I rise today to propose an amendment to the bills before us. One that guarantees every officer in every state like Officer Islam has the full support they deserve in their service to our communities from this body. Sadly, this is not what the Justice Department is doing.Rather than supporting law enforcement agencies and officers equally across the nation, they are weaponizing public safety grants to punish state and local jurisdictions that resist the Trump policy agenda, including my home state of New Jer ...

Immigration Enforcement Concerns - The report highlights concerns about ICE targeting students and hardworking individuals, moving away from focusing on the "worst of the worst" as initially promised [1] - A baseball coach intervened when ICE agents questioned young players about their origins during practice [2][4] - The incident raised concerns about potential violations of constitutional rights, specifically the Fourth and Fifth Amendments [6] Community Impact - The baseball practice, usually attended by 20 to 25 kids, experienced a significant drop in attendance after the incident, with only one kid showing up [12][13] - The coach relocated the practice to protect the kids, but the children and parents were shaken up [4] - Bystanders' lack of intervention during the incident was noted, with the coach expressing disappointment in their obedience to authority [11] Academy Achievements - The Harlem Baseball Hitting Academy has a 22-year history of graduating 400 African-American and Latino kids from colleges like Stanford, Princeton, and Harvard [8] - The academy has produced 45 major league draft picks [12]

FBI Leadership & Political Influence - The appointment of Cash Patel and Dan Bonino as leaders within the FBI is considered extraordinary due to their partisan backgrounds [4][12] - Concerns exist regarding the FBI's use of polygraphs to assess employee loyalty to Patel, raising questions about the work environment [6] - There's a perceived blurring of the line between the White House and the Department of Justice/FBI, violating established norms [8][9] - The FBI's leadership is suspected of promoting inexperienced agents and potentially forcing out those deemed disloyal to Donald Trump [8] Potential for Election Interference - There's a fear that a segment of FBI agents, driven by their political beliefs, could be manipulated to influence elections [11] - The FBI could potentially impact election outcomes by opening spurious investigations or ignoring legitimate ones [12] Erosion of Trust & Institutional Norms - The American people's trust in the FBI's apolitical use of force is potentially eroding [2] - Violating established norms within the FBI undermines the foundations of the institution [9] - The FBI is allegedly ignoring worthy investigations and opening spurious investigations [10]

Joining me now is Lukan Ahmed Way, distinguished professor of democracy at the University of Toronto and the author of numerous books including Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism and Joyce Vance, former United States Attorney, co-host of the Sisters-in-law podcast and an MSNBC contributor. Welcome to you both. Luka, I think I'm we're getting a commission from University of Toronto.Uh this this show we had uh we had Jason Stanley on at at 10:00. You have studied how ...

Judicial Nomination Concerns - The report raises concerns about a judicial nominee's unwillingness to condemn past actions and answer constitutional questions, suggesting a potential lack of commitment to upholding legal principles [2][3][5][8] - The nominee's refusal to rule out a third term for a president and his ambiguous stance on the January 6th insurrection are highlighted as particularly troubling [3][5] - The report suggests a decline in the importance of nominees' statements during confirmation processes, implying that votes are often predetermined along partisan lines [9] Political Polarization and Constitutional Principles - The analysis points to a shift in the political landscape, where adherence to constitutional norms appears to be weakening within a specific political party [14][15] - The report criticizes the apparent abandonment of previously held principles by some members, driven by loyalty or fear [16][18] - The report emphasizes the importance of holding elected officials accountable for their actions and reminding them of their constitutional duties [16][18] Erosion of Standards - The report suggests that previously established "red lines" are being disregarded, raising concerns about the integrity of government officials [1][2][8] - The report highlights the importance of senators upholding standards and questioning nominees on critical issues [13] - The report suggests a shift in what is considered acceptable, potentially normalizing actions that were previously seen as unacceptable [12][14]

Judicial nominee Emil Bove wouldn’t directly answer if President Donald Trump could serve a third term in office under the Constitution, instead telling lawmakers in written questions it would be “improper” to comment on the issue https://t.co/fDPS4j2Gel ...

The last word with Lawrence O'Donnell starts right now. Hey, Lawrence. Hey, Jen.You have just taught me everything I know about Shawn Duffy. And in in all of the things that we've got to deal with here, I haven't gotten to him. And I know people are familiar with him.And I have no idea why cuz uh reality television is of course one of the poisons that doesn't come my way. And so I watch road rules for you. I can brief you on it anytime.Well, below deck sailing yacht. Okay. that that's the only one uh I I've ...

Executive Power and Legislation - The analysis indicates a significant increase in the use of executive orders by the current administration compared to previous administrations, including its own first term, suggesting a shift in governance strategy [11] - The report highlights that the current administration has signed over 35 times as many executive orders as new laws, indicating a preference for executive action over legislative collaboration [15] - The analysis contrasts the current approach with that of past presidents like FDR, who balanced executive orders with legislative action, passing approximately 80-90 laws alongside executive orders during a pivotal period [14] - The report points out that the current administration's approach deviates from historical norms, with concerns raised about potential autocratic tendencies due to the heavy reliance on executive orders [16] Constitutional and Legal Concerns - The analysis suggests that the administration's actions, particularly the issuance of executive orders, are facing legal challenges and are often being struck down in court [17][18] - The report raises concerns about the administration's interpretation of Article Two of the Constitution, with claims that it is being used to justify an expansion of presidential power beyond established limits [4][5] - The analysis emphasizes that the administration's pursuit of policy goals through executive orders, bypassing Congress, is seen as an effort to change the government's structure and potentially undermine democratic checks and balances [9][18] Political Context and Opposition - The report notes a shift in the Republican party's dynamics, with congressional leaders now more aligned with the administration's agenda compared to the first term [1] - The analysis mentions the emergence of a "Trump resistance" and public backlash against the administration's actions, indicating opposition to the perceived expansion of executive power [6]

This week, Americans mark 249 years since a group of colonists outraged by a distant government's abuse of power declared their intention to form a new nation. One founded on liberty, equality, and the radical idea at the time that governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed. We celebrate July 4th with fireworks and flags. But the deeper meaning of this day, of this remarkable experiment, is not about triumph. It's about aspiration. The Declaration of Independence certainly did not give ...

[Music] thank you today I'm going to tell you that what most people think about democracy is wrong the prevailing folk theory of democracy goes something like this in a democracy the people are always right the majority determines what's right and wrong and politicians should always just carry out the will of the people and I think we've all been brought up with this very simplistic notion about how our democracy is supposed to work um and the problem it's not true we're about to discuss whether democracies ...