The Big Ugly: Stephen Miller Uses His War on Home Depot to Invade California
Yesterday, Trump used the opportunity of a protest against brutal ICE action staged out of Paramount, CA (close to a Home Depot location) to federalize 2,000 California National Guard for force protection — a step towards, but still short of, invoking the Insurrection Act (see Steve Vladeck for a description of what Trump, legally, did; update: and an even more detailed description from Lawfare). Pete Hegseth has also floated sending the Marines to an American city, a suggestion Gavin Newsom called, “deranged.”
It’s all a transparent confrontation used to invade a blue city.
All this comes comes as the hours longshormen at LA ports work have dropped in half due to Trump’s trade war, and some of the workplaces ICE targeted were in the garment district, where actual manufacturing still occurs. In addition, Trump has promised to start cutting Federal grants to California, which led Gavin Newsom to point out that CA is a net donor to Federal taxes.
This was a natural escalation stemming directly from Stephen Miller’s shrill tantrums demanding that ICE focus more on law-abiding undocumented people rather than the criminal aliens he lied about during the election. The escalation comes in the wake of Elon Musk’s meltdown, which might otherwise make passage of Trump’s reconciliation bill funding a massive expansion of Miller’s gulag. It comes as a few libertarians — Tom Massie called for “Realistic border funding” and “No bloat for military industrial complex” in his pitch for a new “skinny” bill — focus on the huge funding for the gulag.
This inital use of federal troops in a blue city should be understood as an effort to build pressure to help pass the bill. It should also be used as an example of the danger of passing the bill — the kind of authoritarianism that Miller intends to wield if the bill does pass.
As Washington Examiner was the first to report (a testament to the kind of people who were pissed about this tantrum), two weeks ago Miller called senior ICE officials to a meeting in DC to berate them that they’re not meeting his impossible quotas for arrests, 3,000 people a day. During the meltdown he had at the meeting, Miller specifically ordered ICE to start staging arrests at Home Depot and 7-Eleven. Miller specifically berated ICE officials because they were focusing on the criminal aliens around which Miller built Trump’s re-election campaign.
ICE’s top 50 field officials were given roughly a week’s notice of an emergency meeting in Washington.
ICE’s 25 Enforcement Removal Operations, or ERO, field office directors and 25 Homeland Security Investigations, or HSI, special agents in charge flew into Washington and descended on the agency’s Washington headquarters last Tuesday, May 20. There, they were met by Miller, ICE confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
“Miller came in there and eviscerated everyone. ‘You guys aren’t doing a good job. You’re horrible leaders.’ He just ripped into everybody. He had nothing positive to say about anybody, shot morale down,” said the first official, who spoke with those in the room that day.
“Stephen Miller wants everybody arrested. ‘Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?’” the official recited.
One of the ERO officials in attendance stood up and stated that the Department of Homeland Security and the White House had publicly messaged about targeting criminal illegal immigrants, and therefore, ICE was targeting them, and not the general illegal immigration population.
“Miller said, ‘What do you mean you’re going after criminals?’ Miller got into a little bit of a pissing contest. ‘That’s what Tom Homan says every time he’s on TV: ‘We’re going after criminals,’” the ICE official told Miller, according to the first official.
The protests started in response to two things: Raids on work places and also the detention of a growing number of people without food in the basement of a federal building — the latter of which Representative Jimmy Gomez was protesting most of the day. At an early tiny peaceful protest, ICE assaulted and then arrested SEIU California President, David Huerta, injuring him badly enough to require hospital treatment, during their assault. He remains in custody. The assault-and-arrest bears similarities to the staged confrontation at Delaney Hall and ICE’s invasion of Jerry Nadler’s office in recent weeks.
Huerta’s treatment drew condemnation from Democratic leaders across the country, including LA Mayor Karen Bass.
Multiple Trump authoritarians, including Miller, responded to Bass’ condemnation of the violence ICE was wielding by insisting that “Federal law is supreme and federal law will be enforced.”
From there, the protests against ICE grew, many of them mocking ICE. But ICE and LA Sheriffs (the LAPD deployed, but said it saw no violence) escalated. Nevertheless, protests remain localized (around the ICE facility and at the Federal building).
Numerous Administration keyboard warriors, including Miller, are tying the protest in Los Angeles to his Big Ugly bill, using the very same eliminationist language Trump’s used to kick off an assault on the Capitol.
The through-line here is crystal clear.
Ratchet up raids on peaceful people to hit impossible quotas (ICE came close, but did not meet, Miller’s 3,000 arrest quota on two days last week).
Use protests against that draconian invasion to arrest Democratic leaders and invade a blue city.
Point to the chaos created by Miller’s draconian ICE raids to demand passage of the Big Ugly bill, which will codify and expand precisely that kind of draconian ICE raid.
Create chaos, and then use that chaos to try to codify authoritarian power.
I wonder if the thought ever enters into Miller’s brain that no one has a relationship with Trump wherein they do not eventually become damaged goods? Perhaps he thinks he is smart enough to avoid this from happening. Perhaps he thinks he is smart enough to take over from Trump at some point in time. One thing for sure is that Miller thinks he is smarter than he really is and therein lies is greatest weakness.
He is already damaged goods.
Did he acquire depravity or was he born that way?
Miller’s 4th grade teacher said he used to put glue on his arm and then eat it off. So he was born with it.
Sniffing glue is bad for your brain, so I’d imagine eating glue isn’t good for it.
ExRacerX,
We’re talking elementary school here. 99.9% chance the glue Miller was eating was Elmer’s School Glue or a cheap off brand facsimile. So, no brain damage whatsoever.
However, still eating glue in 4th grade is pretty odd, likely a cry for attention or help. ( former elementary art teacher of 20 years).
Miller may be smart enough for his needs. He’s clearly happy to be a power behind the throne, and clearly has some agreement with Vought, the other Rasputin in the White House, with areas of responsibility. They are both long-term radical idealogues who have cracked the code of working through Trump to advance their agendas. As long as Trump survives, so do they.
Maybe we just start spreading the word that Miller is the real “secret president” and Trump is just his stooge. Past experience shows he gets the door in minutes if that theme gains traction
The word that Miller is the “secret president”–especially when domestic policy is involved–has been going around since roughly January 20 at noon-thirty. Trump won’t care as long as Miller continues to execute the MAGA plan, just as he didn’t care as long as Musk carelessly executed the “drain the swamp” plan of slashing the government, and took the rap for it.
You notice we’re all blaming Stephen Miller here, right? The person we’re not pinning the worst of this on is Donald Trump. Truman was right: the buck stops on POTUS’s desk. Make Trump pay for this.
We had a similar dynamic with Musk and DOGE. Most people blamed Musk, who had no real authority except that delegated to him by Donald Trump.
Miller, though, is more important to Trump than Musk. He has no reach or stature independent of him, but he does much more for Trump than Musk. He turns Trump’s power vacuum, paranoia and emotional hatreds into policy.
So, Hegseth is now threatening to deploy the Marines. In case any of them refuse to obey illegal orders,
Hegseth’s firing of experienced JAGs and replacing them with true believers will come in handy.
Retired Rear Admiral Who Served Under Trump Warns of Plans to Politicize Military Justice System [Military.com]
“A top retired Navy legal official is sounding the alarm over what he sees as a growing and dangerous politicization of the military legal system and the lawyers who run it.
In a public talk last week and in an interview with Military.com on Thursday, retired Rear Adm. Jim McPherson warned that the Trump administration and leaders in the Pentagon have politicized the selection process for the top lawyers in all three military branches by going around the traditional selection process and requiring nominees to answer screening questions about specific policies favored by the administration. …”
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/05/retired-rear-admiral-who-served-under-trump-warns-of-plans-politicize-military-justice-system.html
What’s going on in L.A. with Trump sending in the National Guard?
Understanding the situation depends heavily on your news source.
Outlets like RedState, The Gateway Pundit, and Breitbart have framed the protests as:
“A breakdown of law and order in Democrat-run cities,”
“Mob rule by illegal immigrants and leftist agitators,”
and “Proof that only Trump can restore order.”
Fox News echoes this, referring to “violent mobs” and “insurrection,” citing unverified claims of “crowds of over 1,000 rioters.” OAN uses phrases like “Paramount on the brink” and “California drowning in chaos.” Newsmax follows the same narrative.
But The Los Angeles Times, AP, Reuters, CNN, and others tell a different story—one grounded in facts. According to these sources, the unrest was limited in scope and duration, and city police—with help from the county sheriff—had largely contained the situation.
Protests erupted following large-scale ICE raids in majority-Latino neighborhoods, especially in Paramount. There were some confrontations: tear gas was deployed, projectiles were thrown, fires were set in trash bins, and a few windows were broken or buildings tagged. But it was nowhere near the level of unrest seen in 2020 or the 1992 L.A. riots.
There were: no fatalities, no burned buildings, no overrun precincts, and no confirmed incidents of mass looting reported by credible sources.
After reviewing both the coverage and the available footage—or the lack thereof from conservative media—it’s clear that while some unrest occurred, there is no evidence of widespread looting or out-of-control violence. Instead, I see peaceful protesters, community members, and even union leaders being swept up.
That suggests the federal response wasn’t about restoring order—it was about making a statement. And the louder people objected, the more that objection was used as proof of lawlessness. That’s not public safety. That’s provocation.
This latest move by Trump appears less about law enforcement and more about fulfilling a long-feared promise: to send federal force into Democratic cities, regardless of local or state opposition. While claiming to target hardened criminals, his administration has instead swept up working people, neighbors, and union leaders—turning immigration enforcement into political theater.
It’s not just overreach; it’s an escalation that creates the very conflict he then uses to justify his actions. Arresting people without criminal records, detaining organizers, and ignoring local leadership isn’t about safety—it’s about dominance.
And when people protest, their voices are labeled as threats. That’s the cycle: provoke, inflame, and then punish the objection as proof of his own righteousness—all while advancing an authoritarian goal.
And the right-wing media is abetting that effort.
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As a long-time resident of the area – it’s peaceful. 99% of the residents aren’t up in arms – but we certainly know what’s going on. (I suspect this is normal in most cities, no matter what the far right says.)
Marcy, your ability to pull so many facts together so quickly and accurately summarize situation in its entirety, is a gift for all of us. The situation in Los Angeles really hits home for me, as Los Angeles is where I spent the first twenty years of my life, before migrating to the Bay Area to finish college.
I know nothing about what sparked the disorder, but would not rule out the possibility of agents provacateurs.
Remember “umbrella man” in Minneapolis, who started the looting by smashing a window, then left the scene.
There was NO provocation or disorder from civilians. There was no looting, or rioting. There were civilians watching with alarm and outrage at the actions of ICE in THEIR neighborhoods, people trapped in their cars after ICE blocked off intersections, getting gassed out with outrageous amounts of tear gas. There were civilians and press getting targeted with illegal usage of the ICE/DHS war toys – tear gas canisters shot directly at people’s heads, and on.
You’re presuming disorder. Thus far the clearest cases of violence are from ICE: Both assaulting Huerta and then running a car into a female protester.
I should have put “disorder” in quotes. I don’t know what happened, just that something happened. And of course, obviously, ICE instigated the whole situation and are acting like hoodlums.
There’s no evidence they think they need agent provocateurs. All their tactics in every area have been based in simple brute force, which very much aligns with Trump’s way of thinking. The closest they’ve come has been Proud Boys pretending to be Antifa, which is not the government and gives you an idea of how bright the Proud Boys are. Umbrella man may have also been a free-lancer like Rittenhouse or a simple shit-disturber.
Of course there are agents provocateurs! That seems to be a significant part of the function of HSI swarmers, untrained in crowd control or any other relevant skill, and Trump’s Black–masked, nameless–ICE forces. They very much want to provoke the kind of disorder Stephen Miller can then pin on Democrats, immigrants, and those who sympathizes with immigrants…or empathizes with anyone.
On this Sunday morning, I am fully expecting to hear stories of ICE showing up in the churches led by my Hispanic brothers and sisters, looking to arrest and terrorize folks who came to worship and seek peace.
Archbishop Oscar Romero is much on my mind these days.
Cesar Chavez has been on mine.
SOTH Mike Johnson has no problem with Trump sending in forces, stating such on ABC’s This Week.
Jonathan Karl: “Do you have any problem or any concerns about the president sending in the National Guard to a place where local authorities say that they’re not needed and could be harmful?”
Mike Johnson: “I have no concern about that at all,” Johnson insisted. “I think the president did exactly what he needed to do.”
Jonathan Karl: “You don’t think sending the Marines into the streets of an American city is heavy-handed?”
Mike Johnson: “We have to be prepared to do what is necessary, and I think the notice that that might happen might have the deterring effect.”
“what is necessary” is to divert attention from the trump-Musk feud. Both Musk and trump are afraid of the potential fallout. For Musk, it can hurt his business now and in the future. For trump, it can damage his political stranglehold on the GOP members of congress.
This administration’s game is to fuel enough chaos to declare an “emergency”, and… who knows? Maybe the “emergency” becomes so urgent that —gee wiz!— we have to suspend elections.
Excellent piece!
What’s happening in California is all about Trump trying to show the world and Californians specifically that he and only he is in-charge of California’s future.
Yes, Trump’s public social media dispute with Musk is a contributing factor, and Stephen Miller’s hatred of California since he attended Duke is well documented and a contributing factor, too.
Trump wants to inflict as much financial pain on California as he can for as long as he is president.
And if J.D. Vance is ever president, he will try to destroy California as well.
The MAGAt leadership, notably Trump and Miller, view California as an enemy state that must be conquered.
Stephen Miller went to high school in Santa Monica, CA. and grew-up in SoCal.
True. His xenophobia started rearing its ugly head during high school and even his family is bewildered by his hatred of anything non-white. Yet here we are.
Jean Guerrero (author of ‘Hatemonger’ a deep dive into Miller’s background)
Puts it this way
“there was a lot of actual resentment present in his early years, particularly towards students of color, and the trolling was often a mask for that resentment….He started to express his conservative and contrarian views at a time when his family had lost a lot of money, and he had to move from a very affluent part of Santa Monica to a less affluent part. And he looked around at his high school, his very diverse public high school, where otherwise he might’ve attended a mostly white private high school and he was clearly annoyed that so many of his class were getting special attention and having their voices elevated. And this is when he starts to express his resentments out loud. He becomes more vocal and more aggressive.”
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/21363270/stephen-miller-covid-trump-white-house-hatemonger
She also notes on Miller’s enduring relationship with Trump (cf everyone else)
“The most important is that Miller gets Trump — emotionally, psychologically, even spiritually. Part of it is that Miller grew up in a family that was very similar to Donald Trump’s. Several people described Miller’s father to me as “Trump-like.” He was tangled up in numerous legal disputes and bankruptcies related to his real estate company over the years, as Miller was growing up. He is described in court documents as being a master of evasion and manipulation. He was described to me as being very combative. I think this experience helps Miller manage his relationship with Trump, helps him manage Trump’s personality.
The other part of it is that Miller is always tasks himself as a devoted vehicle for Trump’s agenda and is careful not to overshadow his boss. And this is partly one of the sources of his power within the White House. Whenever he wants something done, he invokes Trump. He invokes Trump’s desires, Trump’s demands. He invokes Trump’s name. So he’s constantly channeling Trump… “
Trump’s hatred of California has more to do with Hollywood snubbing him and not embracing him as he thought they should.
So he wanted more lines on Home Alone?
I can see that being a thing.
Thanks. I’m familiar with Miller’s upbringing in Santa Monica, CA; however, it was Miller’s published/public OpEd pieces/columns while attending Duke that caught the attention of conservatives in the Republican Party like Michele Bachmann & John Shadegg and, later, Jeff Sessions, thereby putting Miller on the path to meeting and working for Trump.
Trump certainly knows how to pick racist punks who think like him.
And conversely, a heretofore fringe movement advocating for California’s secession from the USA is gaining steam.
The previous lots have been pushed by Russian tools. This time may be different.
The fringe movement has always been there in various forms.
They rear their ugly head every so often.
i know this will come off as hopelessly naive, but i truly don’t understand how our militarized Police/ICE/DHS are allowed to intentionally misuse their war toys – firing tear gas canisters and rubber bullets directly at civilians’ heads which can cause massive brain damage and death – and suffer no consequences while We The People have to pay out the multi-million dollar settlements.
Independent journalist Sean Beckner-Carmitchel was on the ground giving great updates throughout the day, then took a direct hit to his head from a tear gas canister and taken to the ER. He suffered a hematoma, but is back reporting. If you are on Bluesky, follow him at @acatwithnews (dot) bsky (dot) social.
From where I sit it looks like Taco Krasnov and chief propagandist Goebbels light are trying for another Kent State massacre. If it is true then this will get ugly extremely quickly.
I wonder what percentage of the CA NG is of Hispanic descent – but I would wager it mirrors the general population in CA. If so how will these folks react – NG and protesters – to brother on brother violence?
Putin must be delighted with his agent in the White House – channelling his inner Nikta Khrushchev with “we will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to invade the United States. We will bury you from within” allegedly from a 1956 speech.
Naked corruption and a power grab – pure and simple.
This is provocation, pure and simple. This administration lives by press coverage. The only antidote is massive non violent protests. It is my hope that SEIU calls for a national strike. It must be demonstrated that any conflict is being brought upon American citizens by this regime.
Marcy,
Agreed. The big ugly, is a legislative priority in search of distracting cover:
Emptywheel.net quote-to the tune of Send in The Clowns,-“At an early tiny peaceful protest, ICE assaulted and then arrested SEIU California President, David Huerta, injuring him badly enough to require hospital treatment, during their assault.” Que Pretorian Guards, entering in full battle dress, before the cameras, CA National Guard, Trump’s SoCal, executive lever pull, will sadly detract from dear leader DC’s June 14th, birthday parade, while simultaneously thousands of citizens around the country celebrate No Kings Day, on the beach and in the parks and down the streets. Locations near your zip can be found at NoKings.org. Wes Scoop Nisker always ended his news reporting with “Stay high and keep your priorities straight”. We are in this together. Peace.
Yogarhythms and family
Looks like ABC has joined the Don’t-poke-the-bear-what-first-amendment?-pussy-wagon by suspending Terry Moran for exercising his free speech right about Miller and Trump.
(via Yahoo news)
I hate it when I agree with Bill Kristol:
“The military isn’t being employed to carry out an immigration policy. The immigration policy, and especially the way the administration is choosing to carry it out, is an excuse to call out the military” (@billkristolbulwark.bsky.social)
Take a look at the list of Northern Command’s Press Releases.
https://www.northcom.mil/Newsroom/Press-Releases/
Retribution Regime angry and abusive inciting violence just like January 6th Insurrection. Trump is sadistic. Always in fight mode, where his henchmen fight his fights. No surprise from a corrupted cruel criminal and his followers.
“Fascism is fascism. Terrorism is terrorism. Oppression is oppression.” Harry Belafonte
Dr Wheeler may be correct that the ICE provocations may be an inducement to pass Trmp’s prize legislation but they are also a pretext for the invokation of the Insurrection Act and martial law. Trmp et alia are obviously salivating at the prospect of being able to act out in the ways they have always dreamed of.
I’m visiting LA now and have been thinking of this passage from Sebastian Haffner’s Defying Hitler since I saw the footage of protestors dogging ICE’s heels in the street:
“It happened just after the murders in Copenick. Brock and Holz came to our meeting like murderers fresh from the deed. Not that they had taken part in the slaughter themselves, but it was obviously the topic of the day in their new circles. They had clearly convinced themselves that they were in some way accomplices. Into our civilized, middle-class atmosphere of cigarettes and coffee cups the two of them brought a strange, bloodred cloud of sweaty death.
“They started to speak of the matter immediately. It was from their graphic descriptions that we found out what had actually happened. The press had only contained hints and intimations.
“‘Fantastic, what happened in Copenick yesterday, eh?’ began Brock, and that was the tone of his narrative. He went into detail, explained how the women and children had been sent into a neighboring room before the men were shot point-blank with a revolver, bludgeoned with a truncheon, or stabbed with an SA dagger. Surprisingly, most of them had put up no resistance, and made sorry figures in their nightshirts. The bodies had been tipped into the river and many were still being washed ashore in the area today. His whole narrative was delivered with that brazen smile on his face which had recently become a stereotypical feature. He made no attempt to defend the actions, and obviously did not see much need to. He regarded them primarily as sensational.
“We found it all dreadful and shook our heads, which seemed to give him some satisfaction.
“‘And you see no difficulty with your new party membership because of these things?’ I remarked at last.
“Immediately he became defensive and his face took on a bold Mussolini expression. ‘No, not at all,’ he declared. ‘Do you feel pity for these people? The man who shot first the day before yesterday knew that it would cost him his life, of course. It would have been bad form not to hang him. Incidentally, he has my respect. As for the others – shame on them. Why didn’t they put up a fight? They were all longtime Social Democrats and members of the Eiserne Front [non-Communist leftist semimilitary group]. Why should they be lying in their beds in their nightshirts? They should have defended themselves and died decently. But they’re a limp lot. I have no sympathy for them.’
“‘I don’t know,’ I said slowly, ‘whether I feel much pity for them, but what I do feel is an indescribable sense of disgust at people who go around heavily armed and slaughter defenseless victims.’
“‘They should have defended themselves,’ said Brock stubbornly. ‘Then they wouldn’t have been defenseless. That is a disgusting Marxist trick, being defenseless, when it gets serious.’
“At this point Holz intervened. ‘I consider the whole thing a regrettable revolutionary excess,’ he said, ‘and between you and me, I expect the responsible officer to be disciplined. But I also think that it should not be overlooked that it was a Social Democrat who shot first. It is understandable, and in a certain sense even justified, that under these circumstances the SA takes, er, very energetic countermeasures.’
“It was curious. I could just about stand Brock, but Holz had become a red rag to me. I could not help myself. I felt compelled to insult him.
“‘It is most interesting for me to hear your new theory of justification,’ I said. ‘If I am not mistaken, you did once study law?’
“He gave me a steely look and elaborately picked up the gauntlet. ‘Yes, I have studied law,’ he said slowly, ‘and I remember that I heard something about state self-defense there. Perhaps you missed that lecture.’
“‘State self-defense,’ I said, ‘interesting. You consider that the state is under attack because a few hundred Social Democrat citizens put on nightshirts and go to bed?’
“‘Of course not,’ he said. ‘You keep forgetting it was a Social Democrat who first shot two SA men -‘
“‘- who had broken into his home.’
“‘Who had entered his abode in the course of their official duty.’
“‘And that allows the state the justification of self-defense against any other citizens? Against me and you?’
“‘Not against me,’ he said, ‘but perhaps against you.’
“He was now looking at me with really steely eyes and I had a funny feeling in the back of my knees.
“‘You,’ he said, ‘are always niggling and willfully ignoring the monumental developments in the resurgence of the German people that are taking place today.’ (I can hear the very word ‘resurgence’ to this day!) ‘You grasp at every little excess and split legal hairs to criticize and find fault. You seem to be unaware, I fear, that today people of your ilk represent a latent danger for the state, and that the state has the right and the duty to react accordingly – at the very least when one of you goes so far as to dare to offer open resistance.’
“Those were his words, soberly and slowly spoken in the style of a commentary on the Civil Code. All the while he looked at me with those steely eyes.
“‘If we are dealing in threats,’ I said, ‘then why not openly? Do you intend to denounce me to the Gestapo?’
“About here Von Hagen and Hirsch began to titter, attempting to turn it all into a joke. This time, however, Holz put a spanner in the works. Quietly and deliberately (and it was only now that I realized, with a certain unexpected satisfaction, how deeply angered he was):
“‘i admit that for sometime I have been wondering whether that is not my duty.’
“‘Oh,” I said. I needed a few moments to taste all the different flavors on my tongue: a little surprise, a little admiration for how far he was prepared to go, a little sourness from the word ‘duty,’ a little satisfaction at how far I had driven him, and a new cool insight: that is the way life is now, and that is how it has changed – and a little fear. having made a quick assessment of what he might be able to say about me, if he went through with it, I said, ‘I must say that it does not speak for the seriousness of your intentions that you have been thinking about it for some time, only to tell me the result of your thoughts.’
“‘Don’t say that,’ he said quietly. Now all the trumps had been played and to raise the stakes further we would have had to become physical.”
What most stays with me is “‘They should have defended themselves,’ said Brock stubbornly. ‘Then they wouldn’t have been defenseless. That is a disgusting Marxist trick, being defenseless, when it gets serious.'”
Are too many of us engaging in that same “disgusting Marxist trick”?
I’m thinking that protestors should shows up with pots and pans (and metal pan lids) and wooden or plastic spoons to bang them with. Lots of noise, nothing that should get charges at more than local level.