logo
Former President Biden joins mourners as Melissa Hortman lies in state

Former President Biden joins mourners as Melissa Hortman lies in state

Axios28-06-2025
Former President Biden joined a steady stream of mourners who visited the Minnesota State Capitol Friday to pay their respects to slain former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.
The big picture: The influential Democratic legislator, who was shot and killed alongside her husband at her home in what officials have called a politically motivated assassination, was the first woman to lie in state in Minnesota.
Prosecutors say the attacks, which also left another state senator and his wife injured, were part of a broader plot by alleged gunman Vance Boelter to harm Democratic lawmakers.
Zoom in: The line outside the State Capitol stretched the length of the Capitol lawn and around the block Friday afternoon, with hundreds waiting to enter at any given time.
Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen, who grew close to the Hortmans over his last six years in office, were among the first to attend the public viewing hours.
Many visitors, including legislators from both parties, appeared overcome with emotion as they approached the wooden caskets adorned with flowers in the center of the Rotunda.
An urn containing the remains of the Hortmans' golden retriever Gilbert, who was gravely injured in the attack and later euthanized, sat between the couple.
Inside the room: Some mourners dressed in tribute to the longtime Democratic House Leader, wearing pins or shirts featuring her "LFG" — "Let's f***cking go — political rallying cry.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New FEMA grant program gives states $600M to build migrant detention centers
New FEMA grant program gives states $600M to build migrant detention centers

The Hill

time10 minutes ago

  • The Hill

New FEMA grant program gives states $600M to build migrant detention centers

A new $608 million grant program from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will give states money to build detention centers for people suspected of being in the United States unlawfully. FEMA was already slated to cover some of the costs for Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' using a Biden-era program meant for helping asylum seekers. The new facility, quickly constructed in a remote part of the Florida Everglades, is expected to run a tab of about $450 million a year. The new FEMA grant program comes as the Trump administration has increasingly slashed FEMA's ability to assist disaster response, and as the president has mulled closing the agency altogether. CNN reported Friday that FEMA has proposed cutting nearly $1 billion in grant funding to help local first responders better prepare for disasters and to help bolster cybersecurity. A webpage for the program also said it would help reduce 'overcrowding' in facilities maintained by Customs and Border Patrol. A Human Rights Watch report released this week charged that three facilities run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Florida faced 'extreme overcrowding,' and that many detainees were denied access to medical care. FEMA has come under scrutiny in the wake of deadly flash floods in Texas, including reports that the federal response was hamstrung by budget cuts or controls designed to limit large expenditures. Applications for the program are open through August 8. It's not clear if states beyond Florida are yet planning make pushes to build their own detention centers.

Father of 3 Marines who was forcibly detained by immigration agents at landscaping job speaks out

time11 minutes ago

Father of 3 Marines who was forcibly detained by immigration agents at landscaping job speaks out

An undocumented father of three Marines who was forcibly detained by federal immigration agents while at his landscaping job in California last month spoke out for the first time on Friday in emotional, tearful remarks. Customs and Border Patrol agents arrested Narciso Barranco in Santa Ana on June 21, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Video of him being forcibly detained showed masked agents holding him down on the street and repeatedly punching him after he ran from agents. He is currently out on bond after being released from federal custody on July 15 and has an immigration status hearing in August, according to Orange City Council officials. During a press conference in Santa Ana surrounded by local officials and leaders, Barranco thanked the community and his family for their support. "I love you all and I am very proud of you," he said to his children in Spanish. To his wife, Marta, he said, "Thank you for your strength, love, and for never stopping believing in me." Barranco also spoke to the families of other detainees he met while in custody. "I want to tell their families they have faith, they miss you all, and even in that place, they have hope," he said. Barranco asked of federal authorities, "Please, don't take away the opportunities for them to reunite with their families." Lisa Ramirez, a founding partner of US Immigration Law Group and Barranco's legal representative, said his story is not an isolated case. "What I think we can all learn from this one story is that there are hundreds and soon to be millions of people like Mr. Barranco who have been long-standing contributors to our country, who will also be arbitrarily arrested and detained," she said. The Department of Homeland Security said following the arrest that Narciso Barranco is in the country illegally and that he tried to evade law enforcement, "swung a weed whacker directly at an agent's face" and resisted commands. "The agents took appropriate action and followed their training to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve the situation in a manner that prioritizes the safety of the public and our officers," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement at the time. One of Barranco's sons, Marine veteran Alejandro Barranco, told Congress members this week that his father got scared after the masked agents approached him while he was at work. "As he worked, he noticed masked men approaching him, and was quickly surrounded by men who did not identify themselves and never presented any type of warrant," he told Democratic members of the House Committee on Homeland Security during an oversight forum examining the Trump administration's detention and deportation practices on Tuesday. "Terrified, he ran. They chased him through the parking lot and into a crowded street. They pointed guns at him, pepper-sprayed him. They tackled him to the ground and kicked him." He said his father, who has two other sons who are currently serving as Marines, has no criminal record and "should have never been attacked by these agents." "He supported his family and paid taxes," the veteran said. "He is a human being, but he was not treated with the basic dignity he deserved."

Judge dismisses Justice Department lawsuit over sanctuary laws in Chicago and Illinois
Judge dismisses Justice Department lawsuit over sanctuary laws in Chicago and Illinois

USA Today

time40 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Judge dismisses Justice Department lawsuit over sanctuary laws in Chicago and Illinois

WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department that accused the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago of unlawfully interfering with President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins in Chicago was a setback for Trump's litigation campaign against local "sanctuary" laws that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. White House and Justice Department spokespersons did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump, a Republican seeking to deport millions of immigrants in the country illegally, has sparred with Chicago and other Democratic strongholds over their policies. Democrats, in turn, have criticized the Trump administration's aggressive enforcement tactics, including plainclothes immigration agents covering their faces to hide their identities and arrests of immigrants with no criminal records. Supporters of sanctuary laws have said local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement would discourage immigrants who are living in the country illegally from coming forward as victims or witnesses to crimes. The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance in 2012 that stops city agencies and employees from getting involved in civil immigration enforcement or helping federal authorities with such efforts. The Illinois legislature passed a similar state law, known as the TRUST Act, in 2017. The Justice Department sued Chicago and Illinois in February, alleging these laws violate the U.S. Constitution's "Supremacy Clause" that states that federal law preempts state and local laws that may conflict with it. Jenkins, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, rejected that argument in Friday's ruling, saying the city's and the state's policies are protected by the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which ensures that states retain significant powers not explicitly granted to the federal government. The Trump administration on Thursday filed a similar lawsuit against New York City over its local sanctuary laws. A similar case against Los Angeles is pending.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store