Stripers and Menhaden and Oysters, Oh My!

Chris Dollar at the Cap Gazette, Maryland may allow anglers a spring rockfish season

After several years of closing access to the spring rockfish run, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is poised to reverse course, proposing to allow anglers to target stripers strictly on a catch-and-release basis through April 30.

If you’re of a certain age, you might recall the world-class Susquehanna Flats spring fishery in the late 1990s thru the mid-2000s which was a popular and profitable season for many guides and associated businesses (hotels, marinas, restaurants, gas stations) that catered to visiting anglers.

Another key change proposed for 2026 is closing August entirely for rockfishing, a move designed to reduce mortality because of the deadly impacts excessively hot Chesapeake Bay waters have on these prized gamefish. Most stakeholders are on board with this idea, with a few caveats.

While the new baseline regs are supported by many fishing related businesses (guides, tackle shops, marinas, boat dealers, boat builders, trade and conservation groups) because it means a net gain in days on the water, not everyone is a fan.

Many traditional charter boat operators oppose targeting rockfish in April because of the proposed stress it has on breeders. Also, and more importantly, Maryland’s charter boat association wants MD DNR to allow them to keep two rockfish for its clients. They continue to lobby MD DNR for that exemption. Time will tell if that request gets approved.

I thought this was a done deal, but then I remembered MDDNR often doesn't  make these decisions until the day before they go into effect. But wait, there's more:

It’s all doom-and-gloom on the menhaden front, however. This winter Congress approved $2.5 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study menhaden, which has been appropriated to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). A “working group” will be formed to determine how to spend the pot of money.
...
I sat in on their press conference to launch the campaign. To be frank, it was a regurgitation of challenges already known, and at this point I’m unclear how this campaign will differ from previous efforts. Time will tell.

Adequate funding is essential to determine whether the industrial-scale harvest of menhaden is sustainable and does not harm the Chesapeake’s already stressed ecosystem. Without money for a science-based study, gaps in our understanding of one of the East Coast’s most important forage fish — a public resource — will remain. And that’s unacceptable.

To be clear, no one wants to put anyone out of a job. History offers plenty of examples of how to move on from outdated industrial operations by retooling its facilities and retraining its employees. A world-class blue catfish processing facility and scaling up harvest seems doable, if backed up by the political will.

So that raises the question: How many more cards do marine conservation advocates writ large have left to play? Not many. The cycle of hope-to-bust has left many of us deflated, yearning for a cohesive strategy that’ll move the chains even just a little.

Somehow I don't see Reedville being turned into a giant Blue Catfish processing facility. And more! At Maryland Matters,  Maryland requests disaster declaration for Chesapeake oyster fishery.

Maryland requested a federal disaster declaration for the Chesapeake Bay oyster fishery Friday, after a perfect storm of bad weather and headline-grabbing environmental incidents depressed the market. It’s not that there aren’t enough oysters, state officials say, but that the falling prices are hammering the industry.

In December, the Centers for Disease Control linked a multistate salmonella outbreak to eating raw oysters. Then, January brought a massive snowstorm and a prolonged cold snap, freezing the Chesapeake and keeping watermen off their boats. That same month, a massive sewage pipe collapsed on the Potomac River, spilling millions of gallons of sewage — and damaging the perception of oysters further, even though testing has shown bacteria within safe levels at a state oyster harvesting area.

 

“In-person and online, the ‘unsafe’ bell has been rung and the impact to Maryland seafood and aquaculture and associated buying behavior may be long lasting,” read Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick requesting the disaster declaration.

Between October and January, Maryland watermen landed 188,673 bushels — 44% down from the five-year average. The dockside value of the harvest for the same period was $6.69 million, compared to $19.92 million for the five-year average, the letter said.
...
Federal disaster dollars could be used for financial assistance to watermen or to support shellfish safety and marketing campaigns, Moore wrote. In the meantime, state officials are boosting marketing for the state’s oysters through the summertime and into the next oyster season, Kurtz said. The message, he said, is “Buy Maryland oysters. They’re high quality, they’re delicious and they support all of our local economies.”

 Um, no, just no. Do not support this failing industry. Oyster populations are at a 30 year high, and watermen are complaining they can't make enough money off them.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran

Well, it is starting to feel a bit like a real war. Trump is threatening the remnants of the Iranian regime with more hellfire, while offering forgiveness and peace if they surrender. We've suffered our first casualties, three dead and five servicemen seriously wounded so far unnamed in as yet unrevealed action, and the third column inside the country has put out its first terrorist attack, with three people  been killed and 14 injured in Austin TX by a Senegalese man wearing a ‘Property of Allah’ Shirt, a naturalized citizen of the US.

At TownHall Dmitri Bolt thinks President Trump Had the Perfect Name for the Operation Against the Iranian Regime, in Epic Fury. A little ostentatious for my taste, but I don't get to pick 'em. Aaron Hanscom at PJM, Trump: U.S. Will Hit 'With a Force Never Seen Before’ if Iran Escalates. Hat Hair's Capt. Ed, Trump to IRGC: Surrender for Immunity, or Prepare to Die; Urges Iranians to 'Seize the Moment'. NewsNation, Trump offering immunity to IRGC, Iranian military and police forces. At Althouse, "[Trump] said he would be willing to negotiate but that if Iran was not serious, he would order an overwhelming military attack." ""He did give diplomacy a chance, but ultimately, he was not willing to simply put a fresh coat of paint on Obama’s disastrous nuclear deal; he wanted serious indications that Iran was committing to giving up its quest for a nuclear weapon. When it was clear they were not, he followed through on his threat. Many past presidents have said that 'all options are on the table' with regard to Iran. Trump meant it...." Writes Philip Klein in "Donald Trump Wasn’t Bluffing on Iran" (National Review)." From War on the Rocks, For Iran’s Regime, Better to Take a Beating than Capitulate. We shall see. The Free Bacon claims Trump Avoids Drama To Focus on Foreign Imminent Threats. Trump avoids drama? In what world? PJM's Matt Margolis claims to know The Reason Trump Struck Iran That the Left Doesn’t Want You to Know "According to CNN’s Scott Jennings, senior Trump administration officials presented ironclad intelligence showing Iran was preparing to launch missile attacks on both U.S. military and civilian targets across the Middle East." Don Surber calls it MAGA’s best weekend since Trump’s re-election. CBD at Ace's says After 47 Years Of Asymmetric War, We Finally Have A President Who Understands. Noah Pollak @NoahPollak. "One of Trump's greatest legacies will be how he blew up a half-century of western diffidence, restraint, and failure on terrorism. As the era of Islamic terrorism began in the 1970s, western countries (very much including Israel) spun up all kinds of pseudo-sophisticated theories and excuses to avoid carrying out the only successful policy, which is killing terrorists -- as many as you can, whenever you can..." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Netanyahu Promises to Intensify Attacks On Tehran; UPDATE: Trump Pledges to Sink Iran Navy. Hat Hair's Dave Strom, BREAKING: UK Approves Use of British Bases; UPDATE: Gulf Cooperation Council Signals It Will Join. William Wolfe @WilliamWolfe, "The fact that a billionaire real estate playboy who liked to slap his name on steaks and wine has proven to be a better diplomat and military strategist than every other politician and foreign policy expert over the last 30 years is such a damning indictment of the DC establishment I honestly don’t know how they recover." Quote Mostly Peaceful Memes @MostlyPeaceful, "What’s clear from the Maduro raid and today’s strikes is that forever wars were a choice." Bad Hombre @Badhombre. "Apparently, arresting Maduro and killing Khamenei were easier than getting a Republican Senate majority to pass the Save America Act." Bin Xie @bxieus, "Chinese are now leaving Iran like crazy, the price of a one-way ticket to Beijing has gone up to 3M Yuan ($425,000). What are the Chinese so afraid of? According to a Taiwanese news, they have done too many bad things in Iran (such as helping Iranian regime to crack down the protests), Iranian people hate them." 

Sundance hosts President Trump Delivers Updated Remarks About ‘Operation Epic Fury’, Sunday Talks – Senator Tom Cotton Discusses U.S. Military Operation Against Iran – Video and Transcript, UAE Confirms They Shot Down 541 Drones, 165 Ballistic Missiles and 2 Cruise Missile Fired by Iran – 21 Drones Hit Civilian Targets and Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine Hold Pentagon Press Briefing. wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "More Iran bigs reported killed. "Iran’s chief of army staff and defense minister were killed in an airstrike targeting a meeting of the country’s defense council, Iranian state television reported Sunday. Gen. Abdol Rahim Mousavi and Defense Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh were killed at the meeting alongside the head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and security adviser Ali Shamkhani."" Capt. Ed, Iranian FM: Our Command And Control Functions Are Gone; UPDATE: Video Added and NEW: Iranians Announce Khamenei's Heir Eliminated; New Leaders Want Trump Talk? After we stop reminding them what we need to talk about. PJM's Cathy Salgado reports U.S. Central Command Sinks 9 Iranian Ships, Releases Footage of Epic Fury. Beege Welborn, USS Lincoln Doin' Some Iranian Sinkin', Israel Cracks Prayer App to Send Msgs. At NYPo, Video shows moment missiles rained down on Iran Supreme Leader’s compound — as civilians laugh. wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "Because Israel and the US have nearly total air supremacy over Iran, published reports say they are employing stand-in ordnance and delivery techniques instead of stand-off techniques. This means they can go after almost anything: moving targets, deep installations -- personalized warfare," and The 2026 calendar. Maduro in January. El Mencio in February. Khamenei in March announces the new American way of war. An unnoticed development in the history of conflict has taken place. For the first time in memory it is the kingpins, not the henchmen, who are dying first in wars..." RBe @RBPundit, "And they keep calling Hegseth & Co “incompetent” after they’ve pulled off multiple large scale operations with virtually no leaks. Maybe they don’t know what competence looks like?" Quote Bonchie @bonchieredstate "Remember when Democrats and the press spent the last year insisting Trump’s appointees would destroy our military capabilities through sheer incompetence? I wonder if Khamenei and Iran agree?" Edward Badgette @acrimonyand, "It is pretty hilarious that Mr Alcoholic Big Bench Press Secretary of War is racking up insane, unbelievable wins like you would expect a character called Mr Alcoholic Big Bench Press Secretary of War would do in an 80s action movie." 

U.S. Central Command @CENTCOM "CENTCOM Update TAMPA, Fla. – As of 9:30 am ET, March 1, three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury. Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing.. ." Sundance, U.S. Central Command Confirms 3 U.S. Soldiers Killed, 5 Seriously Injured in Operation Epic Fury. 7% NaCl (Salty) @TwoRulesOfWar, "We lost three Alabama national guardsmen and 47 more wounded in Syria to an Iranian drone attack under the Biden admin and you and your scumbag friends in the media didn’t say fuckall. Maybe keep our troops names out of your fucking mouth." Quote Jim VandeHei @JimVandeHei, "3 US soldiers dead. This shifts the debate inside MAGA, Congress and America to: Is the killing the Iranian leader and degrading its capabilities worth three American lives? Puts a human face and reality on Trump’s war of choice…This ? will dominate politics for weeks."

Scott McLallen at TownHall hears 10 Reported Dead After Pakistanis Attempt to Storm U.S. Embassy. A good start. Driscoll has the  BOTTOM STORY OF THE DAY: Iran’s soccer federation head doubts country will play in 2026 World Cup after US-Israeli strikes. "The president of Iran’s soccer federation says he does not know if the national team can play World Cup matches in the United States following the surprise US and Israeli bombardment of his country. “What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Mehdi Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 as Iran traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by the bombardment." The Kkaleej Times reports UAE to cover all expenses for affected travellers amid flight disruptions, Iran attacks

The Other McCain, ISLAMIC TERRORISM IN TEXAS? UPDATE: ‘Property of Allah’ Shirt. Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, “Transgenders across the country breathe a sigh of relief as the latest mass shooter turned out to be just a good old fashioned Muslim terrorist” Sundance, Mass Shooting in Austin, Texas Bar Killing 3 Injuring 14 Likely a Terrorist Incident. KUTV, 3 dead, 14 injured in Sixth Street mass shooting; FBI investigating potential terrorism. NYPo, Austin bar mass shooter possibly motivated by Iran attacks, Quran found in car as FBI eyes terrorism after 2 killed, 14 injured. Christian Heiens @ChristianHeiens, "The most terrifying part of this entire sentence are the words “naturalized US citizen”. We let this guy into our country, handed him paperwork that said “congratulations, you’re an American now!” made him eligible to vote in our elections, and he took all these things, turned around, and decided to go on a killing rampage on behalf of an Islamist state on the other side of the world. We need a total immigration moratorium and a complete ban on all African, Islamic, and Third World migration to this country forever." Quote ALX @alx, "BREAKING: Gunman who attacked a bar in Austin, Texas last night has been identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal, who was wearing a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah”, an undershirt referencing Iran and had a Quran in his car." A Driscolly post at Insty, ITS ORIGIN AND PURPOSE, STILL A TOTAL MYSTERY: 3 dead, 14 injured in Austin shooting; suspect identity confirmed as Senegal national. At Fox, Enemy within: Counterterrorism experts fear sleeper cells could be poised inside US. "Security experts warn that the fallout could extend beyond the Middle East." Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "If they’re here on visas, DEPORT" Quote Jon Levine @LevineJonathan "Columbia University students now just posting "Death to America" CC @FBI @Kash_Patel."

At Twitchy, Let's GO! Scott Jennings Is DONE Letting CNN Spin Trump's Iran Strikes As a BAD THING and HOOBOY, Watch Marco Rubio EXPERTLY Schools Every Single Dem and Nutball Lefty/Groyper WHINING About Iran Strike, She MAD! Check Out How Nancy Mace Used Khamenei's Death to Trigger Ilhan Omar's Unhinged (Drunken?) Rant, WAKE UP! Watch Dana Bash's Face Closely As Democrat Iranian-American Goes Off on Her Own Party (Video) and Brit Hume Explains How Dems Have SCREWED Themselves (Especially on Iran) With Their Trump-Hate Agenda. From NYPo, Kamala Harris doesn’t want regime change in Iran: ‘Dangerous and unnecessary.’ From Fox, Putin: Killing of Khamenei a 'cynical violation' of morality. So Kamala is a Putin puppet? Seems like an investigation might be in order. Amy Curtis at TownHall, Here's the Delusional Reason Chris Murphy Thinks President Trump Authorized Airstrikes on Iran. Chris Murphy @ChrisMurphyCT, "They went to war with Iran (which nobody in America was asking for) so they could conjure an excuse to allow ICE to keep murdering Americans and teargassing schools here at home with impunity (which nobody in America was asking for)." Quote Senator Dave McCormick @SenMcCormickPA, "Now would be a good time for Democrats to drop their opposition to DHS funding and pass the bill to support our homeland security. Continuing to play political games with our national security given the unfolding situation in the Middle East is dangerous." More Driscolly stuff, CAPTAIN OF THE SOMALI PIRATES HAS THOUGHTS: Governor Tim Walz @GovTimWalz, "No new wars." "Fair enough; this one has being going on since 1979." MNConservative @RealJMPeterman, "Fun Fact: Ilhan Omar's father was a senior ranking Somali Military official - Colonel Nur Omar Mohamed. Colonel Mohamed led the Isaaq genocide that massacred 200,000 civilians in Somaliland. Maybe sit this one out @Ilhan." Quote Ilhan Omar @IlhanMN "Trump has launched an illegal regime change war. As someone who has survived the horrors of war, I know military strikes will not make us safer; they will inflame tensions and push the region further into chaos." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Mamdani Orders Flags At One World Trade Center Flown Half-Staff To Mourn Ayatollah. https://buff.ly/EkIaTQF"

From Victory Girls, Kinetic Events In Iran Bring Out Ignorant Leftists and When Trump Strikes Iran, Mamdani Blames America First. Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "It blows my mind how at any single moment, for any reason, thousands of Leftists can show up instantaneously with foreign flags and signs. Normal people have to rearrange their entire day to show up anywhere… Are these people just always on call?!!!!" DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "These are all Communists. Not "people who are to my left are commies." Actual Communists. Just search for CUNY Internationalist Clubs and the other names on those signs. Communism is a cult without a God. It demands your entire life in service to them. You're seeing that there are a lot of Communists out there who are dedicated to destroying the country." Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "It will never not be hilarious that the same retarded, SSRI-gobbling weirdos who walked around dressed as handmaidens are now collectively wetting themselves because Donald Trump killed the guy who literally made women walk around dressed as handmaidens." Kentucky Girl @Notwokenow, "Think about this: Leftists cheered the assassination of Charlie Kirk, And condemned the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Good. Evil. They chose evil." Kevin Dalton @TheKevinDalton, "I appreciate Jane Fonda taking the time to come down from her multi million dollar house in the hills to tell all the Iranian people why their liberation is a bad thing." 

Gerard Baker @gerardtbaker "Nothing wrong with that headline. It is an accurate summary and conveys no implication of moral approval of the man." Quote Mark Halperin @MarkHalperin, "How long will it take the headline writers to reform and repent?" Mark Halperin @MarkHalperin, "Respectfully dissent. “Jeffrey Dahmer, Hungry Wisconsin Man, Passes Away” is an accurate summary as well. And/but it, also, implicitly conveys, at a minimum, moral tolerance, if not full/on approval." News Busters see WashPost Touts Khamenei as Man With an ‘Easy Smile’ and Love of 'Poetry'. At Twitchy, James Woods SHREDS WaPo's Glowing Khamenei Obit — the Monster Who Massacred 40K+ Iranians Just Last Month. James Woods @RealJamesWoods, "This is how the Washington Post eulogized the dirt bag who murdered 40,000 innocent civilians this month. This is not satire: "With his bushy white beard and easy smile, Ayatollah Khamenei cut a more avuncular figure in public than his perpetually scowling but much more revered mentor, and he was known to be fond of Persian poetry and classic Western novels, especially Victor Hugo’s 'Les Misérables.' ... Some Iranians who knew Ayatollah Khamenei before he became supreme leader described him as a 'closet moderate'' ..."Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "It really is shameful this keeps happening." Quote End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Dilbert creator vs Ayatollah of Iran."

Insty BECAUSE THEY HATED LIMBAUGH, AND MERELY FOUND KHAMEINI DISTASTEFUL. Victory Girls, Ayatollah Khamenei Dead, News Media Writes Eulogies. Da Caller thinks you should Watch a Journalist Marked For Death By Khamenei Celebrate His Demise. jeremysenderowicz @senderowiczj, "Almost seriously, Bill Kristol’s career arc is worthy of Dante or Goethe. Repudiate all the causes you devoted your life to in order to oppose one man, who then delivers all the results on every one of your formerly lifelong priorities." Quote Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, "Bolton, at least, is willing to support a thing he's always supported even when it's Trump doing it. x.com/AmbJohnBolton/…" Stephen Pollard @stephenpollard "Satire is best when it's indistinguishable from reality." Quote The Grauniad @grauniadmeme, "Khamenei's death will only marginalise Iran's vibrant Trans community."

At Althouse, "Across Iran crowds took to the streets, playing music, honking car horns and cheering. Fireworks were set off and residents applauded at their windows." "From "Fear turns to joy as ordinary Iranians see off Ayatollah Khamenei/There was smoke and a sound. We looked up. Did they kill Khamenei, they asked" (London Times)." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair has The Feel Good Videos - Dancin' in the Streets...of Iran  Nioh Berg ✡︎ @NiohBerg, "BREAKING: Regime television has been hacked and is now broadcasting messages from President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. Holy shit." Viral YouTube Videos @viral_youtubes, "Hacking Iranian state TV and forcing Trump + Netanyahu to speak directly to the people is one of the most savage psychological moves I’ve seen in any modern conflict. The regime spent decades controlling every screen in the country, and now the same TV that preached “death to America” is playing the enemy telling Iranians it’s time to rise up. Bravo." Pamela Hensley @PamelaHensley22, "Today on a Tehran train, a morality police officer attempted to bully women for going without hijabs. This time, they had backup. Fellow female passengers rose up, screaming until the officer was forced off the train to cheers and applause. This is how it's done!" Roger Simon, Hope Was ALWAYS on the way. Insty says NICE!: Matt Finn @MattFinnFNC, "Flying over the city of Los Angeles: "Thank U Trump from Iranian People."

RedState's Bob Hoge observes The Iran Meme Battles Have Begun, and They're Hilarious. Sarah Hoyt has the Memes We Waited 47 Years For. NotTheBee, World War 3 has begun so you know we've gotta do a meme roundup. 

At Da Fed, Davis: If GOP Wants To Win The Midterms, They Need To Pass The SAVE Act. Politico has hopes Republicans are freaking out over Texas Senate race "Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is the man to beat ahead of Tuesday’s primary — and could put Senate Republicans’ majority at risk."

Oil Price reports Venezuela Suspends 19 Oil Production Contracts. "The agreements would now be reviewed by the Venezuelan and U.S. governments, with some of them possibly ending canceled, the sources also told the publication. The suspension has had no effect on Venezuela’s total oil output, they added."

Smitty at The Other McCain goes Behind Enemy Lines In NOVA, The Fairfax County GOP Met Today. I did wonder what happened to him.

Leslie Eastman at LI reports an Air Force Turncoat: Former Major Arrested, Charged for Allegedly Training Chinese Fighter Pilots "Brown’s calculated choice to turn decades of elite U.S. training into a weapon in the hands of the People’s Liberation Army’s military is a direct betrayal of his oath and of every airman."

From Shipwreckedcrew, Mass. Federal Judge Going For Trifecta With Supreme Court -- Again Invents Law Requiring Criminal Aliens To Get MORE Due Process Before Removal To Third Countries. "Twice SCOTUS has vacated decisions by Judge Brian Murphy that imposed restrictions on ability of DOJ/DHS to remove aliens to third countries when removal to their own country is not possible."

The Monday Morning Stimulus

Food and Wine, Baristas Told Us the Top 3 Coffee-Brewing Mistakes They Want You to Stop Making Immediately. We break them all pretty consistently, and I still like the coffee. 

Oregon, My Oregon

From Mark Hemingway, spouse of the Unsinkable Mollie at RCI, Model City: Portland’s Journey From Symbol of Chic to Shabby

That one of America’s most progressive cities has become a laughingstock in one of the country’s more progressive magazines is a sign of Portland’s ongoing troubles. Like other big cities with major challenges, such as Chicago and San Francisco, Portland boasts many lovely areas and vibrant neighborhoods. But it is also defined by a range of pervasive problems – including crime, homelessness, drug addiction – that are less the consequences of modern society than self-inflicted wounds created by ineffective policies. If Portland stands out from other beleaguered cities, it is because its decline has been so swift.

But, as they say, read the whole thing, and weep.

Although I claim a connection to Oregon as a 9 year resident, and former landowner there, Portland was never really my venue. I had some family there, my Dad's sister Dorothy, and her clan, and we visited from time to time, but when I was in Oregon, it had not yet gained its status as a progressive Utopia. I tend to blame refugees from California, noting the irony that I was one.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Epic Fury: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Killed in Strikes

Ace woke up to the realization that The US and Israel Have Launched Military Strikes to Take out the Iranian Government, worth only bold font, and the trademark flaming skull. A little later, Stacy McCain, ‘Major Combat Operations’ in Iran UPDATE: Is the Ayatollah Dead, or Not? UPDATE: He’s ‘Pining for the Fjords’. PJM's Matt Margolis, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is Dead. Amit Segal @AmitSegal, "Senior officials in Israel were informed: Khamenei has been eliminated. His body was recovered from the ruins of his palace." At Hat Hair Capt Ed hears from Netanyahu: 'Many Signs' We Got Khamenei; UPDATE: Body Found? UPDATE: Trump, Bibi Shown Photo, NEW: Israeli Intel Indicates Khamenei Hit, IRGC Commander Killed; UPDATE: Three Hits On Meetings and Iranian Regime Media Admits Khamenei Is Dead. Matt Vespa at TownHall, We Got Him: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Has Been Taken Out. RedStates Jen Van Laar, BREAKING: Iran's Ayatollah Khameini Confirmed Dead. Middle Eastern Eye, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in US-Israeli strikes. "A key figure in Iran’s Islamic revolution, Khamenei was killed along with his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter." At Althouse, "Ayatollah is dead, Israel says/Body of Ali Khamenei has been found amid US-Israeli bombing, according to officials." "The London Times reports." Ace catches up (in all cap bold red italic font) to REPORTS: THE AYATOLLAH HAS BEEN KILLED, "Also killed, reportedly: The head of Iran's "Justice" Department, responsible for the mass killing of protesters the Ayatollah's number two The commander of the Revolutionary Guards." Amit Segal @AmitSegal, "An American official to Fox News: It is estimated that along with Khamenei, another 5–10 senior Iranian leaders were killed." Shanaka Anslem Perera @shanaka86. "They did not bomb Iran. They waited for Iran’s entire leadership to sit down in the same room and then they bombed Iran. Months of intelligence. Thousands of hours of surveillance and signal intercepts. One variable: the moment the Supreme Leader, the President, and senior military command gathered in a single location at the same time. That moment was 8:15 this morning. Daylight. Every previous Israeli strike on Iran came at night. June 2025 launched in darkness. October 2024 after midnight. Iran’s entire air defense doctrine is built around the assumption that Israel attacks in the dark. Israel attacked in broad daylight because the target was not infrastructure. The target was a meeting. . . " Fatherguy Everyman @thecathguy, "Dawg we parked the entire armada in your front yard how was this a surprise" Quote Leading Report @LeadingReport, "BREAKING: Iran was reportedly caught massively off-guard with US-Israeli strikes, per Fox News."

David Khait @David_Khait, "Turns out it wasn’t Israel as Al Jazeera reported. It wasn’t US as Iran reported. It was a failed launch by the IRGC that fell back to the ground and struck the elementary school. The elementary school is attached to an IRGC naval base." Quote Chaya’s Clan @ChayasClan, "A failed missile launch in Iran caused the projectile to fall on a school. Images captured the moment it failed, fell back to ground, and struck. The Iranians - just like the Palestinians in Gaza at the beginning of the war - immediately claimed it was a missile fired by the United States or Israel."

Open Source Intel @Osint613, "President Trump: To the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America's help, but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want, so let's see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass. May God bless you all." Insty at substack, Cutting Off the Head of the Snake "Or maybe the Gordian Knot." Charlie Martin at Insty BECAUSE HE WANTED TO DETHRONE JIMMY CARTER? Barack Obama Is to Blame for Iran. Here’s Why. Joel Berry @JoelWBerry, "The last remnants of Jimmy Carter’s legacy are being erased." Don Surber calls it a A bombing 9 years in the making "Trump made friends in the Middle East before attacking Iran." Twitchy, 4-D Chess? Professor Cleveland Makes an Interesting Observation About the Timing of the Iran Strikes. Margot Cleveland @ProfMJCleveland, "So, before striking Iran, Trump Administration obtained alternative oil source from Venezuela. It's almost as if he had 4 years to strategize saving the world." Quote gCaptain @gCaptain "Hormuz Traffic Slows as Shipowners Reassess Gulf Transits https://gcaptain.com/hormuz-traffic" Inez Stepman @InezFeltscher, "Trump is repositioning the US vis a vis China for the next 30 years in a lot of important ways." Quote @LeighWolf, "Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Greenland, Panama…it’s all interconnected and it all points to China. As U.S. energy ramps up, and China is deprived of subsidized oil, subsidized shipping channels, freedom of navigation through sovereign waters and allies that can cause the U.S. x.com/breaking911/st…Show more"

Jonathan Turley on Epic Fury: Trump Can Rely on Past Democratic Presidents for the Authority to Attack Iran. A bunch at Althouse, "I might be a Democrat, but in this specific case, the president is absolutely correct to do these kinds of actions" says John Fetterman, "The Iranian regime, to be clear, deserves no sympathy. It has wrought misery since its revolution 47 years ago — on its own people, on its neighbors..." ""... and around the world. It massacred thousands of protesters this year. It imprisons and executes political dissidents. It oppresses women, L.G.B.T.Q. people and religious minorities. Its leaders have impoverished their own citizens while corruptly enriching themselves. They have proclaimed 'Death to America' since coming to power and killed hundreds of U.S. service members in the region, as well as bankrolled terrorism that has killed civilians in the Middle East and as far away as Argentina..." says NYT, Up until now, I had been distracted from the existence of Keith Olbermann, Keith Olbermann @KeithOlbermann, ""Operation Epic Fury" because "Operation Epstein Diversion" didn't sound warfightery enough," "Just clarifying, I made this tweet at 5am while playing speed chess, eating mozz sticks.... I didn't mean 'WW3' literally I was being semi-comedically glib." "Everybody's a comedian." Mike Benz @MikeBenzCyber, "Is anyone else following this? We just set off WW3 at 2am on a Fri night. Massive US-Israel strikes all over Iran killing thousands. Counterstrikes hitting a whole range of Gulf allies, Kuwait, Qatar & possibly Saudi. The world is gonna wake up to 6 years of news in 1 newsfeed," and "I love Trump." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears Saudi Arabia: Forget What We Said Earlier, We're ALL IN -UPDATE: Even Palestinians Dump Iran. NotKennyRogers @NotKennyRogers, "Muslim countries that support today's U.S strike on Iran: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Bahrain Muslim countries that DO NOT support today's U.S. strike on Iran: France, United Kingdom." Dave Portnoy @stoolpresidente, "I always laugh at yo-yo’s who don’t have the 1st clue what information the President had that forced this decision. Even politicians who despise him but were briefed on the situation seem to agree with this operation. I guess lotta podcasters know better." Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "For those wondering how this will play out: >Trump has done something strong >Democrats and the media will freak out all day >Everything Trump did works >Everyone moves on >No one gives him credit >>Move on to the next thing to panic about. Every. Single. Time." At Althouse, "When do we send them an airmail message?","Question answered: February 28, 2026. Nearly 20 years later."

Hat Hair's Dave Strom documents how 'Epic Fury' Describes the Left's Response to Iran Operation. Ace, Nazis, RINOs, Islamofascists, and Other Infiltrators Who Should Have Been Purged Long Ago Are Having a Bad Day. Richard Grenell @RichardGrenell, "You were part of the team who gave billions of dollars to the Iranian Regime - you helped fund this terror on human beings. Once again, President Trump is cleaning up your mess." Driscoll at Insty, NOT ANTI-WAR, JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE: Quote Ben Rhodes @brhodes. "Trump and Netanyahu seem to be totally unconcerned about the human beings - on all sides - who will suffer." Will Collier@willcollier, "So sorry for your loss, @brhodes, @BarackObama." Joe Concha @JoeConchaTV, "Ben’s pallets-of-cash plan was working so well…" Quote Ben Rhodes @brhodes "Trump's second term has been the worst case scenario." John Podhoretz @jpodhoretz, "Just seeing your impotent virtual spittle is reason enough for me." Quote Ben Rhodes @brhodes, "Trump lied about being against forever wars, he broke the most basic promise he made to his own supporters. There is no reason this war had to happen." Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "Team Bulwark having a morning." Quote George Conway @gtconway3d "Perhaps the terrorist state with nuclear weapons is …. {checks notes} … the United States of America?" Varad Mehta @varadmehta, "Rooting against the US men's ice hockey team and now rooting for Iran: it's been a banner week for the "resistance."" Ace looks at the Reactions: All the Right Nazis and Islamic Apologists Is Losing Dey Shit. Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "I can’t believe what I’m seeing... Every Leftist on X is crying about Iran's EVIL DICTATORS being removed from the earth… …and every single one of the Iranian people is celebrating and dancing like there’s no tomorrow This has been extremely eye-opening." C3 @C_3C_3, "Once you realize this you’ll never miss it again. When America is in a dispute with another country the Dems and Media will ALWAYS side with the other country. Last time it was Venezuela. Today its Iran. It doesn’t matter who it is or what it’s about. They just hate America." Althouse finds Glenn Greenwald reanimates Charlie Kirk to oppose the war in Iran. The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "How exhausting it must be to be a liberal today. For decades they were defined by standing up to authoritarianism and championing the oppressed. But now, in the face of one of the greatest liberations in modern history, they can’t allow themselves to celebrate because they spent the last decade consuming buffets of bullshit about the guy who just made it happen. They know it’s a good thing, and they know we know they know; it must be pure agony. I would love nothing more than for them to join us in being happy today, if only just this once. I’d like to shit diamonds too, but I know that ain’t gonna happen either."

Masih Alinejad @AlinejadMasih, "I am a woman from Iran. Let me tell you honestly how women like me see politicians like you in America, women who speak about freedom from the safety of Congress while sympathizing with our killers under Islamic regimes. You stand next to the American flag, speaking about freedom. Now you launch campaigns saying, “No War With Iran. . . ” Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630, "Iran just killed 60,000 people, many of them feminist student fighters raped so badly their wombs allegedly had to be destroyed. None of you journ-o-list leftist clowns gave a shit until Israel, the GOP, etc could be invoked. Doesn't it at least make you feel bad during evening meditation? Quote Abubaker Abed @AbubakerAbedW "Israel has hit Iran's airport, presidency and national security compound, and other residential areas. No way anyone in this world can defend this. Utter depravity and total impunity funded by Western governments."

Dave Strom at Hat Hair sees Traitors: Nonprofits Began Mobilizing Anti-War Protests 10 Minutes Before Trump Announced Strikes. Michael Lucci @Michael7ucci, "The Chinese Communist Party is immediately deploying activists in NYC to oppose strikes on Iran." Quote The People's Forum @PeoplesForumNYC "EMERGENCY DAY OF ACTION IN NYC TO STOP THE WAR WITH IRAN: TODAY, 2/28 at 2PM in Times Square The U.S. and Israel are carrying out an unprovoked, illegal bombing campaign on Iran. This war serves no one but a tiny elite and oil executives and is a continuation of more than twoShow more" Drew Pavlou @DrewPavlou, "CCP agents posed as “concerned citizens” on social media to try and spark protests against opening new rare earth mines in the US and Canada They are absolutely, 1000% doing this for data centres now too." John Loeber @johnloeber, "How many of these “concerned citizens” are paid by foreign governments? And if you say the answer is zero, why would you assume that America’s adversaries would pass up on the easiest, legal, highest-ROI way to sabotage American industry?" Quote SemiAnalysis @SemiAnalysis_, "Micron’s $100B megafab in NY is at risk of delay due to just 6 “concerned citizens” and their frivolous lawsuit. (1/10)" Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "Head of Product at X announces there was a massive attempt to overwhelm X with social media bots in support of Iran This is an attempt by liberals and Iran to sway people against Donal Trump X blocked it. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok won’t. Don’t fall for the bot propaganda."

Karol Markowicz @karol, "I love when this guy comes out, like he did after our Venezuela strike, to say the UK played no role. NO SHIT. You're a complete nobody on the world stage, WE KNOW. You don't have to keep telling us." Quote Keir Starmer @Keir_Starmer "My statement on Iran." Marc Thiessen @marcthiessen, "You didn’t allow us to use UK bases. You should have offered to send British pilots to fly side by side with us. The special relationship is dead. You killed it." Capt Ed says Go, Canada: Carney Backs US, Israel Strikes on Iran.

From I&I, The Donald’s Brand-Building – And Bulldozing – State Of The Union Spectacular. USA Today opines Trump needed to sell strengths on economy, border. He did. "Trump's speech will be a Rorschach test of sorts, with people interpreting his words very differently, depending on their political views." From NYPo, Here’s how Trump could boost your retirement savings with annual match — from government.

Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain, "Look I’m not a fan of Gavin Newsom but even I think sending an F-35 to Sacramento would be excessive." Quote Jackson Hinkle @jacksonhinklle "While Trump is attacking Iran, this is what Los Angeles looks like." Laura Powell @LauraPowellEsq, "In his book, Gavin Newsom whines that his dad leased him a used car instead of buying him a new car when he turned 16. According to a source, that car was a Porsche."

Victory Girls note Suddenly Tim Walz Has A Plan To Fix Fraud, Eventually.

The Right Scoop calls it BAD MEDICINE: Biden’s legacy strikes again as lefty federal judge gifts Pharma a grim win in Hawaii.

It's the Sun, Stupid!

IT'S THE SUN, STUPID!
Astrophysicist Dr. Willie Soon's new brilliant (and funny) film, exposing the CO2 climate scam.@WillieSoon8 @TomANelson @Martin_Durkin pic.twitter.com/8gHTpoRwr5

— GorillaScience (@WatchGorillaSci) January 21, 2026

Palm Sunday

With Mayra Veronica:

Loulu Palm

Hawaii News Now, Native palm trees planted to help restore Lahaina

Restoration efforts continue at Lahaina Harbor, where something as simple as planting a few trees can help a community return to normalcy.

Treecovery Hawaii led the effort to plant nearly 10 native trees, including endemic loulu palms, along the harbor to help restore the community culturally by replanting multiple native species back in Lahaina and other communities affected by wildfires.

“A lot of species from around the world were grown here, you know,” said Duane Sparkman, founder and board president of Treecovery.

He said the presence of non-native tree species “was just because people like these beautiful ornamental trees, and after the fire, we have a chance to put in the native trees and really talk about the true native Hawaiian species.”

Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. 

Beach Report 2/28/26

The end of Feb saw an almost spring-like day. Sunny, 60 F at home, but only 45 at the beach, thanks to a slight breeze off the nearly icy waters.

Tides were high, so I only reached the rocks at Matoaka.

But I didn't do too bad for teeth. 13, not counting this 3/4 intact crocodile tooth, the first of the year. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - It's War on Iran

Yesterday, from the Brussels Sign, As the US and Israel prepare for war, the EU sinks into irrelevance, then at Hat Hair, Capt. Ed hears US Evacuates Embassies in Israel, Iraq; UPDATE: China Urges Citizens to Leave Iran and Ace, US Evacuates Embassies in Israel and Iraq, China Orders Citizens Out of Iran as Strike Appears Imminent. "But joking aside, it looks like Trump's had enough. Iran once again pretended to "talk" while conceding nothing. The USS Ford is now in place for a strike." Shanaka Anslem Perera @shanaka86, "At 10:24 this morning, Friday February 27, the United States Ambassador to Israel emailed his own staff and told them to leave the country today. Not next week. Not when convenient. Today. . . " 

Then, this morning, Capt. Ed BREAKING: Trump Launches Strikes; Tells Iranians to 'Seize Control of Your Destiny'. Matt Vespa at TownHall, US-Israel Launches Major Airstrikes on Iran, Extensive Strikes Slated to Continue. Philip Melanchthon Wegmann @PhilipWegmann, "Trump outlines war aims: --destroy and "raze their missile industry to the ground" --"We're going to annihilate their navy" --Hamstring terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize --"Ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon." Jen van Laar at RedState, President Trump Confirms 'Major Combat Operation' in Iran. Stephen Kruiser at PJM, The United States and Israel Are Lighting Up Tehran. Althouse quotes Trump, "Eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard terrible people." I would not be surprised to see embedded terrorist cells from Iran (who probably slipped through Biden's open borders) to open up terror campaigns in the US. I hope the FBI has been secretly mopping them up. I also hope the Iranian opposition takes advantage of the action to rid themselves of the theocratic regime.

At PM, Rubio Doesn’t Trust Cuba’s ‘Highly Unusual’ Account of Deadly Shootout With U.S. Boat. Althouse found Trump saying "We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba." ""The Cuban government is talking with us, and they're in a big deal of trouble. As you know, they have no money. They have no anything right now. But they're talking with us, and maybe we'll have a friendly takeover of Cuba. We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba...." Colin Dueck at Am Mind is Defending Trump’s Latin America Policy. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Hegseth: Department of War 'Convinced' Boy Scouts to Drop DEI, Gender Policy.

Stephen Kruiser declares a A Pox on Everyone Who Keeps Hillary Clinton in the News. Breitbart, Hillary Clinton Claims She ‘Had No Idea’ of Jeffrey Epstein’s Crimes, or Harvey Weinstein's, or Anthony Weiner's, just to name a few of the sexual predators she hung around with. Ace, Hillary Clinton Claims She Never Even Met Epstein, Had No Idea About Any of His Crimes "Hillary Clinton testilied yesterday. Bill Clinton is testilying today." (yesterday). The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Hillary Clinton Says She Only Recalls Meeting Epstein That One Time When She Murdered Him." Capt. Ed calls it Bill Clinton's Sgt. Schultz Act: I Knew Nothing, I Saw Nothing About Epstein, so obviously he has no knowledge of any misconduct by Donald Trump. Althouse, "But even with 20/20 hindsight, I saw nothing that ever gave me pause." ""We are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long. And by the time it came to light with his 2008 guilty plea, I had long stopped associating with him." Said Bill Clinton, in his opening statement." "imTay said... “I did not have sex with that woman either.” - Bill Clinton" Don Surber tells us just The facts about Trump and Epstein, "Trump molested no one. In fact, he helped victims collect $500 million in damages." From Twitchy, Peddling ‘Pedo’: Rachel Maddow and Other Media Hacks Toss Their So-Called Principles to End Trump. But PJM's Scott Pinsker worries It’s a Trap: The Republicans Are Sleepwalking Into a Clinton Ambush. 

Matt Vespa at TownHall Is Stunned USA Today Published This Op-Ed From a Dem About Trump's State of the Union. "I appreciate his businessman's approach to the economy and tariffs. I loved that he celebrated the people directly affected by his policy changes and celebrated the economy wins by putting America first. I am disappointed in all the elected leaders who refused to celebrate the people who have been sacrificed because of the policies brought about by the Biden administration. The speech improved my opinion of Trump, and I believe he has only the best interests of the United States at the core of all his decisions. I do believe the changes he has made are working, and I wish the Democratic Party would give him the same courtesy they gave the Obama administration with illegal aliens." Scott McKay at Am Spec on SOTU 2026: Now There Are Truly Two Americas, "And it was on display during this year’s State of the Union." At State of the Day, Just When You Think They Can’t Possibly Get Crazier, They Do "It has not been a good week for Democrats." Noah Pollak @NoahPollak, "This is a special genre of leftist fake journalism in which some normal people do something completely normal that commie journos don't like, and instead of just being honest and saying (in this case) "It really triggers us to see Americans happy about a win for our country, because we're unhappy people and we hate our country" they make up a tedious self-licking ice cream cone narrative in which the same people "reporting" that hockey players are "facing questions" are the ones asking the questions in the first place." Quote The New York Times @nytimes "From @TheAthletic: As U.S. hockey players returned to their NHL teams, they faced questions about the politicization of their Olympic win and their association with President Trump. Here were their responses: https://nyti.ms/4rJzBao." From Da Blaze, Team USA captain goes full feminist over Trump's 'distasteful' invitation: 'It's a great teaching point'. Get a life. Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed say Don’t Let Miserable Media Hacks Suck The Joy Out Of U.S. Hockey’s Gold Medal Wins. Stacy McCain explores The Worst People in the World (Part II).

A Larry vid at Hat Hair, Republican Senators Slow Walking the SAVE Act Get a Rude Awakening. Kevin McCullough at TownHall declares ID to Vote! Checkmate. "What Leader Thune is pulling right now isn’t just politics as usual — it’s strategic brilliance in a moment when checkers players think they’re playing chess. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has committed to forcing a vote on the SAVE America Act — legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register and voter ID at the polls — and in doing so he’s exposing the absurdity of Democratic obstruction in the face of overwhelming bipartisan public support." I'll believe it when I see it. At Da Caller, Kamala Harris Says SAVE Act Must Be Stopped Because ‘40% Of Americans’ Don’t Have Birth Certificates, Passports. WJ sees a Black Republican Nukes Liberal for Implying the SAVE Act Targets Minorities: We're 'Educated Enough' to Get an ID. At ET, Justice Department Sues 5 More States for Refusing to Provide Voter Rolls. "In total, the department has filed lawsuits against 29 states and the District of Columbia over voter roll access." Also, Researchers Identify Chinese Influence Network That Targeted Trump, Japan Elections, "The researchers found six distinct clusters pushing pro-CCP narratives."

Buck Throckmorton at Ace's MORNING RANT: Following SNAP Restrictions on Junk Food, Pepsico Cuts Prices Due to Softening Consumer Demand. Ashley Evdokimo at TownHall claims MAHA Isn’t a Movement Anymore, It’s an Agenda. Althouse finds "I had not spent a lot of my life hanging out with Republicans, and what I imagined they were talking about was exactly the opposite.", ""Now I'm in an administration surrounded by immensely talented people who are immensely idealistic. I always imagined Republicans would get together thinking about how to screw the poor and reduce taxes on the rich, but they're actually narrowly focused on how do we solve these big problems and make our country work. The level of idealism that I see at every level in the White House and in my agency is inspiring. And then the level of capability—the competence of the people I'm surrounded with...." said RFK Jr. on Rogan.

On the Fox Bus, Mortgage rates fall below 6% for first time since 2022 "Average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 5.98%, Freddie Mac says." At ET, Recurring Unemployment Claims Decline to 1-Month Low "Continuing jobless claims remained below 1.9 million for the seventh straight week." John Eastman at Am Mind notes The Tariff Wears Two Hats: What the SCOTUS Majority Overlooked.

Althouse says in wonder, Is the California open primary going to produce 2 Republican candidates for Governor? I expect Democrats to pull a dirty maneuver to fix that. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn is seething: The Video Depositions of Whistleblowing LA Firefighters Will Have You Seething. Vicky Taft at PJM sees West Coast, Messed Coast™ — Members List of Secretive 'Bohemian Grove' Men's Club Is Leaked.

Guy Benson @guypbenson, "Virginia Democrats, in the midst of pushing a wild gerrymandering scheme and a blizzard of tax increases, vote to ~triple their own pay:" Quote VA Senate GOP @VASenateGOP, "Virginia Democrats just voted to give themselves a 300% pay increase. Teachers got a 3% raise. But Democrats give themselves 300%." Josh Monnington at Da Fed worries Americans Can’t Afford To Keep Letting Leftists ‘Learn’ From Their Mistakes. Literally. 

Jonathan Turley thinks Jack Smith’s Secret Orders Targeting Patel and Wiles Should Alarm Us All. Tim Murtaugh @TimMurtaugh, "This is one of the most breathtaking scandals in U.S. history. The incumbent admin eavesdropped on a phone call between a key leader of the opponent’s campaign and her lawyer. It’s outrageous. The only reason it’s not treated as a scandal that ends careers is because Trump." Quote Alex Bruesewitz @alexbruesewitz, "The near-total blackout by mainstream media on the Biden FBI's illegal surveillance of phone calls involving President Trump's then-campaign manager @SusieWiles is nothing short of disgraceful. This is one of the biggest political scandals in American history!" Capt. Ed cites Wiles' Attorney: No, I Did Not Give FBI Consent to Wiretap Our Call. Geller Reports Susie Wiles Lawyer Categorically DENIES He Allowed Biden FBI To Secretly Record Their Conversations. Sundance at CTH, Lawyer for Susie Wiles Categorically Denies Knowledge of Phone Call Recording by FBI and Explosive Revelations – Patrick Bet David Interviews DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. From Da Blaze, 'My own employees ... had downloaded software on my phone': Kristi Noem claims Elon Musk helped expose spyware inside DHS.

Ace says Surprise! Even as Fani Willis and Her Monster Box Pursued Trump on Specious RICO Charges, Biden Encouraged Her to Apply for Free Federal Graft-Money "Weird how the Biden Administration targeted its political enemies and also paid off its Soviet Secret Police using taxpayer funds." DC_Draino @DC_Draino, "Biden’s DOJ secretly wired $2 million to Fani Willis in Georgia to arrest President Trump during his re-election. True banana republic tactics." Quote Bridgett Fertig @LightOnLiberty, "New documents reveal that while Fulton County DA Fani Willis was building her RICO and conspiracy case against President Trump and 18 allies, the Biden Justice Department secretly wired 2 million dollars directly to her office! "This looks like a gift grant to Fani Willis while she's doing the bidding of Joe Biden to pursue and tie down Donald Trump and his friends in a criminal prosecution in Atlanta! Evidence shows CLEAR coordination between Willis, the Biden White House, DOJ, and J6 Democrats to create double jeopardy prosecutions, draining Trump's resources across jurisdictions in violation of justice principles!"

Bonchie at RedState, New: Trump DOJ Drops the Hammer on Anti-ICE Activists Who Invaded Minnesota Church. Attorney General Pamela Bondi @AGPamBondi, "Today, @thejusticedept unsealed an indictment charging 30 more people who took part in the attack on Cities Church in Minnesota. At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 of them, with more to come throughout the day. YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you. This Department of Justice STANDS for Christians and all Americans of faith."

From the Center Square ND, Judge says Greenpeace will have to pay $345 million over pipeline protest. They claim not to have that much money. So I guess they're (or will be) bankrupt. Insty notices ENVIRONMENTALISTS NEVER PROTEST CHINA BECAUSE CHINA ALREADY HAS A COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT. Hans Mahncke @HansMahncke, "China has absolutely decimated the oceans, yet you never hear a word about it from Western so-called environmentalists who lecture the rest of us about paper straws. That is because it was never about the environment. For them, it was, and always will be, about the grift." Quote Dr. Minh Tran @MinhDr18 " Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for life. Let Chinese illegal fishing fleets into your waters and soon there’s nothing left for anyone to catch."

At Hat Hair, Dave Strom is worried about, Democrats Plotting to Destroy Companies for Cooperating With Trump Administration and looks at Tucker's New Buddies: Obama's Intelligence Community Shills.

PJM's Matt Margolis notices Even CNN Admits That Democrats Are in Big Trouble on This Key Issue. illegal immigration and Scott Pinsker looks at How Much Was the Government LYING About the Illegal Immigrant Crime Wave? You can't lie if you don't know the truth, and they have conspicuously avoided finding it. Twitchy sees a Trio of Democrat Senators Double Down on Making Illegal Aliens 'Numero Uno' Over American Citizens.

From NYPo, Somali trucker busted driving wrong way down highway failed English test and couldn’t read road signs. Ace, Trump, GOP Push "Dahlia's Law" to Block Illegal Aliens from Getting Commercial (Tractor Truck) Drivers Licenses; Democrat Says That the Injuries Suffered by the Child Dahlia by the Third-World Driver Are No Big Deal. "Dahlia is one of the lucky ones -- she survived her encounter with Third-World Highway Safety Protocols, albeit with serious injuries. Many other Americans are not so lucky. A GOP Senator answered Trump's call to pass Dahlia's law, and introduced it in the Senate." Eggs, omelets. 

Capt. Ed hears Netflix to Paramount: Uncle! Sundance, Following White House Visit Netflix Boss Ted Sarandos Withdraws from Warner Bid, Clears Path for Larry Ellison to Take Control of CNN. From The Wrap, CNN Anxiety Mounts as Paramount Nears Control: ‘People Think It Could Be the End’ "David Ellison’s expected takeover of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is stoking fears that Donald Trump would gain influence over his longtime cable news nemesis." At Insty, GREAT MOMENTS IN GASLIGHTING: Nicholas Fondacaro @NickFondacaro, "What is she talking about? CBS has been taking aim against the right for decades. CBS the network of Dan Rather, who fabricated paperwork to smear Bush. The network of Gayle King, who goes on vacation with the Obamas and donates to Dems. The network that backed a Hamas simp." Quote David Folkenflik @davidfolkenflik, "Veteran CBS News producer Mary Walsh takes leave (first reported by Guardian) "We've been told to aim our reporting at a particular part of the political spectrum. Honestly, I don't know how to do that."" Robby Starbuck @robbystarbuck, "Translation: Only raging democrats are allowed to own legacy media outlets and if anyone we don’t like buys one, we will use the state to try to steal their business or destroy their business. Sounds a little communist to me." Quote Chris Murphy @ChrisMurphyCT "Paramount should enjoy its growing news monopoly while they have it because when Democrats win back power we are going to break up these anti-democratic information conglomerates. All of them." 

At PsyPost, New research: AI models tend to reflect the political ideologies of their creators. Well, knock me over with a feather.

At AMAC, The Mass Shootings the Media Wants You to Ignore, those committed by transgenders and their fellow travellers. From Da Caller, It’s Been A ‘Historic’ Week For Transgender Politicians, three arrested in a week.

PJM's Greg Byrnes wonders Is There Such a Thing As Nazi Milk? "Under consideration is his public assessment of the properties of whole milk. “Nazis were enamored of whole milk as well,” he wrote in his blog. “I am suspicious. Milk drinking is political. Drinking whole white milk has played a big role in racist and far-right thinking. In America, drinking whole milk has for years been a part of alt-right, white nationalist messaging in tweets, memes, and videos.”" From Shooting News Week, Hoplophobic Harridans Plan to Protest Minnesota High School Clays Fundraiser This Weekend…Here’s What You Can Do. "A bunch of teenagers who like to shoot clays for sport and are conducting a fundraiser for their club will likely face a passel of hoplophobic harridans and a sprinkling of hen-pecked beta males this weekend. These scolds think that’s the perfect venue to scream about “gun violence,” as if these kids are somehow the equivalent gang-bangers that turn cities like Minneapolis into war zones."

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.27.26 (Morning Edition) and In The Mailbox: 02.27.26 (Evening Edition), but the sun is out so it's time to go. Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.