Flotsam and Jetsam - Dana White for Press Secretary?

But first, some continued ruminations on the selection of Stephen Miller for Chief of Staff. As usual, Althouse resorts to the NYT, "People close to Mr. Miller said he had shown no interest in compromising with congressional Democrats and was ready for a fight over subpoenas and investigations..." "From "In Elevating Stephen Miller, Trump Doubles Down on Hard-Line Agenda/The new White House chief of staff is responsible for some of the most provocative policies of President Trump’s second term, as well as an aggressive approach to executive power" (NYT)." Mike Davis @mrddmia, "This former illegal immigrant is threatening to jail the new White House chief of staff for helping the President execute federal law? Import the third world, become the third world." Quote Oversight Dems @OversightDems, "Official statement from incoming Oversight Chairman @RepRobertGarcia on Stephen Miller being announced as White House Chief of Staff:" "... Stephen Miller should lawyer up." Rusty Weiss at RedState sees Democrats Melt Down Over Stephen Miller, Then He Takes the Mic and Gives Them a Reason to Be Nervous. PJM's Matt Margolis explains Why Democrats Are Crashing Out Over Stephen Miller. "They wanted a chastened president who would spend his final two years tiptoeing around them. Instead, Trump handed the most powerful staff job in Washington to a man they deeply despise, and they read the move as defiance. They read it correctly." At the WaSun, How Stephen Miller’s Fixation on Minnesota’s Somalis Became a Full-Scale Crackdown. "The new White House chief of staff has spent the last year moving the federal government against one community in one state." News Wax reports Stephen Miller Pledges 'Absolute Loyalty' to Trump, like a good consigliere should. Insty, notes AND THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT TRUMP’S LANGUAGE: Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "The Democrat leader of the U.S. House, Hakeem Jeffries, just called for White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to be “eradicated like a malignant tumor”. Jeffries is part of the same death cult whose rhetoric inspired the violence that led to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and shooting of President Trump. The Democrat Party is the part of political violence." Quote Hakeem Jeffries @RepJeffries, "Stephen Miller is a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist who has American blood on his hands. His presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor. Fire him today." At Althouse, Real Trump and Fake Trump confront the reality of "Talafreako." 60 Minutes @60Minutes, "In an interview airing Sunday on 60 Minutes, correspondent Ross Douthat asks President Trump: If it took six months of not insulting the Democrats to get a deal done, do you think you could do it?" My response: Would top Democrats refrain from insulting Trump for six months too, or would this just be the usual unilateral "truce?"

News Wax reports UFC's Dana White Says He Will Meet With Trump Monday. Althouse finds "I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States.", "Wrote President Trump, quoted in "UFC’s Dana White says he will meet Trump on Monday to discuss press secretary offer/Trump’s previous press secretary, Katie Zacharia, left the role in October after just five days on the job" (NBC). Violent!" I don't follow UFC, or know much about Dana White, but I have my doubts. But then, I had my doubts about Pete Hegseth, and he's turned out well as far as I can see. Maybe Trump is a better judge of ability than I am.

Doug Truax at RCP says Democrats Didn’t Win – Republicans Lost. There’s a Way To Fix This. "Republicans must thrust truth to the forefront. They must stand firm in their convictions and offer a clear contrast to the coming Democrat overreach. They must offer plans that are clear, concise, and doable. They cannot waver. This isn’t a time to compromise our values." At News Wax, Trump Vows to 'Veto, Veto, Veto' Democrats at CPAC. Mark Tapscott blames it on abortion. Trump, GOP Apathy on Mifepristone is a Huge Problem, Helps Explain 2026 disaster. "Turnout among conservative Christians was down big-time on November 3, and the reason is linked to one that’s haunted Republicans for decades." So do I, not enough liberal mothers aborted 20-30 years ago. At Da Signal the Great Victor Davis Hanson: What Trump Must Do After the Midterm Losses. Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "The GOP is going to get a look in the weeks and months ahead at just how ruthless the new Dem majorities in Congress are going to be in trying to press their sudden advantage that is greater than they expected. The GOP should take notes and learn some lessons from what they are about to experience being in the "last" end of the whip while the Dems have the handle. Politics is no longer a "polite" business and the GOP has take too long to adapt to the fact that the "gentlemanly" way of engaging with "colleagues" from the other party is long outdated." At Althouse, "He's surrounded by demons who want him out and want him just destroyed. That's his staff... all completely compromised...." ""They were sending around a memo, a CIA manual about how to be a bad bureaucrat and subvert an institution from within. That's like sent around by all the career officials. They hate President Trump....Said Calley Means, on the new episode of Joe Rogan, which you can watch here (scroll back to the beginning if you want)." 

Lara Logan @laralogan, "If you really care about this country, this is one of the areas where your attention should be right now. @DataRepublican is exactly right. The greatest obstacle they face to a complete power grab is the Sec of War, Pete Hegseth. He has rebuilt a military that will stand by the constitution & is comitted to the oath every member takes. Hegseth does not back down or fear his enemies because he what he fears is God. They need him out of the way so badly - which should tell you just how important it is to stop them. Read the thread. The truth always matters but it is more important now than ever." Quote DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "THREAD: The true reason Pete Hegseth is being targeted is because he's standing between President Trump and a coup @PeteHegseth named the institutions... CFR, Brookings, the general class... in 37 seconds in a video by @Liz_Wheeler . Within 72 hours of his nomination, a..."

At Ars Technica, After Texas’ blue wave, what happens to Elon Musk and SpaceX?, “Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now.” Bobby @bobbymorris280, "NOW: SpaceX officially suspended all launch pads, rocket telemetry codes, and orbit integration for European government satellites. Elon Musk canceled the launch contracts after the EU slapped X and Starlink with arbitrary billions in fines. The European Space Command labeled it an "act of war" and threatened to freeze bank accounts, prompting Musk to fire back that bureaucracy won't launch a 5-ton defense satellite. Globalist bureaucrats are finding out the hard way that weaponizing regulations against private innovation will leave their entire space defense infrastructure grounded. Do you back Elon Musk for cutting off the hostile EU? #AmericaFirst via @dessere88fenice REPLY." Leslie Eastman at LI, Voters Pull the Plug on Big Tech’s AI Data Center Boom. "China may have been the biggest winner November 3rd." Jordan Schachtel at Am Great looks at The Midterms and AI’s Credibility Problem, "If AI dangers are truly grave, why do they keep building?" Hat Hair's Salena Zito finds While the Public Fears AI, These Ohio and Iowa Business Owners Are Finding Relief. At the Volokh Conspiracy Gene Volokh celebrates an Attorney Fee Award Cut from $100K to $50K, Partly as Sanction for Hallucinated Citations. They need to fix the hallucination problem, ASAP.

Sundance at CTH announces Labor Report Shows Strong Job Gains +165,00 in October, with Revisions to August +53,000 and Sept +31,000. Breitbart Bus Dig, What Really Drove the GOP Midterm Losses?. "The fanatical foes of tariffs have been loudly announcing their explanation for the much larger-than-expected Republican election losses in this week’s midterm elections to anyone who will listen. Naturally, it’s the tariffs." John Hood at RCP swears In Ballot Items, Fiscal Conservatism Beats Socialism. "Well, examine the 2026 results more closely. The overriding issue was affordability, about which victorious Democrats talked incessantly and doomed Republicans never found their voice. What was the single most potent Democratic attack? That President Trump had raised rather than lowered consumer prices by socking Americans with tariffs. It was an anti-tax message! It was correct on the merits. And it worked brilliantly."

Reponsible Statecraft says Three cheers for Melania Trump-led ceasefire in Ukraine. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn sees Poland Simmering Away still. 

Matt Margolis thinks The Democrats' Coming Civil War Is Going to Be Lit! Jeff Charles at TownHall believes Debbie Wasserman Schultz Showed Why Democrats Might Not Hold Congress for Long. Hat Hair's John Sexton sees Progressives Had a Tough Election Night... in San Francisco. Have they hit bottom yet, or is this just their first attempt at rehab? Victor Davis Hanson @VDHanson, "The Midterm is Not the Endterm It is too soon to calibrate the direction of the post midterm Democratic and Republican Parties. But if the first 72 hours are any indication—and despite the soon to be Speaker’s denials—the Left is already bragging about subpoenas, and it is intoxicated by the notion of investigations and impeachments. Heady Democrats have entirely forgotten the politically suicidal fashion of the 2021-4 five civil and criminal courtroom circuses, the Mar-a-Lago raid, and the blue state deballoting efforts..." At Althouse, "In 2018, there was still a sense that Trump was an aberration or a fluke; that he’d gotten lucky in 2016 and Democrats could double down on who they were already..." ""... and end MAGA without changing much themselves. Democrats won power in 2018 and 2020 and wielded it so unconvincingly and alienatingly that Trump and his movement roared back, stronger and more dangerous, than ever. The Democratic Party that emerged from that bruising is chastened in a way its predecessor wasn’t. Democrats know they need to appeal to voters who mistrust them. They are not as liable to mistake Trump’s unpopularity for their popularity. All they have won is a chance to prove themselves. And so they may be more willing to learn lessons that this election had to teach." Writes Ezra Klein, in "A Stake Through the Heart of Trump’s Red Map" (NYT). I understand why they make headlines like that but it's SO out of line with the tone and substance of the article." At Shooting News Week, Liberal Gun Owner Worries Politicians He Just Elected Might Enact New Gun Control Laws.

Don Palmer at Da sees Signal Election Integrity Scored Big Wins Despite the Blue Wave. Kyle Becker @kylenabecker, "BREAKING: A missing memory card has FLIPPED the apparent outcome of a Georgia House race. Republican Gerald Greene went from trailing Democrat Harry James by 58 votes to LEADING by 262 after uncounted votes were discovered in Seminole County. Officials found a 388-vote discrepancy during routine checks. If the result holds, Democrats will have just a ONE-SEAT majority in the Georgia House. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has launched an investigation into the error. Maybe Democrats can agree that we should now go to ALL PAPER BALLOTS?" Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "USPS has a labor union that endorses one party every election. The fact that we let them transport ballots is banana republic insanity." Quote News 4 San Antonio @News4SA, "Dozens of undelivered ballots were found among mail discarded in a park dumpster." From Campus Reform, FIU Election Day event distributes SPLC voter guide as affiliated political arm backs Democrats. "An SPLC flyer distributed at the campus event obtained by Campus Reform warned voters about an environment created by ‘ICE, law enforcement, extremists this year.’"

From Twitchy, Boycott Backfire: PA Leaders, Citizens Condemn Antisemitic Philly Bike Rally. From the Free Bacon, Abdul El-Sayed Taps Egyptian-American Attorney Who Accused 'Zionists' of 'Controlling' American Politics as Transition Director, "Brenda Abdelall has also accused Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' and 'terrorism'. Fox News @FoxNews, "WATCH: A former police officer accused of fatally stabbing a New York City jogger is escorted from a Brooklyn precinct by NYPD officers. Sayed Mohassib is seen walking alongside police Saturday as he faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with the killing. New photos show Mohassib appearing emotionless while in police custody. See the latest details in the case: https://foxnews.com..." Dr. Maalouf @realMaalouf, "Two Muslim cops in New York stopped a nurse for no apparent reason other than that she was walking her dog. They cornered her and threatened to seize her dog. When confronted, they got angry and couldn’t say what law she had broken. This is what happens when you give these people power. All I can say is that she was lucky there were passersby, because it was 3 AM and things could’ve ended much worse." At Althouse, The community note is back... and how embarrassing for The Free Press! The Free Press @TheFP, "Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic last night. Rep. Ilhan Omar addressed her victory party in Somali. And this morning, Iran's supreme leader posted that America's collapse "has accelerated." What should we make of these acceptance speeches? @SulkinMaya" Readers added context to this video, "Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in English."

At Newsweek, Supreme Court Under Criminal Probe by DOJ—Which Laws May Have Been Broken. Who leaked the Dobbs decision? Matt Margolis sees Democrats Told Trump to 'Lawyer Up.' He Just Flipped the Script on Them. Sundance likes how President Trump asks DOJ to Investigate Threats from Congress.

Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal, Judicial Insurrection Breaks New Ground as Judge Defies Supreme Court Itself on immigration. From Althouse, "Van Der Merwe’s family of white South Africans arrived during Donald Trump’s first term..." ""... but they had good reason to expect that they would be granted asylum after Trump returned to office last year and signed an executive order saying the US would 'promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees,' based on the false claim that they would be 'escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination' at home..." From "Wisconsin state patrol trooper detained by ICE released from custody/Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe immigrated to US at 14 and has been waiting seven years for asylum case to be heard" (The Guardian). That's a pretty casual flinging of the expression "false claim." There should at least be a link to something explaining the basis for rejecting the position taken in the executive order. The word "claim" alone is enough to avoid expressing agreement."

John Sexton thinks Jennifer Welch Finally Goes Too Far for Advertisers. At Althouse "I know I shouldn't say that. But it's just a feeling." Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "Dave Chappelle: “Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered, and I shouldn’t say this publicly but…. I feel better.” This isn’t even comedy. It’s just sick…"

From the College Fix, Wisconsin voters approve amendment to ban preferential treatment based on race, sex at public colleges, universities

Start Your Engines: Liberal Women Announce They're Ready To Have Sex Again Now That Abortion Will Be Legal https://t.co/o8dQCRcJ7m

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) November 7, 2026

Palm Sunday

 With some assistance form Seyla Zanon:

El Paso News, Lightning causes palm tree fire in El Paso’s Upper Valley. God stepping in on the palm tree menace?

True, But You Don't Have To Sound So Happy About It

USGS

The BBC has an article on the Chesapeake Bay Meteor Crater: “It carved a crater twice the size of Rhode Island and as deep as the Grand Canyon." This 35-million-year-old asteroid impact wrecked the United States

In the Late Eocene, roughly 35 million years ago, a 5km-wide asteroid smashed into the eastern United States, just off the coast of what is now Virginia. At the time, sea levels were unusually high and the shoreline was more than 100km inland from where it lies today. This meant that the asteroid landed in the ocean, colliding with the carbonate-covered continental shelf that lay beneath. The impact created a crater 85km in diameter and 1.3km in depth, which is twice the size of Rhode Island and as deep as some of the deepest parts of the Grand Canyon!

Another two devastating asteroid impacts are also believed to have occurred during the Late Eocene: the Popigai impact in Siberia, Russia, and the Toms Canyon impact in offshore New Jersey, US.

Several studies have suggested these asteroid impacts may be associated, pointing towards a disturbance in the asteroid belt approximately 35 million years ago that sent multiple giant space rocks hurtling towards Earth.

How devastating was the impact? During the Late Eocene, North America was covered in open woodlands and savannah-like habitats, creating an environment that would have looked a lot like today’s Great Plains.

This environment supported a rich diversity of mammals, including early horses like Mesohippus, strange, cat-like animals called nimravids, and deadly predators commonly known as bear-dogs. Any animals that were living in the immediate vicinity of Chesapeake Bay 35 million years ago would have faced a similar fate to the dinosaurs that were incinerated by an even more devastating asteroid impact 66 million years ago.

Those that weren’t vaporised by the initial impact blast were arguably subject to even worse fates, falling victim to a giant tsunami hundreds of metres high or the many wildfires that erupted along the East Coast. A 2025 study presented evidence of tsunami deposits in the Sandhills of North Carolina, nearly 400km from the impact site!

While it didn’t trigger a global mass extinction and its ecological devastation was largely localised, some research suggests that the impact, along with other impacts that occurred around the same time, may have initiated a long-term pulse of global warming. This warming episode eventually dissipated two million years later, coinciding with the Eocene-Oligocene extinction event.

35 million years? That doesn't sound too frequent, but just in case, how's that asteroid intercept program coming?

Flotsam and Jetsam - Susie Wiles Out, Stephen Miller in as Trump's CoS

Since Susie Wiles was thought to be the one keeping the crazies away from Trump, and Stephen Miller is widely considered (at least by Democrats) as one of the crazies, this suggests a shift in urgency at the White House. Matt Vespa at TownHall reports Trump Announces a New White House Chief of Staff. Susie Moore at RedState has Big News: Susie Wiles Out As WH Chief of Staff. Matt Margolis at PJM, Susie Wiles Out as Chief of Staff, Trump Names Replacement. From Da Caller, Trump Taps Top Immigration Adviser As New Chief Of Staff. At Althouse, "Stephen Miller to Replace Susie Wiles as Trump’s Chief of Staff.", "The NYT reports. ... As for Miller: Stephen Miller, a deputy chief of staff, has been the architect of some of the most radical domestic policies in Trump’s second term, particularly on immigration. He has also served as a fiery surrogate for the president’s most divisive moves." Sundance at CTH says President Trump Removes Susie Wiles, Moves Wartime Consigliere Stephen Miller to Chief of Staff and hosts President Trump Delivers Remarks on Susie Wiles and Stephen Miller Departing the White House. That's a clumsy title; he means Trump was departing as he was giving the remarks.

Jacob Heilbrunn at Da Spec claims Stephen Miller as chief of staff reveals Trump’s bunker mentality. From AJ Christopher at PJM, Your Honeymoon Is Over, Democrats. Look Who's Here. Anthony @AnthonyG0528, "Stephen Miller being announced as President Trump's chief of Staff certainly killed the mood for Democrats." Bad Hombre @Badhombre, "They’re calling it the shortest-lived celebration of all time. Democrats were so happy a few hours ago. I wonder what changed." Mixy Pisa @MixyPisa, "Thanks for confirming this was the right choice. We already knew that, but thanks all the same." Quote Hakeem Jeffries @RepJeffries, "Stephen Miller is a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist who has American blood on his hands. His presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor. Paige W. Cunningham @pw_cunningham, "SCOOP: Stephen Miller -- today appointed the WH chief of staff -- has repeatedly sought to wield the full weight of the federal government against Somalis in Minnesota. Proud to work with @AlmsNatalie @jstein_sun @EricM_Katz on this one. Bob Hoge at RedState hears Robert Garcia Threatens Stephen Miller, Todd Blanche Ends the Conversation in Two Brutal Sentences, "The Chief of Staff already has a lawyer. The Attorney General of the United States and the Department of Justice." "...That’s all he needed. It’s almost as if he’d said, “Pipe down, Robert. You’re interrupting the adults.”" Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "Hi. Want to see a murder on live TV? I give you New White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller vs. Jake Tapper on CNN. Tapper said we need illegals here to pick our crops. Then, Fatality."

At PJM, Stephen Kruiser says OK Patriots, That's Enough Moping. Hugh Hewitt @hughhewitt, "Lame duck priorities: 22 judicial nominees need all 53 GOP senators back or their lives’ ambitions are crushed as the Dem senate will not confirm a one of them. The country as a whole needs every Republican in House and Senate to come back and do Reconciliation 3.0 for our troops. Some legislators will be angry or embittered but they need to keep those warriors and their families front of mind and run through the tape." Ace cites Sen. Harriet Hageman: With What Few Days We Have Left Being in Control of Congress, We Should Go Hog-Wild and Push the Republican Agenda to the Max, "Well, sure, I'd like this. She wants to use budget reconciliation to fund the priorities, like border security, that Democrats intend to defund. But John Thune and his Confederacy of Cucks will not do that. It would upset their liberal sex-partners!" Grassroots Army @GrassrootArmy, "Roll in the cots. Work around the clock. Leave nothing on the table. That's the mindset. We activate, we organize, we keep fighting. Sunday night — LIVE. Gov. DeSantis via @EricLDaugh" Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "Texas Republicans aren't rolling over. Hours after Dan Patrick lost, GOP state senators are meeting to rewrite the rules and strip the new Democrat Lt. Gov. of her control over committees, bills and the floor. Simple majority vote. Totally legal. That's how you fight back." Brad Watson at Am Mind, A Congress, If We Should Keep It. Randy Barnett @RandyEBarnett, "Legislation? In Congress? Oh you sweet summer child." Quote Orin Kerr @OrinKerr, "One suggestion for legislation in a new Congress: A statutory Bivens remedy."

Dmitri Bolt at TownHall hears This Theory Could Explain Why So Many Trump Voters Abandoned Republicans on Tuesday National Review @NRO, "@CarolineDowney_: "Horseshoe theory explains why Trump voters can flip to Democrats—and why former Bernie Sanders supporters can move toward MAGA." DC_Draino @DC_Draino, "Let’s call a spade a spade. In addition to the reasons listed below, a big part of why we lost the midterms is because of John Thune and the RINO Swamp. Trump won the popular vote and we gave the GOP full control of DC. And what did Thune do? Blocked Voter ID. Prevented recess appointments. Slow walked the MAGA agenda. He must be primaried next election." And Here’s why we lost: -Iran war -Diesel prices -Gas prices -Housing prices -Food prices Here’s why America is not over: -We control the White House -6-3 Supreme Court -We control the Executive branch (DOJ, FBI, DHS, ICE, HHS, State etc) -We control the military -We have the biggest right wing, independent media machine in history that now has a true enemy to fight -We have free speech on the internet If we fix most of the reasons why we lost, we’ll do a lot better in 2028. Let the new fight begin." At Althouse, "Voters want normal people in charge, and they took their wrath out on otherwise normal Republicans who refused to push back..." "Writes Erick Erickson, in "I’m a Republican. We Have Let Too Many Weirdos Into Our Party" (NYT)."

Scott Pinsker at PJM asserts JD Vance Just Revealed His 2028 Presidential Platform — and MAGA’s Ideological War Is Underway "1.End the war 2. Focus on cost of living/inflation 3. Put America First 4.Change our relationship with Israel." Joel Pollak @joelpollak, "The Iran War is not a war of choice. Any president who would allow Iran to go nuclear would be a failure. But Trump kept boots off the ground, and tried diplomacy, in deference to public sentiment and to his campaign promises. The blockade is the winning move. It just takes time." At NYPo Karol Markowics explains How Ron DeSantis transformed swing-state Florida into the GOP’s best hope.

From Twitchy, 'Shut Up and GO HOME': Thom Tillis Tries Lecturing Pete Hegseth ... Guess How That Turned Out. Senator Thom Tillis @SenThomTillis, "@PeteHegseth, cabinet secretaries shouldn't be wasting taxpayer dollars on campaign style videos. Kristi Noem learned that the hard way. This is about you: the incompetence you’ve displayed, the bad advice you’ve given to president, and your shameful and embarassing episodes..." Quote Secretary of War Pete Hegseth @SecWar, "At the War Department: We Stand. We Fight. We Defend the Republic." Chet Hayes @ChetHayes73, "No one respects you loud mouth . Pete Hegseth has done an excellent job . You will be remembered for nothing Tillis not even a footnote in the history books . Pete on the other hand will be in the history books." DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Hegseth is the most important man in the country right now and for the foreseeable future." Maybe, maybe not. 

Rick Moran at PJM, claims AI Spending and Hiring Are Driving the Economy As Jobs Growth for October Is 'Unexpectedly' High. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair says Now They Tell Us: 'Strengthening' Jobs Market Blew Out Expectations in October. Catturd ™ @catturd2, "The midterms are over so they can start releasing real numbers again." Quote The Associated Press @AP, "U.S. employers created a surprising 165,000 new jobs in October and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%." 

Hat Hair's John Sexton reports the Triumphal Arch Wins Final Approval; Obama-Appointed Judge Blocks It, the infamous Judge Tanya Chutkan. "That same issue went to the Supreme Court two months ago with regard to the ballroom being built at the White House and the Supreme Court said it would not fly. But Judge Chutkan clearly didn't care much about that. Last week, she argued that maybe SCOTUS would feel differently this time." Althouse goes with WaPoo, A federal judge late Thursday halted construction on President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot-tall triumphal arch...". and opines, "Trump needs to think through what he wants to do on his way out. It's crushingly clear that building the arch should not be one of those things. Finish the ballroom and do it well and in time to throw some dignified events before your term is up, but let the arch go. Leave it as an idea of something that could be done. If it's really worth doing, it will happen later. If it doesn't, it wasn't." I don't give a damn about the arch, but I do care whether unelected judges get to rule the country from the bench. Ace, Trump vs. the Bureaucracy, "Trump is the first president in living memory to actually cut the federal work force. Reagan tried. Reagan failed. Trump actually delivered."

Dave Manney at PJM notes Melania Helped Civilians Escape Oleshky, and Now Both Sides Have Met at the White House. "Families who escaped Russian-occupied Oleshky didn’t need a sweeping peace agreement before they could welcome a chance to leave. They needed a workable route, a pause in the fighting, and people willing to arrange both." Ben Poulin at RCP expounds on The Russian State and Its Expendable Soldiers. Down through history, Russia has been a great place to leave. 

Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "Rep. Laura Gillen’s (D-NY) first post after the Democratic sweep Tuesday night isn’t about affordability - it’s about extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians with the new Democratic majority in Congress." Quote Congresswoman Laura Gillen @RepLauraGillen, "The fight to protect our Haitian neighbors and pass my bill extending TPS for Haiti will gain even more momentum with a Democratic majority in Congress. I’ve stood by our Haitian community and now look forward to working with my new colleagues to get this done." Sean Davis @seanmdav, "I love that just two days after winning an election by promising to focus on affordability, Democrats immediately pivoted to putting dicks in chicks’ bathrooms." Quote Breitbart News @BreitbartNews "One of the first acts of the Democrat-controlled Congress will be a rule change so transvestite Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) will be able to use the women’s bathroom in the halls of Congress."

Hat Hair's Dave Strom looks at Democrat's Campaign to Kill Elon. Hon. Vickie Paladino @VickieforNYC, "The New York Times is going to do everything they can to help leftists murder Elon Musk. Because let’s face it, that’s what they really want. They know the hearings and subpoenas will go nowhere. All this is just about getting as much rage content out into the leftist terrorsphere as possible in hopes of inspiring a Louie Mangione or Tyler Robinson to get the job done. The left celebrates assassinations. They’ve worked very well for them. And they’re going to escalate." Quote, Grace Kay @graceihle, "This week is my first @nytimes as a tech reporter covering Elon Musk's companies with a focus on AI and emerging technologies. If you're a current or former employee, please reach out. I'm also in SF this week and would love to connect. You can reach me via cell/Signal at..." At Twitchy, Scott Jennings Makes Lefty RAGING About Elon Musk Look STUPID, Not That It Took MUCH (WATCH). Nick Arama at RedState likes Elon Musk's Brilliant Reply to Dems Who Want to Cut Off His Companies' Government Contracts. Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Exactly Tesla has no government contracts and President Trump ended federal incentives for electric vehicles. SpaceX contracts with the government are BOTH the best product AND the lowest price! Moreover government revenue will be less than 10% of SpaceX revenue this quarter and less then 5% a year from now. Happy to cancel any that the government doesn’t want. Just say the word!" Quote Warren Redlich - Chasing Dreams @WR4NYGov, "Elon please send this January 1: Dear Senate & House Democrats, Many of you criticize my companies receiving federal contracts." At Not the Bee, After warning about fascism, the Left proposes seizing private corporations.

Nellie Bowles at the Freep, TGIF: We’re Going to Toss Out Subpoenas Like Mardi Gras Beads. Mark Judge at Hat Hair, Conservatives Still Don’t Understand the American Stasi. Sundance sees 2027 Investigative Roadmap Against President Trump Previewed by FOX News. Milei in English - Official Account @jmilei_english, "Socialism is fascist in politics, and fascism is socialist in economics. Both hate the free market and worship state intervention. LONG LIVE FREEDOM, DAMN IT...!!!" The Patriarch Tree @PatriarchTree, "The Democratic base demands blood." Dave Strom says Behold the Empathy of the Left Brittany @brittanycover, "The correlation between people who have “hate has no home here” signs in their yard and agree with these ladies is probably close to 100%." Quote Collin Rugg @CollinRugg, "Podcasters Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan can't stop laughing at the thought of digging up Charlie Kirk's corpse and "doing it" again to him. After laughing for 30 seconds straight, the women falsely claimed that Tyler Robinson was a 'MAGA person.'" Kyle Becker @kylenabecker, "It looks like it is possible for the left to be too demonic and hateful for corporate sponsors. Thanks @CashApp" Quote Collin Rugg @CollinRugg, "NEW: Cash App has severed ties with the 'I've Had It' Podcast after hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan laughed uncontrollably at the thought of digging up Charlie Kirk's corpse and killing him again. Cash App says they are no longer a sponsor of the show." Inez Stepman @InezFeltscher, "I realize this increasingly puts me in nobody’s little camp on the right, but I happen to think the most pressing issue is that the left is going to gulag all of us " and Inez Stepman @InezFeltscher, "I always enjoy it when the people mocking me for using the word gulags have a hammer and sickle in their handles." Quote DenttDentt ☭ @DenttDentt, "Replying to @InezFeltscher, "ENJOY IT WHILE IT LAST! THEY GUNNA BE COLLECTING LEAVES IN THE GUUUUUUUUUUULAGS." Jonathan Turley is dismayed, A Dangerous Woman: Democrats Adopt Soviet Rhetoric to Condemn Stevens as Mentally Ill.

Althouse finds "And let's just be really honest. The Democratic Party in the weeks leading up to this election? Deeply unpopular." ""Our polling showed only 28% of voters were satisfied with the party. My colleague put it this way, the only people less popular than President Trump are Democrats. So did you win this election? Or did he lose it and you were just a receptacle and all these candidates you recruited were a receptacle for the fury?" Said the NYT interviewer, Michael Barbaro, talking to Chuck Schumer on today's episode of "The Daily," "Chuck Schumer on Governing With (Or Without) Trump" (audio with transcript at Podscribe). Schumer's answer is, as you will have predicted, evasive. What can he say? Yeah, Michael, I'm a receptacle. I'm a trashcan, a regular spittoon, a toilet, if you will..." At Aces, Now That Democrats Captured Texas, They Can Get Rid of the Electoral College By Passing a Law That Texas Will Vote for the "National Popular Vote Winner" No Matter Who Texans Actually Prefer. Stacy Lennox at PJM, You Seriously Voted for This, Georgia?. Warren Squire at Twitchy, A Meme Is Born: Democrats Proudly Declare the Upcoming 120th Congress to Be the Gayest Ever. At Spiked, No one voted for a ‘woke wave’, "The Democrats’ southern revival was built on moderation, not by pandering to progressive, DSA types." The Victory Girls worry Ilhan Omar will be Untouchable With Democrats Back in Power. All the more reason to denaturalize her before January. Dave Strom thinks It Must Be Nice to Be Bernie Sanders, and not think about the consequences of your proposals. Josh Blackmun at The Volokh Conspiracy explains Senator-Governor Klobuchar and the Problem of the Received Wisdom. Capt. Ed asks The Two Trillion Dollar Question: Dems Caught the AI Car, but Can They Drive It? Sundance examines Democrats Strategy to Eliminate Trump’s Canada Tariffs. From I&I, Gridlock Is Good.

Capt. Ed wonders about Newsom's Death Row PR Move: Legal or Not? End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Here is a sample of the 548 people that just had their death penalty commuted by Gov. Newsom: 1. Charles Ng Brutally murdered 11 people, including men, women, and infants 2. Randy Kraft Brutally murdered at least 16 young men, torturing and dismembering victims 3. Marcus Wesson Brutally murdered 9 family members, his children & nieces 4. Cary Stayner Brutally murdered 4 women, including three sightseers near Yosemite, and beheaded a nature guide 5. Richard Allen Davis. Brutally murdered 12-year-old Polly Klaas after kidnapping her from a sleepover 6. Chester Turner Brutally murdered 10 women in LA There are still 542 more." At Althouse, "Gavin Newsom’s decision to empty his state’s death row is a truly remarkable moment in the US’s death penalty history.", ""Not only will it free hundreds of people from the threat of execution, but coming from a politician seemingly looking to run for the presidency, it sends an important signal that America’s attachment to capital punishment is weakening, and opposing the death penalty is no longer a third rail in US politics." Writes Austin Sarat, in "We’ve just seen a transformative moment in America’s death penalty history/Gavin Newsom’s decision to empty California’s death row saves hundreds of lives and signals a national shift" (The Guardian)." Vicky Taft at PJM has a special edition of West Coast, Messed Coast™ — California Failin'.

John Sexton reports DOJ Turns Dobbs Leak Into Criminal Investigation. Cam at BA wonders as DOJ's Rights Restoration Portal Opens for Business. Will Democrats Shut It Down? Sundance notes with alarm U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason Quinones, Resigns Effective Immediately. "Having tracked events leading up to the midterm election, there is a visible plan that will be carried out within the leftist-controlled congress. They don’t need to impeach Donald Trump, they have something else in mind." Huh?

Beege Welborn is concerned that Local Law Enforcement Cooperation With ICE Now Officially Slip-Siding Away.

John Sexton hears Someone Sued the NYTimes for Refusing to Call the War in Gaza 'Genocide.'

Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "So, safetyism is making large language models insane in a potentially dangerous way. I am somehow not the least bit surprised to learn this." Quote Superman @thesupermannx, "Researchers put ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini through 4 weeks of clinical psychotherapy. And the models literally started to confess their trauma." From Ars Technica, Lawsuit: Man introduced his wife to ChatGPT. She used it to plan his murder. "Bitter energy drinks turned out to be ChatGPT-steered poisoning, lawsuit says." Jon Del Arroz | Sci-Fi And Fantasy @jondelarroz, "I have a really old label printer which stopped working and I can’t find a driver for it anywhere online that works with a Mac. I was about to throw it out but I hate buying new printers so I asked Claude if it could whip me up a driver. It did, it works. And I saved $200. I love AI."

At Ace, The Week In Woke, "GERMANY: Teenage Rape Victim Was Questioned By Lawyer Of Transgender Rapist For “Misgendering” Him In Court," WaPo Sob Story: DEI Layabouts Fired by the Federal Government Can't Get Hired by Other Corporations Because They Know They're DEI Layabouts, and Despite the Blue Wave, Blue States Voted to Restrict Girls' Sports for Girls, Plus: The Coming Democrat "Civil War"?, "And the angry trans extremists are, get this, angry about it. This is the NYT so prepare yourself for some grumbling." Joanne Jacobs sees Mediocrity on the march: A poster on kindness isn't 'critical thinking. Bugman Hegel @FedPoasting, "So apparently the Director of Arkansas professional programs has been altering bar examination scores for several years by taking points from some bar examinees and adding them to other bar examinees." Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "Safest bet in the universe: the points were taken from straight white males and given to politically favored minorities and sexual deviants."

From Campus Reform, Fifth Circuit allows Mississippi DEI ban to take effect, blasts lower court’s ‘botch job’. At the College Fix, UW-Milwaukee student fees fund ‘queer glitch art,’ speaker who says ‘misgendering’ is ‘violence’. The Martin Center explains How Universities Teach Students to Hate the West. "Colleges are teaching generations of students to distrust America's history and institutions without first understanding what made them worth defending."

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.06.26 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 11.06.26 (Evening Edition) but you knew that. 

Rule 5 Saturday - Seyla Zanon

Off to Italy again for this week's Rule 5 inspiration:

Seyla Brigitte Zanon, DOB: Sunday, 21st of September 1997, in Milan, Lombardy, Italy

Agencies: Real Woman, Elite
Current Guess Girl
Cover: Mojito, March 2025 

Bits of information cobbled together from internet sleuthing (still incomplete, especially her other modelling jobs):

She participated in Miss Italy in 2021 at age 23, after completing tertiary studies (probably in science).

She won Miss Terrazza Malaspina + Miss Cinema Lombardia that year but didn't seem to have progressed much further in that year's competition.

She was working in quality control for a family business before she committed to modelling.