Flotsam and Jetsam - Dana White for Press Secretary?

But first, some continued ruminations on the selection of Stephen Miller for Chief of Staff. As usual, Althouse resorts to the NYT, "People close to Mr. Miller said he had shown no interest in compromising with congressional Democrats and was ready for a fight over subpoenas and investigations..." "From "In Elevating Stephen Miller, Trump Doubles Down on Hard-Line Agenda/The new White House chief of staff is responsible for some of the most provocative policies of President Trump’s second term, as well as an aggressive approach to executive power" (NYT)." Mike Davis @mrddmia, "This former illegal immigrant is threatening to jail the new White House chief of staff for helping the President execute federal law? Import the third world, become the third world." Quote Oversight Dems @OversightDems, "Official statement from incoming Oversight Chairman @RepRobertGarcia on Stephen Miller being announced as White House Chief of Staff:" "... Stephen Miller should lawyer up." Rusty Weiss at RedState sees Democrats Melt Down Over Stephen Miller, Then He Takes the Mic and Gives Them a Reason to Be Nervous. PJM's Matt Margolis explains Why Democrats Are Crashing Out Over Stephen Miller. "They wanted a chastened president who would spend his final two years tiptoeing around them. Instead, Trump handed the most powerful staff job in Washington to a man they deeply despise, and they read the move as defiance. They read it correctly." At the WaSun, How Stephen Miller’s Fixation on Minnesota’s Somalis Became a Full-Scale Crackdown. "The new White House chief of staff has spent the last year moving the federal government against one community in one state." News Wax reports Stephen Miller Pledges 'Absolute Loyalty' to Trump, like a good consigliere should. Insty, notes AND THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT TRUMP’S LANGUAGE: Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "The Democrat leader of the U.S. House, Hakeem Jeffries, just called for White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to be “eradicated like a malignant tumor”. Jeffries is part of the same death cult whose rhetoric inspired the violence that led to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and shooting of President Trump. The Democrat Party is the part of political violence." Quote Hakeem Jeffries @RepJeffries, "Stephen Miller is a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist who has American blood on his hands. His presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor. Fire him today." At Althouse, Real Trump and Fake Trump confront the reality of "Talafreako." 60 Minutes @60Minutes, "In an interview airing Sunday on 60 Minutes, correspondent Ross Douthat asks President Trump: If it took six months of not insulting the Democrats to get a deal done, do you think you could do it?" My response: Would top Democrats refrain from insulting Trump for six months too, or would this just be the usual unilateral "truce?"

News Wax reports UFC's Dana White Says He Will Meet With Trump Monday. Althouse finds "I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States.", "Wrote President Trump, quoted in "UFC’s Dana White says he will meet Trump on Monday to discuss press secretary offer/Trump’s previous press secretary, Katie Zacharia, left the role in October after just five days on the job" (NBC). Violent!" I don't follow UFC, or know much about Dana White, but I have my doubts. But then, I had my doubts about Pete Hegseth, and he's turned out well as far as I can see. Maybe Trump is a better judge of ability than I am.

Doug Truax at RCP says Democrats Didn’t Win – Republicans Lost. There’s a Way To Fix This. "Republicans must thrust truth to the forefront. They must stand firm in their convictions and offer a clear contrast to the coming Democrat overreach. They must offer plans that are clear, concise, and doable. They cannot waver. This isn’t a time to compromise our values." At News Wax, Trump Vows to 'Veto, Veto, Veto' Democrats at CPAC. Mark Tapscott blames it on abortion. Trump, GOP Apathy on Mifepristone is a Huge Problem, Helps Explain 2026 disaster. "Turnout among conservative Christians was down big-time on November 3, and the reason is linked to one that’s haunted Republicans for decades." So do I, not enough liberal mothers aborted 20-30 years ago. At Da Signal the Great Victor Davis Hanson: What Trump Must Do After the Midterm Losses. Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "The GOP is going to get a look in the weeks and months ahead at just how ruthless the new Dem majorities in Congress are going to be in trying to press their sudden advantage that is greater than they expected. The GOP should take notes and learn some lessons from what they are about to experience being in the "last" end of the whip while the Dems have the handle. Politics is no longer a "polite" business and the GOP has take too long to adapt to the fact that the "gentlemanly" way of engaging with "colleagues" from the other party is long outdated." At Althouse, "He's surrounded by demons who want him out and want him just destroyed. That's his staff... all completely compromised...." ""They were sending around a memo, a CIA manual about how to be a bad bureaucrat and subvert an institution from within. That's like sent around by all the career officials. They hate President Trump....Said Calley Means, on the new episode of Joe Rogan, which you can watch here (scroll back to the beginning if you want)." 

Lara Logan @laralogan, "If you really care about this country, this is one of the areas where your attention should be right now. @DataRepublican is exactly right. The greatest obstacle they face to a complete power grab is the Sec of War, Pete Hegseth. He has rebuilt a military that will stand by the constitution & is comitted to the oath every member takes. Hegseth does not back down or fear his enemies because he what he fears is God. They need him out of the way so badly - which should tell you just how important it is to stop them. Read the thread. The truth always matters but it is more important now than ever." Quote DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "THREAD: The true reason Pete Hegseth is being targeted is because he's standing between President Trump and a coup @PeteHegseth named the institutions... CFR, Brookings, the general class... in 37 seconds in a video by @Liz_Wheeler . Within 72 hours of his nomination, a..."

At Ars Technica, After Texas’ blue wave, what happens to Elon Musk and SpaceX?, “Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now.” Bobby @bobbymorris280, "NOW: SpaceX officially suspended all launch pads, rocket telemetry codes, and orbit integration for European government satellites. Elon Musk canceled the launch contracts after the EU slapped X and Starlink with arbitrary billions in fines. The European Space Command labeled it an "act of war" and threatened to freeze bank accounts, prompting Musk to fire back that bureaucracy won't launch a 5-ton defense satellite. Globalist bureaucrats are finding out the hard way that weaponizing regulations against private innovation will leave their entire space defense infrastructure grounded. Do you back Elon Musk for cutting off the hostile EU? #AmericaFirst via @dessere88fenice REPLY." Leslie Eastman at LI, Voters Pull the Plug on Big Tech’s AI Data Center Boom. "China may have been the biggest winner November 3rd." Jordan Schachtel at Am Great looks at The Midterms and AI’s Credibility Problem, "If AI dangers are truly grave, why do they keep building?" Hat Hair's Salena Zito finds While the Public Fears AI, These Ohio and Iowa Business Owners Are Finding Relief. At the Volokh Conspiracy Gene Volokh celebrates an Attorney Fee Award Cut from $100K to $50K, Partly as Sanction for Hallucinated Citations. They need to fix the hallucination problem, ASAP.

Sundance at CTH announces Labor Report Shows Strong Job Gains +165,00 in October, with Revisions to August +53,000 and Sept +31,000. Breitbart Bus Dig, What Really Drove the GOP Midterm Losses?. "The fanatical foes of tariffs have been loudly announcing their explanation for the much larger-than-expected Republican election losses in this week’s midterm elections to anyone who will listen. Naturally, it’s the tariffs." John Hood at RCP swears In Ballot Items, Fiscal Conservatism Beats Socialism. "Well, examine the 2026 results more closely. The overriding issue was affordability, about which victorious Democrats talked incessantly and doomed Republicans never found their voice. What was the single most potent Democratic attack? That President Trump had raised rather than lowered consumer prices by socking Americans with tariffs. It was an anti-tax message! It was correct on the merits. And it worked brilliantly."

Reponsible Statecraft says Three cheers for Melania Trump-led ceasefire in Ukraine. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn sees Poland Simmering Away still. 

Matt Margolis thinks The Democrats' Coming Civil War Is Going to Be Lit! Jeff Charles at TownHall believes Debbie Wasserman Schultz Showed Why Democrats Might Not Hold Congress for Long. Hat Hair's John Sexton sees Progressives Had a Tough Election Night... in San Francisco. Have they hit bottom yet, or is this just their first attempt at rehab? Victor Davis Hanson @VDHanson, "The Midterm is Not the Endterm It is too soon to calibrate the direction of the post midterm Democratic and Republican Parties. But if the first 72 hours are any indication—and despite the soon to be Speaker’s denials—the Left is already bragging about subpoenas, and it is intoxicated by the notion of investigations and impeachments. Heady Democrats have entirely forgotten the politically suicidal fashion of the 2021-4 five civil and criminal courtroom circuses, the Mar-a-Lago raid, and the blue state deballoting efforts..." At Althouse, "In 2018, there was still a sense that Trump was an aberration or a fluke; that he’d gotten lucky in 2016 and Democrats could double down on who they were already..." ""... and end MAGA without changing much themselves. Democrats won power in 2018 and 2020 and wielded it so unconvincingly and alienatingly that Trump and his movement roared back, stronger and more dangerous, than ever. The Democratic Party that emerged from that bruising is chastened in a way its predecessor wasn’t. Democrats know they need to appeal to voters who mistrust them. They are not as liable to mistake Trump’s unpopularity for their popularity. All they have won is a chance to prove themselves. And so they may be more willing to learn lessons that this election had to teach." Writes Ezra Klein, in "A Stake Through the Heart of Trump’s Red Map" (NYT). I understand why they make headlines like that but it's SO out of line with the tone and substance of the article." At Shooting News Week, Liberal Gun Owner Worries Politicians He Just Elected Might Enact New Gun Control Laws.

Don Palmer at Da sees Signal Election Integrity Scored Big Wins Despite the Blue Wave. Kyle Becker @kylenabecker, "BREAKING: A missing memory card has FLIPPED the apparent outcome of a Georgia House race. Republican Gerald Greene went from trailing Democrat Harry James by 58 votes to LEADING by 262 after uncounted votes were discovered in Seminole County. Officials found a 388-vote discrepancy during routine checks. If the result holds, Democrats will have just a ONE-SEAT majority in the Georgia House. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has launched an investigation into the error. Maybe Democrats can agree that we should now go to ALL PAPER BALLOTS?" Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "USPS has a labor union that endorses one party every election. The fact that we let them transport ballots is banana republic insanity." Quote News 4 San Antonio @News4SA, "Dozens of undelivered ballots were found among mail discarded in a park dumpster." From Campus Reform, FIU Election Day event distributes SPLC voter guide as affiliated political arm backs Democrats. "An SPLC flyer distributed at the campus event obtained by Campus Reform warned voters about an environment created by ‘ICE, law enforcement, extremists this year.’"

From Twitchy, Boycott Backfire: PA Leaders, Citizens Condemn Antisemitic Philly Bike Rally. From the Free Bacon, Abdul El-Sayed Taps Egyptian-American Attorney Who Accused 'Zionists' of 'Controlling' American Politics as Transition Director, "Brenda Abdelall has also accused Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' and 'terrorism'. Fox News @FoxNews, "WATCH: A former police officer accused of fatally stabbing a New York City jogger is escorted from a Brooklyn precinct by NYPD officers. Sayed Mohassib is seen walking alongside police Saturday as he faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with the killing. New photos show Mohassib appearing emotionless while in police custody. See the latest details in the case: https://foxnews.com..." Dr. Maalouf @realMaalouf, "Two Muslim cops in New York stopped a nurse for no apparent reason other than that she was walking her dog. They cornered her and threatened to seize her dog. When confronted, they got angry and couldn’t say what law she had broken. This is what happens when you give these people power. All I can say is that she was lucky there were passersby, because it was 3 AM and things could’ve ended much worse." At Althouse, The community note is back... and how embarrassing for The Free Press! The Free Press @TheFP, "Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic last night. Rep. Ilhan Omar addressed her victory party in Somali. And this morning, Iran's supreme leader posted that America's collapse "has accelerated." What should we make of these acceptance speeches? @SulkinMaya" Readers added context to this video, "Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in English."

At Newsweek, Supreme Court Under Criminal Probe by DOJ—Which Laws May Have Been Broken. Who leaked the Dobbs decision? Matt Margolis sees Democrats Told Trump to 'Lawyer Up.' He Just Flipped the Script on Them. Sundance likes how President Trump asks DOJ to Investigate Threats from Congress.

Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal, Judicial Insurrection Breaks New Ground as Judge Defies Supreme Court Itself on immigration. From Althouse, "Van Der Merwe’s family of white South Africans arrived during Donald Trump’s first term..." ""... but they had good reason to expect that they would be granted asylum after Trump returned to office last year and signed an executive order saying the US would 'promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees,' based on the false claim that they would be 'escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination' at home..." From "Wisconsin state patrol trooper detained by ICE released from custody/Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe immigrated to US at 14 and has been waiting seven years for asylum case to be heard" (The Guardian). That's a pretty casual flinging of the expression "false claim." There should at least be a link to something explaining the basis for rejecting the position taken in the executive order. The word "claim" alone is enough to avoid expressing agreement."

John Sexton thinks Jennifer Welch Finally Goes Too Far for Advertisers. At Althouse "I know I shouldn't say that. But it's just a feeling." Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "Dave Chappelle: “Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered, and I shouldn’t say this publicly but…. I feel better.” This isn’t even comedy. It’s just sick…"

From the College Fix, Wisconsin voters approve amendment to ban preferential treatment based on race, sex at public colleges, universities

Start Your Engines: Liberal Women Announce They're Ready To Have Sex Again Now That Abortion Will Be Legal https://t.co/o8dQCRcJ7m

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) November 7, 2026

Flotsam and Jetsam - Elon Explains Starlink Ukraine Link

At ZeroHedge, Musk Clarifies Why Starlink Speed Limits Were Throttled In Ukraine: "May You Burn In Hell". Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Correct. Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them. Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week. Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now. Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact. Starlink was also crucial to preventing Russia from overrunning Ukraine in the early days of the war, as all other means of communication were destroyed or jammed by Russia. SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR. That said, I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell. End of story." Quote varifrank @varifrank, "STARLINK WORKS THE SAME WAY ITS ALWAYS WORKED. ITS NOT A WEAPONS SYSTEM, NO MATTER HOW MUCH UKRAINE WANTS IT TO BE. From a commenter at Althouse "x.com/CNBC/status/21…" “If Russia decides that the civilian Starlink satellite network is weaponized and fair game, we risk a serious Kessler syndrome. First modeled by NASA’s Donald Kessler and Burton Cour-Palais in 1978, it describes a scenario in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit gets so high that collisions start producing debris faster than natural processes (mainly atmospheric drag) can remove. Each collision creates more fragments, which raise the odds of further collisions, leading to a self-sustaining cascade, a runaway cloud of satellite debris that can make certain orbital bands increasingly hazardous. Space could become unusable for years to centuries. You like driving around with GPS? Starlink MUST remain a civilian entity.”Elon Musk’s response: “This is indeed one of the main reasons that Starlink must remain a civilian operation. It can be used for infrastructure that is military, but it cannot be used for unequivocally offensive strikes that make it fair game to be struck back. An adversary blowing up Starlink satellites would create a domino effect of destruction that would generate a vast field of debris making space unusable.” John Hawkins @johnhawkinsrwn, "Ukraine would have been overrun 10 times over if not for Musk giving them Starlink early on and denying Russia Starlink. The whole idea that he's some kind of monster because he also doesn't want people dying by the tens of thousands for nothing is insanity pushed by bad actors." Quote Josh Kraushaar @JoshKraushaar, "all of Musk's money can't change the fundamental reality of American public opinion:" Quote ian bremmer @ianbremmer, "50% of maga voters sympathize with ukraine, 5% (!) with russia."

Mashable notes the Critical 'Musk' documentary pulled from theatres after just two weeks, "The film concludes its theatrical run with a $571,902 box-office performance." George MF Washington @GMFWashington, "Wait… was it pulled or did it just get a 2 week Oscar-qualifying run?"

Sundance at CTH hosts Attorney General Todd Blanche -vs- CBS Margaret Brennan, Video and Transcript and Sunday Talks – AG Todd Blanche -vs- CNN Dana Bash on Alaska Election Fraud. Kyle Becker at RedState appreciates how Blanche Torches Dana Bash for Insane Remark on Next 'January 6': 'That's Not a Real Question!' At Da Caller, ‘Oh, Stop It!’: Todd Blanche Cuts Off Dana Bash’s Speculating How Trump’s Alaska Election Lawsuit Could Lead To Another Jan 6. 

At Da Caller, Jared Kushner’s Phone Was Hacked — It Exposed An Alleged $2 Billion Foreign Money Web. "In an official statement, Mizelle said the book’s central allegation is false, as “there are no bank accounts.” Mizelle continued, saying no evidence has been produced that his client’s phone was ever hacked, and noted that the Jerusalem Post took down its reporting on Cole’s claims after identifying “significant factual questions about the alleged financial transactions.”"

The Left is celebrating as Lula wins shock Brazil election but Bolsonaro refuses to concede. As Beege Welborn at Hat Hair notes The Fix Is In: Judge Who Was Lula's Personal Lawyer Extends Brazil's Voting for Two More Hours WELP, so that they could manufacture the votes they needed. Nick shirley @nickshirleyy, "Brazil's right wing revolution has begun... Thousands upon thousands of people took to the streets in Rio de Janeiro in support of Flavio Bolsonaro as he attempts to take down Lula and declare war on the gangs of Brazil. Under Lula a Supreme Court judge put former president Jair Bolsonaro in prison and then house arrest for the next 20+ years. His son Flavio is running to free his father and free Brazil from Lula’s communist-like government. Brazil's right wing movement is being led by the Bolsonaros, 30 year old Nikolas Ferreira, and 28 year old Lucas Pavanato. Something incredible is taking place as millions reject the ideas of socialism and communism. VAMOS BRAZIL!" Nancy Pearcey @NancyRPearcey, ""When the left loses an election, it tries to destroy the country; when it wins, it succeeds." — Friedrich Hayek."

Sister Toldja at RedState, sees Mike Rogers Shuts Down Kristen Welker's Gotcha Games in Contentious 'Meet the Press' Interview. At Twitchy, Dana Bash Presses Haley Stevens on 'Stepstool' Abdul El-Sayed ... Her Response Is Brutal. From Da Wire, Abdul El-Sayed, You’re No Jack Kennedy, "By claiming the mantle of JFK, El-Sayed implies his critics are bigots." Renewed Right reports An Abdul El-Sayed Operative Was Caught on Camera Saying Three Words That May Cost Democrats the Election. James O'Keefe @JamesOKeefeIII, "BREAKING NEWS: Abdul El-Sayed Campaign Official Reveals El-Sayed Receives Overseas Donations, Admits Foreign Contributions Are Illegal Under Federal Law, Warns Denouncing Hamas Could Cost Support “You know, he [Abdul El-Sayed] has people from overseas that donate to him...No it is not allowed." “He [Abdul El Sayed] can't just say, you know, no, I don't support Hamas, you know, I reject all of them, because he's going to lose the people that brought him up in the first place.” At TownHall Amy Curtis lays out All the Documented Ties Between Abdul El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood. Driscoll at Insyt cites CHRISTIAN TOTO: Spencer Pratt, Gad Saad Slam Princess Bride Alum Over El-Sayed. Gad Saad @GadSaad, "Here we go: @PatinkinMandy is a Self-Loathing Degenerate, Lobotomized Wood Cricket Jew. I despise Patinkin more than I do @AbdulElSayed."

At NYPo, Miranda Devine says Dems know Ilhan Omar is in deep trouble — that’s why they had Obama parachute in. At Althouse wonders Does Obama even know what cheesecake is? "I've listened to this 20 times: ... I believe he's trying to talk like a standup comedian. I feel as though he's been coached on how to sound like a standup comedian who is also the Obama who once presided over what's now supposed to be remembered as a golden age. That's not easy, but when he gets to his big punchline — "He's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory" — it's like he doesn't even know what cheesecake is let alone have any familiarity with the restaurant chain a lot of Americans regard as a pretty nice place to go out to eat." Mickey Kaus @kausmickey, "Did a memo go out to Dems: "We're going to win this mid-term on Design!" Quote Aaron Rupar @atrupar, "Bill Clinton: "I think Congress made a mistake not protesting turning the Rose Garden into what looks like the entrance to Liberace's bathroom."" Mickey Kaus @kausmickey, "“The hard fact is that Nixon lacks taste”--Arthur Schlesinger Jr., 1960. (That was designed to win over skeptical Adlai voters, I believe. But class snobbery is still one theme of Dem politics and policy--eg. screw those hillbillies if they won't learn to code when migrants do their former jobs.)" Lance Gooden @Lancegooden, "Democrats and Barack Obama told us American manufacturing jobs “are just not coming back.” President Trump just announced Audi is building a $4.2 billion manufacturing plant in the United States. Turns out putting America First works!" Hat Hair's Larry Elder disputes a Trump Critic: He's 'Racist' Because He 'Demeans' Black Politicians, who happen to be Democrats. Jordan Briskey @JordanBriskeyWI, "I did it today. I went and voted. I voted against fascism. I voted against racism. I voted to protect my rights and all rights for all, the Constitution, and for democracy. That’s why I voted to a straight Wisconsin Republican ticket +1 ‘If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism.’ -
@RonaldReagan"

Stacy McCain takes on Fake Polls, Real Bias: ‘Shaping the Narrative’ and the Bandwagon Effect. "The polls may be fake, but the bias is real. Once you recognize how these influence operations function — once you start noticing the sneaky ways in which journalists smuggle their own prejudices into allegedly “objective” news coverage — you become skeptical about everything you see in the news media. Be not deceived!" The Manhattan Contrarian shows how The New York Times Shows Democrats How To Run On "Energy Affordability", by ignoring the inconvenient fact that most of the high cost of energy is caused by Democrats. And just some flat out lying. Tim O'Brien at PJM looks at The Lindsay Clancy Effect and How the Democrats Are Courting the Psycho Vote. At Da Signal, LA Registrar Says Citizenship Check Stops at Voter’s Word—Even After Federal Charges and an 8-1 Supreme Court Decision Upends Student ID Fight in Battleground Days Before Key Senate Election. The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision, allowed New Hampshire to block student IDs as a valid form of voter identification. In an unsigned order released Thursday, the justices paused Oct. 2 and Oct. 5 orders by U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante, a George W. Bush appointee, that prevented the state from enforcing its restrictions on student IDs. Justices cited past precedent, noting, “This Court has repeatedly emphasized that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter the election rules on the eve of an election.” They added, “Here, the District Court did not point to anything that would justify deviating from that principle.”" Anyone care to guess who the lone dissenter was?

Breccan Thies at Da Fed hears CIA Spook Slotkin Doubles Down On Threat To Destroy Young Conservative Staffers. Da Caller notes Ex-USAID Officials, Military Brass Reportedly Discussed ‘Extra-Constitutional’ Plans For America. Shipwreckedcrew Answers The Question Of Why Kash Patel And Dan Bongino Set About To Fire Many Senior FBI Officials, "Deputy Assistant Director and HQ Section Chief Led “Operation Round River” To Deflect Any Derogatory Information About Hunter Biden As “Russian Disinformation” After His Laptop Contents Were Known." Because they deserved it. Josh Hammer at Hat Hair outlines November's Stark Choice: Two Visions for Justice and the Rule of Law.

Charlie Martin at PJM reports Ian Brinksman Arrested: Caught in a Honeypot? "Ian A. Brinksman, a government contractor, was arrested by the FBI on October 23 after a search of his residence and charged criminally under the Espionage Act, specifically 18 USC 793(d). I won't quote the whole paragraph, but I will note the last sentence of paragraph (f): Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.... Allegedly, Brinksman was passing TOP SECRET /Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) to someone identified only as "Individual 1" for publication. "Individual 1" is reportedly Brinksman's girlfriend, whom several news reports have identified as Aida Chavez, a journalist who has a Substack and reports on national security stuff. She has previously been associated with The Nation, The Intercept, More Perfect Union, and The Hill." "After my own divorce, a cynical friend commented that the question every divorced man has to deal with is whether the screwing you get was worth the screwing you got. Brinksman should be asking himself that question."

From Da Caller, ICE Nabs Violent Illegal Who Came Back After 2 Deportations. Joe Chalfant at TownHall thinks This Admission Shows Why Trump Was Right to End TPS for Haiti. Insider Wire @InsiderWire, "#BREAKING: Haiti says it's “overwhelmed” by illegals deported from the United States." CBD at Ace's documents how Modern Immigration Is A Far Cry From That Of Our Ancestors. Old immigrants came to make a better life, new ones come to get a better life, at our expense. 

At NYPo, Top LA journalist had fling with Dem SoCal lawmaker, let her write his stories. "A high-profile Los Angeles immigration reporter has been fired amid allegations of ethical breaches, including claims he had a secret romantic relationship with a rising California state senator and allowed her to help write stories published under his byline. Memo Torres, 46, abruptly parted ways with left-leaning news outlet L.A. TACO this week after an internal investigation that the publication says followed nearly five months of discussions over repeated violations of its policies and journalistic standards, according to LA Material. ... The publication said it gave Torres multiple opportunities to take responsibility and improve, insisting his departure had nothing to do with its immigration coverage. “The rumor that we’ve turned our back on ICE coverage is a lie. And a dangerous one,” the statement said. But according to the outlet, sources have raised questions about Torres’ coverage of Democratic state Sen. Sasha Renee Pérez, 34, including allegations that the pair had a personal relationship while he reported on her political agenda."

From eugyppius: a plague chronicle, New German legislation will require that social media platforms massively boost “diversity-promoting” content. "The regulatory war on the demon social media algorithms continues." The Alliance Defending Freedom warns Defend the right to speak the truth about gender.

Amy Denton at PJM observes France Is on Fire Again, with emphasis on again. Greg Lukianoff at The Eternally Radical Idea explains Why Macron is MacWRONG about the France Riots, FIRE West Coast, Busting the Filibuster & more! The Brawl Street Journal, Fueling the Next Riot, "How Europe’s energy policies set up a hot winter." Driscoll at Insty cites JULIE BURCHILL: The ‘homicidal empathy’ of the Islamo-left. RadioGenoa @RadioGenoa, "This video is very important for Europe. It shows that those who loot, destroy cars, set fires and cause chaos speak Arabic. And if they speak Arabic, they are not Europeans. Let's assume many people won't want this video to spread, because it tells too much truth." And, THE BBC BOLDLY GOES WHERE CNN HAS GONE BEFORE: BBC News (World) @BBCWorld, "Clashes erupt in Paris after largely peaceful protests across France" At Am Think JB Shurk think Many Western Governments Won’t Survive, "Why would citizens defend governments that abuse them?" At Da Signal, the Great Victor Davis Hanson: Why Western Civilization Is Fighting Back.

From Campus Reform, Federal judge upholds Trump admin executive order banning federal contractors’ DEI initiatives, "A Biden appointee has upheld an executive order from President Donald Trump, further eroding federal contractors' ability to promote DEI initiatives." Betsey McCaughey at Hat Hair calls out Hollywood Lawyers Perverting Justice in the Cornell 7 case. (Shouldn't that be the Cornell 8?)

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Last of the Autumn Light and FMJRA 2.0: The Continuing Crisis up on time and under budget.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Ukraine Russia Still Fighting, France Still Burning

WaEx reports Blaze at St. Petersburg oil sites as Kyiv launches more than 1,000 drones at Russia. Jen Kavanaugh at Am Con proposes A Long-Term Plan to Secure Peace for Ukraine, "The brutal, yearslong war might end in 2027—if the White House plays its cards right." Ace looks at The Cognitive Dissonance Of The Pro-Ukraine/Anti-Russia Commentariat. "There is a default assumption among the vast majority of the media, both the mass-market variety and the supposedly high-minded elites who comment on everything, no matter their expertise. Ukraine GOOD! Russia BAD! That sums it up nicely. And they are half correct! What they seem to miss is that Ukraine is a kleptocratic cesspool of corruption, and their only saving grace is that they were attacked by Putin's Russia, and not by Poland or Belarus, which would have elicited a giant yawn in western capitals. And they also miss the provocation from the West that probably began with Bush senior, when Russia was still the Soviet Union. They were promised that NATO had no plans to expand east, so the buffer between western Europe and mother Russia that the Soviet Union had created wasn't necessary." And Sundance at CTH, well, sundance has Sunday Talks – Treasury Secretary Bessent: “Zelenskyy Needs to be Very Careful About Making Statements That are Not True”…, Zelenskyy is Lying – Secretary Marco Rubio Responds to False Claims About Ukraine, Starlink and Starshield, President Trump Points Out Zelenskyy’s Financial Motivation to Keep War Going and Mike Steger Interprets President Trump Ukraine and Russia Policy Objectives. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Man Frustrated By Gas Prices Votes To Start Castrating Kids Again."

Also at CTH, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Confirms 4 Dead, Several Dozens Injured, During Military Live-Fire Exercise, live fire hit a natural gas wellhead, started a wildfire in a drought with high winds. What the...? Did they hire Karen Bass to advise?

At Da Wire Trump Lays Out Why He’s Canceling Plans To Live-Stream Terrorist Execution, "The decision came after days of speculation on whether the administration would follow through on Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's announcement." Don Surber explains How Trump got Hasan’s execution accepted, "Cartoonist Scott Adams saw him as a wizard who got people to think through the sale. Trump did." He starts by asking for the moon and stars, and settles for the moon.

Dave Strom sees Radicals Burning France Down. From Driscoll at Insty, IS PARIS SCUFFLING? Government Buildings Torched As French Riots Reach the ‘Point of No Return.’ "Related: Very fine people on both sides..." EuroNews reports a Euronews' crew assaulted by masked individuals while covering protests in Paris. At Althouse just Paris. Visegrád 24 @visegrad24, "Galeries Lafayette in Paris is being looted tonight. It’s the French equivalent of Harrods in London or Bergdorf Goodman in NYC," and BREAKING: The looters in Marseille have started targeting private homes villas in affluent areas. They are breaking into large villas in the 7th arrondissement of Marseille." Cathy Salgado at PJM hears a Report: Marseille Rioters Burned Jewish-Owned Shops, Left Muslim-Owned Ones Untouched. Nick Arama at RedState, Macron Faces Fury When It's Revealed What He Was Doing As Riots Escalated in France; "Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were spotted at Dion’s concert at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, according to French media reports. The couple reportedly arrived and left discreetly and were among roughly 35,000 spectators at the performance." From sundance, During National Address to France President Macron Says He “Doesn’t Know What is Going On” but He’s Sure President Trump is to Blame. At the Telegraph, Trump blames France violence on immigration, "US president urges country to ‘close your borders and take control’ as cost-of-living demonstrations turn violent."

From the Manhattan Contrarian, France Is The Future Of The Progressive Project. Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "Europe gives them free healthcare, free housing, free education, every social program, and a quality of life they could never have back home… yet they will still loot and destroy the West into the third-world. There is no magic soil. A nation is simply it’s people." Twitchy finds @IsraelWarRoom Has Some Interesting Suggestions on How France Should Address Its Riots (LOL). Israel War Room @IsraelWarRoom, "We call on France to exercise restraint when dispersing the freedom fighters on the streets of Paris. These brave warriors for justice must receive immediate humanitarian aid, and their safety must be guaranteed in accordance with international law. Failure to comply will leave us no choice but to bring a case before the ICJ, in close cooperation with that renowned champion of human rights, Afghanistan."

Hat Hair's Josh Hammer calls Abdul El-Sayed A Muslim Brotherhood Puppet and a Grave National Security Threat. Sister Toldja at RedState hears 'No': Mike Rogers Shuts Down Reporter's TDS in Exchange on El-Sayed's Muslim Brotherhood Ties. From the Crimson Hub, Profiting from Socialism: Meet the DSA lobbyists set to make bank if DSA-dominated Dems win big next month. At Althouse, "The D.S.A.’s rise is at once a story of party-blobification and of a revolt against it. Like the conservatives of the 1970s..." "... the group frankly views the party it occupies as a host for an ideological movement rather than as a partner...." From "Is Anyone Actually in Charge of the Democratic Party? And Does It Matter? This year’s midterm elections are a test of whether a party can be a success and a failure at the same time" (NYT)." Nicolle Russell at USA Today warns Texas, don't let James Talarico's charm fool you. "Like former President Barack Obama, Texas state Rep. James Talarico sells unity to cloud his progressive record. Conservatives who believed Obama know how that ends." 

At Am Think Monica Showalter thinks about Is Rep. Ilhan Omar a U.S. citizen? "So, not Somali-American anymore, just Somali?" From Twitchy, Welp, This Tidbit About the Ilhan Omar Raid BLOWS the Left's Trump Targeting Claims Out of the WATER. Fox News Politics @foxnewspolitics, "The judge who signed the warrant to raid Rep. Ilhan Omar's DC home is a Hillary Clinton donor who clerked for an Obama appointee. That fact alone demolishes the left's claim that this is some Trump-orchestrated political hit job. Mike Davis argues the opposite is true: the evidence against Omar must be so overwhelming that even a judge with deep leftist ties couldn't refuse to sign off. The Fourth Amendment requires probable cause of at least one federal crime inside that home, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh — appointed by a bench dominated by Obama and Biden picks — found it was there...." Joe Chalfant thinks Obama's Comments on the Ilhan Omar Situation Are Absolutely Insane. Will Ricciardella @WillRicci, "FLASHBACK: Obama’s IRS singled out Tea Party and other conservative groups for heightened scrutiny based on their names and political positions, delayed tax-exempt applications for years and demanded unnecessary donor information. The IRS ultimately admitted wrongdoing and apologized. Obama insisted there was “not even a smidgen of corruption.” Quote Barack Obama @BarackObama, "It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say. But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota."

Atop Da Hill, Read this before you buy the ‘blue tsunami’ hype, "4 reasons why we should treat midterm polls with caution." Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "We've seen this movie before, it's a very common attempt to manipulate the voter pool. Phase 1: Bogus polls put the Democrat way ahead during most of the run-up in an attempt to demoralize Republican voters. Phase 2: Bogus polls are allowed to tighten to a very narrow D lead just before the election. An honest poll would show a huge R lead. Phase 3: Ballot fraud steals the election. The purpose of the bogus polls was to supply top cover for the fraud. It's a tale as old as time." Quote Kostas Moros @MorosKostas, "Texas polls converging on much smaller Talarico leads than they showed a month ago. From 5-7 point leads down to just 1-3 points. Either the massive Paxton rescue effort is working, or the Talarico leads were always BS." Commonplace urges Confidence, Not Faith, in the Ballot Box, "An election system should provide something that transcends disagreements: a process that can be examined."

DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "The past few days, I got my hands on thousands of new transcripts and hundreds of recordings, thanks to leads from @SKDoubleDub33 and @iamlisalogan . You've heard that the DSA is proposing structural reforms to America, including abolishing the Senate and imposing term limits. What you not have heard is - there is an operational plan to put it all into action. If the Democratic Party sweeps 2026, then DSA will become "foot soldiers" in constant clashes with the administration to cross a "red line" or invoke a "doomsday scenario" - meaning, President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, probably sometime in 2027...." ((( Charlottesville ))) @CvilleBubble, "Heads Up, Virginia: AG Jay Jones’ 10-page election directive is the DataRepublican blueprint in real time. @DataRepublican laid it out: coordinated clashes with the federal government to delegitimize it and hand legitimacy to Democratic state officials -- specifically governors & AGs Virginia’s AG just ordered election officials to: • Deny ordinary DOJ monitors access to polls • Tell federal agents to leave and call local police • Document badges, weapons, vehicles & movements • Challenge federal subpoenas • While eliminating Election Day voter eligibility challenges. No specific unlawful federal operation identified—just preemptive resistance that sets up the “red line” showdown and shifts authority to the state and transfers legitimacy and control to Democratic state officials -- in Virginia's case, leftwing extremists Governor Abigail Spanberger and Attorney General Jay Jones --This is an operational plan, not theory. The conditions for escalation are being set in advance. SHARE with your friends. VOTE REPUBLICAN..."

There were a veritable plethora of responses to Elissa Slotkins stated plan of going after Republican youth to discourage them from supporting Trump. PJM's Matt Margolis, Democrats Just Cranked Their Government Weaponization Agenda Up to 11. Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Elissa Slotkin to Young Republicans: We Are Coming for You. Insty collected a number of tweets, Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "I honestly do not understand how any American who is not already a literal Communist or a literal Jihadist could vote Democrat after hearing what Slotkin said below. This is LITERALLY totalitarianism. It's not the fake "fascism" the Left likes to accuse the Right of, it is the REAL THING. Undeniably. Irrefutably. This is a sitting member of Congress who was in the CIA saying that dissent from what she believes will result in imprisonment. ..." Karol Markowicz @karol, "They told me the US was heading toward fascism and they were right," Quote New York Post @nypost, "Sen. Slotkin urges Dems to use prosecution to make young people afraid to serve in Trump admin." Hon. Vickie Paladino @VickieforNYC, "It’s a very short jump from here to reeducation camps, gulags, and mass graves." Quote The Chicago Thinker @ThinkerChicago, "ON UCHICAGO CAMPUS: U.S. Senator from Michigan Elissa Slotkin hopes planned political prosecutions of republican leaders will scare young conservatives from getting involved in politics." Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis, "Really looking forward to the David French column about how Slotkin is right."

Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, "Make no mistake: this sort of conspiratorial hyperbole, utterly disconnected from the actual written Constitution & aiming at its marginalization, is agitprop aimed at the destruction of our constitutional order." Quote Josh Marshall @joshtpm, Replying to @joshtpm, "2/ Supreme Court in American history with the possible exception of the Roger Taney's Dred Scott court. The Roberts Court has spent the last 15 years tearing up the constitutional order and the last seven or eight years being little more than an extra-constitutional veto for ..."

Greg Lukianoff at The Eternally Radical Idea declares FIRE victory in NJ! Deplatformings hit all-time high! The impending (and ongoing) ‘Academic Filibuster’! & more! From The Telegraph (UK) Mother referred to Prevent for ‘over-identifying with Israel’ Coming to New York soon, I expect. 

Charles Murray @charlesmurray, "Starting with the Coleman Report in 1966, continuing with studies of prison rehabilitation, job training programs, causes of poverty, race differences in IQ, and causes of sex differences in occupational preferences. To name a few." Quote Steve Sailer @Steve_Sailer Replying to @ArtemisConsort, "Almost nobody realizes that just about every liberal feel-good nostrum has been tested by liberal social scientists over the last 60 years, with practically none of them turning out true. That was already fairly well established when I started reading social science in 1972."

At Althouse, "If sexual misconduct prevents a victim from taking full advantage of her education, then the institution has to address it." ""That responsibility is an awkward fit in some ways, but it reflects the reality that colleges are not just classrooms; they are a very particular kind of community in which all members have a duty of care toward one another. The Cornell case shows how hard it can be for universities to enforce Title IX well and also why they have to keep trying...." Writes Emily Bazelon, in "This Is One of the Saddest Facts About the Cornell Rape Case" (NYT). The sad fact in question is that Jane Doe dropped out, and she did not complete her degree elsewhere. Her education — her path to a career — was disrupted." By actions she initiated and participated in willingly. One of the commenters suggested OnlyFans. 

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Better Than Nothing up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Where in the World is James Talarico?

Suddenly, someone noticed the Democrat candidate for Texas Senator has been missing from the campaign trail for more than a week, and his campaign has been substituting old footage for news to try and paper over his absence. At PJM, Chris Queen wonders Where in the World Is Jimmy Talarico? We Miss Our Favorite Heretic!, Matt Margolis asks Are We Really Supposed to Believe Talarico Has the Flu? and Cathy Salgado thinks Talafreako Is ‘Sick,’ Becerra Is Hiding, and Dems Know Their Candidates Are Too Dumb to Campaign. Jen O'Connell at RedState sees Paxton 'Milk Cartons' Talarico's Absence From the Campaign Trail As Dem's Staffers Let the Mask Slip. Matthew Foldi @MatthewFoldi, "#TXSEN NEWS: In the closing days of James Talarico's race against @KenPaxtonTX, Talarico's own staffers could cause major problems for the Texas Democrat -- in this exclusive footage, one of Talarico's Marxist field organizers explains how she views him as the "vehicle" to push Texas drastically leftward, and that Talarico is actually far more anti-Israel than he publicly claims to be..." Stephen Green @VodkaPundit, "10 days isn't the flu. 10 days is "caught in bed with a live boy AND a dead girl."" At Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, Trump Texas Trip Targets Talafreako. Trans-Touter? Truant. America @america, "Democrat Nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas James Talarico: “I don't care where you get the revenue, I don't care what taxes you have to raise.”

Scott McLallen at TownHall reports Rogers, El-Sayed Clash in First Michigan Senate Debate. Cathy Salgado again, 'He's Lying!' Rogers Exposes El-Sayed’s Terror Ties and Deception During Debate. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn says If Snippets I'm Seeing of the MI Senate Debate Is How the Whole Thing's Going? YOICKS. RedWave Press @RedWavePress, "OH MY: Mike Rogers takes Abdul El-Sayed to the WOOD CHIPPER, CLAPPING BACK after the Muslim progressive hits him for owning a home in Florida: “He owns a home in the United Arab Emirates. At least Florida’s in the United States.” Alana Goodman @alanagoodman, "El-Sayed refuses to publicly support the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, because, as he admitted on leaked audio, he doesn't want to alienate radicalized pro-Khamenei/pro-Hezbollah voters in Dearborn. Great questioning from @AudreyFahlberg , one of the few reporters to press El-Sayed on this very important issue!" Quote Audrey Fahlberg @AudreyFahlberg, "There hasn’t been much reporting follow up on @alanagoodman’s scoop about a private Abdul El-Sayed campaign comms strategy call following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during which he said "there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad" about his death." From Twitchy, OUCH! New Video of El-Sayed Roasting Obama Just Made the Upcoming Campaign Stop AWKWARD. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair cites El-Sayed: You Know Whose Health Care Policy Stunk and Gave Us Trump, Right? From Ace, El-Sayed, Ready to Campaign with Shit-Fingered Midas, Previously Said Obama Was a Failed President Who Left the Country Off Worse Than When He Found It. "We have something in common with Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed: We agree that the SCOAMF was a disaster." At PJM, VodkaPundit looks at Barack Obama and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad News Cycle. From Da Mail, an Embarrassing blow for Barack Obama as workers at his 'death star' presidential center are already so fed up they're leaving in droves... as stern letter is released.

Hat Hair's Dave Strom notices Mamdani Doesn't Hate Jews Enough for His Supporters... No, he really does, it's just an act. Jarvis @jarvis_best, "He’s gotta be concerned at this point about a primary challenge from his wife." Quote Peter Sterne @petersterne, "Mamdani is stone-faced as the protesters call him a traitor and sellout." The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "You almost have to admire Mamdani. Dude just walks around NYC smiling and shitting on everything because the place is so far gone that he’s untouchable, and he knows it. Like John Gotti wearing a keffiyeh." PJM's Stephen Kruiser, October 7 vs. January 6 — Guess Which Date the Dems Think Is Worse. 

Steve Calabresi at the Volokh Conspiracy explains The Democratic Socialists of America Platform. "The DSA would abolish the police, open borders, socialize medicine, abolish the Department of War, and abolish the Senate." From Da Signal, Bill to Strip DSA of Party Rights Picks Up Steam in DC. “The DSA has made clear that it wants to abolish and fundamentally change the 250-year American experiment of self-government,” Fuller told the Daily Signal. “The organization’s co-chair has confirmed support for abolishing institutions like the Senate, presidency, and Supreme Court, abolishing ICE and our borders, defunding the Pentagon, and mass amnesty for illegal immigrants.” Wake me up when a Democrat signs on. At Quotulatiousness, Central planning also centralizes the importance of “who you know” "Maria Gabriela Chavez holds assets estimated at $4.2 billion, making her Venezuela’s wealthiest individual by a comfortable margin. Her father nationalized over 1,200 private companies between 2002 and 2012."

Matt Margolis thinks These Numbers Should Terrify Democrats Ahead of the Midterms. Which is why they're already talking about the election being stolen (I mean, aside from the usual projection). "when you take a look at how people are actually registering, this is not polling data, compared to where we were eight years ago, Republicans are doing considerably better in what are the swing states, at least normally in presidential elections," Enten said." Don Surber is hopeful Democrats may blow it. "There is a 13% chance they will pick up fewer than 3 seats in the House." "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.." From ¡No Pasaran! Vote Red — Or America's Dead: It's your year to save this country.

The inimitable Kurt Schlichter at TownHall, Trump Has Reset the Strategic Chessboard and People Are Blackpilling? "Oh no, gas is a little more expensive per gallon, and a bunch of Democrats haven’t been thrown into jail yet. I guess the only thing to do is vote for a bunch of communists." At Insty VodkaPundit says BUCKLE UP: "China’s Build Up of Nuclear Forces. ... The Pentagon called it a “strategic breakout” five years ago, and Beijing’s pace has only accelerated since then." Stephen Fleming @StephenFleming, "It’s possible that the First Space War has already started and they’re just not telling us." Quote LeoLabs @LeoLabs_Space "LeoLabs has detected another debris-generating event in orbit. This is the latest in a series of events we've seen over the last 6 months. Together, they point to a worrying trend for space safety and security, and underscore the critical need for persistent sensing."

Glenn Greenwald @ggreenwald, "The third-place finisher behind Bolsonaro and Lula -- Augusto Cury -- has just come out and endorsed Flavio Bolsonaro in the run-off. Lula's prospects for overcoming his first-round deficit grow dimmer by the day." Quote Sam Pancher @SamPancher, "Augusto Cury has decided to support Flávio Bolsonaro, according to an investigation by @igorgadelham Support video is expected to be released in the next few hours." Time for the lefty judge to jail the son! From Twitchy, European Parliament Displays Statue of Naked, Gold-Plated Trump Called ‘The Orange Plague.’ Wrath Of Gnon @wrathofgnon, "The US should simply remove all military protections and aid to the EU and its member states. What is the point of all this if even the people who tell us loudly they are the good guys can't follow basic human decency?" Naomi Seibt @NaomiSeibt, "A German artist was allowed to display a NAKED TRUMP STATUE at the EU parliament. Meanwhile, it is ILLEGAL to “damage the reputation of a politician” in Germany. Imagine the uproar if Trump put a naked Angela Merkel statue in the White House!" Good idea, let's try it! Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks Rubio's Excellent Speech on Western Civ Is a Rorschach Test. Mark Paolette at Da Fed swears Trump’s Triumphal Arch Completes A Longstanding National Aspiration. I can live with or without it. Just another thing to move when we make Fargo ND the capitol city. At Am Great, the Great Victor Davis Hanson wonders Are We Becoming Gondor? "J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision of a declining Gondor offers a warning for the troubled West—but also a message of hope that renewal remains possible."

Insty calls it SETTING AN EXAMPLE: Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution Will Be Public and Streamed Live, Pentagon Says. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Must see TV. But yeah, there’ll be hating. More public executions please. More executions. Murderers, rapists, terrorists and traitors. (We have quite a few of the latter as yet uncharged. Not a good idea. Charges, executions, get people’s attention.) Gibbeting. Old American and English tradition. Let them rot in public view." Quote wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "The livestreaming of Hasan's execution is likely to generate strong emotions on all sides. Western societies now look away from death, sanitize it, medicalize it and move on. For all its negatives a firing squad puts it right in our face again. It was not always so. ..." InfantryDort @infantrydort, "This monster shot many people. Among them, a pregnant woman who cried out “My baby, my baby!” before she died. In case any of you are feeling sorry for this miserable fuck being executed in 1080p." At Althouse, "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it — that it's public — because people need to understand that there are serious consequences for these types of things.", "Said Pete Hegseth, promising a public execution. ... So we are called to contemplate something that we have long believed to have been abandoned. There is some excitement — I see it in Hegseth's body language — over the return of the spectacle of imposing the death penalty." Twitchy, TDS Accounts Try to Dunk on Pete Hegseth Running With Troops and Faceplant on the Previous SecDef. The Tennessee Holler @TheTNHoller, "This is the funniest shit of all time… wait for it… Quote FactPost @factpostnews, "Pete Hegseth trails behind the crowd while running with troops in San Diego." Bravo Charlie Mike @brent_maz, "Can you run? Or are you pointing out that the mid-40’s side doesn’t run as fast as the 20 something’s?"

505 days after Elon’s decline and fall… He’s the World’s first trillionaire and National Medal of Science Award winner. The Media truly does suck. https://t.co/9eceZ1x5Oz

— C3 (@C_3C_3) October 8, 2026

The Free Bacon highlights how Wall Street Journal vs. Treasury Secretary Bessent Erupts as Pre-Election Blood Feud. At Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, Trump Tightens SNAP Requirements As Nick Shirley Demonstrates EBT Fraud.

The Chicago Boyz, About That Night in Cornell "Third, the timing of the claim is suspicious. I know her suit was technically filed in September, but coming as it does shortly before an election it qualifies as an “October Surprise.”" Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis, "100% convinced that Cornell is little more than a Democrat psyop weeks before a midterm election that’s shaping up to be brutal for them." Quote Matt Walsh @MattWalshBlog, "So the Cornell accuser called it a “gang bang,” specifically stated that nothing illegal occurred, and said “our body our choice.” Ok. Case closed. Let’s move on to the next hoax please." Lisa Britton @LisaBritton, "When I got into an argument with the late Senator Dianne Feinstein in front of a room full of constituents, accusing her and the party of using women (their pain and trauma) to get votes, this is the kind of stuff I was referring to." Quote Women's March @womensmarch "The epidemic of sexual violence holds auditions in the frat house and does prime time in the White House. Cornell and LSU are not exceptions, they are examples of rape culture on campuses and communities across the country. Thursday, we bring the rage about this case and many..." Matt Vespa at TownHall, sees The Cornell Case Takes Another Turn, and Letitia James Is Involved. Lauren Conlin @conlin_lauren, "SCOOP: CORNELL SEVEN: Gillio Lopes, one of the seven men accused in Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit, has filed an Article 78 challenge looking to REMOVE NY Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the criminal investigation. His attorneys argue James showed bias toward Jane Doe in a Sept. 28 social media post, three days before Gov. Hochul appointed her to lead the reopened criminal investigation. Lopes wants the appointment overturned and a different prosecutor assigned. A judge has not yet ruled. More details via @lamag shortly." alexandriabrown @alexthechick, "As someone who has spent 30 years *stares bleakly into the distance* serving defendants, it is basic, basic competence to make sure you have the right address for the defendant. In a case of this notoriety, there is no excuse for failing to make sure that is the right person." Quote Michael Tracey @mtracey, "Jane Doe lawyer Thomas Giuffra was already notorious for not doing basic due diligence to check stuff in his sensational rape-alleging lawsuits. Now he's got a random Marine he tried to serve, because he happens to have the same name as a defendant, begging the Court for relief..." AG @AGHamilton29, "This is part of why I said the public mob mentality on here based on allegations in a lawsuit was extremely inappropriate and unhelpful. The texts directly contradict claims in the lawsuit. We don’t know what’s true, but that’s why people should wait for the facts." Quote TMZ @TMZ, "EXCLUSIVE: Cornell alleged sexual assault, Jane Doe says "gangbang ... our body our choice." We can't wait for the facts! There's an election coming! Stacy McCain sees The Wrong Matthew Ingalls, the Correct ‘Jane Doe’ and the Cornell 7 Case and finds Amanda Marcotte ‘A Reliable Barometer of Wrongness’ on the Cornell case and just in general. He also outs 'Jane Doe.' Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630, "I almost literally cannot think of a worse idea than paying college women tens of thousands of dollars to make Cornell-quality rape claims." Quote New York Post @nypost, "NYS lawmaker pitches bill to give sex assault victims tuition reimbursement in wake of Cornell 7 case." From the Free Bacon, Cornell’s President Misses the Point—In a Telling Way; "'Body autonomy' is not the key issue." Lisa Britton @LisaBritton, "When you realize that most of “female empowerment!” is actually big business in many ways, then the escalating gender war starts to make more sense." Quote Christina Buttons @buttonslives, "She’s right of course. There really is a campus rape industry whose objective is to convince women they’ve been raped. There’s an entire ecosystem of advocacy groups, lawyers, researchers, victim-services programs, and the Title IX bureaucracy that has a financial and..." Quote Heather Mac Donald @HMDatMI, "A real rape victim is not going to initiate friendly (and possibly sexual) contact again with her alleged rapist, as Jane Doe did. ..."

Susie Moore at RedState hears ‘Make the Supreme Court Say It Twice’: Roberts Blocks 4th Circuit's Extraordinary Election Order. At Shooting News Week, With Yesterday’s SCOTUS Denial, Concealed Carry Reciprocity is Now Up to Congress. At Da Caller Harold Hutchinson says Anti-Gunners Reveal Motive Behind Their Under-The-Radar Involvement In Supreme Court Climate Case. They want lefty cities setting national policy. Also from Da Caller, DOJ Seeking Criminal Indictment Of Cassidy Hutchinson Over Jan. 6 Testimony.

At Twitchy, Norm Macdonald Meme Plays Out in MN As ‘Journo’ Frets Over Somali Gangs Being Called ‘Somali Gangs.’ Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "So basically, we took his family in from Somalia, cared for them, allowed them to stay here PERMANENTLY, and how does their son repay us? BY ATTEMPTING TO KlLL 60 NON-MUSLIMS AT THE MALL The “melting pot” experiment has failed. SEND THEM ALL BACK!" amanda @amandatalks__, with a Friendly reminder that the most ISIS recruits in the entire country during the height of the caliphate came from this cluster of buildings in Minneapolis." Ace says Don't Call Them Somali Gangs. Call Them Well-Armed Doctors and Engineers. "The Somali community, and the left generally, continues to rage that Somali gang members are called Somali gang members. They want them called "American" gang members. And they insist that the problem isn't Somalis, it's just guns. FoxNews..."

Mary Chastain at LI, Trump Admin Suspends Microsoft, Others From PERM Program Over Alleged Visa Abuse. "JD Vance: “In other words, if you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants.”" From Da Caller, White House Suspends Microsoft From Green Card Program Over H-1B Fraud. Dave Strom says BOOM! Administration Shutting Down Foreign Worker Flow to Companies That Abuse Programs. Ace, Citing Microsoft's Practice of Laying Off American Workers and Replacing Them With H-1B "Indentured Servants," Trump Suspends Microsoft's Ability to Use the Green Card Program. "Niiiiice. Should have been done long ago. Hit Disney next. The terrorist-aligned AP is sad."

Mary Chastain, Trump Admin Investigating Nine Universities for Alleged Visa Fraud. “We will investigate whether foreign influence, improper financial relationships, or visa abuse are compromising federally funded research.” Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47, "@USLaborIG: "I am announcing a historic investigation into the J-1 visa fraud involving nine major American universities — Pit, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Brown, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State, and MIT. Subpoenas have been served; investigations are underway.""

From Twitchy, WHOA. Never Seen THAT Before: ABC So SCREWED UP Their Trump and Sons Hit Piece They Just DELETED It. Brent Scher @BrentScher, "Damn, ABC completely took this down. No editor’s note, no nothing, just deleted." Quote Amy Siskind @Amy_Siskind, "ABC News reported that AI defense company Anduril Industries, a company in which Donald Jr.’s 1789 Capital has a major investment, was awarded a multi-billion deal announced by Trump on Tuesday, and had been awarded 135 other contracts with the government." John Sexton sees The NYTimes Offers a Defense of the Prairieland Antifa Gang. Adam Carolla @adamcarolla, "All the liars and hustlers want to move on." Quote Dr Charlie Ward @DrcharlieWardQ, "MUST WATCH : CNN’s Dana Bash: “I really want to move on [from talking about the mistakes during COVID] HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: “Of course you want to move because you were part of the problem.”"

Althouse finds The Nobel Peace Prize as a "grotesque weaponization of an award to legitimize anti-Israel hatred and prejudice." "I'm reading "Live Updates: Human Rights Lawyer Navi Pillay Is Awarded Nobel Peace Prize/Ms. Pillay has served as a judge in her native South Africa and on international courts investigating war crimes. She led a U.N. panel that determined that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a finding the Israeli government rejected" (NYT):" Cathy Salgado explains Why Anti-Israel Is Anti-American: We Face the Same Enemy. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Hamas Disappointed Leftists Don't Believe They Massacred Jews After They Went To All The Trouble To Livestream It."

At Da Signal, France Bowed by School Riots.This has very little to do with schools and a lot to do with mass immigration. The 74, wonders Do Americans Worry About Schools Becoming Too White? Too Asian? "Hartney: New survey finds Republicans and Democrats support merit-based admissions, but they react very differently depending on which groups benefit." Jonathan Turley dissects The Education Cartel and the Blue State School Scam. "Families and students have become largely irrelevant to an education cartel, a self-sustaining, self-perpetuating political alliance of unions and politicians."

Defiant L’s @DefiantLs, "British teen arrested after Facebook post criticizing British politician for being on his phone instead of working The new Britain ladies and gentlemen Illegals are murdering people in the street but Facebook posts can get you arrested." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Seems like a reasonable expectation, given…" Quote The English Crusader @andrewc44104127, "ARE THEY PLANNING TO PUT THE ARMY ON THE STREETS OF BRITAIN? Our Source | Warned us that a regiment that has been waiting to deploy all year abroad, has had their plans cancelled, and the whispers in the chain of command is it is because they think there is going to be major civil unrest. Meaning, they are keeping the regiment in the UK to deploy on UK streets if needed, and if there is their massive civil unrest. This is highly unusual and not normal. We went and did research and there are in fact multiple regiments that have been waiting to deploy abroad, having their plans cancelled..." Mrs. Rutter ™ @lindarutter, ""I never thought I'd live to see the day when the right wing would become to cool ones giving the middle finger to the establishment, and the left wing become the sniveling self-righteous twatty ones going around shaming everyone." ~John Lydon AKA Johnny Rotten The Sex Pistols"

Kyle Becker at RedState thinks Caitlin Clark Gets the 'Last Laugh' on WNBA After Her Team Is Eliminated. Christine Brennan @cbrennansports, "A bit of good news for the WNBA: Instead of losing 55% of TV audience when Fever go out (info below), the drop for semis Game 1 vs Game 1 of Fever-Aces a week earlier is 44-47%: 2.11M Fever-Aces ABC 1.17M Liberty–Dream ABC 1.12M Aces–Valkyries NBC/Peacock All Sun vs NFL games." Quote Christine Brennan @cbrennansports, "There’s joy among anti-CC WNBA fans but no joy among TV execs and sponsors. Sad reality hits the W with Fever now out: based on three seasons of viewership data, when Caitlin Clark leaves, half of W’s TV audience leaves as well. Maybe this month is different? From On Her Game:" But they don't really care because the WNBA is supported mostly by the NBA.

There's still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.07.26 and In The Mailbox: 10.08.26. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: A Winning Homestand up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.