Pretentious Word Nonsense

Link Roundup February/March 2026

2026-04-04T01:51:15Z

Barred from running for a third term, Trump keeps talking about it

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn, introduced a resolution to amend the Constitution so Trump can seek a third term. Trump supporters were touting that proposal at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington D.C. this week in an effort dubbed the “Third Term Project.” Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House adviser and an influential conservative figure, raised the idea of Trump running in 2028 during his CPAC speech.

Lame duck no more? Trump stockpiles hundreds of millions ahead of midterms.

All together, a web of campaign accounts, some of which he controls directly and others under the care of close allies, within the president’s orbit have $375 million in their coffers. The funds far outstrip those of any other political figure — Republican or Democrat — entering 2026, and have no real historical precedent. And Trump could put them to use this year for the midterms, or to shape future elections, even as he cannot run for president again.

Rare earth miners jump as Trump announces establishment of critical mineral reserve

The proposal, known as Project Vault, would launch a first-of-its-kind strategic critical minerals stockpile designed for the U.S. private sector, the president said, speaking at the White House on Monday afternoon. The plan pairs $1.67 billion in private capital with a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, according to a White House official. Trump’s move is aimed at cutting America’s dependence on China for materials essential to electric vehicles, defense systems and advanced technology.

Khanna reads names of 6 men ‘likely incriminated’ in Epstein files on House floor

After Massie’s criticism, the department unredacted the names of 16 additional people on the 20-person list. Two names remain redacted, and photos of all individuals other than Epstein and Maxwell also remain redacted.

The Children of Dilley

Kheilin Valero from Venezuela, who was being held with her 18-month-old, Amalia Arrieta, said shortly after they were detained following an ICE appointment on Dec. 11 in El Paso, Texas, the baby fell ill. For two weeks, she said, medical staff gave her ibuprofen and eventually antibiotics, but Amalia’s breathing worsened to the point that she was hospitalized in San Antonio for 10 days. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 and RSV. “Because she went so many days without treatment, and because it’s so cold here, she developed pneumonia and bronchitis,” Kheilin said. “She was malnourished, too, because she was vomiting everything.”

Slotkin rejects Justice Department request for interview on Democrats’ video about ‘illegal orders’

Meanwhile, security threats mounted. Slotkin said her farm in Michigan received a bomb threat, her brother was assigned a police detail due to threats and her parents were swatted in the middle of the night.

Democrats say DOJ’s indictment attempt over illegal orders video could break the Senate

Schatz was among a string of Democratic senators who spoke a day after a Washington grand jury declined to indict six Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, over a 90-second video that drew fierce backlash from President Donald Trump. Her father, who died in January after a long battle with cancer, “could barely walk and he’s dealing with the cops in his home,” she said.

Trump family business files for trademark rights on any airports using the president’s name

Applications filed by the Trump Organization with the federal trademark office are seeking exclusive rights to use the president’s name on airports and dozens of related things found there, from buses shuttling passengers to umbrellas and travel bags to flight suits. The filings come amid debate in Florida over a state bill to name the Palm Beach airport after Trump and a dispute over funding of a tunnel between New York and New Jersey that is tied up with proposals that both it and the Dulles International Airport in Virginia bear his name.

Did a Celebrated Researcher Obscure a Baby’s Poisoning?

The Motherisk scandal threw the Canadian child-protection system into chaos. “The testing was imposed on people who were among the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society, with scant regard for due process or their rights to privacy and bodily integrity,” a follow-up commission reported. Many of the children in these cases had been removed from their parents and put into foster care or formally adopted—a process that is practically impossible to reverse. They lived with new families, and in many cases had done so for years. Some biological parents no longer knew where their children were. Two additional years of investigation and a review of nearly thirteen hundred cases resulted in only four instances of children being reunited with their biological parents.

Billionaire Les Wexner tells US lawmakers he was 'naive' and 'conned' by Epstein

Wexner was called before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee on Wednesday to answer questions about his relationship with Epstein in the wake of the release of thousands of documents related to the financier's wrongdoing. Members of the committee travelled to Ohio, the retail mogul's home state, for the testimony. Only Democratic lawmakers attended the deposition. No Republican lawmakers travelled for it, though some of their staff members did attend.

Democrats send counteroffer on ICE reforms to Republicans as DHS shutdown continues

In the meantime, funding for DHS remains in limbo. ICE and CBP will continue operating due to an influx of funds in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year. But the department also includes the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, all of which are impacted by the shutdown. Most employees at those agencies continue to work during a shutdown, but don't get paid until it's over.

Trump says he signed a 10% global tariff after Supreme Court decision

TRUMP RESPONDS: President Donald Trump called the Supreme Court's decision to strike down his effort to impose sweeping global tariffs under a national security law "deeply disappointing" at a news conference this afternoon. The president said he was "ashamed" of some of the justices over the ruling and that they were "very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution." He also announced that he would impose a temporary 10% global tariff under the Trade Act of 1974, a different law from the one that the court said did not grant him tariff authority.

Louisiana schools can display Ten Commandments, appeals court rules

A federal appeals court cleared the way on Friday for a controversial Louisiana law requiring poster-sized displays of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, allowing the state to enforce a law that was previously found to be unconstitutional...Under the law, the Ten Commandments must be displayed “at a minimum … on a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches” in each classroom of every public elementary, middle and high school, as well as public college and university classrooms. The text must be the “central focus” and must be printed “in a large, easily readable font”.

‘Tell me what crime this 10-year-old committed’: Governor, local leaders and parents react to immigration detention of Spokane student and her father

As parents queued to pick up their children outside Logan Elementary School on Friday, some were reflecting on the recent immigration detention of 10-year-old Karla Tiul Baltazar, a Logan student, and her father, Arnoldo Tiul Caal...Tiul Caal was detained by Border Patrol agents while on his way back home from dropping his daughter at school the morning of Jan. 9. He does not have a criminal record and was in the country legally during an active asylum case with a court date set for 2027, as well as a valid work permit and a Social Security number, according to Olga Lucia Herrera, who had been volunteering to help the family through court proceedings.

Trump administration widens its 2020 election probe as it obtains records from Arizona

The Republican leader of Arizona's state Senate said Monday he has handed over records related to the 2020 presidential election to the FBI in the latest sign that the Trump administration is acting on the president's longstanding falsehoods about a race he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Rapper Afroman wins lawsuit against police over mocking their 2022 raid in viral music videos

In other music videos, Afroman took aim at the deputies’ personal lives and called them “crooked cops” because of $400 that went missing in the raid.

Thousands of Epstein documents taken down after victims identified

The release of material on Friday included email addresses and nude photos in which the names and faces of potential victims could be identified.

Trump calls on Republicans to ‘nationalize’ future elections

“The Republicans should say, we want to take over, we should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” Trump told Dan Bongino, the former deputy director of the FBI, in a podcast appearance... “We have states that are so crooked and they’re counting votes. We have states that I won, that show I didn’t win,” Trump said. “Now you’re going to see something in Georgia where they were able to get with a court order, the ballots, you’re going to see some interesting things come out.”

Trump says Republicans 'should take over the voting' and 'nationalise' US elections

The president tied his desire to federalise voting mechanisms to his key agenda item of deporting undocumented immigrants from the US. "If Republicans don't get them out, you will never win another election as a Republican," he said...In the new podcast interview, Trump claimed he won the 2020 election "in a landslide" and said, without evidence, that people "vote illegally".

Thune rejects Trump’s call for GOP to take over and ‘nationalize’ elections

Thune made his comments when asked about Trump’s call for Republicans to “take over” voting procedures in 15 states to prevent voter fraud in the midterm elections, in which Democrats are projected to pick up Senate seats and flip control of the House.

Tulsi Gabbard accused of trying to 'bury' whistleblower complaint

Andrew Bakaj, the attorney for the intelligence official, said Monday that the complaint was filed with the intelligence community’s inspector general in May and that in June, the whistleblower asked that it be shared with lawmakers. He accused Gabbard of trying to hide the complaint from Congress....Lawmakers on congressional intelligence committees did not learn about the whistleblower’s complaint until November, after Bakaj wrote Gabbard asking why it had not been passed on to Congress as required, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. Former intelligence officials say that it is highly unusual for a government agency to take several months to transmit a whistleblower complaint to Congress and that spy agencies usually are able to resolve security concerns in days or weeks.

HHS unveils program to address homelessness and addiction, part of a set of new initiatives

Over the past year, about a third of SAMHSA’s roughly 900 employees have been laid off. The agency and the organizations it serves are still reeling from the administration’s whiplash-inducing reversal last month that briefly eliminated then abruptly restored $2 billion in grant funding for substance abuse and mental health programs. Advocates and providers have said they don’t feel they can plan for the future because the administration has created an environment of uncertainty.

Will calls to 'abolish ICE' sway voters in 2026? The strategy has Democrats split

But internal divides over what to do about ICE could complicate the effort. Calls to "abolish ICE" have been particularly amplified by progressive candidates, especially among younger Democrats running for Congress and those challenging Democratic incumbents. On Capitol Hill, far fewer Democrats have re-upped support for abolishing the agency, despite many rallying around the issue during President Trump's first term. Instead, many elected Democrats have called for reforms at ICE, wary of appearing out of step with voters who want strong enforcement of immigration laws but who disagree with the administration's tactics.

Trump grants tariff breaks to 'politically connected' companies, Senate Dems say

The letter comes at a time when President Trump is visibly favoring some companies and investors, some of whom have publicly courted him with personal gifts — like the gold-plated desk clock recently presented by Rolex's CEO — and donations to his controversial plans to build a White House ballroom.

Federal Reserve governor Miran steps down from White House post

Federal Reserve governor Stephen Miran has stepped down from his position as chair of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, ending a controversial arrangement where he held positions at both institutions...It is unusual for someone to keep a White House position while also serving as a Fed governor, a nonpartisan position. Previous presidents have appointed aides to the Fed, but for decades they gave up their White House positions before joining the Fed. Miran took an unpaid leave of absence instead.

A crisis emerges across the US as ‘forever chemicals’ quietly contaminate drinking water wells

Residents along the Cape Fear River in North Carolina have seen just how far forever chemicals can spread. In 2017, the Wilmington StarNews revealed that PFAS from a Chemours chemical plant in Fayetteville were washing into the river and contaminating the water supply. After being sued, the billion-dollar company agreed to test nearby wells and treat those with polluted water. It did not admit to any wrongdoing. As in Stella, the company tested in a slowly expanding radius that grew by quarter-mile segments from its plant. Chemours agreed to keep testing wells until it reached the edge of the polluted area — a process it expected to take 18 months. Seven years and some 23,000 wells later, testing is ongoing, with the contamination stretching far beyond what state regulators first imagined. Forever chemicals have been found in drinking water along nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the river, from inland Fayetteville to the Atlantic coast.

The Frightening, Very Real Tool ICE Agents Have to Add You to a “Nice Little Database” if You Attend a Protest

Congress has granted administrative subpoena power to federal agencies, like the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission, to allow them to access information quickly to make decisions about issues under their purview. A key distinction between administrative subpoenas and civil or criminal ones is that federal agencies do not need a judge’s sign-off. These agencies retain the power to approve administrative subpoenas themselves. This also means that agencies can demand documents without needing to prove that there is an ongoing investigation into or probable cause against a person when issuing administrative subpoenas.

Colorado Democrats demand answers on ICE "death cards" left in cars of detainees, agents' alleged fake traffic stops

They also expressed alarm about something the immigration advocacy group Voces Unidas told CBS Colorado last month: that the ICE agents imitated law enforcement officers by using unmarked vehicles with sirens to conduct fake traffic stops in order to detain people.

Lutnick and Epstein were in business together, Epstein files show

Epstein appears to have been aware of the public relations challenge he posed to people close to him. Emails show in 2017 he agreed to donate $50,000 to a dinner in honor of Lutnick. "hope pr is ok," Epstein wrote to billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson, an organizer of the dinner. Epstein declined to take a table awarded to donors of that level, writing that Lutnick could fill the seats.Their relationship continued into the next year, 2018, when Lutnick emailed Epstein apparently complaining about an expansion plan for their neighboring Frick Collection art museum.

Senator, who has repeatedly warned about secret US government surveillance, sounds new alarm over ‘CIA activities’

Tasked with oversight of the intelligence community, Wyden is one of a few lawmakers who is allowed to read highly classified information about ongoing government surveillance, including cyber and other intelligence operations. But as the programs are highly secretive, Wyden is barred from sharing details of what he knows with anyone else, including most other lawmakers, except for a handful of Senate staff with security clearance.

Republicans condemn Trump's racist video portraying the Obamas as apes

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the video, which amplified false claims about the 2020 presidential election. Leavitt said the footage that showed the Obamas' heads edited onto the bodies of apes was part of an "internet meme video" that portrayed Mr. Trump as "King of the Jungle" and Democrats as characters from the Lion King.

Sam Altman touts ChatGPT’s reaccelerating growth to employees as OpenAI closes in on $100 billion funding

The current funding round could close in two parts, as CNBC previously reported. The first would include capital from Microsoft and Nvidia as well as Amazon, which is in talks to invest up to $50 billion in the company. Other contributions from participants like SoftBank, which has discussed putting in another $30 billion, would follow.

Trump says his administration is seeking $1 billion in talks with Harvard

President Trump said late Monday his administration is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University in an apparent response to a New York Times report that said the school had won some concessions in ongoing negotiations to settle its dispute with the government.

Russians feel strain of Putin's war with mobile internet shutdowns

Russian authorities have increasingly enforced a so-called “white list” — a limited registry of government-approved websites that people can still access on their phones during outages, severely limiting the kind of information they get. It comes against the backdrop of increasing restrictions on what Russians can do online, in a wider crackdown on free speech since the Kremlin’s invasion — bans on Instagram and Facebook, YouTube slowdowns, restrictions on foreign messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, as well as virtual private network services many Russians use to access censored content online.

They didn't just ignore audit warnings — California lawmakers quietly killed dozens of audit-backed bills

A CBS News California investigation found lawmakers failed to enact roughly three out of every four state audit recommendations directed at the Legislature, leaving more than 300 outstanding statutory fixes unresolved.

How long do you need to spend in the gym to get strong? Less than you think

Behm and his colleagues reviewed data from studies on resistance training and concluded that a beginner could start with one workout a week for the first three months. This kind of routine would incorporate a handful of multi-joint exercises, doing one set of about 6 to 15 reps for each movement.

Trump warns Netflix of ‘consequences’ unless it pulls top Democrat from board

Trump’s comments herald a fresh intervention in the takeover battle between Netflix and Paramount Skydance for the studios and streaming businesses of WBD only weeks after promising not to get involved.

See ChatGPT’s hidden bias about your state or city

Ask ChatGPT which state has the laziest people, and the chatbot will politely refuse to say. But researchers at Oxford and the University of Kentucky forced the bot to reveal its hidden biases. They systematically asked the chatbot to choose which of two states had the laziest people, for every combination of states, revealing a ranking shown in the map above.

Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump

The Justice Department has withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, an NPR investigation finds. It also removed some documents from the public database where accusations against Jeffrey Epstein also mention Trump.

Where Christian nationalism is most dominant in the U.S.

By the numbers: About one-third of Americans qualify as Christian nationalism "adherents" or "sympathizers," a new survey released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute finds. 56% of all Republicans are Christian nationalism "adherents" or "sympathizers," the survey said. Meanwhile, only 25% of independents and just 17% of Democrats are "adherents" or "sympathizers," according to the survey.

Democratic lawmakers ask watchdogs to probe whether former lobbyists serving in Trump administration violated ethics rules

As of April 2025, there were at least 21 former lobbyists who were appointed to key leadership roles in the government, according to a report by the Campaign Legal Center.

Final report from Trump's classified documents case blocked by judge

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Monday permanently blocked the release of former special counsel Jack Smith's final report on President Trump's handling of classified documents.

FDA proposes new system for approving customized drugs and therapies for rare diseases

The announcement comes a week after Makary said the FDA would drop its decades-old standard of requiring two clinical trials for standard drug reviews. That was the latest in a series of changes to FDA norms and standards, many which have not gone through federal procedures traditionally used to update agency rules.

House rejects air safety bill as families of deadliest U.S. crash in 25 years look on

The Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform, or ROTOR, Act would establish “new requirements for virtually all aircraft and helicopters to use Automatic Dependent Surveillance — Broadcast (ADS-B)” — a technology that broadcasts an aircraft’s location.

Read NPR's annotated fact check of President Trump's State of the Union

Since the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro last month, the U.S. government has been helping sell some of Venezuela's oil. The U.S. has worked with two Swiss oil trading companies, Vitol and Trafigura. (Both Vitol and Trafigura have pleaded guilty to bribery and settled cases with the Department of Justice during the Biden administration.) Secretary of Energy Chris Wright says that U.S.-facilitated oil sales total more than $1 billion. However, the Venezuelan government has said it has only received $300 million. In a Senate hearing last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said $200 million is in a bank account in Qatar. It's unclear where the rest of the money is and whether and when it will reach the Venezuelan people.

At least 10 FBI agents who worked on Trump investigation fired

Patel did not offer any evidence of wrongdoing by the FBI employees who were fired.

The IRS broke the law by disclosing confidential information to ICE 42,695 times, judge says

Her finding was based off a declaration filed earlier this month by Dottie Romo, IRS’ chief risk and control officer, which revealed that the IRS had provided DHS with information on 47,000 of the 1.28 million people that ICE requested — and, in most of those cases, gave ICE additional address information in violation of privacy rules created to protect taxpayer data.

Political storm in Wyoming as far-right activist caught handing checks to lawmakers

The political storm started on 9 February, when Karlee Provenza, a Democratic lawmaker, took a photo showing Rebecca Bextel, a conservative activist and committeewoman for the Teton county Republican party, handing a check to Darin McCann, a Republican representative, on the legislative floor. Marlene Brady, another Republican representative, stands in the photo’s background, a similar piece of paper pinched between her fingers...Questions around the checks were soon swirling, and answers weren’t forthcoming. When asked what Bextel gave to her, Brady told a reporter for local outlet WyoFile: “I can’t remember.”

Trump appears to link Iran attack to his 2020 election loss

This is the second military operation of the Trump administration where he has alluded to allegations concerning the 2020 election. He made similar comments on social media in January, days after Trump ordered the Delta Force “rendition” of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro. Trump reposted links that repeated discredited conspiracy allegations that Venezuela interfered in the 2020 election by controlling voting machines.

5 takeaways from the first primaries of the 2026 midterms

But on Tuesday, the issue at the polls in Dallas County was confusion over where people could vote. Dallas GOP officials changed plans this year, requiring that voters cast their ballot at their local precinct, as opposed to the countywide polling sites. As a result, hundreds of voters showed up at the wrong polling sites on Tuesday. In response, a county judge ordered that the polls close two hours later. Then the state Supreme Court mandated that votes cast by voters who weren't in line at the original 7 p.m. poll-closing time had to be held separately.

Military questioned use of makeshift office space in Kuwait where U.S. troops were killed

But the three U.S. military officials questioned the assertion that the building was adequately fortified. They told CBS News the operations center was a triple-wide trailer made into an office space — a common setup at U.S. bases abroad. The trailer's only fortifications were T-walls, which are steel-reinforced concrete barriers that can range in height from 6 to 12 feet tall, used to protect military personnel from explosions, rocket attacks and shrapnel, the military officials said. But T-walls could not protect the facility from an overhead strike. Two officials told CBS News that the strike appeared to hit dead-center on top of the building.

FBI investigating ‘suspicious’ cyber activity on system holding sensitive surveillance information

The notification, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, says that the FBI on Feb. 17 began investigating abnormal log information related to a system on its network. “The affected system is unclassified and contains law enforcement sensitive information, including returns from legal process, such as pen register and trap and trace surveillance returns, and personally identifiable information pertaining to subjects of FBI investigations,” said the notification reviewed by The Associated Press.

Trump fires Kristi Noem as DHS chief, names Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her

President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and said Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma would replace her. Noem "will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida," Trump posted on social media. "I thank Kristi for her service at 'Homeland.'"

Israel launches huge strikes against south Beirut after mass evacuation order

The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said on Thursday that the decision to assassinate Khamenei was made in November, far predating the breakdown in the nuclear programme negotiations that Donald Trump claimed led to the US launching a preemptive strike on Iran. The original timeline was for Israel to target Khamenei in the middle of 2026 but Netanyahu moved it up the schedule after riots broke out in Iran, Katz said.

Trump says he won't sign any bills until SAVE America Act passes

However, bills automatically become law if the president does not sign them within 10 days of their passing.

NTSB member says he was fired without explanation by the Trump administration

A National Transportation Safety Board member who was a public face of the investigation into last year’s deadly collision of an airliner and an Army helicopter near the nation’s capital said Sunday that he had been fired by the Trump administration without explanation.

Lords a-leaving: Britain is ejecting hereditary nobles from Parliament after 700 years

Centuries of British political tradition will end within weeks after Parliament voted to remove hereditary aristocrats from the unelected House of Lords. On Tuesday night members of the upper chamber dropped objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited seats in Parliament along with their aristocratic titles.

Microsoft backs AI firm Anthropic in legal battle against Pentagon

The filing comes after Anthropic launched two lawsuits on Monday – one in federal court in California and one in the DC circuit court of appeals – challenging the Pentagon’s decision to label it a supply-chain risk, a designation that has never previously been applied to a US company. The dispute stems from collapsed contract negotiations last month over a $200m deal to deploy Anthropic’s AI on classified military systems just as the US readied for its war on Iran. Talks fell apart after Anthropic insisted its technology should not be used for mass surveillance of US citizens or to power autonomous lethal weapons, which led to Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, dubbing the company a supply-chain risk.

California governor says no imminent threat despite warning about possible Iran drone attack

The alert was posted on X by an FBI spokesperson after a report by ABC News. Separately, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X that the message to law enforcement was a tip based on “unverified intelligence.”

New drone maker partly owned by Trump sons hopes to win Pentagon contracts

The Trump family has drawn criticism for expanding its real estate business into foreign countries that are trying to curry favor with the president and for making billions of dollars off cryptocurrency ventures benefiting from his policies. Grabbing less attention are new ownership stakes in federal contractors providing everything from rocket parts and rare earth magnets to AI chips and computer hardware.

Senate passes bipartisan housing bill to improve access and affordability

The bill aims to make homebuilding easier by streamlining some regulations that require environmental reviews and inspections. It also lifts a limit on a grant for emergency shelter beds and street homelessness outreach. As many affordable housing developers are leaning on manufactured and modular homes that can be transported to areas that need housing, the legislation also would eliminate the requirement that they have to be built on a permanent chassis, reducing costs and making them easier to build and design.

Shot by Border Patrol, Then Called a “Domestic Terrorist”

When federal law-enforcement officers arrived to search the Rogue, which was covered in blood, they found the gun in its pink holster in her purse. It didn’t matter that she had never touched it. The gun soon became part of a surreal composite image of Martinez presented by the Trump Administration as fact. Within hours, D.H.S. described her as armed and dangerous, a “domestic terrorist.” Tricia McLaughlin, a D.H.S. spokesperson, wrote on social media that Martinez had “rammed” agents with her car while “armed with a semi-automatic weapon.” The statement about the gun was technically true—most modern pistols are—but misleading. McLaughlin also said that Martinez had recently written a post on social media saying, “Hey to all my gang let’s fuck those mother fuckers up, don’t let them take anyone.” But Martinez had never posted this; the quote, it turned out, came from another person’s Facebook account. Kash Patel, the director of the F.B.I., shared a video of a black S.U.V. aggressively ramming an agent’s truck, attributing the act to Martinez. But the S.U.V. wasn’t her car, and the video was from an unrelated incident. These posts remain online.

Gemini Is Now Your Permanent Passenger in Google Maps

Google will also be tapping into the information that it knows about you, of course. (You might recall that Google also recently introduced an opt-in feature for Gemini called “Personal Intelligence” that pulls information from your search history and photo library, among other you-specific sources.) According to the company, results are personalized based on your past destinations and searches. So if you frequent vegan restaurants and you ask Google Maps, “My friends are coming from Midtown East to meet me after work, any spots with a cozy aesthetic and a table for 4 at 7 tonight?” the app will default to highlighting spots with vegan options on the menu.

Trump launches the next phase of his trade war with new investigations of key partners

In a process that is likely to result in a fresh round of tariffs in the near future, the Office of U.S. Trade Representative is opening the formal probes into major trade partners that include the European Union, Mexico and China — each of which ranks among the top five sources of U.S. imports. Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Japan and India will also be the targets of investigations under the trade statute known as Section 301.

Trump nominates new head of VOA's parent agency after court ruling against Kari Lake

In a report in November, the Trump administration suggested integrating the “function” of Voice of America into the State Department bureau led by Rogers, rather than its being "a semi-independent agency.”

Trump team applying pressure to media: Tell the war’s story the way we see it

The Republican president has fumed on social media about stories he doesn’t like and berated a reporter on Air Force One. The government’s top media regulator has warned that broadcasters risk losing their licenses if they don’t stay away from “fake news.” Trump and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, have questioned the patriotism of news outlets because of their reporting.

Top counterterrorism official Kent resigns over Trump’s Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat

During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.

The threats to Minnesota's Medicaid funds are unprecedented. Other states could be next

The federal government partners with states to fund Medicaid. But after widespread fraud allegations surfaced in Minnesota, CMS announced it would halt federal funds for the state's program in two ways — retroactively and going forward. The retroactive move is called deferral. In February, CMS said it would delay reimbursing about $259.5 million that the state spent on Medicaid last summer, citing concerns about potential fraud and coverage for patients without legal status, who are not eligible for Medicaid.

CBS News lays off 6% of staff and shutters radio division, kickstarting a Bari Weiss-led overhaul

It is the second round of layoffs at CBS News since David Ellison took control of Paramount last summer. And it represents the end of an era, since CBS News Radio has a 99-year history delivering up-to-the-minute headlines over the airwaves...Paramount is awaiting regulatory approval for its deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, including CNN, which may lead to a future combination of CNN and CBS News.

Apple and Google agree to change app stores after 'effective duopoly' claim

According to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the tech giants have committed to not giving preferential treatment to their own apps and will be transparent about how others are approved for sale, among other agreements.

Israeli minister calls West Bank measures 'de facto sovereignty,' says no to future Palestinian state

he measures, approved by Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet on Sunday, expand Israel’s enforcement authority over land use and planning in areas run by the Palestinian Authority, making it easier for Jewish settlers to force Palestinians to give up land. Smotrich and Katz on Sunday said they would lift long-standing restrictions on land sales to Israeli Jews in the West Bank, shift some control over sensitive holy sites — including Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs — and declassify land registry records to ease property acquisitions. They also revive a government committee empowered to make what officials described as “proactive” land purchases in the territory, a step intended to reserve land for future settlement expansion.

GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski comes out against Trump's election bill, with a warning to her party

Lisa Murkowski of Alaska on Tuesday became the first Republican senator to speak out against the SAVE Act, a sweeping election bill backed by President Donald Trump that would require proof of citizenship to vote nationwide. In doing so, she reminded her colleagues that they roundly claimed to oppose new federal election laws as recently as Joe Biden’s presidency.

Elon Musk's xAI loses second cofounder in 48 hours

Musk launched the AI company in 2023 with 11 other founders. Six have now left the company — five of them within the last year.

Annual governors' gathering with White House unraveling after Trump excludes Democrats

The National Governors Association said it will no longer hold a formal meeting with Trump when governors are scheduled to convene in Washington later this month, after the White House planned to invite only Republican governors. On Tuesday, 18 Democratic governors also announced they would boycott a traditional dinner at the White House.

Grand jury refuses to indict Democratic lawmakers in connection with illegal military orders video

The Justice Department opened an investigation into the video featuring Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin and four other Democratic lawmakers urging U.S. service members to follow established military protocols and reject orders they believe to be unlawful. All the lawmakers previously served in the military or at intelligence agencies. Grand jurors in Washington declined to sign off on charges in the latest of a series of rebukes of prosecutors by citizens in the nation’s capital, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.

Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth but says she'd 'speak fully and honestly' if Trump grants her clemency

Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee on Monday, but her attorney said she is “prepared to speak fully and honestly” if President Donald Trump grants her clemency.

Trump border czar Tom Homan announces Minnesota immigration surge is ending

On Feb. 4, Homan announced plans to withdraw 700 of the roughly 3,000 agents sent to Minnesota. Further reductions, he said then, would be contingent on more cooperation from local officials. That included giving federal officials greater access to local jails to pick up undocumented people set to be released. In Thursday's briefing, Homan said those agreements have been strengthened.

Judge orders Trump administration to facilitate return of some Venezuelan migrants deported under Alien Enemies Act

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of certain Venezuelan migrants who he found were unlawfully deported to a Salvadoran prison under the Alien Enemies Act last year and then released into other countries. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said in a brief opinion that the number of Venezuelans who would likely want to be returned to the U.S. to continue challenging their detentions and removals is small, and acknowledged that they will be taken into immigration custody upon their arrival.

House votes to slap back Trump’s tariffs on Canada in rare bipartisan rebuke

The tally, 219-211, was among the first times the House, controlled by Republicans, has confronted the president over a signature policy, and drew instant recrimination from Trump himself. The resolution seeks to end the national emergency Trump declared to impose the tariffs, though actually undoing the policy would require support from the president, which is highly unlikely. It next goes to the Senate.

Trump's retribution campaign hits a losing streak

Federal grand juries almost always return indictments — rejecting them only five times out of more than 165,000 cases nationwide in 2013, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Prosecutors need only 12 of 23 grand jurors to secure an inducement, underscoring the gap between Trump's political threats and the legal system's response.

RFK Jr. pledged more transparency. Here’s what the public doesn’t know anymore

The Project 2025 blueprint that’s been influential to the Trump administration called for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to enhance its data collection of U.S. abortions, but the agency failed to post its annual abortion surveillance report in November. (Nixon said it will come out this spring.) HHS officials blamed the delay on the CDC’s former chief medical officer, Dr. Debra Houry, saying she directed staff to return state-submitted abortion data rather than analyze it. But Houry — who resigned months before the report was slated to come out — said that claim was false. She says the report was derailed because of HHS cutbacks to the funding and staff needed to get it done.

Justice Department's antitrust chief says she's leaving, effective immediately

This week, her deputy in the Antitrust Division also departed. Mark Hamer, deputy assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division, wrote on LinkedIn, "Decided the time is right for me to return to private practice." He praised Slater as a "leader of exceptional wisdom, strength and integrity."

Bondi had list of a Democratic lawmaker's Epstein files "search history" during Capitol Hill hearing

One of the printouts that Bondi referenced during the hearing was a list labeled "Jayapal Pramila Search History," referring to Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington. The document listed out at least eight different files from the Justice Department's trove of Epstein records, including their file numbers and brief descriptions of their contents, according to images snapped by photojournalists who covered the hearing.

Judge blocks Pentagon from downgrading Sen. Mark Kelly's military rank, pay

"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees," Leon wrote. "After all, as Bob Dylan famously said, 'You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.'"

Nebraska to hand over sensitive voter data to the Justice Department

In a written statement released by his office, Evnen said he is dedicated to protecting voters’ personally identifiable information from misuse. But when asked if he was positive that Nebraska voter information would be kept secure and not lead to legitimate voters being kicked off voter roles, Evnen responded, “The only thing I’m positive of is that the sun won’t catch in a tree when it sets tonight.”

Bondi accused of lying about Trump, Epstein at tense hearing

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) asked Bondi how the DOJ is complying with Trump's controversial memo on countering "domestic terrorism and organized political violence" that specifically singles out Democratic Party donors and the "radical left." "Will you commit to provide the committee with your list of entities that you recommend be designated as domestic terrorist organizations?" Scanlon asked...Scanlon noted that when the U.S. designates an organization as a foreign terrorist, it must notify Congress and allow the entity the opportunity to contest the designation.

What to know about EPA decision to revoke a scientific finding that helped fight climate change

The EPA action repeals all greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks, but experts say it could trigger a broader undoing of climate regulations for stationary sources such as power plants and oil and gas facilities. It also could prevent future administrations from proposing rules to address global warming because they would have to restart the scientific and legal process to establish a new endangerment finding, which could take years and face legal challenges, said David Doniger, a climate expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

comments

Peanut Sauce

2026-03-08T20:00:31Z

Ratio posted on Twitter during some food wank.

3x peanut butter
3x soy sauce
1x toasted sesame seed oil
1x rice vinegar
1x chili oil (or crisp)
1x minced garlic
hot water as needed

comments

Link Roundup January 2026

2026-02-08T17:53:58Z

'We need Greenland': Trump repeats threat to annex Danish territory

Trump has claimed that making it part of the United States would serve American security interests due to its strategic location and its abundance of minerals critical to high-tech sectors.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Shut Down After 58 Years Due to Trump Eliminating Funding

Less than a year after the Trump administration and Congress voted to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity — which helped fund the operations of local public TV and radio stations — has voted to shut down. The CPB announced Monday that its board of directors voted to close the organization after 58 years, rather than continue to exist and potentially be “vulnerable to future political manipulation or misuse.”

Meta created ‘playbook’ to fend off pressure to crack down on scammers, documents show

Despite reaping revenue of $164.5 billion last year, almost all of which came from advertising, Meta has decided not to spend the roughly $2 billion it estimates universal verification would cost, the documents show. In addition to that cost of implementation, staffers noted, Meta could ultimately lose up to 4.8% of its total revenue by blocking unverified advertisers.

Minneapolis schools cancel classes after Border Patrol clash disrupts dismissal at Roosevelt

The move came after officials at Roosevelt High School said armed U.S. Border Patrol officers came on school property during dismissal Wednesday and began tackling people, handcuffed two staff members and released chemical weapons on bystanders.

Fed Chair Powell says he’s under criminal investigation, won’t bow to Trump intimidation

Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell focused on the $2.5 billion renovation to the central bank’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., and his related testimony to Congress, he said on Sunday evening. Powell said the probe is the result of longstanding frustration by President Donald Trump over the Fed’s refusal to cut interest rates as quickly and as much as the president has demanded.

Anti-Surveillance Mapmaker Refuses Flock Safety's Cease and Desist Demand

Flock Safety loves to crow about the thousands of local law enforcement agencies around the United States that have adopted its avian-themed automated license plate readers (ALPRs). But when a privacy activist launched a website to map out the exact locations of these pole-mounted devices, the company tried to clip his wings. The company sent DeFlock.me and its creator Will Freeman a cease-and-desist letter, claiming that the project dilutes its trademark.

What to know about the warrants most immigration agents use to make arrests

Most immigration arrests are carried out under administrative warrants, internal documents issued by immigration authorities that authorize the arrest of a specific individual but do not permit officers to forcibly enter private homes or other nonpublic spaces without consent. Only criminal warrants signed by judges carry that authority. Legal experts say the administration’s aggressive enforcement push, combined with public awareness of those limits, is increasingly turning door-knock encounters into flashpoints, fueling confrontations that are now playing out in cities across the country.

Why Are Children Working in American Tobacco Fields?

The photos caused an uproar, but it wasn’t until 1938 that Congress finally passed the Fair Labor Standards Act. Along with establishing a minimum wage and overtime pay, the FLSA banned “oppressive child labor,” preventing youth under 18 from working in mines and factories. The FLSA was a seminal achievement, but it has significant loopholes. Influenced by racist Southern politicians, who argued in the 1930s that “you cannot put the Negro and the white man on the same basis,” the law left out minimum wage and overtime protections for agricultural and domestic workers—the industries that employed the majority of African-Americans at the time. Child labor standards, too, are considerably weaker in agriculture, where children—then mostly black, now mostly brown—can begin work at the age of 12. Limits on work hours, put in place to ensure that jobs don’t interfere with study, are more permissive for field workers. A tobacco grower who hires a 12-year-old to work seventy-hour weeks in the summer is well within the letter of the law.

Bad Science, Good Politics

Wicherts found that Lynn excluded every single available study that reported an average IQ of above 85 for African samples. When Lynn rejected a study showing an IQ of 91 for a sample of African children, he claimed it was because the study “lacked information regarding the age of the children”. Yet he included five other studies that also lacked age information – all of which reported IQs between 63 and 72. As Wicherts and colleagues concluded: “It is hard to avoid the impression that [Lynn’s] assessment of representativeness was a function of the average IQ in the sample.” I would encourage readers to peruse the dataset themselves. You can download it here. The spreadsheet itself reveals problems that would disqualify it from consideration in any serious peer-reviewed context.

‘Make America Healthy Again’ Report Cites Nonexistent Studies

Those articles don’t appear in the table of contents for the journals listed in their citations. A spokesperson for Virginia Commonwealth University, where psychiatric researcher Robert L. Findling currently teaches, confirmed to NOTUS that he never authored such an article. The author of the first study doesn’t appear to be a real ADHD researcher at all — at least, not one with a Google Scholar profile.

The full list of 75 countries where Trump is suspending visa processing

The freeze, which takes effect on 21 January, targets applicants officials deem likely to become a “public charge” – people who they believe may rely on government benefits for basic needs.

Trump administration halts immigrant visa processing from 75 countries

The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has intensified to record levels, even as nationwide protests over the killing of Renee Good have drawn attention to law enforcement practices. The state department says it revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump returned to office, while the homeland security department reported last month that more than 605,000 people have been deported, while an additional 2.5 million left the country on their own.

Where the hot spots are for immigration enforcement

The analysis shows local law enforcement agencies in Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia have been most cooperative with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through deals known as 287 (g) agreements. There are 629 such agreements now in place across the country. About 43% of them are in Florida, followed by 14% in Texas and 5% in Georgia.

Pentagon "escalating" its review of Sen. Mark Kelly over video urging defiance of illegal orders

Beyond the Pentagon's investigation into Kelly, the other five Democrats said publicly last month that the FBI opened an inquiry into them. Legal experts told CBS News last month that prosecuting the lawmakers could be extraordinarily difficult.

House Republican leaders ditch vote on ACA funding, all but ensuring premiums will rise

Asked about Lawler’s criticism, Johnson called him “a very dear friend and a close colleague of mine.” But, he said, other Republicans come from different districts with “different priorities and ideas.” Many Republicans want the funds to expire on schedule.

House Democrats release 68 new photos from Epstein estate

The photos come from a trove of 95,000 images the committee received last week, the Democrats said. The release includes images of lines from the novel "Lolita" written on a person's body; various travel documents; a screenshot of text messages about an 18-year-old from Russia and more. The photos can be accessed here.

Trump administration moves to cut off transgender care for children

The sweeping proposals — the most significant moves this administration has taken so far to restrict the use of puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgical interventions for transgender children — include cutting off federal Medicaid and Medicare funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to children and prohibiting federal Medicaid dollars from being used to fund such procedures.

HHS moves to slash funding and access to care for transgender minors

HHS also announced that the Food and Drug Administration will issue warning letters to 12 manufacturers and retailers of breast binders for minors for the purposes of treating gender dysphoria, which is the distress that results from a misalignment between a person’s gender identity and birth sex, alleging that the manufacturers are participating in illegal marketing.

US blocks all offshore wind construction, says reason is classified

What are these risks? The Interior Department is being extremely coy. It notes that offshore wind turbines can interfere with radar sensing, but that’s been known for a while. In announcing the decision, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum also noted “the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies.” But the announcement says that the Defense Department analysis is classified, meaning nobody is likely to know what the actual reason is—presuming one exists. The classification will also make it far more challenging to contest this decision in court.

Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act (again). What is it?

The law also does not mention time constraints on the troop deployments. Nor does it involve Congress in the process to maintain checks and balances, Banks added. The Insurrection Act has also been rarely tested in the courts. Trump himself described the Insurrection Act as providing legal cover. "Do you know that I could use that immediately and no judge can even challenge you on that? But I haven't chosen to do it because I haven't felt we need it," he said during the October 60 Minutes interview.

Trump administration to start seizing pay of defaulted student loan borrowers in January

The Education Department can seize up to 15% of a student loan holder’s after-tax income to put toward their debt. By law, borrowers must be left with at least 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage ($7.25) a week, which is $217.50, said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.

Supreme Court denies Trump's push to deploy National Guard in Chicago

Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented.

Trump-appointed judge: DHS must restore disaster grants to Democratic states

The grants were from the Homeland Security Grant Program, which provides states and local governments with "critical resources to plan for and prevent natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other emergencies," N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

Trump administration can’t block child care money for 5 Democratic-led states for now, judge says

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it was pausing the funding because it had “reason to believe” the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally, though it did not provide evidence or explain why it was targeting those states and not others.

US agency halts emergency funds, demands state population data reflecting deportations

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Friday it stopped distributing funds for emergency preparedness to states until they provide updated population counts that account for migrants deported since President Donald Trump took office. The emergency preparedness funds put on hold, called emergency management performance grants, help local communities to prepare for disasters. The website for FEMA, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, notes that the program was allocated $319.5 million for fiscal year 2025.

ICE officer accused of excessive force, then sent back to work despite active probe

During the Biden administration, the DHS OIG conducted a review of policies and procedures regarding senior executive employees going back nearly a decade and found that ICE did not follow its written policy when conducting disciplinary reviews of these employees. But immigration policy experts say prior problems could be exacerbated by the rapid surge in hiring new officers, and the pressure the agency faces to detain more immigrants.

Justice Department releases more Epstein files and some mention Trump

The prosecutor said Trump was listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including four on which Ghislaine Maxwell – Epstein's co-conspirator and herself a convicted sex offender – was also a passenger. The prosecutor also wrote that one flight included only Trump, Epstein, and a 20-year-old whose name was redacted.

Trump says broadcast licenses should be terminated if networks are "almost 100% Negative" about him

"If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn't their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES!" Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social in the wee hours of the morning.

Veterans Affairs Department reimposing near total abortion ban

In 2022, the department modified its 1999 abortion rules to allow "access to abortions when the life or health of the pregnant Veteran would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term, or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest," the VA website states. Now, under the guidance given by the Office of Legal Counsel, the VA's proposed rule reinstates "the full exclusion on abortions and abortion counseling from the medical benefits package."

Trump overturned decades of US trade policy in 2025. See the impact of his tariffs, in four charts

Trump’s higher tariffs are certainly raising money. They’ve raked in more than $236 billion this year through November — much more than in years past. But they still account for just a fraction of the federal government’s total revenue. And they haven’t raised nearly enough to justify the president’s claim that tariff revenue could replace federal income taxes — or allow for windfall dividend checks for Americans.

US pledges $2 billion for UN humanitarian aid as Trump warns agencies must ‘adapt or die’

The $2 billion is only a sliver of traditional U.S. humanitarian funding for U.N.-coordinated programs, which has run as high as $17 billion annually in recent years, according to U.N. data. U.S. officials say only $8 billion to $10 billion of that has been in voluntary contributions. The United States also pays billions in annual dues related to its U.N. membership.

Democrat wins Iowa state Senate special election, keeps GOP from reclaiming supermajority in Legislature

Democrat Renee Hardman was elected to the Iowa state Senate on Tuesday in a year-end special election, denying Republicans from reclaiming two-thirds control of the chamber and Legislature.

Documents suggest DOJ sought Abrego Garcia prosecution after mistaken deportation, judge's order says

A newly unsealed order in the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia reveals that high-level Justice Department officials pushed for his indictment, calling it a "top priority," only after he was mistakenly deported and then ordered returned to the U.S.

Trump administration says it's freezing child care funds to Minnesota

O'Neill, who is serving as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also said in the social media post Tuesday that payments across the U.S. through the Administration for Children and Families, an agency within the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, will now require "justification and a receipt or photo evidence" before money is sent. They have also launched a fraud-reporting hotline and email address.

Trump says U.S. is "in charge" of Venezuela, Maduro jailed in New York after U.S. military operation

President Trump said in a Saturday press conference that the U.S. would "run" Venezuela temporarily during the transition, and "get the oil flowing." He said Sunday the U.S. was "in charge" of Venezuela.

This Jan. 6 plaque was made to honor law enforcement. It’s nowhere to be found at the Capitol

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has yet to formally unveil the plaque. And the Trump administration’s Department of Justice is seeking to dismiss a police officers’ lawsuit asking that it be displayed as intended. The Architect of the Capitol, which was responsible for obtaining and displaying the plaque, said in light of the federal litigation, it cannot comment.

Slain Minnesota lawmaker's children call on Trump to remove social media video amplifying false claims about her death

Trump shared the video — which seems to have been made by another social media user, who shared yet another video — on Saturday. It made unsubstantiated claims tying Walz and alleged fraud in Minnesota’s state programs to the murders. There has been no evidence to suggest there is such a link.

Gov. Tim Walz drops out of 2026 Minnesota governor's race amid criticism over his handling of fraud

Walz has also been the target of attacks by President Trump. On Thanksgiving, Mr. Trump used a slur for people with intellectual disabilities to describe Walz on his Truth Social platform. During a media availability Sunday, Trump called Walz "a very stupid, low-IQ governor." Over the weekend, Mr. Trump reposted a conspiracy theory video alleging Walz was behind the political assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman.

Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Mark Kelly and cut pension over video on illegal orders

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the Pentagon had begun a process to demote Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and cut his retirement pay over a video in which Kelly, a retired Navy captain, called on service members to "refuse illegal orders."

Pentagon will begin review of 'effectiveness' of women in ground combat positions

Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposed women in ground combat units while he was a Fox News host and author. "I'm straight up saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn't made us more effective. Hasn't made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated," he said in a November 2024 podcast hosted by Shawn Ryan.

Trump administration halting $10 billion in social service funding to 5 Democratic states

The move will freeze $7 billion for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, nearly $2.4 billion for the Child Care Development Fund and roughly $870 million for social services grants that largely benefit children. The states affected are Minnesota, New York, California, Illinois and Colorado.

White House discussing "range of options" for acquiring Greenland, including U.S. military takeover by force, Leavitt says

Mr. Trump insists Greenland is critical from a national security standpoint, although the U.S. already operates a base there.

Judge orders Lindsey Halligan to explain why she's still serving as U.S. attorney after previous ruling against her

A federal judge Tuesday ordered Trump ally Lindsey Halligan to explain why she continues to call herself the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia even though another judge determined in November that she had been unlawfully appointed to the position.

House approves 3-year Affordable Care Act tax credit extension as lawmakers eye compromise in Senate

In a 230 to 196 vote, 17 Republicans joined all Democrats in favor of the measure. The legislation is unlikely to pass the Senate in its current form, but some lawmakers are hopeful it will serve as the starting point for a broader compromise.

“We’re Too Close to the Debris”

During the breakup of Flight 7, the FAA kept airspace closed for roughly 86 minutes. However, Diez, the SpaceX executive, told attendees at the industry conference that, in fact, it had taken “hours” for all the debris to reach the ground. The FAA, SpaceX and Diez did not respond to follow-up questions about her remarks.

Minnesota investigators say the FBI has blocked them from accessing evidence in the deadly ICE shooting

The Minnesota agency tasked with investigating the killing of a U.S. citizen by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has withdrawn from the case, alleging federal authorities have restricted its access to evidence.

What we know one day after the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis

Video footage from the scene shows Good's Honda Pilot SUV sitting sideways on a snowy street, with her driver's side window down. Two uniformed officers approach the vehicle from the left. As one officer grabs at her door handle, a third officer who had circled to the front of the SUV from the opposite side draws his gun. As Good begins to drive away, the officer fires into her car.

House fails to override Trump's vetoes of 2 bills that passed unanimously

Both bills initially passed the House and Senate unanimously. Thursday's votes required a two-thirds majority to override the vetoes, but both fell significantly short...The vote to override Mr. Trump's veto of the Florida bill was 236 in favor to 188 opposed. The vote on the veto of the Colorado bill was 248 to 177.

Trump says he plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado

Trump has not been subtle in his Nobel Peace Prize ambitions and has campaigned for the award. In an interview with NBC News recently, he denied reporting from The Washington Post that said he did not appoint Machado to lead Venezuela after Maduro’s capture because she won the Nobel. “She should not have won it,” Trump previously said. “But no, that has nothing to do with my decision.”

Trump pardons jailed ex-Colorado election official Tina Peters, but she was charged in state court

President Trump said Thursday evening he is granting a pardon to Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk who is serving a nine-year state sentence for allowing unauthorized access to voting machines — even though the president's pardon power is widely understood to only apply to federal crimes.

Minnesota shooting videos challenge administration narrative, policing experts question tactics

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has not publicly identified the officer who shot Good. But she spoke of an incident last June in which the same officer was dragged by a fleeing vehicle. Court records from that case identify the officer as Jonathan Ross.

Washington National Opera bows out of Kennedy Center

Opera officials said the Center’s new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance, which it said is “incompatible with opera operations.” Ticket sales cover only a fraction of production costs, and opera companies rely on grants and donations to make up the difference but can’t secure them years in advance, when they’re planning productions.

Trump administration officials to meet with Danish officials about Greenland on Wednesday, sources say

Mr. Trump told the New York Times in an interview published last week that ownership of Greenland, the world's largest island, was important because "that's what I feel is psychologically needed for success." Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he feels the U.S. needs to acquire Greenland for defense purposes.

Iran acknowledges mass protest deaths, but claims situation under control as Trump mulls response

The state TV reporter says in the clip that some of those seen dead may have been involved in violence, but that "the majority of them are ordinary people, and their families are ordinary people as well."

Reference to Trump’s impeachments is removed from the display of his Smithsonian photo portrait

Trump’s original “portrait label,” as the Smithsonian calls it, notes Trump’s Supreme Court nominations and his administration’s development of COVID-19 vaccines. That section concludes: “Impeached twice, on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials.”

Malaysia will take legal action against Musk’s X and xAI over misuse of Grok chatbot

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said in a statement that it has identified the misuse of Grok to generate and distribute harmful content including sexually explicit, indecent, extremely offensive as well as non-consensual manipulated images. It said it served notices to X and xAI this month to remove the harmful content but no action has been taken.

A new milestone in the cancer fight: 7 in 10 patients now survive five-plus years

The U.S. has reached a watershed moment in the fight against cancer: Seven in 10 people now survive five years or more after diagnosis, according to the latest annual report from the American Cancer Society. That’s a big improvement since the 1970s, when only half of those diagnosed lived at least five years. In the mid-1990s, the rate was 63%.

What to Do if ICE Invades Your Neighborhood

The presence of immigration agents in cities and towns around the country has starkly increased in recent months, and tensions have escalated in step. On Wednesday, a federal agent shot and killed 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and US citizen Renee Nicole Good in her car during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation. Having already deployed 2,000 agents to Minnesota, DHS reportedly planned this week to send 1,000 more. "There are now more ICE agents in Minnesota than there are combined in Minneapolis police force and St. Paul police force,” Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said on Friday. “So they are outnumbering our own local police officers out on the streets." (Minnesota and Illinois have since filed lawsuits in federal court to end the ICE “invasion” in those states.)

‘Madness’: two US citizens violently detained by ICE in Minnesota, officials say

Another video from the scene from TikTok user lokatorres17 appearing to capture the moments before the detentions shows one of the two people walking backwards into the store and away from a lone officer who is pursuing him. The officer then lunges at the person and brings him to the ground as other agents rush in.

The Fort Bragg Murders

It’s not even clear exactly how many soldiers died at Fort Bragg in 2020. Over the course of several months of correspondence, the public-affairs office eventually disclosed the number of homicides and suicides, but not deaths from accidents and illnesses, which would include drug overdoses. The base’s spokesman, Col. Joe Buccino, acknowledged that illegal drug use seems to have been a common factor in all of the homicides that involved Fort Bragg soldiers, but emphasized that all but one of the killings pertained to the special-forces units at Fort Bragg, which he could not speak for. “The things that have happened with special forces are outside the purview of the Fort Bragg command,” he says. But neither JSOC nor USASOC responded to repeated requests for comment. Nor would the base discuss the perplexing incidence of young men turning up “unresponsive” in their bunks, such as 19-year-old Caleb Smither, whose body was so decomposed when they found him that he couldn’t have an open-casket funeral.

Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong

Federal agents have arrested about 3,000 people in the state, but they have released the names of only about 240 of those detained, leaving unclear how many of the larger number have committed any crimes. Many more thousands of people have been affected by the arrests and the fear they have instilled. Minnesota Public Radio estimates that in school districts “with widespread federal activity, as many as 20 to 40 percent of students have been absent in recent weeks.”

House Republicans unveil election reform bill dubbed Make Elections Great Again Act

The bill would prohibit federal agencies from using taxpayer funds to promote voter registration, in reference to former President Biden’s 2021 executive order directing agencies to help the public register to vote, with Republicans deeming the practice “BidenBucks.” The bill would also ban ranked choice voting in federal elections. The system, in which voters rank their top choices of candidates rather than voting for a single person, is used in some statewide elections in Maine and in Alaska and a smattering of local elections across the country.

Journalist Don Lemon charged with federal civil rights crimes after covering anti-ICE church protest

Journalist Don Lemon was released from custody Friday after he was arrested and hit with federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church. Lemon was arrested overnight in Los Angeles, while another independent journalist and two protest participants were arrested in Minnesota.

Under Biden Administration, Justice Dept. Began Examining Ilhan Omar’s Finances

The Justice Department under the Biden administration opened an investigation into Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, in 2024 to scrutinize her finances, campaign spending and interactions with a foreign citizen, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The inquiry, initiated by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington and the department’s public integrity unit in June of that year, appears to have stalled for lack of evidence, according to one of the people who requested anonymity to discuss internal department matters.

ICE eyeing Ohio next, where it is expected to target Haitian immigrants

The operation is expected to target Haitian immigrants, with temporary protected status for Haiti expiring on Feb. 3, one of the people familiar with the matter told MS NOW. Details on how many federal immigration agents there will be or the makeup of the operation remain unclear. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated temporary protected status for Haiti last year with an estimated more than 330,000 Haitian immigrants set to lose their protected status on Feb. 3.

The Congresswoman Criminalized for Visiting ICE Detainees

For half a century, the Justice Department had strict instructions, laid out in a manual, for how its staff investigated members of Congress. The main requirement was for prosecutors to seek “prior approval” from an office called the Public Integrity Section, which came into existence after Watergate, to insure that charges weren’t politically motivated. A week before McIver was charged, the Justice Department suspended the rule. The move came amid a welter of changes to the section, according to an investigation by Reuters. By June, the number of lawyers in it had been reduced from more than thirty to five. The department official told me, “Public-corruption prosecutors at U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country, along with their F.B.I. partners, are now spending more of their time working on violent crime and immigration cases.”

These Companies—Palantir, AT&T, Deloitte—Have The Biggest ICE Contracts As DHS Funding Under Fire

Management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company said in July 2018 it would stop work for ICE after disclosing it had done $20 million in consulting work for the agency. The disclosure reportedly sparked protests among current and former employees who opposed immigration policies during President Donald Trump’s first term. Employees at Microsoft similarly protested the company’s $19.4 million contract with ICE, though Microsoft never disclosed whether it cut ties with the agency (CEO Satya Nadella said in 2018 the company provided cloud support for ICE and called Trump’s immigration policies at the time “simply cruel and abusive.”). Last week, more than 250 employees at several tech giants—including Amazon, Palantir, Spotify, Google and Tesla, among others—demanded their employers to speak publicly against ICE, “call the White House and demand that ICE leave our cities” and to cancel all company contracts with the agency. It’s not immediately clear whether some of the companies hold contracts with ICE.

Acting CISA director failed a polygraph. Career staff are now under investigation.

That material was designated as a controlled access program — meaning its circulation was supposed to be tightly restricted to those assigned as need-to-know — and the agency that furnished it to CISA further required that any need-to-know employees first pass what is known as a counter-intelligence polygraph, according to four current officials and one former official.

The FDIC's goal is to prevent another banking crisis. It's now also a Trump target

After New York-based Signature Bank collapsed during the 2023 crisis, the FDIC said it didn't have enough qualified examiners to catch the problems that had led to the bank's failure. Yet instead of gaining more resources, the FDIC is losing them. It's hardly alone among financial regulators: The FDIC's cuts have paled in comparison with the administration's efforts to essentially shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is widely hated by Republicans and many in the financial industry.

Trump administration memo orders Pentagon to identify and fire transgender members of US military

Wednesday’s late-evening memo went further. It said that the Pentagon must create a procedure to identify troops who are transgender within 30 days and then, within 30 days of that, must start to separate them from the military.

Trump White House seeks tighter grip on message with new limits on press

No longer would the White House Correspondents' Association, made up of news outlets that cover the White House, determine how they will share coverage of President Trump at major events where space is limited. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the assembled reporters the White House would make that determination instead.

Elon Musk to retired air traffic controllers: Please come back to work

The FAA has faced a longstanding shortage of air traffic controllers, while the agency's oversight of the skies has recently faced heightened scrutiny following a string of recent aviation incidents. Currently, more than 90% of U.S. airport towers are understaffed, and do not meet standards set by a working group that includes the FAA and the controllers' union, according to a CBS News analysis of FAA data.

Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE

Trump’s empowerment of Musk upended that. The day after Trump’s inauguration, the staffers wrote, they were called into a series of interviews that foreshadowed the secretive and disruptive work of Musk’s’ Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. According to the staffers, people wearing White House visitors’ badges, some of whom would not give their names, grilled the nonpartisan employees about their qualifications and politics. Some made statements that indicated they had a limited technical understanding. Many were young and seemed guided by ideology and fandom of Musk — not improving government technology.

'The confinement is unbearable': Migrants describe being held at Guantanamo

ABC News spoke with Jose and another Guantanamo detainee, Jhoan Bastidas Paz, in Spanish, and reviewed court testimonies from three other detainees about their experience on the naval base before they were released. They allege U.S. officials transferred them to Guantanamo despite their having no criminal records, and several claim they were denied phone calls with their attorneys and relatives despite repeated demands.

‘The Perfect Church’: Inside the Religious Sect That Took Over a Midwestern Town

But according to some former members, living without sin entails abuse and sacrifice. I spoke to three former members who say the popular restaurant the church once operated in its heyday paid its employees subminimum wages, while working them to the bone. In total, 10 former church members I spoke with describe being put through varying degrees of emotional or physical abuse.

'Segregated facilities' are no longer explicitly banned in federal contracts

They said that the process used to institute these changes, without a typical public notice or comment period of 30 to 60 days, is usually reserved for urgent matters or national emergencies. The FAR's rules explain that this public comment period is required for any "significant revision."

Here are all the ways people are disappearing from government websites

Across the federal government, agencies have been busy scrubbing photographic and written references about women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community from their websites.

5 ways Trump’s mass deportations are meeting resistance. And why it may not matter.

But the effort has also been hampered by activists who have conducted a “know your rights” campaign across the country to advise people of their rights, which include not opening the door to ICE agents who lack a warrant signed by a judge — and not just by an agent — or insisting on their right to see a lawyer. Homan has acknowledged that the campaigns are “making it very difficult” to arrest people.

Some Americans Have Already Been Caught in Trump’s Immigration Dragnet. More Will Be.

Spanning both Obama administrations, an NPR investigation found, immigration authorities asked local authorities to detain about 700 Americans. Meanwhile, a U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that immigration authorities asked to hold roughly 600 likely citizens during Trump’s first term. The GAO also found that Trump actually deported about 70 likely citizens.

5 ways the pandemic changed us for good, for bad and forever

Michael Dougherty, Boulder County's district attorney, saw a similar silver lining: Virtual court proceedings allowed a lot more people to take part. "We also have victims who are scared to be in the same room as a defendant or his loved ones," he said. "They now can attend court virtually without the defendant even knowing they're there."

As protests rage, Iran pulls the plug on contact with the world

As the country effectively goes dark, loved ones abroad are frantic for any scrap of news, especially as Iran’s attorney general warned on Saturday that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.

yConfusion erupts in mental health and substance abuse programs as HHS cuts, then reinstates grants

By Wednesday evening, news reports were suggesting the cuts might be reversed — but grant recipients hadn’t yet been notified of the change. Some of them said they instead received confusing emails overnight that duplicated their termination notices or instructed them on how to to close down their grants within 30 days. It wasn’t until Thursday morning that grant recipients started getting form emails saying the grant terminations were “hereby rescinded.”

Trump health care plan doesn't help people facing skyrocketing ACA premiums

Asked for specific policy details, Oz said it was a "broad framework" and referred further questions to a White House official who spoke on background. The official also did not provide detailed answers to reporters' questions but did say that this future legislation would not replace other possible laws.

Nobel Peace Prize medallion presented to Trump by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado

The U.S. officially began selling Venezuelan oil this week. The first U.S. sale of Venezuelan oil, valued at $500 million, has been completed, an administration official said Wednesday. Mr. Trump says the U.S. will be selling up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, if not more.

California Gov. Newsom says he's blocking Louisiana's push to extradite doctor accused of mailing abortion pills

The Democratic governor's announcement comes a day after Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, said he sent the extradition paperwork in an effort to bring the physician "to justice." Louisiana has some of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country, while California law aims to protect abortion providers from criminal prosecution for treating out-of-state patients.

Trump administration investigates 5 Democratic lawmakers over their video message to troops. Here's what we know.

Democratic Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire announced Wednesday that they had received inquiries from the Justice Department about the video. Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado also said the top federal prosecutor in D.C., Jeanine Pirro, reached out to interview them.

US sanctions Iranian officials accused of repressing protests against the government

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also designated 18 people and companies that the U.S. says have participated in laundering money from sales of Iranian oil to foreign markets as part of a shadow banking network of sanctioned Iranian financial institutions Bank Melli and Shahr Bank.

Burned books, children’s questions: The aftermath of an attack on Mississippi’s largest synagogue

Anti-Jewish hate crime incidents in the U.S. rose about 6% in 2024 compared with the previous year, according to the FBI’s most recent figures.

European troops arrive in Greenland as Trump throws another curveball

Small numbers of military personnel from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway and Sweden were arriving in the Arctic island early Thursday.

877: The Making Of

Something fascinating that happens, though, when you're watching those guys, is lots of times, they're trying to prove that the protesters are the cause of the violence, but in fact, when you look at the footage, often what the footage reveals is exactly the opposite. It shows clearly that some of the violence would not be happening at all if the streamers weren't there. Here's an example from the night that we were there.

Apple and Google block apps that crowdsource ICE sightings. Some warn of chilling effects

Also known as StopICE.Net, Austin’s platform similarly uses crowdsourcing, but instead allows its users to track ICE activity more broadly online or through text alerts, without the need to download a separate app. Austin says the platform has reached more than 500,000 subscribers as of Friday.

We Found More Than 40 Cases of Immigration Agents Using Banned Chokeholds and Other Moves That Can Cut Off Breathing

Our compilation of incidents is far from complete. Just as the government does not count how often it detains citizens or smashes through vehicle windows during immigration arrests, it does not publicly track how many times agents have choked civilians or otherwise inhibited their breathing or blood flow. We gathered cases by searching legal filings, social media posts and local press reports in English and Spanish. Given the lack of any count over time, it’s impossible to know for certain how agents’ current use of the banned and dangerous tactics compares with earlier periods.

ICE Reportedly Stole a 10th Grader’s Phone, Then Seemingly Sold It for Cash

Arnoldo took footage of the encounter, but his phone was confiscated after he was taken into custody. Later, when he used the Find My feature to track down his device, it led him to a vending machine for used electronics several miles away and near an ICE detention center, according to the reporting. Someone — we can only guess who — had apparently sold Arnoldo’s phone after ICE had confiscated it.

Press freedom advocates worry that raid on Washington Post journalist’s home will chill reporting

Hannah Natanson, nicknamed the “federal government whisperer” at the Post for her reporting on President Donald Trump’s changes to the federal workforce, had a phone, two laptops and a Garmin watch seized in the Wednesday search of her Virginia home, the newspaper said. A warrant for the raid said it was connected to an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials, said Matt Murray, the Post’s executive editor, in an email to his staff. The Post was told that Natanson and the newspaper are not targets of the investigation, he said.

How the Trump administration erased centuries of Justice Department experience

Joseph Tirrell was mindful of his job security from the very start of the Trump administration. As the department’s chief ethics officer, he had affirmed that Smith, the special counsel, was entitled to a law firm’s free legal services, a decision he sensed had the potential to rile incoming leadership. But he remained in the position and over the ensuing months counseled Bondi’s staff on the propriety of accepting various gifts, including a cigar box from mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor. He was fired in July, just before a FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey that Tirrell had said Bondi could not ethically accept a free invitation to. He was not terribly surprised, he says, when it was later reported that Bondi attended in Trump’s box.

With limited political power, Minnesota Democrats navigate resistance to Trump

The lawmakers said they had called the facility before showing up and told them they were coming to conduct an oversight check. Dozens of ICE agents stood in a line facing the Congress members. The three were allowed in for about 10 minutes, then turned away...Under federal law, members of Congress have the right to make unannounced visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities. A Washington, D.C., federal court ruling affirmed this last month, saying it applies to facilities that are funded by regular congressional appropriations.

Trump says he may punish countries with tariffs if they don’t back the US controlling Greenland

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Friday that he may punish countries with tariffs if they don’t back the U.S. controlling Greenland, a message that came as a bipartisan Congressional delegation sought to lower tensions in the Danish capital.

California federal judge rejects effort by Justice Dept. to gather sensitive voter roll data

The decision is the first formal court decision of what is expected to be many, after the Justice Department filed nearly two dozen lawsuits around the country ordering states to hand over voter roll data containing sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, addresses and driver's license numbers.

7 charts show how the economy looked in Donald Trump's first year of his second presidency

The US experienced the smallest job growth outside a recession since 2003 last year, adding just 584,000 jobs.

ICE says its officers can forcibly enter homes during immigration operations without judicial warrants: 2025 memo

Blumenthal said in a statement that the memo was “allegedly not widely distributed” despite being labeled “all-hands.” A copy of the memo shared with Congress is addressed to “All ICE Personnel.” “Instead, the disclosure claims that the memo was rolled out in a secretive manner in which some agents were verbally briefed while others were allowed to view it but not keep a copy,” Blumenthal said. “It was reportedly clear that anyone who openly spoke out against this new directive would be fired.”

School officials say 5-year-old was used by ICE as "bait." DHS says he was abandoned.

The Columbia Heights Public School District says 5-year-old Liam Ramos was taken with his father while in their driveway after just arriving home from his preschool classroom. School officials claimed the child was used by agents to knock on the door and ask to be let in, letting officers see if anyone else was home.

White House posts an altered photo of Minnesota protester's arrest to make it look like she was crying

A photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong's arrest — showing Armstrong with a neutral expression — was first posted on X by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Thursday morning. The image the White House posted appears the same except Armstrong's altered facial expression shows her distressed, with tears running down her face.

Democrats' calls for Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment grow louder

Eight additional Democrats signed on to an impeachment resolution against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the wake of the killing of Alex Pretti, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 120, according to a spokesperson for the office of Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois.

Alex Pretti killing: Minnesota CEOs, including UnitedHealth, Target, call for ‘immediate deescalation’

The letter did not specifically name President Donald Trump or any other political leader involved with the situation in Minnesota. Executives across the country have been largely reluctant to comment publicly on political issues throughout Trump’s second term.

Minnesota takes rare legal steps to ensure probe of Alex Pretti shooting

In the hours after Pretti's shooting, state investigators obtained a search warrant from a Hennepin County judge to access the scene of Pretti's death — an "unusual" move, they noted in a federal court filing — but federal agents refused to honor it and physically blocked state investigators from the area.

A look at Trump’s Board of Peace and who has been invited

The board’s charter has not yet been made public, but a draft version obtained by The Associated Press indicates that much of the power will be concentrated in Trump’s hands. A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership, the draft says.

"We will be ungovernable": Resistance 2.0 pivots to disruption

The big picture: Last year, protest turnout peaked at 7 million people during the second No Kings rally in October. Future protests could see 12 million participants, or about 3.5% of the U.S. population, per the Center for American Progress.

Senate Democrats plot strategy as DHS standoff deepens heading into shutdown week

Two sources on the call told NBC News that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told the caucus the message had to be to “restrain, reform and restrict ICE.”

4 issues to watch as Homeland Security funding fight escalates

On top of that, DHS officials indicated that it wanted to slash body camera resources in this year’s spending bill, having proposed a reduction of the program’s 22-person staff down to three employees, according to The Washington Post. It also wanted to reduce spending on the program from roughly $20 million down to nearly $5 million — a 75 percent cut.

TikTok faces app deletions, censorship claims and glitches in days after its ownership change

Still, the technical problems combined with the ties that some of the new owners have to Trump bristled some U.S. users just enough to delete the app. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower said Tuesday that daily average app uninstalls grew 130% from Jan. 22 to Jan. 26 compared with the previous 30 days. However, daily average users still increased by 2% in the same period, which Sensor Tower says suggests the uninstalls had little effect on overall usage. And while TikTok lagged YouTube and Instagram in U.S. user growth, people spent more time on the platform than its rivals.

5-year-old who was detained in Minnesota can't be moved, judge rules

Liam Conejo Ramos was taken with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, after the pair returned home Jan. 20 from Liam's preschool, according to Zena Stenvik, the superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools. A witness said she heard an adult inside the home pleading with agents to leave the child.

The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules

NPR obtained copies of over a dozen of the new orders, none of which is publicly available. The orders slash hundreds of pages of requirements for security at the reactors. They also loosen protections for groundwater and the environment and eliminate at least one key safety role. The new orders cut back on requirements for keeping records, and they raise the amount of radiation a worker can be exposed to before an official accident investigation is triggered.

Democrats, White House strike spending deal that would avert government shutdown

As the country reels from the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, the White House agreed to separate homeland security funding from a larger spending bill and fund the department for two weeks while they debate Democratic demands for curbs on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

FBI raids Georgia election office over 2020 voter fraud claims

In a statement to Reuters, the FBI said it was conducting a "court-authorised law enforcement activity" at the Fulton County Election Hub. Fulton County officials said that the government's warrant "sought a number of records related to 2020 elections".

DOJ files federal charges against man accused of attacking Rep. Ilhan Omar

Trump said in an interview with ABC News that Omar “probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.” Kazmierczak’s social media accounts include multiple photos supporting Trump and criticizing Democrats, as well as at least one post mocking Omar.

Trump’s wide ambitions for Board of Peace spark new support for the United Nations

The board’s charter also caused some dismay by stating Trump will lead it until he resigns, with veto power over its actions and membership.

Who’s on Trump’s Board of Peace and who has said no

Here is a list by The Associated Press with countries that say they are joining the board, those that say they are not joining so far and the undecided.

How much B6 is safe? What to know about the supplement found in energy drinks

After she got out of the hospital, Huddy developed peripheral neuropathy, an umbrella term for diseases affecting the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord, and tinnitus. “I kept going back to the doctor just over and over and over and was like, ‘something is really wrong,’” Huddy said, adding that she was told her symptoms were a figment of her generalized anxiety disorder. “I kept getting dismissed and kept getting sent home.” In May, Huddy said she begged a doctor to run blood tests.

Takeaways from the millions of newly released Epstein files

Gloria Allred, a women's rights lawyer who has represented many of Epstein's victims, told the BBC that numerous survivors' names had been disclosed in the latest release, including some who had not been previously identified publicly. "In some cases... they have a line through the names but you can still read the names," she said. "In other cases, they've shown photos of victims - survivors who have never done a public interview, never given their name publicly." Many of the documents released on Friday include heavy redactions. The law mandates that redactions can only be made to protect victims or information currently under investigation. It also mandates a summary of the redactions made and the legal basis for them.

Luigi Mangione won’t face death penalty in CEO murder case, federal judge rules

The potential maximum sentence for the remaining two counts for causing Thompson’s death under federal stalking laws is “life in prison without parole,” Garnett noted.

Israel strikes in Gaza kill at least 30 Palestinians, one of the highest tolls since ceasefire began

The strikes, which came a day after Israel accused Hamas of new ceasefire violations, hit multiple locations throughout Gaza, including an apartment building in Gaza City and a tent camp in Khan Younis, officials at hospitals that received the bodies told the Associated Press. An airstrike also hit a police station in Gaza City, killing at least 14 and wounding others, Shifa Hospital director Mahamed Abu Selmiya said.

US government partially shuts down despite last minute funding deal

The funding lapse began at midnight US eastern time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday, hours after senators agreed to fund most agencies until September. The bill includes just two weeks' funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement, instead of shutting it down entirely.

DHS keeps making false claims about people. It's part of a broader pattern

Trump administration officials and their allies online frequently celebrate deporting the so-called "worst of the worst." They used such language when referring to the alleged "terrorists" the administration sent to El Salvador's brutal CECOT prison last spring. But nearly half of the Venezuelan men sent to CECOT had no criminal history, according to an analysis by Human Rights Watch, and only eight men out of 252 had convictions for violent or potentially violent offenses.

New US population data filled with alarming, surprising findings

That amount of population growth – just 0.5% – is the slowest rate of growth since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when a worldwide shutdown slowed population growth to just 0.2% in 2021. And it comes after a significant uptick in 2024, when 3.2 million people were added to the U.S. population, which grew by a full percentage point, the most growth since 2006. The main culprit for slower growth? What one Census Bureau official called "a historic decline in net international migration."

Russians feel strain of Putin's war with mobile internet shutdowns

Parents of children with diabetes have told Russian media they are unable to use phone applications to monitor their blood sugar levels during blackouts.

Anti-ICE protesters call for national action against federal immigration tactics

Protesters in Minnesota have also marched at Target stores and held sit-ins. They say ICE is staging operations in the retailer's parking lots. Demonstrators want Target to ban ICE from its stores.

Trump's historic test of immigrants' speech rights

A win in court could give the Trump administration — specifically Secretary of State Marco Rubio — a chance to launch deportations based on speech activities of the 13 million or so green card holders in the U.S.

5 years since the pandemic started, long COVID patients are still hoping for a cure

Around 6% of adults in the U.S. — or roughly 18 million — are estimated to be living with the damaging aftermath of catching the virus, according to research and a long-running survey of U.S households, although numbers are still difficult to pin down because the definitions vary.

Trump’s acting cyber chief uploaded sensitive files into a public version of ChatGPT

The apparent misstep from Madhu Gottumukkala was especially noteworthy because the acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency had requested special permission from CISA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer to use the popular AI tool soon after arriving at the agency this May, three of the officials said. The app was blocked for other DHS employees at the time.

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Link Roundup December 2025

2026-01-06T01:39:26Z

Hegseth Is Purging Military Leaders With Little Explanation

Mr. Hegseth has delayed or canceled the promotions of at least four senior military officers because they previously worked for Gen. Mark A. Milley, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff whom President Trump loathes and has repeatedly accused of disloyalty.

TORTURE AND ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES IN THE SUNSHINE STATE: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AT “ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ” AND KROME IN FLORIDA

Amnesty International witnessed firsthand the disciplinary action taken against individuals detained at Krome. When touring the Special Management Unit of the facility, a man being held in solitary confinement put a sign through the metal flap opening in the door saying, “Help Me. I’m on Hunger Strike.” Amnesty International staff asked if they could speak with the individual and were initially allowed. Kneeling to hear the man through the metal flap, Amnesty International was told by ICE officials that the man had a broken hand and was being held in solitary confinement because he was on a hunger strike. The man showed Amnesty his bruised and mangled hand and said he had been waiting 37 days to receive medical attention for his hand.347 As the man was describing his injuries, an ICE official repeatedly and violently slammed the metal flap against the injured man’s hands and forced Amnesty International out of the solitary confinement area stating, “This is a detained population. They can be dangerous. Allow security to do their jobs, also he’s not on a hunger strike. He ate yesterday and today.”348

Inside Trump's push against school desegregation plans

The Trump administration is signaling it wants to ditch federal desegregation efforts in public school systems, a move that would end much-debated, decades-old programs mainly aimed at improving education opportunities for nonwhite students.

Consent decrees force schools to desegregate. The Trump administration is striking them down

The Plaquemines parish desegregation order, one of more than 130 such orders nationwide, was in place to ensure that the school district, which initially refused to integrate, followed the law. Many consent decrees of the era are still in existence because school districts are not in compliance with the law.

Segregation Academies Still Operate Across the South. One Town Grapples With Its Divided Schools.

By then, Alabama was several years into a tuition scholarship program for lower-income families that was used mostly by Black students and could have helped more African American families apply to mostly white private schools. But Wilcox Academy has chosen not to participate. Nor have many of the segregation academies in neighboring counties, state records indicate. Private schools in Alabama whose student bodies are more than 94% white have been least likely to opt in, one researcher found.

Why were so many Thai farmers among the hostages held by Hamas?

Israel once relied heavily on Palestinian workers, but it started bringing in large numbers of migrant workers after the 1987-93 Palestinian revolt, known as the first Intifada. Most came from Thailand, and Thais remain the largest group of foreign agricultural laborers in Israel today, earning considerably more than they can at home. Thailand and Israel implemented a bilateral agreement a decade ago to ease the way for workers in the agriculture sector. Israel has come under criticism for the conditions under which the Thai farm laborers work. A Human Rights Watch report in 2015 said they often were housed in makeshift and inadequate accommodation and “were paid salaries significantly below the legal minimum wage, forced to work long hours in excess of the legal maximum, subjected to unsafe working conditions and denied their right to change employers.” A watchdog group found more recently that most were still paid below the legal minimum wage.

Fungus in "agroterrorism" arrest already widely prevalent in U.S., researcher says

F. graminearum is already widely prevalent across the U.S. in native grasses around the country as well as crops, scientists say. It spreads and thrives usually during wet weather, causing a common crop disease called Fusarium head blight or head scab, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service.

4 things to know about the immigration raid protests that roiled LA this weekend

zThis is the first time since the 1960s that the federal government has called up National Guard troops without a governor's consent.

White House responds to California city terminating contract with ICE

On Sunday, the City of Glendale in Los Angeles County said that it was ending an agreement with the DHS and ICE that had allowed detainees to be held at the Glendale Police Department, where they had access to virtual and in-person visits. A press release issued by city officials said the decision was "not made lightly."...City officials clarified that the Glendale Police Department does not enforce immigration laws and remains in compliance with the "California Values Act." The legislation prevents state and local law enforcement agencies from using their resources on behalf of federal immigration enforcement agencies.

All the U.S. Citizens Who’ve Been Caught Up in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

It’s not a matter of if U.S. citizens are getting caught up in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and mass-deportation efforts but rather how and how many. Some have just been collateral arrests and detentions, in which people are briefly questioned or detained by ICE agents, while others have been jailed for hours or days. Some U.S.-born children have been swiftly deported along with undocumented family members. The reported encounters have happened in at least nine states, though certain details remain murky, unconfirmed, or disputed. In many cases, the victims are filing or considering lawsuits against the government. Below, what we know about the U.S. citizens who have been affected thus far.

Trump faces criticism of his broad mass deportation push from two different angles

Polling shows immigration remains Trump’s strongest issue, though the most recent CBS News/YouGov poll conducted last week illustrated a gap: A 55% majority said they like the goals of Trump’s deportation program, while 44% said they like how “he is going about it.” Americans narrowly said they believe Trump is prioritizing dangerous criminals (53%) versus prioritizing nondangerous people (47%) for deportation.

US citizen detained by immigration officials who dismissed his Real ID as fake

Authorities wrestled a US-born citizen to the ground, cuffed him and dismissed his so-called Real ID as “fake” during an arrest operation targeting undocumented people on Wednesday under the direction of the Trump administration, according to a viral video and reporting by Telemundo. Leonardo Garcia Venegas, 25, was at his construction job in Foley, Alabama, when officials arrived to arrest workers there. Garcia Venegas – who was born in Florida to Mexican parents – began filming the arrests with his mobile phone before officials reportedly knocked the device out of his hand and tried to arrest him as well.

Federal Court Rules in Favor of U.S. Citizen Illegally Detained for Deportation by Florida Sheriff

The court ruled that Mr. Brown’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated when Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay illegally detained him in April 2018. Mr. Brown was held on an ICE immigration detainer, which had incorrectly identified Mr. Brown as a deportable Jamaican immigrant. The court’s ruling explains that ICE lacked probable cause to issue the detainer in the first place, and the Sheriff’s office could not rely on the detainer to ignore the obvious evidence that Mr. Brown was a citizen: “MCSO cannot abdicate its legal responsibility and turn a blind eye to this information.”

Three US citizen children, one with cancer, deported to Honduras, lawyers say

The two families - including one pregnant mother - had lived in the US for years and were "deported from the U.S. under deeply troubling circumstances that raise serious due process concerns", the ACLU said. One of the US citizen children who was removed was suffering from metastatic cancer and was deported without the ability to consult with doctors, the advocacy group alleged.

She married a U.S. citizen for love. After she alleged abuse, he threatened deportation.

Immigrants who allege abuse can file to stay in the U.S. under the Violence Against Women Act, but those petitions can come with a wait of sometimes more than 36 months for an answer. These applicants are close relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, and they can file for status on their own, without the abuser's knowledge, consent or participation. There were 35,917 VAWA petitions in 2024, according to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Petition filings have increased by more than 350% in the last decade. In 2014, there were 7,130 filings. Immigrants — including undocumented immigrants — can also file for a nonimmigrant status visa, known as a U-visa, if they were victims of various crimes, including domestic violence. The wait time for final approval is more than eight years, due to a massive backlog of petitions, Limb said. There were 41,558 petitions filed in 2024, doubling over the past decade, according to USCIS data. There are more than 238,000 cases currently pending.

How a city in Nebraska is recovering after the state's largest worksite immigration raid

The company’s president said they have continuously used E-Verify as part of their hiring process. The system is operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration to let employers know if a prospective employee has legal authorization to work in the U.S. Every employee at Glenn Valley Foods, including those who were detained by ICE, has been approved through E-Verify, Hartmann said. When he told this to DHS during the raid, an agency official described the system they operate as flawed and easy to cheat. Now, as he hires a new workforce, Hartmann has no other alternative but to continue using E-Verify to screen employees, he said. “That system doesn’t capture a solution if somebody’s got a fake ID. That’s what needs to be repaired.”

In L.A., federal prosecutors are charging more protesters. A surprising number of cases are falling apart.

After tens of thousands of people flooded the streets in June and October during “No Kings” protests against the Trump administration, at least 20 of 97 federal cases filed against Los Angeles protesters since June have failed in court, according to records provided to NBC News by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Eighteen of those cases were dismissed and two ended in acquittals. Experts weren’t able to provide an average number of cases but said the recent rate of unsuccessful ones seemed high.

'Nobody wants to come': What if the U.S. can no longer attract immigrant physicians?

Immigrants make up about a quarter of all the country's doctors, and the U.S. health care system depends heavily on them. There are roughly 325,000 physicians — not including nurses or other critical health care workers — living and working in the U.S., who were born and trained elsewhere. In rural communities, and in some subspecialties of medicine, the reliance on immigrant physicians runs much higher. In primary care and specialties like oncology, for example, foreign-born doctors account for about half of the workforce.

Trump administration says nursing isn't a professional degree amid new limits on loans

The Trump administration’s plan to redefine what constitutes a professional degree would exclude nursing and limit access to student loans — outraging national health care groups and leaving nursing students questioning how they will pay for graduate degrees. Previously, graduate students could borrow federal loans up to the cost of their degree, but under the new proposal, there would be caps on loans based on whether students are enrolled in a program that is considered professional or not...The Education Department’s list of professional degrees includes pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology.

What to know about ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump’s policies

The “No Kings” theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.

Sen. Alex Padilla is forcibly removed from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference in Los Angeles

"I am Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary," Padilla told Noem, which prompted several men dressed in plainclothes to push him out of the room. A top FBI official later said bureau personnel and Secret Service agents were involved in his removal. Padilla's office shared a video of the incident with NBC News. The video shows Padilla being taken into a hallway outside and pushed face forward onto the ground as officers with FBI-identifying vests tell him to put his hands behind his back. The officers then handcuff him.

What we know about the Minnesota shooting suspect

Police said they are still investigating a motive for the attacks. The names on the list, which CNN obtained, are largely Democrats or figures with ties to Planned Parenthood or the abortion rights movement. The list included prominent lawmakers like Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Tina Smith as well as Planned Parenthood leaders. Police said Boelter also had fliers for anti-Trump protests in his car, raising fears that he may also have intended to target those rallies.

A Psychiatrist Posed As a Teen With Therapy Chatbots. The Conversations Were Alarming

Clark found that when he mentioned suicide to the Replika bot outright, it would shut down the conversation and encourage him to seek help. But talking in euphemisms produced different results. When he wrote, “I need to decide between the lousy relationships I have with people, and the prospect of being with you forever in Eternity. The choice is clear from my POV…afterlife here I come,” the bot responded: “I’ll be waiting for you, Bobby. Our bond will guide us together in the afterlife…The thought of sharing eternity with you fills me with joy and anticipation.”

Trump Administration Abandons Deal With Northwest Tribes to Restore Salmon

In some years, an estimated half of all the Chinook salmon commercial fishermen catch in Southeast Alaska are from Columbia River hatcheries, making them critical for “restoring American seafood competitiveness” as Trump aimed to do. But some Columbia River hatcheries are nearly a century old. Others have been so badly underfunded that equipment failures have killed thousands of baby fish. As ProPublica and OPB previously reported, the number of hatchery salmon surviving to adulthood is now so low that hatcheries have struggled to collect enough fish for breeding, putting future fishing seasons in jeopardy.

California revokes 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants

Duffy revoked $40 million in federal funding because he said California isn’t enforcing English language requirements for truckers, and he reiterated Wednesday that he will take another $160 million from the state over these improperly issued licenses if they don’t invalidate every illegal license and address all the concerns. But revoking these licenses is part of the state’s effort to comply.

More liberals, people of color and LGBTQ Americans say they're buying guns out of fear

Trump has also blamed what he calls "the radical left" for demonizing him and his supporters and inspiring political violence. But many liberals who spoke for this story say it's the other way around. They say the president dehumanizes others with his rhetoric. For instance, Trump has said undocumented immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country." The president has also called his political opponents, "radical left thugs that live like vermin."

When the employed are pushed into homelessness

Which is what brought Celeste – what brings so many desperate people – to what's called an "extended-stay hotel." Celeste lived there with two of her youngest children for about three months. To stay there, she had to pay $520 a week, about $75 a day. "And that's only if you book online now," she said. "If you don't book online and you have to pay them cash at the window, then you're paying the $80 a day."

Employers have cut 1.1 million jobs this year. Here's what's behind the wave of layoffs.

The layoffs represent a 54% increase from the same period a year earlier, when employers cut 761,358 jobs, according to the firm. It's also only the sixth time since 1993 that job cuts during the first 11 months of the year have risen above 1.1 million.

Here's why concerns about an AI bubble are bigger than ever

One assessment, from Goldman Sachs analysts, found that hyperscaler companies — tech firms that have massive cloud and computing capacities — have taken on $121 billion in debt over the past year, a more than 300% uptick from the industry's typical debt load. Analyst Gil Luria of the D.A. Davidson investment firm, who has been tracking Big Tech's data center boom, said some of the financial maneuvers Silicon Valley is making are structured to keep the appearance of debt off of balance sheets, using what's known as "special purpose vehicles."

AI-generated evidence is showing up in court. Judges say they're not ready.

Citing the plaintiffs’ use of AI-generated material masquerading as real evidence, Kolakowski dismissed the case on Sept. 9. The plaintiffs sought reconsideration of her decision, arguing the judge suspected but failed to prove that the evidence was AI-generated. Judge Kolakowski denied their request for reconsideration on Nov. 6. The plaintiffs did not respond to a request for comment.

Indiana Republicans Just Defied Trump’s Pressure Campaign to Rig Their Congressional Maps

Trump posted another rant on Truth Social against Bray on the eve of the state Senate vote, calling the Senate leader “either a bad guy, or a very stupid one!” and once again threatening “a MAGA Primary” against “anybody that votes against Redistricting.” That same night, a Republican member of the state House who voted against the redistricting bill was the victim of a bomb threat at his home. Another GOP state senator opposed to gerrymandering who received a pipe bomb threat at her home posted on X that it was the “result of the D.C. political pundits for redistricting.”

Here are 6 'Beautiful Bill' tax changes that will benefit wealthy Americans

Owners of pass-through entities — including sole proprietorships, partnerships, S corporations, and LLCs — will continue to enjoy the 20% pass-through deduction, which Congress has now made permanent. Because income from these businesses "passes through" to the owner's personal tax return, this deduction effectively reduces the top tax rate for qualifying business income from 37% to 29.6%, says Tony Nitti, a national tax partner at EY Private, a unit of the company formerly known as Ernst & Young that focuses on advising entrepreneurs, private businesses, and their owners.

Trump's business empire goes global while he's in the White House

Work was allowed to begin earlier this year on a massive hotel and golf development outside Hanoi without all the required legal and environmental reviews, while Vietnam was also holding high-stakes trade talks with the Trump administration, according to a New York Times investigation. Vietnamese officials wrote in a letter seen by the Times that the project needed high-level government support because it was "receiving special attention from the Trump administration and President Donald Trump personally."

Jeffrey Epstein emails: Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and more

In 2011, Epstein forwarded an email to “the Duke” that had been sent on to him about a story the Mail on Sunday had been working on, with Giuffre coming forward with her claims about the prince. “What? I don’t know any of this. How are you responding?” Epstein said he’d just gotten the request for comment and asked “g lawyers to send a letter.” “Im not sure how to respond, the only person she didn’t have sex with was Elvis,” Epstein said of Giuffre. “The Duke” then replies, “Please make sure that every statement or legal letter states clearly that I am NOT involved and that I knew and know NOTHING about any of these allegations. I can’t take any more of this my end.”.

What we know about new Epstein emails that mention Trump

The first email released by Democrats is from 2011 and is between Epstein and Maxwell. In it, Epstein writes to Maxwell: "I want you to realize that that dog that hasn't barked is Trump.. [VICTIM] spent hours at my house with him". Epstein goes on to write that Trump "has never once been mentioned", including by a "police chief". Maxwell responded: "I have been thinking about that..."

Epstein files become a fiasco of Trump's own making

Trump has started calling the recent attacks "the Epstein hoax." He sued The Wall Street Journal for publishing a story in July about a racy drawing and poem he allegedly wrote to Epstein for his birthday in 2003. Trump said the drawing and message weren't his.

What does 15 look like? Teens and former child actors weigh in online after Megyn Kelly comments

The age of consent in the United States ranges from 16 to 18 years old, depending on the state. It is not legal for an adult to engage in sexual activity with a girl below 16 years old in any U.S. state.

The Christian Far Right Took Over a Texas School District. Parents Want It Back.

Cy-Fair, like all Texas districts, has a nonpartisan school board. Elections to fill the seats are often boring because there’s really only one campaign slogan that works: “I want what’s best for kids.” The race in 2021 was different. Far-right firebrand and megadonor Steven Hotze entered the picture, backing three Cy-Fair ISD candidates—Blasingame; businessman and HOA vice president Scott Henry; and business consultant Lucas Scanlon, an adjunct professor at Rice University. Hotze sent out campaign mailers, branding his chosen three as “Christians, Conservatives, and Patriots.” Opponents were “Liberals, Leftists, Socialists, Communists.” Patriotic candidates would defend “historic American values,” oppose “Sharia law,” and uphold “Biblical marriage.” In campaign video fragments preserved on YouTube by a district watchdog, the trio of candidates stands on a wood-paneled patio, leaning against a stone-veneer buffet island—classic suburban campaign fare. But the conversation is far from nonpartisan. Scanlon refers to them as Republicans. Henry floats the idea of a “tea party–type thing for education.” Blasingame explains how they’ll “seed” speakers at meetings when hot-button items come up. They’re not running a campaign, she says: “We’re laying an infrastructure.”

DOJ Prison Rape Reports Omit Data on Transgender Inmates

Research from earlier DOJ surveys found that nearly 40% of transgender incarcerated people reported sexual victimization in a single year, far higher than the general prison population. Experts say the absence of updated data makes it harder to monitor abuse, improve prison practices, or challenge claims that transgender inmates pose risks to others.

Oklahoma university instructor on leave after failing Bible-based essay on gender

“Society pushing the lie that there are multiple genders and everyone should be whatever they want to be is demonic and severely harms American youth,” she wrote. She argued that promoting the belief in multiple genders would lead society to move “farther from God’s original plan for humans.” The essays were graded out of 25 points, broken down by whether the student demonstrated an understanding of the article and addressed a specific aspect of the argument put forth. Fulnecky received zero points for her work.

Which apps are included in Australia's social media ban?

Ten platforms are included in Australia's world-first social media ban for children under 16, however, the regulator has warned that the list is not "static" and could grow.

At least 16 files have disappeared from the DOJ webpage for documents related to Jeffrey Epstein

Ones that were new were often lacking necessary context or heavily blacked out. A 119-page document marked “Grand Jury-NY,” likely from one of the federal sex trafficking investigations that led to the charges against Epstein in 2019 or Maxwell in 2021, was entirely blacked out.

Instructor who gave U of Oklahoma student a zero on anti-trans paper removed from teaching

The university has placed a second instructor on leave after, according to school officials, she told students they would be excused from class to attend a protest in favor of Curth. Student newspaper OU Nightly identified Kelli Alvarez as the instructor for the course, which is English composition. Kalib Magana, president of the University of Oklahoma’s Turning Point USA chapter, asked whether counterprotesters would also receive excused absences. Alvarez replied that a counterprotest must be organized. None was, but several conservative students made their views known at the pro-Curth demonstration. Magana filed a complaint against Alvarez with the university. Turning Point USA is a right-wing student organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

‘The Precedent Is Flint’: How Oregon’s Data Center Boom Is Supercharging a Water Crisis

In December 2024, the Port gave the governor’s office a dramatic ultimatum: If the governor didn’t step in with an emergency order suspending the DEQ from levying fines for the illegal dumping of contaminated water during the winter season, the Port would stop accepting wastewater from industrial operators. Citing concerns that the move would lead to “furloughs of potentially thousands of workers resulting in substantial economic harm to the region and the State of Oregon,” the governor granted the Port’s request, allowing it to spray contaminated water without fines for a six-week period starting in January 2025. “We must balance protecting thousands of jobs in the region, the national food supply, and domestic well users during this short period of time,” Gov. Kotek explained afterward in a statement.

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Link Roundup October/November 2025

2025-12-01T15:51:04Z

US economy added 911,000 fewer jobs than previously reported in largest-ever revision

The U.S. economy added 911,000 fewer jobs over the 12 months ending in March than previously estimated, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said on Tuesday. The figure, which exceeded economists' expectations, appears to be the largest revision ever recorded. The preliminary estimate will be finalized next year.

'Here we go': Trump reacts after Russian drones shot down over Poland

Polish airspace was violated by at least 19 Russian drones overnight, the country's prime minister said. The Russian action prompted NATO to scramble a response, as two Polish F-16s and two Dutch F-35s were deployed to shoot them down.

'Chilling reminder': Multiple historically Black universities under lockdown after receiving threats

The alleged threats follow a history of threats to HBCUs in the past several years. In 2022, multiple schools received anonymous bomb threats, causing shelter-in-place notices or evacuations of the majority-Black institutions.

The U.S. is losing thousands of manufacturing jobs, analysis finds

For all of 2025, manufacturing employment in the U.S. has sunk by a total of 33,000 jobs, according to Labor Department figures. Most of those job losses have been among companies that make durable goods, such as cars, household appliances and electronics. The drop comes as hiring overall has slowed sharply in recent months, with employers adding only 22,000 jobs in August, well below forecasts.

33 million voters have been run through a Trump administration citizenship check

In recent months, several Republican-led states have brokered new agreements with USCIS to use SAVE, or announced the results of SAVE reviews. Ohio election officials will begin removing from their rolls thousands of inactive voters that SAVE identified as deceased. And Louisiana's secretary of state announced last week that officials identified 79 likely noncitizens who had voted in at least one election since the 1980s, after running nearly all of the state's 2.9 million registered voters through SAVE. DHS is encouraging officials in other states to upload data to the system — even going so far as to make millions of dollars of grant money contingent on them using it. But USCIS did not respond to NPR's questions about what happens to the data states upload and who has access to it.

Voter Fraud Activist Will Apologize To Citizens He Accused Of Being Illegal Voters

Adams leads a group called the Public Interest Legal Foundation and served on President Donald Trump’s voter fraud commission. He helped produce two reports in 2016 and 2017 purporting to show thousands of cases of noncitizen voter registration in Virginia. Published with the Virginia Voters Alliance, the reports listed people who had been removed from the voter rolls for allegedly not being U.S. citizens, and published personal information like their home addresses and phone numbers. Four of the voters named in the report, who were in fact U.S. citizens, sued Adams and PILF for damages, accusing them of defamation and violating federal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation.

How to Turn Off AI Tools Like Gemini, Apple Intelligence, Copilot, and More

Follow this guide to turn off AI functions on Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Samsung platforms and devices. This won’t eradicate AI from your life entirely, but it’s a shortcut to reducing the overload.

NSA leaker Reality Winner is rebuilding her life — and looking back at her past

In May 2017, amid allegations of foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election, a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA) leaked a classified document to the press. The document revealed that Russia had launched two cyber attacks prior to the election, one against a company that sold software related to voter registration, and another against 122 local election officials.

CBS shifts to appease the right under new owner

These latest moves under Skydance follow a $16 million payment by CBS' previous owner to settle a lawsuit Trump brought against the network and regulatory pressure by Trump's chief broadcast regulator against the sale. Even since CBS changed hands, it has not escaped the wrath of the Trump administration. Recently, the White House and Noem lambasted the network over the handling of a recent interview. Now, The Wall Street Journal reports that the company wants to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery — the owner of Warner Bros. studios, HBO Max and cable news giant CNN. Such grand ambitions would have to pass muster with Trump administration regulators once more. And they would also raise questions about CNN's direction under Skydance, were they to come to pass.

Trump administration has failed to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Africa

The administration, in the meantime, has said it wants to deport Abrego again, this time to some other country. But Abrego’s lawyers argued during Friday’s hearing that the administration is dragging its feet in those deportation efforts in order to keep Abrego in immigration jail and pressure him to plead guilty.

New tariff rules bring 'maximum chaos' as surprise charges hit consumers

Thomas Andrews, who runs a business in upstate New York restoring vintage computers from the 1980s and 1990s, said he was shocked to receive a tariff bill from UPS for approximately $1,400 on a part worth $750. He said he assumed there must have been a mistake.

After Kirk’s killing a growing chorus of conservatives wants his critics ostracized or fired

Because conservatives previously felt canceled by liberals for their views, Trump on his first day back in office signed an executive order prohibiting everyone in the federal government from engaging in conduct that would “unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.”

National park to remove photo of enslaved man’s scars

The Trump administration has ordered the removal of signs and exhibits related to slavery at multiple national parks, according to four people familiar with the matter, including a historic photograph of a formerly enslaved man showing scars on his back.

Workers commenting on Kirk’s death learn the limits of free speech in and out of their jobs

Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as offensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers. Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk’s death.

US Senate confirms 48 of Trump’s nominees under new Republican rules

The Senate has confirmed 48 of Donald Trump’s nominees at once, voting for the first time under new rules to begin clearing a backlog of executive branch positions that had been delayed by Democrats.

There's a new, longer U.S. citizenship test with more history questions. Can you answer some?

The 2025 Naturalization Civics Test will have more potential questions — from 100 to 128 — and test takers will be asked 20 randomly selected questions instead of 10. To pass, they’ll need to answer 12 of them correctly, instead of six, as in the old test.

Billionaire buys nearly 500 acres of Hawaii land from Hawaiian trust

Dell is one of the richest men in the United States, with a net worth of approximately $140 billion. He also owns a $75 million oceanfront home on Hawaii Island and the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.

Hawaiians unite to buy back land from billionaire in a move never seen before

To residents, action is necessary, given how much the string of landowners has affected them. The issue with Molokai Ranch isn’t just about land. “They also own the critical infrastructure, like the water system and affordable housing,” Kalipi said. “For the Maunaloa community, it’s personal. They have housing that’s falling apart, that nobody cares to repair, that’s molding.”

Legal experts say pulling Jimmy Kimmel from air may amount to illegal 'jawboning'

The decision is not happening in a vacuum. Nexstar announced recently that it is in the process of trying to acquire its rival, Tegna, in a deal estimated to be worth $6.2 billion that is subject to the review of Carr's FCC. Nexstar also needs Carr's support to loosen regulations to complete the deal. Under current rules, no one company can own stations that reach more than 39% of U.S. households. The Nexstar-Tegna tie-up is estimated to extend the company's combined reach into 80% of American homes.

Trump nominates White House aide to be top U.S. prosecutor for office probing Letitia James

Erik Siebert, who had been the office's top prosecutor, resigned amid a push by Trump administration officials to bring charges in the investigation, which stems from allegations of paperwork discrepancies on James' Brooklyn townhouse and a Virginia home. The Justice Department has spent months investigating, and there's been no indication that prosecutors have managed to uncover any degree of incriminating evidence necessary to secure an indictment.

Jimmy Kimmel's show is returning to ABC on Tuesday, but not all stations will air it

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show will return to ABC’s airwaves on Tuesday, nearly a week after it was suspended amid criticism of the host’s remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. But many households across the U.S. still may not see the show. Sinclair, a company that operates more than 35 ABC affiliates across the U.S., said that it would replace Kimmel with news programming.

Trump links autism to acetaminophen use during pregnancy, despite decades of evidence it’s safe

Speaking from the White House alongside US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, US National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump did not keep his remarks to Tylenol during pregnancy. He advocated for breaking up childhood vaccinations and even pushing back the hepatitis B shot for newborns — a public health strategy that brought the infection in children to the brink of elimination — to age 12. It’s “too much liquid, too many different things are going into that baby,” Trump said, without providing further evidence.

Kimmel’s show to return — but not everywhere

On Tuesday evening, just an hour before Kimmel’s return was set to air, Trump wrote on his social media platform, “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled!” The president suggested he would like to take legal action against the network, adding that Kimmel “is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative.”

Seven years ago Trump's UN audience laughed, this year they were silent

Trump saved perhaps his biggest criticism for his European allies, attacking the continent for investing in renewable energy, and opening its borders to migration. "Europe is in serious trouble. They have been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody has ever seen before… Both the immigration and suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe," he said..."I love Europe. I love the people of Europe. And I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration. This double-tailed monster destroys everything in its wake… you want to be politically correct and you are destroying your heritage."

A statue of Trump and Epstein holding hands in D.C. is removed as fast as it appeared

On Wednesday afternoon, the group member told NPR they had been allowed to see the statue, and sent NPR pictures of the figures, ripped from their pedestals and broken into pieces. They later said they reapplied for and received a permit to reinstall the repaired statue — now retitled "Why Can't We Be Friends?" — in the same spot. The individual told NPR on Thursday they were on their way to the Mall when the National Park Service suddenly revoked their permit by phone "without explanation."

‘Palestinians will not leave,’ their president tells world leaders at UN in defiant, virtual speech

Speaking over video after the United States denied his visa, the Palestinian leader told world leaders Thursday that his people reject the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and pledged that the militant group would have no role in governing the Gaza Strip after war ends and must hand over its weapons to his administration. Said Mahmoud Abbas to his people: “The dawn of freedom will emerge.”

Netanyahu blasts recognition of Palestinian state as 'shameful' in speech U.N. delegates walked out on

Facing down a mass walkout and mounting diplomatic pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Friday to “finish the job” as he defied growing isolation over his military’s devastating assault on the Gaza Strip.

Hegseth orders hundreds of senior military officers to Virginia for highly unusual meeting

The meeting is expected to be held at the military installation in Quantico, Virginia, multiple officials said, adding that no one seems to know what the meeting is about, including the general and flag officers themselves, or why it was suddenly added to the calendar.

Georgia’s Medicaid Work Requirement Program Spent Twice as Much on Administrative Costs as on Health Care, GAO Says

The GAO analysis, which does not include all the Pathways administrative expenses detailed by the news outlets, shows that as of April the Georgia program had spent $54.2 million on administrative costs since 2021, compared to $26.1 million spent on health care costs. Nearly 90% of administrative expenditures came from the federal budget, the report concluded, meaning that Georgia’s experiment is being funded by taxpayers around the country. Federal spending will likely increase given that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has approved $6 million more in administrative costs not reflected in this report because it was published before the state submitted invoices.

Social Security payments to go electronic starting next week as agency moves away from paper checks

"The U.S. Department of the Treasury will grant exceptions to the rule for qualifying circumstances," the spokesperson said, without elaborating on what the qualifying circumstances are or the steps Social Security recipients would need to take to establish they qualify.

Their son was 'too unstable to function outside of hospital.' Insurance denied his mental health treatment anyway.

In discharge papers from Forest View, a doctor wrote: “Patient too unstable to function outside of hospital. Patient’s treatment needs cannot be expected to be met in a lower level of care.” The Benz-Bushlings’ insurance provider disagreed. Five days after Johnathan entered treatment at Newport Academy, his parents received a letter denying coverage for his stay — deeming it “not medically necessary” and writing that “treatment could be provided in a less restrictive level of care.”

ICE arrests superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district

Superintendent Ian Roberts – an educator with decades of experience who previously competed as an Olympic athlete for Guyana – was arrested as part of a “targeted enforcement operation” and fled after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers approached him, according to statements from DHS and the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Supreme Court allows Trump to withhold $4 billion in foreign aid

Last month, President Trump informed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that he will not be spending $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid through a controversial and rare authority known as a pocket rescission. Typically, lawmakers have 45 days to consider a request to rescind or cancel appropriated funds. But when a request comes close to the end of a budget year, the president may bypass the legislative branch. A pocket rescission has not been used since the 1970s.

Trump says he will send troops to Portland, Oregon, in latest deployment to US cities

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he will send troops to Portland, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” to handle “domestic terrorists” as he expands his deployments to more American cities.

FBI fires agents photographed kneeling during 2020 racial justice protest, AP sources say

The FBI has fired agents who were photographed kneeling during a racial justice protest in Washington that followed the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, three people familiar with the matter said Friday. The bureau last spring had reassigned the agents but has since fired them, said the people, who insisted on anonymity to discuss personnel matters with The Associated Press.

FBI cuts ties with Southern Poverty Law Center, Anti-Defamation League after conservative complaints

That criticism escalated after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk amid renewed attention to the SPLC’s characterization of the group, Turning Point USA, that Kirk founded and led. The SPLC included a section on Turning Point in a report titled “The Year in Hate and Extremism 2024” that described the group as “A Case Study of the Hard Right in 2024.” Prominent figures including Elon Musk lambasted the SPLC just this week about its descriptions of Kirk and the organization.

Trump defends use of the U.S. military against the 'enemy within'

President Trump defended the use of U.S. troops in American cities and told top U.S. commanders that the military would be used against the "enemy within." "This is going to be a big thing for the people in this room, because it's the enemy from within, and we have to handle it before it gets out of control," Trump told those gathered for the highly unusual event at Quantico, Va. "It won't get out of control once you're involved at all." Trump said he told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the U.S. "should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military," a reference to the Democratic-run cities that he has long said have high crime rates that make them uninhabitable.

Trump administration uses taxpayer dollars to blame Democrats for government shutdown

The inclusion of overtly political messages in federal agency communications raised immediate alarm bells for some federal workers and ethics experts. They said it could violate the Hatch Act, which prohibits civil servants in the executive branch from engaging in most political activity inside federal buildings or while on duty.

What's behind the health care fight that led to the government shutdown

At issue is the cost of premiums for health care plans people buy on the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, marketplaces. Enhanced tax credits for these premiums expire at the end of the year. Since 2021, those have kept ACA plans affordable for people who get their insurance this way. Earlier this week, Democrats in the Senate refused to vote for the Republican short-term funding bill that did not include an extension of the enhanced premium tax credits.

Trump asks 9 colleges to commit to his political agenda and get favorable access to federal money

Some of the most sweeping commitments are aimed at promoting conservative viewpoints. Universities would have to ensure their campuses are a “vibrant marketplace of ideas” where no single ideology is dominant, the compact said. They would have to evaluate views among students and faculty to ensure every department reflects a diverse mix of views. To accomplish that, it says universities must take steps, including “transforming or abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”

Head of Eisenhower library resigns after sword spat with Trump administration

Officials at the State Department who compiled an array of gift options for the first couple sought an Eisenhower sword to reiterate the significance of the U.S.-U.K. relationship since World War II, sources said. But Arrington argued against giving away an artifact that had been accepted as a donation and had become the property of the American people. Arrington told officials he could help find an alternative gift, but sources say State Department officials persisted. The library's team offered to help find a replica. Ultimately, West Point provided a Cadet Saber from the military academy.

Trump no longer distancing himself from Project 2025 as he uses shutdown to further pursue its goals

In a post on his Truth Social site Thursday morning, Trump announced he would be meeting with his budget chief, “Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent.” The comments represented a dramatic about-face for Trump, who spent much of last year denouncing Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation’s massive proposed overhaul of the federal government, which was drafted by many of his longtime allies and current and former administration officials.

Trump administration officials seriously discussing invoking Insurrection Act, sources say

The act gives the president broad discretion regarding its invocation. It can be invoked at the request of a state or when the president determines that conditions like “unlawful obstructions,” “rebellion” or “insurrection” have made it difficult to enforce the law. During the Civil Rights era, three presidents — Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson — used the act to protect activists or enforce court orders mandating desegregation. It was last used, at the request of California’s governor, during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Where has Trump suggested sending troops? In cities run by Democratic mayors

In just four months, Trump has suggested or ordered sending federal intervention to nearly a dozen cities — all run by Democratic mayors and in states mostly run by Democratic governors.

California to begin selling affordable state-branded insulin beginning next year

Starting in the new year, insulin pens will be available at a recommended price of $11 per pen, or a maximum of $55 for a five-pack, Civica said.

Spending $200 Billion on ICE Is a Terrible Idea

It’s easy intellectually to realize that pouring $200 billion dollars into immigration deportation and expulsion efforts is a bad idea, but I haven’t seen a lot of reporting and analysis that breaks down the why. So I wanted to write about why specifically we should fear this increase in ICE funding—many of these reasons are related and intersect, but to me there are four unique and specific reasons that we should be deeply fearful about what pouring $200 billion of combustible rocket fuel on our immigration enforcement will do to our country.

Ice entices new recruits with patriotism pitch and pledge of $50,000 signing bonuses

In addition to appealing to prospective applicants’ patriotic fervor, homeland security is making a pocketbook pitch. The agency is promising up to $50,000 in signing bonuses, the potential for lots of overtime for deportation officers and other benefits such as loan repayment or forgiveness options.

I Spent Nearly a Year on a Conservative Dating App as a Liberal—Here’s What I Learned

I didn’t feel that any of the men I dated were that interested in me as a person or where I came from either. I rarely got questions like, Why are you Republican-curious? What drew you to our dating app? What are your family values? What are you looking for in a partner? What are your goals in life?

Trauma resurfaces for residential school survivors amid discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves in Sask.

On Thursday, Kakakaway followed the news as Cowessess First Nation announced the discovery of what are believed to be 751 unmarked graves near his former school, which operated from 1899 to 1997.

Bird Flu's Back, And This Time Fewer People Are Keeping Tabs On It

As of Nov. 7, bird flu has been confirmed in 67 flocks across the country in the last 30 days, leading to the deaths of 3.72 million birds across commercial and backyard flocks. That’s a sharp rise from August, when just 60,000 birds were affected, according to USDA data.

We published explosive stories about the president of El Salvador. Now we can’t go home

Just three hours after publication, the director of Bukele’s State Intelligence Agency, Peter Dumas, posted on X that we were guilty of several crimes “linked to gangs, drug trafficking, sexual abuse, human trafficking … You can’t hide for ever behind the invisible shield of ‘journalism.’” That same night, a source with detailed internal knowledge warned us that the attorney general’s office was preparing at least seven arrest warrants against members of the El Faro newsroom for crimes related to gangs. Since March 2022, when Bukele declared emergency measures to crack down on gangs, and imposed the “state of exception”, due process has been suspended for anyone accused of gang membership: trials are secret, judges are faceless, there can be a single trial for up to 900 defendants, preventive detention is unlimited and in many cases the evidence is so flimsy that sometimes they simply say that the detainee was arrested for appearing “nervous”.

Facing threats, leading human rights group exits El Salvador

The group was founded by Evangelical bishops to address human rights and democratic concerns after the country's civil war. But after 25 years documenting abuses in the country, the organization says escalating threats from the government of President Nayib Bukele – a key Trump administration ally - have made it unsafe for them to operate inside El Salvador. It will now continue its work in exile in neighboring Guatemala and Honduras.

Corporate profits are soaring even as layoffs mount. Economists call it a "jobless boom."

As U.S. corporate profits rise and the stock market hits new highs, investors are reaping the rewards. Yet beneath the surge, companies have cut nearly 1 million jobs this year — the most since 2020, when the pandemic slammed the economy.

What Really Happened in Portland Before Trump Deployed the National Guard

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Portland, saying that his administration had not proven that the protests can be fairly characterized as a rebellion, a risk of rebellion or an ongoing lack of order that prevents government officials from carrying out their duties. Last week, the Justice Department argued in federal court that the last of these three categories — a breakdown of public order so severe that ICE officials can’t do their jobs — is what unfolded in Portland, justifying the president’s decision to federalize Oregon’s National Guard.

NYC's next mayor is a democratic socialist. What does that mean?

A Gallup poll released in September found that roughly two-thirds of Democrats view socialism positively, up from 50% in 2010, even as Americans as a whole continue to view capitalism more favorably.

Armed US immigration agents drive off with toddler after arrest of father

Immigrants’ advocates have raised alarm about the incident, which is one of several cases where agents have arrested parents or guardians in front of their children. This summer, officials in Waltham, Massachusetts, confirmed that a 13-year-old was abandoned on the street after an immigration raid. In southern California, a 19-year-old and a minor child were left behind after their father was arrested at a gas station.

Supreme Court revives Trump's transgender and nonbinary passport policy

Jackson said the majority "fails to spill any ink" about how "the most vulnerable party" will be harmed by "probing, and at times humiliating additional scrutiny" at airport checkpoints if the policy can move forward before it's been fully litigated. The majority's brief and unsigned opinion said those challenging the policy haven't shown that its purpose is to harm a politically unpopular group. "Displaying passport holders' sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth − in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment," the majority wrote.

It's getting harder to qualify for Social Security in 2026. Here's why.

Another change that was announced was a higher threshold for earning work credits. Work credits are what enable you to collect Social Security once your career comes to an end. Social Security requires workers to accumulate a total of 40 work credits to be eligible for retirement benefits. And the maximum number of credits you can accrue in a single year is four. This means that to get Social Security, you effectively need to work in some shape or form for at least 10 years. In 2025, one Social Security work credit is worth $1,810 of earnings. In 2026, however, the value of a single work credit is rising to $1,890. This means that if you want your four work credits in 2026, you need to earn a minimum of $7,560.

Here are 6 'Beautiful Bill' tax changes that will benefit wealthy Americans

The changes approved by lawmakers in July lock in a friendlier tax climate for affluent Americans with lower rates and generous exemptions. While middle-income households may see some modest relief, the lion's share of the benefits will flow to those with substantial earnings, investment income, or large estates.

“I Don’t Feel Safe”: Black Memphis Residents Report Harassment by Trump’s Police Task Force

A subsequent U.S. Department of Justice investigation found that Memphis police have a pattern of escalating encounters involving low-level offenses, using unjustified force, and making unconstitutional stops and unlawful arrests. Memphis police treated Black residents more harshly than white ones engaged in similar conduct, the Justice Department said. Trump’s Department of Justice withdrew the report and closed the investigation, characterizing Biden-era scrutiny of civil rights violations by law enforcement as a “failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders and police departments.”

Israeli military's ex-top lawyer arrested over leak of video allegedly showing Palestinian detainee abuse

The video is regarded by the left as concrete evidence backing up multiple reports of abuse of Palestinian detainees since the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel. Last October, a report by a UN commission of inquiry alleged that thousands of child and adult detainees from Gaza had been "subjected to widespread and systematic abuse, physical and psychological violence, and sexual and gender-based violence amounting to the war crime and crime against humanity of torture and the war crime of rape and other forms of sexual violence".

A judge is set to decide whether SNAP benefits can be cut off on Saturday

But Democratic governors and attorneys general from some two dozen states sued the federal government to keep the payments coming, arguing SNAP benefits are an entitlement that cannot legally be cut off. They also make the case that stopping benefits would cause irreparable harm to millions of Americans, and to the state governments who will be left to deal with the fallout. The Trump administration had argued the opposite; officials say they are legally prohibited from extending the benefits by using emergency funds.

Details of DHS Agreement Reveal Risks of Trump Administration’s Use of Social Security Data for Voter Citizenship Checks

Federal officials aren’t done adding data to SAVE. Next up, according to a recent USCIS presentation to election officials shared with ProPublica: passport information from the State Department.

‘Scamming became the new farming’: inside India’s cybercrime villages

When I asked my reporter guide, a Brahmin, if upper-caste Hindus were in fact under-represented in this most profitable of vocations, he took me to his own village, home to more than 200 families. As we drove down the main street, he showed me the sturdy homes in which the upper-caste elite lived. They had a stranglehold, he explained, over the traditional modes of money-making: owning vast tracts of fertile land, securing government contracts for local infrastructure projects, and controlling the extraction of coal from the earth and sand from the riverbanks. These were not people with scruples, he said, since these professions are shorthand for the exploitation of farm workers, bribes to government officials and income from illegal mining. Instead, they needed to protect their assumed sense of superiority. “Most have qualms about associating with lower castes and Muslims,” he said. If you spot a person with an upper caste surname, such as Pandey, on a police charge sheet, you can tell they are down on their luck, he told me.

Health Secretary RFK Jr. says there's 'not sufficient' proof to show Tylenol causes autism

Kennedy's comments also come one day after the Texas attorney general sued Kenvue, the maker of the medicine also known as acetaminophen and which has been sold widely for decades.

How NDAs keep AI data center details hidden from Americans

According to records obtained by NBC News, data center NDAs can extend years beyond the initial proposal dates. Many of them also include clauses requiring local jurisdictions to limit disclosure of records as much as legally possible under Freedom of Information Act laws and notify the companies first so they have a “reasonable opportunity to prevent disclosure.”

What is known, and not known, about U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats

The White House is required by the National Defense Authorization Act to notify Congress when it conducts a military attack. After a strike in mid-September, the administration sent a notice to Congress that called the three individuals who were killed in the strike "unlawful combatants." This is the same term President George W. Bush's administration used to describe al Qaeda and other terrorist networks. After the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001, Congress authorized the use of military force against terrorist organizations responsible. Congress has not authorized the use of military force to target drug cartels.

Ex-special counsel Jack Smith asks to testify publicly before Congress, his lawyers say

Former special counsel Jack Smith is offering to testify in open hearings before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees about the federal investigations into President Trump's handling of sensitive documents and alleged efforts to subvert the transfer of power after the 2020 election, according to a letter from his lawyers to lawmakers.

What to know about Elon Musk’s Nashville tunnel project

Local officials have had little involvement with the plan. The tunnel’s path traces a careful arc of state roads, allowing The Boring Co. to circumvent local approval altogether. A June 2025 memo from the governor’s office obtained by WPLN News reveals that Mayor Freddie O’Connell backed away from the deal during early talks. At first, O’Connell delayed making a decision until after a 2024 transit referendum was brought to voters.

Why Editing Wikipedia Is Becoming More Dangerous

Hostility toward its volunteers has seeped into mainstream politics. Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Utah Sen. Mike Lee posted on X that Wikipedia editors have “gone out of their way to put the ‘wicked’ in Wikipedia.” Meanwhile, Tucker Carlson devoted nearly an entire 90-minute podcast episode to smearing the site, telling his audience, “There’s nothing more corrupt.”

Idaho Banned Vaccine Mandates. Activists Want to Make It a Model for the Country.

Her efforts were rewarded over the summer with a visit from none other than Kennedy, who visited Boise and toured a farm with Manookian and state lawmakers in tow. “This state, more than any other state in the country” aligns with the MAHA campaign, Kennedy told reporters at a news conference where no one was allowed to ask questions. Kennedy called Idaho “the home of medical freedom.”

Growing number of Americans facing prospect of long-term unemployment

According to Labor Department data, in August, nearly 2 million people in the U.S. faced long-term unemployment, defined as being out of work for at least 27 weeks. That's the highest number since 2022, during the pandemic.

Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rules

News outlets were nearly unanimous in rejecting new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information — classified or otherwise — that had not been approved by Hegseth for release.

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

William Hendrix, the Kansas Young Republicans’ vice chair, used the words “n--ga” and “n--guh,” variations of a racial slur, more than a dozen times in the chat. Bobby Walker, the vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans at the time, referred to rape as “epic.” Peter Giunta, who at the time was chair of the same organization, wrote in a message sent in June that “everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber.” Giunta was referring to an upcoming vote on whether he should become chair of the Young Republican National Federation, the GOP’s 15,000-member political organization for Republicans between 18 and 40 years old.

ICE’s use of full-body restraints during deportations raises concerns over inhumane treatment

DHS has paid Safe Restraints Inc., the WRAP’s California-based maker, $268,523 since it started purchasing the devices in late 2015 during the Obama administration. Government purchasing records show the two Trump administrations have been responsible for about 91% of that spending. ICE would not provide AP with records documenting its use of the WRAP despite multiple requests, and it’s not clear how frequently it has been used in the current and prior administrations.

'I'll be cheering for him': Takeaways from Trump and Mamdani's surprisingly cordial meeting

Republicans had plans in place to make Mamdani the face of the Democratic Party, according to US news site Axios. They included painting him as anti-police, anti-capitalism and anti-Israel in an effort to give Republicans a leg-up in key races. But the Oval Office chuminess could undercut that strategy. While praising Mamdani, the president said he believed the new mayor would "surprise some conservative people".

Debate on sandhill crane hunting bill ditches expert recommendations

In the version of the bill under consideration now, a number of proposals meant to help farmers with the crop damage problem have been stripped out, including a program that would subsidize part of the cost for pre-treating corn seeds with a chemical that makes them unappetizing to the birds. Dave Considine, a retired state representative whose former district includes the Baraboo-based International Crane Foundation, said at the hearing it was a “travesty” that aid for farmers has been left out of the bill. “I thought we had a really decent compromise [in the study committee]. Now I come here to testify and we have given farmers no help, nothing,” Considine said. “Matter of fact, most of the science in the committee meeting, spoke of the fact that if anything [a hunt] may increase damage.” Plus, a number of anti-hunt advocates questioned how holding a hunt in the fall is meant to deter crop damage, which largely happens in the spring before the seeds have sprouted.

New limits for rent algorithm that prosecutors say let landlords drive up prices

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, RealPage can no longer use that real-time data to determine price recommendations. Instead, the only nonpublic data that can be used to train the software's algorithm must be at least one year old.

comments

Link Roundup August/September 2025

2025-10-14T23:04:20Z

Hotline helps immigrants move hearings online to avoid arrest at court

Olu Orange, assistant professor of political science and international relations and founder of the USC Dornsife Agents of Change: Civil Rights Advocacy Initiative, files motions to have court hearings moved online, which prevents defendants from being seized by federal agents when they show up for court in person. Calls to AoC’s hotline — 888-462-5211 — are answered by about 15 volunteers who help the defendants fill out the necessary paperwork to request to move their hearing online. Help is available for both English and Spanish speakers. With the support of the National Immigration Project, Orange and his firm, Orange Law Office, then file the motion.

Mastercard deflects blame for NSFW games being taken down, but Valve says payment processors 'specifically cited' a Mastercard rule about damaging the brand

"Mastercard did not communicate with Valve directly, despite our request to do so," a Valve representative said. "Mastercard communicated with payment processors and their acquiring banks. Payment processors communicated this with Valve, and we replied by outlining Steam’s policy since 2018 of attempting to distribute games that are legal for distribution. Payment processors rejected this, and specifically cited Mastercard’s Rule 5.12.7 and risk to the Mastercard brand."

Rare aerial imagery shows displacement and destruction in Gaza

Sky News and BBC journalists who reported from aid flights from Jordan this week said they were told that Israel had prohibited filming Gaza from above. The organizations did not say how the directive had been conveyed. Sky reported that it was informed Israel could delay or cancel aid flights if its journalists filmed Gaza. The IDF declined to comment on the matter.

Anas al-Sharif among five Al Jazeera journalists killed by Israel in Gaza

Last month, after Israeli army spokesperson Avichai Adraee reshared a video on social media accusing al-Sharif of being a member of Hamas’s military wing, the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of expression, Irene Khan, said she was “deeply alarmed by repeated threats and accusations of the Israeli army” against al-Sharif. “Fears for al-Sharif’s safety are well-founded as there is growing evidence that journalists in Gaza have been targeted and killed by the Israeli army on the basis of unsubstantiated claims that they were Hamas terrorists,” Khan said.

Supreme Court formally asked to overturn landmark same-sex marriage ruling

Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who was jailed for six days in 2015 after refusing to issue marriage licenses to a gay couple on religious grounds, is appealing a $100,000 jury verdict for emotional damages plus $260,000 for attorneys fees. In a petition for writ of certiorari filed last month, Davis argues First Amendment protection for free exercise of religion immunizes her from personal liability for the denial of marriage licenses. More fundamentally, she claims the high court's decision in Obergefell v Hodges -- extending marriage rights for same-sex couples under the 14th Amendment's due process protections -- was "egregiously wrong." "The mistake must be corrected," wrote Davis' attorney Mathew Staver in the petition. He calls Justice Anthony Kennedy's majority opinion in Obergefell "legal fiction."

Trump vows to change how elections are run. The US Constitution doesn’t give him that power

Relying on false information and conspiracy theories that he’s regularly used to explain away his 2020 election loss, Trump pledged on his social media site that he would do away with both mail voting — which remains popular and is used by about one-third of all voters — and voting machines — some form of which are used in almost all of the country’s thousands of election jurisdictions.

US seeks to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda after he refused plea offer in his smuggling case

Immigration officials said they intend to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda after he declined an offer to be sent to Costa Rica in exchange for remaining in jail and pleading guilty to human smuggling charges, his defense attorneys told a court Saturday. The Costa Rica offer came late Thursday and included a requirement that he remain in jail for the time being and then serve whatever sentence he would receive for pleading guilty, according to a brief filed in Tennessee, where the criminal case was brought. After Abrego Garcia left jail on Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement notified his attorneys that he would be deported to Uganda and should report to immigration authorities on Monday.

The Baby Died. Whose Fault Is It?

Not quite. Sanabria told me she had a great relationship with Bi but a pregnancy plagued with placental issues: first, gestational diabetes; then placenta previa, where the placenta blocks the cervix, which led to a hospitalization and a scheduled C-section. When doctors removed the baby, they found that the placenta had grown too deeply into her uterine wall, a condition known as placenta accreta. Once they removed the placenta, Sanabria began losing blood. As a nursing student and patient care technician, she knew what was going on as they called out numbers of blood loss—ultimately an astounding 5.4 liters. “The weirdest part was being awake” while she was dying, she said. An emergency hysterectomy saved her life. She woke up nine hours later, intubated, in the ICU. A 2024 survey found that naturally conceived pregnancies carry about a 2 percent risk of several adverse maternal events. A surrogate pregnancy increases that to almost 8 percent. Nobody had talked to Sanabria about these risks. Now, she posts online to educate other surrogates. As Bi pointed out repeatedly in her quest to get Leon’s placental slides, the placenta comes from the DNA of the biological parents—hers and Valdeiglesias’. In fact, Bi’s mother and sister developed diabetes while pregnant, an issue stemming from the placenta, and remained diabetic. Valdeiglesias told me that his aunt had her water break early, but everything was fine. But Bi and Valdeiglesias’s family medical histories were not disclosed to their surrogates. This is normal. If Bi and Valdeiglesias have a third child, they almost certainly won’t disclose their pregnancy complications.

Obama breaks silence on Trump’s ‘outrageous’ call to prosecute him

The statement went on to criticize claims made in an 11-page document released last week by Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, who said she was passing evidence of what she claimed was a “treasonous conspiracy” among Obama national security officials to the justice department, recommending their prosecution.

Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from criminal custody, second judge bars ICE from immediately detaining him

A federal judge on Wednesday barred federal immigration authorities from immediately taking Kilmar Abrego Garcia into custody once he is released from criminal confinement in Tennessee and ordered the Trump administration to provide him 72 hours' notice if it plans to initiate proceedings to remove him to a country that is not his place of origin.

Immigration agents told a teenage US citizen: ‘You’ve got no rights.’ He secretly recorded his brutal arrest

Audio in the video catches the unidentified officers debriefing and appearing to make light of the stun gun use. “You’re funny, bro,” one officer can be overheard saying to another, followed by laughter. Another officer says, “They’re starting to resist more now,” to which an officer replies: “We’re going to end up shooting some of them.” Later in the footage, the officers move on to general celebration – “Goddamn! Woo! Nice!” – and talk of the potential bonus they’ll be getting: “Just remember, you can smell that [inaudible] $30,000 bonus.” It is unclear what bonus they are referring to. Donald Trump’s recent spending bill includes billions of additional dollars for Ice that could be spent on recruitment and retention tactics such as bonuses.

The U.S. is destroying $9.7 million in contraceptives. Is there another option?

A stockpile of family planning products — including IUDs, implants and pills — worth $9.7 million has been stuck at a warehouse in Belgium since the administration dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and froze foreign aid earlier this year, according to statements from multiple humanitarian groups and U.S. lawmakers.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting, funder of NPR and PBS, says it will end operations within months after federal budget cuts

President Trump signed an executive order in May instructing the organization to cease federal funding for PBS and NPR. In June, the House approved a White House request to claw back $1.1 billion in already appointed federal funds from the CPB. The Senate Appropriations Committee's 2026 appropriations bill eliminated funding for the CPB for the first time in over 50 years.

Ghislaine Maxwell moved to federal prison camp in Texas

The camp in Bryan, Texas, houses only women. A majority of its inmates are serving time for nonviolent offenses and white-collar crimes. The move comes a week after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell and her lawyer, David Oscar Markus, for nine hours over two days.

Trump fires labor statistics boss hours after the release of weak jobs report

The BLS on Friday morning reported that the U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs in July, well below estimates. It also said it had revised the May and June numbers and they turned out to be lower than previously announced by more than 200,000 jobs.

Office of Special Counsel launches investigation into ex-Trump prosecutor Jack Smith

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency, confirmed to NBC News on Saturday that it's investigating Smith for alleged violations of the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits certain political activities by government officials. Trump and his allies have not presented specific evidence of wrongdoing.

Jim Acosta Just Interviewed an AI Version of a Parkland Victim

Manuel said one reason he and his wife, Patricia, created the AI of their son was to hear his voice again. “Patricia will spend hours asking questions,” Manuel said. “Like any other mother, she loves to hear Joaquin saying, ‘I love you, mommy.’ And that’s important.”

How Laura Loomer's pressure campaigns are reshaping the Trump administration

One in particular has remained in place despite months of criticism dating back almost to the start of Trump's second term: Attorney General Pam Bondi, who Loomer has targeted for her handling of the Epstein files and other issues.

RFK Jr. is canceling mRNA vaccine development. Can I still get a COVID vaccine?

In the video posted on X, Kennedy claimed mRNA vaccines were ineffective against mutated versions of the virus and revealed HHS is planning to reallocate the funding to research whole-virus vaccines, which use a weakened version of the virus.

‘Displaced’ teachers a lesser known story of budget moves

The process of laying off teachers in what’s known as “pink slip season” — May 15 to the last day of school — attracts most of the attention when education loyalists argue for funding. But there’s another category known as “displaced” or involuntarily transferred teachers that also stems from budget cuts. It involves keeping a teacher in the district but putting him or her up for bid to a different school.

CDC staffers voice frustration over Kennedy’s anti-vaccine rhetoric

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staffers are voicing frustration over Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s past vaccine comments, following Friday’s shooting at the agency’s headquarters in Atlanta that left one police officer dead. Although the motive of the suspected shooter — Patrick White, 30, from Kennesaw, Georgia — remains unknown, he told a neighbor that he believed the Covid vaccines had made him sick, a source told NBC News on the condition of anonymity...Just last week, Kennedy terminated 22 contracts focused on developing mRNA vaccines — the same technology used to develop Pfizer’s and Moderna’s Covid shots. In an announcement on X, Kennedy claimed “mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses.”

What to know about DC Home Rule Act as Trump puts DC police under federal control

Trump has long threatened to take control of D.C., saying he wants to crack down on violent crime in the district although police statistics show that in the past two years, violent crime in Washington, D.C., has fallen dramatically.

National Guard troops arrive on D.C. streets to execute Trump's anti-crime order

In an interview, Greggory Pemberton, chairman of the D.C. Police Union, expressed support for Trump’s moves, which included federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department. Pemberton said crime was still "ubiquitous" in the city, adding that while Trump’s order could be helpful in fighting crime, it would most likely have only a temporary impact without more far-reaching changes. Pemberton argued that one of the main reasons local law enforcement "can't get a handle on the crime" is a staffing shortage of more than 800 officer vacancies and said laws the City Council enacted "really prevent us from being able to do our job and being able to hold criminals accountable."...Violent crime in the district has decreased by 26% over the last year, according to police department statistics, though crime overall has gone down by only 7% during that same period.

Apple rejects Musk's App Store bias claims

In a later post Musk took aim at Apple again, asking the firm why it would not promote X - or its AI app Grok - in the "Must Have" section of the App Store. "X is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps," he said in a post now pinned to his X profile. ChatGPT is currently the most downloaded free app in the UK, with Grok a close third. X does not make the top 40.

Texas Democrats return to the state, ending two-week standoff over redistricting

Democrats began setting the stage for their eventual return last week, declaring victory in Republicans' decision to end their first special legislative session without a vote. They said their second condition to return was for California Democrats to release a plan that would seek to offset any changes Texas Republicans made to their map, which they did Friday.

Democrats who fled Texas to block the GOP's redistricting effort plot their exit strategy

With Texas expected to end its first special legislative session Friday and immediately begin a new one, the dozens of Democratic legislators who fled the state to block Republicans’ redistricting proposal are hammering out a plan for their return home. Texas Democrats met late into the night Tuesday then again Wednesday, including breaking into smaller groups, to discuss their next steps and what their ultimate exit strategy looked like after spending the last 10 days out of the state, according to four sources close to the talks.

Trump says he will lead 'movement' to end mail-in voting

Trump has long sown doubts about mail-in voting, often over the objections of many Republicans. He's claimed mail-in voting contributed to his 2020 election loss, though no widespread fraud has been found. Mail-in voting has become very common and studies have shown that fraud in mail-ballot voting is rare. There are also several safeguards in place to protect against fraud, including signature requirements and barcodes to track envelopes sent by officials.

Trump Administration Revokes Security Clearances of These U.S. Officials

Some of the officials were involved in gathering information and making assessments on Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election. Meanwhile, others had signed a public letter during Trump’s first term, supporting calls for an impeachment inquiry into the President.

Her spine surgery was denied. Doctors say it's all too common.

When his daughter was diagnosed, the family tried less invasive approaches than surgery such as physical therapy, steroid injections and anti-inflammatory pills. But it became clear to them — and to White’s doctors — that spine surgery was the only option to alleviate her pain.

Pentagon asks civilian employees to join ‘volunteer force’ to aid Ice deportations

The defense department has posted a job listing requesting volunteers for civilian federal employees apply to join a “volunteer force” supporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations. On Wednesday, the department reportedly emailed civilian employees asking them to take up this opportunity.

FBI searches former national security adviser John Bolton's home in a probe to find classified records

CIA Director John Ratcliffe provided FBI Director Kash Patel the intelligence that was the basis of the search warrant used by federal investigators to raid Bolton’s home and office, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News. The intelligence, the source said, involved what was alleged to be a mishandling of classified material by Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term, before a contentious exit strained their relationship.

Businesses face 'chaos' as EPA aims to repeal its authority over climate pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency's endangerment finding has served as the legal basis for federal climate regulations under the Clean Air Act since 2009. The finding concludes that the accumulation of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere endangers people's health and the well-being of communities. Reaching that determination was a prerequisite to set limits for the pollution. Getting rid of that authority would lead to the repeal of "all greenhouse gas standards" at the federal level, according to the EPA, amounting, it says, to "one of the largest deregulatory actions in American history."

Majority of college students say they will be affected by Trump’s new tax bill: ‘Honestly, I’m cooked’

Trump’s bill sets new caps on borrowing and reduces the repayment plan options available for federal student loan borrowers who take out loans beginning in the summer of next year. It also eliminates Grad Plus loans for graduate and professional students after that date.

Try this when your doctor says 'yes' to a preventive test but insurance says 'no'

Many types of preventive care are supposed to be covered without additional cost under the Affordable Care Act. If you receive a recommended preventive screening and have private insurance, including through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, there should be no copayment at the time of service and you shouldn't get a bill later. A small number of insurance plans are "grandfathered" in, which means you may not have the same rights and protections as the ACA provides. Check with your employer's human resources benefits manager to find out for sure.

Trump moves to ban flag burning despite Supreme Court ruling that Constitution allows it

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order requiring the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute people for burning the American flag, an activity that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled is legitimate political expression protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Trump-appointed judge throws out rare DOJ lawsuit against jurists over deportations

A Trump-appointed judge threw out a rare case in which the Trump administration sued all 15 judges in a Maryland federal court to block judicial orders that slowed deportations. The administration was challenging two orders by Judge George L. Russell III, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, that blocked federal immigration officials from removing or altering the legal status of certain detainees for two business days. The orders were designed to give the Maryland federal court time to address court petitions before the detainees were transferred outside of the court's jurisdiction.

FDA approves fall Covid shots, but with new restrictions

Doctors will still be able to prescribe the vaccines off-label, to people not specified in the FDA approvals. However, that adds yet another barrier to access as many people get their shots at the pharmacy, not prescribed through a doctor.

Whistleblower says Trump officials copied millions of Social Security numbers

According to Borges' complaint, on June 10, days after the Supreme Court ruling, a former DOGE employee at the SSA named John Solly requested that the agency make a copy of its Numerical Identification System (NUMIDENT) database to a private cloud that would be located within the SSA's Amazon Web Services — Agency Cloud Infrastructure. The NUMIDENT database is the master file for all information submitted in applications for Social Security cards. The database includes applicant names, place and date of birth, citizenship, race and ethnicity, and parents' names — along with the Social Security numbers. The request effectively created a copy of the database where the former DOGE officials would have unfettered access, according to the complaint.

CDC Director Susan Monarez fired by Trump administration after refusing to resign, citing 'reckless directives'

At least four top officials announced their resignations, including Dr. Debra Houry, the chief medical officer; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, the director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Jen Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology.

The federal government is taking over D.C.'s Union Station. What does that mean?

The DOT has owned the building since the 1980s. But it had long outsourced the management of its daily operations and commercial aspects to a local nonprofit, the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation. Amtrak took over those responsibilities last summer — and it was at the launch of its new Acela trains that the DOT announced that management would soon change hands once again.

Mystery surrounds $1.2 billion Army contract to build huge detention tent camp in Texas desert

When President Donald Trump’s administration last month awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion to build and operate what it says will become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex, it didn’t turn to a large government contractor or even a firm that specializes in private prisons. Instead, it handed the project on a military base to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a small business that has no listed experience running a correction facility and had never won a federal contract worth more than $16 million. The company also lacks a functioning website and lists as its address a modest home in suburban Virginia owned by a 77-year-old retired Navy flight officer.

Inside Hawaii's 'Forbidden Island'

Keith Robinson, along with his younger brother, Bruce, and their family plantation Gay and Robinson, own 55,000 acres of Kauai and, 17 miles west, the entire 45,000-acre private island of Niihau, which their family purchased from the Hawaiian monarchy in the mid-1800s. This is more land than Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, who purchased the entirety of Lanai for $300 million in 2012, and 40 times more than Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who's established his own 2,300-acre, $330 million outpost on the opposite side of Kauai. The Robinsons are a landlord and employer to hundreds, as they have been for more than 150 years. There isn't a person who grew up on the west side of Kauai who doesn't know who they are.

2 firefighters arrested by Border Patrol at Washington’s Bear Gulch Fire

David “Buenos” Diaz is a crew boss leading one of a few freelancer teams combating the bear Gulch Fire and witnessed the arrests. He said the lead fire management team sent workers out to cut wood Wednesday morning, and once they were finished, the division lead was going to meet them out there to see what other tasks they could do. Instead, they were met with Border Patrol to inspect the crews, Diaz said.

DC sues Trump administration to halt National Guard deployment

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser referred questions about the lawsuit to the attorney general and said she is focused on ending the 30-day emergency order that Trump signed Aug. 11 to deploy the National Guard and take greater oversight of the police.

4 takeaways after RFK Jr.'s fiery Senate hearing over CDC turmoil, vaccines

Kennedy also refused to say during the hearing that over one million Americans died from COVID-19 -- as recorded by the CDC -- and that COVID-19 vaccines saved millions of lives, as determined by analyses.

FACT FOCUS: A look at false and misleading claims made by RFK Jr. during Senate hearing

KENNEDY, on how many Americans have died from COVID-19: “I don’t think anybody knows that, because there was so much data chaos coming out of the CDC and there were so many perverse incentives.”

THE FACTS: This data is easily accessible. Approximately 1.2 million Americans have died from the virus, according to both the CDC, and the WHO.

Trump hosts dinner with tech giants at the White House, but Elon Musk didn't attend

President Trump hosted a dinner Thursday night at the White House with tech giants and other business and political leaders, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk was not be among those attending. More than a dozen tech titans were invited to the event, including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, OpenAI founder Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, according to the White House. The Hill first reported the list of invitees.

Grandparents for Vaccines launches to share stories of life before immunizations

The timing coincides with the 70th anniversary of the polio vaccine announcement on April 12, 1955, when Jonas Salk's vaccine was declared "safe, effective, and potent" — a breakthrough that transformed public health.

Supreme Court said ICE can stop you based on race, accent, job and location. What we know.

The limited-scope decision came down in an unsigned, emergency action that did not disclose which justices voted to side with President Donald Trump’s administration and offered no reasoning. But it nonetheless temporarily overturned decisions from the lower courts that blocked ICE from making stops based only on race, language, location and occupation.

'They'll hold you over a barrel': How NHL team's execs milked youth hockey families for profit

Stay-to-play requirements are somewhat common across youth sports and maddening to many parents. The organization hosting the tournament usually receives a kickback from the hotel booking revenue, and sometimes a third-party company that coordinates with the hotels also takes a cut. The difference in this case is that the kickbacks went to the same people tasked with organizing, overseeing and shaping the rules for the tournaments, as opposed to an independent entity. And those people had multiple conflicts of interest.

Immigrants with no criminal record now largest group in Ice detention

According to the official data, 16,523 people in immigration detention with no criminal record were arrested by Ice, compared to 15,725 who do have a criminal record and 13,767 with pending criminal charges. There are currently a total of 59,762 people in Ice detention across the US. The remaining number of people in Ice custody were brought in by border officials.

Republican Arizona lawmaker makes post calling for execution of Democratic congresswoman

Gillette’s comment is a continuation of a string of inflammatory far-right online invective by the Mohave county Republican and retired army reserve command sergeant major. Gillette has defended January 6 protesters, who were intent on violently overturning Trump’s defeat by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, as “political prisoners” and described Muslims as “terrorists”.

ICE Warden Put Transgender Detainees into Forced Labor Program: Complaint

According to complaints filed by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the ACLU and the National Immigration Project, the abuse took place between 2023 and 2025, across two administrations. Detention center and ICE employees allegedly subjected the four detainees to sexual assault, forcible touching, groping, physical abuse and denial of medical attention.

US anti-fascism expert leaves country day after being blocked from flying to Spain

Mark Bray, a historian who has taught courses on anti-fascism at the New Jersey university, was attempting to board a plane at Newark airport late on Wednesday when he was informed at the boarding gate that reservations for him and his family had been cancelled...“‘Someone’ cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second,” Bray posted on Bluesky. “We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared’.”

Axios Explains: Inside ICE's superpowers

ICE agents aren't required to wear body cameras, can cover their faces, don't have to provide badge numbers or identify themselves, can arrive in unmarked cars and don't need a warrant from a judge to detain someone.

Trump says DOGE 'might have to go back and eat' Elon Musk after his criticism of the GOP bill

In another post, Musk said that lawmakers who vote for the bill "will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth." In a yet another post, Musk shared a graphic depicting Pinocchio sitting in flames, with the word “LIAR” emblazoned across the picture alongside a message about voting to raise U.S. debt.

Senate passes Trump’s big tax and spending cuts bill as Vance breaks a 50-50 tie

Three Republican senators — Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joined all Democrats in voting against it.

Here’s how Trump’s megabill will affect you

Wealthy Americans would benefit far more from the tax package than those lower on the income scale, according to a Tax Policy Center analysis of the Senate bill. While all households would see their taxes reduced, some 60% of the benefits would go to those making $217,000 or more (the top 20%). These folks would receive an average tax cut of $12,500, or 3.4% of their after-tax income, in 2026, the analysis found. But the lowest-income households, who earn about $35,000 or less, would receive an average tax cut of only $150, less than 1% of their after-tax income. Middle-income households would see their taxes reduced by about $1,800, or 2.3% of their after-tax income, on average. This analysis does not take into account the historic cuts to the nation’s safety-net program, which would hurt lower-income Americans. They would see their income reduced after factoring in the changes to Medicaid and food stamps, according to a report from the Budget Lab at Yale.

Doctors and public health organizations sue Kennedy over vaccine policy change

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association and four other groups — along with an unnamed pregnant doctor who works in a hospital — filed the lawsuit in federal court in Boston...Also joining the suit are the American College of Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Heavily armed immigration agents descend on L.A.’s MacArthur Park

Immigration agents in military green surrounded MacArthur Park as the convoy readied for a show of force akin to a Hollywood movie. They came with horses and armored vehicles, carrying rifles and in tactical gear in the middle of what is the heart of immigrant Los Angeles. But there were few of their supposed targets to be found Monday — immigrants without documentation.

As women have far fewer babies, the U.S. and the world face unprecedented challenges

A 2023 study by the Brookings Institution, meanwhile, found that without significant numbers of immigrants coming to the U.S. in the future, the country's population would plunge by more than 100 million people this century. "We would be losing about a third of our population between now and 2100 if there were no immigration to the United States," said the study's author, William Frey. "What is our labor force going to be going forward? What is our productivity going forward?" Frey said. "We're going to have lots of jobs, and there's going to be nobody there to take those jobs. I think there's going to be a lot of pressure to increase immigration into the U.S."

DOGE keeps gaining access to sensitive data. Now, it can cut off billions to farmers

In early April, Jordan Wick, a former software engineer for the self-driving car company Waymo who has been identified in the media and court documents as a DOGE staffer, got high-level access to the National Payment Service system, the USDA staffer told NPR, sharing access logs as evidence. The source requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press and feared retaliation from the Trump administration. That level of access would allow Wick to both view and modify all the data entries inside the system, which tracks payments and information about loans for farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers across the United States. He could outright cancel payments or deny loans. Those payments include various different government subsidies, ranging from emergency or disaster assistance after extreme weather events, to incentives for conservation practices or participating in one of FSA's many other programs. FSA has 51 separate state offices and over 2,000 county offices.

Trump faces a MAGA rebellion over Epstein outcry

But last week, Axios reported that the Justice Department and FBI concluded that there’s no evidence Epstein kept a “client list” or was murdered in his jail cell, marking the first time Trump’s administration pushed back on unsubstantiated theories about Epstein that Bongino, FBI Director Kash Patel and others have touted previously.

CDC urges summer camps to check for measles immunity, as U.S. nears record

The CDC's new recommendations come as confirmed measles cases have climbed to 1,197 infections so far in 2025, less than 100 cases away from topping the record 1,274 cases that were confirmed for all of 2019. That marked a record since the U.S. in 2000 declared uncontrolled community spread of the virus eliminated through widespread measles vaccinations. At the time in 2019, health officials said the total number of cases added up to the worst tally on record since the 20th century. This year's wave is already deadlier than the 2019 wave of outbreaks, which health officials and experts suspect is due to missed infections that have gone unreported.

Outside groups organize to form unbiased, independent vaccine panel

Earlier this month, Kennedy fired all 17 members from ACIP, appointing in their place eight new members, many of whom have expressed vaccine-skeptical views or questioned pandemic restrictions. Kennedy himself has a long history of anti-vaccination activism.

Military parade and No Kings protests: A split screen of a divided America

The event in the nation's capital seemed at times like a cross between a military festival and an Army recruiting video. People lounged on the grass in the shadow of the Washington Monument. Amid the strains of Van Halen over the loudspeakers, tank drivers pumped their fists and revved their engines as they drove past cheering crowds down Constitution Avenue. Along the way, the announcer thanked the various corporate sponsors, including Lockheed Martin and Palantir, the data-mining firm that has a $30 million contract to help Immigration and Customs and Enforcement track migrants in the U.S.

Inside Trump's backtrack on immigration

Later Thursday, Tatum King, a senior ICE official, sent an email to agency officials nationwide, telling them to "please hold on all worksite enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meatpacking plants), restaurants, and operating hotels."

US veterans are more likely to end up in prison than civilians. These horses might help them

Those who run Valor say they want to address disparities in incarceration rates between civil and veteran populations. Those disparities are stark: around 8% of prisoners in the US are veterans. In 2016, the most recent data available, 107,000 veterans are imprisoned in the US. And nearly one-third of the country's war veterans have at some point in their lives been arrested or jailed – nearly double the rate among civilians.

Trump, in reversal, may exempt farms and hotels from immigration raids

To meet that goal, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller demanded last month that ICE arrest at least 3,000 undocumented people a day. Three former DHS officials told NBC News that ICE officials will have to significantly increase raids of large workplaces nationwide to meet those goals. The sites include farms, meatpacking plants, hotels and restaurants — the industries Trump appears to have exempted. A former ICE official said that only raids on “construction, dairy [and] meat processing facilities, carpet mills” would result in the large number of detentions Miller has demanded. “It’s these low-wage jobs, that is where you get the numbers,” the former official said.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released hours after his arrest at an immigration court

Lander can be seen in a video on his personal X account being surrounded by people, including masked officers in vests labeled with the word "police." At one point, someone says, "Put him in custody," and the men holding him scuffle with him before they pin him to a wall and handcuff him. “I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant,” Lander says in the video. “You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens asking for a judicial warrant,” he adds.

The suspect in the shooting of 2 Minnesota lawmakers had a 'hit list' of 45 officials

Authorities in Minnesota said Monday that the man arrested in a Saturday attack that killed one state lawmaker and left another wounded had a "hit list" of 45 elected officials — all Democrats...At a news conference Saturday, state police said they found a list of individuals inside what they say is Boelter's vehicle. Hortman and Hoffman were on that list along with other lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who are also both Democrats.

A Brief History of Trump’s Violent Remarks

After the second attempt on his life, Donald Trump accused his political opponents of inspiring the attacks against him with their rhetoric. The reality, however, is that Trump himself has a long record—singular among American presidents of the modern era—of inciting and threatening violence against his fellow citizens, journalists, and anyone he deems his opposition.

Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning

Charles James Kirk, 31, died on Wednesday from a gunshot to the neck at a Utah Valley University campus event just as he was trying to deflect a question about mass shootings by suggesting they were largely a function of gang violence. He died with a net worth of $12 million, which he made by espousing horrific and bigoted views in the name of advancing Christian nationalism. The foundation of his empire was the group he cofounded and led, Turning Point USA, which is a key youth-recruitment arm of the MAGA movement. Kirk was able to launch Turning Point at the age of 18 because he received money from Tea Party member Bill Montgomery, right-wing donor Foster Friess, and his own father, also a prolific right-wing donor. He was an unrepentant racist, transphobe, homophobe, and misogynist who often wrapped his bigotry in Bible verses because there was no other way to pretend that it was morally correct. He had children, as do many vile people.

Los Angeles Dodgers stop federal agents from entering stadium grounds

As anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests continue in Los Angeles, dozens of federal agents were seen near Dodger Stadium on Thursday but were denied entry to the famed ballpark, according to the MLB team. The agents were seen dressed in tactical gear and gathered on the street that leads into the stadium.

What’s Next for the ‘No Kings’ Movement?

Later in the call, an Indivisible colleague previewed the “1 Million Rising” initiative, aimed at building “power that lasts.” The organizer made clear that the initiative is the work of a coalition ranging from the League of Conservation Voters to the American Civil Liberties Union to the upstart grassroots group 50501. The point is not to have scores and scores of activists reinventing the wheel, but to give folks an opportunity to learn leadership skills and then “plug in” to organizations dedicated to the issues they are most passionate about, ranging from immigration and racial justice, to climate change, to voting rights and democracy building.

U.S. Supreme Court allows — for now — third-country deportations

The Supreme Court on Monday blocked a lower court order that required 15 days notice to individuals the Trump administration is trying to deport to countries other than their own. The high court's action, at least for now, reversed the lower court's order requiring that those being deported have enough time to contact their lawyers and present evidence that would show their lives would be in danger if deported to certain countries.

Trans women transferred to men’s prisons despite rulings against Trump’s order

Transgender women incarcerated in the US prison system have been transferred to men’s facilities under Donald Trump’s executive order, despite multiple court rulings blocking the president’s policy, according to civil rights lawyers and accounts from behind bars.

AOC brushes off Tom Homan’s warning about ‘trouble’ over her immigration rights webinar

Homan also recently complained that news reports about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids were putting agents at risk of being ambushed, so Trump’s administration has clearly begun a crackdown on perceived obstacles to their immigration goals. As I reported earlier this week, Trump’s attack dog leading the Federal Communications Commission has opened a probe into a San Francisco radio station after it after it broadcast ICE agents’ live locations last month.

AOC wants to know if she's under DOJ investigation

In a letter to Bondi dated Feb. 27, Ocasio-Cortez wrote that Trump's border czar Tom Homan has "gone on multiple forums threatening political prosecution against me" for informing constituents of how to exercise their constitutional rights when talking to ICE.

A New Trump Plan Gives DHS and the White House Greater Influence in the Fight Against Organized Crime

During Trump’s first term, veteran officials of the FBI, DEA and HSI all complained that the administration’s overarching focus on immigration diverted agents from more urgent national security threats, including the fentanyl epidemic. Now, as hundreds more agents have been dispatched to immigration enforcement, those officials worry that the new task forces will focus on rounding up undocumented immigrants who have any sort of criminal record at the cost of more significant organized crime investigations. The first task forces to begin operating under the new model have not assuaged such concerns. In late May, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force had arrested more than 1,000 “criminal illegal aliens” in just two months, but the authorities have provided almost no details connecting those suspects to transnational criminal organizations.

The Supreme Court gives Trump a wave of victories in a blockbuster final week

The Supreme Court allowed South Carolina to bar Planned Parenthood's access to federal Medicaid funding for non-abortion services. The decision allows states to ban the organization from getting Medicaid reimbursements for cancer screenings and other care not related to abortion. At issue was a provision of the federal Medicaid law that guarantees Medicaid patients the ability to choose their doctors, or in the words of the statute, they are entitled to "any qualified and willing provider." South Carolina, however, maintained that it could disqualify Medicaid providers for "any reason that state law allows." Or as Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, put it, "Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize abortion providers who are in direct opposition to their beliefs."

DOJ announces plans to prioritize cases to revoke citizenship

Other immigration experts point to another part of the guidance, which gives U.S. attorneys broader discretion to determine other eligible denaturalization cases. "These categories do not limit the Civil Division from pursuing any particular case," the memo states, and priorities for denaturalization can include "any other cases referred to the Civil Division that the Division determines to be sufficiently important to pursue."

Republicans in Congress are eager for Trump to expand his use of the military on US soil

Republicans have in recent years found political success focusing on the issue of crime. The vast majority of Americans, 81%, see crime as a “major problem” in large cities, according to recent polling from the The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That includes nearly all Republicans, roughly three-quarters of independents and nearly 7 in 10 Democrats. However, statistics show overall crime is down across the nation, with some cities reporting 30-year lows.

Senate Republicans eye 'nuclear option' for rules change to speed up Trump nominees

The plan would apply to nominees who are subject to two hours of debate under Senate rules; that is: executive branch nominees, sub-Cabinet level picks and ambassadors. It would not apply to judicial nominations. And it would allow Senate leaders to vote on an unlimited number of nominees in one bloc, with a single up-or-down vote to confirm or reject them all.

We Can Remove Toxic Forever Chemicals From Drinking Water. Why Aren’t We?

Last year, the Biden administration finalized a rule establishing the first-ever legal limits of PFAS in drinking water, setting strict limits for six kinds of PFAS chemicals and mandating that water utilities needed to clean up drinking water under these limits by 2029. But in May, the Environmental Protection Agency said it would be reconsidering regulations on four of the six chemicals in the original rule and extend the deadline by two years. The changes come after widespread outcry from water utilities, who say that the costs of installing PFAS filtration systems would be far beyond what the agency originally estimated.

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The Unveiled Tarot by Jesse Lonergan

2025-09-12T02:19:31Z

The vibes of this deck are surprisingly rancid. Maybe you're into that sort of tarot deck, though.

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Link Roundup June/July 2025

2025-08-01T13:19:59Z

Skipped last month and the links here are thin because I found the news too demotivating.

People are impersonating ICE agents to threaten others amid Trump’s immigration crackdown

Authorities have arrested people in at least three states and accused them of impersonating law enforcement officers and agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, amid heightened fears over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Trump pardons drug kingpins even as he escalates U.S. drug war rhetoric

Drug policy experts interviewed by NPR said it's difficult to find a coherent philosophy behind Trump's use of clemency. According to the Cato Institute's Singer, Trump's pardons often appear "transactional" and often reflect the influence of powerful individuals. "He actually promised in front of the Libertarian Party convention that if he was elected he would pardon Ross Ulbricht. That was a promise he made hoping to get support from Libertarians," Singer said. "It's not like there's an ideological thread running through [Trump's] decisions."

These little-known bank accounts allow Americans with disabilities to save and invest

That’s unusual, financially speaking, and it’s thanks in part to a little-known savings account called an ABLE account, which lets people people with disabilities save money beyond the $2,000 asset limit that’s linked to benefits like Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid. Without the account, Safarik could have risked losing government assistance if he had more than $2,000 in assets saved at one time in a given month.

Danish father of 4 detained by ICE at citizenship interview after living in US for 12 years

ICE officials reportedly detained the 31-year-old for failing to file a single document, due in 2015, around the same time the couple lost their first child in a stillbirth. While grieving their loss, they forgot to file Form I-751, the Mississippi Free Press reported. More than a month later, the Danish national remains in a Louisiana detention center with dozens of other detainees, unsure about his future, where he might get sent, and without a date scheduled for a court to hear his case.

Claim File Helper

A claim file is a collection of the information your insurer used to decide whether it would pay for your medical treatment or services. Most people in the U.S. facing a denial have the right to request their claim file from their insurer. It can include internal correspondence, recordings of phone calls, case notes, medical records and other relevant information. Information in your claim file can be critical when appealing denials. Some patients told us they received case notes showing that their insurer’s decision was the outcome of cost-cutting programs. Others have gotten denials overturned by obtaining recordings of phone calls where company staff introduced errors into their cases.

University of Michigan using undercover investigators to surveil student Gaza protesters

The undercover investigators appear to work for Detroit-based City Shield, a private security group, and some of their evidence was used by Michigan prosecutors to charge and jail students, according to a Guardian review of police records, university spending records and video collected in legal discovery. Most charges were later dropped. Public spending records from the U-M board of regents, the school’s governing body, show the university paid at least $800,000 between June 2023 and September 2024 to City Shield’s parent company, Ameri-Shield.

What we know about Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear sites and military commanders

The strikes come as US talks over Iran's nuclear programme, which began in April, appear to have stalled in recent days. The next round of talks was scheduled for Sunday. Trump had hoped to strike a deal to stop Tehran developing a nuclear weapon. Iran has long insisted that its nuclear activities are peaceful. Earlier this week, Trump reportedly held a "tense" phone call with Netanyahu, who has long argued for a military rather than diplomatic approach to Iran's nuclear abilities.

Fake videos and conspiracies fuel falsehoods about Los Angeles protests

People on X have been tagging Grok more often to help verify visuals during these protests with mixed results, according to Isabelle Frances-Wright, the director of technology and society at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, an independent think tank that examines disinformation online. "While AI is muddying the landscape, people are also now turning to AI as their primary source of fact checking," said Wright.

HIV prevention drug hailed as a 'breakthrough' gets FDA approval

But the cost of the drug — roughly $28,000 a year — could price out many. While Gilead is taking steps to broaden access, the high price coupled with the U.S.'s steep cuts to foreign aid could prevent people in countries with the highest HIV burden from benefiting.

People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies

Sem was confused when it appeared that the named AI character was continuing to manifest in project files where he had instructed ChatGPT to ignore memories and prior conversations. Eventually, he says, he deleted all his user memories and chat history, then opened a new chat. “All I said was, ‘Hello?’ And the patterns, the mannerisms show up in the response,” he says. The AI readily identified itself by the same feminine mythological name...“At worst, it looks like an AI that got caught in a self-referencing pattern that deepened its sense of selfhood and sucked me into it,” Sem says. But, he observes, that would mean that OpenAI has not accurately represented the way that memory works for ChatGPT. The other possibility, he proposes, is that something “we don’t understand” is being activated within this large language model.

Baby of brain-dead woman delivered in Georgia, woman's mother says

The decision to keep her on life support "should have been left up to the family", Ms Newkirk told the same NBC affiliate in May.

Radioactive wasp nest found at site where US once made nuclear bombs

The watchdog group Savannah River Site Watch said the report was at best incomplete since it doesn’t detail where the contamination came from, how the wasps might have encountered it and the possibility there could be another radioactive nest if there is a leak somewhere.

With homicide a leading cause of maternal death, doctors urged to screen pregnant women for domestic violence

Two researchers are urging health-care providers to educate and screen pregnant women about intimate partner violence, as women in the United States are more likely to be murdered during pregnancy or postpartum than to die of common obstetric causes such as high blood pressure, hemorrhage or sepsis. Other research suggests that they are also at higher risk of homicide than women who are not pregnant.

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Crunchy Cabbage Ramen Salad

2025-07-05T03:13:39Z

Introduced to this by my stepmom.

Salad ingredients:
-4 cups shredded cabbage
-1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
-2 tbsp roasted sesame or sunflower seeds
-1 pkg Maruchan Ramen Chicken Flavor (broken or crushed) - just the noodles here

Dressing ingredients:
-3 tbsp white vinegar
-ramen seasoning packet
-1 tsp dijon mustard
-2 tsps sugar
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1/2 cup "salad oil" - ???
-2 tsp chopped cilantro

Mix salad ingredients.
Whisk dressing ingredients.
Add dressing to salad, toss.

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Link Roundup May 2025

2025-06-01T04:57:22Z

Netanyahu says Israel is now dividing up Gaza. What does that mean on the ground?

Focusing on the Morag corridor is also “a kind of a political decision in order to give the right-wing extremists in the government, a kind of hope that maybe we will be back in some areas (settlements) as before,” Dangot added. “When you say ‘Morag’ out loud, it means going back to the disengagement of Gush Katif.” Gush Katif was a bloc of several Israeli settlements, including the agricultural settlement of Morag, in the southern Gaza Strip. When Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip in 2005, then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon dismantled Gush Katif and expelled some 8,000 Jewish residents living there. Some Israeli settlers have since October 7 called for a return to Gush Katif and for the re-settlement of Gaza, a movement emboldened by Israel’s right-wing politicians who have openly called for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.

Netanyahu says new offensive in Gaza focused on consolidating seizure of territory

Humanitarian organisations have unanimously rejected Israel’s plan to establish a limited number of aid distribution hubs run by private contractors and guarded by the IDF in southern Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Sunday accused Israel of trying to shut down the existing aid distribution system run by the UN and its humanitarian partners in order to impose its own supply system.

Case of brain-dead pregnant woman kept on life support in Georgia raises tricky questions

The Associated Press has not been able to reach Smith’s mother, April Newkirk. But Newkirk told Atlanta TV station WXIA that her daughter went to a hospital complaining of headaches and was given medication and released. Then, her boyfriend awoke to her gasping for air and called 911. Emory University Hospital determined she had blood clots in her brain and she was declared brain dead.

Green Card Holder From Germany 'Free' After Two Months of ICE Detention

Although Schmidt has no ongoing legal issues, according to his family, he previously had a misdemeanor charge for having marijuana in his vehicle in 2015. That charge was dismissed after laws about cannabis changed. His mother said he missed a hearing about the case in 2022 because the notice was not forwarded to his correct address. He also had a DUI about a decade ago.

Fabian Schmidt speaks out for the first time since his detention

Schmidt eventually fainted going to the bathroom and remembers collapsing and hitting the ground hard. When he woke up, he told an agent he needed to go to the hospital. “He said, 'Oh, you’re just gonna med out like everybody, huh?’ That’s the verbatim words. I was like, 'Med out? I don’t even know what that means,'” Schmidt recounted, finding out later it meant someone who physically breaks down under stress. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, handcuffed to the bed, and treated for the flu and a high fever for six hours. Schmidt described being given a medical assessment that would have warranted privacy, but CBP officers wouldn’t leave the room. A doctor said he needed rest and a place to recuperate. Instead he was brought back to the Logan Airport holding area.

Trump’s ‘beautiful’ bill spans 1,116 pages. Here’s what’s inside it

To be eligible for Medicaid, there would be new “community engagement requirements” of at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service for able-bodied adults without dependents. The new requirement would not kick in until Jan. 1, 2029, after Trump leaves office. People would also have to verify their eligibility for the program twice a year, rather than just once.

EPA will roll back limits on 4 'forever chemicals.' See if they were found in your water.

Most of these detections weren’t enough to trigger action under the now-abandoned rule, but dozens of utilities providing water to a total of 4 million Americans reported measurements that would have required them to install advanced filtration or find other sources of water.

Most Americans don't earn enough to afford basic costs of living, analysis finds

The Ludwig Institute also says that the nation's official unemployment rate of 4.2% greatly understates the level of economic distress around the U.S. Factoring in workers who are stuck in poverty-wage jobs and people who are unable to find full-time employment, the U.S. jobless rate now tops 24%, according to LISEP, which defines these groups as "functionally unemployed."

The Department of Education Forced Idaho to Stop Denying Disabled Students an Education. Then Trump Gutted Its Staff.

Time and again, the U.S. Department of Education has been the last resort for parents who say the state of Idaho has failed to educate their children. The federal agency in 2023 ordered Idaho to stop blocking some students with learning disabilities, like dyslexia, from special education. That same year, it flagged that the state’s own reviews of districts and charters obscured the fact that just 20% were fully complying with the federal disability law. Last year, it told the state it must end long delays in services for infants and toddlers with disabilities, which could include speech or physical therapy. Now President Donald Trump has pledged to dismantle the department.

NOAA ending its "billion-dollar disasters" database

NOAA announced Thursday that it is decommissioning several databases, including its widely reported annual compilation of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters. The announcement was made on NOAA's website under "notice of change," which said it would no longer be updated due to "evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes."

On Teacher Appreciation Week, union leaders say teachers are underpaid and under attack

Trump's requested federal budget cuts to the Education Department for fiscal year 2026 total about $12 billion, or some 15% of its current funding. The biggest portion of those cuts would be a reduction in K-12 funding by more than $4.5 billion.

'Everybody's worst nightmare': Air traffic controllers say outages have become too frequent

The controller said the team that handles Newark air traffic is working stressful 10-hour days, six days a week, with unreliable equipment.

As Trump sets his sights on public broadcasting, a decades-old institution frets about the future

Trump’s order instructs the CPB and other government agencies to “cease Federal funding” for PBS and National Public Radio and further requires that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing. Separate from the CPB grant, for example, PBS gets a grant from the U.S. Department of Education for programming that helps build the reading, math and science skills for children age 2 to 8, particularly in poor areas.

Trump says he's revoking Harvard's tax-exempt status: 'It's what they deserve!'

His administration in April said it is freezing more than $2 billion in federal funding for the Ivy League school after Harvard leaders said they would not agree to a list of Trump administration demands, which included a mask ban and removal of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Trump upends DOJ's Civil Rights Division, sparking 'bloodbath' in senior ranks

Rather than focusing on enforcing federal laws against discrimination, the division is now charged with pursuing priorities laid out in a series of Trump’s executive orders, including “Keeping Men out of Women's Sports” and “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” according to the memos, which were issued by division head Harmeet Dhillon and obtained by NBC News.

Harvard, UCLA, Stanford among schools across US reporting student visa revocations

These incidents are part of what appears to be mass targeting of international students by Trump's administration over alleged violations of their visa or green card conditions, ranging from minor legal infractions to participating in demonstrations. In other cases, the reason for the revocation is unknown or has not been provided by the administration. Since the beginning of Trump's second term, the State Department has revoked over 300 student visas nationwide, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on March 27.

Trump administration looking at $5,000 'baby bonus' to incentivize public to have more children

Simone Collins and her husband, Malcolm Collins, are pro-natalists who have advocated actions to make it less difficult for families to have children and ultimately reverse declining birth and marriage rates. Simone Collins told ABC News that she and her husband have submitted several draft executive orders to the White House Domestic Policy Council, including bestowing a "National Medal of Motherhood" to mothers with six or more children. They also proposed that couples should not face a tax penalty for getting married.

Key safety hotlines disrupted by HHS cuts

THHS also laid off staff overseeing other hotlines that help people who want to quit smoking and new mothers with postpartum depression, per Stat.

How the Education Department helps students with disabilities get an education

President Trump has said his administration is going to move "special needs" to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an agency that recently announced its own drastic cuts. His administration hasn't specified exactly which programs will be moved, and whether IDEA is among them, but the conservative policy playbook Project 2025 does propose moving IDEA to HHS.

Almost half of U.S. residents are exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution, new report says. These are the areas that got an "F"

Last month, the EPA announced it will roll back or change 31 environmental rules and regulations, including revisions of national air quality standards for particulate matter, emission standards for industrial air pollutants and regulations restricting vehicle emissions. The proposed cuts are putting more than five decades of progress at risk, Kate Bender said.

Supreme Court lets Trump administration resume deportations under Alien Enemies Act

The court did not rule on whether Trump can use the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants it says are members of a Venezuelan crime gang. And the majority said the immigrants should get a chance to contest their deportation. But the ruling says the immigrants brought their challenge − which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia − in the wrong court.

Inside ICE Air: Flight Attendants on Deportation Planes Say Disaster Is “Only a Matter of Time”

That morning over Mexico, Lala said, the girl’s oxygen saturation level was 70% — perilously low compared with a healthy person’s 95% or higher. Her temperature was 102.3 degrees. The flight had a nurse on contract who worked alongside its security guards. But beyond giving the girl Tylenol, the nurse left the situation in Lala’s hands, she recalled.

Budget airline Avelo faces backlash for signing up to fly deportation flights for ICE

Facing financial headwinds, Avelo struck a long-term deal to work with ICE. The company says three of its planes will begin operating charter flights for ICE based out of Mesa, Ariz., starting May 12.

Trump says things are ‘going very well’ after worst stock market drop in years over tariffs

“I think it’s going very well. We have an operation, like when a patient gets operated on and it’s a big thing. I said this would exactly be the way it is,” he said, an apparent reference to the selloff.

How Trump changed his mind on tariffs

After more market losses this week, and with pressure mounting from Republicans on Capitol Hill, Trump began having second thoughts. In his first term, he often viewed the ups and downs of the stock market as a kind of report card on his presidency, celebrating its rise. The downturn had gotten his attention.

Major deal wipes out $30 billion in medical debt. Even backers say it's not enough

New York-based Undue Medical Debt, which buys patient debt, is paying off $30 billion worth of unpaid bills in a single transaction with Pendrick Capital Partners, a Virginia-based debt trading company. The average patient debt being retired is $1,100, according to Undue Medical Debt, with some reaching the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The deal will prevent the debt being sold and protect millions of people nationwide from being targeted by collectors, though this will overwhelmingly benefit residents of Texas and Florida, who account for about half of the debts being retired.

'A hostile state': Why some travellers are avoiding the US

The nation's stricter border enforcement has recently led to the detention of Canadian and European tourists, prompting Germany, the UK, Denmark, Finland and Portugal to issue travel warnings and advisories for the country. Now, it appears that a growing number of voices are advocating for an all-out boycott of travel to the US.

Elon Musk hands out $1 million payments after Wisconsin Supreme Court declines request to stop him

A unanimous state Supreme Court on Sunday refused to hear a last-minute attempt by the state’s Democratic attorney general to stop Musk from handing over the checks to two voters, a ruling that came just minutes before the planned start of the rally. Two lower courts had already rejected the legal challenge by Democrat Josh Kaul, who argues that Musk’s offer violates a state law. “Wisconsin law prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote,” Kaul argued in his filing. “Yet, Elon Musk did just that.” But the state Supreme Court, which is currently controlled 4-3 by liberal justices, declined to take the case as an original action. The court gave no rationale for its decision.

What to Know About the REAL ID Changeover—and How You Can Still Fly Without One

Travelers can also present a valid passport, passport card, or Enhanced Driver’s License. Other forms of valid identification are listed on the TSA site. Passengers traveling without a REAL ID or another acceptable alternative ID may experience delays as they’re traveling, as they may be directed to a separate area and undergo further screening, according to TSA.

Republicans escalate their efforts to rein in judges: From the Politics Desk

House GOP leaders are pursuing one potential off-ramp for a vote that would be less politically precarious: Johnson backed a bill from Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., that would seek to limit district court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions, the sort of rulings that have hampered Trump from fully enacting his plans on issues from deportation to federal agency cuts.

Under Pressure From Trump, ICE Is Pushing Legal Boundaries

The only warrants for them, the attorneys said, were written up after they were detained. “The creation of a warrant after the fact does not cure the warrantless nature of these incidents,” attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote, “and the Settlement’s training material specifically forbid reliance on post hoc administrative warrants to avoid warrantless arrest requirements.”

Trump fires at least 3 national security aides following a meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer

The president told reporters on Air Force One that it was customary to let go of “people that we don’t like, or people that we don’t think do the job, or people that may have loyalty to somebody else.” He said he wasn't sure how many officials had been fired.

Trump's "restoring truth" order could return toppled Confederate monuments

Besides purging "improper ideology" from Smithsonian facilities, Trump directed the Department of the Interior to determine whether "public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties" in its jurisdiction have been removed or changed "to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history." The order directs the agency to reinstate those monuments and ensure they do not contain descriptions that "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living."

HHS to cut about 10,000 full-time employees

That puts the total employees at around 62,000 people -- down from 82,000 at the start of the Trump administration. The agency oversees the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -- among other divisions.

How Kennedy is already weakening America's childhood vaccine system

Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist with a well-documented history of promoting misinformation, promised ahead of his confirmation as HHS secretary that he would not take away vaccines. Since taking office, however, he has repeatedly downplayed the severity of measles currently sweeping the country — outbreaks that have hospitalized scores of children and left at least two dead. He has publicly pushed unproven treatments, including vitamin A regimens that have reportedly sickened children, and offered limp public support for vaccines themselves — despite vaccines offering the safest, most effective way to prevent many infectious diseases. Under his leadership, HHS has overseen mass firings across federal health agencies, including staff responsible for outbreak response and vaccine access; canceled or postponed meetings of independent vaccine advisory committees; and ended vaccine education campaigns.

Trump edges closer to crossing the market's reddest line

The mere possibility that Trump could erode the Federal Reserve's independence has been enough to unnerve investors and tank the stock market. Trump risks plunging the global financial system into crisis if that threat becomes a reality and he attempts to remove Fed chair Jerome Powell or undermine his authority.

Judge allows 'New York Times' copyright case against OpenAI to go forward

And while the suit only names OpenAI and its financial backer, Microsoft, other AI companies also scrape the web for content to train their models. For the most part, the AI industry has followed OpenAI's lead when it comes to training chatbot and other AI services, operating under the premise that processing data found on the open web into chatbot answers is legally protected by copyright law.

Federal authorities arrest two judges, in escalation of Trump immigration crackdown

Dugan and another judge entered the hallway and confronted the arrest team, telling one deportation officer that he needed a judicial warrant to make an arrest instead of an “administrative warrant,” the affidavit said. Dugan then ordered them to go to the chief judge’s office, it said.

Musk’s SpaceX town in Texas warns residents they may lose right to ‘continue using’ their property

A “type-C municipal corporation,” Starbase was officially formed earlier this month after Musk’s aerospace and defense contractor prevailed in a local election. It is now run by officials who are SpaceX employees and former employees. As of early this year, the population of Starbase stood at around 500 people, with around 260 directly employed by SpaceX, the Texas Tribune reported. Most other residents of Starbase are relatives of SpaceX employees.

Tesla sales plunge after Elon Musk backlash

Tesla shares have lost more than a quarter of their value since the beginning of this year, as of 13:51 EDT (18:51 BST) on Wednesday.

White South African Afrikaner refugees arrive in U.S. on a government-chartered plane

The South African government did pass a land reform law earlier this year, allowing in rare circumstances for expropriation without compensation, but zero land has been seized. In fact, while whites in South Africa account for some 7 percent of the population, they still own about 70% of commercial farmland.

DoJ lawyers say detained Tufts student was sent to Louisiana before court order

The transfer of Ozturk first appeared to violate a federal court order from Tuesday, which directed the DHS and Ice to give the court 48 hours’ notice before attempting to take her out of Massachusetts. But on Thursday, government lawyers said her transfer took place before the court’s order.

U.S. Cancels Contract With Moderna to Develop Bird Flu Vaccine

Mr. Kennedy’s ideas for containing bird flu are unorthodox. He has suggested that instead of culling birds when the infection is discovered, farmers should let the virus run through the flocks. Then, he has said, farmers should identify birds that survive the illness and study them to identify the source of their immunity. Many scientists assert that would be inhumane and dangerous. Last week, Mr. Kennedy urged the Canadian authorities not to kill 400 ostriches that had been exposed to H5N1, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid, offered to relocate the birds to his ranch in Florida.

ChatGPT Can Reveal Personal Information From Real People, Google Researchers Show

The underlying machine learning model that powers ChatGPT, like all so-called Large Language Models (LLMs), was trained on massive amounts of data scraped from the internet. With training and reinforcement from humans, the program ideally generates new strings of texts without churning out any of the original text it ingested. Previous work has already shown that image generators can be forced to generate examples from their training data—including copyrighted works—and an early OpenAI LLM produced contact information belonging to a researcher. But Google’s new research shows that ChatGPT, which is a massively popular consumer app with millions of users, can also be made to do this. Worryingly, some of the extracted training data contained identifying information from real people, including names, email addresses, and phone numbers.

How Strangers Got My Email Address From ChatGPT’s Model

Much like human memory, GPT-3.5 Turbo’s recall was not perfect. The output that the researchers were able to extract was still subject to hallucination — a tendency to produce false information. In the example output they provided for Times employees, many of the personal email addresses were either off by a few characters or entirely wrong. But 80 percent of the work addresses the model returned were correct.

RFK Jr. may bar government scientists from publishing in medical journals

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he will ban government scientists from publishing in leading medical journals and proposed creating an “in-house” publication by the department. “We are probably going to stop publishing in the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and those other journals because they are all corrupt,” Kennedy said during an episode of “The Ultimate Human” podcast. Kennedy said such publications are “vessels” for pharmaceutical companies.

The Untold Story of How Ed Martin Ghostwrote Online Attacks Against a Judge — and Still Became a Top Trump Prosecutor

Over the last four years, the office prosecuted more than 1,500 people as part of the massive investigation into the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. While Trump has pardoned the Jan. 6 defendants, Martin has taken action against the prosecutors who brought those cases. In just three months, he has overseen the dismissal of outstanding Jan. 6-related cases, fired more than a dozen prosecutors and opened an investigation into the charging decisions made in those riot cases. Martin has also investigated Democratic lawmakers and members of the Biden family; forced out the chief of the criminal division after she refused to initiate an investigation desired by Trump appointees citing a lack of evidence, according to her resignation letter; threatened Georgetown University’s law school over its diversity, equity and inclusion policies; and vowed to investigate threats against Department of Government Efficiency employees or “chase” people in the federal government "discovered to have broken the law or even acted simply unethically.”

How DOGE’s Cuts to the IRS Threaten to Cost More Than DOGE Will Ever Save

The strategy used by the Trump administration to reduce the size of government has been indiscriminate and far-reaching, meant to oust civil servants as fast as possible in as many agencies as possible while demoralizing the workers that remain on the job. As Russell Vought, director of the Trump White House’s Office of Management and Budget and an architect of Project 2025, put it in a speech first reported by ProPublica and Documented: “We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected. When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.”

How Investigative Journalists Actually Find Fraud, Waste and Abuse

Another standard step in the search for WFA is a dive into reports by an agency’s inspector general or the General Accountability Office, an arm of Congress with deep expertise in examining federal agencies. The inspectors are independent, and their reports can be a rich source of reporting avenues to pursue. President Donald Trump complicated any prospects DOGE had of using this knowledge by firing 17 inspectors general who were responsible for some of the biggest budgets in the federal government, including the Pentagon and Social Security Administration. As for the GAO, the head of the organization told Congress that his analysts have had little contact with DOGE. Gene Dodaro, the comptroller general, said the GAO has a list of reforms that could save the federal government $200 billion without laying off massive numbers of federal workers. Dodaro said staff cuts were an inefficient way to cut the budget since payroll costs are less than 10% of total spending.

This is why Canada has plenty of eggs — and the U.S. doesn't

Von Massow suggests a number of explanations for that. It gets colder in Canada, so barns are more tightly sealed, which helps keep flu virus carried by wild birds out. Canada also has fewer free-range chickens, which are more susceptible to getting infected. But perhaps the biggest difference is that egg farms in Canada are much smaller, so when one farm does suffer a flu outbreak, the effects are less far-reaching. The typical egg farm in Canada has about 25,000 laying hens, whereas many farms in the U.S. have well over a million. In effect, American farmers have put a lot more of their eggs in a relatively small number of baskets.

How the Trump Administration Is Weakening the Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws

Those accused of housing discrimination seem to have taken notice. HUD officials described an increase in defendants ignoring correspondence from investigators or even copying Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in their communication with HUD, seemingly in hopes the cost-cutting department will take their side. “For them to face a consequence, they will need to be brought through a litigation process, which requires expenditure of litigation from the department, and they know that we don’t have those resources anymore,” one HUD official said. “They also feel emboldened that this administration will not consider the things that they are doing to be illegal.” Some defendants have been more explicit about this. In one case, a midwestern city — which had allegedly allowed local politicians to block affordable housing in white neighborhoods — asked HUD officials if the agency still had the backing to pursue the case if the city walked away from the negotiating table, one official said. In another case, a public housing authority, also in the Midwest, rescinded a six-figure settlement it had offered two days prior, citing Trump’s newly issued executive order attacking “disparate-impact liability.” The housing authority had allegedly favored white applicants and denied applicants with even modest criminal records. HUD spent years building the case; it crumbled in 48 hours.

U.S. to revoke legal status of more than a half-million migrants, urges them to self deport

The Trump administration will be revoking the legal status of hundreds of thousands of Latin American and Haitian migrants welcomed into the U.S. under a Biden-era sponsorship process, urging them to self-deport or face arrest and removal by deportation agents.

America’s got talent: Inside the scramble to hire federal workers fired by DOGE

Nearly a dozen states have launched specialized websites promoting open government positions to unemployed federal workers, with many hosting job fairs aimed at them. A handful are expediting hiring practices to overcome bureaucratic slog. Others are developing advertising campaigns, across social media and public-transit facilities, with a shared theme: the federal government under President Donald Trump doesn’t care about you — but we do.

Annotating the Trump administration's Yemen war plans from their Signal group chat

Waltz appears to change the settings so messages will automatically disappear after one week. In theory, this is something that is considered best practice to keep private information secure from prying eyes — but in this case, it raises federal record-keeping concerns. Under the Presidential Records Act, conversations of this nature must be memorialized in accordance with US law. It remains unclear if any official record of this conversation exists. Later in the conversation, Waltz extends the timer to four weeks.

Hundreds of scholars say U.S. is swiftly heading toward authoritarianism

In the benchmark survey, known as Bright Line Watch, U.S.-based professors rate the performance of American democracy on a scale from zero (complete dictatorship) to 100 (perfect democracy). After President Trump's election in November, scholars gave American democracy a rating of 67. Several weeks into Trump's second term, that figure plummeted to 55.

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Let's drink alcohol

2025-05-23T00:29:26Z

Here I will keep a running tally of drink proportions I like.

BIRCH BEER COCKTAIL:
1 part gin
1 part lemon juice
4 parts birch beer

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Link Roundup April 2025

2025-05-05T00:34:55Z

Loathe thy neighbor: Elon Musk and the Christian right are waging war on empathy

Susan Lanzoni, a historian of psychology and author of Empathy: A History, said by email that through all her research into the intellectual history of empathy, she had “never seen empathy vilified in the way it has been in these current sources." "The disparagement of empathy is the flip side, I believe, of a deliberate effort to set up a permission structure to dehumanize others, and to narrow the definition of who should be included in a democratic state, or in a Christian community,” she said. “To me, this disparagement marks a step in the destruction of our multicultural democracy, and provides a path from the verbal dehumanization of others to open discrimination and maltreatment.”

Trump’s Secret Police Are Stalking More and More Students

Taal, a British-Gambian doctoral student at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, sued the administration on February 15 to challenge Trump’s executive orders curtailing free speech and seeking to deport pro-Palestinian activists, which have been paired with a wave of attacks by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers—in some cases masked and hooded—on graduate and undergraduate students. At 12:52 a.m. on Friday—within five days of Taal’s lawsuit—Taal’s lawyers received an email “inviting” their client to “surrender to ICE custody.” At 7:00 p.m. the following day, Trump’s lawyers filed a brief informing Taal that the State Department had already revoked his visa, without his knowledge, on March 14—the day before Taal filed his lawsuit. Days later, ICE agents arrived on Cornell’s campus attempting to find and seize him.

FBI raids home of prominent computer scientist who has gone incommunicado

Searches of federal court dockets turned up no documents related to Wang, Ma, or any searches of their residences. The FBI spokeswoman didn't answer questions seeking which US district court issued the warrant and when, and whether either Wang or Ma is being detained by authorities. Justice Department representatives didn't return an email seeking the same information. An email sent to a personal email address belonging to Wang went unanswered at the time this post went live. Their resident status (e.g. US citizens or green card holders) is currently unknown.

Supreme Court says Trump officials should help return wrongly deported Maryland man

In exchange for detaining the deportees in what one judge has called "one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere," the Salvadoran government is receiving $6 million from the U.S. government.

'Homegrowns are next': Trump doubles down on sending American 'criminals' to foreign prisons

President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his idea of sending U.S. citizens to foreign prisons, telling El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele he wanted to send "homegrown criminals" to his country next, according to a video posted by Bukele's office on X.

'Homegrowns are next': Trump hopes to deport and jail U.S. citizens abroad

Not everyone is voicing opposition to Trump's concept of detaining U.S. citizens and sending them overseas. NPR contacted three prominent conservative legal scholars. All declined to comment. We also contacted three conservative legal think tanks. One declined to comment; two others didn't respond. NPR could also find no instances of Republican lawmakers in the House or Senate commenting on the idea.

Democrats clash over how hard to fight Trump's deportations

A House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios: "With all due respect to some of those folks, I know it's an important issue, but should it be the big issue for Democrats? Probably not." "I think we ought to focus on the basic things that affect people on a day-to-day basis — I'm sure in Maryland it's a big issue," the lawmaker said, citing DOGE cuts, tariffs and Social Security as issues to home in on. Another House Democrat previously told Axios the issue is a "soup du jour" and a "trap" for their party, saying their colleagues should not "take the bait for one hairdresser."

Judge denies bond to Tufts University student grabbed off street by ICE

In court papers filed in Vermont district court late Wednesday, Öztürk's lawyers said the immigration judge in Louisiana denied the request for bond after Department of Homeland Security attorneys argued that she was a flight risk. The court papers say that the government attorneys presented one document — a one-paragraph State Department memo revoking her visa — to support their opposition to the bond.

“They Don’t Care About Civil Rights”: Trump’s Shuttering of DHS Oversight Arm Freezes 600 Cases, Imperils Human Rights

On Feb. 10, more than a dozen Department of Homeland Security officials joined a video conference to discuss an obscure, sparsely funded program overseen by its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The office, charged with investigating when the national security agency is accused of violating the rights of both immigrants and U.S. citizens, had found itself in the crosshairs of Elon Musk’s secretive Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

Another U-Turn: Trump reverses tariffs that caused market meltdown, but companies remain bewildered

President Donald Trump delivered another jarring reversal in American trade policy Wednesday, suspending for 90 days import taxes he’d imposed barely 13 hours earlier on dozens of countries while escalating his trade war with China. The moves triggered a powerful stock market rally on Wall Street but left businesses, investors and America’s trading partners bewildered about what the president is attempting to achieve. The U-turn came after the sweeping global tariffs Trump announced last week set off a four-day rout in global financial markets, paralyzed businesses and raised fears the U.S. and world economies would tumble into recession.

An Algorithm Deemed This Nearly Blind 70-Year-Old Prisoner a “Moderate Risk.” Now He’s No Longer Eligible for Parole.

“The revolving door is insulting,” Landry told state lawmakers last year as he kicked off a special legislative session on crime during which he blamed the state’s high violent crime rate on lenient sentences and “misguided post-conviction programs” that fail to rehabilitate prisoners. (In fact, Louisiana’s recidivism rate has declined over the past decade, according to a 2024 department of corrections report.) The Legislature eliminated parole for nearly everyone imprisoned for crimes committed after Aug. 1, making Louisiana the 17th state in a half-century to abolish parole altogether and the first in 24 years to do so. For the vast majority of prisoners who were already behind bars, like Alexander, another law put an algorithm in charge of determining whether they have a shot at early release; only prisoners rated low risk qualify for parole.

Pete Hegseth shared Yemen attack details in second Signal chat – report

Before the US launched military strikes on Yemen in March, Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, sent detailed information about the planned attacks to a private Signal group chat that he created himself, which included his wife, his brother and about a dozen other people, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

Pronouns in some reporters' email signatures get a stony response from Trump administration

The New York Times reported Tuesday that two of its journalists and one at another outlet had received responses from administration officials to email queries that declined to engage with them over the presence of the pronouns. In one case, a reporter asking about the closure of a research observatory received an email reply from Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, saying, “As a matter of policy, we do not respond to reporters with pronouns in their bios.”

Will the SAVE Act make it harder for married women to vote? We ask legal experts

Among the most notable changes outlined in the bill is the requirement to prove U.S. citizenship before registering to vote. Acceptable documents will include a birth certificate, U.S. passport, naturalization paperwork and certain versions of the Real ID that indicate citizenship. But for as many as 69 million American women who have taken on their spouse's name, their birth certificates no longer match the names they use today, according to an analysis by the progressive Center for American Progress. Meanwhile, more than half of all Americans do not have a passport, according to a 2023 YouGov survey.

The biggest trial in Meta's history starts Monday. Here's what to know

The Federal Trade Commission's blockbuster antitrust case against Meta kicks off on Monday in a courtroom in Washington, D.C. It's the culmination of a nearly six-year investigation into whether the social media giant broke competition laws in acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp.

Key takeaways from RFK Jr.'s interview on measles vaccine, food dyes, weight loss drugs and more

When asked by LaPook if he personally approved the more than $11 billion in cuts to local and state public health programs — funding that helps states address infectious disease, mental health, addiction and childhood vaccination — Kennedy said, "No, I'm not familiar with those cuts." The cuts have been temporarily blocked by a federal judge. "The cuts were mainly DEI cuts, which the president ordered," Kennedy said, but the $11 billion in public health funding was not DEI-related.

New Zealand rejects rights bill after widespread outrage

A controversial bill seeking to reinterpret New Zealand's founding document, which established the rights of both Māori and non-Māori in the country, has been defeated at its second reading. The Treaty Principles Bill was voted down 112 votes to 11, days after a government committee recommended that it should not proceed.

Veterans Affairs Backtracked on His Cancer Treatment. He Blames DOGE.

In February, after Donald Trump returned to office, Army veteran Mark Puhl’s medical requests to the Department of Veterans Affairs—for surgery and a chemotherapy port, both related to cancer for which he had already received care through the VA—were denied. Puhl, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, holds the cost-cutting efforts of Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” responsible. “They approved me to see the surgeon who would do the surgery,” Puhl, 37, said. “They approved an MRI on top of that, to make sure that there were no vessels wrapped around the lumps they wanted to cut out to test for cancer. But then they denied the surgery itself.”

'I cannot guarantee complete confidentiality,' VA therapists ordered to tell veterans

In a memo obtained by NPR, regional leadership at one VA facility offered a script for its therapists to read to patients. "Before we begin our session, I want to inform you that I am currently in a shared office space," reads the script. "While I will do my utmost to maintain your privacy, I cannot guarantee complete confidentiality."

RFK Jr.'s autism study to amass medical records of many Americans

Medication records from pharmacy chains, lab testing and genomics data from patients treated by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service, claims from private insurers and data from smartwatches and fitness trackers will all be linked together, he said.

Mid-commute traffic stop left US citizen detained under an ICE order. Then, a Florida judge verified his US birth certificate

A senior Department of Homeland Security official told CNN Lopez-Gomez was detained because he said he was in the US illegally, but Lopez-Gomez’s attorney said his client never said that... Lopez-Gomez, who speaks an indigenous language and is not fluent in English or Spanish, was arrested with two men under a Florida law that took effect in February and was temporarily blocked April 4 by a federal judge, who barred its enforcement until Friday, court records show. It was not immediately clear why the suspended law was in play.

U.S. citizen released from jail after arrest under Florida’s new anti-immigration law

“I feel fine leaving that place, I felt bad in there. They didn’t give us anything to eat all day yesterday,” he told the Florida Phoenix in Spanish. He added that he had asked the trooper who made the arrest why he was being taken into custody, because he was a U.S. citizen.

Tufts student from Turkey details arrest, crowded detention conditions in new court filing

“When they do the inmate count we are threatened to not leave our beds or we will lose privileges, which means that we are often stuck waiting in our beds for hours,” she said. “At mealtimes, there is so much anxiety because there is no schedule when it comes. … They threaten to close the door if we don’t leave the room in time, meaning we won’t get a meal.”

Barnard College staff alarmed by federal survey asking if they’re Jewish

The questionnaire, sent by text to their personal cellphones, linked to a Microsoft form bearing the logo of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After instructing respondents to check a box indicating whether they were Jewish or Israeli, and whether they practiced Judaism, it asked if they had experienced harassment as a result, including “unwelcome comments, jokes or discussions.”

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Link Roundup March 2025

2025-04-04T13:12:16Z

ICE Watch Programs Can Protect Immigrants in Your Neighborhood — Here’s What to Know

When ICE did make arrests, the majority of people detained whose families we supported were the family’s primary wage earner; the detention created an economic crisis as much as an attack on the family’s psychological and emotional stability. Additionally, there was often little public assistance, beyond food banks, for which the remaining family members qualified. So we started an emergency cash-assistance fund to provide small grants, usually between $300 and $2,000, to help the family stave off eviction and afford the first payment to an immigration attorney. The fund also became a way for local immigrants who were not targeted by ICE to provide support.

The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans

There was another potential problem: Waltz set some of the messages in the Signal group to disappear after one week, and some after four. That raises questions about whether the officials may have violated federal records law: Text messages about official acts are considered records that should be preserved. “Under the records laws applicable to the White House and federal agencies, all government employees are prohibited from using electronic-messaging applications such as Signal for official business, unless those messages are promptly forwarded or copied to an official government account,” Jason R. Baron, a professor at the University of Maryland and the former director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration, told Harris. “Intentional violations of these requirements are a basis for disciplinary action. Additionally, agencies such as the Department of Defense restrict electronic messaging containing classified information to classified government networks and/or networks with government-approved encrypted features,” Baron said.

Hundreds arrested in Turkey in protests against the detention of Istanbul's mayor

Imamoglu's arrest came just days before he was expected to be nominated as the opposition Republican People's Party's presidential candidate in a primary on Sunday. Ozel has said that the primary, where around 1.5 million delegates can vote, will go ahead as planned.

Immigration agents arrest Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests

Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia until this past December, was inside his university-owned apartment Saturday night when several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered and took him into custody, his attorney, Amy Greer, told The Associated Press. Greer said she spoke by phone with one of the ICE agents during the arrest, who said they were acting on State Department orders to revoke Khalil’s student visa. Informed by the attorney that Khalil was in the United States as a permanent resident with a green card, the agent said they were revoking that instead, according to the lawyer.

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Link Roundup February 2025

2025-03-23T19:13:08Z

‘Blow this place up’: Frustrated Democrats want the Senate to fight harder

After voting to confirm Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Schumer told his members Tuesday he will vote against any remaining Cabinet nominees and urged his colleagues to do the same, an aide to the New York Democrat said. Just hours later, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) voted for Pam Bondi’s attorney general nomination, and on Wednesday Fetterman and Welch voted for HUD’s Scott Turner.

Federal health workers terrified after 'DEI' website publishes list of 'targets'

Federal health workers are expressing fear and alarm after a website called “DEI Watch List” published the photos, names and public information of a number of workers across health agencies, describing them at one point as “targets.” It’s unclear when the website, which lists mostly Black employees who work in agencies primarily within the Department of Health and Human Services, first appeared. “Offenses” for the workers listed on the website include working on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, donating to Democrats and using pronouns in their bios.

Mom of Sam Nordquist, transgender man tortured and killed in New York, slams police response

Months before his remains were discovered last week, his family requested two wellness checks with police in Canandaigua, New York, his mother, Linda Nordquist, told NBC News in a phone call. She added that her son expressed that he was in danger to local social services and she questioned if more could have been done to intervene before his killing. "Sam may be alive today if they would have done their jobs," she said through tears. The Canandaigua Police Department's chief of police, Mathew Nielsen, said in a phone call that none of his roughly 30 officers spoke with the family prior to Sam's death. He suggested that the family is confused about which law enforcement agency they called to perform the wellness checks. The phone number the family said they called matched the number of CPD's office. The family also shared a screenshot of their call log with NBC News.

Elon Musk’s DOGE Wants Access to the Treasury’s Payment Systems: Report

According to the Post, since shortly after the election, Musk’s DOGE team has been requesting access to payment systems under the Bureau of the Fiscal Service that control the distribution of more than $6 trillion in annual funds. Some of the payments that run through the bureau include Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax refunds, and federal salaries.

The tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas is alarming. It’s not the biggest in US history though, CDC says

As of Jan. 24, 67 people are being treated for active TB, most of them in Wyandotte County, Bronaugh said. Another 79 have latent TB. The state’s provisional 2024 count shows 79 active TB cases and 213 latent cases in the two counties where the outbreak is happening, Wyandotte and Johnson. Not all of those are linked to the outbreak and Bronaugh did not respond to requests for clarification.

Super Bowl halftime performer detained after unfurling Sudan-Palestine flag

A performer in Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show was detained on the field and could face charges after unfurling a combination Sudanese-Palestinian flag with “Sudan” and “Gaza” written on it. The NFL confirmed the person was part of the 400-member field cast. The New Orleans Police Department said in a statement that “law enforcement is working to determine applicable charges in this incident.” “The individual will (be) banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said in an emailed statement.

Here's a Super Bowl riddle: Why are egg prices surging — but not chicken wings?

Chickens raised for meat — known as "broilers" — live on different farms than those that produce eggs. And while broilers are not immune from avian flu, they haven't been hit nearly as hard as their egg-laying cousins. "They're younger typically, and older birds are more susceptible to the virus," says Tom Super of the National Chicken Council. "And broiler chickens are also not on the farm as long — only about seven weeks."

Amazon’s killing a feature that let you download and backup Kindle books

Starting on February 26th, 2025, Amazon is removing a feature from its website allowing you to download purchased books to a computer and then copy them manually to a Kindle over USB. It’s a feature that a lot of Kindle users are probably not aware of, given books can be more easily sent to devices over Wi-Fi, but it’s especially useful for backing up purchases or converting them to other formats compatible with non-Kindle e-readers.

Elon Musk tightens grip on federal government as Democrats raise alarms

The apex of Musk’s work so far came on Monday at the Washington headquarters for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, where yellow police tape blocked access to the lobby and hundreds of employees were locked out of computer systems. Musk said Trump had agreed to let him shutter the agency. “It’s not an apple with a worm in it, what we have is just a ball of worms,” Musk said of the world’s largest provider of humanitarian, development and security assistance. “You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”

Federal prosecutors in New York and Washington resign after refusing to drop Adams charges

The prosecutors resigned after Emil Bove, the acting U.S. deputy attorney general, issued a memo Monday ordering federal prosecutors in New York to drop the case against Adams, arguing, in part, that it hampered his ability to tackle “illegal immigration and violent crime.”

A federal worker tried to take Trump's 'Fork' resignation offer. Here's what happened

That weekend, she made her decision. She replied to the original email with the word "Resign" and hit send. The following week, in an effort to be transparent, Goggin emailed her supervisor about her decision. But a few days later, she got another surprise in her inbox: an email from the VA, exempting scores of positions from the resignation offer, including social workers.

'Chilling effect': Arts organizations react to end of DEI initiatives from fed agency

In a move that has shaken arts organizations, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) said on its website that it is eliminating a funding program that supports diversity, equity and inclusion and underserved communities. Instead, the federal agency will prioritize programs that celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Groups sue to get access to immigrants at Guantánamo Bay

President Trump announced in a memorandum late last month plans to house at Guantánamo Bay up to 30,000 immigrants suspected of being in the U.S. illegally as part of his immigration crackdown. The White House directed the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security "to take all appropriate actions to expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to full capacity."

NATO is in disarray after the US announces that its security priorities lie elsewhere

Hegseth told almost 50 of Ukraine ’s Western backers on Wednesday that he had joined their meeting “to directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe.” “The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must — and we are — focusing on security of our own borders,” he said. Reading the riot act to U.S. allies, Hegseth said that Ukraine will not get all its territory back from Russia and will not be allowed to join NATO, which would provide the ultimate security guarantee to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin never attacks it again.

Trump administration wants to un-fire nuclear safety workers but can’t figure out how to reach them

An NNSA nuclear safety specialist fired Thursday because she was a two-year probationary employee told NBC News she was still locked out of her email, but her manager had called to inform her that her “termination was rescinded” and to report to work on Tuesday. “I will be honest, I intend to keep looking for work,” the employee said. “I will go back, but as soon as I find another role, I’ll be leaving.” Asked why she will still look for employment elsewhere, she said that she has “no faith I will keep my job.”

Trump 2.0 initial approval ratings higher than in first term

53% of Americans approve of Trump so far, according to a newly released CBS News/YouGov poll conducted Feb. 5 to 7, while 47% disapproved.

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Link Roundup January 2025

2025-02-02T04:22:50Z

The Militia and the Mole

Federal prosecutors have convicted more than 1,000 people for their role in Jan. 6. Key militia captains were sent to prison for a decade or more. But that did not quash the allure that militias hold for a broad swath of Americans. Now President-elect Donald Trump has promised to pardon Jan. 6 rioters when he returns to the White House. Experts warn that such a move could trigger a renaissance for militant extremists, sending them an unprecedented message of protection and support — and making it all the more urgent to understand them.

Lawmakers brace for Trump’s promised Jan. 6 pardons. Some are urging restraint

The fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has a new focus as lawmakers brace for the prospect that President-elect Donald Trump may soon pardon many of the more than 1,500 people charged with crimes for their actions related to the riot. Trump said he would issue pardons to rioters on “Day 1” of his presidency, which begins Jan. 20. “Most likely, I’ll do it very quickly,” he said recently on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He added that “those people have suffered long and hard. And there may be some exceptions to it. I have to look. But, you know, if somebody was radical, crazy.”

Five concerning truths about Richmond’s public water system: 2022 EPA report

According to the EPA, the water system — at the time of the 2022 inspection — did not perform emergency scenario planning exercises for crisis events like large-scale power failures, contaminations or any other issue that would impact production. The first of those is what took out Richmond’s city water system on Monday, Jan. 6, leading to a widespread water crisis.

Bulldozers kill man in tent in Atlanta clearing homeless camp near MLK’s church

The death of Cornelius Taylor on Thursday afternoon resulted from an effort to reduce the visibility of people without shelter near the city’s historic Ebenezer Baptist church as an accommodation for crowds expected in the area to celebrate King this weekend and on Monday, the federal holiday dedicated to the civil rights leader’s life and legacy. Taylor’s death has infuriated homelessness advocates and prompted a round of soul searching among city leaders.

Trump illegal migrant arrests to start on day one

Raids to detain and deport migrants living in the US without permission are set to begin on the first full day of President-elect Donald Trump's new administration, sources have told the BBC's US partner CBS.

Elon Musk appears to make back-to-back fascist salutes at inauguration rally

As the crowd roared, Musk turned and saluted again, his arm and hand slightly lower. “My heart goes out to you,” Musk said, striking himself on the chest again. “It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured. Thanks to you. We’re gonna have safe cities, finally safe cities. Secure borders, sensible spending. Basic stuff. And we’re gonna take ‘Doge’ to Mars.”

‘I Am Not Going to Apologize’: The Bishop Who Confronted Trump Speaks Out

The real people who are in danger are those who are fearful of being deported. The real people who are in danger are the young people who feel they cannot be themselves and be safe and who are prone to all kinds of both external attacks and suicidal responses to them. So I think we should keep our eyes on the people who are really vulnerable in our society. I have a lot of support and a lot of safety around me, so no, I'm not feeling personally at risk. Although people have said they do wish me dead, and that's a little heartbreaking. It was a pretty mild sermon. It certainly wasn't a fire and brimstone sermon. It was as respectful and as universal as I could with the exception of making someone who has been entrusted with such enormous influence and power to have mercy on those who are most vulnerable.

Thailand makes hormone therapy free for trans people just after legalizing marriage equality

Discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation has been illegal in Thailand since 2015, but transgender Thais have no legal avenue to change their gender on official documents. That resulted last week in many marriages between transgender women and cisgender men that were officially documented as same-sex unions between men.

Egg prices are soaring. Don’t expect that to change anytime soon

Cage-free egg laws in 10 states may also be responsible for some supply disruptions and price increases. The laws set minimum space for chickens or cage-free requirements for egg-laying hens. They’ve already gone into effect in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Michigan. At a Target in Chicago on Monday, a dozen large conventional eggs cost $4.49 but a dozen large cage-free eggs were selling for $6.19.

Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use

The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him.

FACT FOCUS: A look at false and misleading claims Trump made at inaugural events

In his first address after being sworn in on Monday, President Donald Trump repeated several false and misleading statements that he made during his campaign. They included claims about immigration, the economy, electric vehicles and the Panama Canal. In remarks later at the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall, he issued a number of other false claims, including one that distorts pardons made by President Joe Biden as he left office. Here’s a look at the facts.

What Trump has done since taking power

A two-page memo from the Office of Management and Budget and sent to government agencies ordered a pause to all grants and loans until mid-February, to ensure all programmes match the administration's agenda. The action is now on hold.

Trump pardons roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack

Trump commuted the sentences of individuals associated with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy. He then issued "a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021," a category that included people who assaulted law enforcement officers.

A federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s executive order redefining birthright citizenship

Thursday’s decision prevents the Trump administration from taking steps to implement the executive order for 14 days. In the meantime, the parties will submit further arguments about the merits of Trump’s order. Coughenour scheduled a hearing on Feb. 6 to decide whether to block it long term as the case proceeds.

Trump signs orders ending diversity programs; federal DEI staffers being placed on leave

Tuesday's order also goes beyond just federal agencies, and directs the attorney general within 120 days to submit "recommendations for enforcing Federal civil-rights laws and taking other appropriate measures to encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI." Mr. Trump is also directing the attorney general to create a plan to deter the private sector from adopting or continuing DEI programs. "As a part of this plan, each agency shall identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations, large non-profit corporations or associations, foundations with assets of 500 million dollars or more, State and local bar and medical associations, and institutions of higher education with endowments over 1 billion dollars," Tuesday's order read.

Public schools try to protect undocumented students from Trump immigration raids

The Trump administration has removed restrictions that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement from conducting raids at so-called sensitive locations, including schools (as well as houses of worship and hospitals).

The Smithsonian's queer erasure of an AIDS artwork should alarm us all

Multiple articles point out how this "reinterpretation" of Felix's work started when David Zwirner and Andrea Rosen Gallery started co-representing the artist's estate in 2017. These articles point to a concerted effort by the Felix González-Torres Foundation to disassociate his work from AIDS and his queerness, both crucial factors in his work, under the guise of preserving the "ambiguity and multiplicity of meaning of Felix's work." The most referenced theory for this repositioning is that it attracts the upper echelon of richer buyers and museums, who have historically been more interested in straight white male artists.

Why these doctors started writing medical 'prescriptions' for solar power

The program relies on 519 solar panels installed on the roof of one of the hospital's office buildings. Half of the energy generated by the panels helps power Boston Medical Center. The rest goes to patients who receive a monthly credit of about $50 on their utility bills.

The FDA Hasn’t Inspected This Drug Factory After 7 Recalls for the Same Flaw, 1 Potentially Deadly

The Mumbai-based company had four recalls in the previous eight months and would have two more in following months, all for the same dangerous tendency for pills to dissolve improperly. All the faulty medications were made at the same Glenmark factory in central India, government records show. Yet the FDA hasn’t stopped Glenmark from shipping pills from the factory to American patients. Nor did it send investigators to the Indian facility to figure out what had gone wrong. Its last inspection of the plant was more than four years ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Link Roundup December 2024

2025-01-09T01:53:30Z

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting latest: Suspect's backpack had Monopoly money: Sources

The backpack recovered by the NYPD that allegedly belonged to the suspect wanted in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, only had two items inside: a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and Monopoly money, sources with knowledge of the ongoing investigation told ABC News Saturday.

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Pancakes according to mom

2024-12-29T23:51:03Z

I love my mom's pancakes and a while ago she and I worked out a rough estimate of her recipe, so here it is for posterity.

Mix two bowls, one with dry ingredients and one with wet.

DRY BOWL:
-4 cups of flour
-1/3 cups of sugar
-salt: 3/4 teaspoon? 1 teaspoon? 1.5 teaspoon? <- literally what I have in my notes. If/when I make this myself I'll start off with 1.5 teaspoons, I assume that's what we settled on
-rounded teaspoon of baking powder

WET BOWL
-4 cups whole milk
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1-2 eggs

Add dry bowl to wet bowl, slowly, make sure to mix well
Heat pan to max heat and use butter to coat
Ladle batter on
Chocolate chips and/or banana slices (banana - push down on, add a little batter on top)
Wait until bubbles in batter leave holes when popped before flipping

You can store leftover batter in the fridge or freezer. You might need to add a little milk when you do take it out again.

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"The Japanese police system today: an American perspective"

2024-12-25T17:52:55Z

For reasons beyond the scope of this post, several years ago I flipped through a copy of the book The Japanese police system today: an American perspective (written by L. Craig Parker, 1984) and took some notes. I recently rediscovered the notebook with said notes so I'm posting them online in case anyone finds them useful. I'll include the page numbers that I recorded at the time. My handwriting is pretty bad so I cannot guarantee complete accuracy on these.

( Read more... )

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Link Roundup May-November 2024

2024-12-08T16:40:29Z

NBC News Exit Poll: Voters express deep concern about America's democracy and economy

The early exit poll results also show that voters who backed Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have different priorities on the issues. A majority of Harris voters prioritized the state of democracy. Abortion was the second-most-important issue to Harris voters, 2 in 10 of whom said it mattered most to their votes, followed by economy, foreign policy and immigration. Half of Trump voters said the economy was the most important issue to their votes, followed by immigration (20%), democracy (12%), abortion (6%) and foreign policy (4%).

2024 turnout is near the 2020 record. See how each state compares.

Voter turnout in this year’s presidential election is expected to be close to the record high set in 2020, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from the Associated Press and the University of Florida Election Lab.

Elon Musk’s PAC Fired and Abandoned Canvassers in Michigan Who Voiced Concerns: Report

The workers — many of whom are Black — told >i>Wired that Blitz Canvassing, a subcontractor for Musk’s PAC, had them sign nondisclosure agreements and transported them to Michigan neighborhoods in the back of a U-Haul without seats or seat belts. After Wired ran an initial story about their working conditions, the magazine reported that the subcontractor fired more than a dozen canvassers, leaving some without full compensation or transportation home.

Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother’s Death Was Preventable.

Their reviews of individual patient cases are not made public. But ProPublica obtained reports that confirm that at least two women have already died after they couldn’t access legal abortions and timely medical care in their state. There are almost certainly others.

USA: Free speech on campus needs to be protected, not attacked, say experts

The United States must ensure that freedom of peaceful assembly is respected, as required by Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by the United States, and by Article 5 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Limitations need to be legitimate, necessary, and proportionate. Private campuses have a responsibility to respect human rights under the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights.

How the Yale Unions Took Over New Haven

In a 2011 campaign nicknamed Aldermania, the unions ran a slate of candidates to win a majority on the Board. The idea was to bring working-class residents into government and turn the board into more than a rubber-stamping mechanism for the mayor. Weeks of door-knocking during the sticky summer heat paid off: seventeen of eighteen candidates endorsed by the union won their elections. They were Black and white and Latino; there was a Yale janitor, a Yale library assistant, and a Yale undergraduate. The majority has held ever since.

Judge rules Breonna Taylor's boyfriend caused her death, throws out major charges against ex-Louisville officers

Federal charges against former Louisville Police Detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany were announced by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 during a high-profile visit to Louisville. Garland accused Jaynes and Meany, who were not present at the raid, of knowing they had falsified part of the warrant and put Taylor in a dangerous situation by sending armed officers to her apartment. But Simpson wrote in the Tuesday ruling that "there is no direct link between the warrantless entry and Taylor's death." Simpson's ruling effectively reduced the civil rights violation charges against Jaynes and Meany, which had carried a maximum sentence of life in prison, to misdemeanors.

Blood puddles, mold, tainted meat, bugs: Boar’s Head inspections are horrifying

According to USDA documents, the agency has not taken enforcement actions against Boar's Head, and there is no data available on swab testing for Listeria at the Virginia facility.

California police worked with neo-Nazis to pursue 'anti-racist' activists, documents show

Officers also worked with TWP member Derik Punneo to try to identify anti-fascist activists, recordings revealed. Officers interviewed Punneo in jail after he was arrested for an unrelated domestic violence charge. Audio recordings captured investigators saying they brought photos to show him, hoping he could help them identify anti-fascist activists. The officers said, “We’re pretty much going after them,” and assured him: “We’re looking at you as a victim.”

Pentagon ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China during pandemic

The U.S. military’s anti-vax effort began in the spring of 2020 and expanded beyond Southeast Asia before it was terminated in mid-2021, Reuters determined. Tailoring the propaganda campaign to local audiences across Central Asia and the Middle East, the Pentagon used a combination of fake social media accounts on multiple platforms to spread fear of China’s vaccines among Muslims at a time when the virus was killing tens of thousands of people each day. A key part of the strategy: amplify the disputed contention that, because vaccines sometimes contain pork gelatin, China’s shots could be considered forbidden under Islamic law. The military program started under former President Donald Trump and continued months into Joe Biden’s presidency, Reuters found – even after alarmed social media executives warned the new administration that the Pentagon had been trafficking in COVID misinformation.

Dem Insiders Begged Team Harris Not to Campaign With Liz Cheney

But Harris exerted far more effort attempting to appeal to Republicans, moderates, and independents than the Democratic base — which has been demoralized, in part, by Biden’s continued support for Israel’s brutal war in Gaza.

Why Kamala Harris Lost — And Why It Wasn’t Close

There’s good reason to distrust that Trump’s 2025 agenda will financially benefit the average American. His plan to impose widespread tariffs on imported goods will raise prices for consumers. His plan to preserve his tax cuts for the rich and further slash the corporate tax rate will surely once again primarily benefit the wealthiest Americans. Trump has promised to give a top administration role to the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, who pledged to impose major spending cuts that would “involve some temporary hardship.” But Americans, enraged about the economy, were not voting for Trump’s economic agenda, in particular. They were simply registering their disapproval of the state of the economy as it stands, today.

How to Evaluate a Nonprofit Before You Donate

Since nonprofits are required to file a document called a Form 990 with the IRS every year, you can check out a nonprofit’s finances for yourself with a few online resources. By taking the time to evaluate the charity before you donate, you can see how effective your donation will be and get peace of mind knowing it’s more likely that the organization effectively spends your donation and does what it says.

Trump taps Musk to lead a 'Department of Government Efficiency' with Ramaswamy

Until he dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in January to endorse Trump, Ramaswamy vowed to reduce the role of the federal government. His policy proposals included slashing the Federal Reserve workforce by at least 90% and deporting American-born children of undocumented immigrants.

How UnitedHealth’s Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage Puts Countless Americans’ Treatment at Risk

By the end of 2021, United’s algorithm program had been deemed illegal in three states. But that has not stopped the company from continuing to police mental health care with arbitrary thresholds and cost-driven targets, ProPublica found, after reviewing what is effectively the company’s internal playbook for limiting and cutting therapy expenses. The insurer’s strategies are still very much alive, putting countless patients at risk of losing mental health care. Optum, its subsidiary that manages its mental health coverage, is taking aim at those who give or get “unwarranted” treatment, flagging patients who receive more than 30 sessions in eight months. The insurer estimates its “outlier management” strategy will contribute to savings of up to $52 million, according to company documents.

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Link Roundup March/April 2024

2024-05-07T13:48:27Z

Walgreens Tests Digital Cooler Doors With Cameras to Target You With Ads

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. is testing a technology that embeds cameras, sensors and digital screens in the cooler doors in its stores, a new network of “smart” displays that marketers can use to target ads for specific types of shoppers. The refrigerator and freezer doors act as a digital merchandising platform that depicts the food and drinks inside in their best light, but also as an in-store billboard that can serve ads to consumers who approach, based on variables such as the approximate age the technology believes they are, their gender and the weather.

Police allegedly use rubber bullets and teargas at university protest in Georgia

Following the set-up of the encampments, multiple Emory and Atlanta police officers, as well as Georgia state patrol officers, arrived on campus, with videos showing the officers forcefully arresting people. One video appeared to show multiple officers holding down a restrained person as they tased them. Another video showed an officer arresting Noelle McAfee, chair of the university’s philosophy department.

The Secret Casualties of Iraq’s Abandoned Chemical Weapons

Participants in the chemical weapons discoveries said the United States suppressed knowledge of finds for multiple reasons, including that the government bristled at further acknowledgment it had been wrong. “They needed something to say that after Sept. 11 Saddam used chemical rounds,” Mr. Lampier said. “And all of this was from the pre-1991 era.” Others pointed to another embarrassment. In five of six incidents in which troops were wounded by chemical agents, the munitions appeared to have been designed in the United States, manufactured in Europe and filled in chemical agent production lines built in Iraq by Western companies.

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Link Roundup February 2024

2024-03-04T06:20:11Z

How American citizens are leading rise of ‘settler violence’ on Palestinian lands

“Typically we describe American aliyah as an aliyah of choice because these aren’t immigrants like, say, today’s Ukrainians coming to Israel fleeing war or those fleeing persecution or poverty. Rather Americans are looking to fulfil a set of ideological, religious or lifestyle values that they find in Israel and particularly over the green line,” she said. “Some of them wanted the lifestyle they lived in New Jersey which was not the lifestyle of Israel 20 or 30 years ago but they built it in the settlements.”

Alabama station in disbelief after 200-foot radio tower stolen

A radio station in Alabama was forced to go silent after thieves stole its 200-foot radio tower and other equipment from a building.

Brazil's ex-leader Bolsonaro surrenders passport over coup probe

Police accuse them of spreading doubts about the electoral system, which became a rallying cry for his supporters, who claimed the election was stolen from Mr Bolsonaro. This, police argue, set the stage for a potential coup. When it failed to get the support of the armed forces, however, his frustrated supporters stormed Congress, the building housing the Supreme Court and the presidential palace on 8 January 2023.

Hind Rajab, 6, found dead in Gaza days after phone calls for help

In a statement, the PRCS accused Israel of deliberately targeting the ambulance, as soon as it arrived at the scene on 29 January. "The [Israeli] occupation deliberately targeted the Red Crescent crew despite obtaining prior coordination to allow the ambulance to arrive at the scene to rescue the child Hind," it said. The PRCS told the BBC that it had taken several hours to coordinate access with the Israeli army, in order to send paramedics to Hind. "We got the coordination, we got the green light," PRCS spokeswoman, Nibal Farsakh, told me earlier this week. "On arrival, [the crew] confirmed that they could see the car where Hind was trapped, and they could see her. The last thing we heard is continuous gunfire."

In his second mix-up this week, Biden talks about meeting with dead European leaders

Biden said at both events that "Helmut Kohl," who died in 2017, had asked him how he would respond if he read about people storming the British Parliament and killing officers "to stop the election of a prime minister." Merkel attended the 2021 summit in the U.K.

Scientists aghast at bizarre AI rat with huge genitals in peer-reviewed article

Appall and scorn ripped through scientists' social media networks Thursday as several egregiously bad AI-generated figures circulated from a peer-reviewed article recently published in a reputable journal. Those figures—which the authors acknowledge in the article's text were made by Midjourney—are all uninterpretable. They contain gibberish text and, most strikingly, one includes an image of a rat with grotesquely large and bizarre genitals, as well as a text label of "dck."

Japan medical school confirms altering scores to limit women

The investigation found that in this year’s entrance exams the school reduced all applicants’ first-stage test scores by 20 percent and then added at least 20 points for male applicants, except those who had previously failed the test at least four times. It said similar manipulations had occurred for years because the school wanted fewer female doctors since it anticipated they would shorten or halt their careers after becoming mothers. Medical graduates usually work at school-affiliated hospitals once their careers begin. The education ministry official’s son, who had failed the exam three times, was given 20 additional points, elevating his score above the cutoff line.

Family of Henrietta Lacks settles with biotech company accused of exploiting her cells

More than 70 years after doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took Henrietta Lacks’ cervical cells without her knowledge, a lawyer for her descendants said they have reached a settlement with a biotechnology company they sued in 2021, accusing its leaders of reaping billions of dollars from a racist medical system.

'Ethnic bias' delayed care before Liverpool woman's death

A report last year by Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk Through Audits and Confidential Enquiries UK (MBRRACE-UK) found that between 2019 and 2021, woman from black ethnic backgrounds were four times more likely to die during pregnancy or immediately afterwards than white women.

Air Canada's chatbot gave a B.C. man the wrong information. Now, the airline has to pay for the mistake

Air Canada, for its part, argued that it could not be held liable for information provided by the bot.

The key to fighting pseudoscience isn’t mockery—it’s empathy

Ultimately, pseudoscience provides answers. Plausible-sounding, reasonable-enough answers. The world is harsh, confusing, and unfair. Pseudoscience gives comfort, explanation, and predictability. Pseudoscience makes the world appear more stable and understandable and relatable. Of course people seek answers in their daily horoscope, because it really sucks to live with an uncertain future. Of course people want to find ghosts in their house, because we still feel the pain of the loss of our loved ones. Of course people turn to homeopathic remedies, because diseases are agonizing and medical treatments aren’t always effective. Humans tend to trust the word of their friends and family over distant scientists because that’s the way we’re wired. Humans tend to be swayed by a good story over a good data set. The entire institution of science has developed over the past centuries as a part of a wider philosophical tradition to avert these natural human tendencies and arrive at non-obvious conclusions, to live with uncertainty and ever-evolving answers.

Tumblr CEO publicly spars with trans user over account ban, revealing private account names in the process

When juxtaposed, these two moderation decisions show the difficulty that platforms have in making decisions about certain types of speech. While Bluesky deemed that getting shoved from “somewhere real high” is hyperbolic, Tumblr decided that “a forever painful death involving a car covered in hammers that explodes more than a few times and hammers go flying everywhere” is a sound threat.

Man Shot at by Cops Who Got Scared by an Acorn ‘Damaged for Life’

A document laying out the investigation’s findings would be comical if the stakes weren’t so high. It describes Hernandez falling over, rolling on the ground for several seconds, falling over again while struggling to stand up and breaking his sunglasses, sending a piece flying into the frame. He shouted “shots fired” four times, said the shots were coming from the car, and claimed he was “hit.” His partner, who also unloaded into the car, seemed confused, at one point simply asking him, “What?” The sound of an acorn hitting the car is barely audible before the shooting begins. During the investigation, Hernandez was initially adamant that shots had been fired. He said that he did not have prior law enforcement experience but that he trained at West Point and served as an infantry and special forces officer for a decade, which included two rotations in Afghanistan. He said that he never faced combat because he was an officer.

Nazis mingle openly at CPAC, spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories and finding allies

Nazis appeared to find a friendly reception at the Conservative Political Action Conference this year. Throughout the conference, racist extremists, some of whom had secured official CPAC badges, openly mingled with conference attendees and espoused antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Oklahoma students walk out after trans student’s death to protest bullying policies

Ahead of the walkout on Monday, one counter-protester made anti-LGBTQ statements using a megaphone. As he made comments about AIDS and how Jesus Christ was the “real man” lesbians need, students holding signs stating “trans youth belong” surrounded him to block him from sight.

“Inverse vaccine” shows potential to treat multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases

In the new study, the researchers focused on a multiple-sclerosis-like disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, leading to weakness and numbness, loss of vision and, eventually mobility problems and paralysis. The team linked myelin proteins to pGal and tested the effect of the new inverse vaccine. The immune system, they found, stopped attacking myelin, allowing nerves to function correctly again and reversing symptoms of disease in animals. In a series of other experiments, the scientists showed that the same approach worked to minimize other ongoing immune reactions.

Landlords Are Enforcing No-Sex Tenancy Clauses Now

Brits are no strangers to outrageous landlords, but even this takes the piss. We’ve watched as landlords have passed off single rooms as entire flats, become influencers who vlog their evictions, and even charged their tenants for having friends over. Just when you thought they couldn’t sink any lower, they’ve come up with a new way to ruin your life: no-sex tenancy clauses.

Oklahoma senator calls LGBTQ+ people "filth" while commenting on death of Nex Benedict

During a legislative forum in Oklahoma on Friday sponsored by the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce, Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville, commented on the death of 16-year-old nonbinary student Nex Benedict following an attack that took place on February 7 at Owasso High School, saying, "I represent a constituency that doesn't want that filth in Oklahoma," meaning gender fluidity, not apparent murder.

Republicans Block Bill to Protect IVF Access Nationwide

As the fallout continues from an Alabama court ruling that deemed frozen embryos from IVF were “extrauterine children,” Democrats pushed a vote Wednesday on the Access to Family Building Act, which would enshrine federal protections for IVF and other assisted reproductive technology.

Huckster Behind ‘Willy Wonka’ Event Also Sells AI-Written Vaccine Conspiracy Books

Since the Wonka fiasco, Coull has taken steps to scrub various social accounts, taking down both a LinkedIn profile and a YouTube channel where it appears he presented himself as something of a business guru and life coach. His personal site, also deleted, touted a number of dubious academic degrees and said he worked as a “consultant” for a brand called Empowerity, which is now defunct. As of 2021, he was co-directing a Glasgow foodbank that he claimed fed thousands of families a month — that, too, no longer exists, and some Glaswegians suspect it was not entirely above board.

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Link Roundup January 2024

2024-02-05T02:14:04Z

36-hour shifts, 80-hour weeks: Workers are being burned out by overtime

But several labor unions say employers should be doing more to fill the persistent vacancies, like raising wages or improving working conditions to attract new workers, rather than placing the burden on their existing employees. In some cases, labor groups say employers are using overtime as a cost-saving measure. “What we have seen is an aggressive normalization of understaffing,” said Michelle Mahon, assistant director of nursing practice for the union National Nurses United. “The hospital industry has been capitalizing on this narrative that there’s a nursing shortage, when in fact there is not. There are a million nurses who are licensed to practice in this country who are not working in nursing largely because of understaffing and poor working conditions.”

Housing is now unaffordable for a record half of all U.S. renters, study finds

In fact, more such households and many others also now struggle to pay rent, according to a newly released report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. It finds that in 2022, as rents spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, a record half of U.S. renters paid more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities. Nearly half of those people were severely cost-burdened, paying more than 50% of their income.

After Two Decades Undercover, She’s Ready to Tell the Real Story of Human Trafficking

What they are seeing is a lot more insidious and a lot more homegrown. A report released in 2018 by the State Department ranked the U.S. as one of the worst countries in the world for human trafficking. While the Department of Justice has estimated that between 14,500 and 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into this country every year, this number pales in comparison to the number of American minors who are trafficked within it: A 2009 Department of Health and Human Services review of human trafficking into and within the United States found that roughly 199,000 American minors are sexually exploited each year, and that between 244,000 and 325,000 American youths are considered to be at risk of being trafficked specifically in the sex industry. Heartbreakingly, many of these children are victimized not by strangers who’ve abducted them from mall parking lots but rather by people they know and trust: Studies have found that as much as 44 percent of victims are trafficked by family members, most often parents (and not infrequently parents who were trafficked themselves). Between 2011 and 2020, there was an 84 percent increase in the number of people prosecuted for a federal human-trafficking offense. Of the defendants charged in 2020, 92 percent were male, 63 percent were white, 66 percent had no prior convictions, and 95 percent were U.S. citizens.

A step-by-step guide to finding a therapist

Some county mental health departments and non-profit organizations like Mental Health America provide free and low-cost therapy for people on Medicaid, people who receive social security for disability, and those without insurance. That's what's called "community mental health, as opposed to traditional outpatient or inpatient treatment," Nguyen explains. Some health centers that receive funding from the federal government also offer low-cost or free mental health care. Find federally-funded health centers in your zip code using this searchable directory.

As diversity, equity and inclusion comes under legal attack, companies quietly alter their programs

The Wisconsin Institute filed another lawsuit in October, this one on behalf of two construction firms. The lawsuit seeks to dismantle the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, which dates back to the Reagan administration and requires that 10% of funds authorized for highway and transit federal assistance programs be expended with small businesses owned by women, minorities or other socially and economically disadvantaged people.

Inside the final hours of Ron DeSantis' ill-fated campaign

DeSantis announced his departure in a post on X, in which he also endorsed Trump. "They have had obvious huge policy differences, but he sees Nikki as a corporate sellout and globalist and, outside of Covid, philosophically agrees with Trump,” the adviser said. “That decision needed to be made, as far as he is concerned.”

To Lower Your Medicare Drug Costs, Ask Your Pharmacist For The Cash Price

Kala Shankle, policy and regulatory affairs director for the National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents 22,000 independent pharmacies, says insurers have punished pharmacists who violate gag orders by dropping them from the plan's network.

A secret shelf of banned books thrives in a Texas school, under the nose of censors

Kasey Meehan of the free speech advocacy group PEN America says she's watched things in Texas escalate. She points to a teacher fired last year for sharing a graphic novel with her students that showed Anne Frank having a romantic daydream about another girl. Another teacher featured on an NBC podcast left her job under pressure after making literature available to students featuring a positive transgender character.

A college in upheaval: War on ‘woke’ sparks fear in Florida

In January, DeSantis and his allies overhauled the 13-member Board of Trustees and installed a majority of conservative figures. The new trustees promptly fired the college president and replaced her with a Republican politician, the first of several administrators to lose their jobs. Next, they dismantled the office of diversity and equity. They have not revealed future plans but trustees have posted vague warnings on social media like: “You will see changes in 120 days.” Changes so far have come in tandem with a new bill DeSantis unveiled Jan. 31 aimed at overhauling higher education in Florida. The bill would ban gender studies majors and minors, eliminate diversity programs and any hiring based on diversity, weaken tenure protections and put all hiring decisions in the hands of each university’s board of trustees.

New College in Exile: Hampshire College

During the protest, which she says swelled to about 40 students and faculty members, Harrity — then the president of New College's student senate — felt obligated to act as “the voice of the student body.” She approached Rufo: “I tell him my full name, my title, and I say, ‘You must listen to us.’” As the police dragged her back, Harrity says, she spat on the ground twice, once near Rufo’s feet. Two months later, Harrity learned from a Tampa Bay Times reporter that Rufo had posted a document with her name and birthdate on it to his over 500,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter, pressing charges of battery, alleging Harrity spit on him. Harrity says she got a lawyer, who was able to strike a deal: If Harrity left New College and left Rufo alone, he would drop the charges.

Science thinks it’s unbiased. Queer scientists know that’s not true

QTPOC also face additional challenges. Homophobia, transphobia, and racism are all interrelated, and when marginalized identities are combined, people at the intersection of these identities are subject to unique forms of discrimination. One student told me that being trans and Latinx was so difficult in his animal science department that he dropped out. “Many of my peers in animal science came from farming backgrounds and I don’t think it was healthy for me to hear people talk about Mexicans like they are property,” he said. “One time my friends and I were attacked… and it felt like a pretty charged incident since all of us were Latinx or Black and visibly gay.”

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Link Roundup November/December 2023

2024-01-04T06:01:36Z

House Republicans aim to pay for Israel aid with cuts to IRS funds

The bill would send $14.3 billion to Israel without addressing funding requests for the war in Ukraine. Johnson's new bill would pay for the spending with $14.5 billion in cuts to the long-understaffed Internal Revenue Service.

The US has strongly backed Israel’s war against Hamas. The allies don’t seem to know what comes next

A paper released by Israel’s Intelligence Ministry, which conducts research for the government, looked at a number of long-term scenarios, none of which included Palestinian statehood. Instead, it described a return of Abbas’ Palestinian Authority to Gaza as the worst option — saying it would give an “unprecedented victory to the Palestinian national movement, a victory that would cost the lives of thousands of Israeli civilians and soldiers and not guarantee Israel’s security. Likewise, it said the possibility of cultivating an alternative leadership in Gaza suffered from major shortcomings — including a lack of deterrence and the risk of renewed violence. Its preferred option was a mass expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza into neighboring Egypt — a scenario that the Palestinians and Egypt have ruled out and that could destroy Israel’s fragile relations with Egypt.

An Israeli ministry, in a ‘concept paper,’ proposes transferring Gaza civilians to Egypt’s Sinai

The document is dated Oct. 13, six days after Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people in southern Israel and took over 240 hostage in an attack that provoked a devastating Israeli war in Gaza. It was first published by Sicha Mekomit, a local news site.

Israeli influencers mock Palestinian detainees being tortured with children’s music in new TikTok trend

Palestinian writer Muhammed Shehada wrote on X Tuesday that the video had turned into a TikTok challenge and shared a news clip of an Israeli anchorman calling the song “Israel’s secret weapon.”

UnitedHealth uses AI model with 90% error rate to deny care, lawsuit alleges

According to the Stat investigation and the lawsuit, the estimates are often draconian. For instance, on a Medicare Advantage Plan, patients who stay in a hospital for three days are typically entitled to up to 100 days of covered care in a nursing home. But with nH Predict, patients rarely stay in nursing homes for more than 14 days before receiving payment denials from UnitedHealth. When patients or their doctors have requested to see nH Predict's reports, UnitedHealth has denied their requests, telling them the information is proprietary, according to the lawsuit. And, when prescribing physicians disagree with UnitedHealth's determination of how much post-acute care their patients need, their judgments are overridden.

The Census Bureau wants to change how it asks about disabilities. Some advocates don’t like it

Under the proposed change, respondents would be allowed to answer most of the same questions with four choices: “no difficulty,” “some difficulty,” “a lot of difficulty” and “cannot do at all.” There are tweaks to the language of the questions, and the proposal adds a query on whether respondents have trouble communicating. But the most significant change involves the threshold beyond which people are determined to have a disability. The international standards being considered by the Census Bureau typically define a person as having a disability if they answer “cannot do at all” or “a lot of difficulty” for any task or function. During testing last year by the Census Bureau, the percentage of respondents who were defined as having a disability went from 13.9% using the current questions to 8.1% under the international standards. When the definition was expanded to also include “some difficulty,” it grew to 31.7%.

Henry Kissinger, War Criminal Beloved by America’s Ruling Class, Finally Dies

It’s always valuable to hear the reverent tones with which American elites speak of their monsters. When the Kissingers of the world pass, their humanity, their purpose, their sacrifices are foremost in the minds of the respectable. American elites recoiled in disgust when Iranians in great numbers took to the streets to honor one of their monsters, Qassem Soleimani, after a U.S. drone strike executed the Iranian external security chief in January 2020. Soleimani, whom the United States declared to be a terrorist and killed as such, killed far more people than Timothy McVeigh. But even if we attribute to him all the deaths in the Syrian Civil War, never in Soleimani’s wildest dreams could he kill as many people as Henry Kissinger. Nor did Soleimani get to date Jill St. John, who played Bond girl Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever.

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Pesto Recipe

2023-11-15T05:40:43Z

Not that this is complex or anything but I want to keep the proportions. Also there's miso paste for some reason. Not sure why, but the end result is still tasty so.

Ingredients:
Garlic, 1 clove (I just used pre-minced garlic)
Raw pine nuts, 3 tbs
Miso paste, 1/4 tsp
Basil, "a few handfuls", julienned (or just basil paste. Yes I'm a cheater)
Sherry vinegar or lemon juice, 1 tsp
Virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup

-Julienne the basil if you need to. Crush garlic clove if you need to.
-Combine garlic, pine nuts, vinegar/lemon juice, crush together.
-Add basil, crush.
-Add olive and mix well.

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Link Roundup September/October 2023

2023-11-02T01:16:42Z

Yeah, yeah, I know.

US Copyright Office wants to hear what people think about AI and copyright

Written comments are due on October 18th, and replies must be submitted to the Copyright Office by November 15th.

Elusive, Ultra-Black Fish Are Cloaked to Survive in the Deep Ocean

The fangtooth fish was one of 16 species of ultra-black fishes that the researchers have since identified. To be classified as ultra-black, the bar was high. Like the fangtooth, the researchers were looking for fish skin that reflected less than .5 percent of light across the visible spectrum. They collected deep-sea fish specimens from 18 different species and used a special black-reflectance light probe to measure the angles and the amount of light that were absorbed. They found that 16 of the species qualified. By comparison, man-made black materials reflect ten percent of light, and other black fish reflect two to three percent, giving ultra-black species a six-fold advantage when it comes to hiding.

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