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

Trump to Add New $100,000 Fee for H-1B Visas in Latest Crackdown

President Donald Trump is expected to sign a proclamation as soon as Friday that would move to extensively overhaul the H-1B visa program, requiring a $100,000 fee for applications in a bid to curb overuse, according to a White House official familiar with the matter. Trump is set to sign a proclamation Friday, requiring the payment and asserting that abuse of the H-1B pathway has displaced US workers. The proclamation restricts entry under the H-1B program unless accompanied by the payment, ad ...

BumRushDaShow

Pentagon Plots to Recruit Radicalized Charlie Kirk MAGA Fans

Updated Sep. 19 2025 7:38AM EDT Published Sep. 18 2025 7:48PM EDT The Pentagon is reportedly looking to recruit Charlie Kirk’s young fans into the military. The Defense Department is considering a new military recruitment campaign centered around the 31-year-old slain conservative activist, NBC News reported Thursday, citing two officials familiar with the planning. The officials said the proposal involved framing the recruitment campaign as a national call to service. Pentagon leaders have ...

riversedge

CDC advisers vote that patients must consult a health care provider for Covid-19 vaccination, but no prescription req

CDC advisers vote that patients must consult a health care provider for Covid-19 vaccination, but no prescription required By Brenda Goodman, Jamie Gumbrecht Updated 20 min ago Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously on Friday to shift away from a broad recommendation for Covid-19 vaccines to say that people who want one must consult with a health care provider, a process known as shared clinical decision-making. ................ The reco ...

BumRushDaShow

Soros cuts $10M check for California redistricting campaign

09/19/2025 11:33 AM EDT Progressive megadonor George Soros has given $10 million to boost Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting campaign as Democrats continue to raise huge sums from reliable allies. The donation from Soros, first reported by the New York Times, is the single largest for Proposition 50 to date. Labor unions, a national Democratic PAC, and wealthy liberals have together contributed well more than $30 million as Newsom and allies rush to persuade voters to approve new House maps ...

BumRushDaShow

Revealed: US law enforcement claimed emojis could signal Tren de Aragua affiliation

Fri 19 Sep 2025 07.30 EDT Last modified on Fri 19 Sep 2025 13.19 EDT US law enforcement officials have claimed that the use of certain emojis could signal affiliation with Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan gang, according to internal records reviewed by the Guardian. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the US army and other agencies have alleged in briefings, threat warnings and training materials for law enforcement that specific symbols used on s ...

bigtree

More Than a Dozen Elected Officials Arrested While Protesting Conditions at NYC Immigration Holding Facility

(Seattle Times) The officials — including the city’s fiscal watchdog and state lawmakers — were among 77 people detained during protests at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. The government building, home to immigration court, the FBI‘s New York field office and other federal offices, has become a hotbed of arrests and detention amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Eleven officials were arrested inside the building while attempting to inspect holding rooms on the 10th floor that are the subject of ongoing litigation alleging squalid conditions and overcrowding, according to a coalition of politicians, advocates and faith leaders involved in the protest.

bigtree

Trump says he is looking to send U.S. troops back into Afghanistan

(US News & World Report) U.S. President Donald Trump's goal of re-occupying Bagram air base in Afghanistan might end up looking like a re-invasion of the country, requiring more than 10,000 troops as well as deployment of advanced air defenses, current and former U.S. officials say. Trump, speaking to reporters on Thursday during a trip to London, said "we want that base back" and cited what he called its strategic location near China.

BumRushDaShow

Trump Expected to Fire US Attorney After Finding No Evidence Letitia James Committed Mortgage Fraud

(Mediaite) President Donald Trump is expected to fire U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert after Siebert’s office was unable to find sufficient evidence that New York Attorney General Letitia James committed mortgage fraud, ABC News reported on Thursday night. The president has reportedly been leaning on federal prosecutors to bring charges against James for alleged mortgage fraud. She has been accused of falsely claiming her house in Virginia as her primary residence despite being legally required to live in New York as an elected official there.

babylonsister

Republicans Sour on Direction of the Country

(Political Wire) AP-NORC poll: “The share of Republicans who see the country headed in the right direction has fallen sharply in recent months…Today, only about half in the GOP see the nation on the right course, down from 70% in June. The shift is even more glaring among Republican women and the party’s under-45 crowd ... Overall, about one-quarter of Americans say things in the country are headed in the right direction, down from about 4 in 10 in June. Democrats and independents didn’t shift meaningfully.”

BumRushDaShow

'Goons!' Legendary late-night comedian unleashes on Trump official over Kimmel suspension

(Raw Story) Former "Late Show" host David Letterman spoke at "The Atlantic's" Festival on Thursday morning, blasting the networks for caving into an authoritarian government. “We all see where this is going, correct? It’s managed media,” Letterman said of ABC's firing of Jimmy Kimmel. “You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian, a criminal administration in the Oval Office,” Letterman said. “That’s just not how this works.”

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Autocrats Move Quickly to Fill Void as Trump Retreats From U.N.

2 hrs ago - As President Trump pulls back U.S. funding of the United Nations, countries like China, Russia and Qatar are seeking to influence the body’s work on human rights and labor. "... The world once relied on American money and leadership to address g ... (NYT)

Bill to avert government shutdown stalls in Senate as Democrats demand talks

3 hrs ago - Congress headed out of Washington on Friday after spending legislation stalled in the Senate, leaving only two workdays to resolve a stalemate before a potential government shutdown would begin on Oct. 1. The House passed a Republican-backed measure ... (Washington Post)

AOC Defends Her Vote Against GOP Resolution by Going Scorched Earth: 'We Should Be Clear About Who Charlie Kirk Was'

4 hrs ago - Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took to the House floor Friday to explain why she voted “No” on the GOP-backed resolution honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk and condemning political violence. Kirk was assassinated while speaki ... (Mediaite)

U.S. Attorney Investigating Two Trump Foes Resigns After President Seeks to Oust Him

4 hrs ago - U.S. Attorney Investigating Two Trump Foes Resigns After President Seeks to Oust Him Erik S. Siebert had hit roadblocks investigating New York's attorney general, Letitia James, and the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey. The push to remove Erik S ... (New York Times)

Federal prosecutor tasked with investigating Trump adversary Letitia James resigns under pressure

5 hrs ago - President Donald Trump told reporters Friday afternoon that he wanted U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert "out." Sept. 19, 2025, 7:12 PM CDT By Ryan J. Reilly, Michael Kosnar and Zoë Richards The federal prosecutor in charge of pursuing mortgage fraud al ... (nbc)

House, Senate pass 'National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk' ahead of memorial service

5 hrs ago - Days before a memorial service for Charlie Kirk, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed a "National Day of Remembrance" for the conservative influencer after he was killed on Sept. 10. The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a resolu ... (ABC News)

Pentagon to limit journalists' access unless they agree not to publish certain information

5 hrs ago - Pentagon to limit journalists' access unless they agree not to publish certain information The unprecedented move is the strongest action yet in restricting how reporters cover the country's largest federal agency. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spea ... (Politico)

Trump announces another lethal strike on alleged drug-trafficking vessel in international waters

5 hrs ago - President Donald Trump on Friday announced another lethal military strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel that he said was affiliated with a designated terrorist organization. In a social media post, Trump said the strike targeted a vessel oper ... (CNN)

Trump administration places Harvard on heightened financial oversight

6 hrs ago - Sept. 19, 2025, 3:25 PM EDT The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday that it has placed Harvard University on heightened cash monitoring as a result of "growing concerns" regarding its "financial position," the latest pressure tactic against ... (NBC News)

Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner Slams Bob Iger Over Kimmel Suspension: 'Where Has All the Leadership Gone?

6 hrs ago - Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner slammed Bob Iger over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, asking Friday where the leaders who will stand up to the “bullies” and defend Americans’ right to freedom of speech have gone. “Where has all t ... (The Wrap)

Late night legend Conan O'Brien breaks silence on Jimmy Kimmel with rare political statement

7 hrs ago - Friday 19 September 2025 16:32 EDT Late-night TV legend Conan O'Brien has broken his usual silence on politics to speak out in defense of Jimmy Kimmel after his show was suspended following comments he made in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassin ... (The Independent)

Revealed: US law enforcement claimed emojis could signal Tren de Aragua affiliation

7 hrs ago - Fri 19 Sep 2025 07.30 EDT Last modified on Fri 19 Sep 2025 13.19 EDT US law enforcement officials have claimed that the use of certain emojis could signal affiliation with Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan gang, according to internal records reviewe ... (The Guardian)

Senate confirms former national security adviser Mike Waltz as Trump's UN ambassador

8 hrs ago - Sep 19, 2025 2:45 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Friday confirmed Mike Waltz to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, filling the last vacancy in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet after eight months of delays and the wi ... (PBS News/AP)

Israeli forces advance on Gaza City as displaced Palestinians panic

8 hrs ago - Israel’s military said it had expanded operations in Gaza City on Friday and bombarded Hamas infrastructure, while displaced Palestinians traumatised by the advance said they had no means to flee. “The situation is really bad. All night lon ... (Irish Times)

Pentagon Plots to Recruit Radicalized Charlie Kirk MAGA Fans

8 hrs ago - Updated Sep. 19 2025 7:38AM EDT Published Sep. 18 2025 7:48PM EDT The Pentagon is reportedly looking to recruit Charlie Kirk’s young fans into the military. The Defense Department is considering a new military recruitment campaign centered aro ... (Daily Beast)

Soros cuts $10M check for California redistricting campaign

9 hrs ago - 09/19/2025 11:33 AM EDT Progressive megadonor George Soros has given $10 million to boost Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting campaign as Democrats continue to raise huge sums from reliable allies. The donation from Soros, first reported by the Ne ... (Politico)

Josh Shapiro blasts RFK Jr., federal health officials; vows to protect vaccine access in Pa.

9 hrs ago - With the Trump Administration poised to order sweeping changes to long-standing scientific guidance on childhood vaccines, Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday reiterated his pledge to protect access to vaccines in the Commonwealth. Appearing as a guest in a ... (Penn Live)

Gov. Josh Shapiro says Trump's threats to revoke TV networks' licenses are an attempt to 'stifle dissent'

9 hrs ago - Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday accused the Trump administration of “trying to stifle dissent” after ABC removed late-night comedy host Jimmy Kimmel from the airwaves this week following comments from a federal regulator. “Wit ... (NBC News)

Saudi Arabia signs a mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan after Israel's attack on Qatar

9 hrs ago - Sept. 19, 2025, 5:48 AM EDT / Source: The Associated Press ISLAMABAD — Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a mutual defense pact that defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both — a key accord in the wake of Isr ... (NBC News/AP)

CDC advisers vote that patients must consult a health care provider for Covid-19 vaccination, but no prescription req

10 hrs ago - CDC advisers vote that patients must consult a health care provider for Covid-19 vaccination, but no prescription required By Brenda Goodman, Jamie Gumbrecht Updated 20 min ago Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ... (cnn)