Weird Wednesdays: Abandoned Mansions

Mysteries 4 Minutes

We going to explore some abandoned mansions!! The first is the Lucy Murder House in Uniontown Alabama.  This article comes from Abandoned Alabama.

From Abandoned Alabama:

The Murder of Allan Lucy

13-year-old Allan Lucy went missing from his home in Uniontown in March 1985. His adoptive parents, Philip and Margaret Dayle Lucy reported he had run away to Florida to be with friends. Their biological son, Jason, told anyone who would listen from the beginning that he had seen his father in the kitchen strike Allan in the head with his fist, knocking him to the ground. Jason claimed he was ordered to go to his room and later saw Philip walking around outside covered in dirt and holding a shovel. No one believed him until his brother’s remains were found nine years later.

After it was damaged in a fire, Philip and Margaret Lucy sold their home to Kelly Kirby, a man from Washington who spent his free time restoring old homes. Despite the fire damage, the home was immediately purchased in October 1993 and a team of men was sent in to assess the state of the structure.

Two of the men decided to check the foundation for termite damage and crawled underneath the house. Approaching the front porch, Ron Adam’s rake got snagged on a large root sticking out of the ground. Ron had heard of stories of there being treasure or a body buried beneath the house, and so he started digging thinking he was about to hit pay dirt. Instead, the two men found a layer of red bricks with a plastic garbage bag buried beneath them. Inside the bag were human remains wrapped in a blanket adorned with Disney characters, which were later proved to be the bones of Allan Lucy.

Phillip Lucy Arrested

Coincidently, his adoptive parents were arrested just a week before the remains were discovered on an arson charge in connection to the fire that damaged the house. Police believed they torched the house to claim the $119,000 insurance policy which was purchased just a month prior. While the couple was in custody, authorities performed a thorough investigation of the property and questioned family members before charging Philip Lucy with his stepson’s murder.

During the case’s first hearing, Jason testified against his father who sat quietly, staring intently at his son who was painting him as a murderer. Judge Jack Meigs reduced Philip’s bail from $150,000 to $100,000 and turned the case over to the Perry County grand jury. His wife Margaret was implicated in the murder but not charged with as serious of a crime as she, at most, would have been an accessory. She was allowed to return to her home in Lemison to care for her children. Margaret Dayle Lucy divorced Phillip shortly after he was arrested in connection to Allan Lucy’s death and died of cancer in December 1998.

The Trial

For the next five years, Philip bounced around mental hospitals to determine if he was fit to stand trial while fabricating mental illnesses, firing his attorney on multiple occasions, and changing his story many times to prolong the case as long as possible. In an interview while in custody, Philip is quoted saying, “I’m not a mad dog. If anybody’s going to have angel wings one day, it’s going to be me.” He also added that Jason “made up that story,” because he had been forced by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation who wanted “to get me.“

He claimed innocence throughout the trial insisting that Jason fabricated his story because both of them were down in Florida when Allan Lucy disappeared. Phillip’s defense also claimed that the skeletal remains probably didn’t belong to Allan, even though authorities had proven they were, that the skeleton was probably put there by neighborhood “pranksters” and that he found them playing croquet in his yard one day using a human skull as a mallet ball. It was also shown that Phillip had a history of violence, having been dishonorably discharged from the Army for beating a soldier during the Korean War.

In 1997, Philip Lucy was found guilty of murdering his adopted son. The verdict was appealed and then in 2001, the second verdict also found him guilty. The day after the second verdict, rather than facing the consequences, he cowardly took his own life by hanging himself with bedsheets in his jail cell.

Allan Lucy is Put to Rest

Born Allan Marvel to Willard D. Marvel and Ardella Mae Naragon in Lee County, Florida, Allan was removed from his home by Florida’s Child Services at the age of seven after his parents divorced. His biological mother was never told he was missing until his bones were found in 1994. She and her husband, Robert Leasure, attended every day of the second trial.

After Philip killed himself, residents of Perry County donated funds to give Allan Lucy a proper burial. Among those in attendance were the Perry County District Attorney, the County Asst. District Attorney, the former Perry County Police Chief, and the ABI Lead Investigator. 17 years after his death, Allan Lucy was finally put to rest at Rosemont Cemetery in Uniontown.

Hardie-Coleman House

Known as the Hardie-Coleman House by the National Park Service, the home was built in 1918 and is part of the Uniontown Historic District. It is currently owned by Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and co-owned by the Raytheon/Cobra Dane Project, although it’s unknown as to why a military radar installation in Alaska would own an abandoned house in a small town in Alabama and only adds to the strangeness surrounding the property.

The Uniontown Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 2000. The historic district contains residential, religious, and commercial structures that reflect the early development of Uniontown dating back to the 1830s. The district also contains numerous homes that reflect the popular revival architectural styles of the 19th and 20th centuries. According to the National Register of Historic Places, the largest and most imposing examples of the Neo-Classical Revival styles are the Coleman-Brunson House, also known as Co-Nita Manor, and the Hardie-Coleman House, although residents would never forget the horrible events that unfolded there in 1985.

SOURCE: ABANDONEDALABAMA.COM

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Published by pat frederick

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90 thoughts on “Weird Wednesdays: Abandoned Mansions”

    1. Morning, Pat! Clear and 45 here this morning. Wheezer was waiting.

      Just The News: “The White House is reportedly eliminating a press pool slot that was specifically reserved for wire services, instead of complying with a court order that instructs the administration to restore the Associated Press’ (AP) access to certain areas.

      The change comes after a judge ordered the White House to lift its ban on AP reporters’ access to the Oval Office, Air Force One and Mar-a-Lago amid a feud over the outlet’s style guide. The ban was first enacted in February.

      A White House official confirmed the shake-up of the White House daily press rotation to The Hill, stating it will now consist of four photojournalists, two print journalists from different publications, a crew from one major television network, a crew from a secondary news network or streaming service, one radio journalist and one “new media” or independent journalist.

      Reporters from wire services will be eligible to join the daily press pool as a print journalist, but are no longer guaranteed a spot. Reuters and Bloomberg are also wire services. 

      The shake-up also comes as the White House seeks more control over its daily press corps, which was typically assigned by the White House Correspondents’ Association. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt now makes the decisions.

      NBC correspondent and former White House Correspondents’ Association President Kelly O’Donnell slammed the move in a post on social media.

      “Wire reporters are among the most knowledgeable and dedicated to the White House beat,” O’Donnell wrote on X. “They are on duty every day of the year and anywhere in the world needed to cover a president. Their work is a key building block for other media’s work. Wires fill a critical role in the public’s understanding of government and important events.”

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning Filly!
        it’s still about 30* here and we’ve got light snow falling…sigh.
        about the wire reporters…
        really? none of them pointed out the maggot was in serious decline.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. TheseTruths
    TheseTruths(@thesetruths)Offline
    Wolf
    April 16, 2025 01:13

    Holy Crap!! What’s he running from?? https://t.co/4x2rkLLEQc

    — Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) April 15, 2025

    (her response was to this)

    Emerald Robinson ✝️
    @EmeraldRobinson
    BREAKING: Project Sentinel sources indicate that former CIA Director John Brennan is no longer in the United States.

    His last known location? Australia.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Rapid Response 47
    @RapidResponse47
    .@StephenM
    : “Senator @ChrisVanHollen
    seems to be under the very confused impression that this MS-13 terrorist is his constituent. He is President @nayibbukele
    ’s constituent… He is not a “Maryland man” — he is not a Maryland anything. He is an illegal alien from El Salvador with a deportation order from the United States.”

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Natalie Winters
    @nataliegwinters
    The Chinese Progressive Association gave Judge Indira Talwani its Workers Justice award in 2012.

    This group has deep ties to the CCP.

    This judge is now trying to stop Trump from reversing legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants allowed in by Biden.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Just The News: “The Supreme Court in the United Kingdom on Wednesday ruled that the definition of a woman is someone who is born biologically female, excluding transgender women from the legal definition. 

    The ruling came as a result of an ongoing conflict between the Scottish government and a feminist group. Multiple women’s groups celebrated the ruling outside the court following the decision.

    “Everyone knows what sex is, and you can’t change it,” said the co-director of For Women Scotland, Susan Smith, the group that brought the case, according to The Associated Press. “It’s common sense, basic common sense and the fact that we have been down a rabbit hole where people have tried to deny science and to deny reality and hopefully this will now see us back to, back to reality.”

    Five judges on the court ruled that the U.K. Equality Act means transgenders who identify as a woman will not be allowed in some single-sex spaces, such as changing rooms and homeless shelters. 

    However, Justice Patrick Hodge said the ruling “does not remove protection from trans people,” who are “protected from discrimination on the ground of gender reassignment.”

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Speaking of 9/11…..something must be about to drop…..

    “Tucker Carlson Guest Drops a 9/11 Bombshell | Daily Pulse”

    The Vigilant Fox, Apr 15, 2025

    “Former Congressman Drops a 9/11 Bombshell“

    A former congressman just dropped a 9/11 bombshell on Tucker Carlson’s podcast. Curtis Weldon pointed out how heroic FDNY chief Orio Palmer reached the South Tower’s 78th floor—the impact floor—on 9/11. In a huge blow to the official narrative, Palmer calmly reported over the radio that there were only two fires—and that they could handle them.

    “He comes out of the stair tower and, as clear as you listening to me here… he says, ‘We’re on floor 78, the floor of impact. We’ve got two fires and we can handle them,’” Weldon detailed.

    Just one minute later, the entire building collapsed. Weldon pointed to this moment as powerful evidence that challenges the official narrative.

    “That’s not normal,” Weldon stressed. “That is not acceptable… And this is on tape. It’s on tape. The film is called Bravo 7. And if your viewers want it, if they contact you, I’ll give it to you—it’s free.”

    Weldon added that the Twin Towers were the only high-rise buildings in history to collapse from an airplane hitting them, emphasizing that those towers were “designed to withstand an airplane hitting the building and standing tall.”

    “And especially Building 7, which had no plane hit it. No plane hit it,” he added. One minute Orio Palmer said it was under control. The next, the tower vanished into rubble. “That’s not normal.”

    Watch as Maria Zeee breaks this all down. When are we finally getting the 9/11 files?”

    Video/transcript: https://www.vigilantfox.com/p/tucker-carlson-guests-drops-a-911

    Liked by 1 person

          1. Oh, I was all in, of course! Same with the Iraq/Afghanistan wars, especially because I had Navy & AF family members there fighting. But that was all before the internet took off, when we FINALLY started learning the real truth! We actually believed that the TV news would not lie to us. Ha!

            Liked by 1 person

  12. Home School Family Who Refused Shots for Their Baby Pursued and Punished like Criminals

    By Joan Quinn Eastman

    FITCHBURG, MA – A family with five children from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fled to Texas after what they claim was unwarranted harassment and intimidation by local police and the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The extreme response was reportedly sparked by the parents’ informed decision to decline to vaccinate their healthy nine-month-old baby.

    The parents, who homeschool their children, stated to their pediatrician that they were opposed to their new baby receiving the shots based on their sincerely held religious beliefs. Despite citing religious exemptions which are law in Massachusetts, the father, Isael Rivera is being held in Worcester County Jail on a $200,000 bond or 20K cash bail, while the couple’s five children have reportedly been taken into custody by Child Protective Services (CPS). It is unclear whether the children are in foster care in Texas, or back in Massachusetts DCF custody.

    Fitchburg Police Department public appeal flyer posted on Facebook.

    “This is a blatant violation of fundamental rights on multiple levels,” says Ron Bouchard, Constitutional Law Strategist. “By what authority has this family been apprehended and for what? Was there a warrant? What is familial kidnapping? A family has the right to travel with their children. How and why have they been reported missing, and by whom? What laws have they broken and what imminent danger exists to justify the drastic action of DCF and the Fitchburg Police Department traumatizing this family by tearing it apart?”

    The ordeal began when the family’s pediatrician, a mandatory reporter, threatened to report them to DCF after the parents declined vaccinations for their infant during a wellness check.

    “The doctor said if we didn’t vaccinate, he’d have to report us,” the father, “Izzy” Rivera, allegedly told an advocate who provided safe harbor for the family in Texas. “Despite assurances that their baby was well-fed, cared for, and thriving, DCF soon left a notice on their door demanding a home visit. Fearing for their family, the parents refused, citing their rights.”

    What followed was a dramatic escalation. Fitchburg police, at the direction of Leominster DCF allegedly surrounded their apartment, banging on doors and circling the property for up to 30 minutes. “Ruth Encarnacion hid in the closet with her five children,” said the good samaritan who assisted the family over their 3 week exile. According to her account of what the family told her, with police and DCF returning in greater numbers the next day, Rivera was also forced to hide, while his wife and children fled from Fitchburg.

    The family then reunited and embarked on a three-day trek to Texas, aided by the advocate who arranged for an Airbnb, food, and supplies to help them to do what they believed was best for their youngest child and their whole family.  “For protecting their child, they were pursued like criminals,” she said. “He told the doctor it was against their beliefs to vaccinate, but it didn’t matter.”

    The Texas woman  accommodated the family of 7 in an RV, witnessing their love and care firsthand. “He’s a good man, not violent or abusive,” she insisted, refuting claims of domestic violence now levied against Rivera. “They’ve been a family for 15 years.”

    The family’s refuge was short-lived after a credit card charge for formula pinged their location. On March 8th, authorities tracked them down in Texas as reported by Boston 25 FOX News.

    “State Police were everywhere, yelling ‘come out with your hands up,’” the Airbnb host recounted to the family’s sponsor. “The parents were arrested, charged with familial kidnapping, and the children were seized by CPS.”

    Advocates consider this to be a modern-day witch hunt, accusing DCF and Fitchburg police of overreach. “They’re homeschoolers exercising their rights,” the Texas woman emphasized. “This is persecution.”

    The pediatrician’s office declined to comment, as did DCF and the Fitchburg Police Department, while authorities have yet to produce a warrant that justifies the urgency or necessity of the pursuit.

    “This directly violates the mandatory provisions of the Massachusetts Constitution (1780), Part the First, Article II,” says Bouchard of WethePeople2.us, which guarantees that– “No subject shall be hurt, molested or restrained in his person, liberty or estate for worshipping GOD in the manner and season most agreeable to his own conscience.”

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Just The News: “The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a lawsuit against Maine’s education department for failing to comply with its efforts to ban transgender athletes in girls’ sports.

    The lawsuit is the latest in a standoff over the matter between Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and the administration, which has threatened to cut off federal funding and a White House clash in which Mills told the president: “We’ll see you in court.”

    At issue is whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex.”

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Just The News: “Arkansas GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday filed a waiver to the U.S. Department of Agriculture that outlined her plan to ban state food stamps from being used on soft drinks and candy.

    The waiver comes as the Trump administration prioritizes making “America Healthy Again” by combating the obesity and chronic health crisis in the country. Sanders’ office cited a 2014 study that found banning sugary drinks could prevent obesity in children and Type 2 diabetes in adults.

    “President Trump and his administration have put a laser focus on solving America’s chronic disease epidemic and reforming our food stamp program is a great place to start,” Sanders said in a statement. “Banning soft drinks and candy from food stamps will remove some of the least-healthy, most-processed foods from the program and encourage low-income Arkansans to eat better.”

    In addition to banning the use of soft drinks and candy, the waiver also seeks to add rotisserie chicken as a covered food item under Arkansas’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

    The governor’s office highlighted the impact that the change could have on Arkansas residents, stating that one third of the state’s residents have diabetes or pre-diabetes. The office also said that 23% of federal food stamp charges go toward unhealthy food choices like junk food and sodas. 

    Maryland GOP Rep. Andy Harris, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, praised the governor’s move in a statement on X.

    “Soft drinks are not only allowed on SNAP – they are the #1 item purchased,” he wrote. “Congratulations to [Sanders] for submitting the first waiver to end taxpayer funded candy and soft drinks in food stamps. Funneling billions of dollars to subsidize unhealthy food in the SNAP program — and increasing the risk of diseases — is not a wise use of taxpayer dollars.”

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Just The News: “President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that seeks to lower prescription drug prices for Americans on Medicare, and low-income patients. The order expands on the president’s efforts during his first term to lower prescription drug prices, including reauthorizing his order that drastically reduced out-of-pocket prices for insulin and EpiPens for low-income Americans.

    This time, insulin prices will be lowered to as low as $0.03, plus a small administrative fee for low-income and uninsured Americans, and injectable epinephrine prices will be as low as $15, plus a small administrative fee.

    The new directive instructs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to improve the Medicare Drug Pricing Negotiation Program, align prescription drug prices for Medicare patients with the costs hospitals pay for the medication, and standardize Medicare payments for prescription drugs regardless of where the patient was treated.

    “President Trump is delivering on his promise to once again put American patients first by building off of the historic efforts of his first term to lower prescription drug prices,” the White House said in a fact sheet on the order. “President Trump will not stand for inaction, and his Administration is working rapidly to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Americans.”

    The White House also accused the Biden administration of allowing Trump’s first-term efforts to reduce drug prices to expire. 

    The Biden administration did reach an agreement with drugmakers last year to reduce prices on 10 of the most expensive prescription drugs available under Medicare.”

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Just The News: “Four people were injured on Tuesday in a shooting incident at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas, Texas, authorities said, and the suspect is not currently in custody.

    Dallas Independent School District (ISD) Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde told reporters in a news conference that all four victims were students, and they have been transported to local hospitals for treatment. The shooting occurred at approximately 2 p.m. Eastern.

    The Dallas Fire Department told CBS News the ages of three of the victims range from 15-18, but the age of the fourth victim was not clear.

    There have been no reported fatalities so far, and no clear details on the shooter have been disclosed. However, Elizalde said the alleged shooter has been identified to law enforcement officials, who are searching for the suspect.

    The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.

    “Our hearts go out to the victims of this senseless act of violence at Wilmer-Hutchins High School,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “Cecilia and I ask our fellow Texans to join us in praying for the victims’ swift recovery and for the entire Wilmer-Hutchins High School community.”

    Abbott said he has also offered state resources to Elizalde and Dallas ISD Chief Albert Martinez to help with the arrest of the suspect, along with support for families and students. 

    Elizalde said classes at the high school have been canceled for the rest of the week.”

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Just The News: “State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Tuesday announced that the department has lifted sanctions on senior Hungarian official Antal Rogan, who is an important aide to the country’s leader Viktor Orban.

    Bruce said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to his counterpart in Hungary about the decision, which removes Rogan from the Treasury’s” Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.” The official was added to the list by the Biden administration in January. 

    The spokeswoman said the decision was made because the designation was “inconsistent with U.S. foreign policy interests.”

    The designation was tied to allegations of corruption within Orban’s administration, including allegations that Orban himself was corrupt. The prime minister has repeatedly denied the allegations, per The Guardian. Rogan has run Orban’s Cabinet office since 2015.”

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Just The News: “Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy holds a double-digit lead, according to a poll released Tuesday. The entrepreneur and 2024 GOP presidential candidate has 71% of the primary vote, according to pollster Fabrizio Lee, which was first reported by the news outlet Semafor. 

    The polling results also show Ramaswamy has a 60-point lead over current Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, who will potentially run for governor in 2026. 

    The other declared candidates in the primary are state Attorney General Dave Yost and former school board Chairwoman Heather Hill. 

    The poll was conducted April 6-10. The pollsters said the rate of confidence is 95%. President Donald Trump endorsed Ramaswamy for governor in February.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Daily Caller News Foundation

    “Nearly the entire staff of the Pentagon’s elite tech unit will resign by the end of April after being sidelined by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sources told Politico Tuesday.

    The mass resignations will effectively shut down the 14-person Defense Digital Service (DDS), which was created in 2015 to inject Silicon Valley-style speed and innovation into national security projects. DDS staffers told Politico they were left out of major reform efforts spearheaded by DOGE, prompting an exodus.

    “The reason we stuck it out as long as we have is that we thought we were going to be called in,” Jennifer Hay, director of DDS, told the outlet.

    We look forward to welcoming @elonmusk to the Pentagon tomorrow.

    But the fake news delivers again — this is NOT a meeting about “top secret China war plans.” It’s an informal meeting about innovation, efficiencies & smarter production. Gonna be great! https://t.co/sIhsUjqbG9

    — Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 21, 2025

    The DDS — occasionally called the Pentagon’s “SWAT team of nerds” — was involved in deploying real-time tools during the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, building drone detection systems and managing data transfers for Ukrainian military and humanitarian aid. It also served as a rare magnet for top-tier private-sector engineers willing to serve short stints in government.

    But over the last year, the unit’s influence has waned. Current and former staffers said DDS was sidelined as DOGE pushed sweeping reforms focused on streamlining procurement and automating bureaucracy with AI.

    The reported exodus follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Thursday memo announcing the cancellation of several private-sector tech contractors. DOGE has not publicly commented on the staff exodus, though the Musk-led initiative has repeatedly defended its aggressive restructuring efforts across agencies as necessary to root out inefficiency and duplications across the federal bureaucracy.

    “The best way to put it, I think, is either we die quickly or we die slowly,” Hay said.

    The Pentagon did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.”

    Liked by 1 person

      1. In some ways, that is kind of a good thing – but it’s gotten way out of control. Used to be that “being polite” meant to keep your mouth shut and just comply. That’s how I was raised and when I no longer had those constrictions forced on me, I let it ALL hang out! Finally, I could say what I really felt.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. i love a good argument–helps me decide if i truly believe in my opinions or if i am wrong. it’s the incivility…the rush to violence–i can’t stand. I have friends who have different opinions and i relish that and them. I don’t need people to agree with me all the time. and i certainly would never harm someone who holds a different viewpoint.

          Liked by 1 person

  22. EXCLUSIVE: State Department Axes $214 Million in Foreign Grants, From Cash for ‘Newsroom Sustainability’ in Moldova to ‘Media Diversity’ in the UK’

    Further review of the active grant portfolio reveals a significant number of grant programs which remain inconsistent with Administration policies’

    Free Beacon, Adam Kredo, April 15, 2025

    Marco Rubio, Donald Trump (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “The State Department has eliminated $214 million in foreign funding initiatives, nixing 139 taxpayer-funded grants that promoted, among other things, “newsroom sustainability” in Moldova, “media diversity” in the United Kingdom, and “environmental resilience” in Armenia, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.

    DOGE carried out the “supplemental review of remaining foreign assistance grant programs” after the State Department completed its initial foreign funding review in late February, an internal State Department memo obtained by the Free Beacon shows. Though the initial review saw the agency identify $60 billion worth of foreign grants for elimination, DOGE’s supplemental probe revealed “a significant number of grant programs which remain inconsistent with Administration policies,” particularly those related to “media advocacy programming,” according to the memo.

    Axed grants include a $14.6 million program that supported “expanded newsroom sustainability and engagement” in Moldova; a $5.2 million “media diversity” grant that funded an “anti-disinformation program in the United Kingdom”; a $400,000 “Building Environmental Resilience” grant in Armenia; a $1 million grant “channeling gig workers’ rights” in Brazil; and a $750,000 grant for “building the migrant domestic worker-led movement” in Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway over the government.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed off on the cuts Monday night, and they will be “actioned” starting today, according to a senior State Department official.

    The move shows that the Trump administration is not yet done taking aim at foreign funding initiatives that it says stray from “life-saving aid and strategic and national security priorities.” The administration paused nearly all U.S. foreign assistance earlier this year as the State Department conducted its review, which was delayed in February amid a court battle that is now resolved. Cuts have particularly targeted the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which saw its spending curbed by roughly 80 percent.

    The latest cuts primarily impact the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), a grantmaking body that came under congressional scrutiny in 2022 for offering taxpayer cash to nonprofit organizations engaged in efforts to investigate supposed Israeli war crimes.

    “These programs—predominantly administered by DRL—focus on wasteful DEI, censorship, media diversity and advocacy, ‘civic society’ and ‘pro democracy’ programming, fund NGOs whose activities are inconsistent with Administration priorities, and squander taxpayer dollars on wasteful diversity, equity, and sustainability socially oriented programs.”

    In addition to the axed media-related programs, grants on the chopping block include a $2.4 million initiative to combat “disinformation through creative content” in Belarus and $900,000 to establish a “place for women to join to organize” in Mauritania.

    Additional cuts include a $4.75 million grant funding “American-style higher education” in Kurdistan, a $1.4 million grant to prevent “internet fragmentation” in Brazil, and a $1.1 million grant aimed at “building trust and keeping hope alive” in Sri Lanka, according to the internal State Department memo.”

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Clarion

    April 16, 2025 10:21 am

    A massive transformer was seized by Trump’s feds in 2019 and they may have discovered a secret backdoor switch that could turn it off remotely

    The transformer was made by China

    Trump tried to protect the grid, Biden ripped it wide open on Day 1. Now we’ve got nearly 500 CCP-made transformers sitting in key positions, and no one’s talking about the backdoor threat. This isn’t just incompetence, it’s national betrayal.

    — Tiago (@thenamestiago) April 15, 2025

    Like

  25. Marica: Guess What? Taylor and Sabine Got a Zinc Spark!! Yup My newlyweds…They married in January by a Justice of the peace..Gonna have a Baby in October!!!! I get a new grand just 2 doors away! Woohoo!!

    Liked by 1 person

  26. “Check out the way one family protected their home from historic flooding in Tennessee😲”

    Not The Bee, Daniel Plainview, Apr 15, 2025

    Image for article: Check out the way one family protected their home from historic flooding in Tennessee 🤯

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “We can all only hope we’ll be this prepared when disaster — any kind of disaster! — eventually strikes:

    A Tennessee family managed to save their home from biblical floods by building their own levee around the property.

    The Humphrey family home in Ridgely – about three hours outside of Nashville – was seen untouched by brown, murky flood water on April 8 after severe rainfall trapped more than 100 people in the area.

    Miraculously, the large home was still standing, as incredible aerial images posted to Facebook showed it sitting alone in the middle of a disaster zone while other neighborhoods and properties were completely submerged.

    Hard to overstate just how well these folks did the job:

    The whole world asking right now:

    As it turns out, the job — while obviously a big operation — was actually just a classic levee, nothing more:

    They even kept the yard dry and pretty!

    Local resident Burton Staggs interviewed Justin Humphrey, who said he kept his mother’s yard green so she could have “something to come back and look at, so I didn’t get in trouble for completely ruining her place.”

    Justin said the Humphrey boys were taught how to do levees by their father and described the measure as a “community effort” to save his mother’s house:

    [We had] a lot of help from a lot of people. … We made it happen. Without a doubt, most thankfulness, most gratefulness, everything needs to go to God first. He gave us everything we needed to pull it off, and kept us safe, and He needs all the praise, not me, not us.

    Justin pointed readers to a GoFundMe that is raising funds for affected community members of the flooding. Meanwhile, he reminded folks:

    The most important thing is staying focused on God, knowing He’s got it, His will be done, His hand is as steady as anyone’s is ever going to be. Just keep your faith in that and keep moving forward.

    Amen!”

    Liked by 1 person

  28. “PROFESSORS POOL PUBLIC DOLLARS TO ROOT OUT DOGE, TRUMP SYMPATHIZERS — The AAUP is organizing a search party for regents and other higher ed professionals caught “undermining” higher education.

    OpenTheBooks, Apr 16, 2025

    EXCERPT: “A left-leaning group of activist professors — fueled in part by taxpayer dollars — is working to expose sympathizers of the Trump administration. They are taking aim at university trustees and regents who favor President Donald Trump’s policies and the Elon Musk-led DOGE effort, creating a veritable hit list of higher ed professionals to be harassed.

    WHO, WHAT, WHEN?

    The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is an activist membership organization of faculty and other academics, with chapters around the country. Last week, they sent an email to their members, initiating a McCarthy-like witch hunt for people who are aligned with Trump-Musk policies.

    “Do you have Trump–Musk allies on your college or university board?” they asked their members. The prompt came in a message inviting them to attend a Zoom meeting later that week led by the Action Center on Race and the Economy. The College Fix described that outfit as “professional agitators.”

    “We need to understand who is fueling this crisis on our campuses,” the AAUP email reads. “Join our research party to examine whether any of your institution’s regents, trustees, or governing board members are undermining higher education by supporting, advocating for, or profiting from Trump–Musk policies. Our goal is to map conflicts of interest among governing board members who are entrusted with the stewardship of our colleges and universities.”

    The meeting was to organize an attack campaign against campus leadership, beginning with creating a Google spreadsheet to “identify university board members who are defunding higher education by supporting, advocating, and profiting from Trump-Musk policies.”

    The participants were directed to perform internet searches on board members, adding other keywords: Trump, Vance, donor, Elon Musk, tax cuts and budget cuts, The College Fix reported.

    They were asked to identify targets in time for the upcoming nationwide Day of Action on April 17, cosponsored by AAUP. On that day, the participating organizations are holding a series of online webinar events including:

    • “Displacement From Palestine to Mexico”
    • “Why Sanctuary Campuses Now?”
    • “Universities Are Political Battlegrounds: A Call For Courage”
    • “Immigrants Rights Defense Workshop”
    • “Day of Action Palestine Webinar”
    • “Militant Education In and Beyond the University”

    Since 2020, AAUP has received at least $6 million from public universities, including Rutgers University, Kent State University, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Eastern Michigan University and Portland State University, according to public records obtained by Open the Books…..”

    https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/professors-pool-public-dollars-to

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Alrighty then! I finally bit the bullet and set up an appointment @ the VA in Norfolk tomorrow @ 11AM to get my ears cleaned. I will also set up an appointment then for a general physical….since I skipped it last year. I knew I had to do it this year, tho, before they booted me out and made me re-apply. That’s what happens after 2 years of inactivity.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. OK, this is beyond ridiculous!!!

    Just The News: “U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled Wednesday that there is “probable cause” to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt after they violated his orders by continuing deportation flights, according to CNN.

    Boasberg halted the use of the administration using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans that were allegedly gang members.”

    Liked by 1 person

  33. j x
    April 16, 2025 12:16 pm

    Apr 16, 2025

    ORDER: Given the finding of probable cause for contempt set forth in the accompanying Memorandum Opinion, the Court ORDERS that: (1) If Defendants opt to purge their contempt, they shall file by April 23, 2025, a declaration explaining the steps they have taken and will take to do so; and (2) If Defendants opt not to purge their contempt, they shall instead file by April 23, 2025, declaration(s) identifying the individual(s) who, with knowledge of the Court’s classwide Temporary Restraining Order, made the decision not to halt the transfer of class members out of U.S. custody on March 15 and 16, 2025. Signed by Chief Judge James E. Boasberg on April 16, 2025.

    Click to access gov.uscourts.dcd.278436.80.0_1.pdf

    MEMORANDUM OPINION re: 80 Probable Cause Order. Signed by Chief Judge James E. Boasberg on April 16, 2025.

    Click to access gov.uscourts.dcd.278436.81.0_2.pdf

    j x
    April 16, 2025 12:24 pm
    Reply to j x

    Important to remember SCOTUS has vacated his two restraining orders Boasberg now claims were defied and the basis of his contempt finding.

    And this 100% contradicts what Boasberg said in the April 3 hearing as to how the case got to him: pic.twitter.com/YRLJk417zS

    — Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 16, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  34. https://www.newsweek.com/pennsylvania-governor-proposes-historic-change-homeowners-2026185

    Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro unveiled a comprehensive budget proposal on Tuesday aimed at addressing several key challenges facing the state, including significantly reducing homeownership costs. For the first time ever, the budget includes a $1 billion property tax relief initiative through the homestead and farmstead exclusion.

    Why It Matters: At a time when many Pennsylvanians are grappling with rising living costs, Shapiro’s budget proposal aims to ease one of the most significant financial burdens: property taxes. This initiative not only promises immediate relief to homeowners but also sets a precedent for comprehensive fiscal reforms in the state’s approach to housing affordability. – Newsweek

    AND

    https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/economist-weighs-in-after-governor-braun-signs-property-tax-relief-bill-into-law

    It has been a busy day for Governor Mike Braun,who signed Senate Bill One into law Tuesday after lawmakers sent it to him late last night. The legislation aims to give property tax relief and was a priority bill for the Governor and Senate republicans. Governor Brauns off says it is anticipated to save Hoosiers $1.3 billion in long-term tax reform.

    Senate Enrolled Act 1 implements several measures to make them more affordable. The bill introduces new deductions for certain homeowners, reducing the taxable value of their homes. Additionally, it places limits on the total amount of property tax that local governments can impose. – WRTV

    Our Take: All the Uniparty governors are trying to get out in front of the collapse of the property tax scam.

    If it wasn’t already locked in, planned, and inevitable, they wouldn’t be publicizing it as though they were doing you a favor. These people legitimately destroyed lives en masse and took pride in it. – Chris Paul

    Liked by 1 person

  35. “Trump Ally Mel Gibson Calls for ‘Truth’ About 9/11”

    Hollywood star Mel Gibson, a vocal supporter of US President Donald Trump, has urged the American government to reveal the “truth” about the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

    The Australian-born actor shared a clip from journalist Tucker Carlson’s interview with former Congressman Curt Weldon, which was published on Monday. The tragedy that took place nearly 25 years ago “might be the biggest scandal in American history,” Gibson wrote on X on Tuesday.

    On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger airliners and crashed two of them into the twin World Trade Center skyscrapers in Manhattan. A third plane struck the Pentagon building, and a fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed.

    “Three buildings collapsed as if they were programmed to do so. Not two – three. To this day, no one has explained how Building 7 fell, even though no plane hit it,” Gibson wrote. He went on to argue that “towers were designed to withstand airplane impacts.”

    “What really happened that day? And why is no one allowed to talk about it? Enough with the fear. It’s time for the truth. About 9/11. About history. About all of us,” Gibson added in his post. – RT

    Our Take: Very based. Love you, Mel. Yes, when are we going to learn the truth about 9/11? When are we going to get the answers on who in the US government was complicit in that horrifying act of treason? We know somebody was complicit. That attack didn’t happen due to a series of unfortunate mistakes.

    It was allowed to happen, by people in the Bush administration. By people in the Republican Party. Perhaps even by people who are now trying to tell President Trump what to do in the geopolitical realm?

    When are we going to have this very important discussion? What are we waiting for? – GhostofBasedPatrickHenry

    Liked by 1 person

    1. agreed.
      i remember a poster at Marica’s…amwick…was seriously pissed off when i posted an account from an airline stewardess who researched 9/11. she believed that the actual planes were taken somewhere else and the buildings were destroyed thru detonation. amwick’s open is still at marica’s–say her name. I didn’t mean that the child is alive–i’m sure they were murdered–just not in the way she thought.

      Liked by 1 person

  39. My Son Has Conquered The Photobomb

    My Son Has Conquered The Photobomb

    Monopoly Man In Background During Equifax Senate Hearing

    Groom’s Sister Passed Out At The Exact Moment The Judge Said “You May Kiss The Bride”

    Thought I Took A Great Picture Of My Dog Then I Noticed The K9 Centipede In The Background

    Like

  40. My Friends Dog In The Background And Her Sons T-Shirt Match Perfectly

    My Friends Dog In The Background And Her Sons T-Shirt Match Perfectly

    Perfect Timing Selfie

    Perfect Timing Selfie

    A Friend Of Mine Posted A Baby Pic Of Her At Disney… Everyone Was Wayy More Intrigued By What Was Happening In The Background

    A Friend Of Mine Posted A Baby Pic Of Her At Disney... Everyone Was Wayy More Intrigued By What Was Happening In The Background

    Baby Photobomb

    Baby Photobomb

    Like

  42. “This story has certainly taken an interesting turn.”

    JD Rucker, Apr 16

    “The man at the center of the Democrats’ and legacy media’s latest attack against President Donald Trump’s deportations is being painted as a saint. But his wife, who now claims he’s been a great husband and father for seven years en route to a $220,000 GoFundMe payday, filed restraining orders for domestic violence against him in 2020 and 2021.

    Oops.

    According to The Post Millennial:

    The wife of Kilmar Garcia, a man who was deported from Maryland to his native El Salvador in March 14, has spoken out publicly to ask that he be returned to the US and their family. A GoFundMe crowdsourcing campaign has raised over $165,000. What Jenniefer Vasquez did not mention, however, is that she petitioned for a domestic violence protective order against him in 2021.

    Revealing the information about the protective order in a post, Andy Ngo said “The wife of deported suspected gang terrorist Kilmar Abrego Garcia either lied to the court when she petitioned for a domestic violence protective order against him or she is lying now on the GoFundMe claiming he is an excellent husband as over $162K has poured in.” The case detail shows that it was brought by Vasquez against Garcia in May 2021 for domestic violence. The case has since been closed. Garcia has been referred to by many media outlets as a “Maryland man” or “Maryland dad.”

    This guys is apparently the hill upon which Democrats and legacy media want to die.”

    Like

  43. Like

  44. Like

  48. “Just realized it’s hump day. Downhill from here to the weekend.”

    Golden Valley Norwegian Lutheran Church, Perkins County, South Dakota, 2013

    Like

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