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Gulf Today
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
This is how Trump has become America's bully-in-chief
Eric Lewis, The Independent The Trump administration makes clear nearly every day that the rule of law is for chumps. It has been nearly three months since they deported 137 Venezuelans without hearings to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, where they are being held indefinitely in horrific conditions. Others have been deported to third countries with which they have no connection. Many have been deported in clear violation of federal court orders enjoining the administration from doing so. Judges have repeatedly held that deportation without notice and a hearing is illegal. The administration has claimed to have no power to obtain the return of people sent, even in defiance of court order, because they are no longer in the United States. Eight detainees were being sent to South Sudan, one of the world's worst conflict zones. A Boston judge said it was "unquestionably in violation of this court's order". Rather than returning them, the Trump administration diverted the plane to another African country wracked by conflict, Djibouti, where they are held in a shipping container. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Venezuelan that the administration admitted had been deported by mistake, and had been cleared to remain in the United States because of a legitimate fear of gang violence, was accused by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, of being an MS-13 gang member himself. Secretary Noem declared that he would never return to the United States. On Friday, the Trump administration were somehow able to obtain the consent of El Salvador's President to send him back, but only after a quick indictment was obtained accusing him of being a human trafficker, based on a 2022 traffic stop where other migrants were in his van. For more than three years Garcia checked in monthly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who knew of the traffic stop and saw no wrongdoing. This is the backdrop of the protest and violence that has erupted in California in recent days. It appears to foreshadow the next stage of lawlessness and a movement toward governing by emergency decree. Unlike the January 6 riots at the Capitol, the protests in Los Angeles were largely peaceful. To be sure, there were incidents of violence, a classic situation calling for police intervention. Five LAPD officers suffered minor injuries, none life-threatening. No ICE injuries were reported. That was not good enough for the Trump administration, which nationalized the California National Guard over the objections of the governor and mayor of Los Angeles and now Trump has called in the Marines. It is unclear how they will deployed and under what authority. The Trump administration is simultaneously seeking to suppress dissent with massive force, escalate and provoke confrontation and argue that blue state officials are too incompetent or too "woke" to enforce the law. As Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!" He tried to mobilize the military during the George Floyd protests, but the Secretary of Defense declined. Not so today. For Trump, the military is being transformed into an extension of domestic political power, not a force to defend the country against outside enemies. The consistent thread is hostility to any alternative center of power. The administration has already arrested a judge, a mayor and a member of Congress — and Trump stated that he would support arresting California Governor Newsom. Trump's "big, beautiful bill" contains a provision depriving courts of jurisdiction to hold executive branch officials in contempt of court orders, so the judiciary can be ignored with impunity. Trump and his spokespeople have attacked judges who have decided cases against him as "USA-Hating" "monsters" who want the country to "go to hell." He cannot conceive that the 185-plus rulings against him so far were based on the law rather than inherently treasonous conduct by judges, including judges he appointed, requiring impeachment or worse. It is all an elaborate dance to intimidate the judiciary into avoiding a full-our war with the administration. Last week, the head of the FBI ordered a major diversion of investigative resources because his predecessor posted a photo of rocks on social media that formed the numbers 8647 (86 being a restaurant term meaning removed from the menu and 47 being President Trump's Presidential number). FBI Director Patel said: "Do you know how many agents I've had to take offline from chasing down predators, fentanyl traffickers, terrorists because everywhere across this country, people are popping up on social media and think that a threat to the life of the president of the United States is a joke and they can do it because he did it?" He seemed unaware that his job was to investigate serious crimes, not to suppress the political opinions of his adversaries by suggesting that their anti-Trump posts were homicidal threats. All of these actions are of a piece to undermine the rule of law, a principle that should not be controversial. It is an age-old, essentially conservative principle not tied to specific ideology. Judges are to apply the facts to clear and accessible laws and to apply them without bias for or against any litigant. It only requires a judicial and legal function that are independent from executive power or interference. But even the most minimal check on executive power is anathema to the Trump agenda. Since the early days of America, the judiciary has had the critical role to "say what the law is," and it has often taken very conservative, indeed at times reactionary views, upholding slavery, segregation and internment of citizens. Conservatives have poured billions of dollars into vetting and ensuring a conservative judiciary. But that is not good enough; this administration needs complete control and to win every case. Leonard Leo, the arch-conservative who has done more than anyone to pack the courts with conservative judges, was called out by Trump as a "sleazebag" who "hates America" because many of his touted appointees actually felt compelled to follow the law. The rule of law — a set of guardrails for neutrality, honesty and judicial independence — is the precondition for avoiding tyranny. As Benjamin Nathans wrote in his Pulitzer Prize-winning 'To The Success of Our Hopeless Cause,' there were 753 trials of Soviet political dissidents during the Brezhnev years that resulted in 753 convictions (and no acquittals). For Trump, a 753-0 record in political trials raises no questions; it is how the system should work. This destruction of rule of law infrastructure is a feature, not a bug, of ambitious authoritarians. Go after the judges; go after the lawyers; and use the power of investigation and criminal indictment as yet another chainsaw, not just to put your political enemies in jail if you can, but to intimidate your opponents into silence. And bring out the big guns, to show everyone who controls the most massive fire power the world has ever known. This is where we are today. The rule of law is the last impediment to absolute power. And it is now under siege. It will be difficult to put this bedrock structural principle of justice back in place when he is done.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Orthopaedic Institute of North Mississippi merging, rebranding
TUPELO – In a blockbuster three-way merger, Tupelo-based Orthopaedic Institute of North Mississippi, Jackson-based Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center and Oxford-based Oxford Ortho and Sports Medicine will rebrand under the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center name, effective Aug. 4. Following the merger, MSMOC will have 32 doctors and 33 advanced practice providers at 18 locations, creating the largest network of orthopedic specialists in the state and one of the most comprehensive in the Southeast. Founded in 1984, Mississippi Sports Medicine has locations in Jackson, Flowood, Madison, Brookhaven, Ruleville and Yazoo City. MSMOC surgeons were the first of five in the U.S. and the first in Mississippi performing outpatient joint replacements. The group performs over half the total joint replacements in the state. It has the largest orthopaedic joint center in the country, the first in the state, and it was one of the first three centers in the U.S. to perform orthopaedic joint replacements. Dr. Eric Lewis, fellowship-trained orthopedic hand surgeon at OINMS, said joining forces with MSMOC would benefit more people in the region. 'For decades, we have earned our reputation by providing exceptional, patient-focused care in Tupelo and across North Mississippi,' he said. 'Teaming up with Mississippi Sports Medicine will strengthen our statewide collaboration and expand access to cutting-edge treatments and specialized expertise for the region and people we serve.' In a press release, OINMS said its physicians and staff "remain committed to the advanced orthopedic and sports medicine care their neighbors across the region have trusted for nearly three decades." OINMS said Mississippi Sports Medicine had "built a reputation for orthopedic excellence through its clinics and fellowship programs, which have trained several orthopedic physicians in the area, and Oxford Ortho's team has been its region's leader since the 1990s. By partnering with their colleagues in Jackson and Oxford, the Tupelo team is able to extend its legacy across Mississippi and the Southeast." As the three groups merge their operations over the next couple of months, patients will continue to be seen at the same locations by the same physicians. "The name will change, but the same doctors that have been trusted by the Tupelo and North Mississippi community for decades will remain the same," the press release said. 'As someone who completed my sports medicine fellowship at Mississippi Sports Medicine, I'm excited to deepen our collaboration with the Jackson team,' said Dr. Bryan Fagan, an OINMS orthopedic surgeon. 'Together, we'll bring more innovation and specialized expertise to patients across North Mississippi.' Leading up to the launch of the new brand on Aug. 4, residents and patients will see the new name on signage, materials and communications. 'Orthopedics is a team sport,' said Dr. J.R. Woodall, a spine surgeon based in Jackson. 'I've long respected the Oxford and Tupelo teams, and this evolution will unlock new opportunities in research, education and cutting-edge care for every Mississippian.' Orthopaedic Institute of North Mississippi was born of a merger in 2018 when North East Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine and North Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Clinic of Tupelo joined forces and moved the practice to Midtown Pointe.
The National
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Eric's restaurant in Dubai to close Safa branch
Eric Lewis, owner of popular Goan restaurant Eric's in Dubai, has announced his Safa branch will close on June 16, after six years of being in service. In a heartfelt post on Instagram, delivered in his trademark tongue-in-cheek style, Lewis said: 'Although I don't look a day older, it is time to slow down and spend time with family.' Fans of Eric's excellent potato chops and pomfret rechaedo, need not fret too much, though, as Lewis confirmed Eric's will still have a presence in Dubai. 'I am not going anywhere.' The Karama branch, which launched in 2006, will remain open. Calling it the OG restaurant, and the heart and soul of Eric's, Lewis said: 'Karama is where it all began and now the branch will be its one and only home. I will finally get to see all of you in one place.' While the restaurant serves Mughlai and Indian-Chinese dishes, it is the Goan section of its menu that is worth sampling. The coastal Indian city is known for its flavourful seafood preparation, including dishes such as fried Bombay duck, pickled mackerel, crab xec-xec and traditional Goan prawn curry. Beef, while contentious in some parts of India, is a staple of Goan cuisine. Eric's has been serving Lewis's family recipe of beef croquettes and beef vindaloo since the Karama branch opened in 2006. While vegetarians are not exactly well catered for, the restaurant does serve a mean dal makhani and the aforementioned potato chops. For dessert, you cannot go wrong with the creme caramel.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Yahoo
Milwaukee burglaries, neighboring small businesses hit days apart
The Brief Two businesses were burglarized on Milwaukee's south side. The owners of the neighboring businesses believe the same suspect is responsible for both crimes. After the back-to-back break-ins, they want the public to be on the lookout. MILWAUKEE - Two Milwaukee businesses were burglarized on the city's south side less than two days apart. The owners believe one suspect is responsible for both. What they're saying The owners of BC Modern, a vintage store near Chase and Oklahoma, told FOX6 News someone broke in on Wednesday morning. The suspect, dressed in black, was caught on camera stealing jewelry. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News "I could see the jewelry cases and displays kind of scattered all throughout the floor," co-owner Eric Lewis said. Lewis said he called police when he found out, but he said it was not only jewelry that was stolen. The small business' sense of peace was also taken. "This place is our sanctuary," he said. "I've worked really, really hard to make sure this is a safe place for her and so the violation is what really hurts me the most." It is a violation the owners of La Salsa, a restaurant located next door, are feeling, too. On Monday afternoon, BC Modern's cameras showed a suspect – who appeared to be wearing the same clothing – sneak into the restaurant. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android "He didn't take anything huge, and, mainly, he didn't hurt anybody," said Marisela Santa Cruz, co-owner of La Salsa. What's next After back-to-back break-ins, the owners of both businesses want the public to be on the lookout. "We've made a lot of adjustments in the last couple of days to make sure that something like this can't happen again, and it's back to business for us," said Lewis. The owners of BC Modern said burglaries hurt small businesses' bottom line, but they're not letting this hold them back. FOX6 News reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department for an update on the search for the suspect, but did not hear back by the deadline for this story. Editor's note: FOX6 translated Santa Cruz's comments from Spanish to English. The Source FOX6 News interviewed the owners for information in this report.
