Flotsam and Jetsam - Francesca Hong Out to Dry

Yesterday was primary day in a few states. The big one to watch, of course, was Wisconsin's Democrat primary, where Francesca Hong, the DSA candidate too radical for Bernie and AOC, was contending with a "normal" Democrat, David Crowley, for Governor. Hong had been polling as the almost prohibitive favorite, by as much as 20 points. At Twitchy, IT'S A BIGGUN! Live Election Results on Twitchy! Primary Night for SC, WI, MN, VT, AL and CT (Shew!). Hat Hair's Capt. Ed sees Panic at the Wisco: Dems Realizing Hong Might Cost Them Midterms. Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, ""I started off as a sports journalist and ended up a Communist" has turned out to be a depressingly common career arc." Quote Tiffany War Room @TiffanyWarRoom, "HONG: "I was actually trying to become a sports journalist when I first went to college so I learned you sometimes have bad takes on Twitter." Francesca Hong was a full grown adult and member of the Wisconsin Assembly when she said she wanted to abolish the police and prisons." Amy Curtis at TownHall hears David Crowley Says Francesca Hong Is a Liability on Eve of Wisconsin Primary. AG @AGHamilton29, "Just incredible that I hadn’t even heard about this yet. She voted against a bill that criminalized adults trying to sexually pursue children. Dems have themselves a real winner with the DSA candidate in Wisconsin." Quote Swann Marcus @SwannMarcus89, "I am now unironically likely R on the Wisconsin gubernatorial race. 7 months ago Francesca Hong voted against a bill that made it illegal for teachers to groom their students for sexual purposes Here’s what happened: A 30-year-old teacher messaged a 13-year-old..." At Althouse, The race was close, but Francesca Hong has conceded and the risk of a democratic socialist Governor for Wisconsin is over., "At least this time around. Here's the NYT report (gift link):" "Why were the polls so bad?! The final Marquette poll, from July 22–27, released July 29, had Hong at 38% and Crowley at 7%."

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, 'I Was Just a Kid' Is the Excuse for Being Insane the Last Few Years. Sean Hannity @seanhannity, "Nothing says "principled stance" like needing two different answers six years apart. AOC vs. AOC on defunding the police, side by side." Hat Hair's Scott Pinsker sort of admires The Cunning Genius of AOC’s ‘Woke’ Reboot. At UnHerd, Ryan Zickgraf claims ‘Woke One’ derailed my life, "AOC can’t laugh off its excesses." Robby Soave at Reason begs us Don't Let AOC Retcon Her Starring Role in 'Woke 1' "Would President AOC eschew wokeness? I doubt it." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Democrats Announce You Aren't Allowed To Remember What They Did A Few Years Ago." Ian Haworth @ighaworth, "I love the way we’re talking about 2020 like it’s 1920, and 1619 like it’s 2025." Quote ABC News @ABC, "Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her support for defunding the police in 2020: “During lockdown, of course, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today.” Enguerrand VII de Coucy @ingelramdecoucy, "By the way, AOC is being very public about getting her eggs frozen for future use because she thinks it’ll allow her to take on the mantle of “motherhood”, having a stake in the game of being concerned for the future for the sake of her children, without having to actually deal with the raising children part. Cynical? Perhaps, but I’m pretty sure that’s the idea here."

Capt. Ed cites El-Sayed: Let Me Tell You Why July 4 Fireworks 'S**k'. At Twitchy, Scott Jennings Says Holiday Hatred Is Window Into Souls of Dem Party’s Anti-American Candidates “I think these are windows into the souls of these anti-American, radical communists.” “If you hate Thanksgiving and you hate the 4th of July, what you’re really saying is I hate some of the pillars that undergird American culture.” “And how are you going to have a conversation with a voter about affordability or public safety or anything else, if you’re trying to get rid of Thanksgiving and the 4th of July?” Hat Hair's Dave Strom heaars Hasan Piker Says It Out Loud: DSA Practicing Taqiyya. Max @MaxNordau, "Abdul El-Sayed surrogate Hasan Piker explains the importance of lying to voters: "I think our politicians, whether they be AOC or anybody else, they're not running away from progress." "So their pragmatism isn't to moderate on their policies. Their pragmatism is to moderate on their comms, on their communication." He admits that El-Sayed's true beliefs are "electoral poison": "You got to moderate your message, even if you don't want to temper your movement, in order to sell it to the public."" Michael Goodwin at NYPo opines the Michigan Senate race displays the radical ‘shift’ the Democratic Party has taken. Jim Geraghty at NRO observes The DSA Has Slogans, but Isn’t Interested in Policies. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "It's kind of a domestic Death to America theme." Quote Sarah Huckabee Sanders @SarahHuckabee "Democrats’ top candidate in Texas won’t eat meat, their leading nominee in Wisconsin hates Thanksgiving, and now their guy in Michigan is coming out against football. Banner year, guys." Dave Strom sees They're Spoiled Brats: DSA Bigwigs Not Doing Well Under the Klieg Lights. At PJM, VodkaPundit cites DSA on Illegals: 'You Don’t Have to Have Papers to Have Power.' Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "Nithya Raman's partner at DSA LA says their goal is to completely abolish police & prisons. When asked what happens if a girl gets raped? Her answer? "I want to talk about street lights." These communists are insane. Crazy slovenly malcontents." Christopher F. Rufo @christopherrufo, "The most notable statistical outcome of the George Floyd Revolution was a significant increase in the black homicide death rate. That is the actual legacy of BLM.." Quote Rotimi Adeoye @_rotimia "The anti-racism book boom made a handful of authors rich. The struggle sessions gave wealthy academic elites a new industry. Meanwhile, did any core data point move? Black life expectancy, the wealth gap, homeownership. Where’s the change? Is the country’s consciousness raised?" At Hat Hair, Mark Judge cites Henry Rollins: 'Communist Countries Suck.'

Dana Loesch @DLoesch, "The terror-loving nepo baby who VERBATIM demanded the NYPD be defunded NOW demands that the same officers risk their lives by traveling with his selfie-obsessed wife so she can make a personal visit to a country for which the US maintains a Level 4: do not travel advisory." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Mamdani blames his staff after NYPD denies NYC's first lady a police escort to the Middle East." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears Mrs. Mamdani Won't Get to Take New York's Finest to Syria With Her. wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "The very word "Pied-à-Terre" provides a glimpse into Mamdani's world that few ordinary people are familiar with. It goes back to a world before motels, air BNBs and time share. In that world the well-to-do person had a country house and primary residence. Then he had a town house or pied-à-terre as a private urban foothold for the family or individual during the Season. ... Perhaps Mamdami still sees the world in terms of the top-hatted, tuxedo wearing, diamond tie pin garbed, pied-a-terre dwelling capitalist elite which it is his moral duty to tax. But I think the world has changed."

Amy Curtis at Town Hall hears Republicans for Talarico Disbands After We Learned It Was a Really Just a Bunch of Democrats. Enguerrand VII de Coucy @ingelramdecoucy, "I ran into a “Republicans for Talarico” type lady here once, came into my replies talking about how she was a lifelong conservative Republican voter who’d been forced to support Democrats because of how radical the Republican Party had become, so I searched her history and found stuff with her talking about how she’d left the Republican Party because it was too radical… in 2008. Because John McCain was too radical for her." Quote Zach Kraft @ZachKraft7 "RIP "Republicans for Talarico" The Talarico campaign is now officially distancing themselves from the failed group after it was exposed to be made up of lifelong Democrats."

Owen Gregorian @OwenGregorian, "Remember this when someone says voting doesn’t matter." Quote Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "WOW: Recount In The Indiana State Senate Race FLIPS Seat to Trump-Rndorsed Paula Copenhaver By THREE Votes She unseated State Senator Spencer Deery, who OPPOSED redistricting." ThePersistence @ScottPresler, "BREAKING NEWS I can’t believe they reported this — they just told on themselves." “Allegheny County Elections Division Manager David Voye said Allegheny County does not have a system to verify citizenship for voters.”The second-largest county in Pennsylvania DOES NOT verify the citizenship of the voters it registers to vote. This is a constitutional crisis." I'll bet that is widely true across the US, especially in blue areas. Althouse finds
"... a blast from the past! The New York Times hasn’t pulled out the infamous 'beer test' for a political candidate since May 22, 2015..." ""... when it ran ['Finding a Candidate You’d Like to Have a Beer With.'] The 'beer test' was once a massively overused campaign reporting cliché. It grew out of a Sam Adams ad campaign in the 2000 race, and from Bush-Gore through the 2016 cycle it was nearly impossible to escape 'beer test' coverage. Then Donald Trump won the 2016 beer test by default — it was hard to imagine Hillary Clinton having a beer at all — leading even Slate to pronounce 'there has never been and perhaps never will be a candidate you’d be more eager to have a beer with than Donald Trump.' That's Matt Taibbi, in "Cliché Alert: Return of the 'Beer Test'/The New York Times reverts to old form, thanks to a blue-party schism" (Racket)."

Amy Curtis hears Virginians Are Turning on Abigail Spanberger. Jason Miyares @JasonMiyaresVA, "Governor Spanberger booed in Galax. Turns out when you break your campaign promise, attempt a Leftist power grab pushing an unconstitutional gerrymandering effort In order to silence rural Virginia voices, coupled with massive tax increases, it results in a frosty reception…." To be fair is wasn't in North by God Virginia.

Hey, Did You Know That the Hunter Biden Laptop Was a Jewish Conspiracy? from Dave Strom. John Sexton hears Paramount CEO Threatens to Exit California after "a group of blue state attorneys general led by California's Rob Bonta sued to block the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger."

At the Breitbart Bus Dig, The Trump Manufacturing Jobs Revival Is Accelerating. Sundance at CTH reports President Trump Announces Release of Robert Gilman from Russian Jail. Buzz Patterson @BuzzPatterson, "You want to know why @realDonaldTrump is focused on Greenland? He’s always one step ahead." Quote Polymarket @Polymarket, "JUST IN: China launches new “Ice Silk Road,” connecting China to the U.K. through the Arctic & cutting the journey roughly in half." Bob Hoge at RedState, British Royal Navy Discovers Spy Cams on K3 Scout Vessels — Data Was Going Straight to China. I wouldn't be shocked at all to hear that's happening here too. 

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "IT'S OFFICIAL: By the stroke of pen and flanked by RFK Jr., President Trump establishes a new US vaccine schedule that decreases the number of jabs from 72 to 11 — and spreads them out over multiple visits, rather than pumping the child all at once "That's a big one in my book!" MAHA is alive and well!"

Frank Miele at RCP has  A Modest Proposal: Performance Reviews for Senators. Good luck with that!

Larry, in a Hat Hair vid, sees CNN Hosts Triggered by Trump's Escape From Iranian Threat. Doug Powers @ThePowersThatBe, "The story: Iran had a serious plot to kill the president. The headlines: OMG Secret Service protected the president and not every asshole in the media." Quote Jake Tapper @jaketapper, "So the USSS thought the threat against the president was strong enough to surreptitiously remove him from AF1. And then proceeded to let the plane full of White House staffers and reporters take off and fly back to the US." Cathy Salgado at PJM cites an Iranian Media Official: No More Negotiations With Trump. It's not like they negotiate in good faith. 

UK Defense J confirms American warship downs drones with laser weapon, only a test.

Jonathan Turley sees Sam Alito is Locked and Loaded . . . and He is Not Going Anywhere. Jeffrey Rosen discusses America on the Docket: The 2026 Supreme Court at great length.

From Sundance at CTH, The Safety and Efficacy of the COVID-19 Vaccination was Based on Scientific Theories and Medical Speculation. Beege Welborn insists Fauci's Phone Proves 'for the Children' Just Another Fascist Oppression Tool.

Sarah Anderson at PJM says Wait, Rubio Revoked How Many Visas? Just Wait Until You See Why. From NewsWeek, Map Shows H-1B Visa Filings in Democratic and Republican Districts, blue uses more, but it's a bipartisan boondoggle.

Beege Welborn thinks Stopping UK Migrant Inflow Going Swimmingly — 'Swimming' Being Operative Word. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Elon Musk Buys The United Kingdom To Establish Free Speech There From babylonbee.com" Elon Musk @elonmusk, "How much is it?"

From Althouse, "Zuckerberg acknowledged 'a risk that an imbalance of power between individuals and government leads to a loss of freedom or totalitarian state.'", ""His solution was to create superintelligence which ensured that users were responsible for deciding the model’s values, not the developer. He said there should be 'a fully private mode for personal agents where even Meta or any other service provider cannot see or grant access to your information.'"From "Five key takeaways from Mark Zuckerberg’s AI manifesto/The Meta founder outlines a vision of free superintelligent personal AI agents, smaller workforce teams and expanded open-source tech across the nation" (London Times)."

Sundance sees Police and Federal Govt use of Flock Cameras Under Scrutiny. 

At Complete Colorado, Colorado’s one-party rulers enjoy a progressive press pass. 

C Brad Thompson, the Redneck Intellectual, calls The Jason Arday Story The Worst Academic Scandal in 817 Years! Donna-Louise @NoLongerTheFuzz, "Cambridge University: first the Jason Arday disaster, now this. They’ve appointed Farah Ahmed as Assistant Professor of Education — a woman who called Western education a “threat” to Muslims, democracy a “corrupt tradition,” and literacy plus qualifications un-Islamic. She attacked English literature as damaging, condemned treating Islam as just one religion among others, and criticised schools for teaching that child marriage is wrong. Same faculty. Same total collapse of standards. Shocking doesn’t begin to cover it." Rod Dreher @roddreher, "Conquest's Third Law Of Politics: "The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies." You really don't need more than that to explain why Cambridge University does the things it does." Quote The Spectator @spectator, "We can reveal that a former supporter of Hizb ut-Tahrir, now banned as a terror group, has been appointed assistant research professor of education at Cambridge, in the same faculty as Arday.
Farah Ahmed has explicitly attacked 'western education' as a 'threat' to..." Tyler Austin Harper @Tyler_A_Harper, "This is a story about a college lost down the rabbit hole of performative progressivism. But at its heart, it’s about labor exploitation, the hell we put contingent profs through, and how the collapse of the tenure-system paved the way for cowardice and pseudo-radical groupthink." Quote The Atlantic @TheAtlantic, "@Tyler_A_Harper landed his dream job, a tenure-track position at an elite liberal-arts college—but he found himself “being treated like a racial prop rather than a professor.” Read more in our newest cover story: https://theatln.tc/uAlYLOai." John Sexton says Tyler Austin Harper's Take on Woke Campus Life is Worth a Read. From the Slantic,Tyler Austin Harper on Why I Quit the Tenure Track, "The insufferable hypocrisy of elite academia." 

Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "“Grandpa, I just don’t understand. How was it that given how powerful the United States was, China was able to overtake us and dominate the world?” “Well.. it all started when they examined the whiteness of physics"" Quote David Decosimo @DavidDecosimo, "Never forget that the NSF gave half a million dollars for a ‘critical whiteness studies’ project claiming physics was racist because of its objectivity, meritocracy, & use of whiteboards. Their data were a few videos of in class group work using dry erase boards. Just incredible. x.com/daviddecosimo/…"

From TOI, UK probes major Muslim charity after director charged with funneling aid to Hamas. "FBI alleges Al-Khair Foundation head worked with senior Hamas leader to transfer cash and divert humanitarian supplies to terror group while concealing that it was the beneficiary." Seth Mandel at Commentary, How ‘Israeli’ Came to Mean ‘Jewish’ in the American Press.

Lola @thefempire50, "You’re going to have to explain the difference between a man saying he’s a woman and a man saying he’s a woman." Quote Melanie D'Arrigo @DarrigoMelanie, "Saying “identifies as transgender for the purpose of playing professional basketball,” is admitting that you’re only doing this as a stunt to mock trans women, which makes you a bigot. x.com/foxnews/status…" John Sexton hears from WPATH: Our Standards of Care Are Just an Opinion, you don't say... Vodkapundit at PJM sees Trans Rep Sarah McBride Has a Sad but Can't Stop Laughing "“Support on individual issues facing the trans community, on individual policies around trans rights, by every objective metric, is worse today than it was five years ago,” McBride said."

And more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.11.26 (Evening Edition). The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Another Rough Start up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Wins a Couple More at the High Court

The Supreme Court is in the process of cleaning up this years caseload, and a few important cases have come down. Regarding immigration, the Court overrode the lower court ruling keeping the Trump administration from revoking the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of Haitian and Syrian illegal aliens. The Court also ruled the administration could continue its policy of refusing asylum requests from would be immigrant in third countries (like Mexico and Canada) who have not yet entered the US. Both decisions were 6-3 in the way you would expect. Bob Hoge at RedState, Tension on the Bench: Justice Alito Is None Too Pleased With Sotomayor's Bitter Dissent on Asylum Case. "Sotomayor read from her 39 pages of angry rhetoric as the other judges either stared impassively or read their notes." Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "Yeah this part of the statement doesn't feel very *temporary'" Quote Aber Kawas @AberKawas, "I’m angered by today’s Supreme Court decision to strip Temporary Protected Status from Haitian and Syrian families who have fled violence and instability to seek refuge here. This ruling won’t stop there. It opens the door to ending TPS for more than a million people from fled violence and instability to seek refuge here. This ruling won’t stop there. It opens the door to ending TPS for more than a million people from countries across the world, putting countless families at risk of deportation and separation...." Chris Queen at PJM, When Does an Immigrant 'Arrive' in the U.S.? The Supreme Court Ruled on That Question. Townhall.com @townhallcom, "BREAKING: The Supreme Court delivers a MASSIVE win for Trump's immigration agenda! SCOTUS reverses a lower court ruling that forced the federal government to accept migrants who hadn't even reached the border as "asylum seekers." The vote is 6-3." Many expect that the court released these two pro-administration immigration decisions to soften the blow when they rule against Trump on birthright citizenship. I can see that. At CIS, Salvadoran National Indicted for Rape of 16-Year-Old in N.Y. "An example of why the Laken Riley Act requires the deportation of aliens under removal orders."

In other cases Charles C. W. Cooke @charlescwcooke, "Oh, is that what the case was about? The Court convened, and the justices were asked whether they liked “big business” or those with “cancer,” and seven of the nine chose “big business”? Or was it about FIFRA’s preemption clause? The press’s coverage of the law is a disaster." Quote POLITICO @politico, "Supreme Court sides with big business in Roundup cancer risk fight http://dlvr.it/TTCdCf" Readers added context "The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that federal pesticide law (FIFRA) preempts state failure-to-warn claims requiring cancer warnings on Roundup labels beyond EPA requirements; it did not decide the cancer risk." At the Volokh Conspiracy Josh Blackmun looks at two 2nd Amendment cases and says Something Feels Off About Hemani and Wolford (Updated), "The Court decides two major Second Amendment cases, but the latter does not even mention the former." Teri Christoph at RedState is pretty jazzed that Spanberger Gets Smacked Down *Again* As Virginia Judge Blocks 'Assault Firearms' Ban.

PJM's Stephen Kruiser thinks Trump Is Losing Patience With Useless Uniparty GOP Leadership on the SAVE Act, and in general, and Dave Manney says Trump Wants Action While Senate Republicans Count Excuses. At the Wash Stand, Trump, House Freedom Caucus Up Pressure on Senate to Pass SAVE America Act that 79% of Americans Support. Misty Severi at JTN reports the Postmaster General says he will comply with Trump rule to hold back mail ballots, "The proposed rule seeks to create lists of citizens in each state to help determine who is eligible to vote and calls on the Postal Service not to distribute mail ballots to those not on state lists."

Kurt Schlichter at TownHall advises us to Calm Down About JD Vance. Sarah Anderson at PJM calls it Marco's Mic Drop Moment: 'We Have No Drama, We Have No Games.'

Mark Tapscott at PJM, sees OTAS GETTING SUNLIGHT: "Federal law requires federal spending to be publicly available on the USASpending.gov, but not there is at least $99.7 billion in Department of War research and development spending using Other Transactions Agreements (OTA) over the past six years. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala) offers an amendment in the House Rules Committee (one of 1,200+!) that makes it clear OTA contracts must be disclosed on USASpending.gov. May not seem like a big deal in a $7 trillion federal budget but that’s how bureaucracies typically get around the law, finding (or creating) loopholes like OTA. And loopholes tend to breed like Jack Rabbits. Sundance at CTH, Arrogant, Sanctimonious and Entitled Republican Sub-Committee Chairman Mark Amodei (NV) Unmasks Himself." ZitoSalena @ZitoSalena, "'Welcome to the Money Belt,’ Trump on Pennsylvania’s economic reinvention--our interview discussing regions rapidly reinvention as well as him becoming part of an elite group of POTUS to ever visit the Army War College that includes Washington & Eisenhower." Sundance hosts Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – The 5 Pillars of Economic Statecraft.

From ToI, US military says it killed senior ISIS leader in airstrike on Syria last week. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great says Don’t Forget the Broader Context of the Iranian Memorandum. "Trump’s Iran memorandum is not a surrender or a new beginning—it is the next phase of a strategy built on pressure, deterrence, and avoiding another costly Middle East war." At No Pasaran!, "A Total Defeat," a "Capitulation," a "Catastrophe", Warns a French Trump Supporter Regarding the Iran-USA Treaty. The French talking capitulation? That's a laugh. And, it's not a treaty yet, it's an MOU.

Monica Showalter at Am Think thinks Democrats board the crazy train in New York "Democrats have no one to blame but themselves." Adam Turner at RedState believes In New York, the Democrat Establishment Dug Their Own Graves. At Twitchy, John Fetterman Is the Only Democrat Calling Out the Commies Who Swept New York's Congressional Races and OUCH: Scott Jennings Using Young White Socialists to Mercilessly SHRED Hakeem Jeffries Is Absolute Gold. From the Victory Girls, Schumer And Jeffries Think The Socialist Zombies Won’t Eat Them. PJM's VodkaPundit says It's Official: The Democrat Party Is a Socialist Skinsuit. The Undercurrent @NotTheirScript, "This is the DSA co-chair. Let me summarize what he says in this video: We’re using the Democratic Party as a ballot-access vehicle, not because we share its goals. We build our own organization, get elected under the Democratic label, caucus with Democrats when it’s useful, and push our own agenda from the inside. We see the Democratic establishment as an obstacle, not a home." Brianna Lyman @briannalyman2, "In 7 months Democrats have elected/nominated: -A man who fantasized about murdering Republicans/their children -A man with a NAZI tattoo -An Al Qaeda volunteer -A woman who said the US is an "effing disgrace" -A woman who said 9/11 was our fault This is who the party is." Frank J. Fleming @IMAO_, "I want to get the people who hate this country out of this country and the Democrats are trying to get them in office." Logan Hall @loganclarkhall, "We imported a ton of third world foreign communists and allowed them to participate in our elections and run for office and then they all vote for third world foreign communism. Doesn’t take a genius to realize this was never going to be anything other than a recipe for disaster." David Marcus @BlueBoxDave, "NY 13 has a population of roughly 750,000, almost all Democrats. A total of 66,000 votes were cast in that race. Thats’s how the DSA wins." Curtis Houck @CurtisHouck, "HILARIOUS: ‘CBS Mornings’ co-host Gayle King cuts off Manhattan Institute’s Reihan Salam as he explains that democratic socialists want to abolish borders and prisons, support Russia, and oppose U.S. foreign policy, telling him to “concentrate on the election that just happened” and suggests these kinds of people are just a footnote on the left." Christina Pushaw @ChristinaPushaw, "Mamdani origin story: Rejected by white girls in college Darializa origin story: Rejected by black and Arab men who preferred white women I am sensing a theme here."

From the Free Bacon, ‘We Could Make Prisons Obsolete’: James Talarico Called To Slash Police Budgets and Spend the Money on Social Programs "Talarico, who has said he does not support defunding police, also said prisons are 'the consequences of systemic racism and global capitalism'"

Politico whines that Democrats grapple uncomfortably with World Cup success. "A logistically smooth tournament poses a problem for Trump’s critics."

Flopping Aces @FloppingAces, "The media’s current strategy with this wave of enforcement is simple: treat every development as its own isolated headline so the larger pattern stays invisible. One day it’s a 455-defendant healthcare fraud takedown spanning dozens of states. Another day it’s eight Antifa militants receiving a combined 450 years for a coordinated attack on an ICE facility. Then it’s Dominion quietly dropping its billion-dollar lawsuit against Mike Lindell after Smartmatic gets criminally indicted and its own assets get sold to new ownership. Meanwhile, violent crime continues dropping to levels not seen in decades. Each story gets its own article, its own framing, and its own carefully managed level of attention. One gets softened with language about “protesters.” Another gets buried in local coverage. A third gets presented as a strange legal development with no connection to anything else happening. What they’re trying very hard not to say out loud is that these are not random, disconnected events. Different categories of enforcement ... financial fraud, ideological violence, public corruption, voting systems lawfare, and ordinary street crime ... are all being pressured at the same time. That simultaneity is the actual story..."

Hat Hair's Dave Strom says No Jews, No News: Gaza 'Flotilla' Activists Held Captive In Libya for Weeks, Nobody Cared. I certainly didn't.

Beege Welborn says The British Government Prefers Its Citizens Well Done. GB News @GBNEWS, "Britons ordered to remove air conditioning from homes in 40C heat under Net Zero crackdown." The Chronic wonders Can Anyone Govern Britain—or America? Of course, it depends on what you mean by govern. VodkaPundit at PJM VIP has a Thursday Essay: The Burning Questions Europeans Will Bring Home With Their Ranch Dressing. "How did we fall so far behind the Americans?" Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Oh, it gets better than that. Say what you want. No thought police will knock. Shoot what you want. Mostly. Eat what you want. Drive for miles. Not kilometers. Buy a big house. With a big yard. Set the temp inside your big house where you want. Fahrenheit, you'll have to learn. But yeah. Opportunity. Make of yourself what you can. What you want. A photo with our crazy orange president is a good day. Great man, loves America, loves the people. Busting his ass to make the world a better place. Come back any time. Call your new pal Don, see if he can arrange for you to stay." Quote Oliver Henry @oliverhenry, "I now understand the American dream. I came to the World Cup because I was offered a last minute ticket to watch England play Croatia in Dallas and I started documenting my journey."

From Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, Bill: Hey Universities, You Can Take Money From The ChiComs, Or From Uncle Sam, But Not Both, "Many of America’s universities have proven eager to take money from communist China for “partnership” arrangements. A new bill aims to put an end to that by making them choose between ChiCom money and federal funding." Seems reasonable.

Ace, "Watch how ABC and the AP carefully avoid ever mentioning that this cult is made up entirely of men who pretend to be women," Member of "Ziz" Cult -- Which Claims That Transgenders Are Supreme -- Charged in Murder of Parents. CJ wants to know How Many Girls on Testosterone Is Too Many? "A new Oregon study shows that pediatric gender transitions aren’t as rare as advocates of the “affirming” model assured us."

The Instawife hosts BUCK SEXTON AND I discuss why the dating market is broken and my new book.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Meanwhile, Somewhere In The Great Basin a bit late, but within reason.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Still More Reflections from the Reflection Pool

Magills@magills

Jen O'Connell at RedState sees The Insane Obsession With Sabotaging the D.C. Reflecting Pool Results in an Arrest. John Sexton at Hat Hair explores the question Did Vandals Target the Reflecting Pool? For sure, yes, some one carved 86 47 in the liner. As to the algae bloom, the pool was re-filled with city water, which would not have enough nutrients (chiefly nitrogen and phosphorus) to support a quick bloom like that. I strongly suspect someone dumped a bag of lawn fertilizer or similar nutrients into it. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "On the other hand, the algae obsession confirms they really have no legitimate gripe. They have been reduced to protesting a biological phenomenon. (Though given the trans thing, it is not entirely uncharted territory.)" Quote MAZE @mazemoore, "On one side of the Reflecting Pool there’s the MSM claiming that the algae is still there, on another side leftists are protesting to bring the algae back, and on another side leftists are trying to vandalize the pool. TDS needs to be officially classified as a mental disorder." At Althouse, The Mystery of the Paint Peel and "I was just a curious, concerned citizen. I guess I was there at the wrong place, wrong time." "Said David Carter Hearn, 67, "a cyclist and three-time Olympian as a canoeist who says he stopped at the [Reflecting Pool] on Friday just to have a look, then reached down to touch a strip of peeling blue paint mixed with the algae. The U.S. Park Police arrested Mr. Hearn shortly after, accusing him of destroying government property, a crime that can carry up to a 10-year prison sentence." I'm reading "Trump, Claiming Vandalism, Says Reflecting Pool Will Likely Need to Be Drained/The pool has taken on clouds of algae after a hasty renovation. A three-time Olympian was charged with destroying government property after he says he touched one of the strands of blue paint peeling off the pool’s bottom" (NYT). Didn't do nuffin'! Althouse also comments "I don't know if the claims of vandalism are true, but the temptation to vandalize was obvious and strong even before Trump started talking about vandals. Now, it's unavoidable, and I think we will never have our pool back where it belongs in the American psyche. It's a mess, a bone of contention, a symbol of everything and anything people don't like about Trump. The pool never worked as it was intended, and now its essential badness is glaring at us, and it will never calm back down into the serene murky swamp it once was." It's true making the pool work is harder than it sounds, but her solution seems to be to cede the pool to the leftist destroyers. Fugitive Caesar @ThomBrady5, "Leftists are getting angry because around 10-15 million Leftists are paid to do cushy high-paid fake jobs, based on credentials and a claim to unique technical authority. If Trump and Chuds can fix problems considered impossible, it threatens the entire managerial caste." Quote Mark Hemingway @Heminator, "So I'm supposed to believe people are genuinely OUTRAGED by a $14m no bid contract to fix the reflecting pool? If this level of fiscal irresponsibility is what you object to, man, what happens under Democrat governance is truly going to blow your mind." I think project should be measured in "Quality Learing Center" units, or QLCs.

Begoña Gómez - not too shabby
but Melania is still hotter

Some news from abroad via sundance at CTH, Trump -v- Meloni "The core of the issue centers on Italy’s refusal to allow the U.S. military to conduct flight operations for the conflict against Iran from U.S. airbases in Italy. President Trump, Vice-President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary Hegseth have all remarked on their disappointment with Italy and Spain that has led to a full review of U.S. NATO operations in Europe. The issue became personal at the G7 when President Trump ignored Meloni’s repeated attempts to repair the friction. President Trump was no longer tolerating the two-faced approach. Actions speak louder than words." And Wife of Socialist Spanish Prime Minister Now Facing Corruption Charges, Influence Peddling, Embezzlement – Passport Surrendered. "Investigative judge Juan Carlos Peinado issued the ruling, arguing that Begoña Gómez represented a flight risk. In addition to surrendering her passport, she must also appear before a court every two weeks. A trial date hasn’t been set."

Hat Hair's Steve Moore has a proposal for The Great Escape: Let Young Workers Out of Social Security. I certainly wish our SS had been left in my wife's hands to invest. 

Stacy McCain looks at The Terrorist ‘Dreamer’ and says End DACA Immediately, and Deport Them All.

Dave Strom at Hat Hair hears Iran Announces Closure of Strait of Hormuz Again. Joe Cunningham at RedState, Iran Shuts Down the Strait of Hormuz Again, Says the U.S. Breached the Islamabad Deal, by "letting" Israel retaliate for Hezbollah attacks in Israel and Lebanon. Jeff Charles at TownHall sees Trump Just Slapped Down This Iranian Scheme for Strait of Hormuz, trying to charge tolls in the form of "insurance." Does Joe Chalfant really wonder Why Are the Iranians Lying About Closing the Strait of Hormuz? "The Islamic Republic of Iran has announced that they have closed the Strait of Hormuz. The reality on the ground shows that ships continue to travel through the waterway unimpeded, with U.S. naval assets in the region confirming that the Strait is completely open." But this way, WaPoo and NYT can cite the Iranians.

Twitchy says She's Back, Baby! Kamala, Goddess of Gibberish, Drops a HUMDINGER of a Word Salad on Don Lemon. Sen. Marsha Blackburn @MarshaBlackburn, "Democrats are fine with requiring photo ID to enter the Obama Presidential Center, but not to vote in U.S. elections. You can’t make this up."

Jonathan Turley is outraged by Gay Power: California Certifies LGBTQ Companies for Preferential Treatment in Energy Contracts. But will it survive a challenge up to the Supreme Court? Vicky Taft at PJM has one of her West Coast, Messed Coast™ — Fleeing Taxpayers Find Out 'Hotel California' Is Real. You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave, for tax purposes. 

Erick Florack at PJM sees Keith Ellison Is Feeling the Heat and Doesn't Like It. Parker Thayer at Da Fed reports ActBlue Refuses To Answer Congress’s Questions About Its Foreign Donation Pipeline. At NYPo, Controversial Mamdani-backed NY-13 candidate doles out seemingly illegal freebies, from ice cream to World Cup tix. At least giving away giving away free stuff is consistent with socialist principles. 

VodkaPundit at Insty, NAILED IT: "Is there anyone — aside maybe from Trump — who looks like he’s having more fun than Musk?" I&I notes how Musk’s SpaceX Wealth Launches A Trillion Tax Lies. Alice Smith @TheAliceSmith, "They don’t want Elon Musk to give his trillion to the poor. They want Elon Musk to give his trillion to them so they can take their cut, split it with their comrades and causes, then look virtuous by throwing to the poor whatever scraps remain." From RCM, The Question Democratic Socialists Never Seem to Ask. Who will want to make the wealth they intend to redistribute? Jax Ryan @JaxRyan, "Perfect explanation of how the natural order of co-existing and co-operating within a shared commons has been usurped by self-interest and power grabs of the powerful against the weak." Quote Power to the People ☭ @ProudSocialist. "Clara Mattei brilliantly debunks a century of capitalist propaganda by explaining how capitalism is unnatural, has existed for only 0.1% of human history, took control of the world through violence, and is maintained by coercion and the superficial facade of liberal democracy." Mark Hemingway @Heminator, "Do you genuinely believe “co-existing and co-operating within a shared commons” is the “natural order”? Because that is totally ahistorical and insane. Slavery and constant warfare are the natural order without rule of law and markets." Jason Robertson @JRobFromMN, "This is a problem many on the Right don't want to accept The Left is no longer "just like us they just want to have more welfare" The left is abandoning Capitalism, Christianity and all of the values we used to hold as a Country,(and the right still does) This isn't a "difference of opinion on tax policy", the left wants a full scale reimagining of our country into a Socialist/Communist Utopia they think could exist if we "just did it right this time""

KTVU @KTVU whines "A decline in car break-ins across Oakland is being welcomed as a public safety win, but it is also contributing to a downturn for some local auto glass repair businesses." Bastiat's Window, indeed.

DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "BREAKING - The "conservative" protest against AI data centers has an anti-ICE NGO organizer, a DSA member, Facebook money. Other than that, totally grassroots. Axios ran an "exclusive" Wednesday about a "conservative group" called Humans First planning a nationwide day of protest against AI data centers on July 18. Amy Kremer is chairing it and invoking the Tea Party. Axios didn't mention that Humans First was incubated by the Center for AI Safety, an organization funded with millions from Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. Or that its original staff included a Sunrise Movement organizer who sat in at Pelosi's office with AOC and a DSA member who organized for Kamala Harris. NBC News described CAIS as having founded Humans First "to be a sort of Trojan horse to make AI safety issues more palatable to a conservative political audience." @ParkerThayer exposed the Action Network backend." Cam at Bearing Arms reports Spanberger Boots Anti-Gun Lawmakers From Ceremonial Bill Signing Over Data Center Feud. Ben Tribbett @notlarrysabato, "WOW. Governor is signing gun bills today (ceremonial only) and just had
@thedrmikejones and @RussetPerry walked out of the room to be told that she would NOT be signing their bills today because they participated in @SenLouiseLucas data center tour!!" Ben Tribbett @notlarrysabato, "They were allowed back in to get their stuff and staff and told they could stay to watch other peoples bills get signed if they wanted. Both left instead."

Leslie Eastman at LI, Declassified Files Ignite New Scrutiny of Fauci, COVID Origins, and Alleged Intelligence Suppression "Outgoing DNI Tulsi Gabbard: “It’s time you know the truth.”" Another conspiracy theory becomes fact. Sundance looks at Pulte Factor – Quick Reference Guide to Media Leaks. Scott McLallen at TownHall likes how the Justice Department Backs Catholic Nuns Against New York's Gender Ideology Law. Bake the damn cake! "The lawsuit challenges a state law that requires housing biological men with women in the Sisters’ residential hospice care program." Also at LI, Ben Smith sees a 'Hawaiian' Judge Frees Mosque Leader Tied to Hamas Claims, “Federal officials argued that he poses a foreign policy concern. DHS also alleges that he obtained his green card after providing false information.” "Salah Sarsour is suspected of funding terrorist organizations and was convicted of throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli armed forces. This illegal alien also LIED on his green card application to fraudulently gain legal status in the U.S. under the Clinton Administration.”"

Vicky Taft is amused that a 'Tough Guy' Minnesota Antifa Dude Feds Rolled up Loves to Be a Little Girl in Flouncy Dresses. WaPoo sings the praises of Antifa in They say they tracked ICE in Minneapolis. Now they’re accused of an antifa plot. "Defendants in a Minneapolis case say the Trump administration labeled them “antifa” to criminalize dissent." The Proud Boys smirk.

Matt Vespa at TownHall, New Footage of Karmelo Anthony Was Just Released. Did You Catch What He Said As He's Being Arrested? “I’m not alleged, I did it,” he says as he’s apprehended by police (via NY Post): "He put his hands on me. I told him not to" while sobbing. Poor, stupid kid fucked up his whole life over a little shoving match. At the Chronic, The Media’s Mission in Anthony Case is to Increase Racial Animosity. Mission accomplished. Campus Reform wants you to Meet the professor who blamed slain teen Austin Metcalf's father for his son's fatal stabbing.

Matt Vespa hears Oh, Things Got Testy on 'The View'...and It Was Because of JD Vance? How dare he contradict the ladies 'settled truths.' At Twitchy, The New Yorker's Review of JD Vance's New Book Is a 'Distasteful' Blend of Illiteracy and Anti-theism. Aramis L. Perez @AramisLPerez, "Dear
@NewYorker, did you mean "disdainful of?" Also, have you considered hiring me as an editor? Or someone else who knows how to use words?" Quote The New Yorker @NewYorker "J. D. Vance’s second memoir, “Communion,” tells the story of his decision to become Catholic, but it’s strangely distasteful of the faith he has joined."

A free speech packed screed by Greg Lukianoff at the Eternally Radical Idea, Gov’t hits kill switch on Anthropic! Satanologist stress-tests the First Amendment! Saul Goodman wishes America a happy 250th! & more!

Reuters has a Report that UK PM Starmer ready to quit, but source says he is still focused on the job. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, BREAKING: Keir Starmer Reported to Have Resigned - Announcement on Monday MORE. Spiked says Nigel Farage is right about two-tier Britain "Identity politics has run amok in the British state." Wall Street Mav @WallStreetMav, "Rotherham where white young girls were gang raped by Pakistani men with impunity. The police (also of Pakistani ethnicity) in Rotherham were complicit and joined in the rapes according to the victims." Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "This is literally insane Muslim man in the UK is interviewed and says that their goal is to take over the UK He says they’re working to vote in Muslims to keep replacing European Leaders, pass Sharia Law once they have the political power and then implement harsh punishments like stoning women to death for crimes like adultly What the heck is the UK doing??? They are literally telling you there are working on a political takeover and to pass Sharia Law We need to mass deport Islam from America before this happens to us too." The British Patriot @TheBritLad, "BREAKING: MASSIVE crowds of British patriots have flooded the streets of Birmingham to call for remigration. Britain’s second-largest city now has over 340,000 Muslims. They want them all gone." Owen Jones @owenjonesjourno, "Anti-Muslim hatred has been systematically whipped up by politicians and media outlets. This was always where it would lead. Solidarity with our Muslim siblings." Quote Politics UK @PolitlcsUK, " BREAKING: A 36-year-old white Scottish man is being investigated by Counter Terrorism Police after five people were stabbed in Edinburgh He said after his arrest: "I'm protecting the country from these fucking Muslim bastards raping our young daughters" Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "“People hate the Muslim migrants not because they gang raped A QUARTER OF A MILLION White girls in the UK… …people hate the Muslim migrants because PEOPLE DARED TO TELL THEM about the Muslim migrants gang raping a QUARTER OF A MILLION White girls in the UK.” Fuck you, Owen." Tommy Robinson @TRobinsonNewEra, "Now it's my fault that a random Scottish man apparently attacked some Muslims? He literally said in the clip why he was angry, and allegedly he attacked 5 people? And his reasoning was about abhorrent crimes committed by your community, nothing to do with me or Rupert." Quote Cllr Mohammed Shafiq @mshafiquk, "This is on you. x.com/trobinsonnewer…" InfantryDort @infantrydort, "I love how the media can spot five victims from orbit but somehow misses 250k when the narrative gets inconvenient." Quote New York Post @nypost "5 injured in bloody machete rampage by maniac allegedly targeting Muslims in Scotland."

From the College Fix, The 2025-26 campus hate crime hoaxes: A complete roundup. But 26 is only about half way done.

At State of the Day, State of Friday: NO HOMO, "No one is proud about pride anymore." Because it's shoved down our throats whether or not we care. Nothing makes something less fun than making it mandatory. Twitchy notes First Transgender State Legislator Sentenced to 33 Years for Child Porn, Claimed Retardation. Deviants gonna deviate.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Redness and FMJRA 2.0: Meanwhile, Somewhere In The Great Basin a bit late, but within reason.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Vandalism at the Reflecting Pool? Whoda Thunk!

PJM's Stephen Kruiser is Wishing a Summer-Long Rash on Libs Who Complain About Knicks' White House Visit. Nothing is too petty. John Sexton at Hat Hair notes The Top Story at the Washington Post is About Algae. It's amazing how fast algae can grow given light, nutrients and warm temperatures. Some double as many as three times a day. At GateWay Pundit, Leftists Vandalize Trump’s Newly Renovated Reflecting Pool by Cutting Blue Sealant Out and Writing “86 47” Message – Man Arrested. Check out emily miller @emilymiller, "Exclusive! RAW VIDEO. Man arrested for vandalizing Lincoln Reflecting Pool. He grabbed the hose that female National Park Service workers were using to clear the algae. Police and National Guard responded. Watch." He's old enough to know better. I hope they toss his ass into jail. Dmitri Bolt at TownHall sees Another Threat Against the President Appeared in Washington DC. Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "JUST IN — EXCLUSIVE: United States Park Police are investigating an “86 47” inscription on the sealant of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool We discovered writing just now while walking the edge of the pool. This BS needs to end. This comes as mobile SURVEILLANCE TOWERS have been deployed around the pool, along with Park Police and National Guard on 24/7 watch. It’s insane to see that TDS is this bad that death threats are being written into the reflecting pool of the Lincoln Memorial." At Da Wire recounts how Vice President Vance was Assailed On All Sides By The View’s Lies. At Althouse, "He came in strategically prepared to disarm us with niceness.... It worked on you, didn't work on me" said Ana Navarro. How dare he come in and be nice! He's a Republican!

On the Breitbart Bus, High Gas Prices Did Not Hurt Retail Sales or Push Up Inflation Expectations. "A pair of reports on American businesses suggests that the U.S. economy was remarkably resilient against the pressures created by the Iran War." Insty thinks it's FUNNY HOW STIGLITZ AND PIKETTY DON’T LOOK INTO THIS PHENOMENON: Financial Dystopia @financedystop, "The “Boom Belt” is basically America’s new economic engine. 11 states: Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas Together, these states would have the 3rd largest GDP in the world. They’re responsible for around 70% of U.S. population growth and 57% of all new jobs." SnerdlyCornPop @SnerdlyP, "The Old South was misgoverned by Democrats for 150 years and within 2 decades of Republican governance it is now the economic engine of America. New England used to be Republican and prospered, but now it is becoming an economic backwater. California was the land of milk and honey when Ronald Reagan governed and now it is a train wreck of public unions and shit government."

Hat Hair's Dave Strom calls it Donald Trump's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week. Bruce Crossing @SenatorCrossing, "I’m married to a beautiful Italian-American spitfire who could be Prime Minister Meloni’s sister. I know that posture well. This conversation was not a pleasant one for our President." Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "BREAKING: The Trump administration has launched a Section 301 investigation into Germany over drug pricing, arguing Berlin’s policies force Americans to subsidize pharmaceutical innovation for the rest of the world." Hat Hair's John Sexton thinks Russia's Control of Crimea is Getting Much Harder to Maintain and Desperate Cuba Announces Free-Market Reforms. "Under the reforms, foreign investors are no longer required to form joint ventures with the state, large private enterprises will be authorized, and both Cuban and foreign investors will be allowed to acquire stakes in state companies..."

At TownHall Joe Chalfant has Bad News for Democrats: Republicans Continue Record-Setting Fundraising Totals and Jeff Charles hears Trump Just Warned This State Not to Embrace Mail-In Voting, Utah.

PJM's Cathy Salgado reports Tehran Mayor says War With 'Great Satan' U.S. 'Is Ongoing, Existential' and Stephen Kruiser is Starting to Get the Feeling That We May Never Get Along With Iran. Dmitri Bolt hears The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Just Declared the Strait of Hormuz Closed. Peel a few more layers off their leadership. CNBC hopes Hormuz relief may not ease the economic toll that’s already ‘baked in,’ analysts warn. At Hat Hair, Dave Strom hears Trump's Kinda Ticked Off as War Rages in Lebanon; Strait Closed for Now, Iran Deal Is Vance's Waterloo; Is He Napoleon, or the Duke of Wellington? and Iran Cancels Switzerland Talks while Capt. Ed reports Israel, Hezbollah Agree on Ceasefire, US Says. RDAW English claims a Kurdish dissident group reports Iranian attack despite war-end deal with US. Autism Capital @AutismCapital, "Referring to someone as a nation's "disfigured and probably gay supreme leader" is diabolical lmao." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Iran's disfigured, 'probably gay,' supreme leader agrees to direct talks with US, could start this weekend."

Ned Ryun @nedryun, "Obama has been, and always will be, a monumentally arrogant douchebag." Quote Fox News @FoxNews, "“The founders fell terribly short of the Declaration’s promise.” Former President Barack Obama took aim at America’s founders during the opening of his presidential center, arguing they left slavery intact and limited political rights despite laying the groundwork for the the nation. The remarks come just days before the United States marks its 250th anniversary, as Obama urged Americans to continue the work of building a “more perfect” union."

Jeff Charles hears a Federal Judges Just Ruled on Biden's Request to Conceal Ghostwriter Tapes. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn lets the cat out of the bag, Oh, Yay - Looks Like We're Going to Get Treated to POTATUS on Tape. Betsy Stauffer at LI sees Biden Dazed and Confused at the Obama Presidential Center. "Looking visibly confused, Biden removes his Ray-Bans and squints into the crowd. … in a weak, faltering voice, asks, “Where’s my granddaughter?” Capt. Ed thinks it's an Utter Disgrace: 'Where's My Granddaughter?' It's elder abuse. Matt Margolis thinks Hillary Accidentally Revealed the Dems' Big Secret About Joe Biden. They knew. "I think there were a lot of conversations going on behind the scenes," Hillary said. "I certainly am aware of that, and participated in a number of them, but there was no way to convince him by going public." From Ace, Hunter Biden Challenges Don Jr. to a Cage Match; Jill Biden's Trash "Book" Flops Hard but the Fake NYT Bestseller List Has It, Somehow, At #1 "A reality TV clown before actually being cast on a reality TV show."

Capt. Ed hears the Nazi-Tatted Creep Has Surprising Take on Law Enforcement: 'Opportunistic Cowards.' At the Free Bacon, James Talarico, Who Says His 'Faith' Requires Him To Oppose Super PACs, Is Using His Campaign Website To Give Them Direction—And They’re Taking It. "The Texas Senate candidate has compared rejecting money in politics to Jesus rejecting tests from the Devil." Chris Queen at PJM hears Jon Ossoff Tried to Mock Mike Collins Over His ‘Daddy.’ Then the Receipts Came Out. He made a fortunate choice of parent selection, too. "Ossoff slammed the Paycheck Protection Program that was part of the 2020 COVID-19 relief package because he claimed that the loans went “overwhelmingly to the highest earners,” but one recipient who got up to $1 million from the program was Richard Ossoff. Daddy Ossoff donated $8,400 to his son’s 2020 campaign." VodkaPundit at Insty notes THE BOLSHEVIKS ALWAYS OUST THE MENSHEVIKS: Mamdani seeks to remake NYC congressional delegation in his socialist image, clashes with old guard.

From Da Signal, ‘Affordability’? Virginia Drives Gun Manufacturer to Cheaper Georgia and The Art of the Deal "First, Spanberger agrees to put the marijuana retail market she vetoed in the budget. This was something she was decrying just a week ago! Then, somehow, the owner of that big THC store in Portsmouth—aka Lucas—drops her insistence that data centers in Virginia “pay their fair share” by reneging on $1.6 billion worth of sales tax relief on computers and peripherals purchased for their operations in the commonwealth." Scott McKay at Am Spec say Sanctuary’ Policy Is a Double-Edged Sword, As Virginia’s Dems Are Finding Out. "Virginia Democrats are learning that selective enforcement is a lot less fun when conservatives try it."

RCP's Susie Crabtree looks at The Newsoms, the Nonprofits, and the Federal Questions. At Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, Houston “Financial Integrity Advisor” Paid $127,000 To Show Up Twice This Year. From the Free Bacon, Notorious, China-Based American Mogul Is Running Shadowy Influence Campaign to Undermine U.S. AI Efforts, Give Communist China an Edge in Technology Arms Race. "Sen. Tom Cotton is calling for a Justice Department investigation into foreign efforts to undermine artificial intelligence infrastructure, such as data centers." Steve Soukup at Am Great looks at Elon Musk vs. the Democrats: Outcomes vs. Process, "Elon Musk didn’t leave the Left—the Left left innovation behind, and the world’s first trillionaire made them pay the price for it."

Capt. Ed cites Tulsi Gabbard: Here's How Fauci Helped Cause the COVID Pandemic - And Perjured Himself. Ward Clark at RedState reveals a Desperate Fauci Emailed Biden for Pardon on Inauguration Morning. Ace piles on with Tulsi Gabbard Releases Fresh Evidence That Fauci Funded the Creation of Covid-19, Then Intimidated Officials from Blowing the Whistle on His Crimes, "The Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued this statement:"

Lucas Morel at Am Mind likes Justice Thomas’s Declaration "... because progressivism “has coexisted uneasily with the principles of the Declaration,” Thomas argued, “it is not possible for the two to coexist forever.” By alluding to Lincoln’s 1858 “House Divided” speech, Thomas suggested that America is undergoing an identity crisis, one that will have to be resolved for the house not to fall. In 2026, a year of reflection on the nation’s founding truths, Americans must decide whether to follow those who sought to create “the supposedly enlightened world of Hegel, Marx, and their followers,” or return to the faith of our fathers, the Spirit of ’76." Shipwreckedcrew reports The Supreme Court To Decide Whether Illegal Aliens Have A "Due Process" Right To Be Released From Custody While Awaiting Deportation. "The Court stopped short of making such a finding in 2001 in Zadvydas v. Davis but the issue is back with the aggressive enforcement by the Trump Administration of Immigration Laws."

Dave Strom sees Philadelphia's D.A. Krasner Keeps Getting Bad News. "In a forceful and scolding opinion, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office misled the courts, “violated its duty of candor,” and submitted false statements when asking a judge to vacate a 2004 murder conviction. In the opinion released Tuesday, Justice Kevin Dougherty wrote that prosecutors’ pattern of misleading judges in seeking to overturn murder convictions is so troubling and recurrent that, going forward, before Krasner’s office seeks such relief, judges must notify the state attorney general’s office and allow it to review the case." Vicky Taft at PJM, Ten Years After Antifa Attack, a Reporter Seeks to Win Back His Second Amendment Rights "Mike Strickland is asking for his Second Amendment rights to be restored in a Portland courtroom on Thursday. The request comes ten years after his 2016 assault on the streets of Portland by Antifa and Black Lives Matter's activists at a "Don't Shoot Portland" event. I've reported on his case multiple times since the incident. Strickland seeks to have his multiple felonies reduced to misdemeanors so he can begin the process of clawing back his Second Amendment rights. He asked friends to write letters of support. Strickland thought mine would be too triggering to a Multnomah County judge. You can be the judge of that..."

John Sexton thinks The Post's Coverage of the Minnesota 'Antifa' Indictment is Pretty Bad. From Da Caller an Islamic Group With Terror Ties Tried To Infiltrate Texas GOP — Media Treated Them Like The Victims. At TCW, How the BBC conspired with open border activists to rig Question Time and ambush Reform.

Matt Lamb at LI notes DoorDash Drops Southern Poverty Law Center as ‘Gatekeeper’ of Employee Donations. "The Southern Poverty Law Center continues to lose credibility." I never noticed they had any.

YaHoo! reports Keir Starmer 'considering resigning' after Andy Burnham by-election victory "Several Cabinet ministers have reportedly told Starmer "to go" or set out a timeline for his departure." Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis, "So what’s the acceptable number, Piers?" Quote Piers Morgan @piersmorgan, "Many thousands of young girls were raped and abused in the grooming gangs scandal, crimes that were then shamefully covered up by authorities. But the 250,000 victim statistic was invented and according to this independent report, massively exaggerated." yaan Hirsi Ali @Ayaan, "“But the absence of a coordinated, unembarrassed, angered feminist response on the scale this scandal demands is impossible to ignore. The inquiry is explicit: “The country now knows the full truth. The country has been given the basis for justice. The country has the roadmap to ensure these crimes never happen again.” Yet the response of the major women’s movements has been silence.” @TheFP" Beege Welborn asserts the UK is Being Swallowed by Its Own Imported Crocodiles and John Sexton reports as sign of sanity in a UK Court: No Trans Women in Female Prisons.

Insty says HAPPY JUNETEENTH!

At his NYPo gig Insty writes Our campuses are corrupt — and higher education is due for its comeuppance, and he's a perfesser so he knows. Complete Colorado reports an ‘Unofficial’ CU student group cheers for Boulder firebomber. The College fix likes that the Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down race-based college scholarships. Mary Chastain at LI, Arkansas Student Scores Improve After State Rejected DEI and Focused on Fundamentals "So weird what happens when you eliminate the social justice nonsense!" Driscoll at Insty has another DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: Cigars, a canceled lacrosse season and the scandal rocking a Massachusetts town. Autism Capital @AutismCapital, "They revoked their entire season for…smoking cigars? What? The image of a team celebrating with cigars was too “chauvinistic” for people to handle and they chimped out? What the heck is going on here?" Quote Disgraced Propagandist @DisgracedProp, "Insane thing happened in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Winning lacrosse team seniors photographed smoking cigars while celebrating their graduation. Forced to FORFEIT their entire season just before big playoff game for "violating state athletic association rules against tobacco use." Guy Benson @guypbenson, "oh that checks out." Quote Disgraced Propagandist @DisgracedProp "The same Ipswich principal Jonathan Mitchell who forced the lacrosse boys to forfeit their season for smoking cigars at graduation also banned a student org for ties with TPUSA."

At the FreeP, How Vermont Became Ground Zero for the Anti-Israel Movement. Well, they keep electing Bernie, don' they?

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.18.26, In The Mailbox: 06.19.26 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 06.19.26 (Evening Edition). Linked at the Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Meanwhile, Somewhere In The Great Basin a bit late, but within reason.