Plus, Trump loses his grip on the base.

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Rümeysa Öztürk: What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison

 

The shocking arrest of Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk while walking down the street in Somerville, Massachusetts, has shined a light on ICE’s aggressive tactics and sparked protests in support of the First Amendment.

In an exclusive first-hand account of her 45 days spent in a South Louisiana processing facility, Öztürk reveals the grueling conditions she encountered, as well as the support she drew from other female detainees. “We each found ourselves trapped in our own individual nightmares, but we found comfort and relief in one another, and we shared the burden and pain by listening to each other,” she writes.

“In one small room, a world of possibilities unfolded: It transformed into a therapy space, a beauty salon, a hairstyling center, a Pilates studio, a medical center, a massage room, an interfaith temple, and an art studio all at once—without any tools or resources,” she continues. “We tackled long-standing disputes that have plagued our nations for years, between Armenia and Turkey, Russia and Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. We bonded over our shared experiences, which spanned geographies from Colombia to Iran and Afghanistan to Honduras.”

Elsewhere, the MAGA meltdown over the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein memo continues. As Molly Jong-Fast notes, “because the flames of the Epstein conspiracy have long been fanned by MAGA world, including Donald Trump loyalists now holding powerful positions in government, such as FBI director Kash Patel and deputy director Dan Bongino, the memo fueled a meltdown the likes of which we haven’t seen in a decade of Trump’s political movement.”

Meanwhile, one Texas Democrat is trying to force Trump’s hand in the mess. This week, Eric Lutz checked in with Congressman Marc Veasey regarding a resolution he introduced calling for the immediate release of all files related to Epstein, convicted fixer Ghislaine Maxwell, and other associates. “The administration has options here,” Veasey says. “They can release the files and say, ‘We were wrong. There was nothing there.’ If that’s the case, all the things that they said were not true. Or there’s something there that the American public needs to see that has to do with serious allegations of child abuse.”

The Epstein saga has put Mike Johnson into a tight corner, Bess Levin writes. “Just hours after telling right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson that he is ‘for transparency’ when it comes to Epstein,” she notes, “the GOP leader blocked a procedural maneuver by Democrats that would have set up a vote in the House to release the Epstein ‘files.’”

Thanks for reading.

—Michael Calderone and Katia Bachko

 

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“Even God Cannot Hear Us Here”: What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison

By Rümeysa Öztürk

Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk opens up for the first time about her shocking arrest and 45 days in a South Louisiana processing facility. She recalls the generous and compassionate women who helped her through this harrowing ordeal.

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Donald Trump Loses His Grip on the Base

By Molly Jong-Fast

After years of fanning the Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy flames, Team Trump fails to deliver the goods.

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The Texas Democrat Trying to Force Trump’s Hand on Epstein: “It Seems Like He’s Trying to Cover Up”

By Eric Lutz

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Congressman Marc Veasey explains why he’s demanding the release of materials related to Jeffrey Epstein—and why MAGA isn’t moving on.

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Mike Johnson Says GOP Should Put “Everything Out There” on Epstein, Then Votes No to Release Epstein Info

By Bess Levin

Meanwhile, the president is yelling at his “PAST supporters.”

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Supreme Court Conservatives Tell Trump He Can Destroy the Education Department, as a Treat

By Bess Levin

The decision will affect millions of Americans and, surprise, not in a good way.

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