SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — With only five days until Thanksgiving, food drives are kicking off to help across the Bay Area to help families experiencing food insecurity enjoy a holiday meal. This is all at a time when so many people are struggling financially. Volunteers were cheering on every car, dropping off donations for the annual SF Turkey Drive. Pierre Smit founded the turkey drive in 2012. It’s a community call to action for frozen Turkeys and Thanksgiving food donations, which benefits the SF-Marin Food Bank and its partners. “This is extremely important. We want to make sure we feed everybody. We want to make sure we don’t have hungry people in San Francisco,” Smit said. “This is a very good thing. I want to see it do well and support St. Anthony’s and the food bank, for those who need it most,” said Donna Howe from San Francisco. MORE: Bay Area food banks in ‘crisis mode’ despite government shutdown ending San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and his family stopped by to help collect food donations. “This is all about bringing community together, looking out for each other during this holiday season. We have an affordability crisis in the city and the country. We have to take care of each other. That’s what today is about,” Lurie said. The food bank says it’s a critical time for families facing food insecurity. Demand is higher now than at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re seeing a 205% spike in people coming to our food locator — that’s people going online, trying to find food,” said Angela Wirch from SF-Marin Food Bank. In the South Bay, a free drive-thru turkey giveaway in Santa Clara is lending a hand to a lot of families in need. “I said, ‘You know, I’m having a hard time, so I’m going to come by and get a turkey for my family,'” said Manuel Rojas. State Senator Aisha Wahab hosted the annual giveaway. She says it gets bigger every year. “We know there’s people who live in poverty and in the shadows,” Wahab said. On Thursday in Santa Cruz, demand overwhelmed supply at a drive-thru Thanksgiving food giveaway. Organizers ran out of food within hours after thousands of people showed up. “One of the things we’ve heard, they’ve either been laid off, struggling. They didn’t want to come and receive a turkey but can’t deny they’re in need this year,” Wahab said.
https://abc7news.com/post/thanksgiving-food-drives-help-struggling-bay-area-families-facing-insecurity/18193128/
Tag Archives: affordability
‘So stunning’: Biden economics adviser bewildered by Trump’s latest self-destructive reply
Donald Trump’s response to the affordability crisis is “stunning” for its failure to account for political risks, according to an economics expert. Gene Sperling, a senior Biden adviser who also led the National Economic Council in the Obama and Clinton administrations, appeared on MS NOW on Thursday where he was asked about Trump’s recent comments in which the president mocked the very concept of “affordability. You know, his response to this is just so stunning, just from kind of a political self-interest point,” he said before explaining that Biden himself faced criticism for trying to brag about economic successes when people weren’t feeling them at home. “And it’s striking how many Americans understand what tariffs are and that they are raising your prices,” he said. “So what’s kind of stunning is he didn’t learn any lesson. And now, at a time when he has an economy that is very iffy, very iffy. Job numbers, not particularly strong. He’s not just deemphasizing affordability. He’s mocking it.”.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-affordability-2674315620/
Texas Quad Agency Child Care Initiative holds inaugural meeting to enhance access, quality
AUSTIN Today the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) hosted the first meeting of the Texas Quad Agency Child Care Initiative (Quad Agency) Commission. The Quad Agency was established by the 89th Texas Legislature to enhance child care access, affordability, and quality by improving coordination among state agencies. “This initiative marks a significant step forward in our collective commitment to supporting Texas families,” said TWC Chairman Joe Esparza. “By bringing together these key agencies, we can work collaboratively to ensure child care providers have the support they need and Texas families have access to quality care.” Participating agencies include TWC, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The commission will focus on coordinating interagency initiatives to streamline regulations and help more Texas families gain access to quality, affordable child care. “This collaboration will help remove barriers to help more Texas families access high quality child care and we look forward to working with our partner state agencies on this initiative,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. Detailed information about the Quad Agency Child Care Initiative, including its mission, goals, and opportunities for public engagement, can be found on the Texas Workforce Commission website at twc. texas. gov/programs/child-care/quad-agency-child-care-initiative. “This initiative is critical to ensuring that Texas day care operations can focus on keeping children healthy and safe, rather than dealing with conflicting regulations or unnecessary red tape,” said HHSC Chief Policy and Regulatory Officer Jordan Dixon. “I look forward to working with my colleagues across these four agencies to improve the regulatory environment for day care providers and increase access to affordable, high-quality child care for Texas families.” Quad Agency meetings are open to the public. For information about how to access meetings, visit TWC’s website. Members of the public may submit input on existing or proposed regulations, rules, policies, or actions impacting the cost, quality, or accessibility of child care. Suggestions may be submitted to QuadAgency. feedback@twc. texas. gov and should include specific details, an explanation of the impact, and proposed solutions. “DFPS is proud to work alongside our partner agencies in a unified effort to make safe, nurturing childcare available to Texas families,” said DFPS Interim Deputy Commissioner of Programs Marta Talbert. “By sharing information, expertise, and resources, this initiative reflects our shared commitment to protecting children and promoting environments where they can learn, grow and thrive.” Stay informed about upcoming meetings and reviews by subscribing to receive updates. Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers, and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and its services in coordination with its local workforce development boards network, call 800-628-5115 or visit.
https://thehendersonnews.com/2025/11/19/texas-quad-agency-child-care-initiative-holds-inaugural-meeting-to-enhance-access-quality/
Mapping a Democratic sweep across Virginia, New Jersey and New York – News India Times
Voters shifted sharply to the left across Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City in elections held Tuesday, November 4, 2025, sweeping Democrats into office. These candidates focused on affordability and capitalized on growing frustration with President Donald Trump.
More than 2 million New York City voters—the highest turnout since 1969—turned out to elect a democratic socialist as mayor, rejecting a former governor who was once a standard-bearer for the Democratic Party.
Four years ago, Republicans enjoyed a wave of support that gave them the governorship in Virginia and made the New Jersey race much closer than Democrats had expected. Meanwhile, a moderate Democrat replaced a more liberal one in New York City Hall. This time, however, the political energy in all three places shifted distinctly toward Democrats and the left wing of the party.
### Virginia: A Leftward Shift Across the State
In every county and independent city in Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger outperformed Terry McAuliffe—the Democrat who lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin in the 2021 gubernatorial race. According to a Washington Post analysis, Spanberger exceeded McAuliffe’s vote share by a median of 13 percentage points across these areas.
She also outperformed Kamala Harris, last year’s Democratic presidential nominee, in more than 95 percent of Virginia’s counties and independent cities, topping her vote share by a median of three percentage points.
Spanberger flipped six counties or independent cities that Trump had won in 2024, including three that had shifted from President Joe Biden to Trump—Prince Edward, Surry, and Lynchburg.
Her gains were comprehensive, spanning rural, suburban, and urban areas. Spanberger won both Democratic strongholds and swing areas, while also chipping into traditionally Republican counties. Notably, she secured large margins in the Washington D.C., Richmond, and Virginia Beach metropolitan areas. Whereas McAuliffe won those regions by 251,000 votes in 2021, Spanberger was leading them by about 700,000 votes based on incomplete tallies available as of Wednesday morning.
She also flipped 15 counties that McAuliffe had lost, most located in metropolitan areas such as Virginia Beach, Stafford, and Spotsylvania—counties that Youngkin won by large margins in 2021. In other areas, she lost by smaller margins than McAuliffe, outperforming him by nearly 20 points in Republican-dominated Southwest Virginia, including Bristol and Montgomery.
Spanberger dominated Loudoun County, winning it by 29 percentage points compared to McAuliffe’s 11-point win there four years ago, and Harris’s 16-point margin last year.
Similarly, Jay Jones, who won the attorney general’s race but lagged behind Spanberger, outperformed Harris’s margin in Loudoun County, winning by 19 points despite bipartisan condemnations related to violent texts he authored years ago.
### New Jersey: Solid Democratic Support
In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won by a much wider margin than Governor Phil Murphy (D), who narrowly secured a second term four years ago. Both faced Republican Jack Ciattarelli, but Sherrill secured a more comfortable victory by earning significant support across the state.
Sherrill outpaced both Murphy and Harris in every county. Her strongest performances compared to Harris came in counties that had shifted most toward Trump in 2024, including Passaic and Hudson counties, where Latinos make up over 40 percent of the population.
Trump had made notable gains in these counties last year and flipped Passaic. However, Sherrill won both counties, outperforming Harris by 11 points in Hudson and by nine points in Passaic. She also won four other counties that Trump carried the previous year.
### New York City: A Democratic Socialist Victory
In New York City, 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist and member of the State Assembly, defeated former governor Andrew M. Cuomo by a larger margin on Tuesday than he did in the Democratic primary five months ago.
Mamdani expanded his earlier coalition of younger, college-educated, and liberal voters in Manhattan and nearby gentrifying neighborhoods. He performed particularly well in precincts with fewer voters over age 60, where turnout was higher in this election compared to 2021.
He carried four of the city’s five boroughs in early, unofficial results, with Cuomo carrying only Staten Island, the city’s most conservative borough—one that Trump had won in each of his elections.
Cuomo attempted to rebuild the coalition formed by Mayor Eric Adams four years ago, which primarily included non-White and conservative-leaning voters in the outer boroughs. Cuomo gained additional support after Adams withdrew from the race and Trump endorsed him at the last minute, encouraging Republicans to abandon their nominee, Curtis Sliwa.
Despite this, the strategy failed. Cuomo lost by a wider margin than Sliwa’s total vote share.
In the Bronx, Mamdani made his strongest gains relative to Cuomo in the general election. Cuomo’s supporters had sought to weaken Mamdani’s momentum by highlighting his criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza.
Mamdani, who aims to become New York City’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest in a century, managed to draw widespread support across the city and made significant inroads in areas where Trump had gained ground last year.
He increased his support among Black and Hispanic voters, gaining 35 percentage points in areas with a Black plurality and 11 points in Hispanic neighborhoods compared with the primary.
### Looking Ahead
Democrats interpret these off-year election victories as a clear sign that voters are unhappy with President Trump and are ready to deliver them the House majority in next year’s midterm elections. Currently, Republicans hold a narrow 219-213 majority in the House, and several races could be pivotal in determining the chamber’s control.
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*Graphics courtesy of The Washington Post*
[https://washingtonpost.com/](https://washingtonpost.com/)
https://newsindiatimes.com/mapping-a-democratic-sweep-across-virginia-new-jersey-and-new-york/
Mikie Sherrill will be New Jersey’s next governor
Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill is projected to become New Jersey’s next governor, defeating Republican Jack Ciattarelli, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, made headlines in 2018 when she flipped a Republican-held North New Jersey congressional district during a wave of Democrats elected amid President Donald Trump’s first term. Now, she is poised to become New Jersey’s second female governor and the state’s first Democratic woman to hold the office.
The governor’s race largely focused on key issues such as costs, affordability, and the influence of Trump. Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker and three-time Republican gubernatorial candidate, has closely aligned himself with Trump in his past two runs for governor. Polls showed a tight race, with Sherrill maintaining a single-digit lead over Ciattarelli in the final stretch.
This New Jersey governor’s race was closely watched as a reflection of the national political climate nearly a year into Trump’s second term. While New Jersey has traditionally been solidly blue at the statewide level, the 2024 presidential election revealed a significant rightward shift, with Trump gaining considerable ground among working-class and non-White voters.
In 2021, Ciattarelli narrowly missed winning the governorship, coming just three points shy of defeating Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is now term-limited.
Sherrill’s background is notable: she graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994 and was among the first class of women military pilots authorized to fly in all combat roles. She served nine years in the Navy before earning a law degree from Georgetown University. After years in private legal practice, she joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark, working initially as a community outreach manager and later as a prosecutor before launching her first congressional campaign.
Elected as part of a group of centrist Democrats with military and national security experience, Sherrill is among several members of this cohort who have advanced to prominent leadership roles or higher office. For example, Elissa Slotkin secured a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan in 2024, and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger is the Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia.
It is worth noting that the first woman governor of New Jersey was Republican Christine Todd Whitman, who served from 1994 to 2001. Sherrill’s upcoming tenure will mark a historic milestone as the state’s first Democratic female governor.
https://19thnews.org/2025/11/mikie-sherrill-new-jersey-governor/