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Amelia Benavides-Colón

@ameliacolon.bsky.social

760 followers 310 following 120 posts

Breaking news & housing policy for NOTUS | former Detroit local news | Signal me tips & cat pics @ameliabc.44

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Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 1d

In fiscal year 2025, 21 detainees died in ICE custody making it one of the deadliest years in the agency's history.

My analysis of the deaths found the majority were men from Latin American countries, with an average age of 45.

www.notus.org/immigration/...

2025 Fiscal Year Among the Deadliest in ICE History for Detained Migrants

Nearly all of ICE’s detention centers are run by privately owned companies and have been criticized for overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 1d

The Democratic National Committee is investing more this year than it ever has before in the off-year after a presidential election, highlighting key elections in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

www.notus.org/democrats/ke...

Ken Martin Says the DNC Is ‘Bullish’ About Elections Next Month

The Democratic National Committee is spending millions ahead of November elections in New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania and California.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 1d

Trump purged Puerto Rico’s fiscal board as an $8B electricity debt reform hangs in the balance.

One former member called it an “outrageous interference” to favor bondholders while PR residents continue paying the highest rates for the poorest service.

www.notus.org/donald-trump...

‘Outrageous Interference’: Puerto Rico Bankruptcy Overseers Rage at Trump

Political chaos is gripping the island territory as residents’ power bills increase.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 5d

After analyzing hundreds of projects being canceled by the Trump admin, @annackramer.bsky.social, Manuela Silva and I found that funds for energy projects in blue states are being cut while the same work continues to be funded in red and swing states.
www.notus.org/energy/trump...

Trump Cut Biden-Era Energy Projects in Blue States. Red States Got to Keep Theirs.

The Trump administration is canceling energy projects that it says are part of the “Green New Scam” — but leaving similar ones intact in Republican-led states.

Reposted by Amelia Benavides-Colón

Anna Kramer @annackramer.bsky.social · 5d

Those big Trump cuts to Dem states?

Well, we analyzed them and found loads of similar projects in red and swing states that got to keep their money — even though it came from Biden’s climate agenda, too.

Trump Cut Biden-Era Energy Projects in Blue States. Red States Got to Keep Theirs.

The Trump administration is canceling energy projects that it says are part of the “Green New Scam” — but leaving similar ones intact in Republican-led states.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 6d

OMB Director Russell Vought announced that the Trump admin was planning to cancel nearly $8 billion for climate projects in 16 Democratic-leaning states.

States tell us they haven't been notified of any cuts, or don't know what Vought is referring to:

www.notus.org/trump-white-...

Trump Admin Says It’s Canceling Energy Projects in 16 Blue States

The news came hours after OMB Director Russell Vought threatened to hold up $18 billion in federal funding for infrastructure projects in New York.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 7d

HUD updated its website on Tuesday with a pair of partisan messages that replaced the agency’s landing page, claiming the “radical left” are behind the impending government shutdown.

Ethics groups are concerned about violations of the Hatch Act.
www.notus.org/housing/hud-...

HUD Sparks Ethics Concerns With MAGA Website Message About the ‘Radical Left’

HUD is the only federal agency to publicly express an opinion on this week’s looming government shutdown.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 14d

Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late night show Tuesday night, using the opportunity to criticize Trump for his crackdown on political speech.

"It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," Kimmel said without apologizing directly.
www.notus.org/media/jimmy-...

Jimmy Kimmel Strikes a Serious Note in His Return to Late Night

“Our freedom to speak is what they admire most about this country. And that's something I'm embarrassed to say I took for granted,” he said.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 14d

Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, is joining the packed race for Wisconsin governor.

www.notus.org/campaigns/re...

Rep. Tom Tiffany Jumps Into a Packed Wisconsin Governor’s Race

“We will not let Minnesota’s madness and Illinois’ insanity take over here in Wisconsin,” Tiffany said in an announcement video.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 14d

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is proposing that President Donald Trump build his presidential library on a site in downtown Miami.

www.notus.org/florida/ron-...

DeSantis Pitches Site in Downtown Miami for Trump’s Presidential Library

The proposal sets aside about two-and-a-half acres of land adjacent to Miami’s historic Freedom Tower.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 14d

The man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course last year tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen in the courtroom after a jury found him guilty on Tuesday.

www.notus.org/courts/ryan-...

Ryan Routh Found Guilty of Trump Golf Course Assassination Attempt

Ryan Routh, 59, now faces life in prison.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 21d

Local prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk.

www.notus.org/us-news/tyle...

Prosecutors Are Seeking the Death Penalty for Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Shooter

Tyler Robinson, 22, was charged Tuesday with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and multiple counts of witness tampering.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 22d

NEW: President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military conducted its second missile strike on a Venezuelan boat allegedly carrying drugs headed for the U.S., killing three men on board.

www.notus.org/foreign-poli...

Trump Says U.S. Struck Second Boat Allegedly Carrying Drugs From Venezuela

“The strike resulted in 3 male terrorists killed in action,” the president said.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 22d

VP JD Vance hosted a live, 2-hour White House takeover of ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’ on Monday, using the occasion to mourn the conservative activist and lash out at the Democrats he said he believes are responsible for the assassination of his friend.

www.notus.org/trump-white-...

Vance Promises Crackdown on Liberal Groups During Takeover of ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’

The vice president specifically mentioned George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation as likely targets.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 25d

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox struck a careful balance as he gave remarks confirming the arrest of a man accused of killing Charlie Kirk.

Political violence “metastasizes” and “at some point we have to find an off-ramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse.”

www.notus.org/republicans/...

Utah Governor Implores People to Dial Down Rhetoric After Charlie Kirk's Assassination

“History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country, but every single one of us gets to choose right now if this is a turning point for us,” said Gov. Spencer Cox.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 26d

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Thursday’s conviction of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro a “witch hunt,” and vowed that the U.S. would “respond accordingly” to the decision.

Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years for planning a military coup.
www.notus.org/courts/jair-...

Rubio Vows to ‘Respond’ After Brazilian Supreme Court Sentences Bolsonaro to 27 Years

The former president has maintained his innocence throughout the trial and is expected to appeal.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 26d

Political polarization over the killing of Charlie Kirk made its way across the pond Thursday, inflaming tensions on the floor of the European Union Parliament.

www.notus.org/foreign-poli...

Dustup Over Moment of Silence for Charlie Kirk Mars EU Parliament Meeting

The conservative activist’s death prompted a similar outburst on the floor of Congress in Washington on Wednesday.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 26d

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing lawmakers are changing their schedules.

AOC is rescheduling upcoming events, while Nancy Mace has cancelled all public events for the foreseeable future, asked for extra security & plans to start carrying a firearm.
www.notus.org/democrats/ao...

AOC Cancels North Carolina Appearances After Charlie Kirk Shooting

Rep. Nancy Mace also said she was canceling all outdoor events for the foreseeable future.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 28d

James Walkinshaw, the ex-chief of staff for the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, won a special election race to fill his former boss’ seat on Tuesday.

www.notus.org/congress/ger...

Gerry Connolly’s Ex-Chief of Staff Wins Special Election for Late Boss’s Congressional Seat

He is projected to comfortably beat Republican Stewart Whitson, a lobbyist for conservative think tank the Foundation for Government Accountability.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · 28d

The Republican-dominated Missouri state House approved a new U.S. congressional map Tuesday that would redraw Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s seat, likely giving Republicans a 7-1 majority in the state.

www.notus.org/us-news/miss...

Missouri House Approves Trump-Ordered Congressional Map

“I call on all of my Republican friends in the Missouri Legislature to work as fast as they can,” Trump posted last week.

Reposted by Amelia Benavides-Colón

Dave Levinthal @davelevinthal.com · Sep 4

When members of Congress die, they sometimes leave large amounts of campaign cash behind.

And when they do, it is sometimes spent in most curious ways.

By @ameliacolon.bsky.social and @violetjira.bsky.social of @notus.org: www.notus.org/congress/dea...

How Dead Lawmakers Are Spending Campaign Cash From Beyond the Grave

These congressional members died while in office. Their remaining campaign money has ended up in weird places.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · Sep 4

After going through campaign finance records for more than a dozen dead members of Congress, @violetjira.bsky.social and I found some irregularities.

From funeral and medical expenses to payments to family, experts said these expenses are possible misuses of funds.

www.notus.org/congress/dea...

How Dead Lawmakers Are Spending Campaign Cash From Beyond the Grave

These congressional members died while in office. Their remaining campaign money has ended up in weird places.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · Sep 3

President Donald Trump argued Wednesday that a federal law enforcement presence in New Orleans could solve the city’s crime problems in less than two weeks.

Rep. Carter told me “Militarizing the streets of New Orleans is not a solution. Period.”

www.notus.org/louisiana/tr...

Trump Floats Sending Troops to New Orleans

The red-state city has one of the country’s highest homicide rates.

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · Sep 2

The Department of Defense has approved a plan to detail hundreds of military lawyers to the Department of Justice to serve as temporary immigration judges.

At the request of DOJ, the move would last at least 179 days and have the option to be renewed.

www.notus.org/immigration/...

Trump Admin to Double Number of Immigration Judges by Using Military Lawyers

In a memo dated Aug. 27, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed the military to begin selecting groups of attorneys “as soon as practicable.”

Amelia Benavides-Colón @ameliacolon.bsky.social · Sep 2

President Trump told reporters that he’d made up his mind about sending federal officers into Chicago to assist local police in dealing with crime, but declined to say when those forces would arrive.

“I didn’t say when, but we’re going in,” Trump said.

www.notus.org/trump-white-...

‘We're Going In’: Trump Says He’s Sending Federal Agents to Chicago

“I didn’t say when, but we’re going in,” he said.