Flotsam and Jetsam - The Sunday Roundup

The Peacock want you to know Zelenskyy rejects Trump’s proposal that Ukraine could swap territories with Russia. Sundance at CTH, Zelenskyy Rejects President Trump Meeting With Russian President Putin to Formulate Ceasefire Terms. NewsMax, Zelenskyy: Ukraine Must Be Involved in Any Peace Deal Else 'Dead Solutions ' and Gabbard Sees 'Cautious Optimism' for Ukraine Peace. From Breitbart, Ukrainians No Longer Support War to Bitter End, Want Negotiation ‘As Soon as Possible’ Says Poll. Sarah Arnold at TownHall, CNN Analyst Slams Trump-Putin Meeting as a Failure, Days Before It Even Happens. I guess I'm about where Tulsi is. It's clear that without NATO coming in, Ukraine can't win back significant territory. It's not clear Crimea and the Donbas particularly want to be won back. And it seems Russian advances have ground down to negligible. Why not stop?

From NYPo, US, Qatari mediators try to shape last-minute package to deliver cease-fire, hostage deal ahead of Israel’s Gaza takeover. 

John Solomon at JTN reports Trump elevates State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce to an ambassador, sends her to UN "Bruce is a former Fox News personality, radio show host and best-selling author who has handled press communications for Secretary of State Marco Rubio since the beginning of the Trump administration in January." I think it's kind of a waste of talent. I don't think even Donald Trump can fix the UN.

Jeff Blehar at NRO notices Begun, the Gerrymandering Wars Have. "Threats have been exchanged, and now we wait until someone pulls the trigger." Democrats in Maryland are threating to gerrymander away the one remaining Republican seat, which mostly Eastern Shore. I can see a flotilla of watermen coming to Annapolis to protest. At Althouse, "What Greg Abbott and the Texas GOP can learn from Wisconsin in 2011/We won a similar fight using this two-pronged messaging campaign." "Writes former governor Scott Walker in The Washington Post — gift link. . . I was going to say you can practically hear the Wisconsin accent and maybe that works in Wisconsin, but Texans might be a little more rowdy and rebellious, but I see Walker asserts: "It worked in the Badger State. It will work in the Lone Star State, too." What kind of logic is that?" Adam Carolla @adamcarolla "People act like Newsom is human. He has no human thoughts he has no idea who he is, he wants votes other than that he has zero thoughts and no convictions. I talked to him for over an hour there is nothing there." Quote Kevin Kiley @KevinKileyCA "Newsom just claimed he supports independent redistricting, then announced he plans to "pick up 5 seats" in Congress by pushing aside the Independent Redistricting Commission. This is a level of hypocrisy that rivals the French Laundry." From LifeZette, Texas Judge Slaps Beto O’Rourke With Fundraising Ban Over Fleeing Democrats. Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed hopes an Upcoming SCOTUS Case Could Reshape Redistricting As We Know It. They might nix the racial gerrymander. 

Matt Margolis at PJM, The Experts Bet Against Trump and Lost. Fox Bus, Canada slashes tens of thousands of jobs in sharp economic shift after Trump imposed tariffs. "Canada lost 40,800 jobs in July, partially reversing June's gains."

The Civitas Inst. argues The Fed Has Gone Adrift—It’s Time to End The Bureaucratic Mission Creep. I wasn't aware the Fed gave grant money for economic research. I once wrote a parody piece where the Institution I was worked for at the time, the Academy of Natural Science, started having it's management work off grants from the government for research into creative accounting. I never realized it might happen. The Peacock, Trump removes IRS boss, Treasury Secretary Bessent takes over for now. He's been "promoted" to Ambassador to Iceland. He appears to have resisted the use of the IRS to identify illegal aliens. At ET, Jobs Report Agency Faces Scrutiny After Trump Fires Its Chief—What to Know "Understanding how the Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded one of its largest jobs data revision in decades," and Trump Admin Planning IPOs for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

At Am Great, Rep. Keith Self Urges Congressional Action on Trump EOs: ‘Trump Won’t Be President Forever’. Congress legislate? What a novel idea!

John Hinderacker at Power Line explores The Deep Meaning of Canoe-Gate. Donald Trump Jr. @DonaldJTrumpJr "Another case of leftwing media lunatics suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome making up a completely fake story. Secret Service raised the water level for safety reasons without even telling JD. They're attacking a dad for taking his kids kayaking. Totally pathetic!!!"

Sundance at CTH notes the Compassionate and Wise FBI Director Waits Respectful Grieving Period Before Firing Corrupt FBI Official Who Worked with Robert Mueller. At NewsMax, DOJ Asks Court to Unseal Maxwell, Epstein Grand Jury Exhibits. I'll bet the court says no. Also, CDC Shooting Suspect ID'd As 30-Year-Old Man From Georgia. Nick Ballasay at JTN reports the Man who physically attacked elderly pro-life activists avoids jail time "Brice told the activists they were “bothering vulnerable people” shortly before he attacked them, according to a report from The Daily Wire that included surveillance footage." No enemies on the left. From LifeZette, Bodycam Footage: DOJ Official Caught on Video Yelling “Kill ’Em” at Capitol Police.

At NewsMax Jeff Crouere opines Midterms Around the Corner, So Are More Losses for Democrats. Don't count the chickens yet. Hot Hair's Dave Strom hears Carville: The Only Way to Save Democracy Is to Rig the System So Much that Republicans Always Lose. Victory Girls observe Geoff Duncan Joins Democratic Party in Desperate Rebrand. Debbie Dooley @Crimsontider, "Geoff Duncan crying because GA Republicans kicked him out and he is irrelevant. The Democrat Party deserves Duncan."

Newt Gingrich decries the The Big Government Socialist Democratic Party. Matt Margolis notes Rich Socialist Zohran Mamdani Has a Rent-Controlled Apartment, which Mama pays for. Nick Arama at RedState takes issue with George Will Reveals Jaw-Dropping Take on NYC's Zohran Mamdani to Bill Maher. Defiant L’s @DefiantLs, "George Will on Zorhan Mamdani: "I want him to win. I think every 20 years or so, we need a conspicuous, confined experiment with socialism so we can crack it up again."" New York does seem to vacillate between too socialist, and barely conservative. I tend to agree with will, but I don't actually want Zohran to win, but I think it will prove instructive. At Hat Hair, John Stossel is not looking forward to My Socialist Mayor. "I'm not happy about it. But I am outnumbered." From NYPo, Former youth organizer for AOC busted after urging ‘attack’ on Jewish students at Brooklyn public high school. From Twitchy, Out of Ideas: Jasmine Crockett Unleashes Dems’ Tired ‘Klan Plan’ on Trump and Republicans. In reality, of course, the KKK were Democrats. Sarah Arnold hears McCarthy Drops Bombshell on Texas Democrat 'Diva' Banned for Life from Major Airline, Sheila Jackson Lee.

Leslie Eastman at LI reads the New York Post: Biden Admin’s Response to Hurricane Helene was Hateful and Partisan, "A reflection on Hurricane Helene’s impacts almost one year later. . . When responding to an emergency or a natural disaster, FEMA employees were directed to make voter registration a “key priority.”" From Real Clear Energy, There’s a Fiery Electric Bill Coming to You, and the Arsonists Are Already Blaming Trump. 

LOTT at substack, Democrat AZ State Senator EXPOSED by LoTT for Doxxing ICE Agents. PJM's Cathy Salgado is amazed California State Universities Spent $42M on Illegals? Is that all?

Hollywood it Toto promises We’re About to See a LOT of Sydney Sweeney, "American Eagle jeans model set for flood of big-screen appearances." Matt Vespa at TownHall, Wait, That's How Many People Think Sydney Sweeney's Jeans Ad Promoted Nazism? 12%! 

The New York Vulture whines Jimmy Fallon Kisses the Conservative Ring, "Why Did ‘The Tonight Show’ Book Greg Gutfeld?" Now Greg needs to invite Jimmy on Gutfeld!

Tim Graham sees Hollywood's Writers Wage War on 'King' Trump.

Politico whines Trump threatens Harvard patents worth hundreds of millions. "The Commerce Department is launching an immediate review of the intellectual property Harvard has derived from federally funded research grants."  CDR Salamander is concerned with Bringing Academies & War Colleges Back to Centerline. 

The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: All-American Girl and FMJRA 2.0: Birds Win! Birds Win! up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Obama Judge Orders DOGE Shutdown

Let's give top billing to Stacey McCain, Obama Judge Orders DOGE to Stop Telling Us Where Our Money Went, in Manhattan at the instigation of Letitia James:

Judge Halts Access to Treasury Payment Systems by Elon Musk’s Team

A federal judge early Saturday temporarily restricted access by Elon Musk’s government efficiency program to the Treasury Department’s payment and data systems, saying there was a risk of “irreparable harm.”

The Trump administration’s new policy of allowing political appointees and “special government employees” access to these systems, which contain highly sensitive information such as bank details, heightens the risk of leaks and of the systems becoming more vulnerable than before to hacking, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said in an emergency order.

Judge Engelmayer ordered any such official who was granted access to the systems since Jan. 20 to “destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department’s records and systems.” He also restricted the government from granting access to these categories of officials.

The defendants — President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — should show cause on Feb. 14 before Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, who is handling the case on a permanent basis, Judge Engelmayer said.

WSJ, Federal Judge Blocks Elon Musk’s DOGE From Treasury System, "Order requires those who have accessed payment records without proper security clearance to destroy them." That's easy. Trump can give them the clearance. The NYT view from Althouse, "A federal judge early Saturday temporarily restricted access by Elon Musk’s government efficiency program to the Treasury Department’s payment and data systems..." "Is the federal judge taking the position that in the name of enforcing the Take Care Clause, it is the role of the judiciary to oversee whatever the President does with the executive power that the Constitution vests in him? Is there some extra-legal notion that the federal judge should seize the power to put on the brakes when a President with questionable judgment is moving too fast? (I'm hearing some lawprofs singing that tune.)" Sundance at CTH, Leftist Lawfare – Manhattan Judge Issues Emergency Order Removing Secretary of Treasury, All Political Appointees and DOGE Personnel from Federal Govt., Only Bureaucrats Allowed in DC. "The order by the judge is transparent judicial activism; it will almost certainly be overturned and nullified by later rulings. However, it creates blocks and slows down the goal of the Dept of Government Efficiency and the objective of the Trump administration. On what basis do states think they can sue the federal government to stop the federal government from auditing federal spending? How can a judge block the executive branch from executing the functions of the executive branch? This Lawfare activism is ridiculous." Ilya Shapiro @ishapiro "The judicial resistance has begun. The Trump administration will ultimately win most of these legal battles—they’re lawyered up well this time—but the establishment won’t give up without a fight." Quote @amuse@amuse "LAWFARE: In an egregious and unconstitutional assault on executive authority, Judge Paul Engelmayer has unilaterally forbidden all of Trump's political appointees—including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—from accessing Treasury Department data. This ruling, concocted without legal precedent or constitutional justification, is nothing short of judicial sabotage. Worse, it was issued ex parte—meaning Trump administration lawyers weren’t given notice, weren’t allowed to argue, and weren’t even in the room. Only Democrat attorneys general were heard, ensuring a predetermined outcome."

Nicholas Ballasy at JTN, Musk slams 'absolutely insane' ruling blocking him and DOGE from accessing Treasury payment systems. Elon Musk @elonmusk, "This ruling is absolutely insane! How on Earth are we supposed to stop fraud and waste of taxpayer money without looking at how money is spent? That’s literally impossible! Something super shady is going to protect scammers. Quote Charlie Kirk @charliekirk11, "New York Judge Paul Engelmayer just forbade all political appointees — including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — from accessing Dept. of Treasury data, all based on Blueanon conspiracy theories!!Those theories couldn't be challenged because the order was EX PARTE — meaning Trump's lawyers weren't warned, and couldn't weigh in. Only Democrat Attorneys General were allowed to argue. . . . " Brianna Lyman at Da Fed shows the Judges Issuing Lawless Bans On Trump’s Clearly Legal Executive Actions Have Extremist Records. At ET, 14 States to File Lawsuit Against DOGE Access to Government Payment Systems, "The state attorneys general said the level of access given to DOGE is ‘unlawful’ and ‘unacceptable.’" You can probably guess most of the states. The Peacock whines that one U.S. judge declines to block Elon Musk’s DOGE from Labor Department systems. "Judge says plaintiff union has not shown it was harmed." From Fox, Federal judge rules not to immediately block DOGE access to Labor Department systems. "'Although the court harbors concerns about defendants’ alleged conduct, it must deny plaint." So with disagreement among federal judges can we take this straight to the Supreme Court for clarity? At Ars Technica, DOGE can’t use student loan data to dismantle the Education Dept., lawsuit says. "Students don't want loan data used in AI probe to slash DOE, according to lawsuit." At the Tax Prof, More Rich Taxpayers Learn Their Data Was Stolen in Huge IRS Leak.

Mark Tapscott at PJM says If You Love DOGE, the Best (and the Panicky Worst for the Left) is Still to Come. At Insty, THIS REALLY IS REVENGE OF THE NERDS WRIT LARGE: Elon Musk @elonmusk, "This is a job for Big Balls" Quote David Sacks@DavidSacks, "Sir, the Pentagon has failed another audit.” “Send in Big Balls.”" Larry Correia on FaceBook, "The best thing about DOGE gutting everything is it has conclusively demonstrated that there is no organic left. There is no lefty grass roots. It's all been one giant, organized, top down scam, where we've been footing the bill for our own destruction." Mark Judge at PJM, Elon and the End of the American Stasi "Personally, it’s hard to overemphasize the amount of relief and satisfaction I feel." Jeff Tucker at Brownstone, calls it The Most Dramatic Narrative Shift in Modern History. Jeff Carlson @themarketswork, "Elon’s new passion project is mapping out the corruption networks in DC. What do you think the Algos his tech team ran returned? Democrats are screwed." Morgan J. Freeman@mjfree "How could the world’s richest man’s passion project be to stop providing aid to poor, desperate people. Think about it." Ben Whedon at JTN says Trump goes for the jugular with NGO funding review, imperiling Dem-Journo-Activist cabal. "In what critics have described as “money laundering” of taxpayer dollars to left-wing advocates, USAID often distributes taxpayer money to NGOs that support liberal causes, some of which the government would not be able to advance directly." At Coffee and Covid, RAKE IN THE GRASS "It's pretty amazing how all the parts of Trump's strategy are coming together: from DOGE's giant testicles to the Proxy War and resorts in Gaza, it is all connected. I'll show it to you." 

Sundance hosts Tucker Carlson Interviews Mike Benz About USAID, NED and CIA Revelations. Very long, I got about half way through, but I intend to finish it. Also, A Brief Note About the USAID Larger Issues – Humanitarian Aid and National Security. "When you see a controversial issue within the USAID operation reaching sunlight, always remember it is the CIA behind it. When USAID targeted a foreign government for removal, it was the CIA behind it. When USAID engaged with domestic and foreign media to control mis-dis-malinformation, it is the CIA behind it. The CIA is defining the information." Matt Vespa at TownHall says USAID's Sloppy Trysts With Politico Pales in Comparison to This Scheme WikiLeaks @wikileaks, "USAID has pushed nearly half a billion dollars ($472.6m) through a secretive US government financed NGO, "Internews Network" (IN), which has “worked with” 4,291 media outlets, producing in one year 4,799 hours of broadcasts reaching up to 778 million people and "training” over 9000 journalists (2023 figures). IN has also supported social media censorship initiatives." At the Brussels Signal, Without USAID, the EU will have to pay for its own propaganda. Bonchie, reports Pete Hegseth Slams Fox News Reporter for Parroting Democrat Talking Points. Jennifer Griffin @JenGriffinFNC "Purge continues at USAID, many fear elimination, a win for China and Russia as developing nations and allies will turn to them for aid. Fox has learned 50 senior USAID staff were placed on administrative leave then all staff were subjected to a gag order."

At Insty, a SLUSH FUND FOR THE CONNECTED -> Dave Sack at RCP says USAID Seems To Be Paying Every Left-Wing Organization in World. 'Becca Downs at TownHall, From Canceled Media Contracts to Lawsuits to Expected Layoffs, the USAID News Continues. Streiff at RedState notes The Media Is Lying to You About Their Government Funding. "No matter the intent, it is an unassailable fact that in these three instances involving Politico, the New York Times, and the AP, the massive increase in their subscription business with the US government coincides with Joe Biden's election and is really obvious by February 2021, Biden's first full month in office. There is no such volume of subscriptions in either the Obama or Trump administrations." Tom Knighton at TAW, Politico is scrambling to cover themselves. Chief Nerd @TheChiefNerd "Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway Are in Full Panic Mode Now Calling for the Arrest of the @DOGE Engineers “I want to see Democratic governors … use the full faith and the letter of the law to put you folks in prison … This is a coup … We need to go gangster here.”" The Beebe, Reddit community banned as user spat with Musk intensifies, "The r/WhitePeopleTwitter subreddit, which typically invites people to share funny posts from X, has been banned for 72 hours after some users posted comments calling for violence against members of the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (Doge)."

NewsMax, Spending Bill Talks Bog Down After Trump's Efforts to Slash Government "Obviously, the Democrats are not in a good place right now, so they walked away from talks. But it'll have to resume," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Thursday." Tapscott at Insty wonders DOES THIS GUARANTEE TRUMP TAX CUTS EXTENSION? "“In a direct choice, government spending was overwhelmingly seen as a bigger problem (76 percent) than not enough revenue coming in from taxes (16 percent). This is the case across party (Republicans: 89-7; Independents 77-15; Democrats 63-27).” Streiff again, The US Treasury Spent HOW MUCH Illegally? Now You Know Why the Left Wants to Stop DOGE. "Congress illegally spent at least $516 billion in 2024 on programs for which there was no authorization," and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Website Goes Dark and the Woodchipper Warms Up. Dave Strom at Hat Hair snorts, DOGE Cancels $180,000 Anthony Fauci Museum Exhibit. From the Daily Economy, Defund NPR? It’s About Time. Long past time, in fact. Ben Smith at LI, Class Dismissed: Trump & Musk Target Department of Education. Science Magazine whines NIH slashes overhead payments for research, sparking outrage, "Move to cut indirect cost rate to 15% could cost universities billions of dollars." At Fox, Trump freezes aid to South Africa, promotes resettlement of refugees facing race discrimination, "Executive order comes after signing of controversial South African land seizure bill." Nick Ballasy at JTN reports Trump administration freezes about $3 billion for electric vehicle charging stations "In the memo, FHWA said existing contracts would still be honored but "no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program." At NewsMax, Musk Alleges Public Funds Fraud of $1B per Week. 

At Twitchy, OOF! That's Gonna Leave a Mark: J.D. Vance BURIES Ro Khanna in Heated Exchange About 'Racism' JD Vance@JDVance, "For the sake of both of our kids? Grow up. Racist trolls on the internet, while offensive, don't threaten my kids. You know what does? A culture that denies grace to people who make mistakes. A culture that encourages congressmen to act like whiny children." Quote Ro Khanna @RoKhanna "Are you going to tell him to apologize for saying "Normalize Indian hate" before this rehire? Just asking for the sake of both of our kids. x.com/jdvance/status…" Insty, WELL SAID, J.D . . . Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter "We’ll get right on hassling this low-level employee for some old deleted tweets when you’re finished repudiating and voting to expel your comrade, Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Signed, A Mediocre White Guy @JDVance @RoKhanna."

NewsBusters, REVEALED: George Soros Poured $36.8 Million into Apparatus Controlling His Prosecutors. "This development comes after the firestorm on social media regarding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) having a total obligation of approximately $27 million to Tides Center between 2016 and 2024. This and Soros’s funding perfectly encapsulates the “whole of society approach.” That is the phrase the Biden administration used to describe its plan to harness an interconnected alliance of public and private actors for furthering the leftist agenda. Soros is most definitely in the top echelon of this vendetta, if not the primary force behind it."

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.07.25 (Evening Edition), EBL: MAGA and DOGE : Sunlight Is The Best Disinfectant, Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson, Mad Maxine Meltdown at the Department of Education, Twitchy: Twitter Celebrates Based Security Guard Saying No To Screechy Democrats, Tape Over Takeover – USAID’s DC HQ Has Signage Covered Or Removed, and Let The Inappropriate Giggling Begin As Elon Wants To Fund “Hard Hitting” News Show On X, Louder With Crowder: Remember the woke bishop who scolded Trump? Turns out her “ministry” got $53 Million of YOUR tax money to resettle illegals, CNN seethes over “Big Balls,” the teen exposing the government with Elon Musk and DOGE, Vox Popoli, The Game was Always Fake, American Greatness, Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy Accuses Hillary Clinton of Lying to Cover Up Family’s ‘Obscene Grifting via USAID’, The Left-Wing Episcopal Church Embarrasses Itself—Again, Attorney General Pam Bondi Halts Funding for Sanctuary Cities, American Thinker, DOGE Walks Among Us, Trump Drains the Swamp, Chicago Boyz: A Swarm of Sinecures, DOGE is an Oxymoron: Unchecked “Democracy” is the Problem, The Geller Reports Nazi Collaborator George Soros Received $260 MILLION from USAID, INCOMING TAX RELIEF – Trump Outlines His Sweeping Tax Policy Demands to Congressional Leaders, and WOKE WSJ Reporter KATHERINE LONG who DOXXED DOGE Staffer Has Ties to USAID, Legal Insurrection, Hurricane DOGE Sweeps into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Power Line, Meltdown at the NY Times and The Federalist: Oh SNAP! Millions Of Taxpayer Dollars Blown On Free Food Fraud, Judges Issuing Lawless Bans On Trump’s Clearly Legal Executive Actions Have Extremist Records, and Democrats More Panicked About DOGE Accessing Feds’ Computers Than Chinese Hackers."

Don Surber has the Highlights of the week, "Not government funded." Declaration of Memes @LibertyCappy "I don't know how to overstate this... but Trump HAS to succeed in completely hamstringing the government. When Democrats take the white house again (and they eventually will) the gloves will be completely off. When Leftists are in power they don't play. . . " At Twitchy, 'This Is Where I Am': EPIC Thread Shows Why It's Time to Play by the Left's Own Rules. stly Peaceful Jawbone Enthusiast @RettCopple, "We need to realize that the entire purpose of the Republican party prior to Trump was to contain the right so that times like these never happened." Driscoll at Insty goes OUT ON A LIMB: ‘If you genuinely think Trump is a fascist, go and have a lie down.’ "Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Donald Trump. Il Duce, der Führer, The Donald. The Roman salute, the Sieg Heil, the YMCA dance. The comparison is so absurd it practically debunks itself. Anyone who genuinely thinks that Trump’s America – whatever else you might think of the man or his policies – can be mentioned in the same breath as fascist Italy or Nazi Germany needs to get a grip. . . "

At Chronicles Trump and Musk Move Europe to the Right. Althouse, "Elon's not shy" and the Japanese Prime Minister is not "trying to suck up." "The event was a meeting between President Trump and the Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, but a reporter saw fit to exploit the occasion to provoke Trump about Musk: "Do you have a reaction into the new Time Magazine cover that has Elon Musk sitting behind your Resolute Desk?". . . Trump says a simple "no" in a way that sounded to me like it meant what a stupid question." At NYPo the Divine Ms. Devine looks Inside Trump’s hectic day-to-day schedule – with prez revealing the phrase that keeps going through his mind when he first wakes up, "business." At Hat Hair, a video, Speaker Johnson on DOGE, Israel, Reforming FBI & More | This Week on Capitol Hill. Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms, Trump Issues Executive Order to Protect Second Amendment and Gun Owners. Althouse, "Crooked Joe’s MANDATE, 'NO PLASTIC STRAWS, ONLY PAPER,' IS DEAD! Enjoy your next drink without a straw that disgustingly dissolves in your mouth!!!" "As you can tell from the all-caps and the triple exclamation points, that's Trump, hating on the straws everyone hates." The Slantic whines when Trump Takes Over the Kennedy Center. Althouse extracts "Trump never attended the Kennedy Center’s annual gala event during his first term, as artists protested his administration and threatened to boycott Kennedy Center events at the White House." "Now Trump is making clear that he will not be sidelined again from the most celebrated cultural institution in Washington. 'The attitude is different this time. The attitude is Go fuck yourself,' said one of the people familiar with the planning. 'It’s ridiculous for four years for Trump and Melania to say, "We’re not going to the Kennedy Center because Robert De Niro doesn’t like us."' (De Niro was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2009 and spoke at the 2024 event.)"

NewsMax reports Trump Fires National Archivist Shogan "As archivist, she oversaw the National Archives and Records Administration, which was at the center of the federal indictment against Trump for possessing classified documents. Court exhibits last May showed deputy White House Counsel Jonathan Su had been regularly communicating with NARA, as had the Department of Justice. The Archives had sent in a criminal referral on Trump on Feb. 9, 2022." Victor Joecks at Hat Hair, Trump Works to End California's Man-Made Drought. Space News, GOP senators back Trump’s space-based ‘Iron Dome’ plan with $19.5B bill, "The proposed legislation includes $960 million for space-based technologies." Shaffer to Newsmax: Usual Suspects Dismiss Trump's Gaza Plan. The Divine Ms. Devine, Trump rules out deporting Prince Harry: ‘He’s got enough problems with his wife.’ But cut off their USAID funding, Beege Welborn, "And I'm ded. And just so you know how HORRIBLE these two grifters really are, YOUR tax dollars have been helping support their social climbing. Seriously."

At Am Think, Charlton Allen thinks about Tulsi Gabbard, the Smear Machine, and the Battle for America’s Intelligence Integrity. Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "BREAKING: Kristi Noem announces that FEMA has addressed 80% of the cases in Western North Carolina within just five days. Real leadership." Insty, HE’S NOT WRONG: Pete Hegseth: ‘Diversity Is Our Strength’ Is ‘The Single Dumbest Phrase In Military History.’ "Flashback: Immediately after the shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, the Army’s top officer, Gen. George Casey, said, “As horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that’s worse.”"

From the Center Square, House passes bill blocking future presidential bans on hydraulic fracking. I doubt it will pass the Senate. 

At Breitbart, Doctor Says Democrats Suffering ‘Real Crisis’ After Trump’s Win: Depression, Insomnia, Grief, ‘Genuine Fear, Panic’. Joe Klein, Still Crazy... "Can this party be saved? I have my doubts." At WUWT, Biden’s EV Bus Disaster: Another Green Energy Scam Collapses. Insty, WHO COULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING, BESIDES EVERYONE WITH A BRAIN? Bonchie@bonchieredstate, "Like clockwork. This is what always happens to these socialist countries. And remember, it was Joe Biden and Democrats who helped push Lula da Silva over the finish line by meddling in that election." Quote Disclose.tv@disclosetv "NEW - Brazil's far-left leader, Lula da Silva, is telling citizens of the country not to purchase expensive grocery items in a socialist effort to "combat" soaring food prices."

Fox reports Trump removes Antony Blinken, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg's security clearances among others, "The decision comes a day after the president stripped former President Biden of his security clearances." Seems obvious. The Divine Ms. Devine, Trump stripping the security clearances of numerous antagonists — including NY AG Letitia James, DA Alvin Bragg. MAZE@mazemoore, "Hey Joe, Thanks for setting this precedent."

Sarah Arnold at TownHall reports FBI Allegedly Ignored Informant’s $190K Theft From Jan. 6 Protestor, Court Filing Reveals. At Bravo Blue John Lucas has evidence for More Judicial Rebellion in D.C. "How many errors can one judge cram into a one-and-one-half page Order? Grounds for disqualification?" Da Caller, Trump’s Simple Questionnaire Reveals Shocking Truth Behind Major Right-Wing Conspiracy. Julie Kelly @julie_kelly2 "NEW: DOJ IG determines the FBI is not following protocol related to cases of suspected child sex abuse in post-Nassar investigation. FBI was too busy using every field office to round up Americans who walked into a government building on a Wednesday afternoon on Jan 6. . ." Charlotte Hazard at JTN reports DOJ will not bring charges against Project Veritas members who tried to publish Ashley Biden diary. "The criminal investigation started in the last few days of the 2020 presidential campaign."

Leslie Eastman at LI reveals a Hispanic Man was Stabbed at Anti-ICE ‘Student’ Protest in Los Angeles. No matter the results of the investigation into today’s incident, one must wonder how many woke Los Angeles teachers are hired to teach students who should not be here in the first place." Teachers union took out permits for the demonstration.

At Breitbart, Pentagon Boots CNN, Washington Post, Others from Workspaces to Make Room for Conservative Outlets. Streiff, Pentagon's Rapid Response to Media Accusations of Unfairness Leaves the Whiners Almost Speechless. Almost. "The Pentagon Press Association was devastated. The association said in a statement Friday that it was “shocked and deeply disappointed” by the decision.
“Instead of reconsidering its approach after good faith outreach this week from more than 20 news organizations, the Defense Department appears to be doubling down on an unreasonable policy toward news outlets that have covered the U.S. military for decades,” the association said." Driscoll at Insty cites Power Line GRAY LADY DIVES FOR FAINTING COUCH: "The poor New York Times is pushing its Trump Derangement Syndrome meltdown well past eleven. Here are just a few opinion section headlines from the last couple days:" Matt Taibbi, The Media is Busted "And will soon die."

NY Sun reports Trump’s Justice Department Won’t Pull Out of Supreme Court Case About Gender Treatments for Minors, Paving Way for Landmark Decision, "A major outstanding question in the pending landmark case was whether the Trump administration’s Justice Department would withdraw its complaint on account of switching sides." "The Trump Administration may have decided to tolerate this contradiction because it expects, as do many legal observers, that the court will uphold the Tennessee law; a ruling is expected in June. This would be a major victory for Republicans’ years-long effort to prevent minors from accessing gender-transition drugs." Leah Barkoukis at TownHall sees the NCAA Announce a Major Change After Trump's Order Protecting Women's Sports. "NCAA’s Board of Governors voted to update the association’s policy for transgender student athletes, restricting the women’s category to females." What a novel idea! Breitbart, Pro-Women in Sports Clothing Company XX-XY Athletics Ad Goes Viral: ‘Real Girls Rock’

Dear @Nike,

It’s a New Year.

A new administration.

And a new opportunity for you to stand up for women & girls.

You have the platform. You have means.

Will you join us?

Will you just do it? pic.twitter.com/gKTWApZoYe

— XX-XY Athletics (@xx_xyathletics) January 5, 2025

At Campus Reform, Salem State leans into DEI, transgender ideology, and illegal immigration in wake of Trump presidency. At Fox, House Republican introduces transgender lawmaker as 'the gentleman ... Mr. McBride' for floor speech. "'I refused to deny biological reality,' Republican Freedom Caucus member says."

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Scalped up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - That Was The Week That Was

Yep, it's been almost a week since Trump was inaugurated, and doesn't seem like he's slowed down one bit. Roger Kimball at Am Great, Trump 2.0: A Shockwave of Change in Just Six Days, "Trump 2.0 storms into office, dismantling the old guard and unleashing a whirlwind of action aimed at reshaping America’s political landscape."  At Da Wire, Here’s Everything Trump Did His First Week Back. At the European Conservative, Trump’s First 3 Days: A Bold Blueprint for Europe’s Conservatives. Eric Abenante at Hat Hair, notes 'You Know What 'Here He Goes Again Means?' Doing What He Said He was Going To Do'. Leslie Eastman at LI, Trump Makes it Clear He is President for All Americans with Visit to Los Angeles Fire Disaster Zone and LA Times Front Page Shocker: Paper Heralds Trump’s “Golden Age” Inauguration Remarks. At NewsMax, Trump Has the Building Blocks for U.S. Golden Age. Insty, at his substack says The Left Gave Us Trump 2.0, "And they're not going to like it." At Twitchy, Maddow in Tears! Trump Predicts the Demise of ‘Enemy of the People’ MSNBC and CNN and Not Our Problem: Haitian Leader Says Trump's Policies Will Be Catastrophic for His Nation. At Breitbart, Corey Comperatore’s Widow: Trump Called Me ‘Every Day for Almost 2 Weeks’ After Rally Shooting.

At UnHerd, So Trump nixed your bullshit DEI job. Driscoll at Insty, THE AIR FORCE SEEMS TO HAVE DECIDED TO USE MALICIOUS COMPLIANCE TO FIGHT TRUMP’S DEI ORDER by ordering the suspension of teaching air men about the Tuskegee Airmen. And, FAKE NEWS, OR MALICIOUS COMPLIANCE? CBS: “Lesson plans about the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots have been removed from the U.S. Air Force curriculum, a U.S. official confirmed Saturday.” Cernovich@Cernovich, "This is a passive aggressive form of malicious compliance, where you pretend you’re following some order and doing so dishonestly." The entire chain of command must be relieved for this stunt.   "Kurt Schlichter has some questions for the network that brought you RatherGate, pro-Obamacare poetry readings, and Barry Goldwater as a crypto-Nazi:" 'Streiff' at RedState, The Air Force Seems to Have Decided to Use Malicious Compliance to Fight Trump's DEI Order but then Pete Hegseth Stamps Out One USAF DEI Mutiny but Others Await. Pete Hegseth@PeteHegseth "This has been immediately reversed. Thank you @SenKatieBritt." John Lucas at Bravo Blue asks Whither General Milley? "A prescription for accountability from General Milley."

Reuters whines Trump's rapid changes in US government stun federal workers. Matt Margolis at PJM says Federal Workers Are 'Terrified,' and That’s a Good Thing. Walk the talk Foundation explains, The Inspector General Purge – A Step in the Right Direction? All Biden appointees who all allowed their agencies to hide the bad shit. "As for the events of the weekend, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) has likely summed it all up most succinctly: “Sometimes inspector generals don’t do the job that they are supposed to do. Some of them deserve to be fired.”  We couldn’t agree more, Mr.Barrasso." Mike Lee@BasedMikeLee "Libs freaking out over Trump firing inspectors general These are Biden-appointed officials There’s nothing novel about replacing them with Trump appointees It’d be crazy *not* to do this. Presidents should be able to fire every person in the executive branch other than the VP." Da Wire, Senior Career Vacancies Mean Trump Can Fill 300 Key Permanent Jobs. "Trump can make a lasting change to the federal workforce by filling existing 'deep state' vacancies." At NYPo Betsy McCaughey opines Trump’s pink slip for WHO was a good first step toward keeping Americans healthy. At Twitchy, Scott Jennings Takes Ron Howard APART in 2 Words (and 2 Receipts) for Suggesting Trump Appoint Lefty TOOL. 

Sundance hosts Sunday Talks – Senate Majority Leader John Thune Outlines Expectations for Trump Cabinet Nominees and CIA Director John Ratcliffe Outlines President Trump Expectations of Intel Community. Matt Margolis, Was Pete Hegseth's Accuser Offered A Quid Pro Quo For Her Bogus Affidavit? Ben Weingarten at Am Great, Stefanik Will Stand Stalwart Against the UN’s Jackals, "If you admired Rep. Stefanik’s takedown of college presidents coddling Hamas sympathizers, you’ll relish her readiness to confront adversaries on the world stage as the next U.S. Ambassador to the UN."

Sundance again, Sunday Talks – VP JD Vance Shreds Margaret Brennan Talking Points. Sauron's Eye has the Transcript: Vice President JD Vance on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Jan. 26, 2025. Mike Miller at RedState, JD Vance Decimates 'Face the Nation' Host Over Executive Orders, Energy, Economics, and More. Althouse watched J.D. Vance on "Face the Nation." " Margaret Brennan seemed keyed up from the start. Her desire to get Vance was ludicrously obvious. Meanwhile, Vance was perfectly even-tempered and articulate, prepared for everything she had hoped to flummox him with. Brennan's style of constant interruption failed to throw him off. It backfired, making him look steady and rational and her look afraid of what he might have to say."

At NYPo, Trump announces immediate retaliation against Colombia after socialist president turns back US deportation flights. Twitchy, BOOM: Donald Trump Puts the SQUEEZE on Colombia After Their President Refuse Flights of Illegals. Threatened tariffs and diplomatic sanctions. Fox, Colombian leader quickly caves after Trump threats, offers presidential plane for deportation flights, "Gustavo Petro initially refused to accept deportation flights." At Twitchy, UPDATE: Colombia President Backs Down After Trump Threatens Nation for Rejecting Deportation Flights. Sundance calls it Beyond Perfect Timing – Colombia Refuses Repatriation Flights, What Trump Does is Beyond Epic and notes that then The Government of Colombia Agrees to Repatriation on All of President Trump’s Terms. Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok, "The fact that President Trump just owned Colombia WHILE GOLFING just makes the whole story so much better." Althouse notes Trump's tariff threat worked.

Sundance has another Sunday Talks – Border Czar Tom Homan Helps ABC’s Martha Raddatz Clutch Her Pearls About Deportation. Collin Rugg@CollinRugg, "Martha Raddatz: Will the US military be deporting illegal immigrants every single day of Trump’s presidency? Tom Homan: Yes. Raddatz: So is this what we will be seeing every single day? The president promised millions. Homan: Yes. Raddatz: The estimates of those who have been convicted or arrested in the past is 700,000 to over a million. So after you do that, do you go after everybody who is here illegally? Homan: Yes. If you're in the country illegally, you're on the table." Sara Rose@saras76, "Tom Homan: "What price do you put on national security? What price do you put on all these young ladies who have been raped, murdered, and burned alive? What price do you put on Laken Riley's life?"" Sarah Arnold at TownHall, WH Hails Capturing Top Illegal Immigrant Criminals and It's Monumental. At WokeSpy, Illegals Back in Mexico: “I Don’t Recommend to Cross.” Fox, Up to 250,000 children born to illegal migrants in 2023: preliminary report, "President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week reigniting debate around birthright citizenship." Ace, Who'da Thunk It? Protect The Border, Send Back Illegals, And The Illegal Immigration Problem Suddenly Seems Manageable! "Mexico Accepted 4 Deportation Flights This Week, White House Says." Breitbart reports Donald Trump Shuts Down Federal Labor-Smuggling Program. "The Safe Mobility Initiative, sought to create many Safe Mobility Offices in foreign countries where low-wage foreigners could apply for visas to live and work in the United States and Europe." Natt Vespa reports on how The Media Ran With Total Fake News Story About ICE Raids at Chicago Public Schools. 

And in miscellaneous Trumpianea, from NewsMax, Trump Says Jordan, Egypt Should Take More Palestinians from Gaza. 'Streiff', Trump Overturns Biden's Duplicity and Orders US to Resume Shipments of 2,000-lb Bombs to Israel. NewsBusters note Seth Meyers saying Criticizing Woke Bishop 'A Good Sign That You're a Sociopath'. Sundance, Trump on Possible Misuse of AI: “It’s the First Question I asked” … “It Could Be the Rabbit that Gets Away” Neil McCabe at RedState, West Palm Beach Drag Queen Arrested for Threatening Trump Online. NYSun, EXCLUSIVE: Sanctioned Penn Professor Amy Wax Says ‘Possibility’ Trump Will Join Her Fight Against University That Punished Her for ‘Offensive’ Speech. "The embattled professor, sanctioned for offending her colleagues with her comments about race and gender, speaks to the Sun about her lawsuit against her Ivy League employer."

Duane Patterson at Hat Hair has The Top Ten Dumb Things Said...Friday "#3 Keith Olbermann - It's time, California. Quit paying your taxes." Rusty Weiss at RedState, Jake Tapper Raises Eyebrows With Suggestion Biden May Have Issued a Secret Pardon in Final Days As POTUS, his own. The Fourth Rail on YouTube, Hakeem Jefferies' claims about DEI are LITERALLY INSANE.

Matt Vespa at TownHall says Gavin Newsom Doesn't Want You to Know About This Disastrous Emergency Services Decision "California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration shut down a highly trained, all-volunteer team of certified firefighters in early 2024—a move that rendered the California National Guard incapable of sending a complete firefighting force to Los Angeles until 10 days after the deadly fires broke out in the city." At Da Mail, LA Mayor Karen Bass' past in communist Cuba revealed... as insiders say her political career is 'over'. "In 2016, when Castro died, she referred to him as 'commandante en jefe' (commander-in-chief) saying his passing was a 'great loss to the people of Cuba.' She also reportedly gave a eulogy for a senior member of the Communist Party USA." Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "More red tape and bureaucracy for fire victims in Los Angeles." Quote Howard Leight@MalibuRockyOaks, "If you’re an evacuee, just know you can’t sleep on your boat in Marina Del Rey without a permit. And by permit, meaning NO. Applying for a permit is a tactic they use to say NO. Ask to stay on your boat for 7 years as they rebuild…. @VeniceIntel @elonmusk." Matt Van Swol@matt_vanswol, "#BREAKING: The Small Business Administration (SBA) which ran out of money to help victims of Helene, announced an extension into February for locals to get help. Of the 10,000 WNC businesses that requested federal aid under the Biden administration…"

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Flotsam and Jetsam - Hegseth Confirmed, Mass Deportations Begin

Early in the day rumors floated that RINO Thom Tillis Backed Away From Sinking Pete Hegseth's Nomination. Here's Why (Matt Vespa at TownHall). Matt Margolis at PJM, Is ‘Republican’ Thom Tillis Trying to Tank Hegseth's Nomination? Spoiler alert, he didn't. But the usual suspects, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, plus Mitch McConnell (who is likely to become a usual suspect), voted against him, requiring JD Vance to break the tie to confirm Hegseth.At Fox, Pete Hegseth confirmed to lead Pentagon after VP Vance casts tie-breaking vote. Joe Weber at JTN, Senate confirms Hegseth as Defense secretary, Vance casts tie-breaking vote. "The 44-year-old Hegseth is an Army veteran who rose to the rank of major and served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was most recently a Fox News Channel host." Matt Margolis, Pete Hegseth Confirmed as Defense Secretary. Matt Vespa, Pete Hegseth Confirmed as Secretary of Defense. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Vance Casts Tie-Breaking Vote to Confirm Hegseth. Mark Hemingway@Heminator "“The Secretary of Defense has to be ready to go 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.” Twice in his tenure, the last SecDef, who she voted for, literally disappeared and didn’t tell anyone where he was!" Quote Elizabeth Warren@SenWarren, "The Secretary of Defense has to be ready to go 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Pete Hegseth has exercised terrible judgement with alcohol, and we cannot trust him with our national security." Matt Vespa thinks What McConnell Did After the Hegseth Vote Is Infuriating. I don't know about you, but in my mind McConnell has almost used up the benefit of the doubt I granted him when he stalled the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland, and allowed Trump to select Bret Kavanaugh. 

Next up, OTP reports Hearing Set For Kash Patel FBI Nomination, Thursday. Seth Barrett Tillman @SethBTillman "CHANGE: Yesterday, there were 45 reported ARTICLE III vacancies. Today, 47 vacancies are reported. new: J. JAMES O. BROWNING, DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO; C.J. DANNY C REEVES, DISTRICT OF EASTERN KY;" Both Bush appointees. Sundance at CTH hosts Senate Majority Leader John Thune Interview About Supporting President Trump Agenda, with Hannity. Jeremy Frankel at TownHall, Trump State Department Defined as ‘Common Sense’ and America First

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Remarkable: Trump Really IS the Most Transparent President in History, Trump Approval Rating Net +18%--Highest Ever for Him and Too Far: Don't Amend Constitution to Keep Trump in Office. Ace, Politico's Co-Founder: "Trump is a Great President... He Is the Greatest Political Figure of His Era". "Politico wants to be considered objective. LOL." At WokeSpy, Jimmy Fallon Visibly Stunned When Audience Cheers for Trump The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great, goes off on The Addicted, Petty, and Hysterical Left "Years of leftist hysterics and hollow attacks on Trump had desensitized voters, leaving the public weary, dismissive, and ultimately handing Trump a resounding 2024 victory." John Sexton at Hat Hair, Dems in Disarray: 'It feels like we’re battling the L.A. fires'.

At LI, Herr Professor Jacobson thinks Trump’s Merit-Based DEI Executive Order Is A Sledgehammer, "The EO takes aim at the private sector and higher education, requesting an OMB report within 120 days on the worst offenders and targets for federal action. Through our work at the Equal Protection Project, we have already identified numerous recalcitrant and systematically discriminatory institutions and we will be making our findings public long in advance of the OMB report", and Leslie Eastman notes Trump’s HHS Orders a Communication ‘Pause’ at CDC, FDA, NIH. "Trump hits the elite health regulators with an executive MOAB, freeing Americans from captivity of the scientific-technical elite." The KC Star opines Donald Trump’s DEI executive order has flaws but gets the big picture right. At WSJ, Swaths of U.S. Government Grind to a Halt After Trump Shock Therapy "Rescinded job offers, delayed health updates and confusion over cutting government checks upend business as usual across Washington." Andy Ngo@MrAndyNgo, "New: Janet Petro, the President-Trump-appointed acting director of NASA, has sent a message informing all NASA staff that it is shutting down all DEI offices and DEI contracts. The message says the agency knows government employees are trying to disguise DEI by using new names and vague language. (This is documented.) It tells staff to report those violations for investigation." At WUWT, The Tide of Accountability is Finally Rolling In. ET, Trump Cancels 60-Year-Old Affirmative Action Employment Mandate for Federal Contractors. John Sexton finds Philip Bump's Argument for DEI in the Federal Workforce Is Pretty Weak. Matt Vespa, Oh, So That's Why Dems Aren't Protesting Trump's Anti-DEI Executive Order "But we are unlikely to see Democrats unite to make DEI a high priority on their agenda for the simple reason that doing so runs counter to the American values of freedom, equality of opportunity, and meritocracy." OTP reports Trump Cuts Fauci’s Security Detail

Sundance hosts President Trump and First Lady Melania in North Carolina – Livestream and President and First Lady Trump Arrive in Asheville, North Carolina – Tarmac Presser. CNN whines Trump suggests eliminating FEMA during North Carolina visit as he attacks disaster response “This is probably one of the best examples of it not working.” Pop Times, Trump Visiting Disaster Areas Neglected by Biden Admin Today. Matt Van Swol@matt_vanswol, "If you’re wondering why everyone in Western North Carolina is freaking out about Trump coming today… … It is because MY KIDS SOCCER FIELD still looks like this 119 days after the hurricane We have been ignored for months, now we are finally getting help. TRUMP EFFECT!!!!!!" Batya Ungar-Sargon@bungarsargon, "President Trump has handed his press conference over to victims of Hurricane Helene and is asking them on national television to name the insurance companies that have stiffed them. Absolutely epic stuff." Althouse, Trump with hurricane victims — today, in North Carolina. 

NYSun, Trump To Tour LA Wildfire Devastation Amid Barbs With Newsom Over Water and Climate Change, ‘They either have a death wish, they’re stupid, or there’s something else going on that we don’t understand. But we want the water that they’re throwing away to be used for California.’ From Fox, Newsom thanks Trump for coming to California to tour fire damage in tarmac face-off. Da Hill aghast as Trump cites voter ID, water flow as conditions for LA wildfire aid. Christopher Cadelago@ccadelago, "Trump lays out two demands in exchange for federal disaster money for the wildfires in Los Angeles: The state must adopt voter ID The state must submit to his demands on shipping water from Northern California to Central Valley farmers and then south." Capt. Ed wonders why WSJ Wonders: Why Is Newsom Suddenly Deferring to Trump? At the Victory Girls, Gavin Newsom Goes For A Victory Lap Over $2.5B Wildfire Legislation. Bob Hoge at RedState sees Trump Destroys LA Mayor Karen Bass on Live TV—Let Wildfire Victims Clear Their Properties Already. Twitchy, 'SMACKDOWN ALERT'! Trump LEVELED L.A. Mayor Bass (and Others) in Meeting After Touring L.A. Fires. Capt. Ed, LA Times: Dems Knew Long Before the Winds Blew. At Twitchy, Guess What L.A. Officials Were Warned About Before the Fires (So This WASN'T 'Misinformation'?). 

OTP, Gulf Of America, Mt. McKinley Now Official and AP Says It Will Use Trump’s Name Change For Denali But Not Gulf Of Mexico. DOI, Interior Department Advances Restoration of Historic Names Honoring American Greatness. Jim Carden at Am Con is Revisiting the Panama Canal Debate of 1978. NYPo, Trump conveys ‘serious’ and ‘firm’ desire to acquire Greenland in call with Danish PM: ‘Danes now in crisis mode’. Sarah Anderson at PJM, Guess Who Is Buying Up U.S. Farmland Now? Canukistanians. Stephen Taylor@stephen_taylor "Kevin O'Leary translates Donald Trump's WEF speech for Canada: "Start spending on security for the northern border. Pay your 2% to NATO. Stop sending fentanyl from China over the border into the United States or you're going to face tariffs." At NewsMax, Putin says Ukraine War Could Have Been Avoided Under Trump.

Some misc. Trumpiania. Sundance, President Trump Signs Executive Order “Requesting a Plan for Declassification” of JFK, MLK, and RFK Assassination Files. "It will be interesting to watch how this unfolds with new Intelligence Community heads moving into position to support or shape the request." ET, Trump Signs Sweeping Cryptocurrency Executive Order. "The order will revoke existing executive guidance on digital currency, establish a presidential task force, and ban central banks from issuing tokens." Reuters whines Trump administration withdraws FDA plan to ban menthol cigarettes. Spin Strangness and Charm, VDH on Trump at Davos: the Davoisie has forgotten nothing and learned nothing; Niall Ferguson: in private, CEOs at Davos are shorting EU, going long on US. At WUWT, Trump 47: Drill, Baby, Drill 2.0 and Climate Change Weekly # 532 — Energy, Climate Top Agenda Items for Trump’s Busy First Days: Pt. 1. At TownHall, Veronique de Rugy says Renewing Trump Tax Cuts Crucial to America's Economic Strength. Da Signal, What Trump and Vance Told March for Life Crowd. At Da Fetched, Woke ‘Bishop’ Who Scolded Trump Accidentally lets Mask Slip on ‘The View’. There was never much hidden. At Twitchy, Melania Returns: Nation Desperate to Escape First Lady Jill's Floral Faux Pas Fiasco Fashion Era. Mia Cathell at TownHall finds a Majority of Georgia Voters Want Trump's Fulton County Case Tossed Out. Well, he did win Georgia after all. 

At The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.23.25 (Evening Edition) Director Blue: Top 20 Trump Executive Orders (So Far), Vox Popoli, Enjoy the Hope, Auditor 202, It Was a Nazi Salute, and It’s not just DIE, American Conservative: Trump Bans Affirmative Action in Government, also, Trump’s First Move Against the Deep State: Revoking Security Clearances, American Greatness: Portrait of Mark Milley Removed from Pentagon After Trump Inauguration, Trump Pans Inauguration Prayer Service After Woke Prelate Delivers Pro-LGBTQ, Pro-Illegal Immigrant Lecture, Trump Administration Investigating Sanctuary Cities, John Ratcliffe Confirmed as CIA Director; Pete Hegseth Expected to Be Confirmed Friday, and Trump Signs Executive Order Withdrawing the U.S. from World Health, Organization, American Thinker: It’s Time to Cleanse the White House Press Corps, Babalu Blog, Phony list of Trump sanctions against Cuba stirs up false hopes on social media, BattleSwarm, Trump Rescinds Offshore Drilling Ban, Pulls Out Of Paris Accords and Trump Takes On DEI, Behind The Black:, NASA quickly shutters its DEI offices, Cafe Hayek, A Country Is Not A Company, Da Tech Guy: Ranking the Presidents Again, Placing Biden and Re-Thinking Trump, The Geller Reports Federal Bureaucrats Are Hiding DEI Programs By Rebranding With New Names, also, Biden’s Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters is Out, Hollywood In Toto: Roseanne, Tom MacDonald Top iTunes with Trump Rap ‘Daddy’s Home’, Tyler Fischer’s ‘Pardon’ Just What We Needed, Critics Ignored Screams, Rave Over From Ground Zero, Alex Winter Claims Elon Musk Did a Nazi Salute, The Lid has a FLASHBACK: When Schumer Said No Slow-Walking – A President Deserves His Choice For Cabinet, Legal Insurrection, CalState Alters Systemwide Program Excluding Whites and Women, Harvard Settled Two Antisemitism Lawsuits a Day After Trump Took Office, Trump’s “Unleashing American Energy” Declaration Ends Biden’s War on Appliances, and Trump Pardons 23 Pro-Life Protesters, Nebraska Energy Observer, And so it begins, The Year of Jubilo, and A Good Day’s Work, Outkick: Was It Donald Trump, Football Fatigue Or Matchup?, Shark Tank: Rep. Haridopoulos Signals Support For Extending Trump Tax Cuts, This Ain’t Hell: Deep Army cuts to help support realigning towards Indo-Pacific region, DEI Fired Officers Return, White House sends 160 national security advisors packing, The Federalist: Trump Erases ‘Bidenbucks’ And Taxpayer-Funded Leftist Voter Registration Drives, ‘This Isn’t Journalism’, Tulsi Gabbard Is An American Hero Being Tarred As A Terrorist, and CNN’s Last-Minute Hit Piece Against Pete Hegseth Is A Giant Nothingburger.

Virginia Kruta at Da Wire cites James Carville: Biden ‘Has Nobody To Blame But Himself’ For Damaged Legacy. Capt. Ed is shorter, Carville to Biden: Sod Off, Swampy. Steve Richards at JTN reports Hunter Biden's name, signature, and shared bank account showed up in $60M fraud investigation. "Members of Congress have expressed interest in continuing to probe the Biden family even after sweeping pardons to finally get to the truth." Adam Turner at RedState explains The Logic Behind the Biden Crime Syndicate. Ace, Former Politico Employers: Politico Editors Buried Our Scoops About the Hunter Biden Laptop, "Politico "reporters" admit Politico's cowardly, partisan editors killed their stories about Hunter Biden's laptop." Dave Strom, Does Writing for The Atlantic Make You Stupid? At OTP, Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Traded $38M In Stock Ahead Of Trump Inauguration and Granholm Spent Final Days As Energy Sec Sending Billions To Home-State Allies. Tom Knighton at TAW says Nothing about this is shocking. From the Peacock, Google restores Joe Biden to ‘U.S. presidents’ search results, blames ‘data error’ for omission." ABC, More Americans file for unemployment benefits, continuing claims highest in 3 years. Thanks, Brandon. Ace, How the Democrat Party Pushed Silicon Valley Into Trump's Arms, "Ross Douthat, a damp neocon at the New York Times, interviewed tech mogul Marc Andreesen, co-founder of Netscape. He talks about how leftwing campus politics infested the tech industry, until the parasites gained control over the host." Bob Spencer at PJM thinks Charlamagne Tha God Is Starting to Catch on to the Left’s Game. 

At Twitchy, OK, What the HECK Is Going on with Barack Obama and Jennifer Aniston? Megyn Kelly SPILLS the Tea (Watch). 

Driscoll at Insty, THE TRUMP SHUTTLE IS REBORN! ‘Deportation Flights Have Begun:’ Trump Administration Begins Returning Criminal Aliens to Home Countries. "No word yet if excursions to Martha’s Vineyard will also be an option for what at least one Newsweek scribe has suddenly dubbed “unauthorized citizens:” At Lifezette, Mass Deportation Under Trump Escalates, Multiple Agencies Now Involved. Charlotte Hazard at JTN, White House sends Marines to the southern border. "Promise Made --> Promise KEPT!" the White House posted on X." Fox, Trump’s ICE nabs child sex offenders among 530+ illegal immigrants caught in single day. From NYPo, Promise kept: How Trump’s border orders are reversing the migrant crisis and Trump’s ICE raids turn up pedophiles, gangbangers, and NY-based suspected terrorist as 538 migrants arrested: ‘Heinous crimes’. Citizen Free Press @CitizenFreePres, "TOM HOMAN -- WE'RE HITTING EVERY LARGE CITY AS WE SPEAK." Da Mail, Americans beg Trump to deport migrants from their towns next as raids spread across the country. Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog likes Trump’s Border Control Blitzkrieg. NewsMax, reports the Trump Admin Moves to Expel Biden's 'Paroled' Migrants. At the Blaze, Just the threat of deportations is working: Illegal immigrants are 'voluntarily deporting themselves' at southern border. At Da Caller, Republican Sen. Katie Britt Reintroduces Bill To Finish Border Wall Construction. Leah Barkoukis at TownHall, Massachusetts Governor Says She 'Supports' Trump's Crackdown on Criminal Aliens. Center Square California, Congressman introduces bill to exclude illegal immigrants from Medicaid. From Fox, Mexico scrambles to build tents to handle mass deportations from US. John Sexton at Hat Hair wonders Why Did Mexico Deny Permission to a US Deportation Flight?. Sarah at Insty, THE LEFT IS CIRCULATING THIS AND IT’S UTTER NONSENSE: "If I have to explain why: Parents who are waiting citizenship but haven’t received it yet have green cards and are not illegal. This is complete nonsense. APPARENTLY BASED ON THIS INCIDENT: Reported ICE visit to Chicago school was actually Secret Service, officials say. Secret Service, officials say." Lincoln Brown at PJM, Let's Go, Brandon: Chicago Is Tired of Illegals. At Power Line, Joe Biden Forever! "You are seeing here the core demographic that supported the Biden administration: vicious criminals, illegal aliens (often the same people) and those who think it is a good idea to harbor such people because they hate America. What is striking about these apprehensions is that the government knew who these people are, what their criminal records are, and where they would be found. Under Trump, they were under arrest within 72 hours. Under Biden–or whoever was running the “Biden administration”–they were deliberately left alone, to terrorize American citizens. We have had bad administrations before, but have we ever seen anything to match the diabolical nature of the “Biden administration”?" WokeSpy, Former Illegal Alien Rhode Island Judge Resigns Hours After FBI Raid on His Office. "No criminal charges have been filed, but Flynn has been accused of defrauding his clients, and it’s reasonable to speculate that he was helping illegals skirt immigration law." Am Mil News, Antifa protesters attack ICE center in Portland after Trump inauguration.

Cutie Pavlich at TownHall says The Birthright Citizenship Debate is Officially on. Sen. Johnson to Newsmax: Birthright Citizenship Is Ridiculous. Ilan Wurman@ilan_wurman, "Maybe the birthright citizenship order will ultimately be held unconstitutional, but I find it highly embarrassing for a judge to say something so unequivocally at a preliminary stage without the slightest acknowledgement that there is an entire literature that disagrees. 1/2" At ET, The Alien Enemies Act of 1798: An Explainer of the Law Trump May Invoke.

At PJM, Stephen Kruiser says Hallelujah! Trump Continues to Empty Out the Biden/Garland Gulag. Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "I don’t think normies fully understand just how unprecedented the J6 judges’ behavior was and is. It’s insane. I practiced in federal court for three decades before leaving practice. I’ve never seen anything like this. I’m used to dumb judges, and I’m used to liberal judges. But this is a whole new level of wrong. These judges seem to have no conception of the damage they’re doing to their branch. They’ve completely cut the limb out from under any establishment Republican who might wish to go out on a limb to defend the judiciary." At Da Caller, Judges Take Shots At Trump In Reluctant Dismissals Of Jan. 6 Cases After Pardons. NewsMax, Oath Keepers Founder Needs Approval to Enter DC. Da Wire, a J6 Attorney Rebuffs Argument That Some J6 Defendants Shouldn’t Have Been Pardoned. "The Biden Justice Department has themselves to blame..." Bill Shipley, aka shipwreckedcrew. PJM's Kevin Downey has a personal J6 story, My Long J6 Nightmare Is Finally Over (I Hope). Varad Mehta@varadmehta, "Political violence was excused when Biden's DOJ decided January 6 rioters who didn't kill people should get longer jail sentences than BLM rioters who did kill people. Everything else is downstream from that. Here we are." Quote The Bulwark
@BulwarkOnline" How does a political party get comfortable with the use of violence? How does a constitutional democracy drift toward authoritarianism? The answers are right in front of us. @saletan breaks down how Republicans got comfortable with the January 6 pardons." At OTP, J6 Star Witness Allegedly Received ‘Sexual Texts’ From Lawmakers. Will it be her get out of perjury charges free card? Da Mail, Lawmakers asked January 6 star witness Cassidy Hutchinson for 'sexual favors,' bombshell report claims. "An aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson urged his Republican colleagues not to subpoena January 6 committee witness Cassidy Hutchinson to prevent the accidental release of sexually explicit texts the 28-year-old was sent by lawmakers." Out them, I don't care. There must be some reason for them to think she was available. 

From Eruoweb, Trump Pardons Pro-Life Activist Bevelyn Williams, Sentenced 3 Years Under Biden Administration. 'Strieff' at RedState reports Trump's DOJ Abandons Merrick Garland's Peevish Vendetta Against Whistleblower Doctor. Dr. Ben Braddock@GraduatedBen, "Just two months ago, DC Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Paulette Harlow who is 75-year-old and in poor health to 2 years in prison for praying outside an abortion clinic. When her husband begged for mercy for fear she would die in prison due to poor health, the Judge mocked their Christian faith saying: "maybe you should make an effort to remain alive because that is a tenet of your religion." Althouse, "Attorneys for the defendants called them peaceful demonstrators emulating sit-ins from the civil rights era." ""Federal prosecutors in court documents described their efforts as 'organized invasions' carried out with physical force, chains, ropes and locks — all of it carefully planned and live-streamed.... In a letter lobbying Trump for the pardons this month, the antiabortion Thomas More Society called them a group of 'peaceful pro-life Americans' that included 'grandparents, pastors, a Holocaust survivor, and a Catholic priest.' . . . From "Trump pardons antiabortion activists who blocked access to clinics/The pardons came the evening before thousands of activists are expected to march to the U.S. Capitol in the 52nd annual March for Life" (WaPo)(free-access link)." Also, "I was doing life without parole." 

Sundance, EDNY Judge Finds Clear and Compelling Evidence of FISA-702 “Backdoor Search” Violations by DOJ. "The value in the ruling by Judge Hall, is a few fold:  First, it is an excellent review of the FISA-702 origin and all of the constitutional arguments that surround the controversial law.  Second, the ruling clearly shows that FISA-702 searches are currently being used unlawfully and continually by government officials.  Third, the ruling clearly shows how “backdoor” 702 searches are violations of the Fourth Amendment. [Albeit in this case, of no value to the argument put forth by Hasbajrami.]"

Peter St Onge, Ph.D. @profstonge “These people are unemployable. They're toxic, bad energy, team-killers, and walking lawsuits.” Quote John LeFevre@JohnLeFevre, "There are now thousands of unemployed DEI "experts." They have useless degrees, minimal skills, wildly unrealistic salary expectations and delusionally-high opinions of themselves." From the College Fix, Job postings in higher ed hyperfocus on equity, omit traits like ‘quality,’ ‘efficiency’: research. Campus Reform, West Point appears to end its Diversity and Inclusion Studies Minor. Herr Professor Jacobson at LI, Cal State Alters Systemwide Program Excluding Whites and Women Challenged By Equal Protection Project. “OCR confirmed that, since you filed your complaint, the University made changes to the Consortium and its programs/initiatives such that they are open to any student regardless of race, color, national origin, and sex.” Tyler O'Neal at Da Signal has his EYE ON THE TARGET: Major Corporation Turns on Woke and the LGBTQ Mafia. 

Sarah Anderson at PJM notices Hollywood Nominates a Dude for 'Best Actress'. From Behind the Black, Today’s blacklisted American: Queer protesters force cancellation of a speech against men playing women’s sports.

Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: You Can Be My Cowgirl and FMJRA 2.0: Back In The Cellar up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.