Tim McPhillips

45,000 trees, auctioned off in one day ⬇️

A new rule will automatically register men between 18 and 25 for the Selective Service starting in December. How will that work? The registration requirement for the Selective Service System, a database for the federal government in case of a military draft, is already law. But how it happens right now varies by state. Some make it part of registering for a driver's license or state ID; others don't. Registration rates have dropped, according to Selective Service data. The change, passed by Congress with bipartisan support last year, makes registration automatic. This doesn't mean a draft will happen. PBS News’ @timmcphillips3 spoke with Katherine Kuzminski, director of studies at the Center for a New American Security, to break down what the Selective Service System is, what the change means and how military drafts work.

PBS News’ @YouTube channel won both a Webby Award & Webby People’s Voice Award in the Video & Film: News & Politics category. Congratulations to our outstanding digital team! Subscribe to our channel, stream our shows, and find all of our videos here: youtube.com/pbsnewshour @TheWebbyAwards #Webbys

But fears around surveillance pricing are real, and came up last summer when Delta announced they were using AI to change prices faster than humans can react to market forces. pbs.org/newshour/amp/s…

I contacted @JetBlue - They told me they are not. “The reply from our JetBlue crewmember on social media was incorrect, and we apologize for the error. JetBlue fares on JetBlue.com and our mobile app are not determined by cached data or other personal information.”

The TV shopping network QVC announced Thursday it intends to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The network, which also owns the Home Shopping Network, has faced stiff competition as viewers turn away from traditional television and towards influencer-sold products on TikTok or other online marketplaces, such as Temu. Sales on the network, also known as Quality Value Convenience, were down 30% in 2024 from their COVID-era peak in 2020. Moves to expand digital sales, such as with QVC’s own TikTok livestream, have fallen short. The network said it hopes it can emerge from bankruptcy protection at the end of this summer, but it could not guarantee it would be able to raise enough funding to continue operations.

Your summer vacation may have just gotten more expensive, again. Nearly every major U.S. airline has raised the price of checking a bag in recent weeks, as spiking jet fuel prices send their costs soaring. Most airlines raised the price by about $10 for the first and second bag, while American and Delta added $50 to the cost of a third bag, too. For the week ending April 10, jet fuel prices were up 119.7% compared to last year’s average, a serious increase in an industry that operates on tight margins. PBS News’ Tim McPhillips spoke with Jay Zagorsky, an economist at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business to break down why airlines turn to bag fees when they want to offset rising costs — and why those fees never seem to go back down.

Nearly 200 pieces of New Deal-era artwork, once on display in our nation’s post offices, are missing or significantly damaged. A part of then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s push to raise America’s stature on the global art stage and provide employment amidst the Great Depression, nearly 1,700 murals hung in U.S. post offices. But over time, and as the U.S. Postal Service faced serious financial challenges, some of the art has vanished, been painted over or is unaccounted for. That’s according to new reporting from the Washington Post’s Jacob Bogage. PBS News’ Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) spoke with Bogage about this project and why efforts to preserve these pieces of American history haven’t materialized.

Ski mountaineering, also known as skimo, will make its Olympic debut in this year's Winter Games. What exactly is that? Think of the sport, popular among Alpine nations, as a kind of mix between skiing and hiking. Athletes start at the bottom of the mountain, ascending both on skis and by foot before descending back down the course on skis. PBS News’ @timmcphillips3 spoke with Sarah Cookler of the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association to learn more about skimo and how its inclusion in the 2026 Winter Olympics could boost its popularity.

The Winter Olympics are upon us. The 2026 Games, which kick off Feb. 6, will be jointly hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, a ski town near Italy's border with Austria. Around 2,800 athletes representing 90 national Olympic committees are expected to compete in in 116 medal events. The United States is sending 232 of those athletes, its largest contingent ever. Among them is skier Lindsey Vonn, who will return to the Olympics after coming out of retirement, a partial knee replacement and a torn ACL, the result of a Jan. 30 crash in her final race before the Games. PBS News' Tim McPhillips takes a look at what else to know about this year's Winter Olympics.

In a string of ultimatums around U.S. ownership of Greenland, President Donald Trump suggested at the World Economic Forum this week that America had once given Greenland “back to Denmark." History tells a different story. @timmcphillips3 takes a closer look at the relationship between the U.S. and Greenland, and the Arctic island’s relationship with the Kingdom of Denmark.

You could say the Christmas season truly begins at a produce auction, in the heart of Pennsylvania. More specifically, Buffalo Valley Produce Auction in Mifflinburg, Penn., also known as the ‘Largest Christmas Tree Auction in the World,’ where buyers from up and down the east coast come to bid on the more than 45,000 Christmas Trees for sale, all in one day. But as idyllic as it may seem, live Christmas Tree sales are a billion dollar industry that runs for barely a month. It’s a risky business for growers, auctioneers and tree sellers, whose seasonal success may well rest on the auctions outcome. PBS News’ @timmcphillips3 travelled to the auction to witness it firsthand.

Frasers, Balsams, White Pines .... each variety of Christmas tree comes with its pros and cons. Which type is right for your home? And, when you settle on your tree (or pretend to remember which kind you chose last year), how can you keep it fresh as long as possible? PBS News' @timmcphillips3 sought some advice from the Buffalo Valley Produce Auction in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, dubbed the "Largest Christmas Tree Auction in the World." Operations Manager Ben Courtney and other tree sellers shared tips to keep in mind when decking your halls this year.

Inflation, tariffs and bird flu are all playing a role in how much you'll be paying for your holiday meal this year. @timmcphillips3 spoke to a food economist to break down the costs.

You’ve probably seen the headlines about thousands of corporate jobs cuts over the last month, and subsequent videos online proclaiming it’s the beginning of artificial intelligence taking our jobs. But, there is a lot we don’t know. While the government shutdown has ended after 43 days — the longest ever – the last jobs or unemployment data we have is from August. This, as outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said planned layoffs in October topped 150,000. So, is AI really taking our jobs? PBS News’ @timmcphillips3 spoke to Erik Brynjolfsson, the Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab to break down 3 things to know about this current wave of corporate layoffs.

On New York City's mayoral ballot, candidates can be listed twice if they are the nominee of different parties. That’s caught the eye of some online, who are questioning why Zohran Mamdani, who is the nominee of both the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party, and Curtis Sliwa, who is the nominee of the Republican Party and the Protect Animals Party, are double-listed. Others have also noticed that the current mayor, Eric Adams, is on the ballot, even after dropping out. Why? PBS News breaks down how New York’s ballot works as voters head to the polls in the Big Apple.

Yours truly was featured in a PBS segment about the current tourism situation in Vegas😎 youtu.be/h-rUAKvdfaQ?si…

Fewer people are flocking to Sin City, and many on social media claim America’s gambling capital is empty. But that’s not the whole story. Tourism is down so far this year in Vegas, with total visitor volume down 8% so far compared to 2024, as international travelers are increasingly avoiding the U.S., and domestic travelers grow anxious over the state of the economy. But, despite the downturn in visitors, gaming revenue has remained relatively flat, or even increased, in some pockets of the city. This limited growth comes as properties on the Las Vegas Strip chase the luxury market, and budget-conscious consumers look elsewhere for bargains. PBS News’ Tim McPhillips spoke with David Cárdenas, dean of the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Jacob Orth, a Las Vegas-based influencer and real estate agent, to break down what is happening in Vegas, and what it means for the U.S. tourism outlook.

The first lottery for tickets to the 2026 Men's World Cup is now open. The upcoming tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, will be the largest ever, with 48 teams competing across a continent. But as the tournament is set to host more games across more climates, questions and challenges are emerging. The threats of extreme heat, violent summer storms and wildfire smoke have sparked concerns of interruption. And new rules and regulations around traveling to the United States may complicate travel for fans from certain countries. PBS News' @timmcphillips3 spoke to Graham Dunbar, a reporter for the Associated Press, and James Hollis of McEntee Law Group about what to watch ahead of the 2026 Men's World Cup.

Having friends or family come to visit you in the U.S. is about to get more expensive if they need a visa to enter the country. President Trump's massive tax and spending bill called for the creation of a new 'Visa Integrity Fee,' a $250 charge added on top of all other pre-existing visa fees. The fee is only for those not included in the visa waiver program, which means a family of four from Mexico, India, China, Brazil or any country in Africa will have to pay an additional $1,000 to enter the U.S. The 'Integrity Fee' is meant to be refundable if travelers follow the rules of their visa, but questions remain around how this fee will be refunded and how travelers will have to prove they have complied with the law. PBS News' @timmcphillips3 spoke with Steven Brown, a Partner with Reddy Neumann Brown PC, an immigration law firm in Houston, to break down what you need to know about this new fee.