Jaewon Jang
In this week's biweekly national update, the Falconer covers government shutdown updates, tariffs and recent protests and movements in the U.S. The nationwide "No Kings" movement saw protests across the country in mid October.
Shutdown Updates
The United States government enters its 27th day of shutdown.
Air travel has faced disruptions since the beginning of the shutdown. According to Reuters, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported over 20 incidents of air traffic controller shortages last Saturday, with above average delays and cancellations. In the midst of the shutdown, federal employees will miss their first paycheck on Tuesday. About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers are expected to work without pay, with many seeking other sources of income. AP News reported that the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted departures from the Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday morning. Other affected takeoffs and arrivals took place at Newark Liberty International, Teterboro and Southwest Florida International. Today, according to Reuters, over 4,300 flights were delayed already, following 8,800 yesterday.
Meanwhile, Time Magazine reported that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits — food benefits for low-income households as an initiative under the U.S. Department of Agriculture — may stop on Nov. 1 if the shutdown continues. With the holiday season around the corner, Republicans and Democrats continue to trade blame. Some states work to prepare for the halt and food banks brace for increased demand.
Tariffs
In response to an anti-tariff Ontario government-sponsored advertisement, President Donald Trump announced he would end all trade negotiations with Canada and raise tariffs on Canada by 10% according to The Guardian. Proclaimed as “fake” in Trump’s words, the ad featured a 1987 radio address from Ronald Reagan, with some statements out of chronological order. Since then, the Ronald Reagan Foundation stated that “the ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address, and the Government of Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.” Contrastingly, an article by PolitiFact stated that “the ad’s overall message doesn’t misrepresent Reagan’s views on tariffs” and “reordering did not change his meaning,” although the ad omitted Reagan’s statement about placing duties on Japanese products.
Protests and Movements
On Oct. 18, nationwide No Kings protests took place across all states, with an estimated 2600 rallies, most of which remained peaceful. Since then, a Fox News article cited demographic research at American University indicating that typical participants in the Washington, D.C. protest were “educated white women in their 40s.” In the article, psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert attributed the movement to a “hunger for connection” and described the protests as “group therapy playing out in the streets.” Alpert additionally stated that “some protesters are equating the ‘No Kings’ movement with the Civil Rights Movement …. they want to be part of something historically meaningful, and that longing can distort perspective.”
In contrast, a Reuters article described the crowds as “demographically mixed” and “spanning all age groups.”
Fall of Freedom, a national series of artistic demonstrations, is scheduled to occur on Nov. 21-22. Organizers describe it as an “urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation.” The “nationwide wave of creative resistance,” will feature galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters and concert halls with events to “celebrate the experiences, cultures, and identities that shape the fabric of our nation.” The Fall of Freedom website displays events across the U.S., with a strong concentration in the New York area and registration is still open.