Pretti ICE Murderers Finally Named. 5-Year-Old Liam Ramos is Free.

Summary

Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Episode 431: Pretti ICE Murderers Finally Named. 5-Year-Old Liam Ramos is Free.
Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Paul Rieckhoff

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Overview

This episode tackles the latest, urgent developments in America’s immigration enforcement crisis—namely the unmasking of ICE officers involved in the killing of Alex Pretti, and the release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos, whose story sparked national outrage. Host Paul Rieckhoff delivers a passionate, blunt analysis of ICE's increasing aggression, accountability in law enforcement, political responses, protests, and cultural reactions—set against a week of political crisis, international tension, and Super Bowl excitement. Rieckhoff calls for vigilance, unity among independent Americans, and upholding constitutional principles amid a turbulent national moment.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Names of ICE Officers Involved in Alex Pretti’s Killing Revealed

• [03:30] The names of the two federal officers who fatally shot Alex Pretti (Jesus Ochoa and Raymondo Guterres) were finally reported by ProPublica.
• Rieckhoff emphasizes the political and social importance:
  • Quote: “Now we know the names of the two officers that brutally shot—and I think murdered—Alex Pretti. There needs to be a thorough investigation, there needs to be charges, there needs to be a trial.” [03:31]
  • He notes this sets a precedent of accountability:
    • Quote: “ICE agents now know that they will eventually be named if they shoot and kill someone, if they brutalize someone. … I hope that will force them to check themselves.” [03:52]
• Rieckhoff denounces ICE’s ongoing lack of professionalism and urges listeners to realize the gravity of unconstitutional raids and rights violations.

2. ICE Raids & Abuse—Firsthand Accounts

• [08:12] Rieckhoff plays audio from a Utah auto body shop owner confronting ICE agents who forcibly enter without a warrant.
  • Quote from the raid:
    • Owner: “Where’s your warrant?”
      Agent: “I don’t need one.”
    • Owner: “Yes, you do. You guys broke the window. … You guys don’t have a warrant.” [08:12–09:30]
• Rieckhoff’s reaction:
  • Quote: “This is what’s happening in America, folks. And we should all be saying hell no.” [09:49]
• He accuses ICE of systemic, unconstitutional abuse, stripping Americans of basic rights.

3. Liam Ramos Released—After Outrage

• [11:09] A judge ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father after over a week of detention, during which images of the boy became a national symbol of protest.
  • Quote: “He is finally home. But also, why the hell have they been holding him all this time anyway?... he never should have been detained.” [11:09]
• Paul criticizes politicians using Liam for photo-ops:
  • Quote: “Can we please not turn a five-year-old into a photo op? … It would be infinitely better for him if we all never saw his face.” [12:16]
• He warns that no one is safe as long as ICE’s culture remains “rotten to the core”.

4. Escalation of Anti-ICE Protests and Cultural Outcry

• Ongoing mass protests across the U.S., with “Fuck ICE” and “Disband ICE” becoming rallying cries—even appearing prominently at the Grammys.
  • Quote: “Every day, … people are standing up. Tremendous protests in Minneapolis and all across America saying fuck no to ICE.” [14:20]

5. Political Developments and the Trump Administration’s Actions

• [04:25; 15:50] Paul runs through political turbulence:
  • Partial federal government shutdown
  • Trump’s deals with India, ongoing Venezuela negotiations
  • Continued “war on the free press”: recent press restrictions, threats to ProPublica, and social media harassment.
• Rieckhoff recounts the chilling rise in politicians labeling protesters as “insurgents,” and the increased risk of Trump invoking the Insurrection Act:
  • Quote: “Politicians are calling the protests in Minnesota an insurgency … Republicans have been using this language that is very, very dangerous.” [20:39]
  • He warns: “Trump can do anything he wants with the most powerful military the world has ever seen, and nothing is stopping him.” [22:08]

6. International Fallout and Geopolitical Tensions

• [23:54] American standing with allies suffering:
  • Massive protests by Danish veterans after Trump insults NATO allies; Rieckhoff reads a moving quote from Lance Corporal Soren Teigen:
    • Quote: “I don’t blame American soldiers in any way. We’ve fought side by side, and we still do. But when the president says something like this, of course it hurts.” [24:20]
• Updates on Ukraine’s struggle and a glimmer of hope in the Middle East with the Rafah border crossing reopening.

7. Cultural Tipping Point: Grammys Dominate with Anti-ICE Protest

• [27:28] Artists use their stage to blast ICE and support immigrants’ rights, led by Bad Bunny:
  • Quote (Bad Bunny):

  “We’re not savage. We're not animals, we're not aliens… we are humans and we are Americans. … The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. If we fight, we have to do it with love.” [27:28]

• Other prominent artists echoed these calls: Kehlani, Bon Iver, Olivia Dean, Billie Eilish, Shaboozey:
  • Quote (Shaboozey):

  “Immigrants built this country. This is for them, for all children of immigrants, for anyone who came here in search of a better life.” [29:19]

• Rieckhoff hails the moment as a cultural and political “tipping point.”

8. Election News and Rise of Independent Voters

• [31:43] Upset in Texas special Congressional election—Democrats win in a Trump+17 district, with independents the key swing bloc.
  • Quote: “Independents made up a significant percentage that swayed this election. If you can attract independents, you will win.” [32:40]
  • Rieckhoff promotes his town hall with other independent leaders: “We are not just moving the needle, we are the needle.” [33:10]

9. Closing Thoughts: Hope, Sports, & Civic Engagement

• Excitement for upcoming Super Bowl week, cultural solidarity, and the importance of supporting Girl Scouts as “helpers” in the community.
• Rieckhoff uses sports and Girl Scout cookies as symbols of hope and togetherness.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ICE accountability:

  “ICE agents now know that they will eventually be named if they shoot and kill someone. If they brutalize someone, they will be named by the public. And I hope that that will force them to check themselves.” — Paul Rieckhoff [03:52]

• On constitutional rights:

  “If you support this anti-American and unconstitutional shit, don't ever tell me you're a conservative or you support the Constitution ever again. Ronald Reagan and Teddy Roosevelt must be rolling around in their graves and Putin is definitely celebrating.” — Paul Rieckhoff [06:55]

• On the culture of ICE:

  “Undisciplined, unprofessional, un-American, unacceptable. I will continue to underscore that the culture of ICE is rotten to the core.” — Paul Rieckhoff [13:10]

• On protests and political labeling:

  “Politicians are calling the protests in Minnesota an insurgency… Very, very dangerous language. … Trump can do anything he wants with the most powerful military the world has ever seen, and nothing is stopping him. And we must stay vigilant, America.” — Paul Rieckhoff [20:45, 22:08]

• Cultural moment at the Grammys:

  “We’re not savage. We're not animals, we're not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans. … The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.” — Bad Bunny [27:28]

• On hope and independence:

  “If you listen to this show, you know that we are the people’s champions. … We are not just moving the needle, we are the needle.” — Paul Rieckhoff [33:10]

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [03:30] — Announcement of ICE officer identities in Alex Pretti killing
• [08:12 – 09:45] — Utah ICE raid confrontation audio
• [11:09] — Release of Liam Ramos; critique of political photo-ops
• [14:20] — Mass protests and cultural backlash against ICE
• [20:39 – 22:08] — Discussion of Insurrection Act threats and militarization
• [23:54] — Denmark/NATO protests after Trump’s comments
• [27:28 – 29:19] — Grammys anti-ICE statements, Bad Bunny’s speech, Shaboozey/others
• [31:43] — Texas Congressional election and surge of independents
• [34:00] — Promotion of upcoming town hall and interviews with independent candidates
• [35:40] — Call for hope, sports talk, Girl Scout cookies as “something good”

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Tone

• Paul Rieckhoff’s voice is urgent, passionate, direct, and at times indignant. The language is frequently sharp (“un-American and unconstitutional shit,” “ICE is rotten to the core”), always with a call to civic vigilance and moral responsibility. He stresses unity among independents, the importance of not losing hope, and a determined optimism even in the face of daunting political realities.

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Final Takeaways

This episode solidifies Independent Americans’ defiant stance against ICE abuses and governmental overreach, contextualized by increased protest, a shifting political landscape, and a surge in independent political engagement. It is both a rallying cry and a news digest for Americans who feel caught between a polarized system, reminding listeners that hope, vigilance, and community action are essential to defending democracy.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Because I didn't have to convince him.

[A]

I needed a GLP one.

[B]

He understood and I felt supported, not judged.

[A]

I came for the weight loss and stayed for the empathy. Thanks Sadie.

[B]

I'm Mayra Amit, founder of Mochi Health. To find your mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com.

[A]

Sadie is a Mochi member, compensated for her story.

[C]

I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo pre filled syringe which contains fgar, Tigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase qvfc. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment. MyWay. Visit vivgardmyway.com that's V Y V G A R T my way.com and talk to your doctor about Vivgard Hytrulo brought to you by Argenics.

[B]

But now we know the names of the two officers that brutally shot and I think murdered Alex Preddy. There needs to be a thorough investigation, there needs to be charges, there needs to be a trial. And I think there's something really important that this underscores. ICE agents now know that they will eventually be named if they shoot and kill someone. If they brutalize someone, they will be named by the public. And I hope that that will force them to check themselves. Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 431. I am your host, Paul Rykoff and I am coming to you from New York City, USA. It is Monday, February 2nd, and the weather here in New York is a steamy 36 degrees or so. But February is here. Finally we made it through January. We did it folks. And now today it's Groundhog Day. And because it's 2026, you know how that went. Punxsutawney Phil Saw his shadow indicating six more weeks of winter. Yep, the famous groundhog emerged at 7:25am this morning in Knobbler's Creek, Pennsylvania, confirming the prediction of a longer winner for a second year in a row to correspond perfectly with Trump's latest term. Yep, more winner. But it is super bowl week and it's Manosphere Monday.

[C]

Monday.

[B]

And it was a wild weekend. And what a weekend it was. Speaking of Pennsylvania, I went to Philadelphia and back. Went with the boys to visit my wife who is working down there. I gotta tell you, I hate the Eagles, but I love Philly. It was cold as hell down there, got me some federal donuts, almost went to a Sixers game. And as soon as I came out of the train station, I saw a gigantic sign jammed in the snow that said, go birds, fuck ice and free Palestine. Because in Philly, people hate ice. Just like everywhere in America, it's the one team that all Americans are now united in rooting against. This super bowl weekend. I still think we should defund and dismantle ice. We'll get into that more in a second. But it was cold as hell down there. But people do hate ice in Philadelphia and more and more across the country. We are becoming increasingly united and we are all ready for a big week, a Super bowl week. And I'm going to bring you the five eyes this super bowl week to help you through it, to bring you into February and take us forward. Independent, integrity, independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. They're like the five offensive linemen of our movement pushing us forward. And there's no guest today. I am going to be your quarterback through this first day of super bowl week. And there is a ton to quickly move you through in a two minute drill, because a lot is happening today and happened over the weekend that we all need to be reminded to stay vigilant about. All right, Congress is, of course, in the middle of a crisis again. There's a partial federal shutdown that's been going on since Friday. Republicans and Democrats are clashing. Trump has slashed India tariffs and agreed to a deal with Modi of India to stop buying Russian oil. A reminder that Modi is an authoritarian, too. And Trump, of course, can make a deal with him, but Venezuela is involved. There's a lot of celebration and not a lot of details, but there are more important issues that I think you need to be focused on. But if you're not angry, you're not paying attention. And that brings me to today's top topic. All right, ICE continues to rampage across America in Minneapolis, in Maine, in Phoenix, in Utah. Every day, more disturbing news, more disturbing videos. And there is very, very important news that happened yesterday via ProPublica, the nonprofit media agency. Finally, we have the names of the two officers involved in the brutal murder of Alex Preddy. Two federal immigration agents have been named by ProPublica. They are Border Patrol Agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymondo Guterres. This is really, really important. Now, first, expect ProPublica to be the next target on Trump's media list, because they have now named these officers. And I just want to say that this is how it's supposed to be. You used to be able to know the names of any law enforcement agents as soon as a shooting happened. They didn't used to be masked, they used to wear badges. They didn't used to kick indoors without warrants. But now we know the names of the two officers that brutally shot and I think murdered Alex Preddy. There needs to be a thorough investigation. There needs to be charges, there needs to be a trial. And I think there's something really important that this underscores. ICE agents now know that they will eventually be named if they shoot and kill someone, if they brutalize someone, they will be named by the public. And I hope that that will force them to check themselves to be more responsible, to be more professional, because they continue to expand their lack of professionalism, and that includes now arresting people without warrants. They continue to kick in doors, to push through homes, to arrest people without warrants. And I want to focus on this because this is so critical and say, hell no. If you support this anti American and unconstitutional shit, don't ever tell me you're a conservative or you support the Constitution ever again. Ronald Reagan and Teddy Roosevelt must be rolling around in their graves and Putin is definitely celebrating. There is an internal memo that now changed a standard whether people are unlikely to show up to hearings or they could leave the scene, but they continue to push forward with masks, with no identification, with total unprofessional behavior, and now into places like Utah. Here's what that looks like in Utah. I'm going to play the video and the audio and you can hear it for yourselves. Look at this, look at these.

[D]

Where's your guys?

[B]

Warrant. Stay back.

[D]

Where's your guys?

[B]

Warrant.

[D]

No. Where's your warrant? Where's the warrant?

[B]

Stand right there.

[D]

Where's the warrant?

[B]

I don't need one.

[D]

Yes, you do. Where's the warrant? You guys do this back.

[B]

I need you to wrap that up.

[D]

For what?

[B]

Stay back. Stop getting closer to me. Stay back.

[D]

I'm back. I'm back. I ain't going to do to you.

[B]

I'm back.

[D]

You guys have to leave. My lawyer is coming. You guys want to get sued? What's your badge number? No, I want to get. You guys. I want.

[B]

All right.

[D]

Yes. You guys want to be back here?

[B]

Stand back here.

[C]

You can record.

[D]

But I'm already back here. You guys haven't showed me. You guys haven't identified yourself. I don't know who the you guys are. Who the. What the is that? What the is that?

[B]

Federal agent.

[D]

I need a warrant. I need a warrant.

[B]

You do not need a warrant.

[D]

Yes, I do. Yes, I do. You. You know how you guys came in illegally?

[B]

No.

[D]

You guys broke the window. Yes, we did. Because you guys don't have a warrant.

[B]

We don't need one.

[D]

Yes, you do.

[B]

Hey.

[D]

What the are you doing? I'm making sure he's safe. Excuse you. Give me my. Don't yell at me.

[B]

Don't bump into me.

[C]

Back up.

[D]

I'm already here. He's trying to give me something. You know this whole building has cameras, right?

[B]

That's great. Stay at an arm's distance. All right. That's a Utah Autobot auto body shop owner who says you guys broke the window to get in here. Where is your warrant? And the goons say, yes, we did. We don't need one. This is what's happening in America, folks. And we should all be saying hell no. Or it related over the weekend. You might have missed this, the least surprising news of the week. The New York Times reported that Border Patrol leader Greg Bevino mocked the Jewish faith of a U.S. attorney in Minnesota during a call with lawyers. Turns out the U.S. attorney is an orthodox Jewish person. And he of course mocked him because Bavino is a racist, anti Semitic Nazi who was leading the efforts until recently in Minnesota and beyond, has not been fired, has not been held accountable. But that should be the least surprising news of the week. Now some good news that also happened over the weekend, if you haven't heard. A judge on Saturday ordered the release of the five year old boy and his father. That was taken over a week ago. Images of Liam Ramos with the bunny hat and Spider man backpack set the world aflame with outrage. And he has finally been released. He is finally home. But also, why the hell have they been holding him all this time anyway? He never should have been detained. He never should have been sent to Texas in the first place. And I think this will go down as an epically Shameful abuse that disgraces all Americans. Young and brave. Liam will forever be the face of disgrace in these dark times. Now, the arc of the moral universe is long, and maybe one day it'll propel Liam himself all the way to Congress so this never happens again, ever. But related something I want to focus on that I don't think a lot of people are focused on. When Liam was released, everybody rushed to take their picture with him. Reporters, politicians, taking a picture with Liam like he's a giant photo op, including Ilhan Omar and Joaquin Castro, who allegedly was helpful in his release. And regardless, that's great that he's finally home and he never should have been taken. But can we please not turn a five year old into a photo op for politicians or anyone else? I think it would be infinitely better for him if we all never saw his face. This kid's privacy is forever compromised and he will never be truly safe. Neither will the rest of this country as long as ICE continues to rampage and expand. Undisciplined, unprofessional, un American, unacceptable. I will continue to underscore that the culture of ICE is rotten to the core. They're detaining citizens and cops and veterans and kids. And this is where we are, America. And remember, if they can do it to Liam Ramos, if they can do it to Alex Preddy, if they can do it to Renee Goode, they can do it to you. And if you're not angry, you're not paying attention. They are ripping and tearing our country apart every day, more and more by the day. But every day, more and more by the day, people are standing up tremendous protests in Minneapolis and all across America saying fuck no to ice. Fuck ice. Disband ice. Hell no to ice. It also dominated the Grammys last night. More on that coming up. But meanwhile, Trump is still waging the war on the free press. And I just want to underscore how effective he's been in some places. If you haven't been over to Elon's social media cesspool now known as X, you can see that just hate Nastiness and open threats are pretty common. I tweeted one or posted one over the weekend. I'm still over there trying to fight the good fight. But let me just give you an example of something that I get over. In Elon's wonderful place known as XNow used to be called Twitter, a guy named Tim Kramer, Kramer says, wrote, you're an idiot and I can't wait to meet you in the streets. Isn't that what you guys want? What's your address, sweetheart? Let's get this party kicked off. That was directed at me. And it's one of many. Just another threatening and hateful day over there at X Elon's. Lovely place. Really lovely place you got there, Elon. Putin's minions and his bots love it. They create friction and division all day and all night. And our enemies are celebrating because the war on the press continues. And there was a news story related to this from the Daily Mail over the weekend. Check out the headline. Trump's new media darlings who relished their Pentagon takeover now feel gagged by Pete Hegseth. You don't say. Turns out that some of the new arrivals, the propagandists, the propaganda press corps are complaining about a lack of access and almost zero reportable facts. Really welcome to the reality. Even Laura Loomer and the MyPillow Guys TV network are being sidelined. And of course, there are no Friday press briefings. We didn't get one of those on Friday. Even though the threat of the Insurrection act continues, even though the threat of attacks on Iran continue this stonewalling of the press after the arrest of Don Lemon, after the attacks on npr, after the attacks on Jimmy Kimmel have just continued. And I want to put this on your radar. Don't be surprised if ProPublica is next. Stay vigilant, folks. All right, an issue I want to talk about that I think is below the radar, but one that is critically important. We've talked about the Insurrection act on this show at length. We've gone deeper with Ruth Ben Giat, Asha Rangapa and others. And I encourage you to go back and to keep your eye on on this issue, because there's another piece of this that's unfolding constantly more and more. The New York Times had a feature story underscoring that the government is increasingly calling people terrorists. The headline from the New York Times says politicians are calling the protests in Minnesota an insurgency. And that is what they are using to label people who are protesting, who are recording ICE agents, who are speaking out and using their First Amendment rights. You'll remember they called Alex Preddy a domestic terrorist. They called Renee Good a domestic terrorist. Increasingly, Republicans have been using this language that is very, very dangerous. They talk about Representative Eli Crane, Republican of Arizona and a former Navy seal, said, quote, they want to fundamentally remake and tear down the institutions and the culture of this country. And he called the resistance in Minneapolis a, quote, communist insurrection. And he argued that Trump should use military power to reimpose order. They have continued to call protesters the slain domestic terrorists. And Trump even on Friday, was back to calling Alex Preddy a, quote, agitator and said he was probably an insurrectionist, using that language that characterizes his response to protests over and over again because he wants to use the Insurrection act. Remember that the 11th Airborne Corps in Alaska is still on standby. And if there is a bombing, if there's an escalation, if there's a protest that he can deem is out of control, he will pull that lever. He will invoke the Insurrection act against the wishes of the Governor Tim Walsh, against the wishes of the Mayor Tim Fry, and break dangerous new glass. The only thing that may be stopping Trump from doing that is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Kane. I watch this space, especially this week, and we will continue to cover it, because I will remind you, the most important story in the world is still that Trump can do anything he wants with the most powerful military the world has ever seen, and nothing is stopping him. And we must, especially on this issue, stay vigilant, America. All right, A lot of you have sent your best wishes for me and my voice. As you can see, it's still not 100%. That's in part because I continue to coach youth basketball, because it's been 10 below here for, like, six weeks, and because Trump continues to do outrageous shit that I must respond to. He continues to try to take over the Western Hemisphere and he continues to piss off our allies. So if you missed it, this weekend, there was something very significant related to Greenland and Denmark. Thousands of Danish veterans marched against Trump, quoting, saying that we fought side by side. There was a massive anti American gathering in Denmark. Veterans who went to war alongside US Troops like me took to the streets of Copenhagen. There were amputees, there were decorated veterans. One soldier, Lance Corporal Soren Teigen, was at the front of a group of veterans who had been bused in from all corners of Denmark for the latest demonstration of anti American anger. This is from the New York Times. After Trump's recent comments belittling the support of NATO allies, he said, quote, I don't blame American soldiers in any way. We've fought side by side, and we still do, said Lance Corporal Tegan. But when the president says something like this, of course it hurts. This is what Trump has done, folks. Our trusted allies, veterans, Gold Star families from Denmark and from around the world are now protesting against the President of the United States and his abominable disrespect. And appalling threats. We have to remind them Trump doesn't speak for most Americans, especially when it comes to our allies and the immeasurable contributions and sacrifices they've made. Trump does not speak for most American vets. I've sent a number of personal messages to our allies in Denmark and around the world, and I will continue to echo them. I'll be speaking to a group of Danish leaders here in New York in the days to come, and leaders from around the world, reminding them that our veterans appreciate, honor and salute their contributions and especially their sacrifices. Now, Putin is of course, loving this. Maybe he's going to sit with Trump at the Super Bowl. We will see. But Trump is all gas, no brakes. Nothing is slowing him down. It's something I emphasized last week, especially when I was on television, and I want to continue to emphasize that, that he continues to have forces arrayed across the Middle east and could hit Iran on any moment. Some good news related to the Middle East. Gaza crossing to Egypt has reopened in a step forward for the fragile ceasefire. The New York Times also had this Israel and Egypt has disagreed for months about how to resume operations on the Rafah border, which has largely been closed since May 24. But there is some hope there, there is some progress and there are some signs that things may at least temporarily stabilize a little bit more in the Middle East. But do not forget about the rampage that has continued across Iran and focused on the protesters in specific. And there's one case that I want to focus on that was reported over the weekend. There's news that former professional Iranian soccer player Mojtaba Tarshees was shot during protests in Iran. He is a very well known professional football player and he was sentenced to death in connection with the protests resulting in a brutal execution of an internationally known superstar. FIFA did not comment, but there will be continued reports that will filter out about this man and others who were brutally murdered, slaughtered under the Iranian regime, which continues to lob insults at Trump and Trump continues to threaten them, threatening to pave Iran. But watch this space, folks. I may have to come to you with an urgent episode if Trump decides to pull the trigger and bomb again on Iran. But I will remind you he has no support from Congress. He hasn't even asked them. And most of the American people do not support regime change, wars in Venezuela, in Iran, in Cuba or anywhere else. But they do support the brave people of Ukraine. And Ukraine is enduring its 1,440th day of Russia's full scale invasion. Just a couple of Quick stories. It continues to be brutally cold across Ukraine and especially in kyiv where now 80 buildings remain without heat. As many as 3400 buildings were initially without heat. The innovative and brave Ukrainians continue to try to find ways to get their infrastructure back in. Good going. It looks like at least for a day or two, the Russian attacks on infrastructure have paused. We will watch this space and continue. But there were other attacks in the oblast region that killed at least one and injured two. And an interesting story from the Kyiv Independent that underscores what the Ukrainians are having to do. And a bit of inspiration. I encourage you to go to the Kyiv Independent every day. There's an amazing story about how they're keeping a 51 year old guerrilla warm named Tony. There is a amazing zoo in Kiev and they have more than 2,000 animals of 321 species. Many of them are exotic. They have elephants and hippopotamus and brightly colored birds and primates like the beloved 51 year old gorilla named Tony. And the people of Ukraine are not only keeping their children safe, they are keeping their culture safe and they are keeping these important educational resources and, and they're animals safe. So check out the Kiva Independent for this story and so much others and so many others. All right. In politics, Trump is of course always about Trump. And over the weekend he announced he wants to build a 250 foot tall arch dwarfing the Lincoln Memorial. He wants to name it after himself and he says that other countries have gigantic arches and we should too. So of course he wants to create a gaudi and ugly and probably universally unpopular march. We will continue arch rather we will continue to follow that space. But speaking of marches, a reminder that 15,000 nurses in New York are still on strike. They've been on strike for three weeks protesting in the cold. There's said to be some progress emerging in negotiations. But the bottom line is these brave nurses are still on strike. They wanted a pay increase of 10%. The hospitals are pushing batch and not budging. But I think they need to give these nurses what they want, especially as the flu outbreaks continue and because of RFK Jr. We may have measles outbreaks and much worse. All right. In politics, some other important news over the weekend. There was a stunner in Texas. Democrat Taylor Remitt won a congressional district that Trump in a state where Trump had won by 17 points. And this is what's being called a wake up call for Republicans in Tarrant County, Texas Democrats say they were energized. Looks like Republicans maybe stayed home. He's only going to serve until January. He's an Air Force veteran, I think underscoring the popularity of veterans. He's a big union supporter. But this is a big upset for the Democrats and maybe a sign of how unpopular Republicans are. But Ross Hunt tweeted something and our friend Cody saw when down in Texas highlighted this for me that I want to, I want to also underscore for you. You Republicans did not lose to Texas runoff because of low GOP turnout. They lost it because almost all independents and some of the Republicans voted Democrat. Of those who voted in this runoff, 50% plus were GOP primary voters or GOP holders. Only 35% were Dems. So independents made up a significant percentage that swayed this election. If you can attract independence and move independence, you will win. And there's an increasing number of them, especially in places like Texas, time and time again, Independents are the difference makers. We are 45%. We are the difference. We are the future. Pay attention or lose. All right, related to that, tomorrow I am going to do a special online town hall at 3pm Eastern with our friends from Open primary. They've been doing a great series called the Primary Buzz and I will be online 3pm Feb. 3. Excuse me. With Senate candidate independent veteran Ty Pickens of Mississippi who you've heard on this show, and Todd Achilles of Idaho. He will join me. And groundbreaking, innovative godfather of the movement John Updike from open primaries. It will be linked in my bio. It is completely free if you can break away from work or you're off of work or you can play some hooky. February 3, 3pm A primary buzz conversation and the headline is perfect. It says independents are surging and independent veterans are spoiling for a fight. If you listen to this show, you know that we are the people's champions and we are not just moving the needle, we are the needle. Watch this space and join me tomorrow if you can. And know that I will have more independent candidates on the show in the days to come. And it looks like I know I gave you a pump fake last week. It looks like Jesse Ventura may join us this week. I'm working with Jesse's team. He's very busy and he hasn't talked to many media, but I hope he'll join me. If not tomorrow, maybe Wednesday. If not sometime soon. Watch this space. Okay folks, as you can hear, my voice is not great, but last night, the Grammys, you heard lots of great voices and you heard them speak out loudly, especially on ice. And Trump. I think this might be one of the most important stories for the weekend. The Grammys were dominated by protests, dominated by artists speaking out. I think finally the seal on Trump seems to be broken and artists are speaking out, led by Bad Bunny, the brilliant, fantastic, universally popular artist from Puerto Rico, who will also be the halftime show at the super bowl this weekend. Check out this message from Bad Bunny.

[E]

I'm gonna say eyes, We're not savage. We're not animals, we're not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans. Also, I want to say to the people, I know it's, it's tough to know not to hate on these days. And I was thinking sometime we get con. Contaminados. I don't know how to say that in English. The hate get more powerful with more hate. The only thing that, that is more powerful than hate is love. So please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. If, yeah, we don't hate them. We love, love our people, we love our family. And that's the way to do it with love. Don't forget that, please. Thank you. Thank you, God.

[B]

All right. So important now and such an important message. He's saying like so many others, defund and dismantle Ice Ice out everywhere. And this expand to other artists including Kalani and the great Bon Iver. Bon Iver, I never know how to say it, but the great and brilliant songwriter Bon Iver also spoke out, as did Olivia Dean, who got best new artist and Billie Eilish, the multi Grammy award winning superstar. Billie Eilish spoke out and so did Shaboozi Shabuzi. Shabuzi spoke out and said, immigrants built this country. This is for them, for all children of immigrants, for anyone who came here in search of a better life. Now, I've always loved Shabuzzi and now I love him even more. Immigrants built this country literally. So this is for them, for all children of immigrants. This is also for those who came to this country in search of better opportunity, to be a part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunities, opportunity to everyone willing to work for it. Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories and your traditions here. You give America color. I love y' all so much. Thank you. And as a grandchild of immigrants, I say, hell yes. And I think the Grammys last night were an important tipping point, a cultural tipping point. It broke an important seal in entertainment and culture. Now, as a veteran of the Iraq war, I hoped for a moment like this, for the Iraq and Afghanistan war and for veterans for decades, a time when our issues, or an end to the war, dominated the Grammys. And unfortunately, it never came. But this moment is here now, in this pivotal time, and the floodgates are are open. The 2026 Grammys made protesting ICE and Trump mainstream, and it made protests cool. I will remind you the super bowl is coming up this weekend. We may seem see protests there. The Olympics start next week. I'm sure we'll see signs of protest there. And the Oscars are next month, which I would expect to look a lot like the Grammys. These messages are only going to get louder and more popular and expand beyond just politics and news to people who don't normally track on politics, who aren't normally involved. They are now. And it might actually drive Trump to turn off his damn tv. Remember, there are many more of us than there are of them. Many more. So keep it going, people. Keep it going. All right. And the excitement is continuing to build around the super bowl this weekend. It'll be a really great matchup. I think it's a tough one to call. I will make my prediction on Friday when Rachel Maddow joins us for a very special Friday football episode. But the matchup is being billed as one of the best and closest in a long time. Sam Darnold and the Seahawks against Drake May and the Patriots. The buildup continues and let's see if Trump gets involved. He may decide to attend. Watch that space. All right. A lot of great basketball over the weekend. Last night, a really great win for my Knicks, especially against the Lakers and LeBron on on NBC in prime time at home in MSG. And there's a guy named Shamet on the Knicks. If you haven't seen him, he was on fire last night and he's always fun to watch. Now, there's still a lot of rumors that Giannis I can Tumbo could come to the Knicks. Now, I would love to see him as a Knick, but I'm going to say something controversial maybe. No thanks. Maybe let's not mess with this Knicks team right now. They seem to to be hot. They seem to be rolling. Also last night the OKC Thunder knocked out the Nuggets. So I would love to see OKC against my Knicks in the final. But let's watch this space and watch where Giannis goes because sports is always a good break from our politics. It's a place of joy, and joy is a form of resistance. And the super bowl is coming this weekend. It's like a Big treat for all of us. So is my Monday something good? Something good. All right. We're all pushing through what will be probably the coldest month of the year. February is here. The Groundhog told us it's going to be a bit longer. We need little boosts anywhere we can. And we also need to look for the helpers, especially when it's the coldest. And one source of help, one source of helpers are the Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts have always been helpers, just like Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. But Girl Scouts especially are important right now for one big reason and I think is something good. Cookies. I don't know about you, but my cookies arrived yesterday. We got thin mitts. We got dozy does. We got Samoas. There's also some new ones called Adventurefuls and explorer mores, which are kind of like s' mores cookies. But if there was ever a time for some Girl scout cookies, it's February 2026. So if you haven't already, check out the Girl Scouts website or find the Girl Scout in your area. Support these young girls and women who are stepping up to meet the moment, who are involved in their community. And Girl Scouts always become our next generation of leaders. So Girl Scouts and especially their cookies on this cold Monday in February are my something good. All right. The super bowl is this weekend. As we go into February, it'll be a time for us all to stay vigilant. And this show will continue, bring you information and independence to meet this moment. Last week we did a lot of media beyond the show. I will have my regular segment on Wednesday on News Nation with Connell McShane, also with Aaron Burnett on CNN. And a big week will continue. I hope to have Jesse Ventura stay tuned for that. I know that we will have Chuck Todd. Chuck Todd will join us from the Chuck Toddcast. And of course, he used to host Meet the Press. He's also a great guy to talk to about sports and culture. Chuck Todd will be here on Thursday. Rachel Maddow on Friday. And as I've said before, if you love Rachel, if you hate Rachel, tune in because she is something to hear. She always brings wisdom, and she's really, really good on football. All right. We're going to continue to bring the light to contrast the heat with a big super bowl week ahead. Be sure to subscribe if you haven't already. Help me bring this movement forward. Even as my voice struggles, our movement continues to grow. We might be more divided than ever, but here at Independent Americans, we're working to change that, especially if you're among the now 45% of Americans who are independent. This is your show Hope for the Future. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat. And that movement is growing. Tune in tomorrow on our special Zoom with open primaries and Todd Achilles and Ty Pickens that's linked in the show notes reminder about that and remember that hope is the oxygen of democracy. If you enjoyed this episode, even though my voice sounds like this, please share it far and wide and invite others to declare their independence. And especially as we lurch into February, especially as we hit super bowl week and especially as Trump might bomb a new country. Stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. And no, you're not alone in your vigilance. We're all vigilant and we're all in this together. I'm your host, Paul Ryckoff. Thank you for tuning in to Independent Americans. Happy Groundhog Day. Happy Monday, Happy February, Happy Super Bowl Week. Stay vigilant America. Stay Vigilant tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue and when you wait it's time to grow and it's not cool to.

[D]

Believe in school but if I can say one thing I've seen the children.

[B]

Of the revolution and the good trouble.

[D]

They can bring he said as the.

[B]

Red and blue are dead and independent.

[D]

Is an attitude an island in the sea of rhetoric and our camarade go he tells me the left and right our dreams for those without a clue.

[B]

And when you wait it's time to grow Power by Righteous Media.

[A]

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