Report: With Gas Prices Spiking County Officials Inspect Gas Pumps for Accuracy to Protect Consumers

The following story is republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. and was originally posted by the Pennsylvania Capital-Star written by Ashley Murray

WASHINGTON — Arizona coffee roaster Gabe Hagen is wondering if he’ll ever recoup the tens of thousands of dollars he paid in tariffs to import beans from the world’s major coffee-growing regions in South America, Africa and the Indo-Pacific.

Weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs as illegal, Hagen is among an army of small business owners who are unsure if they’ll be made whole after a year of increasing costs and uncertainty.

“I’m in the process right now trying to consolidate all of my invoices … because I need the money back — if they’re going to give it back,” Hagen told States Newsroom in an interview.

“A pallet of coffee would cost us 5 to 6 to $7,000 if we had a bag or two of really high-grade in there. Post tariffs, our cheapest pallet was around $8,000, and it went anywhere from 8 to $10,000 or $11,000 per pallet of coffee,” he said.

How the government will refund the roughly $166 billion in tariffs Trump triggered under a 1970s emergency economic powers statute is slowly coming to light in court documents.

Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States

Nearly 2,000 companies filed suit for tariff refunds in the U.S. Court of International Trade, with many lining up even before the highly anticipated 6-3 Supreme Court decision.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s four-step refund process for businesses is anywhere from 40% to 80% complete, depending on the step, according to a court-mandated update filed March 12 with the Court of International Trade.

Justices leave it to the lower courts

The justices, not giving guidance on refunds, left the matter to the lower courts in their Feb. 20 ruling that invalidated the sweeping tariffs Trump unilaterally imposed under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA.

The president declared various emergencies under the statute during his first year in office.

From fentanyl smuggling, to trade imbalances, to political disputes, he used each declared crisis to impose steep taxes on imports.

Shifting sometimes day to day, tariffs reached as high as 50% on Brazilian and Indian goods after Trump declared emergencies over the prosecution of a political ally and over the use of Russian oil, respectively.

U.S. importers saw tariffs spike as high as 145% on Chinese goods during a tit-for-tat trade war sparked by Trump’s declaration of a trade imbalance emergency. The duties largely settled at a roughly 50% effective rate on several products after the trade war and negotiations with the world’s second-largest economy.

The Trump administration has since sought different pathways to collect tariffs, including almost immediately instituting temporary import taxes under a different 1970s trade statute.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has also commenced widespread investigations into dozens of the largest U.S. trading partners that could trigger new tariffs, depending on findings.

‘Survived, but barely’

The rollercoaster ride was enough to almost bring down Busy Baby, a Minnesota-based baby product company that manufactures several patented designs in China.

Busy Baby owner Beth Benike, who shared her experience with States Newsroom in February, is now suing U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to recoup money lost.

Matthew Platkin, former New Jersey attorney general and Benike’s lawyer, said Benike’s business “survived, but barely.”

“She had to keep merchandise overseas because she couldn’t afford to pay to bring them here. And when she didn’t get product, she wasn’t getting paid, she wasn’t making money,” Platkin said in an interview with States Newsroom.

“She had opportunities lined up for expansion. She was going to hire new folks. That didn’t happen, and that was because of one thing: the president’s illegal tariffs,” he said.

Benike’s complaint does not specify a dollar amount, but Platkin said, “It’s substantial, especially for a business of her size.”

“We’re still going through and assessing the full impact of the tariffs on her, but rest assured, even for a small business, it’s tens of thousands of dollars at a minimum,” Platkin said.

“The federal government should just refund these folks their money with interest, period. Like, this shouldn’t even require litigation. They were caught taking illegal tariffs from millions of businesses,” he said.

$166 billion collected

Federal Judge Richard Eaton, who sits on the bench for the Court of International Trade, ordered administration customs officials in early March to stop collecting the tariffs deemed illegal under IEEPA, and to recalculate any past duties that included them.

Eaton granted the March 5 order in the tariff refund lawsuit brought by Atmus Filtration, a Nashville, Tennessee-based company.

The judge, however, outlined that orders in the Court of International Trade are “universal” for all tariff refunds owed — meaning the trade cases are not subject to the Supreme Court’s 2025 finding in a separate immigration case that universal rulings are impermissible.

Businesses the size of Busy Baby to behemoths like Costco and FedEx have paid tariffs to the U.S. government. Many, but not all, have sued.

Customs officials, in a March 6 court filing, declared any refund process would take at least 45 days to be functional. According to the filing, as of early March the agency had collected approximately $166 billion in IEEPA tariffs from 330,000 American importers.

Bristol Township recently announced the appointments of a brand new leadership team for the parks and recreation department to lead the municipality in its next phase of growth.

Patrick Graham, CPRE, was hired as Parks & Recreation Director, Nicole Tener, CPRP, M.Ed., as Recreation Division Manager, and the promotion of Dana Coleman to Parks Division Manager, township officials said.

“These appointments position Bristol Township for the next phase of growth in our parks and recreation services,” said Township Manager Randee Mazur. “Patrick brings strategic leadership and fiscal discipline. Nicole strengthens our programming and community engagement efforts. Dana provides deep institutional knowledge and operational stability. Together, this team will deliver high-quality services, maintain our facilities responsibly, and expand opportunities for residents of all ages.”

These appointments strengthen the Township’s commitment to quality parks, strong recreation programs, and responsible management of public facilities.

A Bristol Twp Parks & Rec employee during preparations for a outdoor concert at the municipal complex Credit: Jeff Bohen, Lower Bucks Source

Graham joined Bristol Township as Parks & Recreation Director on March 2, 2026. He will lead department operations, planning, and long-term strategy. He will oversee both the Parks and Recreation divisions and work closely with staff to strengthen programs, services, and facilities for residents. Graham brings more than 10 years of municipal parks and recreation leadership experience. He most recently served as Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation for Middletown Township. There, he helped manage services for more than 46,000 residents and oversaw an annual operating budget of $1.8 million.

“I am thrilled and honored to be joining Bristol Township to lead the Parks & Recreation Department,” said Graham. “My focus will be expanding recreational opportunities for all ages, ensuring our parks are safe and well-maintained to high standards, and providing a strategic, long-term vision to continue improving the Bristol Township Parks System for our community. I look forward to working with residents, community partners, and Township leadership to make that vision a reality.”

Croydon Acres Park
Credit: Bristol Township

Tener joined Bristol Township as Recreation Division Manager on March 2, 2026. She will manage recreation programming, events, and community engagement efforts. She will oversee daily operations within the Recreation Division and support program development and service delivery.

Tener most recently served as Program Specialist for Middletown Township Parks & Recreation. She managed more than 20 community recreation classes, oversaw instructors and registrations, and supported camp programs and seasonal staff. She also led social media strategy and designed email campaigns that reached more than 3,000 residents.

Her background in education, communications, and community programming will support strong outreach and responsive recreation services in Bristol Township.

The township promoted Coleman to Parks Division Manager in January 2026. She joined Bristol Township in September 2014, serving in three departments: as Receptionist for the Finance Office, Community Service Officer with the Police Department, and most recently as Administrative Assistant for the Parks and Recreation Department.

In her prior role, she worked closely with the Playground Inspector and Public Works Department to address park and playground repairs, coordinate maintenance, and support Township events. She has served as the logistical backbone of the department and large special events, coordinating vendors, equipment, permits, and interdepartmental support to ensure events operate smoothly and on schedule.

Marie Lowe Park
Credit: Bristol Twp

As Parks Division Manager, Coleman will oversee parks maintenance, facilities, and related operations. Her experience across departments and her knowledge of Township operations will support efficient and responsive park services.

These appointments strengthen the Township’s commitment to quality parks, strong recreation programs, and responsible management of public facilities, officials said.

The new parks and recreation team will be formally introduced at Thursday night’s Council meeting

The Township features 32 park areas, 26 playgrounds, walking paths, athletic fields, basketball courts, and picnic pavilions, serving the more than 54,000 residents.

Warning: The following story depicts incidents involving rape and sexual assault that can be upsetting to readers. Digression is advised  

Bucks County Detectives have charged a 30-year-old Morrisville man with rape, sexual assault, aggravated assault and a related offense in which authorities say the accused would threaten to throw the victim out of his apartment unless she had sex with him.

On January 6, 2026, at approximately 11:00 a.m., a 19-year-old female acquaintance of Khaleel White was speaking with police about a separate incident involving White when she accused him of raping her.

The young woman, according to court filings, told investigators that during the overnight hours of January 3, 2026, she awoke at White’s apartment located at 490 Plaza Boulevard in Morrisville with him asking her to “suck his d**k.” The victim responded, “I’m tired.” However, White began touching her, without consent. She continued to tell White “No,” but when she rolled over onto her side, White took the blanket off her and pulled her pants down.

White proceeded to “put it in me dry” she told police, referring to White penetrating her without lubrication. White laid with all his weight on her from behind and tried to roll her onto her back so he could penetrate her missionary style.

Eventually, the victim surrendered and stopped resisting.

According to the probable cause White continued to rape her until he ejaculated, the victim told investigators. Adding he  did not wear a condom.  Although she did not consent to the sexual contact, she surrendered and allowed it to happen because she was afraid and had nowhere else to go. White routinely threatened to throw her out of his apartment, knowing  she had nowhere to live as a ploy for sex.

The victim also stated that at some point during the encounter, she remembered White putting his fingers inside her  and smelling them. She kept trying to roll onto her stomach and kick him, noting she wasn’t trying to kick White in the face because she feared retaliation.

According to the victim, White is a large man who enjoys demonstrating his dominance over her, the criminal complaint says.

White was arraigned by District Judge Corryn L. Kronnagel on March 10 with a preliminary hearing set for May 5. He was remanded to Bucks Correctional Facility in lieu of $500,000 bail. White had no attorney of record listed as of publication time.