Democratic Underground: Forums for U.S. Liberals and Democrats

Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein will testify publicly on Tuesday

(Scripps) Democrats on the House Oversight Committee will be in Florida Tuesday to hold a hearing with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. It's what's known as a shadow hearing, one organized by the minority party, and it's the first time we will hear from survivors testifying publicly under oath about what happened to them.

B.See

Epstein pal who 'had a great time with the girls' welcomed as VIP at Trump event

(Raw Story) A friend of Jeffrey Epstein was a VIP guest at the unveiling of a towering golden statue of President Donald Trump at his golf course in Doral, Florida. Photos shared on social media over the weekend showed American cryptocurrency entrepreneur, Brock Pierce, cutting the ribbon at the statue's unveiling. In a 2012 email published by the Justice Department, Pierce told Epstein that he had broken up with his girlfriend so something "would not be a problem." The next day, Pierce wrote again to Epstein: "I had a great time with the girls. Hope they had fun too. Thanks."

BumRushDaShow

Alabama attorney general announces civil probe of Southern Poverty Law Center

(AP) Alabama’s attorney general announced a civil investigation Monday into the Southern Poverty Law Center’s fundraising practices in the wake of a federal indictment against the organization. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he has sent a subpoena to the center seeking information about its donations and payments to informants. He said he is seeking to determine if the organization violated state laws related to charitable organizations or deceptive trade practices.

In It to Win It

45,000 Votes Will Be Discarded In Louisiana. Gov Says It's 'Not A Big Deal.'

(Huff Post) In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision on gerrymandering, Louisiana’s governor suspended the state’s primary elections, even though tens of thousands of votes had already been cast. Now he intends to toss those votes. During a “60 Minutes” interview Sunday, Gov. Jeff Landry (R) was pressed about what would happen to the roughly 45,000 ballots that were cast prior to the high court’s decision.

BumRushDaShow

US Releases Another Wave of Emergency Oil as Gas Prices Bite

(Bloomberg) The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve awarded 53.3 million barrels to companies including oil trader Trafigura Group and US refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp, adding to a wave of oil released to help tame surging prices stemming from the Iran war. Trafigura is taking the largest haul of nearly 13 million barrels, followed by Marathon and Exxon Mobil Corp, the US Energy Department said Monday. Near-record volumes of government oil are flowing to market in a bid to rein in prices at the pump ahead of the busy summer driving season.

KS Toronado

Tuesday's Condensed News Cartoons

BumRushDaShow

Democrats express 'grave concerns' over secretive ICE deportation flights

(The Guardian) A group of 40 House Democrats have described “grave concerns” over the Trump administration’s secretive program of deportation flights and demanded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) address allegations of mistreatment and inhumane conditions on ICE charter jets. In a letter shared with the Guardian and addressed to the FAA administrator, Bryan Bedford, the lawmakers describe the “urgent need for transparency” over ICE’s expanded use of commercial airliners to transfer detained immigrants and its “inappropriate and dangerous” efforts to shield these flights from public scrutiny.

BumRushDaShow

'A bad look': Republicans want more details on ballroom security funding request

(Politico) President Donald Trump and his deputies have a major sales job ahead of them on Capitol Hill as multiple GOP lawmakers questioned a proposed $1 billion in Secret Service security spending that could be used at least in part for Trump’s controversial White House ballroom project. The provision, which gives $1 billion to the Secret Service for “security adjustments and upgrades,” has threatened to overshadow what Republicans wanted to make the main focus of the package — tens of billions of dollars in new immigration enforcement funding.

BlueWavePsych

Researchers find 42% drop in Canadians visiting US metro areas amid Trump 2.0

(The Guardian) A new research tool that tracks cell phone activity has found a 42% drop in visitors from Canada to big metropolitan areas in the US that is much higher than official border-crossing data, suggesting Canadians during the second Trump administration are avoiding US cities in particular. Researchers from the University of Toronto said the tool showed a “year-over-year median decline of approximately 42% in Canadian visits to US metropolitan areas – significantly higher than official border-crossing data, which showed a roughly 25% decline”.

BumRushDaShow

Explosive Report Reveals the UAE Has Been Secretly Attacking Iran During the War

(Mediaite) The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the United Arab Emirates “has carried out military strikes on Iran,” citing “people familiar with the matter.”. The explosive report is the first time since the war began that the UAE has been implicated as an active combatant in the war, joining the U.S., Iran, and Israel as a primary actor. The UAE has been targeted by Iran with missile and drone strikes throughout the war, with several major impacts in Dubai and on oil infrastructure in the country.

Expand Featured Stories

Latest Breaking News

Appeals court spares Trump from paying $83 million defamation award to E. Jean Carroll -- for now

11 min ago - Updated 5:55 PM EDT, May 12, 2026 NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump won’t have to pay an $83 million defamation award to a longtime advice columnist until the U.S. Supreme Court gets a chance to review the case or reject an appeal, acc ... (AP)

Democratic-aligned poll shows Dan Osborn leading Pete Ricketts in Senate race

18 min ago - Ben Doody May 12, 2026 Updated 1 hr ago A new poll from Democratic-aligned firm Tavern Research shows independent Dan Osborn leading GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts by 5 percentage points in a general election matchup. The poll, conducted May 8 to May 11, sho ... (Omaha World Herald)

Iran now defines Strait of Hormuz as far larger zone, IRGC officer says

50 min ago - Tue, May 12, 2026 at 6:10 AM EDT DUBAI, May 12 (Reuters) - Iran has expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz into a "vast operational area" far wider than before the ‌Iran war, according to a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Gu ... (Yahoo! News/Reuters)

South Carolina Republicans block plan to eliminate Clyburn's House seat

1 hr ago - May 12, 2026 at 5:03 p.m. EDT Republicans in South Carolina's legislature on Tuesday rejected a plan aimed at flipping the state's lone Democratic-held House seat, which has long been occupied by one of the country's most senior and influential Black ... (Washington Post)

Maple Grove Hospital nurses authorize strike amid ongoing contract talks

1 hr ago - Nearly 600 nurses overwhelmingly approved the vote, citing staffing concerns, pay gaps and uncertainty tied to North Memorial’s planned merger with Sanford Health. Author: Meghan MacPherson Published: 12:03 PM CDT May 12, 2026 MAPLE GROVE, Minn. ... (KARE 11)

'Deprivation of liberty': Trump admin hits trifecta of federal courts rejecting ICE's indefinite detention policy

2 hrs ago - May 12th, 2026, 1:34 pm For the third time in three weeks, a federal court of appeals has ruled against government attempts to indefinitely detain immigrants, in a ruling restricting the power of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). On July 8, ... (Law & Crime)

Trump's AG Warns Reporters to Expect Subpoenas in Criminal Leak Investigations

2 hrs ago - May 12th, 2026, 10:42 am Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche warned reporters to expect subpoenas on Tuesday, one day after The Wall Street Journal reported that it had been subpoenaed in connection with criminal investigations launched by the Depa ... (MEDIAite)

The economic chilling effect of Trump's immigration crackdown

3 hrs ago - May 12, 20266:30 AM ET Greg Rosalsky ................ Well, we now have data from last year's immigration crackdown. East and a co-author, Elizabeth Cox, recently released a new working paper, "Labor Market Impacts of ICE Activity in Trump 2.0," wh ... (npr)

ATF stripped licenses from fewer gun shops in 2025

3 hrs ago - Updated May 12, 2026, 11:19 a.m. ET The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stripped the licenses of dramatically fewer gun stores last year under the direction of President Donald Trump and a new posture for the agency. Data released ... (USA Today)

Hegseth defends $1.5 trillion budget to Congress as Iran war cost climbs

3 hrs ago - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told House lawmakers Tuesday that the ceasefire with Iran remains in effect despite recent exchanges of fire as he faces another round of bipartisan questioning over the costs and endgame of the war. He just finished te ... (AP)

Exclusive: FBI questions CIA officers over Russia assessment in Brennan probe, sources say

4 hrs ago - May 12, 2026 6:01 AM EDT Updated 2 hours ago NEW YORK, May 12 (Reuters) - The FBI has begun interviewing current and former CIA employees as part of the Department of Justice’s investigation into ex-CIA director John Brennan over his role ... (Reuters)

Dr. Marty Makary is out as FDA commissioner

4 hrs ago - May. 12, 2026, 1:20 PM EDT Dr. Marty Makary is out as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, the fourth high-profile departure of a member of the Trump administration this year, according to two people familiar with the decision. It comes ... (NBC News)

Chinese student pleads guilty to taking photos of restricted area at Offutt

6 hrs ago - Lori Pilger 2 hrs ago A 21-year-old Chinese student has pleaded guilty to photographing a defense installation for taking photos of planes at Offutt Air Force Base. Tianrui Liang faces up to a year of custody and a fine of up to $100,000 at his sent ... (Lincoln Journal Star)

Ship operator and employee are charged in crash that caused the deadly collapse of Baltimore bridge

6 hrs ago - Updated 12:33 PM EDT, May 12, 2026 BALTIMORE (AP) -- Federal prosecutors announced criminal charges Tuesday in the 2024 collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, accusing a Singapore-based ship operator and a senior employee of making critica ... (AP)

Comey warns of Trump's 'bottomless desire' for revenge amid prosecution for seashells picture

8 hrs ago - Monday 11 May 2026 22:51 EDT Former FBI Director James Comey has warned of Donald Trump’s “bottomless desire” for revenge after he was indicted for a photo of seashells that the Department of Justice claims amounts to “making thre ... (The Independent)

45,000 Votes Will Be Discarded In Louisiana. Gov Says It's 'Not A Big Deal.'

8 hrs ago - May 11, 2026, 10:06 PM EDT In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision on gerrymandering, Louisiana’s governor suspended the state’s primary elections, even though tens of thousands of votes had already been cast. Now he intend ... (Huff Post)

Gov. Kathy Hochul: Focus is on deal to prevent strike by LIRR workers

9 hrs ago - By Alfonso A. Castillo Updated May 11, 2026 9:53 pm Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday she’s committed to getting LIRR workers a "deal that is going to prevent a strike" just five days away. Hochul, at an unrelated news conference, said she and her t ... (Newsday)

Facebook allows repeat scam artists to send ads to seniors, researchers say

9 hrs ago - May 11, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is failing to stop some con artists who repeatedly buy ads on the platforms to target seniors with scams, according to a new report. The report is due to be released Tues ... (NBC News)

President Trump is getting his fourth medical checkup since last year

9 hrs ago - Published 4 hours ago • Updated 48 minutes President Donald Trump is scheduled to see doctors for a medical and dental checkup this month — his fourth publicized visit to medical experts since returning to office — in what the White H ... (WTVJ-TV Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL/AP)

Rex Reed, Film Critic Known for Acerbic Reviews, Dies at 87

10 hrs ago - Rex Reed in 2017. If he disliked someone or -- worse -- found the person merely uninteresting, it was wise to duck and cover. Vincent Tullo for The New York Times Rex Reed, Film Critic Known for Acerbic Reviews, Dies at 87 He fawned over Old Hollywoo ... (New York Times)