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Trump tells US steelworkers he’s going to double tariffs on foreign steel from 25% to 50%

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (AP) — Donald Trump said Friday that he’s doubling the tariff rate on to 50%, a dramatic increase that could further push up prices for a metal used to make housing, autos and other goods.

Trump spoke at ‘s Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh to discuss investments by ‘s Nippon Steel.

The price of steel products has increased roughly 16% since Trump became president, according to the government’s producer price index.

Trump said U.S. Steel will stay an American company under a deal for Japan-based Nippon to invest in the iconic American steelmaker. Few details about the deal have been made public.

“We’re here today to celebrate a blockbuster agreement that will ensure this storied American company stays an American company,” Trump said as he opened an event at one of U.S. Steel’s warehouses near Pittsburgh. “You’re going to stay an American company, you know that, right?”

Trump said doubling the on imported steel “will even further secure the steel industry in the U.S.” But such a dramatic increase could push prices even higher.

Employees, Trump supporters, local officials and others filled one of the massive warehouses on the grounds of the Irvin finishing plant to hear Trump. Giant American flags hung from the ceiling and a sign read, “The Golden Age.” Steelworkers in orange hard hats and work clothes milled about, and part of the warehouse’s cement floor was packed with huge rolled coils of shiny steel sheet produced at the plant and used for appliances, doors and other applications.

Though Trump initially vowed to block the Japanese steelmaker’s bid to buy Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel, he changed course and announced an agreement last week for what he described as “partial ownership” by Nippon. It’s not clear, though, if the deal his administration helped has been finalized or how ownership would be structured.

Trump stressed the deal would maintain American control of the storied company, which is seen as both a political symbol and an important matter for the country’s supply chain, industries like auto and national security.

Trump, who has been eager to strike deals and announce new investments in the U.S. since retaking the White House, is also trying to satisfy voters, including blue-collar workers, who elected him as he called to protect U.S. manufacturing.

U.S. Steel has not publicly communicated any details of a revamped deal to investors. Nippon Steel issued a statement approving of the proposed “partnership” but also has not disclosed terms of the arrangement.

State and federal lawmakers who have been briefed on the matter describe a deal in which Nippon will buy U.S. Steel and spend billions on U.S. Steel facilities in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas and Minnesota. The company would be overseen by an executive suite and board made up mostly of Americans and protected by the U.S. government’s veto power in the form of a “golden share.”

In the absence of clear details or affirmation from the companies involved, the United Steelworkers union, which has long opposed the deal, this week questioned whether the new arrangement makes “any meaningful change” from the initial proposal.

“Nippon has maintained consistently that it would only invest in U.S. Steel’s facilities if it owned the company outright,” the union said in a statement. “We’ve seen nothing in the reporting over the past few days suggesting that Nippon has walked back from this position.”

Unionized steelworkers said there is some split opinion in the ranks over Nippon Steel’s acquisition, but that sentiment has shifted over time as they became more convinced that U.S. Steel would eventually shut down their Pittsburgh-area plants.

Clifford Hammonds, a line feeder at the plant where Trump spoke, said at the very least the deal will help upgrade the aging plant and help increase production.

“It’s putting money back into the plant to help rebuild it, because this plant is old, it’s falling apart. We ain’t really producing as much as we should be because, like I said, this place is old. It’s falling apart. We need some type of investment to fix the machines that we’ve got working,” Hammonds said.

Other U.S. Steel union members said recruiting new employees has been difficult because of the uncertainty around the Nippon Steel deal and the future of the plants.

No matter the terms, the issue has outsized importance for Trump, who last year repeatedly said he would block the deal and foreign ownership of U.S. Steel, as did former President Joe Biden.

Trump promised during the campaign to make the revitalization of American manufacturing a priority of his second term in office. And the fate of U.S. Steel, once the world’s largest corporation, could become a political liability in the midterm elections for his Republican Party in the swing state of Pennsylvania and other battleground states dependent on industrial manufacturing.

Trump said Sunday he wouldn’t approve the deal if U.S. Steel did not remain under U.S. control and said it will keep its headquarters in Pittsburgh.

In an interview on Fox News Channel on Wednesday, Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Dan Meuser called the arrangement “strictly an investment, a strategic partnership where it’s American-owned, American run and remains in America.”

However, Meuser said he hadn’t seen the deal and that “it’s still being structured.”

Pennsylvania Republican Sen. David McCormick called the plan “great” for the domestic steel industry, Pennsylvania, national security and U.S. Steel’s employees. He initially opposed Nippon Steel’s first proposal to buy U.S. Steel for $14.9 billion after it was announced in late 2023.

In recent days, Trump and other American officials began touting Nippon Steel’s new commitment to invest $14 billion on top of its $14.9 billion bid, including building a new electric arc furnace steel mill somewhere in the U.S.

Pennsylvania’s other senator, Democrat John Fetterman — who lives across the street from U.S. Steel blast furnace — didn’t explicitly endorse the new proposal. But he said he had helped jam up Nippon Steel’s original bid until “Nippon coughed up an extra $14B.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who is seen as a potential presidential candidate, had avoided publicly endorsing a deal but said this week that he was “cautiously optimistic” about it.

Chris Kelly, the mayor of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, where U.S. Steel’s Irvin finishing plant is located, said he was “ecstatic” about the deal, despite the lack of details. He said it will save thousands of jobs for his community.

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announces new president

Cushman & Wakefield | announced a major leadership change Friday.

, a commercial who leads Thalhimer’s capital markets team, has been promoted to , effective June 1. He will succeed current president in the role. However, Warfield will continue as Thalhimer’s CEO, chairman of the board of directors and ESOP Co-Trustee.

“I have had the privilege of serving as Thalhimer’s president for 14 years and confidently believe it’s time to give others more responsibility to lead our company into the future,” Warfield said in a statement. “Eric’s promotion to this role has been years in the making and reflects our firm’s commitment to thoughtful succession planning and future growth. Thalhimer is a remarkable company, and I am proud to be a part of it and work alongside so many talented people.”

Warfield said he valued Robison’s work ethic, strategic thinking and leadership abilities, adding he’s “more than confident” Robison will excel in the role.

Robison has been with the firm since 2004 and will remain a member of Thalhimer’s executive leadership team and the firm’s board of directors. He has held various leadership roles in the community, including as a board member of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Real Estate Circle of Excellence, an advisory board member for the Virginia Tech Program in Real Estate and he is a past president of the Greater Association for .

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to become president of Thalhimer,” Robison said in a statement. “This firm has been my professional home for over two decades, and I’m honored to serve the over 500 employee-owners of our outstanding company in this new role.”

Founded in 1913, has offices across the state and has nearly 100 broker professionals and employs about 530 associates. In 2024, Thalhimer completed over 1,800 transactions with a transactional volume of more than $1.96 billion.

Trump gives Musk Oval Office sendoff, crediting him with ‘colossal change’

SUMMARY:

  • Musk departs from his role in government efficiency.
  • Trump lauds Musk’s efforts to cut federal bureaucracy.
  • Musk downplays concerns, says DOGE will continue.

WASHINGTON (AP) —  Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, providing a cordial conclusion to a tumultuous tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur.

Musk is leaving his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, and he’ll be rededicating himself to running his businesses, including electric automaker Tesla, rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X.

Trump credited Musk with “a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington” and said some of his staff would remain in the administration. Musk, who wore all black, including a T-shirt that said “The Dogefather,” nodded along as the president listed contracts that had been cut under his watch.

“I think the DOGE team is doing an incredible job,” Musk said after accepting a ceremonial key from the president. “They’re going to continue to be doing an incredible job.”

He left a searing mark on the federal bureaucracy, including thousands of employees who were fired or pushed out. Some government functions were eviscerated, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had provided a lifeline for impoverished people around the world. Boston University researchers estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have already died as a result of the cuts.

The State Department responded by saying most of USAID’s programs on HIV, known as PEPFAR, remained operational. However, the statement did not address any of the other cuts while calling on “other nations to dramatically increase their humanitarian efforts.”

Despite the upheaval, Musk also fell far short of his goals. After promising to cut $1 trillion or even $2 trillion in federal spending, he lowered expectations to only $150 billion in the current fiscal year.

It’s unclear whether that target has been hit. The DOGE website tallies $175 billion in savings, but its information has been riddled with errors and embellishments.

Musk had a bruise next to his right eye in the Oval Office, which he explained by saying he had been “horsing around” with his young son.

“I said, go ahead punch me in the face,” he said. “And he did.”

Trump said Musk had led the “most sweeping and consequential government reform effort in generations.” He suggested that Musk is “really not leaving” and “he’s going to be back and forth” to keep tabs on what’s happening in the administration.

There were signs, however, that attention was already shifting away from Musk, who once appeared omnipresent in Washington. He often stood quietly next to Trump as reporters peppered him with questions about the French president (he’s great), Joe Biden’s autopen (it’s bad) and the potential for pardoning Sean “Diddy” Combs (he’ll look at the facts).

When Musk was asked about the impact of on Tesla — something Musk has expressed concerns about in the past — Trump jumped in to answer.

Musk, the world’s richest person, recently said he would reduce his political donations. He was Trump’s top donor in last year’s presidential campaign.

Trump appeared eager to end Musk’s service on a high note.

“This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,” Trump wrote on social media on Thursday evening. “Elon is terrific!”

As a special government employee, Musk’s position was designed to be temporary. However, he had speculated about staying “indefinitely,” working part time for the administration, if Trump still wanted his help.

Musk has brushed off questions about how DOGE would continue without him, even suggesting it could “gain momentum” in the future.

“DOGE is a way of life,” he told reporters recently. “Like Buddhism.”

Virginia Beach-based Groundworks hires CTO

Groundworks has hired Rajeev Rai as , the -based foundation and water management solutions company announced Thursday.

Rai will lead efforts to improve the company’s AI and mobile tools, marketing technology and core infrastructure technology. He joins after working as an executive at Texas-based SRS Distribution.

“We are excited to add Rajeev to our team to continue to challenge the norms in home services — all to provide better results for our customers,” Matt Malone, Groundworks’ founder and CEO, said in a statement.

Rai most recently was executive vice and chief digital officer at SRS Distribution, where he oversaw the modernization of its tech stack, strengthened cybersecurity and assisted with mergers and acquisitions integration, and previously was SRS’ chief technology officer.

Rai previously held C-suite roles with Wynn Resorts and Neiman Marcus. Before that, he held executive roles with Best Buy, Accenture, Capgemini and Ernst & Young. He holds a master’s degree from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, in India, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“Groundworks is already a dynamic, innovative leader in its industry, and I look forward to collaborating with the team to sharpen the company’s strategic edge and shape future success,” Rai said in a statement.

His predecessor, Bobby Greer, held the title of chief information officer but was responsible for the same functions. Greer left Groundworks to be CIO for Altus Fire & Life Safety, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Founded in 2016, Groundworks has more than 6,000 employees across nearly 80 offices in the U.S. and Canada. The company has landed on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies eight times. It provides residential foundation and water management solutions, including , basement waterproofing, crawl space repair and encapsulation, and concrete lifting services.

Wall Street glides to the end of its best month since 2023

SUMMARY:

NEW YORK (AP) — closed its winning week and month with a quiet Friday following a mixed set of profit reports from Gap, Ulta Beauty and other companies navigating the challenges created by  Donald Trump’s on-and-off tariffs.

The S&P 500 finished the day nearly unchanged after edging down by less than 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 54 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%.

Gap weighed on the market even though the retailer reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company behind Banana Republic and Old Navy fell 18.2% after saying tariffs on imports from China and other countries could add up to $300 million to its costs this fiscal year. It has strategies set to mitigate up to half of that before it hits its profits.

This week and month on Wall Street have been dominated by questions about what will happen with Trump’s tariffs, which investors worry could grind the economy into a recession, slash companies’ profits and layer even more challenges on households already sick of .

Hopes had largely been rising that the worst of such worries had passed, which in turn sent stocks rallying, after Trump paused his tariffs on both China and the European Union. A U.S. court then on Wednesday blocked many of Trump’s sweeping tariffs. That has the S&P 500 on track for its first winning month in four and its best since November.

But the tariffs remain in place for now while the White House appeals the ruling by the U.S. Court of International , and the ultimate outcome is still uncertain. Trump also briefly shook markets shortly before Wall Street opened for trading Friday, when he accused China of not living up to its end of the agreement that paused their tariffs against each other.

“So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

The impact was limited though, and futures for U.S. stock indexes quickly pared their losses. Since Wednesday’s ruling, analysts and investors have been saying Trump and his administration would likely look for new avenues to impose tariffs on trading partners.

Trump has said he’s using tariffs to bring jobs back to the United States and that U.S. households and businesses may feel some pain in the process.

Friday’s most influential losses came from several Big Tech stocks. Nvidia dropped 3.8% to give back some of its gain from earlier in the week after it topped analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter. It was the single heaviest weight by far on the S&P 500.

On the winning side of Wall Street was Ulta Beauty, which rose 11.2% after the retailer reported stronger sales and profit than analysts forecast. It also raised the top end of its forecasted range for revenue this fiscal year even though CEO Kecia Steelman called the operating environment “fluid.”

Costco climbed 3.5% after the retailer’s results and revenue for the latest quarter edged past analysts’ expectations.

Red Robin Gourmet Burger soared 65.7% after reporting a profit for the latest quarter, when analysts expected a loss.

Shares of SharpLink Gaming rose 2.3%, to bring its gain for the week to a whopping 1,105% after the marketing company said it would raise $425 million to buy the cryptocurrency on the Ethereum blockchain. The company delivers leads to U.S. sportsbooks and global casino companies, and it has been expanding into the global crypto gaming market.

In the bond market, edged lower after a report showed that the measure of inflation that the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower in April than economists expected.

A separate report from the University of Michigan said that sentiment among U.S. consumers was better in May than economists expected. Sentiment improved in the back half of the month after Trump paused many of his tariffs on China.

“Overall, consumers see the outlook for the economy as no worse than last month, but they remained quite worried about the future,” according to Survey of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.41% from 4.43% late Thursday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with overnight interest rates, edged down to 3.91% from 3.92%.

The Fed has left its benchmark borrowing rate steady so far this year after cutting them at the end of 2024 to give the economy more breathing room. Fed officials have said they want to wait longer to see how tariffs will affect inflation and the economy before making their next move. While lower interest rates can give the economy a boost, they can also fan inflation higher.

In stock markets abroad, European indexes were mixed, while Asian markets fell.

___

AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed.

Newport News Shipbuilding to furlough 471 workers

SUMMARY:

  • The state’s largest industrial employer, Shipbuilding, informed 471 employees Friday that they are being effective Monday.
  • Impacted workers are all salaried employees, and the furlough is expected to last up to five months, during which time the workers will not be paid
  • NNS employs 26,000 people

announced on Friday that it will furlough 471 shipbuilders for up to five months.

All impacted employees, which include salaried engineers and other workers, were notified Friday. For those impacted, Friday is their last day of work for the time being, and the furlough will be effective starting Monday. Although it is not a job termination, furloughed employees will not be paid for the time they’re out of work.

Todd Corillo, Huntington Ingalls Industry spokesperson for the Newport News Shipbuilding division, provided a statement on Friday.

“After careful review of our salaried workforce and business needs, we have furloughed 471 salaried shipbuilders across ‘s Newport News Shipbuilding division,” the statement says. “This decision was not made lightly given its impact on affected team members. We take this step, however, to increase accountability and efficiency, and to improve overall performance in meeting our current and future commitments to the U.S. Navy.”

He said during the furlough, NNS will continuously evaluate business needs and its salaried workforce to determine whether continued furlough is warranted.

He emphasized that a furlough places an employee in a temporary non-work, non-pay status, but that it does not terminate the employee.

“We do not anticipate the furlough lasting longer than five months, but will reevaluate over the furlough period,” he said.

Furloughed workers received an informational packet from NNS’ human resources department Friday, noting that employees can cash out their accrued paid time off through June 1. In a Q&A section, the company said that it is furloughing employees because “shipbuilding is in a period of transition, and Newport News Shipbuilding is aligning its workforce to meet the challenges it faces to improve its performance. Accordingly, existing work is being reallocated.”

Decisions on who has been furloughed were based on “several factors, including an analysis of current and future work, as well as performance.” According to the information given to affected workers, they are not allowed to work as a contractor or leased employee for NNS during the furlough period, and no furloughed worker is being reallocated to another position at this time. Furloughed employees can file for state unemployment insurance, but the decision to award compensation is up to the state, NNS says.

NNS is the state’s largest industrial employer, employing about 26,000 people, and in 2024, the division hired about 3,000 more workers, part of an overall goal of hiring 16,000 more in the next decade to fulfill Navy shipbuilding needs.

HII CEO Chris Kastner said during a February earnings call he expects HII to hire around the same number of people this year. However, the company has shifted its focus from entry-level employees to hiring more experienced people “that have chosen shipbuilding as a career.”

In January, HII closed its purchase of a metal fabrication manufacturing facility in Goose Creek, South Carolina. The site, now part of NNS, spans 48 acres along the Cooper River and contains 480,000 square feet of space. In March, it was reported that the site employed 475 workers.

The shipyard also announced that it would build two Gerald R. Ford-class carriers simultaneously in the same dry dock this year, the USS Enterprise and the USS Doris Miller. The two aircraft carriers are part of NNS’ $15.2 billion multi-ship contract awarded by the Navy in 2019. The Enterprise is expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2029, while Doris Miller is expected to be delivered in 2032.

And on April 30, the Department of Defense announced that HII and its NNS division was awarded a $1.2 billion contract modification for work on building two Virginia-class submarines.

Maximizing IT Value in 2025: Strategic Moves for Lean Budgets

 

Technology continues to evolve rapidly, and for business leaders, the pressure to keep pace while staying within budget is constant. From cybersecurity to cloud infrastructure, every decision is an opportunity to strengthen operations, but only when guided by a clear strategy. In today’s environment of tighter budgets, many companies are shifting their approach, prioritizing tech investments that deliver measurable value through growth, efficiency and resilience.

To put it simply, the most effective IT strategies start with alignment. Throwing money at new tools just because they’re trending won’t move the needle if they don’t support business objectives, and utilizing several tools to 50% of their capacity is ineffective. Companies need solutions that streamline workflows, enhance security and allow teams to work smarter, not harder. Before rushing into upgrades, it’s worth looking at what already exists. Sometimes the best move isn’t spending more but optimizing what’s already in place—for example, consolidating services, eliminating redundancies and automating where possible.

Managing cybersecurity internally can feel overwhelming, like an endless battle against new threats, but here’s the truth: protecting company data doesn’t have to drain the budget or team morale. Small but intentional choices, like multi-factor authentication, stronger endpoint protection and ongoing employee training, go a long way. At its core, security is about consistency—building habits that make a company resilient rather than reacting in crisis mode.

Another approach that’s gaining traction with businesses is outsourcing through managed IT services. Businesses have started to realize that they don’t need a massive in-house team to keep operations running smoothly and that peace of mind through managed IT is worth the hype. Partnering with experts allows companies to scale, enhance security and get specialized support—without the burden of high overhead costs. It’s an investment that saves time and money while keeping businesses ahead of evolving challenges.

Future-proofing IT strategies is another key focus in 2025. Companies that embrace flexible, cloud-based solutions will find themselves in a stronger position long term, able to pivot and grow without costly infrastructure overhauls. Technology should work for the business, not the other way around, and smart investments now will ensure companies stay adaptable in the years ahead.

Ultimately, IT leadership today is about making thoughtful, strategic decisions and balancing financial responsibility with forward-thinking innovation. And when expert guidance is needed, Cox Business offers solutions tailored to help companies optimize their IT strategies, enhance security and drive growth, all without overspending.

Looking for IT solutions that work within your budget?
Learn more about how Cox Business can support your success with scalable, cost-effective technology strategies at www.cox.com/business/networking.html.

DOJ seeks to drop Boeing fraud charge in 737 Max case

SUMMARY:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has formally moved to dismiss a criminal fraud charge against Boeing and has asked a judge to cancel an upcoming trial connected to two plane crashes that killed 346 people off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia, according to court documents filed Thursday.

The deal, announced last week, will allow the -based aircraft manufacturer to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading U.S. regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before the planes crashed less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019.

The “agreement in principle” will require the company to pay and invest more than $1.1 billion, including an additional $445 million for the crash victims’ families, in return for dismissing the criminal case, according to court documents. Dismissing the fraud charge will allow the manufacturer to avoid a possible criminal conviction that could have jeopardized the company’s status as a federal contractor, experts have said.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, will decide whether to accept the motion to dismiss, accept the terms of the non-prosecution agreement and whether to cancel the trial. O’Connor on Thursday ordered all the lawyers to present him with a briefing schedule on the government’s motion by June 4.

Some relatives of the passengers who died in the crashes have been pushing for a public trial, the prosecution of former company officials, and more severe financial punishment for Boeing. The Justice Department has noted that the victims’ families had mixed views on the proposed deal.

Nadia Milleron, a Massachusetts resident whose 24-year-old daughter, Samya Stumo, died in the Ethiopia crash, in an email Thursday said it hurt her to read the Justice Department’s “false” statement that the agreement will secure meaningful accountability, deliver public benefits and bring finality to a complex case whose outcome would otherwise be uncertain.

“This is not a difficult or complex case because Boeing signed a confession,” Milleron said. “There will be no accountability as a result of the NPA (non-prosecution deal).”

Boeing said in a statement that the company is committed to complying with its obligations under the resolution, including commitments to further institutional improvements and investments, as well as additional compensation for families of those who died in the two plane crashes.

“We are deeply sorry for their losses, and remain committed to honoring their loved ones’ memories by pressing forward with the broad and deep changes to our company that we have made to strengthen our safety system and culture,” a Boeing spokesperson said in the statement.

Attorney Mark Lindquist, who represents dozens of the victims’ families said in a statement Thursday that although he had wanted to see a more vigorous prosecution, he didn’t think it was going to happen.

“At this point, I can only hope the criminal case and the lawsuits motivated Boeing to improve safety,” Lindquist said. “That’s what really matters. We all want to walk onto a Boeing plane and feel safe.”

Boeing was accused of misleading the Federal Aviation Administration about aspects of the Max before the agency certified the plane for flight. Boeing did not tell airlines and pilots about a new software system that could turn the plane’s nose down without input from pilots if a sensor detected that the plane might go into an aerodynamic stall.

The Max planes crashed after a faulty reading from the sensor pushed the nose down and pilots were unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded until the company redesigned the software.

The Justice Department charged Boeing in 2021 with deceiving FAA regulators about the software and about how much training pilots would need to fly the plane safely. The department agreed not to prosecute Boeing at the time, however, if the company paid a $2.5 billion , including the $243.6 million fine, and took steps to comply with anti-fraud laws for three years.

But last year, federal prosecutors said Boeing violated the terms of the 2021 agreement by failing to make promised changes to detect and prevent violations of federal anti-fraud laws. Boeing agreed last July to plead guilty to the felony fraud charge instead of enduring what could have been a lengthy public trial.

Then in December, O’Connor rejected the plea deal. The judge said the diversity, inclusion and equity, or DEI, policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in picking a monitor to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the agreement.

Under the new agreement, Boeing must retain an “independent compliance consultant” who will make recommendations for “further improvement” and report back to the government, court documents said.

Wisconsin co. breaks ground on $26M Portsmouth export facility

The DeLong Co., a Wisconsin company, on Thursday broke ground on a $26 million export facility in that will be used to prepare whole grains and feedstuffs for shipment.

The Portsmouth Agricultural Intermodal Export Facility will have a storage capacity of 15,000 metric tons and will be located at the former CSX intermodal site, located at 1 Harper Ave. DeLong says it will be the first facility of its kind on the East Coast to receive unit trains and that it is expected to handle 15,000 to 20,000 containers each year.

The site will receive products produced and processed locally and from the Midwest, according to the company. The products will be delivered through inbound truck and rail before being transloaded into export containers.

“We look forward to continuing our legacy of investing in growth that benefits innovation and the communities we serve,” DeLong Chris DeLong said in a statement.

A spokesperson said the site is expected to be operational in early 2026. Once complete, the company expects the facility to strengthen the region’s overall logistic capabilities and increase access to Far East export markets.

“This project represents a major step in strengthening the economic, agricultural and logistical landscape of Virginia and the greater East Coast to Midwest regions,” Brandon Bickham, DeLong’s vice president of exports, said in a statement. “We have been collaborating on this project with the and CSX Railroad, and we are excited to bring this project to Portsmouth. The new facility will not only open new markets to agricultural producers but also contribute to the area’s long-term growth and success.”

Headquartered in Clinton, Wisconsin, and founded in 1913, DeLong operates 37 locations around the United States and is the largest U.S. exporter of containerized agricultural products. In September 2024, the Port of Virginia gave the company its Shipper of the Year Award, recognizing its 15-year history of through the port.

Richmond lifts boil-water advisory after 2 days

SUMMARY:

  • lifts boil-water advisory after two days in parts of city
  • Two consecutive tests of water samples in South Side, West End and North Side neighborhoods came back clean
  • Second boil-water advisory since January, when city had a six-day water outage
  • City says alum sludge was part of the cause of the May water disruption

On Thursday afternoon, Richmond announced that the has lifted the city’s boil-water advisory in place over the past two days in large parts of Richmond.

This was the city’s second boil-water advisory this year, following a much more severe water outage in January that caused most of the city’s 230,000 residents to lose all water for about six days, as well as closing down schools, doctors’ offices, restaurants and other businesses. This time, most residents in the affected areas maintained enough water pressure to flush toilets and run showers, but tap water was not considered safe to consume without boiling.

Just after midnight Tuesday, the city’s water treatment plant experienced an operational hiccup that clogged some of the plant’s filters. Tuesday morning, the water system had been restored to full production, but reclogged roughly an hour later. This led to the city’s boil-water announcement at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday for a wide swath of neighborhoods from the city’s West End to the downtown State Capitol grounds, as well as North Side neighborhoods. Later Tuesday, the city placed some communities on the South Side under the advisory.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the Richmond Department of Public Utilities contacted officials in Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield counties, which are customers of the city’s water system, and advised them about the clog in the Ginter Park water tank. Chesterfield and Henrico temporarily disconnected from the water system, they announced Tuesday.

Some residents who had signed up for text alerts for emergencies facing the city complained that they did not receive a message Tuesday about the advisory, and the mayor said that he would investigate.

On Thursday at 2:30 p.m., the city announced that had tested two sets of water samples, and both came back negative for contaminants, allowing the health department to lift the boil-water advisory. Residents and businesses can safely resume using tap water, the city’s announcement said.

Thursday evening, the city said that the clogged filters were caused by “maintenance not occurring in a timely fashion” on plate settlers in sedimentation basins, which caused a buildup of alum sludge, which was then released into the city’s water supply. That, along with “poor raw water quality coming into the system,” caused several filters to clog. Officials say that plate settlers in the water system will be cleaned on a “routine, recurring schedule” and will be included in regular status update reports.

“I’m deeply grateful to the residents and businesses for enduring this unexpected boil-water advisory,” Avula said in a statement. “Residents and businesses expect better, and I am as committed as ever to finding the problems and fixing them. Doing this work requires being honest about what’s working and what’s not and I pledge my ongoing commitment to doing just that.”

The situation was familiar to Richmonders who lived through the Jan. 6 water crisis, when a power failure caused an electrical malfunction at the water treatment facility and flooding. In April, a state report called the crisis “completely avoidable.”

Avula, who took office Jan. 1, was faced with the emergency five days into his four-year term, and the VDH report said that the city’s Department of Public Utilities erred when it was operating in a “winter mode” where the plant relies solely on overhead main power during the winter months, as well as not maintaining backup systems and featuring poor communication between DPU leadership, City Hall and the counties affected by the outage.

April Bingham, director of public utilities for Richmond during the crisis, first resigned and later retracted her resignation, and she was subsequently fired. Bingham was replaced by Scott Morris, who was formerly the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s director of water.