Good evening. I’m British Chris, and this is Raw America.
ICE just killed a man in Maine, and protesters are now demanding answers at Susan Collins’ office. A dozen states are suing to block the Ellison family’s attempt to turn CNN into yet another MAGA mouthpiece. Major media networks are getting caught letting Trump set the ground rules for his own interviews with no pushback. And in Minnesota, prosecutors finally got the administration to release critical evidence in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
But before we get to the news, we need you to take a moment to support independent media. As you’ll learn in a moment, cable networks owned by corporations and right-wing billionaires are all too eager to allow this president and his friends to tell them how to do their jobs. Raw America was created specifically because we can’t count on media outlets captured by MAGA oligarchs to hold this administration accountable. But because we’re completely reader-supported, our work can’t continue unless readers like you decide it’s worth funding. We’re counting on you to make today the day you become a paying subscriber.
Protesters Storm Susan Collins’ Office After Deadly ICE Shooting
A 26 year-old man from Colombia is dead after ICE agents shot him Monday morning in Biddeford, Maine. Witnesses say he was on his way to work. One eyewitness told the Portland Press Herald agents killed the man in front of his three-year-old daughter, who was still wearing her Bluey pajamas when it happened.
Videos from the scene show agents wearing vests marked “Police” and “ICE” trying to get into a white Kia sedan as it drove around in circles. Another vehicle appears to have struck the Kia. Bullet holes could be seen on the vehicle afterward.
One bystander said an agent pointed his gun at the driver and kept warning the man before firing when the car allegedly moved toward him. Another eyewitness said he heard the man say, “I tried to stop,” as he was pulled from the car, bleeding from the head.
By the afternoon, protesters had packed the entrance of Republican Senator Susan Collins’ Biddeford office, shouting “Vote her out!” Others carried signs reading “NO ICE” and “Melt ICE.” Collins has been heavily criticized by Maine Democrats since her June vote for a $70 billion ICE funding bill.
Collins called for a full investigation. Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said she was “disturbed and angry,” and asked the obvious question: why was ICE even operating in Maine in the first place?
This is at least the eleventh fatal shooting involving federal agents since Trump’s second term began last year. This winter, Maine went through a surge of ICE arrests under something the administration called Operation Catch of the Day. Officials claimed they were targeting the worst of the worst. But of the roughly 200 people arrested, only 11 had any criminal convictions at all.
12 States Sue to Block Ellison Family’s Attempt to Buy CNN
Twelve Democratic attorneys general filed suit Monday to stop Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is the parent company of CNN and other major media entities. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the merger would lead to higher prices for customers, lower quality, and less content for audiences everywhere, from movie theaters to living rooms.
It’s worth mentioning that if this deal goes through, pro-Trump billionaire Larry Ellison and his son David would singlehandedly own CNN, CBS News, Warner Bros., and HBO Max. That’s a homemade right-wing media empire.
The Ellisons have already dragged CBS News hard right, installing conservative opinion columnist Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News, with plans to give her the same job at CNN. Weiss push out veteran journalists at 60 Minutes. Trump himself has reportedly given his preferences for who he wants fired first at CNN once the Ellisons officially take over. Even Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has cheered on CBS’ right-wing editorial shift.
The Justice Department already blessed the merger last month. Now it’s up to a federal judge in California to decide whether letting two media giants become one is going to hurt the public too much to be legal.
Media consolidation like this is exactly why we launched Raw America this year. We’ll never beat the billionaires with audience size alone. But we can beat them by becoming the one thing they can’t buy. Become a paying subscriber and help independent media survive at a time when the billionaires are trying to crowd everyone out.
Networks Caught Letting Trump Dictate the Terms of His Own Interviews
Trump called into NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday to talk about the late Senator Lindsey Graham. But when host Kristen Welker asked him about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump snapped at her.
“I don’t want to talk about it because I want to honor the life of Lindsey Graham,” Trump said. “I told you that before the call!”
Welker just said “yeah” and moved on. Journalist Tommy Christopher, writing on the Jim Acosta Show’s official Substack, said that sounded a lot like conditions had been set ahead of time for the interview, and that Welker obediently got back in line once Trump pushed back on her trying to step outside of the agreed-upon terms.
CNN host Jake Tapper caught similar heat for his own sit-down with Trump the same day, criticized for letting the president steer the conversation without much pushback at all. Like Welker, Tapper tried to get Trump to clarify the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. But Trump curtly responded, “don’t talk about it,” and told Tapper to “talk about the reason you asked me to speak.” Tapper meekly said “OK” and got right back in line.
Whether Tapper just didn’t feel like challenging the president or he’s auditioning to keep his job should David Ellison become his new boss remains unknown. But it’s a dark time for journalism when major cable news network hosts crumble to pieces the moment Trump criticizes them.
Minnesota Gets Breakthrough in Renee Good, Alex Pretti Cases
Prosecutors in Minneapolis announced Monday that the Trump administration finally turned over evidence they’d been sitting on for months in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the two U.S. citizens federal agents killed this January. That includes body camera footage, statements, and Good’s damaged SUV.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty celebrated the development, but Attorney General Keith Ellison said it should never have taken this long. The new evidence was reportedly overturned after federal officials asked the state for evidence in a separate case involving an ICE agent charged with assault. The state basically said fine, but only if it goes both ways.
Now, prosecutors in Houston say they’re getting the same runaround in trying to investigate last week’s fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the father of three with no criminal record who was killed while he was on his way to work. They don’t even know the names of the officers who pulled the trigger.
At least nine people have died at the hands of ICE since their newest enforcement campaign began. And nobody’s been charged in any of those killings.
That’s your Monday evening rundown. A man is dead in Maine, and protesters want answers from their senator. Billionaires linked to Trump are trying to buy up CNN, CBS, and HBO Max in one shot. Cable network anchors are letting the president dictate his own interview terms without a fight. And it took the federal government six months to hand over evidence in the deaths of two U.S. citizens who were gunned down in broad daylight.
We all know none of this would get covered properly by corporate and billionaire-owned media outlets with ties to this regime. Raw America will never take on a billionaire backer or corporate advertisers, but that also means your financial support is essential to keeping this work going. If you found this newsletter valuable, the single most important thing you can do is become a paying subscriber right now.
I’m British Chris, with Raw America. Thanks for watching. We’ll see you tomorrow.
Here are some stories you may have missed:
Trump Shares Video Demanding Deportations of ‘Hardcore Communist Bastards’ Like Mamdani. President Donald Trump recently shared a video of far-right commentator Michael Savage demanding the arrest and deportation of “hardcore communist bastards,” specifically naming New York City Zohran Mamdani. The president sharing the video is particularly noteworthy given that he’s struck a friendly tone with Mamdani, telling reporters in the Oval Office after Mamdani’s inauguration that he believed the young Democratic socialist would be a good mayor.
South Carolina Governor Appoints Lindsey Graham’s Sister to Serve Out His Term. After the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) last weekend, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) officially named his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to serve as his replacement. Nordone will likely have competition in next month’s special primary, which could see multiple candidates including Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) along with several others.
Kentucky Governor Prepares for Legal Battle in the Event of Senate Vacancy. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) said Monday he is already looking into the legal process for declaring a special election in the event the commonwealth has a sudden U.S. Senate vacancy. The two-term Democratic governor said two laws Kentucky’s Republican-dominated legislature passed regarding U.S. Senate vacancies may violate the Kentucky constitution. Beshear’s remarks come as speculation continues to mount about the condition of 84 year-old Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has been hospitalized since June 14.
