Author: Elana Schor
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Faith leaders play election peacemakers, at polls and beyond
NEW YORK — Yehudah Webster, wearing a neon vest with an “Election Defenders” tag around his neck, started his Tuesday outside a Brooklyn polling place. Only the gray yarmulke Webster wore hinted at his specific role: faith-based observer on a uniquely anxious Election Day in America. Webster, an organizer with the progressive group Jews for…
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Trump administration proposes historically low refugee limit
The Trump administration wants to cap the number of refugees admitted into the United States to the lowest number since the resettlement program was created in 1980. A State Department proposal released Thursday would put a cap on the number of refugees at 18,000 for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. Of those refugee…
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2020 Dems grapple with how to pay for ‘Medicare for All’
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidates trying to appeal to progressive voters with a call for “Medicare for All” are wrestling with the thorny question of how to pay for such a dramatic overhaul of the U.S. health care system. Bernie Sanders, the chief proponent of Medicare for All, says such a remodel could cost up to $40…
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Evangelical group to spend millions on get-out-the-vote efforts in swing states like Colorado
WASHINGTON — Veteran conservative activist Ralph Reed said Wednesday that the faith-based group he leads plans to spend at least $50 million on get-out-the-vote efforts in 2020. It’s part of a large-scale marshaling of evangelical resources that’s poised to benefit President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. After Trump spoke to an annual conference hosted by Reed’s group, the…
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MLK holiday offers stage for Dem hopefuls
COLUMBIA, S.C. • As Americans commemorated Martin Luther King Jr., Democratic presidential hopefuls fanned out across the country to honor the civil rights leader and make themselves heard on the national stage. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., used the holiday to launch a presidential campaign that, if successful, would make her the first woman and the…
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Warren makes move toward 2020 bid
WASHINGTON • Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday took the first major step toward launching a widely anticipated campaign for the presidency, hoping her reputation as a populist fighter can help her navigate a Democratic field that could include nearly two dozen candidates. “No matter what our differences, most of us want the same thing,” the…
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Presidential hopefuls pushed to go big on climate change
WASHINGTON (AP) — Environmental activists are ramping up a pressure campaign designed to drum up Democratic support for a sweeping agenda to fight climate change, with the 2020 presidential campaign in their sights. Hundreds of young demonstrators turned out Monday on Capitol Hill to push Democrats on a package of ambitious environmental goals — including…