Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Warns State Election Officials They Could Be Prosecuted

The Trump administration has threatened election administrators across the United States with criminal prosecution if they knowingly leave noncitizens on their voter rolls or allow them to receive or cast ballots. In a letter sent to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the Justice Department warns state and local election officials could face fines and imprisonment. The letter concludes, “We encourage you to contact us to discuss what steps your state should take to maintain clean voter lists as required by law.” The letter was sent on Tuesday by Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. That same day, she announced plans to send election monitors to 15 jurisdictions in six states during upcoming primary elections. Harmeet Dhillon: “So, this is an important goal that increases voter confidence, and it’s also important to make sure that our voting is accurate, so that every citizen who votes has their vote counted equally, without being canceled out by somebody who shouldn’t be voting.” Meanwhile, FEMA has announced it will withhold Homeland Security funding from states and cities until they provide proof of compliance with the Trump administration’s election requirements. In response, Washington Congressmember Pramila Jayapal wrote, “The Trump Administration is using fear and funding to control who gets to vote and who counts it. Elections belong to the people, not whoever is afraid of losing one.” www.democracynow.org

With Midterms Looming, Trump Completes Purge of Election Assistance Commission

President Trump has forced out the last remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission, a bipartisan independent agency tasked with certifying voting systems and helping local election officials. On Thursday, the White House fired Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland; a third commissioner, Republican Christy McCormick, resigned. The committee’s remaining member, Republican Donald Palmer, stepped down in April to join the Heritage Foundation. Trump’s dismantling of the Election Assistance Commission comes less than four months before midterm elections; it follows last month’s Supreme Court ruling granting the president more power to fire members of ⁠independent agencies. www.democracynow.org

Housing Bill Sidelined by Trump Is Set to Become Law, Barring Last-Minute Veto

In Washington, D.C., a bipartisan bill aimed at lowering the cost of housing is set to become law today, barring a last-minute veto by President Trump. Last month, Congress voted overwhelmingly to approve the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which would cap the number of single-family homes major investors can purchase, while loosening federal regulations to allow for new home construction. Trump has refused to sign the legislation unless lawmakers first approve the SAVE America Act to rewrite U.S. election laws while imposing new voter ID requirements. If Trump takes no action, the housing bill will become law even without his signature. On Thursday, the National Association of Realtors reported the median home sales price of existing U.S. homes soared to over $440,000 — a record high. www.democracynow.org

Eyewitness and Video Evidence Contradicts ICE Claims in Killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo

In Texas, more details have emerged in the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the 52-year-old Mexican father killed Tuesday by ICE in Houston during his early-morning commute to work in construction. Home surveillance video shared by Araujo’s oldest son, Ronaldo Salgado, captured the final moments of his father leaving their family home and getting into his white van. A separate, newly released surveillance video appears to show Araujo’s white van being followed by two unmarked black SUVs. At one point during the pursuit, a black SUV is seen driving on the wrong side of the road in a construction zone, before cutting off Araujo’s van. ICE agents then approach the passenger side of the vehicle. The footage, however, does not show Araujo’s van ramming into any ICE vehicles or attempting to run over an agent, as the Department of Homeland Security alleged after Araujo was killed. Statements by three immigrants who were aboard Araujo’s van and witnessed the shooting have also refuted the claims. The three men, one of whom is Araujo’s younger brother, were rounded up after the shooting and are now in ICE detention facing deportation. In accounts obtained by The Washington Post, their lawyer reports the men said ICE agents fired at them almost immediately without warning from the side of Araujo’s vehicle and that Araujo never could have attempted to run over an agent because there were never any ICE officers in front of his van. Meanwhile, a DHS spokesperson has admitted federal immigration agents targeted Araujo by mistake and were in fact searching for a different person. Several Democratic congressmembers are demanding the release of all video footage and to preserve evidence in the case, but DHS has said the ICE agents involved in the fatal shooting were not wearing body cameras. This comes as the Harris County Medical Examiner has reportedly ruled Araujo’s manner of death a homicide. Harris County prosecutors say they plan to investigate, but cautioned the federal government ultimately controls access to the evidence. As Araujo’s family mourns, they say they’ve been unable to claim his body because immigration agents reportedly removed all of Araujo’s personal identifications after he was shot in the abdomen and transferred to the hospital, which led to Araujo being classified as “John Doe.” In the days after Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s death, hundreds of people have gathered for vigils at the site of Araujo’s killing, placing candles, balloons and flowers to honor his life and continue demanding justice. www.democracynow.org

Former Wisconsin Judge Is Spared Prison Time for “Obstructing” ICE Agents at Her Courthouse

A former Wisconsin county judge has been spared prison time after she was convicted in federal court of obstructing federal agents from arresting an undocumented immigrant. Hannah Dugan was accused of helping the immigrant leave her courtroom in April 2025 to avoid arrest by agents waiting in the hallway. Instead of serving prison time, Dugan was fined $5,000. www.democracynow.org

Man Shot in Memphis Is Fourth to Be Killed by Federal Task Force Agents

In Tennessee, a DEA agent shot and killed a man at a Memphis motel on Wednesday as members of a federal task force attempted to serve an arrest warrant. The U.S. Marshals Service alleges the suspect had pointed a gun at agents. The victim has not been identified. It’s the fourth deadly shooting by agents with the Trump administration’s so-called Memphis Safe Task Force, which includes members of the Tennessee National Guard and officers from more than a dozen federal agencies. On Monday, two National Guard soldiers fatally shot 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson as he was being pursued by Memphis police. His family is demanding video evidence corroborating police claims that Johnson first attempted to fire a gun at the soldiers. Just weeks earlier, a Homeland Security special agent shot 25-year-old Jonah Neal in his Memphis home. Neal’s family had called 911 to report he had a gun and was threatening to harm himself. He was pronounced dead at the scene. And on May 13, a DEA agent fatally shot 41-year-old Darrin Pigram as he worked his shift at a Memphis Burger King. Authorities say the officer opened fire after Pigram reached into his waistband for a gun. His family says he was unarmed and shot in the back. www.democracycnow.org

“He Did Not Deserve to Die”: Family Demands Justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Shot Dead by ICE

The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is demanding an independent investigation into his death. The Mexican father was fatally shot in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday by an ICE officer who was driving an unmarked vehicle. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo had lived in the United States for decades and was driving a construction crew to a job site. His son, Ronaldo, spoke on Wednesday. Ronaldo Salgado: “He did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of 'Mexican man shot and killed by ICE.' He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband, a father, and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream. I would be doing his memory a disservice if I didn’t recognize the other three men who were with him, one of which was my uncle. All three men were rounded up. I have not heard from them.” www.democracynow.org

Judge Orders Release of Trump’s $5M Payment to E. Jean Carroll for Sexual Abuse and Defamation

A federal judge has ruled that E. Jean Carroll can collect $5.8 million from President Donald Trump. The money has been held in escrow since a jury found that Trump had sexually abused and defamed her. The judge’s ruling comes a week after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal of the verdict. E. Jean Carroll had sued Trump for sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. www.democracynow.org

Israeli Soldier Shares Evidence of Torture on Social Media

Human rights groups say a photo apparently taken by an Israeli soldier and shared on social media corroborates widespread reports of torture. The image shows a man stripped to his underwear, blindfolded and bound facedown to a pole, with his arms tied painfully behind his back. The soldier captioned the photo “Good Morning” in Hebrew, and later deleted the post. www.democracynow.org

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill 9, Including Driver Delivering Food for U.S. Charity

In Gaza, health officials report at least nine Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire over the last 24 hours. Among the victims is Ahmad Nasser Saleem, a driver who was delivering food for the U.S.-based nonprofit World Central Kitchen. In Khan Younis, an Israeli missile hit a tent for displaced people in the al-Mawasi area, killing at least four people, including a 10-year-old child. One survivor said he was asleep when the strikes hit. Oday Abu Nahel: “We were staying in the tents on the understanding that this area was safe, and people live in tents. By God, I was asleep when suddenly a missile struck. We came here and found the impact. There were martyrs and wounded. People were carrying them to ambulances, and they loaded them onto carts and took them all to the hospitals. A friend of mine, whose tent was next to mine, was injured, and his mother was injured, too.” www.democracynow.org

Israel Kills School Principal, Her Mother and Two Other Civilians in Lebanon Strike

Israel is continuing attacks on southern Lebanon, with reports of heavy bombings in the town of Taybeh. On Wednesday, Lebanon’s national news agency reported two men were killed in an Israeli drone strike in Nabatieh — Israel’s latest violation of its ceasefire deal with Lebanon. This follows an Israeli strike on Monday that killed four people, including public school principal Esperanza Ghandour and her mother. Ghandour had returned to Nabatieh to check on repairs at her war-damaged home following months of displacement, when Israel bombed her vehicle. www.democracynow.org

Trump Renews Threat to Commit War Crimes as U.S. Bombs Iran for Second Day

The United States bombed Iran for a second consecutive night after President Trump declared the ceasefire to be over. Blasts were reported near the Bushehr nuclear power plant and in multiple cities across Iran, with the U.S. saying it had struck 90 targets, including near the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Iranian Health Ministry, at least 14 people have been killed since the U.S. resumed bombing. Meanwhile, Iran says it has retaliated by attacking “U.S. bases and strategic centers” in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, and Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight missiles in its airspace. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, says the United States “still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free.” On Wednesday, President Trump spoke at the NATO summit in Turkey and threatened to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure, saying, “They really deserve it.” President Donald Trump: “Their electric manufacturing facilities, right? Their electric plants, where they make their electricity, and their — we will — if we have to, we’ll take them out. I don’t want to do that, but if we have to, we’ll take them out. They have desalinization plants. We’ll take them out if we have to. I hate to do that. That’s probably the one I would like not to do least. We attacked Kharg Island last night. We knocked out a piece. I said, ’Don’t touch the oil.’” President Trump was speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the same press conference, Trump mistakenly confused Iran and Japan. President Donald Trump: “I told this story yesterday. We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan.” www.democracynow.org

Senior ExxonMobil Lawyer Retires, Joins Trump Administration

A top attorney at ExxonMobil is joining the Trump administration. Robert Levy, executive counsel at the fossil fuel giant, recently announced he’s retiring after 17 years at ExxonMobil and will join the Justice Department’s newly renamed Energy and Natural Resources Division. It was previously the Environment and Natural Resources Division. In November, Levy was one of a few major oil company executives to attend the COP30 United Nations climate talks in Brazil, where he promoted the continued burning of fossil fuels. Darren Woods: “Crude, crude oil, and hydrocarbons are going to play a critical role in everybody’s life for a long time to come.” In response, Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, wrote, “Big Oil’s capture of the U.S. government is now complete. … The Justice Department that should be fighting to protect clean air and water and avert catastrophic climate change will now work on behalf of polluters to advance the poisoning of people and the planet.” www.democracynow.org

Extreme Weather Rocks China, Europe and U.S. Amid Searing July Heat Wave

In China, at least 21 people are dead after heavy wind and rain triggered a landslide in the western province of Gansu. The disaster was caused by the remnants of Typhoon Maysak, which spawned rare tornadoes in central China, leaving tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes. In the Pacific, recovery efforts are underway in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands from severe damage caused by a Category 5-equivalent typhoon that made landfall on Monday. In France, more than 10,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes as a fast-moving wildfire sweeps across the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. Firefighters are also battling blazes in Portugal, Spain, Greece and the Balkans. Here in the U.S., more than 1,200 firefighters are battling the Babylon Fire, which has consumed over 100,000 acres, becoming the largest wildfire in Utah in nearly a decade. According to Climate Central, July is the hottest month for most of the United States, and it’s getting hotter as the planet warms. U.S. cities have seen average temperatures rise by more than two-and-a-half degrees since the 1970s. www.democracynow.org

85-Year-Old German National Becomes 21st to Die in ICE Custody This Year

Deaths in ICE custody also continue to rise under President Trump’s second term in office. In the latest reported case, Adrian Andreas Florian, an 85-year-old man from Germany, died in late June while hospitalized in Texas. According to immigration researcher and data analyst Austin Kocher, ICE had transferred Florian to the hospital in November over signs of dementia and other health issues. He was then pronounced dead on June 24 after about 10 months in ICE custody. He is at least the 21st person to die in ICE custody this year alone. In more immigration news, the GEO Group, one of the nation’s largest private prison and immigration detention contractors, has agreed to pay a fine of more than $100,000 in a landmark case over the company’s abusive and dangerous treatment of immigrant workers detained in at least five of its California ICE jails. The case had been ongoing for more than four years. www.democracynow.org

ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Mexican Father During Houston Traffic Stop

In Texas, immigration and civil rights advocacy groups are demanding an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican father who was killed by ICE during an attempted arrest in Houston Tuesday morning. Araujo’s son, Ronaldo Salgado, said in a statement his father was driving to work and was in Magnolia Park, a historically Latino neighborhood in Houston, picking up workers in the area, when ICE agents targeted him. His son added, “My father has been in this country for nearly 35 years, working in construction to provide for myself, my two brothers, and my mother. … My father did not deserve this.” ICE claimed — as it has in previous shootings — that Araujo had attempted to drive away, ramming an agency vehicle when he was shot in the abdomen. This is Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL, a Houston-based immigration advocacy group. Cesar Espinosa: “We are calling for an independent — fully independent — investigation from the authorities. We are calling for transparency from ICE. And we are calling for justice for this person. ICE does not get to be judge, jury and executioner whenever they want to.” Advocates are also demanding the release of video footage. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s fatal shooting came on the six-month anniversary of the ICE killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. www.democracumpw.org

Israeli Strike Kills Gaza Aid Official Who Organized World Cup Screening

In Gaza City, an Israeli strike on the Sabra neighborhood Tuesday evening killed Palestinian aid official Mohammed al-Wahidi, along with a taxi driver and two children — 10-year-old Hamza al-Deri and his 8-year-old brother Fari. Al-Wahidi was director of public relations for the Egyptian Relief Committee in Gaza and had just organized a public screening of the Egypt-Argentina World Cup match. Israel killed him less than an hour before kickoff. Since October, when Israel agreed to a so-called ceasefire, it has killed at least 1,027 people in Gaza, including 258 children. www.democracynow.org

U.S. Renews Attacks on Iran and Reimposes Oil Sanctions

The United States has renewed its attacks on Iran, with multiple explosions reported in southern regions, including the port city of Sirik, Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas and Kharg Island. U.S. Central Command said the strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran’s military pledged a “crushing response.” Soon after, air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait as U.S. military sites came under Iranian drone and missile fire. The U.S. strikes came hours after the Treasury Department revoked a temporary sanctions waiver that allowed Iran to sell oil on the open market. That led to a surge in oil prices and a steep decline in Asian stock markets, which shed more than $700 billion in value during a broad sell-off. www.democracynow.org

Family of Cuban Who Died of “Likely Homicide” at Texas ICE Jail Sues for Wrongful Death

The family of Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban immigrant whose death in ICE custody was ruled a likely homicide, is suing four guards and the companies that oversaw Camp East Montana — a sprawling immigration detention tent camp at the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas — at the time of Campos’s death. The Washington Post reports his family is seeking more than $1 million in damages from Acquisition Logistics, the company that oversaw Camp East Montana when Campos was killed; Akima, which employed the guards accused of killing Campos; and NANA Regional Corp., Akima’s parent company. Earlier this year, an autopsy report released by the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded Campos had died from asphyxia caused by neck and torso compression, ruling his death a homicide. Before his death, Campos had complained of not getting the right dosage of medication to treat his bipolar disorder and anxiety. He had also expressed having suicidal thoughts. But instead of receiving proper care, Campos was placed in solitary confinement, where guards shackled and handcuffed him, repeatedly “putting pressure on his neck and chest until his body went limp.” www.democracynow.org

U.S. Surges Troops to Venezuela in Wake of Devastating Earthquakes

In Venezuela, the death toll from last month’s devastating earthquakes has topped 3,500 and is expected to continue rising, as the United States seeks to expand its military presence in the wake of the disaster. U.S. Southern Command recently announced the deployment of at least 2,000 military personnel to Venezuela, alongside drones, combat helicopters and other hardware. That’s in addition to U.S. Marines and Air Force officials already in Venezuela. The U.N. Development Program estimates June’s earthquakes caused $6.7 billion in damage in Venezuela. Despite that toll, the United States has provided just $300 million in recovery aid, while it sits on some $8 billion worth of Venezuela’s oil wealth, seized after the U.S. abduction of former President Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores. www.democracynow.org

Palestinian Baby Dies as Israeli Forces Block Ambulance at Checkpoint

In the occupied West Bank, a 4-month-old Palestinian baby died after Israeli forces blocked his evacuation to receive emergency medical care. The family of Ahmad Marouf Zeid had reportedly called the Palestinian Red Crescent, which sent an ambulance to the entrance of Deir Ammar refugee camp, where the family resides, but Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint prevented the baby’s transfer to a hospital for more than an hour. Haaretz reports the main entrance to the village has been closed since January, shutting down the only direct route to and from Ramallah. The Palestinian Red Crescent says Israeli soldiers stationed there routinely block residents from passing through. Israeli forces also shot dead a 16-year-old boy from the Qalandiya refugee camp, near Ramallah, in a raid Sunday. During the same raid, security camera video footage shows an Israeli soldier throwing a stun grenade into a car carrying Palestinians, before appearing to force the door shut as it detonated. www.democracynow.org

Trump Pardons Clean Air Act Violators and Ex-Partner of Jack Abramoff

President Trump has issued pardons to 11 more people, including nine who faced criminal charges for violating the Clean Air Act by tampering with emissions monitoring systems on vehicles. Trump also pardoned Adam Kidan, a former business partner of the disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Kidan pleaded guilty in 2005 to fraud and conspiracy related to the purchase of a fleet of gambling boats. His pardon came just months after he co-hosted a fundraiser at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for a Long Island Republican congressional candidate. www.democracynow.org

At Least 25 Die from Record U.S. Heat Wave Over Fourth of July Weekend

Here in the U.S., at least 25 people are dead due to extreme heat and humidity after a massive heat dome brought record temperatures to the central and eastern U.S. over the Fourth of July holiday. Some 185 million people — or more than half of U.S. residents — were under heat alerts over the weekend, with extreme weather forcing the cancellation of Independence Day events in states from Alabama to Connecticut. Meanwhile, Super Typhoon Bavi has brought devastating 175-mile-per-hour winds and storm surge to the Pacific Ocean U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. After headlines, we’ll speak with David Wallace-Wells, a New York Times opinion writer whose recent piece is headlined “We Need to Retrofit the Planet. The Heat Wave Proves It.” www.democracynow.org

Family Says Palestinian Doctor Hussam Abu Safiya Was Left Disfigured by Israeli Torture

The family of the prominent Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya says his health has sharply deteriorated after more than 555 days in Israeli prisons. Dr. Abu Safiya had served as a pediatrician and director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza until he was abducted by Israel in December of 2024. He’s been held without charge ever since. In a video message, Dr. Abu Safiya’s son Elyas says his father showed clear signs of torture and medical neglect during a recent meeting with his lawyer in which Dr. Abu Safiya described being beaten with a hammer. Elyas Abu Safiya: “My father was unable to breathe. My father was unable to speak. His face was disfigured from the marks of torture and pain, especially after the last court session held in Jerusalem at the Supreme Court. … We still call out, plead and appeal and beg to all the free people of the world and to everyone with an atom of humanity in their heart, to save my father’s life before it’s too late.” Palestinian officials say Israeli attacks have killed about 1,700 healthcare workers in Gaza since October 2023; at least 83 medical workers remain in Israeli prisons. www.democracynow.org

Texas Lawmaker Condemns ICE for Attempting to Deport Families to Venezuela After Massive Quakes

Congressmember Joaquin Castro is condemning ICE officials for attempting to deport more people to Venezuela in the aftermath of back-to-back earthquakes. In a social media post, Castro said ICE had tried to deport Venezuelan children and families currently detained in Texas’s Dilley ICE jail. The families were ultimately returned to Dilley after being flown to Arizona. He said, “It is unthinkable to send children and families, who have committed no crimes, into a country plunged into chaos by natural disaster.” This comes after the Trump administration deported more than 100 immigrants back to Venezuela just hours before the earthquakes. The vast majority now assumed dead. www.democracynow.org

Rights Groups Demand End to Venezuela Sanctions as Earthquake Death Toll Passes 2,000

A coalition of human rights and antiwar groups are calling on President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lift all U.S. sanctions on Venezuela as the death toll from last week’s devastating twin earthquakes continues to rise and as humanitarian aid advocates warn of a widening health and hunger crisis. In a letter obtained by the publication Common Dreams, the groups write, “As long as sweeping economic sanctions remain in place and Venezuelan assets remain frozen abroad, reconstruction will be unnecessarily delayed, and millions of people will continue to suffer.” The letter has been signed by dozens of organizations, including the Center for Economic and Policy Research and the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. The U.N. Development Program has estimated the earthquakes have caused $6.7 billion in damage. On Wednesday, the death toll had already surpassed 2,000, which is believed to be a vast undercount, with tens of thousands of people still unaccounted for. www.democracynow.org

Trump Defends Financial Report Showing His Personal Income Soared to $2.2 Billion in 2025

President Trump faces a growing backlash after financial disclosure forms revealed his personal income soared to $2.2 billion in the first year of his second term. That includes $635 million from a licensing agreement for Trump-branded cryptocurrency “meme coins” and $590 million from the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial crypto project. Trump earned another $575 million from his real estate holdings. Trump’s financial disclosure report sprawled over more than 900 pages; by comparison, President Obama’s last such disclosure was just eight pages. Editorial boards, including The Wall Street Journal, and Fox News have criticized Trump’s latest business ventures. On Wednesday, Trump defended his windfall profits. Reporter: “To critics who say you’re profiting off the presidency, Mr. President?” President Donald Trump: “Well, you know why I’m profiting? Because the stock market is going up. Everybody’s profiting. If you have a — you have a 401(k)? How has your 401(k) done? It’s about up 85%. Thank you, President Trump.” Trump was speaking to reporters before boarding the new Air Force One, a Boeing 747 jet donated to the U.S. by the royal family of Qatar. The Air Force expedited a retrofit of the luxury plane, reportedly at a cost of $400 million. Trump plans to keep the jet after leaving office, saying he’ll donate it to his presidential library. Democrats have accused him of receiving a foreign emolument — or bribe — which is prohibited under the Constitution. www.democracynow.org

Over 400,000 Children Appeared in U.S. Immigration Courts Without Lawyers

In immigration news, hundreds of thousands of immigrant children facing deportation orders are having to represent themselves in court. That’s according to the Vera Institute of Justice and Drop Site News, which looked at federal immigration data that showed more than 400,000 immigrant children have been forced to appear in court without legal representation. In related news, a federal court in Denver, Colorado, is the latest to oppose the Trump administration’s efforts to indefinitely imprison immigrants, most of whom have no criminal records, without access to a bond hearing. This is at least the fourth time a federal court has rejected Trump’s mass detention policy. www.democracynow.org

Trump Bought Stock in Taser Company Before ICE Announced $220 Million Contract

President Trump purchased up to $5 million worth of stock in the corporation that makes Taser weapons, just two weeks before ICE solicited a $220 million contract for the devices. Trump’s investment in Axon Enterprise was first reported by CNBC. This comes as House Democrats are pushing for passage of the No Getting Rich in Congress Act, a bill that would prevent public officials, including the president, from profiting from conflicts of interest. www.democracynow.org

SCOTUS Declines to Hear Trump’s Appeal of $5 Million Sex Abuse and Defamation Case

The Supreme Court declined on Monday to consider President Trump’s appeal of a $5 million verdict in a civil suit that found that he sexually assaulted writer E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room in the 1990s — and later defamed her. The court dismissed the case without explanation. Trump’s lawyers have indicated they’ll ask the Supreme Court to consider a second defamation case successfully brought by E. Jean Carroll after Trump called her a liar, following the first verdict. Trump was ordered to pay more than $83 million in that case. www.democracynow.org

Rights Group Says Israel Is Killing Palestinian Children in West Bank at Fastest Rate Since 1967

In news from the occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy in the city of al-Bireh, near Ramallah, Monday. Amir Ahmad Jawad Jaber was reportedly shot in the head and chest during a raid. This comes as a new report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem found Israeli soldiers killed at least 54 Palestinian children and teens in the West Bank last year, in 2025, the highest rate since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967. www.democracynow.org

U.S. Plans to Deport Over 500 Unaccompanied Immigrant Children

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to deport more than 500 unaccompanied immigrant children, bypassing longstanding legal protections for migrant children who are in the U.S. without their parents. The children have been in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement for at least six months and don’t have family relatives or guardians who could sponsor them in the country. ORR, which is overseen by Health and Human Services, has aided the Trump administration in identifying children who could become targets for deportation. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden condemned the move in a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., writing, “This is a severe institutional failure that places hundreds of vulnerable children in immediate jeopardy, effectively erasing them from the protection of U.S. oversight and thrusting them back into danger. To weaponize the very agency charged with their protection is an unacceptable escalation of executive overreach that undermines our nation’s commitment to due process.” www.democracynow.org

Supreme Court Blocks Cancer Patients from Suing Bayer over Popular Weed Killer

Also on Thursday, the Supreme Court struck down a Hawaii law requiring people to get permission to carry guns onto private property. And justices ruled 7 to 2 to restrict thousands of lawsuits claiming Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto, had a duty to warn consumers about potential cancer risks from its popular weed killer Roundup. We’ll have more on the Supreme Court’s rulings later in the broadcast. Source: www.democracynow.org

“Not Afraid to Stand Up to Genocide”: United Auto Workers Vote to Divest from Israel

In Michigan, members of the United Auto Workers have voted to prohibit investments in Israeli bonds, becoming the first major U.S. labor union to divest from the state of Israel. UAW member Olga Karounos, who organized the vote, said, “This is going to send a message to — not just the billionaire class — but to politicians and any single person who is not afraid to stand up to genocide, to Netanyahu, to the United States government, and will put the UAW again on the map for standing up for international solidarity.” Source: www.democracynow.org

IRS forever banned from investigating chump and sons tax records. See Democracynow story

https://www.democracynow.org/2026/5/20/headlines/doj_forever_bars_irs_from_probing_trump_his_sons_and_their_family_business

Stay current with independent news

www.democracynow.org www.foxtakedown.com Many people are fighting hard against this dictatorship. One courageous fighter is Cliff Cash. You can find him on youtube and facebook.