Flotsam and Jetsam - Don Lemon Goes to Church, May Get Arrested

Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal wonders Who’s Responsible for Demonizing ICE So Much That Agitators Invaded a Church Service? (featuring a picture of Tim Walz). Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "You know what other Democrat group used to attack peaceful worshipers in churches? The Ku Klux Klan. You Democrats never change." Nick Arama at RedState, MN Church Stormed by Anti-ICE Agitators Releases Statement Showing Their Actions May Have Consequences, civil suits too? "We are evaluating next steps with our legal counsel." Irons in the Fire asks Remember a jerk named Don Lemon, used to be with CNN? "He's moved on to claiming the 1st Amendment give him and his clowns the right to, at the least, trespassing and- if they kept people from leaving and such- quite possibly kidnapping. No, it doesn't, asshole. And you and the others should be prosecuted." From NYPo, Don Lemon blasts Minnesota churchgoers harassed by anti-ICE protesters for ‘entitlement’ and ‘white supremacy.’ Brad Slager at RedState, The Don Lemon Church Incursion Could Serve As a Tipping Point for the Direction of the Country. Ace notes Jonathan Turley: Gay Sexual Assaulter Don Lemon Is Talking Himself Into a Prison Sentence "A lot of crimes turn on mental state -- "intent." James Comey can tell you all about that. He reads "intent" requirements into laws that don't have it, like the Espionage Act. Many times, you can take prohibited actions but not be chargeable with a crime because you didn't have the specified mental state. Don Lemon obviously did invade a church. The question is: Did he intend to traumatize them? Did he intend to impede their civil rights through threat or force? Did he show animus against their religion? Don Lemon is yet another 70 IQ DEI disaster, like Candace Owens, who thinks he's smart because he's been awarded Participation Trophy after Participation Trophy." Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley "Don Lemon did his best to perfect the case against the protesters in the Minneapolis Church as targeting the congregants over their faith. In what sounds like a pitch for prosecution under the FACE Act, Lemon zeroed in on the religious values of the congregants in a new tirade... ...Lemon and Armstrong are playing directly into the language of the FACE Act, which "prohibits the use or threat of force and physical obstruction that injures, intimidates, or interferes with a person seeking to ... exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship."" Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "Don Lemon just DOUBLED DOWN, calling the church members he terrorized "entitled white supremacists" for being upset he STORMED their service to "protest" ICE! Don Lemon is a POS."

At Hat Hair, John Sexton hears MN AG Ellison: Disrupting That Church Was 'First Amendment Activity' and Dave Strom notes Ellison Wants FACE Act if You Photograph Outside Mosques, But You Can Invade and Disrupt Churches. Teri Christoph at RedState, Minnesota's Muslim AG to Christians: Church Ambushes Are ‘Just Something You’ve Gotta Live With’. Ace, Of Course: Jihadist Muslim Antifa AG Keith Ellison Prosecuted Christians for Protesting Outside a Mosque Under the FACE Act, but Insists His Left-Wing Antifa Thug Buddies Have an Inviolable Right to Storm Christian Churches. Chuck Ross @ChuckRossDC, "ABOUT FACE: Minnesota AG Keith Ellison has called for the use of the FACE Act to prosecute protests at mosques, according to @FreeBeacon review. Now, Ellison insists the FACE Act shouldn't apply to Don Lemon and comrades' storming of a church." Chuck Ross at the Free Bacon, ‘They’re Getting Tender About a Church Service’: Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Defends Left-Wing Agitators Who Stormed Minnesota Church "'None of us are immune from the voice of the public,' Ellison said in an interview with Don Lemon, who accompanied the agitators and boasted of conducting 'reconnaissance.'" Ace, Minnesota Democrat Lawmaker (and Transgender): The Church Invasion That Resulted in Children Fleeing in Fear Is "Essential," "Must Continue." Dave Strom, Minnesota's Democrats Endorse Storming Church and Harassing Ordinary Minnesotans. Da Wire reports Minneapolis Prosecutor’s Top Aide Was Part Of Anti-ICE Protest At Church. Luke Rosiak @lukerosiak, "One of the protesters who took over a church service and screamed "shut it down" works for Minneapolis's local prosecutor, is married to a St. Paul councilwoman, is running for state Senate, and runs HOMES FOR HOMIES taking Section 8 money and steering it to black criminals." CBD at Ace's The Morning Rant: Violence Is Being Normalized. From Sundance at CTH, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Minneapolis Church Terrorism: “Arrests are Coming” – “Next Several Hours.” Insty, at his NYPo gig, writes With anti-ICE fury, Democrats are playing with fire. At TownHall, Matt Vespa CNN Guest Was So Mad About Scott Jennings Wrecking Her Narrative That She Wrote a Cringey Post About It. Scott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY, "I’d like to personally thank @julieroginsky for reminding everyone that it was Democrats in Alabama who opposed civil rights in 1965 & turned fire hoses against the brave marchers in Selma. Although I wasn’t born until 1977, Julie."

Jerry Dunleavy at JTN reports DOJ subpoenas Tim Walz and other Minnesota Democrats over ICE obstruction "The DOJ is scrutinizing the Minnesota Democrats over their anti-ICE policies." Dave Strom, George Wallace, Meet Tim Walz; UPDATE: Frey, Walz, Ellison Served With Subpoenas. John Sexton FBI Serves Subpoenas to Minnesota Officials. 

Driscoll at Insty, WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS: AWFLs and Boomers Protest ICE by Buying Salt at Target and Then Immediately Returning It. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee "After Learning Of Anti-ICE Target Protest, Wife Announces She Too Will Stand Up For Immigrants By Spending All Day In Target and Minnesota Changes Official State Bird To Screaming Lesbian. Twitchy, ICE Agent Refuses to Show Warrant to Lib Because 'You're a Nobody'. johnny maga@_johnnymaga, "Lib tries to protect a child predator from ICE: “Do you have a warrant? I’d like to see it!” ICE: “I have a warrant, but I’m not going to show you.” Lib: “Why not?” ICE: “Because you’re a nobody.” Why do these people think they have a right to view others’ arrest warrants?" At Hollywood in Toto, Celebrities Can’t Stop Lying About Renee Good, with special reference to The Boss. 

At Althouse, "The Department of Homeland Security and ICE must start talking about the murderers and other criminals that they are capturing and taking out of the system." ""They are saving many innocent lives! There are thousands of vicious animals in Minnesota alone, which is why the crime stats are, Nationwide, the BEST EVER RECORDED! Show the Numbers, Names, and Faces of the violent criminals, and show them NOW. The people will start supporting the Patriots of ICE, instead of the highly paid troublemakers, anarchists, and agitators! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" Writes Trump, just now, on his place called Truth." Sundance at CTH, Border Patrol and ICE Officials Hold a Press Conference Discussing Ongoing Targeted Operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, laying out the criminals they caught.

Amy Curtis at TownHall, claims an Exclusive: Bombshell Footage Claims Judges Can Be Bought With Bribes in Ohio Immigration Courts. At Hot Hair a Larry video, Undercover Video Captures Fraudsters Bragging About Bribing Immigration Judges. Ace, Surprising Few, Ohio Immigration Judges Can Be Bribed, "You don't say." 

Blue Lives Matter @bluelivesmtr, "We're not saying that Blue Lives Matter was behind feeding false information to far-left, anti-ICE protestors. We're not saying we had teams comprised of HUNDREDS of off-duty cops and veterans volunteer to run decoy operations so far-left activists THOUGHT they were conducting ICE raids. We're not saying they were in fact they were just driving around in what appeared to be unmarked vehicles with tinted windows... drinking coffee and listening to Guns and Roses.... being chased down and surrounded by protestors. What we ARE saying is that if it DID happen.... it sure worked remarkably well in NINE DIFFERENT STATES, allowing ACTUAL raids to successfully take place unimpeded, helping support the capture of HUNDREDS of criminals. . . "

Joe Chalfant at TownHall, sees There Is a Bombshell New Report Out About Trump's Immigration Policies Leading Report @LeadingReport, "BREAKING: Trump admin’s policies will reduce legal immigration to the United States by an estimated 33% to 50%, or by 1.5 million to 2.4 million legal immigrants, by the end of Trump’s four-year term, per National Foundation for American Policy analysis." The Bugscuffle Gazette on amnesty, It was a trap last time "It's a trap this time." LAT, Mexico sends 37 cartel members to U.S. in latest offer to Trump administration, in chains.

Yesterday was the 1st anniversary of Trump's second inauguration. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, 'When He Was 47, It Was a Very Good Year'. Althouse, With stacks of papers as props, Trump endeavors to prove to the press that the first year of his second term was jam-packed with amazing accomplishments. "I watched the entire thing, and you can too. If you don't already agree that it's been a great year, I don't think he can ever prove it to you, but he has to do this, because, he says, no one else is going to do it for him." Ace, Trump's One Year Anniversary: Many Successes, Many Promises Kept, "Trump took office one year ago, January 20, 2025. Amanda Head of Just the News notes some of the big success."

President Trump was on the way to Davos last night when Air Force One turned back for an electronic glitch. A quartet from sundance, Treasury Secretary Bessent Delivers Remarks from Davos, Howard Lutnick: “Globalism Has Failed”…, President Trump Asked Directly if He Wants Peace Board to Replace The United Nations and Oh Dear – The Wall Street Journal Just Realized, President Trump is Making U.N. Functionally Obsolescent. Althouse, Speaking of things that feel like we're in a movie, the President of the United States just posted this on his place called Truth. and "On social media, Mr. Macron’s sunglasses were seen as a political statement, projecting a tough image in the face of Mr. Trump’s threats to..." ""... impose tariffs on French wine and champagne and to annex Greenland." Driscoll, OLD AND BUSTED: “Never Again.” "The New Hotness? Davos’s Iran invite is a new low." At Am Con, Greenland and the Guarani "A 40-year-old movie about Jesuit missionaries in South America holds interesting insights about the future of Denmark’s largest territory."

RCD maintains The U.S. Is the Sole Superpower. From NYPO, Michael Goodwin: Trump spared the ayatollah for now— but his options in Iran are still wide open. Althouse, "President Trump has said he would ensure Iran was 'wiped off the face of the Earth' if the country carried out any assassination attempt against him...." ""In an interview with NewsNation that aired on Tuesday... the president said: 'I’ve left notification, if anything ever happens … the whole country’s going to get blown up. I would absolutely hit them so hard. I have very firm instructions, anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this Earth.'" The London Times reports." It would be difficult to wipe Iran from the face of the earth. But it would be very easy to make sure the survivors were miserable. Also, "I mean, whatever you think about the operation to get rid of Maduro, whether you think it was wise, it was an astonishing display of military prowess." "Said Jonathan Swan in today's episode of the NYT "Daily" podcast, "Trump 2.0: A Year of Unconstrained Power" (audio and transcript at Podscribe). As the episode title suggests, today marks the 1-year anniversary of Trump's second term in office." At Oil Price.com, Cuba’s Energy Crisis Will Worsen Without Venezuelan Oil. John Sexton, Cuba Declares a 'State of War' as the Country Runs Out of Time. Fox, Gunmen abduct dozens of worshippers from multiple Nigerian churches using sophisticated weapons. "Police cite conservative figures while church leader Reverend John Hayab reports 163 still held captive."

Peter St Onge, Ph.D. @profstonge "America's trade deficit plunges by half to the smallest in nearly 2 decades. - Chinese imports crashed - American exports grew - Tariff inflation was absorbed by exporters - Trillions of investment incoming Instead of importing Chinese junk we’re importing factories." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, From Schumer Shutdown to Stand-Down? gCaptain cites Bloomy, Trump Is Winning The Fight Against Offshore Wind Despite Court Losses.

Sarah Anderson at PJM, reports BREAKING: There's a New Baby Coming to the White House! Well, technically the Naval Observatory. Usha pregnant with a boy. From Althouse, "Maybe Mr. Adams was an early Trump supporter because 'Dilbert' was itself proto-MAGA." ""The strip’s everyday resentments and cynicism added up to a now-familiar worldview. 'There’s no such thing as expertise. It just doesn’t exist,' Mr. Adams said. Mr. Adams thought this extended even to issues like international trade. 'In these big, complicated situations, no one really knows if we have a good deal. It’s best just to negotiate from ignorance and hope the other side gives in,' he told me. 'In the real world there is a fog. In a world where nobody knows, the loudest person is going to get the most.' . . . Writes Joel Stein, in "'Dilbert' Was Always MAGA" (NYT)."

Inez Stepman @InezFeltscher, "The trajectory of the “conservative condemning the right” is basically the same one trod by porn actresses. The first time you open your kimono is the most valuable, and thereafter you find yourself doing increasingly humiliating and degrading acts just to stay relevant." Quote Bill Kristol @BillKristol, "Well said by @Timodc. I’d add that no one is under any obligation to answer metaphysical or theological questions. Having said that, I suppose if I were asked, I’d answer: Yes. It seems pretty clear-cut to me. I mean, I personally know adults who were men and are now women." Bill Crystal was never conservative. That's what the "neo" in neocon implies. He always was a liberal who sometimes allied with conservatives for his own purposes. Amy Curtis, The Party of Science Debuts a Bold New Theory About Menopause. It's all Trump's fault!

Driscoll at Insty, IN SOCIALIST GRIFTER MILLIONAIRE PARADISE OF DAVOS, GAVIN NEWSOM CALLS UPON WORLD LEADERS TO OPPOSE THE UNITED STATES: Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: Gavin Newsom has bizarre MELTDOWN in Davos "I should have brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders!" "Diplomacy with Donald Trump, he's a T-Rex! You mate with him, or he devours you!" "I can't take this complicity, people ROLLING OVER!" "Handing out crowns, Nobel Prizes? PATHETIC. I hope people understand how PATHETIC they look on the world stage. IT'S EMBARRASSING!!" CRY MORE, GAVIN! This is what STRENGTH looks like!" Ace, In Socialist Grifter Millionaire Paradise of Davos, Gavin Newsom Calls Upon World Leaders to Oppose the United States, but "Before getting to that: The EU is very bothered about Trump's drive to take Greenland. Trump has threatened punishing tariffs against the EU for opposing his takeover of Greenland."

Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "The lightning speed with which a newly-installed regime in Virginia enacted a series of Marxist, pro-crime laws is astonishing. This is what Democrats will do nationally if they regain power. Meanwhile, the eGOP is unwilling to take any actions to support the MAGA agenda while they sit and stew with “muh principles” and “if we do it to them they’ll do it to us.” Guess what? They are going to do it to us no matter what. End the filibuster. Enshrine the DOGE cuts. Pass the SAVE Act. Save America." Matt Vespa lays it out at TownHall, Here Are Some of the New Taxes Coming to Virginia Under Democrat Rule. It's Insane. Dave Strom, That Virginia Election Had Consequences: State Lurches Far Left. Allie Beth Stuckey @conservmillen, "Can’t stress enough: It really really really matters for whom you vote." Quote Christian Heiens @ChristianHeiens, "Democrats in Virginia have introduced a bill to eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing for rape, manslaughter, assaulting a law enforcement officer, possession and distribution of child pornography, and all repeat violent felonies." Gooder and harder. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Incoming NJ Gov Mikie Sherrill Promising Power Ranger Moves "New Jersey’s new governor, Mikie Sherrill, is poised to freeze electricity rates on her first day in office, following through on a key campaign promise as US politicians including President Donald Trump rush to take on soaring energy costs. Sherrill, a Democrat, will issue an executive order calling a state of emergency on utility costs after she’s sworn into office Tuesday, said a person familiar with the matter. The much-anticipated moves will enable New Jersey to block utility-rate increases sought by companies while it accelerates new power generation, said Allison Clements, co-chair of Sherrill’s energy transition team." Good luck with that. 

Dmitri Bolt at TownHall, Guess How Much of Every Humanitarian Dollar the US Spends Actually Reaches the People Who Need It? JD Vance estimates 12%. The rest is "overhead". Of course, even that 12% probably does more harm than good. Dave Strom, 'The Mob Mentality Is Stunning.' "Dr. Mehmet Oz and Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill came to Minnesota to get a firsthand look at the Medicaid fraud that, so far, has eaten up about half of all Medicaid money for the past several years."

Tim O'Brien at PJM can't believe his ears, Did Ketanji Brown Jackson Just Defend the Racially Oppressive Post-Civil War ‘Black Codes’? John Kass hears Chicago Politicos to a Good Judge: Shut Up, and Take It.

Tom Wigand, the American Discerner wonders about Amelia Rockwell: Can an AI Chick Save England?

The prompts were simple.

First, I told ⁦@grok⁩ to look at every single Amelia meme on the Internet.

Second, I said: “Become Amelia, then make a video and tell the British people what you want them to know.”

Here’s the surprising result. pic.twitter.com/dGY0OvKcQ4

— Huff (@Huff4Congress) January 16, 2026

From Twitchy, Pam Grier Stuns America With Incredible Announcement That She Is a Time Traveler From the Past Nicholas Fondacaro @NickFondacaro "Pam Grier recalls her mom trying to protect her from seeing lynched bodies hanging to trees in Columbus, Ohio. She noted that white families would also be lynched for supporting black families: "My mom would go, 'don't look, don't look, don't look,' and she would pull us away because there's someone hanging from a tree. And they have a memorial for it now where you can see where people were and left. And it triggers me today to see that a voice can be silenced and if a white family supported a black, they're going to get burned down or killed or lynched as well." It's been 126 years since double lynching in Columbus. vittorio @IterIntellectus "Why Young Women Moved Left While Young Men Stayed Sane." Althouse, "In just four years, anti-gay bias rose by around 10 percent.... Just as bias against gay people fell especially steeply before 2020..." ""... it has surged particularly sharply since. Perhaps most surprising is that these trends were distinctly robust among the youngest American adults — those under 25. This group increased its animus against marginalized groups in general and gay people in particular at a faster rate than older Americans did. Also surprising is that although anti-gay bias has risen faster among conservatives, it has also risen among liberals. What explains this decline in tolerance?" From "Americans Are Turning Against Gay People" (NYT). Tolerance?! I would think it's considered homophobic just to use the word "tolerance," which connotes minimal acceptance and little more than a willingness to refrain from discriminating or saying actively mean things. In fact, I'd suggest it is the demand to do so much more — to celebrate pride in sexual matters and to endure indoctrination sessions that force feed questionable fine points — that has made people resistant and more likely to check a less gay-friendly box on the survey." Mike Cantrell at PJM, Top Cardiologist Issues Stark Warning on Child Gender Drugs—And It’s Not What Activists Want to Hear. “These interventions carry risk of significant harms including infertility/sterility, sexual dysfunction, impaired bone density accrual, adverse cognitive impacts, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders, psychiatric disorders, surgical complications, and regret.”  

Even more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.19.26 and In The Mailbox: 01.20.26 (Afternoon. Edition)! The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: All You Can Eat and FMJRA 2.0: Too Good To Be True? marinated and ready for consumption at The Other McCain. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Too Good To Be True? marinated and ready for consumption at The Other McCain.

Maryland, My Maryland

The BayNet, $550M Bribery Scandal: Maryland USAID Officer, Executives Admit Guilt In Decade-Long Scheme

Four men, including a government contracting officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and three owners and presidents of companies, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 prime contracts worth more than $550 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars.

Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, who worked as a USAID contracting officer, pled guilty to bribery of a public official; Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud; Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official; and Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official.

In addition, Apprio and Vistant, both of which contracted with USAID, have agreed to admit criminal liability and enter into three-year deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in connection with criminal informations filed today in the District of Maryland. As part of these resolutions, both Apprio and Vistant admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud. The DPAs entered into with Apprio and Vistant require each company to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department, implement a compliance and ethics program, and report to Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures.
. . .
During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.

In exchange for the bribe payments, Watson influenced the award of contracts to Apprio and Vistant by manipulating the procurement process at USAID through various means, including recommending their companies to other USAID decisionmakers for non-competitive contract awards, disclosing sensitive procurement information during the competitive bidding process, providing positive performance evaluations to a government agency, and approving decisions on the contracts, such as increased funding and a security clearance.

The article doesn't say when the investigation started, but given the ponderousness of the judicial system, I suspect it predates DOGE's dive into USAID's finances. Who knows how much more can be found. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Sen. Menendez Indicted for Bribery

I question the timing. . .  Seriously, the feds have been after Menendez for a long time, and failed at least once at trial. It's easy to imagine that new indictment that come on the the heels of Merrick Garland's sad performance at the House Judiciary Committee is an attempt to convince us that DOJ is, in fact nonpartisan. Of course, it could just be a coincidence. CBS, New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez and wife indicted on federal bribery charges.

The 39-page indictment claims that from roughly 2018 to 2022, Menendez and his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using his power and influence as a U.S. senator to enrich and protect the three businessmen and benefit Egypt's government. Federal prosecutors in New York announced the charges during a press conference Friday morning and said the investigation is ongoing.

"As we allege in the indictment, the senator agreed to do these things and use his power in this way because Hana was paying bribes, because Uribe was paying bribes and because Daibes was paying bribes," said Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The bribes allegedly included cash, gold bars, mortgage payments, compensation for a "low-or-no-show-job," a luxury vehicle and "other things of value," according to the charging document.

Federal agents found more than $480,000 in cash during a search of the couple's home in June 2022, "much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe," as well as over $70,000 in a safe deposit box belonging to Nadine Menendez. They also found gold bars worth more than $100,000, according to the indictment.

So compared to the Biden's 20M and counting, this seems kind of small. The gold detail is interesting, but as you may recall, Hunter is on record accepting diamonds  as 'gifts' from the Chinese. It's too bad the Menedezes didn't have a son to serve as a bag man, and turn this all into 'customary influence peddling'. Or, if they did, they chose not to involve him.  Capt. Ed at Hat Hair asks Is time finally up for the Senate's "golden" boy -- and his wife?  Sundance, New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Indicted for Bribery and Corruption Again. According to Spencer Brown at Town Hall This Indictment Against Senator Bob Menendez Is a Real Doozy. 

OK, so where was I before I was interrupted by a power failure. Oh yeah, Hat Hair, House Dem to Menendez: Get out. Manu Raju@mkraju "News — Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips tells me that Sen. Bob Menendez should resign in the face of corruption charges, becoming first Dem lawmaker to do so. “I'm appalled,” he said, adding that Dem leaders should “absolutely” push him out."John Sexton at Hat Hair, New Jersey Democrats call on Menendez to resign. Althouse notes that Menendez invokes racism, "It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere." "Said Senator Robert Menendez, quoted in "Gold Bullion and Halal Meat: Inside the Menendez Investigation/Federal prosecutors have accused Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey and his wife, Nadine, of accepting bribes in exchange for official actions by Mr. Menendez" (NYT)."

And to put the cherry on top, there's a tie to the Hunter Biden story. Cutie Pavlich at Town Hall, Hunter Biden Has Entered the Bob Menendez Indictment. House Republicans@HouseGOP, "When an aide to Senator Robert Menendez requested that then VP-Biden host the U.S.-Spain Council's 2010 annual meeting at his official Naval Observatory residence in Washington DC, he contacted Hunter Biden's business partner rather than Joe's White House office." At Twitchy, 'Well well well'! Look who a Menendez aide emailed to request a meeting at then VP Biden's residence. Ace,  When Bob Menendez' Aide Wanted to Meet With Vice President Biden, Who Do You Think He Emailed to Arrange The Sit-Down? "He contacted Hunter Biden's business partner/fixer Eric Schwerin. Weird how these corrupt bagmen people all have each other on speed-dial. And even stranger: The way to get a meeting with Joe Biden is not to go through his well-staffed office, but through secret back-channels involving his bagman son." Capt. Ed, "That is rather interesting — and it happened in 2010, much earlier than other evidence in the Biden Inc corruption timeline. Menendez served with Biden in the Senate for two years before Biden became VP, don’t forget, and had been in the House since 1993. Why would Menendez have to go through Eric Schwerin?"

At WaEx, Third IRS official says Justice Department blocked Weiss from charging  in the Hunter Biden investigation. Capt. Ed notes "There’s more, too. Apparently Weiss’ team had far more negotiations with Hunter’s team than is usual in tax evasion investigations, according to Michael Batdorf. He won’t attribute that to political influence, but he does say that the DoJ’s handling of this case was significantly unusual."  Ace, Agents Say That the Feds Deliberately Tanked Any Investigation Into Biden's 2020 Campaign "There were possible "criminal violations" committed by Biden's 2020 campaign. Merrick Garland's DOJ made sure there was no investigation." James Lynch at Da Caller, These Were Republicans’ Biggest Missed Opportunities From Merrick Garland’s Testimony. Matt Vespa at Town Hall is amused when Ex-NYT Reporter Flees Podcast After Being Asked About Hunter Biden Reporting, James Risen. 

Bob Spencer at PJM, Dementia or Disrespect? You’ll Never Believe What Biden Did When He Met with Netanyahu. Made the sign of the cross. Ace, Pool Report Embarrasses Biden By Reporting What He Really Said. "I don't mean a report about him swimming naked in his pool in front of his female Secret Service staff. I mean the press pool report, where one reporter dashes off a report about an event and all other reporters are permitted to quote that. From Beege Wellborn, an embarrassing anecdote, reported accurately." Matt Margolis at PJM says If You Think Joe Biden Will Make It Much Longer, Read This. "Have you noticed that the time in between embarrassing moments for Joe Biden seems to be getting shorter and shorter?"   At Da Caller,  Biden Lays A Booby Trap For The Next Republican President. John Sexton noticed Joe Biden will join a UAW picket line, after Trump visits striking autoworkers. Althouse,  "Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create." "a Politico article from last Tuesday, "'Trump scooped us': Dems sound alarm on Biden’s handling of the auto worker strike/Donald Trump’s decision to head to Detroit for a speech next week is setting off alarms among some Joe Biden allies."

At the Conservative Brief, Federal Judge Blocks Biden Admin’s Attempt to Scale Back Oil, Gas Drilling In Gulf of Mexico. Capt. Ed comments "It’s a good step in the right direction, but a temporary one. And Judge Cain is correct — this IS a weaponization of the regulatory state, an approach that Biden has enthusiastically embraced in order to rule as an authoritarian rather than govern under the rule of law." Hat Hair's Beege Wellborn snarks "Bidenomics is bitchin'" update: Federal Reserve has first lay-offs in 13 years. "These cutbacks are mostly tech jobs according to the announced plans, so “learn to code” advice isn’t going to be appropriate." Breitbart, Hispanics Running Away from Democrats, Bidenomics Making Things Even Worse. The Babylon Bee has 8 Meals Every Family Can Afford Under Bidenomics  "5. Lightly used sushi purchased on Facebook Marketplace: It's just as good now as it was when it was made a week ago!"

Never-anybody-but-Trump sundance at CTH gloats The Lame Duck Period Begins – Florida Republicans Move Away from DeSantis, as Failed Campaign Will Return Him to State.

Da Fed's Shawn Fleetwood is pleased when a Federal Court Chides Dem Activists: There’s Nothing Racist About Election Integrity Laws Like Florida’s, also, reports a Lawsuit that Democrats’ No-Excuse Absentee Voting Law Violates New York Constitution.

Althouse, "It’s a really hard argument in normal circumstances to say the government, who is prosecuting someone, can shut them up from defending themselves in public." ""What makes this backward from everything else is that normally, in every criminal prosecution I can think of, the power imbalance is that the state has all the power and the defendant has none. But in this case, you have a defendant who has very significant power." Says lawprof Margaret C. Tarkington, quoted in "Push to Gag Trump Pits Free Speech Against Risk of Violence/By putting threats to the judge and prosecutors at the heart of its argument to limit the former president’s statements about the election case, the Justice Department raised issues with little precedent" (NYT)." As is often the case, the fun is in the comments.

Capt. Ed is horrified that in New FOIA docs DHS claimed authority to regulate public discussions of COVID, "racial justice," Ukraine, and "irregular immigration" "The inclusion of Afghanistan on this list, which has been previously reported, is the clearest indicator that the DGB’s true purpose was to quash dissent and criticism of the Biden administration." Sundance, Russell Brand Issues Statement After British Govt Target Him for Removal from Social Media Platforms. I haven't been on this story too much, but it became much bigger when the Brits targeted him for censorship with no due process. 

At Da Blaze, First trans NFL cheerleader hopes to influence youth: 'I’m setting things up for the younger generation'. From Da Signal, Confirmed: Man Who Raped His 10-Year-Old Daughter Housed With Female Prison Inmates. Reason is not convinced by a Federal Judge who Declines To Stop Drag Show Ban at Texas College. "The judge ruled that drag performances are not inherently expressive and that schools could regulate "vulgar and lewd" conduct." Beege Wellborn thinks SecEd Cardona needs remediation on "parents" definition.  Citizen Free Press@CitizenFreePres, "Secretary of Education Cardona doesn't respect American parents concerned with radical gender ideology being taught in the schools: “I don’t have too much respect for people that are misbehaving in public and acting like they know what’s right for kids.” At Da Fed, Rebeka Zelkjo sees that In Leaked Video, Veterans’ Affairs Tells Providers To Promote Abortion, Avoid Saying ‘Mother’ And ‘Baby’. 

Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Government TV: commit crimes for Gaia, "Britain’s Channel 4, which is a state-owned television/content network owned by the British government, is pushing a program with the message that the time has come for violent action to deal with climate change." Chris Packham@ChrisGPackham "Personally , I've now reached a point where I believe breaking the law for the climate is the ethically responsible thing to do ."

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Schwerin to Blow Doors Off Biden Bribery?

Matt Vespa at Town Hall asks hopefully, Could This Man 'Blow the Lid Off' the Biden Bribery Scheme?

House Oversight has their latest witness who must be interviewed regarding this sleazy side business the father-son duo was peddling, Eric Schwerin. Mr. Schwerin was a partner in Hunter's firm, visited the Obama White House some 36 times, but more importantly, managed every aspect of their family's financial business, according to Hunter’s ex-wife.

I expect as serious case of amnesia. 

Ace, Dan Goldman (The New Adam Schiff) Claims That Burisma Wanted to Keep the Prosecutor Shokin in Office. In Fact, Hunter Biden Was Working for the Illegal Foreign Agents Who Wanted Him Fired. This is a talking point liberals always try when discussing the Ukraine thing, that Shokin was corrupt, and the "world community" wanted him fired. The "world community" was (and probably still is) party to the corruption in Ukraine, and the thought of an honest (or at least more honest) prosecutor threatened to end their cut, so yes, they wanted him gone. 

At RCP, Megyn Kelly: I'm Just Now Understanding That Joe Was Using Hunter, Not The Other Way Around

Hat Hair's Jazz Shaw, FBI agent caught lying under oath about Hunter's laptop, but he won't be charged because lying to Republicans is legal with Merrick Garland's DOJ. Hat Hair's Capt. Ed catches NBC: Republicans sure are pouncing all over Biden's "brand," or something.

Ryan King at NYPo reports White House cocaine may have belonged to someone in ‘Biden family orbit.’ "“If you want the name, ask Joe Biden,” one source told Keating. “He knows who it is.” “It was someone within the Biden family orbit, and it wasn’t Hunter,” said a second source, referring to the president’s adult son — an admitted recovering drug addict." 'Becca Downs at Town Hall, Joe Biden Was Reportedly Told Who Brought Cocaine Into the White House. Matt Margolis, SOURCES: Joe Biden Knows Who Brought Cocaine to White House. I never believed that the SS, helped by the FBI, couldn't figure out who put it there.

At NYPo, Biden calls Grand Canyon one of world’s ‘nine wonders’ full of ‘ironic’ species. He's not that smart, and never was. Sister Toldja at Red State notes One 45-Minute Stretch of Joe Biden’s Tuesday Schedule Raises Eyebrows - and Questions. Hey, it was his afternoon nap. I like mine too.

Becca Lower at Red State finds Jake Tapper Perplexed by Biden's Policies Failing to Persuade Americans, NPR Host Insists She Knows Why. Astonishingly, it's not racism! It's bad messaging!

Mickey Kaus @kausmickey "Still don't understand why it's illegal for Trump to have "pressured state election officials," especially if he thought he'd actually won. Levinson analogizes it to breaking into someone's house. It is not at all like breaking into someone's house." Isn't pressuring officials what they are for? Rachel Alexander at Townhall ridicules the The Three Politically Motivated Phony Indictments of Trump so Far. Althouse read the NYT so you don't have to, 
"The indictment alleges that Mr. Trump lied and manipulated people and institutions in trying to shape law and politics in his favor."

"Exaggeration and truth-shading in the facilitation of self-serving legal arguments or attacks on political opponents have always been commonplace in Washington. Going forward, these practices will likely be disputed in the language of, and amid demands for, special counsels, indictments and grand juries.... Watergate deluded us into thinking that independent counsels of various stripes could vindicate the rule of law and bring national closure in response to abuses by senior officials in office. Every relevant experience since then — from the discredited independent counsel era (1978-99) through the controversial and unsatisfactory Mueller investigation — proves otherwise. And national dissensus is more corrosive today than in the 1990s, and worse even than when Mr. Mueller was at work...."

Writes Harvard lawprof Jack Goldsmith, in "The Prosecution of Trump May Have Terrible Consequences" (NYT).

Ace, Judge Questions Very Special Counsel's Use of Out-of-State Grand Jury to Persecute, I Mean Prosecute, Trump. "Lefties who live in leftwing areas get leftwing juries to try their cases. Righties who live in rightwing areas also get leftwing juries to try their cases. That's the Unamerican Way." 'Bonchie' at Red State, Judge Chutkan's Controversial Denial to Trump Team's Hearing Request Previews Really Rough Seas Ahead. Jonathan Turley, Pritzker’s Truth Police: How the Illinois Governor Made the Case Against the Trump Indictment. "Pritzker declared that the law is “just like the case against President Trump. You have a right to free speech, but you don’t have a right to lie.” In his mind, it is that simple. It is not, of course. Lies are generally protected under the Constitution. In 2012, in the United States v. Alvarez decision, the Supreme Court held 6-3 that it is unconstitutional to criminalize lies in a case involving a politician who lied about military decorations." So even assuming that Smith is correct, and Trump knew he lost and lied about it, it's still not a crime. Now, I believe he still thinks he was cheated out of the win, and I think evidence exists to support that position. At ET, Pelosi Says 2nd Trump Term 'Cannot Happen,' Calls Indictments Against Him 'Beautiful', so the ends justify the means. Althouse, "As Mr. Trump showed in 2016, when it comes to media coverage, quantity has a quality all its own."

"The indictments make everything about him more so than is the case ordinarily. His motorcades haven’t been covered as extensively since he was president, and his latest Truth Social posts denouncing his mistreatment are being covered as breaking news. It all contributes to the miniaturization of the rest of the field. . . . Writes Rich Lowry, in The New York Times, in "Imagine What Another Indictment Could Do for Donald Trump." Lowry compares Trump to the historical figures Huey Long and Adam Clayton Powell Jr.

PJM's Ben Bartee reports Liberals Accuse Cornel West, a Black Man, of 'Stealing Votes' From Biden. Isn't that a federal crime? ET, Most Americans Unclear About Inflation Reduction Act as White House Touts Economic Record. At Da Fed, Dave Harsanyi notes ‘Bidenomics’ Has Been A Disaster.  "“Bidenomics” encompass anything and everything that’s convenient for Democrats. And in this moment, it’s convenient for them to take credit for merely letting people go back to work. Biden, who once claimed that the Democrats $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” plan cost “zero dollars,” isn’t exactly a math whiz. But when he says stuff like “13.4 million jobs have been added to our economy” under his watch, more than “any other president in a full 4-year term,” anyone with even a passing familiarity with the events of the years preceding 2023 knows it’s a lie of omission." Steve Moore at Hat Hair fears New Banking Regulations Could Sink the Economy.

From the Messenger, DeSantis Replaces Campaign Manager with Florida Chief of Staff As He ‘Reloads’ (Exclusive). Never-anybody-but-Trump sundance at CTH, An Anniversary Message – DeSantis Removes Campaign Manager, Shuffles Campaign Team in Relaunch 4.0, Latest Effort to Save Failing Campaign. Hat Hair's KT is taking A second look at Doug Burgum? 

WATCH - Mike Pence released a campaign ad filling up his truck at the gas station, but forgets to push the button.
🤔pic.twitter.com/BqU4bMrpJ1

— The First (@TheFirstonTV) August 8, 2023

Hat Hair's KT, Pence avoids humiliation as he qualifies for first GOP primary debate. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.08.23 (Afternoon Edition), EBL, Mike Pence’s New Respect.

Sundance, Michigan State Police Discover Widespread 2020 Voter Fraud and Turn Over Evidence to FBI – Who Apparently Did Nothing. 

 From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.08.23 (Afternoon Edition), Director Blue: Summarizing The Allegations Of Vote Fraud In The 2020 Presidential Election.

Dave Strom at Hat Hair catches the WaPo: calling D.C. "The Swamp" is racisss... Ace, Taxpayer-Funded, Government-Authorized "Researchers" Are Devising Fresh New Schemes to Censor the Right -- and Hiding That Censorship From Us, So That We Cannot Complain, "Might as well enjoy your next several years of censorship -- you're paying for it." At Breitbart, Emails Show New York Times Collaborating with State Government to Target Orthodox Jews.

 From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.08.23 (Afternoon Edition), Twitchy: “The Crack Team Of Degenerate Journos At The NYT”, Racist Texas Teacher Who Openly Bragged About Wanting To Kill White Men Has Been Fired, and Riley Gaines Takes Man Claiming To Be Lesbian Apart For Mansplaining Lesbianism, Louder With Crowder: Roseanne Barr’s BACK, teams with anti-woke company and is bringing new comedy show to Elon Musk’s X, Defiant Jason Aldean surprises restaurant with acoustic performance of anti-woke anthem “Try That in A Small Town”, and Elon Musk savages NYT making excuses for a viral song calling for the killing of white people, Gab News: Yes, You Can Legislate Morality, Gab Tells Governments Who Demand Censorship To Get Lost and Don Surber, How Dare Americans Not Cheer For A Team That Hates The Country.

Riley Gaines

Hat Hair's KT again, Gov Abbott held ceremonial signing of Save Women's Sports Act as protesters chanted and Mic drop: Ne-Yo reverses apology from publicist over remarks on transgender kids. Breitbart has the VIDEO: Riley Gaines: Leftists Spat On, Attacked Pro-Women’s Activists at Texas Bill Signing. Dave Strom thinks he has A great way to fight back against pornography in schools "Well, parents in Texas have found a way to make the choices very specific indeed. They have begun a campaign to force school administrators and policymakers to look directly at the books that they have been pushing into classrooms and school libraries." Gina Louden at Town Hall explains What  the Trans Radicals, Pro-Abortion Activists, and Sex Traffickers All Have In Common. "The thread that connects all three is that they destroy the lives of children." Mark Tapscott at PJM says Don't Bother Applying to Foster or Adopt Children if You Are Traditional Catholics and Live in the People's Republic of Massachusetts and won't coddle gender dysphoria. According To Hoyt the war on boys is Destroying the Future. 

Bummer dude, Beege Wellborn at Hat Hair reports on Skid row: Anheuser-Busch now selling off craft brands. 

Jazz Shaw at Hat Hair, Watch The Atlantic defend liberal university culture. "As you see, if any of you rubes had actually been bright enough to graduate high school and go on to obtain a liberal arts or gender studies degree at an Ivy League university, you wouldn’t be so confused. You’d understand how all of the elites are actually putting policies in place to make sure that you don’t sink completely into the quagmire of your own ignorance and professional shortcomings. Don’t you feel ashamed now?" From the College Fix, Three University of Kansas professors now accused of falsely claiming Native American ancestry.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Potato On The Beach and FMJRA 2.0: Time For New Water Coolers ready for prime time at the Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Devin Archer Artfully Dodges

Guy Benson at Town Hall has New Details: It's Looking Even Worse for the Bidens...and the FBI. Garold Hutchinson at Da Caller, ‘Almost A Panic Setting In’: Turley Says Democrats, Media Have No ‘Maneuvering Room’ Over Biden Scandals "They all want to move on because the alternative is to recognize one of the most significant corruption scandals in modern history, but it’s something the media played a role in suppressing, so they want everyone to move on," and Fox Business Host, Guest Say Biden Associate Could ‘Break This Case Wide Open.’ Kudlow and the divine Ms. Devine. Spencer Brown at Town Hall, It Gets Worse: Joe Biden Wasn't Just Aware of Hunter's Businesses.  Sarah Bedford at WaEx, Hunter Biden investigation: Here are the leads Congress can follow after whistleblower testimony. Hat Hair's Jazz Shaw, Biz partner: Hunter put Joe on the phone "dozens of times", Devon Archer. Breitbart also Reports Hunter Biden Put Joe Biden on Business Calls Dozens of Times. Ace, "Blockbuster" Testimony Upcoming: Former Biden "Business" Partner Will Testify That Hunter Put Joe On the Phone With His Foreign Paymasters At Least 24 Times. "He did this not after his vice presidency -- but during it. Look, fat, I don't talk about business with my son. I leave the details to him. I just mumble something into the phone letting his foreign handler know I'll work for them and then I pick up my 10%." But wait, Mike Cantrell at PJM reports Key Hunter Biden Associate Spooked, Cancels Testifying for Third Time. At Twitchy, Good question: What, exactly, is the Biden family business? They don't exactly sell widgets. 

Also at Da Caller, ‘No Reason Why This Would Be Withheld’: Jonathan Turley Lays Out Why Biden Bribery Doc Should Be Taken Seriously. At Fox, DOJ offers Hunter Biden investigator for testimony before the House. "House Republicans previously demanded the testimony of US Attorney David Weiss and other officials." Margot Cleveland at Da Fed, FBI Told Delaware U.S. Attorney It Had Already Partially Corroborated Biden Bribery Claims, Source Says. If you like it in smaller chunks, from Twitchy, Margot Cleveland reports that FBI told David Weiss that FD-1023 info was legit — and Weiss buried it. Fox, Photos show Hunter Biden in dad's Corvette at Delaware home on same day as 'shakedown' message. "Biden shouted 'No!' when asked whether he was with son during alleged 2017 discussion."  At Althouse, "Grassley... falls into a familiar, misleading pattern, conflating the credibility of the informant with the credibility about the allegations." ""I trust my wife, but if she tells me that our 6-year-old claims to have seen a dragon on the roof, I don’t suddenly believe that there was a dragon on the roof...." Writes Philip Bump in "Trump wanted Ukraine to impugn Biden. D.C. Republicans finally delivered. Why did Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) choose now to release the unverified allegation against Biden that he’s possessed all along?" (WaPo). Now do the Steele Dossier. Bonchie at Red State,  WATCH: Chris Christie Actually Scores a Direct Hit on CBS News' Margaret Brennan. "The conduct here by the US Attorney in Delaware and by the Justice Department just can’t be justified." At the Free Bacon, WATCH: MSNBC on Whistleblowers, Then and Now

At the Business Insider, Exclusive: Hunter Biden's gallery sold his art to a Democratic donor 'friend' who Joe Biden named to a prestigious commission. 'Bonchie' at Red State, Newly Revealed Buyers for Hunter Biden's Art Lead to More Corruption Allegations, so yes, it was just another route for bribery.

John Solomon at JTN reports  In major shift, RFK Jr. calls for corruption investigation of Joe Biden. "Presidential candidate says release of FBI informant memo last week escalated his concern." The Daily Fetched, RFK Jr Shifts Political Gears, Calls for Investigation into Biden Corruption. At Am Think, Jack Cashill thinks about The Perils of Race Baiting a Kennedy

At the Conservative Brief, Report: Jill Biden Vets Staff, Blasts Presidential Aides; Seeks to Protect Husband. To be fair, that's generally true with first ladies, Melania may have been an exception to the rule. The Peacock admits it's Note cards and shorter stairs: How Biden's campaign is addressing his age.

"Aides appear to be making concessions to Biden’s age, hoping to avoid viral moments that would reinforce voters’ worries about his fitness." PJM's VodkaPundit, How the Biden Campaign Is Trying to Hide Joe's Obvious Decline (With an Assist From NBC News) and Stephen Kruiser, Democrats' Desperate Biden Options — Basement or Replacement. I&I shocked, shocked that Media Can’t Understand Why Biden Is So Unpopular (After Everything They’ve Done For Him). 

And the Republican contenders? Matt Vespa at Town Hall writes Trump's 2025 Plan for the Executive Could Deliver a Lethal Blow to the Deep State, but they fight back as he well knows. Paul Bedard at WaEx, Another day, another indictment, another poll of Trump dominating GOP. Althouse, "They’re experiencing a brutal wake-up call that the party is not interested in hearing critiques of Trump."  Ben Whedon at JTN, WV Gov. Jim Justice endorses Donald Trump for president. Manchin is toast.  Brian C. Joondeph at Am Think worries about The GOP Death Wish. "The current GOP now stands for “gladly out of power” as elected Republicans are doing everything they can to commit political suicide, becoming a permanent minority in national, and in many cases state and local, politics." At TNP, DeSantis Chief Admits They’ve Spent Too Much on ‘Ineffective’ Campaign. At Da Mail, Tim Scott is gaining on Ron DeSantis for the No. 2 spot behind Donald Trump according to new poll showing only a five percent difference between the two 2024 presidential hopefuls in Iowa, the gasohol state. Andrea Widburg at Am Think touts Vivek's promise to shut down specific government agencies on his first day. Easier said than done. PJM's Lincoln Brown reports Nikki Haley Says Trump Can't Win the General Election but at Maddie Hubbard at JTN, hears Haley say  she would support Trump if he is 2024 GOP nominee. At Breitbart, Mitt Romney Asks GOP Donors to Pressure Low-Polling Candidates Out of 2024 Race to Defeat Trump. Speaking of dubious candidates, WaEx notes Former Gov. Hogan avoids directly answering if he plans to stage a third-party 2024 presidential run and at the Daily Fetched, Liz Cheney Hints She May Run for President: “I’m Not Going to Do Anything That Helps Trump.” At this point, her mere existence helps Trump. 

At Am Con, The Left’s Elections ‘Fortification’ in 2024, "Democrats used Covid-19 as an excuse to transform our elections; they are still at it." Athena Thorne at PJM reports Florida Democrats Scurry to Rebuild Mail-in Voter Rolls After New Law Wipes Them Clean. At JTN, Watchdog: Nearly 800,000 inactive registrants in Illinois voter rolls "Judicial Watch announced Friday a federal judge ordered the Illinois State Board of Elections to turn over voter roll data. "Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed, Court: Illinois Must Forfeit Voter Roll Data To Conservative Group and Texas Announces Exit From Leftist-Controlled Voter-Roll ‘Management’ Group ERIC. 

Dan Henninger at WSJ, cited at Hat Hair, FBI "losing the public." And they deserve to. The Messenger, FBI Improperly Used Surveillance Powers on US Officials, "The FBI improperly used surveillance powers to search for information on a US senator, a state lawmaker and a state judge, according to a report."

 

The great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great explains How To Create Conspiracy Theories. Just keep lying and getting caught. From Matt Orfalea and Matt Taibbi, "Covid Origins," an Animated Adventure

At Front Page, YouTube Removes Glazov Gang’s General Flynn Interview "Too much truth for the Google-owned video platform to handle." At Newsweek, Matt Palumbo notes Students—Including Most Conservative Ones—Now Want Their Professors Censored. 

The Free Bacon reports Dem Governor: Failing To Notify Parents When Their Child Changes Gender Is 'The American Way'. Hat Hair's Dave Strom notes The NEA is now officially a cult, rather a sect of the cult that is the Democrat party. 

On Da Summit, VOX Declares ‘Sound Of Freedom’ Movie To Be “As Dark And Dangerous” As Child Sex Trafficking Itself, “A form of extremist propaganda.” NotTheBee, The Washington Post would like to endlessly wokesplain Jason Aldean’s EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL song "Try That in a Small Town" so let's explore their offerings. At Outkick, Jason Aldean Refuses To Apologize In Amazing Speech As 'USA' Chants Break Out. At Am Think, Marianna Trzeciak thinks Barbie Is All Emotionalism And Appearance But Lacks Any Rationality. Dan Greenfield at Front Page on Barbie and the Left’s War on Childhood, "Adults who refuse to grow up are ruining childhood." PJM's Athena Thorne is amused by The Based and Hilarious Reason Gen Z Bros Are Flocking to the New Barbie Flick. "That right there is why Gen Z lads are heading to the theater: sigma Ken goes full Chad. And we can expect the memes, role-playing, Halloween costumes, and theme parties to take off from there."

Terrance Kibble at LI on the long running battle in Colorado, Colorado Supreme Court Asked To Find for Christian Baker Who Refused Gender Transition Cake After SCOTUS Web Designer Ruling. The Supreme Court was too polite the first time around.

The U.S. Supreme Court later took up Phillips’ case, ruling 7–2 in his favor but on narrow grounds that did not address the fundamental issue of whether Colorado could compel Phillips’ speech.

The U.S. Supreme Court instead ruled in Phillips’ favor because it found Colorado officials had displayed animus toward his religious beliefs. This left unresolved the free speech issue, which the U.S. Supreme Court finally addressed in 303 Creative.

Linked by 357 Magnum in Wednesday Link Roundup - 26 July.