WFP scaling up emergency assistance in hard-hit areas, but needs outpacing available resources.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Despite the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP) expanded emergency response, an escalation in violence, displacement, economic turmoil and disruptions to local food production are fueling hunger, leaving millions at risk.
The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report shows a record 5.7 million people – more than half of all Haitians – are projected to experience acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+) through June 2025. Of those, just over two million are projected to face Emergency level hunger (IPC phase 4), while about 8,400 people are expected to face Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), the most critical level of food insecurity where people experience an extreme lack of food, severe acute malnutrition and risk of starvation.
Growing armed violence has driven massive displacement and increased hunger as armed groups seek to expand their control, forcing over one million people from their homes. In Port-au-Prince, displaced families are sheltering in schools and public buildings, enduring overcrowded and unsanitary conditions with limited access to clean water, food and healthcare.
WFP and its partners have significantly scaled up operations in Haiti, reaching more than 1.3 million people to date in 2025. This includes one million people in March, a record number of people assisted in one month, but more is urgently needed.
“Right now, we’re fighting to just hold the line on hunger,” said Wanja Kaaria, WFP Country Director in Haiti. “Without the immense efforts already underway, the situation would be far worse. To keep pace with the growing crisis, we call on the international community to provide urgent support – and above all, the country needs peace.”
WFP is providing first-line emergency assistance as well as long-term support to those internally displaced. So far in 2025, WFP has supplied 740,000 hot meals to more than 112,000 recently displaced people, as well as cash for food and support to prevent malnutrition among children.
WFP has also secured unprecedented access to areas controlled by armed groups, delivering lifesaving food to hard-to-reach communities in Croix-des-Bouquets, Cité Soleil, Lower Delmas and La Saline.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), managed by WFP, continues to serve as a vital lifeline for the humanitarian response — ensuring aid workers and supplies reach communities in need.
WFP urgently needs US$53.7 million to continue its life-saving operations in Haiti over the next six months.
Wyoming Army and Air National Guard team up for first-ever firefighting exercise
Wyoming Air National Guard
By Airman 1st Class Michael Swingen
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center is home to semi-arid scrubland, prairie grass, and conifer cover, all of which can be primed for fire during hot, dry conditions, especially when troops shoot round after round of heavy artillery at the camp’s vast impact area.
Due to this heightened risk, the firefighters in the camp’s Army National Guard Fire Department specialize in practices and techniques unique to wildland firefighting. A usual day can consist of prescribed burns, which is the controlled use of fire to clear downed trees, control plant diseases, and create fire breaks between the camp’s training ranges and neighboring properties.
So, when Camp Guernsey’s Fire Chief received an invitation to conduct a joint training exercise with the 153rd Airlift Wing, a unit of the Wyoming Air National Guard in nearby Cheyenne, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Leah Urquhart jumped at the chance for her firefighters to brush up on skills they don’t use on a day-to-day basis.
Eight firefighters made the 65-mile trip south to Cheyenne for the 6-day joint training exercise. It was the first collaborative training of its kind between the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard nationwide.
“As firefighters, we have to meet yearly training requirements to keep our certifications,” Urquhart said. “You also hit a lot of the same, but more in-depth training to get certified in the first place. We have three guys on the Army side who are working towards their initial certifications. They are stoked to have this training.”
The first day focused on gear familiarization. For firefighters who focus on structural fires, like burning buildings, the Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, or SCBA, is an essential piece of equipment that provides a supply of breathable air from a compressed air cylinder.
Although not required for wildland firefighting, firefighters from Camp Guernsey readjusted to the equipment, tugging at the elastic facemask straps while hopping into trousers.
The SCBA has four main components, the first being the backplate with shoulder straps and a waistbelt. The second is the air cylinder itself, which weighs 16-20 pounds, contains 4,500 psi of compressed air, and provides 30-60 minutes of breathing time for firefighters.
The third component is the regulator assembly. The compressed air from the cylinder tank travels through a hose and the regulator assembly, which drops the air pressure to levels slightly above atmospheric. Once its breathable, the air hits the facemask.
The facemask is the last component. When a firefighter inhales, the pressure in the facemask is lowered, tilting the admission valve just enough to allow the breathable air into the facemask. The exhalation valve, located on the chin, releases a breath without allowing any outside contaminants to enter.
Every assembly also has a Personal Alert Safety System, or PASS device, that sounds a distress signal if it does not detect motion for 30 seconds, alerting nearby firefighters of a downed firefighter in need of rescue. (This is why standing firefighters periodically shimmy-shake, resetting the countdown.) Also, the PASS device features a gage that indicates pressure levels in the air cylinder.
Gear familiarization culminated in what is called a SCBA confidence course, which tests a firefighter’s knowledge and expertise with the equipment.
Urquhart and her team leaders also incorporated elements of search and rescue into the course. They disassembled the SCBA gear, scattering it around the bunkroom of the firehouse, as if the equipment were incapacitated victims. They then created an obstacle course.
The firefighters in training were hooded to simulate the lack of visibility in a smoke-filled room.
As they crawled on their hands and knees around the obstacle course, the instructors yelled, played loud music, and banged on lockers. Calmly, the firefighters communicated above the din of music and the clamor and clang. Once they all located their equipment, they reassembled it slowly by touch.
Finally, the firefighters paired up to connect a buddy breather to each other’s SCBA. A buddy breather is an accessory hose that allows two firefighters to share the same air supply, in the event one of them is depleted. They then exited the obstacle course.
For an experienced firefighter, a SCBA confidence course can take about an hour to complete. For a firefighter in training, it can take much longer.
“The course is as much about teamwork as it is about familiarity with your gear,” Urquhart said. “Our Army guys from Camp Guernsey performed really well. We got to see what to do from here and how to improve. They were super motivated.”
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Beau Murphy helped lead the vehicle extrication training the next day. Vehicle extrication is the process of safely removing a patient from an automobile involved in a collision. The firefighters traveled to a local salvage yard at the edge of town where cars lay on cinderblocks and cranes grazed in the background with their long necks. Two old cars were waiting for them.
“We folded the Army guys right into our ranks,” Murphy said. “We were happy to have them along.”
As real-time goes up at the scene of an emergency, patient survivability rate goes down. For that reason, effective time management is crucial for first responders, with vehicle extrication ideally taking no longer than 10 minutes.
After staging their hydraulic tools nearby, two firefighters knelt on each side of the car, tucking wheel chocks under its belly to stabilize it. They swept around the car, one moving around it clockwise, the other counterclockwise, in opposing circles, punching out glass, razorblading seatbelts, peeling back molding, marking cut locations, and popping tires. These steps should take no longer than two minutes.
A Halligan bar is a tool used by firefighters for forced entry. A firefighter used one to pry off the grille, exposing the hood latch. He held the fork of the Halligan bar around it and twisted. He popped the hood, cut the battery cables, and closed it again. After prepping the car, they retrieved their hydraulic tools to begin chopping it up.
The group of hydraulic tools used by firefighters in a vehicle extrication are known as the Jaws of Life. They include cutters, spreaders, and rams. These tools use hydraulic pressure to create immense force, allowing them to slice through metal, spread vehicle doors, and lift heavy objects.
The car was ready for door removal. A firefighter used the spreader to push apart the fender of the car, exposing the two door hinges. He spread them to their breaking point. He then jiggled the door from its place and walked it out of the scene, setting it down carefully, paint to pavement. The door cannot be set down otherwise. If an airbag inadvertently deploys, it could launch the door into the sky.
With access to the patient now, a firefighter would begin to administer first aid, if necessary.
“Weather conditions can change how you do things,” Murphy said. “Down in Georgia, you worry about heat injuries. Up here, you deal with cold injuries, like complicating shock. Or if the car is on an incline and it’s crazy icy, you’ve got to get creative with vehicle stability.”
The firefighters began to cut through the pillars of the roof. The cutters have clawlike blades, pulling the metal back to their pivot point where the greatest force is generated. As the firefighters swept around the car, biting through metal, the goal was to move forward, never backward, which increases the time at the scene of an emergency. They peeled off the roof.
“We call this turning it into a convertible,” Murphy said.
When a car is crushed like an accordion, a patient’s lower body may become pinched under the dashboard. The technique by which firefighters extricate the lower body is called a dash roll. That was their next step.
A firefighter made relief cuts around the dashboard, freeing it up. He grabbed the spreader and began to lift the dashboard. The firefighter then wedged the ram between the dashboard and the floor of the car. As the ram extended, the dashboard rolled onto itself, creating ample space for the lower body to be extricated.
“These guys got a lot of really good hands-on experience and tool time,” Murphy said. “That’s what I’m looking for: proficiency with the equipment.”
They worked on more trainings in the following days. Their necks craned, they toured the cargo compartment and flight deck of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a massive, gunmetal gray transport aircraft. They did a lot of bunker drills, where firefighters practice putting on their protective clothing and SCBA gear in a timed manner.
“They’re standing over their gear, and we yell, ‘Bunker drill, bunker drill, bunker drill!’” Urquhart said. “After two hours of doing that, the slowest guy was able to get down to a minute and 45 seconds. Really scary, crazy timeline when you think about all the gear you have to put on.”
They consolidated their training with a structural fire exercise on the last day. It took place in an abandoned building on base with tables and chairs still in place, as if the building was vacated only a moment ago. Two large fog machines emitted a dense vapor that looked like smoke, clouding over the wide bays and office rooms. Visibility was very low.
In the building were two victims in need of rescue. For the exercise, four firefighters manned the fire truck, two firefighters were search and rescue, and two firefighters were the Rapid Intervention Team, or RIT crew, who are on standby if firefighters become lost, trapped, or injured and need rescuing themselves.
Urquhart and other team leaders walked around the building, observing how the firefighters used their training. They would go through three rotations of the exercise.
Oftentimes, a firefighter goes into a burning building blind, literally and figuratively. Before the parking brake on the fire truck gets pulled, they are already thinking of structures that resemble the one that is on fire. Understanding building construction can help predict how the fire will spread, while having an idea of the floorplan and layout can help locate a victim.
When they arrive on the scene, the highest-ranking firefighter does what is called a size up. He observes the exterior of the structure for indications of the size and location of the fire. The color of the smoke can also indicate the type of fuel being burned, the phase of the fire, and where the fire will spread. If the building shows no potential for collapse, he identifies means of entry and escape routes, like doors, windows, and fire escapes. After making his assessment, the firefighter radios it in to forward command.
They then look for clues for who could be inside, like window lights still on, toys in the backyard, cars in the parking lot, or even a car-window sticker depicting stick figure versions of family members. But they always remain ready for the unexpected.
“When you get on scene to a structural fire, you’re typically going to have anywhere from one to 50 different things going on,” Urquhart said.
The exercise used a digital fire training system. A screen emitting LED-driven flames glowed in one of the smoke-filled rooms of the building. The firefighters were equipped with a digital nozzle.
In the building they crawled on their hands and knees towards the seat of the fire as they looked for victims at the same time. Thermal layering of the heat and the buoyancy of the smoke will create clearer vision just above floor level, while also being cooler.
Instead of slowly fighting their way towards the seat of the fire, firefighters begin their attack at its point of origin and move outwards from there. This also allows them to locate potential victims who may be in the greatest danger.
Once the firefighters located the fire’s ignition point and steadied their digital nozzle, the orange-glowing panels on the LED screen slowly dimmed.
As they went through different rotations of the exercise, Urquhart and her team leaders would mix it up.
“We told a firefighter during one scenario, ‘Hey, you’re down. You ended up passing out. Let your PASS alarm go off,’” Urquhart said. “Now, there’s a firefighter who found a victim, but also his partner went down, which is a very possible real-life situation. Now what do you do? So we watched him work through the process of getting both people out.”
As the firefighters crawled through the smoke-filled building, they sounded the floor, tapping a tool on it. In a real-life scenario, if the floor feels too spongy or breaks through, they go another way.
When a team came to a door, they felt it with the back of their hand. They located the handle and opened the door and shut it behind them, shielding themselves from fire spread. They hugged the wall as they made their way around the room, looking for victims. They swept a bunkbed, felt under a table, and handled a chair. Like the house of a person who is blind, they never misplaced things, which can become disorienting. Anchored to the wall, they extended themselves across the floor and swept the center of the room with a tool, furthering their reach.
They found a victim. They checked his status through physical contact. Radioing it in to forward command, they stated they located a victim, his status, what they planned to do, and if they needed help. They webbed the victim with nylon straps and dragged him to the door, careful to keep his head and shoulders elevated. In the hallway, they followed the hose line until they were back outside.
“We were planning to do three different rotations of the exercise in a four-hour time slot,” Urquhart said. “We were able to do four with still time to spare because everybody was so motivated and efficient at doing their job. You don’t see that all the time.”
By the end of the week, the joint training exercise created a strong partnership between the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard Fire Departments, while ensuring both units are better prepared and proficient in their firefighting roles.
U.S. Army Pvt. Cody Carr, for example, wasted no time in applying the skills he learned during the week of training in a real-life situation. The first night back home, Carr and his fire department responded to an emergency call for a chimney fire. Carr was standing outside the burning building in the cold night when a mayday went out over the radio. The chimney had collapsed on the two firefighters inside. Without thinking, Carr threw his gear on, went on air, found a teammate, and rushed inside.
“Going into it, I’m like, I’m ready for this. I just learned all this. I can use my knowledge and get them out very quickly,” Carr said.
Carr and his teammate followed the hose line to the smoking rubble. As they began to pull the brick and mortar off one firefighter, another began shouting from the other side of the room. Carr rushed to the yelling firefighter and checked his status. Carr hoisted him up and dragged him out of the burning building and to safety.
“It was all fresh in my mind,” Carr said. “Just got done doing it. I was able to put it in play.”
Carr is looking forward to further collaboration between the 153rd Airlift Wing and Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center. Future plans include sending firefighters up to Camp Guernsey to get certified in wildland firefighting.
“It was amazing to watch the Army and Air Guard learn from each other over this training,” Urquhart said. “This is just the beginning of a fantastic relationship.”
Wyoming Army and Air National Guard team up for a six-day firefighting exercise at the 153rd Airlift Wing in Cheyenne, Wyo., Feb. 28, 2025. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Samuel Toman)
SEATTLE – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Wilver Cota-Ortiz, 43, a citizen of El Salvador, to his home country where he is wanted by law enforcement authorities for human trafficking.
Cota entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location without inspection or admission by an immigration official. The Dallas Police Department arrested him Jan. 9, 2010 for assault with a deadly weapon and an immigration detainer was placed on Cota the next day. The 195th Judicial District Court in Dallas convicted Cota on two counts of assault April 1, 2010, sentencing him to 8 years probation. Custody was transferred to ICE in accordance with the immigration detainer, and Cota was removed to El Salvador as ordered by an immigration judge Dec. 17, 2010.
Cota reentered the U.S. at an unknown date and location, arrested by U.S. Border Patrol Aug. 6, 2013, in Otay Mesa, California where it was determined he had an active warrant for a probation violation in Dallas. The 195th Judicial District Court convicted Cota of probation violation, sentencing him to two years incarceration. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice Correction Facility Huntsville transferred custody to the United States Marshal Service, who then transferred custody to ICE in accordance with an immigration detainer. Cota was again removed to El Salvador Dec. 18, 2015.
Cota reentered the U.S. at an unknown date and location, and this time he was arrested by ICE for illegal reentry Feb. 15, 2023. The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware convicted Cota Oct. 31, 2023, of illegal reentry, sentencing him to nine months incarceration. While in federal prison, it was discovered that Cota was wanted by authorities in El Salvador for human trafficking, and his removal was completed April 4 without incident.
“ICE will make every effort to arrest those that have fled to the U.S. to evade justice in their home country,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle Interim Field Office Director Cammilla H. Wamsley. “The seriousness of these charges places a particular importance on that mission.”
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X at @EROSeattle.
The defendants sold over $1 million worth of fraudulent artwork throughout the conspiracy.
JUNEAU, Alaska – A Washington man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a scheme to sell hundreds of products produced in the Philippines as authentic Alaska Native produced artwork, violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.
According to court documents, between July and August 2021, Cameron Losi, fka “Cameron Lawrence,” 39, conspired with others, including the owners of Alaska Stone Arts LLC and Rail Creek LLC, stores located in Ketchikan, to sell items falsely represented to be authentic Alaska Native art. Losi was employed as a salesperson for Alaska Stone Arts LLC, which primarily sold stone carvings. Rail Creek LLC primarily sold wood totem poles.
Court documents explain that from April 2016 to December 2021, Cristobal Rodrigo, 59, his wife Glenda Rodrigo, 46, and their son Christian Rodrigo, 24, all from Washington, were the owners and operators of the stores and were co-conspirators in the case. The investigation revealed that the carvings and totem poles sold in both stores were sourced from Rodrigo Creative Crafts, a company owned by Glenda Rodrigo and located in the Philippines. The company used Filipino labor to produce the artwork before shipping them to the Rodrigo’s stores in Alaska, where they were sold as authentic Alaska Native art.
According to court documents, the Rodrigos hired Alaska Natives and non-Alaska Native employees at both Ketchikan stores to help with day-to-day operations and represent and sell Philippine produced artwork as their own authentic Native artwork. Aside from Losi, who is of American Indian descent, the Rodrigos also hired Travis Lee Macasaet, 39, of Ketchikan, Simeon Cabansag, 39, of Ketchikan, and Jessie Reginio, 28, of Seattle, Washington. Macasaet and Cabansag were two of the Alaska Natives hired by the family. Reginio was one of the non-Alaska Native employees hired by the family.
Losi conspired with the other co-defendants to sell the artwork to customers and falsely represent that the art was all produced from locally sourced materials and made by Alaska Natives or by members of an American Indian tribe. Court documents outline that Losi misrepresented to customers that he was the sole artisan of the stone carvings under the name “Cameron,” and that other employees were Alaska Native family members who carved and sold stone and wood totem poles in both businesses.
During the course of the conspiracy, Losi and others involved in the scheme sold hundreds of stone and wood carvings produced in the Philippines as authentic Alaska Native carvings.
Losi was sentenced to five years’ probation and 250 hours of community service. Losi is required to pay over $12,200 in restitution to his victims in this case and is required to write an apology letter to the victims and the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes to be published publicly.
“This sentencing marks a crucial step toward justice, finally holding accountable all defendants responsible for this betrayal of Alaska Native artisans, whose craftsmanship is not only their livelihood but their pride,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “The fraudulent actions of all seven defendants resulted in over a million dollars in illegal profits, undermining the integrity of genuine artists and exploiting the very cultural heritage that some defendants are connected to. Through our collaboration with the Indian Arts and Crafts Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, we have secured justice for tribal communities and the victims who were deceived through forgery and misrepresentation.”
“Counterfeit Alaska Native art, such as the carvings Cameron Losi sold to unwitting customers at the Alaska Stone Arts business in Ketchikan, are an affront to Alaska Native culture, tradition, and heritage,” said Indian Arts and Crafts Board Director Meridith Stanton. “The Indian Arts and Crafts Board by statute is responsible for administering the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA), an anti-counterfeiting law that protects Indian artists and consumers. Mr. Losi’s actions undermine Alaska Native economies and the hard work of Alaska Native artists who are dedicated to celebrating their unique culture and using their artwork to pass to down their traditions and skills from one generation to the next. His actions also erode consumers’ confidence in the Alaska Native art market, particularly with respect to the many tourists traveling through Southeast Alaska each year. Due to the outstanding work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office-District of Alaska and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service IACA Investigative Unit, Mr. Losi is being held accountable and the message is clear. For those selling counterfeit Alaska Native art it is important to know that wherever you are we will diligently work to find you and prosecute you under the IACA.”
“Cameron Losi collaborated with the Rodrigos and others to misrepresent Philippine-made stone carvings and totem poles as Alaskan Native made,” said Doug Ault, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Losi used his American Indian heritage to defraud customers by knowingly selling Philippine-made stone carvings and totem poles at premium prices. These deceptive business practices cheated customers and undermined the economic livelihood of Alaskan Native artists. Our special agents investigate crimes in violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act on behalf of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board. Protecting Alaska Native culture and traditions is a critical part of the act. We thank the U.S. Department of Justice for their assistance with this investigation.”
Co-conspirators in this case include:
Cristobal Rodrigo: Sentenced to two years in prison in August 2023 for his role in the scheme. His sentence was reduced to 18 months in June 2024 but remains the longest sentence a defendant has received for any Indian Arts and Crafts Act violation in the U.S., according to the Indian Arts and Crafts Board.
Glenda Rodrigo: Sentenced to up to six months’ home confinement and 240 hours of community service on July 8, 2024.
Christian Rodrigo: Sentenced to up to three months’ home confinement and 200 hours of community service on July 8, 2024.
Travis Macasaet: Sentenced to five years’ probation and 250 hours of community service on Nov. 12, 2024.
Simeon Cabansag: Sentenced to three years’ supervised release, time served and 150 hours of community service on Nov. 12, 2024.
Jessie Reginio: Sentenced to three years’ probation, a $5,000 fine and $10,000 in restitution on Nov. 12, 2024.
The Department of Interior – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Office of Law Enforcement, with assistance from the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, U.S. Customs and Border Protections, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.
If you suspect potential Indian Arts and Crafts Act violations are being committed, a complaint may be submitted through the Indian Arts and Crafts Board’s online complaint form, www.doi.gov/iacb/should-i-report-potential-violation, by emailing iacb@ios.doi.gov, or by calling 888-278-3253.
Anti-government protestors use the American flag to draw attention to their cause at a protest on Aug. 8, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio.Paul Becker/Becker 1999 via Flickr, CC BY
Patriots’ Day, a commemoration of the battles of Lexington and Concord – the first confrontations of the American Revolution – holds historical value as a symbol of American resistance to British colonial rule. Over time, however, the holiday has been co-opted by extremist groups.
Not all states celebrate Patriots’ Day. Massachusetts and Maine observe it as a public holiday on the third Monday in April. Wisconsin observes Patriots’ Day as a state observance – not a public holiday – on April 19, with schools and businesses remaining open. Other states may also mark it informally or through educational activities.
As a scholar of extremism, I have become increasingly concerned by the appropriation of patriotic symbols such as the American flag and Patriots’ Day into narratives for far-right rhetoric, recruitment and radicalization. Patriotic events such as the Fourth of July can be marked by demonstrations, armed protests and calls for militant action by far-right extremist groups.
Just before the Fourth of July in 2019, the Southern Poverty Law Center demonstrated how extremist groups have long adopted symbols of U.S. history to promote white supremacy. A 2010 SPLC report documented extremist calls for “freedom,” including a call from such far-right groups for repeal of all social service spending.
The hijacking of patriotic symbols is part of an effort to create an atmosphere where participants believe they are engaging in a modern-day fight for freedom.
In interviews I conducted with extremists in March 2025, several members of the Patriot Front said they are planning to protest on April 19 in an effort to use the holiday to attract media and public attention to their efforts to create a white homeland.
Extremists are not the only Americans who are planning on using Patriots’ Day as a platform to attract attention to their causes. Mobilization of opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies and deportation efforts are also planned for April 19. Protesters raise concerns about the incorporation of American patriotic symbols by the right wing to support policies that they view as distinctively anti-American and unconstitutional.
The 250th anniversary on April 19 of the first battles of the American Revolution is a fitting time to reflect on the meaning and use of historical symbols.
White supremacy and Patriots’ Day
From a sociological perspective, national symbols and events such as the American flag and Patriots’ Day do not have fixed meanings. Rather, any symbol is defined by how people actually use it. Whether one raises an American flag or burns one, the use of the flag is a powerful symbol that is understood to mean different things to different people, depending on the context.
Extremists often take other symbols of American patriotism, such as the bald eagle, the Second Amendment and the phrase “America the beautiful” and try to use them to promote their message. For example, white supremacists believe that America can be beautiful only if white Americans are in positions of authority. The interpretations of these symbols become tools for extremist mobilization.
In the lead-up to Patriots’ Day in 2023, members of the Patriot Front, a white supremacist group, rallied near the Massachusetts State House in Boston. They displayed a banner reading “Reclaim America,” a slogan associated with their ideology.
The Patriot Front manifesto, written by group founder Thomas Rousseau, states: “A nation within a nation is our goal. Our people face complete annihilation as our culture and heritage are attacked from all sides.”
The role of extremist narratives
The extremist groups see Patriots’ Day not only as a commemoration of resistance against British colonialism but as a rallying point for a radical vision of American identity that attracts more attention from the public and the media because of the use of the recognized symbol.
Extremists frame their actions as a continuation of the American Revolution and draw upon the myth of an oppressed, virtuous “true American” standing against tyranny. In this view, traditional symbols of American patriotism represent resistance not against an overarching foreign power but against internal threats to their vision of America.
These include perceived threats posed by progressive movements, racial minorities, immigrants and the federal government. In the minds of those on the far right, what’s at stake are their traditional values, gun ownership and individual rights.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has highlighted the significance of April 19 in the anti-government “patriot” movement’s calendar, noting that it has been associated with increased activity from militias and other extremist groups.
A man belonging to the Boogaloo Boi far-right group at an anti-government rally on Aug. 29, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio. Paul Becker/Becker 1999 via Flickr, CC BY
Some of those groups include the sovereign citizens movement, Boogaloo Bois and the Patriot Front. The sovereign citizen movement is a loosely organized group of individuals who believe that they are not subject to government laws, especially federal laws in the United States. The Boogaloo movement is an anti-government extremist group known for advocating for a second American civil war, which they often call the “boogaloo.”
Some American militia groups, such as the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, claim that only those willing to resist their idea of “tyranny” are true American patriots and that they should resist the government.
In 2014, the Oath Keepers participated in an armed standoff in Nevada to support rancher Cliven Bundy, who was in a dispute with the Bureau of Land Management over unpaid grazing fees. The group positioned themselves as defenders against federal authority. Two men with ties to the Three Percenters, Barry Croft and Adam Fox, were involved in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. The plot was foiled by law enforcement, and the individuals were arrested and charged with terrorism-related offenses. Both received lengthy prison sentences.
Anyone not aligned with their ideology is seen as a traitor or unwilling to confront systemic problems and are derisively labeled “sheep.”
The mobilization of violence
One of the most concerning ways in which American patriotic symbols are co-opted by extremists is the potential to justify violent action.
An example of how extremist flags incorporate the American flag into their design, as seen at a protest on July 21, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. Paul Becker/Becker 1999 via Flickr, CC BY
The connection between historical acts of violence, such as the battles of Lexington and Concord, and contemporary calls for preparation for violent actions is deliberately emphasized. According to historian Darren Mulloy, extremists use well-known and accepted American symbols to create a sense that violence is a justified and necessary means of defense. Militia groups, in Mulloy’s research, exploit the need for violence in the American Revolution and the settling of the American West to legitimize their contemporary calls.
The Oath Keepers romanticize the role of armed militias in the founding of America as seen at Lexington and Concord. They use this day to promote the idea that their cause is just and that armed resistance is a legitimate form of political expression.
Groups such as The Base and the Oath Keepers have called for training in preparation for armed defense against the government. They recruit current and former military, police and first responders, urging them to uphold an oath to defend the Constitution – as the group interprets it – often against what they see as a tyrannical federal government.
This creates a dangerous feedback loop in which extremism and violence are normalized through the glorification of historical events that celebrate acts of rebellion while strengthening identities that radicalize individuals.
Understanding how patriotic symbols can be exploited offers important insights into how historical narratives may be manipulated, potentially leading to harmful consequences in American society.
Art Jipson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that work is beginning on a $4 million project to enhance safety and improve traffic flow at a key gateway to the City of Oneonta. The project will transform the intersection of James F. Lettis Highway (State Route 23) and Main Street (State Route 7) by constructing a modern roundabout that will reduce vehicle congestion and make it easier for pedestrians and motorists to reach the area’s popular destinations, including SUNY Oneonta, Hartwick College and the shops and businesses of downtown Oneonta.
“The City of Oneonta is a true gem of the I-88 corridor, with a robust, walkable downtown, thriving businesses and thousands of college students making this Mohawk Valley community their home every year,” Governor Hochul said. “We want to make sure that everyone in Oneonta reaches their destinations as safely as possible, and that’s just what this new roundabout and other community enhancements will provide.”
The project will convert the current, signalized intersection of Lettis Highway and Main Street into a single-lane roundabout that will improve vehicle mobility and reduce idling. New sidewalks, lighting and signage – including flashing beacons – will also be installed to enhance safety for pedestrians. New drainage systems and landscaping will be added to improve resiliency and sustainability.
Roundabouts are engineered to maximize safety and minimize congestion. They are safer, more sustainable, and more efficient than traditional intersections. Crashes in roundabouts are less severe, resulting in fewer injuries and fatalities. Roundabouts also eliminate the need for electric-powered traffic signals. For tips on how to safely navigate a roundabout, check out this helpful instructional video.
Work on the project is getting underway this month with tree removal and other site preparation activities. Major construction will start in early to mid-July and will focus initially on the northern end of the intersection and the interior of the roundabout. During this phase, only the ramps to and from the Lettis Highway will be open to traffic traveling eastbound on Main Street. All other vehicular and pedestrian access will be closed. Detours for vehicles and pedestrians will be posted.
In early to mid-September, work will shift to the southern end of the intersection and the ramps to and from Lettis Highway. At this point, the ramp onto the Lettis Highway southbound will be closed. Traffic traveling eastbound on Main Street will also be detoured around the intersection. All detours for vehicles and pedestrians will be posted.
Additionally, a free, 24-hour shuttle service will be provided to further aid pedestrians during periods when access to the work zone will be restricted. There will be four designated pickup and drop-off locations, including two on Main Street and two on Lettis Highway. Signs will be installed to identify the designated drop-off/pick-up locations at least a week prior to closure of the roadway. Additional signs will be posted at the roadway closure limits informing pedestrians of the transportation service availability, pick-up and drop-off locations, and the contact information to call for the service.
New York State Department of TransportationCommissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “New York State, under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, is investing in our transportation infrastructure to create safer systems that reduce conflicts and minimize the likelihood of fatal crashes, with the goal getting to zero fatalities – because even one death on our highway system is too many. This new roundabout will benefit the entire Oneonta community, creating more efficient vehicle flow and enhancing safety for the many residents, visitors and students who travel to and from this beautiful city and its many attractions each day.”
The project is being funded with a mix of state and federal funding, with the bulk of it provided via the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program. It’s also part of NYSDOT’s Safe System Approach toward Zero Deaths that involves designing and managing road infrastructure to keep the risk of a human error low and minimizing the likelihood of fatality or serious injury during crashes. Construction is tentatively scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2025.
This is the first of two projects that are being advanced to address congestion in the Oneonta area. The Southside Oneonta Safety and Mobility Improvements Project is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2026 and will focus on improving the sidewalks and traffic flow along State Route 23 and State Route 28 near the southern end of the Lettis Highway.
Representative Josh Riley said, “Projects like the roundabout at Lettis Highway and Main Street are exactly the kind of common-sense solutions that will make a real difference for communities like Oneonta. It’s not just about traffic; it’s about safety for our students, residents, and visitors. I’m pushing hard to bring federal dollars back home for projects across NY-19, and I’m grateful for the Governor’s leadership in helping to deliver these crucial infrastructure improvements.”
Assemblymember Brian Miller said, “Investing in infrastructure that improves safety and mobility is critical to the growth and vitality of our communities. The intersection improvement project located at State Route 23 and State Route 7 in the City of Oneonta is a smart and forward-thinking investment that will not only reduce congestion and improve traffic flow but also enhance pedestrian and bicycle access to educational institutions and downtown businesses. Improving safety on our roadways is always a top priority, and this intersection upgrade in Oneonta is a great example of the kind of investment that makes a real difference.”
Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek said, “On behalf of the City of Oneonta I’d like to express my deep gratitude for the continuing support of our Governor and the State of New York in making our city increasingly safe, attractive, and conveniently accessible to residents and visitors.”
About the Department of Transportation
It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment and supports the economic well-being of New York State. Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers!
For more information, find them on Facebook, follow us on X or Instagram, or visit their website. For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app.
overnor Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced it will increase bus service on 16 local routes across Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island beginning June 29, 2025. This is in addition to enhanced express bus service on eight lines that went into effect earlier this Spring. The service enhancement will decrease travel times, shorten commutes and reduce wait times at bus stops.
“Every New Yorker deserves access to safe, fast and reliable public transit, and I’m investing in our buses and subways so we can deliver better service in every corner of our city,” Governor Hochul said. “We’re taking action to strengthen our transportation infrastructure, bring stations and equipment up to par and create the best experience for every rider.”
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “Buses connect New Yorkers to jobs, education, entertainment and everything else the city has to offer. By increasing service on some of the busiest routes in the outer boroughs, we can deliver opportunity and quality of life upgrades to literally thousands of New Yorkers.”
Proposed by Governor Hochul in November 2024 in connection with the launch of congestion pricing, the service enhancements are one of the many ways stakeholders are working to give commuters better alternatives to driving. The following is a list of local bus routes that will benefit from the enhanced service. These lines have high ridership and, thanks to the success of congestion relief, allow riders to have expanded access to fast, safe, reliable transit service — especially in areas underserved by the subway system.
The Bronx:
Bx10 (Riverdale-Norwood)
Bx17 (Port Morris-Fordham Plaza)
Bx23 (Co-op City-Pelham Bay Park Station)
Bx28/Bx38 (Co-op City-Fordham Center)
Brooklyn
B17 (Crown Heights-Canarsie)
B26 (Fulton St-Ridgewood)
B74 (Sea Gate-Stillwell Avenue Station)
B103 (Canarsie-Downtown Brooklyn)
Queens
Q13 (Flushing-Ft. Totten)
Q28 (Bayside-Flushing)
Q35 (Rockaway Park-Midwood)
Q43 (Jamaica-Floral Park)
Q66 (Flushing-Long Island City
Q69 (Long Island City-Astoria)
Staten Island
S46/S96 (Castleton Avenue)
S79 SBS (Staten Island Mall-Bay Ridge)
The following is a list of the express bus routes in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island that have already implemented expanded service:
QM15 (Lindenwood-Cross Bay Blvd-Woodhaven Blvd-Midtown)
SIM1C (Eltingville-Hylan Blvd-Midtown/Downtown)
SIM4C (Huguenot-Richmond Av-Midtown/Downtown)
SIM23 (Annadale-Arden Av-Midtown)
SIM24 (Prince’s Bay-Huguenot Av-Midtown)
NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said, “Frequent, reliable bus service is essential for so many New Yorkers, especially for those who don’t live near the subway. By enhancing bus service on 16 local routes starting this summer, we can improve trips along critical corridors, especially where we have seen increased ridership since the beginning of congestion relief.”
Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said, “Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus routes are of great importance for everyday New Yorkers, facilitating their commuting to and from various destinations, like work, especially in transportation deserts. Today’s announcement of service enhancements for 16 local bus routes across the city set to commence this summer, will ensure frequent and dependable services during a period when ridership tends to surge. I would like to thank the MTA for its commitment to the people of New York and its dedication to ensuring the accessibility of public transportation for all.”
State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “When we invest in public transit, we break down barriers to transportation and make it easier for passengers to get from Point A to Point B, and increasing bus service helps achieve this. I want to thank Governor Hochul and MTA Chair Lieber for their commitment to an efficient bus system that meets the needs of all New Yorkers.”
State Senator Leroy Comrie said, “Increasing bus services throughout Queens is crucial for ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to reliable and efficient transportation. These enhancements will reduce commute times and make connecting with essential services easier for our communities. I support this initiative, which reflects our commitment to improving public transit and enhancing the quality of life for all residents. I will continue to advocate for equitable investments in transportation, especially with the expansion of the Q43 route to better connect residents to vital locations.”
State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “I’m so excited for more frequent and reliable bus service in our community. Thank you to the MTA for their work in expanding bus service across NYC, and to my colleagues in the legislature who voted to fund this project.”
State Senator Andrew Gounardes said, “Brooklynites from across my district rely on buses to get to work, school, and everywhere else they need to go, and they deserve frequent, reliable service that works for them. That’s especially true for seniors, folks with disabilities and those who live far from the subway. These are some of the highest-ridership bus routes in the city, and this service increase is a boon to New Yorkers and to our economy. Thanks to the MTA for making smart investments like this in our transit system and our city.”
State Senator Robert Jackson said, “Transit justice begins with investment—and I commend the MTA for taking this step toward a fairer, faster New York. For my constituents in District 31 and working-class New Yorkers across the city, expanded service on the Bx10 and other local routes is more than a convenience—it’s a correction. It’s a recognition that access to reliable, efficient transit is not a luxury, but a right. Every added bus, every reduced wait, brings us closer to a system that serves all of us—equitably, urgently, and with the dignity our communities deserve.”
State Senator John Liu said, “These service enhancements are a welcome step forward for Queens riders who rely on our bus network to get to school, work, and other essential destinations every day. Increasing service on many of these routes will provide more options for riders in northeast Queens without direct subway access to connect to mass transit. This expansion is an important part of the MTA’s broader bus redesign and aligns with the goals of congestion pricing, which is to invest in faster, more reliable service and get more commuters out of their cars and into mass transit.”
State Senator Julia Salazar said, “Hundreds if not thousands of New Yorkers in our district depend on buses to get to work, see their loved ones, grab their groceries, and more. As a strong advocate for investing in our public transit systems, I’m thrilled the MTA is enhancing services on 16 local routes, making commutes faster, more reliable, and more convenient.”
Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz said, “Thank you MTA for announcing increased bus service around the city, specifically in my district with the Bx10 bus line. The Bx10 runs throughout most of my district, including Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Van Cortlandt Village, and Norwood, and will now have additional buses in rotation all day, reducing wait times at bus stops and shortening travel times. Many of my constituents rely on the Bx10 for transportation and these new service enhancements will improve their daily commutes. Investing in our public transportation is one of the smartest choices we can make, and I am confident that these changes will benefit us all greatly.”
Assemblymember Charles D. Fall said, “I’ve long called for improvements to the S46 line, and I’m glad to see this critical investment finally being delivered for the West Shore and North Shore communities of our borough. These enhancements will help reduce wait times, ease overcrowding, and make daily commutes more reliable for working families who rely on this route. I remain committed to fighting for equitable, accessible transit across Staten Island and beyond.”
Assemblymember Larinda C. Hooks said, “We appreciate the additional service being added to key routes like the Q66 and Q69, which play an essential role in connecting neighborhoods across Queens. This is a positive step toward improving access for residents who often experience long and complex commutes. I look forward to continued efforts that build a more efficient and equitable transit system for all New Yorkers.”
Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said, “The upgraded B103 bus service is a game-changer for our community. More frequent service means faster, more reliable commutes. Investing in our bus network is critical to making transit work better for everyone.”
Assemblymember Steven Raga said, “I’m grateful for the MTA’s leadership in creating reliable, efficient, and speedy bus service for New Yorkers. Like many New Yorkers throughout the city, I have several constituents who do not live near a train station, resulting in busses to be one of their only modes of transportation. The Q66, for example, is a vital bus service that connects my constituents in Jackson Heights and Woodside to neighborhoods all the way to Flushing and Long Island City. With the enhanced bus services taking effect, I’m excited for my constituents and all New Yorkers to experience faster commutes and experience shorter wait periods.”
Assemblymember George Alvarez said, “Investing in better bus service is investing in the everyday lives of Bronx residents. With enhanced service on key routes like the Bx10, Bx17, Bx23, and Bx28/Bx38, communities from Riverdale to Co-op City will benefit from shorter wait times, improved reliability, and greater access to opportunity. This is a meaningful step toward a more connected, equitable Bronx.”
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said, “I’m pleased to see the MTA expanding local bus service in the Bronx and across the city. Reliable and frequent public transit is essential to our communities — it connects people to jobs, school, healthcare, and opportunity. These service enhancements will help shorten commutes, reduce wait times, and make everyday travel more manageable for Bronxites who rely on our buses the most. Investments like this bring us one step closer to a more equitable and accessible transit system for all New Yorkers.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said, “More than 800,000 Queens residents rely on MTA bus service each day, and each one of them deserves a fast, reliable commute that gets them to work, school, home or elsewhere quickly. With these needed service enhancements — in tandem with the full Queens Bus Network Redesign coming this summer — that commute is exactly what families across the borough will finally be able to enjoy. I’m deeply grateful to our dedicated partners at the MTA for working hand-in-hand with our borough to deliver the kind of mass transit system all 2.4 million of us in Queens have long sought and advocated for.”
The increased service is being funded with $8 million from the Outer Borough Transportation Account, which was established by the New York State Legislature in 2018 to improve transportation service in the outer boroughs.
The 231 pensioners in York who claimed Pension Credit since December 2024 are now an extra £7,000 a year better off.
Following publicity campaigns to encourage eligible people to claim, 231 applications were made from December 2024 to February 2025 by residents over State Pension age and who are on a low income. They are now directly benefitting from a total extra £1,790,736 a year, from Pension Credit and linked benefits.
Of the total £1,790,736 now being paid yearly to those York residents, £338,866 was for backdated claims and £49,200 was for Winter Fuel Payments. Estimates suggest that the value of these awards over the estimated life expectancy of the claimants, could add up to over £10,638,000.
One successful claimant from York said:
I now have Pension Credit and Council Tax Support and couldn’t feel happier – it is so lovely. I wouldn’t have known what to do or that this would be possible without Age UK York and the Carers’ Centre helping me. Thank you so much.”
This is part of an ongoing campaign in partnership with organisations including Citizens’ Advice York, Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY), Age UK York and the Carers’ Centre to make sure residents claim all the support available to ease financial pressures, particularly with recent increases to energy and water bills.
To be able to make a claim, residents must be over State Pension age and on a low income. Pension Credit tops up:
weekly income to £227.10 for single people
joint weekly income to £346.60 for those with a partner.
People with a higher income might still be eligible for Pension Credit if they have a disability, care for someone, have housing costs or have savings.
Cllr Katie Lomas, Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights, Equality and Inclusion at City of York Council, said:
Last autumn, Government data showed that around 1,600 York households were missing out on Pension Credit. We contacted those they had details for, advising them that they might be eligible and offering advice and support to apply for it.
“Of the 470 we contacted, 231 have successfully applied and together, are £1,790,736 a year better off.
“We are continuing our campaign and will be letting more people know they could be missing out and how to apply. If you haven’t claimed yet, it’s really worth doing so. Help to make your claim is available for a share of over £1 million remaining unclaimed by York residents.”
Simon Holmes, Chief Executive of Age UK York, said:
We recognise the challenges faced by too many older people, both here in York and across the country, with 34% of pensioners feeling less financially secure than a year ago and over 450,000 in our region having to cut back on heating or powering their home.
“For each of the 246 – and counting – individuals helped here in York who are now receiving Pension Credit it can make such a vital difference not only financially, but to their independence and wellbeing. We would please encourage anyone unsure if they are eligible to find out more and to get in touch here in York
“A huge thank you to all those involved in making this happen across our partnership with their expertise and compassion in being there to help and continuing to offer such valued support each day to local people and communities across York.”
Unleashing American Energy was one of President Donald J. Trump’s first actions, and it includes infrastructure like pipelines and oil and gas export facilities. Recently, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) secured four wins in court that underpin the intentions of the president’s executive order.
The Dakota Access Pipeline crosses Lake Oahe in North Dakota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently preparing a supplemental environmental impact statement which the District Court for the District of Columbia ordered for the pipeline’s easement. Last year, the Corps was sued again to shut down the pipeline while they work on that statement, but ENRD last month was granted its motion to dismiss that lawsuit.
In the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, a Tennessee pipeline company was essentially allowed to go ahead and build a pipeline to deliver natural gas to the Tennessee Valley Authority for a new gas power plant. The court denied a petition for review of the Corp’s permit to the company and upheld its reliance on Tennessee’s certification of the project under the Clean Water Act’s Section 401.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a published decision affirming the Corps decision to issue a permit for a proposed expansion of an oil-export facility in Texas. The court held that the Corps thoroughly analyzed the effects of issuing the permit and properly assessed the project’s scope.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied plaintiffs’ petition for review of a Department of Energy (DOE) action to authorize exporting liquefied natural gas from a proposed terminal on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The gas is to come from Alaska’s north slope and would be transported to the terminal via a proposed pipeline across the state. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had previously authorized where the project’s facilities would be, and DOE authorized and reaffirmed exporting the gas. This development will help unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential, in keeping with the administration’s directive.
What a difference a dictator makes. Some world leaders get a rough ride in their Oval Office meetings with Donald Trump – most famously, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who the US president and his entourage publicly disparaged in their now-notorious meeting at the end of February. But not El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, the self-styled “world’s coolest dictator” – an autocrat whose country’s incarceration rate is the highest in the world – with whom Trump swapped a few friendly quips this week about authoritarian leadership.
“They say that we imprisoned thousands. I say we liberated millions,” said Bukele about his record of jailing people without due process, adding that: “To liberate that many, you have to imprison some.”
“Who gave him that line? You think I could use that?” replied Trump to general merriment.
Bukele has obliged Trump by incarcerating hundreds of Venezuelan and Salvadoran migrants deported from the US on suspicion of being members of criminal gangs – none of whom have had their day in court. One person of particular interest to the journalists was Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man deported due to an “administrative error”. The US Supreme Court has ordered the Trump administration to do everything in its power to “facilitate” his return to his wife and family in the US.
“Of course I’m not going to do it,” Bukele said, when asked if he would send Abrego Garcia back to the US, adding that it would be like “sending a terrorist back to the United States”. Smiles all round from the US officials. This apparently makes it a matter of foreign policy rather than a failure of US justice – or, just as crucially, an impending constitutional crisis over the Trump administration’s failure to obey a Supreme Court ruling.
Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.
Bukele knows a thing or two about circumventing constitutional law, writes Amalendu Misra, a professor of international politics at Lancaster University, who has written extensively about Latin America for The Conversation. The Salvadoran president is serving a second term, despite his country’s constitution previously restricting a president from serving two consecutive terms.
Critics say Bukele used his considerable majority to replace five members of El Salvador’s Supreme Court in order to get the decision he wanted – which may also have raised him in the US president’s estimation.
Misra charts Bukele’s rise to power and his achievements in office, which include transforming El Salvador from the murder capital of the world to having one of the lowest homicide rates in the western hemisphere. But not without considerable infringements of human rights and civil liberties – something to which, as we’ve seen, Bukele unabashedly owns up.
Meanwhile, constitutional scholars are picking apart the US Supreme Court’s ruling in the matter of Abrego Garcia, who is currently sitting in El Salvador’s notorious Center for Terrorism Confinement (Cecot) mega-prison.
What exactly did the court mean when it instructed the Trump administration to “facilitate” his return to the US? The US attorney-general, Pam Bondi, offered her interpretation on Wednesday – saying the decision was completely up to Bukele, and that if he wanted to send Abrego Garcia back, “we would give him a plane ride back”.
Trump’s relationship with US constitutional law is already coming under a fair bit of scrutiny, as he and his senior officials have embarked on a concerted effort to push back against court rulings which seek to reverse or delay some of his policies.
“Trump’s approach seems to be one of testing the limits of the law,” writes Stephen Clear, a constitutional law expert at Bangor University. Clear believes that Trump’s second term is going further, faster, than his first in putting pressure on the system of checks and balances on which the US constitution depends.
Clear looks at Trump’s strategy of using executive orders to make policy – there have been 124 in his first 85 days (executive orders don’t need congressional approval). The federal courts are now examining many of these orders, which have been challenged on the grounds of unconstitutionality. The US Supreme Court is already facing an unprecedented number of emergency applications, and it remains to be seen when the justices will decide – and, crucially, how the administration responds to the Supreme Court’s decisions.
A federal court judge whose ruling regarding the deportation of 100 migrants to El Salvador was apparently disregarded by the Trump administration has released an opinion that this failure to comply constitutes “probable cause” to hold members of the administration in criminal contempt.
US district court judge James Boasberg wrote that a judicial order “must
be obeyed – no matter how erroneous it may be – until a court reverses it”. US legal scholar Cassandra Burke Robertson answers our questions about this matter.
In the end, the most reliable test of Trump and the Republican party is still at the ballot box. The mid-term elections, the first real test of the US public’s approval of Trump 2.0, are more than 18 months away. But how is the second Trump administration going down with Americans?
It depends who you ask, writes Paul Whiteley of the University of Essex. Whiteley, an expert scrutineer of public opinion, was interested to see whether the recent upheaval created by Trump’s tariffs plan had affected the way the US public views his performance.
Committed Republicans still tend to give credit to Trump that he knows what he is doing, while Democrats, as you’d expect, remain fundamentally opposed to the administration. And the same goes, broadly speaking, for their respective views on his handling of trade policy. But the big shift, Whiteley observes, is among people identifying as independents, where Trump’s approval rating has fallen considerably, particularly over the tariffs.
This is significant, Whiteley believes, because independents now make up the largest voter group in the US. He concludes: “If this shift continues, and independent voters support Democrat candidates in the 2026 mid-term elections, it means that the Democrats are likely to take control of Congress.”
Another Trump campaign promise is coming under increasing scrutiny: his pledge to end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours”. The US president now insists he was “being sarcastic” when he made that claim – but, after nearly three months, Trump’s efforts to end the war are “struggling to get off the starting blocks”, writes Jennifer Mathers from Aberystwyth University.
Despite Zelensky having unconditionally accepted the initial proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and backing US efforts to establish a limited ceasefire – applying to energy infrastructure and on the ocean – Russia has redoubled its attacks. The recent Palm Sunday strikes, which killed at least 35 civilians in the border town of Sumy, appeared particularly gratuitous given that the two sides are supposed to be talking peace.
Mathers writes that Vladimir Putin is deliberately doing all he can to drag his feet over negotiations, while maintaining Russia’s original demands for huge swaths of Ukrainian territory, guarantees that Kyiv will drop its plan to join Nato, and for elections to be held in Ukraine. You’d have to imagine that Moscow will pull out all the stops to ensure the winner is more to its liking than Zelensky.
One of the main problems, as Mathers sees it, is that the various American diplomats keep repeating Putin’s demands, lending them legitimacy. It goes without saying that these demands find no favour with Kyiv, as they amount to virtually complete Ukrainian capitulation.
The other big diplomatic gambit involving the Trump White House is in Oman this weekend, as representatives from the US and Iran meet to discuss the possibility of a new deal on Iran’s nuclear programme. The initial signs aren’t good. Trump has threatened dire consequences unless Iran is willing to give up its nuclear ambitions. Iran refuses to countenance this idea.
But there are signs that behind the scenes, there may be some progress. Iran’s leaders are under heavy domestic pressure to get sanctions lifted as its economy continues to tank. And it has been reported that Trump refused to approve joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Simon Mabon from Lancaster University – a specialist in Middle East security and particularly the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran – examines what the talks mean for the broader stability of the Middle East. He believes the outcome of the talks are being watched particularly closely by China, which has its own ambitions for the region.
Last year’s election in India was the biggest democratic exercise the world has ever seen, involving upwards of 642 million people casting their votes in seven phases across this vast country. It was, in fact, the biggest election ever to be held in India, surpassing the first elections held in 1951-52 after the country achieved independence from Britain.
Tripurdaman Singh, a fellow of the University of London’s School of Advanced Study, has traced the progress of democracy in India from what he describes as “a moment of such staggering idealism and exuberance, a leap of faith so audacious, that the famous jurist and scholar Kenneth Wheare termed it ‘the biggest liberal experiment in democratic government’ that the world had seen”.
Singh takes a detailed look at this experiment in democracy, examining the fledgling country’s constitution and how it has been interpreted since. He finds that this “idealism” was more of an aspiration than an actuality, and that power has always been firmly held by the executive. But, he writes, the sheer diversity of the electorate has – in the main at least – successfully prevented tyrannical impulses from India’s leaders. At least, it has thus far.
CRANSTON, RI — Today, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) hosted a roundtable discussion with representatives of the construction, hospitality, health care and manufacturing sectors in Rhode Island to address the negative impact of President Trump’s recent tariffs on workers, consumers and small businesses.
“Presient Trump’s tariffs are the largest tax increase on the Middle Class in decades,” said Magaziner. “Tariff rates now are the highest that we have had since before the Great Depression.”
View full video remarks from all speakers during today’s press conferencehere.
View or download photos from today’s full roundtable discussionhere.
Speakers included:
Justin Kelley, Director of Organizing and Strategic Planning for the Rhode Island Building & Construction Trades Council, who spoke about the risk of construction projects being cancelled or scaled back due to tariffs imposed on building materials.
Ryan Moot, Manager of Business Development and Government Affairs, Rhode Island Hospitality Association, who spoke on the impact tariffs would have on local restaurants due to rising food costs and decreased tourism.
Lauryn T. Estrella, Executive Director, Home Medical Equipment and Services Association of New England (HOMES), who spoke about how the tariffs will make durable medical equipment more expensive and harder for patients to access.
Darryl Lindie, Owner of AA Sign & Awning in Warwick, who spoke about the impact to project-based small businesses.
BACKGROUND
The roundtable comes less than two weeks after President Trump’s unprecedented and chaotic tariff rollout on over 90 countries. A 10 percent tariff tax remains on goods from most countries, with significantly higher tariffs on many goods from China, Mexico and Canada.. Trump’s erratic tariff policy has resulted in continued sharp changes in the stock market, fueling economic uncertainty for consumer prices and businesses.
The group discussed how tariffs affect the cost of construction and housing materials, increase prices on medical devices that raise healthcare costs, impact Rhode Island’s vital tourism and travel industry, and make it difficult for Rhode Island small businesses to manage the cost of their inputs.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)
‘Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for their health and economic security.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani is ramping up pressure to protect Medicaid, telling House Republican leadership in a letter signed by 12 other colleagues that they “cannot and will not” vote for legislation that reduces Medicaid coverage for those who need it.
“Efficiency and transparency must be prioritized for program beneficiaries, hospitals, and states,” the lawmakers wrote. “We support targeted reforms to improve program integrity, reduce improper payments, and modernize delivery systems to fix flaws in the program that divert resources away from children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women – those who the program was intended to help. However, we cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.”
The April 14 letter marks an escalation of a consistent effort by Ciscomani to ensure the viability of Medicaid, a program that serves 104, 212 constituents in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.
In February, Congressman Ciscomani was among members of the Congressional Hispanic Conference who sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, saying that cutting Medicaid “would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open.”
Recently, Ciscomani reintroduced the the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Buy-In Program Act (H.R. 1598), which would lift the age cap for Medicaid buy-in programs for those with disabilities who choose to work. This will ensure that working adults with disabilities over the age of 65 can continue to work, if they choose, while receiving Medicaid coverage and benefits.
The most recent letter was written by Congressman David Valadao (CA-22), and includes Ciscomani and Reps. Don Bacon (NE-02), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-02), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), Young Kim (CA-40), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Rob Wittman (VA-01), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), and Jeff Hurd (CO-03) as co-signers.
You can read the full text of the letter here or below:
As Members of Congress who helped to deliver a Republican Majority, many of us representingdistricts with high rates of constituents who depend on Medicaid, we would like to reiterate ourstrong support for this program that ensures our constituents have reliable healthcare. Balancingthe federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for theirhealth and economic security.
We acknowledge that we must reform Medicaid so that it is a strong and long-lasting programfor years to come. Efficiency and transparency must be prioritized for program beneficiaries,hospitals, and states. We support targeted reforms to improve program integrity, reduce improperpayments, and modernize delivery systems to fix flaws in the program that divert resources awayfrom children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women – those who theprogram was intended to help. However, we cannot and will not support a final reconciliation billthat includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.
Cuts to Medicaid also threaten the viability of hospitals, nursing homes, and safety-net providers nationwide. Many hospitals — particularly in rural and underserved areas — rely heavily onMedicaid funding, with some receiving over half their revenue from the program alone. Providers in these areas are especially at risk of closure, with many unable to recover. Whenhospitals close, it affects all constituents, regardless of healthcare coverage.
To strengthen Medicaid, we urge you to prioritize care for our nation’s most vulnerablepopulations. Our constituents are asking for changes to the healthcare system that will strengthen the healthcare workforce, offer low-income, working-class families expanded opportunities tosave for medical expenses, support rural and underserved communities, and help new mothers.
We are committed to working with you to preserve Medicaid and identify responsible savingsthrough deregulation, streamlining federal programs, and cutting administrative red tape.Communities like ours won us the majority, and we have a responsibility to deliver on the
Unleashing American Energy was one of President Donald J. Trump’s first actions, and it includes infrastructure like pipelines and oil and gas export facilities. Recently, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) secured four wins in court that underpin the intentions of the president’s executive order.
The Dakota Access Pipeline crosses Lake Oahe in North Dakota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently preparing a supplemental environmental impact statement which the District Court for the District of Columbia ordered for the pipeline’s easement. Last year, the Corps was sued again to shut down the pipeline while they work on that statement, but ENRD last month was granted its motion to dismiss that lawsuit.
In the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, a Tennessee pipeline company was essentially allowed to go ahead and build a pipeline to deliver natural gas to the Tennessee Valley Authority for a new gas power plant. The court denied a petition for review of the Corp’s permit to the company and upheld its reliance on Tennessee’s certification of the project under the Clean Water Act’s Section 401.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a published decision affirming the Corps decision to issue a permit for a proposed expansion of an oil-export facility in Texas. The court held that the Corps thoroughly analyzed the effects of issuing the permit and properly assessed the project’s scope.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied plaintiffs’ petition for review of a Department of Energy (DOE) action to authorize exporting liquefied natural gas from a proposed terminal on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The gas is to come from Alaska’s north slope and would be transported to the terminal via a proposed pipeline across the state. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had previously authorized where the project’s facilities would be, and DOE authorized and reaffirmed exporting the gas. This development will help unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential, in keeping with the administration’s directive.
The Government of Saskatchewan is reinforcing its commitment to delivering safer communities and neighbourhoods through new and continued investments in the 2025-26 Budget. This includes $665 million for the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety; $271 million for the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General; $118.9 million for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA); and $9.1 million for the Saskatchewan Firearms Office (SFO).
“Public safety continues to be a top priority for our government, which is reflected through investments in Budget 2025-26,” Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety and Justice and Attorney General Tim McLeod said. “Investments in policing, border security initiatives, reintegration supports for offenders and measures to address gangs, illegal drugs and weapons will help create safer communities for everyone in Saskatchewan.”
In 2024-25 and 2025-26, the Government of Saskatchewan invested $2 billion in public safety. This includes an increase of $28.4 million, totaling $699.4 million over two years, to support policing and community safety in the province and over $518 million over two years to enhance access to justice services.
Investing in the protection of people and property
This year, the budget includes $261 million to fund RCMP operations in the province, including $23.7 million for the First Nations Policing Program.
The 2025-26 Budget also includes funding to continue public safety commitments that were announced last fall. These include $6 million as part of the $11.9 million commitment to hire approximately 100 new municipal police officers; $2.7 million to hire 14 new Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods personnel to reduce crime by targeting nuisance properties; and $1.6 million for the Saskatchewan Police College, as part of the government’s three-year commitment to train more officers in the province.
An additional $3.6 million will be invested to hire 50 new officers under the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS), which is expected to become operational in the coming months – a full year ahead of schedule. The SMS will focus on provincial policing priorities, including gangs, illegal weapons and drugs, along with apprehending prolific, high-risk offenders and wanted individuals who pose a public safety risk.
The 2025-26 Budget includes a targeted investment of $1.5 million to enhance roadway patrols, border security initiatives and other public safety priorities, including investments for six weigh-scale operators to conduct commercial vehicle inspections and seven prisoner transport deputy sheriffs to increase their capacity for prisoner transport, allowing more RCMP officers to focus on addressing frontline calls for service.
This enhanced law enforcement presence extends to Saskatchewan’s border with the United States. To enhance security and safety at the border, the government introduced the Saskatchewan Border Security Plan in January 2025 to mobilize Provincial Protective Services officers to work in partnership with provincial policing services and federal agencies to boost law enforcement’s presence near the border.
Investing in a more accessible court system
The 2025-26 Budget provides funding to create a more accessible court system, support the enforcement of municipal bylaw offences and enhance prosecution services. This year’s budget also supports initiatives that reduce the amount of time police need to spend in court, which will allow them to spend more time delivering core policing duties in their communities.
Major investments in the 2025-26 Justice and Attorney General budget include $665,000 to support the expansion of traffic safety courts; a commitment of $447,000 for the development of municipal bylaw court hubs which will streamline and improve municipal bylaw enforcement; and investing $822,000 in Public Prosecutions to accommodate the introduction of body-worn cameras by the RCMP and the expansion of body-worn camera use by the Saskatoon Police Service.
This year’s budget will continue to invest in the Court Modernization Project, providing $3.38 million for ongoing enhancements such as modernized courtroom technology and infrastructure and the continued implementation of the Judicial Scheduling, Tracking and Amalgamated Reporting system.
“Over the last two years we have improved police accountability, built community partnerships and invested in courtroom modernization,” McLeod said. “Our government is following through on our ongoing commitment to increase access to justice services across the province for the benefit of all Saskatchewan individuals, families and communities.”
Improving safety for correctional staff, offenders and the public
To improve overall safety for correctional staff, offenders and the public, and to address capacity concerns at correctional facilities, this year’s budget provides $11.7 million to the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety to support the opening of the new Saskatoon Correctional Centre expansion.
It includes investments to expand the capacity for women in the correctional system, as well as increasing funding to the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan as it works to successfully reintegrate female offenders back into their communities.
This year’s budget also includes $1.1 million for the Electronic Monitoring Program to increase the real-time monitoring of offenders in the community.
Investing in interpersonal violence programs and services
In 2025-26, government will invest $31.7 million for interpersonal violence programs and services through the justice system. This includes $328,000 for second-stage housing and an additional $720,000 for community-based organizations, including those that deliver supports and services to individuals and families impacted by interpersonal violence and abuse.
The 2025-26 Budget includes funding to allow the SPSA to continue its four-year plan to purchase four repurposed airtankers for use in fighting wildfires and other emergency services.
The budget provides $9.1 million in funding for the SFO this year, including $569,000 to support the Saskatchewan Ballistics Laboratory, which is set to open this fall. The ballistics laboratory will play a vital role in supporting firearms-related criminal investigations and help reduce the impact of illegal firearms and gun violence in the province.
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock Rallies Behind Georgians Callously Fired from Life-Saving Work at the CDC
Last month, Senator Reverend Warnock demanded answers from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy about the indiscriminate firings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and how the centers’ life-saving functions will be impacted
Following the latest round of firings of largely Georgia-based CDC employees, Senator Reverend Warnock joined current and former employees at an Atlanta rally to demonstrate his support for their critical work
Senator Reverend Warnock has been a fierce ally of public health workers and their life saving work at the CDC
Senator Reverend Warnock: “This is an organization that literally saves lives all over the country — and all over the world. Disease knows no boundaries, when you save lives abroad, you save them here”
ICYMI from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Sen. Raphael Warnock at CDC: ‘Now is not the time to be silent’
ICYMI from 11 Alive: Sen. Warnock offers words of encouragement to protesters outside CDC offices
Watch Senator Reverend Warnock’s rally remarks HRE
Atlanta, GA – This week, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) rallied behind current and former employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to show support for the Georgians who have been callously fired from their life-saving work at the public health institution. The Atlanta rally was organized by current and former CDC employees and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
Above: Senator Reverend Warnock at an Atlanta rally outside the CDC to show support for workers impacted by recent firings
Above: Senator Reverend Warnock meets one of his younger constituents
The rally follows the April 1 news of the Trump Administration firing more than 2,000 employees from the Atlanta-based CDC, many of whom are based in the metro Atlanta area and call Georgia home.
Above: Senator Reverend Warnock greets current and former CDC employees in Atlanta
The latest round of firings gutted 18% of the CDC’s workforce, impacting scientists focused on environmental health and asthma, lead poisoning, smoking and climate change, as well as researchers studying blood disorders, violence prevention and access to vaccines.The agency’s center on HIV and sexually transmitted diseases was among the hardest hit, losing about 27 percent of its staff.Most of the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health, which studies maternal health and Black maternal health, was shuttered.
Above: Senator Reverend Warnock speaks at a rally in support of CDC workers
Last month, Senator Warnock demanded answers from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy about the indiscriminate firings at the CDC and how the centers’ life-saving functions will be impacted by these firings. Last year, Senator Warnock visited the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia for the first time as Senator to learn about the agency’s efforts to protect public health, including work to combat the maternal mortality crisis and how federal funding plays a role in keeping Georgia and the country safe from infectious diseases. During Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s nomination hearing in committee, Senator Warnock spoke at length defending the importance of the CDC, which at its peak, employed over 10,000 hardworking Georgians. Shortly after, the Senator spoke for nearly an hour on the Senate floor, in large part in defense of the CDC’s critical work to defend public health and national security. The Senator continued to pressure HHS Secretary Kennedy to reverse the CDC firings.
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
PHOTOS: Senator Reverend Warnock Speaks to NPR in Warm Springs on the Legacy of FDR and Our Nation’s Unfinished Work
Senator Reverend Warnock was recently in Warm Springs, Georgia to commemorate the 80th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (FDR) passing at the “Little White House”
FDR suffered a stroke while posing for a portrait that remains unfinished to this day and is on display on the Little White House grounds
Senator Reverend Warnock gave a keynote speech framed around the unfinished portrait and how it reflects FDR’s unfinished legacy and the unfinished work of our nation
Senator Reverend Warnock: “FDR collapsed from a stroke, never got up, and the portrait was never finished. In a real sense, that’s how we live our lives, even at our best, it is an unfinished project, an unfinished portrait. What remained was a loose watercolor sketch of his head and shoulders. It was an unfinished portrait, an unfinished presidential term, an unfinished legacy, and in many ways, the America he fought for remains unfinished. That brush may have stopped mid stroke, but what Roosevelt painted into the fabric of this nation still colors our lives today”
ICYMI from National Public Radio: 80 years after President Franklin Roosevelt’s death, Trump cuts threaten his legacy
ICYMI from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia gathers at Little White House on 80th anniversary of FDR’s death
Above: Like FDR, Senator Reverend Warnock finds himself in good spirits under the Georgia sun in Warm Springs
Warm Springs, GA – On Saturday, April 12, on the 80th anniversary of the passing of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) journeyed to the late president’s Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia to deliver a keynote address honoring the unfinished legacy of FDR and the unfinished work of creating opportunities for all Americans to thrive regardless of their race, age, creed, or station in life. Ahead of his remarks, Senator Warnock saw FDR’s infamous “unfinished portrait”, a watercolor painting the 32nd president was posing for when he suffered a stroke, which he eventually succumbed to on April 12, 1945. In his remarks, Senator Warnock evoked the unfinished portrait and how it resembles the unfinished legacy and mission of FDR in creating economic, social, and political opportunity for all Americans.
“FDR collapsed from a stroke, never got up, and the portrait was never finished. In a real sense, that’s how we live our lives, even at our best, it is an unfinished project, an unfinished portrait. What remained was a loose watercolor sketch of his head and shoulders. It was an unfinished portrait, an unfinished presidential term, an unfinished legacy, and in many ways, the America he fought for remains unfinished. That brush may have stopped mid stroke, but what Roosevelt painted into the fabric of this nation still colors our lives today,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
Above: Senator Reverend Warnock with FDR’s infamous unfinished portrait in Warm Springs
“What [FDR] accomplished was extraordinary, and much of it was inspired by the spirit of Georgia, warmed up by these Warm Springs in which he drew inspiration and motivation that he needed to rebuild an anguished nation. Over the years, after making his first journey here in 1924, President Roosevelt saw the South’s struggling economy, he saw the many challenges of our state. He saw the lack of educational opportunities. He saw the lack of electricity and family farms being foreclosed. He saw poverty and disease, both in a literal sense and in a spiritual sense. And he saw the impact of that in Georgia and on our nation. He saw a lack of good paying jobs, creating a crisis for the economy and, more importantly, a crisis in the human soul. So, as FDR came down to Warm Springs for his own healing. He saw the healing that needed to be done. You can’t lead the people unless you love the people. And in order to love the people, you got to walk with the people,” said Senator Reverend Warnock in his keynote speech.
Above: Senator Reverend Warnock signs the VIP guest book at the Little White House
“So the mission continues, the work still lies ahead. We must not give in to those who are trying to weaponize fear. FDR said, ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Now, like all of you, I grew up hearing that, and I must admit that since I’ve been hearing it all my life, it was just, you know, something people say. ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ It’s one of those things that’s so deep in the culture you hear it without really hearing. I’m not so sure I knew what Roosevelt meant until late, because in this moment in our lives, there are those in high office who are trying to weaponize fear. There are those in high office who want us to be afraid of one another. Want white people to be afraid of Black people, and Black people to be afraid of brown people, want the young to resent the old and the old to forget about the young. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Translation, if there’s anybody to be afraid of, we ought to be afraid of the politicians who want us to be afraid of one another. We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” Senator Reverend Warnock continued.
Following his remarks, Senator Warnock toured the Little White House where FDR was posing for the unfinished portrait. The senator surveyed the bedroom where the late president eventually succumbed to his stroke, leaving behind a nation in recovery from the Great Depression and on a path to victory in World War II. Senator Warnock also viewed the nearby pools where FDR found some relief in his battle with polio.
A transcript of Senator Warnock’s speech can be found below (lightly edited for clarity):
I want to recognize all the elected officials in the house, those who serve, those who have served, and those who seek to serve, stand up, all of you.
Thank you so very much, it’s wonderful to be here. I also want to recognize the Friends of the Little White House, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for organizing this great event. My church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, has also supported our historic sanctuary through the work of the fine men and women of the park service and those who support that work, so I understand a little bit about what it takes to maintain a facility like this. Thank you for your service in preserving the beauty, history, and the culture of our great state. Give them a great big round of applause.
80 years ago today, April 12, 1945, was described as a sunny spring day here in Warm Springs. A president weary from war was now in good spirits under the Georgia sun. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was no doubt looking ahead to the world that would rise from the ashes and a country still climbing towards its highest ideals. Back in his little white pine cottage that afternoon, the president was posing for a portrait as an artist was attempting to capture a giant. Some have said a picture is worth a thousand words. But as fate would have it, the man who had helped save democracy at home and around the world collapsed from a stroke.
He succumbed to what William Cullen Bryant called that mysterious realm where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death. Martin Luther King Jr., who reminded us that death is not an aristocracy for some, but a democracy for all. Each of us comes to that moment, the rich and the poor, those who sit high, those who sit low. Death, as Doctor King said, is life’s common denominator. We might want to think about what we want to make of our lives.
FDR collapsed from a stroke, never got up, and the portrait was never finished. In a real sense, that’s how we live our lives, even at our best, it is an unfinished project, an unfinished portrait. What remained was a loose watercolor sketch of his head and shoulders. It was an unfinished portrait, an unfinished presidential term, an unfinished legacy, and in many ways, the America he fought for remains unfinished. That brush may have stopped mid stroke, but what Roosevelt painted into the fabric of this nation still colors our lives today. An unfinished legacy, unfinished presidential term, unfinished portrait; so much wisdom and poetry, even in how he left us.
I submit that your life’s project ought to be longer than your lifespan. If you can finish your life’s project in your lifespan, then your imagination is too small, and your vision of what we can become and who we are together has yet to mature. FDR understood that. He poured himself out, a term as a pastor we use especially this time of the year, during the season of Lent, during the season of Passover, that the one in whose name you and I preach on Sunday morning submitted to what theologians called kenosis. He literally poured himself out. That’s what servant leadership looks like. Pouring yourself out for others, and in so doing, what he was able to accomplish was extraordinary, because FDR, for all his pain, he was never focused on himself. The way to find yourself is to give yourself over to something bigger than yourself, and then you might find yourself.
What he accomplished was extraordinary, and much of it was inspired by the spirit of Georgia, warmed up by these Warm Springs in which he drew inspiration and motivation that he needed to rebuild an anguished nation. Over the years, after making his first journey here in 1924, President Roosevelt saw the South’s struggling economy, he saw the many challenges of our state. He saw the lack of educational opportunities. He saw the lack of electricity and family farms being foreclosed. He saw poverty and disease, both in a literal sense and in a spiritual sense. And he saw the impact of that in Georgia and on our nation. He saw a lack of good paying jobs, creating a crisis for the economy and, more importantly, a crisis in the human soul. So, as FDR came down to Warm Springs for his own healing. He saw the healing that needed to be done. You can’t lead the people unless you love the people. And in order to love the people, you got to walk with the people.
People called to serve must be willing to walk with you, even as we work for you. So he drew inspiration and insight from being in these spaces and in these places. Struggling with polio, so much to learn about his life. I’m inspired and amazed, quite honestly, so many layers, struggling with polio. Polio, by the way, a disease that we’ve pushed back through the insights of doctors and others. Now, because of the success of those vaccines, we have an anti-vaccine movement. Privilege as a way of blinding. The reason we can have an anti-vaccine movement is because the vaccines work. Almost nobody remembers what polio looked like. So, all of a sudden, we become really profound indeed. I digress. Thank God for science; my faith has no quarrel with science.
He came here for his own healing. Somehow, being here, he was able to transform his pain into power, suffering in the sacrifice, sacrifice into salvation for others who suffer. We now live in his legacy–all of us. Social Security. Prior to FDR, for most people, when you got old, it was a sentence into poverty. Sometimes it’s easy to attack things because you don’t remember what it was like before we had it. Social Security was important then, it’s important now, and I’m going to stand up and defend it. Pathways to homeownership, minimum wage jobs, unemployment insurance, all of that, FDR. Rural electrification, job programs that build bridges and roads and restored dignity to families who had lost everything. He did more in a wheelchair than most presidents ever imagined doing sitting in an Oval Office. These weren’t just policies. These were promises aimed at restoring the dignity of work, being able to provide for your family. They represented the belief that the public servants working towards a common cause could be a force for good in people’s lives.
Between 1933 and 1940, the New Deal brought $250 million to Georgia and established agencies that offered a broad range of public works programs, including the construction of libraries, roads, schools, parks, hospitals, airports, and housing, because he understood that infrastructure is the common space that we share with one another. It is the covenant that we have with one another. Broken roads and broken bridges are indicative of a broken people. In the wealthiest nation on the planet, a broken commitment to the house that we live in together.
Perhaps no issue greater reflects Warm Springs’ impact on FDR’s policies than rural electricity. Georgia farmers and Georgia families were hit especially hard by the Great Depression. Their recovery was slowed by the high cost of electricity, which was only used in 10% of rural homes in 1935. Electric companies were simply not willing to string miles of wire to rural communities, so those people had to go without. Too often rural communities are invisible to people in power. FDR saw rural communities. One of the great characteristics of leadership is just the ability to see you.
And it is here that he was motivated to start the Rural Electrification Administration, an effort designed to bring electric power to rural areas at reasonable rates. Roosevelt cemented the connection by signing the electrification bill into law right here at the Little White House, where his first electric bill in this little house was four times greater than that of his home in New York. Somebody needed to fix that. He got busy doing it. This improved the quality of life and productivity for small farms. And Roosevelt did not stop there. He implemented policies to improve soil health and prevent erosion, provide farmers with loans to move to improved farms, and helped raise long depressed cotton prices. He understood that when you center the people rather than the politics, you have a shot at getting the policy right.
For many of these rural Georgians the federal government felt like some distant entity, long distance from where they actually live. Like so many people today, they looked at what was going on in Washington, they asked themselves, what in the heck does that have to do with me? The New Deal answered that question; the New Deal provided federal investments that they could see directly benefiting their local communities. The policy showed up where they actually live, and it offered people the hope they needed for a resilient nation to believe that their best days were ahead of them and not behind them.
He believed in the future, and not in some imaginary vision of who we used to be. He sought simply to make America great–period. Make it great not by moving backwards, but by moving forward. I stand in awe of this man. Where did he get such imagination, such grit, such determination, such love of the people–all the people. Moral courage. It makes you stand up, no matter what it looks like at the moment. Perhaps, here is the answer. He said, while suffering from polio, “When you have spent two years in bed trying to wiggle your big toe, everything else seems easy.”
He transformed his pain into power, suffering into sacrifice, and sacrifice into salvation for those who suffer. Now, it’s important to note, if we would be honest, that while the New Deal transformed America, there was still a whole lot more work to be done. This was still 1940s America. There were those who still suffer in our nation’s complicated story and still ran up against the reality of deep-seated discrimination. My own father, born in 1917, I had an older father, served for about a year, one year in the Army during World War II, all stateside. One day, he was headed home on a bus in the soldier’s uniform, and my father had to give up his bus seat because the bus driver saw a young, white teenager, and the man with a family and a soldier’s uniform had to give up his seat to a teenager. My dad had to give up his bus seat, but his son now sits in a Senate seat.
I thank God for Roosevelt’s New Deal, but my people still had a raw deal. My dad never became bitter. He believed in the future. Dr King, and those who marched alongside him, stood up and pushed the country closer to its ideals. An unfinished portrait–that’s what America is, and we have to keep painting. We have to keep adding colors and hues and nuances in order to understand what this country is all about. He was informed. He was inspired by Warm Springs. But we dare not leave this place today without mentioning somebody else. Her name was Eleanor. By every great man is a smarter woman. Brilliant and courageous in her own right.
Today in the United States Senate, I see my work as a continuation of that great patriot and so many others who tried to make America great. That is why, since entering the Senate in 2021, I have fought to expand access to affordable health care, because health care is a human right, and it is certainly something that the wealthiest nation on the planet can provide for all of its citizens, and oh, by the way, Georgia needs to expand Medicaid. I have fought to strengthen our democracy, to widen the pathways to quality education and good paying jobs. It’s good public policy, but it’s also the right thing to do. That’s right. A budget is not just a fiscal document, it’s a moral document. Show me your budget, and I’ll show you who you think matters. As I look at this budget, some of my colleagues are trying to push through the Congress right now, it passed the Senate, has now passed the House, a budget that will cut perhaps as much as $800 billion for Medicaid that would leave Social Security struggling. Forget the fact that 71% of the people on Medicaid in Georgia are children. I look at that kind of budget, I have to say that if that budget were an EKG, it would suggest that some of my colleagues have a heart problem, and they are in need of moral surgery.
So let’s make sure everybody has access to health care. That’s why I was pleased to be able to write a law to cap the cost of insulin for seniors to no more than $35 out of pocket per month. We ought to expand the Child Tax Credit. When we did it in 2021, we cut child poverty by more than 40%. Listen to me. Poverty is violence. It is violence against the human spirit and child poverty is trauma, and what’s extraordinary is that poor children do as well as they do. You can literally see in the brain the impact that poverty has on the brain of a young child. So as I stand here, I can’t forget about the fact that long before I was a United States Senator, I was a kid in Head Start. Grew up in public housing. Head Start, a good public policy, exposed me to literacy and reading and gave me a love of learning. Then I went to high school, and someone put me in an Upward Bound program and put me on a college campus so I can imagine that I could be in college and at a university, that I could study and grow. And with grit and determination, I went to Morehouse College. I didn’t have enough money to go. I often say I went to college on a full faith scholarship. I did not have enough money for my first semester.
But through hard work, some of my friends and classmates are here, through hard work, hope, and grit and determination, I was able to graduate from Morehouse College. Yes, I believe in personal initiative. Yes, I believe in personal responsibility. Yes, I believe you have to stay up late and burn the midnight oil. You got to do the work. But guess what? I did the work, but somebody still gave me a Pell Grant and some low interest student loans. You can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, but you still need a path to get to where you’re trying to go, and that’s what good public policy can do. It gives ordinary people a chance to make the best out of their life. So we have to stand up for ordinary people. We have to stand up for farmers in this moment. Farmers are an answer to a prayer. They are literally an answer to a prayer that all of us pray. Many of us every night, give us this day, our daily bread.
So the mission continues, the work still lies ahead. We must not give in to those who are trying to weaponize fear. FDR said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Now, like all of you, I grew up hearing that, and I must admit, Brother Luke, that since I’ve been hearing it all my life, it was just, you know, something people say. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. It’s one of those things that’s so deep in the culture you hear it without really hearing. I’m not so sure I knew what Roosevelt meant until late, because in this moment in our lives, there are those in high office who are trying to weaponize fear. There are those in high office who want us to be afraid of one another. Want white people to be afraid of Black people, and Black people to be afraid of brown people, want the young to resent the old and the old to forget about the young. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Translation, if there’s anybody to be afraid of, we ought to be afraid of the politicians who want us to be afraid of one another. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. The Bible tells us that perfect love [inaudible]. It takes courage to love, and justice is what love looks like in public.
So we remember 80 years ago today, his life was poetry, and so was his death. It must have been heartbreaking in that moment, something elegant about the way he left us. We find ourselves when we give ourselves over to something bigger than ourselves. There he was struggling with polio, trying to stand again, struggling against paralysis. Today, America is struggling to stand. We’re paralyzed today, not by polio, but by polarization. FDR never found the strength after he failed that day to stand up. He always found strength when he tried to stand up for somebody else. Perhaps that’s the lesson in this moment, these dark and difficult days, and these days of fear and polarization, and these days of tariffs–and we don’t know what the economy is going to bring tomorrow. Perhaps the lesson is that we learn to stand. When we stand up to somebody else. So stand up for children, stand up for our young people, stand up for women, stand up for the poor and the marginalized. Stand up for all of us. Stand up for
what America can be.
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Expand Childcare Relief
The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act permanently expands childcare tax credits to alleviate childcare costs for working families
Senator Reverend Warnock has long been a champion for providing tax cuts to working families
Last week, Senator Reverend Warnock introduced the American Family Act, which would nearly double the Child Tax Credit (CTC)
Senator Reverend Warnock: “The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act will help parents and caregivers afford caretaking costs in a time when margins are tight for many families across the country. Tax cuts should go to hardworking Americans, not the wealthiest people in the nation”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation to help more working families cover the rising cost of childcare by increasing the childcare tax credit.
The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act would permanently expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC). This bill would help ease the burden of high childcare costs on working families by increasing the maximum tax credit to $4,000 per child, allowing families to receive up to $8,000 in tax credits to offset up to $16,000 in expenses. It would also make the credit refundable to ensure low-income working families can benefit. The credit would also be indexed to inflation to retain its value over time.
The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act would:
Increase the maximum credit amount to $4,000 per child, allowing families to receive up to $8,000 in tax credits to offset up to $16,000 in expenses;
Automatically adjust it to keep pace with inflation;
Save money by phasing out the credit for families making more than $400,000; and
Ensure low-income families can benefit from the tax credit by making it refundable.
“American families have to deal with hefty expenses when raising a child or caring for a loved one. That’s why the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act is so crucial, especially right now,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “It will help parents and caregivers afford caretaking costs in a time when margins are tight for many families across the country. Tax cuts should go to hardworking Americans, not the wealthiest people in the nation.”
“I constantly hear from families in Minnesota who are struggling with the high cost of childcare. For some, it rivals mortgages and is even higher than tuition at the University of Minnesota. Families need real relief and this bill will lower costs and put more money back into the pockets of parents,”said Senator Smith. “When childcare works, everything else does, too—families thrive, the economy grows, and our communities get stronger. That’s why I’m committed to fighting to lower costs and improve access to childcare.”
“No matter where I go in New Hampshire, families tell me about how much they struggle to access affordable child care,” said Senator Shaheen. “The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit is a proven and effective tool for bringing quality, affordable child care within reach for more families. Expanding this credit to keep up with the rising cost of child care is the right thing to do for workers, families and our nation’s economy.”
“Instead of addressing the growing child care crisis, Trump is indiscriminately firing the very workers who help child care and Head Start centers keep their doors open—making child care more expensive and harder to get for working parents,” said Senator Murray. “While Trump raises families costs by nearly $4000 a year and pushes child care even farther out of reach, my Democratic colleagues and I are continuing to fight to lower families’ costs in every possible way, and I am proud to reintroduce the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act as one additional way to help get families some additional relief to afford the child care they need.”
“The cost of raising a family in this country is already way too high, and it’s getting even more expensive as Trump’s global tariffs jack up the cost of food, cars and products families use every day,” said Senator Wyden. “This proposal is a commonsense, pro-family policy aimed at helping parents and people caring for loved ones, and it’s striking that this kind of bill is nowhere to be found in the Republican tax agenda that costs a staggering $7 trillion. Trump and Republicans are locked in on giving trillions in new handouts to corporations and the wealthy and sticking everybody else with the bill, but pro-family proposals like this one prove that there’s a better way forward.”
As a Head Start alum, Senator Warnock has long supported child care and early education programs. In September of 2023, Senator Warnock introduced his bipartisan HEADWAY Act (Head Start Education and Development Workforce Advancement and Yield Act). The legislation would address early child care workforce shortages by allowing Early Head Start classroom teachers to teach and earn their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential simultaneously. Additionally, last week Senator Warnock introduced the American Family Act legislation to provide the most generous expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to date. Senator Warnock successfully pushed to include an expansion of the CTC in the American Rescue Plan, which helped cut child poverty across the country in half until Congress let the tax cut expire. In 2022, Senator Warnock called on Congress to extend the tax cuts for working families and urged the Biden Administration to secure an extension of the expanded CTC as a centerpiece of any subsequent negotiations on economic legislative priorities.
In addition to Senators Warnock, Smith, Shaheen, Murray, and Wyden, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act is cosponsored by Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
The bill is also endorsed by the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Child Care Aware of America, Save the Children, First Focus Campaign for Children, First Five Years Fund, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Moms Rising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Zero to Three, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC).
One pager of the bill is availableHERE.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Raymond A. Patterson, Professor, Area Chair, Business Technology Management, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
For customers who don’t have the freedom to choose where they shop, technological advancements — particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and intrusive personal data collection — are making price discrimination, inflation and lower-quality goods increasingly likely. Vulnerable consumers are most at risk.
Flexibility-based price discrimination allows companies to charge different people different prices for the same produce or service, based on how easily they can walk away.
When consumers can easily find better deals elsewhere, they hold the power. However, AI tools are allowing sellers to become increasingly adept at uncovering how much flexiblity their consumers have. This practice raises serious ethical concerns.
Dynamic pricing allows companies to take advantage of customers who can’t easily go elsewhere.
Dollar stores, for example, often serve low-income communities in smaller markets. When these retailers realize their customers have limited alternatives, they are less inclined to keep prices low. Product quality can decline as well.
Economic impacts of price discrimination
In our recent study, we examined how flexibility-based price discrimination affects a seller’s profitability in a competitive market, and demonstrated how consumer welfare is affected. Using economic modelling, we studied how price discrimination can impact consumers from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
We found that companies don’t just raise prices when customers aren’t able to easily switch to a competitor — for low-income consumers they also reduce product quality as well. This double blow hits low-income consumers hard. As technology improves, the gap between high- and low-income consumers grows wider.
Our findings show that companies that take advantage of consumer inflexibility are likely to prosper, often at the expense of those with the least power to choose.
The same thing happens with provincial trade barriers and tariffs. Product quality, price and income are known to be intertwined, with higher income countries receiving higher quality goods. When consumers’ ability to find the best possible deal is limited, companies will exploit that lack of choice, as is implied by our study.
When retailers realize their customers have limited alternatives, they are less inclined to keep prices low. (Shutterstock)
Inflexible consumers with lower incomes suffer more from price discrimination than high-income consumers in the same situation. Any barriers that reduces consumer flexibility disproportionately harms low-income consumers, who are more likely to face lower-quality products as a result.
In contrast, high-income consumers may see their product quality improve. This is because high-income consumers are willing and able to pay for the improved quality and technology-enabled price discrimination can enable the seller to satisfy their needs better.
Technology and consumer resilience
Our study provides valuable insights for both lawmakers and policymakers. It demonstrates that new policies are necessary to protect vulnerable consumers with limited flexibility from price discrimination.
But this is only part of the story. When these same techniques are used to target wealthier consumers, it can result in positive social outcomes for them. The differing outcomes for high versus low income inflexible consumers will exacerbate wealth inequity.
For firms investing in new technologies like AI, flexibility-based price discrimination can inadvertently benefit competitors by partitioning the market — even if the competitor doesn’t use the technology.
For companies, many things can cause or reveal consumer inflexibility, technology being a primary example. Technology advances rapidly. Catering to either high- or low-income customers causes businesses to make different strategic choices depending on how flexible their customer base is when it comes to new technological developments.
For customers, maintaining flexibility is critical. Flexibility can take many forms: having access to transportation to access a wider range of stores, avoiding consumer debt or having enough savings. It can also mean having a smartphone with unlimited data to make online price comparisons.
However, not all consumers can maintain this kind of flexibility. Working parents, for example, might not have the time or financial bandwidth to comparison shop for groceries across multiple stores. It can increase their vulnerability to higher prices and lower-quality goods.
Policy implications and the path forward
Whether flexibility-based price discrimination should be supported or restricted depends on who it targets. Flexibility-based price discrimination may require regulatory intervention or price subsidies to ensure ethical implementation. While ensuring the quality of low-end products is increasingly important, addressing the limitations on consumer flexibility caused by socioeconomic status is key.
In Canada, Indigenous and rural communities similarly lack access to high-speed broadband and also must travel long distances to reach major shopping centres. Our results show that, as flexibility declines, so does consumer welfare for rural low-income populations.
If there is a positive side to all of this, it’s that companies can adapt quickly to these shifts. Businesses like dollar stores are likely to benefit in the short term, although product quality will likely decline for people who can least afford it. This isn’t just an ethical choice made by these companies, but an economic inevitability in a system where people have unequal access to rapidly evolving technology.
As trade tensions grow, mitigating consumer inflexibility should be a key policy focus for Canada. Support should start with low-income households by increasing their ability to choose how and where they shop.
In the long term, price discrimination will continue to prey on the socioeconomic, geographic and literacy-based barriers that underlie the digital divide. The goal should be policy reform to empower flexibility for those most affected.
Raymond A. Patterson currently receives funding from the Haskayne School of Business and the National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC). Previous funding has been obtained from a variety of private and public sources.
Emily Laidlaw receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the National Cybersecurity Consortium.
Jian Zhang receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University
The economic implications of Trump’s actions are well-documented. Furthermore, despite Trump’s temporary halt to the tariffs, their impact will resonate well into the future.
But it’s important to understand that the economy is not detached from broader society. Trump’s disruption of the global economy could also lead to an increase in global conflict.
Economic prosperity and war
Economic prosperity does not automatically equate with political stability. Europe prior to the First World War was both prosperous and integrated. Nevertheless, while scholars and activists at the time argued these favourable conditions made war impractical, one of the worst conflicts in human history came to pass.
Domestic economic prosperity can bind societies together. But tensions that otherwise might not be brought into focus, such as regionalism, emerge in times of economic hardship and transition. Reform Party founder Preston Manning’s recent stoking of separatist sentiments in Canada’s West is a case in point.
Trump’s tariffs, if fully implemented, will result in economic recession for dozens of countries throughout the world. They will first impact the world’s most vulnerable countries, many of which have institutions that are either unstable or lack the fiscal backing needed to weather the storm.
An example of such a development in recent history was the emergence of the Arab Spring in 2011. The 2008 financial crisis and ongoing agricultural failure created political strain for authoritarian states in the Middle East. They could not absorb the increased cost of grain to stabilize their societies.
Governments, cognizant of this fact, will look for any means of retaining their power. Redirecting local disappointment abroad can be one such measure, much as Saudi Arabia did by blaming Iran during the Arab Spring.
Look outwards, point fingers
Governments have, historically, used foreign affairs as a means of distracting their populations from domestic problems. This feature occurs regardless of a state’s ideology. The banality of its occurrence in international relations is such that Hollywood made a satirical film, Wag the Dog, on the subject.
Authoritarian states, however, are more susceptible to this phenomenon. Their governments’ lack of popular legitimacy means that an economic downturn weakens one of the levers they use to buy acquiescence from its citizens.
Furthermore, economic uncertainty undermines authoritarian governments’ patronage networks. Not only do such governments lose the support of a majority of citizens to the economic uncertainty, but they also lose the important minority groups they use to maintain their rule.
As such, authoritarian governments in the face of economic uncertainty will look outwards to build their legitimacy. But these governments need an ideology that will motivate their societies. For contemporary governments, one of the most effective mechanisms is nationalism.
Nationalism’s utility for authoritarian states is twofold. First, nationalism emphasizes the collective over the individual. States, by stressing the importance of the nation, can encourage individuals to overlook the personal struggles they face in times of economic uncertainty.
Second, nationalism by its nature creates an “in group” and an “out group.” Governments can use the out group as a rallying cry for its local population. While there are several instances where such developments are possible, China’s increasingly antagonistic stance towards Taiwan is an example.
Governments, by rallying nationalist sentiment, will either indirectly or actively stoke the potential for conflict.
Extending conflict
Economic downturns, furthermore, force governments to make difficult decisions on what programs to cut. Some of the first programsgovernments chop in uncertain times are those focused on international aid. This phenomenon was already occurring, but tariffs will exasperate it.
These cuts pose a problem for several reasons. Right-wing politicians have alleged in recent months that international aid is ineffective. But that’s not accurate — international aid benefits the countries that provide it; it’s not just a moral imperative. Specifically, it facilitates trade as well as accruing political advantages to the giving state.
The more immediate concern, however, is that many states were dependent upon foreign aid for political stability. The loss of international aid will increase internal instability in vulnerable countries. Just look to the current instability in South Sudan as declining aid weakens South Sudanese social and government institutions.
Not only is this development bad for the societies in question, but it will invariably increase the number of refugees seeking aid and safety beyond their borders.
Individual choice
It’s not just state responses to the tariffs that will create instability. The unilateral application of tariffs, and resulting economic and political fallout, will significantly increase the number of people seeking a better life.
Economic migration is not a new phenomenon. While conflict-centred migration remains the focus of international law, economic migration continues to occur unabated.
The lost economic opportunities in various states affected by tariffs will cause their populations to seek economic prosperity, at first internally and then abroad. This is not to suggest that migration itself creates instability. Instead, large-scale and unplanned migration will create strain both in countries that people leave and in the nations receiving them.
Economic affairs rarely stay within the realm of business. Instead, Trump’s tariffs will create greater instability in international affairs for the foreseeable future.
James Horncastle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The April 2025 flooding disaster in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, wasn’t just about intense rainfall. It was a symptom of recent land use change which has occurred rapidly in the city, turning it into a sprawling urban settlement without the necessary drainage infrastructure.
Local rains combined with runoff from torrential rains coming from neighbouring Congo Central Province quickly overwhelmed the city’s small urban tributaries. The Ndjili River and its tributary (Lukaya), which run through the city, overflowed and flooded homes on either side.
This led to the deaths of at least 70 people, 150 injured and the temporary displacement of more than 21,000 people. Floods affected the running of 73 healthcare facilities. Access to water and transport services were disrupted in large parts of the city. People could only move around by dugout canoe or by swimming in flooded avenues.
Floods have become recurrent in the DRC. The last quarter of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 saw the most devastating floods there and in neighbouring countries since the 1960s.
According to UN World Urbanisation Prospects (2025), the reason the floods have become this devastating is the growth of Kinshasa. The city is the most densely populated city in the DRC, the most populous city and third-largest metropolitan area in Africa.
Kinshasa’s 2025 population is estimated at 17,778,500. Back in 1950, it was 201,905. In the past year alone, the city’s population has grown by 746,200, a 4.38% annual change. At least 2% of the population live in areas prone to flooding. Urban infrastructure, especially flood-related, is non-existent or inadequate. Where it exists, drainage systems are blocked by solid waste, itself another sign of the city whose public services such as waste collection have become dysfunctional.
We have been studying the characteristics of flooding and the prediction of risk linked to it in the Congo Basin for five years as part of our work at the Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center in Kinshasa. We study the movement of water in natural and modified environments and its interactions with infrastructure over a range of geographical scales. We argue in this article that understanding why Kinshasa floods means recognising two very different water systems at play – and how urban growth has made the city more vulnerable to both.
Kinshasa faces two distinct flood hazards: first, flooding from the Congo River, which typically peaks around December and January; and, second, urban flood events driven by local rainfall and runoff from the hills south of the city around April and December.
Most of Kinshasa’s flood disasters have come from the second type. And as Kinshasa has urbanised, expanding into the floodplains, but without the necessary urban infrastructure, the impact of urban flood events has become worse.
With more sealed surfaces – because of more urban settlements – and less natural water absorption, more rainwater runs off, and faster. This overwhelms the city’s small urban tributaries and the Ndjili river.
Growth of Kinshasa and flood
As the city has expanded, so has its flood exposure. The city’s tributaries drain steep, densely populated urban slopes and are highly responsive to rainfall.
Of Kinshasa’s two flood risks, the impact of Congo River flooding can be observed in large cities located along major rivers, and typically peaks around January. These are seasonal floods driven by rainfall across the whole Congo Basin.
Research at Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center shows that while Congo River high water levels can cause “backwater effects” – the upstream rise in water level caused by reduced flow downstream – most damaging floods result from intense local rainfall overwhelming the city’s small river catchments. The flood risk analysis indicates that 38 territories are the hotspot of flooding in the Congo basin. Kinshasa is a hotspot due to its double risk sources and extensive urbanisation.
The urban flood events are more challenging. They can happen with less rainfall and cause major destruction. They are driven by local rainfall and rapid growth of informal settlements.
Other cities face similar risks. In 2024, Nairobi suffered deadly floods after prolonged rain overwhelmed informal neighbourhoods and infrastructure.
Across Africa, cities are growing faster than their infrastructure can keep up with. Kinshasa has unique exposure, but also strong local research capacity.
A flooded street (left) and submerged homes in Kinshasa’s April 2025 floods/Photos by Gode Bola.
The Congo River’s seasonal peaks are relatively well understood and monitored. But urban tributaries are harder to predict.
DRC’s meteorological agency Mettelsat and its partners are building capacity for real-time monitoring. But the April 2025 floods showed that community-level warning systems did not work.
Climate change is expected to intensify extreme rainfall in central Africa. While annual totals may not increase, short, intense storms could become more frequent.
This increases pressure on cities already struggling with today’s rains. In Kinshasa, the case for climate-resilient planning and infrastructure is urgent.
Forecasting rainfall is not enough. Government agencies in collaboration with universities must also forecast flood impact – and ensure people can act on the warnings. There is a need to put in place systems to achieve this under a catchment integrated flood management plan.
The main elements of such a plan include:
Improved early warning systems: Use advanced technologies (such as satellites) to gather real-time data on environmental conditions.
Upgraded drainage infrastructure: Identify weaknesses and areas prone to flooding, to manage storm water better.
Enforcement of land use planning: Establish clear regulations that define flood-prone areas; outline permissible land uses.
Define safety perimeters around areas at risk of flooding: Use historical data, flood maps, and hydrological studies to pinpoint areas that are at risk. Regulate development and activities there.
Local engagement in flood preparedness: Educate residents about flood risks, preparedness measures, and emergency response.
Institutions such as the Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center play a critical role, not just in research but in turning knowledge into action. Rainfall may trigger the flood, but urban systems decide whether it becomes a disaster. And those systems can change.
– Why Kinshasa keeps flooding – and why it’s not just about the rain – https://theconversation.com/why-kinshasa-keeps-flooding-and-why-its-not-just-about-the-rain-254411
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Aaron Bean Florida (4th District)
WASHINGTON—Today, Ways and Means Committee member U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) along with Congressman John Rutherford (FL-05), Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), and Congresswoman Jill Tokuda (HI-02) introduced the Maritime Fuel Tax Parity Act (MFTPA), to correct an outdated tax code provision by exempting alternative fuels, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), for marine vessels from paying Federal Highway Trust Fund excise taxes.
Upon introduction, Congressman Bean said: “Expanding the use of alternative fuels like LNG will strengthen Jacksonville’s maritime industry and allow maritime vessels to use LNG as a fuel source without being penalized by an onerous tax and compliance burden. I thank Congressman Rutherford for his leadership on this bill, which will modernize our tax code and bring marine fuels into the 21stcentury.”
“We should be encouraging, not penalizing, our maritime industry as they find alternative and innovative ways to power American vessels,” said Congressman Rutherford. “Jacksonville’s maritime industry leaders made Northeast Florida home to the world’s very first liquified natural gas-powered containership. As the Trump Administration unleashes American energy and innovation, I am proud to join a bipartisan coalition to introduce this bill that would afford the U.S. maritime industry the freedom and parity to explore new energy opportunities to fuel American shipping and trade.”
“Florida’s ports play a vital role in fueling our economy, supporting tens of thousands of good-paying jobs and helping move goods across the globe. I’m proud to support this bill to protect our maritime and aviation industries from unnecessary tax burdens and strengthen trade between U.S. ports. With SeaPort Manatee in my district generating billions in annual economic impact for our region, this commonsense measure will keep Florida’s Gulf Coast competitive,” said Congressman Buchanan.
BACKGROUND
LNG is the cleanest, most readily available fuel for shipping today. Unfortunately, a discrepancy in the tax code unintentionally disincentivizes our domestic maritime carriers from utilizing LNG and other alternatives as a maritime fuel.
The current tax code treats diesel more favorably than alternative fuels, which are disadvantaged by being subjected to excise taxes. Diesel fuel used in maritime vessels is exempt from this excise tax today, but alternative fuels, like LNG, are not.
According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) January 2025 Quarterly Gas Report, based on the current order book for vessels, the number of LNG-fueled ships is expected to almost double and reach over 1,200 vessels by 2028.
Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
Bill Aims to Address Law Enforcement Recruitment Challenges and Lack of Trust Between Officers and Communities They Serve
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) reintroduced bipartisan legislation that aims to strengthen the relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve by incentivizing recruits to work in the communities where they live. The Strong Communities Act – which Peters introduced with U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) – would provide federal grants for local law enforcement recruits who agree to attend school or academy and then serve in a law enforcement agency in their respective communities. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate in 2023.
“By incentivizing officers to work in the communities they call home, we can build trust between local law enforcement and the citizens they work to keep safe,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan bill would make progress to strengthen our communities while also helping to recruit officers in our most in-demand communities.”
Many communities across the country are facing both a law enforcement recruitment and a trust crisis. The Strong Communities Act aims to help facilitate improved relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This legislation would make recruits eligible to receiving funding from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which can be used to decrease the financial burden of education and training programs. In return, applicants would be required to serve as a full-time public safety officer for at least four years and complete their service in a local law enforcement agency located within seven miles of their residence, where they have resided for at least five years. Or, if the recruit resides in a county with less than 150,000 residents, the recruit could serve within 20 miles of their residence, where the applicant has resided for at least five years.
“The Police Officers Association of Michigan is proud to support Senator Peters’ bipartisan Strong Communities Act that would reinvigorate community policing,” said Kenneth E. Grabowski, Legislative Director of the Police Officers Association of Michigan (POAM). “This commonsense bill would strengthen law enforcement agencies’ efforts to recruit officers locally and help police officers build relationships and trust with the communities and people they work to serve and protect.”
“This legislation helps build on the community-policing model and, we hope, will help us address the recruiting crisis in law enforcement. The bill establishes a grant program for local law enforcement agencies to assist in recruiting officers from their own community. The program created in this bill will allow recipient agencies to pay for recruits to attend a law enforcement training program provided that they serve in an agency in their community for at least four years. This will help local agencies recruit candidates from their own backyard and reduce the financial burden of their education and training to be law enforcement officers. We’re grateful to Senators Peters and Cornyn for their leadership and advocacy of this bill,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police.
To remember the bittersweet moment when war ended in Europe 80 years ago, York residents are being encouraged to mark this significant day.
From the Bank Holiday on Monday 5 May, a week of celebrations and commemorations are being welcomed and supported across York, to bring people together to mark the day when peace returned to Europe, and to remember the many sacrifices made.
Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) took place on 8 May 1945. It was the long-awaited moment which ended nearly six years of war. Following the Allies advance and Adolf Hitler’s death, Nazi Germany officially surrendered. The conflict in Europe was over and people celebrated with street parties, dancing and singing.
In York, as will happen across the country, a week of events is being planned. The City Bars and the Walls will be lit in red, white and blue on the nights of Monday 5 to Thursday 8 May as a mark of respect for the sacrifices made by so many, to preserve and protect our way of life.
To bring that commemoration to York’s streets and communities, neighbours and families are invited to apply for a free temporary street closure for their events and street parties from Saturday 3 May up to and including Thursday 8 May. This covers the long Bank Holiday weekend up to and including the 80th anniversary itself.
Organisers might want to invite people to bring along old photographs and memorabilia to get everyone talking about VE Day and what the war and the peace following it means to us? Whether you sing ‘We’ll meet again’ or ‘There’ll be blue birds over’, serve Spam sandwiches or pop a cork, it’s all about bringing people together for a very special occasion.
York’s business community is being encouraged to host events for staff. Any organisation planning to charge for an event will need to pay for a road closure order as usual.
Cllr Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy and Culture atCity of York Council, said:
The end of the war in Europe is a moment to celebrate. It also reminds us of the sacrifices people made so that we can be free today.
“So let’s come together in our streets, communities and workplaces and mark this 80th anniversary! Let’s talk about what it means to us now and remember with gratitude what our families did then, whether on active service or on the home front.
“These events will connect us to communities up and down the country who are also remembering and celebrating. They’re a chance for older residents who may have lived through the Second World War to choose to share their memories and for us to honour them.”
If you’d like to request a free temporary road closure for your community celebration, please submit the form at www.york.gov.uk/RoadClosures by Wednesday 30 April. Please submit applications for complex road closures as soon as possible so we can, hopefully, process them in time.
Businesses or organisations planning to charge attendees at their event must request and pay for a temporary road closure order in the usual way at www.york.gov.uk/RoadClosures.
The war in the Far East and the Second World War as a whole ended on 15 August 1945, when Japan surrendered on ‘Victory over Japan’ (VJ Day). Events are being planned to mark that 80th anniversary too and will be announced in the summer.
Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Patrick Sheehan, McNairy County Mayor Larry Smith, Selmer City Mayor Sherry Inman, and McNairy County Emergency Management Agency Director Allen Strickland in visiting the recovery center at the McNairy County Agricultural Event Center and surveying damage sites.
Following the site tours, Senator Blackburn participated in a roundtable discussion at the McNairy County Courthouse. McNairy County tragically lost five individuals as a result of the storms earlier this month.
“We are so grateful to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency for taking the time to join us and for their hard work on behalf of the Tennesseans impacted by the storms this month in McNairy County. This recovery wouldn’t be possible without the local officials, non-profit organizations, law enforcement officers, and volunteers who have stepped up to the plate to help their neighbors and their community.” – Senator Blackburn
The April 2025 flooding disaster in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, wasn’t just about intense rainfall. It was a symptom of recent land use change which has occurred rapidly in the city, turning it into a sprawling urban settlement without the necessary drainage infrastructure.
Local rains combined with runoff from torrential rains coming from neighbouring Congo Central Province quickly overwhelmed the city’s small urban tributaries. The Ndjili River and its tributary (Lukaya), which run through the city, overflowed and flooded homes on either side.
This led to the deaths of at least 70 people, 150 injured and the temporary displacement of more than 21,000 people. Floods affected the running of 73 healthcare facilities. Access to water and transport services were disrupted in large parts of the city. People could only move around by dugout canoe or by swimming in flooded avenues.
Floods have become recurrent in the DRC. The last quarter of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 saw the most devastating floods there and in neighbouring countries since the 1960s.
According to UN World Urbanisation Prospects (2025), the reason the floods have become this devastating is the growth of Kinshasa. The city is the most densely populated city in the DRC, the most populous city and third-largest metropolitan area in Africa.
Kinshasa’s 2025 population is estimated at 17,778,500. Back in 1950, it was 201,905. In the past year alone, the city’s population has grown by 746,200, a 4.38% annual change. At least 2% of the population live in areas prone to flooding. Urban infrastructure, especially flood-related, is non-existent or inadequate. Where it exists, drainage systems are blocked by solid waste, itself another sign of the city whose public services such as waste collection have become dysfunctional.
We have been studying the characteristics of flooding and the prediction of risk linked to it in the Congo Basin for five years as part of our work at the Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center in Kinshasa. We study the movement of water in natural and modified environments and its interactions with infrastructure over a range of geographical scales. We argue in this article that understanding why Kinshasa floods means recognising two very different water systems at play – and how urban growth has made the city more vulnerable to both.
Kinshasa faces two distinct flood hazards: first, flooding from the Congo River, which typically peaks around December and January; and, second, urban flood events driven by local rainfall and runoff from the hills south of the city around April and December.
Most of Kinshasa’s flood disasters have come from the second type. And as Kinshasa has urbanised, expanding into the floodplains, but without the necessary urban infrastructure, the impact of urban flood events has become worse.
With more sealed surfaces – because of more urban settlements – and less natural water absorption, more rainwater runs off, and faster. This overwhelms the city’s small urban tributaries and the Ndjili river.
Growth of Kinshasa and flood
As the city has expanded, so has its flood exposure. The city’s tributaries drain steep, densely populated urban slopes and are highly responsive to rainfall.
Of Kinshasa’s two flood risks, the impact of Congo River flooding can be observed in large cities located along major rivers, and typically peaks around January. These are seasonal floods driven by rainfall across the whole Congo Basin.
Research at Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center shows that while Congo River high water levels can cause “backwater effects” – the upstream rise in water level caused by reduced flow downstream – most damaging floods result from intense local rainfall overwhelming the city’s small river catchments. The flood risk analysis indicates that 38 territories are the hotspot of flooding in the Congo basin. Kinshasa is a hotspot due to its double risk sources and extensive urbanisation.
The urban flood events are more challenging. They can happen with less rainfall and cause major destruction. They are driven by local rainfall and rapid growth of informal settlements.
Other cities face similar risks. In 2024, Nairobi suffered deadly floods after prolonged rain overwhelmed informal neighbourhoods and infrastructure.
Across Africa, cities are growing faster than their infrastructure can keep up with. Kinshasa has unique exposure, but also strong local research capacity.
The Congo River’s seasonal peaks are relatively well understood and monitored. But urban tributaries are harder to predict.
DRC’s meteorological agency Mettelsat and its partners are building capacity for real-time monitoring. But the April 2025 floods showed that community-level warning systems did not work.
Climate change is expected to intensify extreme rainfall in central Africa. While annual totals may not increase, short, intense storms could become more frequent.
This increases pressure on cities already struggling with today’s rains. In Kinshasa, the case for climate-resilient planning and infrastructure is urgent.
Forecasting rainfall is not enough. Government agencies in collaboration with universities must also forecast flood impact – and ensure people can act on the warnings. There is a need to put in place systems to achieve this under a catchment integrated flood management plan.
The main elements of such a plan include:
Improved early warning systems: Use advanced technologies (such as satellites) to gather real-time data on environmental conditions.
Upgraded drainage infrastructure: Identify weaknesses and areas prone to flooding, to manage storm water better.
Enforcement of land use planning: Establish clear regulations that define flood-prone areas; outline permissible land uses.
Define safety perimeters around areas at risk of flooding: Use historical data, flood maps, and hydrological studies to pinpoint areas that are at risk. Regulate development and activities there.
Local engagement in flood preparedness: Educate residents about flood risks, preparedness measures, and emergency response.
Institutions such as the Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center play a critical role, not just in research but in turning knowledge into action. Rainfall may trigger the flood, but urban systems decide whether it becomes a disaster. And those systems can change.
Gode Bola receives funding support from the Congo River User Hydraulics and Morphology (CRuHM) project (2016-2021), which was entirely funded by The Royal Society-DFID Africa Capacity Building (RS-DFID) under grant number “AQ150005.” He is affiliated with the Regional School of Water (ERE) and the Congo Basin Water Research Center (CRREBaC) of the University of Kinshasa, as well as the Regional Center for Nuclear Studies of Kinshasa.
Mark Trigg received funding support from the Congo River user Hydraulics and Morphology (CRuHM) project (2016-2021), which was wholly funded by The Royal Society-DFID Africa Capacity Building (RS-DFID) under the grant number “AQ150005”. Mark Trigg is affiliated with water@leeds at the University of Leeds and the Global Flood Partnership.
Raphaël Tshimanga receives funding from he Congo River user Hydraulics and Morphology (CRuHM) project (2016-2021), which was wholly funded by The Royal Society-DFID Africa Capacity Building (RS-DFID) under the grant number “AQ150005”. He is affiliated with the Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center and the Regional School of Water of the University of Kinshasa.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)
Today, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) announced members of his staff will host Community Office Hours across Georgia’s 12th District during the month of May.
During these events, members of Congressman Allen’s staff will be available to assist constituents with a variety of federal issues, including help navigating various federal agencies such as FEMA, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, Medicare, and others. Congressman Allen himself will not be in attendance.
After the announcement, Congressman Allen issued the following statement:
“I invite anyone seeking help with a federal issue to take advantage of the one-on-one services my office provides. If you need assistance dealing with a federal agency, our dedicated caseworkers stand ready to help you. Please visit my team during Community Office Hours in May or contact one of our district offices for more information.”
See below for a list of Community Office Hours dates, times, and locations by county (excluding counties in which Congressman Allen has a permanent office):
Burke County
WHEN: Tuesday, May 20th from 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
WHERE: County Commission Boardroom, Burke County Courthouse
111 E. 6th Street
Waynesboro, GA 30830
Candler County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 14th from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
WHERE: Metter City Hall
49 S. Rountree Street
Metter, GA 30439
Columbia County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 7th from 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
WHERE: Grovetown City Hall
103 Old Wrightsboro Road
Grovetown, GA 30813
Effingham County
WHEN: Monday, May 5th from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
WHERE: Effingham County Board of Commissioners
804 S. Laurel Street
Springfield, GA 31329
Emanuel County
WHEN: Thursday, May 8th from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
WHERE: Swainsboro-Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce
102 S. Main Street
Swainsboro, GA 30401
Evans County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 14th from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
WHERE: Claxton City Hall
206 W. Railroad Street
Claxton, Georgia 30417
Glascock County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 14th from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
WHERE: Family Connections & Communities in School
370 W. Main Street
Gibson, GA 30810
Jefferson County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 14th from 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
WHERE: Community Club House
101 McNair Street
Wrens, GA 30833
Jenkins County
WHEN: Thursday, May 8th from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
WHERE: Jenkins County Chamber of Commerce
548 Cotton Avenue
Millen, GA 30442
Johnson County
WHEN: Monday, May 19th from 9:15 AM – 10:30 AM
WHERE: Wrightsville City Hall
8647 S. Marcus Street
Wrightsville, GA 31096
Lincoln County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 7th from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
WHERE: Lincoln County Courthouse
210 Humphrey Street
Lincolnton, GA 30817
McDuffie County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 7th from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
WHERE: Thomson-McDuffie Administrative Building
210 Railroad Street
Thomson, GA 30824
Montgomery County
WHEN: Monday, May 5th from 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
WHERE: Montgomery County Courthouse
400 S. Railroad Avenue
Mount Vernon, GA 30445
Screven County
WHEN: Thursday, May 8th from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
WHERE: Screven County Courthouse, Commission Boardroom
216 Mims Road
Sylvania, GA 30467
Tattnall County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 14th from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
WHERE: Glennville Welcome Center/Chamber of Commerce
136 S. Veterans Boulevard
Glennville, GA 30427
Treutlen County
WHEN: Monday, May 5th from 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
WHERE: Treutlen County Commissioners’ Office
1830 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Soperton, GA 30457
Warren County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 7th from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
WHERE: Warren County Chamber of Commerce
46 Norwood Street
Warrenton, GA 30828
Washington County
WHEN: Tuesday, May 20th from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
WHERE: Sandersville City Hall
141 W. Haynes Street
Sandersville, GA 31082
Wheeler County
WHEN: Monday, May 5th from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
WHERE: Alamo City Hall
7 W. Main Street
Alamo, GA 30411
Wilkes County
WHEN: Wednesday, May 28th from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
TRENTON, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 210 months in prison on charges of sex trafficking and prostitution-related offenses, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Amin Sharif, 50, of Newark, was convicted by a jury in July 2024 of one count of attempted transportation of a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of use of an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity, one count of transporting a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, and one count of persuading a victim to travel to engage in prostitution, following an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In January 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating Sharif for sex trafficking offenses. Sharif recruited four females, including one minor victim, from states across the country—New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Utah. Sharif used multiple social media accounts and assumed aliases and false identities to recruit and entice victims. He made promises of housing stability, payment of bills and living expenses, and promises that the victims could make up to thousands of dollars per day by working for him. Sharif advertised the minor victim online, offering her for 32 sexual services.
Sharif was previously convicted of transporting a minor to engage in prostitution in federal court and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Sharif to 20 years of supervised release.
“Amin Sharif is a dangerous sex offender who has repeatedly preyed on vulnerable young women and minors in our society. The Court’s sentence will prevent Sharif from harming additional victims and will send a strong signal to would-be traffickers that sex trafficking will not be tolerated in the District of New Jersey and will result in serious sentences.”
–U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“Disguised with multiple names and social media profiles, and promising help financially, Sharif instead sexually exploited his victims for his own monetary gain. Sharif ignored the physical and psychological trauma he was causing these vulnerable women and minors. FBI Newark Special Agents, Analysts, and Task Force Officers will stop at nothing to get heinous criminals off the streets, phones, and computers from where they lurk and put them behind bars where they belong,” stated FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to this sentencing. She also thanked the FBI’s Rochester, New York Office and the Dansville Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo and Chelsea D. Coleman of the Criminal Division in Newark.
###
Defense counsel: Laurie M. Fierro Esq., Kinnelon, New Jersey; Mary F. Khellah, North Bergen, New Jersey
Every day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leads the fight against online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). As part of the Department’s critical mission to combat crimes of exploitation and protect victims, we investigate these abhorrent crimes, spread awareness, collaborate with interagency and international partners, and expand our reach to ensure children are safe and protected.
“At the Department of Homeland Security, our mission is to protect the American people, and that includes protecting our children. The internet has completely changed how we connect, but it has also opened new doors for predators who want to harm our kids,”saidDHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “It’s a topic that should unite all of us, and I appreciate the opportunity to highlight the work of Homeland Security Investigations and all that they do to combat online child exploitation.”
DHS battles online CSEA using all available tools and resources department-wide, emphasizing its commitment to the Department’s homeland security mission to “Combat Crimes of Exploitation and Protect Victims.” In recognition of President Trump’s proclamation designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, DHS is committed to raising awareness of these heinous crimes, preventing child exploitation and abuse, and bringing perpetrators to justice.
As part of the Department’s ongoing work in this area, today DHS is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Know2Protect, the U.S. government’s first prevention and awareness campaign to combat online CSEA.
Between April 2024 and February 2025:
DHS launched Know2Protect®, a first of its kind national public awareness campaign to combat online CSEA. The campaign enhances the Department’s capabilities to combat online CSEA by partnering with the private sector to deliver its awareness messaging and coordinating federal efforts to confront and prevent this growing epidemic. The Department has successfully entered into over 20 Know2Protect® Memoranda of Understanding with leading technology companies, national and international sports leagues, youth-serving organizations and nonprofits, and other private sector partners to raise awareness of this crime and help children stay safer online.
DHS increased the footprint of law enforcement partners at the DHS Cyber Crimes Center (C3) to enhance coordination across all DHS agencies and offices to combat cyber-related crimes and further the Department’s mission to combat online CSEA. Several partners are collocated and work together every day at the DHS C3, including the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).
The Blue Campaign, part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, hosted 170 national trainings on the indicators of forced labor and sex trafficking and how to report these crimes with more than 24,000 participants from the federal government, non-governmental organizations, law enforcement, and other external stakeholders.
HSI and ERO have instituted a collaborative operational initiative to locate unaccompanied alien children (UAC) released from the care and custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS-ORR). The UAC initiative identifies and locates UACs to ensure immigration obligations are met, and investigate any potential indicators of forced labor, sex trafficking, or other exploitation.
To accomplish this work, DHS coordinates with law enforcement at home and abroad to enforce and uphold our laws, protects victims with a victim-centered approach that prioritizes dignity and respect, and works to stop this heinous crime through public education and outreach.
Enforcing Our Laws
DHS works with domestic and international partners to enforce and uphold the laws that protect children from abuse. The Department works collaboratively with Department of Justice prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S Marshals, INTERPOL, Europol, and other international law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute perpetrators.
DHS increased U.S. government and law enforcement efforts to combat financial sextortion, a crime targeting children and teens by coercing them into sending explicit images online and extorting them for money. From FY22 to FY24, HSI received more than 4,900 CyberTipline reports related to sextortion predators from Côte dʼIvoire. From these reports, 652 children have been identified and supported by HSI. In an effort to combat this crime, HSI sent special agents to Côte d’Ivoire to provide online CSEA training to local law enforcement and supported local law enforcement efforts in locating and apprehending offenders residing there.
The CCHT works alongside the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to identify and pursue the recovery of underage victims of sex trafficking. The CCHT emphasizes victim identification operations which allows HSI field offices to rescue these children while implementing a victim centered approach. The CCHT supports HSI field operations throughout the investigation and prosecution of these traffickers and their networks.
DHS partnered with 61 regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces to investigate people involved in the online victimization of children, including those who produce, receive, distribute and/or possess child sexual abuse material, or who engage in online sexual enticement of children.
DHS researched and developed modern tools and technologies that equip domestic and international law enforcement partners with advanced forensic capabilities to accomplish their mission to identify victims and apprehend child sexual abusers.
The Science and Technology Directorate developed StreamView, a digital forensics and data analytics tool designed to assist law enforcement in effectively addressing child exploitation cases. By aggregating, organizing, and analyzing investigative leads, StreamView enables investigators to determine crime locations, identify victims, and bring perpetrators to justice more efficiently. Since May 2023, StreamView has identified and rescued over 133 child and adult victims, dismantled more than 29 criminal networks, generated over 600 leads and referrals, and arrested of over 120 criminal actors. The platform has also contributed to 10 convictions and 8 life sentences, significantly improving Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) investigations.
The U.S. Secret Service provides forensic, technical, and investigative assistance to NCMEC and state/local/tribal law enforcement in cases involving missing and exploited children. Support includes polygraph examinations, age progression/regression, composite sketches, audio/image/video enhancement, speaker identification/recognition, questioned document analysis, fingerprint development and examination, geospatial information mapping system, digital forensics.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection screens all undocumented unaccompanied children and other arriving minors for indicators of abuse or exploitation, human trafficking, extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children, sexual predators involved in crimes of exploitation, and all suspected criminal cases are referred to HSI.
Transportation Security Administration (INV) Special Agent Polygraph Examiners provide their expertise to advance investigative and prosecutorial efforts in support of child sexual exploitation investigations. INV developed evidence of child sexual exploitation and/or abuse in 15 criminal specific and pre-employment examinations. INV Special Agent Polygraph Examiners, assigned to its Special Operations Division, conduct examinations on behalf of INV, HSI, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, federal and local law enforcement agencies. In a case involving a child victim, an INV Special Agent Polygraph Examiner administered a specific issue polygraph examination, which resulted in the arrest of an individual attempting to solicit a child and identified six other victims ranging in age from 5-16 years of age.
Protecting and Supporting Victims
The Angel Watch Center (AWC) within DHS C3 proactively identifies U.S. persons traveling abroad who have been convicted of sexual crimes against children. By using travel related information and publicly available state sex offender registries, the AWC notifies destination countries of these individuals’ pending arrivals to help prevent potential child sex tourism and other forms of exploitation. The HSI AWC sent over 4,800 travel notifications to foreign governments on convicted, registered U.S. child sex offenders, leading to over 900 denials of entry. These efforts build international cooperation to ensure all countries are safe from sexual predators.
In July 2023, HSI launched the first U.S.-based international victim identification surge, “Operation Renewed Hope (ORH).” To date, there have been three yearly operations: ORHI, ORHII, and ORHIII, to identify and rescue child victims of online exploitation. In these operations, HSI and its domestic and international partners work on child sexual abuse material contained in HSI holdings, teams expertly comb through and analyze unidentified series of child sexual abuse material to identify children and offenders and create lead packages for appropriate investigative partners in furtherance of associated law enforcement actions.
In the Spring of 2025, HSI conducted ORHIII, which resulted in 386 probable identifications and 56 victims who have been identified and rescued. Once victims of child exploitation are identified and/or rescued, the HSI Victim Assistance Program (VAP) supports them and their non-offending caretaker(s) by using highly trained forensic interview specialists to conduct victim-centered and trauma-informed forensic interviews. In addition, VAP’s victim assistance specialists provide resources to victims such as crisis intervention, referrals for short and long term medical and/or mental health care and contact information for local social service programs and agencies to assist in the healing process.
HSI provides short-term immigration protections to human trafficking victims, including victims of child sex trafficking. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) grants immigration benefits to eligible child victims of human trafficking, abuse, and other crimes, including T nonimmigrant status, U nonimmigrant status, and immigrant classification under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Educating and Increasing Public Awareness
The Know2Protect® campaign has garnered over 518 million impressions across various media platforms, in large part due to donated advertising from signed partners and other partner activations. The top visited pages on Know2Protect.gov are Take Action, How2Report, and Know the Threats.
Project iGuardian is the official in-person educational program of the Know2Protect campaign. Led by HSI, Project iGuardian offers in-person presentations designed to inform children, teens, parents, and trusted adults on the threat of online CSEA, how to implement preventive strategies, and report suspected abuse to law enforcement.
Since the start of FY24, more than 400 special agents have been trained to give Project iGuardian presentations.
In FY24, HSI gave more than 1,100 presentations to more than 122,000 children, teens, parents, and teachers domestically and internationally. These presentations yielded more than 75 victim disclosures and 77 investigative leads for online CSEA.
So far in FY 25, HSI has given more than 760 iGuardian presentations to over 69,000 children and adults, which have yielded more than 41 victim disclosures and 13 investigative leads.
In April 2024, the Blue Campaign announced a partnership with rideshare company Lyft to train their drivers, who interact with millions of riders per year, on how to recognize indicators of human trafficking among their passengers, and how to report it. From July to September 2024, Blue Campaign collaborated with NCMEC to promote human trafficking awareness across various social media platforms, targeting both minors and those who work with minors. The campaign garnered more than 2 million impressions on Twitch, 14 million on Facebook, 3million on Snapchat, and 4 million through display ads.
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) covers child sexual exploitation and abuse awareness in its Human Trafficking lesson plan. In FY2024, FLETC trained nearly 4,400 individuals in human trafficking awareness.
USSS Childhood Smart Program Ambassadors educated more than 112,000 children, parents, and teachers across 31 states and the District of Columbia about how to prevent online child sexual exploitation and child abduction. The Childhood Smart Program provides age-appropriate presentations to children as young as five as well as to adults. Presentations focus on internet and personal safety as well as other topics such as social media etiquette and cyber bullying.
The HSI Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center trained more than 800 individuals across the interagency on female genital mutilation or cutting, a severe form of child abuse and a crime under federal law when done to individuals under the age of 18.
The Blue Campaign Blue Lightning Initiative, part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, trained more than 260,000 aviation personnel to identify potential traffickers and victims of forced labor and sex trafficking, to include child sex trafficking, and report their suspicions to law enforcement in FY 2023. The Initiative added 31 new partners this past year, raising its total partners to 136 aviation industry organizations, including its first two official international partners.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency administers SchoolSafety.gov, an interagency website that includes information, guidance and resources on a range of school safety topics. SchoolSafety.gov includes a child exploitation section that houses more than 60 resources to help school communities identify, prevent and respond to child exploitation. Since its launch in January 2023, child exploitation section has been viewed more than 35,600 times.
What You Can Do and Resources Available
Visit www.Know2Protect.gov to access free resources to understand the threats of online CSEA and learn preventative strategies to stop future victimization.
Request an educational presentation tailored for school children and trusted adults:
Visit SchoolSafety.gov for resources to help educators, school leaders, parents, and school personnel identify, prevent, and respond to child exploitation.
How to report suspected online child sexual exploitation and abuse in the United States:
Contact your local, state, campus, or tribal law enforcement officials directly. Call 911 in an emergency.
If you suspect a child has been abducted or faces imminent danger, contact your local police and the NCMEC tip line at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
If you suspect a child might be a victim of online child sexual exploitation, call the HSI Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423 and report it to NCMEC’s CyberTipline.
INDIANAPOLIS— Belarmino Sierra-Mata, 47, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of more of methamphetamine and reentry of a removed alien.
According to the indictment, on March 18, 2024, after receiving a text message from his girlfriend alerting him to a package’s arrival at her Indianapolis home, Sierra-Mata drove there to retrieve it. The package was shipped from California and contained approximately 1.8 kilograms of pure methamphetamine. After picking it up, Sierra-Mata sold the entire package to another individual in exchange for $300.
During an interview with law enforcement agents following his arrest, Sierra-Mata stated that his source of supply was an individual in Mexico and that this was his second time accepting a package containing controlled substances for payment.
Additionally, further investigation determined that Sierra-Mata is an illegal alien unlawfully present in the United States. Specifically, Sierra-Mata was formally removed from the United States on January 11, 2019, and knowingly reentered the country without obtaining proper documentation.
Homeland Security Investigations and Indiana State Police investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
“Criminal aliens that habitually cross into our country illegally and endanger our communities must face consequences,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure these drugs never make it to the streets and these criminals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Cristina Caraballo-Colon and former AUSA Jordan Oliver, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)
Trump has actually signed fewer bills into law at this point than any new president for seven decades. But he has signed 124 executive orders (which don’t need congressional approval). Joe Biden signed 162 of these over his whole term.
Executive orders are a way of pushing through a presidential directive, usually based on existing statutory powers, without it going to a vote. So far, these have covered issues from energy policy to TikTok’s ownership.
Using this tactic, Trump has stretched his authority far more in just a few months than any recent president.
While the president may issue executive orders, he cannot create laws without the support of Congress. This has led, in part, to the launch of lawsuits regarding the statutory basis of some of these orders. Some are now going through the federal courts on constitutional and lawfulness grounds.
But the Supreme Court can also review and overturn executive orders that lack legal authority. These orders cannot contradict or supersede existing laws passed by Congress, or violate the US constitution.
A system of checks and balances that prevents US presidents from becoming too powerful is facilitated by the “separation of powers”, which is written into the US Constitution. The legislative (members of Congress), executive (president) and judiciary (the courts) are all separate bodies – in part to prevent an over-concentration of power in any one body or person.
Bills passed by presidents in first 85 days
The US Congress has a key supervisory role through its two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate, which work together to pass laws. But there are many reasons why this president may not be that concerned by these constitutional safeguards.
The Democratic opposition is in an exceptionally weak position to take on Trump. It is in the minority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, and is routinely outvoted by the Republicans.
And Trump is often dismissive of congressional oversight. House committees have previously launched multiple investigations into his conduct, business dealings, and whether he has financially benefited while serving as president. Congress also issued subpoenas for documents and testimonies in 2022, but Trump often resisted or delayed them.
Congress controls federal spending and can, in theory, deny funds for presidential initiatives. But it is currently full of Republicans who, so far, have not been willing to challenge the president.
Trump’s approach seems to be one of testing the limits of the law. This was seen with the travel ban imposed on mostly Muslim countries in his first term, which the Supreme Court initially struck down as unconstitutional. The court later upheld a significantly revised version.
In terms of impeachment, Trump has already been there on two occasions. He was first impeached in 2019 after he allegedly pressured Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate Joe Biden in the run-up to the 2020 election.
This claim of illegality on the part of Trump stemmed from it being illegal to ask foreign entities for help in winning a US election. The House of Representatives impeached him for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, but the Senate ultimately acquitted him.
Trump was impeached again in 2021, after he was accused of inciting the January 6 Capitol riots. For the first time in US history, a president was impeached after leaving office – but he was again acquitted by the Senate.
Trump has suggested these impeachment attempts are evidence of him being persecuted for his efforts to “drain the swamp” (how he describes Washington’s political establishment). Overall, the president seems to favour testing the limits of executive policy-making, then making changes later if challenged.
Judges also have an important role to play in checking the work of the president. They can declare presidential actions unconstitutional. For example, in US v Nixon (1974), the Supreme Court ruled the president does not have executive-privilege immunity from court actions.
Some may think that as the president appoints top judges, this undermines their independence. However, once judges are appointed, they are bound to execute their duties fairly while upholding the rule of law. Importantly, they do not answer to the president for their decisions.
The US constitution also puts some limits on the office of the president. As part of their oath of office, presidents vow to uphold and defend the constitution and faithfully execute their responsibilities. In that sense, a US president must execute diligence in ensuring the law is faithfully followed. They cannot simply ignore laws they do not like.
Donald Trump’s Oath of Office.
And despite claims that Trump is prepared to seek a third term, the 22nd Amendment limits an individual to a maximum of two – although Trump has hinted at a plan to find a way around this.
As was seen with his previous administration, the voters can turn against sitting presidents and vote them out of power. Businesses and market pressures can also play a significant role, as was seen in the recent pauses in the president’s international tariff decision-making.
What needs to change?
A significant amount of change has been achieved via Trump’s executive orders in just 85 days. Meanwhile, judicial oversight and checks will take time to filter through the courts and, if necessary, be tested in the Supreme Court.
Nonetheless, the judiciary is starting to flex its muscles more. For example, a federal judge has said he would find administration officials in contempt unless they engaged with a legal process to secure the return of Maryland resident Kilmar Ábrego García, after he was illegally sent to an El Salvador prison. This is already being hailed as a test case for the rule of law.
One area where more explicit clarity in US law might be needed is over the scope of executive orders – to curtail some of the testing of their limits we are currently seeing. While Congress already has the power to legislate to reverse and override an executive order, as well as to refuse to provide the funding necessary to carry out policy measures contained within an order, it (so far) seems unprepared to execute this power.
In the next few months, the US public and politicians will be able to see the impact of these executive orders – and there will be a wealth of judicial rulings to add to the debate. Whether that will change how Trump operates is as yet unclear.
Stephen Clear does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
