War on Employment Data?

MONDAY, AUGUST 11
PROGRAM #10862 12:00 PM PT

War on Employment Data? 

U.S. job numbers dropped, and shortly after the data was released, President Trump abruptly fired the head of the agency responsible for labor statistics, accusing her of distorting the figures. What do the employment numbers reveal? What’s behind this attack on a historically independent agency? And what are the dangers of this kind of presidential interference?

Guests: Rafael Olavaría, Politics and Migration Fact-Checker, Factchequeado, Atlanta, GA.

“Liberation Day.” Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in Washington, D.C., describing it as a historic operation to restore security to the capital. As he announced August 11 as “DC Liberation Day,” he ordered the deployment of National Guard troops. Meanwhile, California filed a lawsuit alleging that the Trump administration violated federal law by using National Guard troops in operations against immigrants in the southern part of the state and in the protests that accompanied them. In addition, due to discontent with COVID-19 vaccines, a man attacked the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, GA, killing an officer and himself.

Guest: Gerardo Guzman, Reporter and Program Host, Atlanta, GA.

Political Battle Escalates in Texas. The clash between Republicans and Democrats in Texas is heating up after Democratic lawmakers left the state to block the passage of a bill aimed at redrawing electoral maps to create Republican-majority districts. Under pressure from Trump, the Texas governor is threatening to punish the Democrats opposing the plan. Can Democrats stop the sudden redistricting effort? Do Republicans have the power to sanction their opponents? Which communities are being targeted in the new map? And how are major Democratic states responding?

Guest: Lydia Camarillo, President and Director, Southwest Voter Registration and William C. Velásquez Institute, San Antonio, TX.

Photo: ILO Asia-Pacific/Flickr

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