Companies have announced billions in new investments in the United States while President Donald Trump has been traveling and signing deals in the Middle East this week. The president has traveled to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates so far this week to sign agreements and receive commitments that will generate roughly $2 trillion in trade and investment. At the same time, major companies have announced plans to invest billions more dollars into the United States. Those corporate investments include: at least $20 billion over the next five years from the medical company Sanofi, $3 billion by Kraft Heinz to upgrade its U.S.-based manufacturing, a $1 billion investment from the energy company Carrier that will create an estimated 4,000 new jobs, a $300 million investment from Anheuser-Busch to improve the beer-maker’s manufacturing facilities, and a $150 million investment from Siemens Healthineers to expand production and relocate some manufacturing from Mexico to the United States. The White House touted the new investments in a press release. “While the President is securing historic investments on his trip in Middle East, billions of dollars’ worth of investments on the home front are pouring in. America is returning as the world’s manufacturing powerhouse thanks to President Trump’s leadership, brilliant economic agenda, and willingness to put America first,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told The Daily Wire in a statement. The recent wave of investments comes as Trump has hopped around the Middle East signing and announcing massive economic commitments between the United States and some of the Gulf states. On Thursday, Trump announced over $200 billion in commercial deals between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. The deals include a commitment from Etihad Airways to purchase $14.5 billion worth of aircraft from Boeing and GE Aerospace. Emirates Global Aluminum plans to spend $4 billion to build an aluminum smelter in Oklahoma, the first of such plants built in the United States in 45 years. On Wednesday, Trump was in Qatar to announce a new defense agreement in which the United States will sell billions-worth of U.S. weaponry to Qatar. Trump also signed an agreement to “generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion,” according to the White House. Trump began his Middle East tour with a visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday with a $142 billion defense sales deal, the largest weapons deal in history. Saudi Arabia made a commitment to invest $600 billion in the United States.

Former FBI Director James Comey landed himself in hot water over what he claimed was a “shell formation” that he’d just happened to stumble upon while walking down the beach. Comey’s photo, which he shared via Instagram, showed seashells arranged to form the numbers “86” and “47” — which was interpreted to mean “get rid of” President Donald Trump, the 47th president. It quickly caught the attention of a number of critics — including current FBI Director Kash Patel. “Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” he captioned the since-deleted post. “Just James Comey causally calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!” Donald Trump Jr. posted via X. Just James Comey causally calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!! pic.twitter.com/4LUK6crHAT — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 15, 2025 “James Comey is posting cryptic messages online alluding to getting rid of President Trump. Would he like to explain what he means by this given the assassination attempts on President Trump? Take a look @FBIDirectorKash @FBI,” Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) added. James Comey is posting cryptic messages online alluding to getting rid of President Trump. Would he like to explain what he means by this given the assassination attempts on President Trump? Take a look, @FBIDirectorKash @FBI. pic.twitter.com/NxnDM3xyti — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) May 15, 2025 “Don’t know how this can be interpreted as any other way but a threat against President Trump. James Comey should at the very least get a visit from the secret service. Also is everyone mentally ill?” Meghan McCain posted. Don’t know how this can be interpreted as any other way but a threat against President Trump. James Comey should at the very least get a visit from the secret service. Also is everyone mentally ill? https://t.co/Gn4Hbpn98f — Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) May 15, 2025 “This is a direct THREAT against President Trump, who has already survived two assassination attempts. BEYOND despicable. James Comey MUST face consequences,” Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) added. This is a direct THREAT against President Trump, who has already survived two assassination attempts. BEYOND despicable. James Comey MUST face consequences. pic.twitter.com/CVkXt0T1CO — Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) May 15, 2025 FBI Director Kash Patel responded via X, saying that the Bureau was aware of the post and was looking into the matter. “We are aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump. We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support,” he said. We are aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump. We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support. — FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) May 15, 2025 Comey deleted the photo, following up with a post claiming that he’d just happened on the shells already arranged that way and had assumed the message was political rather than threatening.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by James Comey (@comey) “I posted a picture earlier of some shells I saw on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” Comey said. “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.” Critics didn’t buy Comey’s explanation, however. Greg Price commented, “Comey deleted his threat against President Trump and posted a statement claiming he just randomly stumbled across Trump derangement syndrome shell art and had no idea what it meant. Yes, I’m sure the guy who once ran the FBI was just clueless on this one.” Comey deleted his threat against President Trump and posted a statement claiming he just randomly stumbled across Trump derangement syndrome shell art and had no idea what it meant. Yes, I’m sure the guy who once ran the FBI was just clueless on this one. pic.twitter.com/CjtJIzIxDL — Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 15, 2025

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM For many families, reading aloud is a cherished part of childhood—a bedtime story, a favorite picture book, or a well-loved series that unfolds one chapter at a time. But once kids learn to read on their own, many parents understandably ease off. However, if you’re at this stage in your parenting journey, you may want to reconsider. Reading aloud is still one of the most powerful things you can do for your child, no matter their age. A recent report from UK publisher HarperCollins found that fewer than half of children aged 0 to 4 are read to regularly. And over 20 percent of parents agreed with the idea that reading is “more a subject to learn than a fun thing to do.” Some even stop reading to their children once they become independent readers, thinking it might make them lazy or disinterested in reading on their own. But research shows the opposite: continuing to read aloud helps nurture a lifelong love of language and learning. Two kinds of reading skills When it comes to reading, researchers highlight two broad types of skills: constrained and unconstrained. Constrained skills are foundational. Think of the alphabet, phonics, and basic decoding—once you learn them, you have them and don’t have to continue re-learning them. Unconstrained skills, on the other hand, are lifelong. These include vocabulary, reading fluency, and comprehension. They develop over time and continue expanding even into adulthood. Reading aloud is one of the easiest and most effective ways to build these skills with your child. Why reading aloud works wonders Books read aloud often include words, phrases, and ideas that kids aren’t quite ready to tackle on their own. These stories stretch their understanding and introduce more complex sentence structures. That means reading aloud gives them access to language they might not encounter otherwise—even if they can technically read. But it’s not just about literacy. Reading aloud nurtures emotional closeness, too. It offers one-on-one time, undistracted attention, and shared laughter or curiosity. It’s a bonding moment, and a memory-maker. What to read (and how to make it work) It doesn’t have to be a multi-chapter novel every night. Poems, short stories, news articles, sports columns, or even an old favorite from their preschool years all count. What matters most is that it’s something you both enjoy. Funny voices? Bonus points. You can read from a book, an e-reader, a tablet, or even retell a well-known tale from memory. The important thing is the connection, not the format. Fit it into real life There’s no set rule about how often to read aloud. Even a few minutes goes a long way. If nightly reading feels like a stretch, try weekend mornings, car rides, or lazy Sunday afternoons. Enlist grandparents or older siblings, or simply read aloud something interesting from your own day. And as for when to stop? There’s no rule there either. If they still love it, keep reading together—all the way to adulthood if you like. Because whether they’re four or fourteen, your voice, your time, and a good story still mean the world.The post Why reading aloud to your kids matters—even after they’ve learned to do it on their own first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When Massachusetts voters approved the Fair Share Amendment in 2022—a four percent surtax on income over $1 million—critics warned it would send high earners fleeing the state. But two years later, a new report tells a very different story. According to findings from the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), not only have millionaires stayed, but their numbers have grown. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of Massachusetts residents with a net worth of $1 million or more increased by nearly 39 percent—from about 440,000 to over 612,000. The collective wealth of these individuals surged from $1.6 trillion to $2.2 trillion, a 37.7 percent increase. “Massachusetts has become a model for states interested in progressive taxation,” said Omar Ocampo, who authored the report. The data, sourced from WealthX and IRS filings, paints a picture of a robust millionaire class that has not only weathered the tax shift, but thrived under it. From campaign fear to financial reality The Fair Share Amendment passed narrowly, with 51.9 percent of voters in favor. The surtax revenue, earmarked for education and transportation, was expected to bring in around $1 billion annually. Instead, it generated $2.2 billion in its first fiscal year alone—more than double the estimate. These funds are already making a visible impact. The state has expanded child-care slots for low-income families, invested in universal Pre-K, increased financial aid for public higher education, and poured resources into public transit via the MBTA and MassDOT rail projects. “This is further evidence that multi-millionaires are not fleeing the state in response to the new tax,” said Shanique Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Voter Table and member of the Raise Up Massachusetts steering committee. “They are staying here, paying more in taxes, and enjoying the stronger transportation and public education systems that Fair Share dollars are funding.” Why the rich don’t run One of the most persistent myths in debates about wealth taxes is that high-net-worth individuals will uproot and relocate at the first sign of a new tax. But IPS notes that wealthy individuals “tend to be less mobile and exhibit lower rates of migration compared to the general public.” As the report explains, affluent people often have strong ties to their communities—family, business connections, social networks, and access to cultural amenities. These deep roots make the idea of mass millionaire flight more fiction than fact. Equity and opportunity in motion The Fair Share surtax applied to just 0.8 percent of all Massachusetts tax filers in 2022—around 27,270 people. Yet the impact of their contributions has been broad and tangible. IPS also highlighted the presence of 2,642 ultra high-net-worth individuals in the state, each with more than $50 million in assets, totaling over $500 billion in collective wealth. The report suggests that a modest additional three percent tax on this group could raise $11 billion in revenue. But the current focus of advocacy groups like Raise Up isn’t an additional wealth tax. Instead, they’re pursuing a “corporate fair share” policy that targets mega-corporations exploiting offshore tax loopholes to avoid paying state corporate tax rates. More than money: a shift in mindset What stands out in this story isn’t just the impressive tax revenue or the booming millionaire numbers—it’s the social contract taking shape. As the IPS report notes, when designed thoughtfully, progressive taxation can be a powerful tool: “It has the potential to not only improve economic and racial equity in the tax code, but also to raise significant revenue that can help balance budgets, spur productive public investment, grow existing social programs, and create new economic initiatives that empower the working class.” Massachusetts’s experience echoes similar findings in Washington state, where a new tax on capital gains over $250,000 coincided with a 47 percent rise in millionaire households. As debates around tax equity continue to unfold nationally, the Massachusetts model offers a warm and pragmatic reminder: when the wealthiest contribute fairly, communities can thrive. Roads get smoother. Kids get more support. Families breathe a little easier. And the sky doesn’t fall. In fact, it might just rise.The post Massachusetts millionaires multiply, thrive, and boost public services under new tax first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

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The current head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation said they were opening an investigation into the apparent threat made against President Donald Trump by James Comey, a former director of the FBI. Social media erupted with condemnation on Thursday when Comey posted the image of a shell formation he claimed to have found on the beach. People quickly associated the message "8647" as advocating for the removal or death of the president. 'It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.' Comey deleted the post and issued an explanation. "I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message," he wrote. "I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down."Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem said she would look into the message along with the U.S. Secret Service. "Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump. DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately," she wrote. RELATED: FBI Director Comey asked Justice Department to publicly deny Trump's wiretapping claim Trump and Comey in friendlier times. Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images FBI Director Kash Patel said he was cooperating with the Secret Service on the matter."We are aware of the recent tweet by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump," wrote Patel. "We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support."The president's son responded to the post from his own account. "Just James Comey causally calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!" wrote Donald Trump Jr. Comey was replaced by Christopher Wray in the first Trump administration, and Wray resigned from the post just ahead of the beginning of Trump's second term. The president nominated Patel at the beginning of his second term. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!