Charlene Crowell, a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending, highlights how the current administration’s efforts to defund or undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) hurt working families while protecting Wall Street and corporate interests. Court rulings have now forced the administration to restore CFPB funding, reinstate employees, and resume its oversight work, which prevents billions in consumer losses from predatory financial practices.
Tag: Congress
Posted inU.S. Government
Deadline looms as Congress risks another shutdown
With federal funding set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Jan. 30, Congress is again on the brink of a government shutdown, just months after a prolonged lapse disrupted essential services and deepened hardship for families nationwide. As Republicans push a single sweeping funding vote, Democrats warn that no viable agreement exists, leaving negotiations stalled and the risk of another shutdown growing as the deadline approaches.
Posted inEducation
3 education fights that aren’t going away in 2026
Battles over the Department of Education, immigration and artificial intelligence in the classroom aren’t going away in 2026.
Posted inAfro Briefs
From Washington to Bogotá, protests grow as Maduro faces US judge
The arrest and transfer of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to a U.S. federal court sparked widespread protests across the United States and abroad, with demonstrators questioning the legality and consequences of the 47th U.S. president’s action. As Maduro appeared under heavy guard in Manhattan, rallies erupted from New York to Bogotá and Caracas, drawing condemnation from global leaders and deepening international tensions over U.S. intervention and international law.
Posted inHealth
Higher cost, worse coverage: Affordable Care Act enrollees say expiring subsidies will hit them hard
As COVID-era Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire, enrollees across the country say they are bracing for sharply higher premiums, higher deductibles and tougher choices. With Congress failing to extend the tax credits, some families plan to downgrade coverage or drop insurance entirely, warning the loss will strain household budgets and heighten financial and health risks.
Posted inEducation
Advocate warns dismantling of Dept. of Education could harm Black and Brown students with disabilities
Advocates warn Black and Brown students with disabilities may face increased barriers and undiagnosed needs as the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education continues.
Posted inOpinion
The 47th president is hollowing out America’s only agency for minority business
The dismantling of the Minority Business Development Agency — the nation’s only federal agency dedicated to supporting minority and other disadvantaged entrepreneurs — threatens millions of small businesses that rely on its technical assistance and capital access. As the 47th president’s administration hollows out the agency’s remaining staff and infrastructure, experts warn that its loss would deepen economic inequities and undermine U.S. competitiveness.
Posted inOpinion
Investing in entrepreneurship after the government shut down
The 42-day government shutdown deepened an already growing crisis for minority- and women-owned small businesses, erasing billions in economic output and halting critical programs that support SEDI entrepreneurs. Eric Morrissette argues that reopening the government must now serve as a broader act of renewal, rebuilding trust and restoring the agencies essential to inclusive economic growth.
Posted inVeterans
Keeping history alive: Remembering the Montford Point Marines
The Montford Point Marines were trailblazers in the U.S. Marine Corps, but their stories have often gone untold. Mallorie Berger, granddaughter of Montford Point Marine Maurice L. Burns, is working to ensure the bravery of these men, including Charles Cargile Hall, is remembered
Posted inNational News
Supreme Court issues emergency order to block full SNAP food aid payments
The Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court’s order requiring the 47th president’s administration to fully fund November SNAP food aid payments during the ongoing government shutdown. The decision leaves millions of low-income Americans uncertain about when or if they’ll receive full benefits, as some states already issued payments before the ruling.
Posted inEducation
Pell Grant cuts helped lower Black college enrollment, report says
A new report links cuts and inconsistencies in Pell Grant funding to a nearly half-million drop in Black college enrollment over the past decade, with Southern HBCUs hit hardest. Researchers urge federal and state leaders to stabilize Pell funding to ensure equitable access to higher education.
Posted inWord In Black
USDA warns states about November SNAP benefits
By Jennifer Porter GoreWord in Black When Congress couldn’t agree on a budget to fund the government before Oct. 1, officials used some budget trickery to guarantee that the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, known as SNAP, would continue through the end of the month. But if Congress doesn’t pass a budget by Nov. 1, millions […]