Oregon, My Oregon

From the Free Bacon, Oregon Poised To Force Health Insurers To Cover Trans Genital Surgeries for Children—or Risk Losing Their Licenses. "Proposed rule relies on WPATH guidelines, which call procedures ‘medically necessary’ to expand insurance coverage."

Oregon officials are set to require health insurers, both public and private, to cover procedures like sex-change surgeries and cross-sex hormones for all ages. Those that fail to do so risk losing their state licenses.

The proposed rule from Oregon's Department of Consumer and Business Services relies on the latest standards of care developed by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which called transgender genital surgeries and other procedures "medically necessary" to justify expanding insurance coverage.

The policy change stems from a 2023 law that made Oregon one of several so-called trans sanctuaries, guaranteeing that minors could receive puberty blockers and chemical or surgical sex changes. The rule, set to take effect next year, dictates "what insurance companies are required to cover and how they provide that coverage," according to Department of Consumer and Business Services spokesman Mark Peterson.

While Oregon won’t be the first state to require insurers to cover gender procedures, it will be the among the first to cite, on its own accord, WPATH's latest standards of care in a statewide rule.

WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) is a 501(c)(3) lobbying organization dedicated to the normalization to transsexuality, and the practice of "gender affirming" treatment, including hormone treatment and surgery for children who believe themselves be "born in the wrong body." Not exactly a collection of disinterested experts.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Sending Rick Grenell to Ukraine

At Fox, a list, Trump administration takes shape: President-elect completes top 15 Cabinet picks. At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed cites Anxious: Trump Now Has the Most Ideologically Diverse Cabinet Ever. From OTP, Donald Trump Jr Major Player In Cabinet Picks, Alone Now As Top Family Political Adviser. Althouse watches "CBS News poll finds Trump starts on positive note as most approve of transition handling." Sundance at CTH, President Trump Announces Nomination of Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture.

From Fox, Ric Grenell under consideration to be Trump's point man on Ukraine: report. What a thankless job. Sundance has opinions on many of the intelligence related appointments, Potential Peacemaker – Reuters: President Trump Considering Ric Grenell for Special Envoy to Ukraine, Incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz Outlines His Priorities for Trump Administration, Intelligence Games – Former House Intel Chair Schiff Says Trump Intel Nominees Not Qualified, But Senate Intel Chair Rubio is “Unquestionably Qualified” and SSCI Committee Member James Lankford Has Concerns About Tulsi Gabbard as DNI Nominee, and Other Matters. 

At Da Wire, Megyn Kelly Methodically Breaks Down ‘Bulls*** Allegation’ Against Pete Hegseth. Sundance, President Trump’s Attorney, John Lauro, Speaks in Support of Pam Bondi for U.S. Attorney General and sees trouble ahead with RFK Jr., Awkward – Vivek Ramaswamy Says the Quiet Part Out Loud. Leslie Eastman at LI sees The New York Times Accidentally Admit RFK Jr. is Correct on Food Additives. Mark Tapscott at Insty,  finds MIXED REVIEWS FOR DOGE AMONG HILL AIDES: "One might expect a roughly 50-50 split among Republican and Democrat congressional aides in terms of their view of the forthcoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to be headed by Elon Musk and Vivik Ramaswamy. But the latest Capitol Pulse CNCT informal survey finds a big split, with Senior GOP policy aides very much in favor, but the younger ones not so much. Not surprisingly, opposition among Democratic aides was all but unanimous." Ned Ryun and Mark Corallo at Am Great propose Tearing the Leviathan Apart  At WUWT, Lighting Up America: Why Chris Wright Should Be Welcomed, Not Spurned as DOE Sec. 

Breitbart hears Trump Border Czar Tom Homan Plans PR War over Migration and Repatriations. Tom Homan to Newsmax: 'Game On' for Dems Fighting Deportations, Homan to Newsmax: Border Closed in Matter of Months; Quick Fixes on Day 1 and Rep. Burlison to Newsmax: Prosecute Wray and Mayorkas. From Florida's Voice, Trump confirms plan to militarize border response, enact mass deportations, declare emergency. Victor Joeks at Hat Hair Debunks the Left's Deportation Hysteria. Sarah Anderson at PJM, Multiple Migrants Arrested in 'Sanctuary States' for Attacking Women, Children, & Dogs. No! Not the dogs! Sundance, Fearing Trump Compliance Demand – Mexico Quickly Looking for Alternatives to Chinese Parts and Components and German Industrialists Very Worried About Trump’s Return – German Economists Say ‘Relax, We’ll Just Devalue the Euro’. 

Matt Vespa at TownHall hears the Keystone XL Pipeline Is Back Once Trump Retakes Office, But There's a Problem. The builder doesn't want it anymore. American Energy Alliance hopes Trump’s Victory Will Save Ratepayers From Expensive Offshore Wind. 

At PJM Matt Margolis believes Voter Approval for Trump’s Transition Creates Huge Problem for Democrats. At Althouse, Bill Maher asks about the "fact" that 84% of "gays" "stuck with the Democrats," and Andrew Sullivan doesn't agree with the assertion of fact. Driscoll at Insty, has a REPORT: "Donald Trump to kick transgender troops out of US military. Donald Trump is planning an executive order that would lead to the removal of all transgender members of the US military, defence sources say."

You cannot argue with this logic. He’s 100% correct. And he’s going to be perfect as Secretary of Defense and that is why they hate this pick so much. pic.twitter.com/8dBdhlMOYk

— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) November 14, 2024

John Sexton at Hat Hair reads Vox: Moving Left Could Doom Democrats in Future Elections. Breitbart sees a Culture Shift: How Stand-Up Comedy Helped Reelect Trump. At Althouse, "We’ve marched so much. We’re tired of doing the same thing over and over...." "Said David Hogg, "who was among the students in Parkland, Fla., who mobilized on behalf of gun control legislation," quoted in "'Get Somebody Else to Do It': Trump Resistance Encounters Fatigue/Donald J. Trump’s grass-roots opponents search for a new playbook as they reckon with how little they accomplished during his first term" (NYT)." And points out David Hogg is 24. Ward Clark at RedState, Oh, So *Now* the Dems Like the Filibuster and Ranked Choice Voting Fails Bigly Almost Everywhere - Despite Backers Spending Big Bundles of Cash. OTP, ‘Crying Session’ Blinken On Hot Seat For Reported Therapy Session For State Workers After Trump Win. At Twitchy, a Presidential Journey: Trump Voters Know Who's Crying Now in Hilarious Parody Music Video

😢 Who's crying now? 🎶
🎬 w/@BrandieWithABee pic.twitter.com/jSWMZvZ3Sm

— miguelifornia (@miguelifornia) November 13, 2024

​In the waning days of the Biden/Harris/Whoever Presidency, Ars Technica points out the Russian ballistic missile attack on Ukraine portends new era of warfare "This is the first time an IRBM, once restricted by a Cold War arms treaty, has been used in combat." Fox, Biden administration informs Congress it will forgive $5B in economic loans to Ukraine, "Congress passed a funding package that earmarked $60B for Ukraine in April." Kevin Killough at JTN reports Despite lackluster consumer interest, automakers are asking Trump to keep EV mandate in place. At Da Caller, ‘Solidarity Forever’: Biden-Harris EPA Weighs Awarding Taxpayer Dollars To Nonprofit That Wants To Defund The Police. NYPo reports Feds blew $267M fighting ‘misinformation’ under Biden — as Trump vows to ban ‘censorship cartel’. Tapscott at Insty, FOUR AD FIRMS GOT RICH ON HARRIS LOSS: "Washington Free Beacon’s Andrew Kerr dug into the FEC reports and found four ad firms that collectively received almost $600 million of the $1 billion+ raised by Vice-President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.
“The latest available FEC data show the Harris campaign exceeded $880 million in total spending as of October 16, though that number is expected to balloon to $1.5 billion after the Harris campaign files its post-election FEC report on December 5,” Kerr reports."

Jonathan Turley thanks the DOJ, as the  Justice Department Indicts Alleged Swatters of Turley, Members of Congress, and Others.

Rick Moran at PJM notes 'The View' Hosts Forced to Read Four 'Legal Notes' on Friday for Lying, and It Was Glorious. At NewsBusters, Hostin Calls Bondi an 'Election Denier,' But She Denied Trump's 2016 Win. The Free Bacon sizzles as IT BEGINS: Rachel Maddow's Massive Salary Slashed at MSNBC. "More cutbacks imminent as Comcast cuts ties with liberal propaganda network." Twitchy, Rachel Maddow Crying Over Elon Musk Meme Parody Fools EVEN Us ... But It's Still REALLY Funny (Watch). Breitbart reports Jimmy Kimmel Still Fantasizing about Trump in Jail as Lawfare Cases Crumble.

At Hat Hair, Steve Moore fears Breaking Up Google Will Be a Great American Catastrophe. I don't know about "great."

From Reduxx, EXCLUSIVE: Canadian Mother Was Told To Be More “Inclusive” After Complaining About A Male Wearing A “Child’s Bikini” While Showering With Young Girls At Her Local Pool

The Monday Morning Stimulus

Medical Express, Coffee drinking habits may greatly impact makeup of gut biome

A large international team of medical researchers has found that people who drink coffee regularly have much more of one type of gut bacteria than people who do not. In their study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, the group analyzed stool and blood samples from a large number of patients and also studied similar data in large medical databases, looking for impacts of coffee drinking on the gut biome.
. . 
In this new study, the research team sought to learn more about the impact of a single food, or in this case a beverage, on the gut biome. They chose coffee for two reasons: First, because it is consumed by so many people; second, because it is either consumed every day or not at all.

To learn about the impact of coffee drinking on the gut biome, the researchers began by analyzing medical data for approximately 22,800 people living in the U.K. and the U.S. and for another 54,200 people in 211 cohorts. This allowed them to compare stool sample data from people who reported drinking coffee and those who did not, while exploring differences in the gut biome between the two groups.

The researchers found one major difference in the two groups—the population numbers of a bacteria called Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus. Those people who drank coffee regularly had levels as high as eight times those who did not—and the difference held steady for people all around the globe.

The research team acknowledges that they do not know what impact higher levels of L. asaccharolyticus may have on people, but suggest it is likely associated with health benefits that have been attributed to coffee drinking. They suggest there are substantial impacts of a single food or beverage on the human gut biome.

Beach Report 11/24/24 - The Buffies are Back!

The first thing we saw when we got out of the car at the parking lot was a small raft of Bufflehead ducks bobbing around the south jetty. I think I saw them a couple of days ago but my phone pictures were inconclusive, so I brought the camera with the long lens today. 

Butterfly season is all but over, but this slightly worse for wear Common Buckeye was still soaking up the sun in the dunes. 

A gorgeous fall day, sunny, still, and with temperatures in the upper 50s.

The tide was on it's way down, but not very low, and the beach was not particularly forthcoming with shark's teeth, only 10 teeth between us.

A Bald Eagle looking out on the Bay from atop a tree atop the Cliff at Matoaka. Probably longing for the good old days a month ago when there were Ospreys to rob and eagerly awaiting their return. 

Random Celebrity News

 For some values of "random", "celebrity" and "news". It's been a while, hasn't it?

Bounding into Sports reports NFL Podcaster Cam Stewart Becomes Public Enemy #1 For Swifties After He Suggests Tossing Taylor Swift Into Niagara Falls. That/s not nice!

It all started when Cam Stewart, one of the hosts of SportsGrid’s “Drew and Stew Podcast,” was talking about the legitimacy of the Chiefs’ 9-0 record on this week’s show. As in – are they what their record says they are, or are they a paper tiger? Conversation then turned to the upcoming grudge match against Buffalo at Highmark Stadium this weekend, and whether or not the Bills have the juice to take down the undefeated and current Super Bowl Champions.

“I love Buffalo,” Stewart said. “I love the people there…I love the food there and I want something positive to happen for these people. “Haven’t they been through enough? Kansas City, ‘Oh, we’re in Kansas City. We’re living the great life. We win every week,'” he added.

Drew Livingstone, Stewart’s co-host, chimed in to point out that Swift is expected to attend Sunday’s game in Buffalo to support her boyfriend and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.  “Oh, who cares?!” Stewart ranted in response. “Throw her in the [Niagara] Falls.”

At RVN,  Former NASCAR Driver Danica Patrick Reveals What She Was Paid To Support Trump

Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick has shared details about her support for President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, revealing she received no payment for her appearances and events in his favor. 

This contrasts sharply with reports that Kamala Harris’s campaign allegedly paid $5 million to rapper Megan Thee Stallion for a campaign appearance, a claim that Harris’s team has yet to confirm or deny. Patrick, 42, supported Trump openly during her first-ever involvement in a political campaign, speaking at a rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and joining Trump on the campaign trail—all without compensation.

From Da Caller, US Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out Of Retirement At 40. Good luck! Break a leg! Ooops, maybe I shouldn't say that.

She’s back! Olympic skiing legend Lindsey Vonn made the announcement Thursday that she was nixing her retirement to make a comeback to the sport, rejoining the U.S. Ski Team. Her intentions will be to race again at 40 years old, as well as six years following her last Olympics. 

On her resume, Vonn has three Olympic medals, including golds in the downhill and a bronze in super-G, both won at the 2010 Vancouver Games. In the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, she won another medal in the downhill, this time a bronze. On top of that, she also has four World Cup championships and eight medals in the world championships.

Outkick, NASCAR's Toni Breidinger Gets Called Up To Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. At least she's not fat or trans.  

Is 2025 the year when NASCAR's Toni Breidinger finally becomes a huge pop culture star?

If Monday's big reveal from Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue is any indication, you're about to see much more of Breidinger.

The Victoria's Secret model, newly signed IMG model and Toyota NASCAR driver announced she'll be in the 2025 SI swim issue via a video where the 25-year-old is in a red bikini, wearing her racing helmet and driving a pink buggy. This is how you make an entrance.

Also at Outkick, Victoria Kjær Theilvig Puts Denmark On The Map As The Country’s First Miss Universe Winner. A white blonde? The dark days are over!

The 73rd Miss Universe competition was held in Mexico City, with the recent unauthorized hotel room visit drama behind it and history was made. No, a biological man wasn't crowned the winner.

The 21-year-old winner, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, was the first winner of Miss Universe from Denmark. It took 73 competitions to be held before someone from the Scandinavian country took home the crown.

The long wait is over. Denmark is on the map. They've finally put one in the win colum. Theilvig topped Chidimma Adetshina of Nigeria, who finished as first runner-up.

Bounding into Sports, LPGA Fan Favorite Charley Hull The Latest Athlete To Break Out The ‘Trump Dance’

Charley Hull does the “Trump dance.” pic.twitter.com/FvXqQz0JsI

— Gregory Scherer (@gregscherer) November 18, 2024

RVM, Jillian Michaels Shreds Dems for Attacking One of Their Own Over Transgender Athlete Stance

Celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels didn’t hold back when slamming Democrats for their attacks on Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., following his comments about transgender athletes, as reported by Fox News.

Appearing on Fox & Friends Tuesday, Michaels warned Democrats that their refusal to address voter concerns could cost them future elections.

“This is why your entire party got their butts kicked in the election,” Michaels said bluntly. Turning to Moulton, she added, “Buddy, take a stand and dig in because this is your moment. Wake up your team because you’re going to lose—not just this one but all the others—if you don’t turn this around. People are sick of it. It’s ridiculous.”

RVM,  Katy Perry Gets Roasted After Failed Attempt to Slam Trump Supporters. She's still a thing?

Pop singer Katy Perry is facing backlash after recommending the film Idiocracy on social media in what appeared to be a jab at President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters.

Perry’s post on X (formerly Twitter) late Wednesday drew ridicule from commenters who argued the Biden-Harris administration better reflected the satirical 2006 film directed by Mike Judge.

Perry bypassed popular movie review platforms like Letterboxd to post her recommendation, saying nothing beyond urging her followers to watch the film.

KATY PERRY@katyperry "just watch idiocracy the movie that’s all"
. . .
“It reminds me of the last 4 years. I voted for Trump in Pennsylvania,” Scott Presler replied, referencing the Biden-Harris administration.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Top Picks of the Day

Jon Levine at NYPo fears Trump picks complicate GOP House majority, could make government body even more chaotic: ‘Panic time’ "“It will be panic time when the first spending bill happens in the new year,” said a second GOP House insider said." Yeah, but spending bill are always panic time. Also, Trump cabinet picks live updates: Union bigs show love for Trump’s labor pick. Althouse, "[A]s a team of ideological rivals contesting for influence and favor, the Trump cabinet seems to be set up for a lot of internal conflict..." "Writes Ross Douthat, in "Three Theories of the Trump Cabinet" (NYT). So there are 3 ways — at least 3 — that Trump's choices might work quite well... or quite badly." At WUWT, A Look At President-Elect Trump’s Picks For The Key Energy Policy Positions. wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "Pundits have noticed the incoming senior appointees are rather young. This is characteristic of the changing of the guard. For comparison the Founding Fathers averaged 44 years of age. Many were under 35. For obvious reasons few had gov't experience."

NYPo, Trump’s labor pick is ‘toxic’ anti-conservative RINO who is too close to unions, critics allege: ‘Not serious’. Stephen Kruiser at PJM thinks The Honeymoon Is Over: Trump's Pick for Labor Secretary Is a Teachers' Union Fave I'm not sure Labor isn't one of those agencies that ought to go away, along with it's business counterpart, Commerce. Fox, Trump picks Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as nation's next surgeon general, "Trump said that Nesheiwat is a 'fierce advocate' for public health." TechJudge @techjudge "Janette Nesheiwat endorsed masks for children, promoted COVID vaccination for all age groups, and approved of censorship by social media companies." But did she learn anything? I don't blame anyone for taking the wrong path on Covid initially. I do blame them when they continue down that path for insidious purposes. NewsMax announces Trump Taps Sergio Gor to Lead White House Personnel and Trump Picks Former NFL Player Scott Turner to Head HUD, another dept. that ought to go away.

And how Trump's earlier picks faring? At Da Caller, Witnesses Told Cops Alleged Pete Hegseth Victim Didn’t Appear Drunk Before Or After 2017 Encounter, calling her credibility into question. At Twitchy, Did Pam Bondi Really Steal a St. Bernard? Journalism Has Gone to the Dogs. A long, sad story. But the short answer is no, she did not steal the dog. She adopted a dog in need in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Vicky Taft at PJM claims You'll Need to Hit the Showers for a 'Sanewash' After This Ridiculous RFK Hit Piece. Da Mail, Matt Gaetz says he'd be in prison if the sex 'smears' were true in first interview since withdrawing as AG pick. Hat Hair notices So Gaetz Is Gonna Be a MAGA Admin Recruiter.

Seth Mandell at Commentary tells How Harris Lost the ‘Weird’ War. Driscoll at Insty answers GRADUALLY, THEN SUDDENLY. Because they were the weird ones after all. Dana Loesch
@DLoesch, "The irony of the party that drowned a woman in a pond, made "secretary sandwiches," got BJs under the Resolute Desk, harassed masseuses for happy endings, filmed a p*rn* in the Senate hearing room, had topless trannies on the WH lawn lecturing the GOP about sexual impropriety." NewsMax thinks Voters Uninspired by Identity Politics Reason Harris Lost. Michael Barone thinks Trump Gains Among Nonwhite People are a Historical Precedent and Possible Harbinger. At OTP, Election Data Suggests Liz Cheney Hurt Harris In Swing States. At Hat Hair Salena Zito reiterates Biden Was the Fluke in 2020, Not Trump in 2016. 

At Da Wire, 53% Of Americans Approve Of Trump’s 2nd Term Plans: Pew Research. Misty Severi at JTN, Pollster John Rogers says nearly one million Republicans who did not vote in 2020 voted in 2024, "Rogers said that he expects to have the final tally of voters in March, but from the numbers they have seen so far, the operation was "tremendously successful across the board.""

Sarah Arnold at TownHall, Bombshell Report Reveals Disturbing Truths About the Biden-Harris Parole Pipeline. Insty, THE DEEPEST CIRCLE OF HELL IS RESERVED FOR THOSE WHO BETRAY A BENEFACTOR: Venezuelan migrant charged with raping his boss’ 14-year-old daughter while living in their Colorado home. At Fox, Blue state to shutter over a dozen migrant shelters as Trump’s set to implement deportation agenda, "The move comes as New York City announces it has catered to 223K migrants sine 2022." NYPo, Zionist org preps list of foreign pro-Hamas students, hoping Trump will deport them and Is it against the law for Trump to use the military to deport illegal migrants? Maybe not.

Da Caller, ‘Tired Of Everybody Questioning Elections’: Idaho County Draws National Attention With Unique Ballot Transparency Tool. Sounds like a cool toy, everybody should have one. 

At his White House Report Card WaEx's Paul Bedard finds Biden sleepwalking into war, Trump taking care of business. Straight Arrow News reports Sen. Mullin blocks promotion of general who led Afghanistan withdrawal. Pop Times CNN Reporter Grills KJP Over Biden’s Sudden Change After The Election. From the Free Bacon, Biden-Harris Admin Races To Dish Out $25 Billion for Green Energy Before Trump Takes Office, Sparking Fraud Fears. The fraud is the point. It's a payoff to supporters. The Center Square sees FEMA under investigation over Trump supporter discrimination “[O]n the condition of anonymity, a FEMA official stated that the practice avoiding ‘white or conservative-dominated’ areas is an ‘open secret at the agency that has been going on for years,’”  

OTP, Trump To Fire Entire Jack Smith Team, Have DOJ Probe 2020 Election. Pop Times, DOJ, Federal Bureaucracy Terrified Of Incoming Trump Administration  Fox, Ret. Gen. Milley says America will 'be okay' under Trump, after reportedly saying he was 'fascist to the core'. "Milley warned that 'outside guys' like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy can either be 'helpful' or reduce Pentagon to 'rubble'.  Kevin Downey at PJM says Don't You Dare Forget What the Democrats Did to We the People.

Paul Bond at JTN, RFK Jr. vs WaPo marks first round in Trump's vow for a showdown with legacy media, censorship. "Many news outlets have published Robert F. Kennedy Jr. profiles in the past 18 months, but The Washington Post’s in June was the only one to warrant a 20-page response from the Trump HHS nominee." Brad Slager at RedState examines The State of Our Media Complex: A Fake Trump Health Crisis Was Manufactured by the Arbiters of Truth. Elon Musk@elonmusk "The growth of propaganda in legacy media is easily tracked simply by counting word frequency." Quote The Rabbit Hole @TheRabbitHole84, "Political Extremism was increasingly mentioned over the last decade in American newspapers." Mike LaChance wonders if he's taking it seriously, Could Elon Musk Actually Buy MSNBC? “How much does it cost?” WokeSpy foresees Several “Fake News” Media Outlets Could Face Bankruptcy During Trump’s Presidency.

At Campus Reform, East Tennessee State University art exhibit displays Nazi swastikas morphing into Christian crosses, features House Speaker Mike Johnson.

NewsBusters observes PBS News Air 10 Minutes of Trans Panic Over Trump's Win, Including the ‘Two-Spirit Kid’. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair adds Yeah. "Trump could really induce some head explosions if he went after the National Endowment for the Arts. That's the pyramid scheme funding PBS and NPR with our tax dollars." From RVN, CA Teens Fight Back After Being Compared To Nazis For Standing Up For Girls Sports. "Two teenage athletes at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, have filed a lawsuit against their school, alleging that officials compared their “Save Girls’ Sports” T-shirts to “swastikas.”" Scott Pinsker at PJM, Bill Maher Beclowns Neil deGrasse Tyson on Scientific Bias: You Are ‘Part of the Problem.’  More at Hat Hair, where Capt. Ed  thinks Neil DeGrasse Tyson Flunks Science and Dave Strom asserts Neil DeGrasse Tyson Is an Ignoramus, Part Deux. Astrophysicists know about as much about sexual biology and economics as the man on the street, maybe less. 

Palm Sunday

with Darja Sobakinskaja:

Round Island Hurricane Palm

Mongabay, Last wild hurricane palm of its kind falls, marking extinction

The last wild Round Island hurricane palm, a rare tree native to Mauritius, snapped during a windstorm in mid-September, marking its extinction. Once thriving on a tiny island in the Indian Ocean, the tree had stood alone for decades as the only survivor of its kind.

Standing 9 meters (30 feet) tall, the Dictyosperma album var. conjugatum hurricane palm was known for its pale blue-tinted fronds and dense crown, and described as “breathtaking” by rare-palm enthusiasts.

“The tree was like the Eiffel Tower of Round Island. Anybody working on plants, reptiles, seabirds, or invertebrates would say, ‘We’ve got to go see it,’” Vikash Tatayah, conservation director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, told Mongabay by phone.

It was native to the 1.7-square-kilometer (0.7-square-mile) Round Island, a strategic conservation area for Mauritius due to its high number of rare, endemic species, including reptiles and birds.

The foundation has been working to save the teetering tree, and other species, for decades in partnership with the Mauritian government and the U.K.-based Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. But years of decline ultimately took their toll.

The trees’ decline began in the 19th century when British colonizers brought in animals like rabbits and goats. The invasive species overran the island’s ecosystem, eroding the topsoil that helps hold palm trees in place. By 1994, only two trees were left; one fell during a cyclone later that year.

But you can buy seeds on line.

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

Sunset - 4:48

Flotsam and Jetsam - Reviewing the Trump Picks

There are lots of reaction to the Pam Bondi nomination for AG, and a shocking number of them from Sundance at CTH, who sometimes seems will only be content when Donald Trump is his own cabinet, Pam Bondi?  AG Nominee Pam Bondi and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles – Ballard Partners Law Firm, Lobbyists, President Trump Nominates Pam Bondi for U.S. Attorney General – The Deep Swamp Smiles. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair is not as upset, as Axelrod, Left Panic Over Prospect of 'Competent' Presidential Wingman at DoJ. WokeSpy, MSNBC Panel Flips Out Over Trump’s “Dangerous” AG Pick Pam Bondi. Cam at Bearing Arms asks a reasonable question, Where Does Pam Bondi Stand on Gun Control? Probably pretty squishy. Paul Bedard at WaEx, Second Amendment advocates urge Trump to leash ATF, pick pro-gun director. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.22.24,  EBL is OK with Pam Bondi for Attorney General,

A whole slew on new nominations too. Atop Da Hill, Trump expected to name Kelly Loeffler for Agriculture secretary. Sundance says Big Ag Breathes a Sigh of Relief, and announces President Trump Announces Nominees for Surgeon General, FDA and CDC, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Dr. Marty Makary, Dr. Dave Weldon, President Trump Nominates Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Secretary of Labor, President Trump Announces Scott Bessent as Nominee for Treasury Secretary, President Trump Nominates Russ Vought for Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and breathes a sigh of relief when Trump Advisor Dan Scavino Says President Trump Never Considered Mike Rogers for FBI Director. I thought the deal with the Senate was Trump got Gaetz and the Senate got Rogers. Clearly, they didn't follow through. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.22.24, Legal Insurrection, Trump Nominates Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Labor Secretary. 

More on previous nominees, at ET, 5 Things to Know About Linda McMahon, Trump’s Nominee for Education Secretary, "McMahon, a major donor and fundraiser for President-elect Donald Trump’s campaigns, is currently a co-chair of his transition team." I hope it's not a reward for service, and she'll actually reform education. Responsible Statecraft predicts With Rubio, Waltz, a harder line on Latin America looms. Leah Barkoukis at TownHall hears Homan Say They'll 'Absolutely' Use Land Texas Offered for Deportation Operation. Collin Rugg at Hat Hair, Hegseth Is a 'Far-Right Extremist' Cuz He Sold *Check Notes* Grenade Soap. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.22.24,  Dana Loesch: Matt Gaetz Falls On His Sword, and Victory Girls: Pentagon Has “Profound Fear And Anxiety” Over Pete Hegseth and Watts Up With That, Confessing to the Error of Biden’s Ways, and A Look At President-Elect Trump’s Picks For The Key Energy Policy Positions NewsMax hears Matt Gaetz: I'm Not Returning to Congress. Capt. Ed, Gaetz: I'm Outta Congress for Good. Sundance, Matt Gaetz Says He Isn’t Coming Back to Congress. Ace, Musk, Vivek Lay Out Their Plans to Make America Solvent Again. "The New York Times ran another hair-on-fire article last week warning of the dangers of Elon Musk's cost-cutting. See, this Lunatic has a crazy way of cutting costs: He just cuts what he thinks can be cut, then sees if he's cut too much and makes adjustments later. Or, if he hasn't cut enough, he cuts some more. It's insane! No company could possibly survive such a regime of cost-cutting!" At Da Fetched, MTG to Work with Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy in New Role as DOGE Subcommittee Chair. At Althouse, "In private meetings at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Musk shows little familiarity with policy or the potential staff members being discussed, but..." ""... he returns repeatedly to a central point: What is required, he says, is 'radical reform' of government and 'reformers' who are capable of executing radical changes, according to two people briefed on the meetings, who insisted on anonymity to describe the internal conversations.... From "Elon Musk Gets a Crash Course in How Trumpworld Works/The world’s richest person, not known for his humility, is still learning the cutthroat courtier politics of Donald Trump’s inner circle — and his ultimate influence remains an open question" (NYT). Who's leaking?" Well, it's the NYT, so there's a pretty good chance they either made it up themselves or got it from some Democrat hack who made it up. On the otherhand, it's pretty useless for us normies to speculate what goes on in his head. We don't have the equipment. Sundance, Donald Trump Jr Outlines How He Exerted All of His Political Capital to Get JD Vance Selected as VP. Dave Strom at Hat Hair reads The Slantic: Trump Assembling Most Anti-Semitic Cabinet in Decades and Pew: Public Feeling Pretty Good About Trump Right Now. PJM's Stephen Kruiser says Trump's Big Tent GOP Seems Like a Great Place to Party for a While. From Sauron's Eye Trump sent two stimulus checks in his first term. Here's what experts say about another payment. Nope. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.22.24,   John Davidson at Da Fed worries that The GOP Establishment Is A Greater Threat To Trump’s Agenda Than Democrats. Could be. On the other hand, State Department Provided Therapy Sessions to Its Employees Traumatized by Trump Victory. Fire anyone who attended.

Hat Hair's John Sexton reads the Bulwark: Trump Is Running Again in 2028. That's just crazy talk, from crazy people. Ace, It's a Clown World After All, "The Bulwark continues farming their hysterical, paranoid readers for trauma-clicks." USA Today hears Trump still hasn't signed agreements to begin transition of power, White House says whines. "Trump has not agreed to memorandums of understanding with the General Service Administration, which includes an ethics policy. The delay in submitting the documents – which typically are filed at least a month before presidential elections – means the government can’t provide security clearances, briefings and resources to Trump’s incoming team before the president-elect is sworn into office on Jan. 20." They tried to screw him last time. From Twitchy, Here's Your Periodic Reminder Lefties Are STUPID: Check Out Their 'Plan' If Civil War Breaks Out, go to the library. Adam Turner at RedState, The Democrats Continue to Fall Down Their Doom Loop. They have to run on something other than hating Trump. 

Ace, After Staging an Insurrection for a Week and Attempting to Steal an Election By Counting Invalid Votes, Bob Casey Finally Concedes the Race for PA Senate to the Winner Dave McCormick. "All it took was the PA Supreme Court telling him to knock it off or face the law. He's claiming he wasn't grubbily attempting to steal a seat he lost, but instead just make sure all the people's votes were counted. Including all the dead people, fake people, and illegal alien people." At WeEx Salena Zite recounts How McCormick won Pennsylvania’s Senate race. Guy Benson at TownHall notes Georgia Conducted a Hand Count Audit of Its Election Results. Guess What it Found? "The results of the manual review released Wednesday showed 11 more votes for Trump and six fewer for Harris out of nearly 750,000 ballots reviewed by election officials across the state." Natalie Mittelstadt at JTN reports that Post-election, some states have already started focusing on election integrity, "Republicans in Ohio, North Carolina, and Arizona are all zeroing in on election integrity ahead of newly-elected officials taking office next year." At Da Signal, Harris Raises Money for Recount as Deadlines Pass to Seek One. "Raising money for a recount without any apparent intent to ask for one is likely acceptable under campaign laws, according to the Federal Election Commission." 

The NYPo ed board opines Biden, Mayorkas race to ensure more migrant damage after they leave. Cathy Salgado at PJM, Biden Administration Rigging System to Protect Illegals From Trump. Ace, Shocker: After Briefly Tamping Down on Illegal Alien Migration Just Before the Election, Biden Re-Opens The Spigots As He Exits the Stage, "Remember when Biden and then Kamala ran on the claim that the Biden-Harris Administration really took illegal immigration seriously and was fighting to tamp down on it? Well, that was a political strategy called "Lying." Da Blaze, Biden to launch ICE mobile app, further disrupting Trump's mass deportation plan: Report. Rep. Tom Tiffany@RepTiffany, "HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra cannot answer why he placed unaccompanied children with sponsors whose address was a strip club. He also cannot explain why he allowed them to be pimped out by individuals with no family ties to them. This is a sickening failure of oversight." At WaEx, Meet the charities spending millions to stop illegal immigrants from being deported. At Tablet, Mark Krikorian is all in on Sending Them Home. "Mass deportation’ starts with the removal of illegal aliens who break the law inside our borders, whether on the streets or on campuses." Pop Times calls it Shocking: NYC Dem Mayor Eric Adams Expands NYPD Using Money for Illegal Aliens after Reduced Influx. Sarah Hoyt at Insty thinks CONGRESS SHOULD PASS, THE PRESIDENT SHOULD SIGN A LAW BARRING FEDERAL FUNDS (EXCEPT IN EMERGENCY) TO ANY JURISDICTION OBSTRUCTING ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL LAWS: Denver mayor threatens to deploy cops, 50K residents in ‘Tiananmen Square moment’ to stop Trump’s mass deportations. NewsBusters, MSNBC Skips, CNN Spends 2 Minutes on Laken Riley Trial in Prime Time. MSNBC, The guilt of Laken Riley's killer was never in doubt, "For all the political controversy surrounding Jose Ibarra, the case against him was always a simple one." A slight revision of their original headline. VodkaPundit at Insty, DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH: Shameless court behavior of migrant charged with robbing and exposing himself to Alvin Bragg’s assistant prosecutor. 

Rick Moran at PJM says Biden's Last Gasp Effort to Forgive Student Loans Is Just as Illegal as All His Other Attempts. Nick Arama at RedState, Biden Gets Confused About Name of NBA Basketball Team He Invited to the White House. Matt Taibi at Racket, The Emperor Has No Brains. "America's post-electoral military escalation might amount to nothing, or it could be the last act of an empire gone mad. On ATACMS, ICBMs, and more nuclear poker." Sundance, Russia Did Not Fire an ICBM Today, They Fired Something Much Worse – A Message. The Daily Economy reports The Federal Debt Just Eclipsed $36 Trillion. Thanks, Brandon!

At Fox, New York judge grants Trump request to file motion to dismiss charges, cancels sentencing indefinitely. "Trump spokesman labels ruling as a 'decisive win' for president-elect." NewsMax, Trump Gets Permission to Seek Dismissal of N.Y. Felony Case. Capt. Ed, NY Mag to Bragg: You Still Here? It's Over! Go Home! UPDATE: Sentencing Canceled. Driscoll at Insty, NY MAG TO ALVIN BRAGG: You Still Here? It’s Over! Go Home! "Everyone seems to realize that the days of lawfare are over — at least for Democrats. Jack Smith has decided to get out of Dodge, er, Washington DC, before the new sheriff rides into town on January 20. The Georgia Court of Appeals suddenly canceled a hearing without explanation, which could mean that Fani Willis has decided enough is enough. . . . Related: New York Judge Indefinitely Postpones Trump Hush-Money Sentencing, Will Consider Dismissing Case. More: Trump’s sentencing in New York has been delayed indefinitely and the Left is NOT TAKING IT WELL. Conan, what is best in life?"

The Unsinkable Mollie@MZHemingway "Exclusive: Pentagon ‘Intentionally Delayed’ National Guard Deployment To The Capitol On Jan. 6." Dave Strom, House Oversight Committee: DoD Inspector General Lied About January 6th. The Divine Ms. Devine at NYPo, Weaponizing of DOJ was a hatchet job against the American people – and the new Trump admin must restore trust.

Mark Tapscott at PJM reports the Biden-Harris Administration Spent $267 Million on 'Misinformation' Research, aka censorship. Driscoll at Insty, BLUESKY IS HELL ON EARTH: John Sexton, NY Times Tech Reporter: Bluesky is Fantastic "Bluesky used to be an annoying anti-Musk hate fest but now it's a freeing anti-Musk hate fest and he loves it."  At MSNBC, Ace reports Joe and Mika's Ratings Continue Collapsing Since They "Slithered on Their Bellies to Lick Trump's Boots", Bonchie at RedState, Stephanie Ruhle Calls Herself a 'Fat Chicken' Who Got Suckered By MAGA, and Then Gets It Completely Right and Sarah Arnold at TownHall hears Joy Reid Spew Hate Toward Trump Supporters Once Again. Imagine, OTP, Musk Floats Idea Of Buying MSNBC. Da Mail, Elon Musk sets his sights on struggling MSNBC as network is spun off by owner Comcast. "The blood in the water at MSNBC set Donald Trump Jr's tongue wagging on Friday. He joked on X: 'Hey Elon Musk... I have the funniest idea ever!' He was responding to a post that incorrectly claimed the network is already for sale. Musk, who launched a hostile takeover for Twitter and won, took the bait. 'How much?' he replied in his own post. While the pair may have been joking, this was the same question he asked in 2017 when a Twitter user urged him to buy the site. Four years later he purchased the platform for $44billion and rebranded it 'X'."  At the MidWesterner, Elon Musk deems Jocelyn Benson’s former employer Southern Poverty Law Center a ‘criminal organization’ "Michigan Secretary of State Benson, was SPLC 'hate 'crime' investigator, served as board director."

At Campus Reform, ‘Queer Marxism’ course coming to Cornell University next semester. Stephen Kruiser has Good News for Republicans — Dems Don't Grasp How Fringe and Cringe Their Coastal Elites Are. At Cal Matters, Conservative professors and students are suing California’s community colleges, and winning. Charlotte Hazard at JTN reports Republican senator introduces legislation to get rid of Department of Education.

Dave Strom sees the NYT Jumps Into Democrat Civil War Over Transing Kids--Guess Which Side They Pick. No need to check. At Twitchy, J.K. Rowling Gives Trans Activist India Willoughby a BRUTALLY FUNNY Lesson in Basic Biology. Jonathan Turley, Expelliarmus!: HBO Delivers Blow Against the Anti-Rowling, Anti-Free Speech Movement. Driscoll at Insty, AND THEN HE CRACKED OPEN A TALL FROSTY BOTTLE OF BUD LIGHT: "Jaguar boss says criticism of rebrand is ‘vile hatred and intolerance.’ The boss of Jaguar has defended the carmaker’s controversial rebrand and described criticism of its marketing campaign as “vile hatred and intolerance”." Insty, 2026 CAMPAIGN COMMERCIALS MAKE THEMSELVES:

Trans activist calls on LGBTQ people to get guns to threaten anyone who doesn’t let men in women’s bathrooms.

Democrats want men like this to invade women’s spaces. pic.twitter.com/U8eRuweXTF

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 22, 2024

At Althouse, "Their existence, and my relationships with each of them, are essential to my understanding of life itself." "That's a very strangely written sentence... by M. Gessen, in "What Democrats Are Getting Wrong About Transgender Rights"" At Breitbart, San Jose State Women’s Volleyball Could Win Conference Championship If Other Teams Forfeit over Trans Player.

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

Rule 5 Saturday - Darja Sobakinskaja

Darja Sobakinskaja is this week's Rule 5 pick

Instagram star, online content creator, and social media personality who is known for her darivo_ Instagram account, which has garnered 410,000 followers. She has frequently posted photos of herself wearing colorful, yet chic and elegant dresses, as well as assorted swimwear.

She began posting to her Instagram account in early 2015. One of her first posts was a picture of herself at Arugam Bay Beach in Sri Lanka. 

 

In September of 2023, she traveled to the Maldives. In August of 2023, she went on a boat trip in Ibiza, Spain. She has also traveled to regions such as Italy and France. Her photos are typically shot or take place in warm, tropical environments. Her arm tattoos are often visible in her photos.

She was born in Russia. 

 But on Instagram she claims Belgrade for home. 

Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Nothing’s Fishy and FMJRA 2.0: Not Thinking About Baseball For Once ready at The Other McCain on time and under budget.