Rep. Gilliard Celebrates Final Passage of the Original 33 Memorial Act
'I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Chairman Matt Brass for his dedicated leadership in carrying this bill through the Senate,' said Rep. Gilliard. 'Today, we honor the giants—the Original 33 African Americans elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1868. Unfortunately, they were denied their rightful place in history due to the color of their skin, with 14 of them suffering the unimaginable fate of lynching.'
The Original 33 Memorial Act aims to honor and commemorate the lives and contributions of 33 great Americans.
'With the passage of this bill, we collectively send a powerful signal that Georgia remembers and recognizes the contributions of these 33 courageous Americans,' added Rep. Gilliard. 'Finally, we can salute these great leaders and celebrate their legacy and sacrifices.'
HB 303 now heads to the governor's desk. The full text of HB 303 may be found here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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New York Times
23 minutes ago
- New York Times
Trade Deadline
President Trump has a big deadline this week. He announced tariffs in April, suspended them, and plans to reimpose them tomorrow. In the meantime, he has been trying to bend trade partners to his will with sweeteners, threats and the occasional ultimatum. After months of chaos and hype, he notched much-needed victories this week when he announced trade deals with the European Union and South Korea. But the saga isn't over yet. Today, I'll walk through where Trump's trade agenda has succeeded, where it hasn't and what we still don't know. The wins Trump has already delivered on some of his central trade promises. Raising tariffs: The president loves tariffs and has made them a totem of his second term. He has earned a reputation for bluffing, but overall duties have increased. America spent generations building — and benefiting from — a global free-trade consensus. Now, Trump has coaxed major players, including the European Union, South Korea and Japan, to accept 15 percent tariffs, the highest in decades. This piece by Ana Swanson, who covers trade, explains the shift. Boosting businesses: Trump has pushed several nations to buy more from American companies as part of their trade deals. The European Union and South Korea agreed to purchase hundreds of billions in U.S. fossil fuels before the end of Trump's term. Deals with half a dozen countries include orders for hundreds of Boeing jets. (This week, Boeing reported its strongest revenue in six years.) The losses Trump's tariff war has also meant some pain. Shuffling trade alliances: Nations have started seeking trade partners that are more reliable than the United States, writes Jeanna Smialek, who covers Europe. The E.U. is pulling closer to Britain, Canada, India and South Africa. Canada is courting Southeast Asia. Brazil and Mexico are building a rapport. 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Trump said yesterday that he would hit India with tariffs partly because it imports oil from Russia. He also punished Brazil with a tariff for prosecuting its former leader, his ally. (Here's a map tracking tariffs for every country.) And any new pact will likely be just a blueprint, since Trump's trade deals don't get into the nitty-gritty details that usually make up formal trade agreements. Lowering prices: Trump hopes that tariffs will boost the economy with lower prices and more jobs. But it's unclear whether that will work, Ana explains in a new story. Tariffs have a cost — borne by the businesses exporting goods or the consumers buying them. Although some businesses choose to absorb costs for a while, research shows that Americans eventually bear the brunt. Last month, inflation inched up as tariffs started to bite. More on the economy Trump ended a rule that exempted imports worth under $800 from tariffs. Small imports have ballooned in recent years because of online shopping. 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Brazil The U.S. imposed sanctions on the Brazilian Supreme Court justice presiding over the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president. Bolsonaro is accused of orchestrating a coup attempt; Trump has called the case a 'witch hunt.' Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, spoke with The Times about his outrage over what he says is Trump's meddling in his country's politics. Click the video below to watch. Public Health Measles cases in Canada have far surpassed those in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration's top vaccine and gene therapy official resigned after a public campaign against him led by the right-wing influencer Laura Loomer. Other Big Stories Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv, killing at least seven people. An instrument issue may have misled the pilots of a Black Hawk helicopter about their altitude before it collided with a passenger jet near Washington in January. The gunman who killed four people in a Manhattan office building bought his assault rifle from his boss at a Las Vegas casino. Why did the big undersea earthquake yesterday produce a relatively small tsunami? 'There's big,' said one expert. 'And then there's really, really big.' Israel bears the greatest responsibility for starvation in Gaza. It needs to let Palestinians eat, the Editorial Board writes. Here's a column by Michelle Cottle on redistricting. Summer streets: New Yorkers are looking cool despite the heat. Our photographer captured their style. Always late? It may be a part of your personality, scientists say. Ultrarich Pac-Man: Palm Beach billionaires keep demolishing perfectly good beachfront mansions. Your pick: The most-clicked story in The Morning yesterday was about the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease. Taboo breaker: Rose Leiman Goldemberg wrote the screenplay for 'The Burning Bed,' which starred Farrah Fawcett as a wife exonerated for killing her husband. 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Momoa recently returned to Hawaii for a different kind of project, the Apple TV+ series 'Chief of War.' Alexis Soloski, a Times culture reporter, went to the beach with him in Honolulu to learn why he pushed so hard to make a serious-minded period drama about his home. More on culture A procession fit for the prince of darkness: Birmingham sent off Ozzy Osbourne with a brass band and a regal hearse. Here are some of the most anticipated books coming in August, including new novels by R.F. Kuang and Louis Sachar. Late night hosts are still joking about Trump and Epstein. Make your own pesto with five ingredients. Perfect your plank. Prepare for a natural disaster with these items that survivors said were crucial for them. Read this profile of Liam Neeson, who is on a mission to make you laugh. Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were cognate and cotangent. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. 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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Trump Accounts 'Backdoor Way' to Privatize Social Security: Scott Bessent
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said new investment savings accounts for young Americans could help privatize Social Security. Speaking at an event hosted by right-wing news outlet Breitbart on Wednesday, Bessent described the president's new "Trump accounts"—which offer a one-time $1,000 government contribution paid into a special account—as a "backdoor for privatizing Social Security." Social Security—often referred to as the "third rail" of American politics due to its fundamental importance—is a federally administered social insurance system that pays out benefits, mostly for retired and disabled Americans. The comments have sparked fierce reaction from Social Security advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers. What Did Bessent Say? "But in a way, it is a backdoor for privatizing Social Security," Bessent said at the event. "Like, Social Security is a defined benefit plan paid out that—to the extent that if all of a sudden these accounts grow, and you have in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for your retirement—then that's a game changer too." He later clarified in a post on X that the new accounts "are an additive benefit for future generations, which will supplement the sanctity of Social Security's guaranteed payments." He added: "This is not an either-or question: our Administration is committed to protecting Social Security and to making sure seniors have more money." A Treasury Department spokesperson told Newsweek via email: "Trump Accounts are an additive government program that work in conjunction with Social Security to broaden and increase the savings and wealth of Americans. Social Security is a critical safety net for Americans and always will be. This Administration has not just fought tirelessly for seniors but is also fighting for the next generation. Under President Trump's leadership, more Americans will reap the benefits of our booming economy than ever before." U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a ceremony for U.S. National Day at the World Expo 2025 on July 19, 2025, in Osaka, Japan. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a ceremony for U.S. National Day at the World Expo 2025 on July 19, 2025, in Osaka, Japan. Tomohiro Ohsumi/GETTY What Are Trump Accounts? The accounts, which are seeded with a $1,000 contribution from the federal government, let parents of children born during 2025 through 2028 contribute up to $5,000 annually for each child, with additional contributions allowed from employers. The money must be invested in portfolios linked to U.S. stock indexes, following a structure similar to individual retirement accounts. Withdrawals are penalty-free after age 59½, or earlier if used to pay for college costs or a first home purchase. They were signed into law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic spending legislation. Reaction There has been no shortage of reaction to Bessent's comments, particularly from groups that advocate for the preservation of Social Security benefits and retired and/or disabled Americans. "That is a terrible idea," said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works. "Unlike private savings, Social Security is a guaranteed earned benefit that you can't outlive. It has stood strong through wars, recessions, and pandemics. The American people have a message for Trump and Bessent: Keep Wall Street's hands off our Social Security!" "President Trump should promptly denounce Treasury Secretary Bessent's promotion of a 'backdoor' way to privatize Social Security," Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, adding that the American people "do not want their hard-earned Social Security benefits handed over to Wall Street." Democratic lawmakers also seized on Bessent's comments. "Like every Republican administration going back multiple generations, Trump and his billionaire cabinet want to privatize Social Security to give their Wall Street buddies a payday," Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden said. "This would be a disaster for seniors and for all Americans who will rely on Social Security for a dignified retirement, and it's a guarantee that Republicans would follow up privatization with brutal cuts that would drive vulnerable people into destitution." Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed said on X that privatizing Social Security would turn it "from a dependable safety net to a risky profit center for moneyed special interests at the expense of everyday Americans."
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Drastic changes coming to homeless services, new Trump order promises
Trump wants to lock up people with drug or mental health challenges. Advocates say lack of housing is the real problem. The United States is taking a sharp turn in how it addresses homelessness after President Donald Trump ordered a tough new approach that rejects the longstanding "housing first" template. Trump, angered by messy encampments of homeless people near the White House and on the nation's streets and parks, declared that organizations receiving federal funding must focus first on locking up people with drug or mental health challenges. Trump has long criticized how the United States manages homelessness, and argues public streets aren't safe for either the homeless or residents. "Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor other citizens," Trump said in his July 24 order. "The federal government and the states have spent tens of billions of dollars on failed programs that address homelessness but not its root causes, leaving other citizens vulnerable to public safety threats." Longtime social workers, medical experts and mental health service providers say the new approach will likely worsen homelessness across the country, particularly because Trump's order contains no new funding for mental health or drug treatment. Additionally, they say the president appears to misunderstand the fundamental driver of homelessness: People can't afford housing. The president's order calls for more "involuntary commitment," which is a process in which mental health workers can forcibly detain and medicate people against their will. Studies have shown that the housing first model is significantly cheaper and more effective than involuntary detention. "Nobody wants people sleeping outside. But if you are someone who doesn't want people sleeping outside, you should vigorously oppose this effort," said Dr. Margot Kushel, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and physician at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, who studies unhoused people. "Americans want there to be no homelessness. And this is literally a formula to worsen homelessness." 'There's tents outside the White House. You can't have that.' Supporters of Trump's approach, which was bolstered by a recent Supreme Court ruling, say it's about time police officers were given the go-ahead to vigorously arrest people for drug possession while reducing the risk of human waste and fire hazards posed by the encampments and "chronic vagancy" cited by the president. Last year, the annual nationwide assessment found that about 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. That number includes people living in hotels or shelters, as well as 5,200 individuals still displaced by the 2023 Maui wildfires. Trump issued the order a day before flying to Scotland to visit his golf club, and appeared particularly concerned about an encampment near the White House. But it reflects his longstanding frustration with homelessness in the United States. During his first administration, Trump urged police to "get tough" on encampments, and his new executive order goes even further by ordering authorities to expand involuntary detentions and withdraw funding from communities that don't comply with his approach. "When leaders come to see me to make a trade deal for billions and billions and even trillions of dollars and they come and there's tents outside the White House. You can't have that," Trump said. Nationally, many housing and homeless service providers have moved away from routine involuntary commitments, not just because they're expensive but because the practice is widely considered dehumanizing. "The intention here in New York is not to and never should be to warehouse anybody," said Patrick Wildes, the director of Albany Law School's Government Law Center and the former state assistant secretary for human services and mental hygiene. "The goal is to help them to get well and, in almost every case, help them return to living among their brothers and sisters in society." Like other experts, Wildes said the housing first model being targeted by Trump, while not perfect, represents the best, most effective way to stabilize people. "When it comes to supporting people who are struggling with serious mental health or substance use disorders, it's been proven time and time again that having a roof over your head gives you a substantially better chance of getting back on your feet,' he said. 'No funding or mechanisms in place to make this executive order happen.' Jesse Rabinowitz, a spokesman and social worker for the National Homelessness Law Center, said Trump's focus on encampments reflects the president's own background as a wealthy developer who doesn't support government-supplied affordable housing. "All this does is treat it like a crime to be sick and poor," Rabinowitz said. The executive order also mandates significant new data collection about people who receive services, allowing the government to track who has gotten help and where. While Trump has criticized the amount of money spent on providing shelter for homeless people, advocates say taxpayers have never provided nearly enough to solve the problems caused by the high costs of rent, stagnant salaries for low-wage workers, and a lack of affordable counseling and drug treatment for people without jobs. In Colorado, a study of people served by community-based mental health provider WellPower, the state's largest, found that getting homeless people into supportive housing saved taxpayers more than $3,700 per person annually in costs such as jail and police time. The study found that 77% of people who were given housing first remained in that housing three years later. Heidi Eastman, WellPower's vice president of housing and resources, said that while advocates are still trying to understand the full ramifications of Trump's order, it's not clear how fast change will come and where. "There's no funding or mechanisms in place to make this executive order happen," said Eastman, a longtime clinical social worker. "It's going to put a bigger strain on the providers, it's going to overload the system, and it will require more expensive services for people who may not need inpatient hospitalization."
