Two Toyota Aquas travelling in tandem through Green Bay sparked an air of suspicion for Police during the early hours of this morning.
Just before 3am, Police conducting routine patrols observed the two vehicles travelling at high speed and in tandem along Godley Road.
Auckland City West Area Commander, Inspector Alisse Robertson, says officers didn’t signal for the vehicles to stop and instead called in the Police Eagle helicopter for assistance from above.
“Eagle has quickly located one of the vehicles in Glen Eden and tracked it until it was abandoned on Holdens Road.
“Both the driver and passenger have then been observed retrieving a number of items from the backseat.”
Inspector Robertson says as Police arrived on scene, the driver and passenger have thrown bottles of alcohol at the at the Police car before fleeing on foot.
“Thankfully no one was hurt, however the patrol car was damaged.
“Officers have then taken both alleged offenders into custody a short time later.
“Police are investigating this event in connection with a burglary at a Blockhouse Bay business prior to the cars coming to our attention.
“Police won’t tolerate this kind of reckless behaviour, which has the potential to cause harm to our staff and the wider public.”
An 18-year-old will appear in Auckland District Court on 10 April charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and intentional damage.
A 14-year-old has been referred to Youth Aid Services.
The original tall poppies bloomed in the garden of Tarquin the Proud, last king of Rome. To communicate that his enemies should be defeated by killing their leaders, he is said to have decapitated the tallest flowers with a stick.
Two and a half thousand years later, “tall poppies” are those among us who rise above the horde through the excellence of their achievements or the boldness of their ambition.
Sometimes tall poppies are celebrated, as an array of tall poppy awards attests. Other times they are scorned for their arrogance and envied for their success. Too big for their boots or britches, they must be cut down to size.
Aversion to tall poppies is said to be particularly strong in Australia and New Zealand, where the idea of a “tall poppy syndrome” was invented in the 1980s. A tendency to drag down those who set themselves above others, the syndrome supposedly reflects values of equality, humility and the storied “fair go”.
But what are the effects of the tall poppy syndrome? What does it tell us about Antipodean cultures? And are we uniquely averse to those who stand out from the crowd?
Rome’s final king, the tyrannical Tarquin the Proud, scythes through the tallest poppies in Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s ‘Tarquinius Superbus’. Wikimedia Commons
In a New Zealand study of prominent entrepreneurs, nearly all reported encountering the syndrome. “If you do achieve something and stick your head up a bit further,” one said, “people will try to chop you down to size.”
Dealing with negative responses to success drove some entrepreneurs to adopt specific coping strategies, like staying under the radar and taking pains not to flaunt their success.
Tall poppy syndrome doesn’t merely bruise enterprising egos, it can also adversely affect business decisions. The NZ study found public attacks can discourage entrepreneurs from starting or growing a business and from persevering after setbacks.
Athletes also report being targets. Some attacks simply reflect anonymous online spite, but tall poppy attitudes also drive aggressive behaviour. One Australian study found that high performing student athletes were often victims of bullying.
Cultural underpinnings
Harvesting tall poppies may be common in Australia and New Zealand, but there is little evidence that it is unique to us.
Aksel Sandemose formulated ten rules to discourage anyone from feeling special. Oslo Museum, CC BY-SA
The Law of Jante expresses a similar sentiment in Scandinavian countries. Despite being fictitious, invented by Danish-Norwegian novelist Aksel Sandemose, its ten rules dictate that “you’re not to think you are anything special” and “you’re not to imagine yourself better than we are”, among other humbling commandments.
These examples are subtly different from each other: the Japanese version presents being different as undesirable; the Nordic version identifies being better or special as undesirable traits.
In the more collectivist Japanese context, avoiding displays of individuality helps to preserve social harmony and avoid conflict. In the more individualist Scandinavian context, the key concern is maintaining social equality. The Law of Jante levels out a society where individuality is highly valued but expressions of personal superiority are not.
These variations show that aversion to tall poppies can express two distinct values in different cultural settings: conformity via collectivism, and equality via egalitarianism.
Values researchers think of egalitarianism in terms of a cultural dimension called “power distance”. Cultures high on this dimension value social hierarchy and accept inequalities. Low cultures prefer more equal social arrangements.
Australia tends to score relatively low on power distance, with Scandinavian countries and New Zealand lower still, as well as scoring high on individualism. In this “horizontal” form of individualism, people are meant to strive to be distinct without desiring special status. It is therefore no surprise to find the tall poppy syndrome in these countries.
Values in the United States also tend to be highly individualistic, but higher in power distance than in Oceania, a combination known as “vertical individualism”. Vertical individualists also value being distinct from others, but are more comfortable with inequality and with raising themselves above others.
As this contrast suggests, Americans favour rewarding tall poppies more strongly than Australians. This aligns with the ethos of the “American Dream”, a cultural narrative that champions ambition and status-seeking, and the full-throated celebration of personal success.
The future of the tall poppy syndrome
In our age of self-promotion, with social media sites devoted to not-so-humble bragging, have we become immune to the tall poppy syndrome? Are we becoming more comfortable about standing out, or does egalitarianism remain a powerful obstacle?
Research finds no increase in levels of narcissism in Australia, in contrast to some evidence of rising levels in the US. By implication, Australians are not becoming more willing to elevate themselves above others. Whether their attitudes to people who do so has changed remains to be seen.
More importantly, we should ask if, in times of high and rising inequality, less egalitarianism is something to hope for. No one wants successful athletes to be lashed by public envy – but if the tall poppy syndrome reflects a commitment to social equality, perhaps a complete cure would be worse than the disease.
A culture that attacks its tall poppies risks discouraging ambition and innovation, but one that overlooks inequality may lose sight of the collective good. Ultimately, the challenge lies in finding a balance between celebrating individual excellence and maintaining the egalitarian spirit that fosters fairness.
Nick Haslam receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Milad Haghani does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Police have arrested and charged a fourth young person following an aggravated robbery in Invercargill.
On Monday 24 March, Police were alerted to four people entering a store on North Road at around 3.30am.
The group targeted cigarettes and tobacco before fleeing the area in a vehicle.
After an extensive investigation, a fourth young person was taken into custody.
Invercargill Police works hard to identify and locate those responsible for committing offences in our community and we would like to thank the members of the public who provided information that assisted our investigation.
The young person appeared in Invercargill Youth Court today, charged with aggravated robbery and is due to reappear in mid-April.
The three other youth previously charged are due to reappear in the coming days.
Drivers travelling between Upper Hutt and Wairarapa need to be prepared for delays as emergency services and contractors attend a crash scene near Kaitoke.
The southbound lane of State Highway 2 is closed near Waterworks Road following a two-vehicle crash reported around 12:30 this afternoon.
Stop/Go traffic management is currently in place at the crash site, and drivers can expect delays until the scene is cleared.
The Police Serious Crash Unit is investigating, meaning traffic management is likely to remain in place until its work is complete.
Drivers must follow all instructions of emergency services and contractors on site and take extra care when travelling through the crash site.
Updates on the highway’s status can be found on the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website:
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill.
The committee finished more than a month ahead of the 14 May deadline set by Parliament with the report expected to be presented and available tomorrow.
“Labour sought an extension of time so that all submitters could be heard and their submissions put on the permanent record. Instead, the Justice Select Committee has rammed it through with outrageous haste,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said.
“This is an appalling lack of process on a hugely consequential bill.
“David Seymour told Cabinet that there would be six months of consultation before the select committee, and a Cabinet Minute confirmed that it would be considered until the week of 16 May.
“Now, with Government members rushing to report the bill back early, the process is exposed for what it really is—a sham.
“This shows utter contempt for the many New Zealanders who took the time to submit and whose views are now missing from the record.
“Many of these submitters will have found making a submission challenging. This Bill seeks to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and many of us did not want to have this debate at all. Now the committee is telling them all that effort, that time and emotion, wasn’t worth their time.
“The New Zealand public were forced to have their say on this Bill, now the Government is not doing them the justice of including what thousands of them said,” Duncan Webb said.
Fourth youth charged following Launceston burglaries
Thursday, 3 April 2025 – 12:23 pm.
A fourth youth has been charged as part of an investigation into a number of burglaries at residential and commercial properties in the Launceston area. The 17-year-old boy was charged overnight with 11 burglaries and 7 stealings – alleged to have occurred between February and April. He was detained to appear in the Youth Justice Division of the Launceston Magistrates Court today. Three youths – a 14-year-old-boy and two 17-year-old boys – were previously charged with numerous offences as part of the investigation by Northern Criminal Investigation Branch. Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) and Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05) introduced the Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2025. The bipartisan bill would provide grants to law enforcement departments at the state, local, territorial, and tribal level to obtain vital behavioral health crisis response training to resolve behavioral health crisis situations more safely and effectively. Funding for this training would be authorized under the Byrne JAG program funding.
“Our nation owes a deep debt of gratitude to the brave men and women of law enforcement and corrections officers who are often the first to respond to volatile and often dangerous situations involving people at their most vulnerable,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort to help those who protect and serve our communities alongside Congresswoman Bice. Our officers deserve all of the training and resources we can provide to help them effectively and safely handle behavioral health crises to protect themselves, those experiencing crisis, and the public they serve.”
“Our police officers put their lives on the line every day to protect us. With increasing rates of mental health conditions, our officers need to know how to react in difficult situations,” said Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05). “The Mental Health Crisis Response Act will help our police officers learn effective ways to resolve behavioral health crisis situations and ultimately increase their safety, and the safety of our communities.”
This legislation is supported by the Fraternal Order of Police. Additional House original cosponsors include Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26), Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02), Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06), Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03), and Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01).
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program, administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, supplies grants to local law enforcement entities for public safety initiatives. Grants created under this bill will be managed through Byrne JAG Prevention and Education programming. Byrne JAG grants are always distributed to supplement available State and local grants and never to supplant them. Law enforcement officers are often the first responders to behavioral health crises. One in every 10 calls for police response involve a person living with a mental illness; 1 in every 4 people killed by police experience mental health issues; 1 in 3 people transported to a hospital emergency room for psychiatric reasons are taken by the police. When responding to calls, law enforcement officers need to be prepared to respond to all possible scenarios and, with increasing frequency, we’re seeing that involve behavioral health crises. By improving training for these types of responses, we can better keep our officers safe, ensure individuals in crisis are treated with dignity, and improve trust amongst the communities affected.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)
WASHINGTON DC [3/27/25] – Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman introduced bipartisan legislation to continue work designed to prevent sexual harassment and assault at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Many NOAA employees work in remote locations and aboard research and survey vessels to study, understand, and predict changes in climate, weather, ocean, and coastal conditions. The isolated nature of NOAA workplaces increases the risk of sexual assault and harassment, and in recent years the agency has updated its policies to better protect staff. The NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act strengthens existing protections against sexual assault and harassment and creates additional measures of accountability.
“Scientists and researchers at NOAA should be able to conduct their critical work without the fear of sexual harassment or assault,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “Thanks to the bravery of survivors who have spoken out, we’ve made progress to prevent harassment and abuse at NOAA. But recent reports show that there is more work to be done. I’m grateful to join my colleague Ranking Member Huffman in this effort to create safe workplaces where researchers can focus on making the next scientific breakthrough in a safe workplace.”
“NOAA employees perform essential work for our communities and our planet — often in extreme and isolated environments where support systems are limited, and people may be more at risk,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “This bipartisan legislation strengthens accountability, expands protections, and builds a system that prioritizes safety and respect for everyone who serves this crucial mission. We have the responsibility to ensure the safety of the scientists, observers, and staff doing this critical work is never up for debate.”
Specifically, the legislation will:
Expand coverage of NOAA’s sexual harassment prevention and response policy. The new policy will include personnel who were not otherwise covered, including commercial fisheries contractors, protected species researchers, platform removal observers, and staff of regional fishery management councils.
Direct NOAA to provide a clear mechanism for anonymous reports of sexual harassment. NOAA’s Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Program Manager or the NOAA Office of Inclusion and Civil Rights will be designated as the recipients of reports so the agency can track incidents of harassment or assault and protect a victim’s privacy.
Provide a secure reporting structure for victims. The bill directs NOAA to develop a mechanism to provide restricted reporting that would allow victims of sexual assault and/or sexual harassment to receive services without triggering an investigative process, if requested by the victim. Current policy requires an investigation of any report, which may discourage some victims from seeking services.
Expand reports to Congress about sexual harassment, sexual assault, and equal opportunity employment. The bill adds additional requirements to NOAA’s annual report to Congress, including a synopsis of cases of sexual harassment, change of station or work location requests initiated to reduce the possibility of retaliation or further sexual assault of employees, the number of employees or contractors referred to the U.S. Coast Guard for further review of their credentials, and cases of sexual assault and harassment of fisheries observers.
Improve the ability of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement to enforce a prohibition on assault, intimidation, and interference with fisheries observers. The bill would remove the stipulation in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act that these acts be “forcible” in nature and occur “on a vessel” for NOAA to investigate.
A summary of the legislation can be found here. A copy of the bill text can be found here.
As a senior member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Bonamici has led efforts over the years to address sexual harassment and abuse at NOAA. She has been a strong advocate for survivorsand has worked with NOAA to improve its policies.
Attributable to Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson:
Police accept the findings of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission Maritime Inquiry MO-2022-206 into the charter fishing vessel, i-Catcher capsize in Goose Bay, 10 September 2022.
This was a terrible incident for the community and our thoughts remain with the victims, their families and friends, and the community.
Police is continuing work with Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) on the findings of the report.
In addition to supporting a large number of events led by RCCNZ, Police manages more than 2,000 land and marine search and rescue (SAR) incidents each year.
RCCNZ and Police continue to collaborate on opportunities to enhance operational SAR responses, and continue with regular practice SAR exercises. Our on-call practices and tasking processes have been streamlined and continue to be improved.
The joint Maritime Rescue Plan for Tasman has now been prepared and is in the final stages of being signed off. Standard operating procedures have also been updated to include that Police’s National Dive Squad must be contacted for advice and availability in life-threatening water rescue events.
This investigation by TAIC has been important for all of us to learn from. We are putting recommendations in place and looking at where we can support partner agencies across all the recommendations.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.
Released 03/04/2025
A new state-of-the-art system is speeding up the delivery of samples from the Emergency Department to ACT Pathology, allowing clinicians to receive results faster and start patient treatment earlier.
The first of its kind in Australia, the Tempus600 is an automated sample tube delivery system connecting the Emergency Department to ACT Pathology on the Canberra Hospital campus.
Team members in the Emergency Department place a patient sample contained in a test tube in a ‘hole in the wall’, and the sample is delivered directly to laboratory analysers, with no human intervention.
Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the new sample delivery system eliminates manual processes to prepare, pack and unpack samples, reduces the possibility of error, and frees up time to focus on other important tasks.
“Most clinical sample delivery systems require multiple steps to prepare and send a sample, which can create a bottleneck at certain points in the process of sending a sample to the laboratory,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.
“The new Tempus system is one touch technology – put the clinical sample in the Tempus machine, and the system does the rest. Samples take approximately 40 seconds to travel from the Emergency Department to the lab in Pathology, which is a big time-saver when processing around 100,000 clinical samples each year.”
“This new technology means samples can be analysed sooner, which leads to faster patient diagnosis, earlier treatment, and a shorter stay in hospital. The system is also directly linked into the Digital Health Record, maintaining accuracy and assurance of the right test results for the right patients.
“In addition to speeding up the delivery of clinical samples, the Tempus system also provides greater consistency in how long it takes for results to be available. When treating a seriously ill patient in Emergency, these factors can make all the difference to their health outcomes.”
Quotes attributable to Greg Brylski, Executive Director of Pathology and Allied Health, Canberra Health Services:
“The implementation of the Tempus Pathology system at Canberra Health Services offers a significant advancement in delivering patient centred care. The Tempus streamlines pathology workflows allowing faster access to patient results, without compromising patient care.
“This Australian first innovation brings pathology services closer to the patient, facilitating quicker diagnoses while efficiently reducing administrative burdens on the healthcare system, when our healthcare professionals are required to focus on patient care.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Darrell Issa (R-CA), alongside Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), introduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Actto prohibit states from implementing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition to fund gun control programs.
“Gun grabbing liberals will stop at nothing to undermine the Second Amendment,” said Congressman Hudson. “Their latest scheme is an unconstitutional tax that seeks to price you out of your right to keep and bear arms, and this legislation will put a stop to it.”
“For too many years, extreme state policies — including from my home state — have targeted our fundamental Second Amendment rights and the American citizens who exercise them,”said Congressman Issa.“The latest attack is California’s imposition of a ‘sin tax’ on firearms and ammunition. This outrageous and unfair burden on law-abiding citizens is why Sen. Risch, Rep. Hudson, and I are working to stop this and other attempts to penalize our people and put the price of self-defense out of reach of any American.”
“Blue states that implement an excessive excise tax to fund gun control initiatives are exploiting the Second Amendment,” said Senator Risch. “The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures states do not place a significant financial burden on law-abiding gun owners to advance their anti-Second Amendment agenda.”
As of July 1, 2024, California implemented a new 10-11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition to discourage the purchase of firearms and fund gun control programs. These added fees now double the tax on gun and ammunition purchases. Colorado, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and New York have proposed similar taxes.
Hudson, Issa, and Risch are joined by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Justice (R-WV), James Lankford (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) in introducing the legislation.
TheFreedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Acthas received support from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development
The ACCC has commenced legal proceedings in the Federal Court against Fewstone Pty Ltd, trading as City Beach, for allegedly selling products containing button batteries which did not comply with mandatory product safety and information standards, in breach of the Australian Consumer Law.
It is alleged that between 22 June 2022 and 24 October 2024, surf, skatewear and accessories retailer City Beach offered for sale 70 product lines containing button batteries which did not comply with Australia’s mandatory button battery standards.
It also allegedly supplied 57,358 individual non-compliant button battery products.
The product lines sold by City Beach include novelty products such as toys, digital notepads, keyrings, lights and light-up Jibbitz accessories for Crocs shoes.
“We are taking this action because, we allege, City Beach exposed consumers to the risks associated with button batteries and failed to inform them of these risks,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“Button batteries are incredibly dangerous for young children, and tragically in some cases have led to serious injuries or death when swallowed, inserted or ingested.”
“Australia’s button battery standards exist to reduce the risk of death or serious injury posed by button batteries,” Ms Lowe said.
“We are concerned that these items are likely to be in homes with young children. Many of these items were brightly coloured or had light-up features or both, meaning young children may be drawn to playing with them. We urge consumers to check the Product Safety Australia website for details of recalled products and return them to the supplier or to dispose of them safely.”
“The ACCC is responsible for enforcing the button battery standards and works in partnership with state-based consumer agencies. This action is a result of that partnership, with concerns about City Beach’s supply of button battery products first identified through surveillance and then progressed to the ACCC for investigation,” Ms Lowe said.
“In 2022 and 2023, City Beach received warnings from NSW Fair Trading and Queensland Office of Fair Trading in relation to the supply of potentially non-compliant button battery products.”
“The standards have been in existence since 2020, in effect since 2022 and have been the subject of escalating compliance and enforcement work by ACL regulators, including the ACCC. There is simply no excuse for non-compliance and we will not hesitate to take strong enforcement action against businesses that do not comply with these important and potentially life-saving standards,” Ms Lowe said.
The safety standard requires products to have secure battery compartments that are designed to be resistant to being opened by children.
This is to prevent children from gaining access to the batteries.
To comply with the safety standard, a representative sample of products containing button batteries must be tested.
The information standard requires safety warnings to be provided with products, including advice to seek medical attention.
The ACCC is seeking penalties, declarations, injunctive relief and costs.
The ACCC has issued a series of infringement notices and accepted a court enforceable undertaking and compliance commitments for alleged breaches of the button battery standards since they became mandatory in mid-2022.
This is the first case to be bought by the ACCC before the Federal Court for an alleged breach of the button battery standards.
Recalled products
City Beach is conducting a voluntary recall. Consumers can return recalled products to City Beach for a full refund.
Examples of recalled product lines supplied to consumers
ACCC advice to consumers
Button batteries are dangerous to children if swallowed or inserted. They can become stuck in your child’s throat and result in serious lifelong injuries or death. Insertion of button batteries into body parts such as the ears or nose can lead to serious injuries.
Children up to 5 years of age are at greatest risk because of their narrower oesophagus and tendency to place small objects into their mouths, ears and noses. Preventing access to button batteries is critical.
If you suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery:
Call Triple Zero (000) immediately if your child is having any difficulty breathing.
Call the Poisons Information Centre immediately on 13 11 26. You can call at any hour for expert advice. The Poisons Information Centre can direct you to an appropriate medical facility. Not every health facility can manage injuries from button batteries. Prompt action is critical.
This document contains the ACCC’s initiating court document in relation to this matter. We will not be uploading further documents in the event this initial document is subsequently amended.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Deane, Professor of Trade Law, Taxation and Climate Change, Queensland University of Technology
US President Donald Trump has imposed a range of tariffs on all products entering the US market, with Australian exports set to face a 10% tariff, effective April 5.
These import taxes will be charged by US customs on each imported item. The punitive tariffs on 60 countries range as high as 34% on imports from China and 46% on Vietnam, and exceed the rates agreed between the United States and other global trade partners.
“For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike,” Trump said.
The impact on Australian industries will be both direct and indirect. The largest Australian export to the US is meat products, totalling A$4 billion in 2024, and our farmers may divert some product to other nations.
Direct and indirect impacts
The larger economic risk is to our regional trading partners.
While Australia faces only 10% tariffs, our major trading partners China, Japan and South Korea all face much higher US tariffs under the new regime. So the risk of a manufacturing slowdown in those countries could dampen demand for Australia’s much larger exports – iron ore, coal and gas.
Australian investors reacted swiftly, wiping 2.1% off the main stock market index, the S&P/ASX 200, in the first hour of trade.
Another problem will be the disruption to global supply chains. It is not just finished products impacted. For instance, the 25% automobile tariff will be extended to auto parts on May 3. This means even if a car is entirely built in the US, it will still be more expensive because many components are imported.
On April 1, the US released an annual trade report that identifies what it describes as “foreign trade barriers”. There was a long list of grievances with both tariff and non-tariff barriers identified.
The report identified Australia’s biosecurity restrictions on meat, apples and pears. The Australian biosecurity rules do not directly ban any products, although in practice raw beef products are excluded.
Trump singled out Australian beef in his speech. “They won’t take any of our beef,” he claimed.
In a speech riddled with inaccuracies and falsehoods, this was one of them. Australia take shelf-stable US products, but not raw products for which consumer safety can not be assured.
The US cited two other main Australian trade barriers. US drug companies have criticised the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme approvals processes. The Albanese government’s plan to strengthen the News Media Bargaining Code that requires tech companies to pay for news published on their platforms was also targeted.
How can Australia respond?
Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton are in agreement over what we should do in response. They say Australian law and policy is not up for sale. We don’t negotiate on biosecurity, we don’t negotiate on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme process, and our local news media deserves protection from Big Tech.
1. All avenues start with negotiations
The preferred option is for a negotiation with the US to secure an exemption.
However, the US has sidelined the WTO in recent years and Albanese has ruled out this route.
2. Consultation
The second potential action is to initiate consultations under the Australia–US Free Trade Agreement. There is a formal process identified in the agreement to which Albanese referred, with a threat of “dispute resolution mechanisms”.
Albanese has ruled out imposing “reciprocal tariffs” on US imports, noting this would only push up prices for Australian consumers.
3. Find new markets
Third, we can find other markets. Australian agricultural products are some of the most desirable in the world. Australian producers will have other options. Indeed, the latest data for beef exports showed exports to China jumped 43% from January, to Japan up 27%, and to South Korea up 60% from the previous month.
What has the government said?
Albanese announced a response package, including $50 million to help pursue new markets. He said the tariff announcement was “not the act of a friend” and had “no basis in logic”:
It is the American people who will pay the biggest price for these unjustified tariffs. This is why our government will not be seeking to impose reciprocal tariffs.
Albanese’s response contains only one direct trade measure. That is the plan to strengthen anti-dumping provisions on steel, aluminium and other manufacturing. This means countries looking to sell their products too cheaply in Australia will face countervailing duties. It is a measure that aligns with trade rules.
The decision by the US to impose tariffs in this way shows complete disregard for the world trade order established after World War II.
The rules that have existed since this time aimed to limit trade barriers (such as tariffs). They also recognised the importance of supporting developing countries to be part of the world economy.
Some of the biggest US tariffs are to hit some of the lowest-income countries. This will impact their economies badly and disadvantage people already living in poverty.
Felicity Deane does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Know Your Immigration Rights
If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.
Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.
Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.
Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.
The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.
Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Know Your Immigration Rights
If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.
Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.
Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.
Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.
The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.
Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) this week joined Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in introducing the Judicial Relief Clarification Act of 2025 (JRCA). The bill would limit federal court orders to parties directly before the court – ending the practice of universal injunctions and clarifying the role of the judicial branch to decide the law in a non-partisan way.
Under this legislation, parties seeking nationwide relief would be required to file a class action lawsuit. The bill would amend the Administrative Procedure Act and the Declaratory Judgment Act to limit courts’ decisions to the parties before them, and make temporary restraining orders (TROs) immediately appealable.
“Judges are not policymakers – and they have not been elected by the American people to legislate,” said Lummis. “Our courts should not be a tool for far-left activists to obstruct every part of President Trump’s agenda. I’m pleased to introduce legislation with my colleagues to defend our Constitution and end judicial overreach.”
“For a number of years, but particularly in the last few months, we’ve increasingly seen sweeping orders from individual district judges that dictate national policy. Our Founders saw an important role for the judiciary, but the Constitution limits judges to exercising power over ‘cases’ or ‘controversies.’ Judges are not policymakers, and allowing them to assume this role is very dangerous,” Grassley said. “The Judicial Relief Clarification Act clarifies the scope of judicial power and resolves illegitimate judicial infringement upon the executive branch. It’s a commonsense bill that’s needed to provide long-term constitutional clarity and curb district courts’ growing tendency to overstep by issuing sweeping, nationwide orders.
The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. John Barrasso R-WY, Marsha Blackburn R-TN, Katie Britt R-AL, Ted Budd R-NC, Bill Cassidy R-LA, John Cornyn R-TX, Kevin Cramer R-ND, Ted Cruz R-TX, Steve Daines R-MT, Lindsey Graham R-SC, Bill Hagerty R-TN, Jim Justice R-WV, John Kennedy R-LA, Mike Lee R-UT, Roger Marshall R-KS, Ashley Moody R-FL, Bernie Moreno R-OH, Eric Schmitt R-MO, Thom Tillis R-NC, and Tommy Tuberville R-AL.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)
NEW YORK–Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) sent a letter calling on city agencies to work together to develop a coordinated response to illegal street racing and large-scale car meetups in Ozone Park.
“These gatherings have grown in scale and intensity, posing risks to pedestrians, residents, and first responders alike,” Velázquez wrote. “It is critical that we take steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities.”
In the letter, Velázquez requests that the New York City Police Department and the Department of Transportation work together to identify proactive strategies to address the issue before it escalates and take into the unique needs of the impacted neighborhoods into account.
The letter calls for a strategy that includes targeted enforcement, improved traffic management, and community engagement.
Velázquez also pointed to federal resources through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that may assist in making long-term street safety improvements in New York City.
“The BIL awarded New York State over $29 billion including federal funds for transportation and roadway safety projects,” wrote Velázquez. “It is essential for the city to pursue this funding to execute these lifesaving improvements.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)
Bacon Named One of the Top Effective Legislators
Omaha, Nebr. – Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) was named one of the top effective legislators for the 118th Congress, by the Center for EffectiveLawmaking (CEL). The report, linked here, lists the top ten for each party and how they arrived at their conclusions.
CEL said: “Our analysis found that Representative Bacon ranked as one of the most effective Republican House Members in the last Congress. In addition, he ranked as the most effective Representative in terms of having their sponsored standalone bills substantially incorporated into the laws of other members of Congress. We congratulate the Representative for his hard work and setting an example for promoting the importance of effective lawmaking.”
“This report shows we can work on a bipartisan level to get meaningful legislation passed, even if we don’t follow the traditional method of introducing stand-alone bills,” said Bacon. “My intent is to get good legislation passed and sometimes you give up the grandeur of your name on a bill to get something meaningful done.”
Bacon was ranked second in the Republican Party for effectiveness, scoring high in defense, Native Americans, banking and commerce, and law, crime and family issue areas. https://thelawmakers.org/find-representatives
The Center for Effective Lawmaking seeks to advance the generation, communication, and use of new knowledge about the effectiveness of individual lawmakers and U.S. legislative institutions. We envision American legislatures comprised of effective lawmakers, strong institutional capacity, and the incentive structure needed to address America’s greatest public policy challenges. https://thelawmakers.org/
This rating corresponds to GovTrack that said Don Bacon was most successful legislator in Congress by passing the most bills and getting them signed into law.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)
Bacon and Cuellar Introduce Bipartisan Law Enforcement Officers Safety Reform Act (LEOSA)
Offers Real Solutions to Terrorism and Mass Shootings
Washington – Recently, Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE-02) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) introduced H.R.2243, The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Reform Act (LEOSA). The bipartisan LEOSA Reform Act will improve public safety by allowing qualified law enforcement officers who have committed themselves to our communities the opportunity to continue doing so by extending their concealed carry privileges. The legislation removes existing prohibitions and will allow trained professionals to respond quickly to emergencies, should they happen to be in public places such as shopping malls, school zones, mass transit, etc. During the 118th Congress, the LEOSA Reform Act was passed by the House of Representatives in a 221-185 vote.
“The bipartisan LEOSA Reform Act offers real solutions to address threats such as terrorism and mass shootings by ensuring that our retired and off-duty law enforcement officers can exercise their right to concealed carry – no matter where they live or visit,” said Rep. Bacon. “These measured changes will make existing law stronger and more workable for those who seek its benefits while maintaining the rigorous standards that currently apply. I want to thank Rep. Henry Cuellar for his support of this important legislation.”
“Many of our retired law enforcement officers are ready to continue serving our community but are unable to due to current law,” said Rep. Cuellar. “This bipartisan legislation will fix the issues that our nation’s off-duty officers and retired cops face while concealed carrying. I remain steadfast in my support for the men and woman who put their lives on the line every day to protect our homes, neighborhoods, businesses and communities.”
Locally, the sheriffs of the three counties for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District and other law enforcement agencies support the legislation: Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson, Sarpy County Sheriff Greg London, Saunders County Sheriff Chris Lichtenberg, Omaha Police Association President Patrick Dempsey, and Nebraska State FOP President Anthony Connor.
The bill also was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), The Air Marshal Association, the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA), International Union of Police Associations, Major Cities Chiefs Association, National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, Major County Sheriffs of America, National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition, Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, and Sergeants Benevolent Association NYPD.
Sadly, a woman in her 80s has died after a single-vehicle crash at Devonport. Police and emergency services were called to the Bass Highway about 6.30am Thursday after reports a vehicle had rolled. A woman – who was a passenger in the vehicle – sadly died at the scene. The driver of the vehicle was taken to the North West Regional Hospital for treatment. Investigations into the crash are ongoing, and a report will be prepared for the Coroner. Our thoughts are with the woman’s family and loved ones at this difficult time. Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Palmer man was sentenced today to three years’ probation and is required to pay a $10,000 fine for operating an aircraft without a license and operating an unregistered aircraft.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, for roughly 30 years, William Marsan, 57, held an Airman Certificate as an Airline Transport Pilot issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He operated an aviation business out of Palmer, Alaska, transporting services, goods and people across Alaska on his Piper Cherokee aircraft.
In June 2023, the FAA received a report that Marsan, as the pilot in command of the Piper Cherokee aircraft, failed to radio his intention to take off from Warren “Bud” Woods Palmer Municipal Airport and operated the aircraft against the flow of landing traffic, resulting in a near mid-air collision with another aircraft attempting to land.
Law enforcement investigated the June 2023 incident and discovered that Marsan was operating an aircraft without a valid license or valid registration. The investigation revealed that in June 2022, Marsan sent a letter to the FAA revoking the registration of his aircraft. Investigators also discovered that Marsan allowed his medical certificate to lapse in 2020 and 2021, which was required to keep his pilot’s license.
When FAA inspectors contacted him in July 2023 as part of the investigation, Marsan refused to provide his airman certificate, aircraft registration and airworthiness certificates, all of which are requirements through the FAA, and claimed he was not required to have any of those documents. As a result of the investigation, the FAA issued an Emergency Order of Revocation of Marsan’s pilot’s license in January 2024, which required the immediate surrender of his pilot’s license or the filing of an appeal of the decision within 10 days. Marsan failed to file an appeal or surrender his license but continued to fly his aircraft until his initial arrest in July 2024.
Marsan was released pending trial. He failed to appear for multiple court hearings prior to his trial and he was rearrested in September 2024. On Dec. 4, 2024, Marsan was convicted of one count of operating an aircraft without a license and one count of operating an unregistered aircraft.
“Alaska’s aviation industry is a vital part of our infrastructure, safely connecting people and goods across the state. Mr. Marsan’s actions—operating an unregistered aircraft without a license and nearly causing a mid-air collision—put lives at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “To prevent further violations and protect communities, Mr. Marsan will serve a significant term of probation under the relevant statutes and pay a fine for the money he made at the risk of others.”
“Marsan’s flagrant disregard for aviation regulations put countless lives at risk and undermined the integrity of Alaska’s airspace,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Such reckless, criminal behavior will not be tolerated by the FBI and aviation authorities.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and FAA, Alaska Region investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Bradley and Mac Caille Petursson prosecuted the case.
Recent media coverage in the Nine newspapers highlights a surge in non-medical ultrasound providers offering “reassurance ultrasounds” to expectant parents.
The service has resulted in serious harms, such as misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancies and undetected fetal abnormalities, according to the reports.
So why do some women choose additional ultrasounds? And how can you tell if you should trust the person providing your ultrasound?
What are reassurance scans?
Reassurance scans are a type of non-medical elective or “entertainment” ultrasound some women seek in addition to their routine first- and second-trimester scans.
Reassurance scans are marketed as a way to “give you peace of mind” about your baby’s development, or to assure you “everything is progressing as it should” if you’re not due for a routine scan.
They’re also called souvenir, boutique or keepsake ultrasounds, because these business typically sell memento packages. These often include so-called 4D images: renderings combined with the fourth dimension of time to show movement.
Some businesses offer gender identification information, sometimes with “gender-reveal” party accessories, as well as audio recordings of the fetal heartbeat.
Why do women get them?
Detailed interview studies have explored why ultrasound images beyond the routine scans are so popular.
Many expecting parents want to learn the fetal sex as early as possible, seek reassurance, see the facial features of their future child and acquire keepsake images.
Rather than trivialising the “entertainment” value of these services, some argue obstetricians could learn from the service, thus improving patient satisfaction during obstetric imaging.
Professional organisations have denounced these businesses for misleading consumers with false reassurances. As these scans aren’t checked by a clinician, these operators cannot give reliable assurances.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration regulates the supply of medical devices. It registers them, classifies them according to their risk and sometimes attaches conditions to their use.
Last year, the TGA de-registered several handheld devices used to detect fetal heartbeats during pregnancy without health practitioner supervision.
The decision followed a post-market review that found expectant parents had been falsely reassured by the devices themselves or by untrained people using them in home settings.
However, no such review has been conducted for portable ultrasound devices.
While removing devices from the register in this manner may limit consumer access, it is not a “product recall” and would not prevent the continued sale of second-hand devices.
These days it’s normal to share ultrasound images on social media. fizkes/Shutterstock
Who can perform ultrasounds?
While some specialist health practitioners may perform ultrasounds (such as obstetricians holding a relevant certificate), most diagnostic imaging specialists are sonographers.
But there is no sonography registration board to receive complaints about sonographers or take disciplinary action against them. This sets sonographers apart from registered health practitioners such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists.
This could make sonographers more clearly identifiable through title protections, ensure poorly performing sonographers are disciplined and allow for consistent national standards.
However, it would not stop unregistered people from providing non-medical ultrasounds.
So how can you tell if your provider is a sonographer?
One clear signal that a provider is offering a non-diagnostic ultrasound is that no Medicare subsidy is on offer.
Australian providers conducting imaging without accreditation must inform consumers of their non-accreditedstatus and confirm no Medicare benefit is payable.
You can make complaints to state-based health complaints bodies. The Health Care Complaints Commission in New South Wales, for example, can investigate complaints about sonographers as non-registered health practitioners and consider the relevant code of conduct.
When a sonographer is found to have acted improperly, or to pose a health or safety risk, these complaints bodies may issue orders prohibiting the sonographer from providing any health services for a specified period.
Australian consumer law is another way authorities may crack down on unscrupulous providers. In 2015, a person was prosecuted in Western Australia after selling identical images to six women who received non-medical ultrasounds in their homes.
Her offences involved making false or misleading claims and accepting money for services not provided.
If non-medical imaging providers make misleading claims, including about the level of clinical reassurance a non-diagnostic scan can provide, you can report them to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission.
The author was employed as a research officer at the Medical Council of New South Wales in 2018.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sam Graves (6th District of Missouri)
WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL)at the University of Virginia announced yesterday the release of their Legislative Effectiveness Scoresfor the 118th Congress (2023-2024). The group announced that Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) topped their list this year with a Legislative Effectiveness Score seven times higher than the average member of the House.
“Our analysis found that Representative Graves ranked as the most effective Republican House Member in the last Congress. In addition, he ranked as one of the most effective Representatives in terms of having their sponsored standalone bills substantially incorporated into the laws of other members of Congress. We congratulate the Representative for his hard work and setting an example for promoting the importance of effective lawmaking,” according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking.
Legislative Effectiveness Scores are based on “the bills that each member of Congress sponsors, how far they move through the lawmaking process, and how substantial their policy proposals are.” Graves sponsored 17 bills in the last Congress, 8 of which passed the House, and 4 of which became law as stand-alone measures.
“I have always strived to get things done for Missouri in Congress. You can accomplish a lot by working hard to push legislation forward. That’s why it is an absolute honor to be recognized asthe most effective lawmaker of the 118th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking,” said Rep. Graves. “It’s an honor to work for the people of North Missouri and I look forward to getting more accomplished this year!”
Major bills from the 118th Congress sponsored by Graves and signed into law, whether as stand-alone measures or as part of other bills, included theFAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, theWater Resources Development Act of 2024, theE-BRIDGE Act, and theAirport and Airway Extension Act of 2023.
Graves serves as Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and also sits on the House Armed Services Committee.
You can learn more about the Legislative Effectiveness Scores here.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Know Your Immigration Rights
If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.
Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.
Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.
Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.
The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.
Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Washington, DC – Yesterday, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell where he emphasized that Democrats will continue to stand up for everyday Americans and push back against Republican efforts to break Social Security in order to give tax breaks to Elon Musk and their billionaire donors.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Joining us now is House Democratic Leader, Hakeem Jeffries. Thank you very much for joining us tonight. There is so much to talk about. Let’s begin as we wait for a victory speech in Wisconsin with what you’re seeing in those special elections in Florida for two House seats?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, good evening, Lawrence. Great to be with you. It was an incredible overperformance by the two Democratic candidates in two ruby-red districts, Florida-1, which Donald Trump won by 37 points and Florida-6, where Joshua Weil ran a great campaign in a district that Donald Trump had just won by 30 points. And what we’re seeing, of course, is something that we’ve seen all across the country since the early special elections that began in late January, and that is Democratic energy and overperformance, coupled with Independent swing voters and even moderate Republicans breaking for the Democratic candidate and rejecting the extremism, the outrageous behavior of this administration and their effort to harm everyday Americans.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: As you look at the Wisconsin result, this was something I did not expect to be discussing with you during this hour tonight. We expected this to be a closer race. We expected the call to come much later in the evening. We saw Elon Musk personally go out there. We saw him hand million dollar checks to voters trying to literally buy the election right there in Wisconsin. What does it tell Republican Members of the House of Representatives who were counting on Elon Musk to get them re-elected?
LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s time for them to walk away from this unelected, unpopular, unhinged and un-American billionaire puppet master. Elon Musk was just rejected decisively by the voters of Wisconsin. He tried to spend his unlimited resources to buy a state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin, and it failed spectacularly. The voters rejected Donald Trump. They rejected Elon Musk, and they rejected the rapidly deteriorating Republican brand. We have to continue as Democrats to make it clear to everyday Americans that we are fighting to build an affordable economy and to drive down the high cost of living, while at the same time pushing back against Republican extremism and their efforts to cut Social Security, cut Medicare, cut Medicaid and undermine our democracy and the American way of life. Clearly, the American people are with us as it relates to what they are seeing in Washington, D.C., and we’ve now seen this in special elections in January, in February, in March, just recently in Pennsylvania and now, of course, decisively in April in Wisconsin.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: I want to ask you about what feels like a related event, especially at this hour, a related event to what voters are saying in these elections tonight. And that is what happened in the United States Senate today. And I worked in the Senate for many years, seven or eight years. And I can say that the Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives, never once set foot in the Senate chamber when I was there. All House Members, of course, as we know, have Floor privileges in the Senate. They can come in whenever they want to. It was extremely rare to see a House Member there. You were there today. Why did you decide to go there today? And what did it feel like to witness what turned out to be the history that Senator Cory Booker made in the Senate chamber today?
LEADER JEFFRIES: It was a very powerful experience. I had the opportunity to visit the Senate chamber twice, initially earlier in the day, just to express my support and solidarity for Cory, who I’ve known a long time, we got started in politics around the same period of time, him in Newark, New Jersey, and myself across the river in Brooklyn, New York. We were in law school around the same time. And I’ve long admired him. But today was really Senator Cory Booker taking it to the next level on behalf of the American people. And indeed, I would argue, Lawrence, the free world. And so it was powerful to be on the Senate Floor with him earlier today. But then when it became clear that he had a chance to break Strom Thurmond’s record, I decided to change my schedule so I could be back on the Senate Floor to witness that history. Because here you have this incredible juxtaposition of Strom Thurmond having previously delivered the longest speech in Senate history in defense of Jim Crow and racial oppression, and Cory Booker, an African American man, defending democracy and the American way of life in the face of Trump’s extremism. Breaking that record was just powerful to witness. And, you know, Senator Booker’s speech was strong. It was substantive. But perhaps what was most touching about it was that it was soulful. It was authentic. It came from his heart. Of course, the brilliance of his mind. But it came from his heart.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Yeah. It was the most fully authentic Cory Booker that I’ve ever seen. And I think there’s something about that 25 hours that wears as a person down and he was standing out there with no defenses that you might bring to other sort of public speaking events. And it was really an astonishing thing to watch. One of the things he was concentrating on, and one of the things that he was getting and all the emails that are being sent to him from around the country, was fear of what Elon Musk and Donald Trump are going to do to Social Security, and that is a fear that is as powerful as a voter could have in terms of an attachment to an important public program, the most popular public program in American governing history. I gotta think, even when you get to judicial elections in Wisconsin, if people are afraid of what’s going to happen to Social Security. They’re not going to be voting for the side that’s trying to knock it down.
LEADER JEFFRIES: That’s absolutely correct. And this is an area where there’s a clear distinction between what Democrats are all about and Republicans. We want to protect and strengthen Social Security. It’s an earned benefit. The American people have paid into Social Security throughout their entire working life. And the nerve of these Republicans, led by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who want to take a chainsaw to Social Security, the most important anti-poverty program for older Americans ever invented, which also happens to be this earned benefit. And why they want to decimate Social Security? Because they want to actually give massive tax cuts to their billionaire donors, people like Elon Musk. And so I thought what Senator Booker did today was incredibly powerful in speaking to this issue. And as you know, Lawrence, in the House, we had a Democratic-led hearing on Social Security, the threats that it is under and our commitment as Democrats to protect it.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: And you did—I watched some of that hearing. And you did something at that hearing—I know you were present at the hearing—that Republicans would never do. You actually listened to Social Security recipients and people whose lives could not work without their Social Security check. There was a woman who testified. I saw her testifying that her Social Security check is $1,500 a month, $1,500 a month. And without that, she would be homeless and the stakes identified by the actual beneficiaries in that hearing were as clear and as powerful as you could ask for.
LEADER JEFFRIES: That’s absolutely right. It’s one thing to say, and it is in fact true that there are a little over 70 million people who rely on Social Security as a major source of income, half of whom live by themselves here in the United States of America. But when you actually hear from people whose very life will be impacted and short-changed, possibly just cut short, in terms of their ability to live with the dignity and respect that every American deserves is very powerful. Republicans have no interest in these Americans telling their stories, which is why, as House Democrats, we will continue week after week to hold hearings. This is the third in a series of hearings that we’ve held. Initially it was on Medicaid. Last week we had a hearing on nutritional assistance and the fact that Republicans are literally trying to rip food out of the mouths of babies and children in this country. Today, Social Security and we’re going to continue to stay on this case.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: I mean, on the subject of Social Security. I would have to think that it was a factor in the results we’re seeing in those congressional races, those House races in Florida tonight.
LEADER JEFFRIES: There’s no doubt about it. You know, Elon Musk was also very involved in these Florida races. And notwithstanding the fact that these are safe Republican districts, the results that we have seen can be interpreted, we believe, as a rejection of him and his extremism as well. This is somebody who has said he wants to take a chainsaw to Social Security, and he’s called Social Security a Ponzi scheme. It’s not a Ponzi scheme, Elon. He’s a living, breathing Ponzi scheme. Project 2025 is a Ponzi scheme. And that’s what the voters clearly believe increasingly all across the country. One point, Lawrence, that should have my Republican colleagues quaking in their boots—in the Florida-6 race, which was a Trump plus 30 district where margin was cut in half and we’ll see where it ultimately lands. But we know at minimum, it was cut in half to around 15 or 16 points. There are 60 Republicans in the House of Representatives who currently represent districts where Trump did worse than 15 or 16 points, and every single one of those districts, there’s now a target on the backs of those House Republicans.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you very much for joining us on this important night, I really appreciate it.
***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing today, officially kicking off the process for development of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy testified before the committee, providing input on the Trump Administration’s priorities. Prior to his service as Secretary of Transportation, Duffy represented Wisconsin’s 7th district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), chair of the Senate EPW Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, questioned Duffy on the One Federal Decision framework from the first Trump administration. One Federal Decision, which was championed by Cramer and later included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), was designed to streamline the burdensome permitting process by setting deadlines and reducing duplicative reviews, allowing infrastructure projects to be built more expeditiously.
“One of the things we did put in the current bill is codifying the One Federal Decision rule of the first Trump administration, and yet I haven’t seen a great application of that for the last four years in the permitting of a lot of these projects either,”asked Cramer.
“We do have to streamline the process even further with One Federal Decision taking the full meaning of the legislation in the language,”responded Duffy.
Cramer then discussed the importanceofproviding highway funds to States through aset formula so money is not funneled to just population hubs, an approach he worked to maintain in the BIL. He expressed support for EPW Committee Chairman Shelley Moore Capito’s (R-WV) emphasis on continuing this trusted approach in the reauthorization bill, which ensures states have consistent funding and flexibility to meet their constituents needs. Cramer also highlighted the vital role of infrastructure in rural states, which facilitates the movement of people and goods across the county. He noted without well-maintained routes like I-94, durum wheat from North Dakota would never become pasta in New York.
“I know the political realities of it as well, but I would just be interested in you, coming from the middle of America in a pretty rural district, if you could just elaborate maybe a little bit on that commitment to formula funding in in the next bill as well, helping people understand formula funding recognizes that the miles of road are just about as important as how many people are in any particular mile of that road?” asked Cramer.
“We can’t focus on urban centers, and forget rural America,” answered Duffy. “Making sure that again, a lot of products come from the places where we live and they might move from roads to trains to ships, but making sure that there’s a complete view of infrastructure is incredibly important. And I would share the view of this committee, I think that we have to have a holistic view of how we build out infrastructure.”
WASHINGTON – After whistleblowers asserted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General (OIG) leadership made a series of wasteful and ill-advised financial decisions, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is demanding answers from the watchdog agency.
The allegations range from using federal funds for personal vacations under the guise of work trips, sweeping locality pay abuse, and even that a manager routinely used a “mouse-jiggler” to fake the appearance of work.
“As the following allegations illustrate, under then-Deputy Inspector General Tyler Smith’s guidance, the distinction between ‘growth’ and reckless spending appears increasingly blurred. Moreover, a series of wasteful and ill-advised financial decisions allegedly have placed your agency in a dire financial position, leading to decisions that reportedly have hindered its core investigative function,” wrote Ernst.
Click here to view the letter.
Background:
Ernst has doggedly investigated allegations of wrongdoing at the FDIC, the agency the FDIC OIG is tasked with conducting oversight of, and was one of the first senators to call for FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg’s resignation following reports of sexual harassment and discrimination at the agency.
In November 2023, she followed up by conducting critical oversight of this behavior at the FDIC and demanding any evidence of criminal wrongdoing by agency employees be turned over to the Department of Justice and local law enforcement for potential prosecution.
After a third-party investigation into the FDIC’s workplace culture, Ernst called for real consequences and the Department of Justice to investigate the agency from top to bottom. Even after this report, the Biden administration refused to immediately remove FDIC Chair Gruenberg.
In April 2024, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP (Cleary Gottlieb), the firm hired to investigate FDIC’s workplace issues, released its report documenting over 500 allegations of harassment and other egregious behavior and revealed one in ten FDIC employees reported some form of misconduct.
However, Cleary Gottlieb was precluded from directly investigating claims of misconduct to hold perpetrators accountable, instead focusing on policies and shortfalls giving rise to the culture. In November 2024, Ernst demanded that the FDIC investigate the more than 500 allegations of misconduct and harassment.
Legislation will empower state and local law enforcement to protect Americans from drone threats
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the Stopping Harmful Incidents to Enforce Lawful Drone Use (SHIELD-U) Act and the Drone Integration and Zoning Act to equip state and local law enforcement with the authority needed to protect their citizens and communities from drone threats.
“State and local law enforcement agencies cannot ensure the safety of their communities when the federal government restricts their ability to respond to active drone threats,” said Sen. Lee. “Rather than waiting on the federal government, which often lacks the resources and capital to respond to threats effectively, this bill grants local authorities the latitude to quickly identify and mitigate threats.”
BACKGROUND
These bills equip state and local law enforcement with the authority needed to protect their citizens, communities, and airports from drone threats.
The current regulatory environment stifles state and local governments’ ability to mitigate drone threats. The FAA currently regulates “navigable airspace” which is defined as “above the minimum altitudes of flight” which is typically 500 ft. However, the FAA has taken some liberties in recent years and stated that minimum altitudes of flight for drones is above a blade of grass.
Congress has exclusively granted limited authority to detect and takedown a drone only to the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of Energy. According to a Blue Ribbon Task Force Report commissioned by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) one challenge in meeting current drone threats is the federal government’s lack of human resources or capital to invest in and operate counter drone technology at airports. When considered beyond an airport environment, the challenge becomes even greater, because federal law does not permit state or local law enforcement to mitigate a drone threat.
The SHIELD-U and Drone Integration and Zoning Acts provide essential tools for state and local law enforcement to address the growing drone threats that federal regulations have failed to adequately manage. By empowering local authorities, these bills ensure that communities and airports have the resources needed to safeguard their citizens and infrastructure from potential harm. With the increasing prevalence of drone-related incidents, it is vital to enable local enforcement to act swiftly and effectively in protecting public safety.
You can read the text of the SHIELD-U Act HERE.
You can read the text of the Drone Integration and Zoning Act HERE.
