Flotsam and Jetsam - Noem Out Mullin In at DHS

Or at least that's the plan. Her official end date is 31 March. At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed started the morning with A Modest Proposal: Paxton for Homeland Security? UPDATE: Noem Out, Trump Appoints Mullin. John Sexton, Kristi Noem is Out, Trump Picks Mullin to Replace Her. PJM's Matt Margolis, Trump to Replace Noem at DHS With Mullin. Bob Hoge at RedState, Noem Out As Trump Names New Secretary of Homeland Security. Sundance at CTH, President Trump Announces Senator Markwayne Mullin Will Replace DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Ace, Trump Eases Kristi Noem Out of DHS Spot, Promoting Her Downwards to Head an Agency No One Ever Heard Of And I don't mean a cool sexy agency no one ever heard of like UNCLE. I just mean, I have never heard of "Shield of the Americas" before. Sounds kind of cool. Also sounds made-up." At Althouse, Noem ousted. "Just now. The NYT reports. President Trump fired his embattled homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, on Thursday and announced plans to replace her with Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, after she was grilled by Republican lawmakers this week at congressional hearings.... On Thursday, the president contradicted remarks that Ms. Noem made under penalty of perjury in her hearing before a Senate panel on Wednesday: that Mr. Trump had signed off ​on a border security advertising campaign featuring Ms. Noem. “I ​never knew anything about it,” ​Mr. Trump told Reuters.... Ms. Noem has faced scrutiny ​from lawmakers about the campaign, on which the government spent $220 million. The firm handling it was connected to the husband of Ms. Noem’s former spokeswoman. The ads prominently featured Ms. Noem, including in a scene filmed on horseback at Mount Rushmore in ​the former ​South ⁠Dakota governor’s home state...." Robby Soave at Reason, Trump Fires Kristi Noem From DHS "Even Republicans were sick of her reckless spending and habitual lies." At TownHall Matt Vespa explains, Here's What Caused Trump to Fire DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. News Wax cites the Breitbart Chief: Noem Ad Campaign 'Biggest Scandal' of Trump Administration. I, for one, was tired of that ad. However, I hate giving into Democrats and getting nothing back in return. Democrats have already expressed their glee, and are saying it's not enough to open DHS.

From Fox, Operation Epic Fury destroys Iran's navy and cuts missile attacks by 90% in ongoing campaign. AP whines Sri Lanka recovers 87 bodies from Iranian warship sunk off its coast by a US submarine. ABC whines US sinking of Iranian ship raises questions of legality. Their "Experts say the incident highlights the need for a declaration of war." NYT, Trump Says He Wants to Destroy Iran’s Navy. Here’s What to Know. "The United States has long considered Iranian naval ships a serious threat, even as the country’s nuclear and missile programs dominate discussions of its military capabilities." I believe I heard that the US had sunk 40 Iranian ships as of yesterday. CDR Salamander, The Sinking of the Dena Was Textbook "...the chart don't lie..." From Quotalaciousness, “[I]nternational law is not law; it is a set of rules and claims that pretends to be law.” Aaron Hanscom at PJM, U.S. and Spain in Standoff Over Iran War: What’s the Truth?

Meanwhile in Iran, Hat Hair's John Sexton wonders Is the Iranian Regime Cracking? Police, Soldiers, and Even IRGC Members Not Showing Up to Work, Capt. Ed cites WaPo: Here Come the Kurds?, Dave Strom notices the UK is Becoming a Pariah in Gulf and Have You Noticed That Gulf States Are Implicitly Allied With Israel?, and Beege Welborn on Making Friends, Influencing People: Now the Iranians Done Pissed the Azerbaijanis Off UPDATE. Jeff Charles at TownHall thinks the Iranian Regime Is About to Find Out Why Attacking Arab Nations Was a Stupid Idea.

At Beyond the Ideological, Zineb Ribqua thinks China is Scrambling. From Sundance at CTH, China Halts Refiners from Exporting Diesel and Gasoline and hosts Newsmax Carl Higbie Outlines the Stakes for China from Operation Epic Fury. Jake Broe @RealJakeBroe, "China is the nation facing the biggest economic catastrophe from the Straits of Hormuz being closed. If the US and Israel cannot get the situation under control as fast as possible, then the Chinese economy will be the first to go into crisis." Capt. Ed, Broken Axis: Russia, China Suddenly Have No Time for Mullahs. From the Brussel's Signal, The Great Game of Oil: Why Iran is about leverage not liberation. I hope Iranians liberate themselves, but it's not exactly necessary. 

Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "I'm getting tired of explaining this, but I'll do it again because there is so much stupidity out there. Here is the Seven Step Plan: 1. Decapitate Iran's leadership and destroy its military. 2. A new regime comes to power that will no longer fund Hamas/Hezbollah. 3. Without Iranian arms and cash, Palestinians have no choice but to make a lasting peace with Israel. 4. With the Palestinian conflict ended, the Gulf Arab countries will have the political breathing room to fully engage with Israel as a regional partner. 5. Peace in the Middle East, at long last. 6. Trump once again gets rebuffed for the Nobel Peace Prize in favor of a transgender Coptic nun in Madagascar who rescued a species of hermit crabs. 7. Profit." At I&I, Trump’s Axing Of Evil Ends Both Neocon And Mad MAGA Ideology. Bricktop_NAFO @Bricktop_NAFO, "IN A BOMBSHELL INTERVIEW PROFESSOR JIANG PREDICTS THE UNITED STATES WILL LOSE THE WAR AGAINST IRAN AND EXPLAINS EXACTLY HOW After everything thats going on and watching Iran's methods of retaliation. This all makes sense. THIS IS A SHOCKING MUST WATCH!" Hans Mahncke @HansMahncke, "I had never heard of this “Professor” Jiang until a few days ago, and now he’s suddenly everywhere, which is an obvious sign that he’s astroturfed agitprop. Meanwhile, the people giving him a platform are just retards." David French @DavidAFrench, "We absolutely need to know if this was an American strike. It's looking increasingly like it was, and if so it will be one of the worst individual incidents of civilian deaths in a generation or more." Quote Malachy Browne @malachybrowne, "Official statements placing U.S. forces in the area – along w/ analysis of social posts, videos, sat. images – suggest U.S. forces bombed a school in Minab, Iran during strikes targeting an IRGC base. Over 150 were killed, Iranian officials say." Scott Kid @under2point5g, "A tragedy regardless. But please @DavidAFrench @jaycaspiankang stop siding with radical Muslims who put military infrastructure next to schools again and again over this country that’s given you everything. Act like sober adults for once under this admin!" At Althouse, "It seems that the Democratic Party, broadly, has concluded that the roughly 120-hour-old campaign is a disaster that the public is destined to despise...." "Writes Noah Rothman, in "The Democrats’ Iran Gamble" (National Review)." Don Surber, Democrats go to war Against Trump. Go? They have been since he came down the elevator. Amy Curtis at TownHall hears Secretary Hegseth Blasts the Democrats for Rooting for America to Fail in Iran. Mark Judge at Hat Hair writes of Iran and the Vindication of Christopher Hitchens. Althouse, sees "That this country sits back and allows a country such as Iran to hold our hostages to my way of thinking is a horror." from Trump talking to Rona Barrett in 1980. From Sundance, Division, Derision and the Economics of the Thing. DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Honored to have my first byline published by @theammind. For 40 years, the democracy-promotion establishment protected Khamenei while claiming to oppose him. When the strikes came, they dispatched the protest machine to protect the regime. Why?"

VodkaPundit at PJM sees The Weirdest Thing Just Happened in Ukraine... Again Ryan Mauro @ryanmauro, "Global Seditionist Movement Alert: Russia is deploying a line that you should expect to appear in the Seditionist-Right media soon. The claim: Ukraine is committing “genocide” & “ethnic cleansing” against the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia (southwest Ukraine) by disproportionately sending them to die on the battlefield. Putin is hoping to popularize pan-Hungarian irredentism so that Russia can offer Transcarpathia to Hungary if it joins the Axis. Be on the lookout for Russian efforts to build armed proxies in the Hungarian-populated areas of Ukraine and on both sides of the border." I expect the Trolls at Althouse to pick up on it.

Sundance, Hemispheric Boss Level: Epic – Venezuela Edition. TheLastRefuge @TheLastRefuge2, "... Interior Secretary Doug Bergum standing next to Venezuela interim President Delcy Rodriquez, as the govt thanks President Donald Trump.... who just forcibly snatched Nicholas Maduro. Um, that's a level of ultimate boss beyond what I ever thought possible. Wow. Just Wow." Quote Emmanuel Rincón @EmmaRincon, " Translated from Spanish Delcy Rodríguez thanks Donald Trump, the man who two months ago bombed Caracas and forcibly took Maduro."

Ace crows Schmolls: Trump's Second Term Approval Is Higher Than That of the "Popular" Barack Obama and George Bush Too "From Real Clear Politics:" I am loathe to point out that both were succeeded by someone from the other party. Althouse likes her NYT, "Every president, of course, creates a decision-making structure tailor-made for his own style."

Sundance claims Ken Paxton Offers to Drop Out of Race if Thune and Cornyn Will Eliminate Filibuster and Pass SAVE Act. Sounds like a good deal to me, so it won't happen. Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "#BREAKING: Lakeshia Alston, the woman running for election as a REPUBLICAN in North Carolina's Senate District 22 in a full hijab... ...and was revealed to actually be a LIFE-LONG DEMOCRAT RAN COMPLETELY UNOPPOSED AND IS NOW THE GOP CANDIDATE!!!! WHAT?!!!!"

Beege Welborn notices CA Gov Race a Cluster to the End and State Dem Leaders Are Spazzing. At Althouse, Trump and "good looking men." "And speaking of good looking men, Katie Couric asks Gavin Newsom if he's "just ridiculously good looking" and whether he has "a Zoolander problem.""

Corey Walker @CoreyWriting "I think it's ok to be "uptight" over Nazi tattoos, but whatever I guess." Quote Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias "I think the effort to cancel Platner over tattoos or podcasts or whatever has basically backfired and people are actually ready for a less uptight Democratic Party. I'd just like to see him extend that to some more flexible thinking about policy."

Katya Sedgewick at the Everyman Commentary, New York, Islam and Why Every Dog will Still Have its Day. "The recent row on X between Nerdier Kiswani and Congressman Randy Fine over dogs in New York City shows how the notion of a shared American culture has gone to the dogs."

WJ, Masked Man Arrested Outside GOP Campaign Event - Cops Bagging Multiple Rifle and Pistol Magazines - No Injuries.

Shipwreckedcrew, In 9-0 Decision The Supreme Court Remove A Barrier Used By Some Appellate Judges To Slow The Pace Of Removing Illegal Aliens "Appeals Courts must accept facts as found in immigration courts if supported by "substantial evidence" -- and may reject such findings only if a "reasonable adjudicator would be compelled" to do so." PJM's Cathy Salgado, reports DHS Is Revetting Nearly 200K Afghans Let in by Biden. Dan McCarthy at RCP explains how Immigration Enforcement Saves Lives.

From Da Mail, CBS boss 'OUTRAGED' by clip showing Texas TV reporter being told not to cover jubilant Iranian protests after Trump had Ayatollah killed. X Freeze @XFreeze, "The “Wikilaundering” scandal is finally blowing wide open and it’s worse than we thought. A massive investigation by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism just exposed the ugly truth: Wikipedia is corrupt to its core You do not get information. You get propaganda.... articles manipulated by the highest bidder, billionaires, PR firms, and woke activists Here’s exactly how the rot works..."

Nancy Pearcey @NancyRPearcey, "Just last week, I told one of my students that virtually all societies have practiced slavery, from the Chinese to the Arabs to the Native Americans. My student responded: "I thought it was just Americans." Quote "The Rabbit Hole @TheRabbitHole "Most Hispanic, Black, and Asian women think “white people invented slavery.” Most Liberal Millennials think the same." At TCW, My journey from professor to pariah. At the College Fix, Video: UCSF staffer allegedly threatens to ‘hunt’ down and ‘kill’ conservative activist. Mike LaChance at LI, NY Judge Overturns Disciplinary Actions Against Columbia Students Who Took Over Building in 2024, “the panel’s determinations that petitioners committed most of the charged disciplinary violations… are arbitrary and capricious.” Amy Curtis, Leftist Gets Schooled About Why There's a Charlie Kirk Banner at the Department of Education.

At Hollywood in Toto, Punk Fail? Rockers Cancel Festival Over Trump. "Jello Biafra leads wave of rockers pulling out of tour over tepid Trump ties." Bummer; I guess.

Stacy McCain has a Violence Against Women Update. "Newly obtained police records and body-worn camera footage shed additional light on a physical altercation involving Black Lives Matter organizer Clyde McLemore and a woman who worked with him at the Black Lives Matter Resource Center in Waukegan."

And yet, still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.05.26 (Afternoon Edition).

Fish Pic Friday - Amy Grigg

Amy Grigg@Coloradotightflies , Tying flies and catching fish 🎣🦟💥 DM for Prices/Ordering on Instagram

Some awfully pretty looking flies.

Bay Diet Undergoing Organizational Revision for the Next 15 Years

 Bay Journal, Revamping of Bay Program governance expected by summer

When the leaders of the Chesapeake Bay cleanup approved significant revisions last December to the 2014 watershed agreement, they defined what the multi-state and federal partnership will do over the next 15 years. Now, they’re turning their attention to “how.” By July, the Chesapeake Bay Program, which oversees the restoration of America’s largest estuary, is expected to finalize a plan to restructure its governance. Ultimately, the goal of the proposed changes to governance and structure are to advance implementation of the agreement and make the Chesapeake Bay Program more efficient and effective,” said Kelly Offner, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 3, in a statement.

Among the key recommendations put forward by an internal panel: fusing the top two committees into a single board, overhauling subject-specific groups to align with the watershed agreement’s changes and strengthening coordination with federal agencies. The restructuring has been in the works for the last few years alongside the effort to update the 2014 agreement. Bay Program officials wanted to have a new agreement in place — the fifth new or thoroughly revised pact in the program’s history — before the end of 2025.

To prepare for the reorganization, the EPA hired the Massachusetts-based Eastern Research Group to evaluate the Bay Program’s structure. The resulting 2024 report highlighted several longstanding criticisms of the effort’s bureaucracy, including that it has become overly complex, opaque, averse to accepting outsiders’ feedback and burdened by a “siloed” structure that impedes collaboration. The report recommended that officials “simplify and streamline” the program’s structure and processes. In December 2024, the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council directed the Principals’ Staff Committee to oversee a top-to-bottom analysis of the partnership’s management structure and implement changes by July 2026.

I like the idea of simplifying the structure, especially it it reduces the numbers of fingers in the pie, but I suspect something less is actually happening in practice.

 The proposed structural changes were developed through discussions with the Management Board and the Principals’ Staff Committee, Offner said. To help guide those talks, EPA staff members studied organizational structures and interviewed peers at other regional restoration programs, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Puget Sound Partnership and several National Estuary Programs.

Under the new structure, the Executive Council’s membership and roles would remain unchanged. But immediately beneath it in the hierarchy, there would be a big change: The Principals’ Staff Committee and the Management Board would be replaced by a single panel called the Policy Steering Committee, made up of “high-level jurisdictional and federal leaders.”

The steering committee would set priorities for implementation committees, which would in turn preside over goal teams arrayed around the revised agreement’s four priorities: healthy landscapes, clean water, habitats and engaged communities. There would also be groups that provide technical support, and advisory committees would continue to dispense expertise on topics ranging from local government to agriculture. The Chesapeake Executive Council gave the go-ahead to the raft of structural proposals at the same December 2025 meeting in which it approved the revised agreement.

In recent committee meetings, some observers came away worried that only state and federal representatives would be allowed to sit as co-chairs on committees. Historically, leaders of non-governmental organizations have been able to serve in those roles. “If I were trying to accelerate progress and address some of these barriers to success, I would want to talk to people on the ground doing the work, experiencing successes and failures in real time,” said Kristin Reilly, director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition. Offner said, though, that “there are no restrictions on non-governmental organizations leadership” chairing committees.

And if I wanted to slow the process, make it less efficient, and make sure more money was wasted on goals that will never be accomplished, I'd invite in a lot more people.

Balloon Recycling in Virginia?

I can't imagine this is actually economically viable, but if it makes you feel noble, WHRO, Balloon litter is still soaring in coastal Virginia. A new recycling program could help.

A decade-long study found balloon fragments are omnipresent on Virginia’s beaches and remote islands.

About two decades ago, Christina Trapani was working with the Virginia Aquarium’s Stranding Response Program and started noticing a trend with some of the sea turtles they rescued. “We would find bits and pieces of balloons in their bellies,” she said. “It was obvious that this was something that could be affecting wildlife.”

Trapani’s experience at the aquarium set her on a yearslong quest to curb balloon litter, which has proven pervasive in coastal Virginia. She’s now director of the nonprofit Clean Virginia Waterways, which recently completed a decade-long survey of trash on Fisherman Island off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

 

Balloons and their ribbons topped the list of trash they identified, with nearly 6,000 pieces found on the island between 2014 and 2024. The group also collected lots of plastic bottles, shotgun shell, food wrappers and fishing gear. “When we look at our coastal beaches, especially the remote beaches, balloons are almost always in the top three types of litter that we record,” Trapani said.

Balloons are a particular concern in coastal Virginia because of easterly winds that blow them here from all over, and waves that bring them to shore. She’s found balloons bearing logos from Kansas, North Carolina, New York and Ohio. “Anything that's released inland is going to get blown offshore, and then it's going to wash back up eventually,” Trapani said. “We'd be out on the islands and actually watching balloons come in, which is really sad.”

Environmental groups previously documented balloon debris at False Cape State Park in Virginia Beach and a few barrier islands off the Eastern Shore. The recent report focused on Fisherman Island because of limited funding, Trapani said. It included site surveys twice a year. Almost 70% of the balloon litter recorded was concentrated on the highest sections of the beach, which serve as critical habitat for nesting shorebirds and diamondback terrapins.

Balloons float? Who knew? 

Virginia lawmakers took action on the issue in 2021, passing a ban on intentional balloon releases with a civil penalty of $25 per balloon for violations. Virginians were previously allowed to release up to 50 balloons per hour. Balloon litter has decreased since the new law took effect, Trapani said.  Before, an average of 240.6 pieces of balloon litter were found per mile, according to the report from Clean Virginia Waterways. That dropped to 174.9 afterward.

But there’s still a long way to go, Trapani said. She’s working on a program to allow people to recycle balloons and other party decorations. It started after they connected with Balloon Mission, a New York-based organization that aims to reduce balloon waste. The group works with TerraCycle, a recycling company in New Jersey, to offload balloons collected through cleanups or donations. The company converts them into materials used in manufacturing, such as for industrial flooring.

Trapani hopes to recycle 1 million balloons within three years in Virginia. That could include retailers or individuals who want to participate and ship balloons straight to TerraCycle. “We have to find another way to dispose of them,” she said. “If you're going to use balloons, let's just recycle them and give them a second life.”

We find balloons on the beach occasionally,  I have yet to see any marine animal affected by them. I think since Maryland's anti-balloon law went into effect there may be a little less.Or maybe, it's just the press the problem has received.  

Oregon, My Oregon

Good news for Oregon gun owners from Cam at Bearing Arms: Senate Committee Guts Major Changes to Oregon Gun Control Law

The permit-to-purchase and magazine ban included in Oregon's Measure 114 could still take effect if the state Supreme Court rules the gun control measures don't violate the state's constitution, but a Senate committee has gutted a bill that would have, among other things, more than doubled the fee for a permit and given county sheriffs up to two months to
approve or deny an application.

House Bill 4145, which advanced out of a House committee only after the bill's sponsor berated a fellow Democrat who originally voted against it so badly that she switched her vote (and declared he had created a hostile work environment afterward), saw major changes made during its appearance before the Senate Rules committee on Wednesday morning.

The committee, meeting in a work session, kept the portion of HB 4145 that extends the effective date of Measure 114 to 2028, but scrapped the language increasing the fees and doubling the potential wait time for a permit. That still doesn't address the underlying problems with Measure 114, but at least the bill won't make anything worse... so long as the committee's amended language isn't further replaced on the Senate floor.

Assuming the amended version of HB 4145 is adopted by the Senate, the House would need to concur with those changes before the bill could be sent to the governor. If that doesn't happen, the bill would go to a conference committee where lawmakers would try to find some accord.

There's a little sense of urgency to get something done, since Measure 114 is technically slated to take effect later this month. The law, though, is currently on hold thanks to an injunction issued by a Harney County judge in 2023; an injunction that has remained in place as litigation over the constitutionality of Measure 114 has made its way up to the Oregon Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments on November 6, 2025.

I'm pleasantly surprised to see even a scintilla of common sense exhibited in Oregon. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - War Powers Gambit Fails, US Torpedoes Iranian Warship

 At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed notices the Senate Defeats Dems' War Powers Challenge to Trump; UPDATE: Dems Consider Funding War?. I wasn't seriously worried. Matt Vespa at TownHall hears Top GOP Rep Slams Dems, Says DHS Funding Games Are Now 'Indefensible' After TX Terror Attack.

Yulia Pobegailova @Y_Pobegailova, "EXCLUSIVE: Kurdish forces in Iraq have launched a ground military offensive into Iran against the Islamic regime, an Iranian Kurdish official tells @i24NEWS_EN. According to the official, thousands of Kurdish fighters began taking combat positions inside Iranian territory on Monday, March 2. More details soon on @i24NEWS_EN." I'm not sure if this is good or bad news.

From NYPo, US sub sinks Iranian warship named after terrorist leader who Trump assassinated — in first such attack since WWII. The White House @WhiteHouse, "This Iranian warship thought it was safe in international waters. It wasn't. The @DeptofWar is fighting to win." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "America Graciously Converts 20 Iranian Warships Into New Submarines https://buff.ly/FjGw7Fy" CNBC whines U.S. crude oil surge eases after Bessent pledges support for tankers during Iran war. Sundance at CTH is concerned Importers, Exporters and Producers Trigger Force Majeure Notifications for Gulf LNG Shipments. John Ʌ Konrad V @johnkonrad, "The thing about shipowners is they are simultaneously the most colluding and most competitive businessmen on planet earth. Collectively they only want a trickle of traffic through chokepoints. Why? Because longer voyages suck capacity out of the system, making freight rates skyrocket. But they are also fiercely competitive. What a shipping company REALLY wants is everyone else to slow down while they get a fast pass through. So you’ll see collective shipping associations and the UN @IMOHQ stress the importance of seafarer safety, the risk of oil pollution during attacks, and any other excuse to use caution, slow down, or divert..." InfantryDort @infantrydort, "In all seriousness, this represents a significant shift in American foreign policy. The big frustrations for war vets: OIF: Enemy safe haven in Iran OEF: Enemy safe haven in Pakistan Vietnam: Enemy safe haven in Cambodia International waters argument aside, it appears we can finally try to finish fights without an arm and a leg tied behind our backs. Restricted by geography. This is a bigger deal than most realize, and will likely upset the globalist crowd. Oh well."

Ward Clark at RedState on The BUFF in Iran: What the Deployment of America's Oldest Bomber Means. We own the skies over Iran. 

Sundance hosts Defense Secretary Hegseth and Joint Chief’s Chairman Dan Caine Hold a Press Briefing. Capt. Ed cites Hegseth: We've Only Just Begun to Win. Althouse hears "We can sustain this fight — easily — for as long as we need to..." Her italics. Sarah Anderson at TownHall thinks Rubio Destroys Media's False Israel-Iran Narrative — to Their Faces Matt Vespa likes how Marco Rubio Got Very Sassy With the Fake News Media Regarding the Iran Strikes Yesterday. Capt. Ed reads the black smoke; Iran News Services: Mojtaba As Nepo Babytollah? Not So Fast and NYT whined the Iranians Tried Crying 'Uncle,' But ... John Sexton at Hat Hair, The Sun Always Shines on Iranian TV: Jürgen Nauditt @jurgen_nauditt, "Iranian media decided to showcase their successes against the US—and included scenes of a Soyuz missile hitting the battleship Yamato. The problem is, Soyuz is a space carrier, and the Yamato sank in April 1945." Their deep fakes tend to be very obvious fakes and not very deep. 

Hat Hair's Dave Strom announces The Trump Doctrine Is Here, and it is Awesome and Beege Welborn sees When the Can Finally Stops Getting Kicked Down the Road. NYPo opines Trump hit Iran — but he’s really got China in his crosshairs. China Uncensored @ChinaUncensored, "This isn't just about Iran. Every country watching this is doing the math. Every country that has been quietly drifting toward Beijing's orbit, betting that China is the future, is watching Beijing issue press conferences while its strategic partner gets regime-changed. The multipolar world was never a reality. It was a theory, a brand, an aspiration shared by countries that had grievances against American power. But they had no actual capacity to replace it. And when the moment of truth arrived, all Russia and China could do is say, “sorry for your loss.”" VodkaPundit at PJM, China Only Cares About This One Thing, and Sorry Iran, but It Ain't You. cdrsalamander @cdrsalamander, "Tens of millions of people in the Anglosphere are ruled by people who think the Model UN they played with in high school is how the real world works." Quote Harrison Faulkner @Harry__Faulkner "PM Mark Carney says the U.S.-Israel war against Iran is a failure of the international order. " The current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order."" Mike Coté @ratlpolicy, "Canada: "America is no longer a reliable ally. We reaffirm our strategic partnership with China." Also Canada: "Why didn't America share its secret military plans with us?"" Dave Strom wonders Will Epic Fury Bring Regime Change to Great Britain?

John Sexton reports a Blackout: Cuba in Darkness as Communist Leaders Struggle to See the Light.

Han Shawnity @HanShawnity, "Originally I supported Trump's war with Iran, but then I saw all the worst people in America came out against it, and now I support it even more." Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "Calla Walsh, Warren’s old staffer, speaking in Iran: “Glory to all the martyrs, glory to the axis of resistance. May we see victory within our lifetimes. Death to America!”" At NewsBusters, O'Donnell Suggests Trump's Military Operates like Hitler's WW2 Forces, Larry, not Rosie. Cathy Salgado at PJM reports U.S. Mosques Mourn ‘Our Leader’ Khamenei, Michigan Imam Might Have Dem Party Ties. John Hinderacker at Power Line notices British Students Mourn “Beloved” Ayatollah. From Twitchy, We Learn More About Wife of Service Member Who Trashed Operation Epic Fury in TMZ Interview. kevin smith @kevin_smith45, "Dear feminists. Trump just freed the most oppressed women on planet earth And you hated it." I wouldn't call them free yet, but it's heading that way. Amy Curtis at TownHall sees Whoopi Goldberg Is Left Speechless When Confronted With the Reality of Women in Iran. Vigilant Fox @VigilantFox, "Whoopi Goldberg visibly locks up as conservative co-host presents a devastating before-and-after image of Iranian women under the regime. “Look at what women looked like.” “Right now, these women have hope.” “People who are gay are not being thrown off buildings.” “Women will not be mutilated and murdered.” “It takes strength to find peace. And America should be first at that always.” The camera cut to Whoopi. She looked ready to respond. But the only thing that came out was this face. Perhaps she realized there was no way to spin this into some sort of negative against Trump." Ida Turan ایده توران @iranidaturan, "The reason Iranian protesters are burning mosques, is not blind hatred, we are not Palestinians. It has a concrete, practical reason, and there is a very important lesson in it for you in the West. These mosques are not places of worships, they serve as operation bases for the regime's militias in residential neighborhoods. Mosques house armories for the Basij militias. They function as headquarters for repression and temporary detention centers for protesters. Protesters burn these structures as a strategic step to weaken the regime's local oppression forces..."

At RCM Paul McCarthy (not that Paul McCarthy) argues Trump's USMCA Has Been a Major Win for U.S. Manufacturers. From the Center Square Nevada, Federal bureau approves lithium mine expansion, enviroweenies and China hurt worst. A Larry video at Hat Hair, RFK Jr. Raises Alarm Over Weed Killer Residue in Food as Billions Paid in Settlements. I think RFK Jr is wrong on this one.

From Althouse, Hillary reacts to hearing that Jeffrey Epstein said "Hillary Clinton is much prettier in person " "Watch out! It's an attempted trap:" and a fantastic parody of Bill Clinton looking at the Epstein files. Watch the TikTok with the sound up! Rep. Nancy Mace @RepNancyMace, "The loudest voices screaming "Release the Epstein Files" just voted to BURY the sexual harassment files of Members of Congress. Get it now?" Quote Darth Powell @VladTheInflator "HOLY FUCK it wasn't even close. I'm going to tell my kids this is Epstein Island x.com/kenklippenstei…"

PJM's Stephen Kruiser says The GOP Can't Be Rid of Thom Tillis Quickly Enough.

From NRO, Cornyn and Paxton Will Advance to a Texas GOP Senate Runoff. Dave Strom thinks the Texas Senate Race Is Gonna Be Lit! Capt. Ed, Realpolitik in Texas: Trump Demands End to Senate Runoff. Sundance, President Trump Announces He Will Soon Endorse Either John Cornyn or Ken Paxton – Urges The Non-Endorsed to Exit Race. At Althouse, "Both John and Ken ran great races, but not good enough. Now, this one, must be PERFECT!" ""My Endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable!... At Truth Social, this afternoon, the day after the Texas primary, where neither John Cornyn nor Ken Paxton got enough votes to avoid a runoff." 

TownHall's Jeff Charles wonders What the Hell Happened in Dallas County's Primary Election Last Night? Bob Hoge at RedState sees a Bitter Jasmine Crockett Blames 'Cheating' After Vote Counts in Texas Senate Race Don't Go Her Way. VodkaPundit at Insty thinks THEY SEE NOTHING, THEY KNOW NOTHING: Texas Democratic Senate candidates sidestep Islamic terrorism concerns following deadly Austin attack. “Crockett and Talarico did not address any mention of Islamic terrorism or whether it might pose an additional risk to Americans in light of recent U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Townhall.com @townhallcom, "JAMES TALARICO: "Our trans community needs abortion care too." This is who Democrats just nominated as their senate candidate." Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "Reminder that the white savior here ran against a black woman and prevented her from a possible US Senate seat." Quote James Talarico @jamestalarico "Replying to @jamestalarico
I’m co-authoring legislation to explicitly teach “diversity, equity, and inclusion” in our schools. I’ve also filed House Bill 4111 which would require school districts over a..."

Althouse is amused Pete Buttigieg has a splitting maul. "Instapundit reports on what's in The Atlantic." David Burge @iowahawkblog, "Rugged Lumberjack Pete sits at authentic rustic diner awaiting a heaping breakfast plate of carburetors, while Annie Leibovitz captures him in a moment of deep reflection." VodkaPundit at Insty, THIS IS THE HARDEST THAT THE ATLANTIC HAS EVER ATLANTICKED: "Pete Buttigieg in the Wilderness. “He has a beard, a splitting maul, and a house in Michigan. Is that enough to convince America that he’s a man of the people?”" Beege Welborn on Dem Presidential Aspirant Makeovers: Mayor Pete's Lumberjack LARP.

Sunny @sunnyright, "Democrats in Maine are nominating for Senate a guy with a literal Nazi tattoo who was a military contractor, describes himself as a communist, and has a history of bigoted comments and associating with antisemitic conspiracy theorists." Daniel Sugarman @Daniel_Sugarman, "If you're defending - and actively saying you'll support - a candidate who had a literal SS Totenkopf tattoo on his chest for 2 decades, then no-one should listen to a word you say ever again. I'm serious." Quote The Bulwark @BulwarkOnline, "“It is absolutely critical that the Democrats figure out how in the fuck to win working-class white people if they ever want to have power or control again.” @Timodc on why backing Graham Platner in the Maine Senate race may be a gamble worth taking." shevereshtus @shevereshtus, "“Israel is an apartheid state, and don’t be so uptight about Nazi tattoos” - The Democratic Party, 2026." Quote Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias, "I think the effort to cancel Platner over tattoos or podcasts or whatever has basically backfired and people are actually ready for a less uptight Democratic Party. I'd just like to see him extend that to some more flexible thinking about policy. x.com/jonfavs/status…"

From Twitchy, Tim Walz Goes Full Deer in Headlights When Jim Jordan Busts Him About Payments to Fraudsters. Dave Strom, Tim Walz Getting Gutted and Filleted on Capitol Hill Today. Steve Richards and John Solomon at JTN, report the House Oversight Committee concludes Tim Walz' administration knew of fraud, failed to act "Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s administration was made aware of fraud in benefits programs early in his tenure, but failed to take action to stop it, an interim report based on testimony from nine state officials concluded."

Dave Strom thinks Spanberger is Getting CREAMED For Protecting Illegal Aliens. Christian Heiens @ChristianHeiens, "Virginia Democrats have a bill to criminalize political memes. I’m not kidding. That’s what this bill does." From Da Signal, Virginia’s Largest Public School District Is Unraveling, Fairfax.

At NYPo, the Divine Miranda Devine: NYC needs a mayor who has our backs — not Zohran Mamdani, who sides with terror and crime.

Matt Margolis at PJM hears Democrats Just Got Some DEVASTATING News About the Midterms. "According to the poll, Trump's overall approval sits at 46%, ticking upward across nearly every policy area. His strongest marks came on fighting crime in cities (51%), immigration (48%), and returning America to its values (48%). Even his weakest categories — responding to anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis (42%) and tariffs and trade policy (43%) — are areas where the administration still has room to maneuver. Here's where it gets especially inconvenient for the Democrats. A full 52% of voters say the economy is better today than it was under Biden — up 5 points from January. 51% say the economy is strong right now, up 8 points since November 2025. And 36% say their personal financial situation has improved, up 4 points since November, with gains concentrated among Republicans, males, likely midterm voters, and urban voters aged 25-44." Steve Huntley at John Kass's worries Can Democrats Erase Trump?

Ace, That Thing That Never Happens Happened Again. Susan Crabtree @susancrabtree, " NEW: CALIFORNIA VOTER FRAUDSTER SENTENCED AFTER INVESTIGATION FOUND 71 VOTER NAMES REGISTERED TO HIS OWN ADDRESS. Former Lodi City Councilman Shakir Khan was sentenced Monday to three years in county jail after election integrity advocate and database creator
@larrymaloney helped local authorities uncover an elaborate voter fraud scheme Khan orchestrated to win his 2020 election. Khan pleaded no contest to numerous criminal counts and money-laundering after the San Joaquin Sheriff's office discovered 41 sealed and completed mail-in ballots when searching his home, and Maloney discovered 71 names registered to Khan's address, phone number or email. Khan was accused of taking advantage of the Pakistani community with his election fraud misconduct."

Been there, done that.

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.04.26. I may get back to this later; but maybe not.

Thursday Tanlines

HuffPo,  People Are 'Carrotmaxxing' To Get A Sunless Tan — But Does It Work?

A new viral TikTok trend has people “carrotmaxxing” — eating three or more full-sized carrots a day — to try to get glowy, tan skin (without the skin cancer risk). TikToker @lisa.alkntra shared a time-lapse clip in one of her videos, showing her skin getting progressively more tan from September through December. Another TikToker @kendramfit shared a video of her tan, claiming that instead of self-tanner, she is “just eating an excessive amount of carrots.”
...
Eating an excessive amount of carrots causes carotenemia, “a condition that causes a yellow-orange hue to the skin because of eating beta-carotene-rich foods,” explained Dr. Corrie Alford, a board-certified dermatologist at MetroDerm in Atlanta. You can also achieve the same effect by eating squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin or oranges. Alford explained, “When a person takes in more beta-carotene than the body needs, the extra gets stored in body fat and can build up in the outermost layer of the skin, causing the yellow or orange hue.”
...
And while “carrotmaxxing” may help alter your skin pigmentation to a degree, it won’t necessarily make you look like you have an even, spread-out tan like you were hoping for. Although some people call it a “healthy glow,” Alford compares it to “a bad spray tan” instead.
...
Too much of a good thing can have harmful effects, and that includes carrots and other beta-carotene-containing foods. “Excess vitamin A, known as hypervitaminosis A, can have toxic effects,” Alford said. “Luckily, the body only converts a small amount of beta-carotene to vitamin A, making hypervitaminosis A unlikely from eating carrots alone.”

And I don't like carrots quite that much.