Laura US/PA
@bena19891212.bsky.social
An adventurous ski enthusiast, a loyal dog companion and an avid bookworm. While pursuing extreme sports, her also likes to explore new horizons in the world of books⛷️
Reposted by Laura US/PA
If you haven’t already, please consider following @inequalitymedia.bsky.social and @imcivicaction.bsky.social — organizations I co-founded to help counter myths and disinformation about the economy and politics.
I expect our team to be posting here more actively in the coming months.
I expect our team to be posting here more actively in the coming months.
November 12, 2024 at 7:45 PM
If you haven’t already, please consider following @inequalitymedia.bsky.social and @imcivicaction.bsky.social — organizations I co-founded to help counter myths and disinformation about the economy and politics.
I expect our team to be posting here more actively in the coming months.
I expect our team to be posting here more actively in the coming months.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
Now seems like a good time to remind you that the Pentagon just failed its seventh consecutive annual audit.
'Humiliated': Pentagon fails 7th audit in a row
The DOD has never passed the fiscal test, but has plenty of excuses as to why.
responsiblestatecraft.org
December 7, 2024 at 9:00 PM
Now seems like a good time to remind you that the Pentagon just failed its seventh consecutive annual audit.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
How much can Democrats do before they lose power? And how aggressively will they defend our rights and our democracy once Trump takes office in January?
December 7, 2024 at 8:01 PM
How much can Democrats do before they lose power? And how aggressively will they defend our rights and our democracy once Trump takes office in January?
Reposted by Laura US/PA
DOGE has suggested gutting govt agencies that protect us from financial fraud — other key agencies will surely be on the chopping block.
And when there’s no other place to find anything close to the $2 trillion that DOGE wants to cut, Social Security will be next.
Be warned.
And when there’s no other place to find anything close to the $2 trillion that DOGE wants to cut, Social Security will be next.
Be warned.
Elon Musk wants to ‘delete’ federal financial watchdog as ‘DOGE’ begins work
“Delete CFPB,” Elon Musk, the billionaire tech executive running the “Department of Government Efficiency,” said in an early-morning post on X.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 7, 2024 at 7:00 PM
DOGE has suggested gutting govt agencies that protect us from financial fraud — other key agencies will surely be on the chopping block.
And when there’s no other place to find anything close to the $2 trillion that DOGE wants to cut, Social Security will be next.
Be warned.
And when there’s no other place to find anything close to the $2 trillion that DOGE wants to cut, Social Security will be next.
Be warned.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
Trickle down economics has been nothing short of a disaster.
Get our union-printed shirt now and help me and @inequalitymedia.bsky.social get out the truth about this economic scam.
Get our union-printed shirt now and help me and @inequalitymedia.bsky.social get out the truth about this economic scam.
"Trickle Down Economics" Unisex Short-Sleeve T-Shirt With Logo on Sleeve - Inequality Media
inequalitymedia.goodstockcompany.com
December 7, 2024 at 5:00 PM
Trickle down economics has been nothing short of a disaster.
Get our union-printed shirt now and help me and @inequalitymedia.bsky.social get out the truth about this economic scam.
Get our union-printed shirt now and help me and @inequalitymedia.bsky.social get out the truth about this economic scam.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
How many more billionaires will join Trump's cabinet?
Should the presidential pardon be reformed?
Can America's broken healthcare system be fixed?
And what could Biden and Senate Democrats still do before the lame-duck clock runs out?
We discuss all this and more on the Saturday Coffee Klatch.
Should the presidential pardon be reformed?
Can America's broken healthcare system be fixed?
And what could Biden and Senate Democrats still do before the lame-duck clock runs out?
We discuss all this and more on the Saturday Coffee Klatch.
Rage Against the Machine | The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich
How many more billionaires will join Trump's cabinet?Should the presidential pardon be reformed?Can America's broken healthcare system be fixed?And what coul...
youtu.be
December 7, 2024 at 2:00 PM
How many more billionaires will join Trump's cabinet?
Should the presidential pardon be reformed?
Can America's broken healthcare system be fixed?
And what could Biden and Senate Democrats still do before the lame-duck clock runs out?
We discuss all this and more on the Saturday Coffee Klatch.
Should the presidential pardon be reformed?
Can America's broken healthcare system be fixed?
And what could Biden and Senate Democrats still do before the lame-duck clock runs out?
We discuss all this and more on the Saturday Coffee Klatch.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
The media has it all wrong about Trump’s "loyalist" picks for his administration.
They're not loyalists — they're subservient hacks. There's a crucial difference.
My latest for The Guardian.
They're not loyalists — they're subservient hacks. There's a crucial difference.
My latest for The Guardian.
Trump’s cabinet picks aren’t just ‘loyalists’. They’re groveling, subservient yes-men | Robert Reich
All of Trump’s nominees are unprincipled enablers who are unlikely to push back when he makes reckless decisions
www.theguardian.com
December 7, 2024 at 1:40 AM
The media has it all wrong about Trump’s "loyalist" picks for his administration.
They're not loyalists — they're subservient hacks. There's a crucial difference.
My latest for The Guardian.
They're not loyalists — they're subservient hacks. There's a crucial difference.
My latest for The Guardian.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
Reminder: This vast consolidation of wealth and power at the top has not been due to neutral market forces.
There’s no such thing as a “free market.”
It is designed.
It either advances public purposes or it serves the monied interests.
There’s no such thing as a “free market.”
It is designed.
It either advances public purposes or it serves the monied interests.
December 7, 2024 at 12:30 AM
Reminder: This vast consolidation of wealth and power at the top has not been due to neutral market forces.
There’s no such thing as a “free market.”
It is designed.
It either advances public purposes or it serves the monied interests.
There’s no such thing as a “free market.”
It is designed.
It either advances public purposes or it serves the monied interests.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
In case you missed it, a Wisconsin judge this week struck down former Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10 law.
The move will restore public sector workers' collective bargaining rights.
This is a moment of celebration and hope in these troubled times.
The move will restore public sector workers' collective bargaining rights.
This is a moment of celebration and hope in these troubled times.
Dane County judge strikes down Act 10, restoring public employee union bargaining rights
Public employee collective bargaining rights have been restored by a Dane County judge, who ruled that several sections of Wisconsin's controversial law known as Act 10 are unconstitutional.
www.wpr.org
December 6, 2024 at 11:30 PM
In case you missed it, a Wisconsin judge this week struck down former Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10 law.
The move will restore public sector workers' collective bargaining rights.
This is a moment of celebration and hope in these troubled times.
The move will restore public sector workers' collective bargaining rights.
This is a moment of celebration and hope in these troubled times.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
According to the CBO, extending Trump's tax cuts for the rich would shrink the economy over the long run.
Extending the cuts would also increase the deficit by $4.6 trillion and be used by Republicans as an excuse to gut programs millions rely on.
It's reverse Robin Hood.
Extending the cuts would also increase the deficit by $4.6 trillion and be used by Republicans as an excuse to gut programs millions rely on.
It's reverse Robin Hood.
Extending Trump’s Tax Cuts for the Wealthy Will Shrink the Economy, CBO Finds | U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget
The Official U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget
www.budget.senate.gov
December 6, 2024 at 10:30 PM
According to the CBO, extending Trump's tax cuts for the rich would shrink the economy over the long run.
Extending the cuts would also increase the deficit by $4.6 trillion and be used by Republicans as an excuse to gut programs millions rely on.
It's reverse Robin Hood.
Extending the cuts would also increase the deficit by $4.6 trillion and be used by Republicans as an excuse to gut programs millions rely on.
It's reverse Robin Hood.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
With additional funding, the IRS has cracked down on wealthy tax evaders, improved customer service, and launched a free tax filing program.
Who did Trump pick to lead the agency?
A former House rep who sponsored legislation to dismantle it.
Hello?
Who did Trump pick to lead the agency?
A former House rep who sponsored legislation to dismantle it.
Hello?
Trump Pick to Lead IRS Signals 'Open Season for Tax Cheats' | Common Dreams
Trump's pick to lead the IRS, Billy Long, lacks experience and has a history of pushing to dismantle the agency. This appointment could lead to longer wait times, a more complicated tax process, and…
www.commondreams.org
December 6, 2024 at 8:28 PM
With additional funding, the IRS has cracked down on wealthy tax evaders, improved customer service, and launched a free tax filing program.
Who did Trump pick to lead the agency?
A former House rep who sponsored legislation to dismantle it.
Hello?
Who did Trump pick to lead the agency?
A former House rep who sponsored legislation to dismantle it.
Hello?
Reposted by Laura US/PA
In the next month, Biden and Dems can...
-Keep filling federal judicial vacancies
-Ensure a pro-worker majority on the NLRB
-Appoint key regulators to the SEC and FDIC
-Renominate Lina Khan to the FTC
And much, much more...
Get it done.
-Keep filling federal judicial vacancies
-Ensure a pro-worker majority on the NLRB
-Appoint key regulators to the SEC and FDIC
-Renominate Lina Khan to the FTC
And much, much more...
Get it done.
How “Y.O.L.O. Joe” Can Beat The Lame Duck
Here is what Democrats could actually achieve in the months before Trump takes office.
www.levernews.com
December 6, 2024 at 7:30 PM
In the next month, Biden and Dems can...
-Keep filling federal judicial vacancies
-Ensure a pro-worker majority on the NLRB
-Appoint key regulators to the SEC and FDIC
-Renominate Lina Khan to the FTC
And much, much more...
Get it done.
-Keep filling federal judicial vacancies
-Ensure a pro-worker majority on the NLRB
-Appoint key regulators to the SEC and FDIC
-Renominate Lina Khan to the FTC
And much, much more...
Get it done.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
Trump's cabinet picks are united in denying the climate crisis.
The consequences of climate denial — including on agriculture, infrastructure, and human health — will cost our planet up to $3.1 trillion a year by 2050.
Do they have another planet to live on?
The consequences of climate denial — including on agriculture, infrastructure, and human health — will cost our planet up to $3.1 trillion a year by 2050.
Do they have another planet to live on?
Climate denial a unifying theme of Trump’s cabinet picks, experts say
Loyalists selected for important roles have offered staunch support to fossil fuels and downplayed climate crisis
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Trump's cabinet picks are united in denying the climate crisis.
The consequences of climate denial — including on agriculture, infrastructure, and human health — will cost our planet up to $3.1 trillion a year by 2050.
Do they have another planet to live on?
The consequences of climate denial — including on agriculture, infrastructure, and human health — will cost our planet up to $3.1 trillion a year by 2050.
Do they have another planet to live on?
Reposted by Laura US/PA
American, Delta, United, Frontier and Spirit collected more than $3 billion in seat fees in 2023.
It's time to ban these wicked junk fees.
Everyone deserves the chance to fly — without being ripped off.
It's time to ban these wicked junk fees.
Everyone deserves the chance to fly — without being ripped off.
Why Does Flying Suck so Much? | Robert Reich
YouTube video by Robert Reich
www.youtube.com
December 6, 2024 at 6:26 PM
American, Delta, United, Frontier and Spirit collected more than $3 billion in seat fees in 2023.
It's time to ban these wicked junk fees.
Everyone deserves the chance to fly — without being ripped off.
It's time to ban these wicked junk fees.
Everyone deserves the chance to fly — without being ripped off.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
What happens when we refuse to allow Trump’s lackeys to wreak revenge on his political enemies who live within our states and communities?
Will our resistance give Trump an excuse to use force against us?
Will our resistance give Trump an excuse to use force against us?
How Trump could bring on a second civil war
With his plans to use the military to root out undocumented immigrants and to use the Justice Department and FBI to punish his political enemies
robertreich.substack.com
December 6, 2024 at 6:24 PM
What happens when we refuse to allow Trump’s lackeys to wreak revenge on his political enemies who live within our states and communities?
Will our resistance give Trump an excuse to use force against us?
Will our resistance give Trump an excuse to use force against us?
Reposted by Laura US/PA
Reposted by Laura US/PA
The world’s richest 1% have more wealth than the bottom 95% put together, according to Oxfam.
There is no moral justification for this extraordinary level of inequality.
It's distorting politics, rigging our markets, and granting unprecedented power to a handful of people.
There is no moral justification for this extraordinary level of inequality.
It's distorting politics, rigging our markets, and granting unprecedented power to a handful of people.
World’s top 1% own more wealth than 95% of humanity, as “the shadow of global oligarchy hangs over UN General Assembly,” says Oxfam | Oxfam International
www.oxfam.org
December 4, 2024 at 10:11 PM
The world’s richest 1% have more wealth than the bottom 95% put together, according to Oxfam.
There is no moral justification for this extraordinary level of inequality.
It's distorting politics, rigging our markets, and granting unprecedented power to a handful of people.
There is no moral justification for this extraordinary level of inequality.
It's distorting politics, rigging our markets, and granting unprecedented power to a handful of people.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
Trump’s chief of staff was a corporate lobbyist.
His pick for transportation secretary lobbied for airlines.
The richest person in the world and another billionaire will run a new department of “efficiency.”
They’re telling us exactly who they will work for.
His pick for transportation secretary lobbied for airlines.
The richest person in the world and another billionaire will run a new department of “efficiency.”
They’re telling us exactly who they will work for.
Trump at the Lobbyist Trough
The unifying thread of the team around the president is that they sell their services to corporations for money.
prospect.org
December 3, 2024 at 8:15 PM
Trump’s chief of staff was a corporate lobbyist.
His pick for transportation secretary lobbied for airlines.
The richest person in the world and another billionaire will run a new department of “efficiency.”
They’re telling us exactly who they will work for.
His pick for transportation secretary lobbied for airlines.
The richest person in the world and another billionaire will run a new department of “efficiency.”
They’re telling us exactly who they will work for.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
As a former trustee of Social Security, I'm worried the program is in danger of running dry. Why?
As the rich have gotten richer, more of their income has escaped the cap on the SS payroll tax.
We can fix this by scrapping the cap. Watch.
As the rich have gotten richer, more of their income has escaped the cap on the SS payroll tax.
We can fix this by scrapping the cap. Watch.
How the Super Rich Are Killing Social Security | Robert Reich
Social Security taxes are rigged for the rich — and the program is in danger because of it.A CEO earning $20M/yr pays Social Security taxes on ~1% of their i...
www.youtube.com
December 4, 2024 at 1:00 AM
As a former trustee of Social Security, I'm worried the program is in danger of running dry. Why?
As the rich have gotten richer, more of their income has escaped the cap on the SS payroll tax.
We can fix this by scrapping the cap. Watch.
As the rich have gotten richer, more of their income has escaped the cap on the SS payroll tax.
We can fix this by scrapping the cap. Watch.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
Noncompete clauses trap workers in jobs and make it harder for them to get better pay.
It was a Trump-appointed judge who initially halted the FTC's ban after business groups (including Trump's tax adviser) sued to stop it.
The Trump Admin is now expected to kill the ban.
It was a Trump-appointed judge who initially halted the FTC's ban after business groups (including Trump's tax adviser) sued to stop it.
The Trump Admin is now expected to kill the ban.
December 4, 2024 at 12:00 AM
Noncompete clauses trap workers in jobs and make it harder for them to get better pay.
It was a Trump-appointed judge who initially halted the FTC's ban after business groups (including Trump's tax adviser) sued to stop it.
The Trump Admin is now expected to kill the ban.
It was a Trump-appointed judge who initially halted the FTC's ban after business groups (including Trump's tax adviser) sued to stop it.
The Trump Admin is now expected to kill the ban.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
Trump will try to take credit for the massive investments made in manufacturing/tech under Biden and the Democrats.
It's just like how he took credit for the economy he inherited from Obama.
Do not let him get away with it.
It's just like how he took credit for the economy he inherited from Obama.
Do not let him get away with it.
December 3, 2024 at 10:00 PM
Trump will try to take credit for the massive investments made in manufacturing/tech under Biden and the Democrats.
It's just like how he took credit for the economy he inherited from Obama.
Do not let him get away with it.
It's just like how he took credit for the economy he inherited from Obama.
Do not let him get away with it.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
SCOTUS announced in 2023 that it would adopt a new code of ethics.
But new reporting found that most of the conservative justices didn't want it to be enforceable.
The code also doesn't include firm restrictions on gifts, travel, or real estate deals.
Some ethics code, huh?
But new reporting found that most of the conservative justices didn't want it to be enforceable.
The code also doesn't include firm restrictions on gifts, travel, or real estate deals.
Some ethics code, huh?
Inside the Supreme Court Justices’ Ethics Debate
In private meetings and memos, the justices made new rules for themselves — then split on whether they could, or should, be enforced.
www.nytimes.com
December 3, 2024 at 5:52 PM
SCOTUS announced in 2023 that it would adopt a new code of ethics.
But new reporting found that most of the conservative justices didn't want it to be enforceable.
The code also doesn't include firm restrictions on gifts, travel, or real estate deals.
Some ethics code, huh?
But new reporting found that most of the conservative justices didn't want it to be enforceable.
The code also doesn't include firm restrictions on gifts, travel, or real estate deals.
Some ethics code, huh?
Reposted by Laura US/PA
The pardoning power was never supposed to be a means for presidents to put themselves, their families, members of their administration, and campaign staff above the law. Yet that’s precisely what it has become.
Pardon me
President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter is understandable, but it inadvertently gives Trump ammunition
robertreich.substack.com
December 3, 2024 at 5:30 PM
The pardoning power was never supposed to be a means for presidents to put themselves, their families, members of their administration, and campaign staff above the law. Yet that’s precisely what it has become.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
🚨🚨🚨
Last night, Sen. Mike Lee wrote a blueprint for destroying Social Security.
Lee’s thread was quickly amplified by Elon Musk, who Donald Trump has put in charge of slashing our earned benefits.
This is a declaration of war against seniors, people with disabilities, and the American public.
Last night, Sen. Mike Lee wrote a blueprint for destroying Social Security.
Lee’s thread was quickly amplified by Elon Musk, who Donald Trump has put in charge of slashing our earned benefits.
This is a declaration of war against seniors, people with disabilities, and the American public.
December 3, 2024 at 2:47 PM
🚨🚨🚨
Last night, Sen. Mike Lee wrote a blueprint for destroying Social Security.
Lee’s thread was quickly amplified by Elon Musk, who Donald Trump has put in charge of slashing our earned benefits.
This is a declaration of war against seniors, people with disabilities, and the American public.
Last night, Sen. Mike Lee wrote a blueprint for destroying Social Security.
Lee’s thread was quickly amplified by Elon Musk, who Donald Trump has put in charge of slashing our earned benefits.
This is a declaration of war against seniors, people with disabilities, and the American public.
Reposted by Laura US/PA
Ignore the pundits saying that Democrats need to move further right to win.
The only lesson from 2024 the Democratic Party should heed is that fighting inequality is good policy and good politics.
The only lesson from 2024 the Democratic Party should heed is that fighting inequality is good policy and good politics.
Why Trump Won | Robert Reich
YouTube video by Robert Reich
www.youtube.com
December 3, 2024 at 4:29 PM
Ignore the pundits saying that Democrats need to move further right to win.
The only lesson from 2024 the Democratic Party should heed is that fighting inequality is good policy and good politics.
The only lesson from 2024 the Democratic Party should heed is that fighting inequality is good policy and good politics.