Mainstream Media Committed Suicide – But Is Alt-Media on the Same Path?

 Intellectual Takeout  

"What we need are trustworthy experts, not overconfident amateurs, however well-meaning they may be."  The Tunnel Dweller included, as well as Greta Thunberg. 

"Recently, The Washington Post laid off a third of its newsroom and staff. It’s a monumental act representing the twilight of legacy media, a symbol of the changing information landscape. The one-time gatekeepers of information and “correct opinions” have lost a great deal of credibility, and, with it, profit margins. Jeff Bezos reportedly lost $100 million last year on The Washington Post, and he’d finally had enough, taking a hatchet to his workforce.

"This drastic action points to a profound shift in the media ecosystem – a shift providing both opportunities and risks for “the right” or the “alternative media.”

"The guerilla warfare of alternative media – largely enabled by the emergence of the internet as a prime news source – has taken a toll on mainstream media. The big budgets and (formerly) big reputations of legacy media outlets have rendered them unadaptable and obsolete as they suffer blow after blow from the alt-media’s hit-and-run tactics, such as James O’Keefe’s undercover cameras.

"The legacy media’s highly questionable – or downright dishonest – coverage of subjects like COVID-19 and the so-called Russiagate scandal didn’t help either. We’re living through a crisis of trust in institutions, and media institutions exposed their compromised state on a massive scale.

"Americans are waking up to the nefarious forces at work alongside many mainstream media outlets. The natural reaction has been for more Americans to turn to alternative online news sources to get the truth. That shift is both promising and dangerous." . . .

Who Cares If Democrats Boycott Trump’s SOTU?

 The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

Whether they sit in silence or grandstand outside, the President’s address will go on without them.   

"A guy is driving through the country and encounters a fork in the road that doesn’t include a sign indicating which choice leads to his destination. He tells a man standing nearby where he’s headed and asks if it matters which way he goes. The man answers, “Not to me.” That’s how much anyone should care about the Democrat boycotts." 

"A few days ago, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) gave America some very welcome news. During a press conference he said that his Democratic members had two choices with regard to President Trump‘s upcoming State of the Union address: “The two options that are in front of us, in our house, is either attend with silent defiance, or to not attend.” This will definitely be a win-win for everyone who tunes in Tuesday evening to hear what the President has to say about his first-year accomplishments and future plans for the country. If the Democrats are silent or simply elsewhere, the SOTU is bound to be a far more dignified affair than usual.

"Not that we won’t miss listening to Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) braying incoherent nonsense and waving his cane while being escorted out of the House chamber by the sergeant-at-arms, or watching our congressional representatives wave paddles in the air like so many vultures at an estate auction. Such asinine antics do have their entertainment value, of course, but most of the people who invest an hour or so of their time to watch President Trump speak will probably be more interested in the substance of his address than performative stunts. Nonetheless, for those who still yearn for sound and fury signifying nothing, a number of Democrats plan to participate in competing public events during the speech, according a report in NOTUS:" . . .   More...

Here are the Democrats who plan to skip Trump’s State of the Union address

Miranda Devine: Dems will roll out their perfect agent of subterfuge, Abigail Spanberger, in response to SOTU

But don’t be fooled by appearances. Spanberger is an expert at subterfuge, having spent eight years as an undercover CIA case officer, aka a spy, under Barack Obama and John Brennan, in the era when Democrats turned national security back on itself.

. . . "Like Joe Biden, she posed as a moderate to fool willfully gullible voters and then showed her true colors the minute she took office.

"The “national security mom,” who is being touted as a future presidential contender, immediately signed off on unlimited abortion and a gerrymander plan to entrench Dem rule, ordered law enforcement not to work with ICE, and presided over the introduction of dozens of new taxes on everything from dog walking to Uber rides." . . .

‘Sparkle Beach’ Newsom Admits It: Trump Is No Threat To Democracy

 "We’d add only that Newsom also seems to have a bit of Groucho — “Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them … well, I have others” — Marx. Except that Groucho was making fun of politicians like Newsom."   I&I Editorial Board

‘Sparkle Beach’ Newsom Admits It:  Trump Is No Threat To Democracy – Issues & Insights    "No one has ever accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of being consistent, or of having any actual principles, or of being much of an intellect, for that matter. Still, the fact that – while trying to bash a sitting president while in Munich – Newsom managed (accidentally, no doubt) to call a Big Lie on himself is a new milestone in self-owning.

"At a Munich Security Summit, Newsom had this to say: “If there’s nothing else I can communicate today, Donald Trump is temporary. He’ll be gone in three years.”

"Newsom was talking about Trump’s work to pull the country back from the climate lunacy that Newsom has been imposing on Californians.

"But he clearly meant that in the broader sense, because he told the press at that same conference that, while Europeans “see us as a wrecking ball,” and that “they don’t think we’ll ever come back to our original form,” that “whatever happens, we can undo, we can shapeshift, we can fix it. … I’m here in many respects to remind everyone that Trump is temporary. … He’ll be measured in years, not decades.”

"Newsom must think he’s pretty savvy to reassure Europeans that there are elections here in the United States and that presidents come and go, as they have 45 times in our history.

"But that’s not what Newsom has been telling Americans." . . .

California gas prices have risen 40 cents in the last 14 days

   . . . "The price gap between California and the rest of the United States has also widened. The national average is around $2.93 per gallon, putting California more than $1.50 higher. The price surge comes as Gov. Gavin Newsom is attending a high-profile European gathering in Germany, where he participated in a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference, even as fuel volatility intensifies back home." . . .

. . . "The tax, also known as a road usage charge, would require drivers to pay a fee based on the number of miles they drive rather than how much gasoline they purchase. The proposal, lawmakers say, is designed to replace declining gas tax revenue as more drivers switch to electric and fuel-efficient vehicles. "

The Growing Liberal Backlash Against Newsom  "As Gavin Newsom works to project inevitability as the Democratic frontrunner, progressives are coalescing behind a single conclusion: He is not their man. (RELATED: Newsom Practically Demands to Be the Democratic Candidate)

"Progressive California journalist and political adviser Gil Durán published an op-ed with the Guardian Tuesday harshly titled “Gavin Newsom’s likely presidential bid is built on broken promises.” He makes the case that the California governor has repeatedly failed to deliver on his progressive commitments. (RELATED: Gavin Newsom’s ‘Self-Puffery’ Gets Him in Trouble With David Axelrod)" . . .   

Many progressives now argue that Democrats should rally behind a different candidate, someone who is concerned with their priorities, not self-aggrandizement or appeasing establishment donors and the billionaire class.

The Battle of Fredericksburg

 

Union view of the objective before this field was covered with bodies.

Franklin's men charging across the railroad - Battle of Fredericksburg - Wikipedia

Battle of Fredericksburg

Battle of Fredericksburg | Facts, Casualties, & Aftermath | Britannica

. . . "The political consequences of the Union loss were great in the North. Many blamed Lincoln, claiming that he had allowed Burnside to embark on an offensive that was inevitably going to fail. Others criticized the competence of Lincoln’s cabinet choices. This resulted in a majority of Republican senators voting for the removal of Secretary of State William Seward—the chosen scapegoat for the battle’s administrative blunders. Seward, despite the attacks, retained his position. The senators also pushed for Lincoln to reorganize his cabinet, something Lincoln refused to do. After another failed offensive (later called the Mud March) in January, Lincoln relieved Burnside of his position and appointed Joseph Hooker as the commander of the Army of the Potomac.". . . 

Many 2011 posts from the Tunnel Wall: Search results for battle of Fredericksburg; 1 of 8

U. S. Civil War Photographs - Fredericksburg Eight pages.

LA-Area Fire Chief Mops the Floor With Mayor Karen Bass Over Disastrous Wildfire Response

  RedState

"Newsom doesn't seem to be heeding McDaniel's advice; his strategy is to "Blame Trump." Back to his MSNOW interview in which he claimed that Trump has "not even lifted a finger" to help. While the fire occurred during the last few weeks of Joe Biden's failed presidency, debris removal - which was performed and funded entirely by the federal government, through FEMA, EPA, and the Army Corps of Engineers - started in February, after Trump was inaugurated. Not surprisingly, Newsom now takes credit for their work."

"It’s now been over a year since the catastrophic wildfires that burned down entire neighborhoods in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas of Los Angeles. The planning for such an eventuality and the Keystone Cops response to it have drawn blistering criticism from everyone from Donald Trump to billionaire developer Rick Caruso to actor Spencer Pratt, who lost his house in the conflagration and is now running to replace Karen Bass as LA mayor.

"Some of the harshest words, however, came Wednesday from someone who presumably knows a thing or two about fires: Redondo Beach Fire Chief Patrick Butler. Redondo Beach is in Los Angeles County, about 20 miles from downtown LA."

LA-Area Fire Chief Mops the Floor With Mayor Karen Bass Over Disastrous Wildfire Response – RedState

…"Rick Crawford, a retired battalion chief with the Los Angeles Fire Department, described the Palisades Fire as a ”case study” in how government leadership can bungle a wildfire into a deadly catastrophe, stressing that the inferno was not ”unforeseeable”.

”Wildfires are not disasters at ignition,” Crawford said. ”They become disasters when warnings are recognized but fail to trigger executive action.” . . . 

Trump Tired of California Failure Theater, Issues Order for Administration to Take Over LA Fire Rebuild – RedState

. . . "His order also provides for the auditing of California’s use of FEMA funds as well as measures to ensure federal money is “delivered [to affected residents] and utilized swiftly, effectively, and without obstruction by State and local governments.”

"Fire survivor Jessica Rogers, the Palisades Long Term Recovery Group Executive Director (and friend of my wife), told RedState: 

The news of the executive order from President Trump today issued for the LA wildfires is the greatest blessing since the fire. We are incredibly grateful that our president understands the true needs of the survivors...

The most efficient way to [rebuild]… would be for us to have a direct connection with the federal government through an authority where the funding can be accounted for by locals who were directly impacted by the fires — and eliminate the red tape of the city and the risk of mismanagement of funds.

"We've seen enough out of Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, and Co. It's time for the adults to take charge." . . . 

. . . "And, the $34 billion in federal aid Newsom is asking for, one fire victim points out, is not for the fire victims: "The bulk goes to NGOs and patronage groups. It's like FireAid all over."

"And maybe that's why it hasn't been approved?

"Coincidentally, on Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Jim Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee released the interim findings of their investigation into what happened to the $100 million FireAid raised in the wake of the fires, finding that "FireAid has diverted donations to third-party groups instead of providing direct relief to victims of the fires." From the report:

FireAid advertised that all donations raised during its benefit concert would go directly to victims of the California wildfires. Unfortunately, this was not the case. To date, FireAid has granted $75 million of the $100 million raised to a total of 188 non-profits, including $100,000 for voter participation efforts for Native Americans, $550,000 to groups involved in political advocacy, an unknown amount of money toward illegal aliens, $100,000 to podcasters, and over $500,000 for bonuses, salaries, and consultants for non-profit organizations.

"The report contains infuriating examples of what this money was used for.

"A grant report dated February 2025 included a list of CORE’s 'priority groups' that it wanted to help with money [$250,000] it received from FireAid. Among those priority groups were 'Undocumented Migrants' because 'this group is at high risk of housing instability, economic hardship, exploitation, and homelessness.'" . . .

‘Keffiyehs in Buchenwald’? Protest Planned at Nazi Concentration Camp on Liberation Day

RedState   

"Holocaust memorials are not neutral public squares. They mark places where human beings were reduced to numbers, forced into labor, and systematically murdered. The victims commemorated at Buchenwald were not casualties of a modern geopolitical dispute, and memory is not a political prop."

"A planned protest at the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial on the anniversary of its liberation is igniting backlash in Germany for a simple reason: Activists intend to turn a Holocaust commemoration into a contemporary political demonstration.

"According to reports, radical organizations are organizing a demonstration at the site on April 11 under the slogan “Keffiyehs in Buchenwald,” accusing the memorial’s management of “spreading Israeli propaganda” and not being “hostile enough toward Israel.” Among the groups involved are the student wing of Germany’s Left Party, the anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East, and the German Communist Party.

"The date is not incidental. April 11 marks the liberation of the camp in 1945.

"Buchenwald was liberated by U.S. forces in April 1945. About 56,000 prisoners were killed there, including many Jews. Each year, survivors, families, and public officials gather at the former roll call grounds where prisoners once stood for hours in freezing weather. The purpose of that day is remembrance." . . .

Without Victory, There Is No Survival

Ann Coulter 

 "We’ve got our own poor people. Many of them are post-1965 legal immigrants, who thought they were fleeing the third world to come to America, but if we don’t start enforcing our immigration laws, they will have merely fled one third world country to come to another."

"How many times do Americans have to vote for Donald Trump to make the point that they want illegal immigrants deported? They voted for him in 2016, despite sheer hysteria from Democrats, the entire media, and nearly all elected Republicans. They voted for him again in 2024 by an even larger margin, with some misgivings, because he promised a mass deportation force.

"Do we have to make Stephen Miller president so you finally get the point? Is this Groundhog Day? Why do we always have to start at square one on the question of: Should we have a country?

"The open borders crowd has two counter-arguments: Virtue signaling and lying.

"First, the virtue signaling. While never so much as acknowledging the Americans brutalized, raped and murdered by illegal immigrants, the media are awash with humanizing details about “irregular migrants.”

"Apparently, it’s especially heinous for ICE to arrest an undocumented person if he or she is engaged in some “homey” activity, like “taking their dog to the vet,” or “working on their car” or “shopping for ingredients for a stew.” (Personally, I would accept that defense so long as the migrant can prove that the groceries she was purchasing were actually for a stew. Not “a roast beef sandwich,” or some kind of salad, but a bona fide stew.).

"The Trump administration has deported hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, but the only ones obsessively focused on by the media are the ones with toddlers. If you’ve ever known one, they cry a lot. Sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for bad reasons, sometimes for no reason at all. They were probably crying coming into the country. But I guess we’re not allowed to have a country if any illegal alien child cries.

"Another popular argument from the compassion exhibitionists is to inform us—the psychopaths who believe the country’s laws should be enforced—that illegal immigrants are human beings!

A few classics:

— Joe Biden: “Republicans are playing politics with human beings.” . . .  More

California Cities Canceling July 4th Events Because They Care More About Illegals Than America

 The Lid  

"Democrats hate America. And this isn’t just among their lunatic “progressive” leaders. Every Democrat from the top to the last voter hate America and are ashamed of being Americans."

Bad Bunny! Bad! Bad!

"A growing number of cities in anti-American, left-wing, Democrat-infested California are canceling Independence Day. celebrations because they care more for illegal aliens than they do for America.

"Already the cities of Cudahy, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park, Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, and Northeast Los Angeles have all announced that the Independence Day events are canceled. Many claim they are “rescheduling” them for later in the year.

"So, why are they doing this?

"Because they all want to protect illegal aliens.

"They claim that they are canceling the events because they fear ICE agents will turn out at the events and begin arresting criminal aliens.

"Yes, they care more about illegals than they do celebrating the birth of the United States.

"It can’t be much of a surprise, though. As each year passes, it is becoming clear that one can’t be a patriotic American and a Democrat at the same time.

"That isn’t just hyperbole, either.

"A recent poll found that only a tiny 36 percent of Democrats say they are proud of being an American." 

"Democrats hate America. And this isn’t just among their lunatic “progressive” leaders. Every Democrat from the top to the last voter hate America and are ashamed of being Americans."

Good luck with your run for Governor, Steve Hilton. TD

Mamdani Is Collapsing Faster Than We Thought

PJ Media  

Broc Smith toon added by TD

"You can’t say we didn’t warn New York what was going to happen if it elected Zohran Mamdani, but I gotta say, I don’t think anyone predicted it would start collapsing so quickly. But, alas, it has. That socialist utopia that Mamdani was supposed to deliver has instead turned into a slow-motion fiscal catastrophe a mere two months in — and even the liberal media is starting to notice.

"Mamdani unveiled a $127 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 this week — a staggering $5 billion increase over the prior year.

"But what's $5 billion between socialists, right?

"To put that into perspective, Mamdani’s proposed budget is actually larger than the budgets of 47 U.S. states, including Florida, which has nearly twice the population. And somehow, it still isn't enough. The city is staring down a $5.4 billion deficit, with the real gap potentially closer to $12 billion when you do the actual math.

"So what was his plan? Tax someone else." . . .More...

Mamdani's Rent Freeze Fiasco Is Squeezing Landlords Dry, While NYC Housing Crumbles – RedState  "There's one utterly reliable thing about socialism: It fails, every time it's tried. It may fail on the national scale, like the Soviet Union, or it may fail on the municipal scale, like New York City is in the throes of doing right now. The "democratic socialist" mayor of the Big Apple, Zohran Mamdani, has never seen a commie policy he didn't like.

"One of those policies is freezing rents in the city. That's already producing predictable results: Landlords are selling out and leaving" . . .

"As far as housing is concerned, the only silver lining is that Mamdani's ability to freeze rents is limited."

Rice and Obama are plotting and planning and saying way too much out loud...

  Revolver News 

"Sometimes politicians accidentally say their innermost thoughts out loud. It is rarely smart. But sometimes it is strategic. It sends a signal to their voters: elect us, and we will crush MAGA.

"Honestly, that kind of message often lands harder than any polished campaign speech ever could.

"A new clip catching fire online features former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice laying out what sounds exactly like that… it’s clearly a threat, a promise, and a warning shot. She’s vowing to take down any corporations or institutions that she thinks “took a knee to Trump.' ” . . .

Susan Rice Threatens Trump Supporters: 'Revenge Is Best Served Cold'

"President Joe Biden’s domestic policy chief is promising revenge against the voters, business executives, and appointees who support President Donald Trump’s 2024 election mandate.

“ 'A very prominent public figure, who has served at nearly the very highest levels, once told me … ‘Revenge is best served cold,’ and the older I get, the more I see the wisdom of that,” Susan Rice said in a February 19 video interview by a fellow Democrat.

"She added:

When it comes to the elites, you know, the corporate interests, the law firms, the universities, the media … it’s not going to end well for them, for those that decided that they would act in their perceived very narrow self-interest, which I would underscore, is very short-term self-interest, and, you know, take a knee to Trump.

"The comments reflect the Democrats’ deep personal resentment and anger at voters’ rejection of their elite agendas, and of the voters’ support for Trump’s populist agenda in 2016 and 2o24." . . .More

The Women Who Will Haunt Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Campaign

  The American Spectator | USA News and Politics  

"Perhaps the woman in Newsom’s life who should raise the most questions, however, is Newsom’s mother, who was murdered in front of him in an act of illegal euthanasia that he did nothing to stop."

"As Gavin Newsom prepares to announce his presidential bid, likely sometime at the beginning of next year, and is set to release his memoir next week, he is attracting increased press scrutiny into his early political career.

"That invites all sorts of risks for Newsom, as his early history is filled with colorful scandals and controversies. Of course, that’s likely why Newsom is putting his book out now: It will get the media scrutiny out of the way, thereby preventing things from blowing up in his face during his official presidential campaign. (RELATED: Newsom Confesses His Disturbing Role in the Euthanization of His Mother)

"One topic that Newsom really wants to get out of the way is .

"On the one hand, some of his relationships exhibited enormous and inappropriate power imbalances. On the other hand, some of his relationships with celebrities and the elite showcase the extent to which Newsom has lived a charmed life of privilege among the upper class. (RELATED: Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s Feminist Meltdown)

"On Friday, the London Times published an explainer on seven of the women who have engaged in romantic relationships with Newsom. But the paper missed much about how these seven relationships all showcase negative characteristics of the future presidential candidate.

"I’ll give you the real lowdown on all of these love affairs. But really, if you want to know the full extent of how bad Newsom’s womanizing makes him look, you’ll have to check out my book, .

Kelley Phleger

"Kelley Phleger is the woman who tore Newsom’s heart into a million pieces and left him with an inferiority complex that could only be satisfied by seeking the presidency.

" 'If Newsom was Gordon Getty’s pseudo-son, Phleger was Gordon Getty’s . Getty employed her in his mansion as a private nursery school teacher for his grandchildren, but she could more accurately be described as a San Francisco socialite. In Gordon Getty’s eyes, Newsom and Phleger were the match made in heaven who were destined to be together." . . . More...

‘Sparkle Beach’ Newsom Admits It:  Trump Is No Threat To Democracy – Issues & Insights

. . . "Newsom must think he’s pretty savvy to reassure Europeans that there are elections here in the United States and that presidents come and go, as they have 45 times in our history.

But that’s not what Newsom has been telling Americans.

No. Here in America, Newsom has been saying the exact opposite. That Trump is an existential threat to democracy. That he will inflict permanent damage on the country. That he must be stopped at all costs.

Gavin Newsom's Presidential Ambitions Sunk After Nation Discovers He's The One Running California | Babylon Bee Parody 

. . . "Oh, that was him?" voter Randal Caspian said. "I didn't realize he was the governor of that state. California isn't really the state I want to model the entire country on. That place is the worst."

"Many other Americans expressed similar feelings of surprise after learning Newsom is the one running the Golden State. New data showed that once people learned Newsom runs California, his prospects of winning the election evaporated.

" 'Yikes, that's awful." American Rachel Robinson said. "He looks qualified, he's got hair and a nice smile, I guess. He can talk. But I didn't realize he was the Governor of California. Didn't part of their state just sort of, like, burn to the ground last year?" . . .

‘It feels empty’: is Hollywood film and TV production in a death spiral?

  California Political Review 

"The malaise threatens “below-the-line” crew members such as grips, electricians, carpenters, set decorators, sound engineers, costume designers and makeup artists who came to Hollywood because that was where the work was. If that allure fades they could take their talents elsewhere, sending the ecosystem into a death spiral."

"Filming in Los Angeles is at a historic low, with some suggesting the city might go the way of Detroit

"When screenwriter David Scarpa visits the great Hollywood studios these days, he is struck by what is missing. “It used to be you’d walk around those back lots and you’d see many people and they were very busy,” Scarpa muses. “They were like small cities. Now often you’ll walk around and have nobody else there. It feels empty. You definitely feel the absence of life on those lots.”

"Like the once proud industrial factories of the midwest, the dream factories of southern California are in decline. Last year was the worst for on-location filming in Los Angeles since tracking began 30 years ago apart from pandemic-hit 2020. Of all the TV shows and feature films that North American audiences watch, only one-fifth are now made in California.

"This is because Hollywood is facing intense competition for film production from domestic rivals such as Atlanta and New York, and international challengers such as Australia, Britain and Canada, all offering more aggressive financial incentives. California’s politicians stand accused of resting on their laurels too long.

"Donald Trump has a plan but, critics say, it will be no more effective for Hollywood than his notorious tariffs for the rust belt. The US president’s appointment of the actors Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight (combined age 233) as “special ambassadors” to rescue the local industry met with widespread scepticism. Instead campaigners are focused on the hard graft of legislating new tax incentives in California’s state government." . . .

Click here to read the full article in the Guardian