Conservatives are jeering and some on the left are cheering as Joe Biden issued a declaration on Friday 1.17.2025 that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is ‘ratified.’ Biden’s own Department of Justice, per left-leaning CNN, disagreed with that assessment, but no matter as Biden is said to be attempting to set his ‘legacy’ as he leaves office with the worst approval numbers since President Richard Nixon was ousted during the Watergate Coverup. Curiously, that Nixon era timeframe dates back to when on the ERA was a serious push by those on the left. Why this matters to MHVille will be explored further into this report with analysis.
BREAKING
President Biden declares he has added the 28th Amendment to the Constitution!
ALSO BREAKING
President Biden doesn’t have the power to do that! pic.twitter.com/fBXCgXA4Zf
— Karen Peck (@karpec9246) January 17, 2025
Part I
CNN listed several moves by Biden that he was issuing “in the waning days” of his time in the White House, many of which Trump expects to reverse. But some will face legal challenges, and thus will delay Trump’s promised agenda.
According to that report by CNN.
Trump, who tried to block the transfer of power when he lost the 2020 presidential election, claimed in a post on social media that Biden was “doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as possible.” Biden’s executive orders, Trump said in the post, “will all be terminated shortly.”
Here is a snapshot of what CNN said the for and against the arguments for Biden’s announced ERA move.
“It is long past time to recognize the will of the American people. In keeping with my oath and duty to Constitution and country, I affirm what I believe and what three-fourths of the states have ratified: The 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex,” Biden said in a statement Friday.
Biden, a senior Biden administration official said, is not taking executive action, but is “stating an opinion that it is ratified.”
“He is using his power of the presidency to make it clear that he believes – and he agrees with leading constitutional scholars and the American Bar Association – not that it should be, but it is the 28th Amendment of the Constitution,” the official added.
But legal experts contend it isn’t that simple: Ratification deadlines lapsed and five states have rescinded their approval, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s law school, prompting questions about the president’s authority to ratify the amendment more than 50 years after it first passed.
If the ERA was actually going into effect, said CNN, this is what’s next.
It would next fall upon the archivist of the United States, Dr. Colleen Shogan, to certify and publish the amendment. …
Shogan, who would be responsible for the amendment’s publication, said in a December statement alongside Deputy Archivist William Bosanko that the amendment “cannot be certified as part of the Constitution due to established legal, judicial, and procedural decisions,” pointing to a pair of conclusions in 2020 and 2022 from the Office of Legal Counsel at the US Department of Justice that affirmed that ratification deadlines were enforceable.
Biden’s own DOJ’s said the deadlines for ratification wee “enforceable,” meaning the ERA was a dead letter.
So, why bother with creating a dustup that is likely to end up struck down by courts at some time in the future? Hold that thought, more on that further below.
More items mentioned by left-leaning CNN that Biden has done recently are as follows.
Biden has used his final days in office to push through numerous executive actions, implement key laws and cement his foreign policy, announcing a pair of high-stakes decisions on Friday that underscore his efforts to shore up his legacy — and protect it from President-elect Donald Trump.
Still, when Trump returns to the White House on Monday, there is little that can’t be undone. Just as Biden spent his first hours in office reversing some of Trump’s biggest moves, rejoining international pacts and signing executive orders, so, too, can Trump cancel much of Biden’s agenda.
CNN also said this.
Since the November election, Biden leaned into his presidential clemency powers, pardoning 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes, commuting the sentences of 1,500 nonviolent offenders, and commuting 37 federal death sentences to life behind bars. Biden also pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing on gun and tax convictions, a move drawing criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike.
He issued an executive action banning new oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of ocean, a move that drew Trump’s ire. The ban will prevent oil companies from leasing waters for new drilling along the entire East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California, and portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea. The action would require a change in law from Congress for Trump to reverse it.
In another environmental legacy move, Biden designated two national monuments in California, bringing the total amount of federally protected land to 674 million acres, or 1,053,125 square miles — an area of land and ocean nearly four times the size of Texas.
As Trump readies an immigration crackdown, Biden extended temporary protected status to nearly 1 million immigrants from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine and Sudan, shielding them from deportation for another 18 months.
The Biden administration removed Cuba from the US’ state sponsors of terrorism list, a move likely to be reversed by Trump’s incoming team.
In the waning days in office, Biden canceled student loan debt for 150,000 additional student loan borrowers, and his team has pushed to finalize grants for semiconductor chip manufacturing to ensure approved money gets out the door as Trump prepares to take office.
But there are a few fronts where Biden and Trump are on the same page. The president blocked the sale of US Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel, a rare area of agreement between two men. The Biden and Trump teams also were in lockstep as they raced to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
The president is also weighing potential preemptive pardons for some of his political allies…
Part II – Additional Information with More MHProNews Analysis and Commentary
In no particular order of importance are the following.
1) From Senator Mike Lee (UT-R) and others via X.com (formerly Twitter).
Biden DOJ—whose job it is to defend and enforce federal law—spending over $100 million to promote racism https://t.co/H8JKM3Ol1O
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 3, 2025
#Biden always had the opportunity to exit like #Clinton, amid political differences but remembered for relative peace and prosperity. Instead, his ruinous policies and savagery toward opponents leaves us divided and damaged. History, if written honestly, will not be kind. pic.twitter.com/1CmPBTHwE6
— Mark Davis (@MarkDavis) January 16, 2025
As Joe Biden exits office, never forget: he pardoned his son for this. America deserves answers. pic.twitter.com/mSWAqMboC7
— Charlie Kirk 🇺🇸 NEWS (@CharlieKNews) January 14, 2025
Thankfully @JoJoFromJerz won’t have to worry about a sexual predator in the White House much longer! Biden leaves on the 20th. pic.twitter.com/vdxJXxVxxA
— Pikayla (@TheRealPikayla) January 15, 2025
2) The estimates for the costs of the California wildfires at this time range from 150 billion to 250 billion dollars, and the fires are not yet contained, much less extinguished. Some more drama from X.
Afghanistan Withdrawal
The Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal was a disaster. They ignored military advice, leading to a chaotic exit where 13 U.S. service members lost their lives. Democrats, in their usual fashion, tried to blame Trump, but Biden had the choice to… pic.twitter.com/mstAAaLMdl
— The Right Answer (@theright_answer) January 17, 2025
It’s no surprise that Biden exits the office of the President of the United States promoting the big tech censorship that got him elected. His administration did everything they could to censor and persecute those they disagreed with. https://t.co/pUVkyA0rqR
— PoliMomma – Parody of self 😏 free snark provided! (@PoliMomma) January 16, 2025
As Biden makes his exit, I want to share my memory of him. I remember that. pic.twitter.com/yEMR2oN1pI
— Pamela formerly maga. TRUMP OR BUST! (@PamelaL98281927) January 18, 2025
Jill Biden Slams Nancy Pelosi for Forcing Husband Out of Presidential Race
Jill Biden just SOUNDED OFF on Nancy Pelosi – who played a critical role in kicking Joe Biden out of the 2024 presidential race.
As she prepares to exit the White House, First Lady Jill Biden reflected on… pic.twitter.com/pKyXLOHPpm— JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) January 16, 2025
Biden ends up doing the opposite upon exit pic.twitter.com/PawLAW9YSl
— Daily Express Malaysia (@DailyExpress_MY) January 18, 2025
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3) Curiously, as one of the headline topics for the week in review that follows below will detail, Joe Biden said something similar last week. That billionaires and corporate donors – “oligarchs” – are a threat to the country.
Washington is occupied territory.
It’s occupied by donors, big donors.
Some of these people would be called oligarchs if we were in Eastern Europe.
Billionaire corporate oligarchs own Washington D.C.
— Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) February 22, 2024
And he isn’t wrong. Washington operates like a different country from what the rest of Americans want.
There are only 3 groups running America, the rest are just observers:Washington
Silicon Valley
Defense Industry. https://t.co/T4ZoD2qov8— EmperorX (@EmperorXLair) January 15, 2025
Washington is the ugly man’s Hollywood.
To map the political and legal maneuverings, pay attention to the power couples. Some are well known. Most are not. Many maneuver in the shadows throughout government and media.
— J Michael Waller (@JMichaelWaller) January 17, 2025
If seattle and Tacoma became city-states (based balkanization) they would no longer have rule over the rest of the state.
That vast majority of Washington state is not liberal yuppies. Even though social media would lead you to believe.
Washington state is mostly country. https://t.co/HJQyRVTzjh
— PNWGUERRILLA (@pnwguerrilla) November 6, 2024
Got news for you General: it is ALL political theater. Nothing more, nothing less. What happens in D.C. is all staged for your benefit. Meaningless. NEVER pay attention to what politicians say. ONLY pay attention to what they DO!
— john martin (@uhlijohn) January 17, 2025
Politicians in Washington think they’re somehow better than the average American. They go to Washington and learn from the old timers that they’re to spend money on anything they want and special interests want. The sky is the limit with no consequences.
— wilnil2 (@joe_lagrand) January 17, 2025
4) Many in Washington, D.C., or in capitals that are much closer to the majority of Americans than that, are little more than well-dressed actors and actresses playing a part on behalf of their donors. There are some genuine ‘servants of the people’ but there are also plenty of those who are willing to say things that may sound appealing, but then they do whatever it is that their donors expected of them during campaign season.
Something similar is arguably occurring in MHVille.
Numbers of the ‘leaders’ of corporations and nonprofits say things that may be superficially correct. But what they leave out is often as important as what they said. What is left out is often the explanation for why the manufactured housing industry is demonstrably underperforming during an affordable housing crisis. Why is this 2nd illustration below, for example, mostly found on MHProNews and/or MHLivingNews and not on the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) website or that of their allied bloggers and trade media? Compare the first illustration to the second.
- Information can be true but lacking proper context can nevertheless be grossly misleading. The graphic below from Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) linked MHInsider to the second one by MHProNews. The MHInsider graphic is arguably an example of the vexing reality that something can be accurate but misleading.
- The MHInsider illustration shows the steady increase of manufactured housing following the historic low of 2009-2010. But there is no mention of the causes, nor the cures of the dramatic fall from the highs achieved in the mid-to-late 1990s. Indeed, the 1990s aren’t mentioned or shown.
By comparison, this next MHProNews generated graphic is the sobering reality of the true state of the manufactured home industry. Both may be technically accurate. But the above, by eliminating the context, paints a skewed vision of manufactured housing. The one below reflects precisely how many homes were reportedly produced by year and then shows the trends based on that precise data.
5) According to a source with the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR), there was a level of respect for Chris Stinebert while he was president and CEO of MHI. As MHLivingNews and MHProNews has repeatedly noted, Stinebert’s exit message appears to be a polite slap at the association that he left (namely, MHI). A longtime MHI member told MHProNews that since Stinebert’s departure, the association has been dominated by ‘f-cking greedy’ people who are self-serving and have made a tool for themselves. That allegation merits examination, particularly so when the industry is performing at a historically low level.
6) Given that some of the deepest pockets on the planet have direct financial connections to MHI member brands, it should be obvious that the industry’s publicly traded firms can access the capital that they need for marketing, education, lobbying, litigation, whatever is needed. But instead of taking tackling the problems heads on, what has emerged post-Stinebert is a lot of talk that has resulted in a largely suppressed industry.
7) When former MHI VP and founding MHARR president and CEO told MHProNews the following, his mention of “post production representation” means MHI. MHI has claimed for years to represent both production and post-production sectors when they say that they represent “all segments” of manufactured housing.
8) With that backdrop, let’s mention one of the hottest topics for the week in review. That would be the confirmation hearing of E. Scott Turner as former and future President Donald J. Trump (R) nominee to be the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Turner said last week that HUD is failing in its key mission objectives. That may be unique, as the following Q&A (chat) with left-leaning Bing’s AI powered Copilot makes clear.
When was the last time that a HUD Secretary nominee said during confirmation hearings that HUD is failing at its key mission objectives? Has anyone before E. Scott Turner said that in a hearing or prepared remarks?
If you have any other questions or need more details, just let me know. …”
9) Biden’s exit may be much like his time in the White House in this respect. It can be, and is being, used to illustrate just how wide the gap has been between promises and performance. Instead of more affordable housing, housing has become dramatically less affordable under Biden-Harris (D). Instead of making life better for most Americans, especially those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder, life has become more difficult financially for millions to make ends meet. Even a largely compliant left-leaning media, left-leaning big tech, and the lion’s share of the financial support of the billionaire class and big business was not enough to get Kamala Harris (D) into office. By the way, the left-leaning New York Times has belated reported that Biden’s own internal polling revealed that they only gave him a 5 percent chance of beating Trump in the 2024 election. Thus, the push to get Biden out of the race and replace him with Harris.
10) It will depend much on the success, or lack thereof, of the incoming Trump-Vance-MAGA-America First aligned officials as to how the history of Joe Biden’s and Kamala Harris’ time in office will be treated. That said, if Trump-Vance (a.k.a. Trump 2.0) is as successful economically and in foreign policy as Trump 1.0 was, it would not be a surprise if Bidenomics and related policies are remembered as ushering in a stronger than ever Trump-MAGA movement. A recent series of reports indicate that in the past year, populist right movements have won more votes globally than the left has. England and Europe are often racked in the tug of war between leftists in power resisting the rise of a MAGA like populism in their own countries. In nations like Argentina and Hungary, there is a case to be made that Trump-like leaders are delivering results for those nations.
11) What does all that mean for the much-diminished manufactured housing industry? Quite a bit. As the op-ed on Saturday below from attorney Laura Hollis indicated, the performance of Democratic and leftist agenda has been one of failure. Similarly, in MHVille, the agenda driven by MHI’s puppet masters’ have demonstrably often been harmful to independents while consolidation has continued. It is not what has been verbalized by MHI’s leaders that matters as much as the corporate evidence that the puppet masters of MHI apparently want the status quo. To learn more, see the linked reports in the headlines for the week in review.
Don’t miss today’s postscript.
With no further adieu, here are the headlines for the week in review from 1.12 to 1.19.2025.
Part III
What’s New on MHLivingNews
What’s New from Washington D.C. from MHARR
What’s New on the Masthead
(MHProNews note to headline skimmers, stating the obvious, the units shown below ARE NOT HUD Code manufactured homes.)
Select Items from Tim Connor, CSP, on the Words of Wisdom
What’s New this past week from this writer for MHProNews’ eclectic series of topics on the Patch
What’s New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 1.18.2025
Friday 1.17.2025
Thursday 1.16.2025
Wednesday 1.15.2025
Tuesday 1.14.2025
Monday 1.13.2025
Sunday 1.12.2025
Postscript
Trump HUD Secretary Nominee E. Scott Turner is to be commended for verbalizing what years of reporting on MHProNews and MHLivingNews have made clear. Namely, that HUD is failing at its core mission.
MHARR has made the case that Congress and various agencies should be investigating what has gone wrong in manufactured housing with respect to existing federal laws that are not being properly enforced.
If, IF Turner is confirmed – which seems likely at this time – it then becomes a question of if he will take the steps necessary to enforce existing laws, which he said is what he is bound to do. If Turner does so, if “enhanced preemption” under the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (a.k.a.: MHIA, MHIA 2000, 2000 Reform Law, 2000 Reform Act), he could be playing a key part in the process of rekindling the American Dream of home ownership through enforcement of existing federal law. The FHA/financing wings of HUD could also be useful in the process of expanding affordable housing.
Turner will naturally have to work with MHI and MHARR. But he should work with MHI understanding just what they are, namely, tools of consolidators who are not advocating for the interests of the masses, but are rather advocating for the interests of consolidators.
While these parts of Gooch’s remarks are arguably true, what has MHI actually done beyond letter writing to make these reality vs. postured stances?
MHI’s own website has for years lacked the very words, or that document above, that they claim they want to see become reality.
The nearly side-by-side type of comparison between MHARR’s President and CEO Mark Weiss responding to very similar questions MHI CEO Gooch answered is illuminating. While independent of each other, MHARR and MHProNews/MHLivingNews have routinely spotlighted the specific disconnects between MHI’s words vs. their deeds.
Barring the unforeseen, on Monday 1.20.2025 will be the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump and his Vice President J.D. Vance. While cold weather has been said to be the driving factor behind the move, some have speculated that security issues are a factor. A busy first day is promised. An even busier first 100 days lies ahead.
Border Czar Tom Homan is one of my most favorite Trump appointees!
DAY ONE the deportations start! pic.twitter.com/bHKL3oExKG
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) December 19, 2024
Even though the inauguration will be moved inside, this is incredible. Safety first. 3 more days, y’all. The golden age is upon us.
Let’s go, President Trump. Drop a flag in support of our president.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/KgS9YmmqML
— Sassafrass84 (@Sassafrass_84) January 17, 2025
BREAKING: Team Trump drops “NEVER EVER QUIT” video just four days before Inauguration Day.
Chills.
Are you ready for the Golden Era?
pic.twitter.com/DwJRFEPxDR— Jack (@jackunheard) January 16, 2025
When you’re just days away from the rightful President being reinstated, it’s a damn good feeling 😎
Raise your hand and repost if your gonna be watchin’ the inauguration that should have happened 4 years ago 🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️ pic.twitter.com/6btfVo8PDF
— Todd With Trump (@THeinrich22) January 17, 2025
WATCH: Donald Trump posted this video on Truth Social just 2 days before Inauguration Day!
This must be the most watched video on X today!! It’s amazing! 🇺🇸
Share this!! pic.twitter.com/fbBljarOwT
— Steve 🇺🇸 (@SteveLovesAmmo) January 18, 2025
I’m more than ready! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻America’s 🇺🇸❤️so back! 🔥🙌🏻President Trump inauguration in 4
days‼️💥💥💥💥💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/Seymu2j4XO— PammsyNow (@NowPammsy) January 17, 2025
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Programming Notice: A special report is planned for Monday 1.20.2025. Barring the unforeseen, President Donald J. Trump and his Vice President J.D. Vance will be sworn into office. What is on the horizon? What changes will they bring? How will the first days of Trump 2.0 compare to Trump 1.0? An insider’s look using a pro-Democratic and a well known MAGA Republican source are planned. It should be a doozie. Be in the know. Don’t miss it.
Biden and Harris may be heading to the doors. Senate control has shifted from the Democrats to the GOP. A contentious battle is ahead.
Whatever happens in Trump 2.0, count on MHProNews to provide the detailed, evidence-driven reports with analysis that keeps millions of visitors coming to this site every year, with millions more coming to MHLivingNews. “We Provide, You Decide,” © “News through the Lens of Manufactured Homes and Factory-Built Housing,” © and manufactured home “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use” © are more than just slogans or tag lines. They are a demonstrable part of the lived experience of MHProNews since we launched in mid-October 2009. Expect that pattern to continue, with the good Lord’s help.
History!
Dozens of more Sunday Weekly headlines recaps are found further below. Learn more to earn more and enjoy.
Again, our thanks to free email subscribers and all readers like you, as well as our tipsters/sources, sponsors and God for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
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