Trump unveils new US tariffs for every country
Storms drop dangerous, flooding rain
Dangerous torrential rainfall and flash flooding are underway in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast Thursday with millions at risk along the Interstate 95 corridor, with video already showing cars stranded submerged under water along the Clearview Expressway in Queens.
00:37 - Source: CNN
Bombshell admission in helicopter crash investigation
NTSB hearings to figure out what caused a deadly mid-air collision on January 29th between an Army helicopter and a commercial flight are underway. CNN's Pete Muntean reports on one of the significant revelations from the hearing.
00:54 - Source: CNN
Trump's tariff deadline looms over world economy
President Trump's self-imposed midnight deadline is rapidly approaching for countries to strike a trade framework with the United States or face significantly higher tariffs. In a new development today, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on higher tariffs on Mexico.
01:26 - Source: CNN
Dozens injured on Delta flight
Severe turbulence struck a Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam Wednesday, causing service carts and unbelted passengers to hit the ceiling and forcing an emergency landing in Minnesota, where 25 people on board were taken to hospitals.
01:01 - Source: CNN
Arrest made in Arkansas hiking murders
A man has been arrested in connection with the deaths of a married couple attacked and killed while hiking with their two young daughters at a state park in the Ozark Mountains, according to the Arkansas State Police.
00:45 - Source: CNN
US diminished a key weapons stockpile fighting Iran
The US used about a quarter of its supply of high-end missile interceptors during the Israel-Iran war, exposing a gap in supplies, and raising concerns about US global security posture. CNN's Tamara Qiblawi reports.
01:35 - Source: CNN
Pilot safe after navy fighter jet crash
A US Navy F-35 fighter jet crashed in central California, according to the Navy. The pilot ejected safely, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
00:41 - Source: CNN
Carney says Canada will recognize Palestinian state
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has joined France and Britain in announcing plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations, as international pressure builds on Israel over the ongoing war and starvation crisis in Gaza. President Donald Trump reacted to the announcement by threatening to derail trade talks with Canada.
00:30 - Source: CNN
Jury finds James Craig guilty of first-degree murder
A jury has found Colorado dentist James Craig guilty of all charges in the March 2023 death of his wife Angela, including murder in the first degree. He now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
02:38 - Source: CNN
How an earthquake causes a tsunami
A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia's east coast is tied for the sixth strongest ever recorded. Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific. CNN Meteorologist Chris Warren explains how an earthquake turns into a tsunami.
01:16 - Source: CNN
Police release new images of the gun used in the Midtown Manhattan shooting
Photos released by the New York City Police Department show the assault-style rifle 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura used to fatally shoot four people – including a police officer – and wound one before killing himself in Midtown Manhattan.
00:52 - Source: CNN
8.8 magnitude earthquake has effects across the globe
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia's Far East raised tsunami alerts in Japan, Alaska, Hawaii and along the US West Coast. The tsunami warning for the state of Hawaii has been downgraded to an advisory. Authorities continue to monitor conditions and urge returning residents to remain vigilant. This quake is tied for the sixth strongest ever recorded.
00:39 - Source: CNN
Tsunami warnings triggered after major earthquake
The strongest earthquake on the planet since 2011 has triggered tsunami warnings for parts of Russia, Japan, and Alaska, as well as all of Hawaii. CNN's Will Ripley reports on the 8.8-magnitude quake.
00:41 - Source: CNN
Delta announces generative AI ticketing
CNN Business editor-at-large Richard Quest breaks down Delta's announcement that the airline will deploy large-scale, advanced artificial intelligence towards ticket pricing — and what that means for the price of your next flight.
01:31 - Source: CNN
Therapist treating Epstein victims says Trump's language 'dehumanizes'
CNN's John Berman speaks with Randee Kogan, a therapist for victims of Jeffrey Epstein, about President Donald Trump saying Epstein "stole people that worked for me" and possibly pardoning Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
01:12 - Source: CNN
Ghislaine Maxwell's attorneys lay out conditions to be met before she gives testimony to Congress
Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has offered to testify before Congress, but with major conditions, including immunity. CNN's Kaitlan Collins breaks down the list of demands sent to the House Oversight Committee by her attorneys.
01:20 - Source: CNN
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6 minutes ago
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Broken Promise: Rate Hikes Guaranteed, Coverage Expansion Dubious, After Lara's Secretive Model Reviews, says Consumer Watchdog
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is breaking his promise to Californians by guaranteeing rate hikes without guaranteeing more coverage, said Consumer Watchdog today, following his approval of another black-box wildfire model for use in pricing home insurance. The confidential closed-door review of a model owned by insurance ratings agency Moody's, and two others over the last week, confirmed that modeling companies will not have to provide regulators or the public access to their models. The models' inner workings remain secret, denying regulators and the public the ability to test the validity of the rate hikes they will now drive. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! Great Rates and Award-Winning Service The Insurance Savings You Expect Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You Lara's actions implement part of his deal with the insurance industry allowing them to use secret models to raise rates without public justification of the reasons for those increases. In return, Lara promised Californians he would expand access to home insurance in wildfire areas. However, the rules implementing that promise give insurance companies multiple ways to avoid selling more policies to those who have lost coverage. "Lara made a deal with the industry: let them raise rates with secret models, and in return, they'd offer more coverage in wildfire zones," said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog. "Today's action fulfills the industry's wish list. But for consumers, the promised coverage has vanished into a maze of loopholes and delays. Nothing in the rules guarantees new sales to those who were non-renewed and dumped on the FAIR Plan." "Today's announcement is just more public relations cover for a strategy that is a direct assault on the transparency that Californians rely on to hold insurance companies accountable," said Will Pletcher, Litigation Director at Consumer Watchdog. Secret Models Guarantee Rate Hikes: The Department's review of the Moody's and Verisk wildfire catastrophe models — algorithmic pricing models insurance companies will now be allowed to use to increase rates in future rate filings—was conducted through a secretive, closed-door process known as PRID (Pre-Application Required Information Determination). While Commissioner Lara claims the review was open to the public, PRID lacks the procedural safeguards, transparency, and public access required under Proposition 103. The commissioner's action will replace the current use of transparent data about wildfire claims to set prices with the unverified predictions of these algorithmic pricing models. "You can't claim public participation while locking the public out of the data and deliberations that will now determine billions in future premiums," said Pletcher. "This is the antithesis of Proposition 103, which requires insurance companies to justify rate hikes in full view of the public." No Guarantee of More Insurance Sales to Consumers: The Insurance Commissioner has widely claimed that insurance companies will have to cover more homeowners in exchange for the right to raise rates with these models' secret algorithms. However, the text of the regulation contains no such guarantee. As Consumer Watchdog has documented, the rule is riddled with loopholes allowing insurance companies to opt for token compliance rather than meaningful expansion. The regulation says insurance companies may commit to selling a number of policies in wildfire areas equal to 85% of their market share in less-risky areas. But it also allows insurance companies to instead say they will increase coverage in fire areas by just 5 percent. Companies may also opt for a third, undefined, "alternative commitment." The loopholes are explained in this KGO-TV story. Insurance companies then do not have to report they've met their commitments until two years after their rate hikes take effect. If after two years they have not sold more policies as promised, the regulation allows insurers to change their commitments. And there are no mandated penalties if a company fails. Ultimately, insurers may never be held responsible for increasing sales to Californians, said Consumer Watchdog. Moody's and Verisk's significant financial conflicts of interest have also been ignored. The largest shareholder of insurance rating agency Moody's RMS is Berkshire Hathaway, through the Warren Buffett-owned insurance companies National Indemnity Co. and GEICO. Wall Street financial services companies The Vanguard Group and BlackRock Inc., which manage hundreds of billions in assets for insurance clients, are the second and third largest shareholders of Moody's. Vanguard and BlackRockare the largest shareholders of Verisk. These shareholders benefit financially if models push rates too high, and this conflict creates powerful financial incentives to use the models' undisclosed algorithms to artificially inflate insurance rates, said Consumer Watchdog. Meanwhile, private insurers continue to drive more and more Californians onto the FAIR Plan—which now covers nearly 600,000 policyholders statewide. Without enforceable requirements and stronger accountability, Lara's strategy won't deliver real coverage—it will entrench an overpriced, under–serving system where consumers lose and insurers win. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Consumer Watchdog Sign in to access your portfolio
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6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who is Erika McEntarfer, the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner fired by Trump?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the agency that compiles the closely watched monthly jobs report usually toils in obscurity, but on Friday, the current holder of that job was loudly fired by the president of the United States. Erika McEntarfer, a longtime government employee, bore the brunt of President Donald Trump's unhappiness with Friday's jobs report, which showed that hiring had slowed in July and was much less in May and June that previously estimated. He accused her without evidence of manipulating the job numbers and noted she was an appointee of President Joe Biden. McEntarfer, a longtime government worker who had served as BLS head for a year and a half, did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press. But her predecessor overseeing the jobs agency, former co-workers and associates have denounced the firing, warning about its repercussions and saying McEntarfer was nonpolitical in her role. Here's what to know about Erika McEntarfer: McEntarfer has a strong background on economics McEntarfer, whose research focuses on job loss, retirement, worker mobility, and wage rigidity, had previously worked at the Census Bureau's Center for Economic Studies, the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Policy and the White House Council of Economic Advisers in a nonpolitical role. She has a bachelor's degree in Social Science from Bard College and a doctoral degree in economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She was confirmed as BLS head on a bipartisan vote McEntarfer was nominated in 2023 to serve as BLS head, and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions recommended that her nomination go to the full Senate for a vote. She was confirmed as BLS commissioner in January 2024 on a bipartisan 86-8 Senate vote. Among the Republican senators who voted to confirm her included then-Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who is now Trump's vice president, and then-Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who is now Trump's secretary of state. Before her confirmation hearing, a group called the Friends of the BLS, made up of former commissioners who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, members of statistical associations and credentialed economists, said McEntarfer's background made her a great choice for the job. 'The many reasons to quickly confirm Dr. McEntarfer as the new BLS Commissioner all boil down to this: the agency, like the entire statistical system, is undergoing an intense, significant period of change and Dr. McEntarfer's wealth of research and statistical experience have equipped her to be the strong leader that BLS needs to meet these challenges,' Friends of the BLS wrote. Her former associates and co-workers decry her firing William Beach, who was appointed BLS commissioner in 2019 by Trump and served until 2023 during President Joe Biden's administration, called McEntarfer's firing 'groundless' and said in an X post that it 'sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau.' Former Labor Department chief economist Sarah J. Glynn, who received regular briefings from McEntarfer about BLS findings, said McEntarfer was generous with her time explaining what conclusions could or couldn't be reached from the data. If the data didn't support something an administration official was saying, McEntarfer would say so, Glynn said. She also never weighed in on how the administration should present or interpret the data, Glynn said — she would simply answer questions about the data. 'She had a sterling reputation as someone who is concerned about the accuracy of the data and not someone who puts a political spin on her work,' Glynn said. Heather Boushey, a senior research fellow at Harvard University, served with McEntarfer on the White House Council of Economic Advisers and said McEntarfer never talked politics at work. 'She showed up every day to focus on the best analysis and the best approach to her field and not get political. That is what I saw from her time and again. She is brilliant and well-respected among labor economists generally,' Boushey said. 'She wasn't coming into my office to talk politics or the political implications of something. She definitely wasn't engaging on that side of things.' ___ Olson reported from New York. Associated Press writer Christopher Rugaber in Washington contributed to this report. Fatima Hussein And Alexandra Olson, The Associated Press
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kansas governor candidate Cindy Holscher objects to alleged pressure campaign by Kelly's staff
Sen. Cindy Holscher, a Johnson County Democrat seeking the party's nomination for governor in 2026, said staff in the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly attempted to pressure Democratic lawmakers into idling their campaigns for governor so a preferred candidate could prevail. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — State Sen. Cindy Holscher expressed frustration Friday with behind-the-scene involvement of Gov. Laura Kelly's staff in attempting to influence who launched a campaign for the Kansas Democratic Party's nomination for governor in 2026. Holscher, who announced her bid for governor in June, said she was among three Democrats in the Kansas Senate told by the Kelly administration to stand aside so Democratic primary voters would be more likely to nominate Lawrence attorney Chris Mann in the race to determine who would be the party's choice to replace the term-limited Kelly. Holscher said she as well as Sens. Dinah Sykes and Ethan Corson, also of Johnson County, were initially discouraged from impeding Mann's path in the August 2026 primary for governor. 'All three of us were told basically 'do not run' because Chris Mann's the guy,' Holscher said. 'Why are insiders picking candidates? We're being bullied, essentially.' After the dust cleared at the end of July, Mann had chosen to launch another campaign for attorney general after narrowly losing to Republican Kris Kobach in 2022. Corson and Holscher had declared their campaigns for governor. Kelly threw her support to Corson. Lt. Gov. David Toland, at one point the presumed frontrunner in a Democratic gubernatorial race, said he wouldn't run. Sykes remained on the sideline. Will Lawrence, Kelly's chief of staff, said the two-term governor met with potential Democratic candidates for governor and offered advice on how each could approach the 2026 election cycle. 'No one told them, 'You can't run.' They can make their own decisions,' Lawrence said. 'There's a lot of give and take in those conversations. It was never forceful. Cindy was the one that kept coming to the governor trying to get her support. The governor kept saying, 'I'm not going to support you in the governor's race if that's what you choose to do.' The governor was very clear about that.' Lawrence said Kelly would prefer Democrats didn't set the stage for grueling primary battles in statewide races. In an interview, Holscher said it was disappointing Lawrence had participated in an effort to essentially anoint a Democratic nominee for governor. Holscher also asserted Lawrence attempted to leverage future political support from the governor to secure Holscher's vote for a bill altering regulation of child care facilities and exemptions to vaccination mandates. Holscher said it was concerning that Lawrence wielded financial influence over Democratic campaigns by controlling the governor's Middle of the Road political action committee. 'This whole situation is what frustrates Democrats,' Holscher said. She said Democrats suffered under Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate. In the Senate, the GOP edge stands at 31-9 — the same mix as in 2018. The House GOP majority is 88-37, representing the addition of three Republican representatives since 2018. 'If you take a look, you know, we've had the governor's office the past seven years. We haven't advanced in terms of growing our numbers. We've gone backward,' she said. Lawrence, who has held a leadership role with the governor's $2.3 million PAC, made a push during the 2024 elections to alter the balance of power in the Legislature. The Republican supermajority was targeted by Democrats because the GOP's numerical advantage made it easier to override Kelly's vetoes. Outcome of the 2024 election was a disappointment for Democrats up and down the ballot, Lawrence said. Holscher notified Lawrence in mid-June about her views on the Kelly administration's involvement in the development of Democratic campaigns for governor. Holscher sent a text to Lawrence, obtained by Kansas Reflector, that included a warning that Holscher would 'swiftly hand over all the proof I have to the press' of the governor's intervention in Democratic campaigns. 'I am so done with the games coming from you and the governor's office,' Holscher's message to Lawrence said. 'I want to be very clear about something.' Holscher vowed she would go to the media if anyone affiliated with the Kelly administration 'says anything negative about me or my candidacy,' attempted to interfere with Holscher's hiring of campaign staff or in signing up volunteers, 'does so much as attempt to put a thumb on the scale in any way to interfere with this election' or made use of the Democratic Governors Association, which is led by Kelly, to 'impede or negatively influence' her Democratic primary. In the interview, Lawrence said language used by Holscher in the text could be interpreted as an attempt to intentionally gain something of value from Lawrence or Kelly against their will. 'It would be worthwhile for Cindy to take a look at the statute and reassess how she communicates with people,' Lawrence said. 'Extremely disappointing behavior. Questionable behavior. Not someone who has gubernatorial temperament, who has to compromise and negotiate on things every day in this building.' In a July social media post after Kelly embraced Corson's candidacy for governor, Holscher offered an explanation as to why Kelly chose to support Corson. Holscher wrote pressure had been applied by Lawrence regarding an upcoming vote during the 2025 session on House Bill 2045. It rolled back child care safety standards and tinkered with exemptions to vaccination mandates. Holscher voted against the bill, which passed the House and Senate with bipartisan votes and was signed into law by Kelly. 'I had received tons of emails from constituents adamantly opposed to the bill,' Holscher's post said. 'The gov and Will (her chief of staff), told me that if I didn't support it, the governor's office wouldn't be supportive of me in future races. I wasn't going to go against my district and the people I represent, so I voted 'no.' So, it looks like they are holding true to that threat.' Lawrence said he didn't agree with Holscher's analysis of meetings the senator had with the governor about the legislation. 'That vote has nothing to do with the gubernatorial election,' Lawrence said. Holscher, elected to the House in 2016 and to the Senate in 2020, has been endorsed by former Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers. He served in Kelly's first term before appointed to the job of Kansas state treasurer in 2021. Corson, who entered the Senate in 2021, said in an interview at the Capitol that he appreciated Kelly's expression of support. It was helpful to voters because Kansans wanted the kind of bipartisan, moderate leadership delivered by Kelly since sworn into office in 2019, Corson said. He said he hadn't taken notice of social media chatter about Holscher's claims of how the Kelly administration handled legislators who declined to fall into line with the governor. 'I just haven't seen any of that,' Corson said. 'I haven't paid attention to it. We've been out there talking to folks and trying to meet people in real life.' Candidates lined up to take part in the Kansas Republican Party's campaign for governor included Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, Senate President Ty Masterson, Secretary of State Scott Schwab and former Gov. Jeff Colyer.
