Flotsam and Jetsam - US Navy Fires On, Captures Iranian Blockade Runner

Dave Manney at PJM, Iran Pushes Too Far in Hormuz, and the U.S. Pushes Back. Nick Ballasy at JTN reports Trump says US has ‘full custody’ of Iranian-flagged ship, ‘seeing what’s on board’ ""The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom,” Trump wrote." Sundance at CTH sees President Trump Angered by Ongoing Military Fire from IRGC into Strait of Hormuz. Nick Arama at RedState, More Brave Cruise Ships Just Thumbed Their Noses at the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz. Four cruise ships trapped in the Gulf by the war, escaped around the Omani side, at least one may have been fired on.

Shamim Mafi

At News Wax, Rick Scott: Trump Has Authority to Act Against Iran Threats. Richard Pollock looks at The Democrats Fading Credibility On Iran. "Donald Trump has been underestimated by Tehran and by the Democrats." Nick Arama notices Stefanik Shreds Liberal Media Host in Heated Exchange Over 'Genocide' in Iran and Viral Trump Post, JakeTapper. A Hat Hair vid calls out Democrats Playing Politics With National Security. Siaxares سیاکسارِس @siaxares, "Speaking as someone inside Iran who stayed connected through Starlink during the total internet blackout, I want to say this loud and clear: President Trump’s recent video on Truth Social — showing Iranian protesters writing “President Trump please help” on walls, waving Lion and Sun flags alongside American flags, replaying raw footage of the revolution and saying “I’m with you, I will fight for you and I will win for you” — is music to our ears. The flames of the Lion and Sun uprising have not died down. They are simply waiting for the right moment to roar again. It was @realDonaldTrump, alongside @netanyahu and @PahlaviReza who told us to stay in our homes, stay safe, and wait until help arrives and Operation Epic Fury is complete. That’s exactly what millions of us have been doing..." Cathy Salgado at PJM reports U.S. Arrests Iranian Arms Trafficker at Los Angeles Airport "Shamim Mafi became a lawful permanent resident of our country back in 2016, but since our immigration system has long been broken and many foreign criminals and terrorists have slipped through the cracks, it is not entirely shocking to find out she remained loyal to the dictatorial regime she escaped instead of the free country that took her in. First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli shared the news of her arrest April 19 and some details about Mafi’s case."

Da Mail, Pope Leo says 'tyrant' remarks were not aimed at Donald Trump after President hit out at Catholic leader. Sarah Hoyt at Insty, THE REMARKS WERE PREPARED TWO WEEKS AGO, AND WERE IN CAMEROON WHERE I HEAR THROUGH MY CONTACTS, HIS APPEARANCE IS THOUGHT TO HAVE DONE A LOT OF GOOD: Pope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a ​handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report. Vice President Vance later thanked the pope for clearing the record and MOSTLY BECAUSE THEY DID: "’60 Minutes’ accused of using left-leaning Cardinals to bait Trump into feud with Vatican. Raymond Arroyo labeled the media strategy ‘pope-a-doping,’ saying it was designed to provoke a White House-Vatican clash." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "I'd like to know how they got to him. It's not just that, being from Chicago, he suddenly remembered all Chicago pols are rat bastards. They got to him. Something subtle. Can't have been the Catholic Charities thing, that predated Pope Leo XIV's inauguration as a Chicago pol. What was it. Whatever it was, Trump did it the Chicago way." Quote JD Vance @JDVance "I am grateful to Pope Leo for saying this. While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict–and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen–the reality is often much more complicated. Pope Leo preaches the gospel, as he should, and that will inevitably mean he offers his opinions on the moral issues of the day. The President–and the entire administration–work to apply those moral principles in a messy world. He will be in our prayers, and I hope that we'll be in his." NYPo, A clash between the pope and Trump was inevitable — but let us not choose between the heart and the head.

Ars Technica shocked Trump picks qualified, normal health leader to head CDC; experts still cautious. Hat Hair's Salena Zito is pleased to reports Kash Patel and Sen. David McCormick Team Up to Fight Fentanyl in Pennsylvania. 

Francis Sempka at Am Spec, examines Trumpian Geoeconomics and Indo-Pacific Geopolitics, "Trump has actually — as opposed to rhetorically — pivoted to Asia." VodkaPundit at Insty IS HONESTLY FLABBERGASTED THE ECONOMIST REPORTED A TRUTH: Drew Pavlou @DrewPavlou, "The Economist went from condemning Trump’s Venezuela policy to praising it in 3 months. January 10: “THE DONROE DELUSION.” April 16: “Donald Trump has made Venezuela a better place.”" No Pasaran! remembers In the Beginning, America's Democrats and the Europeans Alike Strongly Supported Israel; What Happened? The Jews Had the Gall to Stop Acting Like Communists.

Althouse notices What does an arch mean? If Trump, fascism. If Mamdani, warmth and friendliness.

Twitchy, Property Punishment: Mayor Zohran Mamdani Is Giddy Over Plan to Tax the Homes Away From Home of the Rich. Gooder and harder. Victory Girls object to Wheels On The Marxist Bus: Obama And Mamdani Meet Using Toddlers As Props. Lousy props; they're too wiggly. John Stossell at Hat Hair, Little Kids, Big Government. CJ calls NYC the Unresilient City "Even as the economy risks recession, New York keeps piling on spending that will be hard to cut." Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "The dude with the nazi tattoo is now doing nazi salutes?? Where’s the outrage from @CNN @MSNBC @nytimes @AP?? The media were more upset at @elonmusk doing a hand gesture from his heart than they are at this."Tom Shattuck @tomshattuc, "Liz Warren runs through a parade of elected Socialists, culminating with Maine’s National Socialist contender."

Don Surber observes Even electricity is leaving blues states "Reddy Kilowatt packed its power plant and headed for Texas, which welcomes gas-powered electric plants. The company that owns two-thirds of that plant is hauling away the equipment that will generate 900 megawatts of power for Texans. This is the reaction to the 2021 Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, which the Chicago Tribune called “one of Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature accomplishments, requires Illinois to phase out the burning of fossil fuels for electricity by 2045 and sets an earlier 2030 deadline for closing certain gas-fired plants.” Industry goes where it's valued.

Hat Hair's Larry Elder asks about The Implosion of Eric Swalwell: What Was He Thinking? I reject the assumption he was thinking. Matt Vespa at TownHall knows Politico Had Swalwell Dead to Rights in 2019. What Happened? But you really know what happened, they decided they couldn't hurt the Democrats.

Tom Knighton at BA is amazed at a Gun Control Activist Calling on Fellow Travelers to Say Quiet Part Out Loud. "Murray makes it clear that the term "gun control" puts more on the table for her and her allies, which probably means things like gun confiscation and gun bans, to say nothing of gun registration and other incredibly problematic things that most gun-grabbers have spent years trying to distance themselves from, at least publicly."

Margot Cleveland @ProfMJCleveland, "The fact that you who are reading this care as much as you do about prospective SCOTUS vacancies is an indictment of how far afield our Constitutional system has strayed. There was a time when the Republic did not wait with bated breath every summer to learn whether a justice would retire, or ghoulishly check the actuarial tables against the justices’ ages. That was when the Court restricted itself to the proper (if somewhat dull) task of applying the law made by others. But somewhere along the way justices (Thomas and Alito are notable exceptions) discovered that it is far more exciting to make up your own laws. You can even remake society in your own image! So the next time you check SCOTUS retirement rumors, take a moment to remember WHY you are checking — whereas finding out the identity of the next justice as contemplated by the Founders might be interesting, finding out your next tyrant-in-robes is life-changing." Josh Blackmun at The Volokh Conspiracy wants Roberts to resign as Chief Justice, but not as Justice, The Chief Justice Behind The Curtains "why would I tell Roberts--someone I agreed with about 90% of the time--to step down? The answer was a failure of leadership that was visible through publicly available information." Gene Volokh at the Volokh Conspiracy, "Unserious Leaders Are Unsafe," Opines a Federal Judge About RFK, Jr. " I'm not knowledgeable enough on the substance to speak to the administrative law issues here, I'm no fan of Kennedy, and it would certainly not surprise me that the Administration's actions here were inconsistent with federal law. But my tentative sense is that, whatever one might personally think about Kennedy's seriousness, judges' decisions are more credible when those decisions focus solely on the law, rather than deciding which of our leaders are serious."

Shipwreckedcrew reports Former D.C. U.S. Attorney Joe diGenova Takes Over Leadership of "Grand Conspiracy" Investigation in Florida -- Why That Is Necessary. "DOJ lacks numbers in a certain demographic of federal prosecutors - conservatives between 45 and 60 with wear on the tires but a wealth of experience gained in building big cases in the past." From Sundance, AAG Todd Blanche Moves diGenova and DeLorenz to South Florida Group Assisting USAO Jason Reding Quiñones and on Sunday Talks – Maria Bartiromo Questions FBI Director Kash Patel About Ongoing Issues. Matt Margolis want to know Will This Atlantic Hit Piece Be the Final Straw? Accuses Patel of being a drunk.

At Shooting News Week, The DOJ Has Warned Virginia About Its Anti-Gun Jihad. From Fox, DOJ sues six states for refusing to turn over voter registration rolls, warns ‘open defiance’ of federal law. "Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington accused of violating federal election laws."

MassDailyNews, Pressley blasted for making up statistic that 20% of healthcare workers are Haitian — the actual number is 0.6% That's fair; after all 95% of all statistics are made up.

The Monday Morning Stimulus

Fast Company, Starbucks’s ChatGPT experiment could quietly reshape how people order coffee

Starting April 15, users will be able to turn to ChatGPT to help them decide on their next Starbucks order through a new integration with the coffee chain. To activate the feature, users simply tag @starbucks within a chat with the AI agent to trigger the new in-platform beta Starbucks app.

Users will be able to prompt ChatGPT to offer drink order advice based on mood, cravings, or even an image. For instance, a user might prompt ChatGPT with “@starbucks, I’m looking for an iced pick-me-up.” Then the large language model (LLM) might suggest an Iced Dragon Energy Drink, as well as five other options.

 

Random Celebrity News

For the usual values of random, celebrity and news. I haven't done one of these in a while, so some of the stories are, shall we say, well aged:

From Ace, DEI Actress: DEI Has Become a Bad Word in Hollywood and We Have to Use Different Words Now to Push Our DEI Grift  Good. Until now, she was just a frequent crossword answer.

Issa Rae says DEI has become a 'bad word' in Hollywood as executives of color 'tiptoe' to keep jobs

'Insecure' actress spoke at TheWrap's Creators x Hollywood Summit about the rollback of DEI initiatives

Actress Issa Rae said Thursday that she believes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has become a toxic topic for the entertainment industry.

"I'm seeing it," the "Insecure" actress said while participating in TheWrap's Creators x Hollywood Summit. "Just blatantly. People are scared and just not necessarily investing the same way that they would have before. Even executives who, you know, are of color are also like tiptoeing like, 'Well, I can't co-sign you because I'm going to lose my job.' And that's scary to see and sad to see because it's kind of like a bad word now."

In other words, moneylosing grifter projects had previously been greenlighted due to the DEI lobby's power and now that lobby has lost power and DEI projects aren't getting greenlighted and DEI hustlers aren't getting paid.

At Althouse, "There is supposed to be an esprit de corps between artistic colleagues."

Link to X.  What exactly did Arquette say? I found this paragraph, from 3 days ago, in the London Times, "Rosanna Arquette: ‘I paid a price for saying no to Harvey Weinstein’/The actress shot to fame 40 years ago alongside Madonna — and is back in a film, The Moment, with Charli XCX. She talks marriage, motherhood and surviving Hollywood":

In 1994 Arquette had a minor but memorable role in Pulp Fiction, playing the drug dealer Eric Stoltz’s wife and telling John Travolta why she’d pierced her tongue (“Sex thing. Helps fellatio”). “It’s iconic, a great film on a lot of levels. But personally I am over the use of the N-word — I hate it. I cannot stand that he [Tarantino] has been given a hall pass. It’s not art, it’s just racist and creepy.”

I don't think she's saying the whole film is "not art." She's rejecting the idea that the "n-word" can be used if only it's within what is genuinely art. She's saying it's still "racist and creepy" — even when the work of art was made at a time when the taboo on saying the word wasn't so strong. I note that Tarantino himself avoided any use of it in his last film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019).

Page 6 has Heather Graham slams ‘awkward’ new reality of Hollywood sex scenes. It's No fun anymore.

Heather Graham shared mixed feelings about Hollywood’s “awkward” new approach to filming sex scenes.

Graham opened up about working with intimacy coordinators in the wake of the #MeToo Movement.

“I think the MeToo movement was amazing [and] I think there is a very good intention behind intimacy coordinators. But it is odd when you come up without having them, and suddenly there’s this random person in the room just staring at you when you’re, like, pretending you have sex,” she told Us Weekly. “It’s kind of awkward.”

“I know that they have a beautiful intention, and they really want to help and protect actors,” Graham continued. “But as the actor, sometimes I’m like, ‘Can you just get all these people out of the room?’”

At OutKick, Sophie Cunningham Had A White-Hot SI Swimsuit Debut, Kay Adams Is On Bikini Time

Welcome to a Hump Day Nightcaps – the one where Sophie Cunningham dumps out new SI Swimsuit content on the eve(ish) of the WNBA season.

 

 

What else? I've got Vrabel/Russini drama (duh), Kay Adams turned 40 in a bikini this week, and it was a BANNER night for major league baseball last night.

And by that, I mean fists were flying and managers were ON FIRE.

Grab yourself some headgear just to be safe, and strap in for a violent Hump Day 'Cap!

Another from Page 6, Sydney Sweeney has the last laugh in second American Eagle ad campaign

She’s back.

Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle are back together, with the “Euphoria” star modeling a selection of summer-ready jean shorts in her second campaign for the retailer.

Dubbed “Syd for Short: American Eagle Jean Shorts,” the ads see Sweeney ditching the second half of her name and the lower half of her pants, posing in cutoffs, a baby tee and breezy button-up shirt.

“What brand am I wearing?” the star playfully asks the camera in the accompanying campaign video. “Yeah, that one.”

And hot off the presses at Hat Hair, John Sexton has 

Russian Beauty Influencer Warns Putin: 'People Will Get Tired of Being Afraid'

Victoria Bonya is a former model an TV star from Russia. She was on the Russian equivalent of Big Brother back in 2006 which is how she first became famous inside Russia. These days she apparently lives in Monaco and travels the globe as a kind of fitness and beauty influencer.

We might as well just get it out of the way. She is quite good looking...
...

The 18-minute Instagram critique was a surprise pivot for Victoria Bonya, a Monaco-based Russian influencer whose videos are better known for their lifestyle tips...

“There is a big, fat wall between you and us, the ordinary people,” Bonya, 46, said in a direct address to Putin earlier this week as she accused top officials of being too afraid to tell him the truth.

She rattled off to her 13 million followers a number of problems that she said were facing Russia — the major curtailing of digital freedoms, mass extermination of livestock in Siberia, deadly flooding in the southern Dagestan region and the oil slick drifting off Russia’s Black Sea coast.

“People will get tired of being afraid,” she said in the video, which has now been viewed more than 26 million times and liked by 1.4 million. “They’re being compressed like a spring, and one day, that spring will just snap.”

Oregon, My Oregon

From the Cowboy State Daily, Tourists Try To Ride Elk Which Are Taking Over Beaches In Coastal Oregon Town

It’s a sight most in Wyoming would consider extremely odd: herds of elk lounging around the beach.

That’s what’s happening in the small Oregon coastal town of Cannon Beach, where elk are taking over the beaches, looking completely out of context in the sand and surf.

And as in Yellowstone National Park, Estes Park, Colorado and other places where people and elk are in close proximity, some people behave stupidly, said James Paino, executive director of the local chamber of commerce.

“We have a lot of visitors who just don't think that it (an elk) is a wild animal,” he said. "I’ve seen people try to put their kids on an elk’s back, or walk up and feed them carrots."

The elk could possibly drawn to the beach seeking saltwater therapy for biting pests.

“It’s not uncommon to see elk going out into saltwater. It’s commonly thought to be therapeutic for external parasites, such as fleas,” said Paul Atwood, a district wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Roosevelt Elk live in many regions of Oregon, including Southern Oregon, where we used to own land. We occasionally saw them there, but more often just ran across hoof prints or poo. 

My late lamented brother Ted had an unusual encounter with a big bull in rutting season, once, out of hunting season. He was out hiking the back hills, with his dog Spook, a notorious killer of game and vermin up to the size of White-tailed Deer, and carrying, as was his habit, his rifle (.257 Roberts, IIRC). They encountered the bull in a clearing. Spook chased the bull, the bull chased Spook, Spook chased the bull, the bull chased Spook, and Spook went back to Ted, who stood there with his rifle ready until the bull decided that maybe that wasn't the hill to die on and wandered off.

The elk are also very common at Prairie Creek State Park in Calif, where the often congregate in large numbers near the Park entrance off Highway 101 in the Redwood country. A fair amount of tourist stupidity occurs here as well I've heard.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Strait of Hormuz Constipated Again

It only takes one asshole to stop up the works. A day after Trump and the Iranians declared the Strait of Hormuz open for business again, the IRGC started firing on shipping to other gulf ports, claiming that by maintaining the blockade on Iranian traffic, Trump has violated the terms of the ceasefire. I sort of get the point, but they need to be made to come to the realization that they're not dictating the terms. They also need to figure out who's really in charge. NYPo, Iran fires on at least two ships near Oman after re-closing Strait of Hormuz — as Trump warns Tehran against ‘blackmail’. I think he means extortion. At DW.com, Iran war: Trump says Tehran cannot 'blackmail us'. Dave Strom at Hat Hair reports IRGC Closes Strait Again, Calls Iran's Foreign Minister an 'Idiot,' Fires on Oil Tankers. TownHall's Joe Chalfant says The Iranians Are at It Again in the Strait of Hormuz and This Radio Chatter From the Iranian Attack on an Oil Tanker Is Crazy. سيف الدرعي| Saif alderei @saif_aldareei, "The Indian tanker captain in the Strait of Hormuz explodes in anger over the radio, confronting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats: “You gave me clearance to pass! My name is listed as number 2 in your papers! Now you’re firing on me?! Give me a chance to turn around and go back!” This is the reality in the Strait of Hormuz today. The Iranians… as naturally as they breathe… they lie… they betray… and they stab you in the back." At Althouse, "Merchant ships were sent scrambling to retreat after Iran fired on multiple vessels on Saturday morning, part of its sudden decision to re-close the Strait of Hormuz." "The Washington Examiner reports." and "Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!" At RedState, Nick Arama hears a Report: Trump Planning to Drop Another Hammer on Iran and Their Ships. "The U.S. military is preparing in coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters, according to U.S. officials, expanding its naval crackdown beyond the Middle East." "if the regime is sane, there's only one way out of this. But it's the Iranian regime, so it isn't, and they keep stepping in it. and picking the insane option." It's only a day late, but still stale from sundance at CTH, With Strait Open, British Prime Minister Kier Starmer Says He’s Organizing EU Security Force in Effort to Remain Relevant, maybe next time, say Monday. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great explains Trump’s Weeklong Strategy to Bleed Iran Dry.

Scott McKay at Am Spec, No, You Morons, Iran Has Not ‘Won.’ "The final chapter in this war has yet to be written." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "CNN's Melissa Bell reveals she doesn't know what a navy is." Quote Furkan Gözükara@FurkanGozukara "CNN's Melissa Bell reveals the world is completely bypassing the United States. Over 30 global leaders met in Paris to secure the Strait of Hormuz, deliberately excluding Washington. The international community is actively organizing to survive Trump's disastrous war." Dave Strom notes Iran Giving Mixed Signals, But Europeans Are Talking Tough, So US Must Have Won. From Da Blaze, CNN's Christiane Amanpour issues crazed response to Hegseth criticism of the media. "And finally an observation: the current Secretary of War, f/k/a Defence, left the military with the rank of Major," she added. "I recall my dogtag in the first Gulf war had the rank of major ... the very same rank. Just sayin'!" Jerry Dunleavy IV @JerryDunleavy, "I am told Amanpour may have been referencing a press ID she was given during the Gulf War, which listed the fake administrative rank of "major" for access purposes, which is actually more insane, becuz she is comparing that to U.S. troops who actually achieve the rank of major..." Dave Bernstein at Insty, SO, WE SHOULD HAVE A FORMAL DEFENSE TREATY WITH ISRAEL AND STATION THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS THERE: "The latest meme among Democrats (and some Republicans) is that we should treat Israel “like every other ally,” i.e., no military aid. I think US aid to Israel is a mixed blessing for both countries, but I want to focus here on the underlying dishonesty. Yes, Israel officially gets “foreign military aid” and the others don’t. But that’s an artifact of budget shenanigans, in particular Democrats historically insisting that our military relationship with Israel be put in the foreign aid budget to help get the rest of the (unpopular) foreign aid budget passed. But the US provides massive in-kind subsidies to our other allies in the form of US soldiers stationed there and mutual defense pacts, allowing countries like Canada to freeload off US defense. And then they won’t even let the US use their bases when needed." Steve Cortes at Am Great, thinks It’s Time to Rethink NATO, "NATO won the Cold War—but clinging to it now drains U.S. power from the Indo-Pacific, where the real contest for the future is unfolding."

Ryan Gerritsen @ryangerritsen, "“An RBC report released Tuesday confirmed that new investment in Canada has completely collapsed during the Liberals’ tenure in power” Trudeau cost our Country 1 TRILLION DOLLARS in investments. Just a reminder, he was taking advice from the “master economist” currently running our Country." John Sexton sees Signs That Things Could Be Ramping Up in Cuba.  

NYPo, String of missing or dead scientists ‘too coincidental’ not to be major concern, congressman says — as 11th mystery emerges. Atop Da Hill, White House, FBI looking into case of missing scientists: ‘No stone will be unturned.’ I remain unconvinced, but convincible.

Trump's ballroom has been on off on off on. The Peacock whines Appeals court allows Trump's White House ballroom construction to continue into June "The decision came a day after a federal judge halted aboveground work on the project." Althouse, "A federal appeals court on Friday allowed construction to continue on President Donald Trump’s new White House ballroom until June, just a day after a federal judge halted progress." "NBC News reports. Meanwhile, The Washington Post has just come out with an "analysis" of the quantity of Trump's "fixation" on building the ballroom: "Trump’s fixation on White House ballroom is increasing, Post analysis finds/The president has publicly highlighted his ballroom project on roughly a third of the days this year.""

Dave Strom thinks the Catholic Charities 'Scandal' Is an Object Lesson on How Coordinated Propaganda Campaigns Work. Althouse shares "President Trump has been rampaging around the globe like Grendel at dinner time, a rapacious, feral creature. Who could stand up to him?" "The soft-spoken, humble Leo, who strives to unify, squared off against the bombastic, solipsistic Trump, who strives to divide. And watching the saintly pope school the amoral president is a blessed sight...." Writes Maureen Dowd, in "The Pope Bedevils Trump" (NYT)."

Libs: “we need to make Trump look bad”

Journalist: “hey get a shot where he’s wearing royal purple and looks taller than a jumbo jet and has a 10 foot dick and everyone around him is kneeling or staring in awe” pic.twitter.com/4pK5znxeMT

— Lee (Greater) (@shortmagsmle) April 18, 2026

Jesús Enrique Rosas @Knesix, "Trump is going to frame this and put it in the Oval Office, isn't he?"

Bryan Jung at PJM, 6,000 Apply as Air Traffic Controllers After DOT Secretary Duffy Proposes Recruiting Gamers. At Althouse, "I got a call from a number of people, including the great Joe Rogan, and he said we have to do something about this." "The executive order I'm signing... today.... directs the FDA to expedite their review of certain psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs...." and "The Trump administration has urged professional football’s leaders to induct Theodore Roosevelt into the sport’s hall of fame..."

Althouse opposes The notion that Swalwell was "flirty.", "I'm seeing this inane word "flirty" in the context of Swalwell's downfall. In the Politico article "'I fell for it:' Gallego gives emotional remarks following Swalwell sexual assault allegations/The Arizona Democratic senator said he regrets not seeing the signs that his colleague was “a predator'" (Politico)." At NYPo, the Divine Miranda Devine: Eric Swalwell’s fall from grace was by design — and so Dems can keep their grubby hands on California. Matt Taibbi at Racket says Public Stonings are Not "Accountability" "The high-speed demolition of Eric Swalwell is being celebrated as appropriate "accountability," but removing due process isn't justice." Hey, don't short circuit my schadenfreude!

Kevin Dalton @TheKevinDalton, "Gavin Newsom just used his own PAC to buy $1.5 million worth of his own book. Even more comically, that accounts for 2/3 of the entire print sales." Shooting News Week explain Why California’s ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ Should Worry Gun Owners. Althouse, "If that’s what 'woke' means, it explains why most Americans don’t want to be woke." ""Transgender adults should have the freedom to live as they see fit and that includes the option to pursue elective medical procedures. But why should that choice come at taxpayer expense, especially for noncitizens? If the fiscal well-being of California isn’t incentive enough to crack down on such wasteful mismanagement of tax dollars, then maybe Newsom’s political future is. The outgoing governor seems determined not to learn from the failure of another California Democrat. The most devastating attack ad against Kamala Harris in 2024 featured her saying during her previous presidential campaign that she supported taxpayers picking up the tab for federal prisoners to receive gender transition care...." Writes the Editorial Board of The Washington Post, in "Gavin Newsom chooses the wrong side of gender politics again/Sex changes for illegal immigrants might sound like a Republican ad, but it’s California policy.""

Habeas Corpus Linguistics @HabCorpLinguist, "Average Mamdani scandal: High level staffer discovered to have anonymous account where he posted "Wallahi, we will wage jihad on the zionists of Crown Heights" Average Eric Adams scandal: I approved a permit for a guy who gave me a free plane ticket upgrade." Quote 𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖊 @atlanticesque, "That’s the thing about Adams, most of his “scandals” were actually just the hijinx and misadventures of his ratchet ass staff But the man was loyal to his people, for better and for worse x.com/daniela__127/s…" VodkaPundit at Insty says MOVE ALONG, NOTHING TO SEE HERE: "Ilhan Omar Says She Isn’t a Multimillionaire, Blames Accounting Error. "An Omar disclosure filed last year showed she and her husband held assets of between $6 million and $30 million, a massive rise in wealth from her previous annual filing. That jump triggered questions among Republicans eager to scrutinize a critic of the president." Republicans pounce!" At the Free Bacon, Michigan Senate Hopeful Abdul El-Sayed Blamed US for 'Creating' Terrorism: 'What Happens When People Are in Pain?' "The remarks came at a sparsely attended campaign stop in July, where El-Sayed questioned how the US might cause a terrorist to 'think that we don't see them.'"

Althouse highlight's a Supreme Court leak to the NYT, "Secret memos obtained by The New York Times illuminate the origins of the court’s now-routine 'shadow docket' rulings on presidential power." Conn Carroll @conncarroll, "This is an odd way of saying, “How the Obama administration gamed the appeals process to enact costly and illegal regulations on the energy sector.”" Quote The New York Times @nytimes "Secret memos by Supreme Court justices, obtained by The New York Times, show how they decided to bypass time-tested procedures and create the modern “shadow docket,” a controversial new way of doing business. https://nyti.ms/4csrD0l" At Twitchy, From Whose Office Could the NYT Have Obtained Classified SCOTUS Memos? Sotomayor and Jackson are the leading candidates. 𝔻𝕠𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕖 @georg3, "It’s a real mystery who dislikes the shadow docket and would leak this information. I hope we can find out one day. In other news, KBJ has thoughts…" Sunny @sunnyright, "Another leftist presumably employed in the chambers of the Supreme Court has leaked confidential court items to the media to help the left. Fire everyone below Justice who had access. Start new." Austin Justice @AustinJustice, "The judge who kept a criminal on the street -- until he killed 26-year-old UT engineering grad Larissa Herold -- was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old Brazilian foreign exchange student living in her home. In 2006, Chantal Eldridge gave the student alcohol and asked him to play strip poker with her, before they had sex in his bedroom. Her 8-year-old son was in the house..."

Sundance is worried, Miami Prosecutor Moved from Brennan Conspiracy Investigation.

Clint Brown @DissidentClint "Hey @S_Fitzpatrick I was Kash Patel’s Sherpa on the transition. I spent nearly all day everyday with him for 3+ months and have been with him frequently since. I have never seen the type of behavior that you’re describing from him. Your anon sourced story is BS...." quote Sarah Fitzpatrick @S_Fitzpatrick, "EXCLUSIVE @TheAtlantic On multiple occasions Patel’s security detail had difficulty waking him because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to info supplied to DOJ and White House officials. A request for “breaching equipment”was made because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors."

Gitmo (Health is a Wealth) @Gitmo99, "Proud Boys were innocent The star witness who convicted the Proud Boys of seditious conspiracy just recanted. His name is Jeremy Bertino. He was the entire case. The prosecution had nothing without him. Here's what he's now saying publicly: The FBI threatened him with 25 years in prison. Told him what to say. Coached him until he said it the way they needed. Then put him on the stand." Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "The Proud Boys just went around beating up violent communist terrorists. That’s it. They just beat up communist domestic terrorists. And that made them public enemy number one, because Antifa’s whole organizing strategy fails if CIVILIANS bash them up instead of police."

At Da Caller, Harriet Hageman Unveils Bill To Protect American Energy From ‘Leftist Legal Crusades.’

Stacy McCain is on fire with The Ivy League Is Decadent and Depraved and Guess Who Made an Interesting Point? "Where do I start in explaining my hatred of Nick Fuentes? That this preposterous Jew-hating homosexual has been elevated to podcast royalty — the Pied Piper of 21st-century neo-Nazism — is one of those phenomena that makes me despair for the future of humanity. And I honestly fail to see what it is that makes Fuentes so appealing to younger people, but then again, I don’t understand the appeal of Ariana Grande or Sabrina Carpenter, either." Tits? "The truth is still the truth, even if the person saying it — Nick Fuentes or David Frum or Donald Trump — is someone you loathe. And as for J.D. Vance, why should I condemn or distrust him for having abandoned his earlier Frum-approved establishment beliefs, when I wish everyone else (including Frum) would do the same? We are supposed to be living under a representative government, and yet Frum seems to believe that people who disagree with him don’t deserve representation."

Camus @newstart_2024, "Helen Andrews dropped a blunt explanation for why wokeness proved so hard to kill: It’s rooted in feminine patterns of conflict — where disagreement isn’t debated, it’s treated as emotional harm that must be punished or silenced..." Because that's how you have to deal with children, but not adults. VodkaPundit at Insty, SO MANY OF OUR CURRENT ILLS STARTED WITH OBAMA: Zineb Riboua @zriboua, "I’ve warned you all. Third-Worldism is the fastest growing ideological movement in the United States."

NYPo, Lefty love boat: Greta Thunberg’s freedom flotilla rocked by sexual misconduct allegations. "“A senior leader within the flotilla — a member of the steering committee, the highest governing body of the organization — engaged in sexual relations with multiple activists while on the boat heading to Gaza. Not one person. Not two. Three different individuals,” claimed Palestinian group Heart of Falastin in a social media post earlier this week ... One Brazilian group named the alleged horndog as activist Thiago Avila, in an X post unearthed by media watchdog Honest Reporting and shared with The Post." I'm shocked, shocked!

Sunday Sunrise

Your last chance to see Comet Pan-STARRS is probably past already:

Comet C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS) is visible from about 90 minutes before sunrise until early next week. It’s a realistic binocular target for anyone with a clear eastern horizon and a bit of patience.

On Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19, the comet lies due east close to bright star Algenib at the lowest corner of the Great Square of Pegasus.