Flotsam and Jetsam - Will the Shutdown Shutdown?

The government shutdown is starting to bite, well, democrats mostly. From Fox, Schumer again blocks GOP bid to reopen government as air traffic controllers go unpaid. "Failure to reopen the government on Tuesday came as air traffic controllers missed their first payday. The military is set to miss its first full payday on Friday. Then there is the looming cliff for federal nutrition benefits on Saturday — the same day as open enrollment begins nationwide for Obamacare." American Greatness staff cites Treasury Sec. Bessent: American People Are ‘Hostage’ To Schumer’s and Jeffries’ Poll Numbers. At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed sees the CNN Data Guru warn Schumer Shutdown May Be Making Republicans More Popular. At TownHall Jeff Charles notes Uh Oh, Even CNN Is Admitting the Schumer Shutdown Isn't Going Well for Democrats and Amy Curtis hears Another Democrat Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud About the Schumer Shutdown. Senate Republicans @SenateGOP, "Chris Coons believes that denying Americans their SNAP benefits may be “unpleasant,” but it’s worth doing because it gives Democrats political “leverage.” Absolutely deranged." Rick Moran at PJM thinks Democrats' Resolve is Wearing Thin as Major Union Calls on Them to Pass GOP Stopgap. Reagan Reese at Da Caller, Independent Women Urges Dem Leadership To End Government Shutdown. Also at Hat Hair, Dave Strom claims The Dike Holding Back Democrat Discontent on Schumer Shutdown Is Cracking, Capt. Ed cites Thune: I Don't Know But I've Been Told, Democrat Feet Are Gettin' Cold and a Larry video, Democrats Abandon Schumer, Demand Shutdown Ends Now.

At ET, These States Lose Most If Federal Food Aid Runs Out, "Large states stand to lose the most federal funding, but a higher percentage of the population receives food assistance in some smaller states." Dave Strom, TikTok Filled With Videos of People Threatening to Loot Grocery Stores. From Twitchy, Oilfield Rando's Genius: Kill SNAP for a Month, Watch Illegals' Foreign Remittances Starve. Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando "I want SNAP to shut down for a month just to observe how much foreign remittances plummet in that month." Pericles @PerryALPHA, "Dominicans and other Caribbean immigrants literally use SNAP as remittances. They load up blue barrels with food they buy with EBT and ship it back to the islands so their relatives can sell them for cash."

John Sexton hears Democrats Are Still Running With This Lie About the Ballroom. From the Free Bacon, Counterpoint: Calm Down, No One Cares About the White House Renovation, "It if makes you feel 'almost the same' as 9/11, there's something seriously wrong with you/" At NYPo, the Divine Ms. Devine notices Trump Derangement Syndrome has morphed into something far more lethal — Trump Projection Disorder. From Politico, Political peril spurs Trump to act on beef prices even as ranchers rage "The average price for a pound of ground beef is $6.32, up about 14 percent since Trump took office." It takes a while to build herds back after the Biden economy decimated them.

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn claims It Turned Out to Be a Gangbuster Japanese Visit. Sundance at CTH hosts President Trump and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Speak to U.S. Troops On USS George Washington in Japan and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Informs Govt and Business Leaders No Trade Deals Possible until after Thanksgiving. “Canada burnt the bridges with America,” he said. “Donald Trump did not slam the door.”

John Lucas at Bravo Blue, Insubordinate Generals and Senior Officers Publicly Attack the Secretary of War, "Anonymous but public criticisms topped by massive hypocrisy." And they may have committed a felony "Article 88 of the UCMJ provides that “any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words” against senior officials, including the Secretary of Defense, “shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.” Nota bene: Truth of the statement is not a defense; contemptuous words suffice regardless of intent." Diogenes at Ace's discourses On Fat Generals and Admirals.

Misty Severi at JTN reports HHS fires senior adviser who opposed COVID-19 vaccines, "The former health official previously served as Trump's adviser in his first term and advocated for using hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, for treating COVID-19 infections during the pandemic." :HHS told The Hill that it fired Steven Hatfill over the weekend for cause, but did not provide details about the termination. An official told the New York Times that Hatfill was fired because he misrepresented himself as the "chief medical officer” for the assistant secretary for preparedness and response, but Hatfill said he was ousted as part of “a coup to overthrow" Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which was allegedly organized by the secretary's chief of staff Matt Buckham." Steven Hatfill has an interesting past. At FBI director, Robert Mueller attempted to railroad him for the anthrax attacks, and the FBI had to pay him a tidy sum when the apparent culprit was identified at Ft. Detrick. I could see the deep state still having it in for him. From Althouse, "Texas becomes the first state to allege that taking [Tylenol] while pregnant can cause autism, despite unsettled scientific evidence." "I'm reading "Texas AG Paxton files Tylenol lawsuit, taking cues from Trump, Kennedy" (WaPo)(free-access link)."

Cathy Salgado at PJM reports Trump’s Truth Social Is First Platform With Prediction Markets Via Crypto Exchange.

From Ace, "I'm Not Done:" Kamala Harris Threatens to Run for President Again. "I've said a bunch of times that I don't think she really wants to run for office again. I think the play here is extortion: Give me my own Harris-branded Clinton Global Initiative grift and I'll go away. If not, I'm running. Speaking as a black and queer woman, I say, You go girl. You secure that bag." PJM's Matt Margolis, We Got Juicy Details on Obama’s Furious Call to Pelosi After Kamala Endorsement. Capt. Ed, 'What the F*** Did You Just Do?': Obama Ripped Pelosi Over Kamala Endorsement. Driscoll at Insty, WHAT A STUPID QUESTION: "Did Jonathan Chait get a lobotomy? I don’t think so, and whatever else he is, stupid is not an attribute I associated with him. So when I saw this tweet I about burst out laughing." Jonathan Chait @jonathanchait, "This is an interview that should inspire some follow-up reporting: how was KJP hired for her job in the first place?" Daniel Friedman @DanFriedman81, "She was hired by the same people and for the same reasons as Kamala Harris, Ketanji Brown Jackson, dozens of federal judges and hundreds of agency appointees. Is that really a rabbit hole you want to go down? Whether the various women of color hired by the Biden administration were the most qualified for their jobs?" At Althouse, "There’s a silent minority of people out there who feel that Biden was taken advantage of, and most people don’t want to say it. Is that what you mean?" "The New Yorker's Isaac Chotiner asks Karine Jean-Pierre in an interview."

Noah Rothman at NRO, Imagine That — Actions Have Consequences. "GOP Ready to Target Mamdani’s NYC Victory." Fox claims Cuomo closes gap on Mamdani as NYC mayor race tightens dramatically in new poll. "Former governor gains ground after Eric Adams endorsement, trailing democratic socialist by 10 points." 10 pts is still a blowout. Ace, Mamdani Holds Rally With AOC in "Show of Force." "The end of New York City. And, speaking as a black lesbian of color, good riddance." PJM's Scott Pinsker thinks Zohran Mamdani’s Fatal Flaw Revealed — and It’s NOT Communism, Socialism or Radical Islam. John Sexton at Hat Hair VIP, Mamdami in 2023: 'When the Boot of the NYPD is on Your Neck, It’s Been Laced by the IDF'. Driscoll, SAY, I’M BEGINNING TO BELIEVE THIS MAMDANI FELLA MAY HAVE JUST A TWINGE OF ANTISEMITISM TO HIM: Zohran Mamdani made vile, conspiracy-tinged statement tying NYPD to IDF, resurfaced video shows, and CLOWN NOSE ON? Stewart Gushes Over Mamdani In Pre-Election Puff Segment. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Mamdani Vows To Knock Down World Trade Center To Build More Affordable Housing https://buff.ly/8MpBGDX." From OTP, Mamdani Faces Criminal Referrals Over Alleged Foreign Contributions To NYC Mayoral Campaign.

Dave Weigel at Semafor worries Left-wing ideas have wrecked Democrats’ brand, new report warns. I&I ed board, It’s Official: The Democratic Party Is Now Straight Up Socialist. Twitchy, Research Fellow Shares DATA-Filled Thread Telling Democrats How to WIN Again and LOL, Lefties CANNOT DEAL. Frank Luntz @FrankLuntz "This is a party who tried to label their opponents "weird" during the 2024 election cycle, Quote Josh Barro @jbarro "This is a sign of a party that does not care about winning: https://welcomestack.org/p/deciding-to-" Garry Tan @garrytan, "If you look at the crumbling policies that destroy blue cities it’s directly traceable to the rapidly growing nonprofit industrial complex." Quote Jason Curtis Anderson @JCAndersonNYC "NYC’s changing of the guard: Wall Street’s shrinking, but the nonprofit industrial complex is exploding—fueled by $20B+ in public funds and staffed by anti-capitalist revolutionaries. Nonprofits now make up 17% of NYC’s private workforce and added nearly all new jobs last year." David Bernstein @ProfDBernstein, "One more thing: The dearth of jobs for Humanities majors was masked for about a decade by an explosion in dubious HR jobs focused on DEI, perfect for, say, an anthropology major with an interest in trans rights. No one's hiring for that anymore, and people who had those jobs are getting laid off." Quote David Bernstein @ProfDBernstein, "In all seriousness, part of the Mamdani phenomenon, and the related growth of "socialism" in the circles of young, highly educated Democrats is that the traditional jobs you'd get as a humanities major from fancy liberal arts colleges--publishing, media, paralegal--have disappeared. 

Sasha Stone thinks The Democrats Have a Nazi Problem "And it's time to call them out." Matt Vespa calls out What's Missing From Abigail Spanberger's Bus? Voters Definitely Noticed. Jay Jones. From the Free Bacon, Inside Jasmine Crockett's Secret Stock Portfolio and Failed Attempts To Become a Marijuana Magnate "Crockett, a potential 2028 Senate candidate, did not report her stakes in major pharmaceutical, fossil fuel, marijuana, technology, and automobile firms." The Telegraph claims Scandal-ridden candidates expose Democrats’ turmoil "As party fights for relevance, each public misstep provides rocket fuel for opponents."

Shipwreckedcrew explores The Mythology And Fact-Lite Renditions of Gavin Newsom's Life On The Perimeter of SF "Aristocracy." "Newsom's family was not "rich" -- they were "rich adjacent" in a way that allowed him to draft his way through life immune from the consequences of failure." From NYPo, Arnold Schwarzenegger slams Gavin Newsom’s claim that California’s redistricting is ‘temporary.’ PJM's Stephen Kruiser thinks The Dem 2028 Speculation Is Entertaining Political Theater.

Anxious is anxious that Trump appeals felony conviction citing Supreme Court immunity. Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "President Trump has filed the appeal in his criminal case. Many of us criticized the case as based on a legally unfounded legal theory tried before a highly biased judge. The brief is a devastating litany of errors ignored by a prosecutor and court hellbent on conviction..." and "...The only silver lining is the possibility that the court system can now redeem itself and lay down new, important case law to prevent future lawfare abuses of this kind."

John Solomon at JTN, AG Pam Bondi probes Biden autopen scandal as House chairman demands revocation of pardons "“We've handed this to Pam Bondi on a silver platter. We've done all the heavy lifting,” the House Oversight Committee Chairman tells Just the News." From Sundance, House Oversight Committee Releases 100-page Report on Joe Biden Autopen – Requests DOJ Open Investigation of All Executive Actions. At PJM VodkaPundit has the CORN, POPPED: House Oversight Nixes Biden Autopen, Refers to DOJ. Capt. Ed, House Oversight: Biden's Autopen Pardons 'Void,' Urge Bondi to Act. I presume this advances by the DOJ charging someone who has one of these pardons with a crime in the covered period, and then the case wends its way through the courts.

Misty at JTN again, Federal judge indefinitely blocks Trump admin from laying off federal workers during shutdown. "The judge also said that she believes the administration's efforts to fire the employees will be deemed illegal and an overstep of executive authority." ABC News, Border Patrol chief ordered to meet with judge daily on Chicago immigration crackdown. 

Driscoll, sees a MANHUNT: Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze "Gosh, I kind of think this was someone worth monitoring." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Charlie Kirk suspect’s trans lover Lance Twiggs goes missing 6 weeks after political assassination https://trib.al/3JZfPlD."

At Am Con, We Secured the Border—but ‘We’re Not Done Yet.’ From ET, Judge Directs Trump Admin Officials to Limit Statements About Abrego Garcia, "The ruling came amid uncertainty about whether the human-smuggling suspect would be deported." Townhall.com @townhallcom, "SUPERCUT: MSNBC has an addiction to calling ICE “gestapo.”" Cathy Salgado hears the Chicago Mayor on Illegal Alien Rapist: ‘Let’s Move On’. From Fox, Whistleblower warns illegal immigrants are sending 'shockwave' through crucial industry, "DOT Sec Sean Duffy accused California of issuing a commercial driver’s license to a foreign national whose truck killed three people." From Campus Reform, UC Berkeley course promotes ‘Abolish ICE’ movement, calls agency a ‘racist deportation force.’

Vigilant Fox @VigilantFox "Barack Obama says the quiet part out loud — it’s time to “experiment” with “new forms of journalism” with “government regulatory constraints.” “Part of what we’re going to have to do is to start experimenting with new forms of journalism and how we use social media in ways that reaffirm facts and separate facts from opinion. We want diversity of opinion. We don’t want diversity of facts. That, I think, is one of the big tasks of social media. By the way, it will require some government regulatory constraints…” VodkaPundit sees Bari Weiss Sharpening Her Axe for '60 Minutes' Crew.

From the College Fix, Faculty work to block Trump administration probe of antisemitism on Calif. campuses and Under Trump 2.0, colleges celebrate Halloween instead of warning against ‘offensive’ costumes. Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports DC's sole Confederate general statue returns after vandalized, toppled during 2020 BLM riots, "The inscriptions on the monument do not directly mention Brig. Gen. Albert Pike's Confederate ties, but rather depict him as a leader of the Freemasons."

Still more links at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.29.25 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 10.29.25 (Evening Edition). The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Another Fine Mess up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.