Dan Rather: Have We Reached The Tipping Point?

The president has stooped to using hunger as a political gambit

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	Have We Reached The Tipping Point? The president has stooped to using hunger as a political gambit Dan Rather and Team Steady Oct 30   READ IN APP   A person receiving groceries at a Miami food bank. Credit: Getty Images While there are seemingly no winners when the government shuts down, this time around, millions of Americans are losing big… losing food, losing paychecks, losing benefits, losing security, and losing hope. They are pawns in a game of political brinksmanship. You can't even label them collateral damage because that would imply that what is happening to them is unintentional. It is not. The president fully intends to inflict harm on tens of millions of Americans to notch a win. The Hungry Nearly 42 million Americans receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Originally called food stamps, it's a program that's been around for decades. I was covering the White House in 1964 when President Lyndon Johnson signed the measure into law as part of the War on Poverty. Last week, the Department of Agriculture said it will withhold money earmarked by Congress to pay for SNAP during the shutdown, the first time emergency funds have not been released in such a case. Even though the USDA is legally required to fund the program, the president is holding the money hostage. You are reading that correctly. He is withholding food assistance from some of the most vulnerable Americans, more than 16 million of whom are children, in a political ploy to push the Democrats to fold. One of those Democrats, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, called him out. "This is perhaps the most cruel and unlawful offense the Trump administration has perpetrated yet — freezing funding already enacted into law to feed hungry Americans while he shovels tens of billions of dollars out the door to Argentina and into his ballroom," she said. Democratic Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow did not hold back when encouraging her fellow senators to vote to temporarily fund SNAP. "The Trump administration and the Republicans supporting him are using food as a political weapon. This is a choice… They are choosing to let children go hungry. We will not stand for that choice," she said. Share Even if state governments like Michigan's have the money to fund the program for the duration of the shutdown, the USDA has said they will not be reimbursed. An end to the shutdown won't even mean a return to normal funding levels for SNAP. The $186 billion cut to SNAP, outlined in the president's July spending bill, will go into effect as soon as the government reopens. For many households, SNAP is not a cushion, it's a lifeline. When that lifeline is cut, the ripple effects can be immediate and profound. And it's not just low-income families at risk, the knock-on effect of canceled or reduced benefits could echo throughout the economy. SNAP dollars help feed more than 40 million people, which in turn supports farmers, truck drivers, and grocery store workers. When those funds stop flowing, small businesses in low-income neighborhoods often take the first hit. Twenty-three Democratic state attorneys general have sued the USDA to release the money. On Thursday, the U.S. District Court judge hearing the case said she will likely order the administration to send the emergency SNAP funds to the states, which administer the program. The contingency funding is enough to keep the program solvent for two and a half weeks, but getting the money to recipients will take a few days. Federal Workers 730,000 federal employees are working without pay, and an additional 670,000 have been furloughed without pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Normally, they all would receive back pay when the shutdown inevitably ends. But as we know, there is nothing normal about this administration. The president has said that federal workers may not get back pay, even though, by law, that is not his call to make. Some cherry-picked segments of the federal workforce are getting paid: active duty military, immigration enforcement agents, and other law enforcement agents. Billionaire and Trump financial backer Timothy Mellon has donated $130 million to the federal government — apparently, a new Trump loyalty test — to pay the 1.3 million members of the military. That sounds like and is a lot of money, but it works out to just $100 per service member. So what is Mellon hoping to get for his largess other than some positive press? And of course, members of Congress are still getting a paycheck, even though the House hasn't been in session since Speaker Mike Johnson, who earns $223,500 a year, sent them home weeks ago. Things are becoming dire for the federal employees, who have now gone without a paycheck for a month. Eligibility for assistance like unemployment is not guaranteed and varies by state. In communities with large federal workforces, food banks have been hastily set up. Airlines have started buying lunch for air traffic controllers, who are working without a paycheck. In California, the governor has deployed the National Guard to help food banks as they brace for increased demand. Anyone With Health Insurance The fight over extending Covid-era subsidies for Obamacare is shining a spotlight on a growing problem: the staggeringly high cost of health insurance in America. The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the developed world and the only country without universal healthcare, according to the World Health Organization. Employer-provided insurance is the most popular, covering 154 million, or 54% of people with insurance. Public insurance, which includes Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Health Care, accounts for about 36%. Ten percent get insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Eight percent of Americans are uninsured, an historic low. If federal subsidies for insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act are not extended, premiums will skyrocket, in some cases doubling, even tripling. But the elimination of subsidies is only part of the reason for the rise in premiums. Anyone who pays for health insurance in America will see premiums jump in 2026. The increase, the biggest in 15 years, is expected to be as high as 9% in some cases, according to Mercer, a benefits consultancy. An analysis by the Los Angeles Times found that because of the increases, insurance for a family of four in 2026 will cost $27,000, or the price of a new Toyota Corolla. Higher premiums will mean some people will either opt for cheaper coverage or no coverage at all, driving up premiums even further. The White House refuses to come to the negotiating table unless Democrats agree to open the government first. Someone might want to tell the president that's not how negotiating works. Meanwhile, he and his posse of congressional enablers are losing the battle of public opinion. In a new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, 45% of respondents blame the president and the Republicans, while 33% blame Democrats. We are beyond finger pointing. In these trying times, those looking for something positive to do, here's a way. Consider donating to your local food pantry or volunteering with an organization like Feeding America or Meals on Wheels. If you need assistance the Feeding America website allows you to search for local food banks. Good-hearted Americans will continue to step up. What should not get lost in all the scare tactics and the political paralysis in Washington is that tens of millions of people go hungry every day in America, the richest country in the world. And that is before the shutdown and callous political maneuvering. The small help some of them get, an average of $190 a month, is being weaponized by a billionaire. Steady is free, but we'd appreciate it if you would consider joining as a paid subscriber. That helps us maintain Steady and continue to make it available for everyone. Subscribed No matter how you subscribe, I thank you for reading. Stay Steady, Dan © 2025 Dan Rather 3939 Bee Cave Rd., Bldg. C-100, Austin, Texas 78746

Watch "US Department of Education Budget and Impact of Spending Cuts" on YouTube (video)

Steve Ballmer, USA Facts with another brief video on US Education funding

Video link -> https://youtu.be/Bl1HRu18X0Y

Media Nation: "Adopt A Station is an ingenious effort to help at-risk public radio outlets"

This is ingenious. On Monday, Media Nation commenter Steve Stein asked:

"The $1.1B cut to public broadcasting is less than $10 per taxpayer. (BTW, is that PER YEAR or over 10 years?) [Congress rescinded spending that had been approved over the next two years.]

I plan on upping my yearly pledge to public radio in some form. Should I up my pledge to WHYY? Would that help the situation nationally? (My guess is WHYY is doing very well compared to, say, WYSO in Yellow Springs OH) Do you think there will be a mechanism from NPR or CPB that could funnel money from the bigger stations to the rural stations that will bear the brunt of cuts?"

Later that day, Nieman Lab mentioned a tool called Adopt A Station. You call up the public radio stations in your state (or in any state), and you are shown a station in another part of the country that’s losing more than 50% of its funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, whose funding was eliminated by Donald Trump and the Republican Congress. Overall, local public radio stations are losing $350 million in federal funding in each of the next two years.

If you call up Pennsylvania in Adopt A Station, you’ll see that Steve’s station, Philadelphia-based WHYY, is losing just 2% of its funding. But Adopt A Station suggests that he consider supporting not just WHYY but also WRVS in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, which is losing 71% of its funding. Elizabeth City is located in the northeast corner of the state, about 45 miles south of Norfolk Virginia.

Continue to read the article ->

https://dankennedy.net/2025/07/22/adopt-a-station-is-an-ingenious-effort-to-help-at-risk-public-radio-stations/

Follow the link to chose to Adopt a Station -> https://adoptastation.org/

Note: Franklin TV does not receive Federal funding so we are not on the listing. However, we are a 501(c)3 charitable organization and can accept contributions. 

Adopt a Station -> https://adoptastation.org/

NY Times: "A New Era of Hunger Has Begun"

By Tracy Kidder:

NY Times: "A New Era of Hunger Has Begun"

"Parts of Easthampton, an old mill town in western Massachusetts, look like relics of industrial New England — the old workers’ rowhouses, for instance. In other parts, it seems like a place in renaissance, with converted factory buildings spruced up and reinhabited by art galleries, restaurants, shops. Pedestrians fill the sidewalks on Friday and Saturday nights, especially during monthly art walk evenings. But on Monday mornings, when the downtown feels shuttered, another sort of crowd, one in search of food, not art and entertainment, gathers on a side street outside a 19th-century brick building. A sign out front identifies it as the Easthampton Community Center and Food Pantry.

The center distributes free groceries on Mondays and Wednesdays, but Monday is usually busier, because many people it serves have run out of food by then. By 9 a.m. on a Monday in June, a line of people with shopping bags extended from the sidewalk across the parking lot to the first of the food stations alongside the old building. There, clients are greeted by volunteers with friendly faces and helpful voices, offering milk and eggs, a selection of breads and pastries, frozen meat, fruit and vegetables. Inside, another team of volunteers assembles bags of canned and packaged food, some for adults, others for children."

Gift article link -> https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/opinion/america-safety-net.html?unlocked_article_code=1.WU8.7Ufx.sJO5TyPQMr2k&smid=url-share

Federal funding by state (chart)

Who really depends on Washington?

Source: Visual Capitalist

https://www.voronoiapp.com/economy/Visualized-Which-US-States-Need-the-Federal-Government-the-Most-5485

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners attempts to deal with Federal funding cuts

On March 14, 2025 President Trump signed Executive Order 14238 eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law." IMLS is the single largest source of critical federal funding for libraries. Through IMLS' Grants to States Program, for FY2025 the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) was allocated $3.6 million to support statewide library services and grants to local libraries. In the weeks that followed the executive order, IMLS staff were placed on administrative leave and in the President’s FY2026 budget, IMLS is eliminated (pg. 39 under Small Agency Eliminations).

At the annual Massachusetts Library Association conference, MBLC Director Maureen Amyot addressed the impact of ongoing federal uncertainty caused by the executive order and spoke about the MBLC’s efforts to preserve as many federally funded statewide services as possible. Director Amyot announced the FY2026 plan for statewide research databases, the statewide eBook program, and the Commonwealth Catalog.

"The federal impact cannot be overstated. In Massachusetts, over 1,600 school, public, academic and special libraries from across the state benefit from federal IMLS funding. Millions of people rely on federally funded library services,” she said. "Developing a plan for services in an environment of almost daily federal change has been challenging, but our goal has remained constant: to maintain services that are integral to the functioning of our system and heavily relied on by the people of the Commonwealth."

Starting on July 1, 2025, statewide research database offerings will be significantly reduced. However, the MBLC and the Massachusetts Library System (MLS), which jointly fund databases, will maintain several of the most heavily used. The MBLC spends close to $2.2 million of its federal allocation to fund statewide research databases, an amount that cannot be made up in state funding. For FY2026, the eBook content grant to Networks from MBLC’s state line 9506 will likely be funded at $500,000*, which will allow for $500,000 funding in that line to go towards databases. MLS will increase its support for databases by $18,575 to a total of $670,575. Overall, combined database funding from MBLC and MLS will go from $2.8 million to $1.17 million.

"The President has determined that the Institute of Museum and Library Services is 'unnecessary.' But we know the opposite to be true. We know that welcoming ALL, including diverse voices in our collections, and providing free and equitable access to library services make public libraries the cornerstone of a free democratic society,” said Director Amyot. "Libraries change people’s lives. That’s why these reductions in critical library services hurt. But we’re in this for the long game and in the year ahead we’ll continue to work with local, state and federal partners to stabilize library funding and services."

Databases provide every Massachusetts resident with trustworthy online content covering topics such as science, health, history, biographies and more. Last year, there were over 9 million full text downloads from research databases, an increase of 12% in just one year. Sixty percent of database usage comes from schools. The chart below details which databases will be available as of July 1, 2025.

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners attempts to deal with Federal funding cuts

Continue reading the press release -> https://mblc.state.ma.us/news/news-releases/2025/nr250520.php

NYTimes.com: Trump Cuts Threaten Agency Running Meals on Wheels

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.

"Trump Cuts Threaten Agency Running Meals on Wheels"

"A tiny division responsible for overseeing services for people with disabilities and older Americans is being dismantled as part of an overhaul by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary."

Read via gift link -> https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/24/health/meals-on-wheels-disabilities-aging-trump-cutbacks.html?unlocked_article_code=1.CE8.z03l.JCasR85eWVKx&smid=em-share 

NYTimes.com: Trump Cuts Threaten Agency Running Meals on Wheels

MASSter List: "Federal funding for libraries at risk, forcing tough decisions at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners"

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has already made cuts following a Trump administration executive order attempting to shrink the agency that provides the single largest source of federal funding for libraries nationwide. The $3.6 million the MBLC receives annually from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences is at risk, according to Director Maureen Amyot — a chunk of money she said might seem small, but is essential for Massachusetts libraries to fully operate.   Amyot and her colleagues anticipate that a funding rescission is en route, as has already happened in states including Washington, California and Connecticut. Memos sent in March put IMLS staff on leave and slotted a May 4 agency-wide reduction in force. Without IMLS staff to administer the funding that goes to states, reimbursement is uncertain, Amyot said. MBLC had to make preliminary spending cuts to get through fiscal 2025 as a result, including grants that enable libraries to offer English as a second language services, citizenship classes, and efforts to preserve historic materials.  "We cannot expend funds that would be reimbursed by IMLS unless and until we are assured that IMLS and the Grants to States Program is staffed and operating, and that reimbursements for the program are being processed," Amyot told MASSterList.  Turning to fiscal 2026: the ability for MBLC to support all existing library programs could rely on how much it receives in the state budget — the agency can't absorb all federal costs, Amyot said. Aside from specific municipal grants, MBLC spends its federal money in a few buckets, including on subscriptions to statewide databases used in K-12 schools, universities and public libraries; an interlibrary loan system; a statewide eBook and audiobook program; and the full or partial salaries of 13 of the board's 23 staff.  "We can't function as an agency with any less staff than we have now," Amyot said. "The staff are our services — without staff, we cannot provide services to the libraries that we are statutorily required to provide." The AG is already at it: Attorney General Andrea Campbell joined AGs from at least 19 other states in suing the Trump Administration for attempting to shrink multiple federal agencies, including IMLS. An initial hearing on the case took place before the District Court of Rhode Island on April 18; on April 30, a motion hearing on a suit filed by the American Library Association and union AFSCME is set to happen in D.C. — Ella Adams

Send tips to Ella Adams: Editor@MASSterList.com. For advertising and general inquiries, contact Dylan Rossiter: Publisher@MASSterList.com.

The ability to use your Franklin Library Card to read the Boston Globe online is one of the services at risk:  This is one of many services provided by Mass Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). These resources are in danger of disappearing across the Commonwealth after Executive Order 14238. 

 

Learn more at: https://mblc.state.ma.us/federal-cuts.php

 

MASSter List: "Federal funding for libraries at risk, forcing tough decisions at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners"

Fderal Government spending in one handy chart via USA Facts

At USAFacts, we believe that American taxpayers — the shareholders responsible for providing most government funding — are entitled to information on how the federal government and its budget operate. Every year, the federal government brings in and spends trillions of dollars.  

 

We've spent weeks combing through spreadsheets to help you track where that money goes. 

This new, searchable visualization displays government revenue from taxes and other sources, totaling $4.9 trillion for fiscal year 2024 and the $6.8 trillion the government spent.  

 

This chart even allows you to see spending data on specific federal agencies and programs. For example, type "Department of Labor" into the search bar at the top right of the visualization, and you'll see the department spent $66.2 billion in FY 2024. 

This new, searchable visualization displays government revenue from taxes and other sources

Shared from -> https://usafacts.org/government-spending/

Boston Globe: "Five things to know about Trump’s school choice executive order"

"5 things to know about Trump’s school choice executive order"

"President Trump last week signed an executive order to expand school choice.

The move has drawn praise from conservatives who have long-advocated for families to be able to use taxpayer dollars to support their children’s private or faith-based education.

Critics, meanwhile, see Trump’s order as an attempt to dismantle public education, trampling student rights in the process."

Shared from -> (subscription maybe required)  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/02/03/metro/trump-school-choice-executive-order/?

FYI: In the middle of school budgeting where Federal Funds do play a small role

"President Trump issued an executive order to find out what education funds he can legally rescind based on curriculum he doesn’t like. Existing law already answers that question —nothing."

In the middle of school budgeting where Federal Funds do play a role

Note page 28 of the FY 2026 FPS Superintendent Budget as presented Jan 28, 2025 reflects a total of approx. $250K from Federal Funds (Title I, II, III, IV) which is insignificant on an $80M budget. It is money but not much.

https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/FPSD/5256287/28Jan2025_FY26_Super_Rec_Budget_to_SC.pdf

Shared from -> https://x.com/TracyNovick/status/1885102446986285393

USA Facts: What does the Department of Education do?

"The Department of Education (DOE) is a relatively new federal agency – it was founded on May 4, 1980 when legislation split the old Department of Health, Education, and Welfare into two new departments: Education, and Health and Human Services.

The DOE has received 4.0% of all federal funding in 2024, totaling $268.35 billion. That makes it the sixth highest-funded federal agency.

The Education Department has received 4.0% of all federal funding in FY 2024. (see chart)

It’s also the smallest of any cabinet-level department, employing about 4,100 full-time employees in 2023. The next closest was Housing and Urban Development with around 8,100 full-time employees in 2023.

According to the Department of Education, education is primarily a local and state responsibility rather than a federal one. Elementary and secondary education are mostly funded by local governments, while state governments support higher education, per the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. The Department of Education's budget makes up 21% of total education spending in the country. "

 

Continue reading "What does the Dept of Education do?" at USA Facts ->  https://usafacts.org/articles/what-does-the-department-of-education-do/?

MassBudget: 25% of the entire MA state budget is paid for with Federal dollars

MassBudget (@MassBudget) posted  Fri, Nov 15, 2024:

💸In case you didn't know: a quarter of the entire MA state budget is paid for with Federal dollars. 

While taxes make up most of the revenue, it's important to remember the budget's multiple funding sources, and how that context can affect the decisions the state makes. #mapoli

Shared from -> https://t.co/A9QaDOLlL0

Visit MassBudget for additional info -> https://massbudget.org/state-budget/

MassBudget: 25% of the entire MA state budget is paid for with Federal dollars

Boston Globe: "state to partner with feds to help migrants obtain work permits"

"The state is partnering with the federal government to help migrants apply for work authorization documents, directing resources toward an avenue state officials consider key to alleviating the strain on the state’s overwhelmed emergency shelter system.

State and federal Homeland Security will co-host a clinic the week of Nov. 13 in Middlesex County, north of Boston. The state will organize appointments and provide transportation for migrants from shelter sites across the state to the clinic site.

The announcement comes as the clock ticks down to Wednesday, Nov. 1, when Governor Maura Healey said she will begin limiting how many families it will place in its emergency shelter system.

“We are glad that the Biden-Harris Administration is hosting this clinic with us, which will help process work authorizations as efficiently as possible,” Healey said in a statement. “This clinic will be critical for building on the work that our administration has already been leading to connect more migrants with work opportunities.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/30/metro/mass-migrants-work-permits-clinic/

Boston Globe: "state to partner with feds to help migrants obtain work permits"

MassLive: "Federal judge rules in favor of Ludlow schools in lawsuit over treatment of transgender students"

“Since July 1, 2012, Massachusetts law has provided that ‘no person shall be excluded from or discriminated against . . . in obtaining the advantages, privileges and courses of study of [a] public school on account of . . . gender identity,’” his ruling quoted.

His order also noted that while parents have the option to send their children to public schools, they do not have constitutional rights to dictate how those schools educate children. An attorney for the school system, David S. Lawless, applauded the judge’s decision in an area of law that continues to be challenged across the country.

“Given the novelty in particular, he addressed both the legal issues in the complaint that was in front (of him) and that it’s an evolving area of the law,” Lawless said Thursday after the ruling came down. “School districts are put in a very difficult position; this is one more guidepost for them along the way.”

Continue reading the article online at MASSLive

https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/federal-judge-rules-in-favor-of-ludlow-schools-in-lawsuit-over-treatment-of-transgender-students.html

Found via Twitter -> https://twitter.com/TracyNovick/status/1603720917921800195

U.S. District Court, Springfield, Mass

"Only about one-quarter of PPP funds supported jobs that otherwise would have disappeared"

"The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) directed hundreds of billions of dollars to small businesses and other organizations adversely affected by the COVID-19 crisis, providing resources to maintain payrolls, to hire back employees who may have been laid off and to cover important overhead.

But was this money well spent? A recent study offers evidence that the cost of each job saved was very high and that most of the program’s benefits flowed to small-business owners, their creditors and their suppliers rather than to workers. Other crisis programs, including unemployment insurance and economic impact payments, were targeted much more successfully to wage earners."

Continue reading the article online -> https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/regional-economist/2022/jul/was-paycheck-protection-program-effective

 

"Only about one-quarter of PPP funds supported jobs that otherwise would have disappeared"

"some weeks of overpayments will be waived"

"THE STATE’S DEPARTMENT of Unemployment Assistance will be in touch with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Unemployment Insurance claimants in the coming days to detail state and federal relief options that the Baker administration said Thursday would resolve about $1.6 billion or roughly 71 percent of overpayments.

There are about 353,000 outstanding cases of workers who received more money in joblessness aid than they should have between March 8, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2022, to the tune of a cumulative $2.225 billion, according to the Baker administration, which has been working for months to untangle the convoluted situation."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/state-government/baker-administration-offers-ui-overpayment-relief/

And from the Boston Globe:

"The Baker administration on Thursday laid out its most comprehensive effort yet to provide full or partial financial relief to nearly 288,000 people who received jobless benefits during the pandemic but were later told they may have to pay back the money.

The state is aiming to end a financial nightmare for claimants facing $2.3 billion in repayment demands — money that many already spent on food, rent, and other basics. The plan will cover up to about 70 percent of those overpaid claims, or $1.6 billion. That’s because not everyone will qualify for a reprieve even as the state expands the eligibility criteria."

Continue reading the article (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/04/14/business/massachusetts-plans-relief-13-billion-unemployment-insurance-overpayments/

Gov Baker's press release ->

https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-announces-unemployment-overpayment-relief-plans

 

State to pick up part of the cost; feds provide additional help