Flotsam and Jetsam - With Frickin' Laser Beams

VodkaPundit at PJM says That's Right: We're Shooting Down Enemy Drones With Fricken Laser Beams. Insty says ZAP! "The US military has been deploying lasers in the Strait of Hormuz to knock out regime hardware, taking out “drones and incoming cruise missiles at a much lower cost than using more expensive kinetic weapons like missiles,” the Department of War recently confirmed. “Somewhat surprisingly, the laser weapons are operated by soldiers using reconfigured Xbox game console controllers.”" NYPo, US military spending $500M on ‘war-ready’ laser weapons — and zapping drones in Iran, along US border: experts.

Over liberal and never-Trumper objections, News Wax reports Trump Welcomes Xi With White House Tour, Gifts, Dinner. Becca Lower at RedState says Nice Try: Thursday's Trump-Xi WH Dinner Coverage Does Not Go Well for CNN, MS NOW. Althouse finds ""As a special treat in honor of President Xi and Madame Peng, I’d like to invite everyone in the room to visit through that beautiful curtain in the back door." ""It’s all lit up and looks beautiful. It's one year away from completion, the new ballroom that you've heard about, and you will see something that you will really love. Presidents have been trying to get this built for 150 years that I can tell you that, tonight, if we had it, we would have had way more than a thousand people, standing room only, and this room has about 145. That's about it. So they've been looking for this for over 150 years..." He is really proud of it, so the liberals and never-Trumpers must oppose it, and tear it down if they get power. Miles Yu at the Hudson Inst explains Why We Must Prepare for the Chinese Communist Party’s Collapse. "As the Hudson Institute report “China after Communism: Preparing for a Post-CCP China” argues, the People’s Republic of China has survived many crises, but the sudden collapse of the world’s longest-ruling communist dictatorship and second-largest economy is hardly inconceivable. The international consequences would be enormous."

Back at the UN, News Wax reports how Netanyahu Slams Mamdani, Blasts Antisemitism, 'Genocide' Claim. Ace, Dozens of Muslim Delegates Walk Out as Netanyahu Addresses UN, "The BBC. Note the spin." They should all go home, then disband the UN, which has long outlived its usefulness. Open Source Intel @Osint613, "Argentine President Javier Milei: "The United Nations has become a useless organization whose entire function is to feed a caste of arrogant parasites masquerading as well-intentioned officials. Those who claim to defend human rights have backed bloodthirsty dictatorships and regimes that stone women in the streets. They systematically voted against Israel while staying silent in the face of Islamist terrorism and the murder of Christians in Africa."" Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " WOW!! Argentina President Javier Milei just walked up to the mic at the United Nations and RIPPED THEM TO THEIR FACES ..." Chris Bray at Da Fed argues Trump’s Greenland Deal Makes The World More Secure, And Makes The Media Less Relevant Than Ever. Katie Pavlich @KatiePavlich, "Just curious if @UN_Women has noticed or feels they should say anything about this." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Women in Gaza are being traded for food, forced to marry their rapists: UN https://trib.al/kX7S2I6."

Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears Carney-Val Continue: 'I Had Plans Prepared for Syrupean Elbows Up in Case Trump Attacked'. From Twitchy, DEFCON MAPLE SYRUP: Carney Prepared for a Trump Invasion, and X Has Entered the Chat. PJM's Stephen Kruise wonders if Canada's Mark Carney Didn't Get Hugged Enough at Syrup Camp. I mean, seriously, did anyone think Trump was going to attack Canada? We have issues with their government, sure, but not Iran or Venezuela level issues. Robert Chernin writes The Trump Doctrine Is America Choosing Survival Over Therapy, "Call it the Trump Doctrine. And call it what it is. This is not isolation. Isolation is a tantrum. This is not endless war. Endless war is a habit. This is America recovering the right to decide."

PJM's Charlie Martin on Iran, Siege: Nothing Happens Until It All Happens. VodkaPundit at Insty has SHOT: Endangered GOP Senate Candidates Take Sudden Turn On Iran War. Chaser: Senate Shoots Down Final War Powers Resolution Before Midterm Elections. John Sexton at Hat Hair VIP notes Sen. Fetterman Crosses Party Lines on Iran War.

From Defense News a Report: CIA warned Europe of Russian drone attack from vessels in the Mediterranean. At Am Con, Will Germany’s Chancellor Go Down? "AfD’s seemingly unstoppable rise has Friedrich Merz on the ropes." Das tut mir leid!

Semafor claims OpenAI exec is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the US working with China on AI. At Am Great, the Great Victory Davis Hanson looks at AI and the Same Old Politicized Hysteria. "America has endured decades of politicized doomsday warnings. Today’s AI panic follows a familiar script." Althouse find "This month, 27 Fields medalists — winners of mathematics’ highest honor — have signed a joint declaration stating that solving famous open problems is not, in itself, the goal.", ""Such problems are 'landmarks and lighthouses,' they write, whose deeper purpose is to guide mathematicians toward conceptual understanding and insight. Terence Tao, one of the signers... has described what’s happening as 'strip-mining' mathematics. Good problems, he argues, are like nonrenewable resources. Some of them — the smaller, easier ones — can help train the next generation of mathematicians." At PifferPilfer, AI Isn’t Outthinking Mathematicians. It’s Out-Remembering Them. "The key advantage may not be superior reasoning, but a virtually unlimited symbolic working memory."

Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "This is the winning midterm message. But the GOP at large won’t pick it up because too many of their candidates’ donors want to replace American workers with cheap foreign labor." Quote JD Vance @JDVance, "Our message to corporate America is simple: We’re not going to let you lay off American workers so you can replace them with cheap foreign labor." I&I asks Is Trump Getting The George H.W. Bush Treatment On The Economy? Of course. It's amazing that Democrats have the chutzpah to run on gas prices, since part of their long time policy objectives is to jack up gas prices. Catturd ™ @catturd2, "100% - and the doomer grifters are doing everything possible to get Democrats elected because Trump called them out and bruised their fragile, little egos." Quote Brendon Leslie @BrendonLeslie, "If you’re sitting this election out because of your weird obsession for Israel then you’re basically voting for socialism. You’re not conservative." From Reuters US Energy Secretary Wright says diesel export ban won't work, "and could push up gasoline and jet fuel prices." Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "I expected the Trump tariffs to be a disaster. I'm puzzled by what I'm not seeing. They don't seem to have harmed the US economy in any way I can notice with my eyeballs or in the statistics. Business activity is booming, unemployment seems to be low, household consumption is up, stock market seems to be doing fine. Is my whole model of trade and economics broken? How is he getting away with this?" It may not be broken, but it's certainly too simple. At Am Mind John Eastman calls it President Trump’s $5,000 Fiscal Test. "Suddenly, the political class discovered fiscal responsibility. Critics immediately pointed out that the federal government doesn’t have over a trillion dollars lying around. They warned that the checks would increase the deficit. They reminded us that the national debt has surpassed $40 trillion. They worried about inflation, borrowing costs, and the burden we are leaving to future generations. Those are legitimate concerns. In fact, they should have been dominating our national political debate for decades."

Latinx Adjacent Doctor PhD @TonerousHyus, "They’re calling him the most unaware white lib in human history." Quote Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias, "DC crime has fallen enough that the CVS by my house has stopped locking the locks on the cases they installed during Peak Shoplifting and it’s such a quality of life upgrade." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "And for an encore, our crazy orange president red-pilled Matthew Yglesias."

And bad news from News Wax, Butler Rally Survivor Copenhaver Dies 2 Years After Shooting. Althouse finds "Copenhaver was hit in the arm and abdomen. The wounds left him with lingering injuries, which required him to undergo surgeries..." ""... including a transection of his colon. He also suffered kidney damage as well as loss of feeling in his leg, and was required to walk with a cane. The top of Trump’s right ear was injured before the Secret Service ushered him off stage..." From "James Copenhaver, shot at Trump rally, dies two years later/The 76-year-old was called a ‘true American patriot’ by the US president. It is unclear if he died from injuries sustained in the crossfire in Pennsylvania" (London Times)."

At Campus Reform, Hasan Piker, who said America ‘deserved 9/11,’ to speak at sold-out Cornell event, and well protected, I'm sure. From the Free Bacon, Abdul El-Sayed Called on Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood To 'Purge the Media and Police' Shortly Before Islamic Government Arrested Reporters for 'Insulting Islam' "El-Sayed was a vocal supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, which shares his devotion to Sharia law." Althouse find Mamdani pandering to NYC Jews, Let the children come to Mamdani. "This gets my old tag, "using children in politics."" 

Ace notes New York Times Reveals that Democrat Senate Candidate Mary Peltola Abuses Staff, Cursing Them and Calling them "F*ggots". "LOL. She explodes at her staffers and calls them "faggots" and "retards" and calls Planned Parentood harpies "BITCHES."" Well, to be fair, they are Democrats. From the Free Bacon, Left-Wing House Hopeful William Lawrence Featured Pedophile Sex Predator, Who Repeatedly Raped His 12-Year-Old Half-Sister, at His Campaign Launch Event.

Kevin Sorbo @ksorbs, "Say that again… slowly." Quote Leading Report @LeadingReport, "Kamala Harris says Republicans are cheating by removing ineligible voters from the rolls."Insurrection Barbie @DefiyantlyFree, "This is why you vote Republican. Not because they are so amazing they deserve your vote. Because the other side is insane and they will torch this country and smile while doing it." Quote TheBlaze @theblaze, "Democrat Rep. Delia Ramirez while speaking in Spanish: “We are going to abolish the Department of Homeland Security so our people will no longer have to live in fear.”" Matt Vespa at TownHall hears Maria Salazar, Trump's Deportation Traitor, Got a Wake Up Call From Her Constituents. Ryan King at NYPo sees Marco Rubio begins yanking visas of birth tourism enablers: ‘Sending a clear message.’ PJM's Cathy Salgado likes how DHS Ends Biden-Era Solicitation of Donations for Illegal Aliens in Custody. It takes a while to prune a big tree. From Ward Clark at RedState, Rashida Tlaib Said ICE Killed Him. Now DHS Delivers a Brutal Fact Check. Homeland Security @DHSgov, "On September 20, ICE officers attempted a stop of a vehicle registered to a known criminal illegal alien with multiple alcohol related driving offenses who is also wanted in Guatemala for a drunk and disorderly charge, during a targeted enforcement operation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As officers attempted the stop to confirm the identity of the driver, the driver of the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed. In the interest of public safety, ICE officers immediately discontinued the enforcement action. A short time later, officers saw smoke nearly half a mile from the attempted stop and discovered the vehicle had crashed into a tree and caught fire. Officers immediately attempted to render aid and extinguish the fire until the Grand Rapids Police Department and Fire Department arrived. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene by local officials. Officials also estimated that the suspect’s vehicle was traveling well over 100 miles per hour when the crash occurred. Upon further investigation the driver of the vehicle was Mario David Coronado-Juarez and not the vehicle’s registered owner. Coronado-Juarez was an illegal alien from Guatemala who was previously removed by Border Patrol from the United States in 2021. He re-entered the country, a felony, at an unknown date and location. Resisting officers and evading arrest is dangerous for our officers, illegal aliens, and the public." Quote Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, "@RepRashida ICE killed another man. His name is Mario David Coronado Juarez. Mario lived and worked in Michigan for 7 years as a construction worker, sending money home to his kids in Guatemala."Nick Plumb @PlumbNick, "Texas DPS has confirmed a technical issue caused an unknown number of voter registrations to not be processed. Civix, a company you’ve probably never heard of, received a $36M contract for the Texas Election Administration Management system, happens to be a steady employer of H-1Bs. How many of these foreigners are working on critical election infrastructure? ..."

InfantryDort @infantrydort, "BEFORE YOU BURN THE HOUSE I keep hearing people talk about civil war like it’s weather coming over the ridge. “Burn it down! Let the whole thing break! Start again in the ashes!” Reckless words from folks who still have a ballot sitting on the table. Before you speak of rifles, use the piece of paper men once crossed oceans and battlefields to earn. If you curse the Republic as dead, make damn sure you showed up while it was still breathing...." and read the rest.

Random news from the Justice system. Fred Lucas at Da Signal, reports Jack Smith Team Knew Spying on Congress ‘Might Be Unconstitutional’ but ‘Forged Ahead’: House Report "The report notes that Smith privately told Garland that members of Congress “likely have a valid Speech or Debate privilege immunizing them from compelled testimony.” However, Garland gave his “blessing” for Smith to pursue the records." Say anything you like about Mitch McConnell, but remember, he kept Merrick Garland off the Supreme Court.

DogeDesigner @cb_doge, "BREAKING: The US is seeking to join Elon Musk’s court fight over the EU’s €120 million fine on X. The Trump administration has applied to support X’s challenge, arguing that the European Commission overstepped its authority. Washington is now standing with Musk."

Buck Sexton @BuckSexton, "Unsurprising to find out the demonic "it's not her fault" jury loons were rigging the system and breaking rules while they accused the lone sane voice of doing that." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Lindsay Clancy holdout juror Michael Desronvil claims fellow jurors used cell phones during deliberations: report https://trib.al/6XJu3cL" Jonathan Turley is disturbed, From Holdout to Hunted: Kevin Reddington Seeks Phone Records and Interview with Holdout Clancy Juror. Twitchy, Ruh-Roh: MASSIVE Receipt Shows Sunny Hostin LIED About Being a Holdout Juror... Shocking, We Know. Ace, Did Sonny Hostin Lie About Being the Holdout Juror in the Butcher of Tompkins Square Park Case?

Ace wonders Did Candace Owens Take $1.75 Million from Harvey Weinstein to Defend Him and Taint the Jury Pool So That He'd Be Acquitted? "The evidence is suggestive." It's all about the Benjamins. 

Fox reports a California gunman repeatedly released before deadly rampage, fiery shootout with deputies, "Derek Spencer, 44, was killed in a Placer County deputy-involved shooting after allegedly gunning down Cheryl Macy."

Hat Hair's John Sexton, Judge Orders White House to Allow Reporters Back In, Pool Coverage Still MIA. Ace, Of Course: Liberal Judge Rushes in to Save CNN and MSNOW "Just the News:" "Real America's Voice and Just the News have been undermining this boycott by doing the pool coverage themselves." Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "Less than 48 hours ago, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins said we independent media outlets could NOT handle covering President Trump with our pool cameras We set out to prove her WRONG, and we DID. Today, we covered EVERY SECOND of President Trump’s welcome ceremony for Xi. Right here on 𝕏 THE GAME HAS CHANGED! “They don’t have the resources,” @kaitlancollins said. She was proven wrong. @RealAmVoice @JackPosobiec." Quote Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "NOW: Legacy media outlets are REFUSING to cover President Trump for the American people, in solidarity with CNN They're saying independent media CANNOT replace them, claiming "we don't have the resources"" Brian Stelter @brianstelter, "Here's the latest on the White House TV pool: When Trump flew back from New York last night, Fox News was the scheduled TV pool crew. But Fox did not film the president’s arrival at Andrews since this decision remains in place: “The TV pool will not be covering events designated..." Whale Psychiatrist @k_ovfefe2, "I hate to tell you, Brian, but everything President Trump did yesterday was live streamed all over the internet just like it always is. No one watches TV. No one misses the press pool. You are extinct, you just haven't realized it yet." Stephen Kruiser sees MSM Hacks Hope They Have One More Despair PsyOp in Them This Year.

unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "Did people forget about the southern poverty law center scandal already where the dems paid the KKK and other extremists groups?" Quote Derek @SuitablePolitic, "It's amazing to me that people think Democrats aren't paying for a guy to both sound like a stereotypical "alt-right guy" and ultimately call for Democrats to win every cycle. Fuentes isn't alone, either. Most of the Retard Right can be traced to this specific strategy." Quote Fugitive Caesar @ThomBrady5, "Nick Fuentes is secretly paid by the Democrats and it's obvious if you think about it." Hans Mahncke @HansMahncke, "Remember, whenever you read anything in the Wall Street Journal about China, you should assume it came straight from the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda office." Quote Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "There's a weird pattern here with China correspondent @Lingling_Wei pushing Beijing’s preferred strategic narrative in the Wall Street Journal. The sourcing looks like a CCP info op. Almost every load-bearing claim involves:..."

Wall Street Mav @WallStreetMav, "The new radical leftist Prime Minister in Britain, Andy Burnham, has announced his plans to create a "Ministry of Truth" to control news media and eliminate news or opinions that the government disagrees with." TNP, UK Govt Announces New ‘Ministry of Truth’ to Tackle Alleged Disinformation. Dave Strom says In 90 Seconds You Can Watch the 'Russian Disinformation' Excuse for Speech Controls Collapse. Beege Welborn is amused that Rather Than Have a Home Boiler, Labour Is Proposing to Barge in Hot Water to Heat British Homes.

Gad Saad @GadSaad, "The West: Why did you commit the terror attack? Terrorist: My religion dictates it. The West: So climate change? Terrorist: No, my religion. The West: So beard bullying? Terrorist: No, my religion. The West: So, violent video games then? Terrorist: No, my religion. The West: So, American imperialism then? Terrorist: No, my religion. The West: So the Zionist entity forced you to defend yourself? Terrorist: FFS, it's MY RELIGION. Conclusion from the West: Terror attacks stem from a confluence of paleo-botanical-sociocultural-ethnopolitical forces that requires a nuanced analysis. What is absolutely clear though is that this has nothing to do with religion." ZitoSalena @ZitoSalena, "Evangelicals, Catholics and Baptists whose support for the Jewish people is rooted in distinct theological frameworks, historical developments & biblical interpretations. Also normal people who had a decent high school education." Quote Bennett Arron @BennettArron, "Does anyone, apart from Jews, actually care that antisemitism is off the scale?" Jonathan Tobin at JNS argues Confronting Jew-haters is more important than worrying about cancel culture.

Richard McGough Bible Wheel @RichardAMcGough, "Ah yes, the awesome Roland Fryer, the man Claudine Gay tried to destroy after he debunked some DEI dogmas she held so dear." Quote Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79, "“Do you believe in karma?” “I hear it’s a motherf*cker.” Roland Fryer in response to @bariweiss when she asks him about Claudine Gay." But, as Dave Strom warns We Overestimate the Progress Made in Stamping Out Wokeness.

The Wombat has more at In The Mailbox: 09.24.26 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 09.24.26 (Evening Edition).

Flotsam and Jetsam - You Can't Rename Lake Ontario Says the LatinX Birthing Person

Chris Martz @ChrisMartzWX "I think that Trump renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America is pointless and stupid. Wanna know what else I think is dumb? The fact left-wingers are triggered about this after they spent the last decade plus renaming sports teams, public schools and universities, streets and highways, food and condiment brands, and redefining half the dictionary altogether. Here’s a list of some in case you forgot: • Washington Redskins -> Commanders • Cleveland Indians -> Guardians • Stanford Indians -> Cardinals • Loudoun County Raiders -> Captains • Edmonton Eskimos -> Elks • Columbus Day -> Indigenous Peoples’ Day • Lee–Jackson Day -> eliminated • Robert E. Lee High School -> John Lewis High • Jefferson Davis Highway -> Richmond Highway • Mount McKinley -> Denali • Fort Bragg -> Fort Liberty • Fort Hood -> Fort Cavazos • Boy Scouts of America -> Scouting America • Aunt Jemima -> Pearl Milling Company • Uncle Ben’s Rice -> Ben’s Original • Eskimo Pie ice cream bars -> Edy’s Pie • Land O’Lakes -> removed the Indian, but kept the land • Illegal alien -> undocumented worker • Hispanic -> Latinx (a term Hispanics did not want and do not use) • Mother -> birthing person • Anchor baby -> child of noncitizens • black -> Black • Breastfeeding -> chest feeding • Inmate / prisoner / convict / felon -> justice-involved person • Ex-con / ex-felon -> returning citizen • “Gender” as a biological fact interchangeable with “sex” to being a social construct • Fat -> plus-sized • Master bedroom -> primary bedroom • Manhole -> utility hole And so on and so on. . ." Nick Arama at RedState, Bill Maher Hilariously Levels Criticism of 'Lake America,' Hoists Liberals With Their Own Petard. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "LMAO! BILL MAHER JUST DROPPED: "Trump [renamed] Lake Ontario to Lake America — liberals are VERY pissed at this. They say, 'you can't just go around renaming things to suit your agenda!'" "Just ask my LatinX birthing person!""

Matt Vespa at TownHall sees This MSNBC Contributor Tried to Slip This Anti-Trump Talking Point Past Bill Maher. It Didn't Work. Twitchy, Molly Jong-Fast's Clash With Byron Donalds Over Measles Gets Personal on Bill Maher’s Show. Hat Hair's Dave Strom sees Shapiro's Shame: The COVID Playbook, Lancaster Edition. Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "I live in Pennsylvania; Josh Shapiro is the governor of my state. Until this incident I thought he was one of the least bad Democrats - I believed he was above the kind of sleazy demogogic move that he just tried to pull. I didn't think his chances of being the Democratic nominee in '28 were very good even before this, because the ascendant Islamist/Palestinian faction in the party won't tolerate a Jewish nominee. But if he had any shot at all, it's gone now. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes." Quote Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is running MAJOR DAMAGE CONTROL after he just got fully exposed fabricating "measles deaths" for two newborns RESIGN, NOW!"

Twitchy debunks WaPo: Historic Cherry Trees Are Coming Down by the Dozen Thanks to Trump. Just arborists removing sick trees.

LT Jonathan Kendrick @PlisskenPatriot, "President Trump is firing on all cylinders. Incredible work from this administration." Quote Unfiltered Artist @EmpireEnjoyer3, "It’s the end of Congress’ annual August Recess and Trump finally kicks it into overdrive for the midterms. - Iran War is over and oil is flowing through the Straight again, with fuel shortage lines across Iran and hyper inflation under Treasury Secretary Bessent’s crushing sanctions..." At 1945, 5 Reasons Trump’s Iran War Victory Will Make America Stronger. "After a week in which the story flipped from Tehran trouncing Trump to the Iranians being in serious trouble, it is time to look past the war to what it means for American power. There are five reasons the United States will emerge from the Iran War as a more formidable force than it was going in." John Lucas at Bravo Blue, on HOW NOT TO GUARANTEE STRATEGIC DEFEAT, “Don’t give up the ship!” Victory Girls are not sympathetic to Crybabies: Stars and Stripes Reporters Want Their Jobs Back. Insty sees AMERICA’S ENEMIES SYNCHRONIZE THEIR MESSAGING: Ezra Levant @ezralevant, "U.S. Democrats and Mark Carney are synchronizing their messages. Carney hired Maia Johnson, a staffer for Hillary Clinton, to run the trade negotiations. Pretty clear the reason Carney ripped up a done deal was to embarrass Trump and help Democrats in the mid-terms." Quote Scott Robertson @sarobertson_, "Fmr U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice: "If you're sitting in Canada, whether you're a farmer or a citizen or in the PM's office, the only rational conclusion is that Canada has to reduce its reliance on the US. It's got to diversify its economic partnerships, its security relationships." Brilyn Hollyhand @BrilynHollyhand, "When America had a disagreement with Canada, Democrats sided with Canada. When America had a disagreement with Iran, Democrats sided with Iran. When America had a disagreement with Venezuela, Democrats sided with Venezuela. Do Democrats ever side with America?"

Sundance at CTH throws cold water at those buoyed up by recent Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia, Moscow and Kiev Exchange Warehouse and Distribution Attacks, But Only One Side Feels Impact.

Breitbart Bus Dig asserts Warsh and Bessent Are Not at Odds Over the Bond Market. Steve Moore at Hat Hair explores the question Is the USA Going Bankrupt? "Thank God, no, we aren't going bust as a nation, despite our gargantuan $40 trillion national debt. The rapid pileup of debt under Republicans and Democrats alike is certainly a disgrace and worrisome. When I came to Washington in the mid-1980s, our debt hit $1 trillion for the first time. It seemed like a tidal wave of red ink. Forty years later, we're at $40 trillion. That's a big and scary number. But our national wealth is roughly $180 trillion. So our debt-to-asset ratio, which has been rising, is still less than 25%, and much lower than at the end of World War II, when the debt hit 40% of wealth." From the Right Scoop, Democrats are attacking Republicans over sky high prices THEIR Big Pharma allies are CAUSING.

Stacy McCain thinks about How You Got Hasan Piker: It Started With Cowardice in the Public School System. At Twitchy, 'So, Like, a Normie D**che': Hasan Piker Gets Demolished ... by His HAIRDRESSER. Rolling Stone @RollingStone, "Rolling Stone names Hasan Piker as one of the most influential creators of 2026. The self-declared Marxist has found himself at the center of endless controversies, thanks to his criticism of Israel on his daily streams but also because he's become the face of a movement to push Dems to the left." Most influential doesn't mean good. PJM's Tim O'Brien says Yay, Sports! Abdul El-Sayed’s Unforgivable College Football Gaffe. Hat Hair's John Sexton thinks Mamdani's Universal Child Care Extension Turns Into 'an Absolute Disaster'. At Twitchy, Mamdani's 'Signature Childcare Program' Launch Provides a Preview of City-Owned Grocery Stores. Gooder and harder. Cory Franklin at John Kass says Et tu, David Axelrod? Krzysztof Szczawinski @Kristof_Poland, "You probably think the British Establishment is populated with conservative men – while in fact it is quite the opposite – it is full of guys like this ... Ignatieff asked the question every serious reader wanted asked. He asked it in the plainest possible form. Ignatieff's First Question. Ignatieff: "In 1934, millions of people are dying in the Soviet experiment. If you had known that, would it have made a difference to you at that time?" Hobsbawm: "Probably not." Ignatieff Pressed Him. Why? Hobsbawm: "Because in a period in which, as you might imagine, mass murder and mass suffering are absolutely universal, the chance of a new world being born in great suffering would still have been worth backing." Then Ignatieff Put a Number on It. Ignatieff: "That the loss of fifteen, twenty million people might have been justified?" Hobsbawm: "Yes." He Bet Twenty Million Dead on a World Revolution..." Josh Howerton @howertonjosh, "Muslims have a plan to make America a Muslim nation. Marxists have a plan to make America a Marxist nation. Secular Progressives have a plan to make America a Secular Progressive nation. Christians seem to always have a plan to keep Christianity from further influencing our nation by discipling people into political apathy (“we don’t get political”) or political ambiguity (“Jesus isn’t a Republican or Democrat, neither Right nor Left” = primary application of gospel to culture) ^^^this has had very predictable results for the last few decades."

Driscoll at Insty also says GOODER AND HARDER, LA: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass orders cops to stop cracking down on illegal street vendors. Why bother with a business license? MAZE @mazemoore, "This clip perfectly embodies the uselessness of so many of our politicians. Senator Blumenthal (from my home state of Connecticut), holds a press conference on train safety. Blumenthal breaks the rules, walks too close to the edge, and almost gets hit by a train." Not close enough.

This is who Colorado Democrats have running against @bradleyforco ! Just wow!

From Douglas County Campaign Watch:

"This is unacceptable.

"Democrat Christian Schilder is asking voters to elect him to the Colorado House while video from the middle of his campaign shows him… pic.twitter.com/jeSGGC6gf6

— FreeStateColorado (@FreeStateColor1) August 28, 2026

Atop Da Hill, Jonathan Turley looks at Judge Talwani and why liberal complaints about the ‘shadow docket’ are so hollow. "Like her colleague in Boston, U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy, Talwani is viewed by many as a one-stop-shop judge for forum-shopping. Both have issued hair-trigger injunctions, and both have been repeatedly reversed."

The Magnificent Margot Cleveland at Da Fed says Fauci’s Egomania Destroyed Lives Both On A Large Scale And On A Personal Level. PJM's Matt Margolis is shocked by Dr. Fauci's Newly Revealed and Disturbing CIA Connection. "Fauci's ties to American intelligence run far deeper than anyone outside a handful of investigators realized."

Kyle Becker at RedState is happy to report President Trump's New Order on H-1B Visas Sends Shockwaves Through Immigrant Communities. Sundance enjoys his schadenfreude as Hamptons Yacht Club Cancels Restaurant Service After Staff Deported – Caviar and Economics. Tongue firmly in cheek, Jim Geraghty says Finally, ICE Catches and Detains the Worst of the Worst, Milo Yiannopoulos. Magills @magills_, "All laughs aside, I am genuinely worried what will happen to Milo, a homosexual, after he’s deported back to a Muslim country." (England), Quote Homeland Security @DHSgov, "On August 27, ICE arrested Milo Yiannopoulos, an illegal alien from the United Kingdom, at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in Kenner, Louisiana. Yiannopoulos legally entered the country on May 14, 2019, through New York City, New York. He chose to x.com/tmz/status/209…" Joe Chalfant asks a stupid question, The Washington Post Can't Be That Dumb, Right? "The Washington Post, in a baffling attempt to disparage the mass deportation agenda put forth by President Donald Trump, published data revealing that more than 60 percent of illegal aliens detained by ICE had criminal records other than being illegally present in the United States." Insty, RACIST? TERRORISM? THESE ARE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE RESISTING SETTLER COLONIALISM: "Translated: “A mob of racists is blowing up and burning the migrants’ cabins in Ceuta. Far-right terrorism live.”" Visegrád 24 @visegrad24, "Everybody loves decolonisation until Europeans start doing it."

Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "There exists no person who could have exposed Jason Arday and not have their life turned upside down." Quote Jesse Singal @jessesingal, "The avowed antiracists defending Jason Arday (a con artist) are now weeks into a campaign against a black reporter at the Guardian who published one of the most important articles exposing him. The origin of that article was Arday reaching out to the journalist to lie to him." Timur Kuran @timurkuran, "The present carving up of the academy is a 19th-century invention, not a sacred settlement. If sociology disappeared, economics and political science would absorb most of its intellectual work. Sociology’s sister disciplines already produce much valuable scholarship on mass mobilization, the family, fertility, discrimination, and the social bases of religion, among its other traditional concerns. Setting aside the special case of hyper-politicized sociology, it is healthy for universities to wind down academic communities that have become corrupted." Quote Carlos Iván Moreno @carlosivanmoren, "Translated from Spanish
Universities Without Sociology? The idea is starting to sweep across U.S. campuses. if a discipline doesn't guarantee employability or good salaries, perhaps it should lose space."

Brigitte Gabriel @ACTBrigitte, "Three girls butchered at a dance class in Southport, England by a 2nd generation Rwandan immigrant and the streets exploded because people are done watching governments protect the system that keeps delivering this nightmare." Quote Mavica @mavica81, "Translated from Spanish. The mob in the United Kingdom after another little girl was stabbed by an asylum seeker..." Lauren Chen @TheLaurenChen, "The feud between Africans and black Americans has produced some of the funniest intra-race racist material I have ever seen. And I say that as an Asian." Quote Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives @dom_lucre, "LATEST: Africans with ancestors who sold Black Americans into slavery have started uploading videos mocking Black Americans for their culture."

Driscoll at Insty appreciates CONQUEST’S FIRST LAW OF POLITICS: Everyone is conservative about what he [or she] knows best.

🙄 https://t.co/qgbLJzJwWn pic.twitter.com/d2MXvI0zwA

— Planet Of Memes (@PlanetOfMemes) August 29, 2026

Jack Posobiec @JackPosobiec, "So, hormones are so dangerous they can make you crazy enough to kill your kids, but totally fine to give to anyone who wants to transition, including kids?" From NYPo, Sophie Cunningham sparked a revolt — and the WNBA bullies are floundering. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Crime is Down, But Will Americans Notice?

Stephen Kruiser at PJM thinks the GOP's Case for Making Midterms About Law and Order Just Got Stronger "On Friday, the FBI released its "2025 Reported Crimes in the Nation" statistics, and it told a pretty interesting story, but the most important headline is this one: "Data reported to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program shows 2024 to 2025 marked the largest year-to-year decline in violent crime rates since FBI estimations began in 1936." The biggest decline in violent crimes in 90 years? That's huge." It is, but unfortunately parties in power tend not to be judged on what they do, but rather the judgment of what they haven't done. This is abetted by the media, which for Republicans, focuses on shortcomings, not successes. At the Wash Stand, Congress Closes Massive Spending Disclosure Loophole, but Will Trump Sign It into Law? "Legislation known as the Stop Secret Spending Act (SSSA) was approved earlier this year by Congress with bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House, closing a massive loophole in federal law that enables executive branch officials to hide hundreds of millions of dollars in spending from public examination." Trump is still holding out for the SAVE America Act.

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " UPDATE: This pollster missed the Florida Governor GOP primary by a whopping 33 POINTS against Trump-endorsed Byron Donalds, for James Fishback WTF?! @TPSIOfficial this is an EMBARRASSMENT. Final poll: Donalds+4.6 over Fishback Reality: Donalds+37.4 over Fishback LANDSLIDE." Polls are propaganda.

Hat Hair's John Sexton reports a Ukraine Drone Blitz: Largest Wildberries Hub in Russia Burns Down. UNITED24 Media “We Are Preparing for War”: Poland Says Major Russian Provocation Could Be Months Away — . If Putin can't beat Ukraine, why would he think he can beat Poland and Ukraine, let alone the rest of NATO?

IQ 589 | Cody Penn-Dent | Effluencer @codypd, "If I understand things correctly, Iran boarded a vessel that was using their toll lane and took the ship over They then made an announcement that they seized a ship that was trying to navigate the Strait and hadn’t paid Iran The US can’t and won’t escort a ship using Iran’s toll lane Iran decided to get a headline grab by seizing a vessel that was “obeying” Iran’s silly rules So the lesson will now be that going along with Iran’s silly rules carries significant risks Expect more Oman traffic with AIS off." Please us periods. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears Trump: All Your Hormuz Are Belong to Us, er, US. If you're going to control it, control it dammit! At PJM, Rick Moran examines Iran's Not-So-Subtle War on U.S. Morale and the Left's Abetting of It.

Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate, "I’m so tired of these DSA types. It’s always the same exact bio: self-important, bottomlessly entitled rich kids who hate you, want free stuff, and think they can get it doing communist cosplay." Quote Augustus Melmotte @EnriqueDiazAlva, "Absolutely extraordinary. The co-chair of the NYC DSA is a self-described "union electrician", has an arts degree from Yale, a 1.5 million brownstone gifted by his parents, a trust fund, and has worked for a total of about 6 months in his entire life." Buck Throckmorton at Ace's The Morning Rant wonders What Don't You Understand About Socialists? "Mayor Klutz — what’s behind Mamdani’s long string of fumbles, failures and fiascos." At Da Caller, Hakeem Jeffries Punts On Adopting Socialist Agenda As New Polling Shows Dems Embracing It Over Capitalism. Rick Moran, New York Socialist Lawmaker Claims That Poor People Have a 'Biological Need' to Steal, and we must indulge it. Atop Da Hill, Democratic socialist defeats Vindman to take on Moody for Florida Senate. Glad to see him out. Dave Strom finds Living in a Post-Truth Society Is Depressing: Politics & Poll Tracker @PollTracker2024, "Bangor Daily News: Graham Platner will headline Ellsworth, Maine Labor Day rally Platner will speak at the rally, slated for noon on September 7 outside Ellsworth City Hall, about the history of unions and the role organized labor plays in communities across the country, according to the Hancock County Democrats."

Hat Hair's Dave Strom suggests Peggy Flanagan Will Become the Most Radical Senator Come January. From Ace, Abdulrahman El-Sayed Was Set to Appear at Islamic Conference with Pro-Pedophilia Imam; Now the Pedo Cleric Is Booted, But They're Keeping the Islamist Who Called the Holocaust a "Hoax", "As Hasan Piker said of Michigan voters: "You're all piece of shit Islamophobes" for noticing." Amy Curtis at TownHall reminds us Abdul El-Sayed's Mother Worked for Designated Terror Group That Supported Hamas, Osama Bin Laden. Natalie Winters @nataliegwinters, "EXCLUSIVE: Abdul El-Sayed’s mother helped process tens of thousands in overseas transfers for an Islamic charity later convicted of secretly funneling $1.375 MILLION into Saddam-era Iraq—and blacklisted over alleged al-Qaeda, Taliban and Hamas ties." From the Free Bacon, James Talarico Voted Against Bills Targeting CCP Influence in Texas, Including Popular Measure Barring Chinese Nationals From Buying Farmland. "Talarico's only tweet on China touted a 'resolution condemning anti-Asian hate speech' like the term 'China Virus'." Steve Miller at TownHall observes The Media Strategy to Turn Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Into Taylor Swift. Scott Pinsker at PJM is irate; Jon Ossoff Knew EXACTLY What He Was Implying About This Cancer Survivor. Scott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY, "This is quite a message for the Democratic Party to send to young women working in politics. Party of women? Pretty ugly stuff." Quote Aaron Rupar @atrupar, "Ossoff says that Trump doesn’t want to do his job but wants to “travel with Natalie”" johnny maga @johnnymaga, "Natalie Harp received lifesaving treatment for her bone cancer as a result of Donald Trump’s 2018 “Right to Try Act,” and wanted to work for the man who made it possible. The attacks on her are disgusting." Capt. Ed, FL Dem: You Know Who's Kinda Raaaacist for Taking Our 'Opportunity District,' Right?, former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. 

Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "Kentucky has a population of just 4.61 million people. However, its governor just called for abolishing the Electoral College, which protects small-population states from being turned into electoral nonentities. https://yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/didn-t-realize-support-abolishing-211457020.html Next, Beshear will call for banning Bourbon." PJM's Cathy Salgado reports Over 5% of One Minnesota County’s Registrations Used Corrupt Vouching ‘Authentification.’

KCRA, California regulators approve new rules limiting what replacement tires you can buy for your car. "Gladfelty told KCRA 3 this new rule will eliminate an estimated 70% of the tires currently sold in California by 2033, which the California Energy Commission has also acknowledged and has not denied." Your tires, your choice!

Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "WOAH! Lead Anchor at CNN Jake Tapper comes out and admits THEY ALL KNEW Joe Biden wasn’t really President and calling the shots He says there was an elite inner circle of advisors who would make the decisions and “steer the country.” He gives the names of the people in that group Again, the mainstream media ALL KNEW Joe Biden wasn’t making decisions “Tell me about the word choice, and then tell me about those people who were really calling the shots around the president.” Jake Tapper “So the Politburo, not a term we came up with, it's a term from within the Biden administration, as the name would suggest is a tightly held group of senior advisors — these were the individuals that help steer the government.” The mainstream media was in on the coverup. How are there no consequences for these people."

From Twitchy, $5 Strippers?! Dems Are ONTO Sean Duffy's Son Over His VENMO Account. in Other News, Dems Are Dumb. FactPost @factpostnews, "Sean Duffy's son-in-law and GOP congressional candidate Michael Alfonso has been caught making Venmo payments for "The strippers" and "High supplies."" Charles C. W. Cooke @charlescwcooke, "I have no idea if there is anything here. I do know that literally not one of my male friends has ever—ever—sent me a Venmo payment with a description that wasn't a joke."

Amanda Head at JTN Reports on Intel Politics: NSA sat on election threat reporting over Trump ‘deep state’ label, memo shows, "The memo from 2020, declassified on Tuesday, reveals the intelligence analyst’s concerns about appearing as part of the “deep state.”" The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "At this point you have to assume the Russiagate nonsense was concocted as much to deflect from the Dems’ dealings with China as it was to sabotage Trump."

Calling All Rush Babes takes a long look at A Very Bad Supreme Court Decision. In 1941 the Court allowed the Feds to regulate how much food was grown.  

Teri Christoph at RedState sees Trump Has a Nasty Surprise Waiting for Mexican Illegal Aliens – and 'Mexico Is Not Happy'. Deporting them to elsewhere. TownHall's Amy Curtis notices NBC News Omits Some Important Details About Teens Whose Parents Were Detained by ICE and Deported. Mother arrested for theft. At NRO, Minnesota Man Arrested for Medicaid Fraud Scheme Previously Won State’s ‘Outstanding Refugee’ Award. End Wokeness @EndWokeness, ""Outstanding Refugee" winner Salman Elmi was just arrested for $1 million in Medicaid fraud, 8 felonies, and a sex trafficking ring." Just taking jobs away from hard working Americans! Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, ">Illegal alien comes here from Tajistakistan >Murders his derkaderka roommate >Is not punished >is allowed unsupervised jaunts into town We can’t share a country like this." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Virginia man acquitted by insanity in killing flees US during 48-hour mental hospital pass." Adrian Vermeule @Vermeullarmine, "Once again, it’s the people who purport to be hard-headedly realistic about the limits of political possibility who are so often proven wrong by events. Political reality is far less predictable than we like to believe." Quote Nick Solheim @NickSolheim, "The refugee ceiling this year is the lowest in the history of the program and actual admissions are running under even that. Five years ago everyone serious in this town told you that number was politically impossible." From Da Wire, Sanctuary City Mayor Vows To Hunt Down Property Owners Looking To Lease To ICE. "The Department of Homeland Security responded to Wu's plan Monday, saying the "pro-criminal mayor" is "trying to intimidate Bostonians.""

The Telegraph reports Moroccan police block second Ceuta migrant rush, after 88 people died in the first, mostly from drowning.

From Fire, Does free speech assume words are harmless? Part 7 of answers to bad arguments against free speech from Nadine Strossen and Greg Lukianoff.

Which segues well into more beating of the dead horse academic, Jason Arday: Andy Ngo @MrAndyNgo, "Leftists and DEI supporters are urging the British government to pass a law that would ban heavy media coverage of a person. They say this is needed after dozens of stories were published about Jason Arday’s numerous and extensive lies. There were so many stories because there were so many lies." Quote Change.org UK @UKChange, "In the 22 days before his death, 249 articles were published about Jason Arday. That's more than 10 a day. Tia Lazaro-James has launched a petition on https://Change.org calling on the government to protect individuals from media harm." Dave Strom reads Politico, Oh, Come On! Now We Need 'Jason's Law'. Reg @RegHumber, "“Why is that story about that far right guy who got accused of child trafficking no longer getting coverage?” “He complained under Arday’s Law and it’s in the courts. Should be back in the news in about a year.”" I'm just going to assume progressives would award themselves the right to determine how many stories are allowed. Jesse Singal @jessesingal, "Setting aside the insanity of a policy where subjects can shut down reporting about them by claiming mental anguish: Arday had called the police on multiple people who had asked him about his work. He had killed a THE story via legal threat. He deserved no benefit of the doubt." Quote Canary @TheCanaryUK, "BREAKING: Guardian's Katharine Viner was warned Arday was at risk - yet published anyway Author Kelechi Okafor released a series of internal emails showing the Guardian knew how vulnerable Arday was, yet ignored warnings."

Drew Pavlou @DrewPavlou, "This is the opening to one of Jason Arday’s papers. It is virtually unreadable. Maybe the worst sentence ever written in the English language. “Replete with espoused discourses of equality, diversity and inclusion within public bodies, is the UK, wherein lauded initiatives reward its universities’ commitments to increasing the access and positioning of ‘women’ in higher education.” Just leftist bafflegab loosely tied together. From the College Fix, Ibram Kendi: Cambridge scholar Jason Arday was ‘lynched’ for being black. Matt Taibbi at Racket says No, Jason Arday Wasn't the Media's Fault, "Blaming a suicide on correct reporting unfortunately makes perfect sense in this reality-challenged era." From the Slantic, Jason Arday’s Final Self-Delusion, "Elevating a fraud is shameful. Exposing one isn’t." Andy Ngo @MrAndyNgo, "“White lies matter” Photos from my secret attendance at the Jason Arday memorial in London on Aug. 17. Arday was a Cambridge University DEI academic who had to resign in disgrace after journalists began reporting on his plagiarism, academic fraud and serial hoaxes. Thousands attended the rally, many of them nearly in tears. Arday k—lled himself after his lies were revealed by the press. The speakers said those who exposed Arday are to blame for his death." At the Freep, Coleman Hughes explains Why the Left Needed to Believe in Jason Arday. Gad Saad @GadSaad, "George Floyd (repeat felon): lionized Jason Arday (academic fraudster and pathological liar): lionized Luigi Mangione (alleged murderer): lionized All three are lionized by progressive people. This should tell you all about their moral compass." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbuen, "Consider it an honor. I’ve never had that many people want to murder me, one or two here and there maybe. But yeah, stayTF out of London. Good idea." Quote Nathan Cofnas @nathancofnas, "There is an anti-Cofnas hate rally in Trafalgar Square with ~15,000 attendees. If I were in London there is a real possibility that I would be murdered. 1000s of academics & journalists knew the truth about Jason Arday for more than a year. Now you know why no one said anything." Cofnas initiated the scrutiny of Arday's record, and was rewarded by being fired.

Hank Berrien at Da Wire reports Parents Sue School District Over Mosque Field Trip, Claim Religious Indoctrination "According to the complaint, students were allegedly coerced into participating in Islamic religious practices: donning hijabs, accepting Qurans." The Bugscuffle Gazette considers The Establishment Cause, "You don't get to pick and choose." USA @Dec_16_1773, "Islamophobia is a propaganda pejorative for people who believe their eyes, or know history." Quote Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "Muslims aren’t hiding it, they’re openly saying the time has come to change our policies in America They are saying it’s time to mobilize politically to make America an Islamic Country and follow Islam, follow Sharia Law."

At Twitchy, Just WOW: Lefty Coffee Shop Owner Boots Young Pro-Lifers After Comparing Them to the Klan (WATCH). Ben Smith at RedState sees Woke Mob Tries to Sink Children's Ride. Owner Doesn't Give a Ship.

Dave Strom is Deconstructing Deconstructionism: Royce White and Enes Freedom Tying WNBA Into Knots. Ace worries Some of You Will Not Believe Me, but the WNBA Is Woke Trash Filled With Hyperthyroidal Clown Hookers. "If only the world were run by seethingly-angry toxic lesbians. It would look just like the WNBA and be just as profitable."

Flotsam and Jetsam - Jason Arday is Still Dead

Hey, it was funny when it was about Francisco Franco, am I right? At Insty, IT RARELY ENDS WELL FOR A MASCOT OF THE ANOINTED: “The real [Arday] story is of an elite academic world that was so excited by a compelling narrative that they rushed a clearly mentally unbalanced man with no real qualifications to the heights of academia because he ticked so many useful boxes.” Enguerrand VII de Coucy @ingelramdecoucy, "The story that will be spun about Jason Arday will be that his death lies at the feet of the people who called out his serial fabulations for being what they so transparently were, but the real story is of an elite academic world that was so excited by a compelling narrative that they rushed a clearly mentally unbalanced man with no real qualifications to the heights of academia because he ticked so many useful boxes. If anybody had stopped to drill into his story BEFORE we got to the point that he was a notable enough figure for others to begin to drill into it none of this would have happened." Driscoll has a typical tweet filled post DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: Jason Arday Should Never Have Been Allowed High Enough to Fall as He Did. Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "It’s tragic but truthfully, there was life on the other side for Jason Arday, the Ana Delvey of academia. He could have rode that infamy, written another book about the reality of his real life including a tell-all that exposes his experiences with the DEI bureaucracy and just spin it into a movie. Netflix would pick it up. He could’ve gone on to live a normal productive life. I feel so sorry for his kids who are now left fatherless." Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate, "That's right. Similarly, NY Times fabulist Jayson Blair wrote a memoir (the aptly titled 'Burning Down My Masters' House: My Life') after he was outed. American culture is wild, irrepressible, and exuberant and full of hucksters always coming up with new ways to reinvent themselves. There's a shamelessness to Americans that Europeans perhaps look down upon but that is a great source of creativity and excitement. This sort of possibility is actually one of the best parts of our culture and is responsible for possibilities that aren't available in milieus that are more staid and fatalistic. It's probably a healthy corrective for people like Arday to go out and transparently advertise their exploits (and shame the institutions responsible) rather than commit seppuku because they've tarnished the institutions and themselves been humiliated." Quote FischerKing @FischerKing64, "When Stephen Glass was outed as a fabulist whose journalism was largely fabricated, he didn’t kill himself. He actually wrote a ‘novel’ called The Fabulist basically telling the story. That’s how you handle this kind of situation. That’s real commitment to the con." Quillette @Quillette, "Compare the two cases and a pattern emerges. Cofnas cleared every formal bar that Cambridge erected—a competitive fellowship, a strong publication record, an eventual ruling that he’d broken no law and no policy—but he was punished anyway, and his position quietly expired while the university dithered. Arday did not clear the bars his professoriate peers had to clear, he was defended anyway, and he was propped up by administrators who failed to do due diligence. One scholar was punished for an opinion; the other was protected despite misconduct that objective methods could verify. Two different treatments, one shared instinct: expedience trumps evidence." More at Quillette, Institutional Failures in the Garden of Great Intellects. Razib Khan @razibkhan,"if academia is silly and standards don't matter there's no rationale for why the public should be funding such trivialities do you ppl bother to think beyond the latest controversy before your face?" Gilligan, at Da Spec wonders, rhetorically, Why is Cambridge platforming Islamic creationism? Another of Driscoll's DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Assistant professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development. WhateverTF that is, new one on me but I’m kinda getting it from the title and her expressed interests. Part of the School of Grievance Studies. Identifies as queer Muslim. Which means she has spent a good deal of her adult life in a bizarre fantasy land utterly divorced from reality. Let her keep talking. Let her represent the University of Chicago. Colossal embarrassing academic frauds are not all as absurd as Jason Arday, but they’re all in contention and doing their damndest. You don’t want to interrupt them. https://humdev.uchicago.edu/directory/eman-abdelhadi" Quote Jonah Goldberg @JonahDispatch, "She’s an American citizen so I disagree with the deportation thing. But I don’t know why anyone would want their kid to be taught by this woman, why U Chicago employs her, or why she wants to stay in a country she so clearly detests (at least performatively)." Alice Smith @TheAliceSmith, "Things that are now rightwing: Investigative journalism Academic rigour Scientific dissent Nature Facts Biology Politeness Punctuality Normality Free speech Individual rights Rationality Objectivity Self-reliance Emotional restraint Delayed gratification."

The summer news drought continues. At 1945, Donald Trump Already Won the Iran War. Ending It Is Tehran’s Problem Now. "Iran’s strategy is to drag the war out. James Jay Carafano argues that protraction is the only card the IRGC holds, and that Trump has handed it to them deliberately." "Trump has basically said, “Okay, you get to decide when the war ends. When you are serious about just accepting defeat, call me.” In the meanwhile, the Iranian regime can continue to suffer all the uncomfortable results of a protracted struggle with America and its allies, debilitating punishment that has demolished Iran’s threat as the bully-in-chief of the region." MSN, Iran responds after Trump says Strait of Hormuz will be US territory 'soon'.

Bob Hoge at RedState likes how Wounded Vet Joey Jones Gives Tongue Lashing for the Ages to USS Lincoln Sailors Complaining to CNN about tuna and noodles.

From News Wax, Ukraine Launches One of Its Largest Aerial Attacks of the War, Killing at Least 6 People in Russia. While I don't condone the killing of civilians, it's not like Russia can complain.

RedState's Teri Christoph thinks Marco Rubio Just Made the Anti-Trump Ballroom Crowd Look Like Absolute Lunatics. "Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “In my work with heads of state and foreign ministers, I am frequently hosted in reception facilities that are visually impressive and reflective of the wealth and beauty of the nations I am visiting. In the United States, by contrast, we currently lack the ability to hold large events of a similar magnitude on White House grounds for those same heads of state and foreign dignitaries. Instead, we must currently host such visits in plastic or canvas tents on the South Lawn with unsafe and unsanitary portable bathrooms and accommodations unbecoming of our national stature…Our foreign counterparts offer premier security arrangements for United States officials. It is imperative that we not only offer the same level of elite security services, but offer the world’s leading capabilities in an efficient manner on grounds over which we exert permanent control…We must obviously seek every reasonable means to mitigate both the more predictable risks, including weather and physical incursions, but also emerging threats…The East Wing Project is essential to that defensive security posture. The Project is absolutely critical not only for the physical safety of guests, but also for advancing our diplomatic relations and the interests and standing of the United States in the world.”"

cdrsalamander @cdrsalamander, "The British ruling class hates their own nation." Quote Diana Alastair @sappholives83, "This is the little village of Linton-On-Ouse, population 644. They’re about to receive an influx of 1200 immigrants: all of them men, all of them Muslim, and none of them legal. This comes just days after the arrival in tiny Piddington (pop 350) of 1250 illegal immigrants." At WaEx, Netanyahu mocks UK as ‘Islamic Republic of Britain.’ Mazelit Airaksinen reports a NYC Doctor Apologizes for Remarks About Hasidic Jews, Blames "Addiction to Negativity" ""I will get this Facebook addiction under control" says Dr. Robert Guarino."

John Davidson at Da Fed argues The Problem With DSA Democrats Isn’t Socialism, It’s Third-Worldism. It can be both, and more. Hat Hair's Mark Judge (remember him?) explores The Ecstasy of the Young Communists. Atop Da Hill Jonathan Turley opines The worse it gets, the better it is: American leftism is thriving on its own failures. More money made it worse? Give us more and we'll fix that! Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "It's not that hard. The left lets institutions and communities break down to a point of total degradation to prove why more government and non profits are the answer. The goal is to purposely not solve problems and make life and safety worse. See the entire defund the police movement and homelessness nonprofits in California. Gavin Newson promised to end homelessness and instead it ballooned on purpose..." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "In fairness, starting with the socialism, you already know you’re dealing mostly with low intelligence, low historical or geopolitical literacy, and basically bumper sticker levels of logic and reasoning. So there’s that. At the higher levels, simple manipulative deception, but that tends to blither and blunder less." Quote Owen Gregorian @OwenGregorian, "DSA Members Can’t Bring Themselves to Admit Cuba is a Dictatorship – Immediately Try to BUT TRUMP! | Mike LaChance, The Gateway Pundit During a recent conversation with Latino journalist Jorge Ramos, high ranking members of the DSA turned into a stuttering mess when they were asked a simple question about whether or not Cuba is a dictatorship. HINT – It is. They immediately try to make the issue about Trump and the blockade on Cuba, because they cannot answer this question honestly..." Robert Chernin calls Woke 2.0 New Label, Same Bullshit, "The people, beliefs and goals have not changed. They simply discovered that Americans were listening and overwhelmingly rejected them." Rod Dreher @roddreher, "This is astonishingly blunt." Quote Dr. Maalouf @realMaalouf, "Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the biggest far-left party in France, explains why the alliance between progressives and Muslims is necessary. “If you’re counting on white Christian workers to bring about socialism in France, it won’t happen. But our Muslim brothers and sisters will.” This is the same playbook being used by the left in all Western countries."

News Wax hears Trump Predicts AOC Presidential Run. PJM's Matt Margolis thinks This Might Be the Most Brutal Diagnosis of AOC You'll Ever Hear "AOC stands for Always On Camera," Conway said. "She is a performer, not a reformer. She went to Washington to legislate; that's her job. She's a pontificator, not a legislator." From the Free Bacon, Abdul El-Sayed To Headline Islamic Event Alongside Pakistani Cleric Who Forced His 13-Year-Old Niece Into Marriage, Was Denounced for ‘Pedophilic Rhetoric’, "Tariq Masood urged his congregants to marry off their own female children and invoked Sharia law on the question of women’s education." Scott McKay at Am Spec worries about Poor Francesca Hong, a Victim of Milwaukee’s Missing Election Results "Five USB sticks were missing results, Steve Kornacki was left speechless, and David Crowley emerged with a remarkably narrow victory." It does look fishy. 

An old refrain of Stacy McCain, Crazy People Are Dangerous: Weirdo Charged With Defacing WWII Memorial. Old School Eddie @Old_SchoolEddie, "Did you notice? Summer is typically riot season. However, since USAID was defunded, SPLC indicted, and ActBIue being investigated, things have been pretty calm this summer. Just saying..." Sunny @sunnyright, "A notable number of AWFLs want their political opponents dead. Not defeated. Not rejected. Dead. They think you’ve forfeited your right to live by not giving them what they want. Come to terms with that reality." Quote, "New York Post @nypost, "Luigi Mangione supporter calls murder of CEO a 'revolutionary act of protest.'" Matt Margolis, Oh, So This Is Why Luigi Mangione Pleaded Guilty. "Turley described the plea as "something of a Hail Mary throw," suggesting Mangione is hoping a judge eventually reduces his sentence enough to allow release at an advanced age rather than locking him away for life without parole. The real target, Turley explained, is the state murder case itself. The defense wants it dismissed entirely on double jeopardy grounds, and New York's double jeopardy standard is easier for a defense to clear than in most other jurisdictions. "The odds are in his favor, if you look at past cases, that that may in fact be dismissed," Turley said."

From Director Blue, The Day They Manufactured Russiagate: A Graphic Novel "How Obama's Inner Circle Framed a President." A sample.

Leslie Eastman at LI reports Fifth Circuit Completely Roasts Biden DOE’s Stove and Oven Efficiency Rules. "The court voids the rules after determining that Biden’s Energy Department improperly tried to fast-track the measure as a “direct final rule”, which is usually reserved for noncontroversial matters."

From Campus Reform, Trump DOJ intensifies push to stop tuition discounts for illegal aliens, keep Harvard accountable for campus anti-Semitism. At Twitchy, Nick Shirley Exposes WHY Kathy Hochul Is So Proud of Spending Taxpayer Money on Illegal Aliens. Nick shirley @nickshirleyy, " Your tax dollars have become the new money-laundering scheme for these corrupt politicians. Governor Hochul has been taking donations from these daycare fraudsters in NYC who receive millions of your taxpayer dollars to operate “adult daycares.” When I exposed the fraud in NYC, Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani went completely silent… maybe they didn’t want to offend their donors?" At NYPo, Bill Maher thinks immigrants must assimilate, accept American values and principles to be in US: ‘Not negotiable.’ Ian Miller @ianmSC, "Well that should just about cement Bill Maher’s excommunication from the Democratic Party." Moreover, from Matt Vespa, Bill Maher's Take on Trump's Secret Turkey Flight Will Not Please the Lib Press Corps "The media is mad they weren’t told. Get over it—your lives will never be above that of the president of the United States. The White House’s credibility is not on the line; can we please move on? No one cares except the press corps."

Gina Milan @ginamilan_, "Only Sophie Cunningham could go from playing a Fever game to randomly showing up at a bar and singing “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” with the fans. She’s truly the freaking best." THE POWER LINE WEEK IN PICTURES: Sophie’s Choice Edition.