Jilly_in_VA
Jilly_in_VA's JournalMayor Rages as Trump's Much-Hyped ICE Raids Nab U.S. Vet
A mayor claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested a U.S. citizen who served in the military during a raid just days into President Donald Trump’s promised mass deportation operation.
The ICE officers also didn’t have a warrant during the raid in Newark, New Jersey in “plain violation” of the Fourth Amendment, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a statement.
About 10 or 12 ICE agents raided a seafood wholesaler and restaurant on Thursday and arrested three people, including the Puerto Rican warehouse manager, Ocean Food Depot owner Luis Janota told PIX11 news. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
“I asked [the agents] what documentation they were looking for, and they said it was a license or a passport. I thought, who walks around with a passport?” Janota told PIX11, noting that the agents didn’t ask him for his white workers’ documentation.
“One of the guys was a military veteran, and the way he looked to me was because he was Hispanic. He is Puerto Rican and the manager of our warehouse,” he said. “It looked to me like they were specifically going after certain kinds of people—not every kind, because they did not ask me for documentation or my American workers, Portuguese workers, or white workers.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/mayor-rages-as-trumps-much-hyped-ice-raids-nab-us-military-vet/
Working while Hispanic? Got it.
I think this is a joke, but....
Mississippi state Sen. Bradford Blackmon, a Democrat, introduced a bill this week that would seemingly ban men from masturbating or engaging in other sexual acts when they have no "intent to fertilize an embryo."
The bill, titled the "Contraception Begins at Erection Act," would make it unlawful for "a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo." It includes exceptions for sperm donation and using contraception to prevent fertilization.
The bill, introduced Monday, would impose fines of $1,000 for a first offense, $5,000 for a second offense and $10,000 for any subsequent offenses.
The bill is unlikely to pass the GOP-led Legislature, but if it does and is signed into law by Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, it would go into effect in July.
Blackmon, a first-term senator representing a district north of Jackson, the capital, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/mississippi-lawmaker-introduces-contraception-begins-erection-act-rcna188938
He's taking aim where it belongs, anyway
Are all .gov websites down?
I' was trying to check on my passport application today and went to the site I was given. But after repeated attempts it says usps.gov "can't be reached". WTF, people? Has he fucked up the government that badly ALREADY?
Burchett says he believes aliens have underwater bases on earth
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said Wednesday he believes aliens have underwater bases on Earth.
“I just think travelin’ light years, I think it happens. I think it’s possible in the vastness of God’s great universe. I mean, light years, you know, the light from those stars that we see at night left there before the time of Christ,” Burchett, joining former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) One America News show, said in a clip highlighted by Mediaite.
In April, Burchett implied in the wake of a classified briefing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) that the government is purposefully concealing information on them to the American public.
“I think there’s a cover-up,” Burchett said at the time.
“There are tens of millions of dollars that we’ve spent investigating these things. We’ve had departments tell us that they have recovery units, but they won’t release full reports. Everything’s covered up,” Burchett added.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5102361-tim-burchett-aliens-earth/
(Copied from Ch. 6 Knoxville, TN website, not the stupid paper) This guy is such a fruitcake he should never be serving any public office. My fear is that if Blackburn runs for Gov., Lee might appoint him to serve. I guess Tommy Tubs might be relieved though.
About 1,000 North Koreans killed fighting Ukraine in Kursk, officials say
Western officials have told the BBC that North Korean troops have already suffered nearly 40% casualties in the fighting in Russia's western Kursk region, in just three months.
The officials, who spoke on grounds of anonymity, said that out of the estimated 11,000 troops sent from North Korea, known as DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), 4,000 were battle casualties.
That term comprises those killed, wounded, missing or captured. Of the 4,000, the officials said around 1,000 are believed to have been killed by mid-January.
These losses, if confirmed, are unsustainable by the North Koreans.
It is not clear where the wounded are being treated, nor even when and to what extent they will be replaced.
But the figures point to an extraordinarily high cost being incurred by President Vladimir Putin's ally, akin Kim Jong Un, as he seeks to help him evict Ukrainian forces from Russia ahead of any possible ceasefire negotiations later in the year.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87djeezjxeo
How many can you spare, Kim?
ICE has been freed to make arrests at churches. More immigrants took sanctuary in Philadelphia than anywhere else.
More than a dozen migrants took sanctuary inside Philadelphia churches during the first Trump administration, the most of any city in the country, blocking their deportations by putting themselves beyond the reach of ICE agents.
Agency policy deemed houses of worship off limits, except in extraordinary circumstances.
Now that protection is gone. A new Trump administration directive on “sensitive locations” eliminated the restraints that kept federal agents from entering churches, schools and hospitals in what Homeland Security said was a move to keep American citizens safe.
On Wednesday, Philadelphia activists who helped shelter undocumented immigrants in churches in Germantown, University City and North Philadelphia pledged fresh resistance, pointing out that a knock on the door does not automatically require an answer.
“It feels like emotional warfare, that this is really the aim, an attempt to take away every last safe space,” said Peter Pedemonti, co-director of New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, whose members include 33 churches in the region. “Congregations are not just safe spaces, those are sacred spaces. This feels like a desecration.”
https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/ice-churches-raids-sanctuary-cities-philadelphia-sensitive-locations-20250122.html
I have a sneaking hunch that Quakers and Mennonites, and possibly UCC and Episcopalians, will not comply, similar to their actions in the Civil War.
(PS: I have no idea if this article is behind a paywall. Apologies if it is)
A Brazen Moment of Christian Nationalism at Trump's Inauguration
There were plenty of troubling moments during the string of inauguration events for the second presidency of Donald Trump. These include the multiple times Trump lied during his inaugural address and other appearances (including when he insulted the courageous firefighters in California by claiming the LA fires were burning “without even a token of defense”), Elon Musk’s Nazi-or-Nazi-ish salute, Proud Boys marching in Washington, DC, and the presence of the tech overlords on the stage in the Capitol Rotunda sucking up to Trump. (Did you see Jeff Bezos waving at Trump?) But one of the most disturbing displays of Trumpism came at the start of his “victory rally,” held on Sunday at the Capitol One arena in downtown Washington, DC.
After tens of thousands of Trump fanatics stood on line in rain and sleet for hours and failed to gain entry—thousands of seats were reserved for Trump donors and VIPs—the event opened with a prayer from Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma, two Hollywood actors (with middling resumés) who host a Christian podcast called Girls Gone Bible. (The two, who preach sobriety and modesty, have drawn criticism for posting sexy snaps of themselves.)
It’s hardly unusual for a Trump rally to begin with a Christian invocation. But this introduction had a sharp Christian nationalism vibe. Halili shouted, “Thank you, Jesus, for today. Seriously!” Then she reworked the Lord’s Prayer to include Trump: “Your kingdom come, Lord. Your will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven. In America, as it is in Heaven. In the life of President Donald Trump, as it is in heaven.” This rewrite rankled some, including Jenna Ellis, the former Trump campaign attorney, who retweeted a social media post that accused Halili of butchering the classic prayer and that added, “YIKES. Welcome to North Korea.”
Reitsma then weighed in, thanking God for “choosing President Donald Trump as a vessel for your nation.” As is customary in such instances, she beseeched God to look out for Trump: “I pray that you will protect his mind and guard his heart. I pray that you will place a shield around our president, his family, and upon this nation.” She added, “That when opposition comes his way, may you provide angelic protection.” That seemed close to suggesting that God ought to intervene if critics or opponents seek to challenge Trump.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/01/a-brazen-moment-of-christian-nationalism-at-trumps-inauguration/
The bishop who enraged Trump with her sermon is actually part of the majority
Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde delivered a powerful and compassionate sermon at a national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday. While President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance sat in the sanctuary, the bishop challenged the new executive orders harming vulnerable communities, including immigrants and LGBTQ+ Americans.
Predictably, Trump took to Truth Social to denounce the “so-called Bishop” as a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater” and accusing her of bringing “her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way.” He dismissed her sermon as “nasty in tone,” “boring” and “uninspiring,” going so far as to demand an apology from her and her church.
Neither Budde nor her church should apologize for following Jesus. Despite President Trump and his allies attacking Budde, it’s important to recognize that her compassionate sermon does not represent some left-wing fringe of American Christianity. Budde’s words reflect the values held by a majority of American Christians — a fact that Trump’s divisive rhetoric seeks to obscure.
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country,” Budde proclaimed. “And we’re scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families — some who fear for their lives.”
Trump and Vance might have been surprised to hear such a strong embrace of LGBTQ rights by a bishop, because the far-right evangelical and Catholic leaders who surround them are the chief purveyors of anti-LGBTQ hate. Yet they’re far from the norm. A strong majority of U.S. Christians — including Catholics and evangelicals — support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals, according to the Public Religion Research Institute.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-bishop-budde-sermon-truth-social-rcna188764
Take that, Hair Furor!
Bills fans raise over $60K for diabetes to support Ravens player who dropped crucial pass
Buffalo Bills fans may be known for eccentric antics, but instead of jumping on tables this week, they've banded together to jump to the support of an opposing player after he was subjected to a wave of online hate.
During the crucial playoff game on Sunday between Bills and the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews fumbled and then dropped a two-point conversion that would have tied the game in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, the Bills won 27-25 and will be facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday for the AFC Championship Game.
Andrews appeared heartbroken after the loss and video showed Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson consoling him after the game.
"We're a team," Jackson said. "It's all of us, bruh, it ain't just you."
(snip)
But Ravens fans expressed their anger anyway, flooding Andrews' Instagram account with resentful comments. His last post was for National Diabetes Awareness Month in November, where Andrews discussed the continuous glucose monitoring system he uses to treat his Type 1 diabetes.
https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nfl/bills-fans-raise-60k-diabetes-research-support-ravens-player-dropped-c-rcna188752
How cool is this?
But Ravens fans expressed their anger anyway, flooding Andrews' Instagram account with resentful comments. His last post was for National Diabetes Awareness Month in November, where Andrews discussed the continuous glucose monitoring system he uses to treat his Type 1 diabetes.
TV viewing figures fall for Trump's inauguration
Nine million fewer viewers tuned in for Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony than for Joe Biden’s in 2021. According to audience measurement company Nielsen, 24.6 million people watched the former reality TV personality take office, compared with 33.8 million who saw Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration.
The number of viewers was also significantly down on the 30.6 million Americans who watched coverage of Trump’s first inauguration. This time, the majority of viewers were aged 55 and over, with 17% of all US citizens in that age bracket watching, compared with 1.9% of people aged 18 to 34.
Trump’s viewing figures are the lowest since Barack Obama’s second inauguration, in 2013, which drew 20.5 million viewers. Ratings typically drop for presidents’ second swearing in, with George W Bush’s second inauguration providing the lowest TV viewing figures since 1969. However, Richard Nixon bucked the trend by increasing his television audience by 6 million – from 27 million to 33 million.
Neither of Trump’s inauguration ratings came near that of Obama’s first, which brought 38 million Americans to their television sets in 2009, and was the most-watched swearing in since 1981.
The majority of people watching Trump’s recent inauguration did so on Fox News. It had 10.67 million tuning in, followed by ABC News with 4.85 million. When Biden’s inauguration was televised, Fox News’ coverage drew the smallest of the major TV networks.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/22/tv-viewing-figures-fall-for-trumps-inauguration
Raise your hand if you're surprised.
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