Latest news with #BoiseStateUniversity
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boise approved rezone for more density. Neighbors ask court to halt project
A developer planned to build 189 homes near Boise State University after the site was rezoned by the city to allow for more density. But local residents opposed to the project have taken their next step trying to stop it — by filing a lawsuit asking the courts to intervene. Neighbors of the proposed Londoner Avenue apartments about a mile from campus believe the project will bring unwelcome impacts, such as parking issues, noise and traffic, according to Brian Ertz, the neighborhood association's lawyer. 'This council, this mayor and the city at large don't care about neighbors. ... They are belligerent in their support for increasing density,' Ertz said in an interview with the Idaho Statesman. 'They want it to be D.C. or Seattle.' Boise spokesperson Maria Ortega declined to comment, citing the litigation. Ertz said the city didn't give an adequate decision explaining why the council approved a rezone. The Boise City Council's decision said rezoning was a good idea in part because the area is within a 'community activity center.' These so-called community activity centers can be things like shopping centers that serve multiple neighborhoods, according to Boise's website. Ertz said the neighborhood is not close enough to an activity center to justify the rezone. In 2021, Eagle-based The Land Group and Texas-based developer Payette Forward asked Boise for just 43 single-family homes along Londoner Avenue, according to previous Statesman reporting. However, the Planning and Zoning Commission wanted more density to help with a shortage in housing. So Payette Forward tried again last year with 189 units, according to court documents. The zoning commission in January recommended approval for rezoning the land at 1519 S. Londoner Ave., and in March the City Council OK'd the rezone. A representative with the Londoner Neighborhood Association submitted a request for reconsideration, which was denied in April. The association then filed its request for judicial review in early May. Growing Boise area could add almost 200 homes in battle over density. What about traffic? Developers want to build 800+ new apartments in Boise. Some may be in your neighborhood
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Boise State coach should weigh Idaho history when invoking Christianity
Boise State University head football coach Spencer Danielson has brought his team considerable success. His players seem to respect and admire him, with good reason. He promotes good character and hard work at least as well as he prepares players to win. He has been criticized, including by this board, for his excessive expressions of his Christian faith in his capacity as a public university's employee. As the Idaho Statesman's Shaun Goodwin reported, the criticisms from outside don't seem to be shared by those on the inside — members of the team, their parents and others. That doesn't mean his possible encroaching of the separation of church and state should be taken lightly. 'Coach D, he's an amazing human, and religion is a huge part of him, and he doesn't force it upon anybody,' long snapper Mason Hutton told Goodwin. But another thing is clear: If Danielson were not acting as a Christian leader to his players, he would not be permitted this freedom for very long. To test this, ask yourself a question: What if Danielson led the athletes in Muslim prayer or quoted from the Quran in TV interviews? What if he led them in Hindu worship? What if he repeated passages from ardent atheist Richard Dawkins? The answer is obvious: It would not be tolerated for a second. Idaho lawmakers would call for him to be fired and likely ax college budgets. There would be outrage, and then some, from the state's growing far-right population. Danielson does not operate in a vacuum, and the state of Idaho has a very ugly history of religious intolerance. When the state was founded, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were not allowed to vote, hold office or serve on juries. That was a long time ago, but there are plenty of contemporary examples, like the repeated efforts to demonize Idaho's refugees because some of them are Muslim. The Idaho Legislature begins each day with a prayer, invariably a Christian one. There was an exception a decade ago, when leaders of the then-more moderate Idaho Senate decided to embrace ecumenicism by allowing a Hindu cleric to give the prayer — in a country founded on freedom of religion. In response, Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, as far-right a senator as could then be found, who would find herself a relative centrist today, denounced Hinduism as a 'false religion with false gods.' Not to be outdone, Sen. Steve Vick accused Hindus of 'worshiping cows.' The following year, members of the Legislature invited Pastor Shahram Hadian to give a talk called 'The True Face of Islam,' a hate-filled rant attacking members of the world's second-largest religion. Also that year, lawmakers killed a bill that allowed interstate collection of child support payments under the bizarre theory that it would cause Idaho to be governed by Sharia. That was a decade ago. Today, things are different. Now, it is inconceivable that far-right legislative leaders would allow a Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim religious leader to give the opening prayer. Now, bills are introduced to require all public school students to read the King James Bible at length. Add all that up, and there's a clear message being sent to any non-Christian in Idaho: Here, the official religion is Christianity. Here, if you are something else, you may be tolerated or you may be persecuted. The one thing you will never be is equal. Danielson is not responsible for this history, but he operates within it. He carries a special obligation to ensure that non-Christian players and potential recruits can be assured that they will be treated as equals. Thankfully, that appears to be what he is doing. As Danielson said: 'There are guys on our team that are Christian, there are guys on our team that are LDS, there's guys on our team that are Muslim, there's guys on our team who at this point in their life want nothing to do with religion.' Given that, isn't it reasonable that, from time to time, the team would be given readings and inspirational passages from the Book of Mormon and the Quran, as well as critiques of religious belief? And perhaps they are; Danielson would not be interviewed specifically for Goodwin's story. There is no doubt that Danielson is well-intentioned. There is no doubt he is striving to be a good coach and a good mentor. But he is also a state actor. He is the highest-paid employee of Idaho's largest public university. It is incumbent upon him not to cross lines. And he has considerable personal power over his players' futures. He decides when and if they will play, who starts, and — with colleges now paying players — he may also be responsible for how they are compensated. He is something very akin to his boss. He should realize that when he says things like, 'It will be based on giving Jesus the glory. … If people don't like that, don't come here.' That could mean some very good, upstanding and talented teenagers might think they are not welcome at Boise State if they don't want to give Christ the glory. Statesman editorials are the opinion of the Idaho Statesman's editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members Greg Lanting, Terri Schorzman and Garry Wenske.
ABC News
02-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
The Atlas of Drowned Towns wants to recover lost stories buried underwater
They are among humankind's most impressive constructions, yet deep beneath the surface of some of the world's biggest dams lie the remnants of forgotten towns. Once home to vibrant, remote communities, many of these towns were submerged underwater to make way for vast 20th-century infrastructure projects. Houses, town centres, petrol stations and theatres were moved or lost, stirring mixed feelings in the neighbourhoods that stood in the way of large dams. Sunday Extra presents a lively mix of national and international affairs, analysis and investigation. The wave of building was not limited to America, but took place in Australia too. And when locals moved elsewhere to make way for construction, the towns they lived in flickered out of existence. Eventually they passed out of memory and into myth. But now a small team of people is posing the question: could those lost stories be brought back? Forgotten communities submerged underwater Bob Reinhardt, an associate professor of history at Idaho's Boise State University, is the founder of The Atlas of Drowned Towns, a special project dedicated to mapping communities that have been buried underwater in the US and around the world. What started as a personal interest in submerged towns turned into professional study and eventually a mission to restore them to living memory. His research began in the American west, where massive hydro-electric, irrigation, and flood control dams have been built. Before: A birdseye view of Detroit, Oregan before it was inundated to make way for a dam. . . After: In the 1950s, the town was submerged under water. . . Instructions: Use left and right arrow keys to control image transition Before and after images SLIDE A birdseye view of Detroit, Oregan before it was inundated to make way for a dam. / In the 1950s, the town was submerged under water. Spurred on by New Deal funding and the Hoover Dam's completion in 1935, the era of From Sacramento to Columbia and Colorado, Dr Reinhardt says dam building agencies went to great lengths to "scrape the ground clean", a process that resulted in towns in their path being deliberately moved or eliminated. "They didn't want stuff to float up or they didn't want boats to hit them," he tells He estimates hundreds of communities in America and globally were displaced in the process and hopes that recovering their stories will reveal the historical significance of these marginalised places. America's drowned towns Detroit might conjure up images of Cadillacs or Motown Records, but it also happens to be the name of a former town in western Oregon. Reportedly settled by pioneers from Michigan in the 1890s, "Old Detroit" was a tiny, one-street village with a boarding house, local theatre and petrol station. Before: The petrol station in Detroit, Oregon before it was demolished. . . After: Little remained of the town after it was moved. . . Instructions: Use left and right arrow keys to control image transition Before and after images SLIDE The petrol station in Detroit, Oregon before it was demolished. / Little remained of the town after it was moved. In 1953, it was cleared, along with over 3,000 acres of land, by the US Army Corps of Engineers to make way for the construction of the Approximately 60 buildings were relocated, along with the town's entire population, to a settlement nearly 1 kilometre northwest. The town's remains are still Old Detroit was cleared, along with over 3,000 acres of land, in 1953. ( Supplied: The Atlas of Drowned Towns ) Dams are critical to supplying power and fresh water for neighbouring communities. But like all infrastructure projects, they come at a cost to the people in their path. The impression Dr Reinhardt and his team were left with, after collecting oral histories from elderly folks who'd lived in Old Detroit and their descendants, was one of loss. "[In Detroit, Oregon], which is my wife's grandmother's hometown, the spectrum of responses [to the dam project] ranged from disgruntled grumbling … to enthusiasm," says Dr Reinhardt. "Often in many, many cases, there are people saying: 'Well, this is a sacrifice that we're making for the greater good. This needs to be done. And we understand our role'.'" Recollections were punctuated by romantic notions about what the community used to be like and a sense of being part of something bigger. "We [invited] people to come in and bring photographs and diaries and journals and newspaper articles and artefacts that they have, and then we scan all of it, and then we eventually upload it to the database for the website," he says. "The sense that I got from all of those things that people brought in was … [that] this place was a complex community. "Some people didn't get along with each other … It was a real community." While the town still physically existed, residents explained how intangible qualities like memories, feelings and certain sights were lost in the move. First Nations communities displaced by dams American Falls in Idaho is another forgotten town that was submerged to make way for a dam. The first recorded permanent settlement in 1800 was located on the west bank of the Snake River, which stretches from Wyoming through to the Idaho-Oregon border. Then in 1888, the town was moved to the opposite riverbank. In 1925, American Falls moved again after construction began on a dam of the same name. In 1925, American Falls became the United States' first town to be entirely relocated. ( Getty: Keystone View Company/FPG ) An estimated But the biggest impact was on the Shoshone-Bannock people and the Fort Hall Reservation, which sits between the cities of Pocatello, American Falls, and Blackfoot. "They gave up some of their land for the construction of the American Falls Dam," Dr Reinhardt says. In newspaper articles and other period documents that he found in his research, the Shoshone-Bannock people are portrayed as "pleased to be giving up more of their reservation", he says. "[But] reading between some of the lines and some of the speeches from the dedication of American Falls, there's a real sense of loss, and I would say buried betrayal. "We're talking about the 1920s so it's not as though the Shoshone-Bannock could get up and say, 'We've been betrayed by the American government, this is a gross violation of our rights'." Photo shows Image of Dr Karl on a pink background and Listen app logo Dr Karl knows the best app for free podcasts, radio, music, news and audiobooks … and you don't need to be a scientist to find it! An ongoing consequence of the dam's construction is that whenever the reservoir is close to full, it impacts other parts of the Fort Hall Reservation. "Fort Hall is where some Shoshone Bannock continued to do their ranching, and so even to this day, they're continuing to give up land," he says. "That's a big part of the story of the construction of large dams in the American West in the 20th century. And it's part of a bigger story of this longer history of displacement [and dispossession], whereby these places were seen by the government and dam-building agencies as [empty] because native peoples were forced to leave." Today, a 60-metre grain silo deemed too difficult to move is one of the few physical reminders of old American Falls. "You can go to Google Earth and you can see the shadow of this thing in the water. It's pretty spooky and fascinating," Dr Reinhardt says. Australia's forgotten towns While the Atlas is focused on America, it has recently broadened its brief to include other countries. Australia features on the map five times. In the 20th century, Adaminaby, Jindabyne and Talbingo were submerged to create large reservoirs as part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme. The agricultural town of Old Adaminaby in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains was inundated in the 20th century. ( Supplied: Anne Kennedy ) Residents displaced by the scheme were compensated financially, but locals say the experience of getting kicked out of their home was like nearly being "torn apart". "You often think about where you were brought up, but it's different than moving a house," Bruce Stewart, who grew up in Adaminaby, "Getting kicked out of your own town, it's a different feeling altogether." Photo shows A historic photo of a house on wheels. The nation-building Snowy Hydro scheme came at a huge cost for the people of Old Adaminaby, some of whom are still lamenting their loss more than 65 years later. The rural town of Bonnie Doon, north-east of Melbourne, is another example. In 1953, houses and buildings from the original town site were moved to higher ground after the damming of Lake Eildon. "Going across the bridge in Bonnie Doon after really dry summers in the 80s and 90s, you can still see the old road outlines [below the water]," Why explore the history of lost towns? The erasure of towns to make way for large reservoirs is often viewed by dam-building agencies as a clinical process, but Dr Reinhardt says there is an inherent spookiness to their disappearance. More stories from Sunday Extra: "I was attracted to this [project] in part because of my wife's grandmother's story [and] I continue to be attracted to it because of some of the questions, the intellectual and academic questions. But there is a mystery [and] a romance [to these submerged towns]," he said. Delving into their history recalls "the value of inundated communities and the perspectives of people who call them home" as well as the "persistence of such places and people", Dr Reinhardt "For me, it really is a question of, how did people leave a place they loved?" When former residents of submerged towns or neighbouring communities get together to make sense of dam displacement, the answers they give to this question are far from simple. Each person's experience is unique, as is their relationship to the old communities. "To create a space where people can have those kinds of connections, and for their stories to be valued is really cool," Dr Reinhardt says. Want to go beyond the news cycle? Get a weekly dose of art, books, history, culture, technology, politics and more with the ABC Radio National newsletter Your information is being handled in accordance with the Email address Subscribe
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chabria: Military takeovers, questionable arrests, sanctuary city crackdowns. Hot Trump summer is here
President Trump dropped an executive order this week about "sanctuary cities," of which California has many. Not to mention we are a sanctuary state. Alone, that order should grab the attention of cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento, where the commitment to protecting our immigrant neighbors, regardless of documentation, is strong. But stack it with a few other recent Trump moves, and we have what promises to be a summer filled with dissent, fear and a flurry of military maneuvers, questionable arrests and attempts to hobble efforts to protect immigrants, documented or not. At the nexus of these efforts by the administration is a push to centralize ever-greater power at the federal level, never mind that Republicans have long been the standard-bearers for the federalist principle of states' rights. Remember all those 1776 patriots who have suddenly gone silent? "Don't tread on me" has morphed from a MAGA war cry to a Democratic plea. "We're still a federal state, and that means that there are powers that are given to the federal government in D.C. and powers that are given to states and localities," Ross Burkhart told me. He's a political science professor at Boise State University who studies patterns of democracy. "I worry about the balance being tipped toward a heavily centralized state." First, there's Trump's executive order from April 11 that hasn't made too many ripples, despite being a bonkers expansion of military authority over civilians. Trump turned over from the Interior Department to the Department of Defense a swath of land at the southern border that crosses three states — California, Arizona and New Mexico — known as the Roosevelt Reservation. That 60-foot-wide strip is now considered part of Ft. Huachuca, though the Arizona military base is in reality 15 miles away. No matter. The Roosevelt Reservation is now patrolled by military personnel, and entering it is considered trespassing on a military base — a criminal act. The overt premise of this unusual military takeover is to detain those crossing the border illegally. But what happens if a U.S. citizen crosses into that zone without permission? Maybe protesters, for example? Or aid workers, the kind who bring water to the desert? They too could be subject to military detention. Read more: Chabria: Rep. Garcia returns from El Salvador with a sliver of hope for deported gay hairdresser Of course, federal law, in the form of the Posse Comitatus Act, forbids the use of the military for civilian law enforcement. Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center, a nonprofit law and public policy institute, called the act "an absolutely critical protection for our freedoms and our democracy." Its single sentence reads: "Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the [armed forces] ... to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.' That sentence was originally written as a compromise to remove federal troops from the South during Reconstruction after the Civil War. Those troops had been protecting Black voters. But a disputed presidential election threatened stability, and so a deal was struck with still-angry white Southerners that soldiers couldn't be used to enforce civil laws — thereby removing the largest impediment to the Jim Crow era, but also putting that critical protection in place that prevents the military being used to suppress citizens. A doubled-edged sword with profound consequences. The Posse Comitatus Act in the most simplistic of terms eventually led to the rebellion that was the civil rights movement, and subsequent laws that have pushed for equality and equity. That in turn has led us to this moment, when the powers that be are seeking to undo those gains. Which brings us to the "except in cases and under circumstances" part of the Posse Comitatus Act, a Trumpian loophole if ever one was written. If Trump's first 100 days have proved anything, it's that anything is on the table. Take the Insurrection Act, for example, another piece of loophole-filled law Trump has recently mentioned with interest. Imagine, for example, if sanctuary cities were deemed to be violating federal law. If their leaders were accused of harboring and helping undocumented fugitives who somehow made it past the Roosevelt Reservation, or protests in the street were deemed violent rebellions. In his executive order Monday titled "Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens," Trump hinted at such scenarios. "Yet some State and local officials nevertheless continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws," it reads. "This is a lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law and the Federal Government's obligation to defend the territorial sovereignty of the United States." That sounds a lot like the Insurrection Act getting ready to leap through the Posse Comitatus loophole. The order then suggests that some state and local officials could even be in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, most commonly used against organized criminal enterprises such as the mafia, and promises to "pursue all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures to end these violations." "The thing about the Insurrection Act is that it is intended to be used only in very extreme, severe emergencies where there's an immediate and overwhelming threat to public safety or to constitutional rights that the state and local authorities cannot or will not address," Goitein said. "Unfortunately, the actual text of the law is much broader and so it is vulnerable to being exploited by a president who is unconstrained by norms." The same day, Trump also signed another executive order, 'Strengthening and Unleashing America's Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens,' which instructs the Defense and Justice departments to "determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.' Read more: A Trump-appointed Californian shakes up civil rights unit at the Justice Department Taken together, those orders are a huge expansion of the federal powers of policing, a move toward a "security state" where the president could have the ability to enforce martial law, and arrest or detain anyone who opposes him. Although the idea of arresting politicians, activists or even everyday folks still seems a surreal bit of exaggeration, it has already happened. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by FBI agents last week, charged with obstruction of justice and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest. Well-known social justice activist the Rev. William Barber was arrested with other religious leaders while praying in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Monday, as part of a protest against Republican budget cuts. An Oklahoma woman and her daughters, all U.S. citizens, were rousted from their beds in the middle of the night last week, in their underwear and at gunpoint, by federal authorities (who refused to identify themselves) looking for undocumented immigrants. And Stephen Miller, the Santa Monica native and Trump immigration architect, had this to say after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called for peaceful protests against Trump's authoritarian moves: "His comments, if nothing else, could be construed as inciting violence." Maybe the type of "violence" that leads Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act? Although a hot Trump summer is on the horizon, Goitein said she has hope that people will push back successfully. She points out that although Trump does not seem to care about crossing boundaries, he does care about his image. Currently, his popularity in polls is tanking and he is persona non grata on the international stage. The pressure, and power, of nonviolent protests may still keep this administration from treading on democracy. The people, Goitein said, are not helpless. "We are not there yet," she said. But things are heating up. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Military takeovers, questionable arrests, sanctuary city crackdowns. Hot Trump summer is here
President Trump dropped an executive order this week about 'sanctuary cities,' of which California has many. Not to mention we are a sanctuary state. Alone, that order should grab the attention of cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento, where the commitment to protecting our immigrant neighbors, regardless of documentation, is strong. But stack it with a few other recent Trump moves, and we have what promises to be a summer filled with dissent, fear and a flurry of military maneuvers, questionable arrests and attempts to hobble efforts to protect immigrants, documented or not. At the nexus of these efforts by the administration is a push to centralize ever-greater power at the federal level, never mind that Republicans have long been the standard-bearers for the federalist principle of states' rights. Remember all those 1776 patriots who have suddenly gone silent? 'Don't tread on me' has morphed from a MAGA war cry to a Democratic plea. 'We're still a federal state, and that means that there are powers that are given to the federal government in D.C. and powers that are given to states and localities,' Ross Burkhart told me. He's a political science professor at Boise State University who studies patterns of democracy. 'I worry about the balance being tipped toward a heavily centralized state.' First, there's Trump's executive order from April 11 that hasn't made too many ripples, despite being a bonkers expansion of military authority over civilians. Trump turned over from the Interior Department to the Department of Defense a swath of land at the southern border that crosses three states — California, Arizona and New Mexico — known as the Roosevelt Reservation. That 60-foot-wide strip is now considered part of Ft. Huachuca, though the Arizona military base is in reality 15 miles away. No matter. The Roosevelt Reservation is now patrolled by military personnel, and entering it is considered trespassing on a military base — a criminal act. The overt premise of this unusual military takeover is to detain those crossing the border illegally. But what happens if a U.S. citizen crosses into that zone without permission? Maybe protesters, for example? Or aid workers, the kind who bring water to the desert? They too could be subject to military detention. Of course, federal law, in the form of the Posse Comitatus Act, forbids the use of the military for civilian law enforcement. Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center, a nonprofit law and public policy institute, called the act 'an absolutely critical protection for our freedoms and our democracy.' Its single sentence reads: 'Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the [armed forces] ... to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.' That sentence was originally written as a compromise to remove federal troops from the South during Reconstruction after the Civil War. Those troops had been protecting Black voters. But a disputed presidential election threatened stability, and so a deal was struck with still-angry white Southerners that soldiers couldn't be used to enforce civil laws — thereby removing the largest impediment to the Jim Crow era, but also putting that critical protection in place that prevents the military being used to suppress citizens. A doubled-edged sword with profound consequences. The Posse Comitatus Act in the most simplistic of terms eventually led to the rebellion that was the civil rights movement, and subsequent laws that have pushed for equality and equity. That in turn has led us to this moment, when the powers that be are seeking to undo those gains. Which brings us to the 'except in cases and under circumstances' part of the Posse Comitatus Act, a Trumpian loophole if ever one was written. If Trump's first 100 days have proved anything, it's that anything is on the table. Take the Insurrection Act, for example, another piece of loophole-filled law Trump has recently mentioned with interest. Imagine, for example, if sanctuary cities were deemed to be violating federal law. If their leaders were accused of harboring and helping undocumented fugitives who somehow made it past the Roosevelt Reservation, or protests in the street were deemed violent rebellions. In his executive order Monday titled 'Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens,' Trump hinted at such scenarios. 'Yet some State and local officials nevertheless continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws,' it reads. 'This is a lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law and the Federal Government's obligation to defend the territorial sovereignty of the United States.' That sounds a lot like the Insurrection Act getting ready to leap through the Posse Comitatus loophole. The order then suggests that some state and local officials could even be in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, most commonly used against organized criminal enterprises such as the mafia, and promises to 'pursue all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures to end these violations.' 'The thing about the Insurrection Act is that it is intended to be used only in very extreme, severe emergencies where there's an immediate and overwhelming threat to public safety or to constitutional rights that the state and local authorities cannot or will not address,' Goitein said. 'Unfortunately, the actual text of the law is much broader and so it is vulnerable to being exploited by a president who is unconstrained by norms.' The same day, Trump also signed another executive order, 'Strengthening and Unleashing America's Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens,' which instructs the Defense and Justice departments to 'determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.' Taken together, those orders are a huge expansion of the federal powers of policing, a move toward a 'security state' where the president could have the ability to enforce martial law, and arrest or detain anyone who opposes him. Although the idea of arresting politicians, activists or even everyday folks still seems a surreal bit of exaggeration, it has already happened. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by FBI agents last week, charged with obstruction of justice and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest. Well-known social justice activist the Rev. William Barber was arrested with other religious leaders while praying in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Monday, as part of a protest against Republican budget cuts. An Oklahoma woman and her daughters, all U.S. citizens, were rousted from their beds in the middle of the night last week, in their underwear and at gunpoint, by federal authorities (who refused to identify themselves) looking for undocumented immigrants. And Stephen Miller, the Santa Monica native and Trump immigration architect, had this to say after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called for peaceful protests against Trump's authoritarian moves: 'His comments, if nothing else, could be construed as inciting violence.' Maybe the type of 'violence' that leads Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act? Although a hot Trump summer is on the horizon, Goitein said she has hope that people will push back successfully. She points out that although Trump does not seem to care about crossing boundaries, he does care about his image. Currently, his popularity in polls is tanking and he is persona non grata on the international stage. The pressure, and power, of nonviolent protests may still keep this administration from treading on democracy. The people, Goitein said, are not helpless. 'We are not there yet,' she said. But things are heating up.
