DL Open Thread: Thursday, July 3, 2025
The Final Day Of America As We Know It? Yes. There’s no way the Rethugs get this close and fail to seal the deal on Fascism:
The House took its first step early Thursday toward a final vote on President Trump’s marquee domestic policy bill, after Republicans put down a revolt by conservative holdouts that had threatened to sink it.
After a day and night of paralysis on the House floor, and haggling and uncertainty in the Capitol, Speaker Mike Johnson scored a preliminary victory in his bid to overcome resistance within his party when the House voted to allow the bill to come up for debate. The 219-to-213 vote suggested he had won the backing of recalcitrant Republicans whose resistance had stalled the measure, though the House still had to take a final vote to approve it.
Facing tight margins in the House, he could afford only a handful of defections on the measure, which would slash taxes by a total of $4.5 trillion, increase funding for the military and border security, cut about $1 trillion from Medicaid and reduce food assistance for the poor. In the end, only Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate from Pennsylvania, joined Democrats in opposing the move to advance the bill after four other Republicans had initially voted against it and several others had withheld their votes.
The Absolutely Worst, And Most Fascist, Element In The Bill:
Thousands of new immigration enforcement officers. Tens of thousands of new detention beds. New fees on asylum applications. And new construction on the border wall.
Donald Trump’s sweeping spending bill would vastly expand the federal government’s immigration enforcement machinery and, if passed by the House, supercharge the president’s plan to carry out what he has vowed will be the largest deportation campaign in US history.
The measure would authorize a level of immigration enforcement spending that analysts and advocates say is without precedent. Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” dedicates roughly $170bn for immigration and border-related operations – a staggering sum that would make US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the federal government, and that critics warn will unleash more raids, disrupt the economy and severely restrict access to humanitarian protections like asylum.
Can’t have Fascism without secret police. Fortunately for Trump, there are loads of pardoned Jan. 6 rioters to fill those ICE positions.
Yet Another Media Cave To Trump. Successful extortion:
The cascading effects of President DonaldTrump’s decade-long war on the media had helped topple McMahon, as her corporate bosses struggled to navigate how to respond to a lawsuit from a president who had fundamentally reshaped the relationship between the press and power in America.
“It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,” McMahon wrote to her staff. Just weeks before, Bill Owens, the top producer at the news division’s prized “60 Minutes,” had resigned.
Perhaps it’s just me, but shouldn’t contractors who steal from their employees be barred from bidding on state contracts?
Wilmington’s Land Bank Challenged.
Wilmington’s Land Bank was established in 2015 after the state passed legislation to allow the city to create the entity with the mission to “return vacant, dilapidated, abandoned, and delinquent properties to productive use.”
The Land Bank has since been tasked with acquiring vacant and deteriorated properties in the city, either selling them to investors or hiring subcontractors to renovate the properties before putting them on the market for affordable homeownership and rental units.
The Land Bank receives about $500,000 from the city’s budget each year and additional funds from other sources. The organization recently received a $250,000 grant from Bank of America.
It also secures funds from the properties that it secures and sells.
The Land Bank’s rocky relationship with city officials started about five years ago after its previous executive director, Bill Freeborn, was found guilty of embezzling $28,000 from the entity.
And in 2024, the city’s internal audit department conducted a performance audit of the Land Bank and concluded that it failed to have adequate procedures, internal controls, and record-keeping.
The audit found that only six of the entity’s 33 balance sheet accounts were correctly filed and considered “accurate.”
The report also found that the agency failed to properly track property-related costs, document a proper bidding process for contracts, complete financial statements in a “timely and accurate manner”, and has never employed a financial manager with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
The current Land Bank Executive Director? The most ‘Delaware Way’ person I know:
But Bud Freel, the Land Bank’s executive director, noted that the audit was conducted just before a new finance officer was hired.
Yo, Bud, ya gonna be knocking doors again this time to protect your pal, Nnamdi? Betcha you are.
Just a reminder–under the cloak of the holiday weekend, the 20th RD Democratic Committee will select its candidate for the as-yet-to-be-announced Special Election tonight. That, too, is a Delaware Way disaster of the committee’s own making. I’ll pull my punches a bit here: I would have liked to have seen newly-installed State Democratic Chair Evelyn Brady use her office to push back this meeting. She did not.
What do you want to talk about?
Buddy is the grift that keeps on grifting! The level of sleaze emanating from the land Bank is colossal! I am very disappointed in our new State Chair but I am willing to hear her side of the RD 20 selection goat rope, Madame Chair?
Many nonunion companies have received probably a billion dollars in contracts with the State in the last decade(s). Numerous groups have complained about their practices for years, but it has fallen on deaf ears. We are the only State in the area that does not prohibit (at least temporarily) companies from working in the state if they are caught cheating. To them, this minor fine is the cost of doing business and will be added to the next bid to recoup. The State has an unofficial system to hold bids up until their favored contractors are able to do the work.
I agree. Legislation tying state contracts to not cheating should be a priority next year.
Why the State would contract with companies that rip off workers is beyond me.
“Why the State would contract with companies that rip off workers is beyond me.”
Because they submitted the lowest bid, which is easier when you’re stiffing the workers.
Yep. Asked and answered.
This news organ is on top of the sleez. Keep it coming please. Carney never wanted an Inspector general cause he would be out of business.
Ruby Schaeffer filed for 2026 in RD20. Hoping to gain advantage in today’s selection meeting I guess.
Hard to imagine how the filing by a wife of a former Suxco Republican County Council member will influence a Democratic Committee to endorse her.
She and her husband belong in Florida. They’re the sort who are turning the Delaware beaches into Florida North.
I agree. I guess we will know the answer in a few hours
I love DC Dems that say – this is so bad, we’ll get then at midterms. Fucking hell. It’s a police state funding bill. Good luck with that plan.
Agree. 2026 may end elections as we know them.
Tell me what ‘neutral’ government agency will protect them and, for that matter, any candidates who take on Trump.
On the Land Bank:
There was a very curious and glaring omission from the Spotlight story:
No mention anywhere of Christian Willauer, the new city councilperson who was instrumental in creation of the Land Bank and served as its first executive director (before the grifters Freeborn and Friel got involved). Not even a “could not be reached for comment” or “declined to comment.” Willauer’s insights would be very helpful in trying to understand what’s going on here.
I always wondered how Bill Freeborn got that role. He was a Castle aparatchik during Castle’s terms as Governor.
I wondered that too. It’s possible she’s been refusing to talk about it for a variety of reasons, but that absolutely should have been noted.
As someone who really likes her, I’d like to hear her take as well.
BTW, The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ passed the House. A dark day.
Any results? Please give some bio I don’t know about any but the grifter lady. I have slammed this process but if I can satisfy myself the nominee is sane and grounded in reality I will tap my ActBlue.
Alonna Berry for RD 20. Haven’t seen her bio but she is getting a solid positive reception from southern socials I follow. Hey I’m gonna send 100. She’s gonna need TV Radio money and boots on the ground!
She was very impressive at the forum.
She was the right choice for sure.
Ruby had the nerve to bash county council…umm don’t have to look far Ruby.