Latest news with #Republican-leaning
The Herald Scotland
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
ICE raid track sends shockwaves across racing: 'There's no hiding'
And now, perhaps predictably, there's reason for horse racing to be nervous that it's about to have a major problem on its hands. An ICE raid Tuesday morning at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana, where more than 80 backstretch workers were reportedly detained, should be a wake-up call for an industry that would simply not be able to function without a workforce of grooms and hotwalkers and stall cleaners who are, by some credible estimates, roughly 75% immigrants. They come from places like Venezuela, Panama, Colombia and Mexico, working low-wage jobs but filling indispensable roles, caring round-the-clock for animals worth hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars. Most of these workers at the glamorous tracks like Churchill Downs and Saratoga are here on H-2B visas that the prominent and well-resourced barns manage to secure for them, allowing them to travel from one race meet to the next. Even in the best of times, though, it can be a tricky system to navigate with just 66,000 issued each year by the U.S. government, long processing times and an intricate renewal mechanism. And, of course, these are not the best of times. In a climate where immigrant construction workers are getting systematically arrested in Home Depot parking lots, the only thing that would prevent racetracks from being a big, fat target for ICE are the whims of a president. "We're out in the middle of the open," Velie said. "There's no hiding. You're in the middle of a town and they can surround you and come round up a lot of people at once." 'Everybody's nervous' Ever since it became clear during the first weeks of the current Trump Administration that its posture toward deportations would be more aggressive than in his first term, it has been horse racing's barely spoken but impossible-to-ignore fear, lingering in the background every day on the backside. "Everybody's nervous about it," prominent trainer Dale Romans told reporters during a Kentucky Derby-week news conference set up to specifically address the threat posed by a potential ICE raid at a racetrack. "If we couldn't have an immigrant workforce on the backside, I don't know how horse racing exists. We need a common sense path to long-term legalization. We're not talking citizenship, just some kind of work permit. "The perfect scenario is we get an amnesty program that leads to a work permit. If you're vetted, if you're proven not to be a criminal, you pay your taxes, you are sponsored by an employer, you have a right to work in the United States. That's all we're asking for." It is, of course, a difficult topic to get most people to address. Not just because trainers or owners are reticent to draw undue attention to themselves but because of the clear political implications: The racetrack is, by and large, an unabashedly Republican-leaning ecosystem. Many prominent owners and racetrack executives have direct lines to Trump himself. And that's why it seemed like there was relief last week when the Department of Homeland Security issued guidance exempting the agricultural industry, hotels and restaurants from these raids due to the harm being inflicted on those businesses. Though horse racing wasn't specifically mentioned, it clearly falls into the same category. Then, a couple days later, the White House reversed course and decided to resume those raids. It didn't take long for a racetrack to be on the hit list. "The head of the New York Racing Association, Marc Holliday, is business partners with (Trump's son-in-law) Jared Kushner, so he had pretty strong assurances there would be some type of executive action protecting the horsemen and agriculture workers," Velie said. "But I think there's a lot of competing factions inside the administration battling over this." Sweeping up 'folks that are constantly caring for the horses' Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, the issue of whether horse racing should be relying on cheap immigrant labor is fair game for critique. Steve Asmussen, the all-time winningest trainer in North America, earlier this month finally settled a 10-year-old court case with the Department of Labor over hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime and back pay. Over the years, whenever wages and living conditions of backstretch workers have been subject to media scrutiny, it's rarely made the industry look good. It's a tough way to make a living. But in the end, for thousands of people who desperately need it, it is a living. And their symbiotic relationship with horses who need to be fed and taken care of isn't just a human story. One of the biggest concerns coming out of any potential racetrack raid is what happens to the horses while their grooms are being arrested. "The problem is that the kind of work the people on the backside, the grooms and hotwalkers, those folks that are constantly caring for the horses and making sure they're maintained and healthy, that job is 24-7 just a real difficult job," said Peter Ecabert, the general counsel for the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. "It's hard to get anyone to do that job, and we depend a lot on immigrants and they're hard-working and good people. Obviously there are a couple that may have run afoul of the legal system, and in those cases, especially if there's a violent situation we don't want them around either. We'd work with ICE in any way possible to make sure those people are taken into custody and transported back after their due process hearing. But as far as an unannounced raid on the backside of racetracks, that just puts all of us in a real difficult situation and puts the horses at risk." Chelsea Perez, the senior program manger of equine protection at Humane World for Animals, told USA TODAY Sports that it was critical for any law enforcement action to include a process where the safety and well-being of the horses is secured. "Horses are large, easily frightened animals who can suffer serious injury or injure others when not properly handled," she said. "The development of appropriate protocols is key to effective emergency response for both law enforcement agencies and equine facility managers." Meanwhile, there is a school of thought among those USA TODAY Sports has spoken with that a racetrack in Louisiana was particularly vulnerable to an ICE raid for a few reasons, including the fact that racing in the state is operating under a court injunction preventing the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules from being enforced. A HISA spokesperson declined comment, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association did not answer a request for comment. Delta Downs is also currently running its quarter horse meet, where there would be stronger suspicion about workers without visas being present than at higher-profile Thoroughbred tracks. Still, there's a potential chilling effect for the whole industry now that an ICE raid has taken place at a racetrack, particularly given the lack of consistent message from the Trump Administration. "There is a lot of tension on the backside," Ecabert said. "People are concerned, obviously, that there's going to be (another) raid and a lot of apprehensive people for sure." Of course, this is what many of those owners and trainers voted for - even if they didn't realize it. "I got calls from tracks all over the country (the next day), and every one of them was saying the same thing: 'If it happens there, it can happen here. What's our plan?' Velie said. "The long-term plan is to get your workforce on to stable visas, but in the short term, we're stuck."
Axios
2 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Supreme Court lets EPA air pollution battles play out in regional courts
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that EPA decisions to reject multiple state ozone pollution plans can be challenged separately in regional courts. Why it matters: It enables more sprawling legal battles over implementation of federal standards for smog-forming pollution that moves across state borders. Driving the news: The unanimous ruling, which sided with Oklahoma and Utah, "holds that EPA's [state implementation plan] disapprovals were not based on any determination of nationwide scope or effect." Justice Clarence Thomas authored the decision and Justice Samuel Alito did not take part. The big picture: It's a win for several red states and conservative lawmakers, who argued the Clean Air Act enables regional challenges to EPA's rejection of 21 states' plans in 2023. And as E&E News points out, appellate courts in Republican-leaning areas are "often seen as friendlier to state and industry interests." The other side: Over two-dozen states including New York and Michigan argued in favor of centralizing the disputes in the D.C. circuit. "Since February 2023, seven circuits have simultaneously reviewed the Rule, which has caused chaos and delay," they said in a joint filing, referring to the 2023 disapproval of 21 state plans. "This wasteful litigation has severely harmed" the states by "prolonging the health and economic harms that flow from interstate pollution—contrary to Congress's intent under the Act's venue and good-neighbor provisions." Yes, but: A separate Supreme Court ruling Wednesday favored D.C. as the place to challenge EPA rejection of small oil refiners' requests for exemptions from biofuels blending mandates. State of play:"EPA's denials of small refinery exemption petitions are locally or regionally applicable actions that fall within the 'nationwide scope or effect' exception, requiring venue in the D. C. Circuit," it states. This ruling was 7-2 and also authored by Thomas, with Justice Neil Gorsuch and Chief Justice John Roberts dissenting.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump cancels $87 million grant for planned low-carbon cement plant in Holyoke
HOLYOKE — President Donald Trump's administration recently canceled an $87 million grant issued to Sublime Systems, whose low-carbon cement manufacturing plant is scheduled to open in Holyoke in 2027. Sublime has technology developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to make cement using electricity, a process designed to cut down the amount of carbon released by a traditionally emission-heavy process. It planned to employ 70 to 90 people with production expected to begin in 2027 or 2028. It already secured and cleared a 16-acre site in Holyoke's industrial flats area. Sublime chose the area, in part, because of Holyoke's hydropower, which is a successor to the 19th century turbines that made Holyoke famous as the 'Paper City.' Sublime is still seeking financing despite the loss of federal money. 'All our meetings with the Sublime team indicate this project is moving forward,' said Aaron Vega, head of planning and economic development for Holyoke. 'We do not yet have site plans submitted for review, but the city has had pre-application meetings with their design team and are working through the issues and opportunities at their location.' U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said the Trump administration terminated $3.7 billion in grants issued by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy. That includes the Holyoke grant. 'The Trump Administration's decision to kill critical clean energy projects is deeply irresponsible and is a betrayal of American innovation, workers, and the fight against climate change,' Neal said in a statement Monday. 'Scrapping funding for projects for innovators like Sublime Systems in Holyoke undercuts years of progress in decarbonizing heavy industry, and it jeopardizes good-paying jobs and economic development in communities that need it most.' The funding came through the Inflation Reduction Act, which was written in the House Ways and Means Committee that Neal chaired at the time. 'I can say unequivocally that this was not the intention of the bill; it was designed to accelerate the clean energy transition through innovation, not stall it,' Neal said. 'This isn't just about climate — it's about global competitiveness and leadership. Calling the move to shortsighted, Neal's statement called on the Trump administration to reinstate the grant. Sublime already had a deal to sell 623,000 tons of cement products to Microsoft over six to nine years. Previously, Neal said he expected the climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act to survive because many of the projects are in Republican-leaning southern states where GOP congress members would fight for them. In January, Joe Hicken, Sublime's vice president of business development and policy, said he would be surprised if the incoming adminstration canceled the 'investments in clean American manufacturing,' because the United States imports millions of tons of cement. Springfield Pride headliner Dawn Richard told 'Diddy' jurors of threats, violence, abuse Breeze Airways adds new flights from Bradley to NC Western New England University names interim president Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Poll Shows Most Americans Taking the Same Side in Musk vs. Trump
Forget picking sides—Americans want out of the Trump-Musk drama altogether. 52 percent of Americans picked 'neither' when asked who they would side with in the bitter feud between President Donald Trump and his ex-buddy Elon Musk, according to a new YouGov survey. Trump drew more support overall, with 28 percent backing him compared to just 8 percent for Musk. Another 11 percent said they were 'not sure.' The online poll was conducted with 3,812 U.S. adults Thursday, the same day the president and the world's richest man went to war with each other. Across nearly all of YouGov's demographics, most Americans distanced themselves from both men—with 51 to 53 percent choosing 'neither' in every age group—except when the results were divided by political party. Republicans backed the president by a wide margin—71 percent—while giving the Tesla CEO just 6 percent support. Twelve percent chose neither. This indicates a dramatic shift in Musk's standing among the right, sending a clear message that Republicans' loyalties lie firmly with their MAGA leader, rather than the tech billionaire. Just a few months ago, 73 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents viewed Musk favorably, according to a Pew Research poll. In the same survey, 85 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners held an unfavorable view of Musk. Predictably, 80 percent of Democrats chose neither side in Thursday's poll, although 11 percent sided with Musk compared to just 4 percent backing Trump—whom Musk claimed Thursday is 'in the Epstein files.' Women were more likely to reject either man at 57 percent, compared to 47 percent for men. Twenty-seven percent of women sided with Trump, versus 30 percent of men. Just 5 percent of women picked Musk, while 11 percent of men chose the billionaire's side. Support for either man was especially low among Black Americans, 68 percent of whom picked 'neither'—a full 20 percent higher than white respondents. During Thursday's explosive spat, Trump threatened to end the subsidies and contracts held by Musk's companies, like SpaceX. Musk promptly fired back on X, 'Go ahead, make my day.' YouGov's poll found 41 percent of all respondents supported ending Musk's subsidies and contracts, while 21 percent opposed the move and 38 percent weren't sure.
E&E News
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- E&E News
Americans' support for renewables plunges amid Trump attacks
Americans' support for wind and solar power has dropped by almost 20 percentage points since President Donald Trump's first term even as support of nuclear power grew significantly, suggesting a major shift in attitudes as the administration eyes revamping the electricity mix. The report from the Pew Research Center on Thursday found that roughly equal percentages of Americans now support renewables and nuclear, eliminating a public opinion gap that existed five years ago. The survey also reported that a third of Americans would consider buying an electric vehicle as their next car, an amount higher than last year but 10 points lower than in 2022. 'The share of Americans who favor phasing out new gasoline cars and trucks by 2035 has fallen by 13 points since 2021,' the report said. Advertisement The findings add to challenges facing renewables and EVs as Congress weighs whether to roll back key tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act and Trump pushes to cut federal spending. The report did not detail why the public opinion shifts have occurred, but Republicans and Republican-leaning voters are driving the declining support for renewables.
