Democratic Underground: Forums for U.S. Liberals and Democrats

Johnson told White House that GOP isn't interested in extending ACA subsidies

(CBS News) Speaker Mike Johnson has told the White House that most House Republicans have little interest in extending the Affordable Care Act's enhanced subsidies, sources familiar with the conversation told CBS News. Johnson delivered the message in a phone call with senior administration officials as President Trump's advisers were drafting a plan to continue the subsidies for an additional two years. That plan that was initially expected to emerge this week.

mahatmakanejeeves

Kristi Noem made call to hand over deported men to El Salvador, DOJ says

(Politico) The Justice Department acknowledged Tuesday that it was Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem who decided to proceed with the deportation of 100 Venezuelan men to a notorious prison in El Salvador despite a judge’s order to keep them in U.S. custody. The disclosure came in response to demands by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg that the administration identify the officials involved in authorizing an unprecedented deportation operation in March that sent the men to a prison known for abusive treatment.

demmiblue

Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump

(Bloomberg) US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Vladimir Putin should raise it with Donald Trump. In an Oct. 14 phone call that lasted a little over five minutes, Witkoff advised Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy aide, on how the Russian leader should broach the issue with Trump. His guidance included suggestions on setting up a Trump-Putin call before Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s White House visit later that week and using the Gaza agreement as a way in.

BumRushDaShow

US justice department memo about boat strikes diverges from Trump narrative

(The Guardian) The Trump administration is framing its boat strikes against drug cartels in the Caribbean in part as a collective self-defense effort on behalf of US allies in the region, according to three people directly familiar with the administration’s internal legal argument. The legal analysis rests on a premise – for which there is no immediate public evidence – that the cartels are waging armed violence against the security forces of allies like Mexico, and that the violence is financed by cocaine shipments.

BumRushDaShow

Murkowski defends lawmakers over FBI probe into military video

(KTUU-TV Anchorage) Alaska’s Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is defending Democratic lawmakers now under FBI and Pentagon investigation for appearing in a social media video that urged U.S. troops to refuse illegal orders from their commanders. “Senator Kelly valiantly served our country as an aviator in the U.S. Navy before later completing four space shuttle missions as a NASA astronaut,” Murkowski said in a statement. “To accuse him and other lawmakers of treason and sedition for rightfully pointing out that servicemembers can refuse illegal orders is reckless and flat-out wrong. The Department of Defense and FBI surely have more important priorities than this frivolous investigation.”

KS Toronado

Wednesday Condensed News Cartoons

BumRushDaShow

'Find the votes': Trump threatens to primary Republicans who don't support election scheme

(Raw Story) President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday that he would not support Republicans who refuse to go along with his election scheme during the 2026 midterm. One of the ways Trump is seeking to sway the 2026 midterm in his favor is by pressuring state legislatures to undergo mid-cycle redistricting, which allows them to redraw their congressional maps. The Texas legislature was the first to redraw its maps, which sparked backlash from Democratic-controlled states like California and Maryland.

RandySF

Karoline Leavitt's Family Member Captured By ICE Goons

(Daily Beast) White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been personally linked to the brutal ICE raids sweeping America. Her 11-year-old nephew’s mother, Bruna Ferreira, is now in custody at an ICE facility at Louisiana, facing deportation to Brazil. Michael Leavitt, the press secretary’s New Hampshire-based brother, had a relationship with Ferreira, resulting in the birth of son Michael Leavitt Jnr.

BumRushDaShow

Anti-fascist groups named as US terror threats 'barely exist', experts say

(The Guardian) Experts have told the Guardian the same anti-fascist groups the US state department recently named as foreign terrorist organizations and accused of “conspiring to undermine foundations of western civilization” barely qualify as groups, let alone terrorist organizations, and pose no active threat to Americans. “The whole thing is a bit ridiculous,” said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, which tracks extremist movements worldwide, “because the groups designated by the administration barely exist and certainly aren’t terrorists.”

mahatmakanejeeves

Trump wants a bigger White House ballroom. His architect disagrees.

(Washington Post) President Donald Trump has argued with the architect he handpicked to design a White House ballroom over the size of the project, reflecting a conflict between architectural norms and Trump's grandiose aesthetic, according to four people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal conversations. Trump's desire to go big with the project has put him at odds with architect James McCrery II, the people said, who has counseled restraint over concerns the planned 90,000-square-foot addition could dwarf the 55,000-square-foot mansion in violation of a general architectural rule: don't build an addition that overshadows the main building.

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Gabbard Team Entered Secret CIA Warehouse to Retrieve Kennedy Files: Report

25 min ago - Nov 25, 2025 at 09:44 PM EST Officials working for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard turned up unannounced at a secret CIA records warehouse in early April and forced the transfer of thousands of classified files on the Kennedy assassin ... (Newsweek)

At least 13 dead after fire engulfs residential tower blocks in Hong Kong

37 min ago - At least 13 people have died after fire engulfed several high-rise towers of a residential complex in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district, with thick grey smoke billowing out as emergency services tackled the blaze. Police said several people r ... (The Guardian)

Wisconsin Supreme Court says 3-judge panels must decide US House redistricting cases

58 min ago - Published 1 minute ago on November 26, 2025 MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a pair of three-judge panels to hear two lawsuits that argue the battleground state’s U.S. House maps must be redrawn because th ... (WIZM La Crosse, WI/AP)

Kristi Noem made call to hand over deported men to El Salvador, DOJ says

1 hr ago - Kristi Noem made call to hand over deported men to El Salvador, DOJ says The disclosure adds a wrinkle to the murky timeline surrounding the unprecedented deportation effort. As prisoners stand looking out from a cell, Homeland Security Secretary Kri ... (Politico)

U.S. Army secretary warned Ukraine of imminent defeat while pushing initial peace plan

1 hr ago - Nov. 25, 2025, 8:34 PM EST In a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv last week, U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll delivered a grim assessment. Driscoll told his counterparts their troops faced a dire situation on the battlefield and would suffer ... (NBC News)

Trump wants a bigger White House ballroom. His architect disagrees.

1 hr ago - WP Exclusive Trump wants a bigger White House ballroom. His architect disagrees. The president and James McCrery had argued in recent weeks over the project's size, with Trump pushing him to expand the ballroom. Today at 5:00 a.m. EST 6 min By Jonath ... (Washington Post)

Murkowski defends lawmakers over FBI probe into military video

2 hrs ago - Published: Nov. 25, 2025 at 7:40 PM EST|Updated: 11 hours ago ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Alaska’s Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is defending Democratic lawmakers now under FBI and Pentagon investigation for appearing in a social media video tha ... (KTUU-TV Anchorage, AK)

Taiwan announces special budget of $40 billion for arms purchases to bolster defense

2 hrs ago - Updated 10:30 PM CST, November 25, 2025 TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said Wednesday he will put forth a special $40 billion budget for arms purchases, including to build a Taiwan Dome, an air defense system with hig ... (AP)

20 states sue HUD over 'chaos' in program supporting homeless

2 hrs ago - 11/25/25 7:09 PM ET Democratic officials in 20 states and Washington, D.C., sued the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Tuesday, alleging that its recent changes to the Continuum of Care (COC) housing program have thrown it into ... (The Hill)

US justice department memo about boat strikes diverges from Trump narrative

3 hrs ago - Tue 25 Nov 2025 18.45 EST Last modified on Tue 25 Nov 2025 18.46 EST The Trump administration is framing its boat strikes against drug cartels in the Caribbean in part as a collective self-defense effort on behalf of US allies in the region, accordin ... (The Guardian)

Michelle Obama Is Sad At What Donald Trump's East Wing Demolition Symbolizes

3 hrs ago - Tue, November 25, 2025 at 6:41 p.m. EST Former first lady Michelle Obama had harsh words to say about what President Donald Trump’srazing of the East Wing of the White House means for the country at large. Until Trump’s planned demolition b ... (Yahoo! News/Huff Post)

Mother of Karoline Leavitt's Nephew Arrested by ICE

3 hrs ago - Nov 26th, 2025, 12:07 am A woman with a connection to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been arrested as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Bruna Ferreira was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcemen ... (MEDIAite)

US judge orders Trump administration to provide bond hearings to detained migrants

4 hrs ago - November 25, 2025 5:59 PM EST Updated 11 hours ago Nov 25 - A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that President Donald Trump's administration cannot impose mandatory detention on thousands of migrants held by U.S. immigration authorities without first gi ... (Reuters)

Toy inventor Burt Meyer, who dreamed up Lite-Brite and Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, dies age 99

4 hrs ago - 12h Burt Meyer, who invented toys like Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, Lite-Brite and MouseTrap in the 1960s that delighted generations of children, has died. He was 99. Meyer’s creations arrived in the postwar boom, when plastic molding and ... (msn/AP)

Oklahoma Supreme Court tosses Bible lawsuit after education leader declines to enforce mandate

4 hrs ago - 12 hrs ago OKLAHOMA CITY — Saying the issue is now moot, Oklahoma’s highest court dismissed a lawsuit challenging a requirement that public schools keep Bibles in classrooms and teach from them. In a 6-2 decision, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ... (The Express-Star/Chickasha, OK)

Trump and Patel issue instant response after report claiming the president was going to fire FBI director

5 hrs ago - Tuesday 25 November 2025 16:53 EST The White House quickly refuted a report that President Donald Trump is considering removing FBI Director Kash Patel from his post amid recent controversies — with a spokesperson describing it as “fake new ... (The Independent)

Civil rights groups sue to stop DOJ from closing office tasked with preventing unrest in cities

5 hrs ago - Updated on: November 25, 2025 / 4:26 PM EST A group of civil rights organizations is seeking an order to prevent the closure of a Justice Department office dedicated to preventing unrest and violence in U.S. cities. The groups are suing for a prelim ... (CBS News)

Texas Public Schools Are Being Sued For Not Displaying The 10 Commandments

5 hrs ago - Nov 25, 2025, 04:15 PM EST | Updated 3 hours ago The long battle over injecting Christianity into public schools is escalating in Texas, as state Attorney General Ken Paxton pursues lawsuits against schools that have refused to comply with a state la ... (Huff Post)

'Find the votes': Trump threatens to primary Republicans who don't support election scheme

6 hrs ago - November 25, 2025 3:34PM ET President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday that he would not support Republicans who refuse to go along with his election scheme during the 2026 midterm. One of the ways Trump is seeking to sway the 2026 midterm in his f ... (Raw Story)

Controversial Louisiana surgeon general tapped for CDC leadership role

6 hrs ago - Nov. 25, 2025, 12:57 PM EST / Updated Nov. 25, 2025, 3:24 PM EST Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham — a vocal supporter of the "Make America Healthy Again" movement and a harsh critic of Covid shots — has been named principal deputy di ... (NBC News)