March 26, 2025

Who prosecutes the criminals when the criminals are in power?

?

March 26, 2025

Federal Investigators Were Preparing Two Texas Housing Discrimination Cases -- Until Trump Took Over

The findings were stark. In one investigation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development concluded that a Texas state agency had steered $1 billion in disaster mitigation money away from Houston and nearby communities of color after Hurricane Harvey inundated the region in 2017. In another investigation, HUD found that a homeowners association outside of Dallas had created rules to kick poor Black people out of their neighborhood.

The episodes amounted to egregious violations of civil rights laws, officials at the housing agency believed — enough to warrant litigation against the alleged culprits. That, at least, was the view during the presidency of Joe Biden. After the Trump administration took over, HUD quietly took steps that will likely kill both cases, according to three officials familiar with the matter.

Those steps were extremely unusual. Current and former HUD officials said they could not recall the housing agency ever pulling back cases of this magnitude in which the agency had found evidence of discrimination. That leaves the yearslong, high-profile investigations in a state of limbo, with no likely path for the government to advance them, current and former officials said. As a result, the alleged perpetrators of the discrimination could face no government penalties, and the alleged victims could receive no compensation.

“I just think that’s a doggone shame,” said Doris Brown, a Houston resident and a co-founder of a community group that, together with a housing nonprofit, filed the Harvey complaint. Brown saw 3 feet of water flood her home in a predominantly Black neighborhood that still shows damage from the storm. “We might’ve been able to get some more money to help the people that are still suffering,” she said.

More at https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-hud-texas-housing-discrimination-cases-dallas-houston

March 25, 2025

BREAKING NEWS: Federal Court Judge Will Order HUD to Reinstate Grants to Fair Housing Organizations

https://nationalfairhousing.org/national-fair-housing-alliance-applauds-court-decision-halting-huds-and-doges-termination-of-grants-to-fight-housing-discrimination/


Washington, D.C. – Today, following a hearing, Judge Richard G. Stearns of the U.S. District Court in the District of Massachusetts granted a temporary injunction stopping the termination of 78 Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grants to fight housing discrimination. These grants were abruptly terminated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at the behest of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In response, Lisa Rice, President and CEO, National Fair Housing Alliance® (NFHA™) released the following statement:

“We are grateful for today’s decision granting a temporary restraining order, halting DOGE’s wrongful and unlawful termination of FHIP grants to fight housing discrimination. The action DOGE directed is endangering everyday people while empowering wealthy landlords and others to discriminate.

Fair housing organizations are on the front lines of efforts to combat housing discrimination through enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. Without their efforts, survivors of sexual harassment in housing; veterans with disabilities requiring accessible housing; and people of color seeking to buy a home free of racial harassment, and families with children would have no protection or anywhere to turn to uphold the law. The Trump Administration’s abrupt elimination of funding threatens drastic consequences for more than 75 fair housing groups around the country and creates fear, chaos, insecurity, and dysfunction in an already fragile housing market. FHIP grants, which are authorized by Congress and receive annual appropriations, have been provided for decades under administrations of both parties and are key to the nation’s ability to enforce the Fair Housing Act and ensure equal access to housing.”
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The hearing took 5 minutes and the judge based his decision on a case decided in California a week ago

March 19, 2025

Gal Gadot receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame; ceremony disrupted by demonstrators

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES -- Actress Gal Gadot is celebrating the release of her latest film by seeing her star unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The ceremony in Hollywood Tuesday was disrupted by chants from outside the covered area in front of the El Capitan Theater from both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters.

Gadot is the first Israeli actress to be granted the Walk of Fame honor. In her speech at the event, Gadot referred several times to her Israeli roots.

"I'm just a girl from a town in Israel," Gadot said to cheers from the crowd. "I could never imagine such a moment. I never dreamt of becoming an actress, and I never knew that these things are possible."

https://abc7.com/post/gal-gadot-receives-star-hollywood-walk-fame-ceremony-disrupted-protesters/16046418/

March 18, 2025

Roberts pushing back on Trump?

I can dream, can't I?

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-administration-presidency-03-18-2025

(That link may be temporary, my apologies)

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts pushed back on President Donald Trump’s escalating rhetoric against the federal judiciary on Tuesday in an unusual and brief statement.

“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said in a statement released by the Supreme Court. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”

Roberts’ statement did not mention Trump by name, but it came hours after the president stepped up his attacks on federal judges by specifically calling on the judge who temporarily blocked the deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members to be impeached.

The chief justice and the other members of the Supreme Court have largely held their tongue as Trump and his allies have ramped up their attacks on the judiciary.

March 17, 2025

Trump is breaking the law--and he wants you to know that

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/17/2310197/-Trump-is-breaking-the-law-and-he-wants-you-to-know-that

If the U.S. president is functionally a king, as Trump believes, then that president doesn’t need to justify their actions even if the law requires it. Take Trump’s firings of 17 inspectors general. Trump does have the power to remove those agency watchdogs as long as he notifies both houses of Congress at least 30 days before doing so, and provides “substantive rationale” and “case-specific” reasons for the removal.

Instead, Trump fired the inspectors general five days into his second term, effective immediately and without explanation or prior notice to Congress. He declared, wrongly, that this move was “a very common thing to do.” Perennial Trump lapdog Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina brushed off the violation, saying, “Just tell them you need to follow the law next time.”

All Trump needed to do here was give notice to Congress and wait 30 days. By ignoring that requirement and providing no real explanation, Trump is making clear that he doesn’t care what the law says. Waiting and providing an explanation would have acknowledged Congress' authority, and Trump wants everyone to know that he isn’t going to do so.

It’s the same with his removal of various heads of independent agencies. Generally, those individuals can be fired only for cause, because Congress created those agencies to have a level of independence from presidents. But Trump didn’t even pretend to follow the law when he attempted to remove National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox. At the time, he said she was being removed because “heads of agencies within the Executive Branch must share the objectives of [his] administration.”

March 14, 2025

If Schumer says the shutdown is worse for us than voting for the CR...

Then shouldn't some pukes be voting against their own resolution, and wanting a shutdown?

March 13, 2025

Housing Discrimination Groups Sue DOGE and HUD for Cutting Funds

Source: NY Times

Four fair housing organizations sued the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Government Efficiency on Thursday, faced with the sudden rescission of approximately 30 million in critical grant dollars.

The organizations — in Massachusetts, Idaho, Texas and Ohio — were among 66 housing rights nonprofits across the country that received a letter in late February informing them that key funding used to help individuals fight eviction and seek redress for discrimination had been cut off. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of a proposed class of the groups.

According to the lawsuit filed in Massachusetts district court, HUD and DOGE, operating at the direction of President Trump, made an “egregious overstep” when they canceled dozens of grants connected to the Fair Housing Initiatives Program. The program and the grants distributed to state and city organizations are used to enforce the federal Fair Housing Act that prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, ethnicity, religion and other factors, like gender identity and disability.

Most fair housing complaints in the United States are handled by local housing organizations: In 2022, these groups received more than 33,000 complaints.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/realestate/fair-housing-discrimination-cuts-lawsuit.html

March 13, 2025

HUD and DOGE Being Sued by Fair Housing Groups over Termination of Grants

Washington, D.C.—Relman Colfax and four members of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announce the filing of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This legal action follows HUD’s sudden and unlawful termination of grants disbursed under the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP). The termination of those grants jeopardizes over $30 million in critical, congressionally authorized funding for fair housing groups to fight housing discrimination and enforce fair housing laws throughout the country.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in the District of Massachusetts, is brought on behalf of a proposed class of more than 60 fair housing groups whose grants were abruptly terminated by HUD and DOGE on February 27, 2025. Plaintiffs have moved for a temporary restraining order (TRO).

Fair housing groups, funded by FHIP, have long served as the backbone of efforts to combat housing discrimination, enforcing the Fair Housing Act (FHA). These groups investigate housing discrimination complaints, enforce fair housing laws, assist individuals facing discrimination, educate communities about their rights, and collaborate with local governments to expand fair and affordable housing opportunities. FHIP grants–which originated from Congress’s recognition of the central role of fair housing organizations in combatting housing discrimination–are a primary source of funding for fair housing groups.

Late in the evening on February 27th, a letter informed grantees that the terminations were effective that same day. 78 FHIP grants were terminated altogether, representing a primary source of funding for fair housing organizations in 33 states. The FHIP grants were halted at the direction of the newly established DOGE, claiming the grants “no longer effectuate[] the program goals or agency priorities,” despite grantees performing activities aligned with Congressionally authorized aims. The filing argues that DOGE lacks the authority to direct HUD to cancel grants, and HUD cannot follow such directives.

https://nationalfairhousing.org/relman-colfax-and-fair-housing-advocates-ask-court-to-halt-huds-and-doges-termination-of-grants-to-fight-housing-discrimination/

March 13, 2025

Dem Sen Heard Yelling: 'This Will Not Be A Normal Shutdown'

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/live-blog/senate-democrats-cr-republicans

One senator, who was identified by reporters at other outlets as Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), was heard shouting at her colleagues from inside the meeting room that they are “complicit in the shutdown,” and imploring them to recognize that this “will not be a normal shutdown.”

“The VA will not be functioning,” the senator said. “The various NIH trials … will be shut down.”

“He will declare a state of emergency,” the senator told her colleagues, seemingly referring to a potential action President Trump might take if Congress does not pass a spending bill before the government runs out of funding midnight Friday.

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I'm feeling ill now....