Sunday, August 23, 2026

Beach Report 8/23/26 - Meg!

Not a big Megalodon tooth, or a particularly well preserved one, but a Meg nonetheless. The bourlette is kinda sorta visible, and the serrations are well worn but apparent.
And while it's not complete, it is more than a mere fragment.

Otherwise it was not a very hot day for fossils; 11 teeth, a crab claw and 2 drum teeth.
We had a very high tide yesterday, and we didn't even attempt the beach. Then we had three thunderstorms overnight, which dumped 2.4 inches of rain, mostly in a few minutes.

However, the cold front dropped the temperature and humidity out of the stupid range into tolerable.
There were a few changes at the beach. Some of the logs moved a bit.

Random Celebrity News

For some values of random, celebrity and news. It's been a while so I should get these out before they get too moldy: From Driscoll at Insty,  OH NO, SOMETHING NEW TO “INFURIATE LIBERALS!” Gwen Stefani’s ‘Maga Barbie’ transformation has infuriated liberals.

Thirty years ago, an edgy new pop star looked set to take over the world. With her peroxide blonde hair, camo trousers and rebellious spirit, No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani seemed like a breath of cigarette-smoke-tinged air: cooler and sexier than Britney Spears, but not quite as chaotic as Courtney Love; an artist who appealed to both rock and pop fans.

No Doubt’s third album, Tragic Kingdom (1995), sold more than 16 million copies, earned the band two Grammy nominations (for best new artist and best rock album) and spawned the colossal hit single Don’t Speak. Stefani’s decision to go solo in 2004 catapulted her to the A-list, with number one singles, sold-out tours and countless magazine front covers. She was the US’s favourite cool girl, whose empowering songs formed the soundtrack of millennial adolescence. Until she wasn’t. Two decades later, Stefani has found herself with a very different identifier: enemy of liberals everywhere.

From Althouse, "But a recent tragedy-exploiting television series about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette features a character using my name and presents her as me." Writes Daryl Hannah, in the NYT.

The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident. In discussing the show, “Love Story,” one of its producers explained: “Given how much we’re rooting for John and Carolyn, Daryl Hannah occupies a space where she’s an adversary to what you want narratively in the story.” Storytelling requires tension. It often requires an obstacle. But a real, living person is not a narrative device.

There is also a gendered dimension to this thinking. Popular culture has long elevated certain women by portraying others as rivals, obstacles or villains. Isn’t it textbook misogyny to tear down one woman in order to build up another?...

I could live quite handily without ever thinking of these people again.  Brad Slager at RedState looks at Hollywood’s Crazy Economics: Impending Crash of 'Supergirl' to Affect Dozens of Partnering Companies

As Brandon Morse has been following here for the past few weeks, the lead actress in this DC-Warners feature, Milly Alcock, has been serving up audience-repelling comments on the regular, and the film’s fortunes are foundering as a result. This is not only sure to tank the profitability of the movie itself, but the future of the DC superhero universe, as helmed by James Gunn, is threatened.

Initial tracking for this title had it pegged to perform better its opening weekend than the “Mandalorian” entry, at around $80 million. In early June, those numbers were revised down to a more modest $55 million debut weekend. Contrasted with “Superman’s" bow last year at $125 million, this is a woeful prospect, and the projections have only turned more dismal.
New York Post @nypost, "Brian Austin Green admits his marriage to ex Megan Fox was led by ‘physical attraction’ https://trib.al/GP5uFqw," Really?

When she's right, she's right. Chris Queen at PJM thinks CNN’s Ella Langley Blind Spot Exposes Its Coastal Bubble
CNN’s Zoe Sottle writes:
“Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley’s languid heartbreak anthem about losing her cowboy sweetheart to a girl from Texas, which Rolling Stone has declared the song of the summer, is everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

It depends on who you ask and, more importantly, what their algorithm serves them up.

The song – cowritten by Miranda Lambert in one mark of Langley’s country bona fides – is an undisputed hit, if charts are how you define such things. It’s spent 15 weeks at Billboard’s No. 1, making Langley just one of three women to earn that honor as solo artists and breaking the records previously held by Whitney Houston for “I Will Always Love You” and Mariah Carey for “We Belong Together.” She’s leading Taylor Swift and Drake in the charts.

So, why does it feel like people don’t know her face or name? Call it the baffling reality of music in 2026.
“What’s really happening is there’s hits in what we call subcultures,” NYU music professor Clayton Durant tells Sottle. I guess national fandom and massive radio and retail success across multiple genres is a subculture?

John Sexton at Hat Hair thinks  Ariana Grande Is Obviously Not Well, She needs to eat donuts, not spit on them.

Grande’s cheeks appear to be sunken. Her clavicles and upper rib cage protrude. Her arms seem to be entirely lacking fat or muscle and instead to be sinew on bone. Her legs, what we can see of them, are spindly. Online, a dietitian I follow posted a hesitant video explaining that while she generally refrains from publicly commenting on other people’s bodies, she was going to use Grande’s video to educate viewers on the signs she looks for when diagnosing malnutrition at an anorexia/bulimia treatment program. The dietitian then dispassionately pointed out that Grande’s body, at least the parts that were visible, fit nearly every criterion.
Older pic

Matt Margolis at PJM,  
Here's How Team Trump Got Ariana Grande to Have a Complete Meltdown

On Thursday, the Team Trump TikTok account, which has 14 million followers and has been running since before the 2024 election, posted a video of Trump walking to a rally podium set to Grande's 2024 song "We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)." Text overlaid on the video read, "Me and my truth we sit in silence...Men can't have babies and should never compete in women's sports." The caption made the point even plainer: "This shouldn't be controversial! #trump #arianagrande #maga."
...
Of course, Grande did not see any of that as up for debate. She commented on the Team Trump post, demanding that the account stop using her music and pushing back against the claims made in the video. "Never use my music again," Grande wrote. "Also, your truth is false."

I hope she finds the help she needs. We don't need any more Karen Carpenters.  

Flotsam and Jetsam - Just Another Sunday in the South

And the pickens are kinda slim. And I'm OK with that.

From Twitchy, Hypocrite 'Eat the Rich' DSA Leader Caught Lying and Living Off Mom & Dad’s Manhattan Money. The Manhattan Contrarian is outrages Democratic Socialists Commemorate Fidel Castro's 100th Birthday. The Free Bacon reports the El-Sayed Campaign Gets a $175,000 Boost From CAIR, Whose Leader Was 'Happy' About Oct. 7, After Alleging Primary Opponent's AIPAC Support Constituted 'Foreign' Intervention in Election. At the JPo, Mohammed El-Kurd laments not being allowed to hijack planes in protest "Last month, El-Kurd called on pro-Palestinian supporters to 'Normalize the massacres as the status quo' at a rally in London.." Mohammed El-Kurd @m7mdkurd, "You can’t protest peacefully. You can’t boycott. You can’t hunger strike. You can’t hijack planes. You can’t block traffic. You can’t throw Molotovs. You can’t self-immolate. You can’t heckle politicians. You can’t march. You can’t riot. You can’t dissent. You just can’t be." NYPo Opines on Why the DSA’s Medicare-for-All dream threatens us with a real-life nightmare. At Althouse, "The rollout could’ve been better. Absolutely, I said the rollout has to be cleaned up and fixed." "Said Governor Kathy Hochul, quoted in "How New York’s Second-Home Tax Turned Into a Headache for Mamdani/The bumpy rollout of the tax created an opportunity for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s opponents to fight him in court and in the City Council" (NYT gift link)." "I did finally watch the whole minute. From the transcript: "This pied-a-terre tax is specifically designed for the richest of the rich, those who store their wealth in New York City real estate, but who don't actually live here.... This is a fundamentally unfair system that hurts working New Yorkers." What's "fundamentally unfair"? It's a child's reasoning: If someone has something that he's not using, it should be mine."

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn, sees Desperate Measures for Desperate Times: Dem Primaries Magically Become a Blue Wave. Democrats @TheDemocrats, "The blue wave is here—and these wins prove it." Queen Velvet @TMIWITW, "Democrats won Democrat primaries. Are democrats voters actually this stupid or do you just treat them as if they are?"

Joe Chalfant at TownHall rejoices that Elon Musk Just Gave Republicans Unbelievable News Heading Into the Midterms. "Elon Musk, who briefly became the world’s first trillionaire after SpaceX went public in June, is expected to spend up to $200 million on boosting the electoral prospects of Republicans across the country." He just looked between the cushions on the couches. 

Tweets that didn't age well: Dr. Richard Harambe @Richard_Harambe, "Happy two year anniversary of Joe Biden challenging Trump to a debate for those who celebrate." Quote Joe Biden @JoeBiden, "Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again."

From Breitbart Bus Dig, The Sky Isn't Falling in the U.S. Treasury Market. News Wax notices Newsom Touts Trump Accounts for California Families. Matt Vespa at TownHall heard Trump Went Nuclear on Some Familiar Names Last Night. Here's What He Said. "President Trump seems to have had it with Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Thomas Massie."

ZitoSalena @ZitoSalena, "It's impossible to have a nuanced, conversation about data power centers on social media; the politics right now is to demonize them, call them predators rather than show there are also examples of good industry stewards. Few have the courage to raise the consequences of that. Except Fetterman." Quote U.S. Senator John Fetterman @SenFettermanPA, "AI supremacy and energy dominance underpins our national security. China continues to fuel and benefit from our overreaction. I reject the political pandering and hyperbole over data centers or AI." Steve Moore at Hat Hair, Net Zero Is Dead and Gone. "Much of this never made sense given that AI and data center energy needs will double or triple our electric power demands over the next two decades. That will require an all-of-the above approach to meet those needs and to keep power affordable for our businesses and families."

At Althouse, "[T]his relationship is pathological, and a source of great irritation among other courtiers. It is Trump distilled to his essence..." "... cult leader and his most rabid follower, narcissist and his most flattering mirror. The daughter of a devoutly Christian real estate broker who died by suicide during the pandemic, [Natalie] Harp idolizes Trump with a rare fervor.... ... Trump told his staff that Harp was the only one who loved him as much as his wife and kids did. 'She’ll never leave me,' he would tell other staffers.... It’s a perfect (taxpayer-funded) relationship. She thinks he’s amazing. And he agrees." Writes Maureen Dowd, in "Natalie’s Magnificent Obsession" (NYT gift link)." She's so jealous! Eric Florack at PJM sees the The '34 Felony Convictions' Mantra Just Disintegrated as President Trump makes peace with Michael Cohen. "President Trump was interviewed by his former attorney, Michael Cohen, the star witness in the hush money case, which verdict is under appeal. Trump said Cohen was weaponized against him by the Justice Department. Cohen agrees, adding that he felt coerced by the Feds. The case stems from the president's effort to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 during the 2016 election."

1945 notes US Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carriers Were Not Needed to Bomb Iran. They Were Needed to Blockade It. "A B-2 flying from Missouri and a Tomahawk launched from a destroyer two hundred miles offshore can both hit a target that once required a carrier. An F-35C off a flight deck does roughly what an F-35A does from a Gulf air base. The blockade was different: no target list to exhaust, only a duration set by Tehran." Mike Lee @BasedMikeLee, "MSM spin narrative incoming." Quote New York Post@nypost, "Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz skyrockets nearly 400%, as analysts say Iran's grip on critical waterway weakens https://trib.al/ZwiB1KE." 

News Wax reports US Imposes Tariffs on $20 Billion of Canadian Products as Canada fails to come to terms with Trump. Sundance at CTH, Trade Talks Collapse – Prime Minister Carney Talking Alot, President Trump Remains Quiet "Canada wants unlimited and unrestricted access to the U.S. market as if they were a 51st state. However, Canada will not permit unlimited and unrestricted access to their market for U.S. companies. This, Carney says, compromises the sovereignty of Canada."


News Wax notes Trump Asks Supreme Court to Revive CNN Lawsuit "Trump said in the lawsuit that CNN defamed him through reports that said he had no evidence to support his claims of improprieties in the 2020 presidential election and repeatedly characterized his claims as the "Big Lie," a phrase Trump said was intended to link him to Hitler and Nazi propaganda."

C3 @C_3C_3, "It’s been a year since DeCarlos Brown murdered Iryna Zarutska and he hasn’t even had a trial yet. Shiloh Hendrix has already been tried, found guilty and sentenced for saying a word. I never want to hear about white privilege ever again." To be fair, murder trials tend to take a long time. 

Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "WOAH Oakland Democrats PASSED legislation banning citizenship checks for police jobs and city jobs City Employees and Oakland Police will be prohibited from asking about a person’s immigration and legal status when applying for jobs The Public Safety Committee passed the ordinance unanimously Democrats want to arm illegals in the police force against American citizens Everything that passed - Restricts collection of immigration status on applications - Ban on asking about legal status and sharing info with ICE agents - Officers prohibited from enforcing federal immigration rules - ICE agents blocked from entering non-public areas of city buildings without a warrant." At State of the Day, the State of Thursday: THE GREAT BETRAYAL. "News broke Tuesday night that a woman had been fatally stabbed near Great Falls national park. By Wednesday, our suspicions had been confirmed. “The killer was an illegal alien,” my wife said, even as I was still carrying my kids through the door."

At Hat Hair Dave Strom says Nuke Academia From Orbit. It Is the Only Way to Be Sure. "Critical Theory, I keep reminding you, does not seek to communicate anything we understand as "truth" or "reality." It is about asserting power. The goal here is to intimidate everybody with an accusation of racism. To call you a Nazi. To make you quail in terror at the thought that you will face social opprobrium." Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "You guys realize that the leftist reaction to the Jason Arday case is going to incentivize more and more people to just "self-ID" as autistic or neurodivergent right? Why? Because it instantly unlocks two-tier judgment. There will be massive upside to identify as "neurodivergent" and no downside. It's a choose-your-own-adventure but this time you're just choosing your own alibi. No one challenges the claim, and you might even score an endorsement from figures like autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen. The same excesses that distorted the trans movement will now come for "neurodivergence." Increasingly, mental health status is treated as a moral free pass - permission to act like an asshole or commit crimes (see the Lindsay Clancy case)." Kamel Amin Thaabet @K_AminThaabet, "Israel is murdering children!!!! Now excuse me, I have to go to the rally for Lindsay Clancy." Hat Hair's John Stossel on Racist Tests. At NYPo, Hofstra professor facing possible termination over discrimination claim for saying ‘word salad’, because "racism" of course. From the College Fix, Judge dismisses pro-Hamas professor’s discrimination lawsuit against Columbia. “I’m with Hamas and Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad,” he said on social media." A Driscolly post at Insty starts with CHRISTIAN TOTO: Pop Culture Puts Antisemitism on Blast (Finally).

At the Chronic, Ian Smith offers A Novel Explanation for Woke Culture. "My colleagues would rather I not say this, but I will: As access to mental health care has expanded, so have rates of mental illness. And this isn’t simply a matter of greater awareness leading to more diagnoses. The more therapy people get, the more fragile, anxious, and dysfunctional they seem to become. This isn’t just an individual crisis—it’s a societal one. Which raises an uncomfortable but urgent question: Is modern therapy not only failing patients, but making them—and the culture at large—sicker?"

Palm Sunday

 With Devon Windsor:

City officials said 15 palm trees in the Circle of Palms at 124 S. Market St., are dead or dying, while the rest are in declining health, raising the risk of falling trees, according to a media advisory from the city of San Jose. Crews began the removal Thursday and will keep the area barricaded for the next nine days as they finish the work, the city said.
...
Colin Heyne, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Transportation, told SFGATE that the city was aware that some of the trees were browning and dropping fronds, but they began deteriorating more quickly than expected — a July arborist report confirmed nearly half of the trees were dead or dying, he said. Officials are examining tissue samples of the trees at a lab and haven’t determined the official cause of death, Heyne said.

Saturday, August 22, 2026

ASMFC Considers Reallocating Menhaden Quotas

 From National Fisherman, Commission could revisit how menhaden quota is divided among states

Atlantic menhaden management could face another major discussion this fall, this time over how the coastwide catch is divided among East Coast states.The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is expected to consider in November whether to begin a process to reallocate state menhaden quotas, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), which is pushing for changes to a system based largely on historical landings. 

TRCP argues the current allocations no longer reflect where menhaden are being found or how fishermen use the resource today. Virginia receives more than 75 percent of the state allocation, supporting the East Coast's only remaining large-scale menhaden reduction fishery, operated by Omega Protein and supplied by Ocean Harvesters. Farther north, menhaden are an important bait source for lobster, crab and other commercial fisheries, with states relying in part on set-asides and quota transfers to meet demand.

"More balanced state allocations would strengthen bait supply, reduce dependence on temporary quota transfers, and better distribute the economic benefits of this resource along the Atlantic," said Jaclyn Lunaas, forage fish program manager for TRCP.

The organization points to increasing concentrations of menhaden in New England waters as another reason to reconsider allocations. Menhaden, also known as bunker or pogies, are also an important forage species for striped bass, bluefish, tuna, marine mammals and seabirds. The potential reallocation discussion comes as ASMFC is already considering other changes to menhaden management, particularly in the Chesapeake Bay.

It's certainly true that we're not seeing the large schools of adult menhaden that we used to in the Maryland portion of the Bay. It was pretty easy to blame Omega's giant, airplane assisted purse seining in the Virginia waters, but it well could be that Menhaden changed their migration patterns for some as yet undetermined reason, and many fewer have come this way.

WaPoo opines This little fish anchors the East Coast food web. A fight over it is brewing.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Justice Roberts Gives Trump Ballroom Go Ahead

No doubt liberals are gnashing there teeth. Susie Moore at RedState says SCOTUS Cuts In on Ballroom Battle, Lets Construction Proceed - for Now. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears SCOTUS to Trump: Build, Baby, Build. Sundance at CTH, Chief Justice Roberts Stays DC Appellate Court Ruling – White House Construction of Ballroom Can Continue. Althouse likes her NYT, "The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily allowed President Trump to continue construction of a luxury White House ballroom to replace the East Wing he demolished last fall." "The NYT reports. In a one-sentence order, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., acting on his own, issued a place holder that gives all nine justices additional time to more fully consider whether construction of the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom can proceed. The chief justice’s order did not provide a timeline for when the court would act next, stating only that a lower-court ruling against the Trump administration was paused “pending further order of the undersigned or of the court.”" So, the suit against Trump is on hold pending a decision from the whole court, but the presumption is that Robert feels the whole court is likely to agree. Besides, the ballroom is more than half complete (Trump doesn't waste time), and by the time the court gets around to it, it will be fait accompli. 

Speaking of building, NYPo opines Trump is right to put his neck on the line for data centers. Scott Pinsker at PJM notes Republicans Are Pandering to Data Center Hysteria — and Helping China Win the AI War. It's always easy to gin up opposition to something new. Zarathustra @zarathustra5150, "It’s very much an out-group phenomenon. Over the last decade, Big Tech has managed, in different ways, to deeply alienate both the political right & political left, and most of the American public to boot. Much of it returns to the same enduring problem: techies are tragically inept at understanding people, politics, persuasion & culture; while cocooning themselves away from the rest of society inside an extremely tiny, insular, out-of-touch milieu that leaves them unable to grasp the consequences of their own behavior, particularly just how thoroughly they have made themselves disliked by nearly everyone else in America at this point. And I say this as a long-time friend of techies & tech, and someone who loves AI & is generally supportive of data centers. Y’all have a truly massive PR problem, and much worse: you don’t even seem to realize it." Sonny Bunch @SonnyBunch, "Free messaging tip: instead of saying data center opponents are Chinese dupes, scare them with horror stories about how their Netflix streams will degrade to 480p or, gasp, occasionally crash entirely if we don’t have capacity. Americans will not stand for mild inconvenience."

JT Yung at Am Spec, thinks Republicans Can’t Win Telling Only Half the Story. "The GOP’s strongest case isn’t just what it accomplished. It’s the Democrat agenda it prevented." 

Four from sundance at CTH, JD Vance Delivers Remarks on Jobs and the Economy from His Hometown in Middletown, Ohio, President Trump Lifts Tariff Quota on Imported Beef for 90 Days to Relieve Price Stress, Talks Collapse – Tariffs Begin Now – A Direct and Confrontational U.S-Canada Trade War is Now a Reality and President Trump and Former Antagonist Michael Cohen Have a Conversation.

Dave Manney at PJM observes The Left Suddenly Loves the Troops, As Long As It Hurts Trump. In his HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK, Don Surber observes "The New York Times quoted the mother of a sailor who said, “They Didn’t Sign Up to Be on a Ship in the Middle of the Ocean.” Hegseth should add a question to the application to join the Navy, “Is your mother an idiot?”" Hat Hair's John Sexton hears Russia Is Out of Gasoline, but Complaining Is Not an Option and Germany Finds a Stash of Weapons in a Forest. "While Alexander Dobrindt, the interior minister, was careful not to point a finger at any nation, the news came amid increased fear of destabilizing “hybrid” attacks that European governments have blamed, publicly and privately, on Russia." I think Putin wants NATO to rescue him from the Ukraine quagmire.

Cathy Salgado at PJM hears Democrat Voter and Rabbi Will Not Vote for El-Sayed, Says He’ll Support Republican. Too soon old, too late smart. At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed worries 'America, We Have Lost This City': The Battle for Dearbornistan. Vick Nava at NYPo takes note that Members of Mamdani’s DSA pledge to ‘support’ and ‘defend’ China: ‘Survival of Chinese socialism is a crucial matter.’ Beege Welborn, PSA: There Will Be No Sympathy Note From the Mayor If You're Killed BY an Illegal Alien in His City, and probably many more cities. Homeland Security @DHSgov, "This illegal alien KILLED a 27-year-old MOTHER and her BABY. Manuel Hernandez, from El Salvador, was illegally piloting a boat when he capsized the overloaded vessel in New York Harbor. Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of @ICEgov, this criminal is off our streets and out of our waterways - and he will be DEPORTED after he faces justice." "Mamdani has restricted the NYPD from working with ICE to find these guys. A Coast Guard investigation discovered the truth and, when Hernandez was released on $50,000 bail, ICE was there to snatch him up." Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "BREAKING: A new report completely exposes what everyone has known for a long time. More extreme candidates, specifically linked to the DSA, are getting massively boosted by non-Americans on X." Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "It’s not hypocrisy, it’s hierarchy. Spoiled rich kids become socialists because they hate themselves for not being as successful and worthy as their parents, so they seize the power they couldn’t obtain. It’s all just self-loathing being projected onto society. Scammers." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Gustavo Gordillo, NYC DSA's phony union champion, is doing $1.4M in repairs on home - and permits reveal hypocrisy."

From the Crimson Hub, AOC says lockdowns made ‘Woke 1’ insane. Her old tweets show she got an early and eager start. Hat Hair's Dave Strom says No, Ro, You Won't Outflank AOC to Snag the Democratic Nomination for President. Amy Curtis at TownHall sees Ro Khanna Gets Roasted for His Lies About What 'Medicare for All' Would Do. From Reason, Universal Healthcare Sounds Great. Here's What's Happening in Countries That Have It. "With calls for “free healthcare” growing louder in America, countries with universal systems offer a warning: long waits, rationed care, and unmet medical needs." In a Larry vid at Hat Hair, AARP's John Hishta Reveals the Michigan Polling Data Both Parties Are Watching Right Now. From Da Signal, Backlash Against Ossoff Continues to Grow After Trump Aide Remarks, Collins Increases in Poll. Remember, for some odd reason, polls favor Democrats in summer, and tighten considerably towards the election. I suspect enemy action. The Guardian notes the Website behind widely shared fake election polls run by 21-year-old, "Exclusive: Rahil Prakash tells the Guardian: ‘I wanted to see if fake polls could penetrate the ecosystem that easily’" Yes, it could. 

Stacy McCain looks at Democrat bloviation on What ‘Our Democracy’ Really Means. Susie Crabtree at RCP thinks Florida Democrats Hand Republicans a November Gift. At PM, Islamic advocacy group demands James O’Keefe be prosecuted after team dressed as Muslims to expose Minnesota elections. "They claim "Using fake Muslim identities, accents and religious stereotypes as part of a political stunt is not a harmless prank or political stunt" and don't seem to be concerned with 1A protections." Matt Vespa at TownHall sees Lisa Murkowski Was Not Amused by James O'Keefe's Latest Video "O’Keefe was voting in the state under Murkowski’s brother, who now lives in Texas. When he said he left his wallet in the car, they allowed him to obtain Brian Murkowski’s ballot. He now lives in Texas, but his name is still on the rolls, and election workers here said it wasn’t a problem that O’Keefe had no identification." Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING UPDATE: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)'s team is FURIOUS, indicating that James O'Keefe should face PROSECUTION because he simply exposed Alaska's voter vulnerability Poll workers were going to let O'Keefe vote as Murkowski's BROTHER, Brian. MURKOWSKI'S OFFICE: "Voter impersonation is a crime and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." She opposes the SAVE America Act And now is ATTACKING the journalist exposing why we need it. OVER TARGET, @JamesOKeefeIII."

Capt. Ed has Today's Deeeeeep Question: Did Trump Slip Biden a Mickey at the Debate? "When I say "Deeeeeep," I of course mean deeeeeeply stupid." Ace hears a Leftwing Podcaster Suggests That Joe Biden Had Been Rufied for the Presidential Debate; Jill Biden Agrees It's Possible, Saying "Who Knows?" "I wonder if Noted Reporter of Things We All Knew Ten Years Ago Jake Tapper will fact-check Jill Biden and call her a liar, which is what he does for every Republican who shades the truth (or tells the truth that the leftwing cult denies). Actually I don't wonder that. I was just bein' silly." Don Surber wonders (rhetorically) Does Swalwell still say believe all women? "He needs a lawyer familiar with celebrities accused of spiking drinks and rape. Is Bill Cosby’s legal team available?"

Leslie Eastman at LI looks at A Suspected Arsonist, a Wildfire, and California’s Failure to Protect the Public, "Suspected arsonist Brandon Glasgo is homeless with a history of arrests and mental health problems." Calling all Rushbabes sees *More evidence that Washington State is encouraging forest fires, rather than preventing them.

Mike Benz @MikeBenzCyber, "The irony of The Russiagaters being foreign-funded themselves and pleading the Fifth when asked about it." Quote Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: ActBlue cofounder Matt DeBergalis just PANICKED and PLEADED THE 5TH in a closed-door deposition with House committee investigators — Fox News This comes after ActBlue is accused of allowing FOREIGN DONATIONS INFILTRATE US politics for Democrats, without proper measures to stop it. Here's the shocking exchange between Rep. Jim Jordan and an ActBlue official when they also pleaded the 5th. SHUT IT DOWN." Steve @SteveLovesAmmo, "2021: Riots 2022: Riots 2023: Riots 2024: Riots 2025: Riots 2026: SPLC indicted, Act Blue under investigation, USAID defunded — no riots." From Ace, Paul Sperry: Federal Prosecutors Reveal Evidence That James Comey Knew Full Well That "86" Was Code for "Murder," and Actually Wrote a Whole "Novel" Whose Plot Revolved Around Stirring Up Public Passions to Get Someone to Assassinate a Politician. Sundance is still beating that horse, Why Does James Comey Matter?

Sundance seems disappointed President Trump Announces Departure of Ed Martin from DOJ, to go outside to fight for the GOP in elections. "Many people, CTH included, hoped Ed Martin would be a man inside the DOJ machine that could bring accountability for prior govt wrongdoing. That hope never materialized. Today, President Trump announces Mr Martin’s departure." Senator Rand Paul @SenRandPaul, "For years we were told Fauci was the infallible expert who never made a mistake and never lied. Now his lawyers are admitting the legal exposure is so large they need a special fund to handle it. You can’t fundraise the truth away." Quote NEWSMAX @NEWSMAX, "Lawyers for Anthony Fauci have launched a legal defense fund for the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, saying that the need to respond to a growing number of state and federal investigations related to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic will require substantial resources." Dave Strom sees The Science™ Strikes Again at the BMJ Jeffrey A Tucker @jeffreytucker, "Unbelievable that a paper would be retracted because "this publication may give the impression that the importance of vaccinations is being questioned." What in the hell is going on? BMJ Retracts 2024 Excess Deaths Paper for the Sin of Spreading "Misinformation", by @sonia_elijah."

Capt. Ed wonders Will Karmelo Anthony Get a New Trial – and Should He Want One? UPDATE "The hearing is still underway, but Nate the Lawyer breaks down the new evidence on both Metcalf and Anthony. The victim is no saint, Nate concludes, but Anthony's first defense team made the right call. "Karmelo Anthony was a walking felony" before the murder, Nate says, and was a straight-out "thug." Watch it all:" Robby Starbuck @robbystarbuck, "In the most predictable update of all time, it turns out the sweet, misunderstood boy that the Democrats have been defending, is in fact a complete piece of shit who hits women, got in fights regularly, wanted to lick a victims blood off his knife and threatened to kill people. Karmelo Anthony deserves the electric chair." Quote Sarah Fields @SarahisCensored, "On the day Karmelo Anthony fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf, prosecutors report he sent a text message at 1 a.m. that read, “I’m lowk on the verge,” and then stressed the point further. Later that morning on April 2, 2025 - only hours before Karmelo Anthony stabbed Austin Metcalf to death at a high-school track meet - prosecutors state that Karmelo Anthony’s girlfriend told a Centennial High School staff member he was “engaging in stalking behavior, to include, but not limited to, driving by her home and refusing to allow her to end their relationship.”..." Ace, Poor Innocent Baby-Lamb Karmelo Anthonhy: "When I Stab Someone I'm Going to Lick the Blood Off the Blade". "This evidence wasn't introduced at trial, because prosecutors and defense agreed that no "character evidence" about any parties in the case, including the victim, would be introduced." I predict the defense and press will continue to press to suppress negative information on Anthony, while introducing anything positive. 

Ilya Shapiro @ishapiro, "This is terrific. As I wrote last year in @CivitasOutlook, “One of the underappreciated aspects of what’s gone wrong [in higher ed], especially with law schools, is accreditation. Analyzing the rules governing legal education may not be as attention-grabbing as showing how critical theory has perverted pedagogy or documenting the inquisitions of DEI offices, but it’s crucial for understanding underlying pathologies and thus for any possibility of reform.” 1/2" Quote May Mailman @MayMailman, "Holy smokes! The Trump Administration just moved to terminate the ABA's status as a law school "accreditor." This will be one of the most meaningful changes to open doors for Americans and steer legal culture toward justice, not radical indoctrination. The American Bar Association (ABA) is a left-wing advocacy group, filing 80% of its amicus briefs for liberal arguments and 0% for conservative. It uses its monopoly on recognizing which law schools are "accredited" (get student loans) to force DEI hiring, recruitment, and inflate the cost of education."

From Shooting News Week, Federal District Court Judge Rules Biden-Era ‘Frame and Receiver’ Rule is Unconstitutional. “The decision of when a hunk of metal or plastic ‘may readily be completed, assembled, restored, or otherwise converted to function as a frame or receiver’ is left to the subjective determination of the ATF and does not provide fair notice to the reader about when a component becomes subject to enforcement,” O’Connor wrote. “Having found that the Final Rule is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment and void for vagueness under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment.”

RedState's Ward Clark sees Trump’s Epic Border Win Hits Cartels Where It Hurts: in the Wallet. Teri Christoph says Another 'Sanctuary Spanberger' Nightmare Is Coming to a Head in Fairfax County.Nick Minock @NickMinock, "New: the 19-year-old illegal immigrant WJLA was the first to tell you about, who groped several girls in Fairfax High School, is scheduled to be released on 09/03/26. Will the Fairfax Sheriff honor ICE’s detainer? Will Fairfax County Public Schools re enroll him as a student for his senior year?" At Twitchy, Favreau Frets Over Illegal’s Kid Starting School — Owned by Angel Dad Whose Daughter Never Came Home. HA! ICE BRILLIANTLY (Politely) Shuts Down UNHINGED Dem and Her Facility Visit Stunt With JUST 1 Post: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement @ICEgov, "We were glad to host you, Congresswoman. For those curious, here’s what happened: Prior to the visit, the Congresswoman signed ICE’s Facility Visitation Agreement form, indicating she would abide by all processes and policies governing personal conduct at ICE facilities. One of these policies is that meetings with detainees must be scheduled in advance, both for the privacy of detainees and the safety of visitors. Field leadership welcomed the Congresswoman and led a comprehensive tour tailored to the specific areas she had requested to see, including visitor check-in, intake, kitchen/food preparation and medical services. During a tour of the kitchen area, the Congresswoman asked to speak with certain detainees in the area and was reminded that without prior consent from detainees, her request could not be accommodated at that time. Instead of accepting this guidance, the Congresswoman began talking and shouting to them from a distance, telling the detainees who she was and attempting to get closer to them. This disrupted operations and required intervention by facility leadership...." At Ace's Morning Rant, Buck Throckmorton sees Governor Abbott vs Texas State University: The Taxpayer-Funded School Is Determined to Staff a University P.R. Position with a Foreign H-1B.

The Victory Girls hear CNN: Kristen Holmes Rudeness Is Trump’s Fault, of course. Christian Toto @HollywoodInToto, "The media ignored Biden's dementia They lied about Russian collusion They've downplayed the massive Fauci scandal This ... this is their focus." Quote Mediaite @Mediaite, "Natalie Harp Seen Running Behind Trump's Golf Cart in Newly Unearthed Photo." John Sexton, NYTimes Found Liable for Defamation of College Basketball Player. "Yesterday, a jury in Alabama sided with a college basketball player who had sued the NY Times in 2023 over a false story claiming he was present at the scene of a shooting. The Times has been ordered to pay him $9.25 million, though it appears the paper is planning to appeal."  

Insty, THE E.U.’S MAIN FUNCTION IS TO ENABLE AND DEFEND ESTABLISHMENT WRONGDOING: "Arday Affair Erupts Into U.S.-Belgium Diplomatic Dispute.
It’s a big deal that the U.S. is objecting:" Auron MacIntyre @AuronMacintyre, "This may seem like small ball but you need to grasp what a seismic shift this is No previous GOP administration would have ever touched Cofnas with a ten foot poll but the Trump admin is offering a full throated defense in the name of free speech ... You can be frustrated with the foreign policy decisions, but never let anyone lie to you and tell you that there is no difference with Trump in charge." Quote, U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White @USAmbToBelgium, "The United States Mission to Belgium condemns, in the strongest terms, Ghent University’s retaliation against an American scholar following his accurate whistleblower reporting on academic fraud. The United States government regularly funds and supports research, academic exchanges, and other engagements with overseas universities. Dishonest, corrupt institutions that engage in, or reward, scapegoating mob behavior are not desirable partners for us. This is particularly true where the purpose and effect of the scapegoating is to punish accurate journalism unearthing academic dishonesty. We are therefore reviewing any relationships we have with Ghent University..." From CJ, John H. McWhorter on The Arday Tragedy: from Tokenism to Wokenism "His blackness was the crucial factor in his elevation to the pinnacle of academia by whites eager to feel good about themselves and secure that they couldn’t be called racist." Driscoll at Insty cites (and quotes heavily from the paywalled) WSJ, NATHAN COFNAS: How I Became the Scapegoat in the Jason Arday Affair. At Max Klinger's Newsletter "I studied in Jason Arday’s department at Cambridge. Here’s the crap I was taught. "What institutional capture looks like in practice." 

From the College Fix, Justice Department investigates College of William & Mary over alleged ‘race-based’ scholarships and Florida State U. removes ‘correct language’ threat after College Fix inquiry. Campus Reform, Amherst professor’s forthcoming book argues Asian American success is tied to ‘white supremacy’. Owen Gregorian @OwenGregorian, "Education Department Breaks Left-Wing University Accreditation Cabal | Breccan F. Thies, The Federalist The Department of Education on Wednesday announced a new rule that would allow more organizations to accredit universities, stripping the left of one of its most potent tools for enforcing its worldview through higher education. President Donald Trump set his sights on going after accreditors early in his second term, saying having more accreditors — or limiting current accreditors’ ability to inject left-wing ideologies into the official standards for accreditation —is the “secret weapon” to breaking their stranglehold on American universities."

Stacy McCain takes a long look at The Lindsay Clancy Feminists. Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis, "Women who spent years saying they wouldn’t date conservative men are now being held accountable for their dangerous opinions on Lindsay Clancy. I love it." Quote Evita Duffy-Alfonso @evitaduffy_1, "Men are now breaking up with girlfriends who support Lindsay Clancy, and honestly, good for them. A Lindsay Clancy defender is not who you want as the mother of your own future children."

Basil the Great @BasilTheGreat, "NEWS: Melbourne Airport has been slammed after it was revealed it has Unisex Toilets but Gender Segregated Islamic Prayer Rooms So the only women who get any privacy are Muslims." Dave Strom thinks He Did What Was Right, Not What Was Easy: Matt Calkins @Matt_Calkins, "After 11 years as a sports columnist at the Seattle Times, I have decided to resign. It was entirely my choice, and it was not an easy one. The impetus was the Times declining to run a column I wrote from the perspective of two female student athletes who were opposed to competing against biological males. It was one of several pieces of mine that had been spiked, and I no longer felt like I could properly do my job as a columnist. I lay out the situation in greater detail in the link below, but I want to say that I enjoyed my time with the paper, find the talent there to be immense, and have no animosity toward anyone who works there. It was just time for a change." Also from Dave Strom, Never, Ever Say 'It Can't Get Worse, Can It?' Diana Alastair ⚢ @sappholives83, "It takes a lot to really shock me. I get pissed off about horrible things, but they don’t really shock me. This does. This paper in the Journal of Medical Ethics draws a comparison between female genital mutilation and “gender affirming” surgeries — and uses the latter as justification for the former. To be clear: after pushing an entire generation of gay and autistic children to volunteer for genital mutilation, these people are using that as an excuse to cut up little girls‘ vulvas with neither consent nor the presence of a medical professional, let alone any kind of pain management. And just like that, gender ideology has become justification for the most barbaric custom on planet Earth."

Rule 5 Saturday - Devon Windsor

This week's Rule 5 exemplar is Devon Windsor, 
an American fashion model, best known for her work with Victoria's Secret, having walked in their annual fashion show from 2013 to 2018.

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Windsor began her modeling career at the age of 14 after being discovered by a local photographer. She gained prominence in the fashion industry after signing with IMG Models and walking for high-profile designers such as Prada, Chanel, and Versace. Windsor has appeared in numerous international editions of Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar, and has been featured in campaigns for brands like Michael Kors, Balmain, and H&M.

In 2019, she launched her own swimwear line, Devon Windso. Outside of modeling, Windsor has ventured into television, appearing on shows like Model Squad and Master Chef Celebrity Showdown, and made her film debut in Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017). She married businessman Jonathan Barbara in 2019, and the couple has two children.