Vance heralds 'industrial renaissance' in his visit to a South Carolina steel plant

HUGER, S.C. (AP) — Vice President JD Vance visited a steel plant in South Carolina on Thursday as he heralded the launch of an “industrial renaissance” in the U.S., in part due to President Donald Trump’s moves to boost domestic industry.

Vance made the trip to Nucor Steel in Huger as part of the administration's events marking Trump's first 100 days in office.

“I hope every single one of you, you guys in front me, feel a sense of pride, because these are the products that actually make America work,” Vance told several hundred guests and Nucor steel workers gathered on a gravel lot outside one of the buildings at the company's sprawling facility. “These are the products that make our citizens' lives better.”

Nucor's corporate leaders have cheered Trump's tariff policies, which have shaken the global economy and proved less popular with other business leaders. The company's stock rose 6% when the Trump administration announced new tariffs on imported steel, though the price has fluctuated since.

After an earnings call this week, Nucor CEO Leon Topalian said on CNBC that the company's backlog of orders, which its leaders have said is 25% higher than last year at this time, served as a signal of “improving signs coming through the economy.”

It was Vance's first visit to South Carolina, an industry-rich state that also plays a pivotal role in national politics. Trump won the state's first-in-the-South GOP primary in 2016, which helped cement Trump's role as a frontrunner that year, and he's remained popular in the state ever since.

From the stage, Vance shouted out two of the state's elected Republicans in attendance, Lt. Gov. Pam Evette and Rep. Nancy Mace. Both have been supporters of Trump and Vance, and both are expected to vie for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the state next year.

Vance, who was accompanied on the visit and factory tour by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, said the 100-day mark for the administration also signaled “energy dominance,” adding that there needed to be “no tension” between ramping up domestic manufacturing and safeguarding the environment.

“We have started drill, baby, drilling,” Vance said. “It means cheaper gas, and it means an America that is self-reliant.”

Drilling off South Carolina’s coast has long been a controversial issue in the state, which has 187 miles (300 kilometers) of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Trump signed a memorandum in 2020 directing the interior secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off both Florida coasts, and off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, until 2032. President Joe Biden in January moved to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters, a last-minute effort to block possible action by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling.

After taking office, Trump said he had directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to undo Biden’s ban on future offshore oil drilling on the East and West coasts, saying the last-minute action “viciously took out” more than 625 million acres (2.5 million square kilometers) offshore that could contribute to the nation’s “net worth.”

Vance's remarks came shortly after news broke that Mike Waltz, the former GOP congressman from Florida, was out as Trump's national security adviser, weeks after it was revealed that he had added a journalist to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans.

Subsequently, Trump posted on social media that he would be tapping Waltz to serve as ambassador to the United Nations and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would take over Waltz's former duties, in addition to serving as the chief U.S. diplomat.

Vance mentioned neither development in his remarks. Zeldin did not know about the U.N. appointment until an Associated Press reporter asked for his reaction to it afterward. He thanked the reporter for being the “bearer of great news” and said he felt Waltz “would do a tremendous job” in the role.

Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a tour at Nucor Steel Berkeley in Huger, S.C., Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

Vice President JD Vance departs after speaking during a tour at Nucor Steel Berkeley in Huger, S.C., Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

Vice President JD Vance waves waves as he departs Charleston, S.C., Thursday, May 1, 2025, after touring Nucor Steel Berkeley in Huger, S.C. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

Vice President JD Vance makes remarks during an event to mark the Trump administration's first 100 days at a Nucor Steel Berkeley, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Huger, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

Vice President JD Vance makes remarks during an event to mark the Trump administration's first 100 days at a Nucor Steel Berkeley, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Huger, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

Vice President JD Vance makes remarks during an event to mark the Trump administration's first 100 days at a Nucor Steel Berkeley, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Huger, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)