Flotsam and Jetsam - Is Something Big Coming?

Rusty Weiss at RedState hints ‘It Doesn’t Get Bigger’: Trump Drops Hint on Thursday’s Yuge Announcement. "“Without free and fair elections, you don’t have a country," he told the press. The President was responding to a reporter's inquiry speculating that the forthcoming announcement would be about "election machines and integrity." Trump confirmed it would address the aforementioned topic, along with a couple of other items." Sundance at CTH, President Trump Says Announcement on Thursday is “Really Big News” About Election Integrity. Clandestine @WarClandestine, "Here we go. Obama’s Chief strategist just spilled the beans, and revealed exactly what it is the traitors are afraid of. They are afraid Trump is going to release evidence of fraud in 2020, which Trump will use to declare a state of emergency, and exercise Executive power to secure the 2026 midterms. They are TERRIFIED of whatever evidence Trump and his Intelligence heads are about to present on Thursday, and they are all desperate to preemptively establish the narrative that the evidence is not real, and that securing our elections is some sort of violation of democracy. PANIC IN DC!" They can only be terrified if they know it exists. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn hears Harmeet Dhillon is on the Midterm Warpath. From Ace, Democrat Senator Elisa Slotkin: If the SAVE Act Is Passed Democrats Will Never Win Another Election In Any State. "Quite an admission." The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "Pretty fucking amazing that the Dems are just admitting that requiring proof of citizenship will cost them elections for years to come and we are all just sitting around like it’s no big deal and letting them get away with it."

Hat Hair's Capt. Ed yells 'Surprise'? Inflation Falls in June As Hormuz Crisis Eased. Sundance consults BLS DATA – Inflation Moderates as Energy Prices Dropped in June. Jason Corely at Quantus Insights sights The Inflation Break America Needed, "June’s CPI Report Was More Than a Drop in Gas Prices." At Newsweek, Student Loan Update: GOP Bill Would Codify Major Change for Borrowers. Take it away from Education and give it to Treasury.

John Sexton at Hat Hair hears Two More Refineries Hit and Revenge on the Russian Coast Guard and Russia's Economy is Shrinking. From the Free Bacon, Trump is Leaving NATO Stronger As Putin Eyes an Attack. "Reports have leaked that the CIA and NATO intelligence services have detected Russian plans to launch some kind of provocation against a NATO ally soon." Could he really be that stupid?

Sundance reports President Trump Participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq.

CTV News Toronto @CTVToronto, "Ontario has spent $8 million so far storing U.S. booze as trade war continues."

From Althouse, "Many people have talked about how funny Senator Graham was...What I remember about that hearing was that somehow Senator Graham made me look funny..." ""... which is a harder thing entirely, by asking me what I had done on Christmas...many people said to me afterwards that exchange with Senator Graham was the moment my confirmation was sealed." Said Justice Kagan, testifying today before a House Appropriations subcommittee about the Supreme Court's budget:.." and hosts a John Stewart vid, "Well, I think the president has zoomed through the first 5 stages of grief and gone straight to #6: Fuck that guy." From The World In Crisis, Sign of the Times: Culture Warriors Eagerly Attack Sen. Graham in Death. At Campus Reform, St. Bonaventure professor celebrates Lindsey Graham's death, deletes post less than 12 hours later. "The post was walked back, with an apology, shortly after it was published."

At Da Caller, America’s First ‘Goth Baddie’ Congresswoman? Meet The Unorthodox Conservative Winning Over Unaffiliated Voters "Kelly Dennison, the 27-year-old Republican nominee for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, told the Daily Caller that if her campaign accomplishes one thing, she hopes it encourages more members of Generation Z to run for office."

Joe Chalfant at TownHall sees Trump Just Gave a Huge Update on Iran. Don Surber says Trump Strait-ens out Iran, "Iran’s suicidal bombing gave him the excuse to seize the Strait of Hormuz." Capt. Ed, Trump: Ask Not for Whom the Strait Tolls … At the Middle East Monitor, Former Iranian commander says Tehran could target Trump inside the White House. Peel off another layer of leadership. 

Michael Goodwin at NYPo asserts Graham Platner’s scandal-scarred campaign was proof Dems will overlook anything in search for their ‘Everyman’. Frank Salvato at Am Spec, Believe All Women — Unless They’re Inconvenient, "From Biden and Cuomo to Ellison and Swalwell, the Left’s commitment to believing women appears to depend on the politics of the accused." Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis, "Democrats went from “Believe all women” to “Depends on what you define as ‘rape’, really” in record time." Quote End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Mamdani on why rape is up in NY: "A lot of it is from expanding what counts as rape." Twitchy reads the Slantic so you don't have to, The Democratic Manly Man Is Back As Democrats Embrace Masculinity.

Betsey Stauffer at LI reports Millionaires are Fleeing New York — Taking $11 Billion in Tax Revenue With Them “Had New York maintained its share of the nation’s millionaires over the past decade, personal income tax collections would have been substantially higher.” NYPo, NY sees dramatic exodus of millionaires — causing nearly $11B loss in tax revenue: study. C3 @C_3C_3, "So… Elon Musk: $10 billion private funding. 700 space launches. Gavin Newsom: $16 billion taxpayer paid. 0 miles of train track. Think about how crazy that is… Private funding vs your hard earned tax. dollars In no universe is that ok." The Remodern Rev looks at HomeTheater Kids vs. Racketeers: How Art School Marxists Are Eating the Democrat Party Alive, "Theater Kids vs. Racketeers: How Art School Marxists Are Eating the Democrat Party Alive." NYPo, Welcome to the one-day week: LA’s $230K-a-year politicians now want to do even less work — while the city rots. Paul Vallas at John Kass notes Progressive Policies Have Left Illinois the Least Equitable State in the Country, not that equatable is a good thing. Beege Welborn sees J.B. Pritzker Makes New Friends in Low Places. Lower than Pritzker? Driscoll at Insty cites JIM TREACHER: Is Haley Stevens for Real? RNC Research @RNCResearch, "In the Senate primary, Michigan Democrats have a choice between a candidate who wants to abolish prisons and campaigns with Hasan Piker and whatever Haley Stevens is doing." Watch the vid at link. MyNorthwest @Mynorthwest, "OPINION: Washington sees 48% more retail theft than you’d expect from a state our size. That’s the Forbes Advisor analysis that ranked us worst in the country. Worst. Ahead of every other state." Wall Street Mav @WallStreetMav, "Brandon Gill is so good at this. Rep. Presley talked about passing an amendment about “equal rights” for men and women. She went SILENT when Rep. Gill simply asked her if the amendment makes clear what a woman even is." Wesley Yang @wesyang, "The silence is a tell. These are not difficult questions. They are only difficult to those who know the answer that is required of them to remain Democrats in good standing is an odious lie that they know to be false and know that they cannot afford to be seen saying aloud because everyone else knows them to be false too."

Sundance has limited sympathy for Supreme Court Requests for Additional Budget for Security Against Threats. "The overall appearance before congress is slightly ironic considering the increase in threats is a direct consequence of court rulings that have opened borders, blocked deportation, stalled law enforcement, granted illegal aliens rights to citizenship and generally undermined our nation’s domestic tranquility." and yet, the threats come from the left!

Dave Strom at Hat Hair says Straight to Jail, Jack Smith, Straight to Jail, after it was revealed his office review the texts of 44 congresscritters in his investigation of President Trump.

The Beeb, ICE told to halt most vehicle stops after pair of fatal shootings. CNN, Trump says ICE should resume traffic stops after his own administration suspended them. In a Larry vid at Hat Hair, All Hell Breaks Loose After ICE Shooting As Democrats Caught Lying Again. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "At some point were Americans asked, would you like to turn the most prosperous, most secure, freest society humanity has ever known into an oppressive third world shithole? I mean, technically, every two to four years, that's exactly what Americans are being asked. Just not in so many words." Quote Eric Schwalm @Schwalm5132 "So "Little Somalia" in Georgia is about three miles from Stone Mountain....how in the hell did they wind up there of all places? All of this has got to be tied to that underground crap that was going on at the Atlanta Airport about two plus years ago." Politico whines Trump regulators move to curtail lending to undocumented immigrants. "In new guidance, financial regulators said that undocumented immigrants may present an "elevated credit risk."" John Sexton, Mahmoud Khalil Files a Lawsuit Alleging Conspiracy Against Him.

DC_Draino @DC_Draino, "NPR just posted a correction saying Nick Shirley didn’t claim to expose $110,000 in fraud. It was actually $110 million. Pretty big “oops”." Quote Ashley Rindsberg @AshleyRindsberg "That is one hell of a correction by @NPR." I mean, who hasn't lost a few orders of magnitude in a calculation?

VodkaPundit at PJM notices it Turns Out, Big Brother Is Actually a Matronly Euro-Scold.

Douglass Mackey @douglassmackey, "A conservative British politician was just ASSASSINATED by a communist. The police tried to cover it up until counter terrorism got involved. The communist menace MUST be dealt with. https://msn.com/en-au/crime/ge..." Beege Welborn, British Officials: Well, Actually, the Murdered Old Lady Was a Targeted Assassination. A Driscolly post at Insty, WHY IS THE LEFT SUCH A CESSPIT OF VIOLENCE? Ann Widdecombe ‘murder’ suspect had communist literature at home. The brutal murder of Ann Widdecombe was last night being treated as a suspected politically motivated terrorist attack, and DISPATCHES FROM THE DOOM GOBLIN: Greta Thunberg joins Berlin protest wearing ‘Yalla Intifada’ shirt. Sundance calls it a Full Reversal – Police Now Forced to Admit U.K Murder of Ann Widdecombe was Political Assassination by Far-Left Extremist.

Inez Stepman @InezFeltscher, "Once again I am tasked with reminding Democrats that it’s illegal to discriminate on the basis of race even if you do it to white people." Quote Independent Women @IWF, "
Watch live: @InezFeltscher is testifying before the @GOPoversight’s Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, in a hearing titled “Combatting DEI in American Institutions.”" End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "!!! NYC Department of Buildings rejects plan to save a 174-year-old church in Bushwick that burned via arson Demolition is set to begin in August Ahmed Tigani leads the agency." STARRS sees the Trump administration Killing Woke At West Point.

From the College Fix, Academics persist in being the ’20’ on the ’80-20′ issue of trans women in female sports. Academics jobs depend on their being the 20. NottheBee tells the sad, but hilarious true tale of the Transgender American who regrets fleeing to the Netherlands because all the Muslim migrants want to kill him. From Ace, "Elliot" Page, Who Plays a Great Greek Warrior in Christopher Nolan's Odyssey: Gender Is Just a "Quaint Myth." "If you see this movie, you love Elliot Page. She's a transgender Rachel Zegler. She's taking down a movie because she just can't shut her enormous mouth."

At NYPo, Florida student’s historic 11.99 GPA triggers district policy overhaul. The high marks by Vaibhav Bhaskar, who is on his way to Duke University to study finance and economics, earned him a new state record, beating out the Sunshine State’s previous top 11.84 grade point average, according to the Palm Beach Post. To keep track of his ambitious milestones, Bhaskar relied on a physical reminder of his objectives. “I have a whiteboard in my room, and I listed five goals on it for my high school career back when I was a sophomore,” Bhaskar told The Post, noting that his top aims were to “become valedictorian” and “break the state GPA record.”"

And more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.14.26 (Afternoon Edition). The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Redhead in Denim and FMJRA 2.0: Slowly I Turn up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Truth is the First Casualty of War

There's been one important local casualty of the US/Israel/Iran war; my filing system. I sort articles for these morning posts into 5 or 6 digital bins, Trump and the Republicans, Democrats, The Justice system, Immigration, the Media and Freedom of Speech, and the great Culture war. (I currently have a bin for DOGE, but it is inactive; any article appropriate would simply go in the Trump file). Since Saturday, the Trump file is getting nearly everything, and all else is going all but unused. 

ET reports 4 US Fatalities Due to Iranian ‘Squirter’ Hitting Tactical Ops Center: Hegseth. U.S. Central Command @CENTCOM "CENTCOM Update TAMPA, Fla. – As of 4 pm ET, March 2, six U.S. service members have been killed in action. U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region. Major combat operations continue. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification." Considering the scale of the operation, these are very low numbers, but, of course, each is a great tragedy to family and friends. ET, Trump Vows Vengeance for US Military Deaths. Centcom also reports Three U.S. F-15s Involved in Friendly Fire Incident in Kuwait; Pilots Safe. OSINTtechnical @Osinttechnical, "Footage of Kuwaiti locals approaching one of the shot down American pilots this morning. “Are you OK? Thank you for helping us.”" Capt. Ed, Hezbollah Enters War, Gets Instant Regret; UPDATE: Intel Chief Killed. J Post, Amazon's cloud unit reports fire after objects hit UAE data center.

VodkaPundit at PJM, U.S. Hits Iran With Iran's Own Drone Design, and I Can't Stop Laughing. We took the design of the Shahed drone, made it better and cheaper. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, HUGE: What Most People Have Missed About US Use of Low-Cost Drones in Iran. Fox, Operation Epic Fury: How America's air power is crushing Iran’s terror regime.

Beege Welborn hears Iran Says It's 'Closed the Strait of Hormuz' - Inquiring Minds Respond 'With What?' With Lloyds of London. Without insurance, ships won't chance it. From News Wax, Oil Prices Could Surge Toward $90 as Insurers Cancel Gulf Coverage. John Ʌ Konrad V @johnkonrad, "This is potentially the biggest Iran story nobody is talking about: the global insurance market may be heading toward a systemic crisis. Here’s why… Most people don’t realize London isn’t just a financial center it’s THE center of global insurance. Lloyd’s underwrites ~40% of the world’s marine cargo. Ship sinks, port gets bombed, canal gets blocked the bill lands in London." Anxious is anxious as usual, Oil producers vow to boost output as world gauges Iran fallout. Convenient that we got Venezuela up and running on our side, doncha think?

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair cites Trump: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet. From Ace, rump: "The Big Wave" of Attacks on the Islamic Regime Occupying Iran Hasn't Even Started Yet, "Speculation: The "Ground Forces" Phase of This War May Be Fought Entirely With Drone Hunter-Killers." NYPo hears Trump won’t rule out sending US troops into Iran ‘if necessary’— tells Post war is progressing ‘way ahead of schedule’ “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary.'” ET, Top US General Says It Will Take Time to Achieve Military Objectives in Iran "‘This is not a single overnight operation,’ Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine says," and Israel to Intensify Iran Strikes in Coming Days, Says Netanyahu. It appears the US and Israel have a division of labor; Israel is targeting Iranian leadership, while the US is trying to reduce the Iranian military capability to rubble. Spin, Strangeness and Charm, Day 3 of “Operation Roaring Lion”: insightful tweets, and a parallel with the Thirty-Years War. PJM's Scott Pinsker notes Isn’t It Nice Having an Ally Like Israel That Can Actually Do Stuff? Ward Clark at RedState reports Nine Iranian Navy Ships Now on the Bottom of the Ocean. No Pasaran! "But Why Did the Iranian Air Defenses Fail to Activate?" Inside Operation Epic Fury — How the U.S. & Israel Struck Iran.

Duane Patterson at Hat Hair, I Got Him Before He Got Me. They Tried Twice. Well, I Got Him First. At Da Caller, Trump Says US Decapitated Iranian Leadership As They Ate Breakfast, "coffee, tea or BGM?" NYPo explains how The US and Israel tracked Khamenei for months — and then he gave them a massive opportunity to take him out. Streiff at RedState observes How Iran Trying to Punk President Trump on a Deal Went Terribly Wrong, and Why No One Should Try It. J Post, Iranian VP takes over during wartime, raising questions about Pezeshkian's status - report "The Iranian reports did not explicitly mention President Masoud Pezeshkian's ability to carry out his political duties." Melissa Francis @MelissaAFrancis, "BREAKING FROM THE WAR ZONE: (I HAD THE UNDER.) Supreme Leader Ayatollah Arafi has been killed in an airstrike. He was on the job 22 hours." PJM's Vicky Taft says Let's Take a Trip Down Memory Lane With Iran's Mullahs. NYPo's Michael Goodwin: The death of Ayatollah Khamenei instantly makes the world a better place. Roger Kimball at Am Great looks at Operation Epic Fury and the Fall of the Mullahs "Forty-seven years after the mullahs seized power, the countdown ended in fire, and Trump wagered that decisive force—not talk—would finally clear the path to Iran’s liberation." No Pasaran! says 47 Years Is Long Enough: Finally — Donald Trump Brings the Carter Era to a Close. Insurrection Barbie @DefiyantlyFree, "This didn’t begin Friday. Carter started it. He watched the Islamic Republic take power, watched American diplomats get seized and paraded on television for 444 days, spent the rest of his presidency negotiating with people who had already told us exactly what they were..." Chris Stigall at TownHall, Trump’s Operation Epic Fury: Striking the Evil Iranian Regime That Obama and Biden Funded. Randy Barnett @RandyEBarnett, “So the next time someone tells you this is Trump’s war tell them they are brainless twats. This isn’t Trump’s war. This is forty-five years of American presidents refusing to finish it and one president finally deciding that the bill comes due.” Ward Clark, Iran Forms New Leadership Council After Khamenei's Death, Vows Revenge. CNBC thinks Khamenei’s death raises questions about Trump’s China trip. It should. Rabbi Mike Barclay explains Why This Month of Ramadan Is the Perfect Time for War With Iran. It's a traditional time for war in Islam.

Fox poll, 1 in 4 Americans back Trump’s Iran strikes, most say he’s too quick to use force. I'm worried but hopeful. The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "Obama was droning American citizens and the left didn’t bat an eye but Trump takes out one of the worst regimes in the world and they act like he stomped a kitten lmao". PattyMI @PattyLovesTruth, "I’m old enough to remember when former CIA Analyst (then-candidate for U.S. Rep) Senator Slotkin, ran away when asked her how she was involved with Obama’s secret pallets of cash that he sent to Iran." Matt Vespa, Kamala Harris Did Not Just Say That About the Iran Strikes. Sarah At Insty, DISAPPROVAL OF THESE PEOPLE IS SUREST SIGN YOU’VE DONE THE RIGHT THING: Mamdani, AOC, Omar among far lefties piling on Trump over Iran strikes. Dave Strom at Hat Hair VIP wonders Are Democrats Making a Huge Mistake Blasting Trump on Iran? UPDATE: Opposing Epic Fury Now a Litmus Test. Matt Vespa at TownHall, Dems Are Proving to Be the Worst Partners in This Time of Crisis. Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "I reject any allegedly right-coded ideology that requires that we allow seventh century Third World savages to murder our people and not pay for it. There is no expiration date for righteous retribution. If you believe that seventh century Third World savages can murder our people and not pay for it, then we are not the same." Quote Thomas Massie @RepThomasMassie "The administration admits (Israel) dragged us into the war that’s already cost too many American lives and billions of dollars. Before it’s over, the price of gas, groceries, and virtually everything else is going to go up. The only winners in are defense company shareholders."At RVM, Scott Jennings Declares Massie and MTG Officially Not Republicans Anymore. ∞ Decolonize ruzzia @DecolonialFeIIa, "The "punch a nazi" crowd is literally defending a dictatorship run by Holocaust deniers Let that sink in." Fox cites JONATHAN TURLEY: Trump strikes Iran — precedent and history are on his side. From Da Caller, Sen. Fetterman Says Trump’s Iran Strike Was ‘Entirely Appropriate’ Response To Longstanding Threat. @instapundit @instapundit, "Big deal, that's like one Somali day-care center." Quote Polling USA @USA_Polling "The war has cost the US taxpayer $1.9 billion so far x.com/JordanUhl/stat…"

Hussain Abdul-Hussain @hahussain, "Notwithstanding that the picture is from Jakarta, does the Iranian foreign minister want to post a picture of the graves of the tens of thousands of innocent Iranians that his government killed in the streets last month?" Quote Seyed Abbas Araghchi @araghchi, "These are graves being dug for more than 160 innocent young girls who were killed in the US-Israeli bombing of a primary school. Their bodies were torn to shreds. This is how "rescue" promised by Mr. Trump looks in reality."

Matt Vespa hears A GOP Rep Called Katie Pavlich After Being Briefed on Operation Epic Fury. Here's What He Said Katie Pavlich @KatiePavlich, "I just got off the phone with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman @RepBrianMast, who was in the Gang of 8 briefing on Operation Epic Fury on Capitol Hill this evening. What he told me: -"The mission set for this operation is literally seek and destroy. Any piece of military hardware that can reach out and touch Americans or our interests in our region. That is a perfect mission set to respond to the imminent threat that Iran has been..." Althouse hosts Hegseth, "We are not defenders anymore. We are warriors.... We will finish this on 'America First' conditions of Trump's choosing..." Insty at his NYPo gig explains Why Trump and Hegseth’s swagger leaves Washington’s ‘elite’ seething. Dave Strom notices Russia's and China's Web of Allies Is Being Dismantled in Real Time. SuspendedCap @ContrarianCurse, "I’m not much of a geopol guy, but this is ultimately I think pretty historical stuff from Trump Facing an ascendant China and counter axis you got a few options. You fuck them directly with trade - but destroy the economy here, not possible Tried to finish off Russia, couldn’t quite get it there. So what do you do? Well take out the weak parts of that alliance. Russia is depleted and busy and China just purged their entire military leadership. They let two of their allies leaders get captured and killed without barely a stronger worded letter. They have no credibility. US is leveraging a historically progressive Saudi to take out the final, most barbaric actor in the region, secured the hemisphere for themselves, and have now left Russia and China isolated from the rest of the world militarily. It’s a pretty high risk/high reward play, but if you get Ukraine for minerals, Iran/Venz stable, Russia reintroduced, you have secure supply lines to have growth and disinflation. Every time a bomb goes off isn’t WWIII. This might be Trumps legacy achievement." Joshua Smith ♱ @JoshuaSmithJDS, "You left out Trump taking back the Panama Canal, attacking the drug cartels in Mexico, gaining access to Greenland, about to start the Golden Dome. It's all global geostrategy to counter China." In Da Mirror, Donald Trump 'very disappointed' with PM Starmer's initial block on US military base use. AAron Hancom at PJM, Spain’s Prime Minister Sánchez Slams Iran Strikes, Blocks U.S. From Using Spanish Bases. The Dank Knight @capeandcowell, "Remember when they called Trump crazy for wanting Greenland. And then the UK and Spain refused America the use of military bases."

Scarlett Grace @ScarlettGrace92, "Unbelievable: look at the number of flowers left in front of the U.S. Consulate from Iranians saying thank you to America." NYPo, Israelis and Iranians celebrate together in streets of London after Ayatollah Khamenei’s death. From Ace, Iranian Liberation Dance Party Goes Worldwide. Many Iraqi's welcomed us too, but we overstayed our welcome. Samantha Smith @SamanthaTaghoy, "The Iranian women’s national football team refused to sing the anthem of the Islamic Regime. Tonight. At the opening match of the Asian Cup. In front of the entire world. So, to all liberal Western women: Watch and learn. THIS is what real feminism looks like." Alice Smith @TheAliceSmith, "They didn’t want to show the Venezuelan people celebrating and waving US flags. They don’t want to show the Iranian people celebrating and thanking Trump. The leftist mainstream media are liars, traitors and sickening hypocrites of the highest order. BeeGe Welborn, Every Now and Then Someone Stands Far From the Maddening, Proggy Crowd. Nicholas Fondacaro @NickFondacaro, "WATCH: In a Facebook Live stream, Sinclair-owned CBS Austin multimedia journalist @VinnyMartorano refuses his bosses' order to spin and downplay the rally in support of the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran. In the video, Martorano is seemingly practicing for a live shot and noting that people were "celebrating the attack. He's then hand a phone: CREW MEMBER: [Hands him a phone] MARTORANO: What does that mean? CREW MEMBER: It means they don't want us to focus on this. MARTORANO: [Shrugs] All right. [Hands the phone back] Well, I am. RALLY CHANTS: Thank you Trump! Thank you Trump! Thank you Trump! Thank you Trump! Thank you Bibi! Thank you Bibi! Thank you Bibi! Thank you Bibi!..."

Has anyone else noticed that the "Iranian women celebrating" videos are all of women that are dressed like h00k3rs? https://t.co/ds7LlU4LWN

— Melissa Wong (@Melissa_WongMT) March 1, 2026

Yuan Yi Zhu @yuanyi_z, "The norm against the use of force to settle international disputes is an important achievement. But if every international lawyer's reaction to scenes such as this is to sourly lecture people to not be happy about scenes such as this, international law will be held in contempt." Quote OSINTdefender @sentdefender "Crowds are seen gathering in the streets of Isfahan, Iran following the news of the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during joint U.S./Israeli strikes earlier today. The crowds appear to be jovial." From Althouse, "Iran’s democratic opposition groups — monarchists and republicans, secular and religious minorities, leftists, liberals, and every ethnicity — are united..." ""... on four foundational principles: Iran’s territorial integrity; individual liberties and equality of all citizens; separation of religion and state; and the Iranian people’s right to decide a democratic form of government. Many Iranians, often despite facing bullets, have called on me to lead this transition. I am in awe of their courage, and I have answered their call. Our path forward will be transparent: a new constitution drafted and ratified by referendum, followed by free elections under international oversight. When Iranians vote, the transitional government dissolves.... A free Iran would extend [the Abraham Accords] by immediately recognizing Israel and pursuing a broader regional peace framework linking Iran, Israel and our Arab neighbors in cooperation rather than conflict. I suggest calling the agreement the Cyrus Accords, for Cyrus the Great, the benevolent ancient Persian ruler whom Thomas Jefferson cited as an inspiration...." Writes Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the last shah of Iran, in "Thanks to President Trump, the hour of Iran’s freedom is at hand/Our path forward is a new constitution followed by free elections under international oversight" (WaPo)." If they want a constitutional monarchy like the UK, that's fine, but I worry a bit about "regression to the mean."

Scott McKay at Am Spec, has Five Quick Things: John Thune Is Blowing It. "Republicans, do your damned job!" Ward Clark hears Comer Drops New Bill Clinton Quote: Trump 'Never' Implied Role in Epstein Scandal. Buck Throckmorton at Ace's MORNING RANT: Any Refund of Tariffs Already Collected Should Go to Taxpayers, not Businesses. Kevin Downey at PJM sees Trump Makes It Painful to Be a Liberal, Blue-Haired Gorgon — But Stains Gonna Stain.

Bob Hoge at RedState sees CA Governor Tries to Troll Trump Over Fuel Prices, but Is Savagely Brought Back to Reality by Gas Assoc. Vicky Taft at PJM, Gavin Newsom's Troll of Donald Trump Spectacularly Boomerangs and Hits Him in the Nads: US Oil & Gas Association @US_OGA, "Time to school the Pajama Boy who runs this account for the Gov - because this isn't the flex on Trump he thinks it is.... California imports 63% of is crude from foreign countries - despite sitting on at least 1.7 billion barrels of proven reserves. According to the California Energy Commission here is the typical break down of where that foreign-sourced crude supplied to California refineries comes from: Iraq: ~21% Brazil: ~20% Guyana: ~16%. Ecuador: ~14%. Colombia: ~6% Canada: ~4% Mexico: ~4% United Arab Emirates (UAE): ~2%. Others like Saudi Arabia will total the rest of the 100% foreign share. The only state worried about rattling foreign markets is California because you have let yourselves become dependent on foreign supplies. You've done this to yourselves." Quote Governor Newsom Press Office @GovPressOffice "Average gas prices in California have stayed below $5 for nearly two years. Trump’s new war is already rattling markets. We’re watching this space. Closely." At Althouse, "In the before times, I was very wary of candidates whose quest for the presidency seemed too insistent and all-consuming..." "Writes Frank Bruni, in "Will a Peacock Like Gavin Newsom Fly?" (NYT)."

From Liberty Unyielding, Convicted criminal with long history of arrests allegedly stabs woman to death in Fairfax County. Ace, Virginia's New AWFUL Governor, a "Moderate" Democrat and CIA Stooge, Releases Illegal Alien Arrested Over 30 Times to the Streets; He Immediately Stabs a US Citizen to Death at Bus Stop ""Moderate" Democrat = Islamofascist communist and terrorist. Fairfax County refused to turn this dangerous and now murderous illegal alien over to DHS." WJ calls it Typical: Virginia Democrats Are Addressing Affordability Issues by Nearly Tripling Their Own Pay. At AMAC, Virginia Gerrymandering Is About Demographics, Not Democracy "...this political restructuring has less to do with internal migration and more to do with the mass importation of voters from abroad – part of an intentional strategy by Democrats to weaponize immigration to rig the game against Republicans. In many parts of NOVA, more than a quarter of the population is foreign-born – a trend that has coincided with growing Democrat dominance."

Breitbart, FBI on Austin Mass Shooting: Evidence Indicates ‘Potential Nexus to Terrorism’ — Koran Found in Shooters Car. Capt. Ed, 'Property of Allah': Austin Mass Shooter Might Have Terror 'Nexus' To ... tantum @QuasLacrimas, "Mehdi Hasan has two modes: “offended you question Muslims loyalty” and “threatening you with fifth-column Muslim terrorism”" Quote Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan, "Scott Jennings thinks “terrorism” stops “‘now” because of Trump’s attack on Iran. Pretty sure he has just energized extremists and given them an excuse to attack Americans. Every president who starts wars in the MidEast ends up becoming a recruiting sergeant for terror groups. x.com/scottjenningsk…"Kurt Schlichter warns us to Be Armed and Ready – the Asymmetrical Battlefield Could Be Here at Home.

Da Blaze is pretty happy, Pam Bondi drops hammer on 30 more anti-ICE agitators accused of storming Minnesota church "This makes 39 indictments in the Cities Church case total so far, including the arrest of Don Lemon and multiple alleged leaders of the riot last month," Patel stated. "Let it be known: This FBI will never tolerate anyone who targets, intimidates, or attacks Americans peacefully exercising their right to worship freely."

And now you know why the FBI raided the Georgia election offices.

Fulton County election NGOs openly admit on secret camera that Democrats are stuffing the ballot dropboxes with fake votes. https://t.co/8Zn2m6HbIo

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) March 2, 2026

At NYPo Charles Gasparino tells the amusing tale of How tampons in the men’s room helped derail the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Better Than Expected up and at 'em at The Other McCain.

Palm Sunday

With Natalia Barulich Marion:

Iraq News Agency. Iraq ranks first globally in number of palm trees 

Iraq holds the top position worldwide in the number of palm trees and ranks fourth in global date production, according to Mithaak Abdul-Hussein, Technical Undersecretary at the Ministry of Agriculture. He also revealed that Iraq exported 700,000 tons of dates in 2024.

Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Abdul-Hussein stated that “as of 2025, the number of palm trees in Iraq is estimated to exceed 22 million, with plans to increase this figure to 30 million in the coming years.” He added that “in terms of palm tree count, some data suggests Iraq ranks first with 22 million trees, followed by Iran with 21 million, Saudi Arabia with 12 million, Algeria with 9 million, and both Egypt and Libya with 7 million each, according to available statistics.”

Regarding date production, Abdul-Hussein noted that “Iraq ranks fourth globally, based on the latest figures,” highlighting a “notable increase in production in recent years.” “In 2022, Iraq’s date production exceeded 650,000 tons, rising to approximately 725,000 tons in 2023. By 2024, production surpassed 800,000 tons, with more than 700,000 tons exported to various countries worldwide,” he said.

Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Babe in Boots up and garnering clicks at the Other McCain.

Russiagate: Pardon Me Boy

 The pardons are the peak subject:  WSJ,  Trump’s Weissmann Pardons

Mr. Weissmann is the former deputy to special counsel Robert Mueller on the Russia collusion probe. He’s a Democratic partisan who can be seen even now on MSNBC suggesting that Mr. Trump obstructed justice in the probe that never turned up evidence of collusion. He and his fellow prosecutors spent two years, with the full resources of the federal government, trying to prove a case that didn’t exist.

Instead they indicted individuals in the Trump orbit of crimes unrelated to their main purpose. They pursued Paul Manafort on a foreign-lobbying statute that is rarely enforced and then turned up evidence of tax fraud. They coerced George Papadopoulos and Alex van der Zwaan into copping pleas on a single count of making false statements. Roger Stone was convicted of obstructing a Congressional investigation.

Mr, Manafort’s tax offenses are serious crimes, and that’s how a jury saw them. He and Mr. Stone, former business partners, have long been political scoundrels of the type Mr. Trump likes to have around him. But there’s no doubt they were targeted not for their specific offenses but because they associated with Mr. Trump. Prosecutors were out to get Mr. Trump—many of them still are—and they were happy to take down others in the hope they would have evidence against the President

Political clemency will inevitably follow political prosecutions.

But the Peter Baker at NYT  (at YaHoo) whines For a Defeated President, Pardons as an Expression of Grievance. Matt Vespa at Town Hall, Liberal Reporter's Take on Some of Trump's Pardons Are Bound to Trigger Progressives.

People of disreputable character can be said to have been "victimized" by overzealous, ill-founded prosecutions. Occurs on a regular basis. This just happened to be a high profile example that was mindlessly cheered on by the media/activist class for short-term political reasons https://t.co/0bIHlVCagI

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) December 24, 2020

NPR whines Shock And Dismay After Trump Pardons Blackwater Guards Who Killed 14 Iraqi Civilians, but as Jazz Shaw at Hot Reminds us Ho, Ho, Ho. NY Governor Gives Christmas Pardons, Commutations To Illegal Aliens, Murderers, but that's different because reasons! Brian Darling at Town Hall argues President’s Pardon Power Is Broad and Should be Used Liberally I agree. 

Yougov at Hot Air, Poll: Americans Are Divided On Whether A President Can Pardon Himself. I'm shocked, shocked that Americans are divided. Just wait until Joe Biden needs a pardon.

And how are our pardon alumni coming along? Mediaite, Roger Stone Says He’s Going To Sue Bill Barr and Justice Department For $25M After Trump Pardon. Good luck, Roger. John Solomon at JTN says George Papadopoulos wants to know if FBI spied on conversation with Fox News executive. Of course they did, silly!

In a wide-ranging interview with Just the News after his pardon, Papadopoulos said he was troubled by a text message recently released by the Justice Department. In the message, the FBI's lead Russia case agent Peter Strzok appears to be told there is audio of Papadopoulos talking to a Fox News vice president.

In the text, Papadopoulos is referred to by his FBI codename, "Typhoon."

"I know you're not point on this anymore, but typhoon got a call from the VP at Fox News yesterday, who advised that the government was conducting 'checks' on him a few months back," the Jan. 12, 2016 text message from an unidentified FBI employee to Strzok reads.

"I haven't listened to the exact audio, but i'm guess[ing] that's the FARA checks that we did with DOJ on our 4 main guys; especially given the article that you pushed yesterday," the text message added.

From the Canadian Freepers,  Gen. Michael Flynn—Will the American Republic Survive?--Part Two

WSJ, Can Snowden Bamboozle Trump? He stole American security secrets. His allies cajole the President for a pardon. No, he betrayed his country. On the other hand, I don't see why Julian Assange isn't treated like any other unfriendly journolist. 

From Breitbart, Maxine Waters is still fighting the last war, Waters: Trump Is ‘Compromised’ by Putin — We Have to ‘Rely on Biden’ to Stand Up to Russia and China. Biden can't stand up to China from their pockets. And I don't expect him to stand up to Russia (or Iran or North Korea) either. 

Linked as Blog of the Day at Pirate's Cove If All You See.... Thanks, Teach!

Reason #5635 That Trump Was Elected

Washington Post? Under Trump, gains against ISIS have ‘dramatically accelerated’

Nearly a third of territory reclaimed from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria since 2014 has been won in the past six months, due to new policies adopted by the Trump administration, a senior State Department official said Friday.

Brett McGurk, the State Department’s senior envoy to the anti-Islamic State coalition, said that steps President Trump has taken, including delegating decision-making authority down from the White House to commanders in the field, have “dramatically accelerated” gains against the militants.

Combined Islamic State losses in both countries since the group’s peak control in early 2015 total about 27,000 square miles of territory — 78 percent of militant holdings in Iraq and 58 percent in Syria. About 8,000 square miles have been reclaimed under Trump, McGurk said in a briefing for reporters.

[The State Department’s map of ISIS areas of influence in Syria and Iraq]

He said the Islamic State has been driven out of 45 percent of Raqqa, the group’s de facto Syrian capital since the launch of an offensive by U.S.-backed local forces two months ago. U.S. and coalition airstrikes have been instrumental in the ground successes of the Syrian Democratic Forces, composed of Kurdish and Arab fighters.

It's almost like Obama didn't want to win, or something.

Reason #5590-5595 That Trump Was Elected

Neil Gorsuch: WaPo Review Of Gorsuch Is Glowing, Even If They Didn’t Mean It To Be

Robert Barnes, writing at the Washington Post, published an early review of the performance of Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch (six words which I swear to you I will never get tired of writing) this week. As with many reviews from the WaPo of people or ideas which lean in a conservative direction, one almost detects a hint of criticism, or at least disappointment hiding under the covers.

On Day 78 of his lifetime appointment, the Supreme Court’s newest justice, Neil M. Gorsuch, revealed himself Monday to be:
● Skeptical about the reach of the court’s two-year-old decision granting same-sex couples the right to marry.
●Further to the right than almost all of his colleagues on gun rights.
●Unwilling to lend his full support to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.’s opinion in a major separation-of-church-and-state case, because of disagreement over a two-sentence footnote.

While it’s not a direction I would take personally, I can assure you that a lot of people who voted for Trump primarily, if not entirely for the purpose of having him select the next member of the highest court in the land rather than Hillary Clinton, were not at all bothered by his apparent take on gay marriage. If he’s “further to the right” than most of the court on Second Amendment rights, the aforementioned voters are currently popping open champagne bottles. And if anyone is bothered by the fact that he would strike out with his own thoughts when he disagrees with another justice’s footnotes, they should probably go back to watching Dancing With the Stars. We want justices who think independently and inject their own opinions into the debate. We don’t need sheep. And I say that even for the ones who I almost always disagree with.

Boom! SCOTUS Reinstates Travel Ban (Mostly), Will Hear Case In Fall

Originally slated to take effect shortly after Trump’s inauguration, two versions of the order have been put forward and then summarily halted by both the Fourth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals. SCOTUS found at least five members (and I’m sure you can guess which ones) to disagree with the lower courts and have largely reinstated the ban while agreeing to hear the case in full this fall.

The justices agreed they preferred separation of powers to judicial fiat.

FASTER, PLEASE: Islamic State Is Near Defeat in Iraq, Prime Minister Says.

“We are seeing the end of the fake Daesh state,” Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Twitter, using another name for Islamic State. “The liberation of Mosul proves that. We will not relent,” he added.
Thursday’s recapture of the ruined Nouri mosque came a week after Islamic State blew it up as Iraqi forces closed in, reducing to rubble the 12th-century building and its 150-foot minaret. The mosque gained notoriety when Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi spoke there three years ago and declared himself the head of a caliphate, or religious empire.
Col. Ryan Dillon, the Baghdad-based spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, said that Iraqi forces on Thursday cut a wedge in the middle of the area held by Islamic State, seizing the Nouri mosque and cornering the few hundred remaining fighters in half of Mosul’s Old City on one side, and an area around a hospital that has been a stronghold for the group on the other side.

And rather than simply drive ISIS fighters out and into their next stronghold — the practice of the previous Administration — U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis has a plan to kill them all.

 Trump Administration Signals End To Campus Star Chambers

At a National Association of College and University Attorneys conference in Chicago this week, acting assistant secretary of OCR, Candice Jackson, said the Trump administration would take a less confrontational approach to the way the department handles accusations that schools do not properly address sexual assault complaints.

“OCR has fallen into a pattern and practice of overreaching, of setting out to punish and embarrass institutions rather than appreciate their good faith and genuine desire to correct legitimate civil rights problems,” Jackson told the crowd.
. . .
Jackson would not, however, commit to removing the low standard of proof the Obama administration had required. The preponderance of evidence standard was forced onto schools for dubious reasons: the Obama administration claimed OCR was justified in using this standard because many schools already used it, even though that is not a legal justification. The standard means schools just have to be 50.01 percent sure an accuser is telling the truth.

Flip a coin. And no, I'm not yet tired of winning:  Angry White House reporter: 'I can't take it anymore!'

The reporter who lashed out at the Trump administration on Tuesday said Wednesday that reporters have to stand up and fight President Trump's effort to dismiss the media, and said he blew up at spokeswoman Sarah Sanders because he "can't take it anymore."

"For the government to sit there and undermine essentially what [are] very essential checks and balances in the system, it's disheartening, it's unnerving," said reporter Brian Karem, who writes for Playboy, on MSNBC.

"I can't take it anymore," he said.

Karem on Tuesday complained to Sanders that she was purposefully saying "inflammatory" things to make the media look bad, and to say anything the press writes against Trump amounts to fake news.

On MSNBC, Karem complained that Sanders' mission on Tuesday was to berate the press, even though the first three questions Sanders was asked dealt with media, including Karem's complaint.

Playboy has a White House correspondent? Can we at least get Pamela Anderson?

Linked at Pirates Cove in the weekly "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup" and links.

Clinton.com, Three Billion Bucks and Counting

Two Clintons, 41 Years. $3 Billion

Over four decades of public life, Bill and Hillary Clinton have built an unrivaled global network of donors while pioneering fundraising techniques that have transformed modern politics and paved the way for them to potentially become the first husband and wife to win the White House.

The grand total raised for all of their political campaigns and their family’s charitable foundation reaches at least $3 billion, according to a Washington Post investigation.

The Post identified donations from roughly 336,000 individuals, corporations, unions and foreign governments in support of their political or philanthropic endeavors — a list that includes top patrons such asSteven Spielberg and George Soros, as well as lesser-known backers who have given smaller amounts dozens of times. Not included in the count are an untold number of small donors whose names are not identified in campaign finance reports but together have given millions to the Clintons over the years.

The majority of the money — $2 billion — has gone to the Clinton Foundation, one of the world’s fastest-growing charities, which supports health, education and economic development initiatives around the globe. A handful of elite givers have contributed more than $25 million to the foundation, including Canadian mining magnate Frank Giustra,who is among the wealthy foreign donors who have given tens of millions.

And she'll never have to worry about paying for a hotel room, or a plane ticket, or an email server ever again. . .

 Hillary fundraiser sponsored by law firm behind “Deflate-Gate”

After delivering a speech today on combating ISIS and winning the war on terror, Hillary Clinton will head off to a fundraiser in New York City — but it might have some negative impact in New Hampshire, at least among NFL fans. The law firm organizing the fundraiser, John DiStaso reports for WMUR, conducted the investigation into “Deflate-Gate,” the scandal involving the New England Patriots that almost found its star quarterback benched for the first four games this season. Will Pats fans and Tom Brady supporters in the Granite State throw a flag on this play?

The law firm whose report led NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend Tom Brady for four games (since overturned in court, of course) is hosting a fundraiser Thursday afternoon in New York City. The guest of honor: Hillary Clinton.
Clinton, of course, is a former U.S. senator from New York. We’ve never heard her espouse her football loyalties (except for backing a resolution honoring the New York Giants after they beat the Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl).
The fundraiser is being held at the firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, in the Big Apple, with the cost per person at $2,700.
The firm was hired by the NFL to conduct the investigation into the alleged improper deflation of footballs used in the AFC championship game last Jan. 18.

As long as there is influence to peddle and money to be made doing it, Hillary is in.

Hillary can’t run from the messes she — and Obama — made

Hillary Clinton’s speech Thursday was billed as her plan to combat the Islamic State. In truth, her plan was to combat the idea that she is another Barack Obama.

It was a good try, but she failed because, as boxing great Joe Louis once said about an opponent, “He can run, but he can’t hide.”

Clinton can run from Obama, but can’t hide from the unholy mess he — and she — made.

As his first secretary of state, she was part of the team that botched the wars in Iraq and Syria and helped birth the Islamic terrorism now rattling the world. The slaughter in Paris and fresh threats against America make it urgent that she erase her fingerprints from the calamity. That’s impossible, so she settled for putting some daylight between herself and Obama.

“Our goal is not to deter or contain ISIS, but to defeat and destroy ISIS,” she said.

Clinton Defends Obama’s ‘JV Team’ Label for ISIS

Clinton spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City on Thursday, laying out her strategy for defeating ISIS and retaking large swathes of Iraq and Syria from the clutches of the deadly terrorist group. Afterward, she participated in a Q & A moderated by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.

“Do you believe that President Obama underestimated ISIS when he called it the JV team?” Zakaria asked.

“I don’t think it’s useful to go back and re-plow old ground,” Clinton said. “I think from the perspective of what they had accomplished at that time, even though they had seized and held territory, the major focus of our government was on trying to remove Assad from power so that there could a be a resolution, a political resolution.”

After ISIS captured Fallujah, Iraq in early 2014, President Obama was pressed to explain why the United States seemed to have been caught unawares. “If a JV team puts on Lakers uniforms that doesn’t make them Kobe Bryant,” he told New Yorker editor David Remnick.

Well, clearly it was because the secretary of State was doing such a bang up job.

Hillary announces her strategy to defeat ISIS: Defeat ISIS

To be fair, Twitter makes people stupid. . .

And finally courtesy of Smitty at The Other McCain the Taiwanese animators take on Hillary.

This is Big

Everybody Is Shocked — Shocked! — the Administration Falsified ISIS Intellgence

Political “leaders” demand dishonest spin:

More than 50 intelligence analysts working out of the U.S. military’s Central Command have formally complained that their reports on ISIS and al Qaeda’s branch in Syria were being inappropriately altered by senior officials . . .
The accusations suggest that a large number of people tracking the inner workings of the terror groups think that their reports are being manipulated to fit a public narrative. . . .
The analysts have accused senior-level leaders, including the commander in charge of intelligence and his deputy in CENTCOM, of changing their analyses to be more in line with the Obama administration’s public contention that the fight against ISIS and al Qaeda is making progress.

Ace of Spades:

So, how does a president who’s failing catastrophically overseas hide that information from his domestic audience?
Simple answer, really: You lie about everything.
It’s Potemkin villages all the way down.

Remember how the standard liberal chant has been "Bush lied, people died"? Of course, the Bush administration actually followed the intelligence it had. And intelligence that the left had pushed only a short time before:



Everything bad  liberals say about conservatives is projection. They know they would (and did) lie when given the opportunity to deceive the public in order to do what they want to do anyway, regardless of the intelligence.

And never forget, Hillary was the Secretary of State for the first four years of this debacle. She either knew it was happening, or walled herself off from knowing. Either way, we don't want her in the White House calling the shots.

“He was innocent, so he never thought ISIS would hurt him.”

Shielding Syrian Antiquities, to a Grisly Death at ISIS’ Hands

Now, months after his home fell to the jihadists of the Islamic State, Khalid al-Asaad, the retired chief of antiquities for Palmyra, has fallen, too.

After detaining him for weeks, the jihadists dragged him on Tuesday to a public square where a masked swordsman cut off his head in front of a crowd, Mr. Asaad’s relatives said.

His blood-soaked body was then suspended with red twine by its wrists from a traffic light, his head resting on the ground between his feet, his glasses still on, according to a photo distributed on social media by Islamic State supporters.

Before his death, the jihadists had interrogated him in vain about where to find the city’s hidden treasures, Syrian state news media reported, suggesting that the elderly caretaker may have died protecting the same history he had dedicated his life to exploring
. . .
Reached by phone on Wednesday in the Syrian city of Homs, Mr. Asaad’s son, Mohammed, said his father had refused to leave the city, thinking the jihadist group, also known as ISIS, would not bother with someone his age.

“He was a retired government employee and an old man,” the younger Mr. Asaad said. “He was innocent, so he never thought ISIS would hurt him.”

I would like to thank President Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and current Secretary of State John Kerry for their policies of rapid withdrawal from Iraq, and ignoring the ISIS insurgency until it reached this point.

ISIS needs to be destroyed, root and branch.

ISIS Sets First Fishing Regulations

No grenades, RPGs or bombs allowed.

In an effort to actually govern the area that it has nominally conquered, ISIS has begun to write and enforce regulations (besides death to non-believers) in its territories. Among them is a ban on fishing with explosives:

It is an Islamic principle to care for the environment, so that's one reason that using explosives to catch fish is banned.

No mention of the penalty.



ISIS also has the buses running on a schedule, is issuing birth certificates and running a nationalized health care program:

"This is one thing that distinguishes ISIS from groups like the Taliban, which forbids vaccinations. Polio is a problem in Pakistan because the Taliban believes the vaccines are a forbidden substance. But ISIS is not that primitive," says Al-Tamimi.

Among other notable regulations:

Rent control

And a quote from the Quran saying property owners should lessen the burden on renters to earn spiritual rewards is used at the start of a document outlining a policy on rent control.

Education for women permitted, up to age 15

Gaming legal, up to a point:

Foosball can be played, provided there is no gambling and the faces or heads are taken off the figurines to prevent idol worship. A fatwa on entertainment goes on to say that chess, billiards and other "contemporary games" do not benefit Muslims but may be played if they do not distract from religious obligations.

Sounds a bit like the Democrats plans for America.