Tag: Trump Administration

White House Women Face Bigger Gender Pay Gap Than The National Average

The following article by Sofia Lotto Persio of Newsweek was posted on the National Memo website July 5, 2017:

Women working in U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House earn less than men on average, according to new data.

The White House released salary information of its 377 staffers on June 30 in line with a Congressional rule dating back to 1995. The data revealed that the White House has a wider gender pay gap than the national average.

The average gender pay gap in the U.S. in 2016 was 18.1 percent, meaning that for every dollar earned by a man, a woman earned 81.9 cents, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Continue reading “White House Women Face Bigger Gender Pay Gap Than The National Average”

Election Experts See Flaws in Trump Voter Commission’s Plan to Smoke Out Fraud T

The following article by Jessica Huseman was posted on the ProPublica website July 6, 2017:

The commission told ProPublica that states’ voter rolls will be run against federal databases to find potential fraudulent registrations — a move experts say will result in thousands of errors and could distort fraud.

Credit: Dave Kaup, Reuters

Vice President Mike Pence’s office has confirmed the White House commission on voter fraud intends to run the state voter rolls it has requested against federal databases to check for potential fraudulent registration. Experts say the plan is certain to produce thousands of false positives that could distort the understanding of the potential for fraud, especially given the limited data states have agreed to turn over.

“This just demonstrates remarkable naivety on how this voter data can be used,” said David Becker, the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research. “There’s absolutely no way that incomplete data from some states — mainly consisting of names and addresses — can be used to determine anything.” Continue reading “Election Experts See Flaws in Trump Voter Commission’s Plan to Smoke Out Fraud T”

America must repair its scientific infrastructure

The following commentary by Olle Heinonen was posted on the Minneapolis StarTribune website July 3, 2017:

This is especially important in Minnesota, with its background of innovation.

Source: Morguefile.com

President Donald Trump’s $1 trillion plan to repair the nation’s dilapidated roads, antiquated bridges and shabby railways through an infrastructure overhaul is a worthy goal. But to fully boost the economy, strengthen our competitiveness and increase job growth, Trump’s plan should include our nation’s scientific infrastructure. I urge U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota’s Third Congressional District — who is in a position of influence on this because of his service on the Joint Economic Committee — to take the necessary steps to ensure that the president includes science in his infrastructure plan.

Americans rely on our country’s scientific infrastructure — national labs, university research facilities and cutting-edge instrumentation — for the breakthroughs and discoveries that improve our lives, fuel our economy and help protect our country. Continue reading “America must repair its scientific infrastructure”

Trump Administration Makes Key Decision That Threatens Water Supply of Millions (Video)

The following article by Reynard Loki was posted on the AlterNet website June 27, 2017:

Repealing the Clean Water Rule will make it easier for polluters to contaminate the water supply for millions of Americans.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reportedly issuing a proposed rule to undo the Clean Water Rule that was enacted in May 2015, under President Obama’s last term. The rule protects the water supply for more than 117 million Americans.

Also known as the Waters of the United States (WOTUS), the Clean Water Rule puts limits on pollution in the wetlands, rivers and streams that feed the nation’s larger waterways. Those limits are essential for protecting the safety of the drinking water on which millions of American rely. Continue reading “Trump Administration Makes Key Decision That Threatens Water Supply of Millions (Video)”

Inflaming Fake News

The following article was posted on the trumpaccountable.org website June 28, 2017:

During a testy exchange yesterday at the first on-camera White House press briefing in a week, Sarah Huckabee Sanders was challenged by a reporter who accused her of “inflaming everybody right here right now.” Brian Karem, editor of the Montgomery County Sentinel called out Sanders for her response to a question about the firing of three CNN employees for a retracted story that did not meet CNN’s journalistic standards. Karem’s frustration and complaint was that there are consequences in the real world of journalism for shoddy work that does not meet ethical standards while the world of the White House Press Office has no similar consequences or standards.

The press secretary clearly wants to talk about the successes and stories that reflect what the Trump administration is working on. It should not be surprising, however, that the media wants to talk about other stories. This is the fundamental challenge in any communications shop and no PR workshop or textbook encourages a communications director to scold media outlets for pursuing unflattering stories. The most skilled communications professionals are able to expertly advance the narratives they want emphasized while downplaying the narratives they don’t want on the front page. Continue reading “Inflaming Fake News”

A Bare Majority of White Voters Are the Only Ones Happy With Trump

The following article by Kali Holloway was posted on the AlterNet website June 25, 2017:

Thanks to dissatisfied nonwhites, Trump’s low approval numbers have reached historic depths.

White Americans remain the only major demographic group in which the percentage of people who think Donald Trump is doing a good job outpaces the number who think he’s doing poorly.

That finding comes from Pew Research Center, which polled more than 2,500 adults around the U.S. between June 8-18. While African Americans and Latinos overwhelmingly gave the president’s performance a thumbs-down, 50 percent of white respondents report feeling good about Trump’s presidency. Just 44 percent think that Trump deserves a poor performance review. Continue reading “A Bare Majority of White Voters Are the Only Ones Happy With Trump”

Kushner firm’s $285 million Deutsche Bank loan came just before Election Day

the following article by Michael Kranish was posted on the Washington Post website June 25, 2017:

One month before Election Day, Jared Kushner’s real estate company finalized a $285 million loan as part of a refinancing package for its property near Times Square in Manhattan.

The loan came at a critical moment. Kushner was playing a key role in the presidential campaign of his father-in-law, Donald Trump. The lender, Deutsche Bank, was negotiating to settle a federal mortgage fraud case and charges from New York state regulators that it aided a possible Russian money-laundering scheme. The cases were settled in December and January. Continue reading “Kushner firm’s $285 million Deutsche Bank loan came just before Election Day”

Who actually benefits from Trump’s celebrated stock market gains?

The following article by Philip Bump was posted on the Washington Post website June 20, 2017:

For President Trump, the performance of the stock markets since his election is a point of pride. Since he won in November, he’s mentioned the surging stock market a half-dozen times on Twitter. Before he won, “the world was gloomy,” but then there were “GAINS” and the market saw the “longest winning streak in decades.”

Which is true. While Trump and his team tend to cherry-pick the significance of the Dow depending on how it’s doing on any given day, there has been a surge since Nov. 8 — a surge that, last time we checked, was matched only by Herbert Hoover’s, shortly before the crash that led to the Great Depression.

But when considering that performance as a measure of success for the country, it’s important to remember one important point: Stock ownership in the United States isn’t uniform. Continue reading “Who actually benefits from Trump’s celebrated stock market gains?”

Trump seeks sharp cuts to housing aid, except for program that brings him millions

The following article by Shawn Boburg was posted on the Washington Post website June 20, 2017:

A building in Starrett City, the largest federally subsidized rental complex in the country, located in Brooklyn. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

President Trump’s budget calls for sharply reducing funding for programs that shelter the poor and combat homelessness — with a notable exception: It leaves intact a type of federal housing subsidy that is paid directly to private landlords.

One of those landlords is Trump himself, who earns millions of dollars each year as a part-owner of Starrett City, the nation’s largest subsidized housing complex. Trump’s 4 percent stake in the Brooklyn complex earned him at least $5 million between January of last year and April 15, according to his recent financial disclosure.

Trump’s business empire intersects with government in countless ways, from taxation to permitting to the issuing of patents, but the housing subsidy is one of the clearest examples of the conflicts experts have predicted. While there is no indication that Trump himself was involved in the decision, it is nonetheless a stark illustration of how his financial interests can directly rise or fall on the policies of his administration. Continue reading “Trump seeks sharp cuts to housing aid, except for program that brings him millions”

Trump’s pick for the No. 2 Pentagon job faces tough questions during confirmation hearing

The following article by Dan Lamothe was posted on the Washington Post website June 20, 2017:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) criticized Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan for not answering a question on the conflict in Ukraine during a Senate hearing on June 20. Shanahan has been nominated to be deputy defense secretary. (Senate Armed Services Committee)

President Trump’s choice to take the No. 2 job at the Pentagon had a rocky confirmation hearing Tuesday, with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) at one point threatening to withhold his nomination from a vote and other lawmakers questioning how he will overcome his lack of experience in the Defense Department.

Patrick M. Shanahan, a vice president at the aerospace company and defense contractor Boeing, who was nominated in March to be deputy defense secretary, also faced questions about how he would manage day-to-day operations in the Pentagon while recusing himself from all decisions with a tie to Boeing. Shanahan has worked for the defense behemoth since 1986, with stints overseeing civilian airliner programs and military equipment. Continue reading “Trump’s pick for the No. 2 Pentagon job faces tough questions during confirmation hearing”