With so much happening (and so much of it bad) we know it can be hard to keep track. Here is a rundown of some recent events to keep you informed.
We try to include both the bad actions of the Trump Administration and the Republican Party that enables him, and beneficial actions from the Democrats. We also try to focus on stories that have a direct impact on the lives of Americans.
You can help by sharing this information with people you know. The Republicans have a very effective propaganda machine in Fox News and the Right Wing Media, but people still trust their friends more than they trust the news.
ONGOING: The price of eggs is at a record high and expected to keep going up, mostly because of avian flu, which is also growing as a threat to human health. Trump has done nothing to address the threat of bird flu. Instead he ordered the CDC and other scientific agencies to stop sharing data with one another, and ordered federal agencies to remove information from their web sites about preventing the spread of diseases.
Jan 28: The Trump Administration announced a freeze on all federal payments which threatened Medicaid, Social Security, student loans, and many other programs. The Democrats challenged the freeze in court and won, protecting American incomes.
Jan 29: Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan (our Congressman) introduced his Affordability Agenda, which includes landmark legislation to lower the costs of groceries, prescription drugs, housing, and protect Social Security. This includes the “Lower Grocery Prices Act,” the “Mortgage Rate Reduction Act,” “Protecting Social Security Act,” and bills aimed at protecting Americans from pharmaceutical ripoffs.
Jan 31: With recent plane crashes in the news, people should know that Trump fired the head of the FAA as soon as he took office because Elon Musk didn’t like him. That office was vacant until after the deadly crash in Washington, DC, after which Trump rushed to name a replacement while blaming the crash on “DEI policies.”
Feb 2: The Democrats named a new chair of the Democratic National Committee: Ken Martin. In Minnesota, Martin leads the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and he was endorsed in this election by our local State Senator, James Skoufis. In his acceptance speech, Martin vowed to return the government to the American people, and fight for American workers and affordability.
Feb 2: Trump allowed Elon Musk to access highly secure and sensitive government documents at the US Treasury, potentially including Social Security records and tax returns for all Americans. Elon brought a team of his private employees, and reports are that they made copies of government records on private hard drives. When asked about this Trump did not seem to know or understand what he had allowed Elon to do.
Feb 3: While he postponed his tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month, Trump continues to impose new tariffs on other nations that will increase the prices hardworking Americans pay for gasoline, groceries, cars and car parts, and other products. When Trump’s tariffs on Mexico and Canada take effect, the cost of living will increase about $1,000-$2,000 a year for the average American, and the cost of a new car will go up at least $3,000. Trump still does not seem to understand that American consumers pay for his tariffs.