Regime Sentences Anti-ICE Protester to 100 Years in Prison – The Wednesday AM Quickie 6/24/26
What a night for NYC and for the left! All three candidates Mamdani endorsed won their primaries. And beyond that, all but one of DSA-NYC’s slate won, too. That’s it from me, Corey is back tomorrow. -Whitney
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THE BIG NEWS
Regime Sentences Anti-ICE Protester to 100 Years in Prison
Trump’s fascist regime landed a blow against dissidents yesterday when two of its far-right activist judges in Texas handed extreme prison sentences to a group of ICE protesters, including some that amount to life behind bars, the AP, Guardian and Intercept reported. The group had gathered outside the Prairieland Detention Center near Dallas last July 4 for a noise protest, which went bad when a person none of the protesters knew started vandalizing property, as Xavier de Janon, director of mass defense at the National Lawyers Guild, discussed with Sam a few months ago. (That person then cooperated with the government and testified against the protesters in the trial). A cop showed up, aimed a gun at the protesters, and one of them, Marine reservist Benjamin Song, shot and wounded him. No one died.
Nonetheless, Federalist Society activist, George W. Bush appointee and Chief US District Court Judge Reed O’Connor for the Northern District of Texas decided that Song should spend the rest of his life in prison. The other sentencing judge was US District Court Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump appointee and founder of the Tarrant County Federalist Society. These two extremists gave the other protesters between 30 and 70 years.
Per the Guardian:
Benjamin Song, who fired the gun at the police officer, was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Song was convicted of attempted murder of an officer of the United States, as well as firearm and explosives charges. He was also convicted of riot, providing material support to terrorists. He faced anywhere from 20 years to life in prison.
Zachary Evetts, Autumn Hill, Savanna Batten, Elizabeth Soto and Meagan Morris were sentenced to 50 years in prison. Maricela Rueda, another demonstrator, was sentenced to 70 years in prison. All six were convicted of riot, providing material support to terrorist, and explosive charges. Rueda was also convicted of corruptly concealing a document or record.
Evetts, Hill, Morris and Rueda were acquitted on attempted murder and firearms charges.
The judges also sentenced defendant Daniel Sanchez-Estrada to 30 years, though he was not at the protest. His crime was moving a box of zines from one place to the other.
All of the sentences drastically exceed any of those handed to Jan. 6, 2021 insurrectionist traitors. At the sentencing, O’Connor said the protesters had committed an “assault on Democracy” and that he wanted to send a message to “anyone who shares a similar ideology,” by which the fascist meant antifascism; a press release from the Justice Department referred to the group as an antifa cell whose leader was Song and who had “insurrectionary materials called ‘zines.’” According to the Washington Post, all the defendants are appealing their convictions.
MORE STORIES TO WATCH
Senate Passes First War Powers Resolution With Help From Four Republicans
Senators on Tuesday blocked Trump from resuming his war on Iran, passing their first war powers resolution 50 to 48. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rand Paul (R-KY) crossed the aisle to vote with Democrats, while Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) did the opposite. Republicans Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania missed the vote. “Both houses have now said this war is illegal without our authorization,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), adding, “The president ought to take the off-ramp we’re giving him.” The War Powers Resolution of 1973 states if Congress passes such a resolution, the president must withdraw its armed forces fighting abroad without congressional authorization. The Trump regime says it thinks the law is unconstitutional and his Republican acolytes said, “The president isn’t going to pay attention to it.”
Israeli Officials, Soldiers Deliberately Murdered Palestinian Children: UN
Israel has "deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity” and war crimes in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, an independent UN inquiry found yesterday, according to Reuters. The report found that a third of those killed in Gaza were children and that Israel continued deliberately murdering children even after the ceasefire that was supposed to have taken effect last October – a crucial detail in determining the Israeli officials’ genocidal intent to partially or completely destroy Palestinians. Per Reuters:
Conditions imposed by Israel in Gaza, including widespread attacks, repeated displacement and starvation caused by the blockade of aid, food and medicine, severely harmed children’s health and development, resulting in preventable deaths and trauma, the report said.
The inquiry also found that attacks on healthcare and reproductive facilities impacted the survival of newborns and reported increases in miscarriages, and that nearly all children in Gaza were reported to require psychological support. …
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Commission found a sharp increase in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian children and documented evidence of torture, including sexual and gender-based violence, during mass arrests and detention.
It said Palestinian children, particularly boys, were subjected to systematic mistreatment in detention, including forced stripping, beatings and food deprivation.
The commission concluded that the treatment constituted the crimes against humanity of torture and other inhumane acts causing great suffering or serious injury.
Israel called the report libelous and false.
QUICKEST QUICKIES
- Teamsters President Moves To Shake Off Long-Running Corruption Monitoring Union members overwhelmingly reelected Sean O’Brien to a second term last week; he is seeking to end 35 years of court-ordered federal oversight meant to rid Teamsters of ties to the mob. via the NYT.
- Forty People in France Drown as Continent Seeks Escape From Extreme Heat Temperatures in France were expected to hit 104 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday as a deadly heatwave continues to scorch Europe; the World Meteorological Organization found that Europe is warming twice as much as the global average. via Reuters.
- Indiana University Fires Lecturer for Teaching Anti-White Supremacy Jessica Adams was teaching the course “Diversity, Human Rights and Social Justice” and listed the slogan “Make America Great Again” as covert white supremacy, material she had been using since she joined the School of Social Work in 2020. via the NYT.
- Medical Journal Publishes Study on Covid Vaccines Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tried to Squash Researchers “found that the vaccine lowered the odds of a Covid-related visit to the ER or urgent care by 50% and of hospitalization for Covid by 55%.” In other vaccine news, the military will again require recruits to get flu shots after Peter Brian Hegseth made them optional and now at least 222 recruits have the disease, including four who have been hospitalized. via ABC News, JAMA Network Open and NBC News.
SOME NUMBER
74
That’s how many lashes an Iranian court has sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi for performing a set of patriotic folk songs without a hijab two years ago, the Guardian and NYT reported. She was also banned from performing or leaving the country for two years. It’s not clear when the state will exact its corporal punishment on Ahmadi; flogging, amputation and blinding have been among the punishments Iran metes out against not only thieves and vandals, but also artists, gay people, journalists and people who eat publicly during Ramadan. Amnesty International describes what Iranian flogging involves with testimony from those who have endured it; it is a horrific, enraging and oppressive display of power. Proceed with caution if you read it and remember that though it may be satisfying to see Iranian officials trounce Trump, they are still guilty of severe human rights abuses.
“Besides being an inhumane and humiliating punishment, the 74-lash sentence against Parastoo Ahmadi simply for singing without compulsory hijab is a dangerous signal that the regime, emboldened by the peace deal with the U.S., may intensify its crackdown on women,” said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights.
ON THE SHOW TODAY
6/24: Sam is hosting solo today and his guest is Alex Aronson, co-founder and executive director of Court Accountability on to discuss SCOTUS corruption and its billionaire-backed right-wing takeover.
DON'T MISS MR CLIPS
Why No One Gives A S*** About America 250
MAGA does not care about a more perfect union.
Holy Toledo, They've Broken Harry Enten
He’s exasperated!
PARTING WORDS
“ I do believe this is also going to do a great public service.”
– Failed NYC mayoral candidate, sex pest, and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking about his new job in the cryptocurrency industry, which is a giant grift facilitated by not only the Trump administration but also Trump’s alleged enemies in the House and Senate, who all want in. Cuomo is now the head of a partnership between the Intercontinental Exchange and crypto exchange OKX that will “advance development of tokenised assets, institutional-grade digital asset derivatives, and 24/7 trading infrastructure.” In other words, it is yet another politician legitimizing the grift and forcing it into our financial system, to our peril. This is going to end badly, everyone knows it’s going to end badly, and we are the ones who’ll get hurt.
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