HOPE PHYSICAL THERAPY AND AQUATICS

By Howie Katz

 

 

Hope Physical Therapy and Aquatics, 103 Davis Road, League City, Texas

 

Let me start out by saying that no one asked me to endorse Hope and I am not getting paid to do so. I an doing this strictly in appreciation of the great treatment I've been getting there.

I've been going to Hope on and off for several years and each time I have been very impressed by the professional staff and how they have treated me. That is why I am recommending Hope to anyone in need of physical therapy who lives in the Clear Lake area of Houston, in Friendswood, in Webster, in Dickinson and of course in League City, as well as other parts of Galveston County.

 

Here is just some of the equipment at Hope. That's me on the Bike at the left

 

Hope is well equipped with all sorts of exercise equipment and other physical therapy paraphernalia. It also has a pool for aquatic exercises that are designed to treat a patient's problem.

The staff is well trained and very professional. They provide specialized treatment for whatever the problem is that brought a patient to them. In my case, this time it's loss of balance.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's me with Hope owner Chris Emrich and her two dogs

Hope is owned by Christiana Emrich. She makes sure that Hope lives up to its outstanding reputation.

You can get more information by Google-ing up Hope Physical Therapy and and Aquatics.

REPORTER: 'MR PRESIDENT, IS KRISTI NOEM GOING TO STEP DOWN?'

By Howie Katz

 

“No. ... I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure. You know, you forget we had a border that I inherited where millions of people were coming through. Now we have a border where no one is coming through. They come into our country only legally.”

 

That's how President Trump responded to the reporter's question about Kristi Noem stepping down as he was about to leave on Tuesday for a speech in Iowa.

 

It is true that the border is now secure but how much did Noem have to do with that? Even if she's given credit for shutting down the border, that is overshadowed by what her ICE agents have been doing in Minnesota.

 

Yes, for sure, Noem is doing a very good job of helping the Democrats regain control of both the House and the Senate the coming midterm elections. 

 

Immediately after a disarmed Alex Pretti was shot to death by Border Patrol agents, Kristy Noem justified the shooting by falsely claiming that Pretti was "brandishing" a firearm and calling him a "domestic terrorist." 

 

Domestic terrorist? That term more fittingly describes Kristi Noem.

 

 

 

 

 

People all over the country have been demonstrating against Noem's ICE. Even though there have been no controversial ICE operations in Houston, about 100 people packed the city council chamber on Tuesday and shouted at council members to have the city end all cooperation with ICE.

Jeffrey Blehar called for the firing of Noem in Monday's issue of the conservative National Review.  He had some very good advice for Trump. Blehar wrote: "Any hope of Trump’s presidency clawing its way out of the hole it has dug for itself begins with firing Kristi Noem ... Preferably out of a rocket, and into the sun. Damage control is needed, and she is the most visible avatar of damage."

 

Members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, are calling for Noem to resign or to be impeached. 

 

Why does President Trump ignore the calls for Noem to be fired? I believe the only reason Trump continues to back up Noem is because his friend Corey Lewandowski has been shacking up with her. He's the one that asked Trump to appoint her DHS Secretary in the first place. Trump reportedly said it was the only thing Lewandowski ever asked him for.

 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recognizes that Noem has been a wrecking ball that is tearing the Republican Party apart and is damaging respect for law enforcement. He has called on Trump to "recalibrate" how ICE operates.

 

The Democrat Party was all but dead, that is until Kristi Noem helped in a big way to revive it.

SOMETIMES GOOD COPS AND GOOD CIVILIANS DO BAD THINGS ... AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE IN HIGH PLACES MAKE STUPID STATEMENTS

By Howie Katz

 

 

A video shows the officer in the grey jacket emerging from the scrum, holding a firearm that appears to match Pretti’s weapon. 

 

Sometimes good cops do bad things. The shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti are good examples. Good was shot dead by an officer who positioned himself in front of her car as she was trying to get away from being arrested. Pretti was shot multiple times while he was on the ground after he had been disarmed by another officer.

Sometimes good civilians do bad things. People have the right to protest in our country, unlike in Iran where protesters are killed by the authorities. But protesters do not have the right to interfere with a law enforcement operation which is what Renee Good was doing and Alex Pretti may have been doing before they were shot.

But two wrongs do not make a right.

The officer who shot Good was doing a very stupid thing by positioning himself in front of her car during a conflict when she was trying to keep from being arrested. And he should have known that by shooting her it would not stop the car from coming at him. Good was not a dangerous criminal whose escape would have jeopardized the safety of the public. She should not have been shot.

Pretti was shot multiple times while he was on the ground underneath three or four officers after he had been disarmed by another officer. You can argue about why the gun-carry licensed Pretti was packing heat at a protest, but absent of any evidence that he was trying to shoot the officers, he should not have been shot.

Sometimes people in high places make stupid statements. President Trump's mouth is a goldmine of stupid statements.

The gunsmoke in the shooting of Renee Good had barely cleared the air when Department of Homeland Security Kristy Noem called her a "Domestic Terrorist" and said the officer who shot her was " following training." A domestic terrorist? How absurd!  Following training? Surely officers are not trained to position themselves in front of a car during a conflict with the driver.

Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti wanted to do "maximum damage and massacre law enforcement." His stupid statement is absolutely beyond the pale.

FBI Director Kash Patel blamed Pretti by saying, "You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple. You don't have a right to break the law." Patel clearly flunked Law 101. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution, Minnesota state laws or  Minneapolis city ordinances is it said that a person licensed to carry a gun is prohibited from binging it to a protest.

 

Stupid statements made by Fbi Director Kash Patel, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino about the Pretti shooting bring into question whether they are fit to serve in their offices. 

 

Talk about really stupid statements, both Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller and Vice President JD Vance called Pretti an "assassin." 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made one of the few sane statements about the Pretti shooting. Abbot said: "In general, we need to have respect for law enforcement officers in the country. The White House needs to recalibrate on what needs to be done to make sure that respect is going to be re-instilled."

The unjustified shootings of Good and Pretti have damaged the reputation of all law enforcement through out the country. And the stupid statements by Noem, Bovino and Patel bring into question whether they are fit to serve in their offices. 

THE FEDERAL OPERATIONS IN MINNEAPOLIS ARE NOT WORTH IT

By Howie Katz

 

The ICE operations in Minneapolis resulted in mass protests well before anyone got shot. But with the questionable shootings of Renee Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti, the city has become a battleground between its citizens and ICE.

I have expressed the opinion that the shooting of Good was not justified and a gun rights advocate also believes that the shooting of Pretti was unwarranted.

After viewing the videos, it looks like the Border Patrol agents got pissed off and threw Pretti to the ground because he had been filming them and was also trying to help a woman on the ground. And then the situation went from bad to worse with Pretti getting shot multiple times.

 

With all the turmoil, it seems to me that the federal operations in Minneapolis are not worth it. While a number of illegal immigrants have been arrested, two U.S. citizens have also been killed. The ICE  tactics and the deaths of Good and Pretti have given all of law enforcement an undeserved bad name, not just in Minnesota but all over the country

It would be wise for Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to announce that ICE has achieved its objective of arresting illegal immigrants and would now withdraw most of its agents from Minnesota.

Of course, Trump and Noem are not about to do anything that has the appearance of a surrender. Instead, Trump may send in federal troops to put down what he calls an insurrection. And that will only make matters worse.

Someone should tell Trump and Noem that Minnesota is not an ayatollah led Iran. 

ILHAN OMAR KNOWS WHAT EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER SHOULD KNOW

By Howie Katz

 

 

Ilhan Omar initially claimed that no officer was in front of Renee Good's car, but now she admits that ICE agent Jon Ross was in front of a 'moving car' when he fired at Good.

 

As BGB readers know, I have no use for Ilhan Omar and have said they should ship her sorry Somali ass back to Mogadishu. But in commenting on the Renee Good shooting she said something that rings true.

Omar initially shot her mouth off, and like Vice President JD Vance, she did so without knowing what actually took place. However, she has now admitted that Jon Ross was in front of a "moving car" when he fired at Good. But she also said:

"If they are saying that he has ten years of service and is trained, he should know that you shouldn't be trying to get in front of a moving car."                                

I hate to say it, but Ilhan Omar knows what every law enforcement officer should know. 

Too often officers position themselves in front of a car when confronting the driver. And then they open fire when he/she tries to get away. Only God knows why they continue to do such a stupid thing.

Rarely ever does a driver drive at a police officer with the intent to run him down. In almost every instance where officers made such a claim, the driver was only trying to get away. While such a driver is clearly in the wrong, he/she should not be shot unless by getting away the public's safety is at risk.

THE ONLY THING GOOD ABOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS MOM SHOOTING IS THAT RENEE GOOD WAS WHITE AND NOT BLACK

By Howie Katz

 

 

Renee Good shooting off her mouth at ICE agents just before the shooting 

 

Let me start off by saying that I'm not defending what Renee Good did. Nor am I accusing ICE agent Jon Ross of murder like many people in Minneapolis and other places are doing. And I sure as hell don't want cast any aspersions on our brave police officers who put their lives on the line every day while protecting America's citizens. But the shooting of Renee Good smells and the stench is giving rise to questions about good and bad shootings by police officers.

Sometimes good cops do stupid things. I'm reminded of the cop who parked his patrol car across the railroad tracks and got out to wave his arms in an effort to stop a speeding train. Fortunately, he was able to jump out of the way just in time, but the patrol car ended up as a pile of junk nearly a mile down the tracks.

Another stupid thing cops do - and they do this far too often -  is to position themselves in front of a car occupied by a driver who has committed or is committing some sort of offense. I always taught officers to never ever stand in front of a car under such circumstances.

Quite often you hear about officers shooting a driver for deliberately trying to run them down. But the truth is that the driver was just trying to get away and had no intention of trying to run anyone down. Is a shooting in such a case justified? Legally yes, but morally maybe not. The question is, was the shooting really necessary? A car is not going to stop the instant its driver is shot dead, as was the case with Renee Good, whose car kept driving for about a block until it smashed into some parked cars.

 

 

Vice President JD Vance  justifies the shooting of Renee Good during a news briefing at the White House on Jan. 8, 2026

 

Responding to criticism of the Renee Good shooting, Vice President JD Vance attacked the "corporate media" for its coverage of the shooting, saying that it was an "absolute disgrace." Vance said the ICE officer was clearly justified in shooting Good because he was clearly acting in self-defense. He maintained that her death was "of her own making." If anything was an absolute disgrace, it was the remarks Vance made without knowing what actually took place.

Apparently the FBI does not agree with Vance because on Friday one of its special response teams raided the home of Jon Ross. They were seen leaving with five large plastic crates, a computer tower and a stack of picture frames. They would not have done that had the shooting been clearly justified.  

 

 

FBI agents are pictured hauling items from the home of Jon Ross

 

Furthermore, Kristi Noem demonstrated that she is not fit to be Secretary of Homeland Security.  She made the absurd charge that Renee Good committed an "act of domestic terrorism" by what she did. Noem also said Jon Ross "followed his training" when he shot Good. Followed his training? God help the ICE agents if they are trained to position themselves in front of a car when confronting its driver. 

It is true that Good's death was of her own making, but that does not necessarily justify the shooting.  

While it may be legally justified, this was a bad shooting because it was not really necessary. The officer should not have been in a position where he could be run over. And shooting the driver would not have stopped the car immediately. 

Renee Good was a disgusting anti-ICE protester who was trying to obstruct an ICE operation, but she was not a dangerous criminal whose escape would have jeopardized the safety of the public. Ross, on the other hand, was a true American hero, having served this country in Iraq. It's a shame that his mistake has caused people to accuse him of murder. And despite Vance's defense, Ross may end up facing criminal charges.

The only thing good about this shooting is that Renee Good was white and not black. Had she been black, there would have been mass protests and destruction of property throughout the country. Former Houston police chief Art Acevedo would have knelt with and hugged the protesters. Race-baiter Al Sharpton would have conducted Good's funeral. And law enforcement would have suffered another serious blow to its reputation.

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS TREATING US LIKE WE ARE ALL AWFULLY STUPID

By Howie Katz

 

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces before pushing past law enforcement and barriers to enter the Capitol.

 

On this date in 2021, a mob of several thousand Trump-supporting rioters stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn Joe Biden's election as president.  The rioters injured 174 police officers and caused nearly $3 million in damages.

Today the White House website featured an image of Nancy Pelosi and nine other Democrats thatTrump blames for the January 6 insurrection. 

 

 

 

Here's how the first two paragraphs of the website read:

 

President Trump took decisive action to pardon January 6 defendants who were unfairly targeted, overcharged, and used as political examples. They were not protected by the leaders who failed them. They were punished to cover incompetence.

On his first day back in office, January 20, 2025, President Trump issued sweeping blanket pardons and commutations for nearly 1,600 patriotic Americans prosecuted for their presence at the Capitol—many mere trespassers or peaceful protesters treated as insurrectionists by a weaponized Biden DOJ. He fully pardoned most, commuted sentences, and ordered immediate release of those still imprisoned, ending years of harsh solitary confinement, denied due process, and family separation for exercising their First Amendment rights.

 

"Patriotic protesters" injured 174 cops and caused nearly $3 million in damages? "Peaceful protesters" injured 174 cops and caused nearly $3 million in damages? Injuring 174 police officers and causing nearly $3 million in damages is exercising their First Amendment rights? That's treating us like we are all awfully stupid.

The website goes on to state: "In truth, it was the Democrats who staged the real insurrection by certifying a fraud-ridden election, ignoring widespread irregularities ..." In truth? Another example of treating us like we are all awfully stupid.  62 courts throughout the country heard charges that Biden's election was fraudulent and each of those courts ruled that those charges were baseless. 

Issuing sweeping blanket pardons and commutations for nearly 1,600 Trump-supporting hoodlums and thugs who took part in attacking and injuring 174 police officers is a downright dirty shame, and trying to justify them is just one more example of treating us like we are all awfully stupid.

And so is the farce that the insurrection was all the fault of Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats. 

Anyone who believes that crap in today's White House website must truly be awfully stupid.

It all goes to show that Trump does not have a shred of decency.