Flotsam and Jetsam - From Gamers to Air Traffic Controllers

 A dog day in summer, not all that much of significance happening. From Althouse, "If you can merge gaming with aviation, why not?". Laura Ingraham @IngrahamAngle, " 2,000+ Gamers Hired for AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL @SecDuffy : “They multitask. They have to think on their feet. They work with their hands and their eyes, and they’re making great controllers… We had 14,000 applicants, 8,000 qualified. We were getting the best and the brightest.”" Sundance at CTH contributes Trade Court Rules U.S. President Can Set De Minimis Rules/Rates and Foreign Nations Cannot Interfere, Canadian Trade Officials Threaten to Leave USMCA Trade Talks if Trump Triggers 50 Percent Tariffs and The Southern Murkowski Wins SC Primary – Heads into Runoff Against Ralph Norman. I've nothing bad about Darlene Graham, but I'm generally against nepotism. If she was a good politician, she'd already be one. Peter Navarro to Newsmax: China Dodging US Tariffs. If they can, they will. Another from Althouse, "The right-wing De la Espriella, who was inaugurated last week, pledged during his campaign to bring the 'wrath of God' against drug traffickers and other armed groups to 'end them like cockroaches, like rats.'" "From "Colombia’s new president asks Trump to bring militarized antidrug campaign to the country/The South American nation is the world’s largest producer of cocaine" (WaPo)." Yeah, but you have to put in the effort, too. A day late, Ace notices Karoline Leavitt Will Leave Her Job as WH Spokeswoman at the End of the Month, "She says she wants to mother her new baby, and for once I believe the "spend more time with my family" line." TownHall's Kurt Schlichter opines The Doomers Can’t Deny Trump’s Big Wins "don’t spaz out like a teenage girl whose parents just read her diary about what President Donald Trump has accomplished so far." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears Trump Backing Another Fracking Attack in California. Make them contribute to the national energy supply. At RCE, Trump Is Right to Make Defense Contractors More Accountable.

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Good on Trump for Being 'Stubborn' With Iran, Says ... Joe Scarborough? "Get ready for an avalanche of hate directed at Joe Scarborough for his sensible take this morning on the predicament Trump faces with Iran." From News Wax, Bessent to Newsmax: US to Hit Iran With Unprecedented Economic Isolation and Vance: Low Oil Prices Are Top US Goal in Iran Conflict. I thought it was no nukes. 

Capt. Ed parodies Pollsters in WI, MI: It Wasn't Us – It Was the One-Armed Voter! "So what actually happened? Axios attempts to pass along a series of excuses in a "here's why" piece, but it reads more like a litany of blame-shifting for an industry that has consistently failed to predict outcomes. Or even come close, for that matter." Dave Strom at Hat Hair thinks that This Isn't Suspicious: MI SOS Requires Deletion of Election Records One Week After Certification, despite a federal law require votes in a federal election to be held 22 months. Kevin Kijewski @KevinKijewski, "PICK A CRIME: That's the choice Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson handed my client, a township clerk. A new state rule Benson made orders my client to DELETE the electronic poll book records of the August 4 primary within 7 days of certification. What’s the problem? Federal law orders her to KEEP those same records for 22 months, into 2028. Delete them? Face up to 1 year of imprisonment under federal law. Refuse? Up to 90 days imprisonment under Michigan law. Every path carries a penalty aimed at my client personally. For trying to follow the law..."

John Sexton sees Mamdani's Rent Freeze Is Going As Well As Expected. Scott Pinsker at PJM opens The Gentleman’s Guide to Destroying the DSA, Humiliating El-Sayed, and Saving America! "But now that we know El-Sayed can’t resist taking the bait and flushing his happy-happy-joy-joy image down the toilet when the alternative is appearing weak or “different,” the GOP ought to make a beeline in that direction. That’s our PR sweet spot — and Abdul El-Sayed’s biggest vulnerability." Dave Strom, Oh, Joy! 'Diverse' Somali Child Care Owner Wins Democrat Primary for State House Seat in Rural MN. At least the sign was spelled right. Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "The most dangerous thing Republicans can do is underestimate candidates like AOC in 2028. We need to focus on addressing the issues that are attracting voters to them instead of dismissing their concerns. Time to get serious." Quote Polymarket @Polymarket, "BREAKING: AOC overtakes Marco Rubio in the 2028 presidential odds for the first time this year, moving into second place. 13% chance AOC wins the White House." James Lindsay, anti-Communist @ConceptualJames, "I once again see socialism being caused by the perception of downward mobility among privileged children of relatively wealthy people."

From Breitbart, Democrat CA Gov. Nominee Xavier Becerra Blinks, Calls for Paramount-Warner Settlement, as Paramount threatens to leave the state. Beege Welborn thinks she detects Some of the Bloom Coming Off That Faded Becerra Rose. "Becerra now has the support of 55% of likely voters, down from 61% in last month, according to a Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times poll. Hilton, meanwhile, has edged up one point, from 36% to 37%, shrinking Becerra’s once-commanding 25-point lead to 18 points." I'd like to believe California can better itself, but it's hard. Justine Bateman @JustineBateman, "LOL. Your comparison between these two cities is very significant. Detroit's main industry of automotive production was destroyed and left the town hollowed out. The same thing is happening with Los Angeles. The entertainment business has been steadily drained from this place for at least a decade. LA will soon be hollowed out just like Detroit. It is becoming just sprawling city with no central industry at all." Quote Gavin Newsom @GavinNewsom, "Detroit and Los Angeles have a lot in common — cities defined by resilience, reinvention, and generations of Black and Brown leadership. And both have been targeted by Donald Trump because of it. Grateful to sit down with Black leaders to talk about building economic power..."

VodkaPundit at Insty, NOT FLORIDA WOMAN: "Tacoma Democrat arrested in five-car DUI crash one week after winning House primary. “Though she was recognized as a House candidate, a source tells The Jason Rantz Show that she did not seek any special treatment, nor did she identify herself as a candidate.” That’s actually refreshing."

Capt. Ed explains The NGO Racket: How Durban 2001 Led to 'Rape Dogs', SPLC Corruption, and More

Kamala Harris Issues Dire Warning That SAVE America Act Could Result In America Being Saved https://t.co/dyXgRavq4g

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) August 13, 2026

Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "It might be too late already. The dynamics of demographics and basic givingAF are such, western civilization may already have hit the tipping point. To be determined. Spain was occupied for 800 years, drove them out. The Balkans were occupied for 500 years. But were left with a wretched legacy of divided populations. ..." Quote Ayaan Hirsi Ali @Ayaan, "I had to write this because too few Americans understand the stages by which Islamists pursue power and where America may be today. We should learn to recognize the pattern before it is too late.…" David Bernstein @ProfDBernstein, "Commie anti-Israel fanatic Owen Jones: "I support a one-state solution with Arab majority rule after a right of return is exercised. Don't worry, the Jews will be fine." His X audience, as in the tweet below: "How dare you as a Westerner tell Palestinians that they can't murder and expel the Jews!", Quote Ashish Prashar @Ash_Prashar, "People in the west cannot be allowed to set the terms of liberation. No one should dare ask the occupied who are victims of a genocide to live side by side with the very terrorists committing those crimes. Colonizers do not belong on that land whether they are British or Israeli." Visegrád 24 @visegrad24, "A New York town is facing a federal lawsuit after officials refused to allow a Christian Nativity display in a public square while permitting Islamic religious displays..."

Stacy McCain enjoys his schadenfreude as The Feds Put the Cuffs on Heidi "Grudge, you say? Why would I have a grudge against Heidi Beirich, who did so much to make me famous as a “neo-Confederate white supremacist”? Probably the SPLC has removed her bylines from the various articles she wrote about me, decades ago, when her transparent purpose was to get me fired from The Washington Times." Sundance, SPLC Chief Financial Officer Arrested for Paying Hate Groups and Nazis – Wire Fraud, Conspiracy, False Statements. TheFOO @PolitiBunny, "America wasn't a racist country. Americans as a whole aren't racist. So SPLC tried to make it happen so they had a reason to take people's money. Evil." Quote Twitchy Team @TwitchyTeam, "What an absolutely horrific woman. Gets WORSE: Techno Fog Shares Most DAMNING Receipts yet of Former SPLC CFO's Neo-Nazi Relationship." Ace, Grossly Ugly SPLC AWFL Who Funneled Money to Her KKK Boyfriend So He Would Give Her a Pity Nazi-Bang Arrested for Money Laundering, "Sad!"

PJM's Matt Margolis thinks The Russiagate Hoax Looks Even Worse After These FBI Revelations "The White House Government Transparency Task Force released a trove of intelligence community records on Wednesday, including a recovered FBI spreadsheet. It cataloged more than six dozen prominent Americans, foreigners, and organizations tied to the Biden-Ukraine scandal and Donald Trump's 2019 impeachment. Democrats, including the Bidens, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Barack Obama, and George Soros, were labeled "targets" of Russian disinformation. Conservatives investigating the Bidens, including Fox News, One America News, Michael Caputo, and Rudy Giuliani, were branded "conduits" spreading it. It gets worse. The FBI also tagged Trump's own Cabinet officials, Bill Barr and Mike Pompeo, along with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), then-Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), as disinformation "conduits." For what? Investigating whether the Biden corruption allegations were true. The FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force signed off on every single assessment."

Kyle Becker at RedState says Boom: Judges Give Americans a Pair of Election Integrity Wins "Judge Andrew Oldham, writing for a unanimous panel, concluded that the challengers lacked standing to attack Texas's mail-ballot ID requirements because they failed to demonstrate that their members faced a substantial risk of future harm." Democracy Docket @DemocracyDocket, "BREAKING: In a loss for voters, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld a state law requiring absentee ballots to include a witness signature. As a result, absentee voters must continue to: mark the ballot in the presence of a witness and sign a certificate stating all voter eligibility requirements are met."

At Althouse, "The Ivy League graduate had briefly planned to pursue an ‘extreme emotional disturbance’ defence after pleading not guilty to murder of healthcare boss.", "I'm reading "Luigi Mangione expected to discuss 'plea deal on Friday'" in the London Times. You can tell the publication is British and not just by the spelling of "defence." It's the forefronting of "Ivy League graduate" rather than his being considered especially cute, which is what counts in America." Ace hears The Left's Dreamboat Assassin Luigi Mangione Close to Pleading Guilty In Execution of United Healthcare CEO and Father Brian Thompson "These are federal charges, so they plea deal is being negotiated by "Trump's" DOJ. But we all know about the Southern District of NY, where Comey's foul daughter worked. If this is a sweetheart deal -- if it's anything less than life in prison without parole -- then every single corporation should immediately evacuate New York City, as this communist shithole has been determined to be a place where a jury won't convict a leftwing killer. And if Trump doesn't like the deal, he should overrule "his" lawyers and yank it off the table. I fear that's exactly the plan."

Sundance approves that DOJ Announces Charges Against 11 Defendants in Chinese “Fake Marriage” Fraud Scheme. Beege Welborn is irate, Hola, Yanquis! 37 Illegal Years in US, Speaks Nary a Word of English, and Demanding Citizenship. Breitbart News @BreitbartNews, "Margarita Cielo Balbuena, a woman who has been in the U.S. since 1989 and cannot speak a WORD of English, demands amnesty at a Democrat presser about Delaney Hall: "We need a path to citizenship for those of us that have been present at least 7 years in this country."" Mike Bales @MikeBales, "If white South Africans still don’t “belong” in South Africa after four centuries, explain how a Somali who arrived in Minnesota last month is already American." Littlekelley @Little1kelley, "The white South Africans don’t (as far as we know) vote for the Democratic Party."

Dave Strom hears Pedro Sánchez Wants People to Think Ceuta Is Over; It's Worse Than Before.

Dave Strom sees The Lynchings That Aren't. Sean Davis @seanmdav, "Her black boyfriend was arrested. You don’t hate CNN enough." Quote The Lead CNN @TheLeadCNN, "Police investigating after a Black woman was found hanging from a tree in Mississippi."

Timur Kuran @timurkuran, "Universities across the Anglosphere are stocked with Jason Ardays. None match his colorful résumé, yet the faculty and administrators who hired them under DEI rules have faced zero accountability. Cambridge is just the latest chapter in the same story." Quote Neil O'Brien @NeilDotObrien, "Still no one in Cambridge has resigned - and there has been no accountability for this misuse of taxpayers' money." Ward Churchill just died.

Capt. Ed, Woke Will Eat Itself, Chapter MCLXII: WNBA Meets to Discover Definition of 'Woman', And ... can't. 

At Althouse, "The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released a report Wolves in White Coats: How Doctors and Hospitals Pushed and Profited from the Fraud of “Gender Medicine'..." "... a commissioned report examining insurance coding practices, perverse financial incentives, and the provision of sex-rejecting procedures for minors. Drawing on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Guidance, Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations, peer-reviewed scientific literature, hospital records, whistleblower testimony, nationwide insurance claims analyses, and interviews with patients and parents, the report presents HHS’ findings and recommendations about the industry pushing and profiting off so-called “gender medicine.” A shortform documentary illustrating the report’s findings and highlighting the stories of victims of predatory gender medical practices was also released in conjunction with the report...." Wesley Yang @wesyang, "The chances are quite high that virtually every gender clinic and doctor in America already has a long backlog of criminal acts that will be trivially easy to discover — and that now will be found and prosecuted." Quote Eithan Haim MD @EithanDHaimMD, "The critical detail to understand about the HHS Report, especially the section on healthcare fraud, is that the "signals" are remarkably easy to identify. The list of fraudulent diagnoses are widely advertised by gender activists, easily detectable through publicly available."

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Another Rough Start up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Back on Track

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some DIY Flotsam and Jetsam

 It's a busy weekend:

Trump!

Alex, I'll Take 'Peace Deals That Ain't Gonna Happen' for $400 – PJ Media
A Reflecting Pool Postscript – HotAir
In The Mailbox: 07.31.26 : The Other McCain

The Disloyal Opposition

Stephen L. Miller on X: "CNN's extremism reporter - "The DSA isn't extreme like praising China, Mao, and celebrating executions and calling for the death of capitalists and all of that other stuff they themselves have endorsed. They are more like wool sweaters and healthcare.""
The Patriarch Tree on X: "Does everyone see the shell game played here? “Political support for bureaucratic taxpayer funded boondoggles = charity,” as if voting for SNAP benefits is the same as actually feeding someone at your own home, as if Jesus said: “Go thou and vote Democrat.”"
Instapundit THIS LEVEL OF STUPIDITY MUST BE ON PURPOSE, RIGHT? RIGHT??? https://twitter.com/DemzDeliver/statu
Ace of Spades HQ - Democrat Socialists: We Must Promote and Defend the Beacon of Socialism, Communist China
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela on X: "Yes. We don’t have a pied-a-terre and are wrongly on that list and have wasted way too much time on their crappy website trying to figure out how to get removed, gathering all kinds of documents to do so Not really sure how this helps make a better NYC for anyone?!"
Democrats Deliver on X: "🚨 New York Democrats introduce bill requiring 10% discounts on all items at self-checkout. https://t.co/VsPn8Sp9L9"
ZitoSalena on X: "In 2017 I watched as members of the DSA picked off well liked, competent local Democrat office holders in Western PA in low turnout out primary contests where Republicans had zero chances of winning in a general; reporting their formula to take over was working & would spread."
Things Got a Bit Nasty Between John Fetterman and Bernie Sanders – PJ Media
The Left's Rotating Loyalty Oath - by John Tillman
Democrat Mandela Barnes drops out of Winconsin governor's race - Just The News
Seattle's DSA Mayor Fires the Police Chief – HotAir
Hunter Biden: "Hey, I'm Broke ... and So Is My Old Man." - Victory Girls Blog
Money for Nothing and Your Chicks for Free
Shocker: Kamala Harris's New $8 Million Mansion Is in a Snow-White Neighborhood – PJ Media
Ringside: A Fact-Based Appraisal of California’s ‘Net Zero’ Strategy – California Globe

The Fauci Files 

Ace of Spades HQ The Media Is Joining Fauci In Pleading the Fifth About Their Covid Lies
Fauci the murderer - by Declan Finn - Declan’s Newsletter
Don't Forget How Florida Defeated Faucism and Vindicated Federalism - Josh Hammer
Fauci Is at Least Out of Power; Pravda Still Rules America's Minds – HotAir
Matt Taibbi on X: "The tenacity with which news outlets like CNN cling to certain narratives is mind-blowing."
Jeffrey A Tucker on X: "August 13, 2022: we cannot admit that the shots don't work because that would undermine our policy to force people to get them. https://t.co/9MrU7EKsWo"
NotKennyRogers on X: "Just a quick reminder that they arrested this guy for paddleboarding alone in the ocean during Covid while Anthony Fauci had dinner with Jake Tapper and his wife in DC and Gavin Newsome hosted a party with friends in California. https://t.co/xUiXnAzwoo"
GrrrGraphics 🇺🇸- Ben & Tina Garrison Cartoons on X: "I never want to live through the 'dumb ages' again https://t.co/dwnO368V7h"

The Just Us System

Authorities investigating possible Iran links in Minnesota community water system cyberattack | Just The News
Old Dominion shooting was ‘terror attack’ by student with ISIS ties: report - The College Fix
Ace of Spades HQ - Liberal Appeals Courts Reverse Lower Rogue Judges' Injunctions Against Ending Temporary Protective Status

Immigration, Illegal and Otherwise

Ace of Spades HQ "Apocalypse:" Invasion of Africans, Some Prisoners Wanted for Murder, Set Fire to Cars, Loot Stores, and Use the Streets as an Open-Air Shithouse as the Left Executs Its Plan to Replace Native Populations with Pro-Communist Third Worlders
The invasion of Ceuta must be the final nail in the coffin of globalism - spiked
Basil the Great on X: "To the leftists claiming Ceuta does not belong to Spain because it was taken in 1415 Are you going to tell the Turks to give Constantinople back to the Christians? Cos they took that in 1453"
The Illegal Africans Who Stormed Into Spanish North African Territories Are Pooping Everywhere
Northern Barbarian on X: "Might take more than resounding and energetic condemnation. All the resources of the State to guarantee security and coexistence? I understand people of Ceuta are putting their personal furniture against their doors and windows for security, amid the coexistence."
The Babylon Bee on X: "Spain Turns To Experienced Border Czar Kamala Harris For Help With Migrant Invasion https://t.co/4kaEcwtiEP"
The Babylon Bee on X: "Spaniards Horrified To See Their Country Turning Into Minnesota https://t.co/5mxIQrf5h0"

The Great Culture Wars

Ace of Spades HQ - Again: Cambridge "Professor," a "Poster Boy for Diversity," Found To Have Plagiarized His Ph.D. Thesis and Claimed to Have Personally Interviewed Subjects When He Actually Just Lifted the Interviews from Other Sources
Althouse: "Ms. Prabhakar... said the point of assigning 'Bettering Myself' was to challenge students in her introductory reading and writing course."
Velina Tchakarova on X: "I heard with my own ears the statement coming from the European Commission today that … wait for it … “Europe wants to become the first AI continent.” Can someone explain to me what are we supposed to become first: the first climate-neutral continent or the first AI continent?"
The Essex Files: Biology Is Not Bigotry: Why the WNBA Reaction to Female Fans Should Worry Everyone – RedState

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: The Usual Horrible Start to the Season up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - In Spite of Our Selves

From Da Caller, Mark Sanford Announces Bid For Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat (just say no) and Conservative Leaders Call GOP-Led Amnesty Bill ‘Betrayal’ To Voters (it is). Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed notices that Cornyn, Tillis Drag Their Feet On Blanche Nomination After Voting For Obama, Biden Appointees out of spite. From Campus Reform, House Republicans advance package to shrink Education Department "Education Secretary Linda McMahon says the legislation would reduce bureaucracy as Republicans seek to return more education authority to the states." Eliminating it altogether would be better. At Am Spec, Jeff Lord discusses Sally Quinn and the Establishment Blues, "It’s all about the power. ... Ms. Quinn’s column epitomizes that sense of Washington’s permanent power brokers that they are somehow, in their world of power elites, deserving of their place and have a right to be running the rest of the country and telling everybody else what to do. Whether the rest of the country likes it or not." TownHall's Joe Chalfant sees The Left Is Going All in to Take Out One of America's Favorite Conservatives, Rep. Andy Ogles, D-Cal.

TownHall's Kurt Schlichter issues a spoiler alert, It’s Going to Be JD and Kamala, So Calm Down. Hey, I'm not done deciding between JD and Marco!

Gina Milan @ginamilan_ "Trump jokes that Kaitlan Collins looks like Dylan Mulvaney. Media: “Disgusting. Mean. Unacceptable.” Jimmy Kimmel mocks Charlie Kirk’s murder, calls Melania an “expectant widow,” and airs a “Trump’s gonna kill you” shirt. Media: “Relax. It’s comedy. It’s free speech.” Got it." Bad Hombre @Badhombre, "Democrats: Dylan Mulvaney is a beautiful woman. Trump: Kaitlan Collins looks like Dylan Mulvaney. Democrats: How dare Trump compare Kaitlan Collins to an ugly man!" Gina Milan @ginamilan_, "Can someone explain this to me like I’m five? Trump compared Kaitlan Collins to Dylan Mulvaney and the media is losing its mind calling it an “attack.” But wait… don’t they constantly tell us that trans women are beautiful? That they’re real women? That we should celebrate them? So why is comparing a woman to a trans woman suddenly an insult? Wouldn’t that be a compliment in their world? I’m genuinely confused." Andrew Isker @BonifaceOption, "It’s the perfect joke. They can’t articulate why it is offensive without admitting their beliefs are fake. What is she supposed to say? “How dare you compare me to a man pretending to be a woman?”" At Twitchy, Fellow Americans: Trump Doubles Down on Comparing CNN’s Kaitlan Collins to Trans Icon Dylan Mulvaney.

Jesse Singal @jessesingal, "DSA folks: Democrats are are the enemy Some Dems: DSA folks view us as the enemy and are therefore not our allies -- they could help wreck the party DSA folks: Holy shit how could you say that??? Unbelievable slanderlibel," Quote Mike from PA@Mike_from_PA, "Personally it’s time that we stop pretending that liberals like Jon Ossoff, Gretchen Whitmer, Mayor Pete, etc. are anything but enemies. She was literally recruited into politics by a Blue Cross/ Blue Shield health insurance executive. They are not progressive." PJM's Rick Moran explains why Why Every Young DSA Member Needs to See 'Star City'. Hat Hair's Josh Hammer asserts the DSA Assault on Prisons Is Rooted in Third World-ist Lust for Barbarism. Don't worry, they'll save prisons for "enemies of the people," ie, conservatives.PJM's Bob Spencer wonders Is Zohran Mamdani Mentally Ill? Not by normal definitions. Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "New York under Mamdani is going to become London under Sadiq Khan, if it hasn't already." Quote Roger Zakheim @RogerZakheim Replying to @RogerZakheim, "Rabbi Levine: “When I was growing up the only time we saw security outside of my synagogue or my Jewish day school was when the mayor came to speak. The police were there to protect him. Today every time the mayor speaks we need the police to protect us.”" Just wait until all the Jews move out and take their money with them. From Twitchy, GOOD! Families of 9/11 Victims Want Mayor Zohran Mamdani BANNED From 25th Anniversary. Shooting News Week says Oh Look! Another Bloomberg Mayor Would Rather Limit Gun Rights Than Jail Criminals. Criminals are their voters, gun owners are not. That McCotter at Am Great, ‘Meet the New Boss, Worse Than the Old Boss’: Welcome to Ortega-Murillo’s Nicaragua, the socialist end game.

At Althouse, "The Democratic Party is so short on cash that leaders at its headquarters have undertaken a new gambit to mask the severity of the problems: asking vendors not to send bills until after the midterm elections...." "From "Inside the Phone-Throwing Drama at the Troubled, Broke Democratic Party/The Democrats should be well positioned to make gains in this year’s midterms. But inside party headquarters, every week brings paranoia, worries about money and, on occasion, emotional eruptions" (NYT gift link)." I'm sure some billionaires will step up.

News Wax hears CENTCOM Chief Urged Iran Strike Halt. "Cooper told administration officials that most of the military's designated targets in the Strait of Hormuz region had already been struck, leaving relatively few remaining objectives." Make the rubble bounce. Responsible Statecraft sees Aiming at the Gulf, Iran shoots itself in the foot. "Tehran's attacks on its Arab neighbors have increased their reliance on the US rather than reducing it." RedState's Nick Arama hears Mike Waltz Reveals Why Iran's Regime Is in Even Deeper Trouble "President Donald Trump announced that they were going to use any of the Iranian regime money they could lay their hands on to pay off any damage that Iran was causing, such as with shipping. And they've been going after Iran's money big time, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has explained, even tracking down Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's "money man," and freezing regime-related accounts. Bessent said they were preserving that money for "the American people." Bessent explained how they've been tracking accounts all over the world, and now they've also frozen a crypto wallet containing about $130 million linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)." Trump and Bessent understand money can be a weapon. At Hat Hair, Larry Elder notices Trump's War Critics Discuss Everything -- Except the Point, stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons, and the means to use them. News Wax cites Waltz: Saudi Nuclear Deal Includes 'No Enrichment' Capability, not that Waltz, the other Waltz.

Fox, Rand Paul releases documents on intercepted COVID research materials, "CBP intercepted biological materials tied to US–China virus network before COVID, new documents show. A DHS report details a coronavirus research network centered around University of Minnesota virologist Fang Li." At Insty, a Driscolly post, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has released another batch of documents related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Robby Soave @robbysoave, "Privately, in his diaries, Doctor Fauci admitted he no longer believed the wet market was the origin of covid. A week later, he convenes a call with 12 scientists, and only two of them think it's definitely animal spillover. Publicly, he comes out against lab leak and presses the Proximal Origins paper to find in favor of animal spillover. Seems bad." Tom Elliott @tomselliott, "Wow, @Alyssafarah -- formerly of the Trump Admin, currently of The View -- emailed Fauci in 2020 saying she's trying to get Dr. Scott Atlas fired: "He goes rogue and it’s wildly unhelpful. I’m so sorry you have to deal with this. I’ve advocated for his dismissal for months to no avail.."

John First at Energy, Security and Freedom is elated by That PA Supreme Court Case Finding Land Is A Possession and Rights to It Cannot Be Erased by Agency Eager Beavers! Jon Adler at The Volokh Conspiracy, sees Brian Fitzpatrick Makes the Case for Callais "There appears to be an academic consensus that the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana in Callais is incorrect. But does this tell us more about the decision or about the legal academy?"

Bill Ackman @BillAckman, "It is incredible how far the Democratic Party has moved politically. Just listen to @BarackObama on immigration 20 years ago. @HillaryClinton spoke similarly back then. The question of course is why. The answer I believe is not a change in fundamental views, but rather a tactical one. At some point, the Democratic Party believed it had a higher likelihood of staying in power if our country had open borders. When did this take place? What was the catalyst for this reversal of views?" Quote MAZE @mazemoore "This might be the most amazing one yet. More from Senator Obama on immigration. Obama not only said that illegals must not be allowed to work here, he went one step further and said that employers should be forced to prove that they offered the job to American citizens before they are allowed to hire guest workers. Democrats today would call this racist and xenophobic." Andrew Ireland @AndrewIrelandIN, "The H-1B program is a total scam. Purdue University is hiring a foreigner to help make newsletters and social media posts even though thousands of qualified Americans live within a 30 minute drive of this job. As a state lawmaker, I will do everything I can to end this next session." Quote indy reporter @Indy_reporter_, "Purdue University filing an H-1B for an “Assistant Director” of Communications & Marketing in Hammond, IN. Because nothing says “we couldn’t find a single American who can write a press release” like importing one for $55k–$87k starting in 2027." Sundance at CTH suggests The Scale of Ineligible People Called for Jury Duty Starts to Highlight Number of Illegal Aliens Currently on Voter Rolls. "About 75,000 noncitizens are summoned for jury duty in New Jersey each year, based on data from three state government agencies, including the Motor Vehicle Commission — a stunning figure that widens the scope of a growing controversy over government databases that may incorrectly identify noncitizens as eligible voters and jurors." At News Wax, Trump Admin to Review ICE Vetting After Shooting.

PJM's Matt Margolis observes Tucker Carlson Has Gone Bat Poop Crazy, Wants Trump Tried for Treason. Stacy McCain has his Own Tucker Carlson Theory, which basically boils down to spite. "And it seems to me that such strictly personal grievances, related to his being fired from Fox News in 2023, make much more sense in explaining what happened to Carlson than any speculation about secret payments from Qatar."

Greg Lukianoff at the Eternally Radical Idea has more free speech news, Fed withdraws New York Times subpoenas, CA tries to speech code-ify campus AI, “Wait, Community Had a Season SIX!?”, & more!

At Hat Hair Mark Judge has Questions for Tom Rosenstiel and the Students at the Philip Merrill School of Journalism regarding his usual (and well earned) obsession, the Kavanaugh nomination. "Here’s the question I’d like to ask Tom Rosenstiel and his students: Why did Washingtonian magazine recently spike a planned profile of me? A profile that writer Cathy Alter had begged me to do for six years?"

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Terror in Berlin as Member of the Religion of Peace Slams Van Into Pride Festival. Driscoll at Insty, AND AGAIN: Terror Attack in Berlin. “Fifteen people were injured, with one having died so far. "MORE: Suspect in Berlin Pride attack identified as ‘Islamist.’ “‘Based on the investigators’ initial findings, we have already identified a suspected perpetrator,’ Florian Nath, a spokesman for Berlin police, said, adding that the force’s search for the suspect was ‘proceeding at full speed’. ‘He is known to us as a member of Islamic circles here in Berlin … we still have no information whatsoever regarding his specific motives, the exact sequence of events, or his role in the crime itself.’”... UPDATE (1:50 PM): Suspect in deadly Berlin Pride attack is killed in a confrontation with police." Andy Ngo @MrAndyNgo, "Organizers of the Berlin Pride that was targeted in a deadly attack by a Muslim Arab man read off a speech saying that the Islamic terror incident shouldn’t be politicised. The problem is with cowards like this. They want to stand in the way of those who seek to address deadly problems and danger stemming from radical Islam." Suicidal empathy. Ace, As Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap: The Failure Of Western Europe To Defend Itself From Invasion "US State Department Issues Travel Advisory for Belgium."

Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed, Congress Spotlights American Bar Association’s Dance With The DEI Devil. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Live by the DEI, die by the DEI." Quote Toby Young @toadmeister, "The youngest black professor in Cambridge University's history, Jason Arday, is at the centre of a plagiarism row after academics came forward claiming large parts of his work are copied almost verbatim from others." Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis, "Once again, I’ll remind you the Smithsonian said the anti-slavery Benjamin Franklin conducted electroshock experiments on slaves. With no evidence to prove it. And boatloads of evidence to the contrary." Quote Fox News@FoxNews, "Rep. Brandon Gill says it's time to "clean house" at the @smithsonian. The Texas Republican is backing President Trump's executive order directing warning signs to be posted outside the National Museum of American History highlighting what the White House calls ideological bias."

From NYPo, Taxpayer-funded trans dolls with removable genitalia to hit classrooms this fall for kids as young as 4 to ‘learn about different options’ Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Use the Word 'Man?' That Will Be $95,000, Please. REDUXX @reduxx, "A women's rights campaigner in Australia found guilty of "vilifying" two trans-identified males has lost her appeal. @KirralieS has been ordered to pay them $95,000 for referring to them as "men" and condemning their participation in female sports."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: On The Beach and FMJRA 2.0: In The Bowels of the Draft up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Lindsey Graham Still Dead

At WaPoo, Lindsey Graham died of aortic dissection, preliminary medical report says. "Graham died hours after returning from a trip to Ukraine. Trump said he spoke with the senator Saturday evening and that “could’ve been his last call.”" That certainly explains the sudden part. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair says RIP to Lindsey Graham (1955-2026). From sundance at CTH, Senator Lindsey Graham Dead, President Trump Discusses 7pm Phone Call Last Night with Senator Lindsey Graham, President Trump Reminds Jake Tapper to Stay on Task – Focus on Lindsey Graham, In Memoriam – The Most Interesting Revelation Released by Senator Lindsey Graham and Nancy Mace Wants to Replace Lindsey Graham "Not many people think highly of Nancy Mace. However, Nancy Mace thinks very highly of herself." Noah Rothman at NRO remembers Lindsey Graham’s Finest Moment. Stacey Matthews at LI Remembering Lindsey Graham’s Pivotal Role in the Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings.“I would never do to them what you’ve done to this guy. This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics. And if you really wanted to know the truth, you sure as hell wouldn’t have done what you’ve done to this guy.” Eric Florack at PJM, Graham, McConnell, and Platner Gone? How Does This Play Out? Bob Hoge at RedState wants to know What Happens Now? The Race to Fill Graham's Seat Has Already Begun.

However, he had plenty of detractors on both sides. Joe Chalfant at TownHall, These Ghouls Couldn't Help But Gloat Over Lindsey Graham's Death. Will Ricciardella @WillRicci, "When ISIS butcher Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died, WaPo called him an “austere religious scholar.” When commie dictator Fidel Castro died, The NYT called him a “Cuban revolutionary who defied the U.S.” Lindsey Graham raised his younger sister after their parents died, served 33 years in uniform and more than 3 decades in Congress. He dies, and prominent media voices reach back 6 years for an essay titled “History Will Judge the Complicit.” This isn’t merely bad taste, it’s a moral hierarchy: America’s enemies get context, euphemism, romance — American conservatives get a bill of indictment before their body is even cold." Quote Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum, "Lindsey Graham was one of the main subjects of a @TheAtlantic cover story I wrote in 2020, on why people collaborate with regimes they know are immoral. Here's a gift link:" Ana Kasparian @AnaKasparian, "Are you offended? Let me clarify: I’m elated that he’s dead. Overjoyed…. Just like he was elated at seeing countless dead children throughout Middle East." Ace, Lindsey Graham Dies; Neo-Cons Across The Country Are In Mourning.

I don't have strong feelings about Graham. Certainly, as one of the early participants of the Reagan revolution, and long service, he's had ample impact on the country, for better or worse. I'm not really sure where the balance falls.

AP reports McConnell says a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking weeks of silence about health condition, followed by pneumonia. Yep, that'll do it. "McConnell explained the four-week silence about his condition by saying that “folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older.”" All the old people I know just love to talk about that shit. And I know plenty! Sundance, of course, is suspicious when Mitch McConnell Releases Image and Statement. I'm glad to hear he's improving, but it's still past time to quit.

Nicole Silvero at Da Caller reports the Senate is Holding Slew Of Confirmation Hearings For Trump Nominees As Time Runs Short Before August Recess. It doesn't help to have two missing.

Da Signal explains how Trump’s Ukraine Strategy at NATO Is ‘America First’ in Action. Trent Telenko @TrentTelenko, "I've been advocating that Ukraine strike Russian tugs as part of a larger campaign against Russian riverine and littoral maritime traffic since 2022. Ukraine has delivered on all my expectations of what that would accomplish in the last five days. Brown Water logistics.1/" Quote Jay in Kyiv @JayinKyiv, "Russians enter state of deep depression amid the 5th consecutive day of double digit destruction of Russian ships on the Azov Sea, a total of 76 over the course of 5 days. Russians now lament that Ukraine is mow even deatroying the tugboats sent to tow the wrecks to port. At NYPo, US unloads military might on Iran after Tehran closes Strait of Hormuz — striking 140 targets: ‘Now they pay.’ At WUWT, Claim: The Iran War is Worsening the Climate Crisis.

Sundance looks at the U.S-Canada Strike Deal on New Gordie Howe International Bridge – Opening Date July 27th and Promethean PAC Visits Trump Policy Contrast Against Energy Priorities. From the Auto Wire, The EPA’s New Truck Rule Turns a Federal Felony Into a Factory Setting.

From AMAC, Graham Platner Debacle Proves Bernie Sanders and Socialist Left Can’t Be Trusted. Oh hell, we knew that a long time ago. Matt Vespa at TownHall laughs that Liberal White Women Are in a State of Despair Over Maine's Graham Platner. The lamentation of their women! Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Wasn’t it his advisor that helped give rise to Platner and ran his campaign? Now he gets to just bring the chapter to a close with no further questions?" Quote New York Post @nypost "Mamdani says it's time to 'bring this chapter to a close' after Graham Platner campaign collapse." Matt Vespa, So, Is This Why a Dem Rep Is Probably Glad He Got Detained in the West Bank? Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, ""A new video has emerged of James Talarico defending gun control laws by saying that people have not actually read the Second Amendment, stressing that the words "‘well regulated’ are right there in the text of the amendment itself." He needs to give that one another read..." "...He omitted the word following "Well regulated": "militia." It did not mean regulations, but rather a proficient, fully capable militia. Now if only Talarico could support a well-read amendment as well as a well-regulated militia..." From Twitchy, 'These People Are So F-ing Stupid!' James Carville Posts WILD Rant Against Frankenstein's Monster. At Hat Hair Betsy McCaughey warns Don't Let Marxists Rob Us of Our History. Dave Strom at Hat Hair believes 'Luxury Beliefs' Are Killing People and socialism is a luxury belief. 

From RCP, Nick Shirley And Medicaid Czar Dr. Oz Report Billions In Senior "Adult Daycare" Fraud in Queens: "Korean And Chinese Mafias." Trent Telenko @TrentTelenko, "I'm of the opinion the entire Federal annual deficit spending is made up entirely of welfare and entitlement fraud." Quote Arthur MacWaters @ArthurMacwaters, "I’ve seen enough man The welfare system in this country is literally the largest fraud farm in the entire history of the human race x.com/nickshirleyy/s…"

At Althouse, "We don’t need presidents who have weird obsessions.", "Said Kamala Harris, back in October 2020, blogged at the time, here. I know that at the time I thought I bet all the Presidents have had a weird obsession. I know because I said that in a podcast at the time. That post and podcast predated access to Grok, so I didn't have the chance to use this prompt: Accept the hypothesis that every U.S. President had a weird obsession and to list all the Presidents with their weird obsession. I did use it today, though. Some of my favorites:..."

PJM's Kevin Downey hears More Than 200 FBI Agents Swarm Fulton County, Georgia, to Investigate 2020 Election Fraud. This could be very interesting, or it could be a dud. We already know there were enough unaccounted for Biden votes to swing the state. But could the FBI actually turn up evidence of deliberate fraud, as opposed to deliberately built in incompetence? Stay tuned.

Cam at Bearing Arms sees  A Rare Dose of Common Sense From New York Courts In Gun Confiscation Case.

John Lott at Da Fed argues Trump’s Immigration Enforcement Really Is Slashing Violent Crime. Homeland Security @DHSgov, "EIGHT MISSING CHILDREN RESCUED. During the World Cup, @HSIKansasCity have been working every single day to combat human trafficking and arrest suspected traffickers. Thank you to these heroes for your work to save these children." Orange County Register, Truck driver wanted by ICE faces sentencing for big rig crash that killed 3 on 10 Freeway in Ontario, CA that is. NYPo ed board, Work-visa fraud costs America big: Hail the Trump team’s crackdown.

Sundance sees the Media Apoplectic at DOJ and FBI Investigating Four New York Times Reporters for Compromising President Trump Security During Turkey Visit. At the Eternally Radical Idea Greg Lukianoff celebrates VICTORY against Stop WOKE Act, Me in WaPo, ‘A Song of FIRE and ICE,’ ‘turn around, bright eyes,’ & more! "Bringing you the latest free speech news (7/12/26)."

Campus Reform reports University of California, Riverside grant funding policies favor immigrants over U.S. citizens "Campus Reform found the University of California, Riverside awards illegal immigrant graduate students up to $9,000 annually through one fellowship, while a comparable graduate research grant provides U.S. citizens up to $4,000." At Minding the Campus What Does It Mean to Be a Women’s College If Men Can Enroll? "Salem College says it ‘accepts applications from students who were assigned female at birth or who identify as women.’" Mark Judge at the Chronic, The Evil Complicity of Dahlia Lithwick’s Fake Trans Outrage. Hat Hair's Larry Elder explores What's the Real 'Defining Image of Race in America'? At Instapundit, AS ANDY WARHOL SAID, NOTHING IS MORE BOURGEOIS THAN TO BE AFRAID TO LOOK BOURGEOIS: Reddit Lies @reddit_lies, "Help! Someone on facebook is glorifying marriage and families!" and Driscoll has a very Driscolly post DISPATCHES FROM THE SECRET POLICEMAN’S BALLS (Or the Lack Thereof)..." Hillel Neuer @HillelNeuer, "BREAKING: John Cleese renounces “the mob who have taken over Amnesty.” The iconic British comedian initiated and produced Amnesty International's landmark comedy benefit series, and for decades supported Amnesty as a fundraiser and public advocate. Proof they've lost the plot:" Quote John Cleese @JohnCleese "As a former major fund-raiser for Amnesty - I produced the first five 'Secret Policeman's Balls' - I renounce the mob who have taken over Amnesty Amnesty used to be about trying to do something about TORTURE x.com/_RebeccaMcCurd…"

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Slowly I Turn up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.