Flotsam and Jetsam - In the News Dessert

I'm calling it the news 'tain't, 'cause 'Tain't Christmas and 'tain't New Years, so there was almost no meat in the news yesterday, and I expect less today, so we'll have to make do on cotton candy and chocolate cake. Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "Biggest one year drop ever in murders per ⁦@axios⁩, zero illegal border crossings, record high stock prices, plummeting inflation, Trump’s first year is objectively the greatest in any of our lives." At Hat Hair, Stephen Moore says It's a Wonderful President, "I feel like the angel Clarence in the iconic 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life," who convinces Jimmy Stewart at the end of the movie: "You see, George, you've really had a wonderful life,"" Saleno Zito hears Trump Explains How Charlie Kirk's Murder Changed His Life "After surviving two assassination attempts, one of which nearly killed him, and seeing the brutal murder of his friend Charlie Kirk, Trump recognizes that returning to huge outdoor rallies is impossible. Kirk's death, he says, has changed him, shaping not only how he thinks about security but affecting him personally as well." It's not paranoia when they really are out to get you. And Dave Strom explains why he thinks The Trump-Class Battleship Is Not the Ship the Navy Needs, it's the Trump-Class Cruiser. Why not both? The Free Bacon declares 2025 Men of the Year: Big, Beautiful Bunker Busters. It's one thing to have them, it's another to use them. Often the turd in the punchbowl, sundance at CTH obsesses on Cutting Through the Fog and Conflict Within Current U.S. Republican Politics.

Matt Margolis at PJM sees Things Just Keep Getting Worse for Tim Walz. Elon Musk @elonmusk "Prosecute @GovTimWalz," Quote Nick shirley @nickshirleyy, "Here is the full 42 minutes of my crew and I exposing Minnesota fraud, this might be my most important work yet. We uncovered over $110,000,000 in ONE day. Like it and share it around like wildfire! Its time to hold these corrupt politicians and fraudsters accountable." I'm amazed we got through the general election without this becoming a major issue. VodkaPundit at Insty fears SARAH HOYT’S SHOCKED FACE MIGHT HAVE TO BE PERMANENTLY RETIRED: Ilhan Omar’s hubby’s $30M firm quietly scrubs names from website – as ‘Squad’ member faces mounting questions on sudden wealth amid Minnesota welfare fraud. Joe Chalfant at TownHall, Why is Ilhan Omar's Husband's Investment Firm Removing Names From Their Website? DataRepublican (small r)@DataRepublican " THREAD: Timothy Mynett: Ilhan Omar's husband and the progressive money man you've probably never heard of Ilhan. Omar's wealth headlines ($30M net worth 👀) are dominating today's feeds. But behind that story is someone far less visible: her husband, Tim Mynett. . . . Cynical Publius crystallizes some thoughts I've had about the Somali fraud in Minnesota (and elsewhere): Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "RE: Fraud in Minnesota I’m not sure that most Americans understand that in large swathes of humanity, there is no actual concept of “fraud,” particularly fraud against the government. Instead, there is a belief in the virtue of getting away with what you can to help yourself and your tribe. . . " And the welfare state makes it much easier than the Sicilians had it, when they came over from a clannish society in Southern Italy. 

DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican "I had this idea… “what if autism diagnoses are partially from fraudulent billing?” And then poked around a bit. And … turns out that the whole “1 in 30” statistic isn’t based on official diagnoses; ADDM has clinicians review school records and if the record fits then it counts as autism even if there’s no medical diagnosis. Then that statistic is quoted to justify increased ABA centers, increased research, all kinds of grants. I’m questioning literally everything now."

Hat Hair's John Sexton hears Progressives to Newsom: Tax the Rich or Else. Under pressure to solve California's budget woes so he can run for preznit, he has two choices, cut spending or raise taxes. The Progressives want him to give the super-rich a hair cut, a 5% tax on all assets. Robert Bryce sees Gavin Newsom Sticks It To California Ratepayers "Last week, his appointees ordered the Ivanpah solar boondoggle to keep operating, which will cost California residents an extra $100 million per year."

From Twitchy, Swivel Defense: Scott Jennings Halts Tezlyn Figaro’s Dizzying Spin on Democrat Redistricting Efforts, which basically boils down to it's bad when Republicans do it, but good when Democrat's do it.

Insty says MAKE THEM PAY: Make ‘Em Pay: It’s Time to Hit Back at States That Turn Criminals Loose, Then Commit Crimes in Other States. Cam at Bearing Arms thinks Anti-Gun Attorney Behind Mexico's Lawsuit Against Gun Makers Brings the Stupid Back to SCOTUS.

NYPo hears a Jewish group warned police of terror plot at Hanukkah event before Bondi Beach attack, but it wasn't a specific warning, just that Islamists were out there, and it would be nice if you actually protected Jews for a change. 

RedState's Rusty Weiss sees ‘ICE Never Sleeps’: Stephen Miller Hails Holiday Deportations, Illegal Shot Trying to Run Over Agents and Nick Arama say it's a 'Blooper for the Books': Check Out Who This Illegal Alien Accidentally Hit With Her Car. Commander Op At Large CA Gregory K. Bovino @CMDROpAtLargeCA, "This blooper is one for the books! A driver ran a red light in Slidell, LA and accidentally crashed into a vehicle used by Operation Catahoula Crunch. It turns out she was an illegal alien from Honduras. Apparently she never learned the lesson that red means stop, not “accelerate and collide with a government vehicle actively enforcing federal law.” No injuries were reported, but she was certainly taken into custody. Unlucky for her. Lucky for us." Mike LaChance at LI hears Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Says it’s ‘Sad’ That Latino Americans Are Joining ICE. At TCW, How to destroy a country, part 4. "Introduce mass immigration. The white working class ‘betrayed’ the hard left when they failed to rise in the much longed-for proletarian revolution, and they failed to rise because they had become too affluent. The Marxist solution was to introduce a new, foreign-born ‘oppressed proletariat’ as a means of enabling Socialism’s march toward total power. The number of Third World immigrants in Britain runs into the millions. This deliberate racial dilution and dispossession of an indigenous people has never happened on such a scale – unless under threat or use of extreme violence."

At the College Fix, U. Arizona professor alleges retaliation for opposing DEI hiring practices. From Campus Reform PROF. JENKINS: If DEI is so good for men, why hasn’t it been? "In their efforts to attract more women, higher education institutions have achieved that goal but at the cost of alienating men. Indeed, in many cases, they haven’t just alienated men—they’ve positively vilified them." And then they wonder why men, especially white men, overwhelmingly vote against them. Ed Ring at Am Great discourses on Feminism, Anti-racism, and the Unraveling of Western Civilization

Statistics from media, academia, and law suggest meritocracy has given way to ideology—reshaping institutions, sidelining men, and raising hard questions about the West’s long-term viability.