Flotsam and Jetsam - US Poverty Hits All-Time Low

At NYPo, Americans are richer than ever — and poverty hits an all-time low, but you won't hear it from the WaPoo, the NYT, PBS, ABC, CBS or NBC. Bill Mitchell @mitchellvii, "Stocks at record highs. GDP at 5.1%. Real incomes at record highs. Poverty at record lows. Food inflation below 20 year average. Factories at 82% capacity. Standard of living best ever. Crime at record lows. Trump approval on the economy - record lows. What am I missing?" Ace, US Poverty Rate Falls to Lowest Level In History, "Well, as long as we've been keeping track of it, anyway. And median (average) household income hit a record high. Wait until you see how the media spins this." I know the dictum is that you can't tell people the economy is good when they don't feel it, but the MSM spend a great deal of time and effort convincing people that the economy is great when Democrats are in control and even more attempting to plant the thought that the economy sucks when Republicans are in charge.

Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "This is 100% accurate. The left has completely moved on from climate change, net-zero, electric car mandates, etc. The climate panic faded and their ideas were all wrong, so for 2028 the new existential threat that needs regulating is AI." Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet. "This is the case against AI doom. Pass it on First we recaptulate standard x-risk argument: we build AI substantially smarter than humans → it becomes an autonomous optimizing agent → its goals are misaligned → instrumental convergence makes it seek power and resist correction → superintelligence lets it acquire decisive strategic advantage → humans lose control permanently. Here are the main counterarguments: ..."Too long, but read it anyway. Sundance at CTH hears Palantir CEO Frames AI Leaders Request as Effort to Avoid Lawsuits from Large Corporate Clients Over IP Theft. 

At Am Great, the Great Victor Davis Hanson discourses on Iran, the Midterms, and October Surprises, "The Iran war could reshape the midterms as Democrats, Iran’s regime, dissidents, and Kurdish rebels weigh the political and military stakes of the next 50 days." The WSJ (archive) documents how Iran’s Attempts to Get Around the Hormuz Blockade Are Hitting a Wall "While Saudi Arabia and others find workarounds, bottlenecks are threatening Iran’s economy," and Saudi Arabia Has Another Option to Get Its Oil Out "A shuttle service that slips oil through the Strait of Hormuz now looks like the kingdom’s best fallback." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Iran: We Got a Mighty Convoy, Stuck Here Overnight. From the Volokh Conspiracy, Dave Bernstein notices Iran's Expanding Campaign Against Jewish Targets Outside Israel.

Sundance is suspicious, British Military Intelligence Officer Killed in “Accident” in Ukraine. I am less so, even at the height of the Iraq War, common accidents were a huge part of the number of allied deaths. Military work is inherently dangerous. Space.com notes The battlefield now extends all the way to the moon, U.S. military's highest-ranking officer says. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress....

The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great looks at The Fantasy House of Mark Carney. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Said the Spider to the Fly: EU Issues Invitation to Canada to Be Its First 'Associate'. Sundance is on it, noting Prime Minister Mark Carney Accepts EU Associate Member Status, Opens Canada Gate for European Migrants and Two More British Commonwealth Countries Considering ‘Associate Member’ EU Status – That’s Four of The Five Eyes. 

Tim O'Brien at PJM is jubilant, Trump’s Super PACs Are About to Flood the Midterms With Over $130 Million. Fox News @FoxNews, "WATCH: Republicans step in around Sen. Mitch McConnell as confusion breaks out over his vote during a farm bill markup in the Senate Agriculture Committee. McConnell quietly says “aye” as GOP Sen. John Hoeven leans over and tells him “no" multiple times. A staffer then intervened and Chairman John Boozman reinforced McConnell's "aye" vote as the bill advanced 12-11 along party lines. Hoeven’s office says he initially misunderstood what the committee was voting on." So, he's back, but not really.

From Twitchy, 'Legal Observer' Witnessed a Forklift Run Into the Kennedy Center Pillars 'Several Times', but had no video. I don't; let the damn thing fall down from neglect.

At Hat Hair a Larry video shows Hasan Piker Going Rogue, Screws Democrats With America 'Worse' Than Al-Qaeda Comment, Capt. Ed, Piker: America Is Worse Than Al-Qaeda. M-SNOW: Please Shut Up and Today's Deep Question: What Is El-Sayed's Imam – and MSM – Trying to Hide?, 'Associations': Major Michigan Newspaper Makes Stunning Endorsement and Dave Strom asks Does Anybody Believe Talarico and El-Sayed Have Moderated? No, of course not. ¡No Pasaran! argues "Muslims have finally cracked the code on the West"; For Islam, "Socialism Is THE Trojan Horse" to power — Larry Taunton's September 11th keynote address. Ace, Totally Normal Heterosexual Christian James Talarico Wants You to Know He Has a Favorite Drag Queen and He'd Like to Know Your Favorite Too, "Thanks to Ed Morrissey for this horror. Not only does he have a favorite drag queen at the ready when asked, but "she" is quite the beaut. Talarico's favorite drag queen specifically targets children. Of course "she" does." From Newsline, Don’t Buy Talarico’s “Triangulation” in Texas Senate Race. I don't. Amy Curtis at TownHall, This Is How James Talarico Wants to Run the United States. Andrew Kolvet @AndrewKolvet, "Talarico: "What if we ran our world like we run a kindergarten classroom? Because at the end of the day, aren't we all just really big kindergartners?" He’s just so … soft. I hate it."

鈴森はるか 『haruka suzumori』 @harukaawake, "Mark my words. Years from now, across Europe, Muslims will end up destroying many cultural artifacts across Europe. The reaction will be exactly this: Radical Muslims: It's haram so we must destroy it. Moderate Muslims: It shouldn't be destroyed but let's not blame all Muslims. Useful Idiot Leftists: It shouldn't be destroyed but let's not be Islamophobic." Cathy Salgado at PJM sees an Ex-Muslim Exposes ‘Poison’ Now ‘Injected Into the West’. Quotulatiousness notes Veterans of the GWOT “saw things with our own eyes that are hard for others to believe” Man-love Thursday is apparently a real thing in Afghanistan. But the men are usually boys. Drew Pavlou @DrewPavlou, "I discovered that the lady who went on Australian national television the other day and said that white Australians have no culture is in fact the daughter of a Sudanese warlord who abducted and enslaved hundreds of child soldiers, dozens of whom starved to death Human Rights Watch accused William Nyuon Bany of these horrific crimes against humanity in a September 1995 report titled ''Children in Sudan: Slaves, Street Children and Child Soldiers.'' ..." The McMullan @TheMcMullan. "In response to the clip going around with the African lady saying 'WHAT WHITE CULTURE!?!' Because I can explain it in more detail than anyone else... here are the main things that create western civilisation. The principle, the law of nature that is an adaptation to and what operation it creates in our civilisation...." Another long one worth reading. 

Jim Hanson @JimHansonDC, "ActBlue is a criminal conspiracy to commit election fundraising fraud. Indict and arrest them immediately so people see what the Dems are doing before our elections." Quote Townhall.com @townhallcom, "NEW: A House Judiciary report just dropped screenshots of ActBlue's internal Slack messages. They show staff knowingly waved through foreign donations—using "verification" methods you won't believe." Beege Welborn has high hopes ActBlue in Le Deep Doody! MD Kittle at Da Fed thinks In Corrupt Milwaukee, Election Integrity Dies In Darkness. Matt Vespa at TownHall reports Dems Think North Carolina Is a Lock for Them. Roy Cooper Nuked That Narrative With These Remarks. PJM's Matt Margolis notices In Blue State America, It's Always 1984 and Athena Thorne remarks I’m So Glad This Nightmarish Legal Fight Is Playing Out During an Election Season.

PJM's Vicky Taft reports There Are Ghost Kids in Them Thar Fake Daycare Centers in Gavin Newsom's California, Aaron Hanscom sees Gavin Newsom Is Back on Top of One 2028 List. Does It Mean Anything? and Stephen Kruiser sighs Karen Bass Will Probably Get Her Shot at Finishing Off Los Angeles.

Julie Kelly @julie_kelly2, "In a stunning political move, the chief judge of the Minneapolis federal bench disclosed the behind the scenes collaboration between all judges to thwart legal proceedings related to immigration cases this year. Patrick Schiltz, who admitted his longtime involvement in a pro-migrant nonprofit, reveals how judges remained on their cell phones nonstop to halt deportation proceedings. And rather than evaluate each case individually—as is required—the judges developed pro forma orders (as I predicted) to immediately stop cases in their tracks. This is something: Schiltz: “Some judges built templates of legal orders so they could respond quickly to some of the detention issues that were arising again and again.”" Quote Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw, "An alarm is being sounded for the American public. Sitting federal judges go on the record with the NYT. On threats to democracy by DOJ/administration actions." Causing Dave Strom to wonder Can We Start Impeaching Judges Now? Natalie Winters @nataliegwinters, "EXCLUSIVE: Judge Boasberg was a 9-time host for a CCP-founded program run by a Chinese spy front flagged for its efforts to compromise Americans. SIX were during his FISA term—with access to top secret intelligence."

NYPo thinks Kavanaugh throws Trump ‘a lifeline’ on mail ballot rules despite Supreme Court rejecting restrictions. The left had no problem with changing election rules mid stream in 2020. 

Sundance considers diGenova’s Problem.

TownHall's Scott McLallen reports Lone Holdout Juror in Lindsay Clancy Case Gets a Lawyer — and a Safe House. Kyle Becker at RedState hears the Holdout Clancy Juror Breaks Silence. What He Says About 'Activist' Jurors Makes Them Look Worse.

Sundance is pissed Republican Rep Maria Salazar Attacks President Trump – Says ICE Deportations “Gone too Far”, "Florida Representative María Elvira Salazar is well known to the CTH audience; she is a decepticon." Ben Whedon at JTN reports Kash Patel confirms admin working on legislation to stop 'birth tourism'. "Patel made the remarks during an appearance before Senate lawmakers of the Judiciary Committee." 

It's a newt, and it has a great crest!

Dave Strom hears a A Cry for Help: Piddington Declares Independence From UK Over Migrant Settlement and Newts Get a Veto. Piddington’s Women Don’t. GB Politics @GBPolitcs, "NEW: Women in Piddington, a village of just 350 people where the government plans to put 1,250-3,500 illegal migrants, have released a video begging female MPs to speak out for them in Parliament." At the Telegraph, Great crested newts could thwart Piddington migrant camp. Via Ace, A Haitian Woman Attacked and Then Gnawed On the Face of a Woman, Disfiguring Her Forever. Canadian Courts Gave Her a Reduced Sentence So That This Doctor/Engineer Wouldn't Be Deported. "Seal the northern border, reduce visas for Canadians, increase tariffs to 50%, permanently. We must insulate ourselves from this demonic nation." Hey, there's good fishing up there!

From the Free Bacon sees Dems Get Crazier, NYT Coverage Stays the Same. "Every scandal left uncovered at the paper of record." C3 @C_3C_3, "35% of media coverage of Lindsay Clancy is negative. 96% of media coverage of Elon Musk is negative. One killed her children and the other exposed government theft. So telling…" Ashley McCully at PJM hears Liberal Millionaires: Wait, What Is Free Speech Again? Dave Strom hears Merz: the Rise of the AfD Shows Why Free Speech Must Be Curbed. Ezra Levant @ezralevant, "The chancellor of Germany says free speech is just a kooky American idea that he doesn't share: “Please don’t come to me with free speech... That is at most a libertarian political understanding from parts of the USA that I personally do not share. A liberal society must still be able to protect its citizens from false information, from personal degradations, from discrimination.”" Quote Julian Reichelt @jreichelt, " Translated from German, BREAKING NEWS: Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to massively restrict social media and says: "Don't anyone come to me with free speech!" We must "still be able to protect citizens from false information." Against men like Merz, we have the fundamental right to freedom of expression as a right of defense. His view of the citizens is dangerous and borders on a case of suspicion hostile to the constitution." The Babylon Bee, Macklemore Performs Concert In Gaza And Oh No! They've Thrown Him Off A Roof.

Stacy, the Other McCain on The ‘Killadelphia’ House of Horrors.

An interesting argument, Peter Van Valkenburgh @valkenburgh, "For thirty years we've argued that software deserves First Amendment protection because software is speech. But the Constitution gives us another reason: software is a press. ..."

Nick Sortor @nicksortor, " WTF?! The University of Utah student who CELEBRATED Charlie Kirk’s assassination in a viral photo is now trying to get Rylie, the patriotic student who called her out, EXPELLED @UUtah better choose their next steps WISELY unless they want DOJ involved Support" I heard the school relented after being outed. Jesse Singal @jessesingal, "cult is overused but exactly right in these sorts of contexts. as we know from a trillion institutional meltdowns centered on these trainings, if they weren't intentionally built to give power to power/control to certain Cluster B types, they may as well have been." Quote Jonathan Kay @jonkay, "this is one of the cult-indoctrination slides contained in an all-staff Sept. 14 meeting for teachers at a York Region District elementary school." James Lindsay, anti-Communist @ConceptualJames, "Today in things literally nobody could possibly be surprised about if they have been paying even the slightest bit of attention." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Blue states with strong teachers' unions have lower student literacy levels: study shows." From Ace, a Study: Blue States with Strong Teachers Unions Influence Have, for Some Reason, the Lowest Student Literacy Rates in the Nation, "You know those teachers unions only care about the kids. It's all about the kids, you know. When they shut down the schools for a year and a half so that teachers could sit at home on their asses and literally phone in their lessons, that was all for the kids, too. Their lazy, greedy stance has resulted in the worst literacy rates in the nation." Capt. Ed claims an Exclusive: How to Protect Jewish Students, Faculty From 'Jew-Hatred'. Christopher Rufo @christopherrufo, "EXCLUSIVE: Berkeley Law School dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains how he has secretly enacted a policy of racial discrimination in faculty hiring—which is illegal in California. "If I'm ever deposed, I'm going to deny I said this to you." Christopher Rufo @christopherrufo, "This man must be sued, deposed, fired, and sent into retirement. He's a virulent, proud racist—and an enemy of equality." John McWhorter @JohnHMcWhorter, "Sad thing is this is normal. She genuinely, warmly thinks her people are smart in "alternate" ways, and that being good at tests (close reasoning and linear thinking) is "white." I wrote about this strain of thought a few months ago here: https://nytimes.com/2026/07..." Quote Neetu Arnold @neetu_arnold, "New York Regents member Felicia Thomas-Williams on why she thinks students shouldn’t have to take Regents exams to graduate: “You don’t assess a fish on climbing a tree because fish can’t climb trees”"

And at long last, we get to the good stuff! Don Surber on Making Sydney Sweeney a sports billionaire. "I thought feminism was about women owning their sexuality. Silly me." Lana A. @lana_asanin, "Honest question for the Sydney Sweeney enthusiasts: Besides the two enormous elephants in the room… what exactly is the attraction? Her face? Her charm? Her personality? Help me understand the phenomenon. And before somebody types “intelligence”—please respect the seriousness of this scientific investigation." The two elephants are plenty. Also, she pisses off the right people. End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "These are the "journalists" writing hit pieces on Sydney Sweeney. Class is dismissed." Check them out at your own risk.

Matt Vespa on Here's What Triggered the Left's Recent Meltdown Over Sydney Sweeney. Carlos @txiokatu, "What’s Sydney Sweeney have to do to get the approval of white women? Strangle three kids?" Ace, Fake News "NHL Reporter" Blasts Sydney Sweeney for Using Her Body to Sell Merch... But Of Course Previously Posted a Booby Bikini Photo to Sell "Hot Girls for Hockey" Merch, "That's only the first part of this embarrassing hypocrisy. The second part is this "reporter" doubling down and insisting that because she showed her boobies to sell merch to women, that's totes different than Sydney Sweeny using boobies to sell a gambling service to men."

And the Wombat has even more at In The Mailbox: 09.17.26. Linked at 357 Magnum in Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 19 September. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Coffee & Sweater and FMJRA 2.0: Finally, A Winning Week awaiting your digital pleasure.

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 - Jason Arday is Still Dead

Hey, it was funny when it was about Francisco Franco, am I right? At Insty, IT RARELY ENDS WELL FOR A MASCOT OF THE ANOINTED: “The real [Arday] story is of an elite academic world that was so excited by a compelling narrative that they rushed a clearly mentally unbalanced man with no real qualifications to the heights of academia because he ticked so many useful boxes.” Enguerrand VII de Coucy @ingelramdecoucy, "The story that will be spun about Jason Arday will be that his death lies at the feet of the people who called out his serial fabulations for being what they so transparently were, but the real story is of an elite academic world that was so excited by a compelling narrative that they rushed a clearly mentally unbalanced man with no real qualifications to the heights of academia because he ticked so many useful boxes. If anybody had stopped to drill into his story BEFORE we got to the point that he was a notable enough figure for others to begin to drill into it none of this would have happened." Driscoll has a typical tweet filled post DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: Jason Arday Should Never Have Been Allowed High Enough to Fall as He Did. Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "It’s tragic but truthfully, there was life on the other side for Jason Arday, the Ana Delvey of academia. He could have rode that infamy, written another book about the reality of his real life including a tell-all that exposes his experiences with the DEI bureaucracy and just spin it into a movie. Netflix would pick it up. He could’ve gone on to live a normal productive life. I feel so sorry for his kids who are now left fatherless." Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate, "That's right. Similarly, NY Times fabulist Jayson Blair wrote a memoir (the aptly titled 'Burning Down My Masters' House: My Life') after he was outed. American culture is wild, irrepressible, and exuberant and full of hucksters always coming up with new ways to reinvent themselves. There's a shamelessness to Americans that Europeans perhaps look down upon but that is a great source of creativity and excitement. This sort of possibility is actually one of the best parts of our culture and is responsible for possibilities that aren't available in milieus that are more staid and fatalistic. It's probably a healthy corrective for people like Arday to go out and transparently advertise their exploits (and shame the institutions responsible) rather than commit seppuku because they've tarnished the institutions and themselves been humiliated." Quote FischerKing @FischerKing64, "When Stephen Glass was outed as a fabulist whose journalism was largely fabricated, he didn’t kill himself. He actually wrote a ‘novel’ called The Fabulist basically telling the story. That’s how you handle this kind of situation. That’s real commitment to the con." Quillette @Quillette, "Compare the two cases and a pattern emerges. Cofnas cleared every formal bar that Cambridge erected—a competitive fellowship, a strong publication record, an eventual ruling that he’d broken no law and no policy—but he was punished anyway, and his position quietly expired while the university dithered. Arday did not clear the bars his professoriate peers had to clear, he was defended anyway, and he was propped up by administrators who failed to do due diligence. One scholar was punished for an opinion; the other was protected despite misconduct that objective methods could verify. Two different treatments, one shared instinct: expedience trumps evidence." More at Quillette, Institutional Failures in the Garden of Great Intellects. Razib Khan @razibkhan,"if academia is silly and standards don't matter there's no rationale for why the public should be funding such trivialities do you ppl bother to think beyond the latest controversy before your face?" Gilligan, at Da Spec wonders, rhetorically, Why is Cambridge platforming Islamic creationism? Another of Driscoll's DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Assistant professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development. WhateverTF that is, new one on me but I’m kinda getting it from the title and her expressed interests. Part of the School of Grievance Studies. Identifies as queer Muslim. Which means she has spent a good deal of her adult life in a bizarre fantasy land utterly divorced from reality. Let her keep talking. Let her represent the University of Chicago. Colossal embarrassing academic frauds are not all as absurd as Jason Arday, but they’re all in contention and doing their damndest. You don’t want to interrupt them. https://humdev.uchicago.edu/directory/eman-abdelhadi" Quote Jonah Goldberg @JonahDispatch, "She’s an American citizen so I disagree with the deportation thing. But I don’t know why anyone would want their kid to be taught by this woman, why U Chicago employs her, or why she wants to stay in a country she so clearly detests (at least performatively)." 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."

The summer news drought continues. At 1945, Donald Trump Already Won the Iran War. Ending It Is Tehran’s Problem Now. "Iran’s strategy is to drag the war out. James Jay Carafano argues that protraction is the only card the IRGC holds, and that Trump has handed it to them deliberately." "Trump has basically said, “Okay, you get to decide when the war ends. When you are serious about just accepting defeat, call me.” In the meanwhile, the Iranian regime can continue to suffer all the uncomfortable results of a protracted struggle with America and its allies, debilitating punishment that has demolished Iran’s threat as the bully-in-chief of the region." MSN, Iran responds after Trump says Strait of Hormuz will be US territory 'soon'.

Bob Hoge at RedState likes how Wounded Vet Joey Jones Gives Tongue Lashing for the Ages to USS Lincoln Sailors Complaining to CNN about tuna and noodles.

From News Wax, Ukraine Launches One of Its Largest Aerial Attacks of the War, Killing at Least 6 People in Russia. While I don't condone the killing of civilians, it's not like Russia can complain.

RedState's Teri Christoph thinks Marco Rubio Just Made the Anti-Trump Ballroom Crowd Look Like Absolute Lunatics. "Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “In my work with heads of state and foreign ministers, I am frequently hosted in reception facilities that are visually impressive and reflective of the wealth and beauty of the nations I am visiting. In the United States, by contrast, we currently lack the ability to hold large events of a similar magnitude on White House grounds for those same heads of state and foreign dignitaries. Instead, we must currently host such visits in plastic or canvas tents on the South Lawn with unsafe and unsanitary portable bathrooms and accommodations unbecoming of our national stature…Our foreign counterparts offer premier security arrangements for United States officials. It is imperative that we not only offer the same level of elite security services, but offer the world’s leading capabilities in an efficient manner on grounds over which we exert permanent control…We must obviously seek every reasonable means to mitigate both the more predictable risks, including weather and physical incursions, but also emerging threats…The East Wing Project is essential to that defensive security posture. The Project is absolutely critical not only for the physical safety of guests, but also for advancing our diplomatic relations and the interests and standing of the United States in the world.”"

cdrsalamander @cdrsalamander, "The British ruling class hates their own nation." Quote Diana Alastair @sappholives83, "This is the little village of Linton-On-Ouse, population 644. They’re about to receive an influx of 1200 immigrants: all of them men, all of them Muslim, and none of them legal. This comes just days after the arrival in tiny Piddington (pop 350) of 1250 illegal immigrants." At WaEx, Netanyahu mocks UK as ‘Islamic Republic of Britain.’ Mazelit Airaksinen reports a NYC Doctor Apologizes for Remarks About Hasidic Jews, Blames "Addiction to Negativity" ""I will get this Facebook addiction under control" says Dr. Robert Guarino."

John Davidson at Da Fed argues The Problem With DSA Democrats Isn’t Socialism, It’s Third-Worldism. It can be both, and more. Hat Hair's Mark Judge (remember him?) explores The Ecstasy of the Young Communists. Atop Da Hill Jonathan Turley opines The worse it gets, the better it is: American leftism is thriving on its own failures. More money made it worse? Give us more and we'll fix that! Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "It's not that hard. The left lets institutions and communities break down to a point of total degradation to prove why more government and non profits are the answer. The goal is to purposely not solve problems and make life and safety worse. See the entire defund the police movement and homelessness nonprofits in California. Gavin Newson promised to end homelessness and instead it ballooned on purpose..." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "In fairness, starting with the socialism, you already know you’re dealing mostly with low intelligence, low historical or geopolitical literacy, and basically bumper sticker levels of logic and reasoning. So there’s that. At the higher levels, simple manipulative deception, but that tends to blither and blunder less." Quote Owen Gregorian @OwenGregorian, "DSA Members Can’t Bring Themselves to Admit Cuba is a Dictatorship – Immediately Try to BUT TRUMP! | Mike LaChance, The Gateway Pundit During a recent conversation with Latino journalist Jorge Ramos, high ranking members of the DSA turned into a stuttering mess when they were asked a simple question about whether or not Cuba is a dictatorship. HINT – It is. They immediately try to make the issue about Trump and the blockade on Cuba, because they cannot answer this question honestly..." Robert Chernin calls Woke 2.0 New Label, Same Bullshit, "The people, beliefs and goals have not changed. They simply discovered that Americans were listening and overwhelmingly rejected them." Rod Dreher @roddreher, "This is astonishingly blunt." Quote Dr. Maalouf @realMaalouf, "Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the biggest far-left party in France, explains why the alliance between progressives and Muslims is necessary. “If you’re counting on white Christian workers to bring about socialism in France, it won’t happen. But our Muslim brothers and sisters will.” This is the same playbook being used by the left in all Western countries."

News Wax hears Trump Predicts AOC Presidential Run. PJM's Matt Margolis thinks This Might Be the Most Brutal Diagnosis of AOC You'll Ever Hear "AOC stands for Always On Camera," Conway said. "She is a performer, not a reformer. She went to Washington to legislate; that's her job. She's a pontificator, not a legislator." From the Free Bacon, Abdul El-Sayed To Headline Islamic Event Alongside Pakistani Cleric Who Forced His 13-Year-Old Niece Into Marriage, Was Denounced for ‘Pedophilic Rhetoric’, "Tariq Masood urged his congregants to marry off their own female children and invoked Sharia law on the question of women’s education." Scott McKay at Am Spec worries about Poor Francesca Hong, a Victim of Milwaukee’s Missing Election Results "Five USB sticks were missing results, Steve Kornacki was left speechless, and David Crowley emerged with a remarkably narrow victory." It does look fishy. 

An old refrain of Stacy McCain, Crazy People Are Dangerous: Weirdo Charged With Defacing WWII Memorial. Old School Eddie @Old_SchoolEddie, "Did you notice? Summer is typically riot season. However, since USAID was defunded, SPLC indicted, and ActBIue being investigated, things have been pretty calm this summer. Just saying..." Sunny @sunnyright, "A notable number of AWFLs want their political opponents dead. Not defeated. Not rejected. Dead. They think you’ve forfeited your right to live by not giving them what they want. Come to terms with that reality." Quote, "New York Post @nypost, "Luigi Mangione supporter calls murder of CEO a 'revolutionary act of protest.'" Matt Margolis, Oh, So This Is Why Luigi Mangione Pleaded Guilty. "Turley described the plea as "something of a Hail Mary throw," suggesting Mangione is hoping a judge eventually reduces his sentence enough to allow release at an advanced age rather than locking him away for life without parole. The real target, Turley explained, is the state murder case itself. The defense wants it dismissed entirely on double jeopardy grounds, and New York's double jeopardy standard is easier for a defense to clear than in most other jurisdictions. "The odds are in his favor, if you look at past cases, that that may in fact be dismissed," Turley said."

From Director Blue, The Day They Manufactured Russiagate: A Graphic Novel "How Obama's Inner Circle Framed a President." A sample.

Leslie Eastman at LI reports Fifth Circuit Completely Roasts Biden DOE’s Stove and Oven Efficiency Rules. "The court voids the rules after determining that Biden’s Energy Department improperly tried to fast-track the measure as a “direct final rule”, which is usually reserved for noncontroversial matters."

From Campus Reform, Trump DOJ intensifies push to stop tuition discounts for illegal aliens, keep Harvard accountable for campus anti-Semitism. At Twitchy, Nick Shirley Exposes WHY Kathy Hochul Is So Proud of Spending Taxpayer Money on Illegal Aliens. Nick shirley @nickshirleyy, " Your tax dollars have become the new money-laundering scheme for these corrupt politicians. Governor Hochul has been taking donations from these daycare fraudsters in NYC who receive millions of your taxpayer dollars to operate “adult daycares.” When I exposed the fraud in NYC, Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani went completely silent… maybe they didn’t want to offend their donors?" At NYPo, Bill Maher thinks immigrants must assimilate, accept American values and principles to be in US: ‘Not negotiable.’ Ian Miller @ianmSC, "Well that should just about cement Bill Maher’s excommunication from the Democratic Party." Moreover, from Matt Vespa, Bill Maher's Take on Trump's Secret Turkey Flight Will Not Please the Lib Press Corps "The media is mad they weren’t told. Get over it—your lives will never be above that of the president of the United States. The White House’s credibility is not on the line; can we please move on? No one cares except the press corps."

Gina Milan @ginamilan_, "Only Sophie Cunningham could go from playing a Fever game to randomly showing up at a bar and singing “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” with the fans. She’s truly the freaking best." THE POWER LINE WEEK IN PICTURES: Sophie’s Choice Edition.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Francesca Hong Out to Dry

Yesterday was primary day in a few states. The big one to watch, of course, was Wisconsin's Democrat primary, where Francesca Hong, the DSA candidate too radical for Bernie and AOC, was contending with a "normal" Democrat, David Crowley, for Governor. Hong had been polling as the almost prohibitive favorite, by as much as 20 points. At Twitchy, IT'S A BIGGUN! Live Election Results on Twitchy! Primary Night for SC, WI, MN, VT, AL and CT (Shew!). Hat Hair's Capt. Ed sees Panic at the Wisco: Dems Realizing Hong Might Cost Them Midterms. Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, ""I started off as a sports journalist and ended up a Communist" has turned out to be a depressingly common career arc." Quote Tiffany War Room @TiffanyWarRoom, "HONG: "I was actually trying to become a sports journalist when I first went to college so I learned you sometimes have bad takes on Twitter." Francesca Hong was a full grown adult and member of the Wisconsin Assembly when she said she wanted to abolish the police and prisons." Amy Curtis at TownHall hears David Crowley Says Francesca Hong Is a Liability on Eve of Wisconsin Primary. AG @AGHamilton29, "Just incredible that I hadn’t even heard about this yet. She voted against a bill that criminalized adults trying to sexually pursue children. Dems have themselves a real winner with the DSA candidate in Wisconsin." Quote Swann Marcus @SwannMarcus89, "I am now unironically likely R on the Wisconsin gubernatorial race. 7 months ago Francesca Hong voted against a bill that made it illegal for teachers to groom their students for sexual purposes Here’s what happened: A 30-year-old teacher messaged a 13-year-old..." At Althouse, The race was close, but Francesca Hong has conceded and the risk of a democratic socialist Governor for Wisconsin is over., "At least this time around. Here's the NYT report (gift link):" "Why were the polls so bad?! The final Marquette poll, from July 22–27, released July 29, had Hong at 38% and Crowley at 7%."

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, 'I Was Just a Kid' Is the Excuse for Being Insane the Last Few Years. Sean Hannity @seanhannity, "Nothing says "principled stance" like needing two different answers six years apart. AOC vs. AOC on defunding the police, side by side." Hat Hair's Scott Pinsker sort of admires The Cunning Genius of AOC’s ‘Woke’ Reboot. At UnHerd, Ryan Zickgraf claims ‘Woke One’ derailed my life, "AOC can’t laugh off its excesses." Robby Soave at Reason begs us Don't Let AOC Retcon Her Starring Role in 'Woke 1' "Would President AOC eschew wokeness? I doubt it." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Democrats Announce You Aren't Allowed To Remember What They Did A Few Years Ago." Ian Haworth @ighaworth, "I love the way we’re talking about 2020 like it’s 1920, and 1619 like it’s 2025." Quote ABC News @ABC, "Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her support for defunding the police in 2020: “During lockdown, of course, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today.” Enguerrand VII de Coucy @ingelramdecoucy, "By the way, AOC is being very public about getting her eggs frozen for future use because she thinks it’ll allow her to take on the mantle of “motherhood”, having a stake in the game of being concerned for the future for the sake of her children, without having to actually deal with the raising children part. Cynical? Perhaps, but I’m pretty sure that’s the idea here."

Capt. Ed cites El-Sayed: Let Me Tell You Why July 4 Fireworks 'S**k'. At Twitchy, Scott Jennings Says Holiday Hatred Is Window Into Souls of Dem Party’s Anti-American Candidates “I think these are windows into the souls of these anti-American, radical communists.” “If you hate Thanksgiving and you hate the 4th of July, what you’re really saying is I hate some of the pillars that undergird American culture.” “And how are you going to have a conversation with a voter about affordability or public safety or anything else, if you’re trying to get rid of Thanksgiving and the 4th of July?” Hat Hair's Dave Strom heaars Hasan Piker Says It Out Loud: DSA Practicing Taqiyya. Max @MaxNordau, "Abdul El-Sayed surrogate Hasan Piker explains the importance of lying to voters: "I think our politicians, whether they be AOC or anybody else, they're not running away from progress." "So their pragmatism isn't to moderate on their policies. Their pragmatism is to moderate on their comms, on their communication." He admits that El-Sayed's true beliefs are "electoral poison": "You got to moderate your message, even if you don't want to temper your movement, in order to sell it to the public."" Michael Goodwin at NYPo opines the Michigan Senate race displays the radical ‘shift’ the Democratic Party has taken. Jim Geraghty at NRO observes The DSA Has Slogans, but Isn’t Interested in Policies. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "It's kind of a domestic Death to America theme." Quote Sarah Huckabee Sanders @SarahHuckabee "Democrats’ top candidate in Texas won’t eat meat, their leading nominee in Wisconsin hates Thanksgiving, and now their guy in Michigan is coming out against football. Banner year, guys." Dave Strom sees They're Spoiled Brats: DSA Bigwigs Not Doing Well Under the Klieg Lights. At PJM, VodkaPundit cites DSA on Illegals: 'You Don’t Have to Have Papers to Have Power.' Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "Nithya Raman's partner at DSA LA says their goal is to completely abolish police & prisons. When asked what happens if a girl gets raped? Her answer? "I want to talk about street lights." These communists are insane. Crazy slovenly malcontents." Christopher F. Rufo @christopherrufo, "The most notable statistical outcome of the George Floyd Revolution was a significant increase in the black homicide death rate. That is the actual legacy of BLM.." Quote Rotimi Adeoye @_rotimia "The anti-racism book boom made a handful of authors rich. The struggle sessions gave wealthy academic elites a new industry. Meanwhile, did any core data point move? Black life expectancy, the wealth gap, homeownership. Where’s the change? Is the country’s consciousness raised?" At Hat Hair, Mark Judge cites Henry Rollins: 'Communist Countries Suck.'

Dana Loesch @DLoesch, "The terror-loving nepo baby who VERBATIM demanded the NYPD be defunded NOW demands that the same officers risk their lives by traveling with his selfie-obsessed wife so she can make a personal visit to a country for which the US maintains a Level 4: do not travel advisory." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Mamdani blames his staff after NYPD denies NYC's first lady a police escort to the Middle East." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears Mrs. Mamdani Won't Get to Take New York's Finest to Syria With Her. wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "The very word "Pied-à-Terre" provides a glimpse into Mamdani's world that few ordinary people are familiar with. It goes back to a world before motels, air BNBs and time share. In that world the well-to-do person had a country house and primary residence. Then he had a town house or pied-à-terre as a private urban foothold for the family or individual during the Season. ... Perhaps Mamdami still sees the world in terms of the top-hatted, tuxedo wearing, diamond tie pin garbed, pied-a-terre dwelling capitalist elite which it is his moral duty to tax. But I think the world has changed."

Amy Curtis at Town Hall hears Republicans for Talarico Disbands After We Learned It Was a Really Just a Bunch of Democrats. Enguerrand VII de Coucy @ingelramdecoucy, "I ran into a “Republicans for Talarico” type lady here once, came into my replies talking about how she was a lifelong conservative Republican voter who’d been forced to support Democrats because of how radical the Republican Party had become, so I searched her history and found stuff with her talking about how she’d left the Republican Party because it was too radical… in 2008. Because John McCain was too radical for her." Quote Zach Kraft @ZachKraft7 "RIP "Republicans for Talarico" The Talarico campaign is now officially distancing themselves from the failed group after it was exposed to be made up of lifelong Democrats."

Owen Gregorian @OwenGregorian, "Remember this when someone says voting doesn’t matter." Quote Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "WOW: Recount In The Indiana State Senate Race FLIPS Seat to Trump-Rndorsed Paula Copenhaver By THREE Votes She unseated State Senator Spencer Deery, who OPPOSED redistricting." ThePersistence @ScottPresler, "BREAKING NEWS I can’t believe they reported this — they just told on themselves." “Allegheny County Elections Division Manager David Voye said Allegheny County does not have a system to verify citizenship for voters.”The second-largest county in Pennsylvania DOES NOT verify the citizenship of the voters it registers to vote. This is a constitutional crisis." I'll bet that is widely true across the US, especially in blue areas. Althouse finds
"... a blast from the past! The New York Times hasn’t pulled out the infamous 'beer test' for a political candidate since May 22, 2015..." ""... when it ran ['Finding a Candidate You’d Like to Have a Beer With.'] The 'beer test' was once a massively overused campaign reporting cliché. It grew out of a Sam Adams ad campaign in the 2000 race, and from Bush-Gore through the 2016 cycle it was nearly impossible to escape 'beer test' coverage. Then Donald Trump won the 2016 beer test by default — it was hard to imagine Hillary Clinton having a beer at all — leading even Slate to pronounce 'there has never been and perhaps never will be a candidate you’d be more eager to have a beer with than Donald Trump.' That's Matt Taibbi, in "Cliché Alert: Return of the 'Beer Test'/The New York Times reverts to old form, thanks to a blue-party schism" (Racket)."

Amy Curtis hears Virginians Are Turning on Abigail Spanberger. Jason Miyares @JasonMiyaresVA, "Governor Spanberger booed in Galax. Turns out when you break your campaign promise, attempt a Leftist power grab pushing an unconstitutional gerrymandering effort In order to silence rural Virginia voices, coupled with massive tax increases, it results in a frosty reception…." To be fair is wasn't in North by God Virginia.

Hey, Did You Know That the Hunter Biden Laptop Was a Jewish Conspiracy? from Dave Strom. John Sexton hears Paramount CEO Threatens to Exit California after "a group of blue state attorneys general led by California's Rob Bonta sued to block the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger."

At the Breitbart Bus Dig, The Trump Manufacturing Jobs Revival Is Accelerating. Sundance at CTH reports President Trump Announces Release of Robert Gilman from Russian Jail. Buzz Patterson @BuzzPatterson, "You want to know why @realDonaldTrump is focused on Greenland? He’s always one step ahead." Quote Polymarket @Polymarket, "JUST IN: China launches new “Ice Silk Road,” connecting China to the U.K. through the Arctic & cutting the journey roughly in half." Bob Hoge at RedState, British Royal Navy Discovers Spy Cams on K3 Scout Vessels — Data Was Going Straight to China. I wouldn't be shocked at all to hear that's happening here too. 

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "IT'S OFFICIAL: By the stroke of pen and flanked by RFK Jr., President Trump establishes a new US vaccine schedule that decreases the number of jabs from 72 to 11 — and spreads them out over multiple visits, rather than pumping the child all at once "That's a big one in my book!" MAHA is alive and well!"

Frank Miele at RCP has  A Modest Proposal: Performance Reviews for Senators. Good luck with that!

Larry, in a Hat Hair vid, sees CNN Hosts Triggered by Trump's Escape From Iranian Threat. Doug Powers @ThePowersThatBe, "The story: Iran had a serious plot to kill the president. The headlines: OMG Secret Service protected the president and not every asshole in the media." Quote Jake Tapper @jaketapper, "So the USSS thought the threat against the president was strong enough to surreptitiously remove him from AF1. And then proceeded to let the plane full of White House staffers and reporters take off and fly back to the US." Cathy Salgado at PJM cites an Iranian Media Official: No More Negotiations With Trump. It's not like they negotiate in good faith. 

UK Defense J confirms American warship downs drones with laser weapon, only a test.

Jonathan Turley sees Sam Alito is Locked and Loaded . . . and He is Not Going Anywhere. Jeffrey Rosen discusses America on the Docket: The 2026 Supreme Court at great length.

From Sundance at CTH, The Safety and Efficacy of the COVID-19 Vaccination was Based on Scientific Theories and Medical Speculation. Beege Welborn insists Fauci's Phone Proves 'for the Children' Just Another Fascist Oppression Tool.

Sarah Anderson at PJM says Wait, Rubio Revoked How Many Visas? Just Wait Until You See Why. From NewsWeek, Map Shows H-1B Visa Filings in Democratic and Republican Districts, blue uses more, but it's a bipartisan boondoggle.

Beege Welborn thinks Stopping UK Migrant Inflow Going Swimmingly — 'Swimming' Being Operative Word. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Elon Musk Buys The United Kingdom To Establish Free Speech There From babylonbee.com" Elon Musk @elonmusk, "How much is it?"

From Althouse, "Zuckerberg acknowledged 'a risk that an imbalance of power between individuals and government leads to a loss of freedom or totalitarian state.'", ""His solution was to create superintelligence which ensured that users were responsible for deciding the model’s values, not the developer. He said there should be 'a fully private mode for personal agents where even Meta or any other service provider cannot see or grant access to your information.'"From "Five key takeaways from Mark Zuckerberg’s AI manifesto/The Meta founder outlines a vision of free superintelligent personal AI agents, smaller workforce teams and expanded open-source tech across the nation" (London Times)."

Sundance sees Police and Federal Govt use of Flock Cameras Under Scrutiny. 

At Complete Colorado, Colorado’s one-party rulers enjoy a progressive press pass. 

C Brad Thompson, the Redneck Intellectual, calls The Jason Arday Story The Worst Academic Scandal in 817 Years! Donna-Louise @NoLongerTheFuzz, "Cambridge University: first the Jason Arday disaster, now this. They’ve appointed Farah Ahmed as Assistant Professor of Education — a woman who called Western education a “threat” to Muslims, democracy a “corrupt tradition,” and literacy plus qualifications un-Islamic. She attacked English literature as damaging, condemned treating Islam as just one religion among others, and criticised schools for teaching that child marriage is wrong. Same faculty. Same total collapse of standards. Shocking doesn’t begin to cover it." Rod Dreher @roddreher, "Conquest's Third Law Of Politics: "The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies." You really don't need more than that to explain why Cambridge University does the things it does." Quote The Spectator @spectator, "We can reveal that a former supporter of Hizb ut-Tahrir, now banned as a terror group, has been appointed assistant research professor of education at Cambridge, in the same faculty as Arday.
Farah Ahmed has explicitly attacked 'western education' as a 'threat' to..." Tyler Austin Harper @Tyler_A_Harper, "This is a story about a college lost down the rabbit hole of performative progressivism. But at its heart, it’s about labor exploitation, the hell we put contingent profs through, and how the collapse of the tenure-system paved the way for cowardice and pseudo-radical groupthink." Quote The Atlantic @TheAtlantic, "@Tyler_A_Harper landed his dream job, a tenure-track position at an elite liberal-arts college—but he found himself “being treated like a racial prop rather than a professor.” Read more in our newest cover story: https://theatln.tc/uAlYLOai." John Sexton says Tyler Austin Harper's Take on Woke Campus Life is Worth a Read. From the Slantic,Tyler Austin Harper on Why I Quit the Tenure Track, "The insufferable hypocrisy of elite academia." 

Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "“Grandpa, I just don’t understand. How was it that given how powerful the United States was, China was able to overtake us and dominate the world?” “Well.. it all started when they examined the whiteness of physics"" Quote David Decosimo @DavidDecosimo, "Never forget that the NSF gave half a million dollars for a ‘critical whiteness studies’ project claiming physics was racist because of its objectivity, meritocracy, & use of whiteboards. Their data were a few videos of in class group work using dry erase boards. Just incredible. x.com/daviddecosimo/…"

From TOI, UK probes major Muslim charity after director charged with funneling aid to Hamas. "FBI alleges Al-Khair Foundation head worked with senior Hamas leader to transfer cash and divert humanitarian supplies to terror group while concealing that it was the beneficiary." Seth Mandel at Commentary, How ‘Israeli’ Came to Mean ‘Jewish’ in the American Press.

Lola @thefempire50, "You’re going to have to explain the difference between a man saying he’s a woman and a man saying he’s a woman." Quote Melanie D'Arrigo @DarrigoMelanie, "Saying “identifies as transgender for the purpose of playing professional basketball,” is admitting that you’re only doing this as a stunt to mock trans women, which makes you a bigot. x.com/foxnews/status…" John Sexton hears from WPATH: Our Standards of Care Are Just an Opinion, you don't say... Vodkapundit at PJM sees Trans Rep Sarah McBride Has a Sad but Can't Stop Laughing "“Support on individual issues facing the trans community, on individual policies around trans rights, by every objective metric, is worse today than it was five years ago,” McBride said."

And more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.11.26 (Evening Edition). The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Another Rough Start up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.