DOJ Totally Screws Over Ron DeSantis on Alligator Alcatraz

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may be left footing the bill for Alligator Alcatraz—Donald Trump’s wetland-themed concentration camp—so the Department of Justice can sidestep threats from environmental groups that would shut the facility down, according to the Florida Phoenix.

In a filing Tuesday, the Department of Justice clarified that the ICE facility in the Florida Everglades wasn’t eligible to receive federal funding for construction—only for its day-to-day operation.  

“Any potential future federal funding is reimbursement-based, calculated per detainee, and available only for operational costs—not construction or facility modification,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson wrote.

“As it likely will be structured, there will be no potential federal funding of the facility’s design, siting, maintenance, or construction, and no federal approval authority over whether the facility is built at all,” he added.

The filing was made as part of an ongoing legal battle brought by the Friends of the Everglades, Earthjustice, and the Miccosukee Tribe, who hoped to block the construction. The groups alleged that the expedited construction of a facility at the Big Cypress National Preserve had been done without complying with federal environment laws and regulations. A lower court had sided with the environmental groups, and the government appealed the decision. 

The government’s appeal hinges on the question of federal funding: If the facility never received federal dollars, then it wouldn’t need to comply with federal laws. 

In a separate filing Tuesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier claimed that the Sunshine State had accepted the “risk” that the FEMA money reimbursement might “not materialize” at all.

But when Alligator Alcatraz was first announced, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the facility would “in large part be funded by FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program.” The facility would cost $450 million a year to operate. 

If the funds for construction don’t arrive—and it seems like they won’t—the Florida Division of Emergency Management might have to foot more than just the $245 million construction bill. So far, the FDEM has pulled together roughly $406 million to fund the state’s immigration enforcement efforts. 

In September, DHS announced that it had submitted an application for a $608 million grant for Alligator Alcatraz to FEMA and been approved—but that didn’t mean that the money had actually been sent, DOJ lawyers claimed Tuesday. 

FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie said earlier this month that FEMA told him the DOJ had held up the massive reimbursement. 

The White House is prepping for war with Iran—but that outcome is getting more and more difficult to rationalize, even for MAGA loyalists.

Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin flopped and floundered Wednesday night to properly explain the need for another war during a sit-down interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.

“I think people see the risks for sure…. It’s just hard sometimes to get your head around that we were told last summer it was obliterated, and now we’re saying a strike might be necessary if the talks don’t work,” Collins said.

“But obliterated is much different than the rebuilding it. They are purposefully trying to rebuild it,” Mullin replied.

“But how can you rebuild it if it was obliterated?” pressed Collins.

“I’m just saying, why do you think China and Russia—” started Mullin, before Collins interjected to repeat her question.

“But I’m just saying why do you think China and Russia—” Mullin said again.

“But how can you rebuild it if it was obliterated?” Collins asked a third time.

“I’ve already explained that,” Mullin responded. “How do you rebuild your legs after you shatter them? How do you rebuild a house after it’s been knocked down by a tornado or a hurricane? You can rebuild things. The foundation may still be there, you can build a lot back on the foundation once the top of it is removed. If the structure of the foundation is there, they can start rebuilding.”

Donald Trump ordered a strike on Iran’s nuclear sites on June 22 without the express approval of Congress. The attack damaged facilities in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan, though a postmortem battle damage assessment by the Pentagon’s intelligence arm determined that the missile barrage only set Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months, rather than the “years” that Trump had advertised.

The topic of striking Iran again has resurfaced amongst the president’s top aides over the last month. Since January 22, the U.S. has built an enormous military presence across a web of U.S. bases in the Middle East for the mere possibility of war, flooding ships—including naval destroyers and aircraft carriers—and more than a dozen jets to the region, reported CNN.

On Monday, Trump announced on Truth Social that the potential for war with Iran is still very much on the table. Top U.S. military officials, meanwhile, have reportedly warned the White House against dragging the country into war with Iran, arguing that it could entangle America in a prolonged conflict.

U.S. officials including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—Trump’s son-in-law—met with an Iranian delegation in Geneva early Thursday to discuss the countries’ ongoing standoff.

The talks have paused, though an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader told CNN that an “immediate agreement” could be within reach if the discussions singularly focus on Iran’s “non-production of nuclear weapons.”

Transgender people across Kansas are receiving letters warning them that their driver’s licenses are now invalid due to a new state law.

Senate Bill 244 takes effect Thursday, and requires to transgender people to have licenses corresponding with the sex of their birth. It passed last month, with Kansas legislators overriding Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto. Anyone who receives the letter has to surrender their license and pay for a new one, and if they are caught without a valid license, the penalty is a class B misdemeanor, with a sentence of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Gender marker changes had been allowed on Kansas licenses since 2007 despite the efforts of Kansas Republicans. That changed with SB 244, which doesn’t just ban gender changes going forward, but invalidates any changes made in the past. And the bill doesn’t come with a grace period lasting months—it’s taking effect immediately upon publication in the Kansas Register, which is updated on Thursdays.

“The Department is working as quickly as possible to notify individuals whose credentials will be affected under SB 244, ensuring they have sufficient time to update their credentials and avoid any disruption,” Zach Denney, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Revenue, told The Topeka Capital-Journal. “Letters are being sent to those impacted, and they should begin receiving them soon.”

About 1,500 people in the state are expected to receive letters, although Denney said that number could go down as the department “continues to look through and refine our records.” In addition to requiring new driver’s licenses, SB 244 also bans transgender people from bathrooms that match their gender identity in public buildings, and even goes as far as to create a bounty system giving people the ability to sue transgender people they see using the “wrong” restrooms for at least $1,000. The bill is written vaguely enough to potentially include private restrooms, too.

It’s a bill designed to appease a right-wing panic about transgender people, hiding behind bathroom safety, even though other states have not had any crimes or issues resulting from transgender people using the restroom of their gender. All it’s going to do is make the lives of many Kansans more difficult and make conservatives feel better about a problem that doesn’t exist.

First Lady Melania Trump will preside over the United Nations Security Council on March 2, addressing “Children, Technology, and Education in Conflict.”

“Mrs. Trump’s leadership will mark the first time a sitting U.S. First Lady presides over the Security Council as members consider education, technology, peace, and security,” a press release from her office read.

While the first lady has shown an interest in children’s welfare, particularly in Russia’s war on Ukraine, it’s hard to imagine her address as any more than a symbolic gesture that will look good in a social media post. U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz will be in attendance.

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos will go to the White House Thursday as he looks to push through a merger that even Republicans say presents antitrust concerns.

The proposed deal would see Netflix acquire Warner Bros. Discovery at the cost of $70 billion. Though it’s not clear if Sarandos will be meeting directly with President Donald Trump, he will try to curry favor with his administration, whose Department of Justice has the final say as to whether the merger goes through.

Trump previously said he wouldn’t get involved with the deal, but eventually couldn’t resist trying to leverage his power for political gain. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, he called on Netflix to fire board member Susan Rice, a former Democratic policy adviser.

“Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s request was later rejected by Sarandos.

In the meantime, 11 Republican attorneys general have asked the DOJ to block the deal.

The group penned a letter to the DOJ on Wednesday arguing that a Netflix–Warner Bros. merger would give Netflix too much power over its streaming rivals, creating a monopoly that could lead to higher prices and reduced quality.

Adding to the mess is the fact that the chief of the DOJ’s antitrust division, Gail Slater, stepped down recently after feuding with Trump officials. The acting chief is Omeed Assefi, who was previously a criminal prosecutor in the division.

Sarandos tried to downplay the discord in remarks to the BBC. “This is a business deal. It’s not a political deal,” he said.