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NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records Tuesday after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street, even if they could roil the global economy were they to take effect. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% to top the all-time high it set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 123 points, or 0.3%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6% as Microsoft and Big Tech led the way. Stock markets abroad mostly fell after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China once he takes office. But the movements were mostly modest. Stock indexes were down 0.1% in Shanghai and nearly flat in Hong Kong, while Canada’s main index edged down by less than 0.1%. Trump has often praised the use of tariffs , but investors are weighing whether his latest threat will actually become policy or is just an opening point for negotiations. For now, the market seems to be taking it more as the latter. The consequences otherwise for markets and the global economy could be painful. Unless the United States can prepare alternatives for the autos, energy products and other goods that come from Mexico, Canada and China, such tariffs would raise the price of imported items all at once and make households poorer, according to Carl Weinberg and Rubeela Farooqi, economists at High Frequency Economics. They would also hurt profit margins for U.S. companies, while raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs by other countries. And unlike tariffs in Trump’s first term, his latest proposal would affect products across the board. General Motors sank 9%, and Ford Motor fell 2.6% because both import automobiles from Mexico. Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States, dropped 3.3%. The value of the Mexican peso fell 1.8% against the U.S. dollar. Beyond the pain such tariffs would cause U.S. households and businesses, they could also push the Federal Reserve to slow or even halt its cuts to interest rates. The Fed had just begun easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high a couple months ago to offer support for the job market . While lower interest rates can boost the economy, they can also offer more fuel for inflation. “Many” officials at the Fed’s last meeting earlier this month said they should lower rates gradually, according to minutes of the meeting released Tuesday afternoon. The talk about tariffs overshadowed another mixed set of profit reports from U.S. retailers that answered few questions about how much more shoppers can keep spending. They’ll need to stay resilient after helping the economy avoid a recession, despite the high interest rates imposed by the Fed to get inflation under control. A report on Tuesday from the Conference Board said confidence among U.S. consumers improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected. Kohl’s tumbled 17% after its results for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Tom Kingsbury said sales remain soft for apparel and footwear. A day earlier, Kingsbury said he plans to step down as CEO in January. Ashley Buchanan, CEO of Michaels and a retail veteran, will replace him. Best Buy fell 4.9% after likewise falling short of analysts’ expectations. Dick’s Sporting Goods topped forecasts for the latest quarter thanks to a strong back-to-school season, but its stock lost an early gain to fall 1.4%. Still, more stocks rose in the S&P 500 than fell. J.M. Smucker had one of the biggest gains and climbed 5.7% after topping analysts’ expectations for the latest quarter. CEO Mark Smucker credited strength for its Uncrustables, Meow Mix, Café Bustelo and Jif brands. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up U.S. indexes. Gains of 3.2% for Amazon and 2.2% for Microsoft were the two strongest forces lifting the S&P 500. All told, the S&P 500 rose 34.26 points to 6,021.63. The Dow gained 123.74 to 44,860.31, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 119.46 to 19,174.30. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady following their big drop from a day before driven by relief following Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary. The yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 4.29% from 4.28% late Monday, but it’s still well below the 4.41% level where it ended last week. In the crypto market, bitcoin continued to pull back after topping $99,000 for the first time late last week. It’s since dipped back toward $91,000, according to CoinDesk. It’s a sharp turnaround from the bonanza that initially took over the crypto market following Trump’s election. That boom had also appeared to have spilled into some corners of the stock market. Strategists at Barclays Capital pointed to stocks of unprofitable companies, along with other areas that can be caught up in bursts of optimism by smaller-pocketed “retail” investors. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
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Stock market today: Wall Street hits records despite tariff talkThe Issue: Mayor Adams stating he wants to deport illegal migrants who have been accused of crimes. Well, I suppose it’s good to hear that Mayor Adams will be cooperating with President-elect Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan ( “ ‘Cancel Me, I Don’t Care,’ ” Dec. 4). The Post shows how the mayor has had to maneuver various aspects of the migrant crisis. Still, I remember that President Biden did not meet with Adams when he visited Washington to plead for help. In spite of being ignored, however, Adams went on to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. That was pure lock-step politics and very disappointing. I guess Adams has seen the writing on the wall and will assist with the removal of illegal immigrants. It’s only sad that he didn’t call out Washington politicians earlier. Sallyanne Ferrero Naples, Fla. Eric Adams is once again speaking with significant bluster, as he usually does when in a difficult situation. New Yorkers should listen to him but remain skeptical until his talk is matched with measurable results. The real achievements he generates often fall short of his verbal bravado. Hopefully, I am wrong this time, for the sake of New York. J. Mancuso Naples, Fla. It sounds like Eric Adams is doing a 180-turn, perhaps hoping for a future pardon from Trump. New York is a mess because Adams did nothing to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and then opted to house many of them in high-end hotels. This crisis has disrupted our health-care system and our public schools. The city is now accommodating tens of thousands of migrants, many of them unvetted. Adams must immediately cancel NYC’s sanctuary city status. J.R. Cummings Manhattan This is a classic example of too little, too late. Adams originally welcomed migrants with open arms, probably because he thought someone else was paying for it. His virtue-signaling stopped him from seeing the mess he was creating. The result? Crime, costs and more division. Now Adams wants deportations, typically changing his stance when he thinks it will make him look better. The mayor should feel ashamed for the damage he has caused. Chris Plate Waterloo President Dwight Eisenhower deported illegal immigrants by sending them to the center of Mexico, not just near our border. We should make it difficult and expensive to return here. John Phillip Jaeger Irvine, Calif. Two years ago, busloads of migrants were coming into New York, and Adams was greeting them with open arms. Now he is stating he wants to work with Tom Homan , who is slated to become Trump’s border czar, in deporting illegal-migrant criminals. Well, if that’s the case, then he needs to move forward. Talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words. Gene O’Brien Whitestone I want to thank Mayor Adams for saying he will work with Trump to deport migrant criminals. Adams has the courage to do the right thing and to keep us safe, unlike some other politicians. I will always vote for him. Reena Fettner Little Neck Mayor Adams fools no one. He allowed this city to be overrun by illegal immigrants, and our taxpayer money has been funding it. Companies and New Yorkers alike are fleeing like never before. Where has the mayor been for nearly three years through all this? Largely against deportation, calling NYC a sanctuary city. Now, for political expediency, he says he’ll work with Trump on deportations. Good luck with that, Adams, because you are politically finished. Dori Harasek Staten Island If it wasn’t for Trump’s victory, Mayor Adams wouldn’t be speaking strongly about the deportation of criminal migrants. This particular election was a blessing for New York City Democrats. I wonder if they will realize that. Ron Zajicek Cortland Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@nypost.com. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Football League, the Justice Department, the FBI and other agencies will call on Congress on Tuesday to expand U.S. government authority to detect and destroy drones that could pose security threats over stadiums and other locations. Congress has debated for years expanding authority amid growing safety concerns. "The time to act to keep fans safe is now," NFL security chief Cathy Lanier will tell a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Tuesday, according to written testimony that says rogue drone flights into the restricted air space above stadiums during NFL games rose from 2,537 in 2022 to 2,845 in 2023. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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By . . Golf has been hailed as a game that embodies truthfulness, unity, and a window into a player’s character. This perspective was shared by one of Nigeria’s top female golfers, Dr. Olubunmi Usim-Wilson, during a conversation ahead of the Bon Sports Classic amateur golf tournament, set to tee off on December 6, 2024, at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja. Dr. Usim-Wilson emphasized that golf is a sport that reveals the true nature of its players. “When you play golf, people can see your mannerisms. It exposes your character—whether you’re honest or a cheat. If you play six strokes but claim three, it reflects poorly on your integrity. Golf is a game of truthfulness,” she stated passionately. Beyond character building, she described golf as a unifying force. “Golf is also a game of unity. Here at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, it’s like a mini Nigeria, bringing together people from different backgrounds and fostering camaraderie.” Dr. Usim-Wilson highlighted the health benefits of the game, particularly as one ages. “Golf is a fantastic form of exercise. Walking the length and breadth of the course, coupled with the swinging motions, works wonders for your body, soul, and spirit. After a good game, you take a shower and feel completely rejuvenated.” The Bon Sports Classic, organized by Mrs. Bose Ngozi Onwuegbu, has a deeper purpose beyond the sport—it aims to support the less privileged. Dr. Usim-Wilson praised the initiative and called for greater support. “Mrs. Onwuegbu is doing something remarkable without being a first lady or a minister. She deserves our encouragement. We have many influential Nigerians who could make a difference in the lives of the less privileged instead of just building mansions. This tournament will contribute to eradicating poverty in our society,” she declared. Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You. NEWS UPDATE: Nigerians have been finally approved to earn Dollars from home, acquire premium domains for as low as $1500, profit as much as $22,000 (₦37million+). Click here to start.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Stadium Authority approved lease, non-relocation and development documents Thursday to clear the last major hurdles for the Athletics to construct a $1.75 billion stadium on the Strip and bring Major League Baseball to the expanding sports market. The lease and non-relocation agreements each cover 30 years. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekSaints say Taysom Hill 'likely' has a season-ending knee injury
Ange Postecoglou has insisted he's 'determined get it right' at Tottenham after confronting the angry travelling supporters in Bournemouth. Spurs suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Cherries on Thursday night, with teenager Dean Huijsen bagging what went on to be the winner early in the first half. The away end let their feelings known at the final whistle, with a number booing their side off the pitch. Postecoglou, who came over to show his gratitude to the supporters, was also booed. He was seen approaching the away end, with the Australian expressing himself with his hands as he reacted to the criticism. Two stewards stood in the way of him and the crowd, with one extending their arm out. Footage shows Djed Spence putting his arm on Postecoglou's back as he turned away and towards the tunnel. Asked about the reception from the fans and the booing, he told talkSPORT: "Yeah, well rightly so. "They're disappointed and I got some pretty direct feedback, which is always healthy mate." In his post-match press conference, he continued: "I didn’t like what was being said because I’m a human being but you’ve for to cop it. "I’ve been around long enough to know when things don’t go well you’ve got to understand the frustration and disappointment. And they’re rightly disappointed because we let a game of football get away from us. But that’s OK. I’m OK with all that. "All I can say is I’m really disappointed and I’m determined to get it right and will keep fighting until we do." Bournemouth had the better chances on the night, with Spurs, in truth, lucky to escape with conceding just one goal. The Cherries managed 21 shots. Addressing the number of chances his side gave up in the clash, Postecoglou said: "Yeah well that's because we were chasing the game. "When you go a goal down, in the second half you're on the up and up and chase the game. "That's going to give them space and that's what they want and what they're good at, so." Bournemouth have jumped above Tottenham in the table after claiming all three points. The Cherries sit in ninth, one point above tenth place Spurs. And the north London side's 4-0 thumping of reigning Premier League champions Manchester City last month now feels like a distant memory. talkSPORT's resident Spurs fan, Jamie O'Hara, said on the Sports Bar: “It's hard work you know, watching Spurs. One minute you're up, then you're down, then you're up, then you're down. "And you know what? It's just, it's painful. We are painful to watch. Painful. Because you know there's a big performance in there because we've seen it. "Aston Villa. Man City. You go away from home, you get beat by Bournemouth. "I know everyone loves Ange, you know, in terms of like the attacking football. I can't, I'm getting bored of watching this."
What will Elon Musk’s “DOGE” mean for America’s social safety net? That was the question on the minds of many as Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to present their vision for the “Department of Government Efficiency” to Congress. Billed as a bipartisan meeting to which all senators and representatives were invited, it was in reality mostly attended by Republicans. But the short answer to what DOGE means after Thursday: Nobody knows. Musk and Ramaswamy of the House GOP as well as Marjorie Taylor Greene, chair of the to-be-formed “DOGE” subcommittee in Congress, ahead of the presentation Thursday afternoon. The two were tight-lipped as they passed reporters, with Musk answering just one question — turning and giving an emphatic “yes!” to a shouted question from the pool regarding whether he wanted to see more Democrats join the effort. That was a general theme of the day. Republicans who talked to a large scrum of reporters gathered outside of the closed-door meetings gave little in the way of details as to how the federal budget would be reduced, instead pivoting towards expressing their excitement at the arrival of Musk, the newest member of Donald Trump’s inner circle. The most frequently cited example of “waste” was a survey out this week reporting that the vast majority of federal workers are now in hybrid or primarily work-from-home roles. Speaker Mike Johnson at a scheduled presser ahead of the presentation by Musk and Ramaswamy, but even he said that there would be little in terms of real substance released to the press today. “They're innovators and they're forward thinkers, and so that's what we need right now,” Johnson said of Musk and Ramaswamy. “We need to make government more efficient. And that is what this whole objective is. It's what the DOGE effort will be about. You're going to see a bicameral cooperation, and it will be, by the way, bipartisan.” He pointed to he said had already come forward to join the effort. But he dodged a question regarding whether it was truly feasible to make such deep cuts to the federal budget without touching Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, the bulk of America’s medical and financial safety net for low-income and older citizens. Other Republican committee chairs who filed in and out of both meetings similarly dodged such questions, though a few were willing to address the question of the safety net and entitlement reform directly. “If we don't reform them, then potential retirees will not have them,” said Rep. Kevin Hern, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee’s sub-panel on Health. Alabama senator Katie Britt gave a quick rundown of her own frustrations with the federal government, which included failures to pay down the national debt and delays on the passage of major pieces of legislation including the Farm Bill. “I’m excited for him to be here,” Britt told reporters of Musk as she entered. Greene told reporters that she and Musk had spoken about how Congress could work to address national debt, which she called “unsustainable.” “To quote Elon, he said something extremely important. Every single payment that the federal government pays out, we need to be checking those payments to see if they're legitimate and that’s something that hasn't been done,” she said on Thursday after her meeting with the Tesla/Twitter CEO. “I am looking forward to exposing every single unelected bureaucrat, every single agency that is wasting the American people's money, and the big government departments that need to be exposed for how they're not serving the American people,” she added.
Gonzaga lands Virginia transfer G Jalen WarleyBefore November 5th, millions of us were already struggling with poverty, extreme storms, immigration nightmares, anti-trans bills, criminalized reproductive health, the demolition of homeless encampments, the silencing of freedom of speech on campuses... and, of course, the list only goes on and on. Since Donald Trump and J.D. Vance were elected, more of us find ourselves in a state of fear and trembling, given the reports of transgender people attacked in broad daylight, misogynist social media posts threatening “your body, my choice,” Black college students receiving notes about returning to enslavement , and the unhoused beaten and battered . In the wake of the election results, there has also been a flurry of activity in anticipation of the extremist policies Donald Trump and crew are likely to put in place to more deeply harm the nation’s most vulnerable: mass Zoom meetings with MoveOn, the Working Families Party, Indivisible, and more; interfaith prayer services for healing and justice organized by various denominations and ecumenical groups; local actions pulled together by the Women’s March ; community meetings with the hashtag #weareworthfightingfor ; and calls to mobilize for inauguration day and beyond. Although some were surprised by the election outcome, there were others who saw it coming and offered comfort and solidarity to their communities even before the results were in. On the eve of election night, a public elementary school in West Harlem, New York, sent this message to its families: That message came from a Title 1 school, nearly 60% of whose students qualify for free school meals. If Trump keeps up with his promise to close the Department of Education, tens of thousands of public schools across the country, like the one in West Harlem, could lose critical funding and programs that sustain tens of millions of students and their families — that is, if public education isn’t completely privatized in some grim fashion. Of course, not all communities approached Trump’s election with such trepidation. On November 6th, the Bloomberg Billionaire Index reported that the 10 richest men in the world added $64 billion to their own wealth after Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 election. Since then, the stock market has had some of its best days in recent history. After inciting an insurrection at the Capitol, being indicted in state and federal court, convicted of 34 felony counts, and using racist, sexist, and hateful rhetoric prolifically, Donald Trump has gone down in history as the only convicted felon to become an American president, receiving more than 74 million votes and securing 312 electoral college votes. Although an undisputed victory, the outcome relied heavily on a weakened democracy and a polarized economy, drawing on discontent and disarray to regain political power. Indeed, although Donald Trump has the distinct “honor” of being the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years, he has done so after more than a decade of assaults on voting rights, unleashed in 2013 when the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. Over the next 10 years, nearly 100 laws were passed in 29 states that restrict voting access, from omnibus bills to polling location closures, limits on mail-in and absentee voting, harsh ID requirements (including eliminating student ID cards as a valid form of identification), and more. Since 2020, at least 30 states have enacted 78 restrictive laws , 63 of which were in effect in dozens of states during this election. And in 2024 alone, nine states enacted 18 restrictive voting laws , alongside purges of thousands of voters in the days leading up to November 5th. In addition to such prolonged attacks on the right to vote, widespread poverty and economic precarity have become defining characteristics of our impoverished democracy: more than two of every five of us are poor or low-income, and three in five are living paycheck-to-paycheck without affordable healthcare, decent homes, or quality education. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 report Poverty in the United States: 2023 , 41% of this country’s population has a household income either under the poverty threshold or just above it, precariously living one emergency away from financial ruin. That translates into approximately 137 million people who are struggling every day to make it through without falling even further behind. Those tens of millions of people include a disproportionate percentage of people of color, including 56.5% of Black people (23.4 million), 61.4% of Latino people (40.2 million), 55.8% of Indigenous people (1.4 million), and 38% of Asian people (8.5 million). They also include nearly one-third of white people, 60 million, and nearly half (49%) of all children in the United States. Such rates are slightly higher for women (42.6%) than for men (39.8%), including 44.6% for elderly women. When tallied up, these numbers mirror pre-pandemic conditions in 2018 and 2019, during which poverty and low-income rates stood at about 40%, impacting 140 million people in every county, state, and region of the country. In other words, in this sick reality of ours, poverty is clearly anything but a marginal experience — and yet, as in the last election, it’s repeatedly minimalized and dismissed in our nation’s politics. In the process, the daily lives of nearly one-third of the electorate are discounted, because among that vast impoverished population, there are approximately 80 million eligible voters described by political strategists as among the most significant blocs of voters to win over. Case in point: In 2020 and 2021, there was a significant dip in the overall number of people who were poor or low-income. Covid pandemic programs that offered financial help also expanded access to health care, food stamps, free school meals, and unemployment insurance, while monthly support from the Child Tax Credit lifted over 20 million people out of poverty and insecurity while increasing protection from evictions and foreclosures. Such programs made millions of people more economically secure than they had been in years. Nonetheless, instead of extending and improving them and potentially gaining the trust of millions of poor and low-income voters, all of these anti-poverty policies were ended by early 2023 . By 2024, not only had the gains against poverty been swiftly erased, but more than 25 million people had been kicked off Medicaid, including millions in battleground states like Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In that same time period , the Biden administration approved an $895 billion budget for war and another $95 billion in additional aid to Ukraine and Israel. Rather than speaking to such economic crises or pledging to address such pervasive insecurity, over the course of the election season, the Democrats emphasized a rising GDP , a strong job market , and important infrastructure investments made in recent years — macro-economic issues that had little effect on the material well-being of the majority of Americans, especially those struggling with the rising cost of living. For instance, pre-election polling among Latino voters showed that three-quarters (78%) of them had experienced an increase in food and basic living expenses; two-thirds (68%) emphasized the high costs of rent and housing; and nearly three in five (57%) said that their wages weren’t high enough to meet their cost of living and/or they had to take second jobs to make ends meet. When you consider the grim final results of election 2024, such realities — and the decision of the Democrats to functionally disregard poor and low-income voters — should be taken into account. With just over 74 million votes (to Harris’s 71 million), among a voting-eligible population of more than 230 million, Trump actually received only one-third of the possible votes in this election. Nearly 85 million eligible voters simply chose not to turn out. In reality, he won’t enter office with a popular mandate. However, buoyed by a Republican-controlled Senate and House of Representatives, his second term brings with it a profound sense of dread, based on a heightened awareness of the policies that Trump 2.0 is likely to carry forward (laid bare in the Heritage Foundation’s nearly 900-page pre-election Project 2025 mandate ). From mass deportations to assaults on social-welfare programs, housing programs, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ families, and public education, millions of people could be thrown into crisis, with alarmingly fewer ways to resist or express dissent, especially given Trump’s long-time willingness to use military force to quell protest. With the passage of the “ non-profit killer bill ” in the House of Representatives (before Trump even takes office), the infrastructure of resistance is also under threat. Add to all this: Trump has already started talking about overhauling the Medicaid and food-stamp programs that benefit at least 70 million poor and low-income people to offset the costs of extending tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. All of this brings us to the Bible. Poverty was both severe and all too common in Jesus’s day. Ninety percent of the population in the Roman empire was believed to have been poor, with a class of expendable low-wage workers (to which some historians suggest Jesus belonged) so poor that many only lived remarkably brief lives in utter precarity. Shifts in farming and fishing had catapulted some people into great new wealth but left the vast majority struggling for basics like food and housing. Many of the impoverished subjects of the Roman Empire joined political and religious renewal movements, which took various forms and used various tactics to resist these and other injustices. Some readers may be familiar with the decadence and violence of the Roman Emperor Nero. Popularly known as the anti-Christ , he came to power after Jesus walked the earth, but as is clear from his nickname, had a grave impact on many of Jesus’s followers. Nero was, of course, the one who was accused of “fiddling while Rome is burning” — holding lavish banquets, using and abusing (even possibly raping) some of his poor subjects, persecuting Christians, and bringing about the decline and eventual fall of the Roman empire through his authoritarian rule and decadent overspending. As detailed in Luke’s Gospel, during the last week of his life, Jesus turned to the people of Jerusalem and wept. He described the profound suffering they had been enduring and instructed them to brace themselves for the suffering still to come, saying, “For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” This line foreshadows Jesus’s death on the cross (an execution reserved for those who dared to challenge the Roman Empire and its emperors), the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, and the persecution of his poor followers who continued to practice mutual solidarity, even after that crucifixion. Writing decades later, the author of Luke’s gospel may have been offering a warning about emperors like Nero that would foreshadow later times. Luke had the benefit of hindsight in the wake of Jesus’s life and death in which there was not exactly a lot of good news about the canceling of debts, the release of those enslaved to unjust structures, or the prosperity of the poor (of the sort Jesus had called for when he started his public ministry). Rather, those who dared to stand up to Rome were being persecuted, while so many others were being overworked and underpaid in a society that was faltering. Two thousand years later, this sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? Looking at Donald Trump’s new appointments and his (and his cronies’) plans for “making America great again,” you really have to wonder: if the poor and our democracy were suffering before Trump was reelected, what will happen now? If, amid relative abundance, the poor were already being abandoned, what will indeed occur when those with the power to distribute that abundance, and protect our air, water, and land, openly disdain the “least of these,” who are most of us, and instead favor the wealthy and powerful? Donald Trump may liken himself to Jesus in his media appearances and election rallies, but his words and actions actually resemble those of Nero and other Roman emperors. With claims that “I alone can fix your problems” and bread-and-circus rallies like the pre-election one he held at Madison Square Garden, perhaps a more accurate parallel with the incoming administration may, in fact, be Nero and his cronies who stood against Jesus and his mission to end poverty. If so, then for those committed to the biblical call for a safe and abundant life for all, such times demand that we focus on building the strength and power of the people. During the fall of the Roman Empire, poor and dispossessed communities banded together to build a movement where everyone would be accepted and all needs would be met. Don’t you hear echoes of that in the words and actions of that school in West Harlem, so deeply concerned about its families, and the community actions proclaiming that “we are worth fighting for”? Such communities of yesteryear knew a truth that is all the more important today: lives and livelihoods will be saved, if at all, from below, rather than on high. As we approach a new year and the inauguration of Donald Trump (on Martin Luther King Day, no less), let us take to heart a favorite slogan of the authors: “When we lift from the bottom, everybody rises.” This is the only way forward.