Month: June 2025

Corrupt AG Bondi

Corrupt AG Bondi

Occupy Democrats’s – June 30, 2025 

May be an image of 2 people and text that says 'MAKE AMERICA MAKE GREAT AGAI +'

BREAKING: Historically corrupt Attorney General Pam Bondi abuses her Justice Department power to sue Los Angeles for supposedly discriminating against ICE agents. And it gets so much worse…The MAGA-tainted DOJ is alleging that the city’s sanctuary city policies result in unfair treatment of federal immigration officers compared to other law enforcement agents. One struggles to imagine a whinier lawsuit. These fascists have no problem tearing apart families and destroying families but they fall to pieces if they’re treated with even an ounce of the disdain they so richly deserve. “Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles. Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it ends under President Trump,” Bondi stated. In truth, the “chaos” in Los Angeles was caused by Trump violently and illegally cracking down on protestors by sending in the National Guard and Marines. He wanted violence because it allowed him to project the “law and order” strongman persona that his gullible followers love. The lawsuit, yet another shameless waste of taxpayer money from this administration, alleges that the “sanctuary city laws and policies are designed to deliberately impede federal immigration officers’ ability to carry out their responsibilities in those jurisdictions.”“The Los Angeles Ordinance and other policies intentionally discriminate against the Federal Government by treating federal immigration authorities differently than other law enforcement agents through access restrictions both to property and to individual detainees, by prohibiting contractors and sub-contractors from providing information, and by disfavoring federal criminal laws that the City of Los Angeles has decided not to comply with,” it goes on.“ The Supremacy Clause prohibits the City of Los Angeles and its officials from singling out the Federal Government for adverse treatment—as the challenged law and policies do—thereby discriminating against the Federal Government. Accordingly, the law and policies challenged here are invalid and should be enjoined,” the suit adds. As usual, we see that Republicans only really believe in states’ rights (or in this case cities’ rights) when the polities in question adhere to extreme right-wing policies. Los Angeles should be free to govern itself as it sees fit. If Angelenos correctly see migrants as law-abiding, contributing members of their communities then Trump has no right to enforce his racist worldview on them.

Thom Tillis Stands up.

Thom Tillis Stands up.

Rachel Maddow – June 30, 2025

While politicians have traditionally been punished for lying, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis was punished for telling truths his party didn’t want to hear. The North Carolina senator was then effectively forced into retirement.

GOP’s Thom Tillis slams his party’s megabill after Trump forces him into retirement

John Hanno – www.tarbabys.com

We’ve known for more than a decade that this is no longer your grandfather’s Republican Party. That touch-stone is dead and buried; trump just provided the final nails in it’s coffin. Every Republican with any governing competence, integrity, empathy and loyalty to our Constitutional Democracy or to their oath of office, has been drummed out, or fled for their very lives. Tom Tillis was just the latest casualty. This MAGANAZI cult of anger, cruelty, grievance, and retribution is not satisfied with the destruction of just one of our 2 main political parties, they’re set on tearing down our entire governmental infrastructure and every Democratic institution. Nothing is safe from their anti-government nuclear bomb dropping crusade. Generations of loyal, competent government employees, scientists and researchers – gone, almost a century of international alliances – gone, many decades of racial and gender equality progress – gone, an entire lifetime of social safety net struggles ripped apart and – gone, 250 years of academic freedom, independence and enlightenment – gone, 250 years of stare decisis case law – gone, America as the moral leader and guiding light of the Democratic free world – gone, America as the economic engine of the world – gone, America as the refuge of the worlds, tired, poor and huddled masses yearning to be free – gone, America as a nation where anyone can succeed, no matter who you are, your gender, the color of your skin, your religion, or even if you’re not politically aligned with the rich and connected who hold power – gone, 250 years of credible history, two centuries of enlightened arts and literature – gone, a century of proven science, studies and research wiped clean or debunked and gone, the very idea that no matter how hard you had to struggle and sacrifice to end up in the greatest nation on earth, you could be certain that your children and grandchildren would have a freer and better life than you did – gone, the principles our Founding Fathers set forth 250 years ago, in order to free us from another diabolical Mad King and tyrannical overlords – gone, the sacrifices made by the Greatest Generation and millions of Veteran patriots since then, to preserve ours and the world’s freedom’s from self-serving fascists and narcissistic megalomaniacs, who care only about themselves and their obsession with wealth and power – gone. No one or nothing is safe from the hoards pounding on the gates of ours and the worlds Constitutional Democracies, not even the corporate leaders who have kneeled at the feet of their demented leader; just ask the hundreds of businesses who had to flee putin’s warmongering oligharchy, handing over all their corporate wealth to putin and his henchmen. These are the times that try men’s souls, and apparently Tom Tillis’s soul had had enough trying. WTFU merica

Nobody in Texas is Showing Up To Construction Sites

The Resistance:

June 28, 2025 – Bravo Taco! You are collapsing our economy one industry at a time. Racism has blinded most MAGAs to one universal truth: the backbone of our economy is immigrant labor.

Home Builder in Texas says ICE raids has ground construction to a halt, as the vast numbers of laborers are immigrants. Video:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16jZHKnHay/

John Hanno: Most Texan’s understand this, but they keep voting for the spineless republi-cons in congress, and for legislators in Texas who “ARE” the problem, and who couldn’t care less about a solution. Their elected leaders keep attacking and terrorizing the women and people of color who ARE part of the solution, and who are an asset to our nation. The question is, are their prejudices too ingrained for them to change their backwards ways? WTFU merica

Big Cypress National Preserve Detention Center

Big Cypress National Preserve Detention Center

The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell – June 28, 2025

The state is building a compound of heavy-duty tents, trailers and other temporary buildings in the Big Cypress National Preserve, which are ecologically sensitive wetlands.

Environmental groups file lawsuit to stop migrant detention center in Florida Everglades

John Hanno:

This is strictly MAGA political theater, and a gigantic boondoggle. The average cost to incarcerate a prisoner in the U.S. is probably about $75,000 per year. But these grifting morons in the trump nincompoop administration, will probably spend close to $200,000 to catch, detain and attempt to house each immigrant per year. The only ones that will benefit from rounding up hard working brown people, will be the connected trump billionaires who will get even richer, from the for profit, trump-prison-industrial-complex. And the spineless republi-con sycophants in congress, will take healthcare and food assistance away from the working poor and middle class, in order to fund this racist, fascist, ICE- Homeland Security Department nonsense. WTFU merica

Health officials issue warning amid surge in disease spread by insects: ‘The variables are endless’

The Cool Down

Health officials issue warning amid surge in disease spread by insects: ‘The variables are endless’

Robert Crow – June 19, 2025

Health officials issue warning amid surge in disease spread by insects: ‘The variables are endless’

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways

Michigan is warning residents about an increased risk of Lyme disease, as cases have risen considerably in the past few years.

What’s happening?

New data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services shows that the state has seen a 168% increase in Lyme disease cases over the past five years, WCMU Public Media reported.

Another vector-borne disease, anaplasmosis, has increased by nearly 500% over the same time frame. Tick bites cause both diseases, and experts believe there are myriad reasons for the increases.

“More ticks surviving winters, the behavior of animals that spread ticks and disease, more testing, deforestation — the variables are endless,” department disease specialist Rachel Burkholder told WCMU.

Why is this important?

One of the biggest factors, however, seems to be a changing climate — and the warmer temperatures that come with that.

When toxic gases are released into the environment in the form of air pollution, they trap heat within our atmosphere and warm our climate. Last year, for example, was the warmest in recorded history, and experts expect that record to be broken within the next five years.

Watch now: Is this common bathroom item making you sick?

Deer ticks have taken advantage of warmer temperatures and started moving further north, and they’ve brought Lyme disease with them. Canada saw only 144 cases in 2009, but that number shot up to 992 in 2016.

Other vector-borne illnesses have also increased as the planet warms. In Texas, warmer temperatures have resulted in longer mosquito seasons than ever before, increasing the risk of diseases like West Nile and Zika.

The department has listed increased risks of Lyme disease and West Nile as some of the top health effects associated with a changing climate in Michigan, along with respiratory and waterborne diseases.

What can I do about Lyme disease?

Recent studies have offered some promising news about Lyme disease, including one from 2024 that found that some humans’ sweat contains a protein that could offer protection against the disease.

However, until more research is done on that and other potential protectors, officials urge people to be cautious in attempting to avoid the disease.

Michigan’s HHS offers the following advice: Bathe or shower soon after coming inside. Avoid ticks by staying out of overgrown grass and brush. Use insect repellent. Check for ticks after going outdoors, and quickly remove any found ones with tweezers.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

ICE could ‘run out of money next month’ and is already $1bn over budget to carry out Trump’s deportation plans

The Independent

ICE could ‘run out of money next month’ and is already $1bn over budget to carry out Trump’s deportation plans

Gustaf Kilander – June 17, 2025

Immigration and Customs Enforcement could run out of money as soon as next month amid the Trump administration’s ramped-up efforts to deport unauthorized immigrants.

While there are more than three months left in the fiscal year, one estimate has found that the agency is already $1 billion over budget, according to Axios. Legislators in both parties have raised concerns about the speed at which the agency is spending its funds, which may prompt President Donald Trump to seek additional funds from other agencies to support his deportation efforts.

Lawmakers have stated that the department responsible for ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, overseen by Secretary Kristi Noem, could violate the law if it continues to spend at current levels.

The spending situation has created extra pressure to pass the “Big, Beautiful Bill” in Congress as it would hand ICE an additional $75 billion over the next half-decade. Some lawmakers have argued that DHS and ICE are wasting money.

The top Democrat on the DHS appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said, “Trump’s DHS is spending like drunken sailors.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has overspent its funds as it works to detain thousands of unauthorized immigrants each day. Estimates are that it is already $1 billion over budget. (AP)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has overspent its funds as it works to detain thousands of unauthorized immigrants each day. Estimates are that it is already $1 billion over budget. (AP)

The money crunch comes as the Trump White House is demanding that ICE agents detain 3,000 immigrants a day, levels the agency has yet to reach.

DHS has about 41,000 beds in its detention facilities, which are over capacity, and the department is looking for further detention space both in the U.S. and abroad.

Trump may declare a national emergency to send money to ICE from other parts of the government. In 2020, he used the measure to use $4 billion of the Pentagon’s money to fund his border wall.

A former budget official told Axios: “I have a feeling they’re going to grant themselves an exception apportionment, use the life and safety exception, and just keep burning money.”

University of Houston Law Center professor and former Defense Department attorney Chris Marisola told the outlet that “You could imagine a new emergency declaration that pertains to interior enforcement that would trigger the same kind of emergency personnel mobilization statutes.”

He added that “These statutory authorities authorizing the president to declare emergencies” unlock “a whole host of other authorities for these departments and agencies [that] are often written incredibly broadly and invest a lot of discretion in the president.”

The Trump White House has been trying to increase its power over the federal budget by overspending the budget of DHS, and the Office of Management and Budget has ceased sharing publicly how much money it’s spending across the government. The administration has also stopped agencies from spending funds appropriated by Congress for a number of programs.

DHS recently took the step of moving nearly $500 million from within its own funds to support its immigration clampdown. However, the agency has requested an extra $2 billion to meet its needs by the end of September.

The money crunch comes as the Trump White House is demanding that ICE agents detain 3,000 immigrants a day, (REUTERS)
The money crunch comes as the Trump White House is demanding that ICE agents detain 3,000 immigrants a day, (REUTERS)

Lawmakers have noted that DHS could run out of money as soon as July, which would violate the Antideficiency Act, which bans agencies from obligating or spending federal funds that have not been congressionally appropriated. Although no one has been previously charged under the Act, agency officials may face criminal charges or fines.

Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, told Axios that “President Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is critical to ensure we have the funding to secure our homeland for generations and deliver on the American people’s mandate for safety and security.”ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisement

The top Republican on the House DHS appropriations subcommittee, Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada, told Axios that “we’re watching” the Senate budget negotiations.

“If there’s much of a hiccup in that, those concerns are all capital ‘C’ concerns,” he said.

Murphy added: “They are spending likely in the neighborhood of a billion dollars more at ICE than we authorized, and that’s patently illegal.”

“They cannot invent money. They cannot print money. They don’t have the money to spend that they’re spending,” he said.

Only the Senate can stop the largest wealth transfer in US history

The Hill – Opinion

Only the Senate can stop the largest wealth transfer in US history

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Opinion Contributor – June 9, 2025

Last week, the House Republican majority passed what can only be called their “Big Billionaire Bill” — a budget reconciliation measure that amounts to one the largest transfers of wealth in American history.

This measure literally steals from the poor and the working class to give to the ultra-rich. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I know firsthand how this bill would take from working people and give to the ultra-wealthy. The consequences will be staggering if it becomes law.

Republicans promised tax cuts for all. But under their bill, families making $30,000 or less will actually pay approximately $20 billion more in taxes cumulatively over the next decade, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. That’s not even counting the impact of losing Medicaid or the higher cost of living caused by Trump’s tariffs. Meanwhile, billionaires will pocket an average tax break of $255,000 a year.

I grew up working class, working jobs at Target and Subway. Republicans want to make people like me believe that they’re helping while raising taxes on them, cutting Medicaid and SNAP, and then telling them to have more babies. That’s insulting.

My Republican colleagues moved their second attempt at a House Budget Committee hearing to the dead of night — after a failed first try and following late-night markups in several committees the previous week. Alongside my Democratic colleagues, we spent nearly 30 hours grinding their agenda nearly to a halt, from Wednesday at 1 a.m. to to 11 p.m. in the Rules Committee and on the floor. The fact that they had to move their last hearing before it could move to the floor at 1 a.m. tells me they’re ashamed of themselves. And they should be.

Working families want billionaires to pay their fair share, not to lose their health care and nutrition programs for their kids. I hear it from Americans at town halls, on social media, and even at the grocery store. Millions across the country could lose Medicaid coverage: 3.4 million in California, 400,000 in North Carolina, 250,000 in Minnesota, 380,000 in Texas, 390,000 in Virginia, and 1.2 million in New York — moms, kids, and seniors who could be left without health care.

These are real people in every district, many represented by Republicans who voted for this bill. Nearly half of new moms and their babies in California rely on Medicaid and could lose their care. Seniors who can’t get enough coverage through Medicare will lose. Sons and daughters who can’t afford their parents’ nursing home care will lose. People in rural communities, where hospitals are already closing, will lose too.

Republicans claim to be the party of families. But their bill makes it harder for working people to get by — harder to welcome a new child, get postpartum care, or afford basic medical needs. Worse, Republicans will make it harder for millions of families to afford groceries every month thanks to cuts to nutrition assistance programs. When billionaires can get richer at the expense of working families, what does that say about us as a nation?

I fear America’s promise of hope and opportunity will dim if this administration keeps pushing us to the point where no one sees a future here anymore.

But I refuse to accept a future where America’s greatness is measured by the size of its tax breaks for billionaires instead of the strength of our working families. I call on the Senate to reject this bill and protect the American Dream for everyone.

Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat, represents California’s 34th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.