Thursday thrills
Thrills, meaning some little bits and updates.
Looks like the investigation into the Alex Pretti shooting is starting.
Two Border Patrol agents who opened fire following the altercation with Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave, according to reports.
Placing the agents on leave is part of standard procedure as investigations into the 37-year-old’s death continue, the Department of Homeland Security told The Independent.
The White House has also removed Border Patrol “commander at large” Gregory Bovino from the city and sent border czar Tom Homan to take over. The Independent
Still seems to be an incendiary situation there. I am sure there will be those who see these steps as admissions of guilt, but to me the process looks like it is doing what it is supposed to.
Further left west, Eric Swallowswell Swalwell is threatening dire retribution against anyone associated with ICE.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., appeared to say on Tuesday that if he is elected governor, former ICE agents would be forbidden any future employment or even driver’s licenses in California.
“And I have said that when I‘m governor of California, if you wear a mask in California, you‘re losing your driver’s license. If you have worked for ICE in the past, you are unhirable in our state. That law enforcement will prosecute you for kidnapping, battery, assault, murder on the people in our communities. Fox News
So the masked little old ladies who are still scared of Covid will no longer drive? He’s going to try and prosecute someone who may never have been in California for offenses against Californians he never committed? Eric, Eric… someone should have told you “it is better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you a fool that to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
Speaking of that, one of Trump’s first reactions to the Pretti shooting was interesting:
Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Trump said he disagreed with White House adviser Stephen Miller’s baseless claim labeling Pretti a “would-be assassin.” But then he went on.
A reporter asked Trump how that squared with the Second Amendment. But Trump didn’t back down.
“You can’t walk in with guns, you can’t do that,” he said. “But it’s a very unfortunate incident.”
Trump then echoed the comments later that afternoon in Iowa.
“Certainly, he shouldn’t have been carrying a gun,” Trump said.
Trump added: “I don’t like that he had a gun. I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines. That’s a lot of bad stuff.” CNN
He may be preferable to Biden but he will sell out the 2nd Amendment crowd in a heartbeat.
Indicators are that Trump aide Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller may wind up the sacrificial offering in all this. Just in the last couple of days:
Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia (R), co-founder of Latinas for Trump, blasted President Trump’s immigration crackdown, warning he “will lose the midterms” because of White House adviser Stephen Miller.
Though Garcia was openly supportive of Trump’s plans to close the border, she placed blame on Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, for the aggressive tactics used during the current crackdown. The Hill
Miller, known widely for being opinionated and extremely abrasive (neither of which are unforgivable if you toe the party line) may have done the unthinkable. Contradicting Trump:
Top White House aide Stephen Miller said on Tuesday that agents in Minneapolis “may not have been following” proper protocol when they shot Alex Pretti, marking a stunning shift away from administration officials’ previous statements on the shooting.
“The White House provided clear guidance to DHS that the extra personnel that had been sent to Minnesota for force protection should be used for conducting fugitive operations to create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors,” said Miller in a statement to CNN. “We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol.” Mediaite
If nothing else, that will provide fodder for folks to scream how evil ICE, CBP, etc. broke procedures and protocols. Ain’t that a face made to slap?
And just to end on an upbeat: purportedly before the Snowmageddon storm some of us are still subject to:
On Thursday, Homeland Security officials instructed disaster response staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency to avoid using the word “ice” in public messaging about the impending storm for an incredible reason, CNN reports: because of all the outrage surrounding the other ICE, the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
According to the latest reporting, the sources claim the officials said to avoid phrasing like “watch out for ice,” arguing that the memes those could spawn would take away from the serious nature of the warnings.Futurism
“Freezing rain” was suggested as an alternative. Me, I always thought that was called “sleet.” Guess it’s time for some bourbon on freezing rain, huh…
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Crime, Donald Trump, ICE
Note: Any time is a good time for bourbon. With or without “freezing rain”.
The “ice” bit reminded me of this: https://youtu.be/efiW2K8gASM?si=EvEWtw106JzzFaaL
The Driving Ice storm has caused all kinds of accidents fueled by blowing ice, which apparently woke up Ice’s inner prankster—turning Plano Texas into a slip-n-slide where cars pirouette like confused ballerinas and residents waddle outside like cautious penguins clutching coffee. Ice has taken over the town, frosting lawns, sidewalks, and egos alike, reminding everyone that Texas may do heat, but when Ice visits, it does so with cowboy boots on and zero chill.
Round two? Three? We haven’t seen anything like this since 1982. I’m far South enough to not be affected but everything North of me is covered in ice. Ironically 1982 was also the last time a plane crashed into the Potomac. I’ve got a lot of family snowed and iced in. Mississippi still hasn’t got the lights on from the last ice storm.
Predicting the party in power after a presidential election will lose the mid terms is kind of like predicting I will get robo spam calls today. In the last 20 midterms they have lost 18 of them.