News from the South - Arkansas News Feed
Trump directs ICE to target 3 big Democratic cities for raids
by Ariana Figueroa, Arkansas Advocate
June 16, 2025
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced late Sunday that he was directing U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement officers to conduct immigration raids in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, the nation’s three most populous cities that are all led by elected Democrats in heavily Democratic states.
The announcement escalates a week-long conflict in Los Angeles, where large protests started after immigration officials began arresting day laborers at Home Depot stores across the city. Trump directed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to LA amid the protests without California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s consent.
“I want ICE, Border Patrol, and our Great and Patriotic Law Enforcement Officers, to FOCUS on our crime ridden and deadly Inner Cities, and those places where Sanctuary Cities play such a big role,” Trump wrote on social media, referring to cities that don’t coordinate with federal immigration officials for civil enforcement. “You don’t hear about Sanctuary Cities in our Heartland!”
Trump’s Sunday social media post to target immigration enforcement in cities came after a June 12 post in which he acknowledged that his immigration crackdown was harming the tourism and agriculture industries. Republican-leaning states generally have fewer big cities and more rural areas.
“Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” Trump wrote last week.
The president directed ICE to pause raids on farms, after speaking with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, according to the New York Times.
The Agriculture Department has estimated that roughly 40% of farm workers do not have legal authorization.
However, advocates for farmworkers, such as United Farm Workers, said that immigration officials have not paused on enforcement.
“If President Trump is actually in charge, he needs to prove it: stop the sweeps on hardworking Californians,” UFW said in a statement.
A June 10 immigration raid at a meat processing plant in Omaha, Nebraska, where roughly 80 workers were detained, set off several protests in the city.
Trump wrote in his social media post that it should be taken as a presidential directive.
“ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” he wrote.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to States Newsroom’s request about details on the president’s Sunday directive to ICE officers.
Noncitizen voting
Trump took aim at Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, saying during an interview at the G7 Summit with world leaders in Canada on Monday that Chicago was “overrun with criminals.”
“They think they’re going to use them to vote,” Trump said of people without citizenship who live in cities run by Democrats.
The president, without evidence, claimed in his Sunday post that the “Core of the Democrat power center” of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York allowed people without citizenship to vote in federal elections, which is not true. The practice is illegal and, according to studies, exceedingly rare.
A federal judge last week blocked Trump’s executive order that would have required states to mandate voters in federal elections provide documents proving their citizenship.
Last week, Pritzker and the Democratic governors of Minnesota and New York testified before Congress for eight hours on their states’ policies to not coordinate with federal immigration officials.
House Republicans brought in the mayors of Boston, Chicago and Denver in March on the same issue.
Focus for protests
The president’s directive to ICE followed a weekend military parade to celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary that also coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday and sparked anti-Trump protests.
Millions of people across the country held “No Kings” protests against the Trump administration, according to estimates from organizers. The protests often included rebukes of ICE’s aggressive immigration crackdown.
The protests in LA, which have led to a legal standoff between the administration and the state, have been over immigration raids.
Since returning to the White House, the Trump administration has given immigration officers expanded authority to rapidly deport immigrants.
In Trump’s second week in office, DHS reinstated a 2019 policy known as expedited removal, meaning that immigrants without legal authorization anywhere in the country who encounter federal enforcement must prove they have been in the U.S. continuously for more than two years.
If they cannot produce that proof, they will be subject to a fast-track deportation without appearing before an immigration judge for due process.
Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.
The post Trump directs ICE to target 3 big Democratic cities for raids appeared first on arkansasadvocate.com
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Left-Leaning
This article exhibits a left-leaning bias through its framing and choice of emphasis. While it presents quotes and actions from President Trump, it also highlights critical reactions from Democratic leaders, advocates, and protest movements, and frames Trump’s claims—such as noncitizen voting—as “without evidence” or “not true,” indicating a fact-checking stance common in left-leaning outlets. The use of emotionally charged descriptions (e.g., “sweeps on hardworking Californians,” “millions…held ‘No Kings’ protests”) and the emphasis on opposition voices and legal challenges further supports this assessment. The tone is generally critical of Trump’s immigration actions and policies, aligning more closely with progressive viewpoints.
News from the South - Arkansas News Feed
Police: McGann admitted to killing the couple, DNA match found at the scene
SUMMARY: Andrew McGann admitted to killing Clinton and Cristen Brink in a random, brutal attack while they protected their young daughters. DNA from the crime scene matched McGann, who acted alone. Police described the case as one of the most heinous in their 27 years, emphasizing the couple’s efforts to shield their 7- and 9-year-old daughters, who were not targeted. Investigators narrowed the search using over 500 tips, identifying McGann through a black Kia Stinger and witness photos. Knives and clothing linked to the suspect were recovered. Authorities are still investigating McGann’s motives and any possible crimes in other states.
Police: McGann admitted to killing the couple, DNA match found at the scene
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News from the South - Arkansas News Feed
Trump’s big proposed cuts to health and education spending rebuffed by US Senate panel
by Ariana Figueroa and Shauneen Miranda, Arkansas Advocate
July 31, 2025
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Thursday largely rejected Trump administration proposals to slash funding for education programs, medical research grants, health initiatives and Ukraine security assistance.
Instead, senators from both parties agreed to increase spending in the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education spending bill for fiscal year 2026, as well as the Defense bill, and rebuked the White House’s move to dismantle the Department of Education.
The pushback against President Donald Trump was significant as Congress heads toward a possible standoff and partial government shutdown when the fiscal year expires on Sept. 30.
In response to the Trump administration’s separate cancellation of grants and freezing of funds approved by Congress, senators also included language in the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill to create deadlines for formula grants to be released to states on time.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, said the bill to fund the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education “prioritizes funding to make Americans healthier and supports life-saving medical research through targeted funding.”
The measure provides $116.6 billion for HHS, an increase of $446 million in discretionary funding over the previous fiscal year. Included is a $150 million increase for cancer research and a $100 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research, as well as a ban on an administration cap on indirect costs at the National Institutes of Health, according to a summary from Democrats. The cap on how much NIH pays research universities and medical schools for indirect costs is the subject of a permanent injunction in an ongoing lawsuit.
Trump’s budget proposal also cut funding for the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to $4.2 billion, but senators voted to instead allocate $9.1 billion for the agency.
Also included is $8.8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant and nearly $12.4 billion for Head Start.
The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, said that while the bill rejects many of the funding cuts from the Trump administration, it’s “only half of the equation.”
“We have an administration right now that is intent on ignoring Congress, breaking the law, and doing everything it can without any transparency, to dismantle programs and agencies that help families,” she said. “There is no magic bullet that will change that unfortunate reality.”
Murray also expressed her disappointment that the bill did not fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Trump sent what is known as a rescissions request to Congress, approved by both chambers, that yanked $1.1 billion in previously approved funding over the next two years for the agency, which funds NPR and PBS.
The Labor-HHS-Education spending bill for fiscal year 2026 passed out of the Senate committee with a bipartisan 26-3 vote.
Senators also passed the Defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026 on a 26-3 vote.
Dismantling of Education Department spurned
The bill text tightens requirements so that Education Department staffing levels must be sufficient to carry out the agency’s missions, and its work cannot be outsourced to other agencies or departments to fulfill statutory responsibilities, according to Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, the top Democrat on the spending panel dealing with Labor-HHS-Education spending.
The agency saw a reduction in force, or RIF, earlier this year that gutted more than 1,300 employees and hit wide swaths of the department. The Supreme Court cleared the way earlier in July for the agency to temporarily proceed with those mass layoffs.
The bill also provides $5.78 billion for School Improvement Programs — which support before- and after-school programs, rural education, STEM education and college and career counseling, among other initiatives.
Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget request had called for $12 billion in spending cuts at the Education Department but the committee allocated $79 billion in discretionary funding.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended Trump’s sweeping proposals while appearing in June before the Senate Labor-HHS-Education subcommittee.
During Thursday’s markup, Murray called the president’s proposal to defund the Department of Education “absurd.”
“I still hope we can do more when it comes to demanding accountability, transparency, and that this administration actually follows our laws,” Murray said. “We all know President Trump cannot dismantle the Department of Education or ship education programs to other agencies. Authorizing laws prevent that.”
The agency has witnessed a dizzying array of cuts and changes since Trump took office, as he and his administration look to dramatically overhaul the federal role in education and dismantle the department.
The bill maintains the same maximum annual award for the Pell Grant from the previous award year at $7,395. The government subsidy helps low-income students pay for college.
Trump’s budget request had called for cutting nearly $1,700 from the maximum award.
Health spending
Baldwin said the overall bill is a “compromise.” She pointed to how Republicans and Democrats agreed to increase funds for the 988 Suicide hotline by $2 million and by another $20 million for substance abuse recovery.
The spending bill will also provide $1.6 billion for State Opioid Response grants, which is a formula-based grant for states to address the opioid crisis.
Senators rejected the Trump administration’s request to cut National Institutes of Health research by 40% and instead included a more than $400 million bump in funding for a total of $48.7 billion.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff said that he was grateful that the committee worked on a bipartisan basis to reject major Trump cuts for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in his home state.
“I made (it) very clear that I would not accept the destruction of the CDC,” Ossoff said. “I am grateful that Republicans and Democrats on this committee are coming together to defend this vital institution based in the state of Georgia.”
Advocates for medical research praised the legislation.
“Chair Collins and Vice Chair Murray deserve special recognition for their leadership in making this a priority. Thousands of ACS CAN volunteers from across the country have been writing to their lawmakers on this issue and it’s deeply encouraging to see their voices have been heard loud and clear,” Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said in a statement.
AmeriCorps, Job Corps funding sustained
Trump’s budget request also proposed $4.6 billion in spending cuts at the Department of Labor.
The spending bill also maintains funding for Job Corps, a residential career training program for young adults, at $1.76 billion.
Trump’s budget request sought to eliminate the program entirely.
The administration says the program is “financially unsustainable, has an exorbitant perparticipant cost, risks the safety of young adults, and has often made participants worse off,” according to a summary of the budget request.
The spending bill also includes $15 billion for the Social Security Administration, an increase of $100 million from the president’s budget request, to address staffing shortages.
The administration also proposed the elimination of AmeriCorps.
However, senators kept funding for AmeriCorps for fiscal year 2026 at $1.25 billion.
Defense spending also increased
The Defense appropriations spending bill for fiscal year 2026 that senators worked on represented an increase from the president’s budget request.
“I think not only the prior administration, but this administration as well, have underestimated the level of challenge that we have,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell, chairman of the Defense appropriations panel.
The Kentucky Republican said the bill provides $851.9 billion for fiscal year 2026.
He said the topline is higher than the president’s budget request because “we cannot seriously address these challenges while artificially constraining our resources” — challenges such as the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East.
The bill also rejects the Trump administration’s effort to slash funding to aid Ukraine in its war against Russia.
“Shutting off engagement with Ukraine would undermine our military’s efforts to prepare for the modern battlefield,” McConnell said.
During the markup of the defense spending bill, Sen. Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, introduced an amendment to require the Department of Homeland Security to reimburse costs to the Department of Defense for immigration enforcement.
As the Trump administration aims to carry out its plans for mass deportation of people without permanent legal status, it’s intertwined the U.S. military and immigration enforcement, ranging from deploying the National Guard to quell immigration protests in Los Angeles to housing immigrants on the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba military base.
Durbin said that so far, DHS has cost the Defense Department $900 million, from personnel costs to housing immigrants on military bases.
Durbin said the cost to house 180 people on Guantanamo Bay cost the Department of Defense $40 million over three months.
His amendment failed on a 14-15 vote.
Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.
The post Trump’s big proposed cuts to health and education spending rebuffed by US Senate panel appeared first on arkansasadvocate.com
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The article presents a mostly factual report focused on bipartisan Senate actions rejecting proposed Trump administration budget cuts, emphasizing increased funding for education, health research, and defense. While it maintains balance by including quotes from Republican and Democratic senators, the framing highlights opposition to Trump’s spending cuts and dismantling of agencies like the Department of Education. The language subtly favors the bipartisan coalition resisting the administration’s austerity measures, underscoring the benefits of preserving social programs and research funding. Overall, the tone leans slightly left by stressing protection of government services against conservative budget reductions.
SUMMARY: Eighteen-year-old Braden Robersonson was found dead near Camden, Arkansas, after disappearing last Thursday. The community is deeply shaken by the tragedy, especially since Camden is a small town of about 10,000 people where everyone’s lives intersect. Three individuals—Bryson Vaughn, Melanie Pipkin, and Cameron Hildebrand—have been arrested and charged with capital murder and tampering with evidence. Local officials and residents are mourning the loss and emphasizing respect for the family’s privacy while coming together to support each other. A candlelight vigil is planned at Timothy Methodist Park to honor Braden’s memory.
People in the small town of Camden are mourning after the body an 18-year-old was found in a wooded area just outside of town.
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