In this Aug. 12, 2020, file photo water flows from a showerhead in Portland, Ore. The Trump administration on Wednesday, Dec. 16, relaxed a regulation restricting water flow from showerheads, a pet peeve of President Donald Trump who complained that he needed more water to make his hair “perfect.” (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
By Deb Riechmann
The Trump administration has relaxed a regulation restricting water flow from showerheads, a pet peeve of President Donald Trump, who complained that he wanted more water to make his hair “perfect.”
Since 1992, federal law has dictated that showerheads shouldn’t spew more than 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) of water a minute. As newer shower fixtures came out with multiple nozzles, the Obama administration updated the ruling, stating that 2.5 gallons was still the limit regardless of how many nozzles were running. The new ruling, issued on Tuesday, now says each showerhead can emit 2.5 gallons a minute.
“So showerheads — you take a shower, the water doesn’t come out,” Trump said last summer. “You want to wash your hands? The water doesn’t come out. So what do you do? You just stand there longer or you take a shower longer? Because my hair — I don’t know about you, but it has to be perfect. Perfect.”
Also this week, the Energy Department issued a ruling that sets no limits on energy or water use for new washers and dryers with short cycle times in their “normal” setting. The rule sets up separate product classifications for residential clothes washers and dryers with cycle times of fewer than 30 minutes and 45 minutes for front-loading washers.
The Energy Department said the rule on washers and dryers lets manufacturers offer new products that meet consumer demand for products with shorter cycle times. Environmental advocates had a different response.
“With millions of washers and dryers sold in the United States every year, the rule announced today could lead to higher utility bills and additional carbon emissions from powering them,” said the Natural Resources Defense Council. “It also comes at a time when areas of the country are increasingly subject to extended droughts and can’t afford to waste water through unnecessary regulatory loopholes like the one just created by DOE.”
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
