Trump says lifting Scottish whisky tariffs to 'honor' King Charles

(The Center Square) - California Thursday officially exceeded an average gas price of $6 a gallon for the first time since the start of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.

The new high came just one week after a short-lived drop in the cost of a gallon, according to AAA. Various gas stations in California have been near or at the $6 mark for several weeks, but AAA said the average price was hovering below $6 a gallon. That changed on Thursday when AAA reported an average of $6.01 in California, up 16 cents from one week ago, with Mono County along the Nevada border at $6.95.

At the same time, Nevada saw the average price hit $5.13, up 17 cents from one week ago.

Colorado rose to $4.25, up 29 cents in one week, and Arizona was at $4.67, up six cents from April 23.

Drivers throughout the Southwest are seeing some of the nation's highest prices amid the conflict in Iran, which began Feb. 28. The average U.S. gas price has gone up nearly $1.50 since the start of 2026.

California consistently has had the nation's highest gas average for several years, and that remained the case on Thursday as the entire country deals with spikes in prices during the Mideast conflict.

“It’s a really unpredictable situation the way that things are emerging,” said Patrick De Haan, Gas Buddy head of petroleum analysis 

“A lot of the direction for gas prices is going to be very significantly impacted by the conditions moving forward – whether the Strait [of Hormuz] is closed or reopened," De Haan told The Center Square Thursday. "It’s very hard to predict.”

Despite what AAA called a “bit of relief at the pump” just last week as the average price per gallon neared $4, gas prices have surged once again across the U.S. The average gas price nationally was $4.30 a gallon Thursday, up 27 cents a gallon from one week ago, with WTI Crude oil prices having recently rushed past $100 once again. The result is more uncertainty over gas prices.

“There was an overnight shift of about 11 cents,” AAA Northern California spokesperson Doug Johnson told The Center Square of the first spike earlier this week. “And I think that's the market reacting to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday saying it would leave OPEC.”

The United Arab Emirates is one of 12 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the oil cartel that heavily influences the global price for oil. OPEC says it's one of the world’s largest oil producers.

The fluctuation of prices is "showing destabilization in the oil markets, and anytime there's any sort of destabilization, as we saw in the conflict in Iran, that can have an impact on prices at the pump locally," Johnson said.

There is still some distance to be covered before the national average reaches the all-time high of $5.02 per gallon, set in summer 2022. But four months ago, the average price was $2.82.

“Stable national average to start the year, lowest since 2021,” read the AAA headline at the time. Since then, the average price of a gallon of gas has increased by $1.49.

While less visible to consumers, the biggest impact of the sharp rise in gas prices this year could be felt from the near all-time high price of diesel. 

The current average gallon is $5.50, which was $3.52 in January according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The all-time high of $5.82 was set in the summer of 2022.

Johnson said that two Bay Area California cities, San Francisco and San Rafael, broke an all-time national record earlier this month by breaking $8 for a gallon of diesel.

“The U.S. economy is powered by diesel from trains and trucks to tractors, so the elevated price of diesel is going to impact the economy in a pretty negative way here in the weeks ahead as prices remain just below their all-time record highs,” De Haan said. “This is likely to lead to a rise in inflation here in the months ahead.”

With summer nearly here and Memorial Day on May 25, many Americans are still expected to take road trips and flights despite the higher fuel prices, according to AAA. Along with checking that your car is fully serviced and running smoothly, Johnson said driving speed can have a major impact on fuel efficiency. 

“Fuel economy peaks at around 50 miles per hour on most cars, and then as you start to drive faster, it decreases,” said Johnson. “So if you drive the recommended speed limit, you can actually increase your fuel economy between 7-14%.”

Cameron Young rode a hot putter to an eight-under par 64 on Thursday to take a one-shot first-round lead in the PGA Tour Cadillac Championship.

"I feel like I made a billion feet of putts," said Young, who had eight birdies without a bogey and was rolling them in from on and off the green.

"Every time my ball got near the hole it seemed to want to go in today," he said.

Young was one stroke ahead of three-time major champion Jordan Spieth and fellow American Alex Smalley.

Young, who won the Players championship in March and contended at the Masters before finishing tied for third behind Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, got his round going with a birdie at the second, where he landed his approach inches from the pin.

He rolled in a 41-foot birdie at the fourth and after another short birdie at the fifth made a 28-foot birdie putt from off the green at seven.

Birdies at 10 and 11 were followed by another 25-foot birdie putt from off the green at 15 and after he took a one-shot lead with a birdie at 16 he made a testing six-foot par putt at 17 to maintain the advantage.

"I saw a few go in early and it was just one of those days," Young said. "I just had a really nice feel for the greens today."

Young, who won the first of his two PGA Tour titles to date at the Wyndham Championship in August, has three top-five finishes this year and has climbed to number four in the world.

Spieth holed out for eagle at the eighth to highlight his round. He was eight-under through 15 but made his second bogey of the day at 16.

- Playing the right way -

"It was a very nice start," said Speith, who was seven-under through 11 and said he took advantage early when the breeze was minimal and the greens were soft.

"I don't foresee seven-unders every day," Spieth said. "I knocked a couple putts in from the fringe which is a bonus and the rest of the round I just played really the right way."

Smalley, chasing his first PGA Tour title, had eight birdies and one bogey, seizing his share of second with birdies at 16 and 17.

Canadian Nick Taylor was alone in fourth after a six-under 66, but world number one Scottie Scheffler got off to a disappointing start with three birdies and two bogeys in a one-under 71 that left him seven off the pace.

The $20 million signature event marks the PGA Tour's return to the Blue Monster course at Trump National Doral for the first time since 2016.

The venue had featured on the PGA Tour calendar for more than half a century, hosting a tournament annually from 1962 to 2016 when it staged the World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship.

The tournament was moved after sponsor Cadillac decided not to renew its sponsorship and a replacement could not be found. 

The PGA Tour, which had been sharply critical of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign rhetoric concerning immigrants, relocated the event to Mexico -- prompting a furious reaction from Trump at the time.

Since then Doral had hosted a stop in the breakaway LIV Golf circuit.

bb/amz

Apple said Thursday it had its best-ever start to the year when it came to earnings, with iPhone demand and digital service sales helping it beat expectations.

The pioneering Silicon Valley company reported profit of $29.6 billion on revenue of $111.2 billion in the recently ended quarter.

"Today Apple is proud to report our best March quarter ever," chief executive Tim Cook said in an earnings call, noting revenue hit a record high for the three-month period.

Apple shares dipped slightly after the release but rose nearly four percent on optimism expressed on the earnings call.

During the quarter, iPhone sales grew by double digits in just about every country where it does business, and its services unit reached an all-time high, according to Cook.

The earnings come as Apple prepares for a changing of the guard, with Cook to step down as chief executive late this year.

The future of Apple is being entrusted to a company veteran said to combine hardware brilliance with "the soul of an innovator."

John Ternus, 50, will take over as Apple chief executive in September, with Cook becoming executive chairman of the iPhone maker's board of directors.

"This is the most exciting time in my 25-year career at Apple," Ternus said on the earnings call, declining to disclose details of the company's roadmap.

"There are so many opportunities before us, and I couldn't be more optimistic about what's to come."

A big question will be whether Ternus has "the appetite for the kind of bold, occasionally uncomfortable decisions" that defining an Apple AI platform will require, said IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo.

Legendary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was known for brutal honesty and unyielding perfectionism that led to culture-changing devices.

Apple celebrates its 50th anniversary this year as artificial intelligence challenges the legendary company to prove it can deliver yet another must-have innovation.

The brand's hit products -- the Mac, iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad -- command a cult-like following, long after the company's humble beginnings on April 1, 1976 in Jobs's garage in Cupertino, California.

One concern haunting investors is that Apple appears to be easing into generative AI while rivals Google, Microsoft and OpenAI race ahead.

A promised upgrade to its Siri digital assistant was delayed in what analysts called a rare stumble for the company.

And rather than relying on its own engineers to overhaul Siri, Apple has turned to Google for AI capability.

But whether built in-house or outsourced, Apple's obsession with user privacy and its premium hardware could position it to drive widespread adoption of personalized AI -- and make it profitable, a goal that has proved elusive for much of the AI industry.

Apple delivered a "standout quarter" even though iPhone revenue came in just shy of expectations, according to Emarketer senior tech analyst Jacob Bourne.

"The question is whether incoming CEO John Ternus can translate this momentum into a credible AI strategy," Bourne said.

"Investors will be watching for clues about how Ternus plans to balance Apple's cautious AI posture with the pressure to define the next consumer device for the AI era."

gc/mlm

(The Center Square) – National teachers unions have spent over $1 billion on political activity and advocacy since 2015, according to a new report by Defending Education.

Both reports, shared with The Center Square, found the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association together directed $669 million in federal political spending and an additional $336 million in state and local spending. 

The total includes member dues, political action committee contributions and Committee on Political Education funds. Teachers’ unions collect COPE and PAC dollars separately from their dues and fees.

Defending Education says the funds were directed to political campaigns, nonprofit advocacy groups, school board races and efforts opposing school choice legislation.

Rhyen Staley, research director at Defending Education, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview that the findings raise concerns about how unions allocate their funds and the impact at the state and local levels. 

“When you tie in money coming from the state and local level and the political game plan of teacher unions, it's just one giant political machine that is trying to take control of everything,” Staley told The Center Square. 

According to the findings, unions and affiliated groups spent approximately $7.2 million opposing school choice initiatives in Kentucky, $4.3 million to repeal similar policies in Nebraska and more than $4.2 million to oppose school choice efforts in Maine.

The report also noted that the unions contributed over $1.3 million to a Los Angeles Unified School District school board race.

Staley said the influence of teachers' unions extends beyond traditional labor concerns, particularly at the local level.  

At the state and local level overall, teachers' unions spent more than $135.8 million, the report found.

“These are proxies for the teachers' union,” Staley added. “These unions are taking lots of money, and they're pouring it into these local groups who are having massive impacts at the local level.”

A majority of public school districts do not reimburse union dues. They are paid by members via payroll deduction from taxpayer-funded salaries.

“If the union is taking their cut regardless if they're a member or not and they're getting that money, especially before a teacher even gets their paycheck, that is taxpayer dollars," Staley said.

Staley added that unions take dues and move them into COPE accounts, which are then funneled into political campaigns.

The report also points to union involvement in broader political and social movements, including activities tied to May Day demonstrations, where some groups promoted student participation in protests related to immigration enforcement. 

Staley said students are being used as “propaganda” for unions to show participation in protests, but “they’re not really engaged.” 

“The teachers' unions are very unique because they are teachers who are directly involved with children, and a lot of this is meant to develop their next generation of political allies,” Staley added. 

The National Education Association, the largest teachers union in the country, has also contributed millions to advocacy organizations, according to the report. Midwest Academy has received more than $1.7 million since 2015.

The Center Square reached out to the NEA and AFT by email and phone for comment, but did not receive a response.

FIFA said Thursday it will review its ticketing strategy for the 2030 World Cup following anger over skyrocketing prices for the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom said high ticket prices for this year's tournament reflected "the reality of the market in North America."

"I will always have understanding for fans and their opinions, but I think there are quite a wide array of ticket prices -- some are cheap, some are more expensive," he said.

"But of course, you know, we listen, we take into the account the comments, and of course, as for every World Cup, we will review and see how we do it for the next one," Grafstrom added.

FIFA has faced searing criticism over soaring ticket prices for this year's World Cup, with fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) branding the pricing structure "extortionate" and a "monumental betrayal" of fans.

FSE last month filed a lawsuit with the European Commission targeting FIFA over "excessive ticket prices" for the tournament.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino insists ticket prices are simply a consequence of the huge demand.

"In the US in particular there is this thing called dynamic pricing, meaning the prices will go up or down", depending on the match in question, Infantino has said.

FIFA's own ticket resale exchange this week showed four tickets on offer for the July 19 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium for an eye-watering $2 million apiece, according to reports.

Other resale platforms commonly show tickets for the World Cup final costing tens of thousands of dollars.

Asked on Thursday if he was concerned that anger over ticket prices would harm the legacy of the 2026 World Cup, Grafstrom pointed out that revenues from the World Cup -- estimated to generate up to $13 billion -- would be pumped back into football.

"I think, you know, the legacy is also what we'll be able to do with the money that it generates," Grafstrom said. 

"This is a true legacy through the (FIFA) Forward program and in order to really develop the game of football in our member associations, and this will have a true impact."

rcw/amz

The Milwaukee Bucks have hired Taylor Jenkins as their new head coach after failing to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the NBA team said Thursday. 

The 41-year-old American served as an assistant coach for the Bucks in the 2018-19 season on coach Mike Budenholzer's staff, and more recently spent six seasons as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jenkins replaces Doc Rivers, who resigned as head coach of the Bucks earlier this month after three seasons at Milwaukee, the final of which concluded with a 32-50 losing record.

Rivers' Bucks had lost twice in the first round of the playoffs before missing the post-season entirely this year.

It is the first time in nine seasons that Milwaukee have not participated in the playoffs.

"Taylor's attention to detail, toughness and communication skills make it clear that he knows how to cultivate a winning culture," Bucks owners Wes Edens, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, and Jamie Dinan said in a statement.

"We are excited to work together toward our collective goal of sustained success and winning championships."

Milwaukee won the NBA championship as recently as 2021, when Greek-Nigerian star Giannis Antetokounmpo earned a second consecutive Most Valuable Player Award.

The move to hire Jenkins comes as the Bucks are trying to convince Antetokounmpo to remain with the club.

Antetokounmpo struggled with injuries and was linked with a mid-season trade before publicly complaining that the team had not allowed him to play. 

amz/bb

Pop star Britney Spears on Thursday was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, prosecutors outside Los Angeles said Thursday -- but she could avoid jail time with a plea deal.

The criminal complaint does not specify which substance the 44-year-old singer was allegedly using when she was arrested in early March. 

Spears is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in a courtroom in Ventura County, which borders Los Angeles County.

She is not required to attend the hearing because the charge is a misdemeanor, and can be represented by her attorney, prosecutors said in a statement. 

Spears had phenomenal early music success in the late 1990s with hits like "...Baby One More Time" but has largely stepped back from music in recent years. 

Following her arrest, a representative for the singer described the incident as "completely inexcusable" and said Spears would "take the right steps and comply with the law."

Since then, she checked herself into rehab.

Prosecutors said in their statement that Spears could avoid jail time by agreeing to a plea deal -- a typical move in cases with no prior convictions, no injury, a low blood alcohol level and defendants who voluntarily enter a rehab program.

Such a move would likely result in a guilty plea for reckless driving involving drugs and/or alcohol, which would see her placed on probation for 12 months. She would also have to take a court-ordered driver safety class and pay a fine.

"This offer will be extended to Ms Spears on Monday," prosecutors said.

Following a public breakdown in 2007, Spears was placed under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears, who controlled her money and her personal life, even as she continued to perform high-profile concerts.

The conservatorship was dissolved by a Los Angeles court in 2021, after a groundswell of public support to "Free Britney."

In her 2023 memoir "The Woman in Me," Spears insisted she never did hard drugs and that she did not have a drinking problem, but she admitted that she was taking Adderall, the ADHD medication.

rfo/sst/msp

A new documentary series based on hours of previously unreleased recordings made by Diana, the late Princess of Wales, is in the works, producers announced Thursday.

"Diana: The Unheard Truth," set for release in 2027 -- 30 years after her death in a Paris car crash -- promises to tell the story of "the people's princess" in her own words.

Using five hours of conversations between Diana and her close confidante, surgeon Dr. James Colthurst, the tapes formed the basis of Andrew Morton's explosive 1992 book "Diana: Her True Story."

"This revelatory three-part docuseries restores authorship of one of the most scrutinized lives in modern history," said a statement released Thursday by Love Monday TV, the production company behind the venture.

It "will change public perception of Diana forever."

"Through the tapes, we come to know a resilient, perceptive, and relatable young woman, finding herself in the brightest of global spotlights, and navigating the challenges with grace, self-awareness, and determination."

Diana's role in Britain's storied monarchy is unparalleled.

The sumptuous 1981 wedding between Diana and the future King Charles III was a global extravaganza of good will.

But what followed quickly degenerated into a tabloid feeding frenzy as cracks appeared in the fairytale, with husband and wife seemingly seeking solace in the arms of others.

Diana's shocking 1997 death in a Paris tunnel in a car speeding away from paparazzi sparked a public backlash in Britain that rocked the monarchy and the media.

The tapes, say producers, are a reminder that things could have turned out differently.

"We hear her infectious humor and twinkling laughter, as she reveals the truth about life inside the most famous family in the world," the statement said.

"But most importantly we hear her dreams for a future that could have been; a new chapter in which Charles goes off into the sunset with (future queen) Camilla, leaving Diana free to carve her own path."

Charles and Camilla, who married in 2005, are wrapping up a state visit to the United States, a visit that is being seen as a chance for London and Washington to move past a difficult few months.

The documentary series will also incorporate the perspectives of Diana's inner circle, including advisers, close friends, her hairdresser, her bodyguard, and one-time royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter.

pr-hg/ksb

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he was removing tariffs on Scottish whisky in honor of Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they wrapped up their state visit.

Trump's announcement as the royal couple ended their four-day trip to the United States represents a major trade concession to key ally Britain even as the Iran war strains transatlantic relations.

Shortly after bidding the British royals goodbye at the White House, Trump posted that he was making the gesture "in Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom."

"The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!" Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Scotch whisky from the UK has faced a 10-percent tariff during Trump's second presidency. But the rate was on course to jump later this year when the suspension of an earlier 25-percent tariff -- part of a previous trade truce -- expires.

In his post, Trump said he was "removing the tariffs and restrictions" on whisky but added that it related to Scotland's trade with the bourbon-making state of Kentucky, particularly on wooden barrels.

But US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer later appeared to confirm the announcement applied to the alcoholic drink itself.

"The United States will allow preferential duty access for whiskey produced in the United Kingdom," Greer said in a statement.

He added that move was part of a broader trade deal announced by the United States and Britain in an Oval Office appearance by Trump last year.

Almost from the moment that Trump returned to power last year, Britain has been trying to make the case for whisky to be exempted from tariffs.

During Trump's first term, his tariffs in 2019 against the European Union -- which then included Britain -- also targeted the UK's whisky industry.

The United States remains the primary export market for Scotch whisky, accounting for $1.2 billion per year.

But the royal charm offensive by King Charles appeared to have paid off.

Trump hailed Charles as the "greatest king" as he waved him and Camilla off at the White House.

The visit was officially meant to celebrate transatlantic ties as the United States marks its 250th anniversary of independence from Britain, but much of Charles's time has been spent smoothing over tensions over Iran.

Trump has bitterly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his opposition to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

dk-bys/msp

(The Center Square) – The U.S. House has adopted a short-term extension of FISA Section 702, buying lawmakers more time to hammer out reforms to the controversial federal surveillance authority.

Despite opposition in both parties, the bill cleared the lower chamber under suspension of the rules in a 261-111 vote Thursday afternoon, just hours after it passed the Senate.

Ninety-four House Democrats and 26 House Republicans opposed the extension Thursday, citing Fourth Amendment concerns.

On paper, FISA Section 702 allows federal intelligence agencies to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance on foreign nationals of suspicion.

But in practice, the electronic data of American citizens – including emails, text messages, and phone calls – are routinely collected as well.

The major controversy lies in the fact that federal intelligence agents will routinely search through that database without obtaining a warrant, which critics view as a violation of Americans’ Fourth Amendment Rights.

“This body ought to be defending the people of the United States against the power of government being used against us,” U.S. Rep. Chip Toy, R-Texas, who voted against the extension, said. “Under no circumstances should we allow technology to breach the wall that the Fourth Amendment created."

Declassified government documents and oversight reports show that federal intelligence agencies have performed millions of these so-called “backdoor searches” since FISA Section 702 was created, including 57,000 in 2023 alone.

House Republicans are particularly disgruntled because they had originally assumed that the Senate would swallow their three-year FISA Section 702 extension. That bill, which included modest accountability and transparency reforms, passed the House Wednesday night.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., announced the bill was “dead on arrival” in the Senate, due to a last-minute amendment the House added that would prohibit the U.S. Treasury from issuing a central bank digital currency.

Ignoring the lower chamber, the Senate passed a clean 45-day extension instead. Now that the House has approved, FISA Section 702 will expire June 1, absent congressional action.

Thune obtained the necessary votes after granting Sen. Ron Wyden’s, D-Ore., demand that Congress request the declassification of a FISA court opinion that documents the federal government’s abuses of Section 702 powers.

Many lawmakers, however, view the extension as merely kicking the can down a dead-end road, given the amount of time they had already spent on Section 702 negotiations.

“The Senate keeps rejecting the House’s legislation, sticking their noses in the air, and skipping town when it matters,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, fumed to reporters Thursday. “The Senate needs to get a grip and get to work. The American people demand it.”