FRONTLINE VOICES with Rebecca Myles 7-12-25
WBAI News Director Rebecca Myles speaks with Dave Lindorff, investigative reporter on the free speech clampdown; Quincy Institute’s William Hartung, an expert on the arms trade and Larry Hamm on the 1967 Newark Rebellion.
Today’s headlines
STATE DEPARTMENT
The State Department is firing over 1300 employees in line with a dramatic reorganization plan from the Trump administration that critics say will damage America's global leadership and efforts to counter threats abroad.
The department is sending layoff notices to 1107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with domestic assignments in the U.S.
The State Department is planning to eliminate some divisions tasked with oversight of America's two-decade involvement in Afghanistan, including an office focused on resettling Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. military. The reorganization will affect more than 300 bureaus and offices. The eliminations are aimed at programs related to refugees, immigration, human rights, and democracy promotion — areas the administration deems ideologically driven and incompatible with its policies. The American Foreign Services Association has urged the department to hold off on job cuts.
IMMIGRATION
Hundreds of farmers and their allies clashed with ICE officers during a raid at two cannabis farms in Southern California on Thursday, as the Trump administration clampdown continues.
The raid at two Glass House Farms sites resulted in arrests and injuries. Videos on social media showed federal agents using tear gas and rubber bullets on the crowd.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed agents executed a search warrant and arrested several people for impeding the operation. Ten undocumented minors were found at the farm, which is now under investigation for child labor violations.
"They are taking everyone and the truth is it's not right because these people come to work, struggle every day, to earn for bread every day," Cesar Ortiz told the LA Times, referring to his detained brother. "It feels like they are against us... but there are no narcos here... they come fully armed, full of military personnel."
The Ventura County Fire Department provided medical aid at the scene. Five people were hospitalized and four treated onsite.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information on a suspect who allegedly fired at agents.
In related news, a federal judge blocked Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship. The administration also moved to ban undocumented immigrants from accessing federal programs like Head Start.
HEAD START
The Trump administration announced it will bar undocumented children from enrolling in Head Start, a federal preschool program. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the move protects taxpayer-funded resources.
"For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration," Kennedy said. "Today's action restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people."
Head Start, launched during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, provides preschool and child care services for families facing homelessness or poverty.
Children will now be required to show proof of immigration status. This reverses a Clinton-era interpretation of federal law that had allowed some undocumented children to access services. The Education, Agriculture, and Labor Departments announced similar restrictions affecting workforce development, career training, and adult education programs.
MAHMOUD KHALIL
Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate detained by ICE for protesting the genocide in Gaza and held for three months in Jena, Louisiana, has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the Trump administration.
