Trump is jailing immigrant families again. A mother, father and teen tell of ‘anguish on a daily basis’
Family incarceration has been revived after Biden – and Jade, Jason and Gabriela are speaking out about their distressing treatment in Texas
This blogger visits us here; I’ve seen likes on our posts. I checked out the blog and subscribed. I admit, I read with the Translate turned on, so I’ve copy-pasted a snippet here, in English. It’s not too long to read, so please do! It’s motivating.
The government’s instructions on the “sobriety” to be maintained in the celebrations of April 25 have led to the cancellation of celebrations and concerts, even in municipalities administered by left-wing councils. An indication is not a ban, but many mayors have preferred to avoid being accused of having violated the sobriety required during the five days of national mourning proclaimed for the death of the Pope. As in the case of Foligno, they even cancelled the performance of the philharmonic that was supposed to play the national anthem.
In Lastra a Signa, on the outskirts of Florence, the municipal council has decided to cancel the concert of Quarto Podere , a historic Tuscan band that has always combined commitment, tradition and irony in its long artistic career. In response to this absurd decision, the members of the group wrote a letter in which they expressed deep dismay and asked for a reconsideration. Here is a significant passage:
“ April 25, Liberation Day from Nazi-fascism, is a cornerstone of our Republic. We therefore consider it unacceptable that a left-wing government, in a secular State (as established by Article 1 of the Constitution), chooses to deny the possibility of adequately commemorating such a significant day, outraging the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. This choice appears even more serious at a time in history when our dignity, workers’ rights and the founding values of the Republic are under attack by a far-right government, clearly of neo-fascist origin; a government that, since it has been in office, has undertaken a systematic demolition of political rights, limiting the possibility of dissent and resistance, as demonstrated by the latest Security Decree. The proclamation of five days of national mourning represents yet another opportunity to exploit a contingent event and silence any form of dissent. We are convinced that Pope Francis – a figure we deeply respect – would have been opposed to a cancellation that betrays the inclusive and profound spirit of a celebration that, for our country, is sacred .”
Music, singing, artistic expression have always been perceived as dangerous by totalitarian regimes. (snip-MORE)
The move is another setback for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has made culture war issues a major part of his role.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced pressure from Democrats to follow the court order, suggesting he was undermining military recruitment needs. | Kevin Wolf/AP
The Pentagon will resume gender-affirming care for transgender service members, according to a memo obtained by POLITICO, an embarrassing setback to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s efforts to restrict their participation.
The memo says the Defense Department is returning to the Biden-era medical policy for transgender service members due to a court order that struck down Hegseth’s restrictions as unconstitutional. The administration is appealing the move, but a federal appeals court in California denied the department’s effort to halt the policy while its challenge is pending.
As a result, the administration is barred from removing transgender service members or restricting their medical care, a priority of President Donald Trump and Hegseth. The administration insisted its restrictions were geared toward people experiencing medical challenges related to “gender dysphoria,” but two federal judges said in March that the policy was a thinly veiled ban on transgender people that violated the Constitution.
The Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to allow the Pentagon to ban transgender servicemembers while legal battles continue to play out.
Both judges ordered the military to refrain from forcing out more than 1,000 transgender troops and to resume providing for their medical care, including surgical procedures and voice and hormone therapy. The memo is the latest move by the Pentagon to comply with those orders.
But it presents another headache for Hegseth, who has made culture war issues — such as changing recruitment standards and reinstating the ban — a key piece of his effort to make the military more lethal. Hegseth has emphasized this theme as he’s sought to defend himself amid multiple scandals, including texting sensitive details of military operations in Yemen to multiple Signal group chats and a vicious brawl between his top advisers.
“Service members and all other covered beneficiaries 19 years of age or older may receive appropriate care for their diagnosis of [gender dysphoria], including mental health care and counseling and newly initiated or ongoing cross-sex hormone therapy,” Dr. Stephen Ferrara, the Pentagon’s acting assistant secretary of Defense for health affairs, said in a memo dated April 21.
President Donald Trump signed a long-expected order banning transgender people from serving in the military at the outset of the administration, just as he had done in 2017. But LGBTQ advocacy groups quickly pounced, calling the order discriminatory.
So far, the courts have rejected the Pentagon’s arguments that including transgender troops reduces the military’s ability to fight. U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle ruled in March that there is no evidence that transgender troops harm military readiness, and ordered the Pentagon to return to the status quo.
A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday became the first appellate court to hear arguments on Trump’s transgender military policy but gave little indication of how it might rule.
Defense officials acknowledged in a March memo sent to Pentagon leadership that the agency would comply with the court order, but did not detail the steps the department would take to follow it. Hegseth has openly attacked one of the judges, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, for her order, labeling her “Commander Reyes” in a pejorative post on X.
Hegseth has faced pressure from Democrats to follow the court order, suggesting he was undermining military recruitment needs.
“Given the unwillingness or inability of 99.6 percent of the U.S. population to serve in our military, the last thing our nation should be doing is rejecting patriotic Americans who are ready and willing to serve our country,” a group of 14 Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Iraq veteran, wrote Tuesday to Hegseth. “The Trump administration’s repeated attacks on the transgender community reveal an ideological obsession rooted in a poor understanding of science.”
The Pentagon referred questions to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A February memo signed by then-acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness Darin Selnick — who was fired by Hegseth last week — said service members or potential recruits interested in the military who have “a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria” are “incompatible” with U.S. military service.
Some officials saw the move as a capitulation by the administration, which was settling for a loss in court while continuing to wage a public relations war to keep transgender service members out of the military.
“They’ve scared all of the trans people off,” said one person close to the Pentagon familiar with the conversations, granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. “What’s to be gained by continuing to fight with the courts? It seems pretty easy to stop getting crazy with it. You won. You got what you wanted.”
Roger suggested I look up this person and see what they had to say. I have read snippets of what he wrote and I like his message. He seems sincere and genuine. Hugs
It really says a lot to me, to be honest, that republicans can’t manage to find any outrage or seek any solutions to the gun problem when our children, innocent school kids, are shot where they are supposed to be safe.
The Sad Truth is that politicians are rarely concerned about anything deeper than their wallet. The rare times they seem willing to do the right thing is when something deeper is at jeapardy: Their ass! We saw this in drumpf’s directed coup attempt on the Capital. We saw this in irony when House GOP Whip Steve Scalise was shot playing softball that “No Democrats called for gun control after a republican was short” (insert tears here). Most notably, we saw it when Reagan was shot.
“In 1991, Reagan supported the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, named for his press secretary shot during the 1981 attempt on Reagan’s life. That bill passed in 1993, mandating federal background checks and a five-day waiting period. “Every year, an average of 9,200 Americans are murdered by handguns, according to Department of Justice statistics,” Reagan wrote in the NY Times. “This does not include suicides or the tens of thousands of robberies, rapes, and assaults committed with handguns. This level of violence must be stopped.” Reagan turned against gun regulations in the 1970s, but his views shifted back sometime after he was shot by John Hinckley Jr. in 1981. Reagan’s views on gun control appear to be influenced by his personal experiences with people aiming guns at him.” (Peter Weber)
““The NRA is not there to promote the safety of our children, the NRA is not there to promote the safety of Americans generally. The NRA is not even there to promote the safety of gun owners,” Sen. Warren told me. “The NRA is there to advance the interests of exactly one group, and that’s gun manufacturers to help boost their profits. We have to remember that’s who the NRA represents.” (Shannon Watts)
But, hey. I’m just one of those weak liberals that somehow don’t need a to wave a gun around to prove I’m manly. What the hell do I know. Hugs. -randy
Wrong turn leads to hundreds of immigrant arrests at the Detroit-Canada border bridge
NPR has for months been receiving tips about detentions at the Ambassador Bridge in Michigan. An inquiry by Michigan Democrat Representative Rashida Tlaib has revealed more that 200 detentions this year at the bridge, including American citizen children.
Byrne said he preferred to let school boards decide if local curricula include topics on consent. “(Teaching about consent) can still happen. We’re just not going to require that in this bill,” he said. “This is a sensitive subject for many. I believe it may be different thoughts in different communities, and … this leaves, for the most part, local control on making those decisions.”
Where are these communities where they may have ‘different thoughts’ on consent?
Any community that has thoughts that consent to sex isn’t important are the communities were teaching consent (i.e. the fucking law!) is absolutely critical.
Ironic how the very same people bitching about the LGBTQ shoving our lifestyles down their throats specifically choose not to teach children about consent.
The religious right has been fighting against consent as a factor in sexual relations for at least 30 years now. They used to claim that it was because they only believed in sex between married (opposite sex) couples, but it’s become clear that they are against teaching about consent because most of their leaders are rapists.
Yes. These are the people who refuse to convict men accused of raping ten year old girls because “she was asking for it “ (tight jeans, walking alone, going to a party at another family’s house) (not said: poor or non-white or intellectually or physically handicapped – defending the high school football players who gang-raped a Down’s syndrome girl student).
Why teach consent when you can teach “slashing a tire to get someone to ride home with you so you can divorce your wife and get married to the younger model instead” like Jesse Watters did?
Scottie's Playtime 