Can Acid Mines Save the Bay?

Bear with me a little, the logic train is a little tortured. At the Bay Journal, Dammed-up soil could help heal abandoned mine land

Fertile sediment bottled up behind old mill dams in Pennsylvania is a relentless source of nutrient and sediment pollution in local waterways that flow toward the Chesapeake Bay. But it could become a prime ingredient in restoring another scourge in the state: abandoned mine land.

Documented as a sediment and nutrient pollution problem for the Bay about 15 years ago, legacy sediment is topsoil that ran off the land long ago from farm fields and logging areas throughout the Bay region and piled up behind mill dams, many of which date back to colonial times.

As the dams have been torn down or abandoned, the now-elevated streams seek their original course, cutting through the soft earth that buried them and sending the soil and attached nutrients into the water. Also, the gantlet of mill ponds buried and altered healthy stream channels that once were a braid of connected streams with floodplains buffering nearby land from rising water.

In Pennsylvania, the 126-square-mile Chiques Creek watershed is one of the largest sediment and nutrient polluters in Lancaster County, itself one of the Bay’s top sources of such pollutants with one of the highest concentrations of easily erodible legacy sediment. More than 400 old mill dams have been mapped in Lancaster County alone.

Primarily surrounded by farmland and urban development with scant forest cover, the Chiques watershed has 48 dam sites that have been identified through satellite imagery.

All but nine of the dams are gone, resulting in slow but persistent pollution from the easily erodible soil in the former mill ponds. About 70 million pounds of sediment from banks up to 8 feet high erode each year, washing toward the Susquehanna River and on to the Bay, according to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.

Sediment makes the water murky, smothering fish habitat and blocking sunlight for underwater grasses. It also carries nutrients, which contribute to harmful algae blooms and the Bay’s oxygen-starved “dead zone.”

Partners in the Chiques Creek Legacy Sediment Removal Project would like to turn that problem into a solution. If the project secures enough funding, as much as 283,000 cubic yards of legacy sediment stranded on streamside terraces would be dug up at 10 sites. The nutrient-rich soil would be trucked or taken by train to spread on abandoned mine land, where vegetation struggles to grow in the acidic soil.

With an estimated price tag of about $10 million, the project is being assembled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the nonprofit Water Science Institute, and the Lancaster County commissioners and soil conservation district. NRCS has already provided $800,000 from its small watershed improvement program to study the idea’s potential.

So, by moving dirt out of the the old damn basins, you not only benefit the Bay by removing potential nutrient source, you also help heal the environmental scars from old mining. Sounds win win to me. Possible caveats include actually causing more sediments to move down the stream in the the course of trying to excavate it, and that sediments placed on the old acid mine sites will also continue to bleed nutrients.

Of course, another possible source for sediments to place on the acid mines is the legacy sediment that has built up behind Conowingo Dam (which come from the old dams, and farm fields). By taking sediments from behind the dam, they could restore the function of the dam as a nutrient trap, a function that has been lost as the pool behind the dam filled up with sediments. It certainly makes the whole process more simple. The problem is that dirt is cheap, dirt cheap, and moving it is expensive.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Devin Archer's Turn in the Barrel

Well, that was interesting. As you may be aware, if you kept up the reading, that Devin Archer, Hunter Biden's business partner, who had been previously been convicted of defrauding the Oglala Sioux nation in a scheme unrelated to Hunter Biden (as far as we know), and sentenced to prison, but has been out on bond pending appeal, was scheduled to testify to the House today on his business deals with Hunter and his dad. Fox, Devon Archer, the man who will testify to Congress about his business dealings with Hunter Biden: Who is he? "Archer is expected to testify about meetings with Hunter also attended by Joe Biden." Wendell Husebø@WendellHusebo "NEW: @JamesComer provides 3 revelations today: 1. Archer could become a “hero” after testifying Monday 2. Treasury has 12 more SARS related to Bidens Comer must review 3. Joe Biden has knowledge of family’s money laundering, racketeering."

Well, for some reason known only to DOJ, they chose Saturday (what bureaucrat works on Saturday?) to send a letter to the judge in Archer's case, telling him that it was high time they actually arrested Devin and put him in the slammer (despite the pending appeal). Gee, what ever could their motives be? To remind Devin that he'll soon be in their hands, and that he might not want to say anything to piss them off? To remind the public that he is, for now, a convicted felon, and pre-discredit him as a witness? Matt Margolis at PJM, Biden DOJ Threatens to Arrest Devon Archer Before Bombshell Testimony. Twitchy, DOJ's latest move (arresting Devon Archer?!) to protect Joe and Hunter Biden is their SHADIEST yet. 'Becca' Downs at Town Hall, 'Obstruction of Justice': DOJ Sends Letter on Archer's Jail Time Just Before Meeting With House Oversight (later updated to read DOJ Forced to Clarify Letter on Archer's Jail Time Just Before Meeting With House Oversight). Sundance at CTH calls it Suspicious Timing – DOJ Sends Letter Asking for Fast Sentence Against Hunter Biden Witness, Devon Acher (sic), on Eve of Congressional Testimony. Ryan King at NYPo, DOJ tries to jail key Hunter Biden witness Devon Archer on eve of congressional testimony. At Da Wire, Comer Hits DOJ Over ‘Odd’ Timing Of Letter Requesting Hunter Biden Business Partner Report To Prison. Nick Arama at Red State, Devon Archer's Attorney Releases Statement About DOJ 'Intimidation' Letter 

Schwartz said that they were aware of the speculation about the letter being an effort by the Biden administration to intimidate Archer. Schwartz said that “Archer does not agree with that speculation.” Schwartz said, “In any case, Mr. Archer will do what he has planned to all along, which is to show up on Monday, and to honestly answer the questions that are put to him by the Congressional investigators.”

It’s good if he doesn’t think that this is intimidation. Maybe he won’t be intimidated and will lay out the truth. It’s a lot to face, knowing the power that they might array against you. I hope that he’s not backing off. Let’s hope he sticks to his guns and doesn’t flip.

Then, finally, the DOJ issued a statement PM,  BREAKING: Biden's DOJ files NEW letter allowing Hunter's ex-business pal Devon Archer to testify in Congress Monday "The Government understands that the defendant is scheduled to provide testimony to Congress tomorrow, July 31, 2023." At Am Think Clarice thought about DOJ’s Dirty Deeds and that was before this one. Declan Leary at Am Con, Old Joe, Strong Joe "The rule of law seems to be receding in the rearview mirror with our doddering president behind the wheel." At Breitbart, Rep. Nancy Mace: I Believe ‘We Are Headed’ to a Biden Impeachment Inquiry. 

In a stunning admission, Hunter Biden ‘broke the law,’ Democrat Rep. Jim Himes says from NYPo. Fox,  Democrat congressman acknowledges it's 'clear' Hunter Biden broke the law: 'Should be held accountable'  'Becca' Downs again, It Looks Like Hunter Biden's Laptop Could Indeed Implicate His Father. At WaEx, Comer demands information about sale of Hunter Biden artwork to a presidential appointee.  David Burge@iowahawkblog "MAJOR ART MOVEMENTS OF THE PAST 100 YEARS: DeStijl Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, Dada, Surrealism, Color Field, Pop Art, Post Modernism, Meth Addicts Who Pick Up a Paint Brush For The First Time at Age 50 And Suddenly Sell Paintings To Their Fathers' Friends For $1 Million" To be fair, Hunter is a cocaine addict, not a meth addict.

Nick Arama again, House Oversight GOP Torpedoes Jamie Raskin's Propaganda About Hunter Biden Case With Perfect Response Oversight Committee@GOPoversight

Last night, Ranking Member Raskin wrote an 11-page letter accusing us of "concealing" the former FBI Special Agent's transcript from the Democrats … except, we emailed it to them 10 days ago after we received it. 

To save face, Raskin has resent his letter without those false accusations but now pretending not to know the Committee's operating procedure for releasing transcripts … You can't make it up.

The transcript is going through the normal review process where the witness and his/her counsel reviews it and is able to suggest any corrections needed. Once that process has been completed (and because in this case doing so mid-investigation will not harm upcoming investigative steps), we will release it.

To be clear, the former FBI Special Agent was interviewed by the Committee to offer independent verification of the events described in sworn testimony by the IRS whistleblowers. The transcript will show exactly that.

Debra Saunders at Am Spec speculates about Hunter Biden’s Day in Court "Beltway journalists have realized they can’t dismiss his legal problems as a GOP chew toy." 'Fuzzy Slippers' at LI, USA Today: Hunter Biden’s Alleged Influence Peddling, Underage Hooker Hopping, Tax and Gun Charges Are Mere “Foibles” "You can’t make this stuff up." And yet they do, all the time. Nick Arama sees USA Today's Ridiculous Spin on Hunter Biden Gets the Drubbing It Deserves. Red State's Sister Toldja wants you to WATCH as Hurt Feelings Erupt After Scott Jennings Reminds CNN Panel Who Hunter Biden Really Is. John Kass asks Where Have You Gone Woodward and Bernstein?

From the Free Bacon, Pulling Up the Ladder Behind Him: Biden Seeks to End Legacy Admissions After Generations of His Own Family Benefited From It and Biden Admin Spends $300K in Taxpayer Funds To Study Why Minority Kids Like Japanese Comic Books. Maybe because they're not relentlessly woke? I&I is pissed about Biden’s Awful Plan To Raise Your Taxes To Support Global Socialism. Really, they just want to confiscate all income, and then dole it back out as they see fit. At WaT, Biden’s balk at energy independence "Latest oil production hurdle undercuts America's interests."

Jazz Shaw at Hat Hair pretends to be shocked when Trump calls on other primary challengers to drop out. Thad McCotter at Am Great, Part II: Major League Inside Politics Nears Trade Deadline – The Republican Front-Runner. At Am Con Emile Doak maintains Trump Still Has the Best Words. Speaking of which, Metro reports Donald Trump calls Biden a ‘dumb son of a b***h’ in foul-mouthed speech. At TNP, Prissy Republicans ‘Gotta Be a Little Lower Class’ to Fight ‘Dirty, Sick’ Dems, Says Trump. Prissy Republicans like, Former Attorney General Bill Barr Threatens to ‘Jump Off Bridge’ if Trump Secures GOP 2024 Nomination at Gateway. From Breitbart, John Fetterman: Trump Still Strong in Pennsylvania, ‘Seeing Trump Signs Everywhere’. At least he's not blind. PJM's Athena Thorne asks Will He or Won't He? Trump Flirts With Participating in August Debate. At WaEx, Mike Pence defends fundraising pace as debate deadline draws near. You ain't goin' nowhere. Hat Hair's KT, DeSantis would pardon Donald Trump. And Breitbart reports Vivek Ramaswamy: I Would Pardon Trump — ‘Clearly a Politicized Persecution’. 

 Ryan King at NYPo, Trump angrily denies ordering Mar-a-Lago security tapes deleted, calls prosecutor ‘deranged.’ Sarah Arnold at Town Hall is amused when MSNBC Host Gets Fact Checked On the Spot After Claiming Hillary Clinton Didn't Have Classified Docs. Madeleine Hubbard at JTN reports Hearing scheduled in Trump's bid to disqualify Fulton County DA from 2020 election probe "The former president is also seeking to quash the final grand jury report . . . Trump's motion is considered a longshot by legal experts, but the motion comes as Willis may be on the verge of asking a grand jury to issue indictments, possibly of the former president." Charlotte Hazard at JTN, Federal judge dismisses Trump's nearly half-billion dollar lawsuit against CNN. "Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal ruled on Friday that Trump could not sue the outlet for defamation." Curses, foiled again! Roger Kimball at Am Great, Enough With Half Measures, Throw All U.S. Code at Trump "Are we sure that Donald Trump, well known as a New York real estate developer, has strictly abided by all the provisions of the law?"

At NYPo, 3 of ‘Newburgh Four’ convicted in 2009 New York synagogue bombing plot to be released, judge rules while blaming FBI, so it will take 14 years to sort out Jan. 6?

At the Babylon Bee, Are You At A Nursing Home Or The U.S. Senate Chamber? 9 Clues To Look For.

From Breitbart, WSJ: Facebook ‘Demoted’ Video of Tucker Carlson by 50% at the Demand of Biden White House and Jim Jordan’s Facebook Files: Biden Pressured Company to Remove Humorous Vaccine Posts, Info About Side Effects. At SLAY, Jim Jordan Catches Biden Trying to Censor Americans’ Free Speech, Including ‘Jokes’ and ‘True Information.’ TNP, Biden WH Censored Truthful Vaccine Info from Social Media. Ben Whedon at JTN reports Facebook fumed as Biden administration pressured platform to censor content, "The initial batch showed that Facebook executives had considerable concerns over complying with White House requests." Brad Palumbo at WaEx says Leaked emails expose Biden White House’s attacks on the First Amendment. Glenn Greenwald@ggreenwald wants you to "Meet Aaron Berman: who spent his entire adult life working at CIA, only to leave to become a top Facebook official responsible for censoring political speech. Among other things, Aaron was the key Facebook official who censored Brazil's debates before its 2022 election"

Tristan Justice at Da Fed has more Highlights From The House Hearing On Transgenderism. At the Western Journal, Transgender Canadian Slams Docs for Euthanasia Denial – Can't Endure Brutal Pain from Surgically-Built Vagina. Too bad. NewsBusters reports PolitiFact Defends 'Chestfeeding' For 'Transgender and Nonbinary Dads' despite massive hormone doses require to make men lactate. At Twitchy, Mom HAMMERS man in dress insisting he should be able to use Women's bathroom and DAMN (watch this). Breitbart, Boy Scout Leaders Invite LGBTQ Advocates to Jamboree Camp, despite the fact that gay people have almost literally been the death of the Boy Scouts. Hat Hair's Jazz Shaw sees Attempts to regulate drag shows largely fall flat as a first amendment issue. I think that's correct, unless the state starts forcing kids to go to drag shows. 

ET explains Why California Lawmakers Were Forced to Change Their Vote on Child Sex Trafficking. Public outrage. At Am Great, Carpe Deum, The Left Hates Sound of Freedom Because They Hate Children, not particular children, just the idea of children.

At Campus Reform, a Prof: Algebra, geometry perpetuate white privilege. An "education" professor.  At the College Fix, ONU moves to terminate conservative law professor for alleged ‘unprofessional’ conduct. "Gerber specifically stands accused of chiding a peer who disagreed with him on tenure-review votes, wrongfully accusing a fellow faculty member of not properly following up on a student who claimed she was sexually harassed, and being too critical of a law professor in his class evaluation as a senior faculty member." "Academic politics is the most vicious and bitter form of politics, because the stakes are so low." From City Journal, Richard T. Bosshardt feels Isolated, "The American College of Surgeons banned me for questioning its rush to embrace critical race theory." At Da Wire, University Will Pay Christian Student $80k For ‘Silencing’ Conservative Views. "Three professors will take mandatory First Amendment training." That'll teach 'em!

Town Hall's Sarah Arnold hears GOP Warn New Hate Crime Law Will 'Police' Speech and Prosecute 'Misgendering', in Michigan, exactly as it was intended to.

mrc TV reports Jason Aldean Quietly Scrubs ‘Try That In a Small Town’ Music Video of BLM Footage. He gave in.

According to TMZ, who first caught the change, the updated version of the music video omits footage of Black Lives Matter riots shot back in 2020, which had been overlayed with Aldean’s lyrics condemning violent protests, assaults on police, and rampant crime that’s taken over American cities. Leftwing critics, who seemed perfectly at ease with Black Lives Matter rioters torching cities across America for half of 2020, took issue with Aldean for supposedly inciting violence against Black people and glorifying guns.

Awfully rich coming from the pro-looting brigade that appeared fine with BLM thugs leaving the bloody bodies of elderly people and innocent children in the streets.

 The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: On The Road up and awaiting your digital delight.

The Monday Morning Stimulus

At the Free Bacon, Starbucks Hired Eric Holder To Conduct a ‘Civil Rights Audit.’ The Policies He Blessed Got the Coffee Maker Sued.

It was 2018, two years before the tidal wave of diversity initiatives unleashed by George Floyd’s death, and Starbucks needed a public relations win. The coffee giant was under fire after an employee at one of its stores mistakenly called the police on two black men, prompting the company to announce a "multiphase effort" to become "more diverse, equitable, and inclusive."

Part of that effort was a series of "civil rights assessments" conducted by Covington & Burling, one of the top white shoe law firms in Washington, D.C., under the leadership of former attorney general Eric Holder, a senior counsel at the firm.

Holder—who has charged as much as $2,295 an hour for such work—issued a final report in 2021 that outlined the steps Starbucks had taken to promote "equity." They included tying executive pay to diversity targets, setting spending goals for "diverse suppliers," and launching a mentorship program for "BIPOC" employees, which Holder pressed the company to expand. Each initiative, he wrote, demonstrated the coffee maker’s "commitment to civil rights and equal treatment."

But one year later, Starbucks was fending off a civil rights lawsuit over precisely the programs Holder had blessed. The lawsuit, which is still ongoing and was filed last August by the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative nonprofit that is also a Starbucks shareholder, argued that the programs violate non-discrimination laws as well as the company’s fiduciary duties. Such claims may have come as a surprise to Starbucks executives: At no point did Holder’s report address the legality of the policies at issue.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Public Benefactors up and awaiting your digital delight.

Some Random Celebrity News

For some interpretations of "Random," "Celebrity" and "News"

OutKick has TWO from Paige Spiranac. First Paige Spiranac Moved Her 'Sexier Content' To OnlyPaige Because Pro Golfers Judged Her 

Paige Spiranac, the world’s undisputed No. 1 ranked influencer, created her OnlyPaige account because a couple losers in the pro golf world judged her.

Thanks for ruining the fun, Karens.

Spiranac dropped the bomb during her regular Instagram Q&A session Monday when one fan asked if pro golfers/courses treat her “rudely” now since creating the OnlyFans spinoff.

“I think when I first came out with it people were interested and a little bit confused on what OP would be and, although I have some very fun and sexy content, there is no nudity and I will never do any nudity,” she said.

Second,  Paige Spiranac Transforms Herself Into 'Golf Barbie' To Promote Her New Pink Shafts 

Dealing with social media trolls and the shadow bans all come with the territory when you’re the world’s No. 1 golf influencer. So do brand deals and working with those brands on creating new and improved products.

That brings us to what Paige rolled out on Friday as she referred to herself as “Golf Barbie.” The golf influencer worked with LA Golf to develop a new golf club shaft.

Paige, aka Golf Barbie, made the announcement in a pink outfit in time to ride a little of the wave created by the Barbie movie. 

“I’ve always loved the color pink and asked @lagolf if they could make me pink shafts. They delivered and now you can get them too! They just came out with their Paige Signature Pink Series!,” she announced.

From Fox, Olympic gold medalist disqualified from World Championships after refusing handshake with Russian opponent

Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medalist and four-time individual world champion, was disqualified from this year’s championships in Milan after she refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent Thursday.

The decorated fencer defeated Russian Anna Smirnova, who was competing as a neutral athlete, 15-7, in the women’s individual sabre.

Kharlan, 32, did not shake Smirnova’s hand as is mandated by the International Fencing Federation (FIE), but instead offered her blade, a gesture which replaced the handshake rule during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smirnova, 23, offered her hand, and after a brief standoff, Kharlan walked off to celebrate her victory.

Yahoo, Katie Ledecky breaks Michael Phelps' individual world championship gold medal record. No she didn't outswim Michael, but she might have out lasted him.

Katie Ledecky is now the solo record-holder for most individual gold medals at the world championships.

The American swimmer won her 16th title Saturday in the women's 800-meter freestyle in Fukuoka, Japan. That surpassed fellow American Michael Phelps' record, which Ledecky tied Tuesday when she won the 1,500-meter women's freestyle on Tuesday.

Ledecky's win also marked her sixth world championship in the event. She led from start to finish and cruised to victory with a time of 8:08.87 — four seconds slower than her 2016 world record — and beat the second-place finisher by 4.44 seconds.

At the NYPo,  Allison Williams: I was ‘bullied, vilified’ after ESPN vaccine firing

Former ESPN reporter Allison Williams testified in Congress on Thursday about losing her job at the network for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Williams was fired from ESPN in 2021, having cited fertility treatments as the reason she was avoiding the vaccine.

She joined Fox Sports as a college football sideline reporter last year.

Williams appeared before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, chaired by Ohio Rep. Brad Wenstrup, to detail her experience.

Ebanie Bridges

And also from OutKick,  Ebanie Bridges Wants To Make Content With Paige VanZant 

Ebanie Bridges hasn’t stepped in the ring since last December when she suffered a hand injury successfully defending her IBF bantamweight title against Shannon O’Connell. She’s been training, but isn’t quite ready for another fight yet.

Without a fight to prepare for the Blonde Bomber isn’t sitting around doing nothing between training sessions. She’s out creating content and working on putting collaborations together. Shortly after fellow boxer Mikaela Mayer joined OnlyFans, she showed interest in teaming up with her.

Paige VanZant

 

During an interaction this week with her followers on Instagram, Bridges revealed another fighter and content creator she’d like to collab with. None other than Paige VanZant. In fact, the two had been trying to put something together before the champion moved.

“We were trying to organize it but she got really busy and I moved, so many things,” Bridges told her followers. “Hopefully we can get back on track because I would love to collab with Paige VanZant.”

“That would be f*cking sexy.”

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Public Benefactors up and awaiting your digital delight.

Flotsam and Jetsam: The Biden's Bad Week

Technofog would like to acquaint you with A Tale of Two Plea Deals "Same Crimes, Same Prosecutors, Different Punishments" in case you had any doubts the DOJ gave Hunter a sweet deal.  At NewsMax, Michael Reagan opines Judge Pops Hunter Plea Deal Travesty Balloon, Anxious anxiously worries Rejected plea deal leaves Hunter Biden's team fuming. That darn judge ruined everything! She's not very happy with them either, at Da Caller, Maryellen Noreika Issues New Order After ‘Apparent Misrepresentations’ Before Hunter Biden Plea Deal Imploded. Send all your requests directly to me, and stop trying to pull a fast one on the clerks. WaEx, Hunter Biden plea: Judge orders no contact with clerk after lawyer's 'misrepresentations'.  At NYPo, GOP senator calls for investigation into Hunter Biden’s defense team over ‘unethical conduct’ Fair enough, they've been going after any lawyer who even whispers nice things about Donald Trump. At NYPo, ‘The View’ guest declares hosts are ‘exhausted’ by Hunter Biden talk after plea deal falls apart. Funny, they never seem to tire of bashing Trump.

Jon Levine at NYPo says Hunter Biden’s laptop full of secret agreements and contracts with foreign business partners, some of which implicate Joe. Insty, HE MAY YET TURN OUT TO BE THE GAVRILO PRINCIP OF THE 21ST CENTURY: Hunter Biden Is a Geopolitical Disaster: His Ukraine dealings corrupted our government, impeached a president, and may have prefigured a war, and ANY TIME YOU ASK ABOUT UKRAINE AND MONEY, DEMOCRATS GO BONKERS: Lee Fang@lhfang, "What’s incredible here is that Bernie Sanders once championed the exact same style audit of Afghan war money as an example of what to do for all of DoD, Elizabeth Warren championed the same style IG for bank bailouts. Now both oppose a special audit of Ukraine money?" Quote Tweet Michael Tracey@mtracey "Once again the Senate rejected a proposal to establish a lead Inspector General to oversee Ukraine spending and enhance legislative oversight. This wasn't some "isolationist" measure: it was introduced by hardcore GOP hawks Wicker and Kennedy. But the Dems still all voted it down." From RCP, White House Backtracks on Hunter’s Business Deals. 

Stacy McCain, Friday Evening News Dump: Biden ‘Speaks Out’ (But Not Really) About Cokehead Son’s Arkansas Love Child. "No intelligent person is deceived by this, of course, but Democratic voters . . . Well, if it weren’t for stupid people, Democrats would never win any elections at all."  Mary Katharine Ham@mkhammer, "Nothing says unconditional love like a Friday night news dump of the first acknowledgment of a 4-yr-old grandchild. Family, loyalty, decency." Tim Carney@TPCarney, "It was a non-story for 2 years. Then it rose to the level of a REPUBLICANS POUNCE STORY. Now Biden does the right thing, and the major media will finally admit that Biden has 7 grandchildren. It has very state media vibes." At Twitchy, CNN explains why Joe and Jill Biden waited four years to acknowledge their granddaughter "Oh, so they were waiting for the battle over child support to be settled. Kind of like how Hunter waited for the DNA test to prove he was the father before paying any child support. The dude did everything he could to escape responsibility. The New York Post's Miranda Devine says this excuse is bogus, too." Miranda Devine@mirandadevine, "That’s actually not true. Court proceedings were only reopened last September by Hunter seeking to reduce child support payments. Everything was settled in March 2020, after Lunden Roberts established paternity via DNA. Ample opportunity in those 2.5 years for Joe to have acknowledged his grandchild." Althouse comes to the obvious conclusion in "This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter. Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy." "But, of course, it's a political issue. The child is 4 years old, and we're only getting this acknowledgement now. Obviously, his people have read the criticism, notably the criticism from Maureen Dowd (which I blogged about here), and they see that pretending the child doesn't exist is not going to work." At Stream, Mark Judge (remember him?) makes a good point Stop Making Excuses for Hunter Biden’s Behavior. It Hurts Others Fighting Addiction. USA TODAY@USATODAY "Hunter Biden's foibles provide ammunition for Republicans who want to inflict harm on Joe Biden ahead of 2024 presidential campaign." Are we seizing or pouncing today, I haven't checked my email yet.

Coincidence? Maybe, at the Daily Fetched, Rand Paul Suddenly Against Impeaching Biden a Week After His Office Burned down. Sister Toldja at Red State, Joe Biden Hit With Ice-Cold Inconvenient Reminder as He Begins 10-Day Vacation, RNC Research@RNCResearch, NBC POLL: "More than two-thirds of all voters say they have concerns about [Biden] having the necessary mental and physical health to serve." Paul Bedard at WaEx with the weekly White House Report Card: Biden still standing after horror week. Jenny Beth Martin at Town Hall explains Joe Biden's Latest Attempt to Sidestep the Constitution, by appointing Julie Su Dept of Labor Secretary, despite having been rejected by the Senate. Rules? Who needs 'em? Hat Hair's Jazz Shaw (rhetorically) wonders Why is Biden withholding funding for schools with archery and hunting programs? At Fox, Director Oliver Stone declares he 'made a mistake' when he voted for Biden, says he may start 'World War 3'. "Stone warned that Biden is 'dragging us stupidly into a confrontation' with Russia."

Sundance at CTH is impressed by the James O’Keefe Interview of Robert Kennedy Jr. Video at link. I'm listening in background as I finish this. It is pretty interesting. He's a kook, but he's not wrong about everything.

Hat Hair's KT, Trump to Iowa Republicans: Don't take a chance on DeSantis. PM reports MUST WATCH: GOP presidential candidate Will Hurd BOOED mercilessly in Iowa for dissing Donald Trump. Sundance is pissed that Massachusetts GOPe Propose Primary Delegate Change to Weaken Trump Nomination Effort. 'Bonchie' at Red State claims Alvin Bragg Slowly Realizes His Trump Indictment Is Going to Backfire, and He's Getting Desperate. Sarah Arnold at Town Hall details Jack Smith's Long History of Failed Prosecution Cases Against Republicans. He has way of stretching the law to fit the act he would like to turn into a crime.

At TNP, DeSantis Collapses to Single Digits in Ohio, Behind Vivek. Twitchy calls Busted! Top DeSantis donor appears in RAUNCHY 'Gentlemen's Club' ad. Scumbags in politics? I'm shocked, shocked. Never-anybody but Trump sundance claims Vivek Ramaswamy Aligns with McConnell, DeSantis, Club for Growth and Wall Street Promoting U.S. to Reenter TPP Trade Agreement. Althouse, Never heard of? He's been my favorite of the GOP candidates since he started. "I clicked to read George Will's column, "Meet the unusually qualified presidential candidate you’ve never heard of" (WaPo), and while he's wrong about my never having heard of him, I'm thrilled to see some high-level attention to the worthy contender, Doug Burgum."

Cami Mondeaux at WaEx reports House GOP eyes Spanberger's seat amid reports she'll run for Virginia governor. From Fox, Sen. Fetterman reflects on 6-week hospitalization for depression: 'I don’t even like me. That’s the truth'. With reference to Sen. McConnell's recent freeze up, the Babylon Bee quips Family Torn Between Placing Grandpa In Hospice And Having Him Run For Senate. 

Ben Whedon at JTN reports a Defiant Alito declares Congress has 'no authority' to regulate SCOTUS. "His comments follow efforts from the Senate Judiciary Committee to require that the court draft a code of conduct and create a process by which the public may submit complaints against its members over ethics issues." Althouse, "No provision in the Constitution gives [Congress] the authority to regulate the Supreme Court—period." "If we’re viewed as illegitimate, then disregard of our decisions becomes more acceptable and more popular." Precisely what liberals are attempting to do.

From TNP, 100% of Dems Vote AGAINST Veteran Help Bill, Citing Lack of ‘Trans’ Care. Jazz Shaw, Suppressing the Nashville shooter's manifesto would be "unprecedented." Then they would have a precedent. Insty, IT’S ALMOST LIKE COLLEGES ARE JUST MONEY LAUNDRIES FOR LEFTY ACTIVISM: Transgender performer Dylan Mulvaney plans $40K-per-visit college tour. "There’s always poorly-supervised money for lefty speakers, filmmakers, activists, etc. It’s just part of the left’s taxpayer-subsidized infrastructure."

Campus Reform has a POLL: Higher education is polarizing, lacks confidence of most Americans. Maya Bodnick at Slow Boring is concerned about How critical theory is radicalizing high school debate. Jazz Shaw is worried that Medical schools have become infected by radical leftism. At the TN Star, ‘We’re Paying People to Hate America’: Musk And Ramaswamy Blast Department of Education. NewsBusters notes the WashPost Editorial Board SEETHES Over Youngkin Involving Parents in Lives of Children. John Hinderacker at Power Line simply says Down With Education! "Well, possibly not all education. But down with colleges and universities, anyway. It seems that their net effect is to make their students dumber. A case in point: American college students think their country is going downhill. Not in the ways it actually is going downhill, but in the ways it isn’t."

Michael Walsh at Da Wire, Democrats Take A Page From Primitive Tribal Shaman, Blaming Their Enemies For The Weather

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: On The Road up and awaiting your digital delight.

Palm Sunday

 With Kalani Hilliker.

Fox, Homeless man arrested for stealing palm tree in the Netherlands, revealing 18-year Belgium conviction "Fugitive wanted by Belgium authorities where he must still serve prison time."  And it wasn't even real:

Police in the southern town of Geldrop said in a statement Tuesday that officers stopped the man Saturday night for questioning when they saw him walking down a street "with a large inflatable palm tree under his arm." The fugitive from Belgian justice is believed to have taken the tree from a beach volleyball tournament in the town near the city of Eindhoven, police said.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Public Benefactors up and awaiting your digital delight.

Forget It Jake, It's Baltimore

 Fox 45 Downtown Baltimore grapples with plummeting property values amid urban exodus

The struggle to revive downtown Baltimore appears to be deepening.

The recent sale of the 30-story building at One South Street sold for a fraction of its value in 2015. Eight years ago, the building sold for $66 million. Last month, new owners purchased the building for $24 million.

The values of downtown property took another hit last month when the city reduced the assessed value of a building at 100 East Pratt Street, currently home to T. Rowe Price. The building had been assessed at $171.4 million. When owners appealed, the city reduced the assessed value to $93.65 million.
 
"The property values are declining rather rapidly," said Economist Anirban Basu, President of the Sage Policy Group.

Basu says companies, which are desperately searching for staff and safety, are moving out of downtown and predicts the city's tax base will suffer. "The only way for Baltimore to get out of this quandary is to grow its tax base, to add taxpayers, not subtract from that," said Basu.

Well, nobody wants to live there because of crime, etc. What are you going to do in an city with 14,000 empty houses? It looks like Baltimore is headed down the same road Detroit took. 

Beach Report 7/29/23 - He Looked Down on the Ground and Saw an Old Jaw Bone

Another hot one today, and we excused from Skye from the walk.

I found this old jaw bone (really old) laying in the water. I have no idea what it was. If it was a fish, it was a darn big one.

Otherwise, not an awesome day for fossils, 6 teeth, including one shamer for Georgia, a large broken Snaggle tooth

Flotsam and Jetsam - Slow Joe Acknowledges Navy

Biden finally got around to admitting the obvious, he has 7 grandkids. Bravo. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.28.23, Herr Professor Jacobsen at LI Internal Polling Must Have Been Brutal: Biden Acknowledges Granddaughter For First Time thinks "The internal polling and focus groups must have been brutal. So “Grandpa” Joe tossed Hunter’s daughter Navy a verbal bone during an interview with People magazine. Just a bone, mentioning her name, nothing more " and at, Twitchy Sleepy Joe Finally Acknowledges His 7th Grandchild. At PM, Joe Biden FINALLY acknowledges Hunter's 4-year-old love child Navy. People puts a positive spin on it in President Biden Speaks Out on Hunter’s Daughter, 4, with Ark. Woman: ‘Jill and I Only Want What’s Best’. I'll give the final word to Nick Arama at Red State in Joe Biden Finally Gets Around to Acknowledging That Seventh Grandchild, Navy Roberts "I don’t think I believed that Joe Biden had any shame, given the history that I’ve seen, particularly over the last few years. But it turns out that he can be shamed, after all. At least when it comes to Navy Roberts, his grandchild by his son Hunter and Lunden Roberts."

Matt Margolis at PJM reports Jill Biden’s Ex-Husband Calls Joe Biden ‘Very Dangerous,’ Says the Biden Family Targeted Him. The Delaware Mafia. 

At Am Spec, George Parry has Three Cheers for Judge Noreika. "The formidable woman shattered Hunter’s sweet deal."  At Da Fed Will Scharf explains How A Federal Judge Turned The Tables On Hunter Biden’s Sweetheart Plea Deal and John Davidson says Hunter Biden’s Plea Deal Wasn’t Supposed To Protect Him, It Was Supposed To Protect Joe. Well, duh. David Strom at Hat Hair, There ain't no justice at Justice, "Biden. Biden. Biden. It’s as if our legal system exists mainly to serve Joe Biden." Breitbart reports Hunter Biden Appeared Agitated, Worried as Plea Deal Fell Apart. From Fox, IRS whistleblower calls out Hunter Biden in new op-ed: 'Sweetheart deals shouldn't be handed out like candy', "Joseph Ziegler called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to look into the Hunter Biden case." When you've lost gay Democrats. At the Daily Fetched, Swalwell Rushes to Defend Hunter Biden: He “Tried to Accept Responsibility” for Crimes. At Breitbart, NBC’s Mitchell Apologizes to Dem Sen., Biden Co-Chair for Mentioning Hunter and Trump Together. Sister Toldja at Red State wants you to WATCH an Underreported Press Briefing Moment on Biden’s Whereabouts Raises More Questions on the Hunter Issue. Tyler O'Neil at Da Wire, Secret Service Refuses to Hand Over ‘Known Pool of Individuals’ List in White House Cocaine Incident. I guess I don't blame them.

Matt Margolis, again, with Did Hunter Biden's Admission in Court Prove That Joe Biden Lied? From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.28.23, Jordon Boyd at Da Fed thinks Biden’s ‘My Son Has Not Made Money On China’ Debate Lie Isn’t Looking Too Good Right Now. Twitchy, Biden's debate assurance in 2020 is 'not what Hunter told a federal judge' this week. Dan Greenfield at Front Page thinks the Burisma deal was a bust, Bidens Wanted Billions, Not Millions, From Burisma, "Was Joe Biden planning to buy his way back into the White House using Burisma’s money?" 'Becca Downs at Town Hall reminds us that Hmm: Multiple Banks Filed Over 170 Suspicious Activity Reports on the Bidens. At Breitbart, James Comer Raises Concerns of Biden Racketeering.

Nick Arama again Biden Shows Just How Bad His Deterioration Has Gotten During Remarks in Maine. Ace, Regime Media: Ignore What You Can See and Hear With Your Own Eyes. We Have Indisputable Scientific Evidence, Declared by a Panel of "Experts," That Joe Biden Is As Healthy as a Communist Figurehead Can Be.

At Hat Hair Jazz Shaw worries Would Biden really shut down our uranium production? Yeah, he would, or at least the true believers in his circle would. 

Atop Da Hill, RFK Jr. says DHS denied request for Secret Service protection. PJM's Bob Spencer, Outrageous: Biden Regime Denies RFK Secret Service Protection. Maybe they're hoping lightening will strike three times. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.28.23,  Twitchy, Miranda Devine Notes Who Has & Hasn’t Gotten Secret Service Protection.

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.28.23, The Geller reports Biden Bribery Ignored But Trump And His Maintenance Guy Slapped With New Charges, Republicans Furious, ‘We Cannot Allow This to Stand.’ At Breitbart, Mar-a-Lago Maintenance Man Added to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Case Against Donald Trump. Squeeeeeeeeze! Also, Report: Trump’s Lawyers Told to Expect an Indictment Related to January 6 and Hurd: Anyone Who Defends Trump In the Document Case ‘Is Complicit in Endangering America’ Ace, Partisan Special Counsel Brings More Charges Against Trump, While the Special Counsel Investigating Joe and Hunter Biden Brings No Charges, Because He Does Not Exist "The Biden Special Prosecutor doesn't exist -- like antifa, he's more just an "idea." Maybe the non-existent Biden Special Prosecutor can investigate the non-existent terrorist group antifa. But in the meantime, Trump is not getting the benefit of the Hillary Clinton Standard." The problem with the Special Prosecutor for Biden it that he would be appointed by Merrick Garland.

Stacy McCain reading the tea leaves, If Trump Has Lost Ace of Spades … "Ace has very good instincts about who is or is not Down For The Agenda. If he ever starts taking shots at somebody, you can bet that sooner or later that person will prove himself to be an unprincipled quisling." I&I laughs about The Left’s Latest Trump Freakout — He Wants To Control The Executive Branch! It's kind of "the job." At HE, Richard Baris says Trump nomination is inevitable, primary is 'not even close', but Hat Hair's KT sees Sununu shock CNN host: Trump and Biden will not be on the 2024 ballot. TNP is amused that WaPo thinks Republicans Should Pick the Candidate Democrats Can Agree Most With. Jazz Shaw has (not) "Shocking" poll: Crime is still a major voter concern, "Bidenomics" not working. At Am Great, the great Victor Davis Hanson predicts A Wild 2024 Race. Da Caller has a New Forecast Says The 2024 Election Will Come Down To Four States, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin. In Arizona Stacy McCain promotes Mark Lamb for U.S. Senate: The Candidate the Left Fears the Most. "Left-wing writer Matt Shuham has exactly one job at HuffPo, doing smear-jobs on Republicans, and if he’s attacking Lamb as “far right,” what more do you need to know?" Hat Hair's KT cites Elon Musk: Constitutional amendment is needed for age limits for members of Congress. Nah; the less they do, the better.

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.28.23, Mary Chastain reports Facebook Removed COVID Posts, Memes Due to Pressure From Biden Admin “We were under pressure from the administration and others to do more.” Breitbart, Jim Jordan Obtains Facebook Files Showing White House Pressure to Censor Americans. Dave Strom at Hat Hair notes that the Surgeon General demanded Facebook remove TRUE information. Matt Taibbi at Racket says The Most Embarrassing "Facebook Files" Revelation? The Press, Exposed as Censors, "The "Facebook Files" show the press is part of the censhorship establishment, but that's not the worst part." Ace, The White House Demanded That FaceBook Censor Posts About Vanccines (sic) and a Post by America's Most Prominent Journalist and Commentator, Tucker Carlson, "There is no First Amendment. The Democrats have repealed it." Atop Da Summit a Video: Mitt Romney Argues That It Shouldn’t Be Illegal For Government To Use Big Tech For Censorship. More from the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.28.23, The Federalist: Alone And Confused, A Majority Of Americans Ditch Free Speech, and the Volokh Conspiracy: Court Rejects First Amendment Challenge to School District’s Ban on Students “Misgendering” Classmates. At Campus reform, evil right-wingers at the New College of Florida proposes 'Freedom Institute' to promote free speech, civil discourse. Dave Strom, WEF advisor: COVID is a model for making change. You must break eggs to make an omelet.

Richard Dawkins at the New Statesman Excerpted at Hat Hair, on Why biological sex matters; "Some argue that lived experience and personal choice trump biology – but they are wrong." At RCP, De-Transitioner Chloe Cole Tells Congress: Let Me Be Your Final Warning.  OVERHEATED ☙ Friday, July 28, 2023 ☙ C&C NEWS. Scroll down to the two videos of Kat Cammack trying to force Democrats to watch a video on sex reassignment surgeries for minors. Rick Moran at PJM asks (rhetorically) How Does a Sexual Assault Survivor Feel About Sharing a Locker Room With a Transgender Male? Julio Rosas at Town Hall is amused when Dem Accidentally Proves Men Using Women's Locker Rooms Is a Bad Idea, ""I think Penn didn't deal with your situation like they could've and should've. Putting up some barriers in the women's area of the locker room," Cohen proposed." Mick LaChance at LI reports California School Board President Allegedly Getting Death Threats Over New Transgender Policy “this person was going to kill me, and they said they were going to dismember my body parts, my limbs more specifically.” Lloyd Billingsley at Am Great, Nashville Forensic Files, Part Deux: March 27 Murder Victims Provide Evidence of ‘Transifa’ Violence to Come. Olivia Hajicek is concerned by Eventbrite Nuking Events Promoting Protection Of Kids As ‘Hateful’ And ‘Dangerous.’ 

Ace, Masculinity GAINZZZ

Politico has a masculinity issue. I mean, you knew that. Just... look at them.

But what I mean is, they now have a "Masculinity Issue." Via David Strom, Politico decided to take on a topic in which they have obviously no experience or grounding.

If you're thinking the men at Politico know very little about masculinity, except perhaps to admire a man's strength as he mounts his wife from the rear with a powerful thrust that reminds him of his first day at boarding school, don't even worry about it. Politico's men know they belong in the Cvck Closet.

So instead, the entire "Masculinity Issue" is written by "sneering feminist" women.

The Progress Of Every Hot Button Social Issue

Lincoln Brown at PJM, STD 'Influencers' Are Showing up on Social Media. If you're not getting STDs you're not trying hard enough. Aaron Gleason at Da Fed thinks Ken Makes The Patriarchy Look Awesome. "Ryan Gosling’s hilarious and scene-stealing Ken backfired on ‘Barbie,’ making the best parts of the feminist film about men."

Joan Jacobs is concerned about California Traumatizing math students "There's no evidence that "trauma-deformed pedagogy" (oops, "informed") helps students learn more, writes Max Eden, an American Enterprise Institute fellow, on Real Clear Education. Yet it's cited in support of California's controversial new math guidelines, which are full of dubious claims." Dave Strom, Our schools are not OK. "Test scores have been falling, enrollment has dropped like a rock, and many of the kids graduating don’t have even basic skills. Yet school boards and teachers are focused on alphabet ideology and pushing pornography in school. It’s good to know where their priorities lie."

Stacy McCain with yet another edition of Crazy People Are Dangerous (Special California Hate Crimes Edition) "It is not mercy to let crazy people run around the streets attacking innocent strangers, and certainly it is not justice. It is folly to permit our sympathy for those afflicted with mental illness to override the need to protect public safety, which is the first duty of any government." John Sexton at Hair has the details, San Fran man arrested for assaulting elderly Asian woman had prior hate crime charge dropped. At Ace's, THE MORNING RANT: Media Smear Merchants, Jason Aldean, and Racism By Historic Association (“Show Me the Man or Video, and I’ll Find You the Racism”).

Still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.28.23, but I need to finish.

The Wombat has and FMJRA 2.0: SUUUURGE! up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.