Made in America

Entertainment 1 Minute

Today would have been Toby Keith’s birthday. He was born in 1951 and passed away in 2024.  His song Made in America is one of my favorites.

My old man’s that old man, spent his life livin’ off the land
Dirty hands and a clean soul
It breaks his heart seein’ foreign cars filled with fuel that isn’t ours
And wearin’ cotton we didn’t grow

[Chorus]
He’s got the red, white, blue flyin’ high on the farm
Semper Fi tattooed on his left arm
Spend a little more at the store for a tag
In the back that says U-S-A
He won’t buy nothin’ that he can’t fix
With WD-40 and a Craftsman wrench
He ain’t prejudiced, he’s just
Made in America

[Verse 2]
He loves his wife, but she’s that wife that decorates on the 4th of July
But says, “Every day’s Independence Day”
She’s golden rule, teaches school, some folks say it isn’t cool
But she says the Pledge of Allegiance anyway


[Chorus]
He’s got the red, white, blue flyin’ high on the farm
Semper Fi tattooed on his left arm
Spend a little more in the store for a tag
In the back that says U-S-A
He won’t buy nothin’ that he can’t fix
With WD-40 and a Craftsman wrench
He ain’t prejudiced, he’s just
Made in America


Born in the heartland, raised up a family
Of King James and Uncle Sam

[Chorus]
He’s got the red, white, blue flyin’ high on the farm
Semper Fi tattooed on his left arm
Spend a little more in the store for a tag
In the back that says U-S-A
Won’t buy nothin’ that he can’t fix
With WD-40 and a Craftsman wrench
He ain’t prejudiced, he’s just
Made in America

[Outro]
Made in America
Made in America
Yeah, my old man’s that old man
Made in America

Unknown's avatar

Published by pat frederick

Published

97 thoughts on “Made in America”

  1. Good morning, Pat and Filly!

    Great song.

    Weather here will be the usual Summer in the South – hot, humid, afternoon and evening thunderstorms.

    Still home resting up from all the work on Sally’s apartment…getting ready for the next phase – what to do with all the stuff both here and in the spare apartment I have used for sewing, storage, sleeping at the Village. They can’t rent it until the building gets a new roof.

    Hope y’all have a good day.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Morning GA!
      we had a thunderstorm move thru last evening knocked out the electric briefly but the internet was out for a bit. this morning it’s cloudy and looks like more rain coming.
      you need to rest and regroup! you’re been caring fro someone else for a long time and you need to focus on you a little bit now.
      find something that brings you joy!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Good morning, GA! Major thunderstorm here last night and more storms off and on all week. Wheezer is still hanging around this morning – sitting out by the shed stalking the birds hanging around on the ground underneath the seed block and watching for bunnies underneath the shed.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Good Morning All

    cloudy and about 70*. hubby says more rain today.

    I was watching the video above and looked up over my laptop and guess what i saw on the deck? the bunny…lol

    everybody ends up on the deck sooner or later.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I looked out and saw Wheezer sitting out by the shed, stalking the bunnies that hide underneath, alternately turning around to watch the birds grabbing the seeds from the ground underneath the seed block. Both feeders will need to be refilled today at some point. Big storm last night, with high winds – haven’t looked out front yet…..more to come.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning Filly!

        yep-more storms last night and the skies are overcast. the bunny on the deck was a surprise…lol we haven’t seen bunnies up here in over fifteen years. down by the road they are plentiful though. then we saw the bigger one (she’s still around) but the bunny was a surprise.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Jake

    July 8, 2025 6:26 am

    NEW: Magistrate Judge Says Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan Is NOT Entitled to Claim Judicial Immunity to Dismiss Federal Criminal Charges

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/07/magistrate-judge-says-milwaukee-county-judge-hannah-dugan/

    A federal magistrate judge on Monday said Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan is not entitled to dismiss her federal case on a judicial immunity claim.

    Is there anyone that didn’t see that ruling coming? It seems obstructing federal officers and helping a criminal evade justice is NOT part of a State judges ‘official duties”!

    Liked by 1 person

  8. NF: HERE, HERE!!! STOP WITH THIS BS NOW!!!! Sick and tired of these fricking games!!!!

    “EPSTEIN FILES SITREP: THIS IS ABOUT THE CHILDREN!”

    Michael T. Flynn LTG USA (RET), Jul 07, 2025

    “What everyone is missing are the CHILDREN who were abused by EPSTEIN and OTHERS. I don’t care whether he killed himself or not.

    For me, I want to believe @FBIDirectorKash & @FBIDDBongino but with the FBI’s track record with laptops (Hunter Biden, Anthony Weiner, Seth Rich, now Epstein), never mind the FBI’s previous track record for telling the truth, it is really hard to fathom that something else isn’t going on here.

    I think there now needs to be an incredibly transparent briefing to the American people immediately by the DOJ. The lack of trust in the FBI and DOJ is so thick you can cut it with a knife. C’mon guys, the American people are not stupid or afraid to know the truth.

    @AGPamBondi, @realDonaldTrump, @SusieWiles

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Just The News: “A federal judge in Boston on Monday blocked the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act’s provisions to defund Planned Parenthood, just days after President Donald Trump signed the law. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, issued the temporary restraining order.

    The ruling comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that dramatically limited the scope of nationwide injunctions by lower court judges and is sure to lead to a legal fight with the administration.

    “The true design of the Defund Provision is simply to express disapproval of, attack, and punish Planned Parenthood, which plays a particularly prominent role in the public debate over abortion,” Planned Parenthood argued in its suit, per Reuters. The case in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts.”

    Liked by 1 person

  10. “Citizen Volunteers Got 20,000 People Who Moved Out Of Pennsylvania Off The Voter Rolls — The effect of the letter-writing campaign is undeniable when compared to the number of removals at the request of the voter over the last 12 years.”

    The Federalist, By: Heather Honey, July 08, 2025

    Pennsylvania voter registration form

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “When voters move away, their registrations can linger in the voter registration system for a decade or more — unless they submit a paper form to remove themselves. Most people are not aware of this requirement, so hundreds of citizens in Pennsylvania volunteered to change that. Secure elections begin with accurate voter rolls, and maintaining current lists of registered voters is critical to safeguarding the voting system.

    In May of 2024, the Election Research Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, analyzed voter registration records in Pennsylvania and found that more than 200,000 individuals on the voter rolls had filed a permanent out-of-state change of address with the U.S. Postal Service. Hundreds of volunteers across the Commonwealth began mailing letters to those 200,000 potential out-of-state movers using the ERI letter template. (See example below.) The response was remarkable. A review of voter registration cancellations found that more than 20,000 individuals who were sent letters subsequently submitted the form requesting removal from the voter rolls. 

    Election Research Institute

    Over the previous five years, the average number of removals at the request of the voter was 4,125 per year. In 2024, Pennsylvania counties saw an increase of over 500 percent — astonishing results from a group of citizen volunteers. A report released on June 30 by the PA Department of State confirmed the extraordinary number of requests for removal.

    Many letter recipients sent notes of gratitude to the volunteers who wrote to them. They reported that they did not know they were still registered in Pennsylvania and that they didn’t know they had to submit a form to remove themselves. Below are some of the letters:

    Election Research Institute

    The project made headlines in August of 2024. The Columbia County election director received five requests for removal in a single day. As reported by Press Enterprise, he told reporters that “the advice in the letters is sound” and that the letter to voters “correctly states” the federal law. But he still described the volunteers’ letters as “creepy.”

    Press Enterprise

    Under section (d) of 52 U.S.C. 20507 (“Requirements with respect to administration of voter registration”), “a State shall not remove the name of a registrant from the official list of eligible voters in elections for Federal office on the ground that the registrant has changed residence unless the registrant … confirms in writing that the registrant has changed residence to a place outside the registrar’s jurisdiction in which the registrant is registered” (emphasis added). In fact, due to blackout periods in the federal National Voter Registration Act, individual request for removal is the only option for reducing the bloated voter rolls within 90 days of a federal election.

    Undeniable Effect

    By June 30 of each year, the secretary of the Commonwealth must provide a report to the Pennsylvania General Assembly describing voter registration and list maintenance activities conducted throughout the previous year. The effect of the letter-writing campaign is undeniable when compared to the number of removals at the request of the voter over the last 12 years.

    Source: PA DOS Annual Reports

    The first batches of letters were sent with handwritten addresses. That personalization increased the rate of response by approximately 15 percent. This response rate was calculated by comparing the percentage of removals for counties that received hand-addressed envelopes to the removal percentage for counties that received envelopes with machine-printed addresses. 

    Bloated voter rolls create vulnerabilities in the system and impede efficient election administration. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, voter registration lists form the foundation for everything else in election administration. Under federal law, state election officials, like Secretary Al Schmidt, are required to take steps to ensure that the statewide voter registration database is accurate and up to date. The Department of State’s National Change of Address (NCOA) mailer process has been woefully ineffective over the last five years.

    By adopting process improvements to list maintenance protocols, the department could enhance response rates and reduce costs for taxpayers. Secretary Schmidt should applaud the efforts of the volunteers and the positive effect that they had across the Commonwealth.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. WOW! I had no idea i would have to submit a form. I assumed that the post office somehow contacted the election officials. what a nightmare! and thank goodness these volunteers did this!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. “If Justice Kagan Wants Respect From Lower Courts, She Should Shut Down Their Judicial Coup — Kagan’s refusal to shut down the tyrannical behavior of the lower judiciary has emboldened rogue judges to usurp SCOTUS’s power.”

    The Federalist, By: Shawn Fleetwood, July 07, 2025

    Elena Kagan participating in a Notre Dame event.

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “After allowing rogue lower court judges to usurp the power of the executive branch for months on end, Associate Justice Elena Kagan suddenly has a problem with the overreach now that the same thing is happening to the Supreme Court.

    On Thursday, the Obama appointee joined her Republican-appointed colleagues in clarifying a June 23 order from the high court that granted temporary relief to the Trump administration. In its 6-3 ruling — in which Kagan dissented — the court placed a temporary stay on an injunction by a Massachusetts-based district judge attempting to block the administration’s deportation of illegal aliens to so-called “third countries.”

    In an act of rebellion, District Judge Brian Murphy issued a separate order hours after SCOTUS’s ruling that effectively declared that his initial block on the federal government’s policy remained in effect. Referring to Murphy’s decision as a “lawless act of defiance,” the Trump administration filed a motion with the high court to “clarify” its June 23 order.

    While disagreeing with the court’s initial granting of the administration’s request for a stay on Murphy’s order, Kagan sided with her Republican-appointed colleagues in shutting down the lower court judge’s attempt to sidestep the high court.

    “I voted to deny the Government’s previous stay application in this case, and I continue to believe that this Court should not have stayed the District Court’s April 18 order enjoining the Government from deporting non-citizens to third countries without notice or a meaningful opportunity to be heard,” Kagan wrote in a concurring opinion. “But a majority of this Court saw things differently, and I do not see how a district court can compel compliance with an order that this Court has stayed. Because continued enforcement of the District Court’s May 21, 2025 order would do just that, I vote to grant the Government’s motion for clarification.”

    Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson would not have granted the administration’s motion for clarification. While it’s nice to see Kagan recognize the egregiousness of Murphy’s behavior, the district judge’s outlandish edict was only made possible by her unwillingness to shut down such antics.

    Since President Trump’s return to office, rogue lower court judges have issued overreaching universal injunctions and restraining orders to block the enforcement of his policies. In effect, this judicial coup has sought to stymie the will of the 77 million Americans who voted for the president during last year’s election.

    And yet, despite previously criticizing lower courts’ use of nationwide injunctions when Joe Biden was president, Kagan declined to side with the high court’s majority in Trump v. CASA late last month to nullify such overreaching orders. (As noted by Associate Justice Samuel Alito and further demonstrated since the court’s decision, however, the majority’s opinion didn’t go far enough in fully stopping leftists’ judicial coup.)

    Like a parent who allows his or her child’s disruptive behavior to go unpunished, Kagan’s refusal to forcefully shut down the tyrannical actions of the lower judiciary has emboldened rogue judges like Murphy to try and sidestep the Supreme Court. It’s not only contributed to these bad actors’ clear disrespect for the high court, but for separation of powers writ large.

    If Kagan and her colleagues have any interest in maintaining SCOTUS’s respectability among the lower judiciary, they need to put the definitive kibosh on these rogue judges’ overreaching shenanigans. Otherwise, the antics of activist jurists like Murphy will become the norm, and the credibility of the judicial branch will suffer.”

    Liked by 1 person

  12. NF: I agree 100% – I have never liked her, as far back as the institution of Obama’s “Promise Program” in FL that resulted in Trayvon Martin!!! She signed off on that at the time – WRONG MOVE!!!! I do NOT approve of appointments to high-ranking positions simply as payback for loyalty! ACTIONS COUNT!!!

    Just The News: “Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing increasing calls for her resignation or firing as a leaked Department of Justice memo has indicated the agency found no evidence that Jeffrey Epstein engaged in large-scale blackmail and that no master list of his clients existed.

    Conservative activist Liz Wheeler ranked among the most vocal in her calls for Bondi’s ouster, saying “”If I’m President Trump, I would not tolerate this behavior anymore. She has become a LIABILITY to his administration.” Wheeler further referenced Bondi’s past orchestration of a botched public release of information to MAGA influencers in binders.

    “Bondi BRAGGED to us about making that cover sheet on the binder, the one that read, ‘the most transparent administration in history,'” Wheeler recalled. “To call that a severe lack of judgment would be the understatement of the year.” Bondi has faced considerable scrutiny from the right since that incident, though revelations that Epstein case will soon be closed without any high-profile prosecutions have accelerated calls for her removal. “She needs to resign,” wrote political commentator Gunther Eagleman.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fielded questions on the matter and struggled to respond when Fox News’s Peter Doocy pointed to Bondi’s exact quote stating that the list of Epstein’s clients was on her desk during an appearance on the network.

    “She was saying the entirety of all of the paperwork, all of the paper in relation to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes,” Leavitt said. “That’s what the Attorney General was referring to. And I’ll let her speak for that.”

    “Pam Bondi is a ball and chain for this administration. It’s time to cut ties. Bondi must go,” wrote podcaster Shawn Farash. “Pam Bondi should resign or be fired. She lied! This is NOT justice,” wrote commentator Mike Engleman.”

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Whew! Boy, did I just get my exercise for the day! The trumpet vines had turned into a jungle, not to mention all the weeds thruout the flower bed. I just spent the last hour trimming vines and pulling weeds – pretty much got the entire thing cleared! Man, that feels good and my legs desperately need the exercise.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I have to start getting some daily if I want to get my strength back but I’m careful as to when and how long I keep at it. It was still nice and cool, which is the only time I’ll go out.

        Liked by 1 person

  16. Here’s looking at YOU, Pete Ricketts! Traitor!!!

    Just The News: “Senior Trump administration officials announced a plan Tuesday to protect U.S. farmland from Chinese ownership and other threats to American agricultural resources. “Every family, every home, every community depends upon what our farmers do, and they support and sustain us, not merely by keeping us materially fed, but by keeping us spiritually strong,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a press conference. 

    “The farm’s produce is not just a commodity, it is a way of life that underpins America itself, and that’s exactly why it is under threat from criminals, from political adversaries, and from hostile regimes that understand our way of life as a profound and existential threat to themselves.”

    The new plan seeks to secure U.S. farmland from adversaries like China, ensure a strong supply chain, and protect American agricultural research security – especially after recent attempts by Chinese researchers to smuggle deadly plant pathogens into the United States. 

    In response to this vulnerability, Rollins said that she had terminated contracts or research arrangements between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and 70 scientists who are citizens from countries of concern, like China.  

    Last month, two Chinese nationals working in a university laboratory in Michigan were charged for attempting to smuggle a fungus called Fusarium graminearum into the United States in 2024, Just the News reported. The fungus is classified in the scientific literature as a “potential agroterrorism weapon” because it affects wheat, barley, maize, and rice by causing “head blight,” according to the Justice Department. 

    A Just the News investigation found that these scientists were working for researchers at the laboratory who were receiving funding from the federal government. She also said that her department “canceled seven active agreements with entities in foreign countries of concern.” 

    Rollins’ announcement follows years of growing concerns about Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland and the potential threats to national security, including to the food supply chain. Some lawmakers have also raised concerns about the proximity of Chinese-owned land to military bases and sensitive installations. 

    In recent years, foreign countries, including China, have increased their purchases of American land. In 2023 the federal government assessed that foreign parties held more than 43.4 million acres, of which 48% was forest land, 28% cropland, 21% pasture and other agricultural land, and 2% non-agricultural land.

    In response, several states passed legislation targeted at Chinese-owned farmland. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis championed a law banning citizens from foreign countries of corners—like China, Russia, and Iran—from owning farmland in the state.” 

    Liked by 1 person

  17. I always tear up listening to his “American Soldier.” I gave that song a shout-out in my short story “Death’s Shadow” (available through Amazon in either Cirsova Magazine’s 2021 Summer issue or *The Guardian Cycle, Vol. 1: In Dreams and Other Stories). May he rest in peace.

    Liked by 2 people

  21. Liked by 1 person

  22. “EXCLUSIVE: USAID Quietly Sent Thousands Of Viruses To Chinese Military-Linked Biolab “

    Daily Caller, Emily Kopp, Investigative Reporter, July 08, 2025

    US-POLITICS-TRUMP-USAID

    ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

    EXCERPT: “The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shipped thousands of viral samples to a lab in Wuhan over the course of a 10-year program even though it had no formal agreement with the lab in place, according to previously unreported documents.

    The documents show that USAID funded the exportation of 11,000 samples from Yunnan Province, where some of the closest relatives of the COVID-19 virus circulate, to Wuhan, the epicenter of the pandemic, with no apparent plan for ensuring the samples were not misdirected to bioweapons and remained accessible to the U.S. government.

    A $210 million USAID public health program called PREDICT, steered by the University of California-Davis, collected viral samples in countries throughout the globe but lacked long-term storage when funding dried up, according to rudimentary plans in 2019.

    USAID’s sample dispensation plan for China is sparse: “No need [sic] information from Yunnan. They were never an official lab partner for PREDICT. All samples they helped collected [sic] are sent to, tested, and stored in Wuhan.”

    The “lab” refers to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). WIV was a close partner of USAID contractor EcoHealth Alliance and a slated partner for a PREDICT-like program supported by the State Department. The lab has poor biosafety practices and ties to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). One of the closest known relatives of the COVID virus is among the viruses sampled with USAID funding.

    “Investigations involving USAID’s former funding of global health awards remain active and ongoing,” a senior State Department official said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The American people can rest assured knowing that under the Trump Administration we will not be funding these controversial programs.”

    The internal documents were obtained through a FOIA lawsuit brought by U.S. Right to Know, a nonprofit newsroom and public health research group…..”

    https://dailycaller.com/2025/07/08/exclusive-usaid-sent-viruses-ccp-linked-biolab/

    Liked by 1 person

  24. NF: Ilhan Omar’s compatriots!

    EXCERPT: “Somali refugees living in Germany are reportedly playing a leading role in fueling Somalia’s civil war, according to an investigation by ARD’s Kontraste and Deutsche Welle. These individuals are accused of inciting gang violence, calling for armed attacks, and raising funds for militias — all while living under German protection.

    The investigation found one of the most prominent provocateurs to be Ayub A., a Somali influencer with over half a million followers on TikTok. In a widely circulated video from December 2022, filmed apparently in Germany, Ayub urged his viewers to take up arms, saying: “Take your guns and fight. Go to the rooftops and shoot everyone in uniform.”

    In his videos, Ayub openly calls for armed struggle and offers money to those willing to form militias. “I swear, I’ll give you $20,000 if you form a militia,” he reportedly said in one clip.

    Despite his asylum application being rejected in 2020, Ayub’s deportation was halted due to the security situation in Somalia. He has, nonetheless, traveled to Somalia several times. Videos show him alongside armed militias, including footage of him firing a heavy weapon during clashes in northern Somalia in 2023.

    https://rmx.news/crime/1-in-10-somali-nationals-were-considered-suspects-in-crime-across-germany-in-2020/embed/

    Security expert Moustafa Ahmed warned of the growing threat posed by such influencers. “We are witnessing digital warfare here,” Ahmed said, as cited by Tagesschau, stressing that online provocateurs are helping escalate violence by spreading propaganda and inciting conflict from abroad.

    According to Kontraste, Ayub was involved in Somali piracy during the early 2010s. Former hostages from the freighter MV Iceberg 1 — hijacked in one of the longest hostage situations in modern maritime history — identified Ayub as one of the pirates. A former crew member, Jewel Ahiable, told reporters: “Without a doubt, the man in the picture is Ayub.” Somali sources confirmed he was once a leading figure in a smaller pirate group.

    Ayub’s dual life — a refugee in Germany and militant backer in Somalia — has attracted the attention of German authorities. While the Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, Kontraste confirmed that inquiries are underway…..”

    https://rmx.news/article/somali-refugees-in-germany-accused-of-fueling-civil-war-and-spreading-islamic-propaganda-online/

    Liked by 1 person

  25. EXCERPT: “New German federal government statistics indicate that young foreigners are disproportionately represented as suspects in numerous crimes, with particularly significant differences in street crime and shoplifting.

    The suspect burden figure (TVBZ) has been compiled by the Federal Criminal Police (BKA) and published in the Police Crime Statistics (PKS) starting this year. This ratio shows the total number of identified suspects over the age of eight, and is calculated per 100,000 inhabitants per population group. It examines all crimes except for immigration law violations, and the data presents a concerning trend.

    For German suspects across all age groups, the TVBZ is 1,878. In contrast, Syrian suspects have a TVBZ of 8,236, and Afghan suspects are at 8,753 — more than four times higher.

    However, when the data is compared among young people, the disparity is even more pronounced. Syrians between 14 and 18 years old are five times more likely to commit a crime than Germans in the same age bracket.

    However, in regard to other groups of young people from North Africa, the difference is even more astronomical. Algerian youth feature a TVBZ rate that is a tremendous 56 times higher than Germans. For Moroccans, it is 19 times higher.

    Differences are also notable across specific offense categories. In street crime, which includes offenses like bodily harm, robbery, sexual harassment, and pickpocketing, the TVBZ for German suspects is 168. For Syrians, this figure jumps to 1,291, and for Afghans, it’s 1,218—nearly eight times as high…..”

    https://rmx.news/article/germany-government-report-reveals-astronomical-crime-rates-for-young-foreigners-compared-to-german-youth/

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Liked by 1 person

  27. ..sigh….well, so much for the Stouffer’s spaghetti – no go…..I took a small loaf of banana nut bread out of the freezer…..maybe….

    Liked by 1 person

  28. “Back in the day, when pleasing the eye was as important as function, we did marvelous things…

    This is the interior of the interior of the James M. Nederlander Theatre in Chicago, formerly known as the Oriental Theatre. It was originally named the Oriental Theatre when it opened in 1926 as a deluxe movie palace and vaudeville venue. 

    In 2019, it was renamed the James M. Nederlander Theatre in honor of James M. Nederlander, a legendary Broadway theatre owner and producer who championed theatre in Chicago. The theatre is located at 24 West Randolph Street in the Loop area of downtown Chicago, Illinois. Designed by the architectural firm Rapp and Rapp, it’s a significant example of the deluxe movie palaces built in Chicago – and elsewhere – during the 1920s. 

    The location previously housed the Iroquois Theatre, which was destroyed by a  fire in 1903.” 

    Liked by 1 person

  29. “How can anyone with a soul carry this much hate around with them? These aren’t ‘experts’ of any kind. They are deranged sycophants with no sense of decency or compassion. How dare they even take an approach like this when so many innocent lives were lost in this tragedy? Tying something so sad to something so overtly political is heinous behavior at it’s worst. Shame on them, and shame on anyone who buys in to this madness.

    Quoting the article: ‘More than 100 are dead and dozens more remain missing after flash floods in the parched area known as Texas Hill Country swept away entire holiday camps and homes on Friday night – in what appears to have been another unremarkable storm that stalled before dumping huge quantities of rain over a short period of time, a phenomena that has becoming increasingly common as the planet warms.’

    Wow – just wow. God save their souls, because that may be all that’s left inside of them, because they sure as fuck don’t have hearts – or souls worth saving.”

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Oh, we know why – it’s called “civilization jihad!” Direct from the MB’s playbook!!!

    “This is from voronoi – This chart shows the share of U.S. pharmaceutical imports from China for four key drugs, based on the latest data from 2021. The data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Commerce, accessed via the Coalition for a Prosperous America.

    About 90% of the prescription drugs consumed in the U.S. are imported from other countries. China is a dominant supplier of several key over-the-counter drugs, including painkillers and antibiotics – both branded and generics.

    Major pharmaceutical drugs imported from China include pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, for which China makes up 95% and 70% of U.S. imports, respectively. Penicillin, an important antibiotic for bacterial infections, is also primarily imported from China.

    When will we get hip to the fact we need to make this stuff here? Jeez…”

    https://www.voronoiapp.com/trade/US-Pharmaceutical-Drug-Imports-from-China-5613

    Liked by 1 person

  32. “Trump White House Payroll Shrinks 29% Year-Over-Year: The administration created new roles on criminal pardons, energy production, and more.”

    OpenTheBooks, Jul 08, 2025

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “Donald Trump’s efforts to downsize the administrative state have had mixed results so far, but his own White House payroll suggests he is trying to lead by example. The Trump administration spent just $44.1 million paying 404 employees in 2025, making it the least costly payroll since at least 2009 when adjusting for inflation.

    However, 35 of Trump’s top staffers made at least $195,000. Only one staffer earned that much in the Biden White House in 2024, and nobody earned that much in the final year of Trump’s first term.

    Trump’s White House spent a total of $198.6 million on payroll during the four years of his first term, or an average of $49.7 million per year. The smallest annual figure was the $46.4 million he spent in 2018. When he left office in 2020, his White House was spending $50.5 million on payroll.

    The new dollar total is also a 29% reduction from the White House payroll in 2024, when Joe Biden spent $62.2 million. The White House employed 565 people that year, the most since Richard Nixon was president. In total, White House payroll cost taxpayers $230.1 million during the four years Biden was in office, or an average of $57.5 million per year.

    President Obama never spent less than $51 million on the White House payroll during his eight years in office. NOTE: All dollar figures above are adjusted for inflation to reflect May 2025 dollars.

    Trump is still compensating his employees very well. The average staffer makes $109,117. Nearly 54% of the employees in the White House make at least $100,000, which is comparable to the 52% of employees that made six figures in Biden’s administration in 2024.

    TOP STAFFERS

    Presidential Advisor Jacalynne Klopp is currently outearning everyone in the White House with a $225,700 salary.

    Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt makes $195,200. Her predecessor Karine Jean-Pierre made $180,000 in Biden’s administration, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders made $183,000 as Trump’s press secretary in 2019.

    Chief of Staff Susan Wiles also makes $195,200. Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, made only $168,000 in 2024. Mark Meadows made $183,000 as Trump’s chief of staff in 2020.

    That pay tier is populated with 33 team members, also including boldface names like border czar Tom Homan, homeland security advisor Stephen Miller, and communications director Stephen Cheung.

    Trump also employs 27 lawyers making $3.8 million in total. That’s a dramatic reduction from the 45 lawyers that were making $6.3 million when Biden left office.

    Eight staff members collect no pay, including those who play dual roles. For example, Secretary Rubio collects his salary from the State Department, but he doesn’t double dip to stand in as national security advisor.

    STAFF STORIES

    Alice Johnson makes $145,000 as Trump’s “pardon czar,” a new position that makes recommendations about which prisoners should be granted clemency. Trump pardoned 58 people between January and May of this year, including reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley and rapper NBA YoungBoy.

    Johnson herself was pardoned in 2018 after Kim Kardashian brought her case to Trump’s attention, which Johnson credited to “divine intervention.” She was serving a life sentence for her involvement in drug trafficking, including money laundering and intent to distribute cocaine.

    Trump also added to the White House payroll by establishing the National Energy Dominance Council. Executive Director Jarrod Agen makes $155,000, and Deputy Executive Directors Blake Deeley and John Reiten make $195,200 and $152,000, respectively.

    The council’s goal is to lower inflation and increase economic growth through energy abundance, but its payroll expense is still unclear. The public does not know exactly how many employees are working on the council, though Agen told Politico there is a “tiger team” of about 10 people.

    The council’s original executive director, Oliver McPherson-Smith, has already left the administration. Roger Pielke Jr., a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told E&E News that “It’s not clear exactly what [the council’s] functions are.”

    Some staffers have names that might sound familiar:

    Russell Huffines, who makes $83,500 as associate director of agency outreach, is the son of former Texas Republican state senator Don Huffines. The legislator and his brother run a real-estate company in Texas, and Don Huffines has used his position to push Governor Greg Abbott to take a more hardline stance on transgender and immigration policies. While his son works at the White House, Huffines is currently involved in a race for Texas Comptroller, where he says he will bring “President Trump’s DOGE to Texas.”

    Alexandra Huizenga, who earns $65,500 as staff assistant is the daughter of U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga (R-MI). The elder Huizenga has served his district since 2011 and previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives before from 2003-2009. A recent report from NOTUS indicates Bill Huizenga is strongly considering a run for Michigan’s federal Senate seat—which the Trump administration and Republican operatives are strongly discouraging in favor of their preferred candidate, Mike Rogers.

    OFFICE OF THE VP STILL A FOIA BLIND SPOT

    The payroll report, as usual, contains no information about staffers in the Vice President’s Office. Open the Books has tried unsuccessfully in the past to obtain the salaries through open records requests, but the VP’s office claims to be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. Limited payroll info is available in the semi-annual Report of the Secretary of the Senate.

    We encourage the VP’s office to release this data and not force taxpayers to jump through hoops to find out how the VP’s office is spending their money. In an era of cost-cutting, it’s important to know whether the VP’s office is following President Trump’s lead. The VP’s office also employs relatives of notable public figures, including Buckley Carlson, son of the political commentator Tucker Carlson, which is a matter of taxpayer interest.

    Download the White House payroll data here.“

    Liked by 1 person

  33. “Italian ‘hero’ sniffer dog killed with nail-filled sausages”

    Ian Aikman, BBC News

    Arcangelo Caressa/Facebook Bruno, a bloodhound, wearing a rosette on stage.

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “An Italian sniffer dog was killed after eating sausages filled with nails that were thrown into his kennel, his trainer has said. Bruno, a seven-year-old bloodhound, had been hailed as a hero for finding nine missing people during his career, and was once honored by Italy’s prime minister. Giorgia Meloni condemned the “vile, cowardly, unacceptable” killing in a post on X. “Thank you for all you have done, Bruno,” she said.

    The dog’s trainer, Arcangelo Caressa, said he knew who was responsible and vowed to make them pay for their actions. It has been suggested the killing was carried out as revenge for Bruno’s role in dismantling dog fighting rings.

    “Today I died with you,” Mr. Caressa said in a Facebook post announcing Bruno’s death. He said he found the dog – who, he says, he saw as a “brother” – on Friday morning in his kennel at the Endas search and rescue training centre in Taranto, Puglia. “You fought your whole life to save humans and now it was a human who did this to you,” he added. “You were, you are and you will continue to be my hero.”

    The trainer said Italy’s police and prosecutor’s office had launched a joint investigation into the killing. Addressing the culprits, Mr. Caressa said: “I know who you are, and you will pay for it.” He told local media had received death threats in the weeks leading up to Bruno’s death. “It wasn’t a random gesture. They want me to step aside. But I will never give in. This is a vile attack, done for money and revenge,” he told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

    Italian MP and animal rights activist Michela Vittoria Brambilla has urged the police to bring those responsible to justice. She suggested Bruno had been targeted by criminals because of his role in seizing dogs used in fighting.

    A newly strengthened law, spearheaded by Brambilla, can punish anyone who kills an animal using torture by up to four years in prison and a €60,000 (£51,000) fine. Brambilla has called for this law to be applied due to Bruno’s “long and painful death” from internal bleeding, brought on by the nail-filled sausages. “We owe it to this noble animal,” she said in a statement.”

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Yosemite Sam

        July 8, 2025 2:17 pm

        FBI Official Statement on Epstein Matter:

        We have reviewed thousands of hours of videotape from Epstein Island as well as aircraft passenger logs and cell phone GPS data and unfortunately no one can be identified for criminal prosecution. SORRY! 🙂

        …but we found every Republican grandmother within 100 miles of Washington DC on J6!

        Liked by 1 person

  40. Hmmmmm…..

    ——————————

    “‘I Know How These People Operate’: Fmr CIA Officer Calls BS On FBI’s New Epstein Intel”

    Daily Caller, Hailey Gomez, General Assignment Reporter, July 08, 2025

    John Kiriakou on

    [Screenshot/Fox News/”Jesse Watters Primetime

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou said Monday on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” he doesn’t believe anything about the new intelligence from the FBI on deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein adds up.

    A report released by Axios Sunday said that, based on a two-page memo, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI concluded that there had been no “client list” left by Epstein, despite ongoing public doubt. Discussing the new intelligence, Fox’s Jesse Watters asked Kiriakou if he believed the information from officials “adds up.”

    “No, I don’t think this adds up,” Kiriakou said. “You’ve hit it on the head, and so has Barry. I think you’re both exactly right on this. We really don’t know anything because the FBI doesn’t want us to know anything. I’m not blaming the FBI Director Kash Patel or the Deputy Director Dan Bongino.”

    In 2019, Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, only to be found dead in his New York Metropolitan Correctional Center cell a month later. Officials said the deceased pedophile hanged himself in the cell. Speculations grew online due to the circumstances of his death.

    WATCH: https://rumble.com/v6vvea3-i-know-how-these-people-operate-fmr-cia-officer-calls-bs-on-fbis-new-epstei.html

    During his 2024 campaign, President Donald Trump vowed to release all Epstein’s files, with Patel also vowing to release as many files as he could. However, in May, Patel and Bongino told Fox News they remained firm that Epstein committed suicide, with Bongino flatly saying Epstein “killed himself.”

    “I think that that layer beneath them, that’s part of what we like to call the deep state, has taken this bull by the horns, and they’ve probably destroyed information,” Kiriakou added. “Look at what the CIA did in 1975 after Congress ordered that it release all of its files related to an operation called MKUltra. The director of the CIA went back to headquarters and ordered  everything to be destroyed, and, in the end, only about 20% of the documents survived.”

    “We’re still learning about the FBI’s operations against Martin Luther King 50, 55 years after the fact, so now we’re supposed to believe that everybody’s telling the truth, that there were no files, there were no dossiers?” Kiriakou asked. “I’m sorry. I just don’t buy it because I know how these people operate.”

    Despite the newly released memo from the DOJ and FBI, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in February that she had personally reviewed Epstein’s list.”

    Liked by 1 person

  43. Mir Diamond Mine, Mirny, Yakutia, Russia. At 3,900 feet in diameter and 1,722 feet deep , it’s one of the largest excavated holes in the world. It reportedly has its own weather system vortex due to temperature variations, and aircraft are forbidden to fly over it.

    In the midst of the Siberian wilderness, there is a town known as Mirny, the only sign of humanity in a heavily forested landscape for miles around. Only a few full-time residents call the town home, all of whom live in a small community built on stilts to prevent the melted permafrost from flooding their homes in the spring.

    Truthfully, the town of Mirny would be entirely unremarkable, save for one thing. There’s a giant hole in the middle of the town over 1,000 feet deep and over half a mile wide that churns out an unnatural and mysterious amount of diamonds. Oh, and it also sucks in anything that flies overhead.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.