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.

Winter Kill on Calvert Cliffs Beach?

At the Slower Maryland Chronic, Lusby Resident Reports Mass Rockfish Die-Off at Calvert Cliffs Beach

A longtime Lusby resident and candidate for Calvert County Commissioner has reported observing multiple mass mortality events along the shoreline of Calvert Cliffs State Park in February 2026, documenting large numbers of dead mature rockfish, blue crabs, double-crested cormorants, seagulls, and other marine life between the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and the Cove Point LNG facility.

Patrick E. Flaherty, who has hiked the park nearly daily for 15 years, including through severe winter conditions, first noted the incidents in February. On February 23 alone, he captured 118 photographs of the affected area. The die-offs involved rockfish measuring 25–30 inches or larger, along with substantial numbers of crabs and birds, including approximately 8–10 double-crested cormorants and various seagulls.

Flaherty forwarded details to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), which responded promptly and initiated an investigation. He plans to follow up this week with the assigned field investigator for any updates on findings or potential causes. He emphasized the significance of these events given rockfish—Maryland’s state fish—already experiencing serious population declines due to factors like habitat challenges and fishing pressures. The incidents raise concerns for commercial watermen, recreational anglers, and broader Chesapeake Bay ecosystem health.

The affected shoreline lies near the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and the Dominion Energy Cove Point LNG export terminal, a stretch now under consideration for a proposed major Amazon data center development. Flaherty provided a press release outlining his observations and offered to share high-resolution photos for review. He included sample images showing dead rockfish and crabs next to a dog collar radio controller measuring 7.5 inches for scale.

No public statements from MDE or other agencies have confirmed the cause of the reported die-offs as of March 3, 2026. Maryland’s Fish Kill Investigation Program, managed by MDE, handles reports of dead or distressed aquatic life, attributing such events to factors like natural water chemistry changes, low oxygen levels, biological shifts, pollution, or other human-related activities. Reports can be directed to MDE at 800-285-8195 during business hours.

Right after the ice left the beach, Georgia and I walked the beach, and saw a large number of sea ducks, Surf Scoters and Bluebills dead on the beach.  Georgia counted 16 dead birds between the harbor, and the boat ramp at Calvert Beach. Curiously, none that I saw were the two species of sea ducks we commonly see offshore, the Buffleheads and Old Squaw (yes, I'm that old and stubborn). I did see a single large dead striper, but that doesn't strike me as that unusual.

Initially, I was concerned that it might be bird flu hitting the ducks, but the fact that it encompasses so many different and unrelated animals makes me suspect it was a consequence of the extreme cold that we had in late Feb.  Why so many more other animals washed up on Calvert Cliffs beach a few miles south I'll leave open for speculation; I don't understand.

Beach Report 3/4/26

It was misty, and in the low 40's, with a slight, and dieing NW breeze. There were even a few drops of rain, but not enough to get out of.

It was the first trip to the beach in March, for various reasons.  

The tide was on the high side, and rising, but the wave action was about right, and there was a lot of shell and gravel to look through. You see it, right?

A 1 3/8 lower Snaggletooth shark tooth and a very nice specimen; the best of 14 teeth (and a couple of crab claws).

Flotsam and Jetsam - Israel Strikes Another Ayatollah Conclave

VodkaPundit at PJM thinks The War's Going Pretty Well, Ackshully. Bilawal Sidhu @bilawalsidhu, "I made a 4D god's eye replay of the Iran strikes using public OSINT data. When I turned on the orbital layer in worldview something jumped out. You can see satellite passes stack up over the strike zones in the hours before & after impact. Everyone was watching. Some of them were overhead before it started..." UK Report @UK_REPT, "NEW — General Majid ibn al-Reza, who was appointed Acting Defense Minister of Iran, yesterday, has been killed in US-Israel strikes in Tehran. Official confirmation awaited." Quote UK Report @UK_REPT, "NEW — Iran announces the appointment of Seyed Majid Ben Reza as acting Minister of Defense (replacing the one eliminated in the opening strike)." But the big story of the day, from NYPo, Israel bombs Iran’s top mullahs as they count votes for next supreme leader. Jennie Taer @JennieSTaer, "@TreyYingst reports that Israel "just struck" the "gathering where the Iranians were meeting to choose a new supreme leader." Hat Hair's Capt. Ed calls it Too Good To Check: Did US, Israel Wipe Out Iran's Ruling Mullahs? and hears Trump to Iran: 'Too Late' to Talk Now; Most Military Sites Hit. Amy Curtis at TownHall has the Report: Israeli Strike Just Hit Another Meeting of the Iranian Supreme Council. Matt Margolis at PJM, Iran Just Suffered Another Devastating Blow. Rusty Weiss at RedState, Israel Bombs Iran's Assembly of Experts While They Were Counting Votes for a New Supreme Leader. John Ocasio-Rodham Nolte @NolteNC, "The most compassionate way to fight a war is ruthlessly. Get it over with asap. Annihilate the bad guys so they cannot make a comeback. Anything else is a cruel act of water torture, especially for civilians. See: Iraq, Afghanistan." Quote Faytuks News @Faytuks, "Iran's Assembly of Experts building in Qom has been struck by airstrikes. The Assembly of Experts is a council of about 90 senior clerics that is tasked with electing Iran's new Supreme Leader." From Althouse, "I got him before he got me. I got him first." "Said President Trump, quoted in "How Trump assassination attempts played into his decision to attack Iran" (WaPo)(gift link)." NYPo, Ayatollah Khamenei’s son is front-runner to succeed dad as Iran’s new supreme leader. They must be about down to the third string. Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports Israeli military says it killed Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander in Lebanon ""His elimination has significantly degraded PIJ’s ability to carry out terrorist operations against Israel," the IDF said."

Dr. Eli David @DrEliDavid, "Israel Air Force is destroying every IRGC and Basij base, even the tiniest ones." I had to look up Bazij; "With branches in "virtually every" city and town in Iran, the Basij serve as an auxiliary force engaged in enforcing state control over society, acting as a morality police at checkpoints and parks, and suppressing dissident gathering, as well as serving as law enforcement auxiliary, providing social services." CDR Salamander is pretty happy the US is copying the Shahed drone, LUCAS's Coming Out Party, "It's been what, a couple thousand years or so since the Persians had a military invention of their own? They were overdue." wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "President Trump spoke by phone with Kurdish leaders in Iraq on Sunday to discuss the U.S.-Israel war with Iran and what might come next, three sources with knowledge of the calls told Axios. Why it matters: The Kurds have thousands of soldiers along the Iran-Iraq border and control strategic areas that could be significant as the war develops. Iraq's Kurds also have close ties to Iran's Kurdish minority. My comment: this, along with CENTCOM video showing small warhead strikes on truck sized targets, is a strong indicator the US is moving into the ground phase." 

The Spice Oil must flow! Javier Blas @JavierBlas, "BREAKING: President Trump says US government will backstop war insurance for all shipping in the Persian Gulf. In addition, he says the U.S. Navy will provide naval escort to tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. But note the “… as soon as possible…” which isn’t very reassuring.Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) @mercoglianos, "Tanker Pola pulled a Leeeroy Jennnkins yesterday and ran the Strait with her AIS off. Expect others to follow suit." and "Iran Announces Strait Closed; Tankers Say Hold My Beer. So much for Iran's announcement as three tankers are running the Strait. 1. BLOOMING DALE, Aruba-flag, 12k tons (1996), In ballast and outbound. 2. POLA, Liberia-flag, 156k tons (2011), In ballast & inbound. 3. PUFFIN TWO, Liberia-flag, 7k tons (2009), Laden & inbound Two of these are fairly small and all are very low in insurance value." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Suspected Drone Attack on Sanctioned Russian LNG Tanker Sparks Serious Concern UPDATE. At Breitbart Bus, We Have Nothing to Fear Except Fed Fears of Oil-Driven Inflation. 

The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great approves of Trump’s Way of War "Trump’s doctrine is simple: strike first at the guilty, strike hard from afar, skip the nation-building, and end wars on America’s terms." Marc Thiessen @marcthiessen, "Critics say President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran is a violation of his promise not to engage in “forever wars.” In fact, the opposite is true. Trump is not starting a forever war in Iran; he’s ending one." On YouTube, Dave Rubin has a Resurfaced Clip of Trump Telling Host His Plan for Iran in 1980 that Goes Viral. It's striking how much Baron resembles him at this age. State of the Day, State of Monday: Can Trump Prove In Iran That Forever Wars Were Always A Choice? Capt. Ed, Rubio Lays US Rationale Down on Operation Epic Fury; Media Hears 'Israel'. John Hinderacker at Power Line says Three Cheers for the Secretary of War. "Has any cabinet officer ever had a better year than Secretary of War* Pete Hegseth? His department has pulled off three brilliant, flawless operations in a row: the devastation of Iran’s nuclear facilities, the apprehension of wanted criminal Nicolas Maduro, and now Operation Epic Fury." Hat Hair's Dave Strom, All Hail Pete Hegseth. VodkaPundit at PJM wonders will it be Regime Change or Regime Compliance? علی شریفی زارچی @SharifiZarchi, "In the past few hours, hundreds of Iranian university professors and tech experts have signed a statement declaring the Constitution of the Islamic Republic illegitimate and calling for the immediate transfer of power to the people, while endorsing Prince Reza Pahlavi’s democratic transition plan. Signatures are increasing by the minute. Link to read and sign:" Dave Bernstein at Insty, DEMAGOGUES AND SIMPLETONS DON’T CARE ABOUT EVIDENCE: "Yes, the Trump administration is very friendly to Israel, and treats Israel as an important ally rather than a burden or quarrelsome recipient of US charity, as under Obama or Biden. But no, Israel (and the so-called Israel lobby) doesn’t control US policy, and indeed Trump has defied Israeli preferences on many occasions, as Max Abrahams notes..."

Aaron Hanscom at PJM, Spain Gets Owned: Trump Moves to Cut All U.S. Trade. Ace, Trump: I Told Scott Bessent to Cut Off All Trade with Spain, "He says that Spain wouldn't let us use our bases in Spain, but then adds: "We could have used the bases, we could have just used them, no one's going to say anything about it." In other words: Just try stopping us, Spain."

Capt. Ed has another Flashback: Presidents Don't Need Congressional Approval to Strike Dictators, Say ... UPDATE: Rubio. At Althouse, "So we're dealing with what we're dealing with right now." Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "NEW: I asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) about Nancy Pelosi saying in 2011 that President Obama didn't need Congressional approval to bomb Libya, but Dems now say President Trump needs approval to bomb Iran? Jeffries said Iran is "very different" & told me "I don't even understand the genesis or basis of that question...not suggesting you're asking it in bad faith." When I pointed out that the Libya bombing campaign went on for 7 months, (and also included a no-fly zone), Jeffries said he wasn’t in Congress at the time and that the Trump admin "isn't even pretending to have intelligence at this point" to justify the strikes in Iran." "There are a few seconds — 0:26 to 0:33 — where Jeffries knows he's in trouble. He mutters the hilarious line, "First of all, I was not in Congress," and shows a flash of shame before resetting with the all-purpose segue "So we're dealing with what we're dealing with right now."" PJM's Stephen Kruiser notes Reactions to Operation Epic Fury Are Quite the Surprising Mixed Bag. Dave Catron at Am Spec looks at The Democrats’ Epic Fury Over Iran Strikes, "They invoke the Constitution against Trump — even as history and their own record tell a different story." From Behind the Black, While Democrats rage against the American/Israel war on Iran, the PEOPLE celebrate. Dmitri Bolt at TownHall, Did Jake Tapper Seriously Just Ask a Retired Lt. General This Question About Iran? Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "Tapper on CNN: “Was it necessary to kill the top 49 leaders of Iran?” Retired Lt. General Moore: “I think it was a very wise move… you put the whole country… in a state of upheaval… it’s extremely difficult for them to execute command and control.”" Tim O'Brien at PJM has Five Things President Trump Would Do if He Were a Fascist.

Brendan O'Neill at Spiked, The hypocrisy of the West’s weepers for the Islamic Republic, "Activists who didn’t say a word about the theocratic slaughter of thousands of Iranians are now up in arms about America’s strikes." Jerry Dunleavy IV @JerryDunleavy, "Let’s put a finer point on what is happening here — a pro-CCP activist network financed by a pro-CCP millionaire living in China is organizing U.S. protests in opposition to a war against a Chinese ally, and those protests are being touted by Chinese state-run media outlets. Fun!" Quote Jerry Dunleavy IV @JerryDunleavy "NEW: CCP-run propaganda outlets are promoting the anti-Iran War protests in the U.S. organized by the Singham Network, w/ CCP specifically pushing imagery from the ANSWER Coalition / the Party for Socialism & Liberation and quoting People’s Forum leaders. https://justthenews.com/government/security/chinese-state-run-media-promote-anti-iran-war-protests-organized-ccp-linked." 

raz sauber - רז זאובר @raz_sauber_, "Newsom is pushing a blood libel, claiming Israel bombed a school - even though it’s already been proven that it was a misfired Iranian rocket that hit it. Every Jewish organization should go after that vile scumbag the same way they go after any neo-Nazi who spreads lies about Jews." Peter Savodnik @petersavodnik, "The front runner for the Democratic nomination repackaging a medieval blood libel in the service of his presidential ambitions." Stacey @ScotsFyre, "Perhaps you didn’t hear, crazy lady. Iran bombed their own school. By mistake. They would have rather killed Jewish children with it. I am pretty sure you would have been okay with that too." Quote "Carrie Prejean Boller @CarriePrejean1, "Imagine thinking Americans are so stupid you tell them you’re going to liberate women in Iran by killing over 100 innocent little girls between the ages of 7 and 11. You have to be pretty evil to kill children. God’s chosen people don’t kill children." David Khait @David_Khait, "Turns out it wasn’t Israel as Al Jazeera reported. It wasn’t US as Iran reported. It was a failed launch by the IRGC that fell back to the ground and struck the elementary school. The elementary school is attached to an IRGC naval base." Quote Chaya’s Clan@ChayasClan "A failed missile launch in Iran caused the projectile to fall on a school. Images captured the moment it failed, fell back to ground, and struck. The Iranians - just like the Palestinians in Gaza at the beginning of the war - immediately claimed it was a missile fired by the United States or Israel." Dave Strom, Iran Is Using Schools for Military Command and Control, and Pravda Ignores That Fact. Beege Welborn, Nothing Says 'Heaven' to a Dead Ayatollah Like a Flock of Little Girls.

CBD at Ace's The Morning Rant: Marco Rubio Is A Star, And He Isn't The Only One In The Cabinet! Bill Kristol @BillKristol, "Maybe Rubio should stop inventing "imminent threats" to justify the war his administration started and get to work doing his department's job of helping Americans in the war zone they created." Quote James Blunt @JBlunt1018, "Called the State Department emergency number because the advisory said “depart via commercial means” and to call if you need assistance arranging departure. Airspace is shut. Airports aren’t functioning. Airlines can’t be reached."Miranda Devine @mirandadevine, "Nothing demonstrates better the moral bankruptcy of neocons like Max Boot and Bill Kristol who cheerled us into Iraq and have warmongered for an invasion of Iran ever since. They now define themselves only by opposition to Trump. Total losers." Quote Tom Elliott @tomselliott, "Max Boot, of all people: This is a war “in search of a justification ... We know Iran wasn’t enriching uranium”" Ace's Quick Hits Looks like Tucker Carlson was half right about teams of Demolition Jews sneaking around Qatar and Dubai planting explosives. "Agents were in fact arested. Agents of his patron Iran, that is." VodkaPundit at PJM, Trump Hits Back at Megyn and Tucker. Ace, Trump: Tucker and Megyn Aren't MAGA -- Trump Is MAGA. Whatever Tucker Carlson Says It Has No Effect On Me. Alan Bauer at TownHall, I Hate You More Than I Love Them "Our former heroes on the Right have made up their mind: they hate Israel more than they love the United States." Dave Strom at Hat Hair observes George Will Bows to the Inevitable: Trump Was Right. 

Dave Strom thinks he knows Most Ironic Tweet of the War Melissa Wong @Melissa_WongMT, "Has anyone else noticed that the "Iranian women celebrating" videos are all of women that are dressed like h00k3rs?" It IS true that there are a lot of Persian women who are creating videos celebrating the demise of the Ayatollah and fervently hoping that the entire regime collapses, and it is also true that a good number are, to the delight of many of us, rather scantily clad. But is that a surprise, given that they are protesting a regime that forces women to cover themselves head to toe, and that will beat, rape, and even sometimes kill women if they don't please the "morality police" in Iran?"

Sarah Anderson at PJM has a Cuba Desperation Update: Ignore the 'Experts.' Just Listen to the Regime Itself.

Star S. @DominguezH31015, "Bill Clinton is smiling while looking back through old Epstein photos & nodding over memories. His attorney snatches them out of Bill’s hands." His give-a-damn is broken. Althouse liked the question, "Do flight attendants typically wear tank tops and jeans?" "ADDED: If you keep your eye on the video, you'll see Bill Clinton smiling and biting his thumb as if he's remembering the good times. As if. Who knows?" From TMZ, Jeffrey Epstein Withheld Medical Treatments, Used Loyal Doctors to Manipulate Women.

At Twitchy, Jasmine Crockett Loses Dem Senate Primary to Hoax-Boosted James Talarico - Blames Republicans. Rusty Weiss at RedState sees Dan Crenshaw Suffers Stunning Upset in Texas GOP Primary: ‘Enjoy Unemployment’. I haven't heard about Paxton vs Cornyn yet. Mediaite sees a DEAD HEAT: Stunning New Poll Shows GOP Drawing Even With Dems Ahead of Midterms.

Driscoll at Insty cites ANDREW STILES: Exclusive: Graham Platner’s Crisis PR Handbook Hints at Trouble Still To Come. "Graham Platner is once again struggling to explain why he’s not a Nazi despite getting a Nazi tattoo and repeatedly associating with Nazis on the internet. Days after Platner accidentally promoted a post by an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist, Jewish Insider reported that the U.S. Senate candidate from Maine accidentally appeared on a YouTube program hosted by a different anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist and said he was a “longtime fan.”" At Da Wire, Dem Senate Darling Stumbles Into Third Nazi-Related Scandal Of Primary Campaign. "Far-left crusader Graham Platner is once again in the news after two instances of elevating known anti-semitic voices in the last week."

Capt. Ed hears SCOTUS: Hey, Newsom, Leave Them Kids (And Parents) Alone! "Late yesterday, the court issued an emergency order blocking a new law in California that bans schools from informing parents of a child's choice of transgender identity. A group of Christian teachers challenged the law, partially on grounds of religious freedom. In a 6-3 decision, the justices restored parental rights that should never have been disturbed in the first place" Twitchy, WOW: Abigail Spanberger's Admin and VA Democrats ALREADY Have EMBARRASSING Yet DELISH Scandal Brewing. Just a fart in a marsh. 

NYPo reports HHS finds up to $600m ‘improper’ payments for autism services, errors on every bill checked in four states, Indiana, Wisconsin, Maine and Colorado.

Cathy Salgado at PJM, Victims of Austin Jihad Shooting Revealed. Mary Chastain at LI is outraged, that the Officers Who Stopped Austin Shooter Must Face Grand Jury "A far-left group is behind the decision to put all officers who use force in front of a grand jury."

Svetlana Lokhova @RealSLokhova, "Christopher Wray and his deputy Paul Abbate stuffed Hillary Plan emails from the Durham Appendix, and Comey's handwritten notes about the Hillary Plan into the burn bags to be destroyed after President Trump won in 2024 before the new team came in. That's how Kash Patel found them." The Researcher @listen_2learn, "Paul Abbate was on the J7 FBI color revolution email. Would be interesting to know who the others were." Quote The Researcher @listen_2learn "This article tells you that the FBI knew what the fake J6 “insurrection” was really about as they shared it amongst themselves. They also know that every person charged with a crime was done so simply to send a message, no matter the damage done to people’s lives. It is all political."

Shooting News Week says It Appears the Supreme Court is Likely to Let Marijuana Users Own Guns.

Sister Toldja at RedState, Watch: Schmitt Shreds Blumenthal After Stunt Pulled During DHS Hearing. Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "NEW: After Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT) asks for people who claim they were abused by ICE to stand up in hearing room, Sen. @Eric_Schmitt (R-MO) counters, saying he would like to ask Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, etc to stand… “But they can’t, because they’re dead. They were murdered by illegal immigrants let into this country by Joe Biden.”" Matt Vespa at TownHall says Here's What Someone Should've Said to Thom Tillis During His Kristi Noem Meltdown. Corey Inganamort @TheBirdWords, "Watch very carefully to see if you can spot the difference in how “Republican” Thom Tillis treats the DHS Secretary who allowed 15M unvetted illegal aliens in the U.S. versus the one who is trying to deport them." Townhall.com @townhallcom, "Noem's clapback to Coons has him SHAKING Looney Sen. Cooney: “Will you rule out the deployment of ICE to polling places this November?” NOEM: “Do you plan on illegals voting in our elections, Senator?”" Dave Manney at PJM, If This Is True, the DNC Has a Moral Earthquake Coming. "Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testified that the Biden administration funneled cash to sponsors who trafficked and abused unaccompanied migrant children."

From Campus Reform, Columbia University student group coalition locked out of account after 'death to America' post "An inflammatory post by a student group coalition to the social media platform X ended in the deletion of the post and the organization doubling down."

From Legal News Line, Topless transgender politician defeats recall effort, in Washington state. "A recall petition sought to oust Lucy Lauser from the Stevenson City Council after she exposed her breasts on March 31 outside the Skamania County Courthouse. On her chest was the message “MY BODY IS NOT A SIN.” Police officers approached her about indecent exposure, but she cited her First Amendment rights and refused to cover herself. She was not arrested, but citizen Kathleen Fitzgerald instituted a recall petition that said Lauser failed to honor her oath of office." Meh, I've seen better fake tits.

The Wednesday Wetness

There are a bunch of articles on the Potomac River sewage spill in yesterday's Bay Newsfeed:

D.C. Government, Dept of Health Lifts Potomac River Recreational Advisory for Washington, DC

WaPoo, Is the Potomac River safe? What to know as D.C. lifts water advisory

WRC, Do you feel safe touching the Potomac River? People give mixed reactions after spill

WJLA, District leaders question DC Water over Potomac sewage spill

WTOP, 2 more sections of Potomac Interceptor rated at high risk after massive sewage spill

WUSA 9, Potomac River watermen seek relief as sewage spill stigma devastates oyster season

FWIW, I would be willing to touch the River water; I've done far worse; and I had the Hep A shot. I might even eat Striped Bass or Blue Catfish from below the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I might still be a little leary about eating oysters from anywhere north of the 301 bridge.