Flotsam and Jetsam - Supreme Court Lets Trump Regulate Mail-in Voting

Matt Margolis at PJM hears SCOTUS Gives Trump HUGE Win on Mail-In Voting. "Trump signed the executive order, called "Ensuring Citizenship Verification And Integrity In Federal Elections, in March 2026. It directs his administration to build lists of eligible voters and orders the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on those lists. The Postal Service laid out its implementation plan last week, but the clock is ticking. Some states start sending mail ballots in just a few weeks, leaving the administration little time to get this right before the midterms. More court challenges remain possible." Again, like the ballroom, it's one of those "we haven't really decided yet, but you can proceed for now" decisions. At Althouse, "Supreme Court Allows Trump Plan to Restrict Mail-In Voting, for Now." "The administration asked the court to clear the way for President Trump’s order that creates 'state citizenship lists' and directs the Postal Service to decide who gets a mail-in ballot". Mark Mendlovitz @MendlovitzMark, "The Supreme Court ruling that lets the Trump Administration proceed with mail ballot security measures has Democrats freaking out, but what's really driving them bonkers is less about providing voter lists for eligibility determination (though they are certainly worried about that) and much more about MATCHING BARCODES of the outer and inner envelopes in a mail ballot package. Here is why that's the problem for them. If surplus mail ballots collected from people who aren't voting by mail are somehow voted on behalf of OTHER PEOPLE, it becomes readily detectable that a ballot was repurposed from its originally intended voter to someone else on the voter rolls. The "no-match" condition means that ballot was taken from the originally intended voter or it was given away. Either way that's how fraud can be easily detected. Keep in mind, the barcode matching requirement does not require any personal information that isn't on the outside of an envelope, and it doesn't prevent states from using mail to conduct elections, so the hysterical reactions are confirmation they know the gig is up."

VodkaPundit at PJM notes Bessent to Reveal 'Economic D-Day' Against Iran. ""The U.S. Treasury is preparing to expand secondary sanctions on countries and companies doing business with Iran, forcing trading partners to choose between Tehran and access to the dollar-based financial system," Unusual Whales posted Monday, summarizing a paywalled Financial Times report." Francis Sempka at Am Spec, Trump is Combining Geoeconomic and Kinetic Warfare Against Iran, "American impatience has repeatedly undermined the political gains of military victories. The war against Iran may be no different." wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "Iranian oil shipments to Asia have nearly dried up as US pressure on Tehran disrupts supplies. Chinese refiners are facing tighter availability, with Iranian crude prices shifting from a discount to a premium of around $4 a barrel. A major factor behind the shortage is the impact of US efforts to block Iranian oil shipments. Loaded Iranian tankers have been unable to leave the Persian Gulf, while empty vessels remain stranded outside the region." Brian Cates @drawandstrike, "You're gonna see a lot of weird shit go down over the next 2 weeks. Some of these 60+ entities will REFUSE to stop the money laundering. They can't. If they do, financial drug/human/sex/arms/dark web networks they've spent DECADES building and expanding will start collapsing. They're in a damned if they do, damned if they don't situation now. Gird your loins...the strong ripples of this are gonna show up in some really strange places in Europe." Quote Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47, "@SecScottBessent: "Let me be clear: any entity that facilitates money laundering on behalf of Iran will be removed from the U.S. Dollar system. The clock just started ticking." x.com/RapidResponse4…"

Ben Smith at RedState observes Google Pulls Every Last Pixel Product Out of China. Fred Fleitz at Am Great warns Before Trump Meets Kim Jong Un Again, Five Things Must Happen First "These steps build on the existing strong U.S.-South Korea partnership, advance American interests, and create space to resolve lingering bilateral frictions." 

At TownHall Matt Vespa sees NBC Tried to Do Major Damage Control for Abdul El-Sayed. Tim Scott Shut It Down. At PJM Vicky Taft watches NBC's Welker to Head-Shaking Tim Scott: Let's Pretend That El Sayed's Terror Ties Don't Count and Dave Manney notes PETA Savaged Kristi Noem. For Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, It Found Excuses. From Da Caller, ‘That’s Not My Grandpa’s Democratic Party’: JD Vance Blasts Dem Senate Candidate El-Sayed. Vic Nava at NYPo, Abdul El-Sayed asks Fox News’ Jesse Watters ‘Are you circumcised?’ in bizarre moment as he defends sex change surgery for minors. Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal hears Far-Left Streamer Hasan Piker Says He’s More Respectful of Charlie Kirk Than Kirk’s Widow. Well, he is Muslim after all. Driscoll at Insty, on HOW IT STARTED: Socialist Robert Reich on Election Night 2024 Warned Elon Musk: “I guarantee you I’m going to make life so difficult for you, really so difficult for you, so just be very careful of yourself.” How It’s Going: Jon Najarian @jonnajarian, "Whenever I need a good laugh, I just read Elon's response to this intellectual dwarf." John Kass asks Daddy, Where Do Communists Come From? "These young Americans don’t have the work ethic or inclination to build a career or a business. They don’t want the burdens of traditional family life. They’re disappointed and confused. Their contributions to society are mostly street chants beginning with the words “Whadda we want?”"

retard mode ✞ @retardmode, "gary indiana not having power is an amazing story of diversity >entire city council is black >every electric company executive is black >black residents can’t stop shooting at vehicles working to restore power and they all blame racism for going without power for so long." Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain, "The people who made a secular religion out of George Floyd’s death are here to tell you that you shouldn’t dare politicize Iryna Zarutska’s murder."

PJM's Cathy Salgado asks Hiding Much? Newsom Signs 'Stop Nick Shirley Act.' cdrsalamander @cdrsalamander, "We need to find a new name for “nonprofits“. They are very profitable for those who run them." Quote Katy Grimes @KATYSaccitizen, "The Receipts: California Assemblyman Corey Jackson Steers $6 Million to His Own Nonprofit. Assemblyman Dr. Corey Jackson also named his own nonprofit, his legislative district’s “Nonprofit of the Year.”. $6M is listed in the California FLOOR REPORT OF THE 2026-27 BUDGET." TownHall's Dmitri Bolt lays it out This Is How Much of a Difference Rooting Out Fraud Could Make for Medicare's Lifespan. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " HOLY CRAP! Dr. Oz reveals that if 100% of fraud is abolished from Medicare, the Medicare Trust Fund will DOUBLE its lifespan "In JUST this past year — we cut $42 BILLION of fraud from Medicare...by NEVER letting the money out the door."..." Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630, "This is a plain reality almost everyone ignores. You can think we over-spend on Israel or Gaza aid, some weapons system, etc. But, Defense and State COMBINED are like 11% of the budget. Significantly cutting gov't size requires targeting entitlements." Quote Andrew Follett @AndrewCFollett, "47% of government spending is on some form of welfare. Only 8% is on defense. Reducing welfare spending is profoundly difficult politically...but it must be done or we will go the way of Rome. x.com/Handre/status/…" At PJM VodkaPundit notices California’s Revenge on Paramount Comes With a $7 Million-a-Day Price Tag.

On Tinfoil Tuesday PJM's Kevin Downy asks Which Politicians AREN'T Chinese Assets? Bob Hoge at RedState, So You're Saying There's a Chance? Polling in CA Gubernatorial Race Takes Surprising Twist. Steve Hilton @SteveHiltonx, "SHOCK POLL: It’s a SINGLE-DIGIT race for governor. Becerra 49% / Hilton 41% / 10% Undecided We’ve cut the margin from 25% to 8% in less than two months! Our campaign is SURGING; the Machine is reeling. Keep the pressure on!" I suppose it's possible, but I'm not counting that chicken just yet.

TheFOO @PolitiBunny, "Those campers were literally in Ontario, Tim. Holy shit. lol" Quote Governor Tim Walz @GovTimWalz, "When a group of YMCA campers needed to be rescued during the wildfires on our northern border, it was Canada who immediately helped. Not a word from Trump." To be fair, Trump could have used it as an excuse to invade Canada.

PJM's Tom Jipping and Hans von Spakovsky have August’s Dishonorable Judicial Conduct Award: Judges Balk at White House Ballroom. From the Center Square, AGs conceal records tied to longstanding plans to sue Trump. 

Shooting News Week is glad the Ninth Circuit Smacks Down Anti-Gun Orgs That Sued ATF Claiming it Didn’t Regulate ‘Ghost Guns’ Nearly Enough.

Gavin McInnes @Gavin_McInnes, "Ah, so it WAS an invasion. Got it." Quote NEXTA @nexta_tv, "Morocco has made territorial claims against Spain Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said Rabat maintains “historical and geographical rights” to the cities of Ceuta and Melilla and wants to create a special mechanism with Madrid for negotiations." Ace cites Morocco: Now That We've Sent Criminals to Invade Your Country, We Are Prepared to Negotiate Your Surrender of the Conquered Territory. Brendan O'Neill at NYPO opines ‘Rape leaflets’ for migrants enrage the British public — and prove Trump’s point. Visegrád 24 @visegrad24, "German nurse on how security in the ERs has changed due to mass-immigration: “If 2 Arab boys need to be taken care of, I’m not sending two girls in. As soon as certain surnames come up, we bring in the police.” She speaks about the problems with clan members: “It usually doesn't take long for 20, 30, 40 family members to show up in front of the hospital. They have special Telegram groups where they alert each other, and they want to make their presence felt in a way that's often aggressive: 'We're here; we stand by our people—and you can expect trouble if anything happens to them.' In these circles, it's common for the mothers and women to scream loudly and in high drama. This high noise level is a stress factor for the staff and also for the patients.”"

Christian Heiens @ChristianHeiens, "Once you remember that this man used to be the chief intellectual leader of the Conservative movement for 25 years, it all starts to make sense why the GOP functioned like controlled opposition from the 1990s until Trump came along. Because that’s exactly what they were." Quote Bill Kristol @BillKristol, "Abolish ICE. Now."

jimtreacher.substack.com @jtLOL, "(She made up a quote and attributed it to a man who couldn't defend himself, because he had just been murdered.)" Quote The New York Times @nytimes, "Breaking News: An arbitrator ordered The Washington Post to rehire Karen Attiah, a columnist who was fired over her social media posts about the assassination of Charlie Kirk." From Ace, Arbitration Board Says That Racist Grifter Karen Attiah Was Wrongly Fired for Making Up Fake Racist Quotes "by" Charlie Kirk and Celebrating His Murder; Hasan Piker Mocks Kirk's Murder in Hate Rally, "Karen Attiah is a degenerate, unqualified DEI hire formerly, and now presently, employed by the Washington Post to write the same three columns about racism, colonialism, "Islamaphobia" and sexism over and over again while hammering checks."

At TownHall, Steve Miller explores How Would a Jason Arday Scandal Play Out Here? We've already seen it with the Harvard Preznit. The left will defend anything if they're black and left. Adrian Vermeule @Vermeullarmine, "The issue isn’t that the universities won’t admit to being progressive seminaries. (Does anyone not realize what they are?) It’s not a consumer disclosure issue. The real problem is substantive: progressivism is bad, it has injected poison into the body politic for decades, and universities should be ordered to the good, the true and the beautiful." Quote Heterodox Academy @HdxAcademy "We propose that universities that are committed to progressive policies simply say so." In a new @washingtonpost op-ed, HxA President John Tomasi and Harvard Professor Tyler VanderWeele encourage progressive schools to model themselves after religious colleges." Crémieux @cremieuxrecueil, "This is really sad: When psychology professors are asked whether they'd put the truth before social equity concerns, 66.4% of male professors said yes, but fewer than half of female professors (43%) agreed. In both groups, too many put equity before truth." Try it in a real science. At Althouse, "In 2021, Columbia University law professor Philip Hamburger argued that the U.S. public school system violates the First Amendment." ""'Education,' he wrote, 'consists mostly in speech, and parents have a right under the First Amendment to exercise authority over what their children hear.' Forcing families to accept government messaging — or pay a steep price to escape it — amounts to unconstitutional pressure. A lawsuit filed in Nebraska on Aug. 13 brings that argument into court — and could open a path toward universal school choice." From "Are public schools unconstitutional? A Nebraska court will decide. The challenge to compulsory education combined with public-school-only funding could lead to universal school choice" (WaPo)(gift link)."

Matt Margolis thinks you should Check Out Spencer Pratt’s Brutal Takedown of the Left’s Defense of Lindsay Clancy. Cernovich @Cernovich, "Whoa." Quote Freedomain @StefanMolyneux, "How would women be reacting if Lindsay Clancy had murdered the children of a Somali neighbour?" Marko Jukic @mmjukic, "I am begging sensitive young men not to make decisions about women and family based on the bottom-of-the-barrel gender war ragebait that if blasted in everyone's faces 24/7 barely makes eks dot com profitable to advertisers in a free market." Quote Spergler Acolyte @SperglerAcolyte, "The timeline as of late has hardened my decision to never have a wife nor kids." Gavin McInnes @Gavin_McInnes, "Crazier still: it WAS written about Islam. Atwood was disgusted by what the Muslims were doing to women during the Iranian revolution and she imagined that happening here." Quote Lauren Chen @TheLaurenChen, "The fact that leftists use the Handmaid's Tale to protest Christianity while ignoring the fact that it's way more similar to Islam will never not be hilarious to me."

vittorio @IterIntellectus, "testosterone literally counteracts conformity give men testosterone and they become less responsive to audience expectations and put more weight on their own judgment relative to other people’s testosterone is the independent-thought hormone this explains so much it’s not even funny." Quote Templarpilled @Templarpilled, "Please read the abstract of this study. Men who received testosterone boosters did not care about being watched by two women when making decisions."

New York Post @nypost, "Enes Kanter, Royce White not eligible for WNBA after draft declarations." Physics Geek @physicsgeek, "Look at all the bigoted transphobes attacking her just for speaking her mind. She'll show all the haters in the WNBA next year." Quote, Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "Enes Kanter, one of the bravest women I know, just got kicked out of a @wnba game after being cursed out by a Chicago player. Is this any way for one woman to treat another?! I can’t believe this league is real." I think they made their point. At Ace a Real Headline: "WNBA team reveals new 'non-binary' turtle mascot to taunt Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham" "Is the WNBA okay?" No. 

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Embracing The Suck up on time and under budget at The Other McCain (if you count Megan).

Flotsam and Jetsam - What The He!! is John Thune Doing?

TownHall's Matt Vespa wonders What Is John Thune Doing? As little as possible, and obstructing House Republicans when he has the chance. "Now, with government spending back on the agenda and us set to run out of money on September 30, you once again disregard House Republicans, adding that you’ll pass your own continuing resolution with Democrats. John, THEY WANT A SHUTDOWN. Are you blind, deaf, and dumb?" Also, Speaker Johnson Had a Legislative Hat Trick Today While Thune Wants to Sell Out to Dems. Jen O'Connell at RedState, John Thune Just Stabbed Mike Johnson—and House Republicans—in the Back. I think it was in the front.

Amy Curtis at TownHall likes how Scott Jennings Humiliated a CNN Panel Following Revelations of New Jersey Voter Fraud. Nick Sortor @nicksortor, " HOLY CRAP! The identity services provider New Jersey uses at the DMV is FIRING BACK at Gov. Sherrill, saying the NJ DIVISION OF ELECTIONS were the ones who registered 6,600 foreign voters This was NOT a “software error.” This is a SCANDAL. “IDEMIA's role is to transmit information through the motor vehicle system. The voter registration information is transmitted to the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Elections, which is ultimately responsible for verifying eligibility to vote. Information submitted by IDEMIA must still be validated and adjudicated by the Division of Elections.” So the Division of Elections MANUALLY APPROVED over SIX THOUSAND foreigners to vote. They were not automatically registered by the software provider as the governor claimed. Time to come clean, @GovSherrillNJ!" From Ace, Software Firm at Center of NJ's Illegal Alien Voting Scandal: There Was No "Glitch," Our Softward Did Exactly What NJ Wanted It To Do. 1. Foreigners never vote in our elections. 2. A few foreigners vote in our elections, but it's not a problem. 3. Foreigners do and should vote in our elections. Democrats are at #2. NewBusters notices The View Claims No Election Has Ever Been Stolen Before Trump Speech.

At PJM, VodkaPundit envisions Puting passing the hat, Buddy, Can You Spare 1.5 Trillion Rubles? "that's exactly what happened last week when the Kremlin attempted to sell OFZs (like U.S. Treasuries), but buyers said Nyet! so hard that "Russia’s Finance Ministry pulled the plug" on bond auctions until further notice, Crypto Briefing and others reported this week." Sundance at CTH admits befuddlement as Zelenskyy Removes and Replaces Leading Military Officials "None of these moves by Ukraine President Zelenskyy make any sense against the background story of them having incredible success against Russia. You don’t replace the entire military leadership apparatus if things are going swimmingly." So Ukrainian politics are probably at play. He also hosts Promethean Action PAC Reviews Motive of Canada -vs- USA on Trade and Tariffs.

Sarah at Insty says I DON’T TRUST ANY NUMBERS THESE DAYS. HOW MANY OF THESE ARE ON THE GIG ECONOMY? "Shocking 105 million Americans are not working – more than during COVID or the Great Recession. They’d probably count me in this."

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Trump: Bridge and Power Day Has Arrived If Iran Attacks Shipping. John Hinderacker at Power Line approves of Trump’s New Iran Policy. Ace, Trump: Every Time Iran Fires on a Ship, We Will Destroy One Bridge or Power Plant, make that two. wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "Eleven days into the US strikes on Iran the targets appear to be: 1. Iranian coastal targets; 2. Probable command and control centers and weapons sites. There isn't enough publicly available information to infer an implied purpose to these attacks. However their very anonymity suggests the targets are not symbolic, but rather obscure installations with an unpublicized military value. It would make sense but only if we had the secret map, which alas, we do not." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Douche reporter got owned attempting a gotcha." Quote "Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "JUST NOW — REPORTER: What will you say to the families today of the fallen troops? PRESIDENT TRUMP: "We love you. We love your child. That's what they are to them — their children. There's no games, no nothing. That's their child. All you can do is throw out your heart." PJM's Rick Moran appreciates The Exact Moment the Gates of Hell Opened for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

It concerns Jonathan Turley that Democrats Dismiss Our Constitutional Traditions as ‘Nostalgia’. Katya Sedgewick at the Everyman Commentary examines The DSA's Plan to Remake America. "In light of recent victories in New York by Democratic Socialists, it is important to appreciate how they are not shy about wanting to eradicate and remake our current government institutions." Sasha Stone has a short take on how The Democrats Have a Communist Problem. End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Hasan Piker framed the 9/11 front page This is an enemy of America." Jonah Goldberg @JonahDispatch, "Okay. I can accept this. If “The Nazi propaganda starts when people say Mao is worse than Hitler” as you say, then it’s not propagandistic to say that Mao was merely almost as bad as Hitler. Now, I think the “which genocidal murderer was the worst” game can get pretty stupid, because people often seem to think that coming in second or third to Hitler absolves mass murderers of any condemnation. ... Quote evan loves worf @esjesjes, Replying to @ProjectLiberal. "First of all you should look up the definition of genocide. Second of all the Great Leap Forward maybe killed around 40 million largely by accident. The Nazis killed like 55 million very much on purpose. The Nazi propaganda starts when people say Mao is worse than Hitler." Then Readers added context, "The 55 million figure represents total global casualties in WWII, not people killed directly and intentionally by the Nazi regime. Scholars estimate that victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution numbered around 11 to 17 million." Dave Bernstein at the Volokh explores How Did Support for International Humanitarian Law and Norms Morph into Support for Hamas and its Goals? Matt Vespa, There's Another Reason Why This Dem Rep Won't Seek Re-Election, but, of Course, CNN Buried It “There certainly were not people who were so anti-Israel when I started, and there are within the progressive caucus now,” Cohen said."

Hat Hair's John Sexton reads the Slantic: 'The DSA Is a Parasite' and Someone Should Say So. Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, "Karl Marx & Frederick Douglass were both born in 1818. Marx grew up in comfort, Douglass in chains. Marx thought the world owed him more comfort; Douglass only demanded liberty, & he'd do the rest." Quote Ben Shapiro @benshapiro, "Unsurprising. The most resentful people in the US are those who believe they are owed everything and fail; the least resentful are those who were given nothing and achieve." Capt. Ed says Platner, Mamdani, Talarico, and Now AOC: Scratch a Commie, Find a Mommy paying the bills. Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "MSNBC host accidentally nails it… The far-left is driven by over-educated failures who can’t succeed in the real world, which is why they overwhelmingly hide in academia, NGOs and push socialism." Quote Chris Hayes @chrislhayes Replying to @NateSilver538, "The most left wing people in America are people with post graduate degrees who are financially strapped and the most right wing are people without 4 year college degrees who are rich." Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "As I’ve said…the socialist trend is for privileged dorks with enough family wealth to squander a decade as a perma-student, but not enough talent to actually achieve anything. Educated beyond their intelligence." Quote Nate Silver @NateSilver538 "Income and education are usually positively correlated. But sometimes the relationship breaks down. What's the most Democratic voting group in America? People with post-graduate degrees but lower-to-middle incomes."

From Da Wire, The Islamist-Marxist Takeover Of Middle America. "El-Sayed is the inevitable political result of Michigan’s multi-decade experiment with mass Muslim immigration." Beege Welborn says I'm Not Sure Democrats Need the Commie-Hamas Wing of the Party to Help Sink Them. Capt. Ed, About Last Night: DSA Flops in AZ As Trump Ascends. John Sexton, Democrats Have a Massive Cash Problem. They ran out of OPM? Rick Moran hears GOP Has Twice the Cash on Hand for Midterms as Democrats. It's Actually Worse Than That. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great throw cold water on The Left-Wing Unicorn Hunt for the White Male Working-Class Voter. "Democrats can't win back the white working class with staged populism while embracing the policies and elites that drove those voters away."

At Da Wire, Trump Official Throws Cold Water on Mamdani’s Netanyahu Promise, "The arrest of Netanyahu has been a fantasy of New York's Democratic Socialist Mayor since before his election in 2025." Jim Geraghty at NRO hears Mamdani Finally Admits He Can’t Arrest Bibi. Noam Blum @neontaster, "I get why Mamdani thought becoming mayor made him the generalisimo president of New York. Growing up in a fancy Ugandan compound with its own private militia will do that to a person." Dr. Maalouf @realMaalouf, "Shocking data reveals: 95% of Zohran Mamdani’s engagement comes from foreign, mostly Islamic nations. 60% from Pakistan alone. How is this not considered foreign influence?" At TIME, What We Know About Mamdani’s First Planned City-Owned Grocery Stores. I didn't realize TIME still existed. The Manhattan Contrarian is suffering, Rolling Blackouts Hit New York. I'm sorry for you, but your fellow New Yorkers voted for them. Have you considered moving someplace sane?

At Twitchy, ActBlue Fraud Hits El-Sayed Campaign: 88yo No-Computer Granny ‘Donated’ $150K (and 47 Times). ActBlew is up to its old tricks. 

Law and Liberty has an essay on California’s Road to Serfdom. The Victory Girls observe that Jennifer Seibel Newsom is Earning Side Eye Even From Democrats. Cathy Salgado at PJM, Robert Kennedy Pauses Medicaid Funds for Fraud-Riddled California, Minnesota.

From the Free Bacon, Appeals Court Affirms 5-Year Prison Term for Source who Leaked Tax Info to NY Times and ProPublica, "IRS leak was ‘attack on our constitutional democracy,’ with aim ‘to influence an election through illegal activity’" Stacy McCain discourses On Lawyers, Samoans and Journalism.

Paul Sperry@paulsperry_ "The New York Times claims: "We acknowledge mistakes in our reporting with corrections. If you spot an error, please let us know at corrections@nytimes.com." OK, we spotted a big one in 2018. It's your Pulitzer submission for the Russiagate hoax you perpetuated. Will you correct it?:

Good news from WaEx, ICE and CBP averaging 1,593 arrests per day, highest since Trump took office.

Greg Lukianoff at The Eternally Radical Idea thinks Administrators — not just DEI administrators — are the biggest threat to free speech on campus "There is no way out of the current academic freedom and free speech crisis on campus while universities remain as bureaucratized as they are." From Fox, Elite universities face federal cash squeeze over millions tied to China-linked entities. "Donors include firms tied to the Chinese military and a Beijing research institute appearing on two government watchlists." You can take US money or Chinese money but not both. 

Show us on the doll where the 78 degree summer day touched you. https://t.co/EyrJdNfAy1

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 22, 2026

Flotsam and Jetsam - US Navy Fires On, Captures Iranian Blockade Runner

Dave Manney at PJM, Iran Pushes Too Far in Hormuz, and the U.S. Pushes Back. Nick Ballasy at JTN reports Trump says US has ‘full custody’ of Iranian-flagged ship, ‘seeing what’s on board’ ""The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom,” Trump wrote." Sundance at CTH sees President Trump Angered by Ongoing Military Fire from IRGC into Strait of Hormuz. Nick Arama at RedState, More Brave Cruise Ships Just Thumbed Their Noses at the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz. Four cruise ships trapped in the Gulf by the war, escaped around the Omani side, at least one may have been fired on.

Shamim Mafi

At News Wax, Rick Scott: Trump Has Authority to Act Against Iran Threats. Richard Pollock looks at The Democrats Fading Credibility On Iran. "Donald Trump has been underestimated by Tehran and by the Democrats." Nick Arama notices Stefanik Shreds Liberal Media Host in Heated Exchange Over 'Genocide' in Iran and Viral Trump Post, JakeTapper. A Hat Hair vid calls out Democrats Playing Politics With National Security. Siaxares سیاکسارِس @siaxares, "Speaking as someone inside Iran who stayed connected through Starlink during the total internet blackout, I want to say this loud and clear: President Trump’s recent video on Truth Social — showing Iranian protesters writing “President Trump please help” on walls, waving Lion and Sun flags alongside American flags, replaying raw footage of the revolution and saying “I’m with you, I will fight for you and I will win for you” — is music to our ears. The flames of the Lion and Sun uprising have not died down. They are simply waiting for the right moment to roar again. It was @realDonaldTrump, alongside @netanyahu and @PahlaviReza who told us to stay in our homes, stay safe, and wait until help arrives and Operation Epic Fury is complete. That’s exactly what millions of us have been doing..." Cathy Salgado at PJM reports U.S. Arrests Iranian Arms Trafficker at Los Angeles Airport "Shamim Mafi became a lawful permanent resident of our country back in 2016, but since our immigration system has long been broken and many foreign criminals and terrorists have slipped through the cracks, it is not entirely shocking to find out she remained loyal to the dictatorial regime she escaped instead of the free country that took her in. First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli shared the news of her arrest April 19 and some details about Mafi’s case."

Da Mail, Pope Leo says 'tyrant' remarks were not aimed at Donald Trump after President hit out at Catholic leader. Sarah Hoyt at Insty, THE REMARKS WERE PREPARED TWO WEEKS AGO, AND WERE IN CAMEROON WHERE I HEAR THROUGH MY CONTACTS, HIS APPEARANCE IS THOUGHT TO HAVE DONE A LOT OF GOOD: Pope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a ​handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report. Vice President Vance later thanked the pope for clearing the record and MOSTLY BECAUSE THEY DID: "’60 Minutes’ accused of using left-leaning Cardinals to bait Trump into feud with Vatican. Raymond Arroyo labeled the media strategy ‘pope-a-doping,’ saying it was designed to provoke a White House-Vatican clash." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "I'd like to know how they got to him. It's not just that, being from Chicago, he suddenly remembered all Chicago pols are rat bastards. They got to him. Something subtle. Can't have been the Catholic Charities thing, that predated Pope Leo XIV's inauguration as a Chicago pol. What was it. Whatever it was, Trump did it the Chicago way." Quote JD Vance @JDVance "I am grateful to Pope Leo for saying this. While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict–and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen–the reality is often much more complicated. Pope Leo preaches the gospel, as he should, and that will inevitably mean he offers his opinions on the moral issues of the day. The President–and the entire administration–work to apply those moral principles in a messy world. He will be in our prayers, and I hope that we'll be in his." NYPo, A clash between the pope and Trump was inevitable — but let us not choose between the heart and the head.

Ars Technica shocked Trump picks qualified, normal health leader to head CDC; experts still cautious. Hat Hair's Salena Zito is pleased to reports Kash Patel and Sen. David McCormick Team Up to Fight Fentanyl in Pennsylvania. 

Francis Sempka at Am Spec, examines Trumpian Geoeconomics and Indo-Pacific Geopolitics, "Trump has actually — as opposed to rhetorically — pivoted to Asia." VodkaPundit at Insty IS HONESTLY FLABBERGASTED THE ECONOMIST REPORTED A TRUTH: Drew Pavlou @DrewPavlou, "The Economist went from condemning Trump’s Venezuela policy to praising it in 3 months. January 10: “THE DONROE DELUSION.” April 16: “Donald Trump has made Venezuela a better place.”" No Pasaran! remembers In the Beginning, America's Democrats and the Europeans Alike Strongly Supported Israel; What Happened? The Jews Had the Gall to Stop Acting Like Communists.

Althouse notices What does an arch mean? If Trump, fascism. If Mamdani, warmth and friendliness.

Twitchy, Property Punishment: Mayor Zohran Mamdani Is Giddy Over Plan to Tax the Homes Away From Home of the Rich. Gooder and harder. Victory Girls object to Wheels On The Marxist Bus: Obama And Mamdani Meet Using Toddlers As Props. Lousy props; they're too wiggly. John Stossell at Hat Hair, Little Kids, Big Government. CJ calls NYC the Unresilient City "Even as the economy risks recession, New York keeps piling on spending that will be hard to cut." Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "The dude with the nazi tattoo is now doing nazi salutes?? Where’s the outrage from @CNN @MSNBC @nytimes @AP?? The media were more upset at @elonmusk doing a hand gesture from his heart than they are at this."Tom Shattuck @tomshattuc, "Liz Warren runs through a parade of elected Socialists, culminating with Maine’s National Socialist contender."

Don Surber observes Even electricity is leaving blues states "Reddy Kilowatt packed its power plant and headed for Texas, which welcomes gas-powered electric plants. The company that owns two-thirds of that plant is hauling away the equipment that will generate 900 megawatts of power for Texans. This is the reaction to the 2021 Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, which the Chicago Tribune called “one of Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature accomplishments, requires Illinois to phase out the burning of fossil fuels for electricity by 2045 and sets an earlier 2030 deadline for closing certain gas-fired plants.” Industry goes where it's valued.

Hat Hair's Larry Elder asks about The Implosion of Eric Swalwell: What Was He Thinking? I reject the assumption he was thinking. Matt Vespa at TownHall knows Politico Had Swalwell Dead to Rights in 2019. What Happened? But you really know what happened, they decided they couldn't hurt the Democrats.

Tom Knighton at BA is amazed at a Gun Control Activist Calling on Fellow Travelers to Say Quiet Part Out Loud. "Murray makes it clear that the term "gun control" puts more on the table for her and her allies, which probably means things like gun confiscation and gun bans, to say nothing of gun registration and other incredibly problematic things that most gun-grabbers have spent years trying to distance themselves from, at least publicly."

Margot Cleveland @ProfMJCleveland, "The fact that you who are reading this care as much as you do about prospective SCOTUS vacancies is an indictment of how far afield our Constitutional system has strayed. There was a time when the Republic did not wait with bated breath every summer to learn whether a justice would retire, or ghoulishly check the actuarial tables against the justices’ ages. That was when the Court restricted itself to the proper (if somewhat dull) task of applying the law made by others. But somewhere along the way justices (Thomas and Alito are notable exceptions) discovered that it is far more exciting to make up your own laws. You can even remake society in your own image! So the next time you check SCOTUS retirement rumors, take a moment to remember WHY you are checking — whereas finding out the identity of the next justice as contemplated by the Founders might be interesting, finding out your next tyrant-in-robes is life-changing." Josh Blackmun at The Volokh Conspiracy wants Roberts to resign as Chief Justice, but not as Justice, The Chief Justice Behind The Curtains "why would I tell Roberts--someone I agreed with about 90% of the time--to step down? The answer was a failure of leadership that was visible through publicly available information." Gene Volokh at the Volokh Conspiracy, "Unserious Leaders Are Unsafe," Opines a Federal Judge About RFK, Jr. " I'm not knowledgeable enough on the substance to speak to the administrative law issues here, I'm no fan of Kennedy, and it would certainly not surprise me that the Administration's actions here were inconsistent with federal law. But my tentative sense is that, whatever one might personally think about Kennedy's seriousness, judges' decisions are more credible when those decisions focus solely on the law, rather than deciding which of our leaders are serious."

Shipwreckedcrew reports Former D.C. U.S. Attorney Joe diGenova Takes Over Leadership of "Grand Conspiracy" Investigation in Florida -- Why That Is Necessary. "DOJ lacks numbers in a certain demographic of federal prosecutors - conservatives between 45 and 60 with wear on the tires but a wealth of experience gained in building big cases in the past." From Sundance, AAG Todd Blanche Moves diGenova and DeLorenz to South Florida Group Assisting USAO Jason Reding Quiñones and on Sunday Talks – Maria Bartiromo Questions FBI Director Kash Patel About Ongoing Issues. Matt Margolis want to know Will This Atlantic Hit Piece Be the Final Straw? Accuses Patel of being a drunk.

At Shooting News Week, The DOJ Has Warned Virginia About Its Anti-Gun Jihad. From Fox, DOJ sues six states for refusing to turn over voter registration rolls, warns ‘open defiance’ of federal law. "Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington accused of violating federal election laws."

MassDailyNews, Pressley blasted for making up statistic that 20% of healthcare workers are Haitian — the actual number is 0.6% That's fair; after all 95% of all statistics are made up.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: It’s (Almost) That Time of Year Again and FMJRA 2.0: Down To The Wire up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

With Joy Noval

From Bethesda Today, Proposed data center in Dickerson would use Potomac River water for cooling

Dickerson was the site of a large coal burning power plant that used Potomac water for cooling. I can't imagine a data center would produce worse water. 

Blake Dodge @dodgeblake, "Data centers are not really causing water problems. You shouldn't put one just anywhere. But even if they triple by 2030, they’d require just 8% of the water consumed by US golf courses, as I reported for @PirateWires based on @AndyMasley's work. Stop the AI water doomerism."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: But First, Coffee awaiting your digital amusement at The Other McCain.

Oregon, My Oregon

WaPoo, One of America’s most dangerous volcanoes will soon power homes

On the slopes of an Oregon volcano, engineers are building the hottest geothermal power plant on Earth.

The plant will tap into the infernal energy of Newberry Volcano, “one of the largest and most hazardous active volcanoes in the United States,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It has already reached temperatures of 629 degrees Fahrenheit, making it one of the hottest geothermal sites in the world, and next year it will start selling electricity to nearby homes and businesses.

But the start-up behind the project, Mazama Energy, wants to crank the temperature even higher - north of 750 degrees - and become the first to make electricity from what industry insiders call “superhot rock.”

Enthusiasts say that could usher in a new era of geothermal power, transforming the always-on clean energy source from a minor player to a major force in the world’s electricity systems.

“Geothermal has been mostly inconsequential,” said Vinod Khosla, a venture capitalist and one of Mazama Energy’s biggest financial backers. “To do consequential geothermal that matters at the scale of tens or hundreds of gigawatts for the country, and many times that globally, you really need to solve these high temperatures.”

Today, geothermal produces less than 1 percent of the world’s electricity. But tapping into superhot rock, along with other technological advances, could boost that share to 8 percent by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Geothermal using superhot temperatures could theoretically generate 150 times more electricity than the world uses, according to the IEA.

Once, a very long time ago, pre-kids, Georgia and I did a road trip around Eastern Oregon, and stopped for a day at Mt. Newberry. It's really a caldera remaining from a very large eruption 75,000 years ago, larger than the one that formed Crater Lake out of Mt. Mazama. It's hard to even visualize the size of the caldera when you're inside the caldera, which hold not one, but two lakes, East Lake and Paulina Lake. We rented a rowboat, and rowed around one of the lakes, East Lake, IIRC. Another neat feature is a giant flow of obsidian. I hadn't specifically heard it was considered an active volcano, but anything volcanic in the Cascades or nearby, has to be considered as possibly active. 

Fusion, the Fuel of the Future Forever!

 Real Clear Energy, Are We on the Threshold of Commercial Fusion?

For how many years have we been told that nuclear fusion energy is just 20 or 30 years down the road? It is for the average guy hard to imagine human technology has advanced to the point that we are ready to generate the energy of the Sun and stars in much smaller doses – and control that energy without burning us in eternal fire.

But the ultimate alchemy (turning lead to gold is chicken feed by comparison) is, according to multiple private companies, much closer to reality than the timeline espoused by the myriad of international nuclear scientists building Europe’s ITER or even China’s artificial sun.

As Tim DeChan reports, three key technological advances have turned the dream (or, to some, the nightmare) of fusion energy from science fiction to planned operational status before the end of President Trump’s second term. Tbe trio? More powerful computer chips, more sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI), and powerful high-temperature superconducting magnets.

The first reported breakthrough came in late 2022 when 192 lasers at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory converged on a small gold cylinder that contained a tiny bead of fuel composed of isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium.

The pellet ignited to produce a sustained fusion reaction that released about 50% more energy than was imparted by the lasers – which had heated the pellet to about 150 million degrees Celsius and compressed it with a pressure over twice that found at the center of the Sun.

While the experiment generated 50% more output than input energy, LLNL director Kim Budil was hardly effusive, stating that commercial fusion remained “probably decades away,” and that a few decades more of research might put us in the realm of a commercial power plant.

Commercial fusion remains “probably decades away,” she said. “Not six or five as we used to say, but moving into the foreground. A few decades of research into the underlying technologies could put us in the realm of a commercial power plant.” Or, shall we say, “30 years away” was still the prevailing mantra just three years ago.

CFS fusion reactor

 

CFS, whose investors include Bill Gates and his Breakthrough Energy Ventures, already has an agreement with Google to purchase half the output of its planned Arc commercial power plant, to be built near Richmond, VA. The successful launch of the 400 MW facility would justify the heavy investment with 200 MW of clean energy, theoretically at a greatly reduced cost, with very little radioactive waste to dispose of.

Can CFS really reach commercial fusion for Google (and lots of smaller customers) within the next decade – or sooner? Will its Sparc reactor be efficient enough to justify startup of the Arc? Stay tuned. But another fusion startup plans to beat CFS to the finish line.

With support from such notables as Reid Hoffman, Sam Altman, BlackRock, KKR, and Peter Thiel, Helion, based in Everett, WA, has raised $1.03 billion, bolstered by a $425 million infusion after its Polaris prototype field-reversed reactor made its debut. Now the firm is promising Microsoft, its primary customer, electricity from its reactor in 2028.

That’s three years from now – not thirty. If. It. Happens.

I first read about the possibility of fusion power when I was in elementary school (what can I say, I'm a science nerd).  Here we are 60+ years later, and we're still a ways away. I have hopes of seeing commercial fusion power, but they're fair faint.

Maryland, My Maryland

 Olivia Murray at Am Think thinks Electricity bills projected to jump 20% in coming months for these 13 states

In 2024, prices jumped a whopping 800% at PJM Interconnection, a “traffic controller” part of the grid that provides service in 13 states as well as D.C. For context, PJM operates the largest power grid in the U.S., with around 67 million customers—that’s more than 20% of the American population.

Here’s some quick context: Each year, PJM holds a capacity auction which sees power providers bid to meet the future demand in PJM territory, and it’s during this event that PJM “secures commitments” from power providers who will generate the future supply. As Reuters reported in July of 2024, amid a dwindling supply and an increase in demand, “Prices for power plants landed at $269.92 per megawatt-day, compared to $28.92 per megawatt-day” in 2023.

Now, according to a new piece by Laila Kearney at Reuters, prices are set to spike again, and the projection for this year is around 20%. If you live in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, or D.C., this could affect you. Kearney revealed that the cause of the price increase can be blamed on AI demands:

America’s largest power grid is under strain as data centers and AI chatbots consume power faster than new plants can be built.

The grid as it is now is barely able to meet current demands, demands which are only expected to soar in just a few short years, and prices for consumers substantially increased for more than 20% of the citizenry in less than two years…but politicians and lawmakers continue to order the closures of operational power plants for their “renewable” energy crusade.

Now to even have this debate it requires us to ignore the elephant in the room, and that is that oil, coal, and natural gas are far more “renewable” energies than solar and wind. Yes the sun will shine and the wind will blow, but the technologies required to harness those energies have much shorter lifespans (by far) than the traditional sources.

I reported on this when the capacity auction happened, back in the Biden regency. Now the bill is coming due. Fortunately, this cost is only a fraction of the cost of electricity, so the increases will only be 20% or so.

Build more nukes. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Europe Fades to Black

Well, at least a major section of it, thanks to the instability of wind and solar power. At WUWT, Congrats to Spain! Nation goes 100% renewable as of April 16th 2025! – But…Then Mass Blackouts Hit Spain, Portugal, and parts of France.  From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.28.25, Power Line: Power outage in Spain.  Will Hild @WillHild, "For those keeping score at home: April 22nd: Spain brags about hitting 100% renewable power. April 28th: Spain has the nation's largest blackout in history." Will Hild @WillHild "European authorities blamed the blackout in Spain on a "rare atmospheric phenomenon." In other words, the wind stop blowing while there were some clouds in the sky." Quote Javier Blas@JavierBlas "Before the outage hit, Spain was running its grid with very little dispatchable spinning generation, and therefore no much inertia. Solar PV/thermal + wind: ~78% Nuclear: 11.5% Co-generation: 5% Gas-fired: ~3% (less than 1GW)." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn, Europe Asking 'Who Turned the Lights Out?!' Irons in the Fire explores How close Europe came to a real-life, no bs disaster. VodkaPundit at Insty, THE OPERATIVE: “IT’S WORSE THAN YOU KNOW.” "Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: “It usually is.” Mal usually gets it right:" Michael Shellenberger @shellenberger "This is truly bananas: all of Europe appears to have been seconds away a continent-wide blackout. The grid frequency across continental Europe plunged to 49.85 hertz — just a hair above the red-line collapse threshold. The normal operating frequency for Europe’s power grid is 50.00 Hz, kept with an extremely tight margin of ±0.1 Hz. Anything outside ±0.2 Hz triggers major emergency actions. If the frequency had fallen just another 0.3 Hz — below 49.5 Hz — Europe could have suffered a system-wide cascading blackout. At that threshold, automatic protective relays disconnect major power plants, and collapse accelerates. And it's disturbingly easy to imagine multiple scenarios where that could have occurred..." Insty, WEIRD THAT TAKING ENERGY POLICY ADVICE FROM A PUBESCENT GIRL WORKED OUT BADLY: Ian Miles Cheong @stillgray "If only Europe built more power plants instead of listening to Greta Thunberg they’d never be in this situation." 

NewsMax announces Putin Declares 3-day May Ceasefire to Mark 80 Years Since World War Two Victory. He's just funning with us. At JTN, Natalia Mittelstadt has Putin announces unilateral three-day ceasefire in war against Ukraine, starting May 8 and Misty Severi follows up with Ukraine calls for permanent ceasefire after Russia announces three-day pause "Putin announced the pause would occur next month and run from midnight on May 7-8 and end at midnight on May 10-11. The actual victory day is May 8." From WaEx, Russia confirms North Korean troops fighting Ukraine as Trump’s patience with Putin wears thin. NewsMax again, Trump Urges Russia to Stop Attacks, Says Zelenskyy Might Cede Crimea. PJM's Stephen Kruiser says Peace-Loving Trump Doesn't Even Know How to Hitler. From TCW, Donald Trump, the hated, thankless (and only) peacemaker. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.28.25 The Geller Report: TRUMP EFFECT – Putin Announces Ceasefire.

Politico whines White House threatens to veto Senate measure nixing Trump’s global tariffs "The Senate is expected to force a vote this week on the resolution." Sundance at CTH hears Trump Tariffs Causing Serious Problems for Swiss National Bank (and Globalists). ET reports Trump Finds Inadvertent Allies in His Trade War With China, "It almost seems as though the third world has allied itself with Trump against Beijing." TNP asserts American Family Businesses Back Trump Tariffs’ Boost to Domestic Manufacturing. Sundance, President Trump Wishes “Good Luck” to the Captives of Canada for a Happy Election Day. 

ET, Trump Says Tax Cuts to Focus on Those Making Less Than $200,000 a Year, "Trump has been looking to extend his 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire later this year." Nick Ballasy at JTN reports GOP leaders mull 4-year sunset provisions for Trump tax benefits in reconciliation bill. "The budget watchdog Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has called the possibility of making certain tax benefits such as exempting tips from taxes only temporary a form of budget "manipulation."" At Da Caller Trump Makes America Independent From The Climate Grift.

Misty Severi again, Hegseth orders Pentagon leadership to review medical standards for military enlistment. "The order gives Pentagon officials 30 days to review its medical standards for enlistment, appointment or induction and come up with proposed updates to the standards." Hat Hair's Josh Hammer explores The Pete Hegseth Red Herring and the GOP's Foreign Policy Civil War.

Matt Vespa wonder When Will the Media Learn That You Can't Do This Stuff With Trump. Ryan James Girdusky @RyanGirdusky "Paragraph 1: Trump historically unpopular Paragraph 3: Americans still trust Trump more than Democrats."  PJM's Matt Margolis says Here's What the MSM Doesn't Want You to Know About Trump's Approval Ratings. Mark Mitchell, Rasmussen Reports @honestpollster "A look at approval index shows that Trump actually outshines most Obama polling. Approval Index = Strong Approve - Strong Disapprove. It's a measure of rabidness of support, and despite the constant media barrage..." At Althouse, "The Trump phenomenon could be dismissed as a cult of personality, but Luntz believes otherwise." From "America’s top pollster: What Trump voters think now surprises me/Frank Luntz says the new political reality of the US — and the world — can be summarised in one word" (London Times).    Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Pass some legislation." Quote Rick Scott @ScottforFlorida, "In less than 100 days, President Trump has accomplished more than Biden did in his entire term – and this is just the beginning. Promises made – promises kept!" PJM's Bob Spencer say Brace Yourself: New Trump Scandal Could Be the Biggest of Them All! (The blue suit at the Pope's funeral) and VodkaPundit, Trump’s Blue Suit and the Death Throes of Legacy Media. "I've come to expect that the dinosaur legacy media — the same folks who used to brag about their "layers of editors and fact-checkers" — will hop on board with whatever goes viral on social media, editing and fact-checking be damned. "Somebody posted a cropped picture of Trump making it look like he's the only wearer of a blue suit at the Pope's funeral! Quick, make this into the etiquette version of Watergate!""

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.28.25 EBL, Debbie Downer Rove and President Trump Approval Rating, Bacon Time: Yes, They Are That Stupid, Don Surber: Trumping the press again.

At PJM, Kevin Downey say Two Thug-Loving Judges Arrested—and Then It Gets Even Better! Kevin McCullough at TownHall sees Judges Behaving Like Criminals. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears That Case Against WI Judge Looks Pretty Solid, Says ... Andy McCabe! Virginia Kruta at Da Wire, Andy McCabe Dumps Cold Water On Dem Outrage Over Arrested Judge ""It's not an unreasonable complaint," McCabe said of Dugan's case, saying there was enough evidence to "move beyond the probable cause phase."" John Sexton at Hat Hair is disgusted with David Brooks: Judge Dugan's Actions Were Illegal but Also 'Heroic.' Mike Benz @MikeBenzCyber "they moved from “no one is above the law” to “illegal but heroic” the moment they lost control of the Justice Department." Quote Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "NYT’s David Brooks doesn’t "know the specific details" of the Judge Dugan case — but says she was “heroic." “If the federal enforcement agencies come to your courtroom and you help a guy escape, that is two things..." OTP, Temporary Replacement Named for Arrested Milwaukee Judge. LifeZette reports Leaked Memo Shows Wisconsin State Employees Instructed to Obstruct ICE Agents. Althouse, "Yeah, that's crap," said Governor Tony Evers, accused of encouraging state employees to break federal law. "Sometimes the conditions are right for liberals to see the value of the structural safeguard called federalism." Also at LifeZette, Judge ‘Pulled The Trigger Too Fast’ on Trump Withholding Funds from Sanctuary Cities says Jonathan Turley. RedState's Sister Toldja says Heartbreak for Democrats As New CBS News Poll Reveals the Results of Their Kilmar Abrego Garcia Campaign. 

AP, The FBI mistakenly raided their Atlanta home. Now the Supreme Court will hear their lawsuit. 

From Da Fetched, President Trump Calls For Arrest of Biden Operative Behind Autopen Pardons. Cathy Salgado at PJM, Trump: Biden Auto Pen Operators Should Be ‘in Jail,’ ActBlue Is Corrupt. Pop Times sees Adam Schiff Panic After Trump Recommends Jail and Orders Probe Into Alleged ActBlue Money Laundering. At Yahoo! Chuck Schumer dodges on whether Democrats will look to impeach Trump if they win back Congress. Of course they will. They can't help themselves, even though it backfires every time. 'Becca Downs at TownHall hears Illinois Governor Declares, 'Republicans Cannot Know a Moment of Peace' and Sarah Arnold sees Democrat Town Halls Targeting GOP Rep Implode Into In-Fighting and Mockery. PJM's Paula Boldyard reports a Protester Confronts Vivek at a County GOP Event. What Happened Next Was... Unexpected.

DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Hunter Biden: The Burisma-USAID Pipeline! Thanks to @MarcoPolo501c3 for the help with emails. On July 9, 2014, an email to Hunter Biden floated the idea of Burisma becoming a "partner" with USAID. By October 25, just over three months later, Burisma had secured a role in the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project in Ukraine. Hunter received a thank-you in an email. USAID would ultimately allocate $16.5 million to this project. Hunter Biden was deeply involved with USAID. He is also seen in other emails making connections with USAID appointees and even being asked for advice on appointees and resumes." Here's how it goes, politician, or politician's son, arranges for USAID to give money to X, X kicks back a share to politician or politician's son. Twitchy, THIS Where That $50K a Month Comes From? Data Republican BUSTS Hunter Biden's USAID Connection (Thread). NewsBusters, EXCLUSIVE: US Government Committed Over $11 Million Directly to Soros’s Open Society Groups through USAID.

Ace has Some Immigration News. Matt Margolis thinks Trump Created the Most Epic Border Security Display Ever on the White House Lawn, by lining the WH perimeter with posters of mugshots of arrested or deported illegal aliens. The White House @WhiteHouse "We will hunt you down. You will face justice. You will be deported — and you will never set foot on American soil again. Oh, and your mugshot may just end up on a yard sign at the White House." Althouse sees the Lawn signs at the White House. Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "MSNBC is losing their minds because the White House put up posters of criminal illegal aliens who were arrested for various crimes. The posters were placed behind where TV correspondents do their hits from so they will be in the background." Sundance hosts Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Border Czar Tom Homan Hold a Press Briefing. Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Did you know that the Biden admin purposely didn’t put illegals into ICE detention centers and instead flew them around the country and dropped them off in various cities and hotels, because then they wouldn’t have a court hearing and would be able to stay in our country for years?? "This is about selling this country out for future political power." Democrats committed TREASON." Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "Tom Homan steps in and absolutely cooks a fake news reporter: "Let's address that. Trump said Mexico was going to pay for the wall. Have they not? Putting 10,000 military on the border... We're saving millions. We've more than made up for the cost."" Beege Welborn, debunks the Trump Outrage Du Jour - About ICE Snatchin' Up Innocent Military Spouses. Dan Greenfield at Front Page maintains The Anchor Babies of Illegal Aliens Aren’t US Citizens. "Citizenship cannot be the result of giving birth while occupying American airspace." Buck Throckmorton at Ace's THE MORNING RANT: Abrego Garcia & the Pure Evil That Human Traffickers are Inflicting on the United States, with Democrat Support. Sundance is counting Pam Bondi's media appearances, #79 – Attorney General Pam Bondi Outlines Results from ICE Raid in Colorado Springs. At NewsMax, Trump to Sign Order Requiring List of Sanctuary Cities, States. Capt. Ed calls it Too Fun to Check: Was Kristi Noem Robbed By *Two* Illegal Aliens? NYPo, Illegal migrant accused of snatching Kristi Noem’s Gucci bag is identified as serial criminal from Chile.

Bob Hoge at RedState hears '60 Minutes' Anchor Scott Pelley Goes on Astonishing Rant Against Paramount Bosses in Deluded Monologue. Will he be the next to go? Duane Patterson at Hat Hair thinks It's Time To Scrap News Media, Replace It All With AI. Would AI hallucinations be worse than the media's deliberate lies? A Larry Video at Hat Hair, The White House Correspondents Disaster.

The Tax Prof observes a Pervasive Pattern Of Racial Discrimination At Harvard Law Review. From the Freep, ‘Reminiscent of the KKK’: Columbia Janitors Sue Protesters Who Took Over Hamilton Hall. Leslie Eastman at LI, Extinction Rebellion Vandalizes Wall Street Bull on Earth Day. "The climate vandals also spray painted an NYC Tesla dealership, resulting in 2 arrests." Hat Hair summarized the SF Standard, San Francisco Braces for DEI Showdown with Donald Trump.

The Peacock whines Corporate sponsors are backing away from LGBTQ+ Pride organizations. At Da Caller, USA Fencing On Verge Of Changing Policies On Transgender Athletes After Getting Whirlwind Backlash. From OutKick, 'Just Embroiled In Controversy': XX-XY Founder Jennifer Sey Unloads On Nike About Youth Transgender Study. At OTP, Education Department Finds UPenn Violated Title IX By Allowing Biological Males In Women’s Sports. John Sexton, Maine Rep. Libby Appeals to the Supreme Court in Dispute Over Trans Athletes.

There are still lots of untapped links at the Wombat's ginormous In The Mailbox: 04.28.25. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Out of the Cellar (Again) up at The Other McCain.