Judge Rules Fani Willis Will Have to Comply with Georgia Senate Subpoena Demand for Testimony and Documents


Posted originally on the CTH on December 27, 2024 | Sundance

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram has ruled that Atlanta District Attorney Fani Willis, will have to comply with a state senate inquiry into her conduct over the prosecution of Donald Trump.

It will be interesting to see if the Georgia Senate can extract details of contacts between Fani Willis and people in Washington DC (Mary McCord). It is almost a guarantee at this point, that somewhere in the early planning stages of the Georgia Lawfare operation, Mary McCord had contact with Willis or her office.

(Via LA Times) – A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County Dist. Atty. Fani Willis as part of a inquiry into whether she has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump but is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers’ demands are overly broad.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram filed the order Monday, telling Willis she has until Jan. 13 to submit arguments over whether the subpoenas seek legally shielded or confidential information. Ingram wrote that she would issue a final order later saying what Willis had to respond to.

A state appeals court earlier this month removed Willis from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others, citing an “appearance of impropriety” that might not typically warrant such a removal. The Georgia Court of Appeals panel said in a 2-1 ruling that because of the romantic relationship Willis had with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, “this is the rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings.” (read more)

Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and the Silicon Valley Tech Millionaire Group Continue Lambasting Americans While Advocating for Expanded Foreign Worker Visas


Posted originally on the CTH on December 26, 2024 | Sundance

Six months ago, I was asked my opinion of the Silicon Valley alignment with MAGA. I said at the time I thought it would last around 18 months and finally climax with a large fracture in the political movement around 2026. I had no idea at the time, the group of technocrats would begin publicly advocating for replacing American workers before Trump took office.

For the past several days I have watched Vivek Ramaswamy, David Sacks, Elon Musk and his big tech influencers debating with their followers about the importance for them to continue expanding H-1b visas for foreign tech workers. It is stunning to see this crew double, triple and quadruple down on advocacy, while defining American workers as inadequate for their Silicon Valley needs.

Alas, it is what it is. Within the argument Musk, Ramaswamy, Sacks and group have presented multiple justifications for their foreign worker assistance programs, while advocating for expanded immigration support therein.

Within the tone of their argument, they essentially say the American worker is (1) not intellectual enough; (2) doesn’t have the right work ethic; and the latest point of justification is that (3) American culture is to blame for their need to import foreign workers.

As Vivek Ramaswamy recently said, “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer). That doesn’t start in college, it starts YOUNG.”  Thus, as the narrative is sold, American workers need to be replaced with more culturally appropriate Indian tech workers.

When the Indian-American starts saying Indian culture is more adequate at creating workers for the American tech industry, he loses me completely.

If the Indian culture is the holy grail breeding ground for software engineers, then why isn’t New Delhi replacing Silicon Valley?

Considering that factually the Indian culture is entirely based on a caste system, the argument is even more absurd.

What we need are training and recruitment centers for American students.  However, the larger issue within the billionaire tech team advocacy is an issue of self-interest.

What we see in the justifications and arguments of the Ramaswamy, Musk and Sacks group is a very specific point of immigration policy for their subset within a singular sector of the American economy.  Perhaps this would not be such a big issue, if these points of advocacy were coming from outside government interest groups.  However, with this tech team going into the administration, the influence becomes something a little bigger.

The part the Tech Group do not understand is the core of the American DNA, “Liberty“…

It is only from the position of liberty, intellectualism actualized in freedom form, that the working culture of America, the ingenuity part, can be understood.

If you attempt to quantify Americanism with math and algorithms, the translated outcome always fails.

Dear Vivek Ramaswamy, my counter take…

Several years ago, Florida Power and Light won the prestigious international Edward Demming Award for excellence in multi-platform engineering, efficiency superiority and total quality in the process of energy management.

However, the scruffy rednecks did not blow every PhD intellectual out of the water with slide rules, CAD programs, articulated and quantified quality improvement processes and engineering acumen. They did it with hard hats and dirty fingernails.

Because they lost the award, the jaw-agape Japanese spent 6 months visiting and reviewing FPL and later published a 1,000-page study essentially saying FPL “wasn’t really good, they were just lucky.”

You see, the reviewers couldn’t actually quantify the reason why the Florida-based energy company was so successful. In response the FPL field leadership laughed, took out magic markers and wrote on the back of their hard hats: “WE’RE NOT GOOD, WE’RE RUCKY.”

A few years later, every single Kuwaiti oil field was blown up by Saddam Hussein. Global analysts and think-tanks proclaimed it would take 5 years to cap them all off and restart the Kuwait oil pumping industry. Well, the Kuwaiti’s and Saudi’s called Texans, who had them all capped and back in working order in 6 months.

We are a nation that knows how to get shit done.

A few more years pass, and the Northern Chile mine workers were trapped two miles underground. The eyes of the world began to tear as the word spread. Most began to whisper no one could save them. Who did they call for help? A bunch of hick miners from USA coal country who went down there, worked on the fly, engineered the rescue equipment on site, and saved every one of them.

Yup, that’s our America. Ingenuity born from freedom.

Across the pond a half-breed Islamic whack job, armed with an AK-47 and a goal to meet his virgins, began opening fire on a train in France. The scruffneck Americans on board didn’t run to the nearest safe room and hide themselves amid baguettes and brie. They said, “let’s go”, and beat the stuffing out of that little nut with a death wish.

Legion d’Honneur or not, that’s us. WE ARE AMERICANS! That’s just how we roll.

In fact, Lady Liberty can stroll along the Champs-Elysées with a swagger befitting Mae West because without her arrival, they’d be speaking German in the Louvre. Yet, for the better part of the past decade, a group of intellectual leftists have been teaching our children that it’s better to be sitting around a campfire eating sustainable algae cakes and picking parasites off each other; because ‘save the planet’, or something similarly minded. It would appear, they hate the outcomes and inequities from freedom.

Warmest regards,

Americans First!

Donald Trump Jr Outlines Background of How He Extensively Negotiated with RFK Jr to Join Trump Team


Posted originally on the CTH on December 26, 2024 | Sundance 

Previously, Donald Trump Jr discussed how he organized and coached his father Donald Trump to enlist JD Vance as the Vice-President nominee on the 2024 ticket.  However, it appears Donald Trump Jr did much more than just recruit and select JD Vance to be his fathers’ running mate.

In a podcast interview with Sean Kelly, Donald Trump Jr outlines how he personally “worked on it for several months” eventually making contact with Robert F Kennedy Jr, then negotiating and organizing the Kennedy group to join with candidate Donald Trump in 2024.

According to President Trump’s eldest son, it was he who organized everything surrounding RFK Jr and Tulsi Gabbard joining the Trump team.  As Don Jr noted, he anticipated RFK Jr doing better than anyone “I could put at HHS.” Quite a remarkable accomplishment.  WATCH (prompted):

CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro
00:26 – AmericaFest
02:48 – Pentagon Audit
05:18 – Syria Conflict
10:25 – Donald Trump Jr. on Elon Musk
15:05 – Donald Trump Jr. on Joe Biden
18:16 – Lack of Transparency
21:08 – Conspiracy Theories
23:59 – Election Integrity Issues
27:38 – Campaign Finance Reform
31:33 – Trump Jr. Negotiates Bobby Kennedy Jr. Endorsement

35:00 – Absurdity of Paid Celebrity Endorsements
43:17 – Don Jr. Endorses JD Vance
44:00 – Don Jr. Endorses Josh Mandel
47:57 – Tom Homan Insights
49:05 – Illegal Immigration Challenges
50:28 – Executive Orders Explained
52:29 – No Accountability in Government
54:15 – Where to Find Donald Trump Jr.

President Trump Reports Border Wall Auction Has Been Stopped


Posted originally on the CTH on December 25, 2024 | Sundance 

In a post on his Truth Social page, President Trump shared some information from Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick who is reporting that the border wall panels have been pulled from auction.

[Source]

Last Thursday, President-elect Trump submitted an amicus brief supporting an injunction to prevent the Biden administration from proceeding with the sale of the materials, as well as calling for an investigation into the legality of the auction. Earlier that week, President Trump remarked that the sale was “almost a criminal act” given that it was happening shortly before he was set to return to the White House.

It appears the 8,000 panels will be available for use immediately after President Trump takes office on January 20, 2025.

Unfortunately, The Trump Cabinet Will Likely Expand the Surveillance State


Posted originally on the CTH on December 25, 2024 | Sundance

The surveillance state is an outcropping of the Fourth Branch of Government, which is, essentially, the unelected intelligence community in control of our government.

The surveillance state comes from the creation of the Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) which is an entirely inward-looking agency. Prior to the Patriot Act, the surveillance sweep searching for terror threats focused outward, looking outside the U.S borders. The Patriot Act took the surveillance sweep a full 360 degrees and looked inside the Homeland for terror threats. Hence, DHS was created.

The office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) was also created by the Patriot Act, and was specifically created as the pivot point to combine the surveillance sweeps. The Pentagon and CIA intel agencies sweeping outside the U.S. and the DHS sweeping inside the U.S.

It was the creation of The Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) that destroyed what remained of privacy protections within the constitution (4th amendment). Americans are no longer secure in their ‘papers and effects’, nor protected by the ‘probable cause’ need for warrants. The erosion of the 4th amendment was absolutely connected to the creation of DHS; there is zero doubt about this cause and effect.

With the ODNI and DHS created, the sub-silos of the surveillance state then began. The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) is one agency within the Dept of Homeland Security that was an outcome. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also gained massive tools within this new system.

The key point behind all of this context is what I refer to as the ‘Surveillance State.’ American citizens have lost all privacy protections within this new system of surveillance, that has extended far beyond even what most people fathom.

When you understand the root origin of the Surveillance State, then the discussion turns to what we have accepted within its creation, and what is the current status of American Liberty as an outcome of it.

The fact that this system was weaponized by Barack Obama and Joe Biden to target their political opposition is only one aspect of this dynamic. Yes, it is a big issue, and yes what they did was horrific, corrupt and in my opinion unlawful. However, their ability to weaponize this system only existed because the domestic surveillance state was created and authorized by the legislative branch of government.

Now we are left arguing about who controls a system that should never have been authorized.

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♦ We have outlined exhaustively how Obama and Biden weaponized this surveillance system. Now, we shift to discuss the system itself against the backdrop of President Trump and our new technology MAGA allies.

All of President Trump’s cabinet and key appointments carry the same outlook toward the surveillance state. They fundamentally believe the system is needed, the DHS system holds national security value, and the capacity within the DHS system is only a problem when corrupt political operatives are in charge of it. If good, virtuous and moral people are in charge, the DHS surveillance system is okay.

I have talked to many of them, key people including Devin Nunes for perspective, and I can say directly that President Trump’s team believe the system is good and necessary, it was just controlled by bad actors.

To be clear and fair to readers, I disagree with the Trump administrations’ foundational perspective of the Surveillance State. I do not believe the system holds greater benefit than it does cost. However, that is not the primary reasoning for my opposing viewpoints.

There are two larger issues within this surveillance state. The first, is the potential weaponization of it; this is a simple matter of accepting the historic reality of it. The second issue is an issue that will surface quickly in the next few years, just as rapidly as the advances in technology that support it.

• President Trump is going to unwittingly create a ‘caste system’ within the surveillance state. He will not do so with willful, corrupt or malicious intent, rather it is an inherent problem built into any surveillance network.

There are going to be tiers of people who are not subjected to the rules of the Surveillance State. There are going to be tiers of people, powerful, influential, some intensely rich people, to whom the application of the surveillance does not exist.

I have already seen this ‘tiered’ system starting to come into place. I have witnessed firsthand the outcomes of the software being deployed within the design of their building.  I have witnessed real identities masked by the system as an outcome of their status. Facial recognition programs that black out search results based on arbitrary definitions and determinations of those who control the surveillance application.

Inside the surveillance system, supported by the policy team behind President Trump, there will be classes of people. Just as we defined “essential workers” within the COVID-19 pandemic. This essential group will be classed based on their administrative value to the government operators who control the mechanics of outcomes; perhaps “essential administrators.” This is a natural outcome of the mindset behind “continuity of government,” the baseline for the Patriot Act creation.

The system to classify Americans by personage is currently being developed inside the silos of the Intelligence Community, the Dept of Homeland Security and combined with the technological creations of those who are contracted to build it – like Palantir (Peter Thiel).

Within this matrix of categorized Americans there will be those who are not subjected to the surveillance, their constitutional rights will be protected, and they will be afforded all benefit of personage.  However, there will be lower classes who are continual targets for it who do not have such protection. There is no way to avoid this caste system outcome; in fact, many components of it are already in place.

[PERSONAL NOTE: Even when given the opportunity to join or align with the elite group, I decline. I am an American, of no greater or lesser value than any other American. Unfortunately, my internal compass viewpoint is not carried by those who are currently building or will operate the system. I do not fault them, for it is perhaps an expected weakness within human nature to align with those of greater benefit when the benefit can transfer to a lifestyle of greater abundance. I do however let them know they are defining their own moral compass heading.  It was with this perspective I previously presented this image. I embrace my choice.]

President Trump’s unwitting authorization of the caste system within the Surveillance State will be the issue of debate in a few short years.  I do not hold positive perspective on the outcome of litigation because the judicial branch has already conceded their view of liberty to those in the executive branch who hide behind the shield of “national security.”

♦ This brings me to the technology group who are creating the system unwittingly supported by President Trump. Peter Thiel (Oracle), Elon Musk (xAI, SpaceX), Larry Ellison (Oracle), David Sacks and a host of mutually aligned artificial intelligence builders stand to benefit financially from a technologically efficient Surveillance State. Their companies and their AI software products are the targeting tools within the DHS surveillance system itself.

The tools created by Palantir et al, are multifunctional. They can be used by the Pentagon and CIA for military application, and they can be used by DNI, DHS, FBI and TSA for domestic application. Just as the Patriot Act redefined “terror threats” to begin sweeping 360 degrees, so too are the tools of the surveillance state designed for both foreign and domestic application.

There is no way to avoid being the target of a weapon once that weapon is created. However, unlike the mutually assured destruction within the nuclear analogy, there will be no threat of mutual application within the surveillance bomb.

There are going to be castes of people not subjected to the outcome of detonation; therein lies my biggest point against it.

Some are starting to awaken to this issue. I have recently seen commentator Laura Loomer begin questioning the motives of Thiel, Musk, Ellison, Ramaswamy, Sacks and crew. However, no one has yet noted the strategic insurance policy, JD Vance.

Lastly, I do not fault President Trump for this predictable outcome. Few people can fathom the scale and consequence of the big picture items that lay on the desk of President Trump.

What the technocratic team are doing in the supporting offices of the White House cannot be micromanaged by the same person who is trying to confront globalism, stop illicit trade schemes, provide national security, stop geopolitical unrest, unravel foreign wars and simultaneously prioritize the domestic dangers presented by the collapsed and borderless sovereign nation state of America.

Do you really believe President-elect Donald Trump is aware the person he announced as chief-of-staff for Pam Bondi is/was the same person used by Rod Rosenstein to construct the Robert Mueller targeting operation? Am I to believe that Chad Mizelle just had a lapse in momentary judgement, and Donald Trump knows the background of Mizelle at that critical moment in 2017.  Just stop; we accept in brutally honest fashion, there are going to be a few aspects of non-winning amid the DC confrontation.  President Trump cannot ‘know everything’ and simultaneously confront everything as a priority; at a certain point, even he has to trust their intents.

What I am warning about now, is something entirely predictable that is looming in the near future; like, within 18 months.

At a certain point, the financial interests of the technocratic team who helped win the 2024 election will no longer be in alignment with MAGA Americans.  At that point, I have no doubt President Trump will align with our side in the just cause of liberty.

When the sh*t hits the fan and all of these connected interests’ surface, I am optimistic President Trump will support our position; I do not question that at all.  However, we must accept the consequence of that non-alignment is going to make those same technocratic MAGA billionaires shift from united allies to lukewarm defenders.

Peaceniks don’t build bombs; and those who genuinely believe in liberty do not build nor support domestic surveillance networks that can be weaponized depending on who is in power.

[Support CTH Here]

Mark Steyn Outlines the Problem of the DC Corrupt Courts


Posted originally on the CTH on December 24, 2024 

In a just and righteous world, otherwise known as the sunny side of my best-life dream state, political satirist, author and eloquent assembler of word thoughts, Mark Steyn, would be filling the radio airwaves in the timeslot of Rush Limbaugh, while taking a break from broadcasting only to be the sarcastic Press Secretary for President Trump’s second term. Alas, such dreams are just that, dreams.

In this segment from a speech delivered on September 18, 2024, during a Hillsdale College Constitution Day Celebration, Mark Steyn outlines the state of the anti-Trump DC court system while contrast against his own lawsuit in the venue.

This is the Lawfare system that President Trump is scheduled to face, yet again, beginning in approximately 28 days.  Steyn’s description of the DC superior court deserves a special place in the annals of political history.  WATCH: 

The full speech is also available below.

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Eastern Region of Moldova Declares a State of Emergency as Ukraine Refuses to Continue Transit Agreement for Russian Gas


Posted originally on the CTH on December 24, 2024 | Sundance

In the nation of Moldova, the left bank of the Dniester (Nistru) River is home to 360,000 citizens in the Russia-controlled region of Transnistria. To the right side of the dividing line made by the Dniester is the western/EU allied side of Moldova.

The Russian energy company, Gazprom, provides gas to Transnistria through Ukraine. The gas is subsidized by Russia, so the Russian-allied citizens of Transnistria do not pay market prices; in fact, the gas is provided free. However, the gas into Transnistria is also used to power the Moldavskaya GRES power plant, which generates electricity for both banks of the Dniester. In essence, the “free” Russian gas is provided to both the pro-Russia and anti-Russia elements in the region.

The contract for the transit of Russian gas into Transnistria through Ukraine’s territory expires on January 1, 2025. Despite the war between Russia and Ukraine, gas transit and the contract signed in 2019 have continued. However, Ukraine under Zelenskyy has repeatedly said they do not plan to extend the gas transit agreement with Gazprom. This is a way for Zelenskyy, technically NATO, to create anxiety and crisis in the region.

The western aligned government of Moldova have been demanding that Russia withdraw all military and influence from the Transnistria region, meanwhile the Transnistria local governing officials are requesting Moscow to keep the flow of Russian gas ongoing. Observers have noted, “It looks stupid to ask for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria and meanwhile request Russia to continue to give free gas to the region.”

The citizens of Transnistria are pawns in the political schemes. Zelenskyy (Ukraine) is refusing to allow gas to heat their homes to come after the transit agreement ends. Ukraine, together with NATO, want Russians out of Transnistria. The looming energy crisis has created a state of emergency that the west, together with the Moldavian government intends to exploit.

It is not accidental that the EU/NATO/US State Dept/CIA are using the flashpoints of Georgia and Moldova to create conflict against Russia (check the map).

EUROPE – Moldova enacted a state of emergency, as the country gears up for an energy crisis at the start of 2025 following the end of Ukraine’s obligations to transport Russian gas through its territory.

Moldova, and especially the country’s breakaway region of Transnistria, will be hit the hardest following the end of the decades-long agreement.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that the country has enough gas, bought on the international market, to keep the right bank of the Dniester (Nistru) River warm throughout the winter ahead.

But, he added, some360,000 citizens on the left bank of the river, in the Russia-controlled region of Transnistria, “are still dependent on one source of import — Gazprom.”

The leader of the Russian-controlled Transnistria declared a state of economic emergency on Dec. 6. Heaters, as well as basic goods like rice, grains, matches, salt and so on, have disappeared from shops, hoarded by the local population in anticipation of the crisis ahead.

Following decades of relying on free Russian gas, the Moscow-controlled region will now need to pay market prices, lowered by energy bill relief schemes provided by the Moldovan government. (read more)

It’s almost a guarantee at this point the CIA and U.S. State Dept. have ongoing strategic operations in control of Moldova. Energy market prices will be a lot higher than what eastern Moldovans pay now. There is going to be unrest and political friction created by this crisis as the west says, “apparently, independence has a several costs.”

White House FEBRUARY, 2023 – President Joseph R. Biden Jr. met today with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Warsaw. President Biden reaffirmed strong U.S. support for Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He highlighted ongoing US assistance to help Moldova strengthen its political and economic resilience, including its democratic reform agenda and energy security, and to address the effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine. (link)

Moldovan President Maia Sandu

For more than two years we have been saying to keep an eye on Moldova in the background.  On November 2, 2024, Moldova held their national election, and while the actual number of people living in Moldova voted for the anti-war position, once the overseas ballots were added the results changed.  The nationalists became the minority and the pro-war/pro-EU globalists declared victory.

This may seem like a relatively ‘over there’ and small issue.  However, the people who control Joe Biden, the U.S. State Dept and the CIA have been positioning themselves in/around Moldova for several years now.

Now that Georgia has voted to reject the EU and anti-Russia efforts, watch out for Moldova to become the spark that leads to escalated conflict with Russia.

Moldova has a significant population of pro-Russia citizens in the east, which makes the internal domestic dynamic a little strenuous to manage. It is very similar to Ukraine in that regard. It is much smaller than Ukraine, but similar inside the national political dynamic.  Additionally, the geopolitical dynamic that is unfolding with the use of Moldova is identical to how the U.S/NATO exploited Ukraine.

It was the Moldovan ex-pat community, living outside Moldova, that overwhelmingly decided the fate of this small nation that borders Ukraine.

The people living in Moldova are majority aligned with Russia.  However, the people voting in the election from outside Moldova changed the dynamic of the election.  This reality creates a major source of angst for Russia and Vladimir Putin.  This dynamic also creates the point on the stick the EU/USA and CIA will use to poke the bear.

Watch closely.

When the U.S. activates NGOs in European countries (Moldova, Hungary, Georgia) the media call it “spreading democracy.” However, when the people who live in the country organically rise up in the opposite direction against the government outcomes from the NGO pressure, the media call it “Russian interference.”

Tucker Carlson Interviews Teamster President Sean O’Brien Who Outlines Trump Position on RNC Convention Speech: “I don’t give a f**k what you say”


Posted originally on the CTH on December 24, 2024 | Sundance

Apparently, the professional handlers at the RNC Convention wanted to control what Teamsters Union President Sean O’Brien said at the convention.  O’Brien called President Trump about it, and Trump told him to say whatever he wanted to say, “I don’t give a f**k what you say.”

Tucker Carlson interviews O’Brien about the decision to follow the requests of his union members in supporting President Trump. WATCH:

Chapters:
0:00 Kamala Harris and the Left Hate the Working Class
10:42 What Is the Teamsters Union?
24:57 Why the Left Ruins America’s Major Cities
33:40 The Democrat Party’s Abuse of Joe Biden


42:55 Why Establishment Republicans Are So Disconnected From Voters
48:12 How the Banks Are Killing the Working Class With Debt
53:56 Will AI Put You Out of Work?
58:19 Donald Trump’s AI Czar David Sachs
1:02:11 Was Jimmy Hoffa Murdered?
1:03:48 O’Brien’s War on Jeff Bezos

President Trump Does Some Last-Minute Christmas Shopping


Posted originally on the CTH on December 23, 2024 | Sundance 

Eric Trump took some time to share a picture of his dad doing some last-minute Christmas shopping:

Gifts for the American people…. lol

[Source]

MAGA Funny!  We are so back!

Large Portion of Santa Cruz Warf Collapses as Massive Ocean Swells Batter Area


Posted originally on the CTH on December 23, 2024 | Sundance 

Remarkable video shows three people surviving after a 15o foot portion of the Santa Cruz Pier collapses.  Two engineers and a project manager from a construction team fell into the ocean with the pier and were rescued as the portion that collapsed floated away.

Remarkable video captures the aftermath, and the lifeguards responding as even a skid loader was floating atop the debris.

CALIFORNIA – A portion of the Santa Cruz Wharf has collapsed and is floating away Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Three people went into the water when the pier section collapsed, according to the Santa Cruz Police Department. Two of them were rescued by lifeguards, and a third person was able to get to safety on their own. All three were treated and released, according to Santa Cruz Fire Department officials.

The incident occurred around 12:45 p.m., officials said. About 150 feet of pier section at the end of the Northern California wharf collapsed.

The end of the pier that broke off had been shut down for repairs caused by prior storms. The portion, which included public restrooms and the closed Dolphin restaurant, floated about half a mile down the coast and wedged itself at the bottom of the San Lorenzo River.

The collapse comes amid a major swell that is expected to bring wave heights up to 26 feet high to parts of the California coast. The swell is expected to last through Tuesday.

“You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water,” the NWS said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the governor has been briefed on the pier collapse. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local agencies and officials. (read more)

Yikes!  In the shocking video (screengrab below) you can see two of the workers floating away on top of the debris, shortly before lifeguard arrived to pull them to safety.