Flotsam and Jetsam - Iran Used Trash Bags to Simulate Mines in the Gulf of Hormuz

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair cites Axios: Trump Has the Upper Hand in Hormuz. VodkaPundit at PJM, hears Iran Mined the Strait of Hormuz With… Trash Bags? "According to reporting cited by CNBC's Brian Sullivan, shipowners said many suspected mines were decoys, including inflated trash bags," the IW post continued. "Separate reporting citing U.S. officials said more than 200 mine-like objects were cleared from the main shipping lane, but only around 11 were actual mines." Such deceptions have a long history in warfare. I reluctantly award them points for creativity. At Twitchy, People Are LOVING the Faces a CNN Panel Makes As Scott Jennings Explains Trump's WIN in Iran. Scott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY, "By any meaningful metric, we have won this war. Now it's time for the president to formally announce it to the American people." It's sad to see the CNN panel sad to hear America is winning." Insty, TRUMP IS CRUSHING IRAN WITH ALMOST NO (U.S.) CASUALTIES, AND PEOPLE ARE BITCHING: Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "FACT CHECK: True." Quote Marc Thiessen @marcthiessen, "Trump’s attack on Iran was not a blunder; it was the bravest foreign policy decision any president has done in my lifetime. He is the first president to take the words of our enemy seriously — and act before they were able to kill millions."

Sundance at CTH is happy to say Goodbye Canadian Oil – President Trump Announces “Biggest Oil Deal in World” with Venezuela. Trump: "The United States of America has just entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela on, THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY! At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with Highly Respected Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and, through a partnership with private business, have secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer."" OilPrice, U.S. In Talks To Take Direct Ownership Of Venezuelan Oil Fields. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "It’s the Venezuelan dividend. Take out the brutal dictator who turned a prosperous nation that pumped money out of the ground into a wretched impoverished third world hellhole. Welcome Venezuela back. Cut China and Cuba off from a cheap oil source. The other part. No accident this happened months before Iran. The IRGC had a presence in Venezuela. Supplied Venezuela with weapons, patrol craft. You want that in striking range of the southern coast of America?"

Sundance reports Russia Begins Targeting Dual Use Infrastructure in Kyiv, Tens of Thousands Flee the Region. Begins?

Don Surber predicts the Saudis will build nuclear reactors, "The only question is if they are build by Westinghouse or Red China. Democrats don’t want Westinghouse to land the contract." From Resp State, Trump wants to stabilize Libya. Militants have other plans. Of course they do.

From Space.com, 'It's going to be beautiful': President Trump signs order to create US Space Academy. "It'll attract, train and graduate the very, very best of our nation." Sundance, President Trump Announces the United States Space Academy. At Insty, VodkaPundit quips "It’s a shame the name Starfleet Academy is sullied."

Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "Caring about Donald Trump's idiosyncrasies is a waste of time. I care that the border is shut. That DEI is dying. That we're rebuilding our military. If he wants to say he's renaming a lake to freak out the squares, that's a bargain." Quote Emily Zanotti @emzanotti, "Just...just one shred of dignity. One. Please. x.com/Republicans/st…" The Appalachian Podcast @GetOnTap, "#BREAKING President Trump just announced that his administration is moving to allow farmers the ability process their own meat. This is huge for farmers, the economy, and for rural Americans who should be able to get meat from their neighbors. Long overdue, but these are the decisions we were hoping to see." Heather Champion @winningatmylife, "It was easy for Trump to walk right in and take over the Republican Party bc they were all false fronts. Kristol, Tucker. I resent this tremendously." Quote Bill Kristol @BillKristol, Replying to @BillKristol, "MAGA is a Red Scare, a Race Scare, and a Gender Scare all at once." To be fair, he was the man who put "neo" in neocon. Dave Hoile at Am Great says The International Criminal Court Is a Woke NGO. Shut It Down. "Secretary Rubio’s pledge to dismantle the ICC brick by brick will be easier to execute than many may think."

At Twitchy, Trump Blasts NYT's Maggie Haberman for ‘Sources Say’ 9/11 Smear, CNN’s Jake Tapper Rushes to Rescue "Maggot Hagerman, the Fake Reporter from The Failing New York Times, an unattractive person both inside and out, and who knows less about me than most reporters on the beat (She’s a SCAMMER!), made up a story that on September 11th, I’m not going to the World Trade Center, in New York City, because they won’t let me make a speech, and I’m going to the Pentagon in D.C., because I’m a featured speaker." "This is more Corrupt News, I’ve been to New York many times over the years, and no one ever speaks, it’s a “solemn ceremony!” I never even thought of what Maggot made up, and besides, I would love not to speak, because I’m speaking all the time, and this is a day to remember the victims, and their beautiful family members."" Insty says YOUR TERMS ARE ACCEPTABLE: Jelly Roll Dares Trump Fans to Stop Listening After Playing Court Jester for Jimmy Kimmel.

Matt Vespa at TownHall, That PA Measles Story Just Took a Wild Turn, At Hair Dave Strom looks at The Lie Buried in the Truth of Measles 'Associated' Deaths. A newborn died of a broken spleen, tested positive for measles. Commissioner Josh Parsons @CommissionerJP, "Correct. This is a point I have been making. The PA Sec of Health says she "thoroughly" reviewed the two cases. At the press conference they emphasized the two individuals were "unvaccinated." The underlying assertion was that this status was by choice. We later learned that one case was the infant who died at birth. The infant obviously had no opportunity to be vaccinated. A thorough review of the case by the PA Secretary of Health would obviously reveal this. Thus, stating it the way they did is an attempt to deceive the public. If there is one attempt to deceive the public in this matter, it is fair to ask if there are other attempts." Quote Madhava Setty @Madhava_Setty, "Replying to @AboutPediatrics @CommissionerJP and @SecKennedy You do realize that if the death was in a newborn calling it an unvaccinated death is ridiculous." Cary Kelly @CaryKelly11, "Blaming measles for a death a coroner said was caused by a lacerated spleen is stupid. Community notes, where are ya?" Quote Geraldo Rivera @GeraldoRivera, "Kids dying because they weren't vaccinated for measles is stupid." Also at Hat Hair, Beege Welborn on The Mystery Measles of Lancaster County", Unless someone coughs up a red, spotty corpse pretty quickly, power-mad Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro is going to have some serious 'splainin' to do." Secretary Kennedy @SecKennedy, "Governor Shapiro's unseemly rush to Lancaster County to convene a national press conference and his giddy delight in announcing two measles deaths was a morose commentary on the contemporary political dialogue. The performance was a replay of the Democrats' COVID playbook: fearmongering, misinformation, finger-pointing, and the weaponization of infectious disease fears for political gain..."

At Am Mind, John C. Eastman stares down The $40 Trillion Hole "Time to revisit the Constitution’s Spending Clause limits." Politicians just can't control their urge to give away taxpayers money.

Dmitri Bolt is happy to hear Scott Bessent Is Coming for Soros, CAIR, the SPLC, and the Left’s Tax-Exempt Empire. It's time to get rid of tax-free NGOs entirely, left, right or center. Make them part of the regular economy.

Ace wakes up to the realization, from the X Safety Team: We Have Uncovered 200,000 Bots and Fake Accounts Created by Chinese Intelligence to Propagandize Against Data Farms, "...so that China can win the AI race because the US just quit it." It almost worked with nuclear power. AG @AGHamilton29, "Keep this in mind when you see posts with tens of thousands of likes that happen to fit with the information war positions of certain adversaries. You think this is the only CCP bot farm? Any idea how many Iranian/Pakistani/Russian active bot farms currently exist on here and other platforms?"

Susie Crabtree at RCP reports the Secret Service Spokesman, Two Others Suspended Amid Leak Probe  "All three employees are based in the communications office. Placing Secret Service agents or officials on administrative leave and suspending security clearances is standard practice during an investigation and not a confirmation of wrongdoing."

Dave Strom, Abdul El-Sayed Will Save Jews From Global Warming! Jarvis @jarvis_best, "I was pleasantly caught off guard by the argument of former journalist Peter Beinart who responded to a group of Michigan Jewish Dems who were uncomfortable with El Sayed by telling them that El Sayed will stop global warming and global warming will be Bad For Jews." Capt. Ed, Piker Melts Down As Michigan's Jewish Dems Fight Back. Dave Strom again, Yes, It Matters Who You Embrace and Campaign With. Insty says NO. NEXT QUESTION? "Can Abdul el Sayed be trusted with intelligence community secrets?  To be fair, these days I’m not sure the intelligence community can be trusted with that stuff."A Hat Hair vid claims to know The Bloc of Michigan Voters the GOP Must Win Over. Am Con calls Alaska The Sleeper Race That Could Decide Senate Control, "Name confusion and the Last Frontier’s ranked-choice system may spell trouble for Republicans." CDM @CDM_PRESS, "NYT Killed A Story That Exposed How Democratic Spam PACs Drain Elderly Donors — And A Stanford Professor Had To Publish It Himself. A surprisingly concentrated group of elderly donors are responsible for the lion’s share of money raised by these groups. Full story in comments..."

At AMAC, Blue-City Blackouts Expose the Left’s Race Hustle. "In response to power outages in two blue cities, some liberal activists are blaming "racism" for delays in getting the lights back on. But there is one glaring problem with that theory." Black looters shooting at repairment and Blacks run the system from top to bottom. Being Democrats, you can be sure the system is being looted at the expense of maintenance. 

West Coast, Messed Coast™– Califraudia's Protection Act for Billion-Dollar Robber Barons. Bob Hoge at RedState sees Nick Shirley Leave a NYTimes Reporter Sputtering As He Educates Her on CA's 1st Amendment Assault. If I understand the law correctly, he should immediately file a complaint against her, and any other "unfriendly" new reporter that seeks to interview him, just as a lesson.

Matt Vespa reports  A Top FBI Official's Remarks About Running a Secret Government Are Now More Chilling. Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal says the FBI Followed Catholic Priests, Continued Richmond Memo Work After Removal Order: DOJ Report Finds.

Yashar Ali @yashar, "BREAKING via TMZ Milo Yiannopolous has been apprehended by ICE and is currently in a detention center." From Not The Bee, Former Trump supporter Milo Yiannopoulos has been arrested and detained by ICE. Sundance provides some details, ICE Arrests Milo Yiannopoulos for Overstaying Visa Pending Deportation and Removal. "Yiannopoulos legally entered the country on May 14, 2019, through New York City, New York. He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws.   Yiannopoulos was issued a final order of removal by an Immigration Judge on July 22, after failing to show up for his immigration hearing. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal." Dave Strom says  This Is Pretty Funny, Actually...  MILO @Nero, "California needs ICE checkpoints at supermarket entrances, gas stations, strip malls, intersections and government buildings, with on the spot deportation for anyone who can’t prove they are in the US legally."

From Ace, Rubio Suspends All H-1B Visa Processing, "Rubio tried to ban visas for citizens of countries who tend to abuse our welfare system. A Biden judge named Jeanette Vargas, get this, blocked this necessary measure." Mike Letts at PJM sees Minnesota Just Got Handed a Loss Following Its Absurd Request Over ICE Agent Christian Castro. "a federal judge who delivered the latest blow to the state of Minnesota, calling them out on the same insanity that Abbott saw. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. rejected Minnesota’s requests for a temporary restraining order, allowing Castro to walk free. That’s not to say he won’t face the charges down the road, but this is a step in the right direction."

From the College Fix, Trump’s loan limits prompt UPenn to help graduates find jobs. Campus Reform finds University of Pittsburgh curriculum features several classes on Marxism, including class on ‘racialized police violence’ and racial capitalism. At the Wash Stand, Trump Banned Federal DEI Programs, but Thrift Savings Plan Contracts Ignore the Order. Buck Throckmorton at Ace's  MORNING RANT: “Polite conservatism” didn’t put woke corporations on the defensive - conservative activists did; This time the target is the Big Four Accounting Firms.

NiohBerg @NiohBerg, "Reminder that in both Libya, Syria and Iraq, the moment civil war broke out and the ruling regimes lost control over entire regions, the locals immediately reopened slave markets. As if it was the most natural thing to do. Not all cultures are equal." Bob Spencer at PJM, Trump Says He’d ‘Absolutely’ Ban Sharia. From NYPo, CAIR blamed 9/11 on US support for Israel, recommended bin Laden’s writings in back-to-school guide: ‘Evil propaganda.’  Kyle Becker @kylenabecker, "Any “feminists” care to comment? Or is “feminism” just a Marxist scam to poison sexual relations and attack Western culture? It’s interesting what radicals attack and don’t attack. Because it exposes them all as frauds." Quote Faraz Pervaiz @FarazPervaiz3, "Canadian Islamic scholar Dr. Shabir Ally says: “A Muslim man can have 4 wives and an unlimited number of female sex slaves (concubines). The four wives are also slaves, but with higher status.”" At Hat Hair, Mark Judge writes on Jews, Literacy, and American Freedom.

James McGee at Am Spec looks at Iryna Zarutska, Lindsay Clancy, and the Politics of Who Gets Mourned. "Our culture has its victims and villains backward." Our culture doesn't. The left does. 

Capt. Ed, Nihilists, Man: WPATH Goes the Full Lebowski. "Now that it faces action from the Federal Trade Commission for fraud, however, WPATH suddenly wants to wrap itself in the First Amendment. All of those claims about a scientific basis for chemical and surgical sex changes on children? That was just their opinion, man! Call it the Full Lebowski." ripx4nutmeg @ripx4nutmeg, "At least four women's golf tournaments in Canada have been won by men this summer." Well, Cana Duh. 

Even more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.28.26! Linked at the Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Hot Takes With Cranberries

Another Sunday morning, and the news is thankfully sparse. Either that, or I did a lousy job of collecting.

From Spiked!, Fauci and the great Covid cover-up, "Did scientists mislead the world about the origins of the pandemic?" Some did, some didn't. I hesitate to consider Fauci a scientist, as he had long given up active research for bureaucratic infighting. At No Pasaran! "Fauci did his bit, played his part, and was lavishly rewarded by the press": So how did a virus with a ~.02%-.04% mortality rate become 24/7 headline news? It became battle prep for the 2020 election steal. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Da Signal thinks the Hearing Represented ‘Complete Career and Personal Destruction of Anthony Fauci.’ Leslie Eastman at LI asserts Dr. Deborah Birx Must Be Next Focal Point in Covid Mitigation Policy Investigations, "Fauci and Birx are the Bobbsey Twins of the covid pandemic disaster." I'm still not sure I see a crime in her actions, but she has a lot to explain. The Vigilant Fox @VigilantFox, " Stephen A. Smith publicly APOLOGIZES to Kyrie Irving after calling him "selfish" for refusing the COVID jab. "Hindsight-wise, it didn’t make him stubborn or selfish. It made him BRAVE." "I watched Dr. Fauci on Capitol Hill yesterday, and the person I thought about most was Kyrie Irving..." Da Signal reports The New Ban Hawley Wants After Fauci’s Senate Appearance. "Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is set to announce legislation to bar all federal employees from soliciting cash prizes while they are in office. The announcement follows the senator grilling Dr. Anthony Fauci about the millions of dollars he pocketed while allegedly contributing to the spread and cover-up of the COVID-19 pandemic."

At 1945, Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National SecurityA Year Ago Putin Had the Momentum. Now Russia Is Importing Fuel and Ukraine Is Taking Ground. "Last August, Vladimir Putin arrived on American soil expecting a favorable deal. Russia held the momentum, the February White House meeting with Zelenskyy was still fresh, and administration officials spoke as though Ukraine would eventually have to settle. A year on, the picture has inverted. Ukraine’s own missiles and drones have reached Russian refineries and logistics far behind the front, Moscow has extended its gasoline export ban and turned to imports, and Washington has moved toward joint drone production and Patriot interceptor licensing. Whether that amounts to a permanent shift is still an open question."

NewsWeek admits Trump Was Right. Six Months Post-Maduro, Venezuelan Recovery Defies Critics. Proving once again, you can vote yourself into socialism, but you have to shoot your way out.

News Wax reports Tankers Hit Near Hormuz as Iran Warns of Wider Disruption. From Resp State, Houthis v. Saudi Arabia: Round 2. This time it's regional. "After fresh clashes with the Yemeni military group, Riyadh finds itself at the center of overlapping wars and skirmishes, including Iran and Iraq." Carlo Carrasco sees America Sanctioning Iran’s Mahan Air Network and IRGC-Linked Front Company. At LI Vijeta Uniyal reports U.S. Warns its Citizens to Leave Middle East Citing ‘Unforeseen Escalation’ With Iran.

From Quotulatiousness "Nobody “designed” capitalism" "One of Karl Marx’s cleverer notions was to come up with a label for the economic system that had slowly emerged from the feudal period in Europe. It wasn’t ever the result of some overarching plan or campaign, it was just the easiest way for producers and consumers to connect without coercion or force. It had no real name until its declared enemy named it." That's why I prefer to call it "the free market," which to be fair, has never really been tried either.

Bad Hombre @Badhombre, "Let’s take it from the top again. Here’s the Democrat lineup going into the midterms: - A diagnosed-bipolar Asian chick with a history of self-harm who’s been institutionalized in a psychiatric ward and overdosed on lithium, and wants to get rid of Thanksgiving. - A guy who plays with a Dr. Fauci doll, proclaims his “love for trans kids,” and met his girlfriend at a gay bar. - A guy who dresses up as a mechanic for fun, married his cousin, and knocked her up twice. - A guy who frequents events where participants get pissed on in a kiddie pool while wearing assless chaps, whose claim to fame is lowering the age of consent for men to have sex with boys as young as 12, decriminalizing knowingly infecting others with AIDS, and supports allowing convicted pedophiles to run for school board. - A Haitian chick who thinks the United States is a “f*cking disgrace,” wants to abolish borders, law enforcement, and prisons. - A Muslim guy who believes the U.S. deserved 9/11, is funded by the Muslim Brotherhood, and whose wife and father-in-law have terrorist connections." At Twitchy, Bill Maher Ends Anti-Communist Rant by Saying He’d Vote for Sarah Palin Over DSA-Aligned Dems. InfantryDort @infantrydort, "This might be the strongest piece Bill Maher has ever made. The communists are here. They’re actually here. Right now. Taking power. What are we going to do about it?" Quote Bill Maher @billmaher, "I'm not voting for anyone who thinks the wrong side won the Cold War or cheers for the Intifada like it's the World Cup." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "To Avoid Criticism For Hooking Up With His Cousin, Troy Jackson Converts To Islam, and Maine Dems Explain They Can Either Do 'No Rape' Or 'No Incest' But Not Both.

Fusilli Spock @awstar11, "Hold on, hold on, hold on. Hunter Biden is shitting on President’s children. Does he know he’s Hunter Biden?" Quote Marco Foster @MarcoFoster_, "Hunter Biden: “As it relates to Donald Trump, fuck him. Fuck his son. Fuck his daughter. I mean it, all of them, the whole family down to the grandchildren. I hope for the rest of time their names will live ignominy. They have done the most awful things to my family and to me”"

News Wax, Florida Man Gets 2 Years for Threatening Trump "The Justice Department said court documents show that Villavicencio made online threats of violence directed at President Donald Trump, former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., over several months." Not really big into ideological consistency.

Quotulatiousness covers The invasion of Ceuta. "In the last 48 hours vast numbers of people have learned that Spain still has territory on the African continent, as Morocco enables thousands of young men to cross into the Spanish city of Ceuta. The Spanish government has, to time of writing, refused to declare a state of emergency or to send military forces to assist the municipal authorities in Ceuta. In Spiked, Brendan O’Neill thinks this heralds the end of globalism" At NYPo, Fed-up Spaniards lash out at socialist prime minister after migrant invasion: ‘A third-world country’ Konstantin Kisin @KonstantinKisin, "The level of gaslighting we've had in the last 24 hours is absolutely off the charts. You can fuck off with this shit: - "Cueta is in Africa so it's not really Spain" Pearl Harbor is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean so it's not really the US then? - "A lot of them have gone home" If 60,000 people break into your home and then leave that is better than them all squatting in your home permanently, but they still broke into your house. - "They're refugees fleeing the climate crisis" (James O'Brien came up with this gem) No, they're not. If I was fleeing the climate crisis, I'd bring my wife and kids, not 59,999 other men. They want a better life. They can apply for a visa and if they meet our rules, we'll decide which ones we want to accept and which we do not. Otherwise they're queue-barging and can fuck off. - They can't get from to Cueta to mainland Europe because there's a stretch of water and a border there. Uhh, we're letting boatloads of illegal immigrants into Britain on the daily. There is absolute no evidence European countries have any desire to enforce their borders. - It's not a migrant invasion, it's just Morocco doing it on purpose Oh, it's an *organised* invasion. What a relief." Boxy @Boxy_FT, "The leftoid position is now, without exaggeration: "diversity is our strength and there's nothing wrong with Muslim migrants, but Israel is using them to punish us"" Quote LPC @landpalestine, "Spanish actor Javier Bardem says The migration of 60,000 people from Morocco to Spain was planned by Israel because Spain opposes the genocide in Palestine." Sir Doge of the Coin @dogeofficialceo, "BREAKING: Bonnie Blue is reportedly “furious” after Pedro Sánchez STOLE her idea to let 60,000 migrant men inside in 24 hours."

From Fox, Liberal court stuns with ruling that hands Trump major immigration win. "The panel of two Biden appointees and one Trump appointee ruled on TPS for migrants from South Sudan and Ethiopia." AP whines Trump administration pushes tougher English rules for Mexican train crews crossing into the US. Ned Ryun @nedryun, "I’m pretty sure that’s not what we voted for. . ." Quote The Post Millennial @TPostMillennial, "DHS Sec. Mullin to sanctuary cities: "I'm not handling things like the past secretary had. Let's work to get the worst of the worst off the streets. And then you won't see me in your cities as much. In fact, you probably won't even see us at all.""

At the Telegraph, Berlin Pride attack shows the insanity of the Left’s love affair with Islamism. RAW EGG NATIONALIST @Babygravy9, "I really don't think "You're lucky we've got paid security to prevent you being murdered by Islamists for speaking at the world's oldest and most prestigious bastion of free expression" is quite the pro-immigration flex you think it is, love." Quote Basil the Great @BasilTheGreat. "WOW. A student at the Oxford Union tells Tommy Robinson he is lucky they've put security on for him otherwise their Pro-Islam supporters outside would beat him to death." Quotulatiousness explores Why UK crime victims’ families always sound so similar talking to the media

Driscoll at Insty, AND THEN HE SHOUTED, CAMBRIDGE IS MAGA COUNTRY! "Cambridge Can — but Evidently Won’t — Catch Jason Arday. Arday is one of the U.K.’s newest academic superstars, a true success story as the youngest black scholar ever to become full professor at the University of Cambridge, Britain’s second-best institution of higher learning. His life story is truly impressive, an inspiring tale of a man rising to a prestigious position from severe disadvantages in life — Arday claims to suffer from an autism so severe that he was entirely nonverbal until the age of eleven, and wholly illiterate until learning to read at the age of 18. Now, not only is he a national pseudo-celebrity, as a “high-functioning neurodivergent,” he’s at the top of the academic hierarchy. The devastatingly thorough report by Nathan Cofnas, a scholar at Ghent University (and a former research fellow at Cambridge), summarizes Arday’s remarkable vault up the academic ladder after claiming to have achieved literacy only after he started attending Sixth Form..." As I've always said regarding the many academic plagiarism scandals with DEI involvement, nobody really expect anyone to read that shit. They just got unlucky that AI would make checking easy after they plagiarized.

Hat Hair's John Sexton reports Amnesty Apologizes to J.K. Rowling's Crisis Center for Women. ""We regret that this briefing was uploaded to our website without going through the established internal review processes that are in place to ensure consistency, accuracy and alignment with Amnesty International UK's positions. Its use of language does not reflect the position of Amnesty International UK which is why it was promptly removed." They just couldn't help themselves, it was a reflex. Driscoll has one of his DISPATCHES FROM THE HARRIS ADMINISTRATION: Brian Cates - Political Columnist & Pundit @drawandstrike, "Griner was supposed to come out eventually as trans. And the WNBA was all poised to celebrate that. You all know this, right? Two things ruined it. 1. Caitlin Clark 2. Donald Trump getting reelected." and "Oh forgot one. 3. And the sudden rise of Sophie Cunningham."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Getting Strapped and FMJRA 2.0: The Usual Horrible Start to the Season up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - House Passes Budget, Including Iran War

From Althouse, "House Republicans on Wednesday muscled through a $95 billion budget framework that includes President Donald Trump’s request to fund the Iran war..." "From "House Republicans Ram Through Reconciliation 3.0 Despite Little Senate Buy-in/The framework includes money for defense, farm assistance and changes to voting laws" (NOTUS)." Ace, House Passes "Stop Insider Trading" Bill to Forbid Congressmen from Trading Individual Stocks (Using Insider Information); Noted Lifelong Inside-Trader Nancy Pelosi Votes Against It, "The bill would allow congresmen to own stocks as part of money markets or indexes -- big groups of stocks traded by managers without input from the customer. They, and their families, will just be barred from buying and selling individual stocks, where a congressman could make a killing based on insider knowledge of coming government action that could boost, or crush, a specific company's valuation." Vince Coglianese @VinceCoglianese, "This is Washington for you. They hate Trump personally, so they refuse to do the right thing for the American people." Quote Andrew Desiderio @AndrewDesiderio, "Longtime GOP operative weighs in on latest WH-Thune drama… “Trump knows full well that he can’t flip these votes. Hell, he personally came to the Capitol to berate Senate Republicans into voting for SAVE, and he left empty handed. Look at who we’re talking about — Murkowski, McConnell, Tillis, and Collins — all members who he’s savaged at one point or another, and now he needs their help. All of this comes back to one thing: What happens when Trump can’t do something himself? He blames someone else. John Thune is Mr. Someone Else.” Another from Althouse "Trump Badly Screws Susan Collins as Maine ICE Death Takes Darker Turn." "There's a crass headline for you. From The New Republic." News Wax reports Sen. Thune Fires Back on SAVE America Act Delay ""Maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It's 50 around here," Thune said, according to The Hill."

Scott Pinsker at PJM, 2028 Speculation Explodes: The Future of MAGA Isn’t Vance or Rubio. It’s… Tom Brady?! He's young enough, he's moderately articulate, he'd cinch the male vote, but what about women?

James Hirsen @thejimjams, "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirms that over 256,000 non-citizens have been found on the voter rolls in California, New Jersey, Nevada, andPennsylvania." Drew Holden @DrewHolden360, "Step 1: “Voter fraud doesn’t happen,” CNN Step 2: “Fine, voter fraud happened,” CNN Step 3: “Voter fraud happening doesn’t mean what you think it means,” CNN."

Art Schaper at Am Great, sees Trump Is Righting Latin America "The right is on the march, cleaning out the wreckage of socialism and communism." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn snorts at the thought of the Carney-Val Side Show Act - Man the US Is Sure Gonna Be Sorry About the Tariffs.

From the Free Bacon, How Trump Can Avoid the Vietnam Trap in Iran. Hat Hair's John Sexton sees Four Republicans Hand Pramila Jayapal a Big Victory on Iran. "Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), Warren Davidson ( R-Ohio), and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) joined all 210 Democrats in backing the measure, the second war powers resolution to pass the chamber in recent months." Ace reads the CIA Report: Air Power Alone Can't Win Wars. "I've been saying this since day one." Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران @ariel_oseran, "BREAKING: Trump says the civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia is subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords." RedState's Ward Clark laughs at an Iranian Propaganda Fail: IRGC's New Israel Hit Is Just Old American A-10 Footage, because their AI isn't up to snuff? Dick Pollock at World in Crisis wonders Has Donald Trump Sidelined Vance Over Iran? "When the President's top aides were ending the MoU and planning air attacks against Iran, Vance was delivering a speech in Milwaukee about Medicaid fraud." Uri Kurlianchik @VerminusM, "Funny. In Europe you have pro-Iran demonstrations without a single Iranian in them and anti-Iran demonstrations composed almost entirely of Iranians." At Israel Nat News, Investigation: Hamas planned massive October 7th attacks across Europe. "Swiss newspaper reports Hamas had a years-long plot to carry out an October 7-style wave of coordinated terrorist attacks across Europe, targeting Israeli, Jewish, and Western institutions."

From Fox, JONATHAN TURLEY: Democratic Socialists want to remake America in their image. That’s terrifying, "DSA manifesto released on Bastille Day proposes ending capitalism and remaking the constitutional system." Hat Hair's John Sexton notices The DSA's Platform Really Is Nuts. InfantryDort @infantrydort, "The communist question for political office is brutally simple: How can someone swear to support and defend the Constitution while openly seeking to destroy the constitutional order it created? Believing vile things is protected. Advocating lawful constitutional change is protected too. But an oath taken “without mental reservation or purpose of evasion” cannot mean promising fidelity with one hand while reaching for the knife with the other..." Insty says AT A FIRST APPROXIMATION, THEY HATE EVERYTHING WORTHWHILE: "Why do progressive leftists of all people hate nuclear energy so much? And they’re against anything that would make the West stronger, richer, and freer." TownHall's Kurt Schlichter hopes Democrats Are Walking Into a Minefield. Scott McKay at Am Spec has Zero Sympathy for the Democrats’ Political Death March. "After years of empowering the fringe, Democrat insiders are discovering that the monsters they cultivated are now consuming them." James Lindsay, anti-Communist @ConceptualJames, "A terrifying yet exciting moment has arrived in the trainwreck called the Democratic Party." Quote Visegrád 24 @visegrad24, "Melissa Chaudhry, a Democratic congressional candidate in Washington's 9th District, has acknowledged that she does not publicly promote LGBTQ+ rights on her campaign website because she does not want to alienate Muslim voters." Sunny @sunnyright, "When you have both a trans and Palestinian flag." Quotulatiousness has an interesting Business idea – a socialist-themed holiday camp "Your daily itinerary: Wake at 5 a.m. Stand in the bread line until noon in minus 15 Celsius. The bread runs out at 11:40, but the queuing builds character, and character is the only thing not in shortage. Afternoon activities include a second line for toilet paper (there is no toilet paper) and a mandatory lecture on how the shortages prove capitalism sabotaged the harvest." Also from Quotulatiousness, DSA: Trump doesn’t respect political norms. Also DSA: Let’s abolish the current system. Kerry Picket at WaT, Trump, Ocasio-Cortez spar over communism label as DSA’s influence grows in Democratic Party. Sister Toldja at RedState sees A Platneresque Democrat Scandal Hits WI Governor's Race, and You Just Cannot Make This Stuff Up.

Fox News Politics @foxnewspolitics, "A group calling itself a "conservative social movement" against AI data centers enlisted Green Party figures, a transgender congressional candidate, a Democratic state legislative candidate and progressive activist organizations to run its nationwide protests — all while positioning itself as a grassroots right-wing uprising against Trump's AI buildout. Humans First, chaired by Tea Party co-founder and Jan. 6 rally organizer Amy Kremer, claimed to rally conservatives on July 18 with 142 protests across 42 states. But a Fox News Digital review of the group's own protest pages found organizers including an Illinois Green Party chapter that supports impeaching Trump, a Georgia group founded to resist Trump's agenda and protect "diversity, equity & justice," and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation as a featured speaker. The group's startup capital came via a loan from the Center for AI Safety, a San Francisco nonprofit whose staffers appear on Humans First's incorporation documents."

PJM's Bob Spencer hears The Adults in the Room Skewer Boy Mayor Mamdani After He Admits He Can't Fulfill Major Promise, to imprison Bibi. Amy Curtis at TownHall, Mamdani Says Most of Our Lives Are Already Socialist and Ends Up Tripping Over History. From Reason, Nobody Likes Red Tape, Not Even Mamdani "Eliminating burdensome small business regulations is a win for everyone." I guarantee Zohran likes his own red tape. Roger Simon at American Refugees thinks The Jews Should Leave NewYork. "Exit the city to save it... and yourselves."

Dave Strom is shocked, shocked that AOC Leads NH Presidential Preference Poll. The Telegraph claims Republicans move to clip AOC’s wings amid 2028 speculation. Mediaite notices Social Media Users Point Out Pete Buttigieg Less Popular Among Black People Than Ex-KKK Leader David Duke Was in 2016. From atop Da Hill, Harris 2028 White House bid ‘not going to happen’: Former Biden aide. Dan McCarthy at The Chronic explains Why Democrats Can’t Do Better Than Kamala Harris in 2028. PJMs' Chris Queen sees Jon Ossoff Voted Against Giving Georgia’s Kids a Stake in the American Dream.

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "HOLY CRAP! Barack Hussein Obama's new presidential library has forced a subcontractor to SHUT DOWN after a $4 million battle and having to lay off 25 workers — Fox News Other black-owned firms are also FURIOUS, demanding additional funds they are owed The subcontractor claimed he is OWED $4 MILLION and 25 union workers LOST A JOB NOW Hussein's library is turning out to be a trash can, which is EXACTLY how it looks in real life! ..."

At RCP, California Seeks To Enjoin Democracy. "If successful, California would effectively enjoin the legislative process – an odd way to celebrate 250 years of independence from unaccountable tyranny." At Cal Matters, They’re on our flag, but do long-gone grizzly bears belong in modern California? Definitely; I recommend them for downtown LA.

Ace reports Jim Jordan Makes a Criminal Referral to the DOJ For Jack Smith's Perjury; Melania Presses Sanctions Against Democrat Media Party Hatchet Man Michael Wolff. "I know, I know: file it in the "Nothing Will Happen" folder. But still." Dave Strom sees Rand Paul Releases Treasure Trove of Messages Proving that 'Proximal Origins' Paper Lied.

TownHall's Matt Vespa hears the Secret Service Director Says Threats Against Trump and Other Protectees Are 'Off the Charts'. But from Ace, One of JD Vance's Secret Service Agents Is Under Investigation for Leaking "Sensitive" Information "Just filled with rotten apples, one after another."

There was a fatal police shooting in the liberal haven of Madison, Wisconsin on XXX. A long-time violent felon drew a knife on police when they stopped him, and was shot and the George Floyd crowd is getting the band back together. It being her hometown, Althouse is all over it; This is Francesca Hong, a Democratic Socialist who is ahead in the polls for the Democratic Party nomination for Wisconsin governor, speaking in the streets of Madison yesterday after a fatal shooting by the police. "For background on the shooting: "Wisconsin officer kills man armed with knife, police say, as shooting sparks protests/Madison police said that after a chase and a struggle, a man who was being sought pulled out a knife and injured an officer, which led to the deadly shooting" (NBC News)("Videos of the shooting were captured by bystanders and were circulated online. One of them, verified by NBC News, appears to show officers holding on to the man as someone yells, 'Let go!' Multiple shouts of 'He’s got a knife!' can be heard....The shooting was not captured on body camera video, which the Madison Police Department does not widely use"). And, "This is a corrupt city. That's right. Have no fear, the anti-Zionist is here. You understand me?" Andrew Mercado @AndrewMercado, "Emotions boiled over during today’s Madison Police Department press conference as community members interrupted Police Chief John Patterson following the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz. The room reflected the grief, anger, and frustration many are feeling. One man took the microphone and refused to allow the chief to continue speaking, while another attendee argued they should let officials answer questions and be part of the conversation instead of shutting it down entirely. During his remarks, the man holding the microphone said: “When these police officers come down the street and they decide they want to take the life of another brown body, there is NO oversight for that. That’s imperialism, ladies and gentlemen.” The exchange underscored just how divided people are over what accountability should look like and how deep the pain and distrust runs after Corey Ruiz’s death. As the investigation continues, many in the community say they are still searching for answers, transparency, and justice."

At Da Caller, Fifth Circuit Rules Illegal Aliens Do Not Have Constitutional Right To Roam Free In US. WaEx, Fifth Circuit hands Trump administration win on holding illegal immigrants during their removal proceedings. Twitchy notes CNN: Trump Has Activated a Never-Used 'Secretive Court' for Deporting ‘Alien Terrorists’. Andrew Branca Show @TheBrancaShow, "JUST IN: Judge Boasberg fought Trump's deportation strategy and sarcastically pointed his administration toward a court that had NEVER been used. So what did Trump do? He used it. Nearly 30 years after Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, it's finally been activated. Political jiu-jitsu on Boasberg. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." John Sexton has a report from NYC: Two Men Stabbed by Suspect Yelling 'Allahu Akbar. Ace, Ethiopian Migrant Culturally Enriches Three American Citizens In, Get This, Minnesota. "But I'm sure he was an engineer or doctor or scientist developing a cure for cancer. So the three senseless, barbaric murders he committed are balanced out. This "migrant" could not convince the government to let him bring his family over from Ethiopia. He decided that he was being discriminated against because he was black and an immigrant, which is exactly the murderous grievance instilled in him by the American left." Beege Welborn views a New Townhall Video that Busts Ally of NE Dem Senate Candidate in ICE Agent Doxing. Bill Buckley (not that Bill Buckley) at Da Caller reports ‘MyPillow’ Guy Mike Lindell Proposes Deportation Moratorium If He Wins Minnesota Gov Race “Six months, all the illegal immigrants would have to go get what’s going to be called a conditional work visa,” he said. “I’m a person of second chances, if the only thing they ever did was cross the border and didn’t report back in because they were afraid of being re-deported.” 

From Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, a Federal Judge To Hood County: No You Can’t Have Immunity For Arresting Someone For A Meme. Not Yours. Matt Vespa thinks you should Watch Don Lemon Immediately Undercut His Own Talking Point in the Same Sentence. To be fair, he doesn't have writers for his material any longer. Driscoll at Insty, THE AP MORPHED INTO THE BABYLON BEE SO SLOWLY, I HARDLY EVEN NOTICED: The Associated Press @AP, "In impoverished Nepal, where a conservative culture leaves openly transgender people with few legal job options, the impact on aid workers’ lives was particularly crushing. Starving and scared, around 100 LGBTQ+ aid workers left jobless by the funding cuts have turned to sex work to survive, walking the streets alongside the very people they once fought so hard to help."

Wesley Yang @wesyang, "0 percent of education papers were replicated," Quote The Missing Data Depot @data_depot "A 7-year study of 3,900 social science papers found that only ~50% could be replicated. There was significant variation across fields, however." Probably because no one cared enough to try. John Sexton hears from the Education Department: No More Disparate Impact Analysis. PoIiMath @politicalmath, "Honestly, if academics truly believe this about themselves, just shut the whole thing down. No public funding for university academics. It was a fun experiment but taxpayers should no longer pay for people to professionally hate them." Quote Jade @shimmerjade, "Conservatives are not well represented in academia because conservatism is, for the most part, the ideology of the incurious. Abortion is bad because the Bible said so. Immigrants are bad because Fox News said so. Capitalism is good because Reagan said so x.com/moodyblueliner…"

Mike LaChance at LI enjoys Rep. Brandon Gill Grilling the Head of American Bar Association About DEI, Future of Law Schools “Do you believe that all of us have implicit biases? Against which groups do you have implicit biases?” Brandon Gill @realBrandonGill, "The American Bar Association says that the Supreme Court should reflect America's racial demographic makeup. I asked the ABA's President if that means the Senate should refuse to confirm a third black Supreme Court justice."

Matt Vespa claims Sophie Cunningham Shuts Down Reporter Over Her Stance on Transgender Athletes in Women's Sports. I think shut down may be a little over-stating it, but she did make her case well. AG @AGHamilton29, "This is the position of 70+% of Americans. It’s also common sense. The fact that so many in the press and associated institutions treat it as something morally abhorrent and feel the need to grill a female athlete for voicing it shows how disconnected they are from reality." Quote Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "Sophie Cunningham gets grilled by WNBA reporters for saying men shouldn’t be able to play women’s sports. Refuses to back down. “I said what I said.” Eloquently defends women’s sports as woke reporters press her. Love all of this. Well done @sophaller." From Ace, Amazing: Female USA "Sports" Columnist and Woke Karen Argues That Caitlin Clark Should Accept Being Fouled by Black Lesbians Because If She Complains She's Putting Black LGBTs in Danger. "This nasty Karen claims that Caitlin Clark is "flopping" -- pretending to have been hurt when another player fouls her, or she wants a ref to call a foul on the player that collided with her. And she says that Caitlin's flopping is a Matter of National Concern, because Caitlin Collins' alleged flopping is "putting the lives of blacks and queers in danger.""

And more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.22.26 and In The Mailbox: 07.23.26.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Returns

Trump is home from China, and if there was a big outcome, I have yet to see it, as I expected. At RCP, Trump Has Historic AI Opportunity in Beijing–He Must Take It. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Faux Pas: Trump Gifts President Xi With Pot Of Honey From White House Beehive.

Sauron's Eye whines U.S. moving to indict Cuba's Raúl Castro, sources say. OK, but don't expect to ever hold a trial. At Am Spec Martin Arostegui sees The ‘Donroe’ Doctrine Comes Into Its Own. "Spain and the UK are emerging as the big losers." Speaking of the UK, Hat Hair's Beege Welborn predicts Tomorrow's 'Unite the Kingdom' Rally Looking Like Starmer's Planning Something Today MORE. Will he get his very own Charlottesville or J6? Sasha Stone says Surprise, Trump Isn’t Hitler After All.

At ToI, Saudi warplanes struck Iran-backed militias in Iraq during war, sources say "Riyadh said to have targeted sites near the kingdom’s northern border from which drone and missiles were launched at Gulf states; Kuwait also said to have fired on Iraq." and UAE secretly launched strikes on Iran during war, attacked oil refinery — report. Maybe it wasn't such a smart move to missle everybody in range. Hat Hair's Capt. Ed has 'Ceasefire' Updates: Israel Hits Top Hamas Commander; Iran Escalating Executions and Trump Offers Iran 20 Years – Or Annhilation. Door #2. Bob Spencer at PJM fears Trump is Waging War on the Time Clock.

To no one's surprise, SCOTUS has just unanimously declined Virginia's plea for them to step in and overrule SCOTVA's ruling again the Spandander redistricting. Capt. Ed, BREAKING: Unanimous SCOTUS Rejects VA Dems Attempt to Reinstate Referendum Matt Vespa at TownHall notes The Supreme Court Just Ruled on VA's Motion Over Their Redrawn Map. Meltdowns Are Coming. Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "IT'S OFFICIAL — Virginia Democrats have just been dealt the FINAL BLOW in their attempt to illegally force through their gerrymandered map for the 2026 US House elections SCOTUS just UNANIMOUSLY denied their request to hear the case on the map. MASSIVE blow to the Dems!" PJM's Stephen Kruiser, We Never Want to Hear 'House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries'. At NYPo, Jonathan Turley frets Virginia’s gerrymander flop leaves Democrats frustrated — and dangerous. AMAC thinks Democrats Reveal “Rule or Ruin” Core on Virginia Redistricting. In response, Ro Khanna proposes packing the court. FischerKing @FischerKing64, "Court-packing is a completely mainstream view on the political left now. They see it as entirely justified because they are unhappy with recent decisions. They're not interested in the "judicial philosophies" behind the opinions - they just want their way. They're refreshingly honest about this." Quote Rep. Ro Khanna @RepRoKhanna, "The Supreme Court has engaged in an ugly recidivism that has marked the fastest rollback of Black political rights since Reconstruction. 18 year terms limits on Justices now. Expand the court from 9 to 13 Justices now." Hat Hair's Dave Strom says Your Offer Is Accepted, let's do it now while Trump is in office, and the Republicans (nominally) control the Congress. Bad Hombre @Badhombre, "The same Congressional Black Caucus that refuses to admit Byron Donalds, Wesley Hunt, John James, and Burgess Owens because they don’t consider them Black since they’re Republicans. Good. It’s a total joke. It can’t go away soon enough."Quote ABC News @ABC, "Almost a third of the membership of the Congressional Black Caucus are at risk of losing their seats through the 2028 election cycle as Republicans in southern states where they control the legislature move swiftly to redraw congressional maps." Breaking911 @Breaking911, "BREAKING: Longtime Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) announces he will not seek re-election." Now that he's been Gerrymandered out. At Data Republican's substack, The "Fourth Founding": How our Unelecteds Plan to Rewrite the Constitution (Part 1) "Inside the Foundation-Funded Blueprint to Restructure American Governance by the Nation's 250th Birthday."

Driscoll at Insty envisions 21st CENTURY HEADLINES: AI Might Make Campaign Ads Halfway Tolerable. Ace, Foreign Communist Candidate for LA Mayor Nithya Raman Wants to Ban Backyard BBQs Because the Transnational Invaders Instinctively Make Endless War on American Normies, "Their absolute hatred of anything normal and wholesome, and their absolute determination to steal away any simple pleasure from the working and middle classes, is demonic. I'm sure you remember this same instinct in full effect during the lockdown." Liz Wheeler @Liz_Wheeler, "Spencer Pratt: I will clean up homeless encampments, address drug addicts, & prevent fires from burning down people's homes. Karen Bass: I will spend your money on teeth for meth addicts. Nithya Raman: I will ban grilling burgers in the backyard. Your choice, Los Angeles." Capt. Ed, LA Mayoral Race Focuses On the Big Problem Facing Angelenos: Grilling! UPDATE: 'Everything Is Awful'

This
is
AMAZING pic.twitter.com/f5Gj1TAgP8

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) May 15, 2026

At Da Signal, the Great Victor Davis Hanson explains The Newsom Nightmare: Why California’s Elites Refuse to Face Reality. Matt Vespa hears What If Dems Are Shut Out of the CA Gov Race? Newsom Says There's a 'Break-the-Glass' Contingency Plan. Why should they live with the rules they created to govern others?

Dave Strom at Hat Hair says Say What? 1 in 5 Fairfax County Residents Is Deportable? Cam at BA notices the Virginia Governor Admits She Just Banned Guns 'Frequently Used for Hunting' Tyler Englander @TylerEnglander, "Here is @GovernorVA's statement on her decision to sign the assault weapons ban. “I am signing this bill into law because firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on our streets. We are taking this step to protect families and support the law enforcement officers who work every day to keep our communities safe,” said Governor Spanberger. “While the General Assembly chose not to adopt my amendment that specifically carves out certain firearms frequently used for hunting, I will work with the patrons to clarify this language.” She could have vetoed it. From Shooting News Week, One Loser Got Far Too Close…So What Happens When Four Pros Show Up?

The Peacock whines Vance announces suspension of $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California. "As part of his role as the fraud czar, Vance said that the administration is targeting California because the state isn’t taking fraud seriously." Charles C. W. Cooke @charlescwcooke, "He literally says “fraudsters” in the video that this tweet sits above." Quote Headquarters @HQNewsNow, "JD Vance appears to call for jailing Democrats who oppose MAGA: “We gotta get them out of this country and we gotta get them in prison.”" Democrats = fraudsters seems a fair conclusion. From Ace,Congress Rejected Biden's Demand for $50 Billion in Extra Spending for Medicaid Programs. On His Own Tyrannical Authority, Biden "Authorized" $46.5 Billion of That Spending Anyway. "This Saved Democracy, you know. It just so happens the money he spent on his own authority is exactly the money currently being looted from the American taxpayer by Democrat parasite groups." PJM's Cathy Salgado notes 425 Groups With CCP Ties Are Getting $1B Annually to Organize Against Israel and the U.S. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair has The Fix for Homelessness? Get Rid of All the Big Money to 'Fix' Homelessness.

Erick Florack at PJM sees COVID-19 Lies Exposed, Democrats Go Into Hiding.

Althouse finds "President Donald Trump is expected to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate..." ""... allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The commission overseeing the compensation fund would have the total authority to hand out approximately $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to settle claims brought by anyone who alleges they were harmed by the Biden administration's 'weaponization' of the legal system, including the nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as well as potentially entities associated with President Trump himself." ABC News reports." Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "BREAKING: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has now CONFIRMED he has commuted Tina Peters’ sentence, saying he believes the election whistleblower’s free speech rights were violated Polis says the judge “held her speech against her.” Peters will OFFICIALLY be free in just a couple weeks, with a release date of June 1."

Driscoll says HOORAY FOR PALLYWOOD! Why would the NY Times make such horrific claims about Israel? The reasons are several-fold. "Nicholas Kristof raped my dog. At least that is what I have heard, from an anonymous source. A source who is intensely hostile to the New York Times columnist. And that’s good enough for me. Now I come to think of it, my pet pug has had a strange look on his face lately. As it happens, the rumor that I have just attempted to spread is far less lurid and fanciful than the one that the New York Times chose to spread around the world this week..." Dave Strom calls it The Big Tell: NYT Not Reporting Kristof Accusations on its News Pages. At NRO, Israel Knows a Defamation Case Won’t Fly. That’s Not the Play. It's the joy of discovery.

Matt Margolis at PJM was impressed when Jessica Tarlov Had a Complete On-Air Meltdown, and Then Greg Gutfeld Torched Her. A day ending in "Y". And then, Greg Gutfeld Destroys Whoopi Goldberg After Her Unhinged Rant About Donald Trump.

InfantryDort @infantrydort, "18 months ago we were doing diversity and inclusion vignette training. Today we’re obliterating terrorists, sinking entire navies, and snatching rogue leaders during their sleep. Fort Benning is using bayonets again. Understand how far we’ve come. Not a step back." Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79, "A committee of the American Bar Association has voted to eliminate its already suspended DEI accreditation requirement. A final decision depends on a future vote by the ABA House of Delegates. One member of the committee said, “Even though I personally agree with [the diversity and inclusion standard] and what it tries to achieve, I think it’s appropriate as an accrediting body that we eliminate that standard so we don’t inhibit the diversity of ideas out there in various types of legal education environments.”" Ed Carson @IBD_ECarson, "@jonhaidt says college students are coddled. Boy did they prove him wrong." Quote Benjamin Ryan @benryanwriter "NYU professor @JonHaidt, who has stood at the forefront of the movement to challenge academia’s culture of suppressing the free exchange of ideas, is facing a campaign to cancel his graduation address."

Stacy McCain, This Should Not Need to Be Said. Cotton-Pickin' is not racist. 

Althouse finds "Texas Children’s Hospital will create the nation’s first 'detransition clinic,' fire five physicians and pay the state $10 million..." ""... under an unusual settlement announced Friday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). The clinic would focus on providing [free] medical care to patients who had undergone gender-affirming healthcare and work toward reversing its effects, Paxton said.... The move follows an investigation that began in 2023 after Texas passed a law banning health providers from facilitating gender-affirming medical care for minors.... In a statement, representatives from the hospital system insisted they had been compliant with all laws but were settling to 'protect our resources from endless and costly litigation.'" The Hill reports. I'm also reading the Axios report of this story." 

And, "A judge in Manhattan declared a mistrial on Friday after the jury in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial was unable to reach a verdict..." "... on the charge that the disgraced Hollywood producer raped an aspiring actress in a hotel room in 2013. It’s the second time a jury has not been able to reach a verdict on this charge." The NYT reports." He may have been a boor, but everyone in Hollywood was well aware of what going to his room entailed.

And oh, so much more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.15.26 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 05.15.26 (Evening Edition). Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Writing Until Dawn up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.