Flotsam and Jetsam - Come Monday

It'll be alright. From the Strait Times, Hormuz oil shipments hit 6-month high, US commander says. unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "Doomers once again hardest hit...." Quote Kalshi @Kalshi, "JUST IN: Oil shipments through Strait of Hormuz hit six-month high." But oil prices are still high from the Houthis of Yemen attacking the Saudi oil infrastructure. At Caliber, Iran’s currency slide pushes costs as household purchasing power falls. The solution is both easy and difficult. Overthrow the Mullahs and the IRGC and Trump will fall all over himself trying to set Iran up as a successful petrostate again. At Am Great Fred Fleitz warns Don’t Be Fooled by Iran’s September Surprise. "The new attacks will not change the war's trajectory against Iran." Hit each one back with 5 times the force.

At Am Con Ted Snider and Nic Petro believe Given the Chance, Ukrainians Would Give Zelensky the Boot. Da Caller reports Ukraine Launches 1,000 Drones At Russia, Hits Oil Refinery, Residential Building. Sundance is disgusted that Zelenskyy Brags About NATO Missile Systems Being Used to Attack Moscow and Russian Refineries. I see we're still debate whether to use one or two "y"s. Is Zelenskyy trying to drag NATO into a hot war with Russia? I wouldn't be shocked. It's the only way he'd ever get all of the Donbas and Crimea back. It might be working. Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "I will spell this out, since OSINTTechnical did not This action should be considered a war warning. There is no reason for Russia to do it unless they are are planning secret military movements." Quote OSINTtechnical @Osinttechnical, "Russia's internal security service has announced a curfew and restrictions along part of its border with NATO member Estonia. Civilians have been banned from leaving villages after dark, boating on the Narva River, and hunting within 5km of the border." CEPA, Ukraine Advances: The Tank Isn’t Finished Yet, "The death of the tank and its armored companions has been overstated. Ukraine is demonstrating they still have a part to play." That'll make Andy happy. Insty notes “WHEN THEY GET IN TROUBLE, THEY SEND FOR THE SONS OF BITCHES.” But at NYPo, How Elon Musk can unlock a Russia-Ukraine energy truce — and help save lives.

Don Surber sees the media Greenlanding the news, "How the media tried to turn victory into defeat." Sundance at CTH is happy that the German People Deliver Another Election Rejection of Chancellor Merz. The Huns are getting restless. Henrik Dahl @SociologenHD, "In a brilliant essay in The Sunday Times, Matthew Syed writes the following: “If extremism is defined as acting out of proportion with context, history or consent, I suggest Merkel’s tenure represented the high point of postwar European extremism.” I agree with Syed’s analysis. But there is one aspect of Merkel’s legacy to which we need to pay particular attention..."

unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "China is caught in a deflationary spiral Russia is bogged down in an unwinnable war. Panama has kicked china out. Greenland just came under US control. Iran has been defeated Europe is broken and being invaded by illegals The war in Gaza is over South and Latin America has moved right to align with the US. The drug cartels power is being destroyed. Where is this global economic and geopolitical catastrophe? The USA is at the apex of its power. It is the only superpower left standing. Its economy is doing very good. It is winning the AI and space races. More people working in US today than anytime in its history. Its military is the most lethal its ever been.Unless Russia, China, NK, India, Pakistan, the US or Europe decides to start a nuke exchange there is no catastrophe on the horizon. So what is this catastrophe you speak of?"  Quote Mercury @RealestMercury, "Most people don't understand the scope of global economic and geopolitical catastrophe shaping up. x.com/GordoCDA/statu…."

At Hat Hair Josh Hammer thinks AI Moral Panic Demands Leadership, Not Pandering and John Stossel says Free AI. Nicole Silvero at Da Caller observes Congress Has Introduced Dozens Of AI Bills. Here’s What They Would Do. Their first instincts are almost always wrong and usually venal. Eric Schmitt @Eric_Schmitt, "Anthropic’s CEO wants America’s AI labs to embed “independent” groups like METR inside them to enforce “alignment.” The money trail runs through a shadowy leftist NGO same small network. This is another battle in our war against leftist censorship NGOs." Sundance hosts Sunday Talks – Nvidia CEO Discusses Current Status of AI. At Althouse, "On Saturday, Mr. Trump proposed a follow-on to Space Force: a new 'A.I. Force.'" ""But he left to earthbound speculation what, exactly, it was supposed to do. ... From "A.I. Gone Rogue? Trump Proposes Not New Rules but an ‘A.I. Force.’/The president proposed a follow-up to his Space Force but continued to dismiss worries about A.I.’s pace or potential for harm" (NYT gift link)." Timur Kuran @timurkuran, "The United States has been leaping from one moral panic to the next: Black Lives Matter, MeToo, George Floyd, and now data centers plus the specter of AI-driven human extinction. In every case a genuine problem exists, but the threat is inflated out of all proportion and the costs of overreaction are overlooked. The resulting hysteria blocks clear thinking and closes off rational discussion. Consequently, individuals never notice that self-appointed experts are distorting the facts for their own gain ..." The Tax Prof is amused Lane Kiffin’s Use of ChatGPT for Legal Advice Nearly Got LSU Kicked Out of the SEC.

Ben Weingarten at Da Fed explains Why Trump’s Plan To Stop Noncitizens From Rigging The Census Might Work This Time. From Da Caller, ‘Let This Be A Warning’: DOJ Announces Charges For Election-Related Crimes Across Several States.

From Reason, Thomas Massie Just Filed 8 Articles of Impeachment Against Pete Hegseth. "The Kentucky congressman says he will force a vote on removing Hegseth, who is accused of "abusing the power of his office to ignore congressional war powers resolutions, to kidnap foreign leaders, and to intimidate critics of the Trump administration.""  Da Caller notes South Dakota Secretary Of State Bucks Party, Endorses Democrat To Be Successor. At TownHall, Kurt Schlichter sees The Last Stand of Rove, Cornyn, and the Establishment Frauds. 

At Am Spec, Deane Waldeman explains to Make Health Insurance Affordable. "Healthcare needs price controls. Just not Washington’s."

From Da Wire, Democrat’s Buddy Drops Another Bomb About America, "We have caused tremendous terror all around the world." Kyle Becker at RedState likes how Brandon Gill Torches Hasan Piker for Attacking His Wife — This Is An All-Time Takedown. Brandon Gill @realBrandonGill, "My wife is an American, born in America to American citizens. She deeply loves our nation and its culture. You, on the other hand, were born to foreign invaders and want to turn America into the third world culture you were raised in, while advocating for communism at your $3 million mansion in between electrocuting your dog." Quote hasanabi @hasanthehun, "your wife is indian. x.com/realBrandonGil…" Amber Duke at Da Caller, claims an EXCLUSIVE: Talarico’s Spiritual Mentor Caught On Camera Touting ‘Inclusive’ Bible, "a modern translation designed to remove what its creators describe as “sexist” language — according to undercover footage obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller."

Insurrection Barbie @DefiyantlyFree, "Regulatory costs by Presidency: Bush 172 billion Obama 890 billion Trump 40 billion Biden 1.8 trillion Biden’s $1.8 trillion in projected regulatory costs equals approximately $5,300 per American, based on a population of roughly 340 million. Trump 2.0 has reduced regulatory costs by approximately $1.29 trillion or 3,750 dollars per American. Funny how no one talks about that."

At Da Caller, GOP Rep Maria Salazar Reveals ‘Very Good Conversation’ With Trump After Her Ad Claimed His Immigration Enforcement Went ‘Too Far’. There's been another shooting by an ICE agent in Austin. Not much is known yet, but the Venezuelan illegal alien was working as a Doordash driver. Of course, the usual people are arranging the usual demonstrations. 

New Underground Railroad Established To Help Lone Black Juror Escape From Angry White Liberals In The North https://t.co/hvTn8XFzgQ

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) September 18, 2026

Saggezza Eterna @FinalTelegraph, Memory Hole Politics: 10 Times Leftist Presidents Locked Out the Press (THREAD) The left wants you to believe that revoking White House press credentials is an unprecedented assault on democracy. Their manufactured outrage is pure theater. Progressive administrations have spent decades weaponizing executive power to silence dissent, punish critical coverage, and banish conservative reporters from public view. Here are ten documented times Democrat leadership locked out or purged dissenting journalists" Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Good list. Then there was the blackballing of President Trump across the social mediasphere, and the total blackout on the NY Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story. Plus collusion on Russiagate and covid “misinformation.” By the First Amendment champions." Matt Margolis at PJM, Obama Accidentally Proves He Got Away With Attacking the Free Press. Catturd ™ @catturd2, "When Biden was installed in the White House, he would almost never talk to the press, and when he attempted to - the fake news press would ask him pre-written questions, then he'd read a pre-written answer (that he didn't even write) So spare me pretending these are real journalists." Greg Lukianoff at the Eternally Radical Idea finds Leadership matters at Dartmouth! Victory against ICE! I’m on Jake Tapper! & more! "Bringing you the latest free speech news? Jonathon Leaf at Jonathan's Substack, Some Graphical Explanations of Largely Unreported News

A look at what the data shows on key stories the media is not reporting. "As the chart above shows, net U.S. job growth during the past seventeen months has only been through hiring of women. Net male job growth is non-existent. Of course, one reason that the media is not investigating the reasons for this is that they haven’t reported the story in the first place."

Stacy McCain looks at The Zero-Sum Logic of Racial Hatred

“Colorblindness” is a trap, Nikole Hannah-Jones asserts and I agree with her — but not the sense she means it. Hannah-Jones was criticizing the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision that ruled racial quotas (in the name of “diversity” or “affirmative action”) to be unconstitutional:

[Conservatives] are using civil rights law to claim that the Constitution requires “colorblindness” and that efforts targeted at ameliorating the suffering of descendants of slavery illegally discriminate against white people. They have co-opted both the rhetoric of colorblindness and the legal legacy of Black activism not to advance racial progress, but to stall it. Or worse, reverse it.

The tendentious wording — the implicit assumption that “descendants of slavery” are suffering, and that “ameliorating” the aforesaid suffering is a political imperative — functions as intended, portraying opponents of racial quotas as heartless opponents of “racial progress.”

There are so many things wrong with that single paragraph that I could write an entire essay exploding her errors, but that’s irrelevant to the larger point, namely that racial obsession is at least as dangerous for black people as it is for white people.

Driscoll at Insty has another of his DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: Nikole Hannah-Jones Just Wrote the Best Case for School Choice She’ll Ever Publish. Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79, ""Did you know my school was bad like this when you decided to put me here?” Brutal. Nikole Hannah-Jones sacrificed her daughter’s education for political reasons, and her daughter called her on it — correctly." Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79, "NHJ and her husband intentionally sent their daughter to a low-income black school. When her daughter said something about it, NHJ first tried to say her school wasn’t that bad:" Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79, "NHJ is now “overcome with regret.” Her daughter says, “Sometimes I wish instead of always thinking about other kids, you would have thought about me.” Brutal." At Twitchy, WATCH: Student BIZARRELY Flips Out After Black Pro-Lifer Hits Back on Her ‘Kirk Deserved It’ Comment. 

Last week I visited Westchester Community College to ask students to share their hottest political take. This was the first interview I did…

The derangement, lack of humanity, and mental illness on college campuses in 2026 is beyond comprehension. If this video doesn’t convince… pic.twitter.com/QSj76m0hEw

— ✨🌸Savannah🌸✨ (@SavannahCraven5) September 18, 2026

The Victory Girls see College Republicans Cleared After Erika Kirk Sends Legal Help. 

Matt Margolis, Jessica Tarlov Accidentally Dropped a HUGE Truth Bomb About the Left. Conservatives treat her better than the far left does. Alice Smith @TheAliceSmith, "Things that are now rightwing: Investigative journalism, Academic rigour, Scientific dissent, Nature Facts,  Biology, Politeness, Punctuality, Normality, Free speech, Individual rights, Rationality, Objectivity, Self-reliance, Emotional restraint, Delayed gratification." Old Salty Marine on X: "I can't go to a Muslim country and drink beer or wine, or eat bacon or pork BBQ; and my wife isn't allowed to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt in a Muslim-controlled country. So why in the hell do Muslims think that they should be allowed to tell us that we should change our"

At Da Caller, Blue State Governor Rolls Back Predecessor’s Proposed Regulations Protecting Girls’ Sports, Spanberger, of course. 

At da New Yorker,  The Culture Wars Have Come for Lingerie. Is this my last chance to put up Sydney Sweeney cheesecake for a while?  Challenge accepted!

A better recording, without the funny story here.

The Return of Flotsam and Jetsam

Yes, I'm back from my Syrupean fishing vacation. I made it home by late in the afternoon Friday, and after putting away the mess, a quick trip to the Drs, Gabby's soccer game, and general fatigue, I didn't get much accomplished yesterday.

It was interesting traveling out of Minneapolis/St. Paul on the morning of the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Speaking of which, according to NYPo, AOC spotted laughing next to Mamdani at 9/11 ceremony — as victims’ families weep during reading of names. Hat Hair's Dave Strom calls it Enraging: AOC and Mamdani Laugh It Up at 9/11 Memorial As Names of the Victims Read. Ace, Victory Lap: Communist Jihadi Zohran Mamdani Does "Interfaith" Walk on 9/11, Which Ends at... Islamic Center, "Unbelievable," and Twenty Five Years After 9/11, Most Have Forgotten -- and the Children Who Were Born After the Terrorist Attack are Being Taught That Muslims Were the Victims and Americans the Racist Aggressors, "How on earth was this allowed to happen?" At Twitchy, Abigail Spanberger Gets TORCHED on X for Claiming Americans 'Lost Their Lives' on 9/11. PJM's Vicky Taft has one of her West Coast, Messed Coast™ — Nothing Says 'We Hate America' Quite as Much as UCLA's 9/11 Event. TownHall's Matt Vespa likes how Bill Maher Zeroed in on the Biggest Moral Cowards Post-9/11. It's Exactly Who You Think. "Maher added that the biggest cowards post-9/11 are Democratic Party politicians, whose moral confusion, which has become cancerous over the past quarter century since the attacks, has been laid bare by the Gaza War: a strip of land the Israelis gave back as part of a peace deal, made possible when then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ditched Likud to form the now-defunct Kadima Party. It was later taken over by Hamas, a terrorist organization, and used to launch attacks on Israel. Israel launched a counterattack after the equivalent of their 9/11, the October 7 attacks, isn’t genocide. And yet, it’s the issue Democrats police their candidates like the Gestapo—they must say it, or at least not bash the terrorists."

Nicole Russell at USA Today, As Texas Senate race tightens, Talarico's mask is slipping. "Newly surfaced comments on capitalism, faith and abortion reveal Texas state Rep. James Talarico is more progressive than his campaign lets on. Voters are starting to notice." Hat Hair's Capt. Ed had Saturday's Final Word. @amuse @amuse, "TEXAS SENATE RACE: Would you be surprised to learn that the architect of James Talarico's political career is a trans man who attended Furman University and got a degree in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies? Tyler Mitchell, now known as Hyacinth High (they/them/theirs), shaped Talarico's campaigns and ensured they were staffed primarily by LGBTQ folks, with a particular focus on hiring trans staffers. Hyacinth is now Regional Campaigns Director at The Fairness Project. Texas doesn't need someone with Talarico's extreme ideology representing the interests of Texans." Capt. Ed was pretty happy when The Cavalry Arrived: Senate GOP Drops $32 Million Into Texas for Paxton. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn thinks the Dems Got Themselves a Case of the Cray Crays and They Just Can't Seem to Shake the Loons Off. But Driscoll at Insty notes DEMOCRATIC PARTY PULLS SUPPORT FOR NC HOUSE CANDIDATE SHELLY HEADEN: The Calvin Coolidge Project @TheCalvinCooli1, "Report: North Carolina Democrats have withdrawn support for State House candidate Shelly Headen after she called for violence against Republicans and compared herself to Jesus Christ She said: “I think our only hope is an attack on US soil, preferably Alabama, Louisiana where the stupid people live.” She said: “I’ve sacrificed myself just like Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross, and Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln and all the people that put themselves out there to sacrifice for our country,” she said. “If a few angry moments on social media are the end, then so be it. MAGA will keep winning if we continue with not standing up for what’s right.”" Tippinsights wonders Sen. Tafoya? Minnesota Polling Shows a Dead Heat. AMAC warns Don’t Buy Democrats’ “Farm Revolt” Narrative, "The media is buzzing about a brewing farmland revolt against Republicans in November. But that narrative has far less basis in reality than Democrats would have Americans believe."

Hat Hair's John Sexton has A San Francisco Squatter Story for the Ages. Variety worries Paramount Leaving California Would Devastate Los Angeles Economy, Leaked Report Finds. From the OC Reg, Orange man gets 30 years for role in $269 million Medi-Cal fraud. 

Stacy McCain considers the The Permanent Problem of Liberalism "You see the point of this narrative — the emotional payoff of the melodrama — is that the liberal is always the hero, deserving praise and admiration for his courage in opposing the Republican villain. Once you recognize this, you realize why there is no point arguing with the liberal. He cannot be persuaded by facts or logic, because facts and logic are not the basis of his belief system. And this is why I say that liberalism is a permanent problem. If we could not vanquish liberalism in 70 years, during which time we had such brilliant minds as Buckley advocating for the conservative cause, isn’t it the height of folly to imagine we’ll be able to declare a final victory anytime in the foreseeable future?"

Da Signal has two from the Great Victor Davis Hanson: When Will the Iranian People Overthrow the Regime? and Canadians Feel Real Pain in Stage 4 of Trade War. I have to see, I didn't see a lot of pain there. At Hat Hair, Salena Zito is pleased with the 'Trump Power Plant' Coming to Fayette County, the Largest Investment in Its History. Dennis Santiago at RedState sees a Firestorm Ignited Over Proposed US Census Rules. Here Is What Citizens Can Do About It. Taking the illegals, and other non-residental aliens out of the count for apportionment.

Twitchy calls it PERFECTION! Guess Who Rescued a Stranded Anti-Trump MS NOW Crew in the TX Desert: New York Post @nypost, "MS NOW crew gets stuck in Texas desert - and has to be rescued by Border Patrol https://trib.al/nsL6CAq."

From Ace, The "Rogue" Juror the Extreme Left-Wing AWFUL Karens Berated and Bullied for a Week? B L A C K and Of Course: Garbage Tier Network NBC Is Now Doxxing the Lone "Rogue" Holdout in the Lindsay Clancy Case, "The media exists solely for purposes of blackmail and incitement to murder." Sister Toldja at RedState says Whoa: NBC News 'Tries to Bury' Holdout Clancy Juror, but DeSantis Makes Him an Offer They Won’t Like. Sundance at CTH, NBC Targets and Doxxes Lindsay Clancy Juror Holdout – Visits Home, Searches, Investigates Family and Worse. Matt Walsh @MattWalshBlog, "They’re flat out doxxing an anonymous juror because he didn’t acquit a triple murderer. These people are evil beasts. Demons from hell. Sue, you deserve nothing but shame and scorn. You despicable freak." Quote Sue O'Connell: COMMENTATOR, not a reporter @SueOC_NBCBoston, "EXCLUSIVE: The holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy trial had a history of domestic violence allegations, the @NBC10Boston Investigators have learned through court documents and interviews with family members ..."

Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "I have no words… USA Today says the people mocking Charlie’s ass*ssination is actually good because they’re just using humor to deal with it emotionally USA Today is covering up for the violent scum who want us dead and celebrate m*rder I can’t believe this is real They have no shame."

From the Robinson Report a Chinese National Accused of of Illegally Modifying Homeland Security Computers - MWTV. "A Chinese national working as a CBP supervisor in Calais was charged after investigators said 46 government computers were altered at Maine border facilities."

Matt Margolis at PJM, Were You Hoping Jessica Tarlov Would Get Fired From Fox News? I've Got Some News. Three year contract. They need someone to spew the DNC line, Harold won't.

Ace finds out The UK Branded Turning Point Members as Dangerous Right Wing Extremists, Claimed Leftists, On the Other Hand, Were "Moderate". "They actually tracked and surveilled Turning Point UK members because they thought they were dangerous -- after a leftist killed Charlie Kirk. They feared they would agitate for "free speech," which is of course dangerous to a corrupt authoritarian and wildly unpopular regime. They also complained that the "ERW" -- "extreme right wing" -- blamed Kirk's assassination on "the political left." I am done with the UK. I am done with NATO."

Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal is outraged Parents Can’t Escape Washington’s Transgender Policies by Changing Schools, Supreme Court Brief Argues.

And much, much more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 09.11.26 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 09.11.26 (Evening Edition). The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Finally, A Winning Week awaiting your digital pleasure.

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.