Letters: Antisemitism is real. A new state anti-discrimination bill won't protect against it
Regarding 'California anti-discrimination bill faces blowback' (Politics, SFChronicle.com, May 21): While everyone agrees antisemitism is bad, few agree on what it means.
AB715 expands the definition of antisemitism by defining 'nationality' as 'residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity.' So, because Judaism is dominant in Israel, school lessons that reference accusations that it is an apartheid state or that its actions in Gaza are genocidal would be deemed antisemitic.
AB715's lead author, Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur, says the bill doesn't define criticism of Israel as antisemitism 'as long as that criticism is consistent with how you would criticize any other government that's doing the same thing.'
Nice try, but who decides? When Amnesty International and Oxfam call the Gaza massacres genocide, are they antisemitic?
This bill will not protect Jews. It sets up Jews as a special class deserving protection denied to African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and other groups not mentioned in AB715.
As a California Jew, I urge a no vote on this terrible bill.
David Spero, San Francisco
Charge for traffic
Regarding 'N.Y. is using this controversial idea to fight traffic, fund transit and bring life back downtown. S.F. can, too' (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, May 22): Ned Resnikoff's op-ed is right on point.
I have lived in San Francisco by the Bay Bridge on/off ramps at Harrison, Main and Bryant streets for 30 years. We residents put up with vehicular emissions, honking, shouting and general pandemonium as commuters come into and exit the city.
We sometimes do not have access to our garages. Cabs and Ubers cannot get to us. Emergency vehicles cannot get to us.
In the meantime, more housing is being built and proposed in this area. This will bring even more vehicles to the neighborhood.
I, for one, cannot comprehend how this situation can continue.
Katy Liddell, San Francisco
Help all moms
Republicans have raised the child tax credit to $2,500 in their 'Big Beautiful Bill.' They hope this will persuade more middle-class women to stay home with their kids.
At the same time, the bill requires women too poor for tax credits but who receive Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program benefits to leave their kids and go to work. If they don't, they lose the $200 to $300 per month that SNAP provides.
This raises two questions.
Why do Americans who are better off to begin with get a much higher benefit?
Why do Republicans only want to help middle-class moms stay home while they force working-class moms to go out and work no matter what their circumstances?
Kristina Marcy, Woodland, Yolo County
Secession would be bad
Regarding 'Secession makes sense' (Letters to the Editor, May 22): The letter endorsed the idea of California's secession as a viable and 'sane' response to the current state of the country.
What this ignores is that, unlike the European Union, the Constitution contains no legal means for a member state to leave. Consequently, California's secession would immediately trigger a justifiable response by the Federal government, including declaring war on the state, just as it did to the Confederacy secession in 1860.
California could not win such a war. But even worse than a defeat, it would provide the President Donald Trump with an opportunity to don the mantle of Abraham Lincoln as a defender of the Union.
Trump has currently juxtaposed his image with that of Lincoln on the Capital Mall. It would be a disastrous mistake to provide him with a concrete reason for this offensive comparison.
John Rose, Ashland, Ore.
Thanks to service members
This Memorial Day, we remember those who gave their lives defending our country and the freedoms that make America the greatest nation on Earth.
It is up to each of us as Americans to carry on their memory and uphold the values they sacrificed dearly to protect.
May God bless the men and women in our armed forces, the families of those who have lost their loved ones in the service of our nation and the incredible United States of America for which they fought.
Paul Bacon, Hallandale Beach, Fla.
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Politico
19 minutes ago
- Politico
GOP lawmakers stick with Trump in messy Musk breakup
Amid the messy ongoing divorce between the president and the world's richest man, this much is already clear: Donald Trump has sole custody of the House GOP. Republican lawmakers are making clear that, if forced to choose, it's Trump — not Elon Musk — they're sticking by as leaders race to contain the fallout for their 'one big, beautiful bill.' Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who helms a House panel inspired by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency initiative, blasted Musk's public attacks on Trump as 'unwarranted' and criticized his 'lashing out on the internet.' 'America voted for Donald Trump on Nov. 4, 2024 — every single vote mattered just as much as the other,' Greene said in a brief interview. 'And whether it was $1 that was donated or hundreds of millions of dollars, the way I see it, everybody's the same.' Like many Americans, GOP members watched Thursday's online exchange with a sense of car-crash-like fascination. Many shared that they hoped Musk and Trump could somehow patch things up. But many — including some of the former DOGE chief's biggest backers on Capitol Hill — were wholly unsurprised to see the billionaire suddenly cut down to size after months of chatter about who was really calling the shots at the White House. 'It's President Trump, not President Musk,' said one lawmaker granted anonymity to speak frankly about prevailing opinions inside the House GOP. Speaker Mike Johnson made no secret of where he stands on the public breakup. He told reporters Friday that he hoped the two men 'reconcile' and that it would be 'good for the party and the country if all this worked out.' But in the nearly same breath, Johnson quickly reaffirmed his allegiance to the president and issued a warning to Musk. 'Do not doubt, do not second-guess and don't ever challenge the president of the United States, Donald Trump,' Johnson said. 'He is the leader of the party. He is the most consequential political figure of this generation and probably the modern era. And he's doing an excellent job for the people.' Other House Republicans concurred with the speaker's assessment Friday, even as they faced the looming threat of Musk targeting them in the upcoming midterms or at least pulling back on his political giving after pouring more than $250 million into the 2024 election on behalf of Trump and the GOP ticket. 'I think it's unfortunate,' said Rep. Tim Moore (R-N.C.) of the breakup. 'But Donald Trump was elected by a majority of the American people.' Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, who was one of only two Republicans to oppose Trump's megabill in the House last month, also made clear he stood with the president over Musk. 'He does not have a flight mode — he's fight, fight, fight … and he's been pretty measured,' Davidson said of Trump. 'I think Elon Musk looked a little out of control. And hopefully he gets back and grounded.' GOP leaders who have spent weeks cajoling their members to vote for the sprawling domestic-policy bill hardly hid their feelings as Musk continued to bash the legislation online, even calling on Americans to call their representatives in an effort to tank it. 'Frankly, it's united Republicans even more to go and defend the great things that are in this bill — and once it's passed and signed into law by August, September, you're going to see this economy turning around like nothing we've ever seen,' Majority Leader Steve Scalise said in a brief interview Friday. 'I'll be waiting for all those people who said the opposite to admit that they were wrong,' Scalise added. 'But I'm not expecting that to happen.' A few Republicans are still trying to walk a fine line by embracing both Trump and Musk — especially some fiscal hawks who believe Musk is right about the megabill adding trillions to the national debt. 'I think Elon has some valid points about the bill, concerns that myself and a handful of others were working to address up until the passage of it,' Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) said in an interview. 'I think that'll make the bill stronger. I think it'll help our standing with the American people.' Both Trump and Musk 'have paid a tremendous price personally for this country,' Cloud added. 'And them working together is certainly far better for the country.' Notably, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, a key Musk ally on the Hill, declined to engage Thursday when asked about the burgeoning feud. Instead, the Ohio Republican responded by praising the megabill Musk had moved to tank. Democrats, for their part, watched the unfolding and public breakup with surprise and a heavy dose of schadenfreude. 'There are no good guys in a fight like this,' Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). 'You just eat some popcorn and watch the show.'
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Most Republicans Enrolled in Medicaid 'Worried' About Funding Cuts—Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. While Republicans in Congress have been pushing for major Medicaid cuts in the new budget, many Medicaid enrollees are worried about what this means for their health coverage — including those who identify as Republican. A new poll from KFF revealed that 76 percent of Republicans enrolled in Medicaid are worried about potential funding cuts. The survey also shows that 17 percent of Republicans identify as Medicaid enrollees. This didn't come as a surprise to experts who spoke with Newsweek. "Many of the heavily Republican-controlled states are often the highest per capita recipients of government assistance," Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. Why It Matters Republican lawmakers have advanced sweeping changes to Medicaid as part of their budget reconciliation package, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." The bill, which passed the House in late May 2025, proposes to cut over $700 billion in federal Medicaid spending, threatening coverage for millions of Americans. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that more than 10 million people could lose Medicaid coverage if the proposal becomes law. Beds and medical equipment are seen inside the US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort while docked at the Port of Miami, Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida on June 3, 2025. Beds and medical equipment are seen inside the US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort while docked at the Port of Miami, Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida on June 3, 2025. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images What To Know Potential Medicaid reductions under the new legislation target several key areas, including the federal match for Medicaid expansion, spending caps, new work requirements, and more frequent eligibility checks. While the GOP viewpoint has historically been pro-Medicaid reductions, cuts at this level could significantly impact the nearly 80 million Americans who rely on the program for health insurance, including a significant number of Republicans. In the new KFF report, 76 percent of Republicans enrolled in Medicaid said they were worried about potential funding cuts. Additionally, more than a quarter of Medicaid enrollees are Republican, including one in five who identify with MAGA. "As a government program, Medicaid provides benefits to millions of Americans in 'red' and 'blue' states," Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek. "As such, it should come as no surprise a sizable number of Republicans either receive benefits from the program or know someone who does." The federal government currently pays 90 percent of Medicaid expansion costs, but proposed reductions would lower this rate, threatening financial stability for states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Changes could also introduce per-capita caps or block grants, limit the use of provider taxes to finance Medicaid, and roll back simplified enrollment rules implemented under President Biden. Together, these measures could force states to limit enrollment, reduce benefits, or impose new costs on enrollees. Republican leaders have tied these reductions to broader budget goals, including $4.5 trillion in tax cuts championed by former President Donald Trump. "Many of the heavily Republican-controlled states are often the highest per capita recipients of government assistance," Thompson told Newsweek. "That's not meant to be disingenuous—it simply shows where the power lies: with the wealthy who control the districts and seats in those regions. The truth is, people often vote for their party and don't believe these policies will ever impact them personally—until they do." House Republicans identified more than $880 billion in savings from Medicaid, with much of the debate focused on whether Medicaid should continue to support able-bodied adults without dependents, or remain narrowly focused on children, seniors, and people with disabilities. The bill would also restrict Medicaid funding for certain health care providers, such as Planned Parenthood, and prohibit federal matching funds for gender-affirming care for minors. Nationally, 54 percent of U.S. adults are worried that reductions in federal Medicaid spending would negatively impact their own or their family's ability to get and pay for health care, the KFF report found. 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Trump could knock NY's climate goals over the edge
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