Crime in Chicago - It Is Not a Law and Order City

I miss living in a civilized society. I miss when Chicago was a great city.

First we have a story about Public Transit. The Left loves to say that people should take transit, so it would be nice if there was some safety. Crazed Man Kidnaps Chicago Bus Driver at Knifepoint, Leads Her to Jump Out Window | The Gateway Pundit | by Michael Austin, The Western Journal

A bus driver in Chicago was kidnapped at knifepoint, prompting her to flee the assailant by jumping out of the vehicle’s window.

The Chicago Transit Authority is not blind to the conditions in that city, so the bus drivers have a silent alarm. She was able to trigger it, calling for help.

He ran, but the cops tracked him down a short time later.

He has been charged with aggravated armed kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, and aggravated assault.

And in a notable change, he was held in jail.

From the New York Post, we get a story of a "teen takeover." Shouldn't this be called a riot? 5 officers struck by car after ‘teen takeover’ hits Chicago’s West Side — as 19 people hurt in shootings

This article was published on Sunday afternoon, so that 19 number doesn't include anything that happened on Monday.

At least five officers were struck by a driver during a “teen takeover” event early Sunday in Chicago’s West Side, only the latest in the viral trend hitting American streets.

Elsewhere, 19 people were shot and wounded on Memorial Day in the Windy City.

So what is the difference between a "teen takeover" and a riot?

It used to be a wonderful city.

Professor Yamane Attended the Smith & Wesson Collectors Association Annual Meeting

I would not use the word crashed. Professor David Yamane at Light Over Heat has an interesting article. I Crashed the Smith & Wesson Collectors Association Annual Meeting

Last summer, I attended the Smith & Wesson Collectors Association (SWCA) annual meeting in Concord, North Carolina to give a presentation about my book, Gun Curious. The SWCA then made me an Honorary Member of the Association. And this spring, they published the text of my presentation in their journal.

For someone whose focus has been on defensive gun culture (Gun Culture 2.0) rather than collecting and other aspects of Gun Culture 1.0, this experience was as gratifying as it was surprising.

Like all of Professor Yamane's writing, it is worth reading.

Late Stage TDS in the Media

Another story of Trump Derangement Syndrome from The Other McCain. How We Got Here: ‘Susan Collins, One of the Most Evil People in Public Life’

In this case we have a Professional Journalist™ from The Nation, namely David Klion.

“TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP!” The deranged obsession so warps David Klion’s perception that, when challenged on his over-the-top rhetoric, his response is to post a syllogism, the first premise of which is, “Republicans are evil,” and believes that he has thereby vanquished his critics.

Click thru for the insanity.

The Platner Campaign Is Entertaining

Watching the Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) twist themselves into pretzels to claim that the guy with Nazi tatoo is not a Nazi has been something to watch. I shocked to discover that he has other probems. Platner Staffers Bodycheck Journalists Asking Questions About His Sexting Scandal

In case you don't know, Graham Platner is running in the Democratic Primary in Maine for senator. His campaign has hit a few speed bumps along the way.

I wouldn't call it chaos exactly, or call what was done a "bodycheck" (I watch hockey when I'm with family), but shoving reporters isn't called for.

Staffers could be seen shoving signs in the view of cameras to prevent journalists from capturing footage of Platner as he returned to a vehicle. The Maine Wire, an investigative news outlet located in the state, accused staffers of “bodychecking” journalists who desired to ask the candidate questions.

The current scandal - not the Nazi tatoo scandal, that's the old scandal - is about the candidate and his "disturbing sexual deviancy."

Click thru for those details.

Angel of Midnight

Rick Beato is searching for new rock songs. That is fine, but he seems to be stuck in a pop-influenced set of songs. (I can't recommend the video, as I hated all of the songs.)

So I went searching for new songs, from bands I like, and a found a few... Here is one. We will get to others eventually. And this band is described as "pop-infused," but I like it.

Battle Beast is a 6 piece band out of Helsinki, Finland. I generally like their music.

This song is "Angel of Midnight" by Battle Beast from their October 2025 album Steelbound. The song was released as a single shortly before the album. (September?)

Domestic Violence and Self-Defense in Ohio

Austintown, Ohio police release details of May 13 shooting on New Road

Police are calling this a road rage crash, but then point out the fact that is a domestic violence attack. OK. I think of those things as being two very different things.

In a news release, Chief Valerie Delmont said a vehicle driven by Zachary Fisher, 30, was involved in a crash with a car driven by his ex-girlfriend during a “domestic situation.”

The woman had two children in her car, along with a man in the passenger’s seat, the release said.

The release said following the crash, Fisher got out of his vehicle with a gun in his hand and got in a physical altercation with his ex-girlfriend before coming up to the passenger’s side where the man was sitting.

That passenger was armed, and he shot once, incapacitating Fisher.

Zachary Fisher died at a local hospital.

Austintown, Ohio, is about 3 miles west of Youngstown, or about 55 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Cops are treating the shooting as a case of justified self-defense, but the DA will make the final determination on charges.

Self-defense is a human right, and while Ohio law isn't perfect, it is pretty good (in my opinion - I'm not a lawyer) on self-defense and concealed carry. (Hat tip to Concealed Nation.)

NC Violated Law by Letting Nonresidents to Vote in Federal Elections

From Just The News: NC court rules state violated law by allowing nonresidents to vote in federal elections

The Wake County Superior Court sided with the RNC in the ruling Tuesday after the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled last year that people who have never lived in the state cannot vote in state elections.

The state stopped nonresidents from voting in state elections in the wake of the state Supreme Court ruling, but did not change its policies when it came to federal elections.

This is insane, but that is the way Democrats steal elections.

Hat tip to William Teach at Pirate's Cove.

Kind of wild that a pretty Dem court in Dem controlled Wake County, NC voted this way

Police Chief Accused of Selling Evidence to Pawn Shop

It can be hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys some days. New Chicago, Indiana, police chief accused of selling pawn shop a gun being held as evidence - CBS Chicago

New Chicago police Chief Earl Mayo was charged with theft, official misconduct, and attempted obstruction of justice, as well as unlawful possession of an anabolic steroid, according to court documents.

New Chicago, Indiana is roughly 13 miles east of the Illinois State Line, about 4 miles south of Lake Michigan, 3 miles southeast of Gary, or about a 40 mile drive southeast of downtown Chicago.

The gun was a Taurus G3. It was sold to the Mega Cash Pawn shop in Hobart, Indiana. (Hobart is just to the south of New Chicago.) He apparently sold 12 guns to the pawn shop over several years. No one said those were from evidence or problematic.

In a bit if irony, his father is running for Sheriff of the local county, Lake County, Indiana. The father and mother issued a statement that basically says, if he's found guilty, then he has to face the consequences.

This is a link to Steve Lehto's video Police Chief Arrested When Evidence is Sold to Pawn Shop. He gets the hat tip, though the video is a bit longer than it needs to be at 11 minutes.

Late Stage TDS

And once again the party that claims to be for peace, love, and understanding, (that would be the Democrats) are vile, and wishing ill on people who dare to disagree with them. Trump Derangement Syndrome: Some Historical Perspective on Political Manias : The Other McCain

How can it be that someone working as the assistant vice president of a financial institution could think this way? And believe she could post something like that online without consequences?

The problem is not just that a lot of Democrats are insane — although, of course they are — but that so many people, including Republicans, are incapable of thinking outside of the here-and-now of politics, the 24/7 news cycle reinforced by constant immersion in social media noise.

Click thru for the details, including how a financial VP lost her job over wishing a painful death on Pam Bondi, and some great historical perspectives on the issue of this kind of partisan insanity.

The Absolute Collapse of Star Wars Box Office

Odin is a member of the Friday Night Tights crew, and he is a movie reviewer who focuses heavily on the financial aspects of the movie industry. And I love the numbers and the statistics. He also writes for Geeks + Gamers. It’s Official: Independent Films Backrooms and Obsession Embarrass Disney’s Mandalorian and Grogu – Box Office Breakdown

He took aim at the box office numbers Sunday afternoon, as he often (usually? always?) does.

Just when you thought that the movie business had lost any sense of intrigue or surprise, two independent films made by YouTubers blasted their way to the top of the box office discussion. For the last few weeks, the horror film Obsession has been doing things I haven't seen since I started covering the box office back in 2018. Not only did it make 39% more in its second weekend than its first without any massive change in theater counts, but it has now increased again, making another 10% gain, according to current weekend #3 estimates.

There has been much written and recorded about the implosion of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu at the box office. It has been beaten by two independent horror films. Backrooms had a budget of about $10 million, and came in at #1 in its first week in release. Obsession had a budget of about $1 million and came in at #2 in its second week in release.

Compare those numbers to the current Star Wars movie, that had a budget in the 100s of millions of dollars, came in at #3 in its second week in review.

This is the OMB Reviews video Backrooms and Obsession Just Destroyed the Hollywood Machine

Odin is not the only person covering this. Here is the Midnight's Edge video Star Wars The Mandalorian and Grogu is Dead, Kathleen Kennedy the Culprit

If you are interested in looking at the raw numbers, see The Numbers.

A Miguel Gonzalez Musical Interlude

Miguel Gonzalez brings us a lovely musical interlude. Sunday Repose

And a short review of Amazon Prime's series Spider-Noir, staring Nicholas Cage.

Not a bad series. A mixture of Marvel comics and old timey serials of the 1950s with a good dash of Noir gangster cinema

I am going to find time this week to watch it. (There are only 8 episodes.) You can watch in either color or black and white. Black and white is recommended because it is shot in the Film Noir style, which doesn't work in color. And it was filmed shot with the idea that it would be in black and white.

Click thru for "Dream a Little Dream of Me" from the soundtrack to Spider-Noir as performed by Li Jun Li.

"Dream a Little Dream of Me" was written in the 1930s, but you (might) know it because it was covered by Cass Eliot with the Mamas and the Papas in 1968.

Homeowners in Florida Are Armed

Bad guys haven't gotten that memo. Homeowner fires warning shot after man tries to break in, threatens to kill family, Volusia deputies say

The homeowner told deputies he was inside with his family "when he heard loud banging coming from the front door" of the home.

When Self couldn't get in through the front door, the homeowner told deputies, "Self moved to the carport entrance and began striking the carport door" while "screaming incoherently and aggressively."

The homeowner fired a warning shot into the ground. I don't like warning shots, and they are not legal in every jurisdiction. If you need to fire a weapon, it should be because the threat is imminent. If you want to send a message use your cellphone.

It did, however, convince Nathaniel Self to leave. Police caught up with him a short time later and took him into custody.

DeLand, Florida is in Volusia County. It is about a 35 mile drive north-northeast of Orlando. This incident took place "near DeLand."

Is this an issue of crazy people are dangerous, or were drugs involved?

Neighbors who spoke off camera said they believe Self came from a homeless encampment nearby. They said it's been a problem for some time, with people banging on their doors at all hours of the night, and they hope something gets done about it soon.

Self is charged with several things including attempted burglary of an occupied dwelling.

Self-defense is a human right.

Academics Have Noticed that the Value of Higher Education Is Falling

Campus Reform brings us some observations from Rob Jenkins, who is a Higher Education Fellow with Campus Reform and a tenured associate professor of English at Georgia State University - Perimeter College. Dear Academe: You have done that yourself

After a bit of reminiscing about Star Wars, as it was before it was destroyed by Disney, we get to the heart of the matter.

I think about that scene every time I hear academics complaining about the current state of higher education—the fact that trust in the institution has plummeted and the value of a degree isn’t what it used to be. “It’s your own fault,” I want to tell them (perhaps a bit less stoically than ObiWan). “You have done that yourself!”

Apparently, I am not alone. A recent report from Yale University, of all places, reached much the same conclusion. According to Campus Reform, the report blames the ongoing erosion of trust in higher ed on lack of intellectual diversity and political conformity, among other things.

I would say that the lack of rigor in various studies, and the wildly increasing costs of an education relative to the salaries that graduates can command isn't helping.

I have a degree in mathematics, but I attended a Great Books college. We read Plato, and Plutarch. We studied the history of the Roman Empire, and the founding of the Soviet Union, with all of the atrocities that involved. We read Alexis de Tocqueville and Descartes. We studied both Marx and Adam Smith. I am no opposed to higher education that includes things like literature, and philosophy, and history. But the current state of higher education is almost completely worthless.

Read the whole thing.

89 Children Rescued in Texas

The media seems to be (mostly) ignoring this completely. 276 Arrested, 89 Children Rescued in Massive Child Exploitation Sweep in Texas | The Epoch Times

The only mainstream media mention I could find on Saturday afternoon was from Fox. No one else seems to care about the welfare of children. Or they are just committed to NOT giving the Trump administration (and Homeland Security) credit for anything.

A massive child exploitation task force operation in north Texas in March and April this year resulted in 276 arrests and the rescue of 89 children, the FBI announced May 29.

The FBI’s Dallas division joined forces with the Dallas Police Department and other local authorities for Operation Soteria Shield in an effort focused on rescuing children from online sexual exploitation.

Click thru for the rest of the details.

Texas Politics Is Becoming Insane

Or it is at least starting to be really entertaining. What $100,000,000 Buys : The Other McCain

The RINO class is not happy that Cornyn lost his primary. The Democrats hope that it means they can turn Texas blue.

Do I want to pick a fight with Erick Erickson? No, I do not. Erick has done yeoman’s work for the conservative cause for more than 20 years, and 99 days out of 100, I have no problem with him. But his reaction to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s victory in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff against John Cornyn is a reminder of something most people never think about — there are professional campaign operatives who earn a lucrative living from politics. Erick Erickson is close friends with a lot of Republican operatives and, it seems obvious to me, some of Erick’s friends were getting paid by Team Cornyn.

The Establishment Republican reaction is entertaining. The Democrats reaction is laughable.

Click thru for the details, and analysis.

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 30 May

EBL is up first with Chrysler : John Ciambriello

27 May 1930 : Chrysler Building opens
AoSHQ: Morning Report 05.27.26

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 05.27.26

Nebraska Energy Observer: The Surplus Store
Outkick: Bomani Jones Becomes Latest Commentator To Criticize Jaxson Dart

The Right Way - Top of the News

The Islamic Center of San Diego’s Jihadist Legacy - Blazingcatfur
Paxton win sends message to Thune: It’s Trump’s Senate now

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 28 May 2026: The Beeg Cat Who Walks Through Walls Edition

GitHub Actions not only went down, the outage left it telling users their accounts were suspended. (The Register)
Neat. Let's put all the worlds code there.

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump is Cleaning Up and Beautifying Washington DC

From Ace, Judge Clears Way for Trump to Tighten Verification for Mail-In Votes; Scott Bessent Touts New IRS Rules to Identify Antifa's Funders; OMB Director Russ Vought Acts to Make Sure That Federal Grants Go to US Citizens Not Foreigners and Illegal Aliens.

Small Dead Animals - Wednesday On Turtle Island

The Democratic Party’s America: George Floyd Day. VDH – Selective outrage. Trump’s biggest win. Mamdani moment. Your morning meme.
Conman Carney’s Canada: Our dictator warns Alberta.

Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog - LinkSwarm For May 29, 2026

“CENTCOM: Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Kuwait ‘egregious ceasefire violation.'” Ya think?
U.S. seizes over $1 billion in Iranian cryptocurrency.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 05.29.26 (Very Early Morning Edition)

Don Surber: You want the party back?
Flopping Aces: First Blood In Texas
Gates Of Vienna: Knife Jihad in Winterthur

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 5/28/2026

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Explodes on Florida Launchpad
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded in a massive fireball while undergoing a static-fire test on a Florida launchpad Thursday evening

The Glibertarians - Wednesday Afternoon Links of Substitution

NEWS FROM OCCUPIED VIRGINIA: Some Virginia Sheriffs and Commonwealth’s Attorneys (prosecutors) have announced that they will not enforce the Democrats’ so-called assault weapons ban set to take effect in July.

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism, 05/29/2026 – Back to The Washington Post Dying in Darkness!

How a bipartisan women’s history museum became a political football
Now THIS is the kind of clever guerilla tactics we need to see more of from the GOP!

The Political Hat - Quick Takes – Discrimination In Academia: DEI Continues At Arizona State; Stanford Medicine Renames But Keeps DEI; UCLA Still Racially Discriminates

It’s still DEI even if it’s called something else.
Medicine is about discriminating at Stanford Medicine.
The Supreme Court said that racially discriminating in admissions is illegal. UCLA doesn’t care.

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 05.29.26 (Normal Evening Edition)

Victory Girls: Trump Gets UFC – No Kings Gets Jane Fonda
Watts Up With That: Pressure Causes Temperature? It’s Time to Climb Down from “Mount Stupid”

Vlad Tepes - UK, historical myth making and Chinese control of Canadian state agencies: Links 1 for May 29, 2026

4. If a Canadian retweets or likes this short video on Chinese control of Canadian government, will we be kidnapped into a dialecticaly named, mental health facility and force fed brain destroying drugs?

Maggie's Farm - Wednesday morning links

Starship Test: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Spencer Pratt Has Game

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 5/ 29/26

On demonstrators protesting Sharia law: “Finish them off.”
Academic Assailant: Dana Cloud, University of Cincinnati

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Leading NJ Dem congressional candidate Hamawy volunteered with Al-Qaida in Bosnia

• Your Journalism Degree Is Now a STEM Degree - FacultyLeaks.com
• EV Pixie Dust Effect: Ferrari Unaware of Woke Jaguar Commercial - Beege Welborn

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 05/27/2026

South Carolina’s New Social Media Law Puts Every User Under Age Surveillance. That is no good. It is possible “The Storm” is a red herring, and all other options end in us getting fucked.

I leave you with Midweek Memes from Granite Grok, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #3734 from 90 Miles from Tyranny, Thursday Memes … from MaddMedic, and Friday's gifs from Wirecutter.

Gun Sales Soar in Response to Bans

Bearing Arms brings us a completely predictable story. Glock Bans Send Gun Sales Soaring

We've been reporting on the surge in gun sales in Virginia over the past few months, a boom caused by Democrats' wave of gun control legislation that includes a ban on so-called assault firearms and large capacity magazines. Now a similar wave appears to be forming in Maryland in response to Gov. Wes Moore's signature on a bill that will ban the sale of Glocks and other striker-fired handguns later this year.

I have not been following this very closely, not live in Virginia. I have to say that it sounds completely stupid.

Anti-gun activists know that passage of their favored gun control laws leads to a spike in sales in the short term, but they're willing to make that trade-off because once a law takes effect its impact will be felt for as long as it remains in place.

Click thu.

The Bears Are Leaving Chicago

From George Shay at The Chicago Contrarian we get a story of the Democrats turning on their own. UnBearable

The Democratic governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, not so affectionately known as Fatso, is laying the blame for the Chicago Bears moving to Indiana, something they have not officially decided to do, on Chicago's mayor, Brendan Johnson.

You know things are going badly for a mayor when even the governor from his own party publicly humiliates him. That is exactly what happened when JB Pritzker openly criticized Brandon Johnson for having “no plan” to keep the Chicago Bears in Chicago. Coming from a Republican, that would have been ordinary politics. Coming from the Democratic governor of Illinois, it was devastating.

The Bears aren't considering this move in a vacuum.

The sad reality is Chicago has lost a great deal in just three short years under Brandon Johnson. We lost ShotSpotter, despite the fact many police officers believed it helped save lives by locating gunfire quickly. We have lost businesses, investment, conventions, taxpayers, and confidence in public safety. We have lost far too many young people to gun violence, and we have lost police officers both literally and figuratively as morale within law enforcement continues to erode.

Click thru for more details.

As for The Bears, we get this from the AP: Bears reiterate Chicago stadium options are ‘exhausted,’ focused on suburban Illinois and Indiana

The Bears reiterated Thursday they plan to leave Chicago as they continue to look at building a stadium in suburban Illinois or Hammond, Indiana.

The state is trying to do some things to keep them in Illinois, so Pritzker could maybe do something there.

The Bears haven't said why they are leaving Chicago, but the tax and crime situation is why other people are leaving. They have said that want a moderen, enclosed stadium. If you have ever been in Chicago in January, you would understand.

Hold On, Hold On

Neko Case is listed as an Alt-country musician in a couple of places, though today's song sounds more folk rock than country to me. I'm not really that familiar with her music, though I have heard a few tracks. Since this song is from 2006, I am going to assume it is from the WXRT Saturday Morning Flashback at the start of January, when they were revisiting that year.

I am more familiar with the collaboration album Neko Case did with k.d. lang and Laura Veirs, which was released in 2016. That album is case/lang/veirs.

Though I don't think you will need them, here is a link to the lyrics.

This song is "Hold On, Hold On" by Neko Case from her 2006 album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.

Friday Links - 29 May

Peter Sweden is first with a story from Ireland. UNREAL: Pastor CONVICTED for preaching in UK

What you are about to read is something that should never happen in a free country.

An elderly pastor held an open air Sunday service in Northern Ireland.

For this ”crime” the man was convicted in court.

William Teach at Pirate's Cove - Liberal States Are Cutting Back On Healthcare For Illegals Or Something

Remember how we were told time and again that illegals were not getting taxpayer funded healthcare, especially in a manner that American citizens could not get?

The Silicon Graybeard - NASA proposes a lunar settlement development plan

Since Jared Isaacman took over as NASA administrator, one of the topics he has talked about regularly is not just returning to the Moon, and beating China to this little goal, but creating a sustained presence on the Moon.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 27 May 2026: Stardenburdenhardenbart Edition

California is considering an exemption from its sweeping age verification requirements for open-source operating systems such as Linux. (Tom's Hardware)

Which is nice because the law is stupid, totalitarian, and completely unenforceable anyway.

Meep at STUMP - RIP, Kyle Busch: Sepsis Death Trends in the U.S.

Men, please go to the doctor... especially if you have pneumonia

Clayton Cramer - At Least He is a FORMER CIA Official

The article explains that he was caught when he defrauded the government of $77,000. This led to the discovery that his bachelor's and master's degrees did not exist nor his military pilot's license.

The Silicon Graybeard - Blue Origin's next New Glenn flight is next week

The launch is currently scheduled for No Earlier Than next Thursday, June 4, 1:21 PM EDT from Launch Complex 36 - or LC-36 - on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS)

Two Good Guys with Guns Stop a Bad Guy

That thing the Left says never happen, happened again. Shooting in grocery store parking lot leaves one dead and wounds teen working his first job

You are not protected by your zip code. Pleasant Hill would be called a "safe town," but that doesn't mean you are safe. It is better to not need a firearm, and have it, than to need a firearm, and not have it with you..

The deadly shooting in the grocery store parking lot marks the first homicide in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, in nearly 20 years

But because it is a "safe town" didn't stop bad things from happening. The chance of a bad thing happening was low, but not zero.

The bad guy didn't have a scary AR-15, or even a scary Glock. He had a not-so-scary bolt-action rifle. He still managed to kill someone.

Two armed citizens intervened shortly after the gunfire began, a move [Pleasant Hill Police Chief Tommy] Wright said may have prevented further bloodshed. The two men, whom the police declined to identify, approached Prince before he turned the gun on himself, Wright said.

The system didn't stop this guy. The police showed up later and dealt with the aftermath. The thing that stopped the bad guy was two citizens with guns.

This is Colion Noir's video The Police Chief Said Armed Citizens Likely Prevented More Bloodshed

Alabama Sheriff Ousted for NOT Working With ICE

For some reason I haven't seen this in the media. Doesn't mean they haven't covered it. This Alabama sheriff who wouldn't participate in 287(g) to aid immigration enforcement lost reelection after nearly three decades in office | Not the Bee

He was defeated in the Republican primary election after nearly 30 years in office, because he would cooperate with neither Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) nor Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Cam Hunt launched his campaign against Jones because he was frustrated that the sheriff's office was not participating in the 287(g) which is a voluntary program that allows sheriff's offices to aid in immigration enforcement by holding illegal aliens for ICE and CBP.

Hunt was fired by Jones for launching this campaign, and Tuesday night it was Jones who was fired by the people of Lee County.

Lee County, Alabama. which is home to Auburn University, is a 60 mile, or so, drive east of Montgomery, Alabama.

Even though this is Alabama, the power of the incumbent is strong, despite the power of immigration. The election was 51% to 49% and was separated by only 307 votes.

And yes, you did read that correctly. Jay Jones fired deputy Cameron Hunt for having the nerve to challenge him politically.

There are Rules That Come With Green Cards

And there are consequences for breaking those rules. William Teach at Pirate's Cove has a story of consequences. Bummer: ICE Detains Wisconsin Woman In Los Angeles

So, let’s say you are applying for citizenship, going through all the steps, paying all that money, and then you break the law. Do you know what happens? Well, you lose your citizenship journey. You go back to your home country.

And low and behold a green card holder, who has held a green card for a long time, was arrested for drugs. She wasn't deported. But she left the country and was stopped when coming back into the country in Los Angeles.

Her 2014 conviction was not grounds for deportation, said Marc Christopher, a Milwaukee immigration attorney representing Wihongi. “She can remain here and become a U.S. citizen,” he said, “but once she crosses the border, she’s governed by the rules of admissibility.”

But back to William Teach.

Foreign felons, including if they committed the crimes in the U.S., are usually not admissible to the United States. And, of course, the news has to make it about all of them.

We Have a Star Wars Movie

A really bad Star Wars movie. It opened to the lowest box office in the Disney Lucasfim era.

This post morphed into a monster, because one post got stuck in drafts, so this merges them together. The first part talks about the movie, financial performance, and some reviews. The break is in the middle of the 1st part. The 2nd part deals with how Disney took the #1 cinema franchise of all time, and created apathy.

First I direct you to this story from Marvin Montanaro at Geeks + Gamers: ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ is Officially The Lowest Opening Disney Star Wars Movie Ever

For years, Disney and Lucasfilm treated Din Djarin and Grogu like the future of Star Wars. The duo became the centerpiece of the franchise’s streaming era, drove massive merchandise sales, and were positioned as the answer to fan backlash surrounding the sequel trilogy. Now, the box office numbers are in for The Mandalorian and Grogu, and they paint a troubling picture for the state of the brand.

The film officially opened to approximately $81.9 million domestically over its traditional 3-day opening weekend, with an estimated $102 million over the extended Memorial Day frame.

Now Marvin only had the Sunday and Monday estimates. Typing this on Tuesday 26 May, I have the actual spend, at least the domestic spend. The number is NOT $102 million. The actual number (from The Numbers - click on the Box Office tab) is $98 million domestically as of the end of Memorial Day weekend (Monday the 25th).

There was much discussion prior to the weekend, if it would be necessary to account for inflation of the next-worst-performing, Disney, Star Wars movie; it is not. The worst-performing movie HAD BEEN Solo: A Star Wars Story, which came out in 2018. It also released on Memorial Day weekend. Domestically Solo cleared $103 million through its first Monday. That is without accounting for inflation.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is officially the worst-performing movie in the entire Disney era. It is worse if you take inflation into account.

CPD Officer Attacked by Suspect with Brass Knuckles

I miss living in a civilized society. CPD officer may be unable to eat solid food for months after McKinley Park attack - CWB Chicago

They were getting a ticket, becuase they blocked an ambulence at an emergency. Blocked it so the ambulence could not leave and take the injured person to the hospital.

A convicted child sex offender and his sister have been detained on allegations that they battered a Chicago police officer who wrote them a ticket for blocking an ambulance at an emergency scene Tuesday night in McKinley Park. Prosecutors said the injured officer will be unable to eat solid foods for several months.

So of course they attacked the cop, because in a civilized society, we worry about what we owe to the others around us, like letting emergency services do their jobs. Chicago no longer qualifes as a civilized society; it is chaos.

To be clear, the suspect had brass knuckles when he was arrested. The family is saying that the cop was hit with them; I'm not sure the cops are saying that.

At that point, Sopher joined the fray, grabbing Mangan and punching the officer in the face multiple times, causing Mangan to fall to the ground, prosecutors said. Sopher then allegedly climbed on top of the fallen officer and continued to punch him in the face, causing several of Mangan’s teeth to be knocked out or loosened. Officers pulled Sopher off of Mangan and found a pair of brass knuckles in his front hoodie pocket, prosecutors said.

Click thru for the details. Weep for the status of Chicago, and the Blue Cities in general.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 27 May

William Teach at Pirate's Cove is up first with Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

9. Victory Girls Blog: Jeffries Tries to Define What is/is not Acceptable anti-Semitism in Democrat Party
10. Virtual Mirage: Meritocracy

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 05.26.26 (Afternoon Edition)

Stoic Observations: Outfitting
Based Book Sale: Craig Wilson Makes Hard SF Meet Deep Time

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 26 May 2026: Polka Time Edition

If you are running Ghost CMS the best time to upgrade was February 19. (Bleeping Computer)
The second best time is now. If your site still exists.

EBL - Jaxson Dart and Marissa Ayers

NY Giants QB Jaxson Dart got some attention supporting President Trump.
But Jaxson's girlfriend Marissa Ayers also gets some attention too.

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Iran Deal in the Wings? and Another White House Shooter

Nick Arama thinks a New Report Reveals CIA Director John Ratcliffe Dropped One Heck of a Boss Move on Cuban Regime. "Ratcliffe made a point of introducing the paramilitary leader to the Cubans as the one who killed their people in Venezuela, several sources said.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 5/25/2026

Official statistics have shown that asylum seekers in one English county are approximately 9,000% more likely to commit sexual or violent offences than their share of the local population would indicate

Don Surber - HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEWS

ITEM 9: Science Alert reported, “A Beluga Whale Showed a Sign of Intelligence Once Thought Unique to Humans.”
They recognize themselves in a mirror—and like it. That makes them as smart as Obama.

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkange

The Shekel – Coins, Law, and Commentary – Goodbye, Thomas Massie
Woodsterman Babes ………….

The Glibertarians - Saturday Morning Mourning Links

Anyone who is hated by both Team Blue and Team Red is OK in my book.
It’s the monster you helped create. Deal with it.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 05.26.26 (Evening Edition)

Racket News: Humanity Needs To Get Offline
Shark Tank: Catalina Lauf Slams Madison Cawthorn Over Memorial Day Meet & Greet

Small Dead Animals - Saturday On Turtle Island

China Carney’s Canada: A bubble wrapped world. Misleading CBC article. First Settlers funding. Investing in communism. Indian schools a holocaust.
Stories You Won’t Find At Carney’s CBC: Small boat migrants. White racism.

Maggie's Farm - Saturday morning links

Spencer Pratt speaks
It Turns Out Illegal Aliens Were Getting Food Stamps in Wisconsin

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 5/ 26/26

“I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side,” Trump wrote.
Rubio Reveals What’s Stalling Iran Agreement.

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: For the Honored Dead

• Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Net Zero Dream - Tilak Doshi
• Dr. Oz Fires Back After Joy Behar's TrumpRx Meltdown - David Manney

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 05/26/2026

You will have to travel over the Vox Day and read this one. It features a transcript, which if true, might mean Nicola Tesla discovered the Vatican discovered electricity as early as 1200 AD

I leave you with Food for Thought – 24 May 2026 from Mostly Cajun, Sunday Funnies For 05-24-26 from Stately McDaniel Manor, Sunday Memes … from MaddMedic, and Tuesday Memes … from MaddMedic.

There Are No Guarantees

I still think that being armed in your own defense is better than the alternative. An Oregon Man Fired Back at an Intruder. By the Time Police Arrived, Two People Were Down. - USA Carry

This is a pretty standard story of the home invasion. Very few details were provided by the police, and the wording they used wasn't 100% clear on what happened.

Here is what we do not know, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. We do not know for certain who the two wounded people were. We do not know whether one of the wounded was the homeowner or whether both were intruders, though the way the police report is worded, with the caller saying he was shooting back, it sounds like one was the resident and one was the intruder.

This guy did everything right. He called 911. He defended himself. He ended up shot.

There are no guarantees in this life, there are only strategies for dealing with violent encounters.

Illinois Sued Over Firearms Owners ID Card

The FOID card is one of many things Illinois does to stand in the way of your Second Amendment RightsIllinois Sued Over Firearms Licensing Scheme | The Daily Caller

Illinois requires anyone to obtain a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID) before they can possess any firearm or even ammunition, according to the Illinois State Police Firearms Service Bureau. The New Civil Liberties Alliance announced the litigation in a Tuesday release, bringing the action on behalf of several Illinois residents including a Navy veteran and a restaurant owner.

Click thru for the details, as it is a fairly straight-forward suit in the era of Bruen.

“Under the FOID scheme, the state denies all residents the right to keep and bear arms unless and until they satisfy the ISP that they are eligible—and reserves the right to revoke permission instantly, at any time,” the complaint says.

Need to buy some popcorn. Oh, and the liberals with be screaming about the end of the world in a few seconds.

Put the Message In the Box

Another selection from WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback. This is from a late April show.

1990 was a pretty good year. The films from that year include The Hunt for Red October, Ghost, Awakenings, Home Alone, Pretty Woman, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

World Party was the project of Karl Wallinger. He was the only consistent member of the group. Wallinger started World Party after he left Water Boys. He stopped touring, releasing albums under the name World Party in 2015, though he was reportedly working on a new album in 2023. Considering the first album came out in 1987, that is not a bad run. Wallinger passed away in 2024 at the age of 66.

This song is "Put the Message In the Box" by World Party from their 1990 album Goodbye Jumbo.

German Boy Decapitated By Palestinian Migrant

Europe is going to kill themselves over empathy. HORRIFIC: German Boy Decapitated By Palestinian Migrant Who Should Have Been Deported - modernity

German media is reporting that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in an abandoned building near Memmingen train station by 37-year-old Qais Saleh, a rejected Palestinian asylum seeker from Abu Qash in the West Bank.

He was denied asylum, but couldn't be deported for some reason. Why? Bureaucrats run on documentation and he didn't have any.

You can click thru for the details on the crime, why he was in the country, when he came to Europe, etc.

When confronted, he attacked officers with a knife, fled, and was later shot after lunging at them again outside an indoor swimming pool.

He died in hospital and authorities are now investigating the use of lethal force.

Because of course they are investigating if a guy who killed a kid, and then attack cops with knife, was dealt with fairly. And while this is Germany, this kind of thing is happening all over Empathetic Europe, though decapitation is extreme, rape has become disturbingly common.

Tuesday Links - 26 May

William Teach at Pirate's Cove starts us off with Good Grief: Masculinity, Eating Meat, And Climate Doom

I thought the age of this type of Woke wackadoodle crap was over. But, hey, it’s the uber-Leftist UK Guardian

Busted Knuckles - I grew up listening with my parents to CBS News Radio, can’t say I am not gratified to hear it is gone.

Once you cease to be useful to the Black Rider, you will be thrown from the high horse. And if CBS News Radio was a part of holding the country together, it was doing so for the benefit of the ruling elite.

Chant du Départ - The Mowing ...

I am giving serious thought to finding someone else to do it, you know, for cash money. As Danny Glover might have put it ...

Clayton Cramer - Capitalist Meets Astronomer Need

Results: magnificent.

Miguel Gonzalez - Let Darwin be the teacher for others.

We have seen this crap going on for ages. More than one Hollywood movie has a version of the subway surfing probably dating back to silent movies.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 23 May 2026: Peak Three Edition

Spotify is focusing on AI to deliver everything except what it is paid to deliver. (Tech Crunch)

Spotify wants to become an "everything audio" app, only it's all AI. Audiobooks read by AI; podcasts read by AI; your daily schedule... Read to you by AI.

Want to listen to music? Well, sure, that's in there too. Somewhere. Probably.

Wombat-socho - FMJRA 2.0: Writing Until Dawn

I wrote a thing. Maybe not as good as Ralts Bloodthorne’s Behold! Humanity (and certainly not as long) but you may find it entertaining. As the post title says, it kept me up until dawn for most of last week.

The Other McCain - ‘Crash Out Kylie’: How a Queer Feminist Became Famous (Not in a Good Way)

Lecturing the world about politics at age 24? Never crossed my mind circa 1984, and I can’t imagine why Kylie Brewer or anyone else would imagine the world needs such lectures.

Gates of Vienna - Justice, Belgian-Style

Mr. Bakkali was sentenced in France, but he is serving his sentence in a Belgian prison. Under Belgian penal rules, he is eligible for furloughs from prison after serving only one-third of his sentence.

Jews Can Shoot - CPRC: FBI Active Shooter Reports Undercount Armed Citizens Who Stop Attacks

The Crime Prevention Research Center report claims the FBI’s active shooter reports from 2014 through 2023 badly undercount armed citizens who stopped attacks. According to the CPRC, the FBI listed only 14 active shooter incidents stopped by defensive gun use during that period, while the CPRC found 180 such cases.

Again from The Other McCain - Congo: ‘The Horror! The Horror!’

Joseph Conrad famously used the Belgian Congo as the scene for Heart of Darkness, with the madman Kurtz dying of fever, his final words being: “The horror! The horror!” The situation has not much improved lately, as the State Department warns: “Do not travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) due to crime, civil unrest, and health. Some areas have increased risk due to armed conflict.”

And then there’s the deadly ebola outbreak

Hunter Shoots Charging Grizzly Bear

Some predators walk on 4 legs, and you are only an apex predator when you are armed. Hunter shoots charging grizzly bear in defense of life near Cave Falls Road | Idaho Fish and Game

A hunter and his son were hunting black bear in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, near Ashton, Idaho, when a Grizzly charged them.

The hunters were sitting on the edge of a meadow when a grizzly began crossing it and seemed to pick up their scent. The grizzly then changed direction and headed directly toward the two hunters. As the hunters attempted to alert the grizzly to their presence, it began to charge directly toward them. The man fired at the charging bear with his sidearm before quickly switching to his hunting rifle, killing it within 5 yards of where he was standing.

Ashton, Idaho, is near West Yellowstone. It is about 220 miles north of Salt Lake City, Utah, or about 110 miles south of Bozeman, Montana.

The Idaho Fish and Game department has determined that the grizzly was shot in self-defense.

After conducting a thorough investigation, it was determined that the hunter acted in defense of life, as he and his son were being charged by a bear from a close distance.

Click thru for details, and info about how to deal with things in bear country.

Can You Stop a Home Invasion With a Cellphone?

The short answer is, "No!"

This is the story of a Home Invasion in Los Angeles.

Here is the tl:dr version of the video. A Man Tried To Stop A Home Invasion With His Cell Phone. This video is 90 seconds.

Here is the longer video: Los Angeles Built The Perfect City For Criminals

So, a man tried to stop a home invasion with his cell phone. You see, I'll let you guess how that worked out.

This was LA, so they didn't need to be armed. There were 2 home invaders, and they nailed this guy, a neighbor with a cellphone, with a can of bear spray. He is lucky that they didn't have a firearm, but then crooks in Los Angeles don't really need firearms.

The perfect ecosystem for predatory criminals.

This is the full video from Colion Noir; it is 10 minutes.

Another Homemade Gun from Brazil

Impro Guns bring us the story in Brazil capture

The Left is going crazy over 3D printed guns, but long before 3D printers, there were sheet-metal guns.

A seized DIY sheet metal auto pistol which may have been reworked to at least chamber .38 spl.

Click thru for a photo of the gun, and a link that should take you to some build plans, and other photos.

The Criminal Justice System Is Broken - Seattle Edition

Michael Austin, The Western Journal, at The Gateway Pundit, we get another story of how the Criminal Justice System has given up on Public Safety. Seattle Homeless Man Who Allegedly Kidnapped and Raped Girl Had 28 Prior Arrests

I miss living in a civilized society, where the government spends at least some money trying to combat crime, and support law and order.

A Seattle homeless man who allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl already had 28 prior arrests and 46 warrants.

He had to commit a heinous crime before they would take action, even though he had a history of ignoring court orders, court dates, etc.

Kowalczewski indeed had 28 arrests and 13 convictions, as well as 46 lifetime warrants and nine active warrants,

But then the people of Seattle keep voting for the same soft-on-crime politicians, so maybe this is what they want.

Eye Of The Storm

I love knowing about new music. Between social media, the streaming services, and the internet, it isn't hard to know about new music from bands you like.

This song is "Eye Of The Storm" by Five Finger Death Punch. It was released May 15th as a single ahead of their upcoming album.

Remember Why You Have a Three Day Weekend

It isn't just to mark the start of summer.

San Diego Shooters Seem Confused

The Other McCain asks a question. Why Would Two Jew-Hating Teenage Incels Shoot Up a Mosque in San Diego?

If what you’re looking for is logic and rationality, homicidal adolescents probably aren’t the first place you’d look.

The media, predictably is not interested in this story.

It has been noticed, by the way, that once the identity of the San Diego killers was determined, their background examined, and the contents of their “manifesto” widely available for scrutiny, the mainstream media lost interest in this story. The 24/7 coverage on CNN ended abruptly, without explanation. A full understanding of the factors involved simply doesn’t fit the preferred narrative.

Then there is the schools' role in radicalizing kids.

Beyond that, however, is the possibility that mandatory “ethnic studies” courses in high school may have played a role in radicalizing these weirdos. Last year, San Diego journalist Amy Reichert interviewed Cain Clark’s mother who “said her son was mandated to take an Ethnic Studies class to graduate from [high school]”:

That "ethics course" focused on "Whiteness," and Cain's mother worried that the course was actually teaching hate against his white family. (Cain was multiracial.)

Click thru for the rest. The details on the crime, the ethics course, the short-staffing of the cops, and how that played into the crime, etc.

I miss living in a civilized society.

People You Know Can Be a Threat

While it doesn't say, I'm assuming that since they were neighbors, this is the result of an ongoing conflict. One dead after Midwest City home invasion - News9

The gun-hating part of the Left loves to go on, at length, about how if you own a firearm you are more likely to shoot someone you know, than a complete stranger. While those statistics may be changing, shooting someone you know is not always a tragedy.

Authorities say a man entered a neighbor’s house unannounced and began assaulting the homeowner.

The suspect was shot during the confrontation according to police.

He was taken to a local hospital, but he did not survive his wounds.

Midwest City, Oklahoma, is a suburb of Oklahoma City. It is about 5 miles east of downtown. More or less.

The investigation is in early days, but this sounds like self-defense to me, and while I am not a lawyer, it is my understanding that Oklahoma has a fairly robust version of the Castle Doctrine.

Self-defense is a human right.

Chicago's Criminal Justice System's Electronic Monitoring Is Broken

Another aspect of the Criminal Justice System in Chicago and Cook County that is not getting the job done. 300 Lost in Cook County’s EM Program

Officials are now admitting that Cook County's pathetic and dangerous electronic monitoring system, a program that is supposed to make sure convicts are properly serving their home-based criminal sentences, has lost track of more than 300 people.

According to the Chief Judge, that is about eight percent of the population on electronic monitoring.

Burke added the data "clearly demonstrates how current safeguards are falling short, particularly when [electronic monitoring] is available to those charged with the most threatening and heinous crimes."

These are people charged with serious crimes. The people missing are as follows:

• 21 convicts charged with murder
• 13 charged with attempted murder
• 173 charged with aggravated assault
• 29 people charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault

Click thru for more.

In That Place Where Great Britain Used To Be

The UK is toast, and Europe is probably mostly toast as well. The UK doesn't deserve to survive. - Flopping Aces

I’ll bet you know the name George Floyd. He couldn’t breathe.

I’ll bet you don’t know the name Henry Nowak. He couldn’t breathe either.

Henry Nowak was a white, 18-year-old university student in England. His was stabbed. The guy who did the stabbing claimed Nowak was being "racist," so the cops handcuffed him, and when he told them he had been stabbed, the cops said, "I don't think so." He died in handcuffs, while cops accused him of being racist. I think the cops might be projecting their anti-white racism.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC said Digwa "was carrying an extremely large knife in a sheath openly displayed over his clothing" which he used to stab the first-year Southampton University accountancy and finance student. [Ref. Sky News]

He denies the video evidence.

There are a lot of stories on this incident. Not too many were in the "legitimate media," until the publicity blew up around the trial, because The Narrative must be protected. There are a lot of accusations of two-tiered policing. The cops believed the statement "He was being racist" and didn't believe the statement "I've been stabbed." You figure it out.

The killing was in December of last year.

Keep Your Dogs Under Control

People get upset when dogs are shot, but this case seems justified. UPDATE: Dog shot by neighbor dies from injuries, owner facing charges

Sometimes you need to defend yourself, and your family, from four-legged threats.

Bangor Police Lt. Brent Beaulieu says their investigation, aided by video evidence, shows the dog was untethered and ran “aggressively” towards the neighbor and his children, who were in a small play area in their driveway. He adds the dog leapt over a small barrier and continued running towards the family when the homeowner shot the dog. The dog then ran home.

The dog was euthanized later in the day.

The dog is identified only as a Staffordshire Terrier, though the photo looks more like a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, than an American Staffordshire Terrier. Either way, it is one of the breeds usually lumped under the heading of Pit Bull.

On Wednesday, The owner of the dog was charged with dogs at large, a civil offense, according to police.

The shooter has apparently not been charged with a crime, because self-defense is a human right.