Flotsam and Jetsam - Debt Ceiling Deal Reached

Our long, and recurring, national nightmare is over, as two days after Janet Yellen announced they had until June 5 to raise the debt ceiling, Republicans in the  House, Democrats in the Senate and whoever is really in charge at the white White House (aided by Arizona 'independent' Senator Kristin Synema) agreed on a plan to raise the debt ceiling, and cut spending (some). Reuters, Biden, McCarthy reach tentative US debt ceiling deal 

the deal was announced without any celebration, in terms that reflected the bitter tenor of the negotiations and the difficult path it has to pass through Congress before the United States runs out of money to pay its debts in early June.
. . .
The deal would suspend the debt limit through January of 2025, while capping spending in the 2024 and 2025 budgets, claw back unused COVID funds, speed up the permitting process for some energy projects and includes some extra work requirements for food aid programs for poor Americans.

Insty, links Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, MCCARTHY GETS DEBT-CEILING DEAL — WITH WORK REQUIREMENTS: “Biden and Chuck Schumer lost this weeks ago, and now they just caved. It would not surprise me if the Democrats knew this was coming all along, and they merely waited for a holiday weekend to give them enough cover to pull the trigger.” Nick Arama at Red State, Debt Ceiling Deal Reached by Biden, McCarthy - Agreement in Principle. At NYPo, President Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy strike tentative debt ceiling deal. Sundance at CTH, McCarthy and Biden Strike Spending Deal to Raise Debt Ceiling. At Da Wire, Democrat Jamaal Bowman Calls GOP ‘Economic Terrorists’ For Negotiating Over Debt Ceiling, coming from him I assume it's a term of endearment. Da Caller catches ‘That’s Not What The Poll Says’: Poppy Harlow Pushes Back Against Jayapal Over Debt Ceiling. At WaEx  Paul Bedard's White House Report Card: Biden losing on 2024, debt, public opinion. The deal pisses off plenty of people on both sides of the aisle who didn't get all they wanted, so I assume it's somewhere near the worst deal either side could accept, which is what a compromise is all about. It will be interesting (as in the ancient Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times") to see how the voting shakes out.

Politico whines Ron DeSantis upended education in Florida. He’s coming for your state next. Dan McLaughlan at NRO  says David French Is Wrong: Ron DeSantis Won't Destroy Conservatism. I know how he could have saved 5 words in the headline. Insty snarks "I’m reminded of one of Kurt Schlichter’s novels, where a collaborating Bill Kristol is still planning “conservative” cruises in an America that has become, literally, a People’s Republic."

Town Hall's Matt Vespa sees The Today Show Cornered Kamala Harris...And Things Quickly Went Off the Rails "What does Harris do right? Seriously? She’s failed at promoting COVID vaccinations. She’s certainly failed at the border. This is The Today Show. This is softball territory—and she couldn’t even manage that. This is the easy stuff—and she failed miserably." But Matt Towry at RCP warns A Lot Has to Change Quickly for Republicans to Have a Chance in 2024. "Only that massive “Red Tidal Wave” can carry a Republican back into the White House. Here’s a list of why such a GOP meltdown is possible again and the potential remedies for the party that, at present, seem unlikely to materialize in time to avert disaster for Republicans in 2024." Fox, Reparations demands are spiking and Democrats have this astonishing reaction "Democrat promises of money for reparations have created expectations among Black citizens" I predict poor black voter turnout in cities without vote "harvesting." Sarah Arnold at Town Hall finds AOC Heckled and Shouted Off Stage by NYC Voters: 'Put America First'. That renews my faith in New York, at least a little. PM, Oprah responds to rumors Gavin Newsom sought her to fill Diane Feinstein's potentially vacant seat. Are you kidding me? That's work! Sort of. The Peacock is screaming about Jack Dorsey sharing a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. video echoing conspiracy theories. "Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter and the head of Block Inc, has previously supported unconventional Democratic candidates."

John Solomon at JTN reports IRS whistleblower provided Congress origins of Biden probe, evidence of political interference "Special Agent Gary Shapley turned over 23 pages of evidence, gave six hours of testimony to House Ways and Means Committee." PM, Whistleblower in IRS Hunter Biden probe says tax agency 'deviated from the normal process' in favor of Biden son, "There were multiple steps that were slow-walked, at the direction of the Department of Justice.” Jonathan Turley, “I Don’t Want to Do Any of This”: IRS Whistleblower Defies the Biden Administration and the Media. "The source of the interference with the IRS investigation, according to Gary Shapley, was the Department of Justice. It is the latest chapter in the story of “The Incredibly Shrinking Merrick Garland.”"

Jerry Dunleavy at WaEx reports John Durham to testify before GOP-led House Judiciary Committee in June. Good, but I wish he had better news to talk about.

Atop Da Hill news that ‘QAnon Shaman’ released from halfway house. Meanwhile, many J6 trespassers are being held in pre-trial detention in Gitmo like conditions in the DC jail. 9and10 News, Michigan Man Gets Community Service for Shooting Anti-Abortion Campaigner, claims it was an accident.

TechCrunch, Elon Musk takes Twitter out of the EU’s Disinformation Code of Practice. Trying to get Twitter out of the government censorship game. The article is laughably slanted "  

It’s increasingly looking like an inevitability — one that’s being driven by the billionaire’s goal of advancing a far right political ideology which demands he give succour to disinformation in order that the seeds of anti-democratic conspiracy theories may fly. (As Charlie Warzel put it in a recent Atlantic article: “[Twitter] has unquestionably transformed under [Musk’s] leadership into an alternative social-media platform — one that offers a haven to far-right influencers and advances the interests, prejudices, and conspiracy theories of the right wing of American politics.”

At WUWT,  BBC Verify "The BBC, Britain’s public broadcaster, announced the launch of a new “disinformation” unit in its newsroom to combat claimed conspiracy theories and fake news. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which is funded by a statutory fee on individuals who watch live television under penalty of fine or imprisonment, stated that its news division will include a new squad branded “BBC Verify” to refute misinformation."

Halle Bailey

From Da Caller, Bud Light, Target Bleeding Money As Conservatives Boycott. The Dollar Amount Is Staggering. Good job, ya'll. I can't claim to have contributed, since I never bought Bud Light or shopped at Target. Meanwhile, Da Wire reports Target Donates To Group That Promotes Secret Child Gender Transitions, LGBTQ Books In Schools and PM reveals Target tells employees only 'extremists' are concerned with sexualization of children. PJM's Rick Moran says Lululemon Employees were Fired for Calling 911 on Looters Robbing the Store. At Twitchy, Another WOKE failure: ALWAYS sanitary products refers to girls as bodies with female sex organs. Elphaba @Phabala77 "Don't you wish you could say you were hacked? We see you want a @Target on you too. Do you need someone to hold your @budlight ?" I rarely agree with the ChiComs, but this is true, BIC, ‘The Little Mermaid’: Chinese State Run Media Warns Disney To Stop Pushing Racism Narrative Around Fairy Tales Or They Will Lose Their “Magic Glory.”  I don't care if they picked Halle Bailey to play a mermaid, just don't racialize it. The New Neo asks Wherefore woke corporations? "They are learning that the right can put economic pressure on them too. Will it matter? I don’t know. I think there will be a little pullback by these companies from the more egregious examples, but not a lot."

At the Frisco Chronic, Attacks on trans athletes have little basis in science "Experts say a paucity of research on transgender athletes makes it difficult to determine if trans women actually are faster or stronger. The science is even murkier for young athletes." It's such nonsense only 'experts' can believe it. At Da Mail, The NIH-published study that exposes the gulf between trans athletes and women in sports: Male-to-female transitioners are faster, stronger and fitter than most women even AFTER taking hormone drugs.

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair wonders Did WaPo reporters conspire with extremists to attack National Gallery of Art?  "And if they did, will anyone from the Washington Post face charges over it?" They certainly had a heads up something was going to happen. And no, they will not face charges.

Insty, cites College Fix, A SMALL VICTORY: Arizona drops charges against ASU student arrested for handing out Constitution. "“All witnesses who testified to Tizon’s actions confirmed that the table did not block pedestrians nor interfere with other groups, his attorneys had argued, adding university officials disregarded their own policy, unlawfully restricting Tizon’s freedom of expression.” Now punish the people responsible."