Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Karen Bass: From Castro’s Cuba to LA’s Burning Streets (Connecting the Dots: Cuba, Los Angeles, The Students for a Democratic Society, Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane, Tom Hayden, Ted Turner, Gavin Newsom, Green Cross International & Soros’s Funding, All Networking)

Karen Bass: From Castro’s Cuba to LA’s Burning Streets (Connecting the Dots: Cuba, Los Angeles, The Students for a Democratic Society, Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane, Tom Hayden, Ted Turner, Gavin Newsom, Green Cross International & Soros’s Funding, All Networking)

A deep dive into the enigmatic career of LA’s mayor, from radical roots to global intrigue.

Moms Justice Alerts

Jun 07, 2025

https://justicemoms.substack.com/p/karen-bass-from-castros-cuba-to-las

In the shadowed corridors of American politics, where idealism often masks ambition, few figures have navigated the tightrope of power with the enigmatic grace of Karen Bass.

As the Mayor of Los Angeles, she projects an image of a mild-mannered public servant, a beacon of diversity in a city plagued by wildfires and social unrest. But peel back the layers, and a different story emerges—one of early radicalism, questionable alliances, and a federal corruption case that has yet to touch her Teflon-coated career.

This is no ordinary political profile; it’s a thriller unfolding in real time, and the clues are scattered across an explosive X thread by @DataRepublican,. Buckle up, dear readers, as we dive into the labyrinthine world of Karen Bass—a world where local governance collides with global intrigue.

The Radical Roots: A Young Idealist in Castro’s Orbit

Our story begins not in the gleaming halls of Congress, but in the sultry heat of 1970s Cuba, where a 19-year-old Karen Bass found herself swept up in the fervor of the Venceremos Brigade. This wasn’t your typical college spring break. Founded in 1969, the Brigade was a bold defiance of U.S. travel bans, a joint venture between Castro’s regime and American radicals like the Students for a Democratic Society. Bass, then a philosophy student at San Diego State University, emerged as a leader of the southern California contingent, jetting off to Havana every six months until the mid-1970s. A Ph.D. dissertation later described her as a “brigadista” and organizer, mentored by figures like Dawn Noggle, a mental health director with ties to the movement.

This wasn’t naive idealism—it was a calculated embrace of Castro’s authoritarian doctrine, a rejection of the hippie counterculture that defined her peers. As @DataRepublican’s thread reveals, this early indoctrination set the stage for a career steeped in leftist activism, a thread that runs unbroken through her rise to power. For those of us who fled the shadows of Soviet oppression—myself included—these connections raise red flags. The Venceremos Brigade wasn’t just a youth movement; it was a pipeline for ideological warriors, and Bass was a star pupil.

The Political Ascent: From South LA to the Global Stage

Fast forward to the late 1980s, and Bass was laying the groundwork for her political empire. She founded the Community Coalition (CoCo) in South Los Angeles, a nonprofit that today boasts $31 million in assets and $9 million in annual revenue, including $3 million in government grants. On paper, CoCo’s mission is noble—building “grassroots leadership” through town halls. But dig into the numbers, and the picture darkens. With the lion’s share of its budget funneled into salaries and benefits, CoCo’s impact on the city’s spiraling drug overdose crisis—deaths soaring from 500 in 2011 to 2,500 in 2021—seems negligible. Is this a grassroots triumph or a well-funded façade?

Her political ascent accelerated in the 2000s. Elected to the California State Assembly in 2004, she became the first Black woman to serve, a milestone that propelled her to Majority Whip and Floor Leader roles. By 2011, she was in the U.S. House, representing the 37th District with a laser focus on foreign affairs, racking up over 30 trips to Africa. But it was her 2014 appointment to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)—an organization with a $350 million federal budget—that catapulted her onto the global stage.

Rising to Vice Chair by 2021, Bass oversaw an entity accused of orchestrating “color revolutions” and regime changes, a charge echoed in a 2016 European Parliament study on Western NGO influence. For a Representative to snag such a role so quickly is unheard of—typically, this is Senator territory. Was this a reward for loyalty or a strategic placement?

The Corruption Conundrum: A Scholarship That Won’t Fade Away

Here’s where the plot thickens. In 2011, while serving in Congress, Bass received a $95,000 full-tuition scholarship from USC’s School of Social Work, a perk cleared by the House Ethics Committee. Fast forward to 2022, and that same scholarship program is at the heart of a federal corruption case:

·         Mark Ridley-Thomas, a former LA County Supervisor, was indicted for steering county funds to USC in exchange for a similar scholarship for his son, Sebastian.

·         The dean, Marilyn Flynn, pleaded guilty to bribery.

·         Prosecutors now call Bass’s scholarship “critical” to their case, hinting at a broader pattern of quid pro quo within USC’s social work program.

·         Yet, astonishingly, Bass remains untouched—no charges, no investigation.

@DataRepublican’s thread screams foul play:

“When you’re part of the machine… you get protection.”

Is this congressional immunity at work, or is something deeper at play? The double standard is glaring. Ridley-Thomas faces prison, while Bass, who received the identical benefit, sails on. The X thread suggests that her NED ties and D.C. connections may shield her, a theory that resonates with those of us who have seen political elites evade accountability. The Biden administration’s consideration of her for HUD Secretary, where she recommended Xavier Becerra for HHS, a figure criticized for prioritizing human traffickers over child safety, only fuels the speculation of a well-oiled network

The Wildfire Fiasco: Global Ambitions vs. Local Duty

If the corruption case is a slow burn, the 2025 LA wildfires are a blazing indictment of Bass’s priorities. As flames devoured the Palisades on January 7, with dire wind warnings issued, Bass was thousands of miles away in Ghana, part of a Biden delegation to honor a presidential inauguration. @DataRepublican’s thread dismantles her defense of “constant contact,” painting a picture of a mayor more attuned to global diplomacy than her burning city. Critics, including ADN América’s January 2025 report, tie her absence to recent LA Fire Department budget cuts, suggesting a neglect that cost lives.

This isn’t incompetence—it’s choice. Bass’s career arc, from Castro’s Cuba to NED’s boardrooms, reveals a woman who thrives on international stages. Her 2018 speech at the World Movement for Democracy, another NED offshoot, and her diplomatic trips with Obama underscore this globalist bent. But what of the LA residents left choking on smoke and fentanyl? The X thread argues she “doesn’t care about LA residents,” a harsh but compelling narrative given the overdose epidemic’s unchecked rise.

The ICE Riots of 2025: A Venceremos Echo in the Streets

This week, as Los Angeles erupted in chaos over ICE raids targeting undocumented immigrants, Karen Bass’s stance has added a chilling new chapter to her story. On June 5, 2025, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security descended on Home Depot stores and Ambient Apparel’s headquarters, arresting at least 45 individuals in a crackdown that drew swift condemnation from California leaders. Video footage captured masked agents in tactical gear clashing with crowds, prompting hundreds to rally outside the federal building by 6 PM. Bass, in a fiery statement, decried the raids as an assault on her city:

“We will not stand for this,”
aligning herself with immigrant rights groups and vowing to coordinate with community organizers. Her rhetoric echoed the defiance of
Governor Gavin Newsom and Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, but it stood in stark contrast to the federal authority she’s sworn to uphold.

This reaction makes sense when viewed through the lens of her Venceremos Brigade history. The Brigade wasn’t just about solidarity with Cuba; it was a training ground for resisting American hegemony, a mindset Bass carried into her political career. Her early embrace of Castro’s anti-imperialist stance now manifests in her support for the mobs challenging ICE. The Guardian’s June 7 report notes her “deep anger” at the raids, a sentiment that mirrors the Brigade’s ethos of mobilizing against perceived oppression. For someone who once defied U.S. travel bans to champion a communist regime, backing street protests over federal law enforcement feels like a natural extension of that radical past. It’s as if the streets of LA have become her new Havana

But there’s more at play than ideology. Bass’s support for the rioting mobs could be a calculated move to solidify her base in a city with a large immigrant population. By positioning herself as their protector—coordinating with activist groups while federal agents faced off with protesters—she taps into a wellspring of grassroots support that could shield her from scrutiny over the USC corruption case or the wildfire debacle. Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, fired back with a blunt:

“Federal law is supreme,” but Bass’s defiance suggests she’s betting on local sentiment to outweigh legal authority. This mirrors the Venceremos strategy of leveraging community mobilization to challenge the status quo, a tactic she honed decades ago. For those of us who’ve seen authoritarian regimes manipulate crowds for power, this pattern is all too familiar.

The Bigger Picture: A Globalist Pawn or Mastermind?

So, who is Karen Bass? Is she a DEI figurehead, as some label her, or a terrifyingly effective activist entrenched in a globalist swamp? The evidence leans toward the latter. Her early radicalism, nurtured by the Venceremos Brigade, evolved into a sophisticated dance with NGOs and political elites. NED’s $350 million war chest, her uninvestigated scholarship, and her role in shaping Biden’s cabinet all point to a player with deep ties to the system. Her stance on the ICE riots, rooted in her Cuban past, reinforces this narrative—she’s not just a local mayor but a global actor, using local unrest to amplify her influence.

For those of us with roots in Odessa, where Soviet machinations shaped our worldview, this story feels eerily familiar. The Venceremos Brigade’s Castro ties, NED’s alleged meddling, and Bass’s Teflon status suggest a playbook of ideological infiltration that transcends borders. Yet, her mishandling of local crises like wildfires and drugs hints at a disconnect, perhaps she’s less a mastermind than a cog in a larger machine, driven by ambition rather than local loyalty.

What Lies Ahead? As I write this, The X thread by @DataRepublican is a live wire, sparking debate and demanding answers. Will the DOJ revisit the USC case, piercing her immunity shield? Will LA voters hold her accountable for the wildfires, overdoses, and now the ICE riots?

Or will her globalist network, bolstered by mob support, continue to prop her up, a symbol of a system that rewards connections over competence?

This is more than a political scandal—it’s a window into the soul of American power. Karen Bass’s story is a reminder that the past never truly fades; it lingers, shaping the present in ways we can’t always see. For now, the dossier remains open, and the next chapter waits to be written. Stay vigilant, dear readers—truth is a fire that burns brightest in the dark.

Tom Hayden

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hayden

Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939 – October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-warcivil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, becoming an influential figure in the rise of the New Left. As a leader of the leftist organization Students for a Democratic Society, he wrote the Port Huron Statement, helped lead protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and stood trial in the resulting "Chicago Seven" case.

In later years, he ran for political office numerous times, winning seats in both the California State Assembly and California State Senate. At the end of his life, he was the director of the Peace and Justice Resource Center in Los Angeles County. He was married to Jane Fonda for 17 years and is the father of actor Troy Garity.

Connecting the Dots:

Tom Hayden was a co-founder for the Students for a Democratic Society and married to Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane.

Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane was married to Tom Hayden and married to Ted Turner.

How Jane Fonda Became The Most-Hated Woman Among Vietnam Veterans

Military News

By Ward Carroll Updated Oct 21, 2020 8:55 PM PDT


Jane Fonda sitting on an anti-aircraft gun during her visit to Hanoi in April 1972. (File photo)

https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/jane-fonda-vietnam/

Ted Turner was married to Jane Fonda, is a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and the founder of CNN.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank)

Peter G. Peterson was the chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and is the founder for the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Peter G. Peterson Foundation was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Donna E. Shalala is an advisory board member for the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, was a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and the president of the University of Miami.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Aileen Ugalde is a VP at the University of Miami and married to Jose Antonio Garcia.

Jose Antonio Garcia is married to Aileen Ugalde, the chairman for the Florida Public Service Commission, a member of the FL congressional delegation, was a director of Energy Office of Minority Impact for the Barack Obama administration and an executive director for the Cuban American National Foundation.

Tom Daschle was the nominee for health and human services secretary for the Barack Obama administration and is a director at the Center for American Progress. 

John D. Podesta is the chair & counselor for the Center for American Progress and the chairman for the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Center for American Progress Action Fund is a fund, affiliated advocacy group for the Center for American Progress.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and was a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Apple Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

AT&T Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Bank of America Corp. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

BMW of North America LLC was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Citigroup Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Coca-Cola Company was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Facebook was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

General Electric Company was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (Bailout Company) was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Motion Picture Association of America was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

PepsiCo, Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

PG&E Corporation was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Samsung Electronics Co. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Time Warner Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

T-Mobile USA, Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Toyota Motor North America was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Visa Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Wells Fargo & Co. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Carol M. Browner is a director, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and was the energy czar for the Barack Obama administration.

Ezekiel Emanuel is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and was the health care policy adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Lawrence H. Summers is a distinguished fellow at the Center for American Progress and was the National Economic Council chairman for the Barack Obama administration.

Cassandra Q. Butts was the SVP for the Center for American Progress and the deputy White House counsel for the Barack Obama administration.

Philip J. Crowley was the director of homeland security at the Center for American Progress and the assistant secretary of state for the Barack Obama administration.

Derek Douglas was an associate director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress and a special assistant for urban affairs for the Barack Obama administration.

Bradley J. Kiley was a VP for the Center for American Progress and the director of management and administration for the Barack Obama administration.

Karen Kornbluh was a visiting scholar at the Center for American Progress and a policy director for Barack Obama.

Jeanne Lambrew was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and is the deputy assistant to the president for health policy for the Barack Obama administration.

Denis McDonough was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and is the chief of staff; former deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Esther M. Olavarria was the director of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress and is the deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the Barack Obama administration.

Dan Restrepo was the Americas Project director at the Center for American Progress and a special assistant to the president for the Barack Obama administration.

Gene B. Sperling was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and is the assistant to the president for economic policy for the Barack Obama administration.

Todd Stern was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and is the special envoy for climate change at the U.S. Department of State for the Barack Obama administration.

Melody C. Barnes was the EVP for the Center for American Progress, the domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration and is Barack Obama’s golf partner.

Jose H. Villarreal is a director at the Center for American Progress and a senior adviser at the Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP was a funder for the Center for American Progress

Eric Alterman is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a columnist for The Nation and was a senior fellow at Media Matters.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, Jonathan Soros’s father, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, Media Matters, the New America Foundation and the Roosevelt Institute.

Jonathan Soros is George Soros’s son, a director at the New America Foundation and a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute

Christopher Hayes was a fellow at the New America Foundation and is an editor at large for The Nation.

Tom Hayden is an editorial board member for The Nation, was a co-founder for the Students for a Democratic Society and married to Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane.

Richard Parker is an editorial board member for The Nation, was a co-founder for Mother Jones and the president of the Americans for Democratic Action.

Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. was a co-founder for the Americans for Democratic Action and a co-chairman for the Roosevelt Institute.

Katrina vanden Heuvel is a director at the Roosevelt Institute, an editor & publisher for The Nation and was a governor for the Roosevelt Institute.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Roosevelt Institute.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt is the chair for the Roosevelt Institute and an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation.

Mikhail Gorbachev was an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation, the president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), a general secretary for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the founder for the Green Cross International.

Ted Turner is an honorary board member for Green Cross International, a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the founder of CNN and was married to Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Michael Douglas is a friend of George Soros and a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank),

George Soros is a friend of Michael Douglas, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and married in 2013 and Gavin Newsom was a guest at his wedding reception.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

John D. Steinbruner was a director of the Foreign Policy Studies Program for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and is the chairman for the Arms Control Association (think tank).

John Isaacs is a director at the Arms Control Association (think tank) and an executive director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation (think tank).

Gavin Newsom is a director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation (think tank), the California state government governor and was invited to George Soros’s 2013 wedding reception.

George Soros was married in 2013 and Gavin Newsom was a guest at his wedding reception and is Jeffrey Soros’s uncle.

Jeffrey Soros is George Soros’s nephew and the president emeritus for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles

Eric Garcetti is a trustee at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and the Los Angeles California mayor.

Gavin Newsom was invited to George Soros’s 2013 wedding reception, is the California state government governor and a director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation (think tank).  

Ira Lechner is a director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and was a director at the Truman Center for National Policy.

Kamala D. Harris is an advisory board member for the Truman Center for National Policy and the attorney general for the California state government.

R. Hunter Biden is a director at a director at the Truman Center for National Policy the Truman National Security Project, and Joseph R. Biden Jr’s son.

Madeleine K. Albright was the president of the Truman Center for National Policy, an advisory board member of the Truman National Security Project, an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, a director at the Center for American Progress and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and the Center for American Progress.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a supporter for the Center for American Progress

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the International Rescue Committee and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Walter Isaacson is the president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was the chairman & CEO for CNN.

Ted Turner is the founder of CNN, a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and was married to Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane.

Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane was married to Ted Turner and Tom Hayden.  

Tom Hayden was married to Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane, a co-founder for the Students for a Democratic Society and is an editorial board member for The Nation.

Resources: Past Research

Gavin Newsom Blames NRA for Baton Rouge Police Shootings (Past Research on Gavin Newsom)

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/07/gavin-newsom-blames-nra-for-baton-rouge.html

Planned Parenthood Hires Crisis Communication Firm Featuring Anita Dunn (Past Research on the Peter G. Peterson Foundation)

Thursday, July 30, 2015

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/07/planned-parenthood-hires-crisis.html

Tom Hayden and the 'Spiritual Progressives' Defend Murder in Venezuela (Past Research on Tom Hayden, Jane Fonda A.K.A Hanoi Jane and Ted Turner)

Friday, February 28, 2014

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/02/tom-hayden-and-spiritual-progressives.html

Reports: Obama Administration Has Been Talking to Cuba for Years (Past Research on Cuba)

Saturday, December 20, 2014

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/12/reports-obama-administration-has-been.html

GE, Walmart, AT&T, Google Among Center for American Progress Donors (Past Research on the Center for American Progress)

Saturday, December 14, 2013

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/12/ge-walmart-at-google-among-center-for.html

VIDEO: Fundamentalist Mormon Sect Caught Conducting $11 Million Food Stamp Fraud (Past Research on Jonathan Soros & the New America Foundation)

Monday, December 18, 2017

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/12/video-fundamentalist-mormon-sect-caught.html

“Tear Down This Wall” (Connecting the Dots: Mikhail Gorbachev, Wheelchair Foundation, Roosevelt Institute, Green Cross International, Global Green USA & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Jonathan Soros, the Roosevelt Institute & Mikhail Gorbachev)

Monday, January 6, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/01/tear-down-this-wall-connecting-dots.html

Gavin Newsom: Trump’s Election a ‘Leap Backward’ for States with Stringent Gun Control (Past Research on Gavin Newsom)

Monday, December 12, 2016

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/12/gavin-newsom-trumps-election-leap.html

Madeleine Albright, 1st Female US Secretary of State, Dies at 84 (Connecting Her Dots In The Soros Network) (Past Research on Madeleine Albright, Kamala Harris & Hunter Biden)

Thursday, March 24, 2022

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/03/madeleine-albright-1st-female-us.html

Charleston: CNN’s Sick Pattern of Using the Dead as Political Weapons Against the Right (Past Research on CNN)

Saturday, June 20, 2015

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/06/charleston-cnns-sick-pattern-of-using.html

No comments: