Bay Dead Zone Reverts to Average

 EPA Bay Program, Chesapeake Bay dead zone "near average" in 2024

Today, Chesapeake Bay Program partners announced that the Bay’s “dead zone” in 2024 was near the long-time average taken from 1985 to 2023. Dead zone conditions began forming from late April to early May, reaching a peak sometime in June to July and ending in October.

This announcement aligns with the Chesapeake Bay dead zone forecast made earlier this year, in which researchers called for a near-average dead zone.

“The past few years of near or below average Bay-wide hypoxia levels are a good sign that Chesapeake Bay nutrient management actions are working, but these must be continued if we are to outpace water quality degradation due to climate change,” said Dr. Marjy Friedrichs, research professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Dead zones are areas of low oxygen that form when high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus enter the water through polluted runoff and feed naturally-occurring algae. This drives the growth of algal blooms, which eventually die, sink and decompose, removing oxygen from the surrounding waters faster than it can be replenished. This creates low-oxygen—or hypoxic—conditions at the bottom of the Bay that limit habitat for crabs, oysters, fish and other wildlife.

In the Chesapeake Bay, hypoxia levels are estimated from late spring to early fall by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), each using a different combination of monitoring and modeling tools to make their estimates. This year, the VIMS model estimated that the total volume of hypoxia was somewhat above the long-term average taken between 1985 to 2023, with higher peaks in mid-June and mid-July, but a lower volume of hypoxia in the water occurring in August. According to DNR’s estimates, which are based on semi-monthly monitoring cruises measuring dissolved oxygen, hypoxia levels were higher than the long-term average during the early June cruise but were below average for the rest of the summer.

Typically, the volume of hypoxic water in the Bay is greatest in late July and early August, but DNR and VIMS both noted that this year some of the highest levels of hypoxia occurred unusually early, in early June. As the remnants of Hurricane Debby passed over the region in early August, hypoxia dramatically decreased, in part due to strong winds mixing oxygen from the surface of the Bay into its deeper waters. Hypoxic conditions then remained relatively low in September and into early October, when hypoxic conditions ceased.

How much money, and how many people livelihoods were ruined by 33 years of focusing on reducing the "Dead Zone" as the  main goal for the Bay diet? 

Notice, much of the article is devoted to explaining how the weather this year affected the level of hypoxia. That's true every year! Weather dominates that formation of the dead zone. Efforts to control the level of hypoxia by reducing nutrients have had only a slight effect, if any at all. 

I hope the next iteration of the Bay cleanup focuses more on local areas, with unique problems. Fix the bad problems at the edges first, and the great middle will eventually follow. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Sonny Hostin Forced to Publicly Recant Gaetz Libel

Matt Margolis at PJM notices Sonny Hostin Looks Suicidal As ABC Forces Her to Issue a Correction After Smearing Matt Gaetz. At Da Fetched, ABC’s Sunny Hostin Forced to Issue Legal Correction About Matt Gaetz Live on Air. Insty, PUNCH BACK TWICE AS HARD: George@BehizyTweets, "THIS IS BEAUTIFUL! The View had to read a legal notice about the fake claims made against Matt Gaetz, or he would've sued them into oblivion. He's not even Attorney General yet, and they're already walking on eggshells."  At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.19.24 (Afternoon Edition),  Louder With Crowder: Whoopi Goldberg caught LYING about bakery denying her order due to her “politics”.   At ET, House Ethics Committee Not Releasing Gaetz Report For Now "Calling it an unfinished work product, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) said the report ‘has not gone through the review process.’" For now. At WaEx, A ‘Hail Mary’: Trump looks for workarounds to install Gaetz without Senate. Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social@TrumpDailyPosts, "“President Trump Tells Senate Majority Leader Thune That If Matt Gaetz Is Not Confirmed As AG He Will Use The Federal Vacancies Reform Act To Appoint Him” @JeffClarkUS From Steve Bannon War Room @Bannons_WarRoom". Sundance at CTH, Harriet Hageman Outlines Support for Matt Gaetz and the Status of DC Activity. At OTP, Nikki Haley Gets Nasty, Calls Tulsi Gabbard ‘Sympathizer’ Of US Enemies, "Haley: Gabbard 'Sympathizer' Of US Enemies." From the Maine Wire, Collins, Heading for Clash Over Trump Cabinet Picks, Says She’ll Seek 2026 Re-election. At TownHall, 'Becca Downs wonders Did Elissa Slotkin Come Up With the Most Laughable Attack Against Pete Hegseth? (a high bar) and Matt Vespa worries Is There Trouble Ahead for Pete Hegseth?

Sundance hears President Trump Announces Matt Whitaker Will be U.S Ambassador to NATO and is Contemplating the Next FBI Director. Josh Tierney at Insty, says UNLEASH RFK JR.: "Shake up HHS. The department, exposed during the pandemic for its incompetence and groupthink, is in desperate need of reform—which Robert Kennedy Jr., whatever his flaws, will pursue. As Jeffrey Anderson points out, RFK rightly criticized the public-health establishment for protecticing Big Pharma by promoting remdesivir, an expensive drug with no proven effectiveness against Covid, while ignoring evidence that low-cost ivermectin might be effective — and bizarrely launching a public-relations campaign to convince the public that this widely used drug was suitable only for horses." Althouse wonders Why doesn't this article even mention RFK Jr.? This is precisely his issue. "I'm reading "We Tire Very Quickly of Being Told That Everything Is on Fire," by Jeneen Interlandi in the NYT." At Da Fed, Tristan Justice reports The Senators Who Will Vote On RFK Jr. Have Raked In Millions From The Pharmaceutical Industry. Pop Times thinks it's Shocking: Democrat Fetterman Supports Rival Trump CMS Appointee Mehmet Oz as CMS Administrator.   From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.20.24 (Evening Edition), EBL: Sean Duffy For Secretary of Transportation, Twitchy: While The Left Yells At Him, Cenk Uygur Realizes MAGA Is Willing To Listen To His Ideas, Dana Loesch: Trump Misses 11th Circuit Appointment Because GOP Senators Didn’t Show Up, MTG Threatens GOP – If Gaetz Report Is Released, Release All The Claims. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair WaPo Wonders: Why Won't Trump Let 'Deep State' Vet His Nominees?

Victory Girls pleads Ron DeSantis: Please Don’t Pick Lara Trump For Rubio’s Seat. The Ohio Star, DeWine’s Senate Seat Pick Could Alienate MAGA Voters, Conservative Leader Warns. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, DOGE Already on the Path to Shrinking Government. Eric Daugherty@EricLDaugh, "NEW: If Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy through Trump's "DOGE" require federal workers to come back to the office and not work remotely, a lot of workers may quit. Well, @ElonMusk and @VivekG Ramaswamy, looks like you found the first easy way to get rid of a bunch of employees. “The stress would be through the roof. I am at the point where if I had to commute, I would resign. I would take this as a sign to move on and start a new chapter in my life," one person said. "Early priorities include an effort to immediately end remote work across federal agencies, making a five-day work week a requirement for all federal employees." - CNN" RCP sees Trump Takes His Time With Secret Service Director Choice. Dave Strom, Trump Is Getting a Honeymoon, Believe It Or Not. From WokeSpy, Cenk Uygur Wants To Be Put In Charge Of The Pentagon. Good luck with that. 

John Sexton at Hat Hair wonders Will Democrats Ever Get Tired of Losing? I hope not. At Althouse, "Malpractice was committed by that campaign. They saw the ad, they knew it was being bought in heavy quantities. Where were they? What were they thinking?" "Said Ed Rendell, a former governor of Pennsylvania and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who "was so alarmed by the Trump attacks that he called top Harris campaign advisers, pleading for them to respond directly."" Scott Pinsker at PJM, Who Is AOC Blaming for the Democrats’ Election Day Defeat? Why, the Jews, of Course! Josh Barro at Very Serious says Democrats Will Not Win By Changing the Subject. Rich Lowry at NYPo hears ‘Whispered conversations’ on woke overreach drove pro-Trump election backlash. Matt Vespa, Jon Stewart Rips Into Dems for Their Obnoxious Sugar-Coating of the 2024 Election. John Sexton, Jennifer Rubin's Messaging Advice to Dems: 'Republicans Want to Kill Your Kids'. Sarah Anderson at PJM, Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes: Business Receives Backlash After Refusing to Serve Trump Supporters. Insty, IF YOU CAN’T GOVERN, WHY SHOULD YOU WIN?: Lee Fang@lhfang "Democrats won supermajorities in California a long time ago and cities ended up getting less safe, housing got more expensive, and the high speed rail just sat there, never getting completed. Can't restore faith in the party until you fix the state that has come to define it." Tom’s Substack We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you this important announcement… So, yes, Trump won.  Indeed, he won convincingly; having the White House, both houses of Congress, a majority of state governorships, and, from his first term, the Supreme Court.  It’s hard to imagine a more convincing win in the modern era. What does that mean for you, dear leftist with some sense of self-preservation?"

Vicky Taft at PJM, Do You Want to See How Elections Are Stolen? Watch Pennsylvania. Nick Pope at Da Caller, ‘Corrupt Tyrants’: Irate Citizens Skewer Bucks County Commissioners For Flagrantly Violating Election Law. Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports Dems sue PA county boards to count rejected provisional ballots in Senate race. "There are more than 3,200 provisional ballots that were rejected in the 10 counties facing lawsuits." Pop Times sees Liberal Incompetence at Work: Democrats Still Counting Votes After 2 Weeks for House Races   Eric Daugherty@EricLDaugh "JUST IN: Arizona finished counting votes." Chi Trib, Conservative group asks US Supreme Court to reverse ruling that allows Illinois mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day. At OTP, Former Georgia Poll Worker Indicted In Bomb Threats.

Riley Gaines

At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.19.24 (Afternoon Edition), Twitchy: Riley Gaines Wonders When Congress Will Kneel For 18 Minutes To Honor Laken Riley and Louder With Crowder,  Trump’s border czar wastes no time: “We will designate the cartels as a terrorist organization”,   ABC, Laken Riley case: Suspect found guilty by judge in campus killing, sentenced to life. Hannity, 'JUSTICE FOR LAKEN RILEY!': Donald Trump Reacts to Jose Ibarra Verdict. Ace, The Illegal Alien Who Murdered Laken Reilly, With An Assist from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Is Convicted on Ten Counts "Update: Tren De Aragua "Migrant" Arrested for Robbing Manhattan Prosecutor After Masturbating In Her Home." "If only we had a border at which we could stop foreigners from entering the country until we investigated them and approved their entry." OTP reports Trump To Bring Back ‘Remain In Mexico,’ Start Deportations From Day 1. Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "Democrats: “Trump can’t use the military to help deport illegals!" Also Democrats: Called in the National Guard to deport 50 illegals out of Martha’s Vineyard to a military base within 48 hours of their arrival." VodkaPundit at Insty, CRISIS BY DESIGN: Visegrád 24@visegrad24, "Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) said that she will work with Trump on border security. Asked about mass deportations, she said she “will not tolerate misguided policies that don’t actually help with the critical work that’s happening here. I will not tolerate terrorizing communities or threatening Arizonan.”" Althouse asks, rhetorically, Why didn't the NYT publish this report before the election? "I'm reading "The Hidden Truth Linking the Broken Border to Your Online Shopping Cart/The incoming Trump administration promises an immigration crackdown. But for years, the on-demand economy has been fueled by unscrupulous staffing agencies exploiting migrant workers." This would have been useful to voters. Too useful, I suspect. This issue seems to have been suppressed, papered over by Trump-is-a-racist rhetoric. "Hidden truth," indeed."

At Hat Hair Capt. Ed notices Nate Silver Wonder Why Is This Man Still Around? and Dave Strom says Anybody Notice That Nobody Is In Charge? Hollywood in Toto, NOW It’s OK to Mock Biden’s Mental State, **UPDATED "Kimmel, Fallon tee off on Commander in Chief's Amazon Rain Forest walkabout." At ET, Trump Calls on GOP Senators to Halt Biden’s Judicial Nominees.

Sundance, Glenn Greenwald Outlines the Clear and Present Danger as Biden Administration Directly Attacks Russia. Politico, Finland urges NATO, EU to shield critical networks after undersea cables damaged. Capt. Ed, Hmmm: Danish Navy Corners Chinese Vessel After Baltic Telecom Cable 'Sabotage'. Visegrád 24@visegrad24 "BREAKING: The Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 has been chased, intercepted, and boarded by Danish Navy vessel Y311 Søløven after the Chinese vessel destroyed 2 undersea telecom cables linking Finland-Germany and Sweden-Lithuania. The vessel sailed from Russia & the captain is Russian." Oh great, WWIII about to start in the Balkans, again. 

Stormy Daniels

PJM's Stephen Kruiser wonders Are the Lawfare Lunatics Sweating Yet?. Pop Times notices even Stormy Daniels P*rn Lawyer Michael Avenatti Wants Trump’s “Hush Money” Verdict Thrown Out.

The Blaze attempts to piece together the mystery of Frick and Frack, Mysterious Babbitt shooting witnesses incited rioters, met secretly with Capitol Police on January 6. Pretty clearly inside men. At Da Caller, Rumored Trump FBI Candidate Mike Rogers Has History Of Feeding Into Russiagate, FISA Spying. Appoint him, then abolish the agency.

Greg Piper at JTN reports the  'Censorship cartel' is on its heels as Trump appointees, litigation crack open alleged conspiracy "Federal judge grants further legal discovery into censorship pressure after SCOTUS setback this summer while censored journalist discloses "as close to a smoking gun as we could hope to find now." Dave Strom notices X Is the Nonpartisan News Source, Which Drives Liberals Nuts. Driscoll at Insty, has NEWS YOU CAN USE? Want To Exchange Ideas With Annoying Liberals Like Yourself? Here’s How To Delete Your X Account and Join Bluesky.

Wow. CNN admits that @X now represents the average ideological makeup of the US better than it ever did before @elonmusk bought it. Incredible to see them admit this after all the fearmongering they pushed about X since Elon bought it.pic.twitter.com/BzYUxApUoq

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) November 19, 2024

Ars Technica, has a Report: DOJ wants to force Google Chrome sale, Android de-bundling. Greg Lukianoff at the Eternally Radical Idea, foresees The fall of the AAUP. "Before accusing FIRE of dishonesty, partisanship, and ideological capture, they should really look in the mirror."

James Lynch at NRO, Speaker Johnson Announces Males Will Be Banned from Women’s Bathrooms on Capitol Hill. Capt. Ed, House Speaker: Biology Matters on Capitol Hill. Gail Heriot at Insty, BATHROOM WARS: "Single-sex Congressional bathrooms will remain single-sex, not single-gender. Note that members of Congress have their very own private bathrooms, so the newly-elected transgender Representative from Delaware–Sarah McBride–will not be forced to use the men’s room. The notion that federal laws banning sex discrimination require that transgender individuals be assigned to the bathroom that correspond to their gender (rather than their sex) has always been a non sequitur. The logic of the arguments that are made for it would lead to unisex bathrooms, not bathrooms based on gender." OTP, Trans Rep.-Elect McBride Plans To Use Men’s Restroom At Capitol “I will follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson, even if I disagree with them.” From Twitchy, Tim Miller Imagines Sarah McBride at the Urinal Next to Speaker Johnson in Weird Scenario. John Sexton reports a Trans-Woman Incarcerated in Women's Prison Allegedly Raped and Impregnated a Fellow Inmate. Bailiff, whack his pee-pee. Insty, SHE’S J.K. ROWLING. HER CRITICS ARE CRAZY PEOPLE OF NO IMPORTANCE. PoIiMath@politicalmath, "This is about as close to "fuck off" as a corporation like HBO is going to put in a press release so I'll take it". Quote, Variety@Variety, "HBO stands by J.K. Rowling as it reboots "Harry Potter" for television. “J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement."  

Tattoo Thursday

The Independent, Jennifer Lopez appears to remove ‘commitment’ tattoo amid Ben Affleck divorce

It seems that Jennifer Lopez has removed her “commitment” ribcage tattoo amid her divorce from Ben Affleck.

At the Toronto International Film Festival, the 55-year-old Atlas actor stunned in a gorgeous disco ball-esque gown with black ties – which many have dubbed a revenge dress. The silver dress was designed by Tamara Ralph and was paired with a metallic Judith Leiber clutch, Hassanzadeh jewelry, and Dolce & Gabbana platform heels.

The gown’s side openings strategically showcased Lopez’s bare ribcage. The dress also revealed that Lopez’s tattoo, which she got to commemorate her union with the 52-year-old Oscar winner, was seemingly gone for good.

So much for commitment.

Maryland, My Maryland

WBOC, Federal Government Announces Additional H-2B Visas, Raising Hopes for Maryland's Seafood Industry

The federal government has announced nearly 65,000 additional H-2B seasonal worker visas, almost doubling the current availability. The move offers a glimmer of hope for Maryland's Eastern Shore seafood processors, who have long struggled to secure sufficient labor under the existing system.

However, it remains unclear how many of the new visas will be allocated to the seafood industry or Maryland specifically.

Seafood processors, primarily located in Dorchester County, have repeatedly voiced concerns about the Department of Homeland Security's lottery system, which randomly allocates the visas. The system often leaves many processors without the workers they need.

Jack Brooks, of J.M. Clayton Seafood in Cambridge, called the additional visas good news but stressed the need for broader reforms.

“We don’t know how they’re going to be appropriated yet,” Brooks said. “They all won’t be released at once, so there should be some for most states in need. We’re tickled they decided to do that.”

 

Brooks also advocated for the elimination of the lottery system, an issue Maryland’s U.S. senators and an Alaska senator are working to address.

“The language [for reform] is very simple, very straightforward,” Brooks added. “It’ll get us off this treadmill that we’ve been on since 2005.”

Maryland Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen released a joint statement, saying, “We will also continue pressing forward with our efforts to pass a permanent, narrowly tailored fix for the H-2B program to better support Maryland's seafood processors while supporting American jobs. Improving the reliability of the H-2B program.”

Brooks noted that the seafood processing industry on the Mid-Shore requires about 500 visas annually to be fully staffed. This past year, it received slightly fewer than needed. While the additional visas offer hope, their impact on Maryland’s seafood industry remains uncertain.

I'm old enough to remember when Black women living on the Eastern Shore did the vast majority of the crab picking.

Beach Report 11/20/24

A warm, mostly overcast, and still day at the beach.

The tide was low, but not very, if you know what I mean. Still, with a little wading it was low enough to go up as far as I wanted to go

This small White Shark was the best of 16 shark's teeth.

  

Flotsam and Jetsam - Appointments, We All Have Appointments

And former and President to be Trump has a lot. Sundance at CTH is following closely, Reported Senate Offer: We’ll Give You Matt Gaetz in DOJ, if You Give us Mike Rogers in FBI, New York Times Claims “Hacker” Has Accessed Legal Files on Matt Gaetz, MAGA Pressure Worked – Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin Reverses Position, Will Now Support Matt Gaetz for AG, President Trump Announces Nomination of Linda McMahon for Education Secretary, President Trump Nominates Dr Mehmet Oz for Administrator of Medicare and Medicaid Services, REPORTS: President Trump Likely to Nominate Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary and President Trump Confirms Nomination of Howard Lutnick for Secretary of Commerce With a Twist. NewsMax, NY Times: Hacker Accesses Damaging Testimony on Gaetz. At Da Wire, Pete Hegseth Could Bring An End To DEI In The Military As Defense Sec, Expert Says. At TownHall Kurt Schlichter thinks SecDef Pete Hegseth Will Be a Welcome Injection of Vitamin I (Infantry). Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed is pissed about the Media Lie About Pete Hegseth’s Christian Faith To Falsely Smear Him As Racist. At Insty,  I ALREADY SUPPORT HIM, YOU DON’T HAVE TO SELL ME: Ian Jaeger@IanJaeger29, "BREAKING: The Pentagon is reportedly legitimately concerned that Pete Hegseth if appointed Secretary of Defense will immediately defund the close to $86 BILLION spent on DEI initiatives in the Pentagon." (It's $86 million).  Laughing Wolf calls the attacks on Hegseth Predictable, If Despicable. Hat Hair's Dave Strom sees RFK in the Crosshairs of Democrats, Big Pharma, and Big Food. Politico lauds Health care organization launching ‘Stop RFK War Room.’ YouTube, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’s not anti-vaccine and that he’s the subject to new form of censorship. Leslie Eastman at LI, sees The New York Times Accidentally Admit RFK Jr. is Correct on Food Additives. "NYT fisked for flawed ‘fact check’ of RFK Jr.’s assessment of Froot Loops and food dyes." Anxious is anxious that Trump to tap Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary. WSJ doesn't seem to be Trump Picks Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary. ABC, Donald Trump to nominate Dr. Oz for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Misty Severi at JTN, Trump taps transition co-chair Linda McMahon as Education Secretary. PJM's Stephen Kruiser, Trump Tags in Linda McMahon to Body Slam Dept. of Education. Jen O'Connell at RedState hears Independent Contractors Sound the Alarm: PRO-Act Sponsor Lori-Chavez-DeRemer Is Not Fit to Be Labor Secy. Insty, OF COURSE NOT. DEMOCRATIC HACKS ARE PRESUMPTIVELY QUALIFIED: Bonchie@bonchieredstate "How much transportation was in Pete Buttigieg’s bio? How much healthcare was in Xavier Bacerra’s bio? Surely you complained about those too, right?" Quote Aaron M. Renn@Aaron_renn "Not much about transportation in that bio. x.com/shelbytalcott/…" Capt. Ed at Hat Hair likes a New Poll: Majority of Americans Approve Trump Transition. Paul Bedard at WaEx, Public likes Trump’s picks: RFK Jr., Musk, Rubio, and Huckabee most popular. At Breitbart, Understanding Recess Appointments as President Trump Prepares for Second Term. 

From WaEx, Republicans dig in and dispatch hundreds of lawyers to Pennsylvania’s Senate battle. From TNP, Dem Election Deniers in Pennsylvania and Iowa Refuse to Concede. Cutie Pavlich at TownHall, Governor Shapiro Finally Weighed in on Democrats Trying to Steal a Senate Seat. "I want to be clear: any insinuation that our laws can be ignored or do not matter is irresponsible and does damage to faith in our electoral process. The rule of law matters in this Commonwealth, and as I have always said, it is critical for counties and officials in both parties to respect it with both their rhetoric and their actions." Stephen Kruiser at PJM, Pennsylvania Sure Has Been Full of Surprises This Month. Capt. Ed, Final Vote Tally in PA: McCormick Up 16,404 Over Casey. ET, Republican Eric Hovde Concedes to Tammy Baldwin in Tight Wisconsin Senate Race Without Recount.  Rick Moran at PJM, How Starlink Stole the Election and Other Fanciful Election-Denying Claims on the Left. MD Kittle at Da Fed, Minnesota Election Official Faces Felony Charges For Allowing Unregistered People To Vote.

Insty, THE HOUSE OF STEPHANOPOULOS: Trump Has No Mandate. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair VIP, Today's Deep Question: Does Trump Have a Mandate?. To his voters, every President has a mandate, to his opponents, he doesn't. Don't spend a lot of time on this question. Dave Strom thinks Gen X Elected Donald Trump. Matt Margolis finds Democrats in Crisis As New Poll Shows Voter Confidence in Trump. NYPo's Divine Ms. Devine thinks Nancy Pelosi is finished — no one deserves more blame for Dems’ $1B electoral collapse. Wooden stake, garlic. At Hat Hair, Duane Patterson sees a Democratic River of Denial Flows From D.C. to the San Francisco Bay , Poker Star Daniel Negreanu Drops a Truth Bomb on the DNC. 

Fox, MSNBC contributor fuels 'Morning Joe' boycott after Trump meeting: They don't 'appreciate' their audience, "'The market works great. You can stop watching Morning Joe anytime' Jennifer Rubin told her social media followers."  Insty,  I’M CONVINCED: MSNBC contributor Jennifer Rubin fuels ‘Morning Joe’ boycott after Trump meeting: They don’t ‘appreciate’ their audience. Jeff Goldstein at Protein Wisdom Reborn,  Episode 12: Repulsion and other sensations  Hat Hair reinterprets Mediaite, Jon Stewart to ScrewYourBorough: 'But You Said He Was Hitler". OTP, MSNBC Staffers, Liberal Viewers Say Betrayed By Mika, Joe’s Trump Detente. 

Democrat election meltdowns over Trump set to heavy metal.

This is actually really good work.pic.twitter.com/CZaVLYtm3j

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 18, 2024

At Hat Hair, Dave Strom, The NeverTrump Grift Continues and John Sexton, Rick Wilson Is Starting a New Opposition Research Group Aimed at Elon Musk. Matt Vespa thinks Nothing Will Ever Beat Allan Lichtman's Meltdown on Piers Morgan's Show. Insty, ANNALS OF LEFTIST AUTOPHAGY: ‘Don’t Call Me Stupid!’ Cenk Uygur Ignites Powder Keg of a Segment When He Slams ‘Deluded’ Election Forecaster.

Some miscellaneous stuff. From Fox, FEMA director vows to request IG investigation into order to avoid Trump supporters' houses. "Ex-FEMA employee Marn'i Washington says she is being scapegoated." OTP, ACLU Sues Ahead Of Trump’s Mass Deportation Program. Can't they wait until he does something, or at least puts out a detailed plan?OTP, Oregon Governor Stockpiles Abortion Pills After After Trump Win. Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok, "BREAKING: Insurrection happening right now in the Senate building by pro-Palestine protesters." Book 'em, Dano. 

And now, for the waning days of the Biden/Harris administration. Dave Strom says WTH? Ukraine Using US Weapons to Attack Deeply Into Russia. Althouse, "Ukraine’s military used American-made ballistic missiles on Tuesday to strike into Russia for the first time..." "... just days after President Biden gave permission to do so in what amounted to a major shift of American policy." Insty, JOE BIDEN REALLY MAKING THE MOST OF HIS LAST 62 DAYS IN OFFICE: "Biden approves antipersonnel mines for Ukraine, undoing his own policy.  President Joe Biden has authorized the provision of antipersonnel land mines to Ukraine, two U.S. officials said, a step that will bolster Kyiv’s defenses against advancing Russian troops but has drawn criticism from arms control groups." If you don't like our principles, don't worry, we have others. Julio Rosas at Blaze, Laken Riley murder suspect confirmed to be part of brutal Venezuelan gang. At Da Mail, Violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua expands to take foothold in 16 US states covering half of America's population, Homeland Security warns. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair notices POTATUS Wasn't the Only Thing Missing From the Big G20 Picture. G19.5.

VodkaPundit at Insty thinks IT WOULD TAKE A HEART OF STONE NOT TO LAUGH: DNC union rips leadership for laying off employees without severance. Sarah Anderson at PJM claims the Harris Campaign and MSNBC Involved in Major Ethics Violation Over $500k 'Donation' to Al Sharpton. Victory Girls, Money Talks And B.S. Walks As Kamala Learns. Matt Vespa hears Dem Strategist say A 'Household Name' Isn't Giving to the DNC Anymore Because of the Kamala Debacle.

Fox, Trump judge still awaiting Manhattan DA's sentencing recommendation. Maedline Leesman at TownHall, Manhattan DA Gives Recommendation on How to Proceed in Trump’s Hush Money Case. Sentence him in 4 years! Susie Moore at RedState, Alvin Bragg's Office Requests Delay of Trump's Manhattan Case. Capt. Ed, Bragg Recommends Postponement of Trump Sentencing; UPDATE "Under New York state law, Trump can't appeal the conviction until sentencing is complete. If Merchan freezes the case in its current status, would that prevent Trump from seeking relief at the appellate level, or would Merchan rule that an appeal could proceed? That's a good question, and you'd better believe that Trump's attorneys will want a waiver under those circumstances, if necessary." Law&Crime, New York judge has not called off Trump’s hush-money sentencing hearing. Collin Rugg@CollinRugg, "JUST IN: Judge Juan Merchan delays ruling on whether or not to dismiss Donald Trump’s guilty verdict in the hush money case. The decision was supposed to be made today however it will be delayed until November 19. The freeze will allow prosecutors to respond to Trump’s demand that the case be dismissed now that he is president-elect."

Capt. Ed says Hmmm: Georgia Appeals Court Cancels Hearing on Trump Appeal

TNP, Bannon’s New York Trial Postponed Until After Trump’s Inauguration. Breitbart, has a Report that Multiple DOJ, FBI Officials Weigh Lawyering Up in Fear of Being ‘Criminally Investigated’. Now that's funny. Pop Times, Bureaucrats Contemplating Mass Exodus Ahead of Trump’s Inauguration. It's already working! OTP, Trump: Oust FBI Chief Wray. "Trump Moves To Axe FBI Chief Wray",. GatewayPundit, What’s Going On Here? Paper-Shredding Truck Spotted Outside Department of Justice Building Days After Trump Announces Matt Gaetz Attorney General Nomination

From Da Fetched, Google to Host Party for Leftists Plotting to Derail Trump’s MAGA Agenda. From Reuters, DOJ to ask judge to force Google to sell off Chrome, Bloomberg News reports, and he's not even in office yet. Driscoll at Insty, NO WONDER THE LEFT HATES TWITTER: DC_Draino @DC_Draino. "We had free speech on 1 social media app for less than 2 years and won the White House, Senate, House, and the popular vote This is why they freaked out when @elonmusk bought Twitter Their regime can’t survive without censorship." Also, TYLER O’NEILL: Cancel Culture: SPLC Targets the Real-News Partner of The Babylon Bee. "Still smarting from the loss of its access to Washington as President-elect Donald Trump gears up to reenter the White House, the Left’s cancel culture enforcer has trained its sights on Not the Bee, the real-news partner of the Christian satire site The Babylon Bee."

Dave Strom sees an Insane Battle Brewing Over Bathrooms in Congress, as Nancy Mace doesn't want to share space with the tranny from Delaware. Breitbart, House Republican seeks bathroom ban ahead of chamber’s 1st transgender member. Twitchy, You Got BODIED, Son! Nancy Mace BUSTS Aaron Rupar Talking SMACK and Calling Her 'Transphobic' and HOOBOY.

The College Fix, ‘Indoctrinating’: U. Oklahoma’s mandatory critical race theory course may violate state law. Pop Times reports Trump Promises Restitution for Victims of DEI Discrimination

The Wednesday Wetness

YaHoo! Maryland officials urge residents, businesses to conserve water with ongoing drought

State environmental officials are urging Marylanders and businesses to reduce water use when possible as the department has expanded drought watches and warnings across the state. The Maryland Department of the Environment made the announcement Monday, noting there have been six months of below-average rainfall and "virtually no rain this autumn."

With 0.57 inches of rain, the Hagerstown area just had its fourth driest October dating back to 1898, according to local weather observer Greg Keefer's website at https://i4weather.net. November also has been dry, with another 0.57 inches as of Sunday.

The state has not issued any mandatory water restrictions, though the Town of Oakland in Garrett County in far Western Maryland announced earlier this month some restrictions on water use. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources also continues to have a statewide burn ban in effect.

It's been dry here. Fortunately our water supply doesn't depend on rain.

"Science" is Dead, Long Live Science

Via Insty, THIS IS WHAT YOUR TAXES FUND: Get a load of the website of URGE. It’s all about “unlearning racism” in science. Yes it is funded by the National Science Foundation (as the web site proudly declares).

Notice they all have masks?

Flotsam and Jetsam - PA Supreme Court Orders Democrats to Stop Stealing Another Election, Again

Mary Chastain at LI, PA Supreme Court Orders Counties to Stop Counting Illegal Ballots, "At least three counties attempted to defy the original order and count every ballot." Erick Erickson,  Democrats Try to Steal an Election and Prosecute These Threats to Democracy. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Stop Trying to Steal PA Senate Seat, Says ... WaPo Editors? and PA Supreme Court -- And Shapiro -- to Law-Defying Dem Vote Counters: Knock It Off! Jeff Blehar is *BOX OFFICE POISON*@EsotericCD, "A "shall comply" order from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. (Or, more accurately, a SHALL COMPLY order.) The court has lowered the boom - their third ruling on this issue, the first after election day. What will the rogue Democratic election supervisors do now? Quote, Greg Price@greg_price11 "BREAKING: The PA Supreme Court has sided with Dave McCormick and the RNC and has *once again* ruled that Democrat counties stop counting misdated and undated ballots to try and steal the Senate race for Bob Casey." Susie Moore at RedState, BREAKING: PA Supreme Court Stops the Steal. Matt Margolis at PJM, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Tells Democrats to Stop the Steal. Ace, in red italics (but not all caps, these details matter) and with the flaming skull, Pennsylvania Supreme Court to Democrat Election Officials Counting Illegal/Invalid Votes: Stop Immediately. Obey the Law. Obey Our Prior Rulings.

Hat Hair says proudly, We Were First to Call the Election. From Behind the Black, Part 1: The sleeping giant of the American public has finally awakened. Patrick Ruffini at The Intersection says The realignment is here "The first GOP popular vote win in 20 years, the Red Wave hit everywhere, 2024 realigned the electorate as much as 2016, less secure voters moved towards Trump, everything got more correlated." Duane Patterson at Hat Hair thinks Democrats and Regime Media Still Incapable of Reading the Room. At Am Great Roger Kimball, Elections Have Consequences: How Trump’s Second Term Challenges the Political Status Quo. TownHall's Matt Vespa has  a New Poll That's Going to Make Dems Vomit. Althouse, "Mr. Trump beat his polling numbers by about 2.5 points nationally... and 2.1 points in the average swing state." ""Our final forecast had it so close to 50-50 that the outcome was literally more random than a coin flip. (Empirically, heads win 50.5 percent of the time.) But a Trump sweep of the swing states was our single most likely outcome, because polling errors tend to be correlated. It’s not great that the polls missed low on Mr. Trump for the third and final time, even in a year when survey companies adopted all sorts of novel strategies to avoid this exact outcome." Writes Nate Silver, in "Don’t Blame Polling" (NYT)." Matt Taibbi at Racket tells of How America's Accurate Election Polls Were Covered Up. "The Real Clear Politics National Average was removed by Wikipedia before the election and the New York Times denounced its failure to skew data. A solution to the "mystery" of crappy polling?" ALX@alx, "BREAKING: Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) has surpassed Taylor Swift in followers to become the 8th most followed account on 𝕏." Benny Johnson@bennyjohnson, "Fascinating," Quote Axios@axios, "Trump's victory sparks consumer confidence surge" Benny Johnson@bennyjohnson, "DANA WHITE: “The entire country relates with Trump right now... It feels like someone hit the reset button”" Don Surber, Unsung election hero: Greg Abbott. Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog wants to know What’s POTUS Packing? He can afford the best. At the FP, The Case of Justine Bateman—And Why Gen X Broke for Trump, "The ‘Family Ties’ star, who came out swinging against wokeness after the election, speaks for a generation tired of being told what to think." John Kass on Trump vs. the Men Without Chests.

Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks it's Hilarious! Mourning Joe and Mika Kissed Trump's Ring at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. Hat Hair, Joe and Mika's Excellent Hitler Adventure: Invited to Mar-A-Lago and...They Went. Election Wizard@ElectionWiz, "BREAKING: The hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe say they met with Trump at Mar-A-Lago on Friday for the first time in 7 years and agreed to reopen lines of communication despite disagreements on many issues." VodkaPundit at PJM, Oh, Thank Goodness — Joe and Mika Survived Their Trip to Trump's Death Camp. Althouse, Morning Joe restarts communications with Hitler Trump. Sundance at CTH thinks Mika and Joe Went to Mar-a-Lago So They Could Declare, “Look at Me”. Ace, Oh My: Joe and Mika Go to Mar-a-Lago to Kiss Trump's Ring, Call for "Common Ground" with the Fascist Hitler. "They also said they would stop name-calling and smearing Trump if he promised he wouldn't throw "political opponents" in jail. Such as themselves." Rusty Weiss at RedState wants you to WATCH Megyn Kelly Unleashes the Hounds of Hell on Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough. 

🇺🇸 SCOTT JENNINGS: DEMOCRATS’ ‘HITLER’ RHETORIC WAS ALL BS

"I’m amazed—first Biden, now Mika and Joe—everyone wants to meet with ‘literally Hitler.’

All the pre-election fascism and Nazi talk from Democrats was just BS.

If I were a Democrat voter, I’d ask, ‘Did you just lie… https://t.co/rMWdgOrLQK pic.twitter.com/uxdySDGhd1

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 19, 2024

Liz Shield at Am Great calls it Morning Greatness: Trump Announces Former Rep. Sean Duffy as Transportation Secretary. At NYPo, Trump picks Fox News contributor and former Rep. Sean Duffy for transportation secretary. Reuters whines Trump taps Big Tech critic Carr to chair Federal Communications Commission. Insty, says SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PICK: Brian Stelter@brianstelter, "This is what Trump's pick for FCC chair, Brendan Carr, was doing a couple of days ago:" Quote Brendan Carr@BrendanCarrFCC, "Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft & others have played central roles in the censorship cartel. The Orwellian named NewsGuard along with “fact checking” groups & ad agencies helped enforce one-sided narratives. The censorship cartel must be dismantled." Matt Margolis lists The Top Contenders to Replace JD Vance in the Senate. But JuristNews suggests Senator and Vice President of the United States: Could J.D. Vance Hold Both Positions at the Same Time?  Why not? Sundance, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Ponders Marco Rubio Replacement. 
 

Elon Musk

NewsMax hears Hegseth's Lawyer: He Was Blackmailed During #MeToo. At Ace's MORNING RANT: A Journalist at the Associated Press Who Has Been Flagged as a Possible White Supremacist Tried to Smear Pete Hegseth. Insty, 20 YEARS IN THE MILITARY ISN’T GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE, I GUESS. Karoline Leavitt@karolineleavitt "@60Minutes slammed Pete Hegseth tonight for having “no government experience” NEWSFLASH: The Pentagon is full of people with decades of “government experience” and they just failed their 7th audit in a row. The American people re-elected President Trump with a resounding mandate because they want drastic change. That’s why he’s choosing change-makers like Hegseth to join him in the Swamp." WUWF, Gaetz resignation sparks political shake-up in Northwest Florida. Matt Margolis, This Might Be the Best Defense of Matt Gaetz I've Seen, from the unsinkable Mollie Hemingway. Althouse finds "And so it became this kind of self-licking ice cream cone where Gaetz would say something, Trump would love it, Gaetz would want to please him even more. And on and on and went." "Said Robert Draper, in "Will Republicans Reject Gaetz?" this morning's episode of the NYT podcast The Daily." At RedState Bob Hoge feels a 'Thrill Up My Leg': Glorious Video Compilation Shows Democrat/Leftist Media Meltdown Over Trump Picks. PJM's Vicky Taft, has a Reality Check for Politico, and Media 'Scandalized' by Possible Trump Recess Appointments. Matt Taibbi thinks It's Time to Redefine "Fringe". "Critics of the rumored nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as director of the National Institutes of Health need to check the election returns." Fox finds Ramaswamy outlines DOGE's vision to bring 'sweeping change' to bureaucracy: 'Restoring... accountability'. "Ramaswamy and Elon Musk were tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)."Hat Hair, Muslims from ‘Abandon Harris’ Campaign Gutted by Pro-Israel Cabinet Picks. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair snarks I'm not quite sure what they thought he was going to do.

From NYPo, Trump confirms plans to use military to deport migrants after declaring national emergency. Capt. Ed, Trump: I'll Declare National Emergency to Use Military in Mass Deportations. Ace, Trump Confirms He Will Declare Immigration a National Emergency and Use the Military to Deport Illegals, "The left is gearing up their lawfare machinery, of course."  Althouse finds Trump’s team is already thinking about how to craft executive actions aimed to withstand the legal challenges from immigrants' rights groups..." ""... all in hopes of avoiding an early defeat like the one his 2017 travel ban targeting majority-Muslim nations suffered. . . From "Trump’s immigration crackdown is expected to start on Day 1/The president-elect is expected to take a series of actions aimed at restricting immigration and ramping up deportations" (Politico)." Bob Spencer at Hat Hair, says Trump Never Imposed a ‘Muslim Ban,’ and It’s Coming Back. JTN reports Texas officers apprehend human smugglers, rescue unaccompanied children, "Recent human smuggling arrests were primarily of male Mexican nationals in the country illegally." Greg Price@greg_price11. "The roommate of Laken Riley's killer just testified during his trial that they went to the Roosevelt Hotel together in September 2023 and received a taxpayer funded flight to Georgia. Your government flew an illegal gang member to Georgia with your money -- where he then proceeded to brutally murder an innocent girl. January 20th can't come soon enough."

'Bonchie' at RedState enjoys as  Kyrsten Sinema Drags Chuck Schumer, and the Lib Responses Are Gold. Dave Strom sees Pelosi in the Crosshairs. Scott Pinsker at PJM calls it The Sad Demise of Nancy Pelosi. "Nancy Pelosi didn’t just whiff the mark — she cost her party control of the House, the Senate, the White House, the Supreme Court, and even the popular vote! And now, her legacy is finished." Insty, IT’S ALWAYS THE DEADBEATS WHO ARE MOST VOCIFEROUS ABOUT PROMISING JOY: Joey Mannarino@JoeyMannarinoUS "Kamala promised her staffers payment until the end of the year. She just cut them off because the campaign is $20,000,000 in debt. Let me restate that: The candidate who ran on JOY, somehow spent $1 billion in 107 days. The candidate who ran on JOY, reportedly spent $2,626,110 on private flights alone in the last two weeks of the election. And the candidate who ran on JOY, just stopped paying her employees at Christmas time, the most JOYOUS time of the year. And now she's begging donors for even more money, even though the election is over and she lost. I can't stop laughing!" The Babylon Bee@TheBabylonBee "To Pay Back $20 Million Campaign Debt, Kamala Harris Agrees To Fight Jake Paul https://buff.ly/4hNpsFb"

Ace, They Call Me the Wanderer: No One Bothers to Fetch Joe Biden Out of the Walmart Parking Lot for the G20 "Family Picture". "In the first video below, a camera crew films the "family picture" of the G20 leaders holding hands together. A crew member asks where Biden is, and then says, "Oh my God, he's behind the palm tree," the palm tree on the left of the frame. He's showing off... sunglasses to someone or other. In the second video, a foreign crew laughs about Biden being left out of the hand-holding photo op." Oh my, Deon Joseph@ofcrdeonjoseph shows no mercy. It's long but read it!

Freep, Why did Biden’s DOD order an industrial shredder the day Trump won the election?. The Redoubtable Julie Kelly at Substack hearsx DOJ Apparatchiks Told to Lawyer Up and Flee the Country. Why? "If they did nothing wrong, what are they afraid of? After all, that's what they said about Donald Trump for years. Now that the script flipped, their tune has changed--dramatically."  From Sundance, FBI Whistleblower Says FBI Intentionally Blocking Security Clearances for Trump Officials,  DOJ and FBI Operatives Reach Out to Allies in Lawfare for Legal Protection Against Trump Administration, and Jeff Clark Discusses DC Opposition, Lawfare and How President Trump Navigates Recess Appointments with Steve Bannon. From Twitchy, Ex-Agent Tells The Hill Kash Patel Would Do ‘Massive Damage’ to the FBI. JWF@JammieWF, "I can only get so excited."

John Sexton cite's the WaPoo's occasionally sensible Megan McArdle,  Liberal Media Bias is Hurting Democrats. Brandon Morse at RedState finds The Left's Emotional Support Social Media Site Bluesky Is Going About As Well As You Might Expect. At The Dossier, Jordan Schachtal says I got banned from BlueSky for committing wrongthink, Banished forever! Insty, TAYLOR LORENZ: NPR is “Extreme Right Wing:”  Libs of Bluesky@BlueskyLibs "NPR is right wing misinformation that has no place on BlueSky." Twitchy, After Wasting a ZILLION Hours Arguing with Trans Lefties on BlueSky Ben Dreyfuss Drops HILARIOUS Thread. 

VodkaPundit, Maybe THIS Is the Furious Backpedal That Will Save Disney's 'Snow White' Reboot from Rachel Zegler. Lou Aguilar at Am Spec, calls it The Night That Wrecked Hollywoke "Of all the glories Trump’s victory has given us, none is more entertaining than woke starlet Rachel Zegler vilifying the audience for her own movie."

From the College Fix, Combat antisemitism and protect free speech by ending double standards for different students, scholars say.  InSideHigherEd worries As Trump Threatens Deportations, Campus Leaders Tread Carefully. Colleges are considering what supports they can offer undocumented students. Some leaders feel constrained in what they can publicly say or legally promise. John Sexton at Hat Hair finds Democrats Still Suffering from a Year of Remote Learning.

Capt. Ed, 'Manufactured Panic': Psaki Pulls Baghdad Bob Routine On Males Competing in Girls' Sports "This could serve as a classic example of the it's not happening and it's great that it is form of argumentation." Ryan Saavedra@RealSaavedra "Jen Psaki says Democrats must double down on pushing the transgender agenda on Americans, including allowing men to play against girls in sports She says it's not an issue and that men playing against girls in sports presents "no threat to safety or fairness."" You go girl, or whatever you are.