Category: Intolerance

Trump DOJ Investigates MLB Over Pride Night Bible Verse Cap Policy

The Trump administration’s Justice Department has opened an investigation into Major League Baseball following the organization’s reprimand of San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their caps during the team’s Pride Night event on June 12. Giants players Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker added religious messages to their uniforms, with Roupp inscribing “Gen 9:12-16,” a Genesis passage frequently invoked by those opposing LGBTQ rights. MLB issued a routine warning that modifying caps violates league uniform policy, clarifying the concern was the physical alteration of equipment rather than the message content.

Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for Civil Rights, escalated the matter by sending a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred warning that the league had been referred to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Dhillon framed the players’ actions as religious expression, claiming MLB’s Pride-themed uniform requirements constituted unlawful religious discrimination under federal law. “The three players expressed their opposition to MLB’s pro-Pride orthodoxy,” Dhillon wrote, arguing that employers must accommodate employees’ religious objections to uniform directives. The Justice Department characterized its involvement as part of the Trump administration’s stated commitment to combatting religious discrimination.

MLB’s response emphasized that the warning was procedurally routine and content-neutral. The league stated it has issued identical cautions for messages including “Dad,” “Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,” and family member names, establishing that the policy applies uniformly regardless of message type. The organization has not publicly responded to the federal investigation. EEOC chair Andrea Lucas confirmed the agency received Dhillon’s letter but stated the commission cannot confirm or deny the existence of any investigation absent court filings or public resolution, while reaffirming its commitment to protecting workers’ religious liberty.

Vice President JD Vance publicly supported the players, posting on X that “Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore,” signaling the administration’s opposition to MLB’s Pride initiatives. Roupp defended his actions to reporters, describing the biblical passage as reflecting religious faith rather than opposition to LGBTQ individuals, though the passage is commonly cited in arguments against LGBTQ rights. Los Angeles Dodgers players had similarly declined to wear Pride-themed caps days earlier, though their actions did not trigger formal league warnings.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/doj-mlb-pride-night-investigation-b2999392.html)

Two months after Hegseth’s regressive move, Air Force base faces major flu outbreak

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth eliminated the Pentagon’s mandatory flu vaccination requirement for service members in April 2026, reversing a longstanding military policy. Hegseth justified the change by invoking “medical autonomy,” despite the military’s historical practice of requiring up to 17 vaccinations depending on deployment location.

Less than two months after Hegseth’s policy reversal, a major flu outbreak sickened nearly 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, with one trainee in basic training dying after falling ill. The outbreak spread rapidly through a basic military training wing where recruits sleep in open bays and share communal dining facilities, creating ideal conditions for disease transmission.

Only approximately 40% of Air Force trainees at Lackland opted to receive the flu vaccine following Hegseth’s change, compared to the previous 100% compliance rate under the mandatory policy. In response to the outbreak, Lackland received an exception from Hegseth’s directive and reinstated the flu vaccine requirement for its recruits.

Military readiness has depended on disease prevention for centuries. General George Washington mandated smallpox inoculation for all troops in 1777, a decision that historian Craig Bruce Smith credited with saving countless lives and helping ensure American survival. The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer noted that disease has killed more soldiers throughout human history than any other cause.

Despite the outbreak at Lackland, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman stated the department stands by Hegseth’s decision to end the universal flu vaccine mandate across all military bases. The contradiction between revoking the policy and then reinstating it at a single base reveals the incoherence of an approach that prioritizes ideological framing over military health and operational readiness.



(Source: https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hegseth-vaccines-air-force-base-flu-outbreak?cid=sm_fb_maddow&fbclid=IwdGRjcAShbURleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeL1WX56j9Hl6vJjx4fJIoH6eujjAQJaCRwTXs_bVGbG2BkkjAtjSxmHL_Nsk_aem_S_8AggQzLGIGLQ18Eg7R2w)of an approach that prioritizes ideological framing over military health and operational readiness.

ICE Detains 500+ Babies, Toddlers Under Trump

Since Trump’s return to office in January 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained at least 500 babies and toddlers, with an average of 25 children aged 3 and under held in custody daily between January 2025 and March 2026. This represents a tenfold increase from the Biden administration, when fewer than three infants and toddlers were detained on an average day. The data comes from analysis by The Marshall Project and analysis of records obtained by the Deportation Data Project, a group of academics and lawyers tracking federal immigration detention.

Between Trump’s second inauguration and March 2026, ICE held at least 175 babies and toddlers for periods exceeding the federally mandated 20-day limit established by the 1997 Flores v. Reno settlement governing child detention conditions. During the final year of the Biden administration, no children aged 3 or younger were held beyond this 20-day threshold. Trump restarted family detention practices and reopened the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, the primary facility used to detain families with children, shortly after retaking office.

Parents report severe conditions inside facilities, including forced separation from spouses, inadequate nutrition, and substandard medical care. A 2-year-old named Kaleth stopped eating for 12 days after being separated from his father during incarceration; facility doctors attributed this to depression. A 1-year-old named Amir experienced developmental regression, stopped speaking beyond two words, and suffered from forced weaning off formula by facility staff. A 1-year-old named Amalia developed pneumonia, bronchitis, RSV, and COVID-19 while detained, with her oxygen levels dropping to dangerously low levels before she was transferred to an outside hospital. Parents described inadequate water quality, insufficient formula preparation water, lack of sleep aids, and all-night lighting that prevented children from sleeping.

Elora Mukherjee, a Columbia Law School professor who has represented more than 80 children and parents detained at Dilley in the past year, stated that nearly all recent clients complained about poor medical care. Marsha Griffin, a pediatrics professor and co-founder of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Immigrant Child and Family Health, described infancy and toddlerhood as “probably the most harmful time of their lives to have them in detention,” saying “our immigration system is breaking children.” Rahil Briggs, a psychologist at Zero to Three, noted that missed developmental windows in early childhood create cascading deficits that are harder to overcome later. A court filing from lawyers for detained children called ICE’s claims about facility conditions “fanciful.”

While some detained children including Kaleth, Amir, and Amalia have since been released and show signs of recovery, experts warn the long-term neurological and psychological damage from prolonged toxic stress and institutional abuse will persist across hundreds of infants and toddlers incarcerated during this period. Trump’s DHS has systematically removed safeguards that previously protected migrant children, creating conditions that developmental experts describe as profoundly damaging during the most critical window for human brain development.



(Source: https://www.ms.now/news/trump-ice-detention-dilley-kids-immigration)

Trump Files 52 Denaturalization Cases, Double Biden’s Four-Year Total

The Trump administration has filed 52 civil complaints to denaturalize naturalized citizens since taking office in 2025, more than double the 24 complaints filed during President Biden’s entire four-year term. The Justice Department announced Monday that it is moving to strip 17 naturalized individuals of their citizenship after they were convicted of crimes including sex offenses and drug dealing, framing the action as enforcing a “zero-tolerance policy” for what officials describe as abuse of the naturalization process.

To denaturalize a citizen not born in the U.S., the Justice Department must file a court notice and prove the individual misled the government by failing to disclose prior crimes during citizenship proceedings. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that “criminal aliens” who exploit naturalization by breaking the law face consequences, characterizing gaining U.S. citizenship as a privilege that can be forfeited through dishonesty in immigration proceedings. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin declared the administration would “use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens” who he claimed have “exploited our generosity and gamed our immigration system.”

The acceleration in denaturalization cases reflects a significant shift in enforcement priorities, with the Trump administration pursuing citizenship revocation at a pace substantially exceeding the previous administration. The cases involve individuals convicted of crimes ranging from sexual offenses to drug trafficking, each requiring separate court filings and proof of fraud in the naturalization process. The administration has extended its focus toward people who have already become legal citizens, targeting those deemed to have misrepresented their backgrounds.

Officials have repeatedly warned that naturalized citizens who commit crimes could face denaturalization proceedings, establishing the administration’s intent to use citizenship status as a consequential penalty alongside criminal conviction. The Justice Department’s stated rationale emphasizes protecting American citizens from what it characterizes as criminals who obtained citizenship through deception, though the dramatic increase in filings signals an expanded interpretation of what constitutes grounds for revocation. The timeline for individual cases remains dependent on particular courts handling the denaturalization notices.(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-moved-denaturalize-citizens-entire-biden-admin/story?id=133690815)

Trump Admits Inventing Black Jobless Record Low Claim

President Donald Trump claimed at a Wisconsin event on June 5, 2026, that Black unemployment had reached record lows, then immediately acknowledged he did not know where the statistic originated. Federal data contradicts the claim: the Black unemployment rate stood at 6.6% in May 2026, higher than the 6.2% rate Trump inherited upon taking office in January 2025 and far above the actual record low of 4.8% set under President Joe Biden in April 2023. The claim represents another instance of Trump deploying fabricated statistics to misrepresent economic conditions.

Trump stated, “African American unemployment is now doing better than it’s ever done. And I don’t know where that stat came from, but I’ll take it.” The 6.6% May rate exceeded every monthly rate from March 2022 through December 2024 under Biden and remained above the 5.3% low set during Trump’s first term in 2019. Even the month-to-month improvement Trump referenced, a 0.7-percentage-point decline from April to May 2026, was not unprecedented; a 0.9-point decline occurred under Biden from March to April 2024.

Trump made multiple other false economic claims at the Wisconsin event without questioning their accuracy. He repeated the claim that “$18 trillion” is being invested in the country, a figure the White House’s own website contradicted by citing “$10.6 trillion” for “major investment announcements.” Trump asserted that “25 million” migrants entered the country under Biden; federal records documented under 11 million “encounters” during the Biden administration, with an estimated 2.2 million additional “gotaways” who evaded detection, making the figure nowhere near Trump’s number.

Trump also repeated the false claim that “the Biden administration had the worst inflation in the history of our country.” Peak Biden-era inflation reached 9.1% in June 2022, representing the highest rate in 40 to 41 years, not in U.S. history. The actual all-time high was 23.7% in 1920, and President Jimmy Carter’s peak inflation was 14.8% in 1980. Inflation had declined to 3% by January 2025, when Trump took office.

The White House did not respond to CNN’s requests for explanation of Trump’s Black unemployment claim sent Friday evening and Saturday morning. Trump’s pattern of advancing unverified or demonstrably false economic statistics while sometimes publicly questioning their origin reflects his consistent use of fabricated data to misrepresent his economic record and that of his predecessor.(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/06/politics/fact-check-trump-black-unemployment)

‘Some homework to do’: Trump appointees vote to address gaps in arch plan in heated meeting – ABC News

Trump’s National Capital Planning Commission, stacked with his appointees, voted Thursday to conditionally advance a 250-foot “triumphal arch” project near Arlington National Cemetery, but only after staff identified significant gaps requiring the administration to provide additional details before final approval. Commission Chair Will Scharf, Trump’s White House staff secretary, acknowledged the project team has “homework to do,” requesting more renderings and technical information on lighting, stormwater management, materials, and height justification under the Height of Buildings Act. Despite Trump immediately claiming approval on social media, Scharf clarified the vote was not final and will return for further review.

The commission received 1,696 public comments before the hearing, nearly all opposing the project as a vanity structure inconsistent with American values. Veterans including Gary Langston and Marine Jimi Shaughnessy testified that the arch would obstruct views of Arlington National Cemetery and cast literal and figurative shadows over sacred ground where their families rest. Langston warned the design contains “elements that I fear won’t stand the test of time,” while Shaughnessy called the 250-foot structure “a profound disruption and insult at the entrance to sacred ground” and “a momentous symbol of selfishness.”

Commission staff, though outnumbered by Trump loyalists, raised critical unresolved issues including pedestrian safety, potential interference with Reagan National Airport flight paths, and obstruction of cemetery views. Jamie Herr, the commission’s urban planner, stated the submission lacks essential information and noted the administration must provide “necessary elements for the commission to review as the design advances.” Jessica Bowron, representing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, supported the staff recommendations and pledged to provide the requested additional information.

The vote to accept staff concerns passed 9-1, with only Evan Cash, representing D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, voting no on grounds that the administration cannot answer the “fundamental question about why this project belongs in this place.” Cash’s dissent highlighted the threshold issue: whether Trump’s triumphal arch near Arlington serves any purpose beyond personal aggrandizement, part of a broader pattern of Trump spending millions to gild and renovate Washington monuments while bypassing normal oversight processes.(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/homework-trump-appointees-vote-address-gaps-arch-plan/story?id=133600719)

White House App Exposes Users to Data Theft Via Undisclosed Third Parties

The Trump White House's official app collects and shares user data with third-party vendors without proper disclosure, according to cybersecurity researchers who analyzed its code. The app's privacy manifest on Apple's App Store is blank despite the fact that it transmits IP addresses, time zones, device identifiers, and mobile carrier information to companies including OneSignal and Elfsight, a Russia-founded software vendor. Philip Fields, a cybersecurity researcher and former FBI intelligence analyst, stated that "having an amateur WordPress developer running the White House's public presence puts everybody who visits it at risk," especially while the U.S. is engaged in military conflict.

The app fails to meet federal security standards and bypasses established oversight mechanisms. Federal apps and websites are required to use certified cloud services such as FedRamp or GovCloud, which have been vetted and certified by Congress for security compliance. Instead, the White House contracted with 45Press, an Ohio-based WordPress development company with no disclosed mobile app experience, which was awarded over $1.4 million in February. The app lacks basic security protections including code obfuscation and certificate pinning, making its code and network traffic vulnerable to reverse engineering.

Data sharing with third parties violates the app's stated privacy disclosures to users. Apple's app store requires developers to declare all data collection in privacy manifests; the White House app's manifest is completely blank, falsely indicating no data collection occurs. Cybersecurity researcher Thereallo noted that "users downloading an official government app would reasonably expect their data to stay within the US government systems, not flow to commercial third-party platforms." OneSignal's chief marketing officer acknowledged the company collects functional data but stated it is Apple's responsibility to ensure developers disclose this collection accurately.

The White House defended the app's security practices, claiming third-party vendors underwent full IT review and that data sharing is "standard" for applications. However, Sen. Dick Durbin, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized the administration's cybersecurity failures, stating "in true Trump White House fashion, their lackluster app appears to pose a cybersecurity threat to its users," particularly as the administration simultaneously cuts funding from cybersecurity agencies. The app ranks as the third-most downloaded news app on Apple's App Store after its launch last week, with Trump promoting it as providing "front-row access" to his administration.

The White House has deployed four updates to the app within one week of its release, with developers attributing two updates to "minor bug fixes." Initial versions included inactive location-tracking permissions that were subsequently removed. Cybersecurity expert Adam Enger warned that state-sponsored attackers possess far more sophisticated analysis capabilities than independent researchers and are actively monitoring the app for vulnerabilities, stating "if I could find this by myself in an hour on Friday night, then how far along are our adversaries with this?"

(Source: https://www.notus.org/technology/trump-white-house-app-cybersecurity)

Pete Hegseth Blocks Black and Female Navy Officers from Getting Promotions: Report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked promotions for at least seven Navy officers in May 2026, including two women and two Black men, according to reporting by The New York Times on June 1. Three additional officers removed from the promotion list were white men. The blocking contradicts the stated composition of the Navy, where women comprise approximately 21% of active-duty personnel and about 38% identify as racial minorities, yet the May promotion list included no female officers and only two nonwhite officers.

Four current and former defense officials characterized Hegseth's actions as "highly unusual." This pattern aligns with reporting from NBC News in April, citing nine U.S. officials, that Hegseth blocked or delayed promotions across all military branches based on officers' "race, gender or perceived affiliation with [former President Joe] Biden administration policies or officials." In March, The New York Times documented Hegseth blocking promotions of two women Army officers and two Black Army officers to one-star general ranks.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell denied the report, calling The New York Times "race-baiting garbage" and claiming the outlet views "almost everything through the lens of race and gender over merit." Parnell stated that "military promotions are given to those who have earned them" and asserted the Department will never consider "the color of a service member's skin or their gender as a factor in promotions." These denials came despite the documented pattern of exclusions.

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith, a Democrat, directly attributed the removals to Hegseth's ideological targeting. Smith stated in April that Hegseth has "oust[ed] numerous decorated, knowledgeable, and well-respected U.S. military leaders" and "continue[s] to target others in the department who appear to pose a challenge to him personally or don't fit his world view rather than letting merit and competence determine promotions." Smith warned the actions "threaten the stability of our armed forces" and "erode the non-partisan role of the military."

Hegseth's removals form part of a broader pattern of institutional control consistent with efforts to restrict press access to Pentagon operations and consolidate loyalty within the defense apparatus. These personnel decisions demonstrate the use of military authority to enforce ideological conformity rather than merit-based advancement.

(Source: https://people.com/pete-hegseth-blocks-black-and-female-navy-officers-from-receiving-promotions-report-11988460?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=photo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=6a1e215499519100013f9925&fbclid=IwdGRjcASLs9JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeIbFKNfkDxLmkNcnnWrrCrZ2LoFJkdKXsd1PjTri2IF8qGLfzwfgr-Gk_ws0_aem_YSm1EWQnHrlm8PnYzAlpWQ)

Trump Budget Zeros Out 6,000 Homeless Veterans Housing

President Donald Trump allocated zero dollars in his $2.2 trillion fiscal 2027 budget proposal for a promised Los Angeles facility to house 6,000 homeless veterans, despite signing an executive order last year pledging completion by January 1, 2028. The proposed National Center for Warrior Independence was to be constructed on the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus, but Trump's budget included no funding for the housing project.

Trump's administration has required Department of Veterans Affairs officials and local advocates to sign nondisclosure agreements regarding the project, preventing transparency about planning and costs. During a May 13 House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, Republican Chairman Mike Bost demanded answers, stating "Transparency should be a priority, not an option," and Rep. Derrick Van Orden criticized the plan as incomplete, calling it "corruption." The VA delivered its plan to lawmakers eight months behind schedule and could not specify total project costs despite requesting $500 million as an initial payment.

VA officials claimed the department was "hard at work implementing" Trump's order and issued a request for proposals with a June 23 deadline to establish additional housing units. However, testimony revealed that housing capacity at the West LA center increased from 955 to 1,377 beds during Trump's second term, yet none of this growth resulted from his executive order. Trump has never explained the 6,000-veteran figure, which exceeds Los Angeles' total homeless veteran population by approximately double, prompting speculation about plans to relocate veterans from other regions.

Rep. Mark Takano raised concerns that VA staffing cuts have created insufficient personnel to support homeless veterans already at the West LA facility, let alone the promised 6,000 residents. Veterans who secured a federal court order for additional housing at the site have opposed the VA's plan to construct 800 tiny 8-by-8-foot homes there. Takano warned that inadequate support services could turn the property into "a vast West Side skid row," jeopardizing tenant safety and mental health.

In response to congressional criticism, the VA blamed "litigation inherited" by the Trump administration and promised monthly briefings. The department stated it was "reclaiming sections of the campus that had long been irresponsibly leased" to private companies and that "subsequent budget requests will include adding thousands more housing units," offering no commitment to fund the project in the current fiscal year.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-homeless-veterans-housing-budget-b2985273.html)

Trump UFC Octagon White House June 14 Freedom

Construction of a UFC Octagon cage has begun on the White House South Lawn for a scheduled June 14 event billed as "UFC Freedom Fights 250," timed to coincide with President Trump's birthday and Flag Day during America's 250th anniversary celebrations. The event will feature a lightweight title matchup between champion Ilia Topuria and interim title holder Justin Gaethje, plus four additional fights, with prize money partially funded by Crypto.com.

Trump claims the venue will accommodate approximately 100,000 spectators across the South Lawn and Ellipse, with 75,000 to 100,000 additional viewers in surrounding parks watching on large screens. The president announced tickets would be free and told reporters he has "never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets," asserting broad public demand for the spectacle.

Visible scaffolding now frames the cage structure and rises above the West Wing and Oval Office, transforming the traditional seat of constitutional democracy into a fighting arena. The staging transforms the nation's symbolic center into a venue for combat sport, with the president positioned as the event's chief promoter and beneficiary of its association.

UFC released renderings showing the cage surrounded by stadium seating and a "UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest" setup in Ellipse Park. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle called the event "one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history" and framed it as evidence of Trump's "vision to celebrate America's monumental 250th anniversary."

The event underscores the blending of personal presidential interests with official state ceremony. Trump's repeated public promotion of ticket demand, the direct involvement of UFC leadership close to the president, and the appropriation of White House grounds typically reserved for constitutional functions into a combat sports venue reflect a consolidation of entertainment, business, and political authority into a single masculine spectacle centered on executive power.

(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/construction-underway-ufc-octagon-white-house-flag-day/story?id=133316489)

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