::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

President Trump’s decision to declare a national emergency in order to fund his border wall triggers a crisis for our Constitution and our democracy. This is no longer about the shameless lies, exaggerations and slanders that the president has trotted out to justify his silly campaign promise to build a wall (that he promised Mexico would pay for). It’s no longer about wasting billions of dollars, of shutting down much of the government for weeks or squandering the time and attention of the Congress and the American people for an inane campaign promise. Trump now poses a fundamental challenge to our democracy: Does Congress have the essential power of the purse that the Constitution gave it, or can a president at his whim declare a national emergency and spend what he wants on what he wills? This is the line between a constitutional republic and a presidential autocracy. Trump’s petulant response to not getting the money he wants now puts that question b...

Today on behalf of the Rainbow Push Coalition, Rev. Jesse Jackson released a statement urging media not to respond to the national address of Pres. Donald Trump as if it is an emergency. A statement by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. President Donald Trump’s address to the nation tonight will be little more than a political commercial. The news media should not surrender to his phony “emergency.” There is no crisis at the southern border. No caravans, trying to sneak in; no terrorists coming across in mass numbers. The greatest number of undocumented immigrants in the United States are those who have overstayed their visas after coming here legally by plane. He has shutdown the government for 18 days – and counting – over a broken and ridiculous campaign promise to build an expensive and unnecessary wall, a wall for which he assured the nation Mexico would pay. It is a contradiction for the media to say this President lies the most an...

Now Americans get to decide. Our democracy is corrupted by big money, scarred by efforts to suppress the vote or to gerrymander districts, and stained by scurrilous campaigning, led in this instance by the president himself. Yet, in the end, democracy empowers us to decide who will lead us, who we will reward with our support and who we will spurn. In Tuesday’s election, no matter who wins or loses, some things have become crystal clear. We do not live, the Bible teaches, by bread alone. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, Jesus taught, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. The fundamental judgment weighs not how much money you have amassed, but what values you have professed and practiced. In this campaign, unemployment is low and wages have begun to tick up. President Trump may be riding a recovery begun under Barack Obama, but he takes the credit. Yet even Trump understands that low unemployment figure...

Commentary By Jesse Jackson Now Americans get to decide. Our democracy is corrupted by big money, scarred by efforts to suppress the vote or to gerrymander districts, and stained by scurrilous campaigning, led in this instance by the president himself. Yet, in the end, democracy empowers us to decide who will lead us, who we will reward with our support and who we will spurn. In Tuesday’s election, no matter who wins or loses, some things have become crystal clear. We do not live, the Bible teaches, by bread alone. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, Jesus taught, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. The fundamental judgment weighs not how much money you have amassed, but what values you have professed and practiced. In this campaign, unemployment is low and wages have begun to tick up. President Trump may be riding a recovery begun under Barack Obama, but he takes the credit. Yet even Trump understan...

BY JESSE JACKSON May 8, 2018 African-American unemployment has reached its lowest levels ever. President Donald Trump boasts about this on the stump, naturally claiming credit for a recovery that began after his predecessor, Barack Obama, saved an economy that was in free fall. Trump says he’s delivering on his promised “new deal for blacks.” Don’t fall for the hype. A low topline unemployment rate is a good thing. Tight labor markets force employers to compete for workers. More African Americans who are too often the last hired find jobs. Those who have lousy jobs are more confident about looking for better ones. Even harsh employers like Wal-Mart find it necessary to lift wages to attract and keep decent workers. Wages should start going up. But we haven’t seen much of that in this economy. That’s because while the topline rate is down, it doesn’t count millions who have given up looking for work and have dropped out of the work force. Only if the economy continu...