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This week, I sat down with Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) — a constitutional scholar, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, and one of the most vocal watchdogs on the erosion of democratic norms. We covered a lot of ground.
Raskin argues that Donald Trump has already committed impeachable offenses. If Democrats take the House, he says, they’re preparing to act — already documenting what he calls “high crimes against our Constitution.” He calls out corruption, ICE overreach, crypto schemes, and what he bluntly describes as a “gangster state.”
I also pressed him on the one thing many of you ask about: Why aren’t Democrats doing more? And what can the rest of us do besides sit on the sidelines and scroll?
Raskin doesn’t pretend this is easy — but he makes a case for why showing up still matters. He also explains why he’s making a point of reaching audiences like this one.
Check out the interview, at the top of this newsletter.
Below we also give you a quick look at some of the big headlines.
Here Are Your Headlines:
Magic Money Tree: The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office announced today that Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” would increase the national debt by $2.4 trillion over the next decade.
Signs of Opposition: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said today he would not vote for the “grotesque” and “immoral” bill. Not immoral for kicking 10 million people off Medicaid, mind — immoral for not cutting spending even more. Johnson, along with Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Mike Lee (R-UT) have all said they’ll vote “no” unless further spending cuts are added. On the other hand, Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Curtis (R-UT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) have all expressed concern with the extreme cuts to Medicaid and green energy included in the bill. Will it be possible for Republicans to balance these demands?
Read Before Voting: More House Republicans are admitting to not having read the bill before voting for it. Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA) said on Tuesday she “would have voted NO if I had known” the bill banned states from regulating AI for 10 years. Of course, she would have known if she’d read the bill. Or listened to the Democratic lawmakers who brought that specific provision up during debates. (Or read the News Not Noise newsletter….) Meanwhile, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) complained his hardline group the Freedom Caucus had “sounded the alarm” but “nobody listened” — including himself, apparently, because he voted “yes” on the bill, as did all but one of his hardline allies.
Times Two: Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum today. They’re now 50%.
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Hateful Crime: Jonathan Joss, a voice actor known for his appearance in King of the Hill, was shot dead in front of his Texas home by his neighbor on Sunday. Joss’ new husband, Kern de Gonzales, held him as he died, and says the murder was a homophobic attack; the San Antonio Police Department claims there’s “no evidence” this was a hate crime.
Deadly Change: The Trump administration announced yesterday it will revoke emergency abortion guidance for hospitals. This guidance, issued in 2022, essentially forced almost all emergency rooms to provide abortions when doing so would help women experiencing medical emergencies, regardless of local laws banning abortions. Even with this guidance, since 2022 over 100 women in medical distress have been turned away from emergency rooms or negligently treated — some left to miscarry in public bathrooms, others to die. “The Trump administration would rather women die in emergency rooms than receive life-saving abortions,” the CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights stated.
No Fun(gi): Two Chinese nationals have been charged with smuggling what researchers call a “potential agroterrorism weapon” into the country. Zonyong Liu allegedly wanted to study the fungus, which can wipe out crops, at a lab where his girlfriend worked.
Looming Famine: A UN convoy bringing desperately needed food to a besieged city in Sudan was attacked on Monday, with five people killed and more injured. The convoy would have been the first to arrive in El Fasher in over a year, a vital lifeline in a war-torn country on the brink of famine where much-needed aid is rarely able to cross conflict lines. Around 25 million people in Sudan are experiencing acute hunger; the situation has worsened in recent months thanks to the Trump administration’s shuttering of USAID. Despite hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions displaced, and millions more at risk of famine, “there is no attention to this country” from the international community, one development expert lamented in April.
Mask Up: Some 200 wildfires are burning in Canada as of today, over half of them “out of control,” according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. That’s left Minneapolis with some of the world air quality in the world, and other areas — from Iowa to New York — will be under an air quality alert for the rest of today, potentially into tomorrow. Meanwhile, a massive dust cloud from the Sahara desert is expected to reach the Southeast today, potentially affecting visibility and air quality. The good news is that this dust might suppress hurricanes, make the nights warmer, and create some breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.
Brace Yourself: As hurricane season approaches, DOGE’s cuts have left multiple forecast offices “critically understaffed,” according to a leaked document. “The system is already overstretched,” one labor union director warned, “and at some point it will snap.” Perhaps that’s why the NWS announced this week it will hire over 100 people, despite officials insisting the agency doesn’t have any staffing issues.
No Deal: Iran’s supreme leader rejected Trump’s nuclear deal proposal today, calling it “nonsense” that was “100 percent against” Iran’s interests. “The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear program,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said. “They cannot do anything about this.” The deal would have limited Iran’s uranium enrichment to low levels while nations hashed out a more detailed plan to allow Iran nuclear power but prohibit it from developing nuclear weapons.
Here We Go Again: Trump spoke with Putin today, and warned that Putin said “he will have to respond to” Ukraine’s stunning drone attack on Russian bombers. In a Truth Social post after the call, Trump wrote that “it was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.”
For more on this week’s news, plus insights into how Democrats are fighting back, remember to check out the interview with Rep. Jamie Raskin at the top of this newsletter.
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