An investigative report found that the first family is projected to rake in $3.4 billion thanks to their proximity to the White House.
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New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
DOJ probing whether DC crime stats were manipulated
The Justice Department is investigating whether the Washington, DC police department manipulated crime statistics to make the district seem more safe than it actually is. 'We're of course looking into this because the reality is that we know that DC has been an incredibly unsafe place to live, for a very long time,' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an interview Tuesday with Fox News host Laura Ingraham. The investigation into the allegations that DC's Metropolitan Police Department fudged data to make crime rates appear lower is reportedly being led by the office of DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, according to multiple outlets. 3 President Trump holds up a statistical graph on DC homicide rates as he speaks during a news conference on crime in the nation's capital at the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. The Washington Post via Getty Images Any officials found to have been manipulating federal data could face fraud, obstruction or making false statements charges, according to the Washington Post. Allegations of fake crime stats in DC predate President Trump's sweeping interventions in the nation's capital aimed at cracking down on crime. Michael Pulliam, an MPD commander, was put on paid leave in mid-May amid an internal investigation into changes he allegedly made to the district's crime data, NBC Washington reported last month. Pulliam allegedly falsified violent crime statistics to make them appear more favorable for the city, an accusation he denies. Pulliam's police union has defended him and accused MPD leadership of ordering subordinates to falsify violent crime data. 3 An infographic showing the Washington, DC homicide rate. Anadolu via Getty Images 3 A Capitol Police officer, right, with the help of Washington Metropolitan police officers, takes a man into custody near Union Station, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Washington. AP 'In some ways, it's not surprising that we hear about reports of this type of conduct that suggests that DC is safer than everybody that lives here knows to be true,' Blanche said on 'The Ingraham Angle.' 'So, we're investigating it, and hopefully we'll get to the bottom of it at some point soon,' he added. Trump appeared to confirm the investigation Monday night in a Truth Social post. 'D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety,' Trump wrote. 'This is a very bad and dangerous thing to do, and they are under serious investigation for so doing!' the president added. The DC US Attorney's Office and MPD did not immediately respond to The Post's requests for comment.
CNBC
29 minutes ago
- CNBC
How tourists are weathering geopolitical uncertainty, currency moves and extreme heat
Geopolitics, currency moves and extreme weather are increasingly playing into tourists' considerations for their next vacation and affecting classic holiday destinations. Staple European spots France, Spain and Croatia, for example, have been facing record-breaking heat in recent weeks, which triggered wildfires in some locations. Conflict in the Middle East has meanwhile meant that tourists in nearby Cyprus were able to see missiles and smoke in the sky from the beach. Sluggish economic growth and inflationary fears, largely linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies, appear to be making consumers more cautious with their spending. A weaker U.S. dollar has also diminished the currency's purchasing power abroad, with a June report from the European Travel Commission showing that high travel costs, alongside the current global perception of the U.S., have been weighing on voyage plans. "For American travellers, a weaker dollar has fuelled demand for countries where their purchasing power goes further, from parts of Latin America to Southeast Asia. Many are opting for package deals that lock in rates upfront, effectively turning travel planning into a smart financial strategy," Nicholas Smith, holidays digital director at Thomas Cook and the eSky Group online travel agency, told CNBC by email. Travelers also appear to be thinking twice before picking the U.S. as a destination amid political tensions and an increase in reports of tourists being detained or interrogated as they enter or leave the country. Linda Jonczyk, a spokesperson for Europe's largest tour operator TUI, said that there has been "some decline" in bookings for travel to the U.S. Earlier this month, TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel reportedly attributed the pullback to factors including reports of tourists facing border control issues. Elsewhere, Europe remains a key destination, despite challenges. Smith said the British pound to euro conversion rate has remained relatively stable, and the familiarity many tourists have with mainland Europe works in the region's favor. "Greece and Turkey also remain firm favourites, even with seasonal wildfire headlines, thanks to their compelling mix of history, hospitality, and value for money," he said. But, Smith also noted that "Turkey has found itself in a slightly tricky predicament. Inflation has pushed up prices, however as most people book all inclusive, it is somewhat mitigated." Still, there has been a growing trend of consumers swapping heat for cooler destinations as part of so-called "coolcations," Smith said. This includes travelers now turning to countries such as Iceland, Norway and Poland. TUI's Jonczyk meanwhile noted that the company's business is becoming less seasonally focused as it responds to "more of our customers preferring to travel outside the peak summer season as weather patterns especially around the Mediterranean change." According to Thomas Cook's Smith, "holidaymakers in 2025 are factoring in more elements than ever when choosing where to go - from currency movements and visa rules to climate patterns and unique cultural draws." "Travellers are becoming more intentional," he added, noting that tourists are seeking out spots that suit them and their priorities, rather than simply avoiding certain locations. Europe's wildfires are an especially big concern among travelers right now, travel experts said, after heatwaves triggered outbreaks in tourist hotspots including Spain, Portugal and Greece. Flames are still spreading in some locations. Over the weekend, Spanish infrastructure such as roads and train services was impacted, as Madrid deployed military emergency troops to try and constrain the fires, Reuters reported. Fires are also continuing to rage in neighboring Portugal, which last week requested assistance from the European Union and was forced to evacuate residents in some regions. In emailed comments, Portugal's tourism office meanwhile told CNBC that the country "remains a safe, welcoming, and fully operational destination for travelers," and that visitors were being hosted "as planned." Local tourism infrastructure was prepared for challenges like wildfires, they added. Rhys Jones, a travel insurance specialist at GoCompare, told CNBC that the price comparison website has increasingly been receiving inquiries about what how to handle traveling in an area were wildfires raged at one point, or if there's a risk of blazes. "The first thing we recommend doing is checking whether the Foreign Office has deemed your destination safe to travel to," Jones told CNBC by email. "If the Foreign Office says it isn't safe, then it's important you take this advice seriously. If you decide to travel regardless of the warnings and need to claim for something that happens during the trip, your travel insurer could refuse your claim," Jones said. On the flipside, insurers might not pay out if you choose to stay at home despite the Foreign Office saying it is safe to travel and there are no reported issues with flights or accommodation, he added. Jo Rhodes, a travel specialist at U.K. consumer group Which?, echoed this advice. "Holidaymakers should wait until closer to the departure date to see if the holiday can go ahead or what flexible booking options are offered from the tour operator or airline. Travel companies will be prioritising anyone due to depart in the next couple of days," Rhodes told CNBC by email.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Democrats push their own version of no tax on tips
Aug. 19—President Donald Trump successfully got a no tax on tips policy through Congress in July, but Democrats are serving up their own version. Trump campaigned on the idea of not taxing tipped wages, a policy that was included in the large budget and tax bill Congress passed in July. Democrats, including New Mexico's Rep. Gabe Vasquez, are pushing their own version of no federal tax on tips with a bill that would also eliminate the separate tipped minimum wage, creating one federal minimum wage. Economic experts are skeptical of offering tax breaks that incentivize paying people with tips instead of basing tax breaks on income level. "In general, lowering taxes for lower income people, middle class and below, is a good idea," said Matías Fontenla, a professor of economics at the University of New Mexico. "I just don't understand why they would do just on tips and not for the general population." About 2% of U.S. workers were in tipped jobs in 2023, according to a study from The Budget Lab at Yale University. More than a third of tipped workers already had low enough income that they had no federal income tax in 2022. Taxes can serve as an incentive for employer or consumer behavior. Eliminating tax on tips could encourage employers in tip-based industries to lower salaries, with the justification that employees are benefiting from a tip tax break, according to Fontenla. "This creates an unnecessary, weird incentive that could potentially be nonoptimal, especially if they don't change the minimum wage," Fontenla said. He is in favor of one standard minimum wage. Both Trump's policy and the policy proposed in the Democrat-led TIPS Act offer tax relief in the form of a deduction, meaning federal taxes would still be withheld from employees' paychecks. Trump's no tax on tips policy expires in 2028 and offers a deduction for up to $25,000 in tipped income. The deduction phases out for people making over $150,000. The IRS plans to publish a list of occupations eligible for the tax deduction in October. On Monday, Vasquez donned an apron at the Barelas Coffee House, taking orders for coffee and burritos smothered in green chile under the guidance of one of the restaurant's servers. His hour as a waiter was meant to promote the TIPS Act. The bill would go further than Trump's policy by not including a cap on the deductible and eliminating the separate tipped minimum wage. The federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13, while regular federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. New Mexico's tipped minimum wage is $3 an hour, while regular minimum wage in the state is $12 an hour. The legislation would also make no tax on tips permanent. "If we truly believe in service industry workers that help support our communities and our businesses, it should be permanent," Vasquez said. The deduction would phase out for people earning over $112,500 annually. One of the challenges of living on a tipped wage is fluctuating pay, said Alexis Campos, the server showing Vasquez the ropes. "It's just really random pay. So it's kind of hard to figure out how much you're going to make for the month for the bills," Campos said. "It could be $800, or you can make $1,000 or $400, so it really fluctuates."
