19 votes

Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 15

This thread is posted weekly - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.

This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.

33 comments

  1. DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link
    11 N.Y. Officials Arrested Trying to Access ICE Detention Cells 🎁 link

    11 N.Y. Officials Arrested Trying to Access ICE Detention Cells 🎁 link

    Federal officers arrested 11 Democratic elected officials inside a federal building in Lower Manhattan on Thursday after the officials demanded access to cells used by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to detain migrants.

    The officials, including Brad Lander, the city comptroller, and city and state lawmakers, were arrested after they showed up at 26 Federal Plaza and sought to inspect the 10th-floor holding cells, which are operated by ICE and closed to the public. The cells have drawn scrutiny following complaints of unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, leading a federal judge to order ICE to improve the conditions last month.

    Officials with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, denied the elected officials access and arrested them shortly after 3:45 p.m., after they sat down on the floor, refused to leave and began to chant after unfurling a banner that read: “NYers against ICE.”

    At about the same time, another group of Democratic elected officials was arrested after the officials joined about 40 protesters outside 26 Federal Plaza attempting to block the garage doors typically used by ICE as it moves vans carrying detained immigrants. The arrested officials, including Jumaane D. Williams, the public advocate, sat down on the ground, chanting for the release of everyone in ICE custody and holding signs that said, “ICE out of NY.”

    14 votes
  2. [4]
    hobbes64
    Link
    'Impeachable': Explosive report on Trump's massive crypto 'scandal' stuns observers One of the many distressing things about the current political climate is that mindblowing corruption is just...

    'Impeachable': Explosive report on Trump's massive crypto 'scandal' stuns observers

    As the Times report documented, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) ruling family, had one of his investment firms deposit $2 billion into World Liberty Financial, the startup founded by members of the Trump family and the family of Trump Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

    Just two weeks later, wrote the Times, “the White House agreed to allow the UAE access to hundreds of thousands of the world’s most advanced and scarce computer chips, a crucial tool in the high-stakes race to dominate artificial intelligence,” despite national security concerns about these chips being shared with China.

    The Times, which interviewed more than 75 people in its investigation of the deals, did not present direct evidence that the two deals were explicitly linked, and the White House denied any connection between the massive investment in the Trump family’s crypto firm and the decision to grant UAE access to the chips.

    However, the paper interviewed three ethics lawyers who said that “the back-to-back deals violate longstanding norms in the United States for political, diplomatic, and private dealmaking among senior officials and their children.”

    Other political observers were stunned by the Times’ report.

    “If this is true, this is the largest public corruption scandal in the history of the United States and it’s not even close,” commented Ryan Cummings, chief of staff at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.

    One of the many distressing things about the current political climate is that mindblowing corruption is just completely ignored by half the voters.

    Direct link to original NY Times article, requires login

    12 votes
    1. [3]
      FrankGrimes
      Link Parent
      Nearly every single article I read about this administration involves this line. It's just...tiring. If we ever get through this, these "norms" need to become enforced laws.

      violate longstanding norms

      Nearly every single article I read about this administration involves this line. It's just...tiring. If we ever get through this, these "norms" need to become enforced laws.

      9 votes
      1. [2]
        Mendanbar
        Link Parent
        Another "loophole" that the administration is using is swiftness of action. Our legal system is so slow that it often can't keep up with what's going on, and by the time it does catch up a lot of...

        Another "loophole" that the administration is using is swiftness of action. Our legal system is so slow that it often can't keep up with what's going on, and by the time it does catch up a lot of damage is done. I'm not sure how this sort of behavior can be prevented in the future.

        8 votes
        1. CannibalisticApple
          Link Parent
          Yep, that's the most frustrating part. All the systems meant to prevent this just aren't capable of keeping up with this pace, even if they weren't bogged down with corruption.

          Yep, that's the most frustrating part. All the systems meant to prevent this just aren't capable of keeping up with this pace, even if they weren't bogged down with corruption.

          3 votes
  3. nic
    Link
    Anatomy of Two Giant Deals: The U.A.E. Got Chips. The Trump Team Got Crypto Riches. Unreal levels of blatant corruption.

    Anatomy of Two Giant Deals: The U.A.E. Got Chips. The Trump Team Got Crypto Riches.

    At the heart of their relationship are two multibillion-dollar deals. One involved a crypto company founded by the Witkoff and the Trump families that benefited both financially. The other involved a sale of valuable computer chips that benefited the Emirates economically.

    Unreal levels of blatant corruption.

    10 votes
  4. [7]
    WeAreWaves
    Link
    Trump adds $100,000 fee for skilled worker visa applicants That’s $100,000 per year
    8 votes
    1. [6]
      DefinitelyNotAFae
      Link Parent
      Probably illegal by itself Also there's no mechanism for collecting this Also if the companies pay it's definitely illegal to make the employees pay it back, because that's basically how you get...

      Probably illegal by itself
      Also there's no mechanism for collecting this
      Also if the companies pay it's definitely illegal to make the employees pay it back, because that's basically how you get passport confiscation style slavery

      Weren't we making a stupid fucking "Gold card visa"? Fuck.
      Who is actually happy about this?

      6 votes
      1. Eji1700
        Link Parent
        You missed the part where "this will be enforced at the discretion of the executive branch". So play nice or else we'll take your H1B visa employees away.

        You missed the part where "this will be enforced at the discretion of the executive branch".

        So play nice or else we'll take your H1B visa employees away.

        15 votes
      2. [4]
        teaearlgraycold
        Link Parent
        The golden visa doesn’t seem like anything new. Most countries let you buy your way in.

        The golden visa doesn’t seem like anything new. Most countries let you buy your way in.

        2 votes
        1. [3]
          DefinitelyNotAFae
          Link Parent
          It is new for the US though? But I called it stupid, not novel.

          It is new for the US though? But I called it stupid, not novel.

          1. [2]
            steezyaspie
            Link Parent
            It’s not really new here - the EB-5 visa has existed for 30+ years and is essentially the same in principle, with the caveat that you create 10 jobs. The proposal is essentially to raise the cost...

            It’s not really new here - the EB-5 visa has existed for 30+ years and is essentially the same in principle, with the caveat that you create 10 jobs. The proposal is essentially to raise the cost and remove the veneer of job creation.

            Still fair to say it’s a bad idea, but it’s important to note that there is precedent in the US for something like this - for better or worse.

            3 votes
            1. DefinitelyNotAFae
              Link Parent
              Fair, but to me the removal and the cost increase are a significant enough change that I'd call it "new" even if he's just modifying an existing one for convenience. I actually missed that the...

              Fair, but to me the removal and the cost increase are a significant enough change that I'd call it "new" even if he's just modifying an existing one for convenience. I actually missed that the executive order on that came out yesterday too (COVID vax took me out) so I'm not sure if we knew the method of the "gold card" before that.

              Anyway, stupid, not novel was the point.

              1 vote
  5. Omnicrola
    Link
    Social media is shattering America's understanding of Charlie Kirk's death At this point commenting on how social media is dividing people is like saying the sky is blue, but it's still worth...

    Social media is shattering America's understanding of Charlie Kirk's death

    At this point commenting on how social media is dividing people is like saying the sky is blue, but it's still worth examining how the information landscape is evolving around Kirk's assassination. As with most news in the last 10-12 months, I've avoided engaging with it directly and instead absorb most of it second-hand from friends IRL. So recaps like this, a week or more after the fact, are quite welcome to me.

    8 votes
  6. [6]
    nic
    Link
    Trump Firing Top Prosecutor for Failing to Invent Fake Crimes by Foes

    Trump Firing Top Prosecutor for Failing to Invent Fake Crimes by Foes

    Trump is set to fire that top prosecutor precisely because he apparently will not cook the facts to make the original allegation against James stand

    8 votes
    1. [5]
      Lyrl
      Link Parent
      There is a thread of hope here, that for many things that have to go through the courts Trump's power grab is running into walls. I heard an analysis that the group Democracy Forward that focuses...

      There is a thread of hope here, that for many things that have to go through the courts Trump's power grab is running into walls. I heard an analysis that the group Democracy Forward that focuses on bringing lawsuits has been the most effective source of resistance so far in this administration.

      Trump can appear “strong” by ordering troops into cities and blowing up little boats in the Caribbean Sea...But that’s enabled by the murkiness of the law around limited unilateral military strikes and Congress willingly ceding presidents warmaking authorities for decades. Similarly, Trump can force news organizations to deliver him the scalps of comedians when corrupt lackeys like FCC Chair Brendan Carr can leverage legal uncertainties around the licensing process to do so. As consequential as these things are, they represent what you might call “easier” autocratic paths for Trump.

      Yet the James affair shows that on other fronts, Trump is running into deep institutional resistance and the sheer unwillingness of many key actors to wholly abandon the rule of law on his behalf. Yes, Trump may replace the prosecutor, but then he’ll have to get this sham past many layers of courts and a jury. It’s unlikely to happen. And this Supreme Court could always find a way to let Trump remove Cook, but that will likely prove temporary. Thus far, this whole “mortgage fraud” scam is utterly failing to advance his broader authoritarian project. And there’s no reason to think that will change anytime soon.

      6 votes
      1. [4]
        nic
        Link Parent
        That's bullshit. It sounds plausible. I liked it when I first read it. But upon reflection, it is bullshit. The Supreme Court has overturned centuries of precedent to give Trump at least half of...

        That's bullshit. It sounds plausible. I liked it when I first read it. But upon reflection, it is bullshit.

        The Supreme Court has overturned centuries of precedent to give Trump at least half of what he wants.

        Let's take the firing of "independent" heads of government departments. When FDR wanted to fire Humphrey's Executor, the Supreme court said no.

        The Senate, took this constitutional interpretation, and specifically legislated that presidents can't remove certain heads without cause.

        The lower courts took this constitutional interpretation, and put nationwide blockers on Trumps ability to remove certain heads without cause.

        The current Supreme Court said, nah, our new interpretation of the constitution says Trump can fire most heads. Except maybe Cook. Because Cook isn't political, Cook is financial. Which is referred to as making new law out of whole cloth. It's basically bullshit. But it is bullshit that benefits the wealthy.

        In fact, the Supreme Court has decided that they are the ultimate "arbitrars" (my neologism for those who arbitrarily make up bullshit laws.)

        They killed the Chevron Deference. Federal agencies no longer are domain experts. The courts no longer defer to the domain expertise of federal agencies. This was during Biden, and was bad for Biden.

        They killed lower courts implementing nationwide injunctions. This was during Trump, and was good for Trump.

        They killed Humphrey's Executor which protected independent agencies from arbitrary presidential removal. This occured during Trump, and was good for Trump.

        The Supreme Court is quick to rule favorably for Republicans (Bush v Gore) and slow walks rulings that might be favorable for Democrats (delayed rulings plus lack of Chevron Deference basically killed Bidens new health and safety regulations, and stopped Biden from SAVEing the HEROEs attempt to cancel student loans.)

        The Supreme Court slow walked the shit out of gerrymandering. Federal courts now lack authority to address partisan gerrymandering claims, with the bullshit idea that only States should resolve the gerrymandering that they created and benefit from.

        Why do I stress this highly partisan tendency to slow walk rulings that might benefit Democrats, fast walk rulings that benefit Republicans/Trump, and prevaricate about rulings they aren't sure about?

        First, Tariffs. It's total bullshit. None of this has anything to do with unfair trade practices. But by the time the courts come to the inevitable conclusion that presidents aren't constitutionally allowed to make up tariffs, Trump will have had years to use tariffs as an economic billy club. Then they will close the door, rule it unconstitutional, because god forbid they give the power of taxation to a Democrat.

        Second, Birthright citizenship. I mean what the fuck? The 14th Amendment now only protects those who can get their case heard in time by the courts.

        Third, the Supreme Court will slow walk this attack by the federal government on free speech. The 1st Amendment.

        Lastly we have Cook and other previously independent department heads. Trump has already fired so many people. The damage is done. He got what he wanted. The Fed is even lowering rates. Don't tell me Trump didn't influence that.

        Even if he only temporarily removes Cook, he will get more of what he wants.

        But firing Cook might be a bridge too far for the Supreme Court. Not because Trump is running into "deep institutional resistance" to " to wholly abandon the rule of law on his behalf."

        Trump is running into resistance from the Supreme Court, because if Trump gets complete power over the Fed, he will destroy the economy, which will piss off the true ruling class.

        Thanks for sharing!

        It's good to remember how slowly I am getting boiled!

        7 votes
        1. [3]
          skybrian
          Link Parent
          The Supreme Court has often been avoiding directly confronting Trump, but they're going to have to rule on tariffs soon, and that's going to be tough. I think that's a bright-line test: are they...

          The Supreme Court has often been avoiding directly confronting Trump, but they're going to have to rule on tariffs soon, and that's going to be tough. I think that's a bright-line test: are they going to stand up to Trump, perhaps provoking a constitutional crisis, or lose all credibility?

          But perhaps there's a way to fudge this that I don't see.

          3 votes
          1. [2]
            nic
            Link Parent
            The Supreme Court ruled against trump with birthright so narrowly it was a token gesture. You don't see them doing the same with tariffs?

            The Supreme Court ruled against trump with birthright so narrowly it was a token gesture. You don't see them doing the same with tariffs?

            1 vote
            1. skybrian
              Link Parent
              My understanding is that they avoided ruling on birthright citizenship so far, instead ruling against nationwide injunctions without taking it up. With tariffs, I don't see that particular move...

              My understanding is that they avoided ruling on birthright citizenship so far, instead ruling against nationwide injunctions without taking it up.

              With tariffs, I don't see that particular move being available, but maybe there are others? If they don't take it up at all then Trump loses.

              4 votes
  7. Bet
    Link
    Trump targets antifa movement as 'terrorist organization' .. ..

    Trump targets antifa movement as 'terrorist organization'

    Trump said on Truth Social that he was "designating" the movement as a terrorist organization. "I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices," Trump wrote.

    It was not clear what legal weight Trump's proclamation carried. Antifa is a loosely organized ideological movement without a clear leadership structure or hierarchy, experts said.

    ..

    Trump and senior officials have repeatedly blamed left-wing groups for creating an atmosphere of hostility towards conservatives before Kirk's assassination.

    The White House is preparing an executive order on political violence and hate speech, a Trump administration official said earlier on Wednesday.

    ..

    U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, repeatedly blamed what he called left-wing political radicalization for the assassination.

    He said the White House was working hard to ensure that "funding networks for left-wing violence" are going to be treated like a terrorist organization.

    7 votes
  8. Halfloaf
    Link
    3 killed in US strike on 2nd alleged Venezuelan drug boat, Trump says This did get me to look up the technical description of crimes against humanity:

    3 killed in US strike on 2nd alleged Venezuelan drug boat, Trump says

    The strike was the second of its kind in less than two weeks in what appears to be an unprecedented use of lethal military force against a criminal enterprise. In the past, the U.S. government has relied on the U.S. Coast Guard and law enforcement personnel to board vessels for inspection, much as it did on Friday.

    This did get me to look up the technical description of crimes against humanity:

    According to the Rome Statute, there are eleven types of crimes that can be charged as crimes against humanity when they are "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population":[4][24]
    Murder;
    Extermination [including "the intentional infliction of conditions of life, inter alia the deprivation of access to food and medicine, calculated to bring about the destruction of part of a population"];
    Enslavement;
    Deportation or forcible transfer of population;
    Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law;
    Torture;
    Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity;
    Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender as defined in paragraph 3, or other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph or any crime within the jurisdiction of the Court;
    Enforced disappearance of persons;
    The crime of apartheid;
    Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.

    6 votes
  9. hobbes64
    Link
    Right-wing extremist violence is more frequent and deadly than left-wing violence, data shows

    Right-wing extremist violence is more frequent and deadly than left-wing violence, data shows

    After the Sept. 10, 2025, assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump claimed that radical leftist groups foment political violence in the U.S., and “they should be put in jail.”

    “The radical left causes tremendous violence,” he said, asserting that “they seem to do it in a bigger way” than groups on the right.

    But policymakers and the public need reliable evidence and actual data to understand the reality of politically motivated violence. From our research on extremism, it’s clear that the president’s and Miller’s assertions about political violence from the left are not based on actual facts.

    Based on our own research and a review of related work, we can confidently say that most domestic terrorists in the U.S. are politically on the right, and right-wing attacks account for the vast majority of fatalities from domestic terrorism.

    Based on government and independent analyses, right-wing extremist violence has been responsible for the overwhelming majority of fatalities, amounting to approximately 75% to 80% of U.S. domestic terrorism deaths since 2001.

    6 votes
  10. [3]
    AnthonyB
    Link
    There were a few articles from the aftermath of the Kirk shooting that I thought were worth sharing but not worthy of their own post. This one from The Nation touches on some of the responses we...

    There were a few articles from the aftermath of the Kirk shooting that I thought were worth sharing but not worthy of their own post.

    This one from The Nation touches on some of the responses we saw in the media, including those that seemed to soften Kirk’s image, like this Ezra Klein essay.

    There's also this terrifying piece from Wired that details the targeting of people who had anything other than nice things to say about Kirk. (Related video from the person whose name appears first on the website dedicated to tracking those people)

    5 votes
    1. snake_case
      Link Parent
      I feel so bad for the shooters family. They’re in this “no please we didn’t have anything to do with this we’re loyal to the empire and we thought he was too” thing going on and for me thats been...

      I feel so bad for the shooters family. They’re in this “no please we didn’t have anything to do with this we’re loyal to the empire and we thought he was too” thing going on and for me thats been the most difficult to watch.

      That family isn’t scared of liberals. They’re scared of the government they claim to support.

      12 votes
    2. arch_mage
      Link Parent
      Associative Press is also reporting on people being targeted for speaking against Kirk. The Administration is also engaging in the activity.

      Associative Press is also reporting on people being targeted for speaking against Kirk. The Administration is also engaging in the activity.

      For his part, Trump on Sunday suggested he was already using the government to look into his political adversaries when asked if he would investigate them after Kirk’s death.

      “They’re already under major investigation, a lot of the people that you would traditionally say are on the left,” Trump told reporters.

      Goldstein noted that Trump’s State Department in the minutes after Kirk’s death warned it would revoke the visas of any foreigners who celebrated Kirk’s assassination. “I can’t think of another moment where the United States has come out to warn people of their impending cancellation,” Goldstein said.

      8 votes
  11. Halfloaf
    Link
    Hegseth unveils new restrictions on Pentagon press access

    Hegseth unveils new restrictions on Pentagon press access

    The sweeping new rules to access the building prohibit "unprofessional conduct that might serve to disrupt Pentagon operations," as well as "attempts to improperly obtain" classified or unclassified information deemed "controlled," according to a memo released to reporters.

    Reporters who decline to agree to the terms or are found violating the rules would lose access to the building, the memo states.

    The document sent to press outlets also notes: "DoW [Department of War] information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified."

    3 votes