CA: Meth, abalone and a turtle — traffic stop takes a weird turn

Source: SFGate

“A routine traffic stop in the Sonoma County community of Windsor took a bizarre turn when deputies uncovered methamphetamine, dozens of illegally harvested abalone and a live turtle in a vehicle occupied by two Santa Rosa residents, authorities said. … The driver, a 46-year-old Santa Rosa man, was on active post-release community supervision and misdemeanor probation. He also had outstanding warrants in Lake and Mendocino counties, prompting deputies to detain him on the spot. His passenger, a 35-year-old Santa Rosa woman, allegedly admitted to possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia when questioned, leading deputies to detain her as well. A search of the vehicle uncovered methamphetamine and hypodermic needles, but also escalated into an investigation of wildlife poaching, officials said. Deputies found 35 live abalone, tools used for illegally prying the shellfish from coastal rocks, and a northwestern pond turtle, according to the news release.” (02/28/25)

https://www.sfgate.com/northcoast/article/sonoma-county-traffic-stop-meth-abalone-turtle-20194372.php

Thomas L. Knapp

The Aim of Classical Liberalism

Source: Free Association
by Sheldon Richman

“These are dark days for liberalism. I mean full, across-the-board, laissez-faire free-market, classical liberalism, otherwise known as libertarianism. While some budget-cutting and bureaucracy slimming will probably go through, those steps, though necessary to advance toward liberalism, are not sufficient. What’s conspicuously missing from the regime’s activities is a ringing and unmistakable endorsement of full individual liberty, which requires a free-market economy. The imagined dichotomy between economic liberty and personal liberty is a snare and a delusion.” (02/28/25)

https://sheldonfreeassociation.blogspot.com/2025/02/tgif-aim-of-classical-liberalism.html

Thomas L. Knapp

US judge declares Trump’s firing of watchdog agency head illegal

Source: Reuters

“A U.S. judge on Saturday declared President Donald Trump’s firing of the head of a federal watchdog agency illegal in an early test of the scope of presidential power likely to be decided at the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington had previously ruled Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel who is responsible for protecting whistleblowers, could remain in his post pending a ruling. Jackson said in her ruling Saturday that upholding Trump’s ability to fire Dellinger would give him ‘a constitutional license to bully officials in the executive branch into doing his will.’ The Justice Department filed a notice late on Saturday saying they were appealing Berman’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.” (03/01/25)

https://archive.is/8EKta

Thomas L. Knapp

JFK Assassination: The CIA Is Hiding Something Big

Source: The American Conservative
by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

“Trump’s executive order on January 23 directed the director of national intelligence, now Tulsi Gabbard, and the attorney general to develop a plan within 15 days to release the remaining JFK records. Morley and others are concerned that the agencies might again try to slow-walk the release. There is also the issue of the records that the National Archives don’t have — files still located somewhere in dark corners of the federal bureaucracy that were never handed over to the official review board 30 years ago. We know they exist. The FBI said on February 11 that, in an effort to comply with Trump’s EO, it was handing over 2,400 heretofore undisclosed files to the archives for declassification.” (02/28/25)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/jfk-assassination-the-cia-is-hiding-something-big/

Thomas L. Knapp

Bondi’s “Epstein files” release underwhelms

Source: New York Post

“The Justice Department released a handful of files on notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday — though there appear to be no new names or details. The info first went out to a hand-selected crop of right-wing social media influencers Thursday afternoon — and even those recipients were underwhelmed by what the documents revealed. … [US attorney general Pam] Bondi later suggested more details will be coming. In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel made public Thursday afternoon, she claimed that she had been told ‘the FBI Field Office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.’ Bondi went on to demand the ‘full and complete Epstein files to my office, including records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients’ by 8 a.m. Friday.” (02/27/25)

https://nypost.com/2025/02/27/us-news/heres-what-on-the-jeffrey-epstein-list-that-the-trump-doj-is-set-to-release-later-today/

Thomas L. Knapp

The Never-Ending American Eye Exam Racket

Source: Yascha Mounk
by Yascha Mounk

“In every other country in which I’ve lived—Germany and Britain, France and Italy — it is far easier to buy glasses and contact lenses than it is in the United States. Like in Peru, you can simply walk into an optical store and ask an employee to give you an eye test, likely free of charge. If you already know your strength, you can just tell them what you want. You may even be able to buy contact lenses from the closest drugstore without having to talk to a single soul — no doctor’s prescription necessary. So why does the United States require people who want to purchase something as simple as a pair of glasses to get a costly prescription?” (02/27/25)

https://yaschamounk.substack.com/p/the-never-ending-american-eye-exam

Thomas L. Knapp