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New York Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
House Republicans propose bill that would set aside $5 billion for private school vouchers
House Republicans want to set aside up to $5 billion a year for scholarships to help families send their children to private and religious schools, an unprecedented effort to use public money to pay for private education. The proposal, part of a budget reconciliation bill released Monday, would advance President Donald Trump's agenda of establishing 'universal school choice' by providing families nationwide the option to give their children an education different from the one offered in their local public school. Nearly all households would qualify except those making more than three times the local median income. Supporters of private school vouchers say they want to give families assigned to low-performing schools more choices. Advertisement House Republicans set forth a budget reconciliation bill on Monday, which would set aside $5 billion a year for scholarships to help families send their children to private and religious schools. AP 'Giving parents the ability to choose the best education for their child makes the (American Dream) possible,' said Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who sponsored a similar proposal in the Senate. The program would be funded by donors who could contribute money or stock. In turn, they would receive 100% of the contribution back in the form of a discount on their tax bills. It would allow stock holders to avoid paying taxes that would be levied if they donated or transferred the stock. Advertisement Critics decried the proposal, saying it would aid the wealthy at the expense of the public school systems that serve the overwhelming majority of students. They said it would set up a tax shelter allowing savvy investors to make money under the guise of a donation. All of this comes as the Trump administration downsizes the Education Department and cuts resources to public schools, including $1 billion in mental health grants and funding for teacher training. 'This is a significant threat,' said Sasha Pudelski of AASA, the School Superintendents Association. She added that states that have voucher programs often end up assisting families that were already paying for private school. 'It's opening the door even wider to what has already plagued voucher programs around the country, which is rampant waste, fraud, and abuse.' Advertisement Similar tax-credit scholarship and private school voucher programs have proliferated in red-leaning states like Texas, which just passed a $1 billion program. Public school advocates worry the programs hurt enrollment and per-pupil funding, ultimately leaving fewer resources for families that choose public schools.
Boston Globe
14-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Driscoll fills in for Wu at research bureau, while Mariano jokes about RFK Jr.
Advertisement Wu recently said in a social media post that she decided not to attend the lunch, a tradition for the sitting mayor, because of her concern that the business-backed research bureau has been acting as a 'political action committee to lower corporate taxes.' (Wu was referring to their difference in opinion about how commercial real estate should be taxed.) Instead, Wu ended up around the time of the lunch at Boston Latin School, where she met with actor Ayo Edebiri, a BPS alum and star of the TV show 'The Bear.' Mayoral challenger Josh Kraft, who attended the research bureau event, highlighted Wu's absence with an email he sent out that morning accusing his opponent of shutting out a nonpartisan organization over a policy disagreement. Advertisement House Speaker Ron Mariano, meanwhile, wasn't about to miss his own annual speaking engagement that morning with another business group, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, even though he was fighting a cold. He joked about that while speaking at the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel, by referring to US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and some of his controversial stances. 'You'll have to forgive me. I've had a cold for a week but I'm on direct orders from Secretary Kennedy of Health and Human Services to attend as many crowded events as possible,' Mariano said to much laughter. 'We're trying to achieve herd immunity.' This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene. Jon Chesto can be reached at
Boston Globe
09-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Congressional Republicans cheer Trump's tariffs announcement: ‘Behold the 'Art of the Deal''
'It really lightened up the lunch discussion,' said Senator Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, adding that there were 'a lot of smiles.' Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., said he was relieved by the announcement and 'we all would rather see the market rise than fall.' Republicans in recent days have become louder with their concerns that Trump's sweeping tariffs would harm the economy. In the Senate, they have pushed the White House to negotiate trade deals rather than double down on the tariffs. Advertisement House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the president's move in a post on X, writing 'Behold the 'Art of the Deal.' ' Behold the 'Art of the Deal.' President Trump has created leverage, brought MANY countries to the table, and will deliver for American workers, American manufacturers, and America's future! — Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson)
South China Morning Post
25-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Trump portrait to be taken down after president claimed it was ‘purposefully distorted'
A painting of Donald Trump hanging with other presidential portraits at the Colorado state Capitol will be taken down after Trump claimed that his was 'purposefully distorted', according to a letter obtained by Associated Press. Advertisement House Democrats said in a statement that the oil painting would be taken down at the request of Republican leaders in the Legislature. Colorado Republicans raised more than US$10,000 through a GoFundMe account to commission the oil painting, which was unveiled in 2019. Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Republican, said that he requested for Trump's portrait to be taken down and replaced by one 'that depicts his contemporary likeness'. 'If the GOP wants to spend time and money on which portrait of Trump hangs in the Capitol, then that's up to them,' the Democrats said. The portrait was installed alongside other paintings of US presidents. Before the installation, a prankster placed a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin near the spot intended for Trump. Advertisement Initially, people objected to artist Sarah Boardman's depiction of Trump as 'nonconfrontational' and 'thoughtful' in the portrait, according to an interview with Colorado Times Recorder from the time.
Boston Globe
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Housing costs are the top concern for Rhode Island voters, a new poll finds
The margin of error on the poll was plus or minus 4.8 percentage points. The poll was conducted online by YouGov. The organization is holding a press conference at the State House at 3:15 p.m. to publicly release the poll results, but you can have a sneak peek Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up I also discussed the poll results on '12 News this Morning.' You can watch the segment Advertisement The bigger picture: It's not a new concept for an advocacy organization to release poll results that are favorable to its cause – in this case, the construction of lots of new housing across the state – but the numbers are overwhelming. ⚓ 95 percent of voters said they believe the cost of renting or buying a home is a major problem or somewhat of a problem. ⚓ 78 percent of voters said there are not enough homes to rent or buy in their community that average people can afford. ⚓ 88 percent of voters think state lawmakers should take action to address the housing shortage and the cost of housing. Voters also strongly supported some of the solutions offered by Neighbors Welcome! RI, including making it easier for homeowners with oversized lots to divide up their property (75 percent); allowing town homes to be built on all residentially zoned lots (70 percent); allowing more homes to be built near businesses and shopping districts (87 percent); allowing single-family homes on smaller lots (81 percent); and creating a central online system for state and local permits (76 percent). Advertisement House Speaker Joe Shekarchi has not heeded calls from more progressives to crack down on cities and towns that are resistant to building more affordable housing, but the poll shows 53 percent of voters said lawmakers should building more homes and bringing down housing costs even if it means reducing the power the cities and towns have over decision-making, compared to 24 percent who support preserver the power of cities and towns. The political angle: Yes, the poll did include a few political questions. Only 36 percent of voters said they approve of the job Governor Dan McKee is doing as governor, and 51 percent said they disapprove of the job he's doing. On the bright side for McKee, 48 percent said they approve of the governor partnering with stakeholders to address the housing wasn't a direct approval rating question for Shekarchi, but 65 percent said they support the speaker partnering with stakeholders to address the housing crisis. Related : This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
