January 21, 2026 · 5:31 am

JANUARY TWENTY-FIRST NEWS ROUNDUP

Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog serves up a mid-week news roundup.

YESTERDAY’S ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECOND INAUGURATION BROUGHT A FLOOD OF NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT HIS SUCCESSES AND THE MANY WAYS HE HAS IMPROVED LIFE FOR THE WORKING CLASS AND THE POOR. Year One of Trump 2.0 HERE. More HERE.

TRUMP’S TAKE ON THE PAST YEAR OF HELPING AMERICA’S FORGOTTEN PEOPLE WHILE FIGHTING THE CORRUPT POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT.

DEATHS BY DRUG OVERDOSES HAVE PLUMMETED FOLLOWING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECURING OF THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS CONTINUE TO SHOW CONTEMPT FOR THE SUFFERING VICTIMS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME BY PROTECTING THE CRIMINALS WHO PREY ON THEM.

FLASHBACK: IN 2017 I WROTE A BLOG POST “DEMOCRATS TO VICTIMS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME: DROP DEAD.” 2026 Democrats have made it even more relevant today. 

DEMOCRATS WALZ AND FREY RELEASE NEARLY FIVE HUNDRED MORE VIOLENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMINALS JUST TO AVOID TURNING THEM OVER TO ICE.

MORE ABOUT THE DON LEMON-LED RAID BY ANTI-ICE FASCISTS ON A MINNESOTA CHURCH.

HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON STILL TRYING TO SLITHER OUT OF SUBPOENAS REGARDING THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN. Hey, Democrats! I thought you cared so much about the Epstein situation.

DURING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST TERM CHINA’S GENOCIDAL TREATMENT OF THE MUSLIM UYGHURS WAS CALLED OUT. Organ harvesting from Uyghurs continues but Democrats can’t be bothered to care due to their love of China. Continue reading →

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January 20, 2026 · 9:00 pm

BALLADEER’S BLOG’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS

Here are this week’s rankings in the 12 divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog.

NAIA 

### 1. GRACE COLLEGE LANCERS   ###   2. BETHEL (IN) PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots)   ###   3. FREED-HARDEMAN UNIVERSITY LIONS   ###   4. AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES   ###   5. OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES      ###

6. ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM   ###   7. UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS   ###   8. HOPE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ROYALS   ###   9. MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS   ###   10. OREGON TECH HUSTLIN’ OWLS   ###     

USCAA DIVISION ONE  

### 1. NORTH AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STALLIONS   ###   2. BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE (Buffalo) BOBCATS   ###   3. NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (Shipbuilders)   ###   4. BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE BEARS   ###   5. SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS COLLEGE FALCONS   ### Continue reading →

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January 20, 2026 · 11:28 am

THE GREAT ACTRESS SARAH BERNHARDT IN MERES FRANCAISES (1917)

MERES FRANCAISES (1917) – This silent film was made and set during World War One. It starred the legendary stage actress Sarah Bernhardt, whose career spanned from 1862 to 1923. She was practically royalty when she deigned to appear in a few silent films. 

The title Meres Francaises means Mothers of France and it was a morale-building wartime film. Sarah Bernhardt was in her 70s but nobly did her best as Madame Jeanne D’Urbex, the matriarch of a French family which suffers more than its fair share of loss and heartache as World War One rages on.  

Sarah as Jeanne loses her husband and a son to the grave, plus members of her extended family endure blindness and the loss of beloved friends. Madame D’Urbex puts aside her own pain and becomes the rock on which the women of her family and the young nurses serving under her can rely. Continue reading →

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January 19, 2026 · 6:44 pm

FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: CHANNING aka THE YOUNG AND THE BOLD (1963-1964)

CHANNING (1963) – Also known as The Young and the Bold this hour-long drama series was a college version of Mr. Novak, against which it went head-to-head. B-Movie titan Jason Evers starred as Professor Joseph Howe, a Korean War veteran now teaching at fictional Channing College. Henry Jones portrayed Fred Baker, his former professor and now Channing Dean.

Two episodes of the anthology series Alcoa Premiere served as pilots for the series. It was called ahead of its time, ran for 26 episodes and addressed Generation Gap issues involving instructors and their students. And the students were played by a Who’s Who of up-and-coming stars of the big and small screen.

PILOT ONE: OF THIS TIME, OF THIS PLACE (March 6th, 1962) – This episode of the Fred Astaire-hosted Alcoa Premiere introduced viewers to Jason Evers as Professor Howe and Henry Jones as Dean Baker. The story, based on a Lionel Trilling short story, depicted Howe standing beside a brilliant but mentally volatile student who rankles the staid academic community at Channing College. Also starred Burt Brinckerhoff, Dabbs Greer and Nancy Hadley as Howe’s wife Mary.  Continue reading →

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January 19, 2026 · 2:40 am

NEWS ROUNDUP: JANUARY NINETEENTH

It’s a Monday current events roundup from Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog. FOR MY USUAL POSTS HONORING REPUBLICAN MARTIN LUTHER KING CLICK HERE. And HERE. And HERE.  

DEMOCRAT HATE MOBS IN MINNEAPOLIS MOVE FROM STOPPING AND THREATENING DRIVERS IF THEY THINK THEY ARE ICE OFFICERS TO STORMING A CHURCH WHERE THEY BELIEVE AN ICE OFFICER IS “HIDING.” More HERE. For the illegal Democrat vehicle stops click HERE. But Democrats continue pretending that enforcement of immigration laws is the problem. This is what Governor Walz has unleashed to try distracting from his state’s multi-billion dollar fraud scandals. And “My Party Right or Wrong” pieces of garbage play along.

AND BY THE WAY, WE ALL KNOW THAT IF OR WHEN THESE RABID DEMOCRAT MOBS KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE, DEMOCRATS WILL NOT CARE. THEIR MEDIA OUTLETS WON’T COVER THE NEWS AND THEY’LL PRETEND THE EVENTS ARE FAKE, LIKE THEY CLAIMED ABOUT ALL THE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF JOE BIDEN’S MENTAL UNFITNESS. And most importantly, they will exploit the human decency of their political opponents, who don’t regularly riot and tear cities apart like Democrats themselves do.

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP BOULEVARD DEDICATED IN FLORIDA. It passed the legislature in 2025 and is now fully set up. That’s Florida State Congresswoman Meg Weinberger along with Trump in the photo. 

MINNEAPOLIS DAYCARE WORKER ARRESTED FOR SUFFOCATING TWO CHILDREN. And I’m sure Democrats want her set free immediately.

MINNESOTA FRAUD INVESTIGATION IS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO ILHAN OMAR’S OBSCENE INCREASE IN WEALTH SINCE GETTING ELECTED. 

INVESTIGATION INTO MINNESOTA FRAUD EXPANDS TO SUSPECT “REHAB CENTER” IN MINNEAPOLIS. Does Walz get kickbacks from THIS type of fraud, too? If his rioting mobs have their way, we’ll never know. 

HARRUMPHING NOBEL PRIZE COMMITTEE EMBARRASSED BECAUSE THEIR OWN RULES ALLOWED MACHADO TO GIVE PRESIDENT TRUMP HER NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. LMAO! 

WISCONSIN DAIRY FARMERS CELEBRATE PRESIDENT TRUMP’S LATEST MOVES AFFECTING THEIR INDUSTRY. 

CALIFORNIA’s DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM VETOED – YES, VETOED – A BILL PASSED BY HIS OWN STATE’S LEGISLATURE TO INVESTIGATE WHERE TWENTY BILLION DOLLARS INTENDED FOR THE HOMELESS DISAPPEARED TO UNDER NEWSOM. Maybe cowardly drama queens who obsess over Trump should expend some energy on this, as well. Continue reading →

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January 18, 2026 · 9:59 pm

THE SHIP OF SILENT MEN (1920) ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION/ HORROR MIX

THE SHIP OF SILENT MEN (1920) – Written by Philip M Fisher. The crew of a ship called the Lanoa set out from Hawaii. A few days later an abnormally powerful electrical storm strikes, leaving the area unusually cold in its wake.

The men on board the Lanoa don’t have much time to ponder that before they begin receiving distress signals from a ship identified as the Karnak. Even though the message indicates that the death of the entire crew seems imminent, the Lanoa receives the message again later, after assuming the Karnak met with disaster. 

The Lanoa investigates and eventually arrives alongside the Karnak, whose crew is shambling around performing their normal duties but in a very sluggish manner. An away team from the Lanoa rows over to see what is going on when the Karnak’s crew refuse to respond to any attempt at communication. Continue reading →

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January 18, 2026 · 4:43 pm

BALLADEER’S BLOG’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL RESULTS: JAN 18th

NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) DIVISION ONE

The NCCAA no longer has football, so I had no posts about them from Aug to Dec.

KNOCKING OFF NUMBER TWO – The 11th ranked INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS visited the number 2 team in the nation – the BETHEL (IN) PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots). The Wildcats put Bethel U. on Upset Alert with their 47-37 Halftime lead, then consummated the Upset 96-86. Caedmon Bontrager led Indiana Wesleyan with 29 points.

CENTURY CLUB – Teams scoring at least 100 points in Regulation: The (5) OHIO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY TRAILBLAZERS edged the visiting UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI AT CLERMONT COUGARS 103-102   ###   Meanwhile, the (4) NELSON UNIVERSITY LIONS defeated the UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & ARTS OF OKLAHOMA DROVERS 106-96   ###   And the (6) MALONE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS won 107-80 over the KENT STATE AT TUSCARAWAS GOLDEN EAGLES.  Continue reading →

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January 17, 2026 · 6:20 pm

FLASHBACK: SNOPES ADMITS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PLACED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILDREN WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKERS

FROM JUNE 20th, 2018 – Even Snopes had to admit that the Obama-Child Traffickers scandal from 2014 was true. I ran this item back in 2018 because back then Democrat hypocrites were as usual throwing fits about illegal immigrants and President Trump’s policies toward them. (Snopes link below.)

Democrat misdeeds were in the news back then just like now and Democrats needed a distraction from them. Just like now.

DEMOCRATS DID NOT CARE ABOUT THIS SCANDAL WHEN OBAMA WAS IN OFFICE. No marches, no demands for action or protests to get answers about the fate of those children. DEMOCRATS ARE NEVER BEING SINCERE WHEN THEY PRETEND TO BE MORALLY OUTRAGED OVER SOMETHING.

Back then when illegal immigrants were marching about “family separations” under Trump I ran reminders and photos from Obama’s term of children carrying signs saying “Obama, don’t separate me from my mommy” as a reminder that the same policies were in effect under Obama as under Trump. But, of course Democrat hypocrites only made a big deal about “family separations” once Trump was in office.

AND AS A REMINDER: BOTH BILL CLINTON AND BARACK OBAMA DEPORTED MORE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAN PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN ABLE TO BECAUSE OF THE IRRATIONAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL INTERFERENCE FROM TRUMP-HATERS.

        SO WHY WERE THERE NO MOBS ATTACKING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS BACK THEN, WHEN MORE DEPORTATIONS WERE GOING ON? WE ALL KNOW WHY. UNHINGED HATERS FEEL SOMETHING IS ONLY WRONG WHEN TRUMP DOES IT.

At any rate, here’s that 2018 item with Snopes confirming that Obama’s people were (supposedly accidentally) turning illegal immigrant children over to human traffickers:

“When even the hacks at Snopes can’t try to finesse words to make it look like Obama is innocent, you know the situation is bad. BARACK OBAMA’S ADMINISTRATION PLACED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILDREN WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKERS. Even Snopes had to admit that is the truth and that the usual Democrat and Republican game of kick-the-can followed AND STILL HASN’T BEEN FOLLOWED UP ON!

“Once again we see that President Donald Trump is a de facto Third Party President and therefore gets attacked by the career criminals from both the Democrats and the Republicans.

“Snopes does go on to beclown themselves in the same piece by pretending that the miniscule amount of media coverage to that scandal (one of many) during the Obama Administration was somehow equal to the frantic and outrightly dishonest media blitz against President Trump regarding his every move.

“I will mention once again that the American Media and our crooked career politicians are so much worse than President Trump that they always make him look like the heroic underdog. People know a rigged pile-on when they see one. Continue reading →

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January 17, 2026 · 12:02 am

CAPTAIN AMERICA: MORE 1940s STORIES

This weekend’s escapist and light-hearted superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog picks up where my original review of his 1940s adventures left off.

CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS Vol 1 #6 (Sep 1941)

Story 1: The Camera Fiend

Synopsis: Captain America and Bucky prevent the theft of Great Britain’s Crown Jewels by a Nazi spy/ British traitor called the Camera Fiend. That villain wielded a camera (duh) that shot poison darts and other projectiles. He also had a gang of thugs, but they all fell to Cap, Bucky and agent Betsy Ross.

Story 2: Fang, Arch-Fiend of the Orient

Synopsis: Imperial Japanese supervillain Warlord Fang, one of Captain America’s best remembered foes from World War Two, is operating an undercover ring of spies in Chinatown. When Chinese officials in exile arrive in America to discuss what their country is suffering under the Japanese invaders, Fang and his men try to assassinate them but Cap, Bucky and Betsy defeat them. 

Story 3: Captain America Meets the Hangman

Synopsis: Captain America and Bucky are assigned to protect Russian American scientist Dr. Vardoff, who has developed a new type of rope that is fireproof, & incredibly strong but flexible. Our heroes prevent organized crime plus an Italian fascist agent named Dino Cardi from stealing the invention. A costumed supervillain called the Hangman steals the rope material, then uses it to hang Vardoff, his lab assistant and others. Cap and Bucky defeat the Hangman and ultimately expose him as Dr. Vardoff himself. Continue reading →

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January 16, 2026 · 5:22 pm

RICARDO MONTALBAN’S SWASHBUCKLER FILMS

Nobody doesn’t like Ricardo Montalban. From Mr. Rourke to his memorable villain roles, his suave charm and magnetic charisma kept him a star for decades. Here’s a look at his swashbuckler movies.

RAGE OF THE BUCCANEERS (1961) – Montalban stars as 1600s buccaneer Captain Gordon aka the Black Pirate (no relation to the Douglas Fairbanks silent film). He’s a former slave turned pirate and his favorite targets for plunder are slave ships.

Gordon liberates all the slaves on such vessels and loots all valuables. His suffering when he was a slave drives him still and he has a “secret identity” of sorts as a wealthy landowner in San Salvador. Through that identity he covertly keeps abreast of ships with valuable cargos as well as the actions of slave merchants trying to avoid his pirate attacks. 

Ricardo has two ladies vying for his love – stowaway Luanal (Liana Orfei) and the governor’s daughter Manuela (Giulia Rubini). Vincent Price himself plays Romero, an evil politician and slave trader plotting to overthrow the governor and take his place. He also wants Manuela for himself. 

Romero’s most dangerous ally is Captain Tortuga (Jose Jaspe), a ruthless slaver who has clashed with Captain Gordon over the years. Montalban shines as the hero viewers can’t help but cheer for, especially when he thwarts the efforts of slavers to dump their chained human “cargo” overboard to drown rather than have our pirate captain liberate them.

This movie should have been remade in recent decades. I know studios consider pirate movies to be risky ventures but this one seems like it couldn’t miss. 88 minutes. Continue reading →

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