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LetMyPeopleVote
LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
February 8, 2026
https://electionlawblog.org/?p=154200
"Trump, California and the multi-front war over the next election"
I am glad to see that state election officials are planning as to how to respond to any attempts by trump or the DOJ to interfere in the upcoming mid term elections
“Trump, California and the multi-front war over the next election†electionlawblog.org?p=154200
— Rick Hasen (@rickhasen.bsky.social) 2026-02-08T16:30:23.064Z
https://electionlawblog.org/?p=154200
In recent weeks, Marin County Registrar Natalie Adona has been largely focused on the many mundane tasks of local elections administrators in the months before a midterm: finalizing voting locations, ordering supplies, facilitating candidate filings.
But in the wake of unprecedented efforts by the Trump administration to intervene in state-run elections, Adona said she has also been preparing her staff for far less ordinary scenarios — such as federal officials showing up and demanding ballots, as they recently did in Georgia, or immigration agents staging around polling stations on election day, as some in President Trump’s orbit have suggested.
“Part of my job is making sure that the plans are developed and then tested and then socialized with the staff so if those situations were to ever come up, we would not be figuring it out right then and there. We would know what to do,” Adona said. “Doing those sort of exercises and that level of planning in a way is kind of grounding, and makes things feel less chaotic.”…
Across California, local elections administrators say they have been running similar exercises to prepare for once unthinkable threats — not from local rabble-rousers, remote cyberattackers or foreign adversaries, but their own federal government.
State officials, too, are writing new contingency plans for unprecedented intrusions by Trump and other administration officials, who in recent days have repeated baseless 2020 election conspiracies, raided and taken ballots from a local election center in Fulton County, Ga., pushed both litigation and legislation that would radically alter local voting rules, and called for Republicans to seize control of elections nationwide….
Trump has said he will accept Republican losses only if the elections are “honest.” A White House spokesperson said Trump is pushing for stricter rules for voting and voter registration because he “cares deeply about the safety and security of our elections.”
Rick Hasen, an election law expert and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law, said some of what Trump says about elections “is nonsensical and some is bluster,” but recent actions — especially the election center raid in Georgia — have brought home the reality of his threats.
“Some worry that this is a test run for trying to seize ballot boxes in 2026 and prevent a fair count of the votes, and given Trump’s track record, I don’t think that is something we can dismiss out of hand,” Hasen said. “States need to be making contingency plans to make sure that those kinds of things don’t happen.”
The White House dismissed such concerns, pointing to isolated incidents of noncitizens being charged with illegally voting, and to examples of duplicate registrations, voters remaining on rolls after death and people stealing ballots to vote multiple times.
“These so-called experts are ignoring the plentiful examples of noncitizens charged with voter fraud and of ineligible voters on voter rolls,” said Abigail Jackson, the White House spokesperson.
Experts said fraudulent votes are rare, most registration and roll issues do not translate into fraudulent votes being cast, and there is no evidence such issues swing elections….
But in the wake of unprecedented efforts by the Trump administration to intervene in state-run elections, Adona said she has also been preparing her staff for far less ordinary scenarios — such as federal officials showing up and demanding ballots, as they recently did in Georgia, or immigration agents staging around polling stations on election day, as some in President Trump’s orbit have suggested.
“Part of my job is making sure that the plans are developed and then tested and then socialized with the staff so if those situations were to ever come up, we would not be figuring it out right then and there. We would know what to do,” Adona said. “Doing those sort of exercises and that level of planning in a way is kind of grounding, and makes things feel less chaotic.”…
Across California, local elections administrators say they have been running similar exercises to prepare for once unthinkable threats — not from local rabble-rousers, remote cyberattackers or foreign adversaries, but their own federal government.
State officials, too, are writing new contingency plans for unprecedented intrusions by Trump and other administration officials, who in recent days have repeated baseless 2020 election conspiracies, raided and taken ballots from a local election center in Fulton County, Ga., pushed both litigation and legislation that would radically alter local voting rules, and called for Republicans to seize control of elections nationwide….
Trump has said he will accept Republican losses only if the elections are “honest.” A White House spokesperson said Trump is pushing for stricter rules for voting and voter registration because he “cares deeply about the safety and security of our elections.”
Rick Hasen, an election law expert and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law, said some of what Trump says about elections “is nonsensical and some is bluster,” but recent actions — especially the election center raid in Georgia — have brought home the reality of his threats.
“Some worry that this is a test run for trying to seize ballot boxes in 2026 and prevent a fair count of the votes, and given Trump’s track record, I don’t think that is something we can dismiss out of hand,” Hasen said. “States need to be making contingency plans to make sure that those kinds of things don’t happen.”
The White House dismissed such concerns, pointing to isolated incidents of noncitizens being charged with illegally voting, and to examples of duplicate registrations, voters remaining on rolls after death and people stealing ballots to vote multiple times.
“These so-called experts are ignoring the plentiful examples of noncitizens charged with voter fraud and of ineligible voters on voter rolls,” said Abigail Jackson, the White House spokesperson.
Experts said fraudulent votes are rare, most registration and roll issues do not translate into fraudulent votes being cast, and there is no evidence such issues swing elections….
February 8, 2026
The MaddowBlog-'For what?': JD Vance stumped on why Alex Pretti's family might deserve an apology
Given his role in a broader smear campaign, the vice president offered the wrong answer to the right question.
https://x.com/hateGOP/status/2019572808452297124
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/for-what-jd-vance-stumped-on-why-alex-prettis-family-might-deserve-an-apology
JD Vance sat down with The Daily Mail’s Phillip Nieto for an interview that covered quite a bit of ground, though one exchange stood out — in large part because Nieto asked the vice president a question that’s been on the minds of many.
....Vance again described the intensive care unit nurse who was shot and killed by federal immigration officers as “a guy who showed up with ill intent to an ICE protest,” despite the fact that there was no such protest and that the vice president isn’t in a position to tell the public what Pretti was thinking.....
Let’s not forget that it was literally just hours after Pretti was killed when Donald Trump’s political operation kicked into high gear. The White House’s Stephen Miller, for example, said the ICU nurse was a “domestic terrorist” and a “would-be assassin.” Gregory Bovino, who helped lead Border Patrol operations, told the public that Pretti intended to “massacre” law enforcement personnel.....
The falsehoods weren’t just at odds with eyewitness accounts, they were also plainly contradicted by unambiguous video evidence that documented exactly what happened. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told The Washington Post that the Republican administration’s claims were “flat-out insane.”
Vance was part of that operation. After Miller falsely claimed via social media that Pretti was “an assassin who tried to murder federal agents,” it was the vice president who decided to amplify the smear online.
That’s precisely why “for what?” was such an offensive answer to a good question about the apology owed to the victim’s family.
Reporter: Do you plan to apologize to the family of Alex Pretti?
— FactPost (@factpostnews.bsky.social) 2026-02-04T15:03:19.787414258Z
Vance: For what?
....Vance again described the intensive care unit nurse who was shot and killed by federal immigration officers as “a guy who showed up with ill intent to an ICE protest,” despite the fact that there was no such protest and that the vice president isn’t in a position to tell the public what Pretti was thinking.....
Let’s not forget that it was literally just hours after Pretti was killed when Donald Trump’s political operation kicked into high gear. The White House’s Stephen Miller, for example, said the ICU nurse was a “domestic terrorist” and a “would-be assassin.” Gregory Bovino, who helped lead Border Patrol operations, told the public that Pretti intended to “massacre” law enforcement personnel.....
The falsehoods weren’t just at odds with eyewitness accounts, they were also plainly contradicted by unambiguous video evidence that documented exactly what happened. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told The Washington Post that the Republican administration’s claims were “flat-out insane.”
Vance was part of that operation. After Miller falsely claimed via social media that Pretti was “an assassin who tried to murder federal agents,” it was the vice president who decided to amplify the smear online.
That’s precisely why “for what?” was such an offensive answer to a good question about the apology owed to the victim’s family.
February 8, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-national-prayer-breakfast-2026
The MaddowBlog-The key lesson from Trump's embarrassing National Prayer Breakfast speech
Those who thought Trump might approach the event with any maturity or solemnity were kidding themselves: He has anti-gravitas.
The key lesson from Trump’s embarrassing National Prayer Breakfast speech
— News Wire - World 🌎 Independent News Network Pro-Democracy (@democracyblue.bsky.social) 2026-02-07T14:13:25.674Z
Those who thought Trump might approach the event with any maturity or solemnity were kidding themselves: He has anti-gravitas. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-national-prayer-breakfast-2026
As is true in so many areas of public life, things now are … different. The Boston Globe reported:
Over the course of roughly 75 minutes, the Republican turned the National Prayer Breakfast into a roast of sorts, lashing out at enemies, condemning immigrants, peddling absurd election conspiracy theories, expressing annoyance that House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to pray before meals, lying about the repeal of the Johnson Amendment (which still has not actually happened, no matter how many times Trump claims otherwise) — all while complaining about transgender people and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The president even took the opportunity to boast about the efficacy of the deadly military operations he’d ordered.
At another point, Trump decided it’d be a good idea to mock Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over the Democrat’s recent emphasis on honoring the Constitution.
,,,,,Those who assumed Trump would approach the National Prayer Breakfast with a degree of maturity or solemnity were kidding themselves: He has a void where his gravitas should be.
Every speech, interview and appearance, public or private, is rooted in the same conspiratorial and grievance-filled foundation. The president was an embarrassment to himself on Thursday, not because he tried and failed to honor the occasion and to respect his audience, but because it apparently never occurred to him to bother in the first place.
President Trump attacked Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, an outspoken critic of the president, during his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday, calling him a ‘moron.’ […]
Trump then attacked Democrats in his speech saying, ‘I don’t know how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat. I really don’t.’ Later, Trump repeated his false claims that he won the popular vote in 2016 and that his 2020 loss to former president Joe Biden was ‘rigged.’
Over the course of roughly 75 minutes, the Republican turned the National Prayer Breakfast into a roast of sorts, lashing out at enemies, condemning immigrants, peddling absurd election conspiracy theories, expressing annoyance that House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to pray before meals, lying about the repeal of the Johnson Amendment (which still has not actually happened, no matter how many times Trump claims otherwise) — all while complaining about transgender people and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The president even took the opportunity to boast about the efficacy of the deadly military operations he’d ordered.
Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast: "We hit 'em. And we want to hit 'em right, sir, and we want to hit them from the top! East, west, north, south. Sir, they won't know what the hell! And we'll knock them out. We did it politically correct. Five years."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-02-05T14:21:04.999Z
At another point, Trump decided it’d be a good idea to mock Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over the Democrat’s recent emphasis on honoring the Constitution.
Trump on Minnesota: "If we didn't have to fight this horrible governor and this horrible fake mayor -- Frey. 'This is the Constitution of the United States.' People don't want to be mugged!"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-02-05T14:44:40.760Z
,,,,,Those who assumed Trump would approach the National Prayer Breakfast with a degree of maturity or solemnity were kidding themselves: He has a void where his gravitas should be.
Every speech, interview and appearance, public or private, is rooted in the same conspiratorial and grievance-filled foundation. The president was an embarrassment to himself on Thursday, not because he tried and failed to honor the occasion and to respect his audience, but because it apparently never occurred to him to bother in the first place.
February 8, 2026
The Epstein survivors are releasing this ad on this Super Bowl Sunday to send the message that they will not "move on"
BREAKING: The Epstein survivors are releasing this ad on this Super Bowl Sunday to send the message that they will not “move on†from the largest sex trafficking scandal in the world. #standwithsurvivors
— Jim Acosta (@jimacosta.bsky.social) 2026-02-08T17:07:07.812Z
February 8, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/rfk-jr-keto-diet-cure-schizophrenia-health-secretary
MaddowBlog-RFK Jr. peddles another dubious pitch, claims keto diet could cure schizophrenia
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn’t need to do fresh harm to his credibility, but he did it anyway.
RFK Jr. peddles another dubious pitch, claims keto diet could cure schizophrenia
— Charlie Davis (@charlespdavis.bsky.social) 2026-02-07T14:51:46.177Z
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/rfk-jr-keto-diet-cure-schizophrenia-health-secretary
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is currently on a national tour, touting his overhaul of federal dietary guidelines and urging Americans to “eat real food.” With this in mind, he brought his pitch to a Tennessee audience this week and proceeded to do fresh harm to whatever remains of his credibility. The New York Times reported:
.....The problem, as the Times’ report explained in detail, is that the diet “poses risks to heart health,” and RFK Jr. oversold the available evidence.,,,,,
The Times report noted, for example, that RFK Jr. “has a history of promoting ideas with little to no scientific evidence to back them up. He has rejected established evidence that H.I.V. is the cause of AIDS, pushed the idea that Covid-19 was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews and Chinese people, and repeatedly insisted that vaccines are a possible cause of autism despite a lack of proof.”
That is, of course, a small sample from a larger list. NPR had a report along these lines in 2023, noting, “Wi-Fi causes cancer and ‘leaky brain,’ Kennedy told podcaster Joe Rogan. … Antidepressants are to blame for school shootings, he mused during an appearance with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Chemicals in the water supply could turn children transgender, he told right-wing Canadian psychologist and podcaster Jordan Peterson, echoing a false assertion made by serial fabulist Alex Jones.”
RFK Jr. keeps adding to this embarrassing record. A few weeks ago, he claimed that a “good mother” doesn’t “trust the experts” on matters of public health. All things considered, he appears to be the last person who should be talking about who deserves the public’s trust.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asserted on Wednesday that the keto diet could cure schizophrenia — an unfounded claim that experts say vastly overstates preliminary research into whether the high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet might help patients with the disorder. […]
‘We now know that the things that you eat are driving mental illness in this country,’ Mr. Kennedy told a crowd at the Tennessee State Capitol, adding that a doctor at Harvard had ‘cured schizophrenia using keto diets.’
.....The problem, as the Times’ report explained in detail, is that the diet “poses risks to heart health,” and RFK Jr. oversold the available evidence.,,,,,
The Times report noted, for example, that RFK Jr. “has a history of promoting ideas with little to no scientific evidence to back them up. He has rejected established evidence that H.I.V. is the cause of AIDS, pushed the idea that Covid-19 was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews and Chinese people, and repeatedly insisted that vaccines are a possible cause of autism despite a lack of proof.”
That is, of course, a small sample from a larger list. NPR had a report along these lines in 2023, noting, “Wi-Fi causes cancer and ‘leaky brain,’ Kennedy told podcaster Joe Rogan. … Antidepressants are to blame for school shootings, he mused during an appearance with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Chemicals in the water supply could turn children transgender, he told right-wing Canadian psychologist and podcaster Jordan Peterson, echoing a false assertion made by serial fabulist Alex Jones.”
RFK Jr. keeps adding to this embarrassing record. A few weeks ago, he claimed that a “good mother” doesn’t “trust the experts” on matters of public health. All things considered, he appears to be the last person who should be talking about who deserves the public’s trust.
February 8, 2026
https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-rename-dulles-airport-penn-tunnel-schumer
Trump's obsession with renaming buildings after himself is about more than ego
Cultural omnipresence is a strongman tactic.
Trump’s obsession with renaming buildings after himself is about more than ego
— News Wire - World 🌎 Independent News Network Pro-Democracy (@democracyblue.bsky.social) 2026-02-07T14:14:33.588Z
Cultural omnipresence is a strongman tactic. www.ms.now/opinion/trum...
https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-rename-dulles-airport-penn-tunnel-schumer
President Donald Trump’s reported effort to hold a giant infrastructure project hostage unless he gets to rename Washington-Dulles International Airport and New York’s Penn Station after himself, on the surface, seems like yet another of his narcissistic gambits. But taken with all his other efforts at self-commemoration, it should also be seen as something more: an authoritarian tactic to dominate the public’s consciousness. .....
This isn’t normal political dealmaking. It’s an abuse of power. The president is interfering with funds that were already allocated by Congress for an important public works project in order to effectively skim something off the top for himself (even if in this case he’s trying to secure symbolic power, and not money). As my colleague Steve Benen put it, it’s an “attempt at extortion.”
And as Benen detailed, his obsession with renaming things after himself is unrelenting:
Presidential historians have pointed out that Trump’s renaming spree is unprecedented; typically a president is commemorated by other people after the president dies.
But Trump’s insistence on plastering his name is not only a matter of troubling self-obsession; it also serves a political purpose — by making him seem more powerful than he is.
It is standard fare for autocratic leaders to erase boundaries between themselves and the state. Turkmenistan’s late strongman leader Saparmurat Niyazov made his birthday a national holiday, which involved over-the-top celebrations of him, including military parades and a declaration by his ministers that he was a prophet from God. In North Korea’s totalitarian state, cultish praise and ubiquitous imagery of the country’s leaders are an essential part of the government’s social structures designed to induce the public to submit before its authoritarian leader. The effect of these social rituals is to make a leader appear invincible, untouchable.
As The Boston Globe pointed out in December in its analysis of Trump’s renaming obsession, strongmen across history often compelled their subjects or allies to participate in the spectacle of renaming:
In this specific situation, it seems Trump is unlikely to get what he wants because there’s no way that Schumer — who has already refused — could give him what he wants. But we should expect Trump to continue angling to add his name and his visage everywhere he possibly can. Like so many aspiring strongmen before him, Trump views cultural omnipresence as a gateway to political omnipotence. But given that Trump is manifestly not all-powerful, right now, many people can see it for what it is: graffiti.
This isn’t normal political dealmaking. It’s an abuse of power. The president is interfering with funds that were already allocated by Congress for an important public works project in order to effectively skim something off the top for himself (even if in this case he’s trying to secure symbolic power, and not money). As my colleague Steve Benen put it, it’s an “attempt at extortion.”
And as Benen detailed, his obsession with renaming things after himself is unrelenting:
Trump and his allies have now applied the president’s name to the Kennedy Center and to the Institute of Peace, announced the construction of ‘Trump-class’ battleships, unveiled a commemorative legal-tender coin that will feature his face on both sides and have launched ‘Trump Gold Cards,’ ‘Trump Accounts’ and ‘TrumpRx’ (the government’s new drug-pricing website). By some accounts, the president wants the forthcoming White House ballroom to be named after him, too.
Presidential historians have pointed out that Trump’s renaming spree is unprecedented; typically a president is commemorated by other people after the president dies.
But Trump’s insistence on plastering his name is not only a matter of troubling self-obsession; it also serves a political purpose — by making him seem more powerful than he is.
It is standard fare for autocratic leaders to erase boundaries between themselves and the state. Turkmenistan’s late strongman leader Saparmurat Niyazov made his birthday a national holiday, which involved over-the-top celebrations of him, including military parades and a declaration by his ministers that he was a prophet from God. In North Korea’s totalitarian state, cultish praise and ubiquitous imagery of the country’s leaders are an essential part of the government’s social structures designed to induce the public to submit before its authoritarian leader. The effect of these social rituals is to make a leader appear invincible, untouchable.
As The Boston Globe pointed out in December in its analysis of Trump’s renaming obsession, strongmen across history often compelled their subjects or allies to participate in the spectacle of renaming:
Allies of Rome’s Julius Caesar, Germany’s Adolf Hitler, the Soviet Union’s Joseph Stalin, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, North Korea’s Kim Il Sung, India’s Narendra Modi, and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan named sports stadiums, cities, roads, schools, and other public buildings after them.
In this specific situation, it seems Trump is unlikely to get what he wants because there’s no way that Schumer — who has already refused — could give him what he wants. But we should expect Trump to continue angling to add his name and his visage everywhere he possibly can. Like so many aspiring strongmen before him, Trump views cultural omnipresence as a gateway to political omnipotence. But given that Trump is manifestly not all-powerful, right now, many people can see it for what it is: graffiti.
February 8, 2026
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2026/02/06/starlink-shutdown-musk-throws-russian-forces-into-chaos/
Starlink Shutdown: Musk Throws Russian Forces Into Chaos
Russia has been using unregistered/illegal starlink units because the Russian systems do not work. Musk is now only allowing authorized/whitelisted units to work which is hurting the Russian military operations.
Starlink Shutdown: Musk Throws Russian Forces Into Chaos
— Samuel Bendett (@sambendett.bsky.social) 2026-02-06T14:10:48.756Z
www.forbes.com/sites/davidh...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2026/02/06/starlink-shutdown-musk-throws-russian-forces-into-chaos/
The Russian invasion force is in disarray following the deactivation of its Starlink satellite communications. Meanwhile Ukrainians are rushing to get their terminals whitelisted to maintain the service.
Both sides have made extensive use of the commercial Starlink service, which provides long-range, jam-resistant communication. Now the service operated by SpaceX is being denied to the Russians, and only terminals officially registered in Ukraine will work.
“The Starlink terminals added to the ‘whitelist’ are working. The Russians’ terminals have already been blocked,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a statement on Thursday,
The effect on the Russians has been catastrophic, with some units reporting 90% loss of internet communications. There have reportedly been a rash of ‘friendly fire’ incidents as the Russians struggle to tell friend from foe.
“All command and control of the [Russian] troops has collapsed. Assault operations have been halted in many areas,” stated Serhii ‘Flash’ Beskrestnov, electronic warfare expert and adviser to Fedorov.
Both sides have made extensive use of the commercial Starlink service, which provides long-range, jam-resistant communication. Now the service operated by SpaceX is being denied to the Russians, and only terminals officially registered in Ukraine will work.
“The Starlink terminals added to the ‘whitelist’ are working. The Russians’ terminals have already been blocked,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a statement on Thursday,
The effect on the Russians has been catastrophic, with some units reporting 90% loss of internet communications. There have reportedly been a rash of ‘friendly fire’ incidents as the Russians struggle to tell friend from foe.
“All command and control of the [Russian] troops has collapsed. Assault operations have been halted in many areas,” stated Serhii ‘Flash’ Beskrestnov, electronic warfare expert and adviser to Fedorov.
February 8, 2026
https://www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-2675108277
Outrage as video of JD Vance being booed at Olympics gets blocked on social media
Musk tried to delete the boos
Outrage as video of JD Vance being booed at Olympics gets blocked on social media www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-267...
— Sal Vadacchino 🇨🇦 (@sal-vadacchino.bsky.social) 2026-02-07T21:42:53.489Z
https://www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-2675108277
Vice President JD Vance was booed at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Italy on Friday, but at least one widely shared video of it was swiftly scrubbed from X, the social media platform controlled by former Trump administration adviser Elon Musk.
Acyn Torabi, or @Acyn, “is an industrialized viral-video machine,” the Washington Post explained last year, “grabbing the most eye-catching moments from press conferences and TV news panels, packaging them within seconds into quick highlights, and pushing them to his million followers across X and Bluesky dozens of times a day.”
In this case, Torabi, who’s now senior digital editor at MeidasTouch, reshared a video of the vice president and his wife, Usha Vance, being booed that was initially posted by filmmaker Mick Gzowski.
However, the video was shortly taken down and replaced with the text, “This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner.”
Noting the development, Torabi, said: “No one should have a copyright on Vance being booed. It belongs to the world.”
As of press time, the footage is still circulating online thanks to other X accounts and across other platforms—including a video shared on Bluesky by MeidasTouch editor in chief Ron Filipkowski.
Acyn Torabi, or @Acyn, “is an industrialized viral-video machine,” the Washington Post explained last year, “grabbing the most eye-catching moments from press conferences and TV news panels, packaging them within seconds into quick highlights, and pushing them to his million followers across X and Bluesky dozens of times a day.”
In this case, Torabi, who’s now senior digital editor at MeidasTouch, reshared a video of the vice president and his wife, Usha Vance, being booed that was initially posted by filmmaker Mick Gzowski.
However, the video was shortly taken down and replaced with the text, “This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner.”
Noting the development, Torabi, said: “No one should have a copyright on Vance being booed. It belongs to the world.”
As of press time, the footage is still circulating online thanks to other X accounts and across other platforms—including a video shared on Bluesky by MeidasTouch editor in chief Ron Filipkowski.
February 7, 2026
https://www.ms.now/news/ice-chief-counsel-in-minnesota-leaves-his-job-amid-burnout-and-dissent
Amid a torrent of legal challenges to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics, the chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota has departed.
The top lawyer, Jim Stolley, retired after 31 years of service, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to MS NOW in an email. Questions from MS NOW sent to Stolley’s Department of Homeland Security email address prompted an automated one-line response that read: “I have retired from public service.”
Stolley’s departure, reported first on Saturday by The New York Times, comes as ICE continues to draw the ire of judges for failing to comply with court orders. Federal officials are also battling an immense caseload, with prosecutors resigning — or being fired for speaking out.
Julie Le, according to NBC News, was removed from her temporary post at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota after she told a judge “this job sucks” when grilled about why the government was not heeding court orders to release unlawfully detained immigrants.....
MS NOW reported that top officials from the DOJ’s civil rights division quit in January after the department declined to investigate Good’s fatal shooting. The New York Times reported in January that six federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota resigned after the DOJ officials sought an investigation into Good’s widow, Becca Good.
ICE chief counsel in Minnesota leaves his job amid burnout and dissent
The latest departure comes as ICE continues to draw the ire of judges for failing to comply with court orders.
ICE chief counsel in Minnesota leaves his job amid burnout and dissent
— MS NOW (@ms.now) 2026-02-07T22:36:03.576Z
https://www.ms.now/news/ice-chief-counsel-in-minnesota-leaves-his-job-amid-burnout-and-dissent
Amid a torrent of legal challenges to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics, the chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota has departed.
The top lawyer, Jim Stolley, retired after 31 years of service, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to MS NOW in an email. Questions from MS NOW sent to Stolley’s Department of Homeland Security email address prompted an automated one-line response that read: “I have retired from public service.”
Stolley’s departure, reported first on Saturday by The New York Times, comes as ICE continues to draw the ire of judges for failing to comply with court orders. Federal officials are also battling an immense caseload, with prosecutors resigning — or being fired for speaking out.
Julie Le, according to NBC News, was removed from her temporary post at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota after she told a judge “this job sucks” when grilled about why the government was not heeding court orders to release unlawfully detained immigrants.....
MS NOW reported that top officials from the DOJ’s civil rights division quit in January after the department declined to investigate Good’s fatal shooting. The New York Times reported in January that six federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota resigned after the DOJ officials sought an investigation into Good’s widow, Becca Good.
February 7, 2026
ICE chief counsel in Minnesota leaves his job amid burnout and dissent
Source: MS NOW
Amid a torrent of legal challenges to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics, the chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota has departed.
The top lawyer, Jim Stolley, retired after 31 years of service, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to MS NOW in an email. Questions from MS NOW sent to Stolley’s Department of Homeland Security email address prompted an automated one-line response that read: “I have retired from public service.”
Stolley’s departure, reported first on Saturday by The New York Times, comes as ICE continues to draw the ire of judges for failing to comply with court orders. Federal officials are also battling an immense caseload, with prosecutors resigning — or being fired for speaking out.
Julie Le, according to NBC News, was removed from her temporary post at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota after she told a judge “this job sucks” when grilled about why the government was not heeding court orders to release unlawfully detained immigrants.....
MS NOW reported that top officials from the DOJ’s civil rights division quit in January after the department declined to investigate Good’s fatal shooting. The New York Times reported in January that six federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota resigned after the DOJ officials sought an investigation into Good’s widow, Becca Good.
Read more: https://www.ms.now/news/ice-chief-counsel-in-minnesota-leaves-his-job-amid-burnout-and-dissent
ICE chief counsel in Minnesota leaves his job amid burnout and dissent
— MS NOW (@ms.now) 2026-02-07T22:36:03.576Z
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