Wednesday, December 17, 2025
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."
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."
The Wednesday Wetness
With World Champion water skier Kenna Hansen
Kennedy Hansen, the reigning Under-21 World Overall Champion, has set a new Under-21 Women’s Overall World Record. Her record-breaking performance occurred during the first round of the We Wave Independence Day Invitational at Bullneck Lake, Scott, Arkansas, on July 5-6, 2024.I went water skiing, once. It seemed to involve a lot of being towed through the water face down. I did eventually get up for about a 3 minute run. It seems like it would be fun, once you got good at it. The next day I could barely uncurl my fingers.
Hansen’s incredible overall score was achieved through stellar performances across all three disciplines:These impressive results helped Hansen surpass the previous Under-21 overall record, a milestone previously held by her compatriot Brooke Baldwin.
- Slalom: 1 buoy at 10.75 meters (39.5′ off)
- Tricks: 9,430 points
- Jump: 44.4 meters (146 feet)
Expressing her gratitude after her achievement, Hansen said, “Thanks to my family, coaches, Team Pickos, Alex Gschiel, and my sponsors for all the support along the way. This wouldn’t have been possible without you all!”
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Beach Report 11/16/25
Flotsam and Jetsam - Nick Reiner Arrested in Rob's Murder, Brown Shooter Evades Capture
Stephen Kruiser at PJM calls it a Busy Weekend for the Worst of Humanity The shocking murder of Rob Reiner and his wife are still the main thing. Matt Vespa at TownHall says We Have More Details on the Killing of Rob Reiner and His Wife Michele Singer...and It's Ghastly. Ace, Rob Reiner's Mentally-Ill Son Arrested for Double Murder, Held on $4 Million Bail, bail offer later revoked. People reports Rob Reiner's Son Nick Charged with Murder Following Deaths of His Parents, Held on No Bail. Matt Margolis at PJM, Rob Reiner’s Son, Nick, Arrested In Connection With Murder of Parents. Sundance at CTH reacts to the Odd Presser by LAPD: Six Hours After Bodies Found, Detectives Await Search Warrant Before Investigating. Althouse finds a relevant and interesting clip, "Join legendary director Rob Reiner and his son Nick Reiner as they discusses their new film 'Being Charlie,' about a troublesome 18-year-old..." ""... who breaks out of a youth drug treatment clinic, returns home to Los Angeles, and is given an intervention by his parents and forced to go to an adult rehab...."
From the College Fix, USC professors promote ‘drag pedagogy’ for K-12 teacher prep programs. Insty, EDUCATION HIGH AND LOW IS A MONEY LAUNDRY AND ACTIVIST FARM FOR THE LEFT: Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist @DeAngelisCorey, "Los Angeles public schools have lost 26% of their students since 2014. Yet they've increased staffing by 19%. The government school system is a jobs program for adults."But why does the legacy media do this? https://t.co/00s1LLE2El
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 15, 2025
A Tuesday Tune - Promises
Boston-based pop metal band Major Moment is known for their intense and cinematic sound that blends heavy guitar riffs, modern production, and melodic vocals. What sets them apart is their unique use of both male and female clean and extreme vocals that create a harmonious blend of contrasting styles. The band draws inspiration from their personal experiences to create music that speaks to their listeners and encourages them to pursue their dreams and live a life of purpose.
Sasha Razumova
Steve Matin
Monday, December 15, 2025
Well That Clears Things Up
One of the murkiest questions surrounding the Chesapeake Bay cleanup effort seems like it should be the easiest to answer: Is the water getting clearer? For decades, widely used data indicate that, overall, water clarity is getting worse. Earlier this year, for instance, the Chesapeake Bay Report Card released by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science reported that 2024 water clarity was “very poor” and that “water clarity scores continue to show a significant decline over time.”
One of the major goals of the state-federal Bay Program partnership is to reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients entering the Bay to improve clarity so that underwater grass beds can get enough light to survive. The region has spent billions of dollars to control sediment and nutrient-fueled algae blooms that cloud the water — seemingly without significant results. Yet underwater grass beds in the Bay have expanded even as data seem to show that the water is murkier. The amount of submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV, increased from 38,227 acres in 1984 to 78,451 acres last year.
If the water is cloudy, how are grasses getting enough light to expand? A recent analysis published in the Annual Review of Marine Science came up with an answer, though it is murky too: The amount of light available for plants is improving, even if it doesn’t always look that way. “For a long time, the story was that we’ve been cleaning up the watershed, but clarity is not improving,” said Jessie Turner, an assistant professor in the Department of Ocean and Earth Sciences at Old Dominion University, who was the lead author of the journal article. “That has switched, but it was hard to untangle things.”
Turner has been trying to sort out the story for nearly a decade, first as a student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and then in her current position. Former colleagues from VIMS and the University of Delaware are co-authors of the article. It turns out that how far we see into the water — how visibly “clear” it is — is not the same thing as how much light is passing through that water.
The Bay goal is to get more light to underwater plants, but the main tool for measuring clarity has been the Secchi disk — a black and white disk that is lowered into the water until it disappears. The Secchi disk is cheap and easy to use and has been relied upon for decades by researchers and citizen scientists. But it measures visual clarity, not the amount or quality of light that might be reaching plants on the bottom.
Bay water is filled with tiny particles. Some are bits of sediment, but many are tiny algae cells and microscopic bits of detritus from organic material that is breaking down in the water. Those organic particles limit visibility, but they don’t block light waves. Instead, they scatter them, reflecting light through the water column. Turner likens it to headlights in a fog bank. The headlights brighten the fog, which is made up of tiny water particles, but a driver can’t see very far into it.
“You can have a lot of light getting to your eyeball in the fog, but the visibility is very poor,” Turner said. “In the water, that would look like a very shallow Secchi depth reading. But you still have enough light for something like seagrass.” “What ultimately matters to something like SAV is how much light is getting to the bottom.”
When Turner and her colleagues examined historical data gathered with specialized light sensors, they found a different trend than those seen with Secchi disks. Data from those sensors, which assess the amount of sunlight that is penetrating the water, including the specific wavelengths that are important for plant photosynthesis, show improvements since around 1990.
So they've been measuring the wrong thing for the last 35 years? Actual light, including spectrums, aren't that tough to measure.
Flotsam and Jetsam - 'Meathead' Murdered in LA
It's that kind of a week, and it's only Monday. After a call from a relative who had checked their house, LA Police were called to the Brentwood residence of Rob Reiner, best known for his breakout role as Archie Bunkers son-in-law 'Meathead' in "All In the Family," but a talented actor and director in his own right as well as a prominent liberal activist. Police found two bodies, Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer, apparently stabbed to death. Although there was some initial speculation it could have been an Islamic act of terror, sources are pointing at a son with drug and mental issues. I saw a police press conference late last night, and it was just awful, with police even refusing to identify the victims and saying they needed a warrant before collecting evidence at the scene. However, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayer Karen Bass had already issued statements identifying Reiner and his wife as the victims. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, R.I.P. Rob Reiner and His Wife Michelle Singer. Amy Curtis at TownHall, Director Rob Reiner and Wife Michele Singer Reiner Dead. Althouse, "Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were killed by their son, Nick, according to multiple sources who have spoken with family members." "Police have not yet confirmed the account. On Sunday, Dec. 14, at about 3:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was called to a home to provide medical aid, the LAFD told PEOPLE. Upon arrival, they found a man, 78, and a woman, 68, dead. Sources confirm the victims were Rob and Michele. Police say Nick, 32, is alive and being questioned. No arrests have been made...." People reports." Not that I had any intention of speaking ill of the dead, but I checked with Grok to see if Reiner had anything bad to say about Charlie Kirk after his assassination, and Grok could only find Reiner expressing sympathy.
Meanwhile, the mess at Brown University continues. A suspect was identified from phone data, arrested nearby, publicly named via a leak, and then released for lack of evidence.News Wax reports a 'Person of Interest' Arrested After Brown University Shooting Left 2 Dead, 9 Wounded. Teri Christoph at RedState, New: Person of Interest in Brown University Shooting ID’d As Chilling Details Emerge. At TownHall Scott McLallen says Person of Interest in Brown University Shooting Identified and Matt Vespa claims Latest Brown University Shooting Update Is Wild...and This Story Has Become a Total Circus. Althouse, "The search for the gunman who killed two people at Brown University in Rhode Island dragged into Monday..." ""... after officials said a person of interest detained earlier was released because they could not find enough evidence connecting him to the shooting. Mayor Brett Smiley of Providence, R.I., said Sunday night that officials had no way of knowing if the attacker that sent the Ivy League campus into lockdown on Saturday was still in the city.... Brown officials said exams would not be held as scheduled for the rest of the semester, and that students were free to go home. 'For the moment, we encourage everyone to focus on their own safety and well-being,' the provost said...." The NYT reports." So he hasn't really been cleared, but they don't have sufficient evidence to hold him. Twitchy says this Seems IMPORTANT: Brown Classroom Where Gunman Opened Fire Belongs to THIS Teacher Teaching THESE Subjects. Amy Swearer @AmySwearer, "Oh. The shooting occurred in the classroom of Professor Rachel Friedberg...who is Jewish, part of the Program in Judaic Studies, and whose research focuses on the intersection of economics and Jewish Studies? That seems like it might be incredibly relevant." Or it could be a complete coincidence.
Meanwhile, downunder in Australia WaPoo, 15 killed in Bondi Beach shooting by father and son, Australian officials allege "The Australian Broadcasting Corporation named the father and son accused in the attack as Sajid Akram, 50, who was also killed, and Naveed Akram, 24, who was hospitalized. . . The older gunman first arrived to Australia on a student visa in 1998 and had since held legal status in the country via a partner visa and resident return visas, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Monday. His son is an Australian-born citizen, the minister said. . . A civilian lauded as a hero after he wrestled a gun from one of the suspected shooters has been identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed. He was “seriously injured,” Albanese said." Don Keith @RealDonKeith, "Bombs In Bondi: Police have now found multiple IED’s at the scene of the Muslim terror attack in Australia." Aaron Hancsom at PJM, Here's What We Know About Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Murdered at Bondi Beach Chanukah Celebration. At TCW, Bondi Beach Jewish Hanukkah Massacre – a survivor’s account. Driscoll at Insty cites ROBERT SPENCER: Australia Discovers What It Means to ‘Globalize the Intifada.’ Eve Barlow @Eve_Barlow, "There was more than one terror attack today. There were three. A Jewish home in California. A Jewish classroom at Brown. A Jewish celebration at Bondi. It’s beginning to look a lot like a globalized intifada." Max @MaxNordau, "Don’t let the Australia shooting, Brown shooting, and foiled Germany ramming distract you from the California shooting." Quote ADL California @ADLCalifornia "Last night’s shooting into the home of a Jewish family in @CityofRedlands, CA is a despicable act of antisemitic violence. Contact the Redlands Police Department at (909) 798-7681 with any information about this heinous act." Roger Simon at American Refugees asks Are Tucker and Candace Responsible for Sydney Terror? (UPDATED). No, it's not a crime to be an educated idiot. James Lindsay, anti-Communist @ConceptualJames, "They're testing Western defenses and resolve to prepare for something bigger and very coordinated." Quote Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "BREAKING: Masked Islamists are attacking a Hanukkah concert in Amsterdam This comes on the same day as Islamists murdered over 10 Jews in Australia." ONE DELIBERATELY CREATED says Insty, answering Vivid. @VividProwess, "Jews can’t enjoy Hanukkah peacefully. Christians can’t enjoy Christmas peacefully. What kind of dark world are we heading into?" Dave Strom, Maybe It Is a Good Idea to Quit Importing Terrorists? UPDATE: IT WAS A FATHER AND SON FROM PAKISTAN. Raise the Black @KTB_500, "There is absolutely gold in the thought behind this." Quote InfantryDort @infantrydort, "Terrorism ends when fear changes sides." Insty, CITIZENS DON’T NEED GUNS. THE POLICE WILL PROTECT YOU! Collin Rugg @CollinRugg, "Man refuses to take cover and points at one of the Bondi Beach terrorists while the terrorist was trying to shoot innocent people. Witnesses say police officers completely froze during the terror attack and did nothing. “Twenty minutes, there was four policemen there. Nobody give fire back. Nothing. Like they froze. I don’t understand why,” said eyewitness Shmulik Scuri. “For 20 minutes. They shoot, shoot. Change magazines. And just shoot.”"
Driscoll at Insty sees THE RISE OF GERMAN NATIONALISM EXPOSES WASHINGTON’S DELUSIONS: Rod Dreher @roddreher, "If you actually look at the platforms of these “far right” parties, they’re like normie pre-Trump Republicans, except on migration (and generally pro welfare state). They’re not electing Nazis; they’re electing Bob Dole." Quote POLITICOEurope @POLITICOEurope, "Hard-right and far-right politicians now lead the polls in France, the U.K. and even Germany. Here’s how the power of populist hardliners differs across European countries . . ." Dan Mahoney at Am Mind is trying to Rediscover the Soul of Conservatism, Part II. I don't believe it's lost.
From Fox, Trump honors 'Miracle on Ice' team; Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig praise president in return. So now the liberals will hate them. At Civitas, Richard Epstein says Junk the CAFE Standards, "In the end, CAFE fails every known test of social welfare."
At Althouse, "To commemorate the abolition of slavery, the [Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee] had recommended an image of Frederick Douglass on the obverse and shackled and unshackled hands on the reverse." "To honor women’s suffrage, a World War I-era protester carrying a 'Votes for Women' flag. And to evoke the civil rights movement, a 6-year-old Ruby Bridges, books in hand, helping to desegregate the New Orleans school system in 1960. [Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, authorized by law to make final decisions about coin designs] opted instead for the more general, and much whiter. For the Mayflower Compact, a Pilgrim couple staring into the distance. For the Revolutionary War, a profile of Washington. For the Declaration of Independence, a profile of Thomas Jefferson. For the Constitution, a profile of James Madison. And for the Gettysburg Address, a profile of Lincoln on the obverse, and on the reverse, a pair of interlocking hands. No shackles." From "The War on ‘Wokeness’ Comes to the U.S. Mint/The Treasury Department unveiled new coins celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. They failed to include planned designs featuring abolition, women’s suffrage and the civil rights movement" (NYT). Liberals were not happy with Sec. Bessent's choices, of course.
After the penny project, I took a look at the quarter situation. Since 1999, the mint has been producing special quarters, with up to 5 different obverse designs for each year. First, the State Quarters, 1999-2008, then the National Park Quarters from 2009-2021, and most recently "Crossing the Delaware and American Women" Quarters from 2021-2025. The next set of U.S. quarters are coming in 2026 to celebrate America's 250th anniversary (the Semiquincentennial), featuring five different designs highlighting key historical moments like the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address. I had been using quarters for years without paying much attention to the obverse sides.
Matt Margolis hears and FBI Whistleblower Claims J6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Is the Wrong Guy "new whistleblower disclosures shared with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are raising serious questions about whether federal authorities have the right guy." Having it passed through Massie tends to discredit it.
Racket's Matt Taibbi disapproves of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's Blunt Call for Government By "Independent" Experts "Independent from what? Dumb voters, of course. On this week's potentially transformative Supreme Court case, and the revival of Woodrow Wilson's vision." Independence from Republicans, of course.
Ward Clark at RedState, DC Police Chief Cooked Crime Books: New Oversight Bombshell Drops. I'm shocked, shocked. At Da Mail, Female judge's career ends in disgrace after she lied that she'd taken part in Operation Desert Storm aged SIXTEEN. At least make your lies plausible. But John Kass nominates the Worst Crooked Judge in the World: Crook County Judge Patricia Martin "Martin is the former judge convicted of swindling an elderly Tuskegee Airman, Mr. Wilkerson, of his life savings. He found out about it after Judge Martin—who had his power of attorney to look out for him and pay his nursing home bills—stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from him. She blew it on bitcoin." CWBChicago @CWBChicago, "From the Department of Special Places in Hell: A former Cook County judge who allegedly swindled an elderly Tuskegee Airman of his life savings was sentenced to probation today."
At Da Telegraph, Biden ‘ignored warnings about letting terror-linked Afghans into US’. Driscoll at Insty, Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate, "The reason ‘they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the dogs’ was such a big deal was because it called attention to something crazy the federal government and NGOs were doing which was dropping thousands of immigrants in random towns and cities across the US, changing them radically overnight. No one wanted to admit this was happening and Dems and libs preferred to ignore it but ‘cats and dogs’ was too mimetically powerful and it shifted the focus of the race back onto out of control immigration, a topic Dems desperately wanted to avoid. This is fair in politics and effective even if you find it distasteful. The real issue was never whether neighborhood pets were being eaten but what the hell the Biden administration was doing which turned out to be massive subsidization of an imported labor force that competed with Americans. There’s no purer or more legitimate issue. If you don’t like this type of thing, the media can neutralize it by being relentless and honest in figuring out exactly what the hell is going on and bringing what are legitimate political issues to the fore, rather than trying to sweep them under the rug."
Dave Manney at PJM hears Kristi Noem Fired by 17 Insiders and Counting, but not by Trump. At least so far.
Jonathan Turley is disgusted CBS Staffers Attack New Anchor as Too White, Straight, Male and Pro-Israel. At Althouse, The ignominious Chia Pet deployed against Bari Weiss. "The headline at Variety is "Big Advertisers Appear Wary of CBS News’ Bari Weiss Town Hall Format." Not only is there that dismissive rhyme — "Wary of... Bari" — there's the attack of the Chia Pet:"
Insty says STARVE ALL YOU WANT, KIDS; "Hunger-striking UC Berkeley lecturer suspended for anti-Israel politicking in class: Leftist students conduct own hunger strike in solidarity: ‘Bring your keffiyeh, flag, signs & friends!’ Or swastikas. Same difference."
At Althouse, Jeffree Star demonstrates how it's done. "On TikTok:" J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling, "Bear with me here, but it's almost as though girls and women who want female-only spaces aren't scaremongering, hysterical, lying bigots after all." The Telegraph, Sexual predators target girls in mixed changing rooms "Dozens of rapes and sexual assaults committed in sports centres, police figures reveal."