Nick Schwellenbach

The lies are so blatant. It wasn’t “the Biden DOJ” “who told us about her.” Trump’s DOJ filed criminal charges against Maxwell in 2020:

www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr...

President Trump called into question the integrity of the Employment Situation report that the BLS released this morning. He accused BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer of deliberately reporting false numbers to reflect poorly on this administration. This baseless, damaging claim undermines the valuable work and dedication of BLS staff who produce the reports each month. This escalates the President’s unprecedented attacks on the independence and integrity of the federal statistical system. The President seeks to blame someone for unwelcome economic news. The Commissioner does not determine what the numbers are but simply reports on what the data show. The process of obtaining the numbers is decentralized by design to avoid opportunities for interference. The BLS uses the same proven, transparent, reliable process to produce estimates every month. Every month, BLS revises the prior two months’ employment estimates to reflect slower-arriving, more-accurate information. This rationale for firing Dr. McEntarfer is without merit and undermines the credibility of federal economic statistics that are a cornerstone of intelligent economic decision-making by businesses, families, and policymakers. U.S. official statistics are the gold standard globally. When leaders of other nations have politicized economic data, it has destroyed public trust in all official statistics and in government science. We call on Congress to respond immediately, to investigate the factors that led to Commissioner McEntarfer’s removal, to strongly urge the Commissioner’s continued service, and ensure that the nonpartisan integrity of the position is retained. The statement from the President undermines these tenets and politicizes data which cannot and should not be used for political points.

"...escalates the President’s unprecedented attacks on the independence & integrity of the federal statistical system.

"The president seeks to blame someone for unwelcome economic news.

"...firing Dr. McEntarfer is without merit & undermines the credibility of federal economic statistics..."

Israeli author David Grossman says his country is committing genocide in Gaza Writer says for many years he has refused to use word but now must ‘with immense pain and with a broken heart’

Grossman is one of the most important living Israeli writers.

His son died in the 2006 Lebanon war, 2 days after Grossman, AB Yehoshua & Amos Oz called for a ceasefire.

"Of course I am grieving, but my pain is greater than my anger," he said 4 mos later, calling for a Pal state.

This matters:

Trump Shoots the Messenger Firing the BLS Commissioner moves us into banana republic territory

Hard to explain this as anything but retaliatory given the timing (e.g. right after bad #s come out, not enough time to do fact-finding if there indeed was funny business inside BLS; btw BLS revised #s all the time)

donmoynihan.substack.com/p/trump-shoo...

As one former attorney wrote:

“It is impossible to ignore the perverse irony of the emailed letter I received from DHS/ICE today… pitching bonuses… for an employment shortage that can only be attributed to the administration’s unprecedented and retaliatory purge of career public servants.”

Federal Harms Tracker -Cost to Your Government A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.

Useful new tracker from the Partnership for Public Service that links cuts to federal jobs to impacts

"This rapid loss of institutional knowledge and operational capacity has already begun to affect how, and how well, the government functions."

ourpublicservice.org/federal-harm...

Private Prison Giant Hired ICE Detention Chief GEO Group hired a top ICE official — one of many over the years — as the company stands to profit from the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

This new Washington Post piece cites @pogo.org reporting by me & @ziembavision.bsky.social from January on others who've gone from ICE to GEO:

www.pogo.org/investigatio...

The former private prison exec behind ICE’s immigrant detention surge David Venturella, a veteran of private prison firm Geo Group, joined the Trump administration to help oversee an expansion of the immigrant detention system that’s benefiting his former employer.

A top GEO Group executive, ICE's #1 contractor, returns to a top position at ICE

A fantastic scoop on the revolving door by the Washington Post's Doug MacMillan & Aaron Schaffer

wapo.st/3HdeJGo

The federal government is paying more than 154,000 people not to work Early resignation offers and other programs have reduced the workforce, but critics say the moves are also wasting money.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Michelle Bercovici, an employment attorney who specializes in representing federal employees. “It seems so wasteful.”

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

In DC today through Thursday AM, get in touch if you want to meet up!

Former DOJ corruption prosecutor @amymarkopoulos.bsky.social and Just Security’s Director of Democracy Initiatives, @dschulkin.bsky.social, break down their new series, When Guardrails Erode—and unveil the interactive Anti-Corruption Tracker mapping how U.S. oversight systems are being dismantled.

In the Trump Administration, Watchdogs Are Watching Their Backs

A needed journalistic update to the state of the federal government's watchdogs... long story short: the state of the watchdogs is not good

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/17/u...

Revealed: Trump has launched as many air strikes in five months as Biden did in four years Despite pledging not to engage in conflict overseas, the US president has sharply escalated attacks

"Donald Trump has overseen nearly as many air strikes in the first five months of his second term as Joe Biden launched in his entire presidency..."

www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...

A thread about DOJ’s astoundingly misleading responses to the 27-page Reuveni letter (since backed with 150pp of corroborating texts/emails), alleging contempt-like conduct in 3 cases: JGG, Abrego, DVD.
Let’s examine DAG Todd Blanche’s & AG PamBondi’s responses. ...
1/9

ICE declares millions of undocumented immigrants ineligible for bond hearings A memo from ICE’s acting director instructs officers to hold immigrants who entered the country illegally “for the duration of their removal proceedings,” which can take months or years.

Simply put, this could massively expand the # of people held in ICE detention.

Gift link:

wapo.st/40e4rfK

I've been trying the FBI's #FOIA web portal since yesterday and I keep getting this screen

Fun times

#FOIA4eva

One of the victims, 21-year-old Sayfollah "Saif" Musallet, was visiting from the U.S. and was beaten to death, his family said in a statement. Israeli settlers prevented paramedics from reaching him and he died before reaching the hospital, they said.

A 21-year-old American was beaten to death by Israeli settlers
while he was visiting family in the West Bank.

The settlers blocked paramedics from helping.

www.haaretz.com/middle-east-...

Our staff is on the ground supporting families. Many workers-including US citizens, were held by federal authorities at the farm for 8 hours or more. US citizen workers report only being released after they were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones. 4/

Man on life support from injury during immigration raid in Ventura County, family says A man is on life support after he was injured during an immigration raid at an agricultural area of Camarillo on Thursday, according to a family member.

Hearing from UFW spokesperson just now that this man has died.

Justice Dept. Whistle-Blower Warns of Trump Administration’s Assault on the Law

Justice Dept. Whistle-Blower Warns of Trump Administration’s Assault on the Law www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/u...

Los Angeles Times wins July Sidney for impactful coverage of ICE raids The staff of the Los Angeles Times win the July Sidney Award for the paper’s coverage of federal immigration raids. Los Angeles is the current epicenter of the Trump administration’s sweeping immigrat...

The staff of the @latimes.com wins the July Sidney for their impactful coverage of the ICE raids.

Ted Cruz ensured Trump spending bill slashed weather forecasting funding Senator on vacation abroad while Texas was hit by deadly floods, a disaster worsened by forecasting cuts, critics say

"before his Grecian holiday, Cruz ensured a reduction in funding to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (Noaa) efforts to improve future weather forecasting...."

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Albuquerque, NM - a man was filmed being tazed in a Walmart by
unidentified people wearing ICE and
HSI vests.

200 Marines deploy to Florida as Pentagon approves more support to ICE The Marines will be assigned tasks related to transportation, logistics and administrative functions. They're not authorized to make arrests.

More domestic military deployments… 200 Marines deploy to Florida as Pentagon approves more support to ICE

www.defensenews.com/news/pentago...

Declaration of Independence: A Transcription Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling a...

The Declaration of Independence, signed this day 249 years ago, is always worth a read. But on this July 4th, it seems particularly resonant.

The full text:

www.archives.gov/founding-doc...

Republicans Are Cutting Medicare. Not Only Medicaid, Medicare. Passage of the Big Beautiful Bill will force mandatory sequestration that will mean half a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts.

Hakeem Jeffries is still speaking but eventually Republicans are going to pass their megabill.
And it hasn't been discussed much, but that is going to force $500 billion in cuts to Medicare. Not just Medicaid. Medicare.
Here's why:
prospect.org/politics/202...

Trump’s Budget Just Passed the Senate. Brace for a Massive Increase in ICE Raids. The budget gives $175 billion to immigration enforcement. “The orders of magnitude are going to be multiplied,” immigration experts say.

The budget gives $175 billion to immigration enforcement. “The orders of magnitude are going to be multiplied,” immigration experts say.

theintercept.com/2025/07/01/t...

🔔 Join us for a conversation about protests and press freedom in Los Angeles, featuring @adamrose.bsky.social‬, @bencamach0.bsky.social, @acatwithnews.bsky.social, @tinadesireeberg.com, and FPF's Caitlin Vogus.

🕒 Wednesday, July 9, 3 p.m. EDT/12 p.m. PDT

RSVP: freedom.press/reporting-un...

Case 8:25-cv-00951-PX Document 211 Filed 07/02/25 Page 2 of 5 3. The proposed Amended Complaint details the Government's defiance of court orders after this Court granted preliminary injunctive relief. The Amended Complaint includes allegations that the Government made decisions to defy judicial mandates. These allegations are new to the Complaint, but have been cited in various filings in this Court as the case has developed. They are directly relevant to Plaintiffs' constitutional claims and outstanding requests for declaratory and prospective injunctive relief. 4. Plaintiffs also seek to incorporate evidence that emerged in a June 2025 whistleblower disclosure from former DOJ official Erez Reuveni, who was previously counsel for the Government in this case. The new allegations include government officials internally acknowledging that Abrego Garcia's removal was an "administrative error" while simultaneously working to prevent his return and to make post-hoc justifications. These revelations provide evidence of deliberate misconduct that was unavailable when the original Complaint was filed and directly support Plaintiffs' claims. 5. The proposed Amended Complaint also Includes Abrego Garcia's first-hand account of torture and mistreatment at CECOT, as well as developments regarding his return to the United States and the Government's stated plan to remove him again. These allegations identify the severe harm actually suffered and the threat of repeated unlawful removal that supports Plaintiffs' request for prospective injunctive relief. The inclusion of these facts, which could not have been pleaded at the time of the original filing, is essential to present a complete picture of the violations and ensure adequate relief. 6. Plaintiffs also propose to clarify that the relief sought includes restoring the status quo ante, which requires (among other things) the Government to return Abrego Garcia to 2

NEW: Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s lawyers seek permission to file an amended complaint in his civil case in Maryland.

Among other things, the amended complaint “includes Abrego Garcia's first-hand account of torture and mistreatment at CECOT…”