Updated: Former FBI Leader Raises Doubts About Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Claims

UPDATE: Nancy Guthrie was a victim of 'targeted personal grievance' as political views uncovered

   "Pettler shared that she and her team had "concerns about what she was posting," with Nancy's social media being full of political messages and anti-Trump rhetoric.

"The 84-year-old often reshared reels that condemned Donald Trump, ICE, and Vladimir Putin, cementing her stance as a hardcore MAGA critic." . . .

Democrats will love beating this subject to a pulp, but so far I recall only they desire the death of Donald Trump.

Disturbing item found near Nancy Guthrie's home on day 45 of disappearance

"Upon finding the discarded garments, Jim remarked, "[I don't want to touch it anymore]," while he poked at it with a stick, identifying it as a "button-down shirt." The object, once possibly pink or white with a small red floral pattern, was now dirt-covered and entangled in debris after being exposed to the harsh desert elements."

Mirror

 

READ MORE: Chilling Nancy Guthrie twist after 911 call about 'woman hanging out of car screaming'

TipHero  "A former top FBI official is questioning whether Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother, Nancy, is actually alive or being held by kidnappers, as new ransom claims continue to surface.

"Chris Swecker, a former FBI assistant director, said he remains doubtful about the alleged abduction during an appearance on Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show on Sunday. He pointed to the lack of verified proof that the 84-year-old is alive, saying that in a legitimate kidnapping, providing “proof of life” would usually be straightforward.

“ 'You have to allow for the possibility that this was something more or something other than a kidnapping,” Swecker said, adding that no evidence has been “credibly authenticated at this point.”

"His comments come after Guthrie and her two siblings posted emotional pleas on social media, asking whoever has their mother to bring her home safely. The family has reportedly agreed to meet ransom demands that climbed from $1 million to as much as $6 million — a sharp increase that Swecker described as suspicious." . . .

Nancy Guthrie's kidnapper 'wanted her family's money' - but got more than expected

"With the onset of this visibility, the psychology of a crime of this nature can be altered. Chip further shared that now that the suspect's face has been publicized, it most likely makes it more difficult for that person to remain in control and move easily without fear of being discovered.

"Time is of the essence in abduction cases, especially in Nancy's case, as she's reported to be "medically fragile," and in need of daily medication, meaning that authorities are racing against the clock, and also her abductor has less room for error." . . .

Horrific gang-rape and torture ordeal of Iranian nurses: Medics 'subjected to brutal sex attacks out of revenge for treating wounded rioters with one victim begging surgeons to let her die'

Israeli women on Oct 10th know well what can happen to a woman who fails to conform to such men. They will get no comfort from the keffiyeh-clad women on American streets. TD

UK Daily Mail   

 Horrific gang-rape and torture ordeal of Iranian nurses: Medics 'subjected to brutal sex attacks out of revenge for treating wounded rioters with one victim begging surgeons to let her die' 

"Two Iranian nurses were gang-raped and brutally tortured by regime security agents because they treated wounded protesters during anti-government demonstrations in January, a report has claimed.

"Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), who have close ties to the country's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, slaughtered thousands of protesters before killing and sexually abusing medics who helped the injured at Tehran’s Rajaei Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center, it is reported.

"One nurse, 33, was held in detention and said she had been repeatedly gang-raped by three IRGC agents at a time for three days, according to Iran International.

"The sexual assaults were so severe doctors had to remove part of her intestine and her uterus may have to be taken out. She also has to live with a colostomy bag. 

The woman is so traumatised she begged surgeons to let her die and she is currently tied to the hospital bed to stop her from harming herself as she remains under the supervision of IRGC security forces. 

"Another nurse who was arrested and gang-raped in custody has been fitted with a colostomy bag and doctors removed her uterus due to extreme bleeding.   

"The opposition outlet also reported the nurse was forced to sign a document saying she married one of the IRGC agents and her family had to pay him a large fee to secure her release.

"She also had to sign a statement which blamed her rape and abuse on 'rioters', sources said." . .. 

. . . "Sexual violence has also been documented as a method of abuse. A Kurdish woman told Human Rights Watch that in November 2022 two men from the security forces raped her while a female agent held her down and facilitated the assault.

"A 24-year-old Kurdish man from West Azerbaijan province said he was tortured and raped with a baton by intelligence forces in a secret detention centre.

"And a 30-year-old man from East Azerbaijan province said he was blindfolded, beaten and gang raped by security officers inside a van.

"Another detainee said that when he told interrogators he was not affiliated with any political party and would no longer protest, officers tore his clothes apart and raped him until he lost consciousness." . . .    More...

Iranian security agents allegedly raped, tortured nurses detained for treating protesters

Israel and US Systematically Hunting Basij Militia, Which Holds the Keys to the Regime's Survival

Hot Air

"Almost every journalist covering Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion manages to combine near-total ignorance and a growing hostility to the United States to create a toxic binary gaseous emission of stupidity. 

"It's been only a bit more than two weeks since the operations began, and Iran's military infrastructure is in ruins, its leadership decapitated, its secondary and tertiary leaders are dropping like flies, its internal security forces are at each other's throats, its neighbors have turned against it in fury, and it has only managed minor damage to the US or Israel. 

"The regime is playing its last cards, sporadically lobbing its last missiles and drones, flailing. Even its most potent weapon—control over the Strait of Hormuz—is a wasting asset, because the most concentrated pain it inflicts is upon itself, because the United States has now defanged Kharg Island, out of which 90% of Iran's oil is delivered. The US can occupy the island any time it wants, cutting off more than half of Iran's income. 

"Yet to read Pravda and to listen to the Democrats, [And Baghdad Jen] the United States and Israel have no plan and are losing the war badly. "

"This assessment is based mostly on hostility to Israel and Donald Trump, and hardly at all on the facts on the ground. . . .

Horrific gang-rape and torture ordeal of Iranian nurses: Medics 'subjected to brutal sex attacks in revenge for caring for wounded rioters with one victim begging surgeons to let her die' https://t.co/IsTL7F5Yzs

— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) March 16, 2026

The Middle Class Will Pay For Washington’s ‘Millionaire Tax’

 Issues & Insights   

"And each time the top rate was hiked to “soak the rich,” it was used as cover to raise taxes on the middle class. When George H.W. Bush raised the top rate in 1990, he also raised taxes on things like beer, cigarettes, and gasoline."

"When Washington lawmakers were debating the state’s first-ever income tax, Gov. Bob Ferguson said the 9.9% rate on incomes above $1 million “represents historic progress in rebalancing our unfair system.”

And at first blush, you can see why Washingtonians might agree with him. The new tax promises, after all, to raise $3.7 billion from fewer than 0.5% percent of the state’s taxpayers, with the money going toward such wonderfulness as education, child care, and expanded low-income tax credits. 

The middle-class families in that state are in for a rude awakening.

First, the tax isn’t likely to collect anywhere near $3.7 billion, as the wealthy figure out ways to hide their income or just pack up and leave for places that don’t treat them like slot machines. 

That’s been the case with other “tax the rich” schemes. A paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the revenues from California’s 2012 tax-the-rich scheme generated about half as much new revenue as expected. 

Already, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz announced plans to relocate from Washington to Florida (which has no income tax). 

As Nathan Goldman put it in Forbes, “The question now arises of whether more will follow and if Washington is equipped to financially handle a mass exodus of high earners out of its state.”

Where is the state going to go to make up the shortfall? History has the answer.

When the federal government first imposed an income tax in 1913, it was very much like a millionaire’s tax.

The law included a $3,000 personal exemption, which is equal to roughly $100,000 today. And even then, the rate was a mere 1% up to $20,000 (or $670,000 in today’s money). And the seven tax brackets topped out at 7% on incomes that in today’s dollars would exceed $17 million.

Just five years later, the personal exemption had been cut down to $1,000, the lowest bracket had been hiked to 6%, and there were 49 more tax brackets, with the top one set at 77% " . . .  More...

The Jihad-Adjacent Journalists: UPDATEDT Tue, Mar. 17

Iranian mullah resistance is deteriorating down to the murderous religious fanatics, CNN, MSNOW, Democrats, and the shrews on "The View".

Clarice Feldman  

"These DoW expenditures were normal and not extravagant, as anyone who was pushing the anti-Hegseth story could have determined with a simple check: Don Surber took time to check:" . . . 

"The surf-and-turf nonsense was just the starting shot and continued all week. Professor William Jacobson nails it:” We are watching an info op in real time from the mainstream media, not just influencers. A complete demoralization campaign fighting strawman arguments based on anonymous sources. CNN, the Guardian, and the New York Times, they are all singing one tune. It’s the Russia collusion hoax all over again.” 

"The most extreme example was the media treatment of what the Iranian regime claims was an attack on a girls’ school in Minab. The regime has made it difficult for Iranians to transmit information outside by threats, jamming, and harsh censorship. (With difficulty and delays, using roundabouts and skylink terminals, for example, they get through the barriers to post real-time information and videos on X, but the regime still has an advantage of easier access to U.S. media and is using it.)

"From a video of the strike, it appears that the school was struck by an Iranian misfire. The DoW is investigating the matter, but much of the press has precipitously blamed the U.S. for it, relying on regime accounts and ignoring salient facts. Jeff Childers once again does an outstanding job this week, analyzing in depth the New York Times coverage of the incident, an account I can only briefly summarize and hope you will be tempted to read it all." . . .

"While the press lies and manipulates and congressional Democrats play unconscionable political games with our security, more serious people in the administration just brought Cuba’s communists to cry uncle, or more accurately, “Tio.” Cuban dictator Miguel Diaz-Canel announced that they are officially in negotiations with the administration. They’ve begun releasing political prisoners. Within days, Cubans should be free after decades of tyranny and economic disaster."

 At first glance, it’s just one more ­Iranian who has lost their life amid the state’s promiscuous violence. A tragedy – as death always is – but in the Islamic Republic, sadly a part of daily life.   . . . "At the same time, bodies of regime officials showing signs of torture have been turning up dumped in streets and other public places. The victims come from across Iran’s security apparatus – including intelligence officers, naval personnel and members of the regular army. Opposition groups are believed to be responsible for some of the killings.

"The message is clear: the regime is under attack from all sides." . . .

"At the same time, bodies of regime officials showing signs of torture have been turning up dumped in streets and other public places. The victims come from across Iran’s security apparatus – including intelligence officers, naval personnel and members of the regular army. Opposition groups are believed to be responsible for some of the killings.  The message is clear: the regime is under attack from all sides."

UPDATE, TUE, March 17th:  Al Jazeera Is Now More Positive on US-Israeli Strategy Than US Media  

. . . "Again, the fact that we are winning the war tactically and that our strategy is proceeding as planned hardly guarantees success. But assertions that this is a fiasco are absurd. 

It tells you something that Al Jazeera, a news outlet famously hostile to the United States, is publishing articles that are more favorable to the US and Israel than the American media.

And that something is simple: the US media is, indeed, the enemy of the people. 

Broc Smith

If you blame Israel for the Oct 10th Hamas massacre of Jewish families, you will have no clue what this cartoon is about

 World War II: Vichy France (1940-44) Known to TD as Antifa and pro-Palestine

Rich Terrell

World War II France Vichy   . . . "The critical error of Vichy was that Pétain and his colleagues did not appreciate the full depravity of Hitler and the NAZIs. Pétain thought he could carve out a role for France in a NAZI-dominated Europe. It does not seem to have occurred to them that a regime capable of killing Jews could just as easily kill French Christians. One can ask what the options were. One option of course was collaboration which is what Vichy did. They even cooperate in the Holocaust. And Vichy did this. Vichy not only did not object to the rounding up of Jews, but passed anti-Sematic laws modeled on the NAZI Nuremberg laws and put the French police at the disposal of the German authorities to track down and deport Jews. The other option was to form a government-in exile. The French fleet would have been a major aid to the Royal Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic. France coukld have resisted from its colonies. Vichy chose not to do so and essentially left France at the mercy of the NAZIs. And we know that mercy was not a strong point of the NAZIs. The demand for French workers showed that Vichy could not really protect the French people. The NAZIs looted and exploited France during the occupation. Again Vichy was powerless to prevent this, but it did not have to cooperate in the process. What would have happened to France had the NAZIs won the War we can not know for sure. Continued and perhaps expanded economic exploitation as as a colony is France's likely fate. It is also likely that France would have been broken up into several smaller states on as regional basies such as Britainy and other regions. The NAZIs early on seized Alsaise-Loraine and reincorporated it into the Reich. What the NAZIs had in mind for France began in Belgium abd northern France: Reichsgau Flandern, Reichsgau Wallonien, District of Brusselsm and the (Reichskommissariat Belgien und Nordfrankreich. The French département of Moselle, renamed 'CdZ-Gebiet Lothringen', was added to the Gau Saarpfalz (November 30, 1940) and was renamed Gau Westmark (December 7, 1940). We do know that the NAZIs viewed France differently than the British and Scandinavians. The Jews were the obvious targets during the occupation. There most probably would have been further racial actions in a NAZI controlled Europe. We know what the NAZIs had in mind for Eastern Europe--Generalplan Ost. Precisely what they would have done in Western Europe is less clear. It probably would not have been as draconian as the fate planned for the Slavs and Balts, but there is little doubt that it would have been dreadful. Vichy may have provided some relief from NAZI oppression, but the cost for the French had the NAZIs won the war would have been very high indeed. Hitler would have dictated France's future. It would be up to Britain and America to save France while the French themselves collaborated with the NAZI." . . . Full Article here

Leftist logic is corruption of ethics

Liberals Backwards Think

"Instead of announcing they are reducing their increase in spending from 5% to 4%, they say they are reducing spending by 20%.  This fatally flawed system of reporting to the public is why the nation’s debt is always rising and part of the reason why deficit spending has become astronomical."

. . . "They say they believe taking life is wrong and defend the lives of convicted murderers, yet advocate for taking the lives of babies in the womb.  They defend the rights of criminals and demand the rights of citizens to bear arms be denied because they say guns, not the criminals, are what are dangerous.  They say they are for free speech, unless they disagree with what is said and then want the speech silenced.

" Leftist logic is corruption of ethics

The Left will subvert everything righteous in order to justify their beliefs.  They will rewrite history to make villains the heroes and heroes the villains.  Examples are remaking “Sleeping Beauty” as “Maleficent” to reinvent the Evil Queen as the wronged, misguided hero who repents, and deconstructing Jesus the Christ from Savior to recreating Satan as Liberator.

In essence, liberal thinking is immature thinking believing that what sounds good is good regardless of results.  This is what becomes their “Law of Unexpected Consequences,” which is only unexpected to them and not to those who think things through.  It is the foundation of their argument that the results of their policies are not what is to be judged, but only their good intentions.  Unfortunately, the Road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions.

How Bad Are EV Sales? The Truth Behind the Slowdown

 

How Bad Are EV Sales? The Truth Behind the Slowdown - Autoblog  "EV sales aren’t collapsing, but growth is cooling. Find out what’s really behind the slowdown and how automakers are adjusting."   

The F-150 Lightning was supposed to be the crown jewel of Ford’s electric push, a rugged, best-selling pickup reimagined for a battery-powered future. Instead, it’s become a symbol of the harsh reality facing America’s EV ambitions. Sales have stalled, losses are mounting, and insiders say executives are seriously considering pulling the plug, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Ford has poured billions into electrification since 2023, but an estimated $13 billion in losses, fading federal incentives, and cooler-than-expected consumer demand have made the road ahead uncertain.  More...

EV Support In America Is Falling Faster Than Anyone Predicted | Carscoops

"When asked which is the main reason behind their decision not to go electric, 62% of the respondents mentioned high battery repair costs, while 59% cited the overall purchase price. Long-distance practicality was another key issue, with 57% saying EVs don’t suit extended travel, and 56% pointing to the lack of a convenient public charging network. Another 55% simply worry about running out of charge while on the road."  More...

 MBH Global's Sustainable Shift: Directors Embrace Electric Vehicles | MBH Global   (2024)

Electric cars pros and cons - Search

Recovering the Lost Art of Diplomacy

The following is adapted from a speech delivered at Hillsdale College on October 21, 2025, sponsored by Hillsdale’s Center for Military History and Strategy.

Imprimis 

 "The Trump administration has also had success resolving a number of seemingly intractable regional conflicts, including Azerbaijan–Armenia, India–Pakistan, Egypt–Ethiopia, Thailand–Cambodia, and Rwanda–DRC. And Secretary of State Rubio’s reforms are refocusing the State Department on its core mission. We are on the right track, and it is important that we stay on it." 

"Diplomacy is an instrument of strategy that great powers use to survive and gain an advantage in competition with other powerful states. Excellence in diplomacy is a vital prerequisite to the success and endurance of great powers. Diplomatic skills atrophied in the United States after the end of the Cold War, as we came to rely on military technology and economic sanctions as the main tools of our foreign policy. But now we are entering a dangerous age in which great powers are competing for the things they have competed over from the beginning of time: territory, resources, influence, and prestige. In this setting, the United States will need to recover the lost art of diplomacy.

"First, let me clarify that by diplomacy, I don’t mean John Kerry landing in Davos, Switzerland to give a lecture to the world’s political and business leaders about climate change. I mean the use of negotiations to reconcile conflicting interests on matters of war and peace. Diplomacy is an art and is best defined by its outcomes rather than by its processes. The most consequential outcome by far is the constraint of the power of one’s adversaries—in other words, setting limits to the hostile accumulation of power. Powerful states are naturally constrained by all kinds of things, such as geography, fearful neighbors, and limitations of military technology. Diplomacy works to maximize these constraints in order to restrict an aggressive opponent’s options for conquest. Of all forms of diplomacy between great powers, the most important concerns itself with limiting, avoiding, or preparing for war.

"I should also define what I mean by strategy: it is the matching of national means, in the form of military and economic resources, to national ends, in the form of foreign threats and opportunities. Danger arises when gaps emerge between the means at a nation’s disposal and the ends to which those means must be applied. Diplomacy is critical when a state faces enemies too numerous or powerful to be deterred or defeated by military means alone. Diplomacy’s role in strategy is to increase the external means at the nation’s disposal by building coalitions and to reduce the threats arrayed against it through détente. Effective diplomacy permits states to avoid tests of strength that are beyond their ability to bear.

"There are two erroneous conceptions of diplomacy that have become entrenched in the modern mind, one mostly on the left and the other mostly on the right. The main error on the left is thinking that diplomacy’s purpose is to build rule-making institutions that transcend nation-states and that will eventually expunge war from the human experience. A historical example of this is seen in the policies of President Woodrow Wilson after the First World War, as in his promotion of a League of Nations. This way of thinking persists today in the liberal institutionalism of those who advocate for a rules-based international order." . . .

Trump and Iran both reject international efforts to launch ceasefire talks |

 The Times of Israel

Broc Smith

One day ago: . . . "The lack of interest from Washington and Tehran suggests both sides are digging in for an extended conflict, even as the widening war inflicts civilian casualties and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz sends oil prices soaring.

"US strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub, on Friday night underscored Trump’s determination to press ahead with his military assault. Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut and threatened to step up attacks on neighboring countries.

"The Israel Defense Forces has assessed that between 4,000 and 5,000 Iranian soldiers and commanders have been killed since the start of the war."

Iran War: Latest Breaking News, Updates & Analysis | Reuters

Ahhh, the curious silence. Democrats Silent on Party Paying Reparations for Slavery

The Party of Race

. . . "Reparations for slavery are in the news, and yet again, there is a curious and very selective silence from those reparations supporters.

The news this week brings to light the views on race-based reparations that are being advocated by one Frederick Haynes III, the pastor of the much-hailed-by-leftists Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Haynes is now running to succeed Crockett in her Texas seat. 

"As headlined in this Fox News story: “Crockett’s potential successor has repeatedly railed against US in reparations push: ‘It’s been evil,’” with the subtitle, “Frederick Haynes III, previously praised notorious antisemite Louis Farrakhan as a ‘wonderful and great man.’”

"The story reports:

In 2022, speaking at a “Solidarity for Reparations” event at a San Francisco church, Haynes advocated for reparations on the grounds that America owes it to the African American community ….. “America, you owe us. What you done to us has been immoral. It’s been evil. It’s been unjust. It’s been downright wrong and the only way to bring salvation to America — you gotta pay us what you owe us,” Haynes said. “I’ve come by to say San Francisco, California, Texas, United States of America, if you want salvation to come to this house, you’ve got to engage in reparations.”

"Notice anything? Haynes mentions those he says owe reparations. What does he not mention? That would be the political party he depends on for its political support.".  . More...

Democrats were just an obstacle for these warriors

IDF: Michigan Synagogue Jihadi’s Brother Was Hezbollah Commander

PJ Media  

"But like so many other Muslims around the world, including his brother the Hezbollah commander, Ghazali decided to turn Ramadan into the “month of Jihad.'”

"Multiple people and outlets have cited the fact that several of Ayman Ghazali’s family members died in an Israeli counterstrike recently as some sort of excuse for why he tried to blow up a Jewish school and synagogue in West Bloomfield. Even the initial reports indicated that Ghazali’s family had terrorist ties, but the IDF has now defined the position of at least one of Ghazali’s brothers, making it obvious why he was the target for an Israeli military strike — and where Ayman’s views came from.

“INTELLIGENCE REVEALS: BROTHER OF TERRORIST BEHIND U.S. SYNAGOGUE ATTACK WAS A HEZBOLLAH TERRORIST” shouted the IDF X post headline on Sunday, March 15.

"The IDF explained, “Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali was responsible for managing weapons operations within a specialized branch of the Badr Unit. The unit is responsible for launching hundreds of rockets toward Israeli civilians throughout the war.” Some Israeli towns had the majority of their buildings damaged or destroyed." . . .More

The Michigan shooter who attempted to murder toddlers at a Jewish preschool claimed he had lost “family members” in an Israeli strike in Lebanon.
Those “family members” were his brothers, who were members of Hezbollah, a U.S. Designated Terror Group. pic.twitter.com/ayOILKFWYU

— The Persian Jewess (@persianjewess) March 13, 2026