Barr Working His Attorney General Magic
You probably thought there would be a sense of finality or relief following the conclusion of the Russian collusion investigation, but politics wouldn’t be politics if it all went away quietly. In the seven days since AG Barr’s highly scrutinized summary of the report, he has agreed to testify to the House about how he was able to consolidate a 300-400 page document into only 4 pages within a matter of 48 hours. In an attempt at being impartial, he’s also committed to delivering some form of the full report by mid-April. Democrats, however, are expecting him to deliver with redactions aplenty and that won’t sit well with them and likely not with the Constitution either. While Barr is working hard to make this storm pass, somebody’s President is still celebrating, claiming he was fully exonerated (this, unfortunately, is a full lie) and heaping praise upon Mueller in the process. My, how things have changed.
Obamacare Stands Strong…For Now
Two years in and Donald Trump is still coming for Obamacare’s neck. The President is attempting now to dismantle 44’s signature legislation (aka the Affordable Care Act) via the courts, but he’s learning that it’s not so easy. This past week, the GOP’s attempt to enforce Medicaid work requirements on recipients in Kentucky and Arkansas was struck down as a federal judge ruled that the requirements went against the core purpose of the Medicaid program, which is to provide healthcare to the needy. Another federal judge ruled this week that the administration’s new health care plans for small businesses were less beneficial than those provided by the Affordable Care Act and violated other laws regarding employee benefits. On top of this, a Texas judge’s 2018 ruling that the ACA was unconstitutional (a victory for Trump) is also being appealed and will likely have a third review by the Supreme Court, which has already upheld the law twice. Trump claims that the GOP will replace Obamacare with another great Republican plan, but we'll all have to keep our eyes open as nothing has materialized just yet.
Border Crossings Pick Up
While Congress failed this week to override Trump’s national emergency declaration, there does appear to be a sudden rise in the number of migrants at the southern border. To say that immigration facilities are overwhelmed might be a serious understatement. Processing centers in Texas have been nearly 400% over capacity in the month of March, forcing government officials to gather immigrants awaiting processing beneath street overpasses. Current estimates state that the total number of 2018 border crossings may be matched by the end of April and that the U.S. may see upwards of 1 million crossings by the end of the year. In response, Trump is threatening again to withhold aid from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. He is also threatening to close the ports between the U.S. and Mexico, which could result in the loss of $1.5 billion per day. 45 and team say these claims are serious this time around, so time will tell how his policies impact this humanitarian issue in the end.
2020 Happenings
Kamala Harris’ run for President is inspiring networks of Jamaican and Indian immigrants to support her in a big way.
Seems like it’s time for Uncle Joe (Biden) to bow out of the race before he officially enters.
On top of having to face questions regarding his long political record, he’s recently been accused of another inappropriate interaction, this time by a Nevada lawmaker. In addition, Stacey Abrams said “Nah son” to questions of being his running mate before he’s secured the party nomination or even declared his candidacy.
Are you aware of the Green New Deal? It’s a hot topic in Congress these days and it’ll likely be a key issue for 2020 Democrats.
Around the Diaspora
Liberian immigrants living in the U.S. have received a 12-month extension on a deportation protection program by the Trump administration.
The Cayman Islands recently legalized same sex marriages. This may have an impact on other British Overseas Territories that have yet to do the same.
Cyclone Idai is contributing to an uptick in cholera cases in the Mozambican city of Beira. Still looking to see how you can give back? Check out PBS’ list of charities.
Culture that Pops
In honor of the life of rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle, check out this inspirational article in which he speaks on the importance of buying back the block and his personal definition of hustle. This brother wasn’t average and we can all learn from his life.
The 50th NAACP Image Awards went down over the weekend and it was a celebration of all things Black Excellence.
Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ is so successful, it made $100 million before the weekend even started.
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