One thing is obvious from today, the SSCI want Jay Clayton confirmed as DNI.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence held a quick, one-round, nomination hearing for Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton. The entire event lasted just under two hours with little room for controversy. It should be smooth sailing from here.
Other than a little faux resistance from SSCI Vice-Chairman Mark Warner, the nomination hearing was otherwise unremarkable. You can always tell the position of the Intelligence Community by the positioning of their enabling structure within the SSCI. No worries ahead for Clayton.
The committee may organize a party line vote so that Democrats can maintain their resistance bona fides, but in a general sense it’s all optics during the downhill glide to the nomination. That said, what this means in the larger picture of the USIC system during the Trump administration is yet to be determined.
Obviously FISA (702) reauthorization will likely be attached by Senate Majority Leader John Thune into a legislative package for a companion vote. The SSCI and larger Senate chamber all support Clayton and FISA (702), though there may be some optics of resistance from positional republicans.
It seems pretty clear that Acting DNI Bill Pulte was put in place by the White House to stay on through the release of election-related material planned for Thursday night. This move keeps DNI Clayton away from any fallout tied to the 2020 election investigation, and if the White House can pull off a presidential presentation that grabs public attention, Clayton could step into the role later with a mandate to dig into the details of the release without being directly linked to it.
The second aspect is yet another motive for fast DNI confirmation by an SSCI apparatus that really doesn’t want to go down the rabbit hole of foreign activity in the 2020 election.
ADNI Bill Pulte and SGE John Solomon are now positioned to have one shot at grabbing political attention framed around the fraudulent 2020 election outcome on Thursday night. Soon thereafter, Clayton will take the reins at DNI and continue the goal of removing politics from the activity of the larger Intelligence Community.
While Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, are warning Americans about the dangers of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), it seems few Democrats are making the same statements publicly. But Al Mottur, a former advisor to Hillary Clinton, is warning his fellow Democrats of the socialist takeover.
"These people, they're not crazy, they're ideologues. They don't love America, let me say that," said Mottur. "A lot of these people do not love America and I'm not team Democrat, I'm team America. And if we have people in our party who are so far Left, that they are saying we don't want to protect people from crime, well, that's just absurd. And, by the way, we're not going to win a national election, let alone an election in Michigan, if that's our position."
He's correct.
Perhaps. But even then, we've seen some women say they didn't report their rapists because the rapist was black and they didn't want to be racist.
What they would do is turn things that are not crimes—like speaking out against communism—into crimes and jail people for ungoodthink.
This is not a surprise to anyone who was paying attention.
Bingo. The DSA say out loud what the Democrats think.
They made this bed, now lie in it.
The DSA said its end goal is full-blown communism.
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., on Wednesday called for the firing and prosecution of federal immigration enforcement officers who defend themselves against people who weaponize their cars and end up dead because of it.
During the confirmation hearing of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has been nominated for the permanent position, Padilla opened by asking about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Texas and Maine shooting two illegal aliens. The illegal aliens allegedly refused to comply with the officers, instead dangerously fleeing the scene in one case, and attempting to ram into officers in the other, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Padilla initially asked whether Blanche thought state and local law enforcement should be involved in independent investigations regarding federal officer-involved shootings, and then suggested that the Department of Justice should have a role in investigating such cases at DHS. But he quickly pivoted to suggesting that officers whose lives are put at risk by agitators or illegals should automatically be fired for acting in self-defense.
“Here’s the bottom line: Why I’m asking these two questions, because in prior incidents — you referenced Minnesota earlier in your testimony — Alex Pretti and Renee Good were also fatally shot, and as far as we can tell, it’s been months and months,” Padilla said. “There’s been no justice in these cases. As far as I can tell, those officers were not fired, they have not faced any charges. So it does undermine any confidence anybody should have in the Department of Homeland Security’s ability, through the Inspector General or otherwise, to investigate its own.”
Blanche responded, stating, “I very much disagree with the statement you just made. The mere passage of time between January and today doesn’t mean there’s no justice.”
In all four cases, available evidence points to each person refusing to comply with lawful orders of federal agents, and in every case making extremely dangerous decisions that appear to span from the direct targeting of police officers with their vehicles, to putting them and others at risk by fleeing, or in Pretti’s case, obstructing law enforcement officers and then resisting.
As DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated Wednesday, “As our officers carry out operations to enforce our nations laws, they are facing a more than 1,300% increase in vehicle attacks.”
Pretti’s case is the only one that did not involve alleged weaponization or reckless use of a vehicle, and it included a confusing and chaotic timeline of events involving his carrying of a gun and an officer apparently believing he was reaching for it while another officer was removing it from his person.
Even so, that does not automatically condemn the officer who shot him, as Padilla would apparently have it, or even suggest that the officer will be found to have improperly discharged his weapon, given the circumstances of Pretti’s confrontation.
When Padilla claims that “what we have seen is people continuing to die, not just in detention facilities, but on the streets of America,” he is leaving out the fact that Democrats encourage these people to put themselves in dangerous situations where their agitation dramatically increases the chances of a deadly confrontation.
As my colleague Eddie Scarry points out, “Deportations are only deadly because of Democrat resistance.” Left-wing agitators are willing to give their lives to protect rapists and murderers from justice.
The anti-immigration law agitation is coordinated, too. As The Federalist reported, many illegal aliens are coached on how to resist police, and the American agitators shielding them are part of a unified network.
Mullin pointed to more examples of this:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted a webinar providing tips for illegal aliens to evade arrests at homes, workplaces, or in public.
Dan Goldman posted a video online calling on illegal aliens to make a plan for ICE encounters.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued multilingual flyers and online resources advising illegal aliens on how to evade arrest.
California Governor Gavin Newsom released guides and sanctuary laws advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest.
Despite a moment Tuesday where Mullin appeared to cave to the mob, legitimizing leftist agitator tactics by blocking all ICE officers from using traffic stops — their most important enforcement tool — President Donald Trump put the department back on track, and appears to now have zero appetite for allowing the left to control mass deportation.
“Our #1 goal is to keep our officers safe and get criminals OFF our streets. Illegal aliens will be arrested and deported wherever they are. If you are here illegally, LEAVE NOW,” Mullin said. “We remind illegal aliens attempting to evade arrest is dangerous. This reckless illegal alien activity comes after sanctuary politicians held webinars and shared resources for how to openly defy [ICE].”
Two more people died in recent days encountering immigration authorities, which predictably means a renewed enthusiastic push by Democrats and the dying media to halt deportations altogether. The only acceptable message from the Trump administration is: Those who caused this mess don’t get a say in how to clean it up.
It’s not a good sign that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Tuesday reportedly instructed law enforcement to “cease all non-urgent vehicle stops” in relation to immigration enforcement. Any action that carries the whiff of a suggestion that the problem isn’t the nearly 20 million illegal aliens in this country — allowed in by Democrats — but rather the attempt to remove them is precisely the wrong signal.
At this stage, there is no “non-urgent” deportation, whether the subject is driving, walking, swimming, or floating in a hot air balloon. If he or she is in view of an ICE agent, there should be no pause in taking the individual into custody and processing his quick removal from the U.S. Anything else is weakness. Mullin is signaling weakness, and it reflects directly on President Trump.
That another two people were just killed while the administration tries to enforce immigration law isn’t a reason to stop. On Monday, 26-year-old Colombian man Joan Sebastian Guerrero was shot in Biddeford, Maine, after he attempted to flee from a traffic stop executed by immigration authorities, according to ICE. The agency said that, “fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon” and Guerrero died. Similarly, in Houston last week, Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, was also shot and killed during a traffic stop conducted by immigration law enforcement. ICE said in a statement that Araujo had “weaponized his vehicle” and that authorities shot him in an act of self-defense.
There have yet to surface any publicly available videos that clearly depict what happened in either case. But if events unfolded as they have in previous high-profile run-ins with ICE, then what likely took place was an attempt by law enforcement to execute a traffic stop, only to be met by a subject who attempts to flee, perhaps by flooring it in his vehicle.
It can’t be said enough. Attempting to evade law enforcement or resist arrest is dangerous and can prove deadly. Contrary to what Democrats and people on CNN and MS NOW like to say, it’s not a matter of just letting a criminal suspect escape so that no one gets hurt. If that were the case, authorities would only ever be able to detain those who comply. In any event, resisting arrest and attempting to flee is not a safety threat exclusive to the police and the suspects. It’s a danger to any innocent person who might be in the vicinity, including children walking home from school or trying to cross the street.
That any ICE agent is ever faced with the choice of either drawing his weapon to neutralize a potential threat or withdrawing in hopes that nobody gets hurt is the fault of Democrats (and even some pro-amnesty Republicans) who have instigated and exacerbated every immigration problem the administration was put in place to solve. Democrats, with no right, told every destitute foreigner south of Texas to make his way to the U.S. and stay indefinitely. Democrats have since fought tooth and nail to keep each and every one of them here, refusing to cooperate with federal immigration officials and stirring up chaos in major cities to make it as difficult as possible for agents to do their jobs.
A majority of Americans said they wanted these people out of their country. If Democrats believed in elections, they would have respected that choice, but they don’t. So things have naturally turned violent. They can’t be allowed to hold this country hostage in that way. If violent deportations are what they’re forcing, so be it.
Tuesday DEEP STATE DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin ordered ICE agents to stop deportation apprehensions from vehicles following an ICE self-defense shooting as a vehicle was used as a weapon by an illegal alien.
Yesterday, President Trump told his rogue DHS Secretary such an order was not approved by President Trump and ICE agents should continue all efforts to deport illegal aliens including traffic stops when needed.
[TRUTH SOCIAL] The men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has to be done. CRIME IS WAY DOWN IN AMERICA, in many cases with numbers that haven’t been seen in decades. The Open Border Policy of Sleepy Joe Biden allowed 25,000,000 people to pour into our Country, unchecked and unvetted. Many were Criminals, and we have to get them out. In order to do this, we must be strong, tough, and smart, and we CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!
Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal’s hands. The Radical Left Dumocrats would like to see this done, but it won’t happen on my watch. I.C.E., be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job. Keep those Crime Stat Records coming! Remember, you are loved and respected in America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Secretary Markwayne Mullin is another weak link in the lawful system of removing illegal aliens. Misplaced sympathies, regardless of motivation, are against the interests of law-abiding Americans. Deportation efforts must continue with extreme prejudice against the illegal alien population.
The discussion remains controversial depending on the location. Generally, data centers located in rural isolation do not seem to be too controversial. However, data centers built in proximity to population centers stimulate a great deal of opposition.
Recently New York state banned the building of Data Centers as politicization of the construct has become somewhat of a Right/Left divide. President Trump notes the importance of data centers:
(VIA TRUTH SOCIAL) – One of the biggest Driving Forces in the Future for Jobs, are Data Centers. They are big, strong, bold, and Money Machines for the State in which they are built. Governor Kathy Hochul, for political reasons, has terminated all Data Centers being built, or to be built, in New York State. These Companies are now being sought in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and many other States. Both the Taxes and the Jobs amount to LIQUID GOLD! New York State has made a terrible decision.
All of this Income, and other Benefits, will be going to Red States, and some Blue, where Data Centers are sought as Cash Cows, with Lower Taxes and Record Setting Jobs. They must pay for their own Water and Power, and any leftover goes back to the State and local Community. Data Centers are tremendous WINS for the States and Communities that are lucky enough to get them. New York should change its Policy, IMMEDIATELY. The Radical Left Dumocrats must not be allowed to cause us to lose Data Centers, AI, and all of this incredible new Technology, to China, and other countries!”
The hardware side of the Data Center expansion is leading to increased revenue for raw material providers, chip makers, computer systems, fabrication shops, electrical components and construction.
At the same time, the software side LLM builders and AI companies are trying to figure out how to make stable profitability within the sector.
CTH watches the tokenization and subscription fees for various AI model use with the same perspective CTH viewed over a decade of false claims within the financial market that told lies about social media viability and data processing costs.
Now, we watch the seemingly exponential growth of AI capabilities and associated costs with the same pragmatic perspective.
Robotic pool cleaners were introduced two generations ago. Did the pool cleaner business dry up? No, it expanded.
Robotic vacuums broke into the popular household appliance market five years ago, you probably have one, did it eliminate maid services? No, still growing.
AI can now write its own code to generate outputs. Are software developers getting fired? No, demand for software designers and engineers is up.
The mainframe approach, the one AI brain to run all systems, will never work – it is cost prohibitive (see first paragraph – wash, rinse, repeat). Deny this reality at your own investment risk. If needed, politely absorb the ridicule – for it matters not.
CTH predicts AI will become a localized and optimized sub-set for each sector of the economy, requiring each major organization and corporation to adopt specific cost/benefit data libraries and networks for use and functionality.
At scale, a thousand coders each working on Gemini, ChatGPT, Anthropic, Fabian, Grok, etc. will become 100,000+ software designers working inside individual companies to create personalized, targeted, bespoke AI data systems and networks; each system specifically tailored to the industry or sector of business. The intranet of internets will happen again.
Creating and selling AI system networks and integration functions that are personally tailored to highly specific company functions, creates an entirely new sector of the technology industry that has not even begun yet. [There’s an investment opportunity there]
Will AI robots replace some repetitive human functions? Yes, the ice rink Zamboni will likely not have a steering wheel, just an emergency joystick. A reference for a comparative industrial scale Roomba vacuum, or the robotic pool cleaners.
However, at scale the robotic industry is slower than human efficiency in almost all sectors that matter; the cost benefit analysis will limit growth. The maid service sector will not be impacted any more than the software developers.
It is not an issue to fear some AI task efficiencies will grant more time available that will be filled with alternate task capabilities. Human productivity will increase in certain sectors of the economy, but humans will not lose work opportunities. Blue collar jobs will continue to expand as each of the hardware tools developed will need manufacturing, installation, maintenance and monitoring.
The further downstream the worker is from a repetitive function within the [XXXX] industry, the more irreplaceable they become.
As to the bigger picture of fully developed AI and the intersection of information and knowledge; yes, the automation of AI can present an issue. However, all AI concerns can be mitigated so long as multiple, alternative AI systems exist within the larger information realm.
As a nation we need dozens of different AI models each competing within the industry for the best AI product.
As long as we have multiple AI systems, alternatives to the hive-mind, we do not need to fear the AI network as a source of information. If we don’t like the AI outputs, we can switch to an alternate AI provider.
If the subscription cost of the AI is too high, then as long as we have a competitive market where a lesser expensive, perhaps bespoke AI option can exist, we should be okay. Let the free-and-fair market decide.
If AI outputs don’t offer empirical truth or real value to the end user, we should be fine as long as consumers have alternative options available. AI providers should be information providers in the same concept as cell phone providers. The key is to have multiple, competing AI systems available for industrial, business, professional and personal use.
On the upside of this information worry dynamic -in the pragmatic and optimistic perspective- we have the cost limiting nature of a massive singular AI information network.
A single AI central brain handling over 360 million users at once, all requiring identical responses that update with every tiny change in a multi-trillion datapoint-per-millisecond data stream, is far beyond the capacity of any computational AI system. The costs tied to such a setup are only now becoming clear, and AI business models are starting to fall apart in real time. This is a hard truth that isn’t going to change.
Within the AI business, those who can carefully write AI input instructions to achieve maximum value in AI output -industry by industry- will become increasingly more valuable.
Those who can train AI to be cost effective -and provide materially beneficial outputs- within their granular sector of business, within each company, will become priceless to the organization. Wage rates will follow competency.
The one key issue about AI to emphasize is the need for multiple competing models. If China (hive mind) has their model, and Europe (another hive mind) has their model, and the United States (entrepreneurial competitiveness) has multiple competitive models – we will win the AI race and simultaneously we will retain freedom.
What we don’t want is a singular AI model to win the support of the United States government and then end up with an AI regulatory system where the govt starts defining terms of “safety” to eliminate information adverse to the interests of the government that regulates it. Both China and Europe will predictably do that.
