Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Didn't Cave on Iran

Dana Loesch argues No, Trump Didn't Cave On Iran, "And Lebanon was never included in Iran's imaginary agreement." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Trump to Iran: Comply Or Else 'Shootin' Starts, Bigger And Better' and Netanyahu: We'll Open Direct Talks With Lebanon – But No Cease-Fire. From the Free Bacon, ‘America’s Retribution’: Operation Epic Fury Destroyed 80 to 90 Percent of Iran’s Weapons Factories, Air Defenses, Naval Fleet, and Nuclear Infrastructure, Pentagon Says, a good start. "Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday that the United States completed the engagement using 'less than 10 percent of America's total combat power'"

M.A. Rothman @MichaelARothman, "𝐀 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐏’𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀 — 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐄’𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 GB News’ Alex Armstrong laid out the geopolitical map that American media refuses to draw: this war isn’t about toppling Iran. It’s about 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 — and America is winning on every front..." Video at link, worth the time. 10Δ @_10delta_, "3 weeks ago I argued the US goal in Iran is to seize the global oil spigot. Venezuela in January -> Iran in February. Neutralize every supply channel outside the dollar system within 90 days. Achieve a compliant successor government and complete energy dominance. The oil thesis was the obvious layer. However, when you zoom out & view the last four years as a single sequence rather than isolated geopolitical events, the architecture of the grander US plan becomes visible..." Hat Hair's Capt. Ed, Too Little Too Late? NATO Bids for Relevance In Strait of Hormuz and Dave Strom, Europeans Have an Opinion. So What? Batya Ungar-Sargon thinks The War in Iran Was a Test for Europe. It Failed. "We pay for Europe's defense—yet Europe is denying us the barest minimum of assistance to fight a battle that benefits them, insisting on sneering at us while freeloading off our generosity." Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47, "Fake Tapper: "Is the world safer today than it was before the war was started?" @SecGenNATO: "Absolutely — and this is thanks to President Trump's leadership."" Foster @foster_type, "The Royal Navy is currently no match for the Russian Navy, which was defeated in the Black Sea by the Ukrainians, who do not have a navy." Quote Tom Cotterill @TomCotterillX, EXCLUSIVE. A Russian frigate sailed into the Channel this morning protecting some of Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet oil tankers. Following them was RFA Tideforce, a British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "In which the Royal Navy starts to sound like a Monty Python/Black Adder mashup." Quote Bernie @Artemisfornow, " BREAKING - Sailors tracking Russian warships through the Channel are er … going on strike next week because they aren’t paid enough. Brilliant!" Matt Vespa at TownHall, NATO Secretary General Had This to Say About His Meeting With Trump. Libs Will Hate It. Dave Strom, thinks The Humiliation of Great Britain Is Complete. I think they have a ways to go. Sundance at CTH cites Susan Kokinda on Trump’s Gambit: Civilizational Expansion or Nihilistic Western Decline.

MAZE @mazemoore, "In 2024 George Conway said that Trump was most likely going to prison for the rest of his life. They laughed and declared that they were "taking back the red hats." Now Conway is crying that he blew a million dollars on Biden. So perfect." Breitbart News @BreitbartNews, "George Conway fights back tears as he recalls how he decided to give nearly $1 million to Biden's Victory Fund in 2024 — which would have otherwise gone to his children. He says he started crying and had to pull his car over. "I want my kids to inherit a democracy."" A Larry video at Hat Hair, Jeffries Endorses 25th Amendment to Remove Trump As Schumer Struggles to Read Talking Points. Sundance delights in President Trump Blasting the Grifters, Blackpillers and Anti-MAGA Podcasters. Nicole Silvero at Da Caller reports Crowd Erupts As JD Vance Gets Trump On Speakerphone In Hungary.

Teri Christoph at RedState hears Wow: First Lady Melania Trump Names Names As She Makes Blistering Public Comments About Jeffrey Epstein. Sundance, First Lady Melania Trump Calls for Public Congressional Testimony from Epstein Victims. I saw her address live; it was powerful, but it's not clear what exactly triggered it. Did she finally just get fed up with the BS, or is this opening fire against a new expected round of Epstein nonsense?

From Breitbart Bus, How Biden and Trump Broke the Labor Force Participation Rate. It's been clear labor numbers were wonky since COVID, but why? "The labor force participation rate has been sliding for over year, falling from 62.6 percent in January 2025 to 61.9 percent in March 2026, according to the official figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That looks like a labor market in retreat, Americans pulling back from work, perhaps discouraged by uncertainty or softening demand. But there is a good reason to think the decline is substantially an illusion produced by the way the statistic is constructed, and that the real story is not about workers at all. It is about how immense shifts in immigration and border policies threw off the population estimate in the denominator."

Jeff Charles at TownHall hears NYC Mayor Mamdani Declares He Will Override Police Commissioner Whenever He Feels Like It. Tom Selleck would never stand for it. Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports Mamdani's plan for free buses in NYC hits pothole, told by Albany 'just not financially feasible' "New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that he is “absolutely committed to making buses fast and free”" They're already out of "other people's money." VodkaPundit at PJM sees Elon Musk Didn’t Just Leave Delaware — He Started a Stampede. Logan Dobson @LoganDobson, "A good barometer of “is my state well run” is definitely “are we considering taxing people for leaving”" Quote KOMO News @komonews, "Across the country, at least ten states, including Washington, are now exploring or have already passed an exit or wealth tax to combat revenue losses from residents fleeing to lower tax areas." Ace hears California Arrests Five People in Raids on 10 Fake Hospices in Newsom's Fraud Paradise of California. Just the News: Just a start. Da Caller, Abigail Spanberger Brags About Bringing Jobs To Virginia — There’s Just One Problem, they came under Youngkin. WUWT argues For Minnesota, Climate Obsession Is Just Another Fiscal Disaster. VodkaPundit at Insty, WELL, THEY WOULDN’T WANT INELIGIBLE CANS GETTING COUNTED: Scott @Thebigblackram, "You need an id to return cans in CT." At Shooting News Week, There Are No ‘Moderate’ Democrats When it Comes to Gun Rights.

Elle Purnell at Da Fed argues Only Prosecutions Can End Dems’ DOJ Weaponization, But Media Pretend That’s Not Obvious. Amy Curtis at TownHall notices The Democrats Are Already Punishing Their Political Opponents. At Aleteia, Nuns who care for dying poor face jail time under New York law.

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn has one for the 'What a Surprise' File: Latest Classified Leaker to Get Busted Is Just AWFL. Ace, Ex-Delta Force Support Civilian -- Who Railed About the Need for More "Diversity" in Delta Force's Support Staff -- Charged With Leaking Classified Information "Of course this is what she looks like: Narcissistically posing like a super-model, despite being less than mid."

John Sexton sees Crime in DC is Down But Problems Persist and Dave Strom sees Fanatasies About Going All Luigi Mangione Filling the Web. U.S. Attorney WDNC @USAO_WDNC, "DeCarlos Brown is in federal custody on a federal indictment. The state proceedings, including any competency finding in those proceedings, are completely separate." Quote New York Post @nypost "Crazed homeless man accused of slaughtering Iryna Zarutska on train found incompetent to stand trial." Cathy Salgado at PJM, Illegal Alien Pastor With Long Rap Sheet Abuses Teen in Church Office

Driscoll at Insty sees a WaPo Columnist Makes the Case Against Muslim Assimilation. Shadi Hamid @shadihamid, "My new @washingtonpost column: Why do Muslims need to be like everyone else? A case against assimilation. https://washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/" DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Hello Mr. Hasim, You've already reached levels of institutional validation that remain inaccessible to nearly all Americans: a professorship at Georgetown, a position on the Washington Post's editorial board. At that point, saying you still need to prove yourself is like Taylor Swift insisting no one listens to her music. If assimilation feels out of reach, it isn't because the system has excluded you. By any reasonable measure, it has already brought you into its highest ranks. What remains is a decision about whether you're willing to fully embrace where you already stand."

Beege Welborn sees Maria Salazar Riding Amnesty Road Again. The Beeb whines, US has let in 4,499 refugees since October - all but three were South African. From CIS, more on how those Nieces of Late Iranian Terror Commander Face Deportation, "A wild story that underscores how asylum has been abused."

From Twitchy, Scott Jennings Blisters CNN About the ONE Qualification Anyone Needs to Be 'Credible' (Hint, Hint) Scott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY, "Anyone, no matter how fringe, will be given a magical designation of "credible" by the left as soon as they start attacking President Donald Trump. Opinions are fine, everyone's got them. Trump is still the undisputed leader of the Republican Party." From Ace, Billy Bush: I Know For a Fact That ABC "News" Had an Entire Division of 75 People "Dedicated to Getting [Trump]." "You mean George Stephanopolous continues to be a Democrat propaganda minister the same as he's been his entire life? You've been had! Ya been took! Ya been hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led astray! Run amok!" NewsBusters must watch MS NOW: Hitler Was Better Than Trump, America Committed Suicide.

Josh Blackman at CJ argues The Transgender Tide Has Turned at the Supreme Court "Six recent rulings uphold the rights of parents and governments to preserve a traditional understanding of gender." Tim O'Brien at PJM reports Nuns Sue New York, Say Its 'Transgender Rights’ Law Violates the First Amendment. John Sexton claims Trans Activists Demanded the Fight They Are Now Losing. Basil the Great @BasilTheGreat, "An advert in Denmark shows a White Danish couple hugging on the sofa An "expert" shows up out of nowhere and tells them not to date each other because it’s basically "inbreeding" for whites to have babies with other whites He says they should have kids with non-Whites instead."At Not the Bee, Pentagon removes Navy photo after people noticed sailor's arm patch said "SAVE THE BIG BOOTY VENEZUELANS."

Joanne Jacobs notes Education is fond of fads: If it feels good, fund it.

Still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.09.26.

Fish Pic Friday - Allie Butler

Allie Butler, probably somewhere @piddlinoutdoors Family | Faith | Outdoors | Freedom

Bay Diet Grift in Jeopardy

 The Bay Journal, EPA proposes ‘significant’ funding cuts to Chesapeake Bay advisors

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing deep spending cuts on the Chesapeake Bay cleanup that critics say will undermine the effort’s scientific integrity and public outreach.

The federal agency published a “notice of funding opportunity” on March 10 seeking applicants on a contract providing administrative support to four advisory committees to the Chesapeake Bay Program, the state-federal partnership leading the cleanup effort. The agreement would pay the winning applicant up to $2.45 million over five years.

On an annual basis, that would amount to a one-third cut from the total spent in 2025, according to figures provided by the EPA.

EPA spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou said the new amount “does not signal a reduced commitment” to the committees but rather an “increased commitment to direct implementation.” The agency will redirect the savings to grants that support what the spokesperson called “real, on the ground projects” that reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to the Bay.

But some environmental advocates and state policymakers say the reduction is deeper than it looks at first blush. The 2025 funding was reduced for at least some of the committees after the change in presidential administrations. Compared to 2023 and 2024, the contract represents a cut of 50% or more, they say.

Many of the effort’s advisors – who mostly consist of scientists, environmental regulators, clean-water advocates and agricultural leaders – were caught off guard by the action. Representatives of some of the program’s signatory partners say they weren’t asked for input, a breach of the cleanup program’s consensus-based, decision-making norms.

And some critics contend that the contract’s language gives the EPA unprecedented control over the committees’ ability to set their own priorities.

“It’s substantially different from previous requests for funding,” said Leila Duman, the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays restoration officer for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and a member of the Bay Program’s management board. “From a very broad level, this [notice] cuts about half of the funding that provides the coordination staff and potentially changes the way the advisory committees operate in a pretty significant way.”

My father once told me a story about a dictator, and three men ordered to carry a piano up a flight of stairs. When they told him it was impossible, he shot one, and then the remaining two carried the piano up the stairs. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Ceasefire Lingers On

The ceasefire in Iran is, well, not all that ceased. Iran is still shooting missiles at Israel, saying the Israelis are breaking the terms by attacking Hezbollah, the Iran proxies, in Lebanon. On the other hand, there does seem to be some movement of oil tankers around the Strait of Hormuz. Whatever is going on, it hasn't reached a level necessary for Trump to resume his 'civilization' ending strikes on Iran's infrastructure. Open Source Intel @Osint613, "Channel 14 reports there could be a collapse of the ceasefire tonight on Iran’s part." At Althouse, Trump has determined that Iran "has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change." "Trump, at Truth Social, about an hour ago:" From sundance at CTH, Vice President JD Vance Delivers Important Clarifying Remarks on Iran as He Departs Hungary, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Takes Credit for Iran Ceasefire He Just Found Out About and Amid Ceasefire in Iran Pentagon Holds Press Briefing. Dave Strom at Hat Hair identifies The Key Problem When Negotiating With Iran. Two different groups, the Mullahs and the IRGC (the death cult), and the civilian leadership and the regular military with very different visions. At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed asks Today's Deep Question: Would Joint US-Iran Tolls in Hormuz Be a 'Beautiful Thing'?

Ace notices Communist Dingbats Yesterday Until 7pm: Trump Is a Madman! He Will Nuke the World! Communist Dingbats at 7:01pm: TACO! Trump Is a Huge Pussy Too Afraid to Do What Is Needed and LET THE NUCLEAR BIRDS FLY!!!! Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "Yesterday many “experts” told you we were headed for nuclear war & spent the entire day losing their minds. Today the Dow opens up 1300+ points, S&P rises nearly 3%, & oil has dropped $20 a barrel. As always, it pays to be rational. Congrats to those who didn’t lose their minds." Michael Caputo @MichaelRCaputo, "@Pontifex is directly critical of the mere words of the President of the United States but he has never once specifically condemned the bloody slaughter of tens of thousands of protestors by the Iranian regime. Women. Children. Families, all shot down like dogs. We Catholics cannot ignore this. If Leo is so compelled to meddle in secular affairs, he must be held accountable for condemning mere words but not the actual slaughter of innocents. There is no Biblical reason for this one-sided meddling." Quote Michael Caputo @MichaelRCaputo, Replying to @MichaelRCaputo, "@grok Has Pope Leo spoken out about the tens of thousands of protestors recently murdered by the regime in Iran and specifically condemned the regime for those murders?" Drew Pavlou @DrewPavlou, "Let’s flip the scenario for a moment. Imagine Iran killed Trump in the first 5 minutes of the war, established air superiority over the US mainland, wiped out the entire US Air Force, US Navy, killed half the Cabinet, flattened the US military industrial complex, then started building runways in Missouri to land Iranian troops without losing any casualties. Would you say it was a US victory if the US managed to keep the Panama Canal closed throughout this all?" Quote Sami Gold @souljagoyteller, "The fact that America’s goals went from “the complete destruction of Iran’s military power or even regime change” to “reopen a trade route that was open a month ago” doesn’t say great things about American power x.com/z_e_silver/sta…" The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "World In Shock As Trump Takes Seemingly Extreme Position To Negotiate Best Possible Deal." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Trump Tells Iran This Is Last Warning Before He Sends Bruce Springsteen To Perform There."

Sasha Stone is irate Idiot Influencers Spread Lie About Trump on Eve of Iran Rescue. Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Not One Person Who Was Wrong About Iran War Will Lose Credibility. Driscoll at Insty says RIDE THE MICHAEL MOORE RECURSION! "● Shot: Michael Moore torches US as ‘bad guys,’ hails Iran as ‘greatest civilization’ in deranged rant.... ● Chaser: Michael Moore ‘flabbergasted’ by the ‘grace and precision and safety’ of Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal." Matt Vespa at TownHall, This Dem Rep Laid Out His Plan to End the Iran War. There's One Big Problem. At Althouse, Meanwhile, in Toronto... Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "Iranians are OUT IN THE STREETS CELEBRATING, cheering President Trump and the collapse of the brutal regime! After decades of oppression, the people are dancing, waving flags, and thanking Trump for finally taking action. Freedom is coming to Iran!"

Sarah Hoyt hosts Never Leave a Fallen Comrade, or Yet Another Reason America is the Greatest Country in the World. -A Rant by Padre0875.

At Defense News, US Navy seeks 1,200% increase in Tomahawk missile procurement for 2027. John Ʌ Konrad V @johnkonrad, "Nothing here is new. I’ve been writing about the weakness of the Royal Navy for years. Except back then the reply was always: “Yes, but if the balloon goes up, we can…” Well, the balloon is up. And in 5 weeks they still haven’t managed to get ONE destroyer to protect Cyprus." QuoteJohn Ʌ Konrad V @johnkonrad, "The Royal Navy is no longer fit for service in NATO. In August 2022, HMS Prince of Wales sailed out of Portsmouth to cross the Atlantic for joint exercises with the US Navy. She was the pride of the modern Royal Navy. A four-billion-pound aircraft carrier. The flagship of..." Sunny @sunnyright, "The Royal Navy’s rowboats shall remain in port." Quote zerohedge @zerohedge "*UK NOT GETTING DRAWN INTO IRAN WAR: STARMER." Dave Rubin @RubinReport, "Interesting use of “so called allies.” Trump definitely has a list now…" Quote Israel War Room @IsraelWarRoom, " @SecWar: “To our Israeli allies, thank you for being a brave, capable, and willing ally on this battlefield.The rest of the world and the rest of our so-called allies saw what real capabilities look like. They should take some notes.” News Wax cites Pew: Republicans' Support for NATO Falls Sharply.

John Sexton notices Cuba Low on Oil But Never Runs Out of Useful Idiots. 

Adam Turner at RedState sees The Republicans Announce Their 2026 Senate Targets. Sundance addresses Panicans and Division. From I&I, 5.4 Million People Have Migrated To Pro-Trump Counties Since 2020 As The Great Divorce Continues, let's hope they don't vote like their previous districts. Rusty Weiss at RedState notes Trump Administration Kills the Most Annoying Car Feature Obama Forced on Drivers, autostop, start. 

Stephen Kruiser at PJM, Gavin Newsom's Wife Is a Real Piece of Work Also Plus Maybe a Witch. Althouse, This reminds me of the way her husband, Gavin Newsom, told black people "I’m like you. I’m no better than you. You know, I’m a 960 SAT guy." Liz Churchill @liz_churchill10, "Holy shit. Gavin Newsom’s Wife Jennifer ran over and killed her own sister with a golf cart…then tells San Quentin Prisoners for Life, “Yours were probably accidents too…” What TF is wrong with her?" Chris Rufo, Gavin Newsom’s $30 Billion Fraud Magnet, "California’s In-Home Supportive Services Program is ripe for scams, experts say." John Sexton, Rufo Identifies More Fraud in California. Mike McDaniel at Am Think thinks (no not yet) we should Get Ready For Blue States To Demand Big Bailouts. Fox, California's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers led to 'negative outcomes,' researchers say. I mean, who could have foreseen that? Andy Gruel at NYPo, Minimum wage politics are really a stealthy tax grab. I&I says Bernie Sanders Is Lying To You About Taxes And The Rich. I can shave five words off that headline. Dustin Grage @GrageDustin, "Minneapolis is looking to legalize sleeping in your car overnight in public spaces and create designated parking lots to sleep in. Socialism is working great."

From the Free Bacon, Michigan’s El-Sayed Suggests Hasan Piker’s ‘America Deserved 9/11’ Remark Must Be Viewed in ‘Context’ "The left-wing Democratic Senate candidate is scheduled to campaign with streamer Hasan Piker later on Tuesday." Rick Moran at PJM thinks Democrats are Playing With Fire by Embracing Hasan Piker. John Sexton notices Even Progressives Agree That Woke is Pretty Cringe.

James Tate @JamesTate121, "Here is why America is broken. We stopped locking people up for treason and sedition. As a matter of fact, we pardoned them." DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "
So how was J6 going to end in overthrow? Let me explain why J6 alarms your class so much. It’s projection, nothing more. Your side has spent years engineering color revolutions abroad, so J6 resembled the final phase to you... crowds overrunning a key building to unseat a leader. Except that didn't actually happen...." Ace has an orgasm at news the DOJ Civil Rights Division Opens Investigation of Madison Cornbread for Perjury "The criminal airhead Madison Cornbread -- street name, "Cassidy Hutchinson" -- lied under oath and as you know, No one is above the law." Dave Strom sees Almost-President Michael Avenatti Released From Prison. That's a name I haven't heard in a while.

Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Only societies with a death wish deem being insane as an excuse to murder people without real repercussions." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Crazed homeless man accused of slaughtering Iryna Zarutska on train found incompetent to stand trial https://trib.al/GsJMZC8" Matt Boose at the Chronic, Democrats Prefer Replacements to American Lives.

Kurt Schlichter at TownHall says Don’t Freak Out When We Lose the Birthright Citizenship Case. "Maybe it’s because I’m a lawyer, and every time I walked into court, I believed in my arguments just as my opponent believed in his. Just because you don’t agree with someone else’s legal argument does not necessarily mean it’s crazy. Oh, believe me, there are plenty of crazy arguments out there. But what we’re arguing against is an interpretation of the 14th Amendment that has been in effect for nearly 150 years. Clearly, many people find it persuasive, even if we don’t." I imagine the Supes will come up with some off the wall compromise. At Da Fed, Hans Manke, makes the case This Word In The 14th Amendment Bans Birthright Citizenship, And It’s Not ‘Jurisdiction and Shawn Fleetwood thinks the Worst Thing GOP Could Do For Midterms Is Embrace Amnesty, So Of Course They’re Doing That. Stephen “The Yellow Dart” Schutt @schuttsm, "Take a look at this bill to introduce a new visa category, called H2C, that will bring in 500,000 construction workers This explains why Mike Rowe was pushing people to go into the trades so hard "there's a shortage of workers, they're making $260k" he said."  

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.08.26.

A Thursday Tune - Mercy

Electrify Rock Band: AI Overview

Electrify - MDM MúsicaElectrify is a Mexican rock band from Querétaro formed by two pairs of sisters: Anitza "Ani" Mursec (vocals/rhythm guitar), Adriana "Adu" Mursec (bass/backing vocals), Renata "Ren" Ramos (lead guitar), and Emilia "Emi" Ramos (drums). Known for their high-energy performances, they began as a tribute band to The Warning before releasing original music in 2025–2026.