This is Your Bay on Drugs

Balmer Sun (archive), Street drugs kill — even if you’re an oyster living in the Chesapeake Bay

Scientists administered drugs to oyster larvae in dishes to better understand how drugs found in surface waters near major cities like Baltimore and Annapolis affect wild oysters. They administered fentanyl, ketamine and benzoylecgonine — a cocaine derivative — that have been measured in marine ecosystems. “These drugs can be detected in surface water,” said lead researcher Gustavo Salcedo of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. “The concentrations that we’re using attempt to recreate conditions that are detected in the waters around the world.”

The oyster larvae spent their days in water laced with drugs and were observed at eight days old and 14 days old. Salcedo and his team observed their swimming speed and patterns, survival and expression of certain genes. At both observation periods, survival of all drugged oysters declined compared to those living in clean salt water.

They originally planned to simply document survival rates, he said, but after the first few experiments, they noticed strange activity and stunted growth in the drugged oysters. “Swimming behavior is very important for aquatic organisms’ survival,” he explained. “It’s how they feed. It’s how they escape predators.”

Oysters at this stage usually swim in straight lines, Salcedo said. Those on cocaine and fentanyl spent more time swimming in circles, while those on cocaine and ketamine almost stopped swimming. Larvae on ketamine moved the slowest, and those on fentanyl actually swam slightly faster than the control group, but also spent more time swimming ineffectively in circles.

After two weeks, about 70% fewer oysters in the cocaine group survived, compared to the healthy oysters. They showed genetic activity indicating a fight against antioxidants, which Salcedo said indicates a struggle against damage and cell death. All of these deviations signal behavior that would lead to even higher mortality in the wild, he said, where other pollution and predators would further decimate the survivors.

Cocaine's for horses, not for men, they tell me it'll kill me but they don't say when. 

While the Chesapeake Bay Program has documented harm to the Bay’s oyster population due to microplastics and drugs or other “invisible” contaminants, Salcedo said the levels of street drugs ingested by oysters would not get a person high from eating them — if the drugged oysters survived to maturity.

The National Science Foundation funded the work, which was published in September in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Salcedo presented their findings at the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8.

Maryland waterways can host a cocktail of legal and illegal drugs, said Carys Mitchelmore, a professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s as well as the center for Anthropogenic Changes in Estuarine Systems. “Oyster populations face a barrage of pollutants — physical, biological and chemical contaminants,” Mitchelmore wrote in an email to the Baltimore Sun. “Regarding chemical contaminants, there are thousands out there. Some are more toxic than others, and so environmental risk assessments are conducted to prioritize those of concern.”

She said drugs get into waterways primarily from the people who use them, either leaching from individual septic systems or released from wastewater treatment plants that are often not equipped to clean up these chemicals. According to Maryland Department of the Environment sources, traces of drugs also are released from drug manufacturing facilities and seep out of landfills where people discard unused prescriptions and farm operations that use antibiotics to keep livestock healthy. “Wastewater treatment plants — depending on the level of treatment — can degrade some of these compounds, but not necessarily into less toxic compounds,” Mitchelmore said.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Brown Shooter Found Dead - Judge Dugan Found Guilty

It was a quite a day for law enforcement in the search for the Brown killer. First, it was announced he had been identified and linked to the murder of an MIT physics professor "Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old theoretical physicist and fusion scientist from Portugal" that occurred after the Brown shootings, and an arrest warrant issued, then his car was located at a self storage facility in New Hampshire, and finally, he was found dead in the self storage facility of an apparently self-inflicted gun shot. The shooter was identified as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese green card hold and a former PhD student at Brown, most recently living in Florida, who shared a past with the MIT professor. A homeless former Brown student, living on campus who had an encounter with the shooter after the shootings gave authorities enough information to lead to his arrest warrant. Stacy McCain, Finally: ‘Person of Interest’ Reportedly Identified in Brown University Shooting then Claudio Neves-Valente Identified as Brown University Gunman, Found Dead. From Ace, Person of Interest Sought in Brown Shooting, Claim: Brown Disabled Security Cameras Because Left-Wing Groups Complained Their Criminals Were Being Photographed UPDATE: Link to MIT Physicist Slaying? PM, Brown University shooter found dead, identified as Portuguese national Claudio Manuel Neves Valente. Matt Vespa at TownHall, We Got Him: Brown University Shooter Found Dead in New Hampshire. What you mean "we" white man? PJM's Matt Margolis, Brown University Shooting Suspect Found Dead, Identity Revealed. Sundance at CTH has Brown University Shooter Identified as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, Dead from Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound in New Hampshire and the chain of events that led to the arrest warrants at Rhode Island Arrest Affidavit Gives Details on How Brown Shooting Suspect Was Identified – Full Affidavit pdf. Given the fusion researcher, I was suspicious that their could be an Iranian connection. Rather than domestic terrorism, it rather looks like a case of rage brought on by a failed doctoral program. It's surprising to me it doesn't happen more often. 

Still carping about the process, at Twitchy, NEWLY Released Radio Transmissions Show LEO Gave Brown University Shooter Lots of Time to Escape. Campus Reform, BDS-supporting Brown prof was previously head of school that supported 'right of Palestinians to self-defense' after Oct. 7. In a Hat Hair video Chloe thinks Brown University Engages in Suspicious Behavior Following Shooting. School administrators instinctively act to protect their sinecures.

As long as we're still talking shootings, Hat Hair's Dave Strom can barely believe Australian Public Broadcaster Declares Bondi Beach Attack Had Nothing to Do With Religion and Mitch Berg quips Prime Minister Albanese Searches For The Real Killers. Denial is apparently a river in Australia, too. From the Middle East Forum, Hanukkah Terror Has Roots in Australia’s Alienation of Jews, "Canberra Once Aligned with the United States on Middle East Issues, Including Israel, but Prime Minister Albanese Has Hewn a Different Path." PJM's Cathy Salgado reports Australians Arrest More Bondi ‘Violent Plotters,’ Looks Like Another Islamist Cell. Ace elaborates, Australian Counter-Terrorism Police Ram a Vehicle Containing Five Islamic Men Heading Towards Site of Sunday's Hannukah Slaughter, "Authorities believe two cars loaded with Islamic men were headed to the scene of the Hannukah slaughter to commit further terroristic violence. They rammed the car because, it is reported, they believed they had to stop the car immediately." At Twitchy, Debbie Wasserman Schultz Thinks This Is a Bigger Threat to American Values Than Islamic Terrorism. RNC Research @RNCResearch, "Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz gets called out for saying President Trump is a bigger threat to American values than Radical Islamic Terrorism. "I think we have to focus... if we're worried about the threat to American values on the person who's in the White House.""

At Hat Hair John Sexton reports After Damaging Testimony, the Government Rests Its Case Against Judge Dugan then Day Four of Judge Dugan's Trial: The Defense Rests After 45 Minutes of Witnesses (Update: Convicted!) WUSN.com, Jury reaches verdict in trial of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan "Federal jury finds her guilty on one of two counts." Althouse, "A jury convicted a Wisconsin judge Thursday of obstructing federal agents’ arrest of an undocumented immigrant from Mexico..." "... giving President Donald Trump’s administration a rare win in its prosecutions of public officials who have challenged his agenda. The jury found Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan guilty of a felony, obstructing an official proceeding, but acquitted her of a misdemeanor, concealing a person from arrest. The verdict came after six hours of deliberations and Dugan could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.... Dugan... will no longer be able to continue as a judge because Wisconsin’s constitution bars people convicted of felonies from holding public office... WaPo reports." It might seem odd that the judge was convicted of the felony but acquitted on the misdemeanor, but the misdemeanor required showing the act of hiding the person. From the prosecutor's closing argument: "'She was a frustrated and angry judge who was fed up, who decided to corruptly take matters into her own hands.""

As long as we're on the topic of immigration, Scott McKay at Am Spec examines The Absurdities of Birthright Citizenship, "There is now a modern twist to be considered in the birthright citizenship debate." The Manhattan Contrarian, Birthright Citizenship? I Think It's An Open Question. Beege Wellborn at Hat Hair, Here's News - 'Immigrants' Cost a Boatload to House, Fairfax County DA Is Thoughtful Enough to Make Sure the Illegal Always Gets His Man and An End of the Year ICE Tote Up of Naughty Blue States Shawn Fleetwood at da Fed thinks The West’s Embrace Of Mass Third-World Migration Is Civilizational Suicide. Theo Wold @RealTheoWold, "Good! It’s clearly laid out in federal statute: If you lie during the process of becoming a citizen or subsequently commit a crime, the U.S. is authorized to revoke your citizenship. And you’ll be shocked at the amount of people in this country that fall in that category..." Quote The New York Times @nytimes, "Breaking News: The Trump administration plans to ramp up efforts to strip some naturalized Americans of their citizenship, internal documents obtained by The New York Times show, marking an aggressive new phase in President Trump’s immigration crackdown." Speaking of lying on the citizenship application, Fox 9, DHS says Rep. Omar’s son was not pulled over by ICE, despite claims. From RVM, Vance Breaks Down What Real Success on Immigration Means to Him. “Success, to me, is not so much a number, though, obviously I’d love to see the gross majority of the illegal immigrants who came in under Biden deported, that actually is a secondary metric of success.” Vance said lasting progress depends on setting policies that the courts accept and creating the operational capabilities required to enforce immigration law at scale. Vance added, “Success, to me is that we have established a set of rules and principles that the courts are comfortable with and that we have the infrastructure to do that allows us to deport large numbers of illegal aliens when large numbers of illegal aliens come into the country, that, to me, is real success.”

Rick Moran at PJM celebrates Inflation Drops 'Unexpectedly' to 2.7% for November. Media Hardest Hit. At Hat Hair Capt. Ed VIP says Surprise! November Inflation Rate 'Unexpectedly' Shocks Experts, Trump: This Was the Year That Was MAGA and Larry has a video, CNN Was Forced to Report Trump's Inflation Win, and It Was Glorious. Ace, The Inflation Rate Falls As Trump Promises a New "Golden Age" "I turned off Trump's speech because it made me anxious. He was rushing through the script so fast he tripped over words and didn't emPHAsize key points to drive the message home. But he did hit the points. The speech was about 20 minutes. I think he should have taken maybe 28 minutes to give the speech, adding in emphasis and pauses." Sundance, No, Inflation Did Not “Cool Unexpectedly”, It Slowed Because Trump Policies are Working. At PJM Matt Margolis asserts The Economic Comeback Under Trump Is Very Real and Stephen Kruiser say Trump Hails 2025 Successes, but I'm Just Here for the Trolling. Roger Kimball at The Spec looks at Donald Trump’s end-of-year victory lap "He has accomplished more in 11 months than most presidents have achieved in eight years."

Carlo Carrasco announces Trump Announces $1,776 Christmas Bonus For American Troops. From Space.com, Trump signs sweeping executive order aimed at 'ensuring American space superiority' "The president wants the U.S. to start setting up a permanent moon base by 2030, among other goals." Behind the Black, New Trump executive order today guarantees major changes coming to NASA’s Moon program. Chronicles chronicles President Trump’s Trustbusting Moment. "The time grows short for President Trump and his administration to protect American liberty and prosperity by blocking the impending merger between Netflix and WBD."

At NYPo Ben Domenech opines Trump’s chief of staff can’t sway media that revel in Republican ridicule. Driscoll at Insty, "WHY? VANITY FAIR’S HIT PIECE WAS ENTIRELY PREDICTABLE: White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Felt ‘Blindsided’ by Vanity Fair Article." At Hat Hair, Mark Judge (remember him?) discourses on Vanity Fair, And the Need for Conservative Photographers. From Twitchy, JD Vance Owes Vanity Fair Photographer $1,000 After Marco Rubio Posts New Profile Pic. Josh Kraushaar @JoshKraushaar, ""The underlying tension came through when Mr. Vance posed for the magazine’s photographer. “I’ll give you $100 for every person you make look really shitty compared to me,” Mr. Vance joked. “And $1,000 if it’s Marco.”" At Althouse "Obviously, celebrity portraits on the cover of Vanity Fair are not really about journalism in the way that you and I think about journalism." "But then there’s the other side of Vanity Fair, which is real journalism. I’m surprised that a journalist would even need to ask me the question of 'Why didn’t I retouch out the blemishes?' Because if I had, that would be a lie. I would be hiding the truth of what I saw there.... If presenting what I saw, unfiltered, is an attack, then what would you call it had I chosen to edit it and hide things about it, and make them look better than they look?... This has been a fixture of my work for many years. I’ve photographed all political stripes just like this. You will find... beloved figures on the left photographed in the same way.... I go in not with the mission of making someone look good or bad. Whether anyone believes me or not, that is not what my objective is...." Said the photographer Christopher Anderson, quoted in "The Vanity Fair photographer who disrupted Trumpworld’s polished image/Every line, spot, blemish and blood vessel was captured by Christopher Anderson’s lens. What was he thinking?" (WaPo)(gift link for photographs and the entirety of the interview with the photographer)." Bullshit.

Althouse finds "[Trump] found it interesting as an intellectual issue. Do I think he’s going to run for a third term? No, I don’t think he will run for a third term." "Said Alan Dershowitz, quoted in "Can Trump run for a third term? It’s unclear, says Harvard professorAlan Dershowitz spoke to the president about the constitution at the Oval Office this week and says Trump 'found it interesting as an intellectual issue'" (London Times). "it" = Professor Dershowitz's new book, "Could President Trump Constitutionally Serve a Third Term?" Dershowitz's position on the subject: "It’s not clear."" Then, obviously he needs to try. And, "Over nearly two decades, as Mr. Trump cut a swath through the party circuits of New York and Florida, Mr. Epstein was perhaps his most reliable wingman." ""During the 1990s and early 2000s, they prowled Mr. Epstein’s Manhattan mansion and Mr. Trump’s Plaza Hotel, at least one of Mr. Trump’s Atlantic City casinos and both their Palm Beach homes. They visited each other’s offices and spoke often by phone, according to other former Epstein employees and women who spent time in his homes. With other men, Mr. Epstein might discuss tax shelters, international affairs or neuroscience. With Mr. Trump, he talked about sex...." I'm reading "'Don’s Best Friend': How Epstein and Trump Bonded Over the Pursuit of Women/The president has tried to minimize their friendship, but documents and interviews reveal an intense and complicated relationship. Chasing women was a game of ego and dominance. Female bodies were currency" (NYT). That's in the middle of the NYT home page right now. I thought you should know. Trump chased women. And there's a concept — pushed by the NYT for political purposes — that chasing women can be a game of ego and dominance and that female bodies can be used as "currency.""

PJM's Dave Manney looks at Trump’s Pressure Campaign and Maduro’s Fury. La Voce di New York sees Maduro Responds to Trump: the Venezuelan Navy Will Escort Oil Tankers. Fine, we can sink a few of them too. Sarah Anderson at PJM notes The U.S. Sends Troops Into Latin America — But Not to Venezuela, Equador. 

At Euro Con, Europeans May Not Love Trump—but Many Agree With Him. "That’s why people across Europe have been voting in increasing numbers for insurgent national conservative parties—not because of what Trump or anybody else says, but because of what their rulers have done to European society, culture, and civilisation." Sundance sees the EU is Desperate to Find a Way to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Ukraine.

From Da Caller, Over $9 Billion Looted From Minnesota Medicaid Programs, Feds Say. Dave Strom, Minnesota's US Attorney Reveals New Fraud of $9 Billion or More. Cathy Salgado, Two Fraudsters Trafficked $7 Million in SNAP Funds. I&I ed board asserts For Today’s Democrats, Fraud Is A Feature, Not A Bug, "For today’s Democrats, these aren’t problems to be solved. They are cherished benefits that support their (and their friends’) lifestyles and keep them in office." 

Althouse, "Ken Martin, the chairman of the D.N.C., said on Thursday that he had decided not to publish a report that he ordered months ago into what went wrong for the Democratic Party last year...." ""Mr. Martin will instead keep the findings under seal. He believes that looking back so publicly and painfully at the past would prove counterproductive for the party as it tries next year to take back power in Congress.... 'Here’s our North Star: Does this help us win?' Mr. Martin said in a statement. . . From "The D.N.C. Is Scrapping Its Report on What Went Wrong in 2024/Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee chairman, ordered the autopsy months ago but is now said to believe that its release would be counterproductive for the party" (NYT)." Matt Margolis, The Democratic Party Is in Complete Collapse, Poll Finds. "Democrats are sinking like a stone, and the new Quinnipiac poll makes it official: their congressional approval rating has hit a historic low of just 18%, with a brutal 73% disapproving. That's the worst number Quinnipiac has recorded since they started asking the question back in 2009. Even CNN's chief data analyst, Harry Enten, couldn't hide his shock, declaring that "Democrats, in the minds of the American public, are lower than the Dead Sea."" Dave Strom calls this Luxury Socialism in a Nutshell. Wokal Distance @wokal_distance, "Rage Against the Machine's guitarist, Tom Morello, has a signature guitar out. Which means that for just $2400 a millionaire socialist will sell you a guitar with a communist symbol on it." That's not a really expensive guitar. 

Dave Strom, The 'Most Secure Election in History™' Had Some Big 'Oopsies," But Fear Not.... and 'Trust The Science™' Usually Means 'Trust Our Authority'. Shooting News Week reports Tim Walz Tries to Create a Backdoor Firearm Registry After Gun Ban Fails in State Legislature.

From Ace, DOJ Eyes Civil Rights Action Against Biden Officials Who Weaponized Government Power to Punish Political Enemies "Head of the Office of Civil Rights, Harmeet Dhillon, said that the raid on Mar-a-Lago, made without probable cause, might have been a criminal act." Tom Knighton at TAW, Yet another reason I have trust issues, "But the truth is that the fire of our federal government hasn’t been kept in check. Instead, we saw that power abused. It wasn’t just that the fire wasn’t properly controlled, but it was also used in an act of arson. What am I talking about? The raid at Mar-a-Lago in 2022. We all knew the way that raid was handled was absolute BS, but it seems that it lacked one important thing. The FBI didn’t think they had sufficient cause." Capt. Ed has a belly laugh when Kamala claims We Didn't Release the Epstein Files Because Our DoJ Was Soooo Independent. VodkaPundit at Insty cites MARK JUDGE: The Most Explosive Book of 2026. "Yes, they waged war on us. That’s the simplest way to summarize what the government, technocratic elite, security state, and media did to the American people in 2016. It’s also the premise behind what is sure to be the most important and explosive book of 2026. That book, The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control by Jacob Siegel, explores the ways the crazed reactions of these parts of society to the arrival of Donald Trump drove them to label him “a threat to American democracy” and take actions that, ironically, turned them into the very threat they tried to warn us against."

Althouse passes on NYT's take on the Bongino resignation "Mr. Bongino’s obsession with his own image, as projected through a constant stream of gung-ho social media posts, landed flat in a proud law enforcement agency..." ""... where working hard and keeping a low profile has been a calling card of leadership. In a lawsuit filed in September, the former head of the bureau’s powerful Washington field office, Steven J. Jensen, said he was taken aback by the 'intense focus' that Mr. Bongino devoted to 'increasing online engagement through his social media profiles in an effort to change his followers’ perception of the F.B.I.'... Mr. Bongino... fell out of favor after lambasting Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case — and alienating Ms. Bondi’s friend and ally, Susie Wiles...." Some people may be better on the outside looking in, than on the inside looking out.

Capt. Ed sees Federal Appeals Court OK's Nat'l Guard in DC – But ... "The bad news? The ruling applies to Washington DC, and the panel has limited its findings to the federal nature of the nation's capital." John Sexton, California Judge Threatens to Shut Down Tesla Sales and Production in the State. "The ruling by Administrative Law Judge Juliet Cox determined that Tesla had for years engaged in deceptive marketing practices by using the terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” to promote the autonomous technology available in many of its cars." At Am Mind, Ilya Shapiro on The End of the Beginning "I’m not tired of winning in the courts." 

VodkaPundit at Insty, THE MEDIA LIES "The media lies stupidly, clumsily, and obviously. Maybe I’d despise them less if the lies came without all the moral preening about objectivity, editorial standards, and those layers of editors and fact-checkers. Maybe, but I doubt it."

Media coverage: Actual suspect: pic.twitter.com/h2lO2P97aT

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 17, 2025

Dudley Newright @NewRightPoast, "I was there, in the 2010s, when they stopped hiring white guys. I worked for a big media company in the big city. Terrible pay, but fun to hang out with creative types all day. Everyone was white. One day one of us wrote a snarkier headline than our usual fare. The piece triggered huge engagement from angry boomer conservatives. Where were they coming from? Facebook, it turned out. . . ." Jamie Wilson at PJM, DEI and the Death of Excellence: How Ideological Selection Degrades Culture Over Time. From Campus Reform, Popular professor fired at HBCU files lawsuit alleging anti-white discrimination. 

Capt. Ed reports Trump Admin To Cut All Funding to Hospitals Performing Pediatric Sex Changes. Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Announces 6 Moves to Crack Down on ‘Sex-Rejecting Procedures’: ‘MALPRACTICE.’ Ace, HHS Moves to Block Hospitals From Performing Sex Change Mutilations on Children; House Moves to Ban, "HHS wants to stop the Jack-to-Jill Ripper surgeries." Althouse, "The federal government on Thursday acted to put an end to gender-related care for minors across the nation, threatening to pull federal funding from any hospital that offered such treatment...." ""The administration’s action is not just a regulatory shift but the latest signal that the federal government does not recognize even the existence of people whose gender identity does not align with their sex at birth. If finalized, the proposed new rules, announced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a news conference Thursday morning, would effectively shut down hospitals that failed to comply...." From Fox, NC county dissolves library board after vote to keep kids transgender-themed picture book, "Randolph County officials voted 3-2 to remove trustees who kept 'Call Me Max' children's book."

Fish Pic Friday - Bridget Fabel

 From the mountains to the sea:

Bridget Fabel @bridget_fabel

Athlete Owner @chunkytroutoutfitters & @dixietopoutfitters
Captain⚓️Fly Fishing🎣Hunting🏹Ranch Life🐴
@ford F-150® ambassador

Santa Clause is Back in Town

Probably Not

VIMS wonders Can Virginia stop the blue catfish? New research shows the Chesapeake Bay’s top invader is hard to control

For decades, the Chesapeake Bay’s rivers and tributaries have been home to a troublesome guest whose presence continues to ripple through the ecosystem. The blue catfish — first introduced in the 1970s for recreational fishing — has since become an ecologically disruptive force in Virginia waters. In response, scientists at William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS are making critical discoveries about blue catfish biology, impact and commercial market potential, and playing a key role in advising how the commonwealth can address the challenge. 

Through the long-running juvenile finfish trawl survey, Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS Professor Mary Fabrizio, along with her students and colleagues, has documented both the spread of blue catfish and the corresponding decline of native species. “As the blue catfish population started to increase in our tributaries, we saw a decline in the native white catfish and white perch, which is likely due to predation or competition for resources,” she said. “And some of our colleagues in Maryland have evidence suggesting the blue catfish may be impacting striped bass, likely predating on the eggs and the juveniles.” 

The Blue Catfish problem in Chesapeake stems from the State of Virginia stocking them into the James and Rappahannock Rivers as a game fish. 

According to Fabrizio, another icon of the Chesapeake Bay may also be threatened: “The other effect is that blue catfish, especially the medium sized fish, are preying on blue crabs. And because there are so many medium sized blue catfish, that translates into a lot of removals. They’re eating a lot of blue crabs.”

To investigate that interaction, Fabrizio recently led a two-year diet study, published in Marine and Coastal Fisheries, which quantified blue catfish predation on blue crabs. “We worked with a commercial waterman who was setting gillnets out in the James River. He would bring back the catch, and we would examine the stomach contents,” she said. “We looked at predation year-round, which hadn’t been done before.”

The results were sobering: “It turns out blue catfish are eating the same things in winter as in spring and fall, so there’s blue crab predation happening year-round,” said Fabrizio. Stomach content analysis also showed that blue catfish are specifically targeting juvenile crabs. “Older, larger crabs may be too feisty and fight back, or perhaps they’re faster and able to escape. Either way,” she said, “blue catfish are eating the juvenile crabs that Virginia counts on to sustain the future blue crab population.”

At his retirement party from SERC a couple of weeks ago, I asked Mr. Crab himself, Tuck Hines, former director, if he thought Blue Catfish were part of the current problem with Blue Crabs. He told me almost assuredly yes, and that he and collaborators have a paper coming out soon to that effect. 

Maryland, My Maryland

TNP, Democrat Lawmakers Override Governor’s Veto to Establish Slavery Reparations Commission

State lawmakers in Maryland overrode a veto from Governor Wes Moore (D) to adopt Senate Bill (SB) 587, legislation that establishes a government commission to study reparations for residents whose ancestors had been enslaved. Late Tuesday, the Maryland state Senate voted 31 to 14 to override the veto, while the state House of Delegates voted 93-35 to override. Both chambers surpassed the three-fifths threshold needed to circumvent the governor.

The Maryland Reparations Commission, established by the legislation, is now tasked with studying and making “recommendations relating to appropriate benefits to be made to individuals whose ancestors were enslaved in the State or were impacted by certain inequitable government policies.” A preliminary report to the Maryland General Assembly is required to be submitted by January 1, 2027, and a final report must be submitted to the governor and state legislature by November 1, 2027. The commission will explore potential reparations, including monetary compensation, property tax rebates, childcare support, debt forgiveness, and tuition waivers for higher education.

Gov. Moore had initially moved to veto the bill in May of this year, contending that the state already has engaged in multiple studies on slavery reparations and that the lawmakers pushing the issue would better serve their constituents by focusing on policies that directly address alleged racial disparities. In the veto letter sent to Senate President Bill Ferguson (D), Gov. Moore noted that the Maryland state government had established numerous commissions and panels over the last 25 years examining a myriad of related issues.

The legislation drew uniform opposition from Republican lawmakers. Speaking on the state House floor on Tuesday, Delegate Matthew Morgan (R) warned the bill was a move toward “race-bait handouts.” He stated, “This bill betrays the original intention, the unifying event of the civil rights movement. It’s immoral, and it’s fiscally ruinous to this state, and it sends a message to the generations out there now in Maryland that if you’re concerned about fairness, dignity, opportunity… flee Maryland.”

To the best of my knowledge (it's a little unclear on my mother's side) all my ancestors immigrated to the United States from Germany after the Civil War. Similarly, all of Georgia ancestors immigrated from Italy and Ireland after the civil war. So we won't have the pay the special "reparations" tax, am I right? 

However, I am surprised Gov. Moore vetoed it.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Addresses 'Affordability Crisis' and Blockades Venezuela

Taking murder off the top, sundance at CTH hosts President Trump Delivering an Address to the Nation, starting to address the issue of "affordability." News Wax, Trump Tells Americans 'the Best Is Yet to Come.' Fox Bus, Scott Bessent says real affordability relief, 'substantial drop' in inflation coming soon. "Treasury secretary warns Democrats could derail economic progress by shutting down government in January." Pop Times sees JD Vance Completely Cooks the Democrats’ Affordability Crisis Narrative From LifeZette, Schumer Shutdown 2.0?: ‘The Toothpaste is Already Out of the Tube’ After Jan 1st. ET, House Republicans Forge Ahead With Vote on Health Care Reforms. "The GOP bill includes market reforms to lower health care premiums but does not extend the expiring Obamacare subsidies." Rick Moran at PJM says Extending Obamacare Subsidies Won't Fix a Broken System. Fox Bus, Four Republicans buck Mike Johnson to join Hakeem Jeffries' Obamacare push. "The Democrats' bill could get a vote sometime early next year, despite Speaker Johnson's objections." 

News Wax reports Trump Orders Total Oil Tanker Blockade on Terror-Linked Venezuelan Regime. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Trump Makes the Move on 'Sanctioned Oil Tankers' From Venezuela Official. Ace, Trump Announces Total Blockade On All Sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Tankers; Demands Venezuela Return "All Lands, Oil, and all other Assets they previously stole from us." "I sense that Maduro's Minister of Propaganda will get a fawning interview on Tucker Carlson's show in the next couple of weeks." News Wax again, with Venezuela Reacts Defiantly to US Oil Blockade and Oil Jumps 2% as Trump's Venezuela Blockade Stokes Uncertainty. 

Sundance, Russian President Vladimir Putin Responds to Zelenskyy and EU During Remarks to Defense Ministry At RedState, Erik Durneika sees The Myth of an American Retreat From the Indo-Pacific Debunked.

From ET, FBI Releases Video Timeline of Suspect in Brown University Shooting. "Authorities are offering a $50,000 reward as the search for the gunman who killed two students and wounded nine others enters its fourth day." Ace, Brown University Releases Blurry Photos of Second Person Seen "in Proximity" of Actual Suspect. "This could very well be a complete rando who was a stranger to the chubby shooter. Asking for information about this likely rando shows how lost and desperate the Brown crew is." C3 @C_3C_3, "Brown University has offered $0 as a reward to catch the shooter. You read that correctly. $0 The FBI offered the $50,000. Brown University… $8 billion endowment $3.17 million a year salary for president $180 million in taxpayer dollars per year $0 for reward. Unreal." William A. Jacobson @wajacobson, "Incredible: "When college students tore down posters of kidnapped Israeli children in October 2023, parents asked: where did this come from? The answer lies in curriculum materials developed at Brown University. These materials reached approximately one million students annually in roughly 8,000 high schools across America. What teachers didn’t know, and what parents never learned, is that the professor who shaped these materials was funded by a Middle Eastern government. His purpose was to advance one specific narrative: Israel as a settler colonial project. Not to debate it. Not to present multiple perspectives. To establish it as fact." . . ." Quote Eric Buesing @sleuth_fox, Replying to @wajacobson, "Absolutely, the racialization of med ed is a symptom of deeper foreign-funded ideological infiltration across higher education. My latest piece explores how it's turned our system into a Trojan Horse for antisemitic and anti-American social engineering:" A trio from Sundance, Brown University Received a Letter from 34 Human Rights Groups in August Requesting They Disable Their CCTV System, Providence-area Radio Host Asks Brown University About Their Intentional Disabling of CCTV Systems and Do Not Look Away on This One, Jessie Waters takes on Brown. PJM's Matt Margolis wonders Is Brown University Protecting a Suspect in the Campus Shooting? News Wax hears Brown Vows Full-Scale Security Review After Shooting. 

Alison Bevege at Letters from Australia says Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Allahu Akhbar: Islamists shoot up Bondi Beach, "Shut the borders." Shameful if true, Dr. Eli David @DrEliDavid, "Breaking: Australia's PM @AlboMP will not attend the funeral of any of the Jewish victims. Apparently, attending the funeral of Jews murdered by Islamists may fuel Islamophobia." Mossad Commentary @MOSSADil, "SYDNEY: JEWISH-OWNED BAGEL SHOP CLOSES AFTER FEAR OF BEING MURDERED Avner’s, a Jewish-owned bagel bakery in Sydney, has closed effective immediately following the Bondi chanukah massacre and escalating antisemitic threats. The owners say police and security agencies warned the bakery had become a potential target, and that they were unable to guarentee their safety, making it unsafe to continue operating as a publicly Jewish business. After years of harassment, the recent attack was the tipping point." Fmr Israeli Adviser to Newsmax: Bondi Beach Attack Shows 'Blatant Jew Hatred.' No Pasaran! notices "A Terrorist Ideology": For a 24-Minute TV Debate on Australia's Bondi Beach Massacre, It Takes 10 Minutes Before Mentioning the Fact that the Terrorists Are Muslim. David Burge @iowahawkblog, "I feel it would wrong to use the actions of a couple of bad apples tarnish the reputation of the entire Syndney October 7 Mass March to Gas The Jews community" Quote Campaign Against Antisemitism @antisemitism, "Were the Bondi beach terrorists at the ‘Gas the Jews’ protest in Sydney two days after October 7th? Our online investigators believe that Naveed Akram and his father Sajid Akram may have been present at the ‘Gas the Jews’ protest in Sydney on 9th October 2023. (At the time, Australian police claimed, despite witness statements to the contrary, that people were in fact chanting ‘Where’s the Jews’, as if that somehow made it better.). . ." PJM's Bob Spencer sees Sen. Tuberville Says ‘Islamists’ Are ‘Here to Conquer,’ and Great Pearl-Clutching Ensues. Toni Airaksinen, Jewish Man Stabbed in Crown Heights NYC, Perp Wished For Another Holocaust: FOOTAGE "It would be alright if the Holocaust happened today", the perpetrator allegedly said before stabbing the man."

TownHall's Matt Vespa hears White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Felt 'Blindsided' by Vanity Fair Article, which, of course, was entirely predictable. From Althouse, "No, she meant that I’m — you see, I don’t drink alcohol. So everybody knows that — but I’ve often said..." ""... that if I did, I’d have a very good chance of being an alcoholic. I have said that many times about myself, I do. It’s a very possessive personality. I’ve said that many times about myself. I’m fortunate I’m not a drinker. If I did, I could very well, because I’ve said that — what’s the word? Not possessive — possessive and addictive type personality. Oh, I’ve said it many times, many times before." Said Trump, responding to the report in Vanity Fair that his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had said he has an "alcoholic’s personality," quoted in "Trump brushes off Wiles' 'alcoholic’s personality' nick as allies torch Vanity Fair piece/Cabinet members and Trump himself have dismissed the unflattering quotes, claiming they were taken out of context" (Fox News)." LifeZette reports Rubio Says He Will Not Run in 2028 if JD Vance Enters Race. I endorse the Vance/Rubio ticket. From Fox, House Republican who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 won't seek re-election.

Ace, Shock: Somali Scammer Caught Perpetrating Another Somali Scam, "The moment that Tom Homan announced he was investigating Ilhan "Omar" Nur's lifetime of defrauding the US immigration system, she suddenly had an outrage to "bitch" about, as Trump said. When people began asking about her immigration fraud and marrying her fucking gay brother, she claimed her son had been pulled over by ICE and almost kidnapped in an attempt to intimidate her!!!"

Also from Ace, Axios: Kamala Harris Is Leaning Towards Running Again in 2028; Unnamed Democrats Are Attacking Gavin Newsom to Deny Him His Coronation. "I'm a pessimist, so I never believe that the best possible outcome will come to pass just because I want it to. I never believed, for example, that Biden would wind up being the nominee in 2024, despite my intense desire that he be so. But Kamala Harris is making me focus on what can be, unburdened by what has been." PJM's Stephen Kruiser sees Even Some Democrats Are Starting to Side-Eye Gavin Newsom’s Coastal Lefty Elitism. At TrashPanda, Newsom Team Resorts to ‘Stupid Hoe’ After Minaj’s Viral Newsom Takedown—She Delivers the Final Blow. Nicki Minaj @NICKIMINAJ, "Imagine being the guy running on wanting to see trans kids. Haha. Not even a trans ADULT would run on that. Normal adults wake up & think they want to see HEALTHY, SAFE, HAPPY kids. Not Gav The Gav Nots GavOUT Send in the next guy, I’m bored."

From the Pop Times, Democrats’ Voter Registration Advantage Has ‘Crumbled,’ Key Swing State Trending Red, NC. Brianna Lyman at Da Fed notices Fulton County: ‘We Don’t Dispute’ 315,000 Votes Lacking Poll Workers’ Signatures Were Counted In 2020 ‘When the law demands three signatures on tabulator tapes and the county fails to follow the rules, those 315,000 votes are, by definition, uncertified.’

At Da Signal, BREAKING: Bongino Announces When He Will Resign From FBI. Anxious anxiously reports Dan Bongino announces FBI exit. Via Driscoll at Insty, Related: Trump on Bongino FBI exit: He “wants to go back to his show.”

Dmitri Bolt at TownHall, Jack Smith Arrives on Capitol Hill to Face Closed-Door Grilling on Trump Prosecutions. In a Larry video at Hat Hair, Jack Smith Pummeled by Questions, Runs From Reporters When Arriving on Capitol Hill. Hat Hair's Dave Strom wonders Is Anybody Shocked That Biden's DOJ Pressured FBI to Search Trump's Residence? From Da Signal, Mark Kelly Faces Escalated Review of Alleged Misconduct From Pentagon.

Nick Arama at RedState says Hoo Boy: Fani Willis Has an Epic Meltdown When Grilled by GA Senate Committee About Trump Case.

Matt Walsh @MattWalshBlog, "If the most prominent leftist in America was shot and killed on camera during a Democrat administration, the Democrats would spend every waking moment, for as long as they hold power, using it as an excuse to ruthlessly crackdown on the Right, throwing hundreds of us in prison, avenging the death of their fallen comrade by any means available to them. Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a Republican administration and nothing like that has happened. There has been no crackdown. No mass arrests. No punishment of the Left. We haven't seen any left wing radicals frog marched in front of cameras in handcuffs and leg irons. Basically nothing has happened. We have not gone to war with those who want to kill us, and are killing us. When they get back into power -- which it seems increasingly likely they will very soon -- they will not extend that same courtesy to us. I guarantee it."

Amy Curtis at TownHall thinks Wisconsin's Supreme Court Just Handed Catholic Charities a Major Win (and Dealt a Blow to AG Josh Kaul). Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal disappointed by a SLAPP DOWN: Court Defends Trans Activists Who Allegedly Lied to Get Real Estate Agent Fired.

Still Mo' at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 12.17.25 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 12.17.25 (Evening Edition), but I gotta scoot. 

Thursday Tanlines

 Xmas edition:

Fox 13, Tanning beds could triple melanoma risk, new study finds

Run, Run, Rudolph!

Maryland, My Maryland

 The Balmer Banner, Maryland lawmakers override Moore vetoes on trio of climate and energy bills

Maryland lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to override Gov. Wes Moore’s vetoes of three climate and energy-focused bills, a step that comes after his administration has drawn criticism for its leadership on some green priorities.

During a brief special session Tuesday in Annapolis, lawmakers voted to reapprove bills aimed at establishing an energy planning office, analyzing the risks of a burgeoning data center industry and assessing the total cost of climate change for Maryland.

The veto overrides come as Maryland lawmakers prepare for the start of a legislative session next month in which growing energy demand and ballooning utility bills promise to dominate policy debates. Electrification and the rise of data centers have put new strains on the mid-Atlantic electric grid, even as ratepayers face surging costs for other reasons.

“With this override, the legislature is sending a clear message that protecting ratepayers can’t wait,” said Sen. Katie Fry Hester, a Baltimore County Democrat who sponsored the energy planning office bill and the climate study.

I wonder how much this is going to cost us. Bear in mind, this is strictly blue on blue infighting, there aren't enough Republicans in the legislature to make a difference. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Reiner Charged in Reiner Murder, Brown Shootings Stays Unsolved, The Scene in Sydney Curdles the Blood

Rob Reiner's murder is getting ready to fade from the news, as is seems settled that his son, Nick, will be charged with the horrific knife murder of Rob and his wife. From BI, Nick Reiner, son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, will be charged with first-degree murder in his parents' deaths. Interestingly, the NYT reports Rob Reiner Is Said to Have Argued With His Son Nick at Conan O’Brien’s Holiday Party the night before, which all but guarantees that any trial will be graced with far too many celebrity appearances. Althouse attempts to torture Trump's comeback to his previous statement on Reiner, Challenged on his statement about Rob Reiner, Trump explained, "Well, I wasn't a fan of his at all.... I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way, shape, or form."

Meanwhile, up in Rhode Island at Brown University, we seem no closer to a resolution and the situation is beginning to smell of a mixture of incompetence and misdirection. NYPo, Cops release very grainy new video of suspected Brown shooter — as they hunt for new leads. Fusilli Spock @awstar11 "I'm no police investigator but this guy's body shape looks absolutely nothing like the poor schmuck they picked up the other day. Shocking that they even arrested that guy." Quote TV News Now @TVNewsNow "FOX NEWS ALERT: Police issue surveillance video of NEW lead in Brown University shooting." Sundance at CTH, Brown University Shooter Still at Large – Open Discussion Thread "Everything about the Brown University shooting doesn’t make sense through the ordinary prism. However, if political ramifications in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s targeted assassination are overlaid against the Brown University murders, then a certain context might reconcile some of the issues. {GO DEEP} Was Ella Cook targeted in a similarly motivated fashion to the murder of Charlie Kirk?" At Da Caller, Brown University’s ‘Targeted’ Murder Blossoms Into Mysterious Mess "It took way too long to figure out why Ella Cook was even in the room when she was shot and killed." Ace cites Mark Halperin: I'm Hearing, But Can't Confirm, That the Family of Ella Cook -- Murdered by the Brown University Terrorist -- Has Been Informed That She Was the Target In the Attack. William A. Jacobson @wajacobson, "Most people don’t truly understand how difficult it is for conservative students on campuses like Brown (and Cornell). It takes great inner strength to stand up to the social and social media pressures to conform, and those pressures come not only from other students, but from faculty and administrators as well. At Cornell I see how brave and prepared these students need to be, because their viewpoints are questioned and attacked relentlessly and they are always outnumbered. It is particularly difficult for religious Christian students. I didn’t know Ella Cook because I was not at Brown, but I know students like Ella Cook. My heartfelt condolences to her family.

PJM's Matt Margolis thinks Authorities May Be Covering up a Key Detail About the Brown University Shooting, "Social media has been flooded with reports that the gunman yelled "Allahu Akbar.” That's not a minor detail." Social media is full of garbage, but who knows, it could be true. Matt Vespa at TownHall, Brown University Was Asked About Why Some Web Pages Are Being Scrubbed. The Answer Was a Disaster. End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Umm, why did @BrownUniversity just scrub its entire website of Mustapha Kharbouch (Free Palestine, LGBTQ activist)?" VodkaPundit at Insty says NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG. Catturd ™ @catturd2, "This is the biggest (pile of shit) show I’ve ever seen. Quote Jack Posobiec @JackPosobiec "Longtime source in Rhode Island tells me Providence Police are indeed looking into the student whose online presence was scrubbed today. Higher-ups want it close hold. Said that Brown U runs Providence, and Brown president is anti-police."

And at the lovely, but somewhat over rated Bondi Beach, David Burge @iowahawkblog, "it's a perfect Category 5 storm of public official ineptitude." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Bondi Beach hero helped disarm terrorist before police mistakenly shot him: report" At the Free Bacon, Police ‘Froze’ As Terrorists Massacred Jews on Bondi Beach, Eyewitness Accounts and Videos Suggest. "New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon said police did ‘a fantastic job’." Fantastic should be reserved for a case where the shooters didn't have 20 minutes to kill 13 people. Dan Greenfield at Front Page, Australian Gun Control: Chanukah Muslim Terrorist Got 6 Weapons Despite ISIS Ties. "The problem isn't gun control. It's Islam control." The Beeb, Police investigating Bondi gunmen's trip to Philippines month before shooting "It has previously been reported that they visited the Philippines to receive "military-style training."" Shooting News Week says Reality Bites: US Homicide Rates Fell as Much As Australia’s, But Without the Radical Gun Confiscation. Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "They actually did the "motive unknown" meme." Quote Curtis Houck @CurtisHouck, "ABC's Faith Abubey, on Monday's 'Good Morning America,' in Sydney, Australia: "As for the suspect, authorities say one of the them was a licensed gun owner with six firearms, but they have not yet revealed a motive." Robin Roberts: "We will find it out ahead."" The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Groundbreaking New Study Finds Islamophobia May Be Partially Caused By Muslims Killing People All The Time."

Frog forgets, gives scorpion another lift. James Lynch at Da Caller, White House Does Damage Control After Susie Wiles Criticizes Trump, Top Officials in Candid Interviews to Vanity Fair. Althouse likes her some NYT spin, "Over the course of 11 interviews, Ms. Wiles offered pungent assessments of the president and his team: Mr. Trump 'has an alcoholic’s personality.' Vice President JD Vance has 'been a conspiracy theorist...'" "'... for a decade' and his conversion from Trump critic to ally was based not on principle but was 'sort of political' because he was running for Senate. Elon Musk is 'an avowed ketamine' user and 'an odd, odd duck,' whose actions were not always 'rational' and left her 'aghast.' Russell T. Vought, the budget director, is 'a right-wing absolute zealot.' And Attorney General Pam Bondi 'completely whiffed' in handling the Epstein files." From "Trump’s Top Aide Acknowledges ‘Score Settling’ Behind Prosecutions/In interviews with Vanity Fair, Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, said Trump 'has an alcoholic’s personality,' called JD Vance a 'conspiracy theorist' and concluded that Pam Bondi 'completely whiffed' the early handling of the Epstein files" (NYT)(gift link).." I'll give them the Pam Bondi one. Sundance, Bannon 2.0 – Another Trump Chief of Staff Creates Another Hot Mess and JD Vance Gives Strong Defense of Susie Wiles. "Sometime I am a conspiracy theorist, but I only believe in theories that are true," with some great examples.

The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great, It’s Affordability, Stupid? "Trump’s critics cry “affordability,” but voters remember who sparked the price surge—and who’s now trying to clean it up." Amy Curtis at TownHall reports The November Jobs Numbers Are Here, and It's Good News for American Workers "Last month, we reported that the September jobs numbers exceeded expectations, and since September the private sector has gained 121,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the government has lost 168,000 jobs." News Wax, Citi Sets 2026 S&P 500 Target at 7,700. Breitbart calls it the Trump Effect: Christmas Day Gas Prices Expected to Drop to Lowest Level in 5 Years. At Da Blaze, 'Rents will come down' — but not in sanctuary cities: Loan agent chronicles homes apparently abandoned by illegal aliens. Da Caller, Trump Admin Unleashes ‘Strike Force’ Taking Sledgehammer To Costly Biden-Era Regulations At ET, Hassett Says If He’s Fed Chair, Trump’s Advice Won’t Influence Central Bank’s Policy "‘In the end, the job of the Fed is to be independent and to work with the group of people that are on the Board of Governors.’ Kevin Hassett said." So then, it's not going to be Hassett?

Matt Margolis yells Ding-Dong! The Obamacare Subsidies Are Dead! Roger Stark at JTN finds a Prescription for fraud? GAO finds serious abuses in Obamacare exchanges, "Remember when Americans were told that the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) would lower health care costs and that if you liked your doctor, you could keep her? How things have changed over the past 15 years. Health care costs continue to rise faster." PJM's Cathy Salgado sees Newsom Brags About Giving Illegals Healthcare. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Clarence The Angel Takes Gavin Newsom To Florida To Show Him What California Would Look Like If He'd Never Been Born." Amy Curtis thinks Speaker Mike Johnson Just Ended the Democrats' Lies About Taxpayer-Funded Healthcare for Illegals. That's doubtful. Sister Toldja at RedState hears Mike Johnson Drops a 'Told Ya So' on Dems, Media After Newsom's Admission About Healthcare for Illegals. News Wax admits ACA Enrollees Say Expiring Subsidies Will Hit Hard.

Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "Do you want to know why Republicans always lose, even when we're winning? "We're better than that." Democrats never think "We're better than that." They think "What can we do to win?" And then they win, taking advantage of our self-defeating, love of Marquess of Queensberry rules. I'm not saying we should lie, or cheat, or commit crimes. We ARE better than THAT. But when it comes to the daily information war, Democrats play no-holds-barred and if we want to preserve the nation and the Constitution: *****WE NEED TO DO THE SAME.***** So please throw away your fainting couches and clutching pearls, and realize we are in a war for survival." OTH, Dave Catron at Am Spec sees The Democrats Decide to Lose "They are determined to ignore good advice and cling to their smelly little orthodoxies." Mark Tapscott at Insty, COMMON SENSE COONS: The Delaware senator offers some hard-headed, reality-based advice to his fellow Democrats. Interesting that two Democrats from adjoining states are looming as significant voices of reason in their party. Obviously, there is much in the Coons analysis with which to disagree, but statements like this could be tremendously encouraging signs of an openness to a genuine policy debate about where the country is headed: “Democrats need to stop telling Americans how to be and what to feel and believe. Instead, we need to listen. Then we need to solve the problems they’ve shared with us. In the last few years, it’s not just our message that was wrong—it was some of our policies, too." Rep. Mary Miller @RepMaryMiller, "House Democrats introduced a resolution to force the U.S. military to stand down against designated terrorist organizations. If you need any more clarification on whose side they are on, look no further. https://congress.gov/119/bills/hcon." Jesse Singal at Singal Minded, Good News: Progressive Advocacy Groups Have Been Found Not Guilty By A Progressive Advocacy Group. Batya Ungar-Sargon @bungarsargon, "It can now be said!" Quote Timur Kuran @timurkuran "Now that Pelosi is retiring, the NYT starts connecting the dots (see below and full story). For decades, it looked the other way." VodkaPundit at PJM, Wait, Nancy Pelosi Just Said WHAT? "Just to make sure I understand you, [impeachment] should not be the agenda of Democrats for this last two years?"

At Breitbart, U.S Officials Say Washington Agreed to Give Ukraine Security Guarantees in Peace Talks. ET, Kyiv’s Top Negotiator Hails ‘Real Progress’ During 2nd Day of Peace Talks in Berlin "‘We hope we will reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day,’ negotiator Rustem Umerov said."

John Kass is onto Little Mogadishu the Chicago Way. Jeff Charles at TownHall thinks This Trump Administration Official Just Demolished Tim Walz Over Fraud Scandals. Ace explains Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Blasts Tim Walz, Now Accusing Him of Turning a Blind Eye to Somalis Stealing Student Aid By Registering as "Ghost Students" Who Don't Attend School and Don't Even Exist "Last time it turned out that he was enabling mass fraud of welfare money by Somali pirates (and Democrat voters, legal or not), Walz claimed that if he had any fault, it was just of being too "generous" during covid. He wanted to protect people's health, you know. What's the excuse for allowing fraud on an industrial scale in student aid? Via Twitchy, McMahon explained the scam to the retard allowing it." At NYPo, HHS probes whether billions in taxpayer money sent to Minnesota fueled ‘illegal and mass migration.’ Mil.com reports a Minnesota Man Convicted of Faking Purple Heart, Defrauding VA Out of $146,287 and he's not even Somali.

John Solomon and Jerry Dunleavy at JTN report FBI repeatedly warned DOJ didn't have probable cause to raid Trump home: 'Not been corroborated' "The bombshell emails show some inside the FBI were skeptical of the Biden DOJ's push to raid Trump's Florida resort home." Clandestine @WarClandestine, "Holy shit… The FBI admittedly never had probable cause to raid Mar-a-Lago, but the Biden DOJ essentially told the FBI to create/find some probable cause. Meaning the Biden White House and Garland weaponized the DOJ/FBI to go after Trump. Not a surprise, but now confirmed." Ace, Emails: FBI Agents Repeatedly Warned Biden's DOJ That There Was No Probable Cause for the Mar-a-Lago Raid. "Weird how we never heard warnings about the need for the DOJ to be independent of the president when Biden's thugs were raiding his rival's home." PJM's Stephen Kruiser says In a Perfect World, Merrick Garland Would Be Living in GITMO.

Also from John Solomon and Jerry Dunleavy at JTN New memos show how corruption probe into Clinton Foundation was killed: ‘We were told NO by FBI HQ’. "Drip, drip, drip: A newly-declassified timeline exposes how the FBI's investigation of the Clinton Foundation was hamstrung by DOJ leaders while the inquiry into Trump-Russia collusion hoax marched forward. This isn't the first tranche of evidence pointing to political interference." Ace, Federal Investigators Believed the Clintons May Have Committed a Crime in Taking Money from Russia and Then Approving the Sale of a Uranium Company to Russia, But the DOJ and FBI Let the Statute of Limitations Run. "That pattern keeps occurring, huh? Whoops, the statute of limitations ran out again. We just lost track of the dates!" News Wax hears Clintons Rejecting Calls to Testify Live in Epstein Hearings.

From Twitchy, Well, Well, WELL ... Newsom Has DAMNING Connection to 2 of the 5 'Turtle Liberation' Bombing Suspects. Tony Seruga @TonySeruga, "GPS—two of the five suspects (Audrey Carroll and Zachary Page) appear to have met with lesbian and Antifa sympathizer, Camille Zapata, whose full name is Camille Harper Zapata, based in Stockton, California on three occasions in two months. Zapata currently serves as the digital director for California Governor Gavin Newsom, a role she has held since around June 2024, leading a small team of three that handles graphic design, social media strategy, and rapid-response content across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky. She is directly responsible for managing and overseeing Newsom's social media presence." Ryan King at NYPo, What is Turtle Island Liberation Front, the extremist anti-government group whose offshoot planned a NYE terror attack?

Bob Hoge at RedState says Wonders Will Never Cease — Federal Judge Declines to Block Trump Ballroom Construction. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Trump Gets a (Temporary) Win on HIs Ballroom Project and reports on Day Two of Judge Dugan's Trial. I predict jury nullification. MD Kittle at Da Fed reports Judge Rules Wisconsin Show Trial Against Trump Allies Will Go On. RVM sees Outrage as Obama Judge Declines More Prison Time for Disabled Woman’s Illegal Alien Rapist. Misrule of Law, MAGA Meets Sisyphus: Can Trump 2.0 Overcome Its Many Challenges? "I do not question the resolve of President Trump, but have serious concerns about Congress, the courts, and faint-hearted Republicans across the country."

Nick Ballasy at JTN hears More than 60% of security clearance data was 'not reliable,' GAO reveals as it urges intel changes "The report found that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence lacks accurate and complete clearance data from dozens of federal agencies." My own experiences with the clearance process have been laughable.

Cathy Salgado is pleased Trump Designates Illicit Fentanyl ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’. 

Center for Immigration Studies sees a GAO Report that Blasts DHS’s Handling of Biden ‘Humanitarian Parole’ Programs, "The Center warned that ‘Uniting for Ukraine’, CHNV Parole, and ‘family reunification’ were defective programs, but few realized how deeply flawed they were until now."

PJM's Bob Spencer says Oh, This Is Gonna Be Great: Trump Soon to File Massive Lawsuit Against BBC. From Althouse, "In a little while, you’ll be seeing I’m suing the BBC for putting words in my mouth. Literally, they put words in my mouth." ""They had me saying things that I never said coming out. I guess they used AI or something. So we’ll be bringing that lawsuit. A lot of people were asking, ‘When are you bringing that lawsuit?’ Even the media can’t believe that one. They actually put terrible words in my mouth having to do with January 6 that I didn’t say and the beautiful words that I said … talking about patriotism and all of the good things that I said, they didn’t say that but they put terrible words. They actually have me speaking with words that I never said and they got caught because I believe somebody at BBC said, 'This is so bad, it has to be reported.' That’s called fake news." Said Trump, yesterday, quoted in "Trump sues BBC for $10bn over ‘fake news’/The broadcaster has apologised for a misleading edit of the president’s speech before the Capitol riot, which Trump said put ‘terrible words in my mouth'" (London Times)." Ace, Trump Files Lawsuit Against BBC for Defamatory J6 Edit, "Another $10 billion lawsuit. The odds of winning in court, with a left-wing anti-American judge and left-wing anti-American, are zero, unfortunately." At RVM, New York Times Now Admits These ‘Conspiracy Theories’ Are True. Curtis Houck @CurtisHouck, "MORE OF THIS, PLEASE: Important comments from CBS News editor-in-chief @BariWeiss to colleague @VladDuthiersCBS about having conversations with those we disagree with, even if you may think someone is controversial and wrong..." Dave Strom, Liberals Are Bad at Math, Liars, or Both. Both.

From Campus Reform, University of Southern Maine pro-life group faced with harassment, including veiled threat referencing Kirk assassination. College Fix, MIT blames new endowment tax for decision to close multiple libraries.

At Compact, The Lost Generation. Megan McArdle @asymmetricinfo, "If this reporting is true true, Hollywood not only violeted CRA for years by discriminating against white men, but has been merrily telling the white men this, and writing it down in widely circulated emails in case they wanted to file a lawsuit. No words." Insty has a Driscolly post on it, THEY ARE EVIL AND SHOULD BE DESTROYED: Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "White men deserve reparations for the past ten years." Quote vittorio @IterIntellectus, "insane article this is documented, systematic racism against an entire generation of white men, written down said out loud in hiring meetings. "we can't hire the best person", "we need diverse, not white guys" for a fucking decade what's insane is that it helped no one. not x.com/matthewschmitz…Show more"

Twitchy sees 'Target Karen' Tries to Harass Worker Over Charlie Kirk Shirt; the Response Is PERFECTION I Meme Therefore I Am @ImMeme0, "Meet Michelea Ponce. Ponce works for the @Enloe nonprofit health care system (most likely as a nurse) in California. She is an “anti-racism” activist who decided to post a video of herself chastising and calling a Target employee “fucking stupid,” accusing her of supporting a “racist” simply because the staffer was wearing Charlie Kirk’s “Freedom” shirt. Ponce could have politely addressed the issue with a store manager, but instead she chose to demonize the employee and shame her on the internet. Please HELP me return the FAVOR and blast her all over the place, because someone who works in healthcare, whose role is to support the well-being of people, is doing the opposite." PJM's Mike Cantrell JK Rowling Strikes Again, Rips LGBT Crowd After Rapist Targets Girls in Mixed Gender Changing Rooms. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn reports it was a Spicy Ride on a New York Subway Last Night for Young Jewish Men.

There's still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 12.16.25 (Afternoon Edition), but that will have to do for now.