Tuesdays jobs report showed a 4.6% unemployment rate, the highest more than four years, while tariff-sensitive industries shed thousands of jobs. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/latest-...

For the past few months, I have been looking at what President Trump's mass deportation agenda really looks like on the ground in NYC for a TPM series. We're about halfway through it and I'd like to show you what we've done so far. talkingpointsmemo.com/feature/life...

The latest jobs report shows the U.S. unemployment rate has risen steadily since June 2025 (with a gap in October). That's the longest stretch of rising unemployment since 2009 during the global financial crisis. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/latest-...

To all of you readers who submitted noxious nominations for the 17th annual Golden Duke awards, we thank you for your service. Now it’s time to vote! May the sickest sleazebag win. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/grift...

Since Nov. 5, Trump has removed tariffs for several goods imported from at least 7 countries. It seems like he's rushing to close trade deals in case the administration’s tariffs leverage is taken off the table by SCOTUS talkingpointsmemo.com/news/it-sure...

Trump's anti-DEI crusade hit healthcare when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, under Dr. Mehmet Oz, removed race questions from its kidney failure patient form. The problem is, those questions weren't about DEI. That data informed actual medical breakthroughs talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-m...

6/ from the record keeping because it counted as "DEI". So it's put all these advances in jeopardy. This specific case has gotten remarkably little press attention for something that affects so many people. But sure to read @laylaayanna.bsky.social's report.

5/ The data the government collects (having unique access to all data) is key for that study and other efforts to deal with the huge toll of kidney disease in the African American community. But back in June Mehmet Oz, the head of CMS which runs the dialysis program removed race/ethnicity ...

4/ they account for roughly a third of dialysis patients. Some of that may be accounted for disparate access to health care earlier in life. But it seems clear there is a genetic component. And there are studies now zeroing in on how to grapple with that improve and improve health outcomes.

3/ disease. Because the whole population is in the system. The other fact is that African-Americans suffer from end stage kidney disease at dramatically higher rates than the rest of the population. @laylaayanna.bsky.social reports that while African-Americans make up ~13% of the US population ...

2/ It's a fascinating and intricate set of interconnections. End stage kidney care (dialysis) is basically the only part of health care in the US covered entirely by the federal govt. In addition to the health care provision that creates a critical source of data about people with end stage kidney..

Really important article about how the White House's anti-DEI crusade is cutting off data for new potential breakthroughs for African-Americans who disproportionately suffer from end-stage kidney disease. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-m...

Data on race and ethnicity has put us on the cusp of breakthroughs in treating kidney failure, which disproportionately affects Black Americans. But the Trump administration has halted that data collection as part of its war on supposed "DEI." Important new story from @laylaayanna.bsky.social

RIP Joan Didion, you would've hated this Olivia Nuzzi saga.

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end Wednesday night after 43 days. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/house-v...

Wednesday's SCOTUS hearing about Trump's sweeping tariffs saw liberal justices troll conservatives using two of their own most favored legal doctrines -- most often employed against Democratic presidents -- to imperil the validity of the tariffs talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-i...

"It is not a coincidence." The Trump admin is stalling the rollout of a new race and ethnicity policy. Experts warn the delay could interfere with the 2030 census, ultimately helping the GOP in high-stakes fights over redistricting. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-r...

“The attempt to revive classical architecture under current political condition" is about dismantling "the institutions of civil rights. And so it speaks silently the language of white nationalism...That’s why it’s so effective, because it’s easily deniable.” talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-c...

Columbia architectural historian Reinhold Martin tells @laylaayanna.bsky.social Trump's attempt to assert control over civic architecture is an offshoot of Project 2025’s goal to gut public welfare and government services. “It’s a project of demolition." talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-c...

Trump has -ordered that new federal structures be built in the “classical” style -paved over the Rose Garden -ordered that 2 DC Confederate statues be restored -proposed a triumphal arch in Arlington -demolished part of the WH to make room for his $200M ballroom talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-c...

The Trump admin says the shutdown costs the economy $15B/week. But the healthcare program the GOP won't fund is around $35B/year. If money were really the issue, Republicans would be better off funding the vital health care program at the heart of the shutdown. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/governm...

"Penn follows Brown University, which similarly said no to the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education on Wednesday, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which rejected the proposal last week." www.inquirer.com/education/pe...

Talking Points Memo is turning 25 and I wrote a little encomium to early blogging, which I sometimes miss: talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/what-...

Here’s an incomplete list of federal data and statistics that’ve been deleted or tampered with since Trump took office.

With only 1 of the 2,000+ Bureau of Labor Statistics staffers now able to work, the government shutdown creates a unique opportunity for Trump to further interfere with data he doesn't like talkingpointsmemo.com/news/governm...

THIS is why you should follow @laylaayanna.bsky.social

A new trend or more of the same? After speaking to Trump voters in swing states, two things are clear: While national elites are spiraling, everyday Republicans are willing to reason away Trump's violations of free speech and absolve the president, again. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/maga-fr...

Congress could've pushed back against Trump's inflationary tariffs, but instead House Republicans have repeatedly voted to block their own authority. It's one more way the GOP is ceding more power to the president talkingpointsmemo.com/news/republi...

New data shows the Black unemployment rate spiked while unemployment for every other racial group stayed about the same. That's NOT typical, even before a recession, and signals a "different kid of downturn." talkingpointsmemo.com/news/black-u...

President Donald Trump learned the hard way Friday morning that firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t change the facts: the economy is cooling, the unemployment rate is going up, and the number of job openings isn’t keeping pace. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/new-job...

The Trump admin has ironically continued to defend workers' rights in Mexico via a labor provision in the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, all while gutting collective bargaining for nearly 400k U.S. civil servants, more than 2.6% of American unionized workers talkingpointsmemo.com/news/the-tru...

An appeals court ruled most of Trump's tariffs are illegal, opening the door for the possibility that the U.S. govt will have to pay back the money its collected so far. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trumps-...

Trump says that he is removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, an unprecedented move and a significant escalation of his attacks on the U.S. central bank

SCOOP: Trump's BLS pick E.J. Antoni -- who many economists have flagged as unqualified -- will face a hearing before the Senate HELP committee. Over 30+ years, only 1 of the last 6 BLS chiefs had a committee hearing talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-e...

"Trump has been especially focused on targeting Black women in public life." so refreshing to work at a publication that can state this obvious truth plainly talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...

"The mass deportation agenda is just one part of a larger agenda in which white Americans are fronted as the real America and everyone else is second-class..." from @davidkurtz.bsky.social talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...

Trump’s crusade against immigrants and other vulnerable groups threatens to fundamentally interfere with accurate data collection and reporting. More from @laylaayanna.bsky.social: talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trumps-...

@laylaayanna.bsky.social spoke to economists about Trump picking a Heritage Foundation economist to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “A statistical agency that’s subject to political control has no credible economic value. It's kind of pointless." talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-b...

Trump's pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics as is a Heritage Foundation economist with little relevant experience. “What he has built a record on over the last few years is attacking the BLS,” economist Aaron Sojourner told @laylaayanna.bsky.social talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-b...

And our newest reporter @laylaayanna.bsky.social has been doing incredible analysis on the impact of Trump's policies including tariffs and Medicaid cuts. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/experts...

TPM also was first to report the news when Elon Musk's DOGE team requested "extensive" access to sensitive data and systems inside the IRS. This was a pretty big deal I think. talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/do...

Truly independent media is more important than ever! That's why I would like to take a moment to encourage everyone here to support TPM! We are closing in on our annual journalism fund goal and need your support to make it happen! accounts.talkingpointsmemo.com/contribute

Update: A White House official told me Trump will increase tariffs if countries don't follow through. “We expect our trading partners to live up to their commitments in our trade agreements. President Trump reserves the right to adjust tariff rates if any party reneges.”

I talked to a bunch of foreign trade policy experts, including one who worked under both the Obama and Trump administrations. They all told me Trump is being played. AND large parts of his so-called trade agreements actually amount to nothing. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/experts...

My job @talkingpointsmemo.com is holding a fundraising drive for The Journalism Fund TPM is 90% member funded which means we're not beholden to big corporate interests & most of our spending goes to salaries so every dollar raised helps me have a job! accounts.talkingpointsmemo.com/contribute

My colleague @johnalight.bsky.social offers a really valuable breakdown of what @talkingpointsmemo.com is and why we are a really great place to read and support during this moment in American history:

Policies GOP senators approved range from the needlessly harmful — like the end of a nominal air pollution grant program for low-income schools — to one which threatens to prevent lower-income students from pursuing higher education at all. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/obscure...

I wrote about my former boss, Bill Moyers.

From a $2B bitcoin treasury to politically-branded ETFs, Trump's media company $DJT stands to do more than enrich the president. It adds one more way Trump's policy decisions could be influenced by his business interests - my latest for @talkingpointsmemo.com talkingpointsmemo.com/news/how-don...

For my first story at @talkingpointsmemo.com, I talked to a former NIH employee who left the DMV because of DOGE cuts. She's part of a trend experts are watching: public servants impacted by DOGE leaving the Beltway – a potential blow to the DC-area economy talkingpointsmemo.com/news/musk-do...