Uncensored Free Speech Platform

The Children of Dilley
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

Fourteen-year-old Ariana Velasquez had been held at the immigrant detention center in Dilley, Texas, with her mother for some 45 days when I managed to get inside to meet her. The staff brought everyone in the visiting room a boxed lunch from the cafeteria: a cup of yellowish stew and a hamburger patty in a plain bun. Ariana’s long black curls hung loosely around her face and she was wearing a government-issued gray sweatsuit. At first, she sat looking blankly down at the table. She poked at her food with a plastic fork and let her mother do most of the talking.

She perked up when I asked about home: Hicksville, New York. She and her mother had moved there from Honduras when she was 7. Her mother, Stephanie Valladares, had applied for asylum, married a neighbor from back home who was already living in the U.S., and had two more kids. Ariana took care of them after school. She was a freshman at Hicksville High, and being detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center meant that she was falling behind in her classes. She told me how much she missed her favorite sign language teacher, but most of all she missed her siblings.

I had previously met them in Hicksville: Gianna, a toddler who everyone calls Gigi, and Jacob, a kindergartener with wide brown eyes. I told Ariana that they missed her too. Jacob had shown me a security camera that their mom had installed in the kitchen so she could peek in on them from her job, sometimes saying “Hello” through the speaker. I told Ariana that Jacob tried talking to the camera, hoping his mom would answer.

Stephanie burst into tears. So did Ariana. After my visit, Ariana wrote me a letter.

“My younger siblings haven’t been able to see their mom in more than a month,” she wrote. “They are very young and you need both of your parents when you are growing up.” Then, referring to Dilley, she added, “Since I got to this Center all you will feel is sadness and mostly depression.”

Ariana Velasquez’s 5-year-old brother, Jacob, and 2-year-old sister, Gianna, at their home in New York. Anna Connors for ProPublica

Dilley, run by private prison firm CoreCivic, is located some 72 miles south of San Antonio and nearly 2,000 miles away from Ariana’s home. It is a sprawling collection of trailers and dormitories, almost the same color as the dusty landscape, surrounded by a tall fence. It first opened during the Obama administration to hold an influx of families crossing the border. Former President Joe Biden stopped holding families there in 2021, arguing America shouldn’t be in the business of detaining children.

But quickly after returning to office, President Donald Trump resumed family detentions as part of his mass deportation campaign. Federal courts and overwhelming public outrage had put an end to Trump’s first-term policy of separating children from parents when immigrant families were detained crossing the border. Trump officials said Dilley was a place where immigrant families would be detained together.

As the second Trump administration’s crackdown both slowed border crossings to record lows and ramped up a blitz of immigration arrests all across the country, the population inside Dilley …

Massie, Khanna to visit DOJ to review unredacted Epstein files
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California have each said that they will visit the Department of Justice on Monday to view unredacted documents from the Epstein files.
The bipartisan duo spearheaded the push to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act last year. 
"The survivors standing in front of the Capitol twice is why @RepThomasMassie & I were able to pass the Epstein Transparency Act. Tomorrow, Massie and I will go together to DOJ to see the unredacted files. We will not rest until the Epstein class is brought to justice," Khanna declared in a Sunday post on X.
REP THOMAS MASSIE RESPONDS AFTER TRUMP CALLS HIM A ‘MORON’ IN NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST SPEECH
Massie crowdsourced suggestions for which documents he should read.
"Tomorrow I will go to DOJ to view the unredacted Epstein files. Which docs should I view?" the congressman asked in a Sunday post on X.
South Carolina gubernatorial hopeful GOP Rep. Nancy Mace indicated that she was perusing the responses to Massie's post rather than watching the Super Bowl on Sunday.
KEIR STARMER'S CHIEF OF STAFF RESIGNS AFTER RECOMMENDING EPSTEIN-CONNECTED AMBASSADOR
"Headed to the DOJ this week as well. Thank you @RepThomasMassie for the post below; very helpful suggestions from all those who chimed in. I am sifting through the comments now in preparation for my visit, rather than watch the Super Bowl," Mace noted in a post.
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who departed from office early last month, responded to Massie's post.
"Any docs talking about ‘jerky’ and ‘pizza,’" she wrote. "And FBI docs with Presidents, Sec of State, any and all government officials, and people profiting from government contracts. Foreign countries Epstein was working for. Names unredacted. No exceptions."
BILL CLINTON COMES OUT SWINGING AGAINST COMER FOR REJECTING PUBLIC EPSTEIN HEARING: ‘STOP THE GAMES’
Massie, Greene, Mace, and GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the only four House Republicans who signed onto a discharge petition last year in a bid to push the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
President Donald Trump, who is backing a GOP primary challenger running against Massie in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, called Massie a "moron" while speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast last week.

Trump sows doubts about 2026 election in effort to sell national voter ID law
Trust is earned, not demanded.

President Donald Trump appears to be dusting off his playbook from past elections, indicating he will only accept this November’s midterm election results if they are “honest.”

Trump’s comment to NBC News follows a recent proposal to “nationalize” voting during an appearance on former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino’s podcast, a suggestion the White House has contended that the president is simply in support of the passage of the SAVE Act.

The SAVE Act would require prospective voters to provide proof of citizenship in person to register to vote in federal elections with photo ID, supplementing a push to purge non-citizens from voter rolls after the pandemic prompted a loosening of election laws.

“The president believes in the United States Constitution,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters this week outside the West Wing. “However, he believes there has obviously been a lot of fraud and irregularities that have taken place in American elections.”

Nevertheless, Trump told reporters hours later, “If a state can’t run an election,” Congress “should do something about it.”

“If you think about it, the state is an agent for the federal government in elections,” the president said in the Oval Office. “I don’t know why the federal government doesn’t do them anyway, but when you see some of these states, about how horribly they run their elections, what a disgrace it is… The federal government should not allow that — the federal government should get involved.”

Undeterred, Leavitt relied on the same argument a day later, after the NBC interview, during her press briefing on Thursday.

“What the president is suggesting, and I just spoke to him about this, is that Republicans and Democrats in Congress should pass the SAVE Act,” she said.

But Trump’s apparent concerns about election integrity amid persistent claims the 2020 election was stolen from him have dominated news media headlines this month after the FBI’s seizure of 2020 ballots from Fulton County, Georgia, last week, in addition to reports that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who attended the Fulton County raid, took voting machines from Puerto Rico last year.

Republicans have expressed concerns about Trump’s moves and rhetoric having the unintended consequence of suppressing GOP voter turnout.

“He may be trying to set up an excuse for failure, but in the process, he could discourage Republicans from voting,” Republican strategist Charlie Black told the Washington …

r/SupremeCourt Weekly "In Chambers" Discussion 02/09/26
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.

Hey all!
In an effort to consolidate discussion and increase awareness of our weekly threads, we are trialing this new thread which will be stickied and refreshed every Monday @ 6AM Eastern.
This will replace and combine the 'Ask Anything Monday' and 'Lower Court Development Wednesday' threads. As such, this weekly thread is intended to provide a space for:
General questions: (e.g. "Where can I find Supreme Court briefs?", "What does [X] mean?").

Discussion starters requiring minimal input from OP: (e.g. "Predictions?", "What do people think about [X]?")

U.S. District and State Court rulings involving a federal question that may be of future relevance to the Supreme Court.

TL;DR: This is a catch-all thread for legal discussion that may not warrant its own thread.
Our other rules apply as always. Incivility and polarized rhetoric are never permitted. This thread is not intended for political or off-topic discussion.

The 2028 Democratic presidential contender must-have accessory: a tell-all book
Confidence requires clarity.

The contest for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination is underway, and this time, the battle is unfolding on bookshelves as much as on the campaign trail.

Today’s top contenders are telling their stories, addressing controversies, and making their cases directly to voters, one page at a time, and taking home hefty checks and sizable advances in the process.

This publishing wave is more than a literary trend — it’s the unofficial opening bell for the Democratic shadow primary. Potential candidates are using their books to shape their public image, communicate their vision in their own words, and connect with voters long before the first ballots are cast.

Six possible Democratic contenders for the 2028 election — former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Josh Shapiro (PA), outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom (CA), Sens. Raphael Warnock (GA), Chris Murphy (CT), and Cory Booker (NJ) — all have new or soon-to-be-released books, accompanied by speaking tours. It’s a calculated strategy to boost their visibility and shape the narrative ahead of 2028.  

“Political memoirs have a twofold purpose: they give the author/candidate a bestseller status plus a reason to go on a clout-seeking, media-chasing book tour, and they also give everyone on the team clear messaging/a focus for the campaioign itself moving forward, a ‘single source of truth,’ so to speak,” Joshua Lisec, founder of Lisec Ghostwriting, who has ghostwritten more than 112 books, told the Washington Examiner.

He advises candidates to use their books to introduce themselves, share memorable stories, and end on an aspirational note, calling it the “book equivalent of a friendly talk show interview.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, right, reacts during her “107 Days” book tour at the Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in downtown Miami. Nicaraguan American strategist and commentator Ana Navarro moderated the conversation. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Dan Gerstein, CEO of Gotham Ghostwriters, agrees.

“For a lot of politicians, their primary goal for putting a book out is not to make money,” Gerstein, who used to work on Capitol Hill as a former communications adviser for former Sen. Joe Lieberman, told the Washington Examiner. “It’s to be able to tell their story their way. The book gives them an opportunity to control the narrative, literally, but in a very wholesome, comprehensive way …

Stephen Goss: President Connolly’s visit to Northern Ireland held out hope for a future that could weaken the peace
Who's accountable for the results?

Dr Stephen Goss is a freelance historian, lectures in history and politics in London, and is a Conservative councillor in Reading.

Last week the Republic of Ireland’s recently installed President, Catherine Connolly, visited Northern Ireland.

Since the 1990s, there has been nothing unusual about Presidents popping across the border to encourage peace and negotiation, to cement peace and consociationalism, or talk about peace and reconciliation. In keeping with this, President Connolly’s visit duly included, amongst several other appointments: ‘Youth Action Northern Ireland’s Peace and Reconciliation Centre’; a reception for ‘Women in Community Leadership’; the ‘Black Mountain Shared Space’; and no doubt deliberately, both the Museum of Free Derry (describing the Civil Rights Movement and Bloody Sunday) and the Siege Museum (telling the history of the Siege of Londonderry during the Glorious Revolution).

Yet President Connolly’s visit was rather different. Firstly, it was longer than any of her predecessors, lasting an unprecedented three days. Secondly, she had declared in her inauguration speech that her initial official visit would be to Northern Ireland. In it she stated:

“I look forward to paying my first official visit to the North and meeting with people from all communities and celebrating the rich heritage and traditions of all who live there. I am particularly conscious of Article Three of the Constitution, which sets out in detail the firm wish of the Irish people, the Irish nation to have a united Ireland, albeit in the conditions set out very clearly in the Article on consent. As President, I will foster an inclusive and open dialogue across the island in a manner that highlights and recognises our similarities and respects our differences.”

President Connolly paid lip service to respecting differences and consent, but chose to emphasise Irish unification. As well she might, given that she asserted in her election campaign that Irish unity was a ‘foregone conclusion’ and that she would serve as a voice to promote it.

Contrast her remarks with those of her immediate predecessors. In Mary Robinson’s inauguration address in 1990, she explicitly reached out to Northern Ireland with a message of friendship and reconciliation. She pledged to extend the hand of friendship and love to both communities in the ‘other part of the island’, doing so ‘with no strings attached, no hidden agenda’, and to encourage mutual understanding and tolerance across traditions.

Mary McAleese, at her inauguration – unsurprisingly, as the only Northern Irish President to-date, elected during the Peace Process (1997) – made Northern Ireland and the theme of reconciliation central. She asserted that ‘building bridges’ would be the defining theme of her term, …

Massie opposition becomes Trump litmus test in Kentucky Senate race

Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) fight for political survival is bleeding into Kentucky’s Senate race after two of the Republican contenders endorsed his challenger to curry favor with President Donald Trump.

Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and entrepreneur Nate Morris endorsed Ed Gallrein in quick succession on Thursday, leaving former Attorney General Daniel Cameron as the only major candidate to stay on the sidelines in Massie’s race.

Massie, a libertarian and six-term House member, has embraced his status as a pariah in Trumpworld, owing to his opposition to the president’s tax law and role in forcing the release of the Epstein files.

But Republicans, especially those seeking Trump’s endorsement, want nothing to do with his candidacy and see Gallrein’s entry into the race at Trump’s urging as an opportunity to signal their loyalty to the president.

In announcing the endorsement, Barr’s campaign said he would be hosting a meet-and-greet with Gallrein in Kentucky next Friday and dubbed Morris as “Late Nate” for offering his endorsement later the same afternoon.

Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and state Senate candidate, touted their backing as a sign that “MAGA conservatives” are uniting behind him.

The endorsements mark the latest wrinkle in what has become a bitter race to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Early on, that meant distancing themselves from McConnell, himself a foe of the president, and promising to be a reliable Trump defender in Congress.

Yet all three candidates have since turned to other Trump critics to cement their standing with the White House.

In this latest dust-up, Barr and Morris are pointing to donations the other gave to Massie in past election cycles. Morris, a Lexington businessman, donated to Massie in 2020 and 2022, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Barr, meanwhile, made a donation in 2020 through his leadership PAC.

(Trump first called for Massie to be “thrown out” of the GOP in 2020, but later endorsed him in 2022.)

The falling out between Trump and former Rep. Liz Cheney is another feud shaping the campaign, with Morris citing donations Barr gave through his leadership PAC to Cheney and three other House Republicans who voted to impeach the president in 2021.

Barr, in turn, notes that Morris donated to former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley two years before she challenged Trump for the presidential nomination.

“Those guys endorsing Woke Eddie isn’t about my race. It’s about their campaigns,” Massie …

March Social Security direct payment worth $994 goes out in 18 days
This feels like a quiet policy shift.

March 2026 Supplemental Security Income payments, worth up to $994, will be issued to recipients in 18 days.

SSI payments are typically issued on the first day of a month, but March’s payment will go out on Feb. 27. When the first of a month falls on a weekend or holiday, SSI payments are issued on the last business day of the previous month. March 1 falls on a Sunday this year.

Beneficiaries are people with limited income who are either blind, aged 65 and older, or have another qualifying disability.

The amount beneficiaries receive varies based on several factors, including the number of people filing. For example, individual filers can receive up to $994, couples filing jointly can receive $1,491, and those providing essential care to SSI recipients can receive up to $498. 

In addition to the previous prerequisites for receiving SSI payments, recipients must also be U.S. citizens or noncitizens in one of the alien classifications granted by the Department of Homeland Security.

JEANINE PIRRO DEFENDS THREAT TO PROSECUTE PEOPLE FOR BRINGING GUNS TO DC: ‘PROUD SUPPORTER’ OF SECOND AMENDMENT

Additionally, recipients must live in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands, and must not be absent from the United States for a full calendar month or 30 consecutive days.

A full calendar for the Social Security Administration payments can be viewed on the agency’s website.

Ghislaine Maxwell expected to invoke Fifth Amendment in congressional deposition today
Are they actually going to vote on something real?

Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of convicted sex offender and deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, is expected to invoke her Fifth Amendment privileges in today’s congressional deposition before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday.

David Markus, Maxwell’s attorney, revealed his client’s forthcoming decision on NewsNation. The Fifth Amendment grants Maxwell protection against self-incrimination. In addition to being his romantic partner, Maxwell was an integral part of Epstein’s trafficking operations. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022 for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls. 

In January, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) revealed that Maxwell would be deposed before the congressional committee as part of the broader investigation into the Epstein files. 

“I agree we need to hear from Ghislaine Maxwell,” Comer said at the time. “We’ve been trying to get her in for a deposition, her lawyers have been saying that she’s going to plead the Fifth, but we have nailed down a date, Feb. 9 where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by the committee.”

Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) have been two of the most vocal members of Congress calling for the full release of the Epstein files. They introduced the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act in 2025, which was later signed into law by President Donald Trump. Khanna sent a letter to Comer on Sunday asking about Maxwell’s intention to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights, calling the move “inconsistent with her prior conduct.”

“It is my understanding that Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell intends to invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and decline to answer all substantive questions at her upcoming deposition before the House Oversight Committee,” Khanna wrote in his letter.

“This position appears inconsistent with Ms. Maxwell’s prior conduct, as she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment when she previously met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to discuss substantially similar subject matter,” he said. 

EPSTEIN FILES IMPLODE BRITISH POLITICS WITH ‘BIGGEST SCANDAL’ IN ‘OVER ONE CENTURY’

Khanna then provided Comer a list of questions he intended to ask Maxwell, despite her invoking the Fifth Amendment. Among the questions Khanna plans to ask is if she ever provided underage girls to Trump.

“It is well documented that you, President Donald Trump, and Mr. Epstein had a social …

First round of February Social Security payments goes out in two days
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.

The first round of February Social Security payments for retirees, now capped at $5,108, will be issued in two days.

When will payments arrive?

Retirees born on or before the 10th of a month will receive this payment on Feb. 11. 

The second round will go out on Feb. 18 to those born between the 11th and 20th of a month, and the third round will follow on Feb. 25 to those born on or after the 21st of a month.

When am I eligible?

Citizens are eligible for Social Security payments beginning at 62 years old.

How can I maximize my check?

Social Security payment amounts are determined by several factors, including age of retirement, the amount paid into Social Security, and the number of years paid into Social Security.

Payments largely depend on a recipient’s retirement age. A beneficiary retiring at the youngest age could receive up to $2,831 per month, while a 70-year-old retiree could receive up to $5,108 per month, according to the Social Security Administration.

Beneficiaries can see a personalized estimate of how much they could expect each month using the SSA’s calculator.

DOJ INVESTIGATING VANDALISM OF CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN LONG BEACH

How is it financed?

Social Security is financed by a payroll tax paid for by employers and employees.

Social Security payment amounts are set to shrink unless Congress takes action to prevent it. Analysts estimate that the SSA will no longer be able to issue full payments as early as 2034, due to a rising number of retirees and a shrinking workforce.