Flotsam and Jetsam - Vance say No Iran Deal, US Navy Crosses Into the Strait of Hormuz

NYT whines U.S. And Iran Fail to Agree on Peace Deal After 21 Hours of Talks, Vance Says. "Vice President JD Vance said the Iranian delegation had not accepted American terms for ending the war after a marathon, face-to-face session in Pakistan." Matt Vespa at TownHall, After 21 Hours of Negotiations, Vice President JD Vance Provides an Update. It's Not Shocking. Bonchie at RedState, New: Peace Talks With Iranian Regime Have Failed, Vance Gives Details From Islamabad Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Vance: No Deal – And That’s Bad News For Iran; Update: Vance Exits ASAP. Trump should start bombing bridges, power and oil facilities, slowly at first, and then more rapidly the longer they dither. I can't imagine what they hope to gain by dithering, except maybe for more help from the media. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Pope Condemns Allied Forces For Not Just Talking It Out With Nazis https://buff.ly/jisfzC1"

 At Althouse, "Iran has been unable to open the Strait of Hormuz to more shipping traffic because it cannot locate all of the mines it laid in the waterway and lacks the capability to remove them..." ""... according to U.S. officials. The development is one reason Iran has not been able to quickly comply with the Trump administration’s admonitions to let more traffic pass through the strait. It is also potentially a complicating factor as Iranian negotiators and a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance meet in Pakistan this weekend for peace talks...." The NYT reports." Capt. Ed, NEW: US Navy Warships Cross Strait of Hormuz For First Time; UPDATE: Mine Clearing Begins. Sundance at CTH, U.S. Warships Have Entered the Strait of Hormuz. From the Victory Girls, Trump Says Strait Of Hormuz Is Opening And Iran Freaks Out. Jesús Enrique Rosas - The Body Language Guy @Knesix, "I honestly thought this map was made up Hundreds of supertankers, the kind that carry two million barrels each, are currently racing toward the US Gulf Coast from every direction. Atlantic, Indian Ocean, around Africa, the scenic route, the "we were heading to Saudi Arabia but NVM" route. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and everyone panicked. Oil hit $126 a barrel. Gas hit $4 a gallon. Cable news did the thing where they put a red banner on screen and say "CRISIS" in a font that suggests you should be hoarding toilet paper. And then something happened that nobody in media seems interested in reporting, for obvious reasons. The world just... switched suppliers? Like changing your internet provider except the internet provider is the entire effing global energy economy. American oil exports are approaching record levels. Gulf Coast refineries are running at 95% capacity. Supertankers that were mid-ocean on their way to the Persian Gulf literally turned around and headed to Texas. That's not a metaphor. Ship tracking data shows them doing U-turns in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile China, which was getting 45% of its oil imports through Hormuz and paying basement prices for sanctioned Iranian crude, is now competing with Japan and Europe for the same expensive American barrels. Chinese manufacturers are already raising prices 20% on goods headed to the US. So to summarize: Iran played its biggest card and the main result is that the United States became the world's emergency gas station and China's cheap energy subsidy evaporated. This is either the most elaborate coincidence in the history of geopolitics... or someone planned the sequence Venezuela -> Iran -> profits!" So maybe Trump isn't in that much of a hurry to open the strait. Sundance at CTH hosts President Trump Not Accepting the Media Spin – Debunks the Nonsense in Strong Chopper Presser. wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "The Russian invasion of Ukraine and Iran's interdiction of the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al Mandeb and the resulting decline in 'fossil fuel' supply have started a chain reaction in the UK, Ireland, Western Europe. 1) Created fuel shortages that windmills and solar panels could not offset. 2) Pushed governments, who already taxing their workforce to the max to support welfare, migrants and woke to subsidize energy costs forced to increase it again 3) Created demands for more drilling and nuclear power that are anathema to the Left 4) Exposed the inability of Woke governments to provide any meaningful energy or international security because they have already spent everything on welfare. Some politicians, like Starmer, are frantically trying to restore the status quo ante without any means to do it. It is like a whole house of cards has seen the props knocked out.." Dave Strom at Hat Hair, British General Admits That It Can't Deploy a Division Abroad. Ben Shapiro at RCP, This Is What a World Superpower Looks Like, Artemis II, then Iran.

The Jerusalem Post has word that China plans to deliver air defense systems to Iran in coming weeks, US intelligence reveals - CNN Fresh clay pigeons, unless they intercept them on the ground or water first. China doesn't care, they get their money either way. NYPo argues The regime is unraveling: Iran’s military defeat is in plain sight. Bill Glahn at Power Line says Iran Shot Their Bolt, and Missed. Max Abrahms @MaxAbrahms, "It’s almost impossible to win a war any more given the disgustingness of today’s information space between American grifters, social media incentives for disinformation-fueled clicks and nefarious foreign influences posing as America First." Overton @overton_news, "Douglas Murray just shattered the “failure” narrative with receipts after Bill Maher declared the Iran operation a disaster and called for the U.S. to “cut and run!” ..." From Behind the Black, A military pilot’s perspective on downed pilot rescue in Iran Easter weekend. Leslie Eastman at LI, One Heartbeat, One Target: The Classified Tool Behind a Daring Iran Rescue "Whatever mix of tools was actually used, an American pilot is alive, out of Iran, and back in friendly hands." I'm skeptical; I think this may be part of a disinformation campaign.

Ben Smith at LI, Rubio Strips Green Card of ‘Screaming Mary’s’ Son “Masoumeh Ebtekar – also known as ‘Screaming Mary’ – was the spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.” "In 2014, the Obama Administration granted visas to her son and his family to enter the United States. In June 2016, the Obama Administration gave them lawful permanent resident status via the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program."

Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain, "Border crossings to near zero. Net negative migration. 95% reduction in asylum grants. Lawsuits against a slew of woke universities. DEI getting crushed everywhere. Massive, beneficial deregulation. No tax on tips. No tax on overtime. Venezuela turned into an American ally. And that's just off the top of my head. It's not Trump's fault that everyone's an ingrate with the memory of a goldfish." Quote Joe @Joekart Replying to @willchamberlain, "Name one thing this administration has done that it promised it would. I can name a dozen ways this admin has backstabbed his base. I can’t name single accomplishment other than feeling good the day he won."  TCW explains why Deluded Trump-haters are like Monty Python’s Black Knight. At Althouse, Which U.S. First Ladies have received the cruelest treatment in the press (and in public conversation)? Especially which ones were disrespected as, essentially, whores? "I asked Grok. Answer after the jump. The easiest guess as to who came in first is the correct answer, so see if you know who came in second:" Stephen Moore at Hat Hair says Show Me the Money – The Trump Tax Cuts Benefit the Middle Class.

Dave Strom thinks L'Affaire Swalwell Is Objectively Hilarious. It has me in stitches, regardless of whether he's innocent or not. Mark Judge (remember him? ) at Hat Hair is wallowing in well deserved schadenfreude, Eric Swalwell and the Brett Kavanaugh Karma Train. Sundance notes Adam Schiff Disavows His Faithful Sidekick, Eric Swalwell. Althouse finds "In a stunning political reversal, prominent supporters of Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign for California governor withdrew their support Friday..." "... after the congressmember denied allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him. Swalwell was among the leading Democrats in the race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom. But in just hours, he saw his most prominent supporters - including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and powerful labor unions - drop their endorsements and call for his exit from the race.... I'm reading "Allies yank support for Swalwell’s California governor run after sexual assault allegations" (AP)." Congressmember, heh. Ward Clark at RedState reports Anna Paulina Luna Is Filing to Oust Eric Swalwell From House Amid Sexual Assault Claims. Katie Porter @katieporterca, "In light of the allegations of sexual assault, Eric Swalwell should resign from Congress and end his campaign for public office. But those decisions do not absolve him of taking responsibility for his misconduct, especially when he has attempted to silence and retaliate against these victims. These allegations merit full investigations, and these women deserve the right to pursue justice. Too often, men escape any consequence for sexual misconduct by stepping out of power. That is a first and necessary step towards justice because it limits the ability for further harm. I stand with these women as they seek justice. Readers added context they thought people might want to know:" "Katie Porter has escaped consequence of physically and verbally abusing both her husband (with a pot of scalding hot mashed potatoes) and staff." Swalwell is the leading Democrat candidate in a crowded field in California's "jungle primary," with Katie Porter as the second, with polls showing the primary could result in two Republican candidates. But Swalwell is white and male so he has to go. Will he go politely? Not likely.

From the Free Bacon, 'That Ain't My Party': Al Sharpton Says It Would Be 'Crazy' for Black People To Celebrate America's 250th as 2028 Dem Hopefuls Pay Homage to Him. "'They're going to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country July 4, but that's not our celebration,' Sharpton said" Meanwhile Zohran is scheming to scotch the 250th anniversary celebrations in NYC, Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "You want to know why? Because he’s going to hand out permits for protests instead and then pretend that’s the organic response to the country on the anniversary." Quote DeVory Darkins @devorydarkins, "Socialist Mayor Mamdani is facing backlash for preventing New Yorkers from celebrating America’s 250th birthday. He literally is locking the public out of Times Square and denying permits for the people to celebrate our nation's greatest milestone."

Mediaite can't believe its ears, ‘I’m Thinking About It’: Kamala Harris Teases 2028 Presidential Campaign. From the Free Bacon, Texas Democratic Senate Hopeful James Talarico Sought To Create ‘New Generation of Climate Activists’ by Mandating Climate Change Lessons in Texas Schools. "The Democratic Senate hopeful, who says he supports Texas's oil and gas industry, also joined a Greta Thunberg-inspired school walkout to ‘save our planet’ and introduced a Green New Deal-style bill mandating carbon emission reductions." CBS News @CBSNews, "In response to controversy surrounding a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol and comments he made previously on Reddit, Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner says "much of it was because of the culture I had come out of." "When I left the military, I came out of a hyper-masculine, hyper-violent place," he says. "I did four tours in the infantry. We have a crude sense of humor in the infantry. We certainly have a, I would say, narrow view of a lot of topics, and that colored my opinions and my beliefs." Readers added context to this video: "His tattoo was not "resembling" a Nazi symbol. His tattoo *was* a Nazi symbol, specifically the second version of the SS-Totenkopf, used from 1934 to 1945 by German SS." Monica Showalter at Am Think thinks about the Hand of Axelrod? 60 Minutes gives a platform for the Catholic Church's most leftist cardinals. "The idea would be win Catholics back over to voting for Democrats. Which would certainly mesh with what Axelrod is after."

One of the greatest community notes of all time.

Never deleting this app. pic.twitter.com/ntcdyU0gJ1

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) April 10, 2026

Hans Mahncke at Da Fed claims Bondi Was Putting Out Fires — The Next AG Needs To Go To War.

Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "The Soviets/DDR built a wall. It worked for 38 years, keeping East Germans from fleeing communist authoritarianism and poverty for the free, prosperous West. Then it came down. When everything finally, irrevocably went to shit on that side of the wall." Quote Bruce McGonigal @bruce_mcgonigal, "The Liberals are pitching the idea of charging Canadian youth $500K if they want to leave Canada to move to the USA.  Holding Canadian youth hostage is not what a democratic society does. x.com/AntonioTweets2…"

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn is pleased as punch to report Mahmoud Khalil One Step Closer to a Ticket Outta Here. 

Marc Thiessen @marcthiessen, "Public radio at its finest." Quote Defiant L’s @DefiantLs "Completely makes sense." Camus @newstart_2024, "Konstantin Kisin watched the BBC’s tech editor interview Elon Musk and came away stunned. Not because of the tough questions — but because the interviewer ran out of questions. Kisin asked the obvious: How do you run out of questions when you’re sitting across from the guy who wants to make humanity multi-planetary, built Tesla, and bought Twitter because he believes free speech is existential for society? He contrasted it with Bill Maher, who was “like a kid in a candy shop” interviewing Elon and clearly had plenty more to ask. Kisin’s blunt conclusion: it’s not just bias — it’s a dereliction of duty. Many journalists today aren’t trying to seek truth or cover stories fairly; they’re performing for their peers, making sure they’re seen asking the “right” questions. It’s a sharp observation about how journalism has changed." Elon Musk is certainly the world's most interesting man, sorry Dos Equis guy. I might be tongue-tied, but a good journalist should be better prepared.

From the College Fix, UMich shutters DEI office, still spends $15.3 million on 162 diversity-related employees. The grift is just too good to give up. Campus Reform, NYU scraps live commencement speeches after pro-Palestine activism controversy erupts. The Free Bacon suggests How to Handle Your Out-of-Control Ivy, a REVIEW of "‘Poisoned Ivies: The Inside Account of the Academic and Moral Rot at America’s Elite Universities’ by Elise Stefanik"

We live in a world of morons… pic.twitter.com/7Jh0KKhpHf

— Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) April 10, 2026

Palm Sunday

 With new NATO member Suvi Laiho.

Bad news from Hawaii, Palm-Killing Beetle Found On Molokaʻi For First Time, Rediscovered On Maui

State officials are surveying parts of Maui and Molokaʻi for evidence of coconut rhinoceros beetles, and residents near detection sites are being asked to check palm trees for signs of damage after the highly invasive pest was discovered on both islands.

Beach Report 4/11/25

A fine Spring day, sunny, a bit breezy from the north, and on the borderline between shorts and t-shirt or jeans and long sleeve shirt. I opted for the later, and was a bit warm at the end of the walk.

This looks good here, but most of the beach was sandy, and a bit too rough to look in the surf.

Consequently, fossil hunting was tough. This medium size Snaggletooth upper was the best of five total teeth for the two of us.

Life on the Bubble

Just a short update on the the saga that began a little over three weeks ago, when I perceived I was getting a retinal detachment in my left eye, and we started the three part journey to Wilmers Eye Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where they re-attached the retina, removed the vitreous humor from the eye, and put a bubble of C3F8 (perfluoropropane) gas in the eye to keep the retina in place while it healed.

The gas is reported to be absorbed over a period of six weeks, and based on what I'm seeing, it's about on track. When I look horizontally I have a visible fluid level mark in the middle of my vision, that sloshes when I move. If I look vertically, particularly down, I can actually "see" the edges of the bubble against the sides of the eye. So now I can at least track it's progress as it shrinks.

The big question of course, is how good the vision in the eye will be at the conclusion of the healing process. Right now, when I look forward at any distance it's very blurry, but it turns out having air in the eye makes it very nearsighted. I can see my stray eyebrow hairs and dirt on my glasses in great detail. When I look straight down now at my hand (or text), the focal distance is about 2 inches. It's a lot like looking through a dissecting microscope. But the good news is that the image is clear and highres, so it doesn't seem that the macula has been damaged (much). So I believe, once the bubble is completely absorbed, the vision will be pretty good, although my current glasses prescription probably won't be very good.

In the first days after the surgery, there was a black spot in the lower right corner of my vision, shaped a bit like an animal, with odd legs, tails and a head, and it was surrounded by a colored aura of bluish purple. In bright light I could see a bit through it, so I knew it wasn't totally defunct, but I was worried that it might remain that way. Well, the animal disappeared a few days ago, and while some of the colored aura remains, it seems to be fading day to day. I'm down to two different eye drops once per day, which is a substantial improvement over 4 types on a complicated schedule 4 times a day. One more week and I'm done with them altogether.

Overall, things are looking OK. Having one blurry eye that sloshes is a little unsettling, and it tries to give me a headache if I try to use that eye too much. I don't like driving much because my depth perception is fubar, and glancing left is useless, but driving locally, to the water company or the beach is fine.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Swalwell Rape Saga Breaks Out

Sister Toldja at Red State, Report: California Dems in Disarray As Former Staffer Accuses Swalwell of Twice Sexually Assaulting Her. John Sexton, CNN: Three More Women Describe Sexual Misconduct by Rep. Swalwell. Matt Vespa thinks The Eric Swalwell Sexual Assault Story Is Now a Total Fiasco. Driscoll at Insty, has Flashbacks :#HIMTOO? Report: California Dems in Disarray As Former Staffer Accuses Swalwell of Twice Sexually Assaulting Her. Rep. Eric Swalwell @RepSwalwell "There’s nothing political or partisan about acting decisively to end the scourge of domestic violence and sexual assault. That’s why I’m voting to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. #VAWA" Steve Guest @SteveGuest, "Flashback." Quote Ben Petersen @bennpetersen, "#BREAKING: longtime Democrat Eric Swalwell staffer says he sexually assaulted her x.com/laura_nelson/s…" Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "Eric Swalwell is denying allegations of multiple women alleging misconduct ranging from groping to rape. He is hoping that voters will apply a different standard than the one he applied to Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation..." and ...When Kavanaugh was asserting his innocence, Swalwell was leading the mob: “more and more cases that are separate and independent, that look the same, pretty soon a prosecutor starts to say to a jury … that the arrows are pointing in the same direction.” Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "It was only a month ago or so where Schiff was discussing how Swalwell as governor would help California “live up to its values." Aged like milk." Mary Chastain at LI, Swalwell Campaign Bleeds Leadership After New Sexual Assault Allegation. “…she became so inebriated that she only remembers snippets of the night, including pushing Swalwell away and telling him, ‘No,’ while he allegedly forced himself on her.” Brittany @bccover, "So the House minority leader calls on a member from his own party to end a campaign for governor- but not resign his seat? That should be the only thing he’s asked by reporters. Why not call on him to resign. He was preying on House staffers FFS." Quote Hakeem Jeffries @RepJeffries, "Statement on the Serious Accusations against Rep. Eric Swalwell."

VP Vance is now part of the team trying to finalize a ceasefire with Iran. The Peacock, Vance arrives for peace talks in Pakistan, warns Iran not to 'try to play us', "Pakistan’s ambassador expressed hope that the talks could serve as a one-stop event to end the war, but Vance warned Tehran not to "try to play us." Sunny @sunnyright, "Several things can be and are true at once: 1) The ceasefire isn’t working 2) The regime isn’t changed 3) The US has inflected severe destruction upon the Iranian military and state, which will take decades to rebuild and sets them back massively in their ability to threaten the world, and all at a sad but relatively minimal cost that any strategist would have readily accepted if it could’ve been guaranteed from the start." Sunny @sunnyright "The loss of a single American serviceman is horrendous. At the same time, if the cost we’ve seen had been guaranteed, any number of presidents would’ve bombed Iran over the last few decades. What stopped them was a fear of far greater cost with far less success." Sunny @sunnyright, "The losses are tragic and the ceasefire a joke. There’s risk in how we move forward from here, as I’ve highlighted a bunch. But the idea that the conflict until now has resulted in anything other than massively significant destruction for Iran and benefits for long term American security, is also disconnected from reality." Open Source Intel @Osint613, "IRAN WAR 2026 What was achieved. What wasn’t. The nuclear threat was pushed back. Not eliminated. Pushed back. Iran’s ability to launch sustained mass ballistic missile barrages at Israel as an existential threat has been completely degraded. The regime’s missile industry took a major hit. Mass production capability likely cut by at least ~80%. Hezbollah has been severely weakened. Israel is now shaping what could become a ~1000 km security buffer in Lebanon. Gulf states may want to work closer with Israel, potentially paving the way for more peace and normalization. Iranian economy was completely decimated before going into this, imagine where it is now, we will see how this plays out going forward. WHAT WASN’T ACHIEVED The IRGC still holds leverage over the Strait of Hormuz. That remains the biggest unresolved pressure point. Watch it closely. The regime is still standing. Still in control of Iran. Iranians are still in danger. LESSONS LEARNED..." At Hat Hair, Dave Strom says Trump Cannot Ignore the Strait, no, but he can wield it as leverage against |Euroweenies and Capt. Ed hears Trump: I Give It 24 Hours Before the 'World's Most Powerful Reset' . At Marine Traffic, I see tankers going through the Strait today, but you can't see the circumstances. Nick Arama at RedState, sees Iran Tries to Play Games, but Trump Just Let Them Know How Few Cards They Have. Rick Moran at PJM, Who's in Charge in Iran? A Splintered Government Makes Negotiations Nearly Impossible. Gazelle غزاله شارمهد @GazelleSharmahd, "This is Tehran now. They are not Iranians. They don’t speak our language. They are Hashd Al shabi jihadists from Iraq speaking Arabic. Iran does not have a “government” that somehow kills “its own people”. Iran is under Arab-Islamic occupation for 47 years. The Ayatollahs just learned a bit of Persian, but they are all foreign enemies to Iran, killing Iranians and will continue to do so as long as they remain in power..." Don Surber sees Art of the Deal met Sun Tzu in Iran "Trump also is spanking Britain, France and Red China." Capt. Ed, Mais Non: Israel Boots France From Lebanon Talks.

Rod Martin notices Chinese Weapons Failed in Venezuela and Iran. Now Beijing Faces the Consequences. "Battlefield humiliation did more than embarrass the CCP. It exposed the rot in Beijing’s military model, badly set back its bid to become a major arms exporter, and upended its calculations on Taiwan."

From the Free Bacon, As Regime Executions Mount, NYT Laments Trump’s War Is Preventing Iranians From Cherishing Nature, "Photos document how Iranians in affluent enclaves of northern Tehran are seeking 'respite from the daily terror wrought by airstrikes'." Dave Strom is outraged MS NOW's Stephanie Ruhle Praises Iran's Moral Courage. Adam Turner at RedState documents The Most Insanely Idiotic Criticisms of the Iran Conflict. 

IQ 593 | Cody Penn-Dent | influencer @codypd, "The only functional war vessel flying Royal Navy colors US taxpayers come through again." Quote U.S. Naval Institute @NavalInstitute, "It's National Winston Churchill Day to commemorate when the British Prime Minister became an honorary U.S. citizen. USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) flies the Royal Navy White Ensign on special occasions and always has a Royal Navy officer as a member of the ship's company." Ace notices Putin Mocks Effete Effeminate Rent-Boy-Associate Keir Starmer, "Putin has been sending his illegal sanctioned "Shadow Fleet" oil tankers through England's bathtub -- or its former bathtub, as you'll see -- the English Channel. Keir Starmer told Putin to stop using the Channel for the illegal transport of sanctioned oil or he'd seize the shadow ships. And you know that when Keir Starmer acts tough, people take notice. So Putin sent his own warships into the Channel to protect the ships." PJM's Sarah Anderson looks at The New Monroe Doctrine: You Can Stand Me Up at the Gates of Hell, but I Won't Back Down. The Euro Con explains Why Ukraine Cannot Become Part of the EU.

The Center Square reports  U.S. added $1.2 trillion to national debt in six months. Buck Throckmorton at Ace's THE MORNING RANT: There Is Massive Industrial Investment Under Way in the U.S. Due to Repatriation of Manufacturing. Empowering America says America UPDATE the Jones Act NOW.

Matt Vespa at TownHall hears Supposedly, This Is the Person Who Saved Tulsi Gabbard's Job, Roger Stone? Magills @magills_, "Immensely funny that these people are now begging the Deep State to overthrow the president." Quote Republicans against Trump @RpsAgainstTrump, "Alex Jones: “How do we 25th Amendment his ass?”"

Stacy McCain says ‘Independent Journalist,’ My Ass! All of this is preamble to a weird story this week: Pentagon, White House Push Back on Alleged Remarks Made to Pope, Vatican. Dave Strom calls it Another Hoax Busted. Sidge S. Mondo ن @Magister_Mondo, "The Vatican story, the fake story re: Hesgeth's "exclusion of Catholics" from a prayer service, the dissemination of Hesgeth's pastor's remarks on Catholic processions... it's not a coincidence. The Left knows they can't get conservative Catholics' votes, so they're trying to poison the well." Quote Rorate Caeli @RorateCaeli "Liberal “Catholics” are simply diabolical, making things up to create dissension between the Holy See and the US Government Grotesque." Lucky Teter @TheMagaHulk, "The Chris Hale / Dem Op to drive Catholics away from MAGA is very obvious. Catholics make up 21% of the electorate and were a major factor in Trump winning in 2024. While Trump only won Catholics by 1 point in 2020, he won by 18 points against Harris. And the gap between White Catholics is even higher (from 15% win in 2020 to 26% in 2024.)..." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Having lost his bid for a fourth term in the White House, Obama turned his eyes to the Holy See." Quote Catholic Arena @CatholicArena, "BREAKING Pope Leo XIV met today with former Obama strategist David M. Axelrod"

VodkaPundit at Insty, WELL, YEAH — BUT THAT WAS BEFORE ANYBODY CALLED THEIR BLUFF: Cari Kelemen @KelemenCari, "Looks like the "under oath" part scared them away. Very telling. Well played, Melania." Quote Spitfire @RealSpitfire "Epstein survivors decline any public Congress hearings after Melania’s speech yesterday. Interesting." Jellenne @Jellenne, "Call me crazy but wasn't that exactly what they were demanding just a few months ago on the steps of the Capitol?" Althouse digs a little deeper than the NYT for a change, "Mr. Trump projected sang-froid about it all on Friday. 'I don’t mind anything having to do with Epstein,'" ""But he was talking about it again because of something his wife chose to do. Was he upset that she had single-handedly thrust this story that had so bedeviled him back onto front pages around the globe? 'No,' he said. 'I never get upset.' He said that after he watched Mrs. Trump’s statement, he thought to himself: 'She had a right to talk about it, because the fake news covers her so inaccurately. Would I have done it that way?' the president mused. 'Perhaps not, perhaps, I don’t know.'"Writes Shawn McCreesh, in "Trump Says First Lady ‘Had a Right’ to Talk About Epstein/President Trump said in an interview that he had known his wife wanted to address rumors about the late sex offender at some point, but that he had not known exactly what she would say" (NYT). My search of the NYT archive included a term that wasn't in the article: Ungaro. I was looking, as I usually do, for elite media coverage of a story I am seeing in lowlier media, which I generally eschew. In this case, that would be things like "Amanda Ungaro Arrived in the U.S. on Jeffrey Epstein's Plane at 17 — Now She's Going After Melania Trump From Brazil" (Yahoo!news). I guess you can say I'm just seeing one of those things the NYT deems not "fit to print.""

Shipwreckedcrew explains A Bold Trump Plan To Use The Postal Service As A Firewall Against Fraudulent Mail-In Ballots "Multiple Dem Party activist groups file suits in courts packed with Democrat appointed judges to try and stop plan to require "trackable" ballot envelopes by states that use mail-in voting." Tom Knighton at Bearing Arms says Hey Hey, Ho Ho, More Reasons Pirro Needs to Go over her gun control record. 

Althouse finds A look at Trump's Triumphal Arch... with the Lincoln Memorial in the background, at a distance. I don't care, except that more big monuments makes the Capital's move to Fargo ND that much more difficult. 

A Larry vid at Hat Hair has Kamala Harris Hints at 2028 Presidential Run During Cringe Speech. Jesse Kelly @JesseKellyDC, "Every single elected Democrat has made clear what they intend to do with power should we ever allow them back into power. They’re not hiding who they are anymore. We should probably focus REALLY hard on not letting that happen." Quote Breitbart News @BreitbartNews "Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) says Trump's impeachment "has to be the Democratic agenda.” "We must proceed towards the goal of removing Donald Trump from office, and we must do this now."" Capt. Ed says Dems Discover Pandering On Impeachment, 25th Amendment Has Costs.

Sauron's Eye, reports One hospice doctor. One year. $71.7 million worth of Medicare claims.

M.A. Rothman @MichaelARothman, "𝐍𝐑𝐒𝐂 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝟐 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐎𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐈𝐑𝐘𝐍𝐀 𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐊𝐀’𝐒 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 Cooper — now running for US Senate in North Carolina — is being chased by reporters asking one simple question: why was DeCarlos Brown Jr. on his early release list? The reporter’s barrage, which Cooper refuses to answer: “𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘔𝘳. 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘴 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘢 𝘡𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘬𝘢? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵? 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮? 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 3,500 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘳?...”

Headlining Ace's Week in Woke <- Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "Umm…wow." Quote Homeland Security @DHSgov "IDEOLOGICAL CENSORSHIP. @ABC7 News Los Angeles revealed that they are using AI to edit DHS statements to conform to their narrative bias, including the removal of an illegal alien’s criminal background."

John Carter @martianwyrdlord, "The founder of the Electronic Freedom Foundation vs the current executive director of the Electronic Freedom Foundation." Follow it down the rabbit hole to Conquest's Law #2

Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "Horrifying, listen to three professors from Virginia public universities discuss taking down the United States through violence. “We actually need to crash the US—We must stand with the armed resistance.”" At The College Fix, WATCH: Europeans students hate America, but they love U.S. aid.

Ace, Shock, Surprise: Study from Finland Proves That "Transgender" Procedures Do Not Mitigate Mental Illness-- They Greatly Increase and Exacerbate It "Sorry I should have given you a "please be seated safely" warning but I'm just so stunned by this news I'm not quite thinking clearly. This was published April 4. "Psychiatric Morbidity" means "mental illness.""

Still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.10.26, of course. 

Rule 5 Saturday - Suvi Laiho

This week's epitome of femininity is Suvi Laiho:

Instagram star and aspiring actress. On her suvihannaa Instagram page, she has accumulated more than 120,000 followers who can see some of her life in Los Angeles, workouts, and vegan things that she eats.

She got her first minor part in a TV series called Grostesquerie, where she played Nurse #2 in 2024 for one episode. She is also a fitness influencer.

She does lots of fitness and swimwear photos. She has even walked the runway for a Copacabana Beachwear show.

She is from Finland, but lives in Los Angeles, California.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Didn't Cave on Iran

Dana Loesch argues No, Trump Didn't Cave On Iran, "And Lebanon was never included in Iran's imaginary agreement." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Trump to Iran: Comply Or Else 'Shootin' Starts, Bigger And Better' and Netanyahu: We'll Open Direct Talks With Lebanon – But No Cease-Fire. From the Free Bacon, ‘America’s Retribution’: Operation Epic Fury Destroyed 80 to 90 Percent of Iran’s Weapons Factories, Air Defenses, Naval Fleet, and Nuclear Infrastructure, Pentagon Says, a good start. "Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday that the United States completed the engagement using 'less than 10 percent of America's total combat power'"

M.A. Rothman @MichaelARothman, "𝐀 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐏’𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀 — 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐄’𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 GB News’ Alex Armstrong laid out the geopolitical map that American media refuses to draw: this war isn’t about toppling Iran. It’s about 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 — and America is winning on every front..." Video at link, worth the time. 10Δ @_10delta_, "3 weeks ago I argued the US goal in Iran is to seize the global oil spigot. Venezuela in January -> Iran in February. Neutralize every supply channel outside the dollar system within 90 days. Achieve a compliant successor government and complete energy dominance. The oil thesis was the obvious layer. However, when you zoom out & view the last four years as a single sequence rather than isolated geopolitical events, the architecture of the grander US plan becomes visible..." Hat Hair's Capt. Ed, Too Little Too Late? NATO Bids for Relevance In Strait of Hormuz and Dave Strom, Europeans Have an Opinion. So What? Batya Ungar-Sargon thinks The War in Iran Was a Test for Europe. It Failed. "We pay for Europe's defense—yet Europe is denying us the barest minimum of assistance to fight a battle that benefits them, insisting on sneering at us while freeloading off our generosity." Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47, "Fake Tapper: "Is the world safer today than it was before the war was started?" @SecGenNATO: "Absolutely — and this is thanks to President Trump's leadership."" Foster @foster_type, "The Royal Navy is currently no match for the Russian Navy, which was defeated in the Black Sea by the Ukrainians, who do not have a navy." Quote Tom Cotterill @TomCotterillX, EXCLUSIVE. A Russian frigate sailed into the Channel this morning protecting some of Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet oil tankers. Following them was RFA Tideforce, a British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "In which the Royal Navy starts to sound like a Monty Python/Black Adder mashup." Quote Bernie @Artemisfornow, " BREAKING - Sailors tracking Russian warships through the Channel are er … going on strike next week because they aren’t paid enough. Brilliant!" Matt Vespa at TownHall, NATO Secretary General Had This to Say About His Meeting With Trump. Libs Will Hate It. Dave Strom, thinks The Humiliation of Great Britain Is Complete. I think they have a ways to go. Sundance at CTH cites Susan Kokinda on Trump’s Gambit: Civilizational Expansion or Nihilistic Western Decline.

MAZE @mazemoore, "In 2024 George Conway said that Trump was most likely going to prison for the rest of his life. They laughed and declared that they were "taking back the red hats." Now Conway is crying that he blew a million dollars on Biden. So perfect." Breitbart News @BreitbartNews, "George Conway fights back tears as he recalls how he decided to give nearly $1 million to Biden's Victory Fund in 2024 — which would have otherwise gone to his children. He says he started crying and had to pull his car over. "I want my kids to inherit a democracy."" A Larry video at Hat Hair, Jeffries Endorses 25th Amendment to Remove Trump As Schumer Struggles to Read Talking Points. Sundance delights in President Trump Blasting the Grifters, Blackpillers and Anti-MAGA Podcasters. Nicole Silvero at Da Caller reports Crowd Erupts As JD Vance Gets Trump On Speakerphone In Hungary.

Teri Christoph at RedState hears Wow: First Lady Melania Trump Names Names As She Makes Blistering Public Comments About Jeffrey Epstein. Sundance, First Lady Melania Trump Calls for Public Congressional Testimony from Epstein Victims. I saw her address live; it was powerful, but it's not clear what exactly triggered it. Did she finally just get fed up with the BS, or is this opening fire against a new expected round of Epstein nonsense?

From Breitbart Bus, How Biden and Trump Broke the Labor Force Participation Rate. It's been clear labor numbers were wonky since COVID, but why? "The labor force participation rate has been sliding for over year, falling from 62.6 percent in January 2025 to 61.9 percent in March 2026, according to the official figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That looks like a labor market in retreat, Americans pulling back from work, perhaps discouraged by uncertainty or softening demand. But there is a good reason to think the decline is substantially an illusion produced by the way the statistic is constructed, and that the real story is not about workers at all. It is about how immense shifts in immigration and border policies threw off the population estimate in the denominator."

Jeff Charles at TownHall hears NYC Mayor Mamdani Declares He Will Override Police Commissioner Whenever He Feels Like It. Tom Selleck would never stand for it. Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports Mamdani's plan for free buses in NYC hits pothole, told by Albany 'just not financially feasible' "New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that he is “absolutely committed to making buses fast and free”" They're already out of "other people's money." VodkaPundit at PJM sees Elon Musk Didn’t Just Leave Delaware — He Started a Stampede. Logan Dobson @LoganDobson, "A good barometer of “is my state well run” is definitely “are we considering taxing people for leaving”" Quote KOMO News @komonews, "Across the country, at least ten states, including Washington, are now exploring or have already passed an exit or wealth tax to combat revenue losses from residents fleeing to lower tax areas." Ace hears California Arrests Five People in Raids on 10 Fake Hospices in Newsom's Fraud Paradise of California. Just the News: Just a start. Da Caller, Abigail Spanberger Brags About Bringing Jobs To Virginia — There’s Just One Problem, they came under Youngkin. WUWT argues For Minnesota, Climate Obsession Is Just Another Fiscal Disaster. VodkaPundit at Insty, WELL, THEY WOULDN’T WANT INELIGIBLE CANS GETTING COUNTED: Scott @Thebigblackram, "You need an id to return cans in CT." At Shooting News Week, There Are No ‘Moderate’ Democrats When it Comes to Gun Rights.

Elle Purnell at Da Fed argues Only Prosecutions Can End Dems’ DOJ Weaponization, But Media Pretend That’s Not Obvious. Amy Curtis at TownHall notices The Democrats Are Already Punishing Their Political Opponents. At Aleteia, Nuns who care for dying poor face jail time under New York law.

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn has one for the 'What a Surprise' File: Latest Classified Leaker to Get Busted Is Just AWFL. Ace, Ex-Delta Force Support Civilian -- Who Railed About the Need for More "Diversity" in Delta Force's Support Staff -- Charged With Leaking Classified Information "Of course this is what she looks like: Narcissistically posing like a super-model, despite being less than mid."

John Sexton sees Crime in DC is Down But Problems Persist and Dave Strom sees Fanatasies About Going All Luigi Mangione Filling the Web. U.S. Attorney WDNC @USAO_WDNC, "DeCarlos Brown is in federal custody on a federal indictment. The state proceedings, including any competency finding in those proceedings, are completely separate." Quote New York Post @nypost "Crazed homeless man accused of slaughtering Iryna Zarutska on train found incompetent to stand trial." Cathy Salgado at PJM, Illegal Alien Pastor With Long Rap Sheet Abuses Teen in Church Office

Driscoll at Insty sees a WaPo Columnist Makes the Case Against Muslim Assimilation. Shadi Hamid @shadihamid, "My new @washingtonpost column: Why do Muslims need to be like everyone else? A case against assimilation. https://washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/" DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Hello Mr. Hasim, You've already reached levels of institutional validation that remain inaccessible to nearly all Americans: a professorship at Georgetown, a position on the Washington Post's editorial board. At that point, saying you still need to prove yourself is like Taylor Swift insisting no one listens to her music. If assimilation feels out of reach, it isn't because the system has excluded you. By any reasonable measure, it has already brought you into its highest ranks. What remains is a decision about whether you're willing to fully embrace where you already stand."

Beege Welborn sees Maria Salazar Riding Amnesty Road Again. The Beeb whines, US has let in 4,499 refugees since October - all but three were South African. From CIS, more on how those Nieces of Late Iranian Terror Commander Face Deportation, "A wild story that underscores how asylum has been abused."

From Twitchy, Scott Jennings Blisters CNN About the ONE Qualification Anyone Needs to Be 'Credible' (Hint, Hint) Scott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY, "Anyone, no matter how fringe, will be given a magical designation of "credible" by the left as soon as they start attacking President Donald Trump. Opinions are fine, everyone's got them. Trump is still the undisputed leader of the Republican Party." From Ace, Billy Bush: I Know For a Fact That ABC "News" Had an Entire Division of 75 People "Dedicated to Getting [Trump]." "You mean George Stephanopolous continues to be a Democrat propaganda minister the same as he's been his entire life? You've been had! Ya been took! Ya been hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led astray! Run amok!" NewsBusters must watch MS NOW: Hitler Was Better Than Trump, America Committed Suicide.

Josh Blackman at CJ argues The Transgender Tide Has Turned at the Supreme Court "Six recent rulings uphold the rights of parents and governments to preserve a traditional understanding of gender." Tim O'Brien at PJM reports Nuns Sue New York, Say Its 'Transgender Rights’ Law Violates the First Amendment. John Sexton claims Trans Activists Demanded the Fight They Are Now Losing. Basil the Great @BasilTheGreat, "An advert in Denmark shows a White Danish couple hugging on the sofa An "expert" shows up out of nowhere and tells them not to date each other because it’s basically "inbreeding" for whites to have babies with other whites He says they should have kids with non-Whites instead."At Not the Bee, Pentagon removes Navy photo after people noticed sailor's arm patch said "SAVE THE BIG BOOTY VENEZUELANS."

Joanne Jacobs notes Education is fond of fads: If it feels good, fund it.

Still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.09.26.

Fish Pic Friday - Allie Butler

Allie Butler, probably somewhere @piddlinoutdoors Family | Faith | Outdoors | Freedom

Bay Diet Grift in Jeopardy

 The Bay Journal, EPA proposes ‘significant’ funding cuts to Chesapeake Bay advisors

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing deep spending cuts on the Chesapeake Bay cleanup that critics say will undermine the effort’s scientific integrity and public outreach.

The federal agency published a “notice of funding opportunity” on March 10 seeking applicants on a contract providing administrative support to four advisory committees to the Chesapeake Bay Program, the state-federal partnership leading the cleanup effort. The agreement would pay the winning applicant up to $2.45 million over five years.

On an annual basis, that would amount to a one-third cut from the total spent in 2025, according to figures provided by the EPA.

EPA spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou said the new amount “does not signal a reduced commitment” to the committees but rather an “increased commitment to direct implementation.” The agency will redirect the savings to grants that support what the spokesperson called “real, on the ground projects” that reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to the Bay.

But some environmental advocates and state policymakers say the reduction is deeper than it looks at first blush. The 2025 funding was reduced for at least some of the committees after the change in presidential administrations. Compared to 2023 and 2024, the contract represents a cut of 50% or more, they say.

Many of the effort’s advisors – who mostly consist of scientists, environmental regulators, clean-water advocates and agricultural leaders – were caught off guard by the action. Representatives of some of the program’s signatory partners say they weren’t asked for input, a breach of the cleanup program’s consensus-based, decision-making norms.

And some critics contend that the contract’s language gives the EPA unprecedented control over the committees’ ability to set their own priorities.

“It’s substantially different from previous requests for funding,” said Leila Duman, the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays restoration officer for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and a member of the Bay Program’s management board. “From a very broad level, this [notice] cuts about half of the funding that provides the coordination staff and potentially changes the way the advisory committees operate in a pretty significant way.”

My father once told me a story about a dictator, and three men ordered to carry a piano up a flight of stairs. When they told him it was impossible, he shot one, and then the remaining two carried the piano up the stairs. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Ceasefire Lingers On

The ceasefire in Iran is, well, not all that ceased. Iran is still shooting missiles at Israel, saying the Israelis are breaking the terms by attacking Hezbollah, the Iran proxies, in Lebanon. On the other hand, there does seem to be some movement of oil tankers around the Strait of Hormuz. Whatever is going on, it hasn't reached a level necessary for Trump to resume his 'civilization' ending strikes on Iran's infrastructure. Open Source Intel @Osint613, "Channel 14 reports there could be a collapse of the ceasefire tonight on Iran’s part." At Althouse, Trump has determined that Iran "has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change." "Trump, at Truth Social, about an hour ago:" From sundance at CTH, Vice President JD Vance Delivers Important Clarifying Remarks on Iran as He Departs Hungary, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Takes Credit for Iran Ceasefire He Just Found Out About and Amid Ceasefire in Iran Pentagon Holds Press Briefing. Dave Strom at Hat Hair identifies The Key Problem When Negotiating With Iran. Two different groups, the Mullahs and the IRGC (the death cult), and the civilian leadership and the regular military with very different visions. At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed asks Today's Deep Question: Would Joint US-Iran Tolls in Hormuz Be a 'Beautiful Thing'?

Ace notices Communist Dingbats Yesterday Until 7pm: Trump Is a Madman! He Will Nuke the World! Communist Dingbats at 7:01pm: TACO! Trump Is a Huge Pussy Too Afraid to Do What Is Needed and LET THE NUCLEAR BIRDS FLY!!!! Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "Yesterday many “experts” told you we were headed for nuclear war & spent the entire day losing their minds. Today the Dow opens up 1300+ points, S&P rises nearly 3%, & oil has dropped $20 a barrel. As always, it pays to be rational. Congrats to those who didn’t lose their minds." Michael Caputo @MichaelRCaputo, "@Pontifex is directly critical of the mere words of the President of the United States but he has never once specifically condemned the bloody slaughter of tens of thousands of protestors by the Iranian regime. Women. Children. Families, all shot down like dogs. We Catholics cannot ignore this. If Leo is so compelled to meddle in secular affairs, he must be held accountable for condemning mere words but not the actual slaughter of innocents. There is no Biblical reason for this one-sided meddling." Quote Michael Caputo @MichaelRCaputo, Replying to @MichaelRCaputo, "@grok Has Pope Leo spoken out about the tens of thousands of protestors recently murdered by the regime in Iran and specifically condemned the regime for those murders?" Drew Pavlou @DrewPavlou, "Let’s flip the scenario for a moment. Imagine Iran killed Trump in the first 5 minutes of the war, established air superiority over the US mainland, wiped out the entire US Air Force, US Navy, killed half the Cabinet, flattened the US military industrial complex, then started building runways in Missouri to land Iranian troops without losing any casualties. Would you say it was a US victory if the US managed to keep the Panama Canal closed throughout this all?" Quote Sami Gold @souljagoyteller, "The fact that America’s goals went from “the complete destruction of Iran’s military power or even regime change” to “reopen a trade route that was open a month ago” doesn’t say great things about American power x.com/z_e_silver/sta…" The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "World In Shock As Trump Takes Seemingly Extreme Position To Negotiate Best Possible Deal." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Trump Tells Iran This Is Last Warning Before He Sends Bruce Springsteen To Perform There."

Sasha Stone is irate Idiot Influencers Spread Lie About Trump on Eve of Iran Rescue. Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Not One Person Who Was Wrong About Iran War Will Lose Credibility. Driscoll at Insty says RIDE THE MICHAEL MOORE RECURSION! "● Shot: Michael Moore torches US as ‘bad guys,’ hails Iran as ‘greatest civilization’ in deranged rant.... ● Chaser: Michael Moore ‘flabbergasted’ by the ‘grace and precision and safety’ of Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal." Matt Vespa at TownHall, This Dem Rep Laid Out His Plan to End the Iran War. There's One Big Problem. At Althouse, Meanwhile, in Toronto... Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "Iranians are OUT IN THE STREETS CELEBRATING, cheering President Trump and the collapse of the brutal regime! After decades of oppression, the people are dancing, waving flags, and thanking Trump for finally taking action. Freedom is coming to Iran!"

Sarah Hoyt hosts Never Leave a Fallen Comrade, or Yet Another Reason America is the Greatest Country in the World. -A Rant by Padre0875.

At Defense News, US Navy seeks 1,200% increase in Tomahawk missile procurement for 2027. John Ʌ Konrad V @johnkonrad, "Nothing here is new. I’ve been writing about the weakness of the Royal Navy for years. Except back then the reply was always: “Yes, but if the balloon goes up, we can…” Well, the balloon is up. And in 5 weeks they still haven’t managed to get ONE destroyer to protect Cyprus." QuoteJohn Ʌ Konrad V @johnkonrad, "The Royal Navy is no longer fit for service in NATO. In August 2022, HMS Prince of Wales sailed out of Portsmouth to cross the Atlantic for joint exercises with the US Navy. She was the pride of the modern Royal Navy. A four-billion-pound aircraft carrier. The flagship of..." Sunny @sunnyright, "The Royal Navy’s rowboats shall remain in port." Quote zerohedge @zerohedge "*UK NOT GETTING DRAWN INTO IRAN WAR: STARMER." Dave Rubin @RubinReport, "Interesting use of “so called allies.” Trump definitely has a list now…" Quote Israel War Room @IsraelWarRoom, " @SecWar: “To our Israeli allies, thank you for being a brave, capable, and willing ally on this battlefield.The rest of the world and the rest of our so-called allies saw what real capabilities look like. They should take some notes.” News Wax cites Pew: Republicans' Support for NATO Falls Sharply.

John Sexton notices Cuba Low on Oil But Never Runs Out of Useful Idiots. 

Adam Turner at RedState sees The Republicans Announce Their 2026 Senate Targets. Sundance addresses Panicans and Division. From I&I, 5.4 Million People Have Migrated To Pro-Trump Counties Since 2020 As The Great Divorce Continues, let's hope they don't vote like their previous districts. Rusty Weiss at RedState notes Trump Administration Kills the Most Annoying Car Feature Obama Forced on Drivers, autostop, start. 

Stephen Kruiser at PJM, Gavin Newsom's Wife Is a Real Piece of Work Also Plus Maybe a Witch. Althouse, This reminds me of the way her husband, Gavin Newsom, told black people "I’m like you. I’m no better than you. You know, I’m a 960 SAT guy." Liz Churchill @liz_churchill10, "Holy shit. Gavin Newsom’s Wife Jennifer ran over and killed her own sister with a golf cart…then tells San Quentin Prisoners for Life, “Yours were probably accidents too…” What TF is wrong with her?" Chris Rufo, Gavin Newsom’s $30 Billion Fraud Magnet, "California’s In-Home Supportive Services Program is ripe for scams, experts say." John Sexton, Rufo Identifies More Fraud in California. Mike McDaniel at Am Think thinks (no not yet) we should Get Ready For Blue States To Demand Big Bailouts. Fox, California's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers led to 'negative outcomes,' researchers say. I mean, who could have foreseen that? Andy Gruel at NYPo, Minimum wage politics are really a stealthy tax grab. I&I says Bernie Sanders Is Lying To You About Taxes And The Rich. I can shave five words off that headline. Dustin Grage @GrageDustin, "Minneapolis is looking to legalize sleeping in your car overnight in public spaces and create designated parking lots to sleep in. Socialism is working great."

From the Free Bacon, Michigan’s El-Sayed Suggests Hasan Piker’s ‘America Deserved 9/11’ Remark Must Be Viewed in ‘Context’ "The left-wing Democratic Senate candidate is scheduled to campaign with streamer Hasan Piker later on Tuesday." Rick Moran at PJM thinks Democrats are Playing With Fire by Embracing Hasan Piker. John Sexton notices Even Progressives Agree That Woke is Pretty Cringe.

James Tate @JamesTate121, "Here is why America is broken. We stopped locking people up for treason and sedition. As a matter of fact, we pardoned them." DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "
So how was J6 going to end in overthrow? Let me explain why J6 alarms your class so much. It’s projection, nothing more. Your side has spent years engineering color revolutions abroad, so J6 resembled the final phase to you... crowds overrunning a key building to unseat a leader. Except that didn't actually happen...." Ace has an orgasm at news the DOJ Civil Rights Division Opens Investigation of Madison Cornbread for Perjury "The criminal airhead Madison Cornbread -- street name, "Cassidy Hutchinson" -- lied under oath and as you know, No one is above the law." Dave Strom sees Almost-President Michael Avenatti Released From Prison. That's a name I haven't heard in a while.

Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Only societies with a death wish deem being insane as an excuse to murder people without real repercussions." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Crazed homeless man accused of slaughtering Iryna Zarutska on train found incompetent to stand trial https://trib.al/GsJMZC8" Matt Boose at the Chronic, Democrats Prefer Replacements to American Lives.

Kurt Schlichter at TownHall says Don’t Freak Out When We Lose the Birthright Citizenship Case. "Maybe it’s because I’m a lawyer, and every time I walked into court, I believed in my arguments just as my opponent believed in his. Just because you don’t agree with someone else’s legal argument does not necessarily mean it’s crazy. Oh, believe me, there are plenty of crazy arguments out there. But what we’re arguing against is an interpretation of the 14th Amendment that has been in effect for nearly 150 years. Clearly, many people find it persuasive, even if we don’t." I imagine the Supes will come up with some off the wall compromise. At Da Fed, Hans Manke, makes the case This Word In The 14th Amendment Bans Birthright Citizenship, And It’s Not ‘Jurisdiction and Shawn Fleetwood thinks the Worst Thing GOP Could Do For Midterms Is Embrace Amnesty, So Of Course They’re Doing That. Stephen “The Yellow Dart” Schutt @schuttsm, "Take a look at this bill to introduce a new visa category, called H2C, that will bring in 500,000 construction workers This explains why Mike Rowe was pushing people to go into the trades so hard "there's a shortage of workers, they're making $260k" he said."  

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.08.26.