Latest news with #TroyNehls
TechCrunch
14-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
A new bipartisan bill aims to lift the 52-year ban on supersonic flight
In Brief U.S. lawmakers introduced Wednesday the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act in a bid to revise the FAA's 52-year ban on supersonic flight over U.S. soil. The bipartisan legislation – introduced by Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), Aviation Subcommittee Chair Troy Nehls (R-TX), and Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS) – would allow supersonic travel, provided no audible sonic boom reaches the ground. Dubbed the 'Boom' bill, the move comes as Colorado-based Boom Supersonic makes progress in developing next-generation supersonic aircraft. Boom's XB-1 demonstrator aircraft made history in January when it became the first privately developed civil aircraft to break the sound barrier over the continental United States. North Carolina has an interest in the bill's passage. Boom completed a supersonic airline factory in Greensboro roughly a year ago, after receiving more than $100 million in state incentives in 2022. In exchange, Boom promised to create more than 1,700 jobs by 2030. Texas has an interest, too: Boom is making the engine that powers its Overture supersonic airline in San Antonio in partnership with the aerospace company StandardAero.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SCOOP: Congress moves to address air traffic controller crisis as Newark meltdown sparks alarm
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways EXCLUSIVE: The House of Representatives is taking a hard look at the state of the U.S. air traffic control system and what it needs to modernize. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee on the House's committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, told Fox News Digital he would be leading a bipartisan series of closed-door conversations on the issue. "We are going to start holding roundtables with stakeholders to implement this plan," Nehls said in an interview. It comes after a blackout at Newark Liberty International Airport reportedly caused a roughly 90-second outage to its air traffic control screens. Real Id Documents Held Up In Mail According To Americans Who Enrolled Before Deadline A view inside Newark Airport as travelers are facing eight straight days of massive delays, United Airlines canceling routes and staffing shortages in Newark, New Jersey, on May 6, 2025. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said that operators at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which coordinates planes arriving at the busy New York City-area airport, "temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them." Read On The Fox News App Nehls said a primary focus of the roundtable discussions would be formulating a plan on how to spend the $12.5 billion the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approved toward air traffic control (ATC) modernization. The funds were marked for ATC as part of the budget reconciliation process, through which Republicans are passing a massive bill advancing a host of Trump administration priorities. Hidden Real Id Hassles Facing Airline Travelers And States To Avoid Rep. Troy Nehls is leading a bipartisan series of closed-door conversations on the state of the U.S. air traffic control system and what it needs to modernize. "We've got $12.5 billion. How are we going to spend it? Who's going to spend it? What it needs to be spent on, what should be the priority? So we are bringing in these stakeholders, these experts from all different areas," Nehls said. "We're bringing in these individuals that know about a lot dealing with a lot of this technology, they're the first group that is coming in to talk about, you know, what do we do about fiber optics." He was referring to reports that the blackout was caused by a fried piece of copper wire, which Nehls said was an example of the outdated system ATC was running on. Rep. Troy Nehls pledged to work closely with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The first meeting of the panel, which will include two Republicans and two Democrats, is set for early June, he said. "We're going to meet with new stakeholders to provide the guidance. And I'm going to do a lot of listening. I'm not going to do a whole lot of talking," Nehls said. "So we can make a very deliberate and informed decision on how we're going to spend the money with taxpayer money to modernize the system. So I think that's a step in the right direction." Fox News Digital reached out to the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for comment. Original article source: SCOOP: Congress moves to address air traffic controller crisis as Newark meltdown sparks alarm
Fox News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
SCOOP: Congress moves to address air traffic controller crisis as Newark meltdown sparks alarm
EXCLUSIVE: The House of Representatives is taking a hard look at the state of the U.S. air traffic control system and what it needs to modernize. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee on the House's committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, told Fox News Digital he would be leading a bipartisan series of closed-door conversations on the issue. "We are going to start holding roundtables with stakeholders to implement this plan," Nehls said in an interview. It comes after a blackout at Newark Liberty International Airport reportedly caused a roughly 90-second outage to its air traffic control screens. REAL ID DOCUMENTS HELD UP IN MAIL ACCORDING TO AMERICANS WHO ENROLLED BEFORE DEADLINE The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said that operators at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which coordinates planes arriving at the busy New York City-area airport, "temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them." Nehls said a primary focus of the roundtables would be formulating a plan on how to spend the $12.5 billion the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approved toward air traffic control (ATC) modernization. The funds were marked for ATC as part of the budget reconciliation process, through which Republicans are passing a massive bill advancing a host of Trump administration priorities. HIDDEN REAL ID HASSLES FACING AIRLINE TRAVELERS AND STATES TO AVOID "We've got $12.5 billion. How are we going to spend it? Who's going to spend it? What it needs to be spent on, what should be the priority? So we are bringing in these stakeholders, these experts from all different areas," Nehls said. "We're bringing in these individuals that know about a lot dealing with a lot of this technology, they're the first group that is coming in to talk about, you know, what do we do about fiber optics." He was referring to reports that the blackout was caused by a fried piece of copper wire, which Nehls said was an example of the outdated system ATC was running on. The first meeting of the panel, which will include two Republicans and two Democrats, is set for early June, he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "We're going to meet with new stakeholders to provide the guidance. And I'm going to do a lot of listening. I'm not going to do a whole lot of talking," Nehls said. "So we can make a very deliberate and informed decision on how we're going to spend the money with taxpayer money to modernize the system. So I think that's a step in the right direction." Fox News Digital reached out to the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for comment.
Boston Globe
06-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
As Trump battles elite colleges, House GOP looks to hike endowment tax by at least tenfold
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Similar rhetoric has been echoed by Republican lawmakers who question why wealthy colleges get tax breaks that businesses don't. Advertisement In a letter to Brown University last month, Representative Troy Nehls of Texas, who has proposed legislation with the higher rate, said lawmakers are concerned about the priorities of universities that operate in a 'largely tax-free' world. He questioned whether their endowments contribute to the public good. Republicans appear to be chipping away at the long-held notion that colleges provide the kind of public benefit that deserves to be protected from heavy taxation. And it's happening just as the House looks to cut or offset $1.5 trillion in spending as part of the president's sweeping tax bill. Advertisement Colleges were not taxed on their investment gains until Trump's 2017 tax package, which applied a 1.4 percent levy to schools that enroll at least 500 students and have $500,000 per full-time student in the bank. A proposal floated by the House Ways and Means Committee in January called for a 14 percent endowment tax. Now lawmakers are looking at a 21 percent tax, among various options. As a senator, Vice President JD Vance proposed going further, to 35 percent. In 2023, the current tax generated $380 million from 56 colleges. Raising the tax to 14 percent would generate $10 billion for the federal government over 10 years, according to budget documents. On its own, it would have little impact on the House's goals for slashing government spending. The momentum for an increase reflects a broader attack on higher education, said Steven Bloom, an assistant vice president of the American Council on Education, which represents the presidents of hundreds of colleges. 'It's not a lot of money, so that can't be the motivating factor,' Bloom said. Colleges see their endowments as stability for the future. The wealthiest ones run massive investment portfolios, and they usually draw about 5 percent of their returns to cover scholarships and other operating costs. Critics say colleges have been allowed to amass huge, tax-free returns while charging students as much as $95,000 a year for tuition and fees. They point to Harvard, Yale, and others with tens of billions stored away. In total, roughly 50 colleges have endowments worth more than $1 billion, while the vast majority are much smaller. The tax proposals heighten financial uncertainty for colleges, including some that already are drawing deeper into endowment reserves to make up for federal funding cuts or grappling with budget gaps amid enrollment decreases. Advertisement At Davidson College, the most modest proposal would add $11 million a year to the school's tax bill, which was about $1 million last year, President Douglas Hicks said in an interview. 'That amount of money would be astronomical for our budget,' he said. Davidson is among a small group of colleges that do not consider students' income in admissions and agree to cover their full financial need. Hicks said the proposed tax hikes would take away the equivalent of full scholarships for up to 200 students. 'If leaders are trying to reform higher education, there are much better incentives,' Hicks said. Middlebury College in Vermont, a campus of about 3,000 students, cited the potential tax increase as a factor contributing to recent financial uncertainty. The school faces a budget deficit amid a dip in graduate school enrollment, but it is opting not to pull more from its endowment over concerns of a tax hike. 'Endowment tax increases that are currently under consideration could raise our tax bill from $1 million to $12 million,' university leaders wrote in an April update.
Associated Press
06-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
As Trump battles elite colleges, House GOP looks to hike endowment tax by tenfold or more
By COLLIN BINKLEY and LISA MASCARO Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's feud with America's elite universities is lending momentum to Republicans on Capitol Hill who want to increase a tax on wealthy college endowments by tenfold or more. House Republicans already were considering a hike in the tax on college endowments' earnings from 1.4% to 14% as part of Trump's tax bill. As the president raises the stakes in his fight with Harvard , Columbia and other Ivy League schools, lawmakers are floating raising the rate as high as 21% in line with the corporate tax rate. It appears no decisions have been made. In a letter blocking Harvard from new funding on Monday, the Trump administration drew attention to the school's 'largely tax-free' $53 billion endowment, noting it's bigger than some nations' economies. Trump previously said he wants to see Harvard stripped of its tax-exempt status as he presses for reforms at colleges he accuses of 'indoctrinating' students with 'radical left' ideas. Similar rhetoric has been echoed by Republican lawmakers who question why wealthy colleges get tax breaks that businesses don't. In a letter to Brown University last month, Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas, who has proposed legislation with the higher rate, said lawmakers are concerned about the priorities of universities that operate in a 'largely tax-free' world. He questioned whether their endowments contribute to the public good. Republicans appear to be chipping away at the long-held notion that colleges provide the kind of public benefit that deserves to be protected from heavy taxation. And it's happening just as the House looks to cut or offset $1.5 trillion in spending as part of the president's sweeping tax bill. Endowment taxes were introduced in Trump's first administration Colleges weren't taxed on their investment gains until Trump's 2017 tax package, which applied a 1.4% levy to schools that enroll at least 500 students and have $500,000 per full-time student in the bank. A proposal floated by the House Ways and Means Committee in January called for a 14% endowment tax. Now lawmakers are looking at a 21% tax, among various options. As a senator, Vice President J.D. Vance proposed going further, to 35%. In 2023, the current tax generated $380 million from 56 colleges. Raising the tax to 14% would generate $10 billion for the federal government over 10 years, according to budget documents. On its own, it would have little impact on the House's goals for slashing government spending. The momentum for an increase reflects a broader attack on higher education, said Steven Bloom, an assistant vice president of the American Council on Education, which represents the presidents of hundreds of colleges. 'It's not a lot of money, so that can't be the motivating factor,' Bloom said. Multi-billion dollar endowments draw new scrutiny Colleges see their endowments as stability for the future. The wealthiest ones run massive investment portfolios, and they usually draw about 5% of their returns to cover scholarships and other operating costs. Critics say colleges have been allowed to amass huge, tax-free returns while charging students as much as $95,000 a year for tuition and fees. They point to Harvard, Yale and others with tens of billions stored away. In total, roughly 50 colleges have endowments worth more than $1 billion, while the vast majority are much smaller. The tax proposals heighten financial uncertainty for colleges, including some that already are drawing deeper into endowment reserves to make up for federal funding cuts or grappling with budget gaps amid enrollment decreases. At Davidson College, the most modest proposal would add $11 million a year to the school's tax bill, which was about $1 million last year, President Douglas Hicks said in an interview. 'That amount of money would be astronomical for our budget,' he said. Davidson is among a small group of colleges that don't consider students' income in admissions and agree to cover their full financial need. Hicks said the proposed tax hikes would take away the equivalent of full scholarships for up to 200 students. 'If leaders are trying to reform higher education, there are much better incentives,' Hicks said. Middlebury College in Vermont, a campus of about 3,000 students, cited the potential tax increase as a factor contributing to recent financial uncertainty. The school faces a budget deficit amid a dip in graduate school enrollment, but it's opting not to pull more from its endowment over concerns of a tax hike. 'Endowment tax increases that are currently under consideration could raise our tax bill from $1 million to $12 million,' university leaders wrote in an April update. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
