Distinction Matter - Subscribed Feeds

By Noi Mahoney of FreightWaves

Authorities at the Port of Long Beach on Friday seized 55 tons of dicumyl peroxide, a chemical used to make methamphetamine.

The shipment originated in China and was destined for the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico, according to a news release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The dicumyl peroxide was identified as a result of an initiative launched by ICE in 2019 to identify suspicious shipments of chemical precursors from China, India and other source countries that are destined for drug cartels in Mexico.

Since the initiative was launched, it has led to the interdiction of almost 1,900 tons of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamines and fentanyl. 

June 3 marks World Bicycle Day, an official UN observance celebrated to draw attention to the benefits of using a bike, a healthy, affordable and environmentally friendly way of getting from A to B.

On this day, people are encouraged to leave their cars behind and hop on their bikes for their daily commute to work.

After all, cycling to work is still relatively rare in the United States, despite the many benefits it offers in terms of personal health, reduced traffic and emissions savings.

However, as Statista's Felix Richter notes, according to Statista Consumer Insights, 72 percent of American commuters use their own car to move between home and work, making it by far the most popular mode of transportation.

You will find more infographics at Statista

Meanwhile, only 14 percent of the 7,447 respondents use public transportation while just 9 percent ride their bike.

As the chart shows, alternatives to the car have become more popular since 2019, but none comes close to challenging the car's status as the king of the American commute.

There are several factors contributing to the low adoption of bicycles as a means of everyday transportation: for one, Americans are used to commuting longer distances than people in most European nations, automatically ruling out the bike for many. And secondly, many major cities in the U.S. aren’t exactly bike-friendly. According to a recent study, just two American cities made it into the 50 most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, when taking into account factors such as bicycle infrastructure, safety and usage as well as things as mundane as the weather.

Authored by Peter Mitchell via RealClearDefense (emphasis ours),

Golden Dome has captured headlines as America’s next-generation missile defense shield in the debates around the FY 2026 defense budget’s trillion-dollar price tag.

But danger lurks between the headlines. America’s fighter fleet—the smallest in modern Air Force history—lacks the numbers needed to both protect the homeland and secure the skies abroad. While no one questions that fighters have a vital role in homeland defense, the trouble is that we simply don’t have enough of them. Neither the defense budget nor the $150 billion reconciliation package include plans for multi-year aircraft procurement.

New Threats to the Homeland

Iran’s 2024 attacks on Israel delivered a masterclass in modern air defense—and a preview of threats heading our way. When Tehran launched hundreds of drones and cruise missiles, it was primarily fighters—Israeli F-35Is supported by American and Jordanian aircraft—that decimated them over Iraq and Syria before they could reach ground-based defenses. The lesson was unmistakable: fighters are the indispensable first line of any modern air defense system.

The threat to the American homeland from these cheap, hard-to-detect weapons is now enduring, not episodic. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, the potential for attacks on American soil is higher than at any point since the late Cold War. Ground-based defenses like Patriot, THAAD, and Aegis BMD are essential but can’t do it all on their own. The nature of their equipment makes them relatively immobile and limited by terrain and curvature of the earth.

Fighters, by contrast, are highly mobile. They can visually confirm targets, ensuring that no civilian aircraft is accidentally attacked. Fighters can reposition quickly, cover vast areas heedless of terrain, and be aerially refueled to extend their range. A single F-35A can carry over 22,000 lbs of ordnance using its external hardpoints—providing a flying magazine capable of confronting dozens of threats in a single sortie. Future technologies promise even greater effectiveness. Directed-energy weapons could provide a virtually unlimited magazine to counter drone swarms at minimal cost per shot.

With the rise of small and cheap drones the need for fighter-based defense at home is more urgent than ever. These weapons can be launched from mobile platforms, fly low and evade radar, and slip past static systems with their small radar cross-section.

America’s Shrinking Air Superiority

Yet just as this threat materializes, the Air Force finds itself with the smallest fighter fleet in its history. Only one-third of our fighters are 5th generation aircraft—F-22s and F-35s—with the stealth and advanced sensor suites essential for detecting and engaging modern threats. The remaining two-thirds are aging 4th generation platforms.

The math becomes alarming when we consider new homeland defense requirements. Maintaining continuous combat air patrols around critical infrastructure and population centers would strain our already overtaxed fighter squadrons. The Air Force needs to produce 72 new fighters annually just to maintain its current inadequate numbers. Yet actual procurement is barely half of that, with the Air Force only receiving 42 new F-35As in its 2025 budget request.

Building Capacity for the Long War

This production shortfall isn’t just a procurement hiccup. It’s a strategic vulnerability that adversaries are watching closely. In any high-intensity conflict, combat losses would quickly deplete our limited inventory. America lost 3,744 fixed-wing aircraft in nine years during the Vietnam War. The Air Force currently has around 1,300 fighters. Against peer competitors with advanced air defenses, loss rates would likely be higher, and—with no industrial surge capacity to replace downed aircraft—disastrous.

The solution requires a fundamental shift in how America approaches fighter procurement. Just as we’re revitalizing missile and shipbuilding capacity through multi-year procurements, we need similar stability for aircraft production. Long-term contracts would enable manufacturers to invest in expanded production lines, automation, and workforce development. American industrial capacity isn’t just about peacetime fleet size; it’s about wartime resilience.

A Multi-Domain Dome

Golden Dome will be multi-domain, integrating ground, sea, air, and space-based assets into a seamless web. The ground layer—Patriot, THAAD, and GBI—provides point and area defense. The sea layer extends this umbrella with Aegis destroyers and cruisers. The space layer, with new infrared sensor satellites already in development, provides crucial early warning and targeting data.

But it’s the air layer—fighters on combat air patrol—that gives the system its flexibility and forward reach. Fifth generation fighters, with their advanced sensors and stealth characteristics, can operate in contested environments where fourth generation aircraft cannot survive. They can serve as flying command posts, data fusion centers, and interceptors, extending the defensive perimeter hundreds of miles beyond American shores.

Investing in Peace

Lawmakers face the choice to invest in proven capabilities or to continue in our current vulnerability. The failed Iranian attacks have demonstrated that we need more fighters and the industrial capacity to sustain them through conflict. This is not extravagance but strategic necessity.

The ongoing modernization of our ground- and sea-based defenses is essential but insufficient. Only 5th generation fighters—and their eventual 6th generation successors—can meet this requirement. Without such a robust fighter force, our air superiority on offense and defense will be able to be exploited by adversaries.

Securing American skies demands industrial commitment and technological innovation. Multi-year procurement contracts for fighter aircraft, similar to those revitalizing our missile and shipbuilding industries, would provide the stability needed to expand production capacity.

Golden Dome’s success will ultimately be measured not by the sophistication of its technology but by its ability to prevent attacks. Without a recommitment to America’s air fleet and the industrial capacity to sustain it, that mission remains in jeopardy. When it comes to building America’s future, the cost of not investing in our air fleet could be catastrophic.

From RealClearWire

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

The global economy is projected to grow slower than previously expected this year, as the trade war started by the Trump administration has shaken business and consumer confidence, created a lot of uncertainty and added to inflationary pressures as prices are all but certain to rise in the current high-tariff environment.

As Statista's Felix Richter reports, in its latest Economic Outlook, published on Tuesday, the OECD slashed its global growth forecast for 2025 from 3.3 percent in December 2024 and 3.1 percent in March 2025 to just 2.9 percent, assuming that tariff rates effective as of mid-May will remain in place through 2026.

Unsurprisingly, the U.S. and its main trade partners China, Canada and Mexico are expected to be most affected by the tariffs, with U.S. GDP growth expected to slow sharply from 2.8 percent in 2024 to 1.6 percent this year and 1.5 percent in 2026.

This is down from December projections of 2.4 and 2.1 percent, highlighting the adverse effect that Trump’s tariff policy is expected to have on the American economy.

You will find more infographics at Statista

"The global economy has shifted from a period of resilient growth and declining inflation to a more uncertain path,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said.

“Our latest economic outlook shows that today’s policy uncertainty is weakening trade and investment, diminishing consumer and business confidence and curbing growth prospects."

The effect of the new trade barriers is expected to be most severe through 2025, as global growth is expected to slow to 2.6 percent by the fourth quarter of this year, before gradually climbing back to 3.0 percent by the end of 2026.

“Policy has a crucial role to play to tackle uncertainty and boost growth,” the OECD’s chief economist Álvaro Pereira wrote in an editorial accompanying the report.

“First and foremost, it is essential to avoid further trade fragmentation and trade barriers. Agreements to ease trade tensions and lower tariffs and other trade barriers will be instrumental to revive growth and investment and avoid rising prices,” Pereira said.

If trade barriers aren’t lowered, he warned, the growth impact would be “quite significant” with “massive repercussions for everyone.”

Rockets were fired from Syria at Israel on Tuesday, for the first time in a year, according to the Israeli military (IDF) and media statements. 

"A group that calls itself the Martyr Mohammed Deif Brigades says it fired two Soviet-made 'Grad' rockets at Syria’s occupied Golan Heights," Al Jazeera reports of the obscure or unknown militant group.

Via Haaretz

The rockets landed in open fields of the occupied Golan Heights and no damage or casualties were reported, but Israel was quick to say it will respond militarily to the attempted attack.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel views Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa as "directly responsible for every threat and [rocket] fire toward the State of Israel" and that "The full response will come soon."

The group's name and logo is in reference to slain Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, which is why Katz statement said he won't allow for a "return to October 7."

"We are a generation born under the bombs and raised on the sound of rifles that will not accept living in humiliation," Katz's statement said.

The Israeli military indicated it "recently attacked" southern Syria with artillery fire in the wake of the rocket launches from Syria, as part of the initial response. But a representative from the Syrian militant group declared that "Our operations will not stop until the bombing of the oppressed people in Gaza stops." 

Israel has already bombed Syria hundreds of times in the wake of Assad's December 8 ouster, ostensibly to ensure there's no advanced hardware left over from the Syrian Arab Army.

As for Syria's Sharaa (Jolani), he interestingly just days ago signaled he's ready to make peace with Israel: "We have common enemies, cooperation is possible," he said of the matter.

"I want to be clear," al-Sharaa had said in reference to Israel. "The era of endless mutual bombings must come to an end. No country can thrive when its skies are filled with fear. The reality is that we have common enemies, and we can play a major role in regional security."

Video purporting to show the rocket fire from Syria on Tuesday:

Several rockets launched from Syria reached Israeli-controlled Golan Heights

Right now, Israel is launching artillery and air strikes on Syrian territory in response to these missiles. The sender of the missiles is still unknown. pic.twitter.com/L7KA4OlfVX

Of course, Israel had been bombing Assad's Syria on a weekly basis prior to the regime change events of last December, and at that time the claim was that Iranian troops and assets were being targeted.

Syria for decades had the most feared Russian-supplied anti-air defense systems in the whole region, but Syria's current status is that its skies are completely undefended and at the mercy of Israel, the Pentagon, and Turkey.

Authored by David Mansdoerfer via The Epoch Times,

America’s kids are navigating a health crisis, and our outdated K–12 health classes aren’t helping.

With childhood obesity at 20 percent, teen mental health issues doubling, and chronic diseases looming, the current curriculum—think food pyramids, anti-drug lectures, and awkward sex-ed—is woefully inadequate.

It’s time to transform these classes with a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) approach, empowering students with practical, science-based tools for lifelong wellness.

Nutrition education needs a complete overhaul. Ditch memorizing calorie counts for hands-on lessons in reading labels, spotting hidden sugars, and cooking affordable, nutrient-dense meals. Schools could partner with local farmers or chefs to make it fun, showing kids that real food isn’t just for influencers. Imagine middle schoolers mastering a stir-fry or high schoolers debating ultra-processed foods’ impact on their bodies. These skills build confidence and independence, setting kids up to make smarter choices in a world of fast-food traps.

Mental health demands equal focus. Anxiety and depression rates among teens have surged, yet coping strategies are rarely taught. A MAHA curriculum would introduce age-appropriate mindfulness, stress management, and sleep science. Elementary students could practice breathing exercises; high schoolers could explore how social media algorithms hijack their attention. Teaching kids to set tech boundaries isn’t coddling—it’s equipping them for a digital world where mental resilience is non-negotiable.

Physical activity must evolve beyond dodgeball and humiliating fitness tests. Only 24 percent of kids meet daily exercise guidelines. Health classes should inspire movement through yoga, strength training, or outdoor challenges. Schools could use wearable tech to gamify fitness, rewarding effort over athletic talent. The aim? Make exercise a joy, not a chore, fostering habits that stick into adulthood.

Prevention ties it all together. Kids need to grasp how lifestyle shapes their future, from cutting diabetes risk to boosting heart health. Lessons could use real data—like how 10,000 steps a day lowers disease risk—or feature doctors sharing relatable stories. This isn’t about scaring kids; it’s about showing they hold the reins.

Skeptics might call this overhaul costly or unrealistic, but poor childhood health habits fuel billions in healthcare costs annually. MAHA classes are an investment, like building roads—do it right, and the benefits compound. Start with pilot programs, retrain teachers, and tap community resources. This isn’t partisan—it’s common sense. Every parent wants their kid to thrive. By remaking health classes, we give students the tools to build healthier bodies, minds, and futures.

Let’s stop lecturing kids on health and start teaching them how to live it.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

Authored by Jason Ditz via AntiWar.com,

The position of the United States on the Islamist Syrian government has been complex since the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took power in December. The HTS, after all, was effectively al-Qaeda’s Syria branch up until it distanced itself from the parent group, with al-Qaeda’s blessing, and started trying to present itself as a more palatable group with effectively the same ideology.

The US has very publicly warmed to HTS in recent weeks though, with President Trump praising HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly know as al-Qaeda in Iraq’s Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) as an “attractive” and “tough guy.” Keeping the HTS purely internal to Syria was seen as a key though, contrasting them to international Islamist movements with global aspirations. It was insisted that HTS exclude foreign Islamist fighters, despite many of the group’s high-ranking members actually being foreign Islamists.

Yet US officials are now confirming that they have blessed a plan whereby the HTS will directly integrate several thousand foreign Islamist fighters into the Syrian Army. The army is even creating a new division, the 84th Division, which will be made up of some 3,500 jihadist fighters, mainly Uyghurs.

Via The Guardian/Corbis

Many of the Uyghurs are from the Turkestan Islamic Party, which is designated by China (and others) as a terrorist group. China had reportedly been pushing Syria to ban the group, though the strategy of the HTS seems to be just claiming the party no longer exists and have its members fully integrated into the military.

Looming large in this US-endorsed plan is the massacre of huge numbers of Syria’s Alawite minority, violence which began in March but has continued to this day. The HTS has tried to present the incidents as unrelated to their ongoing crackdown against Alawite militias in the same area at the same time, but the Alawites told a very different story.

Indeed, to the extent it wasn’t uniformed Syrian Defense and Interior Ministry personnel dragging Alawites into the street and shooting them, which was heavily reported as well, the killers were described consistently as foreign Islamists, including Uyghurs.

If the massacres continue to rage, and every indication is that they will, it will be increasingly difficult for the HTS to try to claim it’s not plainly their own newly integrated membership carrying out the sectarian killings.

Foreigners have even made into top ranks of the Sharaa (Jolani) government in Damascus...

the Newly Appointed Vice Minister of Defence in Syria.

What’s the catch? He’s Egyptian pic.twitter.com/5DPithlCRS

People defending the move are arguing if the HTS tries to exclude the jihadist fighters, they’ll just go join ISIS or some other such movement.

While that may be true, it also underscores that the HTS isn’t particularly dissimilar from ISIS in the first place, it’s simply the one that the Trump Administration has decided to support.

Authored by Simon Watkins via OilPrice.com,

• Saudi Arabia's past oil price wars in 2014–2016 and 2020 backfired, as U.S. shale producers became leaner and more efficient.

• Riyadh drained hundreds of billions in reserves and faced rising fiscal deficits without achieving its goal of crippling U.S. shale.

• The low breakeven cost resilience of the U.S. shale sector is not quite the same as it was before.

It is highly unlikely that anyone with even a modicum of intelligence has lost money in the past ten years or so by trading against the predictable thinking of those in charge of Saudi Arabia’s oil policy. Quite the reverse, in fact, with enormous profits available from the failures of the enormously well-flagged and exceptionally predictable strategy of the 2014-2016 and 2020 Oil Price Wars -- launched by the Kingdom with the intention of destroying or disabling the U.S. shale oil sector, as analysed in full in my latest book on the new global oil market order. As OPEC members and their toxic companion in the OPEC+ formation, Russia, mull keeping oil production on the high side of recent historical averages, the key question for the oil markets is -- surely they are not going to launch another oil price war using the same strategy as failed twice before?

It is apposite here to recall the reasons for the failure of the two previous oil price wars since 2014. The first (2014-2016) was based on Saudi Arabia’s belief – shared by many in the oil market at the time, it must be said -- that U.S. shale oil producers had a breakeven price point of US$70 per barrel (pb) of for the West Texas Intermediate benchmark. Therefore, the Saudis reasoned, if the price of oil was pushed below that level for long enough -- by it and its fellow OPEC members dramatically increasing production while demand in the global market was predicted to remain around the same level for some time -- then many of the new U.S. shale oil producers would go bankrupt. Any others would have to cease production at such uneconomic price levels and shelve future investment plans aimed at boosting their production even more. So confident was Saudi Arabia of the success of its strategy that shortly after the onset of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, senior figures in its government and oil ministry it held a series of private meetings in New York to tell them in detail about the strategy it was to use and how well it would go, as also detailed in full in my latest book. At these meetings, the Saudis revealed that, far from looking to keep prices high – as had also been the usual inclination of OPEC for many years to boost the prosperity of member states – it was willing to tolerate “much lower” Brent prices “of between USD80-90 pb for a period of one to two years or even lower prices if necessary”. According to several sources at the New York meeting exclusively spoken to by OilPrice.com at the time, the Saudis made it clear that it aside from destroying the then-nascent U.S. shale sector, the Oil Price War also aimed to re-impose a degree of supply discipline on other OPEC members.

In terms of the first objective, the initial signs augured well for a Saudi victory. The U.S. oil rig count in January/February 2015 saw its biggest period-on-period fall since 1991, and the gas rig count fell substantially at that time as well. According to industry figures as at the end of the first quarter of 2015, around one third of the 800 oil and gas projects (worth US$500 billion and totalling nearly 60 billion barrels of oil equivalent) scheduled for final investment decisions in that year were unconventional and were subject to possible postponement or cancellation. Over the year as a whole, output from the U.S. shale producers typically fell by by around 50%, forcing them to cut investment to approximately US$60 billion over the year, compared to the US$100 billion or so spent in 2014. Crucially, though, from around that point the U.S. shale sector reorganised into a meaner, leaner, lower-cost production machine that could – at that time – broadly survive and profit at WTI prices above around US$35 pb from above US$70 pb previously. They managed to achieve this mainly through the advancement of technology that enabled them to drill longer laterals, manage the fracking stages closer and maintain the fracks with higher, finer sand to allow for increased recovery for the wells drilled, in conjunction with faster drill times, as industry experts old OilPrice.com back then. These operations gained further cost benefits from multi-pad drilling and well spacing theory and practice. During this period, Saudi Arabia had moved from a budget surplus to a then-record high deficit in 2015 of US$98 billion and it had spent at least US$250 billion of its precious foreign exchange reserves over that period that even senior Saudis said was lost forever. Moreover, according to International Energy Agency estimates, OPEC member states collectively at least US$450 billion in revenues during the 2014-2016 Oil Price War.

The 2020 Oil Price War – using exactly the same overproduction strategy as before -- failed less through the long-term effects of misjudging the effectiveness of the U.S. shale producers and more through the direct political intervention of its then first-term President Domald Trump. Given the potentially disastrous economic and political consequences for the U.S. and its sitting president of sharp and sustained rises in oil – and crucially, gasoline – prices, as also analysed in full in my latest book, Trump began by warning Saudi Arabia repeatedly that the U.S. would not tolerate any sustained threat to its shale oil sector (and, by extension, to its economy and its domestic political landscape) – in speeches and tweets and in the increasingly close-run legislative passage of the ‘NOPEC Bill’. He also directly warned Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud that the U.S. might withdraw U.S. military support for the Al Sauds, and by extension to Saudi Arabia, with the additional observation that: “He [King Salman] would not last in power for two weeks without the backing of the U.S. military.” With no sign by the end of March 2020 that the Saudis were going to cease the war, Trump clearly and specifically told de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the telephone on 2 April that unless OPEC started cutting oil production – so allowing oil prices to rise above the danger zone for U.S. shale oil producers – that he would be powerless to stop lawmakers from passing legislation to withdraw U.S. troops from the Kingdom, according to a very senior source in the White House exclusively spoken to by OilPrice.com a the time. Oil production consequently came back down again, and the 2020 war had ended.

As of now, the low breakeven cost resilience of the U.S. shale sector is not quite the same as it was before. The recent Dallas Fed Energy Survey suggests that it is around US$65 pb for new wells drilled, although for existing wells it is significantly lower. It is also true that the lifting cost of oil in Saudi Arabia has also risen since 2014 from around US$1-2 pb, but it is still only about US$3-5 pb now. However, the Kingdom’s 2025 fiscal breakeven price per barrel of the Brent crude benchmark is a minimum of US$90.9, according to IMF figures. Consequently, it can no better afford a major, sustained fall in oil prices now than it could in either 2014-2016 or in 2020. With Trump back in the White House, it is also no better off politically either. Indeed, with Republicans majorities in both houses, it is worse positioned to deal with the likely threats and actions that Trump would use against it if it went head-to-head with the U.S. again. Instead, according to a senior energy source who works closely with the U.S. Presidential Administration, Washington believes the Saudis will take a modulated approach to further oil production increases, in tandem with the U.S. “Oil prices at the lower end of recent historical averages suit the U.S. from an inflationary perspective, as long as they don’t go too low, and Washington has made this clear to the Saudis,” he said. In fact, these conversations were part of the dialogue that U.S. officials had with their Saudi counterparts during Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia on 13 May to sign a broad-based economic agreement between the two countries. “There are longer-term financial and security benefits for the Saudis in taking this softer approach, even if oil is below the number they want for their budget in the shorter-term, and to bridge the gap they will have no problem in borrowing more in the capital markets,” he concluded.

Authored by Janice Hisle via The Epoch Times,

For one veteran airline captain, a routine flight to Denver changed her view about aviation safety—but not because of an in-flight crisis.

Rather, the captain heard a story that—for the first time in her decades-long career—made her uneasy about putting her loved ones on a plane.

During a 2024 conversation, a flight instructor described unusual steps managers took to salvage the career of a young female trainee pilot. The instructor described an “egregious” example of standards apparently being relaxed to meet DEI goals, the captain said.

The trainee repeatedly failed rudimentary pilot-training tests. By “crashing” a computer simulation “flight,” she proved her inability to operate an airplane’s three most basic control mechanisms, the instructor said.

Yet management balked when the instructor failed her.

“She was rehabilitated and allowed to continue, even though she should have been washed-out,” the captain said.

“I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman, that is concerning to me,” she told The Epoch Times, speaking on condition of anonymity because her employer did not authorize her to speak to the press.

Disturbed that such a trainee may still be in the cockpit, the captain said: “I don’t want myself or my family to be in the back of that airplane. … That’s really what it comes down to, right? Would you want to be in the back of that airplane?”

The captain, a woman who was hired long before diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs took hold, said the story of the trainee shows how far her airline was willing to go for the apparent sake of DEI.

These programs—aimed at boosting women and minorities—remain entrenched at airlines, despite President Donald Trump’s DEI-ending executive orders and growing concerns over air crashes and safety incidents, the captain and other workers say. The captain pointed to signs of additional inept trainees being “pushed through.”

After simulator training, trainees fly an actual aircraft under the guidance of “line-check airmen.” These expert pilots report that some students are now taking four times as long to finish a mandatory training, the captain said.

Frustrated, some of these line-check airmen are stepping aside; one told the captain, “I saw the quality of pilots that we were hiring, and I don’t want anything to do with it.”

When paired with new hires, experienced pilots increasingly find themselves intervening to avert accidents or incidents, straining veteran captains to exhaustion, one flight attendant said.

The DEI Debate

Across the United States and globally, many employers, including airlines, have promoted DEI programs. The goal is to attract and retain people from “underrepresented” groups—based on gender, race, or other identifying characteristics. But favoring certain sections of the population over others is unfair, discriminatory, and can chip away at safety, airline employees say.

Four flight attendants, six current pilots, a retired pilot, and an industry expert all told The Epoch Times they support attracting more women and minorities to aviation—but not if standards are lowered to do so. They concur that DEI initiatives have gone overboard. Nearly all the interviewees asked that their names be withheld because their employers did not authorize them to speak to the press. But a whistleblower, Capt. Sherry Walker, who filed a federal complaint in April, agreed to be named on condition that her employer remain unidentified.

The DEI landscape has changed in recent months, following Trump’s Jan. 21 order to discontinue DEI at federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The order also applies to federal contractors such as airlines.

Employers appear to be clinging to DEI, but it’s less obvious now—probably because of Trump’s order, complaints, and lawsuits, workers say.

Instructors oversee student pilots during a training session in a flight simulator at Farmingdale State College in Farmingdale, N.Y., on Feb. 28, 2023. Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

An FAA employee who requested anonymity told The Epoch Times that the agency “just moved around” pro-DEI personnel and “changed their titles.” Thus, DEI remains “built into the system,” he said. “They just do whatever they want; there’s no mechanism of enforcement.”

Airline employees made similar statements.

Employees claim that airlines appear to be generally ignoring the mental and physical health risks prevalent among people who identify as transgender—a subgroup that airlines typically have embraced in “inclusivity” efforts. Some workers also allege that airlines are force-feeding gender ideology to them via mandatory training sessions, violating their religious rights.

Seeing DEI persist is particularly troubling in a safety-dependent industry such as aviation, employees say.

Most of the interviewees, however, said they don’t want to scare people, and believe air travel remains safe. Still, they warn that safety is eroding for multiple reasons, including DEI. One flight attendant said if the public knew the safety-threatening factors that employees see, “they would stop flying altogether.”

These airline professionals urge their industry to divorce itself from distractions such as DEI initiatives. And some are calling upon the Trump administration or Congress to step in if airlines refuse to change.

Asked to address concerns that DEI could affect safety, Airlines for America—which advocates for U.S. air carriers—released a statement to The Epoch Times: “Safety is, and always will be, the top priority for U.S. airlines … [members of Airlines for America] comply with all federal regulations and laws, including those related to training, certification and licenses.”

DEI advocates assert that a diverse workforce is a stronger one. According to an article posted on the Florida Tech University website, greater diversity leads to better innovation, greater market share, and higher profitability.

Defenders of DEI also assert a lack of evidence that DEI factored into accidents and other incidents that have made U.S. air travelers leery in recent months.

“To date, there have been no public accusations of inflight incidents or accidents tied directly to employees that were unqualified for their jobs as pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, engineers, or any other FAA-licensed personnel,” William J. McGee, a senior fellow for Aviation and Travel at the American Economic Liberties Project, wrote in a January op-ed.

McGee, citing an unnamed FAA inspector, said that DEI has never been about recruiting or promoting unqualified applications, but about seeking “qualified applicants from previously overlooked pipelines.”

Big Four Lead The Way

Even before Trump’s orders reversing DEI programs, three of the nation’s biggest airlines—American, Southwest, and United—agreed “to end illegal, discriminatory hiring practices, including quotas and benchmarks for recruiting and hiring based on race and sex,” according to America First Legal, a conservative watchdog. The trio of airlines took that action late last year to settle a DEI complaint filed with the Labor Department.

As of early May, Southwest’s rebranded DEI program—now called “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging”—“appears to be living loud and proud,” a pilot told The Epoch Times. “They don’t appear to be backing off one iota.”

A traveler walks past a Southwest Airlines airplane as it taxies from a gate at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore, Md., on Oct. 11, 2021. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Will Scolinos, legal counsel for America First Legal, said his organization is prepared “to ensure that DEI is not ‘alive and well’ at these airlines,“ referring to those named in the Labor Department complaint. He didn’t say why that complaint omitted Delta Air Lines, which is among the U.S. airlines commonly called ”The Big Four.”

Delta says on its website: “We actively seek diversity, boldly pursue equity, and consciously promote inclusion to create a sense of belonging for all people.”

In an email to The Epoch Times, Scolinos said that if any airline “engages in unlawful DEI, then it exposes the company to potential enforcement investigations and actions by multiple federal agencies.”

The Epoch Times contacted all four major U.S. airlines about DEI concerns. None responded prior to publication.

In January, when United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby was asked about DEI policies during a call with investors, he stated, “we’ll continue to hire based on merit … we can hire the absolute best of the best and have a naturally diverse workforce.”

At a Trump inauguration event on Jan. 20, Kirby posted on social media that he was looking forward to “working with the new administration.”

In a widely circulated Axios/HBO interview, Kirby reiterated the airline’s commitment to filling 50 percent of its aviation-academy classes with women and minorities—a goal the airline first announced in 2021.

Critics say that goal is unrealistic, considering that the entire U.S. workforce is about 77 percent white and 53 percent male. As of 2021, only 5.3 percent of all aircraft pilots and flight engineers in American commercial aviation were women; 6.1 percent were Hispanic, about 4 percent were black, and 1.5 percent were Asian, according to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby speaks during a joint press event with Boeing at the Boeing manufacturing facility in North Charleston, S.C., on Dec. 13, 2022. Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images

Playing the ‘Perception Game’

DEI “amps up” risk factors that come along with flying, Buzz Patterson, a retired military and commercial pilot with 35 years of experience, told The Epoch Times.

“You’re putting an aluminum tube in the air … going to 500 miles an hour, at 35,000 feet,” he said. Pilots also face volatile weather conditions, among other variables. Crews need to be ready to react; they have little room for error, Patterson said.

Many people have no idea “how fragile the system is … and these added stressors can be critical in whether an incident becomes an ACCIDENT,” another pilot wrote to The Epoch Times.

Before Patterson left Delta in 2016, he saw DEI gaining a foothold there.

Now DEI permeates the airline industry, Patterson said, and he believes hiring standards and performance have deteriorated because of it.

Increasingly, fellow pilots have confided: “I had to basically ‘solo’ the airplane today, because my copilot was inept and under-qualified and inexperienced.”

“That’s scary,” Patterson said.

Now, DEI criteria seem to be elevated above individuals’ qualifications, he said.

“Back in my day, it was dog-eat-dog, and they didn’t care what your color or sex was,“ Patterson said. ”They just wanted you to be the best they could possibly hire; that is not the case today.”

Aviation expert Jay Ratliff accused airlines of “playing the perception game“ by showing ”how much we care” about select groups of people. “Let’s stop talking about perception and make things safer,” he told The Epoch Times.

Patterson and others warned that while airline executives might be trying to please investors and lenders who consider DEI scores, any such DEI-related benefits can be negated if a DEI-related distraction or a less-qualified crew member causes fatalities, injuries, or aircraft damage.

A current pilot cited “the cost of retraining these pilots that can’t make the grade.”

Chin-ting Chou (L) of Taiwan and Nemanja Nedelikovic of Serbia take a training course on a 737 jet simulator at the Pan Am Flight Academy in Miami Springs, Fla., on May 19, 2022. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Problems Brewing for Years

Concerned airline workers have been sounding the alarm since at least 2022, when The Epoch Times revealed DEI was causing unintended negative effects in the U.S. airline industry.

Then and now, the interviewed workers assert that airlines often give preferential treatment to people in “protected” groups—ethnic minorities, women, and those with alternative sexual or gender ideologies.

Besides being allowed repeated attempts to pass skills tests, people in those groups often violate conduct rules without consequence—and have no qualms about reporting coworkers to management for the smallest perceived slight.

Interviewees said an innocent remark such as “hey, guys,” can lead to disciplinary action; it may be considered “misgendering,” because it excludes females and men who identify as transgender.

“I’m totally afraid of ‘misgendering;’ I’m afraid of saying the wrong thing,” a woman pilot with decades of experience told The Epoch Times, adding that she believes her pro-DEI union would not defend her if she faced discipline.

This creates a chilling effect on employee communication. Now, employees talk less with each other, hoping to avoid issues, and they’re fearful that management will retaliate if they report concerns about people in DEI categories.

Thus, “diversity hires” may get away with failing to arm exit doors, neglecting required safety checks, and using their phones even during critical phases of flight, such as takeoffs and landings, a flight attendant said.

A flight attendant exits a Delta Airlines flight at the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on July 22, 2020. Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images

Tragedy Heightened Concerns

A recent catastrophe ignited a wave of airline scrutiny and backlash against DEI early this year.

On Jan. 29, a midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Eagle airliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, near Washington.

Statements from Trump and others fueled speculation that DEI may have played a role.

Despite his disclaimers that much remained unknown as investigations continued, critics pounced on Trump for making anti-DEI remarks “without evidence.”

Trump said some of his predecessors, including President Joe Biden, had lowered FAA standards for air-traffic controllers for DEI reasons.

A class-action lawsuit representing about 1,000 litigants alleges that President Barack Obama’s administration “dropped a skill-based system” for choosing and hiring air-traffic controllers. The FAA “replaced it with a new system designed to favor applicants on the basis of their race,” the Mountain States Legal Foundation said in an article about the case it filed in 2015.

The Washington crash raised questions about the performance of an unidentified air-traffic controller and the young female helicopter pilot. It also renewed longstanding concerns about antiquated FAA equipment and a shortage of air-traffic controllers. At the time of the crash, one controller was handling duties usually assigned to two employees.

Trump blamed “a confluence of bad decisions” for the tragedy. Both before and after the crash, Trump took steps to reinforce air-travel safety; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has repeatedly announced new initiatives to hire more air-traffic controllers and modernize the FAA.

Whatever its causes, the Washington collision was the first multi-fatality crash for a U.S. commercial airliner in nearly 16 years.

Lamenting the end of that safety streak, an experienced Texas-based pilot decided it was time to air her long-simmering concerns.

However, doing so landed Capt. Sherry Walker in hot water with her employer. Now considered a whistleblower, Walker has filed a federal complaint over the airline’s alleged retaliation. The Epoch Times is not naming the airline, at Walker’s request.

Capt. Sherry Walker, a longtime airline pilot, in an undated photo. Walker has filed a federal complaint alleging that the airline retaliated against her for raising concerns about DEI practices in the industry. Courtesy of Sherry Walker

In early February, Walker—who also serves as a flight instructor and college professor—compiled an 80-page report on “the impact of DEI-based hiring in U.S. airlines.”

She sent the report to members of congress and senators who head aviation-related committees, calling for them to remedy problems that DEI is causing at U.S. air carriers and at the FAA.

Walker pointed to signs that all four major airlines appeared to be continuing DEI practices despite Trump’s executive order. She also contended that airline practices don’t align with another presidential order, which bans transgender people from military service because they are “not combat-ready/capable.”

“Why is it acceptable that airline pilots with the same diagnosis are allowed to fly the nation’s troops … or the general public, for that matter?” she asked.

The FAA did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.

Walker outlined how the FAA’s “DEI-driven” policies have created distractions and even disrupted service.

In 2024, the FAA began removing gender-specific language and “replacing standard aviation terminology,” Walker wrote, diverting time and effort from “mission-critical safety priorities.”

In this handout image from the French Interior Ministry, search and rescue teams attend to the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus in the French Alps near Seyne, France, on March 25, 2015. Germanwings Flight 4U9525, en route from Barcelona to Düsseldorf, crashed in the southern Alps. All 150 passengers and crew are believed to have died. F. Balsamo/Gendarmerie Nationale/Ministere de l'Interieur via Getty Images

Walker’s report to Congress traces concerns about the FAA’s transgender policies back to 2012.

That year, under pressure from transgender advocates, the FAA stopped requiring “extensive psychiatric evaluations” for pilots who identified as transgender, the report said. Yet the FAA still insists upon those tests for pilots diagnosed with other mental-health issues.

In 2015, during a flight from Barcelona to Düsseldorf, when a Germanwings pilot left the cockpit to use the restroom, the co-pilot locked him out. The co-pilot then flew the aircraft into a mountainside  in the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board.

A crash investigation report says the co-pilot had a history of depression and psychoses, with no mention of any transgender influence. Still, the Germanwings crash heightened concerns to the point where “many pilots worry every time they leave the cockpit to use the lavatory when flying with gender dysphoric pilots,” Walker wrote.

Her report also cites a growing body of research suggesting that so-called “gender-affirming” hormone treatments can cause aggression. They also may increase chances of heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots—any of which could incapacitate a pilot during flight.

Walker, who is white, has noticed passengers looking askance or scoffing at her and pilots who are non-white—apparently assuming they got hired because of their demographic attributes.

They have no idea that Walker and some of her peers were hired pre-DEI.

Thus, DEI policies can “backfire,” she said, reflecting badly on the very same groups that the policies intend to benefit.

Objections to Ideology

In her report to Congress, Walker also raised concerns about airlines that appear to be violating employees’ religious rights because of DEI.

Specifically, she said United and Southwest airlines were subjecting employees to anti-discrimination training that also required affirmations of gender-ideology principles.

A Southwest pilot told The Epoch Times that many employees there were on the verge of “revolt” over a training that is presented as an anti-sexual harassment lesson. “But when you watch it, you find out that it has ideological statements, such as, in short: Men are sometimes women. Women are sometimes men.”

That didn’t sit well with him and others who say these concepts violate Christian beliefs. “People like me read this and say, ‘You know, I never promised to do this when I got hired to fly airplanes here,’” the pilot said.

This year, he said, the airline has been denying religious exemptions for these lessons, “leaving employees to either lose their employee status or violate their beliefs,” the pilot said. “It’s unbelievable.”

A United Airlines flight crew walks through the terminal at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco on April 12, 2020. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Alleged Retaliation Over Revelations

After sending her concerns to Congress in February, Walker gave interviews to several people in the news media, citing her role as an aviation professor at Indiana Wesleyan University. Her statements gained millions of views, putting Walker under her employer’s scrutiny, her lawyer, Lee Seham, told The Epoch Times.

Seham, who is based in New York and has devoted his professional life to airline-related cases, filed a complaint alleging that Walker was wrongfully subjected to “discriminatory treatment and retaliatory discipline.”

Walker’s statements constituted “protected activity,” he said, under a law that shields whistleblowers from any “adverse action” for disclosing airline-safety-related information.

Company officials called Walker into a meeting on April 14. They warned her that employees cannot discuss company-related matters without prior approval, while conceding that Walker’s media statements did not name the company.

Airline officials told Walker “that her conduct had compromised ‘safety,’” the complaint says, warning she could face discipline if she speaks out again.

This action against Walker follows a 27-year, unblemished record as “an exemplary pilot,” the complaint said. It also points out that Walker holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in aviation-related disciplines.

United Airlines pilot Steve Lindland receives a COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Sandra Manella at United's onsite clinic at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on March 9, 2021. Scott Olson/Getty Images

What’s Next?

Walker is asking the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to order the company to remove a warning letter from her personnel file; to halt alleged “discriminatory practices,” and to provide Walker with compensation, including attorney’s fees and expenses.

If the case is not settled, it will go before an administrative law judge who handles disputes with government agencies. Seham said the company has not yet responded to Walker’s complaint.

Nor have the congress members and senators to whom Walker directed her report: Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.); and Reps. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and Sam Graves (R-Mo.).

She wants them to demand “reports from all major airlines regarding hiring practices” to see if they are complying with Trump’s DEI-ending order. Congress members also ought to investigate airline employees’ religious-infringement complaints, “ensure the FAA returns to standard phraseology,” and “demand the FAA address the medical certification of transgender pilots.”

Airline Capt. Tom Oltorik, a former military pilot who heads a Florida organization that advocates for citizens’ rights, told The Epoch Times that DEI requirements and COVID-19 vaccination mandates have demoralized airline employees—which affects safety in an insidious way.

“Employees going the extra mile at work is an extremely valuable commodity in safety and efficiency of any operation. Once employees lose confidence in executive leadership, they become despondent and unengaged,” he said. “That’s when you start having small mishaps that lead to the big problems.”

It's June 3rd, and you may have noticed that Corporate America's rainbow logos on X are missing.

Most of the biggest companies dropping their support of pride are companies I’ve worked with to eliminate wokeness.

I’ve also put corporate America on notice that many of my followers will be attending pride events this year just to document anything inappropriate that kids are… https://t.co/7UUSVpiN0i

The woke tide is receding, and a cultural reset is underway as the Overton Window shifts away from toxic cultural Marxism and back toward what is now considered socially acceptable: the traditional values of the West.

As traditional values like Christianity and family make a comeback during President Trump's second term, Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller of Illinois took a bold step on Tuesday by introducing a resolution to designate June as "Family Month" instead of "Pride Month."

The Daily Wire was the first to report on Rep. Miller's resolution, co-sponsored by Republican Representatives Michael Cloud, Harriet Hageman, Barry Moore, Diana Harshbarger, Randy Weber, Troy Nehls, Mark Harris, and Michael Rulli. Several parental rights advocacy groups, including Moms for America, the American Family Project, the Family Research Council, and the Eagle Forum, support the resolution.

The first few sentences of the resolution read:

"Supporting the designation of the month of June as Family Month. Whereas the traditional nuclear family is the foundation of a healthy society; Whereas mothers and fathers play a crucial and irreplaceable role in the upbringing of their children; Whereas the best environment for children to thrive is a home with a married mother and father; Whereas roughly half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce; Whereas many young people are opting to delay or forgo marriage and starting a family..." 

Miller told The Daily Wire:

"The American family is under relentless attack from a radical leftist agenda that seeks to erase truth, redefine marriage, and confuse our children. By recognizing June as Family Month, we reject the lie of 'Pride' and instead honor God's timeless and perfect design. If we truly want to restore our nation, we must stand united to protect and uphold the foundation upon which it was built — the family." 

The resolution comes as President Trump's administration strips cultural Marxism from federal agencies and eliminates woke policies that have arguably done more harm to the nation than good. The president has issued multiple executive orders banning transgender procedures for minors, prohibiting men from participating in women's sports and entering women's spaces, and restricting inappropriate sexual and gender-related content in schools.

The administration has also acknowledged that there are only two biological sexes and has halted diversity programs (DEI), while prioritizing meritocracy for the nation's survival. 

"The best environment for children to thrive is a home with a married mother and father," the resolution stated, pointing to an ultra-high divorce rate in the U.S. and the rise of youngsters delaying or forgoing marriage and family. 

The resolution continued, "The birth rate in the United States has fallen below the replacement level needed to replenish the population and sustain the economy." 

"The month of June was first declared as Pride Month by President Bill Clinton in 1999 and has been done so by Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, rejecting the importance of marriage and family," the resolution noted, adding that since then, "Americans are inundated with perverse Pride Month displays and events throughout the month of June that denigrate the nuclear family."

For decades, Democrats have waged war on the nuclear family, once the bedrock of American society. Leftist radicals have had one clear agenda: to dismantle traditional values in favor of state dependency. 

Recall that the Democratic Party's beloved Marxist group, Black Lives Matter, once stated: "We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and 'villages' that collectively care for one another—especially our children—to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable."

The West has spent decades being infected by wokeism, which quickly spread like a cancer over the past 10 to 15 years and has led to widespread dysfunction—threatening to push the nation toward a failed-state trajectory in the decades ahead, that's if continued. A course correction is now underway under President Trump's second term, one centered on family and traditional values—pillars that will only strengthen the nation as it moves into the 2030s.

Authored by Emel Akan and Andrew Moran via The Epoch Times,

President Donald Trump’s recent threat to impose a 50 percent tariff on the European Union starting July 9 has spurred Brussels into action, with EU officials rushing to schedule meetings with U.S. counterparts ahead of the looming deadline.

While it remains uncertain whether the talks will yield substantial progress in narrowing the U.S. trade deficit or removing long-standing barriers to American exports, some observers believe the EU is negotiating from a position of weakness and may be more willing to make concessions this time.

Trump initially announced that a 50 percent tariff on the EU would take effect on June 1, accusing the 27-member bloc of slow-walking the negotiations. However, after a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he agreed to extend the deadline to July 9.

The EU is currently subject to U.S. tariffs of 10 percent on most goods, with 25 percent tariffs on automobiles, steel, and aluminum. The U.S. president announced this past week that the tariffs on steel and aluminum will increase to 50 percent beginning June 4.

Wilbur Ross, who served as Commerce secretary during Trump’s first term, recalled the difficulties of negotiating with the EU in a recent interview with The Epoch Times.

“It’s not really like negotiating with one country,” he said. “There are 27 member states, and each of them has a different set of trade priorities.”

Ross added that it’s “very tough” for Brussels to speak with one voice, making meaningful progress in trade talks especially difficult.

He also warned that no country can endure tariffs above 40 percent without suffering significant economic fallout. Imposing such steep tariffs on the EU, he said, would effectively signal that the United States has no intention of maintaining normal trade relations with the bloc.

Concerns over a potential trade war are mounting in Europe. A recent Financial Times survey of European economists found that 68 percent believe a trade conflict with the United States is the biggest threat to the region.

Daniel Lacalle, chief economist at Tressis, a Spain-based wealth management firm, echoed those concerns. He said such a high U.S. tariff on EU goods would be “devastating” for the European economy and equity markets.

“If you put a 50 percent tariff for the next 10 years on the European Union, you need to sell the European stocks like there’s no tomorrow,” he told The Epoch Times.

EU Trade Barriers

The United States and the EU share the largest bilateral economic relationship in the world.

In a lengthy report detailing foreign trade barriers, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) outlined the tariff and non-tariff barriers that American exporters face in the European market.

According to the latest annual report issued in March, certain goods face disproportionately high levies in the EU, such as fish and seafood (up to 26 percent), trucks (22 percent), bicycles (14 percent), passenger vehicles (10 percent), and fertilizers and plastics (6.5 percent).

In addition, many processed foods such as confectionary products and baked goods also face complex tariffs under the EU’s Meursing Table system, which calculates duties based on product composition.

Under this system, the EU charges a tariff on each imported good based on the product’s content of milk fat, milk protein, starch, and sugar. This system not only increases administrative burden but also creates uncertainty for U.S. food exporters, according to the USTR.

Former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross speaks during the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square in New York City on Sept. 23, 2024. Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit

Additionally, the EU does not implement its laws through a single customs administration, which creates added complications for U.S. exporters. Each EU member nation enforces customs law independently, resulting in inconsistencies in interpretations and enforcement throughout the bloc.

The EU’s technical barriers to trade also remain a sticking point. For example, Europe’s adoption of regional standards for safety, quality, environmental protection, labeling, and packaging impedes market access for U.S. products even if they meet international standards, according to the USTR report.

Lacalle said the EU’s internal bureaucracy not only slows access to the market but also imposes hidden barriers under the guise of environmental or legislative rules.

“It’s a highly bureaucratic and politicized union, where many officials fear free trade,” Lacalle said. “They don’t want U.S. companies coming to Europe and selling GMCs and Pontiacs. They don’t want them.”

However, the EU officials are also aware that they hold little leverage in the event of a full-blown trade war with the United States, he noted.

“Obviously, they’re not stupid and they know that they don’t have any weapons.”

Another area of contention is the digital service tax adopted by several EU countries as well as the value-added tax (VAT), which Trump considers “far more punitive than a tariff.”

In 2024, the United States had a goods trade deficit of $235.6 billion with the EU, a 12.9 percent increase from 2023.

In a Truth Social post on May 27, Trump promoted his tariff proposal and accused EU negotiators of deliberately stalling the talks.

“I was extremely satisfied with the 50% Tariff allotment on the European Union, especially since they were ‘slow walking’ (to put it mildly!), our negotiations with them,” Trump wrote.

However, the president also voiced optimism about the EU’s willingness to “quickly establish meeting dates” to start negotiations with his trade officials.

“This is a positive event,” Trump said.

Countries With High Exposure

There are large differences in exposure to the high tariffs among member countries and sectors in the EU.

Lacalle noted that the automotive, agriculture, chemicals, luxury, and retail sectors in Europe depend heavily on the U.S. market and lack alternative buyers.

Ireland is by far the most exposed country, according to a recent report by Bruegel, a Brussels-based economic think tank. Ireland’s economy is heavily dependent on exports to the United States, especially in the pharmaceutical, chemicals, transport equipment, and food and beverage sectors.

Italy is the second most-exposed country, according to the report, with significant exports in transport equipment, fashion, automotive, and pharmaceuticals.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a lead trade negotiator, has pointed to a lack of communication and coordination among the 27 member countries of the bloc.

“I would hope that this would light a fire under the EU,” Bessent said in a recent interview with Fox News, referring to the 50 percent U.S. tariff proposed by Trump.

“The EU has a collective action problem,” he said. “It’s 27 countries, but they’re being represented by this one group in Brussels. So, some of the feedback that I’ve been getting is that the underlying countries don’t even know what the EU is negotiating on their behalf.”

Trump’s April 2 global tariffs have recently encountered legal hurdles, initially being struck down by a federal trade court before being reinstated by an appeals court. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the legal challenges have not disrupted U.S. negotiations with the EU.

“All of the countries that are negotiating with us understand the power of Donald Trump and his ability to protect the American worker,” Lutnick said during an interview with Fox News on June 1.

In response to Trump’s April 2 tariffs, the European Commission, the EU’s main executive body, approved tariffs on €21 billion ($23.8 billion) worth of U.S. goods. The move was later suspended after Trump announced a 90-day pause on his reciprocal tariffs, set to end on July 9.

Former Secretary of Commerce Ross sees little chance of both sides coming to an agreement before the July 9 deadline. However, if the parties can reach a mutual understanding, he noted, that could be enough to delay implementation of the U.S. tariffs.

“I think it’s good to give the EU a little more time,” Ross said. “I just hope that the time is well spent.”

The Egyptian man charged with launching Sunday's ghastly fire attack on a group of people promoting awareness of hostages still held in Gaza told police he planned the attack for a year and would do it again, according to an FBI affidavit. Mohammed Sabry Solimon told investigators that his attack sprang from his anger toward the State of Israel and hatred of "Zionists." Charged with attempted murder, assault, possession of incendiary devices and a federal hate crime, he's being held on $10 million bond. 

Holding Molotov cocktails, illegal alien Mohammed Solimon rants at horrified onlookers after he unleashed his fiery attack 

According to the statement of an FBI agent, Solimon repeatedly said he "hated the Zionist group and did this because he hated this group and needed to stop them from taking over ‘our land,’ which he explained to be Palestine.” Soliman targeted a weekly event led by a local chapter of Run For Their Lives, an international organization whose many local chapters lead weekly, 18-minute walks -- rain or shine -- to promote awareness that dozens of people are still being held captive by Hamas militants in Gaza. The Boulder event typically has between 15 and 40 participants. Sunday's crowd was estimated at 30. One regular participant said the group has endured some occasional heckling.

Founded by Shany Klein -- a lawyer licensed in both Israel and California -- Run For Their Lives disclaims any political stance. On Monday, the group's global coordinator, Shira Weiss, said, "We can disagree on political issues and we can disagree on how the Israeli government or the American government is reacting to what is going on in the Middle East and in Israel. But that's not what we're here for. What we're here for is to continue to raise awareness of the fact that there's 50 people being held hostage."

That's not to say participants portray neutrality: Photos of the group's events in Boulder and elsewhere show crowds of people waving Israeli flags and draped in them. Further muddying widespread attributions of the attack to "pure antisemitism," an FBI agent's affidavit said Solimon is likely guilty of a hate crime because he "[threw] Molotov cocktails into a pro-Israel crowd" and also refers to it as a "pro-Israel gathering."

During his attack at Boulder's Pearl Street Mall -- a pedestrian shopping zone -- Soliman reportedly yelled "Free Palestine!",  "End Zionist!" and "How many children killed?" According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 15,613 children in Gaza have been killed over the course of Israeli onslaught after Hamas invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. An analysis by the medical journal The Lancet projects the final toll will be significantly higher, owing to ongoing malnutrition and disease, and to the inevitable discovery of more bodies in the vast sea of rubble across Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the attack on "blood libels against the Jewish state and people," while his foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, similarly blamed them on "blood libels spread in the media."  

According to the FBI, Soliman told investigators he wanted to "kill all Zionist people." He said he contemplated an attack for more than a year, but held off on executing his plan until his daughter's recent high school graduation. “He said he had to do it, he should do it, and he would not forgive himself if he did not do it,” according to a police detective. CNN reviewed what it believes to be Solimon's Facebook account, which included images of Mohammed Morsi, Muslim brotherhood leader and Egypt's first democratically-elected president -- until he was ousted by a military coup that came with at least implicit encouragement of the US government. 

A December 2023 Run for Their Lives walk in Boulder, Colorado (Peter Ornstein -

The FBI says that, to achieve close proximity to the walk participants, Soliman disguised himself as a gardener, complete with an orange vest and flowers he'd purchased. He was also wearing a commercial-grade weed sprayer that he'd filled with gasoline and planned to use as a blowtorch to self-immolate. Authorities said he had 18 Molotov cocktails, but only hurled two of them after "he got scared," charging documents say. Solimon said he's researched how to make Molotov cocktails on YouTube, and found his target after reading about them online. 

Soliman had wanted to attack the group with a firearm, but his status as an illegal alien precluded him from buying one. He did, however, take a concealed-carry class and fired an unspecified firearm. Given his alternate choice of weapon, the casualty count was certainly lower than it might have been: Eight people between 52 and 88 years old were taken to hospitals. The unnamed 88-year-old victim has been varyingly described as a "Holocaust survivor" or "Holocaust refugee," with a local rabbi saying she'd fled Europe for America.  

As he set peaceful marchers ablaze, Soliman yelled "How many children killed" -- an apparent reference to Israel's mass destruction of Gaza

One of Sunday's march participants, Ed Victor, said his first realization of what was unfolding came in the form of intense heat: 

"There was somebody there that I didn't even notice, although he was making a lot of noise, but I'm just focused on my job of being quiet and getting lined up. And, from my point of view, all of a sudden, I felt the heat. It was a Molotov cocktail equivalent, a gas bomb in a glass jar, thrown...[somone else saw] a big flame as high as a tree, and all I saw was someone on fire." -- CBS 

The Egyptian-born, 45-year-old Solimon lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado Springs in 2022. He was in the country illegally, as his tourist visa expired in February 2023. He'd applied for asylum upon arrival. "He came in through Biden's ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly," President Trump posted on Truth Social. "He must go out under 'TRUMP' Policy.”

A January 2024 Run for Their Lives event in New York's Central Park (Photo: Dani Tenenbaum for

Up until the attack, Soliman and his wife were raising five children in a Colorado Springs apartment, and he said he kept his plan a secret from his family. He was most recently working as an Uber driver -- the company helpfully announced that Solimon's account has been cancelled, so you needn't worry about him breaking out of jail and then picking you up at Denver International Airport.