In an exclusive interview with Scripps News Cleveland's John Kosich, Travis Kelce's father, Ed Kelce, gave us an in-depth look at his son's recent engagement to one of the world's biggest pop stars.

On Tuesday, Travis and Taylor Swift announced their engagement in a joint social media post.

According to Ed, his son proposed to Swift almost two weeks ago, a little more than two years after they became one of the most notable celebrity power couples.

"Travis actually did the proposal, oh, maybe two weeks, not quite two weeks ago," Ed Kelce said. "He was going to put it off till this week. I think she was getting maybe a little antsy, but he was going to put her off till this week, to, you know, make some grand thing, to make it a big special event. And I told him repeatedly, you know, you could do it on the side of the road, do it any place that makes it a special event ... when you get down on one knee and ask her to marry you."

Ed Kelce details son's engagement to Taylor Swift in exclusive interview

Ed said Swift's father, Scott Swift, was telling Travis the same thing.

When the special day arrived, Travis popped the question at a garden in Lee's Summit, Missouri.

"He got her out there, they were about to go out to dinner, and he said, 'let's go out and have a glass of wine,' ... they got out there, and that's when he asked her, and it was beautiful," Ed Kelce said. "They started FaceTiming me and their mother and her folks to make sure everybody knew. So, to see them together is great."

He said he was at a Philadelphia Eagles practice when he got the call that the two were engaged.

Ed Kelce details son's engagement to Taylor Swift in exclusive interview

"I was at ... an Eagles practice, a public practice that they had a lot of people that, well, the Eagles had 60,000 people at a public practice two weeks ago on a Sunday night," Ed Kelce said. "So at that practice ... I got a FaceTime call from them, and as soon as I saw the FaceTime, I saw it was Travis, and then I saw Taylor there with him, I knew what they were going to say, and they, you know, let us know."

Ed said he knew about Travis's plan to propose months in advance; he even expected him to pop the question during last year's NFL season.

He said he has not seen his son happier than he is with Swift.

"We actually went to a thing in KC Sunday night, which was an ESPN airing of 'The Kingdom' and went to that, and his mother and I went with him back to his house for dinner, where Taylor made dinner, and we had a wonderful dinner with them outside on the patio and to just watch the two of them, just crazy about each other. It's truly kinda neat," Ed Kelce said.

While the engagement is still new, and no wedding planning has occurred quite yet, Ed said he is as prepared as he can be for the wedding bells.

Ed Kelce details son's engagement to Taylor Swift in exclusive interview

"They're just two young people very much in love, cast in a spotlight that they really haven't sought but kind of followed with their success in their respective fields," Ed Kelce said.

This story was originally published by Maya Morita and John Kosich at

Scripps News Cleveland

.

The White House is continuing to push forward on a three-pillar strategy announced in July to innovate, power and export American-made AI products.

Michael Kratsios, director of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy, explained the administration's goals and progress in a Tuesday interview with Scripps News.

'Like a sales mission:" White House continues its push to embed American AI worldwide

"For most countries around the world, the volumes of chips and the types of AI that we'll be needing aren't of real national security concern in the U.S. What we're most concerned about is us not being there, and adversaries having their chips and their AI in those countries," Kratsios said. "So our biggest step right now is how do we get more people to use American AI?"

President Donald Trump has sought to boost U.S. chip production and increase federal control of some operations. This month, he announced the U.S. government would take a 10% stake in chipmaker Intel. Separately, the government cut a deal with chipmakers Nvida and AMD to loosen export restrictions of their products to China for a 15% share of revenue.

RELATED STORY | Trump plans 100% tariff on computer chips, likely increasing electronics costs

At the same time the president has also planned a 100% tariff on computer chip imports, a move that could raise the prices Americans pay for computers, cars, appliances and other electronics.

The U.S.-based Semiconductor Industry Association, a trade group representing U.S. chip manufacturers, estimates that U.S. manufacturing accounts for only 12% of computer chips produced globally.

"We want to make sure that countries around the world are using our technology and not China's or anyone else's," Kratsios said. "We are Americans. We think we have the best technology. We want everyone to be using it. So for us, it's almost like a sales mission. And I deeply believe we have the best technology and no matter what country we go to, I think we'll always be winning out to just have the best stuff."

Watch the full interview with Kratsios in the embedded video.

Want a little autumn in your August? Youre in luck.

The seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte has returned to Starbucks menus in the U.S. and Canada.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte is Starbucks most popular seasonal beverage, with hundreds of millions sold since the espresso drink's 2003 launch. Its also produced a host of imitations. Dunkin introduced pumpkin-flavored drinks in 2007; it beat Starbucks to market this year when its fall menu debuted last week. McDonalds introduced a pumpkin spice latte in 2013.

RELATED STORY | The history behind pumpkin spice

Heres a look at the Pumpkin Spice Latte by the numbers:

100: Number of Starbucks stores that sold the Pumpkin Spice Latte during a test run in Vancouver and Washington in 2003. The following year it launched nationally.

79: Number of markets where Starbucks sold the Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2024. At the time, the company had stores in 85 markets around the world. It now operates in 88 markets.

$36.2 billion: Starbucks' net revenue in its 2024 fiscal year, which ended last September. Starbucks' net revenue was $4.1 billion in 2003, when the Pumpkin Spiace Latte first went on sale.

33.8%: Increase in mentions of pumpkin spice on U.S. menus between the fall of 2014 and the fall of 2024, according to Technomic.

4: Number of spices in McCormicks Pumpkin Pie Spice. They are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.

2022: The year Merriam-Webster added pumpkin spice to the dictionary. Less common, it said, is the term pumpkin pie spice.

3: The Pumpkin Spice Latte was the third seasonal beverage introduced by Starbucks, after the Eggnog Latte and the Peppermint Mocha.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | Why pumpkin spice? An economist explains our obsession with the flavor

Sept. 8: Date the Pumpkin Spice Latte went on sale in 2015. The on-sale date has edged earlier since then.

24%: Amount foot traffic rose at U.S. Starbucks last year on Aug. 22, the day the Pumpkin Spice Latte went on sale, according to Placer.ai. The company compared traffic that Thursday to the previous eight Thursdays.

45.5%: Amount foot traffic rose at Starbucks stores in North Dakota on Aug. 22, 2024, the most of any state, according to Placer.ai. Foot traffic in Mississippi rose the least, at 4.8%.

42,000: Number of members of the Leaf Rakers Society, a private Facebook group Starbucks created in 2018 to celebrate fall all year long.

Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its own vaccine recommendations that differed from the federal guidelines shaped by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | AAP's immunization schedule diverges from CDC, emphasizes COVID-19 vaccination for young children

But what's behind the disconnect? Dr. Richard Besser, who is the former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sat down with Scripps News to explain.

Why are some health associations breaking with CDC recommendations for the COVID-19 vaccine this fall?

"The reason you're seeing the Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology breaking from the Department of Health and Human Services is that for the first time in my lifetime, the Department of Health and Human Services has moved away from evidence-based guidelines," Besser explained. "It used to be that you could look to those guidelines and know that they were based on the best available science. That's not the case anymore."

RELATED STORY | OB-GYN association breaks from CDC, recommends COVID shot for pregnant women

"The secretary has populated the committee that makes those recommendations with the anti-vaccine advocates," he added. "And so their current recommendations to not recommend the COVID vaccination for young children and for pregnant women flies in the face of evidence. These are two groups that are at higher risk for having severe COVID infection, they're at higher risk for being hospitalized for requiring intensive care services, and, unfortunately, they're also at higher risk of dying from COVID."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Scripps News there was unanimity with the FDA, NIH, CDC and BARDA with this vaccine recommendation decision. Are they right that there are potential dangers to the COVID-19 vaccine, or is that not solid science?

"First of all, there's not unanimity amongst those institutions," Besser said. "There may be unanimity amongst political appointees or at least they're following the party line."

"When the secretary was appointed I think this was during his hearings as well he said don't follow him for scientific advice, he's not a scientist. In his interview with [Scripps News], he seemed to being playing the part of one," he continued. "And unfortunately, what he was sharing was misinformation and disinformation."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | RFK Jr. in interview with Scripps News: Trusting the experts is not science

"We have now the experience of COVID vaccination with MRNA vaccination in hundreds of millions of people here and around the world," Besser added. "We know that those vaccines are incredibly safe and incredibly effective. So, for him to share the misinformation that he shared with you will lead some people to make decisions that they think are in the best interest of their health and the health of their families, that will put them at increased risk."

Watch Scripps News' full interview with Dr. Richard Besser in the video player above.

Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House's National Economic Council, spoke with Scripps News following President Trump's cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Hassett said hundreds of billions of dollars in tariff revenues have begun to supplement public programs.

White House economist says tariff revenues have started to support social programs like Medicare

"I got the latest report a couple days ago; It's getting close to already this year $200 billion. I think that the latest estimate from [the Congressional Budget Office] is that we're looking at maybe $3 trillion in revenue over the next ten years. What that's doing is it's defending Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and making it so that our programs are on sounder footing because we have a lot more revenue."

"Because prices aren't going up, the tariffs, as President Trump always suggested, are mostly being borne by foreign suppliers. It's not exactly a free lunch, but it's really a big benefit for the American taxpayer. We're getting the revenue not just from us, but from others."

According to ongoing analysis by the Tax Foundation, President Trump's tariff policies are forecast to be revenue-positive for the U.S. They're estimated to bring in $2.3 trillion through 2034.

RELATED STORY | New economic indicators show the costs of Trump's tariffs are creeping into Americans' budgets

President Trump has insisted he wants big businesses to eat the cost of tariffs. He has doubled down on social media, saying tariffs haven't caused any problems for America.

But new Goldman Sachs research projects businesses will pass on higher price increases to U.S. consumers come fall.

Businesses including Walmart and Target have warned that their costs are increasing and that they may be forced to pass those increases on to consumers, even if only as a last resort.

RELATED STORY | Tariffs put Walmart, Target and others in tough spot over pricing decisions

Scripps News asked Hassett if there was a point at which the Trump administration expected companies would be forced to raise prices.

Hassett said the experiences of shoppers on the ground so far does not reflect that possibility. He claimed, without providing specific examples, that prices on some tariffed goods were decreasing.

"What we have to do with that is look at what's happening the prices of the things we buy when we have a tariff. And basically the prices have been going down. It's sort of like the story of the guy at the store is getting less than a dollar and the guy at the store is, say, the Chinese exporter."

Watch the full interview with Hassett in the embedded video.

Caitlin Clark is Nike's newest signature athlete, expanding the athletic wear company's partnership with the WNBA star.

Nike on Monday revealed a new logo of interlocking Cs to represent the Indiana Fever player. Clark's first signature shoe and apparel collection will debut next year. Her logo collection will launch on Oct. 1, with a T-shirt in the Fever's colors yellow and navy blue coming out a month earlier.

Nikes signature roster features all-time greats, and I am incredibly proud to join some of the best athletes in the world, Clark said in a statement. Im excited to share a first look at what weve started to create together.

Clark has missed 24 games during an injury-plagued second season, including the last 15 with a right groin strain. She has not played or practiced since July 15.

RELATED STORY | Attendance record silences skeptics as WNBA draws 2.501 million fans in 2025

She did, however, participate in Indianas pregame shootaround Sunday at Minnesota. Last seasons WNBA Rookie of the Year is averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 13 games.

Clark has had a huge impact in women's basketball ratings and attendance over the last few years, dating from her time setting the NCAA all-time scoring record at Iowa.

In June, Nike released a pair of Kobe Bryants signature sneakers in the colors of the Fever. The shoes sold out nearly as soon as they were offered.

Clark becomes the third WNBA player to get a signature deal with Nike, following A'ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu. Wilson's shoe and apparel are coming out this year.

A judge has issued her ruling in a lawsuit accusing the Utah State Legislature of illegally gerrymandering congressional districts to benefit Republicans, throwing out congressional maps passed by lawmakers.

Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson sided with the League of Women Voters of Utah, Mormon Women for Ethical Government and others who challenged the legislature's override of Proposition 4, a citizen ballot initiative that created an independent redistricting commission to draw maps for Congress, legislature and state school board.

Judge Gibson decisively ruled that the citizen ballot initiative voters approved is law in Utah.

"Here, there is no question that Proposition 4 is overwhelmingly substantive legislation to reform and establish a statutory redistricting process," Judge Gibson wrote.

WATCH: Plaintiffs and supporters react to lawsuit decision Full presser on gerrymandering verdict

On the steps of the Matheson Courthouse on Monday night, plaintiffs in the lawsuit cheered and hugged.

"We feel vindicated," Malcolm Reid, a plaintiff in the lawsuit with his wife, Victoria, told the Scripps News Group in Salt Lake City. "We feel the court has respected and understood the state constitution and sent a very effective message to the legislature that the initiative process is something that needs to be respected and heeded and is the law of the land."

Victoria Reid called it an "incredible win for the voters of Utah."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Texas lawmakers give final approval to redrawn congressional map favoring GOP, send to governor

In a joint statement, Senate President J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, told the Scripps News Group: "While disappointed by the courts decision, we remain committed to protecting the voices of Utahns and upholding the Legislatures state and federal constitutional authority to draw congressional districts. We will carefully review the ruling and consider our next steps."

Those next steps are expected to be the Utah Supreme Court, which previously ruled against the legislature in a prior appeal.

"Todays decision is not a surprise after the Supreme Courts ruling last summer. While I respect the role of the courts in our system, I continue to disagree with that decision," Governor Spencer Cox said in a statement late Monday.

The lawsuit centers around claims made by the League and MWEG that lawmakers improperly overrode the voter-approved Proposition 4, which created an independent redistricting commission. Lawmakers opted to make any maps created by that commission basically "advisory."

The legislature has insisted it has the sole constitutional power to modify citizen ballot initiatives and to draw lines in redistricting. Lawmakers favored a congressional map that split Democrat-heavy Salt Lake County into four pieces in a mix of urban and rural interests. The League and MWEG argued in their lawsuit that it is gerrymandering designed to give Republicans control.

WATCH: What it might look like if Congressional districts change in Utah What it might look like if Congressional districts change in Utah

When Judge Gibson initially rejected the state's demand to throw out the lawsuit but also dismissed some of the League and MWEG's claims that the legislature improperly overstepped its powers the case wound up before the Utah Supreme Court on appeal. In their ruling, the justices unanimously overrode Judge Gibson in a decision that infuriated members of the legislature. That's what brought the whole case back to the lower court to be litigated.

In response to that ruling, the legislature then called themselves into an emergency special session, passed a proposed constitutional amendment that the Utah Supreme Court voided after the League and MWEG took them all back to court arguing the language appearing before voters was "misleading."

The Utah Supreme Court voided the amendment.

RELATED STORY | Newsom signs Election Rigging Response Act in retaliation to Texas moves

In January, lawyers for the League and MWEG asked Judge Gibson for the legislature's maps to be thrown out entirely and new ones adopted.

The lawsuit has taken new importance in recent weeks as Texas has taken steps to re-draw its congressional maps before another census to help Republicans. California has pushed a similar measure to aid Democrats. Judge Gibson's ruling, which gave the Utah legislature a 30-day deadline to draw new maps, will likely put Utah at the center of the redistricting storm as President Trump has pushed new maps to help Republicans maintain a majority in Congress.

"I know there's other things coming and we have a lot of work to do still, but this is a good win for the voters of Utah and I think the legislature has to realize that," said Katharine Biele, the president of the League of Women Voters of Utah. "We want to work with them. We're ready to work with them hand-in-hand. They just have to settle down and do it."

Read the judge's ruling below, or

click HERE

to read in a separate window This story was originally published by Ben Winslow with the

Scripps News Group in Salt Lake City.

President Donald Trump described Baltimore as a "hellhole" while talking about crime during Tuesday's cabinet meeting.

The president was addressing Maryland Governor Wes Moore's invitation to walk the streets with him when he made the comment.

"I'm not walking in Baltimore right now," President Donald Trump said. "Baltimore is a hellhole."

Following President Trump's order for the National Guard to respond to crime in Washington, he has suggested a similar move in other cities, including Chicago, New York and potentially Baltimore.

RELATED STORY | Trump eyes Democratic cities after arming National Guard in Washington, DC

Moore has disputed President Trumps characterization of Baltimore.

The last time the homicide rate was this low in Baltimore city, I wasnt born yet, the 46-year-old said over the weekend on CNN. He added, "I will never activate members of our National Guard for theatrics.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has also criticized President Trump for suggesting he would send the National Guard to Chicago.

What President Trump is doing is unprecedented and unwarranted, Pritzker said at a news conference on Monday. It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. It is un-American.

Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson pointed to declining crime rates but said they welcome federal collaboration on public safety efforts.

"Listen to what our people are actually calling for. We're calling for investments, resources," Johnson said. "This stunt that this president is attempting to execute is not real. It doesn't help drive us to a more safe, affordable big city."

The owners of a dog boarding facility in upstate New York are facing over a dozen charges after 21 dogs died under their care, according to local law enforcement.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office said it responded to Anastasia's Acres Dog Boarding in the town of Argyle on Sunday after receiving a report about deceased dogs.

Deputies found 21 dead dogs at the boarding facility and one in need of immediate medical care, who was taken to an emergency veterinarian.

The sheriff's office said the dogs died because the owners of the facility "failed to provide adequate water and ventilation for the animals."

The owners cooperated with the investigation.

As a result, Robert Palulis, 48, and Anastasia Palulis, 38, have each been charged with 22 counts of "overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals; failure to provide proper sustenance" which is a misdemeanor in the state of New York.

The two were released by law enforcement and will appear in court at a later date, the sheriff's office said.

A federal judge on Tuesday threw out the Trump administrations lawsuit against Marylands entire federal bench over an order by the chief judge that stopped the immediate deportation of migrants challenging their removals.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen granted a request by the judges to toss the case, saying to do otherwise would run counter to overwhelming precedent, depart from longstanding constitutional tradition, and offend the rule of law.

In their wisdom, the Constitutions framers joined three coordinate branches to establish a single sovereign, Cullen wrote. That structure may occasionally engender clashes between two branches and encroachment by one branch on anothers authority. But mediating those disputes must occur in a manner that respects the Judiciarys constitutional role.

The White House had no immediate comment.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Trump administration directs immigration officials to screen for 'anti-Americanism'

Cullen was nominated to the federal bench by Trump in 2020. He serves in the Western District of Virginia, but he was tapped to oversee the case because all 15 of Marylands federal judges are named as defendants, a highly unusual circumstance that reflects the Republican administrations harsh response to judges who slow or stop its policies.

Cullen expressed skepticism of the lawsuit during a hearing in August. He questioned why it was necessary for the Trump administration to sue all the judges as a means of challenging the order.

Signed by Chief Maryland District Judge George L. Russell III, the order prevents the Trump administration from immediately deporting any immigrants seeking review of their detention in Maryland district court. It blocks their removal until 4 p.m. on the second business day after their habeas corpus petition is filed.

The order says it aims to maintain existing conditions and the potential jurisdiction of the court, ensure immigrant petitioners are able to participate in court proceedings and access attorneys and give the government fulsome opportunity to brief and present arguments in its defense.

RELATED STORY | Trump admin lifts age limit for new ICE recruits to bolster immigration force

The Justice Department, which filed the suit in June, says the automatic pause violates a Supreme Court ruling and impedes the presidents authority to enforce immigration laws. The department has grown increasingly frustrated by rulings blocking Trumps agenda, repeatedly accusing federal judges of improperly impeding his powers.

The lawsuit was an extraordinary legal maneuver, ratcheting up the administrations fight with the federal judiciary.

Attorneys for the Maryland judges argued the lawsuit was intended to limit the power of the judiciary to review certain immigration proceedings while the Trump administration pursues a mass deportation agenda.

The executive branch seeks to bring suit in the name of the United States against a co-equal branch of government, attorney Paul Clement said during the hearing. There really is no precursor for this suit

Clement is a prominent conservative lawyer who served as solicitor general under Republican President George W. Bush. He listed several other avenues the administration could have taken to challenge the order, such as filing an appeal in an individual habeas case.

Justice Department attorney Elizabeth Themins Hedges said the government was simply seeking relief from a legal roadblock preventing effective immigration enforcement.

The United States is a plaintiff here because the United States is being harmed, she said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | Democrat-led cities are under a mass deportation threat 

In an amended order pausing deportations, Russell said the court had received an influx of habeas petitions after hours that resulted in hurried and frustrating hearings in that obtaining clear and concrete information about the location and status of the petitioners is elusive. Habeas petitions allow people to challenge their detention by the government.

Attorneys for the Trump administration accused the Maryland judges of prioritizing a regular schedule, writing in court documents that a sense of frustration and a desire for greater convenience do not give Defendants license to flout the law.

Among the judges named in the lawsuit is Paula Xinis, who found the Trump administration in March illegally deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador a case that quickly became a flashpoint in Trumps immigration crackdown. Abrego Garcia was held in a notorious Salvadoran megaprison, where he claims to have been beaten and tortured.

Trump has railed against unfavorable judicial rulings, and in one case called for the impeachment of a federal judge in Washington who ordered planeloads of deported immigrants to be turned around. In July, the Justice Department filed a misconduct complaint against the judge.

Soon, you will be able to slide into someone's Spotify DMs. The music, podcast and audiobook streaming platform is adding a feature that will allow users to directly message one another.

The goal is for users to be able to share their favorite tracks with friends and family without having to exit the app.

Spotify said it created the feature in response to users wanting an easier way to keep track of music and audio that is shared from the platform.

"For artists, authors, and creators, easier sharing means more word-of-mouth recommendations and helps create new fans," the company said in a press release.

RELATED STORY | YouTube tests AI age verification system amid privacy concerns

The messaging feature will start rolling out in "select markets" this week for users with free or premium subscriptions that are over the age of 16.

Here's how it works: when you're listening to a song, podcast or audiobook in the "Now Playing View," you can tap the share icon, select a friend to share it with and then hit send.

Spotify said once you accept a message request you'll be able to consistently send and share content with that other user. You'll also be able to access your messages by going to your profile photo in the top left corner.

"Youll also see suggested people to message based on things like whether youve previously shared Spotify content with them, joined Jams, Blends, or collaborative playlists together, or if you share a Family or Duo plan," said Spotify.

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, who was dismissed by President Donald Trump on Monday, is planning to sue over her firing.

"President Trump has no authority to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook," Cook's attorney said in a statement obtained by Scripps News. "His attempt to fire her, based solely on a referral letter, lacks any factual or legal basis. We will be filing a lawsuit challenging this illegal action.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | What is the Federal Reserve's role in shaping US monetary policy?

In a letter addressed to Cook and posted on social media, President Trump said his decision to remove her from her position is in connection to allegations of mortgage fraud. The White House claims Cook committed fraud in 2021 when she purchased two properties.

"The Federal Reserve Act provides that you may be removed, at my discretion, for cause. See 12 U.S.C. 242," President Trump wrote. "I have determined that there is sufficient cause to remove you from your position."

The executive power of the United States is vested to me as President and, as President, I have a solemn duty that the laws of the United States are faithfully enacted," he added. "I have determined that faithfully enacting the law requires your immediate removal from office.

Cook has not been legally charged with any such fraud offense. She said at the time the allegations surfaced that she would not be "bullied" into resignation.

WATCH | Scripps News speaks with Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, on Trump's firing of Cook

Scripps News speaks with Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, on Trump's firing of Cook

Cook has suggested that she could stay on the Federal Reserve as she fights her dismissal.

"President Trump purported to fire me 'for cause' when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so," she said in a statement. "I will not resign. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, said in a statement Monday The illegal attempt to fire Lisa Cook is the latest example of a desperate President searching for a scapegoat to cover for his own failure to lower costs for Americans. Its an authoritarian power grab that blatantly violates the Federal Reserve Act, and must be overturned in court.

IN RELATED NEWS | Fed Chair Powell under fire from Trump ahead of tense Jackson Hole address

The news of Cook's ouster comes as President Trump has maintained heavy pressure on the independent Federal Reserve and its Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates.

The president has at times insulted Powell and threatened to remove him from his position. This month President Trump called Powell a "stubborn MORON" on social media and urged the rest of the Fed's Board of Governors to exert more control over Fed decisions.

At its most recent meeting, the Federal Reserve left the federal funds rate unchanged at a range of 4.25% to 4.50%, where it has remained since December 2024.

"Once we have a majority, housing is going to swing, and it's going to be great," Trump said during a cabinet meeting Tuesday. "People are paying too high an interest rate. That's the only problem with housing. We have to get the rates down a little bit. And when we do, it's gonna be a tremendous difference. The country is doing so well. It sort of, it sort of blows through the fact that we have a man who's too late and not doing a very good job."

RELATED STORY | Millions want to own but can't: What's being done to address the housing crisis?

Trumps public comments are notable towards an agency that is historically independent from the White House. One of Trumps top economic advisors, meanwhile, maintained that the Federal Reserve is independent.

Yes, 100% the Federal Reserve should be an independent agency, entity," said Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council. "The President strongly believes in that, but he also believes that the Fed has made a series of very serious policy errors, first allowing inflation to get out of control, and then now not lowering interest rates when inflation is much more in control And so he's got a policy difference with the Fed. And I think that you know this is exactly what a democracy is about, is having policy debates about what we should be doing."

I think that it's the duty of the Fed to do what they think is right," Hassett added. "And I guess to the extent that one would be disappointed in their actions, you can sort of say that they haven't studied their errors and tried to correct them, and that disappoints. I think all of us, especially the Americans, have suffered from a high inflation."

A powerful storm kicked up a towering wall of dust that rolled through metro Phoenix on Monday, darkening the sky, blinding drivers, knocking out power and grounding flights at one of the nation's busiest airports.

Bernae Boykin Hitesman was driving her son and daughter, ages 9 and 11, home from school when the storm, known as a haboob, arrived late in the afternoon in Arizona City, about 60 miles southeast of Phoenix.

She had to quickly pull over as the storm engulfed her car. "I couldn't see my hand in front of my face if I put my hand outside," she said.

Boykin Hitesman said she could taste the dust and feel the strong wind rattling her car until it finally passed about 15 minutes later.

"I was nervous," she said. "My kids were really, really scared, so I was trying to be brave for them."

A haboob is a dust storm pushed by the wind produced by a weather front or thunderstorm and typically occurs in flat, arid areas. Heavy rain and wind followed Monday's haboob, delaying flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and causing some damage to a terminal roof.

"Crews have been identifying leaks and attempting to clean up water where it has collected in passenger areas," Heather Shelbrack, the airport's deputy aviation director for public relations, said in an email.

More than 15,000 people lost power, most in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, according to PowerOutage.us.

Richard Filley, a retired university professor who lives in Gilbert, said the dust storm caused the trees to sway and knocked bird feeders to the ground. Fine dust found its way through "every little crack and space" into his house, he said.

"The windstorm part of it, I'm glad it's gone," he said. "You look at the photos of haboobs and they are a spectacular natural phenomenon. They are kind of beautiful in their own way."

Phoenix has been drier than usual during the monsoon season, while parts of southeast and north-central Arizona have had a fair amount of rain, said Mark O'Malley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

"But that's typical for a monsoon, very hit and miss," he said.

The forecast for metro Phoenix calls for a 40% chance of rain Tuesday before drying out, O'Malley said.

Less than a decade after their merger, Keurig and Dr Pepper plan to become separate companies again.

Keurig Dr Pepper said Monday it is buying the owner of Peet's Coffee for $18 billion (15.7 billion euro). Then it will break itself in two, with one company selling coffee and the other selling cold beverages like Snapple, Dr Pepper, 7UP and energy drinks.

The agreement unwinds the 2018 merger of Keurig and Dr Pepper. Shares of Keurig Dr Pepper fell 11% in afternoon trading Monday.

Investors were concerned about the company's plan to finance the acquisition with a mix of cash and debt. S&P Global placed Keurig Dr Pepper on a credit watch with negative implications Monday, saying it was concerned about the increase in debt and the complexity of the two-step transaction.

Keurig Dr Pepper CEO Timothy Cofer said the separate coffee and beverage businesses would be more nimble and better able to focus on growth opportunities in their own markets.

Following the separation, each stand-alone entity will lead its industry with a sharp strategic focus and with operating models that are finely calibrated to their unique categories and markets, Cofer said Monday during a conference call with investors.

The combination with Peets parent JDE Peets, which is based in Amsterdam, significantly expands Keurig's presence beyond North America, where it's known for its single-serve coffee machines. JDE Peet's owns the brands LOR, Jacobs, Douwe Egberts, Kenco, Pilao, OldTown, Super and Moccona.

RELATED STORY | Dr Pepper is now the second biggest soda brand, surpassing Pepsi

Cofer said the combined coffee business will generate $16 billion in annual net sales. The combined buying power will help Keurig and Peet's compete with other large coffee players like Nestle and Starbucks, especially as rising demand and poor weather conditions push coffee prices near record highs.

Cofer said the coffee company will also be able to focus on meeting demand, especially in developing markets. Around 40% of the company's sales will come from North America, 40% from Europe and 20% from emerging markets.

We like, and I like, the coffee category. Why? Its huge. Its ubiquitous, Cofer said. Obviously, weve up to this point focused on North America. But the global data shows coffee is consistently growing on a volume basis above population.

The merger could also help the company cushion the impact of U.S. tariffs. President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff this summer on most imports from Brazil the worlds leading coffee producer for an investigation of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally.

In a conference call with investors in July, Cofer said the impact of tariffs would be more prominent in the second half of this year.

Meanwhile, sales of Dr Pepper's traditional soft drinks have been slowing as health-conscious consumers look for new alternatives. The newly formed beverage company, with $11 billion in annual sales in the U.S. and Mexico, can continue to pivot to its faster-growing beverages, like the energy drinks Ghost and C4 and the hydration drink Electrolit.

The companies said they expect to save around $400 million over three years because of the merger, which is expected to close in the first half of 2026.

Once the two companies are separated, Cofer will become CEO of the cold beverage business, which will be based in Frisco, Texas. Keurig Dr Pepper's chief financial officer, Sudhanshu Priyadarshi, will lead the coffee business, which will be located in Burlington, Mass. Its international headquarters will be in Amsterdam.

The deal is the latest big maneuver in the food and beverage industry, which has been trying to keep up with changing consumer tastes.

In 2023, Kellogg Co. split into two companies. Mars bought Kellanova, the owner of snack brands like Pringles, last year. Italian confectioner Ferrero announced in July that it planned to buy WK Kellogg, the cereal company.

Struggling Kraft Heinz has also been considering a split.

Companies have also been snapping up fast-growing brands. Keurig Dr Pepper's rival PepsiCo acquired the prebiotic soda brand Poppi in March to gain a foothold in the fast-growing functional beverage space. And in July, Keurig Dr Pepper acquired Dyla, a maker of powdered drink mixes and water enhancers.

President Donald Trump fired Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook Monday evening effective immediately, intensifying a pressure campaign on the independent Fed as he seeks to sway its decisions on interest rates and other economic policy.

In a letter posted on social media, President Trump removed Cook from her position in connection with allegations of mortgage fraud. The White House claims Cook committed fraud in 2021 when she purchased two properties.

In the letter, President Trump writes "The Federal Reserve Act provides that you may be removed, at my discretion, for cause. See 12 U.S.C. 242. I have determined that there is sufficient cause to remove you from your position."

The executive power of the United States is vested to me as President and, as President, I have a solemn duty that the laws of the United States are faithfully enacted," President Trump wrote. "I have determined that faithfully enacting the law requires your immediate removal from office.

Cook has not been legally charged with any such fraud offense. She said at the time the allegations surfaced that she would not be "bullied" into resignation.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, said in a statement Monday The illegal attempt to fire Lisa Cook is the latest example of a desperate President searching for a scapegoat to cover for his own failure to lower costs for Americans. Its an authoritarian power grab that blatantly violates the Federal Reserve Act, and must be overturned in court.

Scripps News has reached out to the Federal Reserve for comment.

RELATED STORY | Trump to nominate top economic aide Stephen Miran to Federal Reserve board

The news of Cook's ouster comes as President Trump has maintained heavy pressure on the independent Federal Reserve and its Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates.

The president has at times insulted Powell and threatened to remove him from his position. This month President Trump called Powell a "stubborn MORON" on social media and urged the rest of the Fed's Board of Governors to exert more control over Fed decisions.

President Trump has separately nominated Stephen Miran, an economist from within his administration, to replace former Federal Reserve governor Adriana Kugler. Krugler stepped down in August. Miran's appointment is subject to congressional approval.

At its most recent meeting, the Federal Reserve left the federal funds rate unchanged at a range of 4.25% to 4.50%, where it has remained since December 2024.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

President Donald Trump hosted South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung at the White House on Monday, where the two leaders discussed President Trump's 15% tariff rate for South Korea; potential contracts for new shipbuilding and the countries' relationship with North Korea.

The meeting began as President Trump expressed concerns about political tensions in South Korea, which underwent a brief period of martial law earlier this year before the ouster of former president Yoon Suk Yeol.

President Trump wrote on social media before Monday's meeting that the U.S. may not be able to do business in the country if what "seems like a Purge or Revolution" was underway.

I heard bad things, Trump said Monday morning. I don't know if it's true or not. I'll be finding out.

Trump's concerns appeared to relate specifically to recent raids by South Korean police on the conservative Unification Church, and to a raid on Osan Air Base, which is a joint venture between the United States and South Korea.

South Korean officials have said that raid was limited only to areas of the base under South Korean control, while it sought information about Yoon's imposition of martial law.

RELATED STORY | Tariffs on South Korea's products threaten the 'K-beauty' boom in the US

During the meeting, President Trump quickly thawed to President Lee. President Trump also said he planned to meet with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, possibly as early as this year. Lee appeared to welcome the possibility, describing a potential stabilizing influence it could have on the Korean Peninsula.

"We think we can do something in that regard with respect to North and South [Korea]," President Trump said on Monday. "And I think you are much more prone to doing that than other leaders that I've been working with from South Korea. And we'll work on that. I think it's very good to work with that. And it's good to get along with Kim Jong-un. And it's good get along with everybody, including president It's good to get along. And I get along with foreign leaders."

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker pushed back Monday on President Donald Trumps threat to deploy the National Guard to the state.

What President Trump is doing is unprecedented and unwarranted, Pritzker said at a news conference. It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. It is un-American.

Trump on Monday described Chicago as a killing field while signing executive orders aimed at ending cashless bail and banning flag burning.

Chicago is a disaster, Trump said. The governor of Illinois should say, President, will you do us the honor of cleaning up our city. We need help.

RELATED STORY | Trump eyes Democratic cities after arming National Guard in Washington, DC

Pritzker claimed Trump is manufacturing a crisis and noted that neither he nor Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson had been contacted by the White House about working together.

"Let me be perfectly clear, our work to make our city safer still continues," Johnson said. "And while we have made progress, that doesn't mean that we will rest."

Pritzker pointed out that murders, shootings, robberies and burglaries are all down year over year.

Mr. President, do not come to Chicago, Pritzker said. You are neither wanted here nor needed here.

The Trump administration on Monday appeared to dismiss those warnings.

If these Democrats spent half as much time addressing crime in their cities as they did going on cable news to complain about President Trump, we wouldnt be in this situation to begin with. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement to Scripps News.

Federal law allows a president to deploy the National Guard under certain circumstances, but many Democrats argue that the legal threshold for such action has not been met.

Pritzker added that he would take legal action, if necessary, to prevent U.S. military forces from patrolling the streets of Chicago.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday that requires the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute incidents in which an American flag is burned.

The order runs counter to a Supreme Court decision that holds flag burning is free speech explicitly protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

That ruling, in Texas v. Johnson in 1989, held that burning the American flag constituted "symbolic speech" and was guaranteed protection. It noted that even if society found acts of speech "outrageous" or offensive, they remained protected from government interference.

The new order from the White House includes qualifications that such burning may still be prosecuted if it could be considered incitement.

"Notwithstanding the Supreme Courts rulings on First Amendment protections, the Court has never held that American Flag desecration conducted in a manner that is likely to incite imminent lawless action or that is an action amounting to fighting words is constitutionally protected," the order reads.

Those found guilty under the new order will face a year in jail without the possibility of early release. Foreign nationals found guilty may have residency or other permits revoked and may be deported.

President Trump said in remarks during the signing that flag burning incites riots at levels we've never seen before," without offering specific evidence.

I guess it was a 5 to 4 decision," the president said of the 1989 Supreme Court case that protected flag burning. "They called it freedom of speech. But theres another reason, which is perhaps much more important. Its called death."

"Because what happens when you burn a flag is the area goes crazy, Trump said. If you have hundreds of people, they go crazy.

RELATED STORY | Trump eyes Democratic cities after arming National Guard in Washington, DC

Other orders President Trump signed Monday include measures to increase federal oversight of National Guard units and to cut funding for states over certain cashless bail practices.

An order directs the hiring of more U.S. Park Police and federal prosecutors to focus on violent and property crimes in D.C. It directs the Secretary of Defense to create a specialized unit within the D.C. National Guard "subject to activation under Title 32 of the United States Code, that is dedicated to ensuring public safety and order in the Nations capital." They will also be "deputized to enforce federal law."

It also directs the Secretary of Defense to begin training members of each state's Army and Air National Guards to "quell civil disturbances." It calls for a "National Guard quick reaction force that shall be resourced, trained, and available for rapid nationwide deployment."

Another order calls for executive agencies to withhold federal funds to states and jurisdictions that have eliminated cashless bail "for crimes that pose a clear threat to public safety and order, including offenses involving violent, sexual, or indecent acts, or burglary, looting, or vandalism."

A beloved Utah violist was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday, leaving his friends and family in a state of shock and concern.

John Shin's wife, DaNae, said on social media she got a call Monday afternoon from her husband. He told her, "Honey, I don't have much time. I've been arrested by ICE and they are sending me to a detainment center. I love you and the kids, I will be okay, please call our attorney.

DaNae said she doesn't have any more details about his arrest or his whereabouts.

Shock and at the same time, not surprising, said family friend Gabriel Gordon. "This is the direction that our country has been headed in.

Gordon has known Shin for about 10 years and connected with him through the violin. Shin plays at places like the Salt Lake Symphony, Utah Symphony and Ballet West.

We have not heard a single word from him since that phone call, he said.

Gordon said Shin came to Utah from South Korea when he was 10 years old and has been working his way through the legal system on different visas ever since.

John was brought here on a K2 visa when he was 10 years old, Gordon said. "When he graduated from the University of Utah and his father passed away, he was granted DACA status."

Shin's citizenship paperwork is currently pending.

When he and DaNae got married, he put in his paperwork for citizenship. That was three years ago. Generally, it takes about five years for that paperwork to go through, and he was just waiting for that to happen, Gordon said.

The reason Shin was detained remains unknown.

The Scripps News Group in Salt Lake City attempted to get in contact with the familys attorney and ICE for more information, but we were unable to get our questions answered before this story was published.

His former college professor, Robert Baldwin, said he was an eager student at the University of Utahs College of Fine Arts.

He would get excited about the next piece we were going to play and go and research different recordings and come with ideas, Baldwin said.

Baldwin added that he hopes contributions people make to society are taken into account in these situations.

Not knowing anything about the situation of his immigration status, that is a very human aspect of what we're feeling right now, and why we feel shocked, and why we feel the loss that someone like that, a musical collaborator, is no longer able to be here with us, Baldwin said.

Many are worried for him, especially after hearing he was taken to a detention center in Colorado.

John is a person who is a very sensitive human being, a sensitive individual, and I worry about his well-being in that environment, Baldwin said.

His family depends on him, Gordon said. He can't be there for them right now, and I just feel like I have to do something about it.

Gordon said he will be playing his violin at the Utah Capitol every day until Shin is back home.

The family has started a GoFundMe to help cover legal fees, and they are encouraging those who knew Shin to write a letter attesting to his character that would go to the judge in his case.

This story was originally published by Caroleina Hassett with the Scripps News Group in Salt Lake City.