"Velshi" on MS NOW

Watchdog: Military commanders accused of framing Iran war in religious terms A nonprofit military watchdog says it has received hundreds of complaints from U.S. service members alleging their commanders invoked Christian prophecy and other religious rhetoric to frame the U.S. ...

A military watchdog says it received hundreds of complaints from service members alleging commanders invoked religious rhetoric to frame the U.S. war on Iran. Army Col. Jack Jacobs (Ret.) warns,“To the extent that you turn it into a religious war, you almost guarantee your own defeat.” #Velshi

The legacy & lessons of the 1964 Freedom Summer. And what we can learn from it As the Trump administration clamps down on civil rights and Americans push back with protests like “No Kings,” there’s value in reflecting on the Freedom Riders of the 1960s and how their movement suc...

In order to move ahead, sometimes it’s helpful to look back. The Freedom Riders showed how a painstaking movement can evolve and succeed. @brotherjones.bsky.social says now “it’s upon us to pick up that torch and say the Civil Rights Movement is not just in the history books.” #Velshi

Please join me @velshimsnow.bsky.social 10a-1p w/
@vanhollen.senate.gov
@doggett.house.gov
@suzannemaloney.bsky.social
@brotherjones.bsky.social
Col. Jack Jacobs
@byjacobward.bsky.social
Nastya Shpot
@jenrubin.bsky.social
@levparnas.bsky.social
@raskin.house.gov
#Velshi

Tim Snyder: ‘A democracy means the people rule’ Protests do more than fill the streets - they help to shape how institutions behave. The recent demonstrations against Trump’s policies inform judges, pressure lawmakers, and send signals throughout the political system. According to historian Tim Snyder, the scale of these protests, and the moral clarity behind them, can influence how institutions act. “A democracy means the people rule”, says Snyder.

Noem’s firing is proof that protests don’t just fill the streets, they can shape how institutions behave. And judges, lawmakers, and even Trump’s allies seem to be getting the message. Historian @timothysnyder.bsky.social adds, “a democracy means the people rule.” #Velshi

Public pressure brought down Kristi Noem – and it’s cracking Trump’s veneer of invincibility Kristi Noem’s abrupt firing from DHS reflects mounting public pressure across the country. Millions of Americans are protesting, voting in record numbers, and demanding answers, while lawmakers from both parties begin to push back. In other words, democracy is reasserting itself and growing pushback is forcing accountability at the highest levels of government– signaling a potential turning point in American politics.

Kristi Noem is out.

That’s no coincidence. It’s democracy pushing back, and it marks an inflection point. We've seen the evidence: Record protests, record voter turnout this week, and bipartisan pressure.

Democracy is reasserting itself– and cracking open Trump’s veneer of impunity. #velshi

‘Mass disenfranchisement’: The Slow, Methodical Attacks on Voting Ahead of Midterms In Dallas County on election night, mass confusion caused by a sudden rule change sent hundreds of voters to the wrong polling places. This is what modern voter suppression can look like: not always dramatic, but just confusing and discouraging enough to stop people from casting their ballot. Mother Jones’ Ari Berman weighs in “when you change laws and when you make voting more difficult right before an election, without giving people time to prepare, it can lead to the kind of mass disenfranchisement we saw in Dallas on Tuesday.”

Mass confusion unfolded at polling centers in Dallas County on primary night. That confusion was manufactured. It renewed fears of voter suppression ahead of the midterms. ProPublica's @dougbockclark.bsky.social warns "last minute changes to election laws can disenfranchise a lot of people." #Velshi

Jon Meacham: 'The Constitution was written for moments like this' Pulitzer-prize winning historian Jon Meacham’s new book reminds us that safeguarding American democracy has always been a constant struggle. “The Constitution was written for moments like this,” says Meacham, moments he calls “a moral crisis.”

Between a new war of choice, federal agents killing protesters, & an administration eviscerating institutions, American democracy is being tested. Historian Jon Meacham reminds us that "the republic has always been fragile.” Americans have long known despair is not the answer, action is. #Velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘The Man in the High Castle’ by Philip K. Dick “The Man in the High Castle” explores the sort of “what if” question that plagues the imagination of anyone who has ever thought critically about our history books, our involvement in war, our past, and what it all might mean for our present. “It allows you to think ‘what if I'm reading the present wrong? What if we did lose to fascism?’” notes author Jonathan Lethem. “I don’t think it has ever failed to be relevant.”

"The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick asks what humanity, morality and creativity look like in the face of evil. "He’s asking you to experience a kind of vertigo," says author Jonathan Lethem. "It allows you to think 'what if I'm reading the present wrong?'" #VelshiBannedBookClub #Velshi

Trump’s changing rhetoric on Iran over the years President Trump says the United States is at "war" with Iran. Ali Velshi lays out the timeline of President Trump’s history with Iran, starting 14 years ago.

The United States & Israel have launched what President Trump has called a "war" against Iran. But to better understand how we got here, let’s go back 14 years. #Velshi

What an Iranian regime change could mean for the world For more than two centuries, the United States has - at times - tried to remove foreign governments and replace them with something else. Sometimes overtly, through invasion. Sometimes covertly, through intelligence operations. Sometimes through economic pressure and political engineering. Ali Velshi examines how that has worked out in the past, and what we can expect in Iran. 

Throughout history, the United States has - at times - tried to remove foreign governments and replace them with something else. Here’s how that’s worked out in the past, and what we can expect now in Iran. #Velshi

Understanding America’s complicated relationship with Iran Americans and Iranians remember the same history very differently. Americans remember the moment Iran turned against them and Iranians remember the moment they believe democracy was taken from them. W...

Americans and Iranians remember the same history very differently. When two countries cannot agree on how a conflict began, they cannot agree on how it might end. #Velshi

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@ms.now’s @velshi.com is here to discuss the state of our union, voter participation, the Canadian-US divide and so much more. New pod out now!

Opinion | Tonight, Trump will declare America strong. But here’s the real state of our union. Tonight, President Trump will declare America strong. He will point to the markets. He will cite growth. But that's not the whole truth.

www.ms.now/opinion/trum...

Judge Luttig: We must take back our country from Trump's 'war on the rule of law' Former U.S. Court of Appeals Judge J. Michael Luttig accuses President Trump of waging a “war on the rule of law." Nonetheless, Luttig is confident “Americans are going to answer the call" and take ba...

President Trump's "war on the rule of law" and "disrespect and disdain for the constitution" are "frightening," says @judgeluttig.bsky.social. But he is confident that "Americans are going to answer the call from our founders and ancestors to defend the United States of America." #Velshi

Trump and the GOP are pushing to restrict voting access while pushing election denial. @cmgreer.bsky.social says it's part of Trump's "wrecking ball to our democracy." @mawaldman.bsky.social says it aims "to exclude voters of color, to exclude younger voters, to exclude poorer voters." #Velshi

"This entire Trump project is about creating tiers of citizens." Author @peterbeinart.bsky.social and political commentator @rolandsmartin.bsky.social discuss the "ideologically-driven, white, right-wing Christian nationalism" taking hold of many circles within the Republican party. #Velshi

“E pluribus unum,” Latin for, “out of many, one," reminds Americans of different backgrounds and beliefs that they can coexist and come together for a common good. The Christian nationalist ideology taking hold among many Republicans opposes the pluralism on which this country was founded.

Mayors in NYC, LA, & more are moving to limit ICE activity on city property, creating “ICE-free zones” and even pledging to prosecute ICE agents if laws are broken. Philly DA @dalarrykrasner.bsky.social says, “we have to do our job when the Feds don't.” #Velshi

When courts check executive power, that’s not "activism" or “rogue judges," it’s constitutional accountability. Slate’s @mjsdc.bsky.social says “the American people want an independent judiciary." Former Federal Judge @ngertner.bsky.social adds, Trump is “the rogue here, not the judges.” #Velshi

Federal judges across the country are pushing back on the Trump administration’s deportation agenda and repeated court order violations. From New Jersey to California, the message is clear: this isn’t judicial activism, it’s the rule of law doing its job. #Velshi

Judge Luttig: We must take back our country from Trump's 'war on the rule of law' Former U.S. Court of Appeals Judge J. Michael Luttig accuses President Trump of waging a “war on the rule of law." Nonetheless, Luttig is confident “Americans are going to answer the call" and take back their country by expressing their constitutional right to dissent.

President Trump's "war on the rule of law" and "disrespect and disdain for the constitution" are "frightening," says @judgeluttig.bsky.social. But he is confident that "Americans are going to answer the call from our founders and ancestors to defend the United States of America." #Velshi

‘A real tragedy’: Woman dies after being denied health care because she was pregnant A pregnant woman who was not seeking an abortion, was denied health care for her heart condition because she was pregnant and doctors did not want to risk harming the pregnancy. She died as a result. Her name was Ciji Graham and Pro Publica journalist Lizzie Presser reported on her story. “I think one of the things that's really disturbing in her medical records is that neither of the cardiologists that Graham saw spoke to her about her pregnancy and the risks of continuing it without getting the heart care that she needed,” she said. “And that silence around pregnancy, and its risks, that's being normalized by these bans is deeply, deeply concerning.” Georgetown law professor Michele Goodwin emphasizes that this is one of many tragedies that have taken place as a result of abortion bans. “We have these reproductive health care deserts throughout the United States, and we see the kind of suffering that's being reported, and then so much more that doesn't end up getting reported, that just simply gets lost in the mix of things,” she said. “And that's the real tragedy.”

“That silence around pregnancy, and its risks, that's being normalized by these [abortion] bans is deeply, deeply concerning,” said Pro Publica reporter Lizzie Presser. @michelebgoodwin.bsky.social adds, “It's really horrific what we see coming out of Dobbs.” #velshi

How Trump's freezing of infrastructure projects hurts the nation: 'This is not helping anybody' President Trump threatens to block the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge between the U.S. and Canada. Mitch Landrieu, former Infrastructure Coordinator in the Biden administration, says the threats show the president’s “corruption, incompetence, and cruelty.” Former Export-Import Bank of the United States chairman Fred Hochberg says, “Infrastructure takes steadiness, resolve, a lot of money, and it makes all of us more productive.”

Trump is threatening infrastructure projects to punish his political rivals. Fred Hochberg says that investing in infrastructure "makes us all more productive." @mitch-landrieu.bsky.social adds that Trump's threats "cost everybody in America, no matter where they live." #Velshi

‘Particularly capricious’: Doctor weighs in on undermining of mRNA technology The FDA’s decision not to review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine application “seems to be a way to discourage bringing these types of technologies to the market,” said Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an Infectious Diseases Physician. This is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration that has undermined mRNA research.

The FDA’s decision not to review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine application “seems to be a way to discourage bringing these types of technologies to the market,” says @bhadeliamd.bsky.social. #Velshi

‘The U.S. is now Trumpistan’: Prof. Stanley on Trump’s cult of personality Donald Trump is walking in the footsteps of past autocrats by naming government buildings and initiatives after himself. Jason Stanley says Trump’s “self-aggrandizing” actions turn the United States into a “cheap vehicle” for his family.

“The U.S. is now Trumpistan,” if you buy into the signs outside the Kennedy Center or the U.S. Institute of Peace, says Jason Stanley. The philosophy professor argues Trump’s self-naming obsession amounts to a “national humiliation.” #Velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us’ by Jennifer Finney Boylan Author Jennifer Finney Boylan’s remarkable life has been examined across five memoirs through humor, well-placed anecdotes, and pitch-perfect detail. Her latest memoir, "Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us", explores the transgender experience, but also love, family, and the ever-constant of change.

@jennyboylan.bsky.social’s body of work has always been a masterclass in empathy and understanding. And today? In the midst of so much division? “None of us is any one thing,” she reminds us. #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

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Seeking admission: How a federal appeals court in Texas decision supercharged ICE The Trump-aligned Fifth Circuit Court in Texas just handed the Trump administration broad authority to lock up scores of detained immigrants, provided it can get them to Texas, Louisiana, or Mississippi. As legal challenges to their detention soar, the Trump administration has begun transferring arrests from Minnesota and other places to Texas, where their challenges can be heard by courts that are friendlier to the White House. While federal law dictates that migrants detained inside the country may be released while their cases work their way through courts, Vox's Senior correspondent, Ian Millhiser, says, "Trump has started to apply the rules that apply to people at the border to every immigrant in the country."

Federal law limits how long minors can be held in ICE custody to 20 days. New reporting by ProPublica found hundreds of children detained for a month or more. Vox's @imillhiser.bsky.social notes, "Whatever the law says, it only matters if you have good courts that are able to enforce the law."

Inside Dilley: The Texas Town at the Center of Trump’s Family Detention Surge Dilley, Texas calls itself “A slice of the good life,” but for hundreds of detained families, life there looks very different. Letters written by detained children and shared with ProPublica paint a harrowing picture of life inside the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Ali breaks down the Trump administration's new strategy of quickly transferring migrants to Texas, where appeals are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, a court widely seen as favorable to the administration’s immigration agenda.

Dilley, Texas calls itself “a slice of the good life.” It's also home to one of the nation’s largest family immigration detention centers. Children describe fear, illness, and uncertainty as detentions surge. Ali breaks down how this small town became central to his deportation push. #Velshi

A ‘deadly’ move: The EPA repeals landmark climate finding The Trump administration is repealing the EPA’s Endangerment Finding, the legal basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions. “Of all of Trump's outrages - invading Greenland, putting tariffs on us, you know, election tampering - of all the outrages, I think this actually might be the most consequential because it leads to more deaths,” said Jay Inslee, the fmr. governor of Washington and longtime climate activist. “This is personally deadly for Americans...there is a legal obligation to rein in these pollutants when you find there's a danger to health.”

“This is personally deadly for Americans," said @govjayinslee.bsky.social about the Trump administration’s move to repeal a key climate change finding which serves as a basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions #velshi

DHS is using administrative subpoenas to retaliate against dissenters The Department of Homeland Security is using a little-known legal weapon, targeting dissenters with administrative subpoenas. MSNOW Legal Analyst Melissa Murray says the Trump administration isn’t using them “to fight crime or enhance public safety, but to minimize public dissent.” Tech reporter Joseph Menn warns, “This isn’t an isolated case.”

DHS ramps up its use of a secretive legal weapon, administrative subpoenas, which allow federal agencies to obtain your data without a judge’s order. Tech reporter @joemenn.bsky.social warns, “We are so awash in data now that an immense amount can be compiled without you ever knowing.” #Velshi