Latest news with #JeffMason
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump to attend 'Les Miserables' at revamped Kennedy Center, where sales have fallen
By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Months after orchestrating a conservative takeover of the Kennedy Center's leadership, President Donald Trump will attend "Les Miserables" on Wednesday, his first show at the performing arts facility that has become a symbol of U.S. cultural and political divides. Trump did not attend events at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during his first term, but has taken a keen interest in it during his second. Deriding it on social media for putting on "Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth," he pushed out its former chairman, fired its longtime president and pledged to overhaul an institution he described as being in tremendous disrepair. The fallout has been swift. The musical "Hamilton" canceled plans to appear there, staff left and sales of subscriptions and individual tickets for Kennedy Center shows have dropped, according to two people briefed on the data. Overall subscription revenue was down 36% to $2.8 million as of early June for next season, which begins in the autumn, according to one source. Theater subscriptions, normally a major revenue driver for the center, were down 82%. A Kennedy Center spokeswoman declined to comment about the facility's sales. The center depends on revenue from tickets and subscriptions as well as donations to operate. "President Trump cares deeply about American arts and culture, which is why he is revitalizing historic institutions like the Kennedy Center to their former greatness," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement. Trump's appearance at "Les Miserables", a show about citizens rising up against their government, comes just days after he sent U.S. Marines and the National Guard to quell protests against his administration's immigration raids in Los Angeles. Trump will sit in the presidential box overlooking center stage, but he is not guaranteed a friendly reception in the 2,300-seat theater. When Vice President JD Vance attended a Kennedy Center show with his wife earlier this year, the crowd booed. Supportive donors will be present, but tickets for the musical were available for purchase by the public as well, along with regular subscribers. The night is sold out. Trump's appearance is meant to juice fundraising. Donors who pay $100,000 to $2 million get to attend a reception before the show, receive a photo with the president and be seated in good locations in the theater. Vance is expected to attend as well. The Kennedy Center is turning the event into one on par with its signature shows, including the Kennedy Center Honors, featuring a red carpet for high-profile guests with reporters and photographers in place. Under the leadership of Ric Grenell, a close Trump ally and former ambassador to Germany, the Kennedy Center has sought to add more conservative-leaning programming, including a show that Grenell has described as a celebration of the birth of Christ. Meanwhile, while Trump zeroed in on drag shows when he said the Kennedy Center had lost its way, multiple upcoming musicals include characters dressed in drag, such as "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Chicago." Other musicals have pulled out, according to a former Kennedy Center official.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dismay and disbelief as Trump bans visitors from a dozen countries
By Jeff Mason and Joseph Ax (Reuters) -Officials and residents in countries whose citizens will soon be banned from visiting the United States expressed dismay and disbelief on Thursday at President Donald Trump's new sweeping travel ban as his administration intensifies its immigration crackdown. Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday barring citizens of 12 countries from entering the U.S. starting on Monday, asserting that the restrictions were necessary to protect against "foreign terrorists." The order was reminiscent of a similar move Trump implemented during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021, when he barred travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations. That directive faced court challenges and went through several iterations before the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ban in 2018. Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat who succeeded Trump, repealed that ban in 2021, calling it "a stain on our national conscience." But the new ban is much more expansive and covers Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Citizens of seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - will be partially restricted. A senior diplomat with the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, who asked not to be named, said Trump's justification did not stand up to scrutiny. "Sudanese people have never been known to pose a terrorist threat anywhere in the world," the official said. Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said he had instructed his government to stop granting visas to U.S. citizens in response to Trump's action. "Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and its pride," he said in a Facebook post, referring to countries such as Qatar, which gifted the U.S. a luxury airplane for Trump's use and promised to invest billions of dollars in the U.S. Afghans who worked for the U.S. or U.S.-funded projects and were hoping to resettle in the U.S. expressed fear that the travel ban would force them to return to their country, where they could face reprisal from the Taliban. Fatima, a 57-year-old Afghan women's rights defender waiting in Pakistan for her U.S. visa to be processed, had her dreams shattered overnight after Trump's order. "Unfortunately, the decisions made by President Trump turned all the hopes and beliefs of us into ashes," she told Reuters, asking that only her first name be published for security reasons. BAN TO TAKE EFFECT MONDAY Trump said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbor a "large-scale presence of terrorists," fail to cooperate on visa security, have an inability to verify travelers' identities, as well as inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States. He cited Sunday's incident in Boulder, Colorado, in which an Egyptian national tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new curbs are needed. But Egypt was not part of the travel ban. "Because Egypt has been a country that we deal with very closely. They have things under control," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. When asked why he chose this moment to unveil the ban, he said: "It can't come soon enough." The visa ban takes effect on June 9 at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT). Visas issued before that date will not be revoked, the order said. In total, just under 162,000 immigrant visas and temporary work, study, and travel visas were issued in fiscal year 2023 to nationals of the affected countries in the now banned visa categories, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The ban is likely to face legal challenges. But Stephen Yale-Loehr, a retired professor of immigration law at Cornell Law School, said he expected those lawsuits to face an uphill climb, because the latest ban contains various exemptions and cited specific security concerns with each country. The ban includes exemptions, such as for dual nationals, permanent residents, immigrant visas for immediate family members of U.S. citizens and athletes traveling for major sporting events like the World Cup. "Trump has learned from the mistakes of earlier travel bans," he said. Some foreign officials said they were prepared to work with the U.S. to address Trump's security concerns. "Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised," Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.
Ya Libnan
7 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Trump orders travel ban, on 12 countries and restricted travel from 7 others
By Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose Summary WASHINGTON, June 4 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against 'foreign terrorists' and other security threats. The directive is part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has also included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students and deport others. The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, will be partially restricted. 'We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,' Trump said in a video posted on X. He said the list could be revised and new countries could be added. The proclamation is effective on June 9, 2025 at 12:01 am EDT (0401 GMT). Visas issued before that date will not be revoked, the order said. During his first term in office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat who succeeded Trump, repealed that ban on nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen in 2021, calling it 'a stain on our national conscience.' Trump said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbor a 'large-scale presence of terrorists,' fail to cooperate on visa security and have an inability to verify travelers' identities, inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States. 'We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,' Trump said. He cited Sunday's incident in Boulder, Colorado in which a man tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new restrictions are needed. An Egyptian national, Mohamed Sabry Soleiman, has been charged in the attack . Federal officials said Soleiman had overstayed his tourist visa and had an expired work permit – although Egypt is not on the list of countries facing travel limits. BEING IN THE U.S. A 'BIG RISK' Somalia immediately pledged to work with the U.S. to address security issues. 'Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised,' Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the United States, said in a statement. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a close ally of President Nicolas Maduro, responded on Wednesday evening by describing the U.S. government as fascist and warning Venezuelans of being in the U.S. 'The truth is being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans … They persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason.' A spokesperson for the Taliban-led Afghan foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pakistan's foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment on how it would handle the thousands of Afghans waiting in Islamabad who had been in the pipeline for U.S. resettlement. Calls early on Thursday to the spokesperson of Myanmar's military government were not answered. The travel ban threatens to upend a 31-year-old Myanmar teacher's plan to join a U.S. State Department exchange program, which was slated to start in September. 'It is not easy to apply nor get accepted as we needed several recommendation letters,' said the teacher, who currently lives in Thailand and asked not to be named because her visa application is still outstanding. 'In my case, I would get to work at universities that provide digital education,' she said, adding that she had not been updated by the program after Trump's announcement. Trump's presidential campaign focused on a tough border strategy and he previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and 'anywhere else that threatens our security.' Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats. The latest travel restrictions were first reported by CBS News. In March, Reuters reported that the Trump administration was considering travel restrictions on dozens of countries.
Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Trump expands US travel ban to 12 countries; directs investigation into Biden's use of ‘auto-pen' during presidency
BREAKING | Order bans travel to US from 12 countriesTravel from 7 other countries restrictedTrump cites national security concernsBan becomes effective on June 9Trump also directs probe into Biden's use of autopen, Biden says policy decisions were his Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning the nationals of 12 countries from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. The directive is part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has also included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members and efforts to deny enrolments of some foreign students and deport others. Register for free to read this story Register and create a profile to get access to our free stories. You'll also unlock more free stories each week.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump says he plans to double steel, aluminum tariffs to 50%
By Jeff Mason WEST MIFFLIN, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he planned to increase tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50% from 25%, ratcheting up pressure on global steel producers and deepening his trade war. "We are going to be imposing a 25% increase. We're going to bring it from 25% to 50% - the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States," he said at a rally in Pennsylvania. The doubling of steel and aluminum levies intensifies Trump's global trade war and came just hours after he accused China of violating an agreement with the U.S. to mutually roll back tariffs and trade restrictions for critical minerals. Trump announced the higher tariffs just outside Pittsburgh, where he was talking up an agreement between Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel. Trump said the $14.9 billion deal, like the tariff increase, will help keep jobs for steel workers in the U.S. He later posted on social media that the increased tariff would also apply to aluminum products and that it would take effect on Wednesday. Shares of steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs Inc surged 26% after the market close as investors bet the new levies will help its profits. The announcement drew harsh reactions from U.S. trading partners around the world. Canada's Chamber of Commerce quickly denounced the tariff hike as "antithetical to North American economic security." "Unwinding the efficient, competitive and reliable cross-border supply chains like we have in steel and aluminum comes at a great cost to both countries," Candace Laing, president of the chamber, said in a statement. Canada's United Steelworkers union called the move a direct attack on Canadian industries and workers. The European Commission said on Saturday that Europe is prepared to retaliate. "This decision adds further uncertainty to the global economy and increases costs for consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic," a European Commission spokesperson said. "The EU is prepared to impose countermeasures, including in response to the latest U.S. tariff increase." Australia's centre-left government also condemned the tariff increase, with Trade Minister Don Farrell calling it "unjustified and not the act of a friend." Trump spoke at U.S. Steel's Mon Valley Works, a steel plant that symbolizes both the one-time strength and the decline of U.S. manufacturing power as the Rust Belt's steel plants and factories lost business to international rivals. Closely contested Pennsylvania is also a major prize in presidential elections. The U.S. is the world's largest steel importer, excluding the European Union, with a total of 26.2 million tons of imported steel in 2024, according to the Department of Commerce. As a result, the new tariffs will likely increase steel prices across the board, hitting industry and consumers alike. Steel and aluminum tariffs were among the earliest put into effect by Trump when he returned to office in January. The tariffs of 25% on most steel and aluminum imported to the U.S. went into effect in March, and he had briefly threatened a 50% levy on Canadian steel but ultimately backed off. Under the so-called Section 232 national security authority, the import taxes include both raw metals and derivative products as diverse as stainless steel sinks, gas ranges, air conditioner evaporator coils, horseshoes, aluminum frying pans and steel door hinges. The 2024 import value for the 289 product categories came to $147.3 billion with nearly two-thirds aluminum and one-third steel, according to Census Bureau data retrieved through the U.S. International Trade Commission's Data Web system. By contrast, Trump's first two rounds of punitive tariffs on Chinese industrial goods in 2018 during his first term totaled $50 billion in annual import value. 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
