Oregon, My Oregon

At PJM, Vicky Taft, It's Primary Election Day in the People's Republic of Oregon, and the 'People' Want Revenge

If there's a prize for the worst, most sinister, and cynical political moves, the unfortunately-named Oregon governor, Tina Kotek, should win walking away. A damaging gas and transportation tax, the one she cheated, lied, and schmoozed to ram through, is on the ballot in Tuesday's primary. On primary day, Oregon voters will affix some C-4 and light the fuse to the one deliverable Kotek could lay claim to in her entire first term of office. 

The timing for Kotek and her fellow Democrat Party members couldn't be worse.

Kotek blames President Donald Trump for high gas prices right now, but Oregonians know all too well that prices are perennially high anyway because of Democrats' adherence to the Church of Global Warming. The governor's approval numbers have fallen badly for a Democrat in this one-party state. Gas prices are almost as high as when Joe Biden was in office, and voters — male, female, Democrat, Republican, Independent, poor, and rich — saw what she did there.

The people who continually bleat that they're trying to Save Democracy!™ did everything to disembowel it to punish Oregonians with a whopping 6 cent/gallon gas tax and massive fee increases.

Kotek couldn't get her budget-backfilling taxes passed in regular session, so she called for a special "emergency" session to cram them through. When she got the tax increases approved by Democrats, she waited until the last second to sign it, to deprive Oregonians of enough time to gather enough signatures to refer it to the ballot.

But Kotek's gambit didn't work.

Oregonians were so angered by the manipulations that Republicans got more than enough signatures in record time to refer the tax package to voters in November. The Save Democracy!™ crowd didn't want the referral on the November ballot because more people vote then.
...
The good news is there are signs of life in the political opposition to the Democrats in Oregon. Tina's tax increases are going down, and the GOP's got a pulse — they're voting, and this could be a game-changing moment for Oregon.

Fingers crossed.

My fingers are crossed, but my breath remains unbated.  

Maryland, My Maryland

 At Hat Hair, Joe Chalfant  reports Trump Calls for Investigation Into Maryland Elections After Mail-In Ballot Disaster

President Donald Trump has called for the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the state of Maryland for sending out mail-in ballots to individuals of the incorrect political party ahead of the state’s closed primary elections.

pic.twitter.com/BnpiD3KcXf

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) May 18, 2026

After the mistake, the Maryland Board of Elections made the decision to mail out additional correct ballots despite having no ability to indicate which ballots were originally sent out incorrectly. Elections officials have not publicly released a plan for how to invalidate the original ballots.

Dan Cox, a candidate in the gubernatorial race, criticized the decision as it created an environment for “doubling the potential for vote fraud via mail in ballots.”

No sign of our ballots. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Is Trump's Patience with Iran About Over?

Nick Arama at RedState notes Iran Tries One Last Gambit As Trump Appears Ready to Act. Capt. Ed says Hmmm: IRGC Submits New Proposal After Trump Warns 'Clock Is Ticking'. News Wax has a Report: Iran Proposal Risks Renewed War. Dave Strom at Hat Hair begs For God's Sake Mr. President, Quit Stalling; UPDATE: Trump Explains Delay. Iran International English @IranIntl_En, "President Donald Trump told the New York Post he is “not open” to concessions to Tehran after Iran’s latest response to US efforts to reach a deal to end the war. Trump said he was not “frustrated” with Tehran but suggested Iran understands the risk of further US action. “I can tell you they want to make a deal more than ever, because they know we’re—what’s going to be happening soon." Asked about his earlier suggestion that he might accept a 20-year moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment, Trump said: “I’m not open to anything right now.” The president declined to elaborate, saying: “I can’t really talk to you about it. Too many things are happening. Asked about claims that Iran may be trying to wait out Washington over the nuclear issue and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said he “hadn’t heard that.” “I’m not hearing anything,” he said. “I can’t talk to you about it.” Time to start taking out infrastructure. Start with Tehran's power grid. At TownHall, Dmitri Bolt has President Trump Just Made a Major Announcement About Iran and Iran Is Now Dumping Its Oil Into the Sea, because they can't sell it, and they can't stop pumping it, or the wells go bad. PJM's Scott Pinsker on How to Win the Iran War AND Make Greta Thunberg Weep in One Easy Step. Trent Telenko @TrentTelenko, "And there are still people saying the US Blockade of Iran is failing." Quote Visioner @visionergeo " — Long lines formed at gas stations in Bandar Abbas on Saturday, May 16, amid what a citizen described as a crisis in access to gasoline, a video sent to Iran International shows. Iran faces a daily gasoline shortage of 30 million liters, according to a member..." John The Main Guy @JohnTheMainGuy1, "This will tick the Arabs off." Quote Open Source Intel @Osint613 "Iran has established a new body called the "Persian Gulf Strait Authority" (PGSA), designated as the official legal entity overseeing transit through the Strait of Hormuz." Fresh targets. Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "As Trump has said, wars don't need to be "popular" when the goal is sufficiently important. Denying Iran nuclear weapons is about as important a goal as you can have given the apocalyptic nature of the regime. If Iran gets functioning nukes, it will use them because they would bring about Islamic theocracy's prophesy and "End Times" as found in the Hadith, the recorded sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad." Quote Kyle Stevie @Kylestevie1 Replying to @shipwreckedcrew, "You guys killed your Independent support. Iran is the least popular conflict in US history, we are at the precipice of a VERY bleak economic period, high inflation is a certainty, AND energy crises are beginning to show around the globe." At Twitchy, Krystal Ball Vapidly Announces That Americans Have Been the REAL Terrorists All Along. Who? PJM's Bob Spencer writes A Cautionary Tale That No One Will Heed, about an Air Force woman who defected to Iran.

VodkaPundit at PJM, Russia and Ukraine Trade Blows in Huge Night of Drone Strikes. John Sexton at Hat Hair reports Moscow Becomes a Target for Ukrainian Drones. Seems fair to me. Maybe it will encourage Putin to seek a solution. Project Liberal @ProjectLiberal, "Trump is literally older than the People's Republic of China." Quote Michelle @D162Michele "China literally has trees in Xi Jinping’s garden that are older than the United States!" Old trees aren't that rare. I guess the point is supposed to be that China plans farther into the future, but the fact is that Communist China is a very recent country, really. Montie Donohue at Am Think thinks about Trump's Business First Diplomacy, "While the media frames President Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi Jinping as just another high-stakes photo-op, the real story runs deeper and looks strikingly familiar." RCW thinks Venezuela Is Proving a Rare Successful Intervention. If so, it's because Trump didn't install a bunch of idealistic left-leaning morons to run the country. The people he left in charge probably aren't nice, but they can read the room. Thad McCotter at Am Great spells out The ‘Free Trade’ Tax on Americans. "Free trade hollowed out American industry while enriching global elites; Trump’s tariffs aim to make economic nationalism work for US workers again."

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair evidently reads Politico: 'Smartest Guy In the Political Morgue' Belatedly Realizes Trump's Relevance; UPDATE: NYT Too? At Althouse, CNN goes wild over the incredible power of Trump's endorsement. "And this is sort of just going back through the archives to see how bad Bill Cassidy did. He got 25 percent of the vote, okay? I went back and I looked at every single non-appointed senator. This in my mind was the worst primary showing ever, at least since the end of World War II. That is how badly Bill Cassidy did. He did worse than every single one. Getting 25 percent of the vote for a senator in a primary? It's literally unheard of! And that is because, of course, Donald Trump endorsed against this guy.... When in fact you go against President Trump, you go in the grinder...."

Driscoll at Insty, QUESTION ASKED AND ANSWERED: Lara Logan @laralogan, "Why can’t they just be honest? Because they want power that badly." Quote Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47, "President Trump is the first President to actually bring down prescription drug prices — and the data is just starting to show up. You'd just never know it by listening to the Fake News." It's not a huge decrease, but at least it's going the right direction.

The Euro Con looks at Reform’s Radical Agenda: Give the Voters What They Want, an idea so novel others might adopt it.

Betsy Stauffer at LI has hopes, Are Pollsters Missing the ‘Silent Spencer Pratt Voters’? Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Spencer Pratt: I’m gonna remove the homeless druggies from in front of your kids’ elementary school, let you rebuild your homes, and arrest criminals. Karen Bass: Taxpayer funded teeth for meth heads. Nithya Raman: I’m gonna ban BBQs How is this even a choice." Somehow, Google Maps reverted to a pre-fire view of Los Angeles, leading to suspicion that Google was shilling for Bass. PJM's Vicky Taft, Why Did Torched Ghost Homes of Palisades and Altadena Just Miraculously Reappear on Google Maps? Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Something Kind of Hinky in LA and It's Not Just Google Satellite Views UPDATE. Google claims it was a "glitch" and fixed it. Spotted Reptile @spottedreptile, "The magic phrase “election interference” popped up and suddenly all mapping companies are reverting to the real map images. Yeah." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "New Polls Show Dead Heat Between ‘Make Everything Worse’ Candidate And ‘Fix Everything’ Candidate."

Ace notices With Two Republicans Leading the California Gubernatorial Primary, Democrats Plot to Change the Rules Mid-Election So That a Democrat Will Be in the Runoff. Rules they put in to ensure Republicans would be shut out. Dave Strom, Newsom: 'Break Glass' in Case Republicans Win. From NYPo, Tom Steyer’s paid influencer army revealed in filings as critics blast deceptive tactics. Dave Manney at PJM hears California Bureaucrats Meet the Four-Day Office Week and Start Complaining. At Da Caller, California Treasurer Has Long History Hobnobbing With Chinese Gov’t And CCP Intel Officials. 

Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Mamdani gave these psychos press credentials. In case you were wondering where he stands." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Bloodthirsty Luigi Mangione 'reporters' unapologetically celebrate CEO's assassination: 'F-k Brian Thompson. F-k his mom'" From the Free Bacon, 'I Don't Give a Flying F— He Died': NYC Mayor's Office Gives Press Badges to Luigi Mangione Fangirls Caught on Tape Celebrating CEO's Murder. Amy Curtis at TownHall hears Scott Jennings Breaks Down Why the Left Gets So Violent When You Question Them. It's their religion. Roman Helmet Guy @romanhelmetguy. "Democrat pitch to billionaires: “We are going to kill you and take your stuff.” Republican pitch to billionaires: “Just please stop hiring foreign labor over Americans.” Median billionaire: “I’m voting Democrat.”" Quote Molly Crane-Newman @molcranenewman Replying to @molcranenewman, “I’m saying fuck Brian Thompson. I don’t give a flying fuck he died,” says Ashley Rojas, wearing her press badge provided by @NYCMayorsOffice. Lena Weissbrot adds that Thompson’s teenage sons “are better off without him” and should “enjoy the blood money.” Matt Vespa, These Luigi Mangione Fans Are Sick, But It Sort of Aligns With the Findings of This Psychotherapist. Matt Margolis at PJM VIP wonders Why Are So Many on the Left Convinced the Trump Assassination Attempts Were Staged?

The Center Square notes Europe tried wealth taxes. Most gave up. VodkaPundit at Insty thinks YOU’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BLOG: AOC’s Poor Understanding of America. "Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has little, if any, awareness of where money comes from—no knowledge of finance, of savings and investment, of creating a product or conceiving an invention that adds value to the economy. She operates in a stark and static universe without consequences and trade-offs, without growth or mobility. There are only victims and victimizers. And according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, she’s in fourth place in the 2028 Democratic primary." From TCW, The ‘working class’ mantle worn by every leftie leader bent on betraying their country.

PJM's Matt Margolis, Multiple 2020 Election Fraud Investigations in Georgia and Arizona Are Underway and Vicky Taft, LA Woman Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Doing That Thing That Never Happens... in Voter Scam. bumbadum @bumbadum14, "Some people may not be "hip" to this because it was 6 years ago... But in Georgia the Freedom Caucus people sued the state to recount and audit the ballots. The judge never threw out the case so the ballots were held in evidence for over 6 years, and just recently it was found that over 300,000 ballots were certified without poll worker signatures. Yes the 2020 election was 100% stolen." Quote Isaac Saul @Ike_Saul, "It has been six years. Every single "stolen election" theory — from 2,000 Mules to servers in Italy to Georgia suitcases — has been debunked, crushed in court, painstakingly explained, and none of these guys ever have the goods cause it's all nonsense to please POTUS. It's x.com/atrupar/status…"

Shooting News Week claims Spanberger’s Signing Statement Laid the Groundwork for Overturning Virginia’s ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban. Weapons commonly used in hunting. Teri Christoph at RedState, Spanberger Signs AR-15 Ban, Then Immediately Says the Quiet Part Out Loud. Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "I cannot stress enough how important local elections are going to become in the years ahead." Quote Rob Romano, "Spotsylvania County, VA Commonwealth's Attorney says he won't enforce the state's new gun ban."

Ace, "Feeding Our Future" Looting Mastermind Aimee Bock: "I Struggle to See How" Ilhan "Omar" Wouldn't Have Known About the Pillaging of the American Taxpayer. "The Party of Looters & Shoters, continued. I suppose this could just be a convict attempting to get a deal in exchange for her testimony. But she's not really offering testimony. She doesn't claim that she knows Ilhan Omar was involved in the plot. She's speculating that Ilhan Omar must have known, which is not witness testimony, just speculation and kibbitzing."

John Ʌ Konrad V @johnkonrad, "After @PeteButtigieg lies about modernizing Air Traffic systems and reducing highway fatalities he explains what he did with the $2 Trillion congress gave him: “Magnificent” Baggage claim areas for airports nobody cares about, Wildlife tunnels (that still aren’t finished) across racist highways in the middle of nowhere and DOT lawyers who harassed airlines like Spirit."

Ed Morrissey @EdMorrissey, "Political satire is dead." Quote Yashar Ali @yashar, "Hunter Biden is set to appear on Candace Owens’ show Thursday. The interview has already been taped."

Beege Welborn hears Comey Now Using Non-Subtle Tricksy Lingo on FBI Employees. Hide for three more years and you can come back out and get revenge on the Trumpers. That's why it's important to root them all out.

From the Chronic, John Roberts, Birthright Citizenship, and Our Constitutional Straitjacket.Buck Throckmorton at Ace's MORNING RANT: Supreme Court Rules that Freight Brokers Can Be Sued for Hiring Negligent Trucking Companies; Shady Foreign Carriers Hardest Hit?

At Hat Hair, Dave Strom decries Criminals Being Given Permission to Run Riot.

Capt. Ed, Boom: Texas, DoJ Force Houston Hospital to Open First 'Detransition' Clinic In Landmark Settlement.

Capt. Ed calls it Too Fun to Check: 'Civil War' At the NYT Over Kristof's Blood Libel? At RCP, Nicholas Kristof and the Collapse of Journalistic Standards. Dave Strom says Give It Up, NBC Washington Free Beacon @FreeBeacon, "After former Arcadia, Calif., mayor Eileen Wang (D.) resigned from her post and pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent of China, NBC News found the real victim. Wang’s resignation “sparked backlash and reignited fears of anti-Asian discrimination,” NBC said in a double-bylined article, which cited unspecified “racist comments” and quoted several experts who were concerned about the “dangerous” rise in anti-China rhetoric." Driscoll at Insty, “PREASE ACCEPT OUR APOROGY:” "Readers: we’re sorry. On May 13, 2026, we covered the story of Eileen Wang, the California mayor who confessed to working as a Chinese foreign agent, and in doing so, we made a grave error — we failed to acknowledge that accurately reporting on CCP spies running entire American towns was, in fact… racist. You see, NBC News published an article last week explaining the real problem with the Chinese spy mayor story was that it has “reignited fears of anti-Asian discrimination,” which totally doesn’t read like a Norm Macdonald joke come to life, and definitely serves as a helpful reminder that words, even accurate ones about bombshell espionage scandals, can carry violence. The next time an American mayor is caught working for the PRC? We urge you to sit your racist ass down and instead reflect upon what you can do to Stop Asian Hate."

Dave Strom observes UK Censoring Reform UK Videos as Hate Speech.

Still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.18.26, which for some reason isn't working, but you can still read it on the front page of The Other McCain.

A Tuesday Tune - Night at the Opera

Emily Li (born October 3, 1999), professionally known as Emei, is an American alternative pop musician based in Los Angeles, California. 

Li was born on October 3, 1999, in New Jersey to Chinese immigrant parents. She grew up listening to Amy Winehouse, Ella Fitzgerald, the Jackson 5, Sara Bareilles, and Taylor Swift, and has been singing since she was 9 years old. 

As a teenager, Li competed on Dancing with the Stars in China. 

When Li was 15, she took a year off from school to compete on Chinese Idol and placed third. She attended Yale University, where she was a member of its a cappella group Mixed Company. 

In 2022, Li's single “Late to the Party” went viral, gaining 5.5 million streams on music platforms and 9.5 million views on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Her 2024 single with Whethan, “SUNNYD”, was also a smash hit. It was adopted by SunnyD, the orange juice company, as its song of the year.

In January 2023, she performed at the halftime of a Los Angeles Clippers game against the San Antonio Spurs. In November 2023, Li teamed up with production duo NOTD on "Hold On Me".

Li's stage name is "a cross between her Chinese name, An Mei, and her English nickname, Emmy." 

 

In The Land of the Blind, the One-eyed Man is King

According to Erasmus. Unfortunately for me this is not the land of the blind. Just quick update on the 2 week anniversary of my second surgery to fix detaching retina in my left eye.

No particular new issues to report, thankfully. The PFAS (perfluoropropane) bubble they installed in the eye is slowly shrinking, just as it did last time, and as it is expected to do. The bottom of the bubble is visible just above the midline of vision in that eye, and based on my experience last time, it's only a matter of a few days more until I begin to get a glimpse of the world without the bubble, beginning as a narrow band above the center of vision.

The major difference between this surgery and the last is the installation of the rubber band, excuse me silicone scleral buckle, around the eye, in an attempt to hold it tighter against the retina. I ain't gonna lie. The rubber band isn't pleasant, at least initially. After the steroids they put in the eye in surgery wore off, it was darn sore, and I discovered that alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen largely suppressed it. Still, looking at close items, or glancing hard sideways would set it to hurting more. Yesterday was the first day I tried stopping the ibuprofen (I don't want to use NSAIDs, based on the risk of bleeding, even though the surgeon approved of its use). It's working, but I definitely become aware of when the acetaminophen wears off.

The swelling and redness externally is dissipating, but not yet gone. This time I've been much more diligent about using the erythromycin ointment that they prescribe for eye discomfort, and it seems to be helping. I can't figure out why grease with antibiotic in it would help the eye feel better, but it seems to. I'm down to two different eye drops, twice a day, a steroid, and an anti-pressure drop to counter the pressure increasing side effect of the steroid. Only two more weeks to go for eye drops.  

Flotsam and Jetsam - A Light Flow Day

The news is a little light after Trump's return from China. Don Surber asserts The Donroe Doctrine reaps rewards. "Arresting Maduro and killing an ayatollah or two spoke louder than words." From the Chronic, Russia Diminished? Russia is not, and never was, as powerful as they like to portray themselves, as they are finding out in Ukraine. If they didn't have nukes, they would be a regional irritation like Iran.

From Not a Lot of People Know That, Ed Miliband vows permanent shutdown of the North Sea. "I have long believed Miliband is determined to do as much irreversible damage to the country as he can before he gets chucked out." Decline is a choice, one that both British and American leftists assent to readily out of misplaced guilt for their previous successes.

At NottheBee, Listen to this trucker explain how “foreign” drivers are being sidelined just days after SCOTUS said companies are liable for them. GRANDPA’s FREE ADVICE @GOP_is_Gutless, "It took less than 24 hours for brokers to tighten the belt after the Supreme Court ruled that brokers could be held liable for carrier accidents WOW!"

Amy Curtis at TownHall says Bang Up Job, Gavin! Newsom's Press Office Launches Lame Attack on Reflecting Pool Project

Newsom has started doing this weird thing where he points to construction projects that are in progress and implies that the point at which the photo was taken is the project’s final form. He did it with the ballroom, too. It may explain a lot about his record on high-speed rail. https://t.co/fKqlwB6Wmb

— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) May 14, 2026

At Twitchy, Mr. Science Says the Blue Reflecting Pool Will Just Support Even Greater Algae Growth. Not particularly. Algae will grow wherever sunlight meets water. But taking it off Tidal Basin water, and installing a filter system will help a lot. Althouse finds Fear of blue and desperate clinging to "character-defining grey." ""The resurfacing will dramatically and permanently transform the character-defining grey, achromatic appearance of the reflecting pool basin. The new colouration will cause the pool to resemble a large swimming pool rather than the reflective civic landscape it was designed to be, distorting the experience of the site for the millions of visitors who come to it each year." So said the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a Washington society, quoted in The London Times, which looks like this, going all in on AI imagery."

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Drone Hits UAE Nuclear Power Plant; UPDATE: Trump: The Clock Is Ticking. There should have been an immediate reprisal attack against a powerplant supplying power to Tehran. Jason Greenblatt at Tablet speculates about Iran After the Ayatollah "With Iran militarily decimated and economically squeezed, Trump holds all the cards. But is a deal possible or worthwhile with a fragmented regime?" 

The OC Register reports a Poll: Democrats rally around Becerra, Steyer as Republicans consolidate behind Hilton. "The top two vote-getters will advance to the November election." Pretty much as I expected. I guess they don't hate billionaires that much. Twitchy, *SNORT* Spencer Pratt's Reaction to Nithya Raman PREENING About Possible Trump Endorsement Is PERFECTION. Althouse approves The women-empowering-women genre of political ad. "This new Spencer Pratt ad may be somewhat innovative in its forthright use of AI:"

“You are not alone.” Yoga moms, silent majority, and a preference cascade all in one. Whether or not Angelenos elect @spencerpratt as LA mayor, he and his team are revolutionizing politics. pic.twitter.com/l4pwOSmNUH

— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) May 17, 2026

I can't say I really expect Pratt to win, but he's scaring the bejeezus out the the Dems. At the minimum, they will cheat as hard as they can to prevent it. Kurt Schlichter smokes the hopium at TownHall, The GOP’s Midterm Reversal of Fortune. Hat Hair's Larry Elder thinks Gavin Newsom Has a Kamala Harris Problem, can't beat Kamala without pissing off the black ladies who are a reliable element of the base. Dave Manney at PJM sees a 'Feeding Our Future' Convict Points at Ilhan Omar. "Founder and former executive director of Feeding Our Future, Aimee Bock, finds herself sitting in custody as one of the central figures in one of the ugliest COVID-era fraud scandals in America. A federal jury convicted Bock in March 2025 on seven counts tied to wire fraud, conspiracy, bribery, and federal program fraud ... Now Bock has pointed at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), claiming Omar knew about the fraud and helped create the conditions that made the scheme easier to run." At Fox, Jonathan Turley opines AOC's war on billionaires twists America's birth into a socialist myth, "Many Founders were themselves wealthy, and their revolution was rooted in property rights and free-market ideals, Turley says." As Stacy McCain notes, a tenet of the left is ‘There Is No Truth … Only Power.’

Cam at Bearing Arms is all over Minnesota Dems Melting Down After Gun Ban Vote Fails. Drew Roach @DrewRoachMN, "Democrats in the Minnesota House have gone completely UNHINGED When house dems didnt get the vote they wanted on the most extreme gun-grabbing bill in the country HF5140 one of their own, Rep. Gomez, actually told Republican @elliottengenMN to “go fucking kill himself.” This isn’t debate. This isn’t passion. This is deranged, toxic, and downright dangerous behavior from the same people who want to strip law-abiding Minnesotans of their constitutional rights. No class. No decency. Just pure meltdown when they’re challenged on disarming citizens while criminals roam free." From NYPo, New York crime ‘revolves’ around recidivists — as state’s laws release danger onto our streets.

Ward Clark at RedState thinks Russia Hoax Figures May Want Lawyers Handy After Blanche’s Latest Reveal. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "JUST IN: AG Todd Blanche confirms it’s ABOUT TO COME OUT as the DOJ probes the deep state coup against President Trump based on the Russia hoax “We're finding out some incredibly troubling things, and at some point at the right time, that will be made public, and the American people will see exactly what happened to this administration and President Trump over the past decade!” “The Southern district of Florida has an open criminal investigation. That involves hundreds of subpoenas, it involves hundreds of witnesses, and so, as far as time and one we can expect it, we are working hard and we are working efficiently, but we are going to do it right.” From the State of the Day, State of Thursday: MARK KELLY WOULD LOVE TO GO TO JAI, for releasing classified information, so he could play the martyr. Don't let him. Nickel and dime him with the legal process, but never come near him with handcuffs.

PJM's Stephen Kruiser thinks It's Awesome to Have the Feds Focusing on Real Criminals Again. FBI Director Kash Patel @FBIDirectorKash, "Today the FBI and our partners extradited the highest ranking member of Tren de Aragua (TdA) ever brought to justice - Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, aka "Chuqui. Flores just arrived in Houston from Colombia this evening. This is the first time ever that a TdA member has been charged with terrorism-related crimes and been extradited to the U.S. - history made pursuant to President Trump’s executive order last summer designating Tren de Aragua as an FTO ..."

At NYPo, Trans HS track athlete sparks shocking podium decision after sweeping California finals "A transgender high school athlete dominated multiple girls track and field events at a California regional final Saturday, igniting backlash from parents, competitors and activists, and prompting officials to award duplicate gold medals to female runners-up. Jurupa Valley High School senior, AB Hernandez, 17, captured first place in the girls’ long jump, high jump and triple jump events during the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section championship final." Even California is getting tired of the trans bullshit.

The College Fix finds a U. Miami law professor who says We should consider making ‘cultural appropriation’ illegal J. Janewa Osei-Tutu. EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas @andrealucasEEOC, "Should be obvious after 250 years but: “American” is a national origin. And English is our country’s official language. No American should be mocked—in the United States of all places—for speaking English or for being American. @USEEOC is taking action to protect Americans from anti-American bias, which is unlawful under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. This week’s lawsuit is the latest step."

The Monday Morning Stimulus

Barron's, Coffee prices aren’t the only problem. How retirees can fight inflation.

Make your coffee at home, they said. You’ll retire sooner without a daily Starbucks run cutting into your 401(k) contributions. But small indulgences aren’t the thing standing between many Americans and a comfortable retirement. That would be structural problems like the high cost of housing, wages that haven’t kept pace with inflation, and a fraying social safety net.

Also, have you seen how much coffee beans cost? Coffee prices are up 18.5% year over year, according to the latest government data. Inflation has come for our caffeine fix, whether we brew at home or take it to go.

My household has started buying whatever coffee brand is on sale. Mind you, this is just to shave a few dollars off our grocery bill, not because it’s going to help us retire any sooner. For a fighting chance at that, you need the right kind of investments. Some pros like sectors of the stock market, such as real estate, that can raise their prices with inflation. Bonds and cash alone aren’t going to cut it.

Coffee prices are the least of our problems. We buy whatever is on sale at the Dollar General up the road in St. Leonard. If the cost of coffee is messing up your retirement, you didn't plan right.

Linked as blog of the day at The Pirates Cove If All You See….