Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Owns the Economy

From the I&I ed board, Yes, Democrats, Trump Does Own This Economy. Matt Margolis at PJM, New GDP Numbers Just Dropped, and Democrats Should Be Freaking Out. "Democrats just watched economic reality obliterate their favorite doomsday talking point. The U.S. economy grew at an amazing 4.3% annualized rate in the third quarter of 2025, blowing past expectations and handing the Trump administration a massive win heading into 2026." Sundance at CTH, Third Quarter GDP Grows 4.3 Percent, Much Stronger Than Expected. With the Flaming Skull, Ace says BOOM! US Economy Grows By Big 4.3% In Third Quarter. kaitlin @thefactualprep, "my official statement to the american people is “you’re welcome”" Quote The Wall Street Journal @WSJ, "Breaking: U.S. economic growth accelerated to a 4.3% annual rate last quarter, blowing past expectations https://on.wsj.com/4p9FqMe." At Twitchy, Elizabeth Warren Hopes Nobody Saw Today's Economic News and Gets Ratioed to the Moon. MAZE @mazemoore "April, 2025. Elizabeth Warren claims that Trump's tariffs will result in millions of people losing their jobs, savings, retirements, and homes and will cause a recession that may take years to recover from. Nice call Pharmahontas." Elizabeth Warren @SenWarren, "46% of people are spending less this holiday season because of higher costs. Families are paying the price for Donald Trump’s chaotic tariffs." Mike Hahn @mikehahn_ "Fire the intern who scheduled this tweet before they left for Christmas!" At OilPrice.com, Christmas Day Gasoline Prices Set To Fall To Covid-Era Levels. Mark Tapscott at PJM has Three Reasons Why 2026 Could Be Donald Trump's 1934 FDR Mid-Term.

At Am Mind, Ron Pestritto describes How the Trump Administration Is Taming the Administrative State.

Important news on the Epstein front, at Twitchy a Report: Trump Flew on Epstein’s Plane Once With a 20-Year-Old Woman "The New York Post reports that Trump was sometimes accompanied by his second wife, Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany, and his son Eric. Scandalous." Ace, Epstein Files Bombshell! Trump Was an Acquaintance of Jeffrey Epstein During the Period We Already Knew They Were Acquaintances and Trump Once Flew on an Epstein Plane With a 20-Year-Old Adult Woman On Board, "An adult woman? Wow. You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention." WaT, Justice Department discredits lurid claims about Trump in latest Epstein file reveal "The department released 30,000 additional documents related to its investigation and prosecution of sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The material includes claims that Mr. Trump was involved in the scheme and raped a young woman who was allegedly later found murdered. Democrats have seized on the unverified accusation as evidence of Mr. Trump's involvement and a motivation for the department's resistance to making all of the files public. But Justice Department officials said the claims against the president were politically motivated and were lodged against him just before the 2020 presidential election. "To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already," Justice Department officials said." Much like the 2000 women who stepped up to claim they were raped by Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings. Matt Vespa at TownHall, MS Now Host Wonders Why Trump Was So Against Releasing the Epstein Files. Did You See Today's Update? NYPo suggests It’s time to treat Bill Clinton like Prince Andrew — and banish him from polite society. I wouldn't call Washington DC polite society. PJM's Stephen Kruiser admits The Epstein Stuff Probably Won't Make Bill Clinton's Teflon Get Sticky.

VodkaPundit at PJM has an ESSAY: Trump's Big, Beautiful Battleships Are... What, Exactly? Victory Girls see a Golden Fleet Of Trump Class Ships To Be Built. "Haters are going to hate and I don’t give a fig or a feather." Driscoll at Insty, America’s Newspaper of Record has printed a helpful cutaway guide to the state of the art technology to be deployed on these soon to be nautical legends: Check Out These Amazing Features On The New Trump-Class Battleship.

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " HOLY CRAP! The U.S. military recruitment numbers under President Trump are the highest in 15 YEARS Got what I voted for again! SEN. MULLIN: "[Lloyd Austin] was more worried about DEI and having some dude in a dress...Hegseth said, no, we're talking about lethality, and we're talking about the warrior!" "Then President Trump, who took our rightful place, instead of being apologetic about America's greatness, he said, no, we are the greatest, and we're not going to apologize about it. Of course, we're going to be breaking records!""

Michelle Wiese Bockmann @Michellewb_, "so we now have a (partial) explanation as to how Panama allowed the US to seize a Panama-flagged tanker (Centuries). From the brief explanation given by the Panama government in this story, it appears that Panama deleted the tanker from its registry after it loaded in Venezuela while spoofing its location. It was "not following the rules". Thus the tanker was effectively flagless and stateless after it sailed, allowing the US to intercept and interdict. . . ." At News Wax, Trump: US Will Keep Seized Venezuelan Oil, Ships and Trump Says It Would Be 'Smart' for Venezuela's Maduro to Step Down. "Go on, take the money and run." At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed cites the WSJ: Trump Aims at Dismantling Global Terror Networks Through Maduro and Beege Welborn interprets Trump: 'Yo, Dudes - We Still Need Greenland'. YaHoo whines US denies visas to EU ex-commissioner, four others over tech rules "accusing them of seeking to "coerce" American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose." As Teri Christoph at RedState puts it Rubio Targets Five Foreign Operatives Who Conspired With Big Tech to Censor Americans.

PJM's Scott Pinsker sees Something VERY Fishy Is Going on With the So-Called MAGA ‘Split’ Over Israel. It's being manufactured by the pundit class.

Hunter Biden went on a long podcast for the Shawn Ryan Show. Matt Margolis hears Hunter Biden Now Claims His ‘Laptop From Hell’ Wasn’t Even Real. Ace has more details, Hunter Biden: Of Course My Father's Calamitous Bug-Out from Afghanistan Was a "F***ing Failure;" And Of Course We Shouldn't Allow In Immigrants That "Drain Our Resources" "Is Hunter Biden now a racist? Wait a sec, he already was -- "no yellow." (Who doesn't like Asian chicks? Only a Nazi.) MXM:" His art career over, I guess he's trying for punditry, where being a crack addicts is not necessarily damning.

Nicole Silvero at Da Caller, Boston Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu Says Somalis To Thank For City’s ‘Every Achievement’ Nick Freitas @NickJFreitas, "I most appreciate when the Somali immigrants threw the tea in the harbor." Quote Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says all of Boston’s accomplishments are thanks to Somalians." Sister Toldja at RedState hears James Comer Prepares to Make Political Life Very Difficult for Tim Walz, and I Am So Here for It "The walls are caving in on Tim Walz," Comer, R-Ky., said on "America's Newsroom." "This massive amount of fraud is affecting and impacting every citizen of Minnesota because they're having to cut services because so much of the money for social programs was wasted and defrauded by this Somali population." From NotTheBee, Somali girl says foreigners shouldn't be illegal in Minnesota because "this is literally, like, stolen land".

At Da Fed MD Kittle is grateful Michigan Election Integrity Warriors Stop ‘Disastrous’ Ranked-Choice Voting Drive.

John Solomon at JTN reports John Brennan's lawyers confirm he is 'target' of Florida grand jury probe, asks judge to intervene. "The letter to chief federal judge in Miami is an extraordinary injection by Brennan's defense team and likely signals his lawyers fear an indictment is imminent." "Given the corrosive effect of judge shopping on the perceived fairness and impartiality of the criminal justice system – particularly when conducted by a federal prosecutor – we wish to alert the Court to the evidence underlying our concern." Sundance at CTH, John Brennan Lawyers Confirm Their Client Is a “Target” of a Grand Jury Investigation. "What the evidence shows is a focused targeting operation intended to fabricate a false premise by the United States Intelligence Community, centered around a fraudulent CIA analysis (ICA) led by John Brennan, and organized through the Office of former DNI James Clapper. The op was green-lighted by Barack Obama, as a way to impede the agenda of incoming President Donald Trump. All three branches of government eventually collaborated on the scheme. Lawyers for John Brennan are now seeking to proactively undermine the grand jury proceedings and influence the venue where any investigation and review might be taking place."

John Sexton at Hair hears Supreme Court: Trump Can't Deploy National Guard in Chicago. So now Trump can say, "We tried to curb crime in your city, but your politicians sued, and now the Supreme Court won't let us." PJM's Cathy Salgado is pretty happy that Parents Win, California Loses Over Secretive Transing of Kids: Court Ruling. Gays Against Groomers @againstgrmrs, "BREAKING: U.S. District Court rules in favor of parent's rights with a permanent injunction against California! Parents have a Constitutional right to get the truth when it comes to the "gender identities" of their children! Schools may not lie anymore! Summaries below:" Hat Hair's Dave Strom argues Impeaching Judges Is Not an Abuse of Political Power, it is a rebalancing of power. |The taboo on removing judges for anything other than criminality (Hannah Dugan, anyone?) is absurd. Obviously, judges should be given wide latitude in making their decisions, and removing them should not be a frequent occurrence, but it should really be much more common than it is. There are a lot of bad judges."

Dave Strom reports Charlottesville, VA Eliminating Use of Camera System Because Feds Might Track Illegal Aliens. Mike Letts at PJM says This Minneapolis Police Chief Has It Wrong When He Uses the Nativity Story To Push Back Against ICE Raids. From Fox, GOP governor lays out plan to ‘purge’ terrorists and terror supporters from state "'Any organization that supports terrorism, that harbors people who have provided material support for terrorism, is not allowed to exist in our state,' said Abbott." Beege Welborn notices The Frantic Clean-Up Begins: If It's at Brown, Flush It.

Stacy McCain discourses on Journalism, Credibility and ‘Experts’ "NPR’s standards chief, Tony Calvin, had to issue an unusual bit of guidance to staff this week: stop quoting Carl Tobias. The instruction came after Calvin found NPR reporters had quoted the University of Richmond law professor 77 times on a variety of topics. “If Tobias’s name sounds familiar, it’s because Professor Tobias’s hobby seems to be getting himself quoted about anything and everything in news stories,” Calvin told staff, according to Semafor. “Professor Tobias often emails reporters offering his expert opinion on stories of the day and while I don’t presume to judge his expertise in legal matters, the professor is certainly an expert at getting himself quoted.”" Clearly he is good at saying what they want to hear.

Capt. Ed cites Axios: 60 Minutes Lied About Trump Admin Response. They did have responses from Trump administration spokesmen. They simple chose not to include them. Ace, Axios: Insubordinate CBS Liar Sharyn Alfonsi Told Viewers That Trump Officials Had Refused Comment On the Story. In Fact, They Provided Comment -- She Just Refused to Air Their Denials. "For those wondering "How can this insubordinate liar not get fired?," I've got great news: I think she will be fired. I thought she would probably be fired before this for insubordination. I'm pretty sure she wrote her "Bari is a Trump censor" email with the knowledge that a confederate would leak it for her (or she leaked it herself). If I had to guess, I'd guess she already knew she was on the list of candidates for firing and decided on the Jimmy Kimmel strategy of raising a stink among her left-wing allies to create pressure on the network to keep her. But this new report from Axios means that no amount of pressure from her left-wing allies can save her. The media still pretends that straight-up lying is a fireable offense. Of course it's not; lying is the soul of their soulless profession."

Hillel Neuer @HillelNeuer "BREAKING: In wake of our campaign, UN Hamas apologist Francesca Albanese has been removed from Georgetown University. L: Her “Affiliate Scholar” page R: Now deleted http://isim.georgetown.edu/profile/francesca-p-albanese Thank you, @Georgetown. It's time to expel all terror supporters from our universities." At NYPo, Herr Professor Jacobson and Kemberlee Kaye opine that the Toxic ideas fueling far-left terrorists came straight from our college campuses.

The College Fix is disappointed that a Judge rules against UCLA prof suspended after refusing lenient grading for black students. "A judge ruled against UCLA lecturer Gordon Klein, who was suspended after refusing to grade black students leniently in the wake of George Floyd's death, siding with UCLA on every issue." OTH, Ace is stoked that a Trans Teaching Assistant who Flunked a Christian Student for Rejecting Trans Propaganda Has Now Been Fired "I would say that the student's essay could be docked some points for relying so heavily on non-academic sources -- the Bible -- but then, the trans TA's rejection of all her arguments was based exclusively on quasi-religious fantasy and myth-making, wasn't it?"

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Stuck In The Ruts up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Maryland, My Maryland

From Scott McLallen at TownHall, Maryland Man Sentenced for Scheme Helping Foreign IT Workers Pose As US Citizens

Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong, 40, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a fraudulent scheme that assisted foreign information technology workers posing as U.S. citizens with obtaining remote IT positions at over a dozen U.S. companies.

According to court documents, Vong conspired with others, including John Doe, aka William James, a foreign national living in Shenyang, China, to defraud U.S. companies into hiring Vong as a remote software developer. After securing these jobs through materially false statements about his education, training, and experience, Vong allowed Doe and others to use his computer access credentials to perform the remote software development work and receive payment for that work.

Vong reportedly knew that Doe was located next to North Korea. Additionally, Doe’s communications indicate that he is likely a North Korean national who was working to generate revenue for the North Korean government.

According to the plea agreement, on Jan. 30, 2023, Doe submitted a fraudulent resume in Vong’s name to a Virginia-based technology company for a web application developer position that required U.S. citizenship as a condition of employment. The resume falsely represented that Vong possessed a Bachelor of Science degree and 16 years of experience as a software developer. In fact, Vong did not have a college degree or experience in software development.

On March 28, 2023, Vong participated in an online job interview with the CEO of a Virginia-based company. Vong verified his identity and citizenship by showing his Maryland driver’s license and U.S. Passport. Following the interview, the Virginia-based company hired Vong and assigned him to work on a contract for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) involving a particular software application used by various U.S. government agencies to manage sensitive information regarding national defense matters. The Virginia-based company provided Vong with a laptop to use in connection with his employment and the FAA authorized Vong to receive a Personal Identity Verification card to access government facilities and systems. Vong installed remote access software on the laptop to facilitate Doe’s access to it and conceal his location in China.
. . .
As part of his guilty plea, Vong admitted that the Virginia-based company was not the only company he and his co-conspirators defrauded. Between 2021 and 2024, Vong used fraudulent misrepresentations to obtain employment with at least 13 different U.S. companies, who collectively paid Vong more than $970,000 in salary for software development services that were, unbeknownst to them, performed by Doe or other overseas conspirators. Several of these defrauded companies contracted out Vong’s services to U.S. government agencies in addition to the FAA. As a result of Vong’s fraudulent misrepresentations, these government agencies unknowingly granted Vong’s co-conspirators access to sensitive U.S. government systems, which they accessed from China.

Maryland, My Maryland

 From Reason, Maryland's New 3 Percent Tax Will Chill the State's Emerging Tech Sector

Maryland is facing a $3 billion budget gap that it hopes to close with a new "tech tax." The first-in-the-nation tax, which took effect on Tuesday as part of the state's budget bill, imposes a 3 percent levy on "the sale of many informational technology services," reports Maryland Matters. The tax could generate approximately $747 million in tax revenue by FY 2030, but critics warn that the cost will outweigh any fiscal benefits.

The new tax affects a range of IT services, including cloud storage and website hosting, data processing systems, software design, and niche services such as cryptocurrency mining. Under the new law, both Big Tech companies and small businesses will be affected. Businesses will also be responsible for discerning what's taxable and what's not. "Each service a vendor provides must be evaluated individually to determine its taxability," according to the guidance issued by the comptroller's office. The law carves out exemptions for emerging firms in the University of Maryland, College Park's Discovery District, tax-exempt organizations (including government agencies), and companies working with quantum computing developers.

 

While the measure will hurt all tech companies in the state, it will have a demonstrable impact on startups (which often operate on slim or negative profit margins) and smaller firms. "For the industry overall, this tax will raise costs and add confusion, especially for small firms that just don't have the resources to adapt quickly," Darren Clark, owner of Clark Computer Services, a Maryland IT service provider, told The Frederick News Post. "Some will have to raise prices or absorb the cost, and I'm worried that will put some of them out of business," he adds.

The state's Chamber of Commerce said the measure "would be disastrous for Maryland's economy, businesses, and jobs, undermining our future as a tech hub and leader." Business leaders have voiced concerns that the tech tax will likely result in businesses passing costs onto consumers and potentially drive some companies out of the state.

A reminder, when Gov. Hogan ceded the office to Gov. Moore, our state had a $5 billion dollar surplus.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Add More Ginger As Required up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Oregon, My Oregon

Wweek.com The Departure of Oregon Companies Speaks to a Bigger Problem for the State "How much faith can one retain in the local workforce when Oregon’s fourth and eighth grade test scores for reading and writing are among the nation’s worst?"

The idea that Tektronix, once the state’s largest employer, would leave Oregon is as daunting as the possibility that Nike, or Columbia Sportswear, would someday give up on its home. That’s because the Portland-born founders of Tek, Howard Vollum (Don’s father) and Jack Murdock, were deeply rooted in Oregon when they created it in 1946, some 700 patents ago.

“Tek was in Portland because my dad and Jack Murdock were from here,” Don Vollum says. “It had nothing to do with economic development, lower taxes or a better work force. The same is true with Phil Knight [and Nike].”

Microsoft? “They were in Albuquerque, and [Bill Gates and Paul Allen] wanted to go home [to Seattle],” Vollum says. “Businesses begin in a place because they have a connection. The better question today is if and why they stay. “That next generation of professional managers is when people look at education and taxes and workforce.”

And in Oregon, today’s view and tomorrow’s forecast are bleak.  “The combination of high taxes, poor services and poor schools isn’t a winning one, and that’s where we are,” Vollum says. “You put those pieces together and you have a place that’s not desirable for people if they’re starting or running a business.”

I was in Corvallis, Oregon, when Hewlett Packard built a plant there, betting on the educated workforce, and relatively (compared to California) low taxes and cheap land. They're still there, but I wonder how long that will last. 

The Wednesday Wetness

At the Bay Journal, Clean water advocates weigh data center growth in Chesapeake region

Data centers are not just a Northern Virginia problem. The vast and growing presence of these warehouse-like buildings housing the world’s computing power has implications for quality of life, land, energy and water across the Chesapeake Bay region.

This was the main message of a half-day workshop on May 19 hosted by the Choose Clean Water Coalition at the start of its annual conference held this year in Harrisonburg, VA. The “kickoff” event featured experts mostly from Virginia speaking about the environmental impacts of data centers, which they have seen firsthand — and which they say are imminent for every state in the region.

Northern Virginia is the global epicenter of data center infrastructure and home to about half of all data centers in the U.S. This distinction is not new but has garnered increasing attention as the global race to power artificial intelligence begins to strain regional power supplies. Researchers at the workshop warned that continued unrestrained growth of data centers in the Potomac River basin in the coming years could strain the region’s water supply as well.

Data centers use water primarily for cooling the computers. It seems to me that cooling is rather clean use of water. Certainly the water could be reused in some other  way, either agriculture if not human consumption. Or they could recycle it on site with cooling towers, resulting in much lower water consumption, but requiring the disposal of mineral rich blow-down water. 

Data Centers Could Double Potomac Water Use

 FTX Now, Fairfax environmental council worried about data centers’ impact on local water supply

Northern Virginia’s wary embrace of data centers could have major long-term impacts on both water consumption and wastewater treatment across the region, the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) says in its annual report for 2024.

The 134-page document offers a status update and recommendations on environmental issues, including land use, air and water quality, transportation, waste management, climate change and ecological conservation.

A section on water supply and wastewater treatment, and how data centers could impact both, might raise eyebrows the highest among regional policymakers.

Data centers require large amounts of electricity to operate, and one option for addressing all the heat that’s produced as a byproduct is evaporative cooling, a ventilation system that utilizes water to cool the air.

In one scenario suggested in EQAC’s report, a major uptake of evaportive cooling by large new data centers in the region could require 70 million gallons of water per day — “almost doubling” the existing consumptive water use in the Potomac River basin.

Agencies that handle the D.C. region’s water flow would face the burden of making more water available at the outset and treating the residual amount that flows into wastewater treatment facilities.

Residue that is discharged from evaporative cooling systems has heavy concentrations of saline, known as “blowdown.” Levels of sodium are “already of some concern” in the 590-square-mile Occoquan River watershed, although less so in the Potomac River basin, the report notes.

The report makes three recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on addressing the potentially heavy water demands for data centers:

1. Consider ways of possibly cutting off water for data center use during periods of drought
2. Find ways to use recycled wastewater rather than fresh water for cooling
3. Set rules prohibiting the return of saline-laden water in areas served by the Occoquan Reservoir

Eventually, the Potomac River, like the mighty Colorado River, might be used up by the time it reaches Great Falls at Washington D.C., or merely a trickle of hyper saline water. That won't be bad for the environment at all, am I right?

The Monday Morning Stimulus

Interesting Facts.com,  12 Stimulating Facts About Coffee

10. The First Webcam Was Invented For a Coffee Pot We can credit coffee-craving inventors for creating the first webcam. In the early 1990s, computer scientists working at the University of Cambridge grew tired of trekking to the office kitchen for a cup of joe only to find the carafe in need of a refill. The solution? They devised a makeshift digital monitor — a camera that uploaded three pictures per minute of the coffee maker to a shared computer network — to guarantee a fresh pot of coffee was waiting the moment their mugs emptied. By November 1993, the in-house camera footage made its internet debut, and viewers from around the globe tuned in to watch the grainy, real-time recording. The world’s first webcam generated so much excitement that computer enthusiasts even traveled to the U.K. lab to see the setup in real life. In 2003, the coffee pot sold at auction for nearly $5,000.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Just What It Says On Her Label out more or less on time at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Dem Threatens Taibbi with Jail, Bud Light Exec Out

It's good to see the Wombat back in action with In The Mailbox: 04.21.23 introducing Margot Cleveland at Da Fed, EXPLOSIVE: Whistleblower Points To Biden Admin Obstructing Hunter Biden Tax Probe. At NYPo a claim that Attorney General Merrick Garland is ‘senior’ Biden official in Hunter Biden IRS whistleblower claim. "Garland has repeatedly claimed under oath that Delaware US Attorney David Weiss, a Trump administration holdover recommended in 2017 by the state’s Democratic senators, is able to criminally charge Hunter Biden without the permission of other Justice Department leaders, despite Republicans challenging the factual accuracy of that claim." I suspect he will have used enough weasel words to escape perjury. Andy McCarthy at NYPo says Of course Biden officials are interfering in his son’s case — why else has Hunter skated for five years? 'Bonchie' at Red State claims Hunter Biden Lawyer Freaks out About the Whistleblower, Says Too Much in the Process. "Ask yourself, though, why Hunter Biden’s lawyer is even addressing this at all. That gives the game away as far as I’m concerned. If this investigation were no big deal and if the FBI didn’t actually have anything pointing to guilt, then there would be no reason to even comment. As it stands, it seems as if Hunter Biden’s camp is more upset they got caught here. Otherwise, they’d be making a case that the whistleblower is lying." 

And a reminder from Breitbart, Testimony Reveals Blinken — As Adviser to Biden Campaign — Spurred Letter from 51 Intel Officials Discrediting Hunter Laptop Story. Sundance at CTH, House Judiciary Committee Releases Evidence of U.S. Intelligence Community Conducting Domestic Political Disinformation Campaign. Tim Graham, The Steele Dossier Boosters Lecture Fox on Truth?

At Da Caller, Biden Introduces New Federal Agency With Massive Climate Authority, environmental justice. Any time you have to modify justice, it isn't really about justice anymore. In anticipation of the next big fight, At Da Wire,  Manchin Calls Out Biden For Not Negotiating With Republicans On Debt Limit‘: A Deficiency Of Leadership.’ PJM's Bob Spencer, Just When Dem Debates Would Have Been Interesting, DNC Says There Will Be No Debates. That would be an interesting contrast. "Add in Marianne Williamson, and the proceedings would get even more fun."

From TNP, Soros Non-Profits Conspiring to Keep Trump OFF THE BALLOT in 2024 Using Anti-Confederate Law from 1868 and Poll Claims ‘Trump Indictment Bump Fading Fast’… Here’s a Detailed Look at the Truth, and the Numbers. Lies, damn lies and polling data. Off the Press looks at a WSJ poll and concludes Trump Over DeSantis Still, But It’s Only DeSantis Over Biden. It's my biggest fear about Trump. Hat Hair's KT thinks "America's Governor" wows at Heritage Foundation's leadership summit. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.21.23 Transterrestrial Musings calls out some  Anti-DeSantis Imbecility "Yes, let’s move Disney from Florida to Puerto Rico. I’d like to say that I’m disappointed that Trump and Trumpsters have signed on to this stupidity, for no other reason than that he’s mindlessly bashing De Santis as a rival, but I’m not really, nor am I surprised." Never-DeSantis sundance at CTH, Representatives Steube, Mills and Donalds Leave Fox News Hosts Crying on Air for Their Beloved DeSantis – Video. Breitbart, Larry Elder Announces Run for President. A great guy, but not gonna happen. 

Chicks on the Right, Senator Fetterman Celebrated Pot Day (4/20). Priorities. Capt. Ed (at Hat Hair) snarks Did no one think to explain the optics of having a man whose mental functions are undoubtedly impaired endorsing a hallucinogen? Sheesh.  From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.21.23, Jon Tobin at Da Fed, Feinstein, Fetterman, And Biden Illustrate Democrats’ Double Standard On Mental Acuity. If it weren't for double standards, they'd have not at all.

Is this something? From sundance, After Englebrecht and Phillips Publish Proof of Election Data Compromise, Konnech Corp Drops Lawsuit Against True the Vote

Last year, True the Vote founder Catherine Englebrecht and election data security analyst, Gregg Phillips, were held in contempt of court and placed in jail for failing to outline the participant sources in a 2020 hotel discussion that revealed a Konnech Corporation election data compromise that was transmitted to Chinese networks. {Go Deep}

Eventually a higher court dismissed the contempt charge and forced the release of Englebrecht and Phillips, but the lawsuit brought by Konnech against them continued. On Monday Englebrecht and Phillips dumped the Konnech election data into open public source format {SEE HERE} showing the scale of the election security compromise. On Tuesday, Konnech dropped the lawsuit against Englebrecht, True The Vote and Phillips.

It's not new, but because it's Margot Cleveland at Da Fed, Judge Nukes Alvin Bragg’s Request To Quash Subpoena Because ‘No One Is Above The Law.’ 

At Da Wire, Louisville Banker Killer Left Behind Manifesto Detailing Anti-Gun Motive For The Shooting: Report. I wonder how long it will take the FBI to release the manifesto? Jordan Boyd at Da Fed, Louisville Shooter Killed Five To Get Firearms Banned — And Democrats Are Happy To Oblige.  Sundance, Tennessee Officials Report the FBI Is Hiding the Transgender Manifesto Outlining Objective for Mass Murder.  From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.21.23, Don Surber: Save Your State – Vote Republican and End The FBI Blackmail. At Fox, Illegal aliens who are LGBTQ 'may not be detained' under Democrats' new bill.

Twitchy notes AOC invokes NATURAL DISASTERS (REEE!) to complain about Elon Musk charging for verification, floods, fires and an $8 fee. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.21.23, Louder With Crowder, Elon Musk’s response to Alyssa Milano’s Twitter meltdown is s***posting perfection. Elon Musk@elonmusk "We’ve started a “save-a-celebrity fund” to pay their $8. We take this matter very seriously." Spiked, The great blue-tick hissy fit, "The elites are furious at Elon Musk for revoking their unearned status. Good." Fox, Twitter drops 'government-funded media' label from NPR, Russia's RT account. "Twitter also removed the state-affiliated media tag from outlets in foreign autocracies." Twitchy, Elon Musk removes all government association labels from Twitter profiles – and we mean ALL of them, you need to be careful of what you whine about. "One suspects that Musk’s game is to force the media to start complaining about a lack of such labels, and then say something like this: ‘What do you want? You complained when I accurately said that companies like NPR, BBC, and CBC are government funded. You complained when I stopped labeling any by government affiliation. So what do you want? For me to tell the truth about some of you but not others?’"

At Da Wire, Democrat Rep. Threatens Independent Journalist Matt Taibbi With Jail Time Over ‘Twitter Files’ Testimony and Matt Taibbi responds House Democrats Have Lost Their Minds, "Representative Stacey Plaskett, who called Michael Shellenberger and me "direct threats to people who oppose them," is now threatening me with prison - over Mehdi Hasan's uncorrected error" Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Taibbi: House Democrats Have Lost Their Minds "It really is remarkable when you think about it. The Democrats, in trying to prove that the government is not being weaponized against the American public, are weaponizing the government against journalists and threatening them with 5 years in prison. . .  Now, back to the issue: what the Democrats have done here is not “lose their minds,” as Taibbi too generously claims. They know exactly what they are doing, and that thing is weaponizing government. They are using the power of government to intimidate people into either silence, at minimum, or total compliance." Scott Johnson notes the Power Line is Too hot for Facebook.

Althouse, "What speech, she said, comes close to being a 'true threat' but is so 'supervaluable' that we need to be worried about it?" ""She" = Justice Kagan, described in "Justices hear 'true threat' protected speech case" (SCOTUSblog)." Supreme Court liberals appear poised to do away with the First Amendment on piece at a time.

Da Wire, WATCH: ’90s Ad Shows Bud Light Using Men In Women’s Clothing As A Punchline. Back when funny ads were legal. At Ace's THE MORNING RANT Buck Throckmorton is Partying Like It’s 1773 - The Bud Light Tea Party. Leah Barkoukis at Town Hall sees There's Been a New Development in the Bud Light Saga "The senior marketing executive behind Bud Light’s partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney has taken a leave of absence, according to a new report from AdAge." Nick Arama at Red State, Bud Light Finally Takes Some Action Regarding Their VP of Marketing After Mulvaney Controversy. Insty, UNEXPECTEDLY! "Bud Light’s marketing leadership undergoes shakeup after Dylan Mulvaney controversy. Alissa Heinerscheid, who has led the brand since June, takes leave of absence and is replaced by Budweiser global marketing VP Todd Allen." Hat Hair, New: Bud Light has a new VP of marketing for some reason. Sundance, Bud Light Marketing VP Replaced Following Controversial Transgender Rebranding Effort, Heinerschied Now On Leave of Absence. KT at Hat Hair, Feel-Good Friday: "Erased" - A message to woke corporate America edition. Liz Stauffer at WaEx thinks the Dylan Mulvaney controversy is much bigger than Bud Light "Before jumping headlong into the culture war, woke corporations need to understand that consumers have choices, especially when it comes to beer, and there is a price to be paid for jumping on the woke train."

Bri Teresi

At Fox, Trans woman showered with four Wisconsin high school girls, violated their privacy, letter to district claims, "Letter alleges trans woman exposed private area to underage girls." Ashe Schow at Da Wire, 18-Year-Old Male Identifying As Female Enters High School Girls’ Locker, Showers Naked Next To 14-Year-Old Students, Conservative Org Alleges. Ace, Seven Girls Sue Their National Sorority For Forcing Them to Admit Transgender; Lawsuit Claims That the Transgender Leers At Them and Can Sometimes Be Seen Sporting a Visible Erection "Through His Leggings".  At Da Caller, Instagram Model And Golfer Cuts Ties With Lingerie Brand That Hired Biological Male Model "Instagram influencer and golfer Bri Teresi has decided to sever ties with a high-end lingerie company after the brand used a biological male model for an ad campaign." Virginia Kruta at Da Wire, Top House Democrat Says Men In Women’s Sports Is An Issue That ‘Doesn’t Exist’. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.21.23,  Louder With Crowder: ‘I’m A Man of God’: Based Grandpa Walks Out, Refuses To Dance With Drag Queen In Competition and Transterrestrial Musings is Mocking The Trans Cult. At PJM, Bob Spencer at Twitter Memester Carpe Donktum Mocks the Trans Cult, and It’s Riotous and Kathy Salgado reports European Reviews Find That ‘Gender Transition’ Doesn’t Solve Mental Problems. 

THOR 5th

From Town Hall, 'Female Dummies' in Crash Testing?! Democrat Pushes For 'Gender Equity' in Car Crashes. "Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) highlights the vital work that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is doing to ensure that "female dummies" are used in vehicle crash testing "to fight the gender inequity among...crash victims." John Sexton at Hat Hair, Investigation finds no evidence of LGBTQ bullying crisis which led to Middle School protests and federal complaints, hate crimes are in such demand that they need to be manufactured. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.21.23, The Geller Report: Bill Gates Donated Over $80 million To Org that Teaches 10-Year-Olds How to Become “Sex Workers”. At Da Lid, Calif. Democrats Floating Law to Take Kids Away from Parents Who Aren’t Woke Enough.

Althouse is impressed by the argument "I should have the right to introduce my daughter to the concepts of adultery and coveting one's spouse." "It shouldn’t be one of the first things she learns to read in her kindergarten classroom. . . . I like the way Litzler is invoking parental rights, which, on other issues, are so performatively treasured by social conservatives." Doug Murray at NYPo thinks Randi Weingarten is the shame of the nation. Dave Strom worries The Left is turning students into the Red Guards. Anxious is anxious about a Poll: GOP voters say fighting "woke" ideology more important than stopping Social Security cuts. 

At Am Think John Cauthen thinks DIE Means the Death of Military Professionalism.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Paige Spiranac and FMJRA 2.0: La Vie Secrete – Exercises Spirituelles up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

 

Virginia Power: Not Enough to go Around

Whitney Pipkin at the Bay Journal, Virginia regulators consider letting data centers regularly use fossil-fuel power for part of the year

Virginia regulators have proposed allowing nearly 300 data centers in Northern Virginia to use backup generators over a five-month period during which energy “transmission problems” are anticipated.

Many of these backup generators produce power by burning diesel or natural gas, which releases pollutants that pose risks to human and environmental health. To protect regional air quality, Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality regulates when and how frequently data centers can run their emergency on-site generators to ensure they are working while limiting their cumulative impact.

 As opposed to the coal and gas fired plants that provide much of the region's power?

During normal operations, data centers can be powered by a variety of sources, ranging from the municipal electric grid to their own solar panels. In Virginia, natural gas and nuclear power were the top sources of electricity in 2021, but that is changing, fueled partly by data centers. Google and Amazon, which operate many of the region’s centers or contract with them, have each committed to source energy entirely from renewable sources by 2030 and 2025, respectively.

During past interviews with the Bay Journal, state regulators said they imagined multiple data center generators running at the same time only in the case of a major emergency impacting the regional power grid. Environmental groups, meanwhile, have been increasingly concerned about the rapid and regionally concentrated growth of an industry that uses massive amounts of energy to satisfy the world’s appetite for electronic data.

The Northern Virginia counties of Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William are home to nearly 300 data centers that are crucial to moving about 70% of the world’s internet traffic. Those centers, and the reliability of the internet, by extension, could be impacted by upcoming power transmission issues that are anticipated from March to July of this year, DEQ Director Mike Rolband said in a statement explaining why the agency was proposing a temporary variance from its own regulations. Responding to questions by email, DEQ Spokesman Aaron Proctor said demand for electricity from data centers in that region "could potentially exceed the capacity of the area's electric transmission system" during that time period.

I can hardly wait for the rolling blackouts to start. But at least you'll still be able to do a search on Google and order from Amazon.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Garland Kept FBI Out of Biden's Garage

Are we still talking about the top secret files that Joe Biden took at the end of the Obama administration, and seemingly scattered around his living and working places? Damn right we are! And a lot of people don't want us to! So we must. At the Wombats In The Mailbox: 01.17.23 (Morning Edition) Da Tech Guy wonders Has the Left Demoted Joe Biden from “Useful Idiot” to Just Plain “Idiot”?, and Don Surber suspects Biden May Be Cheneyed, The Lid thinks IT’S ON: House GOP Demanding Answers In Biden Document Scandal, Power Line sees Garage logic, Biden style,Victory Girls discuss Top Secret Corvette Security, Weasel Zippers hear from Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN): Investigating Biden’s Classified Document Scandal Is A “Political Game”, and The Federalist lists Five Times Media Ran Cover For Biden In Classified Documents Scandal (only 5? Seems low). And at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.17.23 (Evening Edition), EBL sends HUNTER BIDEN PAYING OFF THE “BIG GUY”? and Which Democrat Kingmaker(s) Want Biden Out?, Twitchy has Jonathan Last – Stupid People Can’t Tell The Difference Between Document Breaches, Special K Breaks Under The Weight Of More Questions About Biden’s Document Bungles, and American Power: The Big Problem With the Biden Documents Story. 

At PJ Media, Athena Thorne remembers That Time in 2010 When VP Biden Left Classified Documents Lying Around the West Wing, so he's a repeat offender. Althouse not impressed by Phil Bumps attempt to downplay the scandal in He knows you are, but what is he?. David Catron at Am Spec speculates Was the Mar-a-Lago Raid a Biden Insurance Policy? "Perhaps it was meant to indemnify him against the kind of scandal in which he is now immersed." 'Bonchie' at Red State notes Dan Bongino Has Two Theories About Biden's Classified Documents; Neither of Them Look Good "To start, Bongino suggests this could be a “sabotage hit job” against Biden by Democrats who want to force him out of the 2024 race. . . . Bongino then continued with his second theory, which is that something bigger is going on in regard to criminal liability Biden may be facing." Josh Hammer at Front Page isn't the first to suspect Is the Deep State Coming After Joe Biden? At the Free Bacon, This Overlooked Detail Suggests Biden's Classified Document Scandal Could Bring Down His Presidency "Ian Sams, the upward-failing Forrest Gump of political disaster, is handling the White House response." Mary Chastain at LI,  Democrats Use Schiff as Shiv to Stick Biden Over Classified Docs Debacle. At CNS News, Rep. Adam Schiff: ‘It Was Inadvertent That These Documents Were in These Locations’ which doesn't make it better. KT at Haut Hare, Obama’s ethics chief rips Biden for 'appalling negligence' of classified documents. Fox, Biden classified docs scandal: Watchdog files ethics complaint over White House Counsel's Office involvement. At JTN, Former Obama ethics chief excoriates Biden over classified document storage, "Biden's own retention of classified records reflects an inexcusable neglect of the most basic security protocols." At Power Line, Scott Johnson quips Lying well is the best revenge. Breitbart Reports White House Aides Admit Classified Doc Scandal to Impact Joe Biden’s Expected 2024 Launch.

An important detail from Dave Strom at Haut Hair, Merrick Garland kept FBI out of Biden document search.  The Wall Street Journal@WSJ "The Justice Department considered but decided against monitoring the search for classified documents at President Biden's homes, people familiar with the matter said." At Da Wire, though, White House Won’t Say If Feds Searching For More Biden Classified Docs Or If Biden Is Involved In Search.

At Da Caller, Scarborough Says GOP Isn’t Wrong To Want To Know Contents Of Docs In Biden’s Garage. Curtis Houck@CurtisHouck CBS's@StevenPortnoy to KJP: "The reason I ask is...the first call that [Biden's] personal attorneys made on Nov. 2 was not to the FBI that they had found...top secret documents out in the open. The first call was to...the West Wing. How is that the right thing?" Capt. Ed comments "Looks like the White House’s spin isn’t convincing its normally friendlier media outlets, eh? Kudos to Steve Portnoy, but the real answer to his question is clear — it wasn’t the right thing." Nick Givas at JTN, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre under fire in midst of Biden document drama. "It is increasingly painful to watch Karine Jean-Pierre," legal commentator Jonathan Turley  tweeted Friday, "as she argues that they have been 'transparent' by being transparently unwilling to answer any questions." Nick Arama at Red State watches WH Cracks Under More Grilling, Can't Keep Story Straight on Biden Classified Docs. "Joe Biden’s classified document scandal is unrolling like most things that involve Joe Biden — it’s full of lies and a complete mess." Jim Geraghty at NRO, Biden’s Useless Promises of Transparency. Fox, Biden again ignores reporters' questions on classified documents, "White House staff quickly rushes reporters out of Oval Office" At Mediaite, ‘I Looked Him Straight In The Eye!’ NBC’s Peter Alexander Caught On Hot Mic Complaining Biden Blew Off His Special Counsel Question. At Twitchy, Jonathan Last notes that ‘stupid people can’t tell the difference’ between document breaches. Dave Strom sees evidence MSNBC is panicked about Biden documents scandal. In a point against him, Rob Reiner Calls Joe Biden ‘Decent Law Abiding Person’ in Wake of Classified Documents Scandal (Breitbart). I&I, Biden: Making America Worse Again.

Natalie Winters at the War Room reports Hunter Biden’s China-Linked Company Paid $49,910 In Rent – Identical To Amount Hunter Biden Paid For Joe’s House Where Classified Documents Found, Expense Reports Reveal. Quite a 'coincidence,' but let's not forget Hunter was doing crack at the time. Breitbart reports Hunter Paid for 2010 Repairs on Delaware House Where Joe Biden Stashed Classified Docs, how sweet! Dave Harsanyi at Da Fed explains Here’s Why The Hunter Biden Corruption Story Is Worth Investigating, Chuck Todd. From the Daily Fetched, Biden Removed His Tax Filings from Campaign Webpage Just 3 Weeks before FBI Raid on Mar-a-Lago, since restored. Weird. Matt Margolis at PJ Media, Ex-Intel Official Admits He Knew Hunter Laptop Was Real, and That's Not the Worst Part. "But the worst part is, despite this deception by Wise and the other intelligence officials, he feels no regret for misleading the public." Dan Chaitin at Da Wire, Intel Veteran Knew Hunter Biden Laptop ‘Had To Be Real’ Before Signing Letter. Capt. Ed at Haut Hare, Recant? Intel signatory on Hunter laptop now says they knew much of it was real. Sundance at CTH hosts Tucker Carlson Outlines How the National Security State is Superseding Elections by Controlling Politicians.

At PJ Media, Bob Spencer says Oops: Joe Biden Just Torpedoed the Left’s Entire Jan. 6 ‘Insurrection’ Narrative If you need to work about taking on the federal government, you need some F-15s. You don’t need an R– AR-15. Has any president in American history so delighted in taunting his citizens?" And Rick Moran notes Paranoid Biden Worries That 2A Supporters Only Want to Overthrow the Government. At Da Caller, Biden Claims His Daughter Is A Social Worker — She Hasn’t Been One For 11 Years, living in the past, and the White House. Also,  Has Biden Outlived His Usefulness? Why Some Dems Are Throwing The Octogenarian To The Curb. At Da Mail, VP Biden insisted 'nuclear football' briefcase used for counterstrikes to protect US remain a MILE behind his motorcade in Wilmington to preserve his image as 'a regular Joe'. Diana Glebova at Da Caller wonders Where Has Kamala Harris Been For Seven Months? Who cares as long as she stays away.

At Front Page the great Victor Davis Hanson explains What Caused the Anti-Trump Hysteria "The main perpetrators ignored the ancient law of "what goes around comes around." And at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.17.23 (Evening Edition),  At Am Great, Batt Boose exclaims Compared to the Present, Trump Era Was a Golden Age "As much as one is tempted to blame the “elites,” and they are truly contemptible, the American people share responsibility for failing to rebuke the yoke of this new world order."

At the Pipeline, Michael Walsh claims that  To Save America, Repeal the 26th Amendment (18 year old vote). Good luck with that. 

Sundance at CTH, Manipulated Economic News on Inflation – Prepare for Bad Corporate Earnings Reports as a Result of Poor Holiday Sales. 

Breitbart, January 6 Rioter First to Be Acquitted of Obstruction, Convicted on Other Charges. The Redoubtable Julie Kelly at Am Great claims New Body-Worn Camera Footage from J6 Supports Calls for Release of All Video "The American people deserve the unvarnished truth, not the Capitol police version of events." Meanwhile ex-Congresscritter Adam Kinzinger sells signed copies of Jan 6th report for $100 (PM). Hey, baby needs new shoes!

John Sexton at Haut Hair reports the Number of Virginia high schools who failed to inform students of merit awards rises to 13. Ace, At Least Thirteen Virginia Schools Now Known to Have Hidden or "Delayed" Reporting of National Merit Awards to Students in Name of "Equity;" Governor Youngkin Blasts "Maniacal maniacal Focus on Equal Outcomes for All Students at All Costs." At Da Blaze, Youngkin slams district for hiring $450K equity coach, withholding students' awards. At the Wombats In The Mailbox: 01.17.23 (Morning Edition)  LI reports a California Woman Sues School District for Allegedly Advising Her Daughter to Gender Transition Without Her Knowledge,

John Green at Am Think thinks This a Republican Turning Point, of the Speaker fight. At Da Wire, ‘Going to Be A Knife Fight’: House GOP Fighting Biden Administration On Raising Debt Ceiling. Sundance is Cautiously Optimistic about The House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. WaEx reports Marjorie Taylor Greene scores spot on Homeland Security and House Oversight committees as liberals shriek. With glee Mediaite claims Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert Threw Down in a Bathroom Screaming Match Over McCarthy. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.17.23 (Evening Edition), Weasel Zippers: Antisemite Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Mogadishu) Complains She Will Be Removed From Foreign Affairs Committee Over Her Antisemitism.

Nick Arama at Red State highlights how Elon Highlights 'Concerning' Process to Destroy Secret Instructions from FBI to Twitter. Disappearing censorship instructions, ala Mission Impossible. The Dirty Truth (Josh)@AKA_RealDirty "@DavidSacks explains how the FBI was using a tool called “ teleport” to communicate with Twitter. They were able to send instructions that deleted after 10 days and they weren’t able to take a screenshot of the communication." Part of a very long video I posted the other day. ET hosts an INFOGRAPHIC: Key Revelations of the ‘Twitter Files’. Sadly, at Da Fed, Chris Bedford reports It’s Official: The 118th Congress Will Do Jack All To Stop Big Tech’s Abuses. Da Caller wants you to Meet The ‘Disinformation’ Panelists, Including A Media Mogul and Dem Congressman, Attending the World Economic Forum. Insty snarks TO BE FAIR, HE KNOWS QUITE A LOT ABOUT THE SUBJECT: Brian Stelter, formerly of CNN, hosts panel on “the clear and present danger of disinformation” at Davos. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.17.23 (Evening Edition),  The Federalist: ABC News Refuses To Ask Adam Schiff About His Push For Big Tech Censorship. At WaEx, Twitter Files: Drugmakers pushed for censorship of generic vaccine advocacy.