Category: General Interest

Submitted By: codger817@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

History is rhyming again.
During the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, Maj. General Daniel Sickles was ordered to hold the center of the Union line. He thought it might be better if he advanced a mile to a peach orchard with slightly higher ground. His stupid move left a gap in the union line, and his own corps was easily outflanked.
262 troops from the First Minnesota Regiment were ordered to charge into the gap and hold back the Confederates until more troops could arrive. They were greatly outnumbered and suffered 215 casualties, but the line held and the Battle of Gettysburg became a turning point in the Civil War.
How poignant that 163 years later, Minnesota is holding the line for us once again.
Jim Heffernan

Submitted By: pattyrinehart@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Yesterday, Saturday, proved to be an incredibly hard day for many of us protesters in Nehalem. The loss of Renee Good, followed by the death of Alex Pretti, has left our community reeling. The atmosphere is tense, not just in Nehalem, but in cities across the country. Many people are focused on maintaining peace, but that goal feels almost impossible when we are faced with the reality of our own government taking lives. We cannot allow these violent acts to become normalized; this has to stop before such tragedies become routine.
At the North County Resistance gathering yesterday, emotions ran high. Some people were in tears, while others were visibly angry and cursing. Both reactions seemed justified and understandable given the circumstances. More than one person voiced the sentiment, “This is not the country I grew up in.” It was clear that this group of people was fundamentally changed from who we had been in the past. Many struggled to find words to express their feelings, and there was a shared uncertainty about how much longer we can allow the destruction of our democracy to continue—and what actions we should take in response.

Looking ahead, there is hope that all Democratic lawmakers will vote to stop funding ICE. If they fail to do so, those individuals should not be reelected. ICE should be dismantled immediately, and those leading the organization should be removed from their positions—though perhaps only after experiencing the conditions of an ICE detention unit themselves for a couple of months. Witnessing these events, I am reminded of the lesson I was raised with: “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Yet, I admit to feeling a desire for those responsible to face consequences, even harsher than what I am willing to say aloud.

Please do not hesitate to email me with your feedback. We need to stick together in times like these. We must not give up!
North County Resistance will meet again next Saturday, January 31 in Nehalem, from noon to 2 PM. Thank you to the 80 people who showed up on Saturday. Our numbers grow weekly. Patty

Submitted By: Tinnindeb@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Nehalem Bay Community Services is asking for donations for blankets, towels, pillows and winter socks (all sizes).

NBCS is always looking for donations for the following items:
Personal Care Items: shampoo and baby shampoo, soap, toothpaste for adults and children, toothbrushes, personal wipes.

Pet Food: Canned Cat and Dog Food, Dry Cat Food. Also, cat litter.

You can drop these donations off during operating hours of Monday, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 2, or Wednesday from 1 to 5. We are located in the basement of the Nehalem Methodist Church.

Thank you.

Submitted By: babbles@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

and what BBQ category to use? “general interest?” is this of “general” interest? maybe “Lost” would be better. surely this democratic U.S. is losing something–it’s democracy!

as i finished writing this, the title for this post came to me, “MURDER ON THE STREETS”

from Heather Cox Richardson. i have capitalized some words. my reaction “oh my god” came out of my mouth repeated times as i read this.

we MUST vote this criminal regime out of office. please VOTE in the november elections!

om peace namaste
written with tears
lucy brook
nehalem resident

January 24, 2026
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

This morning, on a street in Minneapolis, at least seven federal agents tackled and then shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse for the local VA hospital.

Video from the scene shows Pretti directing traffic on a street out of an area with agents around, then trying to help another person get up after she had been pushed to the ground by the agents. The agents then surround Pretti and shoot pepper spray into his face, then pull him to the ground from behind and hit him as he appears to be trying to keep his head off the ground. An agent appears to take a gun out of Pretti’s waistband during the struggle, then turns and leaves with it. A shot then stops Pretti’s movements, appearing to kill him, before nine more shots ring out, as agents apparently continue to fire into his body. IT LOOKED LIKE AN EXECUTION.

After he was dead, the agents walked away, apparently making no effort to preserve the crime scene, which people on the street later tried to secure by walling it off with trash bins.

As journalist Philip Bump noted, administration officials didn’t even pretend to wait for more information before jumping straight to “the opponent of the state deserved it.”

Mitch Smith of the New York Times reported that federal agents have blocked state investigators from the scene. Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, a statewide investigations team that specializes in police shootings, told reporters his agency had obtained a search warrant—a rare step—but the federal government still refused them access.

Tonight, in a lawsuit against Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem and other administration officials, Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison asked a judge for a temporary restraining order to prevent DHS agents from destroying evidence related to the shooting. The suit noted the “astonishing” departure from normal investigations, seemingly trying not to preserve evidence but to destroy it. A judge, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, immediately granted the restraining order, barring the administration from “destroying or altering evidence” concerning the killing.

Ernesto Londoño of the New York Times reported that federal officials also “have refused to disclose the identities of federal agents involved in Saturday’s shooting, as well as the names of federal agents who have shot people in recent days.”

Minnesota police have refused to obey the federal officers, though. Local law enforcement has been talking to witnesses and finding videos of the shooting. Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara said at a press conference: “Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity, and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands. We urge everyone to remain peaceful.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said that it, rather than the FBI, will investigate the shooting. But, as Alex Witt of MS NOW noted, DHS had already issued a statement about the shooting, which FALSELY ASSERTED that Pretti had “approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun” and that he “violently resisted” as “officers attempted to disarm” him. The statement continued that “an agent fired defensive shots” and added that Pretti “also had 2 magazines and no ID—this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” lucy’s words, “THESE ARE LIES.”

“So,” Witt noted, “they’re gonna be investigating that which they’ve already issued a summary about…. It would seem that it’s a closed book?”

After repeatedly being exposed as liars over previous accusations against those they have shot, the Department of Homeland Security has so little credibility that Witt is not the only journalist calling out the federal agents for lying. Devon Lum of the New York Times wrote: “Videos on social media that were verified by The New York Times contradict the Department of Homeland Security’s account of the fatal shooting of a man by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday morning.

“The Department of Homeland Security said the episode began after a man approached Border Patrol agents with a handgun and they tried to disarm him. But footage from the scene shows the man was holding a phone in his hand, not a gun, when federal agents took him to the ground and shot him.”

But LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE (lucy’s capitalization) is the only option for the administration when we can, once again, all see what happened with our own eyes. Pretti did have a permit for a concealed handgun and appeared to have carried the gun with him, although witnesses say he never reached for it. Tonight Noem doubled down on the lie, saying again: “This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”

When the Democratic Party’s social media account posted: “ICE agents shot and killed another person in Minneapolis this morning. Get ICE out of Minnesota NOW,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller replied: “A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists.” The Democrats’ social media account responded: “You’re a f*cking liar with blood on your hands.” lucy’s words, “THAT IS THE TRUTH.”

In the wake of Pretti’s shooting, Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote to Minnesota governor Tim Walz to suggest he could “bring back law and order to Minnesota” if he handed over the state’s voter rolls to the Department of Justice. (this is where, sitting in my living room by my morning fire, i spoke into the silence of the room, OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!) As Jacob Knutson of Democracy Docket noted, SHE EXPLICITLY TIED THE ADMINISTRATION’S VIOLENCE IN THE STATE TO ITS DETERMINATION TO GET ITS HANDS ON VOTERS’ PERSONAL DATA BEFORE THE 2026 ELECTION. (my words, “BRIBERY ATTEMPT FROM OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN NEEDS TO VOTE–VOTE THESE CRIMINALS OUT OF OFFICE!). Minnesota has voted for the Democratic candidate running against Trump in the past three presidential elections, but he insists that he really has won the state each time. (my words, FRUMPF IS A LIAR)

As G. Elliott Morris of Strength in Numbers wrote: Republicans could stop this at any time they wanted to.

“All it would take to end the murder of American citizens by an untrained government goon squad is 16 Republicans in Congress voting with Dem[ocrat]s to defund ICE (or 23 to impeach and remove Trump—3 in House & 20 in Senate). That’s it. 23 Americans can vote for the public and end all of this.”

Morris also pointed out that in December, Trump’s approval rating was negative in 40 states, including 10 he won in 2024. That covers 30 seats currently held by Republicans. Pretti’s shooting will likely erode Trump’s support further. Tonight, even right-wing podcaster Tim Pool reacted to Pretti’s killing by noting that it looked as if the agent had disarmed Pretti before the other agents shot him. “I don’t see Trump winning this one,” Pool commented.

The funding bill for DHS is effectively dead in the Senate, as Democrats have said they will not support any more funding for DHS. Tonight, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told reporters: “Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.” But the July law the Republicans call the One Big Beautiful Bill Act poured nearly $191 billion into DHS through September 30, 2029, with almost $75 billion going to ICE and $67 billion going to Customs and Border Protection (FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, got just $2.9 billion).

Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) had more to say: “​​What we just saw this morning on the streets of Minneapolis is another OUTRIGHT MURDER by federal officials. And let me just be clear, those federal ICE officers are ABSOLUTE COWARDS. I am a Marine veteran standing here telling you to your face they are unprofessional, pathetic cowards. Because if a Marine, an 18 year old Marine, did that in Iraq in the middle of a war zone, he would be court-martialed because it is murder. And you pathetic little cowards who have to wear face masks because you’re so damn scared, couldn’t even effectively wrestle a guy [to] the ground, so you needed to shoot him? This is why ICE needs to be prosecuted. Yeah, I voted to defund it, but ICE, you need to be prosecuted, and Director [Todd] Lyons, who’s running ICE right now, I hope you’re hearing this from this Marine to you. You guys are criminal thugs. You need to be held accountable to law if you think you can enforce it, and you need to be prosecuted right now.”

Just hours after the killing of Alex Pretti, agents pinned U.S. citizen Matthew James Allen to the street while he screamed: “I have done nothing at all. My name is Matthew James…Allen. I’m a United States citizen…. You’re gonna kill me! Is that what you want? You want to kill me? You want to kill me on the street? You’re going to have to f*cking kill me! I have done nothing wrong.” Nearby, his sobbing wife screamed: “Stop please! Stop!! Please!! We were just running away from the gas. That’s all we were doing.”

Tonight, Susan and Michael Pretti, the parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, issued a statement:

“We are heartbroken but also very angry,” they said.

“Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact.

“I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed.

“Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”
U.S. citizen

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

May you stumble and get up

May you weep and feel better

May you cry out in anger and curse and stomp

Our world has a plethora of things that make us stumble, weep and anger

And it has soul saving beauty

In the everchanging and luminous light whether dazzling or subtle gray

In music and art in all its forms

In bright rainbows and dramatic clouds

In the unknowable vast radiance of the heavens

In the embrace of loved ones

In the bosom of our family and friends

In the perfect cup of a beloved beverage sipped in a quiet place of restoration

In the breathtaking views of mountains

In the joy and laughter around a table

In the magic and mystery of seeds

In the majesty of the forest and the roar of the ocean

In the wonder of the myriad life forms on our planet

In the release and euphoria of vigorous exercise

In a mindful walk in nature

In random acts of kindness

In the satisfaction of work and play well done

In caring and being cared for

In spiritual renewal wherever you find it

In the celebration of coming together of like minds to create gifts of humanity for our world

In sharing your unique gifts

In being given unexpected gifts

In providing mutual aid

In the astonishing beauty of place everywhere around the globe

Let us keep on keeping on and put our drops of love into the world.

“Persistence and ingenuity” are our watch words. (taken from a novel by Joanna Miller)

Barbara McLaughlin

Photo credits
Carrot hug by Zoe Colosimo from FB
Hugging trees by Amazing World from FB
The tree that doesn’t give up by Ana Klein from FB

Submitted By: crissrueda@hotmail.com – Click to email about this post

Dear bbq friends,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you from the bottom of my heart. To everyone who has donated, shared my story, or sent me a kind message — your support has reached me in ways I truly can’t put into words.
Because of your generosity, I was able to attend my first appointment with the therapist and receive the prescription I need to begin treatment. This is a meaningful step forward for me. I will be on this treatment for the next eight weeks, and for the first time in a long while, I feel a sense of direction and hope.
Healing is not instant, but knowing I am supported makes the process feel lighter and far less lonely. Your encouragement has given me strength during moments that are physically and emotionally challenging.
As I continue this treatment journey, any ongoing support — whether through sharing my story, keeping me in your thoughts, or contributing if you are able — truly helps me stay focused on healing and moving forward.
Thank you for your kindness, your compassion, and for believing in my recovery.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Crissi

gofund.me/8e223f626

Submitted By: Website@unitedpaws.org – Click to email about this post

Meet United Paws’ Kittens of the Week, Romeo & Mercutio. These stunning brothers were abandoned as tiny kittens and were rescued by United Paws. They are thriving in their loving foster home and are ready for their forever home.

Mercutio is a stunning white cat with two light black spots on his head and cute pink ears. In most households, cats like to be in on the action, but Mercutio really loves to be with his humans. He wants to see what is going on and is the first to help lend a paw. He loves to play with his brother, and they zoom around the house chasing toys and each other. When he is not playing, Mercutio loves to snuggle with his humans on a lap, chair, or bed. When his humans are busy, he is often found up in a high perch snoozing in the sun or watching the birds outside. 

Romeo is a carbon copy of his brother, Mercutio. He is all white but has three faded black spots on his forehead and pink ears which makes him interesting and unique. Romeo loves to play and chase his brother. He especially likes to play in water – and will wait patiently for his human to get out of the shower so he can frolic and play. True to his name, Romeo is a real snuggler and loves to be where his humans are. He also likes to climb up a perch or cat tree; watching birds outside is a favorite pastime.

These kitties would be fine in a home with other cats, children and gentle dogs. They have been neutered, vaccinated, and are healthy buddies.

Although it is not essential, Mercutio & Romeo would love to be adopted together, because not only do they look alike, they are especially close. Whether you adopt one or both, it is a certainty that you will add fun and joy to your household.

To learn more, please visit unitedpaws.org or email unitedpawshelp@gmail.com.

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

The 2025-26 Giving Guide is out! The theme this year is “Sowing Seeds of Love”.

Please check it out and give generously–sowing your own seeds of love.

Not every organization can afford a paid profile, which pays for the production. So there is a list of contact information for all in the back.

The Giving Guide and detailed directories of the organizations can be found at www.northcoastbbq.com/local-resources/

The Giving Guide can also be found here:
www.northcoastbbq.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Giving-Guide-2025-26_Final_Spreads3.pdf

Here are descriptions of several of those organizations:
Friends of Rockaway Beach Library
Friends of Tillamook Air Museum (FOTAM)
Friends of Tillamook Police

Friends of Rockaway Beach Library
PO Box 185
120 N Coral St
Rockaway Beach, OR 97136
503-355-2665
friendsrockawaybeachlibrary@gmail.com
www.friendsrblibrary.org

Tom Zelenka, Board President
tzelenka49@gmail.com
971-254-6535

Mission Statement: To provide library services, including access to free internet and fax, to the citizens and visitors to Rockaway Beach.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
Since its inception in 1999, the Friends of the Rockaway Beach Library and the donation of the Woman’s Club meeting house, the library building and facility ongoing maintenance, including insurance, utilities, cleaning and repairs are funded through annual Friends memberships, donations, grants and community fund-raising events. The library provides opportunities for local community art and/or informational displays/exhibits, as well as meeting space for gatherings for adults and children, as well as a place for readings/writing classes from local authors.

Friends of Tillamook Air Museum (FOTAM)
4000 Blimp Blvd
Tillamook, OR 97141
503-842-1130
FriendsOfTillamookAirMuseum@gmail.com
www.FriendsOfTillamookAirMuseum.org

Bruce Lovelin, President, Board of Directors

Friends of Tillamook Police
210 Laurel Avenue
Tillamook, OR 97141
503-842-2522
tillamookpd@tillamookor.gov
www.friendsoftillamookpolice.org
(11) Facebook

Nick Troxel ntroxel@tillamookor.gov

Mission Statement: To enhance the quality of life in Tillamook by educating the community about crime prevention and by funding crime prevention, youth programs and other police services.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
The primary purposes of this corporation’s activities are to prevent crime and to promote community safety and wellbeing through public education and youth programs. Examples of programs the corporation will support include, but are not limited to, Neighborhood Watch, Business Watch, Citizen Police Academy, Tillamook Police Cadets, Youth Programs and the Tillamook Police Auxiliary volunteers. Please contact us by email or phone to see how you might be able to help.

Submitted By: lfelley@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Last night I heard Senator Wyden encourage us to keep pushing back. Today, in Minnesota, citizens are urged not to work, go to school or shop in order to create an economic blackout. By doing the same we can back their efforts.
Another way to push back is to contact senators and demand that they vote no for increased funding for ICE and border control.
Senator Merkley said things won’t get better if we lay on the couch with a pillow over our head. Let’s push back!

Submitted By: biggerbeach@gmx.com – Click to email about this post

BEWARE IMMIGRANTS!

STAY OUT OF TILLAMOOK COUNTY LIBRARIES!!!

The Tillamook County Library system has deployed A.I.-driven facial recognition software at all of the libraries! Despite claims of A.I. owners, my understanding is that closed A.I. systems do not exist. That means that ICE can access the database our county is building and folks can then be hunted down by ICE and deported.

And this means, for instance, that if you are Venezuelan, Drumf has targeted you for deportation to a torture-prison in Argentina, and if you pass under the libraries A.I., you will increase the likelihood of being deported. (This Argentina info is from the CBS 60-minutes news story that was killed by Zionist and unabashed genocide-supporter Bari Weiss, the new director of CBS News that Larry Ellison, the world’s richest man, donor to the IDF, and full supporter of Palantir’s AI targeting children, hospitals, schools, and pregnant mothers in Palestine, has installed as the head of CBS News. Israel fully supports Drumf’s kidnapping of Maduro and theft of VZs oil because he will need to sell it when Israel and the US attack Iran, as the Straight of Hormuz will then close.)

Or perhaps you will be sent somewhere else, but the point here is that you should STAY OUT OF TILLAMOOK COUNTY LIBRARIES if you are living here unlawfully and do not want to be deported.
Personally, I support a closed border, but Drumf’s ICE agents (how many are masked mercenaries?) have shown a complete disregard to American citizens rights and have unashamedly murdered an American citizen out of hatred, and I no longer support any of Trump’s deportation efforts.

Also, fake’ privacy guy’ Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is also a fierce supporter of Israeli genocide and the mass-murder of Muslim children as he is a dual citizen with Israel and has taken 1.5 million dollars from AIPAC. He supports Palantir using AI to tell the IDF whom to murder. He is a total war-supporter and fake liberal. He acknowledges Flock license plate readers being placed all over Oregon, and has no problem with the violation of privacy or if the murderous ICE thugs access the info for deportations. I am sure he fully supports facial recognition cameras in Tillamook County libraries. Why wouldn’t he?

Submitted By: pattyrinehart@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Dear Protesters,
The following is a note I received from Ed and Mary Gallagher this past week.

We will be protesting in Nehalem on Saturday, January 24, from noon to 2 PM. Please join North County Resistance in this PROTEST. The past two weeks we have had 70 plus people at this PROTEST. Thank you to all who have come. As you all know it is going to be cold. Dress in layers, bring hats and gloves. Wear double socks and a scarf. The North County Resistance can’t thank you enough for joining us. Best, Patty

In November 2026, we’re looking forward to our family and friends to tell us that we are alarmist and full of it, and we are not looking forward to thinking “We told you so.” Time will tell. If our concerns are correct, our Democracy is in big trouble. Here’s some facts that are disturbing to us and hopefully to you also:
* ICE has a huge budget and is hiring agents at an extreme rate, reportedly giving them little training compared to our typical law enforcement.
*ICE is conducting immigration enforcement unlike we’ve seen before, roaming the streets in masks, toting assault rifles like they’re looking for El Chapo!
* Trump is now openly saying he may have to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell real or perceived violence in the streets.
* Trump has tried to use the National Guard with limited success, and now he has ICE growing its size, the Trump Army.
* Trump’s plan? Cancel the midterm elections and if that doesn’t work, use his Army to go to polling stations to intimidate voters.
* About 25% of the country thinks this would be great, keeping Trump in total control, that Democracy isn’t good for America. When you have such a wonderful leader, why do we need two parties? They also think the January 6 attack on the Capitol was justified. What do the other 75% think and are they willing to just let this happen, watching from the sidelines?

If you believe, like us, this is the direction Trump is moving, speak out!! Hopefully Republican Representatives and Senators will wake up. They need to reduce funding for ICE now to prevent the Trump Army from continuing to grow. Call Republicans, write to them and please feel free to share this email with your family and friends…the time is NOW!

Ed and Mary Gallagher

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Remodeled affordable senior housing in Nehalem now open:
www.tillamookheadlightherald.com/news/move-ins-begin-at-alder-creek-commons/article_5d5d672e-7517-4f03-91fa-97a21ae26fa9.html

Submitted By: heidiangelaparker@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

I hope some of you will take the time to watch a short documentary available to stream on OPB.
Hopefully the link will take you to the page where you can stream it easily as well as read an article with background about the short film grounded here in Oregon. it.https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/21/documentary-featuring-lewis-clark-prison-education-class-makes-oscars-shortlist/

Submitted By: vdubcaddy@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

WHEN HOPE FEELS LOST: HOW WE RISE
By: Roland Hughes

I’m not interested in scaring anyone. It’s not my purpose and fear is corrosive.

Fear is cheap. It burns hot, spreads fast, and leaves very little behind except exhaustion and cynicism. If we’re actually facing something serious—and I believe we are—then panic is the least useful response available to us.

What we need now is adult seriousness.

Here’s my take on the tension we’re sitting inside:

Every president, eventually, gets accused of “destroying America.” Every administration oversteps restraint somewhere. Some accusations are exaggerated, some are sincere, and a few land uncomfortably close to the truth. Over time, that constant alarm produces a predictable effect: people stop being able to tell the difference between a real fire and a false one.

They don’t become stupid.
They become conditioned.

So when something genuinely destabilizing begins to emerge, the response isn’t disbelief so much as a subtle numbness—a skepticism born of overexposure. Alarm fatigue. A nervous system that’s learned to conserve energy by tuning out.

That numbness isn’t proof that nothing is happening.
It’s proof that we’ve trained ourselves to ignore the very signals we may need to respond to. It’s the way regimes find empowerment—through patterns, arrogance, and a disconnected citizenry.

So the task now isn’t to get louder.
It’s to get clearer.

⸻

SERIOUS IS NOT LOUD

The danger isn’t one outrageous statement or one offensive post. It isn’t a single threat, headline, or scandal. Those come and go.

What matters—when it matters—is pattern.

There’s a difference between politics as a rough sport and politics as a slow replacement of law with loyalty. A difference between a leader playing to a base and a system quietly training people to accept that dissent is illegitimate. A difference between disagreement and punishment.

If you want a grounded measure of seriousness, stop starting with personality or emotion, and start with structure:

• Are norm-breaks becoming routine?
• Are accountability mechanisms being mocked or bypassed?
• Is loyalty replacing law?
• Is opposition treated as legitimate—or as an enemy?
• Are exceptions becoming precedent?
• Are balancing institutions being conditioned to comply?

When those stack, labels stop mattering. Narcissist. Sociopath. Psychopath. Demented. Pick your term.

Names don’t protect a republic—a democracy.
Systems do. Laws do. Culture does. Restraint does.

⸻

ALARM FATIGUE ISN’T IGNORANCE

Many people aren’t disengaged because they don’t care. They’re disengaged because they care deeply—and have been overwhelmed for years.

They’ve been told this is “the end” too many times. They’ve watched exaggeration on all sides. They’ve seen outrage turned into a business model. And their nervous systems adapted.

That adaptation isn’t moral failure.
It’s human.

Which is why increasing volume doesn’t increase urgency—it erodes credibility.

If you want to reach people who are quietly paying attention, lower the temperature. Sharpen the claim. Stop performing outrage and start demonstrating clarity.

That’s not weakness.
It’s strategy.
And it’s ethics.

⸻

GROUND THE CONVERSATION IN LAW, NOT EMOTION

Emotion has a place. Anger can be appropriate. Fear can be informative. Grief can be honest.

But emotion cannot be the foundation.

If you want to be effective, anchor the conversation in process, not personality:

• What powers are being claimed or tested?
• What restraints are being bypassed?
• What standards are being reinterpreted?
• What checks are weakening through precedent?
• What would be acceptable if the other side were doing it?
• What remains after this leader is gone?

You can argue motives forever.
Process is harder to spin.

⸻

STOP TRYING TO WAKE PEOPLE UP WITH SIRENS

You won’t wake a desensitized public by escalating emotional intensity.

You wake them by doing something a bit more rare:

Making sense.

Not “this is evil,” but:

• Here’s what happened.
• Here’s what it changes.
• Here’s the precedent it sets.
• Here’s what it trains us to tolerate.

That language doesn’t go viral.
But it builds trust.

And trust—not adrenaline—is what lasts.

⸻

CHOOSE A LANE AND STAY IN IT

Part of the chaos comes from trying to be everything at once: investigator, preacher, comedian, therapist, prophet, revolutionary.

Pick a lane. Deliberately.

• Document what’s happening. Clean. Verifiable. Boring if it has to be.
• Translate complexity into plain language without contempt.
• Work locally, where civic life still has skin in the game.
• Refuse dehumanization. Contempt doesn’t persuade—it hardens lines.

This isn’t about being polite.
It’s about being effective.

⸻

PROTECT YOUR CENTER

If fear and rage govern your attention, you become predictable. Predictable people are easy to manipulate.

Staying centered isn’t withdrawal—it’s stewardship. It provides agency and autonomy for the individual.

Limit intake. Choose engagement. Keep your body regulated. Let silence be strategic, not grounds for forfeit.

A clear mind outlasts a furious one.

⸻

WHAT THIS IS REALLY ASKING FOR

This isn’t a call to worship institutions.
It’s not a denial that real danger exists.
And it’s not an invitation to panic.

It’s a call for restraint with eyes open.

The kind that says:

• I won’t exaggerate to be heard.
• I won’t trade truth for momentum.
• I won’t replace law with loyalty.
• I won’t dehumanize my neighbor to feel righteous.
• I won’t treat civic life like entertainment.

This is how a country holds itself together—not through one dramatic moment, but through thousands of small refusals to abandon discernment and engagement.

⸻

A FINAL THOUGHT

If the plug ever gets pulled, it won’t be by a villain in the open.

It will be pulled by exhaustion.
By cynicism.
By resignation.

By a culture that decided truth was unknowable and power was all that mattered.

The real emergency isn’t one man or one party.
It’s the collapse of restraint, clarity, and shared standards for reality.

So proceed like this:

Be calm.
Be precise.
Be lawful.
Be unwilling to exaggerate.
Be unwilling to hate.
Be willing to document.
Be willing to translate.
Be willing to keep showing up—locally, quietly, consistently.

It won’t trend.

But it’s the way a republic, our country, avoids becoming a fever dream.

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

The 2025-26 Giving Guide is out! The theme this year is “Sowing Seeds of Love”.

Please check it out and give generously–sowing your own seeds of love.

Not every organization can afford a paid profile, which pays for the production. So there is a list of contact information for all in the back.

The Giving Guide and detailed directories of the organizations can be found at www.northcoastbbq.com/local-resources/

The Giving Guide can also be found here:
www.northcoastbbq.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Giving-Guide-2025-26_Final_Spreads3.pdf

Here are descriptions of several of those organizations:
Food Roots
Friends of Nedonna Marsh
Friends of Netarts Bay Watershed, Estuary, Beach and Sea (WEBS)
Friends of Pacific City State Airport

Food Roots
PO Box 1275
Tillamook, OR 97141
503-815-2800
office@foodrootsnw.org
www.foodrootsnw.org

Mission statement: to grow a robust and equitable food system in Tillamook County through community engagement, education, food producer support, and improved access to local food.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
Food Roots’ vision of a robust and equitable food system is one in which everyone in Tillamook County eats fresh, nutritional local food every day. Founded in 2006, Food Roots’ core programs include Farm and Food Business Support, Local Food Equity, and Farm to School Education. We work to achieve our vision by linking our core programs together in projects that meet your needs and expand our local food ecosystem. We provide resources and guidance to farm and food business entrepreneurs, and establish procurement relationships. We also purchase foods from local farmers and deliver them to neighbors in our community who are experiencing food insecurity. With the help of volunteers and in partnership with local schools and their wonderfully engaged students, we grow gardens and donate the bounty of produce to free food programs. Our efforts are a multi-faceted approach that increases well-being, learning, and connection, resulting in a healthy community rooted and invested in a mutually beneficial relationship with their local food suppliers and neighbors.

Friends of Nedonna Marsh
sthompson@pomona.edu

Friends of Netarts Bay Watershed, Estuary, Beach and Sea (WEBS)
PO Box 152
Netarts, OR 97143
info@netartsbaywebs.org
www.netartsbaywebs.org
Physical address: 4949 Netarts Hwy W
Tillamook, OR 97141
Facebook: www.facebook.com/netartsbaywebs
Instagram: www.instagram.com/netartsbaywebs
Chrissy Smith, Director director@netartsbaywebs.org

Mission Statement: Sustaining the Netarts Bay Area through education and stewardship.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS works to sustain the Netarts Bay area through education and stewardship. Through grant funding and private donations, WEBS offers a suite of youth programs, free workshops for the general public, stewardship programs, and community science opportunities.

Friends of Pacific City State Airport
PO Box 1101
Pacific City, OR 97135
friendsofpacificcityairport@gmail.com
friendsofpacificcitystateairport.com
Facebook: Friends of Pacific City State Airport
Sally Rissel, President 503-965-6973
heronlanding123@gmail.com
Robyn Holdman, Secretary 541-815-2088
robyn@friendsofpacificcitystateairport.com

Mission Statement: Friends of Pacific City State Airport is committed to ensuring the wise management and use of our State-owned airport.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
The Friends of Pacific City State Airport is a group of people committed to supporting a State-owned, coastal public airport in Pacific City Oregon. It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization made up of local citizens, Pacific Northwest pilots, and aviation advocates. The nonprofit coordinates volunteer and fundraising efforts to maintain and improve the public airport, offers youth aviator scholarships, and provides educational opportunities for youth and adults who want to learn more about aviation.

Submitted By: jmgilpin@msn.com – Click to email about this post

Again, I find it necessary to respond to misinformation and bias posted in this forum. The following is a review of the recommendation to view The Fall of Minneapolis documentary. It is very biased and comes from Alpha News – a conservative outlet known for their signaling. IMO, Alpha News and their ilk do nothing to help heal our nation – resulting in continued damage to our increasingly fragile democracy.

“The Fall of Minneapolis, is widely considered a highly biased documentary, presenting a perspective critical of the city’s response to George Floyd’s murder, focusing on police issues and business destruction, while even some officials find its claims about police training excessive, according to reports and reviews of its content.
Key Points on Bias:
Content Focus: The film emphasizes the chaos, crime, and business damage in Minneapolis post-Floyd, suggesting police abandoned areas, as alleged by suing business owners.
Police Training Claims: It scrutinizes police actions, but even figures like Police Chief O’Hara found its attempts to justify or misrepresent police training (like kneeling on necks) as “ridiculous” and “going too far,” even while acknowledging some valid points.
Criticism: Critics argue it selectively uses evidence, ignores broader contexts, and promotes a narrative that downplays systemic issues while exaggerating claims about city governance failure and police misconduct.
In essence, The Fall of Minneapolis offers a specific, often controversial, lens on events, emphasizing conservative concerns about law & order and city mismanagement, rather than a neutral overview.”

Submitted By: Vdubcaddy@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Good morning.
I don’t even know where to begin. My entire body is hoping this is all just a bad joke or a
dream. How did we get here?

We have military operations happening within our own country—not against foreign invasion,
but largely against our own people. Federal agents cloaked in masks, void of personal
identifiers, breaking entry into homes without judicial warrants. Too many reports of American
citizens being abducted. Assaulted physically. Assaulted emotionally. Too many children and
families being utterly terrorized. Property and rights violated, and as far as I can see, largely
because the person in the White House does not care for his political opposition. Vengeance.
Retaliation.

What the just happened, and where does it de-escalate?

As if that were not enough, we are now talking about launching military threats against
longtime friends and allies such as Greenland and Denmark. With that will come an alienation
of ourselves from the rest of the world. I am having a difficult time seeing where history will nod
at any of this.

Has the entire world—and our country—really gone off the rails so badly that there is only one
man who notices and holds the prescription and ability to right all the perceived wrongs?

We have citizens being slain in broad daylight, on and off camera, by federal agents. Within
hours of these incidents, our leadership issues press releases removing any wrongdoing by the
agent involved, before any form of actual investigation can occur.

How did we get here?

And it still isn’t enough. His supporters seem to blindly cheer him on as a brave leader, a
president of “peace.”

Yeah… well, where is the peace? I see little to no evidence of it.

What I do see is a setup. One where, if enough backlash occurs, the situation could be used as
justification to launch martial law on our nation. He’s already talking about it in relative detail.

If that’s not enough, he openly jokes and taunts cities in the United States that did not vote for
him, floating the idea of using those cities as training grounds for our military. You know—to get
them accustomed to attacking their own brothers and sisters and children.

Such acts do not happen suddenly. They must be conditioned. Normalized first.

All of this comes from the hands of a man who claims our government is corrupt and in need of
fixing. Is this really the way to fix corruption in the ways it actually exists?

Is this what the framers of our Constitution had in mind when they cautioned against tyrannical
government, while ensuring that citizens and militias would retain the ability to correct course
when necessary?

Is this the corrective measure they had in mind, or does it more closely resemble the destructive transformation they warned us about?

Every one of our founding fathers was a protester—criminals under the law of the Crown,
charged with treason and carrying legal bounties on their heads. History did not remember
them as criminals because morality does not originate in law.

When compliance comes at the expense of moral character, liberty is already lost.

Slavery was legal.
Segregation was legal.
The internment of Japanese Americans was legal.
Apartheid was legal.

In every case, obedience was lawful—and protest was criminal.

Freedoms are not maintained by governments or by written laws. Laws follow conscience; they
do not create it. Liberty survives through protest, civil disobedience, and defiance—through the
willingness to sacrifice comfort, reputation, and sometimes one’s own safety so others may
remain free.

Order without conscience is not peace.
It is control.
It is tyranny.

What would this world look like if we broke trust and treaty by invading Greenland? What
would happen to NATO? Who would our allies be? Would it make this country more sovereign
and safe, or would we be thrust into some form of isolation?

Normally our neighbors—Mexico and Canada—would support our interests. But I don’t see
that being the case when military threats and invasions have already been cast in their direction
as well.

President of peace?

I’m trying so very hard to see where I’m overlooking it. I don’t see peace anywhere. What I see instead is a man—and those who idolize him—simply getting what they want. A spoiled schoolyard bully without cause.

I try hard not to feed into reaction. I try hard to see where what he’s doing could possibly be right or end anywhere positive. But there is so little balance of power left. His words and actions largely go unchallenged by the balancing mechanisms built into our Constitution.

We have one man getting his way at every strike. Anyone who opposes him is labeled a traitor.
A disgusting human. Often stripped of duty, privilege, and even retirement promises the
moment they step out of his shadow.

“Lick the boot or get the boot” seems to be the reality.

I still search for the part I’m missing. I still ask myself where I might be seeing only one side.
Where could the benefit of any of this possibly reveal itself?

Where could the lives of the people of our nation—and of the world—find betterment in an atmosphere of such hostility and authority?

Even if he were completely factual in everything he flags as a problem, is this really the way to
solve it? Through order enforced by force?
How does that encourage confidence?
How does that encourage peace?

Without confidence, there can be no peace.
Without peace, there can be no confidence.

As if all of this were not enough, he now goes further, stating that anyone who opposes him
should lose their citizenship or naturalization, regardless of where they were born. Stand up
against what is happening, and that alone is enough to be banished from the only land you
have ever known.

No laws need to be broken, apparently—at least not in the mind of the man who says such things. Simply disagree. Simply resist. In his mind, that is enough to label you a traitor. Maybe even a domestic terrorist.

To me, it seems the only people guilty of those charges are the ones saying it.
It amazes me that the party of God, conservatism, and limited government is the very party
cheering this on—doing so in an air of obnoxious obtuseness.
It seems that our government, in general, has largely forgotten where it gains its privileges of
authority.
Silence will not keep anyone safe.
“There are many who don’t know they are fascist but will find out when the time comes.”
— attribution disputed; commonly misattributed to Ernest Hemingway

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Ancestors
Elders & Angels
Earth
Sky and Ocean
Plants
Animals
And all creatures
Spirit and all helpers and allies
Be with us and give us courage
So we may be and give light and love

Karen Olson

Submitted By: info@evcnb.org – Click to email about this post

Click the following link to read the latest eBrief: mailchi.mp/evcnb.org/evcnb-ebrief-january-16-2026-learn-about-neighborhood-radio-and-emergency-communication-emergency-food-cooking-contest-returns-and-more
EVCNB eBrief – January 16, 2026 – Learn About Neighborhood Radio and Emergency Communication, Emergency Food Cooking Contest Returns and more.
Also in this issue:
Nehalem Bay Fire & Rescue Welcomes Transformational $225,000 Donation to Support Solar Resiliency
Welcoming Our New Board Members at Large
Tillamook County and Nehalem Bay Fire & Rescue Want Your Feedback
Emergency Food Cooking Contest! February 10, 5 – 7 PM Pine Grove Community House, Manzanita
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) Classes Available for 2026

Submitted By: dixiedarrow@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

the Fall of Minneapolis.com.

If you just want to know the truth of things – you need to watch this documentary – it really affects all of us. I came across this by accident one day while on my laptop – unfortunately I was never able to find it again until someone recently sent me the link.

www.thefallofminneapolis.com

Submitted By: dianedkgcpa@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

NEHALEM BAY TIDERUNNERS PNWCOASTPADDLINGCLUB.COM

PNW Coast Paddling Club is actively recruiting for the 2026 season. We are a group of powerful, competitive paddlers of all ages who race and train together on the beautiful Nehalem Bay.

WE SHARE the water with the bald eagles, herons, seals, and other wildlife.

WE COMPETE in local, national and international races.

WE ARE FRIENDS who enjoy camaraderie on and off the water.

WE ARE INVITING YOU to join us for a fun workout and a great adventure!

CONTACT COACH CHAR, TEXT 360-904-3899

Submitted By: pattyrinehart@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Please join North County Resistance on Saturday, January 17 from noon to 2 PM to peacefully protest everything our Trump Government is doing. We remain peaceful because we are smarter than Trump. Trump and his cabinet are ruining our country. From our youngest to our oldest citizens Trump is making so many people struggle through each and every day. We must get our representatives to listen! Do not give up.

Dress in layers as the wind is very cold, hats, gloves, scarves and double socks and coats will make this task more comfortable. Bring a chair as that really helps. You don’t need to stay the whole time but stay as long as you can.

Thank you so much to all of you who came last week to honor Renee Good.
Patty

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Barely used Bowflex Exercise Machine free to a good home. We’re in Manzanita. Happy to help load into your vehicle–it’s heavy…
Send an email if interested
Mark and Linda K.

Submitted By: Website@unitedpaws.org – Click to email about this post

United Paws is urgently seeking a forever family or long-term foster for Hope & Caroline, a bonded pair of beautiful cats who have lost their home. Hope & Caroline were rescued in 2023 from life in a cramped cage. They are shy during the day, but seek love and companionship after dark. Caroline (brown tabby) is the more outgoing of the two and will happily come when wet food is served.

The pair has been cared for in a loving home and both are happy and healthy, but sadly their owner must relocate and cannot bring these beauties.

We are seeking a special family that can nurture these beauties in a safe and patient environment. A forever family would be ideal, but a long-term foster situation will also be a life-saver.

To learn more please send and email to unitedpawshelp@gmail.com or visit unitedpaws.org.

Submitted By: dwieb1@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Here’s some interesting investigative reporting on why Greenland has been in the news:

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/15/ronald-lauder-billionaire-donor-donald-trump-ukraine-greenland

Submitted By: Katiep479@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Sometimes in our lives we find that we need to care for a loved one or we find ourselves needing some help in doing things we have always done for ourselves. It can be a stressful time in our lives. Whether you just need some respite care in caring for a loved one or need that extra care for yourself, i can help ease that stress level for you.

My name is Katie and I am a In-home caregiver. Looking for clients starting in Tillamook, Oregon and to the North of there. If you need a In-home caregiver, call me at 503-409-6841, or email me at Katiep479@gmail.com. Look forward to working with you. Thank you.

Submitted By: dwieb1@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

I see both of our Senators, Merkley and Wyden, are holding town halls in our area soon. Obviously there will be lots of people at these. Only a few will be able to ask questions – they hand out a ticket to everyone who enters, then after an introduction they pick numbers at random to take questions.

Whether or not you get to ask your question, most of us have the same concerns and those town halls will be very informative. However, one subject that won’t come up is what the heck happened in the 2024 election. That’s old news and long settled for most of us. But I’m concerned we missed a key factor.

Trump controls the national narrative and the media by saying and doing atrocious things. One of those is slandering Biden. He put doubt in our minds about Biden’s abilities, so when Biden essentially collapsed in that debate due to exhaustion, over-taxed from his work schedule and a cold, we accepted Trump’s narrative as the reason he won the election.

I wanted more information so studied the election results state by state and compared 2024 to 2020. I found it was actually voter turnout efforts by Turning Point USA and others on the ground specifically in the swing states that returned Trump to office. Yes, Democratic voter turnout was well down, but only in states won by the same party both years. The difference was just the swing states, where Dem voter turnout was way up from 2020, but Republican turnout was up more.

If I’m right then the election was lost long before that disastrous debate. Here’s my point: it is still crucial for politicians to connect with their electorate. Mamdani, Spanberger, and Sherrill all won in 2025 elections and each made a point of actively listening to their electorate. The media likes to say it was a referendum on Republicans. Probably to some extent, but making sure voters feel important is, I think, essential. Town halls alone cannot do it. Focus groups only scratch the surface. Texting for donations with messages like “what can I say to get your support?” is empty and appears to be the extent of what Democratic Party organizations are doing.

-Dave

Submitted By: helgregors@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

For those (like myself) that didn’t hear about added recycling options at Manzanita Transfer Station, they are now recycling #5 plastic and aseptic containers. Glad to see fewer items going to landfill.

Submitted By: babbles@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

to the BBQ readership,

again, from Heather Cox Richardson. with tonight’s post i have decided to also include her extensive footnotes. this woman does her research, folks! noting the diversity and credibility of her sources, she is to be believed.

trump is escalating illegal actions and attacking his perceived “enemies.” in his view anyone that doesn’t agree with him is an enemy. republicans in congress who have fully supported him are now starting to push back–they become his enemies also.

in my life of 83 years i have often disagreed with someone about whatever–but that never made them my enemy.

read and be appalled at the direction our top executive is leading us. does anyone besides me see the possibility of WW3?

with a heart filled with foreboding of serious consequences for the stability of our world.

CAPITALIZATION OF PHRASES AND SENTENCES BELOW ARE MINE. I WOULD CHANGE THE PRINT TO BOLD AND RED IF BBQ TECHNOLOGY ALLOWED IT.

lucy brook
nehalem resident
U.S. citizen

January 11, 2026
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

The news has seemed to move more and more quickly in the last week.

The story underlying all others is that the United States Congress passed a law requiring the Department of Justice to release all the Epstein files—the files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the activities of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—no later than December 19, and it has not done so.

Epstein and President Donald J. Trump were close friends for many years, and the material the Department of Justice (DOJ) has released suggests that Trump was more closely tied to Epstein’s activities than Trump has acknowledged. Although Trump ran in 2024 on the promise of releasing the Epstein files, suggesting those files would incriminate Democrats, HIS LOYALISTS IN THE ADMINISTRATION AR ENOW OPENLY FLOUTING THE LAW to keep them hidden.

Despite the clear requirement of the Epstein Files Transparency Act that they release all the files by December 19, to date they have released less than 1% of the material.

Another part of the backstory of the past week is that the Supreme Court on December 23, 2025, rejected the Trump administration’s argument that it had the power to deploy federalized National Guard troops in and around Chicago, a decision that seemed to limit Trump’s power to use military forces within the United States.

Yet another part of the backstory is that on New Year’s Eve, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee released a 255-page transcript of former special counsel Jack Smith’s December 17 closed-door testimony before the committee. In that testimony—under oath—Smith said that his office had “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump ENGAGED IN A CRIMINAL SCHEME to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power. Our investigation also developed powerful evidence that showed that President Trump willfully retained highly classified documents after he left office in January of 2021, storing them at his social club, including in a ballroom and a bathroom. He then repeatedly tried to obstruct justice to conceal his continued retention of those documents.”

With pressure building over the Epstein files and Jack Smith’s testimony, and with the Supreme Court having taken away Trump’s ability to use troops within the United States, the administration went on the offensive.

Only a week ago, on January 3, the military captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. After months of suggesting that he was determined to end what he called “narco-traffickers,” Trump made it clear as soon as Maduro was in hand that he wanted control of Venezuela’s oil.

Then, on January 6, the fifth anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters determined to keep Trump in office despite Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s majority of 7 million votes, Trump’s White House REWROTE THE HISTORY OF JANUARY 6, 2021, claiming that the rioters were “peaceful patriotic protesters” and blaming the Democrats for the insurrection.

That same day, after the Supreme Court had cut off the administration’s ability to federalize National Guard soldiers and send them to Democratic-led cities, the administration surged 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis in the largest federal immigration enforcement operation ever launched.

The next morning, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good, and the administration responded by calling Good a domestic terrorist.

On Thursday, January 8, as protests broke out across the country, REPUBLICANS IN BOTH CHAMBERS OF CONGRESS BEGAN TO PUSH BACK against the administration. In the House, Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), the leading sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, asked U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer to appoint “a Special Master and an Independent Monitor to compel” the DOJ to produce the Epstein files as the law requires. The House also passed a measure to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years.

The Senate advanced a bill to stop the Trump administration from additional attacks on Venezuela without congressional approval. And, just two days after Trump had reversed the victims and offenders in the January 6, 2021, insurrection, suggesting that Capitol Police officers had been among the offenders, the Senate unanimously agreed to hang a plaque honoring the police who protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Congress passed a law in March 2022 mandating that the plaque be hung, but Republicans until now had prevented its installation.

Friday was a busy day at the White House.

On Friday, Trump threatened Greenland, saying that he was “going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not.”

Trump’s threat against a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally has had American lawmakers and foreign allies scrambling ever since. In a joint statement, the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom said that “Greenland belongs to its people.” Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) released a video explaining that “what you are essentially talking about here is the United States going to war with NATO, THE UNITED STATES GOING TO WAR WITH EUROPE. You’re talking about the U.S. and France being at war with each other over Greenland.”

Trump’s threats against Greenland came at a meeting with oil executives. When he attacked Venezuela to capture Maduro, Trump told reporters that United States oil companies would spend billions of dollars to fix the badly broken infrastructure of oil extraction in that country. But apparently the oil companies had not gotten the memo. They have said that they are not currently interested in investing in Venezuela because they have no idea how badly oil infrastructure there has degraded and no sense of who will run the country in the future.

What oil executives did suggest to Trump on Friday was that they would quite like to be repaid for their losses from the 2007 nationalization of their companies from the sale of Venezuelan oil Trump has promised to control. ConocoPhillips, for example, claims it is owed about $12 billion. “We’re not going to look at what people lost in the past, because that was their fault,” Trump told them. “That was a different president. You’re going to make a lot of money, but we’re not going to go back.”

Yesterday the government made public an executive order President Donald J. Trump signed on Friday, declaring yet another national emergency—his tenth in this term, by my count—and saying that any use of the revenue from the sale of Venezuelan oil to repay the billions of dollars owed to oil companies “will materially harm the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

Specifically, the executive order says, such repayment would “interfere with our critical efforts to ensure economic and political stability in Venezuela” and, by extension, jeopardize U.S. foreign policy objectives including “ending the dangerous influx of illegal immigrants and the flood of illicit narcotics;…protecting American interests against malign actors such as Iran and Hezbollah; and bringing peace, prosperity, and stability to the Venezuelan people and to the Western Hemisphere more generally.” So, it appears, Trump wants to retain control of the money from the sale of Venezuelan oil.

Tonight Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said he is under federal criminal investigation related to his congressional testimony about a $2.5 billion renovation of historic Federal Reserve buildings. On Friday the Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve grand jury subpoenas.

Powell, whom Trump appointed, released a video noting that he has kept Congress in the loop on the renovation project and saying that complaints about renovations are pretexts. Trump is threatening criminal charges against Powell because the Fed didn’t lower interest rates as fast as Trump wanted, instead working in the interest of the American people. “This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation.” Powell vowed to “continue to do the job the Senate confirmed me to do, with integrity and a commitment to serving the American people.”

The Federal Reserve is designed to be independent of presidents TO AVOID EXACTLY WHAT TRUMP IS TRYING TO DO. The attempt to replace Powell with a loyalist who will give Trump control over the nation’s financial system PROFOUNDLY THREATENS THE STABILITY OF THE COUNTRY. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), who sits on the Senate Finance Committee, appeared to have had enough. He posted that “[i]f there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none. It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question.” He said he would “oppose the confirmation of any nominee for the Fed—including the upcoming Fed Chair vacancy—until this legal matter is fully resolved.”

Kyle Cheney of Politico observed that it is “[h]ard to overstate what a remarkable statement this is from a Republican senator…accusing the Trump White House of weaponizing DOJ to control the Fed.”

Over a picture of the demolished East Wing of the White House, conservative lawyer George Conway noted: “I also must say that it’s a bit rich that Trump and his DOJ think it’s a good idea to gin up a bullshit investigation about supposed illegalities in….{checks notes}…renovating a federal building.”

On social media tonight, Trump posted a portrait of himself with the title: “Acting President of Venezuela.”

—

Notes:

www.cnbc.com/2026/01/10/what-the-big-oil-executives-told-trump-about-investing-in-venezuela.html

www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/safeguarding-venezuelan-oil-revenue-for-the-good-of-the-american-and-venezuelan-people/

www.whitehouse.gov/j6/

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/world/americas/trump-greenland-annex.html

www.mainepublic.org/politics/2026-01-09/sen-king-says-its-nonsense-that-u-s-needs-to-own-greenland-for-national-security

www.cnbc.com/2026/01/12/fed-jerome-powell-criminal-probe-nyt.html

www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/powell20260111a.htm

www.scotusblog.com/2025/12/supreme-court-rejects-trumps-effort-to-deploy-national-guard-in-illinois/

judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/2025-12/Smith-Depo-Transcript_Redacted-w-Errata.pdf

khanna.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/khanna.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/khanna-sdny-letter-1-8_0.pdf

www.politico.com/news/2026/01/08/17-republicans-vote-to-restore-lapsed-obamacare-subsidies-00717497

www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-republican-senators-venezuela-war-powers/

www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/2000-federal-agents-sent-to-minneapolis-area-to-carry-out-largest-immigration-operation-ever-ice-says

www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/01/08/congress/senate-unanimous-approves-jan-6-plaque-law-enforcement-00717799

www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405/text

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/06/epstein-files-release-justice-department

Bluesky:

chrismurphyct.bsky.social/post/3mc4iyclym222

gtconway.bsky.social/post/3mc73ftktkj2w

gtconway.bsky.social/post/3luuiczrpis2e

federalreserve.gov/post/3mc6san2usk2g

justinwolfers.bsky.social/post/3mc6wyjaqwk2g

muellershewrote.com/post/3mc6vzhk2dk2o

kyledcheney.bsky.social/post/3mc6xpvvtez26

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

From our State Legislator about the killing of Renee Good.
You Didn’t See What You Think You Saw When Authority Decides Fear Is Enough Cyrus Javadi
open.substack.com/pub/cyrusjavadior/p/you-didnt-see-what-you-think-you?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Barbara McLaughlin

Nehalem