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USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Notice a theme to Trump's planned takeovers of cities? These Black mayors do.
President Trump has warned he might send the National Guard to other cities. The Black mayors of those cities vow to push back. OAKLAND, California ‒ Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and other officials in this California city are treating President Donald Trump's warning that he might send the National Guard there as more than just an offhand comment. They're bracing for a fight. Lee and other Black mayors, along with civil rights activists and lawmakers across the country are increasingly concerned about Trump singling out cities like Oakland, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, DC. All of them are led by Black mayors and all of those leaders are Democrats. 'We just can't help but feel in some kind of way that we're being specifically profiled," said Van R. Johnson, president of the African American Mayors Association and mayor of Savannah, Georgia. 'That's not right. That's not fair. We want our federal government to work with us. We're just a phone call away.' New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, called Trump's takeover of DC's policing a 'blatantly racist and despicable power grab.' 'It won't stop in Washington, DC," she said in a statement. 'The stakes are high not just for Washington, DC, but for the future of democracy in every corner of this country.' Trump used his presidential powers in early August to take over policing in Washington, DC, complaining crime is rampant and officials haven't done enough to address it ‒ despite statistics showing crime in the district is at a 30-year-low. Trump also threatened to deploy the National Guard to help fight crime in other communities. "We're going to take back our capital," Trump said Aug. 11. "And then we'll look at other cities also." He called it a "historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse." Different visions for tackling urban problems White House officials argue the nation's capital is filthy and that Trump has seen that firsthand. In March, Trump signed an executive order titled "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful," which sets up a task force of federal officials to clean up the city. 'If Democrats had any common sense, they would follow President Trump's lead to crack down on violent crime that has plagued our nation's capital – and Democrat-run cities across the country," Taylor Rogers, White House assistant press secretary, said in an email to USA TODAY. "Instead of criticizing President Trump's popular, tough-on crime policies, they should focus on cleaning up their own cities which are some of the most dangerous places in America." Many big cities are run by Democrats, but both violent and property crimes have fallen nationwide in recent years, federal data shows. Civil rights leaders criticized Trump for portraying cities, especially those led by Black mayors, as crime ridden. "Painting a false picture of the city's largest Black-majority cities, led by Black mayors, is part of the Trump administration's ongoing strategy to exploit racial distrust for political gain,'' Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, and George Lambert, president of the Greater Washington Urban League President, said in a statement. If Trump really wanted to help cities, several mayors argued, he wouldn't be cutting funding for anti-poverty programs and community policing efforts. 'We need to have this federal government invest in cities like Oakland instead of disinvesting in us,' said Lee, who spent 27 years in Congress, including during Trump's first term. 'It doesn't make any sense what this government is doing if they want to see cities not just survive but thrive.' More: 'DC has a right to govern itself': Civil rights leaders denounce Trump's takeover move 'Reasonable people can look at the optics' Trump has yet to publicly bring up race in his criticisms of those cities, but experts point to his history of racially disparaging remarks, including during his first term when he questioned why the United States would let in people from countries like Haiti and parts of Africa, which he referred to using an expletive. Trump also called Baltimore, a predominately Black city, a 'disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess.' While the president didn't specifically mention race then or in his recent references, it's clearly implied, said Jason Williams, a professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Williams said urban centers historically have been code for talking about Black people or communities of color. 'He doesn't necessarily have to say it in order for his base to know what the implications are,' said Williams, adding that most people know DC has a significant Black population. 'It does give him some plausible deniability. Not that I think this president would care." Oakland's Lee told USA TODAY she finds Trump's actions "fearmongering and diversionary." "A lot of what he does is to provoke unrest and that gives him an excuse, so we have to be prepared and ready to fight," she said. Oakland has a contingency plan if Trump tries to send in National Guard, Lee added. When asked if she could provide any details, the mayor replied, 'I'm not at liberty to do that right now. That would be inappropriate at this point.' In DC, Trump justified his actions by citing a recent overnight assault of a former federal official and in Los Angeles, he called in the National Guard to quell civil protests spurred by the aggressive immigration crackdown. He might take advantage of other isolated incidents to target other big cities, said Insha Rahman, vice president of advocacy at the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit organization focused on criminal justice. "It's the red meat that Trump uses to rile up the MAGA base and it is effective as bait only when it's left unchecked," Rahman said. 'We've been here before' Federal officials have sometimes used their powers to undermine Black urban leadership and portray them as chaotic and incompetent or crime prone, Williams said. He pointed to examples such as the urban renewal of the 1960s and 1970s when federal officials displaced Black neighborhoods with highways and a century earlier, after Reconstruction, when governments dismantled post-Civil War gains. 'We've been here before with federal overreach and an attempt to try to roll back hard-won wins," Williams said. The nation's capital has long been in the crosshairs of Trump and GOP congressional leaders. Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers threatened to withhold funds if Bowser didn't remove a Black Lives Matter mural from a street near the White House. 'DC has always been this sort of political football for the Republicans,' Williams said. While some Black mayors are concerned about their cities becoming a Trump target, they're continuing their work to combat crime, Johnson, the Savannah mayor, said. 'We're worried about fighting our federal government as well as fighting crime," he said. 'It's a continuous 'what if, what next,' which we think are distractions from what the American people are really talking about.' Johnson said the ideologies and approaches of some Black mayors may be different than Trump's, but that doesn't mean they can't be partners on issues, including crime. 'We understand elections. We're politicians ourselves," he said. 'We're charged with playing with whoever is on the field. When Donald Trump became president, he became president of our cities too.' Contributing: Phillip Bailey
Newsweek
17 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Teachers To Be Tested on 'Woke' Questions in Oklahoma
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. Oklahoma Superintendent for Public Instruction Ryan Walters has introduced a new test for teachers coming into his state from California and New York in a bid to keep out what he called "woke indoctrination." Walters said his tests, compiled in association with conservative educational group PragerU, could be extended in the future to teachers from eight other Democratic-led states. Newsweek contacted Walters and PragerU for comment on Saturday outside regular office hours via their respective online inquiry forms. Why It Matters Since his second presidential inauguration in January, President Donald Trump has taken a number of steps to combat what he terms "woke" ideology, including issuing an executive order saying there were only two genders—male and female—and cutting funding to universities that refuse to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs. While state-level Republicans have worked to support the president's agenda, some traditionally Republican regions have recorded a significant influx of new residents from Democratic states in recent years—sparking fears that the population changes could shift red states' cultural and political identities. According to a report from StorageCafe, which rents storage units, California and New York saw the most departures in 2023. By contrast, nine of the 10 states with the largest population influx, including Oklahoma, were Republican dominated. What To Know Teachers moving to Oklahoma from California and New York will be required to pass a new test to obtain a teaching certificate for Oklahoma, according to Walters, who told CNN the move was designed to keep away "woke indoctrination." The network reported that the test was developed in association with PragerU, a conservative educational body that has acquired a large audience online and is sympathetic to the Trump administration. A stock photograph showing an American classroom in 2016. A stock photograph showing an American classroom in 2016. Elliott Kaufman/GETTY The test includes questions on the biological difference between men and women, the importance of religious freedom to American identity, and the U.S. government and political system, the New York Post reported. In recent years, about 500 new teachers have moved to Oklahoma as part of an incentive program designed to attract the "highest quality" educators. CNN said Walters declined to let the Oklahoma State Board of Education see a document on the legal status of his tests during a meeting in July. What People Are Saying The American Federation of Teachers told Newsweek: "Ryan Walters appears to be auditioning for the role of MAGA-in-chief, not educator-in-chief. His priority should be educating students, but it's not. It's getting Donald Trump and other MAGA politicians to notice him and think of him as their culture warrior. "This test will be yet another turnoff for teachers in a state that already has a huge shortage. It doesn't solve an actual problem in the classroom, but it certainly serves as a major distraction in the media as he deals with personal problems. "Teachers are patriotic, and they don't need a loyalty test from Ryan Walters to prove it. Whether they are conservative or liberal, they want what their students need: safe and welcoming public schools that are engaging and relevant and that prepare students for college, career and life." Oklahoma Superintendent for Public Instruction Ryan Walters told CNN: "We will not allow these leftists' plans and schemes to take place here in Oklahoma. They are trying to warp the minds of our kids to turn them into social justice warriors, instead of kids that are getting the most of their god given talents to go get a good job, to go live a fulfilling life." He told the New York Post: "Here in Oklahoma, our academics are going to be grounded in fact. "We've seen states like New York and California go so radical with gender theory and Marxist indoctrination, they are warping the minds of young people. … We need our teachers to agree to not be woke indoctrinators in the classroom. "We're also going to be teaching the foundations of American history. … So we can continue to be the greatest country in the world. We want our students to be patriots." PragerU CEO Marissa Streit told CNN that the questions were aimed at "undoing the damage of gender ideology that is forced and taught through some of these other tests like the PRISM test." PRISM is a training program created to help teachers support LGBTQ+ students in California. Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair John Waldron, a former teacher, told the outlet that Walters' plan was a "loyalty test" and an "insult to our profession." What Happens Next If Walters goes ahead with his tests, they are likely to face legal challenge. If they pass the courts, it remains to be seen what effects they will have on Oklahoma's education system and whether they will be extended to teachers coming from beyond New York and California.
Fox News
39 minutes ago
- Fox News
BROADCAST BIAS: It ought to be a crime for media to cover DC takeover this poorly
Knees jerk at the broadcast networks every time President Donald Trump makes a dramatic move. They're going to denounce his verbiage as too reckless. They're going to suggest he's mangling all the facts. They'll suggest his motives are racist and extremist. We heard all this on ABC, CBS and NBC after the president announced he was going to take command for a month of the D.C. police and call on the National Guard to combat crime in the nation's capital. It started right away on Monday, August 11. On ABC's "World News Tonight," anchorman David Muir began by insisting it was the Democrats who owned the facts: "Tonight, President Trump ordering the National Guard to take over policing of the nation's capital. Tonight, the mayor of Washington pushing back with the crime stats, and what they actually show." White House reporter Mary Bruce, one of Joe Biden's most agreeable stenographers, offered smug opposition in ABC's clipped style: "President Trump declaring a public safety emergency in D.C., painting an apocalyptic picture, adamant crime is spiraling out of control. But his depiction stands in stark contrast to the official figures, which show crime in the capital is actually in decline. Violent crime recently hitting a 30-year low, down 26% since last year. Burglary down 19%. Murder down 12%." ABC and CBS didn't acknowledge that these "official figures" are rigged – that an officer was suspended for manipulating the crime statistics to show improvement – those "historic lows" the media touted. ABC also failed to mention their own colleagues were telling a different tale on their streaming channel, ABC News Live. Anchor Kyra Phillips described the scene near ABC studios in DC, just blocks north of the White House: "I can tell you firsthand here in downtown DC where we work, right here around our bureau, just in the past six months, there were two people shot, one person died, literally two blocks down here from the bureau. We can talk about the numbers going down, but crime is happening every single day because we're all experiencing it firsthand, working and living down here." This underlines how the statistics don't match people's experience. In May, a Washington Post poll found that 91% of DC residents see crime as a problem, with 51% saying it is an extremely serious problem. Moreover, it is in particular Black and low-income residents who are most concerned about it. They live in the neighborhoods with the worst crime. Over on "CBS Evening News," co-anchor Maurice DuBois offered a fractured fact check: "The president said, despite evidence to the contrary, that crime of the nation's capital is out of control. It has actually been declining since the pandemic." That's wrong. Violent crime spiked in 2023, which allows all the talking points about it coming down since then. The locals are not impressed if the annual number of murders comes down from 274 to 187. They don't want to become a crime statistic. On Monday, "NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Llamas began: "The president's D.C. takeover, declaring a crime emergency and taking control of the city's police department, and sending in the National Guard. Washington's mayor calling it 'unsettling and unprecedented' as protesters take to the streets." White House reporter Gabe Gutierrez used the official stats against Trump, but added skeptics: "The head of the police union tells NBC News the crime stats have been manipulated. And any talk of a recent drop in crime is 'preposterous.' Still, the D.C. City Council calls the federal police takeover 'a manufactured intrusion on local authority' and the mayor says it caught her off-guard." It's fascinating that none of the networks pointed out Mayor Muriel Bowser is a Democrat. The city council has 11 Democrats and two independents. The elected DC Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, is a Democrat. These networks don't want you to think that Trump's "targets" here are partisan adversaries. They're somehow nonpartisan public servants. On ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, co-host Michael Strahan pushed claims from House Democrats (in this case Maryland Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin) that any focus on DC crime is a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein case. In May, a Washington Post poll found that 91% of DC residents see crime as a problem, with 51% saying it is an extremely serious problem. On Tuesday's "CBS Evening News," reporter Scott MacFarlane was pushing leftist fears of Trump power lust with local liberal activist Ron Moten, who said "my only caution is, one thing can lead to the next thing. You can take the police department today and we wake up and they take over our city." MacFarlane replied: "They might not give it back." Moten repeated: "They might not give it back." While pundits like MSNBC host Joe Scarborough worried Democrats were falling into a trap by being aggressive crime denialists, the networks stuck to the liberal frame. "PBS News Hour" Amna Nawaz proclaimed on Thursday: "It's all part of a federal crackdown in the nation's capital launched by President Trump, citing a crime emergency that the data doesn't fully support." This approach signals that these leftist networks think "the data" always reliably lands on the liberal point of view, on "the right side of history" and the storyline of America's problems with racism. This arrogance is especially audacious when the statistics they're using are literally "fake news."
