President Donald Trump meets with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani n the Oval Office on Nov. 21, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani turned around their heated criticism in remarks to the press after an Oval Office meeting Friday.
After months of attacking each other, Trump and Mamdani pledged to address the high cost of living for New Yorkers. The White House has tried to steer messaging toward affordability in recent weeks as Trump’s approval ratings on the economy have sunk.
“Some of his ideas really are the same ideas I have,” Trump said. “You know the new word is affordability. Another word is just groceries. It’s sort of an old-fashioned word, but it’s very accurate. They’re coming down.”
Food prices have risen considerably in recent years. Groceries overall cost 3.1% more than they did a year ago, according to the government’s latest Consumer Price Index.
Mamdani campaigned on lowering the cost of living, including property tax reform, making buses free and floating the idea of city-run grocery stories.
The mayor-elect described the meeting as “a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City, and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers.”
“We spoke about rent, we spoke about groceries, we spoke about utilities, we spoke about the different ways in which people are being pushed out, and I appreciated the time with the president,” Mamdani said.
The pair fielded questions on housing costs, crime, whether either of them would retract their recent barbs and whether Trump would backtrack his threats to cut federal money to New York City.
“Well, I think if we didn’t get along, whether it’s cut off or just make it a little bit difficult, or not give as much, we want to see,” Trump said.
“We had a meeting today that actually surprised me. He wants to see no crime. He wants to see housing being built. He wants to see rents coming down. All things that I agree with. Now, we may disagree how we get there,” Trump added.
In response to a question about GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Trump ally, calling Mamdani a “jihadist” as she eyes the New York gubernatorial seat, Trump said “she’s out there campaigning, and you say things sometimes in a campaign.”
“I met with a man who is a very rational person. I met with a man who wants to see, really wants to see, New York be great again,” Trump continued, adding “I’ll be cheering for him.”
Mamdani will be the city’s first Muslim mayor, as well as the youngest ever elected.
Mamdani sought meeting
Mamdani said he sought the meeting with Trump.
“My team reached out to the White House to set up this meeting because I will work with anyone to make life more affordable for the 8 and a half million people who call this city home,” Mamdani said in a press conference Thursday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday the meeting “speaks to the fact that President Trump is willing to meet with anyone.”
“It speaks volumes that tomorrow we have a communist coming to the White House.”
Trump and congressional Republicans have repeatedly referred to the 34-year-old Mamdani as a “communist.” Mamdani, who ran on the Democratic ticket, identifies as a Democratic Socialist, an organization that claims roughly 85,000 members nationally. The ideology as a movement received a boost after the 2016 presidential run of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who represents Vermont and caucuses with Democrats.
Mamdani beat out former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo this month by a 50.4% to 41% margin, according to the New York Times election coverage. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa took just over 7% of the vote. Cuomo, who ran as an independent, resigned from office in 2021 after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment.
Trump endorsed Cuomo, seemingly reluctantly, on the eve of the election, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice,” he wrote. “You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”
Threat to pull funding
As Mamdani’s campaign gained momentum, Trump threatened to cut off billions in federal funding to New York City, Trump’s own home city.
Trump repeated the threat on election eve, writing on Truth Social that if Mamdani won, New York City would be a “total economic and social disaster” and that NYC should not expect any federal dollars “other than the very minimum as required.”
In Mamdani’s victory speech, he referred to Trump as a “despot.”
In July, Trump threatened to arrest Mamdani if the incoming mayor does not comply with the administration’s mass deportation campaign, including sending an influx of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to New York City.
Farmworkers gather produce near Hemet, Calif. The Trump administration is making it easier for farmers to employ guest workers from other countries. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
In a tacit admission that U.S. food production requires foreign labor, the Trump administration is making it easier for farmers to employ guest workers from other countries.
At the same time, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in recent months appears to be refraining from conducting agricultural workplace raids, even as it scours Democratic-led cities for immigrants who are in the country illegally.
“We really haven’t seen agriculture targeted with worksite enforcement efforts, and early this year we did,” said Julia Gelatt, associate director of U.S. immigration policy at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank.
The shifts come as many Americans are concerned about the rising cost of food, creating political problems for a president who campaigned on lowering them. Last week, the administration also announced it would lift tariffs on some foreign food products, including bananas, beef, coffee and tomatoes.
To ease labor shortages on farms and ranches, the administration last month made changes to the federal H-2A visa program, which allows employers to hire foreign workers for temporary agricultural jobs when there aren’t enough U.S.-born workers available. Under the new rule, the Department of Homeland Security will approve H-2A visas more quickly.
“Our immigration system has been broken for decades, and we finally have a President who is enforcing the law and prioritizing fixing programs farmers and ranchers rely on to produce the safest and most productive food supply in the world,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in an email to Stateline.
But the move to increase the supply of foreign agricultural workers conflicts with a July statement by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that “the promise to America, to ensure that we have a 100% American workforce, stands.”
Rollins also said the administration was committed to the mass deportation of immigrants who are here illegally, but that it would be “strategic so as not to compromise our food supply.” Ultimately, she said, the solution would be increased automation of agricultural jobs.
The government has issued about 420,000 H-2A visas for agricultural workers every year since 2023, which amounts to about half of the 812,000 agricultural worker jobs. They are concentrated in states that grow fruits and vegetables as opposed to grains, which are increasingly planted and harvested using machines. The government expects an additional 119,000 visas to be issued under the new rule.
Almost half the H-2A visas in the 2025 fiscal year were in Florida (60,000), Georgia (44,000), California (37,000), Washington state (36,000) and North Carolina (28,000).
Lower wages
The new H-2A rule also includes new hourly wage guidelines that vary by state but are lower than previous wages, and allows employers to charge workers for housing that used to be free. In North Carolina, for instance, the new rate is $11.09 for unskilled workers compared with $16.16 last year. In California, the rate is $13.45 for unskilled workers compared with $19.97 last year, though minimum wage laws in California and some other states would apply to those jobs, according to a Cornell University analysis.
In North Carolina, farmers are looking forward to lower labor costs, said Lee Wicker, deputy director of the North Carolina Growers Association, a trade association that brought 11,000 guest workers to the state through the H-2A guest worker program last year.
“If you think farmers are making more money in these conditions, you’re wrong. They’re going broke,” Wicker said. Workers will take a pay cut under new guidelines and will have to pay for housing, but that may help farmers stave off bankruptcy, he said.
“I’m not saying the workers are going to be happy about this, but I think they’ll come back. Wages have gone down before and they kept coming,” he added.
Jeffrey Dorfman, an agricultural and resource economics professor at North Carolina State University, said the changes will be a boon to the state’s farmers.
“The move to lower the H-2A wages by the Trump administration will be very well received by growers in North Carolina and will save farmers tens of millions of dollars statewide,” Dorfman said. “For many farmers, it will turn money-losing crops into money-making crops, if prices stay about where they are now.”
Unionized California farmworkers are opposed to the pay cuts and loss of free housing in the new guest worker visa plan, said Antonio De Loera-Brust, a spokesperson for the United Farm Workers, which represents about 10,000 workers in California.
First came the raids, which hurt workers, and now in order to appease business interests, they make all these concessions on wages and the guest workers program.
– Antonio De Loera-Brust, United Farm Workers
The union sued the administration over ICE raids in the fields earlier this year, but recently “it’s been pretty quiet,” he said.
“For us it’s been really a one-two punch,” De Loera-Brust said. “First came the raids, which hurt workers, and now in order to appease business interests, they make all these concessions on wages and the guest workers program.”
Fewer raids
The administration quickly walked back a June directive to avoid raids on the agriculture and hospitality industries. Nevertheless, ICE raids on those employers have been more infrequent in the months since.
Earlier this month, ICE agents descended on an onion farm in Northern California, arresting four immigrants on charges of illegally selling farmworker visas.
Even as ICE ramps up its activity in North Carolina cities such as Charlotte and Raleigh, Wicker, of the growers trade group, said farms in the state have not been targeted.
Gelatt, of the Migration Policy Institute, said that’s been true of farms and ranches in many states since June.
“In past administrations we’ve seen a very quiet de-emphasis of immigration enforcement at farms. You don’t need to make an announcement. You don’t need to fight in the courts,” Gelatt said. “It is possible just to direct enforcement activities away from farms. It’ll be hard to know if that’s happened now, but I would not be surprised.”
While farmworkers in California are seeing some relief from raids, life is still uneasy for them, De Loera-Brust said.
“Overall, they have clearly slowed down [raids] in ag areas, but that’s not policy. They could resume at any time. People are living with uncertainty,” he said.
This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Wisconsin Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
A U.S. Department of Education regulation slated to take effect in July 2026 would give the secretary broad discretion to decide which organizations qualify for a program to forgive student loans for borrowers that enter public service. (Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — A new U.S. Department of Education regulation to narrow eligibility for a key student debt relief program for public service workers has drawn strong opposition from advocates who argue the regulation is an attempt to target organizations whose missions do not align with President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Under a final rule slated to take effect in July, employers that participate in “unlawful activities such that they have a substantial illegal purpose” would be excluded from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which is meant to encourage college graduates to pursue careers in public service.
The language of the final rule, which focuses on issues such as gender-affirming care and illegal immigration, has also raised concerns it meant to enforce the Trump administration’s priorities.
At least three lawsuits from Democratic attorneys general, cities, labor unions and nonprofit advocacy groups argue that the regulation is overly vague and exceeds the department’s authority.
The rule would hurt not only the institutions that benefit from the program, but the public service workers themselves, Winston Berkman-Breen, legal director at the advocacy group Protect Borrowers, told States Newsroom.
“It’s not just about the macro effect of whether these organizations, including governments, will be able to do the work they do,” he said. “It’s also the individual financial health and security of borrowers and their households that will be really, really detrimentally affected by this rule, and we’re already sort of seeing that happen.”
The organization is representing a coalition of cities, nonprofit advocacy groups and labor unions in one of the lawsuits over the regulation.
Here’s a closer look at the policy and what it would mean for borrowers and employers:
What is Public Service Loan Forgiveness?
Congress created the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, or PSLF, in 2007 via the College Cost Reduction and Access Act to incentivize people to take on public service careers.
PSLF forgives the remaining student debt for borrowers after they make 120 qualifying monthly payments while working for an eligible employer.
How will the regulation work?
The department’s final rule — which stems from a March executive order — is only forward-looking, meaning workers would not lose any credit earned prior to the July 1, 2026, effective date.
Under the policy, the Education secretary can determine “by a preponderance of the evidence” that an employer has taken part in “illegal activities such that the organization has a substantial illegal purpose.”
Affected employers can either reapply to serve as a qualifying employer after 10 years or try to regain eligibility in a quicker timeframe if they enter into a “corrective action plan” that needs the secretary’s approval.
The activities that could disqualify employers, according to the department, include:
“Aiding and abetting” illegal immigration or “illegal discrimination”
Providing gender-affirming care
Supporting terrorism or “engaging in violence for the purpose of obstructing or influencing” federal government policy
Trafficking children across states “for purposes of emancipation from their lawful parents”
Violating state laws
What’s the debate about?
Though the administration has framed the rule as an effort to punish “criminal activity,” advocates and Democratic officials see it as a way to target organizations that are not aligned with the administration’s goals.
“The bases for the disqualification that are in the final rule for the secretary of Education are pretty clearly just proxies for being engaged in activities that this administration doesn’t agree with or that don’t align with its agenda,” Berkman-Breen said.
He pointed to supporting immigrant communities, gender-affirming care, transgender rights, diverse hiring, teaching an accurate portrayal of racial history in this country and the right to peaceful protest as examples.
Berkman-Breen said these activities are “very clearly things that this administration in other parts of the government has already attacked in civil society and in the states and local communities, but they’re now bringing that sort of attack into the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.”
In response to a request for comment, the department shared a statement from Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent, who said “it is unconscionable that the plaintiffs are standing up for” what he describes as “criminal activity.”
“This is a commonsense reform that will stop taxpayer dollars from subsidizing organizations involved in terrorism, child trafficking, and transgender procedures that are doing irreversible harm to children,” he said. “The final rule is crystal clear: the Department will enforce it neutrally, without consideration of the employer’s mission, ideology, or the population they serve.”
How will employers be affected?
Michele Zampini, associate vice president for federal policy and advocacy at the Institute for College Access & Success, said the final rule will divert nonprofits’ ability to focus on their mission and impede their ability to keep staff on and attract new workers.
The final rule “will have the effect of putting a lot of nonprofits doing a lot of really important work in their communities in a defensive position, whether they’re being preemptively defensive to try and avoid running afoul of the administration, or whether they’re already kind of in a position where the administration has identified them as a target,” she said.
Zampini, whose group aims to advance affordability, accountability and equity in higher education, added that the program was crucial in attracting talent to service-oriented work.
“PSLF is a big part of what … enables people to take on what may be lower-paying jobs in exchange for being able to manage their debt over time,” she said. “If people don’t have that option, or even if they feel like they don’t have that option or are afraid they won’t have that option, it becomes a lot harder to kind of attract people to those roles.”
What legal challenges have come out against the policy?
The administration is already facing a handful of lawsuits over the final rule, with critics urging federal courts to vacate the policy and deem it “unlawful.”
The challengers include a slew of cities, labor unions and nonprofit advocacy groups who filed suit in a Massachusetts federal court Nov. 3.
Another lawsuit was brought the same day in the same federal court from Democratic attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and Wisconsin.
Four nonprofit advocacy groups also filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Nov. 4 against the administration over the rule.
Hemp plant at a farm in Minnesota. (Photo by Baylor Spears)
When Jacob Diener first heard that the status of hemp could be reviewed, he wasn’t too concerned. With his company, A Good Plug, the 32-year-old expected to continue producing small batch hemp products like gummies, brownies, and cheesecakes.
“It seems around this time it happens every year that they want to re-assess the Farm Bill,” Diener told the Wisconsin Examiner. But 2025 was different and Diener, like others across the industry, was caught off guard when what amounted to a prohibition on his livelihood was discreetly attached to a deal to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. “It’s just weird and scary,” he said.
Hemp businesses were allowed to flourish after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized the production and distribution of hemp products with no more than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis. But under new rules that were included in the stopgap spending bill ending the federal government shutdown last week, products must contain no more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container.
Jacob Diener, owner of A Good Plug. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)
Steve Hampton, owner of the Eau Claire-based company Steve’s Hemp, says that standard is biologically impossible to meet. “[The] hemp plant struggles to grow to meet that guideline before it’s even harvested,” Hampton told the Wisconsin Examiner. “So, we’re seeing upwards to 99% of the industry get wiped out from this.”
THC is the primary psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant. Although hemp and the psychoactive variety commonly known as marijuana are the same plant species, they have different chemical compositions. Many cannabis varieties are cultivated with high levels of THC for markets in states where the plant has been legalized medical or recreational.
Hemp, with far lower concentrations of THC, is mostly used for rope, paper and industrial products. It is also offered in states that do not have legal cannabis markets as an alternative — a source for products containing delta-9 THC, THCa, THCp and other derivatives.
The law reopening the government, however, effectively bans those products and gives the industry until next November to adapt or fizzle out. Erin Kelly, owner of the Wauwatosa-based hemp goods store Kelly’s Greens, told TMJ4 that even CBD products contain trace amounts of THC which make them effective medicine, and that the new rules would render that medicine ineffective. Wisconsin’s hemp industry is estimated to be valued at $700 million and accounts for at least 3,500 jobs, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
“Everybody’s frantic, you know, we’re all worried,” Hampton told the Examiner. Without an amendment to the new rules or legislative intervention, Hampton says the nation’s $28.4 billion hemp industry won’t survive, and that most of his own store’s inventory would be banned.
More than just a cash crop
When he was a teenager in Fond du Lac, Diener was introduced to cannabis through his grandmother, who used it to manage her pain and chronic illnesses. He began using it to help with his stress and the early signs of Crohn’s disease he was experiencing
After years of working in the restaurant industry, Diener realized he wanted more out of life. “And so I started to get permission from my chef to start making candy in the kitchen behind the scenes, just learning the basics, but with the intentions that I wanted to make infused candy, gummy worms, stuff like that,” he said. “Stuff that I didn’t see on the market at the time.”
Hampton also became involved in hemp after experiencing the medicinal value of the plant. “I was a college student at the time,” he said, “and was looking for some relief with some back pain, some sore muscles from the gym. And my dad had actually bought me some CBD oil to test out for my birthday. And it was from a local farm up here in northern Wisconsin. That helped me a ton with what I needed it for.”
Steve Hampton, owner of Steve’s Hemp in Eau Claire Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Steve Hampton)
Hampton realized that there were not many such products marketed to younger people like him. He grew his business online before opening a storefront during Small Business Week in 2021. Today Hampton, 29, owns and operates his business alongside his wife and five employees. People of all ages come into his store. “In-store, we have a lot of customers who come in just looking for relief,” he said. Many of the customers are seeking a remedy for anxiety, as well as “a large handful of customers that have chronic pain,” he said.
Steve’s Hemp carries flowers, vapes, gummies, candies, topical ointments and other products. Diener, who specializes in culinary cannabis products, makes everything from Nerds-covered gummies (a popular product he calls “Stoney Bites”) to other sweets. Diener describes his customers as “such a community of oddballs and people who have unique personalities. And that’s what I’ve always hoped for, and that’s kind of what I come from and who I am a person. People authentic to themselves.”
The cost of prohibition
Before the federal ban on THC-derived hemp products was added to the bill to reopen the government, Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin were already working on bills to restrict or prohibit the industry in the state. Representatives Lindee Brill (R-Sheboygan Falls), Jim Piwowarczyk (R-Hubertus) and others introduced what they called “a common-sense corrective bill” to close the “loophole” that allowed what they called “dangerous, psychoactive THC-laced products to proliferate in Wisconsin.”
The lawmakers pointed to health advisory warnings issued by federal agencies about the use of delta-9 THC, and issues with unregulated markets across the country. In Wisconsin, hemp products from CBD to delta-9, HHH, THCa, and others can either be found at dispensaries where employees are often knowledgeable about their products, or at gas stations and smoke shops where customers don’t receive information and guidance. Wisconsin lawmakers have raised an alarm about emergency room visits and poison center calls linked to delta-8 THC and similar compounds, as well as concerns that children could easily purchase the products.
A hemp plant at a Cottage Grove farm. Hemp, used for industrial purposes and now grown legally in Wisconsin, is made from a variety of the cannabis plant that is low in THC, the active ingredient that is responsible for the intoxicating effect of marijuana. (Wisconsin Examiner photo)
Hemp business owners say they often applaud common sense regulation. They also support fully legalizing cannabis in Wisconsin — ending prohibition. To address concerns about health consequences and children’s access to cannabis, “what would really help that is regulation, not prohibition,” Hampton said.
Everything from clear packaging guidelines to age restrictions, lab testing and education about where the product comes from and what it does could be part of a legal regulatory structure, Hampton argued. Rather than allowing any gas station to carry hemp products, Hampton would like to see licensed facilities staffed by people who care about what they’re doing. “Our main goal with this business was to educate our customers, and know what’s in our product, and recommend what would work best for our customer,” he said.
One 2024 study analyzing national poison data systems found that between 2021 and 2022, reports of exposure to delta-8 THC increased by 79%. The study also found that poison center calls for delta-8 were significantly lower in places where either delta-THC was banned, or where cannabis use was already legalized. “Consistent regulation of delta-THC across all states should be adopted,” the study recommended. Other poison center data shows that since 2022, exposures to delta-8 THC have plummeted, a trend which has continued into 2025.
Prohibition also creates economic stagnation, advocates contend. Tim Frey, of Ignite Dispensary and Cigar calls it “Wisconsin’s half a billion dollar loss.”
Frey lobbied against state Republican bills to restrict hemp, and he argues that hundreds of millions are essentially handed over to Michigan and Illinois every year when Wisconsinites make the sometimes difficult decision to travel across state lines to obtain cannabis.
“Now that Minnesota is opening up, with the largest border, we’re probably going to be losing approximately up to $200 million,” Frey told Wisconsin Examiner. “And then if they came up with a small tax on hemp-derived stuff, that’s easily $100 million there, if not more, give or take. So it’s going to be around half a billion dollars that Wisconsin could use to give to law enforcement, get fentanyl off our streets, reduce property taxes, invest in roads” and other uses.
Getty Images
Hampton fears that now customers will go to the black market or risk being pulled over after driving to a neighboring state. “I just don’t understand why they thought that prohibition would be the right answer,” he said.
As some Wisconsin legislators are working to enact a new prohibition on hemp products, others are trying to legalize medicinal THC cannabis in the state. Earlier this year, two-thirds of registered voters polled by Marquette Law School said that cannabis should be legalized in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have introduced what would be one of the country’s most restrictive medicinal cannabis programs.
Frey is cautious of the medical-cannabis-only approach, however, “because it’s very hard to qualify with some ailments,” he told the Wisconsin Examiner. He added that if Wisconsin passed a restrictive medical cannabis program, then it would open the door for the state’s indigenous tribal communities, as sovereign nations, to open their own recreational programs. “So then we would be a recreational state without the control, or the revenue,” he said.
Diener said that when conservative lawmakers talk about cannabis, they sound at least 10 years behind the times. “I think that right now there’s such extreme viewpoints on it that are outdated, and really just don’t line up with today’s market or today’s values with the plant,” he said.
Frey believes that it’s past time Wisconsin had a serious discussion about legalization. “Limit the licenses,” he declared. “Control this, tax it, get licenses out there to responsible people that are going to do things the right way — that card people, that do truth-in labeling, that care about the quality of their products.”
In addition to strict regulation, Diener said parents can protect their children from hemp products instead of the government banning them. “You have the responsibility just the same as if you have a gun in the home to keep your things in a safe space that your children cannot access,” Diener said. “You wouldn’t have your alcohol bottle sitting just, like, within reach or in a cupboard that your kids know they can access. Even growing up as a teen, when my mom knew that I was starting to go to parties and stuff, she would start to hide her alcohol.”
After the federal hemp laws were changed, Piwowarczyk, in a television interview, said unsympathetically of hemp business owners that “you guys took a gamble when you decided to open up your hemp business.”
Hampton counters that lawmakers like Piwowarczyk should “open their eyes, and look around, and actually meet with the constituents of their districts” who are the consumers driving the industry.
Uneasy months ahead
For now, hemp distributors and their allies have until next November to adjust to the new federal restrictions. Frey said Wisconsin could provide some protection for the industry by enacting its own regulations for hemp products, similar to the way states have legalized cannabis industries despite the ongoing federal prohibition.
There are already state-level legislative responses in the works, he said. One bill, AB 503, would redefine the definition of hemp to prohibit THC-derived products. Another, AB 606, would add hemp to the responsibilities of the agency in the Department of Revenue that regulates alcohol. A bill authored by Senate Democrats, SB 644, would create a regulated framework and age limits for hemp products, though it lacks Republican co-sponsors. Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) is circulating a draft bill for co-sponsorship that also regulates hemp products.
Steve’s Hemp in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Steve Hampton)
“That bill is probably the best, most common-sense written bill that I’ve seen,” Frey told the Wisconsin Examiner. While the Democratic bill would be promising, he said, he thinks it won’t gain Republican support.
“It’s more crucial to protect this industry in Wisconsin than it is to craft the most perfect bill,” said Frey, adding that he thinks the hemp industry will get behind Testin’s bill “full force”.
At the same time, however, Frey wonders whether the federal regulations will change by next November. He points out that the new law gives the industry a year to adapt instead of imposing a ban immediately.
Frey thinks that if Wisconsin passes hemp regulations but the federal laws remain the same, then the hemp industry would risk losing its federal task deductions and also lose the ability to conduct interstate commerce.
If there is no change to save the hemp industry, a cascade of effects will ripple out. Earlier this year, Hampton opened a new manufacturing facility just down the street from the Steve’s Hemp storefront. In the middle of next year, he will likely have to close that as well, he said.
Once the new law takes effect, “our hands are pretty much tied,” said Hampton. “My wife and I will have to find new jobs for each other, continue to make ends meet. And then those families that work for us — those employees that work for us — will have to do the same.” Until then, Diener said, “I am going to continue to serve the people who need us the most and work to continue growing this dream and keeping this dream alive.”
Hampton and his employees “are obsessed and passionate about this industry,” Hampton said. “We started this industry with hopes to run a legal dispensary out of Wisconsin, and hopefully transition into that. Now that plan is crushed. And so we don’t know what we’re going to do. We’re just going to try to keep our hopes up, and try to fight as much as we can to keep [hemp] legal, and if that isn’t possible, get recreational cannabis pushed through the state of Wisconsin.”
DPI announced this week that initial special education payments would reimburse schools for their special education costs at 35%. A hallway in La Follette High School in Madison. (Wisconsin Examiner photo)
Initial special education reimbursement payments to school districts this year will be about 35% of their costs — about 7 percentage points below the estimated rate approved in the state budget.
When the 2025-27 state budget was passed by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Tony Evers in July, policymakers boasted that their investments would bring the special education reimbursement rate to a historic 42% in the first year of the budget and 45% in the second year.
While school districts will still receive more aid for special education costs this year than in previous state budgets, it appears that the state funding set aside probably won’t be enough to reach the rate that was estimated when the budget was signed in July.
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) announced in a bulletin on Monday that initial special education payments for November through March would reimburse schools 35% of their special education costs. While DPI uses a slightly lower rate to avoid overpayment and this is not the final reimbursement rate, Chris Bucher, DPI director of communications, said in an email that the agency has anticipated the rate falling below the estimate.
Special education reimbursement rates for public school districts can vary from the estimate because it is a sum certain allocation, meaning that payments come from a fixed pot of money.
During the budget process, public education advocates, DPI and Gov. Tony Evers called for that to change to a sum sufficient allocation, meaning that the amount of money provided by the state would be enough to meet the set reimbursement rate. Republican lawmakers rejected the request.
According to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo released Thursday, in 2024-25 the state had appropriated about $574 million to special education aid. When the 2023-25 state budget was passed, the appropriation was estimated to bring schools to a 33.3% rate in each year of the budget. In November 2024, DPI estimated a rate of 29.16%, and the final rate for that school year was 30.64%.
Based on cost increases in recent years, DPI projected costs would grow by 4% for its 2025-27 state budget request. It had estimated that aidable costs would be about $1.8 billion in 2025-26 and $1.9 billion in 2026-27. Those estimates were also used as Evers prepared his budget request and as the Legislature prepared the budget.
According to the new memo, DPI now projects that aidable costs in 2024-25 increased by an estimated 9% — a rate more than twice the original projection when the 2025-27 budget was being drafted.
For the 2025-27 state budget, the DPI requested about $2 billion across the biennium to cover special education costs for school at a rate of 90% by the second year of the budget and to change the funding from “sum certain” to “sum sufficient.”
Gov. Tony Evers also requested the change from sum certain to sum sufficient, though he requested increasing it to a 60% rate by the second year. The Joint Committee on Finance denied those requests instead choosing to provide $207 million in the first year of the budget to cover an estimated 42% of costs and $297 million in the second year to cover costs at an estimated rate of 45%.
Advocates called attention to the reimbursement rate in statements this week, saying the funding system needs an overhaul.
Peggy Wirtz-Olsen, president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the state’s largest teachers union, blamed the rate on lawmakers, saying that they “turned their backs on our most vulnerable children, failing to deliver on promised special education funding and leaving our students without the supports they need to succeed in school.”
“This shortfall will mean even more communities forced into holding school referendums in 2026 just to meet basic needs, causing uncertainty and hardship for students who deserve better from their elected leaders,” Wirtz-Olsen said in a statement.
Wirtz-Olsen said lawmakers have been “caught lying about the scant resources they are providing.”
“It’s time for these politicians to fix Wisconsin’s school funding formula and fulfill what the state Constitution requires,” she said. “Taxpayers have had enough of picking up the tab on our property taxes to make up for their refusal to fund schools. If they won’t take action for the students who most need help, educators and families will.”
Beth Swedeen, executive director of the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities, called on the state to change the way it funds school districts.
“It’s time to build a budget that is rooted in real costs and can provide budget certainty to schools and parents that the promises made by the legislature will translate into real dollars schools can use,” Swedeen said in a statement. “We should not be in this position cycle after cycle where students with disabilities and schools are undercut by accounting codes.”
U.S. production of associated dissolved natural gas, also known as associated natural gas, increased by 6% last year, mirroring the growth in crude oil production from the Permian region. Associated natural gas production averaged 18.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2024, according to data from Enverus DrillingInfo.
The new BYD Atto 2 will hit the market with its screen fixed in landscape mode.
Existing BYD models can’t run Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in portrait mode.
When BYD burst onto the global stage a few years ago, it did so with infotainment displays that could spin 90 degrees and be operated in either portrait or landscape modes. While mostly a gimmick, it has helped the brand’s models stand out from the competition. However, the Chinese conglomerate has revealed its spinning screen won’t be around for much longer.
BYD’s vice-president, Stella Li, said that while the company’s customers liked having the rotating screen, it is limiting for some apps, in particular Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As such, the automaker has ditched it for the new Atto 2 and will eliminate it from other models, too. Moving forward, the screens will be locked in their landscape position.
“We are starting to engage in a lot of apps,” Li told Autocar. “The Atto 2 will be the first model with Google and Apple CarPlay. And if they want to give the best experience, then a rotating screen will limit their apps. And then secondly, we saw the feedback in the market. People love the rotating screens, but the usage is very small.”
According to BYD, its infotainment screen had been easier to use in portrait mode when stationary and while on the move, in addition to being better for navigation. However, in the models that we’ve driven, we’ve always found it easier to operate the screen in landscape mode, perhaps because this is the orientation of the screens in the vast majority of modern cars. Additionally, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto only function in that mode.
During the same interview, Li added that BYD will accelerate its partnerships with firms including Apple and Google, hence why it makes sense to use a cleaner and simpler interface.
BYD has big plans for 2026, particularly in Europe. Earlier this week, its regional managing director said the company will double its retail footprint in the region next year, aiming to have roughly 1,000 retail points.
Redesigned Mercedes GLB has been spied ahead of its December debut.
The crossover sports a streamlined design that echoes the Smart #5.
Customers will be able to choose between hybrid and electric powertrains.
Mercedes is gearing up to introduce the redesigned GLB on December 8 and the camouflage is starting to come off. This gives us our best look at the upcoming crossover, which will be offered with an electric powertrain.
While the front and rear ends are heavily disguised, the crossover’s profile has been exposed. This reveals an evolutionary design, which closely resembles the Smart #5. The similarities are striking as both have flush-mounted door handles and a corresponding greenhouse. The déjà vu design extends to the lower cladding and pronounced rear haunches.
Compared to the current GLB, we can see starry new headlights and streamlined bodywork. Designers also gave the crossover a more conventional beltline and a completely new rear end.
The latter has vertical taillights that appear to be connected by an illuminated bar. Elsewhere, the license plate recess has been moved from the liftgate to the rear bumper.
A High-Tech And Screen-Focused Interior
Mercedes revealed the GLB’s interior earlier this month and the model will offer an optional MBUX Superscreen. It should consist of a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14-inch infotainment system, and a 14-inch front passenger display.
Buyers will also find a new steering wheel, a floating center console, and an available wireless smartphone charger. There will also be five- and seven-seat configurations.
Speaking of which, Mercedes said the second-row has additional legroom as well as “noticeably more headroom.” Third-row passengers will find improved entry and egress.
A panoramic glass roof will come standard and customers can upgrade to an illuminated roof that features a “starry sky.” One version of the roof will also be able to transition from clear to opaque in a matter of milliseconds.
The crossover is expected to echo the CLA and offer an 85 kWh battery pack as well as two powertrains at launch. The entry-level variant could have a rear-mounted motor with 268 hp (200 kW / 272 PS) and 247 lb-ft (335 Nm) of torque. Customers can also expect a dual-motor all-wheel drive system producing 349 hp (260 kW / 354 PS) and 380 lb-ft (515 Nm) of torque.
They should be joined by a hybrid powertrain that has a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, a 1.3 kWh battery pack, and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with an integrated electric motor. This enables the European CLA to have outputs of 154 hp (115 kW / 156 PS) and 206 lb-ft (280 Nm) as well as 181 hp (135 kW / 184 PS) and 243 lb-ft (330 Nm).
VW faces a lawsuit over ID.4 steering wheel touch button safety issues.
Drivers claim light contact can trigger ACC and cause sudden acceleration.
One plaintiff says her EV struck a tree after brushing the ACC button.
Several months after VW was sued in the United States over claims the capacitive steering wheel buttons of the ID. 4 pose a safety risk, the company has filed a motion to dismiss.
A case like this can gather momentum long before it reaches a courtroom, so VW is trying to shut it down before it turns into a long, expensive tangle.
The class-action lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, argues that drivers can inadvertently trigger Adaptive Cruise Control with a light pass of the hand over the steering wheel’s capacitive controls.
The two plaintiffs named in the lawsuit say they are “terrified and hesitant” to drive their vehicles because of this risk.
What Does VW Say?
While no doubt inadvertently engaging a vehicle’s Adaptive Cruise Control system could be a little unnerving, VW has noted that neither of the two plaintiffs has had to stop driving their vehicles because of the alleged fault.
One plaintiff, Janice Beecher, says she brushed the ACC button while pulling into a parking space, claiming the ID.4 then accelerated and struck a tree. VW counters that Beecher never stated she applied the brakes during the incident.
The company adds that although Beecher reported the issue, the ID.4’s event data recorder did not capture any sign that the event occurred.
As for the second plaintiff, Omar Hakkaoui, he says his wife damaged their ID.4 after it suddenly accelerated in their driveway. However, according to VW, Hakkaoui has not claimed that his wife touched the ACC controls on the steering wheel.
The German automaker argues that the class action’s warranty claims fall short and that the plaintiffs have not clearly identified the defect they believe affects the electric crossover.
It also maintains that the lawsuit should not go forward as a class action because the plaintiffs live in Massachusetts and Connecticut and cannot represent owners who live outside those states.
Tesla will attach the Cybertruck’s light bar using bolts instead of adhesive.
Over 6,000 Cybertrucks were recalled due to light bars detaching on the road.
Owners will be notified by December 26, with repairs expected in early 2026.
Sometimes, the fix really is the obvious one, especially when the original solution involved little more than strong glue and wishful thinking. Tesla has outlined how it intends to keep the Cybertruck’s optional off-road lightbar from slipping away.
Instead of relying on adhesive, which has not aged well in practice, the company now plans to fasten the light bar to the roof with actual bolts.
Last month, Tesla announced that it was recalling 6,197 Cybertrucks because the optional LED light bar was being held on solely with strong adhesive.
Not surprisingly, several light bars failed to stay attached, separating from vehicles while driving. The issue stemmed from problems with the adhesive primers used during installation. So far, Tesla has logged 619 warranty claims related to the light bar coming loose.
Bolts Sure Are Better Than Adhesive
Well, at least now Tesla has come up with a solution that should, in practice, work. The company has developed a new steel bracket that affixes to both sides of the light bar.
The bracket then slides between the stainless steel window frames of the Cybertruck and includes a small attachment that is bolted directly into the vehicle’s roof.
Although Tesla has now developed the fix, it’s not yet ready to start repairing customer cars. According to the original recall bulletin, owners won’t be formally notified until December 26. That means service center appointments likely won’t begin until early 2026.
So, if you own a Cybertruck with the light bar held on exclusively with adhesive, it might be wise to limit your drive. Or, if you must drive it before you’re able to book in an appointment at your local Tesla service center, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some duct tape to try and better secure the light bar, if only temporarily.
A Long-Standing Issue
The off-road light bar has been a sore point for owners ever since the Cybertruck arrived in late 2023. Owners who paid extra for the Foundation Series version of the electric pickup were supposed to receive the light bar as standard, yet most trucks showed up without it because Tesla was still finalizing the accessory.
GM’s China studio created a sporty EV concept for local market appeal.
Sketches show a grille-less SUV with arrow cues and wraparound glass.
The design may inspire future Chevrolet models for Chinese customers.
The world’s largest automotive market has become a linchpin for General Motors, a place where nearly all its brands are striving to secure a stronger presence. To that end, GM’s China Advanced Design studio has unveiled another fresh concept study, a “sporty EV” created specifically with Chinese buyers in mind.
The exploration sketches and renderings were made by GM designer Charles Huang at the company’s Shanghai facilities. They show what looks like a small crossover – some might even see shades of a future Bolt – with oversized wheels and a contrasting bi-tone paint scheme.
At the front, the concept trades a traditional grille for a clean, enclosed surface with split LED headlights and a Chevrolet emblem that may light up. The bodywork is restrained, defined by crisp lines and minimal decorative detailing.
The most striking element is the wraparound glasshouse, framed by a thick C-pillar that seems to clasp the rear of the vehicle. The contrast between the deep blue and black tones amplifies this visual tension.
GM Design / Instagram
According to the designer, the profile is inspired by a “released arrow”, an idea most evident in the early sketches. The later, photorealistic renderings dial the drama back, edging closer to something feasible for production.
In fact, it’s easy to picture this crossover parked in a Chevrolet showroom, fitted with regular mirrors and door handles, of course, assuming those still have a place in modern EV design.
The presentation on the GM Design Instagram profile doesn’t include any sketches of the interior. We don’t have any specs, either, although a rear-mounted electric motor and a medium-sized battery pack would probably do the job.
The EV seems to have a similar length to the Chinese-spec Chevrolet Tracker RS and the US-spec Bolt. That puts it below the Trailblazer, Trax, Equinox EV, and Blazer currently sold in the States.
While the Chevrolet concept is just a design study with no production intent, GM is working on multiple affordable EVs for the future. It is safe to assume that at least some of them will adopt an SUV bodystyle, possibly similar to the “sporty EV” depicted in the sketches.
Though GM describes the project as a design study with no immediate production intent, it arrives at a time when the company is actively developing several affordable EVs for many markets. It’s likely that some of those models will borrow cues from this study, especially the SUV silhouete.
E SUV concept previews the second model from the AUDI sub-brand.
It carries the E5 Sportback’s design language on a larger SUV body.
Dual motors deliver 671 hp and promise a 435-mile driving range.
One year after introducing the AUDI sub-brand for China, Audi and its joint-venture partner SAIC are already gearing up for their second production model, following the market launch of the E5 Sportback in September.
The momentum continues with the reveal of the new AUDI E SUV concept at the Guangzhou Auto Show, a preview of an electric SUV expected to reach Chinese showrooms in 2026.
The concept feels nearly production-ready, carrying over the same design cues as its low-slung stablemate. Signature styling cues include the wraparound lights on both ends and the clean surfacing with sculpted fenders.
The electric SUV also features short overhangs, flush door handles, and camera-based mirrors, with fin-shaped C-pillars adding a distinctive profile.
The AUDI emblem now sits prominently on the nose, and at 5,057 mm (199.1 inches) in length with a 3,060 mm (120.5 inches) wheelbase, the concept nearly matches the footprint of the combustion-powered Q7.
The company hasn’t revealed the interior, though it’s likely to mirror the E5 Sportback’s layout, centered around a vast 27-inch 4K display stretching across most of the dashboard.
The concept also includes the AUDI 360 Driving Assist System, an advanced driver-assistance suite developed specifically for Chinese traffic patterns and road conditions.
The AUDI E SUV is built on the Advanced Digitized Platform (ADP), developed jointly with SAIC. Power comes from dual electric motors delivering a combined 671 hp (500 kW / 680 PS) to a quattro all-wheel-drive system.
According to the company, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0–62 mph) in roughly five seconds.
The 800-volt battery pack holds 109 kWh and promises a CLTC range of over 700 km (435 miles). A rapid 10-minute charge can add about 320 km (199 miles), though the figure trails slightly behind the smaller, slipperier E5 Sportback, which stretches to 770 km (478 miles) per charge.
A Stretched A6 e-tron For China
Sharing the spotlight in Guangzhou, the A6L e-tron stretches Audi’s EV presence in the region. This version, built for Chinese buyers, gains 132 mm (5.2 inches) in wheelbase and a subtly revised front end featuring a black trim strip that links the main headlights across a covered grille.
The cabin features a market-specific infotainment system and enhanced driver assistance features. It runs on an 800-volt electrical system with a 107 kWh battery offering a CLTC range of 770 km (479 miles).
Production takes place in Changchun under the Audi-FAW joint venture, alongside the Q6L e-tron and Q6L Sportback e-tron.
AUDI’s leadership describes this expansion as part of a sweeping realignment in China. CEO Gernot Döllner called it “the largest model initiative in our company’s history,” noting that five new locally built models have already launched in the latter half of 2025.
Audi China President Johannes Roscheck emphasized the brand’s dual strategy of combining two powertrains and two partners to secure long-term growth. In his words, “local innovation is now part of our foundation,” as the company aims to balance its legacy in combustion engines with a steady acceleration toward electrification.
The plan carries through 2026, with several new models already slated to join the China-specific portfolio.
New Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric tips the scales at 5,831 pounds.
Flagship electric SUV even outweighs the mighty Ford F-150 Raptor.
Compared to the Rivian R1S Quad Motor, the Cayenne seems light.
While we’re not convinced there were many Porsche customers clamoring for a high-powered electric SUV, there’s no denying that the new Cayenne Electric boasts some impressive figures, chief among them, the fact that it’s the most powerful series production model ever built in Zuffenhausen.
In Turbo guise, the Cayenne Electric produces a staggering 1,139 horsepower and sprints from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.5 seconds.
That puts it squarely in hypercar territory, yet this is a full-size luxury SUV, complete with every comfort you could possibly need or not need. Porsche also claims it can cover up to 488 miles (785 km) on a single charge when driven in urban conditions.
Still, like many high-performance EVs, the Cayenne Electric’s greatest strength is matched by a significant drawback. Weight remains the elephant in the room, and in this case, it’s a glaringly heavy one.
How Heavy Is Too Heavy?
A look at the technical breakdown for the Cayenne Turbo Electric shows a curb weight of 5,831 lbs (2,645 kg) according to the DIN standard, or 5,997 lbs (2,720 kg) under the latest EU Directive, which factors in a 165-lb (75-kg) driver.
That makes this the heaviest road-going Porsche ever produced. Unless the engineers in Stuttgart have performed some kind of chassis sorcery, hiding that mass will be a serious challenge.
For context, consider the new hybrid BMW M5, a car already heavily criticized, even mocked, for its bulk. The sedan tips the scales at 5,390 lbs (2,444 kg), while the M5 Touring version edges up to 5,530 lbs (2,508 kg). The Cayenne Turbo Electric surpasses both with room to spare.
It also outweighs the Ford F-150 Raptor, which comes in at 5,710 lbs (2,590 kg), and is not far behind the Raptor R at 5,950 lbs (2,698 kg). Even standard versions of the F-150, such as the V8-powered Regular Cab at 4,948 lbs (2,245 kg) and the SuperCrew at 5,038 lbs (2,285 kg), appear relatively light in comparison.
The new all-electric Cayenne is also roughly on par with the Hyundai Ioniq 9, which weighs between 5,523 lbs (2,505 kg) and 5,908 lbs (2,680 kg) depending on the specification. However, it’s worth noting that the Ioniq 9 is a three-row SUV and is longer and wider than the Porsche.
Heavy, But Not the Heaviest
That said, the Cayenne isn’t quite as weighty as the Rivian R1S Quad Motor, which reaches an astonishing 6,824 lbs (3,169 kg). Despite that, the Rivian’s 1,025 horsepower still falls short of the Porsche’s output.
The launch of the Cayenne Electric comes at an interesting time for the Porsche brand. Not too long ago, it had been planning to only sell the future Cayman and Boxster models with electric powertrains and had been planning a flagship seven-seat SUV, codenamed the K1, to be also sold exclusively as an EV.
Those plans have now shifted. Porsche has confirmed that all of these future models will be re-engineered to accommodate combustion power as well.
Around 115 million years ago, northern Australia’s seas hosted a colossal shark that rewrites what we thought we knew about early ocean predators. New fossil discoveries show that modern-type sharks were experimenting with gigantic sizes far earlier than scientists believed, competing with the marine “monsters” of the dinosaur age.
Scientists discovered that deep earthquake faults can heal far faster than expected, sometimes within hours. Slow slip events in Cascadia reveal repeated fault movements that only make sense if the fault quickly regains strength. Lab experiments show that mineral grains can weld together under intense heat and pressure, acting like a natural glue. This rapid cohesion may be a missing factor in earthquake modeling.
People who smoke only a couple of cigarettes a day still face surprisingly high risks of heart problems and early death. A large review of long-term studies shows that even very light smokers can see their risk of heart failure climb sharply. While quitting leads to major health improvements, some risk remains for decades. The safest approach is quitting entirely, especially at younger ages.
A massive real-world study comparing tirzepatide and semaglutide reveals both drugs deliver strong, early cardiovascular protection—reducing heart attack, stroke, and death in adults with type 2 diabetes. While companies have claimed large differences favoring their own medications, researchers found only modest distinctions between the two blockbuster GLP-1 drugs.
Researchers uncovered how estrogen subtly reshapes learning by strengthening dopamine reward signals in the brain. Rats learned faster when estrogen levels were high and struggled when the hormone’s activity was blocked. The findings help explain how hormonal cycles influence cognitive performance and psychiatric symptoms. This connection offers a new path for understanding brain disorders tied to dopamine.
Scientists have uncovered a long-missing piece of the volcanic puzzle: rising magma doesn’t just form explosive gas bubbles when pressure drops—it can do so simply by being sheared and “kneaded” inside a volcano’s conduit. These shear forces can trigger early bubble growth, create escape channels for gas, and sometimes turn potentially catastrophic magmas into surprisingly gentle lava flows.
Researchers discovered that the common amino acid arginine can block harmful Aβ aggregation and reduce its toxic effects in Alzheimer’s disease models. In flies and mice, oral arginine lowered plaque levels, reduced inflammation, and improved behavior. Its strong safety record and low cost make it a promising repurposing candidate. The findings hint at a surprisingly simple path toward more accessible AD therapies.
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