Tuesday, February 11, 2025

With Louisiana leaders intent on first execution since 2010, DA obtains death warrant

 By Greg LaRose

A Rapides Parish man could be the first person Louisiana puts to death in 15 years after the district attorney there obtained a warrant Monday for his execution.

Larry Roy has been on death row since his 1994 conviction for double murder in Cheneyville. Police said Roy attacked his ex-girlfriend, Sally Richard, and her ex-husband, Freddie Richard Jr., with a knife in front of her two children. The woman and her children survived, but Roy killed her aunt, Rosetta Salas, and Freddie Richard Jr.  

Order to Drop Charges Against NYC Mayor Among 'Most Openly Corrupt Writings I've Seen on DOJ Letterhead'

 By Jake Johnson 

New York officials, lawmakers, and activists expressed fury on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump's Justice Department instructed prosecutors to drop federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a move seen as an overtly corrupt deal aimed at giving the White House free rein to attack the city's immigrant communities.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Trump’s January 6 Pardons Were a Green Light to Far Right Paramilitaries

By Sasha Abramsky 

The GOP’s silence after the pardons made it complicit in Trump’s decision to normalize paramilitary violence in the US.


With President Donald Trump’s pardoning of more than 1,500 people charged with offenses relating to the January 6 insurrection, and his description of them as “hostages” rather than as insurrectionists, paramilitarism is now firmly back on the national agenda.

As Constitutional Crises Mount, US Press Sleepwalks Into Autocracy

 By Julie Hollar

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When President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented freeze on federal grants and loans last week, some of the most prominent US news outlets proved themselves largely uninterested in whether it was legal. Meanwhile, a few braver journalists called out the move as the constitutional crisis that it was (FAIR.org1/29/25)

Virginia House targets speed camera ‘cash grab’

 By Nathaniel Cline

With millions flowing from speed camera fines, Virginia lawmakers are pushing to curb potential profiteering and increase public oversight of the devices. A bill to bring more transparency and accountability to speed camera operations cleared the House this week and is now headed to the Senate.

According to Virginia State Police data, the state collected nearly $24 million from speed cameras in school zones and almost $10 million from highway work zones last year. The cameras, approved by the General Assembly in 2020, were intended to reduce traffic fatalities and encourage safer driving near children and construction workers. But growing concerns over the financial windfall for local governments and law enforcement have put the program under scrutiny.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Bill to limit the crimes for which juveniles could be charged as adults sparks debate

By William J. Ford

Criminal justice advocates welcomed a Senate bill that would sharply reduce the number of crimes for which a juvenile could be charged as an adult.

Senate Bill 422 by Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery) would raise the age at which a juvenile would be tried as an adult from 14 in the current law, to 16. It would also eliminate a number of crimes for which 16-year-olds are currently made eligible to be charge as adults.

Facial recognition in policing is getting state-by-state guardrails

By Paige Gross

The AI behind newer police identification tactics is controversial, and instances of false arrests and privacy concerns are drawing lawmakers’ attention.

In January 2020, Farmington Hills, Mich., resident Robert Williams spent 30 hours in police custody after an algorithm listed him as a potential match for a suspect in a robbery committed a year and a half earlier.

The city’s police department had sent images from the security footage at the Detroit watch store to Michigan State Police to run through its facial recognition technology. An expired driver’s license photo of Williams in the state police database was a possible match, the technology said.

Execution of SC inmate convicted 23 years ago marks first execution in the US for 2025

By Sklar Laird

Marion Bowman was the third death row inmate executed in SC since September



COLUMBIA — Marion Bowman died Friday night by lethal injection in the country’s first execution this year.

His recorded time of death was 6:27 p.m.

The roughly 30 protesters outside the prison gates sang “Amazing Grace,” Bowman’s favorite hymn, after receiving confirmation of his fate.

Friday, January 31, 2025

Tennessee legislature puts hundreds of millions toward private-school vouchers

By Sam Stockard 

In one of the most hotly-contested questions in modern Tennessee political history, the legislature narrowly approved a $430 million private-school voucher program that critics say will grow quickly to $1 billion and endanger the state’s budget.

The House voted 54-44 in favor of Gov. Bill Lee’s voucher initiative, with 20 Republicans opposing the measure, only four more than required for passage. 

Trump administration profile: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

By Indy Scholtens

President Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.to lead the Department of Health and Human Services on Nov. 14, 2024. Kennedy, 71, ran for president last cycle, initially as a Democratic challenger to Joe Biden, but switched to run as an independent in October 2023. He suspended his campaign on Aug. 23, 2024, and endorsed Trump. 

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Trump-Appointed Labor Secretary Halts Anti-Discrimination Enforcement

By Zane McNeill

The Trump administration continues to reverse decades of civil rights and equity work,” a legislative researcher said.
Donald Trump’s Acting Labor Secretary Vincent Micone issued an order on Friday directing the Department of Labor (DOL) staff to “immediately cease and desist” enforcing government contractors’ adherence to anti-discrimination laws and affirmative action initiatives. 

SC law causes bans on lessons, books about Black history, lawsuit claims

By Skylar Laird   

Legislation that failed last June, would have nullified the most disputed part of the law


COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Department of Education is discriminating against Black people’s viewpoints by enforcing a law that bars schools from teaching that any race is inherently superior or automatically racist, claims a federal lawsuit filed Monday.

Federal Workers Union Warns Trump Purge 'Will Cause Chaos'

By Jessica Corbett

"Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration's goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to."

A union that represents over 800,000 employees of the federal and District of Columbia governments on Tuesday responded with alarm to U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to pressure some workers to leave their jobs.

Monday, January 27, 2025

Police drones are flying over Maryland. Will state lawmakers regulate them?

 By Capital News Service

On an afternoon in mid-January, a Montgomery County police drone tracked a shoplifting suspect as he made his way from a Wheaton CVS to the entrance of a nearby Metro station, where a patrol unit intercepted and arrested him.

Police flight records show that the drone, piloted by officers at a command center in Rockville, then returned to its station on a nearby rooftop to await the next 911 call.

The drone is one of four operated by the Montgomery County Department of Police. The year-old drone response program is the first of its kind in Maryland, with drones stationed in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The drones have responded to nearly 2,000 calls since the program’s launch, often reaching the scene before police officers get there.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Trump wants to deport immigrants accused of crimes. California sheriffs could make that easy

By Nigel Duara and Tomas Apodaca

In summary

President Donald Trump wants to deport undocumented immigrants arrested on suspicion of various crimes. That could put sheriffs overseeing California jails in conflict with the state’s sanctuary law.

They can enforce a state sanctuary law that some of them personally oppose, or they can roll out the welcome mat to federal immigration enforcement authorities whom Trump has promised will carry out the largest deportation program in American history. 

Ohio families who lost loved ones after police incidents criticize new fees for body cam footage

By Nick Evans 

Former Columbus, Ohio police officer Adam Coy shot and killed Andre Hill shortly before Christmas in 2020. Last November Coy was found guilty of murder, felonious assault and two counts of dereliction of duty. As it is in many police involved shootings, body camera footage was crucial evidence establishing the how the incident unfolded.

Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law undergoes 5th Circuit judges’ scrutiny

 By Greg LaRose

NEW ORLEANS – Three judges on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals considered arguments Thursday over a state law that requires displays of the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana public school classroom.

A group of nine parents, each on behalf of their children, sued to block the law shortly after the Louisiana Legislature and Gov. Jeff Landry approved it last spring. A lower court ruled in November the requirement violates the First Amendment’s prohibition against establishing a state-approved religion.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Trump’s words changed Springfield, Ohio. Its Haitian community is bracing for what’s next.

By Amanda Becker, The 19th News

SPRINGFIELD, OHIO — Several minutes into President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech on Monday, as he began talking about immigration, Yvena Jean François dug through a desk drawer for a notebook and pen.

“We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home … it fails to protect our magnificent law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions that have illegally entered our country from all over the world,” Trump said, repeating a frequent 2024 campaign claim for which he has not offered evidence.

Alarm Bells Sound as Trump Gets to Work on 'Extreme Authoritarian Agenda'

By Jessica Corbett

"Trump isn't king, but if Congress capitulates, he could be," warned the leaders of Popular Democracy.

Since U.S. President Trump's return to office on Monday—at an inauguration ceremony full of American oligarchs—as the Republican has issued a flurry of executive orders and other actions, progressive leaders and organizers have expressed alarm and vowed to fight against his "authoritarian" agenda.

LSU law professor removed from classes amid investigation into alleged political comments

By Piper Hutchinson 

An LSU law school professor has been removed from teaching classes for reportedly making political comments in the classroom, his attorney says. 

LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center Dean Alena Allen told students in an online meeting Tuesday that tenured law professor Ken Levy is being replaced pending an investigation.  

Baton Rouge attorney Jill Craft, who is representing Levy, said he intends to fight the reprimand.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Progressives Say "Billionaires' Row" at Inauguration Ceremony Shows True Winners of Trump Agenda

By Jake Johnson 

"Trump's White House is government by the billionaires, for the billionaires," said the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus."

While President-elect Donald Trump is expected to hail the "start of a thrilling new era of national success" during his inaugural speech on Monday, progressives said the presence of some of the nation's most powerful billionaires at the event signals that the incoming administration's agenda will prioritize the success the country's wealthiest.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Gaza Ceasefire Deal Announced After 466 Days of Genocide and 46,000 Dead

By Sharon Zhang 

The deal is slated to begin on Sunday, Qatar’s prime minister said, beginning with a 6-week cessation of hostilities.

Officials have finalized a long-awaited Gaza ceasefire deal, Qatar’s prime minister and other leaders announced on Wednesday, potentially bringing an end to the nearly 16 months of genocidal violence in Gaza in which Israeli forces have slaughtered, at a minimum, 46,000 Palestinians, and likely far more in their all-out extermination campaign.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet is slated to meet in coming days to vote on the deal. If it is passed, the deal would be implemented on Sunday, officials said, and would consist of three phrases.

Prison abuse, deaths and escapes prompt calls for more oversight

 By Amanda Hernandez

Rampant sexual abuse by guards at women’s prisons in California. An inmate suicide that went unnoticed for 18 hours in Washington state. Multiple jail breaks in Pennsylvania.

Prisons and jails across the United States are overcrowded and understaffed, jeopardizing the safety of incarcerated people, correctional officers and surrounding communities. As state legislatures convene in the coming weeks, many lawmakers are focusing on a key criminal justice issue for prisons and jails: more oversight.

Trump administration profile: Pam Bondi

 By Emma Rose Brown

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Pamela J. Bondi to lead the Department of Justice on Nov. 21, just hours after Trump’s original pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), withdrew his name from consideration over alleged sex crimes and drug-related misconduct. 

Who is she? Bondi, a corporate lobbyist and former two-term attorney general of Florida, is a longtime Trump loyalist who served on his first impeachment team. She falsely claimed he won Pennsylvania in 2020, and she stumped for Trump in late 2024. 

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Trump administration profile: Pete Hegseth

 By Charlotte Ehrlich

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth to be secretary of defense on Nov. 12, 2024, a choice that caught many in Washington off guard. Hegseth, 44, is a Fox News personality, author and Army National Guard veteran who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay

While he is celebrated for earning two Bronze Stars, Hegseth’s political and financial controversies have raised concerns ahead of his Senate confirmation.

Friday, January 10, 2025

Baltimore Media ‘Create a False Impression That Youth Are Responsible for a Lot of Very Dangerous Crime’: .

By Janine Jackson 


Janine Jackson interviewed the Sentencing Project’s Richard Mendel about coverage of youth crime for the December 20, 2024, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript.


Janine Jackson: Some listeners may know the Sentencing Project for their work calling out racial disparities in sentencing associated with crack versus powder cocaine, and mandatory minimums. A recent project involves looking into another factor shaping public understanding and public policy around criminal justice—the news media. In this case, the focus is young people.

No jail time or fines for Trump in sentencing for NY hush money case

By Ashley Murray

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his New York hush money case just days before his inauguration, making him the only past and future U.S. president with a criminal record.

Trump has faced four criminal prosecutions but the New York state case was the sole one that went to trial. A jury convicted him in May on 34 felonies for falsifying invoices, checks and ledger entries that amounted to a $130,000 reimbursement to his lawyer for paying off a porn star ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Minimum wages are increasing in nearly half the states this year

By Kevin Hardy 

The minimum wage will increase in nearly half the states this year even as the federal wage floor remains stuck at $7.25 per hour.

In many states, the minimum wage is automatically adjusted upward as inflation rises. But voters in several states, including deeply red ones such as Alaska and Missouri, chose in November to significantly increase their minimum wages this year.

Trump calls for avoiding default, possibly using military force for expansion

 By Shauneen Miranda

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said during a wide-ranging press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday he wanted to see the country’s debt limit addressed while cutting spending and would not rule out military force to expand U.S. territory. 

Trump, who will take office Jan. 20 after lawmakers breezily certified the election results Monday, continued to place blame on outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden for what he will be left with in his second term as he dives into an ambitious GOP agenda.

Hundreds of California prison firefighters join battle against Los Angeles wildfires

 By Cayla Mihalovich

About 800 incarcerated firefighters are battling the unprecedented fires raging across Southern California, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. They join thousands of firefighting and emergency personnel who have been dispatched to respond to multiple fires throughout the Los Angeles area. 

Thursday, January 9, 2025

Maxwell Frost says he won’t be an automatic ‘no’ on Trump agenda

By Mitch Perry

A rising star for the Florida Democrats who has previously called Donald Trump a “threat to the planet” said he intends to work with the incoming administration on certain issues but he vows that he is prepared to oppose “horrible” measures that he fears will be coming out of the White House.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, who just started his second term in office and at 27 remains the youngest member of Congress (he turns 28 next week), told the Florida Phoenix “I’m going to continue to do what I’ve done the past two years.”

Fact check: Why is Trump blaming the LA fires on Newsom’s water policies?

By Alastair Bland

In summary

President-elect Donald Trump faulted California water policies for the devastating wildfires that are burning in Los Angeles County. The fires started because of fierce winds and extremely dry conditions.

The Los Angeles County wildfires triggered a rant from President-elect Donald Trump, who blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom for depriving Southern California of water. Trump today repeated a claim he has made in the past, that state efforts “to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt” have caused pain and hardship in California. 

Florida leads the nation (again) In Obamacare enrollment

By Craig Pittman and Christine Sexton

More than 4.6 million Florida residents enrolled in an Obamacare plan through the “Marketplace” for 2025 health insurance coverage.

Data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services show that 4,633,650 residents signed up for insurance coverage through the Marketplace by the end of 2024. 

Nationally, CMS reports that 23.6 million people enrolled for 2025 coverage, including 3.2 million new consumers. Total enrollment is record-breaking, CMS said in a statement.

Four insurance companies and 12 health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are participating in the Florida Marketplace, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website shows. HMO coverage is regional and people must live in the area an HMO is authorized to operate in to enroll in the managed care plan.

The Marketplace is a centerpiece of the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal the program but has offered no details.

“The Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace and reforms have proven to be successful and critically important for millions of Americans and their families,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a prepared statement. “Every American should have access to quality, affordable health care — and thanks to the ACA, they do. The Affordable Care Act now stands along with Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security as one of the most consequential social programs in the history of our nation.”

The CMS data does not show how many of the Florida consumers are new enrollees versus returning customers. But with 4,633,650 people enrolled, the data show that Florida leads the nation in enrollment. Rounding out the top three states for the most enrollment is Texas and California with 3,861,244 and 1,895,558 enrollees, respectively.

“Help is still available”

“We can’t lose sight of what’s behind our tremendous, record-setting progress: Millions of individuals and families who now have a critical connection to the lifeline of health care coverage,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “To the millions more who may still need coverage: Don’t delay. Help is still available, including tax credits that have made coverage more accessible by reducing the barrier posed by high costs.”

Open enrollment for 2025 health insurance coverage began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15. Health insurance coverage took effect Jan. 1 for consumers who enrolled by Dec. 15. Health insurance coverage takes effect Feb. 1 for those who enroll by Jan. 15.

Although Republicans in Florida have not expanded Medicaid to lower-income childless adults as the ACA allows, the federal health law is popular with residents who annually have flocked to the marketplace for health coverage. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to repeal the ACA but has provided no details.

“Nearly 24 million people, a record number, have signed up for Marketplace coverage — and the Open Enrollment Period is not over yet. The Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace and reforms have proven to be successful and critically important for millions of Americans and their families,” said Becerra.

This article originally appeared in the Florida Phoenix on January 8th,  2025

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SEIU Joins AFL-CIO to 'Unleash a New Era of Worker Power' as Trump 2.0 Looms

By Jake Johnson

CEOs and billionaires want nothing more than to see workers divided, but we're standing here today with greater solidarity than ever," said AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler.

The 2-million-member-strong Service Employees International Union announced Wednesday that it is joining the AFL-CIO, bolstering the ranks of the largest labor federation in the United States as unions prepare to fight the incoming Trump administration.

"CEOs and billionaires want nothing more than to see workers divided, but we're standing here today with greater solidarity than ever to reach the 60 million Americans who say they'd join a union tomorrow if the laws allowed and to unrig our labor laws to guarantee every worker in America the basic right to organize on the job," AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler said in a statement.