Flotsam and Jetsam - Like A Summer Thursday

I'm really struggling with a decent title for this one.  

Rick Moran at PJM says Reports of Trump's Waning Influence Have Been Greatly Exaggerated, after he got Lindsey Graham's sister over the goal in Georgia. From News Wax, Trump Admin Floats Razing Kennedy Center, since he's not being allowed to fix it. Trump Mulls Renaming Lake Ontario as 'Lake America.' Canadians Balk at the Idea, which is exactly the point.

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn sees PA Measles Outbreak Sparking Predictable Virulent Outbreak of TDS MORE. Two elderlies died of measles. Probably Mennonites, maybe Hispanic Immigrants, who went through the Biden era unvaccinated too, but it's RFK Jr.'s fault, of course. Polimath at Marginally compelling notes Canada Is Losing The War On Measles, "Canada losing their elimination status for measles is a nerve-wracking reminder of the fragility of modern civilization." Mennonites. "If we charted Canada’s measles rate against the US, the US would look like a flat line." I had the measles back in the 50s. Back then it was just assumed that you would get them as a child.

Matt Vespa at TownHall sees James O'Keefe Just Put Lisa Murkowski's Anti-SAVE America Act Stance Through the Shredder. So she wants to put him in jail.

News Wax reports  Trump claims the US Navy Cleared All Mines From Hormuz, in a effort to supply Europe and China with oil. C14 News | EN @c14english, "Mojtaba Khamenei Clinically Dead Internal Iranian sources tell The Atlantic that Mojtaba Khamenei, designated successor to his father, is either dead or in a vegetative state - raising questions about who's actually running Iran." We need to let the Israelies peel off a few more layers to find out. Hat Hair's Duane Patterson is Watching the Iranian Regime Literally and Figuratively Run Out of Gas. VodkaPundit at PJM, Yeah, About That 'Famine' in Gaza…, it's a work of fiction. From Ace, Marco Rubio Sanctions Italy-Based Tech "Collective" Making Tools for Hamas; Also Reveals Portland Antifa Shops There Too, "Dude's balls are so big he could play for the WNBA." Ward Clark at RedState says The Trump Admin Just Found a Pressure Point That Could Disrupt Antifa's Entire Network.

Hat Hair's John Sexton observes Russia's 4th Largest Refinery Is Burning (it's probably not an accident), and wonders Why Are the Germans Being Such Wimps About the Drone Attack in Leipzig?

At Mil.com, Navy Notice Officially Warns Personnel, Families to Scrub Social Media of Military Ties, "Hung Cao's notice puts 340,000 active-duty, 58,000 reserve, and 210,000 civilian Navy workers on alert after recent service controversies."

At his occasional NYPo gig, Insty warns Tech bros must channel the moguls of old to get back in America’s good graces. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "New Data Center Built To Handle Influx Of Online Rants Against Data Centers.

Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "This is awesome." Quote The Royal Family @RoyalFamily, "Remembering the late, great Dolly, who brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many - including the millions of children given free books through her Imagination Library. We will always love you." OTH, Greta Van Susteren @greta, "This is the WORST INTERVIEW EVER! I don’t know where Barbara Walters was working in 1977 - NBC or ABC - but no network should have broadcast this trash interview." Nick Arama at RedState finds El-Sayed's Post on Dolly Parton's Death Has People Up in Arms. He tried to make her a poster child for socialism. At the JPo, Antisemitic vandals target Dolly Parton's Wikipedia page just hours after her death.

At Da Signal, Deroy Murdock hears from the DSA: ‘Our Goal Is Communism,’ and the Great Victor Davis Hanson writes The Radical Left Wants to Destroy America and Rebuild It. Charlton Allen at Am Think notices When Lenin Lost An Election, He Abolished Democracy, "When revolutionary socialists tell us who they are, perhaps we should take them at their word." Dave Strom at Hat Hair observes Mehdi Hasan Proves That Reparations Are a Stupid Idea. Where do they stop? Ace, Abdulrahman Hussein El-Sayed Hoovers Up Donations from Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Hamas-Supporting Donors to Nazi Troll Dan Blizerian (While Claiming Jewish Safety Will be a Priority for Him). "Weird that his donors don't believe him. What do they know that we don't? Abdulrahman Hussein El-Sayed collects donations from a terrorist member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a man so extreme Egypt sentenced him to life in prison:" Mike LaChance at LI hears Hillary Clinton Suggest Rise of Socialism in the Democratic Party is ‘Healthy’ “The Democratic Party right now is, I think, going through a kind of experiment.” From WaT, Democrat Debbie Dingell: Don’t ask me about Hasan Piker. John Sexton hears Nervous Dems: If We Keep Talking About Hasan Piker, We'll Lose. From The Scuttlebutt, Target Rich Environment volume five. And another thing ... “Woke One” Was Crazyyyy Violent and Evil, "Don’t let people with aspirations for higher office fool you into thinking otherwise."

Jesse Kelly @JesseKellyDC, "People wonder why Democrats take unpopular positions on things like voter ID and the deportation of foreigners. To put it simply: Popularity is not nearly as important for their survival as cheating is. Without the cheating, the Democrat Party is a 20% party." Quote Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "WOAH, Michigan Democrats are putting dead voters BACK ON the voter rolls after they are removed After the dead people are added back, THEY ARE MAILED BALLOTS." Mia Cathell at WaEx reports the Judge in Feeding Our Future case found Ilhan Omar’s relaxed provisions made food program ‘vulnerable to fraud’. Doug Powers @ThePowersThatBe, "Warren said 9 million people are in default on their student loans and Dances With Identity Theft wants everybody to believe that Trump officials are the problem with the system?" From Da Wire, Josh Shapiro Eyes New Powers That Make COVID Restrictions Look Like A Warning Shot. "We’ve already seen how this kind of authority can be abused, and we cannot allow the mistakes of the past to be repeated." New York Post @nypost, "California city goes rogue, plots 1,200 new homes at high-speed rail site." Why not? The rail will never get built, even though the money will be spent. 

Also at NYPo a reminder, True horrors of Biden’s Afghan pullout emerge on 5th anniversary of suicide bomb: ‘Witness to atrocities, war crimes.’

From the Peacock, Military trial date set for alleged mastermind of Sept. 11 attacks, "Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been held at Guantánamo Bay since 2006." It would be a shame if something happened to him first. At Twitchy, Toronto Sun Columnist: New Memo Tells CBC Journalists Not to Refer to 9/11 As a Terrorist Attack. From Campus Reform, DOJ charges 17 Iranians in alleged IRGC university hacking campaign "DOJ: Iranian hackers targeted hundreds of universities in cyber theft campaign. Eight additional defendants were charged in an alleged years-long campaign that targeted universities worldwide."

Two from Shipwreckedcrew, The Lawfare Over New Postal Rules For Mail-In Ballots Is More Complicated That Most Understand -- You Need A Scorecard To Keep Up, "There are three other cases with District Judges trying to block the Administration but one has gone to the D.C. Circuit where the Administration received a favorable decision," and SCOTUS Kicks The Can Down The Road On Changing Postal Regulations For Mail-In Ballots, "As a purely legal matter, the Court’s decision is correct. While GOP voters may be critical, this process needs to check all the boxes in order for it to stick in 2028 when it will matter the most." Fusilli Spock @awstar11 "Why haven't the House GOP even tried to impeach her?" Quote Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "SCOTUS just cleared the path for Trump’s mail ballot security rules. Less than 24 hours later, Obama-appointed Judge Indira Talwani is back at it. She just ruled that the U.S. Postal Service “feigned complete compliance”  and violated her injunction by finalizing the new rules. Same judge. Same playbook. Different day. The Supreme Court speaks. A district judge digs in harder. This is exactly why Americans have lost trust in the system. Secure elections shouldn’t be this hard. Time to start naming names and holding these activist judges." accountable. Ooana Trien ~ Eric Arthur Blaire’s Mistress @ooana, "I always understood why the Second Amendment was constitutionally protected. What I never really understood was why people called it a natural right. Then I moved from New York to Florida..."

Paul Sperry at RCI looks at American Medinas: Turning US Cities Into ‘Beachheads’ for Islam.

From Althouse, "Meta on Wednesday reached a landmark settlement with 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, agreeing to pay up to $17.1 billion in penalties..." "I'm reading "Meta to Pay Up to $17.1 Billion in Landmark Settlement Over Social Media Addiction Claims/The social media giant settled with 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, and agreed to make major changes to its products over claims its platforms endangered children" (NYT gift link)."

At Twitchy, Taylor Lorenz: Queen of Cancel Culture & Leopards Eating Faces Party Founder Discovers Free Thought.

Herr Professor Jacobson at LI, hears El-Sayed’s Sister Say The Quiet Part Out Loud About Activist Profs Politically Proselytizing Students, “We have to realize that there are people who do not view teaching as their calling. They are not in academia to teach. They’re in academia to politicize.” Like it's a good thing. At Complete Colorado, State spins shockingly bad Colorado education testing data. "Any of the following would be perfectly accurate and appropriate headlines for testing data released August 19 from the Colorado Measures of Academic Success: “Most students grades 3–8 behind in all subjects according to state testing.” “State testing shows overall low student scores increase in just over half of categories by grade and subject.” “Nearly two-thirds of Colorado students struggle in math despite small testing gains.” “Large majority of Black and Hispanic students continue to struggle in language and math.” Here is an actual headline from the Denver Post that’s reasonable: “2026 CMAS results show Colorado students making gains in math, falling behind in reading.”"

Greg Lukianoff and Andrea Honeycutt at the Eternally Radical Idea, The mental health consequences of social justice fundamentalism, "Data shows that the farther left you lean, the more anxious, depressed, and unhappy you are." I see a problem separating cause and effect here. Helen Smith @HelenSmithPhD, "This looks about right. Since women are now the majority of psychologists, the field has totally changed, and not for the better."  Quote Gad Saad @GadSaad, "Epistemology of truth vs epistemology of care. Read this book:"

At Althouse, "Women in rural Devon are being coached on how to give birth in the back of a car after their local hospital shut its maternity service." There's your socialized medicine.

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, YGBKM: WNBA Team Bans Freedom As 'Threat'. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Walz Sics State Smokies on Seditionists

Georgia and I chipped out the path for our car to get out of the garage yesterday so she can go shopping today, and it was even worse than the day before. Under the influence of sun and air temperatures that continue to stay well below freezing, the snow/sleet/freezing rain combination has hardened almost like concrete. We are not expected to break into the thaw zone until Tuesday, and predictions show more snow (hopefully real snow) on Sat-Sun, of a few more inches. Pete reports the harbor is totally iced over. Maybe I'll get down to the Bay today and get some photos.

The madness in Minnesota continues. Bonchie at RedState thinks you should Watch: Tim Walz-Led State Patrol Unleashed on Rioters, As Trump Shift Already Appears to Pay Dividends. Matt Whitlock @MattWhitlock "Alarming that Tim Walz and Jacob Frey had the ability to do this the entire time, but they allowed lunatic activists to harass federal law-enforcement officers and create an unnecessarily violent environment." Quote Anthony @anthonycabassa, "BREAKING : About a dozen more protestors have just been arrested for refusing to disperse the area." The way Don Surber sees it, The Walz is caving in to Trump, "Talk softly and carry a big Insurrection Act of 1807." Democrats, of course are calling TACO. Jim Geraghty at NRO thinks Trump Isn’t the Only One Changing Course in Minnesota. At Hat Hair John Sexton claims Democrats Are Over-Celebrating Their Win and Dave Strom reports Tim Walz Wants to Beat the S*!T Out of JD Vance. I think Vance should challenge him to an MMA style bout. Insty, AND I WANT TO CLIMB MOUNT EVEREST WITHOUT OXYGEN, USING ONLY YOGIC BREATH CONTROL: Tim Walz Wants to Beat the S*!T Out of JD Vance. Insty at substack, Of Squids, Ink, and Minnesota's Corrupt Machine "Tim Walz, et al., try to change the subject, even at the expense of supporters' lives."

At Hat Hair, Chloe looks at how Cam Higby Infiltrates ANTI-ICE Group Chats. I Break Down What He Found and What It Proves, Beege Welborn thinks it Seems Kind of Funny How All the 'Organic' Cockroaches Scatter When the Signal Light Comes On and Capt. Ed cites Patel: You Better Believe the FBI Is Following the Money in MN. Calling all Rush Babes, goes *Behind the Scenes in Downtown Minneapolis…and Portland…and Los Angeles…and New York City. At News Wax, Patel: Funders of Minneapolis Protests Identified by FBI. Rick Moran at PJM, Andy Ngo: Here's What I Saw When I Got Inside the Signal Chats Used by Extremists in Minnesota. From Twitchy, You Can Run, But You Can't HIDE: DataRepublican NUKES Every Alleged Donor to MN Anti-ICE Signal Group. Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal, Why Is Peggy Flanagan Backing Organizers of Resistance to ICE? Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate, "These were engineered spectacles. The confrontations were coordinated at a high level and the police were held back to allow them. The libs who died were fed ideological programming to engage the way they did. Nothing spontaneous about this - it was cynical political strategy." Quote captive dreamer @captive_dreamer, "Alex Pretti and Renee Good died because Tim Walz and Jacob Frey refused to allow local and state law enforcement to cooperate with ICE. It's that simple." The Center Square sees Systematic organization behind riots in Minnesota probed by FBI. Athena Thorn at PJM, Can We Get These Guys a Pulitzer? Mike Netter @nettermike, "LAWYER UP”: Former DOJ Chief of Staff Issues Grave Murder Charge Warning to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan The legal walls are closing in on Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor. Following the explosive revelation that Peggy Flanagan allegedly operated as a “dispatch admin” for the radical ICE-interference network under the handle “Flan Southside,” one of the nation’s top legal minds has issued a chilling warning about her future. . . " The Felony Murder Warning Chad Mizelle, former Chief of Staff at the Trump DOJ and Acting General Counsel at DHS, stated plainly that if the Signal chat is tied to the Alex Pretti shooting, Flanagan is in "serious trouble." Mizelle explained the "felony murder" reality: if you are involved in a conspiracy—in this case, interfering with federal ICE operations—and someone dies as a result, every participant in that conspiracy can be charged with murder. . ." Elon Musk @elonmusk, "They must be hiding something very big in Minnesota to send their foot soldiers there from all over the country" Quote Arthur MacWaters @ArthurMacwaters, "Let me get this straight: 1. prior administrations deported millions of people, and riots were basically nonexistent 2. the moment trump took office, a coordinated campaign by politicians/legacy media *directly called for resistance to ICE* 3. once riots happen and people are die, the spotlight shifts to stopping deportations and defunding ICE. If this was such a crime against humanity, why did no one riot in 2024? The intention behind the unrest is NOT empathy. Empathy is being manufactured on false grounds to achieve political aims. And people are getting hurt."

Susie Moore at RedState, (Updated) U.S. 'Border Patrol-Involved' Shooting in Arizona Leaves 1 Person Injured. "U.S. Border Patrol shot a man with an active arrest warrant after he fired at federal agents Tuesday during a foot chase near the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. The man, identified by federal authorities as Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, escaped from a facility in December while serving a 36-month sentence for human smuggling, according to court documents." At NYPo, the Divine Ms. Devine: More martyrs for cynical Dems after fatal Alex Pretti shooting. John Sexton notes Pretti Was Allowed to Carry a Gun to a Protest. Yep, he was. But he did it wrong. Dave Strom, Democrats and the Media Now Suggesting that ICE Agents Should Be Shot; UPDATE: ABC Predicts More Guns and Did MSNOW Photoshop Alex Pretti's Picture to Make Him Look More Attractive? Yep, they did. C3 @C_3C_3, "See what the Media does? Everything they do is to manipulate. To propagandize. They truly are the enemy of the people." From Twitchy, When ‘Reporting’ Sounds Like a Pep Rally: ABC’s Trevor Ault and the Gun-Toting Protester Hypothesis. Lauren Chen @TheLaurenChen, "They didn't bring weapons to a protest. They stood outside their house as rioters invaded their neighborhood. It's crazy how these people lie so casually." Quote Climate Defiance @ClimateDefiance "Patricia and Mark McCloskey brought weapons to a protest. They were honored as keynote speakers at the 2020 RNC." A Larry video at Hat Hair catches the Fox News Panel Erupting As Jessica Tarlov Spews Anti-ICE Lies: Liberal Media Panics. From Shooting News Week, The Minneapolis Insanity Has Some People Thinking About Gun Ownership and the 2A for the Very First Time. Mitch Berg at Hat Hair, The Administration and the Second Amendment: Damage Control. 

Matt Vespa at TownHall thinks The Reactions to This Anti-ICE Clown Getting Wrecked by a Flashbang Were Amazing. Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok "Meet Melinda, a healthcare worker at @VCUHealth. She posted a series of videos encouraging people to inject ICE agents with succinylocholine, a temporary paralysis drug, and spray poison on them. She also encourages woman to go on dates with agents and drug their food. Any comment @VCUHealth? How can you have such a vile person working with patients? How can anyone feel safe at your facilities if you employ such people?" then BREAKING: VCUHealth confirms Malinda has been placed on administrative leave. Leave?! She needs to be fired immediately, have her license revoked, and potentially face charges. She literally called to poison and drug ICE agents. Sorry but this is not enough." From WaEx, DHS investigating woman who tried to buy guns to ‘kill ICE Agents.’ Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "My favorite anti-ICE protest clip of all time is when a woman here in Asheville NC shows up to a protest wearing a mask, spells her FULL NAME LIVE ON THE NEWS... ...gets asked why she is wearing a mask "It's a protective measure against fascism..." ...YOU SPELLED YOUR FULL LEGAL NAME LIVE ON AIR." As PJM's Stephen Kruiser notes Anarchist Dems Are SO Lucky That Trump Isn't the Guy They Say He Is. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee "J6ers Wishing They Had Thought Of Branding Themselves 'Legal Observers.'" 

From Fox, Trump admin wins court victory freeing ICE agents from Minnesota protest restrictions, "The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling that blocked certain tactics against anti-ICE agitators in Minnesota." Ace, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Overrules Lawless Lowly District Judicial Insurrectionist, Removing Bullshit Restrictions on How ICE Can Handle Violent "Protesters", "Who knows, it's possible that this judge's lawless diktat that "protesters" should be allowed to be violent and ICE is barred from responding with non-lethal munitions like tear gas and pepper spray actually led to the death of the violent protesters. MXM News:" At News Wax, Judge Threatens ICE Chief Over Minn. Immigration Enforcement. "A U.S. District judge ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Todd Lyons to appear in Minnesota federal court "and show cause why he should not be held in contempt."" Capt. Ed says Hmmm: DoJ Withdraws Lemon Arrest Warrant Request – But ...

Logan Hall @loganclarkhall, "Average blue state elected Democrat: “We want to burn everything to the ground and hunt down our enemies and jail them for life.” Average red state elected GOP: “I’m certain we can find a good compromise here.”" Quote End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "BREAKING: Philly DA Krasner vows to "hunt down" ICE agents, labels them "WANNABE NAZlS!" Mickey Kaus @kausmickey, "An amnesty deal now seems further away than ever because it’s now 100% clear Dems will never keep their half of the bargain if it involves any significant restrictions on future migration. They’ll pocket the amnesty & reopen the border Biden-style as soon as they get the chance." Quote Mickey Kaus @kausmickey, "This is a good way to attract millions and millions of illegals, who (as Paul admits) would prefer living in the richest country in the world as non-citizens to living wherever they were before. (Paul's claim that his plan is a novel idea is ridiculous. "Non-citizenship" has x.com/Rothmus/status…"

ABC whines DHS increasing self-deportation stipend from $1,000 to $2,600 "The administration previously offered $1,000 for those who self-deported." RNS, As Springfield's 15,000 Haitians brace for deportations, local churches train to resist ICE. From AMAC, Don’t Believe Media Lies – Americans Want Immigration Enforcement. 

At Althouse, "DO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary." "Writes Senator John Fetterman to President Trump, quoted in "Fetterman calls on Trump to fire Noem: 'Americans have died'" (The Hill). When I first read that line — "Americans have died" — I thought he meant to say the entire nation has lost its soul. But he meant the simpler, concrete reality: Renee Good and Alex Pretti have died. There's also this: "Trump Holds 2-Hour Meeting With Noem Amid Backlash to Minneapolis Shooting" (NYT): . . . The referenced "grossly incompetent" Biden DHS Secretary was Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversaw the 10+ million illegal border crossings. Why didn't Biden fire him? A cynic would say Biden approved of what was happening. And yet even if he approved, he should have signaled that he did not approve, and firing the Secretary is a showy way to express disapproval."

From Sundance at CTH, President Trump Interview with Will Cain in Iowa - Full Video, President Trump Delivers Remarks on the Economy from Clive, Iowa, President of European Parliament Bans EU Nations from Purchasing Russian Gas Without Paying Commission to Third Party, Big Picture: President Trump and Trade Using the Art of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and Ontario Premier Doug Ford Appears in Awkward Presser - We Love Chinese EVs Now. BeGee Welborn, Calgary, Alberta Held an Independence Round Up Yesterday. News Wax notes US Steel Surpasses Japan, Boosted by Trump Tariffs. David Harsanyi @davidharsanyi, "No one is in charge. That's why they're cheap." Quote Joseph Brown @heresyfinancial, "Whoever is in charge of TV prices should be put in charge of healthcare, education, and housing prices."

MD Kittle at Da Fed, says the Plummeting Murder Rate Shows ‘Law And Order Works.’ Mark Hemingway @Heminator, "The only unsafe places in America are all run by the people he actually agrees with." Quote Giles Coren@gilescoren, "This morning I cancelled our family holiday to America. I cannot in good conscience take my wife and children there and tell them they will be safe. The United States is no longer a place for decent people." Amanda Head at JTN, tells the Tale of two managements: Trump's prep and readiness vs. Biden's 'no comment' "Fears of FEMA cuts unfounded, Trump administration has not met with disaster fumbles, such as Hurricane Katrina under President Bush's watch, or the East Palestine, Ohio toxic spill after a train derailment under President Biden."

At the Euro Con, “This revolution will succeed but we need external help to reduce the price of victory”—Iranian dissident. Insty, HILLARY DEPOSED QADDAFI AND SLAVE MARKETS APPEARED IN LIBYA. "BIDEN BUGGED OUT OF AFGHANISTAN AND NOW": Basil the Great @BasilTheGreat, "TALIBAN ANNOUNCE RETURN OF SLAVERY TO AFGHANISTAN The old Ghulam system in which children were taken as sexual slaves and servants has officially returned Where is the left crying out against this? Where are the marches? Where are the speeches? Silence."

Sarah Anderson at PJM, That's the Night That the Lights Went Out in Cuba? Mexico Cuts Oil Shipment.

Susie Moore at RedState, (Updated) MN Rep. Ilhan Omar Sprayed With Unknown Substance at Town Hall Event. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "WOW! Big evil MAGA man who sprayed Ilhan Omar turns out to have far-left gender questionable kids Imagine that."

John Sexton sees that In a Major Setback for Dems, Judge Rules Against Virginia Redistricting Effort. "Hurley struck down the legislature’s move on several grounds, ruling that lawmakers last year failed to vote on the amendment before the public began casting ballots in the November 2025 election and did not publish the amendment three months before the election, as required by state law." Law! We don't need no stinkin' law! Chad Mizelle @chad_mizelle, "Let’s talk Judicial Lawfare. Over 4 years of the Biden administration, 9 district court rulings against the administration were later overturned on appeal. About 2.25 per year. In 2025 alone, the first year of President Trump’s second term, 32 District Judges have issued 133 rulings against the Trump administration that were stayed or overturned on appeal. Simplified, District Judges are now issuing rulings that ultimately fail on appeal at more than 50x the rate compared to the previous presidency. And for the record, when these cases reach the Supreme Court, President Trump’s win rate is roughly 90%."

Reason reasons, What Mamdani Gets Wrong About the NYC Nurses Strike: State Regulations, Not Greed, Are the Problem "Zohran Mamdani had a chance to pursue health care reform in the New York State Assembly. He didn’t take it."

Stacy McCain identifies one of The Worst People in the World, and she's a jourolist at the Slantic. John Ocasio-Rodham Nolte @NolteNC, "We might care if it weren't for all the lying. Y'all shouldn't have done all this lying: · The ICE Detains Five-Year-Old Hoax · The Hegseth ‘Kill Everybody’ Hoax · Trump “Destroying” White House Hoax · Photo of Starving Gaza Baby Hoax · Israeli Troops Murdered Food-Seeking Palestinians Hoax · Trump Tariffs Will Explode Prices Hoax · Maryland Man Hoax · Black Newborns Much More Likely to Die If Doc’s White Hoax · Elon Musk Nazi Salute Hoax · Mass Hysterectomies Performed on Immigrants Hoax · The All-White Trump Party Hoax · Springfield Bomb Threat Hoax · Trump Called for Liz Cheney to Be Executed Hoax · Violent Crime Down Under Biden/Harris Hoax . . . " Quote, Christopher Miller @ChristopherJM, "Our journalist colleagues at The Washington Post here in Ukraine provide vital coverage, particularly of the human impact of Russia's ongoing war. It would be a major loss for The Post if it closes or downsizes this team or its other excellent foreign bureaus. But it would especially be a loss to the communities they cover and the American public, too. Hoping The Post leadership comes to its senses." The Hollywood Reporter reports Bari Weiss Unveils Sweeping Vision: “I Am Here to Make CBS News Fit for Purpose in the 21st Century” "Weiss rallied the troops and outlined her vision at an all-hands meeting Tuesday morning, naming a lineup of new contributors: "Our strategy until now has been to cling to the audience that remains on broadcast television. If we stick to that strategy, we're toast."" I wish her luck, but I don't hold out a lot of hope. Driscoll at Insty, FIRED NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST DISHES ON HER COWARDLY, CENSORIOUS NYT EDITORS.

Mazelit Airaksinen observes the NYC Therapist Who Wished Hitler “Ended” Jews Still Practicing "No consequences for antisemitism in healthcare at the state level."

Jamie Wilson at PJM, Amelia Victorious: How to Lose the Culture War With a Video Game. Quotulatiousness, Amelia was not created by the “extreme right”. She is lovely. 

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.26.26 and In The Mailbox: 01.27.26. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: One Big Crunch ready for your clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - 'Meathead' Murdered in LA

It's that kind of a week, and it's only Monday. After a call from a relative who had checked their house, LA Police were called to the Brentwood residence of Rob Reiner, best known for his breakout role as Archie Bunkers son-in-law 'Meathead' in "All In the Family," but a talented actor and director in his own right as well as a prominent liberal activist. Police found two bodies, Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer, apparently stabbed to death. Although there was some initial speculation it could have been an Islamic act of terror, sources are pointing at a son with drug and mental issues. I saw a police press conference late last night, and it was just awful, with police even refusing to identify the victims and saying they needed a warrant before collecting evidence at the scene. However, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayer Karen Bass had already issued statements identifying Reiner and his wife as the victims. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, R.I.P. Rob Reiner and His Wife Michelle Singer. Amy Curtis at TownHall, Director Rob Reiner and Wife Michele Singer Reiner Dead. Althouse, "Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were killed by their son, Nick, according to multiple sources who have spoken with family members." "Police have not yet confirmed the account. On Sunday, Dec. 14, at about 3:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was called to a home to provide medical aid, the LAFD told PEOPLE. Upon arrival, they found a man, 78, and a woman, 68, dead. Sources confirm the victims were Rob and Michele. Police say Nick, 32, is alive and being questioned. No arrests have been made...." People reports." Not that I had any intention of speaking ill of the dead, but I checked with Grok to see if Reiner had anything bad to say about Charlie Kirk after his assassination, and Grok could only find Reiner expressing sympathy.

Meanwhile, the mess at Brown University continues. A suspect was identified from phone data, arrested nearby, publicly named via a leak, and then released for lack of evidence.News Wax reports a 'Person of Interest' Arrested After Brown University Shooting Left 2 Dead, 9 Wounded. Teri Christoph at RedState, New: Person of Interest in Brown University Shooting ID’d As Chilling Details Emerge. At TownHall Scott McLallen says Person of Interest in Brown University Shooting Identified and Matt Vespa claims Latest Brown University Shooting Update Is Wild...and This Story Has Become a Total Circus. Althouse, "The search for the gunman who killed two people at Brown University in Rhode Island dragged into Monday..." ""... after officials said a person of interest detained earlier was released because they could not find enough evidence connecting him to the shooting. Mayor Brett Smiley of Providence, R.I., said Sunday night that officials had no way of knowing if the attacker that sent the Ivy League campus into lockdown on Saturday was still in the city.... Brown officials said exams would not be held as scheduled for the rest of the semester, and that students were free to go home. 'For the moment, we encourage everyone to focus on their own safety and well-being,' the provost said...." The NYT reports." So he hasn't really been cleared, but they don't have sufficient evidence to hold him. Twitchy says this Seems IMPORTANT: Brown Classroom Where Gunman Opened Fire Belongs to THIS Teacher Teaching THESE Subjects. Amy Swearer @AmySwearer, "Oh. The shooting occurred in the classroom of Professor Rachel Friedberg...who is Jewish, part of the Program in Judaic Studies, and whose research focuses on the intersection of economics and Jewish Studies? That seems like it might be incredibly relevant." Or it could be a complete coincidence. 

Meanwhile, downunder in Australia WaPoo, 15 killed in Bondi Beach shooting by father and son, Australian officials allege "The Australian Broadcasting Corporation named the father and son accused in the attack as Sajid Akram, 50, who was also killed, and Naveed Akram, 24, who was hospitalized. . . The older gunman first arrived to Australia on a student visa in 1998 and had since held legal status in the country via a partner visa and resident return visas, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Monday. His son is an Australian-born citizen, the minister said. . . A civilian lauded as a hero after he wrestled a gun from one of the suspected shooters has been identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed. He was “seriously injured,” Albanese said." Don Keith @RealDonKeith, "Bombs In Bondi: Police have now found multiple IED’s at the scene of the Muslim terror attack in Australia." Aaron Hancsom at PJM, Here's What We Know About Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Murdered at Bondi Beach Chanukah Celebration. At TCW, Bondi Beach Jewish Hanukkah Massacre – a survivor’s account. Driscoll at Insty cites ROBERT SPENCER: Australia Discovers What It Means to ‘Globalize the Intifada.’ Eve Barlow @Eve_Barlow, "There was more than one terror attack today. There were three. A Jewish home in California. A Jewish classroom at Brown. A Jewish celebration at Bondi. It’s beginning to look a lot like a globalized intifada." Max @MaxNordau, "Don’t let the Australia shooting, Brown shooting, and foiled Germany ramming distract you from the California shooting." Quote ADL California @ADLCalifornia "Last night’s shooting into the home of a Jewish family in @CityofRedlands, CA is a despicable act of antisemitic violence. Contact the Redlands Police Department at (909) 798-7681 with any information about this heinous act." Roger Simon at American Refugees asks Are Tucker and Candace Responsible for Sydney Terror? (UPDATED). No, it's not a crime to be an educated idiot. James Lindsay, anti-Communist @ConceptualJames, "They're testing Western defenses and resolve to prepare for something bigger and very coordinated." Quote Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "BREAKING: Masked Islamists are attacking a Hanukkah concert in Amsterdam This comes on the same day as Islamists murdered over 10 Jews in Australia." ONE DELIBERATELY CREATED says Insty, answering Vivid. @VividProwess, "Jews can’t enjoy Hanukkah peacefully. Christians can’t enjoy Christmas peacefully. What kind of dark world are we heading into?" Dave Strom, Maybe It Is a Good Idea to Quit Importing Terrorists? UPDATE: IT WAS A FATHER AND SON FROM PAKISTAN. Raise the Black @KTB_500, "There is absolutely gold in the thought behind this." Quote InfantryDort @infantrydort, "Terrorism ends when fear changes sides." Insty, CITIZENS DON’T NEED GUNS. THE POLICE WILL PROTECT YOU! Collin Rugg @CollinRugg, "Man refuses to take cover and points at one of the Bondi Beach terrorists while the terrorist was trying to shoot innocent people. Witnesses say police officers completely froze during the terror attack and did nothing. “Twenty minutes, there was four policemen there. Nobody give fire back. Nothing. Like they froze. I don’t understand why,” said eyewitness Shmulik Scuri. “For 20 minutes. They shoot, shoot. Change magazines. And just shoot.”"

Matt Vespa on Why the Latest Story From the Epstein Files Could Give Trump Grounds for a Lawsuit. Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "So. Best the Democrats and their flying media monkeys could do from the latest tranche of "Epstein files" is an image of adult women from a beauty contest in Hawaii with their faces blacked out by deceptive editing 31 years after the fact. I'm not Trump's biggest fan, but crap."

Driscoll at Insty sees THE RISE OF GERMAN NATIONALISM EXPOSES WASHINGTON’S DELUSIONS: Rod Dreher @roddreher, "If you actually look at the platforms of these “far right” parties, they’re like normie pre-Trump Republicans, except on migration (and generally pro welfare state). They’re not electing Nazis; they’re electing Bob Dole." Quote POLITICOEurope @POLITICOEurope, "Hard-right and far-right politicians now lead the polls in France, the U.K. and even Germany. Here’s how the power of populist hardliners differs across European countries . . ." Dan Mahoney at Am Mind is trying to Rediscover the Soul of Conservatism, Part II. I don't believe it's lost.

From Fox, Trump honors 'Miracle on Ice' team; Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig praise president in return. So now the liberals will hate them. At Civitas, Richard Epstein says Junk the CAFE Standards, "In the end, CAFE fails every known test of social welfare."

At Althouse, "To commemorate the abolition of slavery, the [Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee] had recommended an image of Frederick Douglass on the obverse and shackled and unshackled hands on the reverse." "To honor women’s suffrage, a World War I-era protester carrying a 'Votes for Women' flag. And to evoke the civil rights movement, a 6-year-old Ruby Bridges, books in hand, helping to desegregate the New Orleans school system in 1960. [Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, authorized by law to make final decisions about coin designs] opted instead for the more general, and much whiter. For the Mayflower Compact, a Pilgrim couple staring into the distance. For the Revolutionary War, a profile of Washington. For the Declaration of Independence, a profile of Thomas Jefferson. For the Constitution, a profile of James Madison. And for the Gettysburg Address, a profile of Lincoln on the obverse, and on the reverse, a pair of interlocking hands. No shackles." From "The War on ‘Wokeness’ Comes to the U.S. Mint/The Treasury Department unveiled new coins celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. They failed to include planned designs featuring abolition, women’s suffrage and the civil rights movement" (NYT). Liberals were not happy with Sec. Bessent's choices, of course.

After the penny project, I took a look at the quarter situation. Since 1999, the mint has been producing special quarters, with up to 5 different obverse designs for each year. First, the State Quarters, 1999-2008, then the National Park Quarters from 2009-2021, and most recently "Crossing the Delaware and American Women" Quarters from 2021-2025. The next set of  U.S. quarters are coming in 2026 to celebrate America's 250th anniversary (the Semiquincentennial), featuring five different designs highlighting key historical moments like the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address. I had been using quarters for years without paying much attention to the obverse sides.

From RVM, Web of Connections: Top Minnesota Democrats All Linked to Massive Somali Fraud Scandal. Politicians are drawn to loose money they way flies are to dead animals. Driscoll has DISPATCHES FROM MURDEROPOLIS:. . . "As Stephen Kruiser wrote in 2021: U.S.May Want to Look Into Getting Rid of Minnesota."

Matt Margolis hears and FBI Whistleblower Claims J6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Is the Wrong Guy "new whistleblower disclosures shared with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are raising serious questions about whether federal authorities have the right guy." Having it passed through Massie tends to discredit it. 

Racket's Matt Taibbi disapproves of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's Blunt Call for Government By "Independent" Experts "Independent from what? Dumb voters, of course. On this week's potentially transformative Supreme Court case, and the revival of Woodrow Wilson's vision." Independence from Republicans, of course. 

Ward Clark at RedState, DC Police Chief Cooked Crime Books: New Oversight Bombshell Drops. I'm shocked, shocked. At Da Mail, Female judge's career ends in disgrace after she lied that she'd taken part in Operation Desert Storm aged SIXTEEN. At least make your lies plausible. But John Kass nominates the Worst Crooked Judge in the World: Crook County Judge Patricia Martin "Martin is the former judge convicted of swindling an elderly Tuskegee Airman, Mr. Wilkerson, of his life savings. He found out about it after Judge Martin—who had his power of attorney to look out for him and pay his nursing home bills—stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from him. She blew it on bitcoin." CWBChicago @CWBChicago, "From the Department of Special Places in Hell: A former Cook County judge who allegedly swindled an elderly Tuskegee Airman of his life savings was sentenced to probation today." 

At Da Telegraph, Biden ‘ignored warnings about letting terror-linked Afghans into US’. Driscoll at Insty, Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate, "The reason ‘they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the dogs’ was such a big deal was because it called attention to something crazy the federal government and NGOs were doing which was dropping thousands of immigrants in random towns and cities across the US, changing them radically overnight. No one wanted to admit this was happening and Dems and libs preferred to ignore it but ‘cats and dogs’ was too mimetically powerful and it shifted the focus of the race back onto out of control immigration, a topic Dems desperately wanted to avoid. This is fair in politics and effective even if you find it distasteful. The real issue was never whether neighborhood pets were being eaten but what the hell the Biden administration was doing which turned out to be massive subsidization of an imported labor force that competed with Americans. There’s no purer or more legitimate issue. If you don’t like this type of thing, the media can neutralize it by being relentless and honest in figuring out exactly what the hell is going on and bringing what are legitimate political issues to the fore, rather than trying to sweep them under the rug."

Dave Manney at PJM hears Kristi Noem Fired by 17 Insiders and Counting, but not by Trump. At least so far. 

Jonathan Turley is disgusted CBS Staffers Attack New Anchor as Too White, Straight, Male and Pro-Israel. At Althouse, The ignominious Chia Pet deployed against Bari Weiss. "The headline at Variety is "Big Advertisers Appear Wary of CBS News’ Bari Weiss Town Hall Format." Not only is there that dismissive rhyme — "Wary of... Bari" — there's the attack of the Chia Pet:"

Insty says STARVE ALL YOU WANT, KIDS; "Hunger-striking UC Berkeley lecturer suspended for anti-Israel politicking in class: Leftist students conduct own hunger strike in solidarity: ‘Bring your keffiyeh, flag, signs & friends!’ Or swastikas. Same difference."

At Althouse, Jeffree Star demonstrates how it's done. "On TikTok:" J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling, "Bear with me here, but it's almost as though girls and women who want female-only spaces aren't scaremongering, hysterical, lying bigots after all." The Telegraph, Sexual predators target girls in mixed changing rooms "Dozens of rapes and sexual assaults committed in sports centres, police figures reveal."

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: A Week In The Ruts available for browsing at the usual place and time.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Pubs Save Tennessee Seat

In what had to be let down for Democrats, and a bit of a sigh of relief for Republican, Matt Van Epps beat Aftyn Behn, the woman who hates Nashville, in the special election in Tennessee in an election widely viewed as harbinger of the midterms. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Special Election in TN-07! UPDATE: DDHQ Calls Election for Van Epps. Sundance at CTH, Trump Endorsed Matt Van Epps Wins Tennessee Special Election for CD-07. Brent Scher @BrentScher. "Poor Aftyn Behn spent millions in donor dollars trying to leave the city she hates for DC. Shame it didn’t work out for her." The margin was a comfortable 9 points, but in a +22 Trump district, that's not saying too much. Driscoll at Insty, TRUMP IS REMAKING THE ELECTORATE. WILL IT LAST?, "Between 2020 and 2024, Trump nearly doubled his support among black voters, from 8 percent to 15 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. Over the same period, his support among Asian voters rose from 30 percent to 40 percent, and his share of the Hispanic vote increased from 36 percent to 48 percent. That Trump was able to make these dramatic inroads among blacks and Asians while running against Kamala Harris, a woman of black and Asian descent, is even more remarkable.". . . "Curiously, wannabe shadow president Mark Kelly seems quite cross about Trump’s multiracial support: Mark Kelly Claims Republicans Don’t Want Brown People in America and HOOBOY, Let the DRAGGING Begin." Nick Freitas @NickJFreitas, "Let me be clear…I would GLADLY trade Sen. Mark Kelly for a brown person who actually loves America and wants to preserve it." Quote Thomas Sowell Quotes @ThomasSowell, "Sen. Mark Kelly: "When I heard the secretary say that they're going to pause immigration from third-world countries, I take that as a message that they don't want brown people coming to the United States. And I find that disturbing."" PJM's Scott Pinsker sees MAGA at the Crossroads: With Record-Low Approval Ratings, How Does Trump Roar Back?

Amy Curtis at TownHall, The New York Times Just Blew WaPo's Hegseth War Crimes Story Out of the Water. Nick Arama at RedState thinks That Narrative About Hegseth and the Strike on the Drug Boats Just Imploded Even More. VodkaPundit at PJM, NYT to WaPo: You Lied About Hegseth. A day late, Ace sees New Deep State Op Drops: Pete Heseth Said "Kill Them All" Just Like Colonel Kurtz, and US Planes Fired on Drug Boat Survivors Clinging to the Wreckage Like Heroes, "I missed this story, but someone I knew who spent the holidays with her liberal family said that CNN is pushing this latest op non-stop." Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "Freaking seditious moron. The job of any nation's military is to close with and destroy its enemies in as expeditious a manner as possible. No nation's military has ever had a mission of social experimentation and figuring out how not to kill its enemies efficiently. The fact that any American gives this neo-Marxist traitor any credibility of any kind is quite disturbing." Quote Breaking911 @Breaking911, "SEN. KELLY: "[Hegseth] runs around on stage talking about lethality and warrior ethos and killing people." "That’s not the message that should be coming from the Secretary of Defense."" Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain, "The fact that people were thinking the way Kelly is thinking here is exactly why it was right to change DOD's name to the Department of War They had forgotten what their purpose was - fight, kill, win." From Twitchy, They MISCALCULATED: ShipWreckedCrew Shares Mark Kelly Video That Proves He's Actually VERY Nervous. From LifeZette, ‘Seditious’ Dem Mark Kelly Faces Two-Front Fire: Pentagon Probe and China Funding Concerns. VodkaPundit at PJM, Just When You Thought Tom Nichols Couldn't Possibly Go Fuller Tom Nichols.  At OTP, Rand Paul Blasts Hegseth Over Boat Strike Report. I like Rand Paul, but he's often guilty of letting the best be the enemy of the good.

Sundance at CTH hosts President Trump Holds a Cabinet Meeting and Secretary of State Marco Rubio Delivers Remarkable Affirmation of Trump Foreign Policy. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "LMFAO! President Trump making everyone crack up right now as he DUNKS on the Fake News "I sit here and do 4 news conferences, I ask questions from VERY intelligent LUNATICS - you people." "You always find something new! Like, 'Is he in good health? BIDEN was great, but is Trump in good health?!'" "But you do stories about BIDEN was in wonderful health? The guy won't do a conference for 8 months! I go ONE DAY - 'There's something wrong with the president.'" "YOU PEOPLE ARE CRAZY!""  

From Breitbart, Michael and Susan Dell Boost ‘Trump Accounts’ with $6.25 Billion Donation. Nick Arama has Great News on Gas Prices. Less than $3 nationwide. We saw that here yesterday. OTP predicts Oil, Gas Prices Expected To Stay Significantly Lower Through 2026. At TNP, No, Costco Is NOT Suing to Overturn Trump’s Tariffs: What Is the Lawsuit Actually About? "In reality, the company is seeking the right to recoup import duties paid, should the tariffs be overturned in a separate case before the Supreme Court." At Breitbart, Marvel Star Josh Brolin Defends ‘His Friend’ Trump: ‘No Greater Genius Than Him in Marketing.’ Secretary Sean Duffy @SecDuffy, "HUGE ALERT @USDOT is giving THOUSANDS of trucking schools 30 days to comply with federal rules for drivers or they may be forced to close down. The days of a “Wild Wild West” trucking industry are over under the Trump administration." Quote The Associated Press @AP, "BREAKING: Nearly 44% of U.S. truck driving schools could close after a federal review found many may be out of compliance with government rules. https://apnews.com/article/commer" The subtext is that many schools are just "diploma mills" for illegal aliens to get licenses.

At Am Great, the Great Victor Davis Hanson considers The War in Ukraine: Lots of Questions and a Few Answers. "Putin gambled on Western hesitation, and now a war born of miscalculation grinds on because neither Moscow nor NATO is willing—or able—to force a decisive end."

Amy Curtis at TownHall hears Grinches: Democrats Caught Lying About Melania Trump and Christmas. It's who they are, it's what they do. 

At JTN Natalia Mittelstadt reports Afghan national charged in connection to National Guard shooting pleads not guilty "Rahmanullah Lakanwal appeared virtually for the court hearing from his hospital bed, as he had been shot by another National Guardsman" and the staff present Suspect in shooting of 2 National Guard troops in DC shouted 'Allahu Akbar' as he fired on troops "The alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 following the disastrous US military pullout." From RVM, Pam Bondi Says D.C. Shooting Suspect ‘Should Have Never Been in Our Country!’ Amy Curtis sees MAGA Shreds RINO Andy Barr for Viral Clip Saying America 'Owed It' to Afghans to Help Bring Them Here. Charles C. W. Cooke@charlescwcooke "It’s not permissible to shoot members of the National Guard, and “I didn’t think they should have been deployed” is not a mitigating factor." nationalreview.com No, Trump Is Not to Blame for the National Guard Shooting | National Review The reaction in the media to this attack is as predictable as it is revolting. Sunny @sunnyright, ""If you don't want to be the target of violence don't do the thing I oppose" is applied with a selectiveness that curiously tends to whitewash the violent criminals rather than protect and honor the law-abiding." Driscoll at Insty, AFGHAN NATIONAL HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES OF THREATENING TEXAS SUICIDE BOMB ATTACK: "Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, who has been living in Fort Worth, Texas, said in a video posted on TikTok, X and Facebook days before Thanksgiving that Americans and “infidels” must perish and that he was going to use an improvised explosive device — with a yellow cooking oil “favored by the Taliban” — to carry out the slaughter, according to the Department of Justice."

Sundance hosts as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard Recaps IC Reform and Accountability Measures. We haven't heard much from her lately. Capt. Ed reads Politico: Will the DoJ Appeal Rulings on Comey, James Cases – Or Start Over? TownHall's Jeff Charles realizes Letitia James' Lawfare Against Pro-Life Groups Just Crashed and Burned "The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling stating that James cannot threaten crisis pregnancy centers over “abortion pill reversal” (APR). These groups have touted the treatment as a way for mothers who change their minds after taking the abortion pill."

From WokeSpy, Tim Walz Fraud Scandal Gets Teeth as Bessent Says They’re Following the Money. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears Aw, Now Duffy's on the Dummy's Case, Too. Andrew Kolvet @AndrewKolvet, "JUST IN: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says as many as 100 federal agents are headed to the Twin Cities following reports of massive taxpayer fraud committed by Somali immigrants." From the Pop Times, Employees Say Harris Chose Walz Despite Repeated Fraud Warnings in Minnesota. NYPo believe Minnesota’s Somali scammers scandal is what happens when officials blindly believe the ‘racism’ grift. Chris Rufo at CJ thinks The Somali Fraud Story Busts Liberal Myths
Mass immigration, antiracism, and the welfare state lead inexorably to fraud. News Wax hears Trump: Somalis Should Go Home and Fix Somalia. Althouse is upset, "President Trump unleashed a xenophobic tirade against Somali immigrants... calling them 'garbage' he does not want in the United States..." ""... in an outburst that captured the raw nativism that has animated his approach to immigration.... 'These are people that do nothing but complain,' Mr. Trump said at the tail end of a cabinet meeting at the White House.... 'When they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch, we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it,' Mr. Trump added as Vice President JD Vance banged the table in encouragement. . . . From "Trump Calls Somalis ‘Garbage’ He Doesn’t Want in the Country/President Trump has a history of insulting people from African countries, but the outburst was shocking in its unapologetic bigotry. Vice President JD Vance banged the table in encouragement" (NYT). I watched this performance live yesterday, and I believe I said out loud, "He's choosing to resonate with racists."" JTN reports Homeland Security Sec Noem says half of visa applications from Minnesotans are 'fraudulent' "Noem also said those who submitted “fraudulent visa applications signed up for government programs, took hundreds of billions of dollars from the taxpayers and we’re going to remove them and get our money back.”" Insty says SO MUCH FOR THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE: Righteous Sen. Ed Markey Quotes the Gospels in Replying to Sec. Kristi Noem’s Travel Ban Suggestion. Ed Markey @SenMarkey, "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35" Quote Secretary Kristi Noem @Sec_Noem "I just met with the President. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies." "I was hungry and you demanded higher taxes to give me food. I was sick and you lobbied for Caesarcare. I was in prison and you did a TikTok dance. I was a stranger and you set a chariot on fire… https://t.co/cY8PCsRlrh — Jon Gabriel (@exjon) December 2, 2025" At Breitbart cites Brooke Rollins: USDA to Review ‘ALL’ Its Programs ‘to Ensure Only Legal Citizens Are Receiving Benefits.’

NewsWeek whines 8 Immigration Judges Fired in Latest Trump Admin Move. We're they accepting every asylum case? Amy Curtis thinks you should Check Out the Despicable Anti-ICE Ad Running in North Carolina Right Now. David Marcus @BlueBoxDave, "My biggest takeaway from visiting Del Rio, TX, where I’m sure neither of these white ladies who brunch have ever been, was not how many border agents are Hispanic, but how much the local Hispanic community supports them. They should really go there." Quote Jason Cohen@JasonJournoDC "NEW: Ex-MSNBC Host Krystal Ball *CAN'T GRASP* why minorities join ICE "What is wrong with you!? Not only do you not have morality, apparently you don't have self-preservation! These people hate you! "You're never going to belong — and you're the one implementing the violent force against your own community!? I just can't wrap my head around that!""

PJM's Matt Margolis wonders Is Chuck Schumer Pulling a Jussie Smollett? It Sure Looks Like It. "Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor Monday to announce that multiple bomb threats had been directed at three of his New York offices, claiming law enforcement informed him about emails with "MAGA" in the subject line and messages alleging the 2020 election was rigged. If this story sounds familiar, that's because it plays like a bad rerun of the Jussie Smollett hate crime hoax, where the actor claimed two men in red caps attacked him while shouting, "This is MAGA country.” The parallels are almost too perfect to ignore."

News Wax is hoping Joe Biden's Lifetime Judicial Appointments May Be Void because of the autopen. I really doubt it; no court is going to hold their appointment was illegal.

Insty, BLACK RAIN: Michael Douglas And Catherine Zeta-Jones Reportedly ‘Furious’ Over Son’s On-Air Humiliation On CNN. "Michael Douglas and his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, are reportedly very displeased over the manner in which their son Dylan was humiliated during a roundtable discussion on politics with CNN commentator Scott Jennings. Young Dylan was left stuttering incomprehensibly midway through the interview, which has seemingly become a source of mockery behind the scenes. Now, according to sources, his parents, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, intend to blacklist the entire network, as they believe CNN crossed the line. Jennings is of course, loving every minute of this:" Mike Cantrell at PJM. Ellen DeGeneres Leaving UK to Return to U.S. After Fleeing From Trump. Please don't. Beege Welborn, Picking Your Poison Poorly: Trump v the 'Cold' Cotswolds.

Bob Spencer at PJM reports a TSA Agent Who Say’s He’s a Woman Claims a ‘Civil Right’ to Grope Women. This is liberal gratitude, Surgeons Removed His Cancers and Saved His Life. "He, a "Transgender," Is Now Suing the Doctors for Having Questions About His Fake Gender.  The transgender decided to make trouble by secretly recording the medical staff during his surgery so he could hear if the surgeons Failed to Correctly Gender Him when they were saving his life." 

Hat Hair's John Sexton is concerned 'Students With Disabilities' Doesn't Mean What You Might Think These Days "If you grew up in the era I did, having a disability meant something pretty specific. It meant people who had major physical or mental issues that were obvious to anyone who looked at them. If you were in a wheelchair you had a disability. But that's not what it means today. These days, lots of students claim a disability based on as little as a doctor's note and ask that special accommodation be made for them. The percentage of students making these claims, especially at elite schools, has tripled over the past 10-15 years."

Comfortably Smug @ComfortablySmug, "Employees of the Environmental Defense Fund, a left-wing group that wants you to get rid of your gas stove, are joining a union for journos. What a wild disclosure at the bottom of the article."

Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter "We’re going to wipe out your institutions and if you think you’re going to somehow convince us that fighting back violates our principles, you’re going to have a very sad time of it." Quote Zee Cohen-Sanchez @ZeeToTheHill, "Reminder: Charlie Kirk launched the Professor Watchlist which is a blacklist that Conservatives still use today to relentlessly harass professors and ruin their careers. Charlie Kirk didn’t fight cancel culture. He professionalized it, monetized it and weaponized it. If the left had created Professor Watchlist to target conservative professors, would Republicans still call it “free speech” or would they be screaming censorship?"

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Old Trucks & Young Babes (Part 2 of n) and FMJRA 2.0: Another Winning Week up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

al-drivers-license-trucking-california-pennsylvania-96fee86df4f9bfb0ef65af20da878a57?taid=692df8153977f80001785112&utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter