
Behind Trump's Decision to Tax Brazil to Save Bolsonaro
Eduardo Bolsonaro, 41, is a sitting Brazilian congressman, but his latest job has been to convince U.S. officials that a dangerous Brazilian Supreme Court justice wants to throw him and his father into prison, simply for fighting against what they claim was a stolen election.
And in multiple visits to Washington over the past several months, he has found a sympathetic audience.
'This is nothing more, or less, than an attack on a Political Opponent — Something I know much about!' President Trump posted online Monday. 'It happened to me, times 10.'
Eduardo Bolsonaro said he had been pushing senior White House officials to place sanctions on the Brazilian judge overseeing his father's prosecution.
Then, on Wednesday, Mr. Trump opted for something far more damaging: a 50 percent tariff on all Brazilian imports starting Aug. 1, retaliation for what he called a 'witch hunt' against Jair Bolsonaro.
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Trump order on homelessness alarms advocates. What could it mean for Asheville?
ASHEVILLE - In the months after Helene, Asheville and Buncombe County saw a jump in people experiencing unsheltered homelessness — more than a third of whom said it was due to the storm. Now advocates fear mounting attacks on the country's unhoused as local and national leaders grapple with the potential fallout from President Donald Trump's July executive order, which comes amid federal crackdowns in D.C. that target people without housing. While immediate impacts are still unclear, Asheville-area homeless services providers say there could be funding shifts, possibly diverting resources from existing programs, and a change in policy approach — taking the community further from proven solutions, with an eye toward 'regressive' practices, like forced institutionalization. Marcy Thompson, vice president of programs and policy with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said in a press call July 30, that it was 'abhorrent, full stop.' 'I've been working in this field of homelessness for more than 20 years, and it is by far the most harmful proposal from an administration that I have ever seen,' Thompson said. Trump's July 24 executive order signaled a sharp turn in how the country addresses homelessness, and calls for more "involuntary commitment," which is a process in which mental health workers can forcibly detain and medicate people against their will. Titled 'Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets,' the order sought to make it easier for cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets, prioritizing money for cities that enforce homeless camping bans and prohibitions on open drug use and 'urban squatting.' What power does an executive order have? An executive order does not change existing laws or policies for Asheville, nor does it have the authority to direct action to states, local governments, nonprofits or other entities, said Mary Frances Kenion, the Alliance's chief equity officer. What happens next will depend on the specific guidance and actions that the federal agencies named in the order, like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, are going to take. 'A lot of communities are very frightened and may not be in a position where they can say 'no,'' Kenion said. The order calls on already strained systems, like behavioral health care, which has been 'disinvested in' for decades, Kenion said. "You all are in the middle of a long, long road of recovery," she said of Asheville, referring to the devastation of Helene. "So that is going to further compound the multiple crises that are going on in the community.' 'All of it right now, it's what we're reading, but we're not seeing it quite yet being implemented,' Jessie Figueroa, with Homeward Bound WNC, said of the 'uncertainty' of the order. Some of its directives would require a significant amount of additional funding to be allocated to areas like behavioral health and substance use recovery treatment programs. 'Those are two services that are already lacking the resources that we need, as it stands now,' Figueroa said. Asheville's latest point in time count, a single night census of the population of people experiencing homelessness, found 755 people experiencing homelessness — up from 739 in 2024. Of these, 328 were experiencing unsheltered homelessness. More: Asheville homelessness count results are in. How did Helene impact the numbers? What might its impact look like in Asheville? Asheville's homeless services system receives federal funds through its Continuum of Care, a collaborative planning body responsible for developing and overseeing the community's response to homelessness. The city is the lead agency for the Asheville and Buncombe County CoC. This year, the CoC received nearly $2 million in CoC Program Funds, with the majority awarded to Helpmate, a nonprofit that provides assistance to survivors of domestic violence, and Homeward Bound for housing programs. It is likely those funds will have new requirements from the executive order related to substance use and mental health treatment for program participants, said Emily Ball, the city's Homeless Strategy Division manager. The CoC also receives Emergency Solutions Grant funding — this year, it will be eligible to apply for about $140,000. Figueroa, with Homeward Bound, said the organization has been bracing for changes coming to federal funding and policies. While the order does not have an 'immediate effect' on Homeward Bound, she said they anticipate there might be a shift, specifically around permanent supportive housing funding. 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US government in talks to acquire stake in Intel
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The Montgomery Advertiser sent the same questions to each of the candidates in the mayor's races for Prattville and Wetumpka ahead of the Aug. 26 municipal elections. Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley is unopposed. This is part of a series of stories on each candidate containing their responses, which have edited for style and brevity. Bill Gillespie Jr. Age: 67 Occupation: Mayor of the City of Prattville Political experience: Ran unsuccessfully for city council in 2000 for District 6. Then elected in 2004 as District 1 city councilman. Elected council president where he served in that capacity until Jan. 18, 2011, when he was sworn in as mayor. Elected as mayor in 2012, re-elected in 2016 and 2020, and is currently seeking re-election in 2025. Personal: Married to Stephanie for 45 years. The couple has two grown children and three grandchildren. Campaign contact: Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. on Facebook Gillespie is seeking his fourth full term as mayor of Prattville and faces four challengers. Question: Why are you running for mayor? Answer: Prattville has been very good to the Gillespie family and has always been my home. My father taught me several valuable lessons while serving on the city council. He instilled in me the importance of paying back my civic rent and making Prattville better for our youth and young at heart while ensuring and providing an environment for private enterprise to flourish. My father-in-law, Bobbie Cannady, also taught me a lot about serving. He served our country before retiring from the U.S. Air Force, and then served Prattville as a U.S. Postal carrier for many years. These men helped lead me into public service, and I have a heart for serving our community. What qualifies you to be mayor? As mayor, Prattville is progressing positively as a community, and many projects are on the rise. As we have become fiscally responsible and sound, I'm proud to say that we have approximately $10 million in our general fund. We have been awarded 10 years in a row for our Excellence in Financial Reporting. We've had many successful economic development stories, but Prattville's municipality will always be the never-ending story. We cannot rest on our successes and must continue identifying areas to improve as we move forward. I'm tried, tested, and proven as the mayor of Prattville, and I will continue leading our community into the future. If elected what will be your priority? City services, city infrastructure, educational partnerships and continued fiscal responsibility and transparency are my priorities. We must continue improving our city services and implementing technological advancements as they become available to ensure our citizens' needs are met with the highest quality work product. We must stay ready, willing, and able to support further economic development and educational partnership opportunities as we continue preparing an environment for all to succeed. At the same time, we will continue investing in additional force multiplier opportunities, being fiscally responsible and transparent, and keeping our workforce whole. Which cities will hold elections? Municipal elections are set for cities and towns in Autauga, Elmore and Montgomery counties, with the exception of the City of Montgomery. Municipal elections will also occur in Selma, Tuscaloosa and other cities. Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@ To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Candidate profile: Prattville's Gillespie seeks fourth term as mayor Solve the daily Crossword