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For Immediate Release
March, 23 2011, 02:02pm EDT
Contact:
Ken Bossong 301-270-6477 x.11
142 Groups/Businesses Call for End to U.S. Nuclear Power
In a group letter sent to President Obama, members of his Administration, and all the Members of the U.S. Congress, 142 organizations and businesses wrote that the Japanese nuclear accident is a tragic reminder that it is long past the time to end U.S. reliance on nuclear power.
The groups argued that nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all potential "acts of God," all instances of "human error," all types of "mechanical malfunction," and all forms of "terrorist attack."
WASHINGTON
In a group letter sent to President Obama, members of his Administration, and all the Members of the U.S. Congress, 142 organizations and businesses wrote that the Japanese nuclear accident is a tragic reminder that it is long past the time to end U.S. reliance on nuclear power.
The groups argued that nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all potential "acts of God," all instances of "human error," all types of "mechanical malfunction," and all forms of "terrorist attack."
Moreover, the still unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan once again underscores that there is no such thing as "safe" or "clean" or "cheap" nuclear power.
Consequently, no new reactors should be built in the Untied States and existing nuclear reactors should be phased out as rapidly as possible. Instead, national energy policy and funding should be refocused on greatly improved energy efficiency and the rapid deployment of renewable energy sources which are far cleaner, safer, and cheaper than nuclear power.
The text of the letter and list of signers follows.
# # # # # # #
March 23, 2011
President Barack Obama
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
U.S. Senator Harry Reid
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell
U.S. Representative John Boehner
U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi
Members, U.S. Congress
Dear Sir/Madam:
We, the 142 undersigned safe energy advocates, have been speaking out about the risks and dangers posed by nuclear power for years - for many of us, since before the 1986 Chornobyl and 1979 Three Mile Island accidents as well as the hundreds of other radioactive releases, unplanned shut-downs, and other mishaps that have continuously plagued both the U.S. and the international nuclear industries since their founding.
While nuclear power's unacceptable safety, environmental, public health, economic, and national security risks should have been self-evident long before now, the latest unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan once again underscores the following:
Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all potential "acts of God."
Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all instances of "human error."
Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all types of "mechanical malfunction."
Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all forms of "terrorist attack."
There is no such thing as "safe" nuclear power.
There is no such thing as "clean" nuclear power.
There is no such thing as "cheap" nuclear power.
Consequently, the Price-Anderson cap on liability in the event of an accident should be repealed, all proposed governmental financial and regulatory incentives for new nuclear plant construction - including loan guarantees, accelerated licensing, and inclusion in a "clean energy standard" - should be rejected, and no new reactors should be built.
Existing nuclear reactors should be phased out as rapidly as possible, beginning with the oldest and/or most unsafe, and no presently-licensed reactors should have their operating lives extended.
Safety standards for existing reactors should be substantially tightened while they continue to operate and federal nuclear funding should be redirected to the orderly phase-out of those reactors as well as the safe decommissioning of closed reactors and disposal of radioactive waste.
National energy policy and funding should be refocused on greatly improved energy efficiency and the rapid deployment of renewable energy sources which are far cleaner, safer, and cheaper than nuclear power.
Sincerely,
Michael Closson, Executive Director
Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet
Palo Alto, CA
Aur J. Beck, Chief Tech
Advanced Energy Solutions
Pomona, IL
Lesley Weinstock, Coordinator
Agua es Vida Action Team
Albuquerque, NM
Rochelle Becker, Executive Director
Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility
San Luis Obispo, CA
Laura Filbert Zacher, CEO
ARE Systems, LLC
St. Louis, MO
Thea Paneth, Secretary
Arlington United for Justice with Peace
Arlington, MA
Mari Rose Taruc, State Organizing Director
Asian Pacific Environmental Network
Oakland, CA
Lara Morrison, Board Member
Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust
Los Angeles, CA
Kay Martin, Vice President
BioEnergy Producers Association
Gualala, CA
Kay Firor, President
Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.
Cove, OR
Sandra Gavutis, Executive Director
C-10 Research & Education Foundation
Newburyport, MA
Laurent Meillon, Director
Capitol Solar Energy LLC
Denver, CO
Elizabeth C. Battocletti, President
The Carmel Group, LLC
Reston, VA
Gwen Ingram, Vice President
The Carrie Dickerson Foundation
Tulsa, OK
Don Timmerman, Roberta Thurstin Timmerman
Casa Maria Catholic Worker Community
Milwaukee, WI
Kieran Suckling
Center for Biological Diversity
Washington, DC
Andy Kimbrell, Executive Director
Center for Food Safety
Washington DC
Lenny Siegel, Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
Mountain View, CA
Lucy Law Webster, Executive Director
Center for War/Peace Studies
New York, NY
David Hughes, Executive Director
Citizen Power
Pittsburgh, PA
Deb Katz
Citizens Awareness Network
Shelburne, MA
Janet Greenwald, Co-coordinator
Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping
Albuquerque, NM
Caroline Snyder
Citizens for Sludge-Free Land
North Sandwich, NH
Robert Singleton, Nuclear Issues Chair
Citizens Organized to Defend Austin
Austin, TX
Charlie Higley, Executive Director
Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
Pam Solo, President
(Co-convener, TheCLEAN.org)
The Civil Society Institute
Newton, MA
Norm Cohen
Coalition for Peace and Justice
Linwood, NJ
Cristina Castro, Coordinator
CODEPINK NYC
New York, NY
Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder
CODEPINK Women for Peace
Washington, DC
Bill Gallegos, Executive Director
Communities for a Better Environment
Huntington Park & Oakland, CA
Tam Hunt, J.D., President,
Community Renewable Solutions LLC
Santa Barbara, CA
John Calandrelli, Chapter Program Director
Connecticut Chapter of Sierra Club
Hartford, CT
Nancy Burton, Director
Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone
Redding, CT
Luke Lundemo, Director
Conscious Living Project
Jackson, MS
Lois Arkin, Executive Director
CRSP Institute for Urban Ecovillages
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen M. Brittle, President
Don't Waste Arizona, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ
Kathryn Barnes, Board of Directors
Don't Waste Michigan - Sherwood Chapter
Sherwood, MI
Lois Barber, Co-founder & Executive Director
EarthAction & 2020 Action
Amherst, MA
Jane E. Magers, Coordinator
Earth Care, Inc
Des Moines, IA
Chris Trepal, Executive Director
Earth Day Coalition
Cleveland, OH
Al Fritsch, SJ
Earth Healing
Ravenna, KY
Lester R. Brown
Earth Policy Institute
Washington, DC
Jim Bell, Director
Ecological Life Systems Inst. Inc.
San Diego, CA
Mahlon Aldridge, Vice President
Ecology Action
Santa Cruz, CA
Cara L. Campbell, Chair
Ecology Party of Florida
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Dan Stafford, Organizing Director
Environmental Action
Denver, CO
William Snape
Environmental Law Program
American University Law School
Washington, DC
Lillian K. Light, President
Environmental Priorities Network
Manhattan Beach, CA
Don Ogden, Producer
The Enviro Show-WXOJ-LP & WMCB
Florence, MA
Jennifer Barker
EORenew/SolWest Fair
Canyon City, OR
Ben Mancini, President
EV Solar Products, Inc.
Chino Valley, AZ
Judi Poulson, Chair
Fairmont, Minnesota USA Peace Group
Fairmont, MN
Linda S. Ochs, Director
Finger Lakes Citizens for the Environment
Waterloo, NY
Dan Brook, Ph.D.
Food for Thought---and Action
San Jose, CA
Jon Blickenstaff, Treasurer
Footprints for Peace
Cincinnati, OH
Nick Mann, Legislative Program Assistant-Environment
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Washington, DC
Richard V. Sidy, President
Gardens for Humanity
Sedona, AZ
Amanda Hill-Attkisson, Managing Director
Georgia Women's Action for New Directions
Atlanta, GA
Peter Meisen, President
Global Energy Network Institute
San Diego, CA
Bruce K. Gagnon, Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Brunswick, ME
Casey Coates Danson, President
Global Possibilities
Los Angeles, CA
Barbara Harris
Granny Peace Brigade NY
New York, NY
Vicky Steinitz
Greater Boston United for Justice with Peace Coalition
Boston, MA
Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director
Green America
Washington, DC
Jennifer Olaranna Viereck, Executive Director
HOME: Healing Ourselves & Mother Earth
N. Bennington, VT
Bonnie A. New, MD MPH; Director
Health Professionals for Clean Air
Houston, TX
Dr. Kathleen Sullivan, Program Director
Hibakusha Stories
New York, NY
David Morris, Vice President
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Minneapolis, MN
Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director
International Center for Technology Assessment
Washington, DC
Victor Menotti, Executive Director
International Forum on Globalization
San Francisco, CA
Christian May, Founder
iSupportSolar
Frederick, MD
Daniel Ziskin, PhD; President
Jews Of The Earth
Boulder, CO
Andy McDonald, Director
Kentucky Solar Partnership
Appalachia - Science in the Public Interest
Frankfurt, KY
Kay Tiffany, Steering Committee
Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition
Lexington, MA
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
Leicester, NC
Greg Mello
Los Alamos Study Group
Albuquerque, NM
Claudine Cremer, Owner
Meadow Cove Farm
Weaverville, NC
Linda Belgrave, Secretary
Miami for Peace & Justice
Coral Gables, FL
Barbara Jennings, CSJ, Coordinator
Midwest Coalition for Responsible Investment
St. Louis, MO
Mark Haim, Chair
Missourians for Safe Energy
Columbia, MO
Judy Treichel, Executive Director
Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force
Las Vegas, NV
Lilia Diaz, Outreach Director
New Energy Economy
Santa Fe, NM
Penelope McMullen, SL
New Mexico Justice and Peace Coordinator
Loretto Community
Santa Fe, NM
Carolyn Treadway
No New Nukes
Normal, IL
Wells Eddleman, Staff Scientist
North Carolina Citizens Research Group
Durham, NC
Larry Bell, President
North East Arizona Energy Services Company
Concho, AZ
Barbara Haack, Member
North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice
Ipswich, MA
David Borris, President
North Suburban Peace Initiative and Chicago Area Peace Action
Evanston, IL
Nina Bell, J.D., Executive Director
Northwest Environmental Advocates
Portland, OR
Alice Slater, NY Director
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
New York, NY
David Krieger, President
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Wendy Oser, Director
Nuclear Guardianship Project
Berkeley, CA
Jack & Felice Cohen-Joppa, editors
The Nuclear Resister
Tucson, AZ
Arn Specter, Editor
The Nuclear Review
Philadelphia, PA
Glenn Carroll, Coordinator
Nuclear Watch South
Atlanta, GA
Chris Daum, President
Oasis Montana Inc. Renewable Energy Supply & Design
Stevensville, MT
Philip Tymon, Administrative Director
Occidental Arts and Ecology Center
Occidental, CA
Patricia A. Marida, Chair-Nuclear Issues Committee
Ohio Sierra Club
Columbus, OH
Dave Robinson, Executive Director
Pax Christi USA
Washington, DC
Judi Friedman, Chair
PACE (People's Action for Clean Energy, Inc.)
Canton, CT
Aviv Goldsmith, President
Precursor Systems, Inc.
Spotsylvania, VA
Launce Rake, Communications Director
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
Carson City/Las Vegas/Reno, Nevada
Elizabeth O'Nan, Director
Protect All Children's Environment
Marion, NC
Joy Blackwood
Public Health Educator
Landover, MD
Anne Mitchell, General Secretary
Quaker Earthcare Witness
Burlington, VT
Tor Allen, Executive Director
The Rahus Institute
Sebastopol, CA
Michael Welch, volunteer
Redwood Alliance
Arcata, CA
Tena Willemsma
Religious Leaders for Coalfield Justice
Winchester, VA
Quintin Bullis, GC-Sales/Installer Solar Energy Systems
Renaissance Developers
Tunnel, NY
Ron Leonard, Founder
RenewableEnergyCoalition.org
Woodstock, NY
Gordian Raacke, Executive Director
Renewable Energy Long Island
East Hampton, NY
Andreas Karelas, Executive Director
RE-volv
San Francisco, CA
Peggy Kurtz, Co-coordinator
Rockland Sierra Club
Nyack, NY
Russell Lowes, Research Director
Tucson, AZ
Clare Ritchie, Chairperson
Salem Peace Committee
Salem, MA
Elaine Holder, President
San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace
Mothers for Peace Action Committee
San Luis Obispo, CA
David Brown Kinloch, President
Shaker Landing Hydro Associates, Inc.
Louisville, KY
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director
The Shalom Center
Philadelphia, PA
Dennis R. Winters, Chair
Sierra Club - Pennsylvania Chapter
Philadelphia, PA
Mark Dickson, Owner
Simple Power, LLC (Renewable Energy Design and Installation)
Stevensville, MT
Sr. Ellen Orf, CPPS; Leadership Team member
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood
O'Fallon, MO
Diana Oleskevich CSJA, Justice Coordinator
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province
St. Louis, MO
Scott Sklar, President
The Stella Group, Ltd.
Arlington, VA
Stuart Magruder, AIA, LEED, Principal
Studio Nova A Architects, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA
Erika Schneider, Outreach Coordinator
Sundance Power Systems
Weaverville, NC
Ken Bossong, Executive Director
SUN DAY Campaign
Takoma Park, MD
John F Neville, President
Sustainable Arizona
(statewide), AZ
Rona Fried, CEO
SustainableBusiness.com
Huntington Station, NY
Ron Hubert, President
Sustainable Economic Development Initiative of Northern Arizona
(Managing Director - Hozho International)
Flagstaff, AZ
Karen Hadden, Executive Director
Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED) Coalition
Austin, TX
Melissa Everett, Ph.D., Executive Director
Sustainable Hudson Valley
Kingston, NY
Charles Jansen, Initiating Group Member
Transition Asheville
Asheville, NC
H. Patricia Hynes, Chair - Board
Traprock Center for Peace and Justice
Greenfield, MA
Chuck Learned, Director
Tri Local Returns
Madison, WI
Marylia Kelley, Executive Director
Tri-Valley CAREs
Livermore, CA
Dr. Brian Moench, President
Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment
Salt Lake City, UT
Dr. Don Richardson
Western NC Physicians For Social Responsibility
Brevard, NC
Chris Herman, Owner
Winter Sun Design
(Interim President - Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative)
Edmonds, WA
Diane Farsetta, PhD, Executive Director
Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice
Madison, WI
Virginia Pratt, Chair
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Boston, MA
Suzanne Maxx, Founder/President/Ex.Dir.
World Team Now
Malibu, CA
Nathalie Worthington, Owner
Worthington Studios
St. Petersburg, FL
LATEST NEWS
In 'Lawless, Vile Act,' Trump Admin Sanctions UN Expert Critical of Israeli Genocide in Gaza
One critic said Secretary of State Marco Rubio's "crude effort" to sanction Francesca Albanese "only serves to establish that the U.S. is an international outlaw."
Jul 09, 2025
Defenders of Palestine and the rule of law on Wednesday condemned Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement of sanctions targeting United Nations expert Francesca Albanese, one of the most outspoken critics of Israel's U.S.-backed genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
In a post on the social media site X, Rubio said he is imposing sanctions on Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, "for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt International Criminal Court action against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives."
"Albanese's campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated," Rubio added. "We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense. The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare and protect our sovereignty and that of our allies."
"Mr. Rubio, with this post you have sealed your legacy as an enemy of international law and basic human decency."
Rubio's announcement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza including murder and forced starvation—met with President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials in Washington, D.C.
Trump and the fugitive Israeli leader reportedly discussed plans for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and a deal to secure the release of the 22 remaining living hostages believed to be held by Hamas and the bodies of over two dozen others.
The Trump administration previously sanctioned ICC officials including Prosecutor Karim Khan for issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Albanese has accused Israel of violating the Genocide Convention since early 2024. Last week, she asserted that "Israel is responsible for one of the cruelest genocides in modern history."
"The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is apocalyptic," she said. "In Gaza, Palestinians continue to endure suffering beyond imagination."
Israel's 642-day assault and siege on Gaza—which is the subject of an ongoing International Court of Justice genocide case—has left more than 209,000 Palestinians dead, maimed, or missing, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures have been deemed accurate by Israeli military intelligence and peer-reviewed studies, at least two of which concluded the official death toll is likely an undercount.
U.N. experts, jurists, genocide scholars including numerous numerous Jews in Israel and around the world, national leaders, and human rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Jewish Voice for Peace, and CodePink are among those accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
Responding to Rubio's announcement, Amnesty International secretary general Agnès Callamard said on social media that "Francesca Albanese is working tirelessly to document and report on Israel's unlawful occupation, apartheid, and genocide, on the basis of international law."
"Governments around the world and all actors who believe in the rule-based order and international law must do everything in their power to mitigate and block the effect of the sanctions against Francesca Albanese and more generally to protect the work and independence of special rapporteurs," she added.
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of highlighted the movement to nominate Albanese for the Nobel Peace Prize, which stands in stark contrast with Netanyahu's dubious nomination of Trump for the award.
U.S. human rights attorney Craig Mokhiber—who in October 2023 resigned from his U.N. post over what he called the world body's inaction in the face of "a genocide unfolding before our eyes"—accused Rubio of "a lawless, vile act."
"Your arrogance will catch up to you," Mokhiber added. "The impunity that you are enjoying now will be gone within a few years, and I am confident that you will be held accountable for your persecution of human rights defenders and for your violations of the human rights of countless people in the U.S. There are millions who will work to ensure it."
Laura Boldrini, a lawmaker from Albanese's native Italy and former U.N. human rights official, said on social media that Rubio's move is "a disgrace that cannot be ignored."
"Albanese's latest report, which lists the companies involved in the illegal annexation policies of the West Bank carried out by the Israeli government, has clearly hit the mark," she added. "It is no longer just a matter of political interests, but also economic ones. And this, for Netanyahu and Trump, is truly too much. Nothing and no one must disturb business: not even the denunciation of a genocide and the illegal occupation of another people's territories."Arab American Institute founder James J. Zogby contended that Rubio's "crude effort to sanction U.N. human rights champion Francesca Albanese and the International Criminal Court only serves to establish that the U.S. is an international outlaw."
"Israel is violating international law and human rights, and the U.S. is enabling it," he added. "It's a disgrace."
Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive director of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, noted that the Trump administration this week removed al-Qaeda-linked militants who toppled the regime of longtime Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations, but is sanctioning a U.N. human rights official.
"Let that sink in," Parsi said.
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Calling Bolsonaro Trial a 'Witch Hunt,' Trump Threatens Brazil With 50% Tariffs
"The reason why this is happening, not so subtly alluded to by Trump, is because Brazil actually held its right-wing coup leader accountable," said one critic.
Jul 09, 2025
After days of publicly railing against Brazil for the trial of its former leader, Jair Bolsonaro, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened the South American country with a 50% tariff "on any and all Brazilian products sent into the United States."
Far-right Bolsonaro, sometimes called the "Trump of the Tropics," lost Brazil's 2022 presidential election to leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the recipient of the Wednesday letter that the U.S. president posted on his Truth Social network.
Bolsonaro is now facing a trial for alleged crimes, including an attempted coup d'état, following his reelection loss. The Brazilian's effort to cling to power was called "straight from Donald Trump's playbook," with critics worldwide pointing to the U.S. leader inciting the January 6, 2021 insurrection after his own electoral loss the previous November.
"This is a disgrace, just old-fashioned imperialism. A 50% tariff because Brazil's legal system has defended democracy."
In Truth Social posts on Monday and Tuesday, Trump blasted the trial as a "WITCH HUNT" and an "attack on a Political Opponent" while praising Bolsonaro as a "strong Leader, who truly loved his Country" and a "very tough negotiator on TRADE."
Echoing those posts, Trump wrote to Lula: "The way Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace. This Trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!"
"Due in part to Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans (as lately illustrated by the Brazilian Supreme Court, which has issued hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders to U.S. Social Media platforms, threatening them with Millions of Dollars in Fines and Eviction from the Brazilian Social Media market), starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge Brazil a Tariff of 50%," Trump continued.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the Brazilian Supreme Court justice overseeing Bolsonaro's case, was also involved in a legal battle that temporarily shut down the social media platform X in Brazil. The network, formerly known as Twitter, is owned by estranged Trump ally Elon Musk, the richest man on Earth. The weekslong suspension of X last year stemmed from the company's refusal to comply with an order to deactivate dozens of accounts accused of spreading disinformation.
Both Trump and Elon have used their power and platforms to go after Brazil. When Musk did it last year I spoke with some Brazilian media experts and journalists who explained that Brazil actually takes online disinformation and threats to their democracy seriously www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
[image or embed]
— Kat Tenbarge (@kattenbarge.bsky.social) July 9, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Trump claimed in his letter to Lula that "these Tariffs are necessary to correct the many years of Brazil's Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers, causing these unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States. However, The Guardian noted, "the U.S. runs a trade surplus with Brazil, thanks in part to a free-trade agreement expanded in 2020, during Trump's first term."
The newspaper pointed to data on Brazil from the website of United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer:
U.S. total goods trade with Brazil were an estimated $92 billion in 2024. U.S. goods exports to Brazil in 2024 were $49.7 billion, up 11.3% ($5.0 billion) from 2023. U.S. goods imports from Brazil in 2024 totaled $42.3 billion, up 8.3% ($3.2 billion) from 2023. The U.S. goods trade surplus with Brazil was $7.4 billion in 2024, a 31.9% increase ($1.8 billion) over 2023.
Various journalists and other critics also highlighted the surplus. Michael Reid, a writer and visiting professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said on social media: "This is a disgrace, just old-fashioned imperialism. A 50% tariff because Brazil's legal system has defended democracy. And by the way, the U.S. has a trade surplus with Brazil."
Politico reported that "the overtly political tone of the letter is a break with more than a dozen other letters Trump has sent to foreign governments this week, threatening to impose new tariff rates on their exports to the U.S. beginning August 1."
While Trump's letter to Brazil has overtly political motivations, he also said during a Tuesday Cabinet meeting that he would target the entire BRICS economic group of emerging market nations, which began with Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and now also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
"If they're a member of BRICS, they are going to have to pay a 10% tariff, just for that one thing—and they won't be a member long," Trump said, according to CNN. "BRICS was set up to hurt us, BRICS was set up to degenerate our dollar and take our dollar, take it off as the standard."
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NYC's Congestion Pricing Has Caused 'Quality-of-Life Improvement' in Just Six Months
After six months, the policy of tolling drivers has reduced traffic and raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the city's transit system. But the Trump administration is still trying to shut it down.
Jul 09, 2025
New York City's congestion pricing program has now been in place for six months as of Saturday, and according to state officials, it has already proven remarkably successful. It has survived despite efforts by the Trump administration to shut it down.
The program, which tolls drivers who drive through designated "congestion zones" below 60th Street in Manhattan has dramatically reduced traffic, which in turn has sped up commute times, reduced pollution, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
"Six months in, it's clear: congestion pricing has been a huge success, making life in New York better," Governor Kathy Hochul (D) said Saturday. "In New York, we dare to do big things, and this program represents just that—traffic is down throughout the region, business is booming, transit ridership is up, and we are making historic upgrades to our transit system."
Since the program started, the number of vehicles driving through the congestion zone has decreased by 11%, with a total of 10 million fewer cars having entered compared to last year. In just the first three months of the program, traffic in the congestion zone sped up by 15%.
This has led to reduced wait times for commuters, not just in the congestion zone but in surrounding areas like the Bronx and Bergen County, New Jersey.
The number of crashes is down 14% in the congestion area, while traffic fatalities have reached "historic lows" citywide.
The data has also borne out the predictions from environmentalists and public transit activists who said the program would reduce pollution, both by capping the number of cars on the road and funding long-term investment in the public transit system.
The MTA is on track to raise $500 million from congestion pricing in 2025, as was projected when the policy went into effect. The agency also reports that subway and bus usage have gone up since congestion pricing began, while service speed has improved to "near record levels."
Beyond improving convenience, data shows the program is already improving quality of life in other ways. Early estimates from a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research show that within the first month of congestion pricing, CO₂ emissions from vehicles decreased by 2.5% with other forms of air pollution and soot levels also declining. These numbers will likely continue to rise as public transit usage expands.
Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, a New York-based pro-transit group that supported congestion pricing, told The Guardian that the program exceeded his already-high expectations.
"It's been even more obviously beneficial than even the most fervent proponents had hoped, and there have been really tangible improvements that are really gratifying," he said. "Reducing pollution is often seen to involve a lot of sacrifices, but this has been different. People can see the improvements to their lives. There was this cynical assumption that this was a bullshit charge and life will stay the same, but that assumption has gone away now."
During the tumultuous year leading up to congestion pricing's implementation, business groups raised fears that charging drivers would bankrupt small business owners. Hochul even blocked the policy from going into effect for months last year, citing those concerns.
Trump's Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, has called the charge a "slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners."
But the city reports more pedestrian traffic and faster commutes, increasing economic activity.
"Gridlock is bad for the economy," noted a statement from the state of New York. "Commuters are saving as much as 21 minutes each way. Time savings help businesses make deliveries and save costs."
The city also reports increased Broadway ticket sales, hotel occupancy, and commercial office leasing since the policy went into effect, as well as record employment figures.
Despite nearly immediate indicators of the congestion scheme's success, the Trump administration has been attempting to kill it since he returned to office in January.
"We've...fended off five months of unlawful attempts from the federal government to unwind this successful program and will keep fighting–and winning–in the courts," Hochul said.
In February, the White House infamously posted an artificially generated image of Trump wearing a crown. It quoted President Trump saying: "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
That same month, U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy withdrew federal approval for the congestion pricing pilot program, threatening to pull funding for other state transportation projects if it was not halted.
But a U.S. district judge issued a temporary restraining order in May that has, for the time being, halted the Trump administration's efforts.
Attempts to kill the program may prove more difficult in the future, as it has overcome initial skepticism to grow broadly popular with a majority of New Yorkers. Hochul herself was once among those skeptics, but she has grown to become one of its greatest champions.
"You are seeing in the governor… the zeal of the convert," said Daniel Pearlstein, a spokesperson for the pro-transit Riders Alliance.
"People who had their doubts, they saw it up close. They saw it working," he said. "They are saving New Yorkers and people from New Jersey valuable time every single day. Who would want to rip that away?"
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