Podcasts about american rescue plan

In a surprising twist of events, a white farmer (a dairy farmer in Wisconsin) is suing the Trump administration for discriminating against white farmers. The details of this story trace back to a Biden administration diversity, equity, and inclusion program hidden within the American Rescue Plan.Let's go through the legal history of this program, as well as what remnants of it remain within the U.S. Department of Agriculture today.

 Santi: Hi, this is a special episode of Statecraft. I've got a wonderful guest host with me today. Kyla Scanlon: Hey, I'm Kyla Scanlon! I'm the author of a book called In This Economy and an economic commentator. Santi: Kyla has joined me today for a couple reasons. One, I'm a big fan of her newsletter: it's about economics, among many other things. She had a great piece recently on what we can learn from C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, which is a favorite book of mine.Kyla's also on today because we're interviewing Wally Adeyemo, who was the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Biden administration. We figured we each had questions we wanted answered.Kyla: Yeah, I've had the opportunity to interview Wally a couple times during the Biden administration, and I wanted to see where he thinks things are at now. He played a key role in implementing the Inflation Reduction Act, financial sanctions on Russia, and a whole bunch of other things.Santi: For my part, I'm stuck on Wally's role in setting up the IRS's Direct File program, where you can file your taxes for free directly through the IRS instead of paying TurboTax a hundred bucks to do it. “Good governance types” tend to love Direct File, but the current admin is thinking of killing it. I wanted to understand how the program got rolled out, how Wally would respond to criticisms of the program, and what he learned from building something in government, which now may disappear.Kyla, you've talked to Wally before. How did that conversation go? Kyla: I actually was able to go to his office in D.C., and I talked to a couple of key people in the Biden administration: Jared Bernstein, the former chair of the CEA, and Daniel Hornung, who was at the National Economic Council.We're talking to Wally on the day that the House passed the one big beautiful bill. There's also so much happening financially, like the bond market is totally rebelling against the US government right now. I'm really curious how he thinks things are, as a key player in the last administration.Santi: Wally, you've spent most of your career in Democratic Party institutions. You worked on the Kerry presidential campaign in 2004. You served in the Obama admin. You were the first chief of staff to the CFPB, the president of the Obama Foundation, and, most recently, Deputy Treasury Secretary in the Biden admin.30,000ft question: How do you see the Democratic Party today?My view is that we continue to be the party that cares deeply about working-class people, but we haven't done a good job of communicating that to people, especially when it comes to the things that matter most to them. From my standpoint, it's costs: things in America cost too much for a working-class family.I want to make sure I define working class: I think about people who make under $100,000 a year, many of whom don't own homes on the coast or don't own a significant amount of stocks (which means they haven't seen the asset appreciation that's led to a great deal of wealth creation over the last several decades). When you define it that way, 81% of Americans sit in that category of people. Despite the fact that they've seen their median incomes rise 5-10% over the last five years, they've seen the cost of the things they care about rise even faster.We haven't had a clear-cut agenda focused on the standard of living, which I think is the thing that matters most to Americans today.Santi: There are folks who would say the problem for Democrats wasn't that they couldn't communicate clearly, or that they didn't have a governing agenda, but that they couldn't execute their agenda the way they hoped to in the time available to them. Would you say there's truth to that claim?Most people talk about a communications issue, but I don't think it's a communications issue. There are two issues. One is an implementation issue, and the second is an issue of the actual substance and policy at the Treasury Department. I was the deputy secretary, but I was also the Chief Operating Officer, which meant that I was in charge of execution. The two most significant domestic things I had to execute were the American Rescue Plan, where $1.9 trillion flowed through the Treasury Department, and the Inflation Reduction Act. The challenge with execution in the government is that we don't spend a lot on our systems, on making execution as easy as possible.For example, the Advanced Child Tax Credit was intended to give people money to help with each of their children during the pandemic. What Congress called on us to do was to pay people on a monthly basis. In the IRS system, you pay your taxes mostly on an annual basis, which meant that most of our systems weren't set up to pay a monthly check to Americans. It took us a great deal of work to figure out a way to recreate a system just to do that.We've underinvested in the systems that the IRS works on. The last time we made a significant investment in the IRS's digital infrastructure was the 1960s; before we had an ATM machine, before we sent a man to the moon, before we had a personal computer. So that meant that everything was coded in a language called COBOL.So execution was quite hard in the American Rescue Plan. People were left out and felt that the government wasn't working for them. If you called the IRS, only 13% of your calls were being answered. We got that back up to 85% before we left. Ultimately, I think part of this is an execution challenge. In government we want to spend money coming up with new policies, but we don't want to pay for execution, which then means that when you get the policy passed, implementation isn't great.When Jen Pahlka was on your show, she talked about the need to focus on identifying the enablers to implementation. Direct File was one of the best examples of us taking implementation very seriously.But also, on some policy issues that mattered most to Americans, we weren't advancing the types of strategies that would've helped lower the cost of housing and lowering the cost of medicine. We did some things there, but there's clearly more that we could have done, and more we need to do going forward to demonstrate that we're fighting to bring down those costs. It's everything from permitting reform — not just at the federal level, but what can we do to incentivize it at the state and local level — to thinking about what we can do on drug costs. Why does it cost so much more to get a medicine in America than in Canada? That is something that we can solve. We've just chosen not to at the federal level.At the end of the year, we were going to take action to go after some of the middlemen in the pharmacy industry who were taking out rents and large amounts of money. It dropped out of the bill because of the negotiations between the Republican Congress and then President-elect Trump. But there are a lot of things that we can do both on implementation, which will mean that Americans feel the programs that we're passing in a more effective way, and policy solutions that we need to advance as a party that will help us as well.Kyla: Some people think Americans tend to vote against their own self-interest. How can your party message to people that these sorts of policies are really important for them?Ultimately, what I found is that most people just understand their self-interest differently, and for them, a big part of this was, “Who's fighting for me on the issues that I care most about?”From my standpoint, part of the problem we had with Direct File, which I think was an innovative solution, was that we got to implementing it so late in the administration that we didn't have the ability for it to show the impact. I'm hoping future administrations will think through how to start their implementation journey on things like Direct File sooner in the administration, when you have a great deal of political capital, so people can actually feel the impact over time.To your question, it's not just about the messaging, it's about the messenger. People tend to trust people who look like them, who come from the places they come from. When it came to the Child Tax Credit and also to Direct File, the biggest innovation wasn't the technology: the technology for Direct File has been used by the Australians, the British, and other countries for decades.The biggest innovation was us joining that technology with trusted people in communities who were going out to talk to people about those programs and building those relationships. That was something that the IRS hadn't done a great deal of. We invested a great deal in those community navigators who were helping us get people to trust the things the government was doing again, like the Child Tax Credit, like Direct File, so that they could use it.We often think that Washington is going to be able to give messages to the country that people are going to hear. But we're both in a more complicated media environment, where people are far more skeptical of things that come from people in Washington. So the best people to advocate for and celebrate the things that we're doing are people who are closer to the communities we're trying to reach. In product advertising today, more companies are looking to influencers to advertise things, rather than putting an ad on television, because people trust the people that they follow. The same is true for the things that we do in government.Santi: I've talked to colleagues of yours in the last administration who say things like, “In the White House, we did not have a good enough sense of the shot clock.” They point to various reasons, including COVID, as a reason the admin didn't do a good enough job of prioritization.Do you think that's true, that across the administration, there was a missing sense of the shot clock or a missing sense of prioritization? No, because I'm a Lakers fan. These are professionals. We're professionals. This is not our first rodeo. We know how much time is on the shot clock; we played this game. The challenge wasn't just COVID. For me at Treasury — and I think this is the coolest part of being Deputy Secretary of the Treasury — I had responsibilities domestic and international. As I'm trying to modernize the IRS, to invest all my time in making the system work better for customers and to collect more taxes from the people who owe money, Russia invades Ukraine. I had to turn a bunch of my attention to thinking about what we were going to do there. Then you have Hamas attacking Israel.There was more we should have done on the domestic end, but we have to remember that part of the presidency is: you get to do the things you want to do, but you also have to do the things you have to do. We had a lot of things we had to do that we weren't planning for which required all-of-the-administration responses.I think the most important lesson I've learned about that is that it comes down to both being focused on the things that matter, and being willing to communicate to the American people why your priorities have to change in light of things that happen in the world.But the people I'm sure you've talked to, most of them work on domestic policy alone, and they probably never have been in a National Security Council meeting, where you're thinking about the risks to the country. The president has to do both of those things. So I get how difficult it is to do that, just given where I sat at the Treasury Department.Santi: Looking back from an implementation perspective, are there things you would've done differently during your time at Treasury?The most important thing that I would've done differently was to immediately set up a permanent implementation and delivery unit in the Treasury Department. We always like to pretend like the Treasury Department is just a policy department where we make policy, we collect taxes. But in any crisis the country ever has, a great deal of responsibility — for execution or implementation of whatever the response is — falls to the Treasury Department. Think about the financial crisis, which is clearly something that's in the Treasury's domain. The vast majority of money for COVID flowed through the Treasury Department. You think about the IRA, a climate bill: the vast majority of that money flows through the Treasury Department.And Treasury doesn't have a dedicated staff that's just focused on implementation: How do we do this well? How do we make sure the right people are served? How do we make sure that we communicate this well? We did this to a degree by a team that was focused on the American Rescue Plan. But it was only focused on the American Rescue Plan. If I could start again, I would have said, “I want a permanent implementation structure within the Treasury Department of people who are cross-cutting, who only think about how we execute the policies that we pass through Congress and that we put together through an executive order. How do we do that extremely well?”Kyla: What you're talking about is very people-centric: How do we get an implementation team, and how do we make sure that the right people are doing the right jobs? Now we have DOGE, which is less people-centric. How do you reconcile what Doge is doing relative to what you would've done differently in this role that you had?As you would suspect, I wasn't excited about the fact we had lost the election, but initially I thought DOGE could be helpful with technology. I think marrying technology with people — that's the key to success for the government. We've never really been great at doing technology in the government.Part of the reason for that is a procurement process that is very slow because of how the federal acquisition rules work. What we are trying to do is prevent corruption and also waste, fraud, and abuse. But what that does is, it leads to slowness in our ability to get the technology on board that we need, and in getting the right people.I was hoping DOGE would bring in people who knew a great deal about technology and put us in a position where we could use that to build better products for the American people. I thought they would love Direct File, and that they would find ways to improve Direct File and expand it to more Americans.My view is that any American in the working class or middle class should not have to pay a company to file their taxes. We have the ability in this country, and I think Direct File was proving that. My goal, if we'd had more time, was to expand this to almost any American being able to use it. I thought they'd be able to accelerate that by bringing in the right people, but also the right technology. We were on that path before they took those two things apart.My sense is that you have to reform the way that we hire people because it's too hard to hire the right people. In some cases, you don't need some of the people you have today because technology is going to require different skills to do different things. It's easier to break something, I found, than it is to build something. I think that's what they're finding today as well.Santi: When I talk to left-of-center folks about the DOGE push, they tend to be skeptical about the idea that AI or modern technology can replace existing federal workers. I think some of that is a natural backlash to the extreme partisan coding of DOGE, and the fact that they're firing a lot of people very quickly. But what's your view? After DOGE, what kinds of roles would you like to see automated?Let me say: I disagree with the view that DOGE and technology can't replace some of the things that federal workers do today. My view is that “productivity enhancing” tech — it's not that it is going to make employees who are currently doing the job more productive. It is going to mean you need fewer employees. We have to be honest about that.Go to the IRS, for example. When I got there, we had a huge paper backlog at the IRS because, despite what most people think, millions of people still file their taxes by paper, and they send them to the IRS. And during the pandemic, the commissioner, who was then working for President Trump, decided to shut down the IRS for public health reasons — to make sure employees did not have to risk getting COVID.There were piles of paper backing up, so much so that they had filled cafeterias at the IRS facilities with huge piles of paper. The problem, of course, is that, unlike modern systems, you could not just machine-read those papers and put them into our systems. Much of that required humans to code those papers into the system by hand. There is no need in the 21st century for that to happen, so one of the things that we started to do was introduce this simple thing called scanning, where you would scan the papers — I know it sounds like a novel idea. That would help you get people's tax returns faster into the system, but also get checks out quickly, and allow us to see if people are underpaying their taxes, because we can use that data with a modern system. But over time, what would that mean? We'd need fewer people to enter the data from those forms.When we get money for the IRS from Congress, it is actually seen as revenue-raising because they expect it to bring down the debt and deficit, which is completely true. But the model Congress uses to do that is reliant on the number of full-time employees we hire. One challenge we have with the IRS — and in government systems in general — is that you don't get credit for technology investments that should improve your return on investment.So whenever we did the ROI calculations for the IRS, the Congressional Budget Office would calculate how much revenue we'd bring in, and it was always based on the number of people you had doing enforcement work that would lead to certain dollars coming in. So we got no credit for the technology investments. Which was absolutely the opposite of what we knew would be true: the more you invested in technology, the more likely you were to bring in more revenue, and you would be able to cut the cost of employees.Santi: If the CBO changed the way it scored technology improvements, would more Congresspeople be interested in funding technology?It is just a CBO issue. It's one we've tried to talk to them about over the last several years, but one where they've been unwilling to move. My view is that unlocking this will unlock greater investment in technology in a place like the IRS, because every dollar you invest in technology — I think — would earn back $10 in additional tax revenue we'd be able to collect from people who are skipping out on their taxes today. It's far more valuable to invest in that technology than to grow the number of employees working in enforcement at the IRS. You need both, but you can't say that a person is worth 5x their salary in revenue and that technology is worth 0. That makes no sense.Kyla: When we spoke about Direct File many months ago, people in my comment section were super excited and saying things like, “I just want the government to tell me how much money I owe.” When you think about the implementation of Direct File, what went right, and how do you think it has evolved?The thing that went right was that we proved that we could build something quite easily, and we built it ourselves, unlike many technology projects in government. We didn't go out and hire a bunch of consultants and contractors to do it. We did it with people at the IRS, but also with people from 18F and from GSA who worked in the government. We did it in partnership with a number of stakeholders outside the government who gave us advice, but the build was done by us.The reason that was important — and the reason it's important to build more things internally rather than hiring consulting firms or other people to build it — is that you then have the intellectual capital from building that, and that can be used to build other things. This was one product, but my view is that I want the IRS home page to one day look a lot more like the screen on your iPhone, so that you can click on the app on the IRS homepage that can help you, depending on what you need — if it's a Direct File, or if it's a tax transcript.By building Direct File internally, we were getting closer to that, and the user scores on the effectiveness of the tool and the ability to use it were through the roof. Even for a private sector company, it would've been seen as a great success. In the first year, we launched late in the filing season, mostly just to test the product, but also to build stakeholder support for it. In the limited release, 140,000 people used it. The average user said that before Direct File, it took them about 13 hours to file their taxes, and with Direct File, it took them just over an hour to file their taxes.But you also have to think about how much money the average American spends filing their taxes: about $200. That's $200 that a family making under $100,000 could invest in their kids, in paying some bills, rather than in filing their taxes.Even this year, with no advertising by the Trump administration of Direct File, we had more than 300,000 people use it. The user scores for the product were above 85%. The challenge, of course, is that instead of DOGE investing in improving the product — which was a place where you could have seen real intellectual capital go to work and make something that works for all Americans — they've decided to discontinue Direct File. [NB: There has been widespread reporting that the administration plans to discontinue Direct File. The GOP tax bill passed by the House would end Direct File if it becomes law. At the time of publication, the Direct File has not been discontinued.]The sad part is that when you think about where we are as a country, this is a tool that could both save people money, save people time, improve our ability to collect taxes, and is something that exists in almost every other developed economy. It makes no sense to me why you would end something like this rather than continue to develop it.Santi: People remember the failure of healthcare.gov, which crashed when it was rolled out all at once to everyone in the country. It was an embarrassing episode for the Obama administration, and political actors in that administration learned they had to pilot things and roll them out in phases.Is there a tension between that instinct — to test things slowly, to roll them out to a select group of users, and then to add users in following cycles — Is there a tension between that and trying to implement quickly, so that people see the benefit of the work you're doing?One of my bosses in the Obama administration was Jeff Zients, the person who was brought in to fix healthcare.gov. He relentlessly focused on execution. He always made the point that it's easy to come up with a strategy to some degree: you can figure out what the policy solution is. But the difference between good and great is how you execute against it. I think there is some tension there, but not as much as you would think.Once we were able to show that the pilot was a success, I got invited to states all over the country, like Maryland, to announce that they were joining Direct File the next year. These members of Congress wanted to do Direct File events telling people in their state, “This product that's worked so well elsewhere is coming to us next.” It gave us the ability to celebrate the success.I learned the lesson not just from Zients, but also from then-professor Elizabeth Warren, whom I worked for as chief of staff at the CFPB. One challenge we had at the CFPB was to build a complaint hotline, at that point mostly phone-operated, for people who were suffering. They said it would take us at least a year to build out all the product functions we need. We decided to take a modular approach and say, “How long would it take for us to build the system for one product? Let's try that and see how that works. We'll do a test.”It was successful, and we were able to use that to tell the story about the CFPB and what it would do, not just for mortgages, but for all these other products. We built user interest in the complaint hotline, in a way that we couldn't have if we'd waited to build the whole thing at once. While I think you're right that there is some tension between getting everyone to feel it right away and piloting; if the pilot is successful, it also gives you the opportunity to go out and sell this thing to people and say, “Here's what people who did the pilot are saying about this product.”I remember someone in Texas who was willing to do a direct-to-camera and talk about the ways that Direct File was so easy for them to use. It gets back to my point on message and messenger. Deputy Secretary Adeyemo telling you about this great thing the government did is one thing. But an American who looks like you, who's a nurse, who's a mom of two kids, telling you that this product actually worked for her: That's something that more people identify with.Healthcare.gov taught us the lesson of piloting and doing things in a modular way. This is what companies have been doing for decades. If it's worked for them, I think it can work for the government too.Santi: I'm a fan of Direct File, personally. I don't want this administration to kill it. But I was looking through some of the criticism that Direct File got: for instance, there's criticism about it rivaling the IRS Free File program, which is another IRS program that partners with nonprofits to help some folks file their taxes for free.Then there's this broader philosophical criticism: “I don't want the feds telling me how much I owe them.” The idea is that the government is incentivized to squeeze every last dollar out of you.I'm curious what you make of that, in part because I spoke recently to an American who worked on building e-government systems for Estonia. One of the things that has allowed Estonia to build cutting-edge digital systems in the government is that Estonia is a small and very high-trust society. Everybody's one degree of separation from everybody else.We're a much bigger and more diverse country. How do you think that affects the federal government's ability to build tools like Direct File?I think it affects it a lot, and it gets back to my point: not just the message but the messenger. I saw this not just with Direct File, but with the Advanced Child Tax Credit, which was intended to help kids who were living in poverty, but also families overall. What we found initially in the data was that, among families that didn't have to file taxes because they made too little, many of them were unwilling to take advantage of Direct File and the Advanced Child Tax Credit because they couldn't believe the government was doing something to just help them. I spent a lot of time with priests, pastors, and other community leaders in many of the communities where people were under-filing to try and get them to talk about this program and why it was something that they should apply for.One of the challenges we suffer from right now in America, overall, is a lack of trust in institutions. You have to really go local and try to rebuild that trust.That also speaks to taking a pilot approach that goes slower in some cases. Some of the criticism we got was, “Why don't you just fill out this form for us and then just send it to us, so that Direct File is just me pressing a button so I can pay my taxes?”Part of the challenge for us in doing that is a technology challenge: we are not there technologically. But the other problem is a trust problem. If I were to just fill out your taxes for you and send them to you, I think people, at this stage, would distrust the government and distrust the technology.Direct File had to be on a journey with people, showing people, “If I put in this information, it accurately sends me back my check.” As people develop more trust, we can also add more features to it that I think people will trust. But the key has to be: how do you earn that trust over time?We can't expect that if we put out a product that looks like something the Estonian government or Australia would put out, that people would trust it at this point. We have to realize that we are on a journey to regain the trust of the American people.The government can and will work for them, and Direct File was a part of that. We started to demonstrate that with that product because the people who used it in these communities became the spokespeople for it in a better way than I ever could be, than the Secretary or the President could be.Everyone knows that they need to pay their taxes because it's part of their responsibility living in this country. The things that make people the most upset is the fact that there are people who don't pay their taxes. We committed that we were going to go after them.The second frustration was: “Why do you make it so hard for me to pay my taxes? Why can't I get through to you on the phone line? Why do I have to pay somebody else to do my taxes?” Our goal was to solve those two problems by investing money and going after the people who just decided they weren't going to pay, but also by making it as easy as possible for you to pay your taxes and for most people, to get that tax refund as quickly as possible.But doing that was about going on a journey with people, about regaining their trust in an institution that mattered to them a great deal because 90 something-percent of the money that funds our government comes in through the IRS.Kyla: You have a piece out in Foreign Affairs called “Make Moscow Pay,” and what I found most interesting about that essay is that you said Europe needs to step it up because the United States won't. Talk through the role of Treasury in financial sanctions, and your reasons for writing this piece.People often think about the Treasury Department as doing a few things. One is working with Wall Street; another one is collecting your taxes. Most people don't think about the fact that the Treasury Department is a major part of the National Security Committee, because we have these tools called financial sections.They use the power of the dollar to try and change the behavior of foreign actors who are taking steps that aren't consistent with our national security interests. A great example of this is what we did with regard to Russia — saying that we're going to cut off Russian banks from the US financial system, which means that you can't transact in US dollars.The problem for any bank that can transact in dollars is that the backbone of most of the financial world is built on the US dollar. It increases their cost, it makes it more difficult for them to transact, and makes it harder for them to be part of the global economy, nearly impossible.And that's what we've done in lots of cases when it comes to Russia. We have financial sanction programs that touch all over the world, from Venezuela to Afghanistan. The US government, since 9/11, has used sanctions as one of its primary tools of impacting foreign policy. Some of them have gone well, some of them I think haven't gone as well, and there's a need for us to think through how we use those policies.Santi: What makes sanctions an effective tool? Positions on sanctions don't line up neatly on partisan lines. Sanctions have a mixed track record, and you'll have Republicans who say sanctions have failed, and you'll have Democrats say sanctions have been an effective tool, and vice versa.The way I think about sanctions is that they are intended to bring change, and the only way that they work is that they're part of an overarching foreign policy strategy. That type of behavior change was what we saw when Iran came to the table and wanted to negotiate a way to reduce sanctions in exchange for limits on their nuclear program. That's the type of behavior change we're trying to accomplish with sanctions, but you can't do it with sanctions alone. You need a foreign policy strategy. We didn't do it by the United States confronting Iran; we got our allies and partners to work together with us. When I came into office in 2021, Secretary Yellen asked me to do a review of our sanctions policies — what's worked, what hasn't — because it had been 20 years since the 9/11 attacks.And the most important lesson I learned was that the sanctions programs that were the most effective were the ones we did on a multilateral basis — so we did it with our friends and allies. Part of the reason for this is that while the dollar is the most dominant currency around the world, oftentimes if you can't do something in dollars, you do it in a euro, or you do it in a Japanese yen, or pound sterling.The benefit of having allies all over the world is that the dominant, convertible currencies in the world are controlled by allies and partners. When we acted together with them, we were more effective in curtailing the economic activity of our adversary, and our pressure is more likely to lead to them changing their behavior.We had to be very cautious about collateral damage. You might be targeting an individual, but by targeting that individual, you might make it harder for a company they're affiliated with to continue doing business, or for a country that they're in to get access to banking services. Let's say that you're a huge bank in America, and you're worried about sanctions risk in a small country where you do little business. Why not pull out, rather than having to put in place a huge compliance program? One of the challenges that we have is that the people who make the decisions about whether to extend sanctions don't necessarily spend a lot of time thinking about some of these economic consequences of the sanctions approach.Whenever I was around the table and we were making a decision about using weapons, there was a process that was very elaborate that ended up with something going to the president. You'd often think about kinetic force very seriously, because you were going to have to get the president to make a decision. We didn't always take that kind of rigor when it came to thinking about using our sanctions policy, but the impact on the lives of people in these countries was just as significant for their access to not only money, but to food and to the resources they needed to live.Santi: What do you make of the effectiveness of the initial sanctions on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine? I've heard mixed reviews from folks inside and outside the Biden administration.Sanctions, again, to my point, are only a tool. They've had to be part of a larger strategy, and I think those sanctions were quite effective. I think the saving grace for the Russians has been the fact that China has largely been able and willing to give them access to the things they need to continue to perpetuate.There was a choice for Ukraine, but when you think about Russia's economy today vs. Russia's economy before the sanctions were put in place, it's vastly different. Inflation in Russia still runs far higher than inflation anywhere else in the world. If you were a Russian citizen, you would feel the impacts of sanctions.The challenge, of course, is that it hasn't changed Vladimir Putin's behavior or the behavior of the Kremlin, largely because they've had access to the goods and supplies they need from China, Iran, and North Korea. But over time, it means Russia's economy is becoming less competitive. They have less access to resources; they're going to struggle.I think everyone hoped that sanctions would immediately change the calculus of the Kremlin, but we've never seen that to be the case. When sanctions are effective, they take time, because the economic consequences continue to compound over time, and they have to be part of a larger strategy for the behavior of the individual. That's why I wrote the article, because while the Kremlin and Russia are under pressure, their view is that ultimately the West is going to get tired of supporting Ukraine, financially and politically, because the economic consequences for us — while not as significant as for Moscow or for Kiev — have been quite significant, when you think about the cost of living issues in Europe.I think it's important to write this now, when it appears that Russia is stalling on negotiations, because ultimately, US financial support is waning. We just know that the Trump administration is not willing to put more money into Ukraine, so Europe is going to have to do more, at a time when their economic situation is quite complicated as well.They've got a lot to do to build up their economy and their military-industrial base. Asking them to also increase their support for Ukraine at the same time is going to be quite difficult. So using this money that Russia owes to Ukraine — because they owe them compensation at this moment — can be quite influential in helping support the Ukrainians, but also changing Russia's calculus with regard to the ability of Ukraine to sustain itself.Kyla: On CNBC about a month ago, you said if we ever have a recession over the next couple of months or so, it would be a self-inflicted one. Do you still resonate with that idea? To build on the point I was making, the economy has done quite well over the course of the first few months of the year, largely because of the strength of the consumer, where our balance sheets are still quite strong. Companies in America have done well. The biggest headwind the US economy faces has been self-inflicted by the tariffs the president has put on. Part of what I still do is talk to CEOs of companies, big and small. Small businesses feel the impact of this even more than the big businesses. What they tell me is that it's not just the tariffs and the fact that they are making it more expensive for them to get the goods that they need, but it's the uncertainty created by the off-again, on-again, nature of those tariffs that makes it impossible for them to plan for what supplies they're going to get the next quarter. How are they going to fulfill their orders? What employees are they going to need? It's having a real impact on the performance of these companies, but also their ability to hire people and plan for the future.If you go to the grocery store, you're going to start seeing — and you're starting to see already — price increases. The thing that Americans care most about is, the cost of living is just too high. You're at the grocery store, as you're shopping for your kids for the summer, you're going to see costs go up because of a self-imposed tax we've put in place. So I still do think that if we do find ourselves in a recession, it's going to be because of the tariffs we've put in place.Even if we don't enter a technical recession, what we're seeing now is that those tariffs are going to raise the cost for people when they go out to buy things. It's going to raise the cost of building homes, which is going to make it harder for people to get houses, which is ultimately going to have an impact on the economy that isn't what I think the president or anyone wants at this point.Kyla: Is there anything else we haven't asked about? I think the place where we continue, as a country, to struggle is that, given the federal system we have, many of these problems aren't just in Washington — they're in state and local governments as well. When you think about the challenges to building more housing in this country, you can't just solve it by doing things at the federal level. You have to get state and local governments unified in taking a proactive approach. Part of this has to be not just financial or regulatory from the federal government, but we have to do more things that force state and local governments to get out of the way of people being able to build more housing. I think that the conversations that you've had on your show, and the conversations we're having in government, need to move past our regular policy conversations of: “Should we do more on LIHTC? Should we try to fix NEPA?” Those, to me, are table stakes, and we're in the middle of what I'd say is a generational crisis when it comes to housing. We have to be willing to treat it like a crisis, rather than what I think we've done so far, which is take incremental steps at different levels to try and solve this. That's one thing that I wanted to make sure that I said, because I think it's the most important thing that we can do at the moment.Kyla: Absolutely. During your time there, the Treasury was doing so much with zoning reform, with financial incentives. What I really liked about our last conversation was how much you talked about how important it is that workers can live close to work. Are you optimistic that we will be able to address the problem, or do you think we are sinking into quicksand?I'd say a little bit of both, and the thing that I'm doing now is getting hyperlocal. One of the projects I'm working on in my post-administration life is I'm working with 15 churches in D.C., where they have vacant land and want to use it to build affordable housing as quickly as possible.I'm learning that even when you have the land donated for free and you're willing to work as quickly as possible, it's still quite hard because you have regulations and financial issues that often get in the way of building things. Part of what we have to do now is just launch as many natural experiments as possible to see what works.What I've learned already from this lived experience is that even cities that are trying to get out of the way and make it easier to build housing struggle because of what you all know to be true, which is that the local politics of this is quite complicated. Oftentimes, the way that you get them over the line is by creating incentives or disincentives.In the past, I talked a lot about incentives in terms of “giving people money to do things.” I'm now in favor of “not giving money to people who don't do things” — if you don't take steps to fix your zoning, some of the federal money that you regularly get is not coming to your jurisdiction. I'm going to reallocate that money to places that are doing this activity. I think we have to take those types of radical steps.It's similar to what we did with the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, where if you didn't spend your money, we could take your money back and reallocate it to people who were giving away emergency rental assistance money.That motivates people a lot — when they feel like something's going to be taken away from them. I'm of the view that we have to find more radical things that we can do to get housing built. If we don't, costs will continue to rise faster than people's incomes.Santi: Wally, I have to ask after that point you just made: did you read the paper by my colleague Chris Elmendorf on using LIHTC funds? The idea is to re-allocate those federal funds away from big, expensive cities and into other places in a state, if the cities don't commit to basic zoning reforms.I completely agree with him, and I think I would go even further than just LIHTC money. I would reallocate non-housing money as well, because from my standpoint, if you think about the most important issue for a family, it's being able to find housing that is affordable near their place of work and where their kids go to school. I said that on purpose. I didn't say “affordable housing.” I said “housing that is affordable,” because affordable housing is, in lots of ways, targeted towards a population of people who need it the most. But for even people who are middle income in this country, it crowds out their ability to pay for other things when housing costs continue to creep higher.The only way we solve that problem is if you get rid of restrictive zoning covenants and fix permitting. The natural thing that every city and state is thinking about right now is throwing more money at the problem. There's going to need to be money here, just in light of some of the headwinds, but it's going to be more costly and less effective if we don't fix the underlying issues that are making it hard to build housing where we want it.Right now in California, we're having a huge debate over what we do with infill housing in urban areas. A simple solution — you don't have to do another environmental review if one was already done in this area— is taking months to work through the California legislature, which demonstrates that we're going too slow. California's seeing an exodus of people. I just talked to a CEO who said, “I'm moving my business because the people who work for me can't afford to live in California anymore.” This is the kind of problem that you can solve. State legislatures, Congress, and executives have to get together and take some radical steps to make it easier to build housing.I appreciate what you said about what we were doing at Treasury, but from my standpoint, I wish we had done more earlier to focus on this issue. We had a lot going on, but fundamentally, the most important thing on housing is taking a step to try and build housing today, which is going to have an impact on the economy 10, 20, 30 years from now. We just have to start doing that as soon as possible.Thanks to Emma Hilbert for her transcript and audio edits. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.statecraft.pub

On this episode of the podcast, we have Andrew Suseno, who I met through his workshop Brotherhood in Motion: Explore Masculinity through Movement & Reflection. It was a powerful space for Southeast Asian men to move through and discuss concepts of strength, manhood, resilience, and care using a framework designed by Moving Rasa. Andrew Suseno is a Chinese-Indonesian American movement artist and Doctor of Physical Therapy, living on Lenapehoking land. Certified in Feldenkrais and Laban Movement Analysis, Andrew is the founder of Moving Rasa, a pioneering initiative that blends indigenous Indonesian philosophy with somatics and improvisational movement to help people reclaim agency and build meaningful connections.Andrew's work centers the Southeast Asian diaspora, including an ongoing Virtual Healing Space for Southeast Asian men in partnership with ManForward, and Moving Rasa Weekend workshops with Kilusan Wellness supporting AAPI communities in the Bay Area. Moving Rasa is a proud recipient of a two-year American Rescue Plan grant, delivering culturally specific healing programs for AAPI survivors of sexual assault nationwide.One participant reflected, “I mourned the colonization of my motherland through the caring touch of my body as land.”Brotherhood in Motion will be offered again on Saturday, May 31st in Philadelphia, and Saturday, June 22nd in New York City 10am - 4pm. You can learn more about the workshop and sign up here!

Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press This week's show is sponsored by: EPIC-MRA Public Opinion Research MIRS News Fulton Fish Market

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger Picture More and more states are now pushing back on the green new scam. Biden's economy was a hoax. Trump has all the leverage, countries are now lining up to negotiate. China fights back, Trump places a 104% tariff on them. Trump is dismantling the [CB] globalist one piece at a time. The [DS] pushed their agenda with rogue judges, this has failed, the people are now seeing they have now power over the Executive Branch. [DS] will now move to judges that have jurisdiction, this will fail. [DS] is now moving towards riots since their Judges have failed. In the end the D party will be known as the party of violence. Trump is showing the country how the Constitution works, next phase coming.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy https://twitter.com/andyroth/status/1909352780277727722 The Myth of Biden's “Roaring” Economy Claims that President Trump inherited a thriving economy from President Biden are not just misleading—they're dishonest. The Biden supporters measure economic “growth” from the lowest point of the COVID lockdowns in 2020, when businesses were shuttered and unemployment was artificially high. This makes even mediocre recovery look like booming progress. But if we compare Biden's economy to 2019—the last full year before the pandemic—many key indicators show not a robust rebound but an economy weighed down by inflation, debt, and diminished purchasing power. Real wages are down. From January 2021 to May 2024, average hourly earnings for private-sector workers fell by 2.24% when adjusted for inflation. Even broader comparisons with 2019 show only marginal gains. According to the House Budget Committee, inflation-adjusted household net worth was still down 4.7% as of early 2025. Meanwhile, inflation surged 15.5% cumulatively from January 2021 through December 2024, with a peak annual rate of 9.1% in June 2022—the highest in more than four decades. President Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, along with the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act—two of the largest spending and money-creation programs in U.S. history—helped sustain inflationary pressure rather than curbing it. Employment numbers tell a similarly deceptive story. Biden often boasts of adding 16.6 million jobs, but much of that reflects people simply returning to work after pandemic shutdowns. Job growth also leaned heavily on part-time and public-sector positions. Of the jobs Biden claims to have created, about half, 8.3 million were part-time, and 1.2 million were government jobs—positions effectively created by executive action, shifting money from taxpayers to government payrolls. Americans were also borrowing more just to get by. Total household debt hit a record $17.9 trillion in the third quarter of 2024, up 26% from $14.15 trillion in 2019. Credit card debt alone exceeded $1.14 trillion, up nearly 15% when adjusted for inflation. Delinquencies have surged—9.1% of credit card accounts were delinquent as of Q3 2024, the highest rate since 2011. Auto repossessions rose by 23% in 2023, with an estimated 1.5–2 million vehicles repossessed, a jump from 1.3 million in 2019. Foreclosure activity followed a similar path: filings rose to 357,000 in 2023, still below the 493,000 in 2019 but climbing as post-pandemic protections ended. The cost of living soared, especially in housing. Average mortgage payments doubled from $1,300 to $2,600 between 2021 and 2024, pushing many Americans out of homeownership, while rents rose 40%. At the same time, the personal savings rate fell to 4%—down from 7.

Another day in the last days of the "Grand Experiment" in liberal democracy. Fox News works their lying fascist asses off to rehab Elon Musk's unpopularity. We discuss the madness. __________________________________________________ Need MORE unapologetic progressive TRUTH? Watch "The Tara Show" with Tara Devlin and Tara Dublin every Tuesday and Thursday 2PM EST on the Political Voices Network! www.youtube.com/@PoliticalVoicesNetwork Head on with Robyn Kincaid is on 5 nights a week! headon.live/ Tarabuster is among the independent media voices at APSRadioNews.com Tarabuster is also on rokfin.com/tarabuster BECOME A "TARABUSTER" PATRON: www.patreon.com/taradevlin Join the Tarabuster community on Discord too!! discord.gg/PRYDBx8 Buy some Resistance Merch and help support our progressive work! tarabustermerch.com/ Contact Tarabuster: tarabustershow@maskedfort.com Buy some Resistance Merch and help support our progressive work! tarabustermerch.com/ Keep the REAL liberal media going and growing! Support Tarabuster: www.paypal.com/paypalme/taradacktyl 00:00:00 Introduction 00:05:40 The Impact of Billionaires on Democracy 00:11:00 Impact of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 00:15:41 Persuasion Through Targeted Messaging 00:21:05 Controversial Conversations: Language Barriers and Service Stations 00:26:01 Racism and Political Assumptions in New York 00:31:11 Controversies Surrounding Elon Musk and Legal Threats 00:36:30 Media Suppression and Propaganda in America 00:41:39 Critique of Authoritarian Regimes and Wealth Disparity 00:46:42 The Debate on Pro-Choice and Pro-Life Language 00:51:42 The American Rescue Plan and Obama's Legacy 00:56:45 Political Divisions: Main Street vs. Wall Street 01:02:22 Donald Trump's Approval Ratings and Broken Politics 01:06:47 The Influence of Conservative Media and Propaganda 01:11:54 Jobs Created by Biden's Policies 01:17:28 Critique of Elon Musk and Billionaire Influence 01:22:13 Impact of Homelessness and Social Security 01:27:01 The Hidden Agenda of Project 2025 01:32:28 Critique of Billionaire Leadership and Political Influence 01:37:04 The Role of Government Agencies in Public Service 01:42:14 Reliance on Social Security for Income 01:47:42 Criticism of Apple's Business Practices 01:54:20 Critique of Media and Wealth Inequality 01:59:01 Criticism of Elon Musk's Business Practices 02:03:54 The Illusion of Tax Cuts and Political Manipulation 02:09:03 Political Tensions Between Blue and Red States 02:14:10 Controversy Over the Herculaneum Scrolls Team 02:19:19 Misleading Information and Fake News 02:25:20 Election Controversies and Public Opinion 02:32:41 Upcoming Political Voices Network Show with Tara and Tara 02:35:31 Community Appreciation and Support

MDJ Script/ Top Stories for March 19th Publish Date: March 19th Commercial: From the BG Ad Group Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. Today is Wednesday, March 19th and Happy Birthday to ***03.19.25 - BIRTHDAY - BRUCE WILLIS*** I’m Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Times Journal Powder Springs Woman Accused of Pushing Woman out of Moving Vehicle Smyrna to Close Portion of King Street Each Weekend Town Center Mall Pays Taxes, Avoids Auction All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe! BREAK: Ingles Markets 9 STORY 1: Powder Springs Woman Accused of Pushing Woman out of Moving Vehicle Kenya Latrice Smith, 48, of Powder Springs, is accused of pushing a woman out of a moving vehicle during an argument on March 8 in Marietta. According to police, Smith struck the victim while driving, and when the victim tried to exit, Smith pushed her out, causing severe injuries, including road rash, facial wounds, and permanent scarring. Smith was arrested shortly after and charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery. She remains in custody without bond. STORY 2: Smyrna to Close Portion of King Street Each Weekend Starting this weekend, a portion of King Street in Smyrna will close to vehicle traffic from Fridays at 3 p.m. to Sundays at 6 p.m. until November. The Smyrna City Council approved the closure to enhance pedestrian safety around the popular downtown greenspace. Mayor Derek Norton emphasized the need to protect families enjoying the area, allowing easier access between the playground and greenspace. Barriers and potential bollards will be installed to enforce the closure, which may also benefit festivals. Norton praised the greenspace’s success and plans to evaluate the measure’s impact before considering expansion. STORY 3: Town Center Mall Pays Taxes, Avoids Auction Town Center mall has paid off nearly $1 million in overdue 2024 property taxes, avoiding a tax deed auction that could have led to new ownership. The mall, owned by Kohan Retail Group since 2023, has faced financial struggles, including power shutoffs and lawsuits. Recently placed in receivership, Lewis Taulbee of JLL now oversees its management. Despite challenges, the mall remains 90% leased, with hopes for redevelopment into a mixed-use space to revitalize the area. Local leaders envision a thriving future for the property, though its exact path remains uncertain. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info. Break: INGLES 10 STORY 4: Kennesaw Begins Construction on $13.9M Public Safety Building Kennesaw officials broke ground on a $13.9 million public safety building on Moon Station Road, set to become the city’s new police headquarters. The 25,000-square-foot facility will consolidate all police operations, offering 40% more space and modern amenities like a crime lab, K-9 space, and emergency operations center. Funded by SPLOST, stormwater reserves, and the American Rescue Plan, the project has been in development for nine years. Mayor Derek Easterling and Police Chief Bill Westenberger emphasized the building’s role in enhancing safety and supporting officers, with construction expected to finish in 15 months. STORY 5: Suspect Charged with Armed Robbery of Smyrna Business Treveon Jeremiah Hogges of Suwanee is accused of attempting an armed robbery at Ace Cash Express in Smyrna on Jan. 16. He allegedly threatened an employee with a loaded Glock 17, fired shots at the business causing over $500 in damages, and shot at two police officers before fleeing. Hogges faces multiple charges, including attempted armed robbery, aggravated assault, and obstruction, but does not appear in jail records. Break: STORY 6: Griffin Man Accused of Stealing from Kennestone Hospital Corey Demetrius Jones of Griffin is accused of stealing $3,500 worth of equipment, including RAM cards, a security camera, hard drives, and a laptop, from Kennestone Hospital on Jan. 29. He faces charges of second-degree burglary and theft over $1,500, though he does not appear in jail records. STORY 7: Cobb to Consider CITA Construction, Other School Renovations The Cobb Board of Education will vote Thursday on contracts for constructing a second Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy at Allatoona High, set to open in 2026, and renovations at several schools. The new academy will offer 11 career pathways, including aviation and AI, funded by SPLOST VI. Renovation contracts include upgrades at five elementary schools, one middle school, and three high schools, with projects like flooring replacements and track resurfacing. All projects aim for completion by mid-2025, with the board's final decision expected during its evening session. Break: INGLES 1 Signoff- Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.mdjonline.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: ingles-markets.com #NewsPodcast #CurrentEvents #TopHeadlines #BreakingNews #PodcastDiscussion #PodcastNews #InDepthAnalysis #NewsAnalysis #PodcastTrending #WorldNews #LocalNews #GlobalNews #PodcastInsights #NewsBrief #PodcastUpdate #NewsRoundup #WeeklyNews #DailyNews #PodcastInterviews #HotTopics #PodcastOpinions #InvestigativeJournalism #BehindTheHeadlines #PodcastMedia #NewsStories #PodcastReports #JournalismMatters #PodcastPerspectives #NewsCommentary #PodcastListeners #NewsPodcastCommunity #NewsSource #PodcastCuration #WorldAffairs #PodcastUpdates #AudioNews #PodcastJournalism #EmergingStories #NewsFlash #PodcastConversationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 7, 2021Democrats have passed the American Rescue Plan propping up the middle class with $1.9T; a Trump campaign aide and State Department appointee is arrested for his role in the insurrection; the FBI finds a contact between a member of the Proud Boys and the White House before the attack on the Capitol; Rep. Zoe Lofgren catalogs GOP members spreading the big lie leading up to the siege; Eric Swalwell sues Trump for his role in the insurrection; the Fulton County Georgia DA hires a top RICO prosecutor for her investigation into Donald; Manchin signals that he's amenable to amending the filibuster; plus AG and Dana Goldberg (@DGComedy) deliver the Hot Notes and your Good News.Follow our guest on Twitter:Adrian Fontes (@Adrian_Fontes)JFK & Nixon - Video Killed the Radio Starhttps://youtu.be/_8PA6kZa_LM?t=42  Share your Good News or Good Trouble:https://www.dailybeanspod.com/good/ Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote, Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewroteDana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, BlueSky|@dgcomedyHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz highlights local projects funded by American Rescue Plan funds full 1434 Fri, 07 Mar 2025 16:00:55 +0000 TlRiVwQucWEhqDkxv3OzydmL7hhJ1jbZ buffalo,news,wben,mark poloncarz,erie county WBEN Extras buffalo,news,wben,mark poloncarz,erie county Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz highlights local projects funded by American Rescue Plan funds Archive of various reports and news events 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. News False

Anne Telnaes Edward "Big Balls" Coristine, State Department Senior Adviser “Big Balls” is 19-year-old high school graduate Edward Coristine, who now works as a “senior adviser” in the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Technology. That pretty much sums up President Elon Musk's reign of terror running through the federal government, even as Trump's Clown Cabinet gets virtually unanimous support from a spineless U.S. Senate. This week we talk with a veteran of federal departments that are being gutted by the Musk administration. In Michigan, we have our first polling on how the race for Governor might be impacted by third-party candidate Mike Duggan. We get the detailed findings from veteran pollster Bernie Porn, CEO of EPIC-MRA. Also on our radar:  Governor Whitmer and the Legislature are in last-minute 3-way negotiations over Michigan's minimum wage and paid medical leave;  The CEO of Ford warns that Trump's economic agenda could cripple the auto industry which means crippling Michigan's economy; And the Governor is looking at weed and big corporations to fund more fixing of the damn roads. Also joining us on the podcast: University of Michigan law professor Sam Bagenstos, who was a senior staffer at what it now Robert Kennedy Jr.'s Department of Health and Human Services, the Project 2025-driven office of Management and Budget, and the probably-soon-to-be shuttered Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights. Sam Bagenstos — Frank G. Millard Professor of Law, University of Michigan Bagenstos took an extended leave from U. of M. to serve in multiple roles in the Biden administration, with senior positions in HHS, the Federal Budget Office and Department of Justice. From June 2022 to December 2024, he was general counsel to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where he played a key role in advancing and implementing policies across the department, including: pursuing several initiatives on abortion and reproductive rights; crafting and defending the first-ever Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program; drafting and issuing major rules on civil rights, health privacy, Medicare and Medicaid, drug advertising, the regulation of “lab-developed” medical tests and food safety, the treatment of unaccompanied migrant children in HHS care, the treatment of LGBTQ+ kids in the foster care system, and many other issues; advancing marijuana rescheduling, and advising and defending the Food and Drug Administration's tobacco enforcement program; and working with the Department of Justice on litigation involving HHS, including significant abortion rights, free speech, and tobacco regulation cases in the US Supreme Court. From Inauguration Day 2021 to June 2022, he served as general counsel to the Office of Management and Budget. There, he worked on President Biden's Day One executive orders; helped respond to COVID-19, including implementing several crucial aid programs; responded to regulations adopted by the prior administration just before the inauguration and helped advance the new administration's regulations on labor, health, the environment, and much else; helped craft and implement the American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure law, and what became the Inflation Reduction Act; and assisted in developing two annual budgets, along with advising the entire Executive Branch on issues of appropriations law and administrative law. In an earlier stint on leave from the Law School, from 2009 to 2011, Bagenstos was an appointee in the US Department of Justice, where he served as the principal deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, the No. 2 official in the Civil Rights Division. There, he helped promulgate the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations—the first comprehensive update of those regulations since they were first issued in 1991—and led the reinvigoration of the Civil Rights Division's enforcement of the US Supreme Court's deci...

This week, it's a graphic novel with evil twins, lost homework, and a giant snail. Oh, and a talking frog. The book is "101 Reasons Why I Lost My Homework Again: The Snotty Snail" by Ofir Lobel. Our readers are from Valley Beth Shalom Day School in Encino, California. Sportswriter Keith Thursby is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from Valley Beth Shalom Day School: A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket Harry Potter - JK Rowling Dragon Masters - Tracey West A Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson Ofir Lobel's Favorite Book Little Nicolas -Rene Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempe Keith Thursby's Favorite Book:  The Jim Murray Reader - Jim Murray & Vin Scully We'll have a list of everybody's favorite books at our website, www.bookclubforkids.org. And if you have a favorite book, you can be on the BookClub for Kids podcast, too. Just have your parent, teacher, or librarian send us an email at kitty@bookclubforkids.org and we'll send you all the information.   We have a free newsletter for teachers, parents, and librarians, full of free tips about how to turn kids into lifelong readers. You can sign up at our website: www.bookclubforkids.org.   This episode is made possible by a grant from the LA County Department of Arts and Culture as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan. I'm KF, thanks for listening.  And by the way, the makers of Book Club for Kids have created a very different podcast, a mystery about the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman who solves mysteries on Capitol Hill…and teaches civics along the way. It's called The Fina Mendoza Mysteries and it's available now for free wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you like the series, check out the books the podcast is based on. Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza and State of the Union are available in both English and Spanish and book 3 Snake in the Grass – about how the bitter partisanship on Capitol Hill has led someone to put snakes in the gym bags and trash cans of members of Congress – comes out April 1, 2025. Get it here.

The 2024 Child Tax Credit has reverted to $2,000 per child after the temporary increase under the American Rescue Plan in 2021. Children over 17 qualify for only $500. Dr. Friday highlights the importance of adjusting withholdings in January to avoid surprises when filing your tax return. These changes could significantly impact families relying on prior years' expanded credits. Transcript: G’day. I’m Dr. Friday, president of Dr. Friday’s Tax and Financial Firm. To get more info, go to www.drfriday.com. This is a one-minute moment. Child tax credit. We all know the ARP, the American Rescue Plan that came in in 2021, temporarily expanded the tax credit, right? It was up to $3,000 and $3,600 depending on the age of the children. But in 2024, remember, that is only $2,000. And if they’re over the age of 17, it drops to $500. That can make a huge difference. If you’ve been using these other numbers and kind of calculating your withholding and now you’ve lost up to $1,600 on a child, that can make a difference on you owing taxes. Again, making sure now in January that you’re making these adjustments so you’re not going to feel the pain when the tax returns are being e-filed. You can catch the Dr. Friday Call-In Show live every Saturday afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m. right here on 99.7 WTN.

IDs aren't just about identification — they're about connection. This episode dives into the power of municipal ID programs to foster trust and open doors. We learn from successful programs in two very different cities — New York City and Greensboro, N.C. — that strive to be inclusive. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter joins us alongside Allison Sesso of Undue Medical Debt to explore how cities can lead the charge in addressing medical debt — and what it means to rethink our systems of care, equity, and economic justice.In the final days of the Biden administration, the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to prevent medical debt from being included in credit scores. It's a reminder that in medical debt isn't just a financial burden; it's a reflection of deeper systemic inequities that force individuals to take on “survival debt” — debt incurred just to meet basic needs like health care – and can impact their lives for years to come.That's why more and more cities, counties and states have been pairing up with the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to purchase their residents' debt portfolios from collectors and healthcare providers – and then forgiving the debts en masse, paying mere pennies on the dollar to provide serious financial relief. Many have been using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to do so.“We have folks who look at us and say, this doesn't solve health care,” says St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, who worked with Undue Medical Debt to erase $100 million in medical debt for thousands of residents. “And I go, no, that's absolutely accurate. This doesn't solve health care for the planet, for the country, for even our city. It does provide a real, clear breath of fresh air for a whole lot of people who need it right now.”

In a historic move, the Biden-Harris administration has finalized a groundbreaking rule that will eliminate $49 billion in medical debt from Americans' credit reports. Vice President Kamala Harris announced the rule, implemented by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which has already raised credit scores by an average of 20 points for over 15 million people. Medical debt remains the largest source of debt in collections across the nation, affecting 100 million Americans. Harris highlighted the transformative impact of the new rule, stating, “No one should be denied economic opportunity," like buying a home or starting a business, due to unpaid medical bills. Local governments, utilizing American Rescue Plan funds, have also erased over $1 billion in medical debt for 700,000 residents, with more relief initiatives on the horizon. The administration says the effort underscores its broader commitment to lowering costs and advancing equity for families nationwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the AgNet News Hour, hosts Sabrina Halvorson and Lorrie Boyer discuss the legal battle between the state of Montana and Yellowstone National Park regarding the park's bison management plan. They delve into the implications of increasing bison populations, such as the spread of brucellosis to cattle, ecological impacts, property damage, and government overreach. The conversation also touches on personal anecdotes and the complexity of balancing wildlife management with human safety and property rights. Lorrie Boyer is joined by TJ Bingham, a technical agronomist for Koch Agronomic Services, who discusses targeting organic phosphorus in the soil, enhancing plant availability. Lorrie also talks with Robert Shaffer, co-chair of the 2025 Commodity Classic, who highlighted the event's growth, noting 30,000 attendees last year and the need for 6,500-7,000 hotel rooms in Denver. The event features educational sessions and a trade show floor with a 95% return rate for exhibitors and will take place March 2-4 at the Colorado Convention Center. Sabrina interviews Jenny Lester Moffitt, Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the USDA. They discuss USDA's initiatives to build a stronger and more resilient food system, including programs supported by the American Rescue Plan. Moffitt elaborates on investments in regional food business centers, meat and poultry processing facilities, and infrastructure developments aimed at supporting small to mid-sized farms. They also touch on the importance of ensuring food security as national security, the impact of these programs on local communities, and the benefits to consumers, such as better access to fresh and healthy food.

Buffalo's Common Council voted to approve changes to how Buffalo will spend its outstanding American Rescue Plan funds. Councilmember Rasheed Wyatt explains why he voted against it.

Buffalo's Common Council cancelled a special session regarding the allocation of American Rescue Plan funds on Thursday. The deadline to distribute those funds is December 31st. Councilman David Rivera joins us to express his frustration.

Over the past four years, student loans have been at the center of some of the most dramatic changes we've ever seen — both good and bad. We'll explore the Biden administration's legislative and executive actions, such as making student loan forgiveness tax-free through the American Rescue Plan, the PSLF waiver, and the introduction of the SAVE plan. Along the way, we'll unpack the political pressures Biden faced, comparisons to FDR, and the influence of key players like Senator Warren and Richard Cordray. In addition, we'll examine the political ramifications and speculate about the future of student loan policies under a Republican-controlled government.   Key moments: (06:13) Misrepresented loan repayments paved the way for executive actions (11:01) A once-in-a-generation opportunity to rewrite the social contract (17:57) Why Republicans saw an opening to sue over student loan cancellation (21:13) The SAVE plan's billion-dollar promise — and why it was never realistic (26:08) Are plans in motion to roll back Biden's student loan reforms? What we're hearing Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Subscribe to the newsletter Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan Get profession-specific financial planning Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at help@studentloanplanner.com and we might feature it in an upcoming show!  

The holiday season can bring financial stress, more time at home, and pressure to spend time with family. According to advocates, these conditions place survivors of domestic violence at high risk. This hour, we talk to advocates about how they are meeting the growing need for domestic violence services across the state and why the expiration of American Rescue Plan funds could make their work more difficult. And later, we address questions surrounding reaching out to domestic violence crisis centers if you're undocumented or not ready to involve law enforcement. GUESTS: Meghan Scanlon: President and CEO, Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Danielle DeRosier: Senior Director of Community Programs, Prudence Crandall Center Sheila Hayre: Clinical Professor of Law, Quinnipiac University Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you that aunt or uncle – the one who only gives books for birthdays and holidays? I hope so. But if it's been a few years since you've picked up a middle grade novel, we have help from some experts – kids who visited us at the City of Stem LA Maker Faire to tell us about their favorite books. Start making your list and checking it twice… Favorite Books for Black Friday Shopping: Eragon - Christopher Paolini The Good Egg - Jory John and Pete Oswald The Land of Stories - Chris Colfer Amulet - Kazu Kibuishi Hop on Pop - Dr. Seuss The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett The Babysitter's Club - Ann M. Martin Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery This episode is made possible by a grant from the LA Department of Arts and Culture as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan. 

Gov. Tim Walz has announced $5 million in new funding for Minnesota food shelves. The $5 million is part of leftover money the state received from the American Rescue Plan, President Joe Biden's COVID-19 stimulus package.Hundreds of social equity applicants hoping for a cannabis business license will have to wait longer to set up shop. A lottery originally scheduled for Tuesday morning was put on hold by a Ramsey County judge.And some Medicare Advantage plans are no longer being accepted by some Minnesota health care providers. Attorney General Keith Ellison is warning Minnesotans on Medicare who use advantage plans to double check their coverage and provider acceptance of those plans before open enrollment ends on Dec. 7.This is an MPR News morning update, hosted by Gracie Stockton. Music by Gary Meister.Find more headlines at mprnews.org.Judge halts cannabis license lottery that is precursor to Minnesota marijuana retail launchRead the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

LISTEN: On the Monday, Nov. 25 edition of Georgia Today: New details on the BioLab fire that forced evacuations and shelter-in-place orders in Conyers; Medicare will no longer cover the cost of teleheath consultations; and Macon officials plan to use American Rescue Plan funds to help improve food access.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comReihan is a writer and the president of the Manhattan Institute. Before that he was the executive editor of National Review and worked at publications as varied as the NYT, The Atlantic, National Affairs, Slate, CNN, NBC News, and Vice. He's the author of Melting Pot or Civil War? and Grand New Party — a 2008 book he co-wrote with Ross Douthat that pushed a policy program for a GOP connected to the working class. He was also my very first assistant on the Daily Dish, editing the Letters page, over two decades ago.For two clips of our convo — on finding “Americanness” out of immigrant diversity, and Trump vs the education system — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: Reihan's upbringing in Brooklyn; his immigrant parents (who both worked two jobs) and his older sisters from Bangladesh; how cities are enlivened by legal immigration; the formative role of TNR and the Dish for a young Reihan; the role of reader dissent in blogging; epistemic humility; Burke; Oakeshott; how outsiders often observe subcultures more accurately; the self-confidence of assimilation; Arthur Schlesinger's The Disuniting of America; meritocracy; the PC movement of the early ‘90s; marriage equality; gay assimilation; victimhood culture and its self-harm; the love of one's homeland; Orwell; Thatcher's mature view of trade-offs and “vigorous virtues”; Bill Clinton; Obama's view of red states and blue states; the importance of storytelling in politics; Trump's iconic images in 2024; his trans ads; his multiracial coalition; the self-flagellation of woke whites; John Oliver and Jon Stewart; Seth Moulton and the woke backlash; how Harris might have won by acknowledging 2020 overreach; Eric Kaufmann and sacralization of victim groups; The 1619 Project; the failure of blue city governance; Reagan Democrats and Trump Democrats; the indoctrination in higher ed; the government's role in curriculum; DEI bureaucracy; SCOTUS vs affirmative action; the American Rescue Plan and inflation; elite disconnect from higher prices and higher migration; October 7, Zionism; and the ordeal of consciousness.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: David Greenberg on John Lewis and the Civil Rights Movement, Adam Kirsch on his book On Settler Colonialism, Brianna Wu on trans lives and politics, Mary Matalin on anything but politics, Christine Rosen on humanness in a digital world, and John Gray in the new year on the state of liberal democracy. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

  In this episode of the Friends for Life Podcast, we explore the challenges facing the direct support professional (DSP) workforce, despite recent increases in hourly wages. Although DSPs saw an average hourly wage of $15.79 nationwide in 2022—a historic first—the high turnover rate of over 40% continues to strain disability service providers, who are struggling to maintain adequate staff. Many providers report having to refuse new referrals or reduce services, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable workforce solutions. Temporary support from the 2021 American Rescue Plan provided essential funding to boost wages, but this relief is set to expire in 2025, raising concerns about long-term stability in the field. Barbara Merrill, CEO of ANCOR, and Armando Contreras, president of United Cerebral Palsy, emphasize the critical need for more consistent support to ensure DSPs receive competitive compensation and people with developmental disabilities can access essential services without prolonged delays. With over half a million individuals still on waiting lists for services, the conversation underscores how years of underinvestment in Medicaid have limited providers' ability to address the workforce crisis fully, jeopardizing the right of people with disabilities to live independently in their communities.

Episode 295 features Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. We're talking about affording the American dream. Listen now!Wally Adeyemo was sworn in as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury on March 26, 2021.As the department's chief operating officer, he plays a key role in advancing national security and economic priorities, including implementing the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.For full episode show notes, visit here.My new book is officially available to buy! Order Financially Lit! Today!Want our merch? Get yours here!Check out this YQD™ Sponsor:BetterHelp—Professional support when you need it, at a fraction of the cost of in-person therapy. Get 10% off your first month with our sponsor: https://betterhelp.com/dinero Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/YoQuieroDinero. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, and Robert James, II, President of Carver Financial Corporation join.JobsThe Black unemployment rate was 5.7% in September, near historic lows. The Black unemployment rate was 9.3% when President Biden took office.2023 was the lowest year for Black unemployment on record.16 million jobs have been created since President Biden took office, including nearly 2.4 million jobs for Black workers—achieving one of the lowest gaps between Black and White unemployment on record.Prime-age Black women have seen their labor force participation rates climb by about 3% compared to pre-pandemic levels.Wages/WealthReal wages for Black Americans grew over 5% between 2019 and the four-quarters ending in Q3 2024.Black net worth is up 60% between 2019 and 2022 and the Black-white wealth gap is at its narrowest level in nearly 20 years.HousingBlack homeownership rates increased by 3.5 percentage points from 2019 through the four-quarters ending in Q2 2024. In the years of the Financial Crisis, Black homeownership had dropped 1.75 percentage points.As of Q2 2024, 37% of Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) homeowners self-identified as Black.In 2021, eviction filing rates in Black neighborhoods were less than half their historic average.41% of ERA payments have gone to Black families as of Q1 2024.Child PovertyOver 800,000 Black children were lifted out of poverty in 2021 through the expansion of the Child Tax Credit under the American Rescue Plan, helping drive the child poverty rate for Black children to its lowest level on record.Small BusinessThe number of Black households owning a business has more than doubled since 2019.Black business ownership is up 6.2 percentage points from 2019 to 2022 to 11%, the highest rate in history.In 2021, Black-owned companies employed 1.4 million people and paid over $50 billion in annual payroll.·       The number of Black workers that were self-employed—a measure of entrepreneurship—increased by over 30% from 2019 through 2024. ·       The number and dollar value of SBA-backed loans to Black-owned businesses have more than doubled since 2020. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has now surpassed the $1 billion mark in lending to Black-owned small businesses for the third year, almost double 2019 lending amounts.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We called it once-a-generation legislation when Congress passed it in 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act provided $1.9 trillion across the nation to restrengthen from the global pandemic that hurt so many communities. For their part, the cities and towns of North Carolina got about $1.3 billion -- and there's an important deadline coming up with it, which you can learn more about at arp.nclm.org. We're joined on this episode by NCLM's Stephanie Hughes, who has traveled to various municipalities across the state to see how they've put ARP resources to great use, and advises us on the reporting deadline ahead. Municipal Equation is a production of the N.C. League of Municipalities, https://www.nclm.org. Contact host/producer Ben Brown at .   

We take a little break from politics with Community Editor Christina Lorey as we review a story about the restaurant chains we used to love but have gone away. What do you miss? Chi Chi's? Burger Chef? Big Boy? Can't forget the ice cream cake roll at Howard Johnson's! Also: President Biden's American Rescue Plan continues to bring new investments in Wisconsin, as Gov. Tony Evers announces 35 new grants for libraries and community centers—with an emphasis on bridging the digital divide so everyone has good access to an internet connection. And we visit with Dan Hagen from WJFW-TV in Rhinelander. UpNorthNews with Pat Kreitlow airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-8 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X, and Instagram to keep up with Pat & the show. Guests: Christina Lorey, Cherita Booker

Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks about Byron Donalds' appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” where he shocked hosts Charlamagne tha God and Angela Rye by bringing proof that Kamala Harris is partially responsible for the wave of inflation hurting American families due to her tiebreaking vote for Biden's American Rescue Plan; Kamala Harris' disastrous interview on “All the Smoke” with hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, where she gave a mind-boggling nonsense answer to a basic question about inflation and families who are struggling living paycheck to paycheck; Jen Psaki's bizarre interview with potential first gentleman Doug Emhoff about masculinity; Eddie Glaude almost crying about the possibility of Trump becoming president again while talking to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace; Minneapolis swearing in its first ever noncitizen police officer; Kemi Badenoch proudly laying out why Western civilization is a superior civilization to BBC's Laura Kuenssberg; and much more. Dave also does a special “ask me anything” question-and-answer session on a wide-ranging host of topics, answering questions from the Rubin Report Locals community. WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: The Wellness Company - Get your Medical Emergency Kit with potentially life-saving medications for you to keep on hand in times of need. Rest easy knowing that you have emergency antibiotics, antivirals and anti-parasitics to help keep you and your family safe. Rubin Report viewers save $45 at checkout PLUS free shipping when they use code: RUBIN. Go to: https://TWC.health/RUBIN and use CODE: RUBIN Gravity Defyer - Sick of knee pain? Get Gravity Defyer shoes. Minimize the shock waves that normal shoes absorb through your feet, knees and hips with every step. Use the promo code "RUBIN30" at checkout, to get an extra $30 off orders over $130 or more. Go to: http://gdefy.com and Use the promo code "RUBIN30" Lumen.Me - Lumen is the world's first handheld metabolic coach that measures your metabolism through your breath. It lets you know if you're burning fat or carbs, and gives you tailored guidance to improve your nutrition, workouts, and sleep. Go to: https://lumen.me/rubin to get 15% OFF! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Police Leaders for Community Safety, a national organization of law enforcement professionals, has officially endorsed Kamala Harris for president. New data reveals a significant milestone in public safety: The homicide rate has dropped 16 percent since 2020, making it the largest one-year decrease ever recorded. This is a crucial development as communities across America work towards safer environments. In a statement, Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized that before the Biden administration, the nation faced a troubling surge in crime, including record increases in murders. She attributed the decrease to the American Rescue Plan, which allocated over $15 billion for public safety initiatives, local police departments have received essential resources to combat crime. This funding has been used by local police departments to hire and retain officers and invest in community violence intervention programs. Additionally, under the Biden administration, violent crime is now at its lowest level in nearly 50 years, the statement said. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hour 2: 4:05pm- On Wednesday night, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appeared as a guest on Greg Gutfeld's Fox News show. During the conversation, Trump joked that “golf is a very dangerous game”—referencing the most recent assassination attempt on him. He also noted that since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris has suddenly changed 14 of her radical, far-left policies in hopes of appealing to moderates in swing states. Does Harris have an authenticity problem with voters? And do independents/moderates actually trust her? 4:15pm- While appearing on Fox News, Steamfitters Local 638 Union member Bob Bartels announced that 70% of his union is supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. According to internal polling, members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters heavily favor Trump over Kamala Harris—58% to 36%. Yesterday, Teamsters leadership announced they would not be endorsing either candidate. It's the first time the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has opted out of endorsing a presidential candidate since 1996. In 2020, they supported Joe Biden—and have historically endorsed Democrats. 4:20pm- According to a new report from Steven Crowder, Dr. Jay Varma—a former Senior Advisor for Public Health for the New York City Mayor's Office during the COVID-19 pandemic—admitted on a hidden camera that he participated in drug-fueled sex parties while simultaneously advocating for lockdowns during the pandemic. 4:30pm- It's 4:30pm—and Rich is still talking about lice… 4:40pm- The Economy Was Roaring When Biden Took Office. In an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, former Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia writes: “In truth, when Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris took over, the economy was rebounding faster than virtually anyone predicted. As labor secretary I projected in June 2020 that the unemployment rate—which had reached 14.7% in April—could drop below 10% by year's end. That was considered highly optimistic. Not optimistic enough, it turned out. Unemployment in December 2020 was 6.7%. By the time Mr. Biden signed his American Rescue Plan in March 2021, unemployment had dropped to 6.1%. By contrast, unemployment was above 8% for nearly all of Mr. Obama's first term, and didn't drop to 6.1% until he'd been in office more than five years. No one heard Messrs. Obama and Biden decrying the high unemployment rate when they ran for re-election in 2012.” You can read the full article here: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-economy-was-roaring-when-biden-took-office-trump-admin-jobs-growth-93727f7c?mod=opinion_lead_pos8

September is the perfect time of year to start a new habit. How about 15 minutes a day reading a book YOU want to read? Need some suggestions? Give a listen as we hear from kids as the City of Stem LA Maker Faire about the books they LOVE to read.  Projekt 1065 - Alan Gratz Little Women - Louisa May Alcott The Light in Hidden Places - Sharon Cameron Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney Princess in Black - Shannon Hale The Magic Factory - Morgan Rice This episode is made possible by a grant from the LA Department of Arts and Culture as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan.  And if you're looking for a way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, check out the Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast. It tells the story of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman who solves myseries inside the US Capitol...and introduces civics to kids. The podcast is based on the Fina Mendoza series of books in both English and Spanish.  Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza Bienvenida a Washington Fina Mendoza Losing is Democratic: How to Talk to Kids About January 6th State of the Union Estado de la Unión  

Take 2 Podcast 9/6/24 FridayHeidi HatchMaura Carabello Exoro GroupRep. Tyler Clancy Utah Legislature BREAKING TODAY: New pushback on Constitutional Amendment DSecond Lyman ticket for Governor in the Write-In columnState Signature Audit CompleteGovernor Cox redirects $1.2 million from American Rescue Plan into a new school lunch debt grant program.State School Board and Utah Legislator Tyler Clancy- looking at budget option to expand free school lunchTrump Fundraiser Back on next Saturday in SLCPresidential Debate next week Sept. 10 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This Day in Legal History: Non-aligned MovementOn September 6, 1961, the first official Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) conference concluded in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Leaders from 25 countries, including India's Jawaharlal Nehru, Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Yugoslavia's Josip Broz Tito, gathered to affirm their commitment to remaining independent of the two major Cold War blocs—the United States and the Soviet Union. The conference marked a significant moment in international diplomacy, as it provided a platform for newly independent nations to advocate for peaceful coexistence, self-determination, and resistance to colonialism.The Non-Aligned Movement had its origins in the 1955 Bandung Conference in Indonesia, where Asian and African leaders first came together to discuss mutual interests. By 1961, the movement solidified its principles, emphasizing the importance of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal affairs. At the Belgrade conference, these ideals were codified in what became known as the "Ten Principles of Bandung," which called for disarmament and the end of imperialism.The closing of this inaugural summit was a milestone in the broader process of decolonization and the emergence of a new voice in global geopolitics. It established NAM as a key player in advocating for a multipolar world order, allowing smaller nations to navigate the pressures of Cold War rivalries without being drawn into the conflict. The legacy of the 1961 conference endures, with NAM continuing to influence international relations today, with a membership that has since grown to over 100 countries.Donald Trump's legal team plans to appeal a $5 million jury verdict that found him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. The appeal will be heard by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, with a panel of three judges appointed by Democratic presidents. This appeal challenges a civil verdict from May 2023, which stems from Carroll's accusation that Trump assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. Trump also contested his 2022 post on Truth Social, where he called Carroll's claim a hoax. The original jury awarded Carroll $2.02 million for sexual assault and $2.98 million for defamation. A separate January verdict ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million for further defaming Carroll in 2019. Trump disputes the trial's fairness, claiming that evidence of two additional women's testimonies and a controversial “Access Hollywood” video were wrongly admitted. Trump also argues that the court ignored political motives behind Carroll's lawsuit. This appeal runs alongside various other legal challenges Trump is currently facing.Donald Trump to appeal first court loss to E. Jean Carroll | ReuterPartners at Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord have approved a merger, forming a new firm called Troutman Pepper Locke, set to launch on January 1, 2025. The combined firm will have over 1,600 lawyers across 35 offices in the U.S. and Europe, with a reported $1.5 billion in combined revenue. This merger strengthens Troutman's presence in Texas and boosts Locke Lord's attorney headcount, which had been declining. Key leaders from both firms will continue in leadership roles. The merger enhances their complementary practice areas in energy, financial services, and pharmaceuticals, though some partner departures have raised concerns about potential client conflicts.Troutman Pepper, Locke Lord Partners Approve Big Law Merger (2)President Joe Biden is set to issue an executive order directing federal agencies to prioritize companies that collaborate with unions and provide strong wages and benefits when distributing funds from key infrastructure and green energy laws. The move applies to laws like the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act and sets job quality standards for federal spending. The order builds on previous policies requiring federal contractors to pay at least $15 per hour and use Project Labor Agreements, now making such labor standards mandatory for private employers seeking federal grants. Companies with union-friendly practices, apprenticeship programs, and benefits like child care and paid leave will be favored in federal funding decisions. Additionally, the directive pushes agencies to incentivize higher wages for manufacturing grants, expanding beyond traditional Davis-Bacon Act wage requirements for construction jobs. A task force will be created to oversee policy implementation.Biden Looks to Tie Infrastructure Cash to Pro-Union PoliciesXockets Inc. has filed a lawsuit accusing Nvidia and Microsoft of stealing its patented semiconductor technology, which offloads AI computing tasks to a data processing unit (DPU). Xockets claims this technology significantly contributed to Nvidia's rise as a leading AI chipmaker. The lawsuit, filed in Texas, also accuses Nvidia and Microsoft of violating antitrust laws by avoiding direct patent licensing talks through a third-party intermediary, RPX Corp. Xockets alleges this formed a "buyers' cartel" to avoid paying fair value for its intellectual property. Nvidia's market value surged to $3 trillion, and Xockets is seeking damages potentially in the billions. The company also seeks an injunction against Nvidia's AI products and Microsoft's use of them. Nvidia and Microsoft have declined to comment.Nvidia, Microsoft Accused of AI Patent Theft, Buyers' Cartel (2)Nvidia, Microsoft hit with patent lawsuit over AI computing technology | ReutersThis week's closing theme is by Tchaikovsky.This week's closing theme is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's iconic 1812 Overture, which premiered on this day, September 6, in 1882, in Moscow. Tchaikovsky, one of Russia's most beloved composers, is known for his deeply emotional and powerful compositions, and the 1812 Overture is no exception. Written to commemorate Russia's defense against Napoleon's invading army in 1812, the piece tells a dramatic story through music, blending themes of struggle, victory, and national pride.Famous for its booming cannon fire and triumphant melodies, the 1812 Overture incorporates elements of Russian folk tunes and even the French national anthem, symbolizing the clash between the two nations. The work culminates in a grand, celebratory finale, where the Russian national anthem resounds, signaling ultimate victory.Though Tchaikovsky himself expressed mixed feelings about the piece, considering it more of a celebratory commission than a personal masterpiece, the 1812 Overture has become a symbol of musical grandeur. Often performed during patriotic events, it remains one of the most widely recognized pieces in classical music. Its thrilling combination of orchestral power and theatricality makes it the perfect conclusion to this week.Without further ado, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Op. 49. Enjoy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Leslie is joined by Roxanne Brown, the USW's International Vice President at Large, who oversees the union's public policy and legislative agenda as well as its political work. She has spent more than two decades advancing policies on Capitol Hill and with regulatory agencies on behalf of USW members. She has extensive experience in manufacturing, environmental and energy policy. The two discuss how Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate Tim Walz, have been delivering wins for workers throughout their public service lives. It comes down to values: Working people need a candidate who will fight for them. USW members told their leadership that they most value retirement security, affordable health care, labor laws that support their ability to form Unions and negotiate strong contracts, alongside safe, healthy workplaces, worker-centered trade, and a strong industrial policy that supports American manufacturing. Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have a strong record delivering on all these issues. Vice President Kamala Harris serves as a crucial part of the most pro-labor administration of our lifetimes, which breathed new life into domestic manufacturing and established the nation's first industrial policy in decades.  This includes infrastructure and other investments rooted in strong 'Buy America' provisions. Policies to build stronger, more resilient supply chains. She took charge of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, breaking down barriers for workers forming Unions. She also walked the picket line with striking UAW workers. Harris was also the tie breaker on a number of key votes that advanced the interests of working families. The USW worked for years to pass the Butch-Lewis Act and protect the pensions of more than a million workers whose retirements hung in the balance through no fault of their own. Not a single Republican voted for the American Rescue Plan, which included Butch-Lewis, but thanks to VP Harris, it passed. Her work as a tie-breaker also enabled the administration's efforts to return the National Labor Relations Board to its mission of empowering working people, rather than serving the interests of wealthy corporations. Even before she was the Vice President, Harris fought for workers. As a Senator, Harris fought for legislation to address workplace violence in health care and social service settings. As California's Attorney General, she cracked down on corporate creed, took on the big banks, and defended vulnerable workers against wage theft. She fought for labor protections and fair wages for agricultural and domestic workers. Harris' choice of running mate also shows that she prioritizes workers and shares their values. Tim Walz was himself a Union educator, who over his career: Paved the way for more workers to have access to paid sick and family leave; Made major strides in protecting workers' health and safety on the job; Improved standards for patients and workers at Minnesota's nursing homes; Strengthened Union organizing and collective bargaining rights; Expanded unemployment benefits and took steps to protect workers from wage theft and other abuses. The choice is clear. Workers need elected officials who will fight on their side, and both Harris and Walz have clear, pro-worker records. You can follow Roxanne on X, where her handle is @BrownRox. Follow the USW on X, Facebook and Instagram, using the handle @steelworkers, and visit their website at USW.org.

Leslie is joined by Roxanne Brown, the USW's International Vice President at Large, who oversees the union's public policy and legislative agenda as well as its political work. She has spent more than two decades advancing policies on Capitol Hill and with regulatory agencies on behalf of USW members. She has extensive experience in manufacturing, environmental and energy policy. The two discuss how Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate Tim Walz, have been delivering wins for workers throughout their public service lives. It comes down to values: Working people need a candidate who will fight for them. USW members told their leadership that they most value retirement security, affordable health care, labor laws that support their ability to form Unions and negotiate strong contracts, alongside safe, healthy workplaces, worker-centered trade, and a strong industrial policy that supports American manufacturing. Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have a strong record delivering on all these issues. Vice President Kamala Harris serves as a crucial part of the most pro-labor administration of our lifetimes, which breathed new life into domestic manufacturing and established the nation's first industrial policy in decades.  This includes infrastructure and other investments rooted in strong 'Buy America' provisions. Policies to build stronger, more resilient supply chains. She took charge of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, breaking down barriers for workers forming Unions. She also walked the picket line with striking UAW workers. Harris was also the tie breaker on a number of key votes that advanced the interests of working families. The USW worked for years to pass the Butch-Lewis Act and protect the pensions of more than a million workers whose retirements hung in the balance through no fault of their own. Not a single Republican voted for the American Rescue Plan, which included Butch-Lewis, but thanks to VP Harris, it passed. Her work as a tie-breaker also enabled the administration's efforts to return the National Labor Relations Board to its mission of empowering working people, rather than serving the interests of wealthy corporations. Even before she was the Vice President, Harris fought for workers. As a Senator, Harris fought for legislation to address workplace violence in health care and social service settings. As California's Attorney General, she cracked down on corporate creed, took on the big banks, and defended vulnerable workers against wage theft. She fought for labor protections and fair wages for agricultural and domestic workers. Harris' choice of running mate also shows that she prioritizes workers and shares their values. Tim Walz was himself a Union educator, who over his career: Paved the way for more workers to have access to paid sick and family leave; Made major strides in protecting workers' health and safety on the job; Improved standards for patients and workers at Minnesota's nursing homes; Strengthened Union organizing and collective bargaining rights; Expanded unemployment benefits and took steps to protect workers from wage theft and other abuses. The choice is clear. Workers need elected officials who will fight on their side, and both Harris and Walz have clear, pro-worker records. You can follow Roxanne on X, where her handle is @BrownRox. Follow the USW on X, Facebook and Instagram, using the handle @steelworkers, and visit their website at USW.org.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The [DS]/[CB] are pushing their agenda, they are bringing down the economy to try to bring us into the Great Reset. Trump knows the playbook, they were going to do this no matter who was in charge of the country. Everything is right on schedule. Stage set for the Fed. The [DS] have all assets deployed, they must stop Trump at all costs. To do this they are now following their 16 year plan to bring the world to war to cover for their treasonous acts. The country is becoming united not divided. The [DS] will use info to make people believe it is divided, this will fail. Fear and scare push, everything they tried to do to Trump was projected onto him, they are the ones who are going to destroy the economy and bring the world to war, Trump will stop them with the people's help.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy  https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1820475363589538230   or sell. https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1820439844314591583   result, the S&P 500 has now erased $5 TRILLION of market cap over the last month. Buckle up. https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1820457755322298405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1820457755322298405%7Ctwgr%5E68e75b85a0827d52909a2950811fc25c4ee7ee42%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2024%2F08%2Fkamala-crash-harriss-words-come-back-haunt-her%2F https://twitter.com/KamalaHQ/status/1793992394028810418 https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1820451687909236798 JUST IN: Biden's Senior Economic Advisor Resigns After Market Crash  Gene Sperling stepped down as Biden's senior econ advisor to go work for the Harris campaign. “Under Gene's leadership, the American Rescue Plan has delivered economic relief to cities and counties across the country, protected millions of union pensions, made the largest-ever federal investment in public safety, and kept thousands of small businesses afloat,” Biden said Full statement from Joe Biden:   Source: thegatewaypundit.com   Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/GRDecter/status/1820441638906572993  triggers a 15-minute halt. - Level 3: Drop of 20% triggers a halt for the rest of the trading day, and trading resumes the following day. NASDAQ futures down -5.96% Ouch. Nearly $2 Trillion Wiped Out from Stock Market  The first Monday in August has arrived with panic sweeping through the finance sector, as nearly $2 trillion was wiped out of the S&P 500 at market open. 1802 Aug 02, 2018 10:20:02 PM EDT Q !CbboFOtcZs ID: 000000 No. 113  SOMETHING BIG is about to drop. Q https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1820493093680119850  President Trump Talks with Maria Bartiromo- “What's Killed this Country More Than Anything in the Last Three and a Half Years is Inflation” (VIDEO) President Trump also talked about inflation and the effect it had on the economy. “We are gonna get energy way down,” Trump said. “The inflation has been a disaster in this country, and it's killed the middle class, it's killing the working class, and we're gonna get inflation brought down,” Trump continued. Source: thegatewaypundit.com Why the Fed is being blamed for the historic stock-market plunge The Federal Reserve is catching some heat for the historic stock market plunge. Experts argue the Fed's decision to leave rates unchanged at its last meeting contributed to the chaos.

Ralph welcomes Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, an American trauma surgeon who worked at the European Hospital in Khan Younis. They'll discuss Dr. Sidhwa's experience on the ground in Gaza, as well as his letter (co-signed by 45 other American medical practitioners) to President Biden, VP Harris, and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Then, Ralph is joined by University of Chicago Booth School of Business Professor Luigi Zingales to look at why business schools are setting capitalism up to fail.Dr. Feroze Sidhwa is a trauma and critical care surgeon as well as a Northern California Veterans Affairs general surgeon, and he is Associate Professor of Surgery at the California Northstate University College of Medicine. Dr. Sidhwa served at the European Hospital in Khan Younis in March and April of this year, and he has done prior humanitarian work in Haiti, the West Bank, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe. Dr. Sidhwa and 45 other American doctors and nurses who have served in Gaza recently sent a letter exhorting President Biden, VP Harris, and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to effect an immediate ceasefire. Gaza is definitely unique compared to anywhere else that I've been—the level of violence, the level of displacement, the level of deprivation of normal things that society provides.Dr. Feroze SidhwaThere's so much in this letter, listeners, that you need to know about because it's such heartfelt and professionally documented close observation. This short interview cannot do justice to the horrors that Dr. Sidhwa and others observed—and they were just there for a few weeks. Ralph NaderOne of the things that we tried to emphasize in the letter is that we don't have anything to say about the politics of the Israel-Palestine conflict…We, as physicians, that's not what we're talking about.  We're talking about our own participation in a massive unprecedented assault on a civilian population. By a military that we fund—we supply, literally every day. We provide the training. We provide all the diplomatic cover. The economic support. Everything is coming from the United States. And in the end, the Israelis have already decided what they're going to do. They have decided to destroy Gaza. If half the people there die, oh well, if all of the people there die, oh well. But we don't have to be involved in it.Dr. Feroze SidhwaI think the situation in Gaza has reached such a level, the political moment in the U.S. with Biden not running again, has reached a certain level, and then with Netanyahu's bonker address to Congress—when Nancy Pelosi is openly criticizing the Prime Minister of Israel, he's really screwed up.Dr. Feroze SidhwaLuigi Zingales is the Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He co-developed the Financial Trust Index, which is designed to monitor the level of trust that Americans have toward their financial system. He is currently a faculty research fellow for the National Bureau of Economic Research, a research fellow for the Center for Economic Policy Research, a fellow of the European Governance Institute, and the director of Chicago Booth's Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State. Professor Zingales is the co-host (with Bethany McLean) of the podcast Capitalisn't, and co-author (with Raghuram G. Rajan) of the book Saving Capitalism from Capitalists. These days, there is a lot of attention in business school about the environment, about so-called social responsibility, about all these aspects…but business schools like to keep separate the social aspects from the business aspects. So, in many places now there are classes on social entrepreneurship—which is something very interesting where people try to use their entrepreneurial skills to promote an initiative that is good for society at large, even if it's not necessarily profitable. But then if you are not a social enterprise, then you have to be the most capital, profit-maximizing firms on the face of the earth. There is nothing in between.Professor Luigi ZingalesOne year there was a management conference, and I organized a session on corporate fraud. And I expected a lot of people to show up and listen to the panel. In fact, it was a fiasco. Almost nobody showed up, because they don't want to confront their own limitations and problems. They want to see the more glitzy and shiny aspects of success. And that's what attracts them to business school, and that's what we end up selling to them. So I think that we are in part responsible because we cater too much to their own demand. Professor Luigi ZingalesIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 7/31/241. On Monday, nine Israeli soldiers were arrested on suspicion of raping a Palestinian prisoner at the Sde Teiman detention facility. In response, the Middle East Eye reports “Dozens of people…including members of parliament and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, gathered outside Sde Teiman and stormed the…facility…[and] Hours later, some 1,200 rioters gathered outside the Beit Lid base, where the nine suspects were taken for questioning.” This piece quotes military chief of staff Herzi Halevi who described the riots as “bordering on anarchy” and said the rioters harmed the military. Yet, “Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the suspects as as ‘heroic warriors'…[and] National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees the prisons where Palestinians are detained, called [the suspects] the ‘best heroes' and described the arrests as ‘shameful'.” One of these soldiers has now been released, according to the Middle East Monitor.2. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed Congress last week amid mass protests in Washington D.C. During his speech, Axios reports six spectators were arrested for “disrupting” the address. All six of these demonstrators are family members of the Israeli hostages. Capitol Police spokesperson Brianna Burch is quoted saying “demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is against the law.”3. In the U.K., the new Labour government is sending mixed messages on their Middle East policy. Late last week, the government announced that they would drop the United Kingdom's opposition to the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Netanyahu, per CNN. Yet this week, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that despite campaign promises, “Labour will…delay recognition [of a Palestinian state] indefinitely, making it conditional on Israel feeling ‘safe and secure,'” as reported by British blog Stats for Lefties. Labour continues to face pressure from independent MPs like Jeremy Corbyn on this issue.4. This week, President Nicolas Maduro was reelected in Venezuela. Elon Musk was caught spreading misinformation implying that Maduro engaged in election fraud – sharing a video that he claimed showed ballot boxes being stolen, when in fact the ballot boxes in question were actually air conditioning units, per Mediaite. The National Lawyer's Guild International Committee however, which sent a delegation to monitor the election, “observed a transparent, fair voting process with scrupulous attention to legitimacy, access to the polls and pluralism.” The NLG statement went on to decry “Despite the soundness of the electoral process, the U.S. backed opposition, with support from an anti-Maduro western press has refused to accept the results, undermining the stability of Venezuela's democracy.”5. Forbes reports that Disney has reached a deal with the unionized workers at Disneyland, ratifying a three-year contract that includes “a $24 hourly minimum wage…wage increases, seniority increases, more flexible attendance and sick leave policies, and other benefits.” This deal thus averts the first strike at the Anaheim park in four decades. Last week, More Perfect Union reported that the 14,000 unionized Disneyland workers “authorized a strike by 99%.”6. Jacobin reports “SpaceX [has won] a First Battle in Its Assault on the NLRB.” In this piece, People's Policy Project founder Matt Bruenig lays out how “SpaceX...[winning] a preliminary injunction in a Texas federal district court against the National Labor Relations Board… moves us closer to a potential Supreme Court decision declaring the NLRB unconstitutional.” This is the latest installment in the corporatist war on administrative law, which has already scored major victories in the SEC v. Jarkesy and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo cases. Bruenig notes that “For now, the district court's decision simply prevents the NLRB from processing a fairly run-of-the-mill unfair labor practice charge against SpaceX. The real question is going to be what the Supreme Court does once this case makes it to their docket. But in the meantime…it is likely that other companies subject to NLRB proceedings will seek similar injunctions.”7. A storm is brewing within the Kamala Harris campaign over Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan. Democracy Now! Reports “some of the Democratic Party's biggest donors, including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, are openly pushing Harris to fire…Khan, who has led Biden's antitrust efforts.” NBC notes that Hoffman is a billionaire megadonor and that other megadonors like Barry Diller are also calling for Khan's removal, and adds that “Khan's pro-consumer, pro-worker, anti-monopoly agenda has attracted no small amount of hate from powerful and monied interests.” On the other side, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and the Service Employees International Union – a close labor ally of Harris – have defended Khan. This battle illustrates the cross-cutting interests Harris will have to navigate as the Democratic nominee, and possibly, as president. We urge the Vice President to back Khan, not the billionaire donor class.8. The Washington Post is out with a heartbreaking new report on the increase of homelessness among “Working Americans with decent-paying jobs who simply can't afford a place to live.” This report cites data showing that homelessness, already at record highs, is only getting worse – growing by 61% in Southeast Texas over the past year, 35% in Rhode Island, and 20% in northeast Tennessee. Throughout the country, rents have risen by over 32% in four years and overall homelessness by 12%.9. In another disturbing economic trend, a new academic working paper out of UCLA and USC analyzes how the “widespread legalization of sports gambling over the past five years has impacted consumer financial health.” The most-discussed findings of this paper have to do with debt, with a “roughly 28% increase in bankruptcies and an 8% increase in debt transferred to debt collectors,” along with substantial increases in auto loan delinquencies and use of debt consolidation loans. As the researchers put it “these results indicate that the ease of access to sports gambling is harming consumer financial health by increasing their level of debt.”10. Finally, for some good news, the White House issued a statement Monday celebrating that “As of today, over 600,000 Teamster workers and retirees have pensions protected from devastating cuts,” as part of Biden's signature American Rescue Plan. This announcement came after the administration acted to protect 70,000 worker pensions in New England, building on similar actions in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. As the Boston Globe explains “The [American Rescue Plan] set up a special financial assistance program that allows struggling multi-employer pension plans to apply for assistance from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, a federal agency that protects the retirement incomes of workers in defined benefit pension plans.” The administration is paying particular attention to the protection of Teamsters, as that union's leadership has been flirting with an embrace of the GOP. Not one Republican voted for the American Rescue Plan.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Book Club for Kids live onstage! We visit the City of Stem LA Maker Faire to bring kids onstage to talk about their favorite books! The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate DiCamillo The Secret Cookie Club - Martha Freeman Shel Silverstein's books of poetry Dog Man - Dav Pilkey   This episode is supported in art by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan.

This podcast episode features tax controversy expert Hale Sheppard discussing the latest developments and challenges surrounding Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims. Sheppard provides insights into IRS audit processes, potential penalties for ERC promoters, and the complexities of defending ERC claims. The conversation covers recent IRS announcements, proposed legislation, and the long-term implications for taxpayers and tax professionals. SponsorsPadgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips(00:00) - Welcome to Federal Tax Updates (01:30) - Discussing the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) (02:02) - Introducing Guest Expert Hale Shepard (03:06) - IRS Updates on ERC Claims Processing (06:09) - Challenges in Documentation and Audits (11:59) - Protest Letters and Legal Considerations (15:53) - Patterns and Trends in ERC Audits (21:13) - Impact of Delays and New Business Models (25:45) - Legal Authority and Future Implications (31:20) - The American Rescue Plan and Its Implications (32:17) - Legislation and ERC Claims Cutoff (36:23) - Promoter Penalty Investigations (45:29) - IRS Guidance and Retroactive Challenges (49:36) - Future of ERC and Beneficial Ownership (52:34) - Final Thoughts and Thanks for Listening Get NASBA Approved CPE or IRS Approved CELaunch the course on EarmarkCPE to get free CPE/CE for listening to this episode.Connect with Hale Sheppardhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/halesheppardhttps://www.chamberlainlaw.com/people-hale_sheppard.htmlConnect with the Hosts on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerharrispbs/https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-schwab-852418261/ReviewLeave a review on Apple Podcasts or PodchaserSubscribeSubscribe to the Federal Tax Updates podcast in your favorite podcast app!This podcast is a production of the Earmark MediaThe full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this pageAll content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Its that time of year…summer reading programs at libraries are offering lots and lots of thank you gifts for reading books.   But how hard is it to find a book you'll love? No worries. We went out the the City of Stem/LA Maker Faire to ask the experts for their book suggestions. Cleopatra in Space - Mike Maihack Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Az and the prisoner of azkaban- J.K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone - J.K. Rowling The Skull - John Klassen Dragon Girls - Maddy Mara The Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney The Ogress and the Orphans - Kelly Barnhill  Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan We'll have a list of everybody's favorite book at our website bookclubforkids.org. And if you have a favorite book, you can be on the show, too. Just give us a call at 424-209-2285 and tell us your first name, the city where you live, the name of your favorite book, and why you love it. That number again is 424-209-2285.   And if you're looking for a good mystery set inside the uS Capitol, check out StATE OF THE UNION by Kitty Felde. It just got a five star review from Forward Clarion, which called Fina an “intelligent and precocious heroine who uses her critical thinking skills and keen observational senses to suss out information on the Chickcharney and the other mysteries in her daily life.”     And now you can get the Spanish version of State of the Union called Estado de la Union, translated by Jorge Flores Gonzales. And available now from Chesapeake Press, wherever great books are sold. This episode is supported in part by a grant from the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan.

This week Nick & Goldy are joined by Heather Boushey, Chief Economist for President Biden's Invest in America Cabinet, for a deep dive into the transformative economic policies of the Biden administration. Boushey discusses the paradigm shift towards a middle-out economic approach to crafting economic policy and the impact of legislation like the American Rescue Plan, CHIPS Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Inflation Reduction Act. Their conversation explores the importance of investing in infrastructure, clean energy, and manufacturing to drive growth and create good jobs. They also discuss the challenges of implementation, the success of the administration's industrial policy, and its remarkable economic outcomes including record low Black unemployment, high new business applications, and equitable wage growth. Even though this episode was recorded before President Biden announced he was withdrawing from the presidential campaign and endorsing Vice President Harris, this wide-ranging conversation offers plenty of valuable insight into the past, present, and future of middle-out economics. Heather Boushey is a distinguished American economist who specializes in economic inequality and public policy. She serves on President Biden's Council of Economic Advisers and is the Chief Economist for the Invest in America Cabinet. Before joining the Biden Administration, she was the co-founder and President of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a research organization dedicated to advancing evidence-backed ideas and policies that promote economic growth and reduce inequality. Twitter: @HBoushey Further reading:  Invest.gov The Productivity–Pay Gap Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Twitter: @PitchforkEcon Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Nick's twitter: @NickHanauer

Gene Sperling has served multiple presidents - real and ficticious. He was an economic advisor to Presidents Clinton and Obama and currently serves as a senior advisor to President Biden and coordinator of the American Rescue Plan. In between White House stints, Sperling served President Jed Bartlet as a consultant on the hit TV show "The West Wing." In this episode, Major presses Sperling on the causes of and solutions for inflation, economic perceptions versus reality and whether President Biden's age and health are in decline. Join us for ice cream at Thomas Sweet in Georgetown.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a major announcement that could bring relief to millions of Americans, Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a new proposal to remove medical debt from credit reports. The move by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau aims to eliminate medical debt from the credit reports of over 15 million people, potentially raising their credit score by an average of 20 points. The Biden-Harris administration is also urging state and local governments to take further action, including using public funds to buy and eliminate medical debt. Some states, like Arizona and Illinois, are already leveraging funds from the American Rescue Plan to wipe out billions in medical debt, setting an example for others. The initiative is particularly significant for Black, Hispanic, low-income, and veteran communities, who are disproportionately affected by medical debt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do our names define us? We celebrate our 150th episode with readers at the Artesia branch of the LA County Public Library discuss Beth Lincoln's tale of a family whose names come from the dictionary. Our celebrity reader is LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from the Artesia branch of the LA County Library: The Lemonade War - Jacqueline Davies Restart - Gordon Korman Spy x Family - Tatsuya Endo Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl Counting by 7's- Holly Goldberg Sloan Beth Lincoln's Favorite Book: The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin This episode was supported in part by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan.

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty looks into why President Biden's initiatives to boost the economy, with legislation such as the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, are not recognized by many voters.

How can you spend $1.6 trillion dollars? It's a question the Biden administration is grappling with, and it turns out it's not so easy. Jessie Blaeser from POLITICO helps Boyd crunch the numbers and to discuss the 4 of the landmark pieces of legislation passed under President Biden: the American Rescue Plan, the ironically named Inflation Reduction Act, the infrastructure bill, and the CHIPS & Science Act. But it turns out, the vast majority of that money is left unspent. And the President is on a timer to spend more before the November election. 

In March, when the Biden administration released its budget request for fiscal year 2025, it not only offered a blueprint for the president's policymaking agenda—it also provided the latest indication of how the White House and federal agencies are going beyond evidence generation to use evidence as a guide in making program investments that can improve Americans' lives. For this episode of Mathematica's On the Evidence podcast, Nichole Dunn, the vice president of federal policy at Results for America, joins the show to discuss evidence-based policy in the president's budget as well as larger trends in federal and state funding of evidence-based initiatives and programs. On the episode, Dunn speaks with Mike Burns, senior director of communications and public affairs at Mathematica, about American Rescue Plan spending, the growth of evidence clearinghouses, the increasing level of federal investment in program evaluation, the implications of the presidential election for federal investment in evidence-based policy, the implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, the recent formation of the bipartisan Congressional What Works Caucus, the Congressional Evidence-Based Policymaking Resolution, and the potential for evidence-based policy to bypass partisan gridlock in Washington. A full transcript of the conversation is available at mathematica.org/blogs/evidence-based-policy-in-president-bidens-2025-budget Read an op-ed by Michele Jolin, the chief executive officer and co-founder of Results for America, about how bipartisan elected leaders and career civil servants across the country who have been quietly transforming how governments invest taxpayer dollars to achieve better results: https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2024/03/from-minnesota-to-washington-d-c-a-better-way-to-deliver-results/ Read the research brief by Mathematica for Results for America, which shows how city governments with a history of prioritizing data-driven practices were more likely to use federal relief funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to deepen their commitment to results-driven governance—with the goal of improving outcomes for residents through effective programs: https://mathematica.org/publications/unlocking-the-power-of-city-data Watch a recording from the January 2024 virtual event hosted by Results for America to discuss the federal government's progress in using evidence and data to get better results, which featured the release of a new report by Harvard University Professor Christina Ciocca Eller on federal evidence-based policymaking efforts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMYwG6P-1zI Read the 2023 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence from Results for America, which showcases 194 efforts across 46 states to build and use evidence and data to improve residents' lives: https://results4america.org/tools/2023-invest-in-what-works-state-standard-of-excellence/ Explore the ARP Data and Evidence Dashboard from Mathematica and Results for America, which highlights how state and local government leaders are investing one-time federal pandemic relief and economic recovery funds and using data and evidence to get better results: https://results4america.org/tools/arp-dashboard/

We're standing at the edge of a major financial cliff that no one is ready for. Student loan forgiveness is happening at unprecedented rates — $138 billion and counting. Right now, borrowers are enjoying tax-free forgiven student loan debt courtesy of the American Rescue Plan. However, these benefits are set to expire at the end of 2025, leaving borrowers to face a tax cliff with unknown consequences. We'll explore the legal skirmishes already bubbling, like the Kansas Attorney General's case against the SAVE plan, and analyzing their impact and preparing for the potential scenarios ahead. I'll also highlight the vital deadlines you need to know, like the expiring IDR waiver and the barrier to new entrants for the Pay As You Earn plan that's coming up in July 2024. In today's episode, you'll find out: How the SAVE plan, IDR waiver and PSLF waiver are helping borrowers The possibility of court challenges to President Biden's student loan policies What's at stake with the coming student loan tax bomb due post-2025 Potential cancelation scenarios based on political outcomes as election season heats up Deadlines you can't miss and their impact on student loan repayment strategies How the American Rescue Plan is enabling large-scale loan forgiveness What President Biden's plan is to address the tax bomb cliff in 2025 About hardship-based forgiveness and the push for widespread cancelation   Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Subscribe to the newsletter Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan Get profession-specific financial planning   Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at help@studentloanplanner.com and we might feature it in an upcoming show!  

Originally Published Mar 12, 2021Biden signs the American Rescue Plan ahead of his primetime remarks on the one year anniversary of the COVID lockdown; Merrick Garland arrives at the Department of Justice for his first official day as the attorney general; the Justice Department says the leader of the Oathkeepers was directing the siege on the Capitol; a former veteran charged in the insurrection is a former member of the Marine One squadron; the Texas Attorney General threatens to sue Austin officials if they don't lift mask mandates; two common sense gun laws pass the House but face uphill battles in the Senate; the appellate court has allowed the charge of 3rd degree murder to be charged in the case against Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd; David Cicilline says he'll propose a rule to stop Marjory  Greene's procedural delay tactics; a new phone call surfaces in the Georgia RICO investigation into Trump and the House Oversight Committee gets emails that Mark Meadows was also involved;  Deb Haaland's nomination advances to a confirmation vote next week; plus AG and Aimee Carrero (@aimeecarrero) deliver and your Good News and a ruling in Aimee's Court.Follow our guest on Twitter:Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1)Author, THE FBI WAY: INSIDE THE BUREAU'S CODE OF EXCELLENCEFollow Aimee on Instagram:Aimee Carrero (@aimeecarrero) Have some good news, a confession, a correction, or a case for Beans Court?https://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/U.S. Bills vs Congressional Session -The Turtle Dick Mitch Bottleneck Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/OrPatreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts