Leid Stories—The Budget: The Republicans’ (and Democrats’) Nifty Holiday Gift; U.S. Slammed for Still-Woeful Conditions in Puerto Rico —12.18.17

On Friday evening, a delirious President Donald Trump and a coterie of Republican leaders delivered tidings of great joy (Trump announced it was a “Christmas gift” to the nation): There is, at last, a budget, and all that’s needed now is a final vote in both houses of Congress to put the new budget into effect. That process begins today, and with Republicans controlling all branches of government, it is unlikely that the Democrats will succeed in making significant changes to the $1.5-trillion budget.

Leid Stories says that the budget process, being exceedingly undemocratic, opaque and corrupt, must be scrapped.

 

Gov. Ricardo Rosseló of Puerto Rico, conceding that “official” counts of deaths due to Hurricane Maria are extremely inaccurate, today ordered a review of every death attributed to the Category 4 storm that devastated the island three months ago. Independent media analyses found that more than 1,000 people died in addition to the 64 officially listed.

Meanwhile, Refugees International, which recently toured the U.S. territory, has issued a report decrying the woeful conditions under which Puerto Ricans are living.

The Trump administration seems not to care that Puerto Ricans—fellow Americans—are refugees in their own country.