Trump Dumps Obama Bay Edict

 WBOC, Trump Administration repeals Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration Executive Order

President Trump is repealing an executive order from 2009 dedicated to protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

Today, he published his own executive order stating EO 13508 was a broad mandate that did not provide "clarity on how to implement that order's requirements."

His office calls the federal requirements "vague and confusing," and that these requirements have allowed state and local governments to enact stormwater management fees, or 'rain taxes,' that raise costs for American households.

The 2009 EO, issued by then-President Barack Obama, looked to restore Chesapeake Bay water quality, create agricultural practices to protect the Bay, reduce water pollution from federal lands and facilities, protect the Bay as the climate changes, expand public access to the Bay and conserve ecosystems, and more.

The Trump Administration acknowledges that federal, state, and local government programs have significantly improved the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay over the years, but they say "future actions and best practices are needed to continue promoting the economic health and well-being of the communities the Chesapeake Bay serves."
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President Trump's Order directs various federal leaders, like the Secretary of Agriculture, to focus resources provided for the health of the Bay on "direct, on-the-ground projects" that would create the most-impactful water quality improvements.

Imagine that, actually focusing federal funds on projects that help, and not on nebulous climate and social justice related programs. Why, you could probably do more to help the Bay with 20% of the money. 

The Wednesday Wetness

Potomac Conservancy, Sewage spill: The EPA declares the Potomac’s recovery goals are achieved. Why we disagree

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Everything Stops For Tea up and at'em at The Other McCain.

Bay Diet Grift in Jeopardy

 The Bay Journal, EPA proposes ‘significant’ funding cuts to Chesapeake Bay advisors

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing deep spending cuts on the Chesapeake Bay cleanup that critics say will undermine the effort’s scientific integrity and public outreach.

The federal agency published a “notice of funding opportunity” on March 10 seeking applicants on a contract providing administrative support to four advisory committees to the Chesapeake Bay Program, the state-federal partnership leading the cleanup effort. The agreement would pay the winning applicant up to $2.45 million over five years.

On an annual basis, that would amount to a one-third cut from the total spent in 2025, according to figures provided by the EPA.

EPA spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou said the new amount “does not signal a reduced commitment” to the committees but rather an “increased commitment to direct implementation.” The agency will redirect the savings to grants that support what the spokesperson called “real, on the ground projects” that reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to the Bay.

But some environmental advocates and state policymakers say the reduction is deeper than it looks at first blush. The 2025 funding was reduced for at least some of the committees after the change in presidential administrations. Compared to 2023 and 2024, the contract represents a cut of 50% or more, they say.

Many of the effort’s advisors – who mostly consist of scientists, environmental regulators, clean-water advocates and agricultural leaders – were caught off guard by the action. Representatives of some of the program’s signatory partners say they weren’t asked for input, a breach of the cleanup program’s consensus-based, decision-making norms.

And some critics contend that the contract’s language gives the EPA unprecedented control over the committees’ ability to set their own priorities.

“It’s substantially different from previous requests for funding,” said Leila Duman, the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays restoration officer for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and a member of the Bay Program’s management board. “From a very broad level, this [notice] cuts about half of the funding that provides the coordination staff and potentially changes the way the advisory committees operate in a pretty significant way.”

My father once told me a story about a dictator, and three men ordered to carry a piano up a flight of stairs. When they told him it was impossible, he shot one, and then the remaining two carried the piano up the stairs. 

The Wednesday Wetness

USEPA, EPA to Take Over Potomac River Water Quality Sampling Near Interceptor Site "Today, as part of the ongoing federal response to the Potomac Interceptor collapse, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will assume responsibility for water quality sampling previously conducted by the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). EPA will utilize the same locations as the previous DOEE sampling, which can be seen on the map below..."

Bay Diet Undergoing Organizational Revision for the Next 15 Years

 Bay Journal, Revamping of Bay Program governance expected by summer

When the leaders of the Chesapeake Bay cleanup approved significant revisions last December to the 2014 watershed agreement, they defined what the multi-state and federal partnership will do over the next 15 years. Now, they’re turning their attention to “how.” By July, the Chesapeake Bay Program, which oversees the restoration of America’s largest estuary, is expected to finalize a plan to restructure its governance. Ultimately, the goal of the proposed changes to governance and structure are to advance implementation of the agreement and make the Chesapeake Bay Program more efficient and effective,” said Kelly Offner, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 3, in a statement.

Among the key recommendations put forward by an internal panel: fusing the top two committees into a single board, overhauling subject-specific groups to align with the watershed agreement’s changes and strengthening coordination with federal agencies. The restructuring has been in the works for the last few years alongside the effort to update the 2014 agreement. Bay Program officials wanted to have a new agreement in place — the fifth new or thoroughly revised pact in the program’s history — before the end of 2025.

To prepare for the reorganization, the EPA hired the Massachusetts-based Eastern Research Group to evaluate the Bay Program’s structure. The resulting 2024 report highlighted several longstanding criticisms of the effort’s bureaucracy, including that it has become overly complex, opaque, averse to accepting outsiders’ feedback and burdened by a “siloed” structure that impedes collaboration. The report recommended that officials “simplify and streamline” the program’s structure and processes. In December 2024, the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council directed the Principals’ Staff Committee to oversee a top-to-bottom analysis of the partnership’s management structure and implement changes by July 2026.

I like the idea of simplifying the structure, especially it it reduces the numbers of fingers in the pie, but I suspect something less is actually happening in practice.

 The proposed structural changes were developed through discussions with the Management Board and the Principals’ Staff Committee, Offner said. To help guide those talks, EPA staff members studied organizational structures and interviewed peers at other regional restoration programs, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Puget Sound Partnership and several National Estuary Programs.

Under the new structure, the Executive Council’s membership and roles would remain unchanged. But immediately beneath it in the hierarchy, there would be a big change: The Principals’ Staff Committee and the Management Board would be replaced by a single panel called the Policy Steering Committee, made up of “high-level jurisdictional and federal leaders.”

The steering committee would set priorities for implementation committees, which would in turn preside over goal teams arrayed around the revised agreement’s four priorities: healthy landscapes, clean water, habitats and engaged communities. There would also be groups that provide technical support, and advisory committees would continue to dispense expertise on topics ranging from local government to agriculture. The Chesapeake Executive Council gave the go-ahead to the raft of structural proposals at the same December 2025 meeting in which it approved the revised agreement.

In recent committee meetings, some observers came away worried that only state and federal representatives would be allowed to sit as co-chairs on committees. Historically, leaders of non-governmental organizations have been able to serve in those roles. “If I were trying to accelerate progress and address some of these barriers to success, I would want to talk to people on the ground doing the work, experiencing successes and failures in real time,” said Kristin Reilly, director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition. Offner said, though, that “there are no restrictions on non-governmental organizations leadership” chairing committees.

And if I wanted to slow the process, make it less efficient, and make sure more money was wasted on goals that will never be accomplished, I'd invite in a lot more people.

New Bay Diet Approved

 Chesapeake Bay Mag, Bay States Approve New Watershed Agreement with 2040 Deadline

Four governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C. descended on the National Aquarium in Baltimore Tuesday to adopt a revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. An update to the Chesapeake Bay restoration plan devised in 2014 with a 2025 deadline, this new Watershed Agreement will direct the next 15 years of Bay cleanup efforts.
. . .
The revised 2025 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement builds upon progress, according to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, instead of simply restarting the program. “We are redoubling our effort to make achievable, not just aspirational, goals.” While 2040 is the next big milestone date for the new agreement’s goals, there are “critical checkpoints” planned along the way, Youngkin said. The new agreement contains four goals: Thriving Habitats, Fisheries and Wildlife; Clean Water; Healthy Landscapes; and Engaged Communities. It also includes 21 outcomes for the Bay states to reach. To achieve the outcomes, the partners will create management strategies for each.

and from VIMS,  2025 Chesapeake Bay dead zone near long-term average

That's what you get for $25 Billion or so.

New Bay Diet Vote Tomorrow

From the Bay Journal, Revised Chesapeake cleanup agreement set for vote Dec. 2

The Chesapeake Bay Program’s Executive Council is set to consider adopting a raft of updates to the blueprint that has guided the multi-state and federal effort for more than a decade. The Bay Program has overseen the estuary’s cleanup since 1983, directly and indirectly influencing the spending of billions of dollars in environmental projects.

The council includes the governors of all six states in the Bay watershed — Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware and West Virginia — as well as the mayor of the District of Columbia; the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, which consists mostly of state legislators.

As the Bay Journal went to press, four governors were expected to attend the meeting: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer (D) and outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). Also expected to attend are the District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and Maryland state Sen. Sara Love (D), chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

The 2014 version of the Bay agreement had set a 2025 deadline for putting in place actions necessary to achieve a variety of goals, including reducing nutrient and sediment pollution, expanding public access to waterways, planting trees along streambanks and opening the upper reaches of rivers and streams to fish passage. The effort met a number of its goals but fell short of others, including the foundational goal to reduce nutrient pollution in the Bay.

The newly revised agreement extends the region’s cleanup commitment by 15 years. Many leading environmental groups have criticized the document as lacking ambition. They point to rollbacks, for example, in the amount of wetlands to be created.

The federal government shutdown in October and early November also prevented many agency experts from participating in the final days of revising the agreement.

But advocates for the new plan say it is an improvement over the first draft circulated for public comment over the summer. The revised version sets a uniform deadline of 2040 to reach the plan’s goals, with a 2033 midpoint assessment. And it more firmly ties states to meeting a mandatory “pollution diet” that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency enacted in 2010.

“The Bay restoration movement could have easily fizzled out in the current climate of division and uncertainty, said Keisha Sedlacek, senior policy director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the region’s largest Bay advocacy group. “Instead, everyone worked to find common ground, creating a vision for the next 15 years,”

I expect it to be every bit as successful as the last one. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Signs to Release Epstein "Files"

Quotes around files because there really are no files per say, just documents scattered about the bureaucracy. Sundance at CTH, Senate Passes Epstein “Shiny Thing” Bill, Sends It to President Trump’s Desk. "Trump will sign it, the Epstein ‘shiny thing’ law will go into effect, and the politicians will continue arguing about it and trying to attack the White House because they put the perpetual argument component into THE BILL . . ." WSJ, Trump Signs Bill Authorizing Release of Epstein Files "Justice Department has 30 days to make unclassified documents available from its investigation." Catturd ™ @catturd2, "So the biggest backfire in history has begun." Quote Right Angle News Network @Rightanglenews "BREAKING - Newly released campaign finance records show that from 1990 to 2018, Jeffrey Epstein directed about 89% of his political donations to Democratic and progressive causes, with notable individual recipients including Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and Chuck Schumer." Dave Strom at Hat Hair says If and When the 'Epstein Files' Come Out, Expect a Lot More of This. Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Wait so Hakeem Jeffries invited Epstein to a dinner to solicit money from him in 2013, AFTER Epstein was convicted for procuring a child for prostitution???" Matt Margolis, Here’s the Epstein Email Hakeem Jeffries REALLY Doesn’t Want You to See. From LifeZette, Chuck Schumer Malfunctions When Pressed on Biden Hiding the Epstein Files for Years. At Da Mail, Katie Couric faces mounting criticism for cozying up to Jeffrey Epstein at his private dinner with Prince Andrew AFTER pedophile was convicted. Amy Curtis at TownHall says a Resurfaced Video Makes Stacey Plaskett's Epstein Ties Even Worse for Democrats. At Hat Hair Capt. Ed doesn't believe Plaskett to CNN: I Consulted a Sex Trafficker To Get the Truth Out of Michael Cohen! and Beege Welborn reports House GOP Members Help Protect Plaskett From Consequences of Epstein Collaboration. Bonchie at RedState hears Reps. Luna, Burchett Claim House GOP Leadership Cut a Deal to Save Epstein Ally Stacey Plaskett, "to save Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL)." At RCP Melinda Hennenberger explores The ‘Clubby World’ That Killed the Epstein Story. NewsBusters sees Chris Matthews Embarrasses Himself With Claims that Turned Out Wildly False “the Senate is going to do what it can to logjam this whole effort to get the truth out.” I think most pundits have a very high threshold for embarrassment. Capt. Ed, Aaand ... Scene: Harvard (Finally) Sends Summers Packing Over 'Wingman' Epstein.

At the Pop Times Jasmine Crockett Connects Lee Zeldin to Epstein, But There’s One Major Problem, it was a random Dr. also named Jeffrey Epstein. Twitchy calls it a Name Game: Dem Jasmine Crockett’s Two Epsteins Debacle Ends in a Dumb Double Down on CNN Greg Price@greg_price11 "Jasmine Crockett makes an absolute fool of herself when she is asked to correct the record about accusing Republicans of taking donations from a different Dr. Jeffrey Epstein: "That is specifically why I said *a* Jeffrey Epstein. Just because it wasn't the same one, that's fine... Have I dug in to find out who this doctor is? I have not."" Capt. Ed, Summers: Epstein Connection Too Stupid to Work in Artificial Intelligence -- But Not Harvard? "Seeing Mr. Epstein write that Mr. Trump is 'crazy' or 'truly stupid' and that 'I am the one able to take him down' is certainly more entertaining than..." ""... reading the testimony of Anouska De Georgiou, who told the court... 'loss of innocence, trust and joy is not recoverable.' Or Teala Davies, who testified: 'I’m still a victim because I am fearful for my daughters and everyone’s daughters. I’m fearful for their future in this world where there are predators in power, a world where people can avoid justice if their pockets run deep enough.'... Their pain matters. Their names matter. We should not co-opt their suffering for our own agenda. We should not value our schadenfreude more than their courage." Writes Jennifer Weiner, in "Endless Gossipy Chatter About Epstein. One Glaring Omission" (NYT)." At TNP, Dems Now Try to Dox Epstein Victims, Release Child P*rn. At Twitchy, Scott Jennings Makes the Most Scott Jennings Face EVER As CNN Panelist Makes Epstein Files About Racism. NYPo reports a victim claims Jeffrey Epstein had a tiny, ‘extremely deformed’ penis shaped like a lemon. "Rina Oh, who has long claimed she was among the scores of young women preyed on and abused by Epstein, dropped the unsettling revelation in a recent Substack interview with magazine maven Tina Brown."

Kurt Schlichter at TownHall, We Had the Best of Times and Now These Are the Worst of Times "Welcome to the doldrums, the period of problems, the phase of foul-ups, the time of the sucking. And it does suck. Everything seems to be going wrong for Republicans right now. We were flying high a few weeks ago, when Donald Trump negotiated the end of the Gaza War, and then it was all downhill. Lost elections, economic uncertainty, Epstein file stupidity, fear that the conservative movement will tear itself apart over people who aren't even conservative, and Marjorie Taylor Greene's face all over our social media feeds. Yeah, it's bad. You're at the top one day, then the next day you're at the bottom."

Jonathan Turley “What has Become of Us”: Rosie O’Donnell May Have Just Handed Trump a Golden Defamation Lawsuit, when she said “Did you think it a million years that they would reelect a man who orchestrated an insurrection against the government? They would reelect that guy with all the charges of sex abuse? — the adjudicated rapist…And then I just saw this thing today about all the cases he’s settled with children, children’s families, accusations about him, that he chose to settle.” The adjudicated bit is false.

Matt Margolis hears Trump Declare War on the Affordability Crisis That Biden Created. At News Wax, Trump Addresses Affordability: 'So Damn Lucky' I'm President. unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "That's 4.2% when just a few months ago the trump haters were predicting recession and empty shelves." Quote, "E.J. Antoni, Ph.D. @RealEJAntoni, "ATL Fed: not only is GDP currently estimated to have grown 4.2% for Q3 but the gain is primarily driven by big increases in private spending and private investment, not gov't:" Beege Welborn, And SNAP! Rollins to Make Beneficiaries Reapply.

From Breitbart, Report Says Trump to Announce Long Overdue Dismantling of Education Dept.

Carrie Lukas at Da Caller looks at Women And Their Risky Bet On Mamdani. Amy Curtis at TownHall thinks Mamdani's 'Gender-Affirming Care' Plan Is Something Straight Out of Iran. At Da Signal, Mamdani Is a Warning for Western Civilization. 

LifeZette sees Cory Booker’s Public Call to Oust Schumer Sends Democrats Deeper Into Chaos. Fox sees lawmakers Headed for the exits: Why 3 dozen House members aren't running for re-election. Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "BREAKING: DOJ charges Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) with stealing $5 million in FEMA funds, laundering the proceeds, and then using the money to support her 2021 Congressional campaign. She faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted." Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "Wow. USAID and the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund got nuked and suddenly Democrat megadonors are broke. Isn’t that something." Quote Teddy Schleifer @teddyschleifer, "NEW: Stick a fork in Arabella Advisors. The powerful progressive philanthropic consulting firm is no more. Instead, Arabella’s managed funds are investing in a new vehicle that will effectively bring Arabella’s services in house to each of the funds. And Arabella Advisors won’t exist anymore."

On Democrats calling for military to disobey Trumps unspecified illegal orders, Dave Strom, says Call It Insurrection. DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "You should know that this is an open call for others to carry out one of the steps involved in executing a color revolution. See Step 6: defections within military, intelligence, and law enforcement." unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "If the dems calling for insurrection doesn't tell you how desperate they are after losing the shutdown battle and whatever little leverage they had left, I can't help you. The Resistance is dead. It's dead, Jim. It's so dead, that the dems are now calling for a revolt and insurrection because they can't stop Trump for at the very least another 14 months." An Althouse commenter, planetgeo said... The following code section sounds pretty relevant to the Democrats' latest efforts: 18 U.S. Code § 2387 – Activities affecting armed forces generally. (a)Whoever, with intent to interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States: (1)advises, counsels, urges, or in any manner causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military or naval forces of the United States; . . .Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction."

From TNP, BREAKING: Court Halts Texas Redistricting Plans Over ‘Racism.’ From Ace, Federal Panel of Judges Rules That Republicans Aren't Allowed to Gerrymander in Republican States "...because when you gerrymander to reduce Democrat seats, you're usually also reducing sets dominated by black or Hispanic voters, and these judges say you can never, ever reduce the "impact" blacks or Hispanics can have on elections. You can, of course, always reduce the impact of white voters, as California just did. In fact, it's legally required." CNN admits ‘I dissent,’ judge says 16 times in 100-page broadside against colleagues in Texas redistricting case. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Dissent: '...the Most Blatant Exercise of Judicial Activism That I Have Ever Witnessed'. @amuse @amuse, "LAWFARE: Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Trump not to power wash the filthy Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) next to the White House. The president has been talking about cleaning it and restoring it since his first term. The judge likes it dirty." Bob Hoge at RedState, Yes, This Is Actually Real – Leftists Stop Trump From Power-Washing Ugly Eisenhower Exec. Office Bldg. Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed hears ‘No More Delays’: GOP Senators Demand D.C. Circuit Chief Suspend Boasberg Amid Impeachment Efforts. PJM's Cathy Salgado reports Sec. Duffy Slams ‘CDL Mills’, Woke Judges Saving Trucking Jobs for Illegals.

At NYPo the Divine Miranda Devine: FBI, Secret Service butchered the Thomas Crooks case and invited conspiracies – we deserve the truth. Matt Vespa, Are We Shocked the Biden FBI Did This During the Trump Assassination Investigation? "On Monday, The Post reported on violent social media posts that are believed to be tied to Crooks. The online activity included numerous endorsements of political violence, and a severe turn from being a hardcore advocate for Trump to coming within a few millimeters of killing him. The FBI never shared those files with the Congressional investigation, said Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX)." At Da Caller, ‘Holy Sh*t!’: Shawn Ryan Aghast As Charlie Kirk’s Security Leader Reads Texts He Allegedly Sent University Police. He warned them about the exposed roof Kirk was shot from, they replied they had it covered.

Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Lawrence Reed who had FOURTY NINE prior arrests including 10 felonies was just arrested for lighting a woman on fire on the train in Chicago. He allegedly shouted “Burn alive b****!” as he doused her in gasoline We shouldn’t have to live like this."

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Curse of the Gopherball up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Fifteen More Years to Save the Bay

From Lancaster Farming, Chesapeake Bay Program Committee Resets Bay Improvement Goals for 2040

A key committee of the Chesapeake Bay Program voted unanimously this week to accept a revised agreement that charts a way forward for bay improvements through 2040. The vote clears the way for the program’s executive council to give final approval in December. Members of the principals’ staff committee broke out in applause after consensus was reached at the meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, on Oct. 28.

The revision is the result of “tens of thousands of hours” of work put in by program partners, said Josh Kurtz, secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and chair of the committee. While falling short of a 2035 target date favored by Maryland, Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for some of the goals, Kurtz said the agreement aims to “improve and streamline” the current one from 2014.

Public comment this summer criticized the draft agreement as being weak and lacking clear target dates, leading to some revisions since the comment period closed on Sept. 1. “The desire for a stronger, time-bound commitment was the No. 1 thing heard from the public during the feedback period,” Kurtz said earlier in October.

The 2040 target date compromise came from recognizing that states are at “very different places” in meeting nutrient reduction goals, he said. Kurtz believes the timeline will be voluntarily accelerated for some of the desired outcomes. “We’re still going to meet a lot of those goals before the 2040 timeline,” he said. 

The revised agreement streamlines the number of goals from 10 in the 2014 agreement to four broader goals that specify outcomes for clean water, fish and wildlife, healthy landscapes and engaged communities. Watershed-wide, conservation initiatives have fallen short of some targets outlined in the 2014 agreement, including those for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus loads by 2025.

ChesapeakeProgress, a public website tracking the progress of bay improvements, estimated that conservation practices are on track to achieve 59% of nitrogen reduction goals, 92% of phosphorus reductions and 100% of the sediment reduction target by 2025 compared to 2009 nutrient loads. Despite sediment reduction goals being met for the watershed as a whole, the website reported that Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania have not yet met their statewide targets. Meanwhile, the District of Columbia and West Virginia have met their statewide nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment targets, while Maryland has met its phosphorus and sediment goals and is on course to meet its nitrogen target for 2025.

I'll just be that in 2040, many of the goals will be unmet, and they will be looking at another round of funding. As Milton Friedman notes  “Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.”

Meet the New (Bay) Boss

Bay Journal, EPA names new Bay Program director

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected a career employee with two decades of experience at the agency as the new head of its Chesapeake Bay Program Office in Annapolis. In an email to Bay Program participants, the agency said that Dan Coogan is scheduled to begin Oct. 6.

He currently is the agency’s deputy assistant administrator for Infrastructure and Extramural Resources and oversees the Office of Mission Support in Washington, DC, which is responsible for acquisitions, grants and facility operations.

Coogan will take over as the state-federal partnership is preparing to put the finishing touches on an updated Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement that will guide restoration and cleanup activities beyond 2025. He will be the Bay Program’s seventh director, or acting director, in six years.

Much of his experience is in programs managing grants and budgets. That could be useful because about two-thirds of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s annual budget of about $90 million goes toward grants to states, local governments, universities and nonprofits. In the Office of Mission Support, he oversaw an annual budget of $900 million and 1,400 full-time equivalent employees who provided services and programs to support the rest of the agency.

In past roles over the years, Coogan has overseen a wide range of actions to streamline and improve agency operations, ranging from reducing the number of overdue Freedom of Information Act responses to helping lead implementation of massive grant programs under the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, both of which distributed record amounts of agency funding for environmental initiatives.

Coogan joined the EPA in 2004 and holds a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in public policy, and a doctorate in public policy from George Washington University.

He resides in College Park, MD, with his family and enjoys running, cycling, gardening and coaching youth sports.

Coogan will take over for Lee McDonnell, who has served as the acting Bay Program Director since December 2024 and helped guide the partnership through efforts to revise its watershed agreement and develop a new governance structure for the partnership.

I can't find a damn thing about his politics, which is probably a good thing. Hopefully we won't get fooled again.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump's Navy Blows Up Venezuelan Narco Boat

From Da Caller, Latin America’s Narco States Freaking Out Over Trump’s Cartel Crackdown. Atop Da Hill, Venezuela at ‘maximum preparedness’ with US warships in Caribbean: Maduro. At Da Wire, Maduro Accuses U.S. Of ‘Seeking A Regime Change’ After Trump Deploys Military To South Caribbean. Yeah, and your point? PM reports Trump announces the US military has just conducted a lethal strike against a Venezuelan drug cartel vessel in the Caribbean. "These came out of Venezuela — and coming out very heavily from Venezuela. A lot of things are coming out of Venezuela." See the video at the link. At the Center Square, Chinese networks use U.S. to launder billions for Mexican cartels, Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Liberals Discover That the BRICS Exist, Blame Trump. From NewsWax, Trump Says He Is 'Very Disappointed' With Putin.

A video at Hat Hair, Kent Strang: Strong Economy, Poll Surprises, and Why AI & Energy Will Shape America’s Future. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears The Young Latino Swing to Trump Is Real.

PJM's Matt Margolis thinks Trump’s Response to Death Rumors Was Absolutely Epic “You know, I, I have heard, it’s, uh, sort of crazy, but last week I did numerous news conferences, all successful, they went very well, like this is going very well. And then I didn’t do any for two days and they said, ‘There must be something wrong with him.’ Biden wouldn’t do them for months. You wouldn’t see him, and nobody ever said there was ever anything wrong with him, and we know he wasn’t in the greatest of shape.” and thinks he's SICK: Tim Walz Publicly Roots for Trump’s Death in Shocking Video From Ace, After Left Wing Lunatics Push "Trump Is Dead" Hoax on Twitter, Governor and Former VP Candidate Tim Walz Enthusiastically Proclaims That While Trump Didn't Die Yet, He Will Die Soon, "Mentally ill and loathsome people, many of whom believe in witchcraft and the power of "manifesting" your preferred reality through chanting spells, tried to will Trump's death into being over the weekend." Neil Pollack at the Spec World says Wishing Trump dead only make him stronger.

Driscoll at Insty, THAT’S THE CHICAGO WAY — BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE: Chris Arnade @Chris_arnade "The acceptance of disorder in the US, including levels of violence in poor neighborhoods that's near top across the world, is simply stunning. We don't have to live like this, but because most of it happens to poor people, out of sight of an incurious media, we do." Quote Breaking911 @Breaking911 "REPORTER: “This past weekend, 54 shot, 7 dead…” PRITZKER: “Look, big cities have crime!”" RedState's Sister Toldja thinks Wow: Pritkzer Hands GOP a Gift With Wildly Tone-Deaf Answer to Question About Chicago's Violent Weekend. At NYPo the Divine Ms. Devine says Democrats’ head-scratching reaction to Trump’s DC crime crackdown puts them at odds with voters. Beege Welborn, Brandon Johnson Basically Calling for Race War to Keep Federal Troops Out of Chicago. Ward Clarke at RedState, hopes Trump EO Could Help Solve Las Vegas' Devastating Homeless Crisis. At Da Signal, Sorry, White Old Hippies: We Black People Want Safe Streets. Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Remember when a trangender t*rrorist shot up a Christian school and kiIIed two kids and then the Democrats told us not to pray for the victims??"

Sundance at CTH, President Trump makes 2:00pm ET Announcement – U.S. Space Force Likely Moving From Colorado to Alabama. Beege Welborn, Make Space Great Again...From Huntsville UPDATE. Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman "BREAKING: Trump has OFFICIALLY directed the Space Force HQ to be stationed in Huntsville, Alabama! This is COMMON SENSE, given its proximity to NASA. The icing on the cake is that this will create 30,000 new jobs in the state! WINNING!!!" Ben Whedon at JTN reports Trump to move Space Command from Colorado to Alabama, "Trump established the Space Force in 2019, building the branch out of components of the Air Force."

Bob Malone at Malone News, looks at The Plot to Get RFK, Jr. "BIO: “It is time to go to The Hill and lobby that it is time for RFK Jr to go.”" Insty at his NYPo gig says The CDC’s in-your-face double standards lost America’s trust — winning it back will be tough. Just Facts Daily looks at The Track Record of the CDC. From Fox, 5 ways MAHA moms can fix kids' junk food problem at school lunches nationwide "Practical tips focus on protein over carbs as childhood obesity rates climb to one in five."

Misty Severi at JTN reports House Republicans release the first tranche of Epstein files. "The Justice Department delivered its first trove of files to Congress last month, after the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the department for the files." Matt Margolis, Epstein Files Drop: The Left's Trump Smear Campaign Just Collapsed. Nothing will ever be enough for Trump's detractors; they'll always be praying for a pony in the next pile of horseshit. 

In misc. Trumpiania, at OTP, Eric Trump Signals Openness To Future White House Run. I want Kai, but it will be a few years yet. Reagen Reese at Da Caller says Trump Unveils New Troll Of Joe Biden’s Autopen In Oval Office. Katie Jerkovich at RedState sees the Internet Goes Crazy After Bizarre Video Surfaces of WH Window Shenanigans. "One person suggested it was perhaps First Lady Melania Trump in the window and that she was throwing something out because she was "mad" about something, claiming that women often throw things out of windows. . . A White House spokesperson said it was simply a contractor doing work at the White House: "An official said that an object was thrown out of the window by 'a contractor who was doing regular maintenance while the president was gone.'""

From WokeSpy, Democrats Sink to Near Zero in New Gallup Poll, They’re Just Not Satisfied and Airbnb Co-Founder Dumps Democrats, Backs Trump Over Border Crisis. Jeff Crouere at TownHall, sees Democrats Descend to Deeper Depths of Trump Despair. At Hat Hair Capt. Ed hears Nadler: Biden Broke Me, and I'm Out and Duane Patterson thinks Democrats are at the Crossroads in Virginia.  At Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, VDH On How The Left Destroyed The Democratic Party. OTP, Dems Get Fact-Checked For Spinning Biden-Era Inflation Against GOP.

NYPo reports Oh mama! Qatar bankrolled over a decade worth of films directed by Zohran Mamdani’s mom. Da Caller, Zohran Mamdani’s Mother Revealed To Allegedly Have Deep Ties To Islamic Government. From Twitchy, Obama... AGAIN?! DataRepublican's Deep Dive Into Ilhan Omar's HUBBY Is One HELLUVA DAMNING Doozy (Thread). Stu @thestustustudio "PYM’s Aisha: How to Disrupt the F-35 Program This may be the most alarming thing to come out of the People’s Conference for Palestine because it is a step-by-step playbook that America’s enemies could benefit from. Aisha, a leader with the Palestinian Youth Movement, explained how activists could cripple the U.S. military’s crown jewel fighter jet program, the F-35 . . ." Video at link. This looks almost treasonous to me. Aid and comfort.

From the Free Bacon, ‘Stolen Land’: Gavin Newsom’s ‘Agricultural Equity’ Advisers Prepare Plan To Redistribute Farmland to Racial Minorities "California has 'the responsibility' to help 'rebuild the wealth that was stolen,' task force says." At Bloomberg Law, Texas Representative Sues Newsom Over California Redistricting. Mickey Kaus @kausmickey "There is no bigger swamp than the non-profits ..." Quote Mark Krikorian @MarkSKrikorian, "Celebrities Raised Millions for LA Fire Aid. Much of the Money Went to Programs for Illegal Aliens and Nonprofits That Only Assist 'Black and Brown Communities.' https://freebeacon.com/california/cel"ebrities-raised-millions-for-la-fire-aid-much-of-the-money-went-to-programs-for-illegal-aliens-and-nonprofits-that-only-assist-black-and-brown-communities/

At WTOP, Appeals court backs EPA action terminating billions in ‘green bank’ grants. At JTN, Trump to seek 'expedited ruling' from SCOTUS on tariffs case, DC grand jury refuses to indict woman over alleged online threats to Trump (to be fair, she was crazy, but then most Democrats are), Federal judge directs Google to share search results in major antitrust decision but not sell Chrome and Second judge rules against Trump having sent National Guard to Los Angeles "U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer ruled that the Trump administration violated federal law by sending troops to accompany federal agents on immigration raids in Los Angeles." Jeff Charles at TownHall, Rogue Judge Just Pulled Off Judicial Coup Against Trump's LA Riot Crackdown. 

A Larry video at Hat Hair, The Media Missed the Biggest Story of the Century with John Solomon, "Investigative journalist John Solomon joins Larry O’Connor to expose the full timeline behind the Russia-collusion hoax—Steele dossier, Crossfire Hurricane, the Flynn ambush, IC spin, and how the same playbook fueled impeachment frenzy and the Mar-a-Lago raid. We connect key dates (July 5, 2016 & Jan 6, 2017), unmasking, FISA abuse, and media malpractice—then look at accountability and what’s next." 

OTP reports Georgia Court Orders Fani Willis To Search For Trump-Related Records. 

Jeff Charles at TownHall thinks This Explosive Revelation Could Bury Lisa Cook. Using her second "primary residence" as a rental property.

AP says 1.2 million immigrants are gone from the US labor force under Trump, preliminary data shows like it's a bad thing. OTP, DOJ Challenges Illinois Law Granting In-State Tuition To Undocumented Students. VodkaPundit at PJM, CNBC Just Spilled the Awful Truth About California, "“These are the workers that are keeping our economy afloat. They’re keeping businesses open,” Abby Raisz, research director at the Institute, told CNBC." Driscoll at Insty, OLD AND BUSTED: #MeToo. #BelieveAllWomen. "The New Hotness? Prominent UK women tell rightwingers: stop linking immigration to sexual abuse."

Dave Strom has a UK Totalitarianism Update. The Spectator, Graham Linehan says I was arrested for insulting the trans mob. Beege Welborn, Carry Out Baggage: UK Starmtroopers Now at Airports Snatching Up Comedians Who Mean Xweet. Ace, British Comedy Writer Graham Linehan, Creator of "The IT Crowd," Arrested at Heathrow Airport Over Anti-Trans Tweets "Anti-"hate speech" laws in action. Here's one of the tweets he was arrested for: Graham Linehan @Glinner, "If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls." VodkaPundit at Insty, THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP IS OVER, AND BRITAIN IS NOW OUR PSYCHOTIC EX-GIRLFRIEND: Preston Byrne @prestonjbyrne, "Critically, they did this to Linehan for speech and conduct he engaged in *while in the United States.* The UK has declared war on the First Amendment and America needs to respond accordingly." Quote GB Politics @GBPolitcs, "NEW: Comedian Graham Linehan was arrested and interrogated by five armed police officers at London Heathrow Airport over three posts on X Mr. Linehan has also been banned from using X." A Driscolly post at Insty, THE POUND IS SINKING: Preston Byrne @prestonjbyrne, "The Linehan crash. My theory is that American posters have made UK free speech such a huge issue in the U.S. - where all the capital lives - that the UK’s pro-censorship posture is capable of materially degrading the country’s economic position." Quote, GB Politics @GBPolitcs, "NEW: The British Pound (£) has fallen 1.50% against the U.S. dollar ($) within the last few hours." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "English Bobbies Race Past 5 Stabbings To Tackle Offensive Social Media Poster https://buff.ly/mcDdkni."

At Hat Hair, Mark Judge (remember him?) reports A New York Times Reporter Apologized to Me. Now What? From LifeZette, CNN’s Abby Phillip Shrugs Off Threats Against ICE Agents And Families. CNN host Abby Phillip is facing scrutiny after suggesting that violent threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and their families are risks “they just have to take” as part of their jobs." At Da Wire, Trump Goes To War With Wikipedia Over Political Slant.

At Althouse, "Liebich has vigorously resisted suggestions of taking this step to satirise the authorities, rather than out of a wish to live as a woman."  Stacy McCain explains Bad Causes Attract Bad People (and Why NPCs Can’t Resist ‘The Current Thing’). Greg Piper at JTN, Christian baker punished for refusing lesbian wedding cake asks SCOTUS to close California loophole. ""First Amendment rights will vary dramatically by location, even between state and federal courts within California," if SCOTUS doesn't resolve two splits in lower courts. Justice Scalia 1990 opinion should be junked, petition says."

From OutKick, Australian Women’s Soccer Team With Male Players Wins Premier League Title (Again).

Lots of links left at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 09.02.25 (Afternoon Edition). The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Morning Glory Milking Farm up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Critics Fear Reasonable Bay Diet Goals

 Bay Journal, Bay agreement draft criticized as ‘weakening’ commitment

Proposed revisions to the plan that guides the Chesapeake Bay cleanup fall short of what many experts and environmental advocates want to see.

The draft document weakens several targets in place since 2014, including goals for restoring wetlands and establishing new public access points. Some goals provide only an X for amounts instead of real numbers, leaving crucial numerical objectives to be decided months or even years into the future. And, while many tasks face their own deadlines, there is no cutoff date by which the entire suite of initiatives must be completed.

“My initial thought was this was very incomplete,” said Keisha Sedlacek, senior policy director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “While the goals and outcomes included are the right ones, there is less accountability and detail than we were anticipating.”

The Chesapeake Bay Program, the state-federal collaboration that has overseen the cleanup since 1983, released an 18-page revised version of the 2014 Bay agreement for public comment on July 1. The program’s Executive Council is set to vote on a finalized draft in December.

Heaven forfend they should set goals that might be achieved.  Then they'd have to close up shop and go home.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Much to Liberals Chagrin Trump Not Dead Yet

After 3 days of his not overtly bothering them, liberals and their media arm began to spread rumors of President Trump's demise. At NYPo, President Trump is alive and well after bizarre, false online speculation suggested he died. Sister Toldja at RedState sees 'Haters Hopes Dashed': Lincoln Project-Fueled Rumor That Trump Is Unwell or Dead Gets Nuked From Orbit. Matt Vespa at TownHall on Why Libs Are Devastated That Trump Played Golf Today. Brent Scher @BrentScher "BREAKING: Trump isn’t dead, he’s playing golf. You’re all idiots and I hope you have a bad day." Althouse finds "Vice President JD Vance's... comments about being prepared to assume the presidency in case of a 'terrible tragedy' befalling President Trump set tongues wagging." ""The timing of these remarks drew attention within the political landscape as keyboard warriors started connecting dots to the prominent bruise on Trump's right hand that went viral.... The story has generated substantial engagement on social media platforms, particularly on X. Below are some tweets...." From "'Trump is Dead' trends on X: J D Vance's remark over US president sparks frenzy; Simpsons prediction adds fuel" (Times of India)."

From Da Blaze, DC Dems are furious at Mayor Bowser for admitting Trump's troops are lowering crime. Sarah Arnold at TownHall, Maryland’s Democrat Governor Invites President Trump to Help Clean Up Baltimore. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " JUST IN: The Democrat governor of Maryland INVITES PRESIDENT TRUMP to send in federal support to clean up Baltimore and MD. TRUMP WON. "I would ABSOLUTELY welcome federal support." Get on the phone with 47! He wants Maryland to have what DC got." Nick Ballasy at JTN hears Trump attacks Illinois governor on Chicago crime: 'Straighten it out, fast, or we’re coming.'

Sundance at CTH, Mexico Is Doing What Canada Is Ignoring – Preparing for 2026 USMCA Renegotiation and Federal Appeals Court Rules 7-4 IEEPA Tariffs Unlawful, Decision Qualifiers and Narrow Application – Tariffs Remain Pending SCOTUS Review "Notice that no foreign nation is challenging these tariffs as applied. The legal challenges are all coming from inside the U.S.A, as multinational corporations fight to retain the status quo." 404Media whines Trump Tariffs Cause Chaos on Ebay as Every Hobby Becomes Logistical Minefield. Sarah Hoyt at Insty comments REMOVING THE DE MINIMIS LOOPHOLE IS UPSETTING PEOPLE. SEEMS TO ME THAT MEANS IT’S WORKING.

At ET, Noem Fires 24 FEMA Employees After Data Breach, "An investigation revealed security failures in the agency’s operations and IT systems." WaPoo, echoed at MSN, whines Trump officials fire EPA employees for signing dissent letter. Drew Berquitst reports RFK Jr.’s HHS Axes $122 Million in DEI, LGBT Research. Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain, "Think about this for a second The CDC is utterly useless if it is not seen as credible by the majority of the country, and yet they employed a guy with massive satanic tattoos who wore bondage gear during a photo shoot as their point person on immunization."

Real Clear Defense proposes Here’s How to Force Moscow’s Hand If Trump–Putin Talks Fail. More missiles for Ukraine, and stronger sanctions. How novel. From Da Caller, Vance Torches Politico Reporter For Deep State Smear Job "Schwartz included quotes from all anonymous sources who criticized Witkoff’s handling of peace talks with Russia in the article, “‘His inexperience shines through’: Steve Witkoff struggles to manage Russia as Trump peace envoy.” The outlet did not include Vance’s full on the record statement, and completely left out on the record quotes from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former White House adviser Jared Kushner, who all defended the special envoy." Obviously, they disputed his agenda. At Am Mil News, SECDEF Hegseth blocks Chinese coders’ access to Pentagon cloud systems. "In a video message shared Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, Hegseth explained that the Pentagon was notified last month of an “Obama-Biden era legacy program” known as “Digital Escorts.” The secretary of defense noted that Microsoft used Chinese coders who were remotely supervised by contractors in the United States to maintain sensitive cloud systems for the Department of Defense for almost 10 years." It seems rather obvious not to farm out defense work to China.

Matt Vespa says It's Happening: Missouri to Hold Special Session to Redraw Congressional Districts. One more Republican seat, maybe. Matt Margolis at PJM hears Scott Presler Warns Republicans Could Lose Everything in November. Democrats are mad, to the point of insanity, but it makes for good turnout. Republicans are mostly satisfied, which makes for lousy turnout. At Mediaite, NEW POLL: Literally 0% of Democrats Are Satisfied With How Things Are Going in the US. They hate that the economy is doing fine, illegal immigration is being curbed, crime is being fought, by someone they have been trained to despise. WT has a different take, The Democratic Party is disintegrating before our very eyes, "As things stand, the Democrats might never win another presidential election." Tim Graham finds The Democrats Display Their Flaws in Minneapolis. Andy Klavan at DaWire hears Democrats Wonder Why So Many Men Are Abandoning The Party, "Why are Donald Trump’s anti-crime measures so popular with people who don’t want to be killed?" LA Times, Newsom offers clemency to 5 inmates serving life without parole. Driscoll at Insty, has another page from the ANNALS OF LEFTIST AUTOPHAGY: "Matt Mahan, San Jose’s mayor, knocks Gov. Gavin Newsom for choosing online antics over sensible policies: How about less time breaking the Internet and more time fixing California?" Twitchy says Sit This One Out, Blimpy: X ENDS J.B. Pritzker for Scolding Trump to Be More Like Illinois Students. Governor JB Pritzker @GovPritzker, "Our leaders in Washington could learn a thing or two from some of the best elementary school students here in Illinois" Rebecca Tucker @RebeccaTucker85, "Only 30% of your 4th graders can read at a 4th grade level."

At Hat Hair John Sexton cites the School Shooter: 'Gender and weed f***ed up my head' and Dave Strom argues Minnesota Government Helped Create Annunciation School Shooter. Jeff Charles at TownHall, Police Say This Is What the Minneapolis Shooter Wanted Most "Law enforcement explained that Westman’s primary motive was fame and notoriety, according to Fox News. . . . The shooter expressed hate towards almost every group unmanageable. The shooter expressed hate towards Black people. The shooter expressed hate towards Mexican people. The shooter expressed hate towards Christian people. The shooter expressed hate towards Jewish people," Thompson continued. "In short, the shooter appeared to hate all of us."" Matt Vespa explains Why the Libs' Red Flag Law Narrative Doesn't Work With the Minneapolis Shooter. You can't call a trans person crazy. NYPo's Divine Ms. Devine thinks the Deadly Minnesota school shooting reflects tragic cost of a disordered society — including Dem leaders who lost the plot. Scott McKay at Am Spec asserts The Demons Have Taken Hold of Minneapolis. From Fox, Tulsi Gabbard accuses Jen Psaki of 'hatred of God' after Minneapolis school shooting remarks. "National Intelligence director responds to former press secretary's viral post dismissing prayer after Minneapolis school shooting "We’ve seen the demonic advance throughout our culture over the past decade and more."" Joy Pullman at Da Fed argues Minneapolis Shooting Reveals Democrat Party’s Comfort With Satanic Talking Points. Victory Girls, Bishop Barron Defends Prayer After Minnesota Shooting. How dare a bishop defend prayer. Mitch Berg at Hat Hair VIP, Minnesota Left: Not Wasting The Crisis. At Breitbart, Rosie O’Donnell Falsely Claims the Anti-Catholic Trans Minneapolis School Shooter ‘Was a Republican MAGA Person’. Trump broke her. Karol Markowicz at NYPo, After the deadly Minneapolis school shooting, it’s time to stop indulging delusions – and talk truth about transgenderism. News Wax suggests Minneapolis Confirms We Need to Help, Not Humor 'Trans' Kids. WokeSpy, Trans Activist Arrested After Fatal Shooting of Dad Who Dropped Son Off Moments Before. "The suspect was identified as Snehal Ansh Srivastava, who also goes by the name “Sasha Shakur” on social media. SWAT officers and a K-9 unit entered the property minutes after the arrest. Investigators said the home was covered in graffiti bearing slogans such as “Free Palestine,” “Free Congo,” “BLM,” “GLM,” and “Ganga Gardens.”"

Hat Hair's Capt. Ed says Of Course: Media Freaks Out Over Normal Secret Service Provision for Kamala. "Trump simply canceled the illegitimate extension and restored the normal post-office benefit limitations to which all VPs are subject." Found at Insty, The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Kamala Harris Last Seen Fleeing Dozens Of International Assassins After Trump Cancels Her Secret Service Protection."

At the Peacock, Fate of Fed Gov. Lisa Cook still up in the air after court hearing on Trump firing bid. "A court hearing in Washington, D.C., ended without a judge ruling on a request by Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook to temporarily bar President Donald Trump from firing her. . . Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte made a second criminal referral to the Justice Department against Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the board." At News Wax, Josh Hammer opines Yes, Trump Can Fire Lisa Cook. "Trump has acted appropriately; he is fully within his constitutional and statutorily delegated authority to remove Cook — whether for "cause" or not." Sundance at CTH notices Lawfare Operative Norm Eisen Is Lawyer for Embattled Fed Governor Lisa Cook. "However, the appearance of Norm Eisen as her lawyer certainly highlights the political nature of the defense effort. Norm Eisen is a well-known Lawfare operative, second only to Mary McCord in his high visibility and connections to all of the anti-Trump efforts. Eisen, like McCord, is at the center of the leftist effort to stop the Trump agenda through the manipulation of the courts, ie. ‘Lawfare.’" Sundance goes on to explain the difference between Spygate -vs- Russiagate.

From Da Blaze, Tom Homan says Trump administration has located 23,000 of the 300,000 migrant children lost under Biden administration. A start. The Tampa Freep reports ICE, Border Patrol Apprehend Over 5,000 Illegal Criminal Immigrants In California: “Worst Of The Worst.” Twitchy, Tow Truck Drivers Are Walking on Thin ICE If They Think They'll Get Away With Impeding Federal LEOs. Mike Solana @micsolana "amazing to receive this immediate, public response to press reports online. how much of "news" before the internet was real? to what degree did largely invented stories shape our politics? god, the 20th century was insane." Quote Homeland Security @DHSgov "The two illegal aliens apprehended were NOT firefighters. The two contracted work crews questioned on the day of their arrests were not even assigned to actively fight the fire; they were there in a support role, cutting logs into firewood. The firefighting response remained uninterrupted the entire time. No active firefighters were even questioned, and U.S. Border Patrol’s actions did not prevent or interfere with any personnel actively engaged in firefighting efforts. The mainstream media is once again spreading fake news about federal law enforcement efforts." Sundance hears European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Blames Russia for EU Immigration Crisis.

Stacy McCain reports KiwiFarms Sues U.K. and It’s Awesome "So the United Kingdom’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) wants to enforce their Online Safety Act’s age-verification requirements. KiwiFarms and 4chan hired lawyers to sue the U.K. over this, and one of the lawyers they hired is my friend Ron Coleman. The filing begins thus: "The Internet is a global system of communication between computer servers, located in data centers around the world. Despite the Internet’s global reach, it is more or less universally acknowledged that the Internet is, predominantly, an American innovation, built by American citizens, residents, and companies, and that the United States has the largest and most thriving technology sector of any G7 member state. . . " Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "Undoubtedly, the funniest thing about the current political scene is hearing people scream about fascism descending on the US in one breath, then advocating censorship and disarmament of civilians in the next. Do they even listen to themselves?" Steven Moore at Hat Hair thinks Europe Is Dying -- Are We Next?

John Sexton is scandalized that Everyone at Harvard Gets an A. "Claybaugh recalled a recent talk with an experienced science professor who told her that some students get A’s for excellent work. Others get the mark because they’re from less-privileged backgrounds and demonstrated improvement throughout the semester. And still others get A’s because they were doing strong work before a mental-health crisis derailed their progress. “So pretty much everyone gets A’s,” Claybaugh told me. “That’s where we’ve ended up.”" That makes doing class rankings pretty hard. At ET, Half of American Schools Require ‘Equitable’ Grading and Most Teachers Are Opposed: Survey. "The report identifies five equitable grading practices: unlimited retakes, no late penalties, no zeroes, no homework, and no required participation." Boston.com, Feds investigating Mass. school district over student survey that referenced gender identity, sexual activity in middle school. "U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon called the survey “graphic, and downright inappropriate in nature.”"

At Da Fed, Shawn Fleetwood, Christian Baker Pleads For SCOTUS To End California’s Lawfare Against Her Religious Beliefs. I thought we were past this.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Morning Glory Milking Farm up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.