Impersonator breached Chief of Staff Susie Wiles's phone, Trump says
An apparent impersonator breached the phone of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump said Friday, and pretended to be her in calls and messages received by her high-profile contacts.
Trump did not go into detail about the impersonation but told reporters he was not concerned because Wiles is 'an amazing woman' who 'can handle it.'
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Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Small businesses struggle under Trump's tariff whiplash: ‘I'm so angry that my own government has done this to me'
For some small businesses, the last week brought even more twists and turns to the past two months of President Donald Trump's chaotic tariffs. The situation was already confusing, with stops and starts of tariffs at different levels. Then on Wednesday, a US court said Trump overstepped his authority in imposing most of those import levies – only for an appeals court on Thursday to pause the previous court's ruling. The confusion has made it challenging for some small companies to plan, business owners told CNN. In certain cases, they have had to consider changing their product strategy, looking into shifting their supply chains, reducing staff hours or delaying products. 'My fear is, if this continues, there's going to be like the mass extinction of small businesses,' Julie Robbins, CEO of Ohio-based guitar pedal maker EarthQuaker Devices, told CNN. Trump announced blanket tariffs across the globe on April 2, and since then, his plans have changed on a regular basis. In early April, he issued a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs almost everywhere except China. Then, after ratcheting up total tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, he declared smartphones and certain other electronics would be exempt from the reciprocal tariffs. The US and China agreed in May to roll back reciprocal tariffs for 90 days. And in late May, he threatened smartphone makers like Apple with 25% tariffs if they don't make their phones in the US. He also agreed to push back levies on imports from the European Union until July 9. Those are only some of his changes, which can come at any time of day via the White House, social media posts or other avenues. The whiplash has been hard for companies to keep up with. Even major brands like apparel giant Gap are feeling the impact of tariffs, but small companies with far fewer resources are in an even tougher spot. The National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index fell by 1.6 points in April, dipping below the 51-year average for the second consecutive month. The organization's chief economist, Bill Dunkelberg, cited uncertainty as a 'major impediment' for small business owners in a press release. 'It's the sort of more smaller, kind of more niche… brands that are going to really, really get hit by this,' Jack Leathem, an analyst at market research firm Canalys, told CNN in April. Some small business owners have had to make difficult decisions as they've grappled with the impact of tariffs. EveAnna Manley, whose company Manley Labs makes high-end electronics for recording studios, has had to cut her employees' hours by 25%. The reciprocal tariffs that China imposed on the US have been particularly challenging, she says, since China has become a major market for her business. Manley says it took 'decades' for her to 'get the best Chinese importers.' Overall, Manley Labs' sales are down more than 19% compared to last year, she told CNN, which has frozen the company's product development efforts. 'It's just a freaking mess right now,' she said in late May, before this past week's court rulings on Trump's tariffs. 'And I'm so angry that my own government has done this to me.' The best thing small businesses can do right now is to be flexible and diversify their sourcing and procurement strategies, says Tala Akhavan, chief operating officer of Pietra, a platform that helps brands with sourcing, production and logistics among other services. That's what Intuition Robotics, which makes a home robot designed to be a companion for older adults, is doing, according to chief strategy officer Assaf Gad. The company also makes money off its digital subscription accounts, according to Gad, giving it the flexibility to look into a 'plan B' outside of China for producing the company's hardware. Sudden changes in tariff policies haven't really impacted the company's decisions because it's planning for the next nine to 12 months rather than the short term, he said in mid-May. Trump's tariffs have encouraged Gad to think about expanding Intuition Robotics into international markets. 'Maybe this is also a good time to say, 'Let's not put all the eggs in one basket,'' he said, 'and, you know, start looking on other kind of territories that will reduce the risk for us going forward.' But for some companies, finding a plan B isn't so easy. That's the case for Sarah O'Leary, CEO of Willow, which makes wearable breast pumps and accessories. As a medical device company, Willow can't simply just move its manufacturing, O'Leary told CNN. The company had to pause exporting one product it produces in China for postpartum recovery at one point because it became too expensive. The ruling on Wednesday aiming to block many tariffs brought some relief, O'Leary said in an emailed statement on Thursday evening. But she acknowledged that there's still 'so much uncertainty,' adding that 'the chaos will persist.' Any tariffs, even low ones, would be difficult for a small company like hers to absorb, she said in mid-May. 'We don't build our products with that much margin,' she said. 'And so, unfortunately, we are in a position where we have to evaluate what we can do to survive in those contexts.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBS News
32 minutes ago
- CBS News
Former Trump supporter Pamela Hemphill refuses and returns her Jan. 6 pardon
What to know about Trump's flurry of pardons What to know about Trump's flurry of pardons What to know about Trump's flurry of pardons Amid the wave of pardons and commutations President Trump has doled out to some of his supporters and surrogates, one former MAGA loyalist in Idaho is fighting to return her pardon. Pamela Hemphill is one of the more than 1,500 people whom Mr. Trump pardoned earlier this year for their roles in the U.S. Capitol Insurrection. She has invoked help from her Republican senator to formally refuse and block the pardon Trump issued her on Jan. 20, his first day back in the White House. Though Hemphill was a defendant of the largest criminal prosecution in American history, she is seemingly standing alone now as the only Jan. 6 defendant to refuse the clemency Mr. Trump offered. Speaking with CBS News from her home in Idaho, Hemphill said, "The pardons just contribute to their narrative, which is all lies, propaganda. We were guilty, period." "We all know that they're gaslighting us. They are using January 6 to just continue Trump's narrative that the Justice Department was weaponized," she said. "They were not, When the FBI came to my home, oh my God, they were very professional. They treated me very good." Hemphill pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for her role in the crowd on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors argued Hemphill "was in the front of the crowd that confronted U.S. Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers attempting to keep the rioters behind the metal bike-rack barriers." They alleged Hemphill galvanized others to descend on Washington for the certification of the electoral vote after the 2020 election, according to court filings. "On December 28, 2020, Hemphill posted encouragement to go to Washington, D.C. for January 6, saying 'its a WAR!' On January 1, 2021, she posted a message 'on my way to Washington DC January 6th," the prosecution said. Image from court filings show Pamela Hemphill's social media post about Jan. 6, 2021. Handout Hemphill also pleaded guilty in January 2022 to a count of unlawful parading and was sentenced later that year to a term that included three years of probation. Her case mirrors many other misdemeanor cases from the U.S. Capitol siege, in which members of the crowd were not accused of making physical contact with police or damaging any property — though prosecutors emphasized how each member of the mob contributed to the breakdown of police lines, the injuries and the damage to American democracy. Hemphill told CBS News the pardons for her and fellow members of the crowd were inappropriate and damaging Americans' views of the federal government. "How could you sleep at night taking a pardon when you know you were guilty? You know that everybody there was guilty. I couldn't live with myself. I have to be right with me. And with God," Hemphill said. Former Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer, who was fired by the Trump administration in March after a disagreement over a case, told CBS News that Hemphill's protest is a sharp contrast from the conduct of other Capitol riot defendants who championed their own pardons. "Some Jan. 6 defendants blew up our phones seeking a copy of their pardons. They wanted the copies quickly," Oyer said. "They wanted it framed and signed." Court filings reviewed by CBS News show other Jan. 6 defendants have utilized their pardon certificates to make arguments in court about their cases, restitution payments or other legal matters. In contrast, senate records obtained by CBS News show Hemphill sought assistance from Sen. James Risch to secure a formal acknowledgement from the Department of Justice that she will not accept her pardon. In an April 2 correspondence from the Office of the Pardon Attorney to Sen. Risch, the pardon attorney's office wrote, "Ms. Hemphill's non-acceptance is noted." The letter said the Justice Department would not issue Hemphill a formal certificate to chronicle her pardon. In a statement to CBS News, a spokesperson for Risch said, "The Office of U.S. Senator Jim Risch regularly assists constituents with matters pertaining to federal agencies or programs. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot disclose details about individual cases." Hemphill has sparred on social media and in podcasts with other Jan. 6 defendants over her arguments about what she says is the whitewashing of the Capitol riot. In one segment on a podcast earlier this spring, Hemphill debated Enrique Tarrio, a former Proud Boys leader who was convicted at trial and received the longest prison sentence of any Jan. 6 defendant. Tarrio's sentence was commuted by Trump. Hemphill told CBS News she expects her protest will garner the attention of the president. "Trump will probably say that ungrateful lady, I'm going to make sure she gets back on probation and give her the worst you can give her. I won't be surprised," she said.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The business of Trump pardons and Ukraine claims massive drone strike in Russia: Weekend Rundown
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A source within the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told NBC News that the country targeted '41 strategic Russian aircraft' in an offensive operation code-named 'Spiderweb.' The remarkable attack was in the works for over a year and a half, the source said. The attack followed a night of bombardment, with Russia launching 472 drones, Ukraine's air force said. Earlier Sunday, Ukraine's army said a Russian missile strike on an army training unit killed at least 12 Ukrainian service members and injured 60. The latest escalation comes just a day before Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to meet for a second round of direct talks in Istanbul. In 2019, Christopher Praino signed a waiver relinquishing his disability compensation from the VA after he was ordered to active duty, because, by law, he could not receive both VA benefits and active-duty pay at the same time. But despite confirming his waiver in a letter, the agency did not fully halt the payments. 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Johnson defended cuts to Medicaid in the budget bill, telling Kristen Welker, '4.8 million people will not lose their Medicaid unless they choose to do so.' The speaker said he's 'not buying' the argument that the requirements, which would require able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work, participate in job training programs or volunteer for 80 hours a month, are too 'cumbersome.' The bill now heads to the Senate, where some Republicans have voiced concerns about the Medicaid impact. Lights, camera, intel: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is exploring ways to revamp the president's daily briefings, including a video version made to look and feel like Fox News. Crypto conflict: At bitcoin's biggest event of the year, many attendees who support Trump's crypto policies weren't sold on his personal $TRUMP coin. LGBTQ rights: Families told NBC News they've left the U.S. or are planning to leave as a result of a growing anti-transgender climate throughout the country. Failure to launch: Trump has withdrawn the nomination of billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator, citing 'a thorough review of prior associations.' Immigration ruling: A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from revoking the temporary protected status of roughly 5,000 Venezuelans who are in the U.S. Hailey Bieber has had a career-making month after securing a billion-dollar deal to sell her beauty empire and landing a Vogue cover. The milestones have renewed the public's obsessive interest in her husband, Justin Bieber, whose erratic behavior and sometimes jaw-dropping online activity have long fueled rumors about his declining health and marriage. 'What's going on right now with Justin Bieber is not a full-blown crisis, but the early-warning system lights are definitely flashing,' said Evan Nierman, founder and CEO of a global PR firm that handles reputation management. 'The contrast between them now is glaring and jarring, and that's why there is so much public discussion about him.' Nabeela Aysen, a New York-based crisis communications expert, noted a slapdash Instagram post from Justin congratulating his wife. 'As someone who works in crisis communications, I would've loved for his team to review that post before he hit publish,' she said. Well, we are all going to die. SEN. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, at a town hall in her home state When pressed about cuts to Medicaid in the House's budget bill, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, pushed back after a town hall attendee said the cuts would lead to deaths. Dozens are feared dead after Israeli forces opened fire on a group receiving aid in Gaza, according to hospital officials and witnesses on the ground. The organization charged with distributing aid vigorously denied the reports. One person was killed and 11 others were wounded in a shooting in North Carolina, officials said. Can AI have survival instincts? Recent tests show some advanced models will act to ensure their self-preservation if threatened with demise. The remains of 19 African American people whose skulls had been sent to Germany for racist research practices in the 1800s have been buried after their return to New Orleans. The badly burned body of a young man was found in Georgia's Stone Mountain Park, authorities say. Actor Devin Harjes, known for his roles in 'Boardwalk Empire' and 'Daredevil,' died on Tuesday at 41. The Indiana Pacers advanced to the NBA Finals on Saturday, defeating the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 of their conference finals matchup. The founder of New Hampshire's largest network of addiction centers has been arrested after federal prosecutors say he orchestrated a conspiracy to stalk and harass local journalists in retaliation for unfavorable reporting. This article was originally published on
