by People's Action | Apr 10, 2019 | Breakfast
Miller Seeks To Cement Control Over Immigration Policy Before Nielsen's abrupt resignation, hardline Trump adviser Stephen Miller was reportedly handed total control of border policy. Insider: "US border and immigration policy is now said to be under the control of...
by Adrienne Evans | Apr 10, 2019 | Blog, Conservatism, Health, Rural
After years of the Idaho legislature’s failure to enact Medicaid expansion, leaving 70,000 in the state without care, the citizens of Idaho took action. Last year, Idaho’s outgoing governor Butch Otter came out with a sudden call for the passage of Medicaid expansion,...
by People's Action | Apr 9, 2019 | Breakfast
With DHS Purge, Harsher Immigration Plan Emerges Trump's hardline new border plan. Axios: "President Trump has directed top officials to execute the most aggressive changes in immigration policy since his inauguration, sources tell Axios. Some officials consider the...
by Will Tanzman | Apr 9, 2019 | Blog, Democracy, Election
On a Wednesday evening in February, Marta Popadiak, the organizing director for People’s Lobby and Reclaim Chicago, was busy making phone calls to voters in Chicago’s 33rd ward for left-wing Chicago City Council candidate Rossana Rodriguez. With each call, she asked...
by People's Action | Apr 8, 2019 | Breakfast
DHS Chief Nielsen Fired By Tweet Homeland Security chief Nielsen is out. Politico: "Kirstjen Nielsen will leave her post as secretary of Homeland Security, President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, highlighting the administration's inner turmoil over rising levels...
by People's Action | Apr 5, 2019 | Breakfast
HUD's Carson Questioned About Housing Cuts Bipartisan Disapproval Over Trump Administration's Housing Program Cuts. NPR: "Lawmakers told Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson Wednesday that there's little chance Congress will accept the Trump...
by Jill Richardson | Apr 5, 2019 | Blog, Criminal Justice, Supreme Court
For years, most of the U.S. has been changing death penalty laws in the direction of phasing it out, or at least applying it in a more humane way. In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that people with intellectual disabilities cannot be executed. In 2005, another ruling...
by People's Action | Apr 4, 2019 | Breakfast
Dems Demand Trump's Tax Returns House Democrat demands six years of Trump tax returns from I.R.S.. NYT: "The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, using a little-known provision in the federal tax code, formally requested on Wednesday that the I.R.S. hand...
by Mehrdad Azemun | Apr 4, 2019 | Blog, Election
The #PeoplesWave of grassroots champions rising up to reclaim our government has just begun. After taking back the U.S. House in November with an unprecedented number of women and people of color, we scored important wins in Chicago’s municipal elections in February....
by Tim Wilkins | Apr 3, 2019 | Uncategorized
Black Gay Woman, Lori Lightfoot, Is Chicago's New Mayor Lori Lightfoot elected Chicago mayor, will be 1st black woman and 1st openly gay person to hold post. NBC: "Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in a runoff for Chicago mayor...
by Sam Pizzigati | Apr 3, 2019 | Blog, Economy, Inequality
People who are trying to do good — with a Green New Deal, for instance, or Medicare for All — regularly find themselves confronting a simple and sometimes sneering gotcha question: So where’s the money coming from? How about we start putting this same simple question...
by People's Action | Apr 2, 2019 | Breakfast
Chicago Chooses Black Woman As Next Mayor The rising Black Left movement behind Chicago’s historic elections. The Nation: "Tuesday, the people of Chicago will go to the polls for a special runoff election to decide who will lead their city for the next four years....
by Jim Hightower | Apr 2, 2019 | Blog, Economy, Rural, Trade
Have you noticed how often Donald Trump prefaces his comments and tweets with phrases like “frankly,” “to tell the truth,” and “believe me”? More than a verbal tic, these qualifiers subliminally admit that being frank, truthful, and believable are not normal for him....
by People's Action | Apr 1, 2019 | Breakfast
Trump Threatens To Close Southern Border Trump White House presses threat to close U.S.-Mexico border this week. WaPo: "The White House doubled down Sunday on President Trump’s threat to close the U.S. border with Mexico, despite warnings that the move would inflict...
by Leo Gerard | Apr 1, 2019 | Blog, Health
U.S. Attorney General William Barr, a Republican, told an appeals court that his predecessor, Jeff Sessions, didn't go far enough when he asked a federal judge to kill the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions - that...
by People's Action | Mar 29, 2019 | Breakfast
AG Stonewalls Release Of Mueller Report The Mueller report is more than 300 pages long. We've seen 101 words. CNN: "When people can't see things, conspiracy theories fester. That goes double for President Donald Trump's tax returns, which he's made clear he'll be...
by Jawanza James Williams | Mar 29, 2019 | Blog, Featured, Housing, Protest
Did you ever hear about the time President Ford told New York City to “Drop Dead?” That was forty-four years ago - I wasn't even born yet - but I know exactly how New Yorkers felt then, because that’s EXACTLY how we feel now about Governor Cuomo's failure to address...
by People's Action | Mar 28, 2019 | Breakfast
Judge Blocks Medicaid Work Requirement Judge blocks Medicaid work requirements in Arkansas and Kentucky. NYT: "A federal judge on Wednesday threw out Medicaid work requirements in two states, a blow to Republican efforts to profoundly reshape a program that has...
by Katy Moreno | Mar 28, 2019 | Blog, Health
As a young mother doing it on my own, Medicaid has become a necessity. After giving birth at 17, I re-enrolled in high school in my hometown of Austin, Texas. But I felt lost. I didn’t know how I could take care of my son — an experience that was entirely new and...
by People's Action | Mar 27, 2019 | Breakfast
Trump's Ruthless Bid To Destroy Health Care Why Trump’s new push to kill Obamacare is so alarming. NYT: "In a stunning two-sentence letter to a federal appeals court, the Justice Department announced on Monday that it would now seek the invalidation of the entire...
by Peter Certo | Mar 27, 2019 | Blog, Politics
Robert Mueller won’t be filing any more indictments related to the “Russiagate” investigation. Though the search unearthed ample evidence that Russia wanted Trump to become president — and hints that some members of Trump World were perhaps aware of this — the recent...
by People's Action | Mar 26, 2019 | Breakfast
Green New Deal Gets First Vote Green New Deal, backed by Ocasio-Cortez, to get its first vote on Capitol Hill Tuesday. USA Today: "The Green New Deal, liberal Democrats' sweeping proposal to address climate change, could get its first vote on Capitol Hill Tuesday. The...
by Virginia Meyer | Mar 26, 2019 | Blog, Climate, Rural
I’m from Lone Tree, Iowa - a town of about 1,300 in the eastern part of our state. Our Senator, Joni Ernst, has attacked the Green New Deal multiple times. She says it’s “radical,” “It will destroy jobs,” “It will hinder our strong ag industry,” and “It’s a far-left...
by People's Action | Mar 25, 2019 | Breakfast
Nothing To See Here, Folks What just happened? The questions behind the Mueller report. Politico: "Special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings have finally been made public — sort of — handing President Donald Trump and his White House a partial victory: no Russia...
by Leo Gerard | Mar 22, 2019 | Blog, Future of Work, Race, Violence, White Nationalism
The union I lead, the United Steelworkers (USW), believes in unity, that “all working men and women, regardless of creed, color or nationality” are eligible for membership. That was the guiding principle of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) when it formed...
by Tim Wilkins | Mar 22, 2019 | Uncategorized
WI Judge Blocks GOP Power Grab Wisconsin judge blocks Republicans’ lame-duck power grab. WaPo: "A Wisconsin judge on Thursday blocked several lightning-fast actions in December by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to limit the power of its incoming...
by Sam Pizzigati | Mar 22, 2019 | Blog, Economy, Inequality
Since 1871, over 19,000 athletes have played baseball at the major league level. Not one of them has played the game any better, most experts today agree, than the 27-year-old outfielder Mike Trout. Trout’s other-worldly talent now has a price-tag. Trout has just...
by People's Action | Mar 21, 2019 | Breakfast
Storms Batter Midwest Farmers U.S. farmers face devastation following Midwest floods. Reuters: " Midwestern farmers have been gambling they could ride out the U.S.-China trade war by storing their corn and soybeans anywhere they could - in bins, plastic tubes, in...
by Sarah Piepenburg | Mar 21, 2019 | Blog, Economy, Health, Small Business
Ten years ago, my husband and I opened a specialty oil and vinegar shop. Early on, we learned that our store would be only as good as the people who work in it. To invest in our employees is to invest in our business. Now we employ five people. One of our most...
by Tim Wilkins | Mar 20, 2019 | Uncategorized
Mueller Probe Scope Expands New Mueller probe revelations explain Trump's rage. CNN: "President Donald Trump looks -- and is acting -- rattled and encircled by the Russia investigation. And a series of fresh disclosures on Tuesday show there is every reason for him to...
by Art Jipson, Paul J. Becker | Mar 20, 2019 | Blog, Race, White Nationalism
The recent massacre of 50 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand is the latest confirmation that white supremacy is a danger to democratic societies across the globe. Despite President Donald Trump’s suggestion that white nationalist...
by People's Action | Mar 19, 2019 | Breakfast
Colorado Supports National Popular Vote Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs National Popular Vote Act. Denver Post: "Gov. Jared Polis on Friday quietly signed a bill that pledges Colorado’s Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national...
by Chuck Collins | Mar 19, 2019 | Blog, Economy, Politics
Anytime a politician proposes a wildly popular idea that helps ordinary people, a few grumpy conservatives will call them “socialists.” Propose to reduce college debt, help sick families, or ensure the super-rich pay their fair share of taxes — suddenly you’re a...
by People's Action | Mar 18, 2019 | Breakfast
Dem Candidates Condemn White Nationalism 2020 Democrats condemn ‘white nationalism’ after New Zealand shooting.ThinkProgress: "Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke drew a connection between Friday’s deadly anti-Muslim shooting in New Zealand and the racist...
by John Sarbanes, Michael Brune | Mar 18, 2019 | Blog, Climate, Politics
For decades, majorities of Americans have favored swift, meaningful action on climate change. They understand that we must transition away from dirty fuels and toward clean, renewable energy. Yet despite this overwhelming support, Congress has repeatedly failed to...
by People's Action | Mar 15, 2019 | Breakfast
Senate Rebukes Trump, Setting Up Veto Senate votes to reject Trump’s emergency declaration, setting up president’s first veto. WaPo: "The Senate passed a resolution Thursday to overturn President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border,...
by Miles Mogulescu | Mar 14, 2019 | Blog, Conservatism, Politics, Supreme Court
Mitch McConnell has achieved his lifelong political dream: packing the Federal Courts, and especially The Supreme Court, with right-wing extremists, who thanks to him, now hold lifetime appointments. The result: Even if the Democrats manage to win the Presidency, the...
by Leo Gerard | Mar 14, 2019 | Blog, Inequality
The children of working stiffs learned a brutal lesson this week as federal prosecutors criminally charged rich people with buying admission to elite universities for their less-than-stellar children. The lesson is that no matter how hard you work, no matter how smart...
by People's Action | Mar 14, 2019 | Breakfast
Black Caucus, Progressives Back Warren Housing Bill Warren’s affordable housing bill is now backed by Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib. Boston Globe: "Senator Elizabeth Warren is reintroducing her ambitious legislation to create millions of new affordable housing...
by Ashley Bennett | Mar 14, 2019 | Blog, Housing, Policy, Politics
On Wednesday, Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced a historic housing bill, the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act. This bill is an important step forward in our fight to guarantee housing for all, and to close the wealth gap between Black and white...
