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West Point group pulls plug on Tom Hanks ceremony to focus on fighting



Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks had the rug pulled out from under him after a military award ceremony previously scheduled to honor the actor as an “outstanding citizen” was cancelled, the Washington Post reported Saturday.

The alumni association at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point had planned to present Hanks with the Sylvanus Thayer Award, which has been presented by West Point alumni to non-West Point graduates since 1958, and is awarded to those who “exemplify” a devotion to West Point’s motto of “Duty, Honor, Country.”

On Friday, however, Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger sent out an email notifying West Point faculty that the ceremony would no longer be held, according to the Washington Post, which obtained a copy of the email.

“This decision allows the Academy to continue its focus on its core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win as officers in the world’s most lethal force, the United States Army,” Bieger wrote in the email.

Hanks was first announced as a would-be recipient of the award in June, with the alumni group citing his work on films such as “Saving Private Ryan” and “Greyhound,” as well as his involvement in producing the war drama miniseries “Band of Brothers.”

Hanks expressed excitement at the announcement, calling it an “honor” to be recognized by an institution he held dear.

“To have my first ever visit to the Academy be to accept such an honor as the Thayer Award is simply astounding,” Hanks said back in June. “West Point’s legacy of leadership, character, and service to the nation is a powerful example for all Americans.”

With the Department of Defense now being under the leadership of Secretary Pete Hegseth, a devout supporter of President Donald Trump, and, with Hanks having criticized Trump and campaigned for former President Joe Biden’s presidential bid, the cancellation of the ceremony may raise questions as to whether it was politically motivated.

‘Troubling’: Trump tariffs blamed as prices ‘crash’ in major industry



Crashing lumber prices are sending a "troubling" warning sign for the U.S. economy following uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariffs and a "deteriorating housing market," the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

"Crashing wood prices are troubling because they have been a reliable leading indicator on the direction of the housing market as well as broader economic activity," according to the Journal.

Two U.S. sawyers last week said they will decelerate production and "curtail output, slowing the decline."

Trump tariffs and import taxes have caused unpredictable impacts on supply chains.

"During the Covid-19 lockdown, two-by-four prices nearly tripled the prepandemic record, an early sign of the inflation and broken supply chains that would bedevil the economic reopening," the Journal noted. "When the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in 2022 to curb inflation, lumber was among the first assets to decline in value. Now, prices are signaling caution again."

Lumber prices have had a turbulent road. In anticipation of Trump's threatened higher duties on Canadian imports and tariffs on wood, a surplus of wood was set aside in the United States.

Wood prices climbed in the spring when the White House claimed "it was investigating national security aspects of imported lumber and Trump threatened steep tariffs on all Canadian goods."

The price plummeted when Trump let down tariff talk on Canada, and then prices surged again in May when buyers were looking ahead.

"In May, they started surging again as buyers began stocking up ahead of the scheduled hike in existing Canadian lumber duties and Trump’s threatened tariffs," according to WSJ.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering more tariffs — as it did with aluminum, steel and copper products — on imported wood, citing national security concerns.

Producers plan to continue cutting back on production.

In July, residential building permits slipped to just 1.4 million units, a seasonally adjusted annual rate, and the fewest units in construction since June 2020.

Construction spending in the U.S. dropped by 3.4% in July compared to the record amount set in May 2024.

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