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AARP Pushes Back as Social Security Administration Slashes Services and Staff

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — AARP warned that the SSA’s abrupt changes could also heighten the risk of fraud. “While this was announced to combat fraud, we are concerned this will have the opposite effect,”

Published

2 months ago

March 27, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is moving forward with a sweeping overhaul of its operations, including plans to slash its workforce by 12 percent, shut down six regional field offices, and eliminate key phone services—changes that have sparked fierce opposition from AARP and alarmed millions of older Americans. Beginning March 31, the SSA will require that individuals applying for or managing their Social Security benefits confirm their identity online or in person at a local office, effectively ending the ability to complete specific critical tasks by phone. The new rule impacts retirement, disability, and other benefit applications and alters how individuals change their direct deposit information. Acting SSA Commissioner Lee Dudek said the move is designed to combat a surge in fraud, stating, “Social Security is losing over $100 million a year to direct-deposit fraud.”

However, the shift has drawn sharp criticism from AARP, which represents more than 100 million Americans over age 50. In a March 19 letter to Dudek, AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond wrote that requiring in-person verification or internet access will create “undue hardship” for millions, particularly those in rural areas, without reliable transportation, or who lack internet access. She called on the SSA to immediately reverse a “rash decision.” “It is outrageous that under this new policy, older Americans will have to call, wait on hold for possibly hours, make an appointment, or even take a day off work to claim the benefits they have earned,” LeaMond wrote. “There is nothing ‘efficient’ about creating more confusion and disrupting the lives of millions of hardworking American taxpayers with such short notice and no input from the public”.

LeaMond and AARP argue that this change—announced only two weeks before implementation—compounds an existing customer service crisis. SSA is already plagued by long phone wait times, with more than half of callers reportedly hanging up before reaching a representative. Those who do get through often face callback delays of two hours or more. The SSA’s restructuring plan includes cutting its workforce from 57,000 to 50,000 and reducing its number of field offices from 10 to just four. AARP says these actions will worsen already deteriorating services. “Older Americans have paid into and earned their Social Security after a lifetime of hard work—not just their checks, but top-notch customer service as well,” LeaMond wrote.

The organization has sent letters to both chambers of Congress, urging immediate oversight. In letters dated March 24 to the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, LeaMond asked lawmakers to hold hearings and intervene to stop the changes before they cause what she termed “serious harm”. “These abrupt changes, made with no public input or adequate notice, will force many Americans—especially those in rural areas or without internet access—to wait on hold for hours, make appointments, or take time off work simply to access their earned benefits,” she wrote. “This is unacceptable.”

AARP has mobilized its vast membership in response, with over a million emails and calls to Congress in the past few weeks. The group has adopted what it describes as an “all-hands-on-deck” strategy, engaging directly with SSA leadership, educating lawmakers, and urging the public to act. John Hishta, AARP’s senior vice president of campaigns, said the organization is determined to protect Social Security for current and future generations. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that older Americans continue to see no disruption in their payments and receive the information they need to stay informed and take action on changes at SSA,” he said.

AARP warned that the SSA’s abrupt changes could also heighten the risk of fraud. “While this was announced to combat fraud, we are concerned this will have the opposite effect,” LeaMond wrote in her letter to Dudek. Without a proper education campaign, scammers may exploit the confusion, using fake verification processes to steal personal data and drain bank accounts. The SSA has not publicly detailed how it plans to mitigate the risk of fraud or assist those unable to verify their identity online or reach a field office. AARP is calling on Congress to act before the March 31 implementation date, urging lawmakers to ensure that changes to Social Security service delivery come with transparency, sufficient notice, and public engagement. “We urge the agency to reverse this decision, or for Congress to step in and stand up for older Americans everywhere,” LeaMond said.

Stacy M. Brown

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Remembering George Floyd

Published

4 days ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Published

5 days ago

May 23, 2025

Oakland Post

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

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Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

Published

6 days ago

May 23, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”

Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.

The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”

Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.