Flotsam and Jetsam - The TSA Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo

Yesterday, in a voice vote, (meaning the identity of the voters goes unrecorded) the Senate voted on a measure to end the DHS stand off, so they could declare themselves done, and quickly run out of town for Easter and Spring Break. Details seem kind of hard to understand; the proposal did not yield to Democrat's demands on ICE, but didn't satisfy House Republicans, who rejected it out of hand and passed their own competing bill. Meanwhile, President Trump cut the Gordian Knot by directing newly confirmed DHS Sec Mullin to pay TSA agents, without specifying where the funds would be coming from. From NYPo, End to airport misery in sight as Senate approves deal to end DHS shutdown — without Dem immigration demands. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, NEW: Dems Throw In Towel on Schumer Shutdown II: TSA Boogaloo. CNN whines House GOP rejects Senate DHS deal, prolonging shutdown. The Peacock crows House Republicans pass DHS funding bill that Democrats call 'dead on arrival' in the Senate "The vote came hours after President Donald Trump signed an order directing DHS to pay TSA workers, who haven't received paychecks despite working during the funding lapse." Mary Chastain at LI, Trump Directs DHS Secretary Mullin to Pay TSA Agents, "Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said that Trump could find ways to pay the TSA agents." Hat Hair's John Sexton, Trump Will Issue an Order to Pay TSA Agents Despite Shutdown. At TownHall Matt Vespa thinks you should Watch What Happens When CNN Learns Trump Is Signing an Order Permitting DHS to Pay TSA Agents. Althouse, "Therefore, I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents..." ""... in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports. It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it! I want to thank our hardworking TSA Agents and also, ICE, for the incredible help they have given us at the Airports. I will not allow the Radical Left Democrats to hold our Country hostage any longer. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump writes, at Truth Social. Question: How is he doing this? Answer: It's not easy! But he's going to do it. Perhaps he means: Go ahead and sue me and at least the workers willbe paid until the courts stop me... if they dare." Shelby Talcott @ShelbyTalcott, "New: The money Trump is using to pay TSA is available from last year’s tax cuts bill (which also spent billions on immigration enforcement), according to an administration official. More w/@burgessev", Quote Burgess Everett @burgessev "Republicans started talking about Trump paying TSA workers with existing funds a few days ago as they learned he had the option. Unclear why it took 41 days of shutdown but the approaching recess and interminable negotiations played a role @ShelbyTalcott. Senate might have approved it today if he hadn’t acted …" Don Surber catches Spartacus ranting to an empty airport, Trump ends TSA hostage crisis. "Democrats hate ICE so much that they only drink warm beer now. Bud Light, of course." AMAC explains how Democrats Have Already Killed the Filibuster. 

Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Senate Photo ID to Vote Amendment Goes Down in Democrat Flames MORE. RNC Research @RNCResearch, "WATCH: Senator Jon Husted outlines popular commonsense photo ID requirements to vote: "All that's in this amendment is 5 forms of photo ID that people can list to vote." Democrats are literally voting against this." Matt Vespa, Trump Was on Fire With These Clips Yesterday. "One reporter tried to catch Trump with a loaded question about mail-in ballots, noting that he had used one in the recent elections in Florida. The president isn’t a fan of this voting method, but the question was purely foolish. There are concerns about fraud, and this reporter failed miserably trying to get a ‘gotcha’ moment. Trump responded sharply, pointing out the exceptions and emphasizing that he’s the president of the United States, and that’s how he decided to cast his ballot while away, which is within the rules." John Sexton hears There's Another No Kings Protest This Weekend, I guess Soros and Singham haven't run out of money. Sarah Anderson at PJM hears Two Boats From Code Pink-Led Cuban Convoy Go Missing, as Democrats defunded the Coasties. 

Sister Toldja at RedState hears Democrat Implosions Imminent After Scott Bessent Announces Historic Change to U.S. Paper Currency. "In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, President Donald J. Trump’s signature will appear on future U.S. paper currency along with the Secretary of the Treasury, marking the first time in history for a sitting president." Twitchy cries FINISH THEM! Scott Bessent BODIES Financial Times for Pushing Explicitly FALSE Story About His Fed Plans.

At Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog Iran Strikes: Day 27, "Not one but two Iranian naval commanders get dirtnapped, more than 10,000 Iranian targets have been hit, Iran getting 12 year olds to join the fight, and claims it’s reinforced Kharg Island." The Mossad: Satirical and Awesome @TheMossadIL, "Reminder: Near the end of WWII when the Nazis ran out of soldiers they brought in the kids. This is an act of desperation." Quote Iran International English @IranIntl_En, "An official from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the minimum age for participation in war-related support roles has been lowered to 12, according to remarks aired on state media. Rahim Nadali, a cultural official with the Guards in Tehran, said an initiative..." At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed, Escalateo: Pentagon May Deploy 10,000 Infantry While Iran Stalls and Dave Strom, The Transnationalist PsyOp on Operation Epic Fury. Roger Kimball at Da Wire, The Propaganda Press Cannot Stomach Victory And Its Mendacity Shows. "Behind the unbridled hatred of Trump is the more abiding hatred of American and Israeli military prowess." Trent Telenko @TrentTelenko, "The Mullah Regime of Iran is in very deep trouble. Any critical thinker can see that. What I find remarkable is how many people who should know better are so blinded by their hostility to Netanyahu and Trump that they ignore the military context and the domestic context inside Iran." At Althouse, Trump answers the question "Did the CIA tell you that Ayatollah Jr. is gay?"

Sarah Anderson sees a Rubio Mic Drop: Epic Fury Is a Favor for the World. 'Step Up and Deal With It.' Capt. Ed looks at Epic Fury And the Myth of 'International Law'. Bob Spencer at PJM hears from A Muslim U.S. Soldier Says She'll Disobey Commands to Fight Muslims. Now What? Put her to the test, then put her in the brig if she disobeys. 

Sundance at CTH is stunned when the British Defense Minister Outlines How the U.K Navy Will Defend the West, as Soon as They Locate Their Ships, and there's not even that many to keep track of. Quotulatiousness' QotD: “Instead of the unsinkable battleship we have the unsinkable Military Expert …”

From RCM, Why Are We Clinging To a Law That Makes Gasoline More Expensive? The Jones Act. Beege Welborn hears You Can Still Hum 'Leavin' on a Jet Plane' From Anywhere...But Australia, where they are rapidly running out of fuel thanks to the closure of the Straits of Hormuz. Concerned Citizen @BGatesIsaPyscho, "Meanwhile in Australia “The NSW is preparing for a worst case scenario, which could include a fuel rationing scheme” It’s insane that in 2026, some of the most resource rich, advanced nations on Earth, are now talking about managing people Fuel." Richard Seymore @Roll_69d420, "Don't worry Aussies, although fuel is in tight supply your top official have assured me that the flow of migrants wont slow down at all. Your government remains dedicated to focusing all it's effort on importing your most important resource."

Ari Schulman @AriSchulman, "This should be the biggest story in the country right now. Barksdale is the HQ for our B52 nuclear bombers, it's where Bush sheltered on 9/11, and the drones are reported as "far more sophisticated than anything seen in Ukraine ... and well beyond Iranian capabilities." Something is drastically wrong here. The military could sure take some down, and/or track them to their source. It almost has to be China, or maybe, us.

At Irons in the Fire, Gee, more approved fraud in MN, "HOLY CR*P 🚨 Minnesota Rep Krista Knudsen says they just found out the state TURNED OFF tracking for money being sent overseas They turned it on for 2 weeks. Saw all the money leaving, and Democrats quickly SHUT OFF TRACKING to allow it to keep happening." Sundance, JD Vance Launches Fraud Taskforce. John Sexton has hopes a Florida Democrat Could Be Expelled from Congress "The House Ethics Committee is meeting today to hold a public "trial" for one of their own members. Florida Democratic congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick could be removed from her seat if her colleagues decide she used federal relief funds to run for office."

Matt Vespa thinks Hakeem Jeffries Was Asked the an Easy Question. He Failed Miserably Answering It. Bob Spencer hears the Dem Who Claimed Murdered Girl Startled Killer Wants You to Know She Herself is the Real Victim "Hadden has now “closed her office for the rest of the week in response to backlash over comments that a slain college student was in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time,’ citing safety concerns.”" From the Chronic, In Sanctuary Cities, American Lives Don’t Matter. Beege Welborn notices Jersey Mikie Sherrill Is All About Protecting the Garden State's Illegal Aliens. Dave Rubin @RubinReport, "This is one of the most perfect things the internet has ever created." From Twitchy, You're Not the 51st State (Yet): Toronto Mayor Goes on Bizarre Rant Demanding ICE Stay Out of ... Canada? At Da Caller, Top Trump Official Sheds Light On ‘Mess’ Lying Under Hood Of Illegal Trucker Crisis.

Dave Strom cites Gavin Newsom Then: We Need Chinese EVs in America; Now: Musk and Trump Ceding EV Market to China. NYPo, Gavin Newsom floats idea of mandatory national service. jay plemons @jayplemons, "Victor Davis Hansen gives a brutal rundown of Newsom's history and how he has destroyed California - Never had a private job that he got on his own - A creation of the Getty family and his well-connected parents - Been in office for 30 years - Overseen disastrous programs like the high-speed rail project - High-speed rail originally forecasted at $40 billion, now approaching $40 billion with zero track laid - High-speed rail will likely never extend beyond Bakersfield to Merced and will lose money every year - Continued pouring billions into the failing high-speed rail while neglecting critical freeways - Pushed a green agenda, yet the Monterey battery storage plant has blown up twice - Oversaw a $2 billion solar plant in the Mojave Desert that was inefficient, harmful to wildlife, and ultimately dismantled..." Susie Crabtree at RCP, enjoys seeing Dems Scramble After California Governor’s Debate Implodes. Cam Higby @camhigby, "It’s all over California. A reporter in San Francisco found the exact same thing we found. Pay for signature and payment to fraudulently sign in other people’s names." Quote jj smith @war24182236, "VOTER FRAUD Is running rapidly in the state of California these guys is up here offering to pay people $5 dollars again for their signatures, this is a ongoing ordeal that has been coming to the Tenderloin for a while. They’re using the drug addicts to sign things so they can go get high with that $5 dollars. But listen to the masked gentleman explain what each petition is for. He also says how much he get paid for each signature." Seattle Red reports Washington’s ‘Millionaire Tax’ sends luxury home listings surging 65% overnight. Dave Strom puts the Liberal Mindset in a Nutshell and it still rattles around.

Dave Strom reports Gabbard Reveals Conspiracy to Use Aid to Ukraine to Fund Biden Campaign. It's hard to blame Ukraine for using whatever means it can to fight the Russians. OTH, for the Biden campaign to accept kickbacks verges on treason. From NYPo, the Divine Miranda Devine: We’re still learning the full rot of the Russiagate scandal. Stewart Baker at the Volokh Conspiracy is Investigating FISA Abuses in Crossfire Hurricane. Ace is outraged, Documents show Partisan DC Judge Beryl Howell Had Secret Ex Parte Conversations with Fake Special Counsel Jack Smith. "In a court, all communications with the judge are supposed to include counsel for both sides. So that both sides may weigh in on proposals and motions. But Obama appointee and Democrat ringer Beryl Howell had secret ex parte communications with Jack Smith, behind Trump's lawyers' backs." Hans Mahncke at Da Fed says a New Document Shows Chief Judge Howell Privately Endorsed Jack Smith’s Get-Trump Lawfare. Shipwreckedcrew thinks The Mueller Special Counsel's "Investigation" of Gen. Flynn Was Its Most Egregious Abuse of Prosecutorial Authority. "The Obama Admin. Intelligence Community knew Gen. Flynn would expose the duplicity of Crossfire Hurricane -- silencing him was paramount and the Mueller SCO obliged." Misty Severi at JTN reports Blanche says DOJ, FBI has 'cleaned house' of agents, employees who assisted in Trump prosecutions, "Blanche told an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, that approximately 200 DOJ employees have either left or been fired under the Trump administration for working on the high-profile cases." The Ivy Exile discusses The Decline and Fall of the Information State (For Now). Sundance speaks of Institutional Fear and the Excavation of the Rabbit Hole.

Leslie Eastman reports on  Operation Box Cutter: Historic FBI Strike on China-to-Cartel Fentanyl Pipeline, "Six Chinese citizens and two China-based pharmaceutical companies have been indicted for allegedly selling and delivering compounds used to make fentanyl."

Shooting News Week notices Secret Service Agent in Jill Biden’s Detail Shot Himself in Negligent Discharge Incident. Did Trump return the favor of sticking the bad ones on the Biden's protection detail?

Matt Vespa thinks This Story Is Nuts. Joe Kent Reportedly Wanted to Testify in the Trial of Charlie Kirk’s Assassin. "I’ll leave this here for y’all to comment below, but apparently, former National Counterterrorism Center head Joe Kent offered to testify in the trial of Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, for the defense. Michael Shellenberger of Public wrote a post about these allegations, specifically that Kent felt the FBI didn’t properly investigate the crime, believed there was a “foreign nexus,” and yes, Israel was part of this crazy story, although Kent couldn’t provide anything conclusive. He also claimed he was blocked from investigating this matter further, which is reportedly bunk since his agency had no authority to analyze what had been collected (via Public):

From the Free Bacon, San Francisco Reinstates 8th-Grade Algebra After 'Equity' Experiment Fails "Test scores declined and racial gaps persisted after the district removed algebra from the middle school curriculum in 2014." Ron DeSantis @RonDeSantis, "The “heart of scientific authority” where objective measures are disregarded in favor of ideology and social activism in their discriminatory admissions policies?" Quote The New York Times @nytimes "Breaking News: The Trump administration is investigating the admissions policies of three major medical schools, taking aim at the heart of scientific authority in the U.S. https://nyti.ms/4bC7Ivu"

John Sexton cites Bob Costas: The IOC Ban of Trans Women is Common Sense. 

At Am Great, The Great Victor Davis Hanson looks at Who Was Cesar Chavez—and Who Will He Become? "The canonized legacy of Cesar Chavez is collapsing under revelations that recast a sainted activist as a deeply flawed—and possibly predatory—man the Left can no longer easily defend." Just another leftist hero with feet of clay. "There comes a redeemer and he slowly, too, fades away.  And there follows his wagon behind him that's loaded with clay, And the seeds that were silent all burst into bloom and decay, And night comes so quiet, its close on the heels of the day."

And more, at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.27.26. Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: O’s, Yeah! up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - US Military Captures Maduro

Stacy McCain either stayed up late, or got up early. BREAKING: U.S. Strikes Venezuela UPDATE: Maduro Captured, Trump Says "The U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, who has been taken out of the country, President Donald Trump said on Saturday. . . . “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said in a Truth Social post." BNO News Live @BNODesk, "BREAKING: Maduro was arrested to stand trial on criminal charges in the U.S. and no further military action is expected, Sec. Rubio told Sen. Lee." Hat Hair's John Sexton, Explosions in Caracas, Helicopters Fire on a Military Base. Matt Vespa at TownHall, President Trump Announces the Capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. At Althouse, "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. " From Twitchy, BREAKING: The US Strikes Venezuela Following Orders by President Trump . So, I guess this one's off the table? Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Maduro to Trump: Call Me, Maybe ... Please?

John Sexton, Shadow Fleet Tanker Flees to Russia with US Coast Guard in Pursuit. From Ace, "America First:" Stop Taking Any Action Against Any Hostile Foreign Regime, Focus on Fentanyl Smuggling
Also "America First:" Don't Take Hostile Action Against the World's Biggest Narcoterrorist States "The "America First" clowns both want an end to drug smuggling from foreign countries, and a policy of pink pacifism toward the foreign dictators arranging the bulk of drug smuggling into the US."

From Fox, Trump says US will intervene if Iran starts killing protesters: ‘Locked and loaded’ "Iranian official warns that the U.S. should be 'mindful of their soldiers’ safety' following Trump's comments." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn sees Trump Comes Out Swinging for Iranian Protestors in the Streets. Raylan Givens @JewishWarrior13, "BREAKING" President Trump with a direct threat to the Iranian regime: “If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J.TRUMP” Ace, Trump: If Iran Begins Shooting the Protesters Challenging Their Corrupt Terrorist Rule, I'll Take Their Asses Out, "The Iranian people are rising up again, like they did in 2009, when Obama was president. But Obama isn't president any longer." Between their financial woes and the water crisis, things are looking bad for the mullahs.

At Euro Con, European Defence as a Mirage: Plenty of Money, Little Strategy.

News Wax reports Elon Confirms He's 'All In' to Finance GOP for Midterms "In posts on X, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO framed the upcoming congressional races as an existential battle for the country's future. "America is toast if the radical left wins," Musk wrote. "They will open the floodgates to illegal immigration and fraud. Won't be America anymore." Elon Musk @elonmusk, "USAID was not just an apple with a few worms inside, it was a festering ball of worms in the shape of an apple." Quote The SCIF @TheSCIF, "USAID was funding BOTH the WUHAN Lab gain-of-function research & SMARTMATIC Election Systems. Do you think it was a coincidence that "covid" came out right around the 2020 election? Coincidentally, the same left-wing billionaires, NGOs, and USAID also funded the 'NO KINGS' protest, aka, the color revolutions across America. . . " Kaiser Von Lohengramm @KaiserLoengramm, "There are two major flaws with the idea of having the Republican Party lose so that we get something better as an end result. . . ." Quote Michael @Michael00987111, Replying to @KaiserLoengramm and @OldGloryClub, "Make the Republicans lose so badly, and in a way that's clear that their voters didn't vote for Democrats. End result: an actual right wing party can compete."

Grover Norquist at Rod Martin.org on The "Yuge" Trump Win You Haven't Heard Of. "The Trump team is taking a sword to the federal regulatory Gordian knot. In 2025 it slashed 22 regulations for every new one. Potential savings to the American people? $2 trillion a year."

At Spec World, Roger Kimball asserts The Somali fraud scandal is a turning point. Da Fed's Chris Bray thinks the Minneapolis Daycare Scandal Reveals The Trajectory Of Blue Zone Fraud Culture. Dave Strom at Hat Hair notices Nothing Happens Until Things Are Broken. Sgt. Mom at the Chicago Boyz, Another Merry Minnesota Walz. From NYPo, GOP lawmakers demand Gov. Hochul root out Minnesota-style fraud with independent audit. Amy Curtis at TownHall, hears a Democrat Prosecutor Receives Massive Blowback After Statement on Reports of Somali Fraud. A Larry video at Hat Hair, Somalian Fraudsters Accidentally Blow Their Entire Operation During Humiliating Press Conference. Drew Holden @DrewHolden360, "Step 1: there’s no fraud. Step 2: okay there’s fraud but it isn’t as bad as critics claim. Step 3: okay there is as much fraud as critics say but the gov’t is stopping it. Step 4; okay there is as much fraud as critics claim but the government can’t stop it. (You are here)." Quote CBS News @CBSNews, "Audits completed in the past 10 years show that Minnesota has lacked the teeth to properly vet attendance records and go after possible fraudsters proactively. https://cbsn.ws/4jpUTXp." Drew Holden @DrewHolden360, "Step 5: Republicans are the real problem." Quote Aaron Rupar @atrupar, "New in PN: The blame for alleged fraud in Minnesota belongs to conservatives "Republican policies have created a perfect vicious cycle: Privatize services, let private companies run amok, then declare govt is the problem. And Trump is turbo-charging it." https://publicnotice.co/p/shirley-video-somali-daycares-fraud" Mike LaChance at LI sees a CNN Panel Goes Off the Rails When Scott Jennings Asks Why MN Democrats Cater to Somalis, “They’ve got the lieutenant governor up there dressed like the Handmaid’s Tale.” Ward Clark at RedState, SBA Strikes Back: Now Suspending 6,900 Fraud Suspects in Minnesota. Roger Simon, Long Live Somaliland! "... and the Shah!"

TheUnquirer @unquirer "Seattle Washington - Investigating Somalian Daycares Somalians Call Police & LIE Saying: "He Has A Gun" @iamfreeauditing finds 20 Somalian daycares in a 3 block area of subsidized housing(same style as Lewiston Maine). He goes to 12 and has doors slammed in his face & no kids! The "community" gets pissed off that he is investigating & try to have him removed by lying to the police saying he is armed with a gun and flashed it at them (which was completely made up). Full video: https://youtu.be/WiL5LObJGNU *In Maine we found the same style being found in Seattle & Boston. These are clusters w/ countless empty daycares that collect money from tax payers." From Fox, Independent journalist says he's gotten death threats, told he'll be 'Kirked' over Minnesota fraud viral video, "Nick Shirley says harassment extends to his family in wake of video documenting alleged widespread fraud at state-funded centers." On NPR Megan Basham @megbasham, "Their first instinct is always to go after the reporter not to investigate the issue. Because they’re not journalists, they’re gatekeepers." Todd of Mischief @AndToddsaid "This is an excellent primer on how the Shirley video *could* be disinformation without ever affirming the core assumption that it actually *is.* The author knows her topic well. As counter-propaganda goes, this is top-notch." Quote Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D @RVAwonk "I wrote about Nick Shirley’s bullsh*t video and the disinformation tactics he used to make it go viral." Amy Curtis hears 'Then It Is War:' Elon Musk Responds to Somali TikToker's Death Threat. Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Then it is war." Quote DogeDesigner @cb_doge, "BREAKING: Somali TikToker threatens Elon Musk’s life: "I wouldn't worry too much about him. He about to die." Protect Elon Musk at all costs." Insty, EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN: Babylon Bee Editor Thanks Snopes for Debunking This Believable Story About Tim Walz’s $8 Billion Grant. Mark Krikorian @MarkSKrikorian, "Snopes feels the need to "debunk" precisely because the satire is so believable." Quote Kyle Mann @The_Kyle_Mann, "Thanks to Snopes for debunking yet another dangerous Babylon Bee article."

From NYPo, Zohran Mamdani fans disappointed by disastrous ‘block party’ with no food or bathrooms, welcome to "democratic" socialism. The Telegraph cites Zohran Mamdani: I’ll show the world whether the Left can govern, "Newly inaugurated New York mayor tells his supporters he will ‘audaciously’ work on ‘big government’ plans." ET, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Revokes Orders Issued After Adams’s Indictment "‘The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations,’ New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in his inaugural address." Including orders to protect NYC Jews. Rob Jenkins @profontheright, "Zohran Mamdani is uniquely prepared to be the first person in history to make Communism work due to his experience as a trust fund kid and failed rapper." Ryan Saavedra @RyanSaavedra "Even top Putin ally Kirill Dmitriev, who is CEO of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is dunking on Zohran Mamdani."

Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol "Here’s a list of all the news networks who have not covered Zohran Mamdani’s salute: - NYTimes - CNN - Washington Post - MSNBC - NPR - USA Today - Reuters - Axios - ABC News Every single one of them wrote stories on Elon Musk’s “salute”… …do you get it yet?" Twitchy, Brit Hume Shares DAMNING Post That Explains What Zohran Mamdani's 'Warmth of Collectivism' REALLY Means: Brit Hume @brithume, "Re: Mamdani's reference today to the "warmth of collectivism." Quote Dominic Pino @DominicJPino, "A hilariously bad metaphor, if you know how collectivist heating worked in the USSR. In Soviet Moscow, they had a centralized heating system for the whole city. Heat was centrally generated and then distributed through a network of pipes to houses and other buildings. The x.com/semaforben/sta…Show more." VodkaPundit at Insty, WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL DID SHE THINK SHE WAS VOTING FOR? Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate. "This isn’t a matter of ‘bad speechwriting.’ The problem is that everything actually is as stupid as it seems. A lot of middle aged pundits like Filipovic can’t or don’t want to come to terms with this and so they resort to denial and dissembling." Quote Jill Filipovic @JillFilipovic, "Listen I am as excited for the Zohran era as the next person but I am begging begging begging his speechwriters to allow him to talk like a normal person and not an Oberlin freshman writing a persuasive essay. x.com/Acyn/status/20…" The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Mamdani Dethrones Gavin Newsom As U-Haul's Top Salesman https://buff.ly/lLWkJHc."

Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "Gavin Newsom now has 8 separate agencies officially designated as “high risk for waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement” in California Roughly $76 billion in fraud, improper payments and mismanagement was discovered by the auditor Let me repeat that, $76 BILLION . . ." VodkaPundit at Insty adds Meanwhile, in San Francisco: San Fran mayor signs bill that could give black residents $5M each — but admits city is too broke to pay. "Every time I think SF has hit Peak San Francisco, the city goes and does something like this. Plus: “A state that never allowed slavery wants to make residents who never owned slaves pay reparations to people who never were slaves.” UPDATE: “A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. — George Bernard Shaw” (Charlie)." Mike LaChance, San Francisco Mayor Signs Reparations Bill, Admits There’s No Money to Pay Them “We are not allocating money to this fund — with a historic $1 billion budget deficit, we are going to spend our money on making the city safer and cleaner.” Beege Welborn says Black Gold Has Frustrated California Cultists Weeping in Their Chai Tea. Twitchy, On Today’s Episode of 'That’s Not How Money Works', The Left Discovers Finance, and It’s HILARIOUSLY BAD. Hank Venture @HankVenture5 "I've come to the realization that most people think that billionaires actually have a billion dollars in their checking account." David Cho @DavidChovan84, "So true. They don’t know or care how worth really works. Bottom line is, you have money and they want it." At RCE, High Electricity Prices Are a Choice Blue States Make Every Day. "A new report from Always On Energy Research and the Institute for Energy Research finds that 86% of states with electricity prices above the national average voted for Democratic presidential candidates in 2020 and 2024. In contrast, 80% of the 10 states with the lowest electricity prices are reliably red. That’s not a coincidence. Those high prices reflect a consistent pattern of state-level energy policies that dictate emissions reduction targets at the expense of affordability, reliability, and physics." John Sexton at Hat Hair hears The Backlash to Rep. Ro Khanna Continues martin_casado @martin_casado, "Ro has done a speed run alienating every moderate I know who has supported him. Including myself. Beyond being totally out of touch with that faction of his base, he’s devolved into an obnoxious jerk. At least that makes voting him the fuck out all the more gratifying." Quote Ro Khanna @RoKhanna, "Peter Thiel is leaving California if we pass a 1% tax on billionaires for 5 years to pay for healthcare for the working class facing steep Medicaid cuts. I echo what FDR said with sarcasm of economic royalists when they threatened to leave, "I will miss them very much." x.com/teddyschleifer…" Readers added context: The proposed ballot proposition actually imposes a minimum of 5% (not 1% per post) one time tax on billionaires, even on unrealized gains."

Sundance at CTH reports the FBI Intercepts Lone Wolf ISIS Attack in Mint Hill, North Carolina. At GatewayPundit, “F*ck Trump” – DC Home of Active-Duty Space Force Officers Broken Into, Robbed, Vandalized and Intentionally Set on Fire. "The DC home of active-duty Space Force officers Jason and Kaylee Taylor was broken into, vandalized, and intentionally set on fire on Sunday evening. Their car was also reportedly spray-painted: “F*ck Trump and F*ck the Space Force” The couple was out of town with their infant daughter at the time their home was destroyed. According to the couple’s GoFundMe, they lost everything they owned, including their beloved pet cat." From Ace, The CIA Promoted Abstract Modern Art As a Psyop. "Interesting video. The CIA promoted abstract expressionists like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollack as some kind of bulwark against the propaganda value of Soviet art, which itself was realistic and representational. (Though idealized in showing proud, strong, happy Soviet peasants harvesting the abundant fields.) So using taxpayer money, they pushed this crap. "Our" art would be simple geometric shapes and paint splatters. It was literal Gay Ops."

AMAC thinks The Judicial Coup in Utah Is a Warning to the Nation. 

PJM's Cathy Salgado notices Despite 1347% Increase in Assaults, ICE Had a Historic Year. LifeZette hears Tom Homan Deliver a Message That Will Keep Some Mayors and Governors Up at Night. “I can just say, look, wait, wait and see.” 

John Sexton hears CBS Evening News Announces a New Anchor and a New Approach. The Patriarch Tree @PatriarchTree "Are we to assume, @bariweiss, that there was a backlog of left-wing anti-Trump stories like this “in the pipeline,” so to speak, before you took over?" Quote Amee Vanderpool @girlsreallyrule, "NYU law professor Ryan Goodman and his nonpartisan team compiled a review that found more than 35 federal judges had explicitly stated that the Trump’s Justice Department lawyers were providing false, highly misleading, or intentionally inaccurate information in cases." Ace, CBS "News" Announces That They Have "Missed" Big Stories Because They Only Talk to "Advocates," "Academics," and "Elites;" Admits That No One Trusts the "Legacy Media" Any Longer "And they promise they'll correct that. Now, they continue lying by omission -- the problem isn't just that they only speak to "advocates" or "academics" or "elites." There are conservative versions of those, whom they don't speak to. Their bias is not to "advocates" or "academics" or "elites," but to the communist left." And More CBS "News:" CBS Executives Killed an Interview With Elon Musk Because They Insisted They Should Be Able to Edit and Hide What He Had to Say "Elon Musk wanted to do the interview live precisely so they couldn't give him an Asshole Edit and hide his actual words to push their previously-decided narrative. CBS "news" executives said they would never, ever agree to do that. They need to control the narrative. This comes from former CBS investigative reporter Catherine Herridge, who left the network, presumably over this kind of absolute bias and corruption." Capt. Ed, 'We Can't Do It Live': Former CBS Reporter Explains the Protection Racket Media. At Da Caller, Social Security Administration Offers Receipts To Dispute WaPo Hit Job. "Sundance" is concerned: Good Grief – Israeli billionaire Shlomo Kramer Wants End to First Amendment and Anonymous Internet Users. From WUWT, The Misinformation Inquisition: How Censorship Shields Approved Narratives from Scrutiny.

A pair at The College Fix, Amherst erupts after student reporter exposes sex skits thrust upon freshmen at orientation and More than half of UC Berkeley disability accommodations are ’emotional.’ From Real Clear Education, Florida Shows How to Push Back Against Campus Speech Radicalism.

Still more at The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.02.26. Linked at the Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.  The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Still Stuck In The Ruts up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Iryna Zarutska's Final Moments in Focus

Yes, we're still talking about Iryna Zarutska's brutal murder in Charlotte NC by schizophrenic with multiple arrests, and still out on no cash bail.  Matt Margolis at PJM, Disturbing New Video Emerges of Iryna Zarutska’s Final Moments on Charlotte Train. Tough to watch. She cowers in fear after being stabbed, and then looses consciousness and dies from blood loss. From News Wax, Stabbing Suspect Accused of Murder: 'I Got That White Girl'. Frank McCormick @CBHeresy "People are shocked but having taught in a largely “minority” school I can tell you that Black people have had decades of pro-Black racial programming that frames them as victims of an oppressive caste or evil White. It’s present in churches, community social justice groups, and most notably, public education, where we pay for White Leftist teachers to indoctrinate kids into this garbage way of thinking because it makes them feel good (“I’m on the side of the oppressed!”)" And crazy ones internalize it. PJM's Cathy Salgado, Innocent Blood Is ‘Dripping’: Trump Mourns Ukrainian Girl’s Murder by Career Criminal, thereby instantly making liberals loath to decry it. Driscoll at Insty, THE WHITE HOUSE PULLS NO PUNCHES: Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt just spoke for over 5-minutes about the horrific murder of Iryna Zarutska: She finished it off by DECIMATING legacy media. "Perhaps most shamefully of all is the media, many outlets in this room, decided that her murder was not worth reporting on originally because it does not fit a preferred narrative." "Many of the journalists spilled plenty of ink trying to smear Daniel Penny." And, JOURNALISTS POUNCE ON REPUBLICANS FOR NOTICING CRIME: "The New York Times finally deigned to cover the Zarutska stabbing today. Naturally, they go with the “Republicans Pounce” angle that the DNC-MSM have all triangulated on, if they’re going to report on this story at all: A Gruesome Murder in North Carolina Ignites a Firestorm on the Right." David M. McIntosh @DavidMMcintosh, "Axios, in an absolute race to the bottom, becomes one of the first left leaning outlets to write a story about the brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska - and they blame CCTV cameras and conservatives." Quote Axios @axios "The gruesome video of the fatal knife attack on Iryna Zarutska on a light-rail car in Charlotte is drawing attention from MAGA influencers seeking to elevate the issue of violent urban crime — and accuse mainstream media of under-covering shocking cases." NewsBusters, Ghoulish: Media Turn Charlotte Stabbing into Another ‘Republicans Pounce’ Story "First, let’s address this idiotic comment by CNN’s Abby Phillip on Monday: “People are murdered every single day…but this particular one, I’m trying to understand why this has become such a flashpoint on the right.”" Twitchy, Charlie Kirk BLISTERS Van Jones for Accusing Him of Racial Hate Mongering with Charlotte Murder. Victoria Byrne @Thevictoria76, "Ben Shapiro drops a TRUTH BOMB: The media buries stories when the narrative doesn’t fit. If the races were reversed, it would dominate headlines for months." Insty at his NYPo gig writes Iryna Zarutska’s murder exposes the left’s utter incoherence on crime. The Babylon Bee@TheBabylonBee, "Dems Warn Surveillance Videos Perpetuate Stereotypes By Accurately Depicting Events."

Althouse finds "The truth is that Iryna had no real choice. If she avoided the seat in front of the Black man, she might look like a racist." "Writes Sasha Stone, in "The Girl on the Train/She escaped war in Ukraine only to find herself in the middle of a different kind of war in the United States."" Kat Rosenfeld at the Freep, cited by Insty, names The Taboo That Killed Iryna Zarutska "Then, as now, there was a sense that it was in bad taste—if not outright racist—to acknowledge that men like Brown and Neely are a familiar presence in American urban public spaces, and that this presence is not a good thing. Then, as now, the progressive party line was that it’s “real corny” and “a mark of low moral character” to admit that you are discomfited by encountering people on public transit who behave in ways that telegraph the imminent possibility of violence, or confrontation, or the lower-grade-but-still-unpleasant spectacle of seeing someone evacuate his bowels onto the seat where, but for your instinctive choice to herd your family down the car, your 3-year-old toddler would still have been sitting." Secretary Sean Duffy @SecDuffy, "Liberals want you to ride public transportation. They hate cars, they hate airplanes. So wouldn’t it make sense to then make it safe? But they disregard the working men and women and instead they fight for the crime and homelessness that reside on these trains. @POTUS has it right: when you put cops on the streets and subways you protect the American people and that is what @USDOT and the Trump administration are fighting hard to do." Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks The Daniel Penny Effect Is Destroying Blue Cities.

DC_Draino @DC_Draino, "And there it is MacArthur Foundation gave Mecklenburg county $3.3 million to empty out their prisons This is why Charlotte is so dangerous now." Quote Megan Basham @megbasham, "Another factor in the death of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte's light rail--the left-wing MacArthur Foundation giving Mecklenburg county a $3.3 million grant to reduce the jail population. Specifically as part of "racial equity aims. Like Soros' Open Society, the MacArthur Foundation incentivizes local municipalities to make residents less safe by leaving threats like Decarlos Brown on the streets." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Charlotte's Web - Guess What City Has a Mayoral Primary Today? Matt Van Swol @matt_vanswol, "This seems like as good a time as any to remind everyone that on a Charlotte NC city bus in March of this year... ...a white 64-year-old Navy Veteran was beaten and paralyzed by a Black man who broke his neck, The veteran is a quadriplegic now. ZERO mainstream media coverage." Fox, DOJ hits train stabbing suspect with federal charge as FBI investigates on-camera attack, "Decarlos Brown Jr. had 14 arrests before allegedly stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to death." Cathy Salgado, DOJ Steps in With Federal Charge for Heinous Charlotte Murderer. The Peacock admits a Retired Auburn professor killed during robbery at Alabama park, prosecutors say. "A suspect was charged with capital murder in connection with the weekend killing, according to court records. The victim was identified as Julie Gard Schnuelle." WAKA, NEW DETAILS: Suspect in death of retired Auburn University professor has criminal history, Harold Rashad Dabney III. NYPo, Horrific details reveal ex-Auburn vet professor’s last moments as prosecutors seek death penalty for accused murderer. Insty, THE BACKLASH IS REAL: Megyn Kelly @megynkelly, "Fuck BLM, its bullshit DEI/criminal justice “reforms,” the knee-bending candy-ass judges/DAs/pols who went along with the lies about racist policing and who created the revolving door for criminals arrested dozens of times and for the clearly mentally ill & dangerous - all at unspeakable costs to the innocent young women of America. F. THEM. ALL."

John Sexton at Hat Hair watches CNN: Crime in DC is Down But... whines "DC crime falls, but tourism takes a hit too as Trump’s federal surge reaches one-month mark." Misty Severi at JTN reports Trump unexpectedly dines out in Washington to promote effects of crime crackdown "The president was spotted at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab restaurant, located approximately a block from the White House, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth." OK, but I'm sure there was a healthy Secret Security detail about.

At ET "Sugar" Scott Bessent Calls for Curb on Fed Authority, Accuses It of Distorting Economy, "The treasury secretary called for ‘an honest, independent, nonpartisan review’ of the Federal Reserve," and
Lower US Tariffs Will Take Effect by Sept. 16: Japan "The new tariff rates take effect retroactively, dating back to Aug. 7." At Am Great, The Great Victor Davis Hanson looks at Trump’s New War Production Board? "Trump is enlisting tech titans to secure U.S. dominance in AI, biotech, and national security—reviving a modern-day War Production Board for the 21st century." Finding useful model in FDR. Sarah Arnold at TownHall is shocked by Biden’s Economic Mirage: Nearly a Million Phantom Jobs Disappear "The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) just announced that job creation in the 12 months through March 2025 was overstated by a staggering 911,000 jobs — the most significant downward revision on record. The economy, it turns out, wasn’t growing early as fast as Biden’s team led Americans to believe."

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Israel Hits Hamas Meeting -- In Qatar; UPDATE: Trump Green-Lit Op? UPDATE: Qataris 'Condemn'. "Negotiations, one might presume, have been concluded." Ace, Israel Attacks Hamas Leadership In Qatar, Killing the Terror Leaders Who Have Long Enjoyed Sanctuary In That Terror-Supporting State "Tucker Carlson sad!" They claim 4 higher up may be gone, but of course, at this point it's not clear.

Bob Hoge at RedState celebrates Operation Pacific Viper: Coast Guard Vaporizes Drug Boat, Seizes Tons of Cocaine. Homeland Security @DHSgov "ASMR: @USCG captures, burns, and sinks a drug boat. Over the weekend, as part of Operation Pacific Viper, the @USCG Cutter Stone conducted three interdictions in a single night—seizing nearly 13,000 pounds of cocaine and apprehending seven suspected drug smugglers." They could have at least salvaged the motors!

Breitbart cites James Comer: Biden Autopen Pardons ‘Can Be Easily’ Made ‘Null and Void’. I doubt if it's easy. Nothing is. Washington Free Beacon @FreeBeacon, "BIDEN MEMO: When Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter prompted political backlash, the White House "began pushing to find more people to grant clemency to" in an attempt to flood the zone, Alex Thompson of Axios scooped. The Justice Department largely did not vet the hundreds of pardons Biden issued thereafter. A December 2024 White House memo to Biden, written like it’s meant for someone with special needs, boasts that "YOUR historic action to grant clemency to over 1,500 Americans" generated "significant positive press coverage."" Dan McCarthy at NYPo thinks Biden’s autopen scandal is nothing short of a coup — and the culprits need to be held accountable. VodkaPundit at Insty thinks CONGRESS NEED TO PASS A BIG BEAUTIFUL NATIONAL DO-OVER BILL, ZEROING OUT EVERYTHING CONGRESS DID DURING THE FIRST HALF OF BIDEN’S TERM… Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze "An actual constitutional crisis and media refusing to report this is just another example that they didn't just miss the story." Quote Guy Benson @guypbenson, "He wasn’t in charge & they were setting criminals free with his autopen to distract from the scandal of the president pardoning his criminal son, which they’d repeatedly sworn he’d never do."

Da Blaze claims an Exclusive interview with the Biden assault accuser expands $100M lawsuit to include Jill and Hunter. Remember how Tara Reade claimed Biden raped her, and the press yawned? 

Dave Strom hears Mamdani: We Need to Empty Out New York's Jails. The Post Millennial @TPostMillennial, "Zohran Mamdani says he would try to convince NYC's top earners to stay "in part by showing them that asking them to pay more in taxes would increase even their quality of life.""

Matt Margolis, Here's How Badly Democrats Messed up Their Redistricting Gamble. "Red states across the map are flexing their redistricting muscles thanks to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s flex. Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri are all redrawing their congressional boundaries in ways that will favor Republicans. While Democrats clutch their pearls about the unfairness of it all, Republican strategists are doing exactly what they should be doing by fighting back against years of Democrats rigging maps in their favor." St. Louis NPR whines Missouri Republicans advance plan to draw Rep. Cleaver into Republican-leaning seat. Amy Curtis at TownHall, Undermining Democracy: Wisconsin's Dane County Board Proposes Ending Special Elections.

CNN whines that the Supreme Court takes up fast-moving appeal over Trump’s tariffs. Chris Queen at PJM, SCOTUS Chief Justice Hands Trump Admin a Temporary Victory on Foreign Aid. Ben Whedon at JTN reports the Supreme Court stays judge order requiring Trump to spend foreign aid, "The case will now proceed through the courts and is likely to reach the top bench." CBS sourly reports Appeals court rejects states' challenge to mass firings of probationary workers. PJMs Stephen Kruiser is Grateful Every Day That We're Not Dealing With Hillary's SCOTUS At Althouse, "A Michigan judge dismissed criminal charges Tuesday against a group of people who were accused of attempting to falsely certifying President Donald Trump as the winner of the 2020 election..." ""... in the battleground state, a major blow to prosecutors as similar cases in four other states have been muddied with setbacks. District Court Judge Kristen D. Simmons... said she saw no intent to commit fraud in the defendants’ actions. Whether they were 'right, wrong or indifferent,' they 'seriously believed' there were problems with the election, the judge said. 'I believe they were executing their constitutional right to seek redress,' Simmons said." And, "The wheels of justice turn slowly, but weak cases can do grave damage in the meantime." "Look no further than the collapse on Tuesday of Michigan’s 'fake electors' prosecution against supporters of President Donald Trump for their actions after the 2020 election...." So says The Editorial Board of The Washington Post, in "The collapse of Democratic lawfare in Michigan/Dismissal of 'fake electors' charges bodes ill for cases in Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin and Georgia."" Gateway Pundit, BREAKING: In a STUNNING Decision, Governor Whitmer-Appointed Judge Dismisses Outrageous Case Against 15 Michigan Alternate 2020 Trump Electors, Matt Vespa, More Judicial Coup Antics Were Hurled Against the Trump White House Tonight, "Judicial Coup: Judge Blocks Trump's Effort to Remove Fed Governor." Da Signal, Obama Judge Who Blocked Planned Parenthood Defunding Takes Aim at Laken Riley Act. "The Laken Riley Act, the first bill President Donald Trump signed into law in his second term, requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest and detain illegal aliens who “commit theft offenses” and also gives states the authority to sue federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration laws." Roger Kimball at Spec World, Trump’s battle against the tyranny of lawfare. "The President has to be one of the most punished people in American history." Peter Navaro at Da Fed says Democrat Lawfare Came For Me, And It Can Come For You Too. From Breitbart, Alan Dershowitz Offers to Sue Rosie O’Donnell for Smearing Trump as ‘Serial Pedophile Rapist.’

Ben Whedon at JTN claims the Senate to confirm 48 Trump nominees next week "The move comes as Republicans have grown frustrated with Democrats refusing to allow confirmation by voice vote or unanimous consent for non-controversial nominees."

At JTN John Solomon reports the FBI probing whether its own agents obstructed or interfered with politically sensitive cases, (there's simply no doubt) and Misty, FBI Director Kash Patel to testify in front of Senate Judiciary Committee next week. PJM's Cathy Salgado hears the FBI Settles With Biden-Era Whistleblowers. Fox, reports the IRS issues termination notice to top aide linked to Obama-era Tea Party targeting scandal. "Sources say Holly Paz was given a notice of proposed removal by her IRS supervisor Monday after being placed on administrative leave." Did they catch her up to her old tricks?

Sarah Hoyt at Insty, HOUSE REPUBLICANS OPT TO REOPEN INVESTIGATION INTO JAN. 6 RIOTS, HOUSE DEMS OPT TO TURN COMMITTEE INTO CIRCUS CLOWN SHOW: We’re Back to This Stuff Again? "With the current democrats it’s always dumpster fire day."

RedState's Bonchie wants you to Watch Tom Homan Absolutely Cooks Mika Brzezinski Over Boston Immigration Raids. From Da Caller, Local Leaders Go To War With Colorado’s Sanctuary Law After Cop Who Helped ICE Resigns. From Twitchy, Illegals Barricade Rooftop to Evade Border Patrol as Cronies Slash CBP Tires in Brazen Lawbreaker Support. Francis Sempa at Am Spec spins A Horror Story Stephen King Would Never Write. "His liberal ideology and TDS wouldn’t stand for an accurate portrayal of horrors committed by some illegal aliens."

From Ace, CBS "News" Hires Right-Leaning Ombudsman to Reply to Public Criticism Over Its Reportage; Leftwing Propagandists Are Scandalized That Someone Who Leans Right Is Allowed a Job in Their Totally-Nonpartisan "News" Rooms, "Maybe Paramount's new non-woke owners are serious about reforming the dogshit communist "news" outfit." Capt. Ed says The WSJ Front Page Is Everything Wrong With the Protection Racket Media "I've seen enough. I'm flagging my subscription to end its auto-renewal status after many years of readership. I thought they were better than this, and at one time, they were." Mark Judge (remember him?) at WaEx spans From Alger Hiss to Russiagate: Seven decades of media lies.

At the TN Star, Transgender Covenant School Killer Audrey Hale Included President Donald Trump in ‘Fantasy Murder List’. Dream big. Ace has More From Nashville Trans Terrorist School Shooter's Notebook Released; Documents Hidden by Biden's FBI Show That Trans Killer Declared Herself the "Devil's Apprentice." "But you weren't allowed to know this. See, if you know how the world really is, you might make decisions based upon how the world really is, rather than based on the fake Propaganda World the Regime has made for you." Across da pond that Telegraph has a good laugh at Trans women at risk of female genital mutilation, claims College of Policing "Inclusion of biological males in new guidance branded as ‘insulting to real victims’" The Texas Trib reports a Video of clash over gender-identity content in Texas A&M children’s lit class leads to firing, removals, "After the video fueled outrage, a professor was fired and two college leaders removed from their administrative roles for approving content inconsistent with the course’s description." From Da Signal, a DEEP STATE ACTOR? LGBTQ Activist Remains at State Department Under Trump. It takes a while to stomp all the roaches.

The College Fix reports the Ed Dept ends ‘abusive’ Biden policy that funded left-wing work-study election jobs, eg. "Penn State University listed a job requiring a commitment to “equity and inclusion” and “anti-racist practices” with the progressive League of Women Voters. The university took down the job post following The Fix’s initial coverage of the situation."

The Wombat has posted FMJRA 2.0: Cramming For The Draft at the usual time and place.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Nuttin' Special

Nothing really stands out from yesterday's news. Ben Whedon at JTN acknowledges Senate GOP likely to ax major provisions in 'big beautiful bill' "“Undoubtedly, there’s going to be changes," Tillis told Politico." Reuters whines House budget bill effectively halts US clean energy boom, but will it be in time to avert widespread blackouts? From Hat Hair, a Hugh Hewitt Interview Brent Gardner: Time to Pass Pro-Growth Tax Reform and Keep GOP Promises. The Peacock worries Trump says Apple must pay a 25% tariff on iPhones not made in the U.S. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair says Trump Warns Apple: Produce in America ... Or Pay Up. I can tolerate a tax on iPhones. At WaEx, Trump expands tariff threat to Samsung after singling out Apple phones. MSN, Trump says talks with E.U. are 'going nowhere,' will implement 50% tariff in June. Buck Throckmorton at Ace says Eight years after Trump’s 2016 Victory, any Company Blindsided by Tariffs on Chinese Imports is Willfully Negligent. From Fox, Trump signs executive orders bolstering nuclear industry, domestic uranium mining. "President Donald Trump targets 'woke DEI initiatives' in science; seeks to mine uranium stateside." Vicky Taft at PJM, West Coast, Messed Coast™— Woke-Slayer Trump Scores Victory In War on Gas Cars! Gavin Newsom Hardest Hit. "Congressman Kevin Kiley’s resolution to save gas cars from extinction in 2035 in California has passed Congress and heads to President Trump's desk, where he will sign the measure." From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.23.25, American Thinker: Vaccine Side-Effects – Democrats Lied, Thousands Died and From Blackouts to Breakouts – Trump’s Energy Revolution Begins.

Sarah Anderson at PJM, The Boy Can't Help It: Rubio Returns To Capitol Hill and Kicks Some Butt.  Jen O'Connell at RedState notes Karoline Leavitt Bodies Yamiche Alcindor for Her 'Ridiculous Line of Questioning' on South Africa. A Hot Hair video points out What Karoline Leavitt Said to This NBC Reporter Made the White House Shake.  From the Wombat's  In The Mailbox: 05.23.25  EBL, Karoline Leavitt blasts Yamiche Alcindor over denial of the murders of South African white farmers. At JTN Steve Richards , Biden-era reports, genocide group confirm Trump’s human rights fears for South African farmers, "Trump's video evidence of hate directed at Afrikaners met with quibbles about what genocide means" and Charlotte Hazard,  South African entrepreneur gives stunning statistic about his country’s farmer murder crisis. Dan Greenfield at Front Page, South Africa President Starved Men to Death, Forced Them to Eat Each Other. "We should bring back the Apartheid era sanctions on South Africa." Brianna Lyman at Da Fed thinks The Left Indulges Anti-White Racism In South Africa Because They Want The Same Thing Here

Ace finds Jake Tapper says We've Been Too Polite In Dealing With Trump. Trump Isn't Being "Transparent With His Health Records" and It's Time We Pressed Him On That. "You've got to be kidding me. Four years of insisting that Biden's inability to speak and attempts to Conjure Spirits were just the residue of a "childhood stutter," but by golly, we're gonna correct that error by getting even nastier with Trump!" At Twitchy, Newspaper Op-Ed of the Day: 'Could You Ever Imagine Trump Risking His Life for His Country?' At Insty, YOU WON’T BE WRONG IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE POST WWII POLITICAL ORDERING AS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THE VOTERS DON’T GET WHAT THEY WANT.

WaPoo whines White House dismisses scores of National Security Council staff. "The dismissals, part of a plan to downsize the coordinating body, follow President Donald Trump’s recent ouster of his national security adviser." Ben Bartee at PJM, Trump USDA Secretary Commits to Terminate CCP Gain-of-Function Partnership. Rob Wasinger at Am Great, Trump and the Welcome Demise of the Neocon Catholic Pontificate, "The neoconservative Catholic elite’s decades-long grip on GOP orthodoxy has collapsed, sidelined by Trump’s populism and a judiciary no longer shaped by Leonard Leo." At Althouse, The Presidents go head-to-head in my "For you" feed on X. Military.com, Secretary Noem Orders Coast Guard to Cut 25% of Flag Officer Positions.

Matt Margolis at PJM hears an Ex-Obama Aide Makes Bombshell Admission About Biden's Health Cover-Up. "During a discussion about Biden’s age and mental fitness, Lovett confessed that he and others in the Democratic orbit saw clear signs of Biden’s decline long before the 2024 campaign imploded but chose to downplay them out of fear that honesty would hurt their chances of keeping power." At Da Fed Beth Brelje is scandalized that Jen Psaki Provided Political Cover For Biden’s Ghost Presidency. To be fair, that was kind of her job. John Kass, Pick Your Scandal: Democrats Installing Their Deep State Meat Puppet? Or Is it America Finally Accepting Subjugation? “Isn’t one of the hallmarks of a fascist/totalitarian regime a government that blatantly lies to its people and a press corps that dutifully repeats those lies and propaganda? Asking for a friend.” Twitchy finds Victor Davis Hanson Brutally Takes Down Jake Tapper Over His ‘Journalistic’ Cowardice: Failed the Test "Joe Biden has got cancer. He's written off. He's in decline. The family is disgraced. It's easy now to write about that." "It was hard and would've required intellectual courage, moral fortitude to say this when he was the most powerful man in the world." "And so, Jake Tapper, you failed that test." Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Jake Tapper: Hey, Did You Know That Trump's Health Is Bad Too? Driscoll at Insty, GREAT MOMENTS IN ENTITLEMENT: Kamala Harris called Anderson Cooper a ‘motherf—er’ after tense interview on Biden’s debate meltdown: bombshell book.

Matt Margolis, The Walls Are Closing in on Biden’s Inner Circle. WJ, US Pardon Attorney Ed Martin Drops Pardon Bomb That Could Change Everything. Matt Vespa at TownHall, Ed Martin: 'Senior Democrat' Whistleblower Has Come Forward Regarding Biden Autopen Fiasco.

Dave Strom, Did You Oppose COVID Mandates? Biden Administration Designated You 'Domestic Violent Extremists'. Mary Chastain at LI, Biden Admin Labeled COVID Mandate Opponents ‘Domestic Violent Extremists’ "Another instance of Biden’s people labeling people who think differently as domestic terrorists."

Matt Margolis on Joe Biden's $93 Billion Scandal That No One's Talking About Yet. Energy Dept. sent $93 Billion to friendly companies and NGOs between the election and the inauguration. Gold bars, Titanic. At Twitchy, Sen. John Kennedy FLOORED By Energy Secretary's Testimony About Biden Admin's Last-Minute Loan Approvals. Breitbart reports DOGE Cancels Biden Admin Grants on Researching LGBTQ+ Cartoonists, Gay Travel Guides.

From Da Caller, ‘It’s Going To Be Chaos’: Democrats Are Reportedly Anticipating An Over-Crowded Primary Season. Bring it on! Althouse finds "Their joke was about my 15-year-old son, 'Oh, how does he feel about minorities?' Like the idea that he wants to be a policeman, therefore he’s, he’s racist, my son." ""And like, you know, that was the big laugh. And then I got dragged in the comments and all that stuff and, and I thought to myself, 'This is why you fuckers are losing elections'.... He’s 15. . . Said Jake Tapper, quoted in "Jake Tapper Says Liberal Podcaster Made Racism Jab After He Revealed Son Wants To Be a Cop: 'This Is Why You F**kers Are Losing Elections.'" (Mediaite)."

John Sexton at Hat Hair, Elias Rodriguez Confessed, Said He 'Did It for Palestine'. Capt. Ed reads that the NYT Frets: How Will Bloody Hands And Dead Bodies Impact the 'Pro-Palestinian' Extremists? Ace, CNN Knows the Real Important Story About the Ongoing Jihad Against Jews in the US: Whatever We Do, We Must Declare That Leftists Calling for "Intifida" Are Absolved from Blame, "This is CNN . . . "So, how long before the Elias Rodriguez GoFundMe brings in a million dollars? And how long before Jake Tapper announces that this is all being caused by Trump?" NYPo reports a Baby-faced anti-Israel teen urges his 1M followers to support suspected DC terrorist in rant so vile TikTok pulled it —then doubles down on hate. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn finds the Radical Group DC Terrorist Killer Belonged to Going Through Sudden Identity Crisis. "Yeah. 'Nope, don't know him, never saw the guy,' isn't gonna cut it. And neither was deleting the page in a panic, because the interwebs is forever." Ilya Shapiro @ishapiro "We will never know the motive of someone who shouts Free Palestine while shooting up a Jewish museum." Dave Strom, What Did You Think 'Final Solution' Meant? Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby "BREAKING: The suspected terrorist who murdered two Israeli embassy staffers in D.C. is tied to radical socialist groups funded by Neville Singham — a far-left millionaire with CCP ties. Singham bankrolls much of the anti-Israel movement. He must be investigated." Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby "BREAKING: The father of the terrorist who murdered two Israeli embassy staffers was honored by Rep. Chuy García (D-IL) with an invite to Trump’s joint address to Congress in March. It’s all interconnected." Insty says HMM: “Eric Rodriguez was our guest during the President’s Joint Speech to Congress, but we don’t know his family,” a spokesperson for Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) told The Post Thursday night. UPDATE (From Ed): ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, MSNBC Conceal Jewish Museum Shooter’s Left-Wing Politics." Drew Berquist, Pro-Hamas Terror Supporters Applaud ‘Revenge’ DC Shooting of Israeli Embassy Employees. Da Mail reports Chilling clue in DC terror suspect's manifesto - as neighbor says girlfriend VANISHED just before double-murder.

Capt. Ed, Disappointment: Rare SCOTUS Tie Sinks Religious Charter School in Oklahoma. Barrett recused. It's not a case that I care much about, but the conservatives could force a confrontation by having a different districts and appeals court come to an alternative conclusion. Both side can play the judge shopping game. Also, Wow: SCOTUS Demolishes 'Independent' Agency Model -- For Now. Atop Da Hill whining that Chief Justice Roberts temporarily halts discovery in DOGE case. Ace says The Federalist Society-Picked Supreme Court Continues to Disappoint "They did hand Trump one temporary victory. Temporary, because they struck down a temporary injunction from a district court judge blocking him from firing Biden's staffers from his government. (Are you kidding?) This doesn't resolve the issue, and later, the Supreme Court may wind up forcing Trump to keep Biden's people in "his" government. But for now, the temporary injunction is overturned." John Eastman at Am Mind on Supreme Confusion "Attending oral argument last week in the case touching on birthright citizenship pending before the Supreme Court, I observed a combination of confusion, omissions, and outright lies from some of the justices. As the lawyer for one of the amici, I witnessed the Court address the propriety of the nationwide, universal injunctions that have been issued by several district court judges blocking the execution of President Trump’s day-one executive order on birthright citizenship."

ET, Judge Extends Block on Trump Admin’s Mass Layoffs of Federal Workers "‘A president may not initiate large-scale executive branch reorganization without partnering with Congress,’ the judge wrote." John Sexton, Judge Grants TRO Over Trump Administration's Ban on International Students at Harvard. Da Caller, Federal Judge Takes One Look At Harvard Lawsuit, Blocks Trump Order Almost Instantly. Da Hill, Judge finds Trump order targeting law firm Jenner & Block unlawful. From NYPo, Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan seen ‘sneaking illegal migrant out of court’ after distracting ICE agents, new video shows. 'Becca Downs at TownHall, 'Suck It': DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Celebrates Voluntary Dismissal on Case Involving Deported Immigrants.

Da Fetched hears the Assistant AG: DOJ Employees Held ‘Safe Space Crying Sessions’ After Trump Victory. "United States Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told Tucker Carlson that employees at the civil rights division of the DOJ held crying sessions after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election." At Politico, Senate Judiciary leaders spar over US attorney nominees. "Leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee is sparring over ranking member Dick Durbin’s decision to block the swift confirmation of a U.S. attorney nominee — and his warning that he could do the same for others." From Da Blaze, Going rogue? FBI agent gathered information from private citizens questioning Rep. Cory Mills’ record. "A Florida-based FBI special agent interviewed three sources who contributed to recent Blaze News investigative stories on U.S. Rep. Cory L. Mills (Fla.), prying for details on what they know about Mills, collecting names of other people investigating Mills, and even asking one source to become a paid FBI informant." 

Kaelen Deese at WaEx, Trump seeks end to Flores decree long used to push liberal ‘open borders’ agenda "The Flores settlement makes it an administrative responsibility to release children from detention without unnecessary delay to a parent or adult relative or licensed juvenile programs willing to accept custody. If temporary detention is deemed necessary for the child’s well-being, the settlement mandates that the government must provide an age-appropriate setting with few restrictions, the ability to contact family, and appropriate standards of care and comfort, including food, water, and medical care." At RCP, John Lott reports Crime Rates of Illegal Migrants Underreported. Da Fetched finds a Colombian Woman Illegally Voted in 2024 Election, Collected $400K in U.S. Welfare: Feds.

From Fox, 'The View' insider sounds alarm as Disney boss urges hosts to cool off political chatter. "'Ignoring Bob Iger seems like a terrible decision,' an insider told Fox News Digital." At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed calls it Too Fun to Check: Even Bob Iger's Tired of The View and Beege Welborn hears NBC Puts Peacock Eye On the REAL Threat - With Trump, 'White Nationalists' Are 'Normies' Now. From Ace, Deranged Leftwing Propagandist Scott Pelley on Chopping Block at CBS; CBS "News" Embarrassed by Gayle King's Insistence That She's an Astronaut Now, and May Also Be Fired.

Dave Strom, Trump Ramps Up Pressure on Harvard. Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank "Every one of those cards was dealt to the presidency by liberals." Quote Wesley Yang @wesyang, "NYT reporter explains how the Trump Administration holds all the cards in its showdown with Harvard University. "Harvard officials have privately determined they are in a major, major, major crisis with very few, if any, good off ramps."" Misty Severi at JTN reports HHS finds Columbia University violated students' civil rights. "The investigation concluded the school acted with "deliberate indifference" toward harassment of Jewish students." John Sexton, Berkeley Professor: We Have a 'Bozo Explosion' Problem.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: The Agony of Defeat ready on time and under budget at The Other McCain.