“Continued immigration raids on American dairy farms could send milk prices soaring. Jaime Castaneda, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Trade Policy for the National Milk Producers Federation, says the price of a gallon of milk could possibly approach $8. He estimates 80 percent of the nation’s milk supply comes from dairy farms that employ foreign labor and states that, if there is a continued effort to remove workers, there will be a significant shortage of milk and higher prices.” More.
EPA Seeks to Scuttle Cleanup of Coal Power Plant Pollution
“Last week EPA administrator Scott Pruitt announced he would seek to rewrite Obama-era rules limiting water pollution from coal-fired power plants. The agency also sought to roll back tighter restrictions on pollution from coal mines.” More.
Trump’s Budget Would Eliminate Key Program Testing Everglades Water
“For more than 20 years, the little-known South Florida Geographic Initiative has been monitoring the threat of phosphorous, mercury and other damaging nutrients seeping into the ecologically fragile region — sometimes with dramatic results. The data it collected for the Environmental Protection Agency and Florida agencies was key to a massive court-ordered settlement in 2012 to protect the River of Grass from encroaching pollution. The initiative is now among more than 50 EPA programs the administration has proposed eliminating in an effort to return “the responsibility for funding local environmental efforts and programs to state and local entities.” More.
Navient Lawsuit: What Student Loan Borrowers Need to Know
“Navient Corp., the nation’s largest student loan servicer, is facing three lawsuits alleging that it harmed student loan borrowers throughout the repayment process. It is alleged that Navient misallocated payments, steered struggling borrowers toward multiple forbearances instead of income-driven repayment plans, and provided unclear information about how to re-enroll in income-driven repayment plans and how to qualify for a co-signer release.” Article includes info on how to protect yourself if you have student loans.
Trump Has Moved To Dismantle Criminal Justice Reform In His First 100 Days
“This analysis looks at what the president and his team have done so far to address crime and justice, and what the country can expect in the weeks and months ahead. ” More.
Donald Trump Is Coming for Your Social Security: How the GOP Plans a Bait and Switch to Cut Taxes — and Pensions
“Trump and his team are planning to completely abandon Social Security’s dedicated funding stream from the Federal Insurance Contributions Act payroll deduction and pay for the program with general revenue. They will sell this as a tax cut for workers, which is what it will look like on the paycheck. But Trump’s rumored innovation is to replace the money with a form of value-added tax, which means that typical workers, who spend most of their money on consumer goods, will still pay taxes; they will just lose their retirement guarantee. Rich people will get their tax cuts and don’t need Social Security anyway. It’s a GOP win-win.” More.
Trump Condos Worth $250 Million Pose Potential Conflict
“President Trump’s companies own more than 400 condo units and home lots whose sale could steer millions of dollars to Trump, a USA TODAY investigation has found. The volume of real estate creates an extraordinary and unprecedented potential for people, corporations or foreign interests to try to influence a president. Anyone who wanted to court favor with the president could snap up multiple properties or purposefully overpay. They could buy in the name of a shell company, making it impossible for the public to know who was behind the sales.” More.
Latest Obamacare Repeal Plan Would Explode Premiums for People with Pre-Existing Conditions
“In an effort to revive the American Health Care Act, or AHCA, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and congressional Republicans proposed a plan for an ‘invisible risk pool.’ Word has leaked that the pool is part of a broader to allow insurers in the individual market to charge a premium markup for enrollees with pre-existing conditions, with the pool put forth as a way to offset the premium increases resulting from the rest of the plan. Even before these changes, the AHCA would have thrown 24 million people off of their coverage to pay for massive tax cuts for the rich. Ryan’s most recent attempt to alter the bill would be even more harmful. Enrollees could see premium increases of tens of thousands of dollars, and the proposed invisible risk pool would shave only a tiny sliver off these increased costs for the sickest consumers.” More.
Trump Ignores Retail Jobs Meltdown Roiling U.S. Malls
“Once-bustling shopping malls and department stores are now empty as millions of Americans do their shopping online through businesses that have warehouses but don’t operate storefronts. Trump’s muted response to the retail apocalypse shows which workers count in Trump’s America.” More.
Why the Trump Administration Has So Many Vacancies
“The process is bogged down by the involvement of top White House officials, turf wars and an inexperienced and overworked staff.” More.