Today I made an unannounced visit to ICE’s facility in Scarborough, Maine.

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/J0fcq3GqD9Y

 

Democrats call for investigation into ICE officer shooting in Maine after new reports emerge

In response to the AP’s reporting about Brouillette, top US Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer similarly criticized the Trump administration for its mass hiring of thousands of ICE officers to help carry out its mass deportation goals. 

Schumer, of New York, accused the Trump administration of rushing 12,000 agents “onto our streets without ensuring they were fit to carry a badge and a gun”. The president and his Republican allies then “gave this rogue agency vast power and no accountability”, Schumer continued on X, arguing that neither Trump nor his party can “disown the deadly consequences” of that approach by ICE...

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/17/ice-officer-maine-killing

 

 

Thousands of Private Schools Take Public Money, Operate With Little Scrutiny — ProPublica

In this recent expansion, private schools have opened in farms and barns, addiction treatment centers, co-working spaces, people’s homes and parks, ProPublica’s review of 13 states found. A West Virginia family opened a school at the family fun center they operate. It’s next to the waterpark, mini golf course and go-kart track… 

One Michigan-based company that launched last year to encourage churches to tap into public funds refers to these programs in its promotional videos as “God’s new gold mine.”… 

 It’s common, for example, for both new and established religious schools to refuse to admit (or to expel) students who say they’re gay, who condone homosexuality or whose parents are gay. One school noted on its website that it is “permitted to discriminate on the basis of religion in accordance with our Statement of Faith.” Many schools decline to enroll students with disabilities. An Alabama school that opened this past fall says it will expel students who have HIV, gonorrhea or syphilis... 

…[A reporter] had recognized the name of a woman who’d just opened her own private school in the fall of 2025: Tara Salute… A 40-year-old vice president of the local Little League at the time, Salute in 2012 had been charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor after a drunken night at her home with her son’s friend, a sophomore in the district where she recently had taught elementary school. After intercourse, the teenager had snapped photos of her naked body on a futon as evidence…

 https://www.propublica.org/article/private-schools-vouchers-growth-florida-arizona-west-virginia

New 'do no harm' test targets low-earning college degrees : NPR

"We know we need nurses. We know we need journalists. We know we need early childhood educators," he said. "We don't know how many artists we need, but I can guarantee that if you eliminate access, we will impoverish our cultural life nationally."…

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/30/nx-s1-5835631/turner-camhi-do-no-harm-college-loans 

Investigations already underway as Trump goes overboard with corruption

After financial disclosure forms show Donald Trump taking in billions of dollars while president, Rep. Robert Garcia talks with Jen Psaki about the accountability Democrats intend to bring to the Trump family and his administration if they take back the House in November.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0cMBluyFg

Supreme Court won’t save Trump from paying E. Jean Carroll $5M - POLITICO

Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer for Carroll, said: “Today’s Supreme Court decision affirms once and for all the jury’s unanimous verdict that President Donald J. Trump sexually assaulted and defamed E. Jean Carroll. His multiple efforts to appeal that verdict have all failed and today’s ruling ends his quest to avoid accountability for his actions.”…

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/29/e-jean-carroll-donald-trump-supreme-court-00979728 

 

How children in West Bank are being killed by Israel ‘without accountability’

IDF has killed 235 children in territory since 7 October 2023 with no indictments in what activists say is ‘licence to kill’…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/29/is-it-israels-aim-to-kill-our-children-west-bank-parents-implore-end-to-idfs-child-killings-with-impunity

 

Trump’s Board of Peace plans to grant itself sweeping immunity, documents show

US-led reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan were often plagued by controversies of corruption or cases of civilian deaths or abuse at the hands of American contractors, including those working for Blackwater and KBR, who have since faced litigation in US courts. Any reconstruction effort in Gaza could face similar challenges. 

“It looks like an attempt to exempt the board, and all of its personnel, from accountability for potential legal violations,” said Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man, an expert in litigating international humanitarian law in Israeli, American and foreign courts...

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/jun/27/board-of-peace-legal-immunity-un

 

The Death Toll From U.S. Boat Strikes

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VBSNqlGhFvk

Former prosecutor pursued by Trump calls for crackdown on election lies: ‘Lying can be held to account’

Andrew Weissmann argues for new law to hold political liars like US president accountable for harming democracy…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/24/andrew-weissmann-donald-trump-liars-kingdom

 

Republican lawmakers attempt to shield big oil from climate lawsuits in ‘alarming’ bills

New House and Senate bills, led by Harriet Hageman, a Wyoming representative, and Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, respectively, would give oil and gas companies broad legal immunity from policies and lawsuits aimed at holding the industry accountable for damages caused by its emissions...

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/23/republicans-big-oil-climate-lawsuits

 

Whitehouse, Khanna, Blumenthal Call for Passage of Big Oil Windfall Profits tax

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6pPWf6Z1RE

 

Historians sue DOJ over presidential records opinion : NPR

"This latest case is just another example of the utter contempt with which they hold not just history but the rights of their fellow citizens to hold them to account," he said, about the current administration...

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/20/g-s1-117887/trump-justice-department-presidential-records-lawsuit 

As e-bike crashes send an increasing number of people to the hospital, cities search for solutions

“When an e-bike rider leaves somebody bloody on the ground … they should be held accountable.”…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/18/e-bike-crashes-safety-regulations

 

Trump isn't immune from civil claims that his Jan. 6 rally speech incited riot, judge rules | PBS News

"The court rightly recognizes that President Trump's actions leading to the January 6 insurrection fell outside the scope of presidential duties," Hewitt said in a statement. "This ruling is an important step toward accountability for the violent attack on the Capitol and our democracy."…

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-isnt-immune-from-civil-claims-that-his-jan-6-rally-speech-incited-riot-judge-rules

Weekly Roundup: MAGA Masculinity, the Iran War, and the DOGE Files: What Happens When Power Rejects Expertise (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

On this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller dive headfirst into the Trump administration's approach to Iran—and the deeper worldview shaping it. They examine the escalating conflict, the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, and the administration's apparent failure to anticipate Iran's most obvious leverage point. 

But beyond the geopolitics, Brad and Dan argue that something larger is at play: a model of "MAGA masculinity" that prizes action over thought, rejects expertise, and treats diplomacy and long-term relationships as weakness. From Pete Hegseth's press conferences to the firing of intelligence experts and counter-terrorism staff, they trace how a culture that glorifies brute force and disdain for knowledge can produce catastrophic decision-making—with real human costs. 

In the second half of the show, the conversation turns to newly released depositions from former DOGE officials tasked with slashing federal grants. The clips reveal young operatives with little expertise making sweeping cuts based largely on whether projects referenced feminism, LGBTQ people, or racial minorities—raising serious questions about the real meaning behind the administration's war on "DEI." 

Brad and Dan connect these revelations back to their broader theme: a governing philosophy rooted in domination, resentment, and the rejection of intellectual or moral accountability. They close by asking whether the Iran conflict could fracture the MAGA coalition ahead of the midterms—and by reflecting on what healthier forms of masculinity, leadership, and public responsibility might look like in contrast. 

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/weekly-roundup-maga-masculinity-the-iran-war-and-the-doge-files-what-happens-when-power-rejects-expertise?hsLang=en

 

Trump DoD Axed a Program Meant to Limit Civilian Casualties — ProPublica

The Pentagon dismantled its civilian protection mission as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made "lethality" a top priority and the Trump administration reorganized national security around two principles: more aggression, less accountability...

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-defense-department-iran-hegseth-civilian-casualties 

 

If AI makes human labor obsolete, who decides who gets to eat?

How will society be organized in a world in which machines generate most or all economic output and a few dozen techno-billionaires get to decide what share of the world's resources – money, energy, minerals – should be allocated to further expand superhuman intelligence? Who else gets a say on whether to direct more resources to, say, healthcare or agriculture, or education instead? "

We need guardrails that preserve human agency, human oversight and human accountability," noted United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi last week. The future of AI "cannot be decided by a handful of countries or left to the whims of a few billionaires"...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/feb/23/ai-how-will-we-be-fed

Making the Case: Unaccountable (Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on YouTube)

February 6 | The reckless behavior of masked ICE agents on the streets of Minneapolis has been appalling to witness, and widely condemned by real law enforcement officers. Their misconduct must not be beyond the reach of law for people they have injured. Reforms and accountability are due.

On this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse welcomes back Representative Hank Johnson, his House counterpart in leading the Bivens Act and Constitutional Accountability Act. Professors Mary Mason and Ed Maguire weigh in on policing reforms and how these two bills would increase accountability.

Sheldon Whitehouse represents Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate, where he champions policies to uphold American leadership in the world, protect our planet in a changing climate, and hold the powerful accountable.
Interview: 

https://youtu.be/2Sl5-HTyft0?si=z5z6w2zHzTuLCRHd

Dahlia Lithwick on Defending Our Constitution (Al Franken podcast on YouTube)

We're joined by our good friend, Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor at Slate and host of the Amicus podcast, to cover a wide range of topics, including the courts and their role during this difficult time in American history.

We start with Minnesota and the disturbing actions of ICE that have rattled the nation. From the ICE abduction of 5-year-old Liam Ramos to the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Dahlia connects the dots between eroding civil liberties and a Supreme Court that has systematically dismantled accountability.

We also discuss Trump's recent FBI seizure of ballots in Georgia and what that could mean for our democracy. Dahlia issues a strong warning about where all of this could be heading and how we need to be prepared for it.

Plus, Dahlia walks us through some of the cases currently before the Supreme Court: the further gutting of the Voting Rights Act, controversial redistricting, Trump's retribution, and tariffs.
Interview: 

https://youtu.be/OfFDMaB6mJ0?si=MdgUoKNdSRnBJoZv