Flotsam and Jetsam - May Day! May Day!

Or as some might to call it, victims of communism day. Though, in a sense, we're all victims of communism and it's friendlier, but insidious brother socialism, which his been the guiding philosophy responsible for so much domestic conflict and wasted resources. Stephen Kruiser at PJM, It's 'International Remind the Commies That They're Morons' Day. Dan Surber saw Blue Wednesday for communists. "Iran is losing. Comey is losing. And America is having a great week." 1945 thinks Russia’s Economy Is on the Brink of Collapse. The Russian people writ large have been one of the foremost victims of communism, and they're still suffering as a result. 

Because I suppose we must, onto the third attempted assassination of President Trump at the hands of his domestic enemies. Scott McLallen at TownHall, New Footage Appears to Show Would-Be Trump Assassin Shooting U.S. Secret Service Agent. A full load of buckshot from a 12 gauge shotgun has got to hurt, even through a vest. The Secret Service guy who was hit was the only agent to fire, apparently. It's no surprise he missed. Nick Sortor @nicksortor, " JUST IN: The DOJ has released HIGH QUALITY security camera footage of attempted Trump assassin Cole Allen SPRINTING through the security checkpoint at WHCA’s dinner This is NOT AI generated, like much of the footage posted this week Secret Service is adamant their agent was NOT struck by friendly fire, but was shot by Cole Allen with a 12-gauge shotgun." Nick Arama at RedState thinks Trump's Hilarious Remark About a Bulletproof Vest Has Reporters Rolling in the Aisles. Trump War Room @TrumpWarRoom, "The reporter couldn't help but laugh. Q: Are there talks about you wearing a bulletproof vest? @POTUS: "I don't know if I can handle looking 20 pounds heavier." Dave Manney at PJM sees The Wisconsin Brewery Post That Triggered a Firing. Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, Brian Kellar, the Senior Vice President of Regional Markets for @AspirusHealth, responded to Minocqua Brewing Company's post hoping for the ass*ssination of Trump, with a picture of himself wearing a "F*ck Donald Trump" shirt. A senior official at a healthcare company is supporting calls for violence against the sitting president. Any comment @AspirusHealth?" "Aspirus Health President and CEO Matt Heywood confirmed the organization parted ways with Kellar." Michael Goodwin at NYPo hears The Dems’ newest phrase in raging at the GOP is to go ‘Kill yourself’. Hat Hair's John Sexton worries about 'Normie Extremism' and Looming Violence. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "And here I thought it was because you had lost your mind. Like half the electorate. Unable to accept the results of an election. And in your case, turned your back on everything you ever believed in." Quote Bill Kristol @BillKristol, "Why do I bash Trump? Because he’s earned it. He’s in our faces each and every day—he’s turned all of life into political life. So we are left with a choice: passively accept your lot as a victim in his altered reality, or resist it and fight back."  

Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "Democrat congressman Seth Moulton compares Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to a Nazi submarine captain, says Hegseth like the Nazis, should face execution for war crimes. Insanity." Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "The thing to understand is that the Obama/Biden regimes were successful in training many senior generals and admirals that DEI is a core competency of the US military, and in many cases THE core competency of the military, over and above readiness and warfighting. Thus, when Hegseth came on board with a charter to demolish the anti-American, unconstitutional, debilitating DEI policies these generals and admirals held dear, it was as if Hegseth had showed up in 1913 to tell the horse cavalry that they were no longer needed on the battlefield, or if he had been there and sided with Billy Mitchell in 1921 when he demonstrated the vulnerability of naval vessels to air attack. Pete is attacking their Golden Calf. ..." Quote Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "Pete Hegseth is ON FIRE today “The mantra you would hear dripping from the lips of generals, with a serious look on their face was, 'our diversity is our strength.’" InfantryDort @infantrydort, "I love watching George C. Marshall get invoked as the sacred model of nonpartisan military leadership. Fine, but let’s tell the whole story. @PeteHegseth’s reported senior officer “purge” is roughly 3% of today’s active duty general/admiral universe. Marshall’s senior-command cleanse? After the Louisiana Maneuvers, he relieved or pushed aside 31 of 42 division, corps, and army commanders. That’s 74%. And even by raw total force share, Marshall’s documented 1941 tranche was over 15x Hegseth’s reported rate. Marshall was the dark angel of career death. Do the midwit ideologues understand their own example? If Marshall existed today in the purest form, politicians would collectively stroke out. To his credit, Marshall did have a ready made excuse to give Congress with the plucking boards and testing. What the ideologues need to really fear is, what happens if Hegseth starts doing the same thing? 3%? That could just be a warm up. And if George Catlett Marshall Jr. were alive today, he would concur." 

And just in case you didn't notice (who did?) the longest government shutdown in US history ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. Politico, Congress ends record-shattering DHS shutdown. AP, Trump signs bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, ending record shutdown. ICE and Border Patrol not fully funded yet, but GOP expects to fix that through reconciliation. RCP comments Shutdowns Persist Because Congress Pays No Price.

From Ace, Economy Grows By Decent 2% Annualized Rate Despite Fuel Price Inflation; New Jobless Claims Fall to Near Record Lows, "Via Ed Morrissey. It's a decent growth figure, rebounding from the weak 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025." The Patriarch Tree @PatriarchTree, "In July 2022, the @RCPolitics average had Joe Biden's job approval at net -19.9. Donald Trump's current RCP average is net -15.6 -- i.e, despite everything, Trump is STILL more popular than Mr. Eighty-One Million Votes." Erick Erickson @EWErickson, "We just had astronauts go further into space than ever before, piloted by a black astronaut and Democrats openly argued that he was only there because of affirmative action. White progressives don't understand how belittling it is to black voters to claim all their success came from white progressive handouts, not their own capabilities and achievements." Quote (((Harry Enten))) @ForecasterEnten "Trump's GOP is holding on to the generational gains they made with Black voters in the 2024 election. The GOP has gained 12 pts on the Dems on party id with African Americans vs. Trump term 1 at this point."

If you happen to care about the British Royal visitation, Althouse finds "King Charles tames Maga but Britain’s still in the doghouse." "That's the headline at the London Times. Subheadline: "While the monarch has gone down a storm with President Trump’s VIPs, his US visit seems to have done nothing to help Sir Keir Starmer."" And, "Great king," says Trump, pointing at Charles. "The greatest king in my book." They charmed ZitoSalena @ZitoSalena, "The @RoyalFamily decision to celebrate Appalachia & placing it equal in importance with visiting New York City tells you how much our culture has shifted towards the middle of the country. And let's be honest few things are as American as a potluck dinner during a block party." Quote Rebecca English @RE_DailyMail "The King and Queen have attended a packed America 250 block party in Front Royal, Virginia. They brought ‘pot luck’ - coronation quiches, Victoria sponges and royal honey - and enjoyed a Main Street parade, marching bands and clog dancing to a bluegrass band. Crowds 7k plus!" Marcus Walker @WalkerMarcus, "This is the single most genius diplomatic gesture I have ever seen." Quote Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47, "KING CHARLES III: "There was one particular AUKUS predecessor, launched from a UK shipyard in 1944 that served for the majority of her life attached to the 4th Submarine Squadron in Australia playing a critical role during the war in the Pacific. Her name? HMS Trump — so tonight..." Trump does appreciate flattery.

Althouse is also into misc Trumpiania, "With those beautiful ears of yours — he's got great hearing," "The ballroom is, to the confusion of many, a top priority for Trump. Indeed, it has been one since long before he launched himself into politics," and "Amazon Discusses ‘Apprentice’ Reboot—With Don Jr. as a Potential Host." "The Wall Street Journal reports."

She's also on the Iran beat with "The Iran war must end with a decisive victory. And that victory can only be achieved in one of two ways..." ""Either Iran capitulates or the U.S. launches a final flurry of military strikes. Trump has given the regime every opportunity to sue for peace, and it has rejected his overtures. It is admirable that Trump is taking his time. He understands that what he is doing is important and cannot be rushed. But it is also true that he cannot declare victory until either Iran cries uncle — or he finishes the job." Writes Marc A. Thiessen in "Trump is 14 days from decisive victory in Iran/The regime won’t deal and the blockade alone won't break it. Only military action will" (WaPo)." And Billions of dollars and still no end date. "1. "The Iran war now has a price tag ($25 billion), but still no end date" (NPR). 2. "California high-speed rail price tag jumps to $231B, nearly seven times 2008 estimate" (Fox26News)." NYPo hears Tick-tock, Tehran — the regime’s escape routes are closing fast. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Nepo Babytollah, Maybe: We Will Never Surrender On Nukes, Ballistic Missiles. OK then, how about Ace, US to Deploy Brand New Hypersonic Missile, The "Dark Eagle," to Iran. Hat Hair's Dave Strom cares about The Atrocities Liberals Don't Care About.

Seth Mandel at Commentary calls Democrats The Party With the Nazi Tattoo as Hapless Woke Karen Drops Out of Maine Senate Race, Clearing Field for National Socialist (and Avowed Communist) Graham "Totenkopf" Platner (Ace). Erick Erickson @EWErickson, "We went from outrage over the OK hand gesture and Pete Hegseth’s tattoo to the actual Nazi SS tattoo being no big deal. Remarkable media shift, highlighting yet again how in the pocket of the Left the press corps is." At Althouse, "Mills attempted to blunt Platner’s momentum this spring by running ads bringing up controversy around deleted Reddit comments he made years ago downplaying the seriousness of sexual assault." ""Mills argued that Republicans would make 'mincemeat' out of Graham in a general election, given his Reddit comments, and that a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he got covered up, will likely provide fodder for attacks." From "Maine Gov. Janet Mills drops out of race to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins/The seat is critical to Democrats’ hopes of retaking the Senate. Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and Democrat, is likely to win the primary" (WaPo). As I commented in this post, I don't mind so much that a young military guy got a stupid tattoo, but the fact that he grew up to be a communist. Phil Klein at NRO thinks Maine Shows Antisemitism Is a Shortcut to Success in the Modern Democratic Party. Dave Strom, Graham Platner, Zohran Mamdani, Hasan Piker Are Officially the Future of the Democratic Party. Igor Bobic @igorbobic, "Fetterman on Graham Platner: “Democrats really, really like Platner in Maine, but the Republicans fucking love him.” “If Maine wants an asshole with a Nazi tattoo on his chest, they get him.”" Stephen L. Miller @redsteez, "While Janet Mills ran out of money, Graham Platner has several priceless works of art and gold bars stored away." Sunny @sunnyright, "Can I assume that @BulwarkOnline and its cadre of Principled Former Republicans will be endorsing and supporting the moderate old school Susan Collins over the radical left-wing guy with a Nazi tattoo and history of racism and misogyny? If not, why not?" Gad Saad @GadSaad, "She is the daughter of evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson. He was a close colleague of mine and a friend. However, once I expressed disdain for Obama and Pelosi, he publicly explained that I had lost my humanity, and he was hoping that I would find it again. We've not spoken since. I was a great guy and scholar until I expressed a political opinion that was "heretical." I then became a subhuman. This is coming from an individual who support the Party of Empathy." Quote Brandi Kruse @BrandiKruse, "INSANE. Seattle's Socialist Mayor responds to exodus of wealth from Washington state by saying "BYE" ... then laughing. We're doomed." Aaron Sibarium @aaronsibarium, "NEW: Blue jurisdictions are rationing homeless services based on race. In Portland, a non-white, non-native English speaker who is LGBT would get priority over a domestic violence survivor with a 6 yr old child who's been homeless for 12+ months. The policies are shocking." Marc Porter Magee @marcportermagee, "At its height, the NYC public school system educated 1.2 million kids a year. Ten years ago that dropped below 1 million. The current estimates are about 880,000. Ten years from now it could be only 700,000. And yet the budget just keeps going up." Quote Marc Porter Magee @marcportermagee, "The Atlantic on NYC schools: “According to federal data, its per-pupil spending is nearly 50 percent higher than Los Angeles’s and Chicago’s … A shrinking student body mechanically pushes up per-pupil spending unless the education budget is cut—and the budget is never cut”" John Podhoretz @jpodhoretz, "Congratulations to New York City’s unhoused for their new, 11-block-long sleeping quarters." Quote New York Post @nypost, "DOT releases new vision for Park Ave. - transforming busy roads into pedestrian paradise." From Twitchy a Report Planned Parenthood Used Codeword ‘Benghazi’ to Hide Millions in PPP Loans. Mark Hemingway @Heminator, "At this point, the asymmetry is almost an advantage -- the contemporary left is constantly blindsided by their support for issues they've been told are popular only to wake up one day and find out they're a huge liability." Quote Reddit Lies @reddit_lies, "The post: "This is stupid, of course Dems understand what Republicans believe" The comments: *Dems demonstrating they do not understand Republicans*" Dave Strom sees The Moral Decline of Ro Khanna.

Pascal Najadi (USSF) @JfkPascalNajadX, "HOLY CRAP! No WONDER Gavin Newsom is suing to block Trump's executive order requiring barcode tracking for mail-in ballots CA vote fraudster Shakir Khan had 71 NAMES and 41 COMPLETED MAIL-IN BALLOTS at his single house They want to protect fraud." From Fox, Trump election integrity push exposes massive amount of dead people on North Carolina voter rolls. "Findings came as the state board began digging into its rolls to verify the citizenship status of registered voters."

VodkaPundit at Insty observes THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES REIGNS SUPREME: How U.S. Electric Vehicle Industrial Policy Created A New ‘Rust Belt.’ Twitchy, AOC Goes Straight Fatal-Attraction NUTS When Lee Zeldin Says He's Done With Her Lying Green Energy SCAM.

John Sexton reports Louisiana Suspends House Primaries. Who is Next? Preparing to redistrict after SCOTUS overturned their court imposed racial gerrymander. Ace, Louisiana Suspends House Primary Campaign Schedule Until They've Had a Chance to Redraw Congressional Maps. "Louisiana is, I've heard, good for at least one and possibly two Republican pick-ups with craftily drawn maps." Jen O'Connell at RedState calls it The Domino Effect: SCOTUS' Louisiana v. Callais Decision Unmoors Democrat Plans for Voting Takeover. PJM's Stephen Kruiser says The Democrats' Gerrymander Gloating Hits a Brick Wall. Tim in @MrNOVApolitico, "Tennessee is MORE Republican than Massachusetts is Democratic. If it's ok for Massachusetts to be 9-0 Dem then it's ok for Tennessee to be 9-0 Rep. Late primary, fully justified and Cohen isn't even black. Get it done." At Bastiat's Window, Dems and the Wood Chipper or Dems in the Wood Chipper?, "Virginia Democrats could face blowback after their drive for maximalist gerrymandering."

Andrew Follett @AndrewCFollett, "You literally drew this atrocity." Quote Governor Kathy Hochul @GovKathyHochul, "The Supreme Court has been chipping away at our elections for years. It is clearly carrying out Donald Trump’s will with this decision. New York has always led the fight for voting rights and we’ll lead again." Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries just called the Supreme Court "illegitimate." That follows Democratic politicians and pundits calling for the packing of the Supreme Court. Nothing says Happy 250th Anniversary like tearing down the core institutions of the Republic." Gregg Nunziata @greggnunziata, "An ex president has three choices 1. Retire from the public stage 2. Speak only in unifying terms 3. Stay engaged as a partisan, with the dishonesty or selective truth that demands It's a tremendous shame that President Obama has chosen the last path." Quote Barack Obama @BarackObama, "Today’s Supreme Court decision effectively guts a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act, freeing state legislatures to gerrymander legislative districts to systematically dilute and weaken the voting power of racial minorities - so long as they do it under the guise of “partisanship” rather than explicit “racial bias.” And it serves as just one more example of how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach..." PJM's Matt Margolis hosts Scott Jennings Humiliating Former Daily Beast Editor Over Gerrymandering and Race. Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "Not a single person crying about how the Supreme Court has made it impossible for black people to get elected supported Winsom Sears over the affluent white lady. Not one." Clay Travis @ClayTravis , "If you were born in America since roughly 1975, the only systemic racism that has existed in your life is racial discrimination by the state & feds in favor of minority groups. This governmental era of racism to cure racism is ending and Democrats are losing their minds over it." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "'Is It Too Late To Ask Who Gerry Mander Is?' KBJ Whispers To Clarence Thomas https://buff.ly/vrZP50y"

The Federalist @FDRLST, ""There's one way of life for the liberal justices and another for the conservatives," Mollie Hemingway noted. While the liberals could "appear on a Broadway play" or "travel all over the world," the conservatives can't go to dinner with their families "because they might get killed."" From Twitchy, Judge Halves Rapist’s Sentence Noting He’s an African American Male Who’s ‘Experienced This Society’.

Mary Margret Olohan at Da Wire, EXCLUSIVE: Biden DOJ Lawyers Fantasized About Prosecuting Catholic Nuns, Emails Show ""I'd like to prosecute any nun who still wears the head habit," one Biden lawyer wrote another." Did they rap him on the knuckles with a ruler? Dave Strom sees Catholics in the Crosshairs.

Dave Strom on James Comey: It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy. He's about where I am. "Comey is total scum, and the reason why I approve of obvious lawfare against him is that only the threat of tit-for-tat will stop this steady stream of abuses of power."

Capt. Ed, When Harmeet Met the Ostroushkos "At a recent anti-ICE rally in Minneapolis, Turning Point USA observer/reporter Savanah Hernandez got assaulted by activists for recording the public events. Minneapolis police identified the trio that assaulted Hernandez as members of the Ostroushko family – father Christopher, mother Deyanna, and adult daughter Paige. The video depicts Christopher Ostroushko blindsiding Hernandez, who was injured in the attack. The local police investigation resulted in a minor misdemeanor charge against only Christopher in Hennepin County, where progressive-activist DA Mary Moriarty would be more likely to bury the case than try it. In the meantime, the father has been making the media rounds to paint himself as the victim, as Beege reported last week ... colorfully. But a funny thing happened on the way to Moriarty's expected hall pass. The assault actually took place at the Whipple Building, which is federal property – and that gives the Department of Justice jurisdiction as well. Assistant Attorney General Dhillon took immediate notice of this at the time of the assault and promised to put her Civil Rights Division "on it" to open a probe into the assault and intimidation of a journalist. Late yesterday, that shoe dropped on the Ostroushko family: The Department of Justice today announced the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment charging Christopher Ostroushko, Deyanna Ostroushko, and Paige Ostroushko with assaulting a journalist while she was reporting on an anti-ICE protest on federal property in St. Paul Minnesota on April 11, 2026. Christopher Ostroushko and Paige Ostroushko are also charged with willfully and forcefully injuring and intimidating that journalist."

PJM's Cathy Salgado is happy that the Texas Attorney General Sues Chinese ‘Birth Tourism’ Center. "Paxton is accusing the Houston-area De’Ai Postpartum Care Center of “unlawfully facilitating the invasion of Chinese nationals into Texas for the sole purpose of birthing children and obtaining ‘birthright citizenship’ in a manner that violates Texas law,” according to an April 29 press release. That includes violation of the Texas Penal Code." TownHall's Amy Curtis suggest you Listen to Justice Alito Absolutely Hammer the Lawyer for Haitian Nationals.

TB Adams at And another thing ... Respect the Kidnapper’s Pronouns, Bigot, "Style guides thick with activist-speak make LGBT news stories unintelligible."

Mary Chastain at LI,  informs us the Viral Rhode Island KKK Video was a Hoax. "You know, one of these days, an incident like this won’t be a hoax but since there have been so many fakes, no one will believe it."

Heh, Insty IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE IT’S TRUE:

Good morning ☀️😃 pic.twitter.com/OJoh05ExjG

— Steve 🇺🇸 (@SteveLovesAmmo) April 29, 2026

And still more! at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.30.26.

Fish Pic Friday - Heather Lynn

Heather Lynn@heatherlynnoh Digital creator Kentucky-Raised Cowgirl From Hell Retired From Reality TV.

Oregon, My Oregon

From Ace, Judicial Watch Lawsuit Compels Oregon, Against Its Will, to Remove 800,000 Ineligible Voters from Its Voter Rolls -- Nearly One Quarter of All Eligible Voters In the State

Don't look now, but that thing that never happens is happening again.

Paul Sperry @paulsperry_

BREAKING: Settlement of a Judicial Watch lawsuit has forced the review and removal of some 800,000 ineligible voters from Oregon voter rolls

Judicial Watch is deservedly crowing:

Judicial Watch announced a settlement in its federal lawsuit against Oregon election officials, which confirms 800,000 ineligible voter names are slated for review and removal from voter registration lists. The settlement requires state officials to produce detailed data and enforce federal voter roll clean-up procedures under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).

I should say that of the 800,000 ineligible names, only 160,000 are being scrubbed now; the other 640,000 will be reviewed and scrubbed from the lists later.

Sadly, this means my ability to vote in Oregon, last exercised in 1982, is probably being eliminated. 

Also, Cathy Salgado at PJM reports Sanctuary Oregon Releases Newlyweds’ Killer  

William Micah Carter and Jennifer Lynn Lower were still in their honeymoon phase, only 16 days married, when an illegal alien who should never have been in our country, let alone with a license to drive professionally, took their lives, as DHS described:

On November 24, 2025, Rajinder Kumar jackknifed his semi-truck and trailer, blocking both lanes of U.S. Highway 20. A Subaru Outback collided with the semi-truck, tragically killing both the driver, William Micah Carter, and passenger, Jennifer Lynn Lower…On April 2, 2026, Oregon sanctuary politicians refused to cooperate with ICE and RELEASED Kumar back onto the streets of Oregon. On April 22, 2026, ICE arrested Rajinder.

ICE is holding Rajinder in Tacoma, pending deportation. There really are no words strong enough to condemn the leftist Oregon politicians who chose to release the killer, knowing what a horrific crime he committed.

DC Cleaning "Dirt" out of the C&O Canal

And by dirt they mean shit. DC Water, Crews Make Progress on Soil Removal in C&O Canal and Continue Preparations for Long-Term Rehabilitation Work on Potomac Interceptor

• Crews are close to completing the removal of remaining soil from Locks 11 to 13 in the section of the C&O Canal that was used as an emergency bypass after the collapse of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line.
• Work began on Lock 10, with the majority of the soil removal expected to be completed by the end of next week.
• Tree removal continues after DC Water received the permits to move forward as part of the site preparations for the long-term accelerated rehabilitation of more than 2,700 linear feet of the Potomac Interceptor
• Once tree removal is complete, work will begin to construct a bypass chamber, to divert wastewater around sections of the pipe while they are being rehabilitated.

Also, good news that E. coli contamination in the Potomac system is back to "normal" levels :

Daily water quality testing continues to show E. coli levels within the typical range for recreation, with normal historical fluctuations attributed to rain, heat, stormwater runoff, and other known environmental factors. See the District Department of Energy and Environment webpage for more details.

Some substantial fraction of background levels of E. coli are due to wildlife. After all, bears shit in the woods.  

Flotsam and Jetsam - SCOTUS Nixes Racial Gerrymandering

Voting 6-3 along exactly the lines you'd expect, the Supreme Court overturned lower courts who had demanded states set aside certain seats to create safe congressional seats for racial minorities based on the Voting Rights Act. The ruling doesn't forbid gerrymandering on a partisan basis (looking at you Texas, Virginia and California), and puts a large number of seats in red states vulnerable to redistricting favorable to the GOP. As you might imagine, Democrats are throwing a hissy fit. Matt Vespa at TownHall, The Supreme Court Has Ruled on the Voting Rights Act. Matt Margolis at PJM, Supreme Court Drops HUGE Ruling on the Voting Rights Act. "In a 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, the majority held that Louisiana's congressional map — redrawn to include a second majority-black district — constitutes an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under the Fifteenth Amendment. The Court stopped short of striking down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act entirely, but it dramatically narrowed the ways in which states may use race when drawing congressional maps." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, NEW: SCOTUS Narrows Section 2 of Voting Rights Act, Strikes Down Racial Gerrymander. Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "MASSIVE WIN: Supreme Court just ruled 6-3 that drawing Congressional districts solely based on race is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Republicans could flip a dozen Democrats seats in the South alone ahead of the midterms." At Althouse, "The justices, split along ideological lines, ruled that the voting map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander." "In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan accused the court’s conservative majority of gutting the Voting Rights Act. " From "Live Updates: Supreme Court Strikes Down Louisiana Map in Voting Rights Case" (NYT)."The upshot of Rucho was that, as far as federal law is concerned, a state legislature may use partisan advantage as a factor in redistricting. And litigants cannot circumvent that rule by dressing their political-gerrymandering claims in racial garb.... [T]he Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district, [so] no compelling interest justified the State’s use of race in creating SB8." Sundance at CTH, Supreme Court Rules Racial District Gerrymandering Violates Constitution. Ace gives it the red, all-caps italic, with the flaming skull (more than third attempt at Trump's assassination), IN EPOCHAL RULING, SUPREME COURT HOLDS, 6-3, THAT RACIAL GERRYMANDERS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL -- MUCH LESS REQUIRED BY THE CONSTITUTION, "I don't know if the southern states affected like this can impose an emergency redistricting double-quick for the midterms, but some analysts believe that this ruling will eventually flip 19 Democrat seats to Republican." At Twitchy, Newsom Press Office Has Total Meltdown Over Supreme Court Gerrymandering Ruling and Florida’s New Maps. Next up? At the Free Bacon, EXCLUSIVE: In Cities Across America, Homeless Services Are Doled Out Based on Race and Sexual Identity, "Some formulas give race more weight than any other variable." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, I Love a Theatrical Production - FL Passes DeSantis Redistricting Map, +4 for GOP and John Sexton notes a New Jersey Pregnancy Center Wins at the Supreme Court.

Jerry Dunleavy IV @JerryDunleavy, "Yes, Cole Allen is an attempted assassin, a Bluesky brain rotted idiot, and a dangerous guy, but the dork factor here should not be overlooked." Quote Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney, "JUST IN: Federal prosecutors release new images and details of Cole Allen and his alleged attempt to assassinate president Trump. Here is a mirror selfie he took about 30 minutes before charging past the magnetometers." Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "The dude is going to spend the rest of his life in federal prison. He gave it all up just for this photo. It’s horrifying." Quote Jeff Blehar is *BOX OFFICE POISON* @EsotericCD, "LOL at the glamour selfie with completely unnecessary gear. (Wire cutters??) A generation of semi-autistic narcissists. x.com/kyledcheney/st…" David F. Pierre, Jr.@TheMediaReport1, "No radical footprint." You. gotta. be. kidding. me." David M. McIntosh @DavidMMcintosh, "This is what happens when Democrats and the media rant and rave nonstop for 10 years about how Republicans are 'literally Hitler' because they disagree with their policies. This isn't a new phenomenon either, remember Robert Bork!" Hat Hair's Beege Welborn thinks It's Over If 'Don't Think Shooting People Down in the Street Is Necessarily the Answer' IS the Answer. Matt Margolis Guess Who This Democrat Blames for the Latest Trump Assassination Attempt, Give up? Trump of course! Ace, Assassination-Prep Specialist Congressman Dan Goldman: The Person Responsible for Trump's Third Assassination Trump is Trump Himself. "Do you want to take this kinetic? Because this is how you take this kinetic." Twitchy, Left: 'Trump Must Lower the Temperature!' Wajahat Ali: Literally Begs Trump to Die in FOUL Rant (WATCH). At Da Wire, Chloe Trapanatto says There’s A Reason Why The Left Keeps Trying To Kill Republicans, "It's because they despise our very existence." Michael Goodwin at NYPo, hears The Dems’ newest phrase in raging at the GOP is to go ‘Kill yourself’.

Terrence K. Williams @w_terrence, "Dear Jimmy Kimmel, listen to me very closely. I’m a comedian. I’ve made fun of Jill Biden. I’ve made fun of Michelle Obama. I’ve roasted First Ladies before. But I have never in my life joked about Jill Biden becoming a widow or Michelle Obama becoming a widow. I’ve never joked about Joe Biden or Barack Obama having an attempt made on their life. I’ve never laughed at the thought of their wives standing there in fear, wondering if their husbands are going to make it home alive. Because that is not comedy. That is sick. You could have joked about Melania being married to Trump. You could have joked about politics. You could have even gone after her accent like liberals usually do. But no — you chose to joke about Melania Trump becoming a widow. And let’s be honest, Jimmy: when you hate Donald Trump as much as you do, that doesn’t sound like a joke. It sounds like how you really feel. They always say there is truth in comedy." Stephen Kruiser at PJM says Here's an Idea — Just Let Jimmy Kimmel Continue to Cancel Himself. Tim O'Brien at PJM, The FCC’s Bad News for Disney/ABC: The Time for Playing Nice Is Over.

At Armed Forces Press, BREAKING: Air Force Academy Female Insubordination Threatens Secretary Of War During Global Conflict - Former Superintendent Lt Gen Michelle Johnson Reportedly Leads Charge Against 'Old White Men' Recently Elected To USAFA AOG. Court martials are in order. Sundance sees Consciousness of Guilt – Fed Chairman Powell Refuses to Leave Fed Board After Term Expires, “I will leave when I think it’s appropriate to do so” "Today, after announcing yet again the Fed will not lower interest rates, Chairman Jerome Powell announced he will not leave the board of the federal reserve even after his term has expired and he is replaced by recently advanced Kevin Warsh. Powell said he plans to maintain a “low profile” as a governor, but it will be the first time since 1948 that a Federal Reserve Chairman has stayed on the board at the end of their chairmanship." Hat Hair's John Sexton thinks Philip Kennicott's Ballroom Panic is Wearing Thin.

Matt Vespa thinks Speaker Johnson Just Clinched a Massive Win in the House Today Jake Sherman @JakeSherman, "BIG WIN FOR JOHNSON HOUSE PASSES BIG RULE FOR FARM, FISA, BUDGET RESOLUTION 216-210 After TWO HOURS on the floor." Cam at Bearing Arms observes the New Funding Bill for DOJ Includes Big Cut to ATF Budget, Deregulation of Some NFA Items.

Also from John Sexton, Putin Scales Back Military Parade, Seems Agreeable to a Ceasefire with Ukraine. Sundance, President Trump Notes Extended Conversation with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin.

Capt. Ed cites Axios: Trump Leaning Toward a Blockade-Plus-Limited(?)-Booms Strategy and 'Death Spiral': Iran May Be Near Tipping Point, Says WSJ. Seems reasonable to me. Trump far prefers using money to beat adversaries than bombs, but the Mullahs need some extra encouragement. At RedState, Ward Clark sees Rubble and Ruin: Epic Fury Now Pushing Iran Into Economic Free-Fall and Nick Arama says Iranian Leader Ghalibaf Tries a Desperate Bluster, Gets Decimated by Bessent. Open Source Intel @Osint613, "The Iranian rial hit an all-time low today, 1,810,000 to one U.S. dollar. Six weeks of war with the U.S. and Israel have flooded the open market with demand for foreign currency. Reuters." Mediaite reports Trump Slams German Chancellor for Claiming Iran Has ‘Humiliated’ USA: ‘Doesn’t Know What He’s Talking About!’ Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "BREAKING: The UN has elected the Islamic Republic of Iran as VP of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference Just last year this very committee found Iran to be in violation of the committee’s policies. You literally cannot make this up." The news is its very own parody.

From the Free Bacon, Obama-Biden Iran Negotiator Says Trump Doesn't Have Enough Experts, Bemoans ‘Genocide’ in Gaza "Wendy Sherman unloads in interview with Mishal Husain of Bloomberg." At Breitbart Bus, Dollar Diplomacy and the Breaking of OPEC.

From Da Caller, Ghost Of Kamala’s Campaign Crawls Out Of Cave For One More Zinger — Turns Out It’s A Historical Botch Job. Whining about historically accurate red coats on American soldiers at the royal visitation.

At the Center Square Calif, Agencies discuss what to cut as state deals with $35B deficit. Hat Hair's John Sexton sees it's Off the Rails: Price of CA High Speed Rail Soars to Over $230B and Dave Strom says California Is an Unfunny Joke. The Orange County Reg, More than $2 million seized from Pasadena clinic accused of Medicare fraud. Bobby Panzenbeck @Panzenbeck, "Its free, you just raise taxes on other people and expand the already bloated budget and those actions have no economic consequences whatsoever. There are adults who actually believe this." Quote Katie Porter @katieporterca, "Californians need real affordability solutions. Free Child Care. Zero-Tuition UCs and CSUs. That’s what I’ll deliver as governor." NYPo predicts Vacations under threat as California’s oil stockpile hangs on by a thread. At his substack, Born Lucky, Stacy McCain examines The Destructive Impulse of Liberalism "Where is 'progress' leading? And other questions you should never ask."

Cathy Salgado at PJM reports the North Carolina Elections Board Finds 34,000 Deceased People on Voter Rolls. Politics & Poll Tracker @PollTracker2024, "CNN: As Democrats brace for a bruising primary in Michigan’s US Senate race, Mallory McMorrow, one of the party’s top contenders, has quietly deleted thousands of old tweets — including posts in which she took jabs at the rural Midwest, lamented ever leaving California, and said she continued to vote there after she said she’d moved permanently to Michigan." 

Having failed to excite us with his threat of Global Warming, Al Gore revisits his hits of the 70s, and promises a new Ice Age. Dave Strom, More Globaloney: The Ice Age Is on the Way. Lee Zeldin @epaleezeldin, "The ultimate authority on all questions involving life on earth, Al Gore, is now declaring that global warming is out, and global freezing is in. Safe bet that he found a whole new angle to line his pockets off the climate grift." It'll come some day; he's just wrong about when.

Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Straight from the Comey playbook. What feds have always done. If anyone deserves it, it's this treasonous douchebag. He and all the others who pushed that Russia bullshit at Obama's behest, plus all of you in the media who regurgitated it, deserve more than that." QuoteChris Cillizza @ChrisCillizza "Ronald Trump doesn't really care if Jim Comey goes to jail. He just wants to make Comey's life miserable for as long as possible." Remember Gen. Michael Flynn? Ace, Dan Bongino Flushed Deep State Leakers Out of the FBI By Using the "Canary Trap" Technique. Sundance claims Dan Bongino Says He’s Scared of the FBI. Mitch Berg at Hat Hair VIP, They Came To Chew Gum And Serve Search Warrants. And They're Out Of Gum. Raiding the "Quality Learing Center" and 21 other suspected fraudulent daycares in Minneapolis.

Megan Basham @megbasham, "Wheels coming off for Southern Poverty Law Center" as donors dry up.

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa @cosminDZS, "I WAS LEAKED a confidential Canadian Forces report that reveals a Quebec officer training platoon had 83% permanent residents. The program descended into ethnic infighting between West African factions, "lack of respect" for women and a 48% grad rate."

Stacy McCain discourses on Methods of Journalism 301. "OK, there’s your daily quota of Important News, but you didn’t need me to tell you that story, did you? Social media and 24/7 cable news have changed the game in ways that could not have been imagined back in the day when most people got their news from the daily paper, or the 30-minute nightly broadcasts on ABC/NBC/CBS. Now any random son of a bitch with a WiFi hookup can be a “journalist,” which means that I have to find a way to do something different, something valuable, something that might inspire you to hit the tip jar for $16.04. And it so happens that getting a WiFi hookup is relevant to the real reason I wrote this post:" Roger Simon says 'Sixty Minutes' Needs a Drastic Overhaul, "It's part of the problem, not the solution." Conquest's Law #2 Any organization not explicitly right-wing sooner or later becomes left-wing. It just take's right-wing organizations longer. Tom Odell @TomOdell, "CBS moderator Ryan Yamamoto has just lied in the debate. He claimed that Ronald Reagan (as governor of California) was responsible for cuts In social programs that created homelessness in California. That is a categorical lie. The social programs that Mr. Yamamoto is referring to were cuts signed into law by Pat Brown, Jerry Brown's father, who was Governor before Reagan..."

Ilya Shapiro @ishapiro. "Appalling behavior by @UCLA_Law." Quote FIRE @TheFIREorg, "UCLA Law has threatened its @FedSoc chapter with punishment if it publicly identifies students seen on video disrupting last week’s viral campus event with a Department of Homeland Security lawyer. But when protesters named chapter members online? No signs of concern." Campus Reform reports Harvard petition calling grading reform racist disappears from public view. Timur Kuran @timurkuran, "DEI has been counterproductive generally. By forcing people to focus on race, it has unavoidably heightened racism, not dampened it. If DEI were an antidote to racism, there would exist scores of studies providing the evidence. None exists." Quote Caleb Hammer @sircalebhammer, "A Harvard Business Review finding showed that mandatory race training in workplaces produced higher levels of racism in the end, similar to the white bear suppression effect. We were so close to a colorblind society… then all the crazies ruined it with performative politics."

Still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.29.26 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 04.29.26 (Evening Edition).

A Thursday Tune - Void

Review: NÆMA – Perception (EP)

What do you get if you cross a pop vocalist, an alt-rock guitarist, a funk bassist and a metal drummer? That’s not some juvenile joke, rather it’s the four members who comprise Bournemouth-based band NÆMA. The answer to my opening gambit is a group who fuse their diverse influences into a unique sound that can only be described as nu-alt-rock. NÆMA obviously have confidence in the monster they’ve made because first cut ‘Blend In’ bursts from the speakers with unbridled belief and finds the band nailing their (bright) colours firmly to the mast. Attesting to the varied background of each member, ‘Blend In’ (and, indeed, the whole EP) is bold and buoyant, and fills every inch of sonic space.

Here’s a band who want to stand out from the crowd, discarding tired rock clichés and replacing them with a fresh approach. However, NÆMA haven’t completely ripped up the past, and fans of hard rock and metal will find much to admire in the band’s groove-laden swing, yet there’s no denying tracks such as ‘New Norm’, replete with glacial synths, have their sights fixed on the horizon. A seven-song calling card that succinctly sets out the band’s stall, Perception finds NÆMA in sharp focus.

NÆMA is a four-piece nu-alt-rock band based in Bournemouth, UK, featuring Tia Lazerri-Madden (vocals), Tom Riley (guitar), Ethan Wilkinson (bass), and Joey Curd (drums). Formed in December 2023, the band mixes diverse influences—pop, rock, funk, and metal—to create a unique sound.