Politics

PoliticusUSA can only stay independent with the support of readers like you. Please consider supporting us by becoming a subscriber. Subscribe now After a tragedy like the flash flood in central Texas that has now killed hundreds of people, there are always questions about what happened, what could have been done differently, and if such a tragic event could be prevented in the future. Any president visiting the site where such a loss of life occurred should be prepared for those types of questions. They aren’t unusual or out of line. A reporter asked Donald Trump, “Several families we’ve heard from are obviously upset because they say that those warnings, those alerts, didn’t go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved. What do you say to those families?” The question was especially appropriate because the reporter who asked it was CBS Texas. A local reporter asked a question of the president that was very important to the families. Trump immediately got defensive and melted down by answering, “Well, I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances. This was, I guess as Kristi said, a one in 500, once-in-1,000-year event. And I just have admiration for the job that everybody did. There’s this admiration. Only a bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you. I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that.” Video: Read more

Regular readers know I’ve been harping on this theme: To win, Democrats need to promise—and deliver!—clear, immediate, and simple solutions to the cost-of-living challenges facing voters. (And also speak plainly about those policies.) To briefly recap, I’ll just quote myself:  The data confirms what our ears are already telling us: We’ve become the party of the elite, and the 2024 exit polls make that clear. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris won wealthier voters who make $100,000 and above by 51-47%, but lost those earning less than that by the exact same margin […] [President Donald] Trump won those who said that inflation had caused them “severe hardship” by a whopping 76-23% margin. He also won those suffering “moderate hardship” 52-46%. Being the party of the elite, Harris won those suffering “no hardship” 78-21%. As former Daily Kos writer Kerry Eleveld once said during a podcast, “Democrats are the party of people who don’t have to look at grocery prices while shopping.” Trump tapped into that anxiety by promising to lower prices “on Day One”—a ridiculous pledge that he still hasn’t met despite being however many hellish days into this presidency. But by simply acknowledging the economic pain people felt, he didn’t just win lower-income voters; he also made major inroads with Latinos and Asians.  Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani takes the stage at his primary election party on June 25 in New York. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, is taking the same approach, promising free child care, free buses, a rent freeze, and low-cost city-run grocery stores, plus a lot else. It’s easy to promise big things when you’re not yet in charge, but the first job of a politician is to get elected. And step one is understanding what people actually care about. I’m skeptical of Mamdani’s ability to deliver on his entire platform, but he’s doing the most important thing: explicitly telling voters, I hear you. I’m going to try like hell to make your life easier. Even if he pulls off only part of that, voters will reward the effort. And his relentless focus on pocketbook issues gives confidence that he gets it. Take this viral clip from January, back when he was stuck in the single digits in the polls. He interviewed halal food vendors and revealed that, thanks to city hall’s broken permitting system, entrepreneurs have to pay tens of thousands to so-called fixers for a permit that technically costs around $400, according to one of the vendors. That’s legalized corruption, driving up food prices.  “New York is suffering from a crisis, and it’s called halalflation,” Mamdani said in the video. In a post accompanying the video, he hit the message perfectly: “Chicken over rice now costs $10 or more. It’s time to make halal eight bucks again.” YouTube Video That line is genius, painting a picture of a Democratic city drowning in dysfunction. It’s not just about the $2 or $3 extra it’s costing New Yorkers for what should be cheaper eats. If we can’t make government work in a city where we run everything, why should voters trust us anywhere else? A newer ad from Mamdani on this theme is just as strong: YouTube Video In this one, he promises to make it “faster, easier, and cheaper” to start and operate a small business. Why should an aspiring barber have to, in Mamdani’s words, “fill out 24 forms and go through seven agencies to start a barbershop”? I tested NYC’s business portal myself. To start a barbershop, I got a list of 31 requirements spread across more than a dozen agencies. I didn’t dig into all the forms (I’m not moving to Queens to cut hair), but his numbers check out—and might even be conservative. To be clear, not all red tape is bad. Some regulations exist for good reason—like making sure that chemicals used in barbershops don’t poison the air or water, or that buildings meet fire codes.  But when the process becomes so bloated that entrepreneurs have to pay $22,000 to fixers for a $400 permit, that’s not public safety—it’s legalized extortion. When it takes a year to get a sign approved, you’re not ensuring quality; you’re suffocating small business.  That’s the larger truth: Even well-intentioned regulations can pile up into an expensive, time-consuming, job-killing mess. Local governments should be doing everything they can to make starting a small business easier, not treating it like a hazing ritual. Democrats can’t cede the language of struggle and survival to Republicans. We need more candidates who don’t just talk policy but can also translate it into plain language and real relief, communicating clearly to voters that they’ll fight to lower the damn price of lunch. And rent. And child care. And education … you get the picture.

Erica Etelson Saving a democracy that has delivered diminishing returns for 50 years—and is widely seen as rigged on behalf of the 1 percent—is not as compelling as the political class thinks. The post If Democrats Want to Appeal to Rural America, They Need to Talk Like a Neighbor appeared first on The Nation.

Thai Loyd As Republican pressure on education mounts, the fight over the scholarship reveals a broader effort to turn public service into a test of political loyalty. The post How the Truman Scholarship Became the Right’s Latest Battleground appeared first on The Nation.

By Rachana Pradhan and Arthur Allen for KFF Health News The Trump administration’s broadsides against scientific research have caused unprecedented upheaval at the National Cancer Institute, the storied federal government research hub that has spearheaded advances against the disease for decades. NCI, which has long benefited from enthusiastic bipartisan support, now faces an exodus of clinicians, scientists, and other staffers — some fired, others leaving in exasperation. After years of accelerating progress that has reduced cancer deaths by a third since the 1990s, the institute has terminated funds nationwide for research to fight the disease, expand care, and train new oncologists. “We use the word ‘drone attack’ now regularly,” one worker said of grant terminations. “It just happens from above.” The assault could well result in a perceptible slowing of progress in the fight against cancer. Nearly 2 million Americans are diagnosed with malignancies every year. In 2023, cancer killed more than 613,000 people, making it the second-leading cause of death after heart disease. But the cancer fight has also made enormous progress. Cancer mortality in the U.S. has fallen by 34% since 1991, according to the American Cancer Society. There are roughly 18 million cancer survivors in the country. That trend “we can very, very closely tie to the enhanced investment in cancer science by the U.S. government,” said Karen Knudsen, CEO of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and a globally recognized expert on prostate cancer. “We’re winning,” Knudsen said. “Why we would let up, I really don’t understand.” Related | Trump is playing a deadly game with cuts to medical research This article is based on interviews with nearly two dozen current and former NCI employees, academic researchers, scientists, and patients. KFF Health News agreed not to name some government workers because they are not authorized to speak to the news media and fear retaliation. “It’s horrible. It’s a crap show. It really, really is,” said an NCI laboratory chief who has worked at the institute for three decades. He’s lost six of the 30 people in his lab this year: four scientists, a secretary, and an administrator. “If we survive I will be somewhat surprised,” he said. After a mandate by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Government Efficiency to slash contract spending by more than a third, the cancer institute is cutting contracts to maintain precious biological specimens used in its research, according to three scientists. “The required contract cuts are going to be devastating,” a senior scientist said. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a House subcommittee budget hearing on May 14. On the NCI campus in Bethesda, Maryland, scientists describe delays in getting essential supplies — “literally anything that goes into a test tube or a petri dish,” a recently departed clinician said — because of staffing cuts and constant changes in policies about what they can order. Even the websites that publish new evidence on cancer treatment and diagnosis aren’t being updated, because HHS fired workers who managed them. And when NCI scientists do communicate with outsiders, what they say has been severely restricted, according to documents viewed by KFF Health News. Forbidden topics include mass firings, President Donald Trump’s executive orders, and “DEIA” – diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. The turmoil at the National Institutes of Health’s largest arm could haunt the country and the world for years to come. “I really, really don’t understand what they’re trying to achieve,” said Sarah Kobrin, chief of NCI’s health systems and interventions research branch. “It just doesn’t make sense.” “Efforts that are lifesaving now are being curtailed,” one scientist said. “People will die.” Years of Bipartisan Support Initially, some workers said, they thought the cancer institute might be spared. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called chronic disease — cancer is one — “an existential threat” to the country. Cancer research, with multiple NCI-funded breakthroughs in genetics and immunotherapy, has sidestepped the political minefields around other public health issues, like vaccination. “People who care about cancer might be the biggest lobby in the country,” said Paul Goldberg, editor and publisher of The Cancer Letter, which has monitored oncology science and policy since 1973. Count Mike Etchamendy, 69, of Big Bear Lake, California, as part of that lobby. Since 2013 he’s flown to the East Coast scores of times to participate in five clinical trials at the cancer wing of NIH’s Clinical Center. “They call it the House of Hope,” Etchamendy said. Between drugs, therapeutic vaccines, and expert treatment for his rare bone cancer, called chordoma, he said, he believes he’s gained at least 10 years of life. He’s proud to have served as a “lab rat for science” and worries about NCI’s future. “People come from all over the world to learn there,” Etchamendy said. “You cut funding there, you’re going to cut major research on cancer.” Related | Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.’s NIH slashed science funding across states that backed Trump In response to a list of detailed questions from KFF Health News about the cuts and chaos at NCI, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the reporting amounted to a “biased narrative” that “misrepresents a necessary transformation at the National Cancer Institute.” Nixon declined to elaborate but said research into cancer and other health conditions continues to be a high priority “for both NIH and HHS.” “We are refocusing resources on high-impact, evidence-based research — free from ideological bias or institutional complacency. While change can be uncomfortable for those invested in the status quo, it is essential to ensure that NCI delivers on its core mission,” he said. Much of NCI’s work is authorized by the National Cancer Act of 1971, which expanded its mandate as part of President Richard Nixon’s “War on Cancer.” Three of four of the cancer institute’s research dollars go to outside scientists, with most of the remainder funding more than 300 scientists on campus. And Congress was generous. Harold Varmus, one of more than 40 Nobel laureates whose work was funded by NCI, said

A cartoon by Clay Bennett.  Related | Red states are embracing all the evil policies of Trump Campaign Action

The U.S. Army is facing increasing backlash from families of the 67 people killed in January’s catastrophic midair collision over the Potomac River, with relatives accusing military officials of evasion, stonewalling, and refusing to take responsibility. In a letter sent this week to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, 168 family members of the victims expressed their profound disappointment with the Army’s conduct during the ongoing investigation. According to The Washington Post, they criticized the military’s pattern of silence and secrecy, especially compared to the responsiveness shown by other agencies. “The Army’s approach contrasts sharply with the more collaborative stance taken by other organizations involved in this incident and raises serious questions about its commitment to transparency and accountability,” the letter reads. Salvage crews recover wreckage near the site in the Potomac River of the midair collision between an American Eagle jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. At the heart of the families’ frustration is the Army’s refusal to engage meaningfully with them, even though other parties involved in the tragedy—such as the National Transportation Safety Board and the Department of Transportation—have been more forthcoming. The crash happened when an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Eagle Flight 5342 as the commercial jet was making its final approach to Reagan National Airport. The letter highlights the Army’s particularly egregious decision to withhold an unclassified ADS-B policy memo from Congress, only releasing it under threat of subpoena. The equipment, which detects and helps avoid potential collisions, was reportedly not transmitting from the Army helicopter during the accident, a detail uncovered by the NTSB. “These actions demonstrate the Army’s willingness to circumvent official processes and resist oversight when deflecting scrutiny. At the same time, the Army has cited process while persistently refusing to accept responsibility or even acknowledge the families throughout these ordeals,” the letter continues.  According to relatives, Army officials held a single initial meeting after the crash but then disappeared. They added that updates, when they came, were often dropped during holidays, which they suspect was meant to minimize press coverage. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, who initially pledged support for the victims, only fueled more outrage. In the days following the tragedy, he offered a series of bizarre and baseless theories, blaming everything from diversity, equity, and inclusion programs to President Barack Obama and dwarfism. None of these claims had any connection to the crash, nor were they supported by evidence. Related | Trump transportation flunky tries to blame plane crashes on Biden Even as the NTSB continues its investigation, families say that the Army has failed to meet the moment. A defense official confirmed to the Post that senior Army leaders now plan to meet with affected families later this month, alongside the NTSB’s public hearings. But for many relatives, this may come far too late. Some families, like that of co-pilot Sam Lilley, are especially outraged. Lilley’s father, Tim—himself a former Black Hawk pilot—said that the crash reveals training shortcomings and a culture of complacency within the military unit involved.  The Army’s inspector general has refused to open an independent audit into the incident, despite bipartisan support and congressional pressure, another sore point raised in the letter. “Given that this is the deadliest incident involving U.S. civilian casualties caused by the military in modern history, the Army has a heightened responsibility to ensure full public transparency and urgent implementation of meaningful safety reforms,” the letter reads. “The scale of this tragedy demands complete cooperation and accountability from all parties involved—including the U.S. Army.”  Their requests are straightforward: Appoint a family liaison, hold a full meeting with families, and support the congressional audits.  It’s a simple ask after an unspeakable loss. But once again, the Trump administration—and its military leadership—appear more interested in covering their tracks than confronting hard truths.

A daily roundup of the best stories and cartoons by Daily Kos staff and contributors to keep you in the know. Watch Trump being creepy—and dumb—again There are many things you can call Trump—”appropriate” or a “feminist” is not one of them. Texas Republicans are trying to rig the map for the next election Sure, Texas just suffered a catastrophic flood, but the GOP wants to focus on gerrymandering instead. Look just how much red counties depend on the government they hate Red states are like those grown-up kids who yell about how much they hate their parents while living in their basement. Cartoon: MAGAvision Everything is upside-down. You won’t believe how badly Kristi Noem bungled Texas flood response When in doubt, blame fake news. Outgoing GOP senator finally finds his spine and shreds Pete Hegseth Laying blame is easy when you have one foot out the door. Transportation secretary takes his lack of expertise to NASA So many jobs, so much incompetence. Click here to see more cartoons.

Cue Jeff Goldblum in “Jurassic Park”: The lower courts … find a way. U.S. Federal District Judge Joseph Laplante just did what the Supreme Court conservatives told him to do—and they’re likely furious.  In Barbara v. Trump, one of the cases challenging President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order, Laplante granted the plaintiffs’ request to provisionally certify a nationwide class and a preliminary injunction blocking the order from applying to everyone in that class. Voila! It’s a nationwide injunction, without being a nationwide injunction.  The class is composed of all children in the country who would potentially be affected by Trump’s executive order, which was set to take effect on July 27. Now, babies born to undocumented parents on or after Feb. 20, 2025, will be protected from having their citizenship stripped away based on nothing but a racist, unconstitutional executive order.  The Trump administration has continued to argue that it’s irreparably harmed by not being able to disregard the Fourteenth Amendment and immediately deport babies, but Laplante was having none of it.  Laplante wrote in his order that he had “no difficulty concluding that the rapid adoption by executive order, without legislation and the attending national debate, of a new government policy of highly questionable constitutionality that would deny citizenship to many thousands of individuals previously granted citizenship under an indisputably longstanding policy, constitutes irreparable harm.” Justice Amy Coney Barrett This complicated maneuver is the only path forward for nationwide relief after last month’s birthright citizenship decision in Trump v. CASA, when the Supreme Court’s conservative majority did Trump’s bidding by barring lower courts from issuing nationwide injunctions in almost all occasions.  In her majority opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett justified kneecapping the rest of the judiciary by saying that parties could just file class actions. But Barrett knows full well that federal courts have been making it harder to bring class actions for years. And she certainly was aware that the Trump administration is simply going to oppose class action certification, which is exactly what it did to the plaintiffs in CASA.  When Laplante’s decision inevitably makes its way up to the Supreme Court, Trump knows he has a friend, as per usual, in Justice Samuel Alito, who used his concurrence in CASA to wag his finger at both the plaintiffs and the lower courts and let them know he’s not really interested in class action relief either. “But district courts should not view today’s decision as an invitation to certify nationwide classes without scrupulous adherence to the rigors of Rule 23. Otherwise, the universal injunction will return from the grave under the guise of ‘nationwide class relief,’ and today’s decision will be of little more than minor academic interest,” he wrote. Seriously, man. You already have the Supreme Court gig. You don’t need to toady this hard every time. We get it: You love Trump, you hate immigrants, and you’re going to twist the law into knots to help destroy the Fourteenth Amendment.  But until Trump runs to the Supreme Court to make this go away, this class action stops his birthright citizenship order in its tracks.  Getting nationwide relief this way is complicated, but it’s necessary. The plaintiffs are fighting the Trump administration, but lower court judges have also found themselves locked in a battle with a lawless Supreme Court, which essentially decided that lower courts are enemies who must be stopped from thwarting Trump.  But the lower courts are the ones that are following the rule of law. Someone’s got to.

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