Happy Thursday and welcome back to Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Let’s break down the latest news.
ICE Shooting Reignites Calls for Reform or Abolition…..Pressure is mounting on ICE after the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Colombian migrant Johan Sebastián Guerrero during a traffic stop in Biddeford, Maine. New video appears to capture shouting followed by five gunshots, while Sen. Angus King said Guerrero was not the intended target of the operation and noted that none of the agents involved were wearing body cameras. In response, Maine Gov. Janet Mills called on Congress to fundamentally reform—or abolish—ICE, warning that “before more families are robbed of a loved one, this violence has to end.” The shooting is one of three deadly incidents involving federal immigration officers during traffic stops in just over a week. Meanwhile, President Trump reversed a temporary pause on ICE traffic stops, calling them one of the agency’s most effective enforcement tools as the FBI continues investigating the shooting.
Common Sense Takeaway: ICE—as it currently operates—cannot exist. It needs to be almost completely reformed and if they can’t do that, it needs to be completely abolished. For starters, body cameras, name badges & identifying numbers need to be required. And masks and sunglasses need to be banned. We cannot allow gun-wielding people to run around murdering people in broad daylight, and do so under the guise of anonymity. That just doesn’t work.
Trump Slows and Denies More Disaster Aid Requests….A new Associated Press analysis found that disaster relief is taking longer to reach Americans under President Trump than under any president since 1989. On average, major disaster declarations now take about six weeks to approve, delaying federal assistance for families recovering from hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and wildfires. The analysis also found that Trump has approved roughly 80% of disaster requests from Republican governors, compared with about 60% from Democratic governors, while states that voted against him in 2024 have seen significantly more denials. The White House denies politics play any role, saying the administration is conducting more thorough reviews to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent appropriately as it considers major changes to FEMA and disaster funding.
Common Sense Takeaway: Does anyone believe that this is pure coincidence? That this has nothing to do with playing politics? Because I don’t. Earlier this month, he rejected $227 million in aid requests from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Yes, all four states have a Democratic Governor and two Democratic Senators. This is impeachment-worthy alone.
Todd Blanche Faces Tough Questions at Confirmation Hearing….Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spent five hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee defending the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, controversial legal settlements involving President Trump, and his close relationship with the president. Blanche acknowledged mistakes in the Epstein file release but promised to pursue any new evidence against potential co-conspirators. He also confirmed that the controversial $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is officially “dead” after drawing bipartisan criticism. The hearing came just days after a federal judge accused Blanche of potentially giving misleading testimony to Congress over a separate settlement shielding Trump and his family from IRS audits—an allegation Blanche strongly denied as he seeks Senate confirmation as attorney general.
Common Sense Takeaway: You can’t claim to to pursue new evidence against Epstein while refusing to meet with the actual victims. Everything about Todd Blanche spells out blind loyalty for Trump. Including the fact that he referred to himself as “Trumps’ lawyer” during the hearing, not the acting Attorney General. If any Democrat votes to confirm him, we have a serious problem.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Check back tomorrow for more.
Fetterman will vote yes… he needs to be voted out!!!
It is very obvious Drumpf wants to continue terrorizing people with ICE. He calls them the best tool. Also, I don’t believe Blanche saying the slush fund is gone.