This Week on WURD: Americans are frustrated with the economy, the “ICE tax” that’s hurting local businesses and Hassan Bennett faces felony charges

Angela Hanks, chief of policy programs at The Century Foundation, joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss President Trump’s unmet economic promises ahead of the midterm election. A recent Associated Press poll found that about eight in 10 Americans say the economy or cost of living is among their top issues heading into the election. Hanks pointed to the stagnant job market and wages, along with rising tariffs from the war with Iran, making everyday life more expensive for Americans. She says that survey data shows that Americans’ overall attitude about the economy is negative and a driving force behind how they vote in this election.

Zeke Hernandez, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss the economic impact of ICE showing up throughout communities. Hernandez conducted a national-level study and found that during the first year of the Trump administration, when ICE showed up in cities, businesses saw a 3 percent decline in employees showing up to work and a 7 percent decrease in spending because of fear of ICE. Philadelphia lost $811 million in spending. Hernandez says the downward spiral could be hard for cities to recover from after losing millions of dollars in sales, and it’s unclear when and how local economies will recover due to ongoing ICE raids.

Chantel Peterson, a journalist and culture storyteller, joined Tiffany Bacon on The Midday Break Room to discuss artists’ impact on politics. Recently, rapper Nicki Minaj has caused quite a stir for her involvement with and endorsement of President Trump. But Peterson points to a long trend of celebrities and public figures influencing the political and cultural zeitgeist. She discussed movements like the REFORM Alliance, an organization founded by rappers Jay-Z and Meek Mill in 2019 to transform probation and parole laws in the country, and the work of Emory Douglas, a graphic artist and member of the Black Panther Party who illustrated the movement’s social services like the free lunch program and designed anti-cop posters.

Dawn Robinson, a Whitesboro, NJ, resident, joined Dr. James Peterson on Evening WURDs to discuss her fight to keep her land in the historic Black community amid a township redevelopment plan. Robinson and 51 of her neighbors fought and won an eminent domain case in 2019 to keep their properties. Now, she is again trying to keep her 2.43 acres of land in Cape May County, which she purchased over 20 years ago from the same township now trying to seize it and give it to a private developer to build public housing.

Keir Bradford-Grey, attorney and head of the Civil Rights Litigation Department at Marrone Law Firm, joined Dr. James Peterson on Evening WURDs to discuss the felony charges brought against Hassan Bennett, the chair of the Philadelphia Citizens Police Oversight Commission and criminal justice advocate. His charges include providing privileged information in an attempted murder case, bribery and witness intimidation. Bradford-Grey and Peterson also discussed the Justice Department opening a criminal inquiry into Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office to investigate potential obstruction of justice. “When you show that you are willing to use the department for personal beef and vendettas, then you start to erode public trust,” Bradford-Grey said.