Federal, State, and Local Officials across the country continue to praise the American Rescue Plan (ARP) for providing critical relief for their communities. For example, local counties across America are using $61.5 billion in ARP funds to boost tourism after big hits to their economies during the pandemic.

This week, 13 states announced $250 million in ARP funding would go towards advancing 22 transit projects in the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants program. …

Federal, State, and Local Officials across the country continue to praise the provisions in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) that are providing relief for their communities. This week, the IRS notified 36 million families that may qualify for the monthly Child Tax Credit payments made possible by the ARP that will be going out this month.

Thanks to the nearly 350 billion in State and Local Aid provided by the ARP, multiple state budgets were released with spending plans for the budget year recovered by 10% or more in states including Florida, Maryland, Colorado, Utah and Washington. …

This piece was originally published in the June 10, 2021 edition of CAP Action’s weekly newsletter, What’s Trending? Subscribe to What’s Trending? here.

Hey, y’all.

This week, instead of doing a topical deep dive, we’re going to examine different types of engagement (shares, comments, and reactions) and whether those behaviors differ for the audiences of progressive and conservative Facebook pages.

But first! Did you miss last week’s edition of What’s Trending? Don’t worry — you can read it here.

WHAT’S TRENDING THIS WEEK

• Tax Evasion: ProPublica released a new analysis, “The Secret IRS Files,” which found that between 2014–2018, the richest 25 Americans paid…

By Latrice Walker, New York Assemblywoman & Michael Sozan

New York State is on the verge of taking a big step toward protecting democracy and returning power to people. A bold bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Walker is pending in the state Assembly that would prohibit foreign-influenced U.S. corporations from spending money to sway New York’s elections. A counterpart bill sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris (Queens) just passed the state Senate with bipartisan support. If this legislation becomes law, it will protect elections against foreign influence and reduce the huge power of big-spending foreign-influenced companies.

The Empire State has…

Federal, State, and Local Officials across the country continue to praise the provisions in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) that are providing relief for their communities. Last week, lawmakers praised a Census Bureau study that showed reports of food shortages fell 42 percent from January through April largely thanks to the American Rescue Plan. The same data also found that even among households that had prepandemic incomes of $50,000 to $75,000, more than 11 percent of those with children sometimes or often lacked food at the start of the year — a figure that has since fallen in half.

Benefits…

This piece was originally published in the June 4, 2021 edition of CAP Action’s weekly newsletter, What’s Trending? Subscribe to What’s Trending? here.

Hey, y’all.

This week I’m writing to you from my parents’ house in Missouri, where I’ve spent the past week enjoying some gorgeous weather, catching up with family, and eating lots and lots of barbecue. Life is good.

This week we’re going to examine the spike in traffic about a Senate filibuster, which prevented the advancement of a bill to create a commission to study the January 6 Capitol Riot. …

Ford, Walmart, J&J, T-Mobile, Chevron, and other major corporations are supporting McCarthy’s effort to re-elect the 147 election objectors.

Hours after an angry mob aimed at the U.S. Capitol determined to stop the work of our nation’s democracy armed with flex cuffs, bear spray, firearms, and a gallows, Kevin McCarthy and 70 percent of his caucus voted to overturn the November presidential election. Soon after, corporate America spoke up.

Over 170 corporations publicly suspended their political contributions to the 147 members of Congress who voted to decertify the election results. Dozens more of their affiliated trade associations did the same…

This piece was originally published in the June 2, 2021 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

‘‘Investing in education is a down payment on our future.’’ — Rep. Nikema Williams

If we want to build back better, that starts with investing in our future — aka investing in education. Biden’s American Families Plan would implement universal pre-k, a pivotal building block that would not only set America’s kids up for successful futures, but would also save an average family $13,000 when fully implemented. And that’s just one of many investments the president’s…