Top Stories for May 29:
VIDEO OF THE DAY: Staggering Don Jr. scandal exposed in explosive new exposé
According to a stunning new report from ProPublica, the Trump White House directly intervened to push through a $620 million Pentagon loan to a small, rare-earth elements startup called Vulcan Elements. The request came from White House adviser Peter Navarro, and Pentagon officials were told to move at an unusually rapid pace to get the deal done.
One Defense Dept. official state, “The call came from the White House. We have to get this done.” And wouldn’t you know it, three months prior to Navarro’s call, Donald Trump Jr.’s venture capital fund quietly took an undisclosed stake in Vulcan Elements, increasing the company’s valuation TENFOLD almost overnight.
We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: this is THE most corrupt administration in the history of the United States.
Take Action: Tell Congress: Stop Trump’s $1.7 billion MAGA slush fund!
ICE detainees at New Jersey jail were beaten and pepper-sprayed in their cells, officials and families say
Deeply disturbing accounts from advocates and family members have revealed that ICE agents at an immigration detention center in New Jersey are allegedly beating detainees and deploying tear gas in their cells, as a hunger and labor strike has persisted for nearly a week. According to Make the Road New Jersey director Nedia Morsy, ICE goons are “violently beating the hunger strikers” at Delaney Hall in Newark, where Democratic Sen. Andy Kim was just pepper-sprayed earlier this week. “Someone will be killed if no one intervenes and shuts this down,” Morsy warned.
Detainees are protesting unconstitutional and inhumane conditions — including being served rotten food, denied due process, and refused access to legal counsel. Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill has entered the fray, calling for the facility to be shut down after DHS officials denied state health inspectors access to the facility.
Take Action: Investigate Kash Patel’s flagrant misuse of taxpayer funds!
Beloved Alaskan Mary Peltola drops love letter to Alaska in inspiring first TV ad
Mary Peltola for Alaska: US Senate candidate Mary Peltola is a native Yup’ik who has spent her entire life working for Alaska, and her genuine love for the state and its people flies off the screen. “When I think of an Alaskan, I think about somebody who has a genuine connection to the land and the people and the experience of living and growing and raising a family here,” says one man. “Every Alaskan I have ever known, no matter how young, no matter how old, no matter where they’re from, deeply understand the importance of making sure our kids and grandkids and all the generations after us have the same kind of abundance that we had. We can get back there if we’re all working on this together.” It’s the perfect message for a positive campaign that connects directly to voters and is even more powerful considering that incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan is a transplant from Ohio. Click here to watch her ad and chip in to help elect her to this must-win Senate seat!
Musical acts keep bailing on Trump’s “Freedom 250” concert series
Young MC was the first artist to bust a move and bail on Trump’s ridiculous “Freedom 250” concert, but he certainly wasn’t the last. One by one, familiar and vaguely familiar names alike from the halcyon days of yesteryear have pulled out, having decided they want nothing to do with the absolutely radioactive shit show the MAGA cult leader’s team is organizing.
Billed as the “Great American State Fair,” two-thirds of the musical acts have already dropped out, with some claiming they didn’t even know they were performing at the event in the first place. Fear not, MAGA warriors! As of this morning Vanilla Ice is still slated to perform. And as we all know — if there’s a problem, yo, he’ll solve it.
Take Action: End gun violence for ALL Americans! Don’t build a ballroom!
Trump bought lots of Dell stock — then the Pentagon gave Dell a $9.7 billion contract
Surely just a coincidence, folks, but America’s grifter-in-chief bought millions in Dell stock earlier this, started hyping the computer giant’s products in public speeches shortly thereafter, and just awarded the company with a $9.7 billion, five-year contract this week to provide software to the military. Oh, and just before scoring the Pentagon deal, the Dell family donated $6.25 billion in funding for so-called “Trump accounts,” the new tax-advantaged savings vehicles created by the president’s Big Bill of Bullshit. Quid pro whoa!
National Republican Senatorial Committee called Ken Paxton “repulsive” and “unfit” for Senate in fundraising emails
The NRSC repeatedly attacked Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton during the hotly contested GOP Senate primary race, rightfully calling him “repulsive,” “scandal-plagued,” and “unfit” for office, only to pivot in a craven about-face once Paxton vanquished incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
It’s the nakedly opportunistic and vacuous behavior we’ve come to expect from Republicans, who are utterly bereft of anything resembling moral or ethical principles. It’s also precisely why Congress’ disapproval rating is hovering around 86% and yet another reminder that Democratic challenger James Talarico has a legitimate chance to pick off a critical seat in the battle for the Senate in November.
Students are not signing up for conservative “freedom” classes in Iowa — so Republicans are trying to mandate them
Iowa Republicans, steadfast opponents of government overreach, have solved the pesky problem of their taxpayer-funded, right-wing appeasement project known as the “Center for Intellectual Freedom” being a ghost town — by attempting to mandate that students take six credit hours of freedom classes in order to graduate. Nothing screams “don’t tread on me” quite like the government forcing students to pay $3,000 out of pocket to sit in a class about “freedom” they did not choose, taught by a center so unpopular that one of its first scheduled offerings was canceled because literally one student enrolled.
The Supreme Court is packed, and it’s a clear and present danger to our democracy
Defend Our Courts: In just the past few years, the US Supreme Court — packed by Leonard Leo and his dark-money network right-wing extremists — has gutted the Voting Rights Act, overturned Roe v. Wade, granted Trump criminal immunity, opened unlimited dark money in elections, and sided with corporations over workers and families at every turn. It’s time to unpack the court before it’s too late — which is both legal and has precedent. Will you add your name to support SCOTUS reform today?
North Carolina Republican backtracks on bill that legalizes murder to stop abortions
Laughably claiming that the “fetal personhood” bill he previously co-sponsored had been “broadly misinterpreted,” Republican state Rep. and professional knuckle-dragger Ben Moss announced he was walking back his support for the legislation after intense backlash. North Carolina House Bill 1232 is a one-page document, mind you, and the language is very straightforward: fertilized eggs are “persons,” and any action taken to “harm” an egg is tantamount to murder and punishable by death.
Furthermore, use of deadly force is warranted to stop the harming of any person — including a fertilized egg. Ergo, use of an IUD or seeking abortion care for any reason would effectively give anyone, including abusive partners, the green light to kill a woman to stop her from “harming” a fertilized egg inside her.
Sorry, Ben. Nobody’s buying your bullshit.
Trump is spending millions in taxpayer funds to cover four horse statues in gold in DC
He may be doing his best to usher in the end times, but, as usual, Donald would do well to actually read his source materials. There’s nothing in the Book of Revelation about the four horsemen of the apocalypse arriving on golden steeds. Taxpayer money well spent all the same, right?!
Trump DOJ seeks names of social media users critical of ICE
Absolutely nothing Orwellian or downright totalitarian about it, nope.
Doom and doomer
And in other news
Hope…
GET IT IN YOUR BOX
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