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Trump allies notch redistricting win as judges find no 'smoking gun' to scrap red state map
A redrawn Tennessee congressional map expected to give Republicans a 9-0 advantage in congressional seats will remain in place for the state's Aug. 6 primary, handing President Donald Trump and his allies another victory as they work to preserve the GOP's House majority ahead of the midterm elections.
A three-judge panel on Thursday denied a request for a preliminary injunction filed by a group of Black Tennessee voters and civil rights organizations, who argued the map intentionally sought to weaken the power of Black voters.
The lawsuit stems from Tennessee lawmakers redrawing the state's congressional map during a special session in May after the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which made it harder to challenge redistricting plans on racial discrimination grounds. The new map split Memphis and Shelby County into three congressional districts, effectively dismantling Tennessee's only majority-Black district. Republican lawmakers said the goal was to create a map that favored Republicans in all nine congressional districts and help preserve the GOP's majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The judges — two Trump-appointed judges and one appointed by President Barack Obama — concluded the evidence pointed to partisan politics as the driving force behind the redistricting.
"At bottom, Plaintiffs won't succeed on their vote-dilution claim because they haven't presented meaningful evidence that race — not politics — motivated Tennessee's May 2026 map," the judges wrote.
The judges contrasted the case with the Supreme Court's 2017 decision in Cooper v. Harris, where the High Court ruled that there was direct evidence that race influenced the redistricting process.
"Plaintiffs' evidence is a far cry from the 'smoking gun' direct evidence in Cooper v. Harris."
As evidence, the plaintiffs pointed to the map itself, which eliminates the state's only majority-minority district; lawmakers' use of census data containing racial demographics; the unusual timing of the mid-decade redistricting; Tennessee's history of racial discrimination; and affidavits from Black Memphis voters who said the new map diluted their voting strength.
"Plaintiffs present no direct evidence, weak circumstantial evidence, and no path for Tennessee to accomplish its political aims without producing the same effect," the judges wrote.
WHERE TRUMP, GOP VS DEMOCRATS REDISTRICTING BATTLE HEADS NEXT IN WAKE OF KEY COURT RULINGS
Amber Sherman, a plaintiff in the lawsuit and an affected voter, called the panel's rejection of the preliminary injunction "painful."
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"The decisions by this court continue to further the disenfranchisement of Black voters in Memphis," Sherman said in a statement. "We deserve the same opportunity to shape our future as anyone else. When our voting power is diluted, our neighborhoods have a harder time making their voices heard on the issues that shape our daily lives."
While the preliminary injunction was denied, the lawsuit remains ongoing.
Since Trump began urging GOP-led states to pursue mid-decade redistricting, at least eight states have adopted new congressional maps, with Republicans hoping to gain seats in Texas, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee. Democrats have responded with redistricting efforts in California, Utah and Virginia, although Virginia's new map was later struck down by the state's Supreme Court.
Rep Burchett unmasks 'deep state' plot to hide UFO truth after two-hour Pentagon meeting
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., disclosed new details about his high-level push for UFO transparency, arguing that unelected bureaucrats are defying public calls for full disclosure.
Speaking on the "Planet Tyrus" podcast, the Tennessee lawmaker recounted his ongoing battle for transparency and warned that Washington’s culture of secrecy undermines public trust.
"I had a meeting at the Pentagon this week on the issue, a very high-level [meeting]. I’m not at liberty to say who was there and what was, but I was there over two hours if that tells you anything," Burchett said.
TIM BURCHETT, UFO WHISTLEBLOWER RECOUNT OMINOUS GOVERNMENT WARNINGS AFTER DEMANDING UFO TRANSPARENCY
"And the disclosure is real. And the problem we’re having right now is the deep state is blocking a lot of this," he added.
Burchett, who has previously spoken about reviewing classified photos and videos, blamed unelected defense officials for stonewalling congressional oversight. He noted that staffers have claimed executive leadership is kept in the dark.
"I'm in a security hearing, and a little punk with a man bun tells me that the president's on a need-to-know basis. Now, what world am I living in?" Burchett said.
"You got power, you got control, you've got arrogance. And really those are the things that run Washington, D.C. And you throw in a little corruption," he added.
LONG-HIDDEN UFO INFORMATION AT CENTER OF TRUMP PUSH TO FREE FORMER OFFICIALS
Burchett told Tyrus he had spoken to pilots and service members who witnessed unidentified objects but intentionally destroyed footage to avoid professional retaliation. He added that those who reported such encounters underwent an eight-hour debriefing that became part of their personnel record.
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"They had psych evaluations because of it. And they would, they could get pulled from the flight line," he said. "And that's just wrong, man. That's a stigmatizing of anybody. And also it's a cover-up of what the heck's going on. And government does not have the right to decide what I can and cannot handle."
Earlier this month, the administration released its fourth batch of declassified unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) records. The documents include military infrared videos and details about a 2015 unidentified object reported near the nation's primary nuclear weapons assembly facility.
The release is part of a continued push to expand public access to UAP records while maintaining necessary redactions to protect sensitive military details. In February, Trump posted about his directive to agencies to begin the disclosure process for information related to UAPs and extraterrestrial life.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"
White House Correspondents' Association president previews upcoming dinner, 'not gonna be intimidated'
White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) President and CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang previewed on Thursday what to expect from the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner after an armed suspect stormed the April event.
"I don’t want images of my colleagues hiding under a table to be the last images from this year, of all years," Jiang told People magazine.
She added, "I want us to stand together and to show that we are not gonna be intimidated — that we are going to come back stronger, and we are going to recognize all the people who have done such hard work."
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES EVENT BEING RESCHEDULED AFTER SHOOTING
Since then, Jiang described several security measures taken ahead of Friday's dinner in partnership with the Secret Service and a private security firm hired by the WHCA. These measures include moving the location from the Washington Hilton to the Waldorf Astoria ballroom, shrinking the guest list from 2600 attendees to approximately 680 and allowing only one access point through a private entrance.
"I do feel very good about the measures that we’ve taken and really thought through," Jiang said.
Despite the tight schedule to put together a new dinner, Jiang emphasized the importance of celebrating the press during America's 250th anniversary.
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"Maybe if it wasn’t this year, 2026, it would’ve been easier just to say, ‘Let’s just wait until next year’s dinner,’" Jiang said. "But especially at that time leading up to July 4th, all the country was talking about, all Washington was talking about, was America 250. And the First Amendment is such an important part of that fabric that this year of all years, we have to show the importance of recognizing those freedoms in the First Amendment."
The dinner is largely expected to feature the same speakers and performers scheduled for the original event, such as mentalist Oz Pearlman and President Donald Trump, marking his first time attending the dinner as president.
In addition to honoring journalists and scholarship recipients, the WHCA will award the Secret Service member who survived the April shooting the service award for his efforts. Jiang revealed that the original Washington Hilton staff will also be honored at the dinner.
Though Trump is expected to appear, not all the members of his administration will make a reappearance. First lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be there due to prior commitments.
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Trump's appearance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner has drawn backlash from journalists who demanded that WHCA members use their position to "speak truth to power" against the president.
Jiang emphasized that the dinner would be an effort to "normalize relations" between the Trump administration and journalists rather than exacerbate tensions.
"The Correspondents’ Dinner is our most visible event, but we do so much all year round," Jiang said. "We’ve really been able to course correct, because there was so much friction last year between our association and the administration. And my goal coming back was just to normalize relations so that we could find compromises so that we could work together."
The White House Correspondents' Dinner will take place on Friday.
‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ set decorator slain, husband found dead in family already scarred by home killing
A new mother who worked on "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" TV show was found murdered inside her home in Queens, New York, in an apparent murder-suicide, and reports show she married into a family with a violent past.
The NYPD confirmed to Fox News Digital that 34-year-old Mary Golding was pronounced dead on scene after police discovered her with a stab wound in her back just after midnight Tuesday morning.
According to IMDb, Golding was a set decorator who worked on numerous TV shows, including "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
Golding also worked on set design for "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer," "Goosebumps," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," and "Hawkeye," among several other shows.
The victim appears to have attended New York University, according to her Facebook profile.
Following their discovery of Golding's body, investigators made another gruesome find inside Astoria Park.
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The body of Golding's husband was seen hanging from a tree in what appears to be a possible murder-suicide, according to the New York Post.
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Sources told the Post that Golding's husband, Joseph Azzaretto, 33, confessed to the killing over the phone when he made calls to one of his wife's friends and a family member.
The friend, who was not named, found the young mother dead inside the home and found the couple's baby nearby in the home.
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Prior to the recent killing, Azzaretto's brother, Nicholas, was accused of shooting and killing their father, Frank Azzaretto, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
He was reportedly shot in the chest right in front of his wife during a family dispute inside the couple's home in February 2020, the Post reported.
Nicholas Azzaretto pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in November 2021 and was sentenced to 10 years probation, and two years of electronic monitoring, according to the outlet.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Amazon, which streams "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
Abdul El-Sayed scores Sen Tina Smith's endorsement in Democratic primary that exposes party divide
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., has endorsed Democratic Michigan U.S. Senate primary candidate Abdul El-Sayed, describing him as "a fighter."
El-Sayed expressed his gratitude Thursday for the senator's backing.
"Senator Tina Smith has been a fighter for working people in the US Senate," he said in a statement. "She’s fought for and delivered on an economy that works for all of us. I hope to build on her leadership on women’s health and reproductive rights and access which has paved the way for the future I want for my daughters and every American. I’m deeply grateful for her support."
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Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are some of the figures who have endorsed El-Sayed.
"In all due respect to Haley Stevens, everybody knows that this is not an election between her and Abdul," Sanders said during an event last week in support of El-Sayed. "This is an election between Abdul and the billionaire class. That is what this election is about."
The Senate hopeful is running against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary contest.
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Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who announced last year that he would not seek re-election, is supporting Stevens to succeed him in the Senate seat.
"Over the last eighteen years, while serving the people of Michigan, I have been surrounded by many extremely talented and dedicated partners who work tirelessly for our state. Haley Stevens has been that partner in Congress," Peters wrote in a statement. "Haley Stevens will be ready on day 1 to fight for Michigan, which is why I am excited to announce I am all in for Haley Stevens."
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is also among those backing Stevens.
Former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is backed by President Donald Trump, does not face any competition heading into the Michigan Republican U.S. Senate primary.
Trump says Iran will pay — what it takes to end the war remains unclear
Nearly five months after launching a sweeping campaign against Iran’s nuclear, missile, naval and proxy capabilities, the Trump administration is now fighting to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while negotiations have yet to produce a permanent settlement.
The administration says its renewed strikes have a clear immediate objective: "making Iran pay." Less clear is what Iran must do to end the strikes — or what conditions would allow the U.S. to step back from a growing military commitment in the region.
President Donald Trump has threatened to expand the campaign to Iran’s nuclear sites, bridges, power plants and other infrastructure.
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In response to questioning on the end goals in Iran, a U.S. official said: "Right now, the President is focused on making Iran pay for their violations of the MOU and their continued acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz," referring to the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.
"In addition, the president will make Iran pay for the recent deaths of U.S. soldiers," the official said.
"These devastating blows will continue until the president deems otherwise, but talks between our countries are continuing," the official said. "President Trump has all of the cards and all options at his disposal, and Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon."
The response defined the immediate campaign as punishment for Iran’s actions but did not identify any condition Tehran could meet to halt the strikes beyond Trump deciding that the punishment had been sufficient. Follow-up questioning by Fox News Digital went unanswered.
STEVE FORBES URGES TRUMP TO KEEP THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ OPEN AT ALL COSTS
When Trump launched its military Operation Epic Fury mission on February 28, the White House laid out four sweeping objectives: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, destroying its ballistic missiles and production capacity, annihilating its navy and severing its support for terrorist proxies.
The administration declared those military objectives achieved in April. But Iran retained enough capability to close the Strait of Hormuz, attack commercial shipping and target U.S. forces and allies across the region.
The administration’s immediate focus is now the strait.
U.S. Central Command said Thursday that its latest strikes targeted Iranian maritime capabilities, coastal surveillance sites, air defenses and missile and drone facilities to degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has framed the current campaign as an effort to prevent Iran from establishing a "dangerous precedent" by controlling an international waterway, while maintaining that Washington remains open to diplomacy. He said Iran must stop attacking commercial ships and reopen the strait before the United States changes its behavior.
"Their behavior has to change in order for ours to change," Rubio said Sunday.
Yet recent strikes have expanded beyond Iran's maritime capabilities to include bridges and other infrastructure as Trump continues threatening nuclear facilities, raising new questions about how the widening target set fits into the administration's broader strategy.
Meanwhile, the final nuclear agreement envisioned under the June memorandum of understanding has not materialized, even as the White House says talks between Washington and Iran are continuing. The memorandum had envisioned an agreement within 60 days, but renewed fighting has left its timing and prospects uncertain.
Trump has continued threatening Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, including the deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain facility. But he has also appeared to soften one of the administration’s original demands, saying in June that Iran could retain some ballistic missiles in proportion to neighboring countries.
The administration has not clarified whether the original missile objective was achieved, relaxed as part of negotiations or remains part of a future settlement, nor whether ending Iran’s support for proxies remains a condition for victory.
Publicly, the renewed campaign has a clear immediate military task — protecting shipping and preventing Iran from asserting control over Hormuz — but the connection between that mission, the stalled nuclear process and Trump’s threats to widen the war remains unexplained.
Eighteen U.S. service members have been killed since the war began, while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Tuesday that the campaign has cost an estimated $37.5 billion.
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute conservative think tank, who served as a senior strategy official in the first Trump White House, argued that the campaign can still be understood around one overriding objective.
"I think the end goal is to prevent them from having a nuclear weapon," Spalding told Fox News Digital. "The goal is very clear. It is: How do you want to go about getting to those goals, and then what are you willing to pay to achieve them? That’s the decision that has to be made."
On Hormuz, Spalding predicted that protecting commercial shipping could require a prolonged U.S. presence, comparing it to Operations Northern and Southern Watch, the yearslong U.S.-led enforcement of no-fly zones over Iraq.
"I don’t think that we’re leaving the area anytime soon," Spalding said.
He described that potential mission as "almost an airborne and seaborne occupation of the strait and the Gulf" intended to preserve the free flow of international shipping.
Such a mission could give the current strikes a defined military purpose, but it would not necessarily resolve the nuclear negotiations, eliminate Iran's remaining leverage or produce a political settlement. It could instead leave American forces enforcing access to Hormuz for an extended period while the broader conflict remains unresolved.
Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, said the administration’s changing public emphasis reflects the absence of a coherent strategy connecting its military actions to an achievable end state.
"The administration does not seem to have a clear strategy," Vaez told Fox News Digital. "It’s been a moving goalpost."
Vaez also argued that the conflict has given Iran a potent new form of leverage: the demonstrated ability to choke shipping through Hormuz and impose economic pain on the United States. He described Iran’s control over the strait as a "weapon of mass destruction."
"For more than four decades, the United States has been able to coerce the Iranian regime economically," Vaez said. "The Iranians never had the possibility of retaliating in kind, of putting pressure on the pocketbook of every American citizen."
The U.S. is now trying to inflict enough pain on Iran that it abandons its insistence on controlling the strait, according to Vaez. But Iran views that control as its most valuable remaining source of leverage and one it cannot surrender without weakening its position in any future negotiations, he argued.
"We are in a zero-sum situation," Vaez said. "The U.S. is trying to remove a tool of leverage from the hands of the Iranians that they believe is essential to their survival."
Although the United States retains overwhelming military superiority, Vaez argued that neither side has been able to deliver a decisive blow. Washington can continue inflicting damage, he said, while Tehran has a greater willingness to absorb it because it views the conflict as a struggle for the regime’s survival.
"There is no military solution to resolving the problem in the strait," Vaez said. "After much more death and destruction, I think both sides would return to the same logic that led them to agree to the MOU in the first place — which is that neither side is really able to deliver a knockout blow to the other."
Jon Bon Jovi abruptly ends Madison Square Garden show after health setback
Jon Bon Jovi unexpectedly cut his Madison Square Garden concert short Thursday night after appearing to have difficulty getting through the performance – forcing Train frontman Pat Monahan to step in and help carry the show across the finish line.
A representative for Bon Jovi confirmed to Fox News Digital that the concert ended early, saying the singer told fans from the stage he had been battling a health setback.
"Jon Bon Jovi spoke from stage and told fans he has been battling a sinus infection which led to the show's early ending," the representative said in a statement.
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"As part of the Bon Jovi residency at Madison Square Garden, Jon has said numerous times that it has been a joy to return to live shows for the band. Updated information will be available shortly."
An insider who attended the concert told Fox News Digital Bon Jovi performed for roughly 90 minutes.
Bon Jovi's previous Madison Square Garden residency shows have lasted over two hours, the insider noted. Thursday's performance wrapped after approximately 15 songs, ending far earlier than fans had come to expect.
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Monahan was in the arena as a fan Thursday night and was not part of the scheduled show, according to the insider.
WATCH: JON BON JOVI ABRUPTLY CUTS MADISON SQUARE GARDEN CONCERT SHORT
The 64-year-old rocker was performing on night eight of his nine-show residency when he stopped the show early. Monahan joined him for "Livin' on a Prayer," taking over the vocals midway through the song.
The shortened performance comes as Bon Jovi continues his comeback following vocal cord surgery in 2022. This is his first major tour since undergoing the career-saving procedure.
Just months before launching the "Forever Tour," Bon Jovi admitted he had been prepared to walk away from music after a vocal cord injury left him fearing he could never perform at the level fans expected.
In October 2025, Bon Jovi recalled realizing something was wrong after a 15-show run.
At the end of the final show, he told his wife he thought it was "pretty good," but his wife disagreed, Bon Jovi recalled on the "How to Fail" podcast.
"I don't think I could do this anymore. I don't know why, but I'm OK with walking away from this because there's no way I'm dragging down the legacy," Bon Jovi said.
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Doctors later discovered the source of the problem.
"I sought out a surgeon who explained to me that one of my vocal cords had literally atrophied," Bon Jovi said. "It was dying."
He underwent surgery and received an implant designed to help his vocal cords close properly.
"If I worked hard, he promised me nothing other than I would be better than I was that night in Nashville," Bon Jovi explained.
Still, the road to recovery wasn't easy.
"Had I known that it was going to be a three-and-a-half-year recovery, I very well might have said thank you, good night," he said. "But the process and the progress was steady enough that I didn't lose faith."
By the time he announced the "Forever Tour," Bon Jovi said he felt "close enough to fully recovered" to return to the stage.
"I'm not doing this for the applause. I'm not doing it for the money. I'm not doing it the fame," he said. "I've had enough of all of it.
"But I would like to feel that joy and the resonance, even if it were only one last time. I don't think this is anywhere near a farewell tour or anything like that. But if it were, you could trust that these few shows that I've announced are gonna be joy-filled."
The "Forever Tour" began July 7 with a nine-show residency at Madison Square Garden and is scheduled to wrap Sept. 9 at London's Wembley Stadium.
Country music's biggest star Morgan Wallen releases 'Been By Now' as his latest hit song
Morgan Wallen released his latest single for fans on Friday.
The country music sensation is the unquestioned king of the genre at the moment, and he appears to show no signs of giving up the throne.
Whether the awards shows want to give him the recognition he's earned or not, his success speaks for itself.
He dominates the charts and his concerts sell out wherever he goes. Now, he has new music for fans to enjoy.
The country music superstar released "Been By Now" early Friday morning for his millions of fans across the globe.
The song tells the story of a failing relationship that is on the brink of all-out collapse, and as expected, it immediately started going viral.
MORGAN WALLEN AND ELLA LANGLEY'S BALTIMORE PERFORMANCE OF 'I CAN'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE' GOES VIRAL
Give it a listen below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Fans definitely enjoyed the song and showed support for Wallen in the comments.
One fan wrote, "I was so ready for this🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤ I love his music."
MORGAN WALLEN AND ELLA LANGLEY HOLD THE TOP TWO ALBUM SPOTS IN AMERICA FOR FIRST HALF OF 2026
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A second listener added, "Man has never put out a bad song! Not one! Let that sink in! The greatest country artist of all time!"
Greatest of all-time might be a bit much at this point, but there's no question the fans love him and his music.
What do you think of Wallen's latest track? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Trump must close the back door China uses to exploit North American trade
Review doesn’t mean rubber stamp. The United States shouldn't rush to extend the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement for another 16 years simply because the calendar says it's time.
USMCA has strengthened North American trade and deepened commercial ties with two of the United States’ largest trading partners. But its scheduled review was never intended to be a formality. It was designed to force policymakers to evaluate whether the agreement is delivering on its promises and to correct course when it isn't.
That is exactly what the Trump administration is doing.
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Having just returned from the latest round of negotiations in Mexico, I am encouraged by constructive conversations. Progress has been made. But significant issues remain unresolved. Extending the agreement before addressing them would surrender the United States' greatest source of leverage.
In 2025, Mexico was our nation's largest trading partner, with around $873 billion in goods trade. Yet while trade with the United States has expanded, Mexico has increasingly served as a gateway for steel from countries whose governments distort global markets through subsidies and overcapacity.
Between 2020 and 2024, Mexican steel imports from South Korea, China and Vietnam rose 44%, 59% and 39%, respectively. Overall steel imports into Mexico climbed 45% during that period. Those imports gained preferential access to the North American market despite originating from countries that have long undermined fair competition.
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The consequences are clear in U.S. import data. Imports of Mexican rebar in 2024 were roughly 1,148% above their average level before USMCA. At the same time, demand for steel in the U.S. declined by more than 11 million tons since USMCA was negotiated, yet imports from Mexico remained elevated.
Canada presents a similar challenge.
From 2020 through 2024, Canadian imports of Chinese steel increased approximately 75%. China remains the world's largest source of excess steel capacity, a problem responsible for displacing production, depressing prices and killing manufacturing jobs across the globe. Yet Canada enjoyed privileged access to the U.S. market.
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These trends are inconsistent with the spirit of a North American trade agreement intended to strengthen regional manufacturing.
Fortunately, the solutions are straightforward. Canada and Mexico should adopt border measures comparable to the United States’ successful Section 232 steel tariffs to prevent unfairly traded steel from entering North America through alternative routes. Both countries should restrict investment by non-market economies in strategically important industries. USMCA should strengthen steel-related rules of origin and adopt a true "melted and poured" requirement so that steel receiving preferential treatment is genuinely produced in North America, not merely processed here after originating elsewhere. Above all, we cannot allow the hard-won gains in revitalizing American steel manufacturing to be rolled back in ways that export American jobs.
Critics argue that businesses need certainty and that renewing USMCA immediately would provide it. But certainty was never the sole purpose of the agreement's review mechanism. Its architects intentionally built periodic reviews into the agreement to ensure the pact continued serving North American interests.
Nor is there a cliff approaching. Failure to renew this year does not terminate USMCA. The agreement remains in force for years to come unless a country chooses to withdraw, while scheduled reviews provide opportunities to strengthen its provisions.
The review provisions are working exactly as intended.
Negotiations with Mexico are the furthest along, while talks with Canada may intensify after President Trump’s recent deployment of the section 338 tariffs. If the Trump administration secures a strong agreement that meaningfully addresses longstanding concerns with Mexico, it should not hesitate to move forward on a bilateral basis rather than allow the broader USMCA review to become a source of unnecessary delay. Such an agreement could also serve as a blueprint that Canada would be welcome to adopt if and when it is prepared to meet the same standards.
The objective should not be preserving a three-country framework for its own sake, but securing the strongest possible agreement with America’s largest trading partners. If Mexico is prepared to negotiate comprehensive reforms that strengthen North American manufacturing and close the agreement’s most significant loopholes, President Trump should seize that opportunity.
The United States accounts for roughly 85% of North America's economic output. That market access is enormously valuable, and it should be accompanied by reciprocal commitments to combat unfair trade, strengthen regional supply chains and prevent non-market economies from exploiting loopholes in our trade rules.
North America is strongest when its trade is genuinely fair. The current review offers a rare opportunity to modernize USMCA, close obvious loopholes and ensure the agreement fulfills its original purpose. President Trump is right to resist calls for a premature extension. A stronger agreement is worth the wait.
Roger Goodell floats holding NFL draft in Charlotte and returning for something bigger later
The NFL has become something of a traveling road show, with games played all over the Earth, the draft held throughout the country, and the Super Bowl touring one elite American city after another. And Charlotte may be close to becoming one of the destinations.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday evening during a fireside chat hosted by Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper that he believes Charlotte would lend itself to hosting an NFL draft, and he did not dismiss the idea of the city getting a Super Bowl at some point in the future.
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"...You see the way the downtown's evolving..." Goodell told an audience of Panthers and local dignitaries gathered to celebrate the renewed naming right for Bank of America Stadium and the facility's renovation. "The first [thing] came into my mind: I said to David, 'This is built for a draft.'
"It's the location of Charlotte in general. And I think the way the draft is now, it's close to a million people attended. And they're coming from all over, including internationally. And it's become a global event that I think would be a terrific thing here in this town, with everything that's being built."
The NFL draft is is spoken for over the next two years. Washington D.C. will hold the event in 2027 and Minneapolis has the event for 2028. So if Charlotte is going to compete for the event, the 2029 draft would be the first realistic target.
The draft has been steadily growing as a fan event since the NFL cast aside the indoor versions, which used to be held in a New York City hotel or Radio City Music Hall. The 2017 draft in Philadelphia was the first held outdoors and it had 205,000 in attendance.
That number is dwarfed by this year's event in Pittsburgh that set a new record with 805,000 people in attendance.
But for all its emerging significance, the draft does not compare on scale to the Super Bowl as the NFL's signature road event.
Tepper would love one in Charlotte even if that's not likely to happen soon.
"There'd just be another step in that," Goodell said. "As far as the Super Bowl is concerned, there is no question in that the city keeps growing the way it is. It's really the stadium and the facility here is wonderful, and it's certainly Super Bowl quality.
"The real issue with Super Bowls now is number of hotel rooms, all the hotels, and other facilities, which, every time I come back here, it's completely different than it was when I was here the last time.
"And so, I think that as growth continues, I think, you know, that's probably somewhere down the line in the future."
The next available Super Bowl is in 2031.
A leaked NFL Super Bowl bid specification sheet from the early 2010s required a Super Bowl host city to have hotel rooms equal to at least 35% of the stadium's seating capacity within a 60-minute drive – which equals about 25,000 or so rooms for a typical NFL stadium.
But as the game has grown, the required number of rooms has also grown to an estimated 60,000 to 75,000.
The greater Charlotte area boasts approximately 50,000 hotel rooms but many of those are in outlying areas.
Tepper remains hopeful.
"It would be great to get into the Super Bowl here. It might be great if we had a Super Bowl here," he said. "We have, I heard we have, we're the center of the east coast, with one of the best transportations, sixth busiest airport in the country.
"And I was mentioning in the way back there, that I had noticed like in Augusta, we have more million-dollar house probably closer to the stadium than any other stadium in the country. And I notice in Augusta, they give those homes up to the extent that we may not have all the luxury hotels.
"In fact, I got Dan Morgan's house for you already."
Dan Morgan is the President of Football Operations and General Manager for the Panthers. And, yes, Tepper was kidding."