KJOY spent the morning at Crossroads Farm in Malverne to get the scoop from Malverne Mel, Nassau County’s famous prognosticator! Six more weeks of winter? Early spring? Find out what Mel had to say here:
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran joined Jamie Thursday morning to discuss how Nassau County is dealing with COVID-19.
Check out this awesome duet remix of “Cold Heart” with Elton John and Dua Lipa!
BBQ Chicken with a twist! Stephanie from Sweet Savory and Steph’s Light BBQ Chicken Tostadas with Pineapple Salsa requires very little prep at all. Just minutes in the kitchen and you’ll have this easy lunch packed with a punch to grab and go the rest of the week. Get the full recipe HERE!
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, will be sworn in as the 47th president on Monday, taking charge as Republicans assume unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions.
Trump is expected to act swiftly after the ceremony, with executive orders already prepared for his signature to jumpstart deportations, increase fossil fuel development and reduce civil service protections for government workers, promising that his term will bring about “a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride.”
Frigid weather is rewriting the pageantry of the day. Trump’s swearing-in was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda — the first time that has happened in 40 years — and the inaugural parade was replaced by an event at a downtown arena. Throngs of Trump supporters who descended on the city to watch the inaugural ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol from the National Mall will be left to find somewhere else to view the festivities.
“God has a plan,” said Terry Barber, 46, who drove nonstop from near Augusta, Georgia, to reach Washington. “I’m good with it.”
When Trump takes the oath of office at noon, he will realize a political comeback without precedent in American history. Four years ago, he was voted out of the White House during an economic collapse caused by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Trump denied his defeat and tried to cling to power. He directed his supporters to march on the Capitol while lawmakers were certifying the election results, sparking a riot that interrupted the country’s tradition of the peaceful transfer of power.
But Trump never lost his grip on the Republican Party, and was undeterred by criminal cases and two assassination attempts as he steamrolled rivals and harnessed voters’ exasperation with inflation and illegal immigration.
Now Trump will be the first person convicted of a felony — for falsifying business records related to hush money payments — to serve as president. He will pledge to “preserve, protect and defend” the Constitution from the same spot that was overrun by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. He’s said that one of his first acts in office will be to pardon many of those who participated in the riot.
Eight years after he first entered the White House as a political newcomer, Trump is far more familiar with the operations of federal government and emboldened to bend it to his vision. He has promised retribution against his political opponents and critics, and placed personal loyalty as a prime qualification for appointments to his administration.
He has pledged to go further and move faster in enacting his agenda than during his first term, and already the country’s political, business and technology leaders have realigned themselves to accommodate Trump. Democrats who once formed a “resistance” are now divided over whether to work with Trump or defy him. Billionaires have lined up to meet with Trump as they acknowledge his unrivaled power in Washington and ability to wield the levers of government to help or hurt their interests.
Trump has pledged to bring quick change to the country by curtailing immigration, enacting tariffs on imports and rolling back Democrats’ climate and social initiatives.
Long skeptical of American alliances, his “America First” foreign policy is being watched warily at home and abroad as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will soon enter its third year and a fragile ceasefire appears to be holding in Gaza after more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
Trump, who spent Saturday and Sunday night at Blair House across from the White House, will begin Monday with a prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Then he and his wife Melania will be greeted at the executive mansion by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for the customary tea. It’s a stark departure from four years ago, when Trump refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory or attend his inauguration.
The two men and their spouses will head to the Capitol in a joint motorcade ahead of the swearing-in.
Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn-in first, taking the oath read by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on a bible given to him by his great-grandmother. Trump will follow, using both a family bible and the one used by President Abraham Lincoln at his 1861 inauguration as Chief Justice John Roberts administers his oath.
The inaugural festivities began Saturday, when Trump arrived in Washington on a government jet and viewed fireworks at his private golf club in suburban Virginia. On Sunday, he laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery and rallied his supporters at Washington’s downtown Capital One Arena.
A cadre of billionaires and tech titans who have sought to curry favor with Trump and have donated handsomely to his inaugural festivities, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, will be in attendance.
Also present will be the head of TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned social media app deemed a national security risk by the U.S. Trump has promised to lift an effective ban on TikTok through one of many executive orders expected to be issued on Monday as the new president attempts to show quick progress.
At his Sunday rally, Trump teased dozens of coming executive actions, promising that “by the time the sun sets” on Monday he will have signed executive orders involving border security and immigration policy, including a revival of Trump’s first-term effort to shut down access to many new entries under what’s called Title 42 emergency provisions.
Others orders are expected to allow more oil and gas drilling by rolling back Biden-era policies on domestic energy production and rescind Biden’s recent directive on artificial intelligence.
More changes are planned for the federal workforce. Trump wants to unwind diversity, equity and inclusion programs known as DEI, require employees to come back to the office and lay the groundwork to reduce staff.
“Expect shock and awe,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
“What I’ve been urging the president, and my colleagues, to do is stay laser-focused on delivering on our promises,” Cruz said. “And that’s what I expect that we’re going to do.”
With control of Congress, Republicans are also working alongside the incoming Trump administration on legislation that will further roll back Biden administration policies and institute their own priorities.
“The president is going to come in with a flurry of executive orders,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “And we are going to be working alongside the administration and in tandem.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — When President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as president of the United States inside the Capitol’s rotunda, he will do so facing a bust of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday commemorating King’s legacy.
It’s a disquieting contrast for some civil rights advocates who wish to fulfill the late reverend’s dream of non-violent social revolution.
Events honoring King and advocating for his vision of a just society will occur across the nation as many in the U.S. observe the peaceful transfer of power in the capital. The concurrent events have been met with mixed feelings by civil rights leaders, who broadly reviled Trump’s rhetoric and stances on race and civil rights during his third presidential campaign.
But many leaders, including King’s own family, see the juxtaposition as a poignant contrast and a chance to refocus the work of advancing civil rights in a new political era.
“I’m glad it occurred on that day because it gives the United States of America and the world the contrast in pictures. Is this the way you want to go — or is this the way you want to go?” said the Rev. Bernice King, the late King’s youngest daughter and CEO of the King Center.
“It’s not a day that he can be the star, which he loves to be,” King’s daughter said of Trump. “He has to contend with that legacy on that day, regardless of how he manages it and handles it in his presentation. I hope those around him are advising him well to honor the day appropriately in his speech.”
This is the third time in the nearly 40 years since the federal King holiday became law that it coincides with a presidential inauguration. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also were sworn in for their second terms on the holiday. Both praised King in their remarks; it is yet to be seen if and how Trump — who falsely claimed his first inauguration had larger crowds than King’s March on Washington — will acknowledge the day.
“Will he sound a message of unity and a presidency for all, or will he continue to focus on his base and some of the divisive policies he’s championed, like an anti-DEI stance, rounding up immigrants and cutting important parts of the social safety net through this DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) process?” asked Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League civil rights group.
Morial added that Trump’s inauguration landing on MLK Day represented “a contradiction of values.”
Many civil rights leaders will spend the day commemorating King’s legacy after a week of public and private organizing, giving speeches and strategizing how to respond to the incoming administration’s agenda.
“It’s the best of times and the worst of times,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, an organization whose members mentored, collaborated and clashed with King throughout the Civil Rights Movement.
“Our mission doesn’t change. Our job is to make democracy work for all, to make sure that equal protection is ensured under the law,” Johnson said. He added that the group “doesn’t want to assume” the Trump administration can’t be a partner on advancing civil rights or racial justice.
On Wednesday, Johnson and other civil rights leaders met with Congressional Black Caucus members on Capitol Hill to discuss how to work with and to oppose the Trump administration. That same day, the National Action Network, a civil rights group founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton, hosted a breakfast at which Vice President Kamala Harris urged attendees to stay motivated.
“Ours is a journey,” she said. “Whatever the outcome of any particular moment, we can never be defeated. Our spirit can never be defeated, because when that happens, we won’t win.”
Martin Luther King III, the late King’s eldest son, prayed with Harris on stage. King had campaigned for Harris in the fall and called her an advocate who “speaks to our better angels” and “embodies Dr. King’s legacy.”
Many racial justice advocates are set to organize demonstrations, vigils and community service events to mark the holiday and prepare for what they consider an adversarial administration.
Some groups are reflecting on parallels and differences with how King organized in the face of explicitly white supremacist state and local governments and geopolitical tumult.
“The hostility is similar, particularly in that there is a mobilized, active and aggressive extremist-right hell bent on unraveling rights and any sense of shared purpose, shared problems or shared solutions,” said Maya Wiley, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. What differs, Wiley said, is the understanding “there has to be opportunity for everyone.”
King himself worried the legal protections he dedicated his life to realizing would not be followed by greater anti-discrimination efforts or social programs. He proposed it would take white Americans embracing a deeper kinship with Black Americans and engaging in economic and social solidarity to see change.
A year before his 1968 assassination, King wrote in his final book that giving a Black person their “due” often required “special treatment.”
“I am aware of the fact that this has been a troublesome concept for many liberals, since it conflicts with their traditional ideal of equal opportunity and equal treatment of people according to their individual merits,” King wrote in the 1967 book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community.” “But this is a day which demands new thinking and the reevaluation of old concepts.”
King’s advocacy for “new concepts” found an heir in the enactment of affirmative action policies in workplaces and schools. Many advocates of diversity, equity and inclusion policies see such programs as realizing his vision, though that argument has come under withering scrutiny from conservative activists.
Trump’s views on race have been criticized for decades. The federal government sued Trump for allegedly discriminating against Black apartment seekers in the 1970s. He was instrumental in promoting the “birther” conspiracy theory that Obama was not born in the U.S. And his campaign rhetoric about immigrants and urban communities since 2015 up to November’s election has been derided as prejudiced.
As president, Trump enacted some criminal justice reform laws that civil rights advocates praised but then proposed harsh crackdowns on 2020 racial reckoning protests.
In April, Trump did not dispute the notion that “anti-white racism” now represents a greater problem in the U.S. than systemic racism against Black Americans.
“I think there is a definite anti-white feeling in this country and that can’t be allowed either,” Trump said during an interview with Time magazine.
Janiyah Thomas, a spokesperson for the Trump transition, said Trump’s inauguration would be “monumental, turning a new leaf and ushering in the golden age of America” and said Americans should remember “wise words” from King: “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
At the end of his life, King reflected on the early backlash to civil rights, especially with integrated housing developments, interracial marriage and necessary economic and social programs. He expressed frustration with then-President Lyndon B. Johnson for prolonging the Vietnam War rather than making a greater investment in anti-poverty efforts.
“This is where the civil rights movement stands today. We will err and falter as we climb the unfamiliar slopes of steep mountains, but there is no alternative, well-trod, level path,” King wrote. “There will be agonizing setbacks along with creative advances. Our consolation is that no one can know the true taste of victory if he has never swallowed defeat.”
By HALELUYA HADERO Associated Press
TikTok said Sunday it was restoring service to users in the United States just hours after the popular video-sharing platform went dark in response to a federal ban, which President-elect Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office.
Trump said he planned to issue the order to give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the ban takes full effect. He announced the move on his Truth Social account as millions of U.S. TikTok users awoke to discover they could no longer access the TikTok app or platform.
Google and Apple removed the app from their digital stores to comply with the law, which required them to do so if TikTok parent company ByteDance didn’t sell its U.S. operation by Sunday. The law, which passed with wide bipartisan support in April, allows for steep fines.
The company that runs TikTok in the U.S. said in a post on X that Trump’s post had provided “the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans.”
Some users reported soon after TikTok’s statement that the app was working again, and TikTok’s website appeared to be functioning for at least some people. Even as TikTok was flickering back on, it remained unavailable for download in Apple and Google’s app stores. Neither Apple or Google responded to messages seeking comment Sunday.
The law that took effect Sunday required ByteDance to cut ties with the platform’s U.S. operations due to national security concerns posed by the app’s Chinese roots. However, the statute gave the sitting president authority to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale was underway.
Although investors made a few offers, ByteDance previously said it would not sell. Trump said his order would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect” and “confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
“Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations,” Trump wrote.
It was not immediately clear how Trump’s promised action would fare from a legal standpoint since the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ban on Friday and the statute came into force the day before Trump’s return to the White House.
Some lawmakers who voted for the sale-of-ban law, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans, remain in favor of it. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas warned companies Sunday not to provide TikTok with the technical support it needs to function as it did before.
“Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from (the Justice Department), but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs,” Cotton wrote on X. “Think about it.”
The on-and-off availability of TikTok came after the Supreme Court ruled that the risk to national security posed by TikTok’s ties to China outweighed concerns about limiting speech by the app or its millions of U.S. users.
When TikTok users in the U.S. tried to watch or post videos on the platform as of Saturday night, they saw a pop-up message under the headline, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” the message said. “Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
The service interruption TikTok instituted hours early caught many users by surprise. Experts had said the law as written did not require TikTok to take down its platform, only for app stores to remove it. Current users had been expected to continue to have access to videos until a lack of updates caused the app to stop working.
“The community on TikTok is like nothing else, so it’s weird to not have that anymore,” content creator Tiffany Watson, 20, said Sunday.
Watson said she had been in denial about the looming shutdown and with the space time on her hands plans to focus on bolstering her presence on Instagram and YouTube.
“There are still people out there who want beauty content,” Watson said.
The company’s app also was removed late Saturday from prominent app stores. Apple told customers with its devices that it also took down other apps developed by ByteDance. They included Lemon8, which some influencers had promoted as a TikTok alternative, the popular video editing app CapCut and photo editor Hypic.
“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” the company said.
Trump’s plan to spare TikTok on his first day in office reflected the ban’s coincidental timing and the unusual mix of political considerations surrounding a social media platform that first gained popularity with often silly videos featuring dances and music clips.
During his first presidential term, Trump in 2020 issued executive orders banning TikTok and the Chinese messaging app WeChat, moves that courts subsequently blocked. When momentum for a ban emerged in Congress last year, however, he opposed the legislation. Trump has since credited TikTok with helping him win support from young voters in last year’s presidential election.
Despite its own part in getting the nationwide ban enacted, the Biden administration stressed in recent days that it did not intend to implement or enforce the ban before Trump takes office on Monday.
In the nine months since Congress passed the sale-or-ban law, no clear buyers emerged, and ByteDance publicly insisted it would not sell TikTok. But Trump said he hoped his administration could facilitate a deal to “save” the app.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration with a prime seating location.
Chew posted a video late Saturday thanking Trump for his commitment to work with the company to keep the app available in the U.S. and taking a “strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”
Trump’s choice for national security adviser, Michael Waltz, told CBS News on Sunday that the president-elect discussed TikTok going dark in the U.S. during a weekend call with Chinese President Xi Jinping “and they agreed to work together on this.”
On Saturday, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok’s U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Perplexity is not asking to purchase the ByteDance algorithm that feeds TikTok user’s videos based on their interests and has made the platform such a phenomenon.
Other investors also eyed TikTok. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary recently said a consortium of investors that he and billionaire Frank McCourt offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash. Trump’s former treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, also said last year that he was putting together an investor group to buy TikTok.
In Washington, lawmakers and administration officials have long raised concerns about TikTok, warning the algorithm that fuels what users see is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities. But to date, the U.S. has not publicly provided evidence of TikTok handing user data to Chinese authorities or tinkering with its algorithm to benefit Chinese interests.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden won’t enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday, a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump.
Congress last year, in a law signed by Biden, required that TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance divest the company by Jan. 19, a day before the presidential inauguration. The official said the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law — and the potential enforcement of the ban — to Trump.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal Biden administration thinking.
Trump, who once called to ban the app, has since pledged to keep it available in the U.S., though his transition team has not said how they intend to accomplish that.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais as the president-elect’s national security adviser signals that the incoming administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark.”
Incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz on Thursday told Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” that the federal law that could ban TikTok by Sunday also “allows for an extension as long as a viable deal is on the table.”
The push to save TikTok, much like the move to ban it in the U.S., has crossed partisan lines. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he spoke with Biden on Thursday to advocate for extending the deadline to ban TikTok.
“It’s clear that more time is needed to find an American buyer and not disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans, of so many influencers who have built up a good network of followers,” Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor.
Democrats had tried on Wednesday to pass legislation that would have extended the deadline, but Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas blocked it. Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that TikTok has had ample time to find a buyer.
“TikTok is a Chinese Communist spy app that addicts our kids, harvests their data, targets them with harmful and manipulative content, and spreads communist propaganda,” Cotton said.
TikTok CEO’s is expected to be seated on the dais for the inauguration along with tech billionaires Elon Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to two people with the matter. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.
Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to the statute brought by TikTok, its China-based parent company ByteDance, and users of the app. The Justices seemed likely to uphold the law, which requires ByteDance to divest TikTok on national security grounds or face a ban in one of its biggest markets.
“If the Supreme Court comes out with a ruling in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear: Number one, TikTok is a great platform that many Americans use and has been great for his campaign and getting his message out. But number two, he’s going to protect their data,” Waltz said on Wednesday.
“He’s a deal maker. I don’t want to get ahead of our executive orders, but we’re going to create this space to put that deal in place,” he added.
Separately on Wednesday, Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, dodged a question during a Senate hearing on whether she’d uphold a TikTok ban.
Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He pledged to “save TikTok” during the campaign and has credited the platform with helping him win more youth votes.
By The Associated Press
Senate hearings are scheduled this week for several of Trump’s picks for the Cabinet. While many are rapidly gaining support for their confirmation, the remaining still have to go before the committees overseeing the agencies Trump wants them to run.
Here’s the latest:
Scott Bessent’s confirmation hearing has ended
In his closing remarks, Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo said he’ll encourage other lawmakers to advance Bessent’s nomination.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse brings up analysis of Bessent’s personal taxes and possible conflicts of interest
“We are up to date on all of our taxes,” Bessent said, adding he would shutter his firm if confirmed, to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
Bessent voiced support for Trump’s promise of no taxes on tips and Social Security
And he said he supports “making auto loans tax deductible once again.”
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked whether Bessent thinks the statutory debt limit should be repealed. Both she and President-elect Trump have called for eliminating the debt limit.
Bessent said in response that if Trump wants to eliminate the debt limit, “I will work with him.”
“The U.S. is not going to default on its debt if I’m confirmed,” he said.
Zeldin has consistently refused to commit to certain policy approaches during his hearing
Instead, he’s promised to follow the law and not prejudge outcomes.
When asked by Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, for example, whether he’d roll back programs that promoted electric vehicle use that Ricketts characterized as harmful, Zeldin stayed vague but acknowledged opposition to a program Trump has also criticized.
“I will tell you that I have heard concerns from you and many others, in this chamber, of how important it is to look at rules that are currently on the book,” he said.
The Biden administration pushed tougher standards for car and truck tailpipe emissions and experts expect the Trump administration to try and reverse these efforts. Trump has falsely characterized these as mandates for electric vehicles.
Bessent talks about central bank digital currencies
Asked by Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn about his view on central bank digital currencies, known as CBDCs, and whether he’d continue the Biden administration’s project of looking into the viability of the U.S. implementing a CBDC, Bessent said: “I see no reason for the U.S. to have a central bank digital currency. In my mind a central bank digital currency is for countries that have no other alternatives; many of these countries are doing it out of necessity.”
For the first time in the hearing, Bessent’s sexual orientation is brought up
It was when Bessent said that at 17 years old, he wanted to attend the U.S. Naval Academy but couldn’t because of his sexual preference.
“President Trump chose me, “Bessent said, for Treasury Secretary, “not because of my sexual preference,” but because of his qualifications. “I think it is a tribute to President Trump. He looks at people as people.”
If confirmed, Bessent would be the first openly gay treasury secretary.
Turner’s HUD secretary confirmation hearing has ended
The hearing focused on homelessness, affordability, the lack of housing supply and building and zoning regulations.
Turner was also pressed for specifics on how he would reform HUD’s massive portfolio of housing subsidies, with Democrats repeatedly asking if he supports Section 8 voucher programs. Turner didn’t commit to increasing the number of vouchers, which is a longstanding priority for Democrats.
Republicans focused on how Turner can support deregulation to spur development and increase the nation’s housing stock. The first Black person selected to be a member of Trump’s second term cabinet was also asked about Obama- and Biden-era initiatives to curb housing discrimination.
Burgum asked about leases for oil and gas development on federal lands
Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell asked Burgum about prioritizing existing leases for oil and gas development on federal lands, as opposed to opening up more land to new leasing.
Burgum said “we always want to prioritize those areas that have the most resource opportunity for America with the least impact on lands that are important.”
“We can do a lot more without touching or even being visible to any of the people that are concerned about land use,” Burgum said.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee raised the controversial creation and expansion of national monuments under the Antiquities Act — such as Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — an issue he said has become a political football over recent presidents changing those monuments’ boundaries.
Burgum said the original intent of the 1906 law was for “Indiana Jones-type archaeological protections” of objects within the smallest possible area.
Later he praised the uses of public lands, including outdoor recreation and oil and gas production benefiting local economies.
Would Bessent recommend cutting Medicaid?
When asked whether he’d recommend cutting Medicaid, Bessent stammered slightly and said “I am in favor of empowering states. In some states that will be an increase and some states that will be a decrease.”
Asked whether he would recommend cuts to Head Start, Bessent declined to answer and said “I don’t understand the budget ramifications.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders asks Bessent about Biden’s claim of an oligarchy
Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders, a new member of the Senate Finance Committee, asked Bessent about wealth inequality and started with a speech about the concentration of ownership of the media and the information Americans receive.
“Would you agree with President Biden that an oligarchy is taking shape in America?” Sanders asked.
“The billionaires you listed make the money themselves,” Bessent said. “I would note that President Biden gave a presidential medal of freedom to people who qualify” for Biden’s definition of an oligarch, Bessent added.
Bessent asked if he believes the Federal Reserve should be independent
In response, Bessent: “Of course and I actually believe the notion that I said President Trump should have influence comes from a highly inaccurate WSJ article.”
Asked by Republican Sen. Todd Young about conducting an impartial review of the Nippon Steel deal, Bessent said: “President Trump has also most recently spoken out against the deal.”
“It is currently in litigation. If it reappears, CFIUS will conduct the same review it always does.”
Turner addresses immigration at his housing secretary confirmation hearing
Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno asked how the number of illegal immigrants have affected housing affordability. Turner called it “a great burden” on HUD as an agency, especially as a homelessness issue.
Meanwhile, Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, implored Turner to protect U.S. citizens in HUD housing even if undocumented people were in their household. Only people legally in the country can receive HUD subsidies, though Trump’s first administration had tried unsuccessfully to limit their eligibility if they live with people who may not have approved immigration status.
Turner responded that he would uphold the laws on the books. “We do not like to tear up families, but we have an obligation to serve the American people,” he said.
Burgum doesn’t plan on trying to convince Trump about the benefits of wind power
Independent Sen. Angus King asked Burgum if he would do so during his confirmation hearing Thursday. King noted that Burgum knows the benefits of wind power since he’s from North Dakota, which gets more than one-third of its electricity from onshore wind turbines.
Burgum replied that the electric grid needs more resources that provide power continuously, as opposed to “intermittent” sources such as solar and wind that fluctuate.
Trump vowed to end the offshore wind industry as soon as he returned to the White House. He tasked a New Jersey congressman and vocal critic of offshore wind with writing an executive order he could issue to halt wind energy projects. Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew said he emailed that draft order to Burgum.
King also asked Burgum if he would commit to continuing with offshore wind leases that have been issued. Burgum said projects that make sense and are already in law will continue.
The Biden administration’s sanctions on Russia aren’t aggressive enough, Bessent says
“The tragedy going on in Ukraine is one of the greatest tragedies of my adult life,” Bessent said.
He said the Biden administration’s sanctions weren’t strong enough.
“I believe the previous administration was worried about raising U.S. energy prices during an election season and I’m perplexed to see National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on his way out the door raising the sanctions level on Russian oil companies.”
Bessent says Social Security and Medicare funding ‘would not be touched’
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who’s co-sponsored a bipartisan bill related to preserving the solvency of Social Security, asked whether Bessent would touch Social Security or Medicare funding.
“Those would not be touched,” Bessent said. “One of the tragedies of the blowout of the budget deficit is we need to get our short term house in order.”
Zeldin talked about the need to hear from everyone
Asked how the EPA under Zeldin would work with businesses, workers and industry affected by environmental regulations, he said it would be a big mistake to not hear from everyone.
“The worst thing I could possibly do, that the EPA could do, is turn a blind eye to great, substantive feedback that will better inform our decisions,” he said.
Sen. John Cornyn asks about US investments in China and Bessent’s view on transparency requirements
The Treasury secretary serves as the chair of the CFIUS committee which screens foreign investments inside the U.S. as well as U.S. investments in China.
Bessent said China “has the most unbalanced economy in the history in the world,” and “we should have a very rigorous screening process for anything that could be used, in AI, quantum computing, and chips.”
Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick for interior secretary, talks about goals for US to achieve ‘energy dominance’
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for interior secretary says the U.S. can leverage energy development to promote world peace and make life more affordable.
Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum described Trump’s aspiration to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” as a way to counter demand for fossil fuels from autocratic nations such as Russia, Iran and Venezuela that have fewer environmental safeguards.
Burgum’s claims were challenged by Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, who said burning more fossil fuels would exacerbate climate change. She noted that military leaders have described global warming as a national security threat that could trigger instability and wars.
The Interior Department oversees vast public lands and offshore areas that account for about a quarter of U.S. annual oil production. The Biden administration sought to restrict oil and gas lease sales from public lands and waters, but Trump has vowed to increase drilling for oil and gas.
Bessent says the nation has a spending problem
Sen. Chuck Grassley brought out a poster that argues “revenues are historically steady regardless of marginal tax rates.”
Bessent responded: “We do not have a revenue problem in the U.S. we have a spending problem.”
Sen. Wyden’s first question to Bessent was about the future of the Direct File system
Wyden asked him if would preserve the program, adding that millions of taxpayers would be eligible for it.
“Will you commit to keeping Direct File up and running?” Wyden asked.
“I will commit for this tax season that Direct File will be operative,” Bessent responded. “If confirmed I will consult and study the program.”
Bessent talked about his background, growing up in South Carolina and getting involved in finance
“We must work to get our fiscal house in order,” Bessent said in his opening statement. “As we begin 2025, Americans are barreling towards an economic crisis towards year end.”
He called for an extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
“For too long, our nation has allowed unfair distortions in the international trade system,” he said.
Scott Turner’s NFL ties highlighted as he seeks confirmation for housing secretary
Turner, who also served in the first Trump administration, spoke before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs committee for his nomination as leader of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Sen. Tim Scott, the Republican chairman of the committee, in his opening remarks took a pause before mentioning the former name of the Washington football team where Turner once played. Turner noted he was drafted in the 7th round of the NFL, “which is the last round for those that don’t know,” a quip that got some chuckles in the room.
Lee Zeldin faces questions about climate change science during his hearing
Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse asked Zeldin basic questions about climate change science, including what impact carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels have on the atmosphere.
“I don’t sit before you as a scientist,” Zeldin said, but after a follow-up question said carbon dioxide traps heat.
He said he was committed to achieving clean water and air, but didn’t provide specifics about what he would do to address climate change. President-elect Donald Trump has cast doubt on basic climate science and promised to enact an energy policy that expands oil and gas development.
Sen. Lindsay Graham introduced Bessent, who’s seated next to him
“We need a Secretary of Treasury who knows what he’s doing, has the trust of the president and loves his country,” Graham said. “Your ship came in with this guy.”
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden says voters won’t get the change they voted for in Bessent or Trump
“In a Trump economy, the winner’s circle is small,” Wyden, a ranking member of the committee said in his opening statement.
To bring in revenues, Wyden said the Trump administration “will be offering across the board tariffs,” he said “trillions of dollars in new taxes paid for by working Americans.”
Wyden brought up the IRS’s new Direct File system — where taxpayers can file their taxes directly to the IRS for free — and the threat it faces to be defunded.
“The software giants want Direct File killed. Republicans are on their side, so they might get their way. It could cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars this year alone,” he said.
Committee chair says Trump ‘made an excellent choice in nominating you for Secretary of Treasury’
Republican Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo opened Bessent’s confirmation hearing, telling him: “It’s clear you followed applicable law and provided thousands of pages of documentation that substantiate your positions.”
“President Trump made an excellent choice in nominating you for Secretary of Treasury,” Crapo told Bessent.
Confirmation hearing begins for Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for treasury secretary
Bessent is joined by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Before the hearing began, Bessent walked around the room shaking hands with senators before being seated.
Confirmation hearing begins for Lee Zeldin, Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency
Lee Zeldin, a close and longtime ally of President-elect Donald Trump, has promised to dismantle “left wing” environmental regulations as the next leader of the EPA.
His confirmation hearing is getting started and he’ll likely face questions about Trump’s rejection of climate science and how the agency can adhere to its mission to protect human health and the environment if Zeldin’s focus is on economic growth and dismantling regulations.
Today’s confirmation hearing schedule
10 a.m.: Doug Burgum, Interior Department The former governor of North Dakota and businessman appears before members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, who will consider his nomination as interior secretary, the chief steward of U.S. public lands. Burgum, who endorsed Trump after ending his own 2024 presidential bid and campaigned for Trump, has also been tapped to lead the National Energy Council. Trump has said the council will seek to establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world.
10 a.m.: Scott Turner, Housing and Urban Development Department The former NFL player who ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council in Trump’s first term appears at a hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Turner is a professional mentor, pastor and former Texas House member. HUD is charged with addressing the nation’s housing needs and fair housing laws, and oversees housing for the poorest Americans.
10 a.m.: Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency The former New York congressman appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The agency is tasked with matters pertaining to environmental protection, conducting assessments, research, education and maintaining and enforcing national standards.
10:15 a.m.: Pam Bondi, Day 2 before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
10:30 a.m.: Scott Bessent, Treasury Department The billionaire money manager from South Carolina takes questions from members of the Senate Finance Committee. Bessent would be the first openly LGBTQ+ Senate-confirmed Cabinet member in a Republican administration. The treasury chief helps formulate financial, economic, and tax policy, and manage the public debt.
NEW YORK (AP) — Rudy Giuliani settled with two former Georgia election workers on Thursday in a deal that will let him keep his homes and personal belongings in return for compensation and a promise to never defame them again, lawyers and the women said.
The trial was supposed to decide the ownership of his Florida condominium and three World Series rings and was supposed to start in the morning with Giuliani’s testimony. But that never happened. An agreement was announced by all parties in the afternoon.
The former election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, had been seeking all of Giuliani’s property as part of a $148 million defamation judgment against him.
The women won the defamation judgment after saying Giuliani’s lies about the 2020 presidential election being stolen led to death threats that made them fear for their lives.
In a statement, the women said: “The past four years have been a living nightmare. We have fought to clear our names, restore our reputations, and prove that we did nothing wrong. Today is a major milestone in our journey. We have reached an agreement and we can now move forward with our lives. We have agreed to allow Mr. Giuliani to retain his property in exchange for compensation and his promise not to ever defame us.”
The amount of the compensation was not disclosed.
On social media, Giuliani released a statement, saying that he had reached a resolution that will satisfy the judgment against him.
“This resolution does not involve an admission of liability or wrongdoing by any of the Parties. I am satisfied with and have no grievances relating to the result we have reached. I have been able to retain my New York coop and Florida Condominium and all of my personal belongings,” he said.
“No one deserves to be subjected to threats, harassment, or intimidation. This litigation has taken its toll on all parties. This whole episode was unfortunate. I and the Plaintiffs have agreed not to ever talk about each other in any defamatory manner, and I urge others to do the same,” Giuliani said.
Giuliani’s lawyer, Joseph Cammarata, said outside the courthouse that the deal resulted from long negotiations over the last three days that went “into the wee hours of the night.”
The deal negated the need for a trial that was supposed to begin Thursday morning in Manhattan federal court, where Giuliani was scheduled to be the first witness. He never came to court. The former Georgia election workers won the judgment against him.
Giuliani, 80, was to testify before the same judge who last week found him in contempt for failing to turn over information on some of his assets to the women’s lawyers. As punishment, Judge Lewis J. Liman banned Giuliani from introducing some evidence.
Giuliani, who served for a time as personal attorney to President-elect Donald Trump during his first term, also was found in contempt last week in Washington, D.C. The judge there found that Giuliani continued to slander the election workers by repeating false claims that they counted votes corruptly in the 2020 presidential contest.
During the wait, Giuliani posted a video on social media showing a dog named Vinny on the grounds of Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, estate. The dog, the post said, “loves hanging out at Mar-a-Lago” but is “ready to spend a lot more time in Washington, D.C.,” supporting Trump. It wasn’t clear when the recording was made.
The trial was not intended to relitigate whether Giuliani defamed the women or the amount of the judgment against him, both of which are issues that have been decided, but rather to determine whether he would get to keep certain valuable assets instead of turning them over.
Among them was his condominium in Palm Beach, Florida. The former mayor says he established residence there in January 2024, but lawyers for the election workers say he continued to operate as if his New York apartment was his residence until it was surrendered in the fall as part of the judgment.
Also at stake were three World Series rings that Giuliani says he gave to his son, Andrew, in 2018.
As part of the deals, Andrew Giuliani will get to keep the rings, lawyers said.
At a recent hearing, Giuliani said he is “not impoverished” but does not have access to most of his remaining assets.
“Everything I have is tied up. I don’t have a car. I don’t have a credit card. I don’t have cash. I can’t get to bank accounts that truly would be mine because they have put … stop orders on, for example, my Social Security account, which they have no right to do,” he said.
Giuliani said during a deposition last month that George Steinbrenner, the late New York Yankees owner, gave him the rings in 2002, although he insisted on paying for them and told Steinbrenner: “These are for Andrew.” He testified that he gave one to Andrew immediately and kept three others for safekeeping. He estimated their total worth at $27,000.
Giuliani’s total assets are not expected to amount to much more than $10 million. The Palm Beach condominium is believed to be worth more than $3 million.
He had already surrendered a New York apartment worth about $5 million, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, numerous luxury watches and other assets.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — David Lynch, the filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark and dreamlike vision in such movies as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and the TV series “Twin Peaks,” has died just days before his 79th birthday.
His family announced the death in a Facebook post on Thursday. The cause of death and location was not immediately available, but Lynch had been public about his emphysema.
“We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole,'” the post read. “It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
Last summer, Lynch had revealed to Sight and Sound that he was diagnosed with emphysema and would not be leaving his home because of fears of contracting the coronavirus or “even a cold.”
“I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not,” Lynch said, adding he didn’t expect to make another film.
“I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it,” Lynch said. “I wouldn’t like that so much.”
Lynch was a onetime painter who broke through in the 1970s with the surreal “Eraserhead” and rarely failed to startle and inspire audiences, peers and critics in the following decades. His notable releases ranged from the neo-noir “Mulholland Drive” to the skewed Gothic of “Blue Velvet” to the eclectic and eccentric “Twin Peaks,” which won three Golden Globes, two Emmys and even a Grammy for its theme music.
“‘Blue Velvet,’ ‘Mulholland Drive’ and ‘Elephant Man’ defined him as a singular, visionary dreamer who directed films that felt handmade,” Steven Spielberg said in a statement. Spielberg noted that he had cast Lynch as director John Ford in the 2022 film “The Fabelmans.”
“Here was one of my heroes (Ford) — David Lynch playing one of my heroes. It was surreal and seemed like a scene out of one of David’s own movies,” Spielberg said. “The world is going to miss such an original and unique voice.”
Lynch never won a competitive Academy Award. He received nominations for directing “The Elephant Man,” “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and, in 2019, was presented an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement.
“To the Academy and everyone who helped me along the way, thanks,” he said at the time, in characteristically off-beat remarks. “You have a very nice face. Good night.”
His other credits included the crime story “Wild at Heart,” winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival; the biographical drama “The Elephant Man” and the G-rated, aptly straightforward “The Straight Story.” Actors regularly appearing in his movies included Kyle McLachlan, Laura Dern, Naomi Watts and Richard Farnsworth.
Lynch was a Missoula, Montana, native who moved around often with his family as a child and would long feel most at home away from the classroom, free to explore his fascination with the world. He had an early gift for visual arts and a passion for travel and discovery that led to his enrollment in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the beginning of a decade-long apprenticeship as a maker of short movies.
“David’s always had a cheerful disposition and sunny personality, but he’s always been attracted to dark things,” a childhood friend is quoted as saying in “Room to Dream,” a 2018 book by Lynch and Kristine McKenna. That’s one of the mysteries of David.”
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bob Uecker, who parlayed a forgettable playing career into a punch line for movie and TV appearances as “Mr. Baseball” and a Hall of Fame broadcasting tenure, has died. He was 90.
The Milwaukee Brewers, whose games Uecker had broadcast for over half a century, announced his death Thursday morning, calling it “one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history.” In a statement released by the club, Uecker’s family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023.
“Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter,” the family said.
Uecker was best known as a colorful comedian and broadcaster whose sense of humor and self-deprecating style earned him fame and affection beyond his .200 batting average.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker was a beloved member of the baseball community and a pillar of the sport in Wisconsin. He had broadcast Brewers games for the last 54 seasons.
“Even with his considerable success in Hollywood, Bob remained fiercely loyal to baseball and to Milwaukee,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “He loved the game and used his platform to help numerous charitable causes in his hometown and beyond.
“Bob was the genuine item: always the funniest person in any room he was in, and always an outstanding ambassador for our National Pastime. We are grateful for this baseball life like no other, and we will never forget him.”
When the Brewers clinched the NL Central title in 2024, manager Pat Murphy threw an arm around Uecker in the locker room, pulling him in tight as players white-knuckled their corks, ready to shower “Mr. Baseball” in Champagne.
“There is no one — there is no one — who epitomizes a champion the way this man does right here,” Murphy proclaimed as the players chanted “UUUUUECK.”
“What an example for us to be with every single day — Bob Uecker.”
As news of Uecker’s death spread, numerous fans converged at his statue outside American Family Field. They paid their respects by leaving flowers, Brewers caps and even cans of the Miller Lite beer he endorsed at the base of the statue.
“He’s the narrator to all the best times of a couple of generations’ lives,” said Shawn Bosman of Franklin, Wisconsin, who visited the statue with his mother.
Kairee Larson, a longtime Brewers season-ticket holder who lives just down the road from the stadium, said after leaving flowers by the statue that Uecker’s call of Ryan Braun’s walk-off grand slam in a 2008 late-season victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates remains her ring tone to this day.
“One of the things I thought today was my baby that’s due any day is not going to hear that iconic voice,” Larson said.
Uecker signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He’d last six seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher, finishing with a .200 average and 14 homers.
He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964 and also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
“Career highlights? I had two,” he often joked. “I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.”
Uecker also befriended former Brewers owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who initially hired him as a scout. Selig liked to joke about how Uecker’s initial scouting report was stained with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Selig eventually brought Uecker to the broadcast booth. Uecker became the voice of the Brewers in 1971, in the second year after the team moved from Seattle.
Uecker remained with the club from that point on and became one of the Brewers’ most indelible figures. Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who managed the Brewers from 2015-23, grew up in the Milwaukee area and remembered spending summer days throwing a baseball against the roof and catching it while listening to Uecker’s broadcasts.
“There’s no single person in this franchise’s history who has been as iconic and as important as Bob Uecker,” said Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers’ broadcast team since 2015.
Even as his celebrity status grew nationwide, Uecker savored the opportunity to continue calling games to fans in his hometown.
“To be able to do a game each and every day throughout the summer and talk to people every day at 6:30 for a night game, you become part of people’s families,” Uecker once said. “I know that because I get mail from people that tell me that. That’s part of the reward for being here, just to be recognized by the way you talk, the way you describe a game, whatever.”
Uecker was honored by the Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2003 and spent nearly 20 minutes keeping the Cooperstown, New York, crowd of about 18,000 in stitches.
“I still — and this is not sour grapes by any means — still think I should have gone in as a player,” he quipped.
“Ueck” got his big break off the field after opening for Don Rickles at Al Hirt’s nightclub in Atlanta in 1969. That performance caught Hirt’s attention, and the musician set him up to appear on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. He became one of Carson’s favorite guests, making more than 100 appearances.
Carson was the one who dubbed Uecker “Mr. Baseball.” And the name stuck.
But Uecker’s comedy was just a part of his abilities. His warm storytelling and delivery made Uecker a natural to become one of the first color commentators on network TV broadcasts in the 1970s with ABC. In the ’90s, he teamed up with Bob Costas and Joe Morgan for the World Series.
From there, Uecker reached most households as one of the Miller Lite All-Stars in popular commercials for the beer brand based out of Milwaukee and Uecker later launched his TV acting career in 1985 on the ABC sitcom, “Mr. Belvedere.”
Uecker played George Owens during the successful 122-episode run of the series that lasted six years, as the head of the family and sports writer in a home that brings in a butler who struggles to adapt to an American household.
In a bit of casting that kept things pretty close to home, Uecker also played a prominent role in the movies Major League (1989) and Major League II (1994) as crass announcer Harry Doyle for a down-and-out Cleveland Indians franchise that finds a way to become playoff contenders.
“I’m part of American folklore, I guess,” Uecker told The Associated Press in 2003. “But I’m not a Hollywood guy. Baseball and broadcasting are in my blood.”
His wry description of a badly wayward pitch — “Juuuust a bit outside!” — in the movie is still often-repeated by announcers and fans at ballparks all over.
Uecker’s acting left some to believe he was more about being funny than a serious baseball announcer, but his tenure and observations with the Brewers were spot on, especially when games were tight. Equally enjoyable were games that weren’t, when Uecker would tell stories about other major leaguers, his own career and his hobbies as an avid fisherman and golfer.
“I don’t think anyone wants to hear somebody screwing around when you got a good game going,” Uecker said. “I think people see ‘Major League’ and they think Harry Doyle and figure that’s what Bob Uecker does. I do that sometimes, I do. But when we’ve got a good game going, I don’t mess around.”
In his later years, he took a serious approach to his health, swimming daily leading up to heart surgery in April 2010. Very soon after the procedures, doctors said Uecker returned to walking several miles and was ahead in recovery.
Uecker pushed to return to the booth and began calling games again in July, saying he bribed the doctors by allowing them to throw out the first pitch.
“You talk about all the things Bob has done, he never wanted to leave Milwaukee,” Selig said. “Above all, he made himself into a great play-by-play announcer. That’s what he did. He’s everything to this franchise and loves every minute of it.”
Uecker’s own career provided him most of his material. His former teammates said Uecker would do impressions of other broadcasters on the bus, but Uecker turned the spotlight on himself after his playing career was over.
“I signed with the Milwaukee Braves for $3,000. That bothered my dad at the time because he didn’t have that kind of dough,” he said “But he eventually scraped it up.”
Another classic: “When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team’s dugout and they were already in street clothes.”
Uecker also presided over the stirring ceremony that closed Milwaukee County Stadium in 2000. When the Brewers’ new stadium opened as Miller Park in 2001, the team began selling “Uecker Seats” high in the upper deck and obstructed for a $1.
The stadium, now known as American Family Field, has two statues in Uecker’s honor. There’s a statue outside the stadium and another one in the back of Section 422, a nod to the Miller Lite commercial in which he famously said “I must be in the front row!” while getting taken to one of the worst seats in the ballpark.
After the Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs in 2024, Uecker’s last season, “Mr. Baseball” made sure to visit the locker room and offer support to players in a way only he could. Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said afterward the toughest part of the night was talking to Uecker because the Brewers knew how badly the longtime broadcaster wanted to see Milwaukee win a World Series.
“I remember you saying that no matter how much time you have, it still never feels like enough, and that seems pretty true today,,” Yelich said Thursday in an Instagram post. “You’d always thank me for my friendship, but the truth of it is the pleasure was all mine. I’ll miss you, my friend.”