Podcast giant Joe Rogan is leaning on investigative reporting from independent journalists to find the truth about left-wing protests in Minnesota.

Chats on the Signal messenger app that were “infiltrated” by reporter Cam Higby showed that a complex and coordinated network of left-wing groups have been working together to allegedly impede federal operations in Minnesota.

‘The idea that this is an organic protest — these riots are organic — is nonsense.’

The chats, reviewed by Fox News, allegedly detailed socialist, communist, and Marxist-Leninist cells in the United States organizing protests after the death of Alex Pretti. In fact, the report said that agitators were already mobilized to the scene of the death before it happened.

Color me shocked

Rogan explained on his podcast that the riots and anti-government protests in the state are akin to a color revolution, which he described as a “a coordinated effort to cause chaos.”

“This is a very coordinated thing,” Rogan told commentator Andrew Wilson on episode No. 2444 of “The Joe Rogan Experience.”

“The idea that this is an organic protest — these riots are organic — is nonsense. It’s provably nonsense because now they have access to the Signal chats,” he continued.

Rogan made it clear that he did not believe that Pretti should have been shot but said he understands that federal agents were operating under chaotic circumstances.

RELATED: Klobuchar running for Minnesota governor on anti-ICE platform

‘Coordinated effort’

The Austin-based comic made the distinction that it was not Immigration and Customs Enforcement that shot Pretti, rather it was Customs and Border Protection that was brought in to assist ICE.

These agents have been “harassed outside of any hotel they’re at. People blow horns. They try to smash into the hotel. They doxx them,” Rogan explained, which he said is the reason why so many agents are wearing masks.

“It’s a coordinated effort.”

Pretti was reported to have a gun with two magazines on him at the time of his death; Rogan, who has displayed intricate knowledge of weapons over the years, discussed the nuances of concealed carry licenses with Wilson, who said he had experience in teaching weapons training.

“If you know anything about concealed carry, if you are a concealed carry holder and you are carrying not just a pistol, but two full magazines as well, you do not ever physically engage with someone,” Rogan explained. “You also are supposed to carry your license on you, and you’re supposed to have ID on you.”

Pretti was reportedly not carrying ID on him at the time of his death.

Rogan went on, “When you go to what’s supposed to be a peaceful protest and you’re fully armed like that with two magazines, it’s kind of crazy, right? Like … why do you need so many bullets?”

RELATED: ‘More arrests to come’: Bondi shares photos of anti-ICE agitators now charged with crimes

Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images

Welcome diversion

The comedian was careful not to get himself into legal battles over the story but overall cited the riots in Minnesota as distractions that have been welcomed to draw attention away from billions in fraud abuse in the state.

“There would be a reason why you would want to distract from all that fraud,” he added.

Recently new footage of Pretti from 11 days before his death has surfaced. The video showed Pretti swearing at federal agents, spitting at them, and even kicking the taillight off of a vehicle containing federal agents as it was driving away.

Outlets and witnesses had previously described Pretti as simply a “calm observer.”

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​Politics, Joe rogan, Andrew wilson, Gun rights, Second amendment, Alex pretti, Ice, Dhs, Immigration, Minnesota, Entertainment 

President Donald Trump skipped over some key Cabinet secretaries on Thursday, leaving onlookers to speculate about who may be on the outs.

During the 10th Cabinet meeting of his second term, Trump wrapped up the gathering after a prompt hour and 20 minutes. Trump made the exceedingly rare decision not to take questions at the end of the meeting, and those tuning in noticed he skipped over some high-profile officials who are currently under intense scrutiny.

‘Noem has come under fire from both Democrats and some Republicans.’

The most notable Cabinet official who seems to have been snubbed was Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who is at the center of a PR firestorm following another fatal shooting of an anti-ICE agitator in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Noem and other officials like top White House adviser Stephen Miller caught flak for their immediate categorization of Alex Pretti, calling him a “would-be assassin” who committed acts of “domestic terrorism.” Footage has since emerged of a man believed to be Pretti spitting on federal agents and kicking the taillights out of a government vehicle just days before he was fatally shot following another altercation.

RELATED: ‘Justice is coming’: Border czar Tom Homan vows to stay in Minneapolis ‘until the problem is gone’

Yuri Gripas/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Despite these new revelations, Noem has come under fire from both Democrats and some Republicans. The Trump administration has since swapped out Noem’s leadership on the ground, reassigning Chief Greg Bovino and bringing border czar Tom Homan onto the operation.

Trump also glossed over Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose first year in office has been primarily plagued by frustration over the handling of the Epstein files. Similarly, Bondi is now being criticized for the perceived inaction amid the situation in Minneapolis after she touted another “very strong letter” she sent to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.

While Noem and Bondi have received negative press for their professional duties, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s personal life has been the focal point of a recent scandal.

Multiple department staff have been put on leave in recent weeks after an inspector general’s investigation was launched into Chavez-DeRemer’s alleged misconduct. The probe alleges that two staff members engaged in “travel fraud” by scheduling professional events as an excuse for personal travel while Chavez-DeRemer reportedly had an “inappropriate” relationship with a subordinate.

Although an internal investigation is ongoing, Chavez-DeRemer’s lack of participation during the Cabinet meeting is notable.

RELATED: ‘Horrifying situation’: Some Republicans retreat following Minneapolis shooting of anti-ICE agitator

Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Another Cabinet member who refrained from speaking during Thursday’s meeting was Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio has been center stage in the news cycle for weeks following the capture of Nicolas Maduro and as tensions in Iran escalate.

While Trump did not ask Rubio to speak, Rubio did spend hours testifying on Capitol Hill Wednesday in defense of the administration and its agenda.

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​Kristi noem, Pam bondi, Lori chavez-deremer, Stephen miller, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Renee good, Alex pretti, Anti-ice, Marco rubio, Donald trump, Trump cabinet, Cabinet meeting, Dhs, Ice, Tom homan, Greg bovino, Politics 

As agitators continue to interrupt federal immigration operations in Minnesota, the state’s governor is tossing gasoline on the conflagration by implying a civil war is erupting.

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz asked if the violence in Minnesota was akin to that at Fort Sumter, which famously precipitated the Civil War of the 1860s.

‘That is literally the dumbest f**king thing anyone has ever said in the history of anything.’

“I mean, is this a Fort Sumter?” Walz asked rhetorically in an interview with the Atlantic.

“It’s a physical assault,” he added. “It’s an armed force that’s assaulting, that’s killing my constituents, my citizens.”

The failed vice presidential candidate was referring to the lethal shooting of Renee Good, who had driven her car into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, and a second lethal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti, who interfered with an operation while armed with a gun.

While many have been calling for a calming of heated rhetoric, the comments from Walz were widely ridiculed on social media.

“What a complete and total dumbass. Good grief,” replied CNN commentator Scott Jennings.

“Tim Walz is, to put it mildly, not the sharpest tool in the shed,” responded Mike Coté of the Spectator.

“That is literally the dumbest f**king thing anyone has ever said in the history of anything, and quoting it as though it were not condemns the Tweeter as well,” replied John Podhoretz of Commentary.

“Walz, once again, proves he is a moron who both lacks the context for the (horrible and inaccurate) historical analogies he uses and also is not lowering the heated rhetoric. The fact Harris thought this guy was some kind of positive is astounding,” said another user.

Others pointed out that Walz appeared to misunderstand his own comparison.

“Federal agents are in a recalcitrant state trying to enforce federal law, and the governor of that state wonders if it’s Fort Sumter without stopping to puzzle out which side that makes him in the analogy,” replied Charles C.W. Cooke of National Review.

RELATED: Tim Walz says Democrats need to be ‘meaner’ and ‘bully the s**t out of’ Trump

“Uh. Yeah. That is a more apt comparison than he probably realizes. Once again, democrats starting a Civil War to keep their slaves. (Walz, dude, you are the bad guy),” said another user.

Walz is under investigation for allegations that he obstructed investigations into massive fraud in the Minnesota Somali community. He has since dropped his re-election campaign for the governor’s office.

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Amid the escalating anti-ICE protests raging through the Twin Cities, President Trump announced on Monday that he was immediately dispatching border czar Tom Homan to oversee and manage ICE operations on the ground in Minnesota.

The announcement came shortly before another Truth Social post in which Trump revealed that he had spoken with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) about working toward a solution to quell the escalating protests, noting that Homan would be a key figure in the process.

But BlazeTV host Steve Deace can’t imagine a situation where Tom Homan — “the crown prince of the entire [Trump] regime,” he calls him — de-escalates a raging left-wing movement.

It won’t be enough, Deace argues, for Homan to deliver messaging that counters that of Walz and Frey. “That’s a good start, but that’s not going to quell the level of [violence we have seen],” he says.

Unlike most people on the right, who “won’t do bold stuff because they don’t want to get in the way of their comfort,” left-wing activists, like Renee Good, says Deace, are willing to risk their lives for a cause. They don’t seem to be motivated by protecting their comforts in the same way conservatives are.

That said, he “[doesn’t] believe there’s a single protester right now who’s going to tune in to Tom Homan’s … superior messaging to Tim Walz and Jacob Frey.”

It’s delusional to think these protesters, who are often willing to break the law and put themselves in danger, will hear a Homan sound bite and suddenly say, “Well, by golly, you know, I was going to listen to my 45,000 TikTok followers telling me that I’m a hero to sacred democracy if I go out there and and give my life for the cause. But now, you know, that was just a great 60-second quip by Tom Homan,” Deace mocks.

If the Trump administration is serious about squashing this anti-ICE movement in Minnesota, it’s going to “take more commitment than that,” he declares.

Right now, “blue city-states” within red states, like Austin, Texas, are watching how Homan and the Trump administration handle Minnesota, says Deace. If a strict precedent isn’t set, he fears that similar anti-ICE protest movements will sprout up across the country.

Deace explains Homan’s role in Minnesota using the analogy of President Abraham Lincoln sending Union General William T. Sherman to capture the key Confederate city of Atlanta during the Civil War. The campaign involved heavy fighting, destruction of supplies and railroads, and a lot of hardship for people in the area, but it was necessary to win the war.

“This is Lincoln calling Sherman in and saying, ‘Atlanta’s a problem; go and solve it,’ all right? And I’m all for that, but we need to understand, then, sometimes you have to solve things the way that Sherman did. Sometimes the solutions are not easy,” says Deace.

“We have to understand now: We are never quelling their desire. We have to defeat it.”

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​Steve deace, Deace, Steve deace show, Tom homan, Donald trump, Minnesota, Tim walz, Jacob frey, Somali fraud, Anti ice protests, Truth social, Homan, Minnesota anti-ice protests, Minneapolis 

New York City’s newly inaugurated mayor, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, revealed plans to increase taxes on “the richest New Yorkers” less than one month into his term, blaming former Mayor Eric Adams (D) for a budget shortfall.

On Thursday, Mamdani held a press conference to detail the “Adams Budget Crisis,” claiming that the former mayor “misled and misinformed” New Yorkers about the “true state” of the city’s finances.

‘And here’s the part socialists hate saying out loud: “Free” is a lie.’

“I will be blunt: New York City is facing a serious fiscal crisis. There is a massive fiscal deficit in our city’s budget to the tune of at least $12 billion. We did not arrive at this place by accident. This crisis has a name and a chief architect,” Mamdani said.

“This is the Adams Budget Crisis.”

He accused Adams of handing the new administration “a poisoned chalice” by “systematically” under-budgeting necessary services, including rental assistance, shelter, and special education.

“Knowing his time in office was likely coming to an end, Mayor Adams chose political self-preservation over fiscal responsibility. This is not just bad governance. It is negligence,” Mamdani remarked.

“The Adams administration dramatically and intentionally understated the problem.”

Mamdani vowed to balance the budget over two fiscal years by implementing “bold solutions,” including “recalibrating the broken fiscal relationship between the state and the city.” He argued that New York City contributes 54.5% of the state’s revenue but receives only 40.5% of its operating expenditures.

RELATED: ‘Proud to be a sanctuary city’: Mamdani announces another handout for illegal aliens in NYC

Zohran Mamdani. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

“Working people did not cause this crisis, and they cannot be made the victims of its solution,” Mamdani stated.

“The time has come to tax the richest New Yorkers and most profitable corporations,” he declared.

Mamdani stated that he could “build a stronger city for everyone” if New York’s top 1% earners paid an additional 2% in income taxes, while claiming that the increase was not significant enough to drive wealthy individuals to leave the state.

RELATED: ‘Tax them to the white meat!’ Mamdani’s new ‘equity officer’ posted now-deleted X posts against white women.

Eric Adams. Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Adams fired back at Mamdani in several posts on X, denying that he left a deficit in the city’s budget.

“Facts have a way of getting in the way when slogans replace math and blame replaces leadership,” Adams wrote. “I didn’t leave a ‘budget hole.’ I left over $8 BILLION in reserves. Only someone who can’t read a balance sheet would call that a crisis.”

“And here’s the part socialists hate saying out loud: ‘Free’ is a lie. Every so-called free program comes with a price tag, and someone always pays for it,” he added.

Adams argued that Mamdani’s real motive behind his press conference was to find a way to pay for the “laundry list of ‘free’ giveaways” he promised New Yorkers “to buy votes.”

“Now that the math doesn’t work, instead of owning the fact that he misled New Yorkers, he’s blaming me,” Adams said. “This is the same Mamdani who spent years attacking me for not spending enough during the migrant crisis. The only reason those reserves exist is because I ignored him and his socialist comrades who demanded we blow billions more with no guardrails.”

Adams mocked Mamdani in a third post on X, writing, “When you promise ‘free’ everything on Sunday, boldly declare that millionaires and billionaires shouldn’t exist on Monday, and by Tuesday you’re scrambling to fund your giveaways with the very people you wanted gone just yesterday.”

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​News, Zohran mamdani, Eric adams, Socialism, New york city, Nyc, New york, Politics 

A family-owned winter sports company is stepping in to save a critical piece of Americana.

Based in Maine, the 208-year-old publication had seemingly released its final edition in November, after offering weather predictions and gardening advice for more than two centuries.

‘It felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared.’

The company wrote a heartfelt goodbye on its website toward the end of the year, saying that the 2026 Farmers’ Almanac would be its final release.

“Though the Almanac will no longer be available in print or online, it lives on within you,” editors Sandi Duncan and Peter Geiger wrote.

Fading fast

While the team did not give a specific reason for the closure in their post, CBS News reported that the publishers cited growing financial challenges involved with producing and distributing in today’s “chaotic media environment.”

As the almanac was starting to fade from public memory, publisher Tim Konrad stepped in.

Konrad founded family-owned media company Unofficial Networks, which focuses on content related to skiing, snowboarding, national parks, mountain adventures, and outdoor exploration.

“I saw the announcement that one of America’s most enduring publications was set to close, and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared,” Konrad said in a press release on the almanac’s website.

RELATED: Trump gives American farmers $12 billion boost to overcome inflation, trade wars

Photo by CBS via Getty Images

‘Living link’

Describing the publication as an important piece of American history, Konrad said it is “more than just a book — it’s a living link to generations of knowledge and curiosity about the natural world.”

In addition to a photo alongside Geiger, the entrepreneur said he has been working closely with the team to preserve its most beloved content, like its long-range weather forecasts, humor, and the publication’s “distinctive voice.”

Geiger praised the transition and exclaimed, “An American tradition continues!”

The editor went on to say that the values and wisdom of the almanac have been protected and nurtured for 200 years, and he is grateful to have found the “right next custodian in Tim Konrad.”

Geiger added, “I am also confident he will honor its heritage and carry it forward for generations to come.”

RELATED: Forget Greenland — we’re losing the real green land that feeds America

Photo by Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

New harvest

The Farmers’ Almanac — not to be confused with rival publication The Old Farmer’s Almanac — was founded in 1818 by poet and astronomer David Young and publisher Jacob Mann. It will continue to be accessible online, with plans to revive the annual print edition in future volumes.

Unofficial Networks has built a strong brand and following in its own genre, garnering over 250,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel. The channel features first-hand footage of avalanches along with skiing content.

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​Align, Farmers, Farming, Farmers’ almanac, New york, Maine, American history, Americana, Lifestyle