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

Mystery surrounds $1.2 billion Army contract to build huge detention tent camp in Texas desert

Updated 1:08 PM EDT, August 28, 2025 WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump’s administration last month awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion to build and operate what it says will become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex, it didn’t turn to a large government contractor or even a firm that specializes in private prisons. Instead, it handed the project on a military base to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a small business that has no listed experience running a correct ...

mahatmakanejeeves

CDC officials escorted from headquarters as chaos engulfs public health agency

HEALTH CDC officials escorted from headquarters as chaos engulfs public health agency BY MIKE STOBBE, AMANDA SEITZ AND CHRIS MEGERIAN Updated 4:31 PM EDT, August 28, 2025 NEW YORK (AP) -- The nation's top public health agency was left reeling and leaderless as the White House works to expel its handpicked director from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and three senior officials were escorted from its headquarters on Thursday. The turmoil triggered rare bipartisan alarm as Presi ...

BumRushDaShow

Sen. Cassidy calls for vaccine advisory meeting to be postponed amid CDC departures

August 28, 2025 / 4:05 PM EDT Washington — Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, called on the Department of Health and Human Services Thursday to "indefinitely postpone" its vaccine advisory committee meeting next month amid a slew of departures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as lacking legitimacy given the se ...

LetMyPeopleVote

After failing to get felony indictment, feds charge DC sandwich thrower with a misdemeanor

Federal prosecutors have charged the man accused of throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Patrol agent in Washington, D.C., earlier this month with a misdemeanor after a grand jury refused to indict him on a more serious felony assault charge on Wednesday, according to court records filed Thursday. Sean Dunn has now been charged through a criminal information, which did not require sign-off by a D.C. grand jury. Prosecutors failed to convince a grand jury to charge Dunn with a felony, so ...

BumRushDaShow

Trump mulls GOP convention before midterms

08/28/25 10:53 AM ET President Trump on Thursday floated the idea of having the Republican Party hold a convention just ahead of the 2026 midterms, as Democrats say they’re considering a similar idea. “The Republican Party is doing really well. Millions of people have joined us in our quest to MAKE AMERICA, GREAT AGAIN. We won every aspect of the Presidential Election and, based on the great success we are having, are poised to WIN BIG IN THE MIDTERMS,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platfor ...

BumRushDaShow

Prosecutors Just Can't Convince Grand Jury That Woman Who Filmed Feds In DC Committed Felony

(Huff Post) Federal prosecutors failed three times to persuade a grand jury to indict a woman accused of assaulting an FBI agent during an immigration operation in Washington, D.C., last month, a highly unusual failure as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to aggressively charge street crime in the nation’s capital. Three different federal grand juries declined to indict Sydney Reid for assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, prosecutors disclosed in a court filing late on Monday. Prosecutors then downgraded the offense to a misdemeanor.

BumRushDaShow

'It's a mess': DC courts on brink of collapse as Trump floods them with arrests

(Raw Story) President Donald Trump's federal takeover of D.C. has the local courts stretched to breaking point, CNN reported on Wednesday. Trump's D.C. U.S. Attorney, former Fox News commentator Jeanine Pirro, "has encouraged its prosecutors to bring more cases to federal court with the most serious charges they can pursue. Defense attorneys across the city believe weaker cases are now being brought into the system as smaller infractions are bumped up to more serious charges," reported Katelyn Polantz, Marshall Cohen, Holmes Lybrand, and Casey Gannon.

BumRushDaShow

'Fine for what'? Newsom doubles down on refusal to give in to Trump's UCLA demands

(Politico) Gov. Gavin Newsom forcefully doubled down Wednesday on his belief that California should not give into the Trump administration’s demand that UCLA pay $1 billion to restore hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen research funding. The governor, who previously described the settlement proposal as “extortion” and threatened to sue over it, said the matter is bigger than just UCLA. It is about “anybody or any institution that disagrees with them,” he said.

BumRushDaShow

CDC erupts in chaos after ousted chief Susan Monarez refuses to resign

(The Guardian) The US’s top public health agency was plunged into chaos on Wednesday after the Trump administration moved to oust its leader Susan Monarez, sworn in less than a month ago, as her lawyers said she would not resign and that she was being “targeted” for her pro-science stance. Monarez, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was ousted on Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that offered no explanation its decision.

douglas9

Tulsi Gabbard Blindsided CIA Over Revoking Clearance of Undercover Officer

(Wall Street Journal) Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, surprised Central Intelligence Agency officials last week when she included an undercover senior CIA officer on a roster of 37 current and former officials she stripped of security clearances. Gabbard didn’t know the CIA officer had been working undercover, according to a person familiar with the fallout from the list’s release. Three other people with knowledge of the situation said that Gabbard’s office didn’t meaningfully consult with the CIA before releasing the list.

Expand Featured Stories

Issue Forums

Alliance Forums

Latest Breaking News

Minneapolis Shooter 'Obsessed With The Idea Of Killing Children,' Officials Say

6 min ago - A locked door was key to saving lives at the church, authorities said. Lydia O'Connor Aug 28, 2025, 06:30 PM EDT The shooter who killed two young children and injured 18 more people in a Minneapolis church on Wednesday was “obsessed with the i ... (huff Post)

Trump's attack dog faces own paperwork scandal after targeting Fed official

37 min ago - August 28, 2025 5:04PM ET President Donald Trump's Federal Housing Finance Agency director, Bill Pulte, has emerged as a surprise attack dog for the president's agenda, fishing up a series of document discrepancies and using them as the basis to file ... (Raw Story)

European Leader Calls Trump a 'Russian Asset'

55 min ago - Thu, August 28, 2025 at 4:46 PM EDT Portugal’s president has branded President Donald Trump a “Russian asset,” blasting him for his tepid response to Moscow while Ukraine struggles against Russia’s invasion. Trump has wavered heav ... (Yahoo! News/Daily Beast)

US military academies are banning books and eliminating majors to align with Hegseth 'warrior' ideology

1 hr ago - Thursday 28 August 2025 21:22 BST Former faculty at the U.S. military’s prestigious service academies say they faced de facto book bans, shuttered courses and majors, and academic censorship in the face of political pressure from the Trump admin ... (The Independent)

Trump administration proposes shortening visa stays for foreign journalists

2 hrs ago - 08/28/25 4:17 PM ET The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing new restrictions on how long foreign journalists can stay in the United States legally, calling for stricter oversight of visa holders’ activities while in the U.S. In a ... (The Hill)

Minneapolis mayor calls for nationwide ban on assault weapons after school shooting

2 hrs ago - Posted 3:59 PM, Aug 28, 2025 Minneapolis public officials and gun safety advocates are calling for a nationwide ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines following the deadly Catholic school shooting that left two children dead and over a do ... (Scripps News)

"Bathroom bill" aimed at trans people approved by Texas House after decade of failed attempts

3 hrs ago - Texas House members clashed over a bill that would restrict which restrooms transgender people can use in government buildings and schools, but ultimately approved it late Thursday. Representatives approved Senate Bill 8 on a 86-45 vote after several ... (Texas Tribune)

CDC leaders who resigned said RFK Jr. undermined vaccine science, risking lives

7 hrs ago - As the CDC reels from departures, the White House appoints Jim O’Neill as acting director. Updated August 28, 2025 at 5:04 p.m. EDT By Lena H. Sun Lauren Weber and David Ovalle As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reeled from t ... (Washington Post)

Kilmar Abrego Garcia asks for gag order against Bondi, Noem

8 hrs ago - It is the third time defense attorneys have complained that public statements from government officials are threatening Abrego’s right to a fair trial. By Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein 08/28/2025 08:56 PM EDT ................. The reque ... (Politico)

Bondi, Patel to testify before Congress amid Epstein fallout

9 hrs ago - 08/28/2025 02:07 PM EDT Two top Justice Department officials are expected to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in the coming weeks amid fallout over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to two people gr ... (Politico)

After failing to get felony indictment, feds charge DC sandwich thrower with a misdemeanor

9 hrs ago - Federal prosecutors have charged the man accused of throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Patrol agent in Washington, D.C., earlier this month with a misdemeanor after a grand jury refused to indict him on a more serious felony assault charge o ... (ABC)

Alabama Republican Booed Out Of Town Hall While Attempting To Defend Trump

9 hrs ago - Aug 28, 2025, 06:12 PM EDT A Republican Senate candidate who was booed out of his own town hall says left-wing agitators are the reason he ducked out the back door while the crowd chanted, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.) i ... (Huff Post)

Democrats probe Trump administration's retreat from public corruption cases

10 hrs ago - Aug. 28, 2025, 12:31 PM EDT WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have given a “green light to would-be lawbreakers” by gutting the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and folding one of the ... (NBC News)

Sen. Cassidy calls for vaccine advisory meeting to be postponed amid CDC departures

10 hrs ago - August 28, 2025 / 4:05 PM EDT Washington — Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, called on the Department of Health and Human Services Thursday to "indefinitely postp ... (CBS News)

Trump administration plans big immigration enforcement operation in Chicago as soon as next week

11 hrs ago - POLITICS * 4 MIN READ Trump administration plans big immigration enforcement operation in Chicago as soon as next week By Priscilla Alvarez, Alayna Treene, Hannah Rabinowitz, Haley Britzky 4 HR AGO The Trump administration is preparing to conduct a m ... (CNN)

Radio issues force Newark flights to halt, adding to string of airport problems

11 hrs ago - August 28, 2025, 3:08 PM A temporary ground stop halted incoming flights at Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday due to air traffic control communication issues, marking the latest in a series of disruptions at the busy New Jersey airport ... (ABC News)

Ron DeSantis Wasted $250 Million on Alligator Alcatraz as It Faces Closure

12 hrs ago - Published Aug 28, 2025 at 6:53 AM EDT The state of Florida is committed to $245 million toward the construction of "Alligator Alcatraz," the Everglades immigration detention facility which is due to close in days. An email obtained by The Associated ... (Newsweek)

AJC to move to fully digital publication, phase out print Dec. 31

12 hrs ago - BUSINESS AJC to move to fully digital publication, phase out print Dec. 31 Planned end of the printed newspaper comes as the company has invested millions in expanding news reporting capabilities and digital offerings. By J. Scott Trubey Updated 5 ho ... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

White House taps top RFK Jr. deputy as acting CDC director

12 hrs ago - White House taps top RFK Jr. deputy as acting CDC director The selection of Jim O'Neill reflects Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s influence as he seeks to remake federal vaccine policy. August 28, 2025 at 5:14 p.m. EDT Updated just now 3 min Jim O'Neill was n ... (Washington Post)

US withdraws from key UN human rights report, draws criticism from rights advocates

12 hrs ago - August 28, 2025 11:06 AM EDT Updated 5 hours ago LONDON/GENEVA Aug 28 (Reuters) - The United States will not participate in a U.N. review of its human rights record, officials said, a move that rights advocates called a worrying retreat from Washingt ... (Reuters)