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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsthe Economy9mos ago

Has the government done enough to lower inflation?

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2mos2MO

Mexico Slams U.S. Policies as Trump Renews Border War

President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Tuesday that Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own, after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% import duties on Mexican goods if the country doesn’t stop the flow of drugs and migrants across the border.Sheinbaum said she was willing to engage in talks on the issues, but said drugs were a U.S. problem.“One tariff would be followed by another in response, and so on until we put at risk common businesses,” Sheinbaum said, referring to U.S. automakers that have plants on both sides of the border.She said Tuesday that Mexico had done a lot to stem the flow of migrants, noting “caravans of migrants no longer reach the border.” However, Mexico’s efforts to fight drugs like the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl — which is manufactured by Mexican cartels using chemicals imported from China — have weakened in the last year.Sheinbaum said Mexico suffered from an influx of weapons smuggled in from the United States, and said the flow of drugs “is a problem of public health and consumption in your country’s society.”Sheinbaum also criticized U.S. spending on weapons, saying the money should instead be spent regionally to address the problem of migration. “If a percentage of what the United States spends on war were dedicated to peace and development, that would address the underlying causes of migration,” she said.Sheinbaum’s bristly response suggests that Trump faces a much different Mexican president than he did in his first term.Back in late 2018, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was a charismatic, old-school politician who developed a chummy relationship with Trump. The two were eventually able to strike a bargain in which Mexico helped keep migrants away from the border — and received other countries’ deported migrants — and Trump backed down on the threats.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…3mos3MO

AOC Sparks Backlash After Ditching Gender Pronouns

Famously progressive Democrat congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised eyebrows by removing her pronouns from her X account. The move from Squad lawmaker, 35, seen as one of the most liberal members of Congress, was seen by some as a sign that the cultural tide is turning following Donald Trump's election win. Journalist Benjamin Ryan said records showed AOC removed her 'she/her' pronouns sometime between August 3, 2023, and May 28, 2024. Critics branded her a hypocrite, and noted that just two years ago AOC apologized to followers for not having pronouns in her Instagram bio, claiming they 'fell off' and she didn't realize. Conservatives were quick to mock AOC after it was realized that she had removed the pronouns from her account bio. Some also noted that she changed her moniker from the genderless 'Representative' to 'Congresswoman' as she removed her pronouns. Ocasio-Cortez has long been a supporter of transgender rights, including so-called gender-affirming care for children, and transgender girls competing in female sports.But the Democrats more extreme stances were blamed as a massive vote loser for Kamala Harris in the recent election.An advert showing her supporting taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgeries for illegal migrant prisoners was played on repeat by Team Trump.Many Dems' insistence that opposing hormones for trans children or banning trans girls from joining female sports teams was transphobic further alienated centrists.Immigration and inflation were the issues that ultimately swung the election for Donald Trump, but the Dems' unpopular trans stance has now forced a reckoning within the party.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…4 days4D

Trump Targets FAA Diversity Programs In Crash Aftermath

Trump made controversial claims linking diversity initiatives at the FAA to a deadly Potomac River collision that killed 67 people, despite acknowledging he had no evidence to support these assertions.The disability recruitment program Trump criticized actually began during his own administration in April 2019, with the FAA launching a pilot program for 20 people with targeted disabilities to work in air traffic operations.Experts, including Tennessee Garvey from the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, stated that no aviation incident has ever been attributed to diversity initiatives as a cause or contributing factor.The federal policy for hiring people with disabilities dates back to the Bush administration in 2003 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was initially created to protect veterans with disabilities.FAA workforce diversity has shown minimal changes over recent years: white male representation decreased from 58.9% in 2016 to 55.3% in 2023, while employees with targeted disabilities increased from 0.7% to 2%.The aviation industry's diversity efforts were primarily driven by labor shortages and the need to fill positions as pilots retire, rather than purely demographic goals.All candidates, regardless of background or disability status, must meet the same rigorous standards for aptitude, medical qualifications, and security clearances.Historical barriers, including segregation, prevented Black aviation professionals from entering the industry until the civil rights movement and subsequent lawsuits.The Biden administration has continued similar diversity initiatives, with slight increases in representation across different demographic groups.A pending lawsuit filed by a conservative legal organization claims discrimination against applicants due to Obama-era hiring practices, though the case hasn't been resolved.

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