I’ll update the news as much as possible. The idea is to paint a picture of the trend of things as opposed to a traditional feed that attempts to report on all the news.
Please check out the videos of the week.
The Wall Street Journal: “Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the U.S. labor market has entered “a curious kind of balance.” The demand for workers has cooled, yet the unemployment rate has held steady because the supply of labor has slowed abruptly.
“Behind that slowing in the labor supply is a dramatic swing in immigration, from one of the biggest waves in U.S. history to almost none. Economists say that could have subtle but lasting consequences.
“A virtual halt to unauthorized border crossings, plus stepped-up deportations and a souring climate for foreigners means net immigration this year could be negative for the first time in decades, some experts predict.
“That has a short-run benefit, as Powell alluded to. It means slumping labor demand won’t necessarily push up the unemployment rate, which at 4.2% is historically low. But in the long run it could limit the economy’s potential growth and generate larger budget deficits.”
The “curious kind of balance” Powell points to doesn’t seem particularly healthy or sustainable. Even if it does endure, it is based on a shrinking economy.
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The New York Times: “Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the immigrant who was wrongfully expelled to El Salvador in March and then brought back to face criminal charges, was detained again on Monday after the administration indicated that it planned to re-deport him to Uganda, his lawyer said.
“The detention unfolded after Mr. Abrego Garcia arrived at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Baltimore and came only three days after he was freed from custody in the criminal case that was filed against him in Federal District Court in Nashville.”
Hallmarks of Trump’s reign — and his life as well — are vindictiveness and not particularly caring about looking fair. Why won’t they just leave this poor guy alone? I suspect that even his base at this point would say, “enough.” If he is suspected of a crime, give him a proper trial.
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NPR: “Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is rejecting President Trump’s idea of deploying federal troops to patrol Chicago. At the end of last week, the president discussed sending National Guard troops to the city, just like he has done in Washington, D.C. Johnson says Trump’s plan is illegal, uncalled for and uncoordinated. The mayor also quoted city data showing that Chicago has seen a drop in certain violent crimes in the past year, including homicides, robberies and shootings.”
This is an extremely dangerous situation. Democratic officials in general are being pushed by constituents to be tougher. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is a likely candidate for president and, like Devon Newsom in California, will want to be tough as well. The feeling may be that the governor who fights back will greatly enhance their standing. Meanwhile, protestors are extremely frustrated and potentially violent. Hopefully, there are still attorneys aligned with the administration capable of restraining him.
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The New York Times: “Employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency wrote to Congress on Monday warning that the Trump administration had reversed much of the progress made in disaster response and recovery since Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast two decades ago.
“The letter to Congress, titled the “Katrina Declaration,” rebuked President Trump’s plan to drastically scale down FEMA and shift more responsibility for disaster response — and more costs — to the states. It came days before the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and costliest storms to ever strike the United States.
It’s hard to believe it’s been twenty years since Katrina. In any case, the hurricane Emma last week set records how fast it developed. This does not sound good….”
More after the music break…
This is a great video for a lot of reasons. The song “Working in a Coal Mine” was written by the great Allen Toussaint. The video itself features Leo Dorsey. Note the old-style record store in which people could take records into a listening room and check them out before buying. The final touch is that it seems as if Dorsey was an employee in the car repair business into which he wanders. Nobody working there seems to think anything is odd. Just Leo doing his thing…
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The Hill: “A federal judge in Florida ordered late Thursday that some of Alligator Alcatraz be shut down and barred the Sunshine State from bringing in more migrants to the detention facility in a blow to the administration as it ramps up its immigration crackdown.
“U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, an appointee of former President Obama, ruled Florida must halt the expansion of Alligator Alcatraz and the installation of more lighting. She also ordered the removal of all “generators, gas, sewage, and other waste and waste receptacles that were installed to support this project” within 60 days.
It will be interesting to see if the administration appeals and, if so, if the usual delays set in. A real danger is that folks likely will tire of courts allowing the administration to continue on its merry way while something controversial is being litigated. The clear subtext is that the courts are afraid of Trump.
