Latest news with #ZacAnderson
USA Today
3 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Appeals Court allows Trump to keep tariffs while appeal plays out
Appeals Court allows Trump to keep tariffs while appeal plays out | The Excerpt On Friday's episode of The Excerpt podcast: USA TODAY White House Reporter Zac Anderson has the latest on the trade whiplash around President Donald Trump's tariffs. A group of Deaf Americans is suing over a lack of sign language interpreters for White House events. USA TODAY Senior Congress & Campaigns Reporter Riley Beggin takes a look at some provisions lurking in the GOP tax bill Americans should know about. Heavy smoke is expected to hit the U.S. as Canadian wildfires force evacuations. Faizan Zaki pulls off a dramatic win at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@ Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and today is Friday, May 30th, 2025. This is The Excerpt. Today, the latest on tariffs after some court moves this week, plus a group of deaf Americans is suing Trump over a lack of sign language interpreters for White House events. We take a closer look at some lurking provisions in the GOP tax bill. ♦ Tariffs as imposed by President Donald Trump will continue for now. I spoke with USA TODAY White House reporter Zac Anderson about the latest chapter of trade whiplash. Hey there, Zac. Zac Anderson: Howdy. Taylor Wilson: All right, so starting with this, what did this appeals court decide? Zac Anderson: So the appeals court temporarily put on hold a ruling by a lower court that had blocked Trump from implementing his tariffs. Trump was trying to use a emergency powers law that was enacted in 1977 to implement these tariffs without going through Congress. He had declared a state of emergency, and this trade court had ruled that he couldn't use this law to push his tariffs, which have really been the centerpiece of his economic agenda. The Trump administration immediately appealed that ruling, and less than 24 hours later, the appeals court said, "We're going to allow you to continue to levy these tariffs while this appeal plays out." So really a lot of quick back and forth here, but the tariffs remain in place for now. Taylor Wilson: Well, this wasn't the only move in court. How else have the courts been intervening over Tariffs Act? Zac Anderson: Two court rulings went against Trump on tariffs this week. One was the ruling that I just mentioned from a trade court. That case had been brought by a number of state officials and also some businesses. Trump's use of the tariffs was deemed invalid in that case. And then there was another lawsuit filed by a pair of toy companies in Illinois that had challenged the tariffs that Trump imposed. A judge also ruled in their favor and invalidated those tariffs, but he paused the impact of that ruling to give the governments two weeks to appeal that decision. So two cases that went against Trump. Both of them have been basically paused while the appeals go forward. Taylor Wilson: So how has the Trump White House addressing what has Zac, as you put it, really been trade whiplash? Zac Anderson: The White House has really come out swinging on this. They've gone after these court rulings. This has been a continuation of their efforts to criticize the judiciary, which has blocked a lot of what Trump has done during the first four months of his administration. They called these activist judges and they vowed to appeal all the way up to the Supreme Court, and they said that they're going to continue with their policy here and find a way forward. Taylor Wilson: And Zac, I know Trump was asked a question about this TACO acronym earlier this week that some financial analysts are embracing. The acronym stands for Trump Always Chickens Out. What is this and how did Trump respond? Zac Anderson: It was coined by a Wall Street analyst and traders have talked about trading around Trump's tariffs, that basically when he implements the tariffs, the markets crash. But it's only for a short time period, and then they come back up, so that you can basically count on Trump chickening out and plan your trades around that. And that's really taken off in financial circles that Trump was asked about that at the White House the other day, and he really expressed a lot of indignation. Trump likes to be seen as strong and really project strength, and so being called a chicken really set him off, and he really said that he didn't like that question. Taylor Wilson: All right. Well, all eyes have been on the markets both domestically and really around the world since these tariffs were first announced a few weeks ago. How are markets reacting now this week, Zac? Zac Anderson: So after the tariffs were paused, you saw a little bit of a spike in the markets. Obviously, the threat of tariffs has led to some concerns about how that would affect the economy. There's been talk that that could increase chances of recession. U.S. stocks really showed little reaction to the appeals court decision having already pulled back from the rally sparked on Wednesday and Wall Street closed higher on Thursday, shrugging off the decision by the Federal Appeals Court. So I think the markets are still kind of taking a wait-and-see approach. Taylor Wilson: Well, Peter Navarro, the White House trade adviser, spoke with reporters after the appeals court ruling. Let's give a listen. Peter Navarro: Even if we lose, we will do it another way. And I can assure you American people, that the Trump tariff agenda is a alive, well, healthy and will be implemented to protect you, to save your jobs and your factories, and to stop ship and foreign wealth, our wealth into foreign hands. Taylor Wilson: Well, Zac, I want to ask you to predict the future, but what's next perhaps for this trade whiplash conversation going forward? Zac Anderson: Well, there's other court cases out there, so there could be other court rulings that impact this, but it does seem like this is going all the way up to the Supreme Court. Obviously, depending on what the appeals court decides, this is going to be a battle for a while now until the Supreme Court brings some certainty to this. I think we're going to see a lot of back and forth on this for some time to come. Taylor Wilson: All right, Zac Anderson covers the White House for USA TODAY. Thanks, Zac. Zac Anderson: Thank you. ♦ Taylor Wilson: A group of deaf Americans who previously forced the White House to provide American sign language interpreters during press briefings is asking a federal judge to again, intervene after President Trump halted their use in January. In a lawsuit filed earlier this week, the National Association of the Deaf argued that the Trump White House's removal of ASL interpreters at press conferences and briefings violates federal law. The same group previously forced the White House to provide interpreters for COVID-19 briefings during Trump's first presidency and former President Joe Biden expanded their use when he took office. Trump in March declared English to be the official language of the United States and rescinded an executive order from 2000 that encouraged the executive branch to make services available to people of limited English proficiency, including ASL speakers. ♦ There are some provisions in the GOP tax legislation that may not have top billing, but they could have a big impact on American's everyday lives. I spoke with USA TODAY Senior Congress and campaigns reporter Riley Beggin to learn more. Hello, Riley. Riley Beggin: Hey, Taylor. Taylor Wilson: So let's talk through some of these lesser-known provisions that are lurking in this tax bill, starting with making it easier to ignore court rulings. What can you tell us about this legislation? Riley Beggin: So this is something tucked into the bill relatively last minute. It's a provision that would essentially restrict judge's ability to hold people accountable for violating court orders. Of course, the context for this is it's coming as some judges are considering contempt rulings against President Trump for bypassing court orders, restricting the Trump administration's actions. So this legislation would bar judges from enforcing contempt rulings if they didn't first order a bond, which is usually set at zero or not ordered in cases when people are claiming the government did something unconstitutional. So Democrats have argued that this is clearly an attempt to go around the courts while Republicans say it's an incentive to stop frivolous lawsuits. Taylor Wilson: Well, amid constant headlines with AI, we know AI isn't going anywhere. This bill would allocate a healthy chunk of money toward AI. What might that mean and how else do they hope to tackle this? Riley Beggin: So we're in a place right now with AI where there's no federal regulation for AI. And so in the place of the lack of federal regulation, dozens of states have created AI regulations and overstride structures. The provision in this bill would block those states from enforcing the regulations they've already created and it would prevent states from creating new ones. So this is a little controversial. Tech industry leaders, of course, support this approach. They are wary of regulation, say it can get in the way of innovation, but Democrats and some Republicans have said, this is not a good idea. We want to make sure that we are protecting people as AI is developed. Taylor Wilson: And this bill would also create new savings accounts for children, Riley, am I understanding that correctly? Riley Beggin: Yes. These are newly dubbed Trump accounts, and they are essentially savings accounts that will be created for children. If your baby was born between January of 2025 and January of 2029 and you opened a Trump account in their name, the U.S. Treasury Department would put a one-time payment of a thousand dollars in the account, which would then be invested in stock funds. Parents would be able to contribute up to $5,000 a year as well, so it would grow with the stock market. And then when the child turns 18, they can use a portion of it for things like education, apprenticeships and training or buying their first house. And then once the child reaches age 30, they could use the full amount for whatever they want. Taylor Wilson: All right. How about some lurking provisions here as it pertains to Pell grants and student loan changes? Riley Beggin: Pell grants are of course support for low-income students who want to go to colleges and universities. Right now, students who are on Pell grants are considered full-time and they qualify for the maximum amount of aid if they take 12 credits per semester. This bill would amp that up a little bit, change that full-time requirement to 15 credits a semester, which of course, if you continue to take 12 credits, it estimated a loss of around $1,500 in benefits for those students. And advocates who are concerned about this, say that that could create challenges for students who either are working or caretaking for siblings or parents. So it could certainly impact students here. Taylor Wilson: As for migrants, there are some provisions dealing with new immigration fees and charging foreign workers. What can you tell us about these moves? Riley Beggin: So one of the ways that this bill is seeking to offset the cost of tax cuts is by implementing new fees primarily on immigrants. So one thing that really popped out at us is a series of new fees for people who are trying to immigrate to the United States. So for example, $1000 to request asylum, $550 payments every six months for work authorization, $500 for temporary protected status, $1000 for undocumented immigrants who are paroled into the country, and $3,500 for people to sponsor unaccompanied children who are immigrating into the country. And those are just a handful of them. There are many more. The other thing I'll mention is people who move to the United States to work and send money back to their home country could certainly see a chunk of their funds being taken out here. The bill would implement a new 3.5% tax on these transfers that are known as remittances, when people send money to a foreign country. That tax be paid by the person who's sending the money, there will be an exemption for people who are U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals that are sending money abroad. Taylor Wilson: Riley Beggin covers Congress and campaigns for USA TODAY. Thanks, Riley. Riley Beggin: Thank you. eclaircissement Taylor Wilson: Thousands of people in Canada are being evacuated as active wildfires have charred hundreds of thousands of acres in the country, officials said. The blazes also threaten to waft heavy smoke over the Northern U.S. Some Americans could face poor air quality from the fires as soon as today. Active blazes have burned nearly 700,000 acres in Saskatchewan and nearly 200,000 acres in Manitoba, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. A total of nearly 1.5 million acres have burned across the two provinces so far this year, according to the fire center. Smoke from the blazes is expected to fall heavily over Midwestern states, in particular, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, and cut across the country to reach the Carolinas by the weekend. That's according to FireSmoke Canada, a team of forecasters at the University of British Columbia. You can read more with a link in today's show notes. ♦ Faizan Zaki won the Scripps National Spelling Bee last night. The win comes after he lost last year in the spell off and became just the fifth runner-up to later win the bee. He sealed the deal by nailing the word, eclaircissement, running out of breath, and then collapsing to the floor as confetti fell on him and the crowd erupted. You can read more about the big win from our friends over at USA TODAY Sports. ♦ Thanks for listening to The Excerpt. We're produced by Shannon Rae Green and Kaely Monahan, and our executive producer is Laura Beatty. You can get the podcast wherever you get your audio, and if you're on a smart speaker, just ask for The Excerpt. As always, you can also email us at podcasts at I'm Taylor Wilson. I'll be back tomorrow with more of The Excerpt from USA TODAY.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Australian Tax Office applies to have Brisbane Roar wound up due to unpaid debt
Brisbane Roar are adamant their future is secure despite the Australian Tax Office having applied to the Federal Court to have the club wound up over an unpaid six-figure debt. Roar chief executive officer Kaz Patafta – currently in Indonesia for meetings with club owners the Bakrie Group – said the substantial amount of money owed was a 'historical debt' that existed before the club's current management team of him and chief operations office Zac Anderson took charge of the A-League outfit in July 2023. 'The club has been working collaboratively with the ATO over this matter for some time and has a plan in place to resolve imminently,' Patafta said. It's understood the Bakrie Group has committed to paying the debt as early as next week. The Australian Professional Leagues, which runs the A-League, has been brought up to date on the matter and is confident the Roar will deal with the issue. However, Queensland's minister for sport Tim Mander on Friday admitted to being concerned about the state of the club. 'We want them to be healthy,' Mander said of the Roar. 'They've had a bit of a struggle in recent years. I watched one of their games about a month ago and it was a great experience. 'Football is the most popular junior sport, so it's important that they have something to aspire to, and they have pathways to those elite levels.'
USA Today
28-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump open to Abrego Garcia return, not trolling on Greenland: Time interview takeaways
Trump open to Abrego Garcia return, not trolling on Greenland: Time interview takeaways On Saturday's episode of The Excerpt podcast: USA TODAY White House Reporter Zac Anderson discusses some of President Donald Trump's recent comments to Time Magazine. A Milwaukee judge has been charged with federal felonies in an ICE case. Former Rep. George Santos has been sentenced to more than seven years after pleading guilty in 2024 to felony wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday. USA TODAY Wellness Reporter Charles Trepany breaks down why some people live separately from their spouses. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@ Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and today is Saturday, April 26th, 2025. This is The Excerpt. Today we discuss some of the big takeaways from Trump's interview with Time Magazine. Plus, a judge in Wisconsin has been charged with felonies in an ICE case. And more couples are living separately. ♦ President Donald Trump said he's open to bringing a wrongly deported Maryland man back to the US for a court hearing, despite his administration saying Kilmar Abrego Garcia will never return to the US from El Salvador. He discussed that and more in a recent interview with Time Magazine to mark his first 100 days in office, which he'll reach next week. I spoke with USA TODAY White House reporter Zac Anderson for more. And thanks for hopping on, Zac. Zac Anderson: Happy to be here. Taylor Wilson: So let's just start by talking about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. And this was clearly a part of this interview, Zac. What did he say? What's the latest from Trump on this deported Maryland man? Zac Anderson: The Trump administration has really dug in on this issue and said that they're not bringing Abrego Garcia back. But in this Time Magazine interview, Trump said he would be open to bringing him back and "retrying him." Abrego Garcia was deported without a court hearing, so the Time reporter sort of pressed Trump on whether he could get a hearing, and Trump said that he would be open to that. But he also said that he hasn't talked to the President of El Salvador about bringing him back, which would seem to be the first step. Taylor Wilson: Well, Trump also had some pretty eyebrow-raising comments about sending Americans to foreign prisons in this interview, Zac. What can you tell us about those comments? Zac Anderson: That got a lot of attention when Trump said that he would potentially send home-grown, in his words, criminals to foreign prisons. There's a huge backlash to that. Legal experts say that it's unlawful. A Republican Senator went on TV and said that it was immoral. But Trump had doubled down in the Time Magazine interview. He said that he loves the idea and that he would like to use it for extreme cases of hardened criminals. Taylor Wilson: Well, Zac, we've heard a lot from Trump about Greenland, and even Canada and the Panama Canal, and it can be hard to cut through the noise and try to figure out if he's serious about wanting to acquire these places under US control. Apparently, based off this interview, he might be serious. Is that fair to say? Zac Anderson: Yeah, he said he's serious. The reporter asked him if he was trolling on this, and he said no, he's not trolling. In the past, some of Trump's comments, people have questioned whether you should take them literally. And Trump said, in this case, you should, that he believes that Canada should be the 51st state. He sounded very serious about that. Taylor Wilson: Wow. All right. So obviously tariffs have been a big, big part of the headlines here in recent weeks. Did we learn anything new about Trump's views or plans on tariffs? I think a lot of folks are trying to still keep an eye on Trump to see if he wants to walk any of this back. Zac Anderson: So Trump was asked if it would be a victory for him if the country still had high tariffs in a year. He said yes, it would be a total victory. Some people have wondered, there's been a lot of speculation about how much this would be permanent and how much Trump is negotiating here. He's talking to other countries saying that he wants to negotiate trade deals with them. But in this interview, he said that if the tariffs stay in place, that that would be a win. Taylor Wilson: Russia attacked Ukraine's capital earlier this week, and Trump and Ukraine's leader, Zelenskyy, continue to have a, I guess I would say tense relationship. What did he say to Time about what's next for Ukraine? Zac Anderson: The big question right now in this peace deal is how can you get these two countries to come to something that they would both agree with? And a lot of that revolves around the territory that Russia has taken from Ukraine, both Crimea, which Russia took in 2014, and some of the provinces that Russia has occupied. And Trump was asked about Crimea, and he said that that doesn't belong to Ukraine. It belongs to Russia. He also said that Ukraine cannot join NATO. Taylor Wilson: All right. And finally, he had some comments about taxes and potentially tax increases, Zac. What can you tell us here? Zac Anderson: So as part of this budget deal, this reconciliation deal that Trump is trying to use to get his agenda through Congress, taxes are a big aspect of that, and whether or not to extend the Trump tax cuts from his first administration. And some people in MAGA, notably Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief White House political advisor, have said that you should actually raise taxes on millionaires. That that would be a way to neutralize Democrats' historic advantage with the working-class and position the Republican Party even more, something that Trump has already done, but even more as a working-class party. Trump was asked about that earlier this week, and he said he doesn't like the idea of raising taxes on millionaires, that they would leave the country. But when he was asked about it by Time, he gave a different reason for opposing it, and that's politics. He said he actually does like the idea and that he would be open to raising taxes, but he thinks that it's a political loser. Taylor Wilson: All right. A really interesting interview and some takeaways here from Zac. Folks can find them with a link in today's show notes. Zac Anderson covers the White House for USA TODAY. Thanks, Zac. Zac Anderson: Thank you. ♦ Taylor Wilson: A Milwaukee County Circuit judge has been charged with two felonies for her role in helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after he appeared in her Local Wisconsin Courtroom. Judge Hannah Dugan is accused of obstruction of a US agency and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest. According to the complaint, she assisted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican immigrant, avoid being arrested by federal immigration officials at the Milwaukee County Courthouse after he appeared in her courtroom for a pre-trial conference on April 18th. Flores-Ruiz is facing three misdemeanor battery counts. Two federal agents eventually chased him down outside the courthouse and apprehended him at a Downtown Milwaukee intersection, according to the complaint. You can read more with a link in today's show notes. ♦ Former Congressman George Santos has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution, according to US Attorney John Durham. Attorneys for Santos had pushed for the two-year minimum sentence set in law, citing his guilty plea last year to felony wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. As part of the plea, he tearfully admitted at a prior hearing to filing false campaign finance reports, charging donors' credit cards without authorization, and fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits and other acts that began years before he ran for Congress. ♦ Pope Francis will be laid to rest today. Tens of thousands of mourners packed St. Peter's Square at the Vatican overnight for the funeral, which got underway in bright sunshine earlier this morning. Visitors to the Vatican this week included 90-year-old Norbert and his family. Norbert: I served at the church for many years, so it was my wish. My children wanted me to be here on this great day. Taylor Wilson: Officials had estimated 200,000 people would attend, including dozens of world leaders and dignitaries. Among them, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Francis, the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, died Easter Monday from a stroke, weeks after battling back from respiratory ailment. He was 88. You can watch today's coverage live on ♦ More couples are living separately. I spoke with USA TODAY Wellness reporter Charles Trepany about so-called apartners. Charles, thanks for joining me today. Charles Trepany: Thank you for having me. Taylor Wilson: So what are so-called apartners, and how have we seen this conversation really take off as a trend on social media? Charles Trepany: So, apartners aren't really anything new. It's basically this term that's going around TikTok to describe people who are dating, in a relationship, sometimes married, but they live in different places. Sometimes they live just in different apartments, in different houses. Sometimes they live in different cities, different parts of the country. And the apartners say that their relationship actually thrives better when they are not living with their significant others. Taylor Wilson: All right. So what are some examples, maybe some famous examples of relationships like this? Charles Trepany: So apartners aren't really anything new in Hollywood, at least. Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk are both married, and they're an example of apartners; they live in different residences. Sarah Paulson last year talked on a podcast about how the secret to her relationship with Holland Taylor is that they live in different places as well. And then Sheryl Lee Ralph from Abbott Elementary, she and her husband Vincent Hughes have lived in different states for a long time. She lives in Los Angeles and he lives in Philadelphia. So it's interesting because I think that whether or not an apartner relationship works really depends on the people, the personalities, their attachment styles, and also what fits best into their particular lifestyle. Taylor Wilson: Well, I'll admit, my girlfriend and I have a version of this, largely based on sleep schedules. And I know there is still some stigma around these types of situations for some folks, but what do experts, Charles, say about whether this is healthy or not? Charles Trepany: I think that the way most people experience apartnerships in their own lives, whether they're aware of it or not, is through something called a sleep divorce, where couples who live together may not necessarily sleep in the same bed or in the same room. And it's not unusual at all. And it mainly stems from partners who have different work schedules, different sleep schedules, partners with insomnia, one partner's a heavy sleeper, the other's a light sleeper. For whatever reason, it's just easier and healthier for them, physically healthier for them to just get more sleep, better sleep, higher quality sleep in different rooms in different beds. Sleep experts say this is totally normal and totally fine. Lots of couples do it. It doesn't necessarily mean that a relationship is doomed or on the rocks or has trouble. And also, experts say that it is important to know that if two partners don't sleep in the same bed but they would like to, but they're struggling because of their sleep schedules or because of sleep health reasons to do that, there are ways to overcome it. Taylor Wilson: Does this tell us anything maybe more broadly about modern relationships or the moment we're in? As you mentioned, this is not a new trend necessarily. But the fact that folks are talking so openly about this, Charles, what does this tell you about maybe the moment that we're in? Charles Trepany: I think it probably shows that people are thinking about relationships on much more case by case and individualistic terms. I think that, in general, more people are abandoning ideas about what a relationship ought to be, what it ought to look like and these molds that have been passed down from previous generations, and they're really asking themselves, "Well, what works for me and my partner, as we are individuals?" And I think that apartners LAT, living apart together people, that's another term for apartners, they're not defining their relationship based on what other people think it should be. So I think that it's a continuation of that trend; the authenticity above all else trend. Taylor Wilson: All right. I think a lot of listeners will get something out of this piece, Charles. Charles Trepany covers wellness for USA TODAY. Thanks so much. Charles Trepany: Thank you. ♦ Taylor Wilson: Is the US sliding into authoritarianism? Ruth Ben-Ghiat: Mr. Trump is an authoritarian, and now he is back and things are proceeding very, very quickly. The firing of non-loyalists from the civil service, the attacks on the judiciary, the disappearance without due process of immigrants and US citizens. Taylor Wilson: That was NYU History Professor, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a scholar who has studied authoritarianism over the course of the last 100 years. According to her, we should all be very concerned right now. Hear her conversation with my colleague Dana Taylor tomorrow, beginning at 5:00 AM Eastern Time. ♦ And thanks for listening to The Excerpt. You can get the podcast wherever you get your audio. And if you're on a smart speaker, just ask for The Excerpt. I'm Taylor Wilson, and I'll be back Monday with more of The Excerpt from USA TODAY.
USA Today
14-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Authorities arrest suspect after fire at Penn. Gov. Josh Shapiro's home
Authorities arrest suspect after fire at Penn. Gov. Josh Shapiro's home | The Excerpt On Monday's episode of The Excerpt podcast: A suspect is in custody after a suspected arson attempt on the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. USA TODAY White House Reporter Zac Anderson looks into the potential implications of tariffs on GOP political fortunes. President Donald Trump's approval rating falls in a new CBS poll, amid serious economic concerns. USA TODAY Consumer Travel Reporter Zach Wichter talks about how sacred sites are helping travelers reconnect. Rory McIlroy wins the Masters - and a career Grand Slam. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@ Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and today is Monday, April 14th, 2025. This is the Excerpt. Today, the latest after a suspected arson attempt on the home of Pennsylvania's governor, plus how tariff tensions might hurt the GOP politically, and we discuss religious travel. ♦ A person has been taken into custody in connection with a suspected arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Authorities said a 38-year-old was arrested over the weekend. Shapiro said, he and his family woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police around 02:00 am on Sunday. His family was safely evacuated from the residency by state troopers and no one was injured according to the governor. He added that another family in the house was also safely evacuated. ♦ What may tensions over President Donald Trump's tariffs mean for the GOP's political fortunes? I spoke with USA TODAY White House reporter Zac Anderson for more. Hi Zac. Thanks for having on today. Zac Anderson: Great to talk to you. Taylor Wilson: So what are some of the concerns we're hearing from Republican lawmakers, Zac, about the potential political implications of Trump's tariff moves? Zac Anderson: He started to hear a growing chorus of lawmakers start to tentatively push back on some of President Trump's tariff plans. And these included people who are really staunch allies, people like Ted Cruz, people like Rand Paul, people like Chuck Grassley of Iowa, but Iowa farmers could get hit big if there's a trade war with China. Farmers export a lot of their product overseas. So you started to see some pushback. Cruz said on his podcast that there could be a bloodbath in the midterm elections in 2026 for Republicans if a trade war pushes the country into a recession. These voices started to get louder and louder and louder until Trump decided to pause some of these tariffs. Taylor Wilson: Well, as for Trump, I know we've heard a few different things from him on this, but how is he explaining, or I guess defending this tariff pause that you mentioned, and also really some turbulence in the market at the very least. What's he say on that front? And also, what do we hear from him about some of these political concerns, Zac? Zac Anderson: He hasn't addressed the political concerns explicitly, but he did say that when asked why he did this pause is that people were starting to get, "Yippy." People were starting to get scared. He didn't necessarily talk about Republican lawmakers, but maybe those are some of the people he might've been thinking about or others in the business world. So he concede, basically, that he was bowing to public pressure or pressure amongst people that he listens to. In terms of the market, he really celebrated the big increase in the stock market on the day that he announced this pause and was saying how great it was. The market has slid since then, and his treasury secretary was asked about it and sort of dismissed it and said, "Well, we had a big gain. It's just a small step back." Taylor Wilson: Trump clearly on the campaign trail leaned in on the economy and blaming Biden and his administration for inflation and some other issues surrounding that office. Can you put that in context now, fast-forward a few months when the economy is an issue for Trump himself? Zac Anderson: Yeah, you could argue that the economy is the reason that Trump won the election. I mean, you had very high inflation for a while under Biden, and inflation hits everybody. It's something that all voters are affected by. And I talked to one political analyst who said, it's really the worst thing that can happen to a president. So he rode that into office. He's very aware of how the economy can make or break political fortunes. And so, it's interesting that he's really having a big gamble with the economy. He can't run for re-election, although he's been hinting that he wants to. So maybe he doesn't care as much, but it certainly could impact his ability to get his agenda passed if he loses control of Congress in the midterms. And so, it's a big gamble for him politically and one that really could impact the future of his presidency. Taylor Wilson: Well, taking an early look toward the midterms and an early, early look at that, Zac. I mean, what kind of election math, I guess, are we expecting there at this point? Where could Democrats claw back some power, whether it be over economic issues or otherwise? Zac Anderson: Midterms always favor the party out of power. Voters tend to get disenchanted with the party in power. So, Democrats go into the midterm election with some momentum, but the Senate map really favors Republicans and the political handicapper that I talked to said that he didn't think that Democrats could win the Senate, but you never know. They do go in favor though to take over the house, but only by a small margin. Now, if there's a recession or just dramatic economic issues that take place because of these tariffs, that would favor Democrats most likely. People would tend to blame the party in power. Trump has really complained about the economy that he inherited from Joe Biden, but when you inject this much uncertainty into the economy with your policies, Trump has really owned the economy at this point according to Republican strategists. And Republican lawmakers have said as much. So whatever happens with the economy, Trump and the Republican Party own that going forward, and it would be huge in the midterm elections one way or the other, whether it's good or bad. Taylor Wilson: All right. Zac Anderson covers the White House for USA TODAY. Thanks, Zac. Zac Anderson: Thanks. ♦ Taylor Wilson: President Donald Trump's approval ratings on the economy and inflation have fallen according to a new poll out yesterday. The CBS News survey found 44% approved of Trump's handling of the economy and 40% approved of his handling of inflation, both down 4% from late March. The President's overall approval rating dropped to 47% this month, down from 50% in March and 53% in February. Views on Trump's tariff plans varied depending on respondents political affiliations. At 91%, nearly all Republicans said, Trump has a clear plan on tariffs and trade. Only 43% of independents and 16% of Democrats said the same. And all 58% of respondents said, they oppose new US tariffs on imported goods. You can read more with a link in today's show notes. ♦ Sacred sites are helping travelers reconnect with themselves and each other. With a number of major religious holidays this spring, I caught up with USA TODAY consumer travel reporter, Zach Wichter to hear more. Zach, thanks for stopping on today. Zach Wichter: Yeah, thanks for having me. Taylor Wilson: So let's just start by talking about Wad Kalafala and her journey in the Middle East. What can you tell us about this? Zach Wichter: She was telling me about how, she is a Muslim woman, and when she was growing up, she never really felt this sense of connection to her faith. She described it as it was something that she had left in a box and was going to return to at some other time, and it always felt deep and dark and mysterious to her. And starting in around 2020, she had people in her life who started to encourage her to take a visit to Saudi Arabia, which is obviously the site of the most holy sites in the Islamic religion. And so, she said that over the years she was hearing from people, encouraging her to go, and in 2024 she went for the first time. And she said, it really changed her perspective on her faith. And she said, it allowed her the opportunity to come to her faith in her own way and in her own time, and it really renewed her relationship to her culture. Taylor Wilson: All right. And how about this Rabbi you spoke with Danya Ruttenberg who has written about having an encounter with the Divine in Italy, among other things. What can you tell us about her story? Zach Wichter: Full disclosure, Rabbi Ruttenberg was the rabbi at the Hillel where I went to college at Northwestern University. So, she and I know each other. I've known her since I was in college and one of her students. But Rabbi Ruttenberg has this really interesting story where she grew up Jewish but was a self-proclaimed atheist for much of her childhood and teenage years. And when she was in college, she started finding her way back to faith. So this excerpt that I pulled from her books, Surprised by God, talks about this spiritual experience that she had while she was on this journey. And this is something that's always really stuck with me, the idea that places where people direct their prayers, and places that are meant to be spiritual sites have this energy that permeates them. As a result of being the focus of all of these people's spirituality and their energy from that over hundreds or thousands of years. And although, Rabbi Ruttenberg obviously is not herself Christian or Catholic, she just connected to that energy on this tour that she took in Italy, I believe, when she was in college. And that was just one of the many steps that she took on her journey to reconnecting with her faith. Taylor Wilson: Interesting. So you're right that we are seeing, I guess, a rise in religious travel similar to some of these stories we've heard about. Do we have any numbers on this? What are we seeing? Zach Wichter: So, we are definitely seeing that this is becoming a more popular thing that people are seeking out in their travels. And I saw a report from Grand View Research that I believe was released in 2023, and they said that the religious travel industry at that time was valued at $254.3 billion, and that was on an upward trajectory. So in the years leading up to 2023, it grew year over year. The researchers anticipated that that trend would continue, and at least through 2030, that we would continue to see year-on-year growth in how many people were taking these kinds of trips and how much money they were spending to go on them. Taylor Wilson: And Zach, you touched on this with Rabbi Ruttenberg, but just more broadly, can you help us understand really what visitors to religious sites say about just the power of this travel? Zach Wichter: My colleague, Bailey Schulz, who I co-wrote this piece with, we spoke to many travelers who had visited religious sites either in their own faith or in other people's faiths, and they all shared this sense of that. There's just a hard to put into words, but just this feeling that you get when you're in one of these sites surrounded by all of this energy that people have been directing at a specific location for generations, and that it really helps you, in some cases, connect to your own culture, but in many cases also just reflect on this idea of humanity and that we're all in the journey of life together. And that the things that may seem like differences on paper really shouldn't be dividing us in the way that they sometimes do. Taylor Wilson: All right. Beautifully put folks. If you want more, you can check out Zach's full piece with a link in today's show notes. Zach Wichter covers consumer travel for USA TODAY. Thanks, Zach. Zach Wichter: Great, thank you so much. ♦ Taylor Wilson: Rory McIlroy has finally won a green jacket. The Northern Irish golfer had won just about everything else in his career, but the Masters Golf Tournament was always the one that got away. That was until yesterday. McIlroy outlasted England's Justin Rose in a playoff to win. Head over to USA TODAY Sports, where our team is putting his big win in context. ♦ And later today, a new episode of Forum hosted by Michael McCarter. Michael McCarter: What do you think of President Trump's use of executive orders? You can hear what listeners and readers like you are feeling about this topic. Tune into Forum publishing today at 04:00 pm Eastern Time on this feed. Taylor Wilson: And we've dropped a link to the written version of Forum in today's show notes. ♦ Thanks for listening to the Excerpt. You can get the podcast wherever you get your audio, and if you're on a smart speaker, just ask for the Excerpt. I'm Taylor Wilson, and I'll be back tomorrow with more of the Excerpt from USA TODAY.
USA Today
21-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump fires federal workers who help fight forest fires
Trump fires federal workers who help fight forest fires | The Excerpt On Friday's episode of The Excerpt podcast: USA TODAY White House Reporter Zac Anderson discusses how some of President Donald Trump's job cuts have hit Forest Service workers who help fight fires. New York Governor Kathy Hochul won't oust Mayor Eric Adams but vows stricter oversight. More than half a million Haitian refugees will lose protected status. Researchers say Trump cuts to basic science and medical studies will hurt everyone. USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé looks at the future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and what its shutdown might mean for Americans. Canada defeated the U.S. in hockey and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a victory lap. Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and today is Friday, February 21st, 2025. This is The Excerpt. Today, how Trump's firings hit Forest Service workers who helped fight fires. Plus, we have the latest surrounding New York's mayor and what might a consumer Financial Protection Bureau shutdown mean for Americans? ♦ A federal judge ruled yesterday that the Trump administration can continue its mass firings of federal employees for now. The move rejects a bid by several labor unions to halt President Donald Trump's cuts to the federal workforce. US District Judge Christopher Cooper said Trump's slew of executive actions have caused disruption and even chaos in widespread quarters of American society, in his words, but he said he likely lacks the power to decide whether the firing of tens of thousands of government workers is lawful. Among Trump's wave of mass firings, Forest Service workers, many of whom helped fight fires. I spoke with USA TODAY White House reporter Zac Anderson to learn more about the potential impact. Hello, Zac. Zac Anderson: Hello. Taylor Wilson: So in terms of these job cuts, Zac, I know we've seen these hit a ton of different sectors across America. What are we now seeing at the Forest Service and how many jobs are we talking about? Zac Anderson: So about 2000 probationary workers were laid off from the Forest Service out of a workforce of about 35,000. And they did not lay off any full-time firefighters. The Forest Service is involved in fighting wildfires all over the country. They have land from Alaska all the way down to Florida, and they're really in the thick of trying to combat fires in these forests. So they have about 11,000 firefighters, they didn't lay off any of them, but they did lay off a lot of other people. Taylor Wilson: So does all this mean, say California, other wildfire prone areas are at greater risk next time, Zac, fewer firefighters? I mean, really, what's the functional impact of these cuts now? Zac Anderson: I talked to a lot of these Forest Service workers and one of the things that they mentioned was even though that they are not primary firefighters, a lot of people who work for the Forest Service do have some level of firefighting certification. They have what's called a red card where they go through some training and these people kind of serve as backups for the firefighters. And sometimes they'll do support, they'll help staff the camps for these big wildfires. They set up to help supply the folks who are out actually doing the firefighting. So they'll do some of that, but then some of the times these people will actually jump in and actually work with the firefighters putting out blazes. This does decrease capacity for firefighting. Somebody compared it to the military reserves. These people are called upon when needed. Taylor Wilson: Well, as for President Trump, we know he and Elon Musk have really centered this Department of Government Efficiency and all these job cuts. What have we heard from him about these cuts, be it how it impacts firefighting or just kind of more broadly? Zac Anderson: So Trump was asked about this on Tuesday, and he basically said he didn't have any concerns about how these layoffs, these terminations were playing out. Elon Musk and Trump did an interview together on Fox and Musk described this as the thrashing of the bureaucracy. Trump said that he feels like he was elected to shrink government, but what we're seeing is DOGE is having to walk back some of these terminations. You had nuclear safety workers who were let go and then rehired. You had people who were working on bird flu. There seems to have been some missteps here or some imprecision in what they did, where they are terminating people who have jobs that they do not want to get rid of. And firefighting is an area that Trump has talked about. He actually mentioned it in his inaugural address because you had all these fires around Los Angeles that were absolutely devastating, one of the worst natural disasters in American history where you had billions of damage, tens of thousands of structures destroyed, dozens of people who were killed, and it was a really traumatic thing. And he was criticizing the response to the Los Angeles fires in his inauguration speech. And also he flew out there during his first week in office and chastised the local officials. And now you're seeing the Forest Service cut people who are involved in firefighting. Taylor Wilson: Is there any sense, Zac, on just where we go from here and what's next? Zac Anderson: They haven't said anything about walking these particular layoffs back. There's been some building public pressure, some Democrats in states that have large numbers of Forest Service workers have spoken out. There was a letter that was signed by the Colorado Delegation of Lawmakers, saying that they were worried that this would lead to more wildfire risks out there. Obviously Colorado has a lot of forest area. And so you are starting to see some pushback on things like this. So far, it hasn't reached the point where you're hearing tons of Republicans saying that we need to stop some of these things. But pressure could build. I mean, Forest Service workers work in a lot of red states. A lot of these workers are not just people who are in DC in the federal bureaucracy, they're spread out all over the country. So as this starts to ripple out, you could see more of a backlash. Taylor Wilson: Zac Anderson covers the White House for USA TODAY. Thank you, Zac. Zac Anderson: Thank you. ♦ Taylor Wilson: New York Governor Kathy Hochul will not oust Mayor Eric Adams from office, but will attempt to impose strict new guidelines on his administration, she announced yesterday. Those guidelines could restrict the embattled New York City mayor's independence while he waits for a federal judge's decision on a Justice Department motion to drop corruption charges against him. At a hearing Wednesday before US District Judge Dale Ho, acting US Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove pressed his argument that the charges filed in September during the Biden administration were keeping Adams from devoting full attention to illegal immigration and violent crime. HO has not yet issued a ruling. Adams in a statement after the government's announcement yesterday said he was elected by the people of New York City and its working class communities to uphold their values. Adams has been under pressure to resign since a criminal indictment last September charged him with accepting travel perks and political donations from Turkish officials to take actions that benefited their country. He pleaded not guilty and has adamantly denied what he called sensational charges. ♦ More than half a million Haitian refugees who sought shelter and stability in the US will lose protection against deportation this summer under a policy change by the Trump administration. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem yesterday announced she was ending temporary protected status for an estimated 520,000 Haitians. Federal officials can grant TPS to residents of certain countries suffering war or disasters, allowing them to live and work even if they initially entered the US without legal permission. Noem rolled back similar protections for some Venezuelans last month. ♦ The Trump administration's cuts to health research will shorten life expectancy and hurt the lives of all Americans, according to university Union leaders and scientists. Lab leaders and researchers said they're already seeing PhD students not getting admitted, research being delayed or canceled, and longtime colleagues getting fired as President Donald Trump executes his promised cuts to government spending. US taxpayers fund an estimated $81 billion in academic scientific research and development annually, more than twice the next highest country according to the International Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. A group of universities last week won a temporary restraining order blocking the Federal National Institutes of Health from halting some of the funding but scientists and union leaders say the impacts are still being felt via job losses, canceled scientific reviews, and delayed basic research. You can read more with a link in today's show notes. ♦ What's next for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? For a look at what its shutdown might mean for Americans, I caught up with USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Vise. Let's just start here before we get to some of the potential impacts. In terms of a CFPB shutdown, I mean, what has happened over the last few weeks really to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? Daniel de Vise: It's a nutshell version of what's happened all around Washington. The website has one of those not found messages on it. The folks from the DOGE have come in and I guess they've started laying people off. And the acting director of the agency says, "Don't do any work." So it's effectively shut down. And Elon Musk put something on X saying, "RIP CFPB." So it sounds like if the agency goes forward, it'll either be gutted or maybe just have a much different vision than it has in the last few years. Taylor Wilson: Yeah, absolutely. Well, in terms of the potential impact here, Daniel, let's start by talking about credit card late fees and bank overdraft fees, a couple of different types of fees. How has the Bureau weighed in here and what might happen with that lack of oversight? Daniel de Vise: Well, people who've been following the news will remember some big stuff came out of this agency, this government watchdog agency over the last year. At the tail end of the Biden administration, last March, they capped late fees on credit cards at $8 for the largest card companies. That's the fee that you pay if you are late on your payment. And the typical fee has been around 30 bucks so it's a lot of money. Overdraft fees they capped at $5 with a rule in December. Those overdraft fees where you overdraw your account have averaged close to $30. And in both cases, the CFPB has argued that those fees were needlessly high and were a profit center for card issuers and banks. Taylor Wilson: All right. So how about when it comes to medical debt on credit reports? Daniel de Vise: That was another high profile announcement. It was just in January, so literally the final days of the Biden administration. The CFPB banned the inclusion of medical bills, medical debt from credit reports. The point of that is a lot of medical debt is disputed and a lot of it the person doesn't actually owe. And anybody listening to this will be familiar with this process you go through where a lot of it's bogus. And so according to this federal agency shouldn't count against you if you're trying to get a loan. Taylor Wilson: Daniel, these digital payment apps, things like Venmo, I guess PayPal would apply here as well, have gotten really popular in recent years. What impact has the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had here? Daniel de Vise: Another big story last November, the CFPB awarded itself a broad regulatory oversight of the likes of Google Pay and Venmo. And their argument here is that these apps are increasingly targeted by fraudsters. And if you're a customer, you might lose your access to your account without notice. It's a little bit Wild West-ey, or at least that's what they're arguing. Taylor Wilson: And also last year, I know regulators announced a new rule as it pertains to folks' personal financial data. Daniel, what was that new rule and what might happen next? Daniel de Vise: Yeah, this one's a little more opaque to me and I had five people explain it to me. I think what it amounts to is if you're trying to change banks, it's a little tricky to get your current bank to unlock your data and send it to the new bank you want to use. So this rule basically says your financial institution has to unlock and transfer your own data to another company without any charge at your request. And it also says something about that they can't give it to just random people, but they can give it to a specific other company if you ask. And the argument here was that it just shouldn't be that hard to change banks. Taylor Wilson: So Daniel, as we try to map out the future for consumer oversight in this country, what are some things you're keeping an eye on as we move forward in terms of maybe a replacement for the CFPB or just what's next? Daniel de Vise: Well, in my article I'm saying that all five of these initiatives, they've all been attacked in the courts. Two or three of them, the Republicans in the house said they're going to try to roll back, the one on overseeing digital apps. I would be surprised if any of these five things is the law of the land at the end of this year. I guess what remains to be seen is whether something, some kind of consumer protection agency can reemerge under the Trump administration. It's a little complicated. This agency was formed out of an idea from a more progressive Democrat, Elizabeth Warren, right? So the Republicans in Congress have always chafed at that sort of partisan origin of the group. But Republican voters too, don't like excessive fees. I mean, everybody who's a consumer would like to see lower fees. So maybe there's a way that an agency like this could exist in the Trump administration, but maybe with different rules. I don't know. Taylor Wilson: All right. Wait and see mode as often is the case here in these first few weeks of Trump 2.0. Daniel de Vise covers personal finance for USA TODAY. Thank you, Daniel. Daniel de Vise: And thank you. ♦ Taylor Wilson: Canada took down the United States last night in hockey after a thrilling overtime game to win the Four Nations Face-Off Tournament, a mid-season competition that also featured Sweden and Finland. And Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a victory lap, writing on X, quote, "You can't take our country and you can't take our game." unquote. President Trump has floated the idea of annexing Canada and said in his Super Bowl interview, he thinks Canada would be much better off being the 51st state. ♦ And a reminder, we're back with another edition of our new Editor's Note segment tomorrow. This week, I'll be joined by Holly Rosenkrantz, managing editor for politics and Washington, to take the latest peek behind the curtain at some of the paper's recent editorial tasks. And I want to hear from you. What do you want to know about some of the work Holly's team has been doing, covering the White House, Washington politics, and more? Let me know by shooting a note to podcasts@ and I might relay your question to Holly in tomorrow's show. ♦ Thanks for listening to The Excerpt. We're produced by Shannon Rae Green and Kaely Monahan, and our executive producer is Laura Beatty. You can get the podcast wherever you get your audio, and if you're a smart speaker, just ask for The Excerpt. I'm Taylor Wilson, and I'll be back tomorrow with more of The Excerpt from USA TODAY.
