Saturday, February 28, 2026

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!"


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."


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.


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 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. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Better Than Expected up and at 'em at The Other McCain.

Rule 5 Saturday - Mayra Veronica

With Cuba in the news lately, it's vaguely appropriate that today's Rule 5 wonder is an Cuban ex-pat, Mayra Veronica 
Mayra Verónica Aruca Rodríguez (born August 20, 1980) is a Cuban singer, actress, model, and television public figure who became popular for her appearances on Spanish-language television. Verónica's role in Univision's Don Francisco Presenta brought her to the attention of FHM magazine's US edition. After appearing in FHM, she went on to do additional magazine work. She has taken part in many Spanish-language television shows, as well as appearing in music videos and television commercials.
Mayra Verónica was born in Havana, Cuba, where her father was a member of one of Cuba's rock bands, Los Dada. At the age of six, she moved to Miami with her mother.

Verónica continued school, and after joining a local beauty pageant and becoming Ms. Miami, the photographer who covered the event was captivated by Mayra's photos, and invited her to his studio for free sessions. Thus, Mayra obtained her first modeling book and signed with a local agent in Miami. The agent sent her to an audition for a local TV entertainment news show "Miami Hoy" (at the time Mayra was at Florida International University majoring in psychology and theater). She did not know much about being a reporter but determined she could act like one.
FHM, the top men's magazine of the time, contacted Veronica's publicist to ask for a feature spread on their magazine. Veronica agreed and after mail requesting her return, she went on to appear on the cover of the FHM exclusive collection book, which included top sex symbols of the decade such as Pamela Anderson, Eva Longoria, and Carmen Electra. From 2004 to 2010, Mayra Verónica made FHM's "Sexiest Women in the World" list six years in a row.

Maybe Marco will put her in charge of Cuba soon. 

Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Redhead in the Snow and FMJRA 2.0: Maintaining the Balance up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain. Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama

Friday, February 27, 2026

Oregon, My Oregon, Oregon

PM, Dems vote against notifying ICE when illegal immigrant felons are released from jail

On Tuesday, Oregon state Democratic lawmakers unanimously voted against notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when or before a criminal illegal immigrant convicted of felony crimes is released from custody. The proposed amendment, supported by Republicans, would have required state and county jails to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in carrying out any action concerning any person convicted of a felony crime under Oregon law.

The proposal was intended to make the state comply with immigration detainers, an official request from federal immigration authorities sent to jails asking to be notified before an illegal immigrant charged and/or convicted of a crime is scheduled to be released from custody. This would allow federal agents to apprehend criminal migrants directly from jails, instead of them being released into the public to potentially reoffend.

Under Oregon's sanctuary state statute, known as the "Sanctuary Promise," local and state law enforcement are forbidden from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, including ICE detainers. The state has repeatedly released illegal immigrants charged with serious felony crimes, including murder, kidnapping, child rape, and illicit drug distribution, into the public after refusing to notify federal authorities. Many of them have reoffended.

Salem Reporter, Nearly all Oregon sheriffs support Marion County’s suit for clarity on ICE cooperation

Almost every Oregon sheriff supports a recent Marion County lawsuit which is asking a federal court to decide if the county can release information about people on parole in response to administrative subpoenas from immigration authorities. Thirty four of Oregon’s 36 county sheriffs signed a letter supporting the lawsuit against federal agencies and Gov. Tina Kotek, which asks a judge to weigh in on what the county described as conflicts between the state’s sanctuary law, public records law and federal law.

The Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association sent the letter to the county Wednesday, according to a statement from Marion County. “We agree that there is a good deal of uncertainty in how these state and federal laws apply to local governments and sheriff’s offices in the state of Oregon, including those situations where a sheriff’s office or local government is served with an administrative subpoena,” the Oregon State Sheriffs Association letter said.

Sheriffs from Multnomah and Washington counties were the only Oregon sheriffs who did not sign the letter.

Both Multnomah and Washington Counties include Portland metropolitan areas.  

Flotsam and Jetsam - Hillary Testilies in Epstein Probe

But first, it's day 3 of post SOTU commentary. Hopefully, this may be the last of it. Dmitri Bolt at TownHall sees Democrats Race to Do Damage Control After Refusing to Stand for Americans First. Driscoll at Insty, PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS:

Rusty Weiss at RedState, Furious Ilhan Omar Demands Probe After Her Radical SOTU Guest Is Arrested—She Might Look Familiar to You. Ace, When Congressmen Began Chanting "USA! USA!," Deportable Treasonous Jihadi Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib Began Shouting "KKK! KKK!", "The NY Post, again:" TownHall's Amy Curtis wonders Did Rep. Seth Moulton Commit a Crime at Trump's State of the Union Address? Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "WTF?! Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton SMUGGLED IN an illegal alien to Trump's State of the Union address, then had his Chief of Staff HARBOR the illegal in Moulton's office to SHIELD him from police Harboring an illegal is a FEDERAL FELONY ARRESTS need to be made! Or our laws are MEANINGLESS." Althouse finds "It begins with one — one frog...." "I found the Portland Frog Brigade via this NY Post column, "Dems ditched American heroes for adults in frog suits and tiresome De Niro — all we can do is pity them." Dave Harsanyi at WaEx, Yes, Democrats are crazy. PJM's Stephen Kruiser says I Blame Obama for the Churlish Behavior of Today's DemsKevin Dalton @TheKevinDalton, "Jimmy Kimmel slams President Trump’s State of the Union address in a monologue he recorded hours before President Trump’s State of the Union address. I’m truly embarrassed by how much I once looked up to Jimmy Kimmel. I promise, he wasn’t always… this." To be fair, he knew he would hate it regardless of what Trump actually said.

The Epstein war has heated up again with charges that the Trump admin removed files in which a woman claimed to be molested by Trump at an Epstein party and Hillary being forced to testify to Congress (Bill is today). At Twitchy, NYT, WSJ Confirm NPR Report About Missing Epstein Files Tying Trump to Sexually Abusing a Child. Roger Sollenberger @SollenbergerRC, "NEW: The New York Times confirms my reporting that the DOJ is withholding several FBI interviews with a woman who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her as a child." Dan Nelson @IlliniDan2, "So two news agencies with suspect editorial practices are checking each othwrs work?" Jim Muessig @JimMuessig, "I’ve heard 51 former intelligence officials will confirm it soon too."

But, but, but…Hillary doesn’t know
Epstein, never met him
.
Althouse, "The Clintons are likely to be asked why, long after Maxwell had been publicly accused of trafficking girls with Epstein in 2009, she was still welcome at events with the couple." "In 2010, Maxwell attended the wedding of the Clintons’ daughter, Chelsea, and in 2013 was a guest at the Clinton Global Initiative conference. The former president Clinton also attended a dinner with Maxwell in Los Angeles as late as 2014, according to reports.... Speaking to Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney-general, Maxwell said Bill was 'my friend, not Epstein’s friend.' She said: 'President Clinton liked me, and we got along terribly well. But I never saw that warmth with Mr Epstein.'" From "The questions Bill and Hillary Clinton need to answer about Epstein files. The couple will be questioned, starting on Thursday, over pictures with the paedophile and emails to Ghislaine Maxwell. What will they have to explain?" and "For almost the entirety of her married life, she has had to answer questions about her husband’s action." From sundance at CTH, Clinton Deposition on Epstein Briefly Halted Due to Leaked Photograph of Events. Hat Hair's John Sexton notes Hillary and Republicans Offer Different Takes on Her Testimony. Now there's a big surprise.

The Beeb, World Economic Forum boss quits after review of Epstein links. Sundance, After Being Named in Epstein Files WEF President and CEO Borge Brende Resigns. Just gonna guess he's not MAGA. Ace, Another Harvard Professor Exposed as Friend of Epstein. "We already knew that Harvard's Larry Summers, who was also Obama's chief economic advisor, was a close pal of Epstein's. He resigned from the school a few months back. Now we find out aHarvard math professor was also a FoJ." Also, Bill Gates Is Very, Very, Very Sorry He Inadvertently Consorted With a Convicted Child Trafficker and Banged Russian "Dates" Procured by Jeffrey Epstein, UPDATE: President and CEO of the WEF Resigns Over Epstein Ties. "You wouldn't believe how sorry he is about the "mistake" he made in becoming BFFs with a guy who just got convicted of soliciting a 14-year-old girl."
Sundance, Typically, Republican – It Sounds Like John Thune is Using SAVE Act as Leverage to Reopen Govt. Twitchy finds DataRepublican PERFECTLY Breaks Down Why Republicans Are Slow-Walking the SAVE Act in MUST-Read Thread. DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "On the SAVE Act specifically: "The uncomfortable synthesis: these senators have more in common with their Democratic counterparts than with their own voters. Not because of a coordinated network... just because they've lived in the same city, breathed the same air, and attended the same events for 30-40 years. The filibuster is the excuse. The real answer is they don't feel the urgency their base feels, because Washington DC doesn't feel that urgency."" Here, let me try. All the Republicans currently in office have already been elected, mostly in safe seats. They're not worried about voter fraud. The Redheaded libertarian @TRHLofficial, "Forcing senators to talk during the filibuster is literally how the filibuster is supposed to work. Republicans either don’t want to sit through another 25 hour speech by Cory Booker or are being paid off by lobbyists. Either way, they’re betraying us for personal gain or comfort." Quote Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: At least 4 REPUBLICAN SENATORS are NO or leaning NO on a talking filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act with 50+1 votes, per Punchbowl Sen. Thom Tillis is currently NO unless he sees a "clear plan" to pass the bill without nuking the filibuster Sen. John CurtisShow more" Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Absolutely. Otherwise, the filibuster will be killed immediately if Dems get the House, Senate and Presidency in 2029. They already tried to do it and were stopped by Manchin & Sinema, who were then kicked out of the Dem party." Quote Mike Lee @BasedMikeLee, "22hFor those who want to preserve the filibuster, the best way to do that is to use the talking filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act/" From the Chronic, The Talking Filibuster Is the ‘Anti-Nuclear Option.’ Elon Musk @elonmusk, “Best in Show” Quote Right Angle News Network @Rightanglenews "BREAKING - Just days after Senator John Thune said there was no time to debate and vote on the SAVE Act, it was revealed that senators held a dog parade inside the chamber, bringing their pets in for photos and celebration instead of moving forward on the election bill."

VodkaPundit at Insty sees CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN: Over a quarter million federal jobs reduced in 2025 from nearly two dozen agencies. "That’s still too many. Keep cutting until NoVa is practically emptied out and Virginia is red again." Amen, brother. 

I&I, Voters Give ‘Thumbs Up’ To Trump’s Foreign-Policy ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Activism. Sundance, Secretary Rubio Responds to Report of Cuba Shooting Speedboat, Killing 4, Wounding 6. Sarah Anderson at PJM, Cuba Gets Oil? Boat Story Busted? And Marco Meets The Crab? "First of all, one of the guys listed as a passenger is not in Cuba. He's in the United States alive and well. He was not on any sort of boat. He has no injuries. He said it could be some sort of administrative error or a mix-up with someone with a similar name, but it's not him. Second, the family who owns the boat used in this "terrorist infiltration" claims it was stolen by an employee from their construction company. They had no plans to use it for any such activity, and they say the boat registered under that license isn't a speedboat, but a small fishing boat with one engine. The owners doubted it could hold 10 people and all that gear, much less make it to Cuba on its single engine. Third, the regime has produced no evidence of anything. No photos of the boat or gear. No access to those injured. No witnesses. As Marco Rubio said yesterday, we don't believe anything they say until we can verify it independently. The U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security are looking into the matter, as is Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who has opened an investigation." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Rats on Sunken Drug Ship: Regime Capos Turn Informer on Maduro. At Althouse, "Trump’s goalposts are infinite." "I'm listening to the NYT "Daily" podcast, "Inside the Operation to Take Down Mexico’s Biggest Drug Lord" (transcript and audio at Podscribe)." NewsWax hears Iran to Offer 'Commercial Bonanza' to US Companies in an attempt to not get blown back to the stone age. 

Capt. Ed, Federal Judge: The Hacks In the Back Filed a Silly Attack, And It Turned Into a Ballroom Blitz! Bob Spencer at PJM, Trump Racks Up Another Victory Over Leftist Crazies Trying to Stop His Ballroom. Althouse likes her NYT spin "A federal judge on Thursday declined to halt construction of the ballroom President Trump plans to build over the demolished East Wing of the White House..." "... concluding that the lawsuit, as filed, focused on the wrong questions about the president’s authority.... Judge Richard J. Leon of the Federal District Court in Washington wrote that the group that had filed the lawsuit could amend the claim to focus more squarely on the president’s power to make sweeping changes to the building without input from Congress...."

PJM's Athena Thorne hears Black Americans Are Fed up With Democrats Calling Them Stupid and Ignorant, and It’s Hilarious. Dan McCarthy at RCP on How a Party Offends Its Voters. Hat Hair's Dave Strom puts Newsom's California in a Nutshell. Kevin Dalton @TheKevinDalton, "The fact that possessing child porn can be pled down to only a misdemeanor in Gavin Newsom‘s pedo-protecting California is a far bigger story than this waste of oxygen running for office." Steve Soukup at Am Great claims AOC’s Ignorance Is No Laughing Matter "Ocasio-Cortez’s Munich performance was laughable—but her nostalgia for workerist politics ignores a century of Marxist failure, revisionism, and the authoritarian wreckage that followed." But we can still laugh. Brit Hume @brithume, "Quote: "From this day forward you will never see a headline in the political press referring to Graham Platner, the candidate in question, as a communist, though that’s how he described himself as recently as 2020."

Dave Strom, The CIA Democrats... UPDATE...Data Republican Is on the Case. DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "I already generated a dossier on Spanberger, but the most interesting part of it is that she is part of a cohort of 50+ military-intelligence veterans that have been recruited to run as Democratic candidates starting in 2018. @SomeBitchIIKnow first hypothesized this, but my new dossier pipeline independently captured them. A Democrat retires. A CIA member takes over. Spanberger is part of a much deeper, much more disturbing story here." Quote John Fisher @JohnFisher9372, Replying to @DataRepublican and @jammles9, "Well done! I have a request. At some point do the same for Abigail Spanberger. I believe she is much more likely to claim the 'moderate' lane in 2028, and I think this kind of deep dive would be 'interesting'." The woman is a wizardess behind a keyboard. 

Scott Johnson at Power Line likes Dr. Oz’s prescription for Minnesota. "We learn via X that Dr. Oz has deferred $259.5 million of quarterly federal Medicaid funding in Minnesota to prevent payment of questionable claims while further investigation is completed. The related press release explains . . ." Jeff Charles at TownHall, thinks Democrats Will Lose Their Minds After JD Vance's Announcement About Minnesota Fraud. Aaron Rupar @atrupar "JD Vance: "We're announcing today that we have decided to temporarily halt certain amounts of Medicaid funding that is going to the state of Minnesota in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people's tax money.""


Capt. Ed has Today's Deep Question: Why Did Biden-Era DoJ Spy on Wiles' Call With Attorney? The same reason a dog licks it's ball; because it can. Sundance, FBI Investigated Susie Wiles and Kash Patel Phone Records, Secretly Recording Wiles Conversations with Her Lawyer in 2022 and 2023. Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "Joe Biden’s FBI spying on Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Susie Wiles — and even listening to her phone calls with her lawyer! — makes Watergate look like jaywalking." Ace,
Biden's Corrupt and Soviet FBI Wiretapped Key Political Opponents Kash Patel and Suzie Wiles (Trump's Chief of Staff). "Weird how all of the targets of Biden's FBI just happened to be political opponents he wanted dirt on. This is Nixon Squared. And the leftwing media insists this is all perfectly normal, and that Trump is The Real Authoritarian Here. News Wax catches the AP whining, FBI Fires Agents in Trump Classified Docs Case "“These actions weaken the Bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the workforce, undermining trust in leadership and jeopardizing the Bureau's ability to meet its recruitment goals — ultimately putting the nation at greater risk,” the association said in a statement." Eggs, omelets. Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "HOLY CRAP! Secretary Noem just revealed
@ElonMusk helped find that a few DHS staffers installed SPYWARE on her phone and computer, as well as on the devices of of other political hires These people need to be JAILED!
There HAVE to be consequences, or they’ll keep doing it! In addition, Noem and her team found "secret, secure rooms with hidden files that we turned over to attorneys." I don't care what anyone says: the deep state is alive and well." Sundance hears Democrats in Intel are Big Mad That Tulsi Gabbard Will Not Share Details of Gossip About Jared Kushner. Jeff Lord at Am Spec, Susan Rice Goes Full Fascist. "Threatens Trump supporters."

Steve Richards and John Solomon at JTN report As Georgia prosecutor pursued Trump, Biden DOJ 'invited' her to get lucrative grant, memos show, "Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ records, turned over to Just the News after an open records lawsuit, show her office received millions of dollars from the Biden Justice Department as she built her case against then-former President Donald Trump." Dave Strom, Biden Justice Department Funneled $18 Million to Fani Willis.



VodkaPundit at Insty, IS IT REALLY AS HIGH AS 10%? Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "CNN and MSNBC are running constant hit pieces on @NICKIMINAJ over her support for President Trump. But Nicki has ALREADY told them to screw off: “I am probably the President’s NUMBER ONE fan, and that’s NOT going to change!” “The hate motivates me to support him MORE!”" Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "The Washington Post is now doing PR for Candace Owens, and you still think you aren't the mark?" Quote, The Washington Post @washingtonpost "Right-wing influencer Candace Owens released the first episode of a new video series focused on the widow of Charlie Kirk. The series promises to unearth secrets from Erika Kirk’s past relevant to her stewardship of the powerful conservative nonprofit." 


Jonathan Turley is pissed “Anathema in the University Mission”: Bari Weiss Canceled at UCLA. Bob Shibley at Insty asks HAVE EMPLOYERS FORGIVEN COLLEGES? “[S]eventy percent of employers have either ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a lot’ of confidence in U.S. higher education,” according to Morning Consult. I am gonna have to press X to doubt this finding given what Americans generally are thinking. Dave Strom finds A Perfect Encapsulation of Why Nobody Trusts the Establishment Anymore. Campus Reform, New report alleges key evidence behind medical DEI push is misleading. Alec Stapp @AlecStapp, "This is a really astonishing claim: Students in Mississippi & Louisiana score higher on reading tests than students in California & New York despite spending way less money per pupil and having higher child poverty rates. Decided to double check the data because, if true, this should be alarming for blue state leaders. And yup, it checks out . . ." 

Harold Hutchinson at Da Signal, Trans Lawmaker Wants You to Believe Porn Sites Are ‘Educational’ for ‘Queer Kids’. Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "To understand this, I think we need to remember the famous quote by Theodore Dalyrimple: "In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better . . . . The point of transgenderist propaganda isn't to persuade, but to degrade, humiliate, and destroy." Quote Wesley Yang @wesyang, "Transgenderism is an ongoing project of attempting to normalize a bizarre subculture built around esoteric pseudo-medical practices from the outermost fringe of human extremity and make it compulsory for every American to join that subculture and to make that subculture the . . ." 

Stacy McCain has An Odd Sequel to the Bubba/‘Brittni’ Saga. "It’s been more than two years and most readers have probably forgotten the disturbing story of the late Fred “Bubba” Copeland: "Copeland was the mayor of Smiths Station, a town of less than 7,000 people in Lee County, Alabama. He was also a freakazoid, secretly pursuing transgender fantasies that he posted online using a persona he called “Brittini Blaire Summerlin.”| Habitually working in “file-it-and-forget-it” mode, the tragic tale of Bubba/“Brittini” hadn’t crossed my mind recently, but then Glenn Reynolds called attention to a campus controversy . . . "

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Maintaining the Balance up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Fish Pic Friday - Andy Hines


Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Redhead in the Snow up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Thursday, February 26, 2026

A Sewage Leak in the Choptank River

From 47 ABC, 30,000 Gallons of Sewage Leaks into Choptank River

The City of Cambridge is notifying the public that of a sanitary sewer overflow that began on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and ended around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20.

The spill is believed to be the result of a ruptured force main, and occurred adjacent to the parking lot behind 2831 Ocean Gateway. Officials believe approximately 30,000 gallons of a mixture of untreated sanitary waste and stormwater were discharged into the Choptank River.

The ruptured force main has since been repaired and affected areas have been cleaned. There is no impact to the public drinking water supply at this time. The overflow has been reported to the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Dorchester County Health Department.

Due to the leak, the public is advised to avoid contact with the affected waters and any standing water near the overflow location. Swimming, fishing, and other direct contact activities should be avoided in the Choptank River, from East of Woods Road to the Eastern City boundary.

Well, it's not 300,000,000 gallons, like the Potomac River, but then the Choptank is a much smaller river. 


Flotsam and Jetsam - "These People are Crazy"

Of course, we're still seeing fallout from Tuesday's SOTU speech. PJM's Matt Margolis thinks CNN’s Instant Poll of the State of the Union Will Trigger the Left, but then, doesn't everything? “Get this reaction from those that watch the speech tonight. 38% said they had a very positive reaction to the speech, 25% somewhat positive, 36% negative.” He paused just long enough for the math to sink in. “So roughly two-thirds in the positive territory, one-third negative among speech watchers.” Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, CNN Poll: By Golly, Trump Moved the Needle Last Night. VodkaPundit at PJM called it A Masterclass in Giving a Speech Without Giving a Speech. Ace claims Trump Directs and Films the Main Political Advetisement for the Midterms "I personally thought the speech started well but then got tedious and meandering. Then again, I know the economy is doing pretty well. Thanks to the propaganda Nazi media, most citizens don't. Many observers, including Democrat spinners, think it was effective." Roger Simon claims an EXCLUSIVE: Sigmund Freud Analyzes the SOTU "The whole world... and eternity... were watching."

Dmitri Bolt at TownHall reports JD Vance Reveals What He Saw From Democrats During the State of the Union Speech That Most Viewers Didn't. "Democratic members were glancing at one another, seemingly looking for cues, or permission, before reacting to the presidents words." From Twitchy, Choosing Sides: Trump Got Democrats to Admit That Illegal Aliens Come First, Not You and Your Family. Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "The defining issue of our country, powerfully visualized in 20 seconds: “If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens not illegal aliens. Every Democrat remains seated." Sister Toldja at RedState thinks Chuck Schumer Steps in It When Asked About the Refusal to Stand for Americans During the SOTU. Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "NEW: I just asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) why Democrats didn’t stand when President Trump asked Congress to stand for Americans over illegal immigrants, and if it was a political mistake to stay seated? Schumer: “Of course we support Americans. We’re not going to be a prop in Donald Trump’s little show.”" Capt. Ed hears from Fetterman: No, Seriously – How Do You Not Stand? and 'How Do You Not Stand?' John Lucas at Bravo Blue, "These people are crazy." "TDS explained: The Democrats hate Trump because he exposes them for who and what they are." Althouse was struck by "These people are crazy, I’m telling you. They’re crazy. Amazing. Terrible. Boy, oh boy." Duane Patterson at Hat Hair thinks When Democrats Make Donald Trump The Normie In The Room, They're Losing. Devon Eriksen @Devon_Eriksen_, "If you repeatedly tell people they can't have the basic requirements of the good life, such as "not being murdered by drug gangs", because that's fascism... Then pretty soon they will conclude that fascism is the way to get those things, and it sounds like an excellent idea." Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "One of the great superpowers of Donald Trump is his ability to make his opponents hate him SO MUCH that they will do incredibly stupid things to spite him, even if it means destroying their own reputations and electoral chances." Quote Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_ "BREAKING: The NRCC (campaign arm for House Republicans) tells @FoxNews the visual of Democrats remaining seated & silent when President Trump asked Congress to stand for protecting Americans over illegal aliens was “a beautiful gift” & they will cut those images into campaign." Salena Zito at WaEx, thinks ‘These people are crazy’ is the campaign Democrats should fear

Ace, Democrat "Counter Event" To the SOTU Is, Literally, a Zoo of Lunatics. "Hakeem Jeffries apparently told his animals that they should not heckle or scream during the SOTU, because it would make them look bad. They did not listen. Deplorable, deportable foreign Islamofascist traitors Rashid Tlaib and Ilhan "Omar" Nur never stopped squawking and shrieking throughout the speech. The degenerate Al Green was forcibly ejected from the Speech for his constant disruptions. He was also ejected from last year's speech. I don't know why the two Muslim sows were permitted to stay." Dave Strom at Hat Hair VIP thinks David Frum's Meltdown About State of the Union Is So Absurdly Anti-Trump It Is Hilarious and Democrats' Spanberger Strategy Tells You Everything You Need to Know About Them. Teri Christoph at RedState thinks Abigail Spanberger's SOTU Rebuttal Was Just Plain Weird.

At Althouse, With 4 Supreme Court Justices in attendance at the SOTU, Trump called the tariff opinion "unfortunate" and "disappointing." "He didn't condemn the Court or even say it got the law wrong." And I don't agree with this precise statement of what has happened to John Roberts, but, clearly something has happened. Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) @adamscochran, "Left: John Roberts after his nomination. Right: John Roberts today. It isn’t the aging that stands out. You can see the extinguished husk of his soul. This is a man that knows he sold out, and that the Court of John Roberts will be remembered as a stain on American History." Sundance at CTH is hosting Cutting Through the SCOTUS Tariff Fog, USTR Jamieson Greer Discusses Baseline Tariff Reset Shifts and Reciprocity Tariffs.

Ace cites CNN: The Economy Is Doing Pretty Well, Just as Trump Claims. Too Bad It's a Boomcession That Is Leaving So, So Many People Behind. "I suppose a grudging admission with lots of defensive Democrat Talking Point caveats is still an admission. CNN Fact Check: Trump told the truth when he said the economy is solid. (But sad about the boomcession!)"

Cathy Salgado at PJM hears BREAKING News: Thune Says He’ll Force a SAVE Act Vote "On Wednesday, the day after Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address, which included promotion of the SAVE America Act, Thune went on Fox News. On America's Newsroom, Aishah Hasnie asked Thune about forcing a vote on the legislation, which would require proof of citizenship to register for voting and to vote, and he replied, “We will put the Democrats on the record!”"

Circling torpedoes continue to strike Democrats as NYPo reports Former Harvard president Larry Summers will fully resign from Ivy League school over Epstein ties. Revolver remembers Libs outraged over Epstein, but just a few years ago they tried normalizing pedophilia… Anybody remember Rep Gerry Studds and Barney Frank?

The Manhattan Contrarian notices Cuba Becomes The First Country To Reach Net Zero. Shouldn't We Be Celebrating?

Chris Queen at PJM sees Team USA Won Gold. The Athletic Found a Way to Complain. They did it too patriotically. Dave Strom, Liberals STILL Blasting Men's Hockey Team for Being...American Men. Noah Rothman @NoahCRothman, "“Journalists are not politicians, and there is no need for them to be perfectly representative of the nation. But it might be a good thing for our culture if they weren’t *all* massive weirdos.” - @charlescwcooke" Shooting News Weekly @SN_Weekly_, "Permit me, if you will, to offer a humble counterargument: In my estimation, Eileen Gu is a mercenary sports traitor who ought to be muttered about darkly, whereas the USA men’s hockey team is chock full of awesome, fun-loving, patriotic champions who deserve every last drop of their newfound national esteem."

Dave Strom sees Mamdani and AOC Announce Free Child Care for Illegal Aliens. Batya Ungar-Sargon @bungarsargon, ""We are so excited and proud of the thing that is a racist MAGA conspiracy theory if you notice and complain about it" - the Left, 2026" Quote End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Mayor Mamdani and AOC release ad to encourage illegal aliens to sign up for 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝙄𝙇𝘿𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙀, in Spanish." Jeffrey A Tucker @jeffreytucker, "Serious question: does any other country in the world have major politicians using social media to advertise to illegal migrants to come and take welfare benefits from taxpaying citizens?" Quote Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Zohran Mamdani and AOC just put out a video promoting FREE DAYCARE for illegal aliens... completely in Spanish. Democrats are taking Americans' money and spending it on foreign invaders." From Da Mail, CNN star says Democrats cannot be trusted to run cities like NYC and LA. "They're out of control!" Dave Strom hears from a San Francisco Liberal who Can't Understand Why His City Can't Be Safe and Clean Like Taipei

At NYPo, Jonathan Turley is disgusted by Newsom and foul-mouthed spokesman leading the Democrats’ race to the bottom. Althouse finds "The first duty in life is that we all strike a pose... I struck a pose, I put a mask on, and at times my face grew into it, becoming someone I couldn't even recognize."" "Newsom attributes the line —"The first duty in life is that we all strike a pose, and the second duty no one's really figured out" — to Oscar Wilde."
Cathy Salgado hears the FBI Raids Los Angeles Schools Superintendent, Reported Illegal Alien. Hat Hair's John Sexton, FBI Raids Home of LA School Superintendent, Alberto Carvalho. From Ace, Arrest in Terrorist Attack on Boise ICE Office: It's an AWFUL, Plus: FBI Raids LA School Superintendent's Home, School District Offices. "They say it's a woman but they talk a lot of horse-shit about sex now."Capt. Ed sayz Pass the Popcorn: Guess Which 'Journalist' Is Getting Sued for Emotional Distress? Don Lemon. Fox 59, U.S. Senator Banks introduces commercial driver’s license-related bill announced by Trump during State of the Union. English requirement.

Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller likes how Karoline Leavitt Tears Into CNN, MSNOW For Not Airing Angel Families Event: ‘Total Disgrace’. And Another Thing, Snake Eats Own Tail! "The only truly reliable thing about our news media is how reliably unreliable it is."

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.24.26, but I have got to pack my bags. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Redhead in the Snow and FMJRA 2.0: Maintaining the Balance up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain