NewsFlash

Sheriff of Broward County, Florida will not facilitate for ICE - https://bsky.app/profile/kojamf.bsky.social/post/3ltuflxd66k2x

From the Archbishop of the Diocese of Miami   -  https://www.miamiarch.org/CatholicDiocese.php?op=Article_statement-by-archbishop-thomas-wenski-on-immigration-enforcement-immigration-enforcement

And https://www.miamiarch.org/CatholicDiocese.php?op=Article_archdiocese-of-miami-the-broken-immigration-system-is-hurting-people
"To simply tell them to 'go back home'—when there is no home back there, and their home is here—that's what makes it cruel."

Enough USAID emergency food "to feed about 1.5 million children for a week" is sitting in a warehouse in Dubai. The choice is to give it to the starving children who need it, or to burn it.

Trump's people have decided to burn it.   

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/07/usaid-emergency-food-incinerate-trump/683532/?utm_source=smart-news

Republicans have blocked an effort to put forward legislation for a Congressional vote that would have required the release of the Epstein files in their entirety.  That answers the question.

https://meidasnews.com/news/house-republicans-block-release-of-epstein-files

https://www.newsweek.com/jeffrey-epstein-files-republicans-block-move-trump-release-documents-2098982

Mr. Sulu is right on target - https://bsky.app/profile/georgetakei.bsky.social/post/3ltxae5vza52w

Entered the country legally, teen grabbed by ICE at immigration hearing - https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/spring-valley-high-school-student-detained-by-ice/

"Alan is one of several local students who have been taken into ICE custody. In early June, ICE agents detained an 11th grader from Queens outside a local courthouse during a scheduled immigration appointment, and in late May, a Bronx high school student was taken into custody following an immigration hearing."

Entered the country legally, teen grabbed by ICE at immigration hearing - https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/spring-valley-high-school-student-detained-by-ice/

"Alan is one of several local students who have been taken into ICE custody. In early June, ICE agents detained an 11th grader from Queens outside a local courthouse during a scheduled immigration appointment, and in late May, a Bronx high school student was taken into custody following an immigration hearing."

Why did I know in advance it would be a brown guy? Most important quote -   "Pierre is a native of Haiti and a United States citizen."   

Now he says he wants to deport Rosie O’donnel, even though she was born in NY. I would have thought this was not possible but after the stuff happening in recent weeks I just don’t know. Her father was an immigrant from Belfast but her mother was a natural born citizen, in NY.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/12/politics/rosie-odonnell-donald-trump

“For good reasons, it is difficult to denaturalize a U.S. citizen and even harder to expatriate one,” Vladeck wrote in April. “Congress has provided for only a handful of circumstances in which the executive branch is empowered to pursue such a move; and the Supreme Court has recognized meaningful constitutional limits (and an entitlement to meaningful judicial review) even in those cases.”

Now he says he wants to deport Rosie O’donnel, even though she was born in NY. I would have thought this was not possible but after the stuff happening in recent weeks I just don’t know. Her father was an immigrant from Belfast but her mother was a natural born citizen, in NY.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/12/politics/rosie-odonnell-donald-trump

Gonna be hard to deport her, since she took her kids and moved to Ireland, and is applying for citizenship there. (Ah, to have Irish ancestry and children under 18 years = ticket to citizenship for her and her children!)

According to the Constitution, and at least one major Supreme Court case, he can't do it. She is a birthright citizen.  End of discussion. But since the court is packed with right-of-center judges who seem willing to support Trump, who the flip knows anymore what he'll do and then have to argue after-the-fact in the court system.

Vermont greencard holder detained at Canadian border, no reason given -  https://www.wcax.com/2025/07/16/family-vermont-woman-detained-canadian-border-living-nightmare/

(Oh, wait, she's black.)


EDIT: 18 July - Vermont woman detained by ICE at border to be released - https://www.wcax.com/2025/07/17/vermont-woman-detained-by-ice-border-be-released/

WASHINGTON − More than 900 former Justice Department employees warn against confirming President Donald Trump's nominee Emil Bove to serve as an appellate court judge - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/16/doj-alumni-emil-bove-trump-appeals-court/85247581007/

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DOJ fires Federal Prosecutor Maurene Comey amid Epstein files fallout  - https://www.yahoo.com/news/doj-fires-prosecutor-maurene-comey-032921279.html

Full List of Republicans Who Blocked Epstein Files Release Vote - https://www.newsweek.com/who-voted-epstein-files-block-full-list-republicans-2099146

Why did Republicans vote to block releasing files that do not exist? - https://bsky.app/profile/georgetakei.bsky.social/post/3lu4j56bmfw2q

Former Vice President Pence calls for release of all Epstein file materials - https://www.yahoo.com/news/pence-time-come-release-epstein-124838575.html

Senator says FBI agents were told to ‘flag’ any Epstein records that mentioned Trump - https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/18/trump-epstein-fbi-durbin.html

Comment from Mr. Sulu - https://bsky.app/profile/georgetakei.bsky.social/post/3luasqyqgjf26

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NYC Immigration Arrests Just Shot Through the Roof, New Data Shows  - https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/07/14/ice-migrant-arrests-trump-administration-deportations-data/

He married a U.S. citizen & was waiting for the green card to come through.  ICE grabbed him outside his child's school.  [Iranian] -  https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/16/ice-immigration-enforcement-arrests-father-outside-kid-beaverton-guidepost-montessori-preschool/

Among ongoing raids in the area, ICE swept Super Gigante - West Norriton Farmers Market in PA & grabbed over a dozen people - https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/ice-immigration-federal-agents-west-norriton-pennsylvania/4235290/

ICE detains Irish tourist for 100 days in appalling conditions - https://bsky.app/profile/georgetakei.bsky.social/post/3lu4h34e4hu2n
[Supposedly he overstayed his visa by 3 days on a doctor's advice to not fly - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14907587/Irish-father-detained-months-US-ICE-brutal-prison-overstaying-visa.html ]

ICE bars detained immigrants from getting bond hearings - without bond they have to remain in custody indefinitely - https://www.yahoo.com/news/ice-bars-detained-immigrants-getting-205345618.html

From a former ICE prosecutor - https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/5404863-i-was-once-an-ice-prosecutor-what-i-see-now-in-immigration-courts-is-disturbing/

They're killing Elmo, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster.

https://www.thewrap.com/senate-votes-to-cut-pbs-npr-federal-funding/

https://variety.com/2025/politics/news/senate-strips-billion-public-broadcasting-1236462722/

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/16/nx-s1-5468967/npr-pbs-cuts-senate-recission

What would Mr. Rogers have said? - https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/17/politics/video/pbs-funding-trump-cuts-mister-rogers-contd-digvid

Oh, yes, and more foreign aid cuts.

So with all the people the US is letting die, where is the money now going?

Stop work order for maintenance of NOAA emergency weather radio stations.  https://bsky.app/profile/geocollaborate.bsky.social/post/3lu4tgtq3as2n

This is pretty close to declaring war on the people who depend on these stations for warning of severe weather. In the middle of tornado and flash-flood season, and the start of hurricane season. Bloody hell!

No, wait, it's incompetence again - https://www.npr.org/2025/04/09/nx-s1-5356166/noaa-contracts-reviewed-one-by-one


And Trump administration pauses research on flooding risk -  https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-administration-pauses-research-database-113002061.html

Stephen Lautens ‪@stephenlautens.bsky.social‬
29% of Americans can't locate the Pacific Ocean on a map.
33% don't believe in evolution.
26% believe the sun revolves around the Earth.
40% don’t know what Auschwitz was.
33% can't name any branch of government.
54% read below a 6th grade level.
But by all means, eliminate the Dept of Education.
July 16, 2025 at 1:35 PM

I need a bit of levity right now, so  https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:sysngpmz6odnspvbmacztuzc/bafkreidraqct7rpdygnpz7vzzzmkf57gd4ihkwb7wtaumhkv2ca3inxuz4@jpeg

From above -  WASHINGTON − More than 900 former Justice Department employees warn against confirming President Donald Trump's nominee Emil Bove to serve as an appellate court judge - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/16/doj-alumni-emil-bove-trump-appeals-court/85247581007/

It is my understanding that the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee has just ignored procedure, and then continued to call a roll vote on this confirmation even though the Democrats walked out. The Committee have declared that Bove's nomination will now go to the Senate.  https://www.npr.org/2025/07/17/nx-s1-5467260/trump-emil-bove-judge

The Trump administration has just handed over access to all Medicaid recipients’ personal data, including addresses, to ICE - https://apnews.com/article/immigration-medicaid-trump-ice-ab9c2267ce596089410387bfcb40eeb7

Undocumented and some documented immigrants are not allowed access to Medicaid except in life-threatening emergencies.  God help them all, because ICE doesn't seem to differentiate between immigrants with legal status and illegal undocumented immigrants..