Thursday, April 2, 2026

Flotsam and Jetsam - Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Free Speech 8-1

I'm starting off today where I cut short yesterday. It's Spring Break, and Georgia thought we should take Gabby on a hike to burn off some energy. More on that later?

Anyway, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 against the state of Colorado's ban on therapists questioning someone's claim of gay or trans identity on free speech grounds in minors. I don't think you'll have any trouble guessing who the lone dissenting justice was. SCOTUSblog @SCOTUSblog, "The court's first and only opinion for the day is in Chiles v. Salazar, on whether a Colorado law barring conversion therapy violates free speech. The opinion is from Justice Gorsuch and the vote is 8-1, with Justice Jackson dissenting." Greg Price @greg_price11, "BREAKING: The Supreme Court just ruled 8-1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's law banning "conversation therapy" for sexual orientation or gender identity is unconstitutional. Jackson was the lone dissent." Amy Curtis at TownHall, SCOTUS Rules 8-1 Against Colorado's Conversion Therapy Ban. Twitchy, SCOTUS Hands a Giant L to LGBTQ+: Colorado's Ban on So-Called 'Conversion Therapy' Is Unconstitutional. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Supreme Court: States May Not Ban 'Conversion Therapy' for Minors. Althouse, "Justices Reject Colorado Law Banning ‘Conversion Therapy’ for L.G.B.T.Q. Minors." ""Colorado and more than 20 other states restrict therapists from trying to change the gender identity or sexual orientation of L.G.B.T.Q. clients under the age of 18." The NYT reports." Ace is taking it seriously, Supreme Court Rules That Free Speech Still Exists; Ketanji Brown Jackson Doesn't Understand, "This should have been a 9-0 unanimous decision. It has been the rule of the land since the founding of the Republic that the Constitution's stricture against passing "any law" limiting speech meant that no government, federal or state, could impose "viewpoint" restrictions on speech -- disfavoring or even criminalizing a specific view, argument, or belief." Sam Mirejovsky @whatsrightsam, "I went to law school People like KBJ are insufferable in class, they’re insufferable in practice, and they’re DANGEROUS on the bench High ideology Low IQ." Quote The Rabbit Hole @TheRabbitHole, "KBJ speaks more then all of the male Supreme Court justices combined." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "In Powerful Dissent, Ketanji Brown Jackson Simply Writes 'Wakanda Forever' https://buff.ly/t65MTJZ"

Yesterday, the Court heard arguments for and against Trump's EO denying Birthright Citizenship to the children of illegal aliens. From most reports, the reaction of the court was not favorable to the EO, which was my expectation. Stacy McCain, ‘Subject to the Jurisdiction Thereof.’ At Althouse, "President Donald Trump plans to sit in on Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship, making him the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the nation’s highest court." AP reports." Whining that his appearance at the court is an attempt to bully the justices. If so, good. Also, "Key Justices Skeptical of Limiting Birthright Citizenship." "The NYT opines." WSJ opines Trump Is Right on Birthright Citizenship, "The 14th Amendment’s authors would exclude illegal and visiting aliens from U.S. ‘jurisdiction.’" Matt Margolis at PJM, Justice Jackson Gets Clobbered During Oral Arguments on Birthright Citizenship.

John Sexton notices an Obama Appointed Judge Sides with PBS, NPR, but it really doesn't matter since Congress withheld funds. Betsy Stauffer at LI calls it a Ballroom Blitz: Judge Orders Halt to Construction, Trump Not Amused “The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!”

Stacy McCain, Because You Asked: ‘What in the Actual Hell is Happening in North Carolina?’ "The headline question was asked in the wake of this: "The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is searching for the woman who stabbed a pregnant woman outside the Harris Teeter [grocery store]." ... Readers will recall that Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., who fatally stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, also had an extensive criminal history. It is natural that readers wonder why such leniency toward habitual offenders — a “revolving door” policy — has become standard practice in North Carolina. One word: DEMOCRATS." Ace, Providence Mayor Calls Mural Showing Face of Slaughtered Iryna Zarutska "Divisive," Wants It Taken Down, "He wants the mural destroyed. He does not want to say her name." Kyle Becker @kylenabecker, "It reminds Democrats of how horrible they are. That's why they don't like it." Quote The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "If a mural of a young, innocent woman killed in cold blood divides your community, you have a shitty community."

Sundance at CTH is skeptical when John Solomon and Donald Trump Jr Discuss Solomon’s Report of Ukraine Plan to Fund Biden Campaign Through USAID Scheme. However, "In support of what Solomon/Dunleavy have outlined, the possibility of corrupt Ukraine officials working with USAID to launder funds back to the 2024 U.S. election just makes buckets of Occam’s Razor sense." WSJ looks at The Unlikely Ensemble Leading Trump’s Hunt for 2020 Election Fraud "Senior officials are pursuing theories the Trump campaign had earlier dismissed."

Sundance also contributes President Trump Delivers a National Address, President Trump, Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune Organize Legislation to Fund Border Patrol and ICE for Three Years, EU Leaders Utterly Bewildered at Energy Vulnerabilities Now Evident and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Question Must be Asked: “Why are we in NATO”? Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "While NATO has proven to be largely a one-way street, with the US footing the bill to defend an ungrateful, obstructionist continent, the alliance still has value. It allows the US to maintain a large armed presence on a continent lurching dangerously toward a dark age. And aids to varying degrees in projection of US power out into the world. Which is necessary because the world isn't grown up enough to police itself. The world, to include all of Europe, has benefited greatly both economically and in raw freedom under this largely benign, selfless stewardship these last 80 years. Europe's recalcitrance is more of an inconvenience than anything, militarily. Plus an opportunity to remind Euros of their alternatives. As Europe wobbles, in any case, US relations with key states in the Middle East, Latin America and Asia grow stronger. And once the war is over, the posturing is done, the Euros will quietly seek to get back in good graces." Quote The Telegraph @Telegraph, "EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump has told The Telegraph's @connor_stringer he is strongly considering pulling the United States out of Nato after it failed to join his war on Iran. Read the US president's thoughts on what Putin thinks of the alliance and the..." At the Brussels Signal, Europe must rejoin history with military might and political will. 1945, The Ukraine War Has Cost Russia Everything — and Putin Still Thinks Stopping Would Cost More.

Brad Slager at RedState, Is the 51st State Dream Closer to Reality? A Secession Movement in Canada Is Gaining Traction "Alberta, Alberta, where you been so long?"

Beege Welborn is delighted by April 1 With an Administration That Has a Sense of Humor.

NYPo, Trump admin live updates: House holds off on bill to fund DHS — without money for ICE & CBP "Stay up to date with live coverage of the Trump administration and national politics Thursday as President Trump vowed to bomb the Iranian regime “back to the stone ages” during his primetime address to the nation." PJM's VodkaPundit, Europe Needs to Hear This Harsh Truth, "The harsh truth is that Hormuz is their priority, not ours, and yet they refuse to make any serious contribution to the war effort." TowhHall's Matt Vespa wants you to Watch CNN's Scott Jennings Shred This Dem's Take on Iran. It Was Embarrassing. NYPo sees Sen. John Fetterman bash US media, says press is helping Iran with ‘selective coverage’ of Operation Epic Fury. Kurt Schlichter at TownHall notes Our Own Ruling Class Desperately Wants to Lose This War.

Red States Nick Arama thinks Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's Letter to the American People Is Something Else. Hey, about that 'Death to America' stuff? April Fool! "The Iranian people harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries...For this reason, portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts." Trent Telenko @TrentTelenko, "This fact: "Oil revenue collapsed to roughly 5% of the national budget, down from 32% the prior year. Taxes increased over 60%. Food prices climbed at least 50%. ATMs across major cities are running out of cash." Underlines a major point of mine. 1/" Quote William Thibeau @WilliamThibeau, "B-52s overland describe the ceiling of what airpower can achieve. Here is what is happening beneath it. Two developments from the past 72 hours, one that validates the air campaign and one that complicates its trajectory." Sundance, Australian Prime Minister Albanese Gives National Address – Conserve Fuel, or Else! Hint, you might want to help in the Strait of Hormuz.

John Sexton has hopes, Will 2032 Be a Cliff Democrats Can't Avoid? Althouse worries "It’s Not Going to Get Any Easier for Democrats After Trump." "That's a NYT headline for a column by Thomas Edsall. Key sentence: "The precariousness of the Democrats’ position in the coming decade hit home for me after reading 'The 2026 Midterms Are Critical. But 2032 Could Be Existential,' a March 24 essay that Steve Schale, a Democratic strategist based in Florida posted on The Bulwark."" Stephen Moore @StephenMoore, "Voters may not love Republicans, but increasingly, they fear Democrats. A new @YouGov deep dive shows support for Democrats slipping across almost every demographic. The AOC/Mamdani takeover is driving voters away!" Matt Vespa thinks The Dem Operative Class Is Risking Death Threats With This 2028 Advice "Democratic strategists are reportedly pushing for the 2028 presidential candidate to be a "straight, White, Christian man" after recent losses, an Axios report alleged." A Larry vid at Hat Hair alleges Pelosi's ‘False Count’ Vote Scam Unravels As Ilhan Omar Folds Under Pressure.

Greg Price @greg_price11, "'Virginians For Fair Elections' is the entity leading the effort to turn Virginia's congressional delegation from 6D-5R to 10D-1R. They have raised $38 million-- over 90% of which have come from five sources: - $20M from Hakeem Jeffries' 501(c)4 - $10M from the left-wing dark money giant 'The Fairness Project' - $5M from the Soros-funded 'Fund for Policy Reform.' - $1M from the Bloomberg-funded 'American Opportunity Action' - $1M from the 'Global Impact Social Welfare Fund'" John Lucas at Bravo Blue, notes Obama Lies to Sway an Election "More proof that there is no reason to believe anything that Obama says." AP whines that a Wisconsin judicial panel dismisses Democratic attempt to redraw congressional maps.


TCW notices Pathological narcissists have taken over the political left. I&I, Hey, New York, Had Enough Of Your New Mayor Yet? Nope, they need to suffer more consequences. Mike LaChance at LI, Former CNN Employee Don Lemon Signals He’s Open to Running for President, “I think I could be President of the United States. I could definitely run this country better than Donald Trump.” At Da Wire, ‘F*ck Him To His Face’: Democrat Lawmaker Deletes Unhinged Late-Night Post About Trump, “Sorry, I say f*ck a lot these days.” Jonathan Turley hears a Leading Democrat Calls for Reparations for Illegal Immigrants, Pramila Jayapal (D, Wa.).

Dave Strom finds A Perfect Example of How Lefties Think. Shai Davidai @ShaiDavidai, "Her response to accusations of stifling free speech? Stifling the accuser's speech. No self-awareness. No sense of irony. Welcome to academia." Quote Stu Smith @thestustustudio, "My first batch of public records requests to @UCLA just came back, and the emails are revealing. UCLA’s Margaret Peters was working behind the scenes to keep the Burkle Center for International Relations out of Bari Weiss’s scheduled Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture." Batya Ungar-Sargon @bungarsargon, "This is such a perfect example of how Trump broke the brains of so many on the Left. In the name of opposing "totalitarianism" and "defending democracy," DeNiro thinks there should be a body of elites who bar people from running for office, including someone who went on to win the popular vote. What's sad is that DeNiro is obviously experiencing immense, totalizing pain, genuine psychic distress at the outcome of an election. So much of their hatred of Trump is just an attempt to evade recognizing that democracy—their neighbors getting what they want when they vote in greater numbers—causes them searing psychic pain." Quote Freddie Hayward @freddiejh8, "I recently managed to ferret my way into a green room where Robert De Niro was waiting to speak at an anti-Trump rally. I found a man confused, angry and bewildered at what America had become. He just could not understand who or what Donald Trump really was. He thinks someone like Trump should’ve just been banned from standing. After all this time, that was his solution:" Andy Grewal @ProfGrewal, "It continues to amuse me that Blueskyers abandoned twitter to avoid the toxicity, only to discover that they *were* the toxicity." Quote Benjamin Ryan @benryanwriter, "Mark Joseph Stern, who reports on legal news for Slate through a strictly liberal lens, routinely weighing in that liberal decisions are invariably correct, has nevertheless been subjected to brutal purity-test pile-ons on Bluesky and has resolved to dial back his presence there." Tom Bevan @TomBevanRCP, "I find it fascinating that the three guys responsible for the vast majority of "professional election analysis" in this country over the last 40+ years - Charlie Cook, Larry Sabato, and Stu Rothenberg - all had their brains utterly broken by Donald Trump."


Alfa News, DOJ sues Minnesota, state high school league for allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports. "MDE and MSHSL have openly defied Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding, the DOJ said." I'd ask, "what's the problem with Minnesota," but, Tim Walz etc, etc.

And still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.31.26.

Thursday Tanlines

The Bulwark whines RFK Jr., Creature of the Tanning Salon, Throws the Industry a Bone, by not promulgating a ban on teenage use of tanning beds.

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Flotsam and Jetsam - Judge Blocks East Wing Ballroom

Probably not the most important story of the day, but easily the most irritating. Sarah Anderson at PJM, Judge Stops Trump's Construction on White House Ballroom "U.S. District Judge Richard Leon determined on Tuesday that no statute comes close to allowing Trump to carry out this project  of his own accord, and that construction must be halted until Congress approves the completion. So, I guess we're just stuck with a half-finished project?" At Althouse, "A federal judge ordered on Tuesday that construction be halted on President Trump’s proposed White House ballroom... saying work must come to a stop until the project receives a go-ahead from Congress." "The NYT reports. In a 35-page opinion, Judge Leon wrote that Mr. Trump likely did not have the authority to act without consulting Congress to replace entire sections of the White House — changes that could endure for generations. We're told there are 19 exclamation points in the opinion." Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "The East Wing is already gone. What exactly is the plan here? To just leave a half finished ballroom because some lib group sued out of spite?" Quote The Hill @thehill, "#BREAKING: Judge halts White House ballroom construction project https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5809614-trump-white-house-ballroom-construction-halt/." So now, everytime the executive branch want's to modify an executive branch building, it needs an act of Congress, and agreement from the judicial branch up to the Supreme Court? Well, that'll throw some sand in the gears! I suppose, it's a restriction intended to apply only to Donald Trump. I think we should put a sign up calling it the "Judge Leon Crater."

In other Donald Trump building news, the admin released a vision of the Trump Library to be built in Miami, and designed to drive his critics mad. Sundance at CTH, Eric Trump Shares Remarkable Preview for Trump Presidential Library, Located in Miami. At Althouse, Let's judge the architecture of The Donald J. Trump Presidential Library.

AOL, Kristi Noem's husband seen 'pouting in photos with fake breasts.' Sundance, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Husband Had Secret Life as Crossdresser Pretending to Have Large Breasts. Daily Mail @DailyMail, "Secret double life of Kristi Noem's crossdressing husband Bryon: The pouting 'busty bimbo' photos and trove of explicit messages." At Insty, IT’S COME TO THIS: Weird, just weird.

Joe Chalfant at TownHall thinks Trump Just Issued His Most Consequential Executive Order Yet. "President Donald Trump has just issued an executive order requiring that states impose strict restrictions on mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, and has tasked the administration with creating a new database of U.S. citizens who are confirmed to be eligible to vote." Disclose.tv @disclosetv, "NOW - Trump signs executive order curbing mail-in ballot fraud, requiring Homeland Security to prepare a list of citizens eligible to vote in each state, require the Postal Service to only send absentee ballots to voters on the list and mandate those ballots have envelopes and barcodes for tracking." I imagine a district court judge will have something to say about that. Sundance hosts President Trump Holds Oval Office Presser During Executive Order Signing.

Ars Technica, Trump convenes “God Squad” to override Endangered Species Act, up oil production. Seems fair. They don't care about endangered species when it comes to wind or solar.

PJM's Stephen Kruiser is running a Fun Thought Experiment — Vance and Rubio As 'Co-Presidents'. I have a slight preference for Vance, but Marco is really showing his stuff too. Remember, the Clintons ran on a co-President plank. At NYPo the Divine Miranda Devine: Cowardly GOP senators run home, after gumming up the DHS shutdown. 

SpinStrangnessandCharm, “No Kings” explained to unwitting CCP dupes, and which kings they’re actually marching for: Yogi @Houseofyogi, "No Kings explained for people who think they're fighting fascism. You're standing in a crowd on Saturday. You look around and think yeah. No Kings. This is what democracy looks like. Bro. You're holding a sign made by a communist billionaire who lives in Shanghai. You live in a constitutional republic. Elections. Term limits. A free press that spent four years calling the president a fascist without one journalist being arrested. The modern left's definition of fascism: You love your country? Fascist....:" and much much more. 

Beege Welborn at Hat Hair is happy, A British Judge Lays a BOOMITY on Starmer's Diego Garcia Give Away. What does he think he is, king? The Manhattan Contrarian explains Why Ukraine Wants So Badly To Be Independent Of Russia. Because Russia killed a few million of them in the past? olymarket @Polymarket, "BREAKING: Alberta now projected to schedule a referendum to secede from Canada this year. 60% chance. Offer theme statehood. 

From Sundance, Secretary Marco Rubio Outlines Reason for U.S. Military Action in Iran, Lindsey Graham Wants Trump to Hurry and Wrap Up Iran War – Need to Avoid Exposing NATO Weakness, Secretary Hegseth and Joint Chief Chairman Caine Hold a Press Briefing and President Trump Tells EU Leaders to “Go Get Your Own Oil” from Gulf – In Interim, Welcome King Charles. Ace, Trump To Cowardly Countries Complaining They Can't Get Their Oil Through the Strait of Hormuz: If You Want Your Oil, Send In Your Navy and Take It Yourselves, Tough-Guys. Merryn Somerset Webb @MerrynSW, "Is there a small silver lining watching the just stop oil people understanding what happens if you do indeed just stop oil." Althouse hears Trump, "The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!" The White House @WhiteHouse, "“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you…” - President Donald J. Trump." Bonchie at RedState, The French Straw Just Broke NATO's Back. Ahmed Khalifa @_A_khalifa, "The craziest discovery from this war: Iran’s regime has way more fans in Europe than in the entire Middle East. Europe.. what on earth is going on with you!?" Steve Hou @stevehou, "It turns out the whole Iran conflict is a loyalty test for the Europeans and everybody failed."  Jack Prandelli @jackprandelli, "In January I asked, did Trump capture Maduro to choke China's oil? 3 months later the answer is becoming clearer. Venezuela now selling at FULL market price (Rubio confirmed) China's discount: gone. Forever. Iran at war. Kharg Island threatened. 4.6M bpd to China disrupted. China's 2nd discount supplier gone. Hormuz China's main supply route: blocked. Bab el-Mandeb Houthis threatening China's alternative route In January this was a wild theory. Today it's the actual map. China imports 11.31M bpd. Every discount supplier is going offline. Every single route is threatened. Wild theory? Or the most precise geopolitical chess move in decades? have a look at my latest analysis here https://themerchantsnews.substack.com/p/if-this-is-a-crisis-why-the-market?r=tf0g2" wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "The terrible thought is starting to cross the mind of people who celebrated the ayatollahs controlling the Strait of Hormuz that control of that chokepoint could pass to a regime friendly to Washington." Driscoll at Insty, HMMM: Trump “is priming the the public (and world) with a new mental frame: the Strait of Hormuz is not Iranian sovereign territory anymore:

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair cites Hegseth: 'Decisive' Days Ahead for Iran; Regime 'Fractured'? VodkaPundit at PJM parodies the media Stock Market Up! Hormuz to Open! Trump and Hegseth at Odds! CHAOS! Driscoll at Insty says KABOOM! "Trump posts clip of massive blast after 2,000-lb bunker buster bombs rip through an Iranian ammunition depot." From Fox, Iran's internet blackout hiding strike damage and suppressing dissent, Israeli officials say, "Israeli intelligence claims Starlink jamming and mass detentions are preventing Iranians from seeing or sharing what is really happening." 

Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "BREAKING: A new Harvard/Harris poll reveals that a majority of Americans support the Trump Administration’s Operation Epic Fury." Open Source Intel @Osint613, "NEW Harvard Harris Poll: Key Takeaways on Iran & the War: •76% say the U.S. is currently winning the war against Iran •64% say Iran violated its nuclear deal •62% view Iran as a direct U.S. national security threat •67% say Iran is a leading source of instability, terrorism, and war •68% believe the Iranian people do not support the regime •73% support Israel over Hamas •51% support U.S. Israel strikes on Iran, 54% say the campaign is justified Support for the war is heavily split politically, Republicans strongly back it, Democrats largely oppose" From Gateway Pundit, Gallup Poll: Americans Largely Unbothered by Gas Spike After Iran Strikes. At the Free Bacon, Iranian Missile Strikes Fall to Lowest Level Seen During War As ‘Widespread Desertions’ Squeeze Regime’s Fighting Force, Hegseth Says, "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen Dan Caine added that B-52 bombers are now conducting their first 'overland missions' of Operation Epic Fury." From the Small Wars Journal, Attack Helicopters Remain Vital to the American Way of War. PJM's Cathy Salgado is pleased to report U.S. Pilots Shot Down Over Kuwait Are Back to Dropping Bombs on Tehran.

PJM's Scott Pinsker explains How to Disagree With the Iran War Without Being a Duplicitous Dirtbag, like Tucker. From Providence, Robert Nicholson sees The Two Ways to Win in Iran. Gummi @gummibear737, "Western civilization may never win another war if this keeps up This is maddening. The radical left, mainstream media, and the woke right are running the exact same playbook with the US/Israel campaign against Iran as they did with Israel in Gaza They create impossible standards in terms of: -Zero Casualties -Zero Economic Disruption -Zero Uncertainty -Zero Time to Accomplish the Mission -Zero Collateral Damage And everything the bad guys do is actually our fault because we made them do it….same script as Gaza…the bad guys have no agency and it’s actually our fault..." Stranger Ranger @couragemerry, "There has never, in recorded history, been a war wherein one side lost its entire chain of command—including its supreme political and religious leader—on the first day of fighting. In response to this, the entire foreign policy establishment has suffered a psychotic break." Quote Financial Times @FT "Iran could emerge from the war stronger and more dangerous https://ft.trib.al/tYTRJjL | opinion." Max Abrahms @MaxAbrahms, "Iran is winning the war if its goal is to have its military power smashed while inflicting very minimal damage to an ever increasing multinational coalition." Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain, "I'm trying to imagine the alternative history of WW2 if it looked like this war, and what the coverage might look like "It's January 11th, 1942, one month after Hitler declared war on the United States. Hitler, Goering, Bohrmann, and Himmler were all killed in an allied bombing attack on Hitler's headquarters, along with fifty other members of the German High Command. 95% of entire German navy is resting at the bottom of the North Sea. The Luftwaffe is no more. Allied aircraft achieved complete air superiority over Germany within 48 hours of the war's start. Still, many sophisticated commentators are saying that the Third Reich has the upper hand, because they have shut down travel through the Danish straits."" Roger Kimball at Am Great, The First Alt-War: Online Fantasy vs. Reality in the Iran Campaign "While commentators trade in familiar fears, events on the ground point to a far more decisive outcome than the online debate suggests."

Mossad Commentary @MOSSADil, "PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU SIGNALS DIRECT COOPERATION WITH SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER GULF STATES Netanyahu: Post-war plans include energy and economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including pipelines to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. “Iran must be stripped of this leverage.” He says Arab leaders now understand the threat and are ready to align. Stay connected, follow @MOSSADil." Capt. Ed calls it Too Grim to Check: IRGC Calling Iraqi Militias To Iran For Rescue? UPDATE: Executions Accelerating and Pezeshkian to US, Israel: Call Me, Maybe?  Open Source Intel @Osint613, "Channel 14 says it obtained an exchange among Iranian leaders: President Pezeshkian: “I want to be involved in the negotiations with the U.S. Without a quick deal, our entire economy will collapse in 3 weeks.” IRGC chief Vahidi: “That’s exactly why you can’t be involved. You’ll give up everything for a deal.” After the call ended, the report says the Iranian president told his companions he feels like a ‘hostage’, “I’m unable to resign, I cannot make my own decisions, all I can do is read from a script I’m given” Channel 14 concludes its report by saying that the IRGC is effectively running the country now." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Excuse me, that's mullahphobic. You think the Japan-America lovefest is fun, wait til the Iranian people have unfettered X access" Quote Tousi TV @TousiTVOfficial,  "Iranians are putting up posters of Mojtaba Khamenei with the LGBT flag across the country." Some people are so stupid, Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "Justice for the Gays of Hormuz."


More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.30.26 and In The Mailbox: 03.31.26 but it's Spring Break!

The Wednesday Wetness

ToI, Iranian media says desalination plant on Gulf island non-functional after airstrikes. "Iran’s foreign minister had said a US strike took place on March 7 on Qeshm Island, a popular yet heavily militarized tourist destination for Iranians."

Aljazeera, Iranian attack damages Kuwait power and desalination plant, kills worker. "Kuwaiti authorities say Indian worker killed in attack that also caused ‘significant material damage’ to building."