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NEW YORK — With summer in full swing in the United States, retail executives are sweating a different season. It’s less than 22 weeks before Christmas, a time when businesses that make and sell consumer goods usually nail down their holiday orders and prices. But President Donald Trump’s vacillating trade policies have complicated those end-of-year plans. Balsam Hill, which sells artificial trees and other decorations online, expects to publish fewer and thinner holiday catalogs because the featured products keep changing with the tariff rates the president sets, postpones and revises. “The uncertainty has led us to spend all our time trying to rejigger what we’re ordering, where we’re bringing it in, when it’s going to get here,” Mac Harman, CEO of Balsam Hill parent company Balsam Brands, said. “We don’t know which items we’re going to have to put in the catalog or not.” Months of confusion over which foreign countries’ goods may become more expensive to import has left a question mark over the holiday shopping season. U.S. retailers often begin planning for the winter holidays in January and typically finalize the bulk of their orders by the end of June. The seesawing tariffs already have factored into their calculations. The consequences for consumers? Stores may not have the specific gift items customers want come November and December. Some retail suppliers and buyers scaled back their holiday lines rather than risking a hefty tax bill or expensive imports going unsold. Businesses still are setting prices but say shoppers can expect many things to cost more, though by how much depends partly on whether Trump’s latest round of “reciprocal” tariffs kicks in next month. The lack of clarity has been especially disruptive for the U.S. toy industry, which sources nearly 80% of its products from China. American toy makers usually ramp up production in April, a process delayed until late May this year after the president put a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, according to Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of the Toy Association, an industry trade group. The U.S. tariff rate may have dropped significantly from its spring high — a truce in the U.S.-China trade war is set to expire on Aug. 12 — but continues to shape the forthcoming holiday period. Manufacturing activity is way down from a year ago for small- and medium-sized U.S. toy companies, Ahearn said. The late start to factory work in China means holiday toys are only now arriving at U.S. warehouses, industry experts said. A big unknown is whether tariffs will keep stores from replenishing supplies of any breakout hit toys that emerge in September, said James Zahn, editor-in-chief of the trade publication Toy Book. In the retail world, planning for Christmas in July usually involves mapping out seasonal marketing and promotion strategies. Dean Smith, who co-owns independent toy stores JaZams in Princeton, New Jersey, and Lahaska, Pennsylvania, said he recently spent an hour and a half running through pricing scenarios with a Canadian distributor because the wholesale cost of some products increased by 20%. Increasing his own prices that much might turn off customers, Smith said, so he explored ways to “maintain a reasonable margin without raising prices beyond what consumers would accept.” He ordered a lower cost Crazy Forts building set so he would have the toy on hand and left out the kids’ edition of the Anomia card game because he didn’t think customers would pay what he would have to charge. “In the end, I had to eliminate half of the products that I normally buy,” Smith said. Hilary Key, owner of The Toy Chest in Nashville, Indiana, said she tries to get new games and toys in early most years to see which ones she should stock up on for the winter holidays. This year, she abandoned her product testing for fear any delayed orders would incur high import taxes. Meanwhile, vendors of toys made in China and elsewhere bombarded Key with price increase notices. For example, Schylling, which makes Needoh, Care Bear collectibles and modern versions of nostalgic toys like My Little Pony, increased prices on orders by 20%, according to Key. All the price hikes are subject to change if the tariff situation changes again. Key worries her store won’t have as compelling a product assortment as she prides herself on carrying. “My concern is not that I’ll have nothing, because I can bring in more books. I can bring in more gifts, or I can bring in just things that are manufactured in other places,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to have the best stock for every developmental age, for every special need.” The retail industry may have to keep taking a whack-a-mole approach to navigating the White House’s latest tariff ultimatums and temporary reprieves. Last week, the president again reset the rates on imports from Brazil, the European Union, Mexico, and other major trading partners but said they would not take effect until Aug. 1. The brief pause should extend the window importers have to bring in seasonal merchandise at the current baseline tariff of 10%. The Port of Los Angeles had the busiest June in its 117-year history after companies raced to secure holiday shipments, and July imports look strong so far, according to Gene Seroka, the port’s executive director. “In my view, we’re seeing a peak season push right now to bring in goods ahead of potentially higher tariffs later this summer,” Seroka said Monday. The pace of port activity so far this year reflects a “tariff whipsaw effect” — imports slowing when tariffs kick in and rebounding when they’re paused, he said. “For us consumers, lower inventory levels, fewer selections and higher prices are likely as we head into the holidays.” Smith, who co-owns the two JaZams stores with his partner, Joanne Farrugia, said they started placing holiday orders two months earlier than usual for “certain items that we felt were essential for us to have at particular pricing.” They doubled their warehouse space to

Most US adults think the new tax law will help the wealthy but few see benefits for the middle class, AP-NORC poll finds ByThe Associated Press July 18, 2025, 7:07 AM WASHINGTON — Most US adults think the new tax law will help the wealthy but few see benefits for the middle class, AP-NORC poll finds. Sponsored Content by Taboola Read More

An illegal alien released by the Biden administration allegedly shot an off-duty Border Patrol agent in the face during an attempted robbery in New York City. Despite being shot twice, the agent managed to return fire, wounding the suspect as he fled on a moped. A video released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows two men riding a moped into a park along the Hudson River in New York. One of the men gets off the moped and approaches the off-duty Border Patrol agent who was sitting on a rock near the riverbank. As the man approaches the agent, he appears to pull a weapon and begin shooting at the agent. The agent moves for cover and begins firing back. The exchange of gunfire lasts about 25 seconds as the agent raised up twice and returned fire. He continued to move for cover as he fired. Eventually, the alleged robber gets up and gets on the moped. He appears to be wounded as he attempts to flee. The moped then drives away. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem identified the suspected robber as Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez is a national and citizen of the Dominican Republic. She said the suspect illegally re-entered the U.S. in April 2023 and was apprehended by Border Patrol agents near San Luis, Arizona. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Southwest Land Border Encounters Report shows that the Dominican national was one of nearly 212,000 illegal aliens who entered the U.S. along the southern border that month. Due to overcrowding in detention facilities, Biden-era catch-and-release policies dictated that agents release the man into the U.S. interior. Secretary Noem reported that Mora Nunez has a criminal warrant out of Massachusetts for kidnapping. His record includes several other crimes committed during his short stay in the United States. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reported that the man received a final order of removal in 2003. That made his illegal re-entry in 2023 a felony. She reported that his prior arrests include felony 2nd and 3rd degree assaults. Despite this, Biden-era policies dictated that the man be released from custody. President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the Border Patrol agent “bravely fought off his attacker, despite his wounds, demonstrating enormous Skill and Courage.” He described the shooter as a “Monster freed into the Country under Joe Biden.” The New York Post reported that the agent sustained two gunshot wounds to his face and forearm during the exchange. The agent survived his surgery and is in stable condition, according to DHS officials. The Post reported: At the time of his arrest for the shooting, he was wanted on kidnapping and weapons charges out of Massachusetts, sources said. He also had at least four arrests in New York City — where he was let go without bail each time, according to the sources. Morawas was nabbed twice just days apart August 2024 for allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman and threatening to kill another migrant with a machete. Then he was arrested for violating an order of protection in November 2024, and had another bench warrant out for his arrest issued in January, sources said. Mora Nunez reportedly walked into a Bronx hospital after being shot three times by the agent. He remains in custody while the New York City Police Department investigates the failed robbery attempt. The moped driver remains at large. Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.   Read More

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) reacted to President Donald Trump’s call to change the Guardians back to Indians, declaring, “Cleveland wants this.” “Cleveland wants this, let’s go!” Moreno exclaimed on X, sharing a screenshot of President Trump’s recent Truth Social post calling on sports teams that changed their names in the era of wokeness to return to their original monikers now that the nation as returned to “common sense.” In his Sunday Truth Social post, President Trump began, stating, “The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team.” “There is a big clamoring for this,” Trump continued. “Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original teams, with a storied past.” President Trump added, “Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them.” “Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!” the president proclaimed. As Breitbart News reported, in 2021, team owner Paul Dolan caved to the cancel culture mob at the height of the woke era by changing the name of the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland “Guardians.” The move to remove the “Indians” moniker notably erased a 106-year-old name said to be in honor of Louis Sockalexis, who played major league baseball for the Cleveland Spiders in the late 1800s and is credited as the first Native American to play professional baseball. Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram. Read More

Five hikers were swept away by a flash flood in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles this weekend but luckily were rescued by firefighters, according to a report. The rescue by the Los Angeles County Fire Department came about two hours after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a series of flash flood warnings that began at 2:48 p.m. Friday. The Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter was deployed to pluck some of the hikers out of the flood safely. Firefighters told news outlets everyone involved in the rescue is accounted for. The NWS regularly issues advice on precautions to take when there are flash flood advisories or warnings, including moving to higher ground and not driving or walking through affected areas. Read More

A man in Cincinnati, Ohio, is accused of making violent threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and a federal official online. The suspect is identified as Anthony Kelly, whom federal authorities recently took into custody, Fox News reported Saturday. In a social media post, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin shared screenshots of posts Kelly allegedly made. In one, it appears he wrote, “Thanks for giving We The People permission to shoot your #Gestapedos #TomHoman.” In another post, he appeared to threaten DHS Secretary Kristi Noem: “Anthony Kelly out of Cincinnati, OH has been taken into federal custody for making terroristic threats against ICE agents. Kelly will face federal charges for threatening to assault, kidnap, and murder a United States official,” McLaughlin’s post read. “During the search, HSI Cincinnati recovered one firearm and ammunition from his residence. Thank you to our law enforcement. These threats will not be tolerated. You will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she added. The news comes not long after DHS reported a San Antonio City Council candidate was calling for the shooting of ICE agents in Los Angeles California, per Breitbart News, noting the man is a self-described Democrat political consultant. WATCH — “We Don’t F*** Around”: Anti-ICE Protest Turns into Bridge Brawl: In addition, a man from Jamestown, New York, was recently charged with threatening to kill an ICE agent and his children, according to Breitbart News: Following an investigation, federal prosecutors arrested and charged 43-year-old Matthew White of Jamestown with communicating interstate threats after he allegedly threatened ICE agents with murder on several occasions in social media posts. “The defendant stands accused of making vile threats against officers and agents who risk their lives every day to uphold an oath they swore to protect the public — even those who wish them harm. There is no place in our community for such hate against any human beings, including and especially innocent children,” ICE’s Erin Keegan said in a statement. The outlet also reported in June that ICE agents were facing a 500 percent rise in assaults as they worked to find and arrest illegal aliens across America, according to DHS data. Read More

On this week’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell should be given immunity and be compelled to testify before a congressional committee about the Jeffrey Epstein files. Host Shannon Bream said, “You mentioned Ghislaine Maxwell. She’s still got an appeal. I’m tracking at the Supreme Court, but in the meantime, you suggest she should be potentially offered congressional immunity to go and testify. Do you think that would happen? And what kind of information would she have that we haven’t seen?” Dershowitz said, “She knows everything. She is the Rosetta Stone. She knows everything. She arranged every single trip with everybody. She knows everything. And if she would just given use of use immunity she could be compelled to testify.” He added, “I’m told that she actually would be willing to testify. And there would be no reason for her to withhold any information. So I don’t see any negative, in giving her, the kind of use immunity that would compel her to testify. So she would be summoned in front of a congressional committee.” Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN Read More

“We stripped a VW Golf, rebuilt it into a prototype patrol vehicle”, Armored vehicle inventor says in a chat with Punch Newspaper. Retired Major General Victor Ezugwu, in a chat with Punch Newspaper’s Naomi Chima, has explained some of innovations under his watch that led to the manufacture of the first Made-in-Nigeria Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, named Ezugwu MRAP. The former Nigerian Defence Industry of Nigeria (DICON) is known for developing the Ezugwu MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle in collaboration with the Nigerian Army’s Command Engineering Depot. First unveiled in September 2019, the Nigerian-made mine resistance and ambush protected vehicle (MRAP) was designed and manufactured by the Nigerian Defence Industry of Nigeria (DICON) and the Command Engineering Depot (CED). Following his appointment as the Commandant of Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria in 2016, the then DICON Director-General said he challenged trained tradesmen that included mechanics and drivers to produce five patrol vehicles. “We stripped a Volkswagen Golf and rebuilt it into a prototype patrol vehicle. In six months, five functional vehicles were ready and paraded on the passing-out day,” he said, showcasing the capabilities of the team. “Gen. Buratai was impressed and asked me to lead the establishment of a military vehicle production outfit as the pioneer Group Managing Director.” While working in Kaduna, the them Major General Victor Ezugwu said he met Shedrack Agbo, who studied automobile engineering, and together they developed a working MRAP that was later named after him for his contributions. “Later, President Buhari gave approval for me to move to the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, where we produced the vehicle. I don’t take all the credit though. I worked with a team of smart, young engineers. I brought them together, mentored them, and led the process.” Ezugwu said over 30 units were produced and distributed, adding that the vehicles have been deployed in various operational theatres, including in Maiduguri, Adamawa, Sokoto, and Enugu, highlighting their effectiveness in the fight against insurgents. On what makes the Made-in-Nigeria Ezugwu MRAP unique, he said it is cost-effective, noting that a unit costs around N250 million, while similar foreign versions cost N900 million to N1 billion. He added that : “It is the first armoured vehicle locally produced by the Nigerian military since 1964. President Buhari approved it to be named after me.” “The MRAP is bulletproof and can withstand 7.62mm machine gun and AK-47 fire. It is also mine-resistant, with inbuilt mechanisms to neutralise explosive threats.” “It can move through water up to 20–30 metres deep. It has armoured windshields, advanced communication systems covering 10–16km, and surveillance cameras with a range of 2–5km.” See Also : FRSC Mobile App For Licence Renewal, Verification And Safety/Speed Limit Alerts Now Available For Download Read More

Davido buys Lamborghini Revuelto, M-Hero 917 launched in Nigeria, LASPA parking signage, FRSC recovers 35 stolen vehicles in six months, news in the past week. LASPA Warns Against Destruction Of Parking Signage The Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) has urged residents to desist from the indiscriminate destruction of the various road signages installed across the state for the effective management and parking control. ‎The General Manager of LASPA, Mrs Adebisi Adelabu, who gave the warning during a recent chat with the press, notes that some of the road signages installed by the agency are being vandalised. According to her : “Vandalism of parking signage poses a threat to public safety, disrupts the smooth flow of traffic, and creates inconvenience for motorists seeking parking spaces.” “LASPA condemns, in the strongest terms, the destruction of the State Parking signages and would not hesitate to take necessary legal measures to ensure perpetrators are brought to book”. The First In Africa : Davido Buys Customized Lamborghini Revuelto Sports Car Worth $1 Million Mr. JAY AUTOS LTD., Davido’s go-to guy for luxury car purchases, once again delivered another luxury car to the Afrobeat star, who is currently on his “5IVE ALIVE TOUR” in the United States and set to perform at Toyota Center on July 17 2025. In a video shared by Mr. JAY, Davido and the US-based car dealer were seen arriving at a Lamborghini dealership in Dallas to pick up his brand new customized Lamborghini Revuelto worth over $600k, though bespoke options, car cost and shipment to Nigeria will cost him like $1 million. JAY said that Revuelto was customized to Davido’s tastes, noting that Lamborghini sports car will be the first in the whole of Africa when it finally arrives in the Nigeria. “ @davido did it Again!!!!!! Brand New Lamborghini Revuelto Specially built for 001. We built this bad boy from Scratch. Lamborghini called last week that it’s ready and Baddest is here himself to take delivery.” SAGLEV Launches MHERO 917 Into Nigerian Market, Off-road Electric SUV Will Be Assembled Locally Nigeria’s electric vehicle assembler, SAGLEV Motors, in partnership with China’s Dongfeng Automobile Co. Ltd., has officially launched the M-Hero 917 5-seater electric SUV into the lucrative Nigerian automotive market. At the unveiling ceremony held at the Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos on July 16th 2025, SAGLEV announced that the hulking off-road-ready electric ultra-luxury SUV will be locally assembled at its plant Nigeria. Per the brochure on SAGLEV’s website seen by Autojosh, the M-Hero 917 comes in two versions – the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and the Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV). NVIS : FRSC Recovers 35 Stolen Vehicles In Six Months Through Innovative Tech Platform The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced it recovered a total of Thirty-five (35) stolen vehicles across the country in the first half of 2025 (January to June) through the National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS). In a statement released on Friday July 18th 2025, FRSC spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, said this remarkable achievement is a testament to the Corps’ relentless commitment to enhancing national security and public service delivery. According to FRSC, the recovered vehicles, stolen through armed robbery, abduction, and fraudulent tricking operations, include 1 Ford Focus, 1 Pontiac Vibe and 1 Toyota Sienna. FRSC also list 24 Toyota vehicles, 5 Lexus, 2 Mercedes-Benz and 1 Daihatsu without specifying their models. “To ensure a seamless operation towards successful recovery of the stolen vehicles, the Corps collaborated with sister security agencies and state governments to trace and retrieve the vehicles from different parts of the country.” See Also : Fashion Mogul, Seyi Vodi, Buys Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II Worth N1.7b To Mark His 50th Birthday Read More

General Motors discontinued the Chevrolet Camaro in 2024 with no successor in sight, but the model’s return is not out of the question. This is not the first time that production of the Camaro has been suspended. The model took a seven-year hiatus when General Motors ended production of the fourth generation in 2002, and then in 2009, the fifth-generation Camaro was introduced. While fans wait for the seventh generation (if it ever appears), the American media is dealing with the possibility of its return. Speaking to The Detroit News, General Motors President Mark Royce revealed some of the criteria for a potential future Camaro. Therefore, it would have to meet all the right conditions: beauty, functionality, and enjoyment. “I think that formula of beauty, a little bit of functionality and fun, that’s all important,” Royce said. “Going back to the Camaro, that part is essential.” A few months ago, Royce explained that it should be affordable in the ever-shrinking sports car segment. That could prompt General Motors to consider an electric Camaro. However, the auto giant may have learned from the mistakes of Stellantis, looking at the backlash it had to face when it introduced the electric car. With the departure of former CEO Carlos Tavares, Stellantis proved that it understood that Americans needed a HEMI engine and brought it back into the Ram lineup. In that case, why wouldn’t General Motors bring back the V8 Camaro? Read More: Chevrolet Says Its In No Hurry To Fully Electrify The Corvette As Thunderous V8 Remains Read More