OPINION: The ICE Has Yet to Melt…

OPINION:

More Freeze is Coming

OPINION:

The ICE Hasn’t Melted & More Freeze is Coming

By Cate Rees-Hessel with Wes Hessel

 

ICE Arrests Continue

Brutal ICE arrests are on going. Violent incidents are increasing as we end a grim and troubled holiday season. The horrific murder of the beautiful and kind hearted Renee Nicole Good has brought widespread public outrage, but an arrest for gunning down this American citizen in cold blood has yet to be made. She leaves behind 3 precious children and a loving spouse. Her wife Becca Good is broken hearted, saying in her statement about the tragedy, “And while any place we were together was home, there was a strong shared sense here in Minneapolis that we were looking out for each other. Here, I had finally found peace and safe harbor. That has been taken from me forever.”

Fucking Bitch

Renee was not a threat to anyone – her final words were “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you.” The words of the ICE agent that shot and killed her were full of hatred, “Fucking bitch.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke eloquently with strong words against this tragic act of pure evil.

Alex Pretti, RN

The morning of 1/24/2026, two weeks after the murder of Renee Good, Registered Nurse, Alex Pretti, a white guy, an American citizen, was shot an estimated 8 times, or perhaps as many as 10 times, by a Border Patrol agent while Pretti was being held down by at least half a dozen other officers. Before the last bullet had left the chamber of the agent’s gun, the Trump administration came out full force labeling Alex Pretti a gun wielding psycho, a “domestic terrorist,” a madman running toward federal law enforcement agents attempting to kill them. The attack on the character of Good and Pretti is shameful. The character assassination of Pretti and Good by Noem, Bondi, Bovino, Vance and Trump makes it clear there’s no truth coming from our federal government. In fact, state authorities in MN are so distrustful of the federal government the DHS was ordered by a Minnesota court to preserve all forensic evidence from the cases.

Filming the Interaction

From videos and affidavits from witnesses on the scene; Pretti was filming the interaction of agents with protesters. In one video he was clearly shown trying to help a woman get up from the pavement after being knocked down by the feds. At no time did Pretti  draw or attempt to draw his legally licensed and permitted weapon. Alex was a caring man, he was an ICU nurse at the VA Medical Center. He wanted to help people not harm them; that’s why the citizens of Minneapolis, MN are protesting the presence of ICE on their streets.

Worthy of 1984 Double Speak

The character assassination of Pretti and Good by Noem, Bondi, Bovino, Vance and Trump makes it clear there’s no truth coming from this crowd and we need to be clear on that. In fact, so distrustful of the federal government the DHS was ordered by a Minnesota court to preserve all forensic evidence from the cases.

Reign of Terror

America, we are better than this. The “ICE reign of terror”, as U.S. Representative and senatorial candidate from the Chicago area Raja Krishnamoorthi succinctly put it, this “must end.” Her former sister-in-law Morgan Fletcher said, “she never expected a loved one’s death to be ‘so high profile’ or a ‘massively divisive, political topic.’” This lovely human being sure does not sound like a “domestic terrorist” to the millions mourning her death, myself and my spouse included. Slander is speaking ill of the dead and Ms. Good’s children don’t deserve to hear awful lies about the mommy they mourn.

No ‘Absolute Immunity”

Our eyeliner wearing “Vice President JD Vance claimed agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, had “absolute immunity” because he was engaged in a federal law enforcement action. Although federal officials have some constitutional shields against state prosecution, the immunity isn’t absolute.” Legal experts, including the University of Wisconsin Law School, conclude that Vance is wrong. There is no “absolute immunity.”

Stars Wear ‘Be Good’ Pins

At the 2026 Golden Globe awards in support of Renee and her family, prominent attenders such as Mark Ruffalo, Wanda Sykes, Natasha Lyonne, Jean Smart, Tessa Thompson, Bella Ramsey, and Ariana Grande, wore “BE GOOD” pins. Such buttons are available from multiple sources online. Rest in peace Renee. Rest in peace Alex. We will fight for your memory – your lives stood for Good and no gaslighting from the Nazi’s in the White House can change that.

More atrocities of ICE:

  1. In North Aurora, IL, a woman was pepper sprayed in the face by an ICE agent while standing still with her arms at her sides.
  2. ICE agents, per tribal leaders, detained four Native Americans, with only one being released a short time after.
  3. Chicago area U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez is calling for ICE to be defunded – her comment that funding ICE only fuels our own destruction is spot on…
  4. A U.S. appeals court has lifted the restrictions on ICE using force on protesters in Minnesota – this sickens and scares me.
  5. A recent CNN poll shows 3/4 of the respondents agree ICE used excessive force and killing Renee Good was unjustified.
  6. Mark Ruffalo, while wearing a “Be Good” button, spoke against Trump in a heartfelt red carpet interview.
  7. Lehigh County is cooperating with ICE to the fullest extent of the law, sad to report this.
  8. Anti-ICE activist Mark Pinsley is seeking to run for office in Lehigh County.
  9. There is an unpaid rent allegation against ICE for a facility(s) being used by them in Pennsylvania
  10. Homeland Security via email has confirmed there is a “Catch of the Day” in Maine after over 50 arrests were made.
  11. Tom Homan claims the ICE agent that killed Renee Good is fearing for his life and that of his family. Renee Good feared for her life before she was killed by him.
  12. A photo on social media shows an elderly man in boxers and a robe being taken by an ICE agent. His door was broken down and a gun put to the head of his daughter-in-law. His name is Saly, a naturalized US citizen.He was driven around and frightened by ICE, then dropped back at his residence as if this was normal.
  13. Democrats now control Virginia and have moved to stop cooperating with Trump’s ICE.
  14. Renee Good’s mother spoke of her daughter’s kindness and fear in her final moments of life.
  15. A doctor who wanted to try to save Renee Goods life was stopped by an ICE agent that said he didn’t care. Help was kept at bay with the use of weapons while a shocked and angry crowd watched in fear and horror.

Know what’s right – know your rights: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights-share-your-rights-immigrants-rights

Racist, Sexist, Misogynist

OPINION:

Racist, Sexist, Misogynist, Government 

 

OPINION:

Racist, Sexist, Misogynist, Government

By David L. Shadrick

A growing list of racist, misogynist and transgender policies and actions from Donald Trump and Associates have surfaced. I’m just going to focus on three of them:

No Beardos

Pete Hegseth: “No beardo (s).” What does this mean? Primarily black soldiers are effected by this policy. With black men shaving is often difficult because of their curly hair the shaving will often cause ingrown hairs leading to pimples and infections. This policy is a pitiful attempt to remove black soldiers from the armed forces. In addition, the majority of resignations and firings among the generals and admirals were either been black or women. Hegseth’s top three targets are blacks, women, and transgender. And the higher the ranks the harder the assault against them. Of course, Donald Trump is beating Hegseth by a mile.

Fat Old Bigot

Our bigoted 80 year ‘ol prez, a demented fella, living in a fantasy of 1940 America recently had a televised melt down  over those (dark skinned) Somolians, calling them “garbage.” Trump then claimed the Haitians (also dark skinned folks) were eating the pets of white Americans in Springfield, Ohio. Despite considerable rebuke Trump pushed this lie through multiple news cycles.

“Very Fine People”

“Stand down, stand back,” “The Nazi’s were very fine people,” infamous comments from Trump’s first term.  The now natorious lunch with Nick Fuentes and Kanye West, both very public anti-Semites and Nazi supporters. After Trump was re-elected one of the first things he did was pardon or commute all 1/6/2020 insurrectionists who attacked the capital at his direction per Jack Smith’s recent congressional testimony. Media disclosures indicate that some of these bad actors from 1/6/2020 are now on the ICE payroll, with a big sign on bonus I might remind readers. So now the government is hiring known domestic terrorists to act as law enforcement officers. Sounds like the fox is in the hen house.

Schizophrenic Jewish Nazi

It appears that Stephen Miller the schizophrenic Jewish Nazi is directing Homeland Security policy and actions. He is so damn ugly, he is mostly kept hidden in a backroom-somewhere.  My reference to his ugliness in no way negates his power, While cutesy Kristi Noem wears a cowboy hat and rides her horse for million dollar photo shoots, Miller is back at the White House calling the shots. His hate seems to be global. Apparently, Miller has been rejected by his family because of his crazy beliefs. Recent informants describe him as the target of taunting and teasing throughout his childhood and adolescence. Sad man with particularly horrific ideas sitting at the seat of great power, choosing to terrify, persecute, and torture immigrants and U.S. citizens based on the color of their skin.

OPINION: For What It’s Worth

OPINION: For What It’s Worth

OPINION: For What It’s Worth

 

D. S. Mitchell

 

I didn’t sleep well last night. I was agitated, angry, and broken hearted over what appears to be a murder in Minneapolis, MN, by a masked ICE agent. ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the woman, a white woman, a 37 year old mother of three, was an American citizen, Renee Nicole Good.  The gaslighting by DHS Secretary, Kristi Noem  and the Mango Menace himself began  immediately. Rather than wait for an investigation the woman is being labeled “a domestic terrorist”. I tried to put myself in Renee Good’s place, being menaced by a masked man attempting to drag me out of my car. Holy crap, I’ve seen a lot in my long life but I don’t know if I could have behaved any less fearful than Renee did. This bullshit has gone way too far. I don’t know how many people have to hit the streets to sway the direction of this government, but I’ve heard that about 12 million protesters on the streets at one time can overwhelm the bad politics of this MAGA mad man and force a change in policy.

This isn’t El Salvador, yet; or maybe, people like Trump and Stephen Miller think it already is. Well, I’m not willing to surrender to thugs and criminals. I’m asking a mere 12 million protesters take to the streets. No Kings and Indivisible will be planning events coming into the spring. Watch for them and participate. We need an overwhelming outpouring of dissatisfaction against this mob boss president.  Just 12 million citizens yelling and waving signs can change the direction of this country.

All I keep thinking of are the words of that iconic protest song from the 1960’s, “For What It’s Worth“, by Stephen Stills.  I included a verse to stir your memory banks. Pull it up on YouTube. Buffalo Springfield.

Verse 1

There’s something happening here

But what it is ain’t exactly clear

There’s a man with a gun over there

A-telling me I got to beware

Chorus

Hey its time we stop

Hey what’s that sound

Everybody look what’s goin down

 

Thank you, For What it’s Worth Lyrics

What Next For Sesame Street?

What Next For Sesame Street?

What Next For Sesame Street?

 

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Schnapps and Coffee

Well, right now I am adding a touch of Schnapps to my coffee. It’s still early, I might switch to straight Tequila by noon. Why? The leaders of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), after nearly 60 years of steering federal funding to PBS, NPR and hundreds of radio and TV stations nationwide voted Monday to dissolve the federally created organization. Ouch. The Republicans for years have complained loudly that public broadcasting is anti-conservatism, especially news programming. With Trump’s second administration-the GOP had full control of the government and those decades old complaints were acted on with the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’. Following Congress’s elimination of federal funding the CPB voted to close the organization to prevent what they described as, “political misuse of the organization.”

Uncertainty Over Future Funding

This congressional decision creates nationwide uncertainty for local media and independent journalism. Community fund raising has significantly increased but to be clear, there is in no way private donations will ever be able to match the lost 1.1 billion dollars in federal funds. In addition to emergency alerts public broadcasting has consistently provided educational, civic, and cultural programming.

Goodbye CPB
In essence, the closure of CPB marks the end of a major federal lifeline for public broadcasting in the U.S., shifting the burden of support onto local communities and private donors. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the private nonprofit created by Congress in 1967 to fund public media, officially voted to cease operations and dissolve on 1/5/2026. This decision followed the rescinding of over a billion dollars in federal funding by Congress in July 2025. While the CPB is closing, PBS and NPR are not shutting down as a whole, but going forward they face significant operational challenges: 

Rural and Local Stations: CPB funneled over 70% of its budget directly to more than 1,500 local stations. Rural and low-income areas are the most vulnerable; NJ PBS announced facing the loss of funding they are likely to close by July 2026.

Funding Shifts: National organizations like NPR and PBS have indicated they will rely on donations and emergency grants from major foundations to fill multi-million dollar gaps.  The sustainability of this plan is suspect at best.    

High Profile Programming: High-profile programs have sought external partners; for example, Sesame Street recently secured a deal with Netflix. 

Breaking News Out of Minneapolis

Time to bring out the Tequila, the breaking news out of Minneapolis, MN is a white woman, 37 years old, a citizen of this country was just murdered there by ICE agents. The gaslighting has already begun by Kristi Noem and the administration. I’ll be back tomorrow with this heartbreaking story.

A Few Things I Trust More Than Trump

A Few Things I Trust More Than Trump

A Few Things I Trust More Than Trump

Editor: Thanks for the laughs

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

  1. Dollar store teeth whiteners
  2. The rhythm method
  3. Any cosmetic made in China. That goes for dog food, too.
  4. Used car salesmen
  5. Diamonds from “we might be some jewelry sellers .com”
  6. Unsolicited telemarketers that call at dinnertime
  7. Eat whatever you want and lose weight diets
  8. Unfiltered tap water from Flint, Michigan
  9. Get rich quick schemes
  10. Televangelists, especially …
  11. Food with a 1998 expiration date
  12. “But I just want to cuddle”
  13. The odometer wasn’t set back
  14. It’s fifty percent off- Today Only
  15. It was only driven on Sundays to church by a sweet old lady and her cat
  16. Sushi from a fast food establishment
  17. Chicken salad from a gas station
  18. Giving a drunk the keys to the wine cellar
  19. A date with Bill Cosby
  20. Convenience store restrooms
  21. Tom Brady offering to help with a dead battery or flat tire
  22. A pet piranha or shark
  23. A North Korean peace plan
  24. Casey Anthony as a baby sitter
  25. Retreaded tires
  26. Day old unrefrigerated scrambled eggs
  27. Four for a one dollar deli sandwiches
  28. “No, that does not make your rear end look big”
  29. My ex-boyfriend
  30. My husband’s ex-girlfriend
  31. “Of course my boobs are real”
  32. A rabid bat
  33. An appliance bought on FB Marketplace
  34. A flight on “We Might Just Make it This Time” Airlines
  35. A drive-through root canal
  36. This shot might pinch just a little
  37. Anyone I don’t know messaging me about weather conditions because I have a beautiful smile
  38. You win a million dollars if you pay a small fee
  39. The check is in the mail (who even uses checks anymore?)
  40. The house comes with a brand new roof and furnace
  41. The United States healthcare system
  42. The prince formerly known as Andrew
  43. The seven “real” Rick Springfield’s and assorted Dolly Parton’s messaging me on X
  44. Only one treatment will remove 8 inches off your thighs for just $29.99
  45. Concierge at Trump hotels
  46. Brain surgery guided by AI
  47. “I will pay you back with interest”
  48. A social media scammer that just happened to come across my profile
  49. A 25 year old prophylactic
  50. Mail order from late night television little blue pills

50 Trump, Not So Nice, Adjectives

50 Trump, Not So Nice, Adjectives

50 Trump, No So Nice, Adjectives

By D. S. Mitchell

Calamity Politics is happy to announce that I, Editor-in-Chief, the only Editor, in fact, am going to devote the entire first political blog post of the day to a really nasty game.

The ‘game’ will not distract from my usual in-depth political coverage; that will come later. LOL. My regular readers know that the ‘in-depth’ description is probably a bit misleading.

I’m decently polite and tend to shyness. Rarely do I attack. But today, as I was driving back home from I-Hop this morning, I started thinking about Donald J. Trump, 47th President of the United States, con-man, self-promoter and started tossing negative adjectives around in my head as I made the drive from Medford to Grants Pass.

Continue reading

Worst Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals

Worst Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals

Worst Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals

Well, it looks like there’s going to be a lot of Trump and GOP paraphernalia crowding retailer’s shelves across the country as the MAGA nightmare seems to be doing a nose dive with even the diehards like Marjorie Taylor Greene. Keep an eye open for any of these great deals coming your way Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I guarantee there will be orange everywhere.

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

  1. Trumpopoly – be the first to go bankrupt and steal from the community chest; all the cards you draw are “Get Out of Jail Free.”
  2. Mar-a-Lago tree ornament, its orange with an iconic mushroom shape.
  3. Trump lollipops – or should I say suckers, burnt orange flavor.
  4. Elon Musk Ken doll, watch out for the chainsaw.
  5. JD Vance Alan doll, oh my, Erika Kirk may want to pick up a couple of these bad boys.
  6. Melania doll – comes with a mini Hustler magazine and accompanying plastic surgeon doll.
  7. “I Beg your Pardon, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” dance mix, sung by “The Donald” himself, on DVD.
  8. Tesla wind chimes made from recycled Tesla parts.
  9. MAGA cap, scarf, and glove set.
  10. Trump toupe – you, too, can be an orange haired monster.
  11. The pet rock returns – ICE are using the little creatures to break car windows.
  12. Trumpmania game I hear they’ll be going 10 for a dollar.
  13. “My Ding A Ling” (is now president) party dance show mix “…I want you to play with my ding-a-ling…”
  14. Tesla ride-on scooter.
  15. “The Donald” shit show shower head.
  16. Donald Diapers – he’s a big boy now.
  17. Worst Little Whorehouse in Washington DVD with special guest appearances by various friends and lovers.
  18. A giant tub of Republican mixed nuts.
  19. The barrel of monkeys from the 1960’s has been reinvented – a Barrel of MAGA’s.
  20. Another retro game, “Blockhead!” is back.
  21. Big Mac toaster oven, just like the one at the White House.
  22. Trump golf clubs with knitted orange head covers.
  23. Melania fashion and decorating tips for the “Karen” coffee table book.
  24. Melania charm school gift certificate.
  25. Orange haired big gut balloon bouquet.

Chilling ICE Sightings

More Chilling ICE Sightings

That Leave Us Cold and Frozen in Fear

More Chilling ICE Sightings

That Leave Us Cold and Frozen in Fear

 

ICE Reporting Guidelines:

ICE Sightings: When reporting ICE sightings, REMEMBER S.A.L.U.T.Ε. Provide as much information as possible when reporting threats to our communities:

S as in Size/ Strength How many agents? How many vehicles? WRITE DOWN LICENSE PLATES

A as in Activity What you are seeing. Raid at a workplace, traffic stop? Is violence involved?

L as in Location What is the precise address? Intersections? Nearby landmarks?

U as in Uniform/Clothing What are they wearing? Do they have masks, vests, or badges?

T as in Time and Date Precise time and date of the sighting.

E as in Equipment/Weapons What equipment/weapons? Are they using them?

** Remember keep your whistle close and your cell phone camera ready. We need to draw attention to these masked  thugs and the more pictures and stories the better.

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel with Wes Hessel

 

Below is a list of ICE sightings and stories regarding these occurrences in the Chicago area. This is our second report on ICE activities in the Chicago and surrounding communities for Calamity Politics. Instead of showing any interest in the running of our government, slowing inflation, protecting health care for American citizens, or ensuring that American children have enough food to eat, Trump is busy sending out ICE to arrest fast food workers, gardeners, maids, and wait staff. Most all are hard workers just trying to feed their families, not criminals, in fact, as it turns out, many arrested and hauled off by ICE are US citizens, or legal residents and green card holders. The billions of dollars wasted on this pathetic show of deportation raids and videos of Kristi Noem riding horses and playing Secretary of Homeland Security is disgusting. Remember, one in five children in America goes to bed hungry. It’s sad that Trump is more interested in gold toilets and distracting from the Epstein scandal than doing even the most basic work of a United States president.

Continue reading