Latest news with #DemocracyNow
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Florida AG wants lawmaker deported over criticism of Trump military parade
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) to be deported over criticism over last weekend's military parade in Washington, D.C. Uthmeier wrote 'Denaturalize and Deport' in a repost on X featuring an interview with Omar with the left-leaning outlet Democracy Now. In the clip, Omar says the U.S. 'is turning into one of the worst countries on earth. 'I grew up in a dictatorship and I don't even remember witnessing anything like that,' Omar, who was born in Somalia, said, referring to the parade. 'To have a democracy, a beacon of hope for the world to now be turned into one of the worst countries where the military are in our streets without any regard for people's constitutional rights,' she continued. 'While our president is spending millions of dollars propping himself up like a failed dictator with a military parade. It is really shocking,' she said. In the interview, Omar noted the deployment of U.S. troops to minimize protests in Los Angeles took place in the same week that the administration held the parade in Washington, which celebrated 250 years of the U.S. Army's existence. The event happened to fall on President Trump's birthday and Flag Day. Uthmeier has taken a staunch conservative stance on immigration as state attorney general. On Tuesday, a federal judge found him to be in civil contempt over her ruling that put a hold on a new Florida law that would label it a misdemeanor for those residing in the country illegally to enter the state. 'If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration, so be it,' Uthmeier said in a post on X following the ruling on Tuesday.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Florida's GOP Attorney General Urges Deportation of Democratic Lawmaker
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has called to "denaturalize and deport" Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar after she made critical remarks about President Donald Trump and the trajectory of the United States. Why It Matters Uthmeier's remarks intertwine with the politically divisive issue of immigration and the Trump administration's continued efforts to mass deport immigrants and prevent entry for some others. Critics of the administration have protested excessive raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and clamps on free speech regarding topics like Gaza. What To Know Uthmeier made his post on Tuesday on X in response to remarks Omar made on the news program Democracy Now about the broader U.S. military presence nationwide and how she never "witnessed anything like that" while growing up in a dictatorship in Somalia. "To have democracy, a beacon of hope for the world, to now be turned into one of the worst countries where the military are in our streets without any regard for people's constitutional rights; while our president is spending millions of dollars propping himself up like a failed dictator with a military parade—it is really shocking and should be a wake-up call for all Americans to say this is not the country we were born in, the country we believe in, the country our Founding Fathers imagined, and this is not the country supported by our Constitution, our ideals, our values," Omar said. A spokesperson for Omar declined to comment to Newsweek on Uthmeier's remarks. Newsweek reached out to Uthmeier's office via email for comment. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks during a mark up meeting with the House Budget Committee on Capitol Hill on May 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks during a mark up meeting with the House Budget Committee on Capitol Hill on May 16, 2025 in Washington, a Democrat first elected in 2019, is a naturalized citizen and has lived in the U.S. since the 1990s. She became the first African refugee and Muslim woman to be elected to Congress. Uthmeier was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in February after previous attorney general Ashley Moody became a U.S. Senator. He previously served as DeSantis' presidential campaign manager. DeSantis has made similar remarks about Omar in the past. In January 2024, while campaigning to represent the GOP as a presidential candidate, he called for Omar's deportation following her viral remarks to Somali American constituents regarding a deal struck at the time by Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland with landlocked Ethiopia, providing access to the sea. Omar purportedly said that she was "Somalian first, Muslim second" and "here to protect the interests of Somalia from inside the U.S. system." She later refuted the retelling of her statements, calling the clip viewed millions of times "not only slanted but completely off," adding that she "wouldn't expect more from these propagandists." Other Republicans, including Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have also called for Omar's deportation. Earlier this year, Texas State Representative Brandon Gill circulated a petition to deport Omar. Legal and immigration experts told Newsweek that calling for the deportation of a naturalized citizen is shortsighted and not legally realistic. What People Are Saying Stephen Schnably, a law professor at the University of Miami, previously told Newsweek: "It's just not in the cards, deportation as punishment for a U.S. citizen. That is something that just cannot be done." Immigration lawyer Rosanna Berardi previously told Newsweek: "The Immigration and Nationality Act allows for deportation/removal of individuals due to criminal activities, violations of status or violation of immigration law. Deportation for expressing political views, particularly those covered by the First Amendment, is not legally supported. Political speech does not constitute a valid basis for deportation." What To Know Also on Tuesday, a federal judge in Florida found Uthmeier to be in civil contempt over a ruling that put on hold a new state law making it a misdemeanor for people living in the U.S. illegally to enter the state, according to the Associated Press. "If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration, so be it," Uthmeier said afterwards on social media.
The South African
3 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
FOREVER WARS – Part 8: Iran
So the ancient timeless agitation between Israel and the Arab world has reignited – again. Is Iran, the last of the seven countries on General Wesley Clarke's 'memo', finally about to fall? Or, is Israel about to be blown off the map? Tel Aviv awoke to a terrifying Tuesday this week as Iran unleashed a barrage of back-to-back missile strikes on the Israeli city, killing at least 24 and wounding hundreds, in what Tehran called a 'campaign of revenge.' Iran also struck the port city of Haifa (which receives a third of Israel's imports) on day 5 of the tit-for-tat attacks between the two Middle Eastern countries. Iran's counterstrike is retaliation to Israel's airstrike on more than 100 nuclear, military and infrastructure targets across Iran last Friday – including its main nuclear facility in Natanz – that killed several top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists. Israel's attack came two days before Iran was set to resume talks with the US over Iran's nuclear programme. On Monday, 16 June, Israel bombed Iran's State TV broadcaster IRIB with an airstrike, captured live on camera. The talks between the United States and Iran, scheduled for last Sunday in Oman, have been cancelled. Let's recap. Back in 2007, ex-NATO commander Clarke told the world, in an interview with Democracy Now , that, 10 days after 9/11, he was shown a classified memo by a colleague at the Pentagon outlining how the US was going to knock out seven Middle East and North Africa countries in five years. Lest we forget, those seven countries were: Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Lebanon, Syria…and Iran. (As I pointed out in part one of this series, it was actually 8 countries – if you include Afghanistan.) All but one of those countries have been bombed, invaded, destabilised or overthrown by the West – and Israel. And…here we are. Last domino on the Middle-Eastern map, Iran, is now too in the crosshairs of the US-NATO-Israel axis of evil. The axis may be way over schedule, and no doubt over budget, but they are right on course. And what is the big gripe with Iran? Well, apart from the usual, stock-standard, Western Arabiophobic racism? According to Israel – and their loyal slavish pit bull, the US – Iran is in the process of creating a nuclear weapon. We've heard the words countless times before. Israel, specifically Netanyahu, has said it over and over, ad nauseam; 'Iran CANNOT have a nuclear weapon!' And Trump just basically parrots his puppetmaster, Bibi. In fact, do you know how many times, and for how long, Benjamin Netanyahu has been crying wolf, going on and on about Iran building an atomic bomb? Believe it or not…since at least 1992. Some say as early as 1984. Here are just a few dates and quotes from when Bibi tried to terrorise the world with Iran's phantom nuke: 1992: 'Iran is 3-5 years from nuclear capacity.' 2003: 'Iran's nuke programme is a global threat.' 2010: 'Iran could produce a bomb within a year.' 2021: 'Iran closer than ever to nuclear weapons.' 2024: 'Iran dangerously close to nuclear bomb.' 2025: 'Iran days away from enrichening uranium for a bomb.' That's right, according to Bedlam Bibi, Iran has been right on the cusp of building a nuke…for decades. Unfortunately, these fear-mongering, propaganda lies are regurgitated by the Western echo chamber mainstream media, particularly in the US. By the way, this is the same Netanyahu who said we could restore peace to the Middle East if we could just get rid of Iraq's Saddam…if we could just get rid of Libya's Gaddafi….if we could just get rid of Syria's Assad. Well, all that happened, and…do we have peace in the region? And now, Bibi is saying…if we could just remove the Iranian regime, there would finally be peace in the Arab world. Are we learning yet…? So, let me get this straight. Everyone else in the world can have nukes…but not Iran? Russia and the US have more than 5000 nuclear missiles each. France and the UK have more than 200 each. China, India, Pakistan and North Korea have nearly 1000 between them. And we have the nations of Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands 'hosting' more than 100 nukes collectively. Yet, Iran is not even allowed to have… one? What's that all about…? Just more of that Western Arabiophobic racism? Here's the thing though…there's no substantial proof that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. And it's not just me – and the Iranians – saying it. On 25 March this year, Trump's director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, appeared in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee where she made it clear that US intelligence has determined Iran is not building a nuclear weapon. In her opening statements, she said: 'The IC [intelligence community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.' She also said the IC was closely monitoring if Tehran decided to reauthorise its nuclear weapons programme. However, you know who doesn't give a toss what Gabbard or the IC think? Their boss, President Donald J. Trump. In a brief interview on Airforce One on Tuesday, a reporter reminded Trump what Gabbard said to the Senate Committee about Iran not having a nuclear weapon. Trump responded, 'I don't care what she said, I think they were very close to having one.' (Nice. Way to go, throwing your DNI under the bus there, Big Don.) That's because Trump doesn't care what his cabinet, staff, advisors, voter base or the American people think or want. He only cares what Benjamin Netanyahu wants. Because, as we've well established, Trump is Bibi's patsy, Bibi's b**ch. It's clear now that Trump was never about America First or MAGA, he was always about MIGA. If Israel and the US thought ratcheting up tensions with Iran was somehow going to spur the Iranian people to turn against the 'regime' in Tehran and overthrow the Ayatollah and his government, they were dead wrong. All the airstrikes did was coalesce and galvanise the Iranian people, against their common foe. As one article put it, Israel is making the case for a nuclear-armed Iran. In fact, a video has gone viral of an Iranian woman at a rally in Tehran, without a hijab, shouting and calling for Iran to acquire a nuke – the very thing Israel and the US are trying to prevent. 'These b*st*rds have been driving us crazy for 400 years', she said. 'These scoundrels spent a year and a half killing half a million people. Now, an attack (on us). We want an atomic bomb!' The crowd around her cheered her on. 'The Strait of Hormuz? Close it already,' she snapped. I don't have to tell you what happens to oil and petrol prices if that happens. If Iran does shut down the Strait, economists estimate it could push the oil price (currently around $75 per barrel) up to $130 p/barrel. Some speculators are talking $300 per barrel. Which means they won't have to forcibly lock you down again…because you won't be able to afford to drive anywhere. Trump's actions on Iran – and Israel – has split the MAGA base, down the middle. While the usual warmongering neocons – like senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, Mike Pompeo and John Bolton – to name a few, are salivating at the prospect of destroying yet ANOTHER Middle-Eastern country, anti-war voices are coming out of the MAGA camp in droves. Here's what some experts, analysts, commentators and many from the MAGA base are saying on X about Trump's recent double-play against Iran: Conservative commentator and staunch Trump supporter, Tucker Carlson wrote; 'The real divide isn't between people who support Israel and people who support Iran or the Palestinians. The real divide is between those who casually encourage violence, and those who seek to prevent it — between warmongers and peacemakers.' He asked, 'Who are the warmongers? They would include anyone who's calling Donald Trump today to demand air strikes and other direct US military involvement in a war with Iran.' Carlson was also just in an interview with former Trump advisor, Steve Bannon. Both men were devout in their opposition to Trump attacking Iran. Republican representative for Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has been amongst the most vocal voices on Capitol Hill against a war with Iran. 'Anyone slobbering for the US to become fully involved in the Israel-Iran war is not America First or MAGA. Wishing for murder of innocent people is disgusting. We are sick and tired of foreign wars. All of them,' she posted. 'Real America First/MAGA wants world peace for all people. I don't want to see Israel, Iran or Gaza bombed. This position is NOT antisemitic. It's rational, sane, and what many Americans voted for in 2024,' she added. Comedian and podcaster, Dave Smith, posted; 'It's genuinely hard to imagine a worse decision than going to war with Iran. They pose absolutely no threat to us and the war would be a substantially larger catastrophe than Iraq. If you wanted to destroy the USA, another disastrous war in the Middle East would be the move.' Republican representatie for Kentucky, Thomas Massie, posted; 'This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution.' 'I'm introducing a bipartisan War Powers Resolution to prohibit our involvement. I invite all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolutionm,' he added. Other military and political analysts were more direct and brutal in their take on Trump's buckling to Bibi's push for (more) war. In an interview with Judge Napolitano, ex-CIA analyst Larry Johnson said: 'Donald Trump now has established himself in the last 48 hours as a liar.' He added: 'You know what this is? This is Saddam Hussein – Part 2.' In another interview with Napolitano, military and intelligence analyst, Scott Ritter, said: 'What the president just did here is undermine American legitimacy, and credibility, and shows that America is incapable of serious diplomatic engagement. What this proves is that Donald Trump – the most pro-war president out there – is a duplicitous, two-faced liar.' In an interview with Carlson, military analyst Douglas Macgregor said: 'The way Donald Trump handled Zelensky is the way he has got to handle Netanyahu. If he doesn't, Netanyahu will drag him into the abyss…because Bibi wants this war with Iran – come hell or high water.' Meanwhile, the US has reportedly dispatched a second aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, among other 'substantial military assets' to the Middle East as the Israel-Iran conflict ramps up. On Monday 16 June, Trump posted this on his Truth Social; 'Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!' Then he added: 'Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' That last line has sparked a mass exodus out of the city – of 10 million people. He followed that up in the past 24 hours with an apparent threat aimed at Ayatollah Khamenei when he posted: 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there. We are not going to take him out, at least not for now. (Did he just borrow a line from Juju?) But our patience is wearing thin.' Finally, he delivered an ultimatum to Iran: 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' As the tit-for-tat strikes between the two countries continues into the sixth day, Israel has just announced that they've killed another Iranian military commander who was appointed only 4 days ago. Well, here we go again, folks. Like we've seen so many times before; left or right, Republican or Democrat. No matter who's in the Oval Office, the wars never end and the bombs keep dropping. Are we learning yet..? I think journo-activist, Caitlin Johnstone, said it best when she recently posted on X: 'There is absolutely no excuse for buying into the war propaganda about Iran after what we all saw with Iraq.' 'If you're a grown adult with internet access still swallowing this load of bull in the year 2025, you're either stupid…or evil,' she added. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Ilhan Omar slammed for claiming America is turning into ‘one of the worst countries'
Far-left US Representative Ilhan Omar has been blasted online for claiming America is turning into 'one of the worst countries'. Omar sat down with 'Democracy Now' for an interview, with the video being published last Friday on its YouTube channel. 'I mean, I grew up in a dictatorship and I don't even remember ever witnessing anything like that to have a democracy, a beacon of hope for the world to now be turned into one of the, you know, one of the worst countries, where the military are in our streets without any regard for people's constitutional rights,' she said. The Somalian-born representative referred to US President Donald Trump's parade that celebrated the US Army's 250th anniversary in her interview.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
DC/DOX Festival Kicks Off With Rousing Documentary On Amy Goodman, ‘Democracy Now!' Host Who Gives Voice To People 'Outside The Frame'
Hours before tanks rumbled into Washington for Donald Trump's military parade, ground shaking applause erupted in DC for someone who couldn't be more opposed to everything the president stands for — author and Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman. The renowned journalist traveled from New York to the nation's capital for the world premiere of Steal This Story, Please!, a documentary chronicling her work over many decades to give voice to the voiceless, make the powerful accountable, and to support democracy as the foremost means to safeguard human rights and human dignity. More from Deadline DC/DOX To Showcase A Dozen World Premieres, Oscar Contenders, Films On Barbara Walters, Robert Reich, Deepfaked Sam Altman Amy Goodman Doc 'Steal This Story, Please!' To Open DC/DOX Festival; 'Bodyguard Of Lies,' 'The Alabama Solution' Also Slated 'The Janes' Directors On How Donald Trump Spurred Their Film Reminding What It Was Like For Women Before Roe V. Wade - Contenders Documentary 'Okay, let's go,' Goodman says at the beginning of the film, an instruction to her camera person as she spots P. Wells Griffith III, the climate change policy adviser to Pres. Trump in his first administration. The year is 2018, the location the UN Climate Summit in Poland, and Goodman is trying to get an answer to what would seem like an appropriate and straightforward question for a senior policy adviser on climate change. After identifying herself and her news outlet, she asks, 'Can you tell us what you think about President Trump saying climate change is a hoax?' For over two minutes, through the busy corridors of the climate summit, Goodman politely but persistently attempts to get a response from Griffith, who almost breaks into a sprint to avoid her. 'Why not answer a few simple questions?' she continues before he secrets himself behind a door marked United States of America Delegation Office. Goodman could have used the occasion of the film premiere to laud herself, but instead she directed the focus onto her colleagues at Democracy Now!, her family, and the filmmaking team on stage with her for a Q&A – directors Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, and producer Karen Ranucci. 'Carl and Tia,' she said, 'your dedication to this and your artistry in doing this, we thank you so much.' That's just how she rolls. Deal observed, 'Amy's concerned about the other person.' She's been manifesting that throughout her career in journalism, beginning with her earliest days on, literally, an 'in-house' publication – a newsletter created by her brother Dave when they were children, with a modest circulation encompassing only family members. In the film she shares the story of seeking a job on Phil Donohue's talk show after graduating from college, only to be offered what amounted to a cameo – appearing on his program as a guest to represent unemployed young people. Her journalism career formally began at the Pacifica Radio station in New York – WBAI. In 1996 she cofounded Democracy Now! The War and Peace Report. 'We went from nine stations to today over 1,500 public television and radio stations around the country and around the world,' she told the DC/DOX audience. 'And translated into Spanish, our headlines every day on hundreds of stations in Latin America and Europe, in the United States, because it is critical that we break down as many barriers as we can.' Lessin – who along with Carl Deal earned an Oscar nomination for the 2008 documentary feature Trouble the Water – contributed to Goodman's reporting in 2000 at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, where Pres. George H.W. Bush was nominated to run for a second term. 'No sooner did I show up than someone put a lanyard around my neck, a press credential, and a camera in my hand. And I was off chasing Amy. And we actually wanted to call this film Chasing Amy, but the title was taken,' Lessin joked. 'In the film… you might remember George Bush Sr. coming down the stairs with Barbara [Bush] and Amy stops him. And the question she asks is, 'What do you say to people who call you a war criminal for the Gulf War?' …I captured it except I looked at my camera as Amy's having this exchange, and I realized the camera mic was overridden by a mic that I had put on top and we were getting no audio. And so they had this exchange and then Bush walks away, and I have to tell Amy there's no audio. And without hesitating, she said, 'Well, let's do it again.'' Lessin continued, 'She went down the hall and we went around and then [Bush] came up and then down [the stairs] again and [Amy] asked him the same question. He answered it the same way.' Lessin said the anecdote illustrates Goodan's 'focus and her persistence, and she's not going to get a little technical glitch in the way of reporting the truth. And she also was really kind to me, and I saw that kindness reflected in the work she did with her team. I saw it in the footage that she shared with us. I saw it every day.' Democracy Now! is completely funded by viewers, listeners, and foundations and doesn't accept corporate or government money or advertising. Goodman has reported in the field from Nigeria where she investigated Chevron's alleged complicity in the brutal suppression of protests by local people impacted by the company's oil exploration. She reported from Haiti, Peru, and in 1997 risked her life to report from East Timor, where Indonesian troops opened fire on Timorese, killing 270 people. Goodman and a journalism colleague writing for The New Yorker were beaten by gun-toting Indonesian soldiers (their weapons, as she pointed out, supplied by the U.S.). Today, she has become not just admired and respected but beloved by an audience that gravitates to her moral compass, which points toward truth to be uncovered where many news outlets fail to look – in the streets, with the people. 'It's that global audience hungry for authentic voices, not your typical pundits who know so little about so much, explaining the world to us and getting it so wrong,' Goodman noted. 'That's how the corporate media covers issues. They go right away to the politicians. But what pushes them [politicians]? What changes their minds? What is the reason that they pass bills? It is that engine of grassroots activism that is the true story of history that is so often untold, and it is our job in the media to put that on the record.' In the film, Democracy Now!'s Nermeen Shaikh says it's about widening the frame of new coverage to center those kept at the margins or ignored by traditional media. Referring to groups often cropped out by the largest and most lucrative media entities, Goodman commented, 'I do think that those who care about war and peace, those who care about human rights, about inequality, those who care about the environment, about LGBTQ issues, about racial justice, economic justice are not a fringe minority, not even a silent majority, but the silenced majority — silenced by the corporate media — which is why we have to [report] the facts.' As the moderator of the panel, I asked Goodman if she considered herself an unlikely rock star of journalism. She wouldn't bite on that inquiry, but producer Karen Ranucci spoke to the Goodman effect. 'When I walk down the street with Amy, people are stopping her all the time, thanking her,' Ranucci shared. 'At all the protests or whatever she's filming, people are coming up and thanking. And that's such an odd thing to thank a journalist and it's for showing up and it's love. They call her 'Amy,' and it's like this affection. So, for me, it is really thrilling to feel that coming from the public, they're so appreciative.' Ranucci added, 'As far as myself being a producer, yes, we wanted to make this for the general public to turn people onto Democracy Now! for them to understand why independent media is critical in a democracy.' As tanks threaten to symbolically crush American democracy in an unprecedented display of militarism and authoritarian-style politics in the capital, Goodman and Democracy Now! can be counted on to document not just that telegenic spectacle, but the heart of resistance in the streets, across America. Deal said he was struck by how different the approach of Goodman and Democracy Now! is to covering stories of this magnitude after he watched CNN report on the ICE protests in Los Angeles. 'They had three reporters on the ground in the middle of these protests, and they were describing what was happening and then they'd go to a studio interview, and they didn't talk to a single person who was out there, and you had no idea why people were there,' Deal said. 'It was like a big a-ha thing of you need to go to this school of Amy Goodman. It really did help me understand… having seen Amy and watched Amy and sat with her for so many months, how important it is to listen, to let people say why they're doing what they're doing and to understand it. The whole film for us was in dialogue with the world we're living in today.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
