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Ice Barbie Kristi Noem on the Bleeding Fringe of Trump Period Battle

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Ice Barbie Kristi Noem on the Bleeding Fringe of Trump Period Battle


The MSM calls her ICE Barbie, however Kristi Noem, and the sprawling empire she guidelines as Secretary of the Division of Homeland Safety is on the entrance strains of Trump 2.0 period battle and corruption.

I’ve been masking the motion at DHS as a part of my effort to parse who’s drugged, who’s delusional, and who’s disnformed within the Trump 2.0 period and likewise when dissecting what Matt Stoller calls “The Amway Oligarchy.

And whereas I hate to return to the properly so quickly when there are such a lot of different subjects to cowl, these fools simply can’t hold they names out of the papers. So let’s dive into their newest antics.

Is Ice Barbie Actually Going Out With Him?

We’ll begin with American Oversight’s try to determine simply what precisely ICE Barbie Kristi Noem’s alleged boyfriend Corey Lewandowski is doing precisely:

On Wednesday, American Oversight sued the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) for failing to launch information that might reply quite a few questions on Corey Lewandowski’s shadowy function on the company, together with his standing as a Particular Authorities Worker (SGE). Regardless of being described as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s “de facto chief of workers,” Lewandowski has evaded primary transparency and oversight necessities whereas reportedly exercising sweeping affect over coverage, contracts, and personnel selections.

The secrecy round Lewandowski’s function within the Trump administration — together with his obvious misuse of the SGE designation that’s supposed for people who present non permanent, restricted service to the federal government — displays the administration’s broader hostility towards transparency. Latest experiences recommend concern about his murky function is rising amongst no less than some contained in the White Home.

Our lawsuit follows months of stonewalling by DHS, which has failed to answer a number of Freedom of Data Act (FOIA) requests in search of Lewandowski’s communications, calendars, and different information. DHS’s refusal to launch information about his actions obscures whether or not he has exceeded the authorized closing dates on his appointment, prevented utilizing authorities e mail to conduct official enterprise, and directed company enterprise which will profit his personal associates.

“It’s telling that this White Home — which has proven an aversion to the rule of regulation — has reportedly grown weary of Mr. Lewandowski’s makes an attempt to recreation the system at DHS,” mentioned Chioma Chukwu, Government Director of American Oversight.
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Studies point out that Lewandowski has acted as Secretary Noem’s “gatekeeper,” routed conferences by way of himself, directed personnel selections, and even exercised veto energy over contracts exceeding $100,000 — all whereas eschewing use of his authorities e mail and telephone quantity to conduct official enterprise and avoiding badge swipes that will doc his time in authorities buildings. Regardless of these duties, DHS claims he has labored solely 69 days this yr (228 days have elapsed since Secretary Noem was confirmed; Lewandowski started working there shortly after), properly underneath the 130-day cap for SGEs — a depend that insiders describe as a “gross undercount.”

Lewandowski has additionally didn’t file a public monetary disclosure report, elevating issues about whether or not he’s complying with ethics guidelines that prohibit SGEs from participating in exterior work that conflicts with official duties. DHS’s secrecy has left unanswered questions on whether or not Lewandowski maintains personal shoppers with pursuits earlier than the company.

The course of real love hardly ever runs clean, even for ICE Barbi and Corey Lew. However, by no means worry, they’re smoothing issues out by letting Corey run rampant by way of multiple-agencies regardless of his mysterious function.

ICE Barbie’s Boyfriend Corey Purges the Company

The Day by day Beast has the inside track on these items which builds on beforehand reported incidents of Noem’s rumored boyfriend, Corey Lewandowski firing officers like the pinnacle of FEMA regardless of having no official function at DHS.

Kristi Noem’s enforcer and rumored lover Corey Lewandowski is driving a purge inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement—tightening the DHS chief’s grip to speed up a nationwide deportation blitz.

5 ICE area bosses had been yanked from Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego and Philadelphia on Friday and despatched to headquarters after complaints about lagging removing numbers.
Contained in the Division of Homeland Safety, Lewandowski—whose relationship with Noem has been described as D.C.’s “worst-kept secret”—has helped compile a broader checklist of no less than a dozen area leaders to be moved or changed, with senior Border Patrol officers moving into ICE posts, based on Fox Information Digital.

The outlet detailed an unprecedented energy shift that sources known as “tense” and “combative,” and has pitched two factions towards one another.

Border czar Tom Homan, 64, and performing ICE Director Todd Lyons argue for focused arrests of these with legal convictions and ultimate orders to depart.
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Fox reported that the Border Patrol inflow marks an “unprecedented” energy shift inside DHS, aligning ICE’s area tempo with Bovino’s hard-charging “blitz” mannequin, which might be a shift within the authorities’s pledge to take away “the worst of the worst” in favour of pure numbers.

Bovino, 55, has develop into the template for Noem’s camp, main immigration crackdowns from Los Angeles to Chicago’s “Halfway Blitz.”

His hard-edged techniques are underneath a choose’s microscope in Chicago, the place plaintiffs say he defied limits on tear fuel use and he’s been ordered to seem in court docket.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow on the American Immigration Council, described it on X as a “HUGE second”, including: “ICE management is being purged tonight. The previous guard, which prioritized focused enforcement operations aimed toward individuals with legal information, is being changed with Border Patrol and Greg Bovino’s ‘Halfway Blitz’ fashion.”

Sure, that Tom Homan, final heard from when Trump’s DOJ killed an FBI investigation involving an alleged $50,000 money payout from undercover brokers.

We’ll come again to Mr. Homan earlier than this submit is over, however first, let’s comply with ICE Barbie and her bey Cory Lewandowski to the Tremendous Bowl.

ICE Barbie: Solely Patriots Welcome on the Tremendous Bowl, Sorry Unhealthy Bunny

From The New York Instances:

Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland safety, gave the clearest indication but that brokers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement would attend the Tremendous Bowl in February, the place the Latin famous person Unhealthy Bunny is scheduled to headline the halftime present.

Requested on Friday by the right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson if there could be “ICE enforcement” on the Tremendous Bowl, Noem replied, “There shall be,” including that federal immigration officers could be “throughout” the occasion.

“I’ve the accountability for ensuring everyone goes to the Tremendous Bowl, has the chance to get pleasure from it and to depart,” Noem mentioned on “The Benny Present.” Individuals mustn’t attend the occasion, she went on, except they’re “law-abiding People who love this nation.”

Unhealthy Bunny, a Grammy-winning musician who’s from Puerto Rico, rose to fame with hits comparable to “MIA,” “I Like It” and “Me Porto Bonito.” He not too long ago completed a 31-show residency in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, saying he selected to not carry out within the continental United States as a result of he feared that his followers would develop into targets of ICE brokers.

After the N.F.L. introduced final week that he would seem on the Tremendous Bowl, which can happen on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif., far-right commentators complained that Unhealthy Bunny didn’t sing in English and that he had been overtly vital of the Trump administration’s immigration insurance policies. Johnson wrote on social media that Unhealthy Bunny was a “large Trump hater.”

Alright, enjoyable’s over, let’s get again to speaking about Border Czar Tom Homan and his battle with ICE Barbie.

Can Tom Homan Pour Oil on ICE Barbie and Corey’s Troubled Waters?

For his half, Homan says there’s no bother on Staff Trump, DHS division.

The Day by day Beast transcribed the alternate above:

“There are a selection of experiences that there’s rising friction between you and Kristi Noem … Is that report in any approach correct Tom?” Laura Ingraham requested.

However Homan—who’s embroiled in a bribery scandal—ducked the query solely, launching as an alternative right into a long-winded protection of ICE’s file.

“Look, we’re all being aggressive. I’ve mentioned from day one we’re going to focus on public security threats and nationwide safety threats,” he mentioned. “However in case you are within the nation illegally, you aren’t off the desk. We’ll arrest you, too.”

Homan boasted, “We now have a file variety of arrests and deportations,” and promised, “As we get extra brokers on, you will note arrests enhance twice, 3 times, you’ll see the numbers skyrocket.”

Appears to be like just like the enemies of Trump 2.0 and ICE Barbie should look elsewhere to discover a crack within the staff’s unity.

However any consideration is dangerous information for “Trustworthy” Tom Homan.

Turns on the market’s extra scorpions scurrying round underneath that specific rock. Let’s flip it over.

Tom Homan Has His Hand Out at Ice

Professional Publica has the deets:

The primary time a Pennsylvania advisor named Charles Sowell linked with border czar Tom Homan was when Sowell reached out on LinkedIn in 2021, searching for recommendation about border contracting work. Homan had completed a stint as performing director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, capping a three-decade profession in federal authorities. He and Sowell constructed a rapport, based mostly partly on their shared criticisms of then-President Joe Biden’s border insurance policies.

By 2023, the boys had gone into enterprise collectively. Sowell was paying Homan as a advisor to his boutique agency, SE&M Options, which suggested corporations — in some circumstances for a payment of $20,000 a month — in search of contracts from the companies the place Homan had as soon as labored. In 2024, Sowell turned chair of the board of Homan’s basis, Border911, which championed harder border safety.
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After Trump received and formally introduced Homan could be returning with him to the White Home, Sowell saved Homan on his payroll till the tip of the yr. As soon as named because the border czar, Homan mentioned he would recuse himself from contracting, saying he would don’t have any “involvement, dialogue, enter, or choice of any future authorities contracts.”

However a number of trade executives who spoke with ProPublica mentioned no less than half a dozen corporations vying for a slice of the $45 billion Congress has allotted for immigration detention work had employed Sowell as a result of he had led them to imagine his connections to Homan would assist their possibilities of profitable authorities work.
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Homan’s private-sector work earlier than he returned to authorities remodeled his funds. In 2017, he declared property totaling a most of simply $250,000 on his ethics disclosures following a profession in federal service, a determine that excludes sure authorities retirement accounts.

By 2025, his web price had grown to between $3 million to $9 million, the disclosure paperwork present. (The kinds checklist property in ranges, and a portion of his web price might come from cash he had saved in authorities retirement accounts.)

Now that we all know Tom Homan is a kind of capitalists Nancy Pelosi likes to see serving the general public, let’s use him as a bridge to our subsequent subject: Democratic makes an attempt to withstand Trump 2.0 and ICE.

Border Czar Warns Illinois Democrats

Bare Capitalism has coated Trump’s federal invasion of Chicago and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s makes an attempt to push again by threatening to convene some form of “reality and reconciliation fee” when and if Trump’s time period ends.

We haven’t coated Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s latest name for a “common strike,” so extra on that beneath.

However first, Border Czar Tom Homan has some phrases of warning for the Illinois Governor and Chicago Mayor, presumably ICE Barbie agrees:

Homan blasted the officers for “attacking federal brokers” whereas overlooking the rising violence and risky conditions brokers face on the bottom. Homan’s feedback had been particularly directed at Gov. Pritzker, who has repeatedly opposed ICE enforcement efforts whereas, controversially, calling Chicago’s summer season “wonderful” regardless of a excessive variety of shootings and murders.

“Right here’s what ought to occur. The choose, Governor Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, put a Border Patrol uniform on for one shift. Come on the market and stand there with the women and men of the Border Patrol and ICE, and see the way you’re going to reply,” Homan mentioned.

Homan highlighted the tangible risk brokers are dealing with nationwide amid what he described as escalating anti-enforcement riots and assaults. Latest incidents underscore Homan’s concern:

  • In Chicago, rioters have been filmed calling for brokers to be arrested or shot.
  • An ICE agent in suburban Chicago was critically injured in September after a suspect allegedly dragged him with a car throughout an tried arrest.
  • In Dallas, two individuals had been tragically killed throughout a September twenty fourth taking pictures at an ICE workplace earlier than the gunman took his personal life.
  • Texas authorities have reported no less than two different shootings concentrating on ICE and Border Patrol amenities since July 4th, leading to 10 tried homicide prices.

Homan concluded by reiterating his problem to the critics, saying, “Placed on that uniform, stand on that entrance line, and have stones thrown at you, and see if there’s justification for these women and men to guard themselves.”

Mayor Johnson Requires Common Strike

When final I coated the battle between Trump, ICE Barbie, and the Democrats of Chicago, I used to be fairly onerous on the callow, feckless Dems and their failure to understand the truth of the battle.

Now Mayor Johnson is making an attempt to up the ante by speaking out loud a couple of common strike at the latest “No Kings” rally:

“If my ancestors, as slaves, can lead the best common strike within the historical past of this nation, taking it to the ultra-rich and massive companies, we are able to do it too!” Johnson mentioned, met with thunderous applause.

Historical past reveals there has by no means been a real, nationwide common strike within the U.S. exterior of the “nice strike wave of 1946” the place 5 million American staff mobilized towards Congress in an effort to demand leaders handle financial instability and unacceptable working circumstances. Because of this, Congress created the Taft-Hartley Act, controversial laws nonetheless in place to this point, banning a broad vary of union techniques, together with political strikes.

Johnson has made his strategy to the entrance as a frontrunner who isn’t afraid of intimidation techniques coming from Trump, together with raids from ICE brokers, and the mayor preventing again with requires Trump to be behind bars and the “Fingers Off Chicago” marketing campaign.

Organizers of the two-mile march within the downtown space estimated near 250,000 individuals participated, a significant uptick from July’s rally with roughly 75,000 individuals. Johnson’s remarks and viewpoints have been supported by state leaders together with Gov. JB Pritzker, who can also be on Trump’s rising enemy checklist.

Talking to the peaceable protestors, Pritzker mentioned, “We’ll by no means give up!”

“Peaceable, democratic resistance is all the time scary for authoritarians,” Pritzker mentioned.

“We in Chicago will not be afraid to face up … Right now we’re resisting extra than simply Donald Trump’s assaults on democracy, and he is aware of it.”

I’m wondering if Mayor Johnson has put any further thought into the overall strike concept.

I’m 100% down, I’m simply undecided that my refusing to make some weblog posts or file music historical past podcasts will do a lot to gradual the roll of the Empire.

Pritzker’s Accountability Fee Will Be Coming for ICE Barbie

We’ve coated Pritzker speaking about this Accountability Fee however I needed to dive into the small print somewhat bit by way of the Governor’s press workplace.

Governor JB Pritzker right now signed Government Order 2025-06 to determine the Illinois Accountability Fee (IAC), an unbiased board tasked with capturing and making a public file of the conduct of federal regulation enforcement brokers and recommending actions to carry the federal authorities accountable as they proceed conducting military-style operations in Chicago, collar counties, and different areas all through the state. ​

The Fee will decide the way to safely and prudently accumulate testimony, maintain hearings, and collect info from people, neighborhood members, subject material specialists, native officers, journalists, religion leaders, and organizations. These accounts shall be used to shed extra gentle on the misconduct of the Trump Administration’s federal brokers and doc a proper, public file that can be utilized to pursue justice and accountability.

“The federal authorities is pushing the boundaries of their authority to terrorize our communities whereas disregarding all authorized and ethical accountability within the course of. We is not going to meet intimidation with worry — we’ll meet it with reality,” mentioned Governor JB Pritzker. “We’re going to present the general public — right here in Chicago, the State of Illinois, throughout the nation, and world wide — precisely what’s going on. We’ll create an in depth file, and that file will mirror actuality. ​ As soon as this all ends, I imagine there shall be individuals of excellent religion who will assessment what the Fee has recorded and can demand solutions and accountability.”

The Government Order is available in response to the dearth of any federal accountability for escalating federal enforcement actions marked by extreme pressure, masked brokers in unmarked automobiles, military-style raids, using chemical irritants, and experiences of violent conduct by federal brokers throughout Chicagoland and all through Illinois.

The Fee will encompass as much as 9 members appointed by the Governor, together with a Chair and Vice Chair. The IAC will concern a report with findings and suggestions to the Governor and make the report publicly out there. The work of the IAC shall be supported by the Illinois Division of Human Rights (IDHR).

That is the sort of factor Democrats might want to do way more of if they’re to be any sort of a brake on the ICE Barbie Trump 2.0 streamroller.

Naturally, Trump officers don’t like being threatened with authorized penalties for his or her unlawful actions.

Stephen Miller Responds, Presumably ICE Barbie Was Busy

Stephen Miller on Fox threatens to arrest JB Pritzker for “seditious conspiracy” and says, “to all ICE officers: you may have federal immunity within the conduct of your duties. And anyone who lays a hand on you or tries to cease or impede you is committing a felony.”

Stephen Miller on Fox threatens to arrest JB Pritzker for “seditious conspiracy” and says, “to all ICE officers: you may have federal immunity within the conduct of your duties. And anyone who lays a hand on you or tries to cease or impede you is committing a felony.”

[image or embed]

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) Oct 24, 2025 at 3:15 PM

And lest anybody assume White Home Deputy Chief of Employees (and unofficial evil mastermind of Trump 2.0) is a schmuck who’s lacking out on the prospect to get his beak moist, seems he’s a savvy investor.

Stephen Miller Owns Massive Heap Lots Palantir Inventory

Through Rolling Stone:

In accordance with ethics disclosure experiences launched by the White Home, Miller owns between $100,000 and $250,000 price of inventory in Palantir, Peter Thiel’s information and intelligence software program firm that has a a number of profitable contracts with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to trace information and conduct surveillance on undocumented immigrants. It’s a fairly clear battle of curiosity from the person behind a lot of Donald Trump’s immigration coverage, in an administration that’s already rife with corruption.

A Mission on Authorities Oversight (POGO) evaluation of disclosures from a number of administration figures discovered that Miller and no less than 11 different White Home officers and staffers personal inventory in Palantir, together with Gregory Barbaccia, Trump’s Chief Data Officer.

Miller’s stake is tucked away in a brokerage account for one among his three younger kids, all of that are underneath the age of six. The only diploma of separation remains to be a possible violation of ethics legal guidelines.
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In accordance with an April report from Wired, ICE awarded Palantir one other $30 million contract to create monitoring software program aimed toward offering the company with “close to real-time visibility” into migrants participating in “self deportation.” In accordance with paperwork obtained by Wired, one of many core features of this system — dubbed ImmigrationOS — could be to streamline and prioritize “choice and apprehension operations of unlawful aliens.” The paperwork famous that one of many difficulties in creating this system was restricted entry to the biometric information of migrants.

I’m wondering if Miller shall be threatening metropolis officers in Portland, Oregon quickly? In spite of everything they’re additionally getting extra artistic of their fights with ICE Barbie.

Portland’s Gonna Zone ICE Barbie Out of the Image

From The New York Instances:

Portland leaders are attempting the technique they know greatest: land use.

Oregon has probably the most complicated units of zoning and land use legal guidelines within the nation. Supporters of the insurance policies say they encourage neighborhoods to be walkable and full of unbiased companies whereas additionally preserving huge open areas and farmland. Critics say the foundations have stymied housing building and saved dwelling costs excessive.

However within the metropolis’s battle towards the Trump administration, these land-use guidelines might show to be a not-so-secret weapon, largely as a result of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland could also be uniquely weak to the codes.

The Common Providers Administration, which manages actual property for the federal authorities, usually leases area for ICE from different authorities companies or personal prisons in industrial areas which can be away from residential facilities or well-liked commuter routes. The massive ICE facility that has drawn protests in Illinois, for instance, isn’t in Chicago, however quite the suburban village of Broadview.

But when federal officers seemed to maneuver Oregon’s ICE “subfield workplace” from a historic submit workplace close to downtown Portland 14 years in the past, they selected to lease privately owned property simply three miles away within the South Waterfront, a showcase for the state’s historical past of modern city design.

That has saved ICE underneath the extraordinary scrutiny of each protesters and metropolis planners. In mid-September, metropolis leaders issued the proprietor of the ICE facility, the developer Stuart Lindquist, a land-use violation discover, telling him ICE had breached the phrases of their unique settlement for the property.

Time will inform if this proves a helpful tactic.

Let’s zoom again out to the massive image earlier than we wrap.

First, DHS is doing extra than simply messing with immigrants and, in fact, there’s one other Palantir connection to be uncovered.

Palantir Co-Founder and His Hate for the Homeless

A number of the founders of Palantir, like Peter Thiel and Alex Karp, have been frequent topics of Espresso Break discussions however to date Joe Lonsdale has escaped my drag web.

Time to vary that.

As a result of our boy has been busy laying the groundwork for Trump 2.0.

From VICE in 2023:

This month, Kansas residents met on the statehouse to voice their ideas on a invoice that will ban “public tenting,” one among many payments throughout the nation lately designed to focus on individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness by making it unlawful to sleep exterior.

Particularly, the invoice would make it a Class C misdemeanor to sleep in public, and would bar municipalities from blocking enforcement of the regulation, permitting the state lawyer common to sue cities and counties in the event that they attempt to move a much less hostile ordinance. Whereas many of the audio system had a connection to the state, one speaker, Choose Glock, who was the one speaker to endorse the invoice based on one attendee, spoke on behalf of the Cicero Institute, an Austin, Texas-based assume tank. Glock, additionally a member of the conservative Manhattan Institute who has written op-eds for The Wall Avenue Journal and Nationwide Assessment, serves as a senior fellow at Cicero.

It may not be clear at first blush why a assume tank based mostly in Austin, Texas is invested in a tenting ban being pushed in Topeka, Kansas. Actually, the Cicero Institute has spent the previous couple of years pushing its personal mannequin anti-camping laws in cities throughout the nation in an try to criminalize homelessness and to divert funding away from everlasting, supportive housing, which it has posited as too gradual and expensive to cope with public encampments. Cicero-authored payments have been handed statewide in Texas and in Missouri, and statewide payments are being thought of in 5 different states together with and Oklahoma and Arizona.

Cicero was based by Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of Palantir, the surveillance tech firm whose information evaluation software program is utilized by the Division of Protection, ICE, and several other massive metropolis police departments. Lonsdale can also be head of the enterprise capital agency 8VC, which has invested in dozens of corporations, together with Palantir, Hims, Oculus and The Boring Firm. 8VC’s motto is “The world is damaged, let’s repair it,” and Lonsdale has shared his ideas on how he would repair the world previously, together with his concept to maneuver individuals into personal prisons after which use market-based incentives to cut back recidivism.

ICE Barbie Is Coming for the Homeless

The DHS-Palantir joint assault on the homeless is frightening and terrible, as Conor warned within the submit “Who’s Profiting off of the Criminalization of Homelessness?”

Uncooked Story transcribed among the Invisible Individuals podcast interview with Eric Tars of the Nationwide Homelessness Legislation Heart:

Tars mentioned Utah’s new facility may very well be a “pilot program” for that effort across the nation.

“Their finish objective is not only jail,” Tars mentioned. “They need to put up extra of those Alligator Alcatraz sprung construction sort amenities,” referring to the ramshackle immigration detention facility constructed in a distant a part of Florida’s Everglades earlier this yr, the place detainees have been minimize off from entry to their attorneys and are extensively reported to endure from inhumane therapy.

He famous that, underneath a proposal drafted by the chair of Utah’s Homeless Providers Board, Randy Shumway, greater than 300 of the beds within the facility are slated for involuntary dedication. Different homeless individuals shall be despatched there for substance abuse therapy “as a substitute for jail” and can “obtain care in a supervised atmosphere the place entry and exit will not be voluntary.” Shumway referred to the power as an “accountability middle.”

“A person could be sanctioned to go there. It will not be voluntary,” Shumway mentioned throughout a presentation, based on the Normal-Examiner. ”They might be there for a interval of most likely 90 days with the chance to detox so as to get psychological and behavioral well being care, to get substance use dysfunction assist, to get bodily well being care, and to be surrounded by a neighborhood that’s serving to them in therapeutic.“

Lonsdale is a stressed man with numerous time, power, and cash to make bother.

He’s additionally received massive plans for his adopted dwelling city of Austin, Texas.

ICE Barbie’s Technobros See Room to Enhance Austin

From Texas Month-to-month:

Final February, a Silicon Valley émigré named Joe Lonsdale seemed out the window of his Austin workplace and didn’t like what he noticed.

There on the garden of the exquisitely restored mission-style constructing that housed the Cicero Institute, a public coverage nonprofit Lonsdale had based to “repair damaged public methods” and to “protect the promise of American liberty for generations to return,” had been lots of people who didn’t appear to be on the identical web page.

It was a cool, brisk day, and the group of fifty or so flattening Cicero’s grass had been wearing knit caps, T-shirts, and hoodies. They had been protesting Lonsdale’s push, domestically and nationally, to brush the homeless off the streets by ticketing or jailing these tenting on metropolis thoroughfares. As Lonsdale had made the homeless a goal, so this group had now focused him: a really rich white man of the political proper who had come from California and was lifeless set on persuading town of Austin to see issues his approach. He wasn’t refined. Lonsdale had shelled out for billboards that featured his face on the left, a cowboy hat on the proper, and in between, the phrases “Freedom. Honor. Development.” And “Lonsdale & Cicero Institute Battle for Texas.”

As can occur, Lonsdale’s notion of freedom was colliding with that of the protesters. “Cicero Income off Ache,” learn indicators printed in pink on black. “Poverty Is NOT a Ethical Failing,” learn a home made poster. The signal immediately adjoining declared that “Billionaires Shouldn’t Exist.” Just a few protesters used megaphones to specific their fervent opinion that Cicero’s insurance policies amounted to criminalizing the homeless, one thing they accused Cicero of advocating for throughout the nation. “Joe Lonsdale and the Cicero Institute, the victims of Cicero see by way of your lies!” a girl with a bullhorn cried. As she spoke, the group started a gradual surge towards the porch, chanting, shaking their posters, and demanding that Cicero staffers come exterior and listen to them out.

Cicero’s founder made Austin his dwelling in 2020 after turning into probably the most influential voices in Silicon Valley. A disciple of libertarian billionaire Peter Thiel, he launched his profession with a university internship at PayPal, which was cofounded by Thiel and was the place Lonsdale got here involved with Elon Musk. After graduating from Stanford, Lonsdale labored at Thiel’s hedge fund, Clarium Capital. Then, within the early aughts, the 2 males based the info mining and defense-tech firm Palantir.

I’m wondering if Lonsdale should name in a few of ICE Barbie’s goons to crack down on bother makers proper right here in Austin?

Ice Barbie Is Enjoyable and All, however The place Is This Headed?

Ezra Klein of all individuals has some salient factors within the introduction to an interview with Radley Balko, the writer of “Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces.”

I see the evisceration of due course of. I see detention facilities being constructed the place it’s terribly onerous for attorneys and households to achieve the individuals inside. I see males in masks refusing to establish themselves and pulling individuals into vans. I see armed U.S. troops in camo, some on horseback, driving by way of MacArthur Park in Los Angeles like they’re an occupying military. I see Trump sending in armed forces to take over the American capital.

What will occur when, predictably, a protester throws a rock at an agent? Or a Marine hears a automotive backfiring and thinks it’s a gunshot?

Instantly, this might all explode. You might have American troops firing on American civilians in an American metropolis in a country-defining disaster. What occurs then?

As a result of that’s the opposite image I see — the one which retains coming into clear focus. Not Trump cleansing up disaster or dysfunction however Trump creating disaster and dysfunction so he can construct what he has needed to construct: an authoritarian state, a navy or a paramilitary that solutions solely to him — that places him in whole management.

And let’s let the worthy Mr. Balko have the final phrase about Trump’s technique, as implements by ICE Barbie Kristi Noem and her beau Corey Levandowski:

ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Safety have lengthy been essentially the most rogue, renegade and positively pro-Trump police companies within the federal authorities. So I feel Trump sees these two as essentially the most loyal to him. Additionally, clearly, the mass deportations are going to make sure that these two companies stay related all through his administration.
The F.B.I. has had an extended, proud historical past and tradition. There are numerous stains on that historical past and tradition, however it’s an establishment that has prided itself on its independence. Similar with the A.T.F., which is usually bucked by Republican administrations. I’ve actually had my issues with the D.E.A. through the years, however there’s a separate tradition and sense of independence there.
I feel that is an effort to construct up the 2 federal policing companies that Trump sees as most loyal and deferential to him.
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I’ve warned for a very long time about police companies turning into too militarized, too aggressive and too us versus them. Militarized each within the sense of the gear that they use but in addition within the mentality that they create to the job. However it was all the time in response to an actual risk. So it occurred in the course of the crack epidemic, which killed lots of people. It occurred once more after Sept. 11, if you had these assaults on American soil. Homeland safety began equipping police departments throughout the nation with this military-style police gear.
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So what we’re seeing is that this large enhance in aggressiveness and brutality — in response to a disaster that’s utterly of Trump’s personal making. What we’re seeing shouldn’t be a good-faith effort to go after the worst of the worst.
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Stephen Miller is a menace. He’s been very clear about what his intentions are. He has been very clear that he doesn’t imagine america ought to be a spot that takes in refugees from different nations. He has been very clear that he thinks america ought to be a primarily Western tradition nation. We’ve learn investigative journalism about his being influenced by white supremacists. He has not pretended to cover who he’s.
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There aren’t very many nations wherein the figurative political head of the nation assembled his personal private paramilitary pressure that was loyal solely to him the place issues turned out properly. In order that’s the place I feel we’re proper now.

Buckle up, issues are solely going to get wilder from right here.



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