Why the government built only 58 EV charging stations in three years
Marc J. Dunkelman is a fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute. His book 'Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back' will be published Feb. 18.
It was one of the proudest moments of the Biden administration: Charging stations for electric vehicles 'will be up and as easy to find as gas stations are now,' the president told cheering autoworkers at the Detroit Auto Show in 2022. The bipartisan infrastructure law he signed earlier in his term set aside $5 billion to fill in the gaps of a network of 500,000 charging stations that would stretch seamlessly across the nation by 2030.
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The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
How civil rights investigations against schools have changed under Trump admin
Amid a flurry of civil rights and Title IX investigations, the Trump administration has reopened K-12 schools and universities, signaling a complete 180-degree shift in the interpretation of the mandates. The Trump administration is fighting schools over transgender athletes, bans on Native American mascots and Chicago's 'Black Students Success Plans.' The switch from the previous administration has caused whiplash for schools, with advocates warning students some complaints may not be worth pursuing. 'The Trump Administration has created dumpsters for so-called civil rights violations that are distractingly unresponsive to actual acts of violence, harassment, discrimination and abuse in our nation's educational institutions,' says Shaun Harper, a professor of education, public policy and business at the University of Southern California. 'It is painfully apparent that destructive politicized attacks on DEI are far more important to them than are efforts to ensure the actual civil rights of American students, families and educators,' he added. The most drastic change has been in the handling of cases involving transgender athletes. The Biden administration notably moved to add protections for LGBTQ individuals to Title IX, a civil rights law that protects students against sex-based discrimination. Former President Biden also proposed protections for transgender students, such as forbidding overarching bans on transgender women in girls' sports, but withdrew the proposal before President Trump took office, so the new president could not take the provision and alter it. Under the Trump administration, dozens of schools have come under fire with alleged Title IX violations over transgender athletes. The biggest threat occurred against California after the Trump administration said it would pull federal funding from the state following a transgender high school track and field athlete qualifying to compete in the state championship. 'It's definitely been tough to have students come to us who are considering filing an Office of Civil Rights (OCR) complaint because they've experienced discrimination at their school, and have to sort of say, 'I'm not even sure if it's a good idea at this moment,' given the way that the Trump administration is enforcing Title IX,' said Emma Grasso Levine, senior manager of Title IX Policy and Programs at the Title IX advocacy project Know Your IX. 'Having OCR suddenly stop being an option for many students because of the discriminatory way that the Trump administration is operating … really does limit mechanisms for accountability to ensure that schools are handling Title IX cases and preventing sex-based harassment,' she added. In a statement to The Hill, Department of Education spokesperson Julie Hartman said the Trump administration is 'restoring civil rights law and reversing the damage inflicted by the Biden Administration, which stretched the scope of federal anti-discrimination law beyond its statutory purview.' Hartman added, 'By enforcing the law as it is written, the Trump Administration's OCR is using its personnel and resources responsibly to protect all Americans and eliminating wasteful and unfounded investigations.' While the Trump administration has been vague in its definition of what diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are at schools, the civil rights investigations the Education Department is opening gives a glimpse at its meaning. Chicago Public Schools is currently under investigation over 'Black Students Success Plans' the district made, without making similar plans for students of other ethnicities. The Education Department launched a probe against New York State's Education Department after the state department threatened to strip funding from a school for having a Native American mascot. 'Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population. The School Board, and virtually everyone in the area, are demanding the name be kept,' Trump said about the incident. Supporters of the president are encouraged by the rapid switch in gears in what investigations are brought to schools, pointing out some families have been waiting four years for this. 'The [Biden] administration had a pretty clear stance in favor of what they called equity, but I argue was really racial favoritism and an ideology in favor of identity politics,' said Jonathan Butcher, the Will Skillman senior research fellow in education policy at the Heritage Foundation. 'The Trump administration is, I believe, appropriately viewing the Civil Rights Act in terms of colorblindness and meritocracy and trying to preserve, or at least restore those things to American public life and in public law,' he added. 'It should be a relief to local educators and families who are concerned that the transgender movement has taken over our view of what it means to be male and female.' The relief by some parents – and fear by others – of what cases will be prioritized highlights the struggle with the political ping pong that occurs when the Education Department switches hands. 'Even with the ping ponging, it doesn't mean that the Trump administration is accurate, and they're putting forward an unlawful and wrong interpretation of the law by distorting the law and using it as a way to require discrimination against students, and especially students from vulnerable communities,' said Shiwali Patel, senior director of Safe and Inclusive Schools. There are concerns about how the Trump administration is using the Office of Civil Rights, but also if it will even exist by the end of his presidency. Many employees in the office were fired during the Education Department's reduction in force and Trump has floated moving OCR to the Department of Justice. Some advocates have said the Department of Education will be unable to uphold its legal obligations, especially as OCR cases were already backlogged before the layoffs. 'They're prioritizing weaponizing these laws to require harm against students, against vulnerable groups of students, with the few resources that they have, because now we're now dealing with an OCR that is at almost half of what it used to be because of all the cuts and the layoffs that the Trump administration has engaged in,' Patel said. The North Star for both sides is passing laws either in Congress or on the state level to fight against the executive changes that happen to these investigations every four years. 'I think the states have adopted laws that have prohibited boys in girls' sports,' Butcher said. 'All of these things that states are doing are codifying what the Trump administration is now supporting.' 'At the federal level, it'll definitely be up to Congress, of course, when it comes to putting something into law. And I think that federal lawmakers would do well to be mindful not only of what the Civil Rights statutes say on this issue, but also what voters are feeling like,' he added. 'Voters, I think, have made it clear through surveys that these positions on, again, boys getting access to girls' private spaces and sports, are unpopular.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas GOP Urges Veto Of Counselor Loan Program
(Texas Scorecard) – A coalition of 34 Republican lawmakers is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a Democrat-authored bill that would expand state-funded student loan repayment programs—this time, specifically for school counselors and mental health professionals. Senate Bill 646, authored by Democrat State Sen. Royce West, would broaden eligibility for Texas' loan repayment assistance program to include school counselors, marriage and family therapists, and other behavioral health professionals. The bill drew fierce opposition from conservatives when it reached the House floor, especially in light of social transitioning in public schools—a practice whereby school counselors and staff assist children in adopting a new gender identity without parental knowledge or consent. 'This expands a Biden-style student loan repayment program,' reads a letter sent to Abbott signed by 34 Republican House members. 'There are many laudable things that the legislature funds and expands during the session, but few that receive such significant opposition as SB 646.' The effort is being led by State Rep. Brent Money (R–Greenville), who criticized the growing reliance on taxpayer-funded programs to forgive personal debt—especially for public sector jobs. Supporters argue the bill is meant to address Texas' ongoing shortage of school-based mental health professionals, but opponents say it sets a dangerous precedent. 'Loan repayment programs' should not be a routine feature of state policy, the letter states. 'We humbly ask that you veto this legislation and in so doing encourage the legislature to make 'loan repayment programs' and their expansion something we avoid in future sessions,' the letter concludes. 58 Republicans voted against the bill in the House. Unless Gov. Abbott issues a veto, the legislation is set to take effect September 1, 2025. The deadline for gubernatorial action is June 22.
Axios
4 hours ago
- Axios
MAGA's blue-collar base waits patiently for populist payoff
President Trump 's second term has been a payday for the powerful, exposing a disconnect in his promise to deliver for "the forgotten man" of America's working class. Why it matters: The populist paradox at the heart of MAGA — a movement fueled by economic grievance and championed by a New York billionaire — has never been more pronounced. Trump's blue-collar base remains fiercely loyal, energized by his hardline stances on immigration, trade and culture — and patient that his economic "Golden Age" will materialize. But so far, the clearest financial rewards of Trump's tenure are flowing upward — to wealthy donors, family members, insiders and the president himself. The big picture: Trump's inner circle has shattered norms around profiting from the presidency, dulling public outrage to the point where even the most brazen access schemes draw only fleeting scrutiny. Take crypto: The top holders of Trump's meme coin were granted an exclusive dinner last month at the president's Virginia golf club, where some paid millions for access. The White House refused to release the guest list, but wealthy foreigners — including a Chinese billionaire who faced SEC charges under the Biden administration — were among those revealed to be in attendance. Trump's sons, meanwhile, are spearheading a family crypto venture that has raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump Media, the parent company of Truth Social, is raising $2.5 billion to buy Bitcoin. All of this — plus a flurry of lucrative real estate deals overseas — is playing out as Trump presides over U.S. foreign policy and the fate of crypto regulation. Zoom in: Now take Trump's relationship with his donors. His Cabinet is the wealthiest in American history, stocked with mega-donors whose combined net worth reaches well into the billions — even discounting estranged former adviser Elon Musk. Trump has granted pardons or clemency to a stream of white-collar criminals and wealthy tax cheats, many of whom hired lobbyists, donated to the president or raised money on his behalf. The Wall Street Journal found that the biggest corporate and individual donors to Trump's inauguration later received relief from investigations, U.S. market access and plum postings in the administration. The other side: Trump officials wholly reject the premise that the administration's policies don't benefit the working-class Americans who voted for the president en masse. The White House points to cooling inflation, plummeting border crossings, and the tariff-driven re-shoring of manufacturing as evidence of Trump delivering on his core promises. They frame his crypto push, AI acceleration and deregulatory agenda as driving forces behind a pro-growth tide that will lift all boats — including for middle- and working-class Americans. Reality check: Inflation may remain benign for now, but there are growing signs businesses are experiencing higher prices and passing some or all of those costs directly through to consumers, Axios managing editor for business Ben Berkowitz notes. While companies have made encouraging public statements about re-shoring, in almost all of those cases it's too soon for any shovels to be in the ground. What to watch: Trump's "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" is packed with populist red meat, including the extension of his first-term tax cuts, the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime, and $1,000 " Trump Accounts" for newborns. "All his hopes and dreams on that front are pinned to that reconciliation bill," one MAGA operative told Axios, characterizing it as "the bulk" of Trump's legislative agenda for the middle class. "The president expects the Senate to quickly pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, codifying huge tax cuts that will mean permanent savings for hardworking Americans," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said. Between the lines: Several independent analyses project that the wealthiest Americans would benefit most from the bill. A Penn Wharton study that found the top 10% of earners would reap 70% of the legislation's total value. The Congressional Budget Office projects that Medicaid work requirements and other health care cuts would leave about 11 million people uninsured by 2034. Millions could also be forced off of food stamps. "Medicaid, you gotta be careful," former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said on his "War Room" podcast in February. "Because a lot of MAGAs are on Medicaid, I'm telling you. If you don't think so, you are dead wrong." Factory investments in red districts are expected to suffer most from the bill's rollback of clean energy credits included in President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. The bottom line: Inside the MAGA movement, there's little concern about who's getting rich as long as Trump keeps fighting the culture wars, deporting immigrants and tearing down liberal institutions.
