The Daily Populous

Wednesday May 21st, 2025 morning edition

image for Marco Rubio Says No Judge Has Authority Over Him in Alarming Testimony

“There is a division in our government between the federal branch and the judicial branch.

No judge, and the judicial branch, cannot tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy,” Rubio said.

“No judge can tell how I have to outreach to a foreign partner or what I need to say to them.

And if do reach to that foreign partner and talk to them, I am under no obligation to share that with the judiciary branch.”.

Rubio betrayed what seems to be the Trump administration’s actual beliefs about the U.S. government: that the presidency is more like an absolute monarchy that isn’t subject to congressional or judicial oversight.

The conservative-controlled Supreme Court seems to have inspired that belief last year in its ruling on presidential immunity.

Now, as President Trump deports immigrants without evidence or due process, we are seeing the actions of a president who believes he is above the law. »

A marijuana tax is now funding $750 no-strings-attached monthly payments to families in New Mexico

Authored by businessinsider.com

Tax revenue from cannabis sales is funding a basic income project in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Tax revenue on the sale of recreational marijuana has become a major source of income for states where it's legal.

Guaranteed basic income programs are different than a universal basic income, which would provide monthly support to an entire population, regardless of status. »

'Trump says 'big bill' should only help GOP states: 'Don't want to benefit Dem governors'

Authored by rawstory.com

President Donald Trump argued that a GOP budget bill should help only Republican states instead of benefiting Democratic governors.

"We're going to make a couple of tweaks," Trump said of his "one big beautiful bill" during a Tuesday trip to Capitol Hill.

"I mean, we don't want to benefit Democrat governors, although I would do that if it made it better, but they don't know what they're doing.". »

Native turtles return to Yosemite after removal of invasive bullfrogs

Authored by sciencedaily.com

The call of American bullfrogs was deafening when scientists from the University of California, Davis, first began researching the impact of invasive bullfrogs on native northwestern pond turtles at Yosemite National Park.

The study suggests that removing invasive bullfrogs may be necessary in priority conservation areas to help pond turtle populations recover.

Between 2016 and 2022, they monitored four sites at Yosemite where native turtles persisted -- two with bullfrogs and two without. »