Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Extends Ceasefire, DOJ Indicts SPLC, NOVA Votes to Disenfranchise Republicans

 Yes, it was a rather newsy day. With Iranians unable to decide who was representing them in the negotiations of their surrender in Pakistan, President Trump graciously allowed them a little more time (as yet unspecified) to get their shit together and come to the table. The Department of Justice announced indictments on the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for a number of thing, chiefly surrounding their funding of "witnesses"/provocateurs in the right wing groups they claimed to be monitoring, including the KKK, and the Charlotte riot. And the TDS afflicted citizens of Northern Virginia voted overwhelmingly to steal the representation of the more rural half of the state with a map that purports changing its representation from 6-5 Democrat to 10-1 "temporarily" , in a statewide election that went 51-49.

So first, Open Source Intel @Osint613, "U.S.–Iran talks stalled with no response from Tehran, NYT reports. Vance’s Pakistan trip not canceled, but currently on hold as Iran has yet to respond to U.S. positions. Nervana Mahmoud @Nervana_1, "Hearing from Arabic sources that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard places Qalibaf, Pezeshkian, and Araghchi under house arrest. Negotiations with US are halted." Eric Florack at PJM, wonders Are We Seeing the Makings of an Iranian Civil War? Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Trump Extends Ceasefire ... And the Blockade; UPDATE: Iran Threatens 'Harsher Lesson'. From News Wax, Trump Pauses Military Action Against Iran and Iran News Agency Denies It Wanted Ceasefire Extension. The Will Cain Show @WillCainShow, " BREAKING NEWS: TRUMP ANNOUNCES IRAN CEASEFIRE EXTENSION @willcain has the details." Sundance at CTH, President Trump Extends Ceasefire with Iran Pending Internal Regime Discussions. Ace, Iran Refuses to Send Delegation to Negotiations in Islamabad as Cease-Fire Is Due to Expire "The trouble here is that Trump wants a deal. Iran does not. They want to keep their nuclear program and missiles and remain in power. Trump wants them to want a deal, but they do not. So he keeps threatening them in apocalyptic terms to make them want to want a deal. But they don't. And I don't think they believe he would or even could "end their civilization." Trump doesn't want this war to drag on but that's exactly what Iran wants. They figure that if they can drag this out, public opinion in the US will compel Trump to just walk away from the war without actually forcing them to come to terms or to abandon power. And they're probably right, unfortunately." I understand Trump's point, but it should have been made with sometime limit, and perhaps punctuated daily with destruction of a power plant or oil facility.

At TownHall, Dimitri Bolt says Here's What Was on That Seized Iranian Tanker, chemicals to make solid rocket boosters, from China. From Ace, Of Course: Seized Iranian Ship Was Carrying Dual-Use Materials From China for Use in Building Ballistic Missiles "Say, didn't China agree to not send weapons to Iran?" Rabbi Barclay at PJM, Iran War Update for April 21. Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "BREAKING: The Islamic Republic is preparing to hang eight women. Not a word from the international community or so-called human rights organizations."

Amy Curtis at PJM Here's Chris Murphy's Lame Excuse for Why He Cheered for Iran Evading Our Blockade. Chris Murphy @ChrisMurphyCT, "Ok Twitter, I can’t believe I need to clarify this but obviously Trump’s bungled mismanagement of this war is not “awesome”. As I have said a million times here, it’s a disaster and he should end the war immediately. My tweet was something called “sarcasm”." Bo Snerdley @BoSnerdley, "First of all - it is "X" not Twitter. Secondly - you are blaming the "platform" for YOUR POST. If you meant it "sarcastically" you could have used or an emoji or simply said "(sarcasm)" . YOU made the post. YOU should own it and stop blaming "Twitter" for your TDS inspired, anti-American- anti-Military post." Quote Fox News @FoxNews "JUST IN: Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy doesn't say he has any regrets after furious backlash to his X post calling reports of Iranian ships slipping past the U.S. naval blockade "awesome." "I guess I just have to be more careful about sarcasm on Twitter," Murphy."

The SPLC has long been held up on the left as a NGO fighting against extremism on the right. It was, pre-Trump, widely consulted by industry, government agencies and the military. It's map of "right-wing" organizations was used by a gunman who targeted a Family Research Council office. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Southern Poverty Law Center Says It is Under Investigation by DOJ. Ace,
Southern Poverty Law Generational Wealth Center Says It's Being Investigated by Trump's DOJ; Democrat Fundraising Arm ActBlue Takes the Fifth Amendment Rather Than Answer Questions, "The SPLC says the DOJ is investigating them over their use of paid infiltrators who supposedly tell them about extremists' groups plans. That's silly. There's nothing illegal about that. Sounds like a big bag of bullshit to me. I imagine the SPLC is putting out spin ahead of the actual news coming out. They're being investigated, I would guess, over criminal conduct, but they want to get all the lefties (and I guess all the Rand Paul, Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Space Laser, and Tuq'r Qarlson fans) on their side before the real news drops." Then, Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "BREAKING: Acting AG Blanche and FBI Director Patel announce a grand jury has INDICTED leftist NGO Southern Poverty Law Center on 11 COUNTS This is MASSIVE! SPLC said they were "fighting white supremacy," but they were "MANUFACTURING the extremism it purports to expose" by PAYING sources to "stoke racial hatred," per Acting AG Blanche Best part? They've been charged in the Middle District of Alabama! They're SCREWED!" SPLC has been hit with SIX counts of wirefraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering." And "HOLY CRAP! FBI Director Patel says leftist NGO Southern Poverty Law Center, which has now been indicted, was using donor to pay leaders of the KU KLUX KLAN to stage "HATE CRIMES" "They used the FRAUDULENTLY raised money by lying to their donor network—THOUSANDS of Americans—to go ahead and actually PAY the leadership of these supposed violent extremist groups..." Sundance, Justice Dept Indictment of SPLC Confirms Long-Held Suspicions of Leftist/Progressive Groups Funding Racism and Chaos. Benjamin Domenech @bdomenech, "Did the SPLC actually fund the freaking Charlottesville march???" Aaron Rupar @atrupar, "REPORTER: I just want to make sure I understand. You're alleging that the Southern Poverty Law Center was paying the leaders of KKK and other groups? BLANCHE: I'm not alleging it. The grand jury returned an indictment that says that." At Insty, THE SUPPLY OF WHITE SUPREMACISTS IS SO LOW THAT THE SPLC HAD TO CREATE A MOVEMENT TO BE AGAINST and a Driscolly post, RADICAL CHIC AND MAU-MAUING THE KLAN MEMBERS: They Call Us Extreme? Look Who Just Got Indicted for Funding Hate Groups.

ActBlue is a major fundraiser for Democrats and it has long been suspected of laundering illegal contributions. Matt Margolis at PJM, ActBlue Is Toast, and Democrats Now Have a Massive Problem. At the Pirate's Cove, Weird: ActBlue Employees Take The Fifth 146 Times "In a press release, it was revealed that the House Judiciary Committee, House Administration Committee, and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a report titled, “Fraud on ActBlue, Part II: Illicit Foreign Donations and a Cover-up Sour Mass Resignations and Firings on ActBlue’s Legal and Compliance Team.” The press release revealed that the “five current or former employees at ActBlue who appeared for depositions all invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination during questioning – for a total of 146 times.”" Paul Sperry @paulsperry_, "NEW: According to a just-released House Judiciary report, "[E]very member of ActBlue's legal and compliance team appears to have left the platform after the 2024 election because of its 'knowing and willful' acceptance of illegal foreign contributions, and the subsequent cover-up [by ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones]," who is under subpoena but "may have deliberately withheld responsive material to impede our investigation." Rep. Jim Jordan @Jim_Jordan, "If someone fires their entire fraud prevention team and weakens policies meant to catch fraud, what do you think is going on? We asked ActBlue under oath, but they pled the fifth. 146 times." David M. McIntosh @DavidMMcintosh, "It appears that Act Blue was effectively a money laundering operation for the left and everyone who worked there knew it." Quote House Judiciary GOP @JudiciaryGOP, "NEW REPORT: ACTBLUE EMPLOYEES TAKE THE FIFTH WHEN ASKED ABOUT FOREIGN FRAUD AND WHISTLEBLOWER RETALIATION AT THE DEMOCRAT DONATION PLATFORM." From Fox, Name of Walz's new 3-word PAC draws immediate online mockery. "Minnesota Republicans and conservative commentators say Walz's policies are 'despicable' to rural voters he's targeting."

Ace, Conservative Former DOJ Prosecutor Joe DiGenova Sworn In as Special Consultant to Investigate the Russiagate Conspiracy, "Cry moar, NYT:" Matt Forney @mattforney, "Must-read article on how the Obama and Biden administration systematically purged right-wing lawyers from the Department of Justice, replacing them with barely-experienced Democratic Party hacks (many women). Remember when the "Elite Human Capital" crowd kept crowing about how conservatives are too stupid to run the machinery of government based on the political affiliation of appointees during Trump's first term compared to Obama's presidency? Turns out that like all EHC just-so stories, it was BS. Conservatives are underrepresented in the civil service, DOJ, and so forth because they have been gatekept out." Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "I've removed the paywall from this article -- now free to all -- so there is a better understanding of the historical developments that have led to this."

Sauron's Eye complains Witnesses in criminal probe of ex-CIA Director Brennan subpoenaed to testify before grand jury, sources say. Sundance reports Devin Nunes Resigns from Truth Social to Focus on President Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board. GeneVolokh at the Volokh Conspiracy highlights how FBI Director Kash Patel Loses Defamation Lawsuit Over Morning Joe Statements. Apparently the wilder the lies, the safer you are.

Beege Welborn at Hat Hair has a FAFO Update: Bulbous Goon Who Clocked Savanah Hernandez From Behind on Media 'WAAH!' Tour UPDATE. Savanah Hernandez @Savsays, "UPDATE: Chris Ostroushko says that the backlash his family has been receiving for their actions last weekend has been “overwhelming” and “nonstop” He’s now “second guessing” living in the United States, because he’s unhappy with how negatively the public has reacted to him assaulting a woman on camera. He is in complete disbelief, stating that, "I've never had anything like this happen in my life". Chris and Deyanna have been going on a press tour continuing to assert that they are the real victims, despite millions watching the footage of them instigating everything..." At Twitchy, Savanah Hernandez Calls CREEP Brian Shapiro OUT for Harassing Her in DMs and He Just FREAKS (PICS).

Matt Vespa at TownHall notices Justice Jackson Was the Lone Dissenter in This Case, and She Was Not Happy About It.

Stacy McCain said IT’S ‘STOP THE LOBSTER’ DAY! "After I called it “Spanberger’s lobster” last week, many others have taken up that phrase to describe the crustacean-like shape of the district that Democrats would inflict on Virginia if today’s referendum passes." I would have called it a scorpion. Also, McCain, VIRGINIA ELECTION RESULTS: Will Voters OK Spanberger’s Gerrymander? UPDATE: Network Declares ‘Yes’ Win. I think conservatives in the red areas should have taken a page out of the Democrat playbook, and slow-walked counting in the red counties, and see if they could catch the cheaters with their pants down. They also need to get an audit to find how many dead or non-existent, or illegal aliens voted in the blue zone. Dave Catron at Am Spec also reports Spanberger Joins Attack On Electoral College "Virginia just became the 18th state to adopt the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact." Peter J. Hasson @peterjhasson, ""Turns out, in both of their civics classes that day, taught by two different teachers in Fairfax County Public Schools, they were urged to go home and persuade their parents to vote yes on the measure to make Virginia’s maps 'as fair as they can be,' to 'stop Donald Trump at all costs.'"" Quote Kelly Sadler@KellyRiddell, "My columns are rarely personal. This one is. Fairfax County Schools are indoctrinating, not educating our youth. I was so disturbed, I had to write. It was approved by my boys." Fire the teachers, and maybe the Principals, too. And since that won't happen, call on them to testify in Congress.

Matt Margolis, The ‘Most Secure Election in History’ Was a Lie, and Now We Have Proof. "A newly declassified National Intelligence Council memo, dated Jan. 15, 2020, assessed that ”US adversaries, including, at a minimum, Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, as well as non-state groups, have the capability to compromise US election infrastructure for the 2020 presidential election.” The memo, which was obtained by Just the News, added, “Adversaries gaining access to US election-related systems could disrupt the voting process, steal sensitive data, or undermine confidence in the election results, but we do not know whether any of them have specific plans to manipulate election-related systems.”" We know the CIA would never hesitate to use such abilities.

Capt. Ed cites Axios: House Dems Prepare to Expel Their Own? UPDATE: Resigns. Beege Welborn, Sheila Kerfuffle Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns From Congress. The Washington Post @washingtonpost, "Breaking news: Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Florida) resigned to avoid a possible expulsion vote on allegations that she used FEMA money mistakenly sent to her family’s health care company during the pandemic to boost her 2022 campaign." I like that "mistakenly." Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) JUST RESIGNED FROM CONGRESS after STEALING $5M in FEMA funds GOOD RIDDANCE! She clearly knew she'd be expelled. Don't stop there. She must be LOCKED UP for this theft and betrayal! And NO pension." That's three Congresscritters force to resign in 1 week. A decent start.

At Da Caller, California Leaders Concealed $2 Billion Accounting Mistake For Months. A billion here, a billion there...

At NYPo Dave Harsanyi discusses Mamdani’s folly: capitalists have already solved the grocery problem "The Mamdani Mart in East Harlem, for instance, will be built on land already owned by the city, and it’s still going to cost $30 million, if government estimates are right — a rarity. In the real world, these exorbitant costs would be passed on to consumers. In the Mamdani world, the cost is tacked onto an already $5.4 billion budget deficit. To put the cost into context, a new Aldi costs around $1.5 million to $3 million on average to construct, not including the cost of the land. Other chains might cost around $3 million to $5 million." Clay Travis @ClayTravis, The Mets are 0-11 since Mr. and Mrs. Met hugged Mamdani.

Capt. Ed hears Dershowitz: Democrats Just Converted Me Through Their Anti-Israel Hate. At Althouse, "I wish I could designate myself as a 'foreign-policy Republican,' but there’s no such option, so I have to go whole hog." ""By registering as a Republican rather than an independent, maybe I can have some influence on moving some Republican policies toward the center. I have given up on trying to change the Democratic Party. My main goal is to send a message that many traditional Democratic voters can’t accept what it is becoming—a replica of left-wing European parties that are hurting their countries."Writes Alan Dershowitz, in "Why I’m Becoming a Republican/I first registered as a Democrat in 1959. The party’s hostility to Israel is too much" (Wall Street Journal)."

Don Surber thinks Trump has had it with NATO. "Bill O’Reilly talks to President Trump and he’s done with them." From Twitchy, COUP?! DataRepublican Drops Receipts in BOMBSHELL Thread About Why Pete Hegseth Is REALLY Being Targeted. DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, " THREAD: The true reason Pete Hegseth is being targeted is because he's standing between President Trump and a coup @PeteHegseth named the institutions... CFR, Brookings, the general class... in 37 seconds in a video by @Liz_Wheeler Within 72 hours of his nomination, a color revolution planning document cited him as an insider threat. They didn't go after him because of drinking. They didn't go after him because of women. They went after him because every color revolution manual ever written says the same thing: you cannot topple a government unless the security forces defect. And a loyal Secretary of Defense is the one person who makes sure they don't. I have the receipts. Their own documents. Their own training sessions. Their own words on camera. As always, patience as I pull together the thread."

At RedState, Bob Hoge has a belly laugh at how Trump's Fed Chair Pick Has Fun at Elizabeth Warren's Expense at Confirmation Hearing. At RCP, The End of EPA’s Endangerment Finding Is a Bigger Deal Than the Iran War. I agree. I just hope it sticks. Ace salutes as DOT Secretary Sean Duffy Prepares to End New York's Right to Issue Commercial Drivers Licenses, "He will also cancel $73 million in federal transportation funding for New York." 

Kyle Olson at TownHall has the Shocking Undercover Videos Expose Horrors of Joe Biden’s Unaccompanied Child Trafficking Scandal.

TheBlaze @theblaze, "An Amazon spokesperson told Blaze News, "We’ve resolved an error that briefly affected the availability of a paperback listing of The Camp of the Saints, and the title is now restored."" In other words, we got caught.

From the College Fix, In free speech win, UNC retracts statement announcing investigation into student satire. At JTN, George Washington University hires judge overseeing its own antisemitism suit to teach ethics course. "Legal experts contend that the situation raises clear ethical concerns." Unless teaching the class was pro bono, which I doubt.