Alaska State Tree: Sitka Spruce

State Trees 3 Minutes

Picea sitchensis, commonly known as the Sitka Spruce, is part of the Picea genus in the Pinaceae family, which includes other conifers like pines, firs, and larches. This species is noted for its tall stature, rapid growth rate, and the quality of its wood. The name “sitchensis” refers to Sitka, Alaska, where this tree was first described to science. It is by far the largest species of spruce and the fifth-largest conifer in the world, and the third-tallest conifer species.

The Sitka Spruce has a native range along the Pacific Coast of North America, stretching from northern California through Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and into Alaska. It’s particularly dominant in the coastal temperate rainforests where it benefits from the moist, foggy conditions, growing from sea level up to about 3,000 feet in elevation. This range makes it the most widely distributed spruce in western North America.

Historically, Sitka Spruce has been significant for both indigenous peoples and later settlers. Native American tribes used its wood for constructing canoes, homes, and tools due to its strength and lightweight nature. With European settlement, its use expanded significantly, especially for shipbuilding, aircraft construction during World War II (due to its excellent strength-to-weight ratio), and later for musical instruments like guitars and violins because of its resonant qualities. The tree’s ecological importance in the coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for numerous species, has also been recognized, leading to its protection in various natural reserves and parks.

Sitka Spruce is adapted to USDA Hardiness Zones 6 through 8, reflecting its preference for the mild, wet winters and cool summers of its native coastal range. Its lifespan can be quite impressive, often living between 500 to 700 years, with some specimens potentially reaching up to 1,000 years in optimal conditions. This longevity is supported by its ability to grow in harsh, wind-swept environments and its resistance to many diseases that affect other spruces.

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis): Characteristics

Growth Habit: An evergreen conifer that can grow to be one of the tallest trees in the world, reaching heights up to 300 feet with a straight, narrow trunk. Its crown is conical in youth, becoming more irregular with age.

Bark: Young trees have thin, gray bark that becomes thicker, furrowed, and reddish-brown as it matures, providing a protective layer against environmental stresses.

Needles: Features sharp, stiff needles that are approximately 1 to 1.5 inches long, with a glossy, dark green color. They are arranged spirally around the twig, giving the tree a dense, feathery appearance.

Cones: Produces cylindrical cones that hang down from the branches, typically 2 to 4 inches long. Initially green, they turn brown when ripe, with thin, flexible scales that release winged seeds.

Root System: Develops a strong, deep root system capable of anchoring the tree in the often wet, unstable soils of its coastal habitat, but it can also have superficial roots for nutrient uptake.

Adaptability: Thrives in moist, well-drained soils of coastal regions but can tolerate a variety of soil types, provided there’s adequate moisture. It prefers the cool, humid conditions of its native range.

Growth Rate: Known for its rapid growth, especially in youth, making it one of the faster-growing conifers in its habitat, which is beneficial for reforestation but can pose challenges in managed landscapes.

Wood Quality: The wood is light, strong, and with excellent acoustic properties, making it sought after for musical instruments, aircraft construction, and high-quality lumber.

Ecological Role: Plays a crucial role in coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for wildlife, stabilizing soil, and influencing local microclimates through its canopy’s shade and moisture retention.

Cultural Significance: Historically used by Indigenous peoples for various purposes and later by settlers for shipbuilding and other constructions due to its superior wood quality. Its towering presence has also been a symbol of the Pacific Northwest’s natural grandeur.

SOURCE: AMERICANGARDNER.NET

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Published by pat frederick

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102 thoughts on “Alaska State Tree: Sitka Spruce”

  1. Good Morning All!

    back to 0* and a dusting of snow on everything once again. gonna be bitterly cold today. i got the snow off the deck, but am waiting for what’s on the roof to come down. that will not be the light fluffy stuff!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Good morning, Pat! It was 17 when I got up but has dropped to 15 now. Yeah, what comes off the roof will be mostly ice, I expect! Be careful! No sign of Wheezer and he didn’t eat any food last night.

      You might want to check out Rodney’s X posts from last night – some really good ones, both on yesterday and today’s open. I’m bringing this one that explains the Penguin:

      Liked by 1 person

    2. ….Why a penguin?

      •Cold War / nuclear forces symbolism: USSTRATCOM oversees U.S. nuclear command and control, global strike, missile defense, and deterrence.

      •The penguin became an unofficial mascot/patch symbol among elements of the nuclear community, especially missileers.

      •Inside joke logic: •Penguins are calm, patient, and deadly when needed

      •They survive in harsh, isolated environments •“They don’t fly… but they do launch” (a reference to ICBMs)

      Important distinction

      •It appears on morale patches, challenge coins, and unit culture items, particularly tied to:

      •ICBM crews

      •Nuclear command-and-control units

      •Strategic deterrence culture

      If you saw the penguin on a patch, meme, or coin tied to nukes or “the button,” Trump is signaling there might be nukes in Greenland He did say that a lot of our nuclear subs rest there….”

      Liked by 1 person

  3. so WHO down the food chain thought they had the power to do this????

    Liked by 1 person

  7. The Gipper Lives
    January 27, 2026 5:59 am

    Ace of Spades HQ: JD Vance: California’s Fraud Dwarfs Minnesota’s:
    
    “… The Democrat Party is causing the chaos, to create an argument for returning them to power– “We’ll stop the chaos.”

    But you’re the ones causing the chaos.

    It’s like the old bit about the man who murders his parents, and then pleads for the mercy of the court, saying that he’s an orphan.

    The Democrat Party has created a huge block of voters dependent on their enabling of fraud at an industrial scale. Looters are now a huge political constituency.

    And to make that point: You can’t cover stories in Minneapolis without fraudulent Somali “day cares” and “patient transport services” in the background of your photos:

    “memetic_sisyphus
    @memeticsisyphus
    You can’t show a random video from the streets of Minneapolis without capturing a 7 figure Somali fraud operation.

    Governor Dill
    @TheGreenOldDill

    So, wanna hear something funny?

    Today’s ICE shooting took place at 2614 Nicollet in Minneapolis.

    Ironically, here is a list of all of the businesses listed at this one address:

    Smart Therapy Center
    New American Development Center
    Nicollet Senior Center

    @Oilfield_Rando

    OH MY GOD:

    2628 Nicollet is just three doors down from the ICE shooting.

    THREE daycare centers are tied to this address.

    Lucky Stars Childcare Services–Owner’s name: Siman Aden

    Siman Aden is also owner of the “Quality Learing Center” that was made famous by @nickshirley

    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

    @DataRepublican
    Took a look, and OMG… 184 NPIs at 2614 Nicollet.

    That’s just health care providers. Not including child care. And none of them are on an exclusion list. @DOGE_HHS” …….

    Minneapolis’s primary industry is government fraud.

    Can’t wait to see what California’s doing.”

    (NPI or National Provider Identifier is a unique identification number for covered health care providers. Covered health care providers and all health plans and health care clearinghouses must use the NPIs in the administrative and financial transactions when looting the government.)

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Conversation
    Shanaka Anslem Perera ⚡
    @shanaka86
    BREAKING:

    China has been reading the private communications of 3 British Prime Ministers for 4 years.

    Boris Johnson.
    Liz Truss.
    Rishi Sunak.

    Their closest aides. Their most sensitive calls. Their text messages.

    Also compromised:

    Donald Trump.
    JD Vance.
    US Congressional intelligence committees.

    This is not a rumor.

    The Telegraph broke it yesterday.
    The US Treasury sanctioned the Chinese companies responsible.
    13 nations issued a joint advisory.

    But here’s the part that should terrify you:

    Western governments BUILT the backdoors China walked through.

    They are called “lawful intercept” systems.

    Every phone carrier is required by law to include them.

    “So we can wiretap criminals,” they said.

    China found them. Used them. For years.

    They didn’t just read messages.

    They accessed the FBI’s database of active wiretaps.

    They could see which Chinese spies America was watching.

    And warn them.

    The surveillance state got surveilled.

    US officials now admit:

    “We cannot say with certainty the hackers have been evicted.”

    Some networks compromised for 3+ years.

    The malware lives in the hardware itself.

    It can’t be patched.

    It has to be physically replaced.

    This is the biggest Western intelligence breach since the Cold War.

    And most people have no idea it happened.

    Now you do.

    READ THE FULL STORY HERE!! https://
    open.substack.com/pub/shanakaans

    Liked by 1 person

    1. And who wants to bet that they bought that hardware from China originally??? We should NOT buy ANYTHING from China but especially anything critical!!!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. “Leftist ARRESTED for Threats About Assassinating Trump after LoTT Exposé”

    Libs of TikTok, Jan 26, 2026

    “After a massive series of wins last week, yet another radical leftist was exposed by Libs of TikTok, resulting in MAJOR RESULTS. Meet Morgan L. Morrow, a librarian at Jackson County Public Library in West Virginia. Shet gets paid by our tax dollars.

    Morgan posted a video online in which she appears to try to recruit someone to assassinate Trump, while other commenters call for the assassination of Stephen Miller, Larry Ellison, and Peter Thiel.

    That wasn’t the only unhinged post she made. Morgan also posted multiple videos slamming ICE, including a very emotional video breaking down crying about ICE arresting illegals.

    Shortly after our report on her went viral, she proceeded to scrub her TikTok and went private on Instagram.

    But the results didn’t stop there…

    Within 5 hours of our report going live, the Jackson County Police announced that Morgan Morrow had been ARRESTED. Sheriff Mellinger doesn’t play around!

    She was charged with one count of terroristic threats.

    As leftists become more radicalized by the propaganda of the Democratic party and the fake news media, their political threats grow in intensity, and they have made it abundantly clear that they WILL resort to violence. It only takes one radical to take the life of a beloved father and leader like Charlie Kirk. It only takes one radical to shoot up a school of Christian children in the name of gender ideology. It only takes one radical attempt to kill the President of the United States.

    We are not taking any chances. With your support, we will hold these extremists responsible for their violent rhetoric. Stay safe and have a great rest of your week!” —LoTT Team

    Liked by 1 person

  10. NF: Hmmmm…..wonder what this means? “…she was not currently monitoring any calls”

    Just The News: “White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that President Donald Trump has not given up on achieving peace in Europe by bringing an end to the war in Ukraine, and remains deeply involved in the process. 

    The comment comes after representatives from the United States, Russia and Ukraine met in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for two days of negotiations over the weekend. Though no formal peace agreement emerged from the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the discussions as constructive and signaled that more negotiations could take place as soon as next week. 

    “The president remains deeply involved and, of course, he is being advised by his advisors,” Leavitt told reporters. “They had a multilateral meeting this past weekend, which didn’t get a ton of coverage, but that was historic in nature, where the president’s team has really brought two sides of this war to the table together to move the ball closer towards peace.”

    Leavitt also said she was not currently monitoring any calls between the president and Zelensky or Russian President Vladimir Putin after Zelensky pushed for negotiations to resume sooner than next Sunday.

    The meeting in the United Arab Emirates was considered historic because it was one of the first instances where Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv sat down together in a trilateral meeting since the conflict began in February 2022.” 

    Liked by 1 person

  11. i hope this piece of garbage gets canned and loses any credentials she has!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Well, trouble in southern NE with Mom…..sigh…..both Mandy and Sis have officially washed their hands of her! There is an AL apartment available but it will take about 30 days to get all the paperwork done and official. Mom is being a right royal bitch about everything to Mandy so no way she can stay with her that long! Staying with Sis is completely out of the question! She said something really nasty here to the nurses about my Sis and it just cut her to the core so it didn’t take much for her to say “screw it.”

    The apartment was only available to view during the week and Mandy had to work, so Mom reamed her for not being available. Mandy stopped by after work and took pics on her phone – when she showed them to Mom, all Mom could do was bitch about things like “…where am I going to put my freezer? It’s not big enough for my dishwasher! My bedroom in Madison is much bigger than that!” etc., etc., etc.

    Our POS liberal cousin who lives in Canada (worked for the UN) sent her a check for $500 – he’s the one who put the final nail in the political coffin vis-a-vis Mom. They were unable to get anyone to cash it since Mom doesn’t have an account there and they wouldn’t cash it for Mandy even if Mom signed it over to her. Mandy & Carol offered to just deposit it in their account and Mom accused them of trying to steal her $$$…..sigh…..

    So she is coming back up to her apartment in Madison to go thru her stuff and get ready for the move. Of course, that means that I will now be at her beck & call to tote and move things…..sigh…..I’ll give her the boxes in my garage and help her clear out the apartment but that’s my limit!

    At this point, no family member has POA and, unless one of the boys is going to step up and take it on, she’ll just have to wing it on her own. ‘Cause I’m sure as hell not doin’ it!!! Maybe she can get one of her trouble-making butt-buddies to do it for her. Better yet, let Canadian cousin Larry do it! SMH

    There is a distant cousin who worked for the welfare system for many years who thinks she knows everything there is to know and is very pushy. There are also a couple of close friends of Mom’s who have her ear. The most recent one, Jackie (I haven’t a clue who she is), told Mom the day she arrived at the hospital in Beatrice that she would pick her up later that day and they would go shopping in Lincoln!!!! Riiiiiight…..SMDH

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I’m so excited! I said before I planted acorns again this year and 3 have sprouted. In the other pot I have only one (out of 6) that sprouted from 2 years ago. This morning i have a SECOND SPROUTING in the original pot! must be a late bloomer…lol

    Liked by 1 person

  15. U.S. Posts Minneapolis On Craigslist ($50 OBO)

    U.S. · Jan 26, 2026 · BabylonBee.com

    Image for article: U.S. Posts Minneapolis On Craigslist ($50 OBO)

    U.S. — Seemingly at a loss as to how to solve the ongoing problems originating from the North Star State, everyone else in the United States reached a joint agreement to post Minneapolis on Craigslist for $50 or best offer.

    The Somali fraud scandal, recent riots, violent anti-ICE clashes, and the overall negative effect of just being the city of Minneapolis combined to impact the American people’s decision to put the city up for sale at a significantly reduced price.

    “Motivated to sell ASAP,” the Craigslist listing read. “Used northern city looking for new home. Cleaning out the country and need to get rid of it. Must like Somalis. Interesting trades will be considered. Exercise equipment, comic books, and boxes of used handkerchiefs preferred.”

    While some speculated that the loss of a city would be a blow to the country as a whole, President Donald Trump seemed surprisingly open to the sale. “You have to be willing to take almost anything in return at this point,” he told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the Craigslist listing. “The value of Minneapolis has been greatly reduced, if I’m being honest, and I am, because I’m always honest. A very honest person, believe me. If anyone wants to give up anything for Minneapolis at this point, you have to take it. Very horrible what that city has become. Maybe Somalia wants to buy it, but I’m not sure they have $50, quite frankly. A lot of poverty, from what I’ve been told. I don’t even know if they have Craigslist. Which is sad.”

    At publishing time, Minneapolis had been sold to Canada in return for a case of maple syrup and a moose.

    Like

  16. “Frustrated Don Lemon Wonders What A Guy Has To Do To Get Sent To Men’s Prison”

    Media · Jan 24, 2026 · BabylonBee.com

    Image for article: Frustrated Don Lemon Wonders What A Guy Has To Do To Get Sent To Men's Prison

    MINNEAPOLIS, MN — After a judge threw out the charges against him, a frustrated Don Lemon wondered what a guy had to do to get inside one of those prisons full of men.

    Despite Lemon’s best efforts to commit multiple crimes in as public a manner as possible, he has yet to make any headway on getting access to a male prison.

    “What do you want from me, huh?” cried Lemon. “I literally filmed myself committing crimes and then posted it online for everyone to see. You can’t at least put some handcuffs on me, maybe put me in a prison yard with a bunch of guys working up a sweat? What else am I supposed to do?”

    According to sources, an exasperated Lemon showed the judge video proof that he committed several crimes, but to no avail. “He just kept asking if this was at least good enough for a strip search,” said Judge Roger Barnes. “I kept telling him that as his liberal buddy, I was doing him a huge favor. He just kept sobbing and muttering about soap. I was only trying to help.”

    At publishing time, Lemon had redoubled his efforts to get in a men’s prison by videoing himself overstating the value of his Florida home.

    (Babylon Bee subscriber David Raphael contributed to this report. If you want to pitch your own headline ideas to our staff, click here to check out all of our membership options!”

    Liked by 1 person

  17. I remember the internet from BEFORE AOL! Government contractors & military used CompuServe: “CompuServe was the first major online service, launched in 1969 as a time-sharing system and expanded to individuals in 1979.  It offered email, forums, file downloads, and news, becoming a hub for tech enthusiasts and professionals.” In one job, I had to check the State Department’s Overseas Advisory Bulletin Board to see what was going on around the world every morning.

    It’s kind of hard to appreciate just how big a fuck-up this thing was. Were you even aware that they’re still out there? At one time, early-on in the internet-at-home phase with dial-up modems for access, they had a chance to completely dominate the internet here in the States. How and why they dropped the ball on that is a story for the ages. Suffice to say, a coupla guys got really, really rich on this thing, and if you count failed promise as a success, they were very successful. Here they still are: AOL.com…”

    Liked by 1 person

  21. “Trump Should Talk To Angel Parents Before He Takes ICE Out Of Minneapolis -The father of a woman killed by a drunk illegal alien says appeasing sanctuary mayors and violent radicals will make more victims.”

    By: M.D. Kittle, January 27, 2026

    Federalist immigration officers under attack in Minneapolis.

    EXCERPT: ‘The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board is preaching the policy of appeasement these days. It’s like Neville Chamberlain is running the Murdoch family-owned publication. In an editorial over the weekend, Journal editors urged President Trump to cave to the anarchists roiling Marxist Minneapolis and “pause ICE enforcement” in the Twin Cities. Doing so, the editors insist, would “ease tensions” while the president considers “a less provocative strategy.” 

    Enforcing immigration laws is “provocative” to a faux-conservative publication that has long endorsed open-border policies. In the editorial published on Sunday, the day after a 37-year-old nurse/agitator was very much in the wrong place making some very bad decisions at a very bad time, the board concedes the problem with surrender.  “Yes, many on the left would conclude that their civil disobedience has paid off,” the editors admit. 

    This ceased being mere “civil disobedience” not long after ICE and Border Patrol first came to town last month. It’s open rebellion. Federal law enforcement’s departure would signal to the left — and to the world — that Trump can be kowtowed by a paramilitary mob, the street warriors of the Democrats’ extended campaign to depose a duly-elected president. Sounds like Trump is listening to the “Get the f – – – out of Minneapolis” crowd. 

    ‘Never Acceptable’

    On Monday, president posted on Truth Social that he had “a very good telephone conversation” with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the same far-left politicians who have likened Trump to Hitler and federal immigration law enforcement agents to his Gestapo. Walz, caught up in a massive welfare fraud scandal that seems to have all but disappeared from corporate news coverage in the smoke of the Twin Cities upheaval, likened ICE to Nazis hunting down Jews in war-torn Europe…….”

    https://thefederalist.com/2026/01/27/trump-should-talk-to-angel-parents-before-he-takes-ice-out-of-minneapolis/ 

    Liked by 1 person

  22. “Stay-At-Home Mom Stands Up To Alleged Homewrecker And Ex-Senator Kyrsten Sinema — North Carolina is one of the few states where an innocent spouse can sue and win damages from a homewrecker who destroyed their marriage.”

    By: Beverly Willett, January 27, 2026

    Kyrsten Sinema in blue dress

    EXCERPT: “When a homewrecker invades a marriage, laws in most states provide little recourse for spouses and children whose lives are torn apart. But devastation from betrayal is real. North Carolina is one of the few states that offers protection.

    In the latest lawsuit for alienation of affections, Heather Ammel, a wife and mother of three children ranging in age from 10 to 14, claims former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema seduced her husband and destroyed her 14-year marriage and her family. The action comes on the heels of another 2024 lawsuit filed in North Carolina against a TikTok influencer Brenay Kennard for having an affair with the plaintiff’s husband. Shortly before Christmas, a jury awarded the plaintiff damages of $1.75 million.

    Over the last decade, cases against a third party who interferes with the sanctity of marriage have become fairly common in North Carolina, with jury awards in excess of $1 million. In 2014, the North Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the state’s highest award thus far of $30 million. The suit against Sinema, which was recently removed to federal court, demands a jury trial and damages in excess of $75,000.

    Ammel’s 14-page complaint is thorough and shocking. Although Sinema appears to reside in both Arizona and Washington, D.C., where she’s now a high-powered lawyer, the complaint details a string of affair-related activities connected with the Tar Heel state that may force the former politician to stand trial there for her actions.

    Specifically, the complaint alleges that Sinema actively pursued Ammel’s husband beginning in 2022 when she hired him for her security detail. Previously, Mr. Ammel had been a firearms instructor and had served multiple tours of duty for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and the Middle East. The plaintiff claims that she and her children also met Sinema, who was clearly aware that her husband was married.

    Early on, Ammel said her husband told her that he tried to establish boundaries when Sinema got “handsy.” Apparently, though, she refused to stop. Before Sinema’s alleged “intentional and malicious interference” with the plaintiff’s marriage, Ammel says she and her husband “had a good and loving marriage” and an “active, generous, and fulfilling sexual relationship.”

    The complaint maintains that Sinema sent text messages of a “romantic and lascivious nature,” including a message about “sex missionary style” and a photo of Sinema in a towel, bought her husband gifts, took him on trips, invited him to her residences alone, and suggested he bring psychedelic drugs on a work trip, and more. In 2024, Mr. Ammel allegedly stopped wearing his wedding ring and left the marital residence. Divorce followed.

    In a moment of pure brazen chutzpah, Sinema allegedly even waited for her lover outside in a car during the Ammel’s divorce mediation and allegedly attended concerts with Mr. Ammel and his children.

    Sinema’s answer to the allegations must be filed on or before Feb. 19, 2026. She recently replaced her lawyer with a seasoned litigator and North Carolina “Super Lawyer,” which indicates she’s prepared to fight…..”  

    https://thefederalist.com/2026/01/27/stay-at-home-mom-stands-up-to-alleged-homewrecker-and-ex-senator-kyrsten-sinema/

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I certainly did a lot of crazy things in my younger years but I never, ever went after a married man!!! I had one fall for me, in spite of my arms-length interactions but I nipped that in the bud promptly!!!

        Liked by 1 person

  23. Follow the Leader

    The famous wooden spiral staircase of Peles Castle in Sinaia, Romania

    Extraordinary Entrance

    600 year old juniper and the moon

    Liked by 1 person

  26. well, well, well

    ✪ Evil Te𝕏an ✪
    @vileTexan
    After Benny @bennyjohnson
    went digging on Illan Omar, I went digging a little bit on “the squad”.

    Rashida Tlaib is a broke ass mf’r btw.

    However, Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) has some interesting things going on.

    Her husband is pulling in $1M/yr from “government funded” sources.

    So I dug through her congressional financial disclosures and used AI to break some things down.

    Let’s go.

    THE NUMBERS:

    • 2018 net worth: -$12,500 (per OpenSecrets)
    • 2024 net worth: ~$8,000,000

    That’s an $8 MILLION increase in 6 years on a $174K congressional salary.

    How’d that happen?

    THE TIMELINE:

    • Jan 3, 2019: Pressley sworn into Congress
    • Jan 8, 2019: Her husband Conan Harris resigns from his $92,500/year Boston City Hall job
    • Jan 15, 2019: He registers “Conan Harris & Associates” – a DEI consulting firm
    • Wayback Machine confirms http://conanharrisassociates.com
      went live in 2019.

    What a wild couple of weeks, eh?

    THE CONSULTING GRIFT:
    Per her financial disclosures, his firm’s income:

    • 2021: ~$300,000
    • 2024: $100,001 – $1,000,000

    That’s a MILLION dollars a year from a consulting firm launched the week his wife entered Congress.

    THE CLIENTS:
    His client list reads like a government funding directory:

    • City of Bridgeport, CT (municipal govt)
    • City of Framingham (municipal govt)
    • MassHousing (state housing finance agency)
    • Meet Boston (tourism bureau, receives public funding)
    • The Boston Foundation
    • Justice Resource Institute (social services nonprofit)
    • Obama Foundation

    Pattern: DEI consulting for entities that either ARE government or depend heavily on government grants.

    THE CONFLICT:
    Pressley sits on:

    • House Financial Services Committee (MassHousing = housing finance)
    • House Oversight & Government Reform (government contracting)

    Her husband’s firm gets paid by government entities and nonprofits dependent on government funding – in policy areas her committees oversee.

    THE ETHICS WARNING:

    • The Boston Globe reported in Feb 2019 that before leaving City Hall, Harris used his government email to pitch staying on as a $50K/year consultant.
    • State ethics laws bar using official resources for personal gain.
    • An ethics expert warned they’d need to “be mindful to avoid any potential ethical and political pitfalls.”

    REAL ESTATE:
    Her 2024 disclosure shows spouse-owned assets:

    • Martha’s Vineyard rental: $1,000,001 – $5,000,000
    • Boston rental #1: $500,001 – $1,000,000
    • Boston rental #2: $500,001 – $1,000,000
    • Boston rental #3: $250,001 – $500,000
    • Fort Lauderdale rental (sold 2024): $250,001 – $500,000

    Total real estate: $8M

    Remember, in 2019 they had ONE rental property and were underwater on it.

    THE BACKGROUND:

    • Before his city job and consulting gig, Conan Harris spent 10 years in federal prison for drug trafficking.
    • He went from dealing drugs → city job (while his wife was on City Council) → million-dollar consulting firm the week she entered Congress.

    BOTTOM LINE:

    • Net worth in 2018: negative
    • Net worth in 2024: $8 million

    The day his wife became a Congresswoman, Conan Harris quit his city job and launched a consulting firm that now pulls up to seven figures annually from government-funded clients.

    She sits on committees overseeing housing and government contracting. He consults for housing agencies and government-funded nonprofits.

    The swamp doing swamp things.

    Sources:

    • Pressley 2024 Financial Disclosure (http://disclosures-clerk.house.gov
      , ID #10067354)
    • OpenSecrets 2018 net worth estimate
    • Boston Globe, Feb 16, 2019
    • Wayback Machine archives

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Shipwreckedcrew
    @shipwreckedcrew
    What might be coming:
    Pres Trump:

    “I sent the VP to Minnesota to try and calm the waters and reach an understanding with the Gov. and Mayor. They declined to help.”

    “I sent Tom Homan, with 40 years of professional experience, awarded the highest possible award by Pres. Obama, and asked him to reach an understanding with the Gov. and Mayor. They declined to help.”

    So now I’m sending David Gardner up there. I’m sure he’ll reach out to the Governor and Mayor to hear their views. Then he’ll do what he thinks best.

    Who is he? I should have been more expansive on my introduction.

    He is Major General David Gardner, Commanding Officer of the 101st Airborne Division of the United State Army. They will arrive in helicopters.”

    Liked by 1 person

  28. The Gipper Lives

    January 27, 2026 12:05 pm

    Reply to  the Shadow Knows

    “The root cause of all fraud in Minnesota is the absolute total absence of financial safeguards. There just aren’t any there. Zero,” Dr. Feinwachs said. “What’s interesting is this isn’t by accident,” he added.

    Dr. Feinwachs pointed out how the financial safeguards seem to have been eliminated in Minnesota “because there is a larger fraud going on involving the state itself and that fraud involves the state billing the federal government for unnecessary, fictitious insurance reserve.” …

    “I can only think of one way you lose federal funding for investigating fraud. You find the state itself is involved in the fraud. That would be one way you could lose federal funding,” he said.” …….

    This isn’t Somali Fraud enabled by Politicians.

    It’s Politician Fraud, enabled by Somalians.

    Liked by 1 person

  29. “The National Security and National Defense Strategies: The purpose of the U.S. military is to win wars decisively when necessary, deter them always, and deliver peace through strength”

    Dr. Robert W. Malone, Jan 27, 2026

    EXCERPT: “The U.S. Department of War has now published the 2026 National Defense Strategy Sovereignty over globalism, peace through strength, while avoiding utopian, endless wars

    “After years of neglect, the Department of War will restore American military dominance in the Western Hemisphere. We will use it to protect our Homeland and our access to key terrain throughout the region. We will also deny adversaries’ ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities in our hemisphere. This is the Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine—a commonsense and potent restoration of American power and prerogatives in this hemisphere, consistent with Americans’ interests.”

    National Security Strategic Guidance Documents:

    • The NSS (National Security Strategy – released Nov 2025) provides the “why” for the revitalized and renamed Department of War (DOW).
    • The NDS (National Defense Strategy – released Jan 2026) provides the “what” for the DOW.
    • The National Military Strategy (NMS) provides the “how” for the military, creating a nested framework for national security.

    The 2026 NDS, released by the Department of War under Executive Order 14347, reflects a shift toward homeland defense, deterrence of China, burden-sharing with allies, and revitalizing the defense industrial base. It incorporates the Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, prioritizing security in the Western Hemisphere and repositioning U.S. forces accordingly. While the 2026 NMS has not yet been publicly released, its strategic framework is expected to align with this NDS and emphasize Golden Dome missile defense, counter-drone systems, and cyber resilience.

    The Trump Doctrine refers to a policy shift introduced in the December 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy under President Donald Trump’s second term. It represents a reassertion of American dominance in the Western Hemisphere, framing regional stability as essential to U.S. national security. The Trump Doctrine is a direct corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.

    The Trump Doctrine aims to restore American preeminence by preventing non-hemispheric powers, particularly China and Russia, from gaining military, economic, or political influence in the Americas. It explicitly seeks to block foreign ownership of strategically vital assets, such as ports, energy infrastructure, and supply chains.

    The strategy authorizes targeted military deployments and lethal force against drug cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations. It also emphasizes naval power and economic coercion, including sanctions enforcement, interdiction of oil shipments, and what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called an “oil quarantine” on Venezuela.

    The January 3, 2026 capture of Nicolás Maduro was framed as a direct application of the Trump Doctrine. U.S. forces seized Maduro on narco-terrorism charges, citing the need to dismantle transnational criminal networks and prevent foreign influence. President Trump stated the U.S. would “run” Venezuela temporarily to ensure a transition aligned with American interests.

    While the original Monroe Doctrine (1823) opposed European colonization in the Americas, and the Roosevelt Corollary (1904) justified intervention in unstable nations, the Trump Corollary expands this logic to include economic control, resource access, and migration management as national security priorities…..”

    https://www.malone.news/p/the-national-security-and-national

    Liked by 1 person

  30. oh my…talked to mom earlier. she is leaving her room earlier and earlier for lunch because that new lady keeps taking the chair likes to sit in for meals. she knows mom has the walker and needs an outside chair, and this woman can walk fine without the use of anything. it’s getting mom depressed and angry. If mom had a wheelchair, they would definitely designate a certain seat for that person, but they don’t seem to want to do anything for mom because it’s just a walker.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Can’t you talk to the staff somehow? Or prod your brother to talk to them and insist they do something? That IS part of their duties, to ensure fair treatment to ALL of the residents!!! What BS!!! Know what my Mom would do? Stage a strike and refuse to come out of her room to eat! Make them feed her in her room! Either that or smack the woman upside the head! LOL

      Liked by 1 person

      1. i told her to talk to him, tell him what’s happening, he will go right to the front desk and get it straightened out. she says okay, but i doubt she does. I sent a text about it days ago…no response.

        Liked by 1 person

  32. 🥵🇦🇺 Australia Heatwave: “Near 50°C” Is Not a Vibe (122F)

    A remote town in South Australia just shattered its all-time heat record as a historic heatwave smothers multiple states.

    Ceduna (about 780 km from Adelaide) hit 49.5°C — beating its previous record of 48.9°C. And forecasters warned it could climb even higher. A mix of an ex-tropical cyclone’s leftovers and a high-pressure system is basically holding Australia under a giant invisible frying pan. Australia Day events were cancelled in Adelaide, and bushfire risk went up.

    Earth’s thermostat is not broken. It’s just… possessed…”

    Liked by 1 person

  33. ⛰️🌧️ Sicily Landslide: 1,000+ Evacuated

    Over 1,000 people were evacuated in Sicily after a massive landslide ripped away a 4 km section of cliff during storms. Houses were left perched on the edge. A car ended up half hanging in the air like reality failed to load the rest of the ground.

    No deaths or injuries reported — but the collapse continued worsening as rain soaked the area. The mayor called the situation “dire.”

    Liked by 1 person

  34. 🧊🇺🇸 U.S. Winter Storm Death Toll Climbs

    At least 29 people are reported dead across the U.S. following the winter storm. One story stands out in the worst way: A 16-year-old girl in Texas died in a sledding accident after being pulled behind a car. It’s the kind of thing that looks fun for 10 seconds…right until it isn’t…

    Over a million customers were left without power in at least 12 states, with Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana hit the hardest.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. 🌌 Light Pillars in Colorado

    Light pillars appeared in Eaton, Colorado — a gorgeous sky phenomenon caused by light reflecting off ice crystals in the air. It’s one of those moments where nature does something magical and you remember the planet can still do beauty. Even while everything else collapses…

    Liked by 1 person

  36. 🌊 Kelvin–Helmholtz Clouds in New York

    Rare wave-like cloud formations (Kelvin–Helmholtz instability) were spotted in Elmira, NY. It’s basically the atmosphere doing fluid dynamics art. The sky said: “watch this…

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Phew! Dodged the bullet! Mom called – she is back up here in her apartment. I was able to defuse most of her outrage and we agreed that she will keep looking for the right apartment & pack up this one in the meantime. According to her, the “boys” are going to come and move her with a trailer when she’s found the right place….uh-huh – I’ll believe THAT when I see it! I will help her as needed and I finally got her to agree that she did too much and brought this on herself, that like it or not, she simply has to adjust her living habits. Y’all would be proud of me! I managed to do it all w/o raising my voice even once!!! LOL

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Bill Melugin

    @BillMelugin_

    NEW:

    @FoxNews

    has learned that Patrick J. Schiltz, the Minnesota federal judge who is threatening to hold ICE Director Todd Lyons in contempt of court & is ordering him to appear in court on Friday, appears in a 2019 list of donors & volunteers for the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, an organization that provides free legal advice and representation for illegal immigrants. Judge Schiltz was appointed by President Bush in 2006.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. “Minneapolis Exposed the Weakness the Media Won’t Admit”

    Michael T. Flynn LTG USA (RET), Jan 27, 2026

    EXCERPT: “What is unfolding in Minneapolis is not spontaneous unrest, and it is not about social grievances. It is a disciplined political operation following a playbook that has been publicly available for decades. The tactics being employed align closely with the organizing doctrine articulated by Saul Alinsky, which relies on pressure, ridicule, narrative inversion, and institutional coercion to extract concessions from power centers without ever engaging the stated issue itself. Alinsky was explicit that the issue is never the issue. The issue is power, and Minneapolis is being treated as terrain, not as a community to be stabilized.

    The sequence is familiar. A triggering incident occurs. Facts are declared settled before investigations begin. Emotional framing replaces evidence. Institutions are pushed to violate their own rules in the name of compassion. When they comply, the violation becomes the precedent. When they resist, ridicule and escalation follow. The objective is leverage, and every concession extracted becomes proof of concept for the next demand. Each display of restraint by authorities is interpreted not as good faith but as weakness to be exploited. Compromise accelerates conflict rather than resolves it.

    The White House and federal leadership should understand this clearly. What is being tested is not immigration policy or law enforcement conduct in isolation. What is being tested is whether institutions can be forced, through narrative pressure and moral intimidation, to abandon their own standards in real time. If they can, the tactic will be repeated elsewhere. If it works once, it becomes doctrine. The actors driving escalation are not trying to win an argument. They are trying to condition behavior. The measure of success is institutional submission.

    Minneapolis matters because it is being treated as a demonstration site. What happens here will be replicated nationally if it proves effective. That reality should be acknowledged without illusion or emotional manipulation. The situation is not going to be resolved through appeasement, and it was never intended to be.

    We saw this playbook deployed successfully against local police departments after 2020. Single incidents were elevated into national moral crises before facts were established. Media narratives hardened instantly. Elected officials, facing coordinated pressure and public shaming, moved not to restore order but to distance themselves from their own institutions. Funding was cut, authority was restricted, proactive enforcement was rebranded as provocation, and officers were left politically exposed.

    Policing did not become safer or more accountable. It became hesitant, risk-averse, and selectively enforced exactly as intended. Data from the Police Executive Research Forum shows that in 2021, 60 percent of urban police departments reported a decline in proactive enforcement due to fear of public backlash, illustrating how perception management directly impacts operational capability……”

    https://genflynn.substack.com/p/minneapolis-exposed-the-weakness

    Liked by 1 person

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