Whistleblower Exposes LA Metro's Plan to Sideline Buses Advertising 'Melania' Documentary

 Bob Hoge; RedState   

"Now stop and think for a second: does anyone really imagine that if buses were driving around with ads for one of Michelle Obama’s self-pitying tomes or bitter podcasts and were vandalized, that LA Metro would take steps to minimize their exposure? If so, I’ve got a bridge to sell you." BH

All right, I’ll get the disclosure part out of the way right at the start: this story involves my wife, Los Angeles County GOP Chair Roxanne Hoge.

She got a tip on Wednesday that up to one hundred LA Metro buses featuring ads for the Melania movie were being kept out of service for the weekend. Her post about the situation went viral, amassing over 100,000 views:" . . .

. . . “ 'I’m hearing it’s because someone doesn’t want Melania, The Movie, to have a good opening weekend,” Hoge wrote in a X chain that made thousands of impressions.

[…] "Los Angeles Metro admitted to pulling buses with ads promoting First Lady Melania Trump’s new documentary off busy roads over vandalism concerns.

"The transit authority said buses featuring the ads for “Melania” were being rerouted to other “geographic areas to minimize potential vandalism,”

“ 'The buses remain in regular service. Our buses have unfortunately been subject to vandalism over the last couple of years,” the agency told Fox Los Angeles." . . .  More...

Man Who Just Climbed Skyscraper Kicks Himself After Seeing There Was An Elevator All Along

  Babylon Bee

TAIPEI CITY — After spending over an hour-and-a-half climbing to the top of the Taipei 101 skyscraper, Alex Honnold was left kicking himself after realizing there was an elevator just inside.

"Honnold paused to look down after ascending all 101 stories of the massive skyscraper, only to see there was an elevator there the whole time.

""I'm such an idiot," sighed Honnold, seeing people waving as they exited the elevator. "I could have died trying to get up here, when all I had to do was just press a button and wait. Aw man, I really should have picked up on something when I started seeing people through the windows on the 54th story. Boy, do I feel sheepish."

"According to local sources, hundreds of people on the street below tried to yell to Honnold to tell him about the elevator, but to no avail. "We kept telling him to come down, that there was an elevator just inside," said local man Lin Hsu. "But the idiot thought we were just cheering for him, and kept waving with a big dumb grin. What a moron."

"At publishing time, Honnold had asked if anyone could please let him in through a window so he could at least take the elevator back down."

Discouraged, Honnold spent some time relaxing and recuperating in peaceful Minnesota.

Visit Minnesota: It's Somalia, But Closer

"Could it be that his parents knew that Pretti had a propensity to do stupid things? Well, probably."

 

AfterMath - Home

Alex Pretti, another Democrat ‘martyr’ with feet of clay - Andrea Widburg

"As with Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, George Floyd, and Renee Good, to name but a few of the left’s honored dead, all is not as it seems."

. . . " And then there’s Alex Pretti. He was, we were told, a nurse, for God’s sake! (Did I mention that before?) He was at this particular ICE protest as a legally armed good Samaritan, trying to save innocent criminals from being rounded up by evil ICE agents. He died only because his childlike goodness led him to aid a woman whom ICE agents were brutally beating. This is the stuff of good martyrdom narratives.

"Except it’s not really true. Instead, he seems to have been a troubled man who became obsessed with opposing ICE. Thus, his father stated, “We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically.”

"Could it be that his parents knew that Pretti had a propensity to do stupid things? Well, probably.

It turns out that a week after that conversation with his dad and a week before his final tangle with ICE, Pretti got physical with ICE agents, resulting in a broken rib:" . . .

. . . Good and Pretti are distinct from other Democrat martyrs in that neither had a history as a gangbanger or a felon. However, they were hardcore activists who embraced confrontation. Like other Democrat martyrs, both were engaged in manifestly criminal activity when they died: Interfering with government law enforcement agents in the performance of their duties, refusing lawful orders, and either attempting to kill or, in the heat of the moment, seemingly attempting to kill those officers.

The only way to elevate them to martyr status, of course, is to continue the leftist pretense that America is a fatally racist, morally corrupt hellhole (to which the whole Third World wishes to immigrate), run by Gestapo-like troops who dare to enforce longstanding federal law.

Editorial Cartoons That Bite

3D scans reveal new details of Titanic’s final moments

"A documentary called “Titanic: The Digital Resurrection” will unveil the most detailed digital reconstruction of the shipwreck ever created. Experts are using the model to study the vessel’s demise."

 3D scans reveal new details of Titanic’s final moments

"A new documentary uses 3D scans to reveal fresh details on the infamous sinking of the Titanic 113 years ago. “Titanic: The Digital Resurrection” tells the story of how the deep-sea mapping company Magellan created a full-scale precise model of the Titanic and reconstructed the ship’s final moments."

See the Titanic in Remarkable Detail With a 3D Scan That Reveals New Secrets of the Doomed Ship's Final Moments  

They also found that one of the boat’s steam valves was left open, which supports eyewitness accounts that the engineers remained in the boiler room for more than two hours after the ship hit the iceberg—nearly until the end. These 35 men kept the electricity running, allowing the ship to send out distress signals, which may have ultimately saved hundreds of lives.

" 'They kept the lights and the power working to the end, to give the crew time to launch the lifeboats safely with some light instead of in absolute darkness,” Parks Stephenson, a Titanic analyst, tells BBC News’ Rebecca Morelle and Alison Francis.

"Additionally, the digital scan has complicated a controversial narrative about a first officer on the Titanic: William Murdoch, who has long been accused of abandoning his post. In James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster, Murdoch’s character shoots at passengers before shooting himself. But according to the new documentary, the high-resolution scans corroborate the account of Titanic survivor Charles Lightoller, who said Murdoch was swept out to sea while preparing to launch a lifeboat.

Titanic hit the ocean floor like a freight train - and left this behind | Watch

Springsteen’s ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ an Ode to Fascists Obstructing the Law

  The American Spectator | USA News and Politics  

"Bruce Springsteen has streets on the brain — and politics. When you mix rock and politics, you get politics. We need less of that right now."

"Do you remember when Bruce Springsteen wrote that rousing anthem to honor Laken Riley?

"Me neither.

"But on Wednesday, he released “Streets of Minneapolis,” an ode to the mob that impedes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from enforcing federal laws passed by our representatives and as ordered to by the duly elected president of the United States. That’s another way of saying that Springsteen wrote a love song to fascists who believe that mob violence should act as a veto on the law. 

“ 'Streets of Minneapolis” offers no colorful descriptions of how this law-breaking mob beat a conservative provocateur bloody, stole a thousand-dollar camera from a journalist, disrupted a church service, or repeatedly attacked ICE agents. That a video showing an armed Alex Pretti, lionized in Springsteen’s song, spitting and hurling abuse at federal agents before he kicked out their taillight, came out the same day as “Streets of Minneapolis” proves inconvenient.

"In Bruce’s sonic telling, federal ICE officers, and not Somali illegal immigrants, are “occupiers,” and federal ICE officers, and not the mob vandalizing their cars and throwing rocks at them, are the “thugs” (if the man in this video was not a thug, then who is?). Springsteen even depicts federal law enforcers as “Trump’s private army.”

"This seems like not just distortion but projection. A “private army” does exist in Minneapolis. Reports trace money from Neville Roy Singham, George Soros, and others, less known, to the groups committed to the organized chaos that helped lead to the deaths of Pretti and Rene Good, who lost her life after she hit an ICE agent with her car while attempting to flee. 

"“Streets of Minneapolis” name-drops Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, and “King Trump.” In characteristic leftist, cops-are-criminals, Shawshank Redemption fashion, it depicts the villains as the heroes and the heroes as the villains. The song omits that part about ICE agents heroically risking life and limb to arrest child-molester illegal aliens or Somali immigrants ripping off billions from the taxpayers. “If your skin is black or brown, my friend,” Springsteen sings. “You can be questioned or deported on sight.”

"Is this true that the federal government just randomly deports people because of their skin color?" . . .   More...

Pretti was a left-wing activist who knew what he was getting himself into, not some Mother Theresa nurse who happened to be just a protester or legal observer. We know he was actually unemployed at the time of his death.

Argus' Rogue Report

  Argus Hamilton "• The Weather Channel reported that the massive Arctic storm that pummeled the United States left huge sections of America frozen in thick snow and ice Monday. The blizzard knocked the nation flat onto its heels. I will say that Greenland deploying their weather on us was an unexpected first strike.

• The Museum of Television in Beverly Hills hosted a special exhibit Monday which saluted the 100th anniversary of the invention of television by engineer John Baird in London on January 26th, 1925. What a monumental day in human cultural development it was. Anyway, I'm off to watch COPS. 

• President Trump ripped the choice of Puerto Rican hip-hop star Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl halftime show. Trump could sue him for trademark infringement. Bad Bunny bills himself as the King of Latin Trap and, in the past year alone, NO king has trapped more Latins than Donald J. Trump. 

• Governor Tim Walz caused a furor Monday comparing the ICE agents in Minneapolis to Nazi troopers who captured Anne Frank. I dreamed that night that Walz played Anne Frank in the play. Walz was so bad in the role that when the Germans arrived, the audience all shouted, She's in the Attic! 

• Minnesota protests boiled over Sunday after an a 2nd protestor in 2 weeks was shot and killed while interfering with an ICE arrest of an illegal alien criminal. The protestors now allege the ICE agents in Minneapolis are inexperienced. I don't know about that, their aim has been pretty Good so far. 

• ICE Director Tom Homan was sent to Minneapolis Monday to try to defuse the media-driven chaos. Former CNN host Don Lemon led an angry protest raid on a church service, but the FBI refuses to file charges against him. Sending this guy into a men's prison would only spice up his love life. 

• Governor Tim Walz faced a widening federal fraud probe in Minnesota Monday amid the anti-ICE protests. IRS agents uncovered 400 fraudulent Somali autism centers in one building. The autism centers distribute Tylenol to Somali welfare recipients in hopes of producing the next Elon Musk. 

• NASA's Artemis 2 spacecraft and its crew will take off next week and fly around the moon for practice. It's ahead of the Artemis 3 moon landing in 2027. It recalls for Baby Boomers the thrilling July 1969 Apollo 11's landing on the moon, where Neil Armstrong was greeted by Mormon missionaries."

What to Know About Bryan Kohberger's Sisters, Mel and Amanda Kohberger

 People  

" 'Bryan, you are running outside and this psycho killer is on the loose,” she remembered telling him, per The New York Times. “Be careful.” He reportedly thanked her for the check-in and promised to stay safe."

The accused, his mother and sister, Amanda

. . . "[Melissa] has worked in mental health counseling  "Mel had pursued a career in mental health counseling and was training for a job as a mental health therapist in New Jersey. But she told The New York Times that after her new employer became overwhelmed with inquiries, she agreed to leave the position before it formally began.

"In addition to losing out on a job, Mel has also had people attempt to make money from the horrific crime off of her name. She cited a book about the case that appeared on Amazon with the author listed as "Melissa J. Kohberger.” 

“It’s confusing,” she said. “It’s painful. It’s like being victimized but not really being a victim.”

Bryan Kohberger Took Plea Deal Days After Learning His Sister Amanda Was on Prosecution Witness List

Bryan Kohberger's sister [Amanda] was potential prosecution witness in Idaho case   "Newly unsealed court documents show that Amanda Kohberger appeared on the state’s amended witness list and was also named on the defense’s mitigation witness list by lead attorney Anne Taylor.

"The overlapping filings show that Amanda was positioned as a potential witness for both sides in the weeks before Kohberger’s plea. Within days of the June 25 filing that listed his sister as a prosecution witness, he accepted a plea deal that spared the case from going to trial." . . .

Bryan Kohberger's high school friends say the accused killer was overweight and bullied - CBS News 

Bryan Kohberger's sisters Melissa & Amanda lose their jobs: Should they start lawsuits or YouTube?  Mostly a sales pitch.

Bryan Kohberger's sister starred in horror film  

"Could life be imitating art?

The sister of accused Idaho college killer Bryan Kohberger starred in a gory low-budget slasher movie where characters are brutally stabbed, slashed and hacked to death with knives and hatchets."

"Amanda Kohberger appeared as “Lori” in the 2011 flick “Two Days Back” about a group of young students who go hiking in the remote woods and meet their grisly end at the hands of a maniacal killer who has won their trust.

"It bears eerie similarities to the knife attacks in remote Moscow, Idaho, that left four young college friends stabbed to death in their beds, crimes of which Bryan now stands accused.".. 

Who are [Bryan Kohberger's sisters, and what do they do] for a living?   "Amanda lost her job at Pleasant Valley School District due to public and media pressure, not misconduct. On the other hand, Bryan Kohberger's sister, Melissa, also lost her mental health therapist position shortly after, though details about her employer were not made public. A source revealed: I’m told the family is in very, very bad shape financially right now, especially because the sisters are now unemployed." . . . Read more...

‘Al Gore is reduced to heckling speakers at a WEF meeting!’

 

Too much of this so "they" modified it to "climate change"

Climate Depot   . . . "Morano: “This is a bad look for the climate movement. We have never seen this in the past 20-plus years — a lower point of the climate movement than it is currently.  The entire climate agenda, within one year of Donald Trump getting to work,  has now seen 250 actions against it. Both us and globally. The climate change campaign has just been decimated. 

And I think Al Gore is the best metaphor for this. Gore, at the World Economic Forum, was reduced to heckling speakers. That’s about the simplest way of putting it.

And by the way, Al Gore went to COP 30 in Brazil. I was at that as well. He ended up spending his time attacking Bill Gates because Gates is now saying climate isn’t a catastrophe. Gore said Bill Gates was acting ‘silly.’ So you got Al Gore, attacking Bill Gates, and Al Gore now heckling the World Economic Forum. This is a bad look for the climate movement.” . . .

Notice Anything Missing From Those Winter Storm Stories? – Issues & Insights  

As always, it’s both. Depending on whatever bad weather is happening at the moment. If it’s unusually cold, it’s because of climate change. Unusually sunny or cloudy? Climate change. Every big hurricane is now blamed on climate change, but so are mild hurricane seasons. Wildfires? Climate change. Mudslides? Climate change. High humidity? Climate change. Dry air? You got it."

 . . . "In this space a few years ago, we noted that climate “experts” were blaming the rise of water levels in the Great Lakes on climate change, even though in previous years they were predicting that global warming would most definitely cause lake levels to recede.

"What changed? Nothing, other than the water levels of the Great Lakes at the time these “experts” were making their claims. (See: “Great Lakes Reveal a Fatal Flaw in Climate Change ‘Science’.”)

"Whatever this is, it ain’t science. It’s more like a pagan religion, where everything bad that happens is because we’ve upset the climate gods. And if you don’t agree, you’re a heretic."

 

Venezuelans Celebrate The Demise Of Collectivism While New Yorkers Embrace Its ‘Warmth’

  Issues & Insights   

"But in this case, the catastrophic suffering is being almost completely ignored. Why? Because it’s happening in Venezuela — a socialist state that the left has for years championed and now refuses to admit has been a monumental failure."

"You have to marvel at the sequence of events we just experienced. On Jan. 1, a socialist was sworn in as mayor of New York, promising the “warmth of collectivism.” On Jan. 3, President Donald Trump announced that he’d forcibly removed Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, ending the country’s 23-year embrace of socialism.

"We will leave it to the pundits, the lawyers, politicians, and various other “experts” to debate the merits of Trump’s action.

"But what we can’t let happen is for the left and the mainstream media to ignore or downplay just how tragic Venezuela’s embrace of collectivism has been.

"So, we thought we’d do our readers a service and republish an editorial we wrote more than six years ago, in which we detailed the cold, hard truths about socialism. The situation in Venezuela had only deteriorated further in the years after this editorial ran."

2019: Venezuela: A Humanitarian Crisis The Left Couldn’t Care Less About   

 "Try to imagine this scenario. A once-wealthy country spirals downward over the course of several years into a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Starvation and violence are rampant. The economy has collapsed. Millions have already fled. And all the while, an autocratic ruler acts with complete indifference, when he’s not trying to crush dissent and blame other countries for the misery he’s inflicting on his own. 

"Under normal circumstances, there would be regular protests in Washington. Hollywood actors would be busy creating tear-jerker videos and making emotional award ceremony speeches. Musicians would be putting on global benefit concerts. The corruption, desperation and daily human misery would be above the fold in newspapers and leading the nightly news. It would be on everyone’s mind. 

?But in this case, the catastrophic suffering is being almost completely ignored. Why? Because it’s happening in Venezuela  [not California?]— a socialist state that the left has for years championed and now refuses to admit has been a monumental failure." . . .

Autopsy reports reveal horrific new details about University of Idaho victims' stabbing injuries, final movements

 NY Post   

"The controversial deal he struck with prosecutors allowed him to avoid the death penalty and dodge a trial where victims’ loved ones might have gotten a look into the motivation for the heinous stabbings — the lack of which drew ire from some victims’ families."

The Eyes of a Killer

"Newly released court filings detailed the horrific stabbing injuries and final movements of the four University of Idaho students moments before they were murdered by Bryan Kohberger, according to a report.

"Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were stabbed by Kohberger a combined total of 150 times, according to an unsealed key autopsy findings obtained by People.

"The sick killer stabbed Goncalves roughly 38 times, Mogen 28 times, Chapin 17 times, and Kernodle 67 times, at their off-campus home in Moscow, the report, which did not show the full autopsy results, revealed.

"Evidence also showed that Kernodle moved around her bedroom during a struggle with the knife-wielding Kohberger in the November 2022 attack.

Kohberger's sister enters

"Goncalves and Mogen were both found together in Mogen’s bedroom. The two close friends died from multiple sharp force injuries, the outlet said.

"Goncalves had 24 stab and incised wounds on her scalp, face, and neck, 11 stab and incised wounds of the chest, and three stab and incised wounds of the upper extremities, according to the report.

"Additional factors, such as blunt force injuries of the head and asphyxial injuries, contributed to her death. The autopsy report revealed she also had punctures on the outer table of the skull, injuries to the teeth and tongue, and a hemorrhage into the chest cavities.

"Mogen was stabbed 13 times on her scalp, face, and neck, five times to her chest, and had 10 incised wounds of the upper extremities, the filing added." . . . More...

Bryan Kohberger took Idaho murders plea deal days after lookalike sister was listed as prosecution witness

Comment on his sister's looks   "So this guy looks like my brothers ex. And now so does she. It’s beyond anything she’s done wrong. She’s related to a monster. Not her fault. My ex BFFs brother murdered my cousin. I certainly don’t blame her for any of it."

"One would think Governor Walz would have the basic common sense not to inflame the crowds."

Governor Walz: Getting Minnesotans Killed  . . . "The situation is ongoing. A phone call between President Trump and the governor apparently went well, per the president. Positive news for sure. 

"But suffice to say, the two deaths in this situation should have never occurred. That they did will be a permanent stain on Walz’s record.

"And a reminder that he should never hold public office again."  More...

Trump Meets With Kristi Noem in Oval Office for Hours — Drops Hint About Her Future – RedState   . . . "The ongoing saga has caused Donald Trump to make some moves in his administration, and on Monday, he announced that Border Czar Tom Homan would be supervising the Twin Cities’ situation while Border Patrol Commander‑at‑Large Greg Bovino would be leaving town. While many are contending that Bovino was fired, the administration said he’s still “a key part of the team.”

"But leftists, never ones to let a good crisis go to waste, want heads to roll, and they are thirsty for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to get fired. For now, at least, they’re going to be left sad because the president met with Noem for two hours on Monday night and did not give her the axe.

"In fact, he flat-out told reporters Tuesday that she isn't going anywhere: . . ." 

“She's tough on immigration, built parts of the wall, and she's getting results. Why would I be unhappy? She's a STAR, and I'm very happy with her performance. We've had some very sad situations in Minnesota, but she's handling it well.” . . .

Kristi Noem, Growing Liability for the Trump Administration | National Review Coming soon: Whoopi Goldberg will claim Trump only hired Noem because "she's a ten"

Tim Walz-Led State Patrol Unleashed on Rioters, As Trump Shift Already Appears to Pay Dividends

  . . ."Some on the right took that as a sign of "surrender," but Homan is not known for his lax enforcement of immigration law, though he is known for putting tactical effectiveness over online shouting matches. Sure enough, Trump's changes appear to be already paying dividends. That includes the Walz-controlled Minnesota State Patrol finally being unleashed on left-wing rioters."   

Minnesota State Patrol has now been activated. They could have done this the whole time, but it wasn’t until after the call between Walz and Trump, and the discovery of the Signal groups involving Minnesota government officials, that this happened.pic.twitter.com/nTTAtRgZ3r

— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) January 27, 2026

 Trump in Talks With Walz and Frey to Make Minnesota Safe Again › American Greatness  . . . " President Trump on Sunday outlined a four-point plan calling on Minnesota’s Democrat leaders “and EVERY Democrat Governor and Mayor in the United States of America to formally cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation’s Laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence.”

1. Governor Walz and Mayor Frey should turn over all Criminal Illegal Aliens that are currently incarcerated in their State Prisons and Jails to Federal Authorities, along with all Illegal Criminals with an active warrant or known Criminal History, for Immediate Deportation.

2. State and Local Law Enforcement must agree to turn over all Illegal Aliens arrested by Local Police.

3. Local Police must assist Federal Law Enforcement in apprehending and detaining Illegal Aliens who are wanted for Crimes.

4. Democrat Politicians must partner with the Federal Government to protect American Citizens in the rapid removal of all Criminal Illegal Aliens in our Country. Some Democrats, in places like Memphis, Tennessee, or Washington, D.C., have done so, resulting in safer streets for ALL.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has reportedly approved a CBP request to use Fort Snelling, a military base near the Minneapolis airport, as a staging area for immigration enforcement operations.  . . . "This move is framed as a strong signal from the Trump administration that it will not back down on immigration enforcement, with the message being “We are not going away.” . . . 

 

The Walz is caving in to Trump

 Don Surber

Trump tweeted on Truth Social: . . . "We have had such tremendous SUCCESS in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually every other place that we have “touched” and, even in Minnesota, Crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better!" . . .

Our favorite expectant mom, Karoline Leavitt, outlined President Trump’s terms of surrender for Tim Walz and Mayor Frey:

1. Walz and Frey must turn over all criminal illegals currently in their custody, along with any illegals with active warrants or known criminal histories for immediate deportation

2. State and local police must agree to turn over all illegals arrested by police to the federal government.

3. Local police must assist in apprehending illegals wanted for crimes—especially violent ones

."That’s talking softly. He’s really good at it. He’s a charmer. That makes him a good salesman." . . .

. . . "This time, the presidential stick is the Insurrection Act of 1807, signed into law by Thomas Jefferson, the guy who wrote the Declaration of Independence. The law gives a president broad authority to deploy active-duty U.S. military forces or federalize National Guard units for domestic operations inside the United States. It can be triggered by one of three things.

1. At the request of a state’s legislature or governor (or both) to suppress an insurrection against the state government.
2. When unlawful obstructions make it “impracticable” to enforce federal laws via ordinary means.
3. When domestic violence or conspiracies hinder law enforcement to the point that people are deprived of constitutional rights, and state authorities cannot or will not protect them.

"Presidents have used this power 30 times. According to Grok, no court has ever successfully blocked or enjoined a president’s invocation of the Insurrection Act before or during its use.

"Grok hasn’t Judge Bananas Boasberg, has he?

"But Grok said that in 1827 “the Supreme Court ruled that the president’s decision on whether an exigency exists ‘belongs exclusively to the president’ and is ‘conclusive upon all other persons.’”

"The president in question was James Madison, the guy who wrote the Constitution. The case was from the War of 1812.

"With the endorsement of Jefferson and Dolley Madison’s husband, I believe President Trump is on ground so solid that it could be made of cast iron.

"Walz knows that." . . . Full article.