Trump to nominate Swett for FERC head, chair says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump will nominate Laura Swett as chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the current head of the panel said in a post on social media.
Swett, an energy lawyer with Vinson & Elkins, represents pipeline and power companies in cases before FERC and has been an adviser to a chair and a commissioner, both Republicans, at the independent agency.
Chairman Mark Christie, a Republican, said in a post on X late on Monday that he will remain in office for a few weeks after June 30. Swett must be confirmed by the Senate, which is controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans. Her term would end in June, 2030.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
FERC, which has a maximum of five members, regulates the power grid, liquefied natural gas projects and interstate transportation of oil and natural gas. It currently has four members.
Trump has said he wants to open pipelines to bring natural gas from Pennsylvania's vast gas fields to states in the Northeast. The projects have been opposed by states.
Energy company Williams Cos said last month it was working with federal and state regulators to revive two previously canceled natural gas pipelines from Pennsylvania to New York.
Williams canceled the Constitution pipeline in 2020 after years of fighting for permits from New York regulators and canceled Northeast Supply Enhancement in 2024 after seeking permits in New York and New Jersey.
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Newsweek
17 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Is Losing Support With Hispanics
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump is losing support among Hispanic and Latino voters, according to polling. Since at least the 1960s, Hispanic voters in the U.S. have generally supported Democratic candidates. For example, according to Pew Research Center, about 71 percent of Hispanic voters supported Barack Obama in 2012, and 66 percent backed Hillary Clinton in 2016. In 2020, 63 percent chose Joe Biden, according to AP VoteCast. In 2024, however, Trump made significant gains. His support among Hispanic voters rose to 43 percent—an 8-point increase from 2020 and the highest level for a Republican presidential candidate since such data has been tracked. Meanwhile, 55 percent supported Kamala Harris, narrowing the Democratic advantage. Yet recent polling suggests Trump's momentum is fading. Newsweek's analysis of major surveys since April shows his approval among Hispanic and Latino voters has dropped to 40 percent, with 56 percent disapproving—down from March averages of 43 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval. YouGov's data mirrors this trend, showing Trump's net approval plummeting from -12 in January to -32 in May. President Donald Trump speaks during the 157th National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington on May 26 in Arlington, Virginia. President Donald Trump speaks during the 157th National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington on May 26 in Arlington, Virginia. Jacquelyn Martin/AP While a few surveys show scattered signs of support, the overwhelming majority of polls conducted from late March to mid-May show Trump underperforming with Hispanic and Latino voters. Echelon Insights, which polled from May 8 to May 12, found Trump's approval at 32 percent and disapproval at 67 percent, marking a sharp drop from his earlier approval rating of 42 percent and disapproval of 56 percent. The Marist/NPR/PBS poll from late April also recorded a similar downward trend, with Trump's approval slipping from 44 percent to 32 percent. Fox News polling from mid-April showed Trump's approval dipping slightly from 44 percent to 41 percent, while McLaughlin found a more substantial drop, from 44 percent to 36 percent. Pew Research Center also reported a stark fall in Trump's favorability, with approval plummeting from 35 percent to 27 percent, and disapproval rising from 62 percent to 72 percent. But some other polls have shown Trump's approval rating increasing among Hispanic voters. For instance, the Civiqs poll conducted from May 17 to May 20 shows a notably higher approval rating of 57 percent among Hispanics, an increase from 42 percent earlier in the year. Likewise, Insider Advantage/Trafalgar's mid-May poll reports a 59 percent approval rating, up from 39 percent in April. However, these results contrast with the broader majority of polling data, which has shown that Trump's ratings remain below 40 percent, while disapproval consistently climbs above 50 or even 60 percent. This decline isn't a sudden collapse but a slow erosion of trust and confidence—particularly among a demographic Trump courted heavily in 2024. Experts point to dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy as a key driver of this shift. It comes after Trump introduced his "Liberation Day" tariffs on April 2. The policy move rattled markets, prompting a sharp sell-off before an eventual recovery. It also saw Trump's overall approval ratings take a hit. And his approval marks among Hispanic voters have not been exempt. The latest YouGov/Economist poll shows that only 32 percent of Hispanic voters approve of Trump's performance on the economy, which is down from 40 percent at the end of March, before he introduced the tariffs. And on the issue of inflation, only 28 percent of Hispanic voters said they approve of Trump's performance, down from 39 percent. Similarly, Fox News shows that Trump's approval rating on the economy among Hispanic voters is down to 37 percent, from 43 percent in March. On inflation, Trump's approval rating was down 10 percentage points, to 30. Meanwhile, 80 percent of Hispanics polled said they think it is extremely or very likely that the U.S. economy will plunge into recession this year. Clarissa Martínez De Castro, vice president of the Latino Vote Initiative, told Newsweek that "Latino voters are frustrated that their economic priorities are being ignored and that a key promise made by President Trump during the election is not being kept." As a result, "Sixty percent of Latino voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and 70 percent hold President Trump and his administration responsible," she said, citing an April UnidosUS poll. Poll Date Approve Disapprove Civiqs May 17-20 57 43 YouGov/Economist May 23-26 31 61 HarrisX May 14-15 39 52 Echelon Insights May 8-12 32 67 Quantus May 18-20 40 53 YouGov April 25-May 2 33 61 Insider Advantage/Trafalgar May 17-19 59 40 ActiVote April 1-April 30 55 43 Lord Ashcroft Politics April 9-30 40 58 Navigator Research May 15-18 41 55 Emerson College April 25-28 41 44 YouGov/Yahoo May 22-27 26 63 Decision Desk/News Nation April 23-27 40 60 YouGov/CBS April 23-25 40 60 NYT/Sienna April 21-24 36 59 Marist/NPR/PBS April 21-23 32 57 YouGov/Times April 21-23 32 64 Ipsos/ABC/Post April 18-22 32 63 Fox News April 18-21 41 59 McLaughlin April 16-19 36 64 Remington March 15-April 18 55 45 AtlasIntel April 10-14 49 51 Pew April 7-13 27 72 University of Massachusetts/YouGov April 4-9 37 59 Cygnal April 1-3 46 51 Marquette May 5-15 37 63 Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, emphasized that economic discontent played a significant role in Trump's earlier gains but is now undermining his support. "Over half of Hispanic voters feel the economy is worse now than a year ago, and nearly as many believe it will be worse a year from now," she said. "Economic discontent was the most potent driver of increased Latino support for Trump in 2024." Martínez De Castro added, "For many Latinos, inflation, wages, and housing affordability remain top concerns. Sixty percent believe the President and Republicans are not focusing enough on lowering prices, and over half think the economy has worsened and will continue to decline under Trump's policies. The president owns the economy now, and Hispanic voters are not seeing the quick turnaround he promised." Immigration has further dented Trump's standing among Hispanic voters. His aggressive policies, including expanded ICE enforcement and National Guard involvement, have targeted not just criminals but also long-residing undocumented immigrants without criminal records. From his inauguration on January 20 through February, over 40 percent of deportees had no criminal history. Pew Research Center polling shows that only about one-third of Americans support mass deportations, with most preferring to prioritize violent criminals and showing far less support for deporting those with family ties or brought to the U.S. as children. President Donald Trump is losing support among Hispanic and Latino voters, according to polling. President Donald Trump is losing support among Hispanic and Latino voters, according to polling. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva This sentiment is also shared by Hispanic voters, Martínez De Castro said. She warned: "Eight in ten Hispanic voters support deporting dangerous criminals, but President Trump and congressional Republicans should not target long-residing undocumented immigrants without criminal records. Latino voters want policies that are firm, fair, and free of cruelty, but that is not what they are witnessing in their communities." Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, echoed these concerns, saying Trump's policies have "vilified our communities and disregarded people's rights." He highlighted the rise in hate crimes, family separations, and the targeting of law-abiding immigrants as consequences of the administration's approach. "Many immigrants who worked hard to secure legal protections, such as TPS and work permits, are having those protections stripped away," he said. Recent polls have shown a broader trend of voters becoming increasingly dissatisfied with Trump's performance on the economy and immigration, which were previously his strongest. His "Liberation Day" tariffs on April 2 rattled markets, prompting a sharp sell-off before an eventual recovery. But public sentiment did not rebound as quickly as the Dow. Polls throughout April showed sliding approval ratings. The president has also seen kinks in the rollout of his aggressive immigration agenda, which has attracted legal scrutiny. One high-profile case involves Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported from Maryland in what the Department of Justice called an "administrative error." The Trump administration labeled Garcia a member of MS-13, now designated a terrorist group, but his family and lawyers deny any connection. Trump's mass deportation plan seeks to remove millions of undocumented immigrants through expanded ICE enforcement and National Guard involvement, focusing not only on criminals but also on many without criminal records. Early in his presidency, ICE arrested over 32,000 people, nearly half with no criminal history, and by February, over 40 percent of deportees had no criminal record. Despite this aggressive approach, public support is limited. An April Pew Research Center poll found only about one-third of Americans support deporting all undocumented immigrants, with most favoring deportation primarily for violent criminals and much less support for deporting those with family ties or who came to the U.S. as children. And such sentiment also exists among Hispanic voters. Martínez De Castro highlighted that while economic concerns helped Trump gain Hispanic support in 2024, the optimism has quickly faded. "Sixty percent of Latino voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and 70 percent of them hold President Trump and his administration responsible," she told Newsweek, citing an April UnidosUS poll. "Latino voters are frustrated that their economic priorities are being ignored and that a key promise made by President Trump during the election is not being kept. Economic discontent was the most potent driver in the 2024 election, helping President Trump increase support among Latinos. But over half of Hispanic voters feel the economy is worse now than a year ago and nearly as many believe it will be worse a year from now," Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, said at the time. Martínez De Castro added that for many Latinos, economic issues like inflation, wages and housing affordability remain top priorities, yet "60 percent believe the President and Republicans are not focusing enough on lowering prices," and over half think the economy has worsened and will continue to decline under Trump's policies. Martínez De Castro noted bluntly, "The president owns the economy now, and Hispanic voters are not seeing the quick turnaround the President promised." Miranda also criticized the administration for "actively dismantling the asylum system for some of the most vulnerable and deserving applicants escaping violence and persecution from Latin America," while simultaneously easing restrictions for others. He warned that "Such action is only serving to alienate the Latino community from the Trump administration and driving people who want to care for loved ones into the shadows."
Newsweek
18 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Travel Ban: Exceptions Travellers Need to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Some 19 countries have been affected by Donald Trump's new travel ban —Newsweek has broken down all the exceptions travellers need to know about. The Context The president announced on Wednesday that travel would be fully restricted from 12 nations: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Meanwhile, travel for people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partially restricted. The new rules, which Trump said are to "protect the nation from foreign terrorist and other national security and public safety threats," come into effect as of June 9. He cited a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado that targeted a group advocating for the release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, is facing attempted murder and federal hate crime charges related to the attack. Exceptions To Donald Trump's Travel Ban Exceptions to these new restrictions apply to the following groups of people: Any permanent resident of the United States and anyone with dual citizenship Foreign nationals with diplomatic visas (A-1, A-2), such as ambassadors, ministers or military personnel People with transit visas (C-2, C-3) People who work for international organizations such as the United Nations or the World Bank (G-1, G-4) People with NATO visas (NATO-1, NATO-6) Athletes and their teams, including supportive members and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State Holders of immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) "with clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship" Children who have been adopted abroad (visas IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4) People with Afghan Special Immigrant Visas, given to Afghans who helped the U.S. government during the war there Iranians fleeing persecution because they are part of a religious minority, such as Christians United States Government employees U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also both have the discretion to put individuals forward for exception based on whether they would "advance a critical United States national interest," the White House proclamation says. For example, Bondi could make an exception for someone required to be present in criminal proceedings as a witness. What Happens Next Several of the countries affected by the ban have responded. Somalia has pledged to work with Washington, while Venezuela has hit back with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello saying "being in the United States is a great risk for anyone." Trump said that "the list is subject to revision based on whether material improvements are made and likewise, new countries can be added as threats emerge around the world."
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
British firms shrug off US tariffs, BoE survey shows
LONDON (Reuters) -Few British businesses expect to be directly affected by recent changes in U.S. trade policy, with only 12% naming it as one of their top three sources of uncertainty, a Bank of England survey showed on Thursday. The BoE said 70% of businesses surveyed in May expected that U.S. tariffs would have no impact on their sales, prices or investment plans. Twenty-two percent expected sales to fall over the year ahead, 20% said they would invest less, 15% expected to lower prices and 7% expected to raise prices, the BoE said. The survey took place from May 9-23 and covered 2,129 firms. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
