President-elect Trump takes office again in just a few days. In our first package of 2025, we offer a few perspectives on his top priorities: An ugly immigration crackdown coupled with enormous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy.
“Trump campaigned on a promise to lower costs for Americans,” economist Lindsay Owens writes. “But so far, the GOP hasn’t proposed a single plan to do that. Instead, Republicans are laser-focused on passing another round of massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and corporations,” followed quickly by “draconian budget cuts for the programs Americans rely on.”
She concludes: “We need to make sure every single member of Congress understands that supporting Trump’s tax plans means turning their backs on working Americans.”
Meanwhile, Sulma Arias shares the story of how she arrived in this country as a 12 year-old, alone, afraid, and fleeing a civil war. For many immigrants, she writes, that hard-won security is under assault — and so are the civil liberties we all rely on. The only beneficiaries of the looming immigration crackdown, she writes, are private prison companies, who donated heavily to Trump and plan on raking in huge government contracts to incarcerate people just trying to seek safety and security.
What’s not on the agenda in Washington right now? Unfortunately, climate science — not even with the country’s most populous county, Los Angeles County, aflame.
Farrah Hassen reports from Southern California this week on the flames threatening the homes of her family and neighbors, explaining how climate change has made blazes like these more frequent and dangerous. We need real answers from our leaders on climate, she writes, and accountability for the fossil fuel corporations that fueled these disasters.
Trump plans sweeping assaults on immigrants, the tax code, the safety net, climate science, and more. But as I write, he’ll face strong headwinds from the American public. This week in OtherWords, I point to five signs that the new president may have a harder time implementing his agenda than he expects.
New This Week…
Trump Plans a Supersized Tax Giveaway for Corporations and the Wealthy | Lindsay Owens
Trump campaigned on lowering prices for Americans. Instead, his first priority is to cut taxes for billionaires — and then services for the rest of us.
The Winds of Climate Change Are Driving L.A.’s Fires | Farrah Hassen
The fires are yet another tragic reminder of how people and our planet pay the ultimate price for climate inaction.
Anti-Immigrant Legislation Doesn’t Serve Anyone But Prison Contractors | Sulma Arias
The Laken Riley Act is an assault on due process, undermining all of our rights to make for-profit prison CEOs richer.
Five Popular Checks on Trump’s Agenda | Peter Certo
As President Trump retakes office, here are some clear signs the public isn’t going to just roll over for his agenda.
In Case You Missed It…
Kill the ‘Nonprofit Killer’ Bill | Sonali Kolhatkar
We shouldn’t muzzle real people in favor of corporations.
Sweeps Don’t Solve Homelessness | Farrah Hassen
Instead, governments should prioritize safe, affordable, dignified, and permanent housing for all.
Bring Back Normalization With Cuba | Lissa Weinmann
President Trump’s decision to roll back our opening with Cuba was disastrous. As he takes office again, he should reconsider.
Trump Is Stocking His Administration with Self-Dealing Billionaires | Jim Hightower
Instead of corporate powers having to lobby regulators to get special favors, corporate officials will become the regulators.
