Oregon, My Oregon

 From Da Signal, ‘It Has Destroyed Our Lives’: Christian Parents Sue Over Accusation They Caused ‘Mental Injury’ for Refusing to ‘Affirm’ Daughter’s Transgender Identity

A Christian mom and her husband are fighting back in court after Oregon’s Department of Human Services determined that they caused “mental injury” to her daughter by refusing to “affirm” her transgender identity. “It has destroyed our lives,” Nicole Calaway, the mother of two daughters who are now estranged because they both claim a transgender identity, told the Daily Signal in an interview Sunday.

Child Protective Services took custody of her then-15-year-old daughter, K.A., on July 18, 2024, one day after Calaway and K.A. terminated the services of K.A.’s therapist, Jennifer Forster. According to court documents, Forster filed the complaint that resulted in K.A.’s removal.

ODHS notified the Calaways that the agency considered them “responsible for the mental injury” of K.A. “Your adverse reactions to [K.A.] expressing their gender identity have caused serious harm to [K.A.’s] psychological functioning,” ODHS caseworker Rachel Woods wrote in a Sept. 13 letter. Calaway’s older daughter had already moved out.

“I was so distraught, it felt like I was gutted,” the mother said. “Both my daughters were gone. I took myself to the hospital and admitted myself for a week because I couldn’t handle it.” The mother remains estranged from her daughters, and Oregon has ordered her not to contact K.A. Yet the state’s findings haven’t just affected her maternal relationship. 

The “mental injury” finding constitutes a child abuse ruling on Calaway’s permanent record and on the record of her husband, David. The stigma of a state agency finding the two guilty of child abuse has followed them across state lines after their move to Florida in July 2025.

Next, state sues parents for failing to affirm teens fentanyl habit. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Platner Bails Out - Iran War Back On

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Flotsam and Jetsam - Democrat Civil War Heats Up

Stacey Matthews at LI thinks The ‘Moderate’ Left’s Campaign to Distance Themselves From Their Socialist Wing Isn’t Going Well. “They should not be the face of our party. We need to be organized and clear in our vision.” From Twitchy, SOUND THE ALARM! Fire Marshal Bowman Attacks Josh Shapiro as Democrats Continue to Eat Each Other. Althouse cites Trump, "And the Democrats aren't fighting back.... They didn't beat us, but they'd be victorious against the Communists." "But they don't have the courage to do so. So, they're turning Communists themselves, becoming a Communist Party." Sundance at CTH hosts Barbara Boyd Outlining The DSA New York Communist Program. Jeff Blehar at NRO outlines Darializa Chevalier and the Left’s Tea Party Moment. Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "Everything as a matter of record and was well known that The New York Times could have reported on before the primary. Bang up job, Team." Quote Peter Baker @peterbakernyt, "Who is Darializa Avila Chevalier? She has called Biden a "rapist," said "fuck Kamala Harris," seemed to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine, denigrated interracial relationships and supported abolishing police, borders and prisons." Ace, Democrats Recruited Antifa As their Zombie Street Enforcers. Now the Antifa Zombies Are Running the Show. "Darializa Avila Chevalier, founder of the pro-Hamas, pro-October 7 group CUAD and committed to -- quote -- the "total eradication of Western civilization," will soon officially be a Democrat congresswoman." Matt Taibbi at Racket writes about Zohran Mamdani and the Nitwit Revolution "New York's Mayor proved he's a generational political talent this week, re-shaping the Democratic Party and setting America up for a referendum on its founding principles." At Da Signal, Victor Davis Hanson Sets the Record Straight on Tucker Carlson and Graham Platner. Gregg Keller @RGreggKeller, "One of the benefits of working on a campaign effort against Talarico is that they make all of our commercials for us. #txsen." Quote RNC Research @RNCResearch, "CRINGE Texas Dems have lost their minds defending James Talarico: “They say that James is trans, we’re all trans. ..." PJM's Dave Manney thinks The Obama Halo Is Starting to Flicker. Finally!

Party Like It’s October 1917

From Liberty Unyielding, New York City imposes rent freeze on one million apartments, resulting in huge losses for some. Hat Hair's Steve Moore sees Democrats Declare War on School Choice. Insty worries about BLUE POLITICS IN TENNESSEE GETTING CRAZIER: Is Hamilton County Slipping From Red To Blue Or Just From Sane To Unhinged?, "As noted yesterday, the Democrat candidate for county mayor in Hamilton County made threats against school board members as part of his unhinged promotion of the LGBTQ in Hamilton County schools." Meanwhile, up the road in Knoxville: Knox County mayor candidate Beau Hawk marched in Venezuela for Nicolas Maduro." From the Right Scoop, Big Pharma, hoping Dem stooges will retake congress, start BLOWING OFF federally mandated discounts. Batya Ungar-Sargon @bungarsargon, ""Abolish ICE," "Defund the Police," and "Free Palestine" aren't a working class agenda. They're the cries of an over credentialed gentrifying elite consumed with resentment and the belief that the taxpayer should fund their vanity degrees and podcasts." John LeFevre @JohnLeFevre, "Homeless, yachtless Elon Musk, who actually builds rockets, EVs, and neural tech trying to benefit humanity, should apparently cough up $50 billion in taxes on unrealized gains. Meanwhile, Laurene Powell Jobs ($15B inherited), Nancy Walton ($20B inherited), and MacKenzie Scott ($40B divorce) never built shit, never risked shit, and never shipped a single product that changed the world. But they get the praise and zero scrutiny. Because they have the right politics. (BTW ~25% of Walmart employees are on government benefits.)" From Shooting News Week, We Won’t Let Anti-Gun Billionaires Who Finance Civilian Disarmament Live in the Shadows Anymore.

From the College Fix, Trump admin caught $150 million in fraudulent student loans in past months. The Post Millennial @TPostMillennial, "Trump Education Dept. blocks $150 MILLION in fraudulent student loans amid California 'ghost student' scam: "We have turned education in this country into a piggy bank for the worst people you can imagine, and the Biden administration did nothing about this!"" Scott McLallen at TownHall, DOJ Sues Four States That Refused to Hand Over SNAP Data. John Solomon at JTN reports Treasury Secretary vows law-breaking leftist nonprofits to face prosecution, asset seizures. "Bessent's crackdown comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last fall asking federal agencies to better police tax-exempt organizations, which have exploded in size and mission far beyond traditional charities." I'm not entirely sure we need tax-exempt organizations.

Driscoll at Insty, BUTTIGIEG SEPARATED FROM CHILDREN AFTER BEING TARGETED BY FALSE CPS REPORT: “Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he was briefly separated from his 4-year-old twins after an anonymous caller filed a false report with Child Protective Services concerning his family. Buttigieg wrote about the swatting-like incident in a lengthy Substack post on Friday, detailing his encounter with Michigan State Police.” Scalito @Legally_Italian, "Amy Coney Barrett was swatted last month. Neither Pete Buttigieg nor Mark commented on it. The New York Times did not do a story on it. I like Mark, but the truth is the only thing new about this story is that it happened to a Democrat. It’s ho-hum and commonplace for conservatives." Quote Mark Halperin @MarkHalperin, "Everyone, including those who oppose @PeteButtigieg politically, should speak out about this in a forceful manner. x.com/jason/status/2…" At Althouse "A Terrible Thing Happened to My Family," writes Pete Buttigieg. "At Substack. I don't think he's accusing Child Protective Services or the police of handling the complaint improperly. Should they have done anything differently? Read the essay carefully and tell me what you think. I believe the answer is no." Has anyone considered the possibility that whoever reported Buttigieg saw something concerning. At least CPS doesn't usually break down the door, use flash-bangs and start shooting.

Also from Althouse, "How the Reflecting Pool Turned Green.... Bulky 'nanobubbler' machines were carted off ahead of a promotional event for President Trump’s Ultimate Fighting Championship birthday party." "The NYT reports. ... In recent days, the water has become clear again, reflecting the sky and the surrounding monuments. The temporary nanobubblers have been replaced with more discreet, permanent purification systems. Still, the Park Service plans to drain the pool again soon to fix the peeling coating...."

TownHall's Matt Vespa thinks This Bill Maher Episode Was Wild...and the Libs Are Not Going to Like It. RedState's Nick Arama says The Dems Are Going to Lose Their Minds Over This Bill Maher Show With JD Vance.

Nick Arama again, Iran Launches Strikes Against Bahrain - and the Excuse Is Incredible. "He literally blamed the U.S. for Iran's own violation." At Hat Hair, Dave Strom sees Tit-for-Tat in Strait of Hormuz; UPDATE: Iran Attacks Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraqi Government Upheaval and Larry Elder cites Trump: The Greater Risk Was Waiting. wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "The WSJ says the relatively small number of Iranian hits on US facilities in the Gulf are 'devastating'. "Iran shot more than 8,000 missiles and drones and only two hits resulted in U.S. fatalities,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East. Hawkins also said the U.S. military inflicted far more damage to Iran than it received, with the U.S. striking more than 13,500 targets." My comment: that's not how narratives work. Any damage to the US not equal to zero is devastating; 13,500 targets Iranian targets hit without regime change means the IR is winning or has in fact won."

John Sexton at Hat Hair observes The Lack of Gasoline is Getting to Russians. Trent Telenko @TrentTelenko, "Russia is suffering a supply and corruption driven fuel shock to its economy that is bigger than the USA's twin energy shocks of the 1973 oil embargo and the 1979 fall of Shah in Iran. 1/" Quote 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝕯𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝕯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔱△ @TheDeadDistrict, "In Zabaykalsky Krai, one of the strictest fuel sales limits has been introduced — 15 liters per fill-up. The regional authorities have declared a state of heightened readiness due to a shortage in the fuel market." At Althouse, "In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Central Asian governments have drawn closer together as a bloc, while welcoming Mr. Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy." ""They are seeking opportunities to reduce their reliance on Moscow, even as they tread lightly so as not to cross the Kremlin or antagonize China. 'For the business relationship, it has never been better,' said Jeff Erlich, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan, who has worked in and around the region since the late 1990s. 'In my experience, that is clear.'" From "Kazakhstan’s Leader Deepens U.S. Ties, Saying Trump Was ‘Sent by Heaven’/The Central Asian nation is aggressively courting President Trump’s Washington to counterbalance its powerful neighbors, Russia and China" (NYT)(gift link, so you can try to figure it out for yourself). That's one of 2 stories about Kazakhstan at the top of the front page of the NYT right now. The other is: "Trump Cut a Billion-Dollar Mining Deal. His Sons Stand to Profit. An agreement between the U.S. and Kazakhstan has given a group of American investors with ties to the president and the commerce secretary access to one of the world’s largest untapped reserves of tungsten."" Sundance has a theory on Why The Ukraine War is Hardest to End? "Mike Steger from Promethean Action PAC argues the reason the Ukraine war is hardest to end is simply because Ukraine represents the proxy state of all the globalist stakeholders who need another large conflict in order to eliminate the problem of a moral-based Christian perspective within the ‘West.’" Drek. The war is hard to end because both sides have a lot at stake. At this point Putin has his reputation at stake and I suspect that he truly believe Ukraine should be part of Russia. Moreover, given that defense is generally easier than offence, the greater size and population of Russia is largely offset. And superior Ukrainian innovation in drone is starting to make inroads. 

Mitch Berg at Hat Hair VIP is happy SCOTUS Strikes Down Hawaii's "Vampire" Gun Carry Ban. Jonathan Turley doesn;'t think much of Justice Jackson’s Curious Call to Overturn Bruen: The Burden of History ."The burden of actually seeking to understand the intended meaning of a constitutional provision is certainly greater than the more free-style approach of Jackson who focused on how to “resolve contemporary problems” under a living Constitution." At the Balmer Sun, Supreme Court betrays America’s founding promise, by treating all races equal regarding redistricting.

From RCP, Fauci, the CIA, and the Unanswered Questions of COVID. Why was the CIA involved in an attempt to propagandize the American public? Brian Cates - Political Columnist & Pundit @drawandstrike, "No joke. I'd actually read all the books and seen several films and TV movies about Watergate by 1997. That was the year I read Silent Coup, by Len Colodny and Robert Gettlin. It literally blew my mind that Bob Woodward was a high-level Naval intelligence officer, doing briefings for the JCOS and other intel work. All the coverage of Woodward's past glossed over his intelligence official past with a line or two about him 'briefly serving in the Navy'. So a ONI guy doing top level briefings for the Pentagon brass just happens to start a new career as an intrepid cub reporter for the Washington Post, just in time to be fed THE BIGGEST POLITICAL SCANDAL STORY in US history."

At Da Signal, Judiciary Committee Threatens to Hold the SPLC in Contempt for Withholding Documents. Just do it. 

The Free Bacon is shocked, shocked A Media Watchdog Released An AI ‘Fact-Checker.’ It Says There May Be 72 Genders. "NewsGuard's AI tool denied that biological sex is a binary and said affirmative action has 'benefited' white men." AI is only as good as it's input. Bullshit in, bullshit out. Ace is ecstatic Elon Musk Posts Entire Film "Citizen Vigilante." "The Uwe Boll/Armie Hammer violent revenge thriller Citizen Vigilante has been banned in Germany for being too closely linked to actual crimes the establishment insists aren't even happening, Racists." Sundance hosts Trump’s Social Media Advisor Alex Bruesewitz -vs- Tucker Carlson.

Stars n Stripes FC @starsnstripesfc, "This aged like milk. Everyone is having the time of their lives." Quote Fetty Waf @Wafunya, "The World Cup is about to expose just how a shithole of a country the USA is." At Althouse, "Installing AC simply wasn’t the British thing to do. He’d have to break a stiff-upper-lip mentality and make peace with a trade-off..." "From "European soccer fans enjoy a brief fling with America’s air-conditioned culture/Despite a deadly heat wave at home, many say they won’t permanently embrace Americans’ electricity-guzzling amenity" (WaPo)." Salena Zito sees the Ghost of Alexis de Tocqueville Returns -- What America Can Learn From Him.

GBN, King Charles will now 'protect the multi-faith nation' as new role defined. Breccan Thies at Da Fed, UK Needs To Ditch Censorship And Mass Migration, Not Just Keir Starmer. Bo French @bofrench, "I have been criticized, even from people on my side, for saying this is their goal. The problem is this is not my opinion. They admit it. How long are our leaders going to continue to ignore this imminent threat?" Quote Yossi BenYakar @YossiBenYakar, "An imam in Alabama, Ragab Abdelmoneim of the Islamic Academy of Huntsville, openly told his audience that Muslims must be ready to sacrifice their lives through jihad in order to establish “the religion of Allah” in the United States. He claimed that victory over America is closer than ever. This isn’t being preached in some remote village overseas. This is being said openly on American soil. At what point does this stop being protected “religious speech” and become a national security threat? How is he not arrested?" The JC, Our holiday landlord realised we were Jewish. What happened next was deeply troubling. "Once the property owner worked out that Yoni Birnbaum was a rabbi, he quizzed him on whether he was opposed to Israel." France.

Oregon, My Oregon

 What's the matter with Oregon; is it the water?

https://t.co/zPe6PkmTQN

— Leor Sapir (@LeorSapir) June 9, 2026

Flotsam and Jetsam - Perusing the "Clinton Files"

From NYPo, Nearly naked Bill Clinton pictured soaking in hot tub with unidentified woman in Epstein files: ‘His reckoning’, and more to the point, her face is redacted, signifying she's probably an Epstein "victim" and not a random celebrity. LifeZette thinks Bill Clinton is in Hot Water After Epstein Dump Reveals Compromising Pictures. Not really, we've known what Bill Clinton is for a long time. Twitchy hears Scott Jennings Rename the Epstein Files as Dems Screech Over Trump’s Absence: The Clinton Files. Sunny @sunnyright, "You wrote out that first sentence and what outrages you is the order in which the documents are published." Quote Tara Palmeri @tarapalmeri, "I'm seeing a lot of pictures of Bill Clinton in the Epstein Files. Weird that they came out first." Walter Kirn @walterkirn "Trump must be in there somewhere! Remove all redactions! We won't rest!" Walter Kirn @walterkirn, "The Epstein Files are whatever you want or need them to be, I've learned." Professor Charles Xavier @PezeshkiCharles, "I find it fascinating that people have no clue how beautiful women operate around billionaires." Matt Vespa at TownHall, The Epstein Files Memes Are Pouring in, and They're Hilarious and Hey, Dems, When CNN Can't Save You on How You've Handled the Epstein Files, You've Really Screwed Up. "Democrats thought they had endless cannon fodder to use against the Trump administration. Instead, they’ve run away, as most of the new developments have placed their friends in a bad light. Moreover, the victims of the late New York financier found the selective releases from Democrats on House Oversight regarding this matter supremely annoying. When CNN can’t defend you, you know it’s bad . . ." It's a high bar indeed, but Matt Taibbi asserts The Jeffrey Epstein Saga is the Worst-Reported Story of All Time "Thanks to decades of misreporting, unproven conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein are the one thing uniting both camps of American politics."

Larry Elder at Hat Hair looks at What Rob Reiner Said About and Did to Donald Trump. Trump is not one to forgive and forget, not even the dead. PJM's Kevin Downey on Tinfoil Haturday wonders Was Rob Reiner a Deep State Spook? Roll the Tape... No, he was their useful idiot. From Althouse, Famous. "I'm reading "Conan O'Brien Party Guests Recall Nick Reiners 'Creepy' Questions Hours Before Parents Slain" (Enstarz):"

From UPI, Trump announces lower drug prices in deals with nine companies. At Hat Hair, a video, President Trump Lowers Prescription Costs and Sends Warrior Dividends to the Troops. Tim Hollingsworth @soldiertim1961, "I have 3 sons still serving on active duty and they all have received their 1776.00 Warrior Christmas Bonuses And for the first time since the wars started 20 plus years ago ALL 4 of us are home stateside Thank you President Trump and Secretary Hegseth." Quote TMK @TheMagaKing2_0, "Just when I thought Trump couldn’t possibly trigger liberals any harder, he does it again. From Somalis, to Rob Reiner, to the Trump Kennedy Center. Total meltdown. Donald Trump is the gift that keeps on giving." Breitbart sees Consumer Sentiment Improves as Inflation Expectations Fade For Fourth Straight Month. From WokeSpy, All the ‘Experts’ Were Wrong About Tariffs, Carl Higbie Brings Out the Receipts. Breitbart, Exclusive — Sen. Rand Paul: The Problem of Affordability Is Government ‘Devaluation of Currency’. He has a point. 

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Trump Orders Seizure of Second Tanker Carrying Venezuelan Oil. RCD, Rhetoric Is Unfairly Harming the Reputation of Our Military. From the Brussels Signal, US sees Europe as a continent that opposes everything they hold dear. Maybe not everything, but a lot. Sundance at CTH hosts Secretary of State Marco Rubio Holds an Extensive Press Conference Touching on All Issues. 

Nick Arama at RedState sees More Kennedy Center Drama: Ric Grenell Decimates 'Journalist' Who Threatens to Take Down Trump's Name.

Stacy McCain, ‘Yes, We Stole the Election. Oopsie.’ "Read the whole thing. Five years after the election — when it is too late to rectify the crime, and never mind all the injury inflicted on those branded “election deniers” for protesting this fraud — we learn the truth." Chris Stigall @ChrisStigall, "This week we found out: the Mar-a-lago raid was not legally executed, Georgia was stolen in the 2020 election, Trump tariffs have not caused inflation, and Bill Clinton was Epstein’s #1 pal Oh, and the Congressional Dem approval is -55 overall (Quinnipiac) Merry Christmas!" Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Yes" Quote FischerKing @FischerKing64, "Remember that Trump was indicted for "pressuring" Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to investigate election integrity in his state, and that this was linked with his impeachment. Kinda looks like Trump was right, and was punished for asking appropriate questions. x.com/HansMahncke/st…"

From Insty, LEFTISTS WANT TO DESTROY ANYTHING THEY DON’T CONTROL: Ivy League Law Professors: We Need to Destroy the Supreme Court to Save It. “They don’t even bother to justify any of their claims that the court is illegitimate. It’s just taken as a given and therefore attempts to further destroy the court’s reputation aren’t something to avoid but something to embrace.”

Mitch Berg at Hat Hair VIP sees Walz Frantically Trying To Change The Subject. From RVM, Walz Faces Growing Calls to Resign as Minnesota Fraud Explodes. Sundance hears Minnesota Somalia Community Fraud Likely to Exceed $9 Billion – New Charges Announced. A billion here, a billion there . . . WJ reports FBI Busts 'Shocking' SNAP Fraud Ring - Entire Stores Were Allegedly Set Up to Operate the Scam, in Massachusetts, and they're not even Somali. At PM, Trump Admin Arrests Nearly 300 Sexual Predators, Rescues 205 Children in Two-Week Operation. Nick Ballasy at JTN reports Noem says Trump admin has located more than 129,000 'unaccompanied children' Biden admin lost. ""Too many of these children were exploited, trafficked and abused. We will continue to ramp up efforts and will not stop until every last child is found," Noem says" So, of course, she must resign! 

The Center for Immigration Studies Home thinks the WSJ Article Shows Why the ‘Birthright Citizenship’ Debate Is Overdue "WSJ Article Shows Why the ‘Birthright Citizenship’ Debate Is Overdue. The world, technology, and immigration have changed a lot since the 19th century, and the ultimate question is whether the Constitution can keep up." From Twitchy, Outrageous Stalking of ICE Ends with Epic Warning: Follow Us Again and You're Getting Ripped from the Car. Right Angle News Network @Rightanglenews, "BREAKING - Jobless liberal white women who spend all day stalking around ICE are finally getting put in their place. “This is your one warning. If you follow us again, we’re going to stop you, break your window, rip you out, and arrest you.” “Can I ask you a few questions, though?” *walks away*"

Hat Hair's Dave Strom sees the BBC Can't Admit the Obvious "The Australian Broadcasting Corporation insists that the Bondi Beach terrorist attack had nothing to do with religion." And John Stossel is concerned about Government Control in the Digital Age. Me too.

Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius "I could not possibly agree more strongly with this sentiment. Thank you for saying it, Ma'am." Quote Harmeet K. Dhillon @HarmeetKDhillon, "I’m bored af with the conservative influencer wars. We have a country to fix. Talking heads firing inside the tent ain’t it. Can we focus on solutions and the hard work needed to achieve them? Join up!"

Duane Patterson at Hat Hair examines The Millennial Manifesto "An amazing 8,000-word essay entitled The Lost Generation surfaced Monday in Compact Magazine by Jacob Savage, and is one of the most illuminating pieces I've read in years." It placed in these posts for a couple of days. Fugitive Caesar @ThomBrady5, "that must be wild to see a guy spend his entire career as a slacker and he writes one article and it's better than the entire output of your career working your best and hardest for 20 consecutive years." Quote Julia Ioffe @juliaioffe, "It's wild to see someone you've known for decades as a slacker par excellence now publicly blame his lack of professional success on the elevation of women and minorities." Midwest Ex-pat @Midwest_expat, "She probably only thinks of him as a slacker because he couldn't get jobs in the industry.... which was... kind of the entire point of the article." Doctor-Baron 17cShyteposter, DDS @17cShyteposter, "One of the funniest things from That Period was how they would constantly talk about "dismantling" patriarchy, white supremacy, etc like they were bomb squad experts and not the absolute fucking dumbest academics in the history of schooling."

Gail Heriot at Insty is WINNING!!!: "I’ve been beating the drum for the last several years about the federal government’s “Minority Serving Institution” programs. These are programs that shovel large sums of money to colleges and universities based on whether they have high minority student enrollment. For example, to be a Hispanic Serving Institution, at least 25% of a college or university’s students must be Hispanic. These programs are UNCONSTITUTIONAL. I’ve urged this before both large and small crowds, in various cities, both live and via Zoom. Dan Morenoff, who is the Executive Director of the American Civil Rights Project (where I’m chairman of the board) has been plugging away with me. I also enlisted by former special assistant Alex Heideman to write on the issue. And we’re getting somewhere The latest development is a 48-page official opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel agreeing that these race-based programs are simply unconstitutional. The opinion is binding on the executive branch.. . . " At Hat Hair, Stephen Moore on Why Johnny Can't Read. "We solved the problem of illiteracy nearly 100 years ago. Now the problem is back." Gene Volokh at the Volokh Conspiracy sees UW Professor's Parody of Land Acknowledgment in Class Syllabus Protected by First Amendment "I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington." Campus Reform identifies 5 times Campus Reform exposed foreign funding in 2025. He who pays the piper calls the tune.

At BIS, WNBA Players Just Voted to Authorize a Strike ‘When Necessary’ "Players seem hell-bent on driving the final nail in the coffin of a league that is already fully subsidized by the NBA, and that lost over $40 million in a season that saw Caitlin Clark draw in unprecedented ticket sales and ratings."

Linked as Blog of the Day at the Pirate's Cove  in the daily If All You See… The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Stuck In The Ruts up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Maryland, My Maryland

 John Sexton at Hat Hair, A Foster Care Scandal in Maryland

Last week the Office of Legislative Affairs for Maryland's General Assembly released a 70 page report which documented a real scandal taking place within the state's foster care system. There are over 13,000 children in this system but in Maryland it was so poorly run that some of the kids were being placed in homes with convicted sex offenders.

Auditors found seven people on the Maryland Sex Offender Registry whose listed addresses were the same as approved “guardianship homes” where a total of 10 children were living...

In one case, an individual convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor had the same address as a home where four children between the ages of 4 and 8 were living, according to the report.

And in another case, auditors found an employee of a group foster home who was on the Maryland Sex Offender Registry after being convicted years ago of sexually abusing a child. The employee “allegedly transported three foster care children for an inappropriate activity” and an investigation determined “there was evidence of abuse.”

This seems like the most basic and obvious check a foster care system should be running but in Maryland it apparently wasn't happening. Even in cases where a home was checked once, there was no follow up later to see if any new adults had moved into the homes.

The system was also supposed to do follow-up medical checks on children but fell behind in hundreds of cases.

State regulations require foster children to have a health assessment within 60 days of entering the system, and annual medical exams and dental exams every six months after that.

As of May 2024, 540 children had not received a medical exam in the prior year, and 110 of them hadn’t had a medical exam in multiple years.

And 1,635 children hadn’t had a dental exam in the prior six months, including 140 who had never had a dental exam.

Hundreds of children were being placed in hotels rather than in homes. The cost for caring for those kids was exorbitant and the staff working with those kids were also not being given background checks.

Under the supervision of the unlicensed vendors, the agency placed 280 foster children in hotels, some for as long as two years.

According to the report, those placements increased the level of risk the children faced and cost the state dramatically more than traditional foster care.

Daily costs for one child are said to have reached $1,259, compared to $281 for a treatment foster...

These vendors were tasked with daily supervision, transportation and medical assistance.

One vendor employed an individual convicted of murder in 1990, raising additional concerns about oversight.

That wasn't the only case of financial failures associated with the system.

Beyond safety, the audit pointed to chronic management problems. The agency reportedly failed to implement a comprehensive quality assurance program across Maryland’s 24 local social service departments and struggled with its case management system (CJAMS), which didn't flag inaccurate or missing data.

Financial failures cost the state millions. SSA reportedly didn't look into or recover $34.5 million in overpayments and was fined nearly $700,000 for falling short of federal foster care standards. From federal funding, SSA lost out on at least $2.6 million in federal reimbursements because the audit says the agency didn't apply for them, and potentially further lost out on up to $23 million because eligibility determinations weren't done correctly or on time. 

As I said, it's a genuine scandal. The state assembly has called for hearings into the matter. Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López, who is in charge of the program, is facing DUI charges after he was seen running a red light in January and swerving across the road.

I wonder how much this has to do with the flood illegal immigrants under Biden. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Stock Market Jumps on China Trade Deal

YaHoo! admits Dow jumps 1,100 points, S&P 500 and Nasdaq surge after US-China tariff rollback triggers buying spree. Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN elaborates U.S., China drop high tariffs, agree to 90-day pause. "The U.S. agreed to drop its 145% tariff rate on Chinese goods down to 30%, while China agreed to lower its tariff rate on U.S. goods from 125% to 10%." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, NEW: US, China (Mostly) Pause Tariffs for 90 Days. Ace, US, China Agree to 90 Day Reduction in Tariffs, "The stock markets are soaring." Vicky Taft at PJM asks See If You Can Spot the Biggest Difference Between Biden's and Trump's China Deals "Hunter's company, Rosemont Seneca, whose business product was Joe Biden, helped China's takeover of a cobalt mine from an American company in the Congo. It was a $3.8 billion deal. As we now know, Hunter's businesses always had to kick back "10% to 'The Big Guy.'"" Ward Clark at RedState, This Is What We Voted For: Trump Speaks on China Trade Deal. zerohedge @zerohedge" This is great... the only problem is that there actually are - checks Bloomberg - exactly 53 ships headed for California's top ports, more than there were on this day one year ago. Jonathan Lemire @JonLemire "Zero ships from China are bound for California’s top ports Officials haven’t seen that since the pandemic." Clay Travis @ClayTravis "I paid $2.87 for a gallon of gas today, the lowest price I can remember paying in years. That’s down by nearly half from peak-Biden gas prices in the summer of 2022. Should be a major talking point, instead it’s almost completely ignored by media." To be fair, WaPoo did complain that oil prices were so low, drillers had no interest in drilling new wells. Liz Shield at Am Great, Waiver to Sell Venezuelan Oil to Expire at End of May. Althouse, While planning the first major overseas trip of his second term, a four-day swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates..." "... Mr. Trump told his advisers that he wanted to announce deals that would be worth more than $1 trillion. "

Capt. Ed, Hamas to Release US Hostage -- For What?  At NRO, Hamas Releases Last Living American Hostage Edan Alexander. Great. Now bomb them back to the Cambrian era.

Capt. Ed again, Trump Goes to War With Pharma: 'Our Country Will Finally Be Treated Fairly'. Ace, Trump Signs Executive Order Demanding that US Drug Makers Sell Drugs to the US Market at the Same Prices They Sell to Other Countries. "I don't know what his claim of power is based on. Congress passes a lot of laws granting the executive to take action on its own initiative, so maybe he has some power here. Maybe he has power as the ultimate administrator of Medicaid. I don't know." At Althouse, a Big shot takes fat shot. ET, New Top FDA Official Says He’s Not Anti-Vaccine, but Evidence Required, "Dr. Vinay Prasad has criticized the government’s position on COVID-19 vaccines."

Ryan King and David Propper at NYPO report Trump set to receive $400 million ‘flying palace’ from Qatar to use as Air Force One, setting liberals aflame. Atop Da Hill, House Democrat demands ethics review of Qatari jet gift to Trump. Buzz Patterson @BuzzPatterson "I’m going to try one last time. The Qatar B-747 was built in the US by Boeing. They are offering a newer 747 to replace one of the two current AF-1s that have been flying for 40 years. Which are tired and need to be replaced. The wing based at Andrews has also purchased aircraft from other countries in the past which are currently flying our VP and senior government officials. This is NOT new. Qatar is offering the jet to the US military, not Donald Trump. The DOD contractor is based in the US, in fact my dad (a retired Air Force general) used to work for them. They are, not unironically, also working to upgrade the FAA technology as we speak. You know, Newark and elsewhere. They will get the aircraft and perform all of the security and the installation of the systems that AF-1 requires to safely move our president around the world. Not the Qatari’s. And you and I will pay for that but not the $400 million the 747 would normally cost. I could tell you exactly what is required to modify the AF-1 for safe flight but that is Top Secret and I’d have to kill you. This AF-1 will serve the sitting president, whether they be Republican or Democrat until Boeing gets their shit together to complete the new, upcoming improved 747s that started under Obama, was renegotiated under Trump, and was completely ignored by the Biden administration. It’s looking like 2029 to 2030 for delivery at the soonest. I love X but sometimes the “sky is falling” conspiracy crap grows tiresome. A little knowledge goes a long way. Having flown on the current AF-1s 100 hundred times, I have intimate knowledge. Now, come at me about “chemtrails.”"

PJM's Stephen Kruiser says My Favorite Thing About Trump Being President Is All the Trump Stuff. Larwyn’s Linx: Trump had a great weekend. Media did not. From Da Wire, Trump Admin Sets Out To ‘Fix’ Everyone’s Least Favorite Car Feature. "“Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy. EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it,” Zeldin wrote on X." WokeSpy, “No More Woke Handouts Based On Race!” — Trump Nukes Biden-Era $2.75 Billion Program for Minorities. TNP, What is the ‘Big, Beautiful Budget Bill’ and How Does This Whole Thing Work (Or Not)? Jeff Charles at TownHall is disgusted that Yes, Liz Cheney Somehow Made the New Pope About Trump.

Buck Throckmorton at Ace's thinks Brian Kemp’s Presidential Ambitions May Have Saved Us from Another Senator Tillis/Cassidy/Murkowski/Cornyn. One president from Georgia was quite enough. Kurt Schlichter at TownHall thinks it's Time to Punt Thom Tillis. Paula Bolyard at PJM sees Ohio Republican Party Clears the Way for Vivek to Be Swept Into Governor's Mansion. Allen West of the Dallas County Republican Party worries Texas is Being Flipped.

From RedState, Susie Moore reports Trump Admin. Scores Another Court Win As Federal Judge Rules IRS May Share Illegal Alien Data With DHS. CNN whines Federal judge won’t block Trump’s plan to use IRS data to track down undocumented migrants. Jonathan Turley, To Be or Not To Be a Hypocrite? Outrage over Trump Targeting Law Firms is Turning Shakespearean. Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "In opposing the Trump orders, lawyers at these firms are now adopting a truly Shakespearean pose as heroic champions of free speech and free thought. For many conservatives and Republicans, it is about as convincing as MacBeth claiming to be a pacifist..." Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "...In prior years, Democratic groups unleashed a campaign to pressure firms to fire lawyers who represented Trump, the Republican Party, or conservative causes. It worked. I know lawyers who were told to drop Republican cases or else find new employment." Hat Hair's Dave Strom also looks at The Hypocrisy of the Legal Elite. Da Fetched reports Soros-Funded Groups Sue to Block Trump’s Anti-Child-Trafficking Reforms. It's like child molesters are one of their interest groups. 

NYPo hears AG Letitia James heckled over mortgage fraud case at town hall: ‘Apologize to Donald Trump’. Meanwhile, Pop Times reports Dems Quietly Slip Taxpayer-Funded Legal Shield for Letitia James’ Criminal Probe "New York Attorney General Letitia James’s legal defense could soon be funded by taxpayers if the criminal investigation against her leads to charges, according to a new report."

At Da Caller, David Hogg Thinks Bringing Young Men Back To The Democratic Party Means Helping Them Get ‘Laid’ And Have ‘Fun’. He's not wrong, but I don't think they can do it easily. Dave Strom, David Hogg's Critique of Democrats: Men Want to Get Laid. A Driscolly post at Insty, IT’S COME TO THIS: David Hogg’s Critique of Democrats: Men Want to Get Laid. "The newsy, clippable bit of Hogg’s interview/discussion with Maher was his diagnosis for why men are fleeing the party, and in particular for why younger men have been leaving in droves after having hewed the line within the party for years: young men want to get laid and have fun, and the Democratic Party has been the party of killjoys." Looks like they might kick him out and replace him with a nagging Redskin American Indian woman. Matt Vespa at TownHall thinks There's a Serious Problem With David Hogg's Young People Outreach Strategy "They’re weirdo clan who think dudes can be women, have a lust to mutilate the genitals of minors, think Hamas are freedom fighters, and want to flood the nation with hordes of people from s**thole countries." The unsinkable Mollie @MZHemingway, "Excellent news for Republicans here in Semafor. To "detoxify their brand with moderates and independents," Democrat groups asked "Bulwark stars" (?/LOL) to brief Democrat donors." At OTP, Bill Maher Says Democrats ‘Doomed’ If Party Doesn’t Drop Anti-US Thinking. Why would you put them in charge of something they hate?

Drew Berquist thinks DHS Ends Dem Reps’ Claims of Doing Nothing Wrong at ICE Facility with Just 4 Words, "Let’s check the tape." James Frankel at TownHall, Homan Says Newark Mayor Arrested for ‘Storming’ ICE Facility ‘Not Very Smart.’ TownHall's Guy Benson, sees Democrats Are, Once Again, Making a Very Stupid Choice "they're doubling down on anti-enforcement obstruction, passing insane new laws in places like Colorado. And they're doing things like the Newark stunt." Nick Arama at RedState reports Another Wild ICE Incident Has Police Alleging MA Politician Incited Crowd Against Them. From Da Caller, DHS, Police Union Say Local Politician ‘Incited Chaos’ And ‘Assaulted’ Officers During ICE Operation. OTP retitles Fox report, More Arrests At Newark ICE Facility, Clergy Members Among Protesters. VodkaPundit at PJM, WaPo’s ICE Hysteria: All Panic, No Nannies. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Sec. Noem Announces Investigation into California's Cash Assistance for Immigrants.

Politico whines a Democratic senator says GOP is trying to woo Fetterman, but Rick Moran at PJM thinks Republicans Trying to Woo Senator Fetterman To Join the GOP Are Wasting Their Time.

Michael Goodwin at NYPo sees Biden defending his presidency even has the Dems wanting him to go away. Matt Margolis reports It Turns Out That Even More of Joe Biden’s Jobs Creation Numbers Were Fake. "According to new figures released this week, the 399,000 jobs the Biden team claimed were created between July and September of last year have completely vanished. Not only did the economy not add those jobs, but it also lost 1,000 private-sector jobs during that period." LI's Leslie Eastman in scandalized that the Biden Team Pumped $100 Billion Into NGOs, Green Energy Scams After Trump Win. "Energy Secretary Chris Wright: “They basically tried to set bombs to make it hard for us to unwind the mess they’d created . . . Let me repeat about a little over $40 billion was supplied in support through the loan program office in its 15 years of existence. A little over 40 billion and then almost a hundred billion in the 76 days after they lost the election and before President Trump’s inauguration." 

From Breitbart, Chuck Todd Claims Reporters Blindly Believed Sources About Biden’s Mental Frailty. Bullshit. They knew and were willingly part of the coverup. Dave Strom, Chuck Todd Accidentally Admits That Media Just Prints What Their Sources Say. At Twitchy, ‘Conservative’ David Brooks Wants Everyone to Know He Has Admired Joe Biden for a Long Time. Western Lensman @WesternLensman, ""PBS’ David Brooks: I’m a “long-time admirer of Joe Biden." This is what passes for ‘conservative’ analysis on PBS." Ace, Silly Socialite and Aged Madame of the Deep State Whorehouse Sally Quinn Whines That Liberals Don't Feel "Safe" or Social in Trump's DC, "Sally's sad again. The bitter vinegary bubble-head has written this same basic complaint before."

From Twitchy, Episcopal Church Announces It Will Not Help Settle South African Refugees Because They're Too WHITE. 

🚨BREAKING: The first set of White South Africans fleeing Genocide have arrived in the United States

Notice how there’s women & children? pic.twitter.com/WCtW5O0oeG

— Inevitable West (@Inevitablewest) May 12, 2025

Da Caller, Trump DOJ Steps Into Breach To Defend Religious Liberty "In the past several months, the DOJ has filed statements of interest in land use cases for churches, helped launch a task force to “eliminate” anti-Christian bias and opened an investigation into an “anti-Catholic” law in Washington."

At Breitbart, Jemele Hill Compares Allowing Men to Compete in Women’s Sports to MLK’s ‘Civil Rights’ Crusade.

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