Via Twitter from Ben Collins and Chiara Sottile:

As wildfires rage in Northern California, an 'Antifa'-fearing militia activates (This is a particularly wild one.)

In a California town, a militia is welcomed by some, cautioned by others | NBC News

So! On Sunday, as wildfires raged throughout Mariposa County, California, the local sheriff's office put out a notice warning of militia activity: "The public should be aware that the militia has not been activated or requested to act for any purpose by the Sheriff's Office."

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Townspeople and friends of the militia quickly started complaining to the sheriff's office. The militia, Echo Company, had setup a pancake station and handed them out in costumed fatigues for free. That's all it took to win over many in the town during the fires.

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The Mariposa Sheriff's office then had to amend their Facebook post, saying they are "not unsupportive of community groups helping those affected," like the militia. "They are acting on their own courteous accord. We appreciate their efforts," the sheriff's office wrote.

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Of course, with the pancakes, militias were handing out QR codes with directions on how to join the militia. This is how militias in the U.S. recruit now: They go to disasters, when the government isn't there yet, and win favor with locals. The ideology comes later.

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Anyway, reporting out how this militia basically steamrolled a Sheriff's Office into welcoming their help this week was really eye-opening. Hope you read it.