Key Takeaways
- Former President Trump's presidency linked to $3.4 billion in business earnings.
- Dallas significantly reduced homelessness via the federal Continuum of Care program.
- California's key wildfire protection law was delayed five years, impacting 16,000 homes.
- West Texas measles outbreak is over, with 762 cases and two unvaccinated child deaths.
- Pediatricians recommend COVID-19 vaccines for infants 6-23 months, differing from CDC.
- U.S. Open debuted a new two-day, compressed mixed doubles competition format.
Deep Dive
- New Yorker staff writer David Kirkpatrick calculated former President Trump's earnings from the presidency at least $3.4 billion.
- Cryptocurrency ventures generated an estimated $2.37 billion, with Mar-a-Lago membership fees increasing tenfold to $1 million, contributing $125 million.
- Legal fees and merchandise sales reached over $127 million, and five property deals with a Saudi company began in late 2022.
- Kirkpatrick noted no evidence of official actions sold for private payments, but emphasized voters must decide on Trump's use of the presidency for enrichment.
- Dallas moved over 270 people off the streets and ended downtown homelessness, largely due to the federal Continuum of Care program.
- The $3.6 billion Continuum of Care program, which prioritizes long-term housing, is absent from the White House's next fiscal year budget proposal.
- The proposal suggests repurposing funds for shorter-term solutions, potentially hindering permanent housing outcomes, despite experts advocating for a 'housing-first' strategy.
- Research indicates permanent housing is more sustainable and cost-effective than emergency or temporary solutions.
- California's 2020 "Zone Zero" law, requiring ember-resistant zones within five feet of two million homes in high-risk areas, has been delayed for five years.
- The delay is attributed to insurance lobbyists, fire officials advocating for stricter rules, and governor's office concerns about homeowner costs.
- Independent investigators cited by Bloomberg concluded that "Zone Zero" could have reduced damage to 16,000 homes and prevented 31 deaths in the January Los Angeles wildfires.
- The Board of Forestry's estimated statewide cost for homeowners is $58 million, contrasted with $45 billion in insured losses from the LA fires.