Will Trump satisfy his voters?

Image by Pexels from Pixabay Share — Will Trump satisfy his voters? How quickly will he fail them? If Trump follows through with his promises for radical tariffs and mass deportations, while both may be emotionally satisfying for his voters, both will also take a big bite out of the economy, probably provoking a recession. That will be a real test of his and Rupert Murdoch’s ability to gaslight Americans. The majority of his voters believe that the country is ravaged with crime (our violent crime numbers are the lowest in decades), in the midst of a recession (we have the best economy since the 1960s), and our border is daily overwhelmed (crossings are at a multi-decade low). So his and Murdoch’s power to make people believe things that aren’t true is considerable (remember that roughly a half-million Americans died unnecessarily because they believed Trump and Murdoch on Covid and masks). But, still, there are limits to people’s credulity, particularly when it comes to losing their jobs to a recession. This point when he’s screwed things up and doesn’t have a solution will be a crucial moment; it’s the time he’d most likely try to go full fascist authoritarian to shut down truth-tellers and his political opposition. As Duke University political scientist Herbert Kitschelt told The New York Times’ Thomas Edsall: “The hour of political authoritarianism arrives, when the new wagers to create economic affluence among the less well-off and to resurrect the old kinship relations of industrial society turn sour and generate disenchantment among Trump’s own following. Trump then may well want to make sure that his disenchanted supporters — as well as those who always opposed Trumpism — will not get another chance to express their opinions.” If Kitschelt is right and Trump turns on his own base, it’ll be a critical moment in American history. Frankly, I’m more inclined to believe he’ll do what Reagan did when the economy was in the tank and he was being criticized for not responding to the Beirut Marine barracks bombing: he invaded Grenada. Starting a “little war” is a time-tested technique, first used by Margaret Thatcher, then Reagan, then both Bushs to divert the public’s attention from domestic crises. If he chooses his war stupidly, he could trigger WWIII. Keep an eye on this.

Bishop’s fights for future under Quebec’s proposed cap

“An unpredictable system” Bishop’s fights for future under Quebec’s proposed cap on international students By William Crooks Local Journalism Initiative In the wake of Quebec’s Bill 74, which proposes limits on international student enrollments, Bishop’s University finds itself grappling with uncertain prospects for student recruitment and financial sustainability. In a Nov. 8 interview, Bishop’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sébastien Lebel-Grenier shared his concerns over the potential impact of these restrictions on his institution, particularly in light of recent enrollment and funding challenges that have already hit the university hard. The timing of Bill 74, which would give the Quebec government discretionary power to cap international student numbers, is especially problematic, says Lebel-Grenier, given that Bishop’s has seen a sharp 27.7 per cent drop in its international student population this year. This decline contributes to a projected $1.6 million deficit, one that could grow as the cap on international students jeopardizes the university’s enrollment-driven revenue. “We’re already in a difficult position,” he said, emphasizing the need for careful financial management to protect the student experience, which remains Bishop’s highest priority despite these fiscal strains. The financial hit comes from two primary sources: decreased recruitment numbers and a new funding formula. The sudden changes have left Bishop’s and other Quebec universities scrambling to adapt. “What we’re seeing now is a situation where we’re investing a lot more effort to recruit students, yet our results are weaker,” said Lebel-Grenier. The financial gap, which government funds are not expected to fill, could mean further tough decisions ahead. While Lebel-Grenier refrained from specifying potential budget cuts, he acknowledged that reducing expenditures may be unavoidable as Bishop’s seeks to stabilize its finances. During a recent presentation to Quebec’s National Assembly, Lebel-Grenier highlighted that Bishop’s, one of Quebec’s smallest universities with 417 international students, relies on these students to enrich both its campus environment and the broader Lennoxville community. The institution, committed to a liberal arts model, sees international diversity as core to its mission. Lebel-Grenier argued that limiting this diversity threatens the very foundation of Bishop’s educational philosophy. The liberal education Bishop’s offers depends on varied student backgrounds, which enrich academic discussion and peer-to-peer learning.

Earth’s Land and Trees Absorbed Almost No Net Carbon in 2023

Earth’s Land and Trees Absorbed Almost No Net Carbon in 2023Earth’s land-based carbon sinks — forests, wetlands, grasslands and soil — are essential for absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide, regulating the planet’s temperature and mitigating climate change. A preliminary report shows that last year — the hottest ever recorded — almost no net carbon was absorbed by land. This means the world’s terrestrial carbon sinks temporarily collapsed, reported The Guardian. “We’re seeing cracks in the resilience of the Earth’s systems. We’re seeing massive cracks on land – terrestrial ecosystems are losing their carbon store and carbon uptake capacity, but the oceans are also showing signs of instability,” said Johan Rockström, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research director, at a New York Climate Week event last month, as The Guardian reported. “Nature has so far balanced our abuse. This is coming to an end.”

Trump to break the economy?

by Tom Hartmann Donald Trump is preparing to crash the American economy. He intends to do it by tearing up vital parts of our American government. He may even hire Elon Musk to pull it off. And from his point of view, this is not going to be a bad thing. The farther the economy crashes, the greater the buying opportunity for billionaires. It all has to do with something called the administrative state. While it’s not sexy or even particularly interesting to the average American voter, having a strong administrative state is essential to a high-functioning economy. A strong administrative state is the only thing that protects entrepreneurs and small businesses from being squashed like bugs by monopolistic behemoths, and small businesses are our nation’s main growth engine. For example, over 70 percent of all new jobs created since 2019 were created by small businesses, producing almost 13 million new jobs over the past 25 years. Small business creation is up 50 percent over Trump’s years because the Biden administration has been enforcing the rule of law, including taking on the giant tech monopolies. Small businesses now account for over 43 percent of all American economic activity. A strong administrative state is also the only thing that can protect the environment from those who’d destroy it for their own profits. It’s the only thing that can protect consumers from defective or even deadly products and food or drug contamination. It our only defense against predatory banks, airlines, and insurance companies, among others. A strong administrative state that follows and enforces the rule of law — as opposed to the kind of grift-driven kleptocracies typical of strongman governments — is essential, in other words, to a functioning national economy. Here in America, we see this best in the contrast between lightly bureaucratic and largely unregulated Red states and more bureaucratic and regulated (and taxed) Blue states and counties. While Red and Blue states are represented in Congress about 50/50, as the Brookings Institution found a few years ago: “Biden’s winning base in 509 counties encompasses fully 71% of America’s economic activity, while Trump’s losing base of 2,547 counties represents just 29% of the economy.” But now the administrative state is in the crosshairs of the incoming Trump administration, and their planned assault on it will almost certainly cause a loss of economic vitality, probably even leading to a major recession (every Republican president since Nixon has had a major recession after tinkering with tax and regulatory policies; none of the Democratic presidents have created one since Carter, and his started under Nixon). We also see this at the level of the nation-state. As Professor Timothy Snyder notes: “Now consider the Russian and Hungarian economies. Russia sits on hugely valuable natural resources, and yet is a poor country. The profits from its oil and gas are in the hands of a few oligarchs. “Hungary sits in the middle of the European Union, the most successful trade project of all time. And yet Hungarians are poorer than their neighbors, in part because the Orbán regime corruptly channels EU resources to friendly oligarchs. “The lesson is clear. Democracy is a method of checking corrupt rulers. When there is no functioning democracy, corruption is unchecked. And democracy is an element of a more fundamental guarantor of prosperity, the rule of law. In Hungary and Russia, the rule of law has been bent and broken, to the benefit of the few, and to the detriment of the many. Ending the rule of law is the Trump-Vance platform.” Gutting the administrative state is the first and imperative aspect of ending or weakening the rule of law. Because, as Steve Bannon famously told America, the main goal of the Trump administration is “the ‘deconstruction’ of the administrative state.” He added: “Every business leader we’ve had in is saying not just taxes, but it is also the regulation. I think the consistent …[thing] is the deconstruction. The way the progressive left runs is, if they can’t get it passed, they’re just going to put in some sort of regulation in an agency. That’s all going to be deconstructed and I think that that’s why this regulatory thing is so important.” We saw this movie before, during the last Trump administration. He put a coal lobbyist in charge of EPA, an oil lobbyist at Interior, a Telcom lobbyist and lawyer at FCC, a professional union-busting lawyer in charge of the Labor Department, an advocate for replacing public schools with religious ones in charge of the Education Department, etc., etc. But that was more mere corruption than a wholesale destruction of administrative agencies. Since the Chevron deference decision by the Supreme Court this past year, though, it’s now possible that Trump could actually destroy the American administrative state. Even when Chevron was still intact eight years ago, the result of Trump’s corruption in his previous administration, just like with Reagan’s and Bush’s deregulatory campaigns, was a massive recession that started before Covid came along. Trump will fire Lena Kahn at the Federal Trade Commission, blowing up the antitrust efforts of the Biden administration; the fat cat billionaires already are eagerly anticipating running amok (which is why they threw billions at Trump’s campaign). The result, predictably, will be another Republican economic disaster for America’s working class. Interestingly, our country’s most famous investor also seems to be thinking along these same lines. Warren Buffett has recently sold over $325 billion in stock and is simply sitting on that huge pile of cash. Why? Probably the Oracle of Omaha can see the same thing I’m pointing out here: Trump is preparing to turn the economy over to Musk and his billionaire buddies and the result will be a disaster. A disaster, by the way, that will be very useful to Buffett and other billionaires; recessions and depressions are when America’s largest fortunes are typically made or expanded because they represent great buying opportunities to those with cash, while at the same time the small companies being squeezed are willing to sell for a song. So get ready; we’re in for a bumpy few years as America descends into a strongman-run oligarchy while the Supreme Court and Trump’s toadies rip apart the protections of the administrative state we’ve so carefully constructed in the years since the Civil War and the Republican Great Depression. It may well be a disaster for your 401(k), and millions will lose their jobs in a recession. If Musk cuts $2 trillion from the federal budget, as promised, it will almost certainly impact Social Security and take a huge bite out of programs for veterans, children, and the disabled. It would probably also have to end all subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, and end hundreds of billions in federal aid to infrastructure construction programs. Get ready now, to the extent that you can. Forewarned is forearmed.

Albertans need to follow the American style of MAGA?

Why is our government deciding that Albertans need to follow the American style of MAGA

right-wing election politics? They’re deciding that we are no longer going to have electronic voting machines but instead spend millions of tax dollars counting the ballots by hand, which delays the results and leaves the election officials open to many recounts due to human error.

Missouri anti-abortion PAC gets $1 million boost from group tied to Leonard Leo

Anna Spoerre October 30, 2024·3 min read A handful of people opposed to Amendment 3 protested outside the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, following a ruling to keep the abortion amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent). A group associated with conservative activist Leonard Leo donated $1 million on Tuesday to a campaign opposing Missouri’s abortion-rights amendment. The Concord Fund, an advocacy organization funded by groups connected to Leo, stepped into the fight over Amendment 3 with a $1 million check to a PAC called Vote No on 3, according to filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission. The Concord Fund’s previous spending in Missouri was focused on boosting Will Scharf’s unsuccessful GOP primary campaign for attorney general, where it donated $5 million to PACs supporting Scharf. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Leo, a lawyer and activist who is a longtime leader at the conservative Federalist Society, also has ties to U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley. He’s been involved in one way or another with almost every high-profile conservative judicial appointment in recent decades. Amendment 3 would legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability. Abortion is illegal in Missouri, with exceptions only for medical emergencies. Vote No on 3 is among a handful of political action committees hoping to defeat the amendment, including Missouri Stands with Women and the Missouri Right to Life. The donation from the Concord Fund is the single largest contribution made yet to a PAC opposing the amendment. It also came a week before a General Election that’s already seen huge early voter turnout. Cassidy Anderson, campaign manager for Vote No on 3, said the late-in-the-race donation was motivated in part by positive internal polling showing “Missourians really don’t want this.” A September Emerson College poll found 58% of those surveyed support Amendment 3, with 30% opposed. An August SLU/YouGov Poll found that 52% supported the amendment and 34% opposed. “Public polling in Missouri has consistently shown what we know to be true — there is overwhelming support among Missourians for ending the state’s abortion ban and protecting reproductive freedom,” Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the campaign behind Amendment 3, said in a statement in response to Anderson. Abortion a key flashpoint in Missouri Senate race between Josh Hawley, Lucas Kunce Despite a recent influx of cash, including $250,000 from a PAC called Conservative Leadership for Missouri, the anti-abortion campaign remains markedly outraised and outspent. As of Wednesday, Missourians for Constitution had raised more than $31 million, including several seven-figure donations from liberal groups including the Sixteen Thirty Fund, the Fairness Project and Open Source Action Fund, all based out of Washington D.C. Anderson, with Vote No on 3, said the donation will help the PAC launch “one last big education push” through TV and digital ads in the days leading up to the election, adding that the seven-figure check sends a message of hope to Missourians opposing abortion “who have been waiting to see the donor class jump in big time to help.” As of Monday, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom spent more than $10 million on TV ad buys, including $2.6 million for ads that will air in the final days of the campaign. Groups opposing Amendment 3 have spent about $700,000 on radio and TV ads, with No on 3 accounting for about $340,000 of that with TV ad purchases in the St. Louis market over the last four days. No new TV ad purchases were reported for Vote No on 3 as of Wednesday afternoon. Rudi Keller of The Independent staff contributed to this report.

Despite Persistent Warnings, Texas Rushed to Remove Millions From Medicaid. That Move Cost Eligible Residents Care.

Despite Persistent Warnings, Texas Rushed to Remove Millions From Medicaid. That Move Cost Eligible Residents Care.by Miranda Green, Floodlight, Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, and Priyanjana Bengani, Tow Center for Digital Journalism, and photography by Sarahbeth Maney, ProPublica ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. This story was co-published with the Tow Center for Digital Journalism and Floodlight, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powerful interests stalling climate action. Word tends to spread fast in rural Knox County, Ohio. But misinformation has spread faster. The first article in the Mount Vernon News last fall about a planned solar farm simply noted that residents were “expressing their concern.” But soon the county’s only newspaper was packed with stories about solar energy that almost uniformly criticized the project and quoted its opponents.

German leaders settle on Feb. 23 snap election

 November 12, 2024 11:15 am CET

By Nette Nöstlinger and Rixa Fürsen

BERLIN — The leaders of Germany’s major parties have agreed to hold a federal election on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s troubled three-party coalition last week.

Scholz is now expected to hold a vote of confidence on Dec. 16 paving the way for the February election. For days, there has been speculation and debate on the timing of the vote.

“Now we can finally move away from this tiresome discussion about the election date and concentrate on what is really good for our country,” said Rolf Mützenich, the leader of the Social Democratic Party’s (SPD) parliamentary faction on Tuesday. “I believe this will help us to finally focus on the clear question: Who is the better chancellor for Germany?”

Whatever the outcome of the U.S. election, fascism will not fade away

“Fascism is might over right, conspiracy over reality, fiction over fact, pain over law, blood over love, doom over hope.” — Timothy Synder The underwhelming Democratic candidate Kamala Harris recently painted Donald Trump as a fascist. Not to be outdone, the demagogue and convicted felon called Harris a fascist, a communist and stupid. Trump added that he was “the opposite of a Nazi.” Yet two top U.S. generals who worked with President Trump begged to differ. They described the New Yorker as clearly an authoritarian fellow with a short attention span and no appreciation for truth: a “fascist to the core,” said one. Meanwhile, conservative commentators have begun to taunt their liberal friends about the fascist label. Have they got their passports in order? mocked one. If fascism has truly arrived in the United States, argued another, then why haven’t you packed your bags or joined the resistance? What these Trump apologists have forgotten (and that’s easy to do in this ahistorical time) is that fascism overwhelmed Germany so abruptly in 1933 that few writers, cartoonists and artists had time to leave. Hardly any could appreciate the danger, let alone the fragility of democracy. The psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, who fled Hitler’s regime, later observed that “most people were not prepared theoretically or practically” for fascism. “Only a few had been aware of the rumbling of the volcano preceding the outbreak.” Nor did the regime tolerate much resistance. In fact, the majority submitted in advance.

NY Prosecutor SHOCKS Trump

Before Trump can pass his unconstitutional and MAGA policies and executive orders, he will have to go through NY Attorney General Leticia James first, who has beaten him over 50x in prior cases against his first term, and won a $450 million dollar fraud judgment against him in 2024. Popok is @ The Intersection about there being no finer battlefield "Attorney General" than Tish James who has the playbook on how to beat Trump and his policies at his own game, and where at a press conference in NY just after the election, she basically called out Trump and told him to "bring it on."

A Second World War mystery - Sherman Peabody

A Second World War mystery solved: 75 years later, a transatlantic team retraces two lost Canadians’ final days In 1944, a Canadian pilot and his navigator were shot down in their Lancaster bomber over occupied France – but their bodies were never found. Where did they go, and why did they never make it home? It took their family, amateur historians and students on two continents to finally figure that out. Read More

Gaiters win Loney Bowl; Become AUS Champions

LENNOXVILLE, Que. – Xavier Gervais' (Ottawa, ON/Cégep de l'Outaouais) 25-yard field goal in triple overtime sent Coulter Field into a frenzy as the Bishop's Gaiters topped the Saint Mary's Huskies 25-22 in triple overtime to win the 2024 AUS Loney Bowl presented by Bell. The fireworks came even earlier as seemingly down and out with 16 seconds left and down by three Gabriel Royer (Lawrenceville, QC/Cégep de Sherbrooke) forced a Saint Mary's fumble that led to a Gervais game-tying field goal with six seconds left to force OT. The Royer magic came after the Gaiters were in field goal range to tie the game but had a fumble themselves and gave Saint Mary's the ball and what appeared to be the game and title with 48 seconds left and no timeouts left. The Huskies ran the ball, and Royer, the 2022 AUS Defensive Player of the Year forced the ball loose. Kyle Chorney (Winnipeg, MB) pounced on it to give the Gaiters life and a movie script ending. Gervais calmly booted through a 16-yard field goal to tie the game. In overtime SMU had the ball first and Adam Johnston connected on a 38-yard field goal his fourth of five made on the day. Bishop's responded with a Gervais 17-yard connection. The teams also exchanged field goals in double overtime. As the third extra stanza started, the Huskies offense was stopped on first down. Royer again made a defensive play with a tackle for a loss of two yards. An incompletion later and the Huskies lined up for a 44-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide left. Bishop's took over and David Chaloux (Saint-Charles-Boromée, QC/Cégep de Lanaudière) immediately broke an 18-yard run. Two plays later Gervais sent the Gaiters into the history books. His 25-yard field goal gave Bishop's their first AUS title after moving to the conference in 2017. It's their first title of any kind since 1994 when they won the OQIFC's Dunsmore Cup. Chaloux was named game MVP and hoisted the Don Loney Memorial Trophy. He finished with 20 carries for 160 yards and an impressive 57-yard touchdown run. Gervais finished 6-for-6 on field goals. The game was marred by mistakes as Bishop's fumbled four times, turning the ball over each time. They were also 0-for-3 on third down gambles but still found a way to win. Saint Mary's also struggled on the frigid Lennoxville Saturday. They threw three interceptions, fumbled once and were stopped on a third down attempt. Bishop's outgained the Huskies 440 to 235 and had the ball for 5:36 seconds longer than the visitors. AUS Defensive Player of the Year Alex MacDonald (Eastern Passage, NS/Auburn Drive High School) led the way for the Bishop's defense with 8.5 tackles including 1.5 for a loss. He also had a pass breakup and an interception. Royer had eight tackles, half a sack and the massive forced fumble. For Saint Mary's quarterback Allan Young went 11-29 for 101 yards and three interceptions. He added the Huskies lone touchdown with his legs. His favourite target was Trydell Mintis who caught eight of those passes including a wild double deflection to set up the Saint Mary's touchdown at the 9:14 mark of the fourth quarter to give SMU the lead. Saturday's Loney Bowl was the third AUS Championship to go into extra time and first since 2017. It was the first to go three extra periods. The Gaiters win sends them to their fourth ever National semifinal with the last coming in 1994. They also participated in 1990, 1988 and 1986. Bishop's will face the OUA Champion Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in the Uteck Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 16. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. Tickets for the contest go on sale on Sunday at noon at www.gaiters.ca/tickets. Follow the Gaiters on Instagram @GaitersFB and @BishopsGaiters and stay up to date with everything at www.gaiters.ca.

Trump Says He’ll Fight for Working-Class Americans. His First Presidency Suggests He Won’t.

Trump Says He’ll Fight for Working-Class Americans. His First Presidency Suggests He Won’t.

by Eli Hager

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

When Donald Trump was president, he repeatedly tried to raise the rent on at least 4 million of the poorest people in this country, many of them elderly or disabled. He proposed to cut the federal disability benefits of a quarter-million low-income children, on the grounds that someone else in their family was already receiving benefits. He attempted to put in place a requirement that poor parents cooperate with child support enforcement, including by having single mothers disclose their sexual histories, before they and their children could receive food assistance.

He tried to enact a rule allowing employers to pocket workers’ tips. And he did enact a rule denying overtime pay to millions of low-wage workers if they made more than $35,568 a year.

Trump and his vice presidential pick JD Vance have been running a campaign that they say puts the working class first, vowing to protect everyday Americans from an influx of immigrant labor, to return manufacturing jobs to the U.S., to support rural areas and families with children and, generally, to stick it to the elites.

Critics reply by citing Project 2025, a potential blueprint for a second Trump presidency that proposes deep cuts to the social safety net for lower-income families alongside more large tax breaks for the wealthy. But Trump, despite his clear ties to its authors, has said that Project 2025 doesn’t represent him.

Still, his views on working-class and poor people can be found in specific actions that he tried to take when, as president, he had the power to make public policy.

ProPublica reviewed Trump’s proposed budgets from 2018 to 2021, as well as regulations that he attempted to enact or revise via his cabinet agencies, including the departments of Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services, and also quasi-independent agencies like the National Labor Relations Board and the Social Security Administration.

We found that while Trump was in the White House, he advanced an agenda across his administration that was designed to cut health care, food and housing programs and labor protections for poor and working-class Americans.

“Trump proposed significantly deeper cuts to programs for low- and modest-income people than any other president ever has, including Reagan, by far,” said Robert Greenstein, a longtime federal poverty policy expert who recently published a paper for the Brookings Institution on Trump’s first-term budgets.

Trump was stymied in reaching many of these goals largely because he was inefficient about pursuing them until the second half of his term. According to reporters covering him at the time, he’d been unprepared to win the presidency in 2016, let alone to fill key positions and develop a legislative and regulatory strategy on poverty issues.

He did have control of both the House and Senate during his first two years in office, but he used his only shots at budget reconciliation (annual budget bills that can’t be filibustered by the opposing party) to cut taxes for the rich and to try to repeal Obamacare. By 2019, there wasn’t much time left for his cabinet agencies to develop new regulations, get them through the long federal rulemaking process and deal with any legal challenges.

Trump and his allies appear focused on not repeating such mistakes should he win the White House again. Republican leaders in Congress have said that this time, if they retake majorities in both chambers, they’ll use their reconciliation bills to combine renewed tax cuts with aggressive cuts to social spending. Meanwhile, Trump would likely put forward new regulations earlier in his term, in part so that legal challenges to them get a chance to be heard before a Supreme Court with a solid conservative majority he created.

If he relies on his first-term proposals, that would mean:

• Cutting the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, by billions of dollars.
• Rescinding nearly a million kids’ eligibility for free school lunches.
• Freezing Pell grants for lower-income college students so that they’re not adjusted for inflation.
• Overhauling and substantially cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, colloquially known as food stamps, in part by defining people with assets exceeding $2,250 as not being poor enough to receive aid and reducing the minimum monthly food stamp amount from $23 to zero.
• Eliminating multiple programs designed to increase the supply of and investment in affordable housing in lower-income communities.
• Eliminating a program that helps poor families heat their homes and be prepared for power outages and other energy crises.
• Shrinking Job Corps and cutting funding for work-training programs — which help people get off of government assistance — nearly in half.
• Restricting the collective bargaining rights of unions, through which workers fight for better wages and working conditions.

Trump also never gave up on his goal of dismantling the Affordable Care Act, which disproportionately serves lower-income Americans. He cut in half the open-enrollment windows during which people can sign up for health insurance under the ACA, and he cut over 80% of the funding for efforts to help lower-income people and others navigate the system. This especially affected those with special needs or who have limited access to or comfort with the internet.

As a result of these and other changes, the number of uninsured people in the U.S. increased in 2017 for the first time since the law was enacted, then increased again in 2018 and in 2019. By that year, 2.3 million fewer Americans had health insurance than when Trump came into power, including 700,000 fewer children.

President Joe Biden has reversed many of these changes. But Trump could reverse them back, especially if he has majorities in Congress.

Perhaps the main thing that Trump did with his administrative power during his first term — that he openly wants to do more of — is reduce the civil service, meaning the nonpolitical federal employees whom he collectively calls “the Deep State.”

This, too, would have a disproportionately negative impact on programs serving poor and working Americans. Agencies like the Social Security Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provide disability and survivor benefits and housing assistance to lower-income families in times of need, rely heavily on midlevel staff in Washington, D.C., and local offices to process claims and get help to people.

Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not respond to a detailed list of questions from ProPublica about whether Trump wants to distance himself from his first-term record on issues affecting working-class people or whether his second-term agenda would be different.

Instead, she focused on Social Security and Medicare, saying that Trump protected those programs in his first term and would do so again. “By unleashing American energy, slashing job-killing regulations, and adopting pro-growth America First tax and trade policies, President Trump will quickly rebuild the greatest economy in history,” Leavitt said.

One new ostensibly pro-worker policy that Trump, as well as his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, have proposed: ending taxes on tips.

Trump officials and Republican politicians have long said that more federal spending on safety net programs is not the solution to poverty and that poor people need to be less dependent on government aid and exercise more personal responsibility.

And working-class voters — especially white men without a college degree who feel that their economic standing has diminished relative to other demographic groups — have joined the Trump movement in increasing numbers. What’s more, some counties that have seen large upticks in food stamp usage in recent years continue to vote for him, despite his attempts to shrink that program and others that people in these places rely on. (All that said, Trump’s supporters are better off on average than the media often portrays them to be.)

Meanwhile, pandemic relief, including stimulus checks, did start during the Trump administration and helped reduce poverty rates. But those efforts were temporary responses to a crisis and were mostly proposed by Democrats in Congress; they were hardly part of Trump’s governing agenda.

Amid a presidential race that has at times focused on forgotten, high-poverty communities — with Vance repeatedly touting his Appalachian-adjacent roots — it is surprising that journalists haven’t applied more scrutiny to Trump’s first-term budgets and proposals on these issues, said Greenstein, the poverty policy expert.

Would Trump, given a second term, continue the Biden administration’s efforts to make sure that the IRS isn’t disproportionately auditing the taxes of poor people? Would he defend Biden’s reforms to welfare, aimed at making sure that states actually use welfare money to help lower-income families?

Trump hasn’t faced many of these questions on the campaign trail or in debates or interviews, as the candidates and reporters covering them tend to focus more on the middle class.

Interactive City Guide AI

interactive city guide Interactive city guides

can be incredibly helpful when planning a trip or exploring a new city! They offer features like searching for restaurants, hotels, historical sites, and activities with just a few clicks. Some popular options include: Toronto Interactive City Guide: Available in multiple languages, this guide offers preset searches for various categories like restaurants, hotels, and historical sites. Montreal Interactive City Guide: Similar to the Toronto guide, it provides preset searches and is also available in multiple languages. Visit A City: This platform allows you to create a personalized travel guide with itineraries, activities, and maps. Do you have a specific city in mind that you're interested in exploring?

WordPress’s CEO is spooking the internet

Why WordPress’s CEO is spooking the internet Over the last month, internal drama at WordPress has spilled into the public, causing confusion and concern among developers. ByCassandra Cassidy October 19, 2024 • 4 min read The company that invented blogging is on the verge of self-destruction. Over the last month, internal drama at WordPress has spilled into the public domain, causing chaos for a large portion of the internet that relies on its open-source technology. WordPress is a content management system that allows people with no coding experience to run a website. It's immensely popular, hosting 43% of all websites in the world, including the ones from NASA, the White House, and Harvard University. It’s often held up as a shining example of the internet’s OG promise to democratize information by allowing developers to collaborate, study, use, and distribute software with full transparency. It’s also experiencing a total meltdown stemming from a power struggle between its founder and its largest competitor, a feud that has the potential to damage—or at least meaningfully alter—the infrastructure of the internet.

NYT FINALLY Calls Trump UNFIT in BRUTAL TAKEDOWN

The New York Times ’s editorial board has issued a strongly-worded denunciation of Donald Trump as the presidential election looms, telling readers the Republican nominee “is unfit…

McConnell defends calling Trump ‘despicable human being,' throws Vance under the bus

McConnell defends calling Trump ‘despicable human being,' throws Vance under the busAccording to a new book, Mitch McConnell called Trump a "despicable human being," "stupid" and "ill-tempered” after the 2020 election. When asked about these comments today, McConnell effectively threw JD Vance under the bus.

The New York Times’s issued denunciation of Donald Trump as “is unfit to lead”

The New York Times’s editorial board has issued a strongly-worded denunciation of Donald Trumpas the presidential election looms, telling readers the Republican nominee “is unfit to lead” and a serial liar whose policies are “cruel” and will only “wreak havoc” on the nation. Without explicitly endorsing his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the piece, the board wrote a searing 112-word op-ed warning of a possible Trump second term. “You already know Donald Trump. He is unfit to lead. Watch him. Listen to those who know him best,” it reads. Read More

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JD Vance Campaign Event With Christian Right Leaders May Have Violated Tax and Election Laws, Experts Say

JD Vance Campaign Event With Christian Right Leaders May Have Violated Tax and Election Laws, Experts Say

by Andy Kroll, ProPublica; Phoebe Petrovic, Wisconsin Watch; and Nick Surgey, Documented

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance’s appearance at a far-right Christian revival tour last month may have broken tax and election laws, experts say.

On Sept. 28, Vance held an official campaign event in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, in partnership with the Courage Tour, a series of swing-state rallies hosted by a pro-Trump Christian influencer that combine prayer, public speakers, tutorials on how to become a poll worker and get-out-the-vote programming.

Ziklag, a secretive organization of wealthy Christians, funds the Courage Tour, according to previously unreported documents obtained by ProPublica and Documented. A private donor video produced by Ziklag said the group intended to spend $700,000 in 2024 to mobilize Christian voters by funding “targeted rallies in swing states” led by Lance Wallnau, the pro-Trump influencer.

Even before the Vance event, ProPublica previously reported that tax experts believed Ziklag’s 2024 election-related efforts could be in violation of tax law. The Vance event, they said, raised even more red flags about whether a tax-exempt charity had improperly benefited the Trump-Vance campaign.

According to Texas corporation records, the Courage Tour is a project of Lance Wallnau Ministries Inc., a 501(c)(3) charity led by Wallnau. There have been five Courage Tour events this year, and Vance is the only top-of-the-ticket candidate to appear at any of them.

Wallnau has said that Vice President Kamala Harris is possessed by “the spirit of Jezebel” and practices “witchcraft.” As ProPublica reported, Wallnau is also an adviser to Ziklag, whose long-term goal is to help conservative Christians “take dominion” over the most important areas of American society, such as education, government and entertainment.

The Vance campaign portion was tucked in between Courage Tour events, and organizers took pains to say that Wallnau’s podcast hosted the hourlong segment, not the Courage Tour. Two signs near the stage said Wallnau’s podcast was hosting Vance. And during Vance’s conversation with a local pastor, the Courage Tour’s logo was replaced by the Trump-Vance logo on the screen.

An email sent by the Courage Tour to prospective attendees promoted the rally and Vance’s appearance as distinct events but advertised them side by side:

But the lines between those events blurred in a way that tax-law experts said could create legal problems for Wallnau, the Courage Tour and Ziklag. The appearance took place at the same venue, on the same stage and with the same audience as the rest of the Courage Tour. That email to people who might attend assured them that they could remain in their same seats to watch Vance and that afterward, “We will seamlessly return to the Courage Tour programming.”

The Trump-Vance campaign promoted the event as “part of the Courage Tour” and said Vance’s remarks would take place “during the Courage Tour.” And although the appearance included a discussion of addiction and homelessness, Vance criticized President Joe Biden in his remarks and urged audience members to vote and get others to vote as well in November.

Later in the day, Wallnau took the stage and asked for donations from the crowd. As he did, he spoke of Vance’s appearance as if it were part of the Courage Tour. “People have been coming up to us, my staff, and saying we want to help you out, what can we do, how do we do this? I want you to know when we do a Courage Tour, which will be back in the area, when we’re in different parts of the country,” he said. Asking for a show of hands, Wallnau added: “How many of you would like to at least be knowing when we’re there? Who’s with us on the team? If we have another JD Vance or Donald Trump or somebody?”

An employee of Wallnau’s, Mercedes Sparks, peeked out from behind a curtain. “I just wanted to clarify: You said they came to the Courage Tour,” Sparks said. “They didn’t. For legal reasons, the podcast hosted that. It was very separate. I don’t need the IRS coming my way.”

Despite the disclaimers, Vance’s campaign appearance at the Courage Tour raises legal red flags for several reasons, according to experts in tax and election law.

Both Lance Wallnau Ministries and Ziklag are 501(c)(3) charities, the same legal designation as the Boys & Girls Club or the United Way. People who donate to charities like these can deduct their gift on their annual taxes. But under the law, such charities are “absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office,” according to the IRS.

Internal Ziklag records lay out how the Courage Tour could influence the 2024 election. “Our plan,” one private video states, “is to mobilize grassroots support in seven key swing states through large-scale rallies, each anticipated to attract between 5,000 and 15,000 participants. These ‘Fire and Glory’ rallies will primarily target counties critical to the 2024 election outcome.” Wallnau said he later changed the name of his swing-state tour from Fire and Glory to the Courage Tour, saying the original name “sounds like a Pentecostal rally.”

Four nonpartisan tax experts told ProPublica and Documented that a political campaign event hosted by one charitable group, which is in turn funded by another charitable group, could run afoul of the ban on direct or indirect campaign intervention by a charitable organization. They added that Wallnau’s attempt to carve out Vance’s appearance may not, in the eyes of the IRS, be sufficient to avoid creating tax-law problems.

“Here, the [Trump] campaign is getting the people in their seats, who have come to the c-3’s event,” Ellen Aprill, an expert on political activities by charitable groups and a retired law professor at Loyola Law School, wrote in an email. “I would say this is over the line into campaign intervention but that it is a close call — and that exempt organization lawyers generally advise clients NOT to get too close to the line!”

Roger Colinvaux, a professor at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law, said that regulators consider whether a consumer would be able to distinguish the charitable event from the political activity. Does the public know these are clearly separate entities, or is it difficult to distinguish whether it’s a charity or a for-profit company that’s hosting a political event?

“If it looks like the (c)(3) is creating the audience, then that again is potentially an issue,” he said.

Ziklag, Wallnau and the Vance campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Marcus Owens, a tax lawyer at Loeb and Loeb and a former director of the IRS’ exempt organizations division, said there were past examples of the agency cracking down on religious associations for political activity similar in nature to Vance’s Courage Tour appearance.

In the 1980s, the Pentecostal televangelist Jimmy Swaggart used his personal column in his ministry’s magazine to endorse evangelist Pat Robertson’s campaign for president. Even though the regular column, titled “From Me to You,” was billed as Swaggart’s personal opinion, the IRS said that it still crossed the line into illegal political campaign intervention. Swaggart had also endorsed Robertson’s campaign for president during a religious service.

In that case, the IRS audited Swaggart’s organization and, as a result, the organization publicly admitted that it had violated tax law.

Phil Hackney, a professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh who spent five years in the IRS’ Office of Chief Counsel, said the fundamental question with Vance’s Courage Tour event is whether the 501(c)(3) charity that hosted the event covered the cost of Vance’s appearance.

“If the (c)(3) bore the cost, they’re in trouble,” Hackney said. “If they didn’t, they should be fine.” The whole arrangement, he added, has “got its problems. It’s really dicey.”

And even though Ziklag did not directly host the Vance event, tax experts say that its funding of the Courage Tour — as described in the group’s internal documents — could be seen as indirect campaign intervention, which federal tax law prohibits.

“The regulations make it clear that 501(c)(3) organizations cannot intervene in campaigns directly or indirectly,” Samuel Brunson, a law professor at Loyola University Chicago, said. “So the fact that it’s not Ziklag putting on the event doesn’t insulate Ziklag.”

Potential tax-law violations aren’t the only legal issue raised by Vance’s appearance.

Federal election law prohibits corporations from donating directly to political campaigns. For example, General Motors, as a company, cannot give money to a presidential campaign. That ban also applies to nonprofits that are legally organized as corporations.

Election experts said that if the funding for the Vance appearance did come from a corporation, whether for-profit or nonprofit, that could be viewed as an in-kind contribution to the Trump-Vance campaign.

Do you have any information about Ziklag or the Christian right’s plans for 2024 that we should know? Andy Kroll can be reached by email at andy.kroll@propublica.org and by Signal or WhatsApp at 202-215-6203.