POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: A slippery immigration slope

 

By Kelly Garrity MASS GOP FAILURES BARK WITH NO INFORMATION ABOUT ICE GESTAPO ABUSE THEY SUPPORT LAWLESSNESS, LACK OF DUE PROCESS, DEFYING COURT ORDERS, ILLEGAL  DEPORTATIONS TO NATIONS WITH HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES! ICE GESTAPO KIDNAPPING PEOPLE ON THE STREET, WITHHOLDING INFORMATION, MAKING INFLAMMATORY ACCUSATIONS no warrants! SLOW ZONE SHORTSLEEVE BRAGS ABOUT JIS FAILURES AT MBTA - LEFT A DISASTER FOR INCOMING GOV. MAURA HEALEY TO CORRECT!  TRUMP MIKE KENNEALY FAILED TO DO HIS JOB! READ RON FILIPKOWSKI'S DHS COMMENTS: Today in Politics, Bulletin 143. 6/2/25 "R" VOTERS ARE CONSPICUOUSLY UNINFORMED, REFUSE TO RESEARCH OR INFORM THEMSELVES,  EMBRACE CONSPIRACY THEORIES & PROPAGANDA. TRUMP ET AL RAN ON 2 LIES BECAUSE HE HAD NO MEANINGFUL PLATFORM BEYOND HIS BEST FICTIONAL FRIEND HANNIBEL LECTOR! DEMENTIA IS CONSPICUOUS!    TRY INFORMING YOURSELVES ABOUT ICE GESTAPO ABUSE:  ICE impact still felt in New Bedford Several New Bedford immigrants – mostly Guatemalans – have been deported, pleaded guilty to re-entry or released on bail by Kevin G. AndradeMay 30, 2025 NEW BEDFORD LIGHT Guatemalan immigrant in U.S. for 30 years arrested by federal agents Juan Ramón Alegría Rodas is the 18th confirmed detainee in New Bedford since Jan. 20. He says he has been detained in a case of mistaken identity. by Kevin G. Andrade and Eleonora BianchiMay 6, 2025 excerpt Rodas was arrested on Monday in the North End of New Bedford while on his way to pick up his daughter from school. On Tuesday, he called Patricia from the Plymouth County Correctional Facility, telling her that agents are mistakenly identifying him as José Chaclan Cienfuentes, a friend and former roommate whom Patricia said Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported in 2009. As a result, Rodas told Patricia, federal authorities are accusing Rodas of illegal re-entry after removal — a felony offense. But Patricia said Rodas has never left the U.S. after coming in the 1990s. NEW BEDFORD LIGHT Today in Politics, Bulletin 143. 6/2/25 excerpt:  … Stephen Miller summoned 50 senior ICE officials from around the country for a bonkers emergency meeting about deportation numbers, according to a new report from the conservative Washington Examiner. One official after the meeting: “They’ve been threatened, told they’re watching their emails and texts and Signals. That’s what is horrible about things right now. It’s a fearful environment. Everybody in leadership is afraid. There’s no morale. Everybody is demoralized.” … “Miller came in there and eviscerated everyone. ‘You guys aren’t doing a good job. You’re horrible leaders.’ He just ripped into everybody. He had nothing positive to say about anybody, shot morale down. Stephen Miller wants everybody arrested. ‘Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?'” … One official stood up and told Miller that DHS and the WH said they were only supposed to be focused on migrants who had criminal records: “Miller said, ‘What do you mean you’re only going after criminals?’ Miller got into a little bit of a pissing contest. ‘That’s what Tom Homan says every time he’s on TV: ‘We’re going after criminals,'” the ICE official told Miller.” … Apparently what they say to the public is not the same as what they are saying internally to senior ICE officials. … The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that DHS’s controversial list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” for immigrants has been taken down from their website. … Immigration expert Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: “The amateurs running DHS put up a list of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ which included county governments which don't exist, misspelled cities, and sheriffs' departments which say they DO fully collaborate with ICE. The list has already been taken down after intense pushback.” … Reuters reported that Trump’s new FEMA chief David Richardson stunned his own staffers today when he said during a briefing that he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season. Reuters: “The US hurricane season officially began on Sunday and lasts through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast last week that this year's season is expected to bring as many as 10 hurricanes.” BORDER LINES — Republicans point to immigration as one of the forces driving the gains they made in state elections last year. GOP candidates for governor are betting Bay Staters’ frustration over the state’s migrant and family shelter crises will extend to immigration issues more broadly amid a wave of federal immigration action in Massachusetts. Look at last week: When Gov. Maura Healey criticized ICE after dozens of people were arrested on Martha’s Vineyard last week, both former MBTA executive SLOW ZONE Brian Shortsleeve and TRUMPER Mike Kennealy, the state’s former housing and economic development secretary, used the moment to hit Healey for failing to work with the federal government on immigration. BRAIN DEAD SLOW ZONE SHORTSLEEVE IS AN UNINFORMED LIAR WHO IGNORES THE NUMBERS OF MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS WHO WERE HOMELESS DUE TO CAPITALIST VULTURES GOBBLING UP RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES! WE KNOW WHAT CAUSE THE HOUSING PROBLEMS - NOTE THAT MASS MAGA GOP INCOMPETENTS HAVE NO SOLUTIONS! SLOW ZONE Shortsleeve accused Healey of “turning Massachusetts into a migrant magnet, ” while TRUMPER Kennealy LIES said Healey “can’t expect to be included in federal operations while she’s publicly bashing the federal government and attacking ICE.” And after federal officials announced Monday they had seized 1,500 people in Massachusetts during a flurry of arrests they dubbed “Operation Patriot,” SLOW ZONE Shortsleeve said Healey’s “warped sense of justice has made the commonwealth less affordable and less safe for our people,” and urged the governor to “apologize to every taxpayer and every victim.” Healey, meanwhile, has taken a more critical tone on the White House’s immigration agenda in recent days, while maintaining she supports the detention of people with criminal backgrounds. The operation on the islands was “disturbing,” she said last week. “The fear and the uncertainty, the anxiety that is created in these communities, I think, is totally unnecessary,” she said. On Monday, she called for the release of an undocumented 18-year-old Milford High School student who was detained over the weekend on his way to volleyball practice (Federal officials said Monday the student’s father was the intended target.). Progressives and immigration advocates, however, have called on her to take things a step further and declare ICE “a rogue federal agency operating outside the law.” A MassInc poll from March found that 13 percent of Massachusetts voters believe immigration is the single biggest issue facing state government (Only housing and cost of living ranked higher.). But some of the more high-profile ICE detentions — like the student in Milford — have prompted serious backlash locally and among Democratic electeds and advocates that could swing the immigration issue back in Healey’s favor ahead of the 2026 election. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .  TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey attends the grand opening of Amazon’s robotics fulfillment center at 9:45 a.m. in Charlton. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at a Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education luncheon at 1:15 p.m. in Boston. Healey and Driscoll testify on the administration’s higher education infrastructure bill at 1:45 p.m. at the State House. Secretary of State Bill Galvin announces upcoming events marking the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill at 11 a.m. in Charlestown. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at the Legacy Business Award Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. in the South End.   Playbook isn’t just a newsletter — it’s a podcast, too. With new co-hosts who bring unmatched Trump world reporting and analysis, The Playbook Podcast dives deeper into the power plays shaping Washington. Get the insider edge— start listening now .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — Healey makes state-owned properties available to developers to build new housing by Robert Goulston, GBH News: “The Healey-Driscoll administration is offering hundreds of acres of state-owned properties to developers with the hope of creating more than 3,500 new housing units.” EYES ON 2026 MONEY MATTERS — GOP gubernatorial hopeful SLOW ZONE Brian Shortsleeve raised $416,027 since entering the governor’s race, his campaign announced Monday. That’s more than the roughly $130,000 his sole declared Republican competitor,TRUMPER Mike Kennealy, reported in his first month on the campaign trail and more than the roughly $404,000 Gov. Maura Healey raised in March (her biggest haul since taking office). MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS ***ICE GESTAPO MADE AN ALL TOO COMMON  MISTAKE...GOT THE WRONG PERSON!**** MASS MAGA GOP NEED TO STOP DEFENDING ICE LAWLESSNESS! — Emergency order blocks ICE from transferring Milford student out of state by Esteban Bustillos and Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: “A federal judge issued an emergency order Sunday blocking federal immigration authorities from transferring an 18-year-old Milford High School student of Brazilian nationality out of Massachusetts for at least 72 hours, court records show. The order came on the heels of a habeas corpus petition, in which his attorneys challenged the constitutionality of Marcelo Gomes Da Silva’s detention.” — Amid crackdown fears, Massachusetts. undocumented immigrants seem to be still getting driver’s licenses by Chris Burrell, GBH News: “Massachusetts is still seeing strong demand for driver’s licenses, a trend some policy analysts are linking to undocumented immigrants choosing a path to legal driving that could protect them amid a heightened federal immigration crackdown. Demand for adults’ standard licenses and permits surged two summers ago when a new state law went into effect: Anyone, regardless of immigration status, can get the documents to legally drive in Massachusetts.” — In East Boston, wives of men arrested by ICE tell their stories by Miriam Wasser, WBUR: “While federal immigration officials touted the nearly 1,500 arrests they made in Massachusetts during May, three women whose husbands had been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement sat in front of a crowded room in an East Boston community center and described — at times through tears — what the experience has been like for their families. The event was part of a community roundtable event convened by Rep. Ayanna Pressley to amplify the faces and stories behind the government's arrest statistics.” excerpts:  "Just a few blocks from our home, I noticed flashing lights behind us," she said. "I was driving, so I pulled over. Suddenly, several unmarked cars surrounded us; about five officers approached both the driver and passenger sides." The agents smashed the passenger side window, sending fragments of glass into the backseat where her children — ages 14, 12 and 3 — sat, Guerrero said. " The officers reached inside the car through the window they shattered, they unlocked the door, they grabbed my husband and slammed his face on the sidewalk," she said. "Everything happened so fast." Guerro said the officers never identified themselves or presented a warrant. She also said her husband, who is from Mexico, didn't resist. The law clearly states that law enforcement officials cannot open the car door without justification," he said. "What happened to Mrs. Guerrero and her family ... is nothing short of a violation of their well-established constitutional rights under federal law and state law." Mercedes Pineda of East Boston said her family is struggling after her husband was arrested at work and detained for two days at an ICE facility in Burlington. " We are deeply traumatized," Pineda said through an interpreter. "My husband and I can't sleep. I'm afraid to go out. I'm afraid to take my daughter to school. Our 12-year-old daughter who was born in this country has anxiety attacks." Pineda said her husband, who is from El Salvador, had temporary protected status, which gave him the right to live and work here. But the ICE agents who detained him, she said, told him that "only people born here have rights." While the Trump administration has revoked temporary status for people from a number of countries, it extended the status for El Salvador in January. In a third case discussed at the meeting Monday, a woman from Randolph said the immigration officials who arrested her husband wrongly accused him of theft. Caitlyn Burgess, a senior attorney with MacMurray and Associates who was in attendance, said her office has heard a lot of cases like this. "We are seeing a fabrication of allegations made by ICE," she said. "We [are seeing] an erosion of due process." State Sen. Lydia Edwards, whose district includes East Boston, said she worries about how the "narrative" around immigration is changing in this country. "There's a criminalization of immigration in and of itself," she said. The Trump administration “wants to deport en masse. So in order to do that, they need to detain en masse. In order to do that, they need to criminalize en masse. And in order to do that, they create more crimes." At a press conference in Boston on Monday, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said the agency arrested 1,461 immigrants in the state during May, including 790 officials said involved “significant criminality.” The officials who spoke said they consider all people in the country without legal status criminals. Gov. Maura Healey and other state officials havedemanded greater accountability from ICE during arrests, some of which have turned chaotic. In most cases, the agency doesn't release details of why people are being arrested or where they’re being taken. " The federal government's desperation to fill jails with immigrants has torn families apart and inflicted deep emotional trauma," Pressley said. "This has nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with power and control and intimidation." Related: ICE, U.S. Attorney say 1,500 arrested in Mass. during immigration enforcement in May What we know about ICE's arrest of a Milford high school student Greater Boston sees ‘surge’ in immigration enforcement ***ICE GESTAPO ABUSE & LIES!*** — Worcester father of 4-month-old deported after ICE ‘violated his rights,’ attorney says by Adam Bass, MassLive: “The Worcester father of a 4-month-old child was deported to Fortaleza, Brazil, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials signed a deportation authorization document in his name without his permission, according to his attorney.” THE RACE FOR CITY HALL FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Easthampton City Councilor At-Large Felicia Jadczak and School Committee Member Meghan Ward Harvey are endorsing Lindsi Sekula for mayor in Easthampton. Sekula’s “track record in City Hall show a leader who listens, builds meaningful connections, and shows up for all of Easthampton,” Jadczak said in a statement. FROM THE 413 — Springfield officials support legislation to automatically seal criminal records  by Jeanette DeForge, The Springfield Republican: “Saying people shouldn’t be punished twice for the same crime, city officials are pushing for legislation to automatically seal records for those who committed nonviolent crimes three to seven years after conviction. The Clean Slate Initiative, which is now being debated in the Legislature’s Joint Committee on the Judiciary, would automatically seal records of misdemeanor crimes three years after conviction and after seven years for a felony.” excerpt:  The law has a clause exempting some, including sex offenders and others who have committed violent felonies, from having their records sealed automatically, according to the bill. PAYWALL FOR THE REST OF THE ARTICLE Springfield officials support legislation to automatically seal criminal records Story by Jeanette DeForge, masslive.com MSN   Cut through policy complexity and turn intelligence into action with POLITICO’s Policy Intelligence Assistant —a new suite of tools designed to save you time and demonstrate your impact more easily than ever—available only to Pro subscribers. Save hours, uncover critical insights instantly, and stay ahead of the next big shift. Power your strategy today— learn more .     THE LOCAL ANGLE — How Everett mayor’s campaign aide got hired as a $550-an-hour city spokesman by Stephanie Ebbert, The Boston Globe: “When he hired his campaign spokesman as a communications consultant for the city two years ago, Mayor Carlo DeMaria explained it as an act of necessity, not favoritism: George Regan’s firm was the only one that had responded to the city’s solicitation. What he didn’t explain was how little time the city gave the other would-be bidders.” — Worcester activist critical of city manager faces one-year city hall ban by Adam Bass, MassLive: “A Worcester resident and activist has been banned from using city hall for one year, according to a letter from City Manager Eric D. Batista. On May 27, Batista issued a no-trespassing order to David Webb, a Worcester resident who has been a frequent critic of Batista’s administration — accusing the city manager and his staff of not being transparent or truthful to the city’s residents.” — Fall River Public Schools pays $134K to restore data in cyberattack by Emily Scherny and Dan Medeiros, The Herald News: “The ‘cybersecurity incident’ discovered on April 7 that left Fall River Public Schools without access to their internal network and internet service ‘for the rest of the week,’ and was eventually fully restored — to the tune of $134,278 in out-of-pocket costs. Superintendent Dr. Tracy Curley has not yet specified the nature of the cyberattack, but during an April 8 joint meeting of the City Council and School Committee, she alerted city officials that they did not have insurance to mitigate the fallout of what happened.” excerpts:  Superintendent Dr. Tracy Curley has not yet specified the nature of the cyberattack, but during an April 8 joint meeting of the City Council and School Committee, she alerted city officials that they did not have insurance to mitigate the fallout of what happened. Curley said she is confident the district would be better prepared if future attacks occurred. The superintendent’s office has not yet disclosed to whom the money was paid in response to further public records requests.   In 2013, Swansea police paid off scammers who encrypted several files in their computer system and held them for ransom, paying $750, then the value of two Bitcoins.  As recently as December 2022 and January 2023, Bristol Community College and Swansea Public Schools were affected by cyberattacks. The city of New Bedford suffered a major ransomware attack with criminals demanding $5.3 million in Bitcoin in 2019. The city counteroffered $400,000 from insurance proceeds; when this was rejected, the city worked with tech support to successfully recover the data.    Somerset Berkley Regional High School was hit with a ransomware attack in 2020, Newport schools were hit with malware in 2019 and Brockton police suffered a cyberattack in the summer of 2021 that knocked network systems offline.  — Norton school board OKs new cellphone policy for high school by Madison Dunphy, The Sun Chronicle: “The school committee has approved a policy to require high school students to put their cellphones in a rack or hanging pocket holder when they enter a classroom and keep them there until class is over. The committee approved the student handbook policy revision for cellphones and similar personal electronic devices at their meeting last week.” MEDIA MATTERS ***RESTORE FUNDING & PROTECT THE UNBIASED REPORTING & EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION BY PBS & NPR!**** IN MANY REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED AREAS, PBS & NPR ARE THEIR ONLY SOURCES OF UNBIASED REPORTING! BY DESIGN REPUBLICANS HAS PREVENTED ACCESS TO THE INTERNET & CABLE TO PERPETUATE PROPAGANDA FROM PROPAGANDIST SINCLAIR! — GBH lays off 6 percent of staff due to funding cuts, rising costs and stagnant revenues by Aidan Ryan, The Boston Globe: “GBH is laying off 45 employees, 6 percent of its staff, across more than a dozen departments due to financial challenges that include federal grants cut by the Trump administration. The cuts come less than a month after GBH laid off nine staff members at WORLD Channel, a television channel that focused on global news, programs, and documentaries. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, in consultation with GBH, cut funding for the channel because it wasn’t sustainable.” HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Dr. Paul Manuel will be the new principal of Boston College High School starting Aug. 1. He currently is a member of the faculty in Georgetown University's government department. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Eric S. Rosengren, Sean McFate and Eric Farmer. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com .   Follow us on X Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters Follow us

POLITICO 1000 Wilson Blvd Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

IOWA: DEMOCRATIC STATE REP. J.D. SCHOLTEN RUNNING TO REPLACE DEATH CULT JONI ERNST

FROM RON FILIPKOWSKI'S  

Today in Politics, Bulletin 143. 6/2/25

IOWA: YOU DESERVE BETTER! YOU DESERVE SOMEONE WHO WILL PROTECT 

YOUR HEALTH CARE INSTEAD OF TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY! 

… Democratic State Rep. J.D. Scholten announced that he is running against Sen. Joni Ernst after her flippant and callous comment at a town hall where she downplayed cuts to Medicaid since “we are all going to die,” then made it worse by issuing a sarcastic fake apology video where she equated concern about losing Medicaid to believing in the Tooth Fairy.

… Scholten told Politico he had been considering a run for a while, but Ernst’s Medicaid comments made the decision for him: “I just felt, you know, I have to do this. Now’s the time, and rather than being perfect with everything, I just feel like you got to do it. We’re taking them off Medicaid, so billionaires can have a second yacht, so they can have a bigger tax break. We have a system that’s geared towards and favors billionaires and huge multinational corps, and that’s not working for most of Iowa.” 

1 IN 5 AMERICANS ARE ON MEDICAID

Today in Politics, Bulletin 143. 6/2/25 Ron Filipkowski Jun 2 ∙ … Stephen Miller summoned 50 senior ICE officials from around the country for a bonkers emergency meeting about deportation numbers, according to a new report from the conservative Washington Examiner. One official after the meeting: “They’ve been threatened, told they’re watching their emails and texts and Signals. That’s what is horrible about things right now. It’s a fearful environment. Everybody in leadership is afraid. There’s no morale. Everybody is demoralized.” … “Miller came in there and eviscerated everyone. ‘You guys aren’t doing a good job. You’re horrible leaders.’ He just ripped into everybody. He had nothing positive to say about anybody, shot morale down. Stephen Miller wants everybody arrested. ‘Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?'” … One official stood up and told Miller that DHS and the WH said they were only supposed to be focused on migrants who had criminal records: “Miller said, ‘What do you mean you’re only going after criminals?’ Miller got into a little bit of a pissing contest. ‘That’s what Tom Homan says every time he’s on TV: ‘We’re going after criminals,'” the ICE official told Miller.” … Apparently what they say to the public is not the same as what they are saying internally to senior ICE officials. … The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that DHS’s controversial list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” for immigrants has been taken down from their website. … Immigration expert Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: “The amateurs running DHS put up a list of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ which included county governments which don't exist, misspelled cities, and sheriffs' departments which say they DO fully collaborate with ICE. The list has already been taken down after intense pushback.” … Reuters reported that Trump’s new FEMA chief David Richardson stunned his own staffers today when he said during a briefing that he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season. Reuters: “The US hurricane season officially began on Sunday and lasts through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast last week that this year's season is expected to bring as many as 10 hurricanes.” … Trump fired his first FEMA chief Cameron Hamilton last month, one day after he testified to Congress that he doesn’t think his agency should be abolished. Richardson is the upgrade. What could go wrong? … TACO Trump is caving to Iran on negotiations over their nuke program, based on new reporting from both Axios and Reuters. First, a senior diplomat close to Iran’s negotiators told Reuters that the country was about to reject the Trump admin’s nuke proposal: "Iran is drafting a negative response to the US proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the US offer." … “After 5 rounds of discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff, several obstacles remain. Trump's revival of ‘maximum pressure’ against Tehran has included tightening sanctions and threatening to bomb Iran if the negotiations yield no deal. During his first term in 2018, Trump ditched Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with 6 powers. Iran responded by escalating enrichment far beyond the pact's limits.” … But then Axios reported that Witkoff is offering Iran a new proposal that is much more favorable to Iran and is likely to infuriate other countries in the region such as Israel since it would allow limited uranium enrichment by Iran. Both Witkoff and Sec of State Marco Rubio have said publicly that the US would not allow Iran to enrich uranium and would demand that they completely disband their nuke facilities. … Axios: “Iran has consistently said it won't sign any deal that bans enrichment for civilian purposes — a red line that is irreconcilable with the US public posture. By making this offer, the Trump admin is risking backlash from its allies on the Hill and in Israel. PM Netanyahu's govt and dozens of Republican senators have pushed the admin to maintain red lines on zero nuclear enrichment and the full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program.” … At least 11 major companies have cut ties with the law firms that surrendered to Trump’s executive order extortion attempt. A WSJ report notes that some of those companies have moved their business over to the specific firms who are fighting Trump’s orders in court. Businesses who have left the weak appeasers include Oracle, Morgan Stanley, an unnamed airline, a pharmaceutical company, and McDonald’s. … The trial for Dominion’s defamation lawsuit against pillow-man Mike Lindell started today. Lindell to Rolling Stone: "Of course I'm gonna testify at my own trial! I have nothing to hide. I am a former crack addict. I've always been open about that. I've always been open about everything! I'm as transparent as they come. So I have nothing to hide at this trial." Lindell also claimed that he is broke so they can’t get any money from him. … Outside the courthouse, Lindell was asked who masterminded the alleged theft of the 2020 election from Trump: “Who’s behind it all? Satan. This is a nation that’s turn its back on God.” He then claimed that he is being railroaded because the state of Colorado deleted all the evidence that he needed to prove his innocence. Things are going well. … CNBC reported that Trump’s announcement on Friday that he is going to increase tariffs on steel imports 25-50% this Wed shocked US businesses who rely on imported steel. Steel market analyst Josh Spoore: "This was an absolute surprise. Already steel prices in the US are higher than anywhere else, and it is a net importer which needs to have volumes coming in. All this does is raise prices there. Autos, construction products and appliances are all products that are going to feel the impact." … US companies import steel from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea and Germany. We will see if TACO Trump makes an appearance before Wednesday to cave on this too after hearing from his CEO friends. … Many of Trump’s own MAGA supporters are outraged about the recent report in the NYT about his plans to develop a massive database of private data on Americans. The Trump admin is using the tech firm Palantir, which was co-founded by Musk’s former mentor Peter Thiel. WH spokesman Taylor Rogers to Newsweek: "President Trump signed an executive order to eliminate information silos and streamline data collection across all agencies to increase govt efficiency and save hard-earned taxpayer dollars." … Jason Bassler, co-founder of The Free Thought Project: “This Palantir database isn't like the others. It will combine: Tax filings, Student debt, Social Security, Bank accounts, Medical claims, Immigration status. No previous database system has ever centralized this much personal info across various federal agencies." … Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), a staunch Trump supporter, doesn’t like it: “Tolkien was a genius. Lord of the Rings conveys inevitable truths. We cannot allow one ring to rule them all to be built - or, having been built, it must be defeated and destroyed. No digital ID. No CBDC. No surveillance state.” Forgot to report on my Rhode Island trip. Newport Gilden Age mansions were cool, but the highlight was the Providence food tour. Guide was a theater grad from Brown who is now a chef and food tour guide. 4th Gen Providence and 100% Italian. She took us to local seafood shack, a vegan place, an African place, a local brewery, a pastry place, and a Mexican place. All local owners, some immigrants, great history and food. If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here. Thank you for supporting and sharing my work! … China accused the US today of violating the terms of their 90-day trade truce that partially reduced the draconian tariffs put in place after Trump took office. Conversely, Trump is claiming that China “totally violated” the agreement. … NBC: “The Chinese Commerce Ministry said that while China had implemented and actively upheld the deal, the US had introduced a series of ‘discriminatory and restrictive measures against China’ that ‘severely undermine’ the agreement. The ministry said those measures included AI chip export controls, a reported pause on the sale of chip design software to China, and the announcement of US plans to revoke the visas of Chinese students.” … China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement about SecDef Pete Hegseth’s recent remarks in the region, which it says were “filled with provocations and intended to sow discord. Hegseth deliberately ignored the call for peace and development by countries in the region, and instead touted the Cold War mentality for bloc confrontation, vilified China with defamatory allegations, and falsely called China a ‘threat’.” … Putin-loving Trump supporters continue to complain about Ukraine destroying a big chunk of Russia’s long-range bombers. Steve Bannon claimed that Zelensky is trying to escalate the war: “Something is very, very wrong here. If the WH was unaware of this Ukrainian drone attack, they should condemn this attack today and pull all support for Ukraine today. If we did not know about it, that’s dragging us into it.” … Putin finally responded to the attack: "Ukraine attacked our air bases where Russian strategic bombers are located. They proved that there can be no peaceful solution. They have prepared their own end with this action, there is no more red line, they will regret what they did." … Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE): “The idea that Ukraine's strike on Russian military assets this weekend is an escalation is ridiculous. Russian bombers have been launching attacks on Ukrainian soil for years. If Putin wants to protect his bombers from Ukraine, he shouldn't use them to attack Ukraine.” … Multiple news agencies are reporting huge traffic jams in Russia as they are stopping and checking every truck on major roadways to search for possible Ukrainian drones hidden inside. … The latest round of talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Turkey today, and the meeting ended after just over an hour with very little getting done. Ukraine provided Russia with a detailed blueprint for peace a few days before the meeting, but Russia had no interest in discussing it. Russia showed up and handed Ukraine negotiators a list of preposterous demands that are virtually the same as those they presented last month for total surrender. … The Economist reported that both sides agreed to return 6,000 dead bodies of soldiers to each other, another 1,000-1,200 POWs will be exchanged, and all seriously wounded prisoners will be exchanged. Also: “Ukrainian side passed on list of 100s of children deported to Russia. A source with knowledge of the exchanges says head of Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky responded: ‘Don’t put on a show for bleeding-heart European old ladies with no children of their own.’” … Independent journalist Jay in Kyiv: “The result of talks in Istanbul further demonstrates that Russia is now engaged in a series of pointless meetings that give appearance of ‘negotiations’ so that Trump continues blocking new sanctions.” … Democratic State Rep. J.D. Scholten announced that he is running against Sen. Joni Ernst after her flippant and callous comment at a town hall where she downplayed cuts to Medicaid since “we are all going to die,” then made it worse by issuing a sarcastic fake apology video where she equated concern about losing Medicaid to believing in the Tooth Fairy. … Scholten told Politico he had been considering a run for a while, but Ernst’s Medicaid comments made the decision for him: “I just felt, you know, I have to do this. Now’s the time, and rather than being perfect with everything, I just feel like you got to do it. We’re taking them off Medicaid, so billionaires can have a second yacht, so they can have a bigger tax break. We have a system that’s geared towards and favors billionaires and huge multinational corps, and that’s not working for most of Iowa.”  1 IN 5 AMERICANS ARE ON MEDICAID … Fox’s report on the suspect in custody for the Boulder attack on Jewish-Americans: “The Boulder terror suspect is an Egyptian national in the US illegally as a visa overstay. Mohamed Sabry Soliman arrived at LAX on 8/27/22 on a B1/B2 nonimmigrant visa with an authorized stay through 2/26/23, but he overstayed and never left. On 9/29/22, he filed an asylum claim, and on 3/29/23, USCIS under the Biden admin gave him work authorization, which expired on 3/28/25.” … Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) has launched a new PAC called the American Mobilization Project, which will award $400,000 to organizations that oppose cuts to Medicaid and register young people to vote. A aide to Murphy told Politico that the PAC is expected to spend a total of $2 million in key battleground states for the midterms. … Politico: “Murphy has worked to grow his profile and staked out ground as one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken critics of the president’s efforts to bend institutions to his will. Murphy has appeared on numerous podcasts, held town halls across the country and churned out a steady stream of content on social media. In the run-up to presidential campaigns, would-be candidates often launch new PACs or outside groups, which can be used to expand their visibility, build their email lists and cultivate political relationships.” … But Murphy says this isn’t about him running for president: “I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion there’s going to be an election in 2026 or 2028 for anybody to run in if we don’t do the work right now. I hope that this PAC is going to act very differently than everybody else’s PAC because it’s not about banking money or using money for a political campaign or for other people’s political campaigns. It’s about mobilization.” … Both things can be true. I think he’s probably running in 2028. … Journalist Aaron Rupar, who covers Fox: “Mentions on this morning's Fox & Friends: Medicaid-1. Biden-39.” The Tapper book has provided Fox with a month of daily content. … Conservative Karol Nawrocki won a narrow victory in that country’s presidential election over Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. AP: “Most day-to-day power in the Polish political system rests with a prime minister chosen by the parliament. However, the president’s role is not merely ceremonial. The office holds the power to influence foreign policy and to veto legislation. Nawrocki will succeed conservative Andrzej Duda.” … Nawrocki is a strong supporter of NATO, is very anti-Russian, and most of the areas where he differed with Trzaskowski have been domestic policy. However, Nawrocki has also been critical of some of the comments Zelensky has made about Poland and said that Ukrainian war refugees in Poland have been too big of a drain on govt resources. Members of the Trump admin were vocal supporters of Nawrocki, with Kristi Noem even stating that US support for Poland could go away if he wasn’t elected. … NBC: “The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear two major gun cases challenging a MD law that bans assault-style weapons, including the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle that has been used in high-profile mass shootings, and a RI restriction on large-capacity magazines. As a result, the two laws remain in effect. Litigation over similar bans across the country is ongoing, and the issue is likely to return to the justices.” … Justices Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch wanted to hear the Maryland case, but it takes 4 Justices to vote to accept a case. … 300 billboards from the nonprofit labor group More Perfect Union have gone up in high-traffic areas in key locations across AZ, NV, OH, PA, and FL highlighting the impacts of DOGE cuts to the federal workforce. NBC: “Not far from the glittering casino lights of the Strip, motorists pass a dire message for the upcoming summer tourism season. A billboard mimicking a postcard from one of the most extreme places on the continent reads: ‘Greetings from Death Valley National Park,’ before a more sinister warning: ‘Heat deaths rise. Safety staff cut. Made possible by DOGE’.”

🚨 Rubio’s seat is UP FOR GRABS!!!

 

🔥 MARCO RUBIO'S SEAT IS OPEN. 🔥 Rubio's Florida Senate seat is officially OPEN — and the special election fight is ON. Rubio abandoned his post to chase MAGA glory inside Trump’s cabinet. (Good luck!) But now Trump’s cronies are scrambling to install another loyalist to take his place — someone who will rubber-stamp every corrupt, authoritarian move Trump makes from the Oval Office. This is our chance to BLOCK Trump’s MAGA agenda and flip the Senate. But only if we move FAST. We’re now staring down TWO Senate special elections — and Democrats are still falling behind in cash. If we don’t step up RIGHT NOW, Trump’s grip on the Senate could get even tighter. PLEASE! Rush $25 now to help win open Senate seats and take back the majority! We have a choice: ✅ Build the Democratic firewall to stop Trump’s agenda. ❌ Or let MAGA extremists tighten their chokehold on our democracy. We’re setting a $50,000 EMERGENCY GOAL before midnight to fund rapid response ads to take on the GOP in battleground states. Can you rush $25 now to help flip Rubio’s seat and take back the Senate? Frank, Trump wants total control We're going to give him hell instead. ➡️ Rush $25 to FLIP FLORIDA and beat MAGA »  Give $5 ➜ Give $25 ➜ Give $50 ➜ Give $100 ➜ Give $250 ➜ Other amount ➜

 

 

 

 

 

Integrity First PAC is a digital-first Democratic grassroots organization dedicated to defeating Republicans and supporting Democratic leaders who put their integrity first. With Donald Trump back in the White House, it is more crucial than ever that Democrats stand together to hold him accountable. At Integrity First PAC, we're deploying our resources to support Democratic candidates, run hard-hitting ad campaigns against Trump and his administration, and boost voter turnout in the 2025 and 2026 elections. Help us keep up this fight by pitching in today! Donate now to help us fight back! Contributions or gifts to Integrity First PAC are not deductible for income tax purposes. Paid for by Integrity First PAC, www.integrityfirstpac.com, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.