San José, CA – On March 22, the U.S. stock market staggered with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 700 points or almost 3%. That day, President Trump had fired an opening salvo of trade restrictions aimed at China by announcing steep tariffs on $60 billion of imports from China. He promised that this was just the first of many restrictions on Chinese goods in what could be a new trade war with China.

San José, CA – A partial government shutdown is possible Friday night, Jan. 19. This would be a first – where one party controls the House of Representatives, the Senate and the presidency, as the Republicans do today. The latest sign that the Republicans continue to squabble is that President Trump tweeted a criticism of the Republican temporary funding bill that passed in the House of Representatives.

FRSO condemns new Medicaid work requirements

San Jose, CA – On the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior’s birthday, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) condemned the Trump administration and the Republican governor of Kentucky for the new work requirements for Medicaid. Medicaid provides health insurance for more than 74 million low-income and disabled Americans.

San José, CA — On August 13, more than 500 people rallied outside the San José City Hall in solidarity with the fight against white supremacy in Charlottesville, Virginia. The candlelight rally honored Heather Heyer, who was killed by an American fascist from Ohio. San Jose activists spoke in solidarity with the 19 others injured when the fascist drove his car at high speed into people protesting the white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville.

Repeal of Affordable Care Act takes insurance from 32 million, double individual premiums

San José, CA – On July 19, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said that the Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or ACA (also known as Obamacare), without a replacement would leave 32 million more Americans without health insurance. The Republican Senate leadership put forward this bill, officially known as the “Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act of 2017” after their “Repeal and Replace” bill could not muster 50 Republican votes.

San José, CA – On June 24, more than 75 people gathered at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) in San José’s Japantown for a program on the struggle for justice by Japanese Latin Americans.

San José, CA – On Monday, June 26, the Congressional Budget Office or CBO released its analysis of the Senate Republicans’ bill meant to repeal the Affordable Care Act (the ACA, often called Obamacare). The Senate Republicans’ bill, known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act or BCRA, would mean 22 million more people would go without health insurance as compared to the current law with the ACA at the end of ten years. 15 million people would lose their Medicaid coverage (called Medical in California; each state has its own name), a million more than under the House Republican bill known as the Health Care Reform Act or HCRA. 7 million more people would have to go without their individual insurance policies purchased on state exchanges, also a million more than the House Republican HCRA.

San José, CA – On June 10, 1000 people joined a Unity Vigil called by Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), People Acting in Community Together (PACT), and Meet a Muslim. More than 130 religious, community, oppressed nationality and other organizations endorsed the vigil, which was organized on a week’s notice.

San José, CA – On May 24, Steven Mnuchin, Trump’s Secretary of the Treasury and former Wall Street investment banker for Goldman Sachs, urged Congress to raise the federal debt limit before they go on break July 28. The U.S. Treasury first bumped up against the maximum that the U.S. government can borrow back in March, and has been continuing to borrow by using accounting measures.

San José, CA – On Wednesday, May 24, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its report on the revised American Health Care Act (AHCA). This was the bill that would end the Affordable Care Act or ACA (also known as Obamacare) that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives had narrowly passed earlier in May, without knowing what its impact and cost would be.

San José, CA – On Tuesday, May 23, the Trump administration unveiled its proposal for the federal budget for the coming fiscal year that begins October 1. The proposed budget, if passed, would the biggest attack on poor and working people in more than 30 years.

San José, CA – On May 12, more than 200 Palestinian Americans and their supporters packed a Santa Clara County room for the 16th annual Palestine Cultural Day in San José, California. Samir Leymoun of the Palestine Heritage Committee welcomed people to the event with a tribute to Palestinian parents and the ongoing effort to keep the struggle of Palestine visible.

San José, CA – Since Donald Trump became president on Jan. 20, he has carried out two of his three campaign pledges to attack immigrants. He issued an executive order that called for a wall on the Mexican border, and his proposed budget includes a down payment of $2.6 billion to start the construction on the wall. Trump also issued another executive order calling for increased staffing for immigration enforcement and expanding deportations to include all the undocumented, with the final decision to be made by ICE agents. His proposed budget also calls for almost $2 billion to step up deportations and for hiring more ICE and Border Patrol agents. This executive order also threatened sanctions on local governments that did not cooperate with immigration authorities.

Traducción: Edward C. Tolentino

San José, CA – On Wednesday, May 3, House Republicans passed Trumpcare Version 2 with only two votes to spare. President Trump lobbied heavily to get the amended American Health Care Act (AHCA) through the House of Representatives. To win over the ultra-right wing so-called Freedom Caucus, House leader Paul Ryan added amendments that would allow states to opt out of the minimum requirements for health insurance introduced by Obamacare.

San José, CA – On May 1, thousands gathered at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in the heart of the Chicano/Mexicano community in east San José to kick off May Day. They then marched through downtown to the Arena Greens park. The march was many times larger than the year before, and many unions and community groups were represented. In addition to traditional themes of immigrant and workers’ rights, there were many anti-Trump protesters as well.

San José, CA – On March 25, 200 people marched from San Jose Japantown to San Jose City Hall to express the solidarity between Japanese Americans and American Muslims. Since the election of Donald Trump, many Japanese Americans have been mobilized to oppose the anti-Muslim government policies such as the travel ban from majority-Muslim countries. The march was sponsored by the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee (NOC) and the South Bay Islamic Association (SBIA).

San Jose, CA – On Saturday, March 25, the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee (NOC) and the South Bay Islamic Association (SBIA) will be co-sponsoring a day of solidarity with the American Muslim community. A march of solidarity will begin in San Jose Japantown and will end with a rally at San Jose City Hall.

an José, CA – On Thursday, March 16, President Donald Trump presented his first budget proposal to Congress. That proposal, combined with his backing of the House Republican American Health Care Act (AHCA) proposed the week before, add up massive cuts to programs that help the poor and working class, together with large tax cuts for the rich. Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, told the press with a straight face that the budget proposal was “compassionate” even though those facing the biggest cuts are children, seniors and the disabled.

ACHA would give hundreds of billions in tax cuts to the rich

San José, CA – On Monday, March 13, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its report on the proposed American Health Care Act or ACHA. The ACHA is the House Republican bill that is supported by President Trump. The CBO report estimated that 14 million would lose health insurance the first year after the passage of the ACHA. This number will rise to 24 million people who would lose health insurance over the next ten years. This will basically double the percentage working-age adults who go without health insurance from 10% to 19%. This would save the federal government $1200 billion, most of which will go to tax cuts that mainly benefit the rich.