Democratic Underground: Forums for U.S. Liberals and Democrats

DHS Is Considering A Reality Show Where Immigrants Compete For Citizenship

May 15, 2025, 10:19 PM EDT The Department of Homeland Security is mulling over a reality television show in which immigrants would compete for U.S. citizenship. The Daily Mail reported on Thursday that Rob Worsoff, a Canadian-born writer, producer and director, pitched the show, titled "The American," and that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is a fan of the concept. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told HuffPost on Thursday that the show is in the "very beginning stages" of th ...

BumRushDaShow

Elon Musk's AI firm blames unauthorised change for chatbot's rant about 'white genocide'

Fri 16 May 2025 06.32 EDT Last modified on Fri 16 May 2025 07.29 EDT Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company has blamed an “unauthorised modification” for a glitch in its Grok chatbot that resulted in the tool ranting about “white genocide” in South Africa. In a post on Musk’s X platform, xAI said new measures would be brought in to ensure its employees cannot modify the bot’s behaviour without extra oversight. The Grok bot repeatedly referred to a white genocide in South Africa – a discr ...

mahatmakanejeeves

Trump Administration Fires Hundreds of Voice of America Employees

Trump Administration Fires Hundreds of Voice of America Employees The layoffs amounted to over a third of the media organization's staff, and came as the Trump administration put up for sale the federal building in Washington that houses the network. Nearly 600 journalists and contractors were fired by the Trump administration on Thursday. Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press By Minho Kim and Tim Balk May 15, 2025 The Trump administration on Thursday fired nearly 600 employees at Voice of Americ ...

BumRushDaShow

Republican hardliners threaten to derail GOP bill encompassing Trump's agenda

May 15, 2025, 4:30 PM A mega-bill encompassing President Donald Trump's legislative agenda appears to be in jeopardy as several Republican hardliners on Thursday signaled their opposition to advancing the package out of the House Budget Committee later this week. "I am voting no," Republican Rep. Ralph Norman said Thursday afternoon, citing concerns about the bill adding to a bloated national debt. With Republican Rep. Brandon Gill expected to be absent, the GOP can only afford to l ...

BumRushDaShow

Some Republicans are angry about climate law cuts. Will they tank the GOP megabill?

05/15/2025 07:30 PM EDT Hill Republican defenders of clean energy tax incentives in the Democrats’ 2022 climate law will soon have to decide how far to push their demands. For months, they have been firing off letters urging leaders to spare at least some of the credits to benefit solar energy, nuclear, hydrogen and other technologies. Speaker Mike Johnson promised to use a “scalpel” and not a “sledgehammer” to the suite of green subsidies included in the Inflation Reduction Act. But in the ...

BumRushDaShow

Trump banner on gov building sparks backlash: 'Welcome to North America's North Korea'

May 15, 2025 2:33PM ET A massive banner of President Donald Trump is now hanging from the outside of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s building in Washington, D.C., opposite a banner of President Abraham Lincoln. Several critics are suggesting the hanging is fascist or authoritarian, with some saying it is giving off North Korea vibes. “Looming down from the pillared front of the neo-classical facade is an enormous, brooding picture of President Donald Trump, adapted from his official pres ...

groundloop

Mother allegedly buys ammunition, tactical gear for son's planned 'mass targeted violence' at middle school: Officials

A Texas mother has been arrested and charged for allegedly buying ammunition and tactical gear for her son's planned "mass targeted violence" at his middle school, officials said. Ashley Pardo, 33, was arrested on Monday and charged with aiding in commission of terrorism after she allegedly provided ammunition and tactical gear to her 13-year-old son, whose behavior demonstrated plans for a "mass targeted violence" aimed at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio, according to a ...

Dreamer Tatum

Democrats reintroduce federal resolution for reparations

A coalition of Democratic lawmakers and advocates on Thursday reintroduced a resolution to offer reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans and people of African descent. Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) led the reintroduction of the Reparations Now resolution, which was first introduced in 2023 by former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.). ...

highplainsdem

Price tag for Trump's military parade could reach $45 million

A massive military parade planned in Washington next month will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million and will involve dozens of war planes, hundreds of Army vehicles and thousands of soldiers from across the country sleeping in downtown government office buildings, an Army spokesperson said Thursday. The parade, to commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, will be held June 14, the same day as President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, and will include representation from all 10 activ ...

highplainsdem

DHS asks for 20,000 National Guard troops to assist in deportations

The Department of Homeland Security is asking the Pentagon to provide some 20,000 National Guard forces to assist in the removal of migrants in the United States without legal status. A U.S. official with knowledge of the plan who was not authorized to talk tells NPR that military lawyers are reviewing the request from DHS. The request was first reported by The New York Times. Under the proposal, state governors would be asked for volunteers among their Guard forces to take part in the removal ...

Expand Featured Stories

Issue Forums

Alliance Forums

Region Forums

Latest Breaking News

Trump administration again blocked from cutting billions in federal health money

21 min ago - President Donald Trump’s administration must put the brakes on slashing billions in federal money for public health departments, a federal judge said Friday. U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy in Rhode Island granted the preliminary injunction req ... (Associated Press)

Humanities groups sue Trump administration to reverse local funding cuts

27 min ago - May 16, 2025, 12:37 PM WASHINGTON -- A humanities federation and a state council have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to reverse local funding cuts made by Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and the National Endowment for t ... (ABC News/AP)

Trump says 'dirty cop' former FBI director 'meant assassination' with '86 47' seashells picture

55 min ago - President Donald Trump said there was no doubt what former FBI Director James Comey was implying when he posted a beach photo showing seashells arranged with the message “86 47.? “He knew exactly what he meant, a child knows what that ... (AL.com)

Trump was so desperate for MTG to drop Georgia Senate run he ordered a poll showing she'd get crushed

1 hr ago - Donald Trump was so desperate to stop Marjorie Taylor Greene from attempting to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026 he had a poll commissioned to demonstrate she did not stand a chance, according to a report. The president’s political team called on ... (The Independent)

AG Pam Bondi has the power to revoke green cards at any time, Justice Department claims

1 hr ago - The Justice Department has suggested that Attorney General Pam Bondi has the authority to revoke green cards as she sees fit. DOJ attorney Lindsay Murphy posited Bondi's alleged power during a Third Circuit hearing in Philadelphia. If the court sides ... (The Independent)

Trump's firing of FEMA director unsettles GOP senators

1 hr ago - 05/16/25 6:00 AM ET Senate Republicans are unsettled by the Trump administration’s decision to fire Cameron Hamilton, the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), for speaking out against Trump’s plan to shutter th ... (The Hill)

FBI Director Kash Patel says the agency is leaving its DC HQ

2 hrs ago - FBI Director Kash Patel says the agency is leaving its DC HQ Grace Newton grace.newton@wtop.com May 16, 2025, 11:31 AM The FBI Headquarters is leaving the J. Edgar Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C., according to the bureau's director, K ... (WTOP)

House Budget Committee rejects Trump agenda bill in major setback for GOP leaders

2 hrs ago - WASHINGTON -- The GOP-led House Budget Committee voted to reject a sweeping package for President Donald Trump's agenda on Friday, dealing an embarrassing setback for Republican leaders. The vote in the Budget Committee was 16-21, with five conservat ... (NBC)

Trump says the clock is ticking for 150 countries to make a deal or face higher tariffs

2 hrs ago - Published 7:43 AM EDT, Fri May 16, 2025 CNN — If you thought President Donald Trump’s trade war was over, he has some news for you: Tariffs are going up again. At the conclusion of his Middle East trip Friday, Trump acknowledged that trad ... (CNN Business)

Charter to buy Cox for $21.9 billion in mega cable deal

4 hrs ago - By Reuters May 16, 20257:04 AM CDT Updated 2 hours ago May 16 (Reuters) - Charter Communications (CHTR.O) said on Friday it would buy privately held rival Cox Communications for $21.9 billion, uniting two of the largest U.S. cable and broadband opera ... (Reuters)

Consumer sentiment falls in May as Americans' inflation expectations jump after tariffs

4 hrs ago - Published Fri, May 16 202 510:08 AM EDT Updated 2 Min Ago U.S. consumers are becoming increasingly worried that tariffs will lead to higher inflation, according to a University of Michigan survey released Friday. The index of consumer sentiment dropp ... (CNBC)

Judge in Abrego Garcia case to review whether Trump administration can keep case details secret

4 hrs ago - Updated on: May 16, 2025 / 8:24 AM EDT A federal judge is hearing arguments Friday on the government's assertions of privilege to withhold details of what it's done to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a p ... (CBS News)

Akazawa's dilemma: no tariff deal or a half-baked deal

5 hrs ago - Tariff negotiations between Japan and the United States quickly went from fast track and MAGA hat photo ops in the Oval Office to a long game with no end in sight, one that some academics and economic observers see possibly devolving into an unpleasa ... (Japan Times)

Russia-Ukraine talks end after less than two hours in Turkey

5 hrs ago - Russia-Ukraine talks end after less than two hours in Turkey By Tom Balmforth, Can Sezer and Humeyra Pamuk May 16, 20259:14 AM EDTUpdated 4 min ago Summary Negotiators meet at Istanbul palace Ukrainian source says Russian demands "non-starters" Ze ... (Reuters)

Opponents raise alarm over school vouchers in GOP budget bill

5 hrs ago - 05/16/25 6:00 AM ET Opponents of school vouchers are raising concerns as House Republicans attempt to push through federal legislation in their “big, beautiful bill” advancing President Trump’s agenda. If successful, the Educational ... (The Hill)

FCC commissioner rips a "weaponized" agency punishing news outlets Trump dislikes

5 hrs ago - Thursday, May 15th 2025, 5:28 PM EDT Updated: Friday, May 16th 2025, 8:35 AM EDT (CNN) — A Democratic commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission tore into the panel’s recent actions under its new chairman, without naming him, say ... (WENY-TV Elmira, NY/CNN)

Health Soaring number of Alberta measles cases worries health officials in both Canada, U.S.

6 hrs ago - By Ken MacGillivray & Drew Stremick Posted May 15, 2025 8:21 pm Fourteen new confirmed cases of measles over the past 24 hours means the number of cases in Alberta has now climbed to a total of 409. ................ More than three-quarters ... (globalnews)

Two officials fired by Trump return to court to challenge his power

6 hrs ago - May 16, 2025 5:01 AM ET Appellate judges in Washington, D.C., will consider a key question on Friday: Does the president have the Constitutional authority to fire board members at agencies created by Congress to be independent of the White House? Mor ... (NPR)

Elon Musk's AI firm blames unauthorised change for chatbot's rant about 'white genocide'

6 hrs ago - Fri 16 May 2025 06.32 EDT Last modified on Fri 16 May 2025 07.29 EDT Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company has blamed an “unauthorised modification” for a glitch in its Grok chatbot that resulted in the tool ranting about “w ... (The Guardian)

Some Republicans are angry about climate law cuts. Will they tank the GOP megabill?

7 hrs ago - 05/15/2025 07:30 PM EDT Hill Republican defenders of clean energy tax incentives in the Democrats’ 2022 climate law will soon have to decide how far to push their demands. For months, they have been firing off letters urging leaders to spare at ... (Politico)