Chris Pratt Remembers Late Costar Jonathan Joss After His Sudden Death: 'Hug Your Loved Ones'New Foto - Chris Pratt Remembers Late Costar Jonathan Joss After His Sudden Death: 'Hug Your Loved Ones'

Ben Cohen/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty; NBC Jonathan Joss was allegedly shot and killed by his neighbor in San Antonio on Sunday, June 1 Joss' husband claims that before the actor's death, he and Joss were "harassed" by their "homophobic" neighbors Joss' castmates, includingParks and Recreationstar Chris Pratt, are paying tribute to the late actor Chris Prattis remembering his fellowParks and RecreationactorJonathan Joss. Joss was allegedlyshot and killed during a disputeat his San Antonio property on Sunday, June 1. He was 59. Pratt, 45, paid tribute with an Instagram Stories message on Monday, June 2, when he posted a photo of Joss' obituary, which featured an image of Joss as Chief Ken Hotate on the NBC sitcom. Joss appeared in a recurring role as the leader of the fictional Native American Wamapoke Tribe. Pratt also pointed out that Joss acted with him inThe Magnificent Seven, a 2016 remake of the classic 1960 Western. Joss portrayed Denali, an exiled Comanche warrior. Pratt starred as Joshua Faraday. "Damn. RIP Jonathan. Always such a kind dude," Pratt wrote in his Instagram Stories. "Sad to see. Prayers up. Hug your loved ones." Ben Cohen/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Ahead of Pratt's tribute,Parks and RecreationstarNick Offermantold PEOPLE, "The cast has been texting together about it all day and we're just heartbroken." "Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate. A terrible tragedy," Offerman continued. Joss spent five years on the popular sitcom, which also starredAmy Poehler,Rashida Jones,Aubrey Plaza,Adam Scott, Aziz Ansari and Rob Lowe. Mitchell Haaseth/NBC PEOPLE confirmed on Sunday morning that theKing of the Hillvoice actor died at age 59 after being shot by his neighbor, Sigfredo Alvarez Cejam. According to police, authorities responded to a shooting in progress at around 7 p.m., where they found Joss lying "near the roadway." They attempted to administer "life saving measures" while waiting for EMS, but Joss was pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived. Cejam, 56, fled in a vehicle and was detained shortly after. He has been booked for murder, and the investigation is still ongoing, per police. Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales,claimed he was present when the incident took placein a lengthy post onJoss' Facebook page. In the statement, Gonzales alleged their house had burned down three months prior "after over two years of threats" that allegedly went unaddressed by law enforcement. "Throughout that time we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship," he shared. "Much of the harassment was openly homophobic." NBC According to Gonzales, he and Joss went to the property to get their mail when they saw the skull of one of their dogs out in the open, causing them "severe emotional distress." "We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw," he alleged. "While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. He continued: "Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life." "I was with him when he passed. I told him how much he was loved. To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family. My focus now is on protecting Jonathan's legacy and honoring the life we built together," Gonzales wrote. PEOPLE reached out to the San Antonio Police Department for comment. Read the original article onPeople

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June 03, 2025

Chris Pratt Remembers Late Costar Jonathan Joss After His Sudden Death: ‘Hug Your Loved Ones’

Chris Pratt Remembers Late Costar Jonathan Joss After His Sudden Death: 'Hug Your Loved Ones' Ben Cohen/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal...
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Linda Evangelista Shares Rare Photo of Son Augustin as He Graduates from High School: 'I'm One Proud Momma'New Foto - Linda Evangelista Shares Rare Photo of Son Augustin as He Graduates from High School: 'I'm One Proud Momma'

Linda Evangelista/Instagram Linda Evangelista shared several photos on Instagram from her son Augustin James' high school graduation "🙏🏻 I'm one proud momma. Blessed," Evangelista captioned the post on Monday, June 2 The supermodel, 60, shares Augustin with French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault Linda Evangelistais proud of her son Augustin James' major accomplishment! On Monday, June 2, the supermodel, 60, shared anInstagram carouselin celebration of Augustin's high school graduation. The first snap showed the pair all smiles as Augustin posed in his blue graduation gown, while she wore a stylish nude embellished blazer with black undergarments. Evangelista also shared photos from the moment Augustin accepted his diploma and of him posing with several of his classmates. Augustin's father, French billionaireFrancois-Henri Pinault, beamed in two photos, while his wife,Salma Hayek, was also in attendance. Linda Evangelista/Instagram The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Evangelista topped off the upload by including a snap of Augustin's custom celebratory sweet treat. The photo showed a cake with a picture of Augustin and his friends and had the word "Congratulations" written on top of it. On the side of the cake was "USC," presumably for the University of Southern California. Linda Evangelista/Instagram Evangelista received a ton of support in the comment section. "Such a handsome young man and is mom's twin!! Congratulations!!" one follower wrote. Another added, "Congratulations Augie!!!!! 🎓" In addition to graduating from high school, Augustin has had a busy few months. In April, he madea rare red carpet appearancealongside his mom in New York City. The event was in support of the National Breast Cancer Coalition Host Gala, where Augustin wore a navy suit and a white T-shirt underneath. Evangelista wore a black suit and black button-up shirt. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Linda Evangelista/Instagram Evangelista welcomed Augustin withFrançois-Henri Pinaultin 2006. Salma Hayek and Pinault married in 2009, but had been dating since 2006, around the timeEvangelista got pregnant. Last October,Hayek marked Augustin's 18th birthdaywith a touching birthday tribute via Instagram. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Happy 18th bday Augie," she wrote in her caption. "You're officially a full grown up man who just became legal at least in Mexico and France. 😱." She continued, "Your gentle heart is like healing caress in our lives because you bring warmth and light to everyone around you. Keep bringing the laughter and joy. We love you so much ❤️❤️❤️." Read the original article onPeople

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June 03, 2025

Linda Evangelista Shares Rare Photo of Son Augustin as He Graduates from High School: ‘I’m One Proud Momma’

Linda Evangelista Shares Rare Photo of Son Augustin as He Graduates from High School: 'I'm One Proud Momma' Linda Evangelista/In...
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Cara Delevingne Shares a Kiss with Girlfriend Minke as They Celebrate at WeHo Pride Ahead of Their Third AnniversaryNew Foto - Cara Delevingne Shares a Kiss with Girlfriend Minke as They Celebrate at WeHo Pride Ahead of Their Third Anniversary

Araya Doheny/Getty Cara Delevingne kicked off Pride Month by being recognized as a "guardian icon" in California's 2025 WeHo Pride Parade on Sunday, June 1 The model and actress previously came out as a pansexual person in 2020 She rode in the parade with girlfriend Minke, and also spent time with Paris Hilton and Nava Mau Cara Delevingneis starting Pride Month off in a major way! The 32-year-old model andOnly Murders in the Buildingactress was one of the many stars in attendance for the 2025 WeHo Pride Parade in West Hollywood, Calif. on Sunday, June 1. "Happy pride 🏳️‍🌈! Thank you so much@wehopridefor having us. ❤️," Delevingne captioned anInstagram carouselrecap on Monday, June 2. Araya Doheny/Getty She posed standing up in a red convertible vintage car as a driver carefully chauffeured the star — who was recognized as a "guardian icon" during the celebrations — along the Santa Monica Blvd route. She also held onto a humongous yellow sword while flashing the peace sign. Next to her was her girlfriendMinke, whom theAmerican Horror Storyactress stepped out publicly with for the first time with in June 2022. The London-born blues singer-songwriter, whose real name isLeah Mason, held onto a brightly colored WeHo Pride fan as she sat beside Delevingne. Cara Delevingne/Instagram "Love you so much sis 🥰 So much fun Sliving with you 💗💖💕🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride!,"Paris Hiltonwrote in the comment section. The businesswoman andmother of two, 44, was also among the celebs who participated in the event. Delevingne's carousel included video footage of the mogul onstage in rainbow attire performing her 2006 single "Stars Are Blind." Delevingne also posed with filmmaker andBaby ReindeerstarNava Mau, who was recognized as a "trailblazer icon." Additional photos included the model kissing Minke, along with signs from supporters including a woman holding up a hand-written message that read, "My bearded dragons are gay!!!" The couple will celebrate their third anniversary on June 5. Delevingne marked the occasion last year by giving anintimate look at their romanceand gushing about their "two magical years" together. Cara Delevingne/ Instagram TheSuicide Squadstar wore an off-white cropped tank with a crochet vest over it and paired it with loose fitting black shorts and matching shoes. Delevingne has been open about her sexual identity for years. In a May 2024exclusive with PEOPLEto discuss her partnership with Calvin Klein's "This Is Love" ads, the English model explained the role fashion plays in her life. "There's such a clever way about using clothing as a statement," she said. "My personal style is: I don't really care, slash I do really care, slash whatever I feel that day." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Earlier in the conversation while discussing the meaning behind the campaign, Delevingne told PEOPLE, "Love, to me, encapsulates everything about life: the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the magnificent. Just the highs and the lows, I guess." "It teaches you about yourself. And I think, what I didn't have, at least, is younger people today are so much more who they are and they're not going to change for anyone whereas I felt like I was always so scared or like I didn't want to be who I really was. There is so much more freedom to be who you want to be, of course there are still struggles and there is still so much to fight against but I get so inspired by people in the queer community," she said. Read the original article onPeople

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June 03, 2025

Cara Delevingne Shares a Kiss with Girlfriend Minke as They Celebrate at WeHo Pride Ahead of Their Third Anniversary

Cara Delevingne Shares a Kiss with Girlfriend Minke as They Celebrate at WeHo Pride Ahead of Their Third Anniversary Araya Doheny/Getty Cara...
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Trump's ambitious push for trade deals is hitting some snagsNew Foto - Trump's ambitious push for trade deals is hitting some snags

President Donald Trump's ambitious plan to broker dozens of trade deals with some of the United States' closest trading partners has begun to show cracks as the clock on his 90-day pause for most country-specific tariffs winds down to just over one month. While some of the fissures are self-inflicted, like recent threats of tariffs against the European Union and higher duties on steel imports,a fresh set of court rulingsquestioning the president's tariffs-granting authority now hangs over his entire push to reset U.S. trade relations. On Friday, Trump announced a plan to double steel and aluminum tariffs to 50%. That followednew accusations against Chinaof violating the handshake agreement the two countries had struck in early May during talks in Geneva. Over the weekend, the E.U. responded to the steel and aluminum tariffs by warning it was preparing to take countermeasures against U.S. goods. China, meanwhile, issued its own accusation against the United States over the weekend, alleging it had undermined the Geneva pactby imposing new export controls on computer chips. The increasingly public disagreements over trade aren't unexpected despite Trump's ambitious timeline and the optimistic rhetoric from White House officials, former trade negotiators said. Typically, it can take months, if not years, for the United States to work out a trade agreement with another country. Many of the remaining trade barriers on U.S. goods are there for a reason — such as to protect a key local industry in a country or in response to a separate barrier the United States has put up to protect its own goods. "It's going to be a long, drawn-out negotiation," said Warren Maruyama, who worked on trade deals during the George W. Bush administration as general counsel for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. "You could hope that your trading partner is stupid and will agree to a bad deal. But, for the most part, most foreign trade negotiators are quite good, and it's typically a pretty brutal head-to-head negotiation between two sophisticated countries who have been doing trade deals for decades." The increased tensions Trump has injected in recent weeks could also be adding to the complexities U.S. officials face when they sit across from their foreign counterparts, who may feel they don't have a clear understanding of what the United States is offering, where its red lines are or what it is trying to achieve from a trade agreement. "I think it's going to be a challenge for a number of our trading partners, who feel like they are negotiating with a gun to their heads and negotiating with an administration that is not reliable," said Alex Jacquez, who worked for the National Economic Council during the Biden administration. "You are just negotiating in a climate in which you do not know what your counterpart wants at the end of the day or is going to do in the interim," Jacquez said. "And so there's not much of an incentive to come to the table if you are just going to get whacked for doing so." Still, U.S. officials say they are close to making additional deals over the next month. Reuters reported that by Wednesday, the Trump administration wants countries to submit their best trade proposals, including offers to purchase U.S. industrial and agricultural goods, to speed along negotiations, according to a draft letter to negotiating partners Reuters said it had reviewed. "Productive negotiations with many key trading partners continue at a rapid pace. It is in all parties' interest to take stock of progress and assess any next steps," an official with the trade representative's office said in response to the report. Still, 60 days in, just one tentative trade agreement has been reached, with the United Kingdom, though nothing yet has officially been formalized. And Trump suggested last month that he may just send out letters informing most countries of their tariff rates after the 90-day pause because the United States lacks the bandwidth to negotiate with each country individually. Here's where things stand now. Last month, Trump said he was pausing the massive tariffs he'd imposed on China since April for 90 days, after top U.S. and Chinese officials agreed at a meeting in Switzerland to discuss their trade concerns and de-escalate tensions. Cracks in that detente began to appear just a week after the tariff pause. Chinese officials accused the United States of undermining the trade truce they'd reached after the U.S. Commerce Department warned companies about using Chinese chips, including those by chipmaker Huawei Technologies. Chinese officials said the guidance was "discriminatory" and "market distorting." Last week, Trump accused China of not holding up its end of the truce, posting on social media: "Everybody was happy! That is the good news!!! The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!" U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in an interview on CNBC last week that the Chinese had been "slow rolling" an agreement made in Switzerland to unwind non-tariff retaliatory countermeasures it had put in place, like restrictions by the Chinese on shipments of rare earth metals. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation": "What China is doing is holding back products essential for industrial supply chains in India and Europe. That is not what a reliable partner does." The United States and the E.U. have been in a tariff tit-for-tat since shortly after Trump's second term began — with Europe at one point threatening a 50% tariff on American whiskey and Trump threatening a 200% tariff on European wines. Trump has accused the E.U. of treating the United States "very badly" over the years and of being created to "take advantage" of the United States. The two sides began talks on a trade agreement in April after Trump paused his so-called reciprocal tariffs of 20%. But on May 23, the day U.S. and European trade officials were set to meet in Washington, Trump threatened on social media to levy a 50% tariff on European goods, saying the bloc wasn't moving fast enough toward a deal. He declared it was "time that we play the game the way I know how to play the game." Days later, Trump backtracked on the threat, delaying the tariffs until July 9, after a phone call with his E.U. counterpart. Greer characterized the move as having a "fire lit" under the E.U. and said it now knows "exactly what we want." But as things seemed to be getting back on track, Trump threw another wrench into talks, saying at a steel mill event Friday that he would increase tariffs on steel and aluminum, including from Europe, to 50% from the 25% he had already imposed. The E.U. said that the higher tariff on steel "undermines ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution" and that officials were preparing to impose their own countermeasures. "This decision adds further uncertainty to the global economy and increases costs for consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,"an E.U. spokesperson told NBC News. The United States and Japan have been through at least four rounds of trade talks in recent months without settling on any sort of agreement. In the most recent meeting, Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met last week for just over two hours with Japan's economy minister, Ryosei Akazawa. Afterward, Akazawa said it would be difficult for the two sides to reach any agreement without the United States' being willing to remove Trump's tariffs, which include a 10% tariff on all products and 25% tariffs on autos, steel and aluminum. "If that is not possible, then it will be difficult for us to agree to a deal," Akazawa told reporters after the meeting. U.S. officials said they "highlighted to Minister Akazawa the importance of addressing tariffs and non-tariff measures, increasing investment, and working together to address economic security and other issues of mutual concern." The two sides said they would meet again before the Group of Seven summit starting June 15, which both Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will attend.

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June 03, 2025

Trump's ambitious push for trade deals is hitting some snags

Trump's ambitious push for trade deals is hitting some snags President Donald Trump's ambitious plan to broker dozens of trade deals...
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Top Jan. 6 prosecutor says Trump's Capitol riot pardons signal approval of political violenceNew Foto - Top Jan. 6 prosecutor says Trump's Capitol riot pardons signal approval of political violence

WASHINGTON — The federal prosecutor who oversaw the Capitol riot investigation is speaking out about President Donald Trump's mass pardon of Jan. 6 rioters and the Trump administration's targeting of career law enforcement officials who worked cases against the people who attacked the U.S. Capitol. Greg Rosen, who was the chief of the Capitol Siege Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, called the Justice Department's handling of Jan. 6 cases appropriate, proportional and righteous, noting that hundreds of defendants convicted of misdemeanors ultimately were sentenced to probation. "The concept that these defendants were railroaded or mistreated is belied by the actual facts," Rosen said in an interview days after he resigned from the Justice Department. "The reality is every single case was treated with the utmost scrutiny, and every single case required the same level of due process, maximal due process afforded by the U.S. Constitution." Judges appointed by presidents of both parties adjudicated the cases, and Rosen said the historical record created by the prosecutions "is what will speak volumes, not conjecture and not speculation." Rosen, who was previously a prosecutor in Virginia, served at the Justice Department for more than a decade, culminating in his role overseeing the Jan. 6 cases, leading a unit that was shut down when Trump came to office. Trumppardoned roughly 1,500 defendantsand commuted the sentences of members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Those pardons, Rosen said, sent the wrong message to the American public. "The underlying message of the pardons and the expressive nature of the pardons is that political violence is acceptable, particularly if it's done for a specific purpose," Rosen said. "Political violence in an American society, in a constitutional republic, is essentially the brain rot of the republic. I think Benjamin Franklin once said, 'It's a republic if you can keep it.' To have pardons ... pardoned people who committed wrong, objectively speaking, and then to celebrate that is a message to the American people that the rule of law may not matter." Rosen resigned from the Justice Department last week and is joining a private law firm after a tumultuous few months when some of his colleagues were fired, while he and other leaders were demoted to entry-level positions by the former interim U.S. attorney for Washington, Ed Martin, whom Trump named as his pardon attorney and as director of the Justice Department's working group investigating what Trump has called "weaponization" of law enforcement against himself and allies. Rosen also spoke about the Trump administration's pending settlement of a lawsuit filed by the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer as she tried to climb through a broken glass door in the building. Trump and his allies are also discussing potential settlements with Jan. 6 defendants. Rosen called the news "shocking" and said it was not supported by the evidence. The notion that Jan. 6 defendants were "part of some system of weaponization is just not borne out by the truth, it's not borne out by the facts," he said. The public, Rosen said, often overlooks that the prosecutions of Jan. 6 defendants began in the final days of Trump's first term, when Trump himself was publicly declaring that rioters would be held accountable. Rosen said it should be easy to evaluate what happened from an apolitical and nonpartisan perspective. "A crime obviously occurred," Rosen said. "We investigated that crime, we brought charges, and those charges were vetted and scrupulously analyzed by — not only internal to the department," before charges were brought, "but externally, by judges and juries." Rosen said the firings and demotions of federal employees who worked on Jan. 6 cases have left the Trump administration less prepared to handle the types of cases it proclaimed to want to prioritize. "The irony here is that every single one of those prosecutors, the ones who were fired or the ones who were demoted, were individuals who would have otherwise served the community, served the District of Columbia and helped prevent violent crime in a way consistent with any administration's priorities, let alone this administration's priorities," Rosen said. "Frankly, it's ridiculous that we are seeing retaliation being taken against people who did their jobs and did their jobs effectively with the full-throated support of the United States government." "This is not a circumstance where we are essentially deep state actors, so to speak. We are just trying to do our jobs," he said. "From my perspective, it sends a terrible message. It sends a message that every aspect of what you do will somehow be politicized or the word I think that keeps getting used is 'weaponized,' and that's very unfortunate." Rosen, whose father was in law enforcement, said he always wanted to be a trial attorney. He was drawn to the U.S. attorney's office in Washington because of its unique status as an office that prosecutes both local and federal crimes. Now, Rosen is joining the boutique litigation firm Rogers Joseph O'Donnell, as some Washington law firms that have worked cases against Trump or his priorities face threats from the administration. "Law firms, whether you are on a firm that is from big law or whether you're at a solo practitioning firm, you should be able to represent your clients zealously and zealously in a way that is not impacted by who the president of the United States is," Rosen said. "There can be a chilling effect. And I think what we're seeing in the litigation across the board, particularly when it came to some of the executive orders, is that firms can be practically, morally and financially impacted in ways that could not just hurt the business, but undermine the rule of law and the ability of lawyers to fulfill their constitutional duties." Rosen said he hopes the record created by the prosecutions of Jan. 6 defendants helps shape how the attack is perceived in history, even as political actors chip away at its reality. "What I hope the takeaway will be to citizens of this country is that what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, was a national disgrace and then the prosecution that followed reaffirmed the principles of the rule of law and vindicated the rights and the bravery of law enforcement," Rosen said. "I would not change a thing about the way we conducted ourselves and the honor in which we brought to the court and to the system," he added.

byAdministrator
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June 03, 2025

Top Jan. 6 prosecutor says Trump's Capitol riot pardons signal approval of political violence

Top Jan. 6 prosecutor says Trump's Capitol riot pardons signal approval of political violence WASHINGTON — The federal prosecutor who ov...
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Social security employees warn of delays: What the new priorities means for your benefitsNew Foto - Social security employees warn of delays: What the new priorities means for your benefits

If you need to update Social Securityaboutonarecentmove or bank account change, get in line. It could be a while. SuchcChangeslike these mayare likely totake longer,and thousands of Americans could see delays or even stopped checks in the meantime, Social Security employees warned USA TODAY. That's because Social Security officials have tweaked what they want some employees to treat as a priority for at least the next month to include about 900,000 complicated cases that must be completed by hand. While the White House says the additional work won't affect other beneficiaries, employees tell USA TODAY that adding something new and complicated at the top of their daily to do lists means other work doesn't get done. Some of the work that they expect to fall through the cracks ‒ like changing direct deposit information or fixing problems with Medicaid billing ‒ could mean the difference between receiving a check or not, they said. Social Security Administration employees at processing centers generally prioritize new claims and appeals each day. In late May, employees at many of the nation's eight processing centers were told to putSocial Security Fairness Act paymentsat the top of their work list and were offered weekend overtime to get it done. More:Public workers waited 40 years for law to boost Social Security. Now, they wait for payout Early this year,former President Joe Bidensigned into law the Social Security Fairness Act that will boost benefits to public servants like former teachers or postal workers, to account for money they paid into Social Security for their summer or off-hour private sector jobs but weren't fully paid under previous law. The agency initially set a November deadline to process over 3.2 million Fairness Act claims. New Social Security commissioner Frank Bisignano told senators during his March confirmation hearing that he will prioritize those payments and the work will be done "while the weather is warm." "Using automation, SSA has already expedited over $15.1 billion in long-delayed retroactive payments to more than 2.3 million individuals affected," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said. The agency is prioritizing the remaining about 900,000 cases that are too complex to be processed through automation. These cases require additional time to manually update the records and pay both retroactive benefits and the new benefits amount. Huston said the agency won't let other needs fall behind. "This project is very important to leadership and it's critical the agency executes it swiftly, efficiently, and without letting anything else fall through the cracks," Huston said. But months of upheaval at the Social Security Administration, which distributes retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to more than 70 million Americans of all ages, hasspooked manywho rely on money provided by the agency for either day-to-day help or for security in their retirement. Thousands of employees have accepted early buyout offers, interim leaders have changed what identification can be used and modification to technology behind the scenes caused multiple website failures. The turmoil led toincreased wait timeson the phone and extended waits to schedule in-person appointments at field offices. A half-dozen employees at several of the nation's Social Security processing centers said they were told that the new commissioner wants all of the Social Security Fairness Act claims resolved by July 1, and that they also need to address a backlog of claims that has built up. Several of the processing center employees who spoke to USA TODAY said they are afraid of retribution for speaking to the media. Multiple Social Security employees said the orders were relayed verbally, rather than in a written directive, which they said is unusual. Normally an edict to change priorities would have come by email so everyone received the same information, one employee said. One employee at a processing center on the East Coast shared a Teams message from their manager with USA TODAY that stated they should only assist if the call is related a new claim, an appeal or a Social Security Fairness Act case "until our workload focus is lifted." The message states they currently expect that order to end July 1, and instructs the employee to inform callers that they cannot help with other issues until then. More:Social Security wait times were already long under Biden. They're even longer under Trump. Employees who received the order said they were told they cannot help with non-priority issues like overpayment reconsideration, updating direct deposit information, checking on monthly payment rates, and Medicare billing related issues. An employee at a processing center on the West Coast told USA TODAY that processing new claims has always been the agency's top priority, but that adding the Social Security Fairness Act claims as a must-do item will cause delays in resolving more complicated and time consuming problems. The East Coast employee said he's having to tell caller after caller that he cannot address their Social Security-related need for the next month, which results in both him and his manager being yelled at all day. Employees working at some processing centers have been offered overtime to work Saturdays and Sundays for the next five weeks in order to ensure they complete their priority assignments and possibly complete other work, the employees said. Some who offered to work the overtime were told they could be allowed to work the overtime from home. Another employee in a separate East Coast processing center said they agreed to work several hours on Saturday for time and a half pay. They spent a day in late May processing only new claims and Social Security Fairness Act cases, which their manager said would continue through the end of June. The employee said they normally spend about 6 hours of each work day on issues like problems with Medicaid payments, death underpayments or when disability benefits and retirement benefits are accidentally paid at the same time. Those will not get done, the employee said. We want to hear from people affected by or who have inside knowledge of the Trump administration's efforts to reshape the government, including actions by DOGE. Know something others should? Reach out atswire@usatoday.comor Signal at sarahdwire.71 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Social Security workers warn of delayed benefits as focus shifts

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June 03, 2025

Social security employees warn of delays: What the new priorities means for your benefits

Social security employees warn of delays: What the new priorities means for your benefits If you need to update Social Securityaboutonarecen...
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Myanmar junta says extends temporary ceasefire to June 30New Foto - Myanmar junta says extends temporary ceasefire to June 30

(Reuters) -Myanmar's junta said it has extended a temporary ceasefire to June to support reconstruction and relief efforts following a massive earthquake in late March that killed at least 3,700 people and devastated parts of the country. The junta initially announced a ceasefire in early April, days after the March 28 earthquake, to support relief efforts, following similar moves by anti-junta armed groups. The opposition groups have also extended their ceasefire to end-June. Military airstrikes and artillery attacks have continued in some parts of Myanmar despite the ceasefire announcement. (Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by John Mair; Editing by David Stanway)

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June 03, 2025

Myanmar junta says extends temporary ceasefire to June 30

Myanmar junta says extends temporary ceasefire to June 30 (Reuters) -Myanmar's junta said it has extended a temporary ceasefire to June ...
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