Latest news with #DataForProgress
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voters split on Trump's DC police takeover, National Guard deployment, new poll
WASHINGTON – A slight majority of voters – 51% – oppose the Trump administration taking over the DC, police force and deploying the National Guard in the nation's capital, according to new data released Aug. 20 from a progressive polling firm. The poll by Data for Progress also said only 11% of voters think that President Donald Trump's National Guard deployment will be limited to DC. A majority believes Trump will deploy the National Guard to 'many' (39%) or 'a few' (35%) additional cities, according to the Aug. 15 to Aug. 18 survey of 1,127 likely U.S. voters. Trump announced on Aug. 11 that he would deploy National Guard troops to Washington to crack down on crime. Trump initially deployed around 800 National Guard troops to the streets of Washington and ordered the Justice Department to take over the district's Metropolitan Police Department. Since then, six additional governors have promised to send additional National Guard troops from their states to assist with Trump's efforts. 'Broadly, these findings indicate that a majority of voters oppose Trump's National Guard deployment in D.C, and view it as authoritarian,' Data for Progress said. 'Voters also think Trump will deploy the National Guard to additional cities and would oppose a deployment in their community.' More: National Guard from Republican states heading to DC: What you need to know Although Trump declared that crime was "out of control" in Washington, advocates, lawmakers and many residents have pushed back on that characterization, which defies crime data. A majority of voters polled agree that 'Trump is being authoritarian' (57%) and that 'Trump is just doing this to distract from other issues' (51%) as it relates to the situation in DC, Data for Progress said in a news release about the new poll. More than half of voters (51%) also agreed that 'Trump is doing what's necessary to crack down on crime,' though voters were closely divided, with 46% disagreeing with that statement. Data for Progress describes itself as 'a progressive think tank that conducts research, polling, and data analysis to produce strategic insights, inform policymaking, and equip movements with the tools needed to advance a more just, equitable future.' The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, geography, and recalled presidential vote. Trump has publicly suggested sending the National Guard to other U.S. cities, including New York City, Chicago, Baltimore and Oakland. When asked if they would support or oppose Trump deploying the National Guard to address crime in their communities, the pool of all likely voters said they would oppose this effort by a −9-point net margin. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Poll - Voters split on Trump takeover of DC police, deployment of Guard
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mary Peltola would be the strongest likely candidate for Alaska governor, poll shows
Former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola holds a commanding lead in the 2026 election for governor of Alaska if she chooses to jump into the race, a new survey from progressive pollster Data for Progress (DFP) shows. Peltola, who was elected to Alaska's at-large U.S. House seat in a 2022 special election and then to a full term in the House before losing her seat in 2024, is widely viewed as the most formidable potential Democratic candidate for either governor or U.S. Senate in 2026. She was the first woman to represent Alaska in the U.S. House, the first Alaska Native person elected to Congress and could be the state's first Alaska Native governor. 'I think that's a huge thing, not just for representation, but for policy and people's lives,' said Jason Katz-Brown, an Alaska-based senior adviser at DFP. Peltola had the highest favorability ratings of major Alaska politicians in the survey, which was shared first with The 19th. She holds a net positive favorability of 9 points, and leads a crowded field of lesser-known and less popular Republican gubernatorial opponents by double-digit margins. Katz-Brown said Peltola's focus on issues like fisheries management and opposing the proposed merger of grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons has made her especially well-regarded among voters. 'She's done a lot to deserve being so popular and being in such a strong position,' he said. DFP conducts regular surveys of Alaska. In 2024, the organization's polling accurately captured the margin of President Donald Trump's victory in the state and the tight race for U.S. House that Peltola went on to narrowly lose to GOP Rep. Nick Begich. The most recent poll surveyed 678 likely voters from July 21 to July 27 with a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. Alaska votes solidly Republican on the presidential level, but its politics have a unique independent streak: over half of registered voters aren't affiliated with either major political party, and both chambers of the state legislature have a majority ruling coalition made up of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited, setting up an open governor's race. And with Democrats out of power, all eyes are on Peltola, who joined the legal and public affairs firm Holland & Hart in March and has not yet publicly made moves toward entering either race. 'The policies that she spent her whole last two years running on, especially on fisheries policy, are really, really popular things in Alaska, and the policies of the Republican governor are extremely unpopular,' Katz-Brown said. 'All that's combined, I think, really backs up the people in the state who really want to see a Peltola governorship.' Several Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and conservative activist and businessperson Bernadette Wilson, have declared or taken steps to launch campaigns while the Democratic side of the field remains open. Elections in Alaska are conducted with top-four nonpartisan primaries and ranked-choice general elections. The survey included a ranked-choice general election simulation of Peltola and several other declared and potential candidates, and in every round, Peltola came out far ahead of the competition. In the first round, 40 percent of voters said they would rank Peltola first, 11 percent said they would rank Wilson, and 10 percent said they would rank Dahlstrom with other candidates in the single digits. When all other candidates were eliminated and their votes reallocated, Peltola would beat Dahlstrom by 30 points, 65 percent to 35 percent, in a head-to-head competition. 'This poll makes clear she's in an extremely strong position to run for governor,' Katz-Brown said. Even 'in the most pessimistic of scenarios,' where 'not sure' votes are allocated to Dahlstrom or Republican voters rank four Republican candidates and their votes aren't exhausted, Peltola comes out on top, he said. Peltola would benefit from Dahlstrom being largely unknown and unpopular in the survey, and a fractured Republican field, Katz-Brown said. 'I think it reflects that the Republican Party is literally years away from unifying around one candidate, and has a ton of work to do,' he added. In the 2026 Senate race, 46 percent of voters said they would rank GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan first, and 45 percent said they would rank Peltola first. But Katz-Brown said defeating Sullivan, a second-term incumbent who won reelection by 13 points in 2020, would be a much tougher lift for Peltola than an open governor's race. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski didn't entirely rule out making a run for governor herself in recent comments to local media. But that potential bid could be threatened by her cratering favorability ratings. The DFP survey found Murkowski's net favorability has plummeted by over 20 points since the organization's last poll conducted in the spring, following her controversial vote for Republicans' massive party-line tax cut and spending legislation, which Trump dubbed his 'One Big Beautiful Bill.' In DFP's last Alaska survey released in March, Murkowski had a slim net positive approval rating, with 49 percent of respondents holding a favorable view of her and 48 percent holding an unfavorable view. In the July survey, 37 percent of respondents held a favorable view of Murkowski, while 60 percent held an unfavorable view, putting her favorability rating at net negative 23 points. Murkowski cast a critical vote for the megabill, which passed 51-50 with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie, following the addition of several provisions and carveouts beneficial to Alaska. After voting for the legislation, Murkowski stated that she hoped the House would make changes to the bill, calling it 'not good enough for the rest of our nation' and 'not ready for the President's desk.' But House Republicans made no such changes to the Senate-passed bill, sending the legislation to Trump's desk by the July 4 deadline he set for lawmakers. Murkowski later told the Anchorage Daily News that she felt 'cheated' by Trump signing executive orders that undercut one of the concessions in the bill that she negotiated, a 12-month window preserving tax credits for wind and solar energy projects. Murkowski, who has served in the Senate since 2002, has historically drawn much of her support from Democratic and independent voters. She's frequently broken with Trump and in 2022, she defeated a Trump-backed Republican challenger to win another six-year term. While her net negative favorability ratings among Republicans stayed consistent between the two most recent DFP surveys, her net favorability among Democrats fell by nearly 40 percentage points from 63 percent in the spring to 26 percent in July. Among independent and third-party voters, her net favorability fell from 12 points to 21 points underwater. 'I think her run for governor could also be imperiled by having really no base of support anymore,' Katz-Brown said. Peltola has ample time to make a decision about her political future before the June 2026 filing deadline for governor. On July 1, the day the Senate passed the megabill, Peltola spoke out against the legislation. 'We can not [sic] secure Alaska's future by increasing healthcare and energy costs for regular Alaskans, so millionaires, like many of my former colleagues in Congress, and their billionaire donors can get even richer,' she wrote on social media. 'Yes, let's develop Alaska's resources, but for the benefit of all Alaskans, not just a few.' The post Mary Peltola would be the strongest likely candidate for Alaska governor, poll shows appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Congressman Says 'Nobody Asked For The IRS To Be Americans' Tax Preparer,' Applauds Efforts To Shut Down The IRS Direct File Program
Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) is celebrating the House-passed bill that would shut down the Internal Revenue Service Direct File program, a free federal tool that allows Americans to file taxes online without paying private companies. 'Nobody asked for the IRS to be Americans' tax preparer, filer, and auditor,' Smith posted on X on June 24. 'The House-passed One, Big, Beautiful Bill puts an end to the IRS Direct File Program.'Don't Miss: GoSun's breakthrough rooftop EV charger already has 2,000+ units reserved — become an investor in this $41.3M clean energy brand today. Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. Despite Smith's remarks, the Direct File program has received broad support from taxpayers and voters across the political spectrum. According to a Data for Progress poll conducted in April, 82% of likely voters said they support expanding Direct File to all Americans. That includes 80% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 81% of Democrats. The IRS launched Direct File using Inflation Reduction Act funds. It started as a small pilot in 12 states during the 2024 tax season and expanded to 25 states in 2025, serving 32 million eligible users. The tool was described as secure, simple, and always free. Kitty Richards, senior fellow at the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive economic policy group, said Direct File was 'a crystal clear example of government efficiency at work. Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay exorbitant fees to predatory for-profit companies just to file their taxes.' According to Groundwork, IRS data and user surveys also backed the program's popularity. In 2024, 90% of surveyed users rated their experience as excellent or above average, and most reported filing in under an hour. By their estimates, Direct File saved taxpayers $5.6 million in fees during its first full rollout, and every dollar invested returned $160 in savings. Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100. When news broke out in April that the Trump administration plans to discontinue Direct File for the 2026 tax season, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) called Direct File a 'massive success' that removed unnecessary middlemen. He accused President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of 'robbing regular American families to pay back lobbyists that spend millions to make tax filing more expensive and more difficult.' Staff working on the program were reportedly told weeks earlier that they would no longer be needed. The Department of Government Efficiency, once led by Tesla CEO (NASDAQ:TSLA) Elon Musk, reportedly played a role in weakening the IRS program. Musk posted in February that the Direct File development team had been 'deleted.' Meanwhile, the program critics like David Williams of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance argued that the IRS overstepped by building Direct File without explicit approval. 'The IRS created Direct File without congressional approval,' Williams wrote in April. 'In fact, the $15M from the Inflation Reduction Act was supposed to be for a study. Instead, the IRS built the software.' Still, many policy advocates and voters say the program filled a real need and made tax season less stressful. See Next: $100k in assets? Maximize your retirement and cut down on taxes: Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's how you can earn passive income with just $ Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Congressman Says 'Nobody Asked For The IRS To Be Americans' Tax Preparer,' Applauds Efforts To Shut Down The IRS Direct File Program originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Congressman Says 'Nobody Asked For The IRS To Be Americans' Tax Preparer,' Applauds Efforts To Shut Down The IRS Direct File Program
Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) is celebrating the House-passed bill that would shut down the Internal Revenue Service Direct File program, a free federal tool that allows Americans to file taxes online without paying private companies. 'Nobody asked for the IRS to be Americans' tax preparer, filer, and auditor,' Smith posted on X on June 24. 'The House-passed One, Big, Beautiful Bill puts an end to the IRS Direct File Program.'Don't Miss: GoSun's breakthrough rooftop EV charger already has 2,000+ units reserved — become an investor in this $41.3M clean energy brand today. Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. Despite Smith's remarks, the Direct File program has received broad support from taxpayers and voters across the political spectrum. According to a Data for Progress poll conducted in April, 82% of likely voters said they support expanding Direct File to all Americans. That includes 80% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 81% of Democrats. The IRS launched Direct File using Inflation Reduction Act funds. It started as a small pilot in 12 states during the 2024 tax season and expanded to 25 states in 2025, serving 32 million eligible users. The tool was described as secure, simple, and always free. Kitty Richards, senior fellow at the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive economic policy group, said Direct File was 'a crystal clear example of government efficiency at work. Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay exorbitant fees to predatory for-profit companies just to file their taxes.' According to Groundwork, IRS data and user surveys also backed the program's popularity. In 2024, 90% of surveyed users rated their experience as excellent or above average, and most reported filing in under an hour. By their estimates, Direct File saved taxpayers $5.6 million in fees during its first full rollout, and every dollar invested returned $160 in savings. Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100. When news broke out in April that the Trump administration plans to discontinue Direct File for the 2026 tax season, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) called Direct File a 'massive success' that removed unnecessary middlemen. He accused President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of 'robbing regular American families to pay back lobbyists that spend millions to make tax filing more expensive and more difficult.' Staff working on the program were reportedly told weeks earlier that they would no longer be needed. The Department of Government Efficiency, once led by Tesla CEO (NASDAQ:TSLA) Elon Musk, reportedly played a role in weakening the IRS program. Musk posted in February that the Direct File development team had been 'deleted.' Meanwhile, the program critics like David Williams of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance argued that the IRS overstepped by building Direct File without explicit approval. 'The IRS created Direct File without congressional approval,' Williams wrote in April. 'In fact, the $15M from the Inflation Reduction Act was supposed to be for a study. Instead, the IRS built the software.' Still, many policy advocates and voters say the program filled a real need and made tax season less stressful. See Next: $100k in assets? Maximize your retirement and cut down on taxes: Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's how you can earn passive income with just $ Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Congressman Says 'Nobody Asked For The IRS To Be Americans' Tax Preparer,' Applauds Efforts To Shut Down The IRS Direct File Program originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Forbes
27-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why New Yorkers Want Public Grocery Stores
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 24: New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) speaks to ... More supporters during an election night gathering. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Getty Images The Democratic mayoral primary victory of New York City's Zohran Mandani has attracted global attention. The 33 year old from Queens won due to an impressive grassroots field campaign and a focus on economic justice issues. At the top of that agenda are publicly-owned grocery stores, which would be a first for the sprawling metropolis. But New York City already has thousands of grocery stores. Why would America's largest city want to road test such a plan? Mamdani's proposal would establish a pilot program of municipal grocery stores with the goal of providing affordable groceries to New Yorkers. Recent polling from Data for Progress and Batul Hassan of the Climate and Community Institute (CCI) shows the idea resonating with New Yorkers. Two-thirds of New York City voters (66%) support a proposal to create municipal grocery stores, including a strong majority of Democrats (72%), as well as a majority of Independents (64%) and Republicans (54%). Grocery costs are a top concern for New Yorkers. Climate and Community Institute/Data For Progress The polling found that 85% of New Yorkers are paying more for groceries now compared to last year and 91% of New Yorkers are concerned about how inflation impacts what they pay to get food on the table. Four out of five households in New York report finding it harder to afford groceries over the last year. More than half of all families struggle to cover basic expenses. These household economic strains are at crisis levels, and the private sector cannot solve for them in the current economic climate. Two-thirds of New Yorkers polled (66%) support the creation of municipal grocery stores in New York ... More City. Climate and Community Institute/Data For Progress Syndicated market data from NIQ shows that grocery prices have spiked over 32% since 2019. Prices have shot up even higher in many ultra processed food categories such as snacks, frozen foods and meat that make up over 60% of America's calories. Such categories are usually dominated by a handful of companies. Market concentration in the grocery industry has enabled processed food conglomerates to raise prices and generate enormous profits, all while actual food consumption has been stagnant since 2019, vastly increasing food insecurity. According to CCI's Hassan, the resources needed to establish a public grocery program are infrastructure within the city's control. Grocery store planning and rollout would be driven by communities, incorporating the food preferences of people in the neighborhoods. Some grocers have expressed skepticism at the idea, including the billionaire owner of Gristedes and D'Agostinos, who has threatened to close stores. But publicly owned grocery stores are quite common and already exist at scale—in the U.S. military. Every branch of the military has its own public grocery system, called an exchange or PX, that provides goods and services for enlistees. These include groceries, commissaries, department stores, gas stations and convenience stores, the same services that many full service grocers provide for civilians. The exchanges provide basic consumable goods, tax-free, and generate over $4.6 billion in annual revenue across 236 commissaries. This size enables commissaries to leverage supply chain efficiencies at the level of any national grocery chain. If the PX were a U.S. grocery chain, it would rank in the top 20 by sales nationally. How much of a stretch would it be to municipalize such the PX model, especially if there were a large scale, committed effort to build multiple locations quickly and create the efficiencies of scale to make it viable? Exchanges keep their costs down by operating as cost (not profit) centers, with a 2-3% percent gross margin, while budgeting labor and administrative expenses, rent, occupancy and utility costs centrally and not through each operating unit. This math means exchange prices can be 30% lower than typical retail prices, and saved military families and veterans over $1.6 billion in 2023. By comparison, independent and specialty grocers typically run at 35-40% gross margins, while national chains such as Walmart and Kroger run at 22-25%, all to cover their costs and generate a thin profit margin, usually 2-5% of sales. Lower costs and massive profits are the result of massive sales volumes that give bigger chains market power with suppliers, especially due to lax enforcement of antitrust laws such as Robinson Patman. This is also why smaller independent grocery operators, such as those that dominate the New York Metro area, typically have higher prices and high operating costs. Like a post exchange, a civilian-facing public grocery option could take some of these costs out of the consumer price equation. FT. BELVOIR, VA - MAY 31: Commissary at Ft. Belvoir in Ft. Belvoir, VA. (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The ... More Washington Post via Getty Images) The Washington Post via Getty Images Military exchanges still rely on the same supply chains as the private sector, stocking familiar brands and products. For example, the wholesaler SpartanNash, which was just acquired by C&S Wholesale, is a large supplier to military exchanges. A network of New York City public grocery stores could leverage city purchasing power to negotiate strong wholesale contracts and keep markups low, as well as buying food directly from local growers and producers in the Northeast. And public grocers could require vendors to meet values-based purchasing standards, such as those being implemented in New York City's public schools. Such standards emphasize healthier, whole food options, fair wages for workers, environmental impacts and diversifying supply chains. In South Korea, such public investment in 'precautionary' supply chains ensures that public institutions have access to healthy, safe and sustainably grown products. In New York City, it could mean healthier options are also the most affordable, turning typical grocery value chains on their head. Public grocery stores could therefore operationalize the Right To Food, an idea supported by over 80% of Americans. A public grocery option would not be a utility, which would imply a monopoly. New York would still have a thriving and diverse grocery sector, from Food Bazaar to Trader Joe's, to thousands of immigrant-owned bodegas, even Gristedes- if they want to stay open. Nor would it be a charity vehicle, dependent on donated or lower quality products from grocers, wholesalers and processors. A public grocery sector could instead be a backstop, a vital public service and an expansion of the safety net in the tradition of the New Deal, one that bridges affordability and access for cash-strapped New Yorkers. With the Trump Administration delivering a one-two-three punch of raising grocery prices through tariffs and trade wars, sharply cutting back on SNAP food assistance and not enforcing antitrust laws to ensure fair competition, a public grocery option presents a proven, pragmatic and timely policy solution. In an era of constant supply chain crisis and disruption, Mamdani's idea for public grocers is not any more radical than the Pentagon. But it has captured the imagination of hard-working New Yorkers hungry for change.
