Flotsam and Jetsam - Dept. of State to Start Downsizing

This just in, Pope Francis is still dead. (Was it funnier when it was Gen. Franco?). At Insty, BRENDAN O’NEILL: The tragedy of Pope Francis. The Babylon Bee@TheBabylonBee, "Catholic Church To Consider Electing Pope Who's A Catholic This Time https://buff.ly/5ZFMmJM." Sundance at CTH, President Trump Will Attend Pope Francis Funeral on Saturday in Rome and Russia -v- Ukraine, Delegations Expected to Meet in London Tomorrow, Then Witkoff Heads to Moscow, JD Vance Delivers Remarks to Business Audience in India Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh. " JUST IN: VP JD Vance says the U.S. and India have "officially finalized the terms of reference for the trade negotiation." DEAL INCOMING. "This is a vital step toward realizing President Trump and PM Modi's vision. It sets a roadmap toward a final deal." Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog thinks Somebody’s Lying About Chinese Exports "Everyone know China’s communist rulers manipulate economic figures to their advantage. There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that they’re falsifying their export statistics to make things look better than they are. I rather strongly suspect that their hand in the trade war poker game they’re having with Trump is much weaker than they let on."

Also from Sundance, Secretary Rubio Starts Downsizing the Department of State ("You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy ...). NewsMax, Rubio Announces Major State Dept Reorganization. Fortune, Trump reportedly drafted an executive order for ‘a disciplined reorganization’ of the State Department that would shut down embassies and cut climate change and refugee offices. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears Rubio: It's Time to Clean House at State. Ace, State Department Will Close 132 Offices. "Good. "Offices" doesn't mean embassies. It means actual offices or sub-departments. Tiny little bureaucratic fiefdoms pushing the Marxist worldview."

John Solomon at JTN reports Trump-approved strikes have killed 74 terrorists seeking to attack U.S. homeland, Mike Waltz reveals. "National Security Adviser also reveals China has blinked in its tariff dispute with Trump, and that European Union security commitments are key to Russia-Ukraine peace deal." Jeff Charles at TownHall warns The Pentagon Leakers Might Want to Lawyer Up. At NewsMax, Hegseth: 'Informal, Unclassified Coordinations' Shared in Chat. Funny we never hear about what the Biden administration chatted about on Signal. Matt Margolis at Hat Hair VIP explains The Real Reason Behind the Pete Hegseth Media Smears. Gary Anderson at Am Spec sees Real Military Reform Begins but wonders "Will Pete Hegseth be able to reverse our military’s decline?"

Misty Severi at JTN warns Trump admin to start collecting debts on student loans considered to be in default. "The DOE's Federal Student Aid office will begin collecting the debts on May 5, which could include taking the money out of payments that borrowers receive from the federal government, such as money from tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefits." Twitchy, Student Loan Payback Time: ‘They Want Us All Like Broke and in Jail or Dead’ In case you were feeling sorry for them, Paul A. Szypula @Bubblebathgirl, "Leftist is having a mental breakdown because she now has to pay her student loan back. She says if she defaults then the government can garnish her wages, take her tax refund, and even take her benefits. She actually wants us to feel sorry for her being a deadbeat." Many more similar at Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸@Bubblebathgirl. Misty Severi also contributes Donald Trump says he does not intend to fire Powell after swearing-in SEC chair Paul Atkins.

DC_Draino @DC_Draino "It’s quite simple - there are 3 things that the MAGA base wants: 1. Mass deportations 2. Deep State arrests 3. Passing the Trump agenda into law Do those 3 things, and we’ll expand our majorities in the midterms Don’t do those 3 things and we’ll lose the House and Trump will get impeached." Quote Spitfire@DogRightGirl, "Republicans in Congress are creating voter apathy. Midterms will be a disaster if the GOP in Congress doesn’t start doing something to codify Trump’s agenda. People simply won’t show up to vote."

At PJM Stephen Kruiser says Gosh, I'm Gone for a Few Days and the Democrats Have Gotten Worse and Matt Margolis thinks Democrats See MS-13 Gang Member as Their Next George Floyd. Drew Berquist hears Dems Roll Out ‘Dark Woke’ Strategy: ‘Combat by Any Means Necessary.’ At Insty, a Driscolly post on THE SCHIZOPHRENIA OF THE GORACLE. LifeZette warns New Yale Polling is Devastating to the Future of the Democratic Party. Logan Washburn at Da Fed wants you to Meet The Wealthy Private Firms Controlling The Democrat Party. But it's only rich Republican donors that are a problem. From the Free Bacon, Raphael Warnock Slapped With Ethics Complaint for Living in Free $1 Million Luxury Home. Matt Vespa shares the news that the Dem Staffer Who Filmed His Sexcapades in a Senate Hearing Room Later Checked Into a Psych Ward.

NewsBusters counts CNN, MSNBC Use ‘Maryland Man’ Lie 506 Times, Conceal Garcia’s Illegal Status. On the good side, they gave birth to a new meme subject. From Breitbart, Sen. Van Hollen Pleads: Stop Talking About Abrega Garcia’s Crime Links. 'Becca Downs at TownHall sees Van Hollen's Post From 2017 on MS-13 Comes Back to Haunt Him. Senator Chris Van Hollen @ChrisVanHollen, "Shame on President Trump for tearing apart hardworking immigrant families. We should be focused on MS-13, not scholarship winners. 6:12 PM · Aug 2, 2017" Chad Wolf to Newsmax: Support for Abrego Garcia Exposes Left. At RedState, Sister Toldja sees Woke Democrats Who Traveled to El Salvador Are Given a New Nickname - and They're Not Gonna Like It: House Republicans @HouseGOP, "The Congressional MS-13 Caucus just held their first townhall!" Matt Margolis sees a fit pitched as David Hogg Has Humiliating Meltdown on ABC News over Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Misty Severi reports the Trump administration charges 27 alleged Tren de Aragua members under RICO Act in New York. "The move marks the first time that the federal government has used the Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act to prosecute a foreign terrorist organization, or drug cartel." Fox, Trump admin files first racketeering charges against massive migrant terrorist group present in US.

Mirthful Moments@moment_mirthful, "Judge James Boasberg's ruling against President Trump was revenge for halting government funding to his daughter Katherine Boasberg's NGO "Partners for Justice," which gives criminal illegal aliens and gang members legal advice. To date, virtually every Federal Judge who has ruled against President Trump has been proven to be compromised, having a serious conflict of interest and, in some cases, a criminal conflict of interest. Their rulings benefitted their family, relatives, and friends, and in some cases, they financially benefited directly from their illegal and unlawful rulings. We need Kash and AG Pam Bondi to investigate Judge James Boasberg for corruption and bring criminal charges against him. Without severe consequences, these corrupt Liberal Extremist Judges will continue to attack the constitutional authority of the Executive Branch." The redoubtable Julie Kelly@julie_kelly2 "WHOO BOY: In an order filed last night, Judge James Hendrix--the judge in Texas presiding over latest Alien Enemies Act case which prompted unprecedented intervention by SCOTUS--accused ACLU atty of violating federal code of conduct rules by calling his chambers AFTER Hendrix denied the 1st emergency temp restraining order on April 17. This was noted on the docket after Hendrix filed his order. Now it makes me wonder if Lee Gelernt did not do exactly the same thing with Judge Jeb Boasberg--which could explain Boasberg's quick action on March 15. This is not allowed." Misty reports Gorsuch, Roberts side with liberal Supreme Court justices in immigration case. "Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Neil Gorsuch agreed in the 5-4 ruling that illegal migrants under the 60-day departure timeframe that falls on a weekend or on a federal U.S. holiday should be extended to the next business day." Da Blaze, Trump lashes out at Supreme Court for blocking deportations. How dare he! Democrats always took adverse rulings on abortion and gun control so meekly! Ace, Trump: The Supreme Court Is Blocking Execution of the Law. "The Supreme Court's lawless ruling means that every single illegal alien is supposed to get a full trial before the President is permitted to follow the actual law." The Babylon Bee@TheBabylonBee, "People Who Bypassed Legal Process In Migrating To USA Demand Legal Process Before Being Kicked Out."

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn thinks One of the Craziest Things About the Tish James Unmasking Is Who Caught Her. It's actually a pretty funny story. 

“SHE PROBABLY FIGURED BIDEN WAS GOING TO WIN REELECTION AND THAT NOBODY WOULD CATCH HER.”@SamAntar lays out for @stinchfield1776 what he uncovered while looking into Letitia James’ mortgage fraud. “The investigation is insane! Every single mortgage has false information.” pic.twitter.com/i0yynAIrsQ

— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) April 21, 2025

The Victory Girls hear Andy Cuomo: Forgive My Settlement While I Prepare To Sue My Accuser. Elon Musk@elonmusk, "Yes" Quote Tim Pool@Timcast "After democrats started arresting Trump's lawyers, the gloves were off They burned the constitution in order to steal power and lost Trump must crush the deep state betrayers or the US is lost."

Justin Murphy@jmrphy, "Elon is doing applied political science. He had a hypothesis, and then he bet on it. And in being correct, we are learning empirically: The Professional Managerial Class has perfected a system of moral blackmail through which they convert third world suffering into personal wealth and status. They position themselves as noble humanitarian experts with PhDs who care deeply about things like global poverty, to justify their own sinecures extracted from the national purse. These credentialed do-gooders wield the threat of African deaths as a shield against any questioning of their privileges." Matt Vespa hears Elon Musk Made a Big Announcement During Tesla's Earnings Call. "Elon Musk made a major announcement during Tesla’s earnings call today: he’s going to be taking a step back from his work at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)." John Sexton at Hat Hair, With Tesla Earnings Down, Musk Says His Time at DOGE Will 'Drop Significantly'. At NRO, James Lynch reports Progressive Minnesota Prosecutor Lets State Employee Off with No Charges for Alleged Tesla Vandalism. From Da Fetched, Walz Admin Staffer Caught Keying Teslas—Avoids Charges Despite $20K in Damage. “Our main priorities are to secure restitution for the victims and hold Mr. Adams accountable,” Hennepin County Attorney’s Office spokesman Daniel Borgertpoepping stated. “As a result, we will file for pre-charge diversion to best facilitate both of those goals. This is an approach taken in many property crime cases and helps to ensure the individual keeps their job and can pay restitution, as well as reducing the likelihood of repeat offenses.” Pam Bondi should bring Federal domestic terrorism charges. At Althouse, Do you picture the desk jobs of others like this? "I think this is, essentially, how Elon Musk pictures 90% of the federal workforce:" TikTok at link. And yes, it's true for some. Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal hosts EPA Administrator Confronts New York Times Reporter for Claiming He Had ‘No Evidence’ of Waste, Fraud, Abuse.

Sundance is amused when a CBS 60-Minutes Executive Producer Resigns Citing New Constraints Blocking Anti-Trump Propaganda Efforts. He can't just make shit up anymore. Capt. Ed, Scott Jennings: The Elites Sent a Message to Maher -- And Everyone Else. "Cross the Leftist elite, and you'll suffer character assassination and even financial and legal ruin. The sneering limousine progressives will scream about diversity and inclusiveness all day long, but attempt to actually put it in practice by having dinner with an opponent, and ..." From Twitchy, a Legacy of Lies: Scott Jennings Tells Abby Phillip Why Media Trust is Cratering but She Refuses to Listen. VodkaPundit at PJM likes how CNN Just Pulled the Rug Out From Under CNN's Kaitlan Collins. Matt Vespa enjoys MSNBC Host Getting Slapped Down by The Office's Rainn Wilson When Discussing Lack of Media Trust. The best scene in The Meg is when he gets eaten.

From Althouse, "A university dedicated to free thought should know better. The First Amendment draws a clear line..." ""... between unprotected 'true threats' and core political speech. Speech is only a true threat when it demonstrates a serious, specific, and imminent intent to commit unlawful violence against a particular individual or group. That’s a high bar — and for good reason. It’s meant to protect public debate, especially about uncomfortable topics. Advocacy for violence, no matter how disturbing, remains protected unless it crosses that line. Decker’s essay never comes close. It’s abstract, hypothetical, and lacks any indication of intent to commit violence. Asking about the moral propriety of force is philosophy, not a true threat...." From "George Mason University calls cops on student for article criticizing Trump/GMU student Nicholas Decker’s Substack essay 'When Must We Kill Them?' earned him a visit from the Secret Service" (FIRE)."

From Ars Technica, Chrome on the chopping block as Google’s search antitrust trial moves forward. "The court ruled that Google has a search monopoly. Now, we learn the consequences."

Hat Hair's John Sexton reports Protesters Chain Themselves to Columbia's Gates...Again. Take away their keys and leave them there for a few days. ET reacts as Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over Funding Freeze, "The lawsuit was filed as the administration plans to withhold another $1 billion from the university." A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon we're talking about real money. From Twitchy hears There's Been a Delicious Murder: Chris Rufo DEI-MOLISHES Former Dean of Harvard Medical School.

More on that Monkey Country case that went to the Supremes from Fox, Supreme Court to consider whether parents can opt out of kids reading LGBTQ books in the classroom. John Sexton, Supreme Court Oral Arguments: Can Parents Opt Young Kids Out of LGBT Readings? From the questions, it looks like it's going the parent's way. Althouse, "The plaintiffs here are not asking the school to change its curriculum. They’re just saying, ‘Look, we want out.’ Why isn’t that feasible? What is the big deal about allowing them to opt out of this?" "Said Justice Alito, quoted in "Justices Seem Set to Allow Opt-Outs From L.G.B.T.Q. Stories in Schools/In a lively and sometimes heated argument, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared poised to rule for parents with religious objections to storybooks with gay and transgender characters" (NYT). Here's the transcript of the oral argument." From Spiked, A trans-activist temper tantrum, "Yesterday’s London demo was a carnival of misogyny and public urination." From the College Fix, U. Louisville pays almost $1.6M to settle case with professor who criticized trans ideology.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: The Cost of Victory up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.