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The Intercept
5 days ago
- Business
- The Intercept
Corporate Pride Is Dying. Good.
Participants march with a MasterCard banner at NYC Pride March on June 30, 2024. This year, the company pulled its corporate sponsorship of NYC Pride. Photo: Hailstorm Visuals/Sipa USA via AP Images As Pride month kicks off under a hostile federal government that takes its cues from a homophobic and transphobic far-right movement, the typical steady drip of rainbow-painted logos and feel-good news has been replaced with a stream of coverage of corporations pulling their sponsorship dollars from LGBTQ+ Pride events. This sudden withdrawal presents a material problem in queer circles, as advocates struggle to plan the increasingly bloated festivals that corporate cash has enabled in recent years. It's also an opportunity. The corporate exodus has been swift and financially devastating. According to one Associated Press report, NYC Pride is staring down a $750,000 budget gap. San Francisco Pride is short $200,000 to $300,000. KC Pride in Kansas City lost half its annual budget, about $200,000. Anheuser-Busch alone left St. Louis Pride $150,000 poorer. WorldPride D.C., which was set to be a lavish affair, is out nearly $260,000. And numerous other Prides report sponsorship drops of 40 to 50 percent. But it's far from clear that that money was doing much to advance the interests of LGBTQ+ people. What started as a remembrance of the fury and desperation of the Stonewall riots has slowly been sanitized and co-opted into a series of stale, borderline apolitical affairs. Over the course of the 1990s and early 2000s, companies began dipping their corporate toes into LGBTQ+ pride events. Then came the post-Obergefell gold rush after 2015, when the landmark Supreme Court case legalized gay marriage and brand activism hit its peak. Suddenly, every toothpaste and telecom company wanted a float in the parade. No corporation, no matter its line of business or its track record, was considered too amoral for inclusion. Fast forward to 2025, the political winds have shifted — proving it all the more essential to revive the authentic, full-throated culture of protest that once characterized Pride. The Trump administration has pursued an aggressive anti-LGBTQ+ agenda, including spurious orders against private entities' DEI policies and frontal assaults on the rights of trans people. The National Park Service erased the word 'transgender' from the website for the Stonewall National Monument. At the state and local level, conservative activism to roll back progress on LGBTQ+ rights has reached a boiling point. Over 588 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures so far this year. More than 50 of them have already been passed into law. All of a sudden, the rainbow logos that corporations loved rolling out on the first of June are seen as a massive political and even legal risk. The performative allyship has morphed into silence. Good. Corporate support was a cynical marketing ploy to tap into the perceived disposable income of LGBTQ+ Americans. Corporate support was never about genuine solidarity. Instead, it was largely a cynical marketing ploy to tap into the perceived disposable income of LGBTQ+ Americans, who represent roughly a trillion and a half dollars in annual buying power and have a higher propensity to spend than most other demographics. After spending June pushing rainbow products, corporations go back to business as usual on July 1, often funding the very politicians now empowered to strip us of our rights. Longtime Pride sponsor Anheuser-Busch, for example, has a documented history of donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians, including Florida's Ron DeSantis, architect of the infamous 'Don't Say Gay' bill. Comcast, another formerly dependable pride sponsor, has poured money into the campaigns of figures like Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., both known for their anti-LGBTQ+ stances. This was never allyship; it was a highly lucrative protection racket. Corporations' money bought social legitimacy on all sides at a fraction of the cost of most feel-good advertising campaigns. The money wasn't just hypocritical — it actively damaged the character of Pride. What were once fiery political marches have become drab and soulless affairs. The need to be brand-friendly sanitized queer expression and pushed any semblance of real human rights activism to the margins. This phenomenon was made clear on several occasions last year, when pride demonstrations in cities like Denver, Boston, and Philadelphia were roiled by protests against the genocide in Gaza and calls for Pride organizers to reject donations from large corporations complicit in the violence — calls that were ultimately rebuffed. The aesthetic of Pride shifted from homemade signs and risqué outfits to an endless stream of corporate logos, turning what were once human rights marches into mobile billboards. The influx of corporate cash, and the fundraising efforts involved in raising it, has also elevated those more palatable to corporate sponsors to prominent and influential positions within LGBTQ+ communities. Within the broader LGBTQ+ nonprofit world, leadership increasingly mirrors the profiles of the corporate donors they court. That's no coincidence. Corporate giving comprises as much as 15 to 20 percent of the funding these organizations receive in a given year and amounted to over $40 million in 2022. The pursuit of that cash has left organizers stuck in a doom loop of prioritizing fundraising and palatable messaging over any kind of meaningful confrontational activism. This devil's bargain with big business has devastated our community's ability to be good allies to those suffering from corporate abuses. Crucially, this devil's bargain with big business has devastated our own community's ability to be good allies to those suffering from corporate abuses. How vigorously can an LGBTQ+ organization in Columbus, reliant on a hefty sponsorship check from Walmart, critique that corporation's rampant employee abuse or the systematic practices it uses to squeeze distributors and destroy smaller competitors? When PepsiCo, a company now scaling back its NYC Pride support, is simultaneously embroiled in controversies over forced labor and devastating water exploitation, does their past generosity buy them silence or a gentler critique from LGBTQ+ advocates who might otherwise join environmental and labor activists in demanding accountability? Or consider Citigroup, a bank with a rap sheet of predatory lending accusations that played a starring role in the 2008 financial crisis, which is now also scaling back Pride support. What, aside from their money, justified welcoming them into the tent in the first place? And what about tech giants like Meta, whose social media monopoly and increasingly predatory algorithms have spurred homophobic and transphobic hate and pushed a generation of young people — and especially LGBTQ+ young people — into mental health crises? Will their newfound coziness with the right spur LGBTQ+ people to not just cut ties, but reconsider the role Big Tech is playing in the unmooring of our society and mobilize against it? (None of the corporations mentioned in this article responded to The Intercept's requests for comment on their charitable practices or past controversies.) The corporate retreat from Pride in 2025 will be painful, especially in the short-term. Some events will be canceled. Fewer baubles will be passed around. And people will face a fresh wave of anxiety over seeing the business community withdrawing at the same time the government is weaponized against us. But this is a necessary wake-up call. It creates an opening to rebuild Pride from the ground up. Already, grassroots giving has helped fill some of the gaps major pride organizations are facing. Pride can once again be funded by and accountable to the community it serves, centered on the ongoing fight for a more holistic form of liberation, and unafraid to bite the corporate hands that were never actually feeding us.
The Intercept
07-05-2025
- General
- The Intercept
Famine Haunts the People of Gaza. Israel Is Trying to Convince You It's Fake.
Palestinians line up for a meal in Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip on April 24, 2025. Photo: Ramez Habboub/Abaca/Sipa USA via AP Images As a survivor of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, it breaks me to watch my people struggle to find something to fill their stomachs. Israel's deliberate policy of starvation continues to tighten its grip on the enclave. Humanitarian organizations have sounded the alarm, warning that Gaza is on the verge of full-scale famine. Since Israel shattered the ceasefire on March 18 and sealed its blockade, 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza have been cut off from essential food and aid. As the World Food Programme and UNRWA have recently announced that their stocks of flour and food are depleted, the risk of widespread starvation grows with each passing day. I lived through the first wave of starvation in Gaza in the early months of 2024, a time when Israeli-imposed aid restrictions drove hunger to catastrophic levels. Everyone across the Strip experienced severe food shortages, with empty plates becoming a daily scene. I was forced to leave Gaza alone in February 2024 and flee to Egypt, after nearly five months of relentless bombardment and siege. At the height of the famine, I lost 16 kilograms. Since then, I have devoted myself to fighting against Israeli propaganda, narratives that distort the truth, downplay Palestinian suffering, and mock the agony Gazans endure. While I investigate Israeli disinformation, I carry the emotional weight of seeing the pain of my family still trapped in Gaza. Like nearly every household there, my family is running out of food and flour. Each video call painfully reveals their shrinking bodies, thinned by hunger. A study conducted in late December 2024 found that the average person in Gaza has lost around 18 kilograms due to severe food insecurity during the war. The situation has only worsened since. The Israeli blockade that began on March 2 has driven food prices beyond reach. My father told me last week that a 25-kilogram bag of flour now costs around 200 U.S. dollars. This week, the price has climbed to $470. I have seen videos of families grinding pasta and lentils to make makeshift bread for their starving children after running out of flour. For many, lentil bread is not a choice but a last resort under a starvation diet imposed by the Israeli occupation. After my family returned to our bombed-out home in the northern Gaza Strip in January of this year, my brother Fahmy built a makeshift oven fueled by firewood to bake bread for our family and neighbors. With all major bakeries shut down due to the flour shortage, his small act of resistance became a vital lifeline. Fahmy has been baking for over a month, helping those around him. He told me last week, 'Fewer people come because flour is no longer available. Those who still do often bring bug-infested flour, the only thing they have left to feed their children.' With food increasingly scarce in Gaza, much of the population now depends on tekias — community kitchens — for a single daily meal. These tekias, often limited to serving plain lentils, pasta, or rice, have had to reduce portions due to Israel's blockade on food and cooking gas. Amjad Al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network, has warned that many tekias are on the brink of shutting down as food supplies dwindle. I watch daily footage of people queuing and stampeding, and children crying, to receive a small meal. These heartbreaking scenes are undeniable evidence of Israel's weaponization of starvation. Even these few vital tekias have not been spared from Israeli attacks. Gaza's Government Media Office reported that the Israeli military has targeted and bombed 29 tekias since the war began. Many Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to eat any animal they can find to get some protein. Shocking videos, verified by myself and my colleagues in the press, show people consuming sea turtles, horses, and even hedgehogs to survive. A story that deeply moved me was that of a child, Omar Qannan, who said he had eaten turtle meat despite his love for Raphael, the superhero from 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.' It is devastating to imagine how Omar will ever watch his favorite cartoon character again without remembering that hunger once forced him to eat an animal he saw as a heroic friend. Israeli trolls have waged an intensive hasbara, or propaganda, campaign to deny the famine ravaging Gaza, even at its peak in February 2024. These denials persist, despite repeated warnings from international organizations that Gaza is edging closer to famine and the evidence in front of our eyes. On April 20, an X user, notorious for spreading Israeli propaganda, posted a video of a man sitting by the beach in Gaza, alleging he was enjoying a 'large kebab meal' during the crisis. The user intentionally skipped the fact that the man was eating horse meat. Another post stunned me: It came from 'Gazawood,' a systematic campaign aiming to mock, discredit, and deny Palestinian suffering. The video showed a woman in Gaza grinding pasta to bake bread for her children. The Israeli propagandist accused the woman of staging her story for the camera instead of trying to feed her starving family. On May 12, 2024, I debunked a viral video intending to discredit the case of Fadi al-Zant, a child from Gaza who was suffering from malnutrition before fleeing the Strip for urgent medical treatment. Trolls cruelly accused his mother of deliberately starving him to stage a 'Pallywood' scene. Some atrocity denials weaponized her appearance to cast doubt on her child's suffering. These malicious insinuations ignore the basic truth that children are especially vulnerable during famine. Their bodies weaken more rapidly and face a significantly higher risk of death in hunger crises, as stated by the International Rescue Committee. The United Nations reported nearly 3,700 children were diagnosed with severe malnutrition last month alone, an 82 percent rise since February. Recent videos of severely malnourished children, like baby Siwar Ashour and 12-year-old Rahaf Ayad, continue to haunt me. Without urgent medical evacuation, these children may not survive. Without immediate and sustained delivery of food and aid, more children will fall victim to hunger and face the lifelong health consequences of starvation. Israeli officials are lying to our faces. On July 24, 2024, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood before the U.S. Congress and refuted Israel's role in obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Despite being riddled with misleading claims, his speech drew applause from U.S. lawmakers who chose to overlook the catastrophic humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. I have tracked several organizations affiliated with the Israeli government that have actively spread fake news and hate speech during the war. Among them is HonestReporting, a hasbara group claiming to be a media watchdog exposing anti-Israel bias. The group worked to deny the famine in Gaza and undermine the credibility of independent experts. It dismissed the findings of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report, which warned that famine in Gaza was imminent by mid-March 2024. Rather than presenting the evidence, HonestReporting relied on cherry-picked evidence to discredit the report's conclusions. Israeli extremist officials have consistently denied the existence of famine among Palestinians in Gaza, while simultaneously pushing for harsher measures to block food and aid from reaching the besieged population. Although international organizations have repeatedly warned about the imminent threat of famine, these officials have not stopped inciting hate speech and ignoring the suffering of Gaza's population. Israeli officials frame starvation and the blockade as strategic necessities. Using soft language, Israeli officials frame starvation and the blockade as strategic necessities. On April 16, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated, 'No humanitarian aid to enter Gaza,' to pressure ceasefire negotiations. Around the same time, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, 'Not a single grain of wheat will enter Gaza.' National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir went even further, recently calling for the Israeli forces to bomb food storage facilities in Gaza. Read our complete coverage
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Let's build bridges.' Many Miami Catholics hope conclave continues legacy of Francis
South Florida 'Let's build bridges.' Many Miami Catholics hope conclave continues legacy of Francis Italy, Rome, Vatican,May 07, 2025. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re leads a special mass 'Pro eligendo papa,' or for the election of the pope, before the conclave begins, at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Photograph by Vatican Media / Catholic Press Photo RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS (Photo by ©Vatican Media/CPP / USA) ©Vatican Media/CPPIPA/Sipa USA Known for his humility as well as his commitment to a more transparent and accepting church, Pope Francis was a beloved figure and model leader for many Catholics in South Florida,. With the election of a new pope beginning Wednesday, many of the faithful are hoping to see the church continue to follow his legacy. Ahead of the start of the conclave being held in Vatican City in Rome, a handful of Catholic leaders from different walks of life talked about the issues that are key and the qualities they hope to see embodied in the next Holy Father. 'We need to welcome and accompany,' said Sue DeFerrari, executive director of MorningStar Renewal Center, a Catholic spiritual center in Miami. 'That's my hope, for the future, that we would not be a church of closed doors. Let's build bridges instead of closing doors.' In Miami, a place that has more Catholics on average than the rest of the country, all eyes are now on the Vatican, where top Catholic leaders will gather at the Sistine Chapel to elect Francis' successor. The 267th pontiff will go on to lead 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. On Thursday, South Florida Catholics are invited to gather at St. Martha's Parish, where Archbishop Thomas Wenski will lead a mass to pray for the election of the Roman Pontiff — a task that could take just a few days or potentially much longer. For those in Miami, a place where more than half of the population is foreign-born, how the Catholic Church views and handles immigration issues is important, said many people who spoke with the Herald. 'Pope Francis used to remind the world that every encounter with a migrant is an encounter with the suffering Christ Himself,' said Sudzer Charélus, a Jesuit priest and Catholic educator. Many of them also spoke about wanting a leader who will advocate on global and social issues like war and racism, and someone who reaches out to the poor and marginalized. Some who spoke with the Herald also expressed their wish for the new pope to continue the progress the church has made in attracting younger members and in elevating women into more leadership roles — still a divisive issue for some more conservative members who defend staying to the church's traditional practices. 'He opened up new spaces for women, and all of these things that I think were highlights of his papacy are things that I hope move forward,' said DeFerrari. 'Church must welcome people first' Haitin-born Charélus said, in his view, it's important for the Catholic Church to continue to be a place that welcomes everyone. 'The church must welcome the people first. That's why the door of the of the church must be always open for every single human being, whoever it is,' said Charélus, who works with the youth and migrant populations at Gesù Catholic Church in Miami. Father Sudzer Charélus, SJ, a priest at Gesù Catholic Church in Miami, gives a lecture on Pedro Arrupe at the 'Instituto Pedro Arrupe' on February 8th, 2025. Wenceslao Cruz As someone who was born and studied to be a Jesuit priest in Haiti, Charélus said it's also important to have a leader of the church who understands the immigrant struggle. 'Pope Francis, being from Latin America, had that experience of migration. His parents were from Italy ... he always invited the world to be more welcoming of the suffering of so many human beings who are fleeing their home countries in search of a better life,' he said. Early on in his pontificate, Francis named the first and only Haitian Cardinal in history, Chibly Langlois, and he frequently appealed for help for the struggling island nation. Francis often named cardinals in smaller countries, an act that Wenski, in comments after Francis' passing, perceived as a way to say 'it's not your wealth or your status that you know defines your importance in the eyes of God, it's the fact that you are a child of God.' Charélus who studied philosophy and lived for four years in the Dominican Republic, said it's also the role of the pope to be 'in constant dialogue' with the rest of the world, and have a keen understanding of the world's problems. 'The church doesn't exist outside of the world. The church is inserted in the world,' he said, adding that it's important for the pope to speak out against war and ask for peace when necessary. 'I think the pope should be a someone who knows exactly what is happening ... well-informed in order to give answers, meaningful answers, in the light of the Gospel.' Listening to new voices Elaine Ureña, a leader of Voceros de Cristo ('Voices of Christ') a Catholic Young Adult Group from St Agatha Parish, said she hopes the next pope will be open to listening to new voices within the church — just as Francis did during his papacy. At a recent service at the Ignatian Spirituality Center (Casa Manresa) in West Miami-Dade, Ureña heard from others in her congregation speak about their thoughts on Francis' impact on the church. One woman, who shared that she was on her second marriage, said she felt 'welcome again, even though she was divorced,' Ureña said. 'Being able to have a church that is open to listen, and especially to listen to those who are marginalized, especially those who, for many years, felt so far away from the church, people who felt that they were kind of rejected..' As a young Catholic, Ureña who is 32, admired Francis' ability to rally young people and make them feel heard. Ureña volunteers at Radio Paz on a show called 'En el Cielo se Oye,' where she often speaks with Catholic youth about different issues. She said one issue young people are paying attention to is how the role of women's leadership in the Catholic Church has expanded. Elaine Urena, a member of the group Voceros de Cristo from St. Agatha Parish, believes Francis' legacy should continue in the Catholic Church. Urena volunteers with Radio Paz and interviews young Catholics on issues and challenges within the church. Elaine Urena Francis was the first pope to appoint women to high positions in the Vatican and the first to allow women to vote in the synod meeting of bishops. Ureña said most people in her own circle want to see expanded roles for women's leadership in the church, just not necessarily to the extent of women in priesthood. 'In many communities, we see that the majority is always women that are teaching the kids in catechism and everything ... there is already a role, so just recognizing what is already happening, it's something that we value a lot.' Another thing Ureña admired about Francis that she would like to see continue: his ability to relate to people. She said it was a big deal in the Latin American community, for example, when Francis took time to watch the last FIFA World Cup in 2022, when the Argentina national football team won. 'That was very nice, because people saw that he was very human, very like normal.' Elaine Urena met Pope Francis when she received the Sposi Noveli blessing during her and her husband's honeymoon. Urena, a member of Voceros de Cristo, a young adult Catholic group from St. Agatha Parish, believes Francis' legacy should continue in the Catholic Church. Elaine Urena A pope who 'speaks our language' Xiomara Hernandez, executive director of the Dominican Sisters Conference, a gathering of Catholic sisters in the United States who are part of the Order of Preachers, echoes the need for a leader who values the role of women in the church. She said that in the past, Catholic sisters, or nuns, traditionally wore habits, or religious clothing. But, that tradition is now changing, along with the role of women. 'It seems to me that sisters were supposed to be seen more than heard,' she said. But, Hernandez said a more modern way now is to work with the people they are serving and focus on building a diverse Catholic community. The members of the Dominican conference, which includes congregations across the United States, often advocate for social change in the areas of climate change, immigration and racism. She said its important for the church to continue to look toward the future and listen to the young voices in the church. Hernandez recalls a video call with Pope Francis in Chicago, where he listened to the concerns of young Catholic students — who brought up their concerns for protecting the environment. She remembers how enthralled Francis was with young people, encouraging them to take action. 'Their passion is so bright. You could see that Pope Francis was proud and so honored to hear the wisdom, the young wisdom, and the knowledge of these people and how they wanted to envision a better word for all of us.' Xiomara Hernandez is the executive director of the Dominican Sisters Conference, a gathering of Catholic sisters in the United States who are part of the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominican Order. Xiomara Hernandez As someone from the Dominican Republic, Hernandez said it meant a lot to her community to hear the pope communicate in Spanish. 'When we saw a Latino pope that spoke our language .. it was so cool to hear a pope that spoke your own language,' she said. She added that Francis' warmth and personable nature are qualities that are felt and appreciated by the Latin American community. 'He made the church at home more than a business,' she said. 'More of a maternal kind of way of leading the church.' She also believes it's important for the new pope, like Francis, to be able to stand up for what's right. 'He was courageous enough, like a good Latino father to say, 'no, that is wrong. He was not afraid to speak about what is wrong, what is right,' said Hernandez. Another theme she wishes to see continue with the next pope: 'the compassion, 'la misericordia,' the mercy,' she said. Hernandez said she wants a leader who cares about 'listening deeply to one another, and everybody's welcome to the table when decisions are made.' The concept of a more inclusive church is one that's been debated by cardinals as they prepare to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church. The debate includes discussions on synodality, the effort championed by Francis to reform the church's structures to be more participatory and less centered in the clergy. Francis' Synod on Synodality, a three-year process of listening and dialogue traditionally only attended by bishops, included laypeople and women in the voting process — a first in the Catholic Church's history. Many cardinals, according to the National Catholic Reporter, have expressed strong support for the idea of a more inclusive, transparent church, but others have pointed out the irony with the current, closed-doors papal process. 'I think that Pope Francis had a balance, because if he went too far, then it would create this division,' ,' Hernandez said. Sue DeFerrari is the executive director and ministry head at MorningStar Renewal Center in Miami. Sue DeFerrari DeFerrari, director of MorningStar Renewal Center, a spiritual retreat center owned by the Archdiocese of Miami, has worked for over 20 years in ministry and faith education in the Catholic Church. She hopes that the future pope will continue Francis' legacy of outreach in marginalized communities. 'My hope is that the church moves forward in hope and will continue to be a place that reaches out to all ... 'Todos, Todos, Todos'.. reaches out to all, with love not fear.' She notes that Francis often said the role of the church was to be a 'field hospital' for those in need rather than an ivory tower of judgment. 'Everything he got criticized for was all about his ability to welcome everyone,' DeFerrari said. Her hope is that the church will continue to serve people in the margins, 'whether that be people in the LGBTQ community, whether that be the poor, the immigrant .. people who are just overlooked,' she said. She acknowledged that religion can be a polarizing thing for people. Some more conservative religious groups will reject certain people from the church, and want people to conform based on their beliefs. 'I don't agree with any of that,' she said. Instead, she said the new leader of the Catholic church should serve from a place of hope rather than a place of fear. 'Rather than feel threatened by the world and have to kind of insulate and defend … would rather see ourselves in the identity that I think Pope Francis was leading us in … we can be people who can be the presence of hope and love and joy and transformation, because we know that God is with us.' This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work. This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 10:30 AM. Lauren Costantino Miami Herald Go to X Email this person Lauren Costantino is a religion reporter for the Miami Herald funded with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all work. Since joining the Herald in 2021, Lauren has worked as an audience engagement producer, reaching new audiences through social media, podcasts and community-focused projects. She lives in Miami Beach with her cocker spaniel, Oliver.
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Amid Trump's tariffs attack, Mexican leader weakens democracy, backs Cuba
Andres Oppenheimer Amid Trump's tariffs attack, Mexican leader weakens democracy, backs Cuba | Opinion Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a briefing where she delivers a message to Mexican children as part of Children's Day celebrations at the National Palace on April 30 in Mexico City. / Eyepix Group/Sipa USA Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum owes a strange debt of gratitude to President Trump: His attacks on Mexico have rallied the country behind her, diverting attention from her moves to undermine democratic institutions and cozy up to Cuba. Sheinbaum's popularity has soared to 80% or more since Trump took office and announced his massive tariffs on foreign goods, according to new polls by El Financiero, Latinus and others. Trump's tariffs, his stated desire to deploy U.S. troops against Mexican drug cartels and his decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' have eclipsed concerns about Sheinbaum's judicial reform, which critics argue is transforming Mexico into an autocracy. Under the judicial reform launched by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador — Sheinbaum's predecessor and political mentor, and continued by her — Mexican judges will be elected by popular vote. That sounds great in theory, but the current rules will effectively allow Sheinbaum's Morena party to select candidates, get loyalists elected and control Mexico's judiciary. Just a few months ago, Mexican newspapers carried front-page stories warning of the country's drift toward authoritarian rule. But now, with Trump's attacks dominating the news, those headlines have all but disappeared. Mexico depends on the U.S. market for 83% of its exports. In that context, concerns about democracy have fallen by the wayside. One of the few voices that has managed to draw public attention about the erosion of democratic institutions is that of former President Ernesto Zedillo. In an interview this week with León Krauze's podcast Ciberdiálogos, the former president, a pro-business economist who ruled from 1994 to 2000, warned that Mexico's judicial reform is a 'frontal attack' to democracy. With the Mexican Congress already controlled by the ruling party, Zedillo warned that the judiciary's takeover would dismantle Mexico's system of checks and balances, granting the president 'absolute powers.' To safeguard democracy, Zedillo suggested that Sheinbaum should urge her party to propose a constitutional amendment delaying the judicial reform for two years, so that it can be properly debated. But Zedillo's statements and Sheinbaum's subsequent attacks on him have been overshadowed by the constant coverage of Trump's back-and-forth tariff announcements. Meanwhile, another story that is getting buried in the midst of Trump's trade war is Sheinbaum's ongoing support, along with that of her ruling party, for Cuba's dictatorship. On May 1, Mexico's Morena party leader, Carolina Rangel, visited Cuba and signed a cooperation agreement with Cuba's Communist Party leaders. Rangel met with Cuban ruler Miguel Diaz-Canel, and conveyed to him the 'affection and solidarity of the Mexican people,' she said in her official social media accounts. Diaz-Canel, in turn, expressed his 'admiration' for Sheinbaum for her defense of Mexico in the face of Trump's attacks, and 'her support for Cuba.' In her April 9 speech to the left-leaning Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Honduras, Sheinbaum called for an end to the U.S. trade sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela. 'No to the blockade of Cuba!. No to the blockade of Venezuela!' Sheinbaum declared. However, she didn't mention the fact that Cuba has not held a free election in more than six decades, and that Venezuela's dictatorship has rigged elections and killed many peaceful protesters in recent years. Earlier this year, Sheinbaum defended the arrival of Cuban doctors in Mexico, despite critics arguing that they are treated as virtual slaves under bilateral government agreements. Additionally, in November, the Mexican president gave Mexico's state-owned Pemex oil company a green light to deliver 400,000 barrels of oil to Cuba, calling it 'humanitarian' assistance. Notably, while the Trump administration has criticized Mexico on various fronts, it has been relatively silent about Mexico's ties with Cuba. Trump recently called Sheinbaum 'a wonderful woman,' and said he has a 'very good' relationship with her. All of which brings me back to my original point: Mexico is silently sliding into an authoritarian democracy or — worse — into a camouflaged authoritarian state, while nobody is paying much attention. The Trump administration doesn't seem to care about it, which Sheinbaum surely appreciates a lot. Don't miss the 'Oppenheimer Presenta' TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Español. Blog:
Miami Herald
06-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
What will 1,000 days of a Donald Trump administration look like?
Opinion What will 1,000 days of a Donald Trump administration look like? | Opinion Sipa USA With the storm of '100 days' stories nearly matching the furious pace at which Donald Trump has issued executive orders during those 2,400 eventful hours — you know, the ones that featured an arrested judge, deported citizens, global tariffs, a velvet-glove approach to Russia, defiance of the Supreme Court and a stalled Republican Congress, whew, and I almost forgot DOGE, Elon Musk and the firing and unfirings of thousands of specialized workers across the federal government — I think it might be useful to look into the future they portend. First, consider a future based on the hopes of Trump's millions of loyal voters, and then one based on the fears of his quickly growing army of detractors. Let's look back on Trump's second term from day 1,000: Oct 15, 2027. Option one: Hope for the nation As Trump prepares to address the nation, the economy is looking bright. Oh, the critics were right, at least partly, there was a Trump recession, but it lasted a brief nine months. As the number of trade deals piled up and gigantic foreign investments in U.S. manufacturing driven by Trump's dealmaking ways, low energy prices and even lower taxes gained momentum, confidence returned to the markets and to small and big businesses alike in the first quarter of 2026. Trump's, shall we say uniquely inexperienced Cabinet overcame an initial wave of mistakes to gain tighter control of their agencies with increasingly experienced leadership and a series of successes. In 2026, the Department of Homeland Security hit its mark of 1 million deportations while Congress and the White House negotiated an immigration deal that used the tight border and declining number of undocumented immigrants as an opportunity to increase student visas, temporary work programs and high-tech and investor immigration. Immigrants could help make America great again. DOGE passed the chaos stage and began making more strategic cuts across the federal government that saved less than Trump hoped, but much more than critics said was possible. Congress passed a budget that extended the giant Trump tax breaks at great expense, hoping to fill in the hole with DOGE's work, their own cuts and increased economic growth. The cuts included Medicaid, but were sweetened with smart deregulation of the broader welfare state that allowed those in poverty more freedom to save, get educated and get better jobs without immediately losing benefits. Trump's attacks on the federal bureaucracy, higher education and the legal profession, while initially sparking rage and a bevy of court cases, settled down into something more of a constructive dialogue. Reforms are under way that make government workers, lawyers and professors increasingly reflect something closer to the values of broader America, returning trust to institutions necessary for the country to thrive. Overseas, there is a wary peace in both Gaza and the Ukraine. Trump forced humiliating concessions on Ukraine, but gained them an opportunity to rebuild while saving another generation of young people from a meat grinder. European peacekeepers are backed by German, French, Italian and British rearmament at levels not see since the height of the Cold War. There is hope that Europe can be a partner to the United States in keeping world peace instead of a dependent. The improved outlook didn't save Republicans from losing control of the House of Representatives to Speaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in the 2026 elections, but the GOP retained control of the Senate. Hopes are that active oversight from Democratic House committees will shave some of the sharper edges off Trump's reforms and compromise between the opposing parties in the House and Senate will lead to more commonsense compromise reforms across government. In an era of good feelings, Trump is riding a wave of popularity with a surging economy growing at more than 3% with low inflation and a stock market up over 20% so far in 2027. Tonight, he will announce an effort to amend the Constitution to allow him to serve a third term, an embarrassing prospect for those who argued his administration would be a disaster. Option two: Fear of the future As Trump prepares to address the nation, the economy is looking worse than the 2007 Great Recession. Trump fired Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell amid a global trade war that sparked a deep downturn. Inflation has surpassed Joe Biden levels and started to trend into Jimmy Carter territory. Unemployment hit 7%, but it would be higher if hundreds of thousands of workers in trade-impacted industries hadn't given up looking for work at all. Trump's celebrity Cabinet has done great on TV, but less so in dealing with problems on America's streets. A mismanaged Department of Homeland Security has failed to reach Trump's deportation benchmarks, some months falling below the number of deportations achieved by Biden. The immigration bright spot is the self-deportations of many thousands of Central and South American immigrants looking for work. Dozens of judges, mayors and police chiefs have been arrested and charged with dubious crimes for failing to back Trump's tough on immigration policies. Under Attorney General Pam Bondi, crime in the recession-wracked nation has risen steadily. Trump has threatened to put the military on American streets to keep order.. Democrats in liberal Washington state and famously independent Maine are circulating petitions calling for their states to join Canada. After defying the conservative Supreme Court in several high profile cases, Trump's lawlessness became a primary issue in the 2026 elections, second, of course, to the dire economic situation — made worse by the collapse of the dollar after the Republicans' budget and tax mismanagement pushed the annual deficit past $3 trillion dollars. When Democrats overwhelmingly won governorships across the nation, a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and a significant majority in the House, while Trump and Attorney General Bondi alleged that there were election irregularities. Some newly-elected members of Congress and the Senate have still not been able to take their seats as Republicans cling to power. Tonight's speech is to announce arrest warrants for those accused of election-related wrongdoing amid speculation that the administration will be reopening Guantanamo Bay for those found guilty. Overseas, Europe is an armed camp with tensions rising and Russian troops on the Polish border after the collapse of Ukrainian resistance. Germany has announced an emergency nuclear weapons program, and both Britain and France have announced the expansion of their arsenals as all members of the EU have increased defense spending. China, reeling after separation from U.S. markets, has invaded Taiwan to distract from deepening economic problems. The United States and its former allies stood aside. As primaries for the 2028 presidential election draw, near no Republicans have announced for the presidency as Trump continues to claim he can run for a third term. Back to reality Which fanciful vision of the future is more plausible? I expect something leaning toward fear. But I sure hope to feel like a fool on that bright, shiny October 2027 day when we all celebrate Trump's second presidency. This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 8:06 AM. David Mastio Opinion Contributor, The Kansas City Star Go to X Go to Facebook Email this person David Mastio has worked for newspaper opinion sections since starting as letters editor of USA Today in 1995. Since then he has been the most conservative member of the liberal editorial board at both USA Today and The Virginian-Pilot, the most liberal member of the conservative editorial board at the Washington Times and founding editorial page editor at the conservative Washington Examiner. As an editorial writer, he has covered the environment, tech, science, local business and national economic policy and politics. Outside of the opinion pages, he has been a Washington correspondent for The Detroit News where he covered the intersection of the environment, regulatory policy and the car industry, California editor of the Center Square and a speech writer on trade and economics for the George W. Bush administration. He also founded his own web company called BlogNetNews, which aggregated and reported on the blog conversations across the political aisle focused on local news and politics in all 50 states.
