Flotsam and Jetsam - Justice Roberts Gives Trump Ballroom Go Ahead

No doubt liberals are gnashing there teeth. Susie Moore at RedState says SCOTUS Cuts In on Ballroom Battle, Lets Construction Proceed - for Now. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears SCOTUS to Trump: Build, Baby, Build. Sundance at CTH, Chief Justice Roberts Stays DC Appellate Court Ruling – White House Construction of Ballroom Can Continue. Althouse likes her NYT, "The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily allowed President Trump to continue construction of a luxury White House ballroom to replace the East Wing he demolished last fall." "The NYT reports. In a one-sentence order, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., acting on his own, issued a place holder that gives all nine justices additional time to more fully consider whether construction of the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom can proceed. The chief justice’s order did not provide a timeline for when the court would act next, stating only that a lower-court ruling against the Trump administration was paused “pending further order of the undersigned or of the court.”" So, the suit against Trump is on hold pending a decision from the whole court, but the presumption is that Robert feels the whole court is likely to agree. Besides, the ballroom is more than half complete (Trump doesn't waste time), and by the time the court gets around to it, it will be fait accompli. 

Speaking of building, NYPo opines Trump is right to put his neck on the line for data centers. Scott Pinsker at PJM notes Republicans Are Pandering to Data Center Hysteria — and Helping China Win the AI War. It's always easy to gin up opposition to something new. Zarathustra @zarathustra5150, "It’s very much an out-group phenomenon. Over the last decade, Big Tech has managed, in different ways, to deeply alienate both the political right & political left, and most of the American public to boot. Much of it returns to the same enduring problem: techies are tragically inept at understanding people, politics, persuasion & culture; while cocooning themselves away from the rest of society inside an extremely tiny, insular, out-of-touch milieu that leaves them unable to grasp the consequences of their own behavior, particularly just how thoroughly they have made themselves disliked by nearly everyone else in America at this point. And I say this as a long-time friend of techies & tech, and someone who loves AI & is generally supportive of data centers. Y’all have a truly massive PR problem, and much worse: you don’t even seem to realize it." Sonny Bunch @SonnyBunch, "Free messaging tip: instead of saying data center opponents are Chinese dupes, scare them with horror stories about how their Netflix streams will degrade to 480p or, gasp, occasionally crash entirely if we don’t have capacity. Americans will not stand for mild inconvenience."

JT Yung at Am Spec, thinks Republicans Can’t Win Telling Only Half the Story. "The GOP’s strongest case isn’t just what it accomplished. It’s the Democrat agenda it prevented." 

Four from sundance at CTH, JD Vance Delivers Remarks on Jobs and the Economy from His Hometown in Middletown, Ohio, President Trump Lifts Tariff Quota on Imported Beef for 90 Days to Relieve Price Stress, Talks Collapse – Tariffs Begin Now – A Direct and Confrontational U.S-Canada Trade War is Now a Reality and President Trump and Former Antagonist Michael Cohen Have a Conversation.

Dave Manney at PJM observes The Left Suddenly Loves the Troops, As Long As It Hurts Trump. In his HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK, Don Surber observes "The New York Times quoted the mother of a sailor who said, “They Didn’t Sign Up to Be on a Ship in the Middle of the Ocean.” Hegseth should add a question to the application to join the Navy, “Is your mother an idiot?”" Hat Hair's John Sexton hears Russia Is Out of Gasoline, but Complaining Is Not an Option and Germany Finds a Stash of Weapons in a Forest. "While Alexander Dobrindt, the interior minister, was careful not to point a finger at any nation, the news came amid increased fear of destabilizing “hybrid” attacks that European governments have blamed, publicly and privately, on Russia." I think Putin wants NATO to rescue him from the Ukraine quagmire.

Cathy Salgado at PJM hears Democrat Voter and Rabbi Will Not Vote for El-Sayed, Says He’ll Support Republican. Too soon old, too late smart. At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed worries 'America, We Have Lost This City': The Battle for Dearbornistan. Vick Nava at NYPo takes note that Members of Mamdani’s DSA pledge to ‘support’ and ‘defend’ China: ‘Survival of Chinese socialism is a crucial matter.’ Beege Welborn, PSA: There Will Be No Sympathy Note From the Mayor If You're Killed BY an Illegal Alien in His City, and probably many more cities. Homeland Security @DHSgov, "This illegal alien KILLED a 27-year-old MOTHER and her BABY. Manuel Hernandez, from El Salvador, was illegally piloting a boat when he capsized the overloaded vessel in New York Harbor. Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of @ICEgov, this criminal is off our streets and out of our waterways - and he will be DEPORTED after he faces justice." "Mamdani has restricted the NYPD from working with ICE to find these guys. A Coast Guard investigation discovered the truth and, when Hernandez was released on $50,000 bail, ICE was there to snatch him up." Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "BREAKING: A new report completely exposes what everyone has known for a long time. More extreme candidates, specifically linked to the DSA, are getting massively boosted by non-Americans on X." Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "It’s not hypocrisy, it’s hierarchy. Spoiled rich kids become socialists because they hate themselves for not being as successful and worthy as their parents, so they seize the power they couldn’t obtain. It’s all just self-loathing being projected onto society. Scammers." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Gustavo Gordillo, NYC DSA's phony union champion, is doing $1.4M in repairs on home - and permits reveal hypocrisy."

From the Crimson Hub, AOC says lockdowns made ‘Woke 1’ insane. Her old tweets show she got an early and eager start. Hat Hair's Dave Strom says No, Ro, You Won't Outflank AOC to Snag the Democratic Nomination for President. Amy Curtis at TownHall sees Ro Khanna Gets Roasted for His Lies About What 'Medicare for All' Would Do. From Reason, Universal Healthcare Sounds Great. Here's What's Happening in Countries That Have It. "With calls for “free healthcare” growing louder in America, countries with universal systems offer a warning: long waits, rationed care, and unmet medical needs." In a Larry vid at Hat Hair, AARP's John Hishta Reveals the Michigan Polling Data Both Parties Are Watching Right Now. From Da Signal, Backlash Against Ossoff Continues to Grow After Trump Aide Remarks, Collins Increases in Poll. Remember, for some odd reason, polls favor Democrats in summer, and tighten considerably towards the election. I suspect enemy action. The Guardian notes the Website behind widely shared fake election polls run by 21-year-old, "Exclusive: Rahil Prakash tells the Guardian: ‘I wanted to see if fake polls could penetrate the ecosystem that easily’" Yes, it could. 

Stacy McCain looks at Democrat bloviation on What ‘Our Democracy’ Really Means. Susie Crabtree at RCP thinks Florida Democrats Hand Republicans a November Gift. At PM, Islamic advocacy group demands James O’Keefe be prosecuted after team dressed as Muslims to expose Minnesota elections. "They claim "Using fake Muslim identities, accents and religious stereotypes as part of a political stunt is not a harmless prank or political stunt" and don't seem to be concerned with 1A protections." Matt Vespa at TownHall sees Lisa Murkowski Was Not Amused by James O'Keefe's Latest Video "O’Keefe was voting in the state under Murkowski’s brother, who now lives in Texas. When he said he left his wallet in the car, they allowed him to obtain Brian Murkowski’s ballot. He now lives in Texas, but his name is still on the rolls, and election workers here said it wasn’t a problem that O’Keefe had no identification." Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING UPDATE: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)'s team is FURIOUS, indicating that James O'Keefe should face PROSECUTION because he simply exposed Alaska's voter vulnerability Poll workers were going to let O'Keefe vote as Murkowski's BROTHER, Brian. MURKOWSKI'S OFFICE: "Voter impersonation is a crime and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." She opposes the SAVE America Act And now is ATTACKING the journalist exposing why we need it. OVER TARGET, @JamesOKeefeIII."

Capt. Ed has Today's Deeeeeep Question: Did Trump Slip Biden a Mickey at the Debate? "When I say "Deeeeeep," I of course mean deeeeeeply stupid." Ace hears a Leftwing Podcaster Suggests That Joe Biden Had Been Rufied for the Presidential Debate; Jill Biden Agrees It's Possible, Saying "Who Knows?" "I wonder if Noted Reporter of Things We All Knew Ten Years Ago Jake Tapper will fact-check Jill Biden and call her a liar, which is what he does for every Republican who shades the truth (or tells the truth that the leftwing cult denies). Actually I don't wonder that. I was just bein' silly." Don Surber wonders (rhetorically) Does Swalwell still say believe all women? "He needs a lawyer familiar with celebrities accused of spiking drinks and rape. Is Bill Cosby’s legal team available?"

Leslie Eastman at LI looks at A Suspected Arsonist, a Wildfire, and California’s Failure to Protect the Public, "Suspected arsonist Brandon Glasgo is homeless with a history of arrests and mental health problems." Calling all Rushbabes sees *More evidence that Washington State is encouraging forest fires, rather than preventing them.

Mike Benz @MikeBenzCyber, "The irony of The Russiagaters being foreign-funded themselves and pleading the Fifth when asked about it." Quote Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: ActBlue cofounder Matt DeBergalis just PANICKED and PLEADED THE 5TH in a closed-door deposition with House committee investigators — Fox News This comes after ActBlue is accused of allowing FOREIGN DONATIONS INFILTRATE US politics for Democrats, without proper measures to stop it. Here's the shocking exchange between Rep. Jim Jordan and an ActBlue official when they also pleaded the 5th. SHUT IT DOWN." Steve @SteveLovesAmmo, "2021: Riots 2022: Riots 2023: Riots 2024: Riots 2025: Riots 2026: SPLC indicted, Act Blue under investigation, USAID defunded — no riots." From Ace, Paul Sperry: Federal Prosecutors Reveal Evidence That James Comey Knew Full Well That "86" Was Code for "Murder," and Actually Wrote a Whole "Novel" Whose Plot Revolved Around Stirring Up Public Passions to Get Someone to Assassinate a Politician. Sundance is still beating that horse, Why Does James Comey Matter?

Sundance seems disappointed President Trump Announces Departure of Ed Martin from DOJ, to go outside to fight for the GOP in elections. "Many people, CTH included, hoped Ed Martin would be a man inside the DOJ machine that could bring accountability for prior govt wrongdoing. That hope never materialized. Today, President Trump announces Mr Martin’s departure." Senator Rand Paul @SenRandPaul, "For years we were told Fauci was the infallible expert who never made a mistake and never lied. Now his lawyers are admitting the legal exposure is so large they need a special fund to handle it. You can’t fundraise the truth away." Quote NEWSMAX @NEWSMAX, "Lawyers for Anthony Fauci have launched a legal defense fund for the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, saying that the need to respond to a growing number of state and federal investigations related to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic will require substantial resources." Dave Strom sees The Science™ Strikes Again at the BMJ Jeffrey A Tucker @jeffreytucker, "Unbelievable that a paper would be retracted because "this publication may give the impression that the importance of vaccinations is being questioned." What in the hell is going on? BMJ Retracts 2024 Excess Deaths Paper for the Sin of Spreading "Misinformation", by @sonia_elijah."

Capt. Ed wonders Will Karmelo Anthony Get a New Trial – and Should He Want One? UPDATE "The hearing is still underway, but Nate the Lawyer breaks down the new evidence on both Metcalf and Anthony. The victim is no saint, Nate concludes, but Anthony's first defense team made the right call. "Karmelo Anthony was a walking felony" before the murder, Nate says, and was a straight-out "thug." Watch it all:" Robby Starbuck @robbystarbuck, "In the most predictable update of all time, it turns out the sweet, misunderstood boy that the Democrats have been defending, is in fact a complete piece of shit who hits women, got in fights regularly, wanted to lick a victims blood off his knife and threatened to kill people. Karmelo Anthony deserves the electric chair." Quote Sarah Fields @SarahisCensored, "On the day Karmelo Anthony fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf, prosecutors report he sent a text message at 1 a.m. that read, “I’m lowk on the verge,” and then stressed the point further. Later that morning on April 2, 2025 - only hours before Karmelo Anthony stabbed Austin Metcalf to death at a high-school track meet - prosecutors state that Karmelo Anthony’s girlfriend told a Centennial High School staff member he was “engaging in stalking behavior, to include, but not limited to, driving by her home and refusing to allow her to end their relationship.”..." Ace, Poor Innocent Baby-Lamb Karmelo Anthonhy: "When I Stab Someone I'm Going to Lick the Blood Off the Blade". "This evidence wasn't introduced at trial, because prosecutors and defense agreed that no "character evidence" about any parties in the case, including the victim, would be introduced." I predict the defense and press will continue to press to suppress negative information on Anthony, while introducing anything positive. 

Ilya Shapiro @ishapiro, "This is terrific. As I wrote last year in @CivitasOutlook, “One of the underappreciated aspects of what’s gone wrong [in higher ed], especially with law schools, is accreditation. Analyzing the rules governing legal education may not be as attention-grabbing as showing how critical theory has perverted pedagogy or documenting the inquisitions of DEI offices, but it’s crucial for understanding underlying pathologies and thus for any possibility of reform.” 1/2" Quote May Mailman @MayMailman, "Holy smokes! The Trump Administration just moved to terminate the ABA's status as a law school "accreditor." This will be one of the most meaningful changes to open doors for Americans and steer legal culture toward justice, not radical indoctrination. The American Bar Association (ABA) is a left-wing advocacy group, filing 80% of its amicus briefs for liberal arguments and 0% for conservative. It uses its monopoly on recognizing which law schools are "accredited" (get student loans) to force DEI hiring, recruitment, and inflate the cost of education."

From Shooting News Week, Federal District Court Judge Rules Biden-Era ‘Frame and Receiver’ Rule is Unconstitutional. “The decision of when a hunk of metal or plastic ‘may readily be completed, assembled, restored, or otherwise converted to function as a frame or receiver’ is left to the subjective determination of the ATF and does not provide fair notice to the reader about when a component becomes subject to enforcement,” O’Connor wrote. “Having found that the Final Rule is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment and void for vagueness under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment.”

RedState's Ward Clark sees Trump’s Epic Border Win Hits Cartels Where It Hurts: in the Wallet. Teri Christoph says Another 'Sanctuary Spanberger' Nightmare Is Coming to a Head in Fairfax County.Nick Minock @NickMinock, "New: the 19-year-old illegal immigrant WJLA was the first to tell you about, who groped several girls in Fairfax High School, is scheduled to be released on 09/03/26. Will the Fairfax Sheriff honor ICE’s detainer? Will Fairfax County Public Schools re enroll him as a student for his senior year?" At Twitchy, Favreau Frets Over Illegal’s Kid Starting School — Owned by Angel Dad Whose Daughter Never Came Home. HA! ICE BRILLIANTLY (Politely) Shuts Down UNHINGED Dem and Her Facility Visit Stunt With JUST 1 Post: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement @ICEgov, "We were glad to host you, Congresswoman. For those curious, here’s what happened: Prior to the visit, the Congresswoman signed ICE’s Facility Visitation Agreement form, indicating she would abide by all processes and policies governing personal conduct at ICE facilities. One of these policies is that meetings with detainees must be scheduled in advance, both for the privacy of detainees and the safety of visitors. Field leadership welcomed the Congresswoman and led a comprehensive tour tailored to the specific areas she had requested to see, including visitor check-in, intake, kitchen/food preparation and medical services. During a tour of the kitchen area, the Congresswoman asked to speak with certain detainees in the area and was reminded that without prior consent from detainees, her request could not be accommodated at that time. Instead of accepting this guidance, the Congresswoman began talking and shouting to them from a distance, telling the detainees who she was and attempting to get closer to them. This disrupted operations and required intervention by facility leadership...." At Ace's Morning Rant, Buck Throckmorton sees Governor Abbott vs Texas State University: The Taxpayer-Funded School Is Determined to Staff a University P.R. Position with a Foreign H-1B.

The Victory Girls hear CNN: Kristen Holmes Rudeness Is Trump’s Fault, of course. Christian Toto @HollywoodInToto, "The media ignored Biden's dementia They lied about Russian collusion They've downplayed the massive Fauci scandal This ... this is their focus." Quote Mediaite @Mediaite, "Natalie Harp Seen Running Behind Trump's Golf Cart in Newly Unearthed Photo." John Sexton, NYTimes Found Liable for Defamation of College Basketball Player. "Yesterday, a jury in Alabama sided with a college basketball player who had sued the NY Times in 2023 over a false story claiming he was present at the scene of a shooting. The Times has been ordered to pay him $9.25 million, though it appears the paper is planning to appeal."  

Insty, THE E.U.’S MAIN FUNCTION IS TO ENABLE AND DEFEND ESTABLISHMENT WRONGDOING: "Arday Affair Erupts Into U.S.-Belgium Diplomatic Dispute.
It’s a big deal that the U.S. is objecting:" Auron MacIntyre @AuronMacintyre, "This may seem like small ball but you need to grasp what a seismic shift this is No previous GOP administration would have ever touched Cofnas with a ten foot poll but the Trump admin is offering a full throated defense in the name of free speech ... You can be frustrated with the foreign policy decisions, but never let anyone lie to you and tell you that there is no difference with Trump in charge." Quote, U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White @USAmbToBelgium, "The United States Mission to Belgium condemns, in the strongest terms, Ghent University’s retaliation against an American scholar following his accurate whistleblower reporting on academic fraud. The United States government regularly funds and supports research, academic exchanges, and other engagements with overseas universities. Dishonest, corrupt institutions that engage in, or reward, scapegoating mob behavior are not desirable partners for us. This is particularly true where the purpose and effect of the scapegoating is to punish accurate journalism unearthing academic dishonesty. We are therefore reviewing any relationships we have with Ghent University..." From CJ, John H. McWhorter on The Arday Tragedy: from Tokenism to Wokenism "His blackness was the crucial factor in his elevation to the pinnacle of academia by whites eager to feel good about themselves and secure that they couldn’t be called racist." Driscoll at Insty cites (and quotes heavily from the paywalled) WSJ, NATHAN COFNAS: How I Became the Scapegoat in the Jason Arday Affair. At Max Klinger's Newsletter "I studied in Jason Arday’s department at Cambridge. Here’s the crap I was taught. "What institutional capture looks like in practice." 

From the College Fix, Justice Department investigates College of William & Mary over alleged ‘race-based’ scholarships and Florida State U. removes ‘correct language’ threat after College Fix inquiry. Campus Reform, Amherst professor’s forthcoming book argues Asian American success is tied to ‘white supremacy’. Owen Gregorian @OwenGregorian, "Education Department Breaks Left-Wing University Accreditation Cabal | Breccan F. Thies, The Federalist The Department of Education on Wednesday announced a new rule that would allow more organizations to accredit universities, stripping the left of one of its most potent tools for enforcing its worldview through higher education. President Donald Trump set his sights on going after accreditors early in his second term, saying having more accreditors — or limiting current accreditors’ ability to inject left-wing ideologies into the official standards for accreditation —is the “secret weapon” to breaking their stranglehold on American universities."

Stacy McCain takes a long look at The Lindsay Clancy Feminists. Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis, "Women who spent years saying they wouldn’t date conservative men are now being held accountable for their dangerous opinions on Lindsay Clancy. I love it." Quote Evita Duffy-Alfonso @evitaduffy_1, "Men are now breaking up with girlfriends who support Lindsay Clancy, and honestly, good for them. A Lindsay Clancy defender is not who you want as the mother of your own future children."

Basil the Great @BasilTheGreat, "NEWS: Melbourne Airport has been slammed after it was revealed it has Unisex Toilets but Gender Segregated Islamic Prayer Rooms So the only women who get any privacy are Muslims." Dave Strom thinks He Did What Was Right, Not What Was Easy: Matt Calkins @Matt_Calkins, "After 11 years as a sports columnist at the Seattle Times, I have decided to resign. It was entirely my choice, and it was not an easy one. The impetus was the Times declining to run a column I wrote from the perspective of two female student athletes who were opposed to competing against biological males. It was one of several pieces of mine that had been spiked, and I no longer felt like I could properly do my job as a columnist. I lay out the situation in greater detail in the link below, but I want to say that I enjoyed my time with the paper, find the talent there to be immense, and have no animosity toward anyone who works there. It was just time for a change." Also from Dave Strom, Never, Ever Say 'It Can't Get Worse, Can It?' Diana Alastair ⚢ @sappholives83, "It takes a lot to really shock me. I get pissed off about horrible things, but they don’t really shock me. This does. This paper in the Journal of Medical Ethics draws a comparison between female genital mutilation and “gender affirming” surgeries — and uses the latter as justification for the former. To be clear: after pushing an entire generation of gay and autistic children to volunteer for genital mutilation, these people are using that as an excuse to cut up little girls‘ vulvas with neither consent nor the presence of a medical professional, let alone any kind of pain management. And just like that, gender ideology has become justification for the most barbaric custom on planet Earth."

And even more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.21.26 (Afternoon Edition) and  In The Mailbox: 08.21.26 (Evening Edition)!