Morning Cup: The Government Does Not Get to Operate Without Accountability

Good morning folks!

There is a lot happening this morning, but I keep coming back to one word: Accountability.

Accountability for what the government does to people in its custody. Accountability when the White House decides which journalists are allowed through the door. Accountability for how our cities spend billions of dollars. And, with the midterms getting closer every single day, accountability at the ballot box.

So grab your coffee. Here’s what I’m watching this morning.

A judge ordered press access restored. Reporters say they were still blocked.

A federal judge ordered the Trump White House to restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico after the administration barred the outlets. The judge found that the outlets were likely to succeed on their argument that the ban violated the First Amendment.

But according to the outlets, some of their reporters were still denied entry Thursday morning despite that order.

Whatever you think about CNN, Politico, MSNBC or any other outlet is completely beside the point.

The White House should not get to decide that journalists lose access because it doesn't like their reporting. And when a federal court issues an order, the government doesn't get to treat that order like a suggestion.

For independent journalists especially, this matters.

Access to government cannot become something handed out based on whether the government likes you.

Wilber Garcés Pérez needs surgery. He remains in ICE detention.

This is the story I cannot stop thinking about.

Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, the 28-year-old Venezuelan man shot by a federal immigration officer in Austin, still has a bullet lodged near his spine and needs surgery, according to Rep. Greg Casar after visiting him Wednesday.

Casar said Wilber was in a wheelchair, had his left arm in a sling, suffered heavy bruising and was experiencing debilitating pain.

Remember how we got here.

After Wilber was shot, he was taken to a hospital and discharged roughly four hours later. Then he was transported about 135 miles away to an immigration detention facility.

And now a member of Congress is saying this man needs surgery.

This should not be complicated.

Release Wilber so he can receive the medical treatment he needs.

Immigration detention should never become an obstacle between an injured human being and necessary medical care.

And this isn't happening in a vacuum.

Amnesty International released a new report Thursday documenting what it describes as widespread human-rights violations during federal immigration enforcement operations in Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. The organization is now calling for ICE to be abolished.

Whatever your position on immigration policy, allegations about the treatment of people in government custody deserve scrutiny, documentation and answers.

Trump and Xi are meeting at the White House today.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are meeting in Washington today for talks expected to include trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the war involving Iran.

This is one of those stories where the headline itself isn't enough.

Watch what actually comes out of the meeting.

Watch for agreements.

Watch for changes in trade policy.

Watch what is said about Taiwan.

And especially watch whether anything discussed today changes U.S. policy surrounding Iran.

I'll be following this throughout the day.

Meanwhile, the midterms are getting very real.

We're now inside the final stretch before November.

And there is a warning sign worth paying attention to.

Voting and civic-engagement organizations, including groups working heavily with Black, Latino, rural and younger voters, have reported funding shortages and staffing cuts heading into the midterms. Some organizations are scaling back voter-registration and mobilization efforts as a result.

That matters because elections aren't won exclusively through television ads and viral posts.

They are won through registration.

Doors.

Phone calls.

Transportation.

Ballot education.

People reminding their friends that an election is happening.

If you've been waiting for the perfect moment to become involved, you don't need to wait anymore.

Check your registration. Find out when voting begins where you live. Help somebody else do the same.

The machinery of democracy is surprisingly ordinary. It's millions of people doing small things and refusing to sit this one out.

Back home: Seattle's new budget deserves attention.

Mayor Katie Wilson has proposed a $9.1 billion Seattle budget for 2027 as the city confronts a major structural deficit.

The proposal includes $183 million in ongoing homelessness investments, including $37 million intended to add nearly 1,000 shelter beds by the end of 2027. It also maintains funding for affordable housing, food assistance, immigrant and refugee services, community safety programs and other city services.

At the same time, the proposal includes nearly $50 million in annual General Fund reductions and eliminates 128 full-time positions, 15 of which are currently filled.

That's why this budget deserves more than a headline.

There are things here worth celebrating, things worth questioning and cuts that deserve scrutiny.

And remember: this is a proposed budget.

The Seattle City Council will spend the next two months reviewing it, holding hearings and considering amendments before a final vote expected later this fall.

That means Seattle residents still have a chance to influence what the final version looks like.

I'll keep digging into it.

One last thing

It's easy to look at the news right now and feel like every story is gigantic.

The White House.

China.

ICE.

The midterms.

A $9.1 billion city budget.

But politics eventually comes down to individual people.

A journalist trying to walk through a White House gate.

A man sitting inside an ICE detention center with a bullet still inside his body.

A voter checking their registration.

A Seattle resident showing up to tell the City Council what they want their city to prioritize.

That's where power stops being abstract.

And that's why we keep paying attention.

See you throughout the day.

Morning Cup is published by Cup of Culture, independent reporting focused on the stories that matter, without pretending politics is just another spectator sport.