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Duffy responds with ‘crocodile tears’ comment on banned California truck driver case

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Duffy responds with ‘crocodile tears’ comment on banned California truck driver case

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday doubled down on the Trump administration’s order to crack down on English proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers.

Duffy was responding to a local news report in California about an Indian citizen who drove a truck for a living but has since been banned because of new rules that restrict who is eligible for non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).

The Department of Transportation (DOT) singled out California for what it called “gross negligence,” saying more than 25% of CDLs issued to noncitizens or non-permanent residents were improperly granted.

The truck driver featured in the news report spoke to a reporter in his native language, not English.

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SENATE REPUBLICANS TARGET OBAMA-ERA TRUCKING RULE WITH NEW ENGLISH PROFICIENCY BILL

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy touted English proficient rules for commercial truck drivers on Tuesday.  (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

“Crocodile tears for a man who has spent a decade in our country but couldn’t be bothered to learn our language,” Duffy wrote on X. “Our new rules will keep you and your family SAFE on America’s roads!”

The DOT also commented on the report.

“This driver has been in the U.S. for TEN YEARS and does not know enough English to qualify for a trucking license,” the agency wrote. “This is exactly why @SecDuffy ordered @FMCSA to crack down on English proficiency standards.”

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“Do you want to drive on American roads? Being able to understand English is the BARE MINIMUM,” it added.

CONNOR WAS KILLED BY A DRIVER WHO COULDN’T READ SIGNS. MAKE TRUCKERS LEARN ENGLISH AGAIN

Sean Duffy, U.S. secretary of transportation, speaks during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025.  (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A Senate bill would require prospective truck drivers to demonstrate basic English proficiency before receiving a CDL.

The legislation would codify President Donald Trump’s executive order, which similarly imposed stricter English language requirements.

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The bill, introduced by Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., would establish several standards, including ensuring that truck drivers can converse with the public, understand highway traffic signs and signals in English, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records.

The issue gained attention after an illegal immigrant truck driver allegedly jackknifed his 18-wheeler while making an illegal U-turn in Florida, killing three people in August.

His limited English drew sharp scrutiny after the DOT said he failed an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment following the deadly crash in Fort Pierce, Florida. Singh provided correct responses to only 2 of 12 verbal questions and accurately identified just 1 of 4 highway traffic signs, the agency said.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report. 

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Hawaii

Honolulu Marathon kicks off with a rainy start

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Honolulu Marathon kicks off with a rainy start


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The JAL Honolulu Marathon kicks off at Ala Moana Boulevard.

Hawaii News Now celebrates the 53nd anniversary of the Honolulu Marathon with a special edition of Sunrise.

We’ll be tracking runners throughout the entire course, sharing heartfelt stories from competitors, and going behind the scenes to spotlight dedicated volunteers — from malasada makers to medical crews — who help make this massive event possible.

Join us for live coverage throughout the 26.2-mile course on Sunday, Dec. 14, starting at 6 a.m. only on Hawaii News Now.

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Click here to track a runner.

Tsegay Weldibanos from Eritrea came in first place in the elite men’s division with a time of 2:13:41.

He beat out last year’s winner by less than a minute.

Tsegay Weldibanos from Eritrea came in first place in the elite men’s division with a time of 2:13:41.

And in the women’s elite division, Calli Hauger-Thackery, from Great Britain, came in first place with a time of 2:30:44.

She also beat out last year’s winner by a tight margin.

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Calli Hauger-Thackery, from Great Britain, came in first place in the elite women’s division with a time of 2:30:44.

For the second year in a row, Kota Hokinoue came in first place for the marathon’s men’s wheelchair division.

For the second year in a row, Kota Hokinoue came in first place for the marathon’s men’s wheelchair division.

The course goes through downtown Honolulu, past Iolani Palace and the Christmas lights, through Waikiki and climbs up and around Diamond Head, before heading out through Kahala and out to Hawaii Kai. Turning back after Hawaii Kai toward Kahala and Honolulu, the course passes Diamond Head again on the ocean side before finishing in Kapiolani Park.

We have live team coverage of the 2025 Honolulu Marathon with reporters throughout the course.



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Idaho

1 dead in U-Haul truck explosion in Idaho parking lot: Officials

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1 dead in U-Haul truck explosion in Idaho parking lot: Officials


ByMatthew Fuhrman and Nadine El-Bawab

Sunday, December 14, 2025 4:44PM

1 dead in U-Haul truck explosion in Idaho parking lot: Officials

One person is dead after a U-Haul truck appears to have accidentally exploded in a parking lot in Idaho early Saturday, according to officials.

The explosion caused damage within the blast radius including to a Courtyard Marriott and Old Navy, according to the Lewiston Fire Department and City of Lewiston Police Department.

Initial findings indicate the vehicle was transporting stored materials, including flammable items such as gasoline and propane tanks, according to officials.

“At this time, there is no indication the incident is criminal in nature,” Lewiston Fire Marshal Julian Sorrell said in a statement.

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There was no fire after the explosion, officials said.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

Copyright © 2025 ABC News Internet Ventures.



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Montana

FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs

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FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs


MISSOULA, Mont. — The No. 3-seeded Montana Grizzlies proved too much to handle on Saturday afternoon, overwhelming the No. 11-seeded South Dakota Coyotes 52-22 in the FCS playoff quarterfinals at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

The Griz used the home crowd to their advantage in an all-around dominant performance in all three phases of the game in front of a home crowd of 22,750 fans. The win sets up an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs as the Griz will go to face No. 2 Montana State on Dec. 20 for a trip to the national championship.

Montana’s Keali’i Ah Yat had 305 yards and three passing scores, as Michael Wortham had 11 catches for 201 yards and two receiving touchdowns, as well as 43 rushing yards and a score.

All told, the Coyotes had 63 plays on offense for 351 total yards, but the 10 offensive penalties seemed to be a key difference in finding any consistency.

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Montana State advances with decisive victory

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Montana State ran for 227 yards as the Bobcats dominated the third-ranked rush defense in the country en route to beating Stephen F. Austin 44-28 on Friday to advance to the FCS playoff semifinals.

Adam Jones finished with 117 yards and Julius Davis had 96 on the ground for Montana State, which jumped out to a 24-0 lead. Justin Lamson had 246 passing yards for the Bobcats.

Villanova holds down Tarleton State to advance

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Villanova overcame a 14-0 deficit as the No. 12 Wildcats beat fourth-seeded Tarleton State 26-21 on Saturday.

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It is the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2010 that ‘Nova advanced to the semifinals. The Wildcats held Tarleton State to 56 yards rushing and 266 total yards while racking up 426 overall on their own.

Ja’briel Mace had a 47-yard run to trim Tarleton State’s lead to 21-19 in the third quarter and Braden Reed hauled in an 11-yard TD pass in the fourth to complete the comeback.

Dawson runs Illinois State past UC Davis

DAVIS, Calif. — Victor Dawson carried 29 times for 148 yards and Tommy Rittenhouse threw a 93-yard TD pass as Illinois State beat UC-Davis 42-31 on Saturday, one week after the Redbirds upset North Dakota State in Fargo.

Rittenhouse finished 15 of 20 for 266 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. Daniel Sobkowicz had six receptions for 150 yards and two scores.

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Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick was 24 of 41 for 402 yards with three touchdowns and a pick.

Trey Houchin of the Mitchell Republic contributed to this report.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.





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