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Senator Schumer: Trump and Barr Threaten African American Gains Under Obamacare

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Schumer noted that African American gains under the health care legislation, commonly known as Obamacare, are threatened by Trump and Attorney General William Barr as the Justice Department has argued in federal court that the law is unconstitutional and should be struck down – “Not just vital insurance reforms like protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions, as they had first argued last year,” Schumer said.

Published

6 years ago

April 6, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

New York Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer has continued to call out President Donald Trump and his administration’s assault on the Affordable Care Act.

Schumer noted that African American gains under the health care legislation, commonly known as Obamacare, are threatened by Trump and Attorney General William Barr as the Justice Department has argued in federal court that the law is unconstitutional and should be struck down – “Not just vital insurance reforms like protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions, as they had first argued last year,” Schumer said.

By Monday, April 1, Trump appeared to back away from his push for a vote on an Obamacare replacement until after the 2020 elections, a move CNN said was bowing to the political reality that major health care legislation cannot pass in the current Congress.

Earlier, administration officials announced that they now agreed with a judge’s ruling that the entire Affordable Care Act should be scrapped.

The opinion was a dramatic reversal from the administration’s previous stance that only portions of the act could not be defended, CNN reported.

However, the president’s latest move allows him to wait on the issue as legal challenges against the health care law make their way through the federal court system.

If it’s ultimately overturned, Trump can claim he made good on a campaign promise in time for his 2020 re-election campaign – though he would then face the prospect of an estimated 20 million Americans losing their health insurance on his watch, with no Republican replacement in the legislative pipeline, according to a CNN analysis.

If it’s upheld – as it has been in previous Supreme Court challenges – Trump can rail against a ‘liberal’ court system.

Trump dialed back expectations that Republicans would be able to pass major health care legislation before the 2020 election, but his promise of a vote that would hinge on a Republican takeback of the House ensures nonetheless that health care will figure prominently in 2020.

That is a fight Republicans are wary to have after they suffered huge losses in 2018 congressional races in large part over the issue of health care, according to the analysis.

In the court battle, the appeals process will likely stretch into next year.

In a memo provided by Schumer’s office, the senator and Democrats noted that after the Trump administration and Republicans repeatedly have claimed that they are in favor of protecting people with pre-existing conditions, they essentially have crystallized their actual position: “They think health insurance coverage for nearly 20 million Americans, pre-existing condition protections and tax credits to afford health care, should be annihilated.”

Democrats are fighting against this new attack against President Obama’s legacy and working to provide better health care for communities that need it most, according to the memo.

“The Affordable Care Act and its protections are vital to African Americans across the United States in helping them have access to quality, affordable health care,” Schumer said.

“The African American community would be devastated if Republicans gut the backbone of our country’s health care system,” he said, according to the memo.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the African American uninsured rate dropped by more than a third since passage of the ACA. The same report also noted that African Americans have higher uninsured rates than Whites and Asians.

On top of this, Africans Americans are more likely to have a pre-existing condition, including high blood pressure and diabetes. Women of color will particularly be harmed if Republicans are successful in eliminating pre-existing condition protections.

Black women have increased rates of maternal mortality and higher rates of pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, asthma, hepatitis B, and HIV/AIDS, necessitating vital protections like those preventing discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.

The removal of these protections will make it harder for women of color to access affordable prenatal and postpartum care. “The contrast couldn’t be more stark,” Schumer noted.

“The Trump administration now is going after health care as we know it, which if successful would result in skyrocketing health care costs – including for prescription drugs, millions more uninsured, and vital health care protections eviscerated,” he said.

Schumer and the entire Democratic caucus have vowed instead to continue to fight for those with pre-existing conditions and to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health care.

“If the Trump administration has its way, it would raise health care costs, including prescription drugs, revoke coverage for millions who gained health care through Medicaid expansions, [and] strike pre-existing condition protections for hundreds of millions,” Schumer said on the Senate floor this week.

“Democrats will not stop fighting to protect health care for millions,” he said.

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Remembering George Floyd

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4 days ago

May 25, 2025

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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.