Latest news with #US6
Courier-Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Cher's son rushed to hospital after drug overdose
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Kids. Followed categories will be added to My News. Cher's son Elijah Blue Allman was reportedly rushed to a hospital in Joshua Tree, California, after overdosing. The 48-year-old is currently receiving care at a medical centre and is fortunate to have survived the incident, TMZ reported today. Insiders told the outlet that the singer is focusing on 'her son's wellbeing, and she's doing everything she can to get him the help he needs.' It's unclear what drugs Allman had taken. Reps for Cher, 79, weren't immediately available to Page Six for comment. The pop star shares Elijah with her late second ex-husband, Gregg Allman. Music legend Cher. Picture:for AFI It comes weeks after Elijah sparked concern for his appearance outside the Chateau Marmont. Picture: Credit:MHD / Avalon She is also the mother to son Chaz Bono, 56, whom she shares with her late first ex-husband, Sonny Bono. During a 2014 interview, Elijah admitted to taking drugs, saying he started around age 11. Cher previously filed for a temporary sole conservatorship over Elijah's finances in 2023, citing that he suffered from 'severe mental health and substance abuse issues.' Cher had previously attempted to become her son's financial conservator. Picture: SGranitz/WireImage 'Any funds distributed to Elijah will immediately be spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself, and putting Elijah's life at risk,' court documents read. Cher, however, withdrew the request in September 2024. Singer Cher singing Elijah's father Greg Allman in 1977. Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help. Lifeline: 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or Headspace: 1800 650 890 or 13YARN: Speak to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis supporter on 13 92 76 or visit Are you anxious? Take the Beyond Blue quiz to see how you're tracking and whether you could benefit from support Elijah's reported overdose comes after he was seen looking dishevelled outside the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, California, last month. He was photographed wearing a torn T-shirt and baggy shorts. He looked to be sweating and appeared disoriented. Elijah is currently going through a divorce from his estranged wife, Marieangela King, according to court documents obtained by Page Six in April. She cited 'irreconcilable differences' and requested he pay $US6,000 per month in temporary spousal support. This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission. Originally published as Cher's son rushed to hospital after drug overdose
CBS News
6 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Landslide closes highway over Colorado mountain pass
Mud and rock an estimated 15 to 20 feet deep buried both lanes of travel across U.S. 6 near Loveland Pass before sunrise Saturday. There is no indication when road crews will be able to clear the debris and re-open the road. No vehicles or cyclists are known to have been caught in the slide, according to state and county authorities. No actual time that the slide occurred has been released, either, although the first notification of the highway's closure came from the Colorado Department of Transportation at 4:25 a.m. A landslide crossed both lanes of U.S. 6 a mile north of Loveland Pass's summit Saturday morning. There is no estimated time of re-opening the highway, and authorities are asking travelers to avoid the area because the slide is still active. Clear Creek Sheriff's Office/Facebook The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office stated in a social media post that the landslide crossed the highway at mile marker 226. That location is three miles above U.S. 6's interchange with Interstate 70 near the Loveland Ski Area and one mile below the summit of Loveland Pass. The Keystone and Arapahoe Basin ski areas are open but only accessible from the western side of Loveland Pass in Silverthorne. A-Basin extended its winter ski season earlier this month after planning to close on June 4; today is the ski area's last day. Keystone's ski season ended in early April. That resort planned to open its gates for summer recreation Thursday. There are no limitations to reaching Loveland Ski Area which ended its winter ski season May 4. Colorado Department of Transportation/Facebook Loveland Pass crests the Continental Divide just shy of 12,000 feet in elevation. The road is used as an alternative to the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnels on I-70, particularly for trucks carrying hazardous cargo. With that Loveland Pass route unavailable, highway officials will normally close the tunnels to regular traffic at regular intervals to allow such hazardous cargo to travel through them alone. CDOT has made no announcements about those planned closures at this time.
The Advertiser
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Men jailed for stealing golden toilet from UK mansion
Two men who stole a golden toilet from an English mansion have been sentenced to more than two years in prison. The 18-carat fully functioning toilet was on display as a piece of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace - the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born - when five burglars smashed a window and yanked it from its plumbing in a brazen early-morning raid in September 2019. It was never recovered and was believed to have been chopped up and sold. James Sheen, 40, a roofer who pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property was sentenced in Oxford Crown Court to four years in prison. Michael Jones, 39, who worked for Sheen and was convicted of burglary at trial, was sentenced to two years and three months. The toilet weighed 98kg and was worth more than its weight in gold, being insured for more than $US6 million ($A9.2 million). The toilet was part of a satirical commentary on consumer culture, titled America, by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a banana duct-taped to a wall was sold in 2024 for $US6.2 million at auction in New York. "This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete," Judge Ian Pringle said in recounting the crime on Friday. "America has never been seen again." The piece that poked fun at excessive wealth had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum, in New York, which had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting. Jones had booked a viewing of the toilet the day before the theft to take photos, check out the lock and have his own private session on the golden throne. He deemed the experience "splendid" during his testimony. The next morning before dawn the gang of thieves crashed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen vehicles and tore well-tended lawns. They pulled up to the estate's courtyard and smashed a window that Jones had photographed the day before. The thieves used sledgehammers and a crowbar to wrench the toilet from its foundation, causing considerable damage to the 18th-century property, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture that draws thousands of visitors each year. Two men who stole a golden toilet from an English mansion have been sentenced to more than two years in prison. The 18-carat fully functioning toilet was on display as a piece of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace - the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born - when five burglars smashed a window and yanked it from its plumbing in a brazen early-morning raid in September 2019. It was never recovered and was believed to have been chopped up and sold. James Sheen, 40, a roofer who pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property was sentenced in Oxford Crown Court to four years in prison. Michael Jones, 39, who worked for Sheen and was convicted of burglary at trial, was sentenced to two years and three months. The toilet weighed 98kg and was worth more than its weight in gold, being insured for more than $US6 million ($A9.2 million). The toilet was part of a satirical commentary on consumer culture, titled America, by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a banana duct-taped to a wall was sold in 2024 for $US6.2 million at auction in New York. "This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete," Judge Ian Pringle said in recounting the crime on Friday. "America has never been seen again." The piece that poked fun at excessive wealth had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum, in New York, which had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting. Jones had booked a viewing of the toilet the day before the theft to take photos, check out the lock and have his own private session on the golden throne. He deemed the experience "splendid" during his testimony. The next morning before dawn the gang of thieves crashed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen vehicles and tore well-tended lawns. They pulled up to the estate's courtyard and smashed a window that Jones had photographed the day before. The thieves used sledgehammers and a crowbar to wrench the toilet from its foundation, causing considerable damage to the 18th-century property, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture that draws thousands of visitors each year. Two men who stole a golden toilet from an English mansion have been sentenced to more than two years in prison. The 18-carat fully functioning toilet was on display as a piece of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace - the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born - when five burglars smashed a window and yanked it from its plumbing in a brazen early-morning raid in September 2019. It was never recovered and was believed to have been chopped up and sold. James Sheen, 40, a roofer who pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property was sentenced in Oxford Crown Court to four years in prison. Michael Jones, 39, who worked for Sheen and was convicted of burglary at trial, was sentenced to two years and three months. The toilet weighed 98kg and was worth more than its weight in gold, being insured for more than $US6 million ($A9.2 million). The toilet was part of a satirical commentary on consumer culture, titled America, by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a banana duct-taped to a wall was sold in 2024 for $US6.2 million at auction in New York. "This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete," Judge Ian Pringle said in recounting the crime on Friday. "America has never been seen again." The piece that poked fun at excessive wealth had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum, in New York, which had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting. Jones had booked a viewing of the toilet the day before the theft to take photos, check out the lock and have his own private session on the golden throne. He deemed the experience "splendid" during his testimony. The next morning before dawn the gang of thieves crashed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen vehicles and tore well-tended lawns. They pulled up to the estate's courtyard and smashed a window that Jones had photographed the day before. The thieves used sledgehammers and a crowbar to wrench the toilet from its foundation, causing considerable damage to the 18th-century property, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture that draws thousands of visitors each year. Two men who stole a golden toilet from an English mansion have been sentenced to more than two years in prison. The 18-carat fully functioning toilet was on display as a piece of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace - the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born - when five burglars smashed a window and yanked it from its plumbing in a brazen early-morning raid in September 2019. It was never recovered and was believed to have been chopped up and sold. James Sheen, 40, a roofer who pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property was sentenced in Oxford Crown Court to four years in prison. Michael Jones, 39, who worked for Sheen and was convicted of burglary at trial, was sentenced to two years and three months. The toilet weighed 98kg and was worth more than its weight in gold, being insured for more than $US6 million ($A9.2 million). The toilet was part of a satirical commentary on consumer culture, titled America, by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a banana duct-taped to a wall was sold in 2024 for $US6.2 million at auction in New York. "This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete," Judge Ian Pringle said in recounting the crime on Friday. "America has never been seen again." The piece that poked fun at excessive wealth had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum, in New York, which had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting. Jones had booked a viewing of the toilet the day before the theft to take photos, check out the lock and have his own private session on the golden throne. He deemed the experience "splendid" during his testimony. The next morning before dawn the gang of thieves crashed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen vehicles and tore well-tended lawns. They pulled up to the estate's courtyard and smashed a window that Jones had photographed the day before. The thieves used sledgehammers and a crowbar to wrench the toilet from its foundation, causing considerable damage to the 18th-century property, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture that draws thousands of visitors each year.
Perth Now
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Men jailed for stealing golden toilet from UK mansion
Two men who stole a golden toilet from an English mansion have been sentenced to more than two years in prison. The 18-carat fully functioning toilet was on display as a piece of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace - the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born - when five burglars smashed a window and yanked it from its plumbing in a brazen early-morning raid in September 2019. It was never recovered and was believed to have been chopped up and sold. James Sheen, 40, a roofer who pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property was sentenced in Oxford Crown Court to four years in prison. Michael Jones, 39, who worked for Sheen and was convicted of burglary at trial, was sentenced to two years and three months. The toilet weighed 98kg and was worth more than its weight in gold, being insured for more than $US6 million ($A9.2 million). The toilet was part of a satirical commentary on consumer culture, titled America, by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a banana duct-taped to a wall was sold in 2024 for $US6.2 million at auction in New York. "This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete," Judge Ian Pringle said in recounting the crime on Friday. "America has never been seen again." The piece that poked fun at excessive wealth had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum, in New York, which had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting. Jones had booked a viewing of the toilet the day before the theft to take photos, check out the lock and have his own private session on the golden throne. He deemed the experience "splendid" during his testimony. The next morning before dawn the gang of thieves crashed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen vehicles and tore well-tended lawns. They pulled up to the estate's courtyard and smashed a window that Jones had photographed the day before. The thieves used sledgehammers and a crowbar to wrench the toilet from its foundation, causing considerable damage to the 18th-century property, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture that draws thousands of visitors each year.
The Advertiser
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Bad hair day: US tariffs hit black women's braids, wigs
Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. Now, she said, she has to "go home and figure out what I'm gonna do to my hair in the morning, after I went to the gym and it's messed up with sweating and frizz". President Donald Trump's tariffs are driving up prices for products many black women consider essential, squeezing shoppers and stylists even more as they grapple with inflation and higher rents. Much of the synthetic braiding hair, human hair for extensions, wigs and weaves, styling tools, braiding gel and other products are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. On Thursday, a federal appeals court reinstated most of Trump's tariffs on imported goods after they were blocked the day before by a three-judge panel of the US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. Regardless, the next few months "are already shot" for many items, said Marty Parker, a University of Georgia business professor and supply chain expert who worked in the hair care industry. The costs companies have been facing at ports are making their way down to consumers, supply shortages are getting worse, and it's unclear what will happen if negotiations break down. "Prices go up very fast and come down very slow," Parker said. Some stylists said they're seeing fewer clients because prices are going up for virtually everything. Atlanta stylists are paying more for hair from China. Atlanta stylist Yana Ellis, who also sells products like wigs, paid an extra $US245 ($A381) in shipping for 52 bundles of hair in March compared to 40 bundles in December. AaNiyah Butler said her shipping costs for human hair more than doubled from February to May. And Dajiah Blackshear found in early May that a beauty supply store raised the cost of the kind of hair she's used for years by $US100 ($A155). The store owner said he may have to stop selling that brand of hair because it went up so much. Similarly, some wholesale hair stores have seen higher costs or are expecting them in the coming weeks. Even the typical $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) cost of a pack of synthetic hair has crept up. Blackshear doesn't want clients to bring hair because she likes to vet the quality. But if expenses continue to mount, she may have to raise her prices. "It's going to be extremely difficult," she said, especially for clients who are "having to make those hard decisions, between 'do I get my hair done or do I pay my bills?'" Janice Lowe, who runs 5 Starr Salon in a lower-income neighbourhood southeast of Atlanta, has started asking clients to bring hair and is unable to purchase certain products. "I'm falling behind on my obligations," she said. Consultants vary on how much prices will rise, when they'll go up and for how long — and the full harm to stylists and consumers could be months away. The global black hair care industry was worth about $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 billion) in 2023, according to and black women spend six times more on hair care than other ethnicities. Stylists often purchase some harder-to-get professional products from door-to-door distributors that buy from wholesale companies or larger distributors that purchase directly from other countries. Lowe has seen some of her distributors vanish altogether, making it harder to get professional lines such as black-owned leading professional hair care brand Design Essentials, manufactured in Atlanta at McBride Research Laboratories. Design Essentials is trying to delay big price increases until 2026 or 2027, and may turn to layoffs or pause promotions to save money, said president Cornell McBride Jr. "Nobody wants to put it to the consumer but the person who pays is the consumer in the end," McBride Jr. said. Hawa Keita and her mother usually charge customers between $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) for braiding at their shop, Eve's African Hair Braiding in College Park southwest of Atlanta. Keita is determined to take losses because their customers "can't afford the Atlanta prices," Keita said. The cost of a box of 100 packs of braiding hair from China went up for the first time in two years, from $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), Keita said. They order weekly, often multiple boxes. Some companies say they'll soon raise prices or run out of stock. Making customers happy is ultimately what will keep the business afloat, Keita said. She smiled as she recounted braiding a young woman's hair for her birthday with a style she suggested. "When we finished, she gave me the biggest hug, and she was in here screaming and just yelling because she just really loved her hair," Keita said. Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. Now, she said, she has to "go home and figure out what I'm gonna do to my hair in the morning, after I went to the gym and it's messed up with sweating and frizz". President Donald Trump's tariffs are driving up prices for products many black women consider essential, squeezing shoppers and stylists even more as they grapple with inflation and higher rents. Much of the synthetic braiding hair, human hair for extensions, wigs and weaves, styling tools, braiding gel and other products are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. On Thursday, a federal appeals court reinstated most of Trump's tariffs on imported goods after they were blocked the day before by a three-judge panel of the US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. Regardless, the next few months "are already shot" for many items, said Marty Parker, a University of Georgia business professor and supply chain expert who worked in the hair care industry. The costs companies have been facing at ports are making their way down to consumers, supply shortages are getting worse, and it's unclear what will happen if negotiations break down. "Prices go up very fast and come down very slow," Parker said. Some stylists said they're seeing fewer clients because prices are going up for virtually everything. Atlanta stylists are paying more for hair from China. Atlanta stylist Yana Ellis, who also sells products like wigs, paid an extra $US245 ($A381) in shipping for 52 bundles of hair in March compared to 40 bundles in December. AaNiyah Butler said her shipping costs for human hair more than doubled from February to May. And Dajiah Blackshear found in early May that a beauty supply store raised the cost of the kind of hair she's used for years by $US100 ($A155). The store owner said he may have to stop selling that brand of hair because it went up so much. Similarly, some wholesale hair stores have seen higher costs or are expecting them in the coming weeks. Even the typical $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) cost of a pack of synthetic hair has crept up. Blackshear doesn't want clients to bring hair because she likes to vet the quality. But if expenses continue to mount, she may have to raise her prices. "It's going to be extremely difficult," she said, especially for clients who are "having to make those hard decisions, between 'do I get my hair done or do I pay my bills?'" Janice Lowe, who runs 5 Starr Salon in a lower-income neighbourhood southeast of Atlanta, has started asking clients to bring hair and is unable to purchase certain products. "I'm falling behind on my obligations," she said. Consultants vary on how much prices will rise, when they'll go up and for how long — and the full harm to stylists and consumers could be months away. The global black hair care industry was worth about $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 billion) in 2023, according to and black women spend six times more on hair care than other ethnicities. Stylists often purchase some harder-to-get professional products from door-to-door distributors that buy from wholesale companies or larger distributors that purchase directly from other countries. Lowe has seen some of her distributors vanish altogether, making it harder to get professional lines such as black-owned leading professional hair care brand Design Essentials, manufactured in Atlanta at McBride Research Laboratories. Design Essentials is trying to delay big price increases until 2026 or 2027, and may turn to layoffs or pause promotions to save money, said president Cornell McBride Jr. "Nobody wants to put it to the consumer but the person who pays is the consumer in the end," McBride Jr. said. Hawa Keita and her mother usually charge customers between $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) for braiding at their shop, Eve's African Hair Braiding in College Park southwest of Atlanta. Keita is determined to take losses because their customers "can't afford the Atlanta prices," Keita said. The cost of a box of 100 packs of braiding hair from China went up for the first time in two years, from $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), Keita said. They order weekly, often multiple boxes. Some companies say they'll soon raise prices or run out of stock. Making customers happy is ultimately what will keep the business afloat, Keita said. She smiled as she recounted braiding a young woman's hair for her birthday with a style she suggested. "When we finished, she gave me the biggest hug, and she was in here screaming and just yelling because she just really loved her hair," Keita said. Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. Now, she said, she has to "go home and figure out what I'm gonna do to my hair in the morning, after I went to the gym and it's messed up with sweating and frizz". President Donald Trump's tariffs are driving up prices for products many black women consider essential, squeezing shoppers and stylists even more as they grapple with inflation and higher rents. Much of the synthetic braiding hair, human hair for extensions, wigs and weaves, styling tools, braiding gel and other products are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. On Thursday, a federal appeals court reinstated most of Trump's tariffs on imported goods after they were blocked the day before by a three-judge panel of the US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. Regardless, the next few months "are already shot" for many items, said Marty Parker, a University of Georgia business professor and supply chain expert who worked in the hair care industry. The costs companies have been facing at ports are making their way down to consumers, supply shortages are getting worse, and it's unclear what will happen if negotiations break down. "Prices go up very fast and come down very slow," Parker said. Some stylists said they're seeing fewer clients because prices are going up for virtually everything. Atlanta stylists are paying more for hair from China. Atlanta stylist Yana Ellis, who also sells products like wigs, paid an extra $US245 ($A381) in shipping for 52 bundles of hair in March compared to 40 bundles in December. AaNiyah Butler said her shipping costs for human hair more than doubled from February to May. And Dajiah Blackshear found in early May that a beauty supply store raised the cost of the kind of hair she's used for years by $US100 ($A155). The store owner said he may have to stop selling that brand of hair because it went up so much. Similarly, some wholesale hair stores have seen higher costs or are expecting them in the coming weeks. Even the typical $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) cost of a pack of synthetic hair has crept up. Blackshear doesn't want clients to bring hair because she likes to vet the quality. But if expenses continue to mount, she may have to raise her prices. "It's going to be extremely difficult," she said, especially for clients who are "having to make those hard decisions, between 'do I get my hair done or do I pay my bills?'" Janice Lowe, who runs 5 Starr Salon in a lower-income neighbourhood southeast of Atlanta, has started asking clients to bring hair and is unable to purchase certain products. "I'm falling behind on my obligations," she said. Consultants vary on how much prices will rise, when they'll go up and for how long — and the full harm to stylists and consumers could be months away. The global black hair care industry was worth about $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 billion) in 2023, according to and black women spend six times more on hair care than other ethnicities. Stylists often purchase some harder-to-get professional products from door-to-door distributors that buy from wholesale companies or larger distributors that purchase directly from other countries. Lowe has seen some of her distributors vanish altogether, making it harder to get professional lines such as black-owned leading professional hair care brand Design Essentials, manufactured in Atlanta at McBride Research Laboratories. Design Essentials is trying to delay big price increases until 2026 or 2027, and may turn to layoffs or pause promotions to save money, said president Cornell McBride Jr. "Nobody wants to put it to the consumer but the person who pays is the consumer in the end," McBride Jr. said. Hawa Keita and her mother usually charge customers between $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) for braiding at their shop, Eve's African Hair Braiding in College Park southwest of Atlanta. Keita is determined to take losses because their customers "can't afford the Atlanta prices," Keita said. The cost of a box of 100 packs of braiding hair from China went up for the first time in two years, from $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), Keita said. They order weekly, often multiple boxes. Some companies say they'll soon raise prices or run out of stock. Making customers happy is ultimately what will keep the business afloat, Keita said. She smiled as she recounted braiding a young woman's hair for her birthday with a style she suggested. "When we finished, she gave me the biggest hug, and she was in here screaming and just yelling because she just really loved her hair," Keita said. Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. Now, she said, she has to "go home and figure out what I'm gonna do to my hair in the morning, after I went to the gym and it's messed up with sweating and frizz". President Donald Trump's tariffs are driving up prices for products many black women consider essential, squeezing shoppers and stylists even more as they grapple with inflation and higher rents. Much of the synthetic braiding hair, human hair for extensions, wigs and weaves, styling tools, braiding gel and other products are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. On Thursday, a federal appeals court reinstated most of Trump's tariffs on imported goods after they were blocked the day before by a three-judge panel of the US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. Regardless, the next few months "are already shot" for many items, said Marty Parker, a University of Georgia business professor and supply chain expert who worked in the hair care industry. The costs companies have been facing at ports are making their way down to consumers, supply shortages are getting worse, and it's unclear what will happen if negotiations break down. "Prices go up very fast and come down very slow," Parker said. Some stylists said they're seeing fewer clients because prices are going up for virtually everything. Atlanta stylists are paying more for hair from China. Atlanta stylist Yana Ellis, who also sells products like wigs, paid an extra $US245 ($A381) in shipping for 52 bundles of hair in March compared to 40 bundles in December. AaNiyah Butler said her shipping costs for human hair more than doubled from February to May. And Dajiah Blackshear found in early May that a beauty supply store raised the cost of the kind of hair she's used for years by $US100 ($A155). The store owner said he may have to stop selling that brand of hair because it went up so much. Similarly, some wholesale hair stores have seen higher costs or are expecting them in the coming weeks. Even the typical $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) cost of a pack of synthetic hair has crept up. Blackshear doesn't want clients to bring hair because she likes to vet the quality. But if expenses continue to mount, she may have to raise her prices. "It's going to be extremely difficult," she said, especially for clients who are "having to make those hard decisions, between 'do I get my hair done or do I pay my bills?'" Janice Lowe, who runs 5 Starr Salon in a lower-income neighbourhood southeast of Atlanta, has started asking clients to bring hair and is unable to purchase certain products. "I'm falling behind on my obligations," she said. Consultants vary on how much prices will rise, when they'll go up and for how long — and the full harm to stylists and consumers could be months away. The global black hair care industry was worth about $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 billion) in 2023, according to and black women spend six times more on hair care than other ethnicities. Stylists often purchase some harder-to-get professional products from door-to-door distributors that buy from wholesale companies or larger distributors that purchase directly from other countries. Lowe has seen some of her distributors vanish altogether, making it harder to get professional lines such as black-owned leading professional hair care brand Design Essentials, manufactured in Atlanta at McBride Research Laboratories. Design Essentials is trying to delay big price increases until 2026 or 2027, and may turn to layoffs or pause promotions to save money, said president Cornell McBride Jr. "Nobody wants to put it to the consumer but the person who pays is the consumer in the end," McBride Jr. said. Hawa Keita and her mother usually charge customers between $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) for braiding at their shop, Eve's African Hair Braiding in College Park southwest of Atlanta. Keita is determined to take losses because their customers "can't afford the Atlanta prices," Keita said. The cost of a box of 100 packs of braiding hair from China went up for the first time in two years, from $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), Keita said. They order weekly, often multiple boxes. Some companies say they'll soon raise prices or run out of stock. Making customers happy is ultimately what will keep the business afloat, Keita said. She smiled as she recounted braiding a young woman's hair for her birthday with a style she suggested. "When we finished, she gave me the biggest hug, and she was in here screaming and just yelling because she just really loved her hair," Keita said.
