Number 4. AP News. Squirrel attacks send victims to Emergency Room.
San Rafael, that beautific, relaxed suburb of San Francisco resting alongside the Bay just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, has become the scene of terror from the world of nature. At least two residents, minding their own business strolling on a quiet sidewalk, have been the subjects of unprovoked, bloody attacks.
You might think this is one of those all-too-common stories of unrestrained California street gangs who rage against Donald Trump by setting their neighbor’s Tesla on fire, but no, these perpetrators are different. These vicious attackers are squirrels.
One woman was out walking in her peaceful Lucas Valley neighborhood when a bushy-tailed rodent leaped up onto her leg, fastened its claws and raked her with sharp teeth. She screamed for help and was able to shake the critter off.
Another woman, walking in the same area the following day, was similarly attacked when a squirrel leaped up into her face and lacerated her arm.
Both women required trips to the ER, if not also to their shrink.
Authorities are on the lookout for Rocky the Flying Squirrel’s wicked doppelganger. Citizens have posted flyers on utility poles proclaiming “ATTACK SQUIRREL — BEWARE! This is not a joke!”
The good news, at least, is that they don’t carry rabies.
Speculation is that well-meaning residents have been feeding the squirrels. Once the critters have gotten used to the handouts, they turn vicious when the gravy train comes to an end. It sounds like there is a political statement lurking there somewhere, but I will restrain myself.
Meanwhile, watch out for flying squirrels. When you go for an evening walk, take along some easily tossed snack food, or maybe carry a broom for self defense.
Number 3. The Gateway Pundit. Killer Whales Sink Yacht, Strand Survivors.
Another story of terror from the natural world.
After all the years of effort and treasure expended to Save the Whales, you would think they would show a little more consideration to innocent sight-seers sailing on a harmless yacht on the open sea.
A pleasure boat operated by the Nautic Squad club carrying five tourists and crew was attacked last weekend off the coast of Portugal by a pod of an unknown number of orcas. They swarmed around the craft and suddenly began slamming against the hull. They destroyed the rudder and smashed the boat below the water line.
The boat listed violently and sank, stranding swimmers in the water.
Apparently satisfied with the prize, the killer whales left the people alone (with their psychological damage) to await rescue.
This event occurred off the Fonte da Telha beach, south of Lisbon.
Another incident not far away saw a pod of 4 orcas attacking another sailboat with tourists aboard. The rudder was destroyed, cracks opened up, and the craft began taking on water. Rescue boats arrived and moved the passengers to safety.
Authorities report that in recent years, killer whale attacks have moved closer to shore in more shallow waters. No explanation for the upswing in violent demonstrations has been offered.
I suspect it has to do with Trump’s tariffs.
Disappointingly, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 has apparently gone unappreciated by these killers from the deep. Clearly, more government funding is required to conduct an education program for the orcas. “We sail in peace. Please don’t kill us unless you have a really good reason. Set somebody’s Tesla on fire instead.”
Number 2. CBS News. Chinese Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling $1 Million Worth of Turtles.
So much for a solid business plan.
Eastern box turtles are colorful, omnivorous and generally harmless to anything larger than a bug or a snail. Native to the U.S. east of the Mississippi, they are apparently in high demand in China, no doubt for their exotic attraction in a terrarium.
There is no other commercial turtle harvesting value, but the thrill of owning something forbidden under the elaborately named Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has prompted an illicit trade.
A Chinese man residing in Brooklyn and going by various names, one of which is Ricky Tin, was arrested at JFK International Airport this week. He was attempting to ship 4 boxes of box turtles, each stuffed into a knotted sock, to his home in Hong Kong.
Mr. Tin also had other boxes filled with various critters, including venomous snakes. An investigation has tied Mr. Tin to a total of 220 smuggled parcels of eastern box turtles with a Chinese street value of $1.5 million.
It is reported that Ricky Tin is an associate of a Mr. Kang Juntao, an international turtle smuggler now serving a 3-year sentence in a U.S. prison for moving 1,500 turtles out of the U.S. and into China. That gig was worth $2 million while it lasted.
International turtle smuggling???
I need to broaden my horizons. Clearly, there are serious opportunities for personal enrichment much more lucrative than merely cranking out a weekly Substack.
Number 1. RedState dot com. Huge California Solar Plant Shutting Down After Years of Failure.
The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in the California Mojave Desert was a really sophisticated idea that, judging by the amount of money thrown at it, was a high priority in the vanguard of green energy.
Now, the idea is last week’s news. Ivanpah is shutting down.
The 2010 construction cost of $2.2 billion was funded by $1.6 billion in federal grants under the Obama administration. The hope — not to dignify the effort by calling it a “plan” — was that Ivanpah might pay for itself in generating electricity.
Or maybe that was just the ad copy. In reality, Ivanpah relied on natural gas to deliver its kilowatts of output. Expenses have far outpaced revenues in 15 years, and the story has met its end.
Electricity was only one Ivanpah deliverable. Another was a huge quantity of incinerated bird carcasses, as unwitting avians flew across the focused solar array. This is not unlike the insensitive child firing up ants on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass. Footage of smoking airborne bird and insect fatalities can be seen in intriguing timelapse videos.
At a price tag of $2.2 billion, supported with government subsidies of $1.6 billion, I am left to wonder who supplied the remaining $600 million investment. I would love to see some investigative reporting on this, but alas, it is not to be found. Was there perhaps an investor group promoting the purchase of shares or other financial instruments to green-minded senior citizens, thus separating retirement savings from their owners?
Not to put too fine a point on it, but investments of, say, $10,000 reaching to a total of $600 million might suggest that 60,000 people lost their money.
Thank you, Green New Deal.
At least the contractors, suppliers of building materials, and the natural gas utility got something out of it while it lasted.
I wonder now what the deconstruction costs for removing all those solar panels will be, and who will pay for it, and how the materials will be recycled. Or maybe they will merely remain, abandoned, in the Mojave Desert.
And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, October 3, 2025. Get out and enjoy the autumn weather while you can, regardless of the ever-present flying squirrel threat. You could take along a bag of croutons, hoping to distract them, but that may rankle, as it seems a lot like paying into a protection racket. Maybe the sawed-off broom is a better choice, even though it’s an in-your-face, personal distance sort of weapon.
In either case, be careful not to abuse the poor critter. He is probably only following his training: Humans here, and I deserve free food.
Enjoy your weekend!
