Flotsam and Jetsam - Confirmation Chaos Continues

The confirmation game goes on. Sundance at CTH introduced yesterday's contestants, Thursday Confirmation Hearings Schedule: Turner, Zeldin, Burgum and Bessent, along with some live feeds, Pam Bondi Confirmation Hearing, Day #2 – 10:00am Livestream, Scott Bessent Confirmation Hearing – 10:30am Livestream, Doug Burgum Senate Confirmation Hearing – 10:00am Livestream. At PJM, LIVE: Four New Trump Cabinet Nominees Face Off Against Senators at Confirmation Hearings. Matt Vespa at TownHall thinks that Despite Dem Theatrics, Expect Most of Trump's Nominees to Sail Through. At Fox, Democrats faced an ‘ugly day’ in DC, says Greg Gutfeld.

    Pam Bondi                    Kirsten Gillibrand

Sarah Anderson at PJM says, Pam Bondi Is the Epitome of a Strong and Intelligent Woman. How is that possible; Trump hates women supposedly. WaEx has Eight takeaways from Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing. Cam at Bearing Arms is happy a California Senator Presses Bondi on Past Support for Gun Control. Sundance calls it Transparently Predictable – Lawfare Operative Mary McCord Testifies During Senate Confirmation Hearing that AG Nominee Pam Bondi Should Recuse Herself from Investigating Trump Targeting Operation. "In essence, the woman who organized, structured, led and coordinated the first impeachment effort, says Pam Bondi must recuse herself from investigating the organization, structure, leadership and coordination of the first impeachment effort. You just cannot make this stuff up." Jeff Charles at TownHall wants you to WATCH Josh Hawley Torch Biden's Justice Department for Targeting Christians. Vince Langman @LangmanVince, "Pam bondi is older than Kirsten Gillibrand. How is that possible?" At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.16.25 (Afternoon Edition), EBL AG Nominee Pam Bondi’s Confirmation Hearing and Louder With Crowder, Pam Bondi Puts Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) On Blast: “You were the only one who refused to meet with me”, and Scott Jennings drops the mic on Pete Hegseth’s performance with four simple words: “He kicked their @$$es”. VodkaPundit at Insty cites KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: Dems Make a Case for One-Party Republican Rule, At Least for a While. “Watching the Democrats proudly display their delusion and denial during the confirmation hearings this week has brought me to a place where I can easily advocate for the Republicans being in charge for quite some time.

At TownHall Mia Cathell sees Lee Zeldin Lays Out How He'll Restore America's Energy Dominance As EPA Administrator and Climate Alarmist Ed Markey Loses It on Lee Zeldin During Confirmation Hearing. At Hat Hair, Treasury Secretary Nominees Schools Ron Wyden. Trump War Room @TrumpWarRoom "WYDEN: “We are in an arms race on clean energy with China.” BESSENT: “China will build 100 new coal plants this year. There is not a clean energy race. There is an energy race.”" Matt Vespa wants to know Did Anyone Else Catch Mazie Hirono's Creepy and Outlandish Question for Doug Burgum Yesterday? "During the confirmation hearing for Doug Burgum, who Donald Trump nominated to be our next secretary of the interior, Hirono asked if he raped anybody."

NewsMax sees Hegseth Fought Back, Proving He's Right Guy For the Job. Breaking Defense explains What Pete Hegseth’s hearing tells us about Trump’s plans for the Pentagon. "When it comes to China, for example, the nominee said if he is sworn in, he will be laser focused on Beijing as the chief strategic competitor." Cynical Publius at Da Fed thinks Hegseth Can Make The Pentagon Great Again By Ending The Defense Contractor Gravy Train. At Da Caller, ‘He Has Done A Lot Of Work’: Joni Ernst Endorses Hegseth For Defense Secretary, likely the last hurdle. Althouse reads David Brooks, "Hegseth is in no danger of rising to the level of mediocrity, but next to some of his Democratic questioners, he looked like Carl von Clausewitz." Wasn't the crease in his pants tight enough? Jeff Charles at TownHall hears Democrats Are Terrified of Kash Patel Leading the FBI. Perhaps They Should Be. So far, no blanket pardons. Matt Margolis, WINNING: FBI Shuts Down DEI Office Before Trump's Inauguration. Fox, FBI closed DEI office in December, agency says, "President-elect Trump will take office on Monday." Tidying up before the new boss arrives. 

At Hat Hair the staff says Donald Trump Is Ready to Fight. So Are We and Dave Strom thinks Trump Is Troll in Chief, and It Is Hilarious. At Althouse, To what extent does Trump's new official portrait look like his mugshot? " Surely, the resemblance is intentional... but so are the differences:" Rusty Weiss at RedState reports Trump Reveals List of People Blacklisted From His Administration – They're ‘Suffering From TDS’. On the list from Ace, After the Election, Paul Ryan Calls For "Unity" and Begrudgingly Says He Wants Trump to Succeed. ""You know who that sounds like? It sounds like a Democrat!" Trump recently banned a bunch of people from working in the Administration . . . " At Insty, THESE GUYS SHOULDN’T BE TOO FULL OF THEMSELVES AT THE MOMENT: Ezra A. Cohen@EzraACohen,"In several recent publications, I’ve seen quotes from the Joint Staff that the Chairman is “ready to work with” President Trump. This phraseology should concern anyone who cares about civilian control of the military. First, the Chairman doesn’t have an option to work for the President, the duly elected Commander-in-Chief. Second, the President isn’t his equal, and he doesn’t work with him — he works for him. This is all part of the JS effort to slowly degrade civilian control of the military." At Hat Hair VIP, Beege Welborn, has no Tears for Keir: No Matter How Often Starmer Checks the Mail, There's No Inauguration Invite. Driscoll at Insty, FAFO, OLD TOFF: How it started: British Labour Party sending staff to campaign for Harris in US swing states. Anxious anxiously has a Scoop: Trump pledges to make L.A. Olympics "the greatest games." Beege Welborn adds "Let's see if California's ruling elite can get out of their own way to help. I don't really see this as a priority at the moment." Also, Chicago Just Keeps Waving That Red Flag at Trump's Immigration Bull and Trump Effect: California Throws in EV Truck Mandate Towel. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Told Ya: Israel Delays Deal Approval After Hamas Hokey Pokey. Only 3 days until Trump's deadline. Chuck Glasser at Insty notices the “TRUMP FACTOR STRIKES AGAIN: President-elect and his envoy impact Mideast before inauguration.” Just The News’ story sums it up nicely:“[W]hen pressed by the news media over who should get credit for the deal, the 46th American president demurred. “Is that a joke?” Biden retorted Wednesday afternoon. And moments later he walked away without providing an answer. The man succeeding Biden as U.S. president had changed the dynamic and enabled a deal that had been stalled for months. . . . You know the old saying: “Victory has a thousand fathers but defeat is an orphan.”" At Da Blaze calls it The RFK effect? FDA announces ban on red food dye over cancer concerns. Beege Welborn calls it Too Good to Check: Trump Reportedly Considering Off Shore Wind EO.

Sarah Anderson at PJM hears Jill Biden Reveal What She and Trump Really Talked About in Paris. "Trump said to her, "I had a good meeting with your husband in the Oval Office," and she took it as an opportunity to poke a little fun at him and the sitting president. She replied, "Yes, because you’re both talkers." Page 6, Trump team ‘having a good laugh’ over Michelle Obama’s ‘deliberate’ decision to skip inauguration: ‘Didn’t expect her to come anyway’. Althouse finds "I hate politics... I love policy and impact. I hate politics. And unfortunately, the two are not separable... [It's a] very dark, negative business.... There is a darkness to that world that I don’t really want to welcome into mine". "Said Ivanka Trump, quoted in "Ivanka Trump has blunt 3-word response when asked why she won’t return to White House" (NY Post)." DW.com explains there's 'Nothing gay about it': How Trump and Village People connect. ""Y.M.C.A." has often been labeled as a gay anthem, but it's now a MAGA-rally hit. As Village People play at Trump's inaugural events, here's how they fit into Trump's narrative."

3 Days left, but who's counting? At PJM, Scott Pinsker say Your Favorite Moment of the Biden Presidency Has Finally Arrived! Chris Queens thinks Our Long National Nightmare Is Almost Over and VodkaPundit believes It's Time to Excise the Cancer. 

Insty, A FRIEND COMMENTS: “Joe giving a farewell speech is like an encore at a Yoko Ono concert.” Related: Don Surber: Trump Splits The Press." At Hat Hair Capt. Ed finds Biden's Valediction: Sheer Projection “Joe Biden will leave office just as he entered it — twenty pounds of bull**** in a ten-pound bag” and a Larry video, Joe Biden's Embarrassing Moment During Farewell Address. The Victory Girls on the Farewell Address – Joe Biden’s Delusion Bubble. From Breitbart, Biden Warns Dark Money Is Dangerous After Awarding Dark Money Kingpin George Soros the Medal of Freedom. Yours is poison, ours is nectar of the gods. Ace, Biden, Who Demanded that Tech Oligarchs Censor Any Speech Critical of Him or the Democrats, Now Warns Nation Grimly of a "Tech-Industrial Complex" Controlling the Country. "Before getting to that, I suppose it's just a total coincidence that Biden's SEC just decided to persecute Musk some more for giving Americans some of their free speech back." 'Becca Downs at TownHall sees an Intense Panel Discussion Erupt at CNN After Biden's Farewell Address As Jennings Offers Key Reminders. NewsBusters says Huh? CBS Wonders If Biden Will Be Compared to FDR and Washington or Wilson and JFK. Twitchy sees Oligarchy Malarkey: Kevin O’Leary Silences CNN’s Biden Apologists with Truth About Biden’s Wealth. Insty, IT’S NOT SO MUCH THAT JOE DIDN’T WRITE IT. IT’S THAT HE COULDN’T WRITE IT: President Biden@POTUS, "I have no doubt that America is in a position to continue to succeed. But I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern – and it will be up to the courts, Congress, the free press, and the American people to confront these powerful forces." Jeff Carlson@themarketswork "What makes this post especially wild is the simple fact that Biden didn't even write it. We're being warned of misinformation from people who are literally impersonating the president - and running the country in Joe Biden's name."

Capt. Ed cites WSJ: Harris, Biden At War Over Election Loss. The Lion, White House reporters who hid Biden’s infirmity can’t be trusted. Ruy Teixeira tells The Sad Tale of Moderate Joe Biden, "he blew it." At NYPo, Biden orders milkshakes in bizarre behind-the-scenes video of final days in White House. Rick Moran at PJM notices Mortgage Rates Shoot Up to 7%, the Highest Rate Since May. At MSN, Biden's final student-loan forgiveness action has arrived "Biden announced an additional $600 million in student-loan forgiveness." Giving away the store before the new owner arrives. WUWT reports on how Biden Uses Last-Minute AI Executive Order To Force More Green Energy Onto The Grid. 

Coach Tommy Tuberville@SenTuberville, "I just read an EXTREMELY DISTURBING IG report. Last December, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized and failed to follow the law by notifying the White House or Congress. Turns out, the same thing happened AGAIN in June. The Secretary of Defense went AWOL TWICE last year; and nobody knew about it. Unacceptable. @PeteHegseth and @RealDonaldTrump can’t get here soon enough." At Ace, Latrine John-Pissoir Pisses Off Lapdog Press By Bumping John Kirby and His "Peace Deal" Briefing to Focus on Her "Goodbye Party" It's all about ME! Me, the incompetent DEI hire!" At Fox, Red state illegal immigration crackdown produces nearly 50K criminal arrests. "'Texas has held the line against the Biden-Harris border crisis for the past four years,' says Gov Greg Abbott spokesperson." Mary Rooke at Da Caller explains how Democrats Use Laken Riley’s Death To Protect Illegal Immigrants From Deportation.

At NBC "Kamala Harris' potential next move: A book." So lot's of people can buy it, but never read it.

Da Blaze, as of yesterday, California Wildfires Remain Under 50% Containment. I&I, See For Yourself: Newsom Is All Smiles As L.A. Burns. Reason doesn't approve of Gavin Newsom Prohibiting Offering To Buy People's Property, "The California governor is using state of emergency powers to make unsolicited offers to buy people's property in fire-affected areas "for an amount less than the fair market value." YouTube, Newsom Doesn't Want People to Make Offers on Burned-Out Homes. Tyler Winklevoss@tyler, "Gavin Newsome kicks Elon Musk and Starlink out and welcomes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in with open arms. This perfectly sums up how California got here." At RedState Ward Clark, has a HOT TAKE: Gavin Newsom Wags His Finger at Speaker Mike Johnson, Gets Ratioed Into the Stratosphere and Rusty Weiss notices Photos Surface of LA Mayor Karen Bass Living Her Best Life As Palisades Wildfire Exploded. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.16.25 (Afternoon Edition), Twitchy has Justine Bateman DROPS Staffer For Trying To Delete Pics Of Mayor Bass Partying While LA Burned. Logan Washburn at Da Fed, LA Fire Chief Made DEI One Of Department’s Top Priorities, Docs Show. Dave Strom, LA Firefighters Warned That People Would Die Due to Staffing Crises And Were Ignored. Steve Greenhut at AmSpec, says California Incinerated Its Insurance Market, "Insurance is the foundation of homeownership and the economy, but California leaders have dilly-dallied in the face of a long-running crisis." The Center Square, CA, Entry-level California home costs up 88% from 2020, fires to spike prices further. Dan Greenfield at Front Page warns California Needs to Back Away From Radical Environmentalism to Get Aid. "It's the only way to stop the cycle of disasters." John Sexton at Hat Hair, Person of Interest in the Kenneth Fire is an Illegal Immigrant with a Long Record. Kira Davis reports a BOMBSHELL: Some LA Fire Fighters Don't Even Live in California, "All off-duty fighters were called to duty in last week's firestorm, but were they all here?" It's too expensive. Capt. Ed hears Bill Maher Wonder Why Does It Take a Catatstrophe to Cut Red Tape?

Benny Johnson@bennyjohnson, "MASSIVE BREAKING: Speaker Mike Johnson has removed Congressman Mike Turner, who voted against the resolution to censure Adam Schiff, from the Intelligence Committee. Mike has also been very outspoken on funding for Ukraine." Sundance calls it a Big Move: Speaker Johnson Removes Mike Turner from Chair of the House Intel Committee. Althouse, "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said he would appoint Ashley Moody, his state’s attorney general, to replace Marco Rubio in the Senate." "WaPo reports." Dave Strom, Labour's Answer to Cratering Election Prospects: Eliminate Voter ID. Does that remind you of anyone else? Beege Welborn, Once Again, Life Catches Up to The Bee: toddstarnes@toddstarnes, "The 20-somethings who answer the phones on Capitol Hill are having a tough time with their work-life balance. The Congressional Progressive Staff Association is calling on lawmakers to drop their 40-hour work week. Instead, they said they would be much happier working 32-hours a week -- without any reduction in pay. It’s always something with this generation. Their mandatory mental health days are driving the rest of us slap crazy. . ." Dave Strom calls it Appalling: Georgia State Senator Arrested for Trying to Attend State of the State Address. I call it typical. Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog hosts “We’ve Been Through A North Korean Brainwashing Experiment”, Eric Weinstein sat down with the Triggernometry guys (Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster) to talk about the 2024 election and the Democrat Party’s radical diversion from “Democracy.”"

Breccan Thies at Da Fed notices Jack Smith’s Report Proves The Media Were Always Lying About J6 ‘Insurrection’ Jacob Sullum at TownHall says The Law That Disarmed Trump Is Unfair, Illogical and Constitutionally Dubious.

Capt. Ed, What a Coinky-Dink: Biden SEC Sues Musk for Twitter Buyout. Breitbart discusses the SEC Lawsuit: Elon Musk’s Failure to Disclose Twitter Stake Let Him Buy at ‘Artificially Low Prices.’

Ace, Judge in CNN's Billion-Dollar Defamation Case Blasts CNN's Lawyer, Calling Him a "Liar" and Telling Him His "Credibility With Me... Is About None", "CNN's lawyer is a liar with zero credibility?" John Sexton notices The Post Adopts a New Mission Statement. Instead of "Democracy dies in darkness" now it's "Riveting Storytelling for All of America." Speaking of WaPoo, at Not the Bee, WaPo's Pulitzer-winning cartoonist, who portrays Republicans as groomers and predators, arrested for possession of child porn. Dave Strom, Former WaPo Anti-Trump Cartoonist Exposed As P@do; UPDATED "UPDATE: Bell left the WaPo about a year ago and now works (worked?) for King Syndicates, which distributes his work. I got an email with this information and am passing along the info." At Insty, VodkaPundit just says OH MY; "Anyone using Nazi slurs is automatically suspect. Using them to deflect from credible grooming/child sexual abuse allegations makes them doubly so."

At the College Fix, After 50 years, several women’s studies programs on chopping block. "Universities in Kansas, Iowa and California plan to close departments, and Florida may follow."

Fish Pic Friday - Something Different

 Some fisherwomen with not quite enough fish pictures for their own post.

lauren jerry@lolojjerry

Judge Cans Menhaden Lawsuit

Southside Sentinel, Menhaden lawsuit dismissed

A $2 billion “False Claims Act” lawsuit alleging “figurehead fraud” against the Canadian seafood giant Cooke Inc. of St. John, New Brunswick, and Omega Protein and Ocean Harvesters of Reedville was “dismissed in full” on Jan. 6 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan.

The “relators” (plaintiffs), Chris Manthey and W. Benson Chiles, sued “on behalf” of the United States government, including Maritime Administration (MARAD) of the United States Department of Transportation and the United States Coast Guard (USCG). MARAD is the agency that determines whether applicants satisfy American Fisheries Act (AFA) vessel citizenship requirements. The U.S. Government, MARAD and USCG were not plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

The suit alleged Cooke Inc., Omega Protein, Alpha VesselCo. Holdings Inc. and others, violated the AFA (1998) and Jones Act (1920) that allows only U.S. citizens to fish in U.S. waters.

Judge Jesse M. Furman, who has been on the court since 2012, dismissed all of the alleged complaints and allegations. “For years, federal regulators have repeatedly found Ocean Harvesters to meet the relevant requirements to lawfully engage in commercial fishing activities,” stated a press release from Ocean Harvesters. “Through the lawsuit, the ‘relators’ attempted to supplant this regulatory regime by substituting their judgment for the considered views of federal officials.

“In dismissing the lawsuit, the court concluded that the False Claims Act does not permit the relators to do that, as they failed to meet the foundational requirements of even alleging that the companies deprived the U.S. Government of money or property.”

I wasn't aware that random people could file suit "on behalf of the US government." What a ness it would be if we all decided to do that!

I also googled Chris Manthey and W. Chiles Benson. Chris Manthey appears to be a typical environmental activist, who sometime writes at Huffpo, while W. Benson Chiles appears to be the founder of an environmental consulting company. 

It's not that I don't want to see Menhaden fishing curtailed, but I don't think this is the way to do it. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Confirmation Palooza, A Hostage Deal and Biden Says Bye Bye

Yesterday was a really big day in the process of confirming former and soon to be President Trump's nominations for important posts. Sundance at CTH, Today a Set of Nominees Will Appear for Senate Confirmation Hearings: Bondi, Rubio, Duffy, Ratcliffe, Wright and Vought. Live Blogging at PJM, LIVE: Trump Nominees Hold Their Own Against Dem Attacks During Confirmation Hearings and TownHall, LIVE: Trump Nominees Repel Absurd Dem Attacks During Confirmation Hearings.

The most public facing and perhaps most important nominee in the group yesterday was Pam Bondi, former Florida AG nominated for Attorney General. Sundance posts the whole thing, Pam Bondi (Day 1) Senate Confirmation Hearing – 9:30am Livestream. Da Signal, AG Nominee Bondi Clashes With Democratic Senators in Confirmation Hearing. At Twitchy, Pam Bondi Delivers a Self-Awareness KO to Sen. Whitehouse About How the Justice System SHOULD Work. At PJM, Matt Margolis thinks Pam Bondi Gloriously Outsmarted Dick Durbin. Kurt Schlichter@KurtSchlichter, "You’re a little late, Dick" Quote, Senator Dick Durbin @SenatorDurbin, "Anyone seeking to serve as Attorney General must say “NO” to attempts to weaponize the Justice Department." Matt Vespa at TownHall sees Pam Bondi Destroyed Adam Schiff With One Line "You were censured by Congress, Senator, for comments JUST like this that are so RECKLESS." Julie Kelly@julie_kelly2, "You will be shocked to hear that Senator Adam Schiff is lying about the SCOTUS opinion related to presidential immunity." Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "LEAKED VIDEO: Senator Adam Schiff falls asleep LIVE at Pam Bondi hearing in latest humiliation for the state of California" Twitchy, Pam Bondi Tells Sen. Alex Padilla She Will Not Be Bullied by Him. Jeff Charles at TownHall, 'I'm Not Here to Do Your Homework': Pam Bondi Decimates Dem Senator During Hearing. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Bondi v Crazy Mazie Exactly What We'd Expect. Twitchy, Pam Bondi Helps Dem Sen. Mazie Hirono Make a Fool of Herself at ANOTHER Hearing. Tim Young@TimRunsHisMouth, "Mazie Hirono just asked Pam Bondi if she’s ever sexually assaulted anyone… What a complete joke." Cathy Salgado at PJM, Sen. Schmitt EXPLODES Hypocritical Dem Self-Righteousness on Rule of Law "Schmitt gave damning examples in the Democrat AGs’ own words. “Eric Holder described himself as Obama's ‘heat shield‘ and ‘wingman‘... One of my colleagues referenced that the attorney general shouldn't be the wingman of the president. Eric Holder has bragged about it.” Obama’s second AG, Loretta Lynch, “met with Bill Clinton on the tarmac in a private meeting while she was investigating Hillary Clinton.” As for Biden’s AG Merrick Garland, he could win an award “for the most politicized, weaponized Department of Justice we have ever seen.”" Ace, Pam Bondi Easily Handles Democrat Pencil-Necks and Sewer-Rats. "She's very confrontational. I assume this means she knows she's a lock. Democrats demand, over and over, for a guarantee that she will prosecute no Democrats at all during her term. They want a guarantee of total immunity for their crimes. She keeps refusing to give it to them." However, Paul Bedard at WaEx hears Second Amendment advocates skeptical of Pam Bondi.

The next most controversial nomination was former Congressman and DNI head John Ratcliff for CIA director. Sundance, John Ratcliffe Senate Confirmation Hearing – 10:00am EST. Anxious anxiously whines John Ratcliffe, Trump's CIA pick, sees tech as both tool and target. 'Bonchie' at RedState, HEARING: John Ratcliffe Roasts Adam Schiff, Sets the Record Straight on Hunter Biden Laptop. Tyler O'Neal at Da Signal, President Trump’s CIA Pick Faces Grilling in Confirmation Hearing. Twitchy, Trump’s CIA Director Nominee Calls Out Adam Schiff for the Laptop Story.

Marco Rubio is widely regarded as a shoe-in for SecState, mostly because of his Senate ties. Sundance posts the Marco Rubio Senate Confirmation Hearing – 10:00am EST Livestream. Teri Christoph at RedState, Marco Rubio Will Be on the Hot Seat Today As He Seeks to Become Trump's Secretary of State. Ace, Marco Rubio's Opening Statement Offers Tough Attack on the "Delusion" of Globalism and Defense of the American Interest, "Marco Rubio is Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, and his opening statement at his Senate hearing shows he's breaking from the dangerous and demoralizing commitment to advancing other countries' interests ahead of our own that has been the post-war consensus for 60 years."

In misc. confirmation hearings, Sundance posts OMB Nominee Russell Vought Senate Confirmation Hearing – 1:00pm EST Livestream "Russel Vought is on track to repeat his role as OMB director, which he helmed at the end of Trump’s first term." At TNP, Trump’s Energy Sec Nominee to Reveal Bold Energy Dominance Strategy at Confirmation Hearing. Tom Knighton at TAW, This is a promising sign.At Da Signal, Climate Protesters Aside, Energy Nominee Gets Mostly Warm Reception From Senate Panel. Duane Patterson at Hat Hair treats us to The Top 10 Dumbest Things Said By Democrats...On Tuesday. Misty Severi at JTN reports Noem becomes third Trump nominee to have hearing delayed because of FBI. "The hearing has been rescheduled for Friday at 9 a.m. Eastern." Is the FBI stalling? At NewsWeek Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell opine Why We Need Hegseth, Gabbard and Rubio to Strengthen America. OTP, Over 100 Detransitioners, Advocates Back RFK Jr. For HHS.

Of course, the Hegseth confirmation hearing from Monday is still drawing flies. At WaEx, Hegseth defends Christian tattoos in Senate hearing. Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed thinks Democrats’ Hegseth Hearing Theatrics Prove They’re Unserious About U.S. National Security. Insty cites JOHN LUCAS: “Virginia Senator Tim Kaine gave one of the more disgraceful performances in Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, and that’s saying something because he had some stiff competition.” Will Chamberlain@willchamberlain "Tim Kaine has a lot to say about Pete Hegseth’s conduct during his marriage Here’s Tim Kaine campaigning with Doug Emhoff, who - while married - impregnated his nanny and forced her to get an abortion." Sister Toldja at RedState, thinks that Clip of Tim Kaine's Reaction to Markwayne Mullin Shredding Him at Hegseth Hearing Was Chef's Kiss. Bluesky Libs @BlueskyLibs, "Jen Rubin falsely reports that Pete Hegseth was unable to answer allegations of sex with minors in yesterday’s confirmation hearings. No such allegations exist or were asked about. This is outright defamation." Scott Pinsker at PJM, sees the PR Fallout of the Hegseth Hearing: There’s a Fox in the Henhouse. Sundance reports Sens. Mullin and Cotton Now See a Glidepath of Confirmation for Defense Sec Nominee Pete Hegseth. 

Jesse Kelly@JesseKellyDC "When I see a GOP senator in the year 2025 talking lovingly about FISA after all the abuse we’ve seen, I see a man who’s been approached by the intelligence services with pictures of him and midgets."

In late breaking news yesterday, it appears that, spurred by Trump's threats to raise hell if the hostages weren't released by his inauguration, Hamas and Israel are on the cusp of a deal for the hostages. At Althouse, "WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!" "Writes Trump, just now, at Truth Social."  Sundance, President Trump Announces Ceasefire Peace Deal Between Israel and Hamas. Darin Gaub to Newsmax: Trump Effect Spurred Ceasefire. Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok, "Biden: I got the Israel-Hamas deal done Netanyahu: Thank you Trump for getting this deal done Brutal." Herr Professor Jacobson at LI writes The only way this capitulation in Gaza makes sense is if there is a side deal. "I’m hoping – probably wishful thinking – that those Leb/Gaza deals were the cost of gaining Trump admin support for Israel taking out Iran’s nuke program."

John Sexton at Hat Hair sees Biden's Job Approval Has Fallen and It Can't Get Up, and it no longer matters. 'Becca Downs at TownHall says Biden's Farewell Speech Was As Pathetic As You'd Expect. Da Signal is Fact-Checking 3 Claims in Biden’s Farewell Address. Joe Cunningham at RedState claims that With His Farewell Speech, Joe Biden Fulfills His Destiny as Barack Obama's True Heir. Driscoll at Insty, RON BURGUNDY WILL READ ANYTHING THAT IS PUT ON THAT TELEPROMPTER! Matt Margolis, Is This Proof That Biden's Speech Was Prerecorded?. Althouse submits Biden's farewell to an old-fashioned fisking, "You know, in his farewell address, President Eisenhower spoke of the dangers of the military-industrial complex...." ""Six days — six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country as well. Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power." . . . What about all the lies you told for power and for profit?!  . . . What about your abuse of power squeezing the "social platforms" to follow the narrative that served your interests?" Jim Treacher says Happy Anniversary to Hunter's Laptop, "Four wonderful years."

VodkaPundit at PJM, Here We Go Again: Deep State Shadow Coup II. At OTP, Pentagon Aide Terminated After Boasting About Conspiring To Stop Trump. Sundance, Jame O’Keefe Group Reveals Another Pentagon Contractor Operating a “Stop Trump” Network with Generals in Defense Department. Charlotte Hazard at JTN reports Defense Department IG finds Secretary Austin's '23 hospitalization increased national security risks. At Da Signal, How Biden Tried to ‘Trump-Proof’ Government With Federal Telework. Vox whines about The president who could not choose. "Joe Biden’s fatal flaw led to four years of weakness." And the things he did decide sucked. Da Caller, Biden Removes Notorious Communist Country From State Terror Watchlist. NYPo, Biden lifts Cuba terrorism designation, drawing bipartisan outrage: ‘Pathetic coward’. ADN America, Republican congressional members outraged over Biden plan to remove Cuba from State Sponsor of Terrorism list. "The decision comes just six days before President Biden will relinquish power and President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in on Jan. 20 and has outraged prominent Republican members of the U.S. Congress." OTP, Biden Exempted Nearly 7K Foreign Nationals From Terror-Related Entry Restrictions. Restoration News, Biden Gave $14 Billion to Islamist Groups from Joe Taxpayer. From the Free Bacon, Biden Solidifies Anti-Oil Legacy With Flurry of Lame-Duck Attacks on Drilling and Mining "Biden admin setting up roadblocks for Trump's 'drill, baby, drill' agenda." VodkaPundit at Inst, I KEPT TELLING YOU THERE’S PLENTY MORE BIDENFLATION BAKED INTO THE SYSTEM: Consumer price growth rose in December, a sign Trump will inherit stubborn inflation as he takes office. Matt Margolis, ‘I Gotta Fill This In?’ Joe Biden Forgets How to Sign National Monument Proclamation. Shooting News Weekly says Biden Leaves Behind a Sordid Legacy of Lies and Falsehoods in His Four-Year War on Guns. OTP, Bitter Dr. Jill Lashes Out At Pelosi and Exiting Border Chief Mayorkas’ Parole Inflow To Hit 1.5 Million Migrants. Paul Bedard, ‘Freeze’ on immigration urged to put Americans back to work. At JTN, Colorado apartment complex occupied by Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua will be closed. Ace, Leftwing Theater in Paris Offers a Free Show to "Refugees;" the Refugees Refuse to Leave, and the Theater Shuts Down After Five Weeks of Occupation.

NewsMax, Trump Inauguration 'Potential Target' for Threats. At Da Signal, From California Democrats to Woke Military Policies, Trump Puts Left on Notice. Breitbart, Team Trump Hypes Incoming ‘Make America Wealthy Again’ Era. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn says A Rising Trump Tide Lifts All Boats and Hopes. OTP, Trump Effect: Canada, Facing Tariff Threat, Is Buying More US Subs, Trump Backs Vivek To Fill Vance’s Ohio Senate Seat and Ivanka’s Out For Trump 47: ‘I Hate Politics.’ PJM's Rick Moran is Expecting Big Changes in the White House Press Room as Trump Will All But Sideline Legacy Media. Atop Da Hill, Michelle Obama signals she’s done with Trump, but he may not be done with her. Riley Gaines @Riley_Gaines_ "Can someone point me in the direction of the MAGA people freaking out about Michelle Obama not attending Trump’s inauguration because I've yet to see that" Quote Harry Sisson@harryjsisson "It’s so funny to watch MAGA freak out over Michelle Obama not attending Trump’s inauguration. Like, guys… you do realize Donald Trump didn’t go to Biden’s, right? Not a single member of the Trump family attended. Save your fake outrage."

Anna Paulina Luna

At WokeSpy, Anna Paulina Luna Unveils Bill to Take Pedophiles “Off the Streets Permanently” With Death Penalty. Charlotte Hazard at JTN reports the GOP House leadership removes Massie, lone vote against Johnson speakership, from key rules committee. "Massie has reportedly been replaced with House Freedom Caucus member GOP Rep. Morgan Griffith."

Dave Strom at Hat Hair says Gavin Newsom Is a Lying Dog-Faced Pony Soldier. End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Gov. Newsom: It is dangerous for Elon Musk and Trump to say our reservoirs aren't full." At Insty, AT LEAST THE EMPTY SUIT IS A NICE ONE: Justine Bateman@JustineBateman, "If you're missing your word salad bowl, Gavin Newsom has it." At WaEx, Newsom and Bass recall efforts gain momentum after fallout from wildfires. At the Center Square CA, Newsom expands special 'Trump-proofing' session to include wildfire relief proposal. Beege Welborn, CA Dems Tying Passage of State Aid for Fire Victims to $50M 'Trump Proofing' Bill. Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller, CNN Panel Has Fiery Exchange After Scott Jennings Backs ‘Conditions’ On Wildfire Aid. At Breitbart, Jon Stewart’s Stupid Meltdown Over ‘Conditional’ Federal Wildfire Aid Falls Flat. 

Vicky Taft at PJM, 'Lack of Leadership': L.A. Fire Vet Says No One Prepared Even After Extreme Wind Warnings. Dave Strom at Hat Hair reports LAFD Decided Not to Pre-Deploy Firefighters When Warned. Michael Shellenberger, Failure To Mobilize Firefighters Before L.A. Fires Began Led To Catastrophe, Says New Whistleblower. NYPo, LAFD bosses sent just 5 fire engines to Palisades Fire — while holding back 1,000 firefighters and 35 trucks in critical first hours. Matt Margolis, Bombshell Report Exposes More LAFD Incompetence in Responding to Wildfires. Sarah at Inty, A STAGGERING LEVEL OF INCOMPETENT MALICE: Los Angeles hydrants not just empty, but also broken or missing. (Short video clip.)

This clip has done irreparable damage to the DEI cause. It is breaking through to normies.

pic.twitter.com/yVutTJPVsp

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 15, 2025

Leslie Eastman at LI, Los Angeles Mega-Fire the Tragic Consequence of Protecting Shrubs Before People "Mega-disaster was brought to California by insane choices based on pseudoscience and virtue-signalling." At NYPo, How California eco-bureaucrats halted a Pacific Palisades fire safety project to save an endangered shrub. OTP reports Pacific Palisades Residents Sue Los Angeles. At WUWT, Why the LA Wildfires Have Little to Do With Drought or Climate Change. And in what is no doubt the greatest tragedy of the LA fires, OTP cites NYPo, Nearly 200 Hunter Biden Paintings Destroyed In LA Wildfires.

Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports Nearly 400 non-citizens voted in DC's 2024 general election: Judicial Watch, "More than 230 of the non-citizen voters are registered Democrats, compared to less than 20 who are registered Republicans." Josh Kraushaar, @JoshKraushaar "NYT, breaking: “A nonprofit founded by Stacey Abrams, a Georgia Democrat, admitted on Wednesday that it had violated state law by concealing the fact that it had campaigned for her during her 2018 run for governor. At the time of that campaign, the group was led by Raphael Warnock, who was later elected to the Senate as a Democrat from Georgia.”"  Atlanta J Con, Stacey Abrams group to pay largest fine for campaign violations in Georgia history.

Byron York at WaEx, calls Jack Smith, the prosecutor who would never admit what he was doing. At Althouse, ""[Jack Smith] may be right about obtaining a conviction before a D.C. jury and a highly motivated judge against Trump. However..." "... he would not have been able to sustain any conviction — and this [new] report makes that abundantly clear. . . Writes Jonathan Turley, in "Jacksonian Obstruction: Smith Explains How He Was Planning to Circumvent the Decision in Fischer."" Seth Barrett Tillman at the New Reform Club, Recent Academic Writing on the End of the Rule of Law. 

Trump never had a chance to remove Special Counsel Jack Smith. Smith resigned days before Trump will take office. And before he left, Smith actively closed down the D.C. and Florida federal prosecutions. (Albeit, zombie-like, the Florida prosecution continues—against the non-Trump defendants.) If these things were wrongful for Trump to do, was it not also wrongful for Smith to do? And if so, do Finkelstein and Painter think Smith should be impeached for wrongdoing in office amounting to high crimes and misdemeanors? Or should Smith be indicted for criminal obstruction of justice? See, e.g., Claire O. Finkelstein & Richard W. Painter, “You’re Fired”: Criminal Use of Presidential Removal Power, 25 N.Y.U. J. Legis. & Pub. Pol’y 307 (2023), <https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/faculty_articles/242/>.

One wonders.

Do these two legal academics believe that the rule of law in the United States is now at an “end … with respect to the presidency”?

One really wonders.

Stacy McCain notes Ashkenazi Jews Have the Highest IQs on Average, But Then There’s Jen Rubin. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Judge Blasts CNN's Attorney: 'Your Credibility With Me...Is About None'. At Ace's, Jake Tapper Claimed, Under Oath, That He "Doesn't Pay Attention to Nielsen Ratings." "This Claim Was Made WITHOUT EVIDENCE, and a Fact-Check Shows He's a Liar." Althouse cites the occasionally sensible Megan McArdle "Americans are too ornery to fall for TikTok propaganda/Banning TikTok may be legally sound but not really necessary." Writes Megan McArdle (at WaPo)(free-access link)." Da Caller, Zuckerberg Refused To Name Them, But A Report Found The People Who Helped Biden Censor Americans On Facebook. "A report from House Judiciary detailed communications from Senior Biden Advisor Andy Slavitt and White House Digital Director Rob Flaherty to Clegg demanding they remove posts which criticized vaccines." At RVN, Adam Carolla Goes on Expletive-Filled Rant Against Narrative Gatekeepers.

Stephen Kruiser at PJM thinks Nancy Mace Understands the Republicans' Assignment for 2025. At Victory Girls, House Passes H.R. 28-A Win For (Real) Women. Hollywood in Toto, Chloe Cole (‘Identity Crisis’) says Social Media Silences Detransitioners. 

From the College Fix, Top public policy programs lack conservative faculty, research finds. I'm shocked, shocked. 

Insty, TO BE FAIR, THAT’S BECAUSE DEI IS STUPIID: Mario Nawfal@MarioNawfal, " DEI SUPPORT PLUMMETS AS WORKERS SAY "ENOUGH" American workers are increasingly skeptical of DEI initiatives, with 42% of Republicans now calling them "bad" for business, up from 30% last year. Looks like those mandatory unconscious bias trainings aren't winning any popularity contests. Even among Democrats, enthusiasm is waning as 19% of workers say companies waste too much time on diversity programs. . . "

Thursday Tanlines

Women's Health, What is the ‘Barbie drug’, or nasal tanning spray, exactly?

Nasal tanning sprays, otherwise dubbed the ‘Barbie drug’, offer an accelerated tan. Tan-chasers simply insert the tube into their nose and by inhaling the main ingredient – melanotan II – their skin will temporarily tan in the sun.

Melanotan II is a synthetic hormone that replicates natural melanocyte-stimulating hormones that pigment your skin. When users inhale the melanotan II, it stimulates the body’s production of melatonin. The tanning process isn’t complete without sunlight, or UV, which is why people spray then splay to speed up the pigmentation. The drug can also be injected.

Australian Broadcasting Co, Illegal tanning nasal spray not a 'harmless alternative' to sunbaking, says TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration)

Those side effects include the risk of skin cancer but can also be neurological. "The way the specific molecules work, they attach to receptors in the brain, and because of that, there can be some neurological side effects as well," said Professor Langham. "The most common of those would be nausea and vomiting and some facial flushing."

The TGA says users could also see a change in the size and pigmentation of existing moles, and an increase in new ones. There have also been rare cases of kidney failure and brain swelling linked to the use of melanotans.