Congress should ban immigration officials from using social media

Source: The Hill
by Beth Lyon

“A long running Immigration and Customs Enforcement practice is to post photos, on Instagram and other sites, of ICE detainees. Often, detainees are shown being put on an airplane for deportation. In just the first year of the administration, at least 2,000 images were posted on X, and over 30,000 immigrants were listed on a new Department of Homeland Security website. Many of the social media posts also list criminal convictions — some erroneous — which are usually posted after a prison sentence has already been served. Still others go further, mocking or disparaging immigrants based on their perceived ethnicity or national origin. … These posts are not law enforcement; they are shocking abuses of power.” (11/12/26)

https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/6213068-dhs-social-media-detainee-photos/

Thomas L. Knapp

Seattle Mayor & School Board Push Legal Action to Block State Referendum on Transgender Athletes

Source: Jonathan Turley
by Jonathan Turley

“Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced that she and the city would back the Seattle School Board’s unanimous vote to begin legal action to block enforcement of Initiative 638, which requires separating boys and girls in K-12 sports in Washington state. Voters overwhelmingly approved the initiative in 36 of the state’s 39 counties. Critics have charged that Wilson and other Seattle Democrats are seeking to negate the popular vote after campaigning on ‘saving democracy’. The greater challenge, however, is the legal basis for such an action in light of recent Supreme Court rulings.” (11/12/26)

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/11/12/not-taking-the-initiative-seattle-mayor-and-school-board-support-legal-action-to-block-state-referendum-on-transgender-athletes/

Steve Trinward

US jobless claims tick up to 200,000 but remain low by historic standards

Source: ABC News

“More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but jobless claims remain at historically low levels, layoffs are rare and most workers enjoy unusual job security. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims ticked up to 200,000 last week from a revised 191,000 the week before, coming in higher than the 195,000 economists had forecast. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, was unchanged at 195,250. Applications for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them closely because they can provide signs of where the job market is headed.” (11/12/26)

https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/us-jobless-claims-tick-200000-remain-low-historic-138076988

Thomas L. Knapp

Brave New Presidential Contest

Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob

“For years, states have been joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC). The compact commits these states to award all their Electoral College presidential votes to the winner of the popular vote nationwide, even if a majority of their own state voters choose a different candidate. It kicks in once enough states sign up to equal the 270 Electoral College votes required to win the presidency. … Once we elect the president purely on the total vote nationally, will sanctuary state California give the nearly five million non-citizens living there the vote for president? Those additional voters would constitute about two percent of the electorate in the entire country.” (11/12/26)

https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/11/12/brave-new-presidential-contest/

Thomas L. Knapp