spread out over the next decade. The hub is developing the next generation of connected cars and what it described as “autonomous driving technologies” in future JLR vehicles. History lesson: JLR opened its tech hub in 2014 and expanded the facility in 2016, 2017, and 2024.
Revel, the electric shared moped-turned-EV-charging-infrastructure startup, secured a $60 million loan from New York’s clean energy investment fund NY Green Bank to more than triple its current public fast-charging network in New York City.
Self Inspection, a startup based in San Diego that has developed an AI-powered vehicle inspection service, raised $3 million in a seed round co-led by Costanoa Ventures and DVx Ventures, the firm run by former Tesla president Jon McNeill. Joining the round was Westlake Financial, which handles more than 1 million vehicle transactions annually.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
ADAS
BYD unveiled “God’s Eye,” an advanced driver-assistance system that will be installed on its entire model lineup, including its $9,600 Seagull hatchback.
Tesla won a defamation lawsuit against Zhang Yazhou, who in February 2021 was a passenger in a Tesla Model 3 car that allegedly crashed due to faulty brakes, resulting in a four-day hospital stay for both her parents. Tesla has finally released telemetry data from her car, which apparently showed that the brakes had functioned as intended.
Autonomous vehicles
Aurora Innovation is still on track to commercially deploy its autonomous trucks beginning in April 2025, according to its Q4 shareholder letter. Aurora was supposed to launch at the end of 2024 but pushed back the timeline to validate its self-driving technology.
Lyft plans to bring fully autonomous robotaxis, powered by Mobileye, to its app “as soon as 2026” in Dallas, with more markets to follow. Lyft isn’t spilling details about which carmaker it will partner with; we do know that Marubeni, a Japanese conglomerate with experience managing fleets, will own and finance the Mobileye-equipped vehicles that will show up on the Lyft app.
The Lyft-Mobileye deal got me thinking about Texas. It wasn’t that long ago that California and Arizona were the main hotbeds of robotaxi activity. But Texas is quickly becoming a hub, not just of testing, but also of commercial operations. Austin is one Texas AV hot spot: Tesla is planning to launch its driverless ride-hail service in the city this coming June, and Waymo and Uber are set to launch a service soon. Avride has also set up shop in Austin. Meanwhile, self-driving truck companies Aurora and Kodiak Robotics also have a footprint in Texas. This TechCrunch article from 2023 posed a question that we may finally answer in 2025.
May Mobility launched its first fully driverless commercial service in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. May has a different operations strategy than Waymo or Zoox. This isn’t a free-wheeling service that goes anywhere. Instead, it has (for now) eight pre-determined stops.
Waymo continues to expand its robotaxi service areas, this time in Los Angeles. The company has added 10 square miles to include Westchester and parts of Inglewood and Crenshaw, giving customers access to popular destinations like SoFi Stadium and HHLA Entertainment.
Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries
Mercedes-Benz is taking its EV charging network to Canada, starting with Vancouver this year and then to stations in metro Toronto in 2026. The German automaker has 300 charging stalls in operation and under construction in 11 U.S. states. In total, more than 2,500 charging stalls will be deployed between Canada and the U.S.
Rivian will sell its commercial electric vans to any U.S. business that wants one — more than a year since ending an exclusivity deal with backer Amazon.
People
Jonathan Morrison, an Apple executive, has been picked to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Morrison was chief counsel for NHTSA during Trump’s first term. He was previously president of Auto Advisory Services and director of legal and regulatory affairs at the California New Car Dealers Association.
Ride-hailing and gig economy
Earnings season is here, and the two top ride-hailing companies, Lyft and Uber, have reported their fourth-quarter and full-year earnings. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Lyft reported record growth and its first full-year GAAP profitability for 2024 with a net income of $22.8 million, compared to a net loss of $340.3 million in 2023. That’s good news, but investors paid more attention to the company’s lower-than-expected guidance for gross bookings in the first quarter.
Lyft says Q1 is just a slower season, but the company also anticipates bookings to be negatively affected by the loss of its partnership with Delta, which Uber has snagged. Another interesting tidbit: Lyft’s board authorized $500 million in share buybacks, the company’s first time doing such a program.
Meanwhile, Uber beat revenue expectations in the fourth quarter, growing its revenue 20% to $11.96 billion. Its adjusted EBITDA was $1.84 billion for Q4 and $6.84 billion for the full year. Still, shares fell after the company reported that it missed analyst expectations on EPS and offered soft guidance.
The company expects gross bookings to hit between $42 billion and $43.5 billion in Q1, which would be less than the $44.2 billion Uber recorded in Q4 2024. Uber CFO Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah cited currency headwinds and impact from the recent Los Angeles fires and “extreme weather in January.”
This week’s wheels
This newsletter is getting long, so no this week’s wheels! Stay tuned for new vehicles in the coming months.
What is “This week’s wheels”? It’s a chance to learn about the different transportation products we’re testing, whether it’s an electric or hybrid car, an e-bike, or even a ride in an autonomous vehicle.

Ministry of Transportation videos showcase what B.C. highways were like 6 decades ago
While a time machine hasn’t been invented yet, there are other ways to journey into the past.
B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation features a page on the TranBC website called the “BC Road Trip Time Machine”, with links to more than 30 road trip reels from across the province, captured back in 1966.
The captures aren’t traditional videos, but rather

The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into flight data discrepancies, potential altimeter malfunctions and a possible miscommunication with air traffic control in the midair collision of an Army helicopter and a commercial airplane last month in the deadliest U.S. air crash in almost a quarter century.
“We are looking at the possibility of there may be bad data,” NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference on Friday. “We have a lot of work to do till we get to that.”
The Jan. 29 collision near Washington, D.C., that killed everyone aboard the plane and in the helicopter, 67 people in all, has prompted fears of flying in the busy airspace above the nation’s capital, which transports roughly 25 million people each year.
The deadly accident has raised questions about whether helicopters — in particular military training flights — should be allowed to share such a narrow and busy airspace with commercial airplanes. It was the first major fatal commercial plane crash in the U.S. since 2009.
Aircraft wreckage on the Potomac River, in Washington, DC., on Jan. 30. Brandon Giles / U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images
Video captured the moment the UH 60 Black Hawk crashed into American Eagle Flight 5342, the explosion lighting up the night sky as the aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River.
More than two dozen people connected to the sport of figure skating, including many young Olympic hopefuls, were on the American Eagle flight traveling from Wichita, Kansas. Among the three Army soldiers who died on the Black Hawk was a 28-year-old helicopter repairer who leaves behind an 18-month-old son.
Homendy said Friday the pilot flying the helicopter was on a “combined annual and night vision goggle check ride.” Check rides are generally an exam pilots must pass to perform specific aircrew or mission duties.
Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight, she said. Homendy noted that if the goggles had been removed, the crew was required to have a discussion about going unaided.
“There is no evidence on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of such a discussion,” she said at the news conference.
Homendy noted that there has been some discrepancy in the altitude of the helicopter. At 8:43 p.m. ET, the pilot flying indicated they were at about 300 feet, but an instructor pilot indicated they were at about 400 feet.
“Neither pilot made a comment discussing an altitude discrepancy,” she said. “At this time, we don’t know why there was a discrepancy between the two. That’s something the investigative team is analyzing.”
The helicopter also may not have received crucial information from air traffic control before the collision, she said.
At 8:46 p.m. a radio transmission from the tower was heard on the plane’s cockpit voice recorder informing the helicopter that a plane at 1,200 feet was circling just south of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.
But cockpit voice recorder data from the helicopter indicates that the portion of the transition about the plane “may not have been received by the Black Hawk crew,” Homendy said.
She said the words

The crew of the Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided in midair with an American Airlines jet over Washington, D.C., and crashed into the Potomac River might not have heard instructions from an air traffic controller to pass behind the plane, investigators said Friday.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said a recording from the helicopter cockpit suggests the crew may have missed the key instruction just before the Jan. 29 collision, in which all 67 aboard the two aircraft were killed.
Seventeen seconds before the collision, a radio transmission from the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport directed the helicopter to pass behind the airliner, Homendy said. The transmission was audible on both aircraft cockpit voice recorders.
The Black Hawk crew may have never heard the words

Apple’s AirTag is a compact, convenient tool designed to help users track personal belongings such as keys, wallets, phones, and even vehicles. For frequent travelers, attaching an AirTag to carry-on luggage can offer peace of mind, ensuring they can easily locate their bag within the airport or recover it if accidentally misplaced. Since its release in April 2021, this simple tracking solution has become increasingly popular among those looking to safeguard their belongings, especially during travel.
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However, before packing an AirTag in your carry-on, it’s important to consider regulations set by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA enforces strict guidelines regarding batteries on flights, primarily due to safety concerns surrounding lithium batteries. Improper use or storage of lithium batteries can lead to fires, overheating, or even explosions, as outlined in the New York City government’s fire safety guide. Given these risks, many travelers wonder if AirTags, which contain lithium batteries, are permitted on board.
Apple’s AirTag operates using a user-replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery, which relies on lithium to store and release energy. According to Apple’s 2021 testing, the battery can last up to a year with normal use. Although the AirTag does contain lithium, the specific type and quantity of the battery are crucial factors in determining whether it’s allowed in carry-on luggage before a flight. Understanding how the TSA and related authorities regulate such devices can clarify this issue and help you decide if you can put an AirTag in your carry-on the next time you fly.
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CNN —
Cristiano Ronaldo was the highest paid athlete of 2024, according to a list compiled by Sportico, earning a reported $260 million, but no female athletes featured in the top 100.
Soccer star Ronaldo’s impressive earnings came from $215 million in salary and winnings for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and the Portugal national team, and $45 million through off-the-field endorsements.
The 40-year-old has enjoyed somewhat of a career renewal since moving to Saudi Arabia, scoring 82 goals in his 90 games for Al-Nassr and becoming the first man to have 900 career goals in September last year.
Ronaldo is one of three soccer players to feature in the top 10 after big-money moves to Saudi Arabia, joined by Neymar and Karim Benzema, though the Brazilian star has since moved back to his boyhood club, Santos.
In 2024, Ronaldo brought in over $100 million more than the second-placed athlete, with NBA superstar Steph Curry earning an estimated $153.8 million – $53.8 million through salary/winnings and $100 million through endorsements.
Curry earned a reported $153.8 million in 2024. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/File
Although his Golden State Warriors had a disappointing end to last season, Curry was paramount in Team USA’s basketball gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris in the summer.
Top 10 earning athletes in 2024, according to sportico Cristiano Ronaldo – $260M
Steph Curry – $153.8M
Tyson Fury – $147M
Lionel Messi – $135M
LeBron James – $133.2M
Neymar – $133M
Oleksandr Usyk – $122M
Karim Benzema – $116M
Kylian Mbappé – $110M
Jon Rahm – $105.8M
Britain’s Tyson Fury was in third with a reported $147 million in earnings – $140 million in salary/winnings and $7 million in endorsements – while Ronaldo’s long-time on-the-pitch rival, Lionel Messi, came fourth with $135 million in estimated earnings – $60 million in salary/winnings and $75 million in endorsements.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James rounded out the top five at an estimated $133.2 million – $48.2 million in salary/winnings and $85 million in endorsements.
Dak Prescott was the top-earning NFL player, with the Dallas Cowboys quarterback reportedly earning $100.4 million to finish in 12th position. Jalen Hurts – quarterback of the Super Bowl LIX-winning Philadelphia Eagles – finished in 65th with $46.1 million.
While plenty of male athletes cashed in on their talents, no female athletes featured in the top 100.
US tennis sensation Coco Gauff was the highest-earning female athlete last year at an estimated $30.4 million, having won the doubles title at the French Open as well as the singles championship at the end-of-season WTA Finals. For reference, the final athlete on Sportico’s top 100 list was former New York Giants and now Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones who earned $37.5 million.
Gauff was the highest-earning female athlete in 2024 but didn’t feature in the top 100 worldwide. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/File
The 20-year-old tennis star also made history by becoming the youngest Team USA flag bearer at the Olympics and the first tennis player to carry the flag for the US.
According to Sportico, the top 100 list includes athletes from eight sports and 27 countries. In total, those 100 earned $6.2 billion in total income in 2024, including $4.8 billion in salary and prize money and $1.4 billion from their endorsements away from the field.

Dolly Parton is once again stepping outside of country music to work with a younger artist. The country veteran joins Sabrina Carpenter on a new release of her song

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The official website for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which tech billionaire Elon Musk heads, was reportedly hacked on Friday, sending waves of confusion and amusement through the internet.
The DOGE website is based around a database that can

Two people were killed in a multi-vehicle crash inside a southwest Wyoming highway tunnel Friday, the state Department of Transportation said.
Authorities shut down traffic in both directions along Interstate 80 in Green River after the pileup. The major, coast-to-coast roadway runs from San Francisco to Teaneck, New Jersey.
Other injuries were reported, but details were not yet available.
The transportation department said the tunnel has been evacuated.
Smoke exits a tunnel after a multi vehicle crash along I 80 at milepost 90.2 inside the WB tunnel, in Green River, Wyoming, on Friday. Courtesy Wyoming Highway Patrol via Facebook
The Wyoming Highway Patrol said troopers responded to the multi-vehicle crash in westbound lanes shortly after 11:30 a.m. Video from the department of transportation’s traffic cams showed black smoke billowing from an exit tunnel.
The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office described the crash as

How romantic! What better way to get her to say ‘I do’ than knowing your marriage will result in more funding for new culverts?
Yes, that’s right: Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the administration said it will give more transportation funding to places with higher marriage and fertility rates .
Do you want a fully funded highway system? Adequate resources for the T? Well, here’s what you can do to help, according to the Trump administration: Get married and have lots of children.
And certainly the T-riding public will want to have more babies now. As women were supposedly told in Victorian Britain, just close your eyes and think of JFK/UMass.
As a transportation policy, this makes no sense for reasons that hopefully don’t need explaining: While there’s a clear logic in distributing government funds based on population, population is not the same thing as fertility rates.
People born in one place aren’t necessarily still living there by the time they need the things transportation funding pays for, like roads. Places with low fertility rates can still have growing populations if they attract enough domestic or foreign immigrants.
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But as a way to spur procreation — or to advance a “pro-natalist” agenda, in MAGA speak — the idea is even dumber. It’s almost like it was cooked up by a bunch of male weirdos.
In reality, the promise of fresher asphalt is just about the last thing that’s going to induce people to have more children. (It seems to me that subsidizing childcare or lowering the cost of housing might – but what do I know?)
Of course, maybe the Trump administration isn’t as dense as it seems. Maybe it’s actually trying to send a message not to individuals but to states – that Massachusetts, for instance, needs to figure out ways to drive up marriage and birth rates if it wants new Cape bridges.
Luckily, Massachusetts transportation agencies are well suited to that task. At minimum, I’d suggest making the Forest Hills station available for weddings, and turning the lights down at the state’s highway rest stops.
Maybe they also need an inspiring slogan: “Ask not what the T can do for you, ask who you can do for the T.” (The Globe’s standards prohibit me from repeating some other relatively obvious possibilities, so you’re just going to have to use your imagination.)
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And if the whole idea seems creepy – well, yeah. It is. If the Trump administration wants to make communities more family-friendly in hopes of boosting birth rates, then they should go ahead and do that. But this policy is way too transactional to be anything other than icky.
This is an excerpt from Are we there yet?, a Globe Opinion newsletter about the future of transportation in the region. Sign up to get it in your inbox early.
Alan Wirzbicki is Globe deputy editor for editorials. He can be reached at alan.wirzbicki@globe.com.

Indiana State Police said a dog is safely in a foster home where it’s getting much-needed attention after receiving a report Tuesday that the dog was in an unsecured kennel being pulled on an open utility trailer on Interstate 80/94.
Troopers with the Lowell Post were notified of a Facebook post of an SUV pulling the trailer, according to a release from Sgt. Glen Fifield, the post’s public information officer.
Inside the kennel was a large tan and black dog that appeared to be in distress, according to the release. The vehicle was eastbound on I-80/94 from the Illinois state line.
A good Samaritan noticed the vehicle and called 911 to report his concern about the dog’s condition.
“It should be noted that the outside temperature at the time was approximately 26 degrees with windchills below that temperature,” police said.
A local reporter sent the Facebook post to the Indiana State Police Lowell Post and it was forwarded to the Criminal Investigations Division, according to the release. A detective immediately initiated an investigation and began an effort to locate the suspect vehicle and the endangered canine.
Through his efforts, he located the canine at a residence in Gary. The dog appeared to have been abandoned near a residence where the owner of the suspect vehicle had previously lived. With the assistance of an ISP K9 handler who was off duty but in the area, they were able to gain the dog’s trust and secure the dog.
A neighbor identified the dog, police said, and the search for the owner continued through the afternoon. Later in the evening, the owner was identified and interviewed by the detective.
Charges have been submitted to the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office against a 37-year-old Lake County resident for the offense of cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor. If charges are approved, that individual will be identified as he is not currently in custody and not formally charged.
“The Indiana State Police would like to thank the good Samaritan who alerted law enforcement of this incident,” according to the release. “The dog is currently being housed in a foster home and is receiving much-needed attention.”

Seleen Saleh
Do they really save the best for last? On the final day of New York Fashion Week, the last few designers unveiled their highly anticipated Fall/Winter 2025 collections. Closing out the evening was Thom Browne, a designer known for his modern take on the preppy aesthetic. Whether it was reimagining suiting for Doechii with the brand’s signature pops of red and blue or transforming classic loafers into sky-high platforms, Browne once again proved his ability to push the boundaries of tradition. Aside from Browne we were also delighted to see collections from, Norma Kamali, Michael Kors, and Frederick Anderson. While the runway is the main event, street style is equally captivating, attracting its own unique crowds with a few familiar faces making regular appearances. The final group of designers that showed this season finished out the high energy week by presenting collections that will leave us wanting more.
Supermodels Mona Tougaard and Paloma Elsesser waved to the fans and cameras as they entered the venue of one of their last shows of the New York season, Michael Kors. Mona chose a pair of oversized black pants, a silver track jacket layered over a black hoodie, and paired it with a large Chanel classic flap bag. Meanwhile, Paloma went for a cozy yet coordinated look, opting for a matching camo sweatsuit, a small brown purse, and white pointed-toe heels. Model Selena Forrest embraced a cozy vibe in a matching navy and baby blue velour sweatsuit. With the cold weather, staying comfy while keeping it chic was clearly a priority.
While Thom Browne has become a pinnacle in American fashion with his signature red and blue color scheme and his closing slot of the calendar it is truly a highly anticipated show. With impeccable structure, silhouettes, shapes and tailoring. Browne is good for putting a twist on a traditional garment. Karen Blanchard brought a touch of British flair to her look with a grey pleated long skirt, tuxedo blazer, grey tie, and black loafers.
Below, take a look at all of the unforgettable looks from New York Fashion Week Day 6 by Seleen Saleh.
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Here is some info. about the suite the Duke and Duchess stayed in that offers the

Coeur d’Alene Firefighter-Paramedic Cody Moore was honored as the Employee of the Year, while Capt. Jake Bieker was celebrated as the Local 710 Union Firefighter of the Year during the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department’s annual awards ceremony Friday.
The event at the Hagadone Event Center celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of 2024 and was attended by several hundred people.

EXCLUSIVE: An episode of Doctor Who that originally featured Huw Edwards has been restored to BBC iPlayer after six months with the disgraced news presenter edited out.
The UK broadcaster took down Season 2 episode Fear Her last August after Edwards, once the highest-profile news anchor in the country, pleaded guilty to accessing child abuse images.
The Doctor Who story has now been redubbed to remove Edwards, whose voiceover featured during news clips and commentary. He has been replaced by actress Becky Wright, who has previously done voice work in the Doctor Who podcast series. Elements of the dialog have also been changed.
The episode features the iPlayer disclaimer: “This programme has been edited since broadcast. There are a number of reasons why a programme may have been edited including legal, contractual or technical issues.”
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Edwards starred when Chloe Webber, a girl who is terrorized by a demonic version of her abusive dead father, makes everyone disappear in a sports stadium for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
“My God, what’s going on here? The crowd has just vanished, right in front of my eyes,” Edwards said. “It’s impossible. Bob, can we go to you in the box? Bob? Not you too?”
This line has been replaced with: “My God, what’s going on here? The crowd has vanished, they’re gone, everyone has gone. Thousands of people have just gone, right in front of my eyes, it’s impossible. Bob? Bob, can we join you in the box? Not you too Bob…”
When the Doctor (David Tennant) and assistant Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) ride to the rescue, Wright’s commentator says: “Just look at this, utterly incredible scenes at the Olympic Stadium. 80,000 athletes and spectators, they disappeared, they’ve come back. They’ve returned, they’ve reappeared. It’s quite incredible.”
At the time of the removal, the BBC said: “As you would expect we are actively considering the availability of our archive. While we don’t routinely delete content from the BBC archive as it is a matter of historical record, we do consider the continued use and re-use of material on a case-by-case basis.”
It was perhaps unsurprising that executives looked at the Edwards episode, given the nature of his crimes and that Doctor Who has a young fan base.
Edwards received a six-month suspended prison sentence and apologized for the “repugnant” nature of his offenses after pleading guilty to accessing child abuse images. The judge said Edwards’ reputation was in “tatters” after he was once the “most recognized” news presenter in the UK, but that he did not “present a risk or danger” to the public or children.

It was Theodore Roosevelt — a lifelong admirer of Abraham Lincoln — who ordered the U.S. Mint to introduce copper pennies bearing Lincoln’s likeness in time for his centennial in 1909. It marked the first time an American coin featured the image of an American president.
TR personally chose the design: a bas-relief medal by sculptor Victor Brenner, a Lithuanian-born Jewish immigrant. Brenner had based his Lincoln on a profile photograph made in 1864 by Mathew Brady, himself an immigrant from Ireland.
But last week, the only other NYC-born president, Donald Trump, marked the approach of Lincoln’s Feb. 12 birthday by declaring the coin “wasteful,” and ordering the Treasury Department to “stop producing new pennies.”
I have two cents worth of objections, some admittedly evoked by nostalgia, some inspired by my five-decade-long study of Lincoln, and some based on my service as co-chairman of the U.S. Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in 2009 — the year the Lincoln penny itself reached the age of 100.
“Away back in my childhood,” to adapt a phrase Lincoln once used, I collected pennies for UNICEF (I know: one isn’t supposed to fund UNICEF these days, either). And what 1960s family home did not boast a repository for loose pennies (my own was a glass figurine of Lincoln) to be totted to the bank in bulk once a year to exchange for currency?
I actually collected old pennies as a kid, laboring to gather one example — usually of the worn-down and worthless variety — for every year since their introduction. I especially treasured the World War II-era pennies, made from lightweight, gray-hued steel, minted during the years the military hoarded copper.
As a historian, I came to understand the broader, symbolic importance of the Lincoln penny. The most titanic of our presidents had been intentionally commemorated on the very smallest denomination of coinage, a constant reminder that he was of, by, and for the masses. “Common looking people are the best in the world,” he had once said. “That is the reason the Lord makes so many of them.”
Perhaps that is why the Mint has made so many pennies. In the century-and-a-quarter since 1909, the Mint has churned out an astonishing 55 quadrillion coins — making it the most ubiquitous piece of coinage in American history. Some of Lincoln’s successors (I’m thinking of one in particular) would likely frown at being remembered on such an ordinary coin of the realm; Lincoln would likely have loved it.
Twenty-five years ago, President Clinton named me to co-chair the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, one of whose tasks was to heed a congressional mandate to choose a new series of images to adorn the backs of all 2009 pennies. For half a century, the penny’s reverse image had featured wheat-leaf wreaths surrounding the words “One Cent.” For Lincoln’s 150th in 1959, that image had been supplanted by a miniature rendering of the Lincoln Memorial, with the minuscule figure of the seated Lincoln (kind of) discernable inside.
The new law required four new designs: one for each of the places Lincoln once lived. Our Kentucky coin would feature a tiny log cabin; the Indiana penny, a tiny figure of young Lincoln reading a book. We minted two billion of them.
Yes, pennies are not without their problems. They cost more than double their face value to produce. They are no longer made of copper — but rather a kind of brushed zinc. But should they really be erased in the name of efficiency when they mean so much to so many?
The Lincoln penny was designed not just to pay its way but to remind us that a non-billionaire — born on the prairie, self-educated, and committed to the idea of upward mobility — once rose from a log cabin to the White House. And that once there, he dedicated his presidency to saving democracy and destroying slavery. As Teddy Roosevelt instinctively knew, Lincoln’s iconic image belonged not only in the gigantic Lincoln Memorial, but on the modest penny.
To remove our least expensive and most accessible coin in the new age of Bitcoin, the exclusive currency of the wealthy few, would send a terrible message to ordinary Americans. It may prove penny wise and pound foolish to continue minting them, but it would be a blow to our national identity to discard Lincoln just as we need his example more than ever — especially his commitment to malice toward none.
Holzer, the director of Hunter College’s Roosevelt House, is the author, most recently, of “Brought Forth on this Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration.”

After the Thunderbolts* trailer had a callback to one of the most memorable Bucky Barnes moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I can’t help but feel like the upcoming film could be setting up his death. Sebastian Stan joined the MCU in 2011, co-starring in Captain America: The First Avenger alongside Chris Evans. They made up my favorite duo in the franchise. Bucky Barnes’ MCU journey has been full of twists and turns. Bucky has been through a lot, going from being a war hero to Hydra’s Winter Soldier to getting back his life to now leading Thunderbolts*’s cast.
I can’t wait to see how Stan does as Bucky in a leadership role in the MCU, and the darker, anti-hero-heavy team featured in Thunderbolts* is perfect for him to jump into that new phase of his life. My only fear is that his time as a leader will be cut short by the teased story of Marvel’s Thunderbolts*. The latest trailer for Thunderbolts* featured a key moment that makes me think Bucky Barnes might not make out of it alive, and at the same time, it is a callback to one of Bucky’s most remembered MCU moments.
The Thunderbolts* Trailer Featured A Callback To Bucky’s First Meeting With Spider-Man
The Winter Soldier Was Used To Show Spider-Man’s Strength
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2016’s Captain America: Civil War is one of the MCU’s best movies. Essentially an Avengers film that puts Chris Evans’ Captain America front and center, the project allowed for many exciting interactions between heroes, even if they were on opposite sides of the conflict between Captain America and Iron Man. The movie also marked Spider-Man’s MCU debut, and I loved Tom Holland’s first time in the role. Spidey had a lot of memorable moments in the project, and one of the best sequences comes from him fighting Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson.
Marvel showed Spider-Man’s strength from the get-go by having him easily stop Bucky’s metal arm. This shocked Sebastian Stan’s Marvel character, while Spider-Man just commented on how awesome the arm looked. While that was a fun moment, Thunderbolts* features a way darker callback to the scene in its latest trailer. The footage from the upcoming 2025 MCU movie has Bucky once again shocked by another character stopping his metal arm. While he is mostly off-camera, Sentry is the one stopping Bucky. The key difference between the two is that Bucky seems genuinely afraid in Thunderbolts*, and his arm is ripped off.
Why I’m More Afraid For Bucky After Thunderbolts*’s Captain America: Civil War Callback
The Character Is Up Against A Powerful New MCU Player
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For those who are unfamiliar with the character, Sentry is one of Marvel’s answers to DC’s Superman in the comics. The character is unbelievably powerful. While Sentry is supposed to be a hero, the serum that gave Bob Reynolds his powers also led to him developing a dark side. The Void, Sentry’s dark persona, is who the latest Thunderbolts* trailer showed transforming New York’s citizens into shadows on the pavement. That is why I’m afraid Bucky Barnes could die in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, and the callback moment to his meeting with Spider-Man plays into that.
The Thunderbolts* trailer shows that Bucky will be having a one-on-one fight with Sentry/The Void. Even though he is a super-soldier with several years of experience and has killed many, Bucky is definitely in way over his head. I fear that the scene will see the rest of the Thunderbolts looking on as Sentry not only tears Bucky’s arm off and throws it at them, as seen in the trailer, but kills Sebastian Stan’s fan-favorite Marvel character. Without his metal arm and fighting a being that is essentially Superman, I don’t see many chances for Bucky to survive.
Thunderbolts* Makes Bucky Barnes Dying A Real Possibility
More Members Of The New MCU Team Could Also End Up Dead
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Thunderbolts* is a different project when compared to most of what the MCU has to offer. While there is plenty of room for traditional MCU humor and a found family dynamic that makes it similar to James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy in a way, Thunderbolts* is a darker, more serious entry in the franchise. There is a bleak atmosphere in this particular Marvel story, with the members of the team not being traditional heroes. With the Avengers not yet assembled, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is sending an expendable team to stop Marvel’s Superman.
Confirmed Thunderbolts Cast Member Character The Actor Plays Sebastian Stan James

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has revealed a potential design for a reconstruction of Rochester’s busiest intersections.
Members of the public will have the chance to share thoughts on the proposed redesign at an open house on February 25.
It will take place from 4-6 p.m. at Aune Hall at Graham Park, 1508 Aune Dr. Southeast in Rochester.
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2025 will be another busy year for road construction in the Rochester area. Work is set to resume on a major project to transform the Hwy. 52/Interstate 90 interchange southeast of Rochester this Spring.
Hwy. 14 Resurfacing Project to Start This Year in Rochester, MN
A resurfacing project for two stretches of Hwy. 14 in Rochester is set to begin this year. Crews will resurface the busy four-lane highway from the Hwy. 52 interchange near Apache mall to the intersection with Crossroads Dr. Southwest and from 3rd Ave. to Marion Rd. Southeast.
MnDOT MnDOT loading…
Construction is set to return to Hwy. 14 in 2027, when crews will begin a project to rebuild the often-congested Hwy. 14 and South Broadway Ave. intersection, which MnDOT says sees 50,000 vehicles daily.
MnDOT Reveals Potential Design for New Hwy. 14/South Broadway Ave. Intersection in Rochester, MN
A proposed design of the intersection calls for significantly reducing the size of the medians between the two roads and the onramps for motorists making right turns onto Hwy. 14 and South Broadway.
The proposal also calls for two left turn lanes for eastbound and westbound Hwy. 14 traffic seeking South Broadway Ave.
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MnDOT says the work area on Hwy. 14 will span from 4th Ave. Southwest to 3rd Avenue Southeast and from south of 9th Street Southeast to the access points north of 14 Street Southwest on South Broadway Ave.
The project’s website indicates the final design is not set in stone and that officials plan to refine it based on public feedback. Additional meetings, surveys and other feedback gathering measures are planned to take place until this Fall.
A survey for the project is currently live online until 11:59 p.m. on March 11. It can be accessed by clicking here.

ST. PAUL (WJON News) — The Minnesota Department of Transportation has unveiled the winning names for the 2025 Name a Snowplow contest.
The eight winners are…

A person has died after falling from a building in Boston Thursday morning and police are investigating.
Massachusetts State Police confirmed the person fell from

The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) has amended its charts and terms, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, to comply with Donald Trump’s agenda as president of the United States.
Questionable impact
In a statement on February 11, Sean Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation, shared that in line with his “commitment to restoring sanity” at the Department of Transportation ( DOT ), the FAA will replace the term Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) with Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).
However, Duffy did not detail how this would positively impact the safety and/or efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS), which has glaring problems, including issues with the NOTAM system itself.
The system experienced two outages, including the most recent one on February 1, over a period of about 12 months. During the most recent outage, the FAA said that the primary NOTAM system was experiencing temporary issues, but there was no impact on the NAS because a backup system was in place. The FAA restored the system on February 2.
“All active NOTAMs were available until the time of the outage. The agency activated its contingency system to supplement and support preflight briefings and continue flight operations.”
On January 11, 2023, the FAA informed affected NAS stakeholders that the NOTAM system was experiencing issues, warning that operations across the NAS had been affected.
In an initial statement after the NOTAM system was restored, the regulator detailed that it traced the outage to a damaged database file without evidence of a cybersecurity breach.
Photo: The Bold Bureau | Shutterstock
“A preliminary FAA review of last week’s outage of the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system determined that contract personnel unintentionally deleted files while working to correct synchronization between the live primary database and a backup database.”
On February 15, 2023, the DOT issued a statement by Billy Nolen, then acting Administrator of the FAA, which highlighted that one of the two NOTAM systems has relied “on 30-year-old software and architecture.”
“We expect that a significant portion of the modernization work [of the NOTAM system] will be complete by mid-2025.”
Renaming sites
In addition, Duffy said that pilot charts will now reference the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley, which are still known in the rest of the world as the Gulf of Mexico and Denali.
In a charting notice the FAA issued on February 10, the regulator detailed that the change was implemented to follow Trump’s executive order titled ‘Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.’
Photo: DOT
In the executive order, which Trump signed on January 20, the day of his inauguration, the President argued that the purpose of the order was “to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes.”
“President McKinley championed tariffs to protect US manufacturing, boost domestic production, and drive US industrialization and global reach to new heights.”
On his second day in office on January 29, Duffy immediately implemented a number of changes at the DOT in order to heel to Trump’s agenda “to rescind woke policies, roll back burdensome and costly regulations, restore economic growth,” and ensure the DOT’s policies align with the Administration’s direction.
Related US DOT New Head Announces End To Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policies The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a branch of the DOT, still does not have an Administrator or a Deputy Administrator.
Blaming DEI and woke policies
Throughout his term so far, apart from the fact that the FAA, the daughter agency of the DOT, restricted helicopter traffic around Washington Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) following the mid-air collision between the PSA Airlines Mitsubishi CRJ700 and the US Army (USA) Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Duffy has continued to focus diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and ‘woke’ policies.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity – Duffy is a former Fox News host himself – the Secretary of Transportation did not push back on the baseless claims Hannity had made that, during the Biden administration, the FAA’s DEI policies resulted in the hiring of “people with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities.”
Instead, Duffy claimed that the DOT had strayed away from its focus on safety and instead focused on the environment, electrical vehicles (EV), and changing language for social justice.
“When you do not focus on your systems and safety, bad things happen.”
The CRJ700 , which was operating American Airlines Flight 5342 , collided with the USA UH-60 Black Hawk in the late evening on January 29, claiming the lives of 67 people: 60 passengers and four flight crew members onboard the PSA Airlines CRJ700 and three servicepeople onboard the helicopter.
The allegations based on false pretenses that the FAA hired air traffic controllers (ATC) with “severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions” were pushed by Trump during a press conference about the CRJ700 and UH-60 Black Hawk mid-air collision on January 30.
Photo: NTSB
Kelly Buckland, the former disability policy adviser at the DOT, told NPR that the FAA would only hire “qualified people with disabilities, with the emphasis on qualified.”
Nevertheless, during the press conference on January 30, when asked how he could conclude that diversity was at fault for the mid-air collision over the Potomac River, Trump responded that he had “common sense.”

This picture-perfect Victorian home in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn is a dream house — and, chances are, you’ve seen it on TV.
Listed at $2.3 million, the four-bedroom, 2.5-bath property at 28 Wellington Court has served as the backdrop for more than 100 television productions and ad campaigns, making it one of Brooklyn’s most recognizable residences.
Over the past seven years, the homeowners Jason and Crystal Marks — who work in advertising — have opened their doors to major productions, from “The Daily Show” to national commercials for Kohl’s, HomeGoods and BMW.
9 The home occupies 2,900 square feet. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran
9 The front porch. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran
Beyond its screen appeal, there’s more that makes this residence a get for a prospective new owner.
“So much about the charm of this house is the neighborhood it sits in,” the Marks told The Post.
The couple purchased the dwelling in 2016 for $1.98 million, records show.
With its bay windows, rocking-chair porch and tree-lined cul-de-sac, the home embodies classic Americana, despite the fact it’s within New York City limits.
9 A film crew outside of the home.
9 The living room. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran
9 A Kohl’s back to school commercial was filmed inside. http://www.ispot.tv
9 Leslie Jones in a “Daily Show” sketch at the home. The Daily Show
That said, this curb appeal has made it a go-to set for brands looking to capture a warm, family-friendly aesthetic.
In 2023, “The Daily Show” filmed a holiday comedy skit here, featuring Leslie Jones hilariously shutting down overbearing relatives at Thanksgiving.
A year prior, 1-800-Flowers used the house in a sentimental Mother’s Day commercial celebrating family bonds.
9 The kitchen. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran
9 A comedy special from “The Daily Show” filmed in the kitchen of the residence. The Daily Show
Previous 1 of 11 Next Advertisement The entryway. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran A dining space. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran Advertisement A study. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran A staircase. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran One of three bedrooms. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran Advertisement Another bedroom. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran Outside, there is space for al fresco dining. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran A view of the backyard. Majid Aliyev for Corcoran Advertisement
But for the Marks, the most unforgettable moment came in 2021 when Kohl’s shot a back-to-school ad inside. The family used their earnings to take a vacation to Hawaii — only to see their home appear in the commercial on their hotel TV.
The 2,900-square-foot home blends historic charm with modern updates.
Restored stained-glass windows and original hardwood floors nod to its early 20th-century roots, while a sleek kitchen with marble countertops and a cozy reading room-turned-office offer contemporary comfort.
The top-floor owner’s suite boasts a dramatic ceiling, a walk-in closet and a bathroom with a clawfoot tub positioned beneath a skylight.
9 A 1-800-Flowers commercial from inside the now-listed pad. 1800Flowers
Beyond the house itself, the neighborhood exudes a rare small-town vibe in the middle of Brooklyn.
The block is home to artists and musicians who host porch-front jazz concerts, while community-led events like block parties, dinner gathering and art shows foster a tight-knit feel.
But Halloween is the real showstopper.
“Our neighborhood owns Halloween,” the Marks shared. “We organize a block party with DJs, elaborate decorations and parades, and we see over 300 trick-or-treaters come to our door every year.”
This Victorian gem is listed by Eric Volpe and Andrea Kelly of Corcoran.

While it might be safe to say that most people in Wisconsin and other places in America keep track of everything on their phones, it’s good to know that things from the past remain, even if to a lesser degree.
While statistics show that sales of traditional printed calendars have generally declined over the past few years due to technology, they’re still out there and some are hilariously creative.
Take, for example, a novelty calendar that sold 13,000 copies in its first year and has seen sales increase dramatically ever since. Not only can you buy this calendar and proudly hang it on the wall, but you or someone you know could be in it.
A Popular & Funny Calendar Creat Inspired By The Popularity Of Chickens
Recent statistics show that in the United States, 13% of households own backyard chickens, which is about 85 million chickens. Believe it or not, this is similar to the number of cats and dogs in the United States.
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Therefore, it should come as now shock to learn that one chicken-themed novelty calendar is getting A LOT of buzz.
The calendar is called

Hundreds of people gathered on Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon to protest against the Trump administration’s policies targeting the federal workforce.
The rally, which was organized by the American Federation of Government Employees, featured fiery speeches from Democrats and chants of “F*** Trump,” with Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) taking it a step further to say “F*** Donald Trump and Elon Musk” to the cheering of attendees.
Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) fired up the crowd, saying: “I’m from Jersey so … I say ‘f*** Trump!’”
Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) said she was uncomfortable swearing in public, but she too yelled awkwardly: “We have to f*** Trump.”
“Please don’t tell my children that I just did that,” she said.
Sona Anderson of San Diego, center, shouts her support for Civil Service workers as activists protest the policies of President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk outside the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Democrats have sharply rebuked President Donald Trump and his allies, especially Elon Musk, for their efforts to shrink the federal government and reduce government spending. Musk has partially become a source of ire for Democrats for his work leading the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, including offering federal employees a deferred resignation deal, closing the U.S. Agency for International Development office, and accessing the Treasury Department’s payment system.
At the start of the rally, rallygoers could be heard chanting “Hey, hey, ho ho. Elon Musk has got to go.” AFGE President Everett Kelley called on members of Congress to “support and defend the people you represent … and please remember that nobody voted for Elon Musk. Nobody voted for his rampage.”
Other speakers included Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD), as well as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
“I wanted to make sure I crossed the street to make it clear that the attack on you, the attack on the civil service is unacceptable, unconscionable, un-American, and we are going to stand with you until each and every one of those unlawful executive orders are fully and completely reversed, buried in the ground, never to rise again,” Jeffries said to protesters near the Capitol.
One rallygoer, Chris Brown, who works for the Transportation Security Administration, told the Washington Examiner that he believes Republican plans will be an “attack on federal employees.”
“I’ve been with the government for 22 years, almost 23, so I’ve earned, I believe, like the pay that I get and the retirement benefits that I’m supposed to get, and the health insurance I’m supposed to get,” Brown said.
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) addresses Civil Service workers and activists protesting the policies of President Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk, outside the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Another rallygoer named Tucker Bingham, who works for the National Labor Relations Board, told the Washington Examiner that he attended because he felt it was “important to show up because civil servants work for the American people and are being targeted by a group of billionaires who don’t want the government to be able to function, to put the American people in the more precarious position for the purpose of more effectively controlling them.”
Bingham continued, “The federal civil service is the largest group of people dedicated to serving the American public that exists. And I’m here today to protect that.”
Congressional Democrats laid out their plan to fight against Musk last week, with Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unveiling legislation they called “Stop the Steal” to prevent “unlawful meddling in the Treasury Department’s payment systems.”
The Democratic leaders also indicated they will be relying on House Republican’s thin majority.
“At this moment, they’re not at full strength and will certainly be 217 Republicans, 215 Democrats. That will be the smallest majority since the 1800s,” said Jeffries. “Even when they had full strength, all we need is three, three principled Republicans in the House, and a lot of the madness and extremism that has been unleashed on the American people can be halted.”
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Meanwhile, Trump shows no sign of distancing himself from Musk and his efforts to root out waste. Musk and his young son, X, joined Trump in the Oval Office to sign an executive order directing federal employees to comply with DOGE as it seeks to cut the size of the government’s workforce.
“I campaigned on this,” Trump said Tuesday. “I campaigned on the fact that I said government is corrupt. And it is very corrupt. It’s also foolish.”

The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) has amended its charts and terms, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, to comply with Donald Trump’s agenda as president of the United States.
Questionable impact
In a statement on February 11, Sean Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation, shared that in line with his “commitment to restoring sanity” at the Department of Transportation ( DOT ), the FAA will replace the term Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) with Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).
However, Duffy did not detail how this would positively impact the safety and/or efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS), which has glaring problems, including issues with the NOTAM system itself.
The system experienced two outages, including the most recent one on February 1, over a period of about 12 months. During the most recent outage, the FAA said that the primary NOTAM system was experiencing temporary issues, but there was no impact on the NAS because a backup system was in place. The FAA restored the system on February 2.
“All active NOTAMs were available until the time of the outage. The agency activated its contingency system to supplement and support preflight briefings and continue flight operations.”
On January 11, 2023, the FAA informed affected NAS stakeholders that the NOTAM system was experiencing issues, warning that operations across the NAS had been affected.
In an initial statement after the NOTAM system was restored, the regulator detailed that it traced the outage to a damaged database file without evidence of a cybersecurity breach.
Photo: The Bold Bureau | Shutterstock
“A preliminary FAA review of last week’s outage of the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system determined that contract personnel unintentionally deleted files while working to correct synchronization between the live primary database and a backup database.”
On February 15, 2023, the DOT issued a statement by Billy Nolen, then acting Administrator of the FAA, which highlighted that one of the two NOTAM systems has relied “on 30-year-old software and architecture.”
“We expect that a significant portion of the modernization work [of the NOTAM system] will be complete by mid-2025.”
Renaming sites
In addition, Duffy said that pilot charts will now reference the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley, which are still known in the rest of the world as the Gulf of Mexico and Denali.
In a charting notice the FAA issued on February 10, the regulator detailed that the change was implemented to follow Trump’s executive order titled ‘Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.’
Photo: DOT
In the executive order, which Trump signed on January 20, the day of his inauguration, the President argued that the purpose of the order was “to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes.”
“President McKinley championed tariffs to protect US manufacturing, boost domestic production, and drive US industrialization and global reach to new heights.”
On his second day in office on January 29, Duffy immediately implemented a number of changes at the DOT in order to heel to Trump’s agenda “to rescind woke policies, roll back burdensome and costly regulations, restore economic growth,” and ensure the DOT’s policies align with the Administration’s direction.
Related US DOT New Head Announces End To Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policies The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a branch of the DOT, still does not have an Administrator or a Deputy Administrator.
Blaming DEI and woke policies
Throughout his term so far, apart from the fact that the FAA, the daughter agency of the DOT, restricted helicopter traffic around Washington Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) following the mid-air collision between the PSA Airlines Mitsubishi CRJ700 and the US Army (USA) Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Duffy has continued to focus diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and ‘woke’ policies.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity – Duffy is a former Fox News host himself – the Secretary of Transportation did not push back on the baseless claims Hannity had made that, during the Biden administration, the FAA’s DEI policies resulted in the hiring of “people with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities.”
Instead, Duffy claimed that the DOT had strayed away from its focus on safety and instead focused on the environment, electrical vehicles (EV), and changing language for social justice.
“When you do not focus on your systems and safety, bad things happen.”
The CRJ700 , which was operating American Airlines Flight 5342 , collided with the USA UH-60 Black Hawk in the late evening on January 29, claiming the lives of 67 people: 60 passengers and four flight crew members onboard the PSA Airlines CRJ700 and three servicepeople onboard the helicopter.
The allegations based on false pretenses that the FAA hired air traffic controllers (ATC) with “severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions” were pushed by Trump during a press conference about the CRJ700 and UH-60 Black Hawk mid-air collision on January 30.
Photo: NTSB
Kelly Buckland, the former disability policy adviser at the DOT, told NPR that the FAA would only hire “qualified people with disabilities, with the emphasis on qualified.”
Nevertheless, during the press conference on January 30, when asked how he could conclude that diversity was at fault for the mid-air collision over the Potomac River, Trump responded that he had “common sense.”

Google on Monday changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in Google Maps.
The change comes after the Trump administration updated its

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek’s network of contributors
Let’s hear it for the Clydesdales.
The distinctive horses with the silky, feathery hair over their hooves won Budweiser the honors of

South by Southwest has announced new keynotes and its latest round of featured speakers for its 39th edition, taking place March 7-15 across Austin.
Newly announced keynotes include Issa Rae, the creative force behind HBO’s Insecure; Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal; and Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, who’ll be joined by actor Joe Manganiello to discuss advancements in… cloning. They join previously announced keynotes such as Creedence Clearwater Revival icon John Fogerty, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber, and IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna.
Related Tems to Headline Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW London
The featured speakers lineup includes the cast and creators of HBO’s The Last of Us, game designer Hideo Kojima, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, comedian and podcaster Conan O’Brien, actor and musician Kevin Bacon, and Something Corporate singer-songwriter Andrew McMahon. Additional speakers include comedian Taylor Tomlinson food critic Keith Lee and social health expert Kasley Killam.
Trending on Billboard
This new slate of speakers complements SXSW’s rounds of announcements, which included Donald Passman, Ghazi, Dr. Peter Attia, Johanna Faries, Douglas Rushkoff, and more.
Highlighted sessions include “Colossal: Technology Company Turning Science Fiction to Science Fact,” where Lamm and Manganiello will explore advancements in gene editing and cloning. “A Conversation with Issa Rae” will cover her career and media company, HOORAE, while “A Conversation About Online Security and Confidentiality” will see Whittaker discussing privacy with Guy Kawasaki. Other panels include “Balloonerism – A Film Based on the Album by Mac Miller,” a discussion on a new film inspired by the late artist’s work, and “Breaking Barriers by Turning Prisoners into Firefighters,” focusing on rehabilitation through firefighting programs.
Entertainment-focused chats will include “Fans Over Fees,” where McMahon will address ticket scalping and fair access to live events; “Claiming the Future of Entertainment,” where O’Brien and gaming exec Johanna Faries will discuss gaming’s influence on media; and “DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH,” where Kojima will reveal details about the video game.
Other notable discussions include “Fireside with Arm CEO Rene Haas,” covering AI’s impact on technology, and “Funny AF Comedy Showrunners,” where Universal Television’s top creators will share insights into comedy production. Business-oriented panels include “How America’s 33M Small Businesses Can Grow and Prosper,” featuring Mark Cuban; and “How Technology Is Transforming Urban Spaces,” examining AI’s role in city infrastructure.
Additional sessions will feature discussions on AI in media with Paramount CTO Phil Wiser, immersive storytelling with ILM Immersive, and influencer entrepreneurship with Keith Lee and Jennifer Quigley-Jones.
“Every year, SXSW assembles a group of speakers who are doing extraordinary and often surprising things, such as breaking boundaries in storytelling and representation, advocating for secure communication, and bringing back the woolly mammoth,” said Hugh Forrest, president and chief programming officer of SXSW. “Issa Rae, Meredith Whittaker, Ben Lamm, and Joe Manganiello make up a stellar group of changemakers who are a perfect fit for the SXSW community.”
SXSW will take place from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, with full details regarding their newly-announced speakers and sessions available via their website.

Seleen Saleh for ESSENCE
On the fourth day of NYFW, the snow-covered streets were full of fashion lovers who braved the weather to catch the latest from some seriously talented designers. We’re talking the likes of Tia Adeola, Sandy Liang and LaPointe. All brought the “it” factor with their gorgeous and romantic collections just in time for Valentine’s Day inspiration. Meanwhile, the fashion crowd showed up and showed out, serving looks that were absolutely worth getting cold for.
Notable figures like R&B songstresses Ari Lennox and Monica, alongside model Jordyn Woods, made their own fashion and beauty statements for the eager photographers. What particularly caught the ESSENCE beauty team’s attention, however, was the organic way in which everyone on the streets seemed to naturally embrace this understated, off-duty model aesthetic. The unplanned synchronicity of these looks created a stunning visual against the snowy backdrop.
In other words, we observed a parade of editors, journalists, influencers and other attendees sporting various interpretations of the classic “slicked back” hairstyle, anchored by a deep middle part. Many women took this aesthetic a step further, showcasing their natural textures, with their curls and coils either elegantly crowned with cowboy hats or left freely flowing in the winter breeze.
To complete this effortlessly chic aesthetic, some opted for a minimalist approach with just a touch of gloss. Meanwhile, others made bolder choices with blush-heavy looks and statement lip colors. And true to form, no off-duty model look was considered complete without the signature addition of gold hoops.
Ahead, we get into the best street style beauty moments from day four of New York Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2025 season.

Data released Tuesday by freight audit and payment provider U.S. Bank showed a trucking industry continuing to battle cyclical and structural headwinds. The U.S. freight market continued its downward trend in the fourth quarter of 2024. According to the latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, shipment volumes fell 4.7% from the previous quarter, marking the 10th consecutive quarterly decline. Spending by shippers also decreased, albeit at a slower rate of 2.2%.
“It’s clear there are both cyclical and structural challenges remaining as we look for a truck freight market reboot,” said Bob Costello, senior vice president and chief economist at the American Trucking Associations. “For instance, factory output softness – which has a disproportionate impact on truck freight volumes – is currently weighing heavily on our industry.”
Looking at cyclical impacts, the persistent softness in the manufacturing sector played a large role in the freight market’s continued softness. Total factory output declined between 0.3% and 0.6% from the third quarter and 0.5% to 0.9% year over year. Even such modest decreases have a disproportionate impact on truck freight volumes.
The report adds: “U.S. factory output has a disproportionate impact on truck freight volumes compared with other economic sectors. For example, a finished product that is imported into the U.S. via cargo ship for the retail sector, depending on the product and the specific supply chain, might be transported via truck only one to three times before consumer purchase.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Ka’Von Wooden loved trains. The 15-year-old had an encyclopedic knowledge of New York City’s subway system and dreamed of becoming a train operator.
Instead, on a December morning in 2022, Ka’Von died after he climbed to the roof of a moving J train in Brooklyn and then fell onto the tracks as it headed onto the Williamsburg Bridge.
This September 2021 photo shows Ka’Von Wooden who died in December 2022 while subway surfing a J line subway train in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Wooden was 15 years old. (Y’Vonda Maxwell via AP) This September 2021 photo shows Ka’Von Wooden who died in December 2022 while subway surfing a J line subway train in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Wooden was 15 years old. (Y’Vonda Maxwell via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied
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He is one of more than a dozen New Yorkers, many young boys, who have been killed or badly injured in recent years while attempting to “subway surf,” a practice that dates back a century but has been supercharged by social media.
Authorities have tried to address the problem with public awareness campaigns and by deploying drones to catch thrill-seekers in the act. But for some, a more fundamental question is not being addressed: Why are kids like Ka’Von able to climb on top of subway cars in the first place?
“When Ka’Von died … literally two weeks later, another child died. And another one. That makes no sense,” his mother, Y’Vonda Maxwell, told The Associated Press, saying transit and law enforcement officials haven’t done enough. “Why should my child have not been the end?”
Making trains harder to climb, and train surfers more easy to detect with cameras and sensors, could be part of the solution, some experts say. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the subway system, has said it is studying the issue. But it has yet to come forward with proposals to use technology or physical barriers that might make it harder for people to get on top of trains.
Six people died surfing subway trains in the city last year, up from five in 2023.
Subway train operator Tyesha Elcock gets settled in the driver’s compartment before departing the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Subway train operator Tyesha Elcock gets settled in the driver’s compartment before departing the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Share Share Copy Link copied
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Tyesha Elcock, the MTA worker who operated the train Ka’Von rode the day he died, is among those who thinks more should be done to prevent deaths.
The first sign of trouble that day was when the train’s emergency brake kicked in, she said.
Elcock discovered Ka’Von’s body between the train’s seventh and eighth cars. A group of sad-faced teens on the train made it clear what had happened. “Did y’all leave your friend back there?” she asked them.
Elcock said another operator traveling in the opposite direction saw Ka’Von on the train’s roof and reported it over a radio. Because of patchy radio service, she said, she didn’t get the warning.
But she thinks an even simpler solution could have saved Ka’Von’s life: locking the doors at the ends of subway cars. That would cut off access to the narrow gaps between train cars where subway surfers use handholds to hoist themselves onto the roof.
“Lock it when we’re in service so people can’t climb up and be on top of the train,” Elcock said.
Subway train operator Tyesha Elcock watches the arrival of the train she will be operating in the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Subway train operator Tyesha Elcock watches the arrival of the train she will be operating in the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Share Share Copy Link copied
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Print Read More A train conductor walks between subway cars at a station in the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) A train conductor walks between subway cars at a station in the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Share Share Copy Link copied
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The MTA’s leaders have said that they looking into possible ways to prevent subway surfing, including engineering solutions, but the agency declined to make any of its safety experts available for an interview.
In 2023, Richard Davey, then the head of buses and subways for the MTA, said officials were “weighing” the option of locking doors between cars — which is now done only on a handful of 1980s-era trains. But he said that locking doors “brings its own risk.” Some New Yorkers have complained that locking the passageways between train cars might prevent them from escaping to another part of the train during an emergency.
Under questioning from City Council members and reporters last year, MTA officials ruled out some other physical interventions, including building more barriers to prevent access to tracks, or putting covers over the gaps between train cars to prevent would-be surfers from climbing up.
“Listen, you have to be able to do work on top of a train car,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said at a news conference, adding that you can’t “cover it with barbed wire.”
The MTA has asked social media companies to take down videos glamorizing subway surfing. It’s also promoted public service announcements telling people to “Ride inside, stay alive,” in voices of local teens.
Trains arrive and depart from a subway station in the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Trains arrive and depart from a subway station in the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Share Share Copy Link copied
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More than 300,000 New York City school children use the subway to get to and from school each day.
The NYPD reported that arrests of alleged subway surfers rose to 229 last year, up from 135 the year before. Most were boys, with an average age of around 14, according to police. The youngest was 9 years old.
Branislav Dimitrijevic, an engineering professor of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, said retrofitting trains to prevent roof access would be expensive.
“There’s so many stories in transportation where things can be fixed, but they cost a lot of money. And then you ask the public, ’Are you willing to (pay) for us to fix this? But your taxes would go up tremendously.’ And people say ‘no,’” Dimitrijevic said.
Dimitrijevic suggested the MTA might be able to install cameras and use artificial intelligence to detect riders trying to climb a train. Andrew Albert, a non-voting member of the MTA board, said he has been asking the agency about the plausibility of physical sensors but hasn’t gotten a response.
A train arrives at a subway station in the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) A train arrives at a subway station in the Coney Island section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Share Share Copy Link copied
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The NYPD has patrolled popular subway surfing routes with drones, but the missions can’t be everywhere at once.
Trains in some other cities, such as Hong Kong and Dubai, aren’t easily climbable. They have streamlined bodies, lack handles on the outside and don’t open between cars.
Some rail systems have resorted to extreme tactics to keep people from riding on top of trains. In Indonesia, railway officials once installed hanging metal flails to try and deter passengers from riding atop train cars to avoid overcrowding. They also tried spraying riders with red paint and hitting them with brooms.
The MTA recently purchased a few new subway cars that don’t have the outdoor gaps exploited by subway surfers, but they represent just a sliver of the number currently in service, and won’t be deployed on lines popular for surfing anytime soon.
___
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Andrew Albert’s last name, which had been misspelled “Alpert.”

The U.S. has had a lot fewer people employed in truck transportation than it originally thought.
The February employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics was the first to reflect the revised annual model the BLS uses in reporting job figures. The agency signals every August what it believes it will be reporting in February, based on the data it has collected at that point.
In August, the BLS said the transportation and warehousing sector was one of the only segments reported by the BLS that would show a significant upturn in total employment. The actual numbers reported Friday were that transportation and warehousing jobs in January 2025 totaled 6,711,400, up from 6,583,800 a year earlier.
But trucking did not contribute to that rise. To the contrary, it showed significant declines not just from a year ago, but in 2023 as well.
When the BLS reports its preliminary numbers in August, it does so just for the overall sectors. So it does not indicate the direction of movements for the subsectors, like truck transportation or warehousing.
The revised report shows December 2024 truck transportation employment at 1,545,900 jobs. That is 27,800 fewer than in December 2023.
But when December jobs were first reported in January under the pre-revision model, the year-ago difference was just 5,900.
That sort of stark difference between the old model’s comparison of 2024 and 2023 carries through the report. For example, November ’24 versus November ’23 was originally reported as just 3,400 fewer jobs. The revised difference is now 28,900 jobs.
The revision isn’t just for a year. Going back two or three years and comparing what was reported last month versus what is being reported this month in the revised model shows numerous revisions. Back into 2022, the differences aren’t big; in some cases, they are just 100 jobs.
But as the dates get closer to the present, the differences begin to creep into the thousands and then the tens of thousands.
The result is that the end-of-year figures for truck transportation were originally reported for 2024 as 1,545,900 jobs. The revised figure is 1,518,100 jobs. The revised end-of-2023 jobs figure is 1,534,600. The pre-revision number was 1,551,800.
The end-of-2022 figure actually rose slightly in the revision, to 1,587,700 jobs from 1,586,900.
As far as recent trends in the revised truck transportation model, January jobs were reported as 1,521,900, a healthy increase of 3,800.
David Spencer, vice president of Market Intelligence at Arrive Logistics, described the downward revisions as “significant.”
“They bring total trucking employment back to roughly flat with pre-covid levels (Up 0.34% from Feb 2020),” he said in an email to FreightWaves. The indication here is that any employment gains seen throughout the pandemic era of high rates have been wiped out by the poor trucking conditions seen through falling rates the past several years. While spot rates have finally shown stability, even some slight inflationary pressure on year-over-year comps over the past quarter, there is no real clarity around when the rate environment will improve for truckload carriers.”
Warehouse jobs soar; so does rail employment
The revision showed an enormous jump in warehouse jobs. Revised figures show warehouse jobs at 1,842,800 in December. But when December was first reported a month ago, the figure was 1,770,300 jobs, a revision of more than 70,000.
Rail jobs also got a boost in the revision. That number had trended around 150,000 to 152,000 jobs for several years. But the revision put the January figure at 156,300. The lowest monthly number in the revised jobs report for rail in 2024 was 154,900, and the revision had the peak number of 157,900 jobs in March and April of last year.
Shannon Gabriel, vice president of the Leadership Solutions Practice at TBM Consulting, keeps her eye on employment trends through openings listed on sites such as LinkedIn and Monster.
“January held tight with 332,000 open Logistics and Supply Chain jobs posted on LinkedIn, in close comparison to December’s 331k open jobs,” she said in an email to FreightWaves. “This is in line with this morning’s jobs report; there’s not too much change in the transportation sector apart from a slight increase in trucking jobs.”
Gabriel noted an increase in resumes posted from supply chain workers listed as “ready to work now.” She said that could be a function of supply chain workers impacted by jobs lost in the California fires.
In other notable numbers in the report:
The hourly wage rate for truck transportation production and nonsupervisory employees held above $30 for the second consecutive month. That data is on a one-month lag. But even after revisions, it was in excess of $30 for November and December, the first two months they have crossed that mark.
The BLS reports an unemployment rate for the transportation and warehousing sector as a whole, though not one for the individual subsectors. In January, that rate was down to 3.6% from 4.3% a month earlier. In the post-pandemic era, that 3.6% number has been matched several months, but it has never been lower than that. It was 3.4% in January 2020, just before the pandemic; it was 15.7% in May 2020.
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To some, even the simplest proposals for family formation are contemptible. A hyperfocus on gender and race takes from the fact that genuine family-first approaches have these things in mind.
But that slips past critics who read only prejudice into pro-family guidelines. Such is the case with a new memorandum from the Transportation Department, titled “Ensuring Reliance upon Sound Economic Analysis in Department of Transportation Policies, Programs, and Activities.”
The title indicates how many ideas are packed into the short document. Much of its content, however, centers on family benefits, and it is this detail that has caught traction in public discourse. Specifically, the memo proposes that “statutes governing DOT policies, programs, and activities shall be administered to identify and avoid … adverse impacts on families and communities.” The same goes for maximizing benefits for them and minimizing “family-specific difficulties.” As a critical point, the DOT will “prioritize projects and goals that … give preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average.”
That last part really catches the eye of the reader whose primary social focus is preference-based, which means that the Trump administration’s natural opponents interpret the proposal in isolation, unsympathetic to it. At once, the idea is racist, for those most in need are poor and unmarried minorities; partisan, because families have been in mass exodus from blue to red states; and utilitarian, as a high fertility rate is the scheme of the patriarchal Right.
One particular worry, from the New York Times, is that DOT funds will no longer go toward a “$4 billion program that sought to reconnect communities of color that had been split by highways.” Such projects are Biden-era remnants.
Of course, there are higher priorities than the aforementioned. It is worth considering: Would the New York Times’s concern still stand if communities of color had stronger family structure?
Probably less so. Perhaps families were split by highways, but doubtful immediate family members who had not already gone off on their own. The fact of the matter is that family structure matters for black children the same as for white ones and that black children are the most likely, by a lot, to be living with single parents. Among the many things a secure, two-parent family life puts on offer, support and belonging are chief qualities. The sense of “disconnection” and the hardship and isolation of adversity would become lighter when faced with a family. Race-based communities, not always practically salvageable, would seem less crucial.
Part of the disadvantage of racial minorities in the family realm — and it is multifactorial — is the Democratic ownership of racial interests and the party’s simultaneous lies about family life. Framed as a burden and a loss instead of a joy and a gain, the Democratic Party pushes antifamily endeavors onto its constituents. For couples who do not buy the messaging, progressive state-level agendas force relocation.
So, when pro-family policy appears partisan, it is. That result is not the fault of conservative politicians but of Democrats’ stated goals.
Opponents of Duffy’s memo are on the right track with community-based concerns, though they are aiming too low: What benefits the family benefits society overall.
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Merely on the level of neighborhood quality, families bring assets. For suburban life, mutually strengthening family networks: Young parents know those more experienced, children have friends, and good people enter society. For city life, even married and unmarried people can benefit: Not only a vibrant and safe urban setting comes about, but the age-old mingling of lonely, single people with happier-seeming families makes for a strong community.
All of these are ideals, but they are attainable. The problem with such harsh criticism of the memo is that, no matter whether one disagrees with the ideals, its proposals are left broad. The family is no public good, to be sure, but it might do its disparagers some good to entertain that lens, just a bit.

How romantic! What better way to get her to say ‘I do’ than knowing your marriage will result in more funding for new culverts?
Yes, that’s right: Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the administration said it will give more transportation funding to places with higher marriage and fertility rates .
Do you want a fully funded highway system? Adequate resources for the T? Well, here’s what you can do to help, according to the Trump administration: Get married and have lots of children.
And certainly the T-riding public will want to have more babies now. As women were supposedly told in Victorian Britain, just close your eyes and think of JFK/UMass.
As a transportation policy, this makes no sense for reasons that hopefully don’t need explaining: While there’s a clear logic in distributing government funds based on population, population is not the same thing as fertility rates.
People born in one place aren’t necessarily still living there by the time they need the things transportation funding pays for, like roads. Places with low fertility rates can still have growing populations if they attract enough domestic or foreign immigrants.
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But as a way to spur procreation — or to advance a “pro-natalist” agenda, in MAGA speak — the idea is even dumber. It’s almost like it was cooked up by a bunch of male weirdos.
In reality, the promise of fresher asphalt is just about the last thing that’s going to induce people to have more children. (It seems to me that subsidizing childcare or lowering the cost of housing might – but what do I know?)
Of course, maybe the Trump administration isn’t as dense as it seems. Maybe it’s actually trying to send a message not to individuals but to states – that Massachusetts, for instance, needs to figure out ways to drive up marriage and birth rates if it wants new Cape bridges.
Luckily, Massachusetts transportation agencies are well suited to that task. At minimum, I’d suggest making the Forest Hills station available for weddings, and turning the lights down at the state’s highway rest stops.
Maybe they also need an inspiring slogan: “Ask not what the T can do for you, ask who you can do for the T.” (The Globe’s standards prohibit me from repeating some other relatively obvious possibilities, so you’re just going to have to use your imagination.)
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And if the whole idea seems creepy – well, yeah. It is. If the Trump administration wants to make communities more family-friendly in hopes of boosting birth rates, then they should go ahead and do that. But this policy is way too transactional to be anything other than icky.
This is an excerpt from Are we there yet?, a Globe Opinion newsletter about the future of transportation in the region. Sign up to get it in your inbox early.
Alan Wirzbicki is Globe deputy editor for editorials. He can be reached at alan.wirzbicki@globe.com.

Work on Harscrabble Road Widening Project to take place overnight, starting Feb. 11
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Motorists in and around Hardscrabble Road in northeast Richland County should be aware of a temporary closure of Hardscrabble at the intersection of Clemson Road so that work can be done on the Hardscrabble Road Widening Project.
South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) will have crews working beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 11. Crews will work from 7 p.m.-6 a.m. over the next three nights, with work scheduled to be completed by Friday, February 14, at 6 a.m.

Thanks to the 1986 movie starring Tom Cruise and its 2022 sequel, TOPGUN is a familiar name. Even if you only know

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode,

A historic Keith Haring mural at an aging former West Village community center featured in the classic flick “Raging Bull” could be in danger when the site is demolished, advocates fear.
The 116-year-old Tony Dapolito Recreation Center on Clarkson Street in Manhattan was set to be repaired when it closed in 2021, officials said at the time.
But now the city contends the building is too far gone to fix – and critics fear its demolition could impact the site’s 18-foot-tall, outdoor, poolside mural painted by the iconic late street artist in 1987.
7 The future of a historic Keith Haring mural at an old West Village community center is up in the air, advocates say. Michael Sofronski
“If demolition does move forward, we would strongly advocate for measures to preserve the mural in some form,” said Gil Vazquez, executive director of the Keith Haring Foundation, to The Post.
“However, there has been no clear indication from city officials whether the mural is guaranteed to remain intact or if it might be affected by any future redevelopment plans,” Vazquez said.
City Hall policy adviser Zachary Campbell said at a recent hearing that the city intends to keep the site – which was featured in the 1980 Academy Award-winning Martin Scorsese film “Raging Bull” – for some kind of “public park use.”
The pool was where Robert DeNiro’s “Raging Bull” character Jake met Vickie, played by Cathy Moriarty.
7 Haring paints his iconic mural at the community center as then-city Parks Commissioner Henry Stern watches. Michael Norcia/NY Post
“We would like to explore building an aquatics [center] … and building a new outdoor pool there essentially,” a Parks rep said at the hearing.
Manhattan Borough Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura added that a vision for the future of the site isn’t fully realized because the agency is still seeking funding for the project.
The building is landmarked because it is located in the Greenwich Village Historic District and also because of its history as the former Carmine Street Public Baths.
A Parks rep added to The Post that the agency is “exploring potential options” for the mural and that “any future site design will involve coordination with Haring Foundation to preserve the mural for future generations.”
But Vasquez said the city has not engaged the Keith Haring Foundation in any formal discussions.
The group is “open to working with officials and the community” to ensure the mural’s protection, Vazquez said.
7 The artist was known for painting public murals, among other things. Newsday RM via Getty Images
“There is currently no funding allocated for any project — whether demolition or restoration — at the Tony Dapolito site,” he said.
“Given this uncertainty, we plan to take advantage of the site’s limbo status to capture detailed, high-resolution images of the mural, likely using a drone, to document its current state and condition.”
Haring was a hugely influential pop artist in the 1980s who started with chalk drawings in the city’s subway system. He died of AIDS in 1990 at age 31 — and his paintings have been sold for as much as more than $6.5 million since.
Plans to renovate the rec center for $4 million began in 2017, but the scope soon ballooned to a budget of $17 million, with only 72% of the construction completed as of May 2024, The Post previously reported.
Manhattan’s Community Board 2 passed a resolution last year imploring the city to restore the building rather than raze it.
7 Rich Caccappolo, Manhattan Community Board 2 Parks & Waterfront chair, says it’s hard to deny that the building is in very bad shape. William C Lopez/New York Post
But officials said Wednesday that the decades-old recreation center – with amenities including indoor and outdoor pools and basketball courts – still suffered from crumbling facades, non-fire-code-compliant stairs and corroding steel beams that are “pushing the building apart.”
“Parks and external parties have studied the building extensively to think creatively and look at ways to possibly repair the building in a way that addresses structural issues, improves programming, and meets legal code-compliance,” the Parks Department representative told The Post.
“Over time it became clear that more investment would be needed to address the full extent of building needs. … We also saw how any renovation to bring the building up to code would result in a reduction of community programming space.”
Rich Caccappolo, Manhattan Community Board 2 Parks & Waterfront chair, said, “When you walk around, you get a sense that the building is in a … very difficult-to-salvage state.
“And I ask: Is it worth salvaging?”
Several longtime West Villagers believe that answer is a resounding yes.
“I feel very strongly about the center and especially about the pool, and preserving it – especially as someone who went there every summer with my sisters,” said Noel Masal, 24. “Not having a lot of money in this area, this was accessible to us.”
7 Soho resident Sommer Omar, a 30-year-old lawyer, points out at a recent meeting that the city spent more than $150 million repairing another recreation center in Brownsville, Brooklyn, last year. William C Lopez/New York Post
West Village resident Donna Aceto, 34, told The Post she used the center’s gym for years until it closed because of its structural issues in 2021 – and that she is still priced out of other more expensive facilities in the area.
“They’re all expensive,” Aceto said.
Other Big Apple residents at the hearing questioned why Parks didn’t make the necessary repairs immediately.
Mary Ann Arisman, chair of the St. Luke’s Place Block Association, pointed out that her block of 15 townhouses built about 175 years ago is still standing “because generations before us and many people who live on the block right now have maintained those buildings.”
“And if we hadn’t, we, too, would be cited by the city for demolition by neglect,” Arisman said.
7 The mural at the pool is classic Haring: fun, energetic and colorful. Michael Sofronski
Soho resident Sommer Omar, a 30-year-old lawyer, pointed out that the city spent more than $150 million repairing another recreation center in Brownsville, Brooklyn, last year.
“I am having a hard time believing that there aren’t resources to repair this,” Omar said.
Village Preservation, an advocacy group dedicated to architectural and cultural preservation in the area, believes an “oversized tower” akin to the Gansevoort Square proposal — which could end up featuring a 60-story residential skyscraper — will replace the rec center.
“There is no reason to demolish the building,” Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation, told The Post. “It’s a waste of money, [and] it’s environmentally the wrong thing to do. It’s always greener to reuse a building, if you can, rather than tear it down and build a new one.”
A letter to Mayor Eric Adams signed by the Preservation League of New York State, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Historic Districts Council and other groups last year similarly argues the notion that the structure is too difficult to repair “is entirely unfounded.
“Countless historic landmarks throughout New York City that have been restored, repaired, and preserved have also been altered over time,” the letter reads.
“It is alarming to hear city officials claim that deterioration at this building, the maintenance of which is the responsibility of the City itself, should be a green light for demolition.”
7 West Village resident Chance Pryor says he’s worried that new development at the site will only erode the area’s historic character further. William C Lopez/New York Post
West Village resident Chance Pryor, 31, told The Post that potential development at the site could set a dangerous precedent in terms of keeping the character of the neighborhood he calls home.
“There’s less and less of these public spaces that are for everybody – especially in this area, which has become so corporate and so soulless,” Pryor said. “I have seen the city change so much in the last 10 years. When is it gonna end?
“People still live here,” the local said. “This is important.”

Kris Jenner is selling the Hidden Hills, Calif., mansion prominently featured in her family’s former show, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” for $13.5 million.
The iconic Kardashian-Jenner compound — not to be confused with the fake house used for exterior shots on the show — can be purchased completely furnished for an additional estimated $400,000, the New York Times reported Friday.
“I’ve shared so many unforgettable memories in this incredible home with my family, and I’m excited to see it start a new chapter with its next owners,” Jenner told the newspaper in a statement.
15 Kris Jenner is selling her home featured on “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” for $13.5 million. E!
15 She and her children often filmed the E! network show inside the estate. Wayne Ford Photography
15 The home is recognized by its grand black-and-white entryway. Wayne Ford Photography
15 “I’ve shared so many unforgettable memories in this incredible home with my family, and I’m excited to see it start a new chapter with its next owners,” Jenner told the New York Times Friday. Wayne Ford Photography
Before the home hit the market, Jenner reportedly tapped celebrity interior designer Ryan Saghian to replace nearly all the furnishings with updated pieces from European luxury wholesaler Eichholtz.
She also had Saghian add new custom artwork and bespoke chandeliers.
“Step into a piece of television history with this iconic Mediterranean estate,” the Christie’s listing states. “This grand residence is the epitome of luxury and elegance.”
15 Jenner reportedly spent millions of dollars renovating the mansion. Wayne Ford Photography
15 “Live like a star in this legendary estate where timeless elegance meets Hollywood prestige,” a listing for the iconic home states. Wayne Ford Photography
15 Kris and her ex-husband, Caitlyn Jenner, purchased the house for $4 million in 2010. Wayne Ford Photography
Kris, 69, and her ex-husband, Caitlyn Jenner, purchased the 6-bedroom, eight-bathroom abode for $4 million in 2010 — three years after their now-defunct E! reality TV show premiered.
The 8,860-square-foot house, built in 1998, went on to serve as one of the main backdrops of the series –as seen in photographer Wayne Ford’s pictures of the property — until its final episode in June 2021.
Kris and Caitlyn’s daughters, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner, lived in the pad as teenagers, while the matriarch’s kids with late ex-husband Robert Kardashian — Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian and Rob Kardashian — were constant visitors after moving out.
Fans became familiar with the estate’s recognizable stone driveway and grand entryway with an imperial staircase and black-and-white checkerboard floor tiles.
15 The 8,860-square-foot house, built in 1998, went on to serve as one of the main backdrops of the series until its final episode in June 2021. E!
15 It has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms. Wayne Ford Photography
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15 The house also has multiple fireplaces. Wayne Ford Photography
Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom and the primary suite, which was used by Kris, features a fireplace, wet bar, spa-like bath with a steam shower, private gym and a walk-out balcony overlooking 1.55 acres of private land.
“Designed for seamless indoor-outdoor living, this bright and airy home features expansive open spaces and towering picture windows, bathing every room in natural light,” the listing states.
The estate boasts a modern kitchen with a large white center island, a breakfast table and multiple large refrigerators as well as a spacious office.
The perfectly manicured backyard has a massive swimming pool and hot tub that are surrounded by ample seating areas as well as an entertainment cabana with couches, a television and a fireplace.
15 The primary suite (not pictured) features a fireplace, wet bar, spa-like bath with a steam shower, private gym and a walk-out balcony overlooking 1.55 acres of private land. Wayne Ford Photography
15 Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom. Wayne Ford Photography
15 Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner (pictured above with mom Kris) lived in the home as teenagers. E!
15 The property also has a fire pit and an outdoor grilling station with a wine fridge and a covered dining area. Wayne Ford Photography
15 The house also has a large swimming pool with a built-in jacuzzi. Wayne Ford Photography
The property also has a fire pit and an outdoor grilling station with a wine fridge and a covered dining area.
Located inside an exclusive guard-gated community, residents have access to tennis courts, a swim club, a pool and a barbecue center.
“With endless opportunities for relaxation and recreation, this home is truly one-of-a-kind,” the listing states. “Live like a star in this legendary estate where timeless elegance meets Hollywood prestige.”

Seleen Saleh
On the third day of New York Fashion Week, the excitement showed no signs of slowing down, with striking collections from Prabal Gurung, L’Enchanteur, and Anna Sui. Designers delivered bold and imaginative collections, captivating the audience with their masterful craftsmanship and innovative designs. The runway was a spectacle of statement-making looks, drawing in a crowd of editors, influencers, and industry insiders eager to see the latest trends unfold. With each show, the energy only intensified, keeping the momentum strong and setting the stage for even more fashion magic to come.
Prabal Gurung is known for his bold, feminine designs that celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and modern glamour. His collections often feature vibrant colors, intricate draping, and strong tailoring, blending Eastern and Western influences. The Yusuf sisters made a statement on their third day of festivities, stepping out in matching tweed suits. Natasha embraced a monochromatic lavender look, while Nuni turned heads in a hot pink ensemble. Love Island winner Serena Page made a quick stop at SAA to view a compelling installation by CFDA winners L’Enchanteur. Channeling the mob wife aesthetic, she draped herself in a sweeping fur coat, pairing it with a deep-cut, loose-fitting black dress and platform boots.
Below, take a look at all of the unforgettable looks from New York Fashion Week Day 3 by Seleen Saleh.
01 01 Essence Street Style: NYFW Fall Winter ’25 — Day 3 Seleen Saleh
02 02 Essence Street Style: NYFW Fall Winter ’25 — Day 3 Seleen Saleh
03 03 Essence Street Style: NYFW Fall Winter ’25 — Day 3 Seleen Saleh
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek’s network of contributors
Elon Musk’s company, Starlink, appeared in a T-Mobile advertisement during the Super Bowl 2025.
Starlink is a satellite network owned by the 53-year-old billionaire’s company, SpaceX.
The commercial focuses on how T-Mobile partnered with Starlink to expand phone coverage in a unique way.
The narrator in the one-minute video states,

When rapper Kendrick Lamar took the stage for the halftime show at Super Bowl 2025, it marked the multiple Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist’s second time performing at the big game. It also made him the first hip-hop solo headliner in Super Bowl history.
But Lamar, who swept the Grammy Awards in all five categories in which he was nominated, winning both Record and Song of the Year, won’t take home a paycheck to match these feats. He’ll follow other major performers in earning less than the cost of a ticket to the game — if anything at all.
How much do Super Bowl halftime show performers get paid?
Sunday’s matchup in New Orleans between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles is, as usual, a gargantuan financial bonanza — but not for Lamar, who didn’t collect a paycheck for his performance. That’s because halftime artists at the Super Bowl only get paid union scale, a minimum guaranteed in a union contract, according to published reports.
Assuming the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union’s most recent contract applies, that would translate to about $1,000 a day, People Magazine reported.
Why doesn’t the NFL pay Super Bowl halftime performers?
The NFL has a long-standing policy of only paying union scale for halftime performers, who in the past have included Usher, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney.
The NFL not only has a track record of never paying big bucks to performers, it has even charged some artists for the privilege — and massive exposure — of performing during the Super Bowl. The NFL in 2015 solicited fees to perform from Rihanna, Coldplay and Katy Perry, who in the end rejected the notion.
Perry agreed to perform but not to pay for the opportunity, telling Forbes:

Seleen Saleh
On the fourth day of New York Fashion Week, the fashion world shows no signs of slowing down. With two days still to go, designers like LaPointe, Monse, and Tia Adeola have kept us mesmerized, even on Super Bowl Sunday. Designers continue to unveil their newest collection captivating viewers with beautiful craftsmanship and cutting edge designs. While the runway contained the season’s newest looks the street style is a spectacle in its own rite, these shows drew a buzzy crowd of editors, influencers, creatives and industry insiders to preview whats up next. With each show, the energy only intensified, keeping the momentum strong and setting the stage for fashion’s burgeoning and seasoned talent.
LaPointe is known for its unique approach to modern, sophisticated womenswear, blending elements of traditional tailoring with avant-garde designs. The brand often focuses on creating luxurious, sculptural silhouettes with a strong emphasis on craftsmanship and attention to detail. Influencer and entrepreneur Jordyn Woods posed for paparazzi in a deep green bodycon dress adorned with feathers along the skirt and part of the sleeve.
Editor Naomi Elizee dashed from one show to the next, draped in a towering fur coat paired with a navy blue bomber jacket featuring feathered shoulders. She carried a Balenciaga City bag, her look completed with a mid-length black skirt and sleek black boots, ideal for braving the snowy streets of NYC.
Below, take a look at all of the unforgettable looks from New York Fashion Week Day 4 by Seleen Saleh.
01 01 Essence Street Style NYFW FW 25 — Day 4 Seleen Saleh
02 02 Essence Street Style NYFW FW 25 — Day 4 Seleen Saleh
03 03 Essence Street Style NYFW FW 25 — Day 4 Seleen Saleh
04 04 Essence Street Style NYFW FW 25 — Day 4 Seleen Saleh
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An inset of Donna Oglive, 24, over a photo of the parking lot in Toronto where she was found dead in 1998. Toronto Police Service
Toronto police have arrested and charged a man with first-degree murder 26 years after a pregnant woman was strangled and found dead at a parking lot.
Authorities attributed the arrest of 50-year-old Ronald Gordon Ackerman of Gander, Newfoundland, last week to DNA evidence and recent calls for information through a YouTube video and the Toronto Police Service podcast that features cold cases.
Ronald Ackerman, 50, of Newfoundland. Toronto Police Service
Police arrested Ackerman on Thursday at the Toronto Pearson Airport and charged him with first-degree murder. Authorities didn’t provide any additional details and Ackerman was remanded in custody in Toronto.
Donna Oglive, 24, arrived in Toronto in 1998, five weeks before she was killed, and was working in sex trade, Detective Sgt. Stephen Smith detailed in the police podcast in 2021.
On March 8, 1998, Oglive was found dead in a parking lot on Carlton Street and Jarvis Street, which was an area police said was known for sex trade. She was about four months pregnant at the time, according to investigators.

New York Yankees/Getty Images
The teams that will be featured on the plaques of the members of the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame Class were unveiled on Monday.
Pitcher CC Sabathia will have a New York Yankees logo on his cap after spending the majority of his career in New York and Cleveland, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).
Closer Billy Wagner’s hat will feature the Houston Astros while outfielder Ichiro Suzuki will be wearing a Seattle Mariners cap, via ESPN. Dave Parker will be represented with a Pittsburgh Pirates cap and Dick Allen will have the Philadelphia Phillies’ logo.
Players and their families were allowed to give input on the team choices to the Hall of Fame, but the final decisions were ultimately made by the Hall.
Sabathia totaled three of his six All-Star appearances in Cleveland before finishing his career in New York, winning a World Series title with the Yankees in 2009. Still, he spent the most time with the Bronx Bombers and has been consistent with the team he’d choose to be featured on his plaque following his retirement.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a memo told the Department of Transportation (DOT) to prioritize communities that have higher birth and marriage rates.
“To the maximum extent permitted by law, DOT-supported or -assisted programs and activities, including without limitation, all DOT grants, loans, contracts, and DOT-supported or -assisted State contracts, shall prioritize projects and goals that … mitigate the unique impacts of DOT programs, policies, and activities on families and family-specific difficulties, such as the accessibility of transportation to families with young children, and give preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average,” reads the undated memo, which says it is effective immediately.
The memo could impact, among many other programs, the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant, meaning investments in public transportation including commuter rail, light rail and bus transit.
According to data released last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. birth rate had hit a new low after declining for the last 17 years.
Duffy, a father to nine children, is one of just a few of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees to already be confirmed by the Senate.
He released a series of orders last week aimed at getting DOT in line with the Trump White House’s priorities.
“The American people deserve an efficient, safe, and pro-growth transportation system based on sound decision-making, not political ideologies. These actions will help us deliver on that promise,” Duffy said.
He’s also moved to enact Trump’s cutbacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in hiring at the department.
The Hill has reached out to DOT for comment.

A medical helicopter was called to the scene of a crash that snarled traffic on a Massachusetts highway Tuesday.
Jacquelyn Goddard of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said the crash happened on Interstate 95 in Georgetown.
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Both directions of the highway were initially closed, but the northbound lanes have since reopened.
Goddard did not say how many vehicles were involved in the crash or give any information about injuries.
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She said shortly before 8 p.m. that the medical helicopter had cleared, but later said in an update around 8:15 p.m. that the chopper was still at the location of the crash.
No further details were immediately available.

He wants her to stay grounded
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy got into it with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, telling her to “sit this one out” after she needled him for touting plans to bring in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to upgrade air traffic control systems.
“Big News – Talked to the DOGE team. They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system,” Duffy, 53, had said in an X post Wednesday.
Clinton, 77, quickly dunked on the announcement, saying the DOGE team had “no relevant experience.”
“Most of them aren’t old enough to rent a car,” she wrote on X. “And you’re going to let them mess with airline safety that’s already deteriorated on your watch?”
Duffy then fired back and defended DOGE’s motley crew of bureaucrat busters.
“Madam Secretary, with all due respect, ‘experienced’ Washington bureaucrats are the reason our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. You need to sit this one out,” Duffy shot back.
3 Hillary Rodham Clinton in conversation with Reid Hoffman at a 92NY event on January 28, 2025, in New York City. Getty Images
DOGE boss Elon Musk confirmed Wednesday that his team will hustle “to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.”
On Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration’s main warning system for pilots briefly suffered an outage, underscoring its troubles. A backup system was used in the interim before the main system was restored.
The outage took place three days after a passenger jet and a military helicopter collided in the airspace near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people.
3 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addresses the media after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into Potomac River, January 30, 2025. REUTERS
Clinton kept the tiff going Thursday, claiming that “US airlines had gone 16 years without fatal crashes.”
“Then MAGA fired the FAA chief, gutted the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and threatened air traffic controllers with layoffs,” she added. “Now there have been two fatal crashes.”
“Hope your unvetted 22-year-olds fix things fast.”
That attack prompted Duffy to ratchet up his war of words.
“I know you’re lashing out because DOGE is uncovering your family’s obscene grifting via USAID, but I won’t let you lie and distort facts,” Duffy countered. “The FAA administrator announced he resigned over a month before Trump took office, and the air traffic controllers were always exempt from Trump’s civil service buyouts. “
3 Elon Musk speaks at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) AP
“I’m returning this department to its mission of safety by using innovative technology in transportation and infrastructure. Your team had its chance and failed.”
Trump, 78, teased Thursday morning during the National Prayer Breakfast at the US Capitol that his administration will huddle with Congress to pursue a dramatic overhaul of the air traffic control system.

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Just before 3 p.m. Friday afternoon the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) issued a High Wind Restriction for all of I-25 south of Pueblo County.
According to CDOT, the restriction is in place from the New Mexico state line, 11 miles south of Trinidad to the southern edge of Pueblo County, just south of Colorado City.
The High Wind Restriction is in place for all high-profile vehicles and light trailers. Wind gusts of up to 65 mph are expected.
CDOT SAFETY TIPS

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has paused funding for a $5 billion EV charging infrastructure program that Tesla has received at least $31 million from. The move is widely viewed to be illegal.
It’s the latest attempt from the Trump administration to hack away at federally funded renewable energy projects around the country, a clear priority for the president in his first few weeks back in office.
It’s also more evidence that Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s politics are increasingly at odds with his car company’s goal of advancing the transition to sustainable energy. By the middle of last year, Tesla had won around 6% of all awards from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program in question, netting millions of dollars in the process.
One of the first executive orders Trump signed in January took aim at charging infrastructure programs, including NEVI.
Now, a letter sent Thursday to the directors of state DOT offices says that the “new leadership of the Department of Transportation” wants to “review the policies underlying the implementation of the NEVI” program.
The Federal Highway Administration, the DOT agency that wrote the letter, said it will update the guidance for NEVI and publish it for public comment in “the spring.” The DOT division says no new funding can go out until that new guidance is finalized. InsideEVs was the first to report the letter.
NEVI was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed into law in 2021. Congress had appropriated $1 billion annually to the program from 2022 to 2026.
Beth Hammon, senior vehicle charging advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement that the Trump administration “does not have the authority to halt it capriciously. ”
“Stopping funding midstream will result in chaos and delays in states across the nation. It will throw state efforts into turmoil, wreak havoc with the companies that install the chargers and risk the jobs of their workers,” she said. “The only winner from this chaos is the oil industry.”
Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All director Katherine García also said the action was illegal and was an “attack on bipartisan funding that Congress approved years ago.”
The Trump administration is trying to stop the flow of money appropriated by Congress all across the government — which legal experts say is a major breach of the constitutional order.
His Office of Management and Budget announced a government-wide spending freeze that has already been met with a number of legal challenges. It then rescinded that memo, though it’s been reported that some payment freezes continue. Musk, meanwhile, is marauding around multiple government agencies with a team of engineers and tech executives and wresting computer access to the payment and other sensitive systems.

Section of I-70 near downtown Columbus to close this weekend for construction
A section of Interstate 70 west will be closed this weekend while work continues on the massive construction project to widen and rebuild the highway and rehab ramps and bridges, the Ohio Department of Transportation has announced.
The section of I-70 between Interstate 71 and Route 315 near downtown Columbus will close beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and remain closed until 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 10.
Construction continues on December 19, 2024 on the I-70, I-71 and St. Rt. 315 project through downtown Columbus.
These closures stem from ODOT’s Downtown Ramp Up project to revamp Downtown Columbus’ highway system. The $1.4 billion project started in 2010 and is expected to continue until at least 2030, The Dispatch previously reported.
Related article: 2025 Columbus construction preview
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Traffic update: I-70 near downtown Columbus closed for the weekend

HAUSER — Pleasant View Road between State Highway 53 and Prairie Avenue is set to close as early as the first week of March, according to a press release from the Idaho Transportation Department.
Drivers will be able to use either Prairie Avenue or McGuire Road to access SH-53 during the closure.
This closure is part of the SH-53-Pleasant View Road Interchange construction that began last fall.
The project will enhance safety along the highly traveled SH-53 corridor by ultimately eliminating three railroad/vehicle crossings, streamlining access to SH-53 and increasing capacity on SH-53 and Pleasant View Road, the release said.
Northbound drivers on Beck Road will need to turn right on Prairie Avenue and do a full rotation of the roundabout to access SH-53 from westbound Prairie Avenue.
Westbound drivers on Prairie Avenue will need to find an alternative route altogether to access southbound Beck Road.

President Trump has floated a supposed a game plan for ending congestion pricing, saying he “will be able to kill it off in Washington through the Department of Transportation” — but said he was nonetheless discussing the plans with Gov. Hochul “out of respect.”
In a weekend interview in the N.Y. Post, Trump claimed he has “a lot of power” to end the toll, and referenced holding federal funding hostage. It remains unclear, however, what legal power if any the current president has to unilaterally upend either of the two approvals given by the federal Department of Transportation in the past two years.
Congestion pricing, approved by state lawmakers in 2019, is meant to reduce traffic congestion in Midtown and lower Manhattan while also raising a revenue stream that would allow the MTA to borrow $15 billion to fund its 2019-2024 capital program.
The law charged the MTA with developing and running the tolling program, in concert with the city and state departments of transportation.
In 2023, the federal DOT gave a crucial signoff to the MTA’s exhaustive environmental study, which modeled tolls between $9 and $23 for their expected impact on the environment, traffic and revenue. The feds’ finding of “no significant [environmental] impact” from the plan paved the way for the state to move ahead with the details of the toll.
The other federal DOT approval came late last year in the form of the an agreement under the feds’ Value Pricing Pilot Program — a George W. Bush-era program that allows toll revenue to be used for purposes other than road maintenance.
Three federal judges have already ruled in favor of the DOT’s findings on the environmental assessment.
In a statement indicating Trump might not be able to simply kill congestion pricing with the wave of his hand, the president also told The Post that he might withhold millions of dollars in federal funding from New York if the state doesn’t axe the toll itself.
MTA spokeswoman Kayla Shults referred the Daily News to Gov. Hochul’s office when asked Monday for comment. A spokesman for the Governor’s Office did not respond to a request from The News.
The toll, which has been in effect since January 5, charges drivers a base toll of $9 to enter Midtown and lower Manhattan. Preliminary data collected by the cameras used to assess the toll have shown massive decreases in cross-river travel times, even if overall traffic into the tolling zone has decreased by a modest 5%.
Trump also railed against bike lanes, telling The Post he wants to use his federal power to remove the municipal amenities. It is also unclear by what process Trump believes he can roll back 1,500 miles of bike lanes approved by the Mayor and New York City Council.

The trucking industry offers a wealth of opportunities for hopeful small business owners to launch their own companies while simultaneously making a difference and creating meaningful jobs within their communities. Breaking into the industry, however, can involve high start-up costs and a lot of red tape.
The process of getting a business off the ground deters many people from ever starting. Amazon Freight Partner (AFP) aims to make that process easier to navigate. The AFP program was established to make starting a trucking company more accessible for motivated hands-on leaders and commercial license drivers.
Dorcas Williams, a principal marketing manager for the AFP program, recently joined FreightWaves Radio Host Grace Sharkey on Drive Time to discuss opportunities the AFP program provides. This includes the low barriers to entry and exclusive benefits the program offers to enable partners and AFP drivers to be successful.
“The program includes leaders from all kinds of backgrounds. No trucks or trucking experience is needed,” Williams said.
The program is designed to enable leaders to start their own businesses moving freight with Amazon. It provides a path to enter the transportation industry with low start-up costs, long-term business growth, stable revenue, and consistent weekly work.
Amazon provides partners with:
State-of-the-art, lower emission trucks with no up-front down payment
Exclusive offers on services such as, employee healthcare, childcare, and human resource assistance
Amazon pays for fuel, tolls, maintenance, and truck insurance
AFP welcomes hands on, dedicated individuals to apply to its program, even if they have never sat behind the wheel of a truck. Partners will go through a comprehensive 12-week training program to obtain essential tools and knowledge needed to launch and grow their businesses. Partners also received a dedicated business coach and ongoing training.
“If you’re a hands-on leader, this is an opportunity for you to bring your leadership skills to the growing trucking industry and build a thriving business—fueled by the expertise and technology that Amazon provides,” according to the AFP website.
Not only is the program designed to help partners succeed, it’s also designed to support commercial license drivers. Drivers employed by an AFP must be hired as W-2 employees, offering a level of predictability and stability that is often lacking in the trucking industry. Companies must also provide benefits like health insurance and paid time off, creating an environment where drivers feel valued.
At the end of the day, AFP aims to provide entrepreneurs with the tools they need to both succeed and pass their success onto their employees, creating a better trucking industry for everyone.
The Amazon Freight Partner program is changing how the trucking industry operates. The program is always looking for motivated and skilled leaders to join.
Click here to learn more about how to become an Amazon Freight Partner.
Click here to view open driver opportunities with an Amazon Freight Partner.

All RTD rides will be free on Tuesday, February 4, as the metro Denver transit agency celebrates Transit Equity Day.Though RTD didn’t offer a free month or more of rides for adults last year as it had in 2022 and 2023, the agency is still finding ways to make some days fare-free; people under nineteen can always ride for free while adults got free rides on Election Eay and New Year’s Eve in 2024.Approved by the RTD board of directors in December, Transit Equity Day celebrates Rosa Parks, who famously refusal to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus in 1955, spurring the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In November 1956, almost a year after Parks’s protest, the Supreme Court ruled segregation on buses unconstitutional.Though Parks’s protest occurred in December, Transit Equity Day is celebrated on her birthday, February 4. According to RTD, services are now free every year on February 4.“The agency exists to serve others, and the introduction of Zero Fare for Transit Equity Day reinforces its commitment to advance equity in every aspect of its work,” RTD General Manager and CEO Debra Johnson said in an announcement about the free fare day.The United States Department of Transportation first celebrated Transit Equity Day in 2021, recognizing that equal access to public transportation is a civil right. Though Parks wasn’t in Colorado at the time, Denver was the site of the Gang of 19 protests in 1978, during which disability activists led by Reverend William Blake ditched their wheelchairs and crawled onto then-inaccessible RTD buses at the Colfax and Broadway bus stop to show the inequity of Denver’s public transit system.Their demonstration caused RTD to become the first mass transit system in the nation to be fully wheelchair-accessible, and helped inspire the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, another historic moment for civil rights and public transit.The Gang of 19 is slated to be remembered in major renovation plans for Civic Center Park , with a large central feature of the proposed memorial bearing the words “We will ride.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The impact area where a medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia was notably “expansive,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday after viewing the site with investigators and city officials.
Duffy said he was struck by “how expansive it was. And the issues that fire and police were dealing with. Again, this is a very populated area.”
The crash Friday evening killed all six people on the Learjet 55 air ambulance, including a girl who had been receiving medical treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia hospital. A seventh person inside a vehicle was killed on the ground.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said two more people who were hurt on the ground have been identified, bringing the total to 24. Four people remained hospitalized Monday, two in critical condition.
Parker said footage of the crash has made her “think about what could have been, had a gas line been hit.”
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said the plane had been taking Valentina Guzmán Murillo, 11, and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna, 31, home to Mexico. It plummeted within a minute of taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Jet Rescue identified its team members as Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, 41; the captain, Alan Montoya Perales, 46; the copilot, Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43; and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41.
Valentina had recently completed treatment for a condition not easily treated in Mexico, hospital officials have said.
Debris from the crash exploded into a fireball, and pieces of the plane were blown into the residential and commercial Castor Gardens neighborhood, severely damaging several businesses. City officials said four homes were destroyed, six sustained major damage and 11 were otherwise damaged.
“It was a very steep angle at which that aircraft came down,” Duffy said.
The aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder, recovered about 8 feet (2.4 meters) beneath the ground’s surface, was on its way to be examined in Washington, D.C., Duffy said. He said the plane did not have a data recorder, but investigators are hoping to retrieve flight data from the jet’s ground proximity warning system.
“Information can come off that device, whether it’s the speed or location of the aircraft. We will be able to get some data, hopefully, off that device,” he said.
The Philadelphia crash occurred two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation, when an American Airlines jet with 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair in Washington, D.C., with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers.
Audio recorded by LiveATC captured an air traffic controller at Northeast Philadelphia Airport telling “Medevac Medservice 056” to turn right when departing. About 30 seconds later, the controller repeats the request before asking, “You on frequency?” Minutes later the controller says, “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what happened, so we’re trying to figure it out. For now the field is going to be closed.”

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On Monday night, Investigation Discovery’s

“Let’s go to WeHo in the meantime” doesn’t have the same ring to it, but legendary singer-songwriter and longtime Tennessean resident John Hiatt returned to his old haunts in L.A. to be serenaded by a parade of boldface admirers Saturday at a benefit show at the Troubadour. The combination of classic material and an A-list of artists from multiple generations would have been enough to melt anyone’s icy blue heart, even the chilly woman who was the subject of the old Hiatt ballad of that name.
The occasion was the Americana Music Association‘s pre-Grammy celebration. (Can we call it a pre-Grammy gala? No, legally, probably not.) For most of the last 13 years the event has taken place at the Troubadour on the eve of Music’s Biggest Night, offering an annual chance to experience what is arguably the L.A. music scene’s most bodacious night, in the form of a tribute to a legend in the wide-open field of what is loosely qualified as American roots music. The Hiatt salute followed in the tradition of one given in honor of Paul Simon in 2024 and shows celebrating the music of Willie Nelson, John Prine, Loretta Lynn, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and other luminaries in the years prior to that. Occasionally, as in the case of the late Prine, the artist will come and wrap up the evening himself, as Hiatt did in this exemplary instance.
The most predictable Hiatt song for anyone to cover is the circa-1987 ballad “Have a Little Faith in Me,” and as phenomenal and potentially moving a song as it is, even somebody who appreciates Hiatt as much as I do has been known to zone out a little when someone announces that they’re about to do it. In the wrong hands, it can just take on that overdone wedding-song quality. So I’m happy to report that Michael McDonald‘s hands are not the wrong ones. The once-and-future Doobie sat down at an electric keyboard to sing the number solo, sans the house band, and it was transfixing from moment one, as McDonald applied that not-quite-earthly, benevolent-alien voice to Hiatt’s most famous redemption anthem, throwing in a long gospel-piano outro that really made it feel like a faith-based song.
Popular on Variety
(And just to reinforce that he had been through his own redemption arc, akin to the one Hiatt alluded to in one of his earliest sobriety-era tunes, McDonald explained to the audience how it was his first time on the Troubadour stage since 1972, and the last time, he’d had to get bailed out of the Van Nuys jail to make it to the gig.)
Michael McDonald Chris Willman/Variety
Even with McDonald being a standout among standouts, faith that everyone on the bill would get a chance to shine was amply rewarded. The performances kicked off with another instance of the house band not being present on stage, in this case so that the full lineup of Little Feat could commence proceedings with “Slow Turning,” the title track of Hiatt’s “Bring the Family” followup in the late ’80s. There was a corresponding bookend moment near the end of the show when the house band gave way to Los Lobos, who performed one of their own songs, “Down on the Riverbed,” but not randomly — this was a track of theirs that originally featured a distinctive, echoing Hiatt b.g. vocal. (“Steve said I’d be sick of my own songs by now,” Hiatt quipped, by way of explaining his eagerness to jump back onto one of somebody else’s.)
Hiatt has played with some guitar heroes in his time, like a noted association with Ry Cooder, so it was fitting when acoustic instruments got put away on a few occasions to go for something that would set off the decibel warnings on attendees’ Apple watches. One such moment came when Tom Morello, of Rage fame, did a version of the ballad “The River Knows Your Name” that not only ended with extensive soloing but with Morello doing a good few bars of that soloing with his teeth — no false modesty in this crowd-pleasing moment. That followed a similarly electrifying performance by Joe Bonamassa, who did the seasoned electric guitar player’s national anthem, “Perfectly Good Guitar,” peeling off solos soulful enough that it really did seem blasphemous to imagine harm coming to his instrument. (In good fun, he mimed as if he were about to do something smashing at the end, as if.)
Tom Morello at the Troubadour Chris Willman/Variety
Joe Bonamassa at the Troubadour Jim Brock
Hiatt has increasingly turned toward an acoustic blues feel in some of his latter-day albums, so when bluesman Cedric Burnside took to the stage, you might’ve assumed that he would be covering a song that already leaned that way a little. Instead, Burnside undertook the night’s most radical exercise in transformation, turning the ’80s heartbreaker “Icy Blue Heart” inside out and removing most traces of the melody, till it sounded like something that might have been picked up on a field recording in the 1930s. It felt like watching a magic act. (Burnside might’ve attracted some good karma with his thoughtful treatment of the tune; he won his first Grammy the next day, after playing the Hiatt gig.)
Cedric Burnside at the Troubadour Chris Willman/Variety
It was instructive seeing some of the great singer-songwriters of our time do their take on Hiatt. Joe Henry went slightly afield of which choice we might expect him to do by tackling a countrypolitan cheating song, “This is the Way We Make a Broken Heart,” that somehow Hiatt never officially released himself but became a No. 1 country song for Rosanne Cash in 1987. Lyle Lovett, a contemporary who has done co-headlining tours with Hiatt, brought his Texas lilt to “Train to Birmingham,” a 2011 track. Robbie Fulks ably traced the contours of a “Lipstick Sunset,” a lonesome number lifted from Hiatt’s most famous album, “Bring the Family.”
Lyle Lovett at the Troubadour Chris Willman/Variety
Joe Henry at the Troubadour Jim Brock
Robbie Fulks at the Troubadour Jim Brock
Many of the performers were near Hiatt’s age or just a little younger, but some represented next-gen fandom. We know that Lilly Hiatt is from the next generation, by virtue of her being the honoree’s daughter; she chose “You Must Go,” a song of her dad’s she’d previously chosen to cover for a Record Store Day 45. Then there was Sarah Jarosz saying that “Drive South” had been a favorite sing-along in the car when she was 7 (which, it might be noted, would have been about a decade after it came out). Later, Jarosz was united with her supergroup, I’m With Her, whose Sara Watkins noted that the number they were doing, “Crossing Muddy Waters,” was one of the first songs they ever did as a harmonizing string-band trio.
Sara Jarosz at the Troubadour Jim Brock
Shemekia Copeland Jim Brock
Female artists got plenty of chances to add a wail to Hiatt songs where there had not necessarily previously been one Shemekia Copeland nailed a pre-“Bring the Family” song of sensual devotion, “Love Like Blood,” prefacing it with a mention of how she’d run into Hiatt on the sidewalk out front and told him, “You wrote a sexy-ass song.” Judy Blume, a singer from the Netherlands whose debut album was just announced by the Rounder label, introduced her version of “Is Anybody There” by informing Hiatt (who looked on from the balcony) that his song was in the official school curriculum back in her homeland.
Judy Blank at the Troubadour Chris Willman/Variety
And one of the standouts of the night was Nashville-based belter Maggie Rose — who’d just been on stage the previous night downtown, singing the Dead for the MusiCares gala — digging into one of Hiatt’s most groove-alicious tracks, “Riding With the King.” (Unlike the Eric Clapton/BB King cover, she did not bowdlerize the lyrics.) House band member Molly Jenson took the lead on one of Hiatt’s cleverest but still most poignant early tunes, “She Loves the Jerk,” in partnership with keyboardist Phillip Krohnengold, finally turning her part of the duet around to make the third-person first-person, as “I love the jerk.”
Maggie Rose at the Troubadour Jim Brock
Molly Jenson Jim Brock
For sheer delicacy, meanwhile, there was the always welcome sight and sound of the Milk Carton Kids, covering “One for the One.” “If you do have earplugs in, you won’t need ’em,” the harmony duo quipped. “Take your plugs out and put your hearing aids in. This is gonna be the quietest song of the night.” That was the one, all right.
After his cameo with Los Lobos, Hiatt was joined by the house band for a concluding four of his own, three of them pretty well-known (including the Ry Cooder-recorded cowrite “Across the Borderine”) plus one welcome deeper cut, “The Music Was Hot,” from a more recent album, representing not one of his own personal stories but his imagining of a less than completely fulfilled mother and housewife who lives for WSM.
Had Brandy Clark, who was announced late for the lineup, canceled? No, she hadn’t — she turned up in the clinch to join Hiatt for a closing duet of “Thing Called Love,” representing one of the closer things we’ve got to a rising Bonnie Raitt-style figure at the moment, in her own way. And the cry of love did not sound at all alarming.
The Americana event at the Troubadour always happens to take place the night after the annual MusiCares dinner, which is also a benefit tribute show, and although this one is scaled down by about one-thousand percent from that, intimacy-wise, it’s invariably always at least as strong in content and lineup. It so happened that this year’s Americana event also turned into a MusiCares benefit, with money from both the $200 Troubadour tickets and a pay-what-you-can livestream going to the Recording Academy charity’s fire relief efforts.
Michele Aquilato produced the event, as always, with an assist from Americana Music Association executive director (and the show’s host), Jed Hilly. The unflappable house band, many returning from last year’s Paul Simon tribute, with all the different skillsets that required, included music director Daniel Rhine on bass, Greg Leisz (who was also in the house band at the previous night’s MusiCares blowout) on steel gutiar, Mark Stepro on drums, Jim Oblon on guitar, Sara Watkins on fiddle and vocals, Jenson on vocals and Krohnengold on bass.
The full setlist:
“Slow Turning” — Little Feat
“She Loves the Jerk” — Molly Jenson & Phillip Krohnengold
“Love Like Blood” — Shemekia Copeland
“You Must Go” — Lilly Hiatt
“Is Anybody There” — Judy Blank
“Lipstick Sunset” — Robbie Fulks
“The Way We Make a Broken Heart” — Joe Henry
“Icy Blue Heart” — Cedric Burnside
“Have a Little Faith in Me” — Michael McDonald
“Drive South” — Sarah Jarosz
“Riding With the King” — Maggie Rose
“Perfectly Good Guitar” — Joe Bonamassa
“The River Knows Your Name” — Tom Morello
“Train to Birmingham” — Lyle Lovett
“One for the One” — Milk Carton Kids
“Crossing Muddy Waters” — I’m With Her
“Down on the Riverbed” — Los Lobos with John Hiatt
“Memphis in the Meantime” — John Hiatt
“Across the Borderline” — John Hiatt
“The Music Is Hot” — John Hiatt
“Thing Called Love” — John Hiatt and Brandy Clark
Lyle Lovett Jim Brock
Milk Carton Kids at the Troubadour Jim Brock
Cedric Burnside backstage at the Troubadour Jim Brock

Renowned Indian actor R Madhavan recently opened up about an incident where he fell for an AI-generated video featuring football legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli. In an interview with Zee TV, Madhavan recalled how he was deceived by a deepfake clip that appeared to show Ronaldo showering immense praise on Kohli’s batting prowess. The video seemed so authentic that he had no reason to question its legitimacy and went ahead to share it on Instagram, only to later discover that it was a manipulated creation of artificial intelligence.
R. Madhavan’s embarrassment: Anushka Sharma’s timely intervention reveals the truth
Madhavan admitted that he was completely convinced by the video, which depicted Ronaldo speaking at length about his admiration for Virat Kohli. The clip featured the football icon reportedly expressing how much he enjoyed watching Kohli bat and describing him as a “legend” of the game. The actor, who was deeply moved by the supposed tribute, decided to proudly share the video with his followers on social media, believing it to be a genuine acknowledgment from Ronaldo himself.
However, soon after posting it, he received a direct message from Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, who is also Kohli’s wife, informing him that the video was entirely fake and created using advanced AI technology. Anushka’s timely intervention saved Madhavan from further embarrassment, as she pointed out the flaws in the video that exposed its artificial nature. The actor, taken aback by this revelation, realized that he had unknowingly fallen victim to a deepfake scam. He acknowledged that he had been completely misled, despite considering himself well-aware of online misinformation.
“Yeah, in fact, one of the Reels that I saw had somebody praising Virat Kohli to high heavens. In fact, I think it was Ronaldo…how much he enjoyed watching Kohli bat and how much of a legend he thought he was. And I proudly forwarded that, I put it on Instagram and then I got a message from Anushka saying bhai, it’s a fraud, it’s AI,” Madhavan said.
Also READ: Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan reveals his favourite player and most memorable cricket match
Strong warning on AI-generated content
He further highlighted the growing dangers of deepfake technology, warning that such AI-generated content could easily manipulate people into believing false narratives. He emphasized the importance of verifying information before sharing it online, stressing that even realistic-looking videos could be deceptive.
“It’s really embarrassing. So even somebody like me who is pretty aware was completely taken away. And then, when she told me the flaws, I realised, ‘Arey haan, yeh toh bada gadbad hain (This is an issue)’. So one has to be very careful that whatever you’re forwarding is very credible,” Madhavan concluded.
Virat Kohli’s genuine admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo
Interestingly, while this particular video was proven to be fake, Kohli has often spoken about his deep admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo in the past. Kohli has openly referred to Ronaldo as the “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) on multiple occasions, praising his unparalleled work ethic, commitment to fitness, and competitive mindset. Kohli has drawn inspiration from Ronaldo’s discipline, often citing the Portuguese footballer as a role model for his own approach to the game. However, this incident serves as a reminder that in today’s digital landscape, not everything seen or shared on the internet is authentic.
Also READ: Anil Kapoor comes up with a special birthday wish for PBKS owner Preity Zinta ahead of the IPL 2025

Pakistan have announced their squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. While many prominent names have missed out on getting featured in the squad, one such name is that of opening batter Imam-ul-Haq who was denied a place in the squad after a long and tedious delay by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in sharing the list of players to feature for Pakistan in the coveted tournament. After being denied a place in the team, the ace Pakistani batter has come out in public and shared his disappointment with the cricketing world.
Imam-ul-Haq opens up after getting dropped from the team
The opening batter who last featured in a tour match against the West Indies for the Pakistan Shaheens during the latest West Indies tour to Pakistan, had sincerely hoped his name would be included in the squad list for the Champions Trophy 2025. However, contrary to his beliefs the selectors dropped him and decided to go for seasoned batter Fakhar Zaman, who is now anticipated to open the Pakistani innings in the tournament alongside Babar Azam. The 29-year-old, disappointed over his exclusion from the team, opened up to his fans through a social media post which has emerged as a major talking point in the cricketing world.
“Not the outcome I expected, but the journey isn’t over. This is how life is—it’s all about growth and getting stronger with every hurdle. Patience and trust in Allah is the key!,” Imam said in the social media post, sharing his disappointment over his name being axed from the squad.
Here’s the post
Not the outcome I expected, but the journey isn’t over. This is how life is—it’s all about growth and getting stronger with every hurdle. Patience and trust in Allah is the key!🤍 pic.twitter.com/0nMevB7tTo — Imam Ul Haq (@ImamUlHaq12) February 1, 2025
Pakistan recently released a joint 15-member squad for the tri-nation ODI series to be played among Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa and Champions Trophy subsequently. The squad had names of experienced players like Saud Shakeel, skipper Mohammad Rizwan, Kamran Ghulama and Haris Rauf while talents like Salman Agha and Imam were ruled out of the squad.
Imam’s latest form in international cricket
Imam was once the rising star of Pakistan’s batting line-up, however, his recent form has raised questions as to whether he can continue at the very top level for a sustained period of time. The 29-year-old has failed to leave a mark with the bat and sustained setbacks one after the other including a below par season in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He had played his last international match for Pakistan at Melbourne against Australia in December 2023 in which he scored 10 and 12 runs in both the innings respectively.

It’s been less than a month since Rebel Wolves unveiled their debut open world RPG, The Blood of Dawnwalker. The Polish developer, founded by former CD Projekt RED employees, is betting heavily on a dynamic world that also uses a time limit (the main character has only 30 days and nights to save his family) to fuel a greater sense of urgency. In an interview that appeared in PC Gamer’s March 2025 magazine (issue 406), Rebel Wolves delved deeper into this design concept.
Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz (Creative Director): Dawnwalker is not going to be a game where it’s a pure sandbox, where you’re just focusing on the gameplay. We do want you to experience these moments with the world of the characters and the emotions that these situations can evoke, and so on and so forth. But, at the same time, you are looking for ways of maximising freedom as you do.
Daniel Sadowski (Design Director): In our game, we want the world to be dynamic. We don’t want it to be static, like waiting for the player all the time. So, both action and inaction in Dawnwalker have serious consequences, and that’s also how we structured the quests, so that it can all be showcased while you play the game.
Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz: Narrative sandbox informs not only the main quest – it also informs all the other types of content that we have in Dawnwalker. We are trying to make tie-ins from these. You know, you might encounter seemingly inconsequential, smaller activities of the world, but we are trying to make them tie into this main narrative. It kind of feels like a synergetic approach where all this content helps each other to be this cohesive whole. It’s not like there is the main story, and there are just sidequests that are unrelated to it. All of it kind of overlaps a little bit, if that makes sense.
Konrad Tomaszkiewicz (Game Director): Along with the narrative sandbox, I think the time is the most important thing for me because, when you put it together, it makes something really unique – this feeling of urgency in the games can be upgraded. For example, when you’re playing The Witcher 3, and you know that Ciri needs help, but you decide to go play Gwent – it’s something which, you know… you feel that it’s a game, and it’s a really good game. But it’s a game. And maybe if you had some resource, and you know that maybe if you don’t go, something would happen – then your thinking about this game would be different, and maybe the immersion would be better, and maybe your emotions would be different.
To clarify, the time mechanics, which Rebel Wolves considers a core element of the game’s narrative sandbox, will only move forward when you actually complete content to avoid stressing players too much.
The Blood of Dawnwalker doesn’t have a release date yet, but the developer is planning a full gameplay reveal this Summer.

Tuesday’s top tech deals include some of the best prices we’ve seen all season long on popular gadgets. The Meta Quest 3S has a $50 discount, plus you get Batman: Arkham Shadow free with your purchase. You can also save 31% on the high-end Microsoft Surface Laptop. If you need a new pair of headphones, Beats Solo 4 is a great option for just $99.99. Or, you can upgrade to the Sonos Ace ANC headphones I use for $349 instead of $449.
Keep reading to see all the top deals of the day on Tuesday, February 4.
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Amber Ruffin will be the featured entertainer at the next White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, scheduled for April 26.
“When I began to think about what entertainer would be a perfect fit for the dinner this year, Amber was immediately at the top of my list,” said Politico’s Eugene Daniels, president of the association.
He added, “She has the ability to walk the line between blistering commentary and humor all while provoking her audience to think about the important issues of the day. I’m thrilled and honored she said yes.”
More to come.

Fans tuning in to the Super Bowl this weekend will hear a familiar voice, as Shania Twain lends her voice to an all-out “foam party” in the new Coffee Mate Cold Foam Creamer ad, which will air during the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, when the Philadelphia Eagles face off against the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Explore Explore Shania Twain See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news
The five-time Grammy winner is the voice behind the ad’s uptempo pop song “Gimme Cold Foam,” which serves as a love letter to coffee, punctuated by the lines “Gimme cold foam! Gimme cold foam!/ I’m a dancing tongue, and I like the taste of cold foam.” The ad, in which Twain voices a tongue that not only sings and dances, but even does flips, was created by Wieden+Kennedy New York and directed by Dan Streit.
“The song is just so catchy,” Twain tells Billboard of “Gimme Cold Foam.” “It is just very danceable and fun and it just sticks in your brain. It is one of those catchy songs, so I just think it’s a really great little bop.”
Trending on Billboard
Twain laid down her vocals for the track in a hotel room in Mexico, as she was taking part in Brandi Carlile’s Girls Just Wanna Weekend. “It was so fun. I really get into character singing it, which made it a blast,” Twain recalls of recording the song.
Billboard caught up with Twain to discuss her role in the upcoming Coffee Mate Cold Foam Creamer Super Bowl ad, her hopes for the Super Bowl, and who she would love to see sing the national anthem.
Had you seen the footage for the commercial by the time you recorded the song?
No, I heard the music before I saw the video, which I think was a good idea because I was just attracted to the catchiness of the song. It was this cool, boppy tune and then watching the video, I just laughed. It was cheerful, quirky, funny–and I’m a dancing tongue, man!
What is your favorite coffee?
I’m one of these seasonal coffee people where in the cooler weather I want a hot coffee and in the summer I want a cold brew. And talking about this cold foam, for me, hot coffee, black with cold foam on top and then spoon up the rest. Coffee with the cold foam is more like an ice cream dessert.
You performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2003. What do you recall about the performance?
It was a very hectic environment, which I wasn’t expecting, but it wasn’t just your normal, “Okay, you’re on in five minutes.” There was so much rehearsal and a lot of the rehearsal was just getting from the backstage to across the field to the stage and all the security involved and all of this convoy of equipment and everything. It was a huge production and that just built the hype up for me so much more. So it felt like a very epic moment.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, who are you rooting for this year?
I’m not really rooting one way or the other. I really hope it’s a good, strong game, just so that makes it a very exciting game for everyone. I think this game has more anticipation than others because of Taylor [Swift]’s association with the [Kansas City] Chiefs. And of course, I don’t want my friend to go home disappointed. I want her to be happy and feel that joy.
Who would you love to see either sing the national anthem or do the halftime show at the Super Bowl?
I want to see Brandi Carlile. I don’t think she’s ever done the national anthem. It would be the ultimate.
See the Coffee Mate Cold Foam Creamer ad below:

1 of 5
WWE has not pulled off a true shocker like Jey Uso’ Royal Rumble victory in a long time.
The reason his win over John Cena, CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Seth

The February 2025 “State of the Industry Report” — presented in affiliation with Ryder — shares an in-depth overview across the trucking, maritime and intermodal markets, as well as what to expect in the coming weeks. The data contained within the report provides breakdowns of capacity, volumes and rates.
In this report, you will find:
The truckload market is trying to shake seasonal norms as tender rejection rates remain elevated thanks to winter weather.
The intermodal market continues to see growth, driven by strong import activity and a lack of time sensitivity.
Ocean volumes remain strong, but spot rates have moved slightly off recent highs after ocean carriers tried to push GRIs through at the beginning of the year.
Consumers continue to spend money and inflation remains under control for the time being, the question is: does that continue throughout 2025?
Capacity continues to exit the market. The slow bleed of capacity will likely continue throughout the first half of the year even if there was to be an uptick in truckload demand.
Download the complimentary report today to access the full insights.

CNN —
In the wake of the worst American air disaster in two decades, the understaffed and cash-strapped National Transportation Safety Board was scrambling to keep investigators from leaving after federal employees received an offer by the Trump administration to resign and be paid through September.
An internal NTSB memo informed employees Friday that they would not be eligible for the program.
NTSB, an independent and apolitical agency that does not report to the executive branch, investigates transportation accidents, provides aid to those affected by them and recommends safety measures. Multiple sources confirmed to CNN that all 400 of its staffers received the email titled “Fork in the Road” — effectively offering a buyout from the federal government.
That message, dated 9:41 p.m. ET Tuesday, went out barely 23 hours before an American Airlines regional jet operated by PSA Airlines and a US Army Blackhawk helicopter collided in a tremendous fireball, plunging all 67 on board the two aircraft into the icy Potomac River below. There were no survivors.
The disaster apparently left top brass at the agency scrambling behind the scenes to find a way to exempt employees from the Trump administration’s offer. Friday, the head of the NTSB sent a message to any employee who agreed to administration’s initial message to “rescind their deferred resignation letter immediately” with the Office of Personnel Management.
One source said the initial message came as a shock to staffers, including highly specialized investigators, many of whom are nearing retirement. “It’s not like we have an easy time finding people,” the source said.
Another source told CNN they know investigators who were seriously considering accepting the offer.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy — who serves as the agency’s chief executive officer — sent an agencywide email Friday saying the agency was “granted a full exemption” to the deferred resignation program. The move “means this program is not available to NTSB employees.”
“Given the nature of our safety work, limited budget, and the ongoing investigation of the highest fatality, mass casualty aviation accident since 9/11,” said the email message viewed by CNN, “we need each and every position represented at our agency in order for us to successfully carry out our mission critical work.”
This story and headline have been updated.

1 of 4 | Wreaths lay in the Potomac River at the wreckage site after a Sunday ceremony at the approach end of runway 33 at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Sunday. American Eagle Flight 5342 and a military helicopter collided Wednesday and both went into the water with no survivors. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 2 (UPI) — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday morning said it’s time to update

CNN —
A critical aviation warning system that went down Saturday has been restored to working order, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday.
“It went down last night. A backup system was activated. As of right now, the lead system is online and working,” Duffy told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
When the primary NOTAM system went down Saturday night, Duffy posted on X “there may be some residual delays” to flights Sunday morning.
“This is the system where pilots download their information; their flight details before they fly. So, if the NOTAM system doesn’t work, planes don’t fly,” Duffy said. “But there was minimal disruption.”
By shortly before noon ET Sunday, there were 1,313 delays and 80 cancellations to flights within, into or out of the US, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
NOTAM, which stands for Notice to Air Missions, is a computer system that sends alerts to pilots about conditions that could affect the safety of their flights.
That could include information about lights being out on a runway, a tower near an airport not having the required safety lights working – or an air show taking place in the air space nearby.
It is separate from the air traffic control system that keeps planes a safe distance from each other, but it’s another critical tool for air safety.
The system has gone down before; an outage in January 2024 briefly halted all US flights.
“There’s a process in place right now to get this system fixed. We want to expedite that and get this new system in place,” Duffy said. “This is an old system that needs to be upgraded.”

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at an event about the economy at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., January 25, 2025.
Workers are returning to the office in greater numbers, and many may soon find that certain employer-provided benefits that go along with that commute are worth a lot less, or even disappear entirely.
House Republicans recently floated a list of potential measures to help compensate for lost revenue from trillions of dollars in tax cuts championed by President Donald Trump. Taxing employees for fringe benefits such as employer-provided transportation, free food and on-site gyms is up for discussion.
Currently, employer-provided transportation benefits, like transit passes and parking, up to $315 per month, are excluded from taxable income. Employer-provided meals and lodging are also generally excluded from taxable income if they are for the employer’s convenience, and employer-provided on-site gym facilities for employees and their families are excluded from taxable income. Taxing employees for these perks could save around $157 billion over 10 years, according to Republican estimates.
To be sure, these proposals are still in the early stages and there’s a lot of jockeying by lawmakers to accommodate Trump’s $4 trillion extension of the 2017 tax cuts as well as make good on campaign promises for tax breaks on tips, overtime pay and Social Security benefits — in all, the tax cut promises made on the campaign trail by Trump could take the total to near $10 trillion. The situation is especially tenuous given the hefty $36 trillion federal deficit.

Thirteen joined the cast of House back in season 4, and remained a pivotal part of the show for years, though the character appeared to be phased out in later seasons. While Dr. Gregory House is the protagonist and main character of the series, House, he leans on a group of talented doctors to support him in his work in the leading diagnostics department. After his first team left him, House recruits a new group, through various tests and challenges in an unorthodox interview process.
While House is not someone who is easily impressed, and generally has an easy time figuring people out, Thirteen was an enigma. Even her name remained concealed, with House simply referring to her as Thirteen for much of their time together. Actress Olivia Wilde brought the character of Thirteen to life between 2007 and 2012, with this role specifically serving as her breakout, which led to bigger roles, bigger projects and more opportunities.
Olivia Wilde Was Temporarily Absent From House Season 7 To Shoot Cowboys & Aliens
Wilde’s Career Was Taking Off And She Needed Time To Focus On Other Projects
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As noted above, House was the first project that saw Wilde step into a more prominent role, as a regular cast member who stands out despite the presence of more seasoned actors like Hugh Laurie. Wilde was clearly a talented young actress, with striking features, and the ability to adapt and transform to fit diverse roles. As such, she was cast in a major Hollywood film, Cowboys & Aliens, where she would appear alongside Daniel Craig.
Related The 10 Worst Things Dr. House Did On House MD House may be a genius doctor and diagnostician, but there are more than a few occasions where he displays his cruel, violent, and manipulative nature.
In order to accommodate the production of the film, Wilde had to take time away from House during season 7, and by all accounts, taking the leap to Hollywood evidently helped her progress her career beyond the small screen. However, when filming on the movie was finished, it left room for Wilde to return to House as the series was coming to a close. Having been absent for most of season 7, her role in season 8 was further reduced in House season 8, but she played a vital part in the series’ final outing.
Olivia Wilde Officially Left House Ahead Of Season 8 (But Returned For The Finale)
Thirteen Was A Pivotal Part Of House
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Olivia Wilde landed various parts in Hollywood films, including In Time alongside Justin Timberlake, The Change-Up, starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman, and more, which all premiered between 2011 and 2012. This evidently took up a considerable amount of time for the actress, meaning that her availability was more fragmented and sparse for the final season. That being said, with Thirteen being such a big part of the show for more than half of the runtime, bringing the character back for the finale was essential.
Thirteen and House had a unique relationship in House, with the pair having a lot in common, and a mutual respect for each other.
Her storyline saw Thirteen attempt to walk away from her work at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital, only to have House pulling her back in. Thirteen was hyper aware of her diagnosis with Huntingtons, the disease that killed both her mother and brother, and would slowly but surely take over her life. So, ahead of this, Thirteen met a girl, and she wanted to travel the world and experience as much life as she could before she died. And thanks to the growth experienced by House during the show, and his sincere friendship and love for Thirteen, he fired her to push her to go and live without any responsibilities hanging over her.
What Happened To Thirteen After House Season 8
Thirteen May Have Had A Reunion With House Years Later
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Thirteen and House had a unique relationship in House, with the pair having a lot in common, and a mutual respect for each other. House did not respect many people, and he often felt more qualified to make decisions about other peoples’ lives than they were, but when it came to Thirteen, House recognized suffering, and a craving for more that he also possessed. With his chronic leg pain, House often acted in ways to shut off and control his pain, regardless of how futile or temporary it was.
Related One Of House’s Best Episodes Is Also The One That Ruined The Show Forever The relationship between Gregory House and Lisa Cuddy was one of the best features of the series, but as House progressed, their dynamic ruined it.
House saw the fear that Thirteen had about losing control of her body, and so, he promised that when the time came, that she could no longer control her life, he would help her take it, the same way she helped her brother. In the series finale, House fakes his death to run away with his other terminally ill friend, Wilson, and a funeral is held in his name, which Thirteen attends and fondly remembers her friend. While she may think he is dead, it’s hard to imagine that in the years after Wilson’s death, House won’t seek out his old friend and fulfill his promise long after House ended.

A recent documentary about AI-generated pornography may have broken the law when it featured deepfaked footage of actress Scarlett Johansson in lingerie.
A highly-publicized documentary about non-consensual AI porn called Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape recently aired on Channel 4 in the U.K.
During the documentary, filmmakers show what appears to be deepfaked footage of Scarlett Johansson in lingerie.
The actress was reportedly seen in her underwear lying back on a bed strewn heart-shaped petals in the AI video.
In the background, a voiceover says: “Over the past decade there has been a trend of using AI to create videos of celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Margot Robbie in highly explicit and degrading scenarios.”
However, according to The Guardian, legal experts say that the documentary’s decision to show AI-generated lingerie footage of the actress may have broken U.K. law.
Lawyers specializing in the field of sexually explicit AI-generated imagery suggest that the inclusion of the supposedly deepfake clip of Johansson might put Channel 4 in violation of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
According to the publication, U.K. legislation specifically forbids the non-consensual distribution of computer-generated images that appear to show someone in underwear.
“It could, I think, breach the Sexual Offences Act if this were a deepfaked image of someone taken without their consent,” Clare McGlynn, a professor of law, who specializes in the legal regulation of pornography, sexual violence, and online abuse, tells The Guardian. “Because it is an image that falls within that act.”
This is the latest scandal that Channel 4’s documentary Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape has faced in recent weeks. In the documentary, reality star Vicky Pattison warns viewers about the dangers of deepfake sex tapes — by releasing her own video online.
The deepfake video appears to show Pattinson engaging in a sex act with a man, first in a bra, and then topless. Campaign groups representing survivors of deepfake abuse criticized the documentary’s decision to release an AI-generated pornographic video of Pattison, specifically warning that it could increase traffic to the sites they were fighting against.
The decision was also described as disrespectful to women who have had their images turned into non-consensual pornography.
“Celebrities worldwide have been impacted by the rise in deepfake pornography,” A Channel 4 spokesperson tells The Guardian.
“Channel 4 took steps to ensure we only identified celebrities who have been widely reported as being victims, and we blurred any sexually explicit content. As with all our programs, we have ensured that we have adhered to all relevant laws and regulations.”
Johansson has previously taken legal action against an AI app that used her likeness and name in an advertisement without consent. The ad, posted by an image-generating app called “Lisa AI: 90’s Yearbook & Avatar,” used real footage of Johansson to generate a deepfaked clip of the actress.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

The Netflix Era is officially upon WWE. The company making a deal to bring Monday Night Raw to the popular streaming service has gone a long way to bring more eyes to their product and expand their audience in the process. WWE’s ratings for the Netflix premiere were impressive for a reason.
Knowing that new eyes were on them, WWE put on a show littered with their most engrossing characters and most important roster members. The likes of WWE champions Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Roman Reigns, John Cena, and even The Rock made their presence known on the debut episode. While these are certainly the brand’s biggest stars, there are still plenty of Superstars waiting in the wings — either on NXT, SmackDown, the injured list, etc. — who the Netflix audience has yet to meet.
10 Carmella
Raising a Child Has Kept Her Away
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Her comedic timing as a funny duo with R-Truth and her presence as a top heel in the women’s division has showcased Carmella’s continued versatility as one of WWE’s most deceptively versatile acts. Because she’s been taking time off due to maternity leave, the last time Carmella made an onscreen appearance on WWE TV was when she lost a singles match to Bianca Belair on the March 6 episode of Monday Night Raw back in 2023. Later that year, after 60 hours of labor, she and husband Corey Graves welcomed their first child in the world.
Obviously, it takes time to heal post-pregnancy and adjust to the challenges of parenthood. All of these factors have kept Carmella away from the ring for over a year and will continue to keep her away for the foreseeable future. There’s no clear timetable for Carmella’s return to WWE.
9 Ethan Page
WWE’s NXT Top Heel
Former AEW talent Ethan Page made his shocking NXT debut in 2024, and not long after (and even more shockingly) won the NXT Championship from Trick Williams. Before Trick Willy won his belt back months later on the CW premiere of NXT, the Era of Ego reigned down with an iron fist. Signing with WWE has put a proper spotlight on the endless charisma that Page holds on a microphone, to the point that WWE entrusted him to share the screen with the Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment, The Rock.
In addition, Page did make some appearances on Monday Night Raw before the Netflix deal commenced in 2025. Clearly, WWE thinks highly enough of Page to put him in huge opportunities on television. Now that he’s lost the title, the possibility of getting called up to the main roster is high, giving him an opportunity to become Raw’s next top heel.
8 Meta-Four
Setting The Women’s Tag Division Ablaze
Having formed during the summer of 2023, Meta-Four is a faction down in NXT comprised of 17-year veteran and three-time NXT Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar three incoming rookies in Oro Mensah, Miss Jakara Jackson, and

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This lovebird made the best of a sticky situation.
Dubbed the “most chaotic flight ever,” cabin crew members were forced to duct tape a petulant airplane passenger to his seat while a separate, presumably freaked-out flyer popped the question to his now-fiancée.
“It was the most chaotic flight of my life,” said Maísa Barberino, a Florida-based content creator, in the first clip of a TikTok video series, during which she spilled the hair-raising tea on her recent trip on an unidentified airline from Pennsylvania to Miami.
5 Flight attendants slapped some tape over the unidentified man’s mouth to keep the peace for the duration of the “chaotic” flight, according to Barberino, who documented the incident on TikTok (above). TikTok / /@mbinbusiness
5 According to the trending footage, flight attendants covered the wild man in head-to-toe tape (above). TikTok / /@mbinbusiness
“As soon as we took off, this guy started being kind of annoying … and at some point of the flight he just got really aggressive,” continued Barberino.
She also revealed that the unnamed aggressor allegedly groped two female flight attendants’ breasts and punched a male attendant.
“So, the crew had to contain him,” said the brunette.
“They taped him in the seat so he couldn’t move or do anything else,” said the TikTokker. “He started yelling and screaming — people started getting scared.”
5 After the flight, Barberino shared details of the harrowing incident in a series of TikTok posts. TikTok / /@mbinbusiness
Then, troubled hearts really began racing when the man seated directly in front of the troublemaker suddenly jumped up to retrieve an item out of the overhead bin.
“This guy just stands up and proposes,” said Barberino.
“I don’t know if he was thinking, ‘We’re all gonna die, so let me purpose right now,’” she chuckled when recalling the freaky fright. “He literally stands up, got the ring [from] his bag, he got on his knee — he was probably planning to do a romantic thing, but he couldn’t because he probably thought he was gonna die.”
5 As a fellow passenger is taped to his plane seat, another man purposes on the “chaotic flight.” TikTok / /@mbinbusiness
Per her clip, the man’s stunned sweetheart said “yes,” to the delight of their fellow unnerved passengers, who applauded the happy couple as flight attendants strapped the hellion to his seat — and applied a strip of tape to his mouth for good measure.
“When we finally landed, there were about 20 cops waiting for him outside of the plane,” said Barberino. “He’s probably in jail right now.
“It [was] crazy.”
5 Barberino says her flight was the “most chaotic” scene due to an unruly passenger — and a pair of newly engaged sweeties. Above, the fiancé is shown kneeling in the aisle, ring in hand, as the drama unfurls near him. TikTok / /@mbinbusiness
Unfortunately, the mile-high bonehead isn’t the only dope who’s had to be duct-taped due to bad behavior at 30,000 feet.
The sticky tool came in handy for staffers on an American Airlines flight from Milwaukee to Dallas in November when an unruly flyer charged at a flight attendant and tried opening the aircraft’s door while in the clouds.
And in January, an “intoxicated” passenger, a married woman believed to be in her 60s, was taped to her chair after causing a massive disruption on a flight from San Francisco, California, to Fiji.
The tipsy scallawag “caused great distress to all nearby passengers and crew by screaming and yelling abuse,” said a witness to the drama, adding that the woman was “throwing objects such as cups at crew members” and had “slapped the hands of a flight attendant.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday vowed to boost the number of air traffic controllers and again blamed DEI less than a week after the DC air disaster for distracting his agency from its core mission.
Duffy, 53, acknowledged that it will take a few years before the new air traffic controllers get fully trained, while underscoring some of the key outstanding questions regarding the deadly crash between an army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines commuter jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people around 8:48 p.m. Wednesday.
He said one major question is why the chopper didn’t conduct its training later in the night.
As for additional air-control personnel, “We’re going to surge air traffic controllers; we’re going to bring in the best and the brightest,” the nation’s new transportation chief told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“I can’t flip a switch and make that happen overnight. …This plan we’re developing right now — that’s going to [be] a year to three years from now [to] show real results,” he said.
To become an air traffic controller, one must undergo training at the Federal Aviation Administration for several years and then about two to three years of on-the-job training before getting certified, according to the FAA.
About 90% of airport towers across the country are currently understaffed, according to an analysis from CBS News.
4 New Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy insists that the US has the “safest airspace in the world,” despite the two crashes last week. Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock
4 An analysis found that 90% of air traffic controller towers are currently understaffed in the US. REUTERS
Duffy stressed that he would likely need cooperation from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to marshall the resources needed to dramatically ramp up the hiring of air traffic controllers.
There was only one air traffic controller overseeing helicopters and planes around Reagan National Airport during the time of the collision, CBS News reported. Typically, there is at least one overseeing helicopters and one managing planes.
The crash over the Potomac River killed the 64 passenters and crew on the American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kan., and three Army personnel aboard the Black Hawk, which was on a military training mission.
Early data suggests that the helicopter was flying at about 325 feet around the time of the crash, which is much higher than the 200-foot limit for choppers on that route above the Potomac.
“Why are they flying at 9 at night, when DCA is so busy?” Duffy asked about the accident. “They should be flying at 1 in the morning. That’s information we don’t have yet.”
4 This is a graphic breakdown of how the collision near Reagan Airport unfolded. Jack Forbes/NY Post Design
The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting a review of what went wrong, and its findings will likely trigger significant reforms.
Duffy, a former congressman from Wisconsin and Fox News host, blamed the Obama administration for causing the staffing shortages with air traffic controllers.
“If you look back to the Obama years, there were some [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] principles that were brought into air traffic control,” Duffy claimed. “They were new. We brought in more people into the academy, but less people passed through the academy and became trained.”
President Trump has similarly faulted DEI policies, specifically with recruitment efforts of the disabled, for causing problems at the FAA.
CNN host Jake Tapper grilled Duffy over whether there is evidence that directly links DEI practices to last week’s fatal crash.
“Our mission since the start has been safety,” Duffy replied. “And [some federal officials] have lost that mission. And we see, when you don’t focus on safety and you focus on social justice or the environment, bad things happen.
“We’re going to have a fuller assessment of what happens in regard to DEI in FAA and DOT, and we will report that out,” Duffy said, noting that the FAA was the only agency in the Department of Transportation that had DEI.
4 Wreckage was recovered from the icy Potomac River after the crash. U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters
Despite rising public fears over air travel because of the crash at Reagan — and the Med Jets Flight 056 crash in Philadelphia on Friday that killed six — Duffy stressed that planes remain safe.
“Of course, it’s safe to fly,” Duffy said. “If you look at the American airspace, we have the safest airspace in the world. And air travel is the safest form of travel that you can undertake in the country.
“We have seen some cracks, and it rattles people when they see these disasters, but air travel is safe.”
Duffy also noted that if there is an issue with air traffic controllers or staffing, “they’re going to shut down the airspace instead of letting people fly in an environment that isn’t safe.”
The transportation secretary assumed office Tuesday just before the collision at Reagan Airport took place.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for a new interchange along I-77 Monday afternoon.
The new interchange, Exit 26, is intended to help with increased traffic flows brought by the development of the Scout Motors Manufacturing facility in Blythewood.
In addition to the new interchange, the larger development project includes the creation of a connector road between Exit 26 and US-21, a grade separated crossing for a new Norfolk Southern Railroad spur line, a new railroad bridge over I-77 and the widening of I-77 near the interchange.
SCDOT said they plan for the interchange and connecting roads project to be completed by Summer 2027.
The ceremony takes place Monday at 407 Blythewood Road at 3 p.m. Both Gov. McMaster and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette are expected to be in attendance.
This story is developing. Check back here for updates.
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Copyright 2025 WIS. All rights reserved.

Sean Duffy has been officially sworn in as the Secretary of Transportation of the United States following his approval by the US Senate, with the official now leading the Department of Transportation (DOT) during a challenging era for US airspace.
Hard at work
US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas swore in Duffy at the US Supreme Court on January 28, with Duffy replacing the outgoing Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg . The DOT’s statement read that Duffy had already signed a memorandum to ‘reset’ the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, arguing that eliminating fuel standards would help Americans access cheaper vehicles.
Photo: DOT
Nevertheless, Duffy said he was deeply honored to have been selected by Donald Trump, the President of the US, to lead the DOT. Trump tapped Duffy to lead the governmental agency in November 2024.
“We are already hard at work executing the President’s vision to usher in a golden age of transportation by taking immediate action to remove government overreach and lower costs for hardworking Americans.”
Related President Trump Ousts The TSA Administrator He Appointed During His 1st Term In addition to the TSA, the FAA and DOT will have new leaders with the incoming Trump administration.
Government overreach
Duffy, who served in the US Congress between 2011 and 2019 and was a Fox News host before he was picked to lead the DOT by Trump, perhaps already hinted at the DOT’s agenda during his tenure at the Department with the “government overreach” comment.
The comments echo the statement that Ed Bastian, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Delta Air Lines, had made before the carrier’s investor day in November 2024. Then, Bastian said that Trump had pledged to review the regulatory environment for airlines, including the “overreach our industry has experienced over the past four years.”
Photo: DOT
Other airline CEOs, including American Airlines’ Robert Isom and United Airlines’ Scott Kirby, shared similar views during their latest earnings calls without explicitly mentioning overreach. Isom expressed that the administration “will be very cognizant of regulatory issues that can benefit both the airlines and our customers,” while Kirby remarked that the Trump administration is focused on taking action that would unlock American innovation and entrepreneurialism.
“And that create — remove regulatory burdens and expand the economy.”
Related United & American CEOs Go Quiet On DEI After Trump Inauguration Both American Airlines and United Airlines did not directly answer whether they would change their DEI policies in the wake of the new administration.
Aviation agenda
However, whether Duffy’s term at the helm of the DOT will result in eroded customer protections against cancelations, delays, and flight disruptions, as well as ‘junk fees,’ remains to be seen, the new Secretary of Transportation has already outlined some of his priorities during a confirmation hearing at the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on January 15.
For example, Duffy said that he would keep the Boeing 737 MAX production cap in check, which was implemented by Mike Whitaker, the former administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ).
“The cap will be maintained and will be lifted when I, in consultation with the career safety experts at FAA and the Administrator, have confidence that a production increase will not reduce the quality of the aircraft being produced.”
When Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, pointed out that the Trump-linked ‘Project 2025’ called for a rule that curtailed the DOT’s regulation of airlines’ unfair and deceptive practices to be reinstated, and asked Duffy whether he would commit to ensuring that the Department provides “vigorous oversight and enforcement of aviation consumer protection regulations and standards,” Duffy simply answered “yes.”
Photo: Wenjie Zheng | Shutterstock
Nevertheless, both Democrats and Republicans, as well as airline CEOs, have expressed their concerns about the state of the National Airspace System (NAS), particularly the lack of air traffic controllers (ATC) across the country.
The now-sworn Secretary of Transportation vowed to support maximum hiring targets for ATCs, with the funding being provisioned by the FAA Reauthorization Act in 2024, in front of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
On January 22, the White House issued a statement Trump signed a memorandum terminating the FAA’s hiring policy of allegedly prioritizing hiring according to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies rather than safety and efficiency without providing proof that had been the case during the Biden administration.
Duffy will also have to appoint leadership at the FAA, which currently has no Administrator or Deputy Administrator. Whitaker left the regulator on January 20, the same day that Trump was inaugurated as the President of the US.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The state department of transportation wants public input on safety improvements for a roughly 7-mile-long stretch along U.S. Highway 17.
These miles along Savannah Highway qualify for the Federal Highway Safety Improvement program. The initiative targets public roads to lower traffic deaths and injuries. The program uses studies to look at crash data, car turn patterns and area conditions to find the best possible safety efforts.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation is working between Hughes Road and Wappoo Road on the highway. The department recorded nearly 2,600 crashes and 18 deaths on the corridor between 2017 and 2022.
The department is asking for public comment on the project starting Jan. 29. Comments can be made through the department website.
Businesses along the roadway share the same sentiments on the amount of traffic that passes through. Some complaints include the high traffic volume making it difficult for customers to enter and leave business or plaza parking lots during the day. Other complaints mention the need for paving as well as proper lighting in areas. One business owner even identifies the area as “crash central.”
Owner of Ashley Bakery Eileen Ferri opened her family business along the highway 23 years ago. Ferry says she sees the growth in the area which leads to the increasing amount of traffic and concerns.
“Of course, a lot of traffic has evolved on the highway, but the biggest problem is people running red lights,” Ferri says.
The department aims to add safety elements like new pavement markings, crosswalks and pedestrian countdown signals, along with new signs.
“I see people in scooters coming down White Oak and it’s dangerous, it really is,” Ferri says. “They can get across where Palmetto Ford is but other than that there are no ways for them to get across the highway that are… accessible.”
Public comments can also be mailed to Project Manager Kaylon Meetze at 955 Park Street, P.O. Box 191, Columbia, SC 29202-0191. The in-person drop-in style meeting will take place Feb. 13 at City Church of Charleston along Wappoo Road.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CNN —
The midair collision at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night has presented Sean Duffy with a major crisis just hours after he was sworn in as secretary of transportation.
Duffy will not lead the investigation into the crash that led to the presumed deaths of 67 people — the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the inquiry and the Federal Aviation Administration will assist. But Duffy will be the de facto public face of the Trump administration’s leadership in the crisis — he was the first person President Donald Trump brought to the podium after speaking about the crash from the White House — and he’ll also be tasked with addressing the inevitable questions that will come from the tragedy, including a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers and any potential changes to the Washington, DC-area airspace.
In remarks early Thursday morning, Duffy said the collision was “preventable.”
“Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely, that when you depart an airport, you get to your destination,” Duffy told reporters. “That didn’t happen last night, and I know that President Trump, his administration, the FAA, the DOT, we will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public.”
Duffy, a former US representative and Fox Business host, was sworn in Wednesday after being confirmed the day before. As transportation secretary, Duffy is leading 55,000 employees and will grapple with some of the most complex challenges facing the nation as they oversee aviation, roadways and rails. Other issues on his plate include Boeing’s string of quality control and manufacturing issues, airline labor union strike threats and climate-focused initiatives such as electric vehicles and charging stations.
Meanwhile, the FAA, which is part of the DOT, is operating without a permanent administrator since Mike Whitaker stepped down earlier this month. A number of other leadership positions are also vacant, the FAA’s website shows. In remarks late Thursday morning, Trump announced that Chris Rocheleau, a former chief operating officer of National Business Aviation Association, will lead the FAA in an acting capacity.
“What Sean has at his disposal, he has a very highly professional staff at DOT and at FAA who have dealt with these, these issues. But we need to get an FAA administrator approved to become a part of Sean’s team,” Ray LaHood, who served as transportation secretary former President Barack Obama’s first term, said on CNN Thursday morning.
Shortly after LaHood took over the DOT in early 2009, Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing 50 people.
If anything positive came out of that tragedy, LaHood said on “CNN News Central,” “it’s that we worked with the families and we worked with Congress, and Congress was able to pass legislation for pilot safety, more pilot rest, and some real reforms.”
Duffy served in the US House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019, representing Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. He most recently was co-host of Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line,” after first joining Fox News as a contributor in 2020.
He was one of Trump’s least controversial Cabinet nominees and was approved unanimously by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology before being confirmed by the full Senate in a 77-22 vote.
In one of his first moves leading the Transportation Department on Wednesday, Duffy moved to roll back a variety of policies on Wednesday related to diversity, equity and inclusion, bringing the agency in line with the Trump administration’s effort to clamp down on the practice.

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Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from the 2025 One Chicago crossover,

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While Netflix is still holding back the trailer for Happy Gilmore 2, the streamer did offer the first official look at the sequel to the 1996 Adam Sandler comedy on Thursday.
The still image shows Sandler in the iconic Boston Bruins jersey from the original mid-swing, with Bad Bunny in the background as Happy Gilmore’s caddie.
There have been countless casting updates about the movie since the project was first announced in May. Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Dennis Dugan and Ben Stiller are reprising their roles from the original.
In addition to Bad Bunny, other new cast members include AEW star MJF, WWE superstar Becky Lynch, Margaret Qualley and Benny Safdie. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has filmed a cameo. Several PGA Tour stars will also make cameo appearances, including Jordan Spieth, Jack Nicklaus, Rickie Fowler, Lee Trevino and Corey Pavin.
Bad Bunny has dabbled in acting away from his regular job as a rapper. He’s appeared in blockbuster projects like F9 and Bullet Train. He also had a supporting role in the 2023 film Cassandro about 1980s luchador Saúl Armendáriz.
A teaser trailer was released on Christmas Day, but it doesn’t offer many specific plot details.
Netflix has yet to announce a release date, but it is expected to drop at some point this year.

The FireAid benefit concert, the one-night-only event bringing together 27 musicians, was held Thursday night to help fund efforts to rebuild communities impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.
Performances took place at two Los Angeles venues, the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum.
The concert was streamed across multiple platforms, including for free on CBS News 24/7, available on CBSNews.com, the CBS News app and Paramount+. Select AMC Theatres will also host screenings.
The wildfires in the L.A. area that started on Jan. 7 killed at least 29 people as they tore through tens of thousands of acres and burned down entire communities. The hardest hit areas included Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Earlier this week, city officials said the clean-up and rebuilding process was underway.
Alanis Morissette performs onstage during the FireAid Benefit Concert for California Fire Relief at The Kia Forum on Jan. 30, 2025, in Inglewood, California. John Shearer/Getty Images for FIREAID
Contributions made to FireAid

New Jersey’s Star-Ledger to end print publication New Jersey’s Star-Ledger to end print publication 02:17
Two longstanding New York City area newspapers, including one immortalized in

The fans certainly got their money’s worth Thursday night in Baton Rouge.
No. 7 LSU’s wild 107-100 home win over No. 13 Oklahoma on Thursday featured a player being shoved to the ground, multiple ejections, Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey slapping a clipboard out of an assistant’s hands and, oh yeah, both head coaches receiving technicals fouls.
As they say, it just means more in the SEC and Mulkey said it marked one of the wildest games she’s ever coached during her illustrious career.
Things got chippy between Oklahoma-LSU 😳
Both Liz Scott and Sa’Myah Smith were ejected and will miss their next game. pic.twitter.com/T2sRyArwiM — espnW (@espnW) January 31, 2025
“I always was told from my old mentor, Leon Barmore, you’ve got to keep a cool head in a hot game,” Mulkey said when discussing the ejection of Sa’Myah Smith. “Never let ’em see you sweat.”
She added: “I guess it was entertaining for the fans.”
The fireworks started early Thursday with Oklahoma leading, 12-11, with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter when the Sooners’ Beatrice Culliton jostled for position with Smith.
The referees called a foul on Smith before Culliton did a 180 turn toward Smith while using her elbow to clear Smith’s hands free.
7 Culliton (l) and Smith (r) jostle for position. @ESPNW/X
7 Smith pushes Culliton to the ground. @ESPNW/X
Smith then shoved Culliton to the ground to set off the fracas.
Oklahoma’s Liz Scott immediately came to her teammate’s defense and shoved Smith, who attempted to head back toward Scott before being blocked by a teammate and assistant.
Both Smith and Scott earned ejections.
“Pushing, I guess, is considered fighting,” Mulkey said of the ejections.
7 Liz Smith comes over and pushes Sa’Myah Smith. @ESPNW/X
7 The aftermath of the two pushes. @ESPNW/X
Mulkey, never one to shy from the spotlight, then provided meme-worthy material in the third quarter while leading, 67-45, when she slapped a binder out of assistant coach Seimone Augustus’ hands.
Augustus stood there with her hand held out for several seconds in a seeming state of shock while Mulkey continued to scream and point.
7 Watch out, binder. @MatthewBrune_/X
7 Mulkey slaps the binder to the ground. @MatthewBrune_/X
7 The poor assistant coach stares where the binder should be. @MatthewBrune_/X
Mulkey later earned a technical for arguing a foul against Flau’Jae Johnson.
Thursday’s game featured five technicals, 53 combined fouls and 63 combined free throws attempted, with LSU riding a 10-point halftime to an important conference win.
“We saw a lot of things tonight,” Mulkey said. “You saw ejections. You saw two teams score over 100. You saw a technical on the second flop. … I got tee’d up and she told me I got tee’d up for pointing at the big screen. I was definitely looking at the big screen and I was not real happy, but I don’t know if I point. But she’s across the way. Whatever.”

Remember those mini locks we used when we were kids to keep our diaries safe? It seems like the ancient Romans may have also delighted in such miniature objects.
A metal detectorist in Germany has unearthed a tiny ancient Roman golden lock. The 1,600-year-old artifact is likely the first discovery of its kind in Europe, and sheds light on the extraordinary blacksmithing and locksmithing skills present in ancient Roman provinces.
Hailing from the third or fourth century CE, the miniature lock is 0.43 by 0.47 inches (1.1 by 1.2 centimeters). It’s “smaller than the one-euro coin but so much more valuable,” said Georg Lunemann, director of the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association (LWL), in the association’s January 28 statement describing the discovery. “I am thrilled that we can come up with such high-profile finds here in Westphalia,” he added, a region in northwestern Germany where the detectorist found the lock.
Based on its shape, construction, and style, archaeologists at LWL immediately identified it as a Roman lock from the third or fourth century CE, produced in one of the imperial provinces. In fact, it was identical to a regular ancient Roman lock in everything but its size. Although the detectorist, Constantin Fried, found the artifact without its chain and key, it likely resembled a bike lock and could have secured a chest or box. A single chain link survived, and is still visible inside the lock.
“I could hardly believe it myself when I held the find in my hand,” said Fried. He’d found the artifact in a field in 2023. “Because such Roman locks are usually much larger and consist of iron or even bronze parts.” The lock is made of two cylindrical metal sheets, one inside the other, held together by two circular ends and secured by three rivets. The external sheet is intricately carved.
Director of LWL archaeology Michael Rind suggests that a local high-class individual may have brought the lock back home to Westphalia as a souvenir or gift after completing his Roman military service. Even 1,600 years ago, locals likely saw it as spectacular—and may have even worn it as jewelry.
“Was it a one-off production or have similar precious miniatures just not been found yet? These and other questions will keep us busy for some time,” Rind added.
But could it really function like a true lock, or was it just a beautiful curiosity? To answer that, the researchers examined the object’s interior. When traditional X-rays failed to penetrate the lock’s dense gold exterior, the team turned to a less common archaeological tool: 3D neutron computed tomography (CT), a technique that images the three-dimensional structure of a sample using neutrons.
The neutron CT images confirmed that, despite its size, the artifact did have a functioning iron locking mechanism, revealing a frame with spring, a bolt, a broken bolt guide, a pin for the key, a base plate, and the chain end link. “While largely complete, [the mechanism] was damaged, because someone had obviously poked around in the lock at the time, probably to break it open or to fix a blockage,” Fried explained.
“Despite the damage, we were able to reconstruct the function of the mechanism and the lost key quite well,” Rind said. “With the end link of the chain still in place, it was also possible to reconstruct a link chain for the lock that must have had at least six [links] for the lock to function.”
An LWL-Archaeology restorer then crafted a functional replica of the lock, complete with a chain and key. The replica, four times larger than the original artifact, highlights “the high level of skill in provincial Roman artistic blacksmithing and locksmithing,” explained Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger, head of the LWL’s cultural department.
That doesn’t mean ancient Romans couldn’t have worn the functioning lock as jewelry anyway. Perhaps the true revelation is that our obsession with chunky chain necklaces and lock charms began 1,600 years ago.

Earlier this month, reggaeton artist Bad Bunny released an animated film accompanying his new album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. The film features Puerto Rican director Jacobo Morales, whose character reminisces about the Caribbean island’s past with an unusual companion: an anthropomorphic toad named “Concho” dressed in a gray jumpsuit.
Concho is a critically endangered Puerto Rican crested toad, known colloquially as sapo concho, or concho toad. Bad Bunny — born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — highlights the plight of this creature in his music and the evocative short film.
He’s not the only one who cares about Concho. For over 40 years, the Fort Worth Zoo has been doing its part to save Puerto Rico’s sole native toad.
A breeding tank at the Fort Worth Zoo. The tadpoles are being prepared for release in Puerto Rico. (Fort Worth Zoo)
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Puerto Rico is home to several amphibian species, 68% of which are coquí frogs, known for their sharp, high-pitched calls. A much smaller percentage is from the Puerto Rican crested toad, which was thought extinct from 1931 to 1967 until a population was rediscovered on the island.
The Puerto Rican crested toad — so called for the bony crests on its head — is now only found in the Guánica Dry Forest, a United Nations International Biosphere Reserve in southern Puerto Rico. The small amphibians, no more than two to five inches long, are largely solitary creatures. But they do get together during their mating season, which varies depending on the weather, particularly if there’s enough rainfall.
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Climate change is believed to be the driving force behind the decline in many amphibian species found in the Caribbeans and Central and South America. Some estimates place the remaining wild population of the Puerto Rican crested toad anywhere between 1,000 and 3,000 adults.
Like many frogs and toads, the Puerto Rican crested toad is considered an “indicator” species, providing early warnings for when an ecosystem becomes endangered, the Fort Worth Zoo said in a press release this week.
The Fort Worth Zoo began its conservation efforts for the toad in 1984, breeding the golden-eyed amphibian and reintroducing tadpoles in Puerto Rico in 1989. The zoo’s breeding and reintroduction program works closely with the United States Fish & Wildlife Service and the Puerto Rican Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.
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“Reptile and amphibian species often become overshadowed when compared to some of the more ‘charismatic’ species like elephants and manatees and it is difficult to compete for limited resources and support needed for their conservation,” said Diane Barber, senior curator of ectotherms at the Fort Worth Zoo, in the press release.
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Diane Barber, senior curator of ectotherms at the Fort Worth Zoo, holds a bag of tadpoles to be released. (Fort Worth Zoo)
So far, the Fort Worth Zoo has released 107,000 tadpoles; in total more than 830,000 tadpoles have been released through the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy, a nonprofit managed by Barber and involving a consortium of zoos, people and organizations working together to ensure healthy, self-sustaining populations of the toad in protected areas.
“It’s pretty incredible to have someone like Bad Bunny, with the platform that he has, to raise awareness about this little toad and find a commonality to connect people to the toad and their natural surroundings,” Barber said. “Bad Bunny has provided us a way to show people what a Sapo concho looks like so we can effectively teach others about the toad’s rarity, threats to its survival, and enable Puerto Ricans to become involved in its conservation.”
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Miriam Fauzia is a science reporting fellow at The Dallas Morning News. Her fellowship is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. The News makes all editorial decisions.

New York City — At times, Armia Khalil felt like he was whittling his life away after he immigrated to New York from Egypt in 2006 with nothing but $400 in his pocket and a suitcase of sculpting tools.
He had studied fine art in Egypt through the generosity of a cousin, and now he sought to make his dreams come true in New York City. But that didn’t happen. Instead, he shared a bedroom with construction workers in New Jersey and struggled to find consistent work.

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!
In case you missed it, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company would launch a paid ride-hailing service with a fleet of driverless vehicles in Austin in June. For those keeping track, that’s five months away. Musk dropped this announcement during Tesla’s fourth-quarter and full-year earnings call.
Musk provided almost no details about this upcoming service, including what its geo-fence (environmental, geographic, and operational constraints) will be at launch. But perhaps that’s the point: drum up excitement and distract from its rather flat automotive business.
I recommend scrolling through our live blog of the Tesla earnings report and call, as there are lots of nuggets in there that may have been lost in the ether, from bitcoin and lithium refinery progress to Dojo’s absence and how Tesla is training FSD in China. Oh, and finally, Elon admitted that yes, all of those hardware 3 vehicles will need an upgrade to fully unlock future capabilities in its Full Self-Drive software (which is an advanced driver-assistance system).
A little bird
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
A couple of little birds have shared some behind-the-scenes color over at Cruise, which we included in a recent article about GM and the estimated $1 billion savings the automaker expects from shutting down the robotaxi development program.
Tucked inside that article were some tidbits shared by sources at Cruise who told us management began extending retention offers to employees — almost all of whom were engineers — in mid-January.
“While our plans remain subject to Cruise board approval, I wanted to share that we completed our first wave of notifications to those employees whose roles we expect to need as part of the go-forward Cruise,” CEO Marc Whitten said in the email, which TechCrunch has viewed. He also called for continued patience as senior leadership worked out what the next steps would be and waited for the Cruise board to make a call.
Whitten added that those who haven’t yet received a notification aren’t necessarily at risk of losing their jobs.
Sources at Cruise told TechCrunch the board should be meeting in early February, at which time they’ll hopefully come up with a plan for the thousands of now-idle and worried workers.
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com, Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com, or Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.
Deals!
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
If you’re not already paying attention to Moove, the African mobility fintech company backed by Uber, you should be. The company has had explosive growth in five years. In 2020, Moove had 76 cars in Lagos, Nigeria; today it has 36,000 cars operating in 19 cities across six continents.
You might recall that Moove announced a partnership with Waymo last year to provide driverless vehicle fleet operations in Phoenix and Miami.
Now the company, which offers vehicle financing to ride-hailing and delivery app drivers across six continents, is expanding via acquisitions. Moove said it has acquired Kovi, a Brazil-based urban mobility provider.
The value of the deal is not being disclosed, but Moove confirmed it was an all-share transaction, and Kovi is now wholly owned by Moove. Moove co-founder and co-CEO Ladi Delano told TechCrunch that the deal bumps the mobility fintech’s annual revenue to $275 million.
Other deals that got my attention …
Angell, a French smart electric bike startup, is nearing bankruptcy.
Bonsai Robotics, an autonomous agriculture startup based in California, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Bison Ventures. Cibus Capital, Acre Venture Partners, Congruent Ventures, Fall Line Capital, E14 Fund, SNR, and Serra Ventures also participated.
TravelPerk, a Barcelona-based business travel management platform, has raised $200 million at a hefty $2.7 billion valuation — almost double the $1.4 billion valuation at its previous fundraise last year. The Series E round was led by European venture capital firm Atomico, with participation from EQT Growth, Noteus Partners, Kinnevik, General Catalyst, among other existing investors. Alongside the raise, TravelPerk also announced it has acquired Swiss startup Yokoy for an undisclosed amount.
UVeye, the Israeli startup that developed a vision-based “MRI for cars,” raised $191 million in an extension to its 2023 Series D round led by Toyota’s Woven Capital growth fund. The round includes a mix of $41 million in equity financing — with participation from UMC Capital and MyBerg — and a $150 million debt facility structured by Trinity Capital.
Voi, the Swedish shared micromobility giant, eked out its first profitable year in 2024, according to preliminary unaudited results.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
Autonomous vehicles
GM said it expects to save up to $1 billion annually by ending its Cruise robotaxi development program.
Kodiak Robotics handed off two autonomous trucks to customer Atlas Energy Solutions — for driverless operations in an off-road environment in the remote Permian Basin — marking the startup’s first commercial launch.
Waymo had a busy week. First up, a hidden Waymo feature in its app allowed a security researcher to display whatever characters she wanted on the robotaxi’s top display. The same security researcher also found a new tipping feature while “reverse engineering” Waymo’s Android app.
On the expansion front, Waymo said it will begin testing driverless vehicles on Los Angeles freeways; for now, only employees will be allowed to ride in them. And it also plans to bring its robotaxis — in manual mode — to 10 U.S. cities this year. Meanwhile, Waymo has increased its lobbying activity in San Francisco, and one major target appears to be unlocking access to the airport.
Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries
Lucid Gravity SUV owners will gain access to Tesla Superchargers on Friday. Here is a roundup of Tesla Supercharger-NACs news, including which automakers now have access to the network.
Tesla is bringing its redesigned Model Y SUV to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in March, with a starting price just shy of $60,000.
You might recall our reporting last month on a handful of lawsuits filed against Rivian by employees who claim they were harassed by executives. Here are some updates on a few of those cases: One, filed by former clay sculptor Nathan Facciolla in October 2024 against Rivian and chief designer Jeff Hammoud, is now being moved to arbitration. A second, filed in February 2024 by former color, material, and finish team director Elizabeth Curran against Rivian and Hammoud, is now tracking toward a potential September 2025 trial date — though Rivian is trying to get the judge to rule on the case prior to that happening.
In-car tech
Apple admits next-gen CarPlay is late, but says it is still in development.
Space and future of flight
Amazon is expanding its drone delivery service to the U.K., starting with a north England town of Darlington.
Boom Supersonic went supersonic. The startup’s XB-1 demonstrator plane cleared Mach 1 and stayed supersonic for about four minutes in the skies above California’s Mojave Desert.
This week’s wheels
Nothing this week, but look for a write-up in the next newsletter.
What is “This week’s wheels”? It’s a chance to learn about the different transportation products we’re testing, whether it’s an electric or hybrid car, an e-bike, or even a ride in an autonomous vehicle.

President Trump appeared to fuel political tensions in the aftermath of the tragic American Airlines Flight 5342 crash on Thursday. Following the Commander-in-chief claiming without any evidence that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives might have played a role in the incident, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg fired back.
The development comes amid a preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which found that the air traffic control (ATC) tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) combined two controller responsibilities into one before the crash. As its investigation continued, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recovered two black boxes Thursday afternoon.
“People with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities”
In a press briefing, Mr. Trump implied that DEI initiatives, set under the Biden administration, were contributing factors to Wednesday’s deadly American Eagle Bombardier CRJ700 collision with a US military Sikorsky H-60 helicopter.
The President remarked that, “a group within the FAA determined that the workforce was too white, then they had concerted efforts to get the administration to change that and to change it immediately.”
Despite the President stating at the beginning of the press briefing that the factors that led up to the crash were unknown, he doubled down that the FAA wanted “people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities” to be “air traffic controllers.” The President also explained that race or gender “may have” played a role in the collision, and said his “common sense” concluded the unproven claims.
Read More US DOT New Head Announces End To Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policies The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a branch of the DOT, still does not have an Administrator or a Deputy Administrator.
On his second day in office last week, Mr. Trump ordered the immediate end to DEI programs, citing that it “penalizes hard-working Americans who want to serve the FAA but are unable to do so, as they lack a requisite disability or skin color,” according to NBC News.
Buttigieg slams the President
The speculative comments drew backlash from top Democrats. Buttigieg, who served as Secretary of the Department of Transportation for the last four years, slammed the President on social media.
“Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also dismissed the President’s comments.

Among those killed were two teen figure skaters, Spencer Lane and Jinna Han , from the Skating Club of Boston who were returning from a national meet with their mothers and coaches .
A midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight from Kansas killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said Thursday, as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot after the country’s deadliest aviation disaster since 2001.
More than 40 bodies have been pulled from the river after collision, law enforcement official says — 9:20 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
The bodies were pulled from the Potomac River as a massive recovery effort continues following the deadliest aviation disaster in a generation, a law enforcement official told Associated Press. The recovery efforts were continuing Friday. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
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President Trump says the Army helicopter was ‘flying too high’ at time of midair crash — 9:10 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
“It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???” Trump added in a Friday morning post on his Truth Social platform.
The comments from the president come the day after he questioned the actions of a U.S. Army helicopter pilot involved in the midair collision with a commercial airliner, while also blaming diversity initiatives for undermining air safety.
The maximum altitude where the Black Hawk was at the time of the crash — along a published corridor called Route 4 — was 200 feet above ground, according to Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that elevation seemed to be a factor in the crash.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth stresses the importance of the US military’s ‘continuity’ training — 9:06 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
The three-person Army crew on the UH-60 Black Hawk was conducting a continuity of government planning training mission at the time of the midair crash.
Military aircraft frequently conduct such training flights in and around the nation’s capital for familiarization with routes they would fly in case of a major catastrophe or an attack on the U.S. that would require relocation of key officials from the capital region.
“You need to train as you fight, you need to rehearse in ways that would reflect a real world scenario,” Hegseth said during a Friday morning appearance on “Fox and Friends.”
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Hegseth stressed that it remained the Pentagon’s duty to also mitigate risks, while conducting such training. But he underscored U.S. forces’ need “to ensure, if unfortunately, there were a real world event where things needed to happen we could respond to it day or night.”
Skating Club of Boston has a glorious, and tragic, history — 9:02 a.m. Link copied
By Kat Cornetta, Globe Correspondent
There are few figure skating clubs in the world with the facilities and influence of the Skating Club of Boston, but also few that have experienced such repeated tragedy.
The Norwood-based club, home of two skaters and two coaches killed in the collision Wednesday night between a passenger jet and a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, has been the standard bearer for the sport in the United States for 114 years. A host of the 2016 world championships and eight US figure skating championships, the club has taken on a special importance in the past decade, proving to be among the last of its kind to survive the drastic decline in popularity of the sport in the United States.
It was also involved in its greatest tragedy when the entire US skating team, including 10 members from the Boston club, died in a plane crash in Belgium in 1961 on their way to the world championships.
READ MORE
Teen figure skaters and their coaches, group of hunters and students among victims of air crash — 8:45 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
The victims of the crash included teen figure skaters returning from a national meet with their mothers and coaches, an Ohio college student coming from her grandfather’s funeral, two Chinese nationals and a group of hunters headed back from a guided trip in Kansas.
As the search for remains continued Thursday, communities grieved. Faith leaders held a vigil Thursday in the city council chambers.
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Olympians Tenley Albright (left) and Nancy Kerrigan (right) stood with Doug Zeghibe, director of the Skating Club of Boston at the club in Norwood on Thursday. Two skaters, two parents, and two coaches associated with the club were killed in the crash. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff
“The only way we will get through this is together,” said the Rev. Pamela Hughes Mason of Wichita’s St. Paul AME Church.
American Airlines set up a hotline as well as centers in Washington and Wichita for people searching for information about family members who may have been aboard the downed flight. The hotline can be reached at 1-800 679 8215.
Crews in midair crash included 2nd-generation pilot and flight attendant ‘full of life’ — 8:30 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
Sam Lilley knew he wanted to fly and began training to be a pilot, like his father, right out of college.
“You don’t really expect to meet people that find their purpose so early on in life, and Sam found his in flying,” said Kaitlin Sells, who met Lilley while they were students at Georgia Southern University.
Lilley was the first officer aboard the American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members that collided midair Wednesday night with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers, legislators in Georgia said.
Lilley and the rest of the American Airlines crew were traveling on a daily direct route from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., at the time of the collision. The soldiers aboard the Black Hawk helicopter were conducting an annual night proficiency training flight, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, adding they were a “fairly experienced crew.”
Hegseth says helicopter black box still not recovered — 8:20 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says investigators have not yet recovered a key recording device from the Army helicopter involved in Wednesday’s fatal collision at Ronald Reagan National Airport.
Speaking on Fox News Channel on Friday, Hegseth noted authorities were still looking for the helicopter’s black box. Other factors in the crash, including the helicopter’s altitude and whether the crew was using its night vision goggles, are still under investigation, Hegseth said.
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What is the NTSB’s history? — 8:17 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
The NTSB history dates to 1926, when Congress passed a law charging the U.S. Department of Commerce with investigating aircraft accidents.
It was established as an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation in 1967 and then separated by Congress in 1974 as a stand-alone organization, fully independent from any other federal agencies.
Since its creation in 1967, the agency reports it has investigated more than 153,000 aviation accidents and incidents.
How will the investigation work? — 8:11 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
Board member Todd Inman said the NTSB’s working groups include operations, which will examine flight history and crewmember duties; structures, which will document airframe wreckage and the accident scene; power plants, which will focus on aircraft engines and engine accessories; systems, which will study the electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic components of the two aircraft; air traffic control, which will review flight track surveillance information, including radar, and controller-pilot communications; survival factors, which will analyze the injuries to the crew and passengers and crash and rescue efforts; and a helicopter group.
The investigation also will include a human-performance group that will be a part of the operations, air traffic control and helicopter groups and will study the crew performance and any factors that could be involved such as human error, including fatigue, medications, medical histories, training and workload, Inman said.
What to know about the NTSB and the investigation into the DC plane crash — 8:05 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Hommendy described the investigation into the crash Wednesday night as an “all-hands-on-deck event” for the agency during a news conference Thursday in which she appeared with members of the board and a senior investigator overseeing the probe.
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The NTSB is an independent federal agency responsible for investigating all civil aviation accidents as well as serious incidents in the U.S. involving other modes of transportation, such as railroad disasters and major accidents involving motor vehicles, marine vessels, pipelines and even commercial space operators.
For the investigation into Wednesday’s crash, the NTSB will establish several different working groups, each responsible for investigating different areas connected to the accident, board member Todd Inman said.

Here’s one thing that has gradually come into focus through the haze of a monthslong debate about the quality and level of service Dallas Area Rapid Transit provides: The way DART provides service and the design of its network may not work for the future of transportation. The DART Board of Directors has to look at solutions to navigate a post-pandemic world.
Getting that right will take a much deeper level of collaboration between DART and its member cities than we’ve been seeing. Just as important, it will require far greater collegiality among board members.
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The ultimate goal should be to preserve DART’s funding structure while providing service that reflects each city’s investment and serves their needs while protecting the regional spirit of the system.
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Whether we can get to that level of collaboration is unclear, given that DART’s future seems ever more likely to fall into the hands of the Legislature.
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That’s not good. We would far rather have solved these problems locally. Recent discussions about member cities’ concerns that they aren’t getting service equal to their costs has yielded some creative ideas. But it seems not everyone found them satisfactory, and it looks like it’s all but certain that the venue for this debate will shift to Austin.
At a Monday meeting of the Plano City Council, M. Nathan Barbera, who represents Plano and Farmers Branch on the DART Board, said that as far as working with Austin on the issue goes, “we need to continue that course.”
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That comment was among those that sparked a breakdown of decorum at a DART board Committee of the Whole meeting the following day. A few board members got into heated exchanges featuring no shortage of raised voices talking over one another.
It seems clear that the DART board’s inability to find consensus and demonstrate civility is breaking down any hope of a local solution. Yet even as legislation looms, DART should keep thinking about the future and pushing for local resolution.
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Michael Morris, director of transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, briefed the DART board earlier this month on how transit needs are changing across the region. He outlined a few intriguing ideas about how to bring the agency forward.
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For one, he said post-pandemic transportation patterns are different. One way of addressing that is to move toward more microtransit options like DART’s GoLink, he said.
Morris explained that microtransit can allow DART to collect data and reestablish a baseline about where customers are and how they travel. Over time, that data can inform decisions about where fixed route service should be, he said.
That’s one example of a creative approach. It can help DART think about how its network can be better designed.
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But there’s no path forward for DART if the agency’s directors can’t find pathways to consensus and compromise. The future of public transit in our growing region hinges on it.
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com

North Texas officials are preparing for a potential legal battle over a “higher-speed” rail route planned between Dallas and Fort Worth, and it could reshape one of the region’s biggest developments.
The elevated route would cut through the southwest corner of downtown Dallas, where Hunt Realty Investments owns the more than 20-acre Reunion property , which includes the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Reunion Tower .
It would connect a station in the Cedars to both the Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station via a pedestrian connection on the southwest side of downtown, and to the Hyatt Regency via a sky bridge.
However, the influential real estate investor has opposed the plan in its current form, with a representative telling The Dallas Morning News the noise from a train could render a wide swath of hotel rooms unrentable. Meanwhile, Dallas officials have withheld their full support for the project.
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The Cedars station received preliminary federal approval as part of a separate Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail project in 2020. That project would shuttle passengers from Dallas to Houston in about 90 minutes compared to the three-and-a-half-hour car trip on Interstate 45.
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Transportation planners say the Dallas-to-Fort Worth line would connect to the lengthier Houston route. Together, both projects would drive economic growth in the region ― especially around stations in Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas, they argue.
“This is really the missing link between Dallas and Fort Worth and why anyone would say that it’s not going to be economically beneficial to build upon what we have as a great city already in Dallas, it kind of boggles the mind,” said Peter LeCody, president of Texas Rail Advocates.
Supporters point to large-scale commercial and residential development around stations in Tokyo, home to the Japan Central Railways’ Shinkansen bullet train system. The D-FW line could also serve as a connection point for a potential national high-speed rail network.
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“If we are at the epicenter of high-speed rail for the entire United States, this can take Dallas into a trajectory … that I can’t even imagine,” Dallas City Council member Omar Narvaez, who chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said last March.
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A real estate player pushes back
The preferred “2b” route for the Dallas-to-Fort Worth line would also force the reconfiguration of the Hyatt Regency and Reunion Tower, both landmarks of Dallas’ downtown skyline.
The 2b alignment would cut so close to the Hyatt that it would make as many as one-third of the hotel’s 1,120 rooms unrentable because of the sights and sounds of the train, a Hunt Realty representative told The Dallas Morning News.
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It would force the hotel’s main entrance to be relocated to where the loading dock currently sits, because of where support columns for the train would land. That means the hotel’s first two floors would need reconfiguration to relocate elevators and meeting rooms.
That work would incur significant costs, Hunt officials say, calling into question whether tearing down and relocating the hotel and Reunion Tower would make more economic sense.
A rendering shows the current alignment of a Dallas-to-Fort Worth high-speed rail line ending at an elevated rail station (upper left corner) south of the new, yet-to-be-built Dallas convention center. (Screenshot)
Also in jeopardy is a planned $5 billion development on land Hunt Realty owns around the Hyatt. That development would include as many as 3,000 apartments , a 600- to 1,000-room hotel, 150,000 square feet of retail space and up to 2 million square feet of offices surrounding a 3- to 4-acre park.
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The firm argues it would be an economic engine that capitalizes on Dallas’ new $3 billion convention center nearby.
Neither of the Forth Worth and Houston routes have been fully funded. Even if the Dallas-to-Fort Worth line is never completed, the looming impact of a potential route that slices through the development has a chilling effect on funding for a multi-use project, Hunt’s camp argues.
Officials with the North Central Texas Council of Governments say the 2b alignment has the least flaws, with 42 other alignments considered and rejected since 2020. In letters from staff attorney Ken Kirkpatrick, NCTCOG staff say they’ve tried to make concessions to Hunt Realty’s concerns.
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“Throughout the environmental analysis, NCTCOG has not only looked for ways to avoid, minimize and mitigate any potential environmental and social impacts but also to enhance social and economic opportunities near the proposed alignment,” a Dec. 31 letter reads.
Staff have signaled they are preparing for a legal fight if necessary. The Regional Transportation Council on Thursday approved an initial $250,000 in funding for outside legal fees, in the event Hunt Realty files suit against NCTCOG — a move transportation officials think could be likely based on correspondence from the firm’s attorneys.
Doubts in Dallas
The 2b route — and the Dallas-to-Fort Worth project itself — has also drawn scrutiny from Dallas officials. Several have expressed worry about the impacts to the new convention center.
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They have questioned the need for a line they say wouldn’t cut much travel time compared to traversing the 30 miles between Dallas and Fort Worth by car, especially when factoring in logistical hurdles like getting to and from stations.
Last June, the Dallas City Council passed a resolution withholding support for the rail line until they receive results of an economic impact study, which is currently underway.
Hunt Realty hasn’t commented publicly on NCTCOG’s recent actions, or directly threatened litigation. But outside counsel would help NCTCOG’s two staff attorneys focus on day-to-day business, while third-party attorneys contend with the flurry of letters from Hunt attorneys.
“Pointing back to the October letter demanding that we preserve and not destroy documents related to this particular topic — in reality, that’s a precursor to litigation,“ NCTCOG general counsel Ken Kirkpatrick told the Regional Transportation Council.
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”They’re sending a signal when you get done with the EA [environmental assessment], whatever the final decision is if we don’t like it, we’re going to litigation.

Sean Duffy, the new Secretary of Transportation, has said that he met with the families of the victims of the January 29 accident in Washington, DC, the United States. He vowed that the investigation into the accident would be transparent, despite the fact that Donald Trump , the President of the US, has claimed that diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) policies were at fault for the crash.
Unexpected first days on the job
In a statement published on X, formerly known as Twitter, Duffy said that this was not what he expected his first days as the Secretary of Transportation to be. Duffy added that he had met with some of the families who lost loved ones in the crash near Washington Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) on January 29.
Photo: DOT
67 people perished when a US Army (USA) Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided with a PSA Airlines (operating American Airlines Flight 5342 on behalf of American Eagle ) Bombardier CRJ700. 60 passengers and four crew members were onboard the latter, while three USA members were onboard the former.
“Their pain is immeasurable. I can’t take away their pain, but I can do a very small part to help ease it by keeping my promise to get to the bottom of what happened and be 100% transparent about the results of the investigation. They have my word.”
Related Senate Confirms Trump Nominee Sean Duffy As Head Of Department Of Transportation Sean Duffy already remarked that the DOT has been working hard to remove

To win transportation funding under the new Donald Trump administration, the MTA will have to cooperate with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, can’t enforce mask or vaccine requirements — and had better hope New Yorkers start tying the knot and making babies.
The unusual guidelines for federal transportation funding are part of an order signed earlier this week by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy — an ex-reality-TV star and two-term Wisconsin congressman — one day after his confirmation.
“To the extent practicable, relevant, appropriate and consistent with law,” the order reads, DOT is to adjudicate funding decisions to prioritize mitigating “family specific difficulties,” and “give preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average.”
Agencies that get federal dollars for transportation projects are also now forbidden from instituting any for of mask or vaccine mandate.
The order also stipulates that recipients of federal DOT funding will be required to comply with federal immigration enforcement, as well as any “other goals and objectives specified by” Trump.
The order, signed Wednesday, is supposed to “strengthen American families by focusing on real, measurable benefits rather than ideological considerations,” according to a press release from the USDOT, which paired the order with another aimed at “Woke Rescission” — the elimination of all climate change, diversity and environmental justice initiatives at the department.
Asked about the order at an unrelated press gaggle Friday, MTA chairman Janno Lieber said he hadn’t seen it.
“Historically, DOT has established core, transportation-related criteria [for funding], and those have been successful,” he told reporters. “We hope and expect that those will continue to be basis for how money and grants are distributed.”
Asked if the MTA would cooperate with ICE agents as a requirement for funding, Lieber said his agency would follow the law.
“If there are folks who are sought for criminal activity, who are suspects or charged with criminal with criminal activity, we’re absolutely going to going to cooperate [with immigration agents,]” Lieber said. “Otherwise, we’re going to follow the lead of the state in how to handle any other situation.”
It remained unclear on Friday how Duffy’s order would be implemented, and how any of the prioritization of communities by marriage rates or birth rates could be construed as “practicable, relevant, appropriate and consistent with law.”
A spokesman for Sen. Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat who served as Majority Leader until this month — and who has built a reputation for directing federal funding toward New York City transportation projects — said the Democratic leader was confident that the Empire State’s transit network would continue to be funded.
“Senator Schumer has a long track record of delivering for NY transit projects like Second Ave. Subway, Gateway, funding the MTA and so much more — no matter who is in the White House,” Angelo Roefaro, Schumer’s press secretary, told the Daily News. “He’ll continue to fight for New York transit and projects, and he’ll continue to deliver.”
Federal transportation grants are a key source of funding for many regional expansion projects.
The feds have committed $3.4 billion towards the $7.7 billion phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway, and subsequent expansions of the line are expected to be similarly reliant on DOT funding. The Interborough Express light-rail project connecting Brooklyn to Queens — a $5.5 billion project — is expected to rely on some $3 billion in federal funds.
A new rail tunnel under the Hudson River — the crown jewel of the Gateway project meant to improve and expand rail access between New York and New Jersey — is reliant on $6.9 Billion in federal funds. The new tracks, bridges and infrastructure required to take advantage of the new tunnel — a laundry list of upgrades to the lines crossing the northern New Jersey swamplands — is expected to need significant federal investments as well.
And it’s not just trains. The city’s DOT is seeking federal DOT grants toward its efforts to repair and re-design of the BQE’s triple cantilever roadway in Downtown Brooklyn.
In the past year, smaller federal grants have gone towards projects like the Penn Station re-design and aging city bridges.

The National Transportation Safety Board made a pro-Elon Musk announcement that took onlookers by storm.
The NTSB said over the weekend that it would only be announcing news about major aircraft accidents on one particular social media platform.

American Airlines Flight 5342, a regional jet en route from Wichita, Kan., was zooming down and about to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington on Wednesday night, when it made a last-minute turn upward.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board appeared unsure if that meant that the pilots were alerted to something wrong in the plane’s final descent. But the sudden change in trajectory was not enough to avoid colliding with a military helicopter that was flying higher than it was supposed to be.
“I can tell you at one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch,” said Todd Inman, a member of the safety board.
In a briefing Saturday, members of the board provided new information and more detail than previously revealed of the moments leading up to the midair crash that proved to be the deadliest aviation accident in the United States in nearly a quarter of a century.

The Federal Aviation Administration was using a backup system to send real-time safety alerts to pilots late Saturday because its primary one was “experiencing a temporary outage,” the Transportation Department said.
“The primary NOTAM system is experiencing a temporary outage, but there is currently no impact to the National Airspace System because a backup system is in place,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on social media.
Mr. Duffy was referring to “Notice to Air Missions,” the alerts that the F.A.A. uses to share information about hazards in the air or on the ground, such as closed runways, airspace restrictions and navigational signal disruptions.
He said the F.A.A. was working to fully restore the system and that the agency would provide updates on its status every 30 minutes. But he warned of possible “residual” flight delays on Sunday morning.

You know the drill — no weapons, no alcohol, and no firearms when at the airport. Carrying any of these items can lead to interrogations, fines, and even arrest and jail time. Most passengers are just trying to get to their destination, but there are some people who take these warnings as a challenge rather than the law. This has led to some pretty interesting items being discovered trying to get past security, like live animals and vape pens stuffed in tubes of toothpaste.
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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has the important job of ensuring airplane passengers are safe, which is why the agency’s website lists dozens of guidelines. There are even rules as to what types of batteries are permitted on airplanes. To lighten the mood, TSA has started sharing some of their strangest confiscations on Instagram, and it’s definitely entertaining and shocking (and sometimes scary) what people have tried to bring on board. Here are some of the wildest things TSA has confiscated at airports across the United States.

In his first act in office, new Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed a memorandum directing the agency to review former President Joe Biden’s fuel economy standards, which aim to reduce vehicle emissions.
Shortly after the Senate confirmed Duffy on Tuesday, he signed a memo to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, asking the agency to review its corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, standards for vehicles and trucks.
The memo cited President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Unleashing American Energy,” which calls for the administration to begin promoting the oil and fossil fuel industry.
“These fuel economy standards are set at such aggressive levels that automakers cannot, as a practical matter, satisfy the standards without rapidly shifting production away from internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to alternative electric technologies,” the memo reads.
In June, NHTSA finalized new fuel economy standards that would require passenger cars to average 65 miles per gallon and light trucks to average 45 miles per gallon by 2031.
“Not only will these new standards save Americans money at the pump every time they fill up, they will also decrease harmful pollution and make America less reliant on foreign oil,” former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the time. “These standards will save car owners more than $600 in gasoline costs over the lifetime of their vehicle.”
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Duffy’s memo stated that the standards “diminish” the domestic auto industry and make it difficult for people to purchase affordable vehicles. It added that the purpose of the fuel economy standards is not to force consumers to purchase electric vehicles but rather to establish “realistic” standards.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order to end policies supporting the electric vehicle industry. The administration is also expected to undo the electric vehicle tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Environmental Protection Agency’s tailpipe emission rule. These policies, along with the CAFE standards, are described by Republicans and Trump as an “EV mandate.”

After an exciting season of helmet-crushing football, we finally know who’s going to play in one of sports’ top events in North America. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will face off in the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
The best players in the NFL do not always make it to the Super Bowl. You can ask Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, who led the league with 4,918 passing yards. Or Jared Goff from the Detroit Lions, who threw for 39 touchdowns, the most in the league. Or even Lamar Jackson from the Baltimore Ravens, who had an impressive 119.6 passer rating, demonstrating exceptional efficiency.
The Baltimore Ravens had the best offense, with a league-leading average of 424.9 yards per game, while the Lions had the highest-scoring offense, averaging 35.3 points per game. On the other hand, the San Francisco 49ers posted a league-best defense, allowing only 276.4 yards per game. Yet they didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, either. The Buffalo Bills just narrowly lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Buffalo had the stingiest defense, giving up just 19.6 points per game. But they were beaten by the Chiefs, who lead the AFC with a 15-2 record.
Just as in football, supply chain is a team sport. Individual stars do not make the best supply chains, which are truly collaborative in nature. Only the best teams have the most efficient supply chains. The Super Bowl is an incredible sporting event requiring incredible planning and coordination. But it is also a logistical feat of epic proportions. Here are some behind-the-scenes facts that show the sheer scale of operations needed to pull off a Super Bowl.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing regarding the Panama Canal on Tuesday.
In his opening statement, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) brought up the issue of foreign influence in the canal.
“The United States paid for and built the Panama Canal, but Panama is treating America unfairly and ceding control of key infrastructure to China,” Cruz, the Committee Chairman, said.
The United States owned and operated the Panama Canal from its completion in 1914 until 1977. That year, President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty gradually transferring control of the canal to Panama under the condition that it would remain neutral. Panama took full control on Dec. 31, 1999.
In recent years, however, China has exerted more influence on the canal, with Panama allegedly charging them lower rates for passage than they do for American shipments.
Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Louis Sola was the first to testify before the committee.
“Chinese companies have been able to pursue billions of dollars in development
contracts in Panama, many of which were physical infrastructure projects, some on or adjacent to
the Panama Canal,” he said. “No bid contracts were awarded, labor laws were waived, and the Panamanian people are still waiting to see how they benefitted.”
Sola said the United States needs to increase support for American businesses wishing to do business in Panama.
“Chinese companies must not be the sole bidders on contracts,” he said.
Although the President of Panama denied any wrongdoing, Sola said he believes the Chinese government is engaged in corruption with Panama.
“Communist officials are known to bribe other officials around the world,” he said. “No offense to Panama, but they don’t have the greatest reputation of officials who aren’t on the take.”
Eugene Kontorovich, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, also examined the issue of neutrality at the canal.
According to Kontorovich, it is important to determine the extent of Chinese influence in Panama.
“If Panama signed a treaty with the People’s Republic of China, whereby the latter would operate the Canal on Panama’s behalf, it would be a clear violation of the treaty,” he said. But what if Panama contracted for port operations with a Chinese state firm? Or even a private firm? The Suez Canal Company was itself a private firm in which the United Kingdom was only a controlling shareholder, and yet it was understood to represent Anglo-French control over the Canal.”
Although Chinese businesses have not blocked passage through the canal yet, Cruz said China is slowly building bridges at each end of the canal, which would give the Chinese government the option to block passage whenever they choose.
In the event of a war, the Chinese government’s ability to control passage through the canal could drastically alter the balance of power.
Although there is evidence pointing toward Chinese influence in Panama, President Trump must be careful when addressing Panama due to its president’s claims of innocence.
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A tariff threat, like in Colombia, could work, but it may also backfire unless the Trump administration can show sufficient proof of violations. Also, Panama is a smaller trade partner with the U.S. than Colombia, and a tariff would have less impact.
Trump has stated that he will work to restore the Panama Canal to American control. Given the importance of the Panama Canal to U.S. Commerce, Trump must do everything he can to restore integrity to operation of the canal, whether it is regaining it for the U.S. or enforcing the neutrality treaty on Panama.

DETROIT (AP) — Hours after being sworn in as the new U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy took aim at the main way the federal government regulates miles per gallon for cars and pickup trucks — also a principal way that it regulates air pollution and addresses climate change. Duffy ordered the federal agency in charge of fuel economy standards to reverse them as soon as possible. The standards have been in place since the 1970s energy crisis and were intended to conserve fuel and save consumers money at the gas pump.
Here are five things to know about the action.
What is the Trump administration doing exactly?
Duffy ordered his chief of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to “propose the rescission or replacement of any fuel economy standards” necessary to bring the rules in line with Trump’s priority of promoting oil and biofuel.
The order came in a DOT memorandum Tuesday night. Duffy said the rules need to better align with the administration’s overarching agenda because “the existing CAFE standards promulgated by NHTSA are contrary to Administration policy.”
Former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., testifies before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025, for his nomination to be Transportation Secretary. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) Former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., testifies before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025, for his nomination to be Transportation Secretary. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) Share Share Copy Link copied
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Duffy is a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin without experience in transportation. At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Duffy promised safer Boeing planes, less regulation and help for U.S. self-driving technology companies. He has publicly questioned climate change.
The NHTSA chief would have to initiate a full rule-making process to set looser standards, which took two years during the first Trump administration. When he came into office the first time, rules from the Obama administration were going to require miles per gallon increase 5% each year, but by 2020, the DOT under Trump was able to loosen that to 1.5% each year through model year 2026.
What does this mean for consumers and the climate?
Duffy says eliminating the rules will increase Americans’ access to the full range of gasoline vehicles they need and can afford.
Others disagree. “This will raise consumer’s costs at the pump, increase tailpipe pollution and jeopardize U.S. automakers’ future, and no one voted for any of it. The only beneficiaries will be oil executives and China’s auto industry, which will be happy to sell electric vehicles around the world with little U.S. competition,” said Dan Becker, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Safe Climate Transport Campaign.
In recent years, automakers have been producing gasoline cars that get significantly better mileage, which lowers the cost of driving and means lower sales for oil companies — both refineries and producers.
Transportation was the largest contributor to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Every atom of carbon pumped into a car’s gas tank comes out the tailpipe and many combine with oxygen to make carbon dioxide which holds onto extra heat for more than a century.
Why does Trump want to repeal fuel efficiency rules?
Duffy’s action aligns with a number of President Trump’s promises, notably to end an “electric vehicle mandate” — referring to former President Joe Biden’s target for 50% of new car sales to be electric by 2030.
Duffy wrote “These fuel economy standards are set as such aggressive levels that automakers cannot, as a practical matter, satisfy the standards without rapidly shifting production away from internal-combustion-engine vehicles to alternative electric technologies.”
The standards do not kick in immediately, but instead allow automakers time to adjust their designs and production in order to meet them.
The new Secretary said “artificially high” standards force car manufacturers to phase out gasoline powered vehicles, making cars more expensive for buyers and “destroying consumer choice at the dealership.”
“It’s hard to understand this action in the context of trying to reduce costs for consumer and help U.S. industry be more competitive, since this will have the opposite effects,” said Roland Hwang, policy director at the University of California, Davis Institute of Transportation Studies.
“Creating this regulatory uncertainty puts a tremendous number of automaker jobs and investments at risk, and undercuts the American auto industry’s global competitiveness,” he added. “Strong fuel economy standards are critical to ensure automakers are investing in advanced technologies necessary” to do so.
There is no requirement for automakers to produce or consumers to purchase electric vehicles. The fuel economy standards work in sync with EPA limits on carbon dioxide from vehicle tailpipes to address climate change, which Trump also rejects.
“It’s reasonable for the new leadership at the Transportation Department to review current fuel economy standards,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a group that represents the industry. “As we’ve said, the existing CAFE rules are extremely challenging to achieve – even in the best of circumstances. They also expose automakers to billions of dollars in civil penalties.”
Duffy said CAFE rules are supposed to establish realistic rules for fleets “that run on combustible liquid fuels like gasoline and diesel fuel.” He also cited the nation’s vast oil reserves, biofuel feedstocks and refining capacity as reason to establish lower standards.
Trump has issued a series of orders including an energy emergency declaration, and has said the U.S. will “drill, baby, drill.”
A driver fills up at a gasoline pump at a Shell gas station, Oct. 9, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) A driver fills up at a gasoline pump at a Shell gas station, Oct. 9, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) Share Share Copy Link copied
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What’s the idea behind American fuel economy standards?
CAFE, or Corporate Average Fuel Economy, rules date back to oil shocks Americans suffered in 1974 and 1980. The first ones went into effect in 1978. They are intended to help drivers use less fuel by requiring automakers’ fleets to meet average mile-per-gallon targets that initially increased with each model year, until progress stalled in the 1980s.
Americans then saw no appreciable improvement in miles per gallon for around two decades. In recent years, automakers have offered car-buyers plenty of internal combustion engine — meaning gasoline-powered — cars with much better mileage, and that is largely due to increasingly stringent standards.
What were the latest fuel economy rules going to do?
The latest standards set under the Biden administration required automakers to average about 38 miles per gallon of gas by 2031. That’s in real-world driving. The current average is around 28 miles per gallon.
In every model year from 2027 to 2031, the rules are supposed to increased fuel economy 2% per year for passenger cars, while SUVs and other light trucks are set to increase by 2% a year from 2029 to 2031. An earlier proposal had even higher requirements.
The standards aligned with tighter Biden-era EPA limits on pollution from passenger and commercial vehicles, and the former president’s broader support for incentivizing electric vehicle manufacturing and purchases.
The Biden administration said when it made the rules they would save almost 70 billion gallons of gasoline through 2050.
Bozzella said U.S. tailpipes are overseen by three federal agencies and multiple rules, so changes the Trump administration proposes to the CAFE standards will have to be coordinated with the other emissions rules overseen by EPA and the Energy Department.
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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at [email protected].
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Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment
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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

1 of 3 | Vice President JD Vance speaks after swearing-in Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 29 (UPI) — Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy promised to improve the nation’s transportation infrastructure and systems after Vice President JD Vance swore in Duffy on Wednesday afternoon.

In today’s featured setup from the Pacific Northwest, Polk Audio boosts Mac mini sound with bookshelf speakers on the desk as well as a subwoofer under it. But that’s not the extent of the user’s devotion to Polk, an admired longtime brand we rarely, if ever, see in setups coverage. The Mac mini setup is just one part of a magnificent man shed. The other part is a home theater festooned with more than enough Polk Audio hardware for stellar surround sound.
Polk Audio boosts Mac mini sound with raft of speakers, subwoofers
150 watts Polk Reserve R100 Bookshelf Speaker $649.00 $599.99 These relatively small bookshelf and desktop speakers feature dynamic, detailed home theater audio through 1-inch Pinnacle Ring Tweeters and 5.25-inch Turbine Cone Woofers. Hi-Res Certified, Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced. Pros: Good power and clarity for small speakers
Good power and clarity for small speakers Hi-Res certified
Hi-Res certified Dolby Atmos Cons: Somewhat pricey Buy from Amazon
Based near Seattle, Washington, Redditor bandwagonbetty (“BB”), showcased the M4 Mac mini setup in a show-stopping man-shed home theater in a post entitled, “Converted my backyard shed into a WFH office & theater [Outside Seattle, PNW].” Like other sheds or garages converted to computer setups and entertainment grottos, this one is impressive.
Last week I covered the M4 Mac mini (16GB memory, 512GB SSD storage), the LG display and BB’s efforts to make the man shed a reality. Today I’ll focus on his devotion to Polk Audio hardware, used in both the setup and the impressive home theater.
Polk Audio speakers and subwoofers in setup and home theater
BB’s thorough use of a variety of Polk Audio speakers is impressive. The brand’s history goes back to 1972 but the company shows every sign of keeping up with modern advances.
And maybe all that audio gear is why the new man shed got built. He mentioned his wife in his post when commenters suggested he might mess up his marriage if he spends all of his time in the shed. But they may have it backwards. He said his wife joined him just once in the shed to watch a movie. Perhaps she doesn’t want all that floor-shaking audio in the house, and him not being around much isn’t too much of a tradeoff.
Tremendous home-theater audio makes Mac mini setup’s massive sound seem weak
And truly house-shaking audio it would be. Just in the Mac mini setup, on the desk BB sports a pair of 150-watt Polk Audio Reserve R100 bookshelf speakers properly elevated and tilted on stands. And under the desk sits a Polk Audio SVS SB-2000 Pro subwoofer. That’s potentially bone-rattling right there. But it’s just the start.
The setup’s Polk Reserve R100 Bookshelf Loudspeaker features Polk’s 1-inch Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and a 5.25-inch Turbine Cone Woofer for clear tones across the audio spectrum. It boasts Hi-Res Audio Certification, Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced functionality. It supports hi-res audio formats like DSD, FLAC, WAV, ALAC and MQA.
And the speaker includes a bass reflex cabinet with a rear-firing port and Polk’s Patented X-Port Technology with Eigentone Filter (ETF) for distortion-free bass. Yet even with that attention to bass already present in the bookshelf speakers, BB adds a big subwoofer on the floor. The advanced Polk Audio SVS SB-2000 subwoofer pushes 550W (up to 1,500W peak) of low-end power.
And the amazing thing is, all of the audio above — seemingly enough to shoot the shed into space under the power of sound waves alone — is the more modest audio setup of two. The other multichannel (7.2.4) audio setup brings surround sound to the shed’s laser-projector-based home theater. It features several in-wall Polk Audio speakers, several overheads and surround-sound boxes, and another SB-2000 subwoofer.
With that staggering audio power (not to mention electric guitar and amp), no wonder his wife wants him in the man shed rather than in the house (just kidding).
Shop these items now:
Audio and video gear:
Home theater 7.2.4 setup:
Huge bass Polk Audio SVS SB-2000 Pro Subwoofer $899.00 This DSP-controlled 12-inch sealed subwoofer maintains 550 watts of power (1,500W peak). Comes in Black Ash color. Pros: Powerful low-end
Powerful low-end Good for home theaters Cons: Not for budget setups Buy from Amazon
Computer and display:
Input devices:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone pics usually suffice). Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.

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Gabrielle Union opted for a striking number to attend the Schiaparelli presentation at Paris Fashion Week. Union’s stylist Thomas Christos Kikis was the master behind the eloquent gown she wore when posing on the steps before heading into the star-studded show.
The sheer detailing on Union’s gown by Daniel Roseberry was head-turning. Panels throughout the black dress evoke a sensual energy. Alongside these panels, pieces of fabric offer a hint of privacy. Paired with her short haircut, a bob, and natural makeup, the creation she wore is a bit risqué. However, it works since the actress regularly experiments. At one point of the day, she also donned a lengthy blazer coat atop–this was a chic addition.
Jacopo Raule/Getty Images
In matters of personal style, Gabrielle has not disappointed us recently. In October, she wore an exquisite sequined number by Elie Saab to the Academy Museum Gala, which was designed in a deep plum hue. Another exciting moment? When Union arrived to last year’s Met Gala in a dreamy custom gown by Michael Kors. This dress which consisted of a lengthy train and distinct sequined detailing was perhaps my favorite look she wore in 2025–it was worn with jewelry by Tiffany & Co. For another press appearance last April, she wore a stunning black-and-white custom gown by Staud.
Union’s latest fashion moment sends a message that the year ahead for her is sure to be filled with fun and fantastical ensembles. Especially if Gabrielle and Thomas continue their fruitful creative partnership.

MLB The Show 25 is going to have three of the top young stars in baseball on its cover. The video game franchise announced Tuesday that Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson will grace the cover of this year’s game.
All three players teased on social media they could be appearing on the cover of MLB The Show 25 on Monday.
Skenes has quickly established himself as one of the top starting pitchers in all of baseball since being selected by the Pirates with the top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. In his first professional season, the Pirates pitcher was named to the National League All-Star Team and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Skenes produced an 11-3 record to go along with a 1.96 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP and 170 strikeouts in just 133 innings in 2024.
Young collector opts to auction off one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes rookie card, turns down unique Pirates offer Austin Nivison
De La Cruz has developed into one of the top infielders in the majors. The Reds star tallied a .259 batting average as well as 25 home runs, 76 RBI, 105 runs and an MLB-best 67 stolen bases in 2024.
Finally, Henderson was named the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year and also appeared in his first All-Star Game in 2024. The Orioles slugger posted a .281 batting average in addition to 37 home runs, 92 RBI and 118 runs this past season.
Skenes, De La Cruz and Henderson are three of the most exciting young players in all of baseball, so it makes sense they would all be considered for the cover. This comes after Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. appeared on the cover last year.
MLB The Show 25 will be released on March 18 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Users can gain early access on March 14 if they purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition.

The dazzling partygoer on the cover of the ridiculed New York Magazine issue, taken at a pro-Trump party on the eve of the inauguration, has been identified as a sorority bigwig often referred to as “Madam President.”
Anna Claire Howland, 21, a junior at Southern Methodist University who was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, was prominently featured on the magazine’s cover story last week, which was titled “The Cruel Kids’ Table.”
Howland quickly gained notoriety for her stunning beauty, radiant smile, and elegance — despite the headline — while critics slammed the magazine for allegedly cropping black people at the Trump inauguration party in Washington, DC.
7 The dazzling partygoer on the cover of the ridiculed New York Magazine issue, taken at a pro-Trump party on the eve of the inauguration, has been identified as a sorority bigwig at SMU. New York Magazine
Howland — a native of Mountian Brook, Ala. — majors in psychology and minors in business at SMU and has aspirations of attending law school after graduation, her sorority said in an Instagram post last year.
Howland has served as chapter president for the Gamma Phi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at SMU since January 2024, according to her LinkedIn.
She called the title “both an honor and a privilege” and said she “lead and represent 243 collegiate women and manage an executive board of 24 members.”
The glamorous sorority sister said she enjoys trying new restaurants, reading, crocheting, going on walks with her friends, and cooking in her free time, according to a post by her sorority chapter.
‘Kappa has transformed my entire college experience, and I know it will only continue to positively impact my life in the years to come,’” she told the chapter.
“‘This chapter gave me a group of girls who I share values and countless memories with, which is irreplaceable. I’m proud and so so grateful to be sisters with girls who are this loving, supportive, and bold!’”
7 Howland, 21, a junior at Southern Methodist University, was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. @kappakappainstagamma/Instagram
7 The SMU student has aspirations of attending law school after graduation. @ annaclairehowland/Instagram
Comments on the post praised her as “perfect” and “the best ever” as one user even referred to the 21-year-old as “MADAM PRESIDENT.”
Her family’s breathtaking 6,800-square-foot mansion was prominently showcased in Birmingham Home & Garden, celebrated for its captivating “dominant arcades and striking limestone exterior” that create an unforgettable impression of sophistication and elegance.
Her mother, Mary Beth, and real estate developer father, Rob Howland, purchased the mansion in 2015.
Her sister, Mary Louise Howland, was also at the event and appears alongside her on the cover.
7 Howland has served as chapter president for the Gamma Phi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at SMU since January 2024. @ annaclairehowland/Instagram
7 She called the title “both an honor and a privilege” and said she “lead and represent 243 collegiate women and manage an executive board of 24 members.” @kappakappainstagamma/Instagram
Howland gained much attention across X when Barstool’s Jack Mac shared the New York Magazine cover, writing, “Bottom left is my Roman Empire.”
“Gonna sound like a simp but the most fascinating part of her to me is she is legit beautiful,” one user wrote.
“Yep,” Jack Mac replied.
“Do we know who that is? I’m interest in sliding in her DMs and getting left on delivered,” another user jokingly wrote.
“God is good,” another chimed in.
7 Howland is a native of Mountian Brook, Ala. @kappakappainstagamma/Instagram
7 The glamorous sorority sister said she enjoys trying new restaurants, reading, crocheting, going on walks with her friends, and cooking in her free time, according to a post by her sorority chapter. @ annaclairehowland/Instagram
Howland has yet to comment on taking the internet by storm after being featured on the cover of New York Magazine.
The cover image shows a room full of white revelers at a TikTok-sponsored party called the “Power 30 Awards” on the eve of the inauguration in DC.
The article, penned by Brock Colyar, claims that “almost everyone” at the Trump inauguration party was “white” and failed to mention that the party’s host was black.
However, conservative commentator Christopher Barnard on X posted the full photo, which accompanied the story inside the magazine and revealed a number of black attendees that were cropped out of the cover.

Tell Us Tell us: Where is the best après ski in New England? Where is the best place for fun after your last run? Live music at the Foggy Goggle at Sunday River in Maine. Greg Burke
Après ski is part of the ski experience and there’s no shortage of fun events planned this season on mountains across New England.
What do you look for in post-ski activities on the mountain? Live music? Giveaways? Drink specials? Great food?
Some of the best après ski bars in New England, according to onthesnow.com, include Killington’s Wobbly Barn in Vermont (constructed from the pieces of 10 New England barns), a nightclub with live music and an award-winning steakhouse; Sugarloaf’s The Rack in Maine, a former ski shop with live music that serves authentic Maine maplewood smoked barbecue; and the Paul Bunyan Room at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire, which features a large deck and “legendary” beer lineup.
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Kristi Palma Culture writer Kristi Palma is a culture writer for Boston.com, focusing on New England travel. She covers airlines, hotels, and things to do across Boston and New England. She is the author of Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.

The Variety & Adobe The Future of AI Filmmaking panel at the Sundance Film Festival featured a conversation by film executives about how AI is currently being used in entertainment as well as how it will shape the industry going forward.
The panel, moderated by Variety’s executive editor Brent Lang, featured Meagan Keane, director of product marketing at Adobe Pro Video, Dave Clark, The Promise co-founder and chief creative officer, writer and director Paul Trillo, who is also a partner at Asteria, Jason Zada, founder of Secret Level, and Angela Russo-Otstot, AGBO chief creative officer.
Keane explained the two different types of AI that make up this industry conversation: assistive AI and generative AI. The company is considering how AI can expedite filmmakers’ and artists’ workflow. “At Adobe, we’re still thinking about generative in ways of like, how do we remove pain points? How do we help sort of remove the friction from the filmmaking process?” she said.
Clark called AI a “tool” and that as artists, “we should be responsible for how technology affects our industry.”
“I’m a traditional artist, and I went to Pratt, I studied fine arts. I went to film school, and I look at this as an opportunity to say, okay, we can actually have a chance to tell our stories in ways or at least present our stories in ways that we couldn’t do before,” Clark said.
The panelists discussed how AI can be used for various filmmaking tasks.
“Whether people are into AI or not, it’s going to touch every single aspect of production,” Trillo said. “It’s just about kind of retaining your voice through that.”
Zada said at his company, “every single part of the process uses AI.”
AGBO is exploring the uses of AI, including for transmedia purposes, according to Russo-Otstot. “The artist is in control, the artist is leading the way, but AI can mitigate restrictions and it can open up opportunities in a really fascinating and empowering manner.”
When it comes to ethical concerns for using AI, the panel discussed ways to retain human artistry.
Trillo explained artists should be wary of “not letting whatever’s in this training data to kind of homogenize aesthetics to kind of override your vision and not using it as a crutch either.”
“You need to have artists that are still making new aesthetics,” Trillo added.
Panelists emphasized that filmmakers need to be engaged in industry discussions of AI.
“Participating in the conversation and having your voice heard is what is going to drive how this technology develops. Because if you don’t pay attention, it’s going to happen anyway, and it’s maybe gonna happen in a way that you don’t want,” Keane said.
The panelists also spoke about how AI saves time. “Yeah, dude, we’re never going back to stock photos, putting pitch decks together. Never gonna happen. And that’s every filmmaker in the world,” Clark joked.
Keane mentioned how Adobe Premiere Pro now lets users translate captions into various languages.
“I think another topic that’s really interesting about the potential of doors opening with AI is the democratization of being able to tell bigger stories,” Keane said.
A focus point of the panel was the topic of job loss and creation that can result from AI. For Russo-Otstot, there’s an important distinction between film and other industries.
“Unlike the fields of medicine or science or mathematics where AI can solve a mathematical equation or perfect a scientific formula in a manner that is superior to us, in the realm of creativity, AI will never be superior. It requires the human brain, the human heart, the human experience, and the human artist will always remain at the forefront in the center and utilize AI in additive ways,” Russo-Otstot said.
Variety VIP+ Unearths Generative AI Data & Insights From All Angles — Pick a Story

The Texas Rangers announced the club’s lineup of broadcasters for 2025 game telecasts on Thursday, which featured a cast of mostly familiar characters.
Dave Raymond (play-by-play), Mike Bacsik (color analyst), David Murphy (color analyst), Emily Jones (field reporter) and Jared Sandler (pregame and postgame host) are all set to return to their roles, while Laura Stickells joins the group as the team’s new primary field reporter. Former player Elvis Andrus has also hopped on board the pregame and postgame broadcasts as an analyst.
Games during the 2025 season will air on Rangers Sports Network (RSN), which was unveiled earlier this week as the club’s new television home.
RSN will carry 30-minute pregame and postgame shows hosted primarily by Sandler. The shows, which will be simulcast on 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM), will also feature Eric Nadel and Matt Hicks, who return to their roles on the Rangers’ radio broadcasts.
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The Rangers Sports Network broadcast team: Dave Raymond, Mike Bacsik, Dave Murphy, Laura Stickells (new field reporter), Jared Sandler (pre and postgame host) and new addition Elvis Andrus.
Radio remains Eric Nadel and Matt Hicks. pic.twitter.com/nHLPNcWDn7 — Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) January 29, 2025
2025 Rangers broadcast team
Dave Raymond: Returns for his ninth year as the primary play-by-play announcer for the club’s television broadcasts. Raymond joined the Rangers in 2016 and worked several games that season before assuming the full-time position the following year.
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Mike Bacsik: A former MLB pitcher and Dallas native, joined the Rangers’ regular rotation of television analysts last season. He had previously been a member of the pregame and postgame coverage on Rangers’ telecasts since 2014, while occasionally filling in on the game broadcasts.
David Murphy: Has been a member of the television broadcast team since 2019, will be one of the regular analysts for Rangers’ telecasts for a second straight season. The former Rangers outfielder has also been part of the team’s pre- and post-game television coverage since 2017.
Laura Stickells: The new addition to the broadcast team will serve as the primary field reporter for the majority of the team’s local broadcasts. She joins the Rangers after four years of radio and television work in the Boston area, where she served as a reporter and host on NESN’s broadcasts for the Worcester Red Sox in 2024.
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Emily Jones: Has been a part of Rangers television broadcasts since 2007 and will serve as a field reporter for select games in 2025. She also makes appearances on behalf of the club and undertakes assignments for MLB Network and MLB.com.
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Jared Sandler: Has been part of the Rangers’ radio broadcast team for the last 10 seasons. He has seen increasing duties as a game broadcaster on the radio side the past several years, and has served as the lead play-by-play broadcaster on the television side for select games in recent seasons.
Elvis Andrus: Retired as a Ranger in September following a 15-year MLB playing career. He will be part of the club’s pregame and postgame shows. Andrus, who remains a resident in the DFW Metroplex, played 2,059 career games with Texas (2009-20), Oakland (2021-22), and the Chicago White Sox (2022-23).
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Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

State gives DOTD additional $3M for litter cleanup along interstates
BATON ROUGE – State lawmakers have awarded the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development an additional $3 million to continue their effort to clean up areas alongside interstates.
DOTD said the new funding will add to the millions of dollars that the department already spends to keep the medians cleared. In 2024, DOTD spent $13.6M for litter pickup along interstates.
Along with trash cleanup, the money will be used to pay for grass cutting services along Interstates 10, 12, 20, 110 and 610.

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has only been in his post for a day and already making it clear that the agency will be ignoring the role vehicle pollution plays in worsening climate change. Duffy sent a memo to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calling for a review of fuel economy standards to align with President Donald Trump’s goals of promoting the use of oil, natural gas and biofuels. The memo claims that

CSX on Monday named former Surface Transportation Board Chair Ann Begeman to its board of directors.
Separately, Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) appointed former Celanese Chief Executive Lori J. Ryerkerk to its board, a move made after a search process that was a part of an agreement with activist investor Ancora Holdings.
“Ann brings a wealth of industry expertise and knowledge to our team where she will play a vital role in our commitment to deliver service excellence and business growth,” CSX Chief Executive Joe Hinrichs said in a statement. “We are delighted to have her join our board as CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) continues to transform and strengthen our company while generating profitable growth through a better customer experience.”
Anne Begeman
Begeman’s career has spanned more than three decades in public service, primarily in the legislative and executive branches of government where she focused on transportation policy. She played a critical role in contributing to the development of significant legislation, including the ICC Termination Act, which dissolved the Interstate Commerce Commission and established the Surface Transportation Board (STB).

DOTD replacing thousands of reflectors scraped off major roadways by snow plows
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is repairing and replacing thousands of reflectors that were damaged or scraped off by snow plows clearing roads after the most snowfall in the capital region in over 100 years.
To tackle the task of clearing the state’s highways, LaDOTD borrowed 16 snow plows and 70 workers from the Arkansas Department of Transportation who were deployed across the state to clear major highways of ice and snow.
LaDOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett said that reopening the roadways was the department’s top priority, which led to the reflectors being scraped off in the process.
“You think about the economy. People needed to get to work, and we are a very important freight corridor,” Mallett said. “That’s why we concentrated on trying to keep the east and west routes open. U.S. 190 remained open the whole time.

It’s a new year, and for some people they have goals for the new year and one of which might be for a career move. If you or someone you know falls into that category, there’s a job fair coming up that might just be what you’re looking for.
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The Minnesota Department of Transportation will be holding two Metro Highway Maintenance Career Fairs in early February. The first of which is on February 1st, weather permitting, at the Maple Grove Truck Station, 950 Hemlock Lane North in Maple Grove, from 9am-11:30am.
The second career fair will be held on February 11th from 3:30pm-7:00 pm in Eden Prairie at the truck station there, 7333 Bryant Lake Drive in Eden Prairie. This one is also weather permitting.
Photo Credit: Dave Thomas Townsquare Media Photo Credit: Dave Thomas Townsquare Media loading…
These career fairs will be the perfect opportunity to meet with supervisors and discuss these positions in depth. You’ll have the chance to listen to their descriptions and ask any questions you might have.
You will also learn about all the benefits that come along with being an employee of the State of Minnesota.
The benefits include:
Low Cost Medical and Dental Insurance
Defined Pension Plan
Paid Life Insurance
Paid Parental Leave
Short- and Long-Term Disability
12 paid holidays per year
Earn up to 29 vacation days per year
Earn 13 days paid sick time
On the job training
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will also have the equipment their employees use on a daily basis on display. Fair goers will have the chance to ride along in a snowplow as well.
These career fairs are open to the public and there’s no reason to register for either event, you can just drop by and visit during the career fair times.

Washington — The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on the confirmation of former Rep. Sean Duffy as transportation secretary, with wide bipartisan support expected, as some of President Trump’s more controversial nominees face confirmation hearings this week.
Duffy, 53, represented Wisconsin in the Senate from 2011 to 2019 and previously served as the district attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin. He joined Fox News as a contributor and co-hosted a show on Fox Business after leaving Congress, until President Trump announced his selection for transportation secretary. He and his wife, whom he met on a reality television show, have nine children.
The Senate voted unanimously to advance Duffy Monday night, after he appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee earlier this month. At the hearing, he was introduced by the two Wisconsin senators — Republican Ron Johnson and Democrat Tammy Baldwin.

The Senate confirmed Sean Duffy to lead the Transportation Department on Tuesday in a bipartisan vote.
Duffy was confirmed on Tuesday, 77-22, with nearly half of the Democratic conference voting with Republicans to confirm his nomination. But there was a significant drop off from a day earlier when the former congressman easily cleared a procedural vote on his nomination on Monday, with a vote of 97-0.
What happened in the intervening hours was the Trump administration announced a pause on federal loans and grants that enraged Democrats, slamming the Monday night action as immoral and illegal. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said she flipped her vote in protest of Trump’s executive move.
“I would have been a yes on him but I’m going to be a no on him because of this,” the Democrat told reporters.
.@SenDuckworth told reporters she’s voting against Sean Duffy’s nomination for Transportation Sec in protest of what the Trump admin is doing pausing federal grants and aid:
“I would have been a yes on him but I’m going to be a no on him because of this.” — Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) January 28, 2025
Still, bipartisan support for Duffy’s nomination was clear from the beginning when he was introduced at his confirmation committee hearing earlier this month by Wisconsin’s bipartisan senators, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ron Johnson (R-WI). The two committed to supporting his nomination, foreshadowing that he would unanimously sail through the committee vote.
Duffy, who served in Congress from 2011 to 2019, does not have a background in transportation, similar to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg when he arrived four years ago. He served nearly nine terms and resigned in 2019 to care for a newborn baby with health challenges. He has since had a frequent presence on FOX Business Network and was a FOX Business Network host.
During his hearing, Duffy emphasized that aviation and roadway safety are his top priorities along with restoring trust in U.S. planemaker Boeing following an incident in which a 737 Max 9 passenger jet lost a door plug in early 2024. Two Boeing 727 Max plane crashes in 2018 and 2019 also put the company under the microscope.
Former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., center, smiles as Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., right, introduces him before he testifies before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, to be Transportation Secretary. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., left, also introduced Duffy. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The father of nine has vocally opposed the Biden administration’s electric vehicle policies and could have the authority to scale back programs implemented under President Joe Biden. Duffy pledged to huddle with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to strategize on a legislative response to the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, a major priority for Vance when he was serving in the Senate.
The previous confirmation votes for transportation secretaries have been overwhelmingly bipartisan. Buttiegieg was confirmed 86-13, and Elaine Chao, Trump’s nominee in 2017, was confirmed 93-6. Duffy said he will continue to operate in the long tradition of bipartisanship when it comes to transportation policy.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Duffy’s bipartisan confirmation vote comes as three of Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks go before their respective committees this week. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify before the Finance and the Senate HELP committee on Wednesday and Thursday for his nomination to become the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Tulsi Gabbard will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee for her nomination as Intelligence chief and Kash Patel will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his nomination as FBI director on Thursday.

By BERNARD CONDON, AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Duffy was confirmed Tuesday as transportation secretary, giving him a key role in helping President Donald Trump cut regulations and fix the nation’s infrastructure.
The former Wisconsin congressman has promised safer Boeing planes, less regulation and help for U.S. companies developing self-driving cars — while not giving any breaks to Elon Musk, a key player in that technology.
Duffy, a 53-year-old former reality TV star, was approved with bipartisan support on a 77-22 vote in the Senate.
He takes over the Department of Transportation at a crucial time at the agency, a massive employer of more than 55,000 that spends tens of billions of dollars annually, oversees the nation’s highways, railroads and airspace and sets safety standards for trains, cars and trucks.
At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Duffy vowed to “restore global confidence” in Boeing, hire more air traffic controllers, cut DEI programs at DOT and create federal rules for self-driving cars instead of leaving that to patchwork of state regulations that critics said holds back U.S. development.
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But when pressed by senators in hearings, Duffy promised to hold firm.
“I will let NHTSA do its investigation,” said Duffy, referring to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agency in his department in charge of probes and crackdowns on car makers.
China came up several times at Duffy’s confirmation hearing as a threat to U.S. development of self-driving technology overseen by DOT. A big Chinese electric vehicle maker there, BYD, is stealing market share from Tesla both in China and Europe.
“Without clear rules, or a patchwork of rules state by state, we put ourselves behind those countries that allow innovators to expand and grow,” Duffy said at his hearing before Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation “We are in direct competition with China.”
The agency has several open investigations into the safety of Tesla vehicles, some focusing on what the company calls Full Self-Driving, a misnomer because the vehicles require human intervention at any moment. In October, NHTSA launched a probe into Tesla’s self-driving system covering 2.4 million vehicles after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.
Musk, the world’s richest man who has dubbed himself “first buddy” of Trump, gave an estimated $250 million to Trump’s presidential campaign.
Duffy’s decisions at DOT will have a direct impact on profits not only at Tesla but Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, which has billions of dollars of contracts with federal agencies. DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration has occasionally fined the company for violations, including $633,000 last year for alleged safety violations during two Florida launches.

The US Senate overwhelmingly confirmed ex-Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy as President Trump’s transportation secretary Tuesday, adding another former Fox News personality to the cabinet.
Duffy, 53, cleared the upper chamber in a 77-22 vote after his nomination received the approval of all 28 members of the Senate Commerce Committee.
“Sean is the right person for this job,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), a member of the panel, said of Trump’s nom, pointing to the ex-congressman’s success in whipping up bipartisan support for federal funding of the St. Croix Crossing, a bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota.
5 “Sean is the right person for this job,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), a member of the Commerce Committee, said of Duffy, pointing to his success in whipping up bipartisan support for federal funding of the St. Croix Crossing. Getty Images
“Admired across the aisle, Sean worked with Democrats to clear extensive Legislative hurdles to build the largest road and bridge project in Minnesota History,” Trump said in a statement announcing his pick Nov. 18.
“He will prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness and Beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports. He will ensure our ports and dams serve our Economy without compromising our National Security, and he will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers,” Trump added.
It’s unclear whether Duffy will also join the commander-in-chief in moving to “kill” New York’s controversial congestion pricing initiative. He was never asked about the issue during his confirmation hearing.
5 It’s unclear whether Duffy will also join the commander-in-chief in moving to “kill” New York’s controversial congestion tax. ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis has previously suggested to The Post that congestion pricing could be resolved if the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration knocked Empire State officials for failing to file an environmental impact statement — and revoked the tax.
Duffy will be in charge of the Transportation Department’s more than 55,000 employees and oversee the nation’s rail, transit and other infrastructure, with a budget of roughly $110 billion available to him.
The new transportation secretary has pledged to focus in particular on rail safety after the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment that spewed toxic chemicals into East Palestine, Ohio, adding that he was looking forward to discussing solutions with Trump, 78, and Vice President JD Vance, who represented the Buckeye State in the Senate.
5 The new transportation secretary is looking forward to discussing rail safety solutions with Trump and Vice President JD Vance after the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. AP
Duffy will also get to make use of funds from former President Joe Biden’s 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law — including for construction of electric vehicle charging apparatuses that have been derided by lawmakers on both sides of aisle for falling short of projected goals.
The former Republican rep was a firm defender of the first Trump administration’s immigration and trade policies — and a fierce critic of his predecessor, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, during the 2022 airline travel snafu that canceled more than 15,000 flights.
Duffy, who represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District from 2011 to 2019, also previously served as a prosecutor and co-host of the evening Fox Business Network program “The Bottom Line.” Rachel Campos-Duffy, his wife, co-hosts “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
5 Duffy’s nine kids stole the show in pics snapped during his confirmation hearing by falling asleep in their mother’s embrace. REUTERS
“The husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on Fox News, and the father of nine incredible children, Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind,” Trump also said upon announcing Duffy’s nomination.
Duffy left Congress before the end of his fifth term when his newborn daughter suffered a heart defect in 2019, and she and her siblings later stole the show in pics snapped during their dad’s confirmation hearing.
Fellow ex-Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, another confirmed nom with a large family, was confirmed as defense secretary by a 51-50 vote in the Senate Friday.
5 President Trump’s cabinet picks posed for a photo at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, on Jan. 18, 2025. AP
Trump tangled with his past transportation secretary Elaine Chao, the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), after she resigned in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
In a bizarre, racially charged rant two years ago, the once and future president accused Chao and McConnell of being secret allies of then-President Joe Biden — and, by extension, of China.
“Does Coco Chow have anything to do with Joe Biden’s Classified Documents being sent and stored in Chinatown?” he wrote on Truth Social in December 2022. “Her husband, the Old Broken Crow, is VERY close to Biden, the Democrats, and, of course, China.”
Chao, who immigrated from Taiwan to America with her family when she was 8 years old, became a naturalized citizen at 19.

Twenty-two members of the Senate Democratic caucus flipped their votes on Sean Duffy, President Trump’s pick to head the Transportation Department, after the White House budget office issued a memo Monday evening pausing large swaths of federal funding, which Democrats warned would plunge the nation in chaos.
Duffy’s nomination advanced on the Senate floor Monday by a unanimous vote of 97-0, but a lot of the bipartisan feeling of goodwill toward the nominee evaporated after Trump’s Office of Management and Budget issued guidance that Democrats said would freeze much federal assistance.
Twenty-one Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who caucuses with Democrats, voted against confirming Duffy Tuesday afternoon, a remarkable shift in sentiment reflecting the deep anger of many Democrats over Trump’s latest executive action. He was confirmed on a 77-22 vote.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), one of the Democrats who flipped on Duffy, said the budget memo spurred him to change his mind.
“It’s already causing chaos and confusion,” he said of the OMB directive.
“The president’s freezing funds for essential and urgent programs that are the responsibility of the Department of Transportation and we need to hear from Sean Duffy how he’s going to oppose it,” Blumenthal said.

More than a million truckers recently cast their votes for the best truck stops in the country, and it turns out Wisconsin is the big cheese, claiming three of the top five spots nationwide.
Trucker Path’s Top Truck Stop Rankings
Trucker Path, a popular app among truckers, has unveiled its rankings of top independent and chain truck stops across the United States, and Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip dominates the list.
New Rules Have U.S. Truckers Driving On More Sleep Getty Images loading…
Using reviews from the app, Trucker Path evaluated over 9,000 truck stops and travel centers across America. Of those, only a handful earned a place in the coveted top five rankings.
Best Independent Truck Stop in the U.S.
The Ohio Turnpike Tiffin River Service Plaza in West Unity, Ohio, took the crown as the top independent truck stop and overall winner in the United States. This truck stop boasts over 100 parking spots for commercial trucks and offers all the essential amenities, including showers, food options, laundry facilities, and more.
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Kwik Trip Dominates Chain Rankings
The top five chain truck stops showcased Wisconsin’s dominance, with Kwik Trip locations securing three of the top five spots. The Belmont Kwik Trip (#1197) came in fifth place, the Roberts Kwik Trip (#1260) secured second, and the Tomah Kwik Trip (#796) earned the number one spot as the nation’s best chain truck stop.
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Kwik Trip’s Commitment to Excellence
Ben Leibl, public relations specialist at Kwik Trip, expressed the company’s gratitude in a press release:

If you’re an Android fan, you should definitely check out Samsung’s crazy Galaxy S25 preorder deals. Other popular sales today include unlocked renewed iPhone SE handsets starting at $155, the iPad 10th-Gen tablet for just $279.99, and Samsung’s Galaxy Ring starting at the same $279.99.
You’ll find all that and more in this roundup of the best daily deals on Friday, January 24.
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Below, you’ll find some of the most popular deals among our readers.
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Fans aren’t head over heels for the latest Balenciaga campaign.
On Thursday, the Spanish fashion house released its annual Valentine’s Day garments — but not everyone was smitten with the apparel, which features rips, ragged hems and writing in faux lipstick.
A $595 tattered tee is riddled with holes, while a zip-up hoodie, which retails for $1,190, is adorned with destroyed hems and distressed seams.
4 The zip-up hoodie, which rings in at more than $1,000, features graphics that look like someone handwrote the scrawl in lipstick. Jam Press
On the front of both pieces — available in “dirty white” or “super faded washed black” — the phrase “Happy Valentine’s” and a heart are scrawled in what is supposed to look like lipstick.
Meanwhile, on the back and written in the same “handwritten typeface” is a poem: “Roses are red, violets are blue, I will forever be thankful for you.”
According to Balenciaga’s website, it was designed with the intention of “evoking the heartfelt gesture of personalizing a gift for someone special.”
4 The backs of the shirts and hoodies also feature a poem. Jam Press
But the garments were deemed garish by critics online, who mocked the supposed “high fashion” graphic apparel and compared the wildly expensive items to pieces from Zara or Shein.
They were branded as “trash,” “boring” and “mid,” with one Instagram user going so far as to call people “crazy” for “thinking this is luxury fashion wear.”
“Tax anyone who can afford this,” chided one person.
4 Fashionistas slammed the festive release as “boring” and “trash,” boldly claiming that fast fashion retailers could make a comparable product. Jam Press
“Giving Shein,” criticized another.
“Some of these brands have just been trolling us. I swear,” another user chimed in.
“H&M makes better clothes than this,” slammed someone else.
4 The tee retails for over $500. Jam Press
“Fire but I’m not spending over $500 on a t-shirt,” one consumer said.
The fashion house has routinely been subject to scrutiny by fashion fans due to its often outlandish apparel that doesn’t meet everyone’s tastes — from the “Barefoot Zero” shoes to the viral skirts that were compared to towels.

Meet Kyrstin Johnson, the Temple University gymnast behind this viral floor routine Meet Kyrstin Johnson, the Temple University gymnast behind this viral floor routine 02:16
Temple gymnast Kyrstin Johnson’s floor routine is blowing up on social media. People can not get enough of her routine that pays tribute to hip-hop and Black culture.

If you haven’t noticed, country music and NASCAR go together like peanut butter and jelly. The two entities appear to have a mutual affection for one another.
There are a handful of singers who have songs dedicated to the sport, like Eric Church with

A New Jersey restaurant put a hamburger on its menu dedicated to the “Proud Boys” — leading to a massive online backlash and the owner apologizing for appearing to honor the far-right group.
Aqua Blu Kitchen & Cocktails’ “Proud Boys Burger” included ingredients that were listed on the menu as “white American cheese,” “layers of truth,” “cancel culture coleslaw,” and “liberty sauce.”
After an online firestorm of outrage began when a customer uploaded a picture of the menu, owner Cathy Varriale tried to distance herself from her eatery’s greasy item.
“I know this may sound ridiculous, but I didn’t know what a Proud Boy was,” she told NJ Advance Media, explaining that the idea for the burger came from one of her chefs.
3 The Proud Boys Burger was listed on the Aqua Blu Kitchen & Cocktails menu as a special on Thursday. Reddit/SquareSalamander
“I thought it was, you know, a proud boy.”
Varriale – who noted her eatery has previously featured both a Sleepy Joe and a Trump Burger – said her phone and inbox were flooded with messages after the special was advertised in a now-deleted Facebook post as “layered with boldness and liberty.”
She quickly asked her chef if the burger represented something disrespectful before removing the post and reprinting the menus. But her efforts didn’t stop the poor reception, which she said has been a “nightmare,” the outlet reported.
“Now that I know what it is, I completely understand,” the emotional owner said.
“But how do you fix it? I don’t know how to fix it.”
Varriale said her restaurant has featured themed burgers every Thursday for the last eight years, with the ill-named special one of four listed that night.
3 The eatery, located in Toms River, has been slammed with criticism and backlash over the special. Google Maps
She had asked her staff to create two burgers this week based on their family – a request that has turned into her disputing claims that her staff and their families are linked to the Proud Boys organization.
“It was a bad decision,” Varriale said.
“It was stupidity. It was ignorance. But we do not support hatred or Nazism or any of that.”
She said angry callers have made threats of protests outside of the restaurant and others refusing to come back.
3 The restaurant posted a lengthy apology Friday morning — the day after the special sparked outrage. Facebook/Aqua Blu Kitchen & Cocktails
Varriale, who opened her popular eatery 13 years ago, shared a lengthy apology to Aqua Blu’s Facebook Friday morning, explaining that the burger was a mistake and her bistro stands united against hate.
“We understand how it may have been interpreted, but it was never our intention nor what we stand for. We ask that you take this into consideration as we reflect and learn from this experience,” the post, which shuttered the comments section, read.
“To those who have supported us over the years, we deeply appreciate every single one of you. Please know that we would never do anything to jeopardize the trust and respect you have for Aqua Blu. We hope you understand and accept this as a formal apology.”
The Anti-Defamation League considers the Proud Boys as a right-wing, extremist hate group that is misogynistic, Islamophobic, and anti-immigration.
Members — several-hundred strong — also espouse white supremacist and anti-Semitic ideologies, according to the ADL.
The self-described “Western chauvinists” group has been active since at least 2016, with leaders advocating for its members and followers to commit acts of violence against rivals who disagree with their extreme ideologies.
The group was famously involved in the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally where one woman was killed when she was mowed down by a Nazi sympathizer.
The burger special came just days after President Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 individuals convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, including Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio.
He was freed after serving 16 months of his 22-year prison sentence – one of the longest dished out by a judge in a Jan. 6 case – for his role in orchestrating the Proud Boys’ part in the events of that day.

The climax of the 1993 Western classic Tombstone featured Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday teaming up for a final ride against The Cowboys gang, which yielded an important development for both characters right before they set out. The iconic movie has evolved into one of the most beloved Westerns of all time, thanks in large part to the incredible performances of Tombstone’s entire cast. Legendary scenes like Doc Holliday’s shootout with Johnny Ringo and Wyatt Earp’s real-life riverside charge make the movie eminently rewatchable, and it contains some of the most famous quotes from the genre.
Unlike other cinematic interpretations of Wyatt Earp, Tombstone focuses on Earp’s relationship with his friend Doc Holliday. While Val Kilmer gives an absolutely movie-stealing performance as the tuberculosis-afflicted gunslinger and gambler, it’s his character’s development that serves as an important thematic touchpoint for the movie. By the ending of Tombstone, Wyatt Earp gives Doc Holliday, a lifelong rogue and gambler, his deputy US Marshal badge, inadvertently legalizing all of his actions in putting down the Cowboys. It’s one of the most important moments in their on-screen relationship for several reasons, specifically the reasoning behind it.
Related Only 1 Tombstone Actor Didn’t Grow A Real Mustache For The 1993 Western Movie The glorious mustaches of the entire cast of the 1993 western classic are a calling card of the movie, and only one actor didn’t grow a real one.
Wyatt Earp Thought He & Doc Holliday Were Both About To Die
The Two Men Had Been Resigned To Their Fate
Following the assault on his brothers, which left one of them dead and the other permanently handicapped, an enraged Wyatt Earp sets out to end the threat of the Cowboys once and for all, seeking a

Chinese memory manufacturers have started to gain traction in the HBM segment, as another domestic firm announced trial production of the HBM2 process.
China Sees Massive Traction In The HBM Segment As Several Manufacturers Emerge With Their Solutions
Well, China is competing with others in the AI race with full force, as the nation has now prioritized the development of the technology, seeing it as a matter of national security. Since the Biden administration imposed sanctions on China, we have seen several domestic manufacturers emerge with their own AI solutions, notably Huawei, showing that the geopolitical situation hasn’t held the nation back. In a report by Nikkei, it was revealed that the Chinese company Tongfu Microelectronics has initiated HBM2 trial production, signaling a massive breakthrough for the domestic industry.
It is important to note that Tongfu isn’t the only firm to have started HBM production, as it is now followed by CXMT and Wuhan Xinxin, both of which are said to have made significant strides in the DRAM and HBM industries over the past few months. While you have heard of Tongfu Microelectronics for the first time, the firm is famous in the markets since it is a partner of AMD, and Team Red is a company shareholder.
Apart from this, the firm is the world’s third-largest semiconductor packaging and test service provider, but the HBM venture is something new for them. It is highly likely that they are utilizing memory and semiconductor essentials from a third-party source, and then assembling the HBM2 die with their own expertise.
Interestingly, Tongfu is said to be a supplier of Huawei’s AI processors, although we are unaware whether their HBM has seen formal integration. While HBM2 is almost two generations behind what the global leaders are focusing on, i.e., HBM4, it is undoubtedly a huge development for China, given that, despite the influence of sanctions, domestic development is evolving rapidly. So, it is only a matter of time before we see China competing with the global industry standards, and the recent DeepSeek AI fiasco is an excellent example.

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No NFL team has ever won three consecutive Super Bowls. The Chiefs will have an opportunity to do exactly that when they face the Eagles in two weeks.
Sunday’s win over the Bills wasn’t an easy one, but the Chiefs did avenge their only meaningful regular-season loss. They did so by making key plays at critical times on both sides of the ball.
This is essentially how Kansas City has operated all year. For this team, winning close games has become routine—it has now won 17 straight one-score games.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit did have some trouble corralling Josh Allen and the Bills, who tallied 374 yards and 29 points. However, a pair of 4th-down stops in the fourth quarter gave the Chiefs a chance to end the game with the ball in their hands.
Kansas City did exactly that, with running backs Isiah Pacheco and Samaje Perine each picking up first-down receptions to close out the game.
It was a fitting way for Kansas City’s offense to end the game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes regularly turned to his secondary targets a week after leaning heavily on star tight end Travis Kelce.
Kelce had seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the divisional round. Buffalo did a great job of limiting him to two catches and 19 yards, but that opened the door for Xavier Worthy (6 catches, 85 yards, 1 TD) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (2 catches 60 yards) to make big plays in the passing game.
Of course, it helps to have Mahomes, who remains the biggest reason why a Super Bowl trifecta is even possible. He was mostly efficient through the air and lethal with his legs on Sunday, finishing with 245 passing yards, 43 rushing yards and three combined touchdowns.
Yet, the Chiefs’ effort to build a dynamic offense that complements their fourth-ranked scoring defense—and do so throughout the season—is impressive. Worthy is a rookie, while Smith-Schuster, Kareem Hunt and DeAndre Hopkins were all added after the end of the preseason.

First and foremost, you should definitely take advantage of Samsung’s crazy Galaxy S25 preorder deals if you’re in the market for a new flagship phone. Apple Watch Series 10 models are also back on sale today, and you can score a $280 Bose TV soundbar for $219. Plus, the awesome new eufy Video Smart Lock E330 has a massive 40% discount — it’s a smart lock, doorbell, and camera in one!
All that and more can be found in today’s big roundup for Monday, January 27.
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In today’s featured setup from the Pacific Northwest, Polk Audio boosts Mac mini sound with bookshelf speakers on the desk as well as a subwoofer under it. But that’s not the extent of the user’s devotion to Polk, an admired longtime brand we rarely, if ever, see in setups coverage. The Mac mini setup is just one part of a magnificent man shed. The other part is a home theater festooned with more than enough Polk Audio hardware for stellar surround sound.
Polk Audio boosts Mac mini sound with raft of speakers, subwoofers
150 watts Polk Reserve R100 Bookshelf Speaker $649.00 $599.99 These relatively small bookshelf and desktop speakers feature dynamic, detailed home theater audio through 1-inch Pinnacle Ring Tweeters and 5.25-inch Turbine Cone Woofers. Hi-Res Certified, Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced. Pros: Good power and clarity for small speakers
Good power and clarity for small speakers Hi-Res certified
Hi-Res certified Dolby Atmos Cons: Somewhat pricey Buy from Amazon
Based near Seattle, Washington, Redditor bandwagonbetty (“BB”), showcased the M4 Mac mini setup in a show-stopping man-shed home theater in a post entitled, “Converted my backyard shed into a WFH office & theater [Outside Seattle, PNW].” Like other sheds or garages converted to computer setups and entertainment grottos, this one is impressive.
Last week I covered the M4 Mac mini (16GB memory, 512GB SSD storage), the LG display and BB’s efforts to make the man shed a reality. Today I’ll focus on his devotion to Polk Audio hardware, used in both the setup and the impressive home theater.
Polk Audio speakers and subwoofers in setup and home theater
BB’s thorough use of a variety of Polk Audio speakers is impressive. The brand’s history goes back to 1972 but the company shows every sign of keeping up with modern advances.
And maybe all that audio gear is why the new man shed got built. He mentioned his wife in his post when commenters suggested he might mess up his marriage if he spends all of his time in the shed. But they may have it backwards. He said his wife joined him just once in the shed to watch a movie. Perhaps she doesn’t want all that floor-shaking audio in the house, and him not being around much isn’t too much of a tradeoff.
Tremendous home-theater audio makes Mac mini setup’s massive sound seem weak
And truly house-shaking audio it would be. Just in the Mac mini setup, on the desk BB sports a pair of 150-watt Polk Audio Reserve R100 bookshelf speakers properly elevated and tilted on stands. And under the desk sits a Polk Audio SVS SB-2000 Pro subwoofer. That’s potentially bone-rattling right there. But it’s just the start.
The setup’s Polk Reserve R100 Bookshelf Loudspeaker features Polk’s 1-inch Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and a 5.25-inch Turbine Cone Woofer for clear tones across the audio spectrum. It boasts Hi-Res Audio Certification, Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced functionality. It supports hi-res audio formats like DSD, FLAC, WAV, ALAC and MQA.
And the speaker includes a bass reflex cabinet with a rear-firing port and Polk’s Patented X-Port Technology with Eigentone Filter (ETF) for distortion-free bass. Yet even with that attention to bass already present in the bookshelf speakers, BB adds a big subwoofer on the floor. The advanced Polk Audio SVS SB-2000 subwoofer pushes 550W (up to 1,500W peak) of low-end power.
And the amazing thing is, all of the audio above — seemingly enough to shoot the shed into space under the power of sound waves alone — is the more modest audio setup of two. The other multichannel (7.2.4) audio setup brings surround sound to the shed’s laser-projector-based home theater. It features several in-wall Polk Audio speakers, several overheads and surround-sound boxes, and another SB-2000 subwoofer.
With that staggering audio power (not to mention electric guitar and amp), no wonder his wife wants him in the man shed rather than in the house (just kidding).
Shop these items now:
Audio and video gear:
Home theater 7.2.4 setup:
Huge bass Polk Audio SVS SB-2000 Pro Subwoofer $899.00 This DSP-controlled 12-inch sealed subwoofer maintains 550 watts of power (1,500W peak). Comes in Black Ash color. Pros: Powerful low-end
Powerful low-end Good for home theaters Cons: Not for budget setups Buy from Amazon
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If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone pics usually suffice). Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.

Management from Knight-Swift Transportation acknowledged improving data points over the past few weeks but said it’s still too soon to say the truckload market has seen a meaningful positive inflection.
The Phoenix-based company reported adjusted earnings per share of 36 cents for the fourth quarter Wednesday after the market closed. The result was at the high end of management’s guidance range of 32 to 36 cents and 3 cents better than the consensus estimate.
Knight-Swift (NYSE: KNX) reiterated first-quarter adjusted EPS guidance in a range of 29 to 33 cents compared to the consensus estimate of 30 cents at the time of the print. It introduced second-quarter adjusted EPS guidance of 46 to 50 cents, which bracketed a consensus estimate of 49 cents.
Pressed on why the guidance wasn’t better, CEO Adam Miller told analysts on a Wednesday call that severe winter weather may be distorting the improvement in tender rejection data over the past couple of weeks.
“If we see continued strength, then certainly there’s upside but we’re not banking on that at the moment,” Miller said. “I think it’s too soon to call that any type of meaningful inflection. I think we need to see more sustained data like that before we get more aggressive on our view on the market.”
SONAR: Outbound Tender Reject Index for 2025 (blue shaded area), 2024 (green line) and 2023 (pink line). A proxy for truck capacity, the Outbound Tender Reject Index, shows the number of loads being rejected by carriers. Current tender rejections are outperforming the depressed levels seen in January 2024 and January 2023, and nearing market equilibrium. To learn more about SONAR, click here.
Carrier currently seeking mid-single-digit rate increases on TL bids
Truckload revenue fell 4.4% year over year to $1.1 billion as average tractors in service declined 6% to 22,208 units, which was partially offset by a 1.7% increase in revenue per tractor (excluding fuel surcharges).
The company has been rationalizing tractor and trailer counts in efforts to improve fleet utilization. Loaded miles per tractor increased 2.4%, but revenue per loaded mile (excluding fuel) was off 0.7% (1% higher than in the third quarter).
Miller said “rates have been trending positive” thus far in bid season and the company is currently asking for mid-single-digit rate increases, which is a step up from the low- to mid-single-digit range it was asking for a quarter ago.
The TL unit recorded a 92.2% adjusted operating ratio (inverse of operating margin), which was 170 basis points better y/y and 340 bps improved from the third quarter. The legacy TL fleet returned to an OR in the 80s for the first time in seven quarters.
Table: Knight-Swift’s key performance indicators – Truckload
The result was hampered as Knight-Swift continues to overhaul the U.S. Xpress fleet, which it acquired in July 2023.
That operation has shifted to a terminal network approach with shorter lengths of haul but higher revenue per mile. An annual run rate of $180 million in cost synergies has been achieved, but there are more opportunities available as it continues to swap out leased equipment for owned assets. Miller also said the unit has a sizable rate opportunity given the recent changes.
Looking forward, TL segment revenue is expected to see a low- to mid-single-digit seasonal decline from the fourth to the first quarter then improve sequentially by a mid-single-digit percentage in the second quarter. The company will continue to cull tractors in the first quarter. Sequentially, margins will decline modestly in the first quarter before improving modestly in the second quarter.
The goal is for upper-70s ORs in good markets, mid-80s in a normal market and upper-80s during downturns. Results in the current cycle were distorted by the acquisition.
Terminal growth, acquisition weigh on LTL results
The less-than-truckload unit reported a 20.2% y/y increase in revenue to $279 million. Daily shipments increased 13% with revenue per shipment (excluding fuel) 6.6% higher. Revenue per hundredweight, or yield, was up 9.6% (excluding fuel). The metric was partially helped by a 2.8% decline in weight per shipment.
Knight-Swift added a total of 51 terminals in 2024 – 37 organic additions and 14 through the acquisition of Southwest carrier Dependable Highway Express. In total, it increased door count by 1,430, or more than 30%.
The impact from the expansion and “slightly less supportive demand” in the quarter weighed on margins. The unit recorded a 94.5% adjusted OR, which was 900 bps worse y/y and 490 bps worse sequentially.
Knight-Swift now has all three LTL carriers acquired since 2021 operating on the same platform. It expects revenue to increase by 20% to 25% y/y in the first half of the year given the recent additions. The OR is expected to modestly improve sequentially in the first quarter and reach the high-80% range in the second quarter.
Table: Knight-Swift’s key performance indicators – Less-than-truckload
Other takeaways from Knight-Swift’s Q4
Logistics revenue increased 2.1% y/y, the combination of higher revenue per load offset by a decline in loads. The unit reported a 93.7% adjusted OR, which was 60 bps worse y/y.
Logistics revenue is expected to increase by a high-single-digit percentage in the first two quarters of the year alongside sequentially flat margins.
Table: Knight-Swift’s key performance indicators – Logistics and Intermodal
Intermodal revenue increased 4.9% y/y as a 10.2% increase in load count was partially offset by a 4.8% decline in revenue per load. The unit reported a 101.5% operating ratio, which was a seventh straight operating loss.
Looking forward, the unit is expected to see a breakeven result in the first quarter and a high-90% OR in the second quarter.
“The environment still calls for disciplined execution with little margin for error, but we anticipate 2025 will be a year of gradual recovery in market conditions that bridges to a more constructive 2026,” Miller stated in a Wednesday news release.
The fourth-quarter adjusted EPS number excluded acquisition-related expenses, noncash impairments on equipment and real estate, and a mark-to-market adjustment tied to the U.S. Xpress acquisition. The number included gains on equipment sales of $12.6 million, which was $5.4 million lower y/y, or a 3-cent headwind (assuming a normalized tax rate). An increase in net interest expense was also a 3-cent headwind y/y.
Shares of KNX were up 5.8% in after-hours trading on Wednesday.
More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden:

The Michigan Departments of Natural Resources and Transportation and the Belle Isle Conservancy have finalized recommendations to improve travel to and around Belle Isle Park in Detroit.
DETROIT – The Michigan Departments of Natural Resources and Transportation and the Belle Isle Conservancy have finalized recommendations to improve travel to and around Belle Isle in Detroit.
The announcement occurred on Thursday (Jan. 23), when the goals were set.
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Officials said they want to ease traffic congestion, enhance accessibility, and increase public safety.
The Belle Isle multimodal mobility plan, informed by a 2.5-year comprehensive study, outlines a 10-year implementation strategy to help visitors move freely and efficiently throughout the park, including its roads, trails, sidewalks, and parking areas.
Key recommendations include:
Restriping the MacArthur Bridge with two lanes for cars in each direction and a dedicated two-way bike lane, providing a safe and separated path for cyclists and pedestrians to access the Detroit International RiverWalk.
Restriping the perimeter loop road to include one-way vehicular traffic and two-way bike lanes.
Converting Central Avenue, spanning 1.25 miles from the James Scott Memorial Fountain to the woods, creating a people-focused promenade for walkers, bikers, runners, and others.
Installing wayfinding and directional signage to help visitors better understand how to move around the island.
Partnering with the Detroit Department of Transportation to expand bus routes and stops around the island; MOGO – a Detroit-based nonprofit bike-share organization – to expand on-site bike sharing; and others to determine the feasibility of a ferry stop at Belle Isle.
The construction of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trail, which also serves as the southernmost six miles of Michigan’s Iron Belle Trail, is being completed for biking, walking, and rolling around the island.
While many of the recommended improvements will necessitate additional funding and the development of more detailed designs, many changes are already underway.
For example, the last phase of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trail, a two-way cycle track for bicyclists, and interim restriping of Central Avenue to better define driving lanes, two-way While many of the recommended improvements will necessitate additional funding and the development of more detailed designs, many changes are already underway.
For example, the last phase of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trail, a two-way cycle track for bicyclists, and interim restriping of Central Avenue to better define driving lanes, two-way bike lanes, on-street parking, and pedestrian crosswalks will be completed in 2025.
Officials say the design and installation of new wayfinding signs are taking shape, with some items to be installed this year.
Building upon the multimodal mobility plan, the DNR Parks and Recreation Division will soon develop a strategic plan for Belle Isle Park that will outline additional priorities that align with community needs.

Storm Eowyn Friday continued to cause power outages for hundreds of thousands, knocked down trees and disrupted transportation as it moved across Scotland and Northern Ireland into Britain’s West Midlands region. A fallen tree blown over by Eowyn is seen on Donegal Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland Friday. Photo by Marie Therese Hurson/EPA-EFE
Jan. 24 (UPI) — Storm Eowyn Friday continued to cause power outages for hundreds of thousands of people, knocked down trees and disrupted transportation as it moved across Scotland and Northern Ireland into Britain’s West Midlands region. The storm was a powerful and rare

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) announced it is temporarily closing a part of Hardscrabble Road in Richland County as part of the Hardscrabble Road Widening Project.
SCDOT says the closures will begin on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.
SCDOT announces temporary night closures for Hardscrabble Road Widening Project
The department confirmed the closure will be implemented for two nights beginning at 7 p.m. and being picked up at 6 a.m. the following morning. Authorities say this part of the project will be completed by Tuesday, Jan. 28.
SCDOT also says a detour will be set up using North Brisckyard Road, Farrow Road, Longtown Road, and Clemson Road.
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Commendable this woman’s effort to endure all the tedious public transportation.
A transit system that is unreliable is not usable by people with a deadline. Something must change. Our planet needs us to use it, but no one can afford to spend so many hours on a commute.
I used to depend on RTD to get to work. They need to be more dependable in order to increase ridership. Enormous cities with more complicated systems and larger populations have more efficient and on-time buses and trains. This is fixable.
I’ve complained about this type of thing to my RTD rep, and no response. RTD is a disaster. (And I own a car. However, I like to be able to use the public transportation system that I and other taxpayers pay for.)
Denver is a booming city with absolutely no good transportation systems, but it’s getting too expensive to own a vehicle. They need to figure out a transportation system that works. It will help so much with traffic and all the people who are driving without registration, plates, license, and/or insurance.
You’re not supposed to like public transportation. It’s not supposed to be convenient, on time, reliable, clean or safe. It’s supposed to motivate you to get a car or a bike so you don’t have to hang out with methheads.
So get a car, it’s that simple. It’s Colorado! You don’t even have to register it, have a license plate, or have insurance! It literally couldn’t be easier.
When I first moved to Denver, I took two buses and a light rail to work every day, plus a fifteen-minute walk. You got to do what is needed.
Exactly why I will never ride RTD again. A few years back for the NBA playoffs, I rode the light rail downtown to the game. Because of delays or trains that never showed up, it took me 2.5 hours to get back home. I could have walked home in less time. I will never enter an RTD bus or train again.
I looked into a possible bus route for my teenager to take to work. From my home it is a 5.3 mile drive and takes less than twenty minutes by car. If my teenager were to take the bus, it would have been a two-hour trip one way that required a transfer and they still would have had to walk the last mile to work. The mass transit system in Denver is a joke. I truly feel for those who have no choice but to use it to get to work, shop, go to the doctor, etc. The lack of affordable, reliable, and efficient public transportation is yet another “tax” the poor must pay. No one should have to deal with a four-hour daily commute just to get to and from work.
I used to rely on RTD to get to work. That was a terrible idea.
Last week, Catie Cheshire shared the story of Sandra Mader , who works three jobs and doesn’t have a car. She relies on RTD to get her from place to place.She walks to one of her jobs; for another, she takes the bus to Arvada. Both of those treks are usually painless, she says. But for her third job at a mail center, Mader must take the E Line, a light rail line that runs from downtown Denver to the Denver Tech Center. “I have to get up at 4:15 a.m., walk twenty minutes to catch a bus to get to the light rail, and wait another 25 minutes to get that,” Mader says. “Assuming the light rail isn’t canceled or thirty minutes late, I then sit on it for one to two hours — and even then, I still end up being late.

Tina Turner famously left it all on the stage when she performed. The late rock icon also left behind some unheard songs from her career-defining 1984 Private Dancer album and now we can hear one of those tracks thanks to the release on Thursday (Jan. 23) of the previously unheard album outtake “Hot For You Baby.”
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The uptempo rocker featuring Turner’s signature gritty, urgent vocals over a galloping beat and a chorus of male backing vocalists repeating the title phrase back to her will be included on the upcoming 40th anniversary edition of Turner’s fifth solo album, which was originally released in May 1984.
Related JPEGMAFIA Ends Berlin Concert Early After Fans Injured in Pepper Spray Incident
The collection helped push Turner back into the public consciousness thanks to a handful of now-iconic hit singles, including “Stay Together,” “What’ Love Got to Do With It,” “Better Be Good to Me” and the title track.
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Singing in her husky, growly voice, Turner belts, “The way that you’ve been moving to the music as you’re dancing/ Sweet sight to see/ But I can’t take it anymore, that’s why I’m out here on the floor/ So, won’t you dance with me?,” before the track rolls into the burning chorus: “I’m hot for you, baby/ I wanna love you/ I’m hot for you baby/ How hot can you get?”
The barreling chronicle of all the ways a lover’s dancing is getting her hot and bothered has a brief, classically early 1980s wailing guitar solo and plenty of cowbell. But despite fitting into the rock/soul groove Turner explored on the album, it was left off the final version. Australian singer John Paul Young (“Standing in the Rain”) originally released the song in 1979 to little notice. It was written by fellow Australian musicians George Young and Harry Vanda and produced by John Carter, who also produced the album’s title song.
Tina Turner “Hot For you Baby” Courtesy Photo
Private Dancer ran up to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart and included the Hot 100 No. 1 smash “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” The previously unreleased song will be featured on the anniversary release due out on March 21, which will also come in a 5CD/Blu-Ray version that will rope in more never-before-released songs, live performances and music videos. Among the special extras is an upgraded 55-minute Private Dancer Tour show filmed in 1985 that featured guest spots from David Bowie and Bryan Adams.
Private Dancer marked an only-in-Hollywood-style revival for Turner, who had set the world on fire in the 1960s and early 70s when she and then-husband Ike Turner released a series of career-defining hits including “River Deep, Mountain High,” their signature cover of CCR’s “Proud Mary” and “Nutbush City Limits,” among others.
The couple split in 1976, after what Tina Turner later said were years of physical abuse from Ike, leading to nearly a decade in the pop wilderness for Turner, who struggled to gain attention with her solo career as she played Las Vegas showrooms and released a series of solo albums to little notice.
Her fortunes were turned around by Private Dancer, which leaned into Turner’s many strengths — vulnerability, power vocals, sensuality, grit — and earned her three Grammy Awards, including record of the year for the slow-burn ballad “What’s Love Got to Do With It”; the latter also served as the title of a lauded 1993 semi-autobiographical biopic that earned stars Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne Oscar nominations.
After her tumultuous years with Ike, Turner found love again with German music exec Erwin Bach, who she married in 2013 after nearly 30 years together. After years out of the public eye, Turner died in her home in Switzerland at age 83 in May 2023.
Listen to “Hot For You Baby” below.

On Thursday, we found some terrific deals that our readers are going to love. For example, you have a rare opportunity to pick up Apple’s previous-generation iPad for just $199 on sale! There are also some crazy Galaxy S25 preorder deals available now that it’s been announced, of course. COSORI air fryers are 25% off, and one of the hottest new Anker power strips is down to $19.99.
This roundup has all of our favorite daily deals from Thursday, January 23.
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“Hot For You Baby” was originally meant to be included on Turner’s 1984 career-defining album

Abbott Elementary Strike Season 4 Episode 11 Editor’s Rating 4 stars * * * * « Previous Next « Previous Episode Next Episode » Photo: Gilles Mingasson/Disney
We can always count on Abbott Elementary to highlight the plight of the modern school teacher, whether through its hilarious observational comedy or whole episodes depicting the various obstacles educators face. With SEPTA workers officially on strike, the teachers must adjust to the mayhem halting public transportation causes in a school where most students rely on buses for a ride each day. It’s a strangely coincidental storyline as, in real life, Philadelphia transportation workers threatened to strike in early November before eventually reaching a deal with SEPTA for more financial security. While the fictional workers haven’t yet come to an agreement with the city in this episode, we get to see the imaginative ways Abbott’s teachers persevere for their students while paying homage to one of the best TV teachers of all time.
I continuously emphasize how well Abbott illustrates important social issues without soapboxing. There’s a deep respect for both the demographic being portrayed on screen and the intelligence of the viewers at home while also maintaining the light comedic tone of the show. Abbott has tackled learning disabilities, student accessibility, and funding inequities with incredible empathy, and tonight’s focus on the ripple effects of the SEPTA strike and the importance of safe and reliable transportation falls in line with the show’s ethos. The United States is notoriously behind in terms of optimizing the way we travel, with cars being the priority in both infrastructure and policy, yet, inefficient public transit has a detrimental impact on public health, the environment, and, of course, education. Without government support, the people operating the vehicles that make up public transportation become overworked and underpaid, leading to strikes. Abbott actually gives us a logical solution via Melissa’s sarcastic commentary regarding overhauling the city council to be union-friendly, but since politics could never be that easy, we instead watch the teachers do what they do best and get creative.
Last week, Jacob was the first person affected as the only Philadelphian immediately kicked off a bus after the union officially declared a strike, a consequence of talking the driver’s ear off. But tonight, everyone is impacted by the halt in public transportation (Morton, stuck at home because his ex took his car in the divorce despite already having one of her own, is hilarious), starting with Melissa and Barbara’s nail techs missing their standing appointment. Barbara, a woman who won’t let anything get in the way of a fresh manicure, picks up the techs from their homes and brings them to Abbott instead of the salon to prevent scabbing. Solving that issue is easy enough, but soon, student attendance takes a nosedive as many rely on the bus while their parents make their morning commute, and the school isn’t in walking distance for everyone. One of Jacob’s students actually gets up in the middle of a lesson to ensure he can walk home before the sun goes down while a mom from Janine’s class does her best to get her daughter to school, driving six miles out of the way and calling in late to work, but warns it won’t become an everyday thing.
The strike comes at the worst time for Janine, who only recently understood how important hands-on learning is for her class and is in the middle of a lesson plan that requires groups of students to represent a different planet in our solar system. Saturn is the first abandoned planet, with absolutely no students in attendance to hold up its famous rings (anyone who is into astrology knows how ironic it is that Saturn is the one forgotten; it’s not exactly the fun planet). Janine tries to hold it together with the remaining kids, but as her outer space-loving student Lilah points out, it’s not our solar system without all the planets. Lilah’s excitement about the lesson plan lights a fire under Janine’s ass to make things right, especially since, as Melissa yells through the halls in solidarity, the union workers walked away from negotiations, telling the city to “suck it.” Everyone does their best to adjust. Gregory even stands in as a cafeteria worker, but it’s obvious they need a better solution to keep everyone on track. Ava suggests remote learning, but Jacob and Barbara scoff at the idea as teaching virtually is incredibly difficult, and the school’s main source of Wi-Fi is siphoned from the routers at the neighboring deli. Jacob thinks there’s no way O’Shon will respond to a text — he says hot people are naturally terrible texters — but Ava knows that he’ll always reply to her (you better get your man, Ava!) and gets the IT support the school needs.
Pivoting to remote learning with children is as funny as you’d expect; the kindergartners are adorably chaotic while Barbara struggles with the technology; Janine’s students abuse the animal filters while erupting into giggles; and Jacob teaches to a sea of black squares as the older kids all turn off their cameras and mics. Two students in particular, Chloe from Jacob’s class and Hazel from Barbara’s are especially struggling to keep up with the adjustment. Hazel is disruptive, banging dishes and goofing off on camera, while Chloe keeps leaving the virtual sessions to handle things at home. They finally realize the girls are sisters, and Chloe, the older of the two, is tasked with simultaneously ensuring Hazel pays attention while staying on top of her own schoolwork. Together, Jacob and Barbara meet with Chloe to find a resolution that works for everyone, settling on giving Hazel extra time to play in the morning while Jacob gives Chloe an abbreviated lesson. Then, Chloe can sit with Hazel during her lesson with Barbara, assuring the little one pays attention.
Janine finds it exceptionally hard to continue her interactive lesson with half of the class participating from home, so she taps into the energy of another famous TV teacher to get her kids to school. Not wanting to disappoint a passionate Lilah by pushing back the lesson, she devises a plan to use Ava’s party bus as a mode of transportation that will allow the students to make it to school on time without anyone crossing the picket line. Bright and early, Janine channels her inner Ms. Frizzle (complete with the most darling bus-shaped barrette) and turns Ava’s party bus into a magic school bus. Sure, this bus has party lights and a stripper pole, but it gets the job done. Janine has always followed Ms. Frizzle’s legacy — Quinta once noted in an interview that Janine’s outfits reflect that she believes she’s the modern-day Ms. Frizzle — but this is the closest she’s come to truly stepping into her predecessor’s shoes. Janine beeps the tune to Vengaboys’s Six Flags song on the steering wheel horn as Melissa, who reminds us that being a scab is the “lowest piece of garbage known to Philly,” rides along to guarantee no one but students board the bus, thus keeping the strike in place.
With club hits playing over the speakers accompanied by an LED light show, Janine and Melissa spend two hours picking students up and dodging adults trying to hitch a ride. They successfully grab all the students and Janine is quick on her feet, coming up with a detour to the school to prevent disrupting any protests. The kids make it to school on time, some still wearing remnants of the party bus like a cowboy hat that says “Happy New Year,” and Janine is able to bring all her planets into orbit, creating the cutest model solar system I’ve ever seen. As Janine said, good educators go the extra mile for their kids, even if that mile is having to drive everyone back home (a thought that didn’t occur to her until the end of the episode). I know that party bus ride home was lit!
Teacher’s Notes
• There are some moments where I can just feel that the show probably included real-life quirks from the cast on the show. We know that Cheryl Lee Ralph truly mixes up celebrity names, which has made its way onto the show, but why do I feel like the moment Barbara recounts an entire story about Melissa to Melissa as if she wasn’t there is something Ralph does in real life too. It was just too perfect.
• I’m kind of obsessed with the brewing friendship between O’Shon and Gregory — can we please get a double date in the future?
• Finally, my favorite lines:
This interaction between Ava and Gregory:
Ava: “I hate bosses. That’s why I became a principal, so I don’t have any.”
Gregory: “You have bosses.”
Ava: “Point to them.”
The parent from Janine’s class on whether the city will meet the union’s demands: “Lady, this city tried to murk Santa Claus, they aren’t meeting anybody anywhere.”
Janine’s student, holding onto the pole in the party bus as Janine whips it to Abbott: “I can’t wait to be a fireman!”

No budget is going to please everyone, but Healey’s proposal represents a good starting point for discussions in the Legislature, which will analyze, fine-tune, and revise the plan in the coming months.
The $62 billion fiscal 2026 budget proposal Governor Maura Healey filed Wednesday, which calls for spending growth of 3 percent over this year, would make important investments in those areas, from child care to the MBTA.
The surtax on income over $1 million, which was approved by voters in 2022, is doing what it was intended to: pave the way for major investments in transportation and education.
The budget also reflects the challenges the state is facing — a soaring need for housing services and rising costs in areas from health care to long-term pension obligations. Healey seeks to meet those needs with several new and one-time revenue sources, including imposing the sales tax on candy and imposing a penalty for excessive drug pricing. She is also seeking savings from closing hospitals and laying off mental health workers, proposals lawmakers must carefully scrutinize to determine impacts on patient care.
Some of the biggest investments are in education and housing. Education spending includes $7.3 billion — a $420 million increase over this year — in Chapter 70 payments to school districts to reflect the fifth of six years of implementing the state’s revised school funding formula. It would continue funding universal school meals and add new programs focused on improving early literacy instruction and instituting high-dosage tutoring to compensate for pandemic-era learning loss. There’s money to halve the 20,000-person waiting list for adult English classes.
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Importantly, the budget continues investing in early childhood education, with $475 million for the C3, or Commonwealth Cares for Children, grant program, which gives money based on a formula to all of the state’s child-care providers, along with increased rates for child-care providers and an expansion of subsidized pre-kindergarten in Gateway Cities.
Healey would continue prior year investments in financial aid for public college students while proposing a new bond bill to vastly expand the money available for public college building projects.
On transportation, Healey would put a big chunk of the “millionaire’s tax” proceeds into the MBTA, which faces a large operating deficit due to lower ridership after the pandemic combined with higher costs. All told, the T would get about $1.3 billion more from the state than it currently collects from the state sales tax. Although Healey’s proposals may not fully solve the agency’s long-term needs, they will bring stability in the short term and buy time to put the T on firmer financial footing.
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Healey previously proposed major changes to the state’s overburdened emergency shelter system, including imposing a residency requirement and cutting the length of shelter stays. With the fate of those changes pending in the Legislature, Healey’s budget earmarks $325 million for emergency shelter next fiscal year, a number administration officials acknowledge will need to be boosted by supplemental funding.
Healey also wants to reduce benefits for people who receive money from the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition program, which helps low-income households avoid eviction or foreclosure and pay for utilities, from $7,000 per household over 12 months to $7,000 over 24 months. While there is a need to keep programs fiscally sustainable, cutting housing assistance when so many people are struggling to afford housing risks pushing more people into the at-capacity shelter system.
Healey’s budget also includes a proposal to eliminate renter-paid broker fees by requiring that whoever hires the broker — usually the landlord — pay the fee. Typically, brokers charge one month’s rent for services they provide. Because renters are often asked to pay two months’ rent and a security deposit up front, the addition of a broker fee can make moving cost-prohibitive. Most large cities nationwide don’t let landlords pass broker fees on to tenants, and city councilors in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville have been trying to prohibit it. Approving a statewide policy is the best way to ensure rules are consistent and tenants avoid hefty up-front payments.
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On health care, state officials are planning major staffing cuts at the Department of Mental Health. The AFL-CIO says 170 case managers will be laid off. Healey wants to close Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, which serves children with disabilities in Canton, and move those patients to a new specialty unit at Western Massachusetts Hospital in Westfield. Healey said Pappas has inadequate infrastructure to meet modern medical needs and there are only 36 patients there, half of whom are over 18 and awaiting moves to an adult facility. The administration also wants to close Pocasset Mental Health Center, a Cape Cod facility for people with serious mental illness.
The need for mental health care for children and adults has soared since the pandemic, and patients already struggle to access care. Any closure must be paired with efforts to ensure that these services are available elsewhere.
Lawmakers also need to discuss whether they are willing to raise taxes to keep the budget balanced. Healey’s budget relies on $312 million from new tax policies. In 2023, the state authorized a charitable donation tax deduction. It had no limit, but now Healey is proposing capping that deduction at $5,000 per filer. She wants to subject candy to the state sales tax, from which it is now exempt, and impose the state’s tobacco excise tax on synthetic nicotine. (A municipal-related bill Healey plans to file separately would also let cities and towns increase the local option taxes communities may charge on meals, lodging, and vehicles.) Healey also wants to penalize drug manufacturers for “excessive” drug pricing, which the state expects would bring in about $60 million.
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The governor’s budget is always a first step in a lengthy process. Healey has some good suggestions — and others lawmakers may need to reconsider.
Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion.

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!
We’re just a few days into a new Trump administration, and it’s already a firehose of executive orders, declarations, and even pardons. A few have crossed into the “future of transportation” world.
Now, first let’s be clear about executive orders. Regardless of who is president, executive orders can be political theater and often conflict directly with constitutional law. But they can be helpful signals into the priorities of the person sitting in the Oval Office.
For President Trump, it’s clear he is not a fan of EV incentives — of any kind.
Among the slew of executive orders he signed on the first day of his second term, Trump ordered all agencies to immediately pause disbursement of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He specifically called out funding for EV charging infrastructure from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program. It should be noted that Tesla — led by Trump ally Elon Musk — has benefited from these programs.
We’ll be watching — and reporting on — how this plays out and which companies are most at risk.
A little bird
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
Oh, Canoo! What you could have been. Canoo filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and has ceased all operations. We’ll be following this as it winds through bankruptcy court.
Here’s some detail you might not know: A few months before Canoo went kaput, the company shuttered its former headquarters in Los Angeles. A few little birds told us that, in the months before Canoo filed for bankruptcy, multiple employees relocated from California to the company’s offices in Oklahoma and Texas — leaving them jobless in a new location.
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com, Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com, or Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.
Deals!
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
Talk about locking in a deal at the 11th hour.
Rivian and the Department of Energy (DOE) finalized a $6.6 billion loan announced in November just a few days before Trump’s inauguration. The company will use the loan to help build out its planned factory in Georgia, east of Atlanta, with construction beginning in 2026. The first R2 SUVs are scheduled to come off the line in 2028.
The loan comes from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program, part of the DOE’s Loan Programs Office. ATVM is most well-known as the program that gave Tesla a $465 million lifeline in 2009.
Other deals that got my attention …
Ati Motors, an Indian autonomous robotics startup, raised $20 million in an all-equity Series B funding round co-led by Walden Catalyst Ventures and NGP Capital. It also featured existing investors, including True Ventures, Exfinity Venture Partners, Athera Venture Partners, and Blume Ventures.
Lyteflo, a Canadian EV software sales startup, raised $3 million in seed funding led by Diagram. Whitecap Venture Partners and Amplify Capital also participated.
Metafuels, a Swiss aviation fuel startup, raised $9 million in a round led by Celsius Industries. Other new investors include RockCreek, Fortescue Ventures, and Verve Ventures, with existing backers Energy Impact Partners and Contrarian Ventures also participating.
Moment Energy, an EV battery repurposing startup, raised $15 million in a Series A round co-led by Amazon Climate Pledge Fund and Voyager Ventures. In-Q-Tel (IQT), Version One Ventures, Overture Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, Fika Ventures, MCJ, One Small Planet, and Climate Capital also participated.
Netradyne, which provides fleet owners with AI-enabled dash cams that collect vehicle data and video to improve driver safety, raised $90 million in a Series D round at a pre-money valuation of $1.35 billion. The round was led by Point72 Private Investments with participation from Qualcomm Ventures and Pavilion Capital.
Voltpost, the lamppost EV charging company, secured $2.6 million in grant funding from the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and the Communities Taking Charge Accelerator to deploy 75 chargers across the tri-state region —New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
ADAS
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation “upgraded” its investigation into Ford’s hands-free advanced driver-assistance system known as BlueCruise — a required step before a recall can be issued.
Autonomous vehicles
Torc Robotics, the independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, is closing its original testing location in Albuquerque and tech hub in Stuttgart while expanding elsewhere. The company is building out an autonomous truck hub in the Dallas-Forth Worth area, specifically in the Hillwood AllianceTexas development. The company said the Texas location will be a hub for autonomous testing, customer freight pilots, and future commercialization slated for 2027.
Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries
UBCO, the New Zealand-based electric motorcycle startup, has gone into receivership. The startup, which recently signed a deal with Australia Post to provide a new fleet of custom electric motorbikes, has ceased all operations due to the lack of available funding.
In-car tech
The Federal Trade Commission issued a proposed order to ban GM — and its subscription-based in-vehicle safety and security system known as OnStar — from selling such data to consumer reporting agencies for five years. The proposed order stems from allegations that GM collected, used, and sold drivers’ precise geolocation data and driving behavior information from millions of vehicles without adequately notifying consumers and obtaining their consent.
Two security researchers (hackers) found a way to remotely unlock, start, and track millions of Subarus. The Japanese automaker has since fixed the vulnerabilities.
Space and future of flight
OK, space isn’t transportation really. But I will occasionally include space stories of note because there is some overlap with the industries. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration had to “briefly” slow and divert a number of aircraft in the airspace near Puerto Rico, where debris was seen falling after SpaceX’s Starship exploded during a test flight last Thursday.
Meanwhile, in other air-related matters, Amazon paused testing of its delivery drones following a crash involving two of its models.
This week’s wheels
Image Credits:Sean O’Kane
While I was running around Las Vegas during CES 2025, I spotted a social media post from Lucid. The EV maker was in Vegas and offering rides in its all-new Lucid Gravity SUV.
I spent about an hour with the Lucid Gravity SUV, which just went into production last month. I have a longer review coming in the next few days, but here’s a sneak peek: Lucid nails the interior. It’s roomy, it’s luxurious, and it has lots of details that reflect the progression of Lucid. The company, it seems, is maturing.
Here is another curious impression. When I stood outside the vehicle, it didn’t quite feel or look like an SUV. Nor did it feel big. And yet, as soon as I climbed inside this third-row EV, the spaciousness was hard to ignore. More to come!
What is “This week’s wheels”? It’s a chance to learn about the different transportation products we’re testing, whether it’s an electric or hybrid car, an e-bike, or even a ride in an autonomous vehicle.

WASHINGTON — A federal task force has released its final report on trucking lease-purchase programs and recommended to Congress an action proposed at the task force’s first meeting in 2023: an all-out ban on such programs.
The 51-page report, issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Truck Leasing Task Force (TLTF), was sent to Congress and to the U.S. transportation and labor departments on Friday.
The task force was created by the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate the prevalence of contracts drawn up by trucking companies to purposely take advantage of drivers.
“TLTF’s findings are clear. It formed a consensus to recommend that such arrangements, whereby a motor carrier controls the work, compensation, and debts of the driver should be prohibited,” the report states.

In addition to her annual budget proposal, Healey aides said she will also file a separate supplemental spending plan that seeks to spend roughly $1.3 billion in surplus millionaires tax revenue, most of which would flow to the MBTA.
The spending proposal begins putting dollars behind various pledges Healey has made in recent days, including promises to bolster transportation funding and dedicate more money to construction on state college campuses . Healey seeks to accomplish these goals largely by leaning on revenue generated by the state’s so-called millionaires tax .
Governor Maura Healey on Wednesday released a $62 billion budget plan that would plow hundreds of millions of new funding into the MBTA and reshape parts of the state’s tax code to accommodate growing state spending, changes that including hiking what residents would pay for candy.
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Overall, Healey aides said she is seeking to increase spending by 2.6 percent over the current fiscal year, not including the nearly $2 billion the plan would use in millionaires tax revenue. State officials said the proposal relies on similar levels of federal funding that the state has previously received, and does not try to estimate any potential changes the feds could make in the wake of President Trump retaking the White House.
The proposal would cover the fiscal year beginning July 1, and would need legislative approval to take effect.
Here are some of the bill’s major elements:
Tax changes
Healey, who signed a wide-ranging tax relief package in 2023, said on Tuesday she was not seeking to raise taxes while proposing to borrow billions of dollars to help fund various transit and higher education proposals.
“Hell no. No, no, no, no, no,” Healey told reporters, saying the plans called for using revenue the state already had. “I’m the CEO of the state. I gotta run the state like a business.”
Her budget, however, includes several notable changes that could mean residents are paying more in taxes, or seeing smaller tax returns. Healey is seeking to limit what taxpayers could claim under a state charitable tax deduction that was implemented in 2023 after decades of delays and is not currently capped. She is proposing to limit individual taxpayers to claims up to $5,000 and joint filers up to $10,000, changes that would save the state an estimated $164 million, according to officials.
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Healey is also proposing to subject candy to the state sale’s tax; it’s currently exempt. The move would generate $25 million for the state, her administration estimates. Plus, her administration argues, “incentivizing” candy purchases by not subjecting it to the sales tax “does not align with our public health goals, especially for our youth.”
The budget plan would also subject synthetic nicotine products to the state’s tobacco excise tax, and close what state officials called a series of “loopholes” elsewhere in the tax code, generating roughly $145 million in new revenue for the state.
Healey aides said she is also planning to refile separate legislation next week that would allow towns and cities to raise their own local taxes on hotel stays, cars, and meals.
Millionaires tax spending
The budget plan distributes $1.95 billion the state is expecting to collect from the state’s millionaires tax, including using $275 million for daycare provider grants known as C3 grants.
Healey also wants to use $225 million of the millionaires tax revenue to fund increases to the state’s K-12 schools. In all, Healey is proposing to send $420 million more to local school districts under the state’s school funding formula, pushing school aid to $7.3 billion.
This is the first time, however, that she’s seeking to cover increased spending for K-12 aid through the millionaires tax.
The budget would also keep funding for other initiatives, including universal free meals in the state’s schools and to allow every resident to attend a Massachusetts community college tuition-free.
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The governor’s budget also would send $500 million in millionaires tax revenue to the MBTA, nearly quadrupling the state subsidy it got in this year’s budget. Combined with another $780 million Healey wants to dedicate to the T from the millionaires tax, the transit agency would see a nearly $1.3 billion infusion on top of the share of the state’s sales tax it already collects.
Shelter and housing
One of the key savings proposals Healey’s office highlighted in the budget was making cuts to what residents could collect under an assistance program for families facing eviction — just months after a state commission recommended to continue supporting the program amid Massachusetts’ housing crisis.
Healey is seeking to change how much money families can receive through the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition, or RAFT, program, which helps provide funds to struggling families to prevent them from being evicted. The budget calls to change what a family can receive from its current rate of $7,000 over a 12-month period to $7,000 over 24 months. Officials said the change could save the state $40 million.
Massachusetts’ commission on Emergency Housing Assistance Programs in the fall recommended the state should emphasize prevention, diversion, and exit tools, pointing to RAFT as one such program that can “help families avoid harmful and destabilizing evictions.”
That suggestion was one of several that the commission issued in November to tackle the $1 billion emergency housing system’s heightened costs, driven in part by a surge of migrants coming into Massachusetts.
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Healey is proposing to give the same amount of funding for the state’s emergency shelter system — $325 million — as in previous years, though Healey’s budget chief acknowledged the state would likely have to again seek more money later in the year to keep the program funded.
Healey earlier this month sought a series of changes to the state’s right-to-shelter law that, combined with a proposal to limit families to six months in shelters, officials hope will drive down costs below the $1 billion the state is expected to spend this year on the system.
Matt Stout can be reached at matt.stout@globe.com. Follow him @mattpstout. Anjali Huynh can be reached at anjali.huynh@globe.com.

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will begin deploying as many as 1,500 active-duty troops to help secure the southern border in the coming days, U.S. officials said Wednesday, putting in motion plans President Donald Trump laid out in executive orders shortly after he took office to crack down on immigration.
Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses was expected to sign the deployment orders Wednesday, but it wasn’t clear which troops or units will go, and the total could fluctuate. It remains to be seen if they will end up doing law enforcement, which would put American troops in a dramatically different role for the first time in decades.
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The active-duty forces would join roughly 2,500 U.S. National Guard and Reserve forces already there. There are currently no active-duty troops working along the roughly 2,000-mile border.
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The troops are expected to be used to support Border Patrol agents, with logistics, transportation and construction of barriers. They have done similar duties in the past, when both Trump and former President Joe Biden sent active-duty troops to the border.
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Troops are prohibited by law from doing law enforcement duties under the Posse Comitatus Act, but that may change. Trump has directed, through executive order, the incoming secretary of defense and incoming homeland security chief to report back within 90 days if they think the 1807 Insurrection Act should be invoked. That would allow troops to be used in civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil.
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The last time the act was invoked was in 1992 during rioting in Los Angeles in protest of the acquittal of four police officers charged with beating Rodney King.
The widely expected deployment, coming in Trump’s first week in office, was an early step in his long-touted plan to expand the use of the military along the border. In one of his first orders Monday, Trump directed the defense secretary to come up with a plan to “seal the borders” and repel “unlawful mass migration.”
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On Tuesday, just as Trump fired the Coast Guard commandant, Adm. Linda Fagan, the service announced it was sending more cutter ships, aircraft and personnel to the “Gulf of America” — a nod to the president’s directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
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Trump said during his inaugural address on Monday that “I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places in which they came.”
Military personnel have been sent to the border almost continuously since the 1990s to help address migration. drug trafficking and transnational crime.
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In executive orders signed Monday, Trump suggested the military would help the Department of Homeland Security with “detention space, transportation (including aircraft), and other logistics services.”
There are about 20,000 Border Patrol agents, and while the southern border is where most are located, they’re also responsible for protecting the northern border with Canada. Usually agents are tasked with looking for drug smugglers or people trying to enter the country undetected.
More recently, however, they have had to deal with migrants seeking out Border Patrol officers to get refuge in America — taxing the agency’s staff.
In his first term, Trump ordered active-duty troops to the border in response to a caravan of migrants slowly making its way through Mexico toward the United States in 2018. More than 7,000 active-duty troops were sent to Texas, Arizona and California, including military police, an assault helicopter battalion, various communications, medical and headquarters units, combat engineers, planners and public affairs units.
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At the time, the Pentagon insisted active-duty troops would not do law enforcement. They spent much of their time transporting Border Patrol agents to and along the border, helping them erect additional vehicle barriers and fencing along the border, assisting them with communications and providing some security for border agent camps.
The military also provided Border Patrol agents with medical care, packaged meals and temporary housing.
It’s also not clear if the Trump administration will order the military to use bases to house detained migrants.
Bases previously have been used for that purpose, and after the 2021 fall of Kabul to the Taliban, they were used to host thousands of Afghan evacuees. The facilities struggled to support the influx.
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In 2018, then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis ordered Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, to prepare to house as many as 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children, but the additional space ultimately wasn’t needed and Goodfellow was determined not to have the infrastructure necessary to support the surge.
In March 2021, the Biden administration greenlighted using property at Fort Bliss, Texas, for a detention facility to provide beds for up to 10,000 unaccompanied migrant children as border crossings increased from Mexico.
The facility, operated by DHS, was quickly overrun, with far too few case managers for the thousands of children who arrived, exposure to extreme weather and dust and unsanitary conditions, a 2022 inspector general report found.
By LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP with The Associated Press. Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.

The third TGL match of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s simulator golf league featured something the first two did not: competitiveness. While the opening weeks drew oohs and aahs from fans observing the new technology, Woods’ absurd(ly great) walkout and hilariously bad golf shots courtesy of Kevin Kisner, this week’s bout between the Atlanta Drive Golf Club and New York Golf Club relied more on the gameplay as the former defeated the latter 4 to 0 for the first shutout in league history.
Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay and Billy Horschel represented Atlanta; they grabbed the lead over Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young on the first hole of triples. Only one more point was awarded across the final eight holes of the first session as Atlanta doubled its lead heading into the six holes of singles.
The advantage doubled again soon after the transition as Thomas and Cantlay quickly claimed points for their team. Up four points with four holes to play, Atlanta sat on the hammer and guaranteed at least a tie in the overall match. However, once the two squads tied another hole in singles, Atlanta’s victory was official and New York was sent to the bottom of the season-long standings with an 0-2 record.
Let’s look at three takeaways from the third week of TGL as we look at how the league can improve moving forward.
More aggressive gameplay needed
For the first time in as many weeks, a hammer was not thrown. In Atlanta’s possession at the onset of the match, the hammer stayed in Thomas’ back pocket for the entirety of the match — well, up until he tossed it to the side knowing he would not be using it. For a fun, laidback, seriously unserious golf exhibition, the lack of usage of arguably the league’s most interesting piece of game play is lame. Get the fans involved, increase the stakes and get points on the board. While we like defensive struggles at the U.S. Open and other major championships, we don’t when it comes to a simulator golf league.
Firmer conditions
The stickiness and slowness of the golf course on the simulator is infuriating for fans looking for something different. Golf balls should be bouncing around like a pinball machine; instead, the conditions make it so players have little to worry about once the ball reaches the technological part of the gameplay. With firmer and faster conditions, which can be as firm and fast as the league wishes considering it’s not an actual golf course, players would have more to think about and fans would have more to cheer and boo about.
Fewer on-course reports
The banter was largely carried by Thomas and Horschel, the result of which was some dead air time filled with on-course reports. These do not add much, and they actually robbed viewers of a potentially cool moment when Cantlay was explaining the expected value of the hammer to Thomas. Instead, the conversation was cut off early. Forget analysis on the trophy color or what went into Horschel’s decision to dance down the tunnel; golf shots and players talking about said golf shots — that’s what golf fans really want.

CNN —
It’s customary for the Champions League to overdeliver on drama but rarely quite like Tuesday night’s game in Lisbon.
The thrilling match between Benfica and Barcelona featured nine goals, a sensational comeback, and some of the most calamitous defending the competition has seen so far. After all that, it was Barça which triumphed 5-4 in the breathless encounter and booked a spot in the knockout stages of the competition, though a late and controversial refereeing decision allowed the winning goal to stand.
Leading 4-2 with 12 minutes left to play, Benfica looked on course for a crucial victory to boost its chances of reaching the latter stages of the competition. But a second penalty from Robert Lewandowski, a header from Eric García and a counter-attacking move finished off by Raphinha in the 96th minute saw the Blaugrana mount an astonishing comeback, somehow snatching a sixth Champions League win this season.
Benfica’s players, meanwhile, were left fuming at Raphinha’s goal being allowed to stand. Moments before, Fermín López appeared to have pushed Leandro Barreiro in the back inside Barça’s box, but a VAR review determined that no penalty should be awarded. The goal was allowed to stand, bringing a frantic game to an abrupt conclusion.
“The mentality of the team, how they always believe in themselves, this is good to see,” Barcelona manager Hansi Flick told reporters. “It’s unbelievable. I was very happy with a point, but at end with three, of course it’s much better.”
Unsurprisingly, Benfica manager Bruno Lage had an entirely different reaction, shouting and gesticulating at his players as they gathered on the pitch after the match.
Eric García scores Barça’s fourth goal against Benfica. Rodrigo Antunes/Reuters
It took the home side just two minutes to take the lead when Vangelis Pavlidis fired in from close range, but that was soon canceled out by Lewandowski’s first penalty of the game after Tomás Araújo stood on the foot of Alejandro Balde.
Two Benfica goals followed in the half, the first after a calamitous error from Barça goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny – rushing off his line, missing the ball and colliding with Balde – allowed Pavlidis to run the ball into an open net.
The Greek international completed his hat-trick inside half an hour from the penalty spot after Szczęsny, who was having a match to forget, once again came off his line and failed to deal with a loose ball.
Fortunately for the Spanish giants, both keepers would gift goals to the opposition. In a bizarre moment midway through the second half, Anatoliy Trubin hit a clearance straight into Raphinha’s head, leaving the crowd in stunned silence as the ball ricocheted into the net.
That made it 3-2 before a further defensive mistake – this time when Barça defender Ronald Araújo prodded the ball into his own net – restored Benfica’s two-goal lead.
But the game’s most dramatic turns were still to come. Lewandowski scored a second penalty – his 103rd goal in the Champions League – to put the comeback in sight for Barcelona, and the Catalans equalized when Pedri looped a perfect cross onto the head of García.
With rain pouring down inside the Estádio da Luz, Benfica pressed hard to find the winning goal. But in doing so – and with a penalty decision not forthcoming – Raphinha was able to expose the home team’s sparse rear-guard efforts, turning inside a defender and hammering in a dramatic winner.
Though already likely to reach the last 16 of this season’s Champions League, a victory guaranteed that Barça will automatically qualify for the next round. The competition’s new format sees the top eight teams go straight into the knockout stages, while the next 16 teams enter a playoff system for the next eight spots.
Having dropped behind rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid in La Liga, Barcelona fans will be hoping for a strong run in Europe to rejuvenate their season.
Liverpool maintains perfect record
Elsewhere, Liverpool continued its faultless start to the revamped Champions League with a 2-1 victory against French side Lille.
Mohamed Salah scored the 50th European goal of his Liverpool career – a neat, first-time finish from Curtis Jones’ through-ball – before failing to convert an arguably more straightforward chance at the end of the first half.
The miss seemed not to matter with the Reds controlling the game, and the home side remained on course for victory when Les Dogues defender Aïssa Mandi was sent off for a second yellow card. But Lille rallied and produced an unlikely equalizer minutes later through Jonathan David’s strike, the Canadian’s fifth Champions League goal this season.
Salah celebrates his 50th European goal for Liverpool. Jon Super/AP
A draw would have been only a very minor blip in Liverpool’s otherwise excellent European campaign, yet Harvey Elliott’s deflected shot ensured that the Reds’ winning streak continued under Arne Slot.
According to Opta, the Dutchman is the second manager to win his first seven Champions League games with a club after Flick with Bayern Munich between 2019 and 2021.
The victory guarantees Liverpool a spot in the last 16, though Barcelona’s late win means that the top spot in the league phase is still up for grabs.
Tuesday’s Champions League results
Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa
Atalanta 5-0 Sturm Graz
Atlético Madrid 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Benfica 4-5 Barcelona
Red Star Belgrade 2-3 PSV
Liverpool 2-1 Lille
Club Brugge 0-0 Juventus
Slovan Bratislava 1-3 Stuttgart
Bologna 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

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Nvidia has expressed confidence that the infamous melting issues with the 12VHPWR power connectors, which plagued some RTX 40-series GPUs, will not recur with its next-generation RTX 50-series lineup.
As reported by QuasarZone, during the Nvidia RTX AI Day 2025 event in South Korea, Nvidia representatives assured attendees that the overheating and melting issues experienced with the RTX 4090’s 12VHPWR connector have been resolved in the RTX 50 series. “We don’t expect that to happen with the RTX 50 series. We made some changes to the connector to respond to the issue at the time, and we know that it is not happening now, about two years later,” said an Nvidia representative.
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The 12VHPWR connector, also known as the PCIe 5.0 16-pin power connector, first debuted with the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 GPUs. While it offered compactness and support for high power delivery of up to 600W, it quickly became controversial due to reports of overheating and melting GPUs. Investigations revealed that improper connector seating was a primary cause of these issues. Nvidia and its partners implemented guidelines to ensure proper usage, but user concerns persisted.
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Eventually, minor tweaks were implemented to introduce the 12V-2×6 connector. The new connector has the same layout and design as the 12VHPWR, but the smaller sensing pins were shortened by 0.1mm, while the conducting terminals extended by 0.15mm. These adjustments are said to enhance the cable’s ability to establish a secure connection, ensuring a safe and reliable power delivery. It is also backwards compatible with 12VHPWR, which mitigates the need for newer cables.
For the upcoming RTX 50-series GPUs, which have increased TGPs of up to 575W for the RTX 5090, Nvidia claims to have taken proactive steps to eliminate these issues. While we take Nvidia’s word on that, we would suggest using modern PSUs compliant with the ATX 3.1 standard, which includes native support for the newer 12V-2×6 connector.

ST. JOSEPH (WJON News) — A docuseries titled

Louis Vuitton
On Tuesday, we received another glimpse into Pharrell William’s fantastical universe at the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall/Winter 2025 show. A surprise announcement that Pharrell and Nigo collaborated on the collection was an exciting injection of fashion news to start everyone’s morning. What ensued was a vast myriad of intentional clothing and accessories. Streetwear inclinations were at the core of the collection. Slim-fitting trousers, sleek leather pieces, and newly designed accessories went down the runway. Some of the most compelling pieces included outerwear: leather varsity jackets, an intentionally designed bomber jacket, and a modern parka.
The fusion of Dandyism and streetwear was the most interesting takeway from the line–these design codes were displayed heavily. Though this has been a recurring theme the FW25 show made this notion even more profound. For instance, suiting, workwear and sportswear were the strongest components that the collection was comprised of. The cuts and silhouettes keenly leaned into a modern lane too. To bring all of these elements to life many items were tailored with the idea that they’d be worn casually, cropped cuts and re-imaginations in leather made the previously mentioned ideal clear.
Below take a quick look at what stood out to most at Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection.
What was ESSENCE’s favorite part of the show?
Louis Vuitton
As soon as I saw look 32 I immediately thought of a denim FUBU graffiti-inspired jacket I previously bought in college and wore for countless years. Since streetwear played such a large role in the collection, it’s clear that FUBU might’ve been a source of inspiration for some street-centric looks by Nigo and Pharrell. This entire look which featured a pair of matching denim pants was one of my favorites from the show.
What were the staple looks?
Louis Vuitton
One staple look consisted of a workwear jacket similar to the trending barn jacket in a millennial pink hue. A pair of well-cut denim jeans were paired with the jacket, and a pair of oversized leopard print shoes, the LV Yeti were also worn. Next up, a chic look that consisted of a blazer that was a bit cropped was worn with a pair of bootcut jeans in a contrasting hue. Another look that was stellar included a leather suit in black.
What were the accessories like?
Louis Vuitton
Standout bags included the Speedy which appeared in yuzu yellow, sencha green, and sakura pink. Additionally, the Speedy appeared in an indigo blue edition dyed according to Japanese tradition, and a golden edition with a white monogram was created to evoke kinsugi pottery.
Who was in attendance?
Louis Vuitton
Attendees includes the rappers No Malice and Pusha T in addition to Idris Elba, Sabrina Elba, Travis Scott, Shaboozey, Future, Victor Wembanyama, A$AP Nast, and more.
What was the music like?
The soundtrack for the presentation consisted of an opening featuring Nobuo Uematsu’s “One-Winged Angel (Final Fantasy VII)” performed by L’Orchestre du Pont Neuf, and it featured three original tracks produced by Pharrell including SEVENTEEN’s “Bad Influence”, The Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s chart-topping hit “Timeless”, and the debut of “LV Bag” by Don Toliver and j-hope.

President Donald Trump moved quickly to remake the Department of Homeland Security Tuesday, firing the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard before their terms are up and eliminated all the members of a key aviation security advisory group.
Trump’s immigration policy changes drew the most attention at Homeland Security, but he is also making changes at the rest of the massive agency.
Members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee received a memo Tuesday saying that the department is eliminating the membership of all advisory committees as part of a “commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security.”
The aviation security committee, which was mandated by Congress after the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, will technically continue to exist but it won’t have any members to carry out the work of examining safety issues at airlines and airports. Before Tuesday, the group included representatives of all the key groups in the industry — including the airlines and major unions — as well as members of a group associated with the victims of the PanAm 103 bombing. The vast majority of the group’s recommendations were adopted over the years.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many other committees were effectively eliminated Tuesday or whether other departments will take similar actions. A similar safety group advises the Federal Railroad Administration on new rules and safety issues in that industry.
“I naively thought, ‘oh they’re not going to do anything in the new administration, to put security at risk — aviation security at risk.’ But I’m not so sure,” said Stephanie Bernstein, whose husband was killed in the bombing and served on the committee.
The future of the committee remains unclear because Homeland Security officials didn’t respond Tuesday to questions about the move. The memo that announced the terminations said that future committee activities will be focused on “advancing our critical mission to protect the homeland and support DHS’s strategic priorities” but the group has no members.
Adding to Bernstein’s concern is the fact that TSA Administrator David Pekoske was fired even though he was originally appointed by Trump during his first term and was in the middle of what was supposed to be Pekoske’s second five-year term in the job.
Pekoske oversaw the army of airport security workers who screen passengers to help keep flights safe. But a recent string of stowaways discovered onboard flights and hiding inside wheel wells of planes renewed questions about aviation security.
The firing of Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan eliminated the armed forces’ first female service chief who had served since 2022. That move was met with shock by some Democratic members of Congress. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, credited Fagan with having a commitment to fixing a decades-long culture of sexual assault within the Coast Guard and the prestigious service academy in Connecticut.
Cantwell said during a Tuesday interview on CNN that Fagan’s firing is “appalling.”
Under Fagan’s watch, the U.S. Coast Guard apologized in 2023 for not taking “appropriate action” years ago when it failed to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the academy. The service also acknowledged it did not widely disclose its six-year internal investigation into dozens of cases from 1988 to 2006, known as Operation Fouled Anchor.
Last year, however, Fagan received bipartisan criticism for not being cooperative enough with congressional investigations into the abuse. She tried to assure skeptical and frustrated senators at one hearing she was not trying to cover up the branch’s failure to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the academy and said she was committed to “transparency and accountability” within the Coast Guard while also abiding by the constraints of an ongoing government watchdog investigation and victim privacy concerns.
Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., who district includes the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut said Fagan provided “a fundamental change in Coast Guard leadership” and has worked to rebuild trust and correct the persistent sexual misconduct problems facing the service.
“President Trump’s unprecedented decision on day one to fire a service chief ahead of her scheduled departure is an abuse of power that slanders the good name and record of Admiral Fagan,” Courtney said in a statement.
Courtney noted, under Fagan’s leadership, the Coast Guard exceeded its 2024 recruitment goal for the first time since 2017, interdicted over $2.5 billion in illegal drugs from bad actors in 2024 and demonstrated an aggressive commitment to countering adversaries in the Artic by championing the ICE Pact to speed up production of new icebreaker vessels, which the US has not built in nearly 50 years.
“The Commandant’s outstanding record completely negates the President’s demonstrably false claims and signals his enduring interest to put politics over the best interest of our servicemembers and national security.”
In addition to those firings, Trump will also appoint a new administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency who he has criticized harshly for the way it responded to disasters like Hurricane Helene last fall and the California wildfires. It is customary for the head of that agency to be replaced every time a new president takes office.
Associated Press Writers Susan Haigh and Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump moved quickly to remake the Department of Homeland Security Tuesday, firing the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard before their terms are up and eliminated all the members of a key aviation security advisory group.
Trump’s immigration policy changes drew the most attention at DHS, but he is also making changes at the rest of the massive agency.
Members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee received a memo Tuesday saying that the department is eliminating the membership of all advisory committees as part of a “commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security.”
The aviation security committee, which was mandated by Congress after the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, will technically continue to exist but it won’t have any members to carry out the work of examining safety issues at airlines and airports. Before Tuesday, the group included representatives of all the key groups in the industry — including the airlines and major unions — as well as members of a group associated with the victims of the PanAm 103 bombing. The vast majority of the group’s recommendations were adopted over the years.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many other committees were effectively eliminated Tuesday or whether other departments will take similar actions. A similar safety group advises the Federal Railroad Administration on new rules and safety issues in that industry.
“I naively thought, ‘oh they’re not going to do anything in the new administration, to put security at risk — aviation security at risk.’ But I’m not so sure,” said Stephanie Bernstein, whose husband was killed in the bombing and served on the committee.
The future of the committee remains unclear because DHS officials didn’t respond Tuesday to questions about the move. The memo that announced the terminations said that future committee activities will be focused on “advancing our critical mission to protect the homeland and support DHS’s strategic priorities” but the group has no members.
Adding to Bernstein’s concern is the fact that TSA Administrator David Pekoske was fired even though he was originally appointed by Trump during his first term and was in the middle of what was supposed to be Pekoske’s second five-year term in the job after he was reappointed by Biden and confirmed by the Senate.
No reason was given for Pekoske’s departure. But in an unrelated news release Tuesday about the restarting of a program, which is often referred to as “Remain in Mexico,” DHS highlighted Pekoske’s role in attempting to terminate the policy at a time when he was acting secretary at the beginning of the Biden administration. Pekoske held the acting post before Alejandro Mayorkas was confirmed by the Senate.
In his letter to staff Pekoske called his job the “honor of a lifetime.”
During Pekoske’s tenure he oversaw a rapid increase in the use of facial recognition technology at airports across the country which concerned privacy advocates. During his tenure, frontline TSA officers also received substantial pay raises designed to bring them in line with other federal law enforcement officers, which Pekoske credited with helping with hiring and retention.
But a recent string of stowaways discovered onboard flights and hiding inside wheel wells of planes renewed questions about aviation security.
The firing of Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan eliminated the armed forces’ first female service chief who had served since 2022. That move was met with shock by some Democratic members of Congress. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, credited Fagan with having a commitment to fixing a decades-long culture of sexual assault within the Coast Guard and the prestigious service academy in Connecticut.
Cantwell said during a Tuesday interview on CNN that Fagan’s firing is “appalling.”
Under Fagan’s watch, the U.S. Coast Guard apologized in 2023 for not taking “appropriate action” years ago when it failed to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the academy. The service also acknowledged it did not widely disclose its six-year internal investigation into dozens of cases from 1988 to 2006, known as Operation Fouled Anchor.
Last year, however, Fagan received bipartisan criticism for not being cooperative enough with congressional investigations into the abuse. She tried to assure skeptical and frustrated senators at one hearing she was not trying to cover up the branch’s failure to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the academy and said she was committed to “transparency and accountability” within the Coast Guard while also abiding by the constraints of an ongoing government watchdog investigation and victim privacy concerns.
Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., who district includes the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut said Fagan provided “a fundamental change in Coast Guard leadership” and has worked to rebuild trust and correct the persistent sexual misconduct problems facing the service.
“President Trump’s unprecedented decision on day one to fire a service chief ahead of her scheduled departure is an abuse of power that slanders the good name and record of Admiral Fagan,” Courtney said in a statement.
Courtney noted, under Fagan’s leadership, the Coast Guard exceeded its 2024 recruitment goal for the first time since 2017, interdicted over $2.5 billion in illegal drugs from bad actors in 2024 and demonstrated an aggressive commitment to countering adversaries in the Artic by championing the ICE Pact to speed up production of new icebreaker vessels, which the US has not built in nearly 50 years.
“The Commandant’s outstanding record completely negates the President’s demonstrably false claims and signals his enduring interest to put politics over the best interest of our servicemembers and national security.”
In addition to those firings, Trump will also appoint a new administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency who he has criticized harshly for the way it responded to disasters like Hurricane Helene last fall and the California wildfires. It is customary for the head of that agency to be replaced every time a new president takes office.
____
Associated Press Writers Susan Haigh and Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.

SANTA CRUZ — An executive order issued by newly sworn-in President Donald Trump has jeopardized a federal grant the city of Santa Cruz planned to use to install dozens of electric vehicle charging stations across the county, a city official told the Sentinel Tuesday.
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Opinion: The case for killing the tax credit for electric vehicles Technology | Uncertainty over Trump’s electric vehicle policies clouds 2025 forecast for carmakers This month, U.S. Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Jimmy Panetta announced they had helped secure more than $14.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration that was expected to go toward the installation of electric vehicle charging ports at 44 sites across Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, including in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Aptos, Scotts Valley and Boulder Creek.
But Tiffany Wise-West, Santa Cruz’s sustainability and resiliency officer and the project lead, said in an email that Trump’s “Unleashing American Energy” executive order, signed Monday, could end up pulling the plug on those plans.
Wise-West wrote that city staff is “evaluating an executive order signed (Monday) by the new president that unfortunately puts the certainty of the funding into question.”
Section 7 of the order titled “Terminating the Green New Deal,” which was introduced by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2021 but never made it out of various House subcommittees, instructs all agencies to immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. According to the order, this includes but is not limited to funds for electric vehicle charging stations made available through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program that funded the Santa Cruz initiative.
In a statement shared with the Sentinel Tuesday, Lofgren was clear about her thoughts on the notion that Trump could interfere with the dispersal of funds approved by a previous Congress.
“The President does not have the authority to impound funds that Congress has appropriated — it is entirely unconstitutional,” said Lofgren. “With that being said, I understand the confusion and concern that Republicans in Congress — with Trump’s encouragement — could, in a future reconciliation package, try to rescind the money that originally passed with strong bipartisan support. My staff and I will continue to monitor funding coming to California’s 18th District and work to prevent any unlawful withholding of federal funding for our communities.”
Last week, Lofgren and Panetta shared a joint statement praising the environmental benefits of the grant.
“As the threat of climate change becomes more severe, it is important to make investments that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment,” Lofgren and Panetta said. “Thanks to this federal funding, the City of Santa Cruz will be able to increase access to EV charging infrastructure for residents and visitors alike. Even when there is partisan talk questioning the climate crisis, we vow to continue following sound science and supporting the allocation of federal resources for sustainable projects that boost our local economies.”
In an updated comment shared Tuesday, Panetta also pledged to fight any effort to block funding previously promised by Congress.
“An overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress recognized the need to build out our nation’s infrastructure, including EV charging stations, when we passed into law the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Panetta. “Fortunately, Congress has the power of the purse in the federal government and a change of Administration doesn’t change that fact. Together, we will continue to fight back against any attempts to withhold federal funding and I will continue my fight for federal investment in our home.”
Executive orders aside, Wise-West confirmed that the project is a multiyear effort and “while the grant award has been announced, we have not yet received the contract from the federal government. It is anticipated these EV chargers won’t likely be installed for another two to three years.”
According to the electric vehicle charging station mapping website PlugShare, there are already 117 charging stations in Santa Cruz, 71 in Watsonville, 36 in Capitola and Scotts Valley has 26.
The same day he signed the “Unleashing American Energy” order, Trump approved another executive order directing the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, echoing a similar instruction issued when he was first elected in 2016. The 2015 international climate pact has a goal of limiting long-term global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels.
Earlier this month, weather monitoring agencies reported that 2024 was Earth’s hottest year ever recorded. Four international weather agencies reported that the Earth surpassed the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal for the first time for an entire year.

WASHINGTON — While global transportation transitions to a cleaner future fueled by alternative power sources, North American railroads have fewer good options outside of diesel fuel.
“We love diesel; we like to take showers in diesel,” joked Michael Nicoletti, a partner at Innovative Rail Technologies (IRT), at “Toward Zero Emissions in Rail: Lessons Learned,” a panel discussion held at the Transportation Research Board’s 124th annual meeting here.
Nicoletti’s observation underscored a fundamental truth about freight railroading as it’s configured in the United States: No cheap, easily produced substance packs the same power per molecule as the fractional distillate of petroleum fuel oil refined for use in diesel engines.
That’s why an estimated 42,000 locomotives compliant with Federal Railway Administration regulations, and many more non-FRA units, run on diesel.
But, there’s a catch.
Emissions from diesel exhaust produced by locomotives, trucks and ships cause as many as 30,000 premature deaths each year. A decades-long global movement has succeeded in achieving substantial reductions in diesel emissions and given birth to an alternative fuel industry that is taking aim at perhaps the most problematic mode — rail.
“There are virtually no current standards that exist that are directly applicable to zero-emissions (ZE) equipment on rail,” said Marcin Taraskiewicz, rail and transit vehicle technology lead for HDR. While standards do exist for other applications of ZE energy sources for other industries, he said those standards aren’t always fully, or even partly, applicable for rail use.
Rail standards are still years away, Taraskiewicz said, and as the technology matures as-yet-unforeseen requirements may need to be defined in the future. No current regulations exist to govern the design and use of ZE equipment; such regulations tend to be rooted in past experience that in and of itself is lacking due to the absence of its use in significant numbers. Those difficulties are compounded since regulations lean on relevant standards, which still don’t exist for the technology.
Taraskiewicz said risk analysis is the main path forward to gain regulatory approval to operate ZE equipment.
Few manufacturers produce equipment such as batteries, fuel cells and hydrogen tanks for use in rail. Components are typically repurposed from marine, automotive or industrial applications for rail use. Testing and validation are required to demonstrate the suitability of these components in the rail environment covering shock and vibration, temperature extremes, duty cycles, and fire safety.
The choice of ready-to-run power is limited, confined mainly to multiple unit (MU) passenger trains and short range/yard locomotives. Major European builders Siemens, Stadler, Alstom, CAF and Talgo offer or are developing ZE MUs. Taraskiewicz said conversion of existing equipment to zero emission is an option, and that several operators have projects that are in the planning stages or fully underway. But with little operating experience with ZE on rail, the definition of requirements often falls on the operator.
“Operators are pursuing alternative fuels near zero emissions for long-range/heavy-haul fleets,” said Taraskiewicz, “but they don’t have the needed energy-to-weight power ratios. Cleaner diesel fuels are being looked at. Diesel is a high-energy fuel.”
Taraskiewicz said hydrogen and compressed natural gas are being worked on, but with no standards, development is slow. “Cryogenic compressed hydrogen is another option. Alternative fuels is an ever-developing field that is moving the goal posts for technology. It could take 10-15 years as standards try to catch up. Like everything else, it’s going to take some time.”
Development of standards and regulations will continue, said Taraskiewicz, equipment for rail-specific designs will evolve, and power sources of increased efficiency and energy density are expected as the technology matures and other energy sources, such as ammonia, which is hydrogen-dense, emerge as viable alternatives over the next 10 years. He said battery power for some locomotives is available for medium-distance runs of 200 miles round trip, “but anything beyond that, you’re doing diesel.”
To that end, Nicoletti said IRT is testing lithium-ion batteries in rail.
“Specific customers have specific needs,” he said. “Let the technology flourish where it does first, then emanate across the industry.”
IRT’s current product placement ranges from 1,200-horsepower locomotives for Cando Rail Services in Edmonton, Canada, to 3,000-horsepower units for the U.S. Army and Grand Canyon Railway.
Battery power has been proven in the automotive sector.
“Have you been in a Tesla? Have you felt the torque?” Nicoletti asked. “That power is on tap to give basic explanations as to how the technology works.”
He said better outreach is needed from government agencies.
“If you listen to railroad discussions, no one really knows which direction to go. They are waiting to be told which way to go. But the reality is, for a variety of reasons, I don’t expect to see a lot of this tech on the rails in my lifetime.”
The process of concurrence by the FRA, he said, protects people from the improper deployment of technology. “But [the process] is a black hole to many people. There needs to be more cooperation, and across agencies, to make it a more approachable and understood process.”
Panelist Lynn Harris, senior subject matter expert with DB E.C.O. North America, said 27 trains in Germany are now operating on hydrogen and looking to expand. His company is working with North American transit agencies and operators, but the struggle is real.
“The fuel and components will reach cost parity with diesel in eight to 15 years,” Harris said. “There are workforce issues in managing the technology. It’s more expensive than stand-alone battery power but less than overhead catenary installation. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution but ‘hydrail’ has a viable place. It’s an evolving technology, but we don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are significant public health benefits in railyard-adjacent communities, and workforce health benefits. There will be more inclination to ‘take the trains.’”
For its part, absent any regulations, the FRA maintains an Alternative Fuels Program to help evaluate risks for power sources other than diesel, or electric via catenary or third rail.
The agency outlined the program in letters to the industry in 2013 and 2018. A 2025 letter “is a work in progress,” said panelist Michael Hunter, executive staff director of the FRA, while observing that the rail sector accounts for a very small segment of emissions.
But for those who may be tempted to experiment, Hunter explained that the agency derives its authority for the program from the Locomotive Inspection Act. “Generally, a locomotive can be used in service only when it is in the proper condition and safe to operate,” he said.
Equipment that falls under the program includes locomotives, as well as MU locomotives, that use an alternative source of energy for power. (Interpreted broadly, a locomotive is defined as a rail vehicle capable of moving other equipment. This is notable given current development of self-propelled freight cars.)
Alternative sources of energy, Hunter said, include hydrogen gas or liquid, a rechargeable battery energy storage system, or technologies that convert other chemicals to fuel. He noted that railroads have in the recent past focused on the use of compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas.
Hunter showed a slide of the FRA’s risk assessment matrix guiding an evaluation of the hazards and risks associated with the use of alternative fuels.
“The scenario for evaluation must be clearly defined,” he said. “Changes in the ‘use case’ can impact the probability of a hazard occurring. Assumptions and rationale must be documented, and the analysis provided to FRA for approval.”
Because there are no regulations, Hunter offered possible questions for situations that are considered on a case-by-case basis:
Does modification of a locomotive’s fuel source from diesel to battery mean the locomotive is “remanufactured”? Answer: Maybe.
Does modification of a locomotive’s fuel source from diesel to battery mean the locomotive has different dynamic characteristics? Answer: Maybe.
Hunter reminded attendees about other FRA safety regulations that may come into play:
Locomotive electronics, including analysis of fuel source cutoff.
Structural elements such as brakes and suspension.
Vehicle/track interaction that may be affected by a changed center of gravity or mass.
Emergency preparedness.
System safety/risk reduction.
Training regulations.
Regulatory compliance items may also weigh on the safety analysis to address identified hazards.
Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
Related coverage:
STB chair remains frustrated over Class I railroads’ lack of growth
California gives up on zero-emissions locomotive regulation
Tariff uncertainty front and center at MARS conference

Republican Patrick J. Fuchs on Monday was designated by President Donald Trump as chairman of the five-member Surface Transportation Board.
The 36-year-old Fuchs succeeds Democrat Robert E. Primus, who was designated chairman by President Joe Biden in May 2024 following the retirement of Martin J. Oberman, also a Democrat. Primus will remain a board member through the expiration of his second term Dec. 31, 2027.
Fuchs was confirmed to his second five-year term on the board in May 2024. Prior to his appointment to the STB in 2019, Fuchs was senior professional staff member working on surface transportation and maritime issues for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. He reported to Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., who is now Senate majority leader.
Fuchs played an integral role in the development and enactment of major railroad legislation, including the first reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Board since its creation in 1996.

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NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s second inaugural address featured similar themes to his first: a sweeping indictment of the country he inherits and grand promises to fix its problems.
Eight years ago, Trump described “American carnage” and promised to end it immediately. On Monday, he declared that the country’s “decline” will end immediately, ushering in “the golden age of America.”
Trump added a long list of policies that sounded more like a State of the Union speech than an Inauguration Day speech. But the broad themes were fundamentally Trumpian, setting himself up as a national savior.
Breaking tradition, the Republican president delivered his remarks from inside the Capitol Rotunda due to the bitter cold outside. He spoke to several hundred elected officials and pro-Trump VIPs, tech titan Elon Musk among them.
Here are some takeaways from the speech:
A promise of an American ‘golden age’
From the start, Trump’s speech tracked his campaign rally approach: big promises of national success due to his leadership, with plenty of sweeping indictments of the status quo.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump said after ticking through the requisite nods to former presidents and other dignitaries. He added several more hyperbolic but nebulous promises: The ”start of a thrilling new era.” A nation “greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before.”
“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced,” he continued. “Our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous and free.”
The underlying presumption, of course, is that Trump is inheriting what he called throughout the 2024 campaign “a failed nation.”
He vowed to fulfill campaign promises to send troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, boost domestic oil production and impose tariffs to “enrich our citizens.”
Trump calls America’s past leadership corrupt
Trump described America’s leadership over the last four years as incompetent and corrupt, echoing some of the darker rhetoric he promoted on a daily basis as a presidential candidate on the campaign trail.
He did not call out his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, or any other Democrats by name, but there was no question about whom he was talking.
“We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home, while at the same time stumbling into a continuing catalog of catastrophic events abroad,” Trump charged.
He said the current government protects dangerous immigrants instead of law-abiding citizens, protects foreign borders at the expense of American borders and “can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency.”
And, as he often does, Trump cast him self as uniquely positioned to fix it all.
“All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly,” he said.
As of Monday, Republicans control all three branches of the federal government.
A perceived triumph over dark forces
Even before Trump began to speak, a religious and political ally, the Rev. Franklin Graham, touched on one of the new president’s most common themes – how he’s been persecuted by unnamed evil forces.
Graham talked of Trump’s “enemies” and the “darkness” of the last four years for Trump personally.
When Trump spoke, he tied attempts to prosecute him for trying to overturn his election loss to Biden into his allegations of “weaponization” of the Justice Department. He then linked them to the attempt to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July.
“The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one, that I can tell you. Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and, indeed, to take my life,” Trump said.
The shooter was an apparently disturbed local 20-year-old man who had no documented ties to the Biden administration, the federal government or any other opponents Trump has criticized.
Trump then used striking language to explain how he survived. “I was saved by God to make America great again,” Trump said to applause.
Lying about wildfires
Trump’s lament about the state of the nation included disbelief that the fires around Los Angeles were still burning “without a token defense.”
That’s false. Firefighters have been battling the blazes since they erupted and have made significant progress. The Eaton fire is 87% contained, and the Palisades fire 59% contained, according to CalFire.
A peacemaker and a conqueror
Trump has vowed to stop foreign wars and celebrated his role in helping implement a ceasefire in Gaza. “A peacemaker and a unifier, that’s what I want to be,” Trump said.
Moments later he was vowing to regain the Panama Canal from Panama. “We’re taking it back!” Trump declared, having previously declined to rule out using military force.
He pledged to pursue policy that “expands our territory” and to put U.S. astronauts on Mars — a promise undoubtedly popular with Musk, a major Trump supporter who has long pursued the same goal.
That cuts to the heart of one of the many contradictions in Trump’s movement. The new president revels in a confrontational, macho approach that revved up his support among young men. His political career has been built on seeking conflict and tearing down rivals. Yet Trump has also positioned himself as someone who’ll end conflicts and usher in peace.
A range of reactions behind Trump
The Rotunda crowd was heavily tilted in Trump’s favor, most of those in attendance clapping and even roaring during his speech. But one prominent seating section — former presidents, first ladies and vice presidents — was largely muted.
After Trump repeated his vow to take over the Panama Canal, complete with the false claim that China runs the intercontinental channel, Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, among others, sat stone-faced, as did former President Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who lost to Trump in 2016, turned to her left, musing something in former President George W. Bush’s direction. Bush, who famously joked about the weirdness of Trump’s first inaugural address, was smirking.
Less than two weeks ago, Trump was largely ignored at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Trump chatted with former President Barack Obama, but the rest of the former presidents and their wives bypassed him without a greeting.
A different scene indoors
Inaugural speeches are traditionally delivered on the National Mall in front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters, many of them average voters from across America, who traveled great distance to witness history in person.
Not this one.
Trump delivered his speech in front of a crowd estimated at only around 600 in the Capitol Rotunda, which was limited to members of Congress, Cabinet nominees, Trump’s family, business leaders and political VIPs. In fact, a collection of tech titans, led by Musk and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, were positioned in front of Cabinet members in some cases. And while the business leaders were allowed to bring their spouses, members of Congress were not. Thousands of his supporters watched a broadcast of the swearing-in at Capitol One Arena instead.
It’s noteworthy that four years ago, violent Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol Rotunda as members of Congress and Vice President Mike Pence feared for their lives. Pence attended Monday, though his wife, former second lady Karen Pence, did not.

3 of 5
No matter how exceptional of a talent Penta is, there was zero guarantee that he’d be portrayed as the star he’s always been upon arriving in WWE.
His brilliantly-booked Raw debut thankfully put those worries to rest.
From the electric crowd reaction to his terrific match with Chad Gable to his emotional post-match promo, Penta got himself over with the WWE audience in just one night. He isn’t the first ex-AEW star to make the jump to WWE, but he is among the first AEW originals to do so.
It will be all about the aftermath and how he’s handled in the weeks and months ahead. WWE could allow him to be overshadowed and get lost in the shuffle or actually push him consistently as a singles star and capitalize on the popularity he clearly has.
Wardlow and Ricky Starks are two prime examples of

Policy Trump, in his inaugural address, rips into the country’s past leaders and makes sweeping promises Eight years ago, Trump described “American carnage” and promised to end it immediately. On Monday, he declared that the country’s “decline” will end immediately, ushering in “the golden age of America.” Attendees cheer as President Donald Trump speaks after taking the oath of office during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s second inaugural address sounded a lot like his first, with a sweeping indictment of the country he inherits and grand promises to fix its problems.
Eight years ago, Trump described “American carnage” and promised to end it immediately. On Monday, he declared that the country’s “decline” will end immediately, ushering in “the golden age of America.”
Trump added a long list of policies that sounded more at home in a State of the Union speech than an Inauguration Day address. But the broad themes were fundamentally Trumpian, setting himself up as a national savior.
Advertisement:
Breaking tradition, the Republican president delivered his remarks from inside the Capitol Rotunda due to the bitter cold outside. He spoke to several hundred elected officials and pro-Trump VIPs, tech titan Elon Musk among them.
Here are some takeaways from the speech:
From the start, Trump’s speech tracked his campaign rally approach: big promises of national success due to his leadership, with plenty of sweeping indictments of the status quo.
“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump said after ticking through the requisite nods to former presidents and other dignitaries. He added several more promises: The ”start of a thrilling new era.” A nation “greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before.”
Advertisement:
“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced,” he continued. “Our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous and free.”
The underlying presumption, of course, is that Trump is inheriting what he called throughout the 2024 campaign “a failed nation.”
He vowed to send troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, boost domestic oil production and impose tariffs to “enrich our citizens.”
Trump described America’s leadership over the last four years as incompetent and corrupt, echoing some of the darker rhetoric he used daily on the campaign trail.
He did not mention his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, or any other Democrats by name. But there was no question about whom he was talking.
“We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home, while at the same time stumbling into a continuing catalog of catastrophic events abroad,” Trump charged.
He said the current government protects dangerous immigrants instead of law-abiding citizens, protects foreign borders at the expense of American borders and “can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency.”
“All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly,” he said.
Advertisement:
As of Monday, Republicans control all three branches of the federal government.
Even before Trump began to speak, a religious and political ally, the Rev. Franklin Graham, touched on one of the new president’s most common themes – how he’s been persecuted by unnamed evil forces.
Graham talked of Trump’s “enemies” and the “darkness” of the last four years for Trump personally.
When Trump spoke, he tied attempts to prosecute him for trying to overturn his election loss to Biden into his allegations of “weaponization” of the Justice Department, referencing the federal and state indictments against him. Trump then linked those cases to the attempt to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July.
“The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one, that I can tell you. Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and, indeed, to take my life,” Trump said.
The shooter was an apparently disturbed local 20-year-old man who had no documented ties to the Biden administration, the federal government or any other opponents Trump has criticized.
Trump then used striking language to explain how he survived. “I was saved by God to make America great again,” Trump said to applause.
Advertisement:
Trump’s lament about the state of the nation included disbelief that the fires around Los Angeles were still burning “without a token defense.”
That’s false. Firefighters have been battling the blazes since they erupted and have made significant progress. The Eaton fire is 87% contained, and the Palisades fire 59% contained, according to CalFire.
Trump has vowed to stop foreign wars and celebrated his role in helping implement a ceasefire in Gaza. “A peacemaker and a unifier, that’s what I want to be,” Trump said.
Moments later he was vowing to regain the Panama Canal from Panama. “We’re taking it back!” Trump declared, having previously declined to rule out using military force.
He pledged to pursue policy that “expands our territory” and to put U.S. astronauts on Mars — a promise undoubtedly popular with Musk, a major Trump supporter who has long pursued the same goal.
That cuts to the heart of one of the many contradictions in Trump’s movement. The new president revels in a confrontational, macho approach that revved up his support among young men. His political career has been built on seeking conflict and tearing down rivals. Yet Trump has also positioned himself as someone who’ll end conflicts and usher in peace.
The audience in the Capitol Rotunda included some of the nation’s most powerful tech titans, who have moved to embrace Trump since his victory.
Alongside Musk were Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook were also in the audience. Musk, tapped along with fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to head the Department of Government Efficiency, had prime seating behind Trump’s children and in front of many of his Cabinet nominees.
Advertisement:
While the business leaders were allowed to bring their spouses, members of Congress were not. Thousands of his supporters watched a broadcast of the swearing-in at Capitol One Arena instead.
The Rotunda crowd was heavily tilted in Trump’s favor, most of those in attendance clapping and even roaring during his speech. But one prominent seating section — former presidents, first ladies and vice presidents — was largely muted.
After Trump repeated his vow to take over the Panama Canal, complete with the false claim that China runs the intercontinental channel, Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, among others, sat stone-faced, as did former President Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who lost to Trump in 2016, turned to her left, saying something in former President George W. Bush’s direction. Bush, who was famously reported to have joked that Trump’s first inaugural address was “weird,” was smirking.
Less than two weeks ago, Trump was largely ignored at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Trump chatted with former President Barack Obama, but the rest of the former presidents and their wives bypassed him without a greeting.
Inaugural speeches are traditionally delivered on the National Mall in front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters, many of them average voters from across America, who traveled great distance to witness history in person.
Not this one.
Trump delivered his speech in front of a crowd estimated at only around 600 in the Capitol Rotunda, which was limited to members of Congress, Cabinet nominees, Trump’s family, business leaders and political VIPs.
Advertisement:
It’s noteworthy that four years ago, violent Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol Rotunda as members of Congress and Vice President Mike Pence feared for their lives. Pence attended Monday, though his wife, former second lady Karen Pence, did not.
Speaking to supporters after seeing off Biden outside the Capitol, Trump said he was glad they had moved the ceremony indoors.
“We were freezing,” he told them. “You would have been very unhappy.”
The speech had controversial moments, but Trump said afterward that it could have been much more so.
Trump headed from the rotunda to the Capitol Visitor Center to thank supporters who had watched his address on screens. Then he gave a speech that was longer than the inaugural and much more freewheeling.
The new president said he had wanted to talk about supporting the people arrested for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He did not go there, he said, only because first lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance talked him out of the idea.
“They said, ‘Please, sir, it’s such a beautiful, unifying speech. Please, sir, don’t say these things,’” Trump said. “I decided I’m not going to make this speech complicated. I’m going to make it beautiful. I’m going to make it a unifying speech.”
Still, Trump made clear that he is going to help supporters arrested for storming the Capitol — “hostages,” he called them — and said that his actions would speak louder than any words.
More than 1,230 people have been charged with federal crimes in the riot, ranging from misdemeanor offenses like trespassing to felonies like assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy.
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Trump also criticized Biden’s decision to pardon his family members and members of the Jan. 6 congressional committee. He called out Republican members of that committee — former Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — by name.
___
Riccardi reported from Denver and Barrow from Atlanta.

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and ALEX CONNOR
The crowded dais in the Capitol Rotunda on Inauguration Day featured four of the world’s five wealthiest men, five U.S. presidents, tech titans and business moguls, and two foreign leaders with prime spots.
President Donald Trump welcomed a mix of traditional, unprecedented and unorthodox guests — from Supreme Court justices to the vice president of China, and the head of TikTok, an app U.S. authorities have flagged as a national security risk, next to the person Trump has chosen to lead the intelligence community.
Scattered throughout were the president’s family members and other familiar faces in Trump’s orbit. Lawmakers mostly sat in front of Trump, watching the new president take the oath of office.
(AP Graphic/Alex Connor)
(AP Graphic/Alex Connor)
(AP Graphic/Alex Connor)
(AP Graphic/Alex Connor)
(AP Graphic/Alex Connor)
(AP Graphic/Alex Connor)
(AP Graphic/Alex Connor)
(AP Graphic/Alex Connor)
(AP Graphic/Alex Connor) Show Caption 1 of 9 (AP Graphic/Alex Connor) Expand
Here’s who was up on the dais and who they sat next to.
1. Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok was seated next to Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump has nominated to be the director of national intelligence. Trump intervened this weekend in an attempt to halt a ban on TikTok, which is seen as a potential national security threat. The president has credited the social network with helping him win last year’s election, but the platform faces a ban if the China-based parent company does not find a Washington-approved buyer.
2. Joe Rogan, who is among the world’s most popular podcasters, sat down for a three-hour interview with Trump in the last stretch of the campaign and ultimately endorsed him a day before Election Day. Trump has expressed gratitude to him.
3. A cadre of billionaires and tech titans sat on the same row. They included Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. They were seated behind Trump’s wife, Melania, and children, but ahead of several of his Cabinet nominees. Musk, who has grown closer to Trump since the election, was the one sitting closest to Trump. Bernard Arnault, CEO of French magnate LVMH, the biggest seller of luxury goods in the world whose brands include Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, was on the opposite side of the dais.
4. Barron Trump is Trump’s youngest son. He has been credited by the president for his campaign’s online outreach, saying he introduced him to internet personalities he had never heard of before. Barron Trump is now 18 and a freshman New York University business student, but he will have a bedroom in the White House.
5. Kai Trump, one of Trump’s granddaughters, is a social media influencer and avid golfer. Kai Trump is only 17 but has become more popular over the past year, stepping up on stage at the Republican National Convention and briefly speaking at a rally over the weekend. She is the daughter of Donald Trump Jr., who has helped his father with some of his picks and is seen as an enforcer of loyalty in his orbit.
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Senate passes immigrant detention bill that could be the first measure Trump signs into law Business | Senate confirms Marco Rubio as secretary of state, giving Trump the first member of his Cabinet 6. Miriam Adelson and John Paulson were among the largest donors to the Trump campaign and got prime seating for the ceremony next to incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Paulson, a billionaire investor, was the host of a Palm Beach, Florida, fundraiser that set a single-event record, adding $50.5 million to the campaign last April. Adelson is the co-owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. She is a major supporter of Trump and, with Zuckerberg, was hosting another inaugural event on Monday.
7. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, outgoing President Joe Biden were given prime seats as well. All their wives, except for former first lady Michelle Obama, were also seated there. Michelle Obama had previously announced he would be skipping the swearing-in ceremony. She gave no reason.
8. In an unprecedented move, Trump invited foreign leaders to the inauguration, and they also got coveted seats for the ceremony. Argentina President Javier Milei was seated next to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. They were also next to China’s Vice President Han Zheng, whom President Xi Jinping sent to represent him. The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, was also nearby.
Associated Press writers Mark Sherman and Didi Tang contributed to this report from Washington.

No one would have been looking forward to the 2025 golfing season as much as Scottie Scheffler. But it was an Italian delicacy that ruined his plans of a banging start at the Kapalua. “On Christmas Day, while preparing dinner, Scottie sustained a puncture wound to the palm of his right hand from a broken glass. Small glass fragments remained in the palm, which required surgery,” Blake Smith, Scheffler’s manager, said in a statement announcing his WD from Sentry.
The injury put the golf world in chaos! He subsequently announced his withdrawal from the American Express Open. He is also not going to feature in the Farmers Insurance Open that is soon to start. His next event is supposed to be AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM. Scheffler is putting in work to recover from his injury and return to his old form. He has also started working out. But now, fans are actually laughing at the dish that started all of this.
Apparently, the University of Texas graduate’s injury occurred while he was making ravioli on Christmas Day. Fans are finding this hilarious. Why? Well, because ravioli is not exactly associated with Christmas. Hence prompts the question, “Who the hell makes ravioli on Christmas Day?”
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The question prompted many responses from fans, some seconding the opinion on the tweet, while others supported Scottie Scheffler’s dinner choice.
Fans mock Scottie Scheffler’s choice
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And it was not just one person who felt that ravioli was an odd choice for the occasion. One fan hysterically wrote, “Karma,” jokingly referring to having a non-traditional dish on Christmas is what caused the injury.
Another fan also deemed the ravioli to be out of place and replied with a GIF of Ed Helms in the movie ‘Father Figures’ saying “He could easily be a serial killer.” He does it kill it on the golf course. The American has 18 PGA Tour victories including a stellar Olympics showing last year to win the gold medal for Team USA. If anything, his entire 2024 was a testament to his prowess.
While several fans were quick to point out the incredulity of the situation, an Italian-American fan offered more context. “It has always been our family’s, and a lot of Italian Americans’, Christmas tradition to have lasagna or a pasta.” Scottie Scheffler’s mother Diane is of Italian descent and the old habits must have translated to the pro-golfer. She worked as a business manager at a law firm in New York City initially before taking over as Chief Operations Officer at the law firm Thompson & Knight in Dallas. Scheffler’s father Scott is of German descent and is a stay-at-home dad, so there will not be any surprise if he is known to have bratwurst during Thanksgiving!
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Another fan was also quick to support Scheffler’s choice, saying that the ravioli was a “Fantastic Christmas Dish!” We also agree! It is not a surprise that Scheffler went with a trusted and tasty dish on Christmas. One fan was curious about the recipe golfer used, asking whether it was “Cheese or meat filled?”, in a bid to try and recreate the tasty dish. Be careful not to injure yourself during the process though.
One thing is certain though, the golfing world is eagerly awaiting his return. He has been grinding behind the scenes and could be back swinging his driver on the course in no time. Are you looking forward to seeing the World No.1 in action again?

The crowded dais in the Capitol Rotunda on Inauguration Day featured four of the world’s five wealthiest men, five U.S. presidents, tech titans and business moguls, and two foreign leaders with prime spots.
President Donald Trump welcomed a mix of traditional, unprecedented and unorthodox guests — from Supreme Court justices to the vice president of China, and the head of TikTok, an app U.S. authorities have flagged as a national security risk, next to the person Trump has chosen to lead the intelligence community.
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Scattered throughout were the president’s family members and other familiar faces in Trump’s orbit. Lawmakers mostly sat in front of Trump, watching the new president take the oath of office.
Here’s who was up on the dais and who they sat next to.
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1. Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok was seated next to Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump has nominated to be the director of national intelligence. Trump intervened this weekend in an attempt to halt a ban on TikTok, which is seen as a potential national security threat. The president has credited the social network with helping him win last year’s election, but the platform faces a ban if the China-based parent company does not find a Washington-approved buyer.
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2. Joe Rogan, who is among the world’s most popular podcasters, sat down for a three-hour interview with Trump in the last stretch of the campaign and ultimately endorsed him a day before Election Day. Trump has expressed gratitude to him.
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Facebook
X
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3. A cadre of billionaires and tech titans sat on the same row. They included Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. They were seated behind Trump’s wife, Melania, and children, but ahead of several of his Cabinet nominees. Musk, who has grown closer to Trump since the election, was the one sitting closest to Trump. Bernard Arnault, CEO of French magnate LVMH, the biggest seller of luxury goods in the world whose brands include Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, was on the opposite side of the dais.
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4. Barron Trump is Trump’s youngest son. He has been credited by the president for his campaign’s online outreach, saying he introduced him to internet personalities he had never heard of before. Barron Trump is now 18 and a freshman New York University business student, but he will have a bedroom in the White House.
Share Share Copy Link copied
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Facebook
X
Reddit
LinkedIn
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5. Kai Trump, one of Trump’s granddaughters, is a social media influencer and avid golfer. Kai Trump is only 17 but has become more popular over the past year, stepping up on stage at the Republican National Convention and briefly speaking at a rally over the weekend. She is the daughter of Donald Trump Jr., who has helped his father with some of his picks and is seen as an enforcer of loyalty in his orbit.
Share Share Copy Link copied
Email
Facebook
X
Reddit
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6. Miriam Adelson and John Paulson were among the largest donors to the Trump campaign and got prime seating for the ceremony next to incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Paulson, a billionaire investor, was the host of a Palm Beach, Florida, fundraiser that set a single-event record, adding $50.5 million to the campaign last April. Adelson is the co-owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. She is a major supporter of Trump and, with Zuckerberg, was hosting another inaugural event on Monday.
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7. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, outgoing President Joe Biden were given prime seats as well. All their wives, except for former first lady Michelle Obama, were also seated there. Michelle Obama had previously announced he would be skipping the swearing-in ceremony. She gave no reason.
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8. In an unprecedented move, Trump invited foreign leaders to the inauguration, and they also got coveted seats for the ceremony. Argentina President Javier Milei was seated next to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. They were also next to China’s Vice President Han Zheng, whom President Xi Jinping sent to represent him. The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, was also nearby. ______
Associated Press writers Mark Sherman and Didi Tang contributed to this report from Washington.

Chilean screenwriter, director, and science fiction author Julio Rojas, best known for his acclaimed audio series “Caso 63” and director Miguel León, whose recent works include the critically acclaimed “El Secreto del Doctor Grinberg” (2020) and the Netflix hit “La Dama del Silencio” (2023), have spent the last two years looking for the truth behind one of the most mysterious and controversial figures in the field of extraterrestrial investigation, Billy Meier.
The duo is working with Maquina Vega – a new production company with offices in Los Angeles and Mexico City, partnering “Father of the Bride” Gary “Gaz” Alazraki’s Alazraki Entertainment with Alisa Tager – on a documentary titled “I Want to Believe,” which promises to offer an unprecedented look at Meier’s lifetime of dubious claims.
Born in Switzerland in 1937, Meier claims to have been in contact with extraterrestrial beings since he was just five years old. His photographs of spacecraft against serene Swiss landscape caused a sensation in the 1970s, propelling him to the status of a spiritual guru and a global authority in UFO studies. His work was also featured on the original X-files poster before a legal battle forced the show to drop the iconic image.
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Billy Meier Credit: Máquina Vega
“What started as a quest for the most iconic UFO photograph in popular culture turned into an obsession for both Miguel and me, seeking answers about the very fabric of reality,” Rojas tells Variety. “What was it about that enigmatic photo of an alleged UFO hovering over the Swiss countryside, taken in 1976 — before Photoshop and generative AI — that so bewitched so many people? We followed its trail from Switzerland to Washington, from a small bar in Oslo to the Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo, from Mexico City to London. Each place — New York, Rome, Madrid, Arizona — and each witness contributed a unique piece to this oscillating puzzle and rabbit hole.”
For the film, Rojas traveled to Switzerland to meet and speak with Meier in a meeting where the boundaries between imagination and reality were blurred. It’s a perfect mix for a filmmaker like León, whose work often blends documentary and fiction and who is an ideal filmmaker to capture the enigmatic essence of Meier’s claims.
Julio Rojas, Miguel León Credit: Máquina Vega
“It is a metaphysical thriller that invites the viewer to a great adventure,” León explains. “A narrative Tower of Babel filmed for almost two years in seven countries, in search of an impossible photo that dynamites the borders between reality and fiction.”
The film’s visual language is developed by Carlos Muñoz Gómez-Quintero, a seasoned director of photography from Barcelona. With nearly two decades of experience, Muñoz’s ability to harness natural light and create compelling interior atmospheres is expected to bring a unique visual depth to the documentary.
“I Want to Believe” is produced by Máquina Vega and further supported by Mauricio Vázquez, a Mexican entrepreneur and philanthropist passionate about bringing Meier’s story to light.
“Máquina Vega is in search of innovative proposals and content that make a difference in all cinematographic genres,” says producer Moisés Chiver. “Having Julio Rojas and Miguel León in such a unique story, which intertwines reality, science fiction and dreams, captivated us from the first moment. The unique vision of both creators and their artistic search coincides perfectly with the essence of the project, creating a narrative that has left us completely enchanted.”
“I think that ‘I Want to Believe: In Search of an Impossible Photo’ is both an obsessive investigation and a reflection on the nature of truth and belief in these strange times, where no one seems to care about either one or the other,” adds Julio Rojas.

The crowded dais in the Capitol Rotunda on Inauguration Day featured four of the world’s five wealthiest men, five U.S. presidents, tech titans and business moguls, and two foreign leaders with prime spots.
President Donald Trump welcomed a mix of traditional, unprecedented and unorthodox guests — from Supreme Court justices to the vice president of China, and the head of TikTok, an app U.S. authorities have flagged as a national security risk, next to the person Trump has chosen to lead the intelligence community.
Scattered throughout were the president’s family members and other familiar faces in Trump’s orbit. Lawmakers mostly sat in front of Trump, watching the new president take the oath of office.
Here’s who was up on the dais and who they sat next to.
1. Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok was seated next to Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump has nominated to be the director of national intelligence. Trump intervened this weekend in an attempt to halt a ban on TikTok, which is seen as a potential national security threat. The president has credited the social network with helping him win last year’s election, but the platform faces a ban if the China-based parent company does not find a Washington-approved buyer.
2. Joe Rogan, who is among the world’s most popular podcasters, sat down for a three-hour interview with Trump in the last stretch of the campaign and ultimately endorsed him a day before Election Day. Trump has expressed gratitude to him.
3. A cadre of billionaires and tech titans sat on the same row. They included Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. They were seated behind Trump’s wife, Melania, and children, but ahead of several of his Cabinet nominees. Musk, who has grown closer to Trump since the election, was the one sitting closest to Trump. Bernard Arnault, CEO of French magnate LVMH, the biggest seller of luxury goods in the world whose brands include Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, was on the opposite side of the dais.
4. Barron Trump is Trump’s youngest son. He has been credited by the president for his campaign’s online outreach, saying he introduced him to internet personalities he had never heard of before. Barron Trump is now 18 and a freshman New York University business student, but he will have a bedroom in the White House.
5. Kai Trump, one of Trump’s granddaughters, is a social media influencer and avid golfer. Kai Trump is only 17 but has become more popular over the past year, stepping up on stage at the Republican National Convention and briefly speaking at a rally over the weekend. She is the daughter of Donald Trump Jr., who has helped his father with some of his picks and is seen as an enforcer of loyalty in his orbit.
6. Miriam Adelson and John Paulson were among the largest donors to the Trump campaign and got prime seating for the ceremony next to incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Paulson, a billionaire investor, was the host of a Palm Beach, Florida, fundraiser that set a single-event record, adding $50.5 million to the campaign last April. Adelson is the co-owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. She is a major supporter of Trump and, with Zuckerberg, was hosting another inaugural event on Monday.
7. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and outgoing President Joe Biden were given prime seats as well. All their wives, except for former first lady Michelle Obama, were also seated there. Michelle Obama had previously announced she would be skipping the swearing-in ceremony. She gave no reason.
8. In an unprecedented move, Trump invited foreign leaders to the inauguration, and they also got coveted seats for the ceremony. Argentina President Javier Milei was seated next to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. They were also next to China’s Vice President Han Zheng, whom President Xi Jinping sent to represent him. The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, was also nearby.

Louisiana DOTD bracing for winter storm with bridge preparations, closures likely
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development on Monday continued to station bags of salt – and some snow plows – in preparation for sub-freezing weather that has the chance to bring snow Tuesday.
Their biggest concern is bridges like the Interstate 10 Mississippi River Bridge freezing over and whether bridges are safe for drivers.
DOTD has been positioning salt across the state and starting to brine major bridges to keep them from freezing. Agency spokesman Rodney Mallet said closures are likely.

HUERFANO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) says they’ve completed a major bridge replacement and improvement project in Walsenburg.
The project was on I-25, where the bridges cross over the intersection of CO 10 and US 160.
CDOT officials say the project entailed replacing one bridge and making improvements to another. The bridges, according to officials, were built in the 1960s and these days are heavily traveled.

President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up at the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump moved quickly to remake the Department of Homeland Security Tuesday, firing the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard before their terms are up and eliminated all the members of a key aviation security advisory group.
Trump’s immigration policy changes drew the most attention at DHS, but he is also making changes at the rest of the massive agency.
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Members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee received a memo Tuesday saying that the department is eliminating the membership of all advisory committees as part of a “commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security.”
The aviation security committee, which was mandated by Congress after the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, will technically continue to exist but it won’t have any members to carry out the work of examining safety issues at airlines and airports. Before Tuesday, the group included representatives of all the key groups in the industry — including the airlines and major unions — as well as members of a group associated with the victims of the PanAm 103 bombing. The vast majority of the group’s recommendations were adopted over the years.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many other committees were effectively eliminated Tuesday or whether other departments will take similar actions. A similar safety group advises the Federal Railroad Administration on new rules and safety issues in that industry.
“I naively thought, ‘oh they’re not going to do anything in the new administration, to put security at risk — aviation security at risk.’ But I’m not so sure,” said Stephanie Bernstein, whose husband was killed in the bombing and served on the committee.
The future of the committee remains unclear because DHS officials didn’t respond Tuesday to questions about the move. The memo that announced the terminations said that future committee activities will be focused on “advancing our critical mission to protect the homeland and support DHS’s strategic priorities” but the group has no members.
Adding to Bernstein’s concern is the fact that TSA Administrator David Pekoske was fired even though he was originally appointed by Trump during his first term and was in the middle of what was supposed to be Pekoske’s second five-year term in the job after he was reappointed by Biden and confirmed by the Senate.
No reason was given for Pekoske’s departure. But in an unrelated news release Tuesday about the restarting of a program, which is often referred to as “Remain in Mexico,” DHS highlighted Pekoske’s role in attempting to terminate the policy at a time when he was acting secretary at the beginning of the Biden administration. Pekoske held the acting post before Alejandro Mayorkas was confirmed by the Senate.
In his letter to staff Pekoske called his job the “honor of a lifetime.”
During Pekoske’s tenure he oversaw a rapid increase in the use of facial recognition technology at airports across the country which concerned privacy advocates. During his tenure, frontline TSA officers also received substantial pay raises designed to bring them in line with other federal law enforcement officers, which Pekoske credited with helping with hiring and retention.
But a recent string of stowaways discovered onboard flights and hiding inside wheel wells of planes renewed questions about aviation security.
The firing of Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan eliminated the armed forces’ first female service chief who had served since 2022. That move was met with shock by some Democratic members of Congress. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, credited Fagan with having a commitment to fixing a decades-long culture of sexual assault within the Coast Guard and the prestigious service academy in Connecticut.
Cantwell said during a Tuesday interview on CNN that Fagan’s firing is “appalling.”
Under Fagan’s watch, the U.S. Coast Guard apologized in 2023 for not taking “appropriate action” years ago when it failed to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the academy. The service also acknowledged it did not widely disclose its six-year internal investigation into dozens of cases from 1988 to 2006, known as Operation Fouled Anchor.
Last year, however, Fagan received bipartisan criticism for not being cooperative enough with congressional investigations into the abuse. She tried to assure skeptical and frustrated senators at one hearing she was not trying to cover up the branch’s failure to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the academy and said she was committed to “transparency and accountability” within the Coast Guard while also abiding by the constraints of an ongoing government watchdog investigation and victim privacy concerns.
Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., who district includes the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut said Fagan provided “a fundamental change in Coast Guard leadership” and has worked to rebuild trust and correct the persistent sexual misconduct problems facing the service.
“President Trump’s unprecedented decision on day one to fire a service chief ahead of her scheduled departure is an abuse of power that slanders the good name and record of Admiral Fagan,” Courtney said in a statement.
Courtney noted, under Fagan’s leadership, the Coast Guard exceeded its 2024 recruitment goal for the first time since 2017, interdicted over $2.5 billion in illegal drugs from bad actors in 2024 and demonstrated an aggressive commitment to countering adversaries in the Artic by championing the ICE Pact to speed up production of new icebreaker vessels, which the US has not built in nearly 50 years.
“The Commandant’s outstanding record completely negates the President’s demonstrably false claims and signals his enduring interest to put politics over the best interest of our servicemembers and national security.”
In addition to those firings, Trump will also appoint a new administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency who he has criticized harshly for the way it responded to disasters like Hurricane Helene last fall and the California wildfires. It is customary for the head of that agency to be replaced every time a new president takes office.
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Associated Press Writers Susan Haigh and Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.

Chart of the Week: Outbound Tender Reject Index, National Truckload Index (linehaul only) – USA SONAR: OTRI.USA, NTIL.USA
National tender rejection rates (OTRI) and truckload spot rates (NTIL) have for the second year in a row received a boost from winter weather in mid-January. Winter weather has been far more disruptive to the U.S. freight market than tropical systems over the past several years. Timing and geography play large roles in why. Market context and, thankfully, a lack of long-term damage leads many to ignore the fact that winter storms have had a stronger influence on rates and service disruptions over the past year than either of the two major hurricane landfalls.
Although it is challenging to isolate the specific impacts of the hurricanes due to other factors, such as the ILA strike in early October, it is clearer that winter weather significantly affected the freight market, given the absence of other major events in January.
Rejection rates rose from 4.4% to 4.96% in the week following Hurricane Helene’s landfall in late September and increased further to 5.96% after the ILA strike and Hurricane Milton in early October. In comparison, rejection rates climbed from 4.2% to 5.4% last January when arctic air swept through much of the central U.S. and surged from 6.6% to 8.7% earlier this month after two winter storms struck the Midwest and southern U.S. This year’s market appears to be more reactive, although hard to say definitively given the differences between the storms.
Market matters
When comparing this year’s OTRI and NTIL to last, there has been noticeable growth in both indices. The growth is not a result of the winter weather events being more severe, but rather from the long-running trend.
The OTRI is a measure of carriers’ availability to cover loads from their existing customers. Higher values indicate carrier networks are strained and truckload capacity is harder to attain.
Before there was any concern for weather, the OTRI value on Jan. 4 last year was 4.55%. On the same date this year, that value was 6.8%, again prior to any strong concern of weather. The difference between these two values mostly indicates that the market had tightened by a good amount over the past 12 months.
The spot rate is a less objective measure of market conditions due to the fact that there is an emotional and inflationary component to it, but rates excluding the influence of fuel were up 12% y/y when comparing the post-holiday bottoms.
Rejection and spot rates tend to fall throughout January and February when there are no disruptive events, as this is seasonally the slowest time of the year for transportation demand.
Hot vs. cold
Hurricanes tend to hit during the most active times of the year for transportation – late third and early fourth quarter – making them naturally more concerning. The fact is that winter weather has been far more consistently disruptive than its warmer weather counterparts to transportation markets over the past decade.
Some of this has to do with the fact that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has become much better at handling the initial responses. Another major difference is that hurricanes tend to hit outside of major population and freight centers, whereas winter storms hit large swaths of geography and many major freight hubs, like Dallas and Chicago.
Ask anyone who has been in freight over the past 10 years and they will probably point to Hurricane Harvey as the biggest natural disaster influence on transportation, but many forget that the freezing weather that shut down the power grid in Texas in February 2021 may have been largely responsible for extending the pandemic-era transportation boom.
National rejection rates had fallen to their lowest levels since the pandemic started in early February 2021, then a massive winter storm (unofficially named Uri by The Weather Channel) plunged all the way to the Gulf Coast, dropping copious amounts of snow and ice. Power grids failed due to inability to handle the unanticipated load of energy needed. The system did an estimated $25 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Shipping networks were disrupted for days just as many were starting to think that the pandemic-triggered supply chain crisis was easing. Shippers reentered panic mode and resumed shipping en masse. This was not the only cause of the bump in shipping activity, but the timing makes it undeniable that it was a catalyst inside of a market that already had high reactivity.
Backed up
Winter storms’ biggest disruptive force is creating backlogs. Winter weather hitting the Northern tier of the country is generally expected, which also means shippers and carriers alike tend to dismiss their potential impact. Tracking truck activity in front of a hurricane is like watching ants scatter out of the way, although in the South this is common for strong winter weather as well.
Shippers also are more likely to shutter operational activity in front of a hurricane and wait till the winter storm hits before making any decisions. In other words, there is typically more preparation for hurricanes than for winter weather.
Perhaps another big reason why emphasis is placed on hurricanes over winter weather is that the damage to infrastructure tends to be larger and longer-lasting, whereas once winter weather passes, there is little long-term evidence it ever hit.
Regardless of the magnitude, winter weather has been a bigger problem for transportation than its tropical counterparts in recent years. While winter storms Blair and Cora (as named by The Weather Channel) are probably not names anyone will cite in years to come as a major influence on their business, they registered a much larger measurable hit to transportation networks than the tragically destructive hurricanes Helene (estimated at greater than $78 billion in damage) and Milton (estimated at more than $34 billion), according to the OTRI and spot rates.
This is not to say that hurricanes like Helene and Milton do not deserve our attention and respect as life-altering catastrophes, but that winter storms deserve more attention as threats to transportation and shipping patterns.
About the Chart of the Week
The FreightWaves Chart of the Week is a chart selection from SONAR that provides an interesting data point to describe the state of the freight markets. A chart is chosen from thousands of potential charts on SONAR to help participants visualize the freight market in real time. Each week a Market Expert will post a chart, along with commentary, live on the front page. After that, the Chart of the Week will be archived on FreightWaves.com for future reference.
SONAR aggregates data from hundreds of sources, presenting the data in charts and maps and providing commentary on what freight market experts want to know about the industry in real time.
The FreightWaves data science and product teams are releasing new datasets each week and enhancing the client experience.
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Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Trump tariffs won’t stop nearshoring investments in Mexico; Deugro USA expands logistics operations in Houston; Titanium Transportation opens Texas brokerage office; and TAM Group opens a location in Mexico City.
While President-elect Donald Trump has promised to levy 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico starting Monday, that likely won’t slow investments and trade growth between the two countries, according to experts.
“Even with the tariff’s taking effect, Mexico will still represent a very attractive option,” Miguel Perez, senior director of cross-border operations and solutions for TA Services, said in an email to FreightWaves.
Mansfield, Texas-based TA Services is a 3PL with operations in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. The company offers managed transportation, warehousing and fulfillment, multimodal freight brokerage, and cross-border logistics.
During his presidential campaign, Trump said he would levy 25% duties on all imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from China.
The tariffs are aimed at boosting border security, as well as bringing more manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., Trump said.
Perez said Mexico still offers competitive wages across its manufacturing industries compared to the U.S.
“While Mexico’s minimum wage was increased a number of times in 2024 … the Mexican peso did suffer its worst devaluation in 16 years in this same period by 23%, with a potential to continue to slide, counter-balancing the minimum wage increases,” Perez said. “The cost of relocating manufacturing facilities to another country and seizing the labor for them would be too costly. Either way, everyone in the industry (U.S. and Mexico) must prepare for a worst case scenario and hope for the best outcome.”
From January through November, U.S.-Mexico trade totaled $776.05 billion, a 6% year-over-year increase compared to the same period in 2023. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
Mexico has been the top U.S. trading partner for 11 consecutive months and 21 of the past 22 months, according to data from the Census Bureau.
From January through November, U.S.-Mexico trade totaled $776.05 billion, a 6% year-over-year increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Trade between Canada and the U.S. totaled $699 billion for the first 11 months of 2024, a 2% year-over-year decrease compared to the same period in 2023.
China’s trade with the U.S. totaled $532 billion from January through November, a 0.5% decrease from the previous year.
Sam Burkhan, CEO of ITF Group, said he also sees cross-border trade between Mexico and the U.S. continuing to expand.
“Mexico has a population of almost 130 million people, they have geographic proximity, and then they also have a bunch of existing trade agreements, a stable economy, plus Mexico is one of the largest manufacturing hubs,” Burkhan told FreightWaves in an interview. “Specifically aerospace manufacturing right now is booming in Mexico. There’s investments going on in the infrastructure; they are building a lot of new buildings. Mexico will continue to be one of the U.S.’s main trading partners.”
Hazelwood, Missouri-based ITF Group is an asset-based 3PL with more than 300 trucks and 1,500 trailers. The company has more than 500,000 square feet of warehouse space across two distribution centers in Missouri.
Companies should maintain perspective despite the possibility of a sharp increase in tariffs Monday when Trump takes office, Burkhan said.
While the tariffs could present challenges to the global supply chain, many logistics professionals have experience dealing with the impact of increased duties during Trump’s first term in office, he added.
“Do not panic. We experienced these kinds of tariffs in the past,” Burkhan said. “We have to be able to cautiously look at what’s happening in the industry itself, and then how our peers are looking for alternative options and then look for diversifying the sourcing strategies, which is going to be one of the key components.”
Whether or not the Trump administration immediately places 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, Burkhan said shippers should always be seeking ways of optimizing their supply chain process.
“It is also good to find some alternative financing options, and I would say, be transparent with their suppliers, proactively talk to them and educate them, [discuss] if there is going to be a possible way to renegotiate certain terms where both of the parties will be able to take care of some of those costs splitting together,” Burkhan said. “Shippers are going to need to consider alternative countries, and also they have to look at their infrastructure and the cost of their logistics. They may try and run away from the tariffs, but they may end up having higher rates and logistics costs if they do that.”
Deugro USA expands logistics operations in Houston
Deugro USA has expanded its warehouse and footprint in the Houston area by adding a second facility at Cedar Port Industrial Park in Baytown, Texas.
Cedar-Port Operations and Logistics Terminal (COLT) is located on 47 acres and features a 165,000-square-foot warehouse space that includes 214 dock doors and 935 trailer parking spaces.
COLT is near the Houston Ship Channel and provides access to major highways in the area.
“Given the consistently high demand for warehouse and laydown space in and around Houston, we are confident that COLT can effectively serve both new and existing clients,” Jeff Smith, head of supply chain logistics at Deugro USA, said in a news release. “Future plans also include the establishment of a Free-Trade Zone at COLT.”
Deugro USA is a division of Frankfurt am Main, Germany-based freight forwarding company the Deugro Group. The company operates 70 locations in 40 countries.
Titanium Transportation opens Texas brokerage office
To capitalize on nearshoring trends in Mexico, Titanium Transportation Group Inc. has opened a freight brokerage office in Irving, Texas.
The facility, Titanium’s first brokerage office in Texas, will be Titanium’s 12th location, including nine in the U.S. and three in Canada. Irving is about 9 miles from downtown Dallas.
“Located in Dallas County, just a short distance from the Mexican border, our new location offers access to key supply chain corridors,” Ted Daniel, CEO of Titanium Transportation Group, said in a news release. “Brokerage services continue to be a key driver of our business and as more businesses embrace nearshoring strategies to optimize costs and reduce supply chain risks in the near term, Titanium is well-positioned to support customers’ logistics needs.”
Bolton, Canada-based Titanium is an asset-based trucking operations and logistics brokerage servicing Canada and the U.S. The company has 850 power units, 3,000 trailers and 1,300 employees and independent owner-operators.
TAM Group opens location in Mexico City
Hong Kong-based TAM Group recently opened an office in Mexico City, aiming to meet growing demand for air cargo services in Latin America.
“The Mexico City office underscores our commitment to exceptional service and our role in Mexico’s dynamic cargo sector,” Fernando Garreton, TAM Group’s vice president for the Americas, said in a LinkedIn post. “We foresee significant trading demand between the region and Asia, particularly China and Southeast Asia.”
TAM Group is a global freight forwarding company with 37 offices in 17 countries. The company employs more than 200 people worldwide.