Saturday, May 23, 2026

Work on James Island Beginning

Army Corp of Engineers: Notice to Boaters: Avoid James Island Construction Zone in Dorchester County
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, awarded a $53.83 million base contract to C&C Joint Ventures, LLC, of Gloucester, Virginia, for restoration work at James Island, part of the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration project in Dorchester County, Maryland.

The contract award ushers in the first phase of Mid-Bay restoration work on James Island including mobilization, hydrographic surveys, perimeter dike construction, dredging and the creation of a sand stockpile to be used for future dike construction work.

Construction activities are expected to begin in late April 2026. Mariners are urged to use extreme caution and reduce speeds surrounding the James Island Construction Safety Zone and fully avoid the area within the zone as underwater construction activities may cause damage to vessels as well as boating and fishing equipment.

James Island was three miles long, heavily wooded, and easily visible from our beach when we arrived here in 1985. A few years ago the last trees fell, and even though a few fragments of islands still emerge above the water, it is effectively gone. The remnants have provided Pete some good fishing in recent years. I'm sure he will miss those as the work is being carried out.

They are still continuing work on Barren Island, a few miles to the south: 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, is urging boaters in the Chesapeake Bay to steer clear of ongoing construction activities near the Mid-Bay Island Project, located adjacent to the islands of James and Barren in western Dorchester County.

Barren Island phase 2 construction began in January 2025 and is expected to last approximately three years.

Please avoid accessing the water surrounding Barren Island, shown in the Safety Announcement. Water users entering the area noted below do so at their own risk. Underwater construction activities in this area may cause damage to equipment and vessels.

Please use extreme caution, reduce speeds, and avoid entering the Barren Island Construction Safety Zone. There will be multiple vessels anchoring at the Barge Moorings and moving between the navigation channel and Barren Island. Sand and sediment required for construction will be dredged from Borrow Area B (sand) and the Honga River navigation channel (sediment) and transported or piped to Barren Island. Through 2027, expect to see increased barge and vessel activity as well as marked material pipes throughout the water north, west, and south of the island. For reference, the Barge Mooring locations and Borrow Area B are approximately 1.2 Nautical miles west of Barren Island.

Barren Island project components that will be constructed during phase 2 include:
  • Building two islands along the southern breakwater that will create bird habitat.
  • Building structures inside the southern sill for dredged material containment.
  • Creation of the southern spillway, which controls water release during and after dredged material placement.
  • Replacing the existing northeast sill foundation with stronger foundation material and installing the remaining northeast stone sill.
  • Dredging in the Honga River Channel and placement of dredged material in the southwestern wetland for habitat restoration.
The construction is part of Baltimore District's Mid-Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration Project, which is in partnership with the Maryland Port Administration to restore 2,072 acres of lost remote island habitat on James Island and 72 acres of remote island habitat on Barren Island, using material dredged from the Port of Baltimore approach channels and the Honga River, respectively.

Remember, the primary driver for this work is to provide a place to dump dredge spoils from Baltimore Harbor. Rebuilding the islands is just a side benefit. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Tulsi Taps Out

From Fox, Tulsi Gabbard resigns from Trump Cabinet, "Her husband Abraham was recently diagnosed with extremely rare form of bone cancer, she wrote in resignation letter." John Sexton at Hat Hair, Tulsi Gabbard Resigns. Sundance at CTH, DNI Tulsi Gabbard Resigns Position to Stand Beside Husband Cancer Battle and President Trump Responds to DNI Gabbard Departure, “Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, will serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence”. I'm hoping for Michael Flynn or Rich Grenell as permanent holders. At Althouse, "Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026. My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer." "Writes Tulsi Gabbard, reported at The NY Post." RedState's Bob Hoge notes Dems React to Gabbard's Tragic News the Only Way They Know How: With an Utter Lack of Class or Humanity. Well, Adam Shitt. Tulsi was never "true MAGA," a liberal Democrat deemed too sensible for her party. She destroyed Kamala, their chief obsession, in the 2020 election Democrat debates. But she did have a real bone to pick with the intelligence agencies that, under the Biden regency, put her on the terrorist watch list and followed her around on airplanes. Thank you for your service, and best wishes for your husband's health.

Matt Margolis at PJM observes The Left Tried to Destroy Kash Patel. Crime Data Just Vindicated Him. "Murder and non-negligent manslaughter dropped more than 18% nationwide last year. Aggravated assault fell more than 7%. Rape declined nearly 8%. Robbery cratered by about 18.5%. All told, violent crime dropped about 9.3% overall; there were roughly 1.1 million fewer violent crimes than in 2024. "The 2025 crime data in this report shows the single largest decrease in violent crime and murder since 1937 — as well as huge decreases across the board in terms of aggravated assault, rape, and robbery," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement." I don't know how much you can credit the FBI for that, though. I do wonder how much of that is deportation of the criminal aliens. Ace, Crime Skyrocketed During Biden's Open Borders Regime and Plummeted During Trump's Deporation Regime But I'm Sure This Is All a Right-Wing Coincidence, Racists, "Now we see the real numbers. And the real numbers, for once in five years, are great."

Sean Davis @seanmdav "Why did Massie lose tonight? Massie went from principled libertarian during COVID, to GOP leadership lapdog under McCarthy, to anti-Trump Epstein obsessive in 2025 after tweeting about that issue a whopping three (3) times in the decade prior. The nail in the coffin for him was voting against OBBB in 2025 because, according to Massie, it did too much to secure the border. ... We’ll never know what caused the apparent personality change—maybe it was the death of his wife, maybe it was the McCarthy race followed by McCarthy’s ouster, or maybe it was a desire for notoriety or media acclaim and a lucrative podcasting career outside of Congress—but the drastic change was undeniable, as was the seeming lack of interest in much of anything happening in Kentucky. Blame Trump, blame Israel, blame Epstein, blame the tragic death of a spouse, I don’t care. But you cannot just wave away 2020 Massie going face-to-face with the Trump machine and winning in a rout only to get smoked six years later. Massie’s voters didn’t really change all that much, but he did, and they noticed." At Ace, Tucker Carlson Is Spiraling and Sperging Over The Crushing Loss of His Nazi Pal, "John Ocasio-Rodham Nolte @NolteNC "Massie's biggest mistake was likely believing that social media is real life, that people like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones had managed to wrest enough influence from Trump that seeking their good opinion was the only constituency he needed to win over. Well, he and they lost by ten points."

From the Free Bacon, Trump Administration Forcing Big Changes to $1.7 Billion in Biden-Era Auto Grants, Scaling Back Electric Vehicle Production and Boosting Hybrids "The Department of Energy froze the grants as part of a review of Biden’s green energy spending last year." 

Sundance claims Zelenskyy Bombs College Dormitory in Starobilsk, Luhansk with 16 Drones – Numerous Dead, Search and Recovery Efforts Continue for Missing Age 14 to 18. I'm not sure I believe Russian reports of a Ukrainian civilian attack, but it's possible. It's not like the Russians haven't committed many comparable attacks. From the WaPoo, Putin, Xi signal unity but fail to reach deal on pipeline sought by Russia. "The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline could carry 50 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas annually to China."

Beege Welborn at Hat Hair is flummoxed when the Alberta Premier Announces Referendum on Independence Referendum, basically saying this petition to leave Canada sets up conditions to ask for a vote to see if ya'll really want to leave Canada. 

Scott McLallen at TownHall, Memorial Day Weekend Could Mark Next Chapter in U.S.-Iran Conflict. John Sexton, Is Trump Planning to Renew Attacks on Iran This Weekend? (Update: More B2). Trump has given the IRGC plenty of time FA; maybe it's time to FO. Possibly factoring into the decision according to Sundance, Ivanka Trump Targeted for Assassination by IRGC Terrorist "Recently captured Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, made a “pledge” to kill Ivanka and even had a blueprint of her Florida home, sources claimed. The Iraqi national was allegedly targeting President Donald Trump’s family in response to the killing of Iranian military chief Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad six years ago."

Vicky Taft at PJM, West Coast, Messed Coast™ — Oh, Now We See Why Democrats Love Homeless Drug Addicts, lots of opportunities for graft and election fraud. Matthew Seedorff@MattSeedorff, "NEW: One day before a PATH worker was federally arrested in LA on fentanyl distribution charges, mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt told me in a 1-on-1 interview: “The same people giving out needles are also giving out drugs.” Pratt also claimed “arrests are coming.” Today, federal authorities arrested a PATH employee near MacArthur Park." @rachelbovard "I’ve been saying “rise up, millennials” forever as a half joke but, uh, holy cow you guys. Spencer Pratt just spit out a more coherent, pragmatic, and compellingly articulated drug policy than anything I’ve heard from a decade of DC focus groups." Quote Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "If that addict on your street were your own son, what would you do? That is the defining question that guides my 5 step plan to fix the homelessness problem in LA. We *must* end this evil racket of corrupt politicians and NGOs who profit off the misery of these poor souls. They launder money and feed them more drugs, so they can keep their customers locked in this hell on our streets. We have a moral obligation from God to help them and make our city safe and clean for everyone. Karen Bass and Nithya Raman have forsaken this city. Time for real leadership. Time for real compassion."

Dmitri Bolt at TownHall, Gavin Newsom Is Going to War With Chevron Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend. Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Newsom First Drove Them Out of California, Now He's Telling Californians to Boycott Them. Nick Arama at RedState, The Streisand Effect Hits Newsom Hard After His Office Makes Huge Blunder Attacking Chevron. At Twitchy, Justine Bateman RIPS Gov. Newsom's 'Press Office' a New You-Know-What Over Call to Boycott Chevron. Justine Bateman @JustineBateman, "This is unconscionable. The Governor of CA, an elected official meant to serve the constituents of this state, both individuals and their companies, is urging us to AVOID a company here. Incredibly unethical and disqualifying. No doubt a spiteful response to @Chevron informing the CA citizens that the reason our gas is always outrageously expensive is because of the CA gas tax. That is a FACT cause by the CA Gov. I will be intentionally buying gas at Chevron this week in LA." Ron DeSantis @RonDeSantis, "Is this $200+ billion dollar “high-speed” rail a policy failure? Of course. But if the goal was simply to commandeer tax dollars for distribution to politically-connected constituencies then I’d imagine those with that goal are probably quite pleased." Quote Judge Glock @judgeglock "California high-speed rail cost now up to $231 billion. That means the average worker in the state will pay out over $12,000 to fund a single project that almost no one will ride."


Matt Margolis notes The DNC’s 2024 Autopsy Is Here, and Oh Boy, It’s a Dumpster Fire. A Larry vid at Hat Hair suggests Democrats Stage Mutiny Against Schumer As Party Loses All Hope. Chris Queen at PJM reads it as Democrats Admit They Stopped Listening in 2024. Jon Ossoff Still Isn’t. Dan McCarthy at RCP claims Democrats Face Midterm Disappointment. "the second barrier Democrats will have to overcome is that voters just don't behave the way they used to: For nearly a quarter of a century, the American public exhibited wild swings in party preference in House elections, creating midterm waves in 1994, 2006, 2010 and 2018. But 2022 broke the pattern" Trump broke the system. Joe Cotto at Am Think thinks This Midterm Season, the American Dream is on the Line. "America is staring down a demographic and fiscal abyss that threatens to devour the American Dream for working families, retirees, and the next generation." Dave Strom asserts Decline Is a Choice, and Democrats Are Making It. At the Center Square WI, Lawyer claims Wisconsin ‘desperatly’ trying to keep voter list secret. I wonder why? Buck Throckmorton at Ace claims Election Prediction Markets Are Now Push-Poll Mechanisms, not Gauges of Likely Election Results, after Democrats started gaming them.


Matt Vespa says Look Who Introduced President Trump at a Rally Yesterday. And Some Libs Were Furious, Giants quarterback Jackson Dart. Nick Arama thinks Dems Show Just How Off the Rails They Are With Attack on Trump Over Don Jr. Wedding. He can't go abroad because he's too busy with Iran et al. 

Driscoll at Insty cites ROD DREHER: What the San Diego Mosque Shooters Believed. "According to the 75-page unfinished manifesto left behind by Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17, the pair hated Muslims, Jews, blacks, legal migrants, illegal migrants, Latinos, Asians, industrial society, gays, trans people, Donald Trump, “MAGAtard boomers,” liberals, conservatives, moderates, and women." I guess they go me with MAGAtard boomer. Dave Strom worries about A New Wave of Domestic Terrorism Coming? Brendan O'Neill at Spiked explains How to oppose fascist violence "Whether it’s an attack on a synagogue or on a mosque like the one in San Diego, there is only one thing to say: this is evil."

From WaEx, Promise made, promise kept: Trump administration had full year of zero border releases. At NYPo, Stunning number of illegal migrants who have been deported from US or left voluntarily is revealed by DHS "More than 3 million illegal aliens have left the US or been deported since President Trump took office, the Department of Homeland Security has revealed." Still less than the Biden regency let in. News Week whines Trump Admin Looks to Charge Some Immigrants $18k to Deport Them.

Althouse catches the NYT being the NYT, Trump and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week. "The top left corner of The NYT right now: .... It's like a children's taunt: You act like you're so big but you're not."


From the College Fix, U. Florida’s presidential finalist boasted about injecting DEI into classes. At Campus Reform, Cornell trustees clear president after activist confrontation, "Cornell’s Board of Trustees concluded that President Michael Kotlikoff violated no university policies after activists surrounded his vehicle following an Israel-Palestine debate on campus." Shooting News Week thinks Cambridge Progs Would Rather Have More Crime Than Arrest Protected Class Criminals. End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "BREAKING: Cambridge Council votes 5-2 to disable gunshot detectors to protect black residents and migrants." Dave Strom hears 'You Will Share Your Locker Room With Predators...Or Else' Diana Alastair @sappholives83, "Judy Walcott, a woman in New Hampshire, has been banned from her local Planet Fitness because she objected to the presence in the women’s changing room of a man who is a convicted child predator, domestic abuser, and stalker. This man, Christopher Beaulieu, also has additional convictions for changing his name without reporting it to authorities as required by law — remember when we told you this would be one result of SelfID? In addition to hanging around watching people in the women’s changing room at PF, this creep also makes a habit out of hanging out at Chuck E Cheese (which is such a red flag that every cop I know thinks that any mentally able adult man found there by himself should get an automatic hard drive check)..."


And plenty more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.22.26.

Rule 5 Saturday - Aurela Hoxha

This week's Rule 5 star is Aurela Hoxha born February 26, 1986 in Albania
Albanian model and influencer who rose to fame on her hoxha_aurela Instagram account, where she often posts pictures of her outfits, modeling photos, and snapshots from her travels. She has accumulated more than 1.1 million followers. She also started her own self-titled clothing line in 2009, selling limited edition, handmade pieces.



Aurela Hoxha – AHB FW25 26 during PARIS FASHION WEEK – Designer BeachWear
Aurela Hoxha is a trailblazer in the fashion industry and a celebrated Albanian fashion icon renowned for her extraordinary contributions to the global fashion landscape. As the founder of the AHB Collection, a luxury fashion brand, she has cemented her place among the most influential designers of her generation.

She should have someone check out those lips; I think there's something growing in there.

Friday, May 22, 2026

Flotsam and Jetsam - Congress Rests on its Laurels, DNC "Autopsy" Reveals Dems Too Nice to Trump, Indictments in Minnesota Fraud

Congress is doing what Congress does best; nothing. Don Surber notes Thune joins the resistance. "Sends Senate home without passing a budget. Whee!" Ace interpretes, John Thune Declares: I Demand a Well-Funded MAGA Primary Opponent In 2028 and I'm Going to Stamp My Little Feeties and Hold My Breath Until I Get It!, "You got it, Princess. Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_ CBP/ICE funding bill will not be on President Trump's desk by June 1st, as he had said he wanted. Senate going home. Bad vibes on the Hill today." Supposedly this is over his pique at the weaponization compensation fund, but, as with Thomas Massie discovering the Epstein files for the first time weeks after Trump called for him to be replaced -- that's creating a fictional "policy" cover because the power-politics "I'm in charge" gripe is too petty to be admitted. Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 @julie_kelly2 "So Thune and company having a temper tantrum over Trump's Paxton endorsement so he's using the weaponization fund as an excuse to once again not do his job. Senate leadership is an absolute disgrace and every single one should be replaced." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair says Hmmm: House GOP Punts War Powers Vote to June. Sean Davis @seanmdav, "Tillis voted for a $500,000 per senator fund for senators who were illegally spied on by the Biden. It wasn’t available to any normal Americans whose rights had been violated—just senators. But now Tillis is mad that actual American citizens might receive restitution. What a clown." Quote TheBlaze @theblaze, "GOP Senator Thom Tillis on Trump’s proposed “Anti-Weaponization” fund: “I think it’s stupid on stilts. When you take money from me to give to a purpose I vehemently disagree with, that’s tyranny.”" " Paul @WomanDefiner, "I just want to reiterate that its absolutely insane that the Senate parliamentarian is a Democrat lawyer who tried to overturn the 2000 presidential election that was hand picked by Harry Reid in 2012. Republicans looked at that for the past 14 years and were like "Yeah she's a perfect fit to decide the Senate rules for us". The position didn't even exist until 1935 and from what I can tell was created to enforce unconstitutional rules in the Senate."

Althouse finds David French being David French, A Trump defender "could point to a prior president, maybe there was a Nixon thing here, maybe there was a Carter thing here, a Clinton thing here, a couple of Obama things here...." Said David French in the new episode of "Advisory Opinions," "All the Things Wrong with Trump’s Billion-Dollar Fund. (((Aaron Walker))) @AaronWorthing, "Democrats have been doing it for years, and you gave them a pass. Remember the Strzok settlement? 1000 times more dirty. The man claimed a right to privacy ON A GOVERNMENT PHONE when he was texting his girl-toy about how much he hated the subject of his investigation. Any lawyer with more than two brain cells to rub together could have gotten the case thrown out. The settlement was an obvious payout to reward him for his biased investigation of Trump. Trump's underlying claim was valid. His taxes were leaked. His privacy was violated. Our tax filings are not public documents. You know that. And to settle it, they also agreed to give out money to another valid issue. You know that under the First Amendment, you have a right to be free from viewpoint discrimination. And yet in case after case, prosecutors treated Trump supporters/conservatives worse than people of other political persuasions. Again, another valid complaint. So you are left with nothing more than the suspicion that Trump will use that money corruptly. But you have nothing but your own TDS to back that up." Quote David French @DavidAFrench, ""Trump is circumventing Congress’s power of the purse. He’s circumventing the judiciary’s role in adjudicating disputes. By potentially granting settlements to people who possess no valid legal claim, he’s circumventing civil and criminal law...." Julie Kelly @julie_kelly2, "NEW: The DC judge assigned to handle the lawsuit brought by 2 J6 celebrity cops to halt the anti-weaponization fund is Richard Leon--last seen stopping the construction of the ballroom, blocking the demotion of Mark Kelly, and overturning one of the president's exec orders against a partisan law firm." Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "BREAKING!!! The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has just now Ordered the convictions the Oath Keeper and Proud Boy defendants be vacated, and that the cases be remanded to the District Court in anticipation of a motion by DOJ To Dismiss."

Vince Dao @VinceDaoTV, "AIPAC has fought Thomas Massie for years, actually. That’s a shock to his supporters who started following politics 2 seconds ago, but Google is free. Notice how he didn’t lose his primary until he voted against funding ICE, grandstanding against Trump, and cozying up to third-world leftists. But they insist he only lost because of the “Israel lobby.” ..." PJM's Tim O'Brien overjoyed, Don’t Forget This One: Anti-Trump Raffensperger Just Lost His Primary, Too.

Althouse, "If I do attend, I get killed. If I don't attend, I get killed. By the fake news, of course, I'm talking about." "Trump has his own way of talking... For more of the video and an explanation of the event, see "WATCH: Trump, Zeldin announce looser rule on refrigerant greenhouse gases" (PBS). The belly is not Zeldin's." USA Today, Trump rolls back Biden-era refrigerant rules in push to lower grocery costs. "The move is expected to make more refrigerants ‒ the key chemical compounds in freezers, refrigerators and air-conditioning systems ‒ available for supermarkets, homeowners and other businesses, which the White House estimates will produce $900 million in savings, including $800 million at groceries."

At Althouse, "Reliable polling is hard to find in Cuba. A recent survey by a Cuban news website, El Toque, which gathered over 40,000 answers..." ""...found that about 56 percent of Cubans who reside in the island, and nearly 70 percent of those abroad, would support a military intervention by the U.S. While the results of the survey — which gathered answers from voluntary participants — could not be considered as a representative poll, its findings likely did reflect the exhaustion of many Cubans, said Prof. Michael J. Bustamante, a professor of history and chair in Cuban and Cuban American Studies at the University of Miami.... From "In Blackout-Hit Cuba, Word of U.S. Castro Indictment Spreads Slowly/While many Cubans were divided over the legitimacy of the U.S. charging Raúl Castro with murder, the hope for developments that might ease their suffering is widespread" (NYT)." I don't agree with charging foreign leaders with crimes. If they're that bad, just do them in. Jorge Bonilla @BonillaJL, "WATCH: Jen Psaki and Ben Rhodes hopelessly seethe at the indictment of Raúl Castro, to whom their boss personally offered his limp wrist in 2016. Note the gigantic lie about what causes scarcity in Cuba and note the multiple gratuitous potshots at the Cuban exile community..."

Dave Strom at Hat Hair has hopes Is Russia Losing the War in Ukraine? I'm not sure they're losing, but Ukraines success in drone warfare and ability to reach into Russia and damage their infrastructure is making it look like a stalemate.


Rich Baris THE PEOPLE'S PUNDIT @Peoples_Pundit, "Democrats are currently running 3.1pts ahead of where they were on this day in history back in 2018, a 9.2pt swing from 2022. After South Carolina redistricts, Democrats will need to win the U.S. House vote by ≈5pts to ensure they secure the majority. https://realclearpolling.com/polls/this-day" I don't put much stock in polls; at this point in the campaign they're just propaganda. Matt Vespa at TownHall hopes One of the Most Braindead House Dems Could Be on His Way Out. That doesn't narrow it down much. Betsy Stauffer at LI notes Dem Who Claimed Bondi Beach Massacre was ‘Zionist False Flag’ Wins House Primary "PA-03, which includes Philadelphia, is said to be the bluest district in the U.S. and the only majority black district in Pennsylvania." Sunny @sunnyright, "After years of claiming to see Nazism in "OK" hand gestures, stage design, and criticism of George Soros, Democrats and Bulwarkians are now backing for Senate a guy with a Nazi death squad tattoo with a long history of racism and misogyny." Dan Crenshaw @DanCrenshawTX, "In case you’re wondering about the current state of House Democrats: they just voted against establishing a Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum. Their objection? It didn’t include a dedicated wing for trans history. You almost have to admire the consistency. They managed to turn a women’s museum into an argument about men." Da Caller, Dem Darling Raked In Cash From Donors With Chinese Gov’t, CCP Intel Ties. From the Free Bacon, Zohran Mamdani Paid Multiple Visits to Holocaust-Denying Sheikh Who Claimed Jewish Death Toll 'Was Exaggerated' and 'Done By Zionists,' Called for More 'Study'.

FBI Director Kash Patel @FBIDirectorKash, "Today - 15 individuals have been indicted for over $90 million in an alleged massive healthcare fraud scheme in Minnesota, after a sweeping FBI investigation with @TheJusticeDept and our Interagency Partners. These charges involve the two LARGEST Medicaid fraud cases ever charged in this district and first-of-their kind charges involving 7 additional Medicaid programs. As alleged, the defendants defrauded Minnesota public healthcare resources for tens of millions, targeting programs such as Housing Stabilization Services, Child Care, Medicaid programs, Individualized Home Supports (IHS), and more..." Dave Strom, Quality Learing Center Fraudsters Indicted, CNN Hit Hardest. From Twitchy, Minnesota Fraud Defendant 'On the Run' After Jumping From Fourth Story Balcony to Escape, or at least, on the limp. Cathy Salgado at PJM reports Minnesota Fraud Mastermind Gets Over 40 Year Jail Sentence. At Ace, Republicans Sean Duffy, Brandon Gill Expose Democrats' Fathomless Corruption, "Brandon Gill grills Chicago's radical racist grifter Brandon Johnson."

The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "White Smoke Rises From Los Angeles, Signaling Karen Bass Is Still Mayor." Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "This is one of the keys of his campaign. Nonprofits pay a lot of people to not solve the problem they claim to be solving. Remember when Mr. Beast went to Africa and built two clean water wells, and the NGO nonprofits over there criticized him for it, as some white savior complex or something. He instantly solved the problem they claimed they were advocating and working on. If you tackle and dent or even solve rampant homelessness, a lot of people lose their jobs and a lot of the funding and donations cease and that's why there's a sudden flood of negative media going his way. They aren't scared of him winning. But they are scared that once people realize problems can be solved, a whole lot of the slush funding dries up." Quote Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "If that addict on your street were your own son, what would you do? That is the defining question that guides my 5 step plan to fix the homelessness problem in LA. We *must* end this evil racket of corrupt politicians and NGOs who profit off the misery of these poor souls. They launder money and feed them more drugs, so they can keep their customers locked in this hell on our streets. We have a moral obligation from God to help them and make our city safe and clean for everyone. Karen Bass and Nithya Raman have forsaken this city. Time for real leadership. Time for real compassion." At Althouse, "But when you said the mental is the problem in drugs — 'cause the people don't want to be down there." "My daughter is schizophrenic and she's on crystal meth — so that hit home — so if you're going to do that, you got my vote.... 'cause Karen Bass is not doing shhhh. Absolutely nothing."" And "[A]n army of fans [are] now competing to produce the catchiest and most outrageous videos supporting [Spencer Pratt's] campaign." ""They share and cross-promote a seemingly endless stream of computer-generated clips boosting Mr. Pratt and bashing his opponents with depictions of Los Angeles as a dirty, dangerous wasteland. One released on Sunday depicts women at a fitness studio confiding to one another that they secretly plan to vote for Mr. Pratt.... [T]he A.I. videos often venture into offensive territory. In the Batman clip boosting Mr. Pratt, Mr. Newsom’s likeness makes a crude sexual remark, and the phony Ms. Harris drinks out of a bottle of cheap liquor...." From "A.I. Videos Help Reality TV Antagonist Break Through in L.A. Mayor’s Race/Supporters have created A.I. videos to boost the mayoral campaign of Spencer Pratt, the former MTV star. Some videos have gone viral, but it’s not clear whether they will yield votes" (NYT)." James O'Keefe at NYPo, Your vote is for sale on the streets of California — and what I found out about life on Skid Row. Well, I was registered there years ago, so it could be true. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn hears it's Interesting Times in the California War on Gasoline.

John Sexton sees Seattle's Socialist Mayor is Slowly Learning From Her Own Mistakes "The mayor said she understands now that everything she says will be parsed for potential anti-business sound-bites and that she should have “a multidimensional relationship” with companies like Starbucks." At RedState, Sister Toldja sees Another Line Crossed As Virginia Democrat Makes an Astonishing Threat Against a SCOVA Justice VA Senate GOP @VASenateGOP, "“We will make sure that Justice Kelsey does not serve anymore come this January." Democrats are attempting to turn the Virginia Supreme Court into a partisan weapon, and they’re not being shy about it. This egregious assault on judicial independence should be immediately condemned by ANYONE who claims to care about “democracy.” Quote Brandon Jarvis @Jaaavis "“The reality is that we expected the Supreme Court of Virginia to respect the constitution and the will of the people,” Del. Dan Helmer said. “They did not.” Helmer continued: “We will make sure that Justice Kelsey does not serve anymore come this January."" PJM's Athena Thorne thinks you should Peep the Parade of Horribles Virginia Dems Were Ready to Foist on America if they got their gerrymander. Auron MacIntyre @AuronMacintyre, "Now you might want to ask “why does gunshot detection disproportionately impact black and migrant residents?” But to ask the question is to answer it You already know why, everyone knows why, but we’ve all decided that discussing why is worse than people dying." Quote End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "BREAKING: Cambridge Council votes 5-2 to disable gunshot detectors to protect black residents and migrants."

At CJ, In Florida, Extremist Networks Are Hiding Behind Nonprofits. "A new report shows how dangerous groups exploit legal protections."

Shipwreckedcrew, Supreme Court Solves Alien Truck Driver Problem By Making Use Of Them Nearly Uninsurable. "Freight brokers connecting trucking companies to businesses needing freight moved are now potentially liable for the death and destruction that results from truck driver negligence." At Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, Austin Spree Shooter Is Illegal Alien, "Hey, remember Cristian Fajardo Mondragon, one of three teenagers arrested in that Austin shooting spree that happened all of four days ago? Turns out he’s an illegal alien with an ICE detainer."


Fish Pic Friday

With Lauren Ashleigh and a few favorite Aussie fish:

A relatively fresh account, but I have a lot of hope for it.