Flotsam and Jetsam - Is Trump Softening on the Minnesota Insurrection?

The cold weather continues, but I hear there's a break coming. For one or two hours tomorrow, it's supposed to break 32 F!

Clandestine @WarClandestine, "Trump said he is not going to use federal DHS/ICE agents to police local rioting in Democrat cities unless they ask for help. He is however, going to use DHS/ICE and, if necessary, the US MIL to protect federal property. It sounds like Trump knows something is coming. It sounds like the Dems want DHS/ICE to get caught up in policing these riots, hoping more of their deranged followers take it too far and get shot. Trump is instead going to hold and force local Democrat politicians to police their own riots, or agree to work with him. And if the Dems choose to not police these riots, they will force Trump to use the US MIL to suppress the chaos." Sundance at CTH, Strategic Retreat? – President Trump Announces Instructions to DHS to Pull Back from ICE Operations in Democrat States/Regions. At NYPo, Ben Domenech says GOP can’t go soft on immigration with midterms looming — it’s why voters picked Trump. From Breitbart, Trump Administration Begins Suing Illegal Migrants Who Have Not Self-Deported. Mickey Kaus @kausmickey, "Good Lord -- it also says they [the Democrats] wanted to "lower the overall number of legal immigrants."" Quote National Immigration Center for Enforcement @NICEnforcement, "Bill Clinton’s 1996 immigration platform makes Trump look like the president of @USChamber x.com/dmichaeltripi/…" That was before they realized they could be used to vote, and for the great grifting game.

From Fox, GREGG JARRETT: Don Lemon left his press pass at the door when he joined church-storming mob, "Federal prosecutors allege former CNN podcaster participated in disrupting religious service rather than just reporting on," and Don Lemon taps Hunter Biden's attorney to fight Trump DOJ charges. 357 Magnum, Don Lemon Charged with Violating Civil Rights. Jon Gabriel @exjon, "Don Lemon wasn’t arrested for exercising his first-amendment rights. He was arrested for preventing other Americans from exercising their first-amendment rights." Quote Andrew Yang @AndrewYang, "Arresting journalists is a terrible line to cross." Jennifer Holliday @Jenhollidayx, "And conspiring with other people to deprive them of their right to worship freely. That part is key. He didn’t have to be the one preventing the exercise of rights. For a more thorough explanation and case law, check out the model jury instructions." Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports Independent Minnesota journalist Georgia Fort arrested in connection with church protest, ""This is all stemming from the fact that I filmed a protest as a member of the media," Georgia Fort said." Let's review the tapes and find out what she really did.

NYPo reports Anti-ICE protesters clash with fed agents outside DTLA federal building. At PM, Antifa trans militant pleads guilty in attempted arson attack at Portland ICE facility, "Alistair Macfarlane Sidener, 20, of Portland, attempted to set the ICE facility ablaze." KOLD News 13, Sister of man shot by Border Patrol says he’s no victim, calls him violent. Arthur MacWaters @ArthurMacwaters, "This is utterly insane: > sanctuary cities overlap nearly perfectly with riot locations, which overlap nearly perfectly with deep blue vote > the riots are highly-organized, increasingly violent, and obviously partisan, not humanitarian (no one rioted when biden deported millions) > if roles were reversed, headlines would read "civil war, red states revolt" Politicians and the media are encouraging riots, then framing this as a moral struggle between helpless illegal immigrants and valiant freedom fighters against the gestapo Just craziness. The legacy media spin is so predictable, yet so many people just believe it." Daniel McCarthy at Rod Martin, The Unspoken Logic of the Anti-ICE Mob "Federal law makes it a crime to engage in a conspiracy to impede federal officers from performing their duties. That includes street violence. It also includes officials running "Sanctuary Cities"." Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "When criminal gangs start working for Leftist government, you've just made @KurtSchlichter into a modern day Nostradamus." Quote American AF @iAnonPatriot, "Long Beach mayoral candidate Rogelio Martinez has called on all 55 gang leaders in the city to team up and REMOVE ICE agents… This is absurd!!" Josh Monnington at Da Fed agrees You Can’t Have A Secure Border Without Deportations. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great, Slouching Towards Fort Sumter? "Minnesota’s defiance of federal immigration law echoes pre–Fort Sumter nullification, forcing Trump to choose between enforcement and letting blue states slide toward open rebellion." ZitoSalena @ZitoSalena, "The most basic role of journalism and military experts; Follow the Money," Quote John Schindler @20committee, "January’s Minneapolis Mess: Some Counterintelligence Questions Who’s really behind Minnesota’s acrimonious confrontation with the Feds over deportations?" The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Bruce Springsteen Threatens To Keep Releasing Songs Until Deportations Stop."

It has indeed somehow become even worse https://t.co/oTiJlVombp

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2026

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears a Federal Judge Tosses Minnesota Lawsuit to Stop Immigration Enforcement Surge. Sundance, Federal Judge Refuses to Block Minnesota DHS Operation ‘Metro Surge’ "U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Menendez admitted the ongoing operation “will likely continue to have profound and even heartbreaking, consequences on the State of Minnesota, the Twin Cities, and Minnesotans,” however, there is no grounds for the state’s case using the 10th amendment." Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks Ellison Wasn't Trying to Win the TRO Case; He Was Helping Build the Narrative for the #Resistance. Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley. "I previously wrote about the frivolous lawsuit by Gov. Walz and Minn. Attorney General Keith Ellison to enjoin immigration enforcement operations in the state. https://jonathanturley.org/2026/01/13/minnesota-files-meritless-lawsuit-to-stop-increase-in-fraud-investigation-and-immigration-enforcement/ As expected, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez, a Biden appointee, just ruled against them."jonathanturley.org" Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "...This is only the latest meritless challenge filed by Democratic governors and mayors to suggest that these operations are unlawful. It is a pandering to the mob to fulfill a false narrative about these arrests. The mob tactics targeting ICE are obstructing lawful operations..." ET reportsa Judge Blocks Parts of Trump Order on Verifying Citizenship for Voter Registration. "The May 2025 order directed officials to enforce policies on voting and voter registration. The judge said the president lacks the authority to do that." That may hold up. At News Wax, Judge Temporarily Blocks End of Ethiopians' Deportation Protections "to provide more time for a legal challenge to be heard." Sunny @sunnyright, "And there it is. The effort has now begun to delegitimize appeals. Once Democrats get their way with one magistrate judge (whose authorities are limited by nature because they're not Senate-confirmed district judges) you now have to accept that as the final ruling. Insane." Quote Ronan Farrow @RonanFarrow Replying to @RonanFarrow, "In a functioning system, that ends it. Instead, the DOJ appealed to a higher court to override the magistrate’s ruling and force the warrants through. That procedural move—seeking arrests after a judge said the evidence didn’t support them—is the anomaly."

Driscoll at Insty says THANKS FOR THE CONFIRMATION, REP. GILLEN: Haiti Is Hell—Don’t Import it Into America. Auron MacIntyre @AuronMacintyre, "May I humbly suggest that if sending Haitians to Haiti is a death sentence because it’s full of Haitians then bring Haitians here is a death sentence for our country." Quote End Wokeness @EndWokeness "Rep. Laura Gillen (D): "Sending Haitians to Haiti is a death sentence""

At TownHall, Mike Barone sees Big Surprises in the 2030 Census Estimates, mostly favorable to the GOP. The Free Bacon, Trump States Gaining Population As High-Tax States Lose People, New Census Data Show. Hopefully the refugees know better that to create the same problems in a new state, but the example of Oregon visa vie California isn't a good one. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn in her best Yoda voice, Begun the Census Wars Have

At Althouse, "The [Epstein] files appeared to contain at least 4,500 documents that mentioned Mr. Trump." ""One was a summary that officials at the Federal Bureau of Investigation assembled last summer of more than a dozen tips from the public involving Mr. Trump and Mr. Epstein, according to emails released by the Department of Justice on Friday. It is unclear why the investigators put together the summary, which includes accusations of sexual abuse by Mr. Epstein and Mr. Trump. The emails did not include any corroborating evidence, and The New York Times is not describing the details of the unverified claims. . . From "Powerful Men Who Turn Up in the New Batch of Epstein Files/Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Sergey Brin were among those who exchanged messages or visited with Jeffrey Epstein, according to the newly released documents" (NYT)(gift link)." One suspects a lot of them are late additions, like the 2000 women who accused Bret Kavanagh of assaulting them. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee. "Damning Photos Surface Of Clippy On Epstein Island." I never trusted him/her.

In misc. Trumpiania, News Wax has a Trump Op-Ed: Tariffs Revived Economy, Defied Experts. Leslie Eastman at LI, Beyond the ‘Discombobulator’: America’s Laser‑Focused Push Into the Future of Warfare "Trump’s branding can blur the technical details, but he undeniably spotlighted the fact that our nation’s military has now entered an era of accelerated defense innovation." Maybe they should use the discombobulator in Minnesota. And Althouse says Oh, no!, "It's just cruel. Please. This hurts my heart: NYT, Trump favors 250-foot arch that would tower over other monuments, because we all know it would come be known as Trump's Victory Arch. Also, "Can I ask a question I have been dying to ask? You all might think it is a weird question but I've always been curious. What is your favorite time of day?" "That's the utterly inane question Dana Perino asked Melania Trump on "The Five":" Commenter Phaedrus adds, "With no context about Dana Perino, I could see that being inane. The is not a novel topic for her. She is known for getting up early (she has her own show before The Five, much earlier) and this wasn’t the first conversation where time of day peak/ebb has been discussed around the table.And she has written several books where productive habits are woven throughout (as implied when she’s discussed content with the hosts from the same standpoint Melania is doing so about her movie). I watched that particular segment when it aired and as with book/movie all the questions were softballs but Dana’s question was pretty on brand for her."

Fox, Government shuts down again after Democrats revolt over DHS funding "The Senate passed the spending deal to the House hours before the midnight deadline." A Hat Hair video asserts Democrats Playing With Dynamite on Another Shutdown. Will anyone other than government drones notice?

ET hears Gov. Walz, Minnesota AG Will Give Sworn Testimony About Fraud to Oversight Committee. "Congressmen will question both leaders in a public session focusing on ‘rampant misuse of taxpayer dollars,’ the committee says, estimated at $9 billion." Land of 10,000 Frauds presents Your one-stop clearinghouse for everything related to state government fraud in Minnesota. Elon Musk @elonmusk, "They tried to hide their crimes." Quote Luke Rosiak @lukerosiak "When DOGE went to audit the African Development Foundation, its CFO locked them out. The move was heralded by Democrats and the media as heroic. Turns out, when people resist audits, it's because they have something to hide. Today the agency's CFO admitted taking bribes."

Sundance hosts FBI Director Kash Patel Outlines “Probable Cause” in Georgia Election Data Warrant. From News Wax, Clinton Contempt Vote Set for Next Wednesday. I already hold them in contempt. 

Betsy McCaughey at Hat Hair, Mamdani's Cruel Homeless Policy: Frozen Corpses and Blighted Neighborhoods. At RCI, Poll Finds New England Women Feel Misled About Climate Policies. They were told it wasn't going to snow any more, and wind and solar would keep them warm in winter. Christine Rose @AIChristineRose "Today in “we are governed by people who failed 8th grade science”: two #Memphis City Council members posted videos claiming the recent snow was… fake. As in “this ain’t snow, y’all,” because it didn’t melt the way they expected when they held a lighter to a snowball. Local coverage here, in case you think I’m exaggerating: https://memphisflyer.com/the-snow-is-fake-claim-two-memphis-city-council-members/ We’ve all seen random TikToks and Facebook uncles doing the “burn the snow, it doesn’t drip, therefore it’s plastic from the government” routine. What’s different here is who is doing it. These are people voting on budgets, infrastructure, and policy, publicly treating basic physics like a psyop. Once you see that, the rest of our policy mess starts to make more sense. The same epistemic failure that produces “fake snow” conspiracies is exactly what gives you bills like Tennessee’s SB 1493 — the one that tries to turn “AI emotional support” into a Class A felony. (start here for my 6-part series in progress on that one: https://crispyrose.com/tennessee-ai-bill-economic-impact/) The pattern is identical: I don’t understand this ➜ it doesn’t match my intuition ➜ therefore it’s probably fake, dangerous, or being used against us." At ET, Man Accused of Spraying Apple Cider Vinegar on Ilhan Omar Charged With Assault. "Anthony James Kamierczak was charged with forcibly assaulting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with the representative."

From NRO, Jury Awards Detransitioner $2 Million in Historic Medical-Malpractice Lawsuit. Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "Plaintiff’s lawyers are going to end “gender change” surgeries on minors. This was a New York jury. Can you imagine when some of these cases get to red state jurors? Someone is going to get hit with nine figures in damages. Doctors who did these surgeries should lose licenses too," Quote Stacy Robinson @stacepochalypse "A jury has awarded Fox Varian a total of $2 million after it found her psychologist and surgeon liable for medical malpractice related to a mastectomy at age 16." Don Surber thinks Lawsuits will end the trans fad, "A New York jury said butchering a confused 16-year-old girl was malpractice." At Althouse, "A jury on Jan. 30 found a psychologist and surgeon liable for malpractice after they supported and performed breast removal surgery..." Gail Heriot at Insty says OUR CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL IS CRAZY: "“California Attorney General Sues Rady Children’s Hospital for Curtailing Gender-Affirming Care.” Meanwhile a jury just awarded $2 million to detransitioner in win against gender surgeons."

At the Free Bacon, Mamdani Voter Ezra Klein Tries, Fails To Achieve Solidarity With Student Activists Who Called Him a 'Zionist Pig' "The liberal NYT columnist has denounced Israel and defended student protests. They blasted him as a 'Nazi normalizer' who 'set Palestine on fire.'" Charles Murray @charlesmurray, "But perhaps you can understand my guilty pleasure at seeing Ezra wrongly accused of the same sort of thing he wrongly accuses me of." Quote Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias, "I don't think @ezraklein is an apologist of white supremacist views and an accessory to genocidal state violence." From Stacy McCain's substack, Born Lucky, Two Flavors of the Same Poison, "Matt Yglesias notices totalitarian foxes inside the 'progressive' henhouse."

The College Fix reports Audit demanded after claims that MIT faculty hiring sidesteps DEI ban. Da Caller, Trump DOJ Joins Legal Fight Against Major Med School’s ‘Race-Based’ Admissions. Da Wire explains Why Governors Are Opting-In To School Choice At Record Speed "Nineteen states are now set to participate in the federal tax credit scholarship with more on the way."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Boots & Bikinis and FMJRA 2.0: Better Late Than Never up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Israeli Hostages Freed

I was never convinced it was going to happen. From Da Mail, Free at last! Israeli hostages hug one another in joy as all 20 living captives are finally handed over by Hamas following 738 days in Gaza hell as part of Trump's historic peace deal. At Althouse, "The remaining 13 living hostages in Gaza have been transferred into the hands of the Red Cross, the Israeli military said in a statement," "The NYT reports, 51 minutes ago, in its excellent live coverage" and "You know, I'm being a little cute — I don't think there's anything going to get me in heaven." Driscoll at Insty cites ROGER KIMBALL: The Physics and Politics of Peace: Trump’s Triumph in the Middle East and Ben Shapiro "Trump has brokered an unthinkable deal: the release of the final 20 live Israeli hostages, with Israel maintaining a secure posture in the Gaza Strip; the possibility of a non-Hamas future in Gaza, supported by regional allies; the even greater possibility of future Abraham Accords with countries like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. So, how did this happen? It happened the same way things always happen in the Middle East: The decisionmakers ignored the conventional wisdom. The conventional wisdom said that military action could not guarantee security. That wasn’t just wrong; it was catastrophically wrong: It was military action that took out the supporting pillars beneath Hamas’ feet." Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Nowhere has the death of the "expert" class been more evident than in foreign policy. Everything they told you for decades was wrong, specifically regarding the Middle East. All of it, every bit of it, was dead wrong. And they still pretend they have credibility." Quote Matt Whitlock @mattdizwhitlock, "Joe Biden had approximately 1000 years worth of foreign policy experience and literally every conflict / region of the world got worse during his presidency." Unbelievably, except I believe it, at RedState from Bonchie, Antony Blinken Gives Biden Credit for Gaza Deal, and It Gets Worse From There. At Grabien, CNN’s Abby Phillip Blasts Obama for Not Crediting Trump for Israel-Hamas Deal. Credit where credit is due, NYPo reports Hillary Clinton heaps rare praise on President Trump for handling of Israel-Hamas peace deal: ‘I really commend.’

Of course it's not all wine and roses, Fox reports Dozens killed in Gaza as violence erupts between Hamas and armed clans, apparently including well know Paliwood star FAFO. aka Saleh al-Jaafari, seen in countless Hamas videos, portraying anything from a Dr. to a dead body. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, FAFO Found Out; Reported Killed By Fellow Gazans in Tribal Dispute. Will he get an post mortem Oscar? At Althouse, "President Trump Delivers Remarks to The Knesset." Sundance at CTH has a veritable bevy of posts, President Trump Speaks to Reporters as He Departs U.S. for Israel and Egypt, Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty Discusses Hostage Release and Gaza Peace Plan, Sunday Talks – Vice President JD Vance Outlines Gaza Peace Deal, U.S. Troops to Middle East and Qatari Base in Idaho and Sunday Talks – JD Vance vs Margaret Brennan – Video and Transcript. 

Larry Elder at Hat Hair on The Politics of the Shutdown, Obamacare, Crime and Deportations. At ET, Vance Warns of More Federal Layoffs as Shutdown Persists. "His comments come as the Trump administration recently confirmed 4,100 workers have received layoff notices." From News Wax, Govt Worker Unions Ask Judge to Halt Shutdown Layoffs, Dems' Shutdown Demand Won't Lower Healthcare Costs and Report: Trump Fed Chair Candidates Cut to 5. Matt Margolis at PJM, Democrats Are Quietly Pulling the Plug on Free Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants. ET reports Trump Directs Pentagon to Pay Troops During Government Shutdown, "The move follows recent CBO guidance that mandatory accounts under recent legislation could be tapped to cover military pay." Nick Ballasy at JTN, Trump directs Hegseth to ‘use all available funds’ to pay troops during shutdown, "I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown," he wrote. "The Radical Left Democrats should OPEN THE GOVERNMENT, and then we can work together to address Healthcare, and many other things that they want to destroy." Stacey Matthews at LI thinks Trump Outfoxes Schumer and Jeffries, Directs Hegseth to Use ‘All Available Funds’ to Pay Troops . “I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th.” From OTP, Trump Weighing $14B Farm Bailout As Bankruptcies Surge.

At RedState Streiff sees JD Vance Cooks George Stephanopoulos for Refusing to Talk About the Schumer Shutdown. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: JD Vance destroyed ABC's George Stephanopolous so hard they CUT HIS FEED and went to break  VANCE: "Here's, George, why fewer and fewer people watch your program and why you're losing CREDIBILITY, because you're talking for now 5 minutes with the Vice President of the United States about this story regarding Tom Homan, a story that I've read about, but I don't even know the video that you're talking about. Meanwhile, low-income women can't get food because the Democrats and Chuck Schumer have shut down the government!" "You are focused on a BOGUS story. You're insinuating criminal wrongdoing against a guy who has done nothing wrong instead of focusing on the fact that our country is struggling because our government's shut down! Let's talk about the real issues, George." "I think the American people would benefit much more from that than from you going down some weird left-wing rabbit hole where the facts clearly show that Tom Homan didn't engage in any criminal wrongdoing." GEORGE: "It's not a weird left-wing rabbit hole! I didn't insinuate anything. I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50,000 as was heard on an audio tape recorded by the FBI in September 2024, and you did not answer the question. Thank you for your time this morning." VANCE: "No, George, I said-" GEORGE: "We'll be right back."  UPDATE: Tom Bevan of Real Clear Politics tweets, “I swear, the only reason for the admin going on the Sunday shows anymore is to own the lib anchors. Nobody watches these shows. [Vance] is going to get far more mileage off of this on social media.”

At Hat Hair Josh Hammer looks at Operation Divide MAGA. Sundance, By Request – MAGA Division. OTP, Trump Teasing Construction Of New Monument In DC. From Twitchy, That's How It's Done: Pam Bondi Shows the RIGHT Way to Respond to Satire (Even Lame Satire from SNL). 

At Insty, VodkaPundit cites Amuse,  STOLEN: The Algorithm That Rigged the Census: How One Bureaucrat Stole the House and Billions in Funding. Read the whole thing to see how the last census was rigged. Also, Plus: “If all this is true, President Trump’s call for a mid-decade census is more than justified.”

Driscoll at Insty POOR JOE BIDEN IS STRUGGLING TO ADAPT TO PRIVATE LIFE: "Joe Biden’s post-presidency has been rough, to put it mildly. Nearly nine months after Donald Trump reclaimed the White House, Biden is holed up in Wilmington, Delaware, grappling with a reality that must feel like political exile. He’s dealing not just with the sting of losing power, but also the inability to sell access and enrich his family. Though he won’t admit to the latter. . . " Steve Guest @SteveGuest, "WATCH: Kamala Harris reveals that Joe Biden doesn't pick up her calls. Eugene Daniels asking about Biden's cancer treatment: Have you talked to him about it? Kamala: "Yeah. No. I called him earlier." Daniels: "How's he doing?" Kamala: "I have not talked to him. I just left him a message."" I wouldn't want to listen to her either. Ryan King at NYPo, Kamala Harris reveals Biden sent her call to voicemail when ex-VP reached out about cancer treatment. Everyman Commentary Ep. 12 - Democrats Just Need to Message Harder

Michael Barone asks Are Democrats the Party of Murder? Nick Ballasy, Luigi Mangione’s lawyers request dismissal of federal charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO assassination. "He became the darling of leftist women -- even described as "dreamy"-- but the legal team for the poster boy for leftist violence is also arguing that certain evidence should be excluded from trial."

At ET, Appeals Court Says National Guard Can Be Federalized but Not Deployed in Illinois, "A federal district court granted the state of Illinois a temporary restraining order on Oct. 10, halting a National Guard deployment in Chicago." From Newsweek, Trump Is Looking at All ‘Options’ Before Invoking Insurrection Act—Vance. Victory Girls, Antifa Thinks They Are The True Americans.Liz Stauffer at LI reports on a Chicago TV Station Producer Arrested for Throwing Objects at Border Patrol Vehicle, "The legacy media points to a temporary restraining order that “prohibit[s] the use of force against journalists” in Chicago." "Debbie Brockman “was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer.” A producer for WGN-TV, a Chicago television station, arrested after throwing objects at law enforcement. " From Twitchy, Attack of the Theater Kids: Leftist Cosplayers 'Storm' Illinois ICE Facility ... and We Got Nothin'. Mike Ryan @Michael75055607, "Thing is , you can't tell if inside they're strapped with a mack 10 or suicide vest. Best to hit them with a watter cannon on sight and sort it out from a distance." Quote Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " JUST IN: In a pathetic move, liberals are STORMING toward the Broadview, Illinois ICE facility... ...they're acting exactly the way you'd expect." Jeff Carter at Points and Figures, They Need And Want Anarchy, "Especially In Chicago."

Fox, Kamala Harris alleges Trump using DOJ for ‘revenge,’ questions justice system’s integrity, "The former vice president has been touring several cities to promote her book '107 Days'." NYPo ed board, Letitia James now reaps what she had sown — so spare us the faux outrage. RNC Research @RNCResearch, "NBC: "But what about Trump?" LINDSEY GRAHAM: "...You didn't care that Letitia James made up charges that no one's ever faced. That Alvin Bragg made up charges no one ever faced...This may bother you that people are being held accountable. It doesn't bother me one damn bit." Ryan King at NYPo, Trump suggests ‘corrupt’ Sen. Adam Schiff could be next political rival in the crosshairs: ‘Sooo dishonest.’ RealRobert @Real_RobN, "This is: CNN——a criminal enterprise, CNN cuts off @DNIGabbard as she tells the world that Barack Hussein Obama attempted to overthrow the United States government in 2016 as part of a ‘treasonous conspiracy’, overthrew it in 2020 to cover it up—and now he’s been caught. “Multiple intelligence community assessments released in the months leading up to the November 2016 election concluded that Russia had neither the intent nor the capability to impact the outcome of the U.S. election. On December…”"

Fox, More than 30 children rescued amid trafficking operation in major US city as expert warns of growing crisis. 

At OTP, Okla. State Official Reprimands Student Over Charlie Kirk Tribute "during the talk, Wilson wore a hat emblazoned with “45 47,” given to him by Kirk a few months prior. This apparently did not sit well with OSU’s Melisa Echols, who later informed Wilson his hat could “trigger” some students. “As a person who doesn’t look like you and has not had the same lived experience as you, I have family who don’t look like you who are triggered—and I will be very candid with you—who are triggered by those hats and by that side,” Echols said. Ironically, Wilson (pictured) is Native American — a member of the Cherokee Nation." I don't know about students, but he certainly triggered at least one administrator. 

At ET, MIT Says It Will Not Sign Trump Admin’s Higher Education Compact "MIT is the first of the nine universities invited to join the compact to publicly reject it." "The proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” would require participating universities to freeze tuition for five years, limit international student enrollment, and adopt the federal government’s biology-based definitions of sex and gender when it comes to sports or single-sex spaces. Other provisions call for reinstating the SAT requirement for applicants, curbing grade inflation, prohibiting the use of race and sex as factors in admissions or employment, and reforming or dismantling departments that “purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”"

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: No Joy At Fenway at the usual time and place.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Makes Peace in Armenia vs Azerbaijan, Still Working on Russia vs Ukraine

Rueters, Trump announces peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in case you didn't know they were at war. Insty, THEY TOLD US HE WAS GOING TO BE A WARMONGER, WHOSE LOOSE-CANNON DIPLOMACY WOULD PRODUCE CHAOS: Batya Ungar-Sargon @bungarsargon, "An astonishing achievement. The diplomacy coming out of this administration is just tremendous, and President Trump's haters—which include the vast majority of the mainstream media whose job it is to cover this stuff—won't give him an ounce of credit for it." Quote The White House @WhiteHouse, "President Donald J. Trump hosts the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev @PresidentAZ, and the Prime Minister of Armenia, @NikolPashinyan, for a historic peace summit." CJ Pearson @thecjpearson, "In less than seven months in office, President Trump has now brokered peace between: Thailand and Cambodia, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the DRC, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Sundance at CTH reports President Trump Meeting with President Putin Will Take Place in Alaska and Polish News Outlet Claims Insider Info on Trump-Putin Tentative Agreement. "According to Onet, the US proposal includes: "A ceasefire in Ukraine, though not a full peace agreement. De facto recognition of Russian-occupied territories by postponing the status issue for 49 or 99 years. The lifting of most sanctions imposed on Russia and, in the long term, a return to energy cooperation – namely, imports of Russian gas and oil." Meanwhile, the proposal reportedly does not include guarantees against NATO expansion – one of Moscow’s consistent demands. Russia did not receive any promises that military support for Ukraine would cease. However, according to the outlet, this last point is said to be acceptable to the Russians." Tod Glasser at RCP on Building a Just and Lasting Peace In Ukraine. WarTranslated @wartranslated, "Russian Urals crude is being offered to Chinese buyers at lower prices as Indian refiners pull back after new US tariffs. Traders report five to ten cargoes have been purchased, but China is unlikely to absorb all volumes redirected from India, according to Bloomberg." Bloomy, Trump Doubles Tariff on India to 50%, Sparking Outrage in Delhi, because of their use of Russian oil.

Dave Strom at Hat Hair hears Trump Orders Military to Go After Cartels. "Take this for what you will, given that the story appears in The New York Times, but it sure sounds like this is exactly what Trump would do: authorize the military to go after drug cartels he has designated as foreign terrorist organizations." Althouse reads the NYT too, "President Trump has secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels...." "[D]irecting the military to crack down on the illicit trade also raises legal issues, including whether it would count as 'murder' if U.S. forces acting outside of a congressionally authorized armed conflict were to kill civilians — even criminal suspects — who pose no imminent threat...." This is effectively a declaration of war on Mexico; but I'm not complaining.

Rick Moran at PJM, Sen. Cornyn Sics the FBI on 'Flee-Bagging' Texas Democrats. From NewsMax, Texas Dem Lawmakers Could Face Nearly $400K in Fines. Nick Arama at RedState hears Ken Paxton Gets 'Major Victory' in Suit Regarding Beto O'Rourke Fundraising for Runaway TX Democrats. Attorney General Ken Paxton @KenPaxtonTX, "BREAKING: I just defeated Beto O’Rourke in court. We secured a major victory stopping runaway Democrats from taking "Beto Bribes" and preventing deceptive fundraising. They told me to "come and take it," so I did." John Sexton at Hat Hair, Texas AG Seeks to Have Democrats Removed from Office. Driscoll at Insty, THE GREAT GERRYMANDERING WAR OF 2025: "Until President Trump came on the scene, the U.S. Congress basically consisted of Democrats and RINOs with only a few actual Republicans sprinkled throughout the GOP. Thanks to Trump morphing the party into America First Patriots, MAGA Republicans are pushing back at the insanity tossed at us by Democrat—for example, gerrymandering, which communist Democrats have made into an art form. Per Vice President J.D. Vance: "The gerrymander in California is outrageous. Of their 52 congressional districts, nine of them are Republican. That means 17 percent of their delegation is Republican when Republicans regularly win 40 percent of the vote in that state. How can this be possibly allowed?" Related: America’s Newspaper of Record is once again doing straight-up reportage: Democrats Warn New Trump Census Could Negate All The Illegal Alien Votes Biden Brought In." Mary Rooke at Da Caller, Trump’s Census Bombshell Could Upend 2026 Midterms. Cutie Pavlich at TownHall, Oh, That’s Why Democrats Don’t Want a New Census. From Twitchy, Scott Jennings: Democrats Are In the Middle of a 'High-Speed Come Apart' Over Citizens-Only Census.

Sundance hosts President Trump Recaps Economic Success with Economist Steve Moore. John Carney @carney, "I spent a bunch of time today reading recent economics papers on tariffs. Every single one assumes retaliatory tariffs. None—not a single one—correctly models what happened, which is a big hike by the U.S. in exchange for lower tariffs and non-tariff barriers. Academic economists need to ask themselves some serious questions about why they got this episode so wrong. It was a failure of epic proportions that should embarrass the field." At NYPO, Hey, experts — admit what you got so wrong on Trump’s tariffs.

At AMAC, Trump Is Right – Lawless D.C. Should Be Under Federal Control. 

RBe @RBPundit "You’ll be shocked to learn that these satellites are well past their lifecycle and need to be decommissioned and deorbited while they can still be controlled so that they don’t wind up coming down in populated areas. Miles Taylor is a clown." Quote Miles Taylor @MilesTaylorUSA, "REPORT: White House orders NASA to destroy satellite used for monitoring climate change, according to NPR The censorship campaign goes to space. I guess if you can’t SEE the climate changing, then it ISN’T changing."

Sauron's Eye whines Appeals court tosses judge's contempt order in case over Venezuelans sent to El Salvador. As sundance puts it Activist Judge Boasberg Slapped Down by Appeals Court – Criminal Contempt Case Vacated. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Appeals Court Slaps Down Judge Boasberg. But LifeZette reports Biden-Appointed Judge Blocks Donald Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order with Nationwide Injunction. 

NYPo reports NY AG Letitia James subpoenaed by Justice Department over $454M civil fraud case against Trump. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, BREAKING: DoJ Opens FAFO Probe Into Letitia James. "Live by the lawfare sword. Die by the lawfare sword." Jeff Charles at TownHall says Letitia James Is in More Trouble Than We Thought. Matt Margolis at PJM thinks, Letitia James Is in Big Trouble Now. Althouse finds "Weaponizing the Department of Justice to try to punish an elected official for doing her job is an attack on the rule of law and a dangerous escalation by this administration." ""If prosecutors carry out this improper tactic and are genuinely interested in the truth, we are ready and waiting with facts and the law." Said Abbe Lowell, lawyer for Letitia James, quoted in "Justice Department Subpoenas Office of Letitia James, a Trump Nemesis/Ms. James, New York’s attorney general, won a civil fraud case against President Trump that is on appeal. One of the two subpoenas is related to that case" (NYT)." And calls it the "Department of Poetic Justice."

Sundance posts Outline #2 – Criminal Conduct by DOJ/FBI During Russiagate. It's a bit of a history lesson. Stephen Kruiser At PJM hears the Silence of the Scams—Deep State Bog Frogs Oddly Quiet...Except for One "But there is one crack-puffin, hooker-bangin' schlub who won't shut up—Hunter Biden."

Capital Research Center observes The disappearing court packers, "When former allies of Joseph Stalin fell out of favor, they would get airbrushed out of the official photos. Something similar is happening with the movement to add seats to the Supreme Court." Insty, I think Trump should reintroduce the Democratic bills to add seats, and push them through, then fill them. Bipartisanship! "UPDATE: Great minds think alike!" Randy Barnett @RandyEBarnett, "I testified to the President’s Supreme Court Reform Commission that partisan court expansion was unconstitutional. The commission disagreed. But that’s moot because Republicans would now join these completely sincere & principled Democrats. So it would be bipartisan. Let’s roll." John Sexton, Carville: Democrats Can Save Democracy by Making DC a State and Packing the Court.

Rick Moran reads the NY Times: 'Many Jewish Voters Back Mamdani.' Their Evidence Is Laughable. NYPo ed board, Can’t get more extreme: Mamdani’s DSA rallied for NORTH KOREA. Reflexively in favor of anything bad for America. Matt Margolis asks Are You Ready for Yet Another Gavin Newsom Scandal? "The allegations, first laid out by activist Denise Aguilar on X, center on a taxpayer-funded pipeline benefiting the California governor’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Aguilar and others are accusing Newsom of “funneling taxpayer dollars” through his wife’s nonprofit to her for-profit business, personally enriching the family by millions." Capt. Ed has Golden State Dreams: Republican Vaults to Second Place in CA Gubernatorial Poll. Won't win. Hat Hair's Begee Welborn, Don't Look Now, Malibu But That Thing's Happening That Wasn't Supposed to. Foreign investors buying up Malibu. "It’s been six months since the Eaton and Palisades fires ripped through Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Since then, unincorporated Los Angeles County has received 1,207 rebuild applications, but only 90 permits have been issued. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety reported receiving rebuilding applications for 360 addresses affected by the Palisades Fire. Of those, 70 addresses have received permits."

Leslie Eastman at LI reports Meta-Analysis of Over 100 Studies Shows Gas Stoves Pose No Increased Risks of Asthma. "It turns out, pushing unrealistic green energy schemes onto low- and middle-income people at the expense of a safer fuel source was not only bad science, it was dangerous propaganda."

From Da Caller, Anti-ICE Rioter Faces Serious Prison Time After Allegedly Hurling Cinderblock At Border Agent. 12 on your side, Surge of Richmond-area businesses putting up ‘ICE is not welcome here’ signs. Matt Vespa, A Liberal Guest on CNN Said ICE Was Acting Like Gestapo Agents..and All Hell Broke Loose. "CNN's Scott Jennings Wasn't Having Any of This Anti-ICE Nonsense."

From RCP, Halperin Rips Glenn Kessler: You Used The Power Of The Washington Post To Make People Believe Biden's Decline Was Made Up. Beege Welborn, CBS News Hamas Stooge Should Have Waited Before Basically Calling Huckabee a Liar.

From the College Fix, Another UPenn megadonor yanked support over antisemitism concerns. Insty, TRUST THE “EXPERTS.” FOLLOW THE “SCIENCE.” James Lindsay, anti-Communist @ConceptualJames "Woke initiatives are almost always based on fraud." Quote Garry Tan @garrytan "The key study used by infamous and disgraced Stanford ed professor Jo Boaler to justify removing Algebra from public middle schools has been exposed as invalid There’s nothing honest about academics who promote false studies to take away educations from public school kids. x.com/savemathnow/st…"

Cathy Salgado at PJM, Teacher Fired for Rejecting Trans Ideology Can Sue Over Religious Discrimination. Dave Strom hears Buttigieg Say Trans Athlete Issue 'Complicated,' and Left Goes Nuts. He's running, and he knows it's an 80:20 issue. Breitbart finds Nancy Pelosi Working on Sex Changes for Children ‘at the National Level.’

Dave Strom sees America Is Back! Sororities Across the Nation Filming Sexy Dance Videos to Annoy Liberals. 

🚨BREAKING: This sorority recruitment video is going viral after liberal women lashed out. What do you notice? pic.twitter.com/I1aBqCdLDO

— USA NEWS 🇺🇸 (@usanewsreal) August 6, 2025

More examples at link. Pop Crave @PopCrave, "Sydney Sweeney’s brother Trent shares his staff sergeant promotion certificate from the U.S. Air Force: “It’s them good jeans"" Matt Margolis, The Left Is Trying to Gaslight You About the Sydney Sweeney Ad Outrage, but Here Are the Receipts. From OutKick believes Gina Carano Achieves Complete Victory In Disney Lawsuit Settlement Over 'Mandalorian' Firing.

Michael Cantrell at PJM, Jimmy Fallon Invited Greg Gutfeld On His Show. The Conversation Took a Surprising Turn. "But that's not what viewers got. In fact, the whole conversation went in a totally different direction. The chat made for some excellent television. Both Fallon and Gutfeld were lighthearted, entertaining, and most importantly, remained non-political. It showcased that two individuals on opposite sides of the aisle can actually enjoy each other's company."

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.08.25 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 08.08.25 (Evening Edition), but I gotta git. Linked at the Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: All-American Girl and FMJRA 2.0: Birds Win! Birds Win! up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Orders New Census Sans Illegals

Mary Chastain at LI reports Trump Orders New Work on Census: Illegals ‘Will Not be Counted’ "“The data collected by the decennial census determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.” PJM's Matt Margolis calls it HUGE: Trump Orders New Census to Fix 2020’s Rigged Count Favoring Democrats. At Da Signal, Commerce Department to ‘Immediately’ Make Census ‘Reflect the Number of Legal Residents’ in US. From Althouse "President Trump said on Thursday that he had ordered the Commerce Department to begin work on a new census that excludes undocumented immigrants." ""A new census would be a significant departure for a process stipulated by the Constitution to occur every 10 years. Historically, the census has counted all U.S. residents regardless of their immigration status, a process that helps determine both the allotment of congressional seats and billions of dollars in federal money sent to states. 'People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS,' Mr. Trump wrote in a post on social media.... Mr. Trump tried a similar move in 2020 to keep undocumented immigrants out of the census, but a federal court rejected that attempt, and the Supreme Court declined to intervene...." The NYT reports." Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis "Perhaps those blue states shouldn’t have counted on illegal immigrants to inflate their census numbers, huh, Ron?" Quote Ron Filipkowski @RonFilipkowski, "The next part of the plan to steal the midterms and/or the 2028 election - an attempt to do a mid-decade census to take seats and electoral votes away from blue states. I knew this was coming." From the text of the 14th Amendment you can make a pretty good case that illegals should be excluded from the apportionment, 

"Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State."

Certainly, illegal aren't eligible to vote, so they should be excluded along with visitors and diplomats. Whether judges read it the same way is a matter for later. 

NewsMax cites Sen. Cornyn: FBI Will Help Track Down Texas Democrats Who Fled Over Redistricting Vote. Varad Mehta @varadmehta "Four reporters on this story and not one of them seems to be aware that California's constitution bans mid-decade redistricting." Quote Shane Goldmacher @ShaneGoldmacher, "The redistricting wars are expanding. New maps in CA could erase five GOPers and shore up Dem frontliners there. Cornyn and Paxton compete to crack down on runaway Dems from TX." Matt Vespa explains Why Massachusetts' Governor Just Whiffed on Her Redistricting Threat. Massachusetts has no Republican reps; what are they going to do, punish us with one? From OTP, Florida Latest State To Consider Mid-Decade Redistricting and Texas Dem Jolanda Jones Apologizes For Comparing Redistricting Fight To Holocaust. From Da Wire, Beto O’Rourke-Led Group Under Investigation Over Potential Bribes To Help Runaway Texas Dems "Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable." Insty, I MEAN, I’M NOT WRONG: @instapundit @instapundit "To be fair, it’s never happened before." At Da Caller, Jasmine Crockett Floated Loophole To Help Bankroll Texas Dems Fleeing State. Quote Matt Whitlock @mattdizwhitlock, "Dems have absolutely no idea how to react to Republicans fighting back. x.com/chrismurphyct/…" Steve Richards at JTN, Supremes to consider legality of race-based districts in possible boon to GOP redistricting effort. "Democrats have gone as far as fleeing their home state to avoid voting on the issue, ironically, to deep-blue Illinois, where racial gerrymandering has favored Democrats for decades. Race-based districts also face a second prong of scrutiny from the Trump Justice Department." Matt Vespa, The Classic Line Dems Drop Whenever They Have No Argument...and CNN's Scott Jennings Got Them to Say It. It's different when we do it! From Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog reports a Texas Mail In Ballot Security Court Win "Another month, another Texas blow against voting fraud upheld by the courts."

Sundance at CTH notes Reciprocal Tariffs Begin, Switzerland Leaves DC Empty Handed, German and China Trade Surplus with USA Declines. OTP, Lutnick Says US Set To Collect $50B Monthly In Tariff Revenue. The Heritage Foundation notes Inflation Is Down Since January and Should Keep Improving. From ET, Trump Names Stephen Miran to Fill Vacant Seat on Federal Reserve Board, "Miran currently serves as the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors in the Trump administration." Rob Wasinger at Am Great argues Yes, Trump Can (and Should) Fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, "Jerome Powell’s stubborn rate freeze isn’t economics—it’s sabotage, a last-ditch effort by the Fed to stall Trump’s surging America First recovery." ET, Treasury Secretary Bessent ‘Does Not Want’ to Be Fed Chair, Trump Says. "Trump is considering Kevin Warsh and Kevin Hassett for Fed chair."

Sundance at CTH claims President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin Will Meet in Coming Days, but I'm not holding my breath. Anxious is anxious that Trump heralds "great progress" with Russia, but imposes first penalties for invasion. Mike Miller at RedState wonders Will Putin Cave? Russian Dictator Reportedly Weighs Halting Ukraine Air Strikes After Trump Ultimatum. From NYPo, Trump admin announces $50M reward for capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. “Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like [Tren de Aragua], Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video posted on X. Althouse, "'You know, we’ve solved five wars,' he told reporters in the White House on Wednesday, without specifying which they were." ""Some of the conflicts he may have in mind are: India and Pakistan; the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda; Cambodia and Thailand; and, shortly it seems, Armenia and Azerbaijan.... From the Great Lakes of Africa to the summits of the Himalayas, he has taken a surprising interest in conflicts previously regarded as peripheral to US interests. In some areas he has had limited impact, or arguably (as in Ukraine) contributed to an intensification of hostilities. But in others, Trump’s peacemaking efforts have yielded some considerable results...." I'm reading "How Trump hopes to win a Nobel peace prize/As he seeks ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza, the US president claims to have ‘solved five wars.’ Is he right?" (London Times)."

From Matt Vespa, Trump Has Secured Major Wins in His First 200 Days...and the Left Is on the Run. Da Wire, Hegseth Returning Civil War Memorial Removed By Biden To Arlington National Cemetery, "We don’t believe in erasing American history—we honor it." Twitchy thinks it's PRICELESS! JD Vance’s Response to His Not-So-Flattering South Park Portrayal Is WHY He MUST Be President." JD Vance @JDVance "Well, I’ve finally made it." Quote South Park @SouthPark, "Welcome to Mar-A-Lago! #SouthPark" At Althouse, Monitoring the misdoings of J.D. Vance. "I think there are many news media outlets who'd love the honor of destroying J.D. Vance, so let's take a look at what's being thrown at him today: . . ." At Da Mail, Steve Bannon is secretly plotting a sensational run for president in 2028 ... and he's already knifing his likely rival: 'I created him'. Althouse notes "A Bannon-Vance primary would trigger an explosive civil war within Trump's populist movement, pitting its original architect against its institutional inheritor." "Intones The Daily Mail, in "Steve Bannon is secretly plotting a sensational run for president in 2028 ... and he's already knifing his likely rival: 'I created him.'"" Intones?

At Fox, Pennsylvania man charged for allegedly threatening to kill Trump before he took office. "Pennsylvania man allegedly posted 'I'm going to kill Trump' and threatened MAGA Republicans on social media platform."

From Da Fetched, ‘RINO’ Backlash: Senator Lisa Murkowski Hits Record-Low Approval in Alaska Poll.

PJM's Stephen Kruiser says I Totally Voted for Full Steam Ahead on Russiagate. Randy Barnett @RandyEBarnett, "Trump was never supposed to be reelected. If he hadn’t been, none of this would ever have seen the light of day." Quote Mollie @MZHemingway "I just read the most embarrassingly bad Washington Post story about the release of the explosive and long-hidden House Intel Committee report detailing how Brennan cooked up the false claim that Russia interfered in 2016 *to help Trump* ..." Shipwreckedcrew writes about Indicting Barack -- It Can Be Done And Here Is How. ""Pinkerton" refers to more than just a Private Detective Agency in the 1800s." Natalie Winters @nataliegwinters, "Obama lawyer Norm Eisen just admitted to waging a Color Revolution against Trump as part of a years-long coup…" Sundance contributes Outline #1 – Criminal Conduct by DOJ/FBI During Russiagate and Finally – FBI Terminates Employment of Brian Driscoll, Walter Giardina and Steven Jensen. "Driscoll, for his part, served as acting director of the FBI prior to the confirmation of FBI Director Kash Patel, and Jensen played a key role in the January 6 investigations. Senior FBI officials told the agents in question that they needed to leave by Friday, with no specific reason given to them individually." Charlotte Hazard at JTN reports Trump fires ex-acting FBI director who withheld info on Jan. 6 investigations. Da Caller has a REPORT that a Whistleblower Alleges John Brennan’s ‘Pathological Need For Control’ Corrupted Trump-Russia Investigation. From TNP, Robert Mueller, Subpoenaed Over Russia Hoax, Living in ‘Memory-Care’ Facility, Report Claims. He wasn't so sharp when he testified to Congress over "his" report. 

WJ, James Comer Warns the Clintons About the Consequences of Not Complying with Congressional Subpoena, to testify on Epstein. Matt Margolis is happy to report Bill and Hillary Clinton Are Looking at Jail Time if They Defy Epstein Subpoena. At Da Caller,  James Carville Takes Down Epstein Episode After Letter From Melania Trump’s Attorney. From Althouse, "Those are crimes against the vulnerable, and you’re putting them with a puppy who is vulnerable." ""We do not allow anyone whose crime involves abuse towards minors or animals — including any crime of a sexual nature. That’s a hard policy we have, so she will not be able to.” Said Paige Mazzoni, head of Canine Companions, quoted in "Ghislaine Maxwell barred from service dog training at cushy prison camp." (NBC News). So no puppies for Ghislaine. 

Kaelen Deese at WaEx reports Anita Dunn says Hur report made Biden team dodge Super Bowl interview, sources say, but claims Biden sharp enough to be Preznit. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn says Get Outta Heeyah: Document Dump 'Reveals' Biden's FEMA Doled Out Aid By Voter Registration. Taylor Rogers @TaylorRogers47, "@NYPost: Biden abused his authority by turning FEMA into a far-left political machine “When responding to an emergency or a natural disaster, FEMA employees were directed to make voter registration a ‘key priority.’”"From Fox, Teamsters boss says 'smug' Kamala Harris alienated union after saying they 'better get on board' in 2024 "Union president Sean O'Brien described a confrontational exchange he says turned leadership against the former vice president." Sister Toldja wants you to Watch Nancy Pelosi's Alarmingly Incoherent in Remarks Outside San Francisco VA Hospital. PJM's Kevin Downey hears Gavin Newsom Wants Mad Stacks to Fix Men's Mental Health Trauma He Created. NewsMax opines Mamdani Can Thank Mass Ignorance for His Support. At NYPo Michael Goodwin thinks Sen. Warren backing Mamdani is the latest example of Dems floundering — and their zany agenda. Fox sees hypocrisy in Zohran Mamdani spending big on private security despite earlier calls to defund police. "Socialist NYC mayoral candidate recently made headlines for throwing a lavish wedding celebration in Uganda, guarded by armed Ugandan military forces and private security." Hat Hair's John Sexton sees Crockett "Focused on Being an Influencer, Not a Member of Congress.'

Ben Whedon at JTN reports DHS has received more than 80,000 ICE applications: Noem. "The news comes in the wake of Border Czar Tom Homan announcing that deportations had cleared 300,000 since President Donald Trump returned to the White House." At TrashPanda, ‘Superman’ Dean Cain Announces He’s Joined ICE Amid Trump Administration’s New Enforcement Push. From the American Prospect, ICE Raids Broke Los Angeles’ Economy. Shouldn’t ICE Pay for That? "The economic impact of the immigration crackdown is quantifiable, and could be written down and sent to Washington as a demand for payment." Eff, no! Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok "This story is not getting talked about enough Five Colorado Law Enforcement officers are facing unpaid leave, demotions, forced counseling, lawsuits, and fines for alerting ICE about an illegal alien Attorney General Phil Weiser is personally overseeing that they get punished." LifeZette sees a CNN Anchor Struggle to Understand Why Immigration Laws Are Enforced.

Hat Hair's Duane Patterson has Great News! It's Legal to Mock Gavin Newsom Again "Judge John Mendez just struck down Newsom's AB2655. Mendez' finding? “Most of [the law] acts as a hammer instead of a scalpel,” Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez wrote, calling it “a blunt tool hinders humorous expression and unconstitutionally stifles the free and unfettered exchange of ideas.” He carved out an exception for a “not unduly burdensome” portion of the law that requires verbal disclosure of digitally altered content in audio-only recordings." At the Eternally Radical Idea, Greg Lukianoff and Angel Eduardo fear These free speech sayings are falling out of favor. What does that mean for our culture? "A world where “Words are violence” is more common than “Sticks and stones…” is a world oriented against free speech principles. But we can turn that around."

Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "MAJOR WIN: Disney and Lucasfilm settle the legal dispute with Gina Carano after firing her over political views and posts they labeled “offensive.” “We look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future.” Congrats,
@ginacarano!" But Ace says Ugh: Gina Carano Settles With the Disney Groomer Corporation Update: Carano Posts Brief Statement. It would be nice to know what the settlement was, but that's not generally how these things work.

John Sexton cites the NY Times: The Sydney Sweeney Story Was All the Right's Fault, and we should claim credit! But, IIRC, it was liberal scolds who kicked off the "controversy." Hollywood in Toto asks Why Aren’t Feminists Rushing to Sydney Sweeney’s Defense? "Conservatives take actress' side, but where are her fellow starlets?"

Dave Strom is speechless, Trans 'Men' Are Saving Society! Vicky Taft at PJM, They're Not YOUR Kids: School Counselor Arranged Student Abortions Without Telling Parents and Pastor Warns Parents: If Democrats Pass AB 495, 'This Is It. Pack Up, Grab Your Kids, Leave California'

Greg Piper at JTN reports Whites underrepresented in prestigious high schools after courts uphold 'proxy' preferences: suit "After appeals court refused to halt admissions using proxies for race because whites and Asian Americans were still overrepresented, earning rebuke from justices Alito and Thomas, replacement system had intended effect, parents say."

A bit more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.07.25 (Afternoon Edition). The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Doughnut Dolly and FMJRA 2.0: World Series ’73 Week Two up on time and under budget.