Layla A. Jones
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Articles by Layla A. Jones
Somehow, Mike Collins Was Completely Unprepared for Questions About His Neo-Nazi Ties During Senate Debate Original
Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) failed to answer a question about who won the 2020 election, said tariffs were making trade fair for Georgia manufacturers, and attempted to elicit sympathy for his own family when asked to condemn the white nationalist views held by his son-in-law during the first Georgia-wide U.S. Senate debate on Thursday night. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) repeatedly took the offensive while facing off against Collins during the debate, which was hosted and televised by Atlanta News First.
Trump Wants the Fed to Rescue Him Ahead of the Midterms. That’s Probably Not Going to Happen.
Kevin Warsh (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump after being sworn in as the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve in the East Room of the White House on May 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Roberto S... Kevin Warsh (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump after being sworn in as the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve in the East Room of the White House on May 22, 2026 in Washington, DC.
RFK Jr’s Relentless Anti-Vax Push Will Disproportionately Hurt Children on Medicaid
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the 2026 Republican National Convention on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. (Photo by Joel Angel Juárez/For The ... Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the 2026 Republican National Convention on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. (Photo by Joel Angel Juárez/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) MORE LESS Robert F.
RFK Jr’s Relentless Anti-Vax Push Will Disproportionately Hurt Children on Medicaid
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has already demonstrated his Department of Health and Human Services has no concern for disparities. Following President Donald Trump's January 2025 anti-Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) executive orders, HHS put Black people's health at risk when it eliminated the collection of race data key for medical research considerations on certain diseases for which race matters.
New IRS Citizenship Question Could Make It Easier for Census Bureau to Shift Political Power
A proposed change to a key tax form could help the Trump administration achieve new anti-immigrant policy objectives, including preventing undocumented immigrants from receiving federal tax benefits. But it could also be used to accomplish a more sweeping objective: Shifting the balance of power in Congress by excluding many classes of immigrants from apportionment, the process through which power in the House of Representatives is allocated.
New IRS Citizenship Question Could Make It Easier for Census Bureau to Shift Political Power
A proposed change to a key tax form could help the Trump administration achieve new anti-immigrant policy objectives, including preventing undocumented immigrants from receiving federal tax benefits. But it could also be used to accomplish a more sweeping objective: Shifting the balance of power in Congress by excluding many classes of immigrants from apportionment, the process through which power in the House of Representatives is allocated.
The Midterms Look Bad for Republicans. How Are GOP Candidates Coping?
Breaking Down the Different Flavors of GOP Midterms Cope It's never a good sign when the Senate Majority Leader suggests the election prospects for his own party look grim. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) admitted in a recent interview that he believes even losing Senate control in the midterms to be a real possibility for the GOP, saying, "I worry about that, for sure." Donald Trump is largely responsible for this situation.
The HHS Appears to Be Prepping for Big Changes to Childhood Vaccine Recommendations Original
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has escorted his dangerous vaccine skepticism into the homes of every American through his role as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Now, public health experts and attorneys are worried that Kennedy might do away with effective federal vaccine recommendations altogether.
Missouri Dismisses Hail-Mary Lawsuit to Gain More Political Power, Confident Trump Admin Will Do What it Wants Original
The state of Missouri early this year sued the Department of Commerce to force something that would have once been considered radical: That the federal government exclude certain immigrants from the population count when apportioning political power and distributing federal funds. Less than a year after the lawsuit was filed, however, the Census Bureau has proposed to do just that. On Tuesday, a judge granted Missouri’s request to dismiss the case.
Exclusive: Census Bureau Directs Staff to Keep Quiet During Comment Period for Controversial New Rule Original
A volunteer from Brooklyn Voters Alliance (R) assists a person as he fills out an online census form September 27, 2020 in New York City. Results from the 2020 Census will be used to determine the number of seats eac... A volunteer from Brooklyn Voters Alliance (R) assists a person as he fills out an online census form September 27, 2020 in New York City.
Exclusive: Commerce Overruled Treasury Concerns in Push to Narrow Census Count
Before the Trump administration issued its rule aiming to reshape the Census around accruing political power for the right, it had a problem: internal dissent. Per records obtained by TPM, the Treasury Department pushed back on a portion of the rule that contains some of the proposal’s furthest-reaching ambitions.
Exclusive: Commerce Overruled Treasury Concerns in Push to Narrow Census Count
Before the Trump administration issued its rule aiming to reshape the Census around accruing political power for the right, it had a problem: internal dissent. Per records obtained by TPM, the Treasury Department pushed back on a portion of the rule that contains some of the proposal's furthest-reaching ambitions.
Trump’s Threats to Stop Trade Couldn’t Keep the Fed from Hiking Interest Rates Original
Kevin Warsh, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, speaks during a press conference following a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on June 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images) The Federal Reserve opted to raise interest rates by one-quarter of a percent, or 25 basis points, in a unanimous vote on Wednesday. It’s the first rate hike since 2023, when the Fed was responding to pandemic and supply chain disruption.
Foreign Companies Have Netted Millions in Tariff Refunds. Taxpayers Foot Part of the Bill Original
International companies are getting tariff refunds — with added, taxpayer-funded interest. People in America who have paid higher prices as a result of President Donald Trump’s relentless tariff maneuvering are stuck footing the bill.
Foreign Companies Have Netted Millions in Tariff Refunds. Taxpayers Foot Part of the Bill
International companies are getting tariff refunds — with added, taxpayer-funded interest. People in America who have paid higher prices as a result of President Donald Trump’s relentless tariff maneuvering are stuck footing the bill.
Census quietly changes charter for key policy committee, opening door for political interference
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Ex-Staffers Question Census Bureau Independence After Political Changes to Key Oversight Committee Original
A U.S. Department of Commerce sign is displayed at the Herbert C. Hoover Federal Building on June 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) As the Census Bureau wades deeper into politics, governance changes at an agency committee that handles data privacy, scientific analysis and stewardship issues have opened the door for Trump administration interference, current and former agency staffers told TPM.
Trump Admin Officially Moves to Reshape National Political Power With New Changes to 2030 Census
Follow Trump Admin Officially Moves to Reshape National Political Power With New Changes to 2030 Census Josh Kovensky and Layla A. Jones Wed, September 9, 2026 at 11:35 AM EDT Key takeawaysPowered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key points from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
How a Baseless, Right-Wing Social Media Panic Led to Dramatic Changes at the Census Bureau
ICE 23 hours ago Reports of ICE surge in Indianapolis prompt congressional inquiry indianapublicradio.org - Zak Cassel, WFYI • 23h Reports of stepped up immigration enforcement activity in Indianapolis have drawn sharply divided reactions this week — an immigrant aid group … U.S. Politics 23 hours ago A grant put to good use news-banner.com - Doug Brown • 23h An open letter to State Representative Matt Lehman, State Senator Travis Holdman, US Representative Marlin Stutzman, US Senator Todd...
How a Baseless, Right-Wing Social Media Panic Led to Dramatic Changes at the Census Bureau Original
When longtime Indiana politician Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) lobbed a powerful allegation against the Census Bureau last October, what had been a low-profile, fringe GOP conspiracy theory burst to the fore. Banks said he believed the Census Bureau had injected errors in the decennial population count and survey which were so severe, they netted Democrats more representation in Congress at the expense of Republican seats.
The Many Extremists in Mike Collins’ Orbit Have Come to Define His Campaign Original
U.S. Senate Republican candidate, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) cheers after his nomination acceptance speech during a runoff election-night party on June 16, 2026 in Jackson, Georgia. (Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) The most prominent throughline that has emerged in the 2026 Georgia Senate race is that one candidate, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), seems to be virtually surrounded by fringe figures.
‘Abandoned by the President:’ Trump’s Economic Policies Keep Hurting His Rural Base
4 hours ago On Friday, President Trump announced a plan to temporarily lower tariff rates on some imported ground beef in hopes of reducing the price of the American dietary standby. Trump said in a post on social media that the U.S. would "allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be …
‘Abandoned by the President:’ Trump’s Economic Policies Keep Hurting His Rural Base Original
Does the path to midterm victory run through fertilizer? Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (L), former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (R) and President Donald Trump watch Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins talk to journalists at Joint Base Andrews in M...
‘Abandoned by the President:’ Trump’s Economic Policies Keep Hurting His Rural Base
On Monday afternoon, Craig Moss was testing out a new silage chopper. The machine can dice up an entire green corn plant into half-inch chunks before the milky pieces are packed tight into what Moss calls “big concrete bunkers” where they’ll ferment and become cow feed. “It’s got a really distinct smell to it,” Moss told TPM in a phone interview.
Biggest US Retailers Use $5 Billion in Trump Tariff Refunds to Appease Investors Original
This week saw some of the country’s largest retailers report their quarterly earnings and the impact of some several billion dollars in tariff refunds on their bottom lines. After the Supreme Court struck down tariffs President Donald Trump levied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, Trump’s administration was ordered to repay, with interest, tariff revenue collected under that statute.
Trump Is Using a New, Highly Unusual Census Bureau Report to Claim He Won the 2020 Election Original
President Donald Trump lost the popular vote in the 2020 election by 4.4%. That hasn’t stopped him, though, from latching on to a highly unusual Census Bureau report published Tuesday afternoon that allegedly found less than two-hundredths of a percent of voters in that presidential election were noncitizens. According to the report, 24,000 out of 128 million voters in the 2020 presidential election were ineligible “non-citizen” voters.
Trump Is Using a New, Highly Unusual Census Bureau Report to Claim He Won the 2020 Election
08.19.26 | 1:55 pm U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions after signing an executive order to limit mail-in voting as U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick looks on in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2026 in ... U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions after signing an executive order to limit mail-in voting as U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick looks on in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Let's take a look-see at what 'far left' vs. 'far right' candidates actually want
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Let’s Take a Look-See at What ‘Far Left’ vs. ‘Far Right’ Candidates Actually Want
Whose Narrative Is It Anyway? Political labels are increasingly meaningless. As Josh Marshall has been writing, fewer people these days are inclined to identify as "centrist" or "moderate." So-called independent voters often espouse wildly incoherent views (see: those insane-making New York Times voter surveys). Donald Trump even accused Joe Biden of being a socialist.
Today’s Census Attacks Mirror a Century Old Republican-Led Constitutional Crisis Original
It’s 1920, Republicans feel their government trifecta melting away. They’ve decided forcing a constitutional crisis is the only way to maintain that stronghold. Rural states have identified foreign immigration into urban, Democratic population centers as a top concern.
READ: A New Draft Rule for the Census Seeks Sweeping Changes to How Political Power Is Allocated Original
TPM is publishing the Trump administration’s plan for changes to political apportionment and Census data collection. U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd-L), Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (3rd-L), and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought (R), laugh during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on June 22,...
Kevin Hassett Thinks Ignoring the Dismal Jobs Numbers Makes Them Disappear Original
On top of the fact that the U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, a deep dive into the jobs report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday morning revealed some jobs statistics reached their worst levels in 10 years. But if you ask Kevin Hassett, White House chief economist and director of the National Economic Council, everything is awesome.
Census Bureau Officials Field Questions About Politicization and Data Loss After Controversial Rule Change Original
Census Bureau officials last Sunday conceded that a new rule banning certain privacy protection methods will make it impossible for the agency to publish certain data that it has historically released, a development that could especially harm minority groups. Representatives of the bureau, however, denied that the policy change had political objectives, though experts and advocacy groups believe it does.
One Year Later, Some of Trump’s Trade Deals Are Real. Others, Not So Much.
Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi listens as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on March 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) During a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, President Donald Trump touted growing “investment” into the U.S. since he took office.
People Are Starting to Worry About Whether Kevin Warsh is a Credible Fed Chair
4 hours ago UEFA, Europe's main soccer body, said on Thursday its members would boycott the men's and women's World Cup unless FIFA abandons a controversial plan to sell stakes in in the tournament to private investors. FIFA has a new plan to raise billions of dollars: Selling stakes in the World Cup A boycott …
People Are Starting to Worry if Kevin Warsh is a Credible Fed Chair Original
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh speaks during a news conference at Federal Reserve Headquarters on July 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Trump’s new Federal Reserve Board Chair Kevin Warsh took two missteps in two opposite directions during and after yesterday’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) rate decision.
Senators Urge SEC to Investigate Truth Social Plan to Sell Access to Wall Street Original
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) arrive for a vote series at the U.S. Capitol on September 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) Two influential Senate Democrats are pushing back on the nearly unfathomable idea that a company owned by the sitting U.S. president can sell Wall Street early access to that president’s thoughts and actions. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, and Sen.
Trump’s New ‘Forced Labor’ Tariffs Were Set Under Sham Pretenses Original
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and President Donald Trump speak to members of the media aboard Air Force One on October 30, 2025 in flight. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) President Donald Trump has made clear from very early in his second term that he intends to reorder global trade by instilling permanent tariffs. More than a year later, his government has proven relentless in its attempt.
5 Points on Trump’s Loyal Labor Secretary Nominee Original
Keith Sonderling has been acting Secretary of Labor since ex-secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned amid a flurry of misconduct allegations ranging from drinking on the job to having an affair with a staff member. Sonderling, though, was reportedly at the helm long before then. On Thursday morning, members of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee will vote in an executive session on whether to advance Sonderling’s nomination to lead the embattled agency to the full Senate.
States Are Feeling the Economic Toll of Trump’s War on the Federal Government Original
A new report shows how President Donald Trump’s administration is harming state economies nationwide as several states that rely on federal government jobs and spending landed on a list of the top 10 worst economies in the nation. And the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to the federal workforce are continuing to acutely impact the Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia region.
Truth Social’s New Plan to Make Money May Be ‘Egregious,’ But Will Face Little Oversight
7 hours ago Mortal threats to the republic are apparently a sideshow that distracts from cutting taxes, confirming judges, and deregulation. When Jay Clayton, Donald Trump’s nominee for the next director of national intelligence, appeared before the Senate on Wednesday, Jon Ossoff of Georgia had a simple …
Truth Social's new plan to make money may be ‘egregious,' but will face little oversight
Layla A. Jones By now, you may have heard that the company behind Truth Social, Trump Media and Technology Group, plans to sell extra-fast access to the most influential posts on the platform to high-paying clients. Trump is the most-followed person on Truth Social, and so the product, called Truth API, appears aimed at monetizing early access to Trump's market-moving “truths,” selling it to Wall Street banks and trading firms. Outrage at the mind-boggling scheme was instantaneous. Sen.
Georgia GOP Silent Amid Revelations About Senate Nominee’s White Nationalist Son-in-Law
U.S. Politics 2 hours ago Reflecting Pool peeling probably caused by application flaws, experts say The Washington Post - Jarrett Ley, Meg Kelly, Klara Auerbach, Maura Judkis • 2h President Donald Trump has blamed vandals, but a Washington Post analysis finds that the peeling tracks closely with stages of the renovation process. The lining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool peeled away in at least seven places along seams that were created when the material was applied …
Georgia GOP Silent Amid Revelations About Senate Nominee’s White Nationalist Son-in-Law Original
Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) speaks to supporters of President Donald Trump at an event hosted by Vice President JD Vance on August 21, 2025 in Peachtree City, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images) GOP Senate hopeful Rep. Mike Collins’ flirtations with antisemitism now extend beyond his social media posts, past several of his former staffers and strategists, and reach directly into his immediate family according to a new report from CNN K-File published Thursday morning.
Trump Administration May Add Immigration Status Question on Census to Influence Apportionment, Experts Warn Original
President Donald Trump may have learned from his last go at manipulating the decennial census to include a citizenship question: His administration looks poised to try something different in order to target undocumented immigrants during the 2030 count, experts said in a briefing call this week.
Right-Wing Groups Just Got a Big Win on the Census
4 hours ago Image source: Getty Images If you drop a $100 bill on the sidewalk, it's gone for good. That's the whole case for why a credit card is usually safer than cash. Fraud on a credit card can get disputed and reversed. Lost or stolen cash almost never comes back. The one place cash wins is privacy. It …
Right-Wing Groups Just Got a Big Win on the Census Original
A new Trump administration prohibition on privacy protections at the Census Bureau appears to be teeing up a fight that touches on everything from government data to political representation, immigration to redistricting — and even opens the door to a world in which federal data used for everything from disaster planning to school enrollment may all but disappear.
SCOTUS’ narrow protection of the Fed means Cook, and Fed independence, still at risk
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SCOTUS’ Narrow Protection of the Fed Means Cook, and Fed Independence, Still at Risk Original
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and attorney Abbe Lowell leave the U.S. Supreme Court on January 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Even though the Supreme Court ruled Monday, in Cook v. Trump, that the president couldn’t remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook before her employment case was resolved, the outcome may be deceiving.
Census Bureau Quietly Scraps Plan for Improved Data Collection on Race and Ethnicity
World News 6 hours ago Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its ‘Suez moment’—and history says what comes next could end an empire Fortune - Nick Lichtenberg • 6h “Watch out for allies and creditors losing confidence, the loss of its reserve currency status, the selling of its debt assets, and the weakening of … Politics 2 hours ago Here Come Trump’s ‘Freedom Trucks’ The Atlantic - By Kelsey Ables • 2h A fleet of mobile museums is touring the country with a version of American history the...
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