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Tag: Small

Swalwell faces social media backlash for post tying Trump to Georgia small plane crash

Rep. Eric Swallwell, D-Calif., is facing backlash online after suggesting President Donald Trump is to blame for a small plane crash in Georgia this weekend.

Swallwell took to social media Monday morning to declare that Trump has had “more planes crash” in his first month in office than any other U.S. president. The lawmaker made the comment in reaction to a small private plane crash that took place this weekend in Covington, Georgia, which left two people dead.

Social media users began to pile on immediately, calling out Swallwell for what they saw as an unfair connection to Trump.

“Are you suggesting the catalysts for those crashes were all caused by policies changed in the last month?” one user wrote.

HARROWING VIDEO FROM MILITARY BASE SHOWS NEW ANGLE OF MIDAIR CRASH CATASTROPHE

“You really do have TDS. Grab some coffee and take a walk,” wrote another user who goes by the name of SouthernRepublicanMomma.

Swallwell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

FAA, NTSB TO BRIEF SENATORS ON WASHINGTON, DC, MIDAIR COLLISION

Georgia’s crash saw a single-engine airplane take off from the Covington Municipal Airport at 11 p.m. on Saturday. Ground control lost communication with the plane roughly 20 minutes later, at which point police officers located the plane crashed near the runway.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has addressed the public multiple times regarding recent plane crashes in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and elsewhere. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The plane’s two occupants were immediately announced dead at the scene.

“On February 15, 2025, the Covington Police Department officers responded to the Covington Municipal Airport at approximately 11:21 p.m. after receiving a call from the FAA in reference to a single-engine aircraft that had taken off at approximately 11:00 p.m. There was no further communication from the aircraft after takeoff,” the Covington Police Department said in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed they are investigating the crash.

Wreckage is seen in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, on Thursday, Jan. 30. (Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles, U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

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The incident comes in the wake of multiple other plane crashes in recent weeks, the most dramatic being the collision of a helicopter and a commercial airliner in the skies over Washington, D.C. last month.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 17, 2025
Trump’s nominee for small business chief primed for final vote after clearing procedural hurdle

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Small Business Administration, former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, passed a key procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday, clearing the path for her final confirmation vote.

The Senate’s vote this afternoon to invoke cloture ended the debate on the Georgia Republican’s nomination, as she now moves on to the confirmation stage.

The final cloture vote was 51-43 in favor of invoking cloture.

“Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda,” Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News on Jan. 28.

TRUMP’S COMMERCE NOMINEE PASSES KEY HURDLE

“Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country — and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country.”

Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits.

Those organizations included food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief.

Loeffler previously worked at several top financial firms, including Intercontinental Exchange. Her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, whom she met at ICE, is the current chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.

Loeffler also previously bought a minority stake in the WNBA Atlanta Dream, but is reportedly no longer associated with the team.

Loeffler also sparred with Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation hearing over the Trump administration’s announcement that it would freeze federal funds and grants.

TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE

After Trump fired SBA inspector general Hannibal Ware in January, Markey — the top Democrat on the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee – expressed anger and called for a pause on Loeffler’s confirmation consideration.

Markey said the process should be halted “either until Inspector General Ware is reinstated or until a qualified and impartial nominee to replace him is confirmed by the Senate.”

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the committee’s chairwoman, called Loeffler the “perfect person for the job” in an Osceola Sentinel-Tribune column.

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Then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler speaks at a campaign event at the Cobb County Republican Party Headquarters in Marietta, Georgia on Nov. 11, 2020. (REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage)

“Throughout her career, she rose through the ranks at multiple companies due to her determination and grit. She also started many businesses and knows what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur,” said Ernst.

“Most importantly, she knows what it means to be overrun by Washington’s bureaucratic overreach — and that the government must instead get out of the way so businesses can thrive.”

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Deidre Heavey contributed to this report

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

February 13, 2025
Uncertainty grows among still-optimistic small business owners, survey finds

Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., weighs in on President Donald Trump’s economic agenda and its anticipated effect on ‘The Big Money Show.’

Uncertainty grew among American small business owners in January while optimism remained high, according to a new survey from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

The group’s uncertainty index rose 14 points to 100 last month, the third-highest recorded reading.

The Small Business Optimism Index also took a slight dip. It stood at 102.8 as of January, according to the NFIB survey.

People with face masks walk past restaurants on Main Street in Patchogue, N.Y., July 11, 2020. (Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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While that represented a 2.3-point decline in optimism on a monthly basis, it was still higher than the 51-year average of 98. The Small Business Optimism Index hit a six-year high in December.

In January, a seasonally adjusted net 47% of small business owners harbored expectations for the economy improving, according to the survey. That dropped five points.

Meanwhile, 17% indicated they were bullish about expansion, saying now was a “good time” to do so “substantially,” according to the NFIB.

“Overall, small business owners remain optimistic regarding future business conditions, but uncertainty is on the rise,” NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a statement. “Hiring challenges continue to frustrate Main Street owners as they struggle to find qualified workers to fill their many open positions. Meanwhile, fewer plan capital investments as they prepare for the months ahead.”

Over one-third of small business owners said they were experiencing difficulties filling openings at their companies in January, the survey showed.

TRUMPONOMICS WILL TAME INFLATION – NOT MAKE IT WORSE

More than half of owners surveyed were looking to bring new workers on board at their small businesses in January. Many of those – 90% – were finding “few or no qualified applicants,” the NFIB said.

A “Now Hiring” sign posted on the window of a business looking to hire workers May 5, 2023, in Miami, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Labor quality and inflation were tied in January as the “single most important problem for business,” according to the NFIB. Eighteen percent of small business owners cited either of those as their main issue, with the share pointing to labor quality posting a one-point drop from the prior month.

Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index increased 0.4% month over month and 2.9% year over year in December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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When it came to capital outlays, a seasonally adjusted 22% of small business owners are looking to make investments in the coming six months, the NFIB also found. That share fell seven points.

About 58% reported capital outlays over the past half year, according to the survey.

February 11, 2025
Super Bowl LIX to highlight small businesses with help from Google’s AI

Evercore ISI head of internet research Mark Mahaney joins ‘The Claman Countdown’ to discuss Google potentially putting some of their A.I. capabilities behind a paywall.

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages for marketing. This year, Google is using it to turn the spotlight on small businesses throughout America that are benefitting from its artificial intelligence models.

As part of its “50 Stories, 50 States” campaign, Google will illustrate the impact of artifical intelligence on small businesses by featuring 50 customer stories from all 50 states. The ads will appear next to commercials from some of the biggest brands in the world that doled out millions for the coveted airtime.

Massachusetts’ Joe the Architect, Oregon’s Jacobsen’s Salt Co, New Jersey’s Nuts.com and Texas’ Bison Coolers will be among the businesses profiled, along with their use of Google Gemini.

It comes as AI is taking center stage across a wide range of industries and in aspects of everyday life. At the same time, it’s also fueling panic among politicians and investors, as China’s DeepSeek begins to catch up with U.S. tech companies.

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“We wanted to show what’s possible with AI in Workspace today, and how real businesses are using it,” Harris Beber, head of Global Marketing for Workspace, said. “What better way to show the unexpected ways AI helps real businesses in America than to let them share their stories?”

Gemini, Google’s generative AI chatbot formerly known as Bard, has a core functionality included with Workspace business and enterprise plans, allowing customers to access tools that can help them with everything from writing grant proposals to developing marketing copy to mocking up designs in Slides, Harris said.

Jeremy and Dennis Denson are the co-founders of Bison Coolers, a family-owned business that makes coolers in the United States. (Bison Coolers)

Google said it specifically highlighted the impact of its technology on small businesses as they are a critical driver of the U.S. economy. The more than 34 million small businesses in the U.S. account for 43.5% of gross domestic product, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA). They also account for 99.9% of all businesses.

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“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. We take a lot of pride in knowing that we’re helping create jobs here in the US,” Bison Coolers co-founder Jeremy Denson said. “We’ve been able to save and create jobs at both of our domestic plants, and it’s incredibly rewarding to know that we’re contributing to both our local communities as well as our economy.”

Denson said that the company doesn’t have the resources its competitors do because it’s a small, family-owned business. His company provides heavy-duty coolers ideal for camping, hunting and marine use. It manufactures everything in the U.S.

The Caesars Superdome is being prepared for Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome on Jan. 16, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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Denson said his company relies on Workspace and Gemini to be more efficient in its daily operations as well as our marketing needs.

“We use AI to help craft marketing emails, product descriptions, social media posts or any other opportunities that can help improve efficiency and quality,” he said.

It has helped them maintain profitability despite higher manufacturing costs.

“Being able to accomplish more with less allows us to focus more on strategy, product development and driving growth,” Denson said.

Other businesses highlighted vary across a range of industries. Some of the other 50 businesses include the Custard Stand in Webster Springs, West Virginia; the American Cornhole League in Rock Hill, South Carolina; and Morgan Ranch in Omaha, Nebraska, which produces premium wagyu beef for global markets.

February 5, 2025
Trump’s Small Business Administration nominee advances to Senate floor

The Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee voted Wednesday by a 12–7 margin to advance the nomination of President Donald Trump’s pick for the Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator to the Senate floor.

Kelly Loeffler, a prominent business executive and philanthropist who served as a senator from Georgia for two years, appeared before the committee on Jan. 28 and pledged to donate her annual $207,500 salary to charity.

Loeffler and her husband, Jeff, created a Fortune 500 financial services and technology company together.

“Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda,” Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News Jan. 28. “Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country — and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country.”

TRUMP CABINET NOMINEE LOEFFLER PLEDGED TO DONATE SALARY IF CONFIRMED

Kelly Loeffler is a prominent business executive and philanthropist who served as a senator from Georgia for two years. (Dustin Chambers/Reuters)

Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits.

Those organizations included food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief.

Loeffler also sparred with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation hearing over the Trump administration’s announcement that it would freeze federal funds and grants.

On Jan. 27, the Office of Management and Budget released a memo ordering a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency.

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Small Business Administration nominee Kelly Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits. (Rod Lamkey, Jr./The Associated Press)

The White House pulled the memo on Jan. 29, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the move didn’t equate a “recission of the federal funding freeze.”

Markey asked Loeffler whether she believed the move was lawful or not, amid concerns from members of Congress that the Trump administration attempted to circumvent Congress and withhold funds.

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“I fully agree with President Trump’s decision to stop wasteful spending,” Loeffler told Markey. “It resulted in a landslide victory that many Americans were waiting for relief against excessive government spending.”

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 5, 2025
Inside the DC plane crash investigation: Air traffic staff a ‘small piece’ of ‘very big puzzle,’ official says

FOX Business’ Grady Trimble speaks with National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman about the ongoing investigation to discover the cause of the tragic D.C. plane crash.

Following a bombshell report over the alleged air traffic control staffing on the night of the tragic American Airlines and Black Hawk helicopter collision in D.C., the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) designated spokesperson for the incident warned that “a lot of questions remain” about the events leading up to the crash.

“Let me say this first: we [have] to remember 67 people lost their lives… Today will be yet another day of the teams going out there,” NTSB member Todd Inman told FOX Business’ Grady Trimble on Friday.

“They’re out in the field. They’re collecting data. They’ve started interviews. We have hundreds of people in this investigation,” he continued. “But the most important thing right now is to obtain and preserve any perishable evidence so that whenever we come off scene, we can start the analyzation of it.”

An internal preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), obtained by the Associated Press, allegedly showed that the number of staff members working at the air control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.”

EXPERT PUTS ONUS ON F.A.A. FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES, HELICOPTER CRASH: ‘BAD MANAGEMENT’ IS ‘PUTTING US AT RISK’

On Wednesday night, an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, D.C. All 67 people onboard both aircraft are presumed dead.

NTSB member Todd Inman told FOX Business “we don’t use the word normal per say,” when discussing air traffic control staff. (Getty Images)

“We don’t use the word normal per se,” Inman reacted. “What happens immediately after an accident is a safety review team begins doing just what we said, perishable evidence. And this is a lot of different people from the FAA. Union representatives all immediately start gaining information.

“So what people are talking about is a rough draft of something, but it is a small piece of a very big puzzle. Thousands of data points,” he added. “So ultimately [it led] to our recommendation of how to prevent this tragedy from occurring again.”

The FAA report also claimed that one air traffic controller was working two positions at the time of the crash, when typically, the two assignments are split between two air traffic controllers.

Aviation expert Captain Mike Coffield breaks down the response process and investigation following a midair collision between a regional airline jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter.

“Airports are living, breathing cities. So at any time because of weather, because of traffic, because of any other issue, you could see fluctuations in staff up and down. Now, is that an acceptable standard for safety? We will investigate that, and we’re going to find out. If there was anything that needs to be remediated, [we] will then make recommendations,” Inman responded.

Inman pointed out that the NTSB will be closely evaluating evidence like cockpit communications, unique sound recordings, aileron positions, landing gear, altitude pitch, submerged electronics, debris and even interviewing staff that were working with both aircraft.

President Donald Trump has also chimed in on the investigation, claiming via Truth Social that the Army helicopter may have been flying too high, “far above the 200 foot limit” in the DCA airspace.

Victims identified in DC plane crash involving American Airlines jet and military helicopter (Getty Images / Getty Images)

“I would be very careful to anyone who’s listening to this to rely upon off-the-shelf software speculation they’re seeing online,” Inman noted. “Our job is to get the absolute facts as we get these [black] boxes in and get them analyzed, and we look at more granular data, [we’ll] be able to give a much better picture on that.

“In fact, I would just make sure you remember there can be a 50-foot difference in some cases and up to 100 yards for radar versus Ads-b, which is more GPS based. But it’s still not as accurate as what’s in the plane itself.”

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Helicopter pilot Dean Wegner argues there’s ‘a longer story’ behind the tragic American Airlines and helicopter aircraft collision and shares his condolences.

The NTSB plans to “take [their] time” on the investigation, pledging to follow through all evidence “as long as it takes” to get to the root of what happened Wednesday night.

“We’ve done over 100,000 aviation accident investigations, made 15,000 recommendations,” Inman said. “Right now, we’ve not found anything. But if we do, we will immediately tell the public. Our job is to prevent this tragedy from happening again.”

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Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

January 31, 2025
Small Business Administration nominee Kelly Loeffler says small biz is in her DNA

FOX Business host Larry Kudlow discusses President Donald Trump’s desire to end wars and create a strong economy on ‘Kudlow.’

Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, President Donald Trump’s pick for Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator, plans to go before the Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee on Wednesday, when she plans to speak about Trump’s vision for the country, as well as what qualifies her for the job.

In a copy of her written remarks obtained by FOX Business, Loeffler speaks about her roots growing up as the fourth generation on her family’s farm in Illinois, adding that “small business” is in her “DNA.”

“My wonderful parents, Don and Lynda, didn’t have degrees, but they had faith and grit,” she wrote. “They worked relentlessly to sustain our farm and small trucking company – risking everything to provide for us while navigating volatile commodity markets and complex regulations and facing countless day-to-day challenges.

“It’s where my Midwestern work ethic was ingrained, working in our soybean fields and waiting tables at local restaurants – preparing me for a lifetime of starting and growing businesses,” she continued. “I became the first in my family to graduate college and later earned my MBA.”

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Former U.S. Sen., Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., is President Donald Trump’s nominee to be administrator of the Small Business Administration. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)

After college, Loeffler helped grow a startup into a Fortune 500 company, and for 10 years, she co-owned the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA. She also wrote that she launched a financial technology company, Bakkt, as the founding CEO and first employee.

“I recall managing budgets in Excel spreadsheets, hiring my first team member, and working with regulators as much as I recall ringing the bell when two of those companies went public,” Loeffler wrote.

Later in her statement, Loeffler talks about how she plans to leverage her decades of business experience to champion America’s entrepreneurs.

FIRST ON FOX:TRUMP CABINET NOMINEE LOEFFLER PLEDGES TO DONATE SALARY TO CHARITY IF CONFIRMED

Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler campaigns in Milton, Georgia, in 2022. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“We’ll cut red tape and modernize the agency while restoring the accountability and transparency that taxpayers deserve,” she wrote. “I will crack down on fraud, with a zero-tolerance policy, while shifting SBA’s focus from Washington D.C. back to Main Streets across America. And if confirmed, I’ll collaborate across government and the private sector to deliver efficiency and results. Importantly – we will responsibly and urgently meet the challenge of disaster relief. I am committed to serving all who are impacted, from North Carolina to California to Hawaii.

“Each taxpayer dollar entrusted to SBA should have an economic multiplier effect – delivering productive capital to grow manufacturing, strengthen rural communities, create jobs, and develop critical technology like AI and chips,” Loeffler added. “I believe we must continue to empower entrepreneurs from all walks of life, including women and veterans.”

Loeffler is part of a team that Trump is putting together that aims to put “America first.”

SMALL BUSINESS OPTIMISM JUMPS TO 6-YEAR HIGH FOLLOWING TRUMP WIN

President Donald Trump arrives with Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., at a campaign rally in 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images / Getty Images)

She wrote about the SBA’s founding mission of empowering small businesses and growing the economy, needing to be restored.

“That’s exactly what the America First agenda does – by ending inflation, cutting taxes, unleashing American energy dominance, slashing regulation, and reining in fraud, waste, and abuse across government,” she wrote. “In the last four years, small business has lost ground – burdened by inflation, big government regulation, and uncertainty that threatens the very existence of Main Street. President Trump’s proven agenda will restore the small business economy, marking a return to ‘Made in America’ – with a golden era of prosperity and growth.”

Loeffler and her husband Jeff have long been major donors to Republican causes and candidates, including Trump. Loeffler served as co-chair of Trump’s inaugural committee.

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If confirmed by the Senate, Loeffler says she would donate her annual federal pay of approximately $207,500 to charity.

The pledge by Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, follows her actions in Congress from 2019 to 2021, when she donated her Senate salary of $174,000 per year to over 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

January 29, 2025