Outside of Washington

A header image for PBS News' Here's the Deal newsletter.
A person, lit by an overhead light, works at a grocery store inside Mercado Central, a marketplace of about 35 Latino‑owned small businesses, in Minneapolis. Vendors report steep drops in foot traffic since the surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city.

A person works at a grocery store inside Mercado Central, a marketplace of about 35 Latino‑owned small businesses, in Minneapolis. Photo by Go Nakamura/Reuters

It's Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. We think of it as a mini-magazine in your inbox.

AN OUTSIDE VIEW OF 3 BIG STORIES
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
 
Strange times continue. We are now in what we at Here's the Deal call a "silent shutdown." 
 
The Department of Homeland Security is technically operating without funding. With Congress out of Washington this week, negotiations are happening in the form of behind-the-scenes document exchanges. Most of DHS is staying on the job, but there is little recognition outside the agency that it's in the midst of a temporary funding crisis.
 
It feels like an essential time to look outside the nation's capital.  
 
Reading through dozens of local newspapers, three kinds of stories with ties to Washington stood out: the economy, the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and state financial outlooks. These are a good reminder that for many places, a still rickety economy, discussion of federal immigration actions and scaled-back federal spending are affecting communities directly and in real time.
 
The economy
 
The past few days of local news brought forth a range of economic concerns.
  • In Reno, Nevada, affordable housing remains in crisis as apartment rent again set a record high.
  • In Henderson, Kentucky, food costs are making headlines. Kentucky ranks among a handful of states where grocery prices, when compared to what people earn, are among the highest in the country.
  • In Charleston, West Virginia, rising energy costs are a complicated issue. Lawmakers want to bring down electric bills but are sticking with President Donald Trump's commitment to coal-powered electricity even though it is becoming more expensive.
  • In Detroit, experts warn that the current level of gas prices (at $3 a gallon) is likely to gradually rise. And across California, gas prices are rising now, thanks in large part to a refinery closing and two under maintenance.
  • Head over to Boston and the news is about layoffs: Another round of 117 workers were let go from Baystate Medical Center.
  • In Tallahassee, Florida, there's a bright spot. Trader Joe's plans to add stores as part of a national expansion.

What do communities want to happen with ICE?
Watch the segment in the player above.
A fascinating and deep conversation is happening across the country around immigration, the tactics used by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the DHS shutdown.

Stories alleging mistreatment by ICE agents continue, but other articles are talking about how states and cities should interact with the Trump crackdown: Do they embrace it or question it? What does it mean for them?
  • In Chester County, Pennsylvania, a judge sentenced a Mexican national who overstayed his visa and pleaded guilty to attempting to assault a federal officer with his vehicle while trying to evade arrest. 
  • In Salem, Oregon, 911 audio has been released of a daughter reporting her mother's violent ICE interaction during a traffic stop. The mom had called her daughter in a panic as agents approached her car. The daughter heard her mom tell agents she's a U.S. citizen as agents broke her car window and threw her to the ground. The mom reportedly suffered a concussion, torn rotator and bruised rib. 
  • In Abilene, Texas, high school students organized a walkout, protesting against ICE.
  • But in North Dakota, the conversation is more broadly about state law and how an anti-mask law there applies — or does not apply — to ICE agents.
  • The Baltimore Sun is asking its readers whether they support or oppose a new law banning formal cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE.
  • In Detroit, attention is on the ICE purchase of a building for use as a detention center. Outrage has also cropped up in other cities, as ICE seeks to expand its operation.
  • In Indianapolis, concern is rising that a DHS shutdown could affect airport wait times.

State budget problems
 
Along with concerns about the national economy, several states are grappling with their own financial crises.
More on politics from our coverage:
  • Watch: "Stop protecting predators," California Rep. Ro Khanna says as the Justice Department gives its reasoning for redacting Epstein files.
  • One Big Question: How is the public responding to the release of the Epstein files? NPR's Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter discuss.
  • A Closer Look: After 3 years of relentless war, Sudan faces the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
  • Perspectives: How Lincoln would navigate today's politics? Historian Matthew Pinsker explores this question in the latest episode of "Settle In."

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION
Watch archival clips of the Rev. Jesse Jackson's "I am somebody" chant in the player above. Video by ABC News
By Joshua Barajas
Senior Editor, Digital
 
The Rev. Jesse Jackson was a towering voice in the civil rights movement and U.S. politics.
 
From his "I am somebody" chant and commanding speeches to forming his National Rainbow Coalition for social justice, Jackson became a galvanizing political force after the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
 
He long advocated for the poor and other marginalized groups, while inspiring many Black Democrats to run for office.
 
Jackson twice sought the Democratic nomination for president. Though his 1984 and 1988 campaigns fell short, his attempts opened the door for others to seek office, including Barack Obama in the 2008 race. That election night, Jackson was seen crying in the crowd in Chicago's Grant Park as Obama was announced as the winner of the presidential election.
 
At the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, Jackson delivered a barnburner of a speech that moved delegates to tears, telling the crowd to "never surrender." 
 
Our question: What three words did Jackson repeat at the end of his 1988 convention speech that would become a signature phrase for his work?
 
Send your answers to NewsHourPolitics@newshour.org or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shoutout next week.
 
Last week, we asked: Who was the first director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the agency was established?
 
The answer: Michael J. Garcia. President George W. Bush appointed Garcia as the agency's first assistant secretary for the agency, a position that was later changed to director. Garcia led ICE until mid-2005.
 
Congratulations to our winners: Paul Taylor and Steve Kenney!
 
Thank you all for reading and watching. We'll drop into your inbox next week.
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