Donald Trump’s Response to Disaster Aid for California: Nothing
Paul Kitagaki Jr/Sacramento Bee via ZUMA A few weeks ago, California requested $7.4 billion in disaster aid following the massive series of wildfires in the northern part of the state that killed 43 people and destroyed nearly 9,000 structures. Actually, let’s back up. That’s not quite accurate. California’s Democratic governor, its two Democratic senators, and…
The Trump Administration Revokes Legal Status for More Than 50,000 Haitian Immigrants
Lynne Sladky/AP The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday evening that more than 50,000 Haitian immigrants living in the United States will lose the status that protects them from deportation. As of July 22, 2019, they’ll be forced to return to Haiti or risk living in the United States as undocumented immigrants in an era of heightened fear. Temporary…
Ben Carson’s Controversial Confidant Wants to Buy Washington Newspaper
Armstrong Williams speaks at the annual DC Influencers Brunch at a downtown Washington restaurant in 2016.Sipa/AP Armstrong Williams, the conservative businessman, TV talk-show host, and longtime confidant of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, is trying to buy Washington City Paper, the alternative weekly newspaper covering the nation’s capital. According to a current City…
The Opioid Epidemic Is Devastating. It’s Also Really Expensive.
The opioid epidemic, which each year claims more lives than the entirety of American deaths in the Vietnam War, is also a growing financial burden. According to a new report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the epidemic cost the nation $504 billion in 2015—about 2.8 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product.…
Charlie Rose Suspended From CBS News After Sexual Harassment Allegations
Charlie RoseMark Lennihan/AP Update 6:10 p.m. EST: Charlie Rose has been suspended from his hosting duties on “CBS This Morning,” and PBS says it will immediately halt distribution of Rose’s program in response to the Washington Post report, according to the Associated Press. “PBS was shocked to learn today of these deeply disturbing allegations,” PBS said in a statement. “PBS…
Surprise! The Senate Tax Bill Kills the Middle Class, But It’s Great For the Rich
A few days ago the Joint Committee on Taxation released its analysis of the Senate tax bill, which I wrote about here. My conclusion was that the bill was “batshit crazy,” but Republicans cried foul. The JCT analysis included the effects of eliminating Obamacare’s individual mandate, and while that seems fair to me, it didn’t…