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News

Seattle Police Chief Blows Up After Questions About Absence During Deadly Festival Shooting [WATCH]

Seattle officials are facing continued scrutiny following a deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival that left three people dead and four others injured, as questions remain about the city’s emergency response and public communication, as reported by Townhall.

The shooting occurred Sunday as the annual food festival was concluding. According to the reported timeline, two individuals exchanged gunfire, resulting in a mass casualty incident.

Police later arrested a 15-year-old in connection with the shooting, while another person of interest remained at large more than 17 hours after the incident.

The response by law enforcement and city officials has drawn criticism over the lack of emergency notifications and delays in providing information to the public.

According to KOMO News, no AlertSeattle emergency notification was issued following the shooting.

The city’s emergency alert system is designed to send text messages, emails, and phone notifications during public safety emergencies.

Paul Nicholas, a vendor at the Bite of Seattle, told KOMO News that his booth overlooked the area where the shooting occurred.

He said he did not receive updates from Seattle Center officials, the Seattle Police Department, or the office of Mayor Katie Wilson regarding whether the area was secure, whether authorities were searching for another suspect, or when vendors could safely retrieve their property.

Questions also emerged regarding the timing of the department’s initial media briefing. According to the report, members of the media waited several hours for a preliminary press conference following the shooting.

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes was attending a conference in Dallas, Texas, when the shooting occurred.

During a news conference Monday, Barnes was questioned about the department’s response, including the delay in releasing information to the public and why emergency alerts were not issued.

According to KOMO News, South Seattle Emerald reporter Connor Nash pressed Barnes about the department’s communication with residents during the incident.

Barnes said the department’s priority was securing the crime scene and searching for the second person of interest.

He also acknowledged the importance of providing timely information to the public.

“The public has a right to participate in their own public safety. They can only do that if we get our information out.”

Officials have not publicly explained why AlertSeattle was not activated following the shooting.

Mayor Katie Wilson reportedly said she was uncertain whether the emergency notification system would typically be used under those circumstances.

Seattle describes AlertSeattle as its official emergency notification system and says it distributes critical public safety information during emergencies.

The city’s Office of Emergency Management refers to it as the “best way” for residents to receive emergency information.

Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle, who chairs the council’s Public Safety Committee, said questions surrounding the emergency alert system were valid.

“It’s a very good point,” Kettle said.

When asked why no emergency alerts were sent, Kettle responded:

“I don’t have the answer to that question.”

The incident has also highlighted the actions of responding officers, who authorities said arrested a 15-year-old suspect and rendered aid to an injured child at the scene.

As of the latest information reported in the source article, investigators were still searching for a second person of interest, and questions remained about the timeline of the public notification process, the decision not to activate AlertSeattle, and the handling of communications following the shooting.

News

Fauci Diary Exposes Fatality Rate Deception as Senate Scrutiny Intensifies [WATCH]

Anthony Fauci is heading back into the spotlight, and not for another round of glowing cable news interviews or celebrity doctor worship, as reported by Breitbart.

A newly released personal diary from the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases chief shows that Fauci privately assessed the coronavirus fatality rate far lower than what he was telling Americans in public during the early days of the pandemic.

According to the diary, Fauci wrote in February 2020 that the case fatality rate was likely closer to 0.2 to 0.3 percent rather than 2.0 percent.

That is a rather important detail, especially when the same man soon appeared before cameras and Congress warning the public with much higher numbers.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, released the diary ahead of Fauci’s scheduled testimony before the committee on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

Paul has long pressed Fauci on pandemic decision-making, federal health bureaucracy, and the convenient memory gaps that seem to appear whenever accountability enters the room.

The diary reportedly documents Fauci’s daily activities during the early Trump administration response to coronavirus.

It includes his media appearances, internal discussions, and private thinking as federal officials were attempting to understand the virus.

One February entry described a conversation with former CDC Director Tom Frieden.

Fauci privately suggested that the virus appeared to be acting like a bad influenza in transmissibility, while the true number of infections was likely far larger than confirmed case counts showed.

That larger denominator mattered because it would make the fatality rate significantly lower.

Americans were not getting that softer private calculation from the man who soon became the federal government’s pandemic oracle.

During a March appearance on Hannity, Fauci gave viewers a much more alarming public message.

“The mortality for seasonal flu is 0.1. The mortality for this is about two, two and a half percent. It’s probably lower than that. It’s probably closer to one. But even if it’s one, it’s ten times more lethal than the seasonal flu. You got to make sure that people understand,” Fauci said.

That statement alone shows the gap between private caution and public messaging.

Fauci acknowledged on air that the number was probably lower, but he still emphasized a figure far above what his own diary had indicated weeks earlier.

The same pattern appeared when Fauci testified before Congress that month.

“Well, understand that the seasonal flu that we deal with every year has a mortality of 0.1 percent. The stated mortality overall of this, when you look at all the data, including China, is about 3 percent. It first started off as two, and now three. I think if you count all the cases of minimally symptomatic or asymptomatic infection, that probably brings the mortality rate down to somewhere around one percent, which means it is ten times more lethal than the seasonal flu.”

He continued, “I think that’s something that people can get their arms around and understand. I mean, people always say, well, the flu. You know, the flu does this. The flu does that. The flu has a mortality of 0.1 percent. This has a mortality of 10 times that. And that’s the reason why I want to emphasize we have to stay ahead of the game in preventing this.”

That testimony helped fuel the official pandemic posture that reshaped American life.

Schools closed, churches were pressured, businesses were crushed, mandates followed, and the ruling class told the country to stop asking questions because the experts had everything under control.

Fauci also appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah that same month and again used a stronger public comparison.

“That’s a lot, and we get used to that morbidity and mortality, but the mortality of this is about 10 times that. It’s at least 1 percent,” Fauci said.

The newly released diary raises the obvious question that Washington’s public health defenders would rather avoid.

If Fauci privately believed the fatality rate was dramatically lower, why did he repeatedly present more frightening numbers to the public?

The answer matters because pandemic policy was not some academic exercise.

Real people lost jobs, children lost classroom time, small businesses vanished, and families were treated like criminals for wanting to live normal lives.

For years, critics who questioned the official narrative were smeared as reckless, ignorant, or worse.

Now another document suggests that the public version of events was not as clean, settled, or honest as the bureaucracy insisted.

Fauci’s upcoming testimony gives senators a fresh chance to press him on the difference between what he wrote privately and what he said publicly.

If the country is ever going to recover from the damage done by the pandemic regime, the people who drove that regime should have to answer plainly, without the usual fog machine of expert jargon.

News

Whistleblower Exposes Becerra’s Migrant Child Scandal as Missing Kids Crisis Explodes [WATCH]

Xavier Becerra’s record as Joe Biden’s Health and Human Services secretary is back under the spotlight, and not because anyone suddenly discovered competence in the Biden cabinet.

A whistleblower has come forward with allegations that rip open the scandal surrounding unaccompanied migrant children processed under his watch, as reported by Red State.

The timing is remarkable. As Washington prepares to revisit Anthony Fauci’s COVID record, another Biden official is facing questions over a crisis involving children, secrecy, bureaucracy, and the familiar smell of government failure.

Becerra has already faced scrutiny over reports that hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors could not be properly accounted for during his tenure.

Now a caseworker from the Pomona Fairplex in California is alleging that the system meant to protect vulnerable children became a rushed release pipeline.

According to the whistleblower, children were separated from siblings, moved in the middle of the night, released to questionable sponsors, and sent to addresses that were not properly verified. Some, she alleges, were never seen again.

The whistleblower brought the allegations to Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who is running against Becerra.

Hilton is now putting the issue directly at the center of the race, which is exactly where it belongs if California voters still care about basic accountability.

The caseworker described a chaotic operation where minors arrived with names and phone numbers written on their arms in Sharpie.

Staff would allegedly call the listed number, and in some cases, the supposed sponsor did not even know the child’s name.

“A lot of these people did not have proof,” she said. That sentence alone should have stopped the machine cold, but according to the whistleblower, the releases continued.

She added, “We still have no proof that the child went to that address, because we couldn’t do any follow-up or continue with the case or see welfare checks; we couldn’t do any of that either.”

That is not child welfare. That is government-sanctioned abandonment with paperwork.

The whistleblower also alleged that fake documents were accepted, including newly assembled identification cards with selfie photos and fraudulent birth certificates.

Sponsors were reportedly not vetted in person, with confirmations happening by phone or through WhatsApp.

“We were constantly getting information that is false, and we had to go with it,” she said.

That claim paints a picture of a bureaucracy more interested in clearing cases than safeguarding children.

Becerra also allegedly pushed for speed. Critics have described the process as an assembly line for illegal minors, one where staff was pressured to move children quickly rather than carefully.

The Pomona Fairplex became one of the key facilities involved in this operation. The article reports that Becerra contacted Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis directly about using the location.

The White House also reportedly called Solis directly to request the use of the facility. That detail should make every serious reporter in California sit up, though the legacy press has an impressive talent for sleeping through Democratic scandals.

Solis is a former Obama Labor secretary and a longtime figure with deep Big Labor connections.

She has also drawn controversy over political alliances, appointments, and other questions during her years in public office.

The broader allegation is grim.

Children were allegedly released to sponsors who were not who they claimed to be, sent into abusive workplaces, handed to fake relatives, or placed in situations vulnerable to trafficking.

One statement attributed to the whistleblower was especially damning. “Sometimes [the sponsor] didn’t know the name of the child.”

Another allegation cuts straight to the failure of basic verification. “Children were sent to sponsors who provided a fraudulent form of identification.”

The whistleblower also said, “We still have no proof that the child went to that address.” For a federal agency entrusted with children, that is a catastrophic sentence.

Hilton has amplified the claim that Becerra “lost” 319,000 children and that 140,000 remain missing.

If even a portion of these allegations are confirmed, this is not just a political problem for Becerra. It is a national disgrace.

Polling has shown Becerra ahead of Hilton by a wide margin, 61% to 36%, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

But scandals involving missing children have a way of breaking through when voters finally hear the details.

Hilton has promised more material to come, and this first round should already be enough to demand hearings, subpoenas, records, and answers.

The California press corps can either do its job or keep pretending Democratic management failures are just unfortunate clerical events.

Becerra wants to be governor of California after serving in Biden’s cabinet.

Voters deserve to know whether the man asking for more power presided over a system that treated vulnerable children like inventory to be moved, logged, and forgotten.

News

Socialist Mayor Mamdani Pushes Taxpayer Grocery Scheme with Prices Rigged Below Retail [WATCH]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is moving ahead with a taxpayer-funded grocery experiment that sounds less like sound policy and more like a campaign flyer written in a socialist faculty lounge, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

Mamdani announced Monday that the city will open five city-owned grocery stores, one in each borough, with a government-managed basket of basic food items priced up to 30% below normal retail levels.

The plan is one of the major promises from Mamdani’s campaign, and it comes with a very real public price tag.

City officials have already lined up $70 million in capital funding to build and prepare the five locations.

The discounted items are expected to include fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy, refrigerated goods and pantry staples such as eggs, milk, bread, cheese, rice and beans.

According to ABC7 NY, city officials claim families could save about $90 a month or around $1,000 a year.

Mamdani sold the plan as a strike against corporate greed and grocery sticker shock.

“Every week, New Yorkers walk into a grocery store hoping the prices haven’t gone up again… A trip to the grocery store shouldn’t spell dread for New Yorkers.”

He added, “That’s why we are guaranteeing a 30% discount on the most common and most critical groceries for families across the five boroughs” and said, “In a city that’s defined by unpredictability, you deserve stability.”

That all sounds lovely if one ignores the part where taxpayers are footing the bill. There is no magical government grocery fairy paying for rent, construction, renovations, land, property taxes and the other costs private businesses face every day.

Under the proposal, New York City will provide grocery-ready sites, pay startup and facility costs, create a single government-approved brand and dictate major operating rules.

Private operators will be asked to run the stores, but City Hall will set pricing mandates, labor conditions and performance standards.

The city released a request for proposals Monday to find private companies willing to operate these taxpayer-backed markets.

Translation: the government wants the private sector to manage the mess after politicians write the rules and subsidize the competition.

The first location is expected at The Peninsula development in Hunts Point in the Bronx by the end of 2027.

Another 9,000-square-foot store is planned for La Marqueta in East Harlem, but that one is not expected to open until 2029.

Sites in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island have not been chosen yet, though Mamdani claims all five stores will be running before the end of his first term.

That is a bold timeline for a city government not exactly famous for doing anything quickly or cheaply.

The administration says these stores will not sell high-profit items like cigarettes, alcohol, lottery tickets or prepared hot foods.

Officials claim that move is meant to avoid direct competition with local bodegas.

But that explanation does not pass the laugh test for small business owners watching City Hall build subsidized rivals down the street.

Private supermarkets and bodegas still have to pay rent, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and labor costs with no socialist safety net under them.

Some store owners have already called the idea a “slap in the face” and accused the city of “using our tax money to compete with us.”

They also warn that customers using SNAP benefits could simply shift from neighborhood stores to subsidized government-backed locations.

The East Harlem site is especially glaring, since roughly 45 grocery stores already operate within a 35-minute walk of the planned location.

That area already includes chains, smaller markets and bodegas trying to survive on thin margins in one of the most expensive cities in America.

“Of course it will affect this store,” Sarah Kang, manager of a nearby CTown Supermarkets location, said when asked about Mamdani’s government-backed competitor.

For local grocers, this is not an academic debate about affordability; it is City Hall picking winners and losers with public money.

News

Missing California Sailor Found Alive After Month Adrift in Pacific Nightmare [WATCH]

A California sailor who disappeared in the Pacific Ocean for more than a month has been found alive after drifting hundreds of miles off the coast of Hawaii, surviving by repairing his damaged boat and relying on limited food and water, as reported by the New York Post.

Kai Sato, 39, departed from Catalina Island on June 7 on what became an unexpected survival ordeal after his sailboat suffered multiple failures far from land.

About two weeks into the trip, Sato said the mast on his sailboat snapped, his vessel ran out of fuel, and his phone lost power, leaving him stranded outside established shipping lanes with no reliable way to call for help.

Speaking to Hawaii News Now after his rescue, Sato described the emotional toll of realizing he was drifting farther from safety.

“I cried for a whole week, just drifting south, like miserable. I felt like I was going to just try to turn my motor on and just suffocate, to kill myself.”

He also described feeling powerless against the ocean currents.

“I felt like a sitting duck, just getting taken south by the current going way off course.”

After spending several days processing the situation, Sato decided he needed to act if he wanted to survive.

Using PVC pipes and kayak paddles, he fashioned makeshift repairs to his damaged sailboat in an effort to regain some control of the vessel and slowly work his way back toward the shipping route between California and Hawaii.

During the weeks at sea, Sato survived on the limited food that remained aboard his boat, including leftover oatmeal. He also ate fish and squid that landed on the vessel.

Fresh drinking water became another challenge. Sato collected condensation from seawater in a bucket and relied on the moisture it produced.

“I was just licking that to survive,” he said.

The repairs eventually allowed him to navigate back toward the busy shipping corridor connecting California and Hawaii.

Nearly a month after becoming stranded, his efforts paid off when a passing container ship spotted his damaged sailboat Tuesday.

The vessel, identified as the Pasha Hawaii, diverted to rescue the stranded sailor.

Video recorded by Sato during the ordeal showed the broken mast and rough Pacific conditions surrounding the small sailboat.

A rescue photograph taken aboard the Pasha Hawaii also showed the damaged vessel, with its sails floating in the ocean below.

Crew members aboard the container ship made two attempts to lower a rope ladder before Sato was able to climb aboard safely.

Once aboard, the sailors provided him with food, water and clean clothes after weeks of surviving on whatever resources he could find while drifting alone at sea.

Sato said the rescue brought an overwhelming sense of relief.

“Oh my God, yeah, like ecstatic, you know what I mean? Like I was like crying and like so happy, and then they got me fruit and water, and yeah, they were so good to me, those guys.”

Following the rescue, Sato said he is staying with a relative in Hawaii while recovering from the experience.

Despite spending more than a month stranded in the Pacific Ocean, Sato said he has no plans to give up sailing.

Instead, he hopes to continue his travels and eventually make the trip to the Philippines aboard a larger vessel.

The rescue brought an end to a month-long survival story that began with mechanical failures in open water and concluded when a passing cargo ship located the drifting sailor and brought him safely aboard.

News

Bronx Mom Rips Mamdani After Retired NYPD Cop’s Innocent Son Killed in Gang Shooting [WATCH]

A Bronx mother who recently gave a neighborhood boy a bicycle says New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has failed to address persistent gang violence in the area where the child was fatally struck by a stray bullet, as reported by The New York Post.

Jacob Freytes, 12, the son of retired NYPD Sgt. Jesus Freytes, was riding the bicycle to a neighborhood bodega when gunfire erupted shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday near Wanda Deli Grocery on Elliott Place by the Grand Concourse in the Mount Eden section of the Bronx.

Authorities said Jacob was struck by a stray bullet after a suspected gunman allegedly opened fire at rival targets.

Miledy Rosario, a mother of four whose 12-year-old daughter was friends with Jacob, said the violence on the block has been an ongoing problem and criticized city leadership for not doing more to improve public safety in the neighborhood.

“I feel that the mayor that’s celebrating in the parade right now should take better care of this block, because there’s a lot of gang members,” Rosario said, referring to Mamdani participating in the Bronx’s Dominican Day parade Sunday.

“There’s a lot of gang members. This is not the first time this thing happened here. This has been happening a lot of times. He [the mayor] should know that there is a lot of gangs on that block there, and they had to be a cleanup,” Rosario said.

“He’s talking about stopping violence. But it is still continuing. And so if they don’t clean that block there, we’re gonna continue to see the same thing,” she added. “Before there was police on that corner. But yesterday there was no one there.”

Rosario said she had given Jacob the bicycle just one day before the shooting after purchasing a new one for her daughter.

“I bought a new bicycle for my daughter, and I asked him, ‘Hey, do you want [her’s]?’” Rosario told The Post.

“He said, ‘Oh, thank you so much. 
I’m gonna talk to my mom.’ And they gave him permission to have the bicycle. … And, you know, he was really happy,” Rosario said.

“I’m a mom of four kids, and I’m really scared. This kid was just running around on a bicycle, and got shot. 
Jacob didn’t deserve this.”

Police arrested William Ferrer, 45, outside his home Sunday in connection with Jacob’s death.

According to sources, Ferrer has an arrest history dating back to 1999, including drug possession in 2013, marijuana possession in 2009, driving while intoxicated in 2009, and possession of stolen property in the Bronx in 2004.

Investigators are also examining whether the shooting was connected to rival street gangs. Sources said the Mount Eden neighborhood is known territory for the Trinitarios and Sev Side Pinni gangs, and police are investigating whether members of those groups were involved.

Following the shooting, Mamdani issued a statement expressing sympathy for Jacob’s family and the other victims.

“Their loss is unimaginable. I am praying for the speedy recovery of the other two victims of this shooting. I’m grateful for the hospital staff and the NYPD for their work to find those responsible for this heinous act,” Mamdani said.

“Our children should be able to ride their bikes on a nice summer day in their neighborhood without fear of being shot. We cannot accept this violence as normal.”

Jacob’s father, retired NYPD Sgt. Jesus Freytes, previously served in the Bronx precinct where the shooting occurred, according to sources.

The tragedy has also deeply affected Jacob’s friends and neighbors. Rosario’s daughter, Marlyn, said her friend “was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Daniel Rosario, Miledy’s husband, said the loss has left neighborhood children struggling to cope.

“My kids are traumatized. My daughter, who was just talking to you, was in tears yesterday. Crying all night. You see them running around the street now, but they are traumatized,” he said.

“[Jacob] put up a little hoop outside our apartment door, and he would play basketball. He had a little ball. And my son told me last night, ‘Dad, I won’t be able to play basketball no more.’ The kids are traumatized.”

News

What Lurks Beneath This California Town Still Has Residents Asking Questions Today [WATCH]

A quiet California community best known for Danish architecture, pastries and windmills has become the focus of renewed interest after attention turned once again to a network of underground tunnels beneath its streets, as reported by The New York Post.

Solvang, located along California’s Central Coast about an hour north of Santa Barbara, contains an extensive series of underground passageways that have fueled speculation for years.

While the tunnels are well known among some residents and local historians, no official records have provided a definitive explanation for why they were originally constructed.

The lack of documented history has led to numerous theories about their purpose.

“It’s hard to tell if there’s any merit to some of these stories, or if it’s just fun tall tales and urban legends,” Wes Leslie, owner of Secret Solvang, told SF Gate.

Leslie operates a walking tour company focused on the town’s lesser-known history and has spent years researching the underground network.

More recently, he has begun documenting his own explorations of the tunnels and sharing the discoveries online.

Among the most persistent stories is the claim that some of the passageways were once connected to businesses operating beneath the town.

However, Leslie said a different explanation appears more likely.

He believes the tunnels may have been used during Prohibition, when alcohol was banned throughout the United States.

According to Leslie, the underground routes may have served as concealed storage areas or transportation corridors for alcoholic beverages traveling between Northern and Southern California.

Leslie recently explored tunnels beneath the Wine Valley Inn and recorded video showing the underground passages.

The footage revealed long, narrow corridors with plain walls and interconnected rooms beneath the property.

“This was not just a basement. It is a sprawling network of eerie hallways and rooms within rooms,” he said.

Based on what he observed, Leslie believes portions of the underground space may have once housed an underground clothing store, adding another unanswered question to Solvang’s history.

He also told SF Gate that several nearby hotels contain similar underground tunnels, although they are no longer connected to one another.

Another location tied to the town’s underground history is Alisal Cellars, an event venue below street level that previously operated as a wine tasting room. Visitors once entered the business by descending a staircase from the sidewalk above.

Leslie said stories surrounding Alisal Cellars have also become part of the town’s folklore.

“A lot of people have mentioned that Alisal Cellars … had this tunnel that would basically span the whole length of the street,” Leslie told SF Gate.

“It’s hard to imagine why they would need a tunnel that stretches that far, but, you know, that’s the story.”

Despite years of local interest, no historical records have confirmed the full extent of the tunnel system or established exactly why it was built.

As a result, many of the stories surrounding the passageways remain unverified.

Founded on Jan. 12, 1911, Solvang was established by a group of Danish-American educators who purchased approximately 9,000 acres to create a cultural and educational colony.

The community was built in the style of a traditional Danish village, with Danish-inspired architecture, windmills, and street names reflecting its heritage.

That distinctive appearance continues to attract visitors from across California and beyond.

While Solvang remains known as a popular tourist destination for its European-style charm, the underground network beneath the town has added another layer to its history.

Without definitive documentation explaining the tunnels’ original purpose, the passageways continue to generate curiosity among residents, historians and visitors seeking answers about one of the Central Coast’s enduring mysteries.

News

Daredevil BASE Jumpers Trigger Space Needle Panic With Brazen Illegal Leap [WATCH]

Two thrill seekers turned one of Seattle’s most recognizable landmarks into their personal launch pad Friday night, scaling the Space Needle and parachuting away in an illegal stunt that rattled onlookers and lit up social media, as reported by The New York Post.

The unauthorized BASE jump happened around 9:30 p.m., when two men were seen climbing over the glass barrier surrounding the observation deck.

Instead of admiring the skyline like normal tourists, they apparently decided the rules were for everyone else.

Video posted to TikTok shows the pair wearing helmets and backpacks as they maneuver over the barrier and make their way to the ledge.

Moments later, they jump from the structure and deploy parachutes over the city.

@.sherpachai These guys literally sprinted out the bathrooms, scaled the walls, and jumped off the space needle while I’m enjoying my view of Seattle!! #seattle #spaceneedle #jump #skydive #fyp @Space Needle ♬ original sound – Sherpa Chai

It was dramatic, reckless, and exactly the sort of stunt that makes regular people wonder how much more security they will be forced to endure because a couple of daredevils wanted online attention.

Public landmarks are not supposed to be extreme sports props.

The video quickly spread ac

ross TikTok, where viewers reacted with a mix of shock, amusement, and irritation. Some were impressed by the nerve involved, while others were already bracing for the consequences that usually land on everyone except the people who caused the problem.

@wandering_anita Somebody felt adventurous today #seattle #spaceneedle ♬ original sound – Wandering Anita

“lol I work at the needle, and we’re all talking about it,” one user commented on the video posted by TikTok user .sherpachai.

That comment captured the obvious buzz inside one of the city’s most visited attractions.

Another viewer was less entertained and more focused on what the stunt might mean for future visitors.

“Great… way to ruin the Space Needle because now they’ll impose bag searches and it will be more expensive,” the person said.

That concern is not exactly far-fetched.

When people pull dangerous stunts at major public sites, officials often respond with tighter screening, more barriers, higher costs, and more headaches for families who just wanted a nice night out.

According to KIRO 7, one of the parachuters reportedly landed on the roof of the Hyatt hotel at 201 5th Avenue. That landing alone could have turned into a much more serious mess if timing, wind, or plain luck had gone the other direction.

Another video posted on TikTok appears to show the second jumper touching down near Seattle Center.

The landing happened while the Bite of Seattle food festival was taking place nearby, adding yet another layer of risk to a stunt already loaded with bad judgment.

The Space Needle said it was aware of the incident and working with police as investigators review what happened.

“We are aware of an illegal incident at the Seattle Needle and are working closely with the Seattle Police Department. We are reviewing security footage and assisting with the active investigation,” a spokesperson for the Space Needle wrote in an email.

Authorities have not yet announced whether the two jumpers have been identified. They also have not said whether the men will face charges or other consequences for turning a public landmark into a viral stunt platform.

This is not the first time Seattle has seen BASE jumpers use a city structure for a risky spectacle. In 2024, two jumpers parachuted from the newly built 37-story Graystone building and landed safely before police were able to find them.

That earlier case ended with the jumpers getting away, at least initially, which does not exactly send a powerful message to the next group looking for internet glory.

If people see that stunts like this generate clicks without consequences, the next leap is probably already being planned.

BASE jumping is dangerous even when done in remote areas by experienced participants with permission and planning.

Doing it from a crowded tourist attraction in the middle of a major city raises the stakes for everyone nearby, including guests, workers, police, hotel staff, and random pedestrians.

Seattle has had more than enough trouble keeping public spaces orderly without adding parachute cowboys to the skyline.

A city landmark should not need to become a fortress because a few people cannot tell the difference between courage and stupidity.

For now, the Space Needle stunt lives online as another viral moment, complete with gasps, jokes, and predictable debates over security.

The bigger question is whether officials will treat it as a serious breach, or whether the public will once again be asked to absorb the consequences while the rule breakers float away.

News

North Carolina Therapist Vanishes in Caribbean as Husband Begs for Her Safe Return [WATCH]

A North Carolina physical therapist vanished during a trip to Grenada, turning what should have been a Caribbean visit into a frantic search along one of the island’s most recognizable beach areas, as reported by The New York Post.

Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell, 44, was reported missing while staying near Grand Anse, a resort neighborhood in the capital city of St. George’s known for its white sand beach and postcard scenery.

The Royal Grenada Police Force said Waddell was last seen around 8 p.m. Wednesday on Grand Anse Beach.

By Thursday, authorities had launched a missing persons search and were asking the public to help.

Police made a specific appeal to fishermen, boat operators, and residents along the southern coastline.

They were urged to watch for any sign of Waddell and report possible sightings to authorities.

Her husband, Cailen Waddell, issued an emotional plea as he traveled to Grenada to join the search. He said he wanted “nothing less than her safe return.”

In a Friday morning Facebook post, he wrote, “Facebook Friends. My wife Liz is missing in Grenada.” The desperate message quickly spread as friends, relatives, and strangers began sharing her information.

He also wrote, “Liz went missing in the afternoon on Wednesday. I am on my way there now to help search. I expect nothing less than Liz’s safe return” while asking for prayers, love, and help from anyone with contacts on the island.

Police described Waddell as having a medium build and short blonde hair, though the missing persons notice reportedly showed her with short pink hair.

Officials listed her height as 5 feet 5 inches, while WTVD reported she is believed to be closer to 5 feet tall.

Waddell is married to Cailen Waddell, who works as an operations manager for the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources in Cary, North Carolina.

The couple has roots in that community, where Liz built both a professional practice and a personal network.

Waddell graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She later opened Art of Movement Physical Therapy in Cary, combining her years of physical therapy experience with a long background in fitness and dance.

According to her professional biography, Waddell has more than a decade of physical therapy experience and more than two decades of experience in fitness and dance.

Her interests included pole dancing, CrossFit, hiking, travel, and walks with her husband around Cary.

Her social media painted the picture of a woman who loved movement, travel, and family.

Her Facebook page included photos from international trips, including Mexico and Thailand, along with pictures of her husband and their adopted adult daughter, Suwan.

The disappearance has rattled those following the case because so few details have been made public.

Officials in Grenada have not offered additional information about what may have happened after she was last seen on the beach.

That silence leaves a lot of room for worry, and plenty of Americans know exactly how unsettling it is when a citizen disappears overseas, and answers arrive slowly.

Families want facts, not vague updates and bureaucratic fog.

Waddell had also posted publicly about recent health struggles. In a May 22 update, she said she had been dealing with long COVID, post viral issues, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, endometriosis, and perimenopause-related problems.

She wrote that her symptoms began last September and had forced her to stop working, stop going to the gym, and spend much of her time sleeping.

In that same update, she said she was improving and gradually returning to a more consistent work schedule.

Now, attention is focused on the shoreline, the water, nearby boats, and anyone who may have seen her Wednesday evening.

Police have asked people in the area to remain alert and come forward quickly with any information.

For Waddell’s family, the mission is painfully simple. They are looking for Liz, and they are asking anyone with knowledge of her whereabouts to help bring her home safely.

News

Oklahoma Influencer and Husband Found Dead After Pedophilia Accusation in Apparent Murder-Suicide [WATCH]

An Oklahoma influencer and her husband are dead in what authorities describe as an apparent murder suicide, a chilling end that came less than two weeks after she publicly accused him of being a pedophile on TikTok, as reported by The New York Post.

Sara Gilson, 43, was found dead Thursday night inside her Collinsville, Oklahoma, home alongside her husband, Shawn Duffey, 48.

Both had apparent gunshot wounds to the head, according to Owasso law enforcement.

The case began drawing attention after Gilson posted a TikTok video using the popular “Netflix Documentary” trend, where users pretend they are sitting for a documentary about anything from absurd drama to deeply disturbing real-life events.

“Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon-to-be ex-husband who I just found out is a pedophile,” Gilson wrote on her video.

The caption was even more blunt: “I wish I was joking #plottwist #netflix #documentary.”

Less than two weeks later, police say, the nightmare turned deadly. Around 11:15 p.m., a 911 call came in to authorities, and dispatchers heard what sounded like a woman screaming, followed by what sounded like a gunshot.

Moments after that call, Gilson’s juvenile son called 911 from a neighbor’s home. He told authorities that his stepfather, Duffey, had shot his mother.

Officers arrived at the scene at about 11:15 p.m., according to Owasso police.

What they found appears to have confirmed the worst fears of a household already surrounded by allegations, court filings, and warning signs that should make any decent person’s blood run cold.

Gilson had already been in court on June 10 seeking an emergency protective order against Duffey.

The order required him to stay 100 yards away from her and forced him out of the home, according to People.

Owasso Police said they had previously directed Gilson on how to pursue an Emergency Protective Order through the Tulsa County Courthouse after an incident the day before.

Police also said they had no reports that Duffey violated that order before the fatal shooting.

In her application for the protective order, Gilson alleged that Duffey had threatened suicide “and went on the run,” according to The Oklahoman.

That detail now reads like another flashing red light in a case full of them.

The same day Gilson received her protective order, another order was issued against Duffey on behalf of a 15-year-old girl who had been part of a youth basketball team he coached.

That order alleged Duffey assaulted the minor.

The alleged assault took place on June 9 inside an elementary school where Duffey’s traveling competitive team had rented court space while school was out of session.

Police emphasized that neither Duffey nor the team had any official affiliation with Owasso Public Schools.

Court documents obtained by The Oklahoman alleged Duffey sent the girl inappropriate messages, kissed her, touched her inappropriately, and invited her to his hotel room during a tournament.

He also allegedly offered money “to keep her quiet,” which is about as damning a detail as one can imagine.

Police said another coach witnessed the conduct during the June 9 incident, intervened immediately, and notified the girl’s guardian.

Investigators also noted that similar conduct by Duffey toward the same player had reportedly occurred over an extended period across multiple states and law enforcement jurisdictions.

Duffey fled the scene that night and had avoided police contact since then, according to authorities.

For the public, that raises the obvious question of how a man facing allegations this serious was still able to become the central figure in a deadly domestic incident days later.

Because Duffey was a member of the Osage Indian Tribe of Oklahoma and the incident happened in Indian Country, the case carried federal jurisdiction complications.

The report listed the alleged crime as Lewd Molestation of a Minor and classified it as a “Major Crime” under the Federal Major Crimes Act.

The matter was then turned over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for review, which ended Owasso Police’s jurisdiction over the sex crime investigation.

That may be how the system works on paper, but for families caught in the middle, paper procedure does not stop bullets.

Gilson’s public accusation, the protective orders, the allegations involving a minor, and the final emergency calls now form a grim timeline.

It is a timeline that moved from online warning to courtroom action to a child fleeing for help after a fatal shooting inside his own home.

Authorities continue to describe the deaths as an apparent murder suicide.

For a community left staring at another preventable-looking tragedy, the facts already released are more than enough to show how rapidly private danger can become public horror.

The social media age can turn personal chaos into viral content in seconds, but it cannot replace swift accountability.

In this case, the warning signs were not subtle, and the ending was as brutal as it was heartbreaking.


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