Latest news with #DanielleBattaglia
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
While you slept, the US House finished a 1,000-page bill that will impact NC
Happy Memorial Day! It's Danielle Battaglia, back with today's Under the Dome! I want to use today's newsletter as a peek behind the curtain on what's happened with President Donald Trump and Congress over the past week. As all politicians do, Trump made many campaign promises to the American people. Now Trump is working with House Republicans to codify many of those promises into law. You've heard about this throughout the past few months. It's called the reconciliation process, or as Republicans have named the actual legislation: the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act.' And you've heard the panic about what could be in it: Cuts to Medicaid? Medicare? The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program? State and local taxes known as SALT? The list goes on and on. So why didn't I start reporting on the actual text of the bill until it passed the House on Thursday? Because we didn't have it. Literally. Each of the House's committees were assigned to find cuts to their budgets over the past few months. Once they did, they sent it to the Committee on House Rules to debate before it hit the floor. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican from Banner Elk, began the Rules committee meeting at 1 a.m. Wednesday, and reporters and House members were told to stand by for a potential vote throughout the day. We were also told that the bill could and would change as the committee worked their way through it. Not only that, it could change after it left Rules, which is the last stop before it reaches the House floor. You have never seen a quieter press gallery than Wednesday as reporters were either waiting to be able to tell readers what was in the final version, or milling around trying to find out when the bill would move. And Foxx led a marathon 19-hour meeting. Normally I'm more active in giving you updates about these negotiations because North Carolina was home to former Rep. Patrick McHenry, who was always working behind the scenes with the speaker to get Republicans on the same page, or former Rep. Dan Bishop, working with the far-right House Freedom Caucus making demands of the speaker. But our current members stayed close to their parties on this vote. That doesn't mean those arguments you're used to me writing about weren't happening. The House Freedom Caucus, the SALT Caucus and other factions of House Republicans were making demands of Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson. To get this bill over the finish line, Trump himself was having to whip votes. He visited the Capitol on Tuesday. He hauled members of the House Freedom Caucus into his office at the White House on Wednesday. He even got Congress to name some of the provisions in the bill after him. It wasn't until Wednesday night that the final version of the bill came out. And now I'm poring through it to see the impacts to North Carolina on topics like Medicaid and SNAP. I'll keep you posted. But know that it is destined to change again as the Senate revamps it. They plan to finish their work on it by Independence Day. And then it will go back to the House. ▪ A federal investigation into toxic chemicals at Poe Hall on N.C. State's campus has resumed. The news comes after cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' workforce had forced the feds to stop work on the campus. Korie Dean has more. ▪ RTI International, a research nonprofit in Durham, announced more layoffs due to changes made by the Trump administration, Brian Gordon reports. ▪ I wrote about nurses around the country sounding the alarm about an executive order signed by Trump and proposed cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the impact that will have on their patients. ▪ Former President Joe Biden announced he has Stage 4 prostate cancer. I compiled a list of places around the Triangle where you can go to get screened. ▪ Former Vice President Mike Pence was in North Carolina last week criticizing Trump's tariffs. Kyle Ingram reported on the roundtable held by the John Locke Foundation where Pence appeared. That's it for now. Be kind to each other. And check back tomorrow for the Under the Dome podcast newsletter. And if you have any feedback or tips for this new edition of the newsletter feel free to reach out to me directly at dbattaglia@ Not a subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Under the Dome in your inbox daily.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Under the Dome: Tariffs divide North Carolina's delegation in Congress. And silence some.
Happy Monday! Welcome to Under the Dome. It's Danielle Battaglia. Last week, President Donald Trump fulfilled his campaign promise for reciprocal tariffs across the world. As a base, Trump placed 10% tariffs on all trade partners, with higher tariffs targeting countries like China, Vietnam and the members of the European Union. Economists warned that this would set off a trade war. Already China and Canada have retaliated with higher tariffs of their own. And the stock market plunged. The tariffs are expected to cost Americans anywhere from $2,700 to $3,400 yearly, according to a Yale Budget Lab study. But Trump said it will all pay off within two years, when he expects to be rewarded with a manufacturing boom in the United States. The White House was out quick, the morning after Trump's tariff announcement, with a list of statements from various lawmakers supporting Trump. Reps. Chuck Edwards, Pat Harrigan, Tim Moore and Addison McDowell made it into the news release. 'Many countries are taking advantage of the United States by imposing tariffs against us while we don't have reciprocal tariffs against them,' Edwards' statement, taken from social media, said in the news release. '(Trump) has used tariffs to produce successful trade deals for us in his first term, and I support his plan to use them again to create a more level playing field and secure fairer trade deals for America. The quicker other countries agree to fairer trade deals, the quicker the tariffs can end.' Rep. Mark Harris, a Republican from Charlotte, has also been supportive. Sen. Ted Budd and Reps. Richard Hudson, Virginia Foxx, David Rouzer, Greg Murphy and Brad Knott have been silent on the issue. House Speaker Mike Johnson sent members home before Trump's announcement — for unrelated reasons — leaving his members free from running into reporters roaming the halls of the Capitol. Budd, a Republican from Davie County, is a staunch Trump supporter, but also comes from a family who turned a small and failing janitorial company into a successful, multi-state business with over 5,000 employees. Hudson, a Republican from Southern Pines, leads the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is trying to hold onto the GOP majority in the House. And Foxx, a Republican from Banner Elk, holds many stocks, including several of the ones that fell last week. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from Huntersville, has given conflicting views on the tariffs. He warned about how they could bankrupt farmers, while voting against legislation to revoke tariffs on Canada. He said he plans to support a bill that gives back control to Congress over tariffs, but told Punchbowl News that 'it's less about reducing Trump's power and more about clawing back Article I authority that's been eroded over a number of decades.' North Carolina Democrats were not supportive. 'Yesterday was not 'Liberation Day,' it was Recession Day,' Rep. Valerie Foushee, of Chapel Hill, wrote on social media. 'Trump's reckless actions are raising costs for families, increasing inflation, and devastating the stock market. Democrats will keep fighting to reverse these tariffs and deliver an economy that works for all Americans, not just for the rich.' Rep. Deborah Ross, of Raleigh, also spoke out against the tariffs, saying they will 'drive up costs, make inflation worse, stifle the growth of jobs and businesses in North Carolina and threaten a recession.' 'Trump has proven time and time again that he only cares about profits for the wealthiest Americans,' Ross said. 'While he escalates a costly trade war that is causing chaos in our markets, it is ultimately working families who will pay the price with higher taxes on everyday items, including groceries, gas, electronics, cars and homes.' She added the North Carolina agriculture and manufacturing industries will feel significant pain from the tariffs. Our Renee Umstead wrote more about how the tariffs are affecting North Carolina's small businesses. But to leave you all on a high note, a jobs report came out Friday saying 228,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy in March, which was much stronger than expected. Tired of hearing about tariffs? Here are other stories from the week: North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green said the immediate impact is uncertain after Trump's executive order to close the U.S. Department of Education and give control back to the states. The Charlotte Observer's Rebecca Noel did a Q&A with Green. More on Green: Keung Hui covered the Trump administration's decision to claw back COVID-19 relief funding from schools. Green says it will cost Halifax, Lenoir, Richmond and Robeson counties $17 million. The state school board is urging officials to reverse this decision. On Thursday, the United States began tariffs on foreign vehicles. Brian Gordon and Renee Umstead write about why this could add $5,000 to $15,000 to the ticket price of new vehicles. Some Triangle auto dealerships saw an influx in customers ahead of the tariffs going into effect. On Thursday, The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer will hold a joint virtual roundtable called: 'A Long Way to Go: Conversations on North Carolina's Helene Recovery.' Nora O'Neill and Richard Stradling will moderate a panel discussion on transportation and housing issues still facing victims of Helene. RSVP here. Korie Dean writes about two students attending N.C. State whose student visas were revoked by the Trump administration without warning. Both students chose to self-deport and are being allowed to continue their studies online. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced more than a week ago that he had signed letters to revoke student visas for more than 300 students. That's it for now. Be kind to each other. And check back tomorrow for the Under the Dome podcast newsletter. And if you have any feedback or tips for this new edition of the newsletter feel free to reach out to me directly at dbattaglia@ Not a subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Under the Dome in your inbox daily.
