Flotsam and Jetsam - Suddenly Monday

Tedford Tyler at Am Con thinks this week's visit show Trump Has Learned How to Deal With China. "The president’s engagement with Xi is delivering results." We'll see. At Hat Hair, Josh Hammer notes  Trump's Greenland Agreement Is the 'Art of the Deal' in Action. Ask for the moon and stars, and settle for just the moon. 

Georgia took this picture in McKinleyville CA this week

Polymarket @Polymarket, "JUST IN: Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent declares the U.S. economy has entered “the acceleration phase.”" From the Chronic, Republicans Cannot Blame Any Midterm Losses on Trump’s Economy. Except for gas prices, things are going great, which is why the Democrats and media (but I redund) keep talking about gas prices. Shawn Farash @Shawn_Farash, "Good morning X! Did you know: Of the top 5 states with the most expensive gas, only one has a Republican governor? (Nevada) Of the bottom five states with the cheapest gas, all are GOP-led states. On rent: The top five states with the most expensive rent prices are ALL democrat-run states. The bottom five are all GOP-run states. If your motivating factor this election is affordability, then democrats are not a good choice."  Breitbart Bus Dig is Raising ‘a Fuss and a Holler’ About the Labor Market, "Young American men had a hot, hot, hot summer in the labor market—as long as you count working as a hot summer." Ben Smith at LI, Trump Cancels $810M for Illegal Immigrants, Race-Based Programs. "Trump spending cuts target $810 million for illegal immigrant services, race-focused programs and other federal spending." 

TMZ @TMZ, "Nicki Minaj is jumping into the upcoming midterm elections, insisting that all young voters must do one thing -- vote Republican."Don Surber on Midterms diplomacy, "Iran is waiting for Democrats to take back Congress." And Democrats are encouraging them. The inimitable Kurt Schlichter at TownHall says We Are So Tired of the Loudmouth Quitters, and names a few. "Every election cycle we hear the same stupid spiel from a certain band of pseudo-conservative quitters: “Oh no, I’m not getting my way. I’ve got no reason to vote. I’m not going to vote. The Republicans aren’t conservative enough, so I’m just going to let the communist pervert Democrats win. Waa, waa, waa.”" Roger Kimball at Am Great examines the many Varieties of Trump Derangement Syndrome, "The effort to normalize various pathologies seems to be, as we have been taught to say, trending." The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "I was there. Overwhelming applause and cheers. This is dumb, even for People magazine."

Bob Graboyes at Bastiat's Window, discourses on  AI, Internet, and Rapid Advances in the Technology of Fraud. "AI and global connectivity have made the production, refinement, and dissemination of fraudulent information far easier than could have imagined a generation or two ago." The answer to most of AI's potential downfalls is to task AI with preventing them. At Common Place, Oren Cass explains How to Worry About AI, "Lessons from climate catastrophism for the cataclysm du jour,"

Kyle Becker at RedState hears AOC Gets Brutal News As She Test-Runs Senate Bid: She Is 'Rejected'. If she's too radical for New York State, she's not going to become preznit. At Althouse, Fetterman knows how to play viral media. I say he did this — deadpan — on purpose. "Well played, Senator!" That stroke clearly killed something in the left side of his brain. Tom Knighton at BA asks and answers What Did Newsom Do on Gun Bills? Now We Know. 

From Law and Liberty, The Slippery Constitutionality of Open Primaries. If Republicans want to get rid of them, they need to abuse them to the disadvantage of the Democrats.

PJM's Bob Spencer notices The Latest Attempt to Impeach Trump Criminalizes Not Being a Leftist. "Prof. Jonathan Turley remarked drily that Cohen “appears to believe that the problem with past impeachments has been brevity. His 26 articles of impeachment include everything short of ripping a label off a mattress, including the new impeachable offense of ‘self-aggrandizement.’” 

From Twitchy, Trump Intervenes After Overnight ICE Order Sparks Base Revolt: ‘No One Is Off the Table’ "Last night, panic spread across social media as reporters claimed the Trump Administration had decided to only arrest illegals who had criminal charges pending or convictions. That was a big change from 'anyone here illegally needs to go home'." Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "I’ve spoken on the phone with President Trump and nine ICE & DHS sources about this today. Here’s what I’ve learned. Yes, this verbal guidance did go out to ICE offices across the country last night. I’ve spoken with ICE agents who received it & were shocked & frustrated by it. It’s unclear who it started with. However, I’m told it’s erroneous, was some type of “miscommunication” during conversations about prioritizing “worst first”, and there is no change in immigration enforcement policy. President Trump tells me anyone in the country illegally remains “on the table” for ICE arrest & deportation. I’m also told new guidance went out to ICE field offices tonight to reaffirm this and that yes, arrests of illegal aliens and “collaterals” without additional criminal history will continue. ICE sources confirm to me they received the new guidance. I’m not really sure what happened here - but everyone is on the same page, including President Trump, in telling me that his immigration enforcement agenda isn’t scaling back." Quote Jennie Taer @JennieSTaer "SCOOP: ICE officers across the country were told this weekend to stop arresting non-criminals, agency sources tell @realDailyWire Now, ICE may only arrest illegal immigrants with criminal convictions or charges for the time being, said the sources." From FreightWaves, ICE launches tip line to report CDL fraud as crackdown widens. "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hot line follows shutdown of 110 truck driving schools and investigations spanning 23 states." The Redheaded libertarian @TRHLofficial, "These people obviously can’t get in. Who is funding this op and why?" Quote Anthony Aguero Live @AnthonyAguero, "Over 400 aliens predominantly from Honduras entered Mexico on Thursday, ready to make their way to the US southern border… Here’s footage of the caravan. Someone is incentivizing this movement, this is not organic." Obviously a midterm op. Insty calls it A REMINDER OF WHAT IS AT STAKE IN NOVEMBER. Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "As we enter the age of AI, robotics and widespread automation there is zero reason for more mass immigration of low-skilled labor… Immigration at this point in American history should be extremely restrictive." Quote Starship Gazer @StarshipGazer, "Big drone cleaning the Starbase launch control room windows for clear views of Starship flight 14 on launch day."

Leslie Eastman at LI reports Ceuta Confirms First Monkeypox Case After Summer Border Surge from Morocco "Meanwhile, Kasai province in the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a mpox epidemic." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "When they pissed off this guy, they pissed off someone who has fought insurgencies, in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan, knows how to run one, and knows the British counterinsurgency game from the inside. They’ve succeeded in pissing off other British vets who know the same things. What they don’t have is guns." Quote Andrew Fox @Mr_Andrew_Fox, "This story has broken me. It has unleashed a rage so strong I can barely express it, but allow me to try. Above all, I am angry with the decades-long malevolent incompetence of the British state: politicians of all parties, the judiciary, the civil service. Their collective uselessness has shattered the social contract and made us all poorer and less safe. In just 25 years, they have led us from an affluent, high-trust society to a broken, low-trust one..." Dr Strangetweet or How I Learned to Love the RT @lone_rides, "I have an idea for a book. “Hit me” A patriarchal society, women have no rights. They’re forced to dress appropriately. “Like it so far.” This society then starts to fifth column other countries. And people welcome it! “That’s slightly unrealistic but keep going.” Then when the group from this patriarchal society is big enough, they take over the host country. There is some pushback but many people in the host country join with the society in crushing it. “Nope. The plot won’t work. It’s unbelievable.” That’s what I thought but this is a history book about the spread of Islam through immigration." Quote Be Thinkful @BThinkful, "Now what if I told you the people most sympathetic to the invasion were women?"

Larry Elder at Hat Hair hears Trump Bans Media from the White House -- This Is Why He's Angry "The better question is: What took so long?" Nick Arama at RedState laughs as CNN Hilariously Begs Mike Waltz for Trump to Let Them Back in the Pool - His Answer Is Gold Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "LMAO!! CNN's Jake Tapper just BEGGED Ambassador Mike Waltz on national TV to ask President Trump to "let CNN back in the pool" for Air Force One and event coverage "Yesterday, the White House barred CNN from pool...I'd ask if you can convey to President Trump to let CNN back in the pool." Waltz did not promise to do so. ..." Sundance at CTH sees Media Aghast at Not Controlling White House Press Coverage, hosts AG Todd Blanche -VS- ABC Martha Raddatz. "There’s still obviously litigation going on, but the important thing, Martha, is to know that that being in the White House is a privilege. It’s not a — it’s not a right." unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "Pretty much most the reasons people state for why they are upset about Trump is based on some fake news they read or were exposed to, whether that person is a dem or republican."

From the College Fix, Elementary school staff presented with ‘anti-oppressive’ pledges to dismantle the system. O Canada! Monica Showalter thinks Nikole Hannah-Jones has just written a new version of 'The Jungle'?  "Sinclair, recall, was a progressive-era muckraker who wrote 'The Jungle' in 1906, with the express aim of converting America to socialism. His book described the filthy meat-packing plants of Chicago and the terrible labor conditions experienced by America's Lithuanian and other immigrant workers in a wrenching, emotionally engaging book that became a massive bestseller. But much to his surprise, he didn't convert anyone to socialism. People read about those filthy meat-packing plants where chemicals and spoilage were present, and absolutely shuddered at the thought that they were eating from them. That prompted major legislation to reform food sanitation practices, including the Meat Inspection Act, and the Pure Food and Drug Act by Congress." Garry Kasparov@Kasparov63, "I wish it was a bad joke," Quote Seattle Extremist @SeattleIndepen1, "This book is real. So is the award. In “A Dead White: An Argument Against White Paint” the author argues that white paint isn’t neutral—it carries associations with purity, cleanliness, and power that tie into systems of exclusion and racism. This from the university that gave us Mortimer J Adler and the Great Books movement."

Rob Henderson @robkhenderson, "One of Sweeney’s sins is that she entertains men without first assuring women that their approval disgusts her. Contrast this with Sabrina Carpenter...Her sexual presentation comes with a clear assurance of female allegiance." Bill Costello at Realities Last Stand looks at The Science of Why Women Hate Sydney Sweeney, "Intrasexual competition, guy’s gals, and the vulnerable young men the controversy overlooks." "Evidence suggests women are more supportive than men of egalitarian outcomes and equity over merit-based hierarchies. Beauty is a particularly visible inequality, and its rewards are hardly distributed fairly."

At NYPo, Paranoid owner of woke Mass. lesbian bar puts big restrictions on mask-free Saturday over ‘infiltrator’ fear. Armand Domalewski @ArmandDoma, "the reason this lesbian bar story went so viral is that basically every left wing person in America has personally experienced some version of this story in their life over the course of the last decade and is really goddam sick of it." Quote Max Tani @maxwelltani, "Per a note to Boston Globe staff today, the lesbian bar story generated 1,000 subscriptions to the paper yesterday. The Globe’s managing editor said it was “by far our best performing story of the year,” and appears to be “on pace to shatter all sorts of Globe records.”"

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: A Salute to Mrs. Justin Verlander and FMJRA 2.0: No Grandeur This Week Just Misery up and awaiting your digital pleasure.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Desperately Searching for a Theme

And not finding it, so I'll just start at the top and work down. Sundance at CTH is back on a Russia kick with President Vladimir Putin Explains Why NATO Wants a War Against Russia, Oil, Gas and Orange Juice and “One Ping Only, Vasily”. From News Wax, Putin at BRICS: Warns Europe Over Ukraine, Urges Challenge to U.S. Dollar. Back to sundance for President Trump Announces Obamacare Refunds, President Trump Speaks to Journalists Departing from Shannon, Ireland and President Trump Discusses a “United Ireland” as Prime Minister Carney Seeks “Associate Member” EU Status. At Althouse, "President Trump said he 'loved' the political backlash to his comments in support of a united Ireland." ""Speaking before he attended the last day of the Irish Open golf tournament, Trump doubled down on his claim that reunification was inevitable and 'may as well happen now.' Asked about the reaction to his comments, which were criticised by political parties in Westminster and Stormont, Trump said he 'loved' the reaction. 'I loved my comments,' he added." From "Trump revels in ‘united Ireland’ uproar as Gerry Adams weighs in/With the US president ‘loving’ the stir his comments made, the former Sinn Fein leader says they reflect a wider sentiment held by Americans" (London Times)."

Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Here in the States we are aware not all Canadians are dicks. The polling plus stadiumsful of boos just seems to indicate most are. We’re concerned about the plight of Canadians. It doesn’t serve our interests to have an impoverished third world nation beholden to the PRC on our northern border. We’d rather see you prosper. All of us get richer. But elections have consequences. ..." Quote Lisa @YoungStreete, "Americans are starting to look at Canadians differently. And Canadians may want to pay attention. For as long as I can remember, Americans always liked their polite neighbours to the north. That goodwill is being eroded by a Canada increasingly seen as woke, anti- American (not just anti-Trump) and brainwashed by the state run media. CBC News whitewashing 9/11 (please don’t call it a terrorist attack). CTV News making 9/11 about “Islamophobia”. When did remembering the VICTIMS of 9/11 become so controversial in Canada and how did we allow it to happen? How much further does Canada have to slide into insanity before Canadians finally wake up?" Ken Timmerman at Am Great explains why It’s Time to Recognize Iran’s Complicity in the 9/11 Attacks. "The 9/11 Commission highlighted Iran's complicity in the attacks on pages 240-241 of its final report." CIS looks at the numbers, Since 9/11, the Number of Immigrants from the Muslim World Has Grown by 1.8 Million. "Population doubling largely reflects legal immigration." I24 News has a Report: Chinese satellite images aided Iranian strike that killed 3 US troops in Jordan. Labrador Skeptic @SaysSimulation, "A Chinese surveillance satellite breaking up into little pieces right after US troops were killed with the help of a Chinese satellite is quite the amazing coincidence, now that you mention it. Gray Zone warfare in space, but that's a dark shade of gray." Quote Theophilus Chilton (Scots-Irish Supremacist) @Theo_Chilton, "Replying to @SaysSimulation, "Probably why a Chinese surveillance satellite "broke apart" in orbit yesterday." Ace is not all that upset that Saudi Arabia Is Stuck Between A Rock And A Hard Place...Oh Well!

At the Eternally Radical Idea, Greg Lukianoff has Reflections on 9/11, FIRE releases 2027 College Free Speech Rankings, AdGo & I parse AI’s ‘librarian’ from its ‘car keys’, & more! From the College Fix, Conservative students’ 9/11 memorial defaced with pro-Palestinian, pro-Antifa vandalism. From I&I, 25 Years After 9/11, America Dotes On Its Enemies.

From News Wax, Trump: 'Whoever Wins AI Wins' and US House Speaker Warns Curbing AI Too Sharply Could Leave China Ahead. Sundance claims Barack Obama Tells Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to Organize the AI Control Bill for #1 Priority Passage Following the Midterm Elections.

Doog @doogadoo11, "I'll be the first to admit the GOP has been shit But Trump has been amazing And that's why I will Vote Red up and down the ballot in November I want to position him for as much success as possible during his final two years." What he said.

Vic Nava at NYPo hears Ilhan Omar ‘married her brother’ and could be deported: DHS secretary. Show me the DNA test. PJM's Bob Spencer asks and answers What Happens When We Elect People Who Hate America to Congress? This. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn giggles at MSNOW whining Fetterman's Surprise GOP Convention Video was a Trap and Dems Are Falling Into It. Also at Hat Hair Larry Elder examines The David Duke Standard and The Hasan Piker Exception, and Betsy McCaughey wants to Call in the Feds to Investigate Lawless Mamdani. Nick Arama at RedState sees Talarico Gets Nailed for Another Whopper About His Donations That Leaves Jaws Dropping. Joe Chalfant at TownHall thinks Dan Sullivan Just Handed Mary Peltola a Debate Beatdown. Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "Incredible. Rachel Maddow didn’t push back on Karen Bass AT ALL as she calls the Palisades Fire investigation a waste of time & resources. Lady…6K homes burned, hundreds of people died, and you illegally deleted all of your messages. Integrity is dead." No Pasaran! says If someone suggests using a Nazi concentration camp for their opponents, aren't they in fact the actual… Nazis?

At Twin Cities.com, Joe Soucheray: Start by using words correctly. These are not ‘homeless camps’, they're just bums. Da Signals Tyler O'Neil calls it ‘ANTI-DEMOCRATIC’: Nonprofits That Received Tax Dollars Unite to Oppose Rules Cracking Down on Waste, Fraud, and Abuse. Waste, fraud and abuse is their bread and butter. The last thing they want to do is end it.

From the Victory Girls Clancy Holdout Juror Now The Target Of Media Doxxing. PJM's Vicky Taft wants you to Guess Who Helped Doxx the Holdout Juror in the Lindsay Clancy Case. The defense attorney's wife? At TownHall Matt Vespa thinks What a Lindsay Clancy Juror Said About This Case Is Just Insane "“This would be something that could change something to make it better for other women,” said juror Paula Devlin."

Sensurround @ShamashAran, "nothing to see here, just the @ACLU celebrating Charlie Kirk's death at a fundraiser." Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "They didn’t even hide it. A year after they murdered Charlie Kirk, an account asks “Who should get Kirked next?” and puts JD Vance on the list, right next to Scott Presler and Nick Shirley. That’s not a joke. That’s a hit list with a question mark. Protect the VP. Investigate the poster. And stop pretending this culture of celebrating assassination is free speech." Quote ThePersistence @ScottPresler, "“Who should get Kirked next? Leave your answer in the replies! Shirley, Presler, Vance, the list goes on!” Evan, that’s not very nice, especially since you’re in Philadelphia, PA." Matt Vespa is annoyed This Virginia City Seems OK Blowing Taxpayer Dollars on a Gross Anti-Charlie Kirk Display. Hat Hair's Josh Hammer thinks America Has Not Learned the Right Lessons From Charlie Kirk's Murder. No, liberals learned they can get away with "stochastic terrorism."

From Twitchy, 'Birthing Person' Jones Tried to Smear XX-XY's Jennifer Sey and It Was a MASSIVE Backfire. jimtreacher.substack.com @jtLOL, "Shouldn't you be called Birthing Person Jones?" Quote Mother Jones @MotherJones, "Jennifer Sey, the founder of XX-XY Athletics, a sportswear startup that openly calls transgender people’s identity a “lie,” has spent the last two and a half years stoking the flames of the national panic over trans athletes. Enter Sophie Cunningham."

Sarah McLaughlin at Expression expresses disbelief at Australia’s top bureaucrats who want protection from ‘harmful’ social media videos, "The clips can ‘invite ridicule’ of public officials." If you can't stand the heat, get out of the limelight.

Eric Kaufmann @epkaufm, "White liberals remain the only segment of society that prefers other races to their own." Quote Crémieux @cremieuxrecueil, "A few years back, a friend of mine looked into the 2018 American National Election Study pilot, and he found that every racial group felt warmth towards members of their own race, except for White liberals I wanted to see if that replicated and expand on it."

Timur Kuran @timurkuran, "Carnegie Mellon is paying the price for a 2021 hire made amid the moral panic that followed George Floyd. The professor’s thin research record, narrow intellectual range, and political activism should have prompted serious scrutiny. In a freer intellectual climate, hiring committees might have said plainly that no appointment was warranted, let alone a tenure-track appointment involving decades of commitment by a distinguished university..." Quote Carnegie Mellon University @CarnegieMellon, "Dr. Uju Anya is currently on voluntary professional leave from the university and is not teaching courses on our campus this academic year. We are deeply concerned by recent hostile and threatening social media posts by Dr. Anya and are reviewing this matter closely." Tim Groseclose @Tim_Groseclose "Brilliant post by Prof. @timurkuran. Yes, the bigger problem CMU needs to face is how this woman got hired in the first place. If I were president of CMU, I'd do an in-depth look at the Dept. of Modern Languages." From Campus Reform, Education satisfaction hits record low as college readiness declines. Inside Higher Ed, After Kirk’s Death, a Third of Students Say Posting ‘MAGA’ Is a Fireable Offense. "The Israel-Palestine conflict remains the most taboo topic on college campuses, according to FIRE’s latest free speech report."

Flotsam and Jetsam - I Don't Like Mondays

Actually, Monday's aren't so bad; the news hasn't had much chance to pile up.

Quotulatiousness quotes from On the scenic shores of “Lake America.” "Carney’s response to Trump’s redesignation of the lake was replete with a self-own only one as invested in a globalist “new world order”, and oblivious to actual domestic concerns could muster. He posted the following to X: The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big”. The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms. Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always. A hilarious response to this which appeared on X was posted by Miranda Veracruz de la Jolla Cardinal, which I am assuming is a parody account since Miranda was a recurring character in the 1980s sitcom Married With Children. MVdlJC wrote: “How dare Trump rename Lake Ontario!” “Anyways, here I am at Sankofa Square …”" Yeah, I had to Google Sankofa Square to make sure. At PJM Eric Florack claims Renaming a Lake is A Surefire Way to Expose the Corrupt. Am Great's Liz Shield notes in Morning Greatness: Google Adopts Trump’s ‘Lake America’ Name as Canada Dispute Grows. But the Weather Underground hasn't, yet. Sundance at CTH reports President Trump Advises Corporations to Depart Canada for Operational Stability in USA.

The Council on Foreign Relations does Crude Calculations: Why the Iran War Hasn’t Yet Caused an Oil Shock. Gas now under $4 here. News Wax cites Trump: US Will Refill Strategic Petroleum Reserve Using Venezuelan Oil. Althouse whines about the punctuation in this Trump TS post, "Iran is officially a Failed Nation. IT IS DEAD! They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency, they are not paying their soldiers or police." ""Inflation is at 300%, and their leadership is in total disarray and incapable of properly representing the country. The only thing they have is FAKE NEWS from the USA, a willingness to kill their protesters (now over 100,000 people dead. They must be tried for war crimes against humanity!), and a good line of 'BULLSHIT.' Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J.TRUMP""At RCD, The Ukraine and Iran Wars Are a Wake Up Call. Military leader always needed to be reminded the fight this war, not the last one. Sundance hears Merz Prepares to Blame Russia for Sketchy Leipzig Airport Drone “Attack”, he wants to blame Ukraine.

Matt Vespa at TownHall thinks This Washington Post Piece on Hegseth Is Arguably Treasonous. Sean Parnell @SeanParnellASW, "Publishing highly classified assessments from the Secretary’s orders book is a crime. It’s a betrayal of the force. And much of what they’re publishing is inaccurate. Of course, we demand candid military advice. Non-concurs are standard. The Secretary sees them constantly. That’s how you run a real military. We are in great shape around the world. This story isn’t about readiness. It’s TDS and PDS — they hate President Trump and Secretary Hegseth more than they love America." Quote Dan Lamothe @DanLamothe, "Four-stars all non-concurring with prolonging operations against Iran as they are into 2027, per this @washingtonpost exclusive:..." The WaPoo may be immune, but the leakers aren't.

At TownHall Joe Chalfant hears RFK Jr Dropped Some Massive Bombshells at His Latest Town Hall. HHS Rapid Response @HHSResponse, ""It's over a hundred billion dollars a year that's being STOLEN…” @SecKennedy on how the Trump Administration is ENDING THE FRAUD that Biden's HHS allowed to fester. Accountability is BACK!" Scott McClellan at TownHall has an example: Anaheim Woman Pleads Guilty in $2.2 Million Medicare Hospice Fraud Scheme. Sundance hosts Mike Steger Outlining Secretary Bessent Targeting the Dark Money Empire.

I've been quiet about the horrendous Nepal flood event, but I have to put this up. Terrible if true, bumbadum @bumbadum14, "So it turns out China was building a hydro electric facility by a glacier and all the construction caused a portion of the glacier to collapse, tumble down, and turn into a mudslide that killed like 2,500 Nepalese people. But all you will hear about in the news is leftists claiming this was because of climate change." Quote Kashmiri Hindu @BattaKashmiri, "China is Evil. Only time will tell how much." China is asshole. 

From News Wax, Fetterman: 'Garbage' Like El-Sayed Drags Down Dems and El-Sayed Promises Medicare for All, His Wife Opted Out. At Da Caller, ‘Bothers Me A Lot’: Michigan’s Democrat Top Cop Calls Out Abdul El-Sayed Over Remark. "Michigan’s top law enforcement officer accused her own party’s Senate nominee of rationalizing a terrorist attack on a synagogue." PJM's Cathy Salgado is outraged El-Sayed’s White Communications Director Once Said ‘White Women Are Policy Failures’, while it's a gross generalization, she has a point. At Hat Hair Larry Elder hears Hasan Piker to Dems: Don't Quit Me. "Democrats, listen to me, I know we don't always see eye to eye on a lot of stuff, but you have to literally, at some point -- I know you don't want to do this -- defend me. Not because you love what I have to say, not because I'm part of this coalition, even though I am, whether you like it or not ... I'm not this dangerous, toxic radical force." From Da Signal, Mamdani Turns Rikers Murderer Into Victim in Larger Plot to Abolish Prisons. At the Crimson Hub, James Talarico's Church Is A Sanctuary For 'Woke 1' Craziness. "Talarico is trying to run as a moderate, but his past shows he is anything but one."

Kyle Becker at RedState sees NY Gov. Hochul Ditches 'Feminist' Routine to Don Hijab for Muslim Men. End Wokeness @EndWokeness, ""Fight the patriarchy" until it's Muslims." Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "Feminists love to talk about the "patriarchy" and how White men want them to live in Handmaid's Tale, and then immediately pander to the most patriarchal and restrictive system on earth." From Fox, Muslim jail gangs said to force conversions on prisoners in UK: 'Jihadist training camps’. From the Guardian, Four men admit destroying Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green "Hamza ⁠Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, and Judex Atshatshi and Saif Ali, both 18, admitted to a charge of destroying or damaging property being reckless whether life would be endangered." Carl Trueman at First Things reports The England I Knew Is Gone. Brother Rachid الأخ رشيد @BrotherRasheed, "The Persecution That Doesn’t Make the Headlines I am a Muslim convert to Christianity. I lived for 15 years as a Christian believer in Morocco, much of that time in what we called the underground church. Listen carefully, because this is what “moderate Islam” looked like for us..." Seth Mandel @SethAMandel, "Correlation of HATE HAS NO HOME HERE lawn signs to anti-Semitism remains undefeated." Quote Alex Joffe @DrAlexJoffe, "“It’s like all these liberal hippies want to kill me."ound-zero-bds-israel

From the Free Bacon, Ro Khanna Dethrones Stock Queen Nancy Pelosi in First Real Accomplishment of Political Career. "It sure beats sponsoring a stupid bill to add a third 'unspecified' gender option on US passports." She doesn't have enough time left to spend the money she has."

Hat Hair's Josh Hammer says Clarence Thomas Played the Long Game. He Won. Joe Chalfant wonders Why Is Kentaji Brown Jackson Still Wearing a Mask In 2026? Afraid common sense is contagious? Sundance notes DNC Election Rigger Proposes Adding 4 Leftist Judges to Supreme Court at First Available Opportunity, which is why I think Trump and the Republicans should try first, just to make Democrats come out with the arguments against it.

The Divine Miranda Devine highlights Trump’s ultra-MAGA man who oversaw prez pardoning hundreds of victims persecuted by Biden admin reflects on ‘year of mercy’, Ed Martin.

Da Signal observes Hunter Biden’s Lawyer whines DOJ Would Not Have Prosecuted Without Pressure From IRS Whistleblowers. Why is that a bad thing?

Sundance hosts Sunday Talks – CNN’s Dana Bash Defends Illegal Immigration Against Deportation Czar Tom Homan. News Wax, Homan: ICE Will Go 'Where We Need to Go' for Deportations. At the OCR, that thing that never happens happened again, Honduran national arrested, charged with fraudulently registering to vote in LA County. ""Today’s arrest is the first of many to come,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said."

Marc Porter Magee @marcportermagee, "Syracuse is in trouble. They borrowed a half billion dollars to build new dorms and now enrollment is sliding. “The problem with Syracuse is that the school thinks of itself as like an Ivy, but it’s not,” Tavares said."Alec MacGillis @AlecMacGillis, "Despite the often-stunning brilliance and laid-back, tolerant vibe of Burlington, enrollment at the University of Vermont has fallen precipitously, [which] has at least something to do with Burlington’s sketchy downtown area."

From Not The Bee, Canadian doctors’ group doubles down on expanding MAID to newborns. 

At Twitchy, Jelly Roll Lost 300 Pounds and Every 'America First' Fan He Ever Had in One Jimmy Kimmel Monologue. DrewbyDoo @DrewbyDoo01, "Not a smart move to alienate at least 50% of your base." Quote TMZ @TMZ, "Jelly Roll roasts Trump's weight and says he can't see his penis." The Hollywood Reporter reports Jelly Roll Clarifies Political Views, Regrets Not Taking “Opportunity to Speak Up” at Grammys "The singer-songwriter opened up about his beliefs during his final night guest hosting 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' after a Trump joke he made earlier in the week sparked backlash from conservatives... “It is funny that before this week everybody thought I was MAGA. And now they think I’m some sort of liberal snowflake,” he said. “Hosting Jimmy Kimmel’s show doesn’t mean I have all of Jimmy Kimmel’s politics. Sure, I lean left on some things, but like most folks I’m pretty down the middle.”"

From NYPo, Sophie Cunningham sparked a revolt — and the WNBA bullies are floundering

Flotsam and Jetsam - Just Another Sunday in the South

And the pickens are kinda slim. And I'm OK with that.

From Twitchy, Hypocrite 'Eat the Rich' DSA Leader Caught Lying and Living Off Mom & Dad’s Manhattan Money. The Manhattan Contrarian is outrages Democratic Socialists Commemorate Fidel Castro's 100th Birthday. The Free Bacon reports the El-Sayed Campaign Gets a $175,000 Boost From CAIR, Whose Leader Was 'Happy' About Oct. 7, After Alleging Primary Opponent's AIPAC Support Constituted 'Foreign' Intervention in Election. At the JPo, Mohammed El-Kurd laments not being allowed to hijack planes in protest "Last month, El-Kurd called on pro-Palestinian supporters to 'Normalize the massacres as the status quo' at a rally in London.." Mohammed El-Kurd @m7mdkurd, "You can’t protest peacefully. You can’t boycott. You can’t hunger strike. You can’t hijack planes. You can’t block traffic. You can’t throw Molotovs. You can’t self-immolate. You can’t heckle politicians. You can’t march. You can’t riot. You can’t dissent. You just can’t be." NYPo Opines on Why the DSA’s Medicare-for-All dream threatens us with a real-life nightmare. At Althouse, "The rollout could’ve been better. Absolutely, I said the rollout has to be cleaned up and fixed." "Said Governor Kathy Hochul, quoted in "How New York’s Second-Home Tax Turned Into a Headache for Mamdani/The bumpy rollout of the tax created an opportunity for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s opponents to fight him in court and in the City Council" (NYT gift link)." "I did finally watch the whole minute. From the transcript: "This pied-a-terre tax is specifically designed for the richest of the rich, those who store their wealth in New York City real estate, but who don't actually live here.... This is a fundamentally unfair system that hurts working New Yorkers." What's "fundamentally unfair"? It's a child's reasoning: If someone has something that he's not using, it should be mine."

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn, sees Desperate Measures for Desperate Times: Dem Primaries Magically Become a Blue Wave. Democrats @TheDemocrats, "The blue wave is here—and these wins prove it." Queen Velvet @TMIWITW, "Democrats won Democrat primaries. Are democrats voters actually this stupid or do you just treat them as if they are?"

Joe Chalfant at TownHall rejoices that Elon Musk Just Gave Republicans Unbelievable News Heading Into the Midterms. "Elon Musk, who briefly became the world’s first trillionaire after SpaceX went public in June, is expected to spend up to $200 million on boosting the electoral prospects of Republicans across the country." He just looked between the cushions on the couches. 

Tweets that didn't age well: Dr. Richard Harambe @Richard_Harambe, "Happy two year anniversary of Joe Biden challenging Trump to a debate for those who celebrate." Quote Joe Biden @JoeBiden, "Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again."

From Breitbart Bus Dig, The Sky Isn't Falling in the U.S. Treasury Market. News Wax notices Newsom Touts Trump Accounts for California Families. Matt Vespa at TownHall heard Trump Went Nuclear on Some Familiar Names Last Night. Here's What He Said. "President Trump seems to have had it with Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Thomas Massie."

ZitoSalena @ZitoSalena, "It's impossible to have a nuanced, conversation about data power centers on social media; the politics right now is to demonize them, call them predators rather than show there are also examples of good industry stewards. Few have the courage to raise the consequences of that. Except Fetterman." Quote U.S. Senator John Fetterman @SenFettermanPA, "AI supremacy and energy dominance underpins our national security. China continues to fuel and benefit from our overreaction. I reject the political pandering and hyperbole over data centers or AI." Steve Moore at Hat Hair, Net Zero Is Dead and Gone. "Much of this never made sense given that AI and data center energy needs will double or triple our electric power demands over the next two decades. That will require an all-of-the above approach to meet those needs and to keep power affordable for our businesses and families."

At Althouse, "[T]his relationship is pathological, and a source of great irritation among other courtiers. It is Trump distilled to his essence..." "... cult leader and his most rabid follower, narcissist and his most flattering mirror. The daughter of a devoutly Christian real estate broker who died by suicide during the pandemic, [Natalie] Harp idolizes Trump with a rare fervor.... ... Trump told his staff that Harp was the only one who loved him as much as his wife and kids did. 'She’ll never leave me,' he would tell other staffers.... It’s a perfect (taxpayer-funded) relationship. She thinks he’s amazing. And he agrees." Writes Maureen Dowd, in "Natalie’s Magnificent Obsession" (NYT gift link)." She's so jealous! Eric Florack at PJM sees the The '34 Felony Convictions' Mantra Just Disintegrated as President Trump makes peace with Michael Cohen. "President Trump was interviewed by his former attorney, Michael Cohen, the star witness in the hush money case, which verdict is under appeal. Trump said Cohen was weaponized against him by the Justice Department. Cohen agrees, adding that he felt coerced by the Feds. The case stems from the president's effort to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 during the 2016 election."

1945 notes US Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carriers Were Not Needed to Bomb Iran. They Were Needed to Blockade It. "A B-2 flying from Missouri and a Tomahawk launched from a destroyer two hundred miles offshore can both hit a target that once required a carrier. An F-35C off a flight deck does roughly what an F-35A does from a Gulf air base. The blockade was different: no target list to exhaust, only a duration set by Tehran." Mike Lee @BasedMikeLee, "MSM spin narrative incoming." Quote New York Post@nypost, "Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz skyrockets nearly 400%, as analysts say Iran's grip on critical waterway weakens https://trib.al/ZwiB1KE." 

News Wax reports US Imposes Tariffs on $20 Billion of Canadian Products as Canada fails to come to terms with Trump. Sundance at CTH, Trade Talks Collapse – Prime Minister Carney Talking Alot, President Trump Remains Quiet "Canada wants unlimited and unrestricted access to the U.S. market as if they were a 51st state. However, Canada will not permit unlimited and unrestricted access to their market for U.S. companies. This, Carney says, compromises the sovereignty of Canada."

From Twitchy, Julie Kelly Spots Telling Info in New DOJ Filing in the Comey '8647' Case (Backfiring Stunt Alert!) Julie Kelly @julie_kelly2, "Some hilarious stuff in latest DOJ filing in Jim Comey seashell case. It appears Jim and his wife, Patrice (who had attended the Women's March in DC with their daughters after Trump was inaugurated in 2017) set up the entire stunt. She even Googled the slang definition for "86" to make sure his post would be accurate." At Da Fed The Magnificent Margot Cleveland reports Round River Docs Suggest FBI Misclassified Information To Hide Biden Family Crimes. RedState's Kyle Becker has The Backstory on Bill Gates' Secret 'Q' Clearance — And It Is Chilling.

News Wax notes Trump Asks Supreme Court to Revive CNN Lawsuit "Trump said in the lawsuit that CNN defamed him through reports that said he had no evidence to support his claims of improprieties in the 2020 presidential election and repeatedly characterized his claims as the "Big Lie," a phrase Trump said was intended to link him to Hitler and Nazi propaganda."

C3 @C_3C_3, "It’s been a year since DeCarlos Brown murdered Iryna Zarutska and he hasn’t even had a trial yet. Shiloh Hendrix has already been tried, found guilty and sentenced for saying a word. I never want to hear about white privilege ever again." To be fair, murder trials tend to take a long time. 

Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "WOAH Oakland Democrats PASSED legislation banning citizenship checks for police jobs and city jobs City Employees and Oakland Police will be prohibited from asking about a person’s immigration and legal status when applying for jobs The Public Safety Committee passed the ordinance unanimously Democrats want to arm illegals in the police force against American citizens Everything that passed - Restricts collection of immigration status on applications - Ban on asking about legal status and sharing info with ICE agents - Officers prohibited from enforcing federal immigration rules - ICE agents blocked from entering non-public areas of city buildings without a warrant." At State of the Day, the State of Thursday: THE GREAT BETRAYAL. "News broke Tuesday night that a woman had been fatally stabbed near Great Falls national park. By Wednesday, our suspicions had been confirmed. “The killer was an illegal alien,” my wife said, even as I was still carrying my kids through the door."

At Hat Hair Dave Strom says Nuke Academia From Orbit. It Is the Only Way to Be Sure. "Critical Theory, I keep reminding you, does not seek to communicate anything we understand as "truth" or "reality." It is about asserting power. The goal here is to intimidate everybody with an accusation of racism. To call you a Nazi. To make you quail in terror at the thought that you will face social opprobrium." Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "You guys realize that the leftist reaction to the Jason Arday case is going to incentivize more and more people to just "self-ID" as autistic or neurodivergent right? Why? Because it instantly unlocks two-tier judgment. There will be massive upside to identify as "neurodivergent" and no downside. It's a choose-your-own-adventure but this time you're just choosing your own alibi. No one challenges the claim, and you might even score an endorsement from figures like autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen. The same excesses that distorted the trans movement will now come for "neurodivergence." Increasingly, mental health status is treated as a moral free pass - permission to act like an asshole or commit crimes (see the Lindsay Clancy case)." Kamel Amin Thaabet @K_AminThaabet, "Israel is murdering children!!!! Now excuse me, I have to go to the rally for Lindsay Clancy." Hat Hair's John Stossel on Racist Tests. At NYPo, Hofstra professor facing possible termination over discrimination claim for saying ‘word salad’, because "racism" of course. From the College Fix, Judge dismisses pro-Hamas professor’s discrimination lawsuit against Columbia. “I’m with Hamas and Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad,” he said on social media." A Driscolly post at Insty starts with CHRISTIAN TOTO: Pop Culture Puts Antisemitism on Blast (Finally).

At the Chronic, Ian Smith offers A Novel Explanation for Woke Culture. "My colleagues would rather I not say this, but I will: As access to mental health care has expanded, so have rates of mental illness. And this isn’t simply a matter of greater awareness leading to more diagnoses. The more therapy people get, the more fragile, anxious, and dysfunctional they seem to become. This isn’t just an individual crisis—it’s a societal one. Which raises an uncomfortable but urgent question: Is modern therapy not only failing patients, but making them—and the culture at large—sicker?"

Insty, I THINK THE WNBA IS A PSYOP DESIGNED TO CONVINCE NORMALS THAT BLACK WOMEN AND LESBIANS HATE AMERICA:

Sophie Cunningham is once again the only player on the court to put her hand above her heart for the singing of the US national anthem pic.twitter.com/c6grxtZMzm

— Wesley Yang (@wesyang) August 22, 2026

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: More Coffee, Please and FMJRA 2.0: Embracing The Suck up on time and under budget at The Other McCain (if you count Megan).

Flotsam and Jetsam - Back on Track

Well, our visitors left early this morning, and life is back to near normal. I\ll miss the grandkids, but not the furor.

Buck Throckmorton at Ace's MORNING RANT: About that “Bad” Jobs Report Last Week: Private-Sector Jobs Increased, Government Jobs Decreased "This headline from Bloomberg was typical, but at least it did note that concurrent with lost jobs, the unemployment rate actually fell: “U.S. Employers Unexpectedly Shed Jobs; Unemployment Rate Falls” ... This CNBC piece further explains that ”The main reason for the red headline number was a loss of 53,000 government workers.”... Here are a few more headlines about who is losing their jobs in the “Trump economy”..." We need to be careful not to get swayed by headlines that conflate foreigners and government workers losing their jobs with what is going on regarding private-sector hiring of U.S. citizens. There is good news on that front, and it’s getting better."

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "UPDATE: Geraldo Rivera just got brutally exposed as a massive HYPOCRITE after he said President Trump sending Haitians back to Haiti is "sending them straight to hell" Geraldo Rivera, 2018: "Trump should apologize for calling countries sh*t holes!" Calls Haiti "hell.." gets mad at Trump for basically saying the exact same thing. Liberals have no standards!" Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "Anderson Cooper may take issue with your harsh assessment of Haiti, Geraldo. He did tell Conan how “amazing,” “incredible” and "culturally rich" it is, and that he likes to spend his weekends and vacations there, after all." John Sexton at Hat Hair hears Trump Gets a Win in Lawsuit Against BBC.

From Ace, Trump Settlels In for Long Siege of Iran, "I had hoped for a more "kinetic" operation with Iran done and dusted a year before the mid-terms. But that's now impossible, of course, so a long slow strangulation will do." James E. Thorne@DrJStrategy, "Hormuz Miscalculation Sec Bessent gets it. Iran has mistaken a tactical threat for a durable advantage. By repeatedly signaling its willingness to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran hasn’t strengthened its hand, it has accelerated the market’s exit. Capital does not tolerate chokepoints; it routes around them..." Steve Richards at JTN, As Iran war strains high-end munition stocks, Trump administration works to jump start production. "While the Pentagon disputes critical munitions supply concerns, it is working to significantly boost production of the high-end systems and seek out mass produced alternatives." RBe @RBPundit, "Here's the straight answer: "We're not going to tell Iran or anyone else how long they may or may not have to hold out against us." Quote Jim Geraghty @jimgeraghty, "Can We Get a Straight Answer on Our Critical Munitions Stockpiles?" Nick Arama at RedState swears Iran's 'Proof of Life' Video for Supreme Leader Blows Up in Its Face. John Podhoretz @jpodhoretz, "All that's left is the leader's nose. Time to check the cell structure!" Quote Raylan Givens @JewishWarrior13, "JUST IN: Multiple sources inside Iran confirm that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition."

PJM's Stephen Kruiser says I Liked the Dems Better When AOC Was Their Craziest Commie. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair cites AOC: I Don't Know What to Do With That Hat Tossing and Frozen Eggs. Kyle Beckley @Kyle_Beckley, "“The world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change. Just kidding, freezing my eggs because I got all the time in the world"" Quote New York Post @nypost, "AOC starts process of freezing her eggs, hints at 2028 mindset: 'I think it's badass.' At Althouse, "I'm not sure why WaPo covered this, but ignored trump wearing a wig that is styled like his mother's hair during her last year of life." "That's the top-rated comment (by far) on the WaPo article, "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she’s freezing her eggs/The Democratic congresswoman, 36, said she made the decision to undergo the fertility procedure to 'feel more in control of my life'" (gift link)." Andrew Kerr @AndrewKerrNC, "“Why isnt AOC married after being engaged to Riley Roberts after 4+ years?” She’s hiding his finances from the public. That’s why. So long as they remain legally unmarried, Roberts’ stock trades remain secret."

Politico whines that Trump and the GOP have a new bogeyman, "Days after Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Michigan primary, Trump is homing in on his progressive policies, calling him a “communist” and “man of hate.”" From Ace, Abdul El-Sayed Has Repeatedly Endorsed Book Which Praises Left-Wing Violence and the Nihilistic Destruction of the "Summer of Love;" Also Refuses to Even Stop Campaiging with Hasan "Kill Rick Scott" Piker, "I'm starting to think this son of a terrorist might be pro-terrorism.Jon Levine of Free Beacon..." Sundance at CTH hosts Susan Kokinda Reviewing Abdul El-Sayed From Michigan. From the Victory Girls, Mamdani’s Anti-Rent Advisor Faces Eviction Over Four Years Of Unpaid Rent. Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "They’re all like this, BTW. Every single one is a disappointing nepo baby. DSA is if “I HATE YOU DAD” were a political party. Commies are all scammers." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Anti-rent radical and Mamdani pal who is 'squatting' in Brooklyn is Grammy nepo baby." John Sexton at Hat Hair reports a Judge Grants TRO on Mamdani's Pied-À-Terre Tax. AG @AGHamilton29, "An incredibly consistent overlap between the categories of communist activist and privileged rich kids who never held real jobs and have defined their entire lives by their desire to rebel against their rich families." RedState's Sister Toldja hears a New Dem Talking Point on the DSA Emerges, and Francesca Hong Just Demonstrated Why It Won't Work. Ryan King at NYPo reports Talarico previously fought against Texas legislation banning predators from getting cashless bail. Justine Bateman @JustineBateman, "I’ll tell you something about Karen Bass. Three months after she was elected, she spoke at one of the guilds. She clearly knew nothing about the film industry, I mean nothing. It was shocking. At one point she asked that film productions give jobs to homeless people—that this “would really help her out.” What kind of idiot walks into a room of mostly out-of-work people, in an industry that is collapsing upon itself, that does productions with limited time and money where a mistake from an inexperienced worker can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and suggest that unskilled, perhaps drug-addled, clueless homeless people should be employed instead of qualified guild members? ..." LI's Mike LaChance hears from a Former DNC Fundraiser: Major Democratic Donors are Done With Kamala Harris, “Kamala Harris is living in fantasyland… [thinking] that big donors would bet on her again.” At TownHall Matt Vespa hears (and posts) a Black Georgia Voter Tells NYT Reporter What's Wrong With the Dems. It's Brutally Accurate: "I feel like the Democratic people, they just fake. "They tried to do the Megan Thee Stallion thing. That was HORRIBLE. When Harris got Megan Thee Stallion ... What was that!? People can see through the bullsh*t!" Joshua Reed Eakle @JoshEakle, "Oh my God. Watch this interview with Dr. Frances Gill of the Democratic Socialists of America's national political committee. I'm sorry. But putting these people in charge of the Democratic Party will usher in a century of fascist rule."

Sundance reports the FBI Declassifies Investigation of Former AG Jeff Sessions, Codename “March Toll” and Senator Ron Johnson Reveals Fauci Texts and Horrific Vaccine Induced Abortion Rate Hidden Within the Data. From Ace, Fauci Privately Acknowledged the Fake Vaccine Could Cause Miscarriages -- But Denied Any Such Risk Publicly "This is close to murder." "The authors claimed a miscarriage rate of 12.6%, but the raw data revealed an 82% miscarriage rate in women vaccinated during the first trimester. This is consistent with the 81% miscarriage rate noted in the Pfizer 5.3.6 post-market data. These figures mirror the effects of chemical abortion drugs such as RU-486." Among Alex Berenson's Unreported Truths, Tony Fauci appears to have misled Congress in 2024 about his efforts to avoid federal records laws, "Joe Biden's final-day presidential pardon of Fauci will protect him from any potential criminal jeopardy for the episode, but it shows why he may be so reluctant to testify now." At Da Caller, Rand Paul Fires Back After Progressive Writer Questions His Medical Credentials. "You know who isn't a doctor? Rand Paul isn't, and RFK Jr isn't, you stuporous dope. https://t.co/bICmflrCuF— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) August 7, 2026" "Paul answered directly the following day. “I’m literally an MD. I operate on eyeballs,” the senator wrote on his verified account."

At Law and Liberty, Josh Blackmun tells A Tale of Two Chiefs "There is Chief Justice Roberts, the institutionalist, who strategically guides the Supreme Court by not deciding more than is necessary to decide. Then there is Chief Justice Roberts, the institutionalist, who strategically guides the Supreme Court by deciding more than is necessary to decide. Which Roberts do we get in each case? This tale of two chiefs depends entirely on whether Roberts determines the decision will lead to the best of times or the worst of times. If the Chief fears rough roads ahead, less will be decided. If the Chief sees smooth sailing, more will be decided. No more, no less."

From Fox, DHS reports over 1.4M illegal alien departures since January 2025. Jason Cohen @JasonJournoDC, "NEW: John Fetterman to WaPo: "Without a doubt, the Democratic Party, we DESTROYED our border! 11 million migrants thru the Biden Admin. When you have 300,000 showing up at the border, that's the size of Pittsburgh .... EVERY month! And Democrats pretended that it's all good." Balmer Sun, Judge reinstates Howard County ICE facility permit. "Judge says county’s ban on private immigration detention centers cannot be enforced." From PM, Iranian sex offender able to vote without ID in Michigan: OMG, "O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) journalists reportedly investigated two Michigan registered voters whose noncitizen status was identified through Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn say aww, The Euro Mean Girls Are Ganging Up on Pedro Sanchez.

At UnHerd, Jason Arday taught me. Here’s what I learned "The song lyrics were the first red flag. The way he’d ramble about Tinie Tempah or Eminem, or how black artists like Beyoncé were sexualized by white men, without offering any evidence to substantiate his claims. Or else there were the film clips, from Fish Tank and Kidulthood, which he’d tell us to discuss without offering guidance on how to do so. And this was if he was even in the classroom at all. He often arrived late and left early, once teaching for a single hour when four were scheduled." Ace, Surprise! Jason Arday Was Also a Shit "Teacher;" Did Not Teach Actual Academic Subjects, Just Riffed About Racism and Popular Music In Every "Class." John McWhorter @JohnHMcWhorter, "My take on the Arday debacle. Elevator pitch version: 1) Arday is typical of a thriving alternate-universe academia elevating performance art over curiosity; 2) the "anti-racist" people who supported him are either bigots or caught up in recreational tribalism."Saul Sadka @Saul_Sadka, "My advance copy of Professor Jason Arday’s new book just arrived, courtesy of Simon & Schuster. Can’t wait to dig in, but here’s a taste from the first page to whet your appetite: “All this happened, more or less. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times: a bright, cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again, where Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself—for Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins, my sin, my soul. But 124 was spiteful, full of a baby’s venom. I am a sick man. I am a spiteful man. I am an unattractive man.”" At Ombre de Oliver, The Racists Who Enabled Jason Arday, "Can you say "soft bigotry of low expectations." Eric Rasmusen at Ras-Stak, Who Hired the Ridiculous Jason Arday at Cambridge? I Have the Names. "This is not a lightweight panel. Zembylas has the most citations; all have a proper scholarly record in education, sociology, history. So did they read the work? And if they did how could they persuade themselves it was of the level appropriate for a Cambridge chair?" Saul Sadka @Saul_Sadka, "The greatest secret of the social sciences is that nobody reads any of this stuff. It's all just busy work to keep a giant grift going, so you can have typos in the title of your PhD dissertation and nobody will notice until you have a plagiarism scandal." As I've said all along.

From Campus Reform, Trump administration defends Harvard funding freeze as ACLU-led coalition backs university on appeal, "The administration argues Harvard failed to address anti-Semitism and other institutional concerns before nearly $2.2 billion in federal research funding was frozen." Graphs about Religion finds Finance Majors Go to Church. English Majors Don't. "The Stereotypes About Which Majors Are Religious and Conservative Turn Out to Be Mostly True." 

Ace, Black WNBA Thug Who Clotheslined Sophie Cunniningham Says Her Ejection for the Flargrant Foul Is Just "White Privilege;" Male NBA Stars Announce They're Gals Now and Intend to Try Out for the WNBA "It's "white privilege" to eject someone for a flagrant foul because, of course, blacks are permitted to take Street Reparations against white people when they feel like it." Matt Vespa sees Dijonai Carrington Tried to Explain Her 'White Privilege' Tweet. It Didn't Go Well. Virginia Kruta at Da Wire, Sophie Cunningham Smacks Down Opponent’s ‘White Privilege’ Comment. "There's no reason to even play that card." Stephen Kruiser thinks Sophie Cunningham Triggered an Avalanche of Bluff-Calling for the WNBA. Matt Walsh @MattWalshBlog, "It really is incredible that there’s just outright racial violence happening in the WNBA. Every men’s professional sports league has black and white players and they aren’t having these problems. Remember this the next time a feminist tells you women should rule the world because they’re more peaceful and empathetic or whatever." Julie Frost--That Werewolf Writer @JulieCFrost, "Kareem might have a point if anyone could name a single other WNBA player." Quote Farm Girl Carrie @FarmGirlCarrie, "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says calling Caitlin Clark the “Face of the WNBA” is disrespectful to those who've paved the way. Do you agree with his point of view or is he flat out wrong here? What say you?" Well, at least they've found a way to make the WNBA mildly interesting.

Talk about a segue, at Da Mail, Trans American who fled to Europe claiming asylum from Trump makes humiliating return after being placed in a refugee center… but she's already complaining about life in the US. Hollywood in Toto has The Joke that Sparked Death Threats for Arynne Wexler "Wexler said she was shocked that another joke from her repertoire drew little outrage. She has compared Muslims to pit bulls, suggesting the majority of both groups aren’t violent, but..." Beege Welborn, UK Muslim 'News' Org Seems to Want to Make Sure Its Delightful Readers Have Someone to Protest. Aja @AjaTheEmpress, "Well this sounds like a threat. @BrumPolice @gmpolice @BrantfordPolice, @WYP_LeedsCity "You might want to keep an eye on this because letting John Cleese get hurt in your city isn't gonna be a good look." At ToI, UK probes major Muslim charity after director charged with funneling aid to Hamas.

Linked at The Right Way in Top of the News. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Another Rough Start up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.