Prisoners freed by Belarus say their passports are taken away in a final 'dirty trick' by officials

YURAS KARMANAU
Fri, December 19, 2025 


Uladzimir Labkovich, one of the released Belarusian prisoners and his wife Nina Labkovich smile as he arrives in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. 

(AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The only official document human rights advocate Uladzimir Labkovich had with him when he was suddenly released from a Belarus prison, blindfolded and driven to neighboring Ukraine was a piece of paper with his name and mugshot on it.

“After four and half years of abuse in prison, I was thrown out of my own country without a passport or valid documents,” Labkovich told The Associated Press by phone from Ukraine on Wednesday. “This is yet another dirty trick by the Belarusian authorities, who continue to make our lives difficult.”

Labkovich, 47, was one of 123 prisoners released by Belarus on Dec. 13 in exchange for the U.S. lifting some trade sanctions on the authoritarian government of President Alexander Lukashenko. All but nine were taken to Ukraine; the rest — including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski — were driven to Lithuania.

A close ally of Russia, Lukashenko has ruled his nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for over three decades. Belarus has faced years of Western isolation and sanctions for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Recently, Lukashenko has sought better relations with the West, releasing hundreds of prisoners since July 2024.

But in a final act of indignity and repression, the newly freed prisoners often are not told they are being deported without passports or other identity papers. They must rebuild their lives abroad, facing bureaucratic obstacles without any help from their homeland.

Retaliation after release

Because he was blindfolded, Labkovich said he and others could only tell they were heading south. At least 18 prisoners taken to Ukraine — including Labkovich and Belarusian opposition figures Vitkar Babaryka and Maria Kolesnikova — had no documents with them, according to rights advocates. Germany has promised to provide shelter to Babaryka and Kolesnikova.

“I dream of hugging my three children and wife in (the Lithuanian capital) Vilnius, but instead I have to deal with absurd bureaucratic procedures,” Labkovich said.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who fled the country in 2020, told AP in written comments that the way the prisoners were taken out of Belarus was “a forced deportation in violation of all international norms and regulations,” adding it was inhumane treatment.

“Even after pardoning people, Lukashenko continues to retaliate against them,” Tsikhanouskaya said. “They bar people from staying in the country, they forcibly drive them out of Belarus without documents in order to humiliate them even further.”

In September, Lukashenko pardoned more than 50 political prisoners who were taken to the Lithuanian border.

One of them, prominent opposition activist Mikola Statkevich refused to leave Belarus. The 69-year-old, who called the government’s actions a “forced deportation,” pushed his way out of the bus and stayed for several hours in the no-man’s land between the borders before being taken away by Belarusian police and returned to prison.

Fourteen others who had crossed into Lithuania from the September release didn't have passports. Freed activist Mikalai Dziadok said Belarusian security operatives tore up his passport in front of him. Freed journalist Ihar Losik said all of his papers — including diaries — were confiscated.

“My passport was simply stolen. We came here (to Lithuania) — no one had passports. They took photos, all papers, the verdict, notebooks — they took everything,” Losik said.

Nils Muižnieks, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Belarus, described what happened to the prisoners as “not pardons, but forced exile.”

“These people were looking forward to returning to their homes and families," he said in a statement. "Instead, they were expelled from the country, left without means of subsistence and, in some cases, stripped of identity documents.”

One activist group has raised more than 245,000 euros (about $278,000) for the released prisoners, and Tsikhanouskaya said she's asked Western governments for help.

“People went through real hell, and now we are working together to help them and facilitate their legalization and settlement, engaging all contacts with both American and European allies," she said.

Harsh prison conditions

Bialiatski, Labkovich and five other members of Viasna, Belarus' oldest and most prominent rights group, were arrested in Lukashenko's crackdown on mass protests after a 2020 election that kept him in power and was denounced as rigged by the opposition and the West. Tens of thousands were arrested, with many brutally beaten, while hundreds of thousands fled abroad.

Along with Bialiatski, Labkovich was accused of “financing public unrest” and helping those affected by the crackdown. Bialiatski was sentenced to 10 years in prison; Labkovich got seven.

Prison authorities tried to coerce Labkovich to cooperate and launched two more criminal cases against him — refusing to obey orders of prison officials and high treason, which could have added another 15 years to his sentence.

Labkovich said he spent more than 200 days in solitary confinement and “and lost count of the nights on the concrete floor in the icy cell.”

Two other Viasna activists — Marfa Rabkova and Valiantsin Stefanovic — remain imprisoned. Labkovich believes they and others are still held so that authorities “can influence the behavior and statements of those released.”

Babaryka, 62, recalled that while in prison in 2023, he started having fainting episodes and once woke up with a broken rib, torn lung, pneumonia and 23 cuts in his scalp. He said he didn't know what had happened while he was unconscious and didn't want to elaborate on the conditions behind bars.

“I'll tell you the truth: Those who come out shouldn't talk about how they were and what they felt, because many people remain inside the system and depending on what they say, they will generally get disadvantages rather than advantages,” Babaryka said Sunday in Chernihiv, Ukraine.

His 35-year-old son, Eduard Babaryka, is among more than 1,100 political prisoners still held in Belarus, serving a 10-year sentence on charges of organizing mass unrest.

A crackdown at home and beyond

While prisoner releases have become more regular recently, Lukashenko's crackdown continues, targeting critics wherever they live. Belarusians living abroad cannot renew their passports or get new ones at embassies and consulates, making life difficult for thousands who fled the repression.

Opposition activists, rights advocates and journalists in exile face criminal trials in absentia. Authorities seize their apartments and other property, with courts rejecting attempts to contest those moves.

Activists say there is a “revolving door” of prisoner releases and arrests. Since the Dec. 13 release, Viasna declared seven more people to be political prisoners, and 176 since September.

Despite this month's pardons, Amnesty International's director for Eastern Europe Marie Struthers urged people not to forget those whose freedom "is long overdue.”

“If this release is a part of political bargain, it only underscores the Belarusian authorities’ cynical treatment of people as pawns,” she said.

Earlier this week, activist Aliaksandr Zdaravennau, 46, of the southern city of Rechytsa, was convicted of high treason and participating in extremist activities and sentenced to 10 years. Subway engineer Yury Karnitski, 44, and shop clerk Alena Hartanovich, 52, were added to the Interior Ministry's list of extremists.

“While the prisoner releases are certainly a relief, there are no signs from Belarusian authorities of a change in the policy or practice of repression," Muižnieks said. “Belarus continues to rank among the countries with the highest number of political prisoners per capita.”

Viktar Babaryka, key Belorussian opposition figure looks on during a joint press conference with Uladzimir Labkovich, human rights activist, Maria Kolesnikova, key Belorussian opposition figure and Alyaksandr Feduta, Belarusian politician after being released from detention in Belarus, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, one of the Belarusian prisoners released on Saturday, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Pavel Seviarynets, one of the released Belarusian prisoners smiles as he arrives in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)


Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, one of the Belarusian prisoners released on Saturday, gestures during an interview with the Associated Press in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Uladzimir Labkovich, one of the released Belarusian prisoners embraces a relative as he arrives in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A Man Was Perfectly Frozen in Ice for 28 Years. The Glacier Just Spit Him Back Out.

Darren Orf
Sat, December 20, 2025 

POP MECH


Missing Man Found Mummified in Ice 28 Years Later 

Andyborodaty - Getty Images

Here's what you'll learn when you read this story:

A 31-year-old Pakistani man, who went missing in June 1997 in an ice cave, was found perfectly preserved by a local shepherd.

The discovery puts an end to a painful three-decade-long search for a family that tirelessly searched for his body in the mountainous Kohistan region.

As glaciers retreat around the world due to climate change, discoveries of bodies or ancient artifacts will likely increase as melting ice reveals their frozen tombs.

In June 1997, a 31-year-old Pakistani man by the name Naseeruddin, while traveling in the Supat Valley in the mountainous northern region of Pakistan called Kohistan, disappeared into a cave never to be seen again. He left behind a wife and two children, and for years, the family of the missing man searched the area for any sign of him—ultimately, to no avail.

“Our family left no stone unturned to trace him over the years,” Malik Ubaid, the nephew of the deceased, told the AFP. “Our uncles and cousins visited the glacier several times to see if his body could be retrieved, but they eventually gave up as it wasn’t possible.”

After nearly three decades, the search for Naseeruddin has finally come to an end. On July 31, a local shepherd in the valley named Omar Khan discovered the missing man’s body, with an identity card still on him. But that wasn’t the only surprise.

“What I saw was unbelievable,” Khan told BBC Urdu. “The body was intact. The clothes were not even torn.”

For 28 years, Naseeruddin lay mummified in the glacial ice. He underwent a quick freezing process that then protected the body from moisture and oxygen. Pakistan is home to some 7,000 glaciers—the largest amount outside of Earth’s polar regions—and like many glaciers around the world, these ice giants are slowly disappearing due to anthropogenic climate change.

In northern Pakistan, climate change has caused decreased snowfall in the region, leading to more direct sunlight melting the glaciers. This unnatural warming is what eventually exposed Naseeruddin’s body, allowing the passing shepherd to finally put a painful mystery to rest.

“Finally, we have got some relief after the recovery of his dead body,” Ubaid said.

Glaciers and other icy bodies, such as ice sheets, are basically planetary time capsules. Scientists around the world frequently drill ice cores to measure past climactic events by analyzing trapped air bubbles, as well as the isotropic composition of the surrounding ice. They can also provide incredible glimpses into humanity’s past. While many amazing artifacts have been found encased in glacial ice, the most famous frozen finding is Ötzi, also known as The Iceman, who was found in the Italian Alps in 1991 with his soft tissues and organs intact. This discovery provided an unprecedented glimpse into life and times and neolithic Europe.

While glaciers are amazing at preserving soft tissue (scientists even know what Ötzi’s last meal was), they aren’t as effective as cryogenic freezing, which can perfectly preserve an organism. This is why Ötzi, as well as other bodies of frozen WWI soldiers discovered in 2017, still show signs of decomposition and dehydration.

Sadly, Naseeruddin’s fate is one shared by many intrepid explorers who venture into these dangerous and cold altitudes. Last year, National Geographic reported the partial recovery of mountaineer Sandy Irvine, who disappeared on Everest a century ago. In fact, crews regularly conducted clean-up campaigns on the world’s tallest peak, often finding long-lost climbers frozen along the mountainside.


With glaciers rapidly in retreat around the world, we’ll soon see what other mysteries—both tragic and wondrous—that may lay hidden at the top of the world.

A funeral for slain Bangladeshi activist draws hundreds of thousands

JULHAS ALAM
Sat, December 20, 2025 


Protesters shout slogans and block an intersection following overnight attacks and vandalism after the death of a prominent activist, who was shot by an assailant a week ago, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)More


DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people attended the funeral Saturday of a leading Bangladeshi activist who died of gunshot wounds sustained in an attack in Dhaka earlier this month, as political tensions gripped the country ahead of elections.

Sharif Osman Hadi, who took part in last year’s political uprising that ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, died in a hospital in Singapore on Thursday after being shot Dec. 12 in Dhaka.

Police said they had identified suspects and that the shooter had most probably fled to India, where Hasina has been in exile. The development sparked a new diplomatic squabble with India and prompted New Delhi this week to summon Bangladesh’s envoy. Bangladesh also summoned the Indian envoy to Dhaka.

Security was tight in Dhaka on Saturday as the funeral prayers were held outside the nation’s Parliament complex.

Hadi’s body returned on Friday night, and Saturday was declared a national mourning day.

Hadi was a spokesperson for the Inqilab Moncho culture group, which said he would be buried on the Dhaka University campus beside the country’s national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.

Mourners carried Bangladesh flags and chanted slogans, such as “We will be Hadi, we will be fighting decades after decades,” and “We will not let Hadi’s blood go in vain.”

The news of his death on Thursday evening triggered violence, with groups of protesters attacking and torching the offices of two leading national dailies. The country’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has urged the people to stay calm.

Hadi was a fierce critic of both neighboring India and Hasina, who has been in exile since Aug. 5, 2024, when she fled Bangladesh. Hadi had planned to run as an independent candidate in a major constituency in Dhaka in the next national elections in February.

Bangladesh has been going through a critical transition under Yunus in a bid to return to democracy through the upcoming elections. But the government has been Hasina’s Awami League party, which is one of two major political parties. ,

Hasina’s archrival, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party is the other key party, which hopes to forms the next government. The Jamaat-e-Islami party, the country’s largest Islamist party with a dark history involving the nation’s independence war in 1971, is leading an alliance to carve out a bigger political space in the absence of Hasina’s party and its allies.

Hasina has been sentenced to death on charges of crimes against humanity, but India's has not responded to repeated requests by the Yunus-led government for her extradition.

Pakistani court sentences former Prime Minister Imran Khan and wife to 17 years in graft case

MUNIR AHMED
Sat, December 20, 2025 


FILE - Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, right, and Bushra Bibi, his wife, speak to the media before signing documents to submit surety bond over his bails in different cases, at an office of Lahore High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 17, 2023. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Supporters of Pakistan's imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan hold a demonstration outside Islamabad High Court, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/A. Sheikh)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani court convicted and sentenced imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Saturday to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, officials and his party said.

The couple pleaded not guilty when they were indicted last year. They were accused of selling the gifts, including jewelry from Saudi Arabia’s government, at prices far below their market value while he was in office.

Prosecutors said Khan and his wife declared the value of the gifts at a little over $10,000, far below their actual market value of $285,521, allowing them to purchase the items at a reduced price.

Khan's lawyer, Salman Safdar, said he would appeal the ruling on behalf of the former premier and his wife.

Under Pakistani law, for government officials and politicians to keep gifts received from foreign dignitaries, they must buy them at the assessed market value and declare any proceeds earned from selling them.

Khan’s spokesperson, Zulfiquar Bukhari, said Saturday's sentencing ignored basic principles of justice. In a statement, he said that the “criminal liability was imposed without proof of intent, gain, or loss, relying instead on a retrospective reinterpretation of rules.

Bukhari said the court ruling “raised serious questions about the fairness and impartiality of the process, turning justice into a tool for selective prosecution.”

Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, denounced the ruling in a statement, calling it “a black chapter in history,” and said Khan was present in the court when the judge announced the verdict in the Adiala prison in the city of Rawalpindi.

On its official X account, the party wrote Khan's family was not allowed access to the court when the verdict was announced. “A closed-door jail trial is neither free nor fair. It is, in fact, a military Trial.”

Omar Ayub, a PTI senior leader, said on X that there was “no rule of law in Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan and his wife were convicted and sentenced after the court examined solid evidence. He said the couple indulged in corruption, and “the court delivered a fair decision”.
Khan, 73, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and his party is in opposition in the parliament. However, he remains popular in Pakistan.

His party made a strong showing in the Feb. 8, 2024, parliamentary election but did not win a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, or lower house of the parliament. The party claimed the vote was rigged. The government denies such claims.

Khan's main political rival, Shehbaz Sharif, is the country's current prime minister. Since his ouster, Khan has repeatedly alleged that his removal was the result of a U.S.-backed conspiracy carried out with the support of Pakistan’s powerful military — claims denied by Washington, the military and his opponents.

The former prime minister has been serving multiple prison terms since 2023 on corruption convictions and other charges that the former cricket star and his supporters have alleged are aimed at blocking his political career.

Opinion - How President Trump ruined Christmas

John Mac Ghlionn, 

opinion contributor

THE HILL
Sat, December 20, 2025 



President Trump has weathered scandals, impeachments, investigations, electoral defeats, and enough lawsuits to make a mid-size law firm weep. But this winter, he’s facing something he can’t bluff or bark away: prices. Real prices. Grocery-store prices. The kind that glare at you from the receipt like a personal insult.

And Americans are tired of being insulted.

His approval rating has fallen to depths not seen since Nixon started sweating through his suits. Even Republicans are beginning to admit something is off. Strategists are panicking. Voters are grimacing. Nothing feels stable anymore, except the cost of groceries, which is now apparently welded to the price of rare minerals.

The moment the floor gave way came on Dec. 7, when Trump turned on “Fox & Friends,” his long-time emotional support animal, and found Peter Schiff calmly pointing out that Americans can’t afford much of anything right now. Schiff didn’t yell or blast the president. He simply stated the obvious: prices are rising, wages aren’t and Trump’s tariffs are making everything worse.

Trump’s response was instant and volcanic. He accused Schiff of being a “Trump-hating loser,” demanded producers be investigated, and suggested some unnamed force was infiltrating the network.

But no matter how many enemies he invents, voters know when they’re being squeezed. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found only 26 percent of Americans think Trump is handling the cost of living well.

Even former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who has defended every Republican president since the Bronze Age, has finally waved the red flag. Ignoring affordability, he warned, isn’t a strategy but political self-harm. You can yell “Fake news!” at a reporter. You can’t yell it at a supermarket shelf. As Gingrich put it, any Republican who denies the problem “is not listening to the American people.” Prices feel real because people feel them, and in a free country, perception becomes reality fast. When your voters decide groceries are unaffordable, no spin or late-night rant can drag them back into believing otherwise.

And the sting of rising prices is now paired with something even harder to ignore: Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior. When he’s not comparing female reporters to farm animals, he’s on Truth Social unloading a stream of consciousness that reads like a diary no one asked to see. He’s always been a ranter, of course, but the recent eruption didn’t register as a mere tantrum. It operated on an entirely different level. Hundreds of posts an hour. AI images. Conspiracy theories running around like mice in a grain silo. He accused Michelle Obama of controlling President Biden’s autopen. He suggested Canada was meddling in American elections. He claimed Democrats faked affordability statistics. He warned of shadowy enemies and imaginary plots. It was a kaleidoscope of fury, paranoia and capital letters.

And he did it in December, the one month Americans beg for a break. They want lights. Carols. Hot chocolate. They want to forget their overdrafts and pretend the economy isn’t hanging by a thread. They want peace on earth, or at least silence from their president at 3 a.m.

But instead, they got a man firing off posts like an overcaffeinated teenager locked in a basement with three routers and a grudge.

Christmas didn’t stand a chance.

Families are already tiptoeing around budgets. Four in ten say they’re cutting back. Six in ten say gifts for others are on the chopping block. This year, stockings across America will be filled not with gadgets or toys but with the one gift every politician hands out for free: disappointment.

Tariffs have turned holiday shopping into a form of financial stunt work. Small businesses are being squeezed so hard they now measure success by whether they can make it through one more import cycle without crying.

Take a fragile economy. Add a president broadcasting his own mental turbulence to millions. Mix in a month that demands emotional stability more than any other. The result is simple: Trump stepped on Christmas, barefoot, and shattered it.

John Mac Ghlionn is a writer and researcher who explores culture, society and the impact of technology on daily life.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved

Trump's 'refusal to face reality' on economic crisis shows his 'indifference': analysis

Ewan Gleadow
December 22, 2025 

RAW STORY


FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump holds an executive order about tariffs increase, flanked by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 13, 2025. REUTERS/File Photo

Donald Trump has failed to face up to the reality of the cost of living crisis according to a political commentator who highlighted this "indifference".

John Casey suggested the president had failed to mark up the everyday problems facing the country this Christmas in an opinion piece for The Daily Beast. Casey claimed that Trump had flat out lied about prices falling when, in fact, they were on the rise. Trump's administration was compared to that of Herbert Hoover's "moral failure" in failing to adapt to The Great Depression

Casey wrote, "Herbert Hoover embodied the moral failure of inaction. When the Great Depression devastated the nation, he refused to treat widespread suffering as a call for federal intervention."

"The catastrophic results included soaring unemployment, hunger, disease, and death. Americans experienced what it means when their government refused responsibility for pain."

"Trump’s governing style reflects this refusal to face reality, with consequences stemming from deadlines passed and protections lapsed, with the indifferent refrain that 'things won’t be that bad.'"

"He dismisses warnings from job reports to inflation data as mere messaging problems and the reliable fallback of fake news. Economic hardship is challenged as a Democratic hoax, even as ordinary Americans struggle. Gas prices are down even when they are up."

These economic woes are starting to put strain on the MAGA faithful, according to Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman. Writing in his Substack newsletter, Krugman explained how Trump had inherited an economy that was in much better shape before he took office.

The Nobel Prize winner wrote, "Trump inherited when he took office was in much better shape than today’s economy, with lower unemployment combined with faster job growth, and inflation trending down."

"Trump’s radical policy changes – huge (illegal) tariffs, mass deportations, big tax cuts (for the rich), benefit cuts (for the poor and middle class), mass layoffs of federal workers, disinvesting in huge green energy projects and aid to farmers — have been clearly damaging to everything besides crypto and AI.

"It strains credulity – even for the Trump faithful – to claim that we are still in Joe Biden’s economy." Krugman went on to suggest Trump will try and "gaslight" Americans into believing the economy has been fixed.

He wrote, "Trump is going to make a prime-time address to the nation tonight. The details of his speech haven’t been announced, but it’s a good guess that he intends to gaslight Americans yet again, claiming that things are going well. They aren’t."

Swiss Watch Industry’s Tough Year Continues as U.S. Exports Drop by Half

Joshua Kirby
Thu, December 18, 2025 

Watch exports to the U.S. were affected by President Trump’s trade tariffs. - manuel ausloos/Reuters

Swiss watch exports continued to decline last month, leaving the key industry on track to book a fall over a year marked by a sharp impact from President Trump’s trade tariffs.

Exports to the key U.S. market dropped by more than half in November compared with the same month last year, according to figures from Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, or FH, released Thursday. That dragged total exports down by a total 7.3% on year, with other markets redressing some of the American drag. For the year to date, total exports are down 2.2%, making a decline likely for the year as a whole when data are set out next month.

Switzerland came into Trump’s trade crosshairs this year, with crippling tariffs set out on the Alpine nation over the summer. Those duties were later cut to 15%, the same level as Switzlerland’s European Union neighbors, after a diplomatic push from business leaders that included Johann Rupert, the chairman of luxury-goods group Richemont, whose watchmaker brands were set to suffer from the heavy import tariffs.

Still, U.S. tariffs “continued to impact exports to the region” last month, analysts at brokerage Bernstein wrote in a note to investors. That was likely due to a combination of a continued snapback from a rush to stuff U.S. inventories before the higher tariffs were implemented and wariness about further imports given lingering uncertainty around tariffs, the analysts said.

Write to Joshua Kirby at joshua.kirby@wsj.com

Beloved Macy’s Christmas tradition ends abruptly after 80 years

Daniel Kline
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 2:07 PM MST 5 min read


When you grow up Jewish, Santa Claus seems a bit absurd.

I mean, religion requires faith, but believing that a magical old man brought toys to all the Christian kids in the world, riding a flying sleigh, seemed like something most kids would be skeptical of.

In reality, however, many kids believe until a certain age, and others go along with the ritual because it involves getting presents on Christmas morning.


Part of the Santa Claus ritual has always been getting pictures taken with Jolly Old Saint Nick, sitting on his lap, and telling him what you want for Christmas.

Some kids do that in privately booked photo shoots, while many others head for the mall.

I think most kids know that the mall Santa is more an emissary of the big man than the actual man himself. Still, parents take their kids to meet him, the kids either cry hysterically, or get their pictures taken and gift choices noted before moving on.

For about 80 years, for people living in San Francisco, that tradition meant taking their children to Macy's Union Square. It was a time-honored tradition that has lasted for generations, but this year, it won't be happening.

Santa Claus, at least for San Franciscans who enjoy visiting him at Macy's Union Square, won't be coming to town, it seems.

Macy's Santa Claus has other plans

Macy's has quietly ended its tradition of having Santa Claus head from its Thanksgiving Day Parade to its store in Union Square, San Francisco.

The chain explained that decision in a way that suggests it did not have the option of hiring multiple Santas to visit different stores.

“This year, Macy’s Santa will not be available at our Union Square location. Instead, he will be going on a national tour to visit stores and communities he hasn’t had a chance to appear in before, following his national arrival at the (New York) Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” Macy’s officials said in a statement reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Macy's added that the holiday season magic will continue in Union Square with its SF SPCA Holiday Windows and Macy's Great Tree presented by Ripple.

"It seems weird without Santa Claus," Yvonne Fletcher and her husband, Adrian, told Yahoo News. "I can't bring my grandkids, and that's what we were waiting for."

Santa Claus has always been a key part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Macy’s Santa at Union Square (San Francisco) history

About an 80-year tradition: Santa appeared annually at Macy’s Union Square store, dating back to the store’s opening in the late 1940s and continuing nearly every year until 2025 (excluding the pandemic year), according to the San Francisco Chronicle.


Local cultural touchstone: Families lined up for visits and photos with Santa each holiday season, making it a cherished Bay Area tradition, the San Francisco Chronicle added.

Same Santa for decades: From roughly 1990 to 2010, the role was played by the beloved “Santa John,” whose appearance became iconic in local family photos, reported Hoodline.

No Santa in 2025: For the first time in nearly 80 years, Macy’s confirmed Santa won’t be at Union Square this holiday season as he embarks on a national tour after the Thanksgiving parade, shared ABC7 San Francisco.

Santa Claus puts Macy's on the naughty list

Margarita Hernandez, who had visited the Union Square Santa as a child, hadn't known about the change and brought her daughter.

"I guess we'll go find another Santa," she told reporters, adding, "It's sad. We've been bringing her here since she was a baby."

Macy's actually fired the famed Santa John Toomey.

"That 2010 incident remains one of Union Square's most memorable holiday dramas. Toomey was dismissed after an adult couple complained about a lighthearted joke he'd told for decades: When adults asked why Santa was so jolly, he'd quip that it's because he knows where all the naughty boys and girls live," Hoodline reported.

He was not rehired by Macy's but did get hired by a local restaurant, appearing for one year before he passed away.

For many families, this is an important tradition.

Leigh Eric Schmidt, author of "Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays," explained the evolution of Santa Claus in department stores and malls to Catholic Online.

He said it reflects a deeper cultural truth.

“The tradition of visiting Santa at the store is more than just a commercial venture — it’s about creating lasting memories and experiencing the joy of the season,” he shared.

Macy's and Santa Claus have over 100 years of history

Origin in 1924: The first Macy’s parade was held on November 27, 1924, originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade, and featured floats, live animals, performers, and Santa Claus, according to NBC.


Santa’s central role: Santa has historically appeared at the end of the parade, marking the symbolic start of the Christmas season each year since the first event, reported Encyclopedia Britannica.


Annual holiday kickoff: Although renamed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (by 1927), Santa’s presence has remained a key ceremonial moment, ushering in holiday shopping and festivities, added Encyclopedia Britannica.


Near‑continuous history: The parade has run every year since 1924 except during World War II (1942-1944), becoming ingrained in American holiday tradition, according to NBC.


Cultural historians note that Santa’s appearance isn’t just commercial; it’s ritualistic.

"Culminating with a Santa Claus at the very end of the parade unveiling the holiday windows on 34th Street,” Valerie Paley, chief historian at the New‑York Historical Society, told CBS News, describing how the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has long served as a symbolic kickoff to the holiday season.

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Dec 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section.

TRUMPENOMICS TOO

Iconic American Bourbon Brand is Shuttering its Trademark Distillery in 2026

Men's Journal · Photo by Adam Bouse on Unsplash

Alex Reimer
Sun, December 21, 2025 

Men's Journal 

Jim Beam is putting its trademark distillery on ice.

The iconic American bourbon brand announced it will stop producing whiskey at its facility in Clermont, Kentucky on January 1. The pause will last for the entirety of 2026.

“We are always assessing production levels to best meet consumer demand and recently met with our team to discuss our volumes for 2026," the company said in a statement, per the Lexington Herald Leader. “We’ve shared with our teams that while we will continue to distill at our (Freddie Booker Noe) craft distillery in Clermont and at our larger Booker Noe distillery in Boston, we plan to pause distillation at our main distillery on the James B. Beam campus for 2026 while we take the opportunity to invest in site enhancements."

The visitor center for those who pass through on the famed Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Why is Jim Beam Stopping Production?

It's been a rough year for Kentucky's $9 billion whiskey industry. Tariffs and boycotts are hitting business hard: Canada hasn't bought any American-manufactured spirits since March in response to President Donald Trump's ongoing tariff regime. Overall, U.S. whiskey sales to Canada are down 60%.

As a result, the bourbon industry has halted production by more than 55 million proof-gallons, representing a 28% downshift.

Though the Jim Beam's main distillery is shuttering operations for next year, layoffs haven't been announced--at least not yet. Jim Beam employs nearly 1,500 people in Kentucky.

Other whiskey companies, such as Jack Daniel's, have laid off employees as they pause production, too.

What's the Reaction?

Whiskey enthusiasts and concerned consumers are placing blame on Trump's tariffs. Canada is a major export market for American spirits, serving as the second-largest behind the European Union.

"Trump’s tariffs hurt Kentucky. There is no doubt about it," posted Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath.

Though there is an apparent link between the bourbon industry slump and tariffs, it's worth noting that Kentucky bourbon sales started to slow down in 2024. Alcohol consumption across the U.S. is on the down swing: the percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has dropped to 54%, the lowest percentage in Gallup's 90-year history.


Why Jack Daniel's parent Brown-Forman is reporting lower sales, profit

Olivia Evans and Matthew Glowicki, Louisville Courier Journal
December 4, 2025 3 min read


Brown-Forman, the maker of iconic whiskey products such as Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey and Woodford Reserve, continues to see decreased sales and profits largely attributed to the trade environment and lower used barrel sales.

The first half of fiscal 2026 which ended Oct. 31, saw Brown-Forman report a 4% decrease in net sales and a 4% decrease in gross profit, the company shared in its earnings report Dec. 4.


"We believe cyclical pressures related to ongoing macro, economic and geopolitical uncertainties continued to negatively impact consumer confidence and reduce discretionary spending in the U.S. and in many developed international markets," Brown-Forman President and CEO Lawson Whiting said Dec. 4. "On the other hand, we continue to see resilient consumers in a number of our emerging international markets, where trends are generally much stronger."

The spirits maker, which closed its Louisville cooperage in April and laid off 12% of its global staff in 2025, saw a decline in its 2025 fiscal year sales, has repeatedly spoken about the impact of tariffs and trade on its products. It noted that while its net sales have shown a decline in the first half of fiscal year 2026, it remains optimistic about growth in emerging international markets and its ability to innovate new products like its recent launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry.


"We continue to navigate a spirit sector facing headwinds and still expect that the behavior of the consumer and the level of trade inventories will not change meaningfully during the 2026 fiscal year," said Leanne Cunningham, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Brown‑Forman.

The company reported its entire whiskey portfolio was neutral ― seeing no growth or loss for the earnings period. Brown-Forman also reported its ready-to-drink products saw 5% growth in the first half of FY26, tequila was down 3% and the rest of the company's portfolio fell 35% in net sales.

Whiting said that while the company experienced notable declines, it's important to note the performance "in developed international markets and the U.S. sequentially improved" when compared to the first quarter.


While Brown-Forman continues to feel drastic effects of many provinces in Canada removing all U.S.-made products from shelves in response to President Donald Trump's tariffs and Europe becoming a more challenging operating environment, the alcohol producer saw strong growth in countries like Mexico, Turkey and Brazil.

Whiting said the company has taken a 60% hit in Canada organic net sales.


"The continued unavailability of American spirits products in Canada resulted in a significant impact to our top line performance," Cunningham said. "While we are hopeful for the return of American products to Canadian store shelves, we continue to assume this headwind will persist for our full fiscal year."


In addition to Canada driving sales down, the other main headwind at play for Brown-Forman is used barrel sales.

"Used barrel sales have returned to levels that reflect the challenging and uncertain operating environment for the spirits industry," Cunningham said. "We continue to expect used barrel sales to be lower by more than half of fiscal 2025 level."

Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @oliviamevans_. Reach growth and development reporter Matthew Glowicki at mglowicki@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4000.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jack Daniel's parent Brown-

Jack Daniel’s owner sees Canada sales plunge 62% amid boycott of US booze

A view of the atmosphere is seen during Masego headlines Jack Daniel's "Carols By The Barrels" concert event in Los Angeles at The Brig on December 10, 2024 in Venice, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Jack Daniel's) · Food Dive · Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Jack Daniel's via Getty Images

Laurel Deppen
December 10, 2025 


This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter.

Spirits giant Brown-Forman said the ongoing Canadian boycott of U.S. alcohol spurred by President Donald Trump's tariff policies continues to drag down earnings, with sales in the country declining 62% in the second quarter.


While Canada only makes up about 1% of Brown-Forman’s total sales, the continued absence of its products from a bulk of the country's stores is impacting its entire top line. Total net sales for the quarter fell 5% year over year to $1 billion.

The drop off also impacted the company’s ready-to-drink Jack Daniel’s portfolio, which fell 4% in the first half of its fiscal year.

As Canadian consumers protest Trump's tariffs, only two provinces continue to sell alcohol from the United States, according to the BBC. A majority have pulled stock from the shelves in a bid to promote Canada-produced goods, though some provinces have moved to sell their remaining U.S. inventory to raise funds for charity.

Growth of Brown-Forman's Diplomático and the Glendronach, which are produced outside of the U.S., wasn’t enough to offset the declines elsewhere, executives said in an earnings call last week.

"The continued unavailability of American spirits products in Canada resulted in a significant impact to our top line performance," CFO Leanne Cunningham said on an earnings call. "While we are hopeful for the return of American products to Canadian store shelves, we continue to assume this headwind will persist."

The company expects its full-year net sales to decline in a low-single digit range.

In March, Brown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting said Canadian retailers pulling U.S. alcohol from stores was worse than a tariff.

Dan Su, equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services, said that earnings calls at several Canada-based grocery stores seem to indicate that the anti-U.S. sentiment among Canadian consumers has eased significantly, which could pave the way for Brown Forman's return in the country.

“It seems to me the friction between the two countries on the tariff subject has eased off in recent months, and hopefully the retailers [and] smaller liquor stores will put Brown-Forman products back on the shelf,” Su said in an interview. “But it’s probably going to take a couple of quarters, and within this time period, that will continue to be a headwind for the company.”

Canada is figuring out what to do with its stockpiles of US alcohol

Katherine Li,Aditi Bharade
December 12, 2025 

Canadian provinces removed American liquor from store shelves earlier this year.Jennifer Gauthier/REUTERS

Most Canadian provinces pulled US booze off their shelves in March to protest Trump's tariffs.

Now, some are selling their stockpiles to raise money for food banks and charities ahead of the holidays.

Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland are four such provinces.

Canada is coming up with ways to put its stockpiled American liquor to good use.


Several provinces in the country halted imports of US booze and removed it from store shelves in March in response to President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Now, at least four provinces are planning to sell the remaining inventory and donate proceeds to food banks.

Canada's far eastern province, Prince Edward Island, told Business Insider that its government will put its stock of American booze, which it had pulled off the shelves, back in stores starting on December 11.

A representative for the province's finance department said the government anticipates profits of $600,000 Canadian dollars, or about $434,000, from the sale. The proceeds will be distributed to food banks across the island. The province says it does not intend to place any further orders for American alcohol.


The finance office of Newfoundland and Labrador told Business Insider it had made an upfront payment of $500,000 on Tuesday to 60 provincial food banks before the sales of any liquors, a move that will help more than 15,400 people. After the liquor is sold, more donations will go to the food banks for a total sum of up to $1 million.

Manitoba and Nova Scotia have similar plans.

Manitoba said it will sell its inventory through private retailers and restaurants, with the estimated $500,000 in net revenue going to food banks, holiday charities, children's organizations, and an advocacy group for First Nations.

As for Nova Scotia, the province is making a $4 million upfront payment to groups that provide food access, and the money will be recouped when the $14 million worth of liquor is eventually sold.


"We will not be ordering any more from the United States once this inventory is gone," the province's premier, Tim Houston, said in a statement. "But Nova Scotians have already paid for this product."

He added, "We don't want it to go to waste. That's why we're selling it and using the proceeds to help those in need."

In Canada, the sale of alcohol is mainly controlled by provincial governments, each of which establishes a board to oversee the matter. Only Alberta has a completely privatized alcohol retail system, while Saskatchewan has a partially privatized system.


Canada mainly imports whiskey and bourbon, alongside beer and other spirits, from the US.
Other provinces have different plans

The provinces are not taking a one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with their stockpiles of American booze. Some are still undecided about what to do, while others have already sold off their inventory earlier in the year after ceasing imports.

A spokesperson for Ontario's finance ministry told Business Insider that the province had no plans to put the booze on store shelves soon.


"US alcohol will remain off shelves and is being held in storage until further notice," said the spokesperson. "We are currently exploring options for the products."

Ontario did not disclose how much inventory it still has, but the province said the inventory it had pulled off the shelves in March was worth around C$80 million.

A government representative from the Northwest Territories and a spokesperson of the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch both told Business Insider that they ceased US liquor imports in March, but will continue selling the stockpiled products until they are depleted.

A Yukon government cabinet representative said Yukon has the same plan.

However, the mountainous province of Alberta continues to import and sell American booze.


"In June this year, Alberta lifted restrictions on the purchase of US alcohol from American companies, signalling a renewed commitment to open and fair trade with our largest partner," a spokesperson of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction told Business Insider.
American distillers are hurting

The matter of US booze has been fueling the trade tension between the two neighbors.

The animosity started when Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Canada in March and commented that Canada should become a state of the US.

Despite later walking back some of his broader tariffs and upholding a previous agreement that ensured most goods remain tariff-free, Trump's moves have drawn the ire of Canadians, who have canceled travel plans and boycotted American goods in stores.


According to the Distilled Spirits Council, US spirits exports to Canada plummeted 85% in the second quarter of 2025, falling below $10 million in export value.

"We hope both the US and Canada can address their respective concerns," said Chris Swonger, the CEO of the council. "And that our products can return to Canadian retail shelves as soon as possible."

In March, Kentucky's bourbon makers said Canada's ban on American alcohol would hurt them.

Eric Gregory, the president of the Kentucky Distillers' Association, said in March that retaliatory tariffs would have "far-reaching consequences across Kentucky, home to 95% of the world's bourbon."

Beloved beer brand and brewery shuts down, no bankruptcy



Kirk O’Neil
Updated Tue, December 16, 2025 


The craft beer industry has suffered a devastating year in 2025, as over 250 breweries in the U.S. closed down permanently in the first six months of the year.

Most craft breweries blamed rising costs, slowing taproom traffic, and fierce retail competition as the reasons for their demise, American Craft Beer reported.

The number of craft breweries operating in the U.S. declined from 9,747 in 2023 to 9,269 in June 2025, the Brewers Association reported, and the number continues to decline.
Craft breweries file for bankruptcy and liquidate

Several craft brewers have liquidated and closed in Chapter 7 this year, including St. Petersburg, Fla.-based brewery Dissent Craft Brewing, which filed for liquidation in August; Exton, Pa.-based Iron Hill Brewery LLC and San Jose, Calif.-based Strike Brewing Company, which both filed petitions in October; and Oregon-based Rogue Ales & Spirits, which filed Chapter 7 in November.

One of the most prominent craft brewery closings was Albuquerque, N.M.-based Bosque Brewing Company, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in October 2025 and closed two of its 11 New Mexico establishments in December.

Entropy Brewing Co. closes down its business after almost a year and a half of operating.Shutterstock

Entropy Brewing Company closes permanently

And now, popular Ohio beer brand and brewery Entropy Brewing Company posted on social media that it will not make it to New Year's Eve as it closes down its business permanently on Dec. 27, 2025.

The Miamisburg, Ohio, craft brewery, restaurant, and bar revealed in a Dec. 12 Facebook post that it will shut down operations on Dec. 27, but did not state a reason for closing.


"We have an important update to share: Entropy Brewing Co. will be closing on December 27, 2025. We are deeply grateful for the incredible support this community has shown us. Thank you for the memories, the laughter, and the many good times shared here," the brewery said in the Facebook post.

"Many of us have developed great friendships with many of you. Please visit and say goodbye. Cheers!" the message concluded.
Entropy Brewing opened in July 2025 in a historic building

Entropy Brewing Co. opened for business on July 3, 2024, in a historic 125-year-old downtown Miamisburg building that was built in 1900 to house Suttman's Men's and Boy's Wear, which itself shut down in 2013, according to the Dayton Daily News.

The fledgling craft brewery, which described itself as "a multi-generational brew pub for the whole family," included an indoor playground for children 2-10 years old in an adjacent building where the brew pub's kitchen is located.

The brewery featured a taproom on the main floor and a speakeasy lounge and cocktail bar in the basement. The second and third floors housed one- and two-bedroom apartments.

More closings:

Casual Mexican restaurant chain closes more locations


79-year-old national trucking company closes down, no bankruptcy


65-year-old Home Depot rival shutters business permanently

Entropy Brewery's beers on tap include Bleacher Talk blonde ale, Dark Matter oatmeal stout, 635nm red ale, Vin & Aether aged saison, Viking Project hazy IPA, Phase Change mild coffee ale, Peach Nebula session black dark lager, Chocolate Coal session dark lager, The Black Hole Hallertauer blanc forward black lager, and Pumpkin Project hazy IPA.

Entropy Brewery's beers:

Bleacher Talk blonde ale


Dark Matter oatmeal stout


635nm red ale


Vin & Aether aged saison


Viking Project hazy IPA


Phase Change mild coffee ale


Peach Nebula session black dark lager


Chocolate Coal session dark lager


The Black Hole Hallertauer blanc forward black lager


Pumpkin Project hazy IPA.

The brew pub's dining menu includes a variety of steak burgers, sandwiches, tacos, mac and cheese, salads, starters, dips, and a kids' menu.

The brewery also rented out spaces for parties and special events, including the Stuttman Room, Lower the Bar, Main Dining Area, Outdoor Patio, and the whole Entropy Building with 200 seating capacity.

Related: Bankrupt beer and pizza restaurant chain closes locations

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Dec 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the Restaurants section. A

AB InBev to shut two US breweries, sell another

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hephzibah-ga-usa-06-15-23-2318947385 Budweiser and Bud Light on sale in Hephzibah · Just Drinks

Dean Best
December 12, 2025 

Anheuser-Busch InBev is to close two breweries in the US and offload another.

The Budweiser brewer said the changes mean it can “invest even more in our remaining operations”.

AB InBev is shutting facilities in Fairfield in California and in Merrimack in New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, the world’s largest beer maker is selling a brewery in Newark in New Jersey to property business Goodman Group.


Around 475 staff are affected. A spokesperson for the Michelob Ultra owner said it would offer all the employees “a full-time role elsewhere in our US operations”.

The spokesperson said AB InBev would move “production from these three facilities to our other US facilities” and added: “These changes will enable us to invest even more in our remaining operations and in our portfolio of growing, industry-leading brands.”


In the first nine months of 2025, AB InBev’s revenue in the US declined 1.2%. Sales to retailers fell 3.1% while sales to wholesalers slid 3%. EBITDA inched up 1.1%.

In 2024, the Bud Light brewer reported a 2% fall in US revenues, with sales to retailers decreasing 5% and sales to wholesalers falling 3.9%.


The spokesperson pointed to AB InBev’s recent investment at other breweries in the US. This year, the company has announced projects including at sites in Georgia and New York.

Last week, AB InBev announced a deal to acquire a majority stake in BeatBox, the US-based hard-punch maker.

AB InBev will pay up to around $490m for an 85% shareholding in BeatBox.

Texas-based BeatBox sells its products across the US. Its portfolio spans 20 SKUs, including Blue Razzberry, Orange Blast, Mystic Grape, Lemon Squeeze and Sweet Heat Cinnamon.

The brand entered the UK in October through a distribution agreement with Red Star Brands, securing listings in 700 Morrisons stores.

"AB InBev to shut two US breweries, sell another" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand.

Anheuser-Busch to shutter its Merrimack facility in early 2026

Jonathan Phelps, 

The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
December 11, 2025


Anheuser-Busch will shutter its brewery operations in Merrimack early next year along with facilities in California and New Jersey.

The company known for its Budweiser products confirmed the closing Thursday morning, but has not filed any paperwork under the federal WARN Act, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.


Merrimack officials were told about 125 workers at the plant will be given options to relocate or take a severance package.

The shutdown puts an end to more than 50 years of “The King of Beers” being brewed at the more than 400,000-square-foot processing facility at 221 Daniel Webster Highway. The property also includes warehouses, office buildings, and its well-known biergarten.

Merrimack Town Manager Paul Micali received a call from an Anheuser-Busch representative Thursday morning who told him about the plant closing.

“It is a surprise that they are closing so quickly,” he said. “I knew there were talks about the facility, but I didn’t think they were going to close within four months, three months.”

In addition to the Merrimack plant, the company will also close a facility in Fairfield, California, and sell another in Newark, New Jersey, to the Goodman Group. Approximately 475 full-time employees across all three plants will be impacted, according to a company spokesperson.


All full-time employees will be offered roles in other facilities within the company’s U.S. operations with relocation stipends and new location skills training. Employees who choose not to relocate will be provided with severance packages and other resources, the company said.

The company has been making changes over the past five years to “update and modernize” its U.S. manufacturing operation, including investing $2 billion in more than 100 facilities across the country.

“We will be shifting production from these three facilities to our other U.S. facilities and these changes will enable us to invest even more in our remaining operations and in our portfolio of growing, industry-leading brands,” a company spokesperson said.

Anheuser-Busch earlier this year announced it would stop the production of craft beer in Portsmouth. The production space at Pease International Tradeport opened as Redhook Brewery in 1996.


Michael Skelton, Business and Industry Association president and CEO, called the news disappointing as he said Anheuser-Busch was a great employer and community partner over the years.

“I’m sure this is part of a long-range continual assessment of the best deployment of resources,” he said. “Unfortunately, we’re not immune to those decisions despite the state, I think, offering a very competitive environment for companies like this in terms of our regulatory environment and quality of our workforce.”


Senate President Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, called Anheuser-Busch a “cornerstone” for the state’s manufacturing sector.

“During this time, it has played a vital role in our local economy, not only through job creation and tax revenue but also through its contributions to community outreach and charitable efforts. I want to thank them for making New Hampshire their home,” she said in a statement.


Department of Business and Economic Affairs Office Interim Director James Key-Wallace said his department will reach out to Anheuser-Busch to see how the state can offer assistance to the impacted workers.

“We are here to support Granite Staters impacted by Anheuser-Busch’s closure of its facility in Merrimack,” he said.

The Merrimack plant opened in 1970 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020.

Tours were also popular at the plant, with reports of up to 100,000 visitors a year in its heyday.

But much of the allure diminished when the company announced in 2018 it would relocate its Budweiser Clydesdales training facility to Missouri. Clydesdales were supposed to remain at the Clydesdale Hamlet in Merrimack when they weren’t on tour, but that did not end up being the case.


The same year, the company completed an $11 million project to increase the facility’s cross-brewing capabilities.

Some of the well-known events every year include Oktoberfest, Ribfest and concerts. The organizers of the NH PoutineFest said they’ve been receiving a lot of messages since the closure was announced.

“Very sad news to us,” the group wrote on Facebook. “The staff at AB has become part of our family in many ways. At this time we are going to focus on supporting our friends.”

Skelton said once the initial shock wears off conversations can begin on how the property will be redeveloped.

Micali, the Merrimack town manager, said the town’s wastewater system was built around the facility, which is at little less than half the system’s flow, which amounts to between $1 million or $1.5 million in sewer revenues.

Property taxes from the site typically come in around $800,000 a year.

He called the plant an institution.

“Everybody knows someone who’s worked there, or their grandfather worked there, or somebody worked there in the past,” he said.

Anheuser Busch is owned by Anheuser Busch InBev, a Belgian multinational beverage and brewing company.


Economic Stress Has Americans Shifting from High-End Booze to Cheaper Bottles

Sarina Trangle
December 14, 2025

 Investopedia


Kevin Carter / Getty ImagesDon Julio and other high-end tequila sales have softened, Diageo PLC said.

Key Takeaways

Sales of spirits that cost $100 or more have plunged, and consumers are shifting from "super premium" to "premium" tequila, liquor-company executives said.


The business leaders said people "trading down" shows that Americans still want to buy and drink alcohol.


Fewer booze buyers are reaching for the top shelf.


Americans aren't thirsting for for the high-end tequila that once flowed freely, spirits companies said, as demand for $100 spirits has dropped off. Consumers appear to be trading down—or selecting less expensive versions of their preferred beverage—said Lawson Whiting, CEO of Brown-Forman (BF.A, BF.B), on Thursday, as sales of more affordable bottles fell less.

“We are seeing some weakening, for the first time, in terms of trade down,” Whiting said on a conference call, according to a transcript made available by AlphaSense. "When you look at $100 and above or $50-to-$100 [segments], those price points have weakened considerably."

Industrywide, the number of $100-plus bottles sold has fallen 18% in the past three months, according to the market research firm NielsenIQ.

Why This News Matters to Investors

Consumers are trying to cut back on booze amid concerns about the job market and inflation. Many are likely to step back first from discretionary items, such as fancy liquor or meals out.

Diageo, which makes Johnnie Walker and Crown Royal, said sales of its "super premium" tequila brands have weakened, including Don Julio, which can cost as much as $470 for a 750-ml bottle of Ultima Reserva, as well as Casamigos, which retails for $40 to $62, according to Total Wine & More quotes for New York.

Some customers are shifting to Astral, a "premium" alternative that Total Wine sells for $32, Diageo's interim CFO Deirdre Mahlan said, explaining that the tequila category has also grown competitive as the spirit exploded in recent years.

The spirits companies offer a sign that consumers are cutting back on alcohol because of the economy, rather than in response to health concerns and changing norms, which are also reconfiguring consumption and spending in the sector.

Research shows younger Americans drink less than prior generations. Several factors may be at play: health and wellness is a bigger priority; some socializing has moved online; and disposable income is tight. Legal cannabis may also rival its appeal, and many are now buying non-alcoholic spirits and beers. But some companies believe money is at the root of the change.

"It's largely economic," Mahlan said last month, according to a transcript. "Look at the changes that we're seeing in terms of trade down both in formats and price points."

This article has been updated since it was first published to clarify the industry data from NielsenIQ.