In Nov. 2024, the Chinese govt arrested Dr. Youlin Chen, an American citizen & scientist, on bogus claims of espionage.   Dr. Chen has spent nearly 2 years in pretrial detention & his family is concerned for his health.   I call on the Chinese govt to release Dr. Chen immediately & unconditionally.

U.S. seismologist has been detained in China for nearly 2 years with no trial, his family says

The relatives of Youlin Chen of Boston broke their silence this week, apparently after they saw no sign from the Chinese government that it was planning to release him.

nbcnews.com

Last year, Republicans cut Medicaid by $1 TRILLION. Now as working people face the reality of this betrayal, Republicans claim it was about fighting fraud. Give me a break. Republicans cut Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the billionaire class. Don't let them rewrite history.

Trump & Republicans' SNAP cuts have now taken food away from nearly 12,000 Maryland families with children & 36,000 Marylanders overall.   They made it harder for thousands of Marylanders to put food on the table all to give billionaires & big corporations another tax cut. Shameful.

Federal cuts to SNAP cost thousands of Marylanders their food benefits

SNAP cuts under the Trump-supported federal law leave 36,000 Marylanders without food benefits, affecting families, seniors and vulnerable groups.

thebanner.com

This was a malicious prosecution from the start — totally shameful. These prosecutors should be held accountable for their actions. David Hearn’s story shows why we can never back down in the face of bullies.

When I offered my amendment to kill this slush fund, Republicans said we should accept Trump's word that it was dead. We knew they were wrong. This is why.   Even in the middle of an illegal war, with prices rising, Trump wants to send your tax dollars to criminals & save his sweetheart tax deal.

Fatima came to the US on a Fulbright scholarship & is a researcher at Johns Hopkins. She had previously filed for TPS & currently has a pending asylum case. But ICE has detained her & is working to deport her. [1/2]

ICE detains Hopkins public health researcher as agency expands airport arrests

A Johns Hopkins University public health researcher and former Fulbright scholar was detained this week by immigration agents while boarding a domestic flight as the Trump administration ramps up immi...

thebanner.com

As costs continue to rise, Trump is cutting a Medicare program that helps seniors afford their medications. This year the program cost less than 2 days of Trump's Iran war. This isn't about money, it's about priorities & Trump is showing us his.

Exclusive | Trump Administration to End Medicare Drug Plan Subsidy

Program that held down premiums won’t be renewed for 2027, resulting in higher costs for some seniors.

wsj.com

Trump would rather withdraw Blanche's nomination than give up his slush fund for Jan 6 rioters & his sweetheart immunity deal that prevents anyone from scrutinizing his, his family's, or his businesses' taxes. Tells you what this nomination was really about: protecting Trump.

MeidasTouch@meidastouch.com · 6d ago

Trump threatens to pull Todd Blanche’s nomination rather than give up provisions shielding him from IRS audits and giving away billions in taxpayer funds to insurrectionists and fraudsters

Earlier this year, leaked video showed dangerous overcrowding at ICE's Baltimore holding facility. It showed dozens of people packed into a tiny room in violation of ICE's own regulations. I will not stop fighting until we stop these abuses for good.

The arrest & prolonged pre-trial detention of Azerbaijani opposition leader Ali Karimli is a blatant crackdown on dissent by the Aliyev govt.   Trump & Rubio should demand Karimli's immediate & unconditional release & an end to Aliyev's assault on free speech, the free press, & political dissent.

West's energy trade with Russian ally must address rights: jailed dissident

Ali Karimli told Newsweek of worsening jail conditions in Azerbaijan as he faces charges of an attempted coup.

newsweek.com

Tomorrow, the Judiciary Committee is supposed to vote on Todd Blanche's nomination to be Attorney General. 2 months ago, I told Blanche that while he may have the title of acting-AG, he is still acting like Trump's personal attorney. And that is still true today.

The crypto industry is hoping you won't notice as they quietly push the CLARITY Act through Congress. Masquerading as "reform," this bill does nothing to stop Trump's crypto corruption or the use of crypto by criminal networks & other bad actors. We must expose their scheme.

“The FDA has steadfastly found, over the past quarter century, that mifepristone is a safe and effective medication.” — Judge Ballou   We must keep fighting back against Republicans' efforts to do away with evidence-based science & end these attacks on healthcare for good.

Judge rules FDA restrictions on mifepristone are arbitrary and capricious

Abortion medication ruled to be safe as judge orders Trump administration to consider overturning restrictions

theguardian.com

Peruvian journalist, Gustavo Gorriti, exposed corruption at the highest levels in South America. Now, those he outed are trying to silence him with bogus accusations of bribery. The new Peruvian govt should reject the report recommending criminal charges against him & allow a free press to thrive.

To downplay the toll of their war, Trump & Hegseth have resorted to manipulating the number of soldiers killed or injured. They should be ashamed of themselves.   To protect our service members it's time to end this war. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/u...

Yet another part of Trump's effort to rig the elections. This is a blatantly illegal federal intrusion into state voting rules. It should be emphatically rejected.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow new limits on mail ballots

The appeal to the justices is part of a high-stakes push by President Donald Trump and his allies to put fresh limits on voting ahead of pivotal elections where control of the House and the Senate is ...

washingtonpost.com

Trump’s ‘Ratepayer Protection Pledge' is great PR, but it's just that: PR with zero enforcement. If the Trump admin was serious, they would back my Power for the People Act to ensure that you don’t pay higher electricity costs to pay for data centers.

The Trump admin has restored gun licenses for a number of gun stores that were found to be selling to minors, convicted felons, & more.

Gun violence has taken too many lives in America, anyone found to be enabling it should not be let off the hook, they should face justice.

Gun shops who lost licenses under Biden got them back under Trump | CNN Politics

Nearly a dozen stores that had their licenses revoked under Biden have now been allowed to sell firearms again under Trump, a CNN investigation found.

cnn.com

As I pointed out this week, experts at the Dept of Commerce warned Trump's deal with a UAE company compromises our national security, but Trump did it anyway as he rakes in money from the Emirati royal family. The whole thing stinks of corruption.

Today marks 3 years since anti-corruption activist & economics professor, Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, was arrested & detained on politically motivated charges in Azerbaijan.   Despite his deteriorating health, the Aliyev govt has denied him access to the life-saving care he needs. (1/2)

1,000 Days and Counting: A Father, A Professor, and a Government That Won't Let Go

The son of an Azerbaijan economist and anti-corruption activist appeals for the release of his father and uncle, both political prisoners.

justsecurity.org

For 146 days, Trump & Republicans have told us, against all evidence, that the next strike, the next week, the next month will bring victory in Iran. That kind of logic is how forever wars begin. When you're digging yourself into a hole, the best way out is to stop digging.

If this merger goes through, CBS, CNN, TikTok, & more will all be controlled by Trump-megadonor Larry Ellison & his son, giving Trump & the billionaire class unprecedented control over what we see. Glad to see state attorneys general taking a stand for a free press & democracy.

Paramount and Warner Bros. merger hit with temporary restraining order

A California judge granted a temporary restraining order as part of the lawsuit brought by state attorneys general due to antitrust concerns.

cnbc.com

It is sickening that the President would downplay the loss of 18 American soldiers killed during his ongoing Iran war & brag about how it’s not AS bad as some of the other disastrous American wars he promised he'd never repeat.

Today's hearing with Secretary Hegseth confirmed the Iran war is a war in search of a mission. Hegseth talks a lot about 'winning,' but given multiple chances to explain what winning means, the best he could do was rehash disproven talking points. This war must end, NOW.

Trump is using an unprecedented web of nonprofits, cultural organizations, and other groups to stash away over half a billion dollars for his corrupt policies and pet projects, donated by corporations & the ultra-rich.   This is corruption on a scale we've never seen before.

The Mystery Money Powering Trump’s Second Term

The president and his allies have built a network of groups financed by wealthy donors and businesses that is advancing his priorities with little public disclosure.

wsj.com

How many people must die & how high must prices go before Trump & his admin see this is a senseless war?  Tomorrow, Hegseth will have to answer for this mess. And I'm working to bring up my war powers resolution this week to put every Senator on record. End it now.

The world's largest humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in Sudan & we are not powerless to stop it.

In October, the RSF slaughtered over 6,000 people in 3 days in El Fasher. Now over 500,000 civilians in El Obeid risk the same fate.
 (1/2)

‘You cannot hide from a drone strike’: The terror falling from the sky in Sudan | CNN

In Sudan’s besieged city of El-Obeid, even the simplest routines carry the threat of sudden death for civilians, as drones reshape the country’s civil war.

cnn.com

The State Dept insists their #1 duty abroad is to protect Americans. Yet, when it comes to getting justice for citizens killed or detained in the West Bank, there is no accountability. I will keep pushing the Trump admin, as I did the Biden admin, to get justice for these Americans.

I’m thinking of the 2 American soldiers killed, those injured, & the 1 still missing after yesterday’s attack in Jordan. I am praying for them & their loved ones. This senseless war should never have been started and it needs to end NOW.  www.axios.com/2026/07/18/i...

Two U.S. troops killed in Iranian missile attack on Jordan

They are the first combat deaths since fighting resumed in recent days.

axios.com

As data centers & heat waves strain our grid & Americans risk power blackouts, Trump is stalling clean energy across the country, including a MD offshore wind project that could power over 700k homes.   Trump's attacks on clean energy are hurting Americans & their pocketbooks.