Northeast
Trump sparks emotional reactions from crowd in surprise visit to sneaker convention
Former President Donald Trump traveled over the weekend to Pennsylvania, where he was greeted at Sneaker Con with mixed and emotional reactions from those in attendance.
Trump’s surprise appearance at the event — known as “The Greatest Sneaker Show On Earth,” according to the organizer’s website — came shortly before the former president travels to Michigan for a campaign rally.
Taking the stage at the event in Philadelphia, Trump appeared before a crowd of emotional attendees, some of whom cheered on the president as others booed him during his speech.
Trump spoke for roughly 10 minutes, appearing alongside a pair of gold, custom Trump-branded sneakers that are now being sold in limited supply for $399 a pair.
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Former President Donald Trump holds a pair of Trump signature shoes after taking the stage at Sneaker Con at the Philadelphia Convention Center on February 17, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ( Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“A lot of emotion. There’s a lot of emotion in this room,” Trump said shortly after taking the podium. “They have lines going all around the block. They’ve never seen anything like this one.”
“I just want to tell you, you know, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. I have some incredible people that work with me on things and they came up with this,” Trump continued. “This is something I’ve been talking about for 12 years, 13 years and I think it’s going to be a big success.”
Trump also noted that the “influencers” have been “very positive” about the new shoes, which are available for pre-order and are being created by CIC Ventures, the same company that made the Trump trading cards.
“They love it, and they love what we’ve done,” Trump said as he flashed the shoes to those in the audience. “That’s the real deal.”
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Trump takes the stage to introduce a new line of signature shoes at Sneaker Con at the Philadelphia Convention Center on February 17, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trump told those in the audience that the most important thing they can do is vote and vowed to “turn this country around fast.”
At one point, several of those in the crowd began chanting, “USA, USA, USA.”
Prior to Trump’s appearance at the annual event, which gathers “sneakerheads” from all different corners of the world and has been taking place since 2009, Sneaker Con faced backlash from Trump critics for allowing the former president a venue to offer remarks.
Sneaker Con later addressed the backlash it had received through a statement shared on social media. Notably, organizers turned off the comments for the post on social media.
“Sneaker Con’s mission is to support and promote sneaker culture through our worldwide live events and digital platforms. We are thankful and appreciative of the sneaker community, and recognize individuals who generate awareness and authentic sneaker related engagement towards our community. #sneakercon,” the statement read.
Former President Donald Trump autographs a shoe during an event at Sneaker Con at the Philadelphia Convention Center on February 17, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
President Biden’s campaign mocked Trump’s attendance at the event.
“Donald Trump showing up to hawk bootleg Off-Whites is the closest he’ll get to any Air Force Ones ever again for the rest of his life,” said Biden-Harris 2024 communications director Michael Tyler in a statement.
Trump’s appearance in the battleground state of Pennsylvania comes one day after he was barred from operating his business in New York for three years and was found liable for more than $350 million in damages in the civil fraud case brought against him, his family and the Trump Organization by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
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Pittsburg, PA
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Connecticut
Connecticut prepares for cold weather protocols as arctic air hits during holidays
MERIDEN, Conn. (WFSB) – Governor Ned Lamont activated Connecticut’s severe cold weather protocols as arctic air moves into the state during the holiday period.
The protocols were set to go into effect Christmas Day at 5 p.m. and remain active until Sunday, Dec. 28. Warming shelters were expected to be open statewide during this period. Residents were told to call 211 to find a shelter near them.
Click HERE for the latest forecast from Channel 3’s meteorologists.
Families brave cold for holiday traditions
Despite the frigid temperatures, families continued holiday traditions at locations like Hubbard Park in Meriden, where visitors bundled up to see the Festival of Silver Lights.
“It’s a yearly thing we do every single year. We’re from the town and we’re local. It’s nice to be out here and see the lights,” said Erwin Ndwiga of Meriden.
His family member Melissa Ndwiga shared her cold weather strategy: “If I’m going to wear a short sleeve shirt, I always wear thermal wear under. A jacket. I usually have three to four layers on. Hat, earmuffs, gloves.”
Safety recommendations during cold snap
State officials recommend several precautions during the freezing stretch:
- Check heating devices to ensure they work properly.
- Limit pets’ time outdoors.
- Check on elderly neighbors and family members, who are most vulnerable during extreme cold.
- Do not use a stove or oven to heat your home due to potential gas, carbon monoxide, and fire hazards.
- Check your vehicle before traveling: tires, lights, brakes, and windshield wipers.
- Keep your gas tank at least half full and carry an emergency kit.
Residents can find a nearby warming shelter by calling 211 or clicking HERE.
Copyright 2025 WFSB. All rights reserved.
Maine
Our favorite photos from across Maine in 2025
Over the past year, Bangor Daily News photographers and reporters took hundreds of photos that captured the myriad of people and places that defined Maine.
These highlights are just a small slice of the many lives and experiences the BDN documented in 2025.
January
Jody and Cherie Mackin, who were homeless for three years, got an apartment in January. After moving into their home, the Mackins started volunteering at the warming shelter at the Mansion Church to give back to the community that helped them find their way out of homelessness. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN
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February

Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, speaks on the floor of the Maine House of Representatives at the State House in Augusta on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. Libby was a significant figure as Maine battled Trump administration directives to restrict transgender girls from participating on the school team that aligns with their gender, among other policies recognizing transgender people under state law. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN
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March
Caribou captain Madelynn Deprey celebrates toward the crowd after an emotional overtime win in the Class B state basketball championship game on March 1, 2025, at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Credit: Emilyn Smith / BDN
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U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Diane Dunn, the adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, answers a reporter’s questions in her office at the Maine National Guard headquarters at Camp Chamberlain in Augusta on March 31, 2025. She was one source that the BDN talked to in an investigation into the culture that allowed sexual assault and harassment in the organization to go unchecked. Credit: Sawyer Loftus / BDN
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April
Rebecca Nicolino Parsons and her service dog Otis are photographed on the footbridge in Bangor in April. The Maine Human Rights Commission ruled that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful discrimination occurred” at Hellas Condominiums by Old Town, Maine, against Rebecca Parsons. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN
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May

More than 300 cattle moved through Jeff Tilton’s auction barn in Corinth on May 10 for the annual spring sale, one of the only places Maine farmers can consistently buy and sell livestock. It takes roughly two weeks to line up trucking, buyers, sellers, vaccinations, ear tags and pens, plus sorting, separating and weighing the animals when they arrive. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN
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June
A Sargent truck was the first to travel the new I-395/Route 9 connector following a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening. The new connector was a point of controversy, especially for residents of Brewer, Holden and Eddington who had their land affected by the construction of the new highway. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN
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July

The entrance to the Mic Mac Cove Family Campground in Union is sandwiched between a variety store and the public elementary school Sunshine Stewart attended as a child. Stewart’s killing in early July rocked the small town of Tenants Harbor. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN
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University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy poses for a portrait on the University of Maine’s Mall in Orono, July 21, 2025. The university system faced a number of challenges over the past year due to funding cuts implemented by the Trump administration. Credit: Sawyer Loftus / BDN
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August

Kristina Ryberg, 62, and Donald Jewett, 71, can’t afford their Bucksport property taxes this year after a hike that local officials have mostly attributed to using up the stored funds that offset the closure of the town’s paper mill a decade ago. “We’re about to lose what we worked so hard for just because we lost the mill and haven’t adjusted to that,” Jewett told town councilors in August. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN
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September

On March 16, 2024, a Maine state trooper repeatedly punched Justin Savage in the face while he lay restrained in the driveway of his Limerick home, leaving him almost unrecognizable. The beating, captured on video, depicts a use of force that policing experts say is rarely justified. The Maine State Police thought differently. Credit: Courtesy Garrick Hoffman
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Cooper Flagg signs sports cards for kids before the 2025 Maine Sports Hall of Fame at the Gracie Theater on Sunday. Flagg’s mother Kelly Bowman Flagg was one of the inductees for her time as a player and coach at Nokomis High School, where NBA rookie Cooper Flagg would start his soaring basketball career. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN
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October

Dorie Henning, a nurse practitioner at the Islesboro Health Center, has seen an increase in tick-borne diseases — and fears about them — in her 11 years working on the island. Islesboro had a higher rate of these illnesses than any other Maine town between 2018 and 2022, according to state data. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN
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November
Bangor’s new councilors from left Susan Faloon, Daniel Carson and Angela Walker are sworn in to the City Council on Nov. 10 at City Hall. Walker, who has a criminal record, drew criticism from right-wing media after she won a seat in the crowded 2025 Bangor City Council election. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN
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December

Alex Emery moves his belongings out of the encampment near Penobscot Plaza in Bangor where he was living when a cleanup crew from the railroad company CSX arrived early on the morning of Dec. 22 with construction machinery to clean up tents, trash and other remnants of the encampment. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN
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