Paulsen's ACHA vote a disaster for constituents
Paulsen's party before country agenda has been to repeal and replace the ACA. Period. Not improving it. Not getting more Minnesotans and Americans insured. Not making health insurance more affordable and certainly not saving and cherishing human life. With the CBO showing that 23 million Americans will be adversely affected by this, there is no doubt. Paulsen's vote in favor of the ACHA is a disgrace and a blemish on Minnesota. He has betrayed us.
Michelle Beddor
Chanhassen
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The Hill
14 minutes ago
- The Hill
Military leaders must resist Trump's politically motivated invasion of cities
Here's a thought experiment. What would happen if we put thousands of heavily armed soldiers into the streets of major American cities to enforce laws and deal with civil unrest, even though the troops had no significant training in either regard? And what would happen if citizens held mass demonstrations against this affront to their constitutional rights of speech and assembly, despite the protesters having little or no training in nonviolent resistance? We know the answer because it happened at Kent State University in 1970. Here is another scenario. What would happen if armed provocateurs showed up in this volatile mix, intending to trigger a second civil war in America? We know the answer. We saw an example on Jan. 6, 2021, when Proud Boys and several other extremist groups provoked violence during a riot at the Capitol. Today, President Trump is engaged in his own experiment — a dangerous performative political stunt in which he's federalized the National Guard and deployed regular U.S. troops to cities run by Democrats. How do we know it's performative? Because he's threatening to invade only blue states and cities. His law-and-order excuse is implausible. Few Americans have shown more contempt for law and order than the four-times indicted, twice impeached, 34-times convicted president — the first felon to occupy the White House. A law-and-order president would not have granted sweeping clemency to nearly 1,600 people charged with, convicted of, or pleading guilty to participating in the Jan. 6 riot. A president committed to law and order would not egregiously violate the nation's statutes and the Constitution. Sadly, we have come to expect such behavior from Trump. He is the thug he accuses others of being. The real disappointment at this moment is the U.S. military's capitulation to Trump's latest stunt. Prior to last year's election, Trump made no secret of his intentions. He has threatened to deploy the military against civilians — a decision generally prohibited by the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 — since at least March 2023, suggesting he would use federal troops in urban 'crime dens.' 'You're supposed to not be involved in that, you just have to be asked by the governor or the mayor to come in (but) the next time, I'm not waiting,' Trump said during a rally in Iowa. Before last year's election, Trump told Time magazine he endorsed using the military and building a migrant detention camp to remove more than 11 million people from the country. During a speech on June 1, 2020, Trump urged governors to deploy the National Guard to 'dominate the streets' against people protesting the murder of George Floyd. He threatened to deploy the military if governors didn't act. Meanwhile, protestors gathered in the park across the street from the White House to protest the Floyd murder. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to clear the park. Then, Trump and a coterie of administration officials strode into the park for a photo op of Trump holding a Bible. They were joined by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, dressed in battle fatigues. But Milley realized he was being used as a political prop and left the event. A cursory investigation concluded a year later that the police did not clear the park specifically for Trump's photo op, but it was widely condemned as a violation of the protesters' constitutional right to assemble. Milley apologized publicly and profusely. He said his appearance in uniform 'sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society. I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.' While addressing graduates at the National Defense University, Milley urged the future military officers to remain apolitical. Today's military leaders should take his advice if they expect the armed services to maintain the public's respect. In 2024, conducted its own thought experiment about what would happen if Trump sent active-duty troops to 'quash protests on American soil.' 'In speaking with more than a dozen Pentagon officials as well as outside experts,' the article said, 'what emerged was a landscape where few concrete legal protections exist to prevent an abuse of power by a president, especially if that president chooses to lean on the Insurrection Act, a vaguely worded law originally passed in 1792.' But, it continued, 'uniformed commanders also have a specific obligation to reject an order that's unlawful.' Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, soldiers are not obligated to obey unlawful orders. An international court made the same determination after World War II when it rejected the 'Nuremberg defense,' the argument by Adolf Hitler's officers that they were just following orders when committing war crimes or crimes against humanity. Why is this important? Although Trump is in office, the U.S. military might be the last line of defense for protecting our democratic republic, since Congress and the courts have largely capitulated to his autocratic rule. What happens if top military officers and next year's voters don't stand up to Trump? We can ask the nearly 6 million people, more than 70 percent of the world's population, what their lives are like under authoritarian rule. America is on a slippery slope to join them. William S. Becker Presidential Climate Action Project.
Newsweek
44 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Green Card Holder Detained by ICE Says Food Not Fit for His Dog
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A green card holder detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has told Newsweek that conditions at the Houston Detention Center are harsh, saying the food served is so poor that he wouldn't even give it to his dog. Deon Lewis, who has lived in the United States since 1993, was taken into ICE custody on June 17. He has criminal convictions for cocaine possession, firearm offenses, multiple drug-related charges and driving without a license, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He has faced serious medical challenges, including sickle cell disease and two lung surgeries due to pneumothorax. Lewis requested to be deported after struggling to live inside the ICE-run facility. "The conditions in the Houston Detention Center are terrible. From the health care to the food they feed us. This food my dog wouldn't even eat," he told Newsweek from inside ICE custody. The Department of Homeland Security has denied the allegations. Deon Lewis, who has lived in the United States since 1993, with his son. Deon Lewis, who has lived in the United States since 1993, with his son. Supplied "There is black mold growing in the showers and bathroom floors. The air quality is horrible," Lewis said. "Some guards treat us like animals. Not all of them, but I think they try their best to keep us as uncomfortable as they possibly can," he said. "These facilities they are holding these people in are not set up correctly for humans to be held in. The conditions are not humane," he added. His wife, Roxanne Lewis, told Newsweek, "I have had many nights not being able to sleep from the worry about his health." She said that during transfers between detention centers—from Baltimore to New Jersey, Boston, Louisiana and finally Houston—he was denied proper medical attention. She recounted one incident in Louisiana when a nurse allegedly laughed while he vomited on the floor. President Donald Trump has directed his administration to remove millions of migrants without legal status as he seeks to fulfill his campaign pledge of widespread mass deportations. In addition to people living in the country without legal status, immigrants with valid documentation, including green cards and visas, have been detained. Lewis has a criminal record dating back to 2002, when he was arrested for cocaine possession, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation, according to the Houston Chronicle. In 2020, he faced additional charges, including possession of marijuana and cocaine and carrying a firearm, the outlet reported. DHS has defended Lewis' detention, emphasizing his criminal history and ICE's commitment to providing medical care and maintaining humane conditions for detainees. "The fake news refuses to report on Americans raped, murdered, and molested by criminal illegal aliens but maintain their 24-7 news cycle peddling false sob stories for dangerous lawbreakers—like Deon Kevon Lewis," said Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS. She continued: "Lewis is a 43-year-old convicted DRUG TRAFFICKER from Trinidad and Tobago, with multiple convictions including for cocaine trafficking, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and driving without a license and carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle. "ICE provides all detainees access to comprehensive medical, dental and mental health care to include conducting an intake screening within 12 hours of their arrival at each detention facility. DHS takes its commitment to promote safe, secure, humane environments for those in our custody very seriously." Despite DHS's assurances, Lewis said his experience in detention had been painful and disheartening. "I am still here being detained, praying to be deported back to my birth country. I am paying for a crime I committed 23 years ago. I paid my dues to society, for the wrong I had done & don't deserve this," he said. His wife described the toll the detention has had on the family, saying: "We are all feeling as a family very depressed. Being without Deon has been extremely difficult. He is a loving Father, Husband, Son, & Friend to many. He isn't the 'public safety threat' as they are trying to portray him as. He is always willing to help someone in need."
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Europe flies to Washington
Get Monday started!🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Is it possible to actually delete your ChatGPT history? European leaders are headed to the White House European leaders will join Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, D.C., this week as he meets with President Trump at the White House, rallying around Ukraine's wartime president after Trump appeared to embrace a peace stance held by Vladimir Putin. Does the US really have a crime crisis? President Trump's crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C., continues a decades-long American story: Data says crime is going down, even as many Americans feel like it's spiraling out-of-control. Safety is a real concern for many. FBI data has shown the nation's crime rate declined over the past three decades, but over half of Americans have said they believe there is more crime than the year before in nearly every Gallup survey conducted since 1993. More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. California almond orchards under siege from rats ~ Roger Isom, president and CEO of the Western Tree Nut Association, which represents growers and processors. He spoke to USA TODAY about an unprecedented phenomenon: A massive assault by rats on California's $4.7 billion almond industry. The sudden invasion starting last fall took growers by surprise, and they're still scrambling to figure out how to repel the intruders. A $101,000 knee replacement? Want a total knee replacement? It can cost as little as $12,870 or as much $101,527. People are usually savvy enough to check whether their hospital or doctor takes their insurance. But it's often a mystery how much a medical procedure or operation will cost, even with coverage, and wide price swings leave insured consumers with big bills, loans and medical debt. USA TODAY analyzed a new report that found prices can vary as much as nine-fold for the same operation or procedure. And hospital prices within the same state varied more than three-fold. But would better price transparency spur competition or lower prices? Today's talkers Michigan handed sign-stealing punishment Nearly two full years after news broke of an investigation into alleged in-person scouting and sign-stealing from the Michigan football program, the Wolverines have been handed repercussions. The NCAA fined Michigan $50,000 fine plus 10% of the football program's budget. The Wolverines are on four year probation while head coach Sherrone Moore faces a two-year show cause order and is suspended from the first game of the 2026 season. Michigan has since said it will appeal the NCAA's ruling. And Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh didn't have much to say. Photo of the day: Israelis speak against war Thousands of Israelis took part in a nationwide strike and demonstrations Sunday in support of families of hostages held in Gaza, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war in Gaza. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@
