What If ICE or CBP Murdered Someone in D.C.?

Put another way, Trump might be able to get away with murdering someone on 5th Avenue in NYC, but he almost certainly could get away with murdering someone on Constitution Avenue in D.C.

Consider the question in the post title as a dig against leaders of sovereign states as context. If our domestic internal security services were to murder someone like they did with Renee Good and Alex Pretti* in D.C., it would be nearly impossible for the local colonial authority to do much about it.

First, Trump can take over the MPD (D.C.’s police force) for thirty days simply by writing a letter to Congress: he does not need Congressional approval, he just has to tell them he is doing this. D.C.’s prosecutors are federal prosecutors that ultimately report to Pam Bondi, not to a state authority**. Finally, if convicted, this is a federal crime, which means Trump would have pardon power, and could–and almost certainly would–pardon the murderers.

Like I said, consider the previous paragraph in the context of local and state politicians who claim they can not do anything to arrest–or even detain temporarily–out of control federal agents. In other words, why would they cede authorities, even limited ones, that D.C. lacks entirely?

Find yourself a Democrat who feels the same way about ICE and CBP as Russell Vought does CDC and NIH.

*One reason these murders are so salient, which has gone mostly unremarked, is they were captured in multiple angles on video unlike other murders.

**D.C. does have an attorney general, but the attorney general typically does not prosecute crimes, and it is unclear what its authority to do so would be in this case.

Posted in Resistance Rebellion And Death | 1 Comment

Links 2/11/26

Links for you. Science:

Gardeners are close observers of nature’s clock and the havoc wreaked by climate change
Spider monkeys pool their knowledge to find the best fruit
RFK Jr. Names 21 New Members to Federal Autism Committee. Many of the members believe autism is linked to vaccination
Tourism takes toll on ancient seagrass
Biofilm removal in hospital sink drains drives unintended surges in antibiotic resistance
Alligators May Boost Carbon Storage in Coastal Wetlands

Other:

This is Literally the Job. Political journalists need to stop pretending they don’t know what Republicans are going to do. (excellent)
How not to talk about ICE’s killing spree
Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong
Nonpolitical Media Has Been Flooded With Outrage at Alex Pretti’s Murder
Meta Is Blocking Links To ICE List on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
Alex Pretti, MAGA, And The Public Meaning Of Masculinity
Martha Stewart’s Granddaughter Got Her to Post About ICE
Trump Claims Ilhan Omar Is Worth $44M. Here’s Why That’s Highly Unlikely.
The ICE Resistance That You’re Not Seeing
Accused Omar Attacker’s Crazed Trump-Loving Life Laid Bare
The Battle for Minneapolis
‘We’re not safe right now’: A nurse’s dramatic ICE arrest ignites fear in Maine’s immigrant communities
Brother labels suspect who attacked Ilhan Omar a ‘right-wing extremist’ who has hated Somalis for decades
The People Are Winning the Battle Against ICE
The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules
Going Wobbly
Feds Knew Who Alex Pretti Was—and Broke His Rib in Earlier Fight
Minneapolis May Be Trump’s Gettysburg
Minneapolis Proved Something MAGA Can’t Accept: Most People Are Actually Virtuous
Data Centers Are Driving a US Gas Boom
Donald Trump Is Frightened
Healthcare Workers Must Continue Alex Pretti’s Fight
Dozens of Jewish graves vandalized at Barcelona cemetery
Minnesota is the Beginning of an American Color Revolution
Libs of TikTok is doxxing teachers and nurses who support Alex Pretti or oppose ICE, trying to get them fired
Data Centers Are Not “Campuses”
App for Quitting Porn Leaked Users’ Masturbation Habits
Alex Pretti ‘had a way of lighting up every room he walked into’
The Means-Testing Industrial Complex
A Video of a Bat-Wielding Tenant Confronting Her Landlord Went Viral. But There’s More to the Story.

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The Implications of the Phrase “The Most Racist”

In case you missed it, last week, in one of adjudicated rapist Donald Trump’s posting binges, he posted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. Republican Senator Tim Scott, who is the only Black member of the Republican Senate caucus, posted this on Xitter:

timscott

While Scott is stating the obvious (though White House spokesminion Karolina Leavitt claimed otherwise), there’s an interesting phrase that has not received much attention: the most racist. This implies that Trump has posted other things, which, while not as racist, are still racist.

Maybe someone could commit journalism and ask Senator Scott what those other not-quite-as-racist things are. Would be fascinating to find out.

Update: After I wrote this, Politico reported that the offensive post was removed, and that the Trump administration blamed it on a staffer. So who was the staffer, why did they post this, and why do they still have a job? That said, they lie all the time, so there’s no reason to believe this explanation is true. Regardless, Trump did not hold a press conference in which he denounced the video and decried the racism–because he likes the racism.

Update of the update: After the political press corps took Trump’s minions at their word when they claimed it was a staffer, Trump now admits he sent the post.

Posted in Conservatives, Racism | 1 Comment

Links 2/10/26

Links for you. Science:

Tennessee fungus outbreak sickens 35, kills 1, and is linked to soil exposure
Rain, not snow: Extraordinary warmth leaves mountains less snowy across the West
Intranasal administration of broad-spectrum macrocyclic peptide inhibitor protects against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants
Dozens of CDC Health Databases Have Gone Dark Under Trump: ‘The Consequences Will Be Dire’
The Federal Government’s Research Innovation Lifeline Has Gone Dark
Why the winter storm in D.C. on Sunday was so exceptional

Other:

The War At Home
Administration Social Media Posts Echo White Supremacist Messaging (why are they talking to Richard Hanania?)
MAGA Is Proving How Little It Actually Cares About Gun Rights
And She Doesn’t Even Care About The Price Of Eggs!
Masked agents detain civil engineer in Portland, leave his car running in the street with a smashed window
Squeaky Little Nazi
Why Trump is finally waving a white flag in Minnesota
Voters See a Middle-Class Lifestyle as Drifting Out of Reach, Poll Finds
And If The Band You’re In Starts Playing Different Tunes
GOP lawmaker decides to ‘pass the torch’ as party goes up in flames
Are you protecting your neighbors? FBI director wants to probe your chats.
Termination of Officer Who Drove Drunk in His Take-Home Cruiser Reversed By Administrative Judge
How a thirstier region and shifting weather patterns may impact your water supply
Prediction Markets Are Betting On A Grim Future
One Bovino After Another
What gutless corporations don’t get about ICE
The State-Led Crackdown on Grok and xAI Has Begun
Montanans protest ICE, Trump’s immigration policies
Melania Documentary Flops as Crew Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Chaos
The punk rock movie that taught a generation of girls not to put out
This Reminds Me Of The Time Sarah Huckabee Sanders Was Politely Asked To Leave A Restaurant
Police Told to Be ‘as Vague as Permissible’ About Why They Use Flock
Elon Musk Haters Have Found a Hilariously Easy Way to Make Money on Polymarket
Trump pushes sick conspiracy right after attack on Ilhan Omar
Viral video provides rare look inside crowded ICE holding room in Baltimore
Why Alex Pretti’s killing broke Trump’s misinformation machine
The ICE shootings are a tipping point
I grew up with Alex Pretti. The kind-hearted ICU nurse shot by federal agents was my childhood best friend.
Trump’s acting cyber chief uploaded sensitive files into a public version of ChatGPT

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The Superbowl Ads Show How Desperate AI Companies Are

As expected, the Superbowl ads were heavily focused on ‘AI.’ What struck me is the level of desperation they had. One ad attempted to leverage the supposed cultural cachet that Sam Altman and Elon Musk have, which is… interesting. The Chris Helmsworth ad was about how ‘AI’ will screw up and kill you, albeit in humorous ways–which is a strategy you don’t adopt if you actually have useful reasons to use AI products.

The one ad that demonstrated actual utility was a Ring propaganda ad where Ring was used to search for lost dogs. Sounds good until one realizes that it also could be used to search for people. But it’s not like federal agents would find you, and then illegally shoot you in the back ten times. The one real use case for AI is to expand the surveillance state, and they told us this on national television (needless to say, this convinced me to never, ever buy Ring).

I’m sure this will all be fine.

Posted in AI, Resistance Rebellion And Death, Sportsball! | 1 Comment

Links 2/9/26

Links for you. Science:

What cardiologists want you to know about MAHA’s push to eat more fat
Utah measles total rises to 216; CDC deputy director says losing elimination status ‘cost of doing business’
US withdraws from the World Health Organization
Trump’s HHS Trashes Top African Health Organization as “Fake” and “Powerless”
Measles Surges In The U.S. As Public Health Systems Falter
How cities are changing social behavior in urban animals

Other:

ICE watchers in Maine say they were threatened by federal agents
ICE arrested me without cause. What I saw will haunt me forever.
Remembering the Boston Massacre as Minneapolis Writhes Under Occupation
Jeff Bezos Is Putting The Washington Post Into Hospice
The Badge Is a Burden Not a Privilege. The power of state violence comes with the obligation to uphold a higher standard, not permission to excuse a lower one
The Talk of D.C.: Rumors Flying that Trump Admin Wants to Undo Bike Lanes in Capital
A Failure In Plain Sight. Who, if anyone, will acknowledge the obvious, and do something about it?
He’ll Know Better Next Time
I Have A Great Idea For Retraining ICE Agents
Started/Going
Fetterman household seems to have different opinions on ICE chaos
The Worst House Democrat
In the 1940s, a hand-me-down bridge ran over the Potomac
On Treasure Island, One Grocer and a Patchwork of Neighbors Keep People Fed
Was This a Murder Too Far?
Virginia shows Democrats a real path forward
The commenters won. Which Trump administration official is a former Gawker commenter?
Europe’s far right and populists distance themselves from Trump over Greenland
Escalation Dominance and Theory of Mind
Chris Madel ends GOP bid for governor, says he can’t support federal ‘retribution’ against Minnesota (this is the same guy who donated to the defense fund of the ICE operative who murdered Renee Good)
ICE and America’s flailing autocrat
Minnesota Vikings Radio Broadcaster Taking Leave of Absence After Mocking ICE Protestors
Rift at influential Silicon Valley venture firm shows tech’s divide over ICE shooting
Militarize the Police! A Thought Experiment
Palantir Defends Work With ICE to Staff Following Killing of Alex Pretti
From World Cup Supporter to ICE Staging Area: The Two Faces of The Home Depot in 2026
There is no such thing as other people’s children
Tennessee Republican bill would limit federal office to natural-born citizens
“This Is Blackmail”: Critics Slam Pam Bondi’s Demand for Minnesota Voter Rolls
Trump’s Agents Brutally Arrested Him On Video. Now He’s Speaking Out.

Posted in Lotsa Links | 1 Comment

Links 2/8/26

Links for you. Science:

Multiple potential measles exposures in DC: Check sites and dates (associated with the March for Life; they took the Metro, so D.C. readers should check this)
How America’s WHO exit could affect flu shots, outbreaks, and future pandemics
Public health giant William Foege, who helped eradicate smallpox, has died at 89
The return of measles: how a once-vanquished disease is spreading again
Our Vaccine System Is Delicate. Trump Just Threw a Bowling Ball at It.
Kennedy’s head of U.S. vaccine panel wants to see kids get measles, polio. For science!
‘They saw them on their dishes when eating’: The mushroom making people hallucinate dozens of tiny humans

Other:

The Trump Administration Is Publishing a Stream of Nazi Propaganda
Another Execution by Death Squad in Minneapolis
I’ve Covered Police Abuse for 20 Years. What ICE Is Doing Is Different.
Sound and Fury
They Killed Alex Pretti, But They Couldn’t Crush Minneapolis
Downtown Crossing office building could soon become hundreds of apartments
The Congresswoman Criminalized for Visiting ICE Detainees
Abigail Spanberger’s First Move as Virginia Gov. Was a Masterstroke
As the world finally punches back, was this the week Donald Trump went too far?
She stood up to ICE. Then came the death threats. Arizona Sen. Analise Ortiz won’t back down
The AI-Powered Web Is Eating Itself
The Evil Man and the Empty Congress
Get ready for the AI ad-pocalypse
Ruling-Class Control of AI Is Making Things More Expensive and You Poorer
Monsters. And their enablers are accessories to murder
White House Terror Tactics Are Pushing Blue State Leaders to Active Resistance
The Trump administration has a Nazi problem
JD Vance Drops Odd Comments About Pagans at Brothels Discarding ‘Baby Skeletons’ at March For Life
Donald Trump doesn’t want us to believe our own eyes
The Four Types of Trump Supporter
Hakeem Jeffries met privately with Silicon Valley donors in bid to ‘mend fences.’
The taking of Liam Ramos reveals the sheer sadism of ICE
DOGE Worker at SSA Signed Agreement With Group Seeking to ‘Overturn Election Results,’ DOJ Says
How to Bless the Fire After Your Synagogue Burns
Trump’s E.P.A. Has Put a Value on Human Life: Zero Dollars
When Is a Conflict of Interest a Conflict of Interest? What a new preprint on industry influence in social media research really forces us to confront
Trump Blurts Out Real Reason for Insurrection Act Threat—and It’s Dark
What happened when Gavin Newsom sent a ‘surge’ of state troopers to fight crime in Oakland
Minnesota doctors say immigration crackdown is forcing patients to hide, endangering lives
Elon Musk’s latest feud is a mudslinging match with a budget airline
States of Denial

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Links 2/7/26

Links for you. Science:

Veronika The Cow’s Record Scratch
Scientists Discovered a Cow That Uses Tools Like a Chimpanzee
Scientists Got Men to Rate Penises by How Intimidating They Are. This Is What They Found.
The Knotweed Factor: Reconsidering an invasive species
William H. Foege, Key Figure in the Eradication of Smallpox, Dies at 89
MAHA Gave Us MAGA 2.0. Remember the Enablers.

Other:

How Do You Justify Abducting A Child?
DC Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton terminates campaign, indicating she won’t seek reelection
There’s A Catch
Two women, detained by ICE, say they helped agent having seizure
America vs. the World
“What Is Going to Happen?”
Michele Tafoya Won’t Rest Until She Finds A Bigger And Better Way To Annoy Everyone
How Kristi Noem turned ICE into the Proud Boys
The consent of the governed has been withdrawn. One year into his second term, Trump has suffered the largest approval collapse of any modern president (except the one who resigned in disgrace). He is underwater on every major policy area.
Aliens and Angel Numbers: Creators Worry Porn Platform ManyVids Is Falling Into ‘AI Psychosis’
Not Out of the Woods. Will the National Parks survive this administration?
Will Democrats Impeach Kristi Noem?
Amateur Radio Operators in Belarus Arrested, Face the Death Penalty
The Greenland Mile: After claiming the “framework of a deal” to expand America’s presence on the world’s largest island, Trump has dropped his threats to invade Greenland. Thank God, because a direct assault on Greenland wasn’t going to be a cakewalk.
ICU Nurse Alex Pretti Killed by Feds in Minn. Held Phone, Not a Gun, Video Shows (notable because it’s People)
The Instant Smear Campaign Against Border Patrol Shooting Victim Alex Pretti
Pete Hegseth Should Stay Out of Minneapolis
Wanker of the Day: Megan McArdle. The Washington Post columnist is very annoyed that Trump turned out to be a fascist.
That Other American Tolkien
The killing of Alex Pretti is a grim turning point
Alex Pretti’s ICE murder is beyond politics. This is about good vs. evil
It doesn’t matter if Alex Pretti had a gun
DHS Shooting Victim in Minneapolis Was a ‘Sweet’ and ‘Principled Person’
Statement from the Minnesota Timberwolves team chaplain
Georgetown Law refuses to remove ICE from upcoming job fair despite student petition, employers pull out in response
Oglala Sioux Tribal Council Rejects 287(g) Deal, Votes to Ban ICE Activity on Pine Ridge
Two Major Studies, 125,000 Kids: The Social Media Panic Doesn’t Hold Up
Here are the signs the Trump administration removed from Independence Park
Hudson River Park Ending Decades-Long Parking Contract with ICE
ICU nurse fatally shot by Border Patrol in Minneapolis cared for veterans

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Links 2/2/26

Links for you. Science:

The School Engine Behind Flu and COVID — and Why Clean Air for Kids Is the Missing Public Health Tool
STEPS To It
How the frog meat trade helped spread a deadly fungus worldwide
Shingles vaccine may slow biological aging in older adults
What is the toxin in Nestlé’s recalled infant formula?
RFK Jr.’s Health Department Is Studying Health Effects of Cellphones. Government webpages saying cellphones aren’t dangerous are quietly removed (ugh)

Other:

The president of the United States is at war with his own country
Amid raids, vitriol and violence, the great replacement theory rears its head in Minneapolis. Antisemitic rhetoric has shown itself to be deeply intertwined with anti-immigrant actions
San Francisco to make childcare free for families earning up to $230,000
Freedum
The Real AI Talent War Is for Plumbers and Electricians
Sure Why Not
Google’s AI Insists That Next Year Is Not 2027
As insurance prices rise, families puzzle over options
Why Silicon Valley is really talking about fleeing California (it’s not the 5%)
Lawyers allege Dept. of Homeland Security is denying legal counsel to Minnesota detainees
Trump suffers major losses in his war on offshore wind
America’s Worst Newish Fake Democratic Think Tank
The French Father of Public Transport
D.H.S.’s Role Questioned as Immigration Officers Flood U.S. Cities
House Democrats ask Trump administration if any Jan. 6 rioters are now working for ICE
Maine pauses undercover license plate requests amid ICE concerns
We Have Organized, and More Must Do So
Big Business Should End Its Faustian Bargain With Trump
For Trump, Greenland is about legacy — and humiliation
Trump’s Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw
ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice
Some Trump voters are sneaking away. They’ll never admit they’re wrong, but polling reveals quiet GOP regret
Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter Andrew Johnson to face criminal trial for child molestation
Hispanic voters sent Trump back to power. Now some are souring
NYC Is Testing Guaranteed Income for Homeless Youths. Here’s How It’s Going.
Abolish ICE
America Is Slow-Walking Into a Polymarket Disaster
Mommy He Shot Me Back
The Democrats of the Seven Kingdoms
This Is the End. Putinism abroad always morphs into Putinism at home. And we chose this path. Why? Because something-something the price of eggs.

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Links 2/6/26

Links for you. Science:

Rejecting Decades of Science, Vaccine Panel Chair Says Polio and Other Shots Should Be Optional
Spotlight on the Shingles Vaccine—Again!
New CDC deputy Ralph Abraham downplays possible loss of US measles-free status
Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’
Freeze of public health funds for states, then reversal, sows confusion
Let The Record Show That Ötzi Fucked

Other:

This Year’s First Big Stupid Idea: “Retrain ICE”
8 weeks under siege in Minnesota
Reviving The Specter Of Bond Vigilantes. The scare story is true this time. Democrats should use it to warn Americans—even to oust Trump—BEFORE he wrecks the country. But they’d have to stop being so scared.
The stunning art trove hidden in a D.C. building marked by Trump for disposal. Packed with frescoes, paintings and reliefs, the federal government’s Cohen Building has been called “the Sistine Chapel of the New Deal.” Advocates fear these works could be at risk.
How the Free World Can Fight Mad King Trump
Hundreds of clergy descend on Minneapolis and go on lookout for ICE
Trump is uniting autocracies under the banner of ‘peace’
Trump’s post-per-minute Truth Social spree at midnight hits on TikTok, political targets and Melania trailer
Slavery displays removed from Philadelphia historical site after Trump directive
Some criminals ICE takes credit for arresting were already in Minnesota prisons
The state attorneys general are as mad as you are. The Democratic state AGs think they’re the only officials standing up to Trump. They are probably right.
ICE investigates after Colorado group says agents left ‘death cards’ in arrested immigrants’ abandoned cars
Videos Showing Aggressive ICE Tactics in Minnesota Fuel a Backlash
I Was Legally Observing ICE Agents When They Turned Their Ire on Me
Army vet detained by ICE for 8 hours says he wasn’t allowed to call an attorney
ICE Agents Violently Arrest Black Corrections Officer
Kids, staff, parents detained: How federal activity in Minnesota is affecting schools and students
ICE left racist death cards to intimidate Latinos in Eagle County
The People of Minneapolis vs. Donald Trump and ICE
Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump admin for ‘sneaky little’ change that will ‘stifle’ show
Target of Viral Botched ICE Raid Was Already in Prison
Observing ICE agents is ‘a de-escalation tactic,’ sociologist says
Minnesota judges continue to reject arrest warrants in ICE protests
Inside the effort to shield Stars and Stripes from Pentagon control
The Supreme Court Shows It’s Willing to Thwart Trump—When Money Is on the Line
D.C. psychiatric hospital accused of compromising safety, security
Hundreds protest against ICE in Maine as fear grips immigrant communities: ‘It’s like a manufactured crisis’
Federal judge bars Virginia from keeping thousands of felons from voting
Trump’s ICE Operation In Minnesota Is Wreaking Havoc In Schools
Abdul El-Sayed Wants to “Throw Some Righteous Punches”

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