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The White House is reportedly considering an executive order aimed at expediting the process for deep-sea mining in international waters, according to a Reuters exclusive.

The potential order could allow US companies to bypass the United Nations-backed review system currently in place and seek faster approval from US regulatory agencies for the extraction of key critical minerals.

These minerals, including nickel and copper, are essential for industries ranging from technology to energy, and the push is part of a broader US strategy to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains, especially China.

The order could pave the way for companies to apply for permits through the US Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) instead of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

The ISA has been working for years to develop a regulatory framework for deep-sea mining in international waters, but has faced delays due to ongoing debates over environmental and operational guidelines.

The Trump administration’s proposed move to fast-track mining permits is part of a broader “America First” agenda that prioritizes boosting domestic production of minerals critical for national security and technological infrastructure.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump invoked emergency powers to accelerate domestic mineral production.

This new executive order would extend that push to international waters, reinforcing the US commitment to reducing reliance on foreign sources, particularly China. China has strong control over supply of many key minerals, especially those vital for the defense and high-tech sectors. Recent steps from the US to secure alternative sources include the pursuit of potential partnerships with nations like Greenland and Ukraine for mineral extraction.

The executive order under consideration would allow American companies to extract seabed resources while following US regulations, sidestepping the slow-moving ISA process.

Regulatory disputes and growing frustration

Under current international law, deep-sea mining in international waters is governed by the ISA, which was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

However, the ISA has yet to finalize its mining regulations, largely due to disputes over environmental issues, such as the impact of mining on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

One major company, the Metals Company (TMC) (NASDAQ:TMC), which has been involved in deep-sea mining for over a decade, has expressed frustration over the ISA’s delays.

In a recent statement, TMC CEO Gerard Barron said while the company has invested heavily in developing environmentally responsible mining techniques, it has been unable to move forward due to the ISA’s lack of action.

“We believe we have sufficient knowledge to get started and prove we can manage environmental risks. What we need is a regulator with a robust regulatory regime, and who is willing to give our application a fair hearing,” he said.

TMC has already taken steps to apply for mining permits under existing US laws, and intends to submit its application for exploration licenses and recovery permits in the second quarter of 2025.

The ISA, which is composed of 36 member nations, recently held a council meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, where it once again failed to resolve critical regulatory issues surrounding deep-sea mining.

The meeting, which took place earlier this month, ended without an agreement on key amendments to the draft mining code that has been under discussion for years.

Delays from the ISA have led some companies, such as TMC, to seek alternatives. Barron has voiced support for a US-led permitting process, arguing that the US already has a robust framework under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act of 1980, which gives NOAA the authority to regulate deep-sea mining activities in international waters.

“Despite collaborating in good faith with the ISA for over a decade, it has not yet adopted the Regulations on the Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area in breach of its express treaty obligations under UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement,” Barron continued, adding that the company is confident it can manage risks.

The ISA’s failure to resolve these issues has raised concerns among nations and companies that have staked claims in international waters. Bypassing the ISA could strain relations with countries that support its oversight role, especially those advocating for a global regulatory approach to ensure fair and sustainable resource extraction.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

A Democrat-led resolution undoing President Donald Trump’s tariffs against Canada advanced past the Senate on Wednesday after multiple Republicans joined their counterparts in support of it. 

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky supported the resolution, bucking the president to do so. The final vote was 51 to 48. 

‘As I have always warned, tariffs are bad policy, and trade wars with our partners hurt working people most. Tariffs drive up the cost of goods and services,’ former GOP Senate leader McConnell said in a statement afterward. 

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso slammed the resolution’s passage, saying in a statement, ‘Senator Kaine’s goal was not to make law. It was simply an effort to undermine President Trump’s successful work to secure the Northern Border.’

 ‘Speaker Johnson already declared Senator Kaine’s resolution dead on arrival in the House of Representatives. It will never make it to President Trump’s desk,’ he explained. ‘This meaningless messaging resolution will not stop Senate Republicans from making America’s communities safer.’

The privileged resolution was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and would end the emergency Trump declared at the northern border on Feb. 1. 

In a statement of administrative policy ahead of the vote, Trump’s White House said his advisors would urge the president to veto the resolution if it passed the Senate. 

‘President Trump promised to secure our borders and stop the scourge of fentanyl that’s poisoning our communities, and he’s delivering. Democrat Senator Tim Kaine is trying to undermine the President’s Emergency Declaration at our Northern Borders—a measure that prioritizes our national security—for reasons that defy logic,’ a White House official told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement on Tuesday.

‘Under Joe Biden’s failed leadership, criminal networks, fentanyl, and terrorists ran rampant along the northern border. Today’s stunt by Tim Kaine proves once again how woefully out of touch the Democrat Party is with the American people as they use a matter of national security for political gamesmanship. The stakes are too high to reverse course; the declaration must stay in place,’ they continued. 

Kaine pushed back, telling Fox News Digital in a statement, ‘The Trump Administration’s own threat assessment report on fentanyl did not mention Canada—not even once. Trump’s order is a blatant abuse of his authority, and it is critical that Congress push back before he inflicts even more damage to our economy and to the relationship with one of our top trading partners and closest allies.’

The resolution was required to be brought to the floor for a vote, due to its privileged nature, and it only required a simple majority vote of 51 senators to pass.

Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to call out multiple Republicans he warned against voting in favor of the resolution.

‘Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul, also of Kentucky, will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change, and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push to not penalize Canada for the sale, into our Country, of large amounts of Fentanyl, by Tariffing the value of this horrible and deadly drug in order to make it more costly to distribute and buy,’ he said in a post. 

Collins revealed in floor remarks earlier in the day that she would vote in favor of the resolution.

‘Mr. President, the price hikes that will happen for Maine families, every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they filled their heating oil tank, if these tariffs go into effect, will be so harmful. And as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least. Therefore, I will support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do so likewise,’ she said. 

Paul has been a vocal critic of tariffs during his entire tenure, including during the Trump administration. He is a co-sponsor of the Kaine resolution. 

He told reporters before the vote, ‘I think tariffs on trade between US and Canada will threaten our country with a recession. I think they’re a terrible idea economically and will lead to higher prices. Tariffs are simply taxes. Republicans used to be and conservatives, in particular, used to be against new taxes.’

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The White House is clapping back against media reports alleging intelligence officials have been using the end-to-end encrypted messaging app Signal to send classified information, describing the allegations as ‘false’ in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

The statement from National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Brian Hughes comes after Politico published a report suggesting Trump National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and his team have used the app frequently to discuss sensitive communications on a variety of different issues. 

‘This is a clear attempt by some in media and the Democrats to obscure the simple truth: The President and his national security team are delivering for the nation by confronting our adversaries and standing with our allies to bring peace through strength,’ Hughes said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Hughes added that Signal is ‘an approved’ messaging app, particularly as it pertains to unclassified info, ‘and any claim NSC officials are sending classified information over these channels is false.’

Questions have circulated about the Trump administration’s use of Signal since The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg released his exposé alleging he was accidentally invited by Waltz to a sensitive group chat on the encrypted messaging app. Critics of the Trump administration have said the messages included ‘war plans’ for an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

There have also been debates over whether the information discussed in the chat uncovered by Goldberg was classified information or contained ‘war plans.’  

Media reports from The Wall Street Journal, Politico and The Washington Post have claimed Waltz and his team have frequently used Signal and other public messaging platforms to discuss sensitive topics and official government business. 

‘Using Signal to send unclassified information is appropriate, and these same facts have been reported multiple times in the last few days,’ Hughes said, noting there are federal agencies that ‘automatically install’ Signal on government devices.

‘Some in NSC, like those in the media and many areas across the federal government, use the Signal app,’ Hughes added. ‘All communications are a reflection of a thoughtful dialog of those committed to the effective implementation of the president’s agenda.’

In December, before President Trump took over the White House from Joe Biden, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency called on senior government and political officials to switch to end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms like Signal.

Still, critics of the Trump administration are demanding answers. On Tuesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent letters to ‘non-principal agency officials’ who were part of the original Signal group chat that accidentally included Goldberg. 

The letters call for the individuals, who Democrats say may have ‘firsthand knowledgeconcerning the discussion of sensitive and/or classified national security information on Signal,’ to appear before Congress for transcribed interviews.

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, sent another letter to Waltz Tuesday as well, demanding he and his staff stop using Google’s Gmail for official government business after The Washington Post published a report claiming members of the president’s National Security Council were using personal Gmail accounts to discuss official business. 

The letter to Waltz demanded he turn over all communications relating to official government business that he or his staff sent over Signal or other ‘unauthorized messaging and email applications and platforms.’

Waltz has taken responsibility for the leaked Signal chat that Goldberg accidentally accessed, but he also insisted ‘no classified information’ was ever discussed in the messaging thread.   

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Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, fresh off a pardon from President Donald Trump, has a new job representing the interests of a politician known as the ‘Bosnian Bear,’ who also has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Blagojevich, who was pardoned by Trump in February, has agreed to lobby on behalf of the Republic of Srpska, a Serb-majority territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Politico reported. The region has long been mired in ethnic tension.

‘RRB Strategies LLC will provide communications and public affairs support on behalf of the Republic of Srpska,’ according to the registration statement filed by Blagojevich’s firm. 

Registration is required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

In a post on Wednesday, Blagojevich said Interpol, the global police organization, denied a request from ‘the unelected Bosnian High Representative to arrest Milorad Dodik, known as the ‘Bosnian Bear’ for his big physique, the duly elected President of the Republic of Srpska.’

Interpol’s denial came as Dodik traveled to Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to attend a conference on how to combat antsemitism, the former governor said. 

Earlier this week, Blagojevich said left-wing courts, prosecutors and officials were trying to ‘jail populist conservative leaders elected by the people & bar them from holding office.’

He cited efforts to push back against Trump, Marine Le Pen in France and Dodik, who has long advocated for Srpska to separate from Bosnia and Herzegovina and join Serbia.

In February, he was sentenced to a year in prison for defying the country’s Constitutional Court. He has since fled to Moscow.

In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Dodik was undermining Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions and threatening its security and stability. 

‘Our nation encourages political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to engage in constructive and responsible dialogue,’ he said. ‘We call on our partners in the region to join us in pushing back against this dangerous and destabilizing behavior.’

Trump reportedly weighed tapping Blagojevich to serve as U.S. ambassador to Serbia before picking former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sparred during a hearing on federal judges’ nationwide orders against the Trump administration, and the Democrat dismissed her colleague’s claims of ‘lawfare.’

‘Understand this is the second phase of lawfare,’ Cruz said during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing, ‘Rule by District Judges II: Exploring Legislative Solutions to the Bipartisan Problem of Universal Injunctions.’ 

‘Now that their efforts to indict President Trump and stop the voters from re-electing him have failed, they’re going and seeking out individual radical judges,’ the Texas Republican claimed. 

Klobuchar disputed this, telling Cruz the injunctions from federal judges were a result of President Donald Trump ‘violating the Constitution.’

‘Why would Trump-appointed judges …,’ the Minnesota Democrat began before being interrupted by Cruz.

‘Why don’t you file them in red districts?’ Cruz asked. ‘Why are the Democrat attorneys general seeking out left-wing, blue swing districts?’

Klobuchar claimed the spike in nationwide injunctions from district judges halting Trump administration actions are not because ‘these judges are crooked or lunatics or evil.’ And she warned that making such claims could instigate threats and violence against them. 

Cruz criticized Democrats for not sufficiently denouncing threats against conservative Supreme Court justices in recent years. But Klobuchar called that a lie, explaining, ‘We came together and got more funding for the judges and changed things so that they had more protection.’

While multiple Democrats criticized ‘judge shopping’ during the hearing, they were careful not to get behind Republican bills to end all nationwide injunctions. 

‘It’s impossible to separate the hearing from President Trump’s record in office,’ said ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

But ending judge shopping, as Democrats have proposed in the past, wouldn’t completely address the issue, said majority witnesses John N. Matthews, a law professor at Notre Dame Samuel Bray, and Jesse Panuccio, partner at Boies Schiller Flexner. He was previously the acting associate attorney general at the Department of Justice (DOJ), chairman of the DOJ’s Regulatory Reform Task Force and vice chairman of the DOJ’s Task Force on Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud. 

‘I think the incentive for forum shopping is that you think you can get a judge who can be a ruler for the whole nation. So, fix the problem of judges overreaching,’ Panuccio. 

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For 36 years, I marked time between prison walls. With a life sentence hanging over me, I missed my son’s first day of school, my daughter’s wedding, my mother’s funeral — all for a crime I did not commit, while the actual murderer walked free. 

What distinguishes my story isn’t wrongful imprisonment — it’s the rare gift of early freedom. In 2017, Missouri’s governor granted clemency during his first year, rejecting the conventional wisdom that mercy is politically safest at term’s end. 

President Donald Trump’s recent early second-term pardons echo this principle — and contrast starkly with business as usual: Obama reserved 61% of pardons for his final year, Biden concentrated 90% in his, and Trump’s first term saw 84% of clemencies clustered in his administration’s closing moments.  

Presidents don’t just save clemency for their final years, but for their final hours: Trump with 116 pardons as his term expired, Presidents Barack Obama with 330 on his last day, and Bill Clinton with 177 as he walked out the door. 

Why such a delay? Political survival instinct. Republican President Gerald Ford’s pardon of President Richard Nixon likely cost him the presidency in 1976, while Massachusetts Democrat Governor Michael Dukakis’ Willie Horton furlough derailed his 1988 presidential campaign. The lesson became clear: only dispense mercy when voters can no longer exact punishment. 

Trump’s early pardons highlight exactly why executives typically wait — they fear backlash. His January 6th clemencies have sparked intense criticism, with detractors seeing loyalty rewards rather than rehabilitation recognition. These concerns merit debate, yet fixating on who receives mercy obscures the crucial truth about when — justice delayed is justice denied. 

I witnessed this reality daily behind bars. Women with elementary educations became college graduates; broken spirits transformed into mentors. Yet the system’s cruel irony remained: clear rehabilitation meant nothing against political calculation. 

My case proves this point. Despite multiple parole board recommendations for release, six governors left my file untouched. When the seventh granted clemency in 2017, I reclaimed what politics nearly stole — holding four great-grandchildren at birth instead of viewing them through photographs across prison tables. 

This human cost has a staggering fiscal counterpart: taxpayers spend $42,000+ per federal prisoner annually, $33,274+ per state inmate. America’s incarceration burden approaches $1 trillion yearly, according to the Institute for Justice Research and Development, which included, ‘costs to incarcerated persons, families, children, and communities.’ Timely mercy could redirect these billions toward education, healthcare and community renewal. 

Americans overwhelmingly agree: 80% support expanded presidential commutations, with near-identical backing from both political camps, including 84% of Harris supporters and 80% of Trump’s backers. This consensus extends across criminal justice reform, where 81% of Americans favor reforms. Sentence reductions and eliminating mandatory minimums also share strong bipartisan support. 

This rare harmony reflects how reform resonates across values: fiscal conservatives reject wasteful spending on non-violent offenders; progressives address racial inequities; faith leaders value redemption; constitutionalists defend legal protections. All paths lead to one conclusion: mass incarceration fails our country morally, financially and practically. 

This widespread agreement has already produced tangible results. The 2018 First Step Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, reducing sentences and expanding rehabilitation programs. Signed by Trump, it united voices as divergent as progressive New Jersey Democrat Senator Cory Booker and conservative Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley. 

I witnessed this reality daily behind bars. Women with elementary educations became college graduates; broken spirits transformed into mentors. Yet the system’s cruel irony remained: clear rehabilitation meant nothing against political calculation. 

Further progress requires rethinking clemency as a moral imperative, not a political liability. Practical reform would implement quarterly clemency reviews prioritizing elderly inmates, those with disproportionate nonviolent sentences, and those demonstrating rehabilitation.  

A diverse panel — including victims’ advocates, legal experts and justice specialists — would provide ethical guidance and political insulation, shifting focus from avoiding controversy to rebuilding lives. 

I embody this restoration. Today, I support myself through work, advocate for those still confined and treasure life’s simple rhythms — homework help, surveillance-free holidays, gardening through seasons. Each morning delivers the quiet miracle of choice in what to eat, whom to see, when to step outside. 

For thousands still awaiting that freedom, I hope leaders find the courage to act when justice demands, not when politics allows. In our divided nation, second chances offer rare common ground — where breaking tradition serves not only justice and families but our shared belief in America’s capacity for accountability and grace. 

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Tesla reported 336,000 vehicle deliveries in the first quarter of 2025, a 13% decline from a year ago, two days after the electric vehicle company’s stock wrapped up its worst quarter since 2022.

Here are the key numbers:

Investors were expecting Tesla to report deliveries of between 360,000 and 370,000 vehicles, according to StreetAccount. Tesla’s investor relations team sends a company-compiled consensus to select analysts, and said the average estimate was for around 377,590 deliveries. Prediction market company Kalshi on Tuesday released a forecast for Tesla deliveries of 352,000.

In the first quarter of 2024, Tesla reported 386,810 deliveries, and production of 433,371 vehicles.

Deliveries are the closest approximation of vehicle sales reported by Tesla but are not precisely defined in the company’s shareholder communications.

Tesla doesn’t break out sales and production by model or region. However, the company said that it produced 345,454 of its most popular Model 3 and Model Y cars and delivered 323,800 of them in the three months ending March 31.

The company reported 12,881 deliveries of its other models, including its angular steel Cybertruck.

During the quarter, Tesla faced planned, partial shutdowns in some of its factories that allowed the company to upgrade manufacturing lines to start producing a redesigned version of its popular Model Y SUV.

CEO Elon Musk recently said during an all-hands session with Tesla employees that he expects the Model Y to be the “best-selling car on Earth again this year.” 

But Tesla has to contend with an onslaught of EV competition and reputational damage. In the first quarter, the company was hit with waves of protests, boycotts and some criminal activity that targeted Tesla vehicles and facilities in response to Musk’s political rhetoric and his work as part of President Donald Trump’s second administration.

After spending $290 million to help return President Donald Trump to the White House, Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he’s slashing costs, eliminating regulations and cutting tens of thousands of federal jobs.

Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, has also involved himself in European politics, promoting the anti-immigrant AfD party in Germany in February’s elections. Tesla’s business on the continent is struggling.

Across 15 European countries, Tesla’s market share declined to 9.3% in the first quarter from 17.9% in the same period a year earlier, according to data tracked by EU-EVs.com. In Germany, Tesla’s market share in battery electric vehicles plummeted to 4% from about 16% over that stretch.

Sales of Tesla’s electric vehicles made in China came in at 78,828 in March, slumping 11.5% year-on-year, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association released Wednesday. The company is facing rising competition in the region from EV makers such as BYD.

Tesla shares sank 36% in the first quarter, their steepest drop since the fourth quarter of 2022 and third-biggest decline in the company’s 15 years on the public market. The drop wiped out $460 billion in market cap.

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United Airlines plans to add daily flights to Vietnam and Thailand in October, further expanding the network for the U.S. carrier that already has the most Asia service.

In the expansion, United is using a tactic that’s unusual in its network: Its airplanes from Los Angeles and San Francisco that are headed for Hong Kong will then go on to the two new destinations. The Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, service is set to begin on Oct. 26.

On Oct. 25, United plans to add a second daily nonstop flight from San Francisco to Manila, Philippines, and on Dec. 11, it will launch nonstops from San Francisco to Adelaide, Australia, which will operate three days a week.

The carrier has aggressively been adding far-flung destinations not served by rivals to its routes, like Nuuk, Greenland, and Bilbao, Spain, which start later this year. Getting the mix right is especially important as carriers seek to grow their lucrative loyalty programs and need attractive destinations to keep customers spending.

Bangkok, in particular, “is in even more demand now given the popularity of ‘White Lotus,’” Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of network and global alliances, said of the HBO show.

He said the carrier isn’t planning on cutting any international routes for its upcoming winter schedule.

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WASHINGTON — Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told senators on Wednesday that he’s happy with the company’s progress improving manufacturing and safety practices following several accidents, including a near catastrophe last year.

Ortberg faced questioning from the Senate Commerce Committee about how the company will ensure that it doesn’t repeat past accidents or manufacturing defects, in his first hearing since he became CEO last August, tasked with turning the manufacturer around.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R.-Texas, the committee’s chairman, said he wants Boeing to succeed and invited company managers and factory workers to report to him their opinions on its turnaround plan. “Consider my door open,” he said.

Ortberg acknowledged the company still has more to do.

“Boeing has made serious missteps in recent years — and it is unacceptable. In response, we have made sweeping changes to the people, processes, and overall structure of our company,” Ortberg said in his testimony. “While there is still work ahead of us, these profound changes are underpinned by the deep commitment from all of us to the safety of our products and services.”

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg testifies on Capitol Hill on April 2.Brendan Smialowski / AFP – Getty Images

Boeing executives have worked for years to put the lasting impact of two fatal crashes of its best-selling Max plane behind it. 

Ortberg said Boeing is in discussions with the Justice Department for a revised plea agreement stemming from a federal fraud charge in the development of Boeing’s best-selling 737 Maxes. The previous plea deal, reached last July, was later rejected by a federal judge, who last month set a trial date for June 23 if a new deal isn’t reached.

Boeing had agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, pay up to $487.2 million and install a corporate monitor at the company for three years.

“We’re in the process right now of going back with the DOJ and coming up with an alternate agreement,” Ortberg said during the hearing. “I want this resolved as fast as anybody. We’re still in discussions and hopefully we’ll have a new agreement here soon.”

Asked by Sen. Maria Cantwell, the ranking Democrat on the committee, whether he had an issue with having a corporate monitor, Ortberg replied: “I don’t personally have a problem, no.”

Ortberg and other Boeing executives have recently outlined improvements across the manufacturer’s production lines, such as reducing defects and risks from so-called traveled works, or doing tasks out of sequence, in recent months, as well as wins like a contract worth more than $20 billion to build the United States’ next generation fighter jet.

But lawmakers and regulators have maintained heightened scrutiny on the company, a top U.S. exporter.

“Boeing has been a great American manufacturer and all of us should want to see it thrive,” Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican and chairman of the committee, said in a statement in February announcing the hearing. “Given Boeing’s past missteps and problems, the flying public deserves to hear what changes are being made to rehabilitate the company’s tarnished reputation.”

The Federal Aviation Administration last year capped Boeing’s production of its 737 Max planes at 38 a month following the January 2024 door plug blowout. The agency plans to keep that limit in place, though Boeing is producing below that level.

Ortberg said at the hearing Wednesday that the company could work up to production rate of 38 Max planes a month or even higher sometime this year, but said Boeing wouldn’t push it if the production line isn’t stable.

Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said at a Senate hearing last week that the agency’s oversight of the company “extends to ongoing monitoring of Boeing’s manufacturing practices, maintenance procedures, and software updates.”

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Retailers and brands have turned to Vietnam to manufacture goods from sneakers to couches while moving some or all production out of China.

For years, China’s southern neighbor became a popular alternative for companies trying to avoid the crossfire of U.S. trade tensions with Beijing. Now, as President Donald Trump expands his tariff targets, they can no longer steer clear.

Trump said he will put a 46% duty on imports from Vietnam as part of a new wave of global levies announced Wednesday. That could soon raise costs for major corporations in the apparel, furniture and toy space, and some of them may pass those increases to consumers in the form of price hikes. The tariffs on Vietnam take effect on April 9.

China exported more goods to the U.S. than any other country for more than two decades, but Mexico surpassed China as the top source in 2023. China is now the second largest supplier to the U.S., accounting for $438.9 billion worth of goods in 2024, according to government data from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

For companies that have looked to diversify the countries they rely on for production and reduce risks from trade conflicts with China, Vietnam has also become a popular place to go. Imports from Vietnam grew to $136.6 billion in 2024, up about 19% from 2023, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

On the other hand, imports from China rose only 2.8% from 2023 to 2024, according to government data. Imports from China dropped about 18% last year when compared to 2022, when the U.S. brought in $536.3 billion in goods from the country.

The duties will hit companies at a time when many consumers have become value-conscious and selective about spending due to persistent inflation and concerns about the economy. While it is unclear now which companies will raise prices due to the tariffs, businesses may be reluctant to shoulder the higher costs as they forecast lackluster spending in the months ahead.

Some household names will feel the pinch from Vietnam tariffs. Nike manufacturers about half of its footwear in China and Vietnam, with about 25% coming from Vietnam. Trump will put a 34% tariff on top of existing 20% duties on imports from China, for an apparent rate of 54%, a White House official told CNBC.

The tariffs would be yet another headwind for the sneaker and athletic apparel giant, which already delivered a disappointing forecast for the current quarter. That guidance, which projects a double-digit percentage sales decline in the three-month period, included the estimated impact from tariffs on imports from China and Mexico.

Expanded tariffs could stall or slow Nike’s efforts to revive its brand and improve sales under its new CEO Elliott Hill, a company veteran who took the helm last fall.

Nike shares dropped more than 6% in extended trading Wednesday. Adidas and other major footwear players also rely heavily on Vietnam.

The two companies did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Nearly a third of footwear imports in the U.S. came from Vietnam in 2023, the most recent full-year data available, according to the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, an industry trade group.

Steve Madden, for example, said on an earnings call in early November that it would slash its imports to the U.S. from China by as much as 45% over the next year. The footwear maker made that announcement just days after Trump’s presidential victory, following his campaign trail promises to impose steep tariffs on countries like China.

Yet one of the nations Steve Madden has accelerated its move to is Vietnam, along with Cambodia, Mexico and Brazil, CEO Edward Rosenfeld said at the time on the earnings call.

Vietnam was the second largest country for suppliers of Ugg and Hoka parent company Deckers Brands as of this month. The company has 68 supply chain partners in Vietnam, which is surpassed only by its 125 suppliers in China. Deckers shares dropped nearly 9% in extended trading. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

VF Corporation, which is made up of footwear, apparel and accessories brands including The North Face, Timberland, Vans and Jansport, has a heavy reliance on China and Vietnam, too. About 38% of its suppliers are in China and 17% are in Vietnam, adding up to 55% of exposure across the two countries, according to a manufacturing disclosure from December.

The company’s shares dropped more than 8% in extended trading Wednesday. VF declined to comment, citing its quiet period before its upcoming earnings report.

The furniture industry has also ramped up its reliance on Vietnam.

In 2023, 26.5% of U.S. furniture imports came from the country, close behind the 29% coming from China, according to data from the Home Furnishings Association, a trade group that lobbies on behalf of home goods retailers. The group cited investment banking firm Mann, Armistead & Epperson — one of the furniture industry’s top sources for data.

Taken together, that means about 56% of U.S. furniture imports come from both regions combined.

On an earnings call in February, Wayfair CEO Niraj Shah said the shift to countries outside of China has been “a growing trend” since Trump enacted tariffs during his first administration.

He said places like Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam “have grown as places where folks have factories and where our goods are coming from.”

Wayfair’s stock plunged about 12% in extended trading. In a statement, Wayfair said it is “closely monitoring the evolving trade landscape.” The company added it is “well-positioned to continue offering customers the best possible combination of value, assortment, and experience.”

Toymakers have also leaned on Vietnam to make more merchandise that’s imported and sold to kids and adults across the U.S. Hasbro, SpinMaster, Mattel and Crayola are among the companies that work with GFT Group, one of the largest toy manufacturers in the Southeast Asia.

In addition to long-established manufacturing facilities in China, GFT currently has five production facilities in northern Vietnam that employ over 15,000 workers.

On a call in early March, Funko Chief Financial Officer Yves LePendeven said the company, which is known for its big-eyed plastic collectibles called Pops, was working hard to control what it could in the year ahead. That includes trying to offset tariffs by “renegotiating factory costs, accelerating our shift in production to other sourcing countries, and implementing pricing adjustments,” he said.

On the call, he said about a third of Funko’s global product purchases come from China. He didn’t name the countries that Funko was moving production to, but it is a customer of GFT Group.

Those toymakers did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.

Curtis McGill is the co-founder of Hey Buddy Hey Pal, a toy company that specializes in Easter egg decorating kits. He said he expects the 46% tariffs to raise toy costs in the U.S., but added companies will likely be negotiating with suppliers in Vietnam to try to mitigate those hikes.

“A lot of manufacturers and the actual toy companies have been already having conversations with manufacturing plants having to to help in some regards, because the toy companies are getting pressure to try and maintain prices on this side from the retailers,” McGill said.

For companies, including apparel makers, the new tariff policies have raised questions about whether — and where — to potentially move their manufacturing. Last month, an investor asked American Eagle Outfitters about its exposure to Vietnam on its most recent earnings call.

Chief Financial Officer Michael Mathias said the jeans and apparel brand’s production is similar in Vietnam and China, with “high-teens to 20%” of production in each of those countries. He said the company aims to trim that back to single-digits by the back half of the year.

American Eagle shares dipped more than 5% on Wednesday. The company did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Yet both Mathias and American Eagle CEO Jay Schottenstein said on the company’s last earnings call that it will be crucial to stay flexible, while waiting to see how tariffs would play out and which countries would be targeted.

Schottenstein referred to eight years ago during the first Trump administration, when American Eagle also faced challenges and had to figure out a new plan.

Schottenstein said there’s another shift coming, but “nobody knows what the story is yet.”

“I wouldn’t be rushing,” he said. “You go rush, where am I rushing to? I don’t know where I’m rushing to.”

Peter Baum is the chief financial officer and chief operation officer of Baum Essex, a New York-based manufacturer with licenses to make products for brands like Nautica, Betsey Johnson and Steve Madden. During the first Trump administration in 2019, Baum moved factories from from China to the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and India.

He told CNBC on Wednesday that the reciprocal tariffs would do massive damage to his company.

“This is how you start a global depression. After 80 years and five generations Trump just put us out of business,” Baum said.

— CNBC’s Sarah Whitten, Jason Gewirtz and Eamon Javers contributed to this report.

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