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Sotomayor Compares Asylum Ruling to U.S. Turning Away Jewish Refugees in WWII

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Justice Sonia Sotomayor compared Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling that asylum seekers have not entered the U.S. at the border to one of the most shameful parts of U.S. history.

The Supreme Court issued four rulings on Thursday. One of them was in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, which challenged a 2016 U.S. Customs and Border Patrol policy where border patrol officers stood at the U.S. border and kept asylum seekers from entering the country. The immigration activist group Al Otro Lado challenged the rule, arguing it “withheld inspection and asylum processing from aliens who arrive at the border.”

The Court decided 6-3 along ideological lines that the policy was legal, with Justice Samuel Alito invoking “ordinary speech” to explain his reasoning.

READ MORE: ‘Alarm Bells’ as Trump Turns to Civil War White Supremacists in SCOTUS Case

“This case presents a straightforward question: whether an alien who seeks to enter the United States from Mexico ‘arrives in the United States’ when he or she is still in Mexico. In the decision below, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit answered ‘yes.’ That is wrong. In ordinary speech, no one would say that a person “arrives in” a place—for example, a house, a city, or a country—before the person enters that place. The context in which the phrase ‘arrives in the United States’ is used in the immigration statutes at issue here supports an ordinary-meaning reading. So does the presumption against extraterritoriality. We therefore reverse,” Alito wrote.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote his own concurrence, which defended President Donald Trump’s power in determining immigration policy, writing “Congress, for its part, has no enumerated power to require the President to bring certain aliens into the country. The Constitution grants Congress the power to ‘establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization.’ … But, the class members in this case are not naturalized or even on the path to naturalization.”

“So, any statute that forced the President to allow aliens to cross the border against his will would appear to exceed Congress’s enumerated powers, and a court could not enforce it against the President,” Thomas added.

Sotomayor wrote a blistering dissent which, according to journalist Steve Vladeck, was read from the bench. In her dissent, Sotomayor tells the story of the M.S. St. Louis, a ship that set sail from Europe in 1939 with over 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. The M.S. St. Louis sailed to Cuba and the United States. Both Cuba and the United States turned it away. In the United States’ case, it was due to strict immigration quotas and, as she writes, “the relevant quota was already filled for that year.”

The M.S. St. Louis sailed to Canada where it was again turned away, and went back to Europe.

“Tragically, over 500 of the refugees that had attempted to flee were trapped in Western Europe under German control, and over 250 of them died during the Holocaust. Most of them were ‘murdered in the killing centers of Auschwitz and Sobibór’ and ‘the rest died in internment camps, in hiding, or attempting to evade the Nazis,'” she wrote.

“Congress passed the Refugee Act in 1980 because it did not want this country to repeat the mistakes of its past. Yet if the refugees on the M. S. St. Louis were to walk up to a port of entry on our southern border today, the majority’s interpretation would allow immigration officers to refuse even to consider their asylum applications by physically blocking them from stepping foot onto U. S. soil,” Sotomayor added.

“The consequences of today’s decision are predictable. More people will die. More people will attempt to cross the border illegally, and some will make it while others will not. More dissenting people will be forced to walk along the U. S.-Mexico border in dangerous conditions, trying to find a port that will inspect them. More people will turn back and be subjected to violence because of something they cannot or should not have to change about themselves, such as their race, religion, nationality, or political opinion. Because this is neither what Congress said nor what its words permit, I respectfully dissent.”

Alito responded to Sotomayor’s dissent from the bench, Vladeck said—adding “That’s … unusual.” However, he declined to say what the substance of Alito’s response was. Audio for the ruling will be released this October, as is standard SCOTUS protocol.

 

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Trump Brags About Increase in Strait of Hormuz Traffic, Despite Being Far Below Pre-War Numbers

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June 25, 2026

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President Donald Trump shared a clip from Fox News to boast about the increase in ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz since earlier this month. It’s still far below the number from before the Iran conflict started.

On Tuesday evening, Trump shared a clip to his social media platform Truth Social. It showed Fox News commentator Larry Kudlow talking about the increase in traffic through the strait. Kudlow served under Trump during his first term as the director of the National Economic Council. The clip opens with a table graphic showing 32 crossings of the Strait of Hormuz between June 12-14, and 93 from June 19-21.

Prior to the February 28 attacks that kicked off the Iranian conflict, there were 138 crossings per day on average, according to the BBC. When converted to the same three-day span of the Fox News graphic, that means 414 crossings on average—meaning the strait is only seeing 22.5% of the traffic prior to the conflict.

READ MORE: Trump Holds Housing Bill Hostage, Mike Johnson Says He’ll Sign It Anyway

Kudlow ignored the discrepancy, and instead used the figure to praise Trump’s mastery of international politics.

“You were basically almost halfway back of the original shortage of world oil supply, which was about 20% out of 100 billion barrels a day, so 20 billion barrels a day,” Kudlow said. “Whatever the IRGC people may or may not say—they’re like Baghdad Bob during the Iraqi war… they’re saying, for example, the Strait of Hormuz is closed, all right, and we’re having record transits right now.”

Kudlow then pivoted to a general defense of Trump’s Iran conflict, saying “women in the streets of Tehran are not wearing their hijabs, walking around in short skirts on motorcycles, saying things and singing songs, it’s as though they’ve lost the morality play that they tried to do.” He added that energy and gas prices are “coming down”—which AAA confirms— and says that funds given to Iran as part of the expected deal will be used to purchase commodities from America.

“So I think you know Trump is absolutely in control. There’s so much hand-wringing going on here, probably for political reasons, but I think he’s on the right track,” Kudlow said.

Earlier this month the House voted to stop the Iranian conflict, and the Senate was expected to stop it as well. But Wednesday night, the Senate backtracked and voted 50-47 against advancing the war powers resolution to Trump’s desk, according to NBC News. Trump would have then been forced to veto it, but this saves face for the president.

“Wow! The Senate just changed its vote on Iran from 50-48 against, to 50-47 for. Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy changed. Thank you to Leader John Thune, Lindsey Graham, Bernie Moreno, and all. This vote puts Iran on notice!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Image via Reuters

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AOC Says Reflecting Pool Is ‘Swamp’ Because GOP Doesn’t ‘Understand First Thing About Science’

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21 hours ago

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June 24, 2026

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become a “swamp” because the GOP doesn’t understand science.

Ocasio-Cortez made the comments in response to journalist Pablo Manríquez, according to The Hill.

“I mean, when you defund science research, when you de — when you don’t really understand the first thing about science,” she said. “Yeah, they talked a bunch of smack, they said that they had to repaint the pool, and now they’ve turned the place into a swamp. They turned it to an actual swamp.”

READ MORE: Critics Torch Interior’s ‘Propaganda’ for Likening Reflecting Pool Algae to Iran’s Navy

President Donald Trump had often railed against the maintenance of the reflecting pool not being up to snuff, and recently renovated it. But instead of making the water beautiful and clear, the pool has turned solid green from algae blooms. The lining is pulling away and floating up, and this week, three dead ducks were found in the reflecting pool.

 

The deaths of the ducks have led some to speculate that there is blue-green algae in the pool, which is harmful to humans and animals, according to Newsweek. However, aquatic ecology professor Rosalina Stancheva Christova took samples of the water last Tuesday, and determined the algae was a common green variety of the Desmodesmus genus, according to NPR. Desmodesmus is not toxic.

The algae may be harmless, but it is unsightly, particularly in a pool that’s supposed to be crystal clear as a mirror. Part of the issue is that the blue lining that replaced the old liner is too dark.

“The new, darker interior surface is going to absorb more sunlight,” specialist “Swimming Pool Steve” Goodale told NPR. “It is going to result in water that’s warmer, and that ultimately is going to lead to more prolific algae growth.”

The Department of the Interior said that the bloom was due to “residual algae” in the supply lines, according to CNN.

Just as it’s unknown currently what killed the ducks—if it was algae, natural causes or something entirely different—it’s not clear why the liner is peeling off, however some experts have ideas.

Science communicator “The Monarch Diaries,” explored what was perhaps happening in a thread on the social media platform Bluesky. This May, shortly after the renovation process started, they predicted that the lining—Rhino Pipeliner 5000—would be a perfect place to grow algae.

“They’re using Rhino Pipeliner 5000, which freezes as sprayed-on curds almost exactly as it hits the surface. Won’t flow out, flatten, and self-level like standard epoxy or paint would. Under standing water, the orange peel texture is a perfect scaffolding for algae, bacteria, and general bio scum,” they wrote.

They're using Rhino Pipeliner 5000, which freezes as sprayed-on curds almost exactly as it hits the surface. Won't flow out, flatten, and self-level like standard epoxy or paint would.Under standing water, the orange peel texture is a perfect scaffolding for algae, bacteria, and general bio scum

— The Monarch Diaries (@monarchdiaries.bsky.social) 2026-05-20T05:15:26.286Z

In another post they accurately predicted that the liner would start peeling away, but they gave it 5 years rather than a month.

If Rhino Pipeliner 5000 (w custom flag blue tint) is indeed what they're applying, in around 5 years it'll be delaminating and peeling up in massive slimy sheets. So a perfect future metaphor for the Trump yearsinB4 capitol scum pond liner delamination

— The Monarch Diaries (@monarchdiaries.bsky.social) 2026-05-20T05:44:55.270Z

The Monarch Diaries explains that Rhino Pipeliner 5000 is intended for use in pipes, as its name suggests. They say that it “shrinks 1-3% when curing”, perfect for pipes but not for a large pool.

“On a big slab, uh, no it will pull towards the center and delaminate from the substrate at the edges. Plus, applying directly to concrete is a problem. Long story short: Swiss cheese pinhole effect,” they said.

This shit shrinks 1-3% when curing, which in a pipe is exactly what you want. On a big slab, uh, no it will pull towards the center and delaminate from the substrate at the edges.Plus, applying directly to concrete is a problem. Long story short: Swiss cheese pinhole effect. Already flagged.

— The Monarch Diaries (@monarchdiaries.bsky.social) 2026-05-20T05:26:44.551Z

In another thread, they explained that the coating needs to be resprayed within a 4-hour window or it won’t work—but they say that didn’t happen.

“Watching them work, here’s what they did: spray a section, let it sit for hours to days, then spray the next one feathering over the cured edge. This lands FAR outside the 4-hour application overlap window (worse in hot humid weather). The seams never got a chemical weld in the first place,” they wrote.

Watching them work, here's what they did: spray a section, let it sit for hours to days, then spray the next one feathering over the cured edge. This lands FAR outside the 4-hour application overlap window (worse in hot humid weather). The seams never got a chemical weld in the first place. 4/

— The Monarch Diaries (@monarchdiaries.bsky.social) 2026-06-19T17:04:35.373Z

The entire thread is interesting and goes into the physics of what may be happening for those who are interested.

While there is a scientific explanation for what has happened, Trump claimed that the disaster that is the reflecting pool is because of vandals. Six people have been arrested for vandalism, but the government’s own documents show no evidence of vandalism, according to Rolling Stone.

Instead, the supposed “vandals” can be seen in video footage either touching the water or pieces of the plastic liner that have floated to the top of the reflecting pool. Trump has recently accused vandals of cutting the liner with a knife, despite saying the liner could not be cut last month when touting the then-upcoming renovation.

Image via Shutterstock

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Trump DOJ Nominee Surprised By Questions About Tweets Insulting Judiciary Committee Members

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22 hours ago

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June 24, 2026

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Konstantinos Ligris, a DOJ nominee floated by President Donald Trump, seemed surprised when he was asked about tweets insulting two sitting senators serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Trump sent Ligris’s nomination to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Wednesday. If confirmed, Ligris would become an assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice Programs. The OJP is an agency under the Department of Justice best known for controlling criminal justice grants.

In Wednesday’s hearing, in clips surfaced by journalist Aaron Rupar, committee ranking member Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) grilled the DOJ nominee about tweets he had written insulting a number of politicians, including Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), as well as police officers as a whole.

READ MORE: ‘Coverup’: Kristol Says a Senate Vote on Blanche Should Be a Vote on Epstein

“I can’t imagine how you can defend some of the things that you’ve been posting for years, some of the things that you’ve written,” Durbin said. “There’s this awful tweet that you put in the record, a matter of public record, now. In light of what you’re seeking here… in 2024, Ligris referred to police officers as ‘dumb as dirt,’ close quote, when writing quote ‘breach of peace, typical cop dumb as dirt.’  And now you’re seeking a position to work with police departments all over the United States, and to give to these officers who risk their lives for you and me, officers which you’ve referred to as dumb as dirt. You’re going to be allocating federal funds. How could you do that?”

Ligris hedged and replied that he wasn’t familiar with the context and purged his tweets every 90 days “for cybersecurity,” but Durbin wasn’t having it. Durbin demanded he address the “dumb as dirt” comment. Ligris again said he didn’t know the context, but said that as “most of my family serves in law enforcement,” he did not think that “law enforcement is dumb as dirt.”

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) continued this line of questioning, focusing on tweets Ligris made insulting two members of the Judiciary Committee.

“You have tweets that call Donald Trump and Kamala Harris ‘two clowns,’ you have tweets that call Senator Murkowski ‘almost as dumb as Kamala,’ you have tweets that call Senator Collins a ‘fraud.’ You have tweets that call Senator [Alex] Padilla, who sits on this committee, a ‘thug.’ You have tweets that call Senator [Adam] Schiff a ‘fraud.’ He also sits on this committee. And you undertook no preparation to face questions about that as you come before the Senate Judiciary Committee,” Sen. Whitehouse asked.

The DOJ nominee said he hadn’t prepared to answer those questions, and confirmed he did not inform the DOJ about his tweet history. He added that the DOJ “never raised” any questions about the tweets with him. Sheldon then asked if Ligris could be relied on to approve grants filed from the state of California, which Padilla and Schiff represent.

“Having called Senator Padilla a thug at least five times, and Senator Schiff a fraud, what reasonably could they expect about you giving California programs a fair hearing if you’re put in charge of OJP?” Whitehouse asked.

“Every state and every jurisdiction would expect that they would go through the process of applying for grants with the Office of Justice Programs, and reviewed through the process… of applying for grants with the Office of Justice Programs, and those and those grant applications would would be administered and reviewed through the process of the of the department,” Ligris replied.

“Yeah, that’s what they would expect. And then there’d be a guy at the head of the program who thinks that the senators involved are a thug and a fraud. How do you convince us that you’re not going to let that personal bias against these two individuals affect your judgment?” Whitehouse fired back.

“Because I believe that the Office of Justice Programs has a mission to support the entire country, every state and every city, and protect our communities, irrespective of the elected leadership that exists there today or tomorrow,” he said.

“So, ‘just trust me,’ I guess, is what you’re saying,” Whitehouse said.

Ligris’ background is as a real estate attorney, but he went into the technology sector. He is currently a managing director at security consulting firm RoyStark as well as a director at CATIC Financial and CATIC Holdings, a title insurer, according to Criminal Justice Journalists Crime and Justice News Digest. He also founded the digital real estate platform Stavvy Inc., and the legal firm Ligris, which focuses on real estate.

Image via Shutterstock

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