The Alligator News Roundup

Google Maps Erases the California Wildfires | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. California Post. Current satellite images of the 2025 Palisades fire damage have disappeared from Google Maps. [https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/google-maps-slammed-hiding-brutal-174711234.html] When it comes to a major company showing its political colors, mum’s the word. Multiple out-of-control wildfires in California a year ago destroyed 13,000 homes [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/year-la-area-wildfires-destroyed-thousands-homes-fewer-dozen-rebuilt-rcna252751] and drove some 200,000 residents [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2025_Southern_California_wildfires] to evacuate. Most notable were upscale communities in the Palisades and Altadena. The story dominated news at the time, especially with reports of reservoirs that had been allowed to go dry. Within one year, fewer than a dozen homes had been rebuilt. [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/year-la-area-wildfires-destroyed-thousands-homes-fewer-dozen-rebuilt-rcna252751] The area remains devasted today. As of this writing, you can easily see the damage in your map app—but only if you are using Apple Maps. Google Maps has inexplicably returned to using pre-2025 satellite imagery. Thus far there has been no statement from Google as to why their current, up-to-date, always-on satellite mapping app suddenly shows images nearly two years out of date. I suppose if you are trying to navigate streets, it might work—assuming you can actually get vehicle access to the burned areas. If on the other hand you are a property tax assessor, it could be a problem. It occurs to me that may be the play: It would be logical that local governments turn to publicly available satellite images to assess property values. I can hardly wait to see the stories of homeowners who lost half-million-dollar properties being billed for homes that no longer exist. The fly in the ointment is, as usual, the free market. While Google has purged the fire history by showing outdated images, Apple Maps continues to show the true devastation of affected neighborhoods. The side-by-side contrast is impressive. These government propagandists all need to get on the same page. Number 3. RedState. Prosecutor held to account for using fake AI case history. [https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2026/05/05/hot-takes-ga-supreme-courts-punishment-for-prosecutor-who-cited-fake-cases-has-people-talking-n2202033] A murder trial in Georgia went against the defendant. The guilty party, not surprisingly, appealed the decision, and it went to the Georgia Supreme Court. The state prosecutor composed the state’s response, showing case law that upheld the conviction. At some point, a judge actually read the response and looked up the cases the assistant district attorney cited. He could not find them, because they did not exist. The judge wrote: “…There are at least five citations to cases that don't exist… including three quotations that don't exist…” It turns out that ADA Deborah Leslie had relied on—you guessed it—an AI agent to prepare her case for the legal review. I get it… she was probably overworked, understaffed and underpaid. But when His Honor challenged her in open court, asking if she stood by her written response, it probably left her wishing she had chosen volleyball instead of debate for an extracurricular back in high school. The case was sent back to the lower court and Ms. Leslie was suspended for six months. Some considered [https://x.com/HansMahncke/status/2051684174671605927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2051692637078302841%7Ctwgr%5E69af4fbb063cbdd2d5005d88357e7836c7b6666e%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fsister-toldjah%2F2026%2F05%2F05%2Fhot-takes-ga-supreme-courts-punishment-for-prosecutor-who-cited-fake-cases-has-people-talking-n2202033] that punishment far too light, considering the stakes of the case. I asked my own ChatGPT agent why attorneys might place such blind trust in the Large Language Model. [https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ai/what-is-large-language-model/] It gave quite reasonable answers: An LLM understands: * what case citations look like, * how judicial reasoning is structured, * how appellate briefs are written, * how courts quote precedent. The model is not intentionally lying in the human sense. It is statistically predicting what a valid-looking answer should resemble. Try it yourself. Here is the prompt I used: There was a recent Georgia supreme court case tossed bc the ADA relied on an AI agent to write her response to an appeal. A judge found the ADA had cited 5 non-existent cases. This seems like a stupid human mistake, trusting without verifying. What is there about AI responses that make them so believable? ChatGPT’s answer: “The proper mental model for current LLMs is not ‘junior associate’, but rather ‘an extremely articulate intern with a photographic memory, zero shame, and no built-in truth filter.’” Number 2. AOL News. LA mayoral candidate proposes banning backyard BBQ to fight fires. [https://www.aol.com/news/la-mayoral-hopeful-nithya-raman-223334640.html?guccounter=1] Speaking of last year’s California fires, a new proposal has been made to fix the problem: Los Angeles should ban backyard barbecue grills. Current L.A. City Council member Nithya Raman is running for mayor. She believes the solution to devastating fires—likely started by exposed electric lines in areas with excessive and dry ground cover, and exacerbated by high winds—is to stop residents from grilling hamburgers. Daytime temps can reach 100 degrees F in that area, but evenings are generally cool. Many residents prefer to relax in the backyard at the end of the day. Meanwhile, there are a dozen factors [https://www.independent.org/article/2026/01/07/the-2025-los-angeles-wildfires-lessons-and-key-recommendations/] that contributed to the L.A. devastation, none of which involved a backyard barbie. With backlash—who could have predicted that???—Council member Raman has attempted to distance herself from her own proposal. Good luck with that. Perhaps a word or two about clearing brush and seeing that reservoirs are filled might have been in order… but it was probably easier just to write a new city ordinance making it the fault of the residents. “Tone deaf” could be a term used here. Number 1. Breitbart. Campaign promise: Current LA mayor promises new teeth for meth addicts. [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/05/13/nolte-dem-l-a-mayor-karen-bass-proposes-free-teeth-meth-addicts/] Staying with Los Angeles politics, I couldn’t resist this one. Current Mayor Karen Bass—embattled in her bid for re-election—has found a way to appeal to a key constituency. Unfortunate persons addicted to Methamphetamine [https://medlineplus.gov/methamphetamine.html]often suffer from symptoms like dry mouth and broken teeth. Just what I had hoped for in a hobby. Not only does it not pay anything, it leaves me with a mouth of ruined teeth. If Mayor Bass is returned to the Mayor’s mansion, help will soon be on the way. Her proposal is to help unhoused persons with full, free dental care. Because, she says, “You can’t succeed without teeth!” That may be true, but I suspect you also can’t succeed with new teeth and a meth addiction. “Boss, I know the guy’s on meth, but look at that smile! Let’s hire him to run the cash register!” Given that implants run about $6,000 per tooth, costs are estimated at $30-80k per mouth. Given the number of meth addicts who apparently inhabit the City of Angels, this may be an expensive way to purchase a Mayoral election. It’s a good thing the taxpayers will be there to fund it, instead of Mayor Bass herself. And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, May 22, 2026. Enjoy this spring weather while you can. This weekend should be perfect for a backyard barbeque. Fire up that grill and throw on some steaks—or maybe just hot dogs. But it would be a good idea not to set the lawn on fire. If you are not sure what safety precautions to take (which maybe 200 million Americans [https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2016/04/28/the-united-states-of-barbecue-americas-love-affair-with-backyard-cooking/] have successfully figured out)… maybe you should stick to Ramen noodles in the microwave. Have a good weekend! Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Virginia Supremes Are Too Old To Be Effective | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. The Daily Caller. Democrat assembly considers plan to fire the Virginia Supreme Court. [https://dailycaller.com/2026/05/11/democrats-reportedly-float-plan-to-boot-entire-virginia-supreme-court-after-losing-redistricting-case/] In the wake of the Virginia Supreme Court decision striking down the statewide referendum on voter redistricting, the Democrat-led Virginia assembly has proposed a bold new plan: Fire the justices. Without getting overmuch into the weeds, Virginia state law requires that a referendum such as was just passed requires a waiting period before it can be put to a vote of the people. That waiting period was ignored, over the objections of the only Democrat in the state who had read their Constitution. I presume the law in question violated 24.2-682 “Times for special elections” [https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/24.2-682/] of the Code of Virginia, which I found on-line in an intensive search requiring about 8 seconds. “A referendum election shall be ordered at least 81 days prior to the date for which the referendum election is called.” In this case, the timeframe allowed was something like 20 minutes. So the obvious answer to this intractable problem is to fire the SCOVA justices—all of them. It is far too tedious to draft a new statute, which itself would require some sort of niggling vote or something. The easy button for vacating the Supreme Court—which the commonwealth must provide, according to that same meddlesome Constitution—is to simply declare the current raft of robed dignitaries who can read ineligible to serve. Current Virginia law requires mandatory retirement for justices at age 75. Just mandate retirement at 54. Problem solved. It will come as no shock to readers of the ANR to learn that the youngest of the seven serving justices [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Virginia#Active_justices] is 54 and one-fourth years old. At press time, there is a rumor an amendment to the suggested legislation has been proposed, lowering the minimum age of SCOVA justices to 13, along with other mandatory qualifications: Resident of Virginia within 15 miles of Washington, D.C., experienced cannabis user, and displaying no fewer than 6 body piercings. Number 3. RedState. Trump sued for painting the Reflecting Pool “flag blue”. [https://redstate.com/terichristoph/2026/05/11/tclf-sues-to-stop-trumps-reflecting-pool-project-n2202229] President Trump has once again committed one of the foulest acts of treachery ever conceived: he has decided to renovate the historic Reflecting Pool on the Washington Mall. The decision to drain, clean and re-paint the surface of the Pool dishonors the memory of those brave Americans who fought and died so that we could have… a Reflecting Pool subjected to leakage, and plagued with [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-resurfacing-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-blue/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] algae, goose droppings, discarded garbage, and general detritus. But the real problem noted in the lawsuit is that Trump plans to resurface the pool with a bright blue industrial surface. He calls it “American flag blue.” Rumors that the color emits a unique spectroscopic signature that will destroy the lens of Chinese surveillance satellites could not be confirmed. I suspect that even if Trump decided to re-paint the surface in the same non-descript gray that Obama ordered in 2012, there would still be a lawsuit over the renovation. Unidentified sources exclusive to the ANR report that the “flag blue” color was decided on after considering whether it should be a solid color, or should be painted with a design that could be seen from space. Rubio and Vance were in favor of Trump’s 2023 mugshot; Hegseth liked the Butler PA “raised fist” photo. All were overruled by Trump, the coolest head among them. On a financial note, Obama’s renovation cost [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-resurfacing-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-blue/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] $34 million. Trump announced “I got a pool guy” who would do it for $1.8. That cost has since risen to $6.9 [https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-reflecting-pool-washington-contract-b2973560.html]. Some press reports indicate [https://www.inquirer.com/news/nation-world/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-repairs-contractor-cost-soars-trump-lawsuit-20260511.html] $13.1. Hard to tell which is true when the reporting comes from sources who appear to hate everything Trump. This week, two guys in white overalls and a Chevy panel van were seen with paint rollers and 5-gallon cans of blue paint, working on the floor of the pool. Number 2. Bearing Arms dot com. New Jersey contradicts itself over guns and ammo. [https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2026/05/10/new-jerseys-second-amendment-catch-22-n1232478] There is an old story about a farmer who asked to borrow his neighbor’s rope. “No,” said the neighbor, “gotta use it to tie up my milk.” The first man protested. “You can’t use rope to tie up milk.” “That is as it may be,” said the neighbor. “But I ain’t gonna loan you my rope. So one excuse is as good as another.” The State of New Jersey follows apparently similar logic. We don’t want you to have a gun, so any old reason will do. The Garden State has long prohibited citizens from owning what they call assault rifles [https://www.lustberglaw.com/blog/nj-banned-firearms-list/]. This is based on the idea that those are military-style weapons, and no civilian should possess a military firearm, because they are dangerous. Now, they have banned civilian ownership of hollow point bullets. The logic is that hollow points are useless, because those are not widely used by the military. If they were any good, the Army would have them. Police departments have migrated to hollow points because [https://www.thearmorylife.com/the-rationale-for-defensive-hollow-points/] (1) they are less likely to over-penetrate a target, especially important in a heavily populated area, (2) they create a larger wound channel, which promotes more immediate physical incapacity, (3) the risk of ricochet (harming bystanders) is reduced, and (4) they tend to be less lethal because fewer rounds are required to stop the threat. But New Jersey has effectively said: You must not use an asset that is not used by the military, and also you must not use an asset that the military uses. I think I’ve got it. New Jersey does not want you to have a gun. Self-defense is moving back toward edged weapons… like in the good old days. Three hundred years ago, maybe. If you are tall, young, male, and have a long reach, your odds are much better. Number 1. New York Post. Water park party organizer runs a “Learing Center”. [https://nypost.com/2026/05/07/us-news/organizer-of-texas-muslim-only-waterpark-event-runs-a-mispelled-learing-center-childcare-org/] Last week [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/p/iranian-navy-enlists-dolphins-as] we brought you word that Epic Waters in Grand Prairie, Texas, planned a “Muslims-only” day at the water park. Attenders were advised that it would be family friendly, that females should dress modestly, that males should “lower their gaze”, and that only Muslims were welcome. After some considerable American outrage, Epic Waters re-published the event as open to all, yet still with a strong Islam-friendly theme. Epic Waters is taxpayer funded. Governor Abbot responded immediately with a threat to withhold state funds from the city of Grand Prairie for allowing such a religiously intolerant exercise. The event was subsequently cancelled. Sara Gonzales from The Blaze interviewed Dr. Aminah Knight, [https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/05/watch-conservative-host-shocks-muslims-only-waterpark-event/] organizer of the event. During the discussion, Dr. Knight was asked about a different initiative she owns. The “Excellence Early Learing Center” offers a multicultural environment with small classrooms for pre-K children. Instructors hold degrees in various fields (accounting, biology, science, math, etc) “from their home countries.” The article does not identify “their home countries.” Being the ace culture detective that I am, I am assembling a set of clues: Dr. Aminah Knight has a name that sounds vaguely not American; Dr. Knight organized an event exclusively for Muslims; Dr. Knight operates an “Early Learing Center” in Texas with misspelling identical to that found in a Somali enterprise in Minnesota. I think I see a pattern emerging. In the interview, Gonzales asked whether misspelling like that should cause anyone to question the quality of the education offered by those degreed instructors. Dr. Knight pushed back: “It was just a typo! I thought we were here to talk about the water park!'“ Which did not precisely answer the question. And thank for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, May 15, 2026. If you are still employed, good for you. Just know that as you reach that advanced age approaching 54 you could be in jeopardy of being forced to retire. Especially if you can read. Have a good weekend! Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Iranian Navy Enlists Dolphins as Bio Torpedoes | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. Times Now News. Iran straps torpedoes to dolphins to attack US warships. [https://www.timesnownews.com/world/middle-east/sea-creatures-turn-weapons-iran-to-set-loose-mine-carrying-dolphins-against-us-warships-in-hormuz-article-154221766] Iran’s attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz have now turned to the animal kingdom—or more correctly, the sea mammal kingdom. First they used shore-based rockets to attack cargo ships carrying oil. U.S. and Israeli air assets destroyed most of those rocket installations. Then they planted mines in the water. U.S. and NATO mine sweepers cleared those away. Next they resorted to small fast-boats—a longtime favorite of Middle East pirates—only to see them summarily sunk from the air and by surface-to-surface gunfire. Now they have turned to the cetaceans. More than two decades ago, Iran purchased an unspecified number of trained dolphins from what this article refers to as “the Soviet navy.” I thought the Soviets were not a thing by then, but maybe I was wrong about that. Regardless the source, Iranians came into possession of this unique bio-based weapon. Now, they are reportedly unleashing it on U.S. and NATO warships in the Strait. No reports yet on the effectiveness of this new tactic. An Iranian Navy spokesman identified only as “Bob”—which he is quick to assert is not his real name—speaking through an unattributed YouTube upload from an undisclosed location using an incognito browser in an untraceable internet cafe, made this bold proclamation: “The Yankee and Zionist imperialists have finally met their match. There is no path to victory for them in the Strait of Hormuz which Allah gave exclusively to the Iranian people. The dolphins have freely volunteered to give their all to this holy—” At which point the video abruptly dissolved into snow and was replaced with a 404 error message indicating the URL could no longer be reached. In an unrelated event, sources indicated that a U.S. frigate in the Strait had fired a single Tomahawk missile toward the only internet cafe still operational in Tehran. No bomb damage assessment was immediately available. But really, where is PETA? Are they up for this fight? Number 3. RedState. City owned water park in Texas schedules a Muslims only day, then backtracks. [https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2026/05/04/how-is-this-legal-taxpayer-funded-texas-water-park-announces-muslims-only-day-n2202001] The City of Grand Prairie in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex has found that the water in their taxpayer-funded water park is hotter than they anticipated. Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark [https://dfwepiceid.com/], 2970 Epic Place, Grand Prairie, Texas, announced a Muslim-only day at the park to celebrate Eid al Adha, the annual Islamic “Feast of the Sacrifice.” Supported by city sales tax, the original flyer advertising the event clearly specified “For Muslims Only—A Family-Friendly Environment.” Presumably it is unfriendly to Christian and Jewish families. That plan lasted for maybe a few minutes, until Texas outrage forced a change in plans. The revised flyer now indicates “Come and Celebrate EID with us! All Are Welcome!” Interestingly, the Epic Waters website [https://dfwepiceid.com/what-to-wear/] suggests appropriate swimwear for the event—head to toe full coverage for females. Their FAQ page [https://dfwepiceid.com/frequently-asked-questions/] also suggests “lowering the gaze” so as to maintain respectful behavior. A few responses to the encouragement to “lower my gaze” at a public waterpark come to mind, none of which are suitable for the ANR. Given the political environment in Texas, I would be surprised if there was not legislative or gubernatorial action to prohibit this sort of exclusivity. By the time you read this, it may already be in motion. Note the growing Islamic influence in local governments around the United States. (This is not satire.) Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of our largest city. Daily calls to prayer [https://www.reddit.com/r/JordanPeterson/comments/1q4hd3q/manhattan_new_york_residents_complain_about_5_am/?solution=7dc90cb11bda6bf87dc90cb11bda6bf8&js_challenge=1&token=bbbe4bf1c9a2b5160829c4be34da5861bfbfab5fd7930942dd962c931c1a4a5b&jsc_orig_r=] are now announced by loud speaker in certain areas there. Washington Square Park (NYC) was recently given over [https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/how-should-christians-respond-to-thousands-of-muslims-praying-in-washington-square-park/]to Islamic public prayer. Epic City (unrelated to Epic Waters) is a planned Muslim community [https://www.jpost.com/international/article-894994] in Texas aiming to become “the epicenter of U.S. Islam”. Months ago, Texas U.S. Representative Chip Roy introduced legislation to curtail the spread of Sharia Law. The bill calls for deportation [https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-roy-introduces-bill-preserve-america-sharia-law] of anyone who ascribes to Sharia. It also paves the way to revoke U.S. citizenship [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/chip-roy-mamdani-act-deport-denaturalize-b2961385.html] for individuals previously naturalized, who now advocate for socialism. Predictably, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has voiced opposition [https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-texas-condemns-rep-chip-roys-unconstitutional-no-more-muslims-social-media-post-calls-for-congressional-accountability/]on Constitutional grounds. Free speech, and all that. I never liked Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged [https://aynrand.org/novels/atlas-shrugged/]) because of her focus on “Objectivism” to the exclusion of Christian faith. But one of her themes was that you ought not allow someone else to hold you hostage to your own convictions. The Constitutional argument against allowing an Islamic religious takeover of America is an apt illustration. Maybe Texas can show some sense. Number 2. NDTV World. 40,000 French descend on a rave to protest law against raves—despite unexploded ordnance. [https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/40-000-attend-illegal-rave-party-on-french-military-site-bourges-11441700] The French love a party, and the bigger the better. Last weekend some 40,000 revelers descended on a military installation near Bourges (central France) to enjoy techno music and unbridled, joyous dancing. Never mind that the 25,000 acre location is an active bombing range, or that unexploded ordnance litters the landscape. The Directorate General of Armaments indicates live shells are routinely discovered and dismantled at the site. It has been in use for explosives testing for 150 years. Large raves are illegal in France—which is apparently reason enough to have a large rave in protest of the legislation. Organizers have suggested that ravers avoid digging holes or picking up objects found on the ground. No kidding. Good luck with that. Meanwhile, a sea of tents and campers extend as far as the eye can see. Don’t dig a hole in the ground, because it might blow up. I’ll bet sanitation is… a challenge. Number 1. WISN TV 12. Hundreds of beagles released from medical lab testing—and touch grass for the first time. [https://www.wisn.com/article/1500-beagles-rescued-from-ridglan-farms/71188954] Ridglan Farms at Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, is a beagle breeding facility with a research laboratory attached. For years it has attracted unwanted attention from animal rights groups. Beagles, because they are docile (and can’t complain to the media), make ideal candidates for medical testing, as long as you can’t hear them whine. Reports [https://animalwellnessaction.org/ridglan-farms-running-inhumane-beagle-breeding-facility/]of “painful surgeries without anesthesia” have surfaced. A Depression-era agreement required animal testing of all new human drug treatments. That has proceeded at Ridglan Farms for nearly a century. FDA guidelines in the last five years have made such testing obsolete. It is now understood to be inhumane—which it is. A better word might be reprehensible. Testing has nevertheless continued, and now the USDA has intervened. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., HHS Secretary, has been instrumental in stopping federal funding [https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2026/04/29/ridglan-farms-dogs-animals] for beagle testing there. This week, the first release of beagles took place. Some 150 were rescued by local animal rights groups pursuant to a legal agreement. Video footage [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPGxujWcQqQ] shows scores of Snoopies who were able to touch grass and run freely for the first time in their lives. I really can’t go on with this story. The pictures on my monitor are getting blurry. And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, May 8, 2026. It is a complex world in which we live. The less clear we are about our worldview, the more confusing it is. If you are contemplating your own worldview—which we used to a “philosophy of life”—you might consider starting with a few simple words, such as: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And go from there. While you’re at it, find a beagle to pet. Have a good weekend! Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Third Assassination Attempt on Trump Failed | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. Redstate. Weekend assassination attempt on Trump is third in two years. [https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2026/04/26/heres-what-journalist-says-about-why-vance-was-removed-first-it-says-a-lot-about-trump-n2201721#google_vignette] (Not satire.) As remarkable as the occurrence of yet another armed attack on the Chief Executive this week was Donald Trump’s own reaction. When he took a bullet in Butler Pennsylvania in 2024, the (then-former) President’s first response was to raise a fist and shout “Fight! Fight! Fight!” That had the immediate effect of assuring onlookers that he had survived. In last weekend’s incident during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton, we got another glimpse of the man who occupies the Oval Office. This account is offered by David Alandete [https://www.alandete.com/], White House Correspondent for Diario ABC, who had a front-row seat: The President’s first impulse was to get his First Lady and his very pregnant Press Secretary to safety. Then he proceeded to walk out upright, refusing to duck. Which probably explains why the Secret Service felt compelled to shove him to the floor. We could possibly chalk up the Butler reaction to a seasoned performer seizing a golden opportunity to show off. But the WHCD event shows his true colors: Save the women. With those two instinctive, split-second reactions, we cannot reasonably draw any conclusion other than that they revealed exceptional personal courage, immediate concern for the safety of others, and a leader’s reflex to confront danger rather than shrink from it. Say what you will, the man keeps his wits about him. Meanwhile, we have seen three armed attacks on this man in twenty-one months. The dominant—one could say, blood-thirsty—narrative of the legacy media shows no signs of moderating. Terms like Hitler, fascist, dictator and tyrant are thrown around as though no consequences are expected. Major political figures from the opposition party describe Donald Trump as “an existential threat to democracy [https://democrats.org/news/reminder-donald-dictator-on-day-one-trump-is-an-existential-threat-to-our-democracy/?utm_source=chatgpt.com],” a fascist who desires “unchecked power [https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2024/11/01/why-attacking-donald-trump-as-a-threat-to-democracy-may-not-sway-voters-to-kamala-harris/],” and have called for “maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time. [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/27/hakeem-jeffries-doubles-call-maximum-warfare-republicans/]” Are these to be taken seriously? It appears that some do. We have another two-and-a-half years to go in this presidential term. Assassination attempts are coming at the rate of one every seven months. Stay tuned. Number 3. Autopost Global. GM software decides if you are well enough to drive. [https://autopostglobal.com/latest-scoops/photo-report/article/106599/] On to happier subjects. In a never-ending AI-assisted effort to protect us from ourselves, General Motors has a fabulous idea: Use a car’s camera sensing system to analyze the driver who approaches. Study the person’s gait and speed, run it through a blindingly fast algorithm, and make an instantaneous judgment whether that person ought to be allowed to start the car. This could identify a person under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or suffering from a lack of sleep, and potentially save him (or her) and others from a dangerous car crash. It could also intervene with someone suffering from chronic back pain, or recovering from surgery, who happens to be cleared to drive. Growing up on the farm, one of the rules was that anyone operating a tractor in a distant field must have access to a functioning vehicle. Leave the pickup at the gate. In the event of a serious injury at an isolated location, one might need to drive for help in something besides a five-mile-per-hour John Deere dragging a plow. But of course, that’s 1950s thinking. Today we have cell phones and 9-1-1. Why solve the problem yourself if you can ask someone else to do it for you? We also have driverless technology today, where a smart vehicle can drive you across town without human intervention. These systems are mostly foolproof. Mostly. An Austin, Texas, woman attempted to seize control of her Cybertruck as it drove itself [https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/woman-sues-cybertruck-drive-off-bridge]off an overpass at high speed. She was unable to react quickly enough, but fortunately the concrete guardrail caught the car before it plunged to the freeway below. The Tesla was apparently confused by the orange cones. Well… so am I. But I usually KNOW when I am confused. Another safety feature of the driverless cars is the quite responsible limitation to keep from driving over obstacles in front of the vehicle. It is all well and good to avoid striking someone blocking the car—but it may fail to acknowledge their accomplices beating on the side windows to attack the helpless occupants [https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/waymo-protestor-trapped] within. For the assailant, this sounds much safer than daylight car-jacking. All that is required is an empty baby stroller and a tire iron. I love technology. And for a cosmopolitan flavor of technological threats to national security, read on. Number 2. Le Monde. French aircraft carrier fleet location revealed by exercise app. [https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/03/20/stravaleaks-france-s-aircraft-carrier-located-in-real-time-by-le-monde-through-fitness-app_6751640_4.html] Men (and women) of military age take their fitness seriously. Or should. The workout app Strava is a popular way to track physical activity. The app on your phone and/or watch keeps track of time, distance and exertion levels. It also records your location via GPS, and thoughtfully uploads it all to The Cloud for safekeeping. Once in cyberspace, that data is also accessible to someone with the means to acquire it. Recently, a healthy and fit sailor on the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, on patrol in the Mediterranean, tracked his daily exercise with his smart watch. He instantly disclosed the current position of the warship to anyone interested enough in finding it. In all actuality, he need not have worried that he alone was responsible for sharing classified information. As it happened, a fellow sailor, unknown to him, did exactly the same thing [https://cybernews.com/security/five-dollar-tracker-dutch-warship-breach-strava-warning/]in the same way on the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen, which was accompanying the Charles de Gaulle on the same exercise. Both men revealed warship locations, an infraction to be avoided, no doubt drilled into them many times over. This is Naval Security 101, “Introduction to Not Being Targeted by Incoming Missiles.” This is not the first time this has occurred. Two years ago the same thing happened with same Strava app, revealing the location of a French nuclear submarine. I wrote about it here at the time. Extra credit if you can find the post… I think I have lost track. What I find most interesting in the current stories is that there is no report in the press relating the two incidents. There are standalone new articles describing the same voyage. Maybe intelligence assets in Holland only review Dutch news, and their French counterparts only review French news. Maybe they should both follow the ANR more closely. Number 1. Breitbart. Gone Scientist toll adds two more names. [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2026/04/26/dead-or-missing-list-air-force-whistleblower-overdosed-before-set-to-testify-about-ufos-before-congress/] (Not satire.) Just before the ANR was published last week [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/p/squirrels-shredded-humanely-by-dutch], with news that the number of missing and dead U.S. scientists engaged in aerospace and nuclear research had risen to 14, another story came to light. There was no time to add it to that post without missing my Thursday night ritual of a McHale’s Navy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSDomGCE4V4&list=PLZtTuyN25ksEHnHrbCOpppnGMDx7rf2jx] episode on YouTube. Then on Monday this week, yet another was added. By my count, that brings us to 16 missing or dead, many—but not all—under mysterious or unexplained circumstances. The latest: Matthew James Sullivan, age 39, Falls Church, Virginia. USAF Veteran. Apparently a whistleblower who was scheduled to offer testimony to Congress on UFO programs. HIs death was ruled an accidental overdose, what the medical examiner called “a lethal mix of alcohol, alprazolam, cyclobenzaprine and imipramine.” Died May 12, 2024. Joshua LeBlanc, age 29. NASA engineer in nuclear propulsion. Team lead for projects related to missions to Mars. His Tesla Model 3 had burned with his body inside. Vehicle tracking data revealed a confusing trip involving several hours idle at Huntsville International Airport prior to driving two hours into rural Alabama where it was later discovered. Phone, wallet and dog were left in his apartment. He was found dead on July 22, 2025. To be sure, the list of dead and missing [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/p/squirrels-shredded-humanely-by-dutch] includes some who are probably… mentally imbalanced... not to say nut-jobs. There are others with security clearances who reportedly had serious money troubles, making them susceptible to influence that could lead to suicide. But there are names on the list that cannot be so easily dismissed. I look forward to seeing results of an FBI investigation. This must not go on. And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, May 1, 2026. Be careful when you approach your ultra-intelligent car. Try not to limp. The car may be smarter than you are. Or maybe much dumber. This may be a good case for masking tape over the cameras. Except that in an accident you would probably be found guilty of some immeasurable evil. Maybe it’s a better case for driving a 25-year-old vehicle. Have a good weekend! Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Squirrels Shredded Humanely by Dutch Airline | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. The Independent. 400 smuggled squirrels fed into a shredder by Dutch airline. [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/airline-killed-440-squirrels-in-giant-shredder-1087522.html] I know you turn to the ANR for current, juicy news items with commentary you cannot get elsewhere. This one is not exactly current, but given what I know of the slightly off-kilter—not to say twisted—sense of humor among those in the Alligator Posse, I think you’ll enjoy this one. Shipping living animals for commercial trade across borders requires government permits. Critters taken in the wild are carriers of all sorts of diseases, and moving them must be certified. When it involved squirrels taken in China and transported by commercial air to buyers in Greece, the airline was forced to intervene. A 1999 shipment of 440 squirrels was intercepted by KLM airlines in Amsterdam. I would love to know how the baggage handlers became aware of the contraband but unfortunately, the Independent didn’t offer that tidbit. No doubt it was overshadowed by the manner of disposal of the smuggled woodland rodents. KLM policy—apparently this happens often enough to require a policy—was that an animal (or insect, or reptile… whatever) was to be euthanized in a humane fashion by… Well… how would YOU do it? Given that you work in a clean airport environment surrounded by steel and cement? Not a forest in sight. They use a shredder, conventionally designed for the meat processing industry. The policy probably envisioned one or two contraband turtle doves, or some such. The shredder, while a touch unsavory, is quick, and therefore as humane as possible. But this particular import/export business operated at scale. Over 400 squirrels required… processing. And processed they were. Fortunately, there is no video. The squirrels were intended for investors who apparently wanted them for pets. Given that one out of every four citizens in Holland is a pet owner, the country was in an uproar when the news broke. The Dutch parliament convened an emergency session. I wonder about PTSD among the baggage handlers. “I’m sorry, honey, you wouldn’t believe the day I had. I really don’t want to talk about it. But I hope to never see a scoop shovel ever again.” Number 3. New York Post. Tesla owner stabbed, ambulance stolen, patient expires, family sues. [https://nypost.com/2026/03/08/us-news/family-sues-downey-for-40m-after-scientist-fatally-stabbed-while-charging-tesla-at-library/] This was a really bad day for Reinaldo Jesus LeFonts, age 68, a retired California lab technician. Mr. LeFonts chose to service his Tesla last week at the conveniently located charging station outside the Downey City Library. It only takes about 15 minutes [https://www.kbb.com/car-advice/how-long-charge-tesla/] to get a reasonable charge into a Tesla, but that was enough time for the driver to be attacked. A homeless man, previously convicted some 28 times for various offenses, stabbed Mr. LeFonts while he waited. No one knows why, but it hardly matters. Details in the article are sketchy. Paramedics arrived. As they tended to the victim, a second homeless man—who had been arrested and released the day before on an unrelated charge—stole the ambulance. It left the scene, taking with it Mr. LeFonts’ hope of survival. He unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. His family now sues the City for $40 million, alleging various failures of administration and funding. Several questions arise, none of which will bring back the victim. Where was the law enforcement protection in an area receiving over 200 calls each year for criminal violations? What efforts have been made to address the homeless problem? (And to what extent are the homeless subsidized by well-intentioned benefits programs?) Why would a driver expose himself to such an assault in a high crime area? Doesn’t the Tesla have door locks? It makes rural living look so much more attractive. Number 2. Autoblog dot com. Driver blows up minivan as cigarette ignites propane. [https://www.autoblog.com/news/minivan-turns-into-bomb-as-driver-lights-cigarette-next-to-leaking-propane-tank] In the “Don’t do stupid things” department, this story is a cautionary tale. A Virginia woman escaped with only minor injuries when her Chrysler minivan exploded last week. She had been transporting a portable propane tank—the kind commonly used for backyard grills—when she decided to light up a cigarette. Unfortunately, the tank leaked. The enclosed vehicle filled with highly flammable gas, and the spark touched it off. Photos of the wreck are impressive. Propane is heavier than air, which is why owners are urged to let the tank remain upright. That may minimize the chance that a leaky valve might release fuel. One wonders what the inside of the car smelled like. “Wow… it stinks in here—I think I need a cigarette.” But really… don’t light up in the presence of a propane tank, especially in an enclosed space. Don’t they teach this stuff in school anymore? (Am I dreaming, or what?) Number 1. Fox News. NASA searches for link in 11—make that 14— missing/dead scientists. [https://www.foxnews.com/us/nasa-coordinating-relevant-agencies-missing-scientists-probe] (Not satire.) [See the late-breaking update at the bottom of this section.] We have reported [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/p/sixth-us-scientist-adjacent-reported] on this at least twice before. At last count [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/p/ninth-us-space-scientist-gone-the], the ANR brought news of nine U.S. scientists (or scientists-adjacent) reported missing or dead. With only a couple of exceptions, all had worked on, or had access to, highly advanced—and classified—projects related to aerospace and nuclear energy. Now, more names have been added. These are/were people with significant career accomplishments, employed at places like MIT, CalTech, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Los Alamos National Labs. It beggars belief that so many high profile deaths and disappearances—concentrated among those dealing with U.S. national security—are merely coincidental. Unexplained trips, missing persons, cell phones left behind, suspicious early deaths… this sounds like a page from what we might term the Clinton Social-Circle Suicide [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_body_count_conspiracy_theory] book of the 1990s—but this time with international implications. A different article from Fox News [https://www.foxla.com/news/white-house-fbi-investigation-la-county-scientists-missing-reza] provides an up-to-date summary of each individual. It’s worth a read. The names (with ages) now include: * Michael David Hicks, 59; * Frank Maiwald, 61; * Nuno Loureiro, 47; * Jason Thomas, 45; * Amy Eskridge, 34; * Carl Grillmair, 47; * Monica Reza, 60; * Melissa Casias, 53; (administrative assistant, not a scientist) * Anthony Chavez, 79; * Steven Garcia, 48; * and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68. As of last week, President Trump and FBI director Kash Patel are attending to this matter. At last, it is getting some well-deserved national attention. It’s good to know they read the ANR. Everyone should. And now, late-breaking news adds yet more names to the list of scientists gone: * James "Tony" Moffatt [https://www.foxnews.com/us/aerospace-defense-engineer-military-veteran-killed-plane-crash-family], age 60, NASA aerospace engineer, U.S. Navy test pilot, payload specialist who supported 14 Space Shuttle missions. Died April 21, 2026 when his single-engine Mooney M20 crashed on landing in North Carolina. Family, also dead in the crash, were on board with him. * Andrew Moffatt [https://www.uah.edu/announcements/fac-staff/20190-remembering-andrew-moffatt], age 30 (son of James Moffat, above), research engineer and scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Research and Engineering Support Center. Died April 21, 2026 in the same light aircraft crash that killed his father. * Geoffrey Andrews [https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/passenger-dies-days-after-mass-plane-crash-that-killed-mit-scientist/ar-AA1HlSHu?apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1], age 30, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, completed doctoral degree at Purdue. According to the obituary [https://dailyvoice.com/ma/beverly/mit-scientist-expecting-1st-child-idd-as-victim-in-beverly-plane-crash/], he “dreamed of becoming an astronaut.” Died June 19, 2025 when his single-engine Mooney M20 crashed on landing at Beverly, Massachusetts. I would never suggest the Geoffrey Andrews fatality from last year, or the Andrew Moffat death this week, were targeted in the same way as others on the list may have been. Their careers were new; most others had 20+ years in their field to develop notoriety. But these 30-year-olds were scientists in the aerospace segment, and if there is to be an investigation, they should be included. Without a doubt, the senior Moffat, at age 60, ought to be added to the investigator’s list. As of this writing, the Geoffrey Andrews story has not yet been linked to the others. I stumbled across it with a simple browser search looking for the Moffat crash. Somebody should call Kash Patel and let him know. It is a sobering world out there. And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, April 24, 2026. If you have a woods nearby, take a quiet walk and observe the squirrels at play. They’re just trying to make a living, like everyone else. Speak softly to them and enjoy this piece of God’s creation. And you might offer a brief prayer for those minimum-wage baggage handlers who had to deal with it. I cannot image the nightmares have gone away. And… let’s hope—and pray—that we get to the bottom of the Gone Scientist nightmare soon. Have a good weekend! Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]