Biden calls out Trump and Republicans for cuts to Social Security
By Carrie Shepherd Former President Biden stopped short of mentioning his successor by name at a speech Tuesday in Chicago but took aim at the Trump administration’s threats to cut Social Security. The big picture: Biden spoke at the Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) on the same day Democrats declared the Save Social Security National Day of Action. The latest: Biden’s rebuke against the administration came as Democrats have launched digital ads attacking Republicans over the administration’s threats to Social Security, such as President Trump’s order to cease payments by paper check. Why it matters: The former president told the roomful of disability advocates that he left the
Republicans reconsider their commitment to tax cuts for the rich in Trump agenda bill
By Sahil Kapur and Peter Nicholas Republicans are discussing an idea that has long been anathema within the party: a tax hike on the wealthy. In a twist, members of the GOP are debating whether to allow tax rates to go up on top earners when major parts of the 2017 tax law expire at the end of this year as part of a massive bill to pass President Donald Trump’s agenda. The issue has come up in private meetings among Senate Republicans as they grapple with how to limit the red ink and pay for other provisions of their party-line package, which includes additional funding for immigration
White House Plans $9.3B Foreign Aid, Media Funding Cuts
By Jennifer Scholtes The White House will soon ask Congress to cancel $9.3 billion already approved for foreign aid initiatives, public broadcasting and other programs, according to a White House official granted anonymity to speak freely. Congress is expected to receive that so-called rescissions request when lawmakers return from their two-week recess later this month. To nix the funding, the House and Senate will each have to vote at a simple-majority threshold to approve the formal ask. The White House package is expected to target funding for the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Institute of Peace and
Trump’s Tariff Policy Divides Public on Economy, Inflation
By Anthony Salvanto Amid a tumultuous week in the markets, the outlook on President Trump’s trade and tariff policy hinges not just on what Americans think will happen, but when. People split on whether they believe Mr. Trump has a clear plan, and most don’t think the tariffs will be permanent — rather that he’s using them to negotiate. More like his goals regarding trade policy than his approach to it. For those who think he does have a plan — predominantly, Republicans — it’ll take months or longer to judge the impact. Republicans stand apart from the public overall in showing that patience.
Langston University-Tulsa Fights Bill Threatening Future
Langston University-Tulsa, a Historically Black College (HBCU), fears it might have to close if it is not allowed to offer four-year degrees. Lawmakers and Langston University alumni said they have been fighting to preserve Oklahoma’s only HBCU, and the University’s extension campus in Tulsa has been a fight since the 70’s, and it’s a fight that continues today to keep this Sooner State HBCU’s doors open. House Bill 2854 is making its way through the state capitol to give Tulsa the option to have four-year degrees offered at its public higher education institutions. It’s a bill, Speaker of the House
Hillary Clinton Warns SAVE Act May Suppress Women’s Votes
By Sarah Fortinsky Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton warned women about a just-passed House bill that she says could make it harder for them to vote. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — passed Thursday in a 220-208 vote in the House — would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and impose voter roll purge requirements on states. Clinton, the first woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket, said the bill could effectively disenfranchise women whose married names don’t match the names on their birth certificates. “The House just passed the Republican voter suppression measure that
Judge Rules White House Can’t Ban AP Over Gulf Naming
By Dan Mangan A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the White House cannot bar Associated Press reporters and photographers from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other tightly controlled spaces where a handful of other media outlets are admitted to cover President Donald Trump. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden said the White House’s blocking of AP journalists from those secure spaces after the wire service refused to wholeheartedly adopt his renaming of the Gulf of Mexico is “contrary to the First Amendment” of the U.S. Constitution. McFadden, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, paused his preliminary injunction order requiring the White House to restore access to AP journalists
Trump Targets Ex-Officials, Law Firm With New Orders
By Chris Cameron President Trump on Wednesday signed executive orders punishing two officials from his first administration and an elite law firm, continuing a campaign of retribution that he has gleefully carried out since his inauguration. Two executive orders targeted Christopher Krebs, who as a senior cybersecurity official oversaw the securing of the 2020 presidential election, and Miles Taylor, who served as chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security during Mr. Trump’s first term and anonymously wrote a high-profile opinion article for The New York Times in 2018. Among other measures, the orders directed Pam Bondi, the attorney general, and Kristi Noem, the homeland
States Defy Trump DEI Order Threatening School Funding
Some Democratic-led states and cities are pushing back on a Trump administration threat to cut education funding over diversity, equity and inclusion programs, creating a standoff that could test how far the White House is willing to go to press its demands on the nation’s schools. State leaders in Minnesota and New York said they will not comply with an Education Department order to gather signatures from local school systems certifying compliance with civil rights laws, including the rejection of what the federal government calls “illegal DEI practices.” Chicago’s mayor promised to sue over any cuts. California and Vermont told schools they
Court Backs Trump Admin in Federal Worker Firing Dispute
By Victor Nava The Trump administration was given the green light to fire thousands of federal workers by an appeals court on Wednesday, overturning a lower court order that forced the government to reinstate terminated probationary employees. In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of judges on the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Trump administration is “likely to succeed in showing the district court lacked jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ claims, and the Government is unlikely to recover the funds disbursed to reinstated probationary employees.” The judges also cited Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling staying a similar preliminary injunction issued by the US District
