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Erika D. Smith

@erika-d-smith.bsky.social

Politics & Policy Columnist, West Coast, Bloomberg Opinion. erikadsmith@bloomberg.net Past: Los Angeles Times🦅, Sacramento Bee, IndyStar, Akron Beacon Journal. Ohioan by birth. Proud Californian by choice. ✊🏾🏳️‍🌈

506 Posts2585 Follower1411 Folgt
ProPublica@propublica.org · last mo.

Accepting tickets to the Kennedy Center honors gala compromises FCC commissioners’ impartiality, ethics experts told ProPublica. The agency’s chair, Brendan Carr, has been gifted at least $63,000 worth of tickets by CBS or its parent company.

FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals

Accepting tickets to the Kennedy Center honors gala compromised the commissioners’ impartiality, ethics experts told ProPublica. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has been gifted at least $63,000 worth of ticket...

propublica.org

CNN@cnn.com · last mo.

Two plainclothes ICE agents left a man partially handcuffed on the ground Monday after they attempted to arrest him at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and onlookers confronted them, according to police and federal officials.

Plainclothes ICE agents left man partially handcuffed at Las Vegas airport after being confronted by onlookers, video shows | CNN

Two plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents left a man partially handcuffed on the ground Monday after they attempted to arrest him at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and...

cnn.com

Politico@politico.com · 2mo ago

Black leaders across the South have expressed a visceral shock in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision gutting the Voting Rights Act. But as the surprise wears off, a sense of isolation has begun to set in among some. 🔗 politi.co/4vSW46T

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Alfred Twu@alfredtwu.com · 2mo ago

Some good news: trans healthcare funding made it into the California state budget, with funding for the next three years to stabilize and rebuild the network of healthcare providers. 🐻🏳️‍⚧️ www.translatinacoalition.org/blog/2026/6/...

State of California makes crucial investment to protect gender-affirming care and strengthen California’s network of providers  — The TransLatin@ Coalition

California has made a one-time $26 million dollar investment over a three-year period to stabilize the state’s provider network through grants for infrastructure and operations, along with a $30 milli...

translatinacoalition.org

ProPublica@propublica.org · 2mo ago

NEW: Almost a year after Trump’s domestic policy bill passed, at least 770,000 children are no longer receiving SNAP benefits. In Arizona, the number of children receiving SNAP has dropped by more than 200,000 since July 2025 — a 55% decline.

More Than 770,000 Children Are No Longer Receiving SNAP Benefits After Trump Changes Federal Food Program

Republican backers of Trump’s signature domestic policy bill repeatedly claimed that revisions to the food benefits program wouldn’t affect the most vulnerable. But reports from a dozen states show ch...

propublica.org

Erika D. Smith@erika-d-smith.bsky.social · 3mo ago

“While Mullin has been ‘obsessed’ with this plan ever since he took office, there has been no formal approval…from the White House, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has openly repudiated it.” Because, even for the Trump administration, it’s a DUMB idea. www.rawstory.com/markwayne-mu...

White House insiders throw DHS chief under the bus over threats to cripple air travel

President Donald Trump's newly-minted secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, has made explosive headlines with his repeated threats on cable news to pull back Customs and Border Protection ...

rawstory.com

Joyce White Vance@joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The stories & photos from today’s voting rights marches in Alabama deserve to be seen by people who weren’t able to stand there in person. If this piece moves you, please share it widely & help make sure these voices aren’t lost in the noise of a crowded news cycle. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

Selma Rejects Jim Crow 2.0

Half of the population in Dallas County, Alabama, where Selma is located, was African American in 1965.

open.substack.com

Erika D. Smith@erika-d-smith.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Well, this isn’t good. “A fire broke out on an oil platform off the coast of Southern California early Monday, briefly endangering more than two dozen workers aboard the offshore rig.” www.latimes.com/california/s...

Oil rig off Southern California coast catches fire, dozens of workers evacuated, officials say

An oil platform off the coast of Carpinteria caught fire Monday morning, triggering a response from the U.S. Coast Guard and local county firefighting agencies.

latimes.com

Erika D. Smith@erika-d-smith.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Trump’s has vowed to take revenge on Indiana Republicans who defied him over redistricting, backing challengers in next week’s primary. But as they say, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves.” My @opinion.bloomberg.com dispatch from the Midwest. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

Trump’s Indiana Power Play Exposes His Weakness

President Donald Trump has made it perfectly clear what he wants: For the Republican Party to hang onto control of Congress after the midterm elections. And so, dutifully, Florida Republicans scramble...

bloomberg.com

Acyn@acyn.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Jeffries says everything is on the table legislatively to deal with the Supreme Court: In the new Congress, we’re going to have to do something about this Supreme Court, and let me be very clear: everything is on the table.

Erika D. Smith@erika-d-smith.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Wild… “Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) told Republican House candidates Wednesday that he plans to suspend next month’s primary elections so state lawmakers can pass a new congressional map first.” www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Louisiana governor prepares to suspend House primaries after court ruling

Gov. Jeff Landry (R) told Republican House candidates he plans to suspend the May 16 primary elections so lawmakers can redraw the congressional map.

washingtonpost.com

Erika D. Smith@erika-d-smith.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Good on Newsom for this. This case always deserved more attention. “The death of 16-year-old Tioni Theus is among several cold cases included in a renewed $50,000 reward announced by the governor. Authorities discovered Theus' body in January 2022 on…the 110 Freeway.” abc7.com/post/gov-gav...

Newsom renews $50,000 reward in case of teen found shot to death on side of 110 Freeway in South LA

The case of a 16-year-old girl found dead along the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles in 2022 is receiving renewed attention after Gov. Gavin Newsom reissued a reward aimed at solving the killing.

abc7.com

Steve Herman@newsguy.bsky.social · 4mo ago

In a surreal moment, President Trump calls on WHCA President Weijia Jiang to ask him the first question at the hastily called White House news conference about the Washington Hilton shooter.

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Erika D. Smith@erika-d-smith.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Our Revolution, the progressive group founded by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, just endorsed Tom Steyer for governor — apparently the first time it has ever endorsed a billionaire. Perhaps California is ready to be led by a billionaire populist after all…? www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

Tom Steyer’s Bet on ‘Billionaire Populism’ Might Pay Off

When Democratic activist Tom Steyer launched his campaign for governor of California six months ago, he did so as a billionaire populist promising to fight other billionaires on behalf of the working ...

bloomberg.com

Erika D. Smith@erika-d-smith.bsky.social · 5mo ago

NEW from me for @opinion.bloomberg.com on the fall of Eric Swalwell. After getting forced out of the governor's race over accusations of sexual misconduct, the Bay Area congressman says he's quitting the House too. Now comes the hard part for California Democrats. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

Ousting Swalwell Was Easy. Now Comes the Hard Part

In a California gubernatorial race that has already seen more than its share of twists and turns, Eric Swalwell just delivered another. On Sunday, the candidate and San Francisco Bay Area congressman ...

bloomberg.com

Erika D. Smith@erika-d-smith.bsky.social · 5mo ago

“You’re not being mean,” state House Majority Leader Michael Carbone of Buckeye told The Arizona Republic. “There’s just people that don’t qualify. Just like joining the YMCA or the racquetball club.” Yeah... Losing access to food is JUST like that. Again, WTH??? www.azcentral.com/story/news/p...

Arizona's food stamp program sees largest decline in US. Here's why

Arizona's SNAP benefits program saw a 47% decline in participation, affecting 424,000 people, the largest drop in any state, and it may drop further.

azcentral.com

ProPublica@propublica.org · 5mo ago

The success of the U.S. vaccination system depends on two fundamental pillars: parents trusting in vaccines and children having access to them. Under RFK Jr., both are in peril.

How Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Vaccine Agenda Risks a Resurgence of Deadly Childhood Plagues

The health secretary is spreading doubts about vaccine safety and considering changes that could prompt manufacturers to flee the U.S. market. History has shown how plagues from the past can roar back...

propublica.org