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Iran Talks on Fumes, Gabbard Out & Redistricting Battles Heat Up
Audio is available on Spreaker — see link below.
US politics briefing: Iran negotiations stall as Trump issues fresh war threats, Tulsi Gabbard resigns as intel chief, and Alabama's redistricting emergency appeal heads to the Supreme Court. Six high-stakes stories shaping American policy this week.
Audio is available on Spreaker — see link below.
Trump told his Cabinet this week that the US and Iran are "negotiating on fumes" — then threatened in the same breath to resume major military strikes. That combination of near-deal language and renewed war threats tells you something important: nobody outside that room actually knows where this stands.
While that plays out, there's a significant personnel development inside the administration. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has announced she's stepping down on June thirtieth, citing her husband's health.
On Capitol Hill and in the courts, two redistricting fights are developing in parallel, and both have implications beyond their individual states. In South Carolina, the state Senate rejected Trump's push to redraw congressional maps ahead of the midterms.
There's a related mechanism worth understanding on the appointments front. Senate Majority Leader Thune has been keeping the Senate technically in session through pro forma sessions during recess periods.
On immigration, the administration announced two significant policy moves. DHS Secretary Mullin said the department is planning to end customs screening at international airports in sanctuary cities, essentially blocking international flights into those jurisdictions over non-cooperation on immigration enforcement.
One development that deserves more attention than it's getting: a recent investigation has documented a sharp rise in suicides among ICE detainees. Detention population has surged somewhere between fifty and sixty percent under the current administration.
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