American Airlines just gave travelers a lot more reason to avoid basic economy. As of Wednesday, the carrier no longer will let its AAdvantage loyalty members earn miles or Loyalty Points when flying on its no-frills tickets. It's a blow to AAdvantage members who had been willing to stomach the restrictions of basic economy in exchange for saving some (often a lot) of money. The changes, spelled out on the airline’s website, apply to all new bookings made from Dec. 17 onward. AMERICAN AIRLINESThe news was first spotted by industry watcher "JonNYC" as well as Thrifty Traveler and subsequently confirmed by TPG. Tightening its basic economy policies for AAdvantage membersThis isn't the first time American has taken a bite out of loyalty earnings for passengers flying on its basic bookings. Until now, the carrier had limited the number of miles and elite credit its flyers could earn on its basic bookings. Previously, AAdvantage members flying basic earned: 2 miles and Loyalty Points per dollar spent, a reduction from the normal 5 miles and Loyalty Points per dollar.Going forward, they'll earn none. American Airlines Boeing 777-200ER. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUYThis change may prove to be reason enough for AAdvantage loyalists to avoid the carrier’s cheapest fares. A spokesperson for the carrier was not immediately available for comment on the change. Basic economy gets even more basicBasic economy has evolved at airlines over the years. Carriers first introduced the discounted ticket option in the mid-2010s as a way to compete more forcefully against budget airlines. And we’ve seen policies — from ticket flexibility to carry-on rules and loyalty earnings — ebb and flow in the years since. American basic economy: What to knowUntil now, American had offered one of the U.S. airline industry’s more lenient basic economy products, especially for its AAdvantage elite status members. American’s basic fares come with many of the restrictions that are commonplace. Most travelers can't select a seat for free.Passengers can't make ticket changes, and face a fee if they want to cancel.Basic economy customers board last.But the carrier waives many of those rules for AAdvantage elites and credit cardholders. And since members still (previously) got 40% mileage and elite credit on these bookings, I’ve occasionally opted to book the airline’s cheapest fare class — especially as the price gap between basic economy and main cabin tickets has widened through the years. I’m certainly less likely to book basic economy on American now that members won’t earn any miles or Loyalty Points. How other airlines compareAmerican’s move is not without precedent in the airline industry. Delta Air Lines similarly bars its SkyMiles members from earning any miles or Medallion Qualifying Dollars needed for status when flying on its basic economy (now “Main Basic”) tickets.United Airlines passengers do earn miles on basic bookings, but only get partial credit toward Premier elite status (specifically, they get credit for Premier Qualifying Points, but not Premier Qualifying Flights).At this point, American flyers can only hope the airline doesn’t make additional moves to make basic economy even stricter — and more like its rivals. Delta, for instance, doesn’t let its basic economy customers into its Sky Clubs. KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUYUnited bars most basic economy passengers from bringing a full-size carry-on bag on board, carving out exceptions only for Premier elites and certain cardholders. Both Delta and United elites are unable to gain free access to the airlines’ extra legroom seating section — normally a complimentary status perk. We should also point out, Delta has also taken "basic" a step further with a no-frills version of its Comfort tickets, and has teased a slimmed-down version of its first- and business-class bookings. As for American, AAdvantage elites can still get upgraded and select Main Cabin Extra seats when flying basic ... at least for now. But they'll earn zero miles. Related reading: Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantageBest credit cards for American Airlines flyersWhat is American Airlines elite status worth?Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flightsThe best credit cards to reach elite statusEverything you need to know about flying basic economy on American AirlinesEditorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. View the full article

Federal officials announced Wednesday that the suspect accused of causing a massive fatal pileup in Tennessee last week was an illegal immigrant who obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in the "sanctuary state" of New York. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) said the suspect, 54-year-old Yisong Huang, illegally entered the country from Mexico in 2023. Officials added that Huang, who reportedly could not speak English, was released under the Biden administration and provided work authorization papers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has previously warned that illegal immigrants are obtaining commercial driver’s licenses (CDL), said this incident represents yet another example. "It’s not just that Joe Biden let millions of migrants flood into our country illegally," Duffy said in a statement Wednesday. "His administration doled out the documentation these unqualified foreign drivers needed to obtain trucking licenses and operate 40-ton missiles on the highway. The fact that this individual failed a basic English test also calls into question how he even got the license in the first place." ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT DRIVING COMMERCIAL TRUCK WITH VALID NEW YORK CDL AT CALIFORNIA CHECKPOINT Investigators reported that on Dec. 9, Huang was driving an empty bus on a major highway when he became "distracted by a video on his phone." The New York Post reported Huang was operating a tour bus. He allegedly rear-ended a tractor-trailer and triggered a chain-reaction crash that led to two injuries and the death of one American citizen, Kerry Smith, according to officials. Huang was later arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Huang entered the U.S. illegally two years ago, according to the DHS. Officials said he admitted to Border Patrol agents that he was a Chinese national but was later released and given work authorization papers and a Social Security card. This allowed Huang to get a Class B CDL, a process that ultimately led to the deadly multi-vehicle crash, the agency alleges. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER IN FATAL CALIFORNIA CRASH SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAD LICENSE: DOT REPORT The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that Huang’s license was issued on April 11, 2025, and that he presented all the proper federal documents to obtain one. His papers established a "lawful presence" until July 15, 2029, the agency said. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on Tuesday: "Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs. And yet, sanctuary states around the country have been issuing illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses. The Trump Administration is ending the chaos. The brave men and women of ICE are working nonstop to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities and off our roads." Duffy announced last Friday that a nationwide audit found more than 50 percent of New York’s non-domiciled trucking licenses — commercial licenses issued to non-legal residents of the state — were issued illegally. According to Duffy, the state DMV "has been routinely issuing CDLs to foreign drivers illegally. The federal audit exposed a shocking 53 percent failure rate in the records sampled, indicating a total collapse in the administration of New York’s CDL program." In response, New York State DMV spokesperson Walter McClure said Friday: "Secretary Duffy is lying about New York State once again in a desperate attempt to distract from the failing, chaotic administration he represents. Here is the truth: Commercial Drivers Licenses are regulated by the Federal Government, and New York State DMV has, and will continue to, comply with federal rules. Every CDL we issue is subject to verification of an applicant's lawful status through federally-issued documents reviewed in accordance with federal regulations. This is just another stunt from Secretary Duffy, and it does nothing to keep our roads safer. We will review USDOT’s letter and respond accordingly." Fox News Digital reached out to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee DOT for more information. View the full article

The Senate confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman on Wednesday 67-30 to serve as NASA administrator, months after President Donald Trump withdrew the same nomination during his public feud with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The confirmation places Isaacman, an investor in SpaceX and leader of two private spaceflight missions, at the helm of the nation’s space agency. Reuters reported that Isaacman becomes NASA’s 15th administrator and is known as an advocate of Mars missions. Trump had previously pulled Isaacman’s nomination in May, citing what he described at the time as "a thorough review of prior associations." Fox News Digital reported at the time that the decision came amid escalating tensions between Trump and Musk, who had recently departed his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and publicly criticized Trump’s "One Big, Beautiful Bill." TRUMP TEASES MUSK AT FORUM AS ONCE-FROSTY DYNAMIC SEEMS TO TAKE A TURN Isaacman later suggested the timing of the withdrawal was no coincidence. Speaking on the "All-In Podcast," he said, "I don’t need to play dumb on this. I don’t think that the timing was much of a coincidence," adding that "there were some people that had some axes to grind, I guess, and I was a good, visible target," Fox News Digital previously reported. The nomination was revisited in the fall as relations between Trump and Musk appeared to thaw. In October, NASA officials confirmed Isaacman was again under consideration after meetings with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was tasked with vetting candidates for the permanent NASA role at Trump’s direction. Trump formally renominated Isaacman in November, praising him in a social media post. "Jared’s passion for Space, and his commitment to American Leadership in Space, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era," Trump wrote. DOGE VS DC: INSIDE TRUMP AND MUSK'S AMBITIOUS SWAMP-DRAINING DREAM THAT ENDED IN A BITTER FEUD Fox News Digital has extensively reported on the broader Trump-Musk feud that surrounded the nomination’s earlier withdrawal. In May and June, the two men publicly exchanged harsh words over Trump’s "One Big, Beautiful Bill." Musk accused Trump of pushing a "disgusting abomination," while Trump said Musk had gone "CRAZY" and was "wearing thin." Signs of reconciliation followed when Trump and Musk shook hands and spoke briefly at Charlie Kirk's memorial, with Trump later saying, "We had a little conversation. We had a very good relationship, but it was nice that he came over." Musk also attended a White House dinner hosted by Trump and appeared at other administration events. Trump later teased Musk publicly, telling an audience, "You’re so lucky I’m with you, Elon. I’ll tell you. Has he ever thanked me properly?" Musk responded on X by saying, "I would like to thank President Trump for all he has done for America and the world." Axios reported Tuesday that Musk has begun financially backing Republican House and Senate candidates ahead of the 2026 midterms, showing warming relations after what the outlet described as a "messy breakup" earlier this year. Politico similarly reported that Musk has said his relationship with Trump "went up in flames" in June, but has since been rebuilt. Isaacman’s confirmation brings that arc to a close, cementing his leadership role at NASA. Isaacman previously commanded Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit Earth, and later led the Polaris Dawn mission, both in partnership with SpaceX. The White House, and representatives for Musk and Isaacman did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment. View the full article

The Senate confirmed Jared Isaacman's appointment as the head of NASA on Wednesday, a decision that comes just months after President Donald Trump pulled his nomination before picking him yet again in November, as reported earlier by CNBC. Isaacman, the founder and CEO of a payments platform called Shift4, has flown to space twice through private missions with Elon Musk's SpaceX. After choosing Isaacman as head of NASA in December 2024, Trump pulled his nomination in May, later saying in a Truth Social post that he thought it would be "inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA." Isaacman attemp … Read the full story at The Verge. View the full article

House Republicans passed a bill they say will lower healthcare costs for a broad swath of Americans by roughly 11%. It's a victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been managing deep divisions within the House GOP on the topic of healthcare as insurance premiums are set to spike across the country in a matter of weeks. One glaring issue that remains unresolved is Obamacare subsidies, which were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic but are set to expire at the end of this year. The legislation passed 216 to 211. Just one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted against it along with all House Democrats. THE SPEAKER'S LOBBY: WHAT CONGRESS' DECEMBER SCRIPT MEANS FOR HEALTHCARE NEXT YEAR The bill's passage comes hours after a group of moderate Republicans joined a Democrat-led discharge petition to force a vote on extending the subsidies for another three years. A discharge petition is a mechanism for overriding the will of House leaders to get a chamberwide vote on specific legislation, provided it has support from a majority of lawmakers. It sets up the legislation for a vote sometime in the new year. Each of the four House Republicans made clear that backing Democrats' bill was not their first choice, but they felt they were left with few options after Johnson made clear this week that there would not be a separate vote on extending the subsidies before the end of this year. But the majority of House Republicans are against extending the subsidies, at least without significant reforms. Conservatives have argued the subsidies amount to throwing more money at a long-broken system that does little to tackle the actual cost of healthcare. "Obamacare has been an unmitigated disaster for 15 years, crushing families with high premiums and rampant fraud while enriching insurance companies. It's time for conservatives to get serious about advancing policies that can become law and therefore actually reduce costs," Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, who called the House bill a "solid first step," told Fox News Digital. MODERATE REPUBLICAN ERUPTS ON HOUSE GOP LEADERS, SAYS NOT HOLDING OBAMACARE VOTE IS 'ABSOLUTE BULLS---' Republicans who are for extending them have also conceded that reforms are needed, but have positioned a short-term extension as the best course of action to buy more time to work on an off-ramp. The House GOP bill, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, includes provisions to codify association health plans, which allow small businesses and people who are self-employed to band together to purchase healthcare coverage plans, giving them access to greater bargaining power. Republicans also plan to appropriate funding for cost-sharing reductions beginning in 2027, which are designed to lower out-of-pocket medical costs in the individual healthcare market. House GOP leadership aides said it would bring down the cost of premiums by 12%. SENATE MULLS NEXT STEPS AFTER DUELING OBAMACARE FIXES GO UP IN FLAMES New transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are also in the legislation, aimed at forcing PBMs to be more upfront about costs to employers. PBMs are third parties that act as intermediaries between pharmaceutical companies and those responsible for insurance coverage, often responsible for administrative tasks and negotiating drug prices. PBMs have also been the subject of bipartisan ire in Congress, with both Republicans and Democrats accusing them of being part of a broken system to inflate health costs. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that enacting the bill would reduce the federal deficit by $35.6 billion for a 10-year period through 2035. If the bill became law, it would also decrease the number of people with health insurance by an average of 100,000 per year between 2027-2035 and lower gross benchmark premium costs by an average 11% through 2035, CBO said. However, it's not immediately clear whether it will be taken up by the Senate. Republicans in the upper chamber failed to advance their own healthcare plan last week after also rejecting Democrats' plan to extend the Obamacare subsidies. View the full article