In today’s episode of the “To the Contrary” Podcast, Olivia Troye and I open with a bit of a palate cleanser about the Administration’s tone-deaf spin on affordability, but we pivot to the grim news cycle: The Trump administration’s approach to law enforcement, particularly the use of ICE and the potential invocation of the Insurrection Act.
We discuss the alarming precedent set by the FBI’s raid on a Washington Post reporter’s home, highlighting the chilling effect this has on press freedom and the integrity of journalism. Fair warning: The episode concludes with a somber reflection on the current state of American democracy, emphasizing the need for vigilance and accountability in the face of rising authoritarianism.
You can read Olivia’s latest here:
The FBI Didn’t Just Raid a Reporter’s Home. It Crossed a Precedent.
Saturday Morning Covfefe: 5 Things That Don’t Happen by Accident
Subscribers can listen to an ad-free version right here… or you can watch on YouTube / Listen (and subscribe) on Apple/ Spotify / iHeart / RSS Feed
Catching Up
Judge limits ICE’s crowd control tactics following Minneapolis shooting - POLITICO
A federal judge on Friday barred federal agents in Minneapolis from arresting peaceful protesters, or using nonlethal munitions and crowd control tools against them.
The 80-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, a Biden appointee who sits in Minneapolis, lands amid an increasingly confrontational dynamic between the Trump administration and Minnesota officials who have accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of stoking fear and violence on local streets. And it comes a week after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good.
Menendez’s order bars Homeland Security and ICE officials involved in Operation Metro Surge from “using pepper-spray or similar nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools against persons who are engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity.” The judge also prohibited federal agents from stopping vehicles following them, as long as those vehicles are maintaining a safe and “appropriate” distance.
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To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Justice Dept. launches criminal investigation of Minnesota governor - The Washington Post
The Justice Department is planning to issue subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation alleging that the two Democratic leaders are impeding federal law enforcement officers’ abilities to do their jobs in the state, two people familiar with the matter confirmed Friday.
The subpoenas, which are without recent precedent, escalate an already bitter political battle between the Trump administration and state officials following the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an immigration officer last week. That shooting happened amid a surge of federal immigration officers in the state ordered by President Donald Trump.
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New Evidence Reveals Renee Good Was Still Alive When ICE Blocked Medic | The New Republic
New records from emergency responders obtained by The New York Times show that Good was not breathing but had an irregular pulse when local medics arrived at the scene, and had no pulse by the time they removed her from her car. This comes after an initial video captured by bystanders showed ICE agents screaming at a medic who offered help as Good lay dying in her car.
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Large Crowds Expected For 'Hands Off Greenland' Protests - Barron's
Large demonstrations are planned across Denmark and Greenland on Saturday to protest against US President Donald Trump’s designs to take over the Arctic island.
Thousands of people have indicated on social media that they intend to take part in marches and rallies organised by Greenlandic associations in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense and the Greenlandic capital Nuuk.
“The aim is to send a clear and unified message of respect for Greenland’s democracy and fundamental human rights,” Uagut, an association of Greenlanders in Denmark, said on its website.
The protests follow Trump’s warning on Friday that he “may put a tariff” on countries that oppose his plans to take over Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
A highlight from today’s podcast
Plainclothes police and immunity?
ICYMI
The Dishcast
At the risk of hearing way more about my childhood and career than you want to know, check out my in-depth conversation with Andrew Sullivan in this week’s “Dishcast”.
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Also: I joined “The Bulletin” this week to discuss the DOJ investigation into Jerome Powell:
Saturday dogs
Very snowy day here in Wisconsin. Perfect for snow dogs.
Eli…
