Gary McGath
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gmcgath.bsky.social
Gary McGath
@gmcgath.bsky.social
Freelance writer. Lover of liberty, music, and cats. Author of The Magic Battery, Spells of War, Files that Last, and Tomorrow's Songs Today. On Bluesky I post a lot about classical music and silent film.

https://garymcgath.com
Protest leaders are saying not to shop today, expecting that will somehow impress ICE. Here's a better idea: Shop at a place owned by or employing immigrants. There's even such a place in my small NH town.
January 30, 2026 at 1:12 PM
The Good, the Pretty, and Fear Itself
Living and dying through the ICE Age
catvalente.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:17 AM
Reposted by Gary McGath
Reposted by Gary McGath
Video showed federal immigration agents leaving behind an infant and broken glass after detaining a Guinean immigrant with no known criminal history.
ICE agents shatter window, leave 1-month-old baby, mother in car after Portland arrest
Video showed federal immigration agents leaving behind an infant and broken glass after detaining a Guinean immigrant with no known criminal history.
www.bangordailynews.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Reposted by Gary McGath
Wrote about the administration's defiance of courts:

- A federal judge in Minnesota releases a list of nearly 100 orders ICE violated
- A judge in Florida threatens sanctions against two DOJ attorneys in a similar habeas case
- ICE is also violating TROs in Maine reason.com/2026/01/29/f...
Federal judge slams ICE for violating nearly 100 court orders: 'ICE is not a law unto itself'
Judges across the country are fed up with the Trump administration's refusal to follow orders requiring it to give bond hearings to detained immigrants.
reason.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:11 PM
"Updated" ICE guidance: "We are moving to targeted enforcement of aliens with a criminal history. This includes arrests, not just convictions." Which is exactly what they falsely claimed to be doing before. Ergo, no change. #ICE
www.reuters.com/world/ice-of...
Exclusive: ICE officers in Minnesota directed not to interact with 'agitators' in new orders
The new internal guidance reviewed by Reuters also orders U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to only target immigrants who have criminal charges or convictions.
www.reuters.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Reposted by Gary McGath
If Secretary Noem is not removed from office, the House should move forward with impeachment proceedings.
January 29, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Do you think you know your film composers? Try my latest FunTrivia quiz!
www.funtrivia.com/quiz/music/s...
#music #trivia
Bonus points: Can anyone identify the music in this post's image? I can't.
Space Opera Music Trivia Game - Who Wrote the Scores for these Space/SF Films? | Music from TV and Movies | 10 Questions
Some top composers work has enhanced the atmosphere of space movies. Can you match the composers with the films? - test your knowledge in this quiz! (Author madfilkentist)
www.funtrivia.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Individual rights, not democratic rule, are the bedrock standard for judging governments. If a huge majority wanted to grab people off the streets and ship them to foreign countries for not carrying the proper paperwork with them, it would still be wrong.
January 29, 2026 at 11:08 AM
Socialists have grabbed hold of the upcoming protests in Boston. Better to find an event somewhere else. We don't need a new authoritarian gang to replace the current one.
www.boston.com/news/local-n...
#ICE #Boston
January 29, 2026 at 10:56 AM
Senators Shaheen and Hassan want kinder, gentler abductions by the secret police.
www.wmur.com/article/hass...
#NewHampshire #ICE
Hassan, Shaheen call for changes to ICE appropriations bill
With events in Minnesota reshaping the debate in Washington, U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan are joining calls to overhaul a Homeland Security appropriations bill.
www.wmur.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:37 AM
Reposted by Gary McGath
Secretary Noem is not fit to continue in her position. If she does not resign, Congress must start proceedings to impeach her.

My full statement below.
January 28, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
www.youtube.com
January 28, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Got a mailing from an outfit called SmartEnergy claiming I'm owed a refund from Unitil. Smelled like a scam. Did some checking. It is a scam.
www.fox43.com/article/mone...
#SmartEnergy #Unitil #scams
Is this $100 gift card offer I got in the mail real? | FOX43 Finds Out
People are getting $100 Visa gift cards in the mail from an energy company. FOX43 Finds Out there's a catch before you can spend that money.
www.fox43.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Our choir is working on this piece. I feel a strange urge to make a video combining this song with Sendak's illustrations. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMnt...
The Peace of Wild Things - Joan Szymko - Harmonium Choral Society
YouTube video by Harmonium Choral Society
www.youtube.com
January 28, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Pretty much what you'd expect from Jeanne Shaheen, who says there are unspecified "other ways" to deal with ICE than ceasing to give the thugs more and more money.
thehill.com/homenews/sen...
#NewHampshire
thehill.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Gary McGath
One observer said #ICE agents approached an older woman in South Portland, #Maine, driving a Volkswagen, who had gotten closest to the officers, spoke with her, and then fired projectiles at her.
ICE agents in Maine fire projectiles at filming onlookers
One observer said ICE agents approached an older woman driving a Volkswagen, spoke with her, and then fired projectiles at her.
themainemonitor.org
January 28, 2026 at 2:06 PM
When you register for NH alerts, run by Genasys, they demand your name and your exact home address. Why?
garymcgath.com/new-hampshir...
#NewHampshire
New Hampshire’s questionable alert system
The state of New Hampshire has a system where you can sign up to get emergency alerts. In itself, that’s a good thing, but the way it’s run raises red flags. The registration site is on…
garymcgath.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Forty years ago today, seven astronauts, including New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe, died in the Challenger disaster.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF1g...
Challenger Memorial 06 - Minus [HQ]
YouTube video by Songs from the Stars
www.youtube.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Gary McGath
Voter ID often sparks outrage, but the evidence shows it’s mostly noise.

States already verify identity in different ways, turnout doesn’t drop with stricter ID laws, and voter fraud remains vanishingly rare.

The fight is political—not empirical, says Stephen Richer.

https://ow.ly/v2W350Y1RCT
Tell Alarmists This Secret about Voter ID
Despite the wild reactions voter ID sparks on the left and right, what if it’s actually no big deal?
ow.ly
January 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Reposted by Gary McGath
This isn’t just “owning the libs” — this is the highest office in the nation using technology to lie to the entire world. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Beware: Government Using Image Manipulation for Propaganda
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week posted a photo of the arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong, one of three activists who had entered a St. Paul, Minn. church to confront a pastor who
www.eff.org
January 27, 2026 at 10:39 PM