Flotsam and Jetsam - A DIY Quickie

Sorry to do it, 'cause I'll probably have to do it again tomorrow, but I got distracted

Biden Misdismal Administration

X BREAKING: Former President Trump is currently leading Joe Biden by a record six points in the 2024 presidential race among registered voters, according to a recent CNN poll.
Poll: Biden Less Popular Than Carter or Nixon – HotAir
Donald Trump Takes Biggest Lead Ever over Joe Biden in CNN Poll, Third-Party Candidates Expand Trump Lead
New CNN Poll Is a Bloodbath for Joe Biden – PJ Media
CNN Poll Shows President Trump with Strong 6 Point Lead Over Biden that Gets Larger when 3rd Party Candidates Added - The Last Refuge
Biden jokes about himself and Trump at White House Correspondents’ Dinner - Washington Examiner
RFK Jr. Is Poised To Tilt The Presidential Race — But It’s Still Not Clear To Whom | The Daily Caller
Biden's Sad White House Correspondents’ Dinner Performance | Frontpage Mag
Joe Biden is far from 'decent' despite what the media and celebrities may claim
Biden Famously Lied About Being Arrested in South Africa. His Use of Taxpayer Dollars on the Trip Also Brought Scrutiny, Documents Show.
Cannibalism: A Teachable Moment › American Greatness
Fund manager: Jim Biden was in business with Qatari officials - POLITICO
House GOP Raises Alarm Over Biden Family’s Alleged Business With Qatari Officials | The Daily Wire
Instapundit » Blog Archive » UNEXPECTEDLY! Fund manager: Jim Biden was in business with Qatari officials. New details about Jim
James Woods DROPS AOC on Her Air-Filled Head for Claiming THIS is Causing Biden's Southern Border Crisis – Twitchy
Watch This Progressive Student Fall Into the Trap of Admitting Real Reason Biden Doesn’t Secure Border
Illegals Get Separate Line at Airports Because they Don't Have Documentation Verifying Who They Are
All data shows inflation isn't going away, making things tough on Fed
Carney on 'Kudlow': Biden Regulations Are Strangling the Economy
Elevated Inflation, Poor GDP Growth Raise Concerns – HotAir
Trump trashes 'absolute disaster' White House Correspondents' Dinner
Biden Forgets the All-Important Date of January 6th During Speech at High-End Democratic Fundraiser
DHS Keeps Detention Space Unfilled as Criminal Illegals End Up in U.S.
Why Are the Charities Enabling Illegal Immigration Still Tax-Exempt? - The American Conservative
MIGRANT CRIME ROUND-UP: Pedos & Predators Repeatedly Released by Authorities.
The Gloves Will Come Off In A Second Biden Term › American Greatness
OnlyFans Performer Farha Khalidi Says She Was ‘Black Pilled’ After Making ‘Political Propaganda’ Ads For Biden Admin | The Daily Caller
Mounting Evidence Is Pointing To A Nightmare Scenario For The US Economy | The Daily CallerIt's the Economy... Again - American Thinker
Althouse: "President Trump and President Biden are very different in their temperaments... extremely different... but the issues that they differ on are in a very very narrow band."
Joe Biden is Bringing Back '#MeToo' Witch Hunts – HotAir

Elections and Politics as Usual

Kennedy Challenges "Frightened" Trump to a Debate – HotAir
Republicans Favored In All Demographics Except One, New Poll Shows – WokeSpy
RNC requests Secret Service increase protester restrictions for upcoming Milwaukee convention | Just The News
The Democrats’ Plan To Steal The Presidency For Good – Issues & Insights
Ensuring a Republican Victory - American Thinker
The Gutless Old Party - American Thinker

Trump Troubles 

New Bombshell Evidence Emerges: Was Trump Set Up in Classified Docs Saga? – PJ Media
Instapundit » Blog Archive » JACK SMITH MAY HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM: Former Attorneys General Ed Meese and Michael Mukasey point out
Althouse: "So Bragg would use one dead misdemeanor to trigger a second dead misdemeanor to create a felony..."
Sunday Talks - Alan Dershowitz Discusses the Dangers of the Alvin Bragg Prosecution of Trump - The Last Refuge
Trump trial: Key players in the New York hush money trial - Washington Examiner
Justice Kavanaugh Warns of Vicious Cycle of Malicious Prosecutions That Could End Presidency | The Epoch Times
Eric Trump warns Biden could bump into charges for White House cocaine if SCOTUS rules against immunity
Brazile: Supreme Court Close to Election Interference, 'Justice Delayed Is Democracy Denied'Last Week In Lawfare Land: A New Indictment Drop
A defense strategy for the case of NY v. Trump - American Thinker
Media Reports Shocking Trump NYC Witness Intimidation—And Then We Busted Them. – PJ Media
Shock and Awe on the Campaign Trail › American Greatness

Jan 6 and the Deep State 

The D.C. Court’s fiendish plan if the Supremes overrule J6ers’ 1512(c)(2) convictions - American Thinker
It Still Matters That The George Floyd Prosecutions Were Corrupted By Racial Politics - American Thinker

Twitter_Musk

New York Democrats pass ‘welfare for journalists’ credit program - The Post Millennial
Elon Musk Called Out NPR And PBS As 'State-Affiliated': They Freaked

The Culture Wars

Instapundit » Blog Archive » LATE TO THE PARTY: MIT President’s Statement on the Anti-Israel Students’ Encampment. “Here’s the
Campus Reform | Columbia says student who made comments about 'murdering Zionists' to administrators has been 'banned from campus,' won't say if he is expelled
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says she directed police response at Emerson College encampment
Iowa State to close DEI office, eliminate five positions | The College Fix
MIT President's Statement on the Anti-Israel Students' Encampment
College protests are about Israel now, but that will change
In Case You're Keeping Score, Axios Has Mapped Hamas-Supporter Arrests at Colleges – HotAir
Pro-Hamas Protesters Seek Amnesty, Pardons to Protect Careers – HotAir
Hamas Supporting College Thugs Suddenly Worried About Future Job Prospects If They Get Arrested – HotAir
Kara Swisher: It's Just Un-American to Oppose the Pro-Hamas Youngsters – HotAir
Journalist Kara Swisher: 'Anti-American' To Oppose Young Pro-Hamas Protesters
Uncharted territory in court and on campus - The Spectator World
Anti-Israel protest at UCLA attacks Native American woman opposing Hamas - The Jerusalem Post
One Needs to Ask "Where Are Our Children Getting Their Information?" – HotAir
(20) Steve McGuire on X: "A student in the Columbia encampment is asked when she started learning about Israel-Palestine: She says “not too much,” credits a NYC public school teacher for telling them there can’t be much sympathy for Israel’s position, and closes by calling President Obama a terrorist. https://t.co/45xszL4Fag" / X
'The Flag Guy' Gives Pro-Hamas UCLA Encampment a Hilarious Wake-Up Call ... at 4:30 AM (Watch) – Twitchy
Instapundit » Blog Archive » YOU ARE FUNDING CAMPUS HATE: Well, if you pay your federal taxes, that is. Open the Books dug into t
Columbia elects Israeli student for role of student government president - The Jerusalem Post
Instapundit - OCEANIA HAS NEVER BEEN AT WAR WITH ISRAEL: Pro-Hamas Protesters Seek Amnesty, Pardons to Protect Car
It Was Only a Matter of Time Before We Saw Something Like This at These Pro-Hamas Rallies
University of Texas Gives Pro-Hamas Student Group the Boot After Anti-Israel Protest – RedState
College students, faculty demand amnesty for participating in anti-war protests | AP News
UCLA Was Surprisingly Peaceful, Then Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Israel Supporters Clashed | Off The Press
Wearing Masks At Protests Abdicates Responsibility. And That’s The Point | The Daily Wire
Antisemitism and Campus Protests Roil Ivy League Institutions
(20) The Babylon Bee on X: "Ilhan Omar Paraglides Into Columbia Campus To Lead Protests https://t.co/dw9VL2IkzE https://t.co/0xXer2c974" / X
Good news: The nature of the riots this election year suggest the leftist rioters are losing steam – Behind The Black – Robert Zimmerman
Anti-Israel campus “protests”: follow the money; why speech is protected but disruptive conduct is not; SCOTUS rules 9-0 against EPA overreach | Spin, strangeness, and charm
How a Nation Reformed Its Universities | Compact
Democrats Are Going to Get Someone Killed | Frontpage Mag
Green Party Presidential Candidate Jill Stein Arrested | The Daily Caller
We Face a Long Hot Summer - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
JOBOB: UCLA med school faces backlash for requiring woke, ‘fatphobia’ courses | Human Events | humanevents.com
AL Bill Would Ban Drag Queen Story Hours, Open Librarians to Prosecution – HotAir
Joe Biden is bringing back #MeToo witch hunts - UnHerd
The Unprotected Class - Chronicles
Women Forced to Compete Against Men? Just Say No! - American Thinker

The Monday Morning Stimulus

KTLA 5, Coffee in a clay pot? It’s the latest sustainable trend

It might sound strange, but one California coffee chain now offers customers the option to have their brew served in a small clay pot.It’s actually a 3D-printed coffee cup made of just three materials: salt, water, and sand.

Recently, I visited Verve Coffee in Downtown LA, which is partnering with a San Francisco-based startup named Gaeastar to offer sustainable cups.“We’re always looking for new ways to push forward, look to the future, innovate and find ways to be more helpful for the planet,” said Micah Heykoop, who handles marketing for Verve Coffee Roasters.

The small coffee chain, which has roots in California’s laid-back beach town of Santa Cruz, offers the reusable cups for $2 dollars at several locations.“[It’s a] beautiful cup, fun for consumers to use, and something that replaces a huge problem we have, which is a single-use paper cup,” said Heykoop.

Gaeastar founder Sanjeev Mankotia got the idea in India, where they’ve been serving drinks in handmade terracotta cups for thousands of years.Gaeastar founder Sanjeev Mankoti' “Our mission is to eliminate single-use plastics,” said Mankotia.

The ingredients are simple: sand, water, and salt. “We make these rapidly using our proprietary 3d printing technology, with the north star being that one day the machine can sit in a cafe like this or a restaurant and you can rapidly print a plate, a bowl, a cup of any size to go on demand,” said Mankotia. That 3D printing process is closely guarded. It takes about 30 seconds to produce a cup.

“Use it as many times you want. You could wash it, you know, rinse it out, reuse it. It’s yours to keep but if it breaks or you forget it, you can buy another one for a couple bucks,” explained Mankotia. The cups disintegrate when you’re done with them. And if you want to uphold the ancient tradition, you could even shatter it and toss the pieces into dirt to break down.

A couple bucks will also buy a half decent mug at used shop, too.

Beach Report 4/28/24

An absolutely fine day for a walk on the beach. A clear sky, clear water, a SE breeze, and a pretty nice low tide. Although temperatures at home were nearly 80, the breeze off the water was more like 65.

Too bad I couldn't persuade anyone else to come with me. This is what a busy day at our beach looks like. 

I picked up lots of teeth, 32, but only two standouts, this Cow Shark toothy, somewhat the worse for wear,

And this dolphin tooth, also a bit beat. 

Hail To Thee, My Alma Mater

CBS, Cal Poly Humboldt closes campus through end of semester amid pro-Palestinian protests

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt announced Friday that all classes and school business will be conducted remotely for the rest of the semester amid a student occupation on campus protesting the ongoing war in Gaza.

University officials extended the closure of the campus until May 10 — the end of the semester — saying instruction would continue to be remote, after protesters at the university in northern California used furniture, tents, chains and zip ties to block entrances to an academic and administrative building on Monday.

Commencement at the school is currently scheduled for May 11.

Officials said in a statement Tuesday that students had occupied a second building and three students had been arrested. On Wednesday, officials said some unidentified people who were not students were also inside one of the occupied buildings. On Thursday, the university said protesters continued to occupy the two buildings.

A dean at the school, Jeff Crane, suggested during the meeting that the university form a committee that would include students to do a deep dive into the school's investments. Crane also suggested faculty and students continue meeting every 24 hours to keep an open line of communication. The sides have yet to announce an agreement.

The school's senate of faculty and staff demanded the university's president resign in a no-confidence vote Thursday, citing the decision to call police in to remove the barricaded students Monday which led to a violent clash during otherwise peaceful demonstrations.

On Friday, the university released a statement responding to questions from those occupying the buildings. The statement said there will be consequences for actions that violate policy or law, but officials would take into account actions by any students who choose to evacuate the occupied buildings and support efforts to clear them. It did not say the charges faced by those arrested would be dropped.

Humboldt, at the time Humboldt State University, is where Georgia and I got our undergrad degrees, so long ago it's almost embarrassing.  Located conveniently 280 miles (more or less), north of San Francisco, it has a long (and well deserved) reputation for hippiness. The only demonstration I recall from our years their was a mass march around the statue (now removed) of Pres. William McKinley in  the Arcata town square after Kent State. Much wine was consumed, and more than a little weed smoked.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Was Trump Set Up on Document Charges?

Some Key Bridge news to start. First, a bit old. THIRD CHANNEL NOW OPEN: 

A third temporary channel around the #KeyBridge collapse is now open. The Fort Carroll Temporary Alternate Channel, depicted in green, has a controlling depth of 20 feet, a 300-foot horizontal clearance, and a vertical clearance of 135 feet. This will be for commercially essential vessels. 

Officials believe it'll help facilitate around 15 percent of pre-collapse commercial activity.

And then  

The first commercial vessel transited through the Limited Access Channel at the #FSKBridge site Thursday morning. The LAC (which has a controlling depth of at least 35 feet, a horizontal clearance of 300 feet and a vertical clearance of 214 feet) is expected to provide passage for a limited number of commercial vessels into the Port of Baltimore and a departure opportunity for some deep draft vessels currently unable to leave the harbor since the bridge collapse. The Captain of the Port will permit transit within the LAC with restrictions as described in MSIB 043-24, including weather limitation which may impact that transit window.

The deplorable boys with big toys have been at work.

This post from the redoubtable Julie Killy, via Twitchy suggests that Trump may have been set up on the the classified documents charged. 'Absolutely Incredible!' Julie Kelly Shares Unsealed Detail From Trump 'Classified Doc' Case. Julie Kelly@julie_kelly2 "WELL WELL WELL I am pretty sure we never heard this part of the "classified documents/box" story! More from unredacted motions in FLA--this is from an unsealed transcript of witness interview. FBI agent says GSA was holding large quantity of Trump's boxes in VA and then ordered his team to come get them. I am sure NOTHING hanky happened there..." @FreeStateWill "So, in other words, the federal government potentially shipped boxes of classified information from government storage to Trump at Mar-a-Lago, then charged him for possessing it, then rescinded his clearance after charging him?"  At the ET, Jack Smith Argues Codefendant Lacks Merit to Dismiss Charges for Vindictive Prosecution in Trump Case "Prosecutors refuted Mr. Nauta’s claim of vindictive prosecution as ‘punishment’ for his decision not to accept an invitation to appear before the grand jury."

At Fox, Justice Thomas raised crucial question about legitimacy of special counsel's prosecution of Trump "Jack Smith was a private citizen when AG Garland appointed him as special counsel to investigate Trump in 2022." Breitbart notes Justice Alito Presses Jack Smith’s Team on Claim That Former Presidents Lack Immunity. ET again, has Key Takeaways From Week 2 of Trump Trial in New York. Charlotte Hazzard at JTN, Trump blames 'rigged' trial for separating him from Melania on her birthday. ""It would be nice to be with her but I'm at a courthouse for a rigged trial," Trump wrote on TRUTH Social." RCP, Mike Davis: Where Are The Republican Politicians, Why Aren't They Fighting The Democrats' Lawfare? Insty cites the WSJ, ALL THE DISINFORMATION THAT’S FIT TO PRINT: Will heavy-handed U.S. intelligence spooks re-elect Trump? Will the New York Times help? "They’ll do their best"

At Da Mail, NY DA Sandra Doorley refuses to stop for cops after being caught speeding because she 'didn't feel like it' and was stressed from working on murders. Above the law.

Gallup reports Biden's 13th-Quarter Approval Average Lowest Historically "Averages 38.7% job approval," Leading Report@LeadingReport "BREAKING: Joe Biden’s administration has formally begun planning for a potential presidential transition." Community notes adds "This report is accurate, although context is needed. The Biden administration is required to do so under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to ensure continuity of government in the event he is not re-elected. " The Guardian sees Morehouse students criticize Biden as commencement speaker: ‘A political pawn to get Black votes.’ ABC whines about Chants of ‘shame on you’ greet guests at White House correspondents’ dinner shadowed by war in Gaza

At Twitchy, Jill Biden Stepped in As Joe Told U.S. Wounded Warriors the Good News (About More $$$ for Ukraine). I'm sure they appreciated that. Breitbart is amused Biden Appears on Howard Stern Show After Snubbing ‘New York Times’. A pair from Althouse. First, "In the weeks since his rowdy State of the Union speech... President Biden has shown a looser, more comfortable version of himself..." Writes Chris Cameron, in the NYT. It's a puff piece. What can you say? I'll just say I wouldn't have written "continue roasting Mr. Trump" so close to "eaten by cannibals." Then Scoop: A man walks. NEWSMAX@NEWSMAX, "Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who was a member of former President Donald Trump's Cabinet, told Newsmax that President Joe Biden's mental and physical condition "puts the entire country at risk." MORE: https://bit.ly/44kLMzA"

Steve Richards at JTN, DOJ’s refusal to turn over Hur tapes to Congress sets up a contempt fight. "Congress has faced obstacles to its various investigations into the Biden Administration in its broad impeachment investigation." Gabe Kaminsky at WaEx, Top Biden officials likely violated key federal law, watchdog says. Hatch Act, nobody ever gets in real trouble. At worst they get their tallies whacked.

Stacy McCain takes note of the Secret Service DEI Quota Hire Goes Completely Berserk at Andrews AFB. "“Let’s hire this kooky woman who filed a bogus discrimination lawsuit against her former employers to guard the Vice President of the United States, because what could possibly go wrong?” Have I mentioned lately that Crazy People Are Dangerous?"

Defense One notes the Army is teaching Ukrainian. Hmm. At WaEx What happens if Biden’s Gaza pier gets Americans killed? I think Abbey Gate settled that. 

From Da Caller, Biden Admin Crushing Alaska For Sake Of Reelection. Not to worry, they only have 3 electoral college votes. 

Matt Margolis at PJM sees Bill Barr Doubles Down on Supporting Trump in 2024, and CNN Can’t Even "If faced with a choice between two people, neither of which I think should be president, I feel it’s my duty to pick the person who I think would do the least damage to the country," Barr explained. "And I think Trump would do less damage than Biden. And I think all this stuff about a threat to democracy, I think the real threat to democracy is the progressive movement and the Biden administration." Jazz Shaw at Hat Hair wonders Would Trump Really Disband NOAA? No, but there are vast areas that should be trimmed. 

A triple at Althouse "RFK Jr. is a Democrat 'Plant,' a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden... "Blasts Donald Trump, from Truth Social", and "When frightened men take to social media they risk descending into vitriol, which makes them sound unhinged." "Tweets RFK Jr., responding to Trump's tweet, which we discussed here yesterday" and Can Kristi Noem survive — politically survive — the killing of her dog? Country girls have country ways. Jazz Shaw at Hat Hair sees Maine and Nebraska Going Tit-For-Tat Over Trump? "If Nebraska Republicans changed their electoral college rules to help Donald Trump this November, a top Maine Democrat said her party would try to do a similar move to counteract the impact." From WaEx, Maine has plans to counteract Nebraska’s Electoral College scheme. 

At Da Caller, WaPo Runs 5,000 Word Profile Of Man Imprisoned For Threatening Marjorie Taylor Greene and a sympathetic one, at that.

Misty Severt at JTN reports Man who filmed death of Ashli Babbitt during January 6 riot sentenced to six years in prison PM, BREAKING: BLM activist who went to Capitol on Jan. 6 to 'incite violence' sentenced to 6 years in prison, "Sullivan was charged with felony obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder and prosecutors said he sought to "incite violence." He may catch a break if the Supreme Court tosses the obstruction charge. 

Steve Richards at JTN, Ex-Cassidy Hutchinson lawyer seeks default judgement against Jan. 6 Select Committee "Stefan Passantino had sued the government over claims about the ethics of his legal work by the Jan. 6 Select Committee. The J6 Committee failed to respond in a timely manner, his motion argues."

At Red State, Jen Van Laar reports a WHISTLEBLOWER claims LA DA Gascón Illegally Dropped Charges Against CEO of China-Linked Election Software Firm.

Also at Red State Brad Slager sees NPR Journos Suggested Reading Their Site to Prove They Are Unbiased – This Was a Grave Mistake. Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks Most Dishonest Reporter in America Buys The Onion. Most dishonest reporter in America? That's a pretty high bar.

From the Free Bacon, Columbia Lets 48-Hour Deadline Slide With No Action Against Student Protesters. However, Hat Hair's John Sexton reports Columbia Suspends the 'Zionists Don't Deserve to Live' Student Leader, because he made them look bad. At WaEx, New York duo introduces COLUMBIA Act to require antisemitism monitors at colleges. Shouldn't be necessary. Hat Hair's KT reports UT-Austin Students Arrested During Protests May Not Freely Roam the Campus. KOLD 13, 72 people arrested for trespassing after Israel-Hamas war protest at ASU Tempe, but will any actually be charged? RedState's 'Bonchie' wants you to WATCH: Pro-Hamas Protester Squealing Like a Stuck Pig As Trooper Carries Her Away Is Gen-Z Personified. At Hat Hair, Emory Professor Shocked to Find She Has No Special Dispensation to Assault an Officer

Here’s that Professor of Economics who was arrested at Emory university and everyone seems to think is some poor victim of police repression. Caroline Fohlin ADMITS she hit a police officer on the head. Even professors are not allowed to assault cops. Yes, even professors. pic.twitter.com/YK5TrZokPD

— Heidi Bachram 🎗️ (@HeidiBachram) April 27, 2024

Well, you got his attention. At TownHall, Matt Vespa says Bill Maher Said What We're All Thinking Regarding These Pro-Hamas Clowns Blocking Traffic   “If you have to block traffic in the name of a cause, no one likes you,” Wait, Did Ilhan Omar Really Say That About Jewish Students?,. Spencer Brown thinks  The Terrorists Are Running the Asylum. and Kurt Schlichter wonders Will Jewish Voters Stop Voting for the Democrats Who Want to Kill Them? Probably not; they seem remarkably stubborn. Even Newsweek opines, It's Time to Act Against Antisemitic Behavior on Campus. At NYPo, George Soros is paying student radicals who are fueling nationwide explosion of Israel-hating protests. From Ni Delusions, No Despair, Ben Kerstein, warns This is the way 1968 ends... "Not with a bang, but with Nazism."

From Da Mail,. Middle schoolers study in FEAR after being forced back to class with 'troubled' trans kid who named 45 on 'hit list': Boston parent says 'they know the school is not protecting them'. At tDa Blaze,  Riley Gaines shares cringey locker room details about Lia Thomas with Sage Steele

Rick Moran at PJM, DeSantis Tells Biden That Florida 'Will Not Comply' With New Title IX Rules for Transgender Students. 

Oilfield Rando@Oilfield_Rando, "Want extra layers on this one? The drag queen, “Lil Miss Hot Mess”, is University of Arizona Professor Harris Kornstein. Kornstein received a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment for Humanities, New York Post@nypost "Outrage as drag queen leads young kids in ‘free Palestine’ chant: ‘Wrong on every level’ https://trib.al/9V3P8rX"

The Free Bacon, UCLA Med School Launches Review Of ‘Health Equity’ Course But Warns That Whistleblowers Could Be Disciplined. "Move comes after Harvard Med School dean slammed class and called for investigation. . . . That warning appears to be a reference to an earlier incident in which a guest lecturer, Lisa Gray Garcia, led the required course in chants of "Free, Free Palestine" as well as a prayer to "Mamma Earth," part of which was caught on tape and thrust the course into the national spotlight."

Sunday Sunrise

Maryland, My Maryland

Maryland's Train to nowhere going nowhere. From the Bay Journal, Not so fast: Maryland high-speed train project hits skids.

One of the main selling points for constructing a $13 billion magnet-propelled train line between Washington, DC, and Baltimore is speed. Proponents envision levitating train cars going 300 mph and higher, reducing the travel time between the two cities to a mere 15 minutes.

But those go-fast ambitions have collided with the go-slow realities of acquiring state and federal permits. The mounting difficulties threaten to derail the high-profile project.

First came the Federal Railroad Administration’s decision in 2019 to pause the five-year, $28 million study of the project’s potential environmental impacts, citing the need for additional engineering and design details. After work on the study restarted, the FRA initiated a second pause in 2021 without finalizing a preferred route.

Nearly three years into the effort’s current suspension, an FRA spokeswoman told the Bay Journal in April that “there are no updates available.”. The study must be completed and federally approved for the project to move forward.

Now comes another big wrench in the works: Northeast Maglev, the private company leading the project, withdrew its application in late December for a water-quality certification from the Maryland Department of the Environment. The move came after MDE indicated it was poised to reject the request, pointing to a bevy of missing details, such as finalized design plans and stormwater discharge totals.

Northeast Maglev didn’t make a representative available to comment for this report. But the company has notified MDE that it intends to reapply after it acquires more engineering and design information.

Some environmental groups, including the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, have thrown their support behind the project. They say the high-speed train will result in a net win for the environment by removing millions of polluting car trips from area roadways, leading to improved air quality.

But many conservationists remain opposed. Among them: the Anacostia Watershed Community Advisory Committee, Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter, Beaverdam Creek Watershed Watch, the Maryland Ornithological Society and the Friends of Patuxent Research Reserve. They greeted the permit withdrawal announcement with cautious relief.

“We were very excited,” said Rhonda Kranz, president of the Maryland Coalition for Responsible Transit, an anti-maglev community group. “We spent so much time going to hearings and writing a 600-page report. They can still come back with this, but I think it was a real win.”

Critics have raised myriad objections to the project.

Although the train itself doesn’t directly emit greenhouse gases, opponents contend it would still need enormous amounts of electricity derived from fossil fuels. They also take issue with Northeast Maglev’s preferred route, which would slice through several federal properties, including portions of the Patuxent Research Reserve. And with an expected average fare price of $60, they say it would be a viable option only for the wealthiest commuters.

“At its core, our big concern with the maglev project is it requires extensive amounts of new infrastructure to do basically the same thing that MARC [Maryland Area Regional Commuter] and Amtrak are currently doing,” said Kyle Hart, Mid-Atlantic program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association.

The train’s special U-shaped guideway would run mostly through tunnels bored up to 320 feet below the surface. About 70% of the 40-mile route would be underground, but it would emerge above ground as much as 150 feet overhead along “viaducts” perched on concrete piers. The service would operate between dedicated new stations at Mount Vernon Square in DC and the Cherry Hill neighborhood in Baltimore, with a single stop at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

That's a lot of boring. 

Japan, which pioneered maglev technology in the 1970s, has pledged $5 billion toward the U.S. construction project. Backers hope to eventually extend the route to New York City. A full trip between there and DC, roughly 200 miles, would take just an hour, they say.

Maryland’s water-quality certification process is triggered whenever a new project is expected to discharge polluted stormwater into waterways protected by the federal Clean Water Act. Northeast Maglev’s permit application identifies seven Chesapeake Bay tributaries to be affected, including the Anacostia, Little Patuxent and Severn rivers.

The project would require about 450 acres of trees to be cleared. About 22 acres of wetlands and nearly 13,000 linear feet of streams would be impacted. Northeast Maglev told MDE it would use state-approved treatment practices during construction and in the installation of stormwater facilities to ensure that the discharges meet water-quality standards.

In a Dec. 22 letter to Northeast Maglev, Danielle Spendiff, head of MDE’s regulatory division, wrote that even after receiving additional details from Northeast Maglev, the agency still “does not have a reasonable assurance that this project will comply with water quality standards.”

She pointed to several flaws in the developer’s request. Those included that the project’s layout remains conceptual, efforts to address floodwaters with underground storage may be “challenging or infeasible,” and there are scant details on how sensitive species, such as freshwater mussels, will be impacted.

Less than a week later, Northeast Maglev notified the agency that it was pulling the application but would “reapply when the project documents are detailed enough to address MDE’s comments.”

Spendiff replied that “it is strongly recommended (although not required)” that Northeast Maglev wait until the federal environmental impact study resumes and there is more certainty surrounding the preferred route.

“I read that as, ‘Please don’t waste our resources,’” said Dan Woomer, a past president of the Coalition for Responsible Transit. His organization, he added, supports enhancements to MARC, Amtrak and other public transportation options to help relieve the region’s congestion.

It is unclear when or if the federal environmental impact study will restart. The effort has run out of federal funding, and any further work would require additional outlays, said Nora Corasaniti of the Maryland Department of Transportation in a September 2023 email to state Democratic Del. Nicole A. Williams of Prince George’s County, who had requested an update on the project.

I find it somewhat ironic that the project seems to be stalled by environmental concerns. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Joe Says He'll Debate Trump

 But I have my doubts. At  Althouse, "Biden, asked if he’s planning to debate Trump, says 'I am happy to'" — asked by Howard Stern. "The NYT reports." "Oh? Let's see how they weasel out of it. It was a gaffe, right? Somehow it will be impossible to get the conditions right. " Insty, IS THERE ENOUGH ADRENOCHROME* AVAILABLE IN THE WORLD FOR THIS TO HAPPEN? "Biden Says ‘I’m Happy To Debate’ Trump."  At Hat Hair, Four More Lies Biden Told Howard Stern. Greg Price@greg_price11, "On Howard Stern's show today, Biden claimed... - He saved 6 people from drowning as a lifeguard (Lie) - He received "salacious pictures" from women in the 70s that he handed to Secret Service (Definitely a lie and senators don't have secret service protection) - That he was arrested as a kid while standing with a black family on their porch as people were protesting desegregation. (Lie) - That he was "runner-up in state scoring" in football. (Lie)" Walter Mitty had nothing on Joe Biden. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.26.24 (Morning Edition), EBL, Joe Biden: How Many Times Does Trump Have To Prove We Can’t Be Trusted? Anxious anxiously claims a Scoop: Biden's walkers "President Biden has introduced a change to his White House departure and return routine: Instead of walking across the South Lawn to and from Marine One by himself, he's now often surrounded by aides. Why it matters: With aides usually walking between Biden and the press' camera position outside the White House, the visual effect is to draw less attention to the 81-year-old's halting and stiff gait, Axios' Hans Nichols and Alex Thompson report." Nick Arama at RedState CONFIRMES. Watch the Cover-Up by Handlers in Real Time as Joe Biden Shuffles From Marine One. Hat Hair's KT notes Biden Flubs January 6 Reference at Celeb-Studded Private New York Fundraiser. It wasn't June 6. 

WSJ, cited at Hat Hair, NEW: Biden Panics Over Black Voter Exodus, Drops Menthol Cigarette Ban, Capt. Ed comments "What an obvious pander ... on an extraneous issue. Black voters aren't walking away from Biden over his dumb idea to ban menthol in cigarettes. They're growing disaffected over concerns about the economy, crime, and illegal immigration." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn predicts the future, All Hail Caesar: Benevolent POTATUS Will Allow Smoking of Menthol Cigs...Until Election Is Over. Breitbart would like you to WATCH — NYC Construction Worker Shares Message to Joe Biden: ‘F*ck You. James Bovard at NYPo observes Biden vexes commoners with yet another election money grab. 

Insty has an interesting update on the Secret Service agent on Kamala Harris' detail who got in a fist fight with another agent, JIM TREACHER: Has the Secret Service Gone Insane? Brie Stimson, Fox News: "Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service, called the incident a “medical matter,” adding that the agency wouldn’t be commenting further. . . . P.S. Okay, I was right: Herczeg used to be a cop in Dallas, and in 2016 she sued the department for $1 million over “gender bias.” And then she blackmailed her way into the Secret Service." At the Corner, Luther Ray Abel adds: Unfit Female Agent Responsible for Secret Service Ruckus. How Herczeg came to be in the vice president’s employ after such an experience is an open question, as security for the president and those in his orbit are expected to have spotless backgrounds and years of experience. It’s fair to wonder if the Secret Service’s signing on to the 30×30 initiative, a pledge to have 30 percent of all law enforcement women by 2030, could have forced the qualification of Herczeg when her record was below the level expected of male officers."  At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.26.24 (Morning Edition), EBL One of Kamala Harris’s Secret Service Agents Acted “Erratically”. Wow. Anyway, it's only Kamala.

Cathy Salgado at PJM notes California Takes the Lead in Illegal Migrant Apprehensions. mrcTV reports Illegal Aliens Sent to Martha's Vineyard Get Special 'Crime Victim' Visas. Like the rest of the islanders they're 'special' people. At Da Caller, ‘For The Love Of God’: Leaked Audio Reveals Dem Gov Ripping Biden Admin Over Border Security. Capt. Ed, "MLG's office confirmed that the leaked audio was genuine and didn't dispute that it was Mayorkas on the other end. That makes me think that MLG's office may have leaked it. She may need to defend herself from angry New Mexico voters about Biden's border crisis." 'Bonchie' at RedState, LEAKED: Secret Recording Shows Dem Governor Slamming Border Patrol for Seizing Drugs, and making them look bad. 

At Twitchy, Biden's INSANE Proposed Capital Gains Tax Would WRECK Economy, but the base must be secured at all cost.  Hat Hair's Dave Strom examines the 'Equity' at the Heart of Biden Tax Proposal. Hat Hair's Jazz Shaw, Biden EPA Threatens to Shut Down Coal Plants Amid Energy Crisis. 

Vijeta Uniyal at LI reports Report: Gaza Terrorists Attack U.S. Humanitarian Pier During Construction Work "i24NEWS: “Gazan terrorists fired mortar shells on Wednesday towards the construction work on the humanitarian pier being built off the coast of Gaza.”" Like the scorpion and the frog. 

Breitbart thinks the Supreme Court Poised to Agree with Trump: Former Presidents Are Immune from Some Prosecutions. WaPoo, naturally, disagrees, The Supreme Court appeared poised to reject Donald Trump’s sweeping claim that he is immune from prosecution on charges of trying to subvert the 2020 election, but in a way that is likely to significantly delay his stalled election-interference trial in D.C." Jonathan Turley at NYPo, Oral arguments suggest the Supreme Court’s about to plunge into a constitutional abyss in Trump immunity case. Jonathan Turley@JonathanTurley "In the Supreme Court arguments over presidential immunity, Trump’s best attorney proved to be Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Bragg is the very personification of the danger immunity is meant to avoid."  Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller, Jonathan Turley Says Alvin Bragg Is Making Trump’s Immunity Case ‘For Him’. At Da Fed, Brianna Lyman notes Biden DOJ Says Droning American Citizens Is Totally Fine Because Obama’s DOJ Said So and Shawn Fleetwood claims Sotomayor Hijacks Trump Immunity Hearing To Push Democrats’ Debunked ‘Fake Electors’ Smear. "Contrary to Sotomayor’s web of dishonesty, the naming of contingent Republican electors during the 2020 election was neither unprecedented nor unlawful." 

At Da Caller, Trump Defense Attorney Fires Crippling Shots At Alvin Bragg’s Case Just Minutes Into Cross-Examination. Sarah Arnold at TownHall, Trump's Attorneys Find Holes In Witnesses' 'Catch-and-Kill' Testimony. TNP, Trump Trial Day 3: Trump Lauds ‘Breathtaking’ Pecker, Who Continues to Shaft Bragg. PJM's Matt Margolis, Here’s Why Alvin Bragg's Case Against Donald Trump Is Collapsing. At this point, they're just relying on a biased jury to hand a victory to Bragg, rather than winning them over with evidence and law. PJM's Vicky Taft calls  This New York City Prosecution of Trump a Dangerous Legal Jenga Game for Democrats.  Insty cites DON SURBER: Trump, the Happy Warrior. "In New York, where Alvin the Chipmunk Bragg is trying him because a porn whore extorted money from him, the jolly times continued. . . " Althouse, "What Harvey Weinstein’s Overturned Conviction Means for Donald Trump’s Trial." "A good title. It's something I was trying to parse on my own yesterday." NY's  conviction of Weinstein's thrown out because the prosecution put a lot of women on to allege bad acts by Weinstein that were never charged, thereby biasing the jury. That pretty much describes Bragg's case.

TNP asks DID YOU NOTICE? Biden DOJ’s SCOTUS Attorney Was Also Robert Mueller’s Russiagate Lead. "The attorney representing special counsel Jack Smith before the United States Supreme Court‘s hearing over former President Donald Trump‘s presidential immunity claim was also a ringleader behind the Russia collusion hoax. Michael Dreeben, a federal attorney with the Department of Justice (DOJ), was revealed in 2018 as the primary legal mind behind special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into allegations that Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 election." Greg Byrnes at PJM, What Do New Documents in 'Plasmic Echo' Case Reveal About the Feds' Surveillance of Trump?

What have we learned? First, there's the case code name "Plasmic Echo." According to a consultation with Dr. Google, a Plasmic Score measures the aggregation of platelets in the heart that can lead to thrombosis — in other words, whether you have the big one that lays you out in the silk at the local funeral parlor. Hmmmm. You have to love these FBI guys. They go right to the heart of the matter when they move in for the kill.

Second, the FBI surveilled Trump’s plane. One would think that an ex-president’s plane is his castle, but in what the FBI likes to call its “loose surveillance,” a new state of affairs exists. There doesn’t appear to be anything “loose” in the modern federal domestic surveillance state. Clearly, if Trump picks his nose, the Feds will have a record of it, loose or otherwise.

Mark Pulliam, claims The Rule of Law Depends on John Eastman. Chuck Devore at Da Fed, USAA Scorns Its Trump-Voting Members By Debanking The Lawyer Who Defended Him. At Am Think, Wolf Howling thinks Democrats Need To Be Held To Account For Denying Trump’s Due Process Rights.

From the College Fix, Republican AGs accuse Ed Dept. of partisan vote harvesting for Democrats. Nate Silver warns Democrats  Don't confuse attention-seeking activists for "the youth vote", "Student loan relief isn't a big deal to most voters. And the youth voter turnout surge of 2022 is a myth." At Da Fed, MD Kittle says Leftist Group Screams ‘Voter Suppression!’ After Colliding With Arkansas Election Law, Shawn Fleetwood observes As More GOP Officials Refuse To Follow Biden’s Federal Election Takeover, Others Are Mum, and Tristan Justice reports Utah GOP Gov. Spencer Cox’s Reelection Campaign Is Bankrolled By Far-Left Democrats.

Matt Vespa at TownHall, Creator of the West Wing Blames This Person for January 6...And It's Not Trump, Mark Zuckerberg? The Hollywood Reporter reports Aaron Sorkin Writing a Potential ‘Social Network’ Sequel: “I Blame Facebook for Jan. 6”. Capt. Ed comments "Sorkin wanted to tell a fictional story for his own purposes in the original. I'd expect no less of a sequel." Dave Krayden at HE claims Spies are the foundation of the American police state.

Gail Heriot at Insty, TRUTH ISN’T A DEFENSE: A judge on the Superior Court in San Diego has been disqualified from hearing cases under the Racial Justice Act on the ground of bias. In part he is accused of having said: “There is absolutely no evidence that … the proportion of persons in an ethnicity committing a crime must be the same as the proportion in the population.” The problem, of course, is that statement is plainly true.

TNP reports One of The People Indicted by Arizona’s Far-Left AG is the RNC’s Election Integrity Chief. The Babylon Bee quips Arizona Indicts Trump Allies For Questioning Election Results While Republican.

Ace woke up and noticed Self-Proclaimed "Mary Poppins of Disinformation" and "Disinformation Czar" Nina "Stanky Janky" Jankowicz, Has a New Grifter Operation She'd Like the CIA to Donate To. "Former Biden "Disinformation Czar" Stanky Janky has begun a new anti-"disinformation" grift. Do you smell that? That's the smell of just-laundered CIA and State Department money."

Stacy McCain takes on ‘Selma Envy’ and the Left’s Increasing Embrace of ‘Eliminationist Rhetoric’. From NYPo, Cops take down Emory professor at anti-Israel protest that turned violent, wild video shows, Anti-Israel protesters who set up ‘intifada’ tent camp at state-funded NYC college seen pushing school security in dramatic video,  University of Washington anti-Israel encampment postponed over lack of diversity and George Soros is paying student radicals who are fueling nationwide explosion of Israel-hating protests. Da Caller, Soros-Backed DA Lets Pro-Palestinian Protestors Walk Scot-Free In Texas. Ace, Shock: Pro-Hamas Smelly Filthy "Protesters" Turn Violent In Atlanta, Austin, and NYC. "I'm gutted. I never saw this coming." I&I,  These Are The Students Biden Wants To Bail Out — With Your Money.  From Breitbart, Dem Rep. Manning: College Protests Aren’t Pro-Palestinian, They’re Anti-Israel and Antisemitic. At Insty, DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: Take Columbia’s Khymani James — please. "Well, they may be ignorant or stupid, they may be evil, but they may also need help. Take, for example, Columbia undergrad Khymani James — please. James may be in need of help, but he appears to be busy negotiating with the authorities at Columbia to stand down," and YOU WOULD NEED A HEART OF STONE NOT TO LAUGH:

"Call the Philosophy department!" is my new favorite battle cry. I cried laughing I admit. https://t.co/A5fAo3e0nq

— Lex Jurgen (@Lex_Jurgen) April 25, 2024

At Hat Hair, Beege Welborn says Nice Kid: Leader of Columbia Hamashole Protests Told University 'Be Glad I'm Not Out Murdering Zionists'. The Free Bacon, Exclusive: Notes From Princeton Activists Show Coordination Between Campus Radicals and Outside Groups Aimed at Outfoxing University Administrators "Columbia University protesters are training and coordinating with their peers around the country, notes show." The Babylon Bee, ‘Israel Must End Its Illegal Occupation!’ Cry People Staging Illegal Occupation. Capt. Ed, Yes, it's satire, but it's spot-on. Intellectual consistency isn't something one should expect from ... [checks notes] ... Ivy League undergrads. 

Yale professor accuses Columbia president of plagiarism.

Let them escalate this into a full-blown plagiarism war. Let them settle scores and exact petty revenge through accusation and counter-accusation. Let faculties fall into suspicion and recrimination.

This is glorious. https://t.co/RE4ZSSptLg

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) April 26, 2024

Grayson Bakich at PJM reports Trans Boy Beats Another Girl in Indiana. Max Eden at CJ says the Biden Admin is Institutionalizing a Lie. "The Biden administration’s new Title IX rules mean that all American public schools must operate on the fundamental falsehood of gender ideology." Capt. Ed comments "This really should become a decision point for Republicans and moderates concerned over the marginalization of biological girls and women in education. It's time to pass follow-the-student funding everywhere we can, especially in Texas, where a few Republicans gummed up the works in the last session. Governor Abbott made six of them pay in this cycle for selling out children and families of modest means. No more pussyfooting around this issue. The time is now to force change onto an education bureaucracy that has been fully captured by radicals, including Joe Biden, as this Title IX order demonstrates."

At mrcTV, New Mexico High School Hires Erotic Dancer In Drag to Perform At Prom "Pissed-off parents of Atrisco Heritage Academy High School students in Albuquerque, New Mexico are now demanding to know why - and how - the school hired a provocative dancer to perform at the school’s prom, after video went viral online showing a drag queen performing a striptease-like dance on the school gym surrounded by teenage students."

Rule 5 Saturday - Angelina Michelle

This week's paragon of feminine beauty is tinger extraordinaire Angelina Michell

Popular social media personality and beauty model known primarily for her lifestyle and modeling themed videos posted on her angelin_a_michelle Instagram account. Due to the popularity of her Instagram account, she has accumulated over 1.1 million followers on her profile.

She first began posting content on Instagram in May 2017. She posted an August 26, 2021 Instagram video that received over 330,300 views.

She is based in Milan, Italy.

In a May 12, 2021 Instagram video she featured the song "Music To Watch Boys To" by Lana Del Rey.

Maryland, My Maryland

Sara Dogan at Front Page calls the U. Maryland Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies  A Case Study in ‘Jew Hatred’

The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at the University of Maryland has repeatedly promoted Jew hatred and demonstrated its disdain for academic neutrality by using official university channels to demonize Israel, condone Hamas terrorism, and delegitimize the world’s only Jewish state.

On October 13, just six days after Hamas’s barbaric attack that killed over 1200 innocent Israeli civilians in the most brutal ways imaginable, WGSS posted a statement on the official department website concerning “violence in Gaza and Israel.” The statement was attributed to the National Women’s Studies Association and was reproduced in full on the Maryland WGSS departmental page as an obvious show of solidarity and agreement with its precepts.

Instead of condemning Hamas for its brutal and unprovoked attack on Israeli civilians or excoriating their use of rape as a weapon of war, the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department attempted to whitewash the terrorist group’s action, urging that “The current escalation must be viewed in the context of decades of illegal Israeli military occupation and systemic violent campaigns.”

Using anti-Semitic language which demonized and delegitimized Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, the statement went on to condemn “the ongoing and persistent U.S. government’s support for Israel’s apartheid regime” and to characterize the Palestinians and Hamas as exemplars of “liberation and resistance movements led by other indigenous, colonized, and oppressed peoples everywhere.”

Lending a note of irony, the statement claimed that “As feminists, we recognize that violence and war often inflict gendered and sexualized harms on women and queer, trans and non-binary people.” It is clear from the context of the statement, that its authors believe such “sexualized harms” to stem from the actions of Israel, a laughable claim given that Hamas forces literally raped and mutilated women and children on video during the October 7th massacre and punish homosexuality in Gaza with death.

The statement also vowed its support for the genocidal and Hamas-directed Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel: “Today, we reaffirm our unwavering support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) resolution, which NWSA passed in 2015.”

Not content to let this tribute to Jew hatred stand on its own, approximately a week later, WGSS posted a second statement on the official department website “in solidarity with the people of Gaza.” The statement was attributed to the executive committee of the American Studies Association.

Making absolutely no mention of Hamas’s unprovoked atrocities on innocent Jews at a music festival and elsewhere in Israel, the statement instead alludes only to “the escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel” as if Hamas—which controls Gaza—was not the sole instigator of the recent barbarity. It goes on to explain that the organization “continues to stand with the Palestinian people and their ongoing struggle for liberation” and to offer “support [to] those who speak out against the intensifying onslaught on Gaza, whose destruction has killed nearly four thousand Gazan residents and displaced hundreds of thousands more.” Instead of condemning Hamas’s brutal terrorism and violence to civilians, the statement urges the “need to situate today’s events in a historical, political and regional understanding.”

Rather than demanding that Hamas immediately cease its genocidal war on Israel and the Jews—an objective stated plainly in the Hamas charter—the statement instead called for “an immediate ceasefire and release of humanitarian aid to Gaza” as well as for “the US to end support of Israeli apartheid and work toward negotiations.”

Divest from the University of Maryland.