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President Donald Trumps first 100 days of his second term in office have been marked by whipsawing tariff policies; declarations that handicap his own goals; confusion as federal workers are fired, rehired, and fired again; and government officials quitting. In other words: chaos. And the next 100 days will likely be full of chaos, too. Some of this is intentional, like the rapid clip of executive orders, DOGE’s assault on federal workers, and the spate of illegal deportations. This flooding the zone” strategy was developed by Trumps first-term adviser Steve Bannon, who has remarked on Trump’s ability to overwhelm Democrats and the media with an onslaught of actions. This bombardment of activity, much of which is unconstitutional, has made it difficult for lawmakers and courts to keep up with Trump. But when they’re able to, theyre often ruling against him, showing that Trumps directives crumble under the law. In February, over one 90-minute span, three separate federal judges delivered legal setbacks to Trumpblocking the administration from freezing federal grants and loans, ordering the administration to pay foreign aid-related money it owed, and halting Trumps executive order suspending refugee admissions and funding. In just the past week, judgesboth liberal and conservativeruled against Trump in 11 different lawsuits. And these are just some of the setbacks. Outside of the courts, when Trump gets pushback, he has backtracked on his comments or switched course. Trump threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, but when that prompted a major stock sell-off, he told reporters he had no intention of doing so. After issuing 145% tariffs on China, spurring concerns about a recession, he told reporters that 145% is very high and it wont be that high, and that the tariffs will come down substantially. The Trump administration took aim at Harvard University, threatening to cut off federal funding and investigating them for permitting antisemitism. When the elite university stood up to himsaying no government should dictate what private universities can teach, who they can hire, or what topics they can pursuethe administration once again walked back their comments; it blamed a mistake for setting off that confrontation. There’s been disarray and turnover among government officials, too. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been caught in multiple controversies for his use of Signal to discuss military attacks. Last week, Hegseths chief of staff left that role following “friction” between him and other senior advisers, and also after facing questions about how the Pentagon is being managed under Hegseth. Some longtime government workers have also resignedincluding a Treasury Department official, a director at the Food and Drug Administration, and the acting Social Security Administration commissionerin protest of the Trump administrations actions, including those of DOGE. (More than 20 DOGE workers have also resigned.) Others have been forced out or fired by the administration, though some of those action were unlawfulincluding Trump’s termination of National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox. Turnover was also a hallmark of Trumps first term: By 2018, just 14 months into his first term, Trump had replaced four Cabinet members, outpacing any first-term president in the past 100 years. By 2019, he fired his third national security adviser, another record. He also ran through multiple communications directors, including Anthony Scaramucci, who lasted just 10 days. Per the Brookings Institution, the total first-term turnover of his A-team (including senior advisers) reached 92%. Trumps actions have also seemed to run counter to his own purported goals. By clawing back renewable energy projects, hes hurting his own aim of increasing American energy production. By stoking fears of a recession with his economic actions, he’s made it less profitable for oil companies to boost production, despite his “drill, baby, drill” goal. Trump is also frequently contradictory; in just one example, he released an Earth Day statement about reducing global emissions, while also advocating for the increased use of coal and hobbling climate action broadly. Trump’s “flood the zone or shock and awe strategies are intended for maximum chaos, aimed outward to disarm and overwhelm his opposition. But other examples show a different kind of chaos, an internal disorder he perhaps can’t quite control. Already, Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 39%, down from 45% in February, and Americans feel worse about the economy now than they did a month ago. Almost half of poll respondents would give him a failing grade for his fist 100 days. Though the Trump administration has largely followed the policies outlined by Project 2025, it has also been clear that Trump will waver on some things in the face of opposition. One former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) communications worker said in a recent press briefing that the administration will measure the uproar to canceled government contracts, and if there’s enough blowback, they’ll end up approving the funding. Trump’s relationships with wealthy advisers have also influenced his actions, like when he shilled for Tesla on the White House lawn. All this makes it even harder to know what to expect in the next 100 days, or six months, or three years. “A lot of this is not really an agenda, and more sort of random impulses by individuals, said Jesse Young, former chief of staff to climate envoy John Podesta, during that same press briefing. He doesnt really seem particularly well coordinated. Young pointed to how the State Department recently fired Pete Marocco, a Trump appointee who was in charge of dismantling USAID, as an example of this lack of coordination. That firing caused blowback against Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had clashed with Marocco. Some say Rubio disliked Marocco’s “bulldozer” style, while Marocco allies say Rubio was obstructionist. Per Politico, Marocco’s firing was described by one White House official as the first MAGA world killing from inside the White House. What that means for the future of the foreign aid isn’t clear, but it hints at how senior leaders under the Trump administration may find themselves fired or caught in scandal, or may resign because of internal conflicts. And that means more chaos going forward. The agenda and the policy of the administration will shift a lot as they lose people, Young says. Its just going to be enormously unpredictable.
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E-Commerce
A decade ago, Scott Osborn would have eagerly told prospective vineyard owners looking to join the wine industry to jump into it. Now, his message is different. Youre crazy, said Osborn, who owns Fox Run Vineyards, a sprawling 50-acre (20-hectare) farm on Seneca Lake, the largest of New Yorks Finger Lakes. Its becoming riskier to grow grapes in the states prominent winemaking region. Harvests like Osborns are increasingly endangered by unpredictable weather from climate change. Attitudes on wine are shifting. Political tensions, such as tariffs amid President Donald Trumps trade wars and the administrations rollback of environmental policies, are also looming problems. Despite the challenges, however, many winegrowers are embracing sustainable practices, wanting to be part of the solution to global warming while hoping they can adapt to changing times. ___ EDITORS NOTE: This story is a collaboration between Rochester Institute of Technology and The Associated Press. ___ The Finger Lakes, which span a large area of western New York, have water that can sparkle and give off a sapphire hue on sunny days. More than 130 wineries dot the shorelines and offer some of Americas most famous white wines. At Fox Run, visitors step inside to sip wines and bring a bottleor twohome. Many are longtime customers, like Michele Magda and her husband, who have frequently made the trip from Pennsylvania. This is like a little escape, a little getaway, she said. Traditionally, the plants buds break out in spring, emerging with colorful grapes that range from the cabernet francs deep blues to the soft greens of the regions most popular grape, riesling. However, a warming world is making that happen earlier, adding to uncertainty and potential risks for farmers. If a frost comes after the buds have broken, growers can lose much of the harvest. Year-round rain and warmer night temperatures differentiate the Finger Lakes from its West Coast competitors, said Paul Brock, a viticulture and wine technology professor at Finger Lakes Community College. Learning to adapt to those fluctuations has given local winemakers a competitive advantage, he said. Globally, vineyards are grappling with the impacts of increasingly unpredictable weather. In France, record rainfall and harsh weather have spelled trouble for winegrowers trying their best to adapt. Along the West Coast, destructive wildfires are worsening wine quality. Winegrowers as part of the solution Many winegrowers say they are working to make their operations more sustainable, wanting to help solve climate change caused by the burning of fuels like gasoline, coal, and natural gas. Farms can become certified under initiatives such as the New York Sustainable Winegrowing program. Fox Run and more than 50 others are certified, which requires that growers improve practices like bettering soil health and protecting water quality of nearby lakes. Beyond the rustic metal gate featuring the titular foxes, some of Osborns sustainability initiatives come into view. Hundreds of solar panels powering 90% of the farms electricity are the most obvious feature. Other initiatives are more subtle, like underground webs of fungi used to insulate crops from drought and disease. We all have to do something, Osborn said. One winegrower’s sustainability push For Suzanne Hunt and her familys seventh-generation vineyard, doing something about climate change means devoting much of their efforts to sustainability. Hunt Country Vineyards, along Keuka Lake, took on initiatives like using underground geothermal pipelines for heating and cooling, along with composting. Despite the forward-looking actions, climate change is one of the factors forcing the family to make tough decisions about their future. Devastating frosts in recent years have caused catastrophic crop loss. Theyve also had to reconcile with changing consumer attitudes, as U.S. consumption of wine fell over the past few years, according to the wine industry advocacy group Wine Institute. By this years end, the vineyard will stop producing wine and instead will hold community workshops and sell certain grape varieties. The farm and the vineyard, you know, its part of me, Hunt said, adding that she wanted to be able to spend all of her time helping other farms and businesses implement sustainable practices. Ill let the people whose dream and life is to make wine do that part, and Ill happily support them. Tariffs and U.S. policy changes loom Vinny Aliperti, owner of Billsboro Winery along Seneca Lake, is working to improve the wine industrys environmental footprint. In the past year, hes helped establish communal wine bottle dumpsters that divert the glass from entering landfills and reuse it for construction materials. But Aliperti said hed like to see more nearby wineries and vineyards in sustainability efforts. The wine industrys longevity depends on it, especially under a presidential administration that doesnt seem to have sustainability at top of mind, he said. I think were all a bit scared, frankly, a bit, I mean, depressed, he said. I dont see very good things coming out of the next four years in terms of the environment. Osborn is bracing for sweeping cuts to federal environmental policies that previously made it easier to fund sustainability initiatives. Tax credits for Osborns solar panels made up about half of over $400,000 in upfront costs, in addition to some state and federal grants. Osborn wants to increase his solar production, but he said he wont have enough money without those programs. Fox Run could also lose thousands of dollars from retaliatory tariffs and boycotts of American wine from his Canadian customers. In March, Canada introduced 25% tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goodsincluding wine. Osborn fears he cant compete with larger wine-growing states like California, which may flood the American market to make up for lost customers abroad. Smaller vineyards in the Finger Lakes might not survive thes economic pressures, he said. Back at Fox Run’s barrel room, Aric Bryant, a decade-long patron, says all the challenges make him even more supportive of New York wines. I have this, like, fierce loyalty, he said. “I go to restaurants around here, and if they dont have Finger Lakes wines on their menu, Im, like, What are you even doing serving wine? ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. ___ This story was first published on April 23, 2025. It was updated on April 28, 2025, to add context about the decision to close Hunt Country Vineyards by the end of the year. Natasha Kaiser of Rochester Institute of Technology and Makiya Seminera of The Associated Press
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E-Commerce
Influencers get a lot of stick these days. The latest thing theyre being blamed for: shark attacks. Scientists have noted a recent rise in shark attacks, and according to new research published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science, of the 74 recorded bites in the seas around French Polynesia, 5% were assessed as acts of self-defense. Professor Eric Clua of PSL University in France, who led the research, holds social media responsible. I dont encourage, as many influencers do on social networks, [people] to cling to a sharks dorsal fin or stroke it, under the pretext of proving that they are harmless, Clua told The Times. The sharks here feel like family, one such influencer with 111,000 followers wrote in the caption of an Instagram post. In one picture, she is seen grabbing the nose of a shark; in another, she reaches out and gently pushes its nose as it swims toward her. Dont get it twisted, the sharks dont give a f*** about me, she adds in the caption. Which absolutely makes me a crazy shark lady. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Cunningham | Sharks & Freediving (@taylork.sea) While they might feel like family, that doesnt mean the sharks consent to being used as props in a social media posta lesson some people have unfortunately learned the hard way. Earlier this year, a tourist vacationing in the Caribbean was allegedly trying to take a photo of a bull shark swimming in shallow waters when it bit off both her hands. Although sharks are not naturally inclined to bite humans, they are wild predators that will act in self-defense. Researchers examined a global database known as the Shark Attack Files and found more than 300 incidents fitting the same defensive pattern, dating back to the 1800s. Most of these bites involved small and medium-size sharks, including gray reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks, and nurse sharks. When it comes to great whites, which are more dangerous, humans are generally wise enough to steer clear. People know the difference between a [Yorkshire terrier] and a pit bull, whereas they dont know the difference between a blacktip reef shark and a bull shark, which are their marine equivalents, Clua said. They are responsible for fewer than 10 human deaths a year worldwide. Whereas dogs are responsible for more than 10,000 deaths and are perceived positively by the public. Even using the term shark attack is misleading, researchers argue, as it creates the perception of sharks as aggressors and undermines conservation efforts that rely on public support. Around 100 million sharks are killed annually (about 274,000 per day), targeted for their fins, meat, and as bycatch. As it stands, they have more reason to be scared of you than you have of them. So, if you find yourself swimming alongside a shark, the scientific advice is simple: Look, don’t touch.
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E-Commerce
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