By MARTHA BELLISLE, Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — Immigration advocates gather like clockwork outside Seattle’s King County International Airport to witness deportation flights and spread word of where they are going and how many people are aboard. Until recently, they could keep track of the flights using publicly accessible websites.

But the monitors and others say airlines are now using dummy call signs for deportation flights and are blocking the planes’ tail numbers from tracking websites, even as the number of deportation flights hits record highs under President Donald Trump. The changes forced them to find other ways to follow the flights, including by sharing information with other groups and using data from an open-source exchange that tracks aircraft transmissions.

A detainee boards a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight departing from King County International Airport-Boeing Field, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Their work helps people locate loved ones who are deported in the absence of information from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which rarely discloses flights. News organizations have used such flight tracking in reporting.

Tom Cartwright, a retired J.P. Morgan financial officer turned immigration advocate, tracked 1,214 deportation-related flights in July — the highest level since he started watching in January 2020. About 80% are operated by three airlines: GlobalX, Eastern Air Express and Avelo Airlines. They carry immigrants to other airports to be transferred to overseas flights or take them across the border, mostly to Central American countries and Mexico.

Cartwright tracked 5,962 flights from the start of Trump’s second term through July, a 41% increase from 1,721 over the same period in 2024. Those figures including information from major deportation airports but not smaller ones like King County International Airport, also known as Boeing Field. Cartwright’s figures include 68 military deportation flights since January — 18 in July alone. Most have gone to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

The work became so demanding that Cartwright, 71, and his group, Witness at the Border, turned over the job this month to Human Rights First, which dubbed its project “ICE Flight Monitor.”

“His work brings essential transparency to U.S. government actions impacting thousands of lives and stands as a powerful example of citizen-driven accountability in defense of human rights and democracy,” Uzrz Zeya, Human Rights First’s chief executive officer, said.

Parked aircrafts are seen on the tarmac as protesters hold a news conference outside of Boeing Field airport in King County, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

The airlines did not respond to multiple email requests for comment. ICE is part of the Department of Homeland Security, which would not confirm any security measures it has taken.

La Resistencia, a Seattle-area nonprofit immigration rights group, has monitored 59 flights at Boeing Field and five at the Yakima airport in 2025, surpassing its 2024 total of 42.

Not all are deportation flights. Many are headed to or from immigration detention centers or to airports near the border. La Resistencia counted 1,023 immigrants brought in to go to the ICE detention center in Tacoma, Washington, and 2,279 flown out, often to states on the U.S.-Mexico border.

“ICE is doing everything in its power to make it as hard as possible to differentiate their contractors’ government activities from other commercial endeavors,” organizer Guadalupe Gonzalez told The Associated Press.

Airlines can legally block data

The Federal Aviation Administration allows carriers to block data like tail numbers from public flight tracking websites under the Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed program, or LADD, said Ian Petchenik, a spokesman for FlightRadar24.

“Tail numbers are like VIN numbers on cars,” Gonzalez said.

Planes with blocked tail numbers no longer appear on websites like FlightRadar24 or FlightAware. The tracker page identifies these them as “N/A – Not Available” as they move across the map and when they are on the tarmac. Destinations and arrival times aren’t listed.

Immigrant rights advocates monitor a webcam available to the public showing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight departing from King County International Airport-Boeing Field, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Carriers have occasionally used LADD for things like presidential campaigns, but in March, FlightRadar24 received LADD notices for more than a dozen aircraft, Petchenik said. It was unusual to see that many aircraft across multiple airlines added to the blocking list, he said. The blocked planes were often used for ICE deportations and transfers, he said.

Of the 94 ICE Air contractor planes that La Resistencia was tracking nationwide, 40 have been unlisted, Gonzalez said.

Similar things happened with the call signs airlines use to identify flights in the air, Gonzalez said.

Airlines use a combination of letters in their company name and numbers to identify their planes. GlobalX uses GXA, for example. But in the past few months, the ICE carriers have changed their regular call signs, making it more difficult to locate their immigration activates, he said.

Cameras at Boeing Field help volunteers track flights

King County International Airport is one of the few sites in the country where passengers can be seen getting off and on the planes, thanks to county-operated cameras. Volunteers gather each time a flight arrives to count each person and note whether they struggle on the stairs or appear to have health issues.

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ICE Air operations at Boeing Field started in 2011. The county set up cameras on the tarmac in 2023 after King County Executive Dow Constantine, having unsuccessfully tried to stop the ICE flights, issued an order requiring the county to track them at the airport. The county publishes monthly statistics on them.

The cameras record immigrants arriving on buses, being searched and being led up the stairs onto the planes. On Tuesday, one man who was hunched over shuffled down the bus’ stairs and across the tarmac using a cane, then an officer helped him climb onto the plane, one step at a time.

Detainees must navigate the plane’s stairway with their ankles chained together. Their wrists are also chained, and those cuffs are connected to a chain around their waist, so they can’t raise their arms, hold the railing or take big steps, activist Stan Shikuma told the AP.

The video can be viewed live on a giant screen in a nearby building where advocates can watch people being taken off buses from the ICE Northwest detention center. It’s also livestreamed on the county website.

“They’re patted down, head to toe, mouth examined, sometimes the chains are tightened before they’re allowed to board the plane,” Shikuma said. “People coming off the plane: same treatment.”

Get those No. 19 jerseys out.

After tons of speculation over the past week, the Vikings are bringing Adam Thielen back home to Minnesota where he belongs.

To brokerage the deal, the Vikings are trading the Carolina Panthers a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. To offset the cost, the Vikings are getting a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Not that the compensation should matter too much for the Vikings when considering everything Thielen will bring on and off the field.

Though the headlines about the homecoming pretty much write themselves, the Vikings would not have made this move if they didn’t think the 35-year-old veteran receiver could still contribute at a high level. In his most recent campaign with the Panthers, Thielen hauled in 48 receptions for 615 yards and 5 touchdowns across 10 games.

It’s likely that Thielen will take on an important role for the Vikings right away playing alongside Justin Jefferson while Jordan Addison serves his suspension and Jalen Nailor works his way back from a hand injury.

It helps that Thielen has familiarity with Kevin O’Connell and his offense having played for him in the past. It also helps that Thielen has familiarity with J.J. McCarthy after hosting a throwing session at Woodbury High School this summer.

Now to the sentimental stuff.

This type of full circle moment doesn’t happen in sports very often.

It’s not hyperbole to say Thielen is among the greatest receivers to ever play for the Vikings. A list that includes Randy Moss and Cris Carter at the top also features Thielen not too far behind those living legends.

After growing up in Detroit Lakes and going undrafted out of Minnesota State Mankato, Thielen famously came to the Vikings on a rookie tryout. He did enough to stick around, parlayed that into a contract, then slowly but surely turned himself into a legitimate superstar.

In nearly a decade with the Vikings, Thielen established himself as a face of the franchise, recording 534 receptions for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns.

As shocking as it was to see Thielen get released a couple of years ago while the Vikings revamped their roster, he now has a chance to finish his career where it started once upon a time.

Then it’s only a matter of time before that No. 19 jersey is hanging in the rafters.

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By Daniel Lathrop, NerdWallet

About half of Americans (51%) say they regularly stress out about money, according to an April 2025 NerdWallet survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll.

That stress hits some groups of Americans harder than others. According to the survey, women are more likely to say they stress about money regularly than men (56% vs. 45%), and baby boomers (ages 61-79) are much less likely to stress about money than those in younger generations.

Factors that could be making Americans feel off-kilter include inflation, uncertainty over tariff policy and high housing costs.

If you’re among those regularly stressed out about money, here are six large and small ways to improve your financial well-being.

1. Keep tabs on where your money is going

How much are your core monthly expenses? What is your discretionary income? How much money did you spend last month? Many Americans may not know the answers to these questions, which can make understanding their finances challenging. Facing your finances may be difficult if they’re a source of stress for you, but having a realistic view of your money is an essential first step to making improvements.

Knowing where all of your money goes may not be as easy as it sounds. People use a variety of different payment methods — debit cards, credit cards, automatic payments, payment apps, cash end even maybe paper checks. But you don’t necessarily have to track your spending forever; reviewing your spending for at least a month can give you enough of a handle on where your money is going.

Expense tracking apps can help automate the process, but you can also opt to review your various accounts manually at the end of the month, if that works better for you.

2. Create a plan for the money you have

Once you know how much you’re spending, you can take control and make changes to hit your spending and savings goals.

There are many approaches you can take to create a financial plan that works for you. One useful framework is the 50/30/20 budget: using 50% of after-tax income for needs, allowing 30% for wants, and setting 20% aside for long-term savings and debt repayment. You can use a budget template to see how much you’re spending and how far off it is from the 50/30/20 targets. From there, you can adjust your spending to be better aligned with your overall goals.

3. Start (or increase) your emergency fund

The NerdWallet survey found that 41% of Americans are concerned that they don’t have enough money saved for emergencies. Knowing an unexpected expense or job loss would be financially devastating is enough to stress anyone out.

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Ideally, everyone should have enough money set aside to cover three to six months of their core expenses — like housing, food, utilities and minimum debt payments. That goal can be intimidating, especially if you’re starting from scratch. Use a savings calculator to find out how much you need to add each month to get the balance to your target, and don’t be afraid to start small.

Consider putting your emergency fund in a separate account — such as a high-yield savings account — and only tapping it for true emergencies or unavoidable expenses. Having this cash cushion in place can provide peace of mind and keep you from financial derailment when the unexpected happens.

4. Reduce debt

Unsecured debt, like credit card debt, is associated with higher stress levels and negative mental health effects, according to the American Public Health Association. In fact, the organization reports reducing this debt can improve health outcomes.

Indeed, the survey found 23% of Americans are concerned about having too much credit card debt. Getting a debt payoff plan in place could be a great way to reduce financial stress.

Some with credit card debt may also have car payments, student loans and personal loans to pay. But because those interest rates tend to be much lower, it almost always makes sense to start by reducing credit card balances.

One popular approach is the debt snowball — paying off your balances from smallest to largest to reduce the number of different payments and get quick wins. Another approach, known as the debt avalanche, has you prioritize your balances from highest to lowest interest rate. Depending on how much credit card debt you have, paying it off can seem a tall order. But every dollar you put toward your balances can reduce your interest burden and stress level.

5. Explore the property ladder

Stability can help reduce stress, which may explain why homeowners aren’t as financially anxious as their renting counterparts. According to the NerdWallet survey, Americans who own their home are less likely to stress about money regularly than those who rent (46% vs. 62%).

This could be because buying a home typically stabilizes housing costs based on current prices for the long-term, whereas renters generally have to renegotiate a lease from time to time. Further, home ownership provides numerous non-financial benefits — like stability and the ability to customize — while also providing some financial gains, according to the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education.

Despite affordability barriers — especially in major cities — purchasing a house or condominium may be more accessible than you think.

More than 3 in 5 (62%) of Americans mistakenly believe that a 20% down payment is required to buy a home, according to a NerdWallet’s 2025 Home Buyer Report. That’s not true, although it is one way to avoid paying for private mortgage insurance.

It’s not the only way, though. Veterans, for example, can secure a mortgage without a down payment through VA loan programs. And many first-time homebuyers can borrow with a down payment as low as 3%. It’s also a good idea to research home ownership incentives and programs offered by community groups and local, state and federal agencies.

Ultimately, purchasing a home, let alone down payment and loan decisions, are complex and highly dependent on your individual situation.

>> MORE: Should I Buy a House? How to Tell If You’re Ready

Homeownership isn’t right for everyone, and may not be right for you at the present time. But don’t count yourself out without looking into your options. If you see purchasing a home as a reasonable long-term goal, saving for it now can make the buying decision less stressful down the road.

6. Keep reading about personal finance

One thing that can reduce stress is simply educating yourself about personal finance. Financial literacy may lead to improved financial well-being, according to 2023 research published in the journal Sustainability.

Overall, 27% of Americans aren’t confident about their overall financial knowledge, according to the recent NerdWallet survey.

The good news? Just reading this article was an excellent first step. To go further, consider making it a regular practice to learn more about personal finance topics that are new to you. Newsletters, podcasts and social media accounts from reliable sources can boost your financial literacy, and thus, your confidence.

The complete survey methodology is available in the original article, published at NerdWallet.

Daniel Lathrop writes for NerdWallet. Email: articles@nerdwallet.com.

The article Many Americans are Stressed About Money, 6 Ways to Cope originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By BERNARD CONDON, Associated Press Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump has a message for critics who think turning the U.S. government into a major stockholder of Intel is a “socialist” move: More is coming.

“I will make deals like that for our Country all day long,” the president posted on Truth Social after critics piled on, adding later about future ownership stakes, “I want to try and get as much as I can.”

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One possible target: defense contractors, whom Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC Tuesday were ripe for the picking given the U.S. government is a big customer.

Free-market conservatives were already wary of Trump’s tendency to interfere in corporate decision-making by, for example, telling Apple where it should make iPhones, or even demanding a cut of Nvidia’s sales of chips to China. But the Intel move is a startling defiance of Republican orthodoxy that says governments shouldn’t try to pick corporate winners and losers and risk messing things up as owners by rewarding executives for politically smart but financially stupid decisions.

The U.S. government is getting a 10% stake in Intel through the conversion of billions in previously granted government funds and pledges, making it one of Intel’s largest shareholders.

“If socialism is government owning the means of production, wouldn’t the government owning part of Intel be a step toward socialism?” Republican Sen. Rand Paul said in a post on X. “Terrible idea.”

Scott Lincicome, a Cato Institute trade expert, says Intel could end up making decisions now to please Trump even if they’re impractical, say, by going ahead with plans to open a long-promised chipmaking factory in Ohio. And even short-term gains from government ownership, such as more companies buying Intel semiconductors, will hurt business in the end by saddling those companies with inferior chips.

“Intel might simply gain customers from folks that are looking to stay on Trump’s good side,” he said. “But innovation requires ruthless competition, an endless drive for an advantage — and now they might accept a disadvantage because they need the political win.”

Many Republicans remained silent on the issue, prompting others to suggest they are free market hypocrites.

“For so many of my self-described true conservatives, you’re going to have to explain to me how this reconciles with true conservatism and true free-market capitalism,” Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis told CBS in an interview. “I don’t see it.”

Early last year, the Biden administration agreed to provide Intel with billions of dollars in funding under the CHIPS Act for it to build semiconductor manufacturing factories around the country, part of a plan to produce 20% of the world’s most advanced chips in the U.S. by 2030, up from zero at the time.

Trump argues that he got the Intel stake for free by converting $11.1 billion of funding into the equity stake. He also notes that Intel shares shot higher after he struck the deal Friday, handing a big win to U.S. taxpayers.

“I love seeing their stock price go up, making the USA RICHER, AND RICHER,” Trump posted Monday morning before the stock trading began. “More jobs for America!!! Who would not want to make deals like that?”

The price of Intel stock fell slightly both Monday and Tuesday, and investors have reason to be cautious.

In a filing to its investors after the deal was announced, Intel warned that it may lose overseas customers reluctant to buy from a U.S. government-owned business. The company has lost more than $22 billion since the start of 2023 after largely missing out on the frenzy surrounding artificial intelligence.

James Secreto, a former Biden administration official who helped hammer out the CHIPS Act grants, said a falling stock price is a big danger given Trump’s tendency to measure his success and failure by gyrations in the public market and his willingness to jawbone companies to do things to help him politically.

“The Trump administration now owns Intel’s success or failure,” said Secreto, former Commerce Secretary deputy chief of staff. “The next question is how far will the U.S. government go to defend its equity postion?

He called the Intel stock purchase a “bridge too far” even for Democrats who believe government help is needed occasionally.

“For the sake of national security, we still need Intel to win on performance, not politics,” he said.

That Trump would be labeled a “socialist” by members of his own party is ironic given that he has long wielded that term against his opponents.

Yet in some ways the Intel move fits a pattern.

Trump has erected the highest tariffs in decades, a trading strategy that his party has long rejected, and has tried to influence corporate decisions the GOP used to say were best left to business owners. In addition to telling Apple not to shift production to India, he has gotten Coca-Cola to change ingredients and warned Walmart not to raise prices.

There have also been a series of moves that will directly benefit or hurt the government depending on how businesses perform.

In June, Trump struck a deal approving Nippon Steel’s takeover of U.S. Steel in exchange for a “ golden share ” that essentially gives the U.S. government veto power to ensure national security interests are protected against cutbacks in steel production. In July, he spent $400 million of taxpayer money on MP Materials stock to make the U.S government the biggest owner in the Las Vegas rare earths miner. Then earlier this month came his deal with Nvidia and AMD to give the U.S. government a 15% cut of revenue from selling certain chips to China.

A White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations said the deals with Intel, Nvidia, and U.S. Steel are seen as one-offs, necessary moves because the companies have outsized importance to the country’s national security. The source likened the deals to the government’s departure from free market principles when it limits American aerospace companies from selling fighter jets to countries like China.

Some conservatives aren’t buying it.

“This isn’t about funding innovation,” said influential conservative radio host Erick Erickson on Friday. “It’s a paradigm shift towards socialism.”

In addition to Lutnick’s comments about targeting defense contractors, Trump’s top economic adviser has also said hinted about what is likely coming next. He said the president is interested in setting up a sovereign wealth fund in which federal government would invest in an array of companies.

“There’ll be more transactions, if not in this industry then other industries,” said Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council.

One prominent politician did voice support for the Intel deal, but it more likely hurts than helps Trump’s cause with Republicans.

“Taxpayers should not be providing billions of dollars in corporate welfare to large, profitable corporations like Intel without getting anything in return,” said Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist and Trump antagonist. “The taxpayers of America have a right to a reasonable return on that investment.”

AP reporter Michelle L. Price contributed from Washington.