Images of the destruction caused by storms that have torn through South and Southeast Asia.

The flights approval illustrates how the United States and Venezuela are still communicating, after a declaration from President Trump that Venezuelan airspace was closed in its entirety.

The staff of The New York Times Book Review choose the years top fiction and nonfiction.

Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security, equated immigrants to foreign invaders as she called for an expanded travel ban. President Trump reposted her statement.

A lone shopper pushes a cart toward the entrance of a Costco warehouse, March 13, 2025, in Sheridan, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)2025-12-02T18:14:44Z WASHINGTON (AP) Costco is joining other companies that arent waiting to see whether the Supreme Court strikes down President Donald Trumps most sweeping import taxes. Theyre going to court to demand refunds on the tariffs theyve paid.The U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington ruled earlier this year that Trumps biggest and boldest import taxes are illegal. The case is now before the Supreme Court. In a Nov. 5 hearing, several of the high courts justices expressed doubts that the president had sweeping power to declare national emergencies to impose tariffs on goods from almost every country on earth.If the court strikes down the tariffs, importers may be entitled to refunds on the levies theyve paid. Its uncertain whether refunds will be granted and, if so, how much,' said Brent Skorup, a legal fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute. But the possibility has prompted many companies including Costco to file actions in the U.S. Court of International Trade to get in line, so to speak, for potential refunds.' In a complaint filed last week with the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, Costco said it is demanding the money back now to ensure that its right to a complete refund is not jeopardized. The operator of warehouse-sized stores expressed concern that it could not get a refund once the tariff bills have have gone through liquidation by Customs and Border Protection, a process Costco says will start Dec. 15. Revlon and canned seafood and chicken producer Bumble Bee Foods have made similar arguments in the trade court.The tariffs facing the court challenged have raised around $90 billion so far. Trump warned back in August that the loss of his tariffs would destroy that American economy and lead to 1929 all over again, a GREAT DEPRESSION! RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Ohio State coach Ryan Day says he had a hunch that the Buckeyes would lose headset communication Saturday at Michigan, which led him to have a backup plan ready.

Kansas Jayhawks star freshman Darryn Peterson will miss his seventh game -- a showdown with UConn -- marking the seventh game the likely No. 1 NBA draft pick will miss this season.

James Pugh, one of two men originally convicted in the savage killing of Deborah Meindl near Buffalo, said all along that he was innocent.

The philanthropy has become one of Americas biggest, but most of its giving went to charities closely tied to the worlds richest man.

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In this June 28, 2019, file photo the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seal is seen during a news conference in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)2025-12-02T19:24:42Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Federal authorities are preparing a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that would primarily focus on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S., a move that comes as President Donald Trump has escalated rhetoric about the states Somali community, according to a person familiar with the planning.The operation could begin in the coming days and is expected to zero in on people in the MinneapolisSt. Paul area who have final orders of deportation, the person said. Teams of immigration agents would spread across the Twin Cities in what the person described as a directed, high-priority sweep, though the plans remain subject to change.The prospect of an immigration operation is likely to deepen tensions in Minnesota as Trump has become increasingly focused on people of Somalian descent living in the U.S., saying recently that they have caused a lot of trouble, rhetoric that community leaders say has inflamed tensions and revived fears of profiling. Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that he did not want Somali immigrants in the country, saying they are too reliant on the U.S. social safety net and add little to the nation. They contribute nothing. I dont want them in our country, he said. Their country is no good for a reason.Minnesota has the nations largest Somali community. Many fled the long civil war in their east African country and were drawn to the states welcoming social programs. Hundreds of people are expected to be targeted in the operation, the person said. As with previous immigration operations, so-called incidental arrests are possible, meaning people who arent targeted but lack legal status could also be detained if encountered during the sweep, the person said.The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations that have not been publicly disclosed. The operation was first reported by The New York Times. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said on Tuesday that the citys police officers, many of whom are Somali, will not work with any federal agents doing immigration enforcement, saying its not their job. Targeting Somali people means that due process will be violated, mistakes will be made, and lets be clear, it means that American citizens will be detained for no other reason than the fact that they look like they are Somali, he said. That is not now and will never be a legitimate reason.Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the agency would not discuss future or potential operations.Every day, ICE enforces the laws of the nation across the country. What makes someone a target of ICE is not their race or ethnicity, but the fact that they are in the country illegally, McLaughlin said.Trump and other officials in his administration have used increasingly harsh language in recent days against Somalis living in the U.S., after a conservative news outlet, City Journal, claimed that taxpayer dollars from defrauded government programs have flowed to the Somali group al-Shabab. Last month, Trump said he was terminating Temporary Protected Status for Somali migrants living in Minnesota, a legal safeguard against deportation for immigrants from certain countries. A report produced for Congress in August put the number of Somalis covered by the program at just 705 nationwide.Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that anyone committing fraud should go to prison, but he criticized the Trump administrations actions.Sitting on the sidelines and throwing out accusations and lets be very clear, demonizing an entire population and lying to people about the safety and security of this state is beneath that, said the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate.Trump has claimed immigrants from Somalia were completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota and has demeaned Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a social media post Monday that his agency was investigating allegations that under the feckless mismanagement of the Biden Administration and Governor Tim Walz, hardworking Minnesotans tax dollars may have been diverted to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab. Jaylani Hussein, a Somali American who is executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said his group has heard of less than a dozen immigration arrests within the local Somali community in recent days.But Hussein said around 95% of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens, so the numbers of those at earlier stages of the immigration process are a pretty small proportion of the community. He said they estimate that 50% of the community was born in the U.S.We believe this is political rhetoric and an attack against our community, Hussein said. But additional ICE agents means additional pressure on the wider immigrant community, he said, referring to Hispanics and other Africans. Hussein said the reported crackdown plan is yet another example of the Trump administration demonizing the Muslim community. And he said its not new that when somebody in the community commits a crime, the entire community will get accused. He said thats been true of other ethnic groups through American history.__Associated Press journalist Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed to this report. MIKE BALSAMO Balsamo is the national law enforcement editor for The Associated Press. He oversees coverage of the Justice Department, federal courts and criminal justice. twitter mailto STEVE KARNOWSKI Karnowski covers politics and government from Minnesota for The Associated Press. He also covers the ongoing fallout from the murder of George Floyd, courts and the environment, among other topics. twitter mailto

A makeshift memorial for U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe is seen outside of Farragut West Station, near the site where the two National Guard members were shot, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-12-02T19:13:04Z WASHINGTON (AP) A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to murder and assault charges during his first appearance before a judge via video from a hospital bed. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot, faces charges stemming from the Nov. 26 shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. His attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during a brief court hearing in Washington, D.C. Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard for President Donald Trumps law-enforcement surge in the nations capital, which has flooded the city with federal agents and troops since August.Authorities were investigating a possible motive for what they described as an ambush-style attack. A prosecutor, Ariel Dean, described the shooting as a shocking crime and said it appears that Lakanwal traversed the city to some extent before approaching the troops and shooting them.The magistrate judge ordered him detained, citing the sheer terror that resulted from Lakanwals actions. The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil came amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administrations use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem. Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that resettled Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.Trump called the shooting a terrorist attack and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has said he wants to permanently pause migration from poorer nations and expel millions of immigrants from the country.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-12-02T19:07:37Z WASHINGTON (AP) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cited the fog of war in defending a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea earlier this year.During Tuesdays cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said that he did not see that there were survivors in the water when the second strike was ordered and launched in early September, saying that the thing was on fire and citing the fog of war in defending the strike. Hegseth also said he didnt stick around for the remainder of the mission following the first strike, and said that the admiral in charge had made the right call in ordering it, which he had complete authority to do.The Washington Post first reported that Hegseth issued a verbal order for the second strike that killed survivors on the boat. On Monday, the White House said that Navy Vice Adm. Frank Mitch Bradley acted within his authority and the law when he ordered the second strike. Lawmakers have announced congressional reviews of the U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs, and Bradley is expected to provide a classified briefing Thursday to lawmakers overseeing the military. Asked if he supported the second strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea in September, President Donald Trump said he didnt know anything and still havent gotten a lot of information because I rely on Pete, referencing Hegseth.

Nature, Published online: 02 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03903-xThe months sharpest science shots, selected by Natures photo team.

When asked about Pittsburgh fans booing the Steelers, Mike Tomlin responded, "I agree with them."

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He emerged out of obscurity when his cargo plane was shot down while illegally ferrying arms to Nicaraguan rebels, setting off a scandal that tarnished the Reagan and Bush White Houses.

Ms. Pressley, a prominent progressive, will instead run for re-election to the House. Her move is expected to help Senator Ed Markey, though he still faces one well-known Democratic primary challenger.

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Erling Haaland became the fastest player to join the Premier League 100 club with his XXX strike in Manchester City's clash with Fulham on Tuesday.

Jim Mora says the prospect of coaching at Colorado State first piqued his interest six years ago, and his bold promises Tuesday included winning a title Pac-12, competing for a national title and climbing the state's 54 14,000-foot mountains.

The essay, written for a psychology class by a University of Oklahoma student, called the idea of multiple genders demonic. The instructor said it did not answer the assignment.

The move comes as President Trump has attacked Somalis with increasingly inflammatory rhetoric in recent days.

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A man takes a photo of Rockefeller Center in front of Saks Fifth Avenue on Black Friday in New York on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)2025-12-02T20:53:04Z NEW YORK (AP) The nations shoppers may feel gloomy about the economy, but they certainly were in the mood to shop over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend that wrapped up on Cyber Monday.As Wall Street analysts and retailers sift through the data from the weekend the unofficial start to the season and a good barometer of shoppers financial health and the strength of the economy the figures show that shoppers went online and in stores to scour for deals on everything from TVs to clothing. But all that economic uncertainty did affect spending. Shoppers were very focused and selective, some malls reported.Of course, the weekend looks a lot different from 15 years ago, when shoppers camped out in the wee hours of the morning and fought in store aisles for doorbusters like TVs. Shoppers are still heading to stores, but the biggest growth is online, which now accounts for 30% of total holiday sales. Thats up from 15% in 2012, according to the National Retail Federation, the nations largest retail trade group. Adobe Analytics reported Tuesday that so-called CyberWeek the five-day period from Thanksgiving to CyberMonday brought in$44.2 billion online overall, up7.7% year-over-year,bolstered by record spending online during Black Friday. On Cyber Monday, consumers spent$14.25 billion, up7.1% and making it again the years biggest online shopping day. National Retail Federations CEO Matt Shay said Tuesday that shoppers wall off the winter holidays from all the economic noise, building a moat around the season. The holidays is really very much an emotional purchase, Shay said. Families plan for it. They invest in it. And as a component of the holidays, the five-day Thanksgiving weekend is really the psychological kickoff of the holidays.Based on the groups survey of shoppers from the weekend, Shay called the period a very solid beginning to the holiday season. The group still expects sales over November and December of between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion. That would be up 3.7% to 4.2% more than last year.Heres a look at the data, the discounts, and whats next for retailers among other issues:The latest data shows record trafficSoftware company Salesforce reported that for Cyber Week it measures from Nov. 25 through Monday global online sales increased to $336.6 billion, up 7% compared with the year-ago period. U.S. online sales increased to $79.6 billion, up 5% year for that week, compared with the year-ago period. The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, reported on Tuesday that more than 235,000 people visited the iconic center on Black Friday, making it the busiest Black Friday on record in the malls history. The traffic number was up 8.5% compared with the same day on 2024 and nearly 2% above pre-pandemic 2019, the mall said.Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks in-person and online spending, reported Saturday that overall Black Friday sales excluding automotive rose 4.1% from a year ago. The retail sales indicator, not adjusted for inflation, showed online sales jumped by double digits 10.4% while in-store purchases inched up 1.7%. Still, shoppers were laser-focused.William Lewis, marketing director of Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, noted on Black Friday that, People are definitely buying. But Lewis noted that shoppers are more targeted and have done their homework ahead of time on social media or store sites.They know exactly where they are going, he added. Discounts were generous, but dont expect them to get betterAhead of the Thanksgiving weekend, promotions didnt come as early as last year or were more muted, according to some malls and analysts. But for the big weekend, retailers ramped up discounting to be in line with last years sales event, according to Adobe and big malls like Mall of America.But if shoppers were dilly dallying about buying a specific sweater and waiting for the prices to go down after this weekend, that may not be the best strategy. Discounts wont improve on many items, and stores came into the season with leaner inventory amid an uncertain economy, analysts said.Vivek Pandya, Adobes director of Adobe Digital Insights, noted that prior to the Thanksgiving weekend kickoff, discounts on average ranged from 10% to 17% and then accelerated to an average range of 18% to 30% for the holiday kickoff. But he expects that retailers will likely pull back from those discounts and will hover a little above what shoppers saw to the run-up of Black Friday. The exception would be poor-selling seasonal items, which need to be sold before Dec. 25, Pandya said.As for inventory, there were fears of empty shelves when tariff rates ballooned in April, but analysts said stores were able to navigate the vacillating tariff policy, bringing in goods at lower rates. Nikki Baird, vice president of Aptos, a retail technology firm which works with fashion clients, noted that, I think consumers will continue to find the things that theyre looking for, but there will be fewer choices. Some shoppers relied on artificial intelligence toolsShoppers are using AI tools to track prices or get gift recommendations, though the usage is still modest. On Cyber Monday, AI traffic to U.S. retail sites measured by shoppers clicking on a link increased by nearly eightfold, according to Adobe. From Nov. 1 through Dec. 1, AI traffic is up nearly ninefold, it said.The services were used most in categories including video games, appliances, electronics, toys, and personal care products, according to Adobe.Salesforce reported that across Cyber Week, AI and agents influenced 20% of all orders, accounting for $67 billion in global sales. In the U.S., AI and agents drove 17% of orders, or $13.5 billion in sales. The figure encompasses everything from a ChatGPT query to AI-supplied gift suggestions on a retailers website.Whats nextThe Thanksgiving weekend is a key barometer of spending for the season. But with worries of rising prices, will shoppers taper their spending as the season progresses? And what about next year?Baird said she will be looking at the period between the post-Thanksgiving weekend and the last week before Christmas to see whether spending keeps up. I think that will help us answer the question of whether this was a concentration of spending or a trend of spending, she said.Tiffany Yeh, a managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group, believes there will be strong spending throughout the rest of the holiday season. Her concern is whats in store for 2026. Yeh cited the consultancys shopper surveys pointing to consumers delaying purchases in order to spend during the holidays. She wonders if shoppers will mute their spending or instead steady their buying. ANNE DINNOCENZIO DInnocenzio writes about retail, trends, the consumer economy and hourly workers for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has a grade 2 right hip adductor strain, the team announced on Tuesday.

Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire has agreed in principle to a new seven-year deal worth an average of nearly $7 million per year, sources confirmed to ESPN.

The Steelers claimed wide receiver Adam Thielen off waivers Tuesday, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter, and waived veteran cornerback Darius Slay.

BYU coach Kalani Sitake intends to remain at the school, sources tell ESPN's Pete Thamel, with the school preparing a lucrative contract extension for the Cougars coach.

LSU assistant Charlie Weis Jr., who is part of new coach Lane Kiffin's staff with the Tigers, will be allowed to return to Ole Miss and serve as offensive coordinator through the College Football Playoff.

President Trump is growing frustrated as Americans struggle with higher prices and pessimism over the state of the economy.

Dont let Trump sell out its freedom for business deals with Putin.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who is accused of killing a National Guard member and gravely wounding another, appeared in court remotely from a hospital bed.

The stepped-up enforcement comes as the Trump administration has also moved to reassess the vetting of Afghans who came to the country under the Biden administration.

The defense secretary supported the admiral he said called for the second strike on Sept. 2 against a boat the administration says was smuggling drugs.

A judge in Missouri resigned after wearing an Elvis Presley wig in court, coming after a disciplinary commission determined he failed to maintain order and decorum. What do you think?Either wear a full Elvis costume or dont even bother showing up to work.Bjorn Geisler, Systems AnalystLittle Richard gave me 25 to life.David Baroody, Retired VolunteerYet in England theyre required.Katie Priest, Lottery ParticipantThe post Judge Resigns After Wearing Elvis Wig In Court appeared first on The Onion.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R- Fla. speaks at AmericaFest, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)2025-12-02T22:15:09Z The new journalism guard is officially in at the Pentagon. And the questions being asked of those running the worlds most powerful military range from softballs to pointed queries to performances. On Tuesday, Defense Department press secretary Kingsley Wilson focused on her talking points and jabbing at old-guard reporters along the way held her first briefing since most nonpartisan news outlets were replaced by friendly media representatives willing to accept new rules imposed by department chief Pete Hegseth. Even before the new rules were in place, Hegseths Pentagon struggled to hold televised briefings. Wilsons boss, Pentagon top spokesman Sean Parnell, held only two, one in March and another in July. By contrast, Pentagon officials under the Biden administration typically held two public briefings per week by the end of their time in office. Among the topics that interested the latest crop of reporters: the National Guard in American cities, military action in Iran and Somalia, an investigation into former President Joe Biden, potential legal action against The Washington Post and efforts to root out disloyal employees. With Hegseths role in U.S. military strikes on boats carrying suspected drug couriers off South America under scrutiny, Wilson was asked what say Adm. Frank Bradley had in a second strike on one boat, which a report in the Post on Friday said killed two survivors from the initial attack. At the end of the day, the president and the (defense) secretary are the ones directing these strikes, and any follow-up strikes that were directed by Admiral Bradley, the secretary 100% agrees with, she said.She was asked whether the department was contemplating legal action against the newspaper, which reported that Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill everybody on the boat in the early September strike. That opened the door for her to attack the newspaper.The Washington Post readership, she said, should think twice about reading that outlet again. Former congressman, now part of press, asks a direct questionFormer U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican credentialed to cover the Pentagon for One America News, asked about Pentagon plans for running Venezuela if President Donald Trump ousts the countrys leader, Nicols Maduro, and whether the U.S. would consider anyone who worked for the Venezuelan government or military a narco-terrorist.Wilson replied that if anything happens, we have a response ready, and said the future of Venezuelan government employees would be a determination for the president to make.Gaetz experienced being on the other side in not getting his questions answered, said Barbara Starr, retired Pentagon correspondent for CNN, who viewed the briefing online.I actually thought several of the questions the audience asked were very good, pointed, on-the-news questions, Starr said. I dont think they got good answers.All administrations look to emphasize their points of view in such briefings, the veteran correspondent said, but Trumps team is especially intent on not making actual news. Starr said it was not a journalistically sound event because of the reporters that were excluded. Wilson was asked why Americans were still fighting in Somalia (protecting Americans from terrorists, she said), whether the U.S. should reevaluate its relationship with Israel if the country had helped fund Hamas in the past (call the State Department, she suggested) and about reports that Iran was rebuilding its nuclear capabilities (she didnt answer, except to praise Trumps initial attack order ). She also didnt address a question about any evidence of criminal activity found on boats that were attacked. The Pentagon spokeswoman got assists from some reportersSome briefing attendees looked to help her advance the administrations point of view. Conservative provocateur James OKeefe, who has made a name for himself taping political opponents in unguarded moments, asked what steps were being taken to root out disloyal Pentagon employees.Thank you for the question, Wilson said. Thats why the work you all do is so important.When asked, she promised an administration report next summer on the Biden-ordered withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. She was about asked potential military honors or a burial in Arlington National Cemetery for a National Guard member killed in Washington last week.Storm Paglia, a representative from the RedState and TownHall conservative blogs, expressed his happiness at being at the briefing. Dawning of a new day with patriots reporting the truth, Paglia wrote on X. Not media liars.Before taking any questions, Wilson criticized media outlets that chose to self-deport from the Pentagon rather than accept Hegseths new rules for working there. Hegseth characterizes them as common sense rules designed to protect national security; most mainstream news outlets worried they limited their ability to report anything Hegseth didnt want to see. Theyre continuing coverage off-site, and non-credentialed reporters werent allowed in for Tuesdays briefing. The Pentagon made clear that attendance, and thus the chance to ask questions, was for invited press only.Were not going to beg these gatekeepers to come back and were not going to rebuild a broken model just to appease them, Wilson said. The public has moved on from the old model, and so has the Pentagon.The new reporters are expected to meet with Hegseth in person on Wednesday.___David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social DAVID BAUDER Bauder is the APs national media writer, covering the intersection of news, politics and entertainment. He is based in New York. twitter mailto

Along with significant salary increases and a new compensation system, the WNBA also is proposing to its players amid CBA talks an earlier start date for training camps and cutting team housing, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.

Auburn's Alex Golesh announced Tuesday the Tigers will retain DJ Durkin, keeping the defensive coordinator on staff, with the new coach saying that his decision "was an easy call" and that Durkin is "a phenomenal leader on the defensive side of the ball."

Spain cap off the year winning the UEFA Women's Nations League, cementing their spot as the world's best team.

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A student driver helps his classmate steer the wheel into the right direction as they practice driving in reverse in Calif., Nov. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)2025-12-02T23:30:57Z The Trump administrations latest move to enforce standards for commercial truck drivers, by flagging nearly half of the driving schools as noncompliant, doesnt figure to disrupt the industry, experts say. But the heavy scrutiny on immigrant drivers might.The bigger, more reputable schools were not included in the list and many of the schools that were appear to have already been idle, leading trucking industry officials to predict minimal turmoil. Plus, these efforts to enforce training standards and the previous moves to strengthen licensing particularly for immigrants will take effect gradually over time as licenses come up for renewal and new drivers graduate from schools.The fact that there are probably more drivers than needed right now in the midst of a 10% drop in shipments since 2022 because of the economic uncertainty also helps, although trucking companies still struggle to find enough well-qualified drivers with clean records. Even before a truck driver that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says was not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people, the administration was focused on making sure truck drivers could meet English proficiency standards. The focus on immigrant drivers, who account for about 20% of all truckers, intensified after that August crash as the Transportation Department audited commercial drivers license programs and Duffy proposed new restrictions that would severely limit which noncitizens could get a license to drive a semi or a bus. A court put the new rules on hold. But Duffy threatened to withhold millions from California, Pennsylvania and Minnesota after the audits found significant problems under the existing rules like commercial licenses being valid long after an immigrant truck drivers work permit expired, That pressure prompted California to revoke 17,000 licenses. Some immigrant drivers are afraid to go on the roadTrucking company owner Dave Atwal said that as a result many of his drivers at Diamond Transportation in Lodi, California, are just afraid to go to some of these other states where they might get harassed. Atwal has been able to assign some drivers to in-state routes, but he has lost more than 40 drivers who either walked away from the job or were unable to renew their licenses even though they have several years of safe driving on their records.Dave Laut said he has had a hard time finding all the drivers he wants to have behind the wheels of his 300 or so trucks at FBT Inc. Immigrant drivers are bearing the brunt of the government enforcement, according to Laut who is Sikh like the driver in the Florida crash and the driver of another fatal crash in California this fall. A lot of (Sikhs) are quitting truck driving, he said. They feel people target them, and they feel insulted and they are quitting jobs. They are hardworking guys. They stand out more.Laut said his company underwent a Homeland Security audit of his drivers immigration statuses about two weeks ago. It passed that review, which many trucking firms in California are undergoing. But Duffys announcement Monday that as many as 7,500 trucking programs could soon be decertified will threaten the ongoing effort to attract and train new drivers particularly if any schools doing things the right way get caught up with schools not playing by the rules. But many of the schools that would be forced out of business were already idle before the Transportation Department took action, so decertifying them may not have a dramatic impact. The vast majority of the schools at risk either failed to submit a required biannual report or hadnt submitted any certificates verifying that a student had completed their course in the past year.Trucking industry can likely absorb the changesLogan Cooper, who arranges for trucks to deliver containers of imported goods from ports and rail yards for OEC Group, said theres some room to absorb this in the industry but there will likely be some impact over time. But Blair Robbins, who advises companies about their transportation needs as a partner with EisnerAmper, said that even if all these efforts do lead to higher rates, they would be increasing off the current lower shipping rates that are depressed because of the decline in the number of shipments in recent years. Robbins said he has seen estimates that only about 5% to 10% of the workforce might be affected, and that will happen gradually over time. Tougher standards should mean safer driversDane Rogers, CEO of Western Pacific Truck School in California and the national Commercial Vehicle Training Association, supports the federal governments efforts to enforce the 2022 driver training standards. Rogers school, which trains hundreds of drivers every year, was not found out of compliance.Weve been highlighting this for years, Rogers said. Theres so many truck schools that just pop up, and they dont adhere to the rigorous standards set forth by either California or the FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.Decertifying nearly half of all trucking schools could limit the number of new drivers and create monthslong waiting lists at the remaining schools. But Rogers and major trucking groups, including the American Trucking Association and the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, think it is a good idea to ensure schools are meeting the standards to prepare drivers to handle 80,000-pound trucks on highways across the country. Do you want more truck drivers that are dangerous, or do you want less truck drivers that are more competent? Rogers said. I would go with the latter.But this may extend wait lists at trucking schoolsAntonio Yates said classes at the 100 Placement Truck Driving School he works at in Detroit are already full for the next two to three months, and he expects the wait time will get worse if all these schools close. He said the number of immigrants willing to pay $5,000 to learn how to operate a semitrailer truck or $3,000 to learn to drive a bus has increased over the past year or so.Theyre from all over, South America, Africa. Theyre from everywhere, said Yates, who added that most are paying for the training themselves.Yates acknowledged that understanding the English language can be tough for some.If I cant communicate with you, I cant even train you properly, he said. We turn people away all of the time.___Associated Press writers Corey Williams, Audrey McAvoy and Sophie Austin contributed to this report. JOSH FUNK Funk is an Associated Press reporter who covers transportation including aviation safety and airlines along with all the major freight railroads. Funk also covers Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, the impact of the ongoing bird flu outbreak, agriculture and other news out of the Midwest. twitter mailto

Despite former coach Lane Kiffin's departure to LSU over the weekend, 11-1 Ole Miss was not penalized by the College Football Playoff selection committee on Tuesday, as the Rebels actually moved up to No. 6 following their 38-19 win at Mississippi State.

Right-hander Cody Ponce, the KBO MVP, and the Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a three-year, $30 million deal, sources told ESPN.

The pause, which will halt green card and U.S. citizenship processing for broad swaths of people, deepens a remarkable crackdown on legal immigration pathways in recent days.

Plus, C.D.C. advisers are set to change the vaccine schedule. Heres the latest at the end of Tuesday.