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Daily Briefing: Immigrants forced to eat 'like a dog'

Nicole Fallert   Paste BN

Good morning!🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. It's been a busy week. Have a free beer.

Quick look at Thursday's news:

Immigrants forced to eat 'like a dog' in detention centers

ICE detention facilities across the country are becoming overcrowded and conditions are deteriorating, according to a July 21 Human Rights Watch report. The report, which drew from the testimonials of 17 detainees, examined conditions since President Donald Trump took office in January.

The context: President Trump has vowed to deport millions of immigrants in the country illegally, and Congress recently appropriated $170 billion in new money to help him do it. The facilities in the report had issues predating this administration, but the report said Trump administration officials have been unwilling to uphold standards to properly treat immigrant detainees

  • An "overwhelmed, overcrowded and chaotic" system: The testimonies revealed detainees were forced to eat the day's only meal "like a dog," with their hands shackled behind their back. Some were detained for days with nothing but shoes for a pillow and no other bedding ‒ just cold, concrete floors and constant fluorescent lighting. Medical care that denied a man with diabetes insulin for a week and may have contributed to at least one death.
  • Meanwhile, ICE and the Army are joining forces to build the nation's biggest immigrant jail. Virginia-based Acquisition Logistics LLC will erect a temporary immigration detention center in Texas with 5,000 beds under a $232 million contract, according to the Department of Defense.
  • And one detainee will be released. Kilmar Abrego Garcia will leave jail and be put under ICE supervision in Baltimore.

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Trump reportedly told he's named in Epstein files

Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Trump in May that he was named multiple times in the government's files on Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal and CNN. A White House official did not dispute Trump's name is mentioned in the Epstein files, telling Paste BN that briefing binders Bondi prepared for MAGA influencers in February included the president's name. The reports offer potential additional context for the Justice Department's decision not to make the Epstein files public.

  • The House Oversight Committee will subpoena Epstein files and documents.

More news to know now

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Bryan Kohberger gets four life sentences for Idaho murders

Bryan Kohberger, 30, was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, receiving the ruling after hours of emotional statements from family and friends of the victims. Loved ones of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20 honored the students in court and spoke about the anger and devastation they felt after the killings. Speakers teared up on the stand and occasionally addressed Kohberger directly, demanding answers about his actions.

Deadly 'flesh-eating' bacteria pose threat to beach days

Vibrio vulnificus, a rare "flesh-eating" bacteria that lives in warm saltwater, has led to at least four deaths this year, but some simple safety precautions can keep you safe while on vacation. The bacteria most often causes infection through open wounds and the consumption of undercooked or raw seafood. That has caused worries for some vacationers and residents in the Gulf Coast, especially in Florida, where infections are most prevalent. The bacteria is fueled by warm temperatures and may be becoming more prevalent due to climate change, studies show. Here's how you can limit your risk of exposure to these dangerous infections.

Today's talkers

They care for newborns in the middle of the night. It's not a glamorous job

"We're unprotected. People think we are glorified babysitters. The job goes so much further beyond watching babies."

~ Reneé Crooks, 39, of Delaware is among a crop of newborn care specialists going viral on social media for making content about a unique job: night shifts feeding, burping and changing a newborn's diapers – all while the parents get uninterrupted rest. But some told Paste BN there's a lot misunderstood about their careers – and there are some things they want people to know before signing up for overnight shifts filled with diapers and spit-up.

Photo of the day: Pamela in love

Pamela Anderson, 58, and Liam Neeson, 73, reminded us love still exists as they were cozy for the cameras at the London premiere of their latest film, "The Naked Gun."

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.

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