This piece was originally published in the September 8, 2020 edition of CAP Action’s daily newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.
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— Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen in a new book in which he also describes his former boss as a “cult leader”
This is what happens when the president of the United States doesn’t believe in science.
Share this graphic on Twitter and Facebook to get the facts out:
IN THE NEWS
- New allegations emerged this weekend that paint an even more corrupt picture of embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. The latest developments suggest that DeJoy — a longtime Republican mega-donor — pressured employees at his former company to donate to Republican candidates, then paid them back for the donations in the form of bonuses. As you’ve probably already guessed, these actions would be illegal if true. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said last night that DeJoy should be immediately removed from his role by the Postal Service’s Board of Governors and pledged to investigate these newest allegations.
- In a new book, former Trump lawyer-turned-impeachment-witness Michael Cohen describes his former boss as “a racist, a predator, [and] a con man.” Among other racist remarks and actions, Cohen cites Trump’s “hatred and contempt” of Barack Obama — the nation’s only Black president, who Trump has repeatedly criticized both publicly and privately. According to the Washington Post, which obtained an advance copy of Cohen’s book over the weekend, in a taping initially slated to air at the 2012 Republican Convention, Trump hired an actor to impersonate Barack Obama so that he could insult him.
- A massive fire is raging in California, trapping campers and destroying homes and wildlife across nearly 135,000 acres of land as of Monday night. Nearby residents are reporting terrible air quality as a result of the Creek Fire, including this flight passenger who said they could smell the wildfire smoke from the aircraft cabin. This comes just weeks after another fire displaced thousands of people from the San Francisco Bay area. California is also experiencing a brutal heat wave right now — all signs of a rapidly worsening climate. This latest disaster was reportedly sparked by pyrotechnics used at a gender reveal party, making it the second time in recent memory that has happened.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Remember Trump’s disastrous 2017 tax bill? A recent CAP analysis found that it created $134 million in tax breaks for foreign investors. Meanwhile, America’s vital public services are still dangerously underfunded. Take the Department of Education, for instance. Their ENTIRE annual budget is $73 billion — just a fraction of the tax breaks in this bill for foreign investors alone. Share our graphic on Twitter and Facebook to get the facts out about Trump’s priorities.
- In a memo late Friday night, Trump announced he would seek to terminate racial sensitivity trainings for federal agency employees. He specifically named trainings on “white privilege” and “critical race theory”, calling this sort of education “anti-American propaganda.” Anti-bias trainings are a common and important exercise increasingly used in both private and public workplaces. Author Ibram X. Kendi said it best in his response to this news: “They say it’s divisive to teach Americans the complex truth about American racism. Meaning they think it’s unifying to teach Americans simple lies about America.”
WHAT WE’RE READING (AND LISTENING TO)
- Facing both covid-19 and racism, Black women are carrying a particularly heavy burden by Brandi Jackson and Aderonke B. Pederson (Washington Post)
- On the latest episode of The Tent, CAP Action’s Ed and Jesse discuss the next phase of the 2020 general election and are joined by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington to talk about policing in the wake of George Floyd’s killing.
- Check out this calculator from CAP’s Early Childhood team to understand the true costs childcare providers are facing as a result of the pandemic.
- Harvest of shame: Farmworkers face coronavirus disaster by Helena Bottemiller Evich, Ximena Bustillo and Liz Crampton (Politico)
- Presidents are expected to set the national tone. What we got with Trump has been catastrophic. by the Editorial Board (Washington Post)
- Essential Work, Disposable Workers: Why Home Care Workers Need Labor Protections by Malkie Wall (CAP Action)
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