Latest news with #Project2025
Al Jazeera
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Project 2025: Governance reform or Culture War battle plan?
Project 2025 became a flashpoint during the 2024 presidential campaign. The sweeping conservative policy blueprint aims to overhaul the federal government and reshape United States society. How closely is President Donald Trump following its direction? And how much does it test the limits of the Constitution? Marc Lamont Hill talks to Paul Dans, the former director of Project 2025 at the Heritage Foundation.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Civil rights agency's acting chair to face questions on anti-DEI, transgender stances
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The acting chair of the country's top agency for enforcing worker rights will face questions at a Senate committee hearing Wednesday over her efforts to prioritize anti-diversity investigations while sidelining certain racial and gender discrimination cases and quashing protections for transgender workers. Andrea Lucas, who was first appointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2020 and elevated to acting chair in January, is one of four nominees to appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Her nomination to serve another five-year term as an EEOC commissioner requires Senate confirmation, though whether she stays on as chair will be up to President Donald Trump. Lucas, an outspoken critic of diversity, equity and inclusion practices and promoter of the idea that there are only two immutable sexes, has moved swiftly to enact Trump's civil rights agenda after he abruptly fired two of the EEOC's Democratic commissioners before the end of their five-year terms, an unprecedented move in the agency's 60-year history that has been challenged in a lawsuit. Lucas is prioritizing worker rights that conservatives argue have been ignored by the EEOC. That includes investigating company DEI practices, defending the rights of women to same-sex spaces and fighting anti-Christian bias in the workplace. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Senate committee holding the hearing, has championed many of those causes. He accused the EEOC under the Biden administration of 'injecting its far-left' agenda into the workplace, including by updating sexual harassment guidelines to warn against misgendering transgender workers and including abortion as a pregnancy-related condition under regulations for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The committee will also consider three Department of Labor nominees: Project 2025 labor section author Jonathan Berry for Solicitor — the third-highest ranking position in the department— current EEOC Acting General Counsel Andrew Rogers for Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, and former U.S. House Representative Anthony D'Esposito for Inspector General. Democrats on the committee are likely to grill Lucas over criticism that she overstepped her authority by profoundly shifting the EEOC's direction to the whims of the president in the absence of a quorum, which commission has lacked since Trump fired the two commissioners. Sen. Patty Murray, a member of the committee, said she will oppose any EEOC nominations unless Trump reinstates the two fired Democratic commissioners, which she and more than 200 other Democratic senators and Congress members condemned in a letter to the president as an abuse of power. 'President Trump is weaponizing the independent EEOC to serve his personal political agenda, firing commissioners without cause and warping the mission of the EEOC beyond recognition,' Murray said in a statement ahead of the hearing. 'Commissioner Lucas is a right-wing extremist who has been in lockstep behind Trump's pro-discrimination agenda.' Lucas has made clear her views of the limitations of the EEOC's autonomy. In a recent memo to employers, Lucas declared that the 'EEOC is an executive branch agency, not an independent agency' that will 'fully and robustly comply' with all executive orders. That includes two orders that Trump signed in January: one directing federal agencies to eliminate their own DEI activities and end any 'equity-related' grants or contracts, and the other imposing a certification provision on all companies and institutions with government contracts or grant dollars to demonstrate that they don't operate DEI programs. The EEOC's new approach alarmed dozens of civil rights groups, which sent a letter to the Senate committee demanding that Lucas face a hearing. The groups argued that the EEOC was created by Congress under 1964 Civil Rights Act to be a bipartisan agency that would function independently from the executive branch. The EEOC, the only federal agency empowered to investigate employment discrimination in the private sector, received more than 88,000 charges of workplace discrimination in fiscal year 2024. Its commissioners are appointed by the president to staggered terms, and no more than three can be from the same party. Much of the EEOC's authority is granted by Congress, including the obligation to investigate all complaints and enact regulations for implementing some laws. Under Lucas, the EEOC dropped seven of its own lawsuits on behalf of transgender or nonbinary workers. It also moved to drop a racial discrimination case on behalf of Black, Native American and multiracial job applicants after Trump ordered federal agencies to stop pursuing discrimination that falls under 'disparate impact liability,' which aims to identify practices that systematically exclude certain demographic groups. Instead, Lucas has turned the EEOC's attention to investigating company DEI practices. In her most high profile move, she sent letters to 20 law firms demanding information about diversity fellowships and other programs she claimed could be evidence of discriminatory practices. Lucas has also repeatedly encouraged workers nationwide to come forward with DEI complaints. She launched a hotline for whistleblowers and said workers should be encouraged to report bad DEI practices after a Supreme Court decision made it easier for white and other nonminority workers to bring reverse-discrimination lawsuits. ________ The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
As Trump moves to cut the Women's Bureau, a former R.I. legislator warns: ‘I think they want women out of the workplace'
Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up But the Advertisement Goldin, who resigned from the Women's Bureau the day Trump was inaugurated for his second term, is now a senior fellow at 'The second Trump administration seems intent on doubling down on patriarchal notions of masculinity and an outdated view of women, taking actions that will set back advancements in the labor force by decades and have disastrous impacts on the economy,' she wrote in a recent essay for the foundation titled ' Advertisement Goldin told the Globe that the attempt to dismantle the bureau is part of a larger attempt to 'I think they want women out of the workplace,' Goldin said. 'The efforts to suppress women's bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom while focusing on women as a means of reproduction, without policies that improve lives generally, is a pretty clear message that they want women to stay home and stay out of the workplace.' She said that contrary to the budget brief, the Women's Bureau has been 'incredibly effective,' operating with a budget of about $23 million while conducting an enormous amount of research and analysis on issues ranging from child care to gender-based violence. 'Unfortunately, Project 2025 sees all of this work as 'politicized research' instead of what it is: facts and data that show what it is like to be a woman working in the United States,' she wrote. Goldin said women of all political parties need paid family and medical leave, safe workplaces, fair pay, and healthy working conditions. And she said she worked at the Women's Bureau with Republicans on plans for paid family leave programs. So she hopes a bipartisan group of members of Congress will thwart the Trump administration's attempt to eliminate the Women's Bureau. Goldin, who still lives in Providence, said she is not planning to run for another public office in Rhode Island right now, but she 'absolutely would if I think I'm the best person for the position.' Advertisement This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Trump family launches new T1 Phone, mobile network: Features, plans, and pricing details
From cryptocurrency to digital media assets, US President Donald Trump's name has become associated with several new business ventures since he announced his 2024 presidential campaign. The latest addition to the list is mobile phone services. The Trump family on Monday, June 16, launched a new mobile network called Trump Mobile as well as a smartphone known as T1. The Trump Organization, which is the main holding entity for most of President Trump's businesses, said that the T1 smartphones will be made in America. The T1 Phone will come with a gold finish and costs $499. It is available to pre-order in the US with a $100 deposit and will go on sale in August or September this year. Meanwhile, the Trump Mobile network is currently offering a single plan called 'The 47 Plan' that is priced at $47.45 per month and will be supported on existing smartphones as well, according to a report by The Verge. Besides its real estate empire, luxury hotels, and golf resorts, the Trump family has forayed into newer arenas such as digital media and cryptocurrency in recent years. Although the president's children have reportedly taken over the management of the Trump Organization following his re-election, many have questioned the potential conflicts of interest. The newly launched mobile network and smartphone venture could also raise similar concerns as the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr may be required to regulate a business tied to the president's family. The Trump-appointed regulatory head is considered to be politically close to the current administration. Carr was also one of the co-authors of Project 2025, a wish list of administration goals and potential paths to achieving its objectives, according to a report by Reuters. 'Trump Mobile is going to revolutionize cellphones, mobile calling,' Eric Trump, the son of the US president, was quoted as saying on Fox News. In a press release, the company described T1 as 'a sleek, gold smartphone engineered for performance and proudly designed and built in the United States.' Based on its product page, the device has a T1 logo and US flag on the back. It also has a triple camera layout similar to recent iPhone Pro models. The smartphone packs a 5000mAh battery and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It boasts of a 12GB of RAM and 256GB of expandable storage. The 6.78-inch display is a 120Hz OLED panel. It will be run on Google's Android 15. As for its camera capabilities, the T1 has a 50-megapixel main camera accompanied by 2-megapixel macro and depth sensors. There is no ultrawide lens and no chipset has been listed on the T1 product page. According to the online Terms of Use, Trump Mobile is 'powered by Liberty Mobile' which is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses the T-Mobile network, similar to other cell services like Mint Mobile, Metro, US Mobile, etc. MVNOs generally lease or rent access to network infrastructure owned by other telecom service providers. The new mobile network venture will have call centers that are based in the US. The single 47 Plan offers unlimited calls, texting, and data as well as access to 24/7 telehealth and roadside assistance services.
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Trump Organization launches Trump Mobile smartphone service
FILE PHOTO: A supporter uses his mobile phone ahead of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump's watch party in Palm Beach County Convention Center, in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 5, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/ File Photo (Reuters) -The Trump Organization launched a self-branded mobile service and a $499 smartphone on Monday, dubbed Trump Mobile, signaling a new effort to court conservative consumers with a wireless service positioned as an alternative to major telecom providers. The new mobile venture will include call centers based in the United States and phones made in America, the organization said. The Trump family, long known for its real estate empire, luxury hotels, and golf resorts, has in recent years ventured into newer arenas including digital media and cryptocurrency. The Trump Organization, which is the main holding entity for most of the U.S. president's business ventures, said ahead of Trump's inauguration that control of the company would be handed to his children, replicating the arrangement from his first term, though concerns about potential conflicts of interest remain. COMMENTS: US MEDIA, CABLE AND TELECOM EQUITY RESEARCH, BARCLAYS "Needless to say, it is quite unprecedented for a sitting president's name to be attached to a commercial mainstream service that is regulated. None of the telecom companies have formally announced an agreement with the Trump Organization for an MVNO agreement and therefore it is not clear which entity is providing the network. "However, telecom is a highly regulated industry and the present FCC chair has been politically close to the current administration1 and one of the co-authors of Project 2025, a wish list of administration goals and potential paths to achieving its objectives. This puts telecom companies in a tough position, as it is not clear how much negotiating leverage they really have in this situation, especially given that VZ and AT&T are both still in the process of getting deal approvals. This may also result in increased scrutiny at the state level and put operators in a politically sensitive situation. It is also possible that operators have most favored nation (MFN) clauses in their existing MVNO deals – for instance with the cable companies – which could increase risk if favorable terms are extended to the Trump Organization." GIL LURIA, HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, D.A. DAVIDSON & CO, PORTLAND: "The new wireless plan and handset announcement is the latest attempt by the Trump organization to capitalize on the President's popularity, much like Truth Social, the DJT stock listing and crypto endeavors." LAWRENCE LESSIG, LAW PROFESSOR, HARVARD "No one who has been paying attention could miss that President Trump considers the presidency a vehicle to grow his family's wealth. Maybe this example will help more come to see this undeniable truth." PAOLO PESCATORE, TMT ANALYST, PP FORESIGHT "This latest move raises more questions than answers. As always the devil is in the detail given that it is unclear around the actual commercial relationship with the telecom players and so forth. "Inevitably as seen to date, we should expect to see backlash from a slew of stakeholders. "All parties will be keeping a close eye on how this evolves." BRIAN MULBERRY, CLIENT PORTFOLIO MANAGER, ZACKS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT "Its pointed at Apple, that's a really big downward price pressure on what Apple's trying to do." "There's been kind of an opening for this type of device, if you will, simply because not just Apple, but Samsung devices to a certain extent as well, have really gotten so expensive in the moment in time and we haven't really seen that big of a measurable increase in utility." "Most of the apps that you can download on a smartphone are just like super search kind of functions, if you will. So having that same functionality at half the price, there's a market out there for that." "I think it's going to get probably some extra attention just because it has Trump's name on it but I think the marketplace has been ripe for this type of competition." "Competition is always good for consumers and that benefits markets in general. It's going to drive people to be more productive and compete more for consumers' dollars." DAVID WAGNER, HEAD OF EQUITIES, APTUS CAPITAL ADVISORS, CINCINNATI, OHIO "I don't see much impact from Trump mobile across the industry, as half of it's addressable market is negated by political parties, and then from there, this industry already has a lot of stickiness to current providers. These companies need scale to work, and we'll see if the company can execute on the most important thing - consistency of network." (Compiled by the Global Finance & Markets Breaking News team)
