Yesterday, President Trump traveled for the fourth time to West Virginia’s 3rd district to host a panel discussion about the effects of his tax bill. But the panel was more of a cheering squad for Trump, as they heaped praise on him for his “tax bill blessings.” These carefully-curated panelists do not reflect how the majority of Americans feel about the tax bill or how they are experiencing its effects. In West Virginia alone, 37.4 percent of the tax cuts in Trump’s budget are going to the richest 1 percent. And 62,900 West Virginians stand to lose their health insurance thanks to the tax bill. Nationwide:
- Numerous companies have laid off thousands of people quietly, while publicly bragging about bonuses because of the tax bill, including State Farm, Macy’s, and Wells Fargo.
On top of the lack of benefits for working class Americans from the tax bill, the job market is also not performing up to Trump’s lofty claims. Michael Madowitz, an economist at the Center for American Progress, said of the latest job report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “With financial markets showing increased volatility, job growth in March was underwhelming, with 103,000 jobs added and the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.1 percent.”
ACTION OF THE DAY
#BootPruitt. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt keeps finding himself in scandal after scandal—from living in an energy lobbyist’s condo for only $50 a night to reassigning or removing people who disagreed with him at EPA. On the whole, he’s wasted more than $400,000 of taxpayer’s money, that we know about. It’s clear: Pruitt’s culture of corruption is putting our environment at risk, as well as the safety and health of our communities. Read one man’s story about how the EPA’s policy changes under Pruitt are making it harder for his family to breathe. Then, sign the petition today, and tell Pruitt that it’s time to resign.
WHAT’S TRENDING
Continuing Crisis on the Islands. As recovery continues to drag in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the education systems on these islands are facing a fiscal crisis. Similar to what’s happening in Oklahoma and Kentucky, thousands of teachers have walked out of their classrooms in Puerto Rico in the last month to lack of funding. Yesterday, Puerto Rico’s Department of Education announced “that it will close 283 schools this summer following a sharp drop in enrollment amid the island’s long economic slump and the continued departure of families after Hurricane Maria.” It’s another sign that the Trump administration is not doing nearly enough to help the island recover after the devastation of Maria. Instead of using dog-whistles about how Puerto Ricans “want everything done for them,” lawmakers must promote equity & provide long-term aid to disaster-affected regions.
Don’t Argue With Pruitt. The New York Times has a new report that reveals, “At least five officials at the Environmental Protection Agency, four of them high-ranking, were reassigned or demoted, or requested new jobs in the past year after they raised concerns about the spending and management of the agency’s administrator, Scott Pruitt.” This is just one in over 23 scandals that are currently plaguing Pruitt. And backlash against him has turned bipartisan, with three Republican members of Congress now calling for his resignation. Join these calls at BootPruitt.com.
OFF-KILTER.
The Rise of Sinclair. On the latest episode of Off-Kilter, Rebecca speaks with Judd Legum about how the Sinclair Broadcast Group became a massive propaganda machine. Next up, Wendi Thomas details how Memphis reporters are fighting for “justice through journalism” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of MLK’s assassination. Later in the show, Will Fischer of VoteVets.org joins to discuss Trump’s dangerous push to privatize veterans’ healthcare. And lastly, a bit of good news. Donors Choose’s Katie Vallas joins to break down how teachers are paying out of pocket for classroom basics like textbooks and pencils.
GOOD NEWS
#Resist. A new report by the Washington Post finds that 1 in 5 Americans have joined a protest or rally since January 2016. Even more encouraging, 19 percent of those people “had never before joined a march or a political gathering.” Many of the people marched as a response to Trump’s election and policies. It’s just another example of how people are mobilizing across the country to resist this administration—and the resistance is being led by women. Find out how you can join in by going to ResistanceNearMe.org.