Washington, D.C
Nikki Haley has a new job with DC think tank • Rhode Island Current
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has a new job a month after exiting the Republican presidential contest.
Haley, who lives on Kiawah Island, is joining the conservative, Washington, D.C.-based Hudson Institute think tank as the Walter P. Stern Chair. The position, created in 2020, is named for the institute’s longtime chairman, according to a press release Monday.
The Hudson Institute, founded in 1961 in New York state, has a particular focus on foreign policy and security issues.
“When our policymakers fail to call out our enemies or acknowledge the importance of our alliances, the world is less safe,” Haley said in the release. “That is why Hudson’s work is so critical. They believe the American people should have the facts and policymakers should have the solutions to support a secure, free, and prosperous future.”
In 2020, Haley gave a speech at the Hudson Institute supporting capitalism as the world’s best economic system, followed by a discussion with a senior fellow at the think tank. A transcript remains available to view online.
What exactly Haley will be doing for the group is unclear.
The job involves working on foreign policy and national security along with other “key policy” areas, according to a Hudson Institute spokesperson, who did not give specifics. The spokesperson also declined to say how much Haley would be paid or whether the job is considered full time.
Only one other person has held the position: Ken Weinstein, who is a past president and CEO of the Hudson Institute. He currently serves as the institute’s Japan Chair.
Haley, first elected governor of South Carolina in 2010, left during her second term to be then-President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, starting in January 2017.
After resigning from that role in October 2018, Haley gave a number of high-dollar speeches before officially jumping into the GOP race for president in February 2023.
In the year leading up to that, she gave 12 speeches that paid at least $100,000 and possibly up to $1 million each, according to a mandated financial report she filed last spring.
The campaign was bruising, particularly after the crowded field became a two-person contest.
Haley questioned the mental competency of Trump and President Joe Biden and called Trump chicken for refusing to debate her. Trump called her “birdbrain” and questioned the whereabouts of her husband, who’s deployed in Africa with the South Carolina National Guard.
She stuck it out longer than expected, refusing calls to drop out even after she lost her home state by 20 percentage points.
Haley ultimately suspended her campaign after Super Tuesday, having won just Vermont and Washington, D.C.
She declined to endorse Trump in her speech, saying he should earn the support of her backers. And she said she would be continuing to advocate for her values outside of the campaign.
A week before announcing her new role with the Hudson Institute, Haley’s campaign sent out a letter thanking those on her mailing list for their support, describing them as a “movement.”
The Hudson Institute previously gave Haley the Global Leadership Award in 2018. Also winning that year was Paul Ryan, then-speaker of the U.S. House. Past recipients include vice presidents during previous GOP administrations, Mike Pence and Dick Cheney, and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, as well as international leaders.
“Nikki is a proven, effective leader on both foreign and domestic policy,” John Walters, president and CEO of the Hudson Institute, in Monday’s release. “In an era of worldwide political upheaval, she has remained a steadfast defender of freedom and an effective advocate for American security and prosperity. We are honored to have her join the Hudson team.”
SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. SC Daily Gazette maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seanna Adcox for questions: [email protected]. Follow SC Daily Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.
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WASHINGTON (7News) — An early Wednesday morning incident at D.C.’s Metro Center left multiple riders injured after a work vehicle made contact with a Silver Line train just before the end of service.
According to Metro officials, the train was holding at the station when the work vehicle struck the rear car shortly after midnight. Officials said there were 27 customers on board at the time.
Officials say 11 people reported non-life-threatening injuries and that Metro personnel were not seriously injured.
SEE ALSO | Metro’s board to vote on budget that calls for fully automated trains on the Red Line
Passengers who did not report injuries were transferred to another train and continued toward Downtown Largo.
The train involved was the final Silver Line run of the night.
Metro said the incident remains under investigation as crews work to determine the cause.
As of 3:30 a.m., it’s not clear what the potential impacts to the morning service may be.
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Here are a few ways to give you a better idea of how much it may cost you if you’re considering moving to a new city.
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Earning enough to be considered middle class has gotten more expensive, with rising housing and everyday costs pushing the income bar higher, according to a recent report from GOBankingRates.
The median range for middle-class income across the country is between $59,000 and $104,000 in 2026, depending on which state you live in. GOBanking Rates used Pew Research Center’s definition of middle class — income ranging from two-thirds to twice a state’s median household income — and added data from the U.S. Census Bureau to report lowest middle-income, highest middle-class income and median income for each state, including Maryland and Virginia, and Washington D.C.
The current national middle-class minimum of $59,000 would have declared you middle class a decade ago in the U.S. In 2016, earning $39,000 placed a household at the lower edge of the middle class — and in regions like DC, MD and VA, median incomes were already far higher than the national median, so the “middle-class floor” was much higher than $39,000 even then.
In the DC region, the income required to be considered middle class is significantly higher than nationally, with the threshold starting around $61,000 in Virginia and nearly $69,000 in Maryland — compared with about $47,000 nationwide, GOBankingRates data shows. To be considered middle class in Washington DC, you’d have to earn at least $70,200. GoBankingRates omitted DC from their report; however, using the same formula and same US Census data cited, USA TODAY Network was able to calculate the low, high and median middle class income ranges. Here’s what the report shows and what we found for middle-class consideration in 2026.
What is middle class in Washington DC?
The middle class is a socioeconomic group in the U.S. that falls between the working class and upper class, earning around the middle of the income distribution for where they live. Middle class households often are able to cover their bills, rely on loans to buy homes or cars, and occasionally eat out or vacation, but not without careful budgeting, according to Investopedia.
Washington DC’s middle-class income in 2024 (the most recent year available from Census data) was between $70,200 and $209,600. GoBankingRates omitted DC middle-class data; however, USA TODAY Network used the same calculation, using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and the Pew Research Center’s benchmark definition of middle class. Here is the breakdown for middle-class in Washington DC:
- Median household income: $104,800
- Lowest end of middle-class income: $70,200
- Highest end of middle-class income: $209,600
Due to the region’s high cost of living, Washington DC’s middle-class median income surpasses not only the U.S. median, but it’s neighbors in Delaware, Virginia and Maryland. It also slightly surpasses the median middle-class income of New Jersey.
What is middle class in Virginia?
In Virginia, the income needed to be considered middle class starts at about $61,400 and can range up to roughly $184,200, according to GOBankingRates. That is based on Pew Research Center’s definition — two-thirds to twice the median household income. Here’s the breakdown of Virginia’s middle-class income as reported in 2026 using the latest Census data available from 2024:
- Median household income: $92,090
- Lowest end of middle-class income: $61,393
- Highest end of middle-class income: $184,180
What is middle class in Maryland?
To be considered middle-class in Maryland, the income required starts at about $68,600 and can extend up to roughly $205,800, according to GOBankingRates, which used the latest 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data available in their 2026 report.
For many Maryland households, especially in the DC suburbs, earning what sounds like a solid income does not always translate into financial comfort once housing, childcare and community costs are factored in: Maryland housing costs (rent and home prices) are well above national averages, according to Zillow market trends, and commuting costs for DC-area workers are among the longest and costliest, Census data shows. Maryland also consistently ranks among the most expensive states for childcare, often surpassing $15,000 per year per child, according to a Care.com 2024 Cost of Care report.
Highest middle-class incomes in the US
- Massachusetts income range: $69,885 to $209,656
- Maryland income range: $68,603 to $205,810
- New Jersey income range: $69,529 to $208,588
- Hawaii income range: $67,163 to $201,490
- California income range: $66,766 to $200,298
- New Hampshire income range: $66,521 to $199,564
- Washington income range: $66,259 to $198,778
- Colorado income range: $64,742 to $194,226
- Connecticut income range: $64,033 to $192,098
- Virginia income range: $61,393 to $184,180
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based news reporter covering trending news with USA TODAY Network’s Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. She covers news in the Northeast, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Reach her at LComstock@usatodayco.com.
Washington, D.C
US industry leaders take sport fishing issues to Washington DC – Angling International
The impact of tariffs on the US fishing tackle industry and the need for sound fisheries management were among the topics discussed by attendees of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA)’s first ever Keep America Fishing in DC Fly-In.
It included industry leaders who last week joined together in Washington DC and all walked hundreds of miles across the US Capital Complex to advocate for the interests of the US trade and the entire recreational fishing community.
The group also enjoyed conversations with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Director, Dr Neil Jacobs, Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Brian Nesvik, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Representative Blake Moore (R-UT).
ASA President and CEO, Glenn Hughes, said: “We look forward to continuing the conversation with legislators throughout the rest of this Congress and to an even bigger Keep America Fishing Fly-In in 2027.”
Above: From left: ASA President Glenn Hughes and Vice President of Government Affairs, Mike Leonard, with Senator Martin Heinrich (centre).
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