Protesters wait outside Rep. Miller-Meeks' event in Davenport
There were contrasting emotions in and around Rhythm City Casino Thursday morning.
Congressman Jim Jordan, R.-Ohio, joined congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks and her supporters for a reception and discussed president Trump's recent 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' a piece of legislation that passed through the House of Representatives.
'We just want to make sure she wins, and she is going to. She is a great candidate, but we are here just to help,' Jordan said.'There are provisions in (the One Big Beautiful Bill) for every Iowan and every American, and there are provisions that strengthen and preserve Medicaid,' Miller-Meeks said.
Outside of Rhythm City, however, some of Miller-Meeks' constituents were not happy.
'Care about your voters, care about people who aren't voters,' said Tracy Jones, one of the protesters. '(Miller-Meeks) doesn't want to be held under the microscope for her terrible decisions, and it's wrong.
Protesters were upset with Rep. Miller-Meeks for not holding a townhall meeting and supporting trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, which includes significant cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
'Who would vote to take food from children? That's not a good person,' Jones said.
'When you are in Congress, you are supposed to be the voice of the people that put you there, and they deserve to have answers on what you are doing,' said Travis Terrell, a Democratic candidate for Rep. Miller-Meeks' 1st Congressional District seat.
Rep. Miller-Meeks, though, feels as if she is doing just that.
'We are absolutely voting in (the constituents') best interest because we voted to preserve and strengthen Medicaid,' Miller-Meeks said. 'Had we not done that, the trajectory of Medicaid spending is unsustainable.'
Protesters, however, said they wanted more transparency.
'If you are scared to be transparent with your constituents, it's because you know you betrayed them,' Terrell said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Has Big Brother arrived? Inside the secretive Trump effort to centralize government data on millions of Americans
The Trump administration is reportedly leaning on an Elon Musk-allied tech company to build wide-ranging data tools pooling government information on millions of Americans and immigrants alike. The campaign has raised alarms from critics that the company could be furthering Musk's DOGE effort to vacuum up and potentially weaponize – or sell – mass amounts of sensitive personal data, particularly against vulnerable groups like immigrants and political dissidents. In March, the president signed an executive order dedicated to 'stopping waste, fraud, and abuse by eliminating information silos,' a euphemism for pooling vast stores of data on Americans under the federal government. To carry out the data effort, the administration has deepened the federal government's longstanding partnership with Palantir, a tech firm specializing in building big data applications, which was co-founded by Silicon Valley investor, GOP donor, and JD Vance mentor Peter Thiel. Since Trump took office, the administration has reportedly spent more than $113 million with Palantir through new and existing contracts, while the company is slated to begin work on a new $795 million deal with the Defense Department. Palantir is reportedly working with the administration in the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service, according to The New York Times. Within these agencies, the firm is reportedly building tools to track the movement of migrants in real time and streamline all tax data. The company is also reportedly in talks about deploying its technology at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Education, both of which have been targets of DOGE, and which store sensitive information about Americans' identities and finances. 'We act as a data processor, not a data controller,' the company insisted in response to the Times report. 'Our software and services are used under direction from the organizations that license our products. These organizations define what can and cannot be done with their data; they control the Palantir accounts in which analysis is conducted.' The Trump administration has reportedly pursued a variety of efforts to use big data to support its priorities, including social media surveillance of immigrants to detect alleged pro-terror views, and American activists who disagree wit Donal Trump's views.. Earlier this month, a group of former Palantir employees warned in an open letter that the company was 'normalizing authoritarianism under the guise of a 'revolution' led by oligarchs.' 'By supporting Trump's administration, Elon Musk's DOGE initiative, and dangerous expansions of executive power, they have abandoned their responsibility and are in violation of Palantir's Code of Conduct,' the employees wrote. Previous reporting from CNN and WIRED has described efforts at the Department of Homeland Security to build mass data tools to support tracking and surveilling undocumented immigrants, a key priority for the White House as deportations still aren't reaching levels necessary to meet Trump's promise of rapidly removing millions of people from the country. The effort has involved merging data from outside agencies like Social Security and the IRS, according to WIRED. 'They are trying to amass a huge amount of data,' a senior DHS official told the magazine. 'It has nothing to do with finding fraud or wasteful spending … They are already cross-referencing immigration with SSA and IRS, as well as voter data.' Since Trump took office, DOGE operatives, many of whom are unknown to the public nor have been vetted, have rapidly sought access to data at key agencies, including the Departments of Education and the Treasury, as well as the Social Security Administration, often over the objections of senior staff. The efforts have prompted scores of lawsuits against DOGE. At Social Security, the administration also moved thousands of living, mostly Latino undocumented immigrants into the agency's 'Death Master File' in an attempt to pressure them to leave the country. DOGE itself is reportedly under audit for its action by the Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog. An April letter from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee warned of DOGE's 'extreme negligence and an alarmingly cavalier attitude' toward sensitive data. It claimed a whistleblower had described how 'DOGE engineers have tried to create specialized computers for themselves that simultaneously give full access to networks and databases across different agencies.' The 'whistleblower information obtained by the Committee, combined with public reporting, paints a picture of chaos at SSA [Social Security Administration] as DOGE is rapidly, haphazardly, and unlawfully working to implement changes that could disrupt Social Security payments and expose Americans' sensitive data,' the letter reads.'
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Community members, politicians react to approval of Central Park renovation designs
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ)– If you've been to any recent Johnstown City Council meetings or spoken with community members it's clear that there is a divide on where people stand regarding the Central Park renovation project. 'If they're going to listen to the people directly, then I'm for it, but if it's just wham bam thank you ma'am just out the air, then no,' Johnstown resident Tereah Henderson said. Several people took advantage of the good weather on Friday morning to check out the farmer's market around Central Park. Some say that they hope a revitalized park will help create new events like it in the future. Johnstown companies awarded $256 million in military defense contracts 'I mean there's businesses down here and if they're still going to do a lot of these events close by, I don't see why it would hurt,' Johnstown Resident Vicky Cobaugh said. The City Council voted on Wednesday to approve the final plans for the project. The project uses funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to cover the cost of the $6 to $8 million renovation. More than one and a half million has already been spent in the design phase, and as for the rest of the money designated for the project, the city either has to use it or lose it. Using funds from the American rescue Plan Act has come under scrutiny throughout the discussions of the project, even from State Representative Frank Burns. 'We have a police station that is falling apart, and it needs attention quickly,' Burns said. Now whether that's a new police station, or building, building a new one, renovating the one that's already there, all that matters is that we have a suitable place for our police officers to work out of and protect the public. They could have used that money to hire more police officers. I've been touting that for 3 years now. That they should use this money to hire more officers but they chose the park as their top priority. ' 'Truthfully, I told them on Wednesday night to give the money back,' Republican Candidate for Mayor John Debartola said. Debartola said that he believes the project will devastate downtown businesses and is upset that it will remove some landmarks like the Pasquerilla Fountain. The plans also call for a new and expanded gazebo and a new Walk of Honor. Instead, Debartola said he would rather see repairs to the current design. 'Take a look at this park when you do a video pan, it needs improvements, it doesn't need eight million dollars,' Debartola said. 'It doesn't need two million spent on plans to friends and family.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
From prison to paycheck: 1 Mo Question helps ex-offenders with jobs
The Brief 1 Mo Question, Inc. in Atlanta is helping ex-offenders reenter society by hosting career fairs and offering second chances. Richard King, a former inmate, was one of 17 ex-offenders hired on the spot at the organization's recent job fair. Founder Dr. Travis Barber, also formerly incarcerated, believes ex-offenders can become leaders and plans more job fairs to support their journey. ATLANTA - It's a scenario many don't often think about: what happens to ex-offenders when they are released from prison? For many, the transition back into society can be lonely and overwhelming. After serving their time and paying their debt to society, starting over is no easy task. One organization in Atlanta is working to change that. What we know When inmates finish their jail or prison sentence, reentering society can be almost impossible. 1 Mo Question, Inc. was created to offer second chances. "Being at a penitentiary, where you're not getting a call home every day. You are on lockdown most of the time is traumatic," said Richard King. King, a 38-year-old ex-convict, says life behind bars is denigrating and isolating. He spent 12 years in federal prison for sex trafficking and was released this past January. Now, he is focused on rebuilding his life. Recently, he attended the 1 Mo Question, Inc. job fair in search of employment. "I do deal with bad days, more so often as of late because of bills and I want to do more for my family and my son," King said. King was one of 17 ex-offenders hired on the spot during the organization's second annual Ex-Offenders Career and Employment Fair, founded by Dr. Travis Barber. Barber, who spent a decade in prison himself, knows the importance of a second chance and believes in helping others find theirs. What they're saying "They make employees like me. They become bosses, they become leaders, they become supervisors," said Dr. Barber. "It means the world to me, people counted me out, but I proved everybody wrong." King, now a tire technician, has a 16-year-old son and is committed to making a difference. He says his mission is to reach young people and keep them on the right path. "I am out here, 10 toes down, ready to embark on this new journey of my life," he said. Why you should care 1 Mo Question, Inc. remains committed to helping ex-offenders achieve redemption and plans to host additional job fairs in the coming months.
