Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Drops Tech Tariffs on China

From Power Line's Week in Pictures

Apparently the whines of the "lap-top class" became too insistent, and President  Trump exempts smartphones, laptops, and semiconductors from new tariffs (TechCrunch). At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed  Trump Exempts Hi-Tech Items From China Tariffs, Josh Hammer sees  Trump's Life's Work Culminates in Confronting Communist China,  Larry Elder notes the irony as The Left Discovers Milton Friedman, except all the inconvenient parts. and Salena Zito celebrates the Reversal of Fortune in Homer City: New Manufacturing Project a 'Game Changer'. MSN, In Secret Meeting, China Acknowledged Role in U.S. Infrastructure Hacks. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair Feels an Oligarchy Coming On - I Hope It's Not Painful. Matt Taibbi at Racket says Burn it all Down "Globalization, once hailed as a panacea, has proven to be fundamentally corrupt and needs to be blown to kingdom come."

Ksenia Karelina

Sundance at CTH reports Steve Witkoff Has Third Meeting in St Petersburg, Russia with President Vladimir Putin. From Da Wire, Trump Calls On Russia ‘To Get Moving’ On Peace Deal: ‘Too Many People Are Dying’. "The president's frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin has grown in recent weeks." From Fox, Russian American ballerina Ksenia Karelina has message for Trump after release from Russia, "President Donald Trump says he is ‘glad to have’ Karelina back home."

Hat Hair, Bill Maher Discovers Trump Doesn't Eat Small Children, Honest Enough to Admit It, Beege Welborn Maher's entire 'Book report on My Visit to the White House' is here: Capt. Ed, Bill Maher: My Visit With Trump Shocked Me. Matt Vespa at TownHall, Here’s What Blew Bill Maher’s Mind After Having Dinner With Trump. Sundance also hosts Bill Maher Describing His White House Dinner with President Donald Trump. Althouse likes "He's much more self-aware than he lets on in public.... Everything I've ever not liked about him was — I swear to God — absent at least on this night with this guy...." ""I've had so many conversations with prominent people who are much less connected... And he mostly steered the conversation to: What do you think about this?... There were there were so many moments when I hit him with a joke or contradicted something and no problem.... I never felt I had to walk on eggshells around him.... I voted for Clinton and Obama, but I would never feel comfortable talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump.... I feel it's emblematic of why the Democrats are so unpopular these days...." Nick Arama at RedState thinks you should Watch Bill Maher Brutally Shut Down a WaPo Reporter After He Attacks Meeting With Trump and reports Gretchen Whitmer's Very Embarrassing White House Picture Goes Viral. 

Matt Margolis thinks What Trump Did With Obama's White House Portrait Is Epic. Moved it from the front entrance and replaced with the classic Trump assassination photo "Predictably, critics immediately began claiming this was some sort of breach of protocol, suggesting the Obama portrait had been removed entirely. White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung swiftly shut down that narrative with characteristic directness: Steven Cheung @StevenCheung47 "Pipe down, moron. The Obama portrait was just moved a few feet away. Quote Chris D. Jackson @ChrisDJackson, "So Trump ditched tradition, broke protocol, and took down Barack Obama’s portrait—just to hang his own. Straight-up tin pot dictator energy. Insecure and petty to the end." It's perfectly normal for administrations to move pictures around. Did they think that was sacred? Sundance hosts President Trump Delivering Remarks on Air Force One Following Physical at Walter Reed.

At Twitchy, OOPS! End Wokeness DEMOLISHES the Left's Gaslighting About Plane Crashes With a Simple Chart. End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "You will not see this plane accident chart on TV because it doesn't fit the narrative." Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "If you want to know why we haven’t won a war in 30 years, it’s officers thinking that what they feel is important and needs to be shared with the wide wonderful world" Quote Thomas Doherty @dohertytjp "Replying to @infantrydort. She told the base staff (Danes, Canadians, and Greenlanders included) that she didn't feel the same way as Vance. So what. What Trump and Vance are saying is borderline illegal - implicit threats of force. Col. Meyers parroting that shit would not be moral or ethical. . . "

Da Caller reports Musk Slashes DOGE Savings Forecast By 85%. It's harder than they thought. Also,  GOP-Ordered Audits Find Wisconsin Universities, State Agencies Failed To Track DEI Spending. If you want to brag about it, you track it. From Fox, Dem states to blame for most of the nearly $400 million in unemployment fraud over last 4 years, DOGE says, "California, New York and Massachusetts doled out more than $300M in improper unemployment payments over the last four years, according to DOGE." Payoffs to the base. Francis Menton, the Manhattan Contrarian wonders Is There Any Fraud In The Medicaid Program? Here's A Place To Start Looking. John Sexton at Hat Hair reports EV Sales Continue to Climb in the US, Except for Tesla. 

Adrian Vermeule @Vermeullarmine, "The problem with SCOTUS’ whole approach to this case — and the point generalizes to other cases as well — is that it is too clever by half. Subtle distinctions (“facilitate” vs. “effectuate,” release from custody in El Salvador vs. return to the US) are trampled over by district judges, like this one, who are obviously gripped by a sense of mission to #resist the administration." Quote Margot Cleveland @ProfMJCleveland, "Just dripping with mutual respect, don't you think? x.com/ProfMJClevelan…" Adrian Vermeule @Vermeullarmine "This is now a real mess, caused by over-finessing by SCOTUS in a situation that called for clarity and decisiveness, combined with patently unreasonable behavior by the district court - weakness at the top and willfulness at the bottom." Adrian Vermeule @Vermeullarmine, "Unreal" Quote Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney "XINIS begins by summing up SCOTUS order, which she notes "affirmed all aspects of my decision and prior orders save for requiring clarification." "This court amended its prior order and made clear what the government must do consistent with the Supreme Court’s directive."

Sarah Arnold at TownHall reports Kash Patel Releases 700 Pages of Crossfire Hurricane Docs. Matt Margolis, Here We Go! Kash Patel Releases Massive Trove of Crossfire Hurricane Docs, more to come I hope. 

More "stochastic terrorism" from the left, MD Kittle at Da Fed reports Another Day, Another Alleged Would-Be Trump Assassin Charged. From Butler PA of all places. 

At WokeSpy, Adam Schiff Scrambles on Biden Cognitive Decline Question, Rants About Trump Golfing. Fox, Kamala Harris stays in the game as the former VP mulls next step: Washington or Sacramento?  Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller hears Doug Schoen Tells Harris Faulkner  the‘Far Left’ Made Democratic Party ‘Unrecognizable’: ‘The Party Has Been Taken Over’. Pop Times, Ideal America? Protesters Pitch Utopia Where Government Pays and Feelings Trump Freedom.

Da Wire explains Why Trump Is Reclassifying Illegals Who Were Given Social Security Numbers As Dead, "Many of the illegal aliens were receiving Medicaid benefits or other taxpayer-funded assistance programs " and having a "dead" social security number will stop that, eventually.

The NYSun reports More Bad News for CBS News as Ratings for Gayle King’s ‘Alienating’ Morning Show Plummet Amid Looming Settlement With Trump. "‘CBS Mornings,’ one of the network’s main money-making programs, saw its average total viewers drop below 2 million for the last two weeks of March."

From NYPo, NASA axes ex-DEI chief after giving her new job title in apparent effort to evade Trump crackdown. From the Free Bacon, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab Parts Ways With Top DEI Officer In Wake of Free Beacon Report. "Neela Rajendra said deadlines are an obstacle to ‘inclusion.’" Good, now fire whoever let it happen. At Da Fed, Shawn Fleetwood sees How DEI Left Service Academies In A ‘State Of Decay,’ And How Trump Can Fix It.

Campus Reform asserts Most Americans support Trump crackdown on anti-Semitism on campus, new poll shows. John Sexton reports Stanford Activists Charged with Felonies for Building Takeover. Deport any non-citizens involved. Insty, SHOW THEM THEY’RE OUTNUMBERED:

Look at what happened when terror supporters tried to have a protest at Ole Miss.

American patriots will never be intimidated.

pic.twitter.com/baPQIDs5N5

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) April 11, 2025

Palm Sunday

 With Kathi Modėl:

Who's killing palm trees in Sydney, Australia, Theories swirl after 30-year-old palm trees poisoned in leafy suburb

Maryland, My Maryland

Leslie Eastman at LI reports Maryland Delays Implementing Senseless, California-Style EV Mandate

Another state is now reconsidering its EV mandate. Maryland’s governor has delayed its attempt to be East Coast California.

The Maryland Freedom Caucus is claiming victory after Governor Wes Moore issued an executive order last week delaying implementation of California’s Advanced Clean Cars (CACC) 11 mandate by two years. The order comes in direct response to the Freedom Caucus’s January 16, 2025 letter calling for Maryland to fully withdraw from the program.

“This is a major win for the people of Maryland,” said Delegate Matt Morgan, Chair of the Maryland Freedom Caucus. “We sounded the alarm early, and now Governor Moore is backing down. This delay is proof that the Freedom Caucus is delivering real results for working families and small businesses.”

The CACC 11 mandate, modeled after California’s extreme environmental regulations, would have forced 43% of all new cars sold in Maryland by model year 2027 to be electric—despite EVs making up less than 10% of vehicles on Maryland roads and consumer demand continuing to drop. The Freedom Caucus’s letter warned that the mandate would cripple local auto dealerships, burden consumers with unaffordable vehicle choices, and force residents to rely on a charging infrastructure that does not yet exist.

Moore, a Democrat, blamed President Donald Trump, citing the current administration’s withholding of federal funds and concerns from automakers.

“There are indications that the policies of the current federal administration will greatly impact … compliance,” he said. The order noted that the Department of Transportation has held back funding under former president Joe Biden’s $7.5 billion program to build a network of EV chargers across the country.

That program, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, was designed to push billions of dollars in federal taxpayer funds to state governments for the purpose of constructing EV charging stations. But the program has faced widespread criticism for producing just a handful of stations over the course of three years and, in one of his first actions, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy froze funding for the program and vowed to “recalibrate” implementation.

I was just thinking about a Tesla, but would Georgia buy in? 

Flotsam and Jetsam - That Was the Week that Was

Quite a week! The market reacted well to the weekend arriving, the DOW rose 619 pts on Friday, ending higher than it started for the week. NYT promptly whined Stop Fetishizing the Stock Market. Chris Datoc at WaEx reports White House clarifies new China tariff rate of 145%, not 125%. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair sees China Retaliates By Punishing ... Hollywood? Um, OK. Leah Barkoukis at TownHall hears O'Leary Schools MSNBC Host on Why the Pressure Campaign Against China Must Continue. Because China is asshole. Townhall.com @townhallcom, "WOW: Kevin O'Leary ERUPTS at MSNBC host who tries (and FAILS) to PIN HIM for applauding President Trump's pressure campaign against China! "They cheat, they steal. They don't play by the rules. And I've had enough!" "I don't care about the volatility. I don't care if Trump ratchets it up 25% a day!" MSNBC: "What do you mean you don't care about volatility? If volatility has a direct impact on us as consumers?!" "Because we have to fix this problem once and for all. It's killing us! It's killing small business in America. It's killing large businesses!" "If we have to squeeze Chinese heads to the wall...So be it!" "When you shut down a factory, you put thousands, if not tens of thousands of people unemployed in China! They take burning torches just like the Frankenstein movie up to the castle. And that's a bad outcome for the Supreme Leader!" "Let's squeeze them, squeeze them, squeeze them. Just keep going and going and going until they start complying. That's what I want!" Reuters claims Apple airlifts 600 tons of iPhones from India 'to beat' Trump tariffs. Don Surber has Winning, winning, winning, "As Hillary said, "I don't feel no ways tard"" and TDS is so tedious, "Their objections prove Trump tariffs will work." Stephen Kruiser at PJM, It's Hard to Believe, but People Still Underestimate Trump

At TownHall Tom Knighton worries about When the Military Goes Rogue. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair sees There's a AWFL Purge Ongoing in the US Military and That's Alright. Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew "She should now be court-martialed for conduct unbecoming, busted down a rank, and administratively separated with a reduction in retirement." Quote, Sean Parnell @SeanParnellATSD, "Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump's agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense." CDR Salamander is happy to Hail the First of Hopefully Many Maritime Focused Executive Orders, "Restoring American’s Maritime Dominance."

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.11.25, Louder With Crowder: Valor-stealing Democrat declares Trump guilty of insider trading, but then he’s asked to present proof, Millionaire celebrity Whoopi Goldberg tells YOU to “suck it up” and pay MORE in taxes, Jasmine Crockett rants that if you can’t afford your home, it’s totally because Trump is deporting illegal aliens, and Three Trump wins this week the media doesn’t want you to know about, American Conservative: Congress Hates Trade Wars—but Doesn’t Mind Real Wars, Matt Taibbi, We Did Get Fooled Again", The Federalist: Corporate Media Take Screw America Approach To Trump Tariffs, Trump Restored Showerhead Freedom, Now Let’s Fix The Sneaky Regulation Process, Democrat Union Boss Reportedly Uses Member Dues As A Personal Slush Fund, After 4 Years Of Claiming US Elections Are ‘Most Secure Ever,’ Leftists Again Accuse Trump Of Stealing Them, and Meet The Leftist Power Brokers Engineering Anti-Trump Protests Nationwide and Mark Steyn: Tariffs, China and Passover.

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, This Is Insane. The Telegraph @Telegraph "Three in four countries suffering ‘severe disruption’ to health after aid cuts, WHO warns." So, we're supposed to be responsible for the world's health care?

At Reason, SCOTUS Rules on Deportation Case, "could you at least try to bring back that MS13 dude?" and Damon Root notes Supreme Court Unanimously Orders Trump To 'Facilitate' the Return of Wrongly Deported Man and claims "Trump lost on his most aggressive claims of executive power for the second time in a week." John Sexton at Hat Hair, Supreme Court: Government Must 'Facilitate' Return of Deported Migrant...Eventually. Capt. Ed reads Turley: What in the World Is a 'Writ of Facilitation'? Jonathan Turley, A Writ of “Facilitation”? Court Issues Curious Order in the Garcia Case. The Balmer Sun, Judge orders daily updates on status of Maryland man mistakenly deported. Matt Margolis at PJM, Democrats Cheering MS-13 Gang Member's Return Missed a Key Detail in SCOTUS Ruling. Stephen Miller @StephenM, "False. SCOTUS rejected the lower court and made clear that a district court judge cannot exercise Article II foreign affairs powers. The illegal alien terrorist is in the custody and control of a sovereign foreign nation." Quote "Jon Favreau @jonfavs, "Supreme Court in a unanimous decision: He has a legal right to be here, and you have to bring him back x.com /jdvance/status…" Mary Chastain at LI, reports Judge Says Trump Can Deport Mahmoud Khalil, "The judge gave Khalil’s attorneys “until April 23 to file relief applications.” Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal, Trump Order Would Force the ACLU to Put Its Money Where Its Mouth Is on Lawfare "It’s called the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c). Here’s what it says: "The court may issue a preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order only if the movant [that is, petitioner] gives security in an amount that the court considers proper to pay the costs and damages sustained by any party found to have been wrongfully enjoined or restrained. The United States, its officers, and its agencies are not required to give security." The ACLU has to put down a “security” payment when asking for the court order, just in case a later judge strikes down the order after it already cost the government money to follow it. This commonsense requirement isn’t a Trump wish list item. It’s a rule with the force of law. If the administration were to demand that judges follow this rule, it could stop the judicial insurrection in its tracks—or, at the very least, make the activists think twice before assuming they can dictate federal policy." New York Post @nypost, "Pennsylvania judge Sonya McKnight convicted of shooting sleeping boyfriend in the head https://trib.al/jleSzvJ." But she can set foreign policy.

Sean Davis@seanmdav, "BREAKING: @FDRLST has obtained the Russiagate binder, which consist of seven separate files totaling hundreds of pages. In the interest of full transparency and disclosure, we are making the documents available to everyone for review on our Scribd page. Links to follow...(1/2)." Jerry Dunleavy at John Solomon at JTN report Newly declassified FBI memos detail concerns, payments to Russia collusion informant. "Newly declassified documents show informant Stefan Halper was motivated in part by "monetary compensation" and was paid nearly $1.2 million from FBI over three decade." Sundance at CTH looks at the revelations with a gimlet eye The Process Matters When Confronting the Deep State. 

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.11.25,  American Greatness: DNI Chief Tulsi Gabbard Confirms Electronic Voting Systems Are Vulnerable to Hackers; Calls For Shift to Paper Ballots, also, Paying a Heavy Cost for Going After a Tax Cheat Named Hunter Biden

Mary Chastain reads a Book: Stephanopoulos Described Biden as ‘Heartbreaking’ After Interview, "“The anchor appeared to respond, ‘I don’t think he can serve four more years,'” when asked about Biden from a passerby on the street a few days after the interview." At Atlanta First News, How Kamala Harris’ ‘dark arts’ team ‘stabbed’ Stacey Abrams in 2020. Matt Vespa at TownHall reports an Ex-MSNBC Analyst Read the Book About the 2024 Election. His Takeaway About Kamala Is Devestating. "On 2Way, the Morning Meeting show hosted by ex-MSNBC analyst Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer said his takeaway was that Kamala was such an atrocious candidate that she wouldn’t win an election for dogcatcher. She was terrible, her staff was bad, and her strategy was bad—everything about the Harris operation reeked of incompetence, much like the Biden White House." Sister Toldja at RedState likes how a GOP Congressman Shuts Down Democrat Colleague in Tense Exchange on Laken Riley Act During CNN Town Hall. Jeff Charles at TownHall wonders Did Jasmine Crockett Commit Campaign Finance Violations? The FEC Is Going to Find Out. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.11.25, Twitchy: Victor Davis Hanson – If One Wanted To Destroy The U.S., The Last Four Years Would Have Been The Blueprint.

Eyal Yakoby@EYakoby "BREAKING: The Council on American Islamic Relations is seeking to block Columbia from turning over records to Congress about the pro-Hamas group Students for Justice in Palestine. CAIR is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and was labeled a terrorist group by the UAE in 2014."

Rule 5 Saturday - Kathi Modėl

Katherrine Rodrequez, aka Kathi Modėl is a 

TikTok star known for swimwear modeling. She typically poses outdoors and on beaches. She often answers fan questions and discusses her own life. She has earned more than 750,000 followers on her themodelkathi account.  

In 2022, she visited Singapore and India. Her TikToks use music from films like Shrek and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. She has amassed more than 700,000 followers on her kathimodelofficial Instagram account.

She is from Costa Rica.

Instagram, TikTok, FaceBook, X

Oregon, My Oregon

 Stacy McCain explains Why Media Bias Matters

Say hello to Noah Madrano and, while you’re at it, go ahead and say good-bye, because it’s highly unlikely you’re ever going to see him unless somehow you get sentenced to federal prison, where he’s going to be serving a 50-year sentence for “his heinous crimes”:

PORTLAND, Ore. — A Gladstone, Oregon man was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison today for abducting and sexually abusing a Canadian child he met through a music creation social media platform.
Noah Madrano, 43, was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison, a $5,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release. The sum of restitution he must pay to his victim will be determined at a later date.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI special agents and Oregon City police officers who rescued the victim in Oregon and brought the defendant to justice,” said William M. Narus, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “This sentence is a result of the extraordinary efforts of the victim, the victim’s family, their community, and law enforcement here and in Canada.”

But enough about his crimes, as awful as they are. What does this teach us about media bias?  

You may ask, what does this have to do with media bias? Well, I learned about the Noah Madrano case from Andy Ngo, who exclusive reported in 2022 that Madrano was involved with an Antifa-aligned radio station:

Following the disappearance of a Canadian child last month [i.e. June 2022], a 40-year-old Portland-area man and radio host on the left-wing station, KBOO, has been arrested for child trafficking and child rape. . . .
Madrano used male, female and nonbinary pronouns and the monikers, “Bud Jackson,” “NoMad” and “Noah Zark.” . . .
Until the publicity around Madrano’s arrest, he was a producer and co-host of the “Sub-Human Intellect Theater” (S.H.I.T.) monthly show at far-left self-described Antifa Portland radio station, KBOO-FM. The show’s other host is Karen Green, who has deleted all her social media accounts after the arrest of her co-host.
The Post Millennial can exclusively report that Madrano’s Twitter account has pro-pedophilia content. 
. . . .
The last episode of his show, which has been deleted, featured a purported skit in which Madrano was having phone sex with an underage girl.

KBOO-FM is a “listener-supported, community radio station,” and you see what kind of values were “supported” by this “community.”

Now here’s where the media bias angle comes in. Because of Andy Ngo, you and I know that KBOO gave airtime to this predatory child rapist, who was not exactly secretive about his pedophilia. But guess what? In the Oregonian‘s article about Madrano being sentenced to prison, you’ll have to read down to the 28th paragraph before the reporter mentions Madrano’s association with KBOO radio. Many other media accounts don’t even mention Madrano’s connection to the “listener-supported, community radio station.” Just ask yourself how they’d play it if a similar crime was committed by someone with a right-wing MAGA connection. Daresay that would be mentioned in the first sentence of every article.

However much you hate the media, you don’t hate them enough.

 Sort depends on your community, doesn't it? 

I Hope So

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation wonders Will Chesapeake Bay's Cold, Snowy Winter Spell Success for Striped Bass?

As striped bass prepare to spawn in Maryland and Virginia rivers this month, experts believe the species may benefit from the Chesapeake Bay region’s snowier and colder winter. Historically, cold weather conditions have produced strong year classes of striped bass—when reproduction levels are high and young fish can grow into the large, iconic rockfish targeted by anglers.

Experts with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) expect a colder winter could support striped bass spawning success this spring. However, winter temperatures are just one factor among many. Maryland and other Bay states are also now experiencing drought conditions, which reduces viable spawning habitat and could negate the positive effects of a colder winter.

 

Striped bass recruitment, or breeding success, in Maryland has been far below average for six consecutive years. Several conditions including water quality, overfishing, invasive predators like blue catfish, and warming water temperatures due to climate change, could be causing these tragically low numbers. These results are especially alarming considering the Chesapeake Bay produces between 70 to 90 percent of all striped bass on the East Coast.

Each year, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducts a juvenile index survey to measure striped bass recruitment in Maryland. DNR scientists agreed that this year’s cold and snowy winter could result in above-average success.

 

Striped bass prefer cooler water temperatures. For one, cold winters are better for tiny crustaceans called copepods that juvenile striped bass eat. Additionally, when water temperatures get too warm in the summer months, striped bass are easily stressed and more likely to die when caught by anglers, even if promptly released.

A year of cooler weather could help produce a stronger year of reproduction and could also help scientists indicate whether environmental conditions are the main driver of low recruitment, or if other challenges like invasive species and fisheries management should be more closely considered.

We certainly need a good year class soon. A few years ago would have been good.  

Now, About Those "Dire Wolves"

One of Colossal Biosciences’ dire wolves, possibly “Khaleesi.”

There have been lot of articles on the recent announcement that Colossal BioSciences has recreated the long extinct Dire Wolf. One at Reason, Colossal Biosciences Resurrects Long-Extinct Dire Wolf

Dire wolves went extinct around 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. Weighing around 150 pounds, they were about twice the size of today's gray wolves. Dire wolves roamed both North and South America, preying on ancient horses, camels, sloths, and bison.

Colossal Biosciences, the private company aiming to bring back from extinction the woolly mammoth, announced today that it had produced three dire wolf pups using genetic editing and cloning. The researchers at the company extracted and sequenced the genomes of dire wolves from a 13,000-year-old tooth from Ohio and a 72,000-year-old skull from Idaho. The researchers then made 15 key edits in gray wolf genomes to more closely match the genomes of dire wolves. The nuclei of the edited cells were then inserted into the enucleated dog eggs that were installed in the wombs of surrogate mother dogs. The result was the birth of four dire wolf pups (one died 10 days after birth).

The two six-month-old male pups are named Romulus and Remus, after the founders of Rome who were raised by wolves. The two-month-old female is Khaleesi, a title from Game of Thrones. The new dire wolves have thick white coat and are bigger than gray wolves, with more powerful shoulders, wider heads, larger teeth and jaws, and more muscular legs.

Currently, the wolves are living on a private 2,000-acre facility at an undisclosed location in the northern United States. Some native nations have expressed interest in eventually providing land where dire wolves can once again roam freely.

Colossal Biosciences continues its work to bring woolly mammoths, dodos, and the Tasmanian wolves back from extinction.

Don't get me wrong, this is a major achievement in genetic manipulation, but it is absolutely not the recreation of the infamous dire wolves of the American Ice Ages. Dire wolves, contrary to common opinions, were not just large wolves, they were a totally different branch of the canine family, and a handful of gene edits are not going to change one species into another. What they have produced are GMO wolves, bigger than the original. Wikipedia actually has a pretty thorough (and likely fairly accurate, as the topic in not political and noncontroversial) article on Dire Wolves (there were more than one species), and they actually overlapped in size with the largest American wolves.

All of which reminds me of one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Tariffs, Stock Market Continue to Resonate

Well, I never got back to it yesterday, but it's a rainy day, so I should have time to get through this.

The markets reverberated again yesterday, taking back about one third of the big gains from the Wednesday reaction to the temporary suspension of the reciprocal tariffs (except on China). And so far today, it's up. I know that long-term, there has been no better investment than the markets, but it annoys me that in the short term (and even to a great extent the long term) the prices are determined by "feelz." 

Stephen Kruiser says I'm Always Going to Be a Big Fan of Sticking It to China. Don Surber, World cheers Trump's 10% tariff, "On Wednesday, he created Wall Street's biggest day in 24 years." At Althouse it's Camera time for Geraldo: "This is why Trump is triumphant!... That charisma is unbelievable! I could sing his praises forever. I wonder, if the markets were down, if I would be singing the same tune. I hope so...." At Hat Hair, Beege Welborn thinks 'If I Lived in China..' The NYPo ed board sees Trump’s tariff pause rightly resets the global trade conversation to: What to do about China? Sundance at CTH contributes President Trump Wallops China with Massive de minimis Tariff Increases – Mail Order Product Costs from China Will Skyrocket, Europe’s Big Pharma Companies Threaten Commission President von der Leyen, Change Trade Situation Quickly or We Go To America, Komrade von der Leyen Orders Pause on EU Retaliation Tariffs Pending Engagement with Trump Administration and Background Details of Trump Global Trade Reset Highlight Secretary Bessent as Key, For Now and President Trump Invites Media to Cabinet Meeting – Holds Press Availability. From Spiked, Trump is right to take on the free-trade fundamentalists, "The old order of globalisation and industrial decline has failed working-class Americans." Rich Cromwell at Da Fed observes The Laptop Class Disparages Manufacturing Because It Creates More Value Than They Do. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great has Ten Tariff Questions Never Asked. "The real trade war wasn’t Trump’s—it was decades of lopsided deals, deficits, and double standards America tolerated while others profited." Mike Miller at RedState hears Sunny Hostin Accuses Trump of 'Insider Trading' for Advising 'Buy Low'—and This Former CFP Has Thoughts.

JD Vance@JDVance, "Incredible news. Inflation even lower than expected!" Quote Trump War Room @TrumpWarRoom, "NEW: Inflation drops to 2.4%, LOWER than expectations of 2.5%! Core CPI inflation falls below 3.0% for the first time since March 2021. Month over Month CPI inflation turns negative. Sundance analyzes how Inflation Drops to Lowest Level in Four Years 2.4% "The rate of inflation dropped significantly due to lower gasoline (-6.3%) and fuel prices, which directly impacts every middle-class worker.  The ripple effects (transportation, warehousing, etc.) from lowered gasoline prices is not yet embedded in the cost of goods, that should start to surface next month."  From NewsMax, House Approves 'Big, Beautiful Bill' 216-214.

From Military. com Space Force Commander in Greenland Sent Out Email Breaking with Vance After His Visit Kurt Schlichter@KurtSchlichter "Colonel Female Fredo must be relieved immediately. It is intolerable for her to take a political position at all, much less one in opposition to that of her commander in chief. cc @PeteHegseth @SeanParnellUSA @CynicalPublius @RobManess @JimHansonDC" Quote Visegrád 24 @visegrad24 "Col. Susan Meyers, commander of the 821st Space Base Group which oversees the military base in Pituffik, Greenland sent out an email to people working on the base after JD Vance’s visit. She wrote that she "spent the weekend thinking about Friday's visit -- the actions taken, Show more" She gone. Da Mail, Pentagon fires Greenland military chief over her criticism of JD Vance's visit to the territory which Trump has vowed to take over. Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed reports Trump Admin Ousts Official Who Shepherded Biden’s Military Covid Jab Mandate. Beege Welborn, sees Panama Pete - Sailing Right Along. Raylan Givens @JewishWarrior13, "Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visiting the Panama Canal: “I want to be very clear: China did not build this canal, China does not operate this canal, and China will not weaponize this canal”" BowTiedMara @BowTiedMara, "URGENT Panama breaks with China and aligns itself with the US: Mulino abandons the Silk Road, resumes military exercises with Washington, and joins forces with Hegseth to secure the Canal, curb migration, and contain the communist advance in the region."

Politico whines Trump moves to hobble major US climate change study, "The cuts are a potentially fatal blow to the National Climate Assessment that Congress mandated to ensure the government understands the threats posed by rising temperatures." Matt Van Swol@matt_vanswol, "#BREAKING: Environmentalists are now SUING the Trump Administration for allowing timber companies to clear forest floors of fallen trees in Western North Carolina. The lumber from the trees could be used to rebuild homes cheaper... ...AND greatly decrease wildfire risk"

NewsMax reports Trump says DOGE Will Remain Active After Musk Leaves. At PJM Matt Margolis hears DOGE Uncovers Massive Unemployment Fraud Under Biden Administration. Fox hears Elon Musk scrap with Chuck Schumer, suggesting the senator profits from government fraud. "Sen Schumer has claimed DOGE is 'sabotaging' Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid."  At LifeZette, DOGE Official Blows the Whistle on Staggering Number of Illegal Aliens on Medicare. Jeff Carlson @themarketswork "Democrats are absolutely terrified of Elon looking into Social Security." Quote Rep. Pramila Jayapal @RepJayapal, "Social Security is not a tech company. 73 MILLION Americans depend on those checks. The power of the people forced DOGE--the Department of Greed and Ego--to retreat from one of its many royal screw-ups. But Musk's end goal is the same as ever in his words: "eliminate" it. Our Show more " Andy Biggs asks Does Social Security have a dead beneficiary problem after all?

"Leaked SSA figures, intended to debunk DOGE, show 18% of age 100+ beneficiaries are, well, dead." Leah Barkoukis at TownHall, looks at how DOGE Exposes How Red Tape Is Strangling Federal Workers, with a weird, but trivial example. OCR, IRS acting commissioner is resigning after deal to share immigrants’ tax information with ICE Tom Knighton at TAW considers What we should be wondering about IRS head's resignation, "it’s hilarious to me that the acting head of the IRS quit because of an agreement to share data with immigration officials." Jeff Charles at TownHall, Trump's Latest Immigration Move Just Drove Out Another Key Leader.

At CJ, Chris Rufo and Dave Reaboi explain How “Tesla Takedown” Activists Fool the Public. TownHall's Tom Knight has a Note to the Left: Don't Start Anything You Can't Finish.

Da Hill complains House passes bill restricting district court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions. Jeff Charles at TownHall reports an Immigration Judge Issues Ultimatum to Trump Administration Over Mahmoud Khalil Case “I’d like to see the evidence,” Comans said. If the government cannot produce justification for removing Khalil, she added, “then I am going to terminate the case on Friday.” At NewsMax, Judge Lets Trump Require Everyone in US Illegally to Register. Jeff Charles again, sees Top DOJ Lawyers Are Jumping Ship – Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing for Trump.

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Your Feel-Good Weepy FAFO Story Of the Week, Courtesy of the FBI. Bill Melugin@BillMelugin_ "NEW: The Texas man who allegedly threatened to shoot & kill ICE agents & urged his followers to do the same left a federal courtroom crying today after he was ordered held in detention, with the magistrate determining he is a threat and a flight risk, according to our @FoxNews team in the room. Additionally, federal prosecutors said they learned about Robert King’s alleged threats via the national FBI tip line. He had been living with his sister and brother in law, who is a Mesquite police officer and former CBP agent. Upon learning of the social media posts, the brother in law threw him out of the house." Ace, Left-Wing Pro-Illegal-Alien Tough Guy Led "Crying" from Courtroom As He's Ordered Held Without Bail For Making Terroristic Threats to Shoot and Kill ICE Agents and FBI Director Kash Patel. At NYPo, the Divine Ms. Devine claim Kash Patel’s FBI promotion of MAGA villain Steven Jensen sends the wrong message. But John Nantz at TownHall casts doubt on the Narrative Trap: The Manufactured Outrage Over Patel’s Leadership Appointment. At Am Mil News, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino could have unprecedented security detail. 

RealRobert @Real_RobN, And here it is, King Solomon Reports: Whistleblower emails CONFIRM: a criminal conspiracy between the Biden White House, the FBI Washington Field Office, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Washington D.C., and Jack Smith to plan, approve, and execute Arctic Frost, with the intent to frame, arrest, prosecute, and imprison Donald J. Trump. Operation Arctic Frost formed the basis of Special Prostitute Jack Smith's false elector case under which President Donald Trump was later charged with a conspiracy to defraud the United States for his campaign’s attempts to assemble alternate slates of electors which that the United States government was overthrown during the 2020 election." Cutie Pavlich at TownHall claims New Details Reveal Biden Stonewalled the Investigation Into Trump's Attempted Assassin. 

 Mollie @MZHemingway, "Of all the many media hoaxes, the one I laugh about the most was when the New York Times assured us "anonymous" was a HUGE, Cabinet Secretary-level figure and it turned out that they were 1000% lying and it was Miles Taylor, IV. Someone wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy down the DHS food chain." Quote, "Philip Melanchthon Wegmann @PhilipWegmann, "Trump signs a presidential memorandum stripping Miles Taylor--aka the New York Times' "Anonymous"-- which strips him of any remaining security clearance and orders DOJ to investigate his activities." Sundance at CTH, DNI Tulsi Gabbard Joins the Tick Tock Club – Repeating the “Just Wait, Trust Us” Nonsense.

From the Free Bacon, Outstanding Work, Doctor: How Jill Biden's Lust for Power Saved America "New revelations expose first lady's crucial efforts to ensure Trump's return to the White House." Da Caller, Chuck Todd Says Legacy Media Downplayed Biden’s Issues Due To ‘Fear’ Of Perception Of ‘Helping Trump’. VodkaPundit at PJM, Chuck Todd Finally Confesses but There's a Catch.   At Ace's, Media: We're Totally Fearless Truth-Seekers But Also We Hid the Truth of Biden's Dementia from the Public Because We Were Afraid of Social Ostracism by the White House or Fellow "Reporters", "There's so much Now It Can Be Told reporting on Biden's dementia, now that it's irrelevant and can't hurt the Democrat Party or help Trump," and Of Course: The US Knew That Seven American Troops Contracted Covid-19 at the Wuhan Games in 2019, But Covered It Up to Protect Hunter Biden's Business Partners in China, "I'm assuming that last part. Joe Biden is a traitor and forgot to pardon himself." Mike Miller at RedState reveals, The Chinese Spy Balloon? Team Biden Held Secret Talks With Beijing About Fear of Notifying the Public. Matt Margolis, Bombshell Report Exposes Biden's Massive Chinese Spy Cover-Up. NYPo, China acknowledges its role in years of cyberattacks against US over support of Taiwan: report. Bob Spencer at PJM, Kamala Harris Falls on Hard Times: ‘If She Ran for Dogcatcher, She’d Lose’. Dustin Grage@GrageDustin, "Tim Walz was heckled and booed by military veterans in Minnesota today over his stolen valor."

Matt Margolis thinks you should WATCH as Sen. Kennedy Goes Absolutely Savage on AOC. Twitchy wants you to Watch Blame-Shifting Chuck Schumer Squirm When a CNN Host Reminds Him How Long HE'S Been In DC. 

From the Free Bacon, Princeton Radicals Disrupt Event With Naftali Bennet, Yelling 'Genocide' and Pulling Fire Alarm. "‘This is our land, you came from Europe running away from the Holocaust!’ one activist yells" Jesse Kelly @JesseKellyDC  "Democrats routinely call for street violence and refuse to condemn it when it happens because they know it’s effective. Weak losers like Mitt Romney and Amy Barrett get eaten alive by these tactics. The failed assassination of Kavanaugh wasn’t a failure. It was a huge success." Quote Robert the Red@TxDrengr, " Replying to @JesseKellyDC When the commies sent one of their deranged lunatics to kill Kavanaugh that was a wake up call to SCOTUS. They can't afford Tier 1 operators from Triple Canopy to babysit them indefinitely." From Da Caller, The Left Is Out For Blood — Literally. John Hinderacker at Power Line hears Let’s Kill the Republicans. Be careful, we shoot back. 

Rasmussen Reports@Rasmussen_Poll "Fact Check: True" Quote Emerald Robinson @EmeraldRobinson, "You're about find out that all the brave people who were called "election deniers" and "conspiracy theorists" after the 2020 election were right." Rasmussen Reports @Rasmussen_Poll, "Surprise! - "They've been using their NGO's to dump fake voter registration forms utilizing the fake SS#'s on key county registrar's offices for the last 5-6 election cycles. Then using those fraudulent voter registrations to request ballots in the mail. Then they pay the NGO's to have their staff fill out the ballots and mail them in." @drawandstrike" From WokeSpy, Jocelyn Benson Contradicts Testimony to Congress, Admits at Least 15 Noncitizens Voted in 2024. "At least." Cutie Pavlich sees Democrats Desperately Fight Against Citizenship Requirement to Vote. Mary Chastain at LI reports the House Passes SAVE Act, Which Requires Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote. "It also requires “states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls, while giving them necessary tools to do so.”" A video at the Fourth Rail, What They Don't Want You to Know About Voter ID Law (SAVE ACT). Mitch Berg at TownHall, Democrat AGs Sue To Stop (Checks Notes) Voter ID. Matt Vespa, View Co-Host Pretty Much Says Black People Are Too Dumb to Get an ID to Vote.

At PJM, Stephen Kruiser says 'Self-Deport' Gets My Early Vote for Phrase of the Year, Rick Moran on Ending Biden's Most Outrageous Violations of Immigration Law and Trump Plans to Withhold All Federal Funds From Sanctuary Cities. At TownHall, Jeff Charles notes DHS Has a Message for Migrants Using the CBP One App (self deport). Da Caller reports the Trump Admin Strips Benefits From Thousands Of Aliens On Terror Watchlist. Ya think? 

HSI San Antonio@HSI_SanAntonio, "SAN ANTONIO - 8 victims of sex-trafficking have been rescued during a multi-day operation coinciding w/ the 2025 NCAA Final Four playoffs. ICE, HSI, ERO, USBP @USCIS @SATXPolice & @TxDPS conducted this joint operation." At NYPo, Adam Coleman notices Modern Democrats reveal their true intentions align with those of the Confederacy: "Modern Democrats have latched onto an argument in favor of illegal immigration — and it’s the same one pro-slavery Democrats used in the 1800s. “So, I had to go around the country and educate people about what immigrants do for this country, or the fact we are a country of immigrants. The fact is ain’t none of y’all trying to go and farm right now,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) said at a speech commemorating Grace Baptist Church’s 125th anniversary in Waterbury, Conn. “You’re not, you’re not. We done picking cotton. We are. You can’t pay us enough to find a plantation.”"

Campus Reform sees Free speech surges on college campuses. John Sexton sees Blue States Are Gearing Up to Defy Trump's DEI Order for Schools. Fine, no federal $ for you! And Is Princeton Underestimating Anti-Semitism on Its Campus and Others? No doubt. And Trump's Endgame for Columbia University: A Consent Decree that Lasts for Years, or until the next Democrat administration. The Free Bacon warns US Will Deny Visas, Green Cards Over Anti-Semitic Social Media Activity, Trump Admin Says. Althouse cites Chris Rufo, "Progressives within the federal bureaucracy, regardless of Democrat or Republican being in the White House, have been advancing left-wing racialist ideologies and DEI programs for decades." ""And so I don't have any doubt in my mind that what we're doing is, is, is the right course of action. It's defensible intellectually. And certainly I think it is actually a minimal and very restrained response to a long standing problem.... You know, I would certainly like to see much more dramatic action. I would like to see, you know, if, if, if they, if they are anticipating this as a, as a shock, I could easily imagine, you know, 10 times, 20 times, you know, 50 times more dramatic action that is, you know, within the realm of possibility...." From the College Fix, Top conservative civil rights advocates seek repeal of Minority-Serving Institutions programs. Peachy Keenan @KeenanPeachy, "Reminder: you know those elite colleges your kids couldn't get into (too white) and that you'd never be able to afford anyway? Surprise: you were sending them your money anyway - up to a billion to each of the schools that rejected your 4.0 senior. Joke's on you. Like always." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Trump admin freezes $1B in federal funding to Cornell, $790M to Northwestern amid investigations into both schools https://trib.al/n94Zhbz"

From Da Caller, Kennedy Center Breaks All-Time Attendance Record Amid Liberal Bellyaching Over ‘Trump Takeover.’ Brandon Morse at RedState reports that Gina Carano Delivers Another Blow to Disney As Her Lawsuit Ramps Up and the Mouse Starts to Sweat. Gina Carano @ginacarano, "This is a small breath of fresh air in this long arduous process. I am grateful to the court for moving so quickly. I look forward to the details of my case becoming public and clearing my name, which will allow me to continue doing what I love without such brutal discrimination. I remain incredibly grateful for this opportunity to defend myself against this Goliath. Thank you" @elonmusk @x. "Quote Gene Schaerr @GSchaerr, "Discovery motion granted in @ginacarano's case against Disney! The court is forcing Disney to turn over information about how stars like Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, & others from The Mandalorian, other Disney+ Star Wars shows, and the forthcoming movie The Mandalorian & Grogu."At Twitchy, Lawyer for CA School District That Suspended Girl Falls HARD for Judge's BLM Lesson Trap (WATCH).

“Maybe then you don’t give a Black Lives Matter course to a 1st Grader. Maybe you teach tying shoes.”

An attorney for @CapoUnified created a trap and then walked into it while defending their decision to punish a 1st grader for writing “all lives” matter during a BLM lesson.… pic.twitter.com/McxD5BQogG

— Scott Davison (@scottyd121) April 9, 2025

Riley Gaines Center @RileyGCenter, "Two years ago, @Riley_Gaines_ was ambushed at San Francisco State University for speaking the truth. Tonight, she returned to the same campus—unshaken, unafraid, unapologetic. A pro-trans protestor attempted to disrupt her speech but was quickly removed. The difference between then and now? Truth is gaining ground—and the other side knows it." At Campus Reform, ‘F*** YOU’: Flustered protester caught 'running away' from Riley Gaines at University of Arizona. "The protester heckled Gaines and insulted several audience members, calling one of them a ‘retard.’" Fox reports Trans fencer no longer on college team amid latest controversy. Jonathan Turley is concerned about “Coercive Control”: Parents Could Lose Custody Under Proposed Colorado Law for “Misgendering” "As someone who grew up in an Italian family, I must confess that I thought “coercive control” of a parent was called . . . well . . . parenting. I can still remember my Sicilian mother brandishing a broom in front of our door to prevent one of my sisters from going out with a boy that she did not like. She simply declared “I gave you life, I can take it away” and my sister went back upstairs." Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman "Anderson Cooper just misgendered a Civil Rights attorney. They are not serious. Keep on putting the pronoun police on camera, we will win every election."

There are still plenty of unused links at The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.09.25 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 04.09.25 (Evening Edition).