Flotsam and Jetsam - Another Day in Minneapolis

At Da Mail, Stunning new footage shot by ICE agent who killed Renee Nicole Good shows what REALLY happened. Matt Vespa at TownHall, A Lot of Liberal Narratives About the ICE Shooting Just Got Obliterated With This New Video. At Hat Hair, Dave Strom has a NEWSFLASH: Cellphone Footage From Agent Destroys Liberal Narrative and Capt. Ed New CNN Video: Activist Blocked Road, Accelerated Toward ICE Agent Walking Across. Matt Walsh@MattWalshBlog, "Also extremely clear from this footage that she parked her car perpendicular in the middle of the road and had her “wife” get out and film the altercation that she was intentionally trying to provoke. This isn’t even a close call. The whole thing is her fault, from beginning to end. Arrest the “wife” too." Quote Megan Basham @megbasham, "So in the new CNN footage, it is quite clear that the officer did not walk up to the front of the car. When Good backs up the car, it places him in the front and would give him very good reason to believe she was aiming at him as the car guns forward." Sundance at CTH, ICE Officer Cell Phone Video of Minneapolis Shooting Shows Renee Good and Her Wife Immediately Before Shots Fired. PoIiMath @politicalmath, "It's very strange to watch video of a man being clearly hit by a vehicle and hearing people say that he was clearly not hit by the vehicle" Quote Marc Caputo @MarcACaputo, "NYT synched up the two videos of yesterday’s Minneapolis shooting and determined that the officer wasn’t hit by the SUV, contrary to what Trump said https://nytimes.com/video/watch" Ace, Even CNN Admits That the Lunatic Lesbian Leftist Tried to Run Down the ICE Agent "When you've lost CNN... you've lost practically no one else, because no one watches CNN." At Althouse, "Look at these terrible people who are interfering with law enforcement. Don’t they deserve to get executed in the middle of the street in the United States of America?" "Said State Representative Aisha Gomez, a Minneapolis Democrat, sarcastically characterizing the motive behind the release of new video, which you can see at "New Cellphone Video Shows ICE Agent’s Perspective Before Minneapolis Shooting/The Department of Homeland Security posted a clip of the video on social media and said it was taken by the agent, who killed a 37-year-old woman in the shooting" (NYT)(gift link)." According to PJM's Matt Margolis This May Be the Best Analysis of the ICE Shooting Video Yet. At Twitchy, Democrats' New Low: Doctored Clip Turns Violent Car Attack on ICE Officer into Martyr Propaganda. Don Surber asks Media outlets tell ICE’s side of the story “You use deadly force because you don’t want to be run over.” 

The Patriarch Tree @PatriarchTree, ""... in many cases these are misdemeanor offenses and ..." ... sometimes you get shot in the face." Quote Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, Replying to @baseballcrank "THIS is how you provoke confrontations that are bound to eventually turn violent." Andy Ngo @MrAndyNgo, "Democrats call for rioters to “put your body on the line.” Rioters do that. One eventually gets shot while accelerating an SUV into an ICE agent. Democrats and leftists blame the Trump administration and urge for more direct action against ICE." Quote Dustin Grage @GrageDustin, "FLASHBACK: Minnesota’s leading Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate urged activists to “put your body on the line” to protest Trump. Democrats are putting people in danger." Althouse, The RNC posted yesterday that "Democrats were told to be 'willing to get shot' to obstruct President Trump.", "I do think this posting should say that this interview took place last July. Posting it relates to the shooting of Renee Good, but when Blitzer and Jeffries spoke, the incident had not yet occurred:" . . . Here's the Axios article Blitzer cites, "Democrats told to 'get shot' for the anti-Trump resistance" John Sexton, Renee Good's Wife Admits They Were There to Protest. Matt Margolis, The Left REALLY Doesn’t Want You to Know This About Renee Nicole Good, "According to a new report, she was “an anti-ICE ‘warrior’ and was part of a group of activists who worked to ‘document and resist’ the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota.”" DC_Draino @DC_Draino, "Ah yes, felony murder. Felony murder is a legal rule that allows individuals to be charged with murder if someone dies during the commission of a dangerous felony, even if they did not intend to kill or directly cause the death. Arrest the wife." Quote Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: Many Americans are now calling for the ARREST of Renee Good's wife, who told the left-wing terrorist "DRIVE, BABY, DRIVE!" directly into the ICE agent She appears to be a CO-CONSPIRATOR to this terror attack, present for the harassment of agents and directing a would-be M*RDER if this brave ICE agent didn't react so quickly. Disgusting, vile human being. "Drive baby drive." Directly into a law enforcement officer." Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain, "It is extremely important that DOJ prosecute all of Renee Good's co-conspirators. Everyone needs to understand that the only crimes committed were those by Good, her wife, and all those who aided and abetted their obstruction of law enforcement." Quote Andrew Kolvet @AndrewKolvet, "Hennepin County "Commish" Irene Fernando (she/her, naturally) opens with pronouns & identity politics while grieving a preventable tragedy her own radical Dem policies helped create. She demands BCA investigate ICE for shooting a "legal observer," but MN Dems have spent years defunding police, undermining law enforcement trust, & shielding criminals. Now she wants "due process" only when it suits her anti-federal agenda? This is peak Democrat failure: sanctuary vibes, soft-on-crime chaos, then performative outrage when consequences arrive. Standards for thee, but not for ICE, apparently." Carmine Sabia @CarmineSabia, "One thing we know for certain. If Renee Nicole Good had been killed by an illegal alien, it would not have even made the news." Sadie @Sadie_NC, "I don't remember any Democrats holding protests for this white woman who was killed, or calling for action to stop it from happening again. I never once heard them yell "say her name." They are hypocrites—disgusting, two-faced POS who protect criminals." Breaking911 @Breaking911, "Leftist woman says she “feels wrong” for paying her respects to Renee Good because she’s a “white woman who’s privileged.” “White tears are not helpful.”"

Ben Shapiro at Da Wire, Tim Walz Warns Of ‘Civil War’ And Proves He Has No Moral Authority Left. "All of this is part and parcel, of course, of Tim Walz's broader agenda, which is to label ICE as the Gestapo." David Burge @iowahawkblog, "The most inspiring principled stand by a U.S. governor since George Wallace stood in the schoolhouse doorway." Quote, Andrew Kolvet @AndrewKolvet, BREAKING: Tim Walz announces that he issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard to "protect Minnesotans" from "rogue Ice Agents." Wow." Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, "Venn Diagram of people who call ICE agents the Gestapo but then expect nothing bad to happen from confronting or threatening them." At PJM Vicky Taft has a West Coast, Messed Coast™ — Seattle's Commie Mayor Declares War on ICE After 'Murder' Of Car Rammer and Cathy Salgado, Portland Lefties Riot Over Tren de Aragua Would-Be Murderer’s Shooting. Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "BREAKING: An “AUTONOMOUS ZONE” has been declared by leftists in Minneapolis, and is being referred to as a “NO-GO ZONE” for police This zone spans for SEVERAL BLOCKS, and residents are BARRED from driving to their homes. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST END THIS. . . " Cut the power and water, and blockade the zone. Paratrooper Brady @paratroopbrady, "A No-Go zone has been put up in Minneapolis. Its funny they put up walls and barriers to keep people out, but they didn't want border walls to keep illegal aliens out, which sparked this whole situation in the first place." Oliya Scootercaster @ScooterCasterNY, ""Abolish ICE!" thousands Chant in NYC as some people chant "Kill Them All, Burn Them All" as they march through Manhattan." From Althouse, A lynch mob? A crowd chants "Kristi Noem will Hang!" in New York City. "Democrats who hope to win back power need to act now to reconnect with peace and good order. They seem to have encouraged the chaos yesterday, and they need something quite different today lest they be seen as they wanted us to see Trump after January 6th, as having incited insurrection." Dave Strom, Minnesota Star Tribune Doxxes Agent. Right Angle News Network @Rightanglenews, "BREAKING - Deena Winter, the Minnesota Star Tribune writer who doxxed the full name and information of the ICE agent who was forced to defend himself in Minneapolis, has had her account nuked." SafetySwipe @SafetyNotorious, "Meet Christopher Terrazas, 56, of Long Beach, CA. Chris is attempting to dox the ICE officer in Minneapolis and make death threats against him. Chris is an online antagonizer who goes by “JohnnyGenX.” He’s also a math professor, creative advertiser, bassist, and cellist."

Dave Strom warns Don't Get Distracted From the Fraud. Ace cites Helen Andrews: Somalis Have Been Scamming the Government Since They Got Here "It's their culture. And their culture is piracy."

Camus @newstart_2024, "Michael Shellenberger drops the brutal truth: Left-wing authoritarianism is almost identical to narcissism Entitlement (“we decide what you can say”), grandiosity (“we’re the good people”), and psychopathy (“we don’t care about the harm we cause”). They claim to protect the vulnerable… but blame victims when things go wrong (see WPATH files). The playbook: Charismatic narcissists mesmerize with “liberation” language… psychopaths enforce with censorship & firing. 2:52 clip — chilling breakdown of how power really works. Is this the real face of modern “progressive” authoritarianism? Your take."

Mark Halperin @MarkHalperin, "Compelling interview by @ZitoSalena with @JoshShapiroPA about his reelect and how close he came to stepping out because of concerns about his family's safety:" John Sexton, Mayor Mamdani Belatedly Denounces 'We Support Hamas' Chants.

Ace has a grab bag at The Week In Woke.

Cathy Salgado, Energy Secretary Maps Out Goals for Venezuelan Oil. Sundance at CTH, Interim Venezuela President Delcy Rodriquez Begins Releasing Political Prisoners. "She really doesn’t have much choice. President Trump has shown the Venezuelan government how the U.S. can put a complete stranglehold on the South American country if they do not adhere to the transition plans of Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the enforcer." From Ace, US Marines Seize Another False-Flag Ship of the "Dark Fleet" "Trump announced that the planned "second wave" of attacks on Venezuela have been cancelled, as the narcoterrorist state is releasing political prisoners in an attempt to seek peace." From the Daily Economy, Venezuelan Tragedy: Socialism, Entitlement, and Tyranny Are Connected. From the Chronic, Trump’s Biggest Challenge With Venezuela Is Domestic. Sarah Anderson at PJM, After Days of Speculation, Trump Set to Meet With Machado. Bob Hoge at RedState has story of heroism, What to Do If You're Shot 3X During Maduro Operation? If You're This Chinook Pilot, You Finish Mission.

It's beginning to look like a real threat to the Iranian regime. Capt. Ed, 'The Berlin Wall Moment' in Iran; US Keeps Pressure on Mullahs; Khamenei Defiant (So Far). A t Insty, IRAN. Iran International reports UK lawmaker cites reports on Russian flights to Iran, gold airlift. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn thinks Iran Protests Prove That Amnesty Intl, European Governments, Et AL, Are Not Freedom's Friends MORE. Ace hears Iran's Supreme Ayatollah: Protesters Are Just Working On Behalf of Donald Trump.

A Larry vid at Hat Hair, Trump Shuts Down Foreign Money Pipeline: Media Panics As JD Vance Locks in. Ace, Thanks to MAHA, Several States Just Implemented Bans on Using SNAP Benefits for Junk Food; also, A Friend of the Blog Is Running for Statewide Office in Nevada.

Althouse sees Impeachment is trending on X, but I'm not sure why. Ace, Axios: Trump Alerted the Secret Service about Marjorie Taylor Greene, Believing She Tipped Off Code Pink About His Location So That They Could Ambush Him "This sounds like something a deranged, bitter narcissist and retard would do."

And Another Thing . . . , Marco Rubio sticks it to Europe’s censorship goons. Driscoll at Insty, STARMER WOULD USE ANY EXCUSE TO BAN X: "Indeed, ever since the Labour government came to power in July 2024, X and Musk have been a constant thorn in its side. Freed from the tight censorship of the old Twitter, British and international X users have been free to vent their frustrations about a whole host of thorny issues that Labour would prefer not to talk about, from multiculturalism to trans ideology. . . ." Michael A. Arouet @MichaelAArouet, "Isn’t it ironic that the UK threatened to shut down X on the same day Iran shut down the internet to prevent its people from criticising the regime? The irony of our times."

And Another another Thing, The Internet Wants You to Be Cruel to Erika Kirk. "There aren’t enough William F. Buckley Jrs. to counterbalance the supply of Morton Downey Jrs." Althouse finds "Erika Kirk is walking a fine line...." "Here, that's a gift link to The Washington Post. I was puzzling over that headline at 4 a.m., but I'm only getting to blogging it now, and I don't want to go on too long at this point. So I'll just give you a numbered list and leave it to you. 1. What does it mean to say someone is "walking a fine line"? It feels like a warning. 2. I think the article is walking a fine line."

AG @AGHamilton29, "Incredible stuff. The United Arab Emirates is cutting funding for scholarships to allow students to attend UK Universities because of fear of Islamist radicalization on those campuses." British universities are too radical for the UAE!

Ace hears Conan O'Brien: "Comedians" Who Do Nothing But Shout "F*** Trump" Are Not Comedians, Actual Comedians Need to be Funny. "This guy's a liberal asshole -- remember him doing PSAs for the beauty and stability of Haiti, after Trump correctly diagnosed it as a shithole? He's making an argument for Fighting Liberal Comedians like himself to actually try to be funny, because actual funniness is the "best weapon against power." (Um, it's not-- weapons are the best weapons -- but it's a weapon, I guess.) So he's not making a conservative point here, just telling his fellow shitlibs how to be more effective in their anti-Trump agitation. But if he's running down Steven Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel -- which he CLEARLY is -- I approve."

Lots more links at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.09.26 (Morning Edition) and In The Mailbox: 01.09.26 (Evening Edition). Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Suddenly, A Winning Week awaiting your digital amusement at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - It's Official, Trump Ends the 43 Day Schumer Schutdown

From Fox, Congress sends bill ending longest government shutdown in history to Trump's desk Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, BREAKING: House Passes Funding Bill, 222-209, largely on party lines. I guess most Democrats didn't want the government reopened. Anxious anxiously reports Trump signs bill to end longest-ever government shutdown. Misty Severi at JTN reports It’s over! Trump signs resolution ending record 43-day government shutdown, "The resolution will keep the entire government funded through Jan. 30." Sundance at CTH, House Passes Bill to Reopen Government – President Trump to Sign at 9:45pm. Matt Vespa at TownHall explores How This GOP Senator Reportedly Came Up Clutch During the Talks to End the Schumer Shutdown, Katie Britt. Drew Berquist sees Trump Mocks Schumer’s Collapse: ‘He Thought He Could Break Republicans.’ At PM, 'No Kings' activist group Indivisible will only support Dem Senate candidates that call to cancel Chuck Schumer. "For Senate Candidates: Firmly committed to opposing Schumer as Senate Majority Leader."

John Sexton at Hat Hair fears Republicans Have a Year to Make Progress on Affordability or Republicans Are (Probably) Toast. "Affordability" is getting better, wages are rising faster than inflation, again, finally and gas is coming down, but what people really see are 1) Housing, 2) Energy and 3) Heath Insurance each of which has it's own issues, and largely of government origins. At Am Great, Sen. Mike Lee On Obamacare’s Effect on Health Insurance Costs: It ‘Makes Everyone Else Poor.’ Mike Lee @BasedMikeLee, "Health insurance companies are making money hand over fist—not because they’ve discovered new & innovative ways of making Americans healthier, but because Obamacare insulates them from competition while giving them massive subsidies Downside? Obamacare makes everyone else poor."

Ben Whedon at JTN reports Trump claims Dems reviving Epstein issue to distract from shutdown 'failure' "Democrats produced additional documentation in which the late sex-trafficking kingpin mentioned Trump this week." Matt Margolis at PJM explains why The Democrats’ Latest Trump-Epstein 'Bombshell' Actually Vindicates Trump. Oversight Committee @GOPoversight, "Why did Democrats cover up the name when the Estate didn't redact it in the redacted documents provided to the committee? It's because this victim, Virginia Giuffre, publicly said that she never witnessed wrongdoing by President Trump. Democrats are trying to create a fake narrative to slander President Trump. Shame on them." Quote Oversight Dems @OversightDems, "BREAKING: Oversight Dems have received new emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate that raise serious questions about Donald Trump and his knowledge of Epstein’s horrific crimes. Read them for yourself. It’s time to end this cover-up and RELEASE THE FILES." Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "And the other emails are 1) Epstein admitting Trump booted them, and 2) Michael Wolff suggesting blackmail over flying on the plane. I know I criticize Trump sometimes (a lot the last day), but I do so out of honesty. And the honest answer is people are misleading with these. Quote Greg Price @greg_price1, "Democrats intentionally redacted the name of the "victim" in the Epstein emails they released. The unreacted version shows that it was Virginia Guiffre." Becca Lower at RedState thinks The Guests Dem AZ Rep Grijalva Invited to Her Swearing-in Ceremony Exposes Lefty Outrage As Cynical Stunt. "Two Jeffrey Epstein victim-survivors. Because, of course:" ABC, Johnson says House will vote on releasing Epstein files next week.

From Da Caller, Trump Achieves Most Bipartisan Move Yet: Putting An End To Pennies. Bipartisan you say? Althouse finds "President Donald Trump did not have the legal authority to cancel penny production unilaterally, as he has done." ""The task should have begun with Congress, not only for constitutional reasons, but for practical ones. Congressional deliberation would have facilitated solutions for the problems inherent in eliminating a coin that’s existed since 1793. Retailers want a new law that would allow them to round prices to the nearest nickel for cash transactions, which probably would have been included in penny legislation...." Says the Editorial Board of The Washington Post, in "The penny is dead. Long live inflation. The U.S. has stopped making cents. Declining purchasing power will make us penniless."" Actually, the Sec of the Treasury (Scott Bessent) has authority over minting coins, and he takes his orders from Trump. FWIW, in anticipation of the minting of the final pennies, I dug out the old blue coin books from the collection my grandfather started for me way back when. I have Lincoln's from 1909, including the VDB (but not the highly prized S-VDB). I went and bought a couple new albums to cover the many years we weren't actively looking. Going though the penny jar (which is mostly nickels, dimes and quarters) I managed to get recent years mostly up to date. I haven't found any 2025s yet, but other than a few Ds (it takes them a while to get across the continent by Brownian motion), and figuring out the confusing mess in 1982, when they switched from copper to copper clad zinc, and changed the size of the dates all in one year they're pretty well filled in. I wonder if any of the grandkids will want it?

Althouse dreams of Trump, "I dreamed I was on a train, the subway kind of train where you face people sitting on the other side, and Trump was right across from me. He started reading The Gettysburg Address…." "That's what I texted Meade just now, so then I pasted the statement in Grok. Didn't ask Grok to do anything with it, certainly not to write it up into a short short story, but that's what it did:"

CNN whines UK suspends some intelligence sharing with US over boat strike concerns in major break. Screw 'em, we supported their shitty little war in the Falkland Islands.

Stephen Kruiser worries Kamala Harris Is Now Sniffing the Paste Before She Eats It, she claims to have been playing 3d-chess while Trump was playing checkers. She actually lost 50 state Tic-tac-toe. 

Insty, at his NYPo gig says The WaPo’s admission about Zohran Mamdani’s dark side comes a bit too late. At the Freep, Mamdani and the New Racism "Anti-Jewish libels are a social technology reshaping everything around us." Fox Bus, New York and New Jersey lose hundreds of billions in resident income as Americans flee to low-tax states "Florida and Texas emerge as biggest winners in decade-long migration shift that reshapes American economy."

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " BREAKING: Rep. Jasmine Crockett demands all 50 states ABOLISH Dominion voting machines because she fears Donald Trump and Republicans will rig the coming elections. https://x.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1987977743020298573/video/1 "It's going to be really important for us to educate all states that we can to make sure that their secretary of states are like, 'We don't want the Dominion machines…’ I think that they're trying to solidify their cheat potentially with the voting machines!” Holy smokes. You gotta be kidding me I’m sure Republicans are in SHAMBLES that Ghetto Crockett wants to reject voting machines (something Trump literally wants). PAPER and SAME DAY!" Da Signal thinks she's In Hot Water: Jasmine Crockett Faces Probe Over Conflicting Financial Disclosures. From AOL, Left-Wing Radio Host Literally Kisses Feet Of Jasmine Crockett In Deranged Act Of ‘Worship.’

Capt. Ed sees the Irony: ‘No Kings’ Dems Try Desperately to Revive Kennedy Dynasty … Again "Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, announced he will run for Congress next year. In a social media post late Tuesday, Schlossberg said he would be seeking the Democratic nomination to replace longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District. Nadler, a leading liberal figure for the Democratic Party in Congress, said in September that he would not seek reelection. ..." Jon Gabriel @exjon, "If he gets a Nazi tatt, this guy's a shoo-in." Quote Chuck Ross @ChuckRossDC "Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy grandson running for Congress, tweeted about drinking "Jew Blood" and semen in offensive dig at his second-cousin RFK Jr. "

 

Guy Benson @guypbenson "Loathsome. He’s actually telling *parents* who want choices about their own kids’ education (his family can do whatever it wants because they’re loaded) to “f_ck all the way off.”" Quote Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist @DeAngelisCorey, "Governor J.B. Pritzker attacked school choice and said its supporters "can F*CK ALL THE WAY OFF." He went to private school. He sent his kids to private school." Dave Strom asserts Pritzker Is Worse Than Newsom. It's a high bar. He can't jump it but he can waddle under it. From OTP, Prosecutors Say Ex-Hochul Aide Spied For China, Bought Mansion, Ferrari With CCP Payments.

Althouse cites Fetterman, "The Right would say really rough things and names ... but on the Left, it was like they want me to die or that 'We're cheering for your next stroke' ... they even have a gif where they have a stroke in your head."

At Twitchy, a Stand-Up Comedian Tells Dems How to Fix Their Messaging Problem With One Joke “And listen, I’ve had progressive friends who have pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, you should reconsider that. It’s a hurtful phrase, it implies that someone’s existence is illegal. … And I listened to them. I’m not an asshole about this stuff. I went around the country, and Canada, and Australia, using the term ‘undocumented immigrant.’ And you know what happened? Stopped getting laughs. So I had to go back to my progressive friends and be like, ‘I’m sorry. Unlike you guys, I have to win the popular vote.’”

From the Chronic, Our Imperial Judiciary. Shipwreckedcrew says The Speed At Which Federal Judges Are Waging Lawfare To Stop The Trump Administration is Jaw-Dropping. "Worried that your federal lawsuit will drag on for years? No problem -- just add the Trump Administration as a defendant and the judges will drop everything else to rule in your favor." Stephen Kruiser has hopes, Will SCOTUS Bring a Modicum of Sanity to Mail-In Ballot Madness? CNN crows Judge orders release of hundreds arrested in Illinois immigration crackdown. News Wax, Leavitt: 'Unhinged' Judge Tried to Dictate SNAP Spending. Atop Da Hill, Utah judge rejects GOP-favored map, handing Dems another redistricting win and Trump asks Supreme Court to toss E. Jean Carroll sex abuse verdict.

Ace woke up and realized Trump Pardoned 77 American Citizens Unjustly Targeted by the Fully Weaponized Deep State "Good. The same people whining that prosecuting James Comey for his long, sustained career of perjuring himself before Congress is "politically vindictive" are the exact same people demanding that run of the mill protesters and their lawyers be jailed for dissent. These people were part of the "alternative electors" scheme -- a legal theory which may well be doubtful, but it has never been illegal, until now, to attempt a doubtful legal theory." Amanda Head at JTN thinks Trump's pardons could bolster defense in state Jan. 6 cases under Supremacy Clause "Trump repeatedly pledged during his 2024 campaign to review cases and address perceived injustices in the prosecutions of January 6 defendants, whom he referred to as “hostages.” As many as 100 defendants have waited for more than four years to have their day in court." From LifeZette, Deep State Panics as Prosecutors Quit Amid New Trump-Russia Origins Investigation. Da Wire, Shutdown Deal Packs A Surprise As Republicans Strike Back After Phone Snooping, "The provision was included in one of the shutdown spending packages passed Monday night." Sundance at CTH, Representative Austin Scott (GA) Blasts Senate Republicans for Paying Themselves Millions in Retroactive Penalties Within Hidden Clause in CR Bill "Buried on page 217 of the Senate Continuing Resolution Bill [TEXT HERE], Republican Senators have inserted legislation to “retroactively” pay themselves $500,000 each for every line of communication, telephone record, email or other electronic communication, subpoenaed by the Jack Smith Special Counsel during the Arctic Frost investigation."

John Solomon at JTN, ‘Clinton Corruption Files’: Bondi, Patel unleash new evidence about former first family foundation "Officials say evidence sent to Congress raises fresh concerns that government officials kept evidence from prosecutors."

John Sexton, Antifa Rally Outside a Berkeley TPUSA Event (Update).Matt Vespa, Absolute Mayhem Broke Out During TPUSA Event at UC Berkeley. Nick Arama at RedState, AAG Dhillon Lowers the Boom on UC Berkeley After TPUSA Violence. Amy Curtis at TownHall, AAG Harmeet Dhillon Puts UC Berkeley on Notice Following Violent Antifa Attack on TPUSA Event. AAGHarmeetDhillon @AAGDhillon "We saw all of this at Berkeley back in 2017. @UCBerkeley was sued, and settled the case. The @CivilRights will investigate what happened here, and I see several issues of serious concern regarding campus and local security and Antifa’s ability to operate with impunity in CA." Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "BREAKING: Antifa has turned Turning Point’s event at UC Berkeley in California into an absolute WARZONE Munitions are being lit on fire by Antifa while attendees are rushed into the venue ENOUGH! ANTIFA’S REIGN OF TERROR MUST END!" NewsWax reports RNC Responded to 28 Bomb Threats During '25 Election. 

NYPo, Cops called to Letitia James’ Virginia homes two dozen times since she bought them. 

At Da Caller, Spy Agencies Cozied Up To Wuhan Virologist Before Lying About Pandemic.

Bob Hoge at RedState, 'Red-Handed': Sean Duffy Yanking an Astonishing 17,000 Illegal Trucker's Licenses in Gavin Newsom's CA. Dave Strom, County Fighting to Keep Employing Illegal Aliens as Prison Guards, Seattle. From WokeSpy, Stephen Miller Drops a Massive Immigration Truth Bomb on Jesse Watters. “If you take Haiti and you move it to America, it’s not going to work here. Somalia doesn’t work as a country, has never worked as a country. You take Somalia out of Somalia, you put it here, it’s not going to work any better.” Hans India, Mexican president rejects new US border wall construction. That's too damn bad. Dave Strom again, AWFL Convinced That She Can Break the Law Because 'I'm Just a Mom'. Matt Vespa, FAFO: Lib Karen Got a Rude Wake-Up Call After Messing With ICE Agents.

At TNP, Trump Plans to Sue BBC for Defamation Over Doctored Jan 6 Speech. Grummz @Grummz,"They are really trying to run with the "editorial mistake" He goes on to say that the edit didn't change the message at all, and that this is all a political hit job on the BBC. You do NOT hate journalists enough." Quote Times Radio @TimesRadio, "“It’s a concerted, full frontal assault on the BBC for what was absolutely an editorial mistake.” The BBC’s “political and commercial enemies” are using the doctoring of Trump’s speech to undermine the institution, says @StevenJBarnett." Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Did they consider not lying for political gain?" Quote Brian Stelter @brianstelter, "The BBC is feeling the Trump squeeze. It's a move we have seen several times this year against vulnerable media companies" Erick Florack at PJM, NPR/PBS and Now the BBC: The Problem of Government-Funded Media. Richard Fernandez at PJM at the Belmont Club: When You Can't Take the High Hand. David Burge @iowahawkblog, "I grew up in a small rural community, and I distinctly remember back in '73 how shocked all the grownups were to turn on PBS and learn about World War II for the first time" Quote The Bulwark @BulwarkOnline, "Filmmaker @KenBurns discusses why the Trump administration killed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting with @JohnAvlon: "It'll hurt mostly rural communities — maybe that's their intention. There'll be news deserts."" Freedomain - with Stefan Molyneux, MA @StefanMolyneux, "No. The BBC was trying to change the outcome of the US election by consciously lying. If you don’t understand why that might piss Americans off, I don’t know what to tell you." Quote Ian L Richardson@ianrich15813274, "The BBC made a stupid mistake & should apologise. Beyond that, Trump is now trying to extort money from every BBC license fee payer in the UK. No way, should we give this utterly unworthy man a dime." Charles C. W. Cooke @charlescwcooke, "Have you noticed that whenever the press does anything bad, your “two cents” is always that it’s the fault of the “right wing” for noticing, that it doesn’t actually matter, and that, in fact, the real problem is that people are criticizing journalists?" Quote Brian Stelter @brianstelter, "Replying to @brianstelter, "As a source at the BBC remarked to me, Britain's right-wing press has been "feasting like vultures" over the bad edit for days on end. And the corporation's response was feeble at best, enabling conservative critics to advance their long-running campaign against the broadcaster."

Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "NEW HOAX JUST DROPPED “The Trump admin removed a memorial for black soldiers” Only when you scroll alllll the way down do they admit that it actually works on a rotation and a panel which happened to feature a black servicemember was simply rotated. You don’t hate the media enough." Ace, To Honor Veterans Day, the Repulsive Traitor Media Launches a Military-Cemetery Race Hoax "Wait, another race hoax? Didn't we just have a race hoax? The black student who was "lynched" by white supremacists at a black college? Except there was videotape showing him hanging himself? And his roommate immediately went out to the press and said, "no, he wasn't lynched, he's been suicidal for months"? Oh well, this is a brand-new race hoax. Hope you like it! It's MAGA Country in the graveyard!

At Pirate Wires, Inside The Sydney Sweeney GQ Interview From Hell "wherein sydney, who evidently has a voluptuous iq, stares into the depths of a gotcha reporter's soul instead of apologizing for being hot." Ace, The GQ Clips of the Sydney Sweeney Struggle Session Were Misleading. "The Full Interview is Worse." From Hollywood in Toto, Billy Bob Thornton Mocks Political Celebrities "'Landman' star cites Ricky Gervais' Golden Globes rant on Joe Rogan podcast." 

Wokal Distance @wokal_distance, "I despise the Groyper movement, but if you want to understand where Fuentes gets purchase with young men I will tell you how it happened by telling you about my experience at the orientation night when my son joined elementary school band: My 11 year old son son joined the elementary school band, and so I went to the parents orientation night which was held at a local high-school. As the night went on it became obvious to me why young men rage against the larger social system. . . " Read it and weep.

Da Times, Transgender women to be banned from all female Olympic events "IOC likely to announce new policy early in new year after findings of a scientific review about the permanent physical advantages of being born male." Dave Strom thinks it's Hilarious: Olympics To Ban 'Trans' Athletes After It 'Discovers' That Males Have Physical Advantages. At WJ, School Cannot Force Students to Use Trans Pronouns, Federal Court Rules.

Plenty o' links left at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.10.25, In The Mailbox: 11.12.25 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 11.12.25 (Evening Edition). The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: It’s Always Warm & Sunny Somewhere and FMJRA 2.0: In Like A Lion up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Rule 5 Saturday - Irina Voronina

What do you do after playmate of the month? Standup comedy! 

Irina Vadimovna Voronina (Russian: Ирина Вадимовна Воронина; born December 19, 1977) is a Russian-American actress, stand-up comedian, and model. She was Playboy Playmate of the month for January 2001.

Voronina was born in Dzerzhinsk, Gorky Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. She first started working as a model at age 14, appearing in a show in Sevastopol. She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month in January 2001, and appeared in numerous Playboy videos. She has also modeled for another adult magazine, Perfect 10. She appeared in the 2005 Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar as calendar girl of May

Voronina was born in Dzerzhinsk, Gorky Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. She first started working as a model at age 14, appearing in a show in Sevastopol. She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month in January 2001, and appeared in numerous Playboy videos. She has also modeled for another adult magazine, Perfect 10. She appeared in the 2005 Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar as calendar girl of May.

As of 2015, Voronina has performed as a stand-up comedian throughout Los Angeles and surrounding areas. In 2018, Voronina was chosen to perform at the Comedy Festivals of San Diego, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, Burbank and Orange County, as well as Los Angeles' LaughRiot Grrrl. In August, 2019, her television stand-up debut aired on the second season of Amazon Prime Video's Laugh After Dark.

Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.  The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Surf’s Up and FMJRA 2.0: Not Long Before The End up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain. Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama.

Random Celebrity News

For some values of "random", "celebrity" and "news." I've been negligent in this important subject recently, so I have lot to get to. From Hollywood in Toto, THAT’S Why WHCA Canceled Amber Ruffin

Amber Ruffin got a raw deal. Now, we know why. The far-Left comic was slated to appear at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association D.C. gala over the weekend. The WHCA feted her comic chops in announcing her appearance. Then, weeks later, the same body canceled her gig.

They failed to share a credible explanation as to why, save a generic plea to bring people together. And, it was abundantly clear, Ruffin planned to skewer all things GOP, including President Donald Trump.
. . .
The event told us why the group nixed her at the last minute. The assembled journos worked overtime to pretend they’re fair, apolitical Beltway observers. It’s the biggest lie since Milli Vanilli.

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair,  Chrissie Mayr: Fight the Censors, the Power -- And Learn to Laugh

Two years ago, they all came after Mayr. First, she did an extemporaneous riff on Dylan Mulvaney that drew protests by wondering when in his 'girlhood' Dylan might start, well, developing. Mayr then got even more heat for drawing attention to Target's "tuck-friendly" children's swimwear.

Did Mayr back down? Hell, no. What comedian would retreat from material like this? Well, some would -- and some have, as Chrissie and I discuss, and she even names a few. Chrissie and I had a great conversation (and I had a blast) as we discussed comedy, free speech, new motherhood, the narcissism of hecklers, and the corrosive effects of regime comedy and 'clapter.'

NYPo,  Livvy Dunne stuns on red carpet ahead of 2025 Kentucky Derby

She posed for pictures on the red carpet, including snaps with her sister, Julz. Dunne revealed on Friday that she was attending the races in Louisville for the first time.

“Your girl’s first derby :)” she wrote on social media as she showed of her all-pink outfit ahead of the Kentucky Oaks, the annual precursor to the derby. She served as the “riders up!” announcer on Friday as well.

From Althouse, "Around 10 years old, she got her first sense of [Kate] Winslet’s notoriety. The star was asked to do a reading at a literary festival..."

"... [her daughter Mia] Threapleton was in the crowd, surrounded by adoring fans. 'I propped myself up on my knees and looked around, and there were so many people,' Threapleton says. 'I ran over to her at the end, and I said, "Oh my God, mum. Loads of people came. Loads of people know who you are!" She said, "Yeah, they kind of do."' But Threapleton says she wasn’t used to seeing scripts around the house or feel fame encroaching on the family’s private life. Every part of Winslet’s career was contained in the star’s small home office, which Threapleton never dared enter because 'there were usually birthday presents that were hidden under the desk.' 'I’ve never had social media. I don’t want it. It’s not something that I think would really serve my life very much,' Threapleton continues. 'I never really read magazines either. So I was just never that aware of the knownness of her until I got a little bit later in my teenage years.'"

From "Mia Threapleton Is Wes Anderson’s Next Breakout Star—and Happens to Be Kate Winslet’s Daughter/Twenty-four-year-old Mia Threapleton, who gives a revelatory performance in The Phoenician Scheme, talks about being raised by an Oscar winner, landing the biggest part of her life, and establishing a blossoming career on her own" (Vanity Fair).

Outlook finds Alina Habba In A Tiny Red Dress Has MAGA Barking, AT&T Lily In Fatigues & Surprise, A Race-Baiting NBA Lib

Take us there, Alina Habba. God bless. 

That's one way to stand out in a crowd. Another way would be to put a Democrat politician in jail. 

From the Mix, Rebel Wilson’s Weight Loss Leads to a Redirection in Her Acting Career

Rebel Wilson isn’t just the “token funny girl” anymore. With her weight loss, Wilson has expanded her repertoire into more serious films, including Lady Capulet in Juliet & Romeo.

In a recent interview with the NY Post, Wilson commented that, “When I lost weight in 2020, that weirdly made me more versatile as an actress, even though I had the same skills.”

Bill Belichick and his much younger girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, are generating lots of attention:

Sportsnaut, Bill Belichick’s family allegedly investigating girlfriend after UNC bans her from football facilities and Julian Edelman Backs Bill Belichick’s Girlfriend in CBS Interview Controversy.

Outkick, Jordon Hudson & Her Transgender Rival Isabelle St. Cyr Battle It Out In Swimsuits At Miss Maine USA. To be fair, the trans rival has to try harder. Being a beauty queen comes naturally to Jordon. 

Fox, Jordon Hudson falls short at Miss Maine USA pageant as she appears to send message to haters

RVM, Salma Hayek Stuns as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Covergirl at Age 58

Actress Salma Hayek has been named one of the 2025 cover models for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

At 58, Hayek appears on the iconic magazine’s cover for the first time, joining fellow cover models Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, Jordan Chiles, and Lauren Chan.

Hayek, known for roles in films such as Frida and From Dusk Till Dawn, posed in a bikini for the cover, photographed by Ruven Afanador.

The Mix,  Kelly Clarkson, 43, Demands Everyone Compliment Her On Her Weight Loss – ‘I Was Fat Before…’ Good job, Kelly.

The singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson is speaking out to say that she wants everyone to be complimenting her on her massive weight loss.

Last Saturday, Clarkson, 43, performed at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey. There, she sang hits of hers including “Since You Been Gone” and her new song “Where Have You Been.”

Between her numbers, Clarkson chatted with members of the audience. At one point in the show, an audience member complimented Clarkson on her “sexy” appearance. The original American Idol winner was touched by this acknowledgement of her weight loss. However, she was quick to add that she feels like she doesn’t get enough compliments on her looks on the set of NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show.

“Every time I go to an HR meeting, I’m like, ‘How have I not been fired?’ I grew up on the road at 19 years old, you know what I’m saying? I’m like, ‘Oh, that is inappropriate. I would never,'” Clarkson began.

The Peacock, Lauren Chan is the first out lesbian to appear solo on a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover,  I see they haven't given up "full sized" models completely.

Model and entrepreneur Lauren Chan made queer history on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, which hit stands Tuesday.

“I’m the first out lesbian on the cover — with her own cover — and how much that means to me makes that surprise feel so overwhelming,” Chan told People magazine. “That’s where I feel like the tears of joy and celebration and relief and community come from.”
. . .
The magazine surprised her by making her one of four models — along with actor, director and producer Salma Hayek Pinault; social media influencer and former NCAA gymnast Olivia Dunne; and Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles — to have her own cover for the 2025 issue, according to a profile of Chan in SI Swimsuit.

Finally, from Bearing Arms,  Mexican Beauty Influencer Fatally Shot in Salon During TikTok Livestream. Who know being a TikTok star was that dangerous?

A social media influencer was shot to death while doing a TikTok livestream at a beauty salon in the central Mexican state of Jalisco, state authorities confirmed Wednesday. The stark show of violence fueled shock in the Latin American nation at a time when rival cartels have fought bloody wars for territorial control in much of Mexico.

Valeria Márquez, 23, appeared to have been speaking to a delivery man off camera on her livestream Tuesday when she was shot once in the chest and once in the head and collapsed, dying instantly. The model and beauty influencer was inside a beauty salon in the municipality of Zapopan, the fringes of Guadalajara, when it happened.

A short time later, a former Mexican congressman was gunned down in a cafe in the same town, which is part of a region controlled by the New Generation Jalisco Cartel. So far, there doesn't seem to be any mention of a motive, but it appears she was suspicious and concerned that someone intended to harm her a short time before the incident. It also appears this is a professional hit. At least by some definition of "professional," anyway.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Country Girl in Carhartts up on time and under budget. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - FBI Declares NOLA Attacker a Lone Wolf

As far as they know now. The original reports of 3 men and 1 women planting the IEDs have turned out to be bystanders, and what's his name, oh yeah, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, planted the IEDs and was carrying a detonator. Stacy McCain, on Terrorism on Bourbon Street. "When I woke up Wednesday morning and first heard about this incident, I did not immediately think “terrorism.”" At RedState, Jen O'Connell sees Biden and Trump Issue Statements on the NOLA Terrorist Attack, and Hoo Boy, What a Difference, "January 20 cannot come soon enough," and Nick Arama says Don't Worry, Folks! Biden Posts About Being on the Case of Attacks—but a Photo He Shared Is Concerning. Needs name cards to keep track of his cabinet. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, FBI: On Second Thought, New Orleans Terrorist Acted Alone. USAToday, New Orleans attacker planted explosives on Bourbon Street, Biden says. NewsMax, FBI: New Orleans Attacker Worked Alone, Las Vegas Blast Not Linked, despite many disturbing "coincidences." Dave Strom at Hat Hair says It's All One Fight. From Ace, Both the NOLA and Vegas Terrorists Served at the Same Army Base; FBI Claims "No Definitive Link." Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter "Least shocking thing I’ve heard today," Quote Breanna Morello @BreannaMorello, "The New York Post was at the New Orleans ter*orist’s home before the FBI. Let that sink in…" Nick Arama again, Elon Helped Cops Track Vegas Explosion Suspect, Nails Media for How They Painted Incident. "Maybe they should be reporting on how Musk helped track this person down, including video from the charging stations to track the guy." All of the news that fits the narrative, and none of the news that doesn't. Matt Vespa at TownHall finds CNN's National Security Analyst Dropped an Interesting Take About the Tesla Cybertruck Bomber "And leave it to CNN to have a national security expert say that we don’t know if Livelsberger was anti-Trump or not." 'Bonchie' at RedState, NEW: Possible Motive in Cybertruck Explosion Revealed. "Before this report, all we had were smiling pictures of him and his wife, with the reasonable assumption being they were still together. But if she left him over infidelity, that would go a long way in providing a reason for him to be suicidal. It would also explain why someone with Livelsberger's expertise on weapons and explosives would stuff some fireworks and gas canisters in the back of a steel-bodied truck and call it a day. If you assume he was trying to kill other people, that seems like a pretty big mistake. If you make the counter-assumption that he wasn't trying to kill other people, though, then it all starts to make a lot more sense. Authorities are even looking into the idea that he chose a Cybertruck specifically because it would limit any collateral damage. Further, Livelsberger's uncle claims that despite his wife's reported anti-Trump feelings, Livelsberger himself was very supportive of the incoming president." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee "Tesla Cybertruck Voted 'Worst Vehicle' By National Association Of Terrorist Car Bombers https://buff.ly/4j240wQ."

Guy Benson@guypbenson, "A jihadist just committed a lethal terrorist attack in one American city — and terrorism supporters are marching in another one, hours later." Ace, In Wake of Twin Terror Attacks, Hundreds of Muslims and Pro-Jihad Terrorists March for "Intifada" In New York City, "Why are we importing tens of thousands of foreign guerilla terrorists into the country?" Sister Toldja at RedState, Woke Influencer Accidentally Provides Exhibit A on How Not to Act on Social Media After Terrorist Attack. Joe Concha@JoeConchaTV "This utter clown celebrates terrorism and somehow gets more than 300,000 likes for the effort. Several people were injured. It could have been much worse. Ron sees it as a perfect time for a cheap laugh. Just a sick human being." Quote "Ron Filipkowski @RonFilipkowski, "A real photo and perfect metaphor heading into 2025." Beege Wellborn at Hat Hair, So, About Yesterday: Do Not Allow the Left to Do the Jihadi Two-Step." Althouse, "Love you always brother! You inspired me every day, now you get to be with me in every moment. I got this family, T, don’t worry." "Wrote Jack Bech, to his brother Martin “Tiger” Bech, 27, who played football for Princeton and died in the Bourbon Street massacre."

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.02.25, EBL, At least 10 killed after vehicle hits crowd of people in New Orleans, and ISIS Terrorist Shamsud Din Jabbar, Twitchy, NOLA Terrorist’s Mosque’s Response To Terror Attack Filled With Red Flags, and FBI Totally Did The Meme AGAIN, Vox Popoli, Magic Dirt Fail in New Orleans, Dana Loesch: Terror Attacks In New Orleans & Las Vegas To Start The New Year, Don Surber: New Year, same FBI-NYT lies.

At PJM VodkaPundit asks What Will You Miss the Least About Joe Biden?, Stephen Kruise says I Can't Wait for All of That Biden Decency and Dignity to Go Away, Matt Margolis notes All Is Not Well in the Biden White House and Cathy Salgado finds Expert Breaks Down Bidenomics ‘Incompetence’ or ‘Fraud.’ Embrace the healing power of "and." At WaEx Paul Bedard examines the Biden legacy: Most red tape ever and more in pipeline. Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks the Biden Regime Has Nothing to Lose.

Matt Margolis thinks James Carville Destroyed His Reputation Cheerleading For Kamala Harris. What reputation? Insty cites KURT SCHLICHTER: How did my predictions for 2024 pan out? “I was doing pretty well until I got here: ‘Joe Biden is not going to be replaced, and he will be on the ballot in November. I’m not sure if he’ll know it, though. Man, picking Kamala Harris was the greatest insurance policy anybody ever took out.’ I further opined that ‘the Democrats will win in November.’ In my defense, I said that hoping ‘my track record of being wrong about my predictions holds up.’ It held up, thankfully.” Ruy Teixeira at The Liberal Patriot decries The Democrats’ Culture Denialism "They just don’t get it."

And Jimmy Carter is still dead. John Solomon at JTN, Sincere tributes aside, Jimmy Carter’s legacy still hampers a world Trump must fix "From Iran and the Panama Canal to the U.S. Education Department, America is still feeling the impact of a Carter presidency 44 years later." Matt Margolis, Yeah, Jimmy Carter's Post-Presidency Actions Were 'Borderline Treasonous' 

At Hat Hair, More, Please: Trump's New Year's Wish Is So Normal. Trump War Room @TrumpWarRoom "REPORTER: Have you got any New Year Resolutions for 2025? PRESIDENT TRUMP: I just want everybody to be happy, healthy, and well." NewsMax posts President-Elect Trump's 4 Big New Year's Resolutions "Bring peace to Ukraine and Russia . . . Securing the Border . . . Reviving the U.S. economy . . . Make America strong again." Paul Bedard has a poll, Most expect Trump to achieve top campaign promises. At AMAC, A New Dawn for American Justice. The Verge, US soldier arrested after allegedly posting hacked Trump and Harris call logs. Bipartisan mischief. 

Duane Patterson at Hat Hair not looking forward to Mike Johnson's High Noon Moment Tomorrow (today). C'mon Republicans, get your shit together. Sundance at CTH hosts Mike Johnson Discusses the Terrorist Attack in New Orleans as well as His Conversation with Donald Trump About Speaker Vote.  

A Driscoll post at Insty, CRISES BY DESIGN: "Pure Gold: MSNBC Sadly Admits How Bad Biden Was on Immigration, Trump Was Right. But they did run a segment on “Morning Joe” where they surprisingly did something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before: admit that Trump was right and illegal immigration did in fact shoot up under Biden. The funniest thing was how regretful host Joe Scarborough seemed about having to say it." Rich Lowry at NYPo, Forget Musk’s H1-B visa spat — merit immigration is the fight we need. At AMP America, Elon Musk Channels ‘Tropic Thunder’ in Defense of H-1B Visas. At TNP, REVEALED: Tesla Laid Off THOUSANDS of U.S. Workers, Replaced Them With H-1B Migrants.

From the Pop Times, Georgia AG Requests State Supreme Court Not to Reinstate DA Fani Willis in Trump’s Election Interference Case.

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.02.25, From Twitchy, Biden Proves J6 Committee WAS Totally Political AND Makes Liz Cheney Look Even WORSE in One Fell SWOOP. Also at the Pop Times, Biden Honors Two January 6 Committee Panelists Cheney and Thompson With the Second Highest Civilian Award. Sundance calls it Purposeful Antagonism – Biden Awards Liz Cheney the Presidential Citizens Award for Meritorious Bipartisanship and Exemplary Citizenship. "This is nothing more than purposeful antagonism and a stick in the eye on his way out the door. Team Joe Biden award former House Rep Liz Cheney with the Presidential Award for Outstanding Citizenship." Breitbart has a Report: Andrew McCabe Targeted Trump After Comey Firing, Using ‘Dossier’ Author. Is it really news?

The Redoubtable Julie Kelly at her substack, reports a House Report Discloses New Information on Unsolved J6 Pipe Bomber, "House Republicans reveal stonewalling, major security lapses, and misrepresentations by top law enforcement officials related to the still at-large J6 pipe bomber." Matt Vespa says FBI Decides to Punch Itself in the Face Again With This Update on the J6 Bomber "The latest from the FBI: this person is about five-foot-seven inches. That’s it. . . . It took five years to release the height of this person." At this point, I think we can assume the FBI either knows who did it, or was in on it, and it's up to them to prove me wrong. Althouse, "Who planted pipe bombs outside offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees in Washington on the eve of the attack on the Capitol?" ""Hoping to generate new tips from the public, the FBI is releasing more information about its pipe bomb investigation, including an estimate that the unidentified suspect is about 5 feet 7 inches tall. The bureau also is posting previously unreleased video of the suspect placing one of the bombs.... From "FBI releases new video of a suspect planting a pipe bomb near DNC offices on eve of the Capitol riot" (AP). ADDED: Why is the FBI releasing this now? I assume it's part of a defense against the incoming Trump Administration, a way to claim they're been working on this all along. Ridiculous news about the person's height and the shoes they wore 4 years ago!"

Stacy McCain, ‘There Was Never Any Evidence’: FBI Lied About White Supremacist Terrorism. "“According to the intelligence community,” said Biden in 2021, “terrorism from white supremacy is the most lethal threat to the homeland today. Not ISIS, not al Qaeda — white supremacists.” . . . Between 2012 and 2021, Islamic extremists committed five acts of domestic US terrorism that killed 77 people, whereas white supremacists committed four acts of domestic terrorism that killed 49 people." At Am Think Jack Cashill is thinking about The FBI's Oblivious Terror Agenda. "To understand the obscenely disproportionate time, effort, and expense wasted on pursuing the J6ers first multiply Lavrenz’s case by 1600 and then recall that the Kavanaugh rioters got off with $30-$50 fines. Now, keep this calculus in mind next time you learn of a lethal attack on American citizens."

Capt. Ed approves of the NY Post: Make the Media Pay for the Largest Cover-Up in US History. From Twitchy, We Did NOT Have Keith Olbermann Attacking Brian Stelter for Reporting the TRUTH on Our Bingo Card But .... Althouse is delighted when the "community notes" feature of X backfires on Elon Musk, The power of X community notes.

At Da Wire,  DOJ Spent Over $100 Million Pushing DEI, Restorative Justice In Classrooms, Report Finds 'It's appalling, although not surprising, that DOJ bureaucrats would prioritize DEI initiatives over student safety.' From Campus Reform, Ohio could pass comprehensive college DEI ban in 2025. Jacob Sullum at Reason is outraged when A University President Accused of Squandering Public Money Resigns in Exchange for a $2 Million Payout "Western New Mexico University's Board of Regents approved the severance package for Joseph Shepard after a state audit highlighted $364,000 in "wasteful" and "improper" spending." Cheaper to keep him. 

Althouse is bemused, This is not a bad right-wing comedy sketch. This is a scene in the movie "Emilia Pérez," which was honored with 10 Golden Globe nominations.

 

Some things are beyond parody.

A Driscoll post at Insty, BOB BARKER SAYS, REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR COMEDIANS SPAYED AND NEUTERED! "Comedian Says It’s ‘Dangerous’ For Dave Chappelle To Joke About Trans People."

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Giant Killers up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.