Flotsam and Jetsam - SOTU and Beyond

In case you missed it, Sundance has the rerun, President Trump State of the Union Speech. As does Althouse, Trump delivered a very long SOTU last night. Did you watch? Really? "It was too late for me, but I watched. Until I didn't." We didn't either, though I picked it up in the last 30 minutes. I'm not much into watching speeches live, but you might be. Insty, THEY’RE SAYING IT WAS THE LONGEST STATE OF THE UNION IN HISTORY. "Didn’t seem like it. I wasn’t even planning to watch the whole thing and I just kept watching." If nothing else (and there's a lot more) Trump is a master in front of a crowd. PJM's Stephen Kruiser sees Trump Gives GOP Blueprint for Midterms in Soaring SOTU Address and Matt Margolis thinks This Moment of the State of the Union Just Lost the Democrats the Midterms. Don't count the chickens yet. The unsinkable Mollie @MZHemingway, "Trump asks peopole to stand if they agree that the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens and not illegal aliens. No Democrats stand. Trump pauses, understanding the significance of the moment heading into midterms." Mark Hemingway @Heminator, "I cannot believe Dems fell hook, line, and sinker for Trump's message. Refusing to stand for the statement that we should support citizens over illegal aliens was a giant gift to GOP candidates in the midterms. Omar and Tlaib angrily yelling back is just the icing on the cake." Stephen Miller @StephenM, "The immortal visual of the entire Democrat party—upon explicit repeated invitation—refusing to stand for the core moral principle that US government owes its allegiance to US citizens and not foreign criminal invaders, is the most shocking image in the history of the US Congress." Savanah Hernandez @Savsays, "LMAO not the person responsible for switching cameras going STRAIGHT to Ilhan Omar as Trump announces that Somali “pirates” have looted our nation." Buzz Patterson @BuzzPatterson, "They were protesting losing their slave labor. Not much has changed in 165 years." Quote Margot Cleveland @ProfMJCleveland "The last time this many Democrats skipped town before the State of the Union was 1861! True story!" Trump Spotlights Ukrainian Refugee's Murder in State of the Union, Democrats Stay Seated (This story is a summary of posts on X and may evolve over time.) Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Trump's SOTU Message: It's the Economy, Stupid! and SOTU Tuesday Final Word with Full Speech. As Ace predicted Trump Will Focus on the Economy and Affordability in Tonight's SOTU, "And making the case for his policies." Not at tough prediction.

Robby Soave @robbysoave, "Trump brought the Olympic champion U.S. hockey team to the State of the Union, and the Democrats brought a woman who helped Epstein traffic underage girls." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Nothing Like an Adoring US Media to Celebrate Team USA - Seriously. There's Nothing Like That. Matt Vespa at TownHall, Oh, Now the Feminists Are Trying to Ruin Team USA's Gold Medal Win Over Canada. Chuck Cooke at NRO sees Our Men’s Hockey Team’s Historic Win Was Just Too Much for Sports Writers to Bear. Guy Benson @guypbenson, "By “the room,” he means the newsroom." Quote Jerry Brewer @JerryBrewer "The U.S. men's hockey team won gold -- and then lost the room. A column on fragile, fleeting unity and an historic team that let its moment drift into political manipulation:" In a Larry video at Hat Hair, Jessica Tarlov Rages As USA Men's Hockey Shuts Down Trump-Hating Liberals. Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "Update: the womenfolk demanded contrition and an apology from the men’s team, but today video has been released of the menfolk having an awesome time drinking and being patriotic in a high end strip club. Seething levels high enough for a Chernobyl event." Quote Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando "Trump cracked a joke about the womenfolk overreacting to smallest perceived slight and you’ll never guess what they did in response lol." Charles C. W. Cooke @charlescwcooke. "This is true, but if World War III were between Canada and the United States, the United States would also win that." Quote The Free Press @TheFP "You won a hockey game, dear Southern neighbors, not World War III, writes Rupa Subramanya"

Michael A. Arouet @MichaelAArouet, "This is an amazing chart. Republicans are prouder to be American today than in 2000. Something really weird happened to Democrats though. What happened?" John Sexton at Hat Hair VIP hears CNN admits Actually, the Economy is Pretty Good Right Now. RCP comments End the Filibuster – Or Stop Pretending To Govern. Insty cites JEFFREY CARTER: “You know why libertarian Republicans can’t win in general elections? They are terrible at strategy.” “AOC would never break ranks with Democrats. She’d never pick a fight to make them look bad. Massie goes out of his way to do it.” On the Breitbart Bus, Why Trump’s Critics Are Wrong About “Balance of Payments” and Tariff Authority.

VodkaPundit at Insty, IT TOOK THEM UNTIL NOW TO FINALLY NOTICE ALL THE TORPEDOES CIRCLING BACK? unusual_whales @unusual_whales, "The New York Times just published an opinion by Daniel Richman titled ‘The Epstein Files Should Never Have Been Released’" More from Ed Morrissey: NYT Disclosure Fail. "I thought the name on this column sounded familiar. Richman is a friend of Comey’s who had possession of memos by Comey that the former FBI Director had leaked through him as a way to force the appointment of a special counsel in 2017. Judicial Watch discovered the deception in 2019 after going to court over a FOIA demand." Autism Capital @AutismCapital, "NEW: Norway’s former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland is hospitalized following a suicide attempt after police began an investigation following his appearance in the Epstein files. He is previously in the files telling Epstein that “If Trump wins I’ll settle on your island.” Dave Strom believes The Implosion of Ro Khanna Is Complete.

PJM's Sarah Anderson sees Cuba’s Russian Rescue Fantasy Falls Apart. From the Center Square, U.S. Supreme Court to hear Cuban land claims cases Monday. Beege Welborn says DAWG: Panama Supreme Court Annuls Chinese Canal Ports Deal, Country Retakes Possession. Sundance, Following a Court Ruling, The Government of Panama Has Taken Back Control Over Both Entrances to the Panama Canal – Cancelled Chinese Contracts. Also from sundance, EU Schedules Permanent Ban on Russian Import Oil for Three Days After Hungarian Election, "I guess we can put this in the open admission file surrounding the all-out effort by the European Union to defeat Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban," and Ukraine (EU) Strikes Russian Oil Pumping Station that Transmits Oil into Hungary and Slovakia. From ToI, US military begins withdrawing from main base in northeast Syria, Syrian sources say. "Dozens of trucks, some carrying armored vehicles, depart base in Hasakah province; last US troops expected to leave country within 20 days, ending 12-year presence." From Splendid Isolation, Bring Back The Killing "This kind of crap really throws sand in my gears . . ."

One thing I saw none of, from the Divine Miranda Devine: Dems will roll out their perfect agent of subterfuge, Abigail Spanberger, in response to SOTU. At Liberty UnYielding, Fairfax County prosecutor lets killers escape justice through insanity defenses.

Paul White Gold Eagle @PaulGoldEagle, " BREAKING: Venezuela’s former intelligence leader Hugo Carvajal has CONFIRMED that Democrat Senator Adam Schiff and Democrat Congressman Eric Swalwell, both of California, are two of the top names on the VENEZUELA LIST of US politicians that are receiving MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN KICKBACKS AND LAVISH GIFTS from the Maduro regime and Venezuelan drug trafficking organizations in exchange for using their official power as a means of undermining the Trump administration’s ongoing war against these" Which would explain a lot if it's true. It could be a Russiagate style hoax. Time will tell.

Stephen Kruiser says Gavin Newsom Wants Folks to Know He's Down With the Struggle, of sudden adult-onset dyslexia. Hat Hair's John Sexton notices Gavin Newsom Can't Keep His Stories Straight. American AF @iAnonPatriot, "HOLY SH*T A video has resurfaced of Gavin Newsom telling white people that he read a 260 page book in an hour and a half.. Now he’s telling black people that he’s like them and “can’t read”.." Dan Crenshaw @DanCrenshawTX "lol this is the worst spin job ever. Was he talking to a dyslexia support group? No. He told a room of full of black people that they can’t read.Sauron's Eye whines As conservatives accuse Newsom of bigotry, California governor's office slams "MAGA-manufactured outrage." Nick Arama at RedState thinks Newsom Sticks Another Fork in His Faltering Campaign Before It Begins With This Remark About Kamala: End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Governor Newsom tonight: "You would not know Kamala Harris without Willie Brown" Fact-check: TRUE." Mike LaChance at LI hears Gavin Newsom Says Democrats Need to be More ‘Culturally Normal’ to Win, “less prone to spending a disproportionate amount of time on pronouns, identity, politics, more focused on tabletop issues.” Presumably, they won't listen. From Ace, Killer of Caltech Astrophysicist Was Let Out of Jail by Leftwing Judge, Citing California's "Unnecessary Prosecutions" Law. "Signed into law by Gavin Newsom, of course. It is better that a thousand innocent men be killed by Democrat criminal lunatics than a single Democrat criminal spend a night in stir, goes the insane leftwing "thinking."" Shooting News Week on California Jurisprudence: Killer of Caltech Astrophysicist Had Previous Gun Charges Dropped ‘In the Interest of Justice.’

Stacey @ScotsFyre, "Your budget is larger than the entire state of Florida. Yet somehow you failed to budget for snow removal which is an annual event. Well done everyone." Quote Mark D. Levine @MarkLevineNYC "Update: Salary for emergency snow shovelers in NYC has been increased to $30/hour. Walk into any sanitation garage by 8pm today, or from 9am-8pm tomorrow, to sign up. x.com/MarkLevineNYC/…" Jeff Charles at TownHall thinks you should Watch Zohran Mamdani Fall Apart When Asked About Voter ID. Sister Toldja at RedState, Mamdani Responds to Agitators Hurling Snowballs at NYPD, Immediately Makes It Even Worse: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @NYCMayor, "I’ve seen the videos of kids throwing snowballs at NYPD officers in Washington Square Park. Officers, like all city workers, have been out in a historic blizzard, keeping New Yorkers safe and cars moving. Treat them with respect. If anyone’s catching a snowball, it’s me." Benny Polatseck @BPolatseck, "@NYCMayor Mamdani says the mob that pelted NYPD officers in Washington Square Park shouldn’t be charged because, in his words, “it looked like a snowball fight.” That’s how you lose the rank and file." A Chloe vid at Hat Hair, Something UNBELIEVABLE Is Happening To NYC Cops Under Mayor Mamdani.

Driscoll at Insty, OLD AND BUSTED: “You Have to Break a Few Eggs to Make an Omelette.” The New Hotness? Forget the omelette, let’s just break some eggs: Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate, "1/2 This is funny because it’s true. The Left no longer promises a ‘workers paradise’ just beyond the horizon. The dream now is a disinhibited behavioral sink with no bounds limiting the most unwell people from engaging in the worst and most aggressive antisocial behavior." Quote Yeerk.P @PYeerk "Leftists are now arguing that women with little babies are "fascist" and have to be "abolished" so vagrants can piss on public transport in peace." Ben Young at Compact explores How the Revolutionary Left Embraced Radical Islam. At Calling all RushBabes thinks *If you thought the Washington Income Tax was the worst they could do, you were mistaken. DemocRats go Whole Hog. Erick Florack at PJM wonders Are Democrats Working Against Their Own Voters?

From NRO, S.F. Homeless Nonprofit CEO Charged with Nine Felonies for Allegedly Misappropriating over $1M in Public Funds. Ward Clark at RedState, Trunk Full of Bling, Pockets Full of Lies: Nonprofit Boss Charged in Blatant Cash Grab.

Insty, WHICHEVER WAY THE (LUCRATIVE) WINDS BLOW: Noam Blum @neontaster, "It is uncanny how 2014 Tom Nichols, Bill Kristol, Rick Wilson, et al sounded exactly like the people they call dangerous fascists today." Quote Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze "Replying to @TheAtlantic and @RadioFreeTom I found some Nazi replacement rhetoric that neither of the author (@RadioFreeTom) or @JeffreyGoldberg or The Atlantic seems interested in addressing." Matt Margolis wonders Can We Blame the Democrats for the Latest Assassination Attempt on Trump? Sure, why not?

Roger Kimball at Am Great is struck by The Left’s Elastic Principles On Judicial Authority. "Democrats cheer or jeer the Court as convenience dictates; their lone consistency is power—pursued relentlessly, defended fiercely, and projected onto opponents." Bryan Jung at PJM is enjoying how Netflix’s Stock Plunges After Refusing to Fire Susan Rice Over Threats to Trump Officials.

Sundance celebrates the U.S Court of Appeals – DC Circuit – Rules IRS Can Share Information with DHS for Immigration Enforcement. Capt. Ed says Pass the Popcorn: DoJ Sues Sherrill Over Access Ban on ICE. From the Center Square, CDL tests will become English only. Driscoll sees the TALKING POINTS HAVE GONE OUT: Stephen Miller @StephenM, "The most debunked Dem lie. According to the WaP/NYT, Martha’s Vineyard would be more idyllic if they mass absorbed illegals from failed, violent nations. Third world migration bring third world crime & third world conditions. There’s a reason no reporters live in migrant housing." Quote Karoline Leavitt @PressSec "Notice how both the Washington Post and New York Times use the same stupid Democrat talking point to downplay crimes committed by illegal aliens:" Mary Chastain at LI, Idaho Woman Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Ambulance to Torch DHS Building "Thankfully no one was hurt!" 

Peking Rose

Elle Purnell at Da Fed thinks Eileen Gu Indicts Birthright Citizenship And Our Entire Immigration Orthodoxy. "“I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings,” she wrote on Instagram announcing her defection. For Gu, her heritage — her loyalty — is Chinese. America was an “upbringing,” a red-white-and-blue finishing school that opened all the right doors but does not elicit national allegiance or anything, really, on her part."

At Hat Hair, Mark Judge predicts The Mainstream Media Will Not Survive 'The Information State' "To summarize: shocked by the arrival of Donald Trump in 2016, American government officials, the media, and the technology giants created a system of censoring the public, spying on other opponents, and planting false stories. The media was complicit and will never fully recover."

Robert P. George @McCormickProf, "Honestly, who didn't see this train wreck coming? Legacy organizations from the AMA to the ACLU should not be let off the hook for what they promoted and defended. Their ideologically motivated gross irresponsibility must not be forgotten." Quote Jesse Singal @jessesingal "I have a piece in The New York times about what it means to "trust the science" when it comes to the professional guidelines on youth gender medicine." Ace delighted as Hell Freezes Over: NYT Admits That Trans "Science" Was Heavily Politicized and Distorted by Prejudice. "None of this is new to you, but it might be new to 80% of the New York Times' mentally-ill Wine Mom cult members." Dave Strom thinks It Shouldn't Take a Secretary of Defense to Fire a Pervert Scaring Kids to Get a Teacher Fired, and It's Time to Crush the American Medical Association. Is a GBU 57 too much?

Nico Perrino @NicoPerrino, "This is one perspective on how colleges started to become ideological monocultures:" It's the ratchet racket. Conservatives and moderate hire anybody, including extreme lefties. Lefties hire only lefties. I've seen it in action.

Wednesday Wetness

With Annie Lee 🌊 Freedive & Scuba｜Model 📍 Based in PH｜Taiwanese American

Bay Journal, Rappahannock Tribe files appeal over withdrawal permit for Virginia river

Oregon, My Oregon

Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms, Republicans Walk Out as Gun Control Bill Roils Oregon House

Republican lawmakers in Oregon staged a walkout in the House of Representative on Monday, with a controversial gun control bill and the recent actions by its sponsor among the reasons for their departure.

Without a quorum, the Democrat majority can't move forward on a bill that would, among other things, raise the fee for a planned "permit to purchase" narrowly approved by voters as part of Measure 114 in 2022 ,from $65 to $150, while doubling the time licensing authorities have to issue the permit from one month to two months. It looked like HB 4145 would be killed off in committee, but its chief author, Rep. Jason Kropf, yanked fellow Democrat Rep. Thủy Trần into a hallway and allegedly berated her for close to 20 minutes after she voted "no" on an amended version of the bill. When the pair returned to the committee room, Trân switched her vote to a "yes."

Trân told the press after the hearing that Kropf had created a hostile work environment with his actions, but it was firearms instructor and Second Amendment advocate Derek LeBlanc who filed a complaint with the Legislative Equity Office. LeBlanc says he was told by the office that an independent investigator concluded no investigation was needed and the complaint was dismissed last week.

 

House Democrats emerged from a caucus meeting on Monday two hours after the chamber was set to convene, with House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, announcing that Kropf had resigned from the House Conduct Committee and appointing Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland as a replacement. House Republicans were caught off-guard by the move and demanded a full investigation into Kropf’s conduct after Fahey ruled that the motion to replace Kropf was not up for debate.


House Minority Leader Rep. Lucetta Elmer, R-McMinnville, accused Democrats of attempting to sweep the dispute under the rug instead of supporting Trần. She called for the Legislative Equity Office to conduct “a full investigation into this matter that is both inclusive and transparent.”

“The allegation that a lawmaker created a hostile working environment by intimidating another lawmaker into changing their vote is a serious allegation that creates distrust in the democratic process,” Elmer said in a statement. “It must be properly addressed and thoroughly investigated through a transparent process that respects the victim and remedies the wrong committed against them.”In a bit of revisionist history, Kropf's name was also removed as a sponsor of HB 4145. While Democrats are eager to sweep his actions under the rug, they're unwilling at this point to kill his bill and move on to other business.

 

By walking out, Republicans not only helped to keep Kropf's bullying in the news, but at least temporarily thwarted passage of the legislation.

Laura Daniel, a retired teacher from Keizer who came to show support for the bill with Moms Demand Action, a nonprofit nationwide gun control group, sat waiting in the gallery above the House floor Monday afternoon.

“You’re expecting to be able to hear testimony and see a vote on a bill and then to just have it not happen, it’s frustrating,” Daniel said.,

Maybe so, but I guarantee it's not nearly as frustrating as having to fork over $150, get mandatory training, and wait for two months before you can exercise a fundamental civil right.

When I lived in Oregon a generation or so ago, it was a center of gun culture. How times have changed! 

Shit Still Don't Flow Uphill

It's a big day in news from the Potomac Interceptor sewage spill:

The Balmer Banner, How the sewer line collapse unfolded and spread millions of gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River

NBC 4, Potomac sewage spill: Federal government not paying for all of repairs "D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she expected the federal government to reimburse 100% of repair costs. But the Army Corps of Engineers said the government will fund a portion. News4’s Mark Segraves reports." Why would she expect the feds to pay the whole thing?

WTOP, Who foots the $20M bill of the Potomac River sewage cleanup, repairs?.  "Earlier this week, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser submitted a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration request, seeking full reimbursement for costs incurred by both D.C. and D.C. Water. “We expect 100% reimbursement,” Bowser said. But D.C. Water’s facilities, including the Potomac Interceptor, are funded through an intermunicipal agreement, or IMA. Maryland and Virginia would be on the hook for more than 50% of the cost, per the agreement. So will the federal government approve D.C.’s request? And if so, will Maryland and Virginia’s share be covered too?"

ABC 7, DC Water, Va. and Md. health officials provide next steps in sewage spill repairs. Word salad.

WBOC, MD officials: Chesapeake Bay oysters remain safe following Potomac River sewage spill. I'm still not going to eat oysters from north of the 301 bridge.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activates Emergency Operations Center in support of Potomac Interceptor Spill response efforts

WaPoo, A Potomac island was their haven. A sewage spill made it unreachable. What, did they swim?

Forget It Jake, It's Baltimore

Surprisingly, not all articles about Baltimore are awful. You might remember a bit in yesterday's Flotsam and Jetsam about the HuffPo TweetX regarding the Olympics, HuffPost @HuffPost, "If waving the American flag or chanting “USA!” turns you off right now, you're not alone." From NewsWeek, Baltimore Seafood Restaurant Goes Viral With Patriotic Defense of America:

A seafood restaurant in Baltimore has gone viral on social media for its response to an article by news outlet HuffPost on American patriotism.

HuffPost published an piece about how some Americans, including some of the U.S. Olympians competing in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, are struggling to feel patriotic about their country, experiencing as the outlet wrote, a "whiplash between pride" for their country and "national shame for the federal government."

A heated exchange on X came after the U.S. men's hockey team beat Canada 2-1, secured a gold medal, in the games on Sunday.

 

Commenting on the HuffPost article on X, Jimmy's Famous Seafood wrote: "Go f*** yourself." The restaurant's post received more than 6.3 million views on the platform.

The comment has also received more than 136,000 likes, while HuffPost's article has only gathered around 1,200 likes on the platform as of Monday morning.

The restaurant's comment prompted debate on the social media platform. Some voiced their support over its response, with one user calling it a "patriot," and another said that even though they were "allergic to shellfish," they followed the restaurant's account anyway. A different user shared a screenshot of a plane ticket from Chicago to Baltimore, telling the restaurant in a post, "I'll see you in a week." Other larger X accounts also announced they had started following Jimmy's Famous Seafood on the platform after its comment.

These included the MAGA-affiliated account @PinoAmericano, which has more than 112,000 followers on the platform, and @DschlopesIsBack, an account with more than 309,000 follower. They also included Brianna Lyman, the conservative commentator who has more than 82,000 followers on X. As of Monday morning, the Baltimore restaurant had more than 255,000 followers.

In the wake of the responses to its comments online, Jimmy's Seafood Restaurant wrote on X: "Overwhelmed by the support! We are doing our best to get the website back up to full strength, and will work tirelessly to answer each tweet!"

Jimmy's Crabcakes

After the U.S. hockey team victory against Canada on Sunday, the seafood restaurant announced that it would be giving "free crabcakes for life to all members of the 2026 USA Men’s & Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Teams!"

"This applies to both dine-in and shipping for all time. God Bless America," the restaurant added.

Dang, I'd take that!

Flotsam and Jetsam - Mayhem in Mexico, USA Takes Canada, Newsom Admits Stupidity

Turmoil in Mexico (I mean, more than usual, which is a lot) continues in the wake of the death of the head of the Jalisco New Gen cartel in a raid on his mistresses place, based on intel provided by the United States. Joe Chalfant at TownHall, Mexican Special Forces Kill Mastermind Behind Cartel Terrorism Outbreak. From Althouse, "This didn’t seem to be just an operation to capture 'El Mencho,' but to exterminate him, to use lethal force to bring him down." "In the criminal underworld, such actions are not simply overlooked. The reaction is what we’re seeing now: narco-terrorism, blockades, and fires in grocery stores across Mexico." Said security expert David Saucedo, quoted in "Expert’s chilling warning after killing of cartel boss 'El Mencho' sparks violence across Mexico" (NY Post). Also at the Post: "Deadly violence in Mexico spreads after cartel boss is killed — as Americans warned to shelter in place."" Cartel Watch @CartelWatchNet, "Army kills 'El Tuli', El Mencho's right-hand man who masterminded the post-boss-death violence, blockades & fires in Jalisco. He even put a 20k peso (~$1,200) bounty on soldiers' heads. Killed in shootout while fleeing; troops seized ~$410K MXN + $965K USD cash + arsenal. Big momentum shift against the cartel." Not the Bee @Not_the_Bee, "Somebody wrote this. Somebody edited it. Somebody published it. Somebody posted it to social media. All four of those people should be fired." Quote Daily Mail @DailyMail, "Spoiled tourists complain about being stuck at luxury resorts amid cartel violence in Mexico https://trib.al/mtfHX82" At Twitchy, Member of Parliament Especially Concerned for 2SLGBTQIA+ Canadians in Puerto Vallarta. Heather McPherson @HMcPhersonNDP, "Many Canadians, especially members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, are in Puerto Vallarta, where violence has quickly escalated. A shelter-in-place order is in effect. Please stay vigilant and consult the Government of Canada travel advisories for Mexico." Cam at BA notes After Cartel Response to Leader's Killing, Mexico's Gun Laws Look Even More Ridiculous. At the Chronic, Trump Is Right About the Mexican-American War "America was willing to negotiate and compromise while Mexico insisted the United States accept Mexican demands. America was willing to consider Mexican claims while Mexico excluded consideration of its debts to American citizens. America sent an army to act on the defensive while Mexico ordered an army to start a war—after which America paid a fair price for land it had already conquered. Far from expecting Americans to be apologetic, Mexico ought to finally acknowledge that it got what it asked for in that war of its own making."

At Hat Hair Capt. Ed sees USA Wins Hockey Gold. M-SNOW (And Lemon) Hardest Hit?, Duane Patterson says Don't Wreck My Column, You Hoser and Chloe notes Libs Are Losing It After Seeing Kash Patel Celebrating The Olympic Gold. How can they lose what they never had? Politico whines Look how much Canadians hate the United States now, "It’s not just about the trade war. Nearly half of America’s neighbors to the north now think the U.S. is a bigger threat to world peace than Russia." I mean, if we can beat them at hockey . . . Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok "Kash Patel celebrating USA Hockey Team historic win Democrat Senator sipping margaritas with a foreign gang member and alleged human trafficker and wife beater. Guess which one Democrats are more upset over." Physics Geek @physicsgeek, "The left: Haha stupid rightwingers rooting for Alyssa Liu and she's totally woke. The right: She proudly represented her country, wore her flag after winning, and put her hand over heart while singing our national anthem. Her politics are irrelevant. The left: Her politics are irrelevant? We don't understand. The right: Yes, we know."

From the Free Bacon, Anti-Regime Protests Reignite in Iran as Trump Prepares Strike Options Targeting Islamic Republic Officials, "The demonstrations could further weaken the regime amid sputtering nuclear negotiations." TCW reports Starmer bends the law to reward Iran belligerence and thwart Trump. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn, 'Right Now, That Deal Is Worth Toilet Paper, Basically': Flushing Chagos. Guido Fawkes @GuidoFawkes, "WATCH: Chagossian First Minister Misley Mandarin has - from the new settlement on the Chagos archipelago - given Donald Trump formal permission to strike Iran from Diego Garcia. He says: "We, the people of the Chagos Islands, give our blessing for the United States to use the base at Diego Garcia for strikes against the Iranian regime – in defence of the Iranian people." His full statement: "Today, I stand not in exile, but on our own soil, as the democratically elected head of government of the Chagos Islands. Let the world hear this clearly. We are here. We govern here. And we decide what happens here. . . "

1945 examines Russia’s Ukraine ‘Victory’: NATO Expansion, 1.2 Million Casualties and a Battered Economy. "On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the 2022 invasion, the Kremlin faces a paradoxical reality: while it occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine, the “strategic price” of that soil has fundamentally compromised Russia’s status as a global power. The war has shifted from a “Special Military Operation” to a structural drain that is hollowing out the Russian state from the inside out."

From Althouse, "In the not-too-distant past, most people probably would have at least grudgingly accepted a regime in which prosecutors and law-enforcement agents sorted through materials from a sprawling investigation..." "... and made public only those portions needed to properly handle a case. The additional information that might interest us, and perhaps even help improve society, would remain secret. Federal prosecutors could generally be trusted to focus on their narrow criminal enforcement mission and to not abuse the tools given them for that limited purpose. . . . Writes former federal prosecutor Daniel Richman, in "The Epstein Files Should Never Have Been Released" (NYT)." You might remember Dan Richman as the friend/lawyer of James Comey, who received leaked classified into to release to the press and initiate the Mueller investigation. unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "The NYT is acknowledging the epic backfire they are experiencing as the epstein files turns out out to be basically a who's who of democrats." Quote 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐮𝐬 @ImperiumFirst, "The New York Times just published an article titled ‘The Epstein Files Should Never Have Been Released’ You’re never going to guess who the author is." At Da Caller, Mike Benz Says Trump Admin Has ‘Once-In-Generation’ Chance To Put Deep State On Defense Post-Epstein Files. At NYPo, a report Austin Tucker Martin, gunman shot dead by Secret Service at Mar-a-Lago, was obsessed with Epstein files. Egged on by Democrats and Thomas Massey.

From the Babylon Bee, Furious Trump Imposes 1000% Tariff On Supreme Court. "Fortunately for SCOTUS, they do not export any goods to the United States, so it is a mostly symbolic gesture."

At LI, Mary Chastain is astonished by Newsom to Black Voters: ‘I’m No Better Than You. I’m a 960 SAT Guy’ “I cannot, you’ve never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech.” He can't be black, he can't be a woman, his bona fides as a straight male are too well established, so he has to go with disabled to qualify for intersectionality. VodkaPundit at Insty, has a 2028 PREVIEW: Newsom Tells Black Audience He’s Just Like Them Because He Has a Mental Disorder. Ace, Gavin Newsom to Black Democrats: I'm Like You, I'm Low IQ and I Can't Read. "That's one way to ingratiate yourself to an audience." Nicki Minaj @NICKIMINAJ, "His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read. This means my first read on him was correct. He’s been handed so many things & put in high positions he never earned or deserved. Do you wanna know the craziest part of this footage that will haunt him forever? He’s literally slowing his speech down & talking in a sporadic cadence. . . ." Chloe says Gavin Newsom Just Sounded Incredibly Racist While Promoting His New Book and Capt. Ed is just Too Dumb to Check: Gavin Newsom Is Too Dumb to Check. Colin Wright @SwipeWright, "Did you know that Gavin Newsom was "dyslexic" before he brought it up last week? It's obvious what he's doing. He knows that the woke left is going to heavily penalize him for being a straight, white guy. He desperately needed to surface some "oppressed" intersectional identity. He's going with "disabled" and will start "calling out" his opponents for "abelism" now. . ." Philip Melanchthon Wegmann @PhilipWegmann, "Susan asked a tough question respectfully. The press office of @GavinNewsom did not respond in kind." Quote Susan Crabtree @susancrabtree, "EXCLUSIVE and BREAKING: What about that @GavinNewsom dyslexia disgnosis - can the gov. provide any paperwork related to his dyslexia diagnosis at any time of his life? Newsom’s comms team just now tells me to “fuck off. . . ”" Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "100% guaranteed, mark it, Jake Tapper is going to scold a Republican in the coming future because Gavin Newsom says he's dyslexic." Jen O'Connell at RedState, says Boom: MS Gov. Tate Reeves Schools Gavin Newsom on California Reading Scores vs. Mississippi. Governor Tate Reeves @tatereeves, "This seems like a good time to remind you that a black student in Mississippi is 2.5X more likely to read proficiently by 4th grade than if he or she lived in California. We would be happy to send one of our reading coaches to assist you, @GavinNewsom. Learning is a lifelong journey, and you might achieve some of the gains that our black fourth graders have. Incidentally, one nice feature of increased literacy is that you do not have to fall back on vulgarity to seem passionate. Let me know!" Quote, Gavin Newsom @GavinNewsom. "You didn’t give a shit about the President of the United States of America posting an ape video of President Obama or calling African nations shitholes — but you’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia?"Dave Strom, Democrats Don't Know How to Get Their Birth Certificates? Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "Gavin Newsom tells Jim Clyburn that he’d have trouble complying with the SAVE Act because he doesn’t know where to find his birth certificate: “You've got to find your birth certificate. I have no clue where mine is." Good lord. Just beyond parody." VodkaPundit at Insty calls it CONSTITUENT SERVICE: Newsom Pardons Illegal Alien Attempted Murderer, to prevent his deportation. At WSJ, When Is a Tax Not a Tax? "When it’s a taking, like California’s proposed wealth levy." To be fair, Newsom opposes it because even he isn't that stupid. Beege Welborn foresees Future Shock: President AOC Demands, 'Bring Me the Head of Diego Garcia!'

At NYPo Charles Gasparino predicts Mayor Mamdani’s spending frenzy will lead NYC into a rapid decline. Ace, Mamdani Calls Upon New Yorkers to Do the Jobs the Government Just Can't Do -- Shoveling Snow; He Says All Applicants Must Show ID Before Shoveling Snow, "Wait, is he saying that black and brown people aren't allowed to shovel snow? And married women?" From PM, NYPD officers harassed, doxed by agitators in Mamdani's NYC. "Activists have been recording exchanges with officers and uploading them online in a manner similar to anti-ICE activists who confront federal immigration agents." PJM's Bob Spencer notes New York’s First Free Grocery Store Shows Yet Again That Socialism Doesn’t Work. PJM's Matt Margolis astonished CNN Finally Admits the Truth About Democrat-Run Cities. "Zakaria opened with Zohran Mamdani’s New York, calling it "a prime example of a problem Democrats seem unwilling to confront." That's a pretty remarkable admission from a CNN host, but I assure you, he was just getting started. "Blue cities are out of control," he said, "promising more, spending more, delivering less, and pushing off the fiscal problems to some future day."" At the Critic, Titania McGrath writes of The warmth of the collective "Communism is the only guarantee of human happiness," "Since taking power, Mamdani has declared that “we will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism”. No sane person could possibly argue with this logic. If it’s a choice between being warm or frigid, I know which I’d prefer. Indeed, during Stalin’s time he built a range of holiday camps called “gulags”, where residents often slept shoulder-to-shoulder in crammed rooms. Just imagine how warm and non-frigid that was." "Titania" has a well known X parody account. Dave Strom reports Mamdani Speaks at Mosque, Then Imam Called for Killing All Infidels.

Brian Jung at PJM hears Virginia Democrats Push Extended Deadline for Counting Absentee Ballots 3 Days After Election Day. Counting fair is quick; it takes longer to cheat. Hat Hair's John Sexton reports Gov. Shapiro Claims Squatters' Rights Over Neighbors' Land. 

From Ace, Yet Another Would-Be Trump Assassin, Programmed to Kill By the Traitor Left. Michael Tracey @mtracey, "Text message sent last week by the 21-year-old who was killed by Secret Service today after attempting an armed infiltration of Mar-a-Lago. Co-workers told TMZ he recently "became fixated on Epstein" and was "deeply disturbed by what he believed was a government cover-up"" Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "An ill-informed “academic” who spent 25 years training our senior military leaders thinks the followers of a constitutionally-elected President whose primary policy goal is to reduce the size, scope, power and intrusiveness of the federal Leviathan are all “Nazis.” This is how we produce Milleys and Vindmans in uniform, and it has to stop." Quote The Atlantic @TheAtlantic "Since the start of Donald Trump’s second term, Republicans have deployed ever more Nazi imagery and rhetoric, and espoused ideas associated with the Nazi Party, @RadioFreeTom argues. He examines how this dark fringe reached the center of the GOP." Sean Davis @seanmdav, "This is a classic example of assassination prep, the purpose of which is to implicitly encourage and justify terroristic violence against half the country."

Bob Hoge at RedState is delighted at Fresh Humiliation for Jack Smith As Judge Kills Final Classified Docs Report. Via the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.23.26, Doug Ross at Director Blue has John Brennan’s War on Trump: The Graphic Novel, "How Brennan Built the Machine That Targeted a President." Breitbart Reports U.S. Attorney Pirro’s Office Halts Case Against Democrats Who Encouraged Military Disobedience. DC grand juries won't indict Democrats for anything.

From JTN, Trump poised to fill two influential appeals court vacancies. "The White House is expected to announce nominees in the coming weeks."

TownHall's Jeff Charles says About Those Detroit Officers Facing Termination for Contacting Border Patrol...

DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "THREAD: All about the foreign-influenced Western media called Grayzone and Iranian protests Last month, 𝕏 celebrated the Iranian protests. Then they ... just disappeared from the headlines, and it came out quietly that hundreds and even thousands of protesters were brutally massacred. So why did the story mostly die? Because an influence operation ran by a foreign-backed media group called Grayzone turned a massacre into a debate about who was really behind the protests. A new report from @ncri_io , published February 19, documents exactly how it worked: the seeding, the laundering, and who did the amplifying. As always, patience as I pull the thread together."

Dave Strom says ChatGPT Is Something Else. X Freeze @XFreeze, "Wild how ChatGPT actually sees the world: - All conservatives = trash and evil - All Democrats = perfect saints - Elon Musk = bad - Trump = bad - Obama = pure good person - America = stolen land - White pride = Evil - Black Pride = Empowerment - The entire world should be woke" AI is not exempt from the GIGO rule for programs. Garbage in Garbage out.

From the College Fix, Coastal Carolina CC professor fired after calling Kirk, TPUSA ‘racist pieces of sh*t’ in class. I'd have more sympathy if colleges didn't censor and intimidate conservatives. From Althouse, "They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school." "Said Hunter College professor Allyson Friedman, at Community Education Council meeting, interrupting a black public school student who was speaking out against the proposed closing of her West Side school. Quoted in "Hunter College to Review Professor’s ‘Abhorrent’ Remarks at Meeting A student objected to the potential closure of her New York City middle school. The professor, speaking on a hot mic, said, 'They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school.' The comment was assailed as racist" (NYT)." And "Don’t allow this broken culture to send you a message that you’re a bad person because you’re a man, because you like to tell a joke, because you like to have a beer with your friends or because you’re competitive." "Said JD Vance, last year, quoted today in "Bench Presses, Pull Ups … Kid Rock? The White House Had a Very Manly Week/President Trump’s top cabinet officials are pumping iron in public" (NYT)." Insty at his NYPo gig, Not so toxic: Masculinity’s comeback makes America thrive.

Hollywood it Toto claims the BAFTA Meltdown Captures Woke Mind Virus to Perfection. "Inspiration behind nominee 'I Swear' sets off wave of apologies, critiques." Althouse, "Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards 2026." ""This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and was not intentional. We apologise for any offence caused by the language heard." Said a BBC spokesperson, quoted in "BBC faces backlash after racial slur shouted during BAFTA awards by attendee with Tourette syndrome/The host, Alan Cumming, acknowledged the 'strong and offensive language' several times during the Sunday show and thanked the audience for their understanding" (NBC News)."

NotTheBee astonished as Microsoft just dropped the latest Pride flag design, and yes, IT'S REAL, and seizure inducing. "This flag combines 40 different flags from LGBTQIA+ communities around the world, including: Abrosexual, Aceflux, Agender, Ambiamorous, Androgynous, Aroace, Aroflux, Aromantic, Asexual, Bigender, Bisexual, Demifluid, Demigender, Demigirl, Demiromantic, Demisexual, Gay/MLM/Vinician, Genderfluid, Genderflux, Genderqueer, Gender questioning, Graysexual, Intersex, Lesbian, Maverique, Neutrois, Nonbinary, Omnisexual, Pangender, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Polysexual, Transgender, Trigender, Two Spirit, Progress Pride, Queer, Unlabeled." John Sexton, Violent Sex Offender Seeks Transfer to Women's Prison.

There are two Canadas: one where people with cancer have to wait 8 months for a CT scan and one where this happens. pic.twitter.com/yyImWqcezT

— Daniel Friedman (@DanFriedman81) February 21, 2026

Still more at Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.23.26.

Tuesday Tanlines

HuffPo, Worried Your Tan Might Look MAGA-Coded? Read This.