The Wednesday Wetness

With Amber Van Mieghem:

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Beach Report 4/28/26

Over cast, and cool, after a light rain in the morning. Back in long pants and boot!

High tide, so I couldn't get too far, but there was a nice line of gravel and shell to look through.

The best of 10 teeth, a Snaggletooth, most likely an upper lateral, well toward the back. A bit worn but otherwise intact. 

Forget It Jake, It's Baltimore - Key Bridge Contract Cancelled

Balmer Sun, Key Bridge contract canceled: Moore’s ‘fastest-moving’ claim tested 

Maryland’s plan to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge hit a major setback Tuesday, as state officials abruptly canceled a key construction contract, undercutting Gov. Wes Moore’s repeated claim that the project was the nation’s “fastest-moving” large infrastructure effort. The decision to off-ramp contractor Kiewit Infrastructure Co. from the project’s critical second phase came after its proposals “far exceeded” state estimates, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The move forces Maryland back into the market for a new builder at a pivotal moment, as project costs have surged from roughly $1.8 billion to more than $5.2 billion. It transforms what Moore has framed as a model of speed into a high-stakes test of the administration’s ability to manage one of the most expensive and politically scrutinized infrastructure projects in the country.

In a major joint announcement through separate releases on Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), the State of Maryland has canceled its contract with the Key Bridge’s construction contractor, Kiewit Infrastructure Co., for Phase 2 of the project.

Phase 2 of the project focused on finalizing the new Key Bridge’s design, driving steel piles into the Patapsco River, and beginning construction of the roadway approaches and spans. This phase also granted Kiewit exclusive rights and transitioned from preliminary plans to a guaranteed maximum price for construction.

MDTA said in its release that it is “off-ramping” Kiewit, forcing the state back into the market to find a new contractor for the most critical phase of work. This decision comes after negotiations over cost failed, with Duffy pointing out that Kiewit’s proposals “far exceeded” independent state estimates.

Maryland transportation leaders framed the move on Tuesday as a necessary step to protect taxpayers and keep the project on track. Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thompson said in MDTA’s announcement that safety, speed and cost efficiency remain top priorities. “At the governor’s direction, MDTA will aggressively protect and advance the interests of Maryland,” Thomson said.

In a statement on Tuesday, Moore said that since the beginning, he has “been unequivocal: we will rebuild this bridge safely, quickly, and cost-effectively. And we will never settle for less.” “As we prepare to enter Phase 2 of construction, our team approached negotiations with our contractor with clear eyes and firm imperatives,” Moore said in his statement. “But after weeks of engagement, it became evident that the contractor’s proposed price and timeline for moving forward was unreasonably high and therefore unacceptable.” “This was informed by the state’s independent cost estimates,” Moore added.
...
In a separate federal announcement, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy painted a starkly different picture: a project plagued by ballooning costs, delays, and the need for aggressive federal oversight. Duffy also claimed victory in delivering on his promise of vigorous oversight of the costs to rebuild the Key Bridge. “The Trump Administration is always working to secure the best possible team for hardworking American taxpayers,” said Duffy in the release. “It’s my job to ensure the American people’s tax dollars are used efficiently and that major projects are completed on time and on budget.”

Late and over budget in Baltimore? Whoda thunk? 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Hell No, We Won't Let It Go

Once again, we're obsessed with the most recent assassination attempt on President Trump. John Solomon at JTN, Trump dodges another gunman, unbowed but grounded: 'Not going to deter me' "Being president “is a very dangerous profession. … I can’t imagine that there is any profession that is more dangerous.”" Atop Da Hill, Secret Service ‘needs to reconsider’ Trump-Vance joint appearances after WHCA gala shooting: McCaul. PJM's Cathy Salgado hears Charges Against Cole Allen in Attempted Assassination of Trump and Trump Backs Secret Service but Allows That Extra Training May Be Necessary. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair say Let's Face It: This Was An Abject Security Failure. Again; UPDATE: Johnson Demands, 'Tighten Up'. Rep. Perry to Newsmax: Attack on Trump an 'Abject Failure' of Secret Service. Kennedy @KennedyNation, "We changed hotels at the last minute yesterday, and booked a room at the Hilton at 3p. I was never asked for a key, but could’ve produced one from a different city. Also never asked for ID, and waltzed through the lobby and lower ballroom areas like I owned the place. Only saw one LE dog by the red carpet, which also had surprisingly lax security. Having been to this event several times as early as 1995, this was probably the least security I’ve encountered. Thank God everyone is safe!" Quote Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "My thoughts on the security at the WHCD last night. The first exterior security for me was on the street outside of the hotel. I flashed my ticket and was waved through in one second. My name was not checked against any list, I showed no ID, I was not patted down and did not go through a metal detector. I probably could have shown a ticket from a prior year or a fake one as they barely looked at it. (I don't know who that exterior security was, they were guys in suits)..." Jack Posobiec @JackPosobiec, "The biggest problem to prosecuting Cole Alan isn’t the evidence, it’s the fact that the DC jury pool would agree with his manifesto They’d just be upset he failed." Ace, When the Bullets Stopped Flying, Alcoholic "Journalist" Karens Focused On What Really Matters, and Looted 147 Wine Bottles from the Venue, "Incredible. Give yourselves all a media award for Stunning Bravery." On Gutfeld last night, Kennedy admitted to taking 3 bottles of champaign, saying it was the network that paid for the booze. At Althouse, "The WHCD Viral ‘Salad Eater’ Is Wolf Blitzer’s Agent.". "Wow, that's one of my favorite headlines ever. In New York Magazine, here.Context: "The man filmed casually eating a salad as everyone else ducked for cover after shots rang out at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is speaking out. CAA Agent Michael Glantz told TMZ that he never felt unsafe at the event, and remained seated and eating because he wanted to see how law enforcement responded. 'Not every day you see something like that go down,' he said. Glantz was at the dinner because he is CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer’s agent."" Hat Hair's Dave Strom wants to know, Will the Democrats Finally Fund DHS Now?

Stacy McCain catches the media and Democrats, including Obama (but I redund) ‘Pretending Not to Know’ what motivated the shooter. "“His beliefs mirrored mainstream Democrat talking points” — in other words, he was radicalized not by some obscure fringe website, but by what every Democrat with access to a microphone or a camera has been saying publicly ever since Trump beat Hillary nearly 10 years ago." James Woods @RealJamesWoods, "For the record he’s not that stupid, of course, be he revels in the comfort of knowing his constituents are." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Ex-President Barack Obama claims 'we don't know' WHCD gunman's motives - despite raving anti-Trump manifesto https://trib.al/phZQa4M." Mehek Cooke @MehekCooke, "Obama is a liar. He says "we don't know the motive" but the shooter left a manifesto targeting Trump and officials. Democrats know violent rhetoric has consequences and voters will punish it. This isn't waiting for facts. This is political cover. Truth with @MariaBartiromo" PJM's Matt Margolis Can't Believe Obama Said This About the Latest Trump Assassination Attempt. I can. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Democrats: Manifesto Doesn't Tell You the Actual Motive of Cole Allen Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "President Obama cautioned that we really do not know the motives of Cole Allen. https://foxnews.com/politics/obama-says-motive-unclear-despite-manifesto-outlining-alleged-targets-dc-shooting Sure, he called Trump the "anti-Christ" and said he wanted to attack the Administration. However, he might have been a disgruntled hotel guest or someone vehemently against dinner parties." Batya Ungar-Sargon @bungarsargon, "The NYT and President Obama are pretending the WHCD gunman didn't leave a manifesto because the manifesto is indistinguishable from how they talk about Trump. Political violence is not equally distributed. The bullets are only flying in one direction, and it's Left to Right."

Dave Strom, Karoline Levitt Calls Dems Out By Name Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "HOLY CRAP! Karoline Leavitt is calling out Democrats BY NAME who SPARKED the rhetoric leading to Saturday's attempt on President Trump's life "Rep Hakeem Jeffrey just THIS MONTH said, 'we are in an era of maximum warfare everywhere all the time.'" "Governor Josh Shapiro said heads need to roll within the administration." "Senator Alex Padilla said people are DYING because of fear and terror caused by the Trump administration." "Senator Elizabeth Warren: President Trump is making the country look like a 'FASCIST STATE'" "Senator Adam Schiff saying President Trump using a dictator playbook" Senator Ed Markey calling President Trump a dictator, saying that this administration's actions are authoritarism on STEROIDS" "Governor JB Pritzker: 'Never before in my life have I called for mass protest disruptions. These Republicans cannot know a MOMENT of peace.'" "Rep. Pressley saying we'll see you in the streets." Monica M McIver, a Democrat representative on Capitol Hill, we will "not take this sh*t from Donald Trump. He thinks he's a DICTATOR. We are at WAR!" "These are Democrat elected officials calling for WAR against the president of the United States and his supporters." Cathy Salgado at PJM cites Leavitt: Dems Need to Drop the Crazy Rhetoric, Fund DHS After D.C. Shooting VodkaPundit at PJM notes No Conspiracy Required. Amy Curtis at TownHall, Jamie Raskin Is Unaware of the Heated Rhetoric From Democrats. Let's Remind Him. Mary Chastain at LI, Hakeem Jeffries Stands by ‘Maximum Warfare’ Comments Against Republicans. "Wannabe Barack Obama has thoughts." From the Free Bacon, Suspected WHCD Shooter Boosted Bluesky Posts Saying Trump Should Be 'Tried For High Crimes'. Brad Slager at RedState, When the Narrative Breaks: WHCD Shooting Forces a Sudden Pivot. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Nailed it: "The Democratic Party has created monsters among them. Democrats need to come to terms with what they have produced... "The right has its own version of this derangement effect, not to diminish this being a problem on both sides. But while the right’s problem is in the fringe, the left’s version is in the mainstream."" Quote Marina Medvin @MarinaMedvin, "I’ve read Cole Allen’s tweets and his statement. The most interesting part about his language and choice of words is that it’s generally indistinguishable from most liberal social medial accounts belonging to Democrat voters in America."Congressman Greg Steube @RepGregSteube, "Making light of another assassination attempt on a President by our local Democrat Party is as disgraceful as it is unsurprising. This is exactly the kind of rhetoric that contributes to a climate where these attacks continue to happen, and frankly, it’s why my staff and I take security in our district so seriously. I receive dozens of threats every single day, and this kind of behavior only makes that reality worse. It’s deeply disappointing to see this coming from people in our own community. I pray they find the decency and clarity to reject this kind of hatred and choose a better path forward. From Shooting News Week, Media Finger America’s ‘Gun Culture’ In Apportioning Blame for Latest Assassination Attempt. Clearly, well educated adult leftists cannot be trusted with weapons. Hat Hair's John Sexton sees Many Democrats Retreat into Conspiracy Theories and Dave Strom observes Teachers, Nurses, and Doctors Celebrate Violence and Brewpub That Lamented Trump's Not Being Killed Doubling Down. PJM's Chris Queen notes Jon Ossoff Had Plenty to Say About Trump — Until Someone Tried to Kill Him and Dave Manney hears Again, Fetterman Breaks Ranks After the Third Attempt on Trump's Life. Fugitive Caesar @ThomBrady5, "The whole point of taking a vote and having an election is to prevent violence. Leftists are sore losers who have decided they will reject any outcome and escalate to violence if they cannot rig the process in their favor." Quote Fugitive Caesar @ThomBrady5 "when Democrats lose elections, they declare the election was illegitimate and Democrats start rioting, assassinating Republicans. This is untenable and cannot be tolerated. Our government doesn't work if one side refuses to share power and resources according to elections. x.com/ThomBrady5/sta…" Ace, ABC "News" Employee Ana Navaro: It's Good That Trump Officials Now Know The Fear of a Mass Shooter. "Because Trump wasn't actually murdered, as they all pray for, they're forced to search for a bright side. Here's the bright side: At least they were terrorized." Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "The sitting Virginia Attorney General literally fantasized about kiIIing a Republican opponent and his kids The mainstream Democratic Party want to kiII us and they’re open about it." PJM's Stephen Kruiser, If You Can't Say Something Nice About Someone, You Must Be Talking About a Democrat.

Cathy Salgado sees ‘Political Sickness:’ Melania Trump Deplores Jimmy Kimmel’s Disturbing Shooting Jokes. Da Mail, Melania Trump breaks silence on 'coward' Jimmy Kimmel's 'hateful and violent' skit and calls on ABC to FIRE him Althouse "Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow," Jimmy Kimmel joked. "He was doing a routine on his show last Thursday, anticipating Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner and playing the part of an emcee at that dinner. Of course, he didn't know that there would be an assassination attempt that night. See "Melania Trump blasts ‘coward’ Jimmy Kimmel over ‘hateful’ monologue delivered days before WHCD shooting" (NY Post). Kimmel has apologized — remember when he apologized for joking about the assassination of Charlie Kirk — and even taken some responsibility:" A Larry vid at Hat Hair, Trump Is Refusing to Let Them Forget What They Did. 

John Ʌ Konrad V @johnkonrad, "Ship captain who traveled with Pete Hegseth here. When we toured the nation’s next supercarrier together and sat down to lunch with the crew, every eye in the room tracked Pete. It wasn’t electric. It wasn’t rhetoric. It was reciprocity..." @amuse @amuse, "DRIVE-BY MEDIA: The NYT published a 'bombshell' story that Trump awarded a secret no-bid contract to fix the fountains in Lafayette Park to the firm building the White House ballroom. The only problem? It wasn't secret, it was offered to EVERY eligible contractor, only one could complete the work by the July 4th, and Trump had nothing to do with the National Park Service's contracting process. Total lies that drive the Democrat's narrative that a fascist regime has take control of America - narratives that young progressives like Cole Allen believe and act on." Buck Throckmorton at Ace's Senator John Cornyn is learning that “Trust me, I’m lying” doesn’t work like it used to.

Fugitive Caesar @ThomBrady5, "China's military strategy to defeat America is based around encouraging Democrats to deindustrialize America, regulate AI, handcuff the American military with rules of engagement, and cripple young white men with DEI racial discrimination." VodkaPundit at PJM, Sorry, Media: China Is Not the Big Winner in the Iran War. Duane Patterson at Hat Hair, The Iranian Regime and the Political Left's Shared Enemy - Donald Trump and Capt. Ed, Iran's New Stall: End the War, Open the Strait, Nukes ... TBD. Ace, Iran: How About We Postpone All Talks About Our Nuke Program While You End the Embargo, Like Obama Did? "Gee I wonder why they're so determined to hang on to their "peacefully enriched uranium stockpiles."" Duane Patterson @Radioblogger, "It's methane they're burning, not oil. But it's the last ditch effort to buy a little time before shutting down the wells and capping them. But remember, all the Trump haters want you to believe Iran is winning." Quote Terror Alarm @Terror_Alarm, Iran is now burning its own oil. Massive flares and thick black smoke over Khuzestan as blocked exports leave tanks full - they’re forced to torch the excess just to keep operating." Overton @overton_news, "Secretary Rubio just laid down the law over the Straits of Hormuz. Iran does not get to extort the world and play toll collector on international waters. RUBIO: “If what they mean by opening the the straits is, yes, the straits are opened as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission or we'll blow you up and you pay us...” “Thats not opening the straits!” “Those are international waterways.” “They cannot normalize, nor can we tolerate them trying to normalize a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use an international waterway and how much you have you pay them to use it.”"

Breccan Theis sees VA Gerrymander Language Is So Dishonest, Dems Refuse To Defend It In Court. Ace, DeSantis Unveils New Congressional Map for Florida, Flipping Four Democrat Seats to Republicans, "He told them that if they f***ed around, they would find out. They're not finding out." News Wax reports Supreme Court Formally Reinstates Pro-Republican Texas Voting Map.Chris @chriswithans, "I’m just an unfrozen caveman so this world confuses me. But how does it make sense that the 3 liberal justices eagerly upheld the much more egregious 48-4 California maps but dissented to upholding the Texas map?." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn calls out Dem Mayday, Mayday: Voter ID Ballot Measure Qualifies for CA's November General Election Ballot. Monica Showalter at Am Think thinks ActBlue is The Democrats' dirtiest campaign fundraiser "Is there anything a Democrat won't do?" Murder is not off the table. At Da Wire, Biden Officials Used Codeword To Hide Loans To Major Abortion Provider, "Planned Parenthood and affiliates received $90 million in COVID funds despite being ruled ineligible."

News Wax reports California Billionaire Tax Likely Headed to Ballot. John Sexton, California Wealth Tax Has Enough Signatures to Make the Ballot. Calif Post, Gas station owner speaks for every Californian with four-word message to Gavin Newsom — as another hike looms. The AMAC thinks the GOP Must Expose Democrats as Affordability Frauds to Win the Midterms. PJM's Tim O'Brien hears Karen Bass Faces Serious Questions After Leaked Phone Call On Palisades Fire. She doesn't see herself as LA's mayor, she see's herself as Cuba's ambassador to the world. 

The Manhattan Contrarian asks So How Is Zohran Mamdani's New Pied-à-Terre Tax Supposed To Work? Very poorly. Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "New homeless shelters are sprouting up all across New York City “We're finding that it nearly $10,000 per unit, per month.” Shelters are being discovered being paid the full amount regardless of if the beds are being used “This is the 15th homeless shelter in Greenwood Heights. This one is over 300 plus beds for homeless men.” NYC’s overall DHS budget for shelters and related services runs $3-4+ billion annually $3.58 billion proposed for 2026 New York spent $81,000 per homeless person in 2025." Which wouldn't be a bad salary for being homeless, but it's most just salary for bureaucrats.

Sister Toldja at RedState says 'Holy Smokes': NC Democrat Exodus Continues As Another State Lawmaker Bails and Spills Tea Along the Way. “I have witnessed and experienced actions within the political landscape that I believe could be perceived as misleading or inconsistent with the spirit of fair elections. I cannot, in good conscience, remain aligned where those concerns are not adequately addressed.” I Meme Therefore I Am @ImMeme0, "Rep. Ilhan Omar: “The last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked… during World War ELEVEN.” She must have gotten her education in the Quality Learing Center." I must have missed 3-10 in the noise. Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "Lee Zeldin TRIGGERS Democrat Rep. Rosa DeLauro By Exposing Her For Not Knowing Basic Supreme Court Cases DeLauro: "You're here because you need money from us! So HALT for the second! And wait for the questions and ANSWER the questions!" 

Cam at Bearing Arms, Gun Control Advocates: About Those Hunting Rifles We Said Were Okay...

RCP looks at Charlottesville: The Deceit Underlying the Hoax. At the College Fix, The ripple effect of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s ‘paying sources to stoke racial hatred’. Amy Curtis wonders Did the SPLC Engage in a False Flag Operation in Rural Wisconsin? It Sure Looks Like It. Christopher F. Rufo @christopherrufo, "There is a huge difference here: nobody on the Right justified, rationalized, or celebrated the white supremacist in Buffalo. But many people on the Left, including in prestige media, have justified, rationalized, and celebrated left-wing violence, from BLM to the present." Quote Glenn Greenwald @ggreenwald "When a white supremacist gunned down 10 black people in a Buffalo supermarket in 2022, the NYT's @Jbouie and other liberals blamed mainstream conservatives for "inspiring" the anti-immigration views in whose name that shooter killed. Bouie claimed in the NYT that the killer's manifesto was "virtually indistinguishable from mainstream Republican rhetoric," and conservatives thus bear blame..." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Nation In Stunned Disbelief That The Patriot Front Might Have Been Fake https://buff.ly/B0BSCAh."

Sundance at CTH is not shocked Senator Chuck Grassley’s Office Requests Answers from DOJ and FBI About Purposefully Ignored (and Buried) Investigations into Hillary Clinton. Ace sees New Documents: FBI Opened and Then Immediately Closed a Fakey-Fake "Inquiry" Into the Clinton Foundation's Obvious Pay-for-Play Scheme with Foreign Governments, "One surmises that Wray's FBI opened the investigation only because of pressure from some Republicans, and then immediately closed it and said "Nothing to see here, move along." (Margot Cleveland for The Federalist). Shipwreckedcrew wrecks Andy Weissman's reputation, Andrew Weissmann's Article in Just Security Shows Why He Was Reversed 9-0 By The Supreme Thereby Cratering His Career. "He offers sophistry and duplicitous reasoning in stringing together red herrings that ignore basics of federal criminal procedure and substantive law in criticizing the indictment of the SPLC."

Tom Jipping and Hans von Spakovsky give April’s Dishonorable Judicial Conduct Award in the Swinging Body Parts Case.

Chief_Engineer @ChiefEngineerCE, "People ask: How can we help? How do we know if we’re making a difference? Here’s how —> and here’s proof. When Americans flood PERM job postings with real applications, it forces companies to admit the truth: They’re not short on talent. They’re not desperate for foreign labor. They’re overwhelmed with qualified Americans. This tweet is their confession. They call it a “DDoS attack.” We call it accountability. Because when the system has to respond to hundreds of qualified Americans, the fake shortage collapses. So what can you do? 1. Expose Hidden PERM Jobs https://jobs.now This is proof your effort matters. Every application, every share, every signature puts pressure on a system designed to shut you out. They’re angry because it works. Let’s keep going. There's a whole lot of heroes in our movement and you are changing the game and its being felt worldwide."

From the Right Scoop, The ‘shift’ grift: WaPo playing framing games to spew same old anti-Trump spin as ever. "I mean, take this latest piece on Trump’s idea to buy bankrupt Spirit Airlines, framed neatly around Republican backlash. See, they are pitching it like “no it’s not us, it’s Republicans who object!” And sure, that’s true enough. Many do and with good reason. But folks, that ain’t the WaPo’s reason. Their reason is the same as always: hurt Republicans, hurt Trump. They just have a new strategy."

The Vigilant Fox @VigilantFox, "Bill Maher drags his woke guest out of his liberal bubble and tells him to his face he’s why Kamala Harris lost. It all started when David Cross revealed his 9-year-old daughter has “trans friends.” “Wait, she has trans friends in third grade?” Maher asked. Cross replied: “Yep,” as if it’s completely normal and something society should embrace. That’s when Maher dropped the hammer and told him straight up that no, somebody’s doing something to that little girl...“You’re just why she lost. Because America hears this, and they’re going to go, ‘Bill’s right. Eight-year-olds can’t really make decisions on their own like this.’ That’s what most people are going to say.”"

Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Hearing a lot of variations on this theme lately. Seems to boil down to women within institutions policing process, where men demanded results. Frankly, looking back over 40-odd years, sounds kinda familiar." Quote Karoline Gosling @KarolineGosling "Germany was ruined because Germany listened to women too much. I am a German woman, I live here. I often hear Germany used to be so great, strong and beauitful? Today I do not see this anymore. The men have become weak and subservient to women. The women have become masculine and lost all femininty. It is not pretty anymore. LGBTQ? Mass Immigration? Islam? Great!! This all started because men tried to be nice and listened to women. But it destroyed Europe. If the West, Europe or Germany wants to become great again, we need to not let women rule society."

Tattoo Tuesday

 Done come around again:

WMAR 2, Baltimore, Tattoo Arts Festival returns to Baltimore

The Tattoo Arts Festival returned to Baltimore, bringing a weekend of artistry to the city.

The three-day event took place at the Baltimore Convention Center and gathered hundreds of the world's most talented tattoo artists in one place.

You missed your chance!