Flotsam and Jetsam - Perusing the "Clinton Files"

From NYPo, Nearly naked Bill Clinton pictured soaking in hot tub with unidentified woman in Epstein files: ‘His reckoning’, and more to the point, her face is redacted, signifying she's probably an Epstein "victim" and not a random celebrity. LifeZette thinks Bill Clinton is in Hot Water After Epstein Dump Reveals Compromising Pictures. Not really, we've known what Bill Clinton is for a long time. Twitchy hears Scott Jennings Rename the Epstein Files as Dems Screech Over Trump’s Absence: The Clinton Files. Sunny @sunnyright, "You wrote out that first sentence and what outrages you is the order in which the documents are published." Quote Tara Palmeri @tarapalmeri, "I'm seeing a lot of pictures of Bill Clinton in the Epstein Files. Weird that they came out first." Walter Kirn @walterkirn "Trump must be in there somewhere! Remove all redactions! We won't rest!" Walter Kirn @walterkirn, "The Epstein Files are whatever you want or need them to be, I've learned." Professor Charles Xavier @PezeshkiCharles, "I find it fascinating that people have no clue how beautiful women operate around billionaires." Matt Vespa at TownHall, The Epstein Files Memes Are Pouring in, and They're Hilarious and Hey, Dems, When CNN Can't Save You on How You've Handled the Epstein Files, You've Really Screwed Up. "Democrats thought they had endless cannon fodder to use against the Trump administration. Instead, they’ve run away, as most of the new developments have placed their friends in a bad light. Moreover, the victims of the late New York financier found the selective releases from Democrats on House Oversight regarding this matter supremely annoying. When CNN can’t defend you, you know it’s bad . . ." It's a high bar indeed, but Matt Taibbi asserts The Jeffrey Epstein Saga is the Worst-Reported Story of All Time "Thanks to decades of misreporting, unproven conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein are the one thing uniting both camps of American politics."

Larry Elder at Hat Hair looks at What Rob Reiner Said About and Did to Donald Trump. Trump is not one to forgive and forget, not even the dead. PJM's Kevin Downey on Tinfoil Haturday wonders Was Rob Reiner a Deep State Spook? Roll the Tape... No, he was their useful idiot. From Althouse, Famous. "I'm reading "Conan O'Brien Party Guests Recall Nick Reiners 'Creepy' Questions Hours Before Parents Slain" (Enstarz):"

From UPI, Trump announces lower drug prices in deals with nine companies. At Hat Hair, a video, President Trump Lowers Prescription Costs and Sends Warrior Dividends to the Troops. Tim Hollingsworth @soldiertim1961, "I have 3 sons still serving on active duty and they all have received their 1776.00 Warrior Christmas Bonuses And for the first time since the wars started 20 plus years ago ALL 4 of us are home stateside Thank you President Trump and Secretary Hegseth." Quote TMK @TheMagaKing2_0, "Just when I thought Trump couldn’t possibly trigger liberals any harder, he does it again. From Somalis, to Rob Reiner, to the Trump Kennedy Center. Total meltdown. Donald Trump is the gift that keeps on giving." Breitbart sees Consumer Sentiment Improves as Inflation Expectations Fade For Fourth Straight Month. From WokeSpy, All the ‘Experts’ Were Wrong About Tariffs, Carl Higbie Brings Out the Receipts. Breitbart, Exclusive — Sen. Rand Paul: The Problem of Affordability Is Government ‘Devaluation of Currency’. He has a point. 

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Trump Orders Seizure of Second Tanker Carrying Venezuelan Oil. RCD, Rhetoric Is Unfairly Harming the Reputation of Our Military. From the Brussels Signal, US sees Europe as a continent that opposes everything they hold dear. Maybe not everything, but a lot. Sundance at CTH hosts Secretary of State Marco Rubio Holds an Extensive Press Conference Touching on All Issues. 

Nick Arama at RedState sees More Kennedy Center Drama: Ric Grenell Decimates 'Journalist' Who Threatens to Take Down Trump's Name.

Stacy McCain, ‘Yes, We Stole the Election. Oopsie.’ "Read the whole thing. Five years after the election — when it is too late to rectify the crime, and never mind all the injury inflicted on those branded “election deniers” for protesting this fraud — we learn the truth." Chris Stigall @ChrisStigall, "This week we found out: the Mar-a-lago raid was not legally executed, Georgia was stolen in the 2020 election, Trump tariffs have not caused inflation, and Bill Clinton was Epstein’s #1 pal Oh, and the Congressional Dem approval is -55 overall (Quinnipiac) Merry Christmas!" Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Yes" Quote FischerKing @FischerKing64, "Remember that Trump was indicted for "pressuring" Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to investigate election integrity in his state, and that this was linked with his impeachment. Kinda looks like Trump was right, and was punished for asking appropriate questions. x.com/HansMahncke/st…"

From Insty, LEFTISTS WANT TO DESTROY ANYTHING THEY DON’T CONTROL: Ivy League Law Professors: We Need to Destroy the Supreme Court to Save It. “They don’t even bother to justify any of their claims that the court is illegitimate. It’s just taken as a given and therefore attempts to further destroy the court’s reputation aren’t something to avoid but something to embrace.”

Mitch Berg at Hat Hair VIP sees Walz Frantically Trying To Change The Subject. From RVM, Walz Faces Growing Calls to Resign as Minnesota Fraud Explodes. Sundance hears Minnesota Somalia Community Fraud Likely to Exceed $9 Billion – New Charges Announced. A billion here, a billion there . . . WJ reports FBI Busts 'Shocking' SNAP Fraud Ring - Entire Stores Were Allegedly Set Up to Operate the Scam, in Massachusetts, and they're not even Somali. At PM, Trump Admin Arrests Nearly 300 Sexual Predators, Rescues 205 Children in Two-Week Operation. Nick Ballasy at JTN reports Noem says Trump admin has located more than 129,000 'unaccompanied children' Biden admin lost. ""Too many of these children were exploited, trafficked and abused. We will continue to ramp up efforts and will not stop until every last child is found," Noem says" So, of course, she must resign! 

The Center for Immigration Studies Home thinks the WSJ Article Shows Why the ‘Birthright Citizenship’ Debate Is Overdue "WSJ Article Shows Why the ‘Birthright Citizenship’ Debate Is Overdue. The world, technology, and immigration have changed a lot since the 19th century, and the ultimate question is whether the Constitution can keep up." From Twitchy, Outrageous Stalking of ICE Ends with Epic Warning: Follow Us Again and You're Getting Ripped from the Car. Right Angle News Network @Rightanglenews, "BREAKING - Jobless liberal white women who spend all day stalking around ICE are finally getting put in their place. “This is your one warning. If you follow us again, we’re going to stop you, break your window, rip you out, and arrest you.” “Can I ask you a few questions, though?” *walks away*"

Hat Hair's Dave Strom sees the BBC Can't Admit the Obvious "The Australian Broadcasting Corporation insists that the Bondi Beach terrorist attack had nothing to do with religion." And John Stossel is concerned about Government Control in the Digital Age. Me too.

Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius "I could not possibly agree more strongly with this sentiment. Thank you for saying it, Ma'am." Quote Harmeet K. Dhillon @HarmeetKDhillon, "I’m bored af with the conservative influencer wars. We have a country to fix. Talking heads firing inside the tent ain’t it. Can we focus on solutions and the hard work needed to achieve them? Join up!"

Duane Patterson at Hat Hair examines The Millennial Manifesto "An amazing 8,000-word essay entitled The Lost Generation surfaced Monday in Compact Magazine by Jacob Savage, and is one of the most illuminating pieces I've read in years." It placed in these posts for a couple of days. Fugitive Caesar @ThomBrady5, "that must be wild to see a guy spend his entire career as a slacker and he writes one article and it's better than the entire output of your career working your best and hardest for 20 consecutive years." Quote Julia Ioffe @juliaioffe, "It's wild to see someone you've known for decades as a slacker par excellence now publicly blame his lack of professional success on the elevation of women and minorities." Midwest Ex-pat @Midwest_expat, "She probably only thinks of him as a slacker because he couldn't get jobs in the industry.... which was... kind of the entire point of the article." Doctor-Baron 17cShyteposter, DDS @17cShyteposter, "One of the funniest things from That Period was how they would constantly talk about "dismantling" patriarchy, white supremacy, etc like they were bomb squad experts and not the absolute fucking dumbest academics in the history of schooling."

Gail Heriot at Insty is WINNING!!!: "I’ve been beating the drum for the last several years about the federal government’s “Minority Serving Institution” programs. These are programs that shovel large sums of money to colleges and universities based on whether they have high minority student enrollment. For example, to be a Hispanic Serving Institution, at least 25% of a college or university’s students must be Hispanic. These programs are UNCONSTITUTIONAL. I’ve urged this before both large and small crowds, in various cities, both live and via Zoom. Dan Morenoff, who is the Executive Director of the American Civil Rights Project (where I’m chairman of the board) has been plugging away with me. I also enlisted by former special assistant Alex Heideman to write on the issue. And we’re getting somewhere The latest development is a 48-page official opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel agreeing that these race-based programs are simply unconstitutional. The opinion is binding on the executive branch.. . . " At Hat Hair, Stephen Moore on Why Johnny Can't Read. "We solved the problem of illiteracy nearly 100 years ago. Now the problem is back." Gene Volokh at the Volokh Conspiracy sees UW Professor's Parody of Land Acknowledgment in Class Syllabus Protected by First Amendment "I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington." Campus Reform identifies 5 times Campus Reform exposed foreign funding in 2025. He who pays the piper calls the tune.

At BIS, WNBA Players Just Voted to Authorize a Strike ‘When Necessary’ "Players seem hell-bent on driving the final nail in the coffin of a league that is already fully subsidized by the NBA, and that lost over $40 million in a season that saw Caitlin Clark draw in unprecedented ticket sales and ratings."

Linked as Blog of the Day at the Pirate's Cove  in the daily If All You See… The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Stuck In The Ruts up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Reiner Charged in Reiner Murder, Brown Shootings Stays Unsolved, The Scene in Sydney Curdles the Blood

Rob Reiner's murder is getting ready to fade from the news, as is seems settled that his son, Nick, will be charged with the horrific knife murder of Rob and his wife. From BI, Nick Reiner, son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, will be charged with first-degree murder in his parents' deaths. Interestingly, the NYT reports Rob Reiner Is Said to Have Argued With His Son Nick at Conan O’Brien’s Holiday Party the night before, which all but guarantees that any trial will be graced with far too many celebrity appearances. Althouse attempts to torture Trump's comeback to his previous statement on Reiner, Challenged on his statement about Rob Reiner, Trump explained, "Well, I wasn't a fan of his at all.... I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way, shape, or form."

Meanwhile, up in Rhode Island at Brown University, we seem no closer to a resolution and the situation is beginning to smell of a mixture of incompetence and misdirection. NYPo, Cops release very grainy new video of suspected Brown shooter — as they hunt for new leads. Fusilli Spock @awstar11 "I'm no police investigator but this guy's body shape looks absolutely nothing like the poor schmuck they picked up the other day. Shocking that they even arrested that guy." Quote TV News Now @TVNewsNow "FOX NEWS ALERT: Police issue surveillance video of NEW lead in Brown University shooting." Sundance at CTH, Brown University Shooter Still at Large – Open Discussion Thread "Everything about the Brown University shooting doesn’t make sense through the ordinary prism. However, if political ramifications in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s targeted assassination are overlaid against the Brown University murders, then a certain context might reconcile some of the issues. {GO DEEP} Was Ella Cook targeted in a similarly motivated fashion to the murder of Charlie Kirk?" At Da Caller, Brown University’s ‘Targeted’ Murder Blossoms Into Mysterious Mess "It took way too long to figure out why Ella Cook was even in the room when she was shot and killed." Ace cites Mark Halperin: I'm Hearing, But Can't Confirm, That the Family of Ella Cook -- Murdered by the Brown University Terrorist -- Has Been Informed That She Was the Target In the Attack. William A. Jacobson @wajacobson, "Most people don’t truly understand how difficult it is for conservative students on campuses like Brown (and Cornell). It takes great inner strength to stand up to the social and social media pressures to conform, and those pressures come not only from other students, but from faculty and administrators as well. At Cornell I see how brave and prepared these students need to be, because their viewpoints are questioned and attacked relentlessly and they are always outnumbered. It is particularly difficult for religious Christian students. I didn’t know Ella Cook because I was not at Brown, but I know students like Ella Cook. My heartfelt condolences to her family.

PJM's Matt Margolis thinks Authorities May Be Covering up a Key Detail About the Brown University Shooting, "Social media has been flooded with reports that the gunman yelled "Allahu Akbar.” That's not a minor detail." Social media is full of garbage, but who knows, it could be true. Matt Vespa at TownHall, Brown University Was Asked About Why Some Web Pages Are Being Scrubbed. The Answer Was a Disaster. End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Umm, why did @BrownUniversity just scrub its entire website of Mustapha Kharbouch (Free Palestine, LGBTQ activist)?" VodkaPundit at Insty says NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG. Catturd ™ @catturd2, "This is the biggest (pile of shit) show I’ve ever seen. Quote Jack Posobiec @JackPosobiec "Longtime source in Rhode Island tells me Providence Police are indeed looking into the student whose online presence was scrubbed today. Higher-ups want it close hold. Said that Brown U runs Providence, and Brown president is anti-police."

And at the lovely, but somewhat over rated Bondi Beach, David Burge @iowahawkblog, "it's a perfect Category 5 storm of public official ineptitude." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Bondi Beach hero helped disarm terrorist before police mistakenly shot him: report" At the Free Bacon, Police ‘Froze’ As Terrorists Massacred Jews on Bondi Beach, Eyewitness Accounts and Videos Suggest. "New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon said police did ‘a fantastic job’." Fantastic should be reserved for a case where the shooters didn't have 20 minutes to kill 13 people. Dan Greenfield at Front Page, Australian Gun Control: Chanukah Muslim Terrorist Got 6 Weapons Despite ISIS Ties. "The problem isn't gun control. It's Islam control." The Beeb, Police investigating Bondi gunmen's trip to Philippines month before shooting "It has previously been reported that they visited the Philippines to receive "military-style training."" Shooting News Week says Reality Bites: US Homicide Rates Fell as Much As Australia’s, But Without the Radical Gun Confiscation. Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "They actually did the "motive unknown" meme." Quote Curtis Houck @CurtisHouck, "ABC's Faith Abubey, on Monday's 'Good Morning America,' in Sydney, Australia: "As for the suspect, authorities say one of the them was a licensed gun owner with six firearms, but they have not yet revealed a motive." Robin Roberts: "We will find it out ahead."" The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Groundbreaking New Study Finds Islamophobia May Be Partially Caused By Muslims Killing People All The Time."

Frog forgets, gives scorpion another lift. James Lynch at Da Caller, White House Does Damage Control After Susie Wiles Criticizes Trump, Top Officials in Candid Interviews to Vanity Fair. Althouse likes her some NYT spin, "Over the course of 11 interviews, Ms. Wiles offered pungent assessments of the president and his team: Mr. Trump 'has an alcoholic’s personality.' Vice President JD Vance has 'been a conspiracy theorist...'" "'... for a decade' and his conversion from Trump critic to ally was based not on principle but was 'sort of political' because he was running for Senate. Elon Musk is 'an avowed ketamine' user and 'an odd, odd duck,' whose actions were not always 'rational' and left her 'aghast.' Russell T. Vought, the budget director, is 'a right-wing absolute zealot.' And Attorney General Pam Bondi 'completely whiffed' in handling the Epstein files." From "Trump’s Top Aide Acknowledges ‘Score Settling’ Behind Prosecutions/In interviews with Vanity Fair, Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, said Trump 'has an alcoholic’s personality,' called JD Vance a 'conspiracy theorist' and concluded that Pam Bondi 'completely whiffed' the early handling of the Epstein files" (NYT)(gift link).." I'll give them the Pam Bondi one. Sundance, Bannon 2.0 – Another Trump Chief of Staff Creates Another Hot Mess and JD Vance Gives Strong Defense of Susie Wiles. "Sometime I am a conspiracy theorist, but I only believe in theories that are true," with some great examples.

The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great, It’s Affordability, Stupid? "Trump’s critics cry “affordability,” but voters remember who sparked the price surge—and who’s now trying to clean it up." Amy Curtis at TownHall reports The November Jobs Numbers Are Here, and It's Good News for American Workers "Last month, we reported that the September jobs numbers exceeded expectations, and since September the private sector has gained 121,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the government has lost 168,000 jobs." News Wax, Citi Sets 2026 S&P 500 Target at 7,700. Breitbart calls it the Trump Effect: Christmas Day Gas Prices Expected to Drop to Lowest Level in 5 Years. At Da Blaze, 'Rents will come down' — but not in sanctuary cities: Loan agent chronicles homes apparently abandoned by illegal aliens. Da Caller, Trump Admin Unleashes ‘Strike Force’ Taking Sledgehammer To Costly Biden-Era Regulations At ET, Hassett Says If He’s Fed Chair, Trump’s Advice Won’t Influence Central Bank’s Policy "‘In the end, the job of the Fed is to be independent and to work with the group of people that are on the Board of Governors.’ Kevin Hassett said." So then, it's not going to be Hassett?

Matt Margolis yells Ding-Dong! The Obamacare Subsidies Are Dead! Roger Stark at JTN finds a Prescription for fraud? GAO finds serious abuses in Obamacare exchanges, "Remember when Americans were told that the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) would lower health care costs and that if you liked your doctor, you could keep her? How things have changed over the past 15 years. Health care costs continue to rise faster." PJM's Cathy Salgado sees Newsom Brags About Giving Illegals Healthcare. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Clarence The Angel Takes Gavin Newsom To Florida To Show Him What California Would Look Like If He'd Never Been Born." Amy Curtis thinks Speaker Mike Johnson Just Ended the Democrats' Lies About Taxpayer-Funded Healthcare for Illegals. That's doubtful. Sister Toldja at RedState hears Mike Johnson Drops a 'Told Ya So' on Dems, Media After Newsom's Admission About Healthcare for Illegals. News Wax admits ACA Enrollees Say Expiring Subsidies Will Hit Hard.

Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "Do you want to know why Republicans always lose, even when we're winning? "We're better than that." Democrats never think "We're better than that." They think "What can we do to win?" And then they win, taking advantage of our self-defeating, love of Marquess of Queensberry rules. I'm not saying we should lie, or cheat, or commit crimes. We ARE better than THAT. But when it comes to the daily information war, Democrats play no-holds-barred and if we want to preserve the nation and the Constitution: *****WE NEED TO DO THE SAME.***** So please throw away your fainting couches and clutching pearls, and realize we are in a war for survival." OTH, Dave Catron at Am Spec sees The Democrats Decide to Lose "They are determined to ignore good advice and cling to their smelly little orthodoxies." Mark Tapscott at Insty, COMMON SENSE COONS: The Delaware senator offers some hard-headed, reality-based advice to his fellow Democrats. Interesting that two Democrats from adjoining states are looming as significant voices of reason in their party. Obviously, there is much in the Coons analysis with which to disagree, but statements like this could be tremendously encouraging signs of an openness to a genuine policy debate about where the country is headed: “Democrats need to stop telling Americans how to be and what to feel and believe. Instead, we need to listen. Then we need to solve the problems they’ve shared with us. In the last few years, it’s not just our message that was wrong—it was some of our policies, too." Rep. Mary Miller @RepMaryMiller, "House Democrats introduced a resolution to force the U.S. military to stand down against designated terrorist organizations. If you need any more clarification on whose side they are on, look no further. https://congress.gov/119/bills/hcon." Jesse Singal at Singal Minded, Good News: Progressive Advocacy Groups Have Been Found Not Guilty By A Progressive Advocacy Group. Batya Ungar-Sargon @bungarsargon, "It can now be said!" Quote Timur Kuran @timurkuran "Now that Pelosi is retiring, the NYT starts connecting the dots (see below and full story). For decades, it looked the other way." VodkaPundit at PJM, Wait, Nancy Pelosi Just Said WHAT? "Just to make sure I understand you, [impeachment] should not be the agenda of Democrats for this last two years?"

At Breitbart, U.S Officials Say Washington Agreed to Give Ukraine Security Guarantees in Peace Talks. ET, Kyiv’s Top Negotiator Hails ‘Real Progress’ During 2nd Day of Peace Talks in Berlin "‘We hope we will reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day,’ negotiator Rustem Umerov said."

John Kass is onto Little Mogadishu the Chicago Way. Jeff Charles at TownHall thinks This Trump Administration Official Just Demolished Tim Walz Over Fraud Scandals. Ace explains Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Blasts Tim Walz, Now Accusing Him of Turning a Blind Eye to Somalis Stealing Student Aid By Registering as "Ghost Students" Who Don't Attend School and Don't Even Exist "Last time it turned out that he was enabling mass fraud of welfare money by Somali pirates (and Democrat voters, legal or not), Walz claimed that if he had any fault, it was just of being too "generous" during covid. He wanted to protect people's health, you know. What's the excuse for allowing fraud on an industrial scale in student aid? Via Twitchy, McMahon explained the scam to the retard allowing it." At NYPo, HHS probes whether billions in taxpayer money sent to Minnesota fueled ‘illegal and mass migration.’ Mil.com reports a Minnesota Man Convicted of Faking Purple Heart, Defrauding VA Out of $146,287 and he's not even Somali.

John Solomon and Jerry Dunleavy at JTN report FBI repeatedly warned DOJ didn't have probable cause to raid Trump home: 'Not been corroborated' "The bombshell emails show some inside the FBI were skeptical of the Biden DOJ's push to raid Trump's Florida resort home." Clandestine @WarClandestine, "Holy shit… The FBI admittedly never had probable cause to raid Mar-a-Lago, but the Biden DOJ essentially told the FBI to create/find some probable cause. Meaning the Biden White House and Garland weaponized the DOJ/FBI to go after Trump. Not a surprise, but now confirmed." Ace, Emails: FBI Agents Repeatedly Warned Biden's DOJ That There Was No Probable Cause for the Mar-a-Lago Raid. "Weird how we never heard warnings about the need for the DOJ to be independent of the president when Biden's thugs were raiding his rival's home." PJM's Stephen Kruiser says In a Perfect World, Merrick Garland Would Be Living in GITMO.

Also from John Solomon and Jerry Dunleavy at JTN New memos show how corruption probe into Clinton Foundation was killed: ‘We were told NO by FBI HQ’. "Drip, drip, drip: A newly-declassified timeline exposes how the FBI's investigation of the Clinton Foundation was hamstrung by DOJ leaders while the inquiry into Trump-Russia collusion hoax marched forward. This isn't the first tranche of evidence pointing to political interference." Ace, Federal Investigators Believed the Clintons May Have Committed a Crime in Taking Money from Russia and Then Approving the Sale of a Uranium Company to Russia, But the DOJ and FBI Let the Statute of Limitations Run. "That pattern keeps occurring, huh? Whoops, the statute of limitations ran out again. We just lost track of the dates!" News Wax hears Clintons Rejecting Calls to Testify Live in Epstein Hearings.

From Twitchy, Well, Well, WELL ... Newsom Has DAMNING Connection to 2 of the 5 'Turtle Liberation' Bombing Suspects. Tony Seruga @TonySeruga, "GPS—two of the five suspects (Audrey Carroll and Zachary Page) appear to have met with lesbian and Antifa sympathizer, Camille Zapata, whose full name is Camille Harper Zapata, based in Stockton, California on three occasions in two months. Zapata currently serves as the digital director for California Governor Gavin Newsom, a role she has held since around June 2024, leading a small team of three that handles graphic design, social media strategy, and rapid-response content across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Threads, TikTok, and Bluesky. She is directly responsible for managing and overseeing Newsom's social media presence." Ryan King at NYPo, What is Turtle Island Liberation Front, the extremist anti-government group whose offshoot planned a NYE terror attack?

Bob Hoge at RedState says Wonders Will Never Cease — Federal Judge Declines to Block Trump Ballroom Construction. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Trump Gets a (Temporary) Win on HIs Ballroom Project and reports on Day Two of Judge Dugan's Trial. I predict jury nullification. MD Kittle at Da Fed reports Judge Rules Wisconsin Show Trial Against Trump Allies Will Go On. RVM sees Outrage as Obama Judge Declines More Prison Time for Disabled Woman’s Illegal Alien Rapist. Misrule of Law, MAGA Meets Sisyphus: Can Trump 2.0 Overcome Its Many Challenges? "I do not question the resolve of President Trump, but have serious concerns about Congress, the courts, and faint-hearted Republicans across the country."

Nick Ballasy at JTN hears More than 60% of security clearance data was 'not reliable,' GAO reveals as it urges intel changes "The report found that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence lacks accurate and complete clearance data from dozens of federal agencies." My own experiences with the clearance process have been laughable.

Cathy Salgado is pleased Trump Designates Illicit Fentanyl ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’. 

Center for Immigration Studies sees a GAO Report that Blasts DHS’s Handling of Biden ‘Humanitarian Parole’ Programs, "The Center warned that ‘Uniting for Ukraine’, CHNV Parole, and ‘family reunification’ were defective programs, but few realized how deeply flawed they were until now."

PJM's Bob Spencer says Oh, This Is Gonna Be Great: Trump Soon to File Massive Lawsuit Against BBC. From Althouse, "In a little while, you’ll be seeing I’m suing the BBC for putting words in my mouth. Literally, they put words in my mouth." ""They had me saying things that I never said coming out. I guess they used AI or something. So we’ll be bringing that lawsuit. A lot of people were asking, ‘When are you bringing that lawsuit?’ Even the media can’t believe that one. They actually put terrible words in my mouth having to do with January 6 that I didn’t say and the beautiful words that I said … talking about patriotism and all of the good things that I said, they didn’t say that but they put terrible words. They actually have me speaking with words that I never said and they got caught because I believe somebody at BBC said, 'This is so bad, it has to be reported.' That’s called fake news." Said Trump, yesterday, quoted in "Trump sues BBC for $10bn over ‘fake news’/The broadcaster has apologised for a misleading edit of the president’s speech before the Capitol riot, which Trump said put ‘terrible words in my mouth'" (London Times)." Ace, Trump Files Lawsuit Against BBC for Defamatory J6 Edit, "Another $10 billion lawsuit. The odds of winning in court, with a left-wing anti-American judge and left-wing anti-American, are zero, unfortunately." At RVM, New York Times Now Admits These ‘Conspiracy Theories’ Are True. Curtis Houck @CurtisHouck, "MORE OF THIS, PLEASE: Important comments from CBS News editor-in-chief @BariWeiss to colleague @VladDuthiersCBS about having conversations with those we disagree with, even if you may think someone is controversial and wrong..." Dave Strom, Liberals Are Bad at Math, Liars, or Both. Both.

From Campus Reform, University of Southern Maine pro-life group faced with harassment, including veiled threat referencing Kirk assassination. College Fix, MIT blames new endowment tax for decision to close multiple libraries.

At Compact, The Lost Generation. Megan McArdle @asymmetricinfo, "If this reporting is true true, Hollywood not only violeted CRA for years by discriminating against white men, but has been merrily telling the white men this, and writing it down in widely circulated emails in case they wanted to file a lawsuit. No words." Insty has a Driscolly post on it, THEY ARE EVIL AND SHOULD BE DESTROYED: Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "White men deserve reparations for the past ten years." Quote vittorio @IterIntellectus, "insane article this is documented, systematic racism against an entire generation of white men, written down said out loud in hiring meetings. "we can't hire the best person", "we need diverse, not white guys" for a fucking decade what's insane is that it helped no one. not x.com/matthewschmitz…Show more"

Twitchy sees 'Target Karen' Tries to Harass Worker Over Charlie Kirk Shirt; the Response Is PERFECTION I Meme Therefore I Am @ImMeme0, "Meet Michelea Ponce. Ponce works for the @Enloe nonprofit health care system (most likely as a nurse) in California. She is an “anti-racism” activist who decided to post a video of herself chastising and calling a Target employee “fucking stupid,” accusing her of supporting a “racist” simply because the staffer was wearing Charlie Kirk’s “Freedom” shirt. Ponce could have politely addressed the issue with a store manager, but instead she chose to demonize the employee and shame her on the internet. Please HELP me return the FAVOR and blast her all over the place, because someone who works in healthcare, whose role is to support the well-being of people, is doing the opposite." PJM's Mike Cantrell JK Rowling Strikes Again, Rips LGBT Crowd After Rapist Targets Girls in Mixed Gender Changing Rooms. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn reports it was a Spicy Ride on a New York Subway Last Night for Young Jewish Men.

There's still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 12.16.25 (Afternoon Edition), but that will have to do for now. Linked at 357 Magnum in the weekly Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 20 December. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: A Week In The Ruts available for browsing at the usual place and time.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Nick Reiner Arrested in Rob's Murder, Brown Shooter Evades Capture

Stephen Kruiser at PJM calls it a Busy Weekend for the Worst of Humanity The shocking murder of Rob Reiner and his wife are still the main thing. Matt Vespa at TownHall says We Have More Details on the Killing of Rob Reiner and His Wife Michele Singer...and It's Ghastly. Ace, Rob Reiner's Mentally-Ill Son Arrested for Double Murder, Held on $4 Million Bail, bail offer later revoked. People reports Rob Reiner's Son Nick Charged with Murder Following Deaths of His Parents, Held on No Bail. Matt Margolis at PJM, Rob Reiner’s Son, Nick, Arrested In Connection With Murder of Parents. Sundance at CTH reacts to the Odd Presser by LAPD: Six Hours After Bodies Found, Detectives Await Search Warrant Before Investigating. Althouse finds a relevant and interesting clip, "Join legendary director Rob Reiner and his son Nick Reiner as they discusses their new film 'Being Charlie,' about a troublesome 18-year-old..." ""... who breaks out of a youth drug treatment clinic, returns home to Los Angeles, and is given an intervention by his parents and forced to go to an adult rehab...."

Trump makes it all about him. At JTN, Trump reacts to death of Rob Reiner "Reiner was an outspoken critic of the Trump administration during both of his terms in office." "A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS . . . " A Driscolly post at Insty cites THE FREE PRESS: Mr. President, Don’t Mock the Dead. Val @TrumpsHurricane, "If anyone wants to know why Trump posted what he posted about Rob Reiner take a look at this." Ya, I know, but it strikes me as kind of a late hit. Althouse, Trump accuses Rob Reiner of causing his own death through "Trump Derangement Syndrome." I don't think it was TDS, just family drama exacerbated by drugs, assuming the Nick Reiner theory holds up. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee "Nation's Worship Leaders To Honor Rob Reiner By Turning Guitars Up To 11."

The shooter at Brown University continues to elude authorities. Sundance, Brown University Shooting Suspect Released from Custody, but remains unconvinced it was the right thing to do. Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "Ella Cook was just 19 years old—a Conservative, a Christian, and Vice President of the Republican Club at Brown University. She was brutally killed by a shooter in what appears to be a targeted political attack. If you still don’t see what’s happening, you haven’t been paying attention. . . ." Brown is an overwhelmingly liberal school. What is the probability of a random shooter killing a leading Republican there? It could be chance, but . . . From OTP, Police Release New Video Of Suspect In Brown University Shooting, not much more helpful than the last one.

Matt Vespa has The Image That Says It All About the Australian Police Response to the Bondi Terror Attack AF Post @AFpost, "An image from the Bondi Beach shooting shows a female cop freezing up during the attack. As the Bondi Beach terror attack unfolded and shots rang out, the four policemen on the scene froze, according to a witness." Dave Strom at Hat Hair hears Antisemites Claiming Bondi Beach Attack Was 'False Flag'. Cathy Salgado at PJM, Police Admit Australia Terrorist Was Known to Authorities. Driscoll says NORM MACDONALD, CALL YOUR OFFICE: Australian PM warns about “right-wing extremist groups” after Muslim father and son shot up Hanukkah event. "Nope, not satire." Amy Curtis at TownHall says London Mayor Sadiq Khan Knows Who the Real Victims of 'Radicalization' Are (and Guess Who He Blames). LBC @LBC, "'There’s a direct link between Trump’s language and how people become radicalised'. Sadiq Khan tells @Lewis_Goodall of his worry that the US president's 'racist' rhetoric is becoming 'normalised'." Victoria Coates @VictoriaCoates, "The guns are not Australia’s problem Mr. Prime Minster. The endemic antisemitism that you have permitted to fester and entrench itself in your society is." Quote Open Source Intel @Osint613 "Australia’s government may further tighten firearms regulations in the wake of the Bondi Beach attack, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, signaling a possible new round of gun law reforms.." Ace, Australian PM: In Aftermath of Two ISIS-Connected Pakistanis Shooting Up Hannukah Celebration, We Now Turn to the Real Threat, "Right Wing Extremist Groups" and Guns In the Hands of Native Australians "Of course." At Woke Spy, Bondi Beach Bloodshed Undercuts Left’s Gun Control Narrative. Sunny @sunnyright, “We’ll do anything to keep Australians safe” “So you’ll monitor mosques for radicalism?” “No, too far” “You’ll restrict immigration?” “No, too far” “You’ll take more rights from law-abiding Australians?” “Yes, perfect.” The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "To Halt Violence Against Jews, Australia Bans Hanukkah." Babylon Bee, FAKE NEWS: Media Reports Mass Shooting In Australia But That's Impossible Because Guns Are Illegal There. Eli Lake @EliLake, "I don’t believe you." Quote Rashida Tlaib @RashidaTlaib "I’m heartbroken by the horrifying attack on the Jewish community in Australia and wish all the impacted families healing, peace, and strength amidst this unbearable tragedy." Matt Vespa calls it Tone Deaf: Did Chuck Schumer Really Say This About the Bondi Terror Attack on Sunday? "Go Bills!"

From News Wax, Syria Arrests Five Suspects Over Shooting of US, Syrian Troops in Palmyra.

Driscoll at Insty find the TINIEST TRUMP SCANDAL OF ALL TIME? New State Department FONT Policy! "This could qualify as the tiniest Trump scandal of all time — even smaller than the “Trump dumped all the fish food in the koi pond” scandal. It’s a FONT scandal. NBC News thought this was hot-buns news from the Department of State:" I don't miss the good old days of manipulating fonts to keep proposals under the 15 page limit. 

NYPo opines, Tariffs are working to weaken China’s unfair trade — don’t stop now. From Fox, Trump says Warsh, Hassett are leading contenders for Fed chair pick and Fox Bus, Bessent expects taxpayers will see 'very large' tax refunds early next year "Treasury Secretary Bessent says retroactive tax provisions in OBBBA will boost refund season."

Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN claims US tells Ukraine to withdraw troops from part of Donbas region for peace deal, "Over the past two days, Ukrainian-US negotiations have been constructive and productive, with real progress achieved," Ukrainian secretary Rustem Umerov said." At the Illinois Review an Opinion: Why the Seizure of The Skipper Was Perfectly Legal — And a Blow to Maduro, Iran and Hezbollah. Leslie Eastman at LI sees a Seismic Power Shift Looms as Bolivia May Rewrite Lithium Deals Involving China to Favor U.S. "Another golden opportunity for the Trump administration team to make a deal that secures the U.S. critical mineral supply chain."

News Wax is concerned Trump Admits GOP Could Lose House in Midterms. 

Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "Someone needs to make this make sense “Tim Walz is getting destroyed for a billion dollar fraud scandal, but nobody's talking about California - Tim Walz lost only a billion dollars. Federal investigation, people going to prison - Gavin Newsom, $32 billion in unemployment fraud, $13 billion in Medi-Cal, $6 billion in food stamps. That's over $50 billion gone - Tim Walz is facing house oversight, treasuries investigating terrorist ties - Gavin Newsom, no investigation, no oversight, no consequences. One party rule, zero accountability. You're skipping a doctor because of your co-pay. They're buying yachts with your tax dollars. Tim Waltz got caught. Gavin Newsom got a presidential campaign.” At OTP, Trump HUD Sends Staff Into Minnesota To Investigate Amid State Welfare Fraud Scandal. At Da Caller, Stephen Miller Says Somali Fraud Scandal Could Create Unprecedented Milestone In US History. Dave Manney at PJM, ICE, Ilhan Omar, and a Familiar Script.

VodkaPundit at Insty, A BILLION-DOLLAR LOSS IS STILL CHEAPER THAN STAYING IN NEWSOM’S CALIFORNIA, I GUESS: Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "WOW! Devastating loss for Gavin Newsom as Valero suffers $1 BILLION dollar loss so they can flee California by 2026. They’re sick of the mandates and regulations. That’s how bad it’s gotten. America — pay attention. He wants the White House."

OTP reports Hunter Biden Disbarred In Connecticut After Ethics Violations.

At NYPo, Far-left extremists face judge in alleged LA bombing plot as trans suspect begs for women’s jail. Sundance host the press conference as FBI Intercepts Far-Left Plot to Detonate Bombs on New Years Eve. Ace, Antifa-Style Pro-Palestinian Terrorist Group Arrested, Stopped from Planned New Years Even Attacks in LA.

Ben Whedon at JTN reports Appeals court intervenes in Boasberg contempt efforts, punting matter to 2026 "The matter if the actual deportations has already reached the Supreme Court, which permitted the administration to invoke the Alien Enemies Act." Shipwreckedcrew sees the Judge's Order To Release All ICE Detainees Is Stayed by Seventh Circuit Pending Appeal "Biden Admin. entered into "consent decree" to not detain certain illegals scheduled for deportation hearing and Chicago Judge ordered enforcement of that agreement -- paused for now." John Sexton at Hat Hair reports on Day One of Judge Dugan's Trial.

Ace cites Charles Grassley: New Evidence Proves Obama Stopped FBI Agents from Investigating the Clinton Foundation and a House Report: DC Police Chief Demanded Cops Falisify Crime Records to Cook the Stats "By Any Means Necessary." Misty Severi at JTN reports Comer threatens Clintons with contempt if they don't show for depositions in January. "The letter comes after the couple's attorney sent a letter to the committee last week outlining why the two Clintons should not be required to appear for their respective depositions, which were initially scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday." From WokeSpy, ‘Democrats PAID Black Lives Matter’ to Hit the Street if Trump Won: Mike Benz.

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry @pegobry_en "This exchange sums up Where We Are." VodkaPundit at Insty says CIVIL LIBERTIES AIN’T WHAT THEY USED TO BE: Logan Bowers @loganb "ACLU deciding equity is when people of color get to murder more pedestrians is so profoundly racist, I can’t even." Quote M. Nolan Gray @mnolangray "Reading bizarre NPIC position letters on common sense California legislation is kind of my full-time job, but I don't think I've ever seen one this strange. Enforcing DUI law is a form of "racialized wealth extraction"...?"

Sundance hosts Tom Homan Delivering Powerful Remarks Noting the Success of Trump’s Border Security Program. At the Center Square, More than 9,500 commercial truckers taken off U.S. roads nationwide “We’ve now knocked 9,500 truck drivers out of service for failing to speak our national language – ENGLISH!” Duffy said in an X post. “This administration will always put you and your family’s safety first.” LifeZette sees a Minnesota HS Go Full 1984, Threatens to Punish Students for ‘Wrongthink’ About ICE "A Minnesota high school principal has warned parents that students could face discipline, including suspension, for comments that praise Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or reference President Donald Trump’s deportation policies in ways school officials say conflict with the school’s values."

At Insty, RHETORICAL QUESTION, I PRESUME.

But why does the legacy media do this? https://t.co/00s1LLE2El

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 15, 2025

From the College Fix, USC professors promote ‘drag pedagogy’ for K-12 teacher prep programs.  Insty, EDUCATION HIGH AND LOW IS A MONEY LAUNDRY AND ACTIVIST FARM FOR THE LEFT: Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist @DeAngelisCorey, "Los Angeles public schools have lost 26% of their students since 2014. Yet they've increased staffing by 19%. The government school system is a jobs program for adults."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: In Honor Of Alice Cooper and FMJRA 2.0: A Week In The Ruts available for browsing at the usual place and time.