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

Paramount's Outrageous '60 Minutes' Settlement May Be Even Worse Than It Appears

(Huff Post) The dealings to settle President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against “60 Minutes” may have been even more complicated and unseemly than was initially known. Trump on Thursday claimed that the settlement ― which consisted of a $16 million payout largely to his presidential library ― was actually worth significantly more because it also included advertising that CBS would eventually run.

Eugene

Donald Trump Was Asked About A Key Promise (90 deals in 90 days). What Followed Was Pure Gibberish.

(Huff Post) Donald Trump was asked by a reporter on Monday to explain what had happened to his administration’s promise to seal “90 deals in 90 days” with trading partners. Instead of outlining the dozens of deals with foreign countries that he previously boasted would be completed by Wednesday — the 90-day mark since his so-called Liberation Day in April — the president just waffled, talked about a couple of frameworks and possible deals in place and then appeared to suggest his plan now mainly involved sending letters to foreign governments and telling them the tariffs that their products will now be subject to when they are imported into America.

Sibelius Fan

Trump/Musk 5-Year Death Toll for Eliminating USAID Now Projected at 14-million

(The Hill) A study published Monday found that the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) could result in more than 14 million additional deaths globally by 2030, including 4.5 million deaths of children younger than 5 years.The findings were released hours before Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agency would officially shut down following President Trump’s executive order earlier this year aiming to dismantle the agency.

BumRushDaShow

Lawyers Say New Evidence Challenges Trump on El Salvador Prisons

(Bloomberg) Lawyers for Venezuelans sent to a prison in El Salvador claim new evidence “contradicts” the US government’s claims that Salvadoran officials, not the Trump administration, have legal authority over the men. Attorneys on Monday filed a copy of statements that El Salvador submitted to a United Nations human rights office in April, stating that “the jurisdiction and legal responsibility” for detainees “lie exclusively” with the United States under agreements between the two countries.

jmbar2

Operation Excalibur in Los Angeles Was Show of Force

(Ken Klippenstein) Today’s homeland security operation at the 35-acre MacArthur Park in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles was a mere “show of presence,” internal Army documents I’ve obtained say. ICE and Customs agents, many dressed in military garb, assaulted the Park, which the documents describe as a hotbed of “historic lawlessness” and “the founding location of MS-13,” the Salvadoran gang. The news media is describing the operation as an ominous crackdown, but National Guard sources tell me that it was a botched laughingstock.

BumRushDaShow

Biden's former doctor asks to delay testimony to House panel, citing patient privilege concerns

(AP) Former President Joe Biden’s physician has asked to delay his testimony before the House oversight committee this week, citing the need for an agreement that will respect doctor-patient confidentiality rules as part of the investigation into Biden’s health in office. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who served as Biden’s physician at the White House, requested a delay until the end of July or early August “to reach an accommodation that will protect the very substantial privilege and confidentiality interests of Dr. O’Connor and former President Biden,” according to a letter from his lawyer sent to Rep. James Comer of Kentucky on Saturday.

BumRushDaShow

Judge blocks Trump from cutting off Planned Parenthood funding under

(CBS News) A judge on Monday temporarily barred the Trump administration from revoking Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, partially freezing a provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act just days after President Trump signed it into law. The temporary restraining order by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani lasts 14 days and directs the Department of Health and Human Services to "take all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed" to Planned Parenthood.

BumRushDaShow

Judge scoffs at Trump admin claims about new travel ban during arguments over refugee admissions program

(Law & Crime) A federal judge in Seattle says it's "more clear than ever" that clarity and action is needed to identify the number of refugees who have been allegedly affected by President Donald Trump's efforts to suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for 90-day intervals after immigration lawyers claimed Monday in court that the number could be in the "hundreds or even thousands" — far more than the 160 who've been recognized.

hatrack

Getting Harder To Unleash "Energy Dominance" As Feds Who Permit Development Head For The Exits

(EE News) President Donald Trump’s gutting of federal agencies could undermine his pro-fossil-fuel agenda as permit writers and energy experts head for the exit in droves, current and former government employees say. Agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers and the Interior Department now have fewer people to review permit applications and roll back regulations seen as burdensome to the energy industry.

AStern

I.R.S. Says Churches Can Endorse Candidates From the Pulpit

(NY Times) The I.R.S. said on Monday that churches and other houses of worship can endorse political candidates to their congregations, carving out an exemption in a decades-old ban on political activity by tax-exempt nonprofits. The agency made that statement in a court filing intended to settle a lawsuit filed by two Texas churches and an association of Christian broadcasters.

Expand Featured Stories

Region Forums

Latest Breaking News

Education Department dismisses thousands of civil rights complaints at an 'unheard of' pace

28 min ago - 07/08/2025 10:00 AM EDT The Education Department dismissed civil rights complaints at such a rapid clip this year that former officials and advocates are concerned about a core agency function amid Trump administration plans to make deep staffing cut ... (Politico)

Karen Bass confronts federal agents at Los Angeles park

1 hr ago - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday she confronted federal agents at a city park amid tensions between her city and the federal government over immigration. “When I got to MacArthur Park, by the way, and my purpose was one, to witness what ... (The Hill)

Trump administration using Guantanamo to detain foreigners from 26 countries, including criminal detainees

1 hr ago - July 8, 2025 / 8:56 AM EDT The Trump administration is using the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to detain dozens of foreigners from 26 countries and six different continents, including detainees with serious criminal convictions, the Department ... (CBS News)

Supreme Court clears the way for Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce

1 hr ago - Updated 4:39 PM EDT, July 8, 2025 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of tho ... (AP)

Trump Hires Scientists Who Doubt the Consensus on Climate Change

1 hr ago - Trump Hires Scientists Who Doubt the Consensus on Climate Change The three scientists joined the administration after it dismissed hundreds of experts who were assessing how global warming is affecting the country. July 8, 2025 Updated 2:47 p.m. ET S ... (New York Times)

Feds investigate hospitals over religious exemptions from gender-affirming care

2 hrs ago - July 8, 2025 5:00 AM ET The Trump administration has launched investigations into health systems in what legal experts say is an effort to allow providers to refuse care for transgender patients on religious or moral grounds. One of the most recent a ... (NPR)

Tulsi Gabbard demanding access to intel agency emails to find spies working to undermine the Trump agenda: report

2 hrs ago - A team created by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has allegedly sought mass amounts of internal emails and chat logs from top U.S. spy agencies, in an effort to use A.I. tools to screen for government employees opposing the Trump admi ... (Independent)

US Immigration Backlog Hits All-Time High

2 hrs ago - Published Jul 08, 2025 at 4:24 AM EDT U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is grappling with an unprecedented backlog of immigration cases, reaching a record 11.3 million pending applications. USCIS data from January to March shows some ... (Newsweek)

Schumer warns package to claw back funding would 'poison' annual spending talks

2 hrs ago - 07/08/25 10:17 AM ET Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) warned in a “Dear Colleague” letter to Democrats on Tuesday that a Republican package to claw back funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid would “poison” a ... (The Hill)

Agriculture secretary says there will be 'no amnesty' for migrants, adults on Medicaid can replace them in workforce

2 hrs ago - Published 1:53 PM EDT, Tue July 8, 2025 — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday during a news conference that there will be “no amnesty” for migrants and mass deportations will continue to achieve a “100% American ... (CNN)

IDF defies Netanyahu's plan for 'humanitarian city' in Gaza

3 hrs ago - The Israeli military has refused to carry out a plan to confine hundreds of thousands of people in a new “humanitarian city” in Gaza, after senior officers objected and reservists said it would be a war crime. In a remarkable stand-off with ... (The Times (UK))

Federal government's hiring freeze extended by 3 more months

3 hrs ago - Federal government's hiring freeze extended by 3 more months Jessica Kronzer jkronzer@wtop.com July 8, 2025, 12:28 PM One week before a hiring freeze for federal agencies was set to be lifted, President Donald Trump's administration has extended the ... (WTOP)

U.S. dietary guidelines on a collision course with MAHA

3 hrs ago - 9 hours ago The high-stakes effort to set nutrition standards for the food industry and government programs like Head Start is about to get a makeover from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Why it matters: It's an opportunity for Kennedy to exer ... (Axios)

Macron: UK and France must save Europe

3 hrs ago - “Our two countries have a special responsibility for the security of the continent,” the French president said in an address to both Houses of Parliament. July 8, 2025 6:51 pm CET By Esther Webber and Clea Caulcutt LONDON — ......... ... (Politico)

Trump says a new 50% tariff on copper imports is coming

4 hrs ago - Updated 2:09 PM EDT, Tue July 8, 2025 CNN -- President Donald Trump said Tuesday he's imposing a new 50% tariff on all copper. However, it's unclear when the new tariff would take effect. "Today we're doing copper," he said at a Cabinet meeting, ad ... (CNN Business)

Fox News Embedded As Armed ICE Thugs Raid Kids' Soccer Game

4 hrs ago - Are they drug dealers or serial killers? By John Amato -- July 8, 2025 On Monday, heavily armed ICE agents conducted a raid at MacArthur Park that targeted children. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass confronted the agents and demanded they leave. Fox News ... (crooksandliars.com)

Rubio impersonator used AI in calls to foreign ministers, cable shows

4 hrs ago - WASHINGTON (Reuters) -An imposter used an artificially generated voice to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio in contacts with three foreign ministers and two U.S. politicians, according to a cable seen by Reuters on Tuesday. In mid-June, the ... (Reuters)

Veterans Affairs Department scales back DOGE-led plan for over 76,000 layoffs

5 hrs ago - July 8, 2025, 11:15 a.m. ET WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs has massively scaled back a DOGE-backed plan to sack more than 76,000 employees, saying it had "eliminated the need" for the huge workforce cut. A leaked memo from VA leaders ... (USA Today)

Wisconsin Supreme Court clears the way for a conversion therapy ban to be enacted

5 hrs ago - MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court cleared the way Tuesday for the state to institute a ban on conversion therapy in a ruling that gives the governor more power over how state laws are enacted. The court ruled that a Republican-con ... (Associated Press)

Melting Glaciers Could Unleash a Barrage of Volcanic Eruptions Worldwide, Scientists Warn

5 hrs ago - As if we needed another reason to worry about the climate crisis, researchers have found that melting glaciers could trigger a surge of intense volcanic eruptions in the future. Across the globe, hundreds of subglacial volcanoes—formed by erupti ... (Gizmodo)