Tuesday, February 24, 2026

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."


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

Tuesday Tanlines


Monday, February 23, 2026

MD Oystermen Want Federal Bailout

Annap Cap Gazette, Maryland eyes federal disaster aid for oyster industry: ‘It’s our heritage’

Maryland officials say they are gathering the data needed to pursue federal disaster aid for the state’s struggling oyster industry, as watermen and Eastern Shore lawmakers press for relief under both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fishery disaster process and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

For weeks, lawmakers and watermen have called for help, citing market conditions described as among the worst in recent memory, along with a historically cold winter and complications from the Potomac River sewage spill that have devastated the once-robust Maryland oyster industry.

At a meeting of the General Assembly’s Eastern Shore Delegation on Friday, Robert T. Brown, president of the Maryland Watermen’s Association, called oysters “the backbone of the industry.” “Just about anybody who’s in the seafood industry oysters a certain amount,” he said. “They crab most of the season, but they’ll oyster a little bit during the winter. It’s just a way of life that has been for years. It’s our heritage.”

I've done my fair share of oystering. It's backbreaking, dirty work.

Brown said the problem isn’t supply but buyers. A steep dropoff was clear as early as Thanksgiving, he said. “When Thanksgiving came and Christmas, our markets just fell apart,” he said. “I started oystering back in the ’60s, and in Christmas, you never could catch enough … for some reason, we got a generation of people that’s not eating oysters.”

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz said the state has already begun working with NOAA on a potential fishery disaster declaration because of the market decline. Kurtz described a Feb. 4 meeting with NOAA’s fisheries disaster team after lawmakers and watermen asked the state to pursue federal help.

When the customers aren't buying your product, either the price is too high, or your product is not in sufficient demand. I suspect both are in play. According to Grok, oysters in Maryland command a retail price of $80-130/ bushel, and more in smaller lots, and if shucked. Certainly doable for a party, but a bit much for daily fare. Moreover, more and more Maryland residents are from out of state, and not into to the culture and wouldn't even know how to eat an oyster.  I don't see how the Feds are going to make us eat more oysters. But if they lower the price somehow, maybe I'll help. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Reporting Safe from the Storm

Well, we survived snowmageddocopalypse 26.5 (the 5th "winter storm" of the 25-26 winter season). Not too bad. We only have about 2 inches of snow, and although there are still a few small flakes coming down, I don't expect any more accumulation. The temperature has climbed to a little above freezing, expecting nearly 40 by the end of the day. I suppose I should shovel some before it gets too sticky. We had high winds overnight, and there's some small branches down in the front yard, but nothing damaging. Although there were some power outages in the area, we were spared (so far). 

Although thin, it is the perfect  consistency for rolling into big balls to make snowmen with.

From Ace, USA Hockey Beats Canada For The Gold Medal...Canadian Transsexuals And Thought Police Hardest Hit. At Twitchy, Grass Isn't Greener: Trump-Hating Expats Beg Canadians for Free Lodging as Savings Vanish. Why not, they give their other immigrants all kinds of free stuff. Don't encourage them to come back. Twitchy, After Team USA Wins Gold, HuffPost Gets Ratioed Into the Sun for Claiming the US Flag Is a 'Turn-Off'. Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630, "You....kinda are. Statistically, you are an outlier person on either the left or the hyper-hard right, so committed to insane ideas ("Borders should not exist!!!") that you dislike your own nation's flag at a time of global dominance. You are a weird loser." Quote HuffPost @HuffPost "If waving the American flag or chanting “USA!” turns you off right now, you're not alone."

Commonplace wants you to Ignore the Outrage. Trump’s Trade Revolution Is Working. "America’s allies complain while quietly backing new U.S. policy." At CJ, Judge Glock (I hope that's a pseudonym) thinks The Supreme Court’s Tariff Ruling Shows Conservativism at Work. "Chief Justice John Roberts’s long campaign against unilateral executive control of the economy continues—regardless of who’s in the White House." Sarah Isgur @whignewtons, "Perhaps a fair point—after all they voted to strike down Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness. But then what do you think of Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson? They, of course, voted to uphold Biden’s debt forgiveness." Quote Matt Lewis @mattklewis "Does anyone believe Thomas, Alito, or Kavanaugh would have voted to uphold unilateral Clinton, Obama, or Biden tariffs — of this magnitude?" Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, "We all just take for granted that the three liberals will vote on party lines." Irony meter busted; Mike LaChance at LI, Chuck Schumer Suddenly Against ‘Berating Supreme Court Justices’. “He was like a 10-year-old, name calling, foot stomping, berating Supreme Court justices. He’s like a baby”

Fox, Tourists in Mexican seaside city told to stay on resort as government warns of ‘clashes’. "Jalisco Gov Pablo Lemus Navarro warns of violent incidents spreading across multiple areas after federal forces conduct operation." After the head of the Jalisco cartel killed. "The travel warning was issued for parts of Jalisco state, including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala and Guadalajara; Tamaulipas state, including Reynosa and other municipalities; and areas of Michoacan state, Guerrero state and Nuevo Leon state." NYPo, Mexican resort town, airport under siege after army kills major Jalisco New Generation cartel leader. Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Mexico Erupts in Violence as Cartels Rampage; Americans Told to Shelter in Place. cdrsalamander @cdrsalamander, "Mexico should have one of the highest per-capita GDPs in the world. Blessed with a superb climate, hard working people, laden with natural resources...but since independence from the Spanish crown, it has been saddled with poor governance, lack of rule of law, and capped off in our modern day with corruption made worse by US drug money empowering a parallel power structure in the drug cartels. To give Mexico a chance to reach her potential, the good people and leaders of Mexico will have to go to war and pay the blood price to drive the cartels into the shadows...then those same people will need to find some way to push the Mexican government to act in a way deserving of her people. I don't see the below as a bad thing--this is part of the process of making a better, modern Mexico. I hope the government forces give no quarter and continue. Any assistance the USA can give them should be offered up as fast as the good forces in Mexico can take it." YaHoo! Cartels launch revenge attacks after Mexican military kills drug kingpin. Stephen Miller @StephenM, "There are thousands of cartel operatives in the United States. DHS is the department tasked with finding, arresting and removing them. Democrats have defunded DHS."


Streif at RedState sees Pete Hegseth Comes Under Fire for Meeting the Standards He Demands of Others. Yes, You Read That Right. InfantryDort @infantrydort, "There are two main things people need to be aware of: 1. These videos were taken days apart, it's 315 lbs. 2. No group of Infantry is going to celebrate ANY fake feat of strength. Especially the Rakkasans. The outrage and accusations are ridiculous." Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "The sad thing is, pretty much all of the people ripping on this have NO IDEA just how much respect the troops have for this. No idea." Althouse finds "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)."

At Althouse, "This is the CEO of Victoria's Secret, claiming that Epstein, who he hired to manage all of his money, had alerted him to the danger if you didn't inventory forks and spoons...." ""A guy like Les Wexner has to protect himself from fork theft. Understand? So that's where Jeffrey Epstein came in. Even his lawyer is looking at him like, well, this is an odd example. Even his lawyer's like, this is why we gotta keep it to five less, five words or less. Because now we're like, you're talking about forks and knives and spoons. Les Wexner on what Jeffrey Epstein did for him.... People could be stealing your silverware and Les Wexner's like, well that's what a good thought. I'd never thought that, here's all of my money. Let me give you power of attorney over literally all of my assets. Because you came up with this...." As commenter Earnest Prole said... "Counting knives and forks is a metaphor for employee theft prevention, which in a low-margin retail business like apparel is the difference between success and failure. By all early accounts Epstein specialized in tax avoidance; it didn’t matter whether the tax was theft by employees or the government. This podcaster is displaying the dopey knack of taking someone literally but not seriously."


At Althouse, "I'm not trying to impress you. I'm just trying to impress upon you: I'm like you." End Wokeness @EndWokeness "Gov. Newsom to a black crowd in GA: "I am like you. I'm a 960 SAT guy. I can't read."" DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican "The rare double self-own" " Let's look at the 2 obvious problems: 1. He's calling attention to his struggle with a serious disability, dyslexia. We talked about that here, a few weeks ago. He seems to be confessing something that is true, making himself vulnerable and relatable. Of course, he's also exposing his limitations. But his antagonists may screw up trying to take advantage of this. 2. In saying "I'm like you" to what seems to be an audience of black people, he's taking a risk. You can hear warm laughter, as, perhaps, many people relate to him, because they've struggled with exams, for whatever reason. But he seems to be unwittingly expressing the old stereotype about black people — the one right-wing people love to bring up. So, again, his antagonists will screw up trying to exploit what is, from him, only a slight innuendo. I'll bet some of you do it right here in the comments. ADDED: Nicki Minaj responds to that Newsom clip: 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." Scott McLallen at TownHall, Gavin Newsom, Bernie Sanders Say They Don't Know How to Get Birth Certificates. Laura Powell @LauraPowellEsq, "Fun fact! California taxpayers invested heavily in developing Squaw Valley as the host site for the 1960 Winter Olympics. After the Games ended, Governor Pat Brown (Governor Jerry Brown’s father) awarded operating rights on the resort facilities to William Newsom Sr. (Gavin Newsom’s grandfather) and his business partner, John Pelosi (Nancy Pelosi’s father-in-law). The business was very profitable for the Newsom family over the years, and Gavin Newsom himself operated a business at the former Olympic facility. As George Carlin said—it’s a big club, and you ain’t in it!"

From NYPo, Mamdani wants to socialize housing by driving building owners like me to bankruptcy, "That may well be his goal," and NY’s monster, $124B taxpayer-funded Medicaid program riddled with fraud, waste: US regulator Dr. Oz. Am Con thinks On Foreign Policy, AOC Is Just More of the Same. She substitutes emotion for thinking. Matt Forney @mattforney, "Europoors and Canadians: "lol dumb Americans you don't even have free healthcare" The free healthcare:" Quote Daily Mail @DailyMail, "Woman, 97, was found dead on the floor of her home after being told she would have to wait ten days for an ambulance for a suspected hip break, coroner hears https://trib.al/cUyNmTu."

Capt. Ed recaps Secret Service Shoots Armed Intruder at Mar-a-Lago; UPDATE: Identified. NYPo, Mar-a-Lago shotgun-wielding madman ID’d as Austin Tucker Martin, a North Carolina golf course artist "Investigators haven’t said whether Martin was previously known to law enforcement. . . . Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blasted Democrats and accused them of fueling attempted political violence against Trump in the wake of the most recent Mar-a-Lago security scare. “This venom coming from the other side,” Bessent told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “We don’t know whether this person was a mastermind, unhinged, or what, but they are normalizing this violence. It’s got to stop.”" Matt Margolis at PJM, Dan Bongino Breaks Down What Just Happened at Mar-a-Lago




Hat Hair's Josh Hammer wonders Will We See a Supreme Court Vacancy (or Two) This Summer? "Justice Samuel Alito is 75 years old -- and will be 76 by the end of this term. Justice Clarence Thomas is 77 years old -- and will be 78 by term's end. Alito just celebrated 20 years of service on the high court, and Thomas would mark 35 years of service this October -- nice round numbers. . . . Far be it from me to encourage Thomas or Alito, each a hero of the American republic, to retire. But the timing does seem right. And as a political issue, a September confirmation showdown (or two) in the Senate Judiciary Committee could serve to boost Republican enthusiasm at the ballot box in November. In fact, it could be just what the doctor ordered."

CIS, has a A True Comparison of ICE Arrests Under Trump II and Biden "What CBS News didn’t tell you: 90.7% of all ‘at-large’ alien arrests in FY 2022 involved aliens without criminal histories. Where was the outrage then?" From Fox, DHS says 8% of Nicaragua's entire population illegally entered US under Biden "DHS reveals Cuba, Haiti and Honduras also saw massive percentages of their populations cross border." Bob Spencer at PJM, Dem Congressional Candidate Refuses to Say He’d Deport a Single Illegal Alien. Shipwreckedcrew sees An Earthquake Ruling From The Fifth Circuit Court Of Appeals On An Important Immigration Issue -- Detention of Aliens Without Bond Is Lawful. "Thousands of illegal aliens have been ordered released on bond by federal judges based on.established practice of almost 30 years -- but the Fifth Circuit holds that is not required by the statute." Hat Hair's Larry Elder sees NBC Poll Finds Declining Support For Trump's Immigration Agenda -- Blame NBC. At RCP, Trump Administration Led With the Wrong Agency in Minnesota. Should have sent DOJ for the fraud? From Hat Hair's Walt Hudson, Minnesota Democrats’ Anti-ICE Theater Collides With the Constitution. At Hollywood in Toto, Here’s Why U2, Springsteen Joined Anti-ICE ‘Resistance’, "Aging rockers ignore facts for very good reason, and it's not about justice."

The Monday Morning Stimulus

Coffee prices plunged earlier this week as Conab predicted a bumper 2025/26 harvest for Brazil. Arabica and robusta futures dropped to seven and six-month lows, respectively, as the crop agency announced that it expects Brazil’s 2026 coffee production to reach a record 66.2 million bags. Arabica yields are predicted to increase by 23.2% to 44.1 million bags, while robusta production could grow by 6.3% to 22.1 million bags. With Brazil’s largest arabica-growing area, Minas Gerais, receiving ample rainfall these past couple of weeks, coffee prices are expected to continue their downward trajectory.

In other news, the US Department of Agriculture has announced a US$1bn specialty crop programme for US farmers. The assistance programme covers coffee, meaning producers in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and California are entitled to receive one-off payments that will “help address market disruptions, elevated input costs, persistent inflation, and market losses from foreign competitors”, according to the USDA. While the assistance programme is unlikely to increase the market share of US-grown coffee, it could provide necessary support for the country’s specialty coffee producers.