Trump’s words changed Springfield, Ohio. Its Haitian community is bracing for what’s next.

By Amanda Becker, The 19th News

SPRINGFIELD, OHIO — Several minutes into President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech on Monday, as he began talking about immigration, Yvena Jean François dug through a desk drawer for a notebook and pen.

“We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home … it fails to protect our magnificent law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions that have illegally entered our country from all over the world,” Trump said, repeating a frequent 2024 campaign claim for which he has not offered evidence.

Alarm Bells Sound as Trump Gets to Work on 'Extreme Authoritarian Agenda'

By Jessica Corbett

"Trump isn't king, but if Congress capitulates, he could be," warned the leaders of Popular Democracy.

Since U.S. President Trump's return to office on Monday—at an inauguration ceremony full of American oligarchs—as the Republican has issued a flurry of executive orders and other actions, progressive leaders and organizers have expressed alarm and vowed to fight against his "authoritarian" agenda.

LSU law professor removed from classes amid investigation into alleged political comments

By Piper Hutchinson 

An LSU law school professor has been removed from teaching classes for reportedly making political comments in the classroom, his attorney says. 

LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center Dean Alena Allen told students in an online meeting Tuesday that tenured law professor Ken Levy is being replaced pending an investigation.  

Baton Rouge attorney Jill Craft, who is representing Levy, said he intends to fight the reprimand.

Progressives Say "Billionaires' Row" at Inauguration Ceremony Shows True Winners of Trump Agenda

By Jake Johnson 

"Trump's White House is government by the billionaires, for the billionaires," said the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus."

While President-elect Donald Trump is expected to hail the "start of a thrilling new era of national success" during his inaugural speech on Monday, progressives said the presence of some of the nation's most powerful billionaires at the event signals that the incoming administration's agenda will prioritize the success the country's wealthiest.

Gaza Ceasefire Deal Announced After 466 Days of Genocide and 46,000 Dead

By Sharon Zhang 

The deal is slated to begin on Sunday, Qatar’s prime minister said, beginning with a 6-week cessation of hostilities.

Officials have finalized a long-awaited Gaza ceasefire deal, Qatar’s prime minister and other leaders announced on Wednesday, potentially bringing an end to the nearly 16 months of genocidal violence in Gaza in which Israeli forces have slaughtered, at a minimum, 46,000 Palestinians, and likely far more in their all-out extermination campaign.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet is slated to meet in coming days to vote on the deal. If it is passed, the deal would be implemented on Sunday, officials said, and would consist of three phrases.

Prison abuse, deaths and escapes prompt calls for more oversight

 By Amanda Hernandez

Rampant sexual abuse by guards at women’s prisons in California. An inmate suicide that went unnoticed for 18 hours in Washington state. Multiple jail breaks in Pennsylvania.

Prisons and jails across the United States are overcrowded and understaffed, jeopardizing the safety of incarcerated people, correctional officers and surrounding communities. As state legislatures convene in the coming weeks, many lawmakers are focusing on a key criminal justice issue for prisons and jails: more oversight.

Trump administration profile: Pam Bondi

 By Emma Rose Brown

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Pamela J. Bondi to lead the Department of Justice on Nov. 21, just hours after Trump’s original pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), withdrew his name from consideration over alleged sex crimes and drug-related misconduct. 

Who is she? Bondi, a corporate lobbyist and former two-term attorney general of Florida, is a longtime Trump loyalist who served on his first impeachment team. She falsely claimed he won Pennsylvania in 2020, and she stumped for Trump in late 2024. 

Trump administration profile: Pete Hegseth

 By Charlotte Ehrlich

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth to be secretary of defense on Nov. 12, 2024, a choice that caught many in Washington off guard. Hegseth, 44, is a Fox News personality, author and Army National Guard veteran who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. 

While he is celebrated for earning two Bronze Stars, Hegseth’s political and financial controversies have raised concerns ahead of his Senate confirmation.

Baltimore Media ‘Create a False Impression That Youth Are Responsible for a Lot of Very Dangerous Crime’: .

By Janine Jackson 

Janine Jackson interviewed the Sentencing Project’s Richard Mendel about coverage of youth crime for the December 20, 2024, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript.

Janine Jackson: Some listeners may know the Sentencing Project for their work calling out racial disparities in sentencing associated with crack versus powder cocaine, and mandatory minimums. A recent project involves looking into another factor shaping public understanding and public policy around criminal justice—the news media. In this case, the focus is young people.

No jail time or fines for Trump in sentencing for NY hush money case

By Ashley Murray

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his New York hush money case just days before his inauguration, making him the only past and future U.S. president with a criminal record.

Trump has faced four criminal prosecutions but the New York state case was the sole one that went to trial. A jury convicted him in May on 34 felonies for falsifying invoices, checks and ledger entries that amounted to a $130,000 reimbursement to his lawyer for paying off a porn star ahead of the 2016 presidential election.