ICT NEWSCAST: Wisconsin tribes bring concerns to the Statehouse, a tribute to U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva and Women's History Month.
A new law in New Mexico grants rights to Native students to wear traditional regalia.
Family, friends, and colleagues gathered to honor the life and legacy of U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva, an ally to tribal nations and a man who many say never forgot his roots.
St. Croix Tribal Chairman Thomas Fowler delivered the 21st annual State of the Tribes address at the Wisconsin state capitol, representing the state's 11 federally recognized tribal nations. He tackled issues such as tribal sovereignty, education, environmental threats, and public health.
There is confusion over the status of two California national monuments created by former President Joe Biden. This comes after a post on the White House website hinting at the monuments' termination was later removed. Now, tribal leaders who fought for the protections want answers.
Jacob Reynolds of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians helped craft the State of the Tribes speech for Wisconsin legislators. In this roundtable discussion with ICT's Shirley Sneve, he discusses the importance of state-tribe relations.
Theresa Secord was a founder of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance. For Women's History Month, here's a profile of her work.
View previous ICT broadcasts here every week for the latest news from around Indian Country.ICT is owned by IndiJ Public Media, a nonprofit news organization. Will you support our work? All of our content is free. There are no subscriptions or costs. And we have hired more Native journalists in the past year than any news organization ─ and with your help we will continue to grow and create career paths for our people. Support ICT for as little as $10. Sign up for ICT's free newsletter.
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Newsweek
04-08-2025
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Walks Back on Key Campaign Pledge: Report
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. President Donald Trump appears to have walked back on a key campaign pledge he made last year regarding in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a Sunday report from The Washington Post. The newspaper reported that the Trump administration has moved away from plans to improve access to the reproductive healthcare policy due to legal constraints. Newsweek could not verify the report and has contacted the White House outside of normal business hours to comment on this story. Why It Matters IVF is a key reproductive treatment for women finding it difficult to become pregnant. The White House previously said that it can cost up to $25,000 per cycle and that 1 in 7 couples struggle to conceive. Trump made a pledge on the campaign trail to cover IVF for all women and couples seeking it, telling NBC News last August: "Under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment. Or we're going to be mandating that the insurance company pay." Trump also called himself the "fertilization president" at a Women's History Month event in March, promising "tremendous goodies" for women. What To Know Upon returning to the White House for a second term earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order on February 18 expanding access to IVF and making it more affordable for patients. The order, which addressed the importance of starting families, also directed agencies to safeguard access to IVF and directed his domestic policy council to submit policy recommendations about IVF by May 19. The executive order came amid growing legal concerns over reproductive rights in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. That ruling allowed some states to enact abortion bans that, in some cases, threaten access to IVF by defining life as beginning at conception. It also came amid concerns about falling birth rates in the U.S. The fertility rate is now projected to average 1.6 births per woman over the next three decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) latest forecast released this year. That is below the replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman required to maintain a stable population without immigration. As of August, there have been no further updates from the White House regarding IVF policies. The Post, citing two people with knowledge of internal discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations, reported that White House officials said they were still interested in expanding IVF but that there were legal constraints with making it an essential health benefit without congressional approval. Expanding access to IVF would come at odds with Trump and other conservative's opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, the insurance plan that allows access to health care. The Post reported that White House officials are backing away from proposals discussed internally to mandate IVF coverage for the roughly 50 million people on the Obamacare exchanges. The first Trump administration tried to repeal the ACA. Using it to cover IVF by making it an "essential health benefit" would require insurers in the marketplace to cover it and would lead insurance companies to raise premium costs, which could hurt the GOP in next year's midterms, the newspaper reported. Kaylen Silverberg, an outside adviser to the administration, told the Post that the White House had approached him about fertility methods that use holistic health instead of IVF. Silverberg added that officials had asked him about restorative reproductive medicine, a method of treating infertility by improving overall health via lifestyle changes. Implementing that would fall "very short" of Trump's initial promises, Silverberg told the newspaper. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Lehigh Valley International Airport, on August 3 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Lehigh Valley International Airport, on August 3 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson What People Are Saying Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, told Newsweek: "On the campaign trail, Trump said what he needed to say in order to win the 2024 presidential election. Being in office is very different. While he has been able to largely fulfil his campaign promises on foreign policy and issues such as immigration and the size of government through Executive Order, mandating IVF availability requires Congressional support, and with tight majorities in both chambers he's clearly decided it's a hill not worth dying on." Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman told the Post: "President Trump pledged to expand access to fertility treatments for Americans who are struggling to start families. The Administration is committed like none before it to using its authorities to deliver on this pledge." What Happens Next? Whether the White House unveils policies regarding IVF remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the administration has put forth other policies regarding reproduction. In the One Big Beautiful Bill, health care providers who carry out abortions and receive more than $800,000 in federal reimbursements are banned from getting Medicaid funding for a year.
Politico
04-08-2025
- Politico
Nancy Mace jumps into South Carolina governor's race
Rep. Nancy Mace is seen during a Women's History Month event at the White House on March 26, 2025. | Francis Chung/POLITICO By Nicole Markus 08/04/2025 08:19 AM EDT Rep. Nancy Mace on Monday officially launched her bid for governor of South Carolina, joining a competitive GOP primary to follow term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster. 'She's a fighter, I know about that,' President Donald Trump said in a clip added to her campaign launch video. Mace (R-S.C.), who has branded herself as a protector of women's rights, will face Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, state Attorney General Alan Wilson and Rep. Ralph Norman in the primary.
San Francisco Chronicle
28-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump wants to ‘Make Indians Great Again' — by bringing back slurs to a school gymnasium near you
In 2014, a group of Native parents, including myself, launched the #NotYourMascot hashtag the night before the Super Bowl. Despite our minority status, representing barely 1.5% of the U.S. population, we were determined to find a way to be heard in the (relatively) new public square of social media. No, the Washington NFL team was not playing. But the Super Bowl was the most opportune moment to get our message out. We informed only our closest associates and a select few Twitter accounts with large followings about our plan — and treated our new hashtag like a state secret, afraid it would get swamped by an army of bots. We devised a list of ready-made tweets to educate the general public about the harm caused by Native mascotry to the most vulnerable population in America — Native Americans have the highest suicide, poverty, murder and rape rates in the country. The plan worked. 'Not Your Mascot' immediately trended — a powerful testament to the impact of collective action. It was probably the first American Indian hashtag to trend in the United States. Now, nearly 12 years later, the president of the United States is trying to undo our work. It's safe to say he did not read any of our tweets. On July 20, President Donald Trump posted on social media: 'The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team.' The leader of the free world then threatened to derail the team's return to the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington, D.C., after three decades in Maryland. The Commanders' owners are negotiating a nearly $4 billion deal with the D.C. City Council to make the move in 2030. 'I may put a restriction on them,' the president wrote, 'that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington…Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians.' Trump may have written 'The Art of the Deal,' but if he had read our 140-character talking points, he would know that an Emory University study found that teams with American Indian mascots were off-putting to fans and the franchises were worth less than they would be without a race-based mascot. Suzan Harjo, a Cheyenne elder who began suing the franchise in 1992, challenging the former owner Dan Snyder's trademarking of the slur 'R*dskins,' noted in her response to Trump that the 'Harjo curse' (the team's poor performance began the year she started her lawsuit) was only lifted after the team changed its name. 'It's a good example of how long it takes to shake really bad karma.' Commanders managing partner Josh Harris had this to say in February: 'Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It's about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates.' Even the Washington Post, which conducted a flawed survey in 2016 that showed support for the former name (I addressed this in an article in The Nation at the time), found that its most recent survey showed 62% of fans prefer the new name following the team's most successful season in decades. That, of course, should be that. But Trump's involvement in the mascot controversy goes beyond his recent social media posts or potential distractions from Jeffrey Epstein. In May, Trump's secretary of education, Linda McMahon, announced on a visit to Massapequa High School on Long Island, N.Y., that the state could lose federal funding if they do not allow Native mascots. In June, her department announced that its investigation into the New York Department of Education and the New York State Board of Regents' ban on 'mascots and logos that celebrate Native American history' was being handed over to the Department of Justice for enforcement. Under Trump, the department's civil rights office found the state ban discriminatory because mascotting other racial/ethnic groups, like 'Dutchmen' and the 'Huguenots,' is still allowed. After arguing with R*dskins trolls online in 2013-2014, I am familiar with this view. We'd often hear, 'What about the Vikings or 'Fighting Irish'?' Well, Vikings don't exist anymore, and going 'a Viking' was an activity, a job like being an oiler or packer. And it is not the sole way we know these groups. For so many Americans, American Indians are no more than the stereotypes demonstrated at games: Tomahawk chops and Pocahottie outfits. White Americans, even descendants of Vikings, the Irish, Dutch, and Huguenots, are allowed an individuality that cannot be diminished by obnoxious stereotypes promoted by the mascotry of their ancestors. 'The Trump administration will not stand idly by as state leaders attempt to eliminate the history and culture of Native American tribes,' McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, assured Massapequa High School students, parents and alumni. The school is refusing to comply with New York state law and eliminate its Native American mascot. After Trump's post on July 20, Kerry Wachter, the school board president of Massapequa, asked the president to sign an executive order allowing the school to retain its mascot. She claimed that banning mascots of Native people 'would erase this heritage, tear down this history and silence this legacy' in her Long Island town, which is 92.3% white, according to the U.S. Census. Massapequa says it would cost the school $1 million to change its mascot. One million invested in a mascot? If true, that certainly informs you about the types of resources being dubiously invested in the American educational system. Money that would be better spent on genuine education and assistance to poor reservation schools. Even to tribal colleges, many of which have had their budgets practically cut to zero by Trump. As we tweeted years ago, studies show that Native youth exposed to Native mascots have lower self-esteem. Not only that, but their ability to imagine themselves achieving their dreams decreases. And this is because, confronted with the dominant society's inability to see them as human and not a mascot, they retreat from the world and no longer have confidence in being a place where they can thrive. That's why, as Native parents, NotYourMascot sought to educate through tweets. That's why we chose Not Your Mascot, which was an improvement on Change the Name, an earlier messaging effort. We were taking our identity back for ourselves — and we were encouraging Americans of all backgrounds to engage with real Native people, cultures and lives, not mascots. Jacqueline Keeler is a Diné/Dakota writer living in Portland, Ore., and the author of 'Standing Rock, the Bundy Movement, and the American Story of Sacred Lands.'
