Category Archives: Uncategorized

Independent: Not so fast, sir … One Capitol Hill bureaucrat stands in the way of Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful’ Fourth of July

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But on Thursday, the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, said the Republicans’ plan to cap a tax that states use to raise money for Medicaid did not pass the narrow rules of budget reconciliation, known as the “Byrd rule,” which determines what can be included in a reconciliation bill.

To make matters worse for Republicans, MacDonough’s office struck key parts of the immigration provisions in the bill. Specifically, she killed a $1,000 fee for anyone applying for asylum, a $100 minimum fee to advance a continuance in an immigration court, a $250 minimum fee to apply for the diversity visa lottery, a mandatory $400 processing fee for the same visa, a $5,000 minimum fee to sponsor a child who comes to the United States unaccompanied and money to expand the expedited removal of noncitizen immigrants arrested for crimes.

Oops! But somehow it did pass the Senate on July 2. 🙁

Not so fast, sir … One Capitol Hill bureaucrat stands in the way of Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful’ Fourth of July
Not so fast, sir … One Capitol Hill bureaucrat stands in the way of Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful’ Fourth of July – Republicans now have to rewrite a key part of their plan for Medicaid with vacation clock ticking

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/not-so-fast-sir-one-capitol-hill-bureaucrat-stands-in-the-way-of-trump-s-big-beautiful-fourth-of-july/ar-AA1HyLPz

Newsweek: Donald Trump suffers legal blow: “Grave constitutional violations”

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On Friday, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump‘s executive order targeting legal firm Susman Godfrey, ruling it was “unconstitutional from beginning to end.”

This is the fourth defeat in court Trump has suffered since imposing punitive measures on a number of law firms that either were involved in legal cases against him or represented his political rivals.

Donald Trump suffers legal blow: “Grave constitutional violations”
Trump targeted a number of law firms involved in cases against him or representing his rivals with executive orders.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-suffers-major-legal-blow-grave-constitutional-violations-2091941

Washington Post: Morale craters at State Department as mass layoffs loom

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called the agency “bloated,” yet as violence spiked in the Middle East, staff say they’ve been asked to work extra hours.

The Trump administration’s plan for mass layoffs at the State Department has left much of the workforce exasperated and embittered, tanking morale as extra demands were made to assist U.S. citizens seeking to flee the Middle East amid Israel’s war with Iran, employees say.

At the direction of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department informed Congress in May that it planned to reduce its U.S. workforce by more than 15 percent — almost 2,000 people — as part of a sweeping reorganization intended to streamline what he has called a “bloated bureaucracy that stifles innovation and misallocates scarce resources.” Separately, he has accused certain bureaus within the department of pursuing a “radical political ideology.”

Rubio had set a July 1 timeline for the dismissals, but execution of the plan is contingent on a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court, which is evaluating President Donald Trump’s sweeping attempt to fire federal workers across numerous government agencies. It’s unclear when the court could act.

Amid the wait, State Department staff were asked to work additional hours to help at-risk Americans as fighting between Israel and Iran stirred fears of a full-scale regional crisis. A task force, established on June 12 to manage evacuations, faced an even greater sense of urgency after Trump directed U.S. military intervention in the conflict.

Demoralize them, then make them work harder! That sounds so “Trumpian”!.

Morale craters at State Department as mass layoffs loom
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called the agency “bloated,” yet as violence spiked in the Middle East, staff say they’ve been asked to work extra hours.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/06/28/state-department-layoffs-trump-rubio

Also here:

Morale craters at State Department as mass layoffs loom
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called the agency “bloated,” yet as violence spiked in the Middle East, staff say they’ve been asked to work extra hours.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/morale-craters-at-state-department-as-mass-layoffs-loom/ar-AA1HAbuY

CNN: US did not use bunker-buster bombs on one of Iran’s nuclear sites, top general tells lawmakers, citing depth of the target

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The US military did not use bunker-buster bombs on one of Iran’s largest nuclear sites last weekend because the site is so deep that the bombs likely would not have been effective, the US’ top general told senators during a briefing on Thursday.

The comment by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, which was described by three people who heard his remarks and a fourth who was briefed on them, is the first known explanation given for why the US military did not use the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb against the Isfahan site in central Iran. US officials believe Isfahan’s underground structures house nearly 60% of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which Iran would need in order to ever produce a nuclear weapon.

US B2 bombers dropped over a dozen bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites. But Isfahan was only struck by Tomahawk missiles launched from a US submarine.

So what we heard from King Donald was largely lies and hot air — par for the course.

US’ top general tells lawmakers | CNN Politics
The US military did not use bunker-buster bombs on one of Iran’s largest nuclear sites last weekend because the site is so deep that the bombs likely would not have been effective, the US’ top general told senators during a briefing on Thursday.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/27/politics/bunker-buster-bomb-isfahan-iran

NBC News: Congress set to hand Trump billions to recruit more ICE agents

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The House-passed version of the Trump budget bill includes $8 billion to hire an additional 10,000 ICE employees over five years, with millions more for signing and retention bonuses.

President Donald Trump is on the verge of getting billions of dollars from Congress to recruit and retain agents to carry out the mass deportation campaign that was one of the central promises of his campaign.

Trump has been on a roll in his efforts to combat illegal immigration and remove undocumented immigrants from the country, and both advocates and critics of his plans say that bolstering border security and interior enforcement will make it easier for him to execute on his vision.

President Donald Trump is on the verge of getting billions of dollars from Congress to recruit and retain agents to carry out the mass deportation campaign that was one of the central promises of his campaign.

Trump has been on a roll in his efforts to combat illegal immigration and remove undocumented immigrants from the country, and both advocates and critics of his plans say that bolstering border security and interior enforcement will make it easier for him to execute on his vision.

…

The House-passed version includes $8 billion to hire an additional 10,000 ICE employees over five years, boosting the agency’s ranks by nearly 50%, and $858 million more for signing and retention bonuses. At full employment of 30,000 people, the money would cover about $28,600 per employee. Customs and Border Protection would get $2 billion to spread around for such bonuses to its larger workforce, which currently can range as high as $30,000 for new recruits.

Congress set to hand Trump billions to recruit more ICE agents
The House-passed version of the Trump budget bill includes $8 billion to hire an additional 10,000 ICE employees over five years, with millions more for signing and retention bonuses.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congress-set-hand-trump-billions-recruit-ice-agents-rcna214990

Insider: Gavin Newsom demanded $787M from Fox News in his defamation lawsuit. The number isn’t a coincidence.

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  • Gavin Newsom alleges Fox News defamed him by misrepresenting a call with Trump.
  • He asked for $787 million in damages, echoing the amount Fox News paid to settle Dominion’s lawsuit.
  • Newsom’s lawsuit also cites a defamation suit Trump filed against CBS.

Newsom alleges Fox News defamed him by calling him a liar when he denied speaking with President Donald Trump on June 9.

Around that time, Trump had sent National Guard troops to Los Angeles over Newsom’s objections. Demonstrators had held protests around the city in opposition to the president’s immigration policies.

At a press conference on June 10, Trump said he spoke to Newsom “a day ago.”

In fact, Newsom says, they spoke for 16 minutes around midnight on June 7 Eastern time (or June 6 Pacific time), the day Trump first sent the troops.

Newsom posted phone records on social media showing the timing of their call. But his lawsuit says Fox News host John Roberts misled readers about the timing in his own social media posts, anyway. The lawsuit also says Jesse Watters, a Fox opinion host, falsely called him a liar.

“Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him? Why would he do that?” Watters said, according to the suit.

The chyron on the screen at the time read “Gavin lied about Trump’s call,” the lawsuit says.

Gavin Newsom demanded $787M from Fox News in his defamation lawsuit. The number isn’t a coincidence.
The California governor’s lawsuit against Fox News cites its settlement with Dominion, as well as Donald Trump’s case against CBS.

https://www.businessinsider.com/gavin-newsom-lawsuit-fox-news-cites-dominion-trump-2025-6

LA Times: ‘Are you from California?’ Political advisor said he was detained at airport after confirming he’s from L.A.

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Veteran Los Angeles political consultant Rick Taylor said he was pulled aside by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents while returning from a trip abroad, asked if he was from California and then separated from his family and put in a holding room with several Latino travelers for nearly an hour.

“I know how the system works and have pretty good connections and I was still freaking out,” said Taylor, 71. “I could only imagine how I would be feeling if I didn’t understand the language and I didn’t know anyone.”

Taylor said he was at a loss to explain why he was singled out for extra questioning, but he speculated that perhaps it was because of the Obama-Biden T-shirt packed in his suitcase.

‘Are you from California?’ Political advisor said he was detained at airport after confirming he’s from L.A.
Longtime L.A. political consultant Rick Taylor was returning from a weeklong vacation in Turks and Caicos with his wife and daughter when he was held by Customs and Border Protection for 45 minutes without reason.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-27/are-you-from-california-political-advisor-said-he-was-detained-at-airport-after-confirming-hes-from-la

Newsweek: Are ICE agents using facial recognition phone app? What we know

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Immigration agents have been given access to a facial recognition app to identify people in the field, according to leaked emails.

The emails, exchanged between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) staff and contractors, allow officers to instantly compare biometrics like faces and fingerprints against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases, according to 404 Media.

…

The emails say that the biometric tool is best used “to identify unknown subjects in the field,” which, along with the contributions from staff at Enforcement and Removal Operations, suggests that it is being used in the Trump administration’s attempts to ramp up the removal of migrants without legal status.

Are ICE agents using facial recognition phone app? What we know
One former ICE agent, who requested anonymity due to concerns about repercussions, told Newsweek ICE has always had that tech.

https://www.newsweek.com/ice-face-recognition-app-deportations-phone-immigration-2091619

Guardian: Federal agents blast way into California home of woman and small children

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Security footage shows agents setting off explosive device and shattering window of family home in Huntington Park

Federal agents blasted their way into a residential home in Huntington Park, California, on Friday. Security-camera video obtained by the local NBC station showed border patrol agents setting up an explosive device near the door of the house and then detonating it – causing a window to be shattered. About a dozen armed agents in full tactical gear then charged toward the home.

Jenny Ramirez, who lives in the house with her boyfriend and one-year-old and six-year-old children, told NBC through tears that it was one of the loudest explosions she heard in her life.

“I told them, ‘You guys didn’t have to do this, you scared my son, my baby,’” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said she was not given any warning from the authorities that they wanted to enter her home and that everyone who lives there is a US citizen.

…

The agents told Ramirez that they were searching for her boyfriend, but did not tell her why, according to NBC. Ramirez told the news station that he was involved in a vehicle collision with a truck carrying federal agents last week. She said it was an accident and unintentional.

Of course, ICE & CBP “enhance” the tale:

A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection told NBC: “Jorge Sierra-Hernandez was arrested because he rammed his car into a CBP vehicle, causing significant damage and obstructed the work of our agents and officers during the course of a law enforcement operation.”

The spokesperson said agents were “assaulted” during this incident and “additional rioters threw rocks and other objects at our personnel”.

Poor babies, got the reception they deserved!

Customs and Border Protection did not immediately return the Guardian’s request for comment.

Federal agents blast way into California home of woman and small children
Security footage shows agents setting off explosive device and shattering window of family home in Huntington Park

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/27/california-home-raid-huntington-park

Alternet: Military officer slams ‘racially motivated’ policy that enables Army to kick out Black men

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The U.S. Army is now rolling out a new policy that disproportionately impacts Black soldiers, and one officer is questioning the motivations behind the announcement.

Military.com reported Friday that the Army is now planning to prohibit shaving waivers, requiring all soldiers to adhere to strict new grooming standards. Previously, soldiers who suffered from the skin condition pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) were allowed to ask for a waiver to bypass requirements to stay clean-shaven, as PFB patients can often have painful bumps and scarring from the use of a razor.

…

Under the new policy, which is slated to take effect in the coming weeks, Soldiers who request shaving waivers for more than 12 months over a two-year period could be kicked out of the Army.

According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, up to 60% of Black men suffer from PFB. And Military.com reported that Black Americans make up roughly one in four new Army recruits over the past several years even though they make up just 14% of the U.S. population.

“Of course, this is racially motivated,” an unnamed senior noncommissioned officer told Military.com anonymously out of fear of retaliation. “There’s no tactical reason; you can look professional with facial hair.”

Hegseth & Trump are both racist bigots — two of a kind — so this comes as no surprise.

Military officer slams ‘racially motivated’ policy that enables Army to kick out Black men

https://www.alternet.org/military-trump-policy