Flotsam and Jetsam - Tucker Flounces Out of the Party

Anxious anxiously reports "I'm out": Tucker Carlson says he's done with the GOP. Betsey Stauffer at LI, Tucker Carlson Officially Exits the Republican Party; ‘It’s Immoral … I’m Out’ “How could I or any American voter support a political party that’s not loyal to the United States? That puts the interests of a foreign country above those of its own citizens.” He's gone around the bend. 

Nick Sortor @nicksortor, " WOW! Looks like the U.S. Park Police are using PLAINCLOTHES informants to catch people screwing with the sealant in the reflecting pool This woman has just been DETAINED after being caught. Keep your hands off the freaking sealant, losers." Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "MSNOW’s Cornell Belcher is in with what may be the most unhinged media reflecting pool take yet: Kids can no longer “splash around" in the pool for fear of being arrested, which is the “ultimate symbol” of the country’s fall into authoritarianism. Good lord."

Aurora Borealis @aborealis940, "Overnight, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck the Russian “Dubna” space communications center in #Moscow region, - the General Staff This is one of the largest satellite communications facilities in #ruZZia, which supports government and military communications." Dave Strom at Hat Hair thinks Ukraine Is Systematically Dismantling Russia's War Machine. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn thinks it's funny that Without $34M in USAID to Help Elect Communists, Colombia Does the Rightward Presidential Flip. John Sexton at Hat Hair wonders Do Canadians Hate America Now? From Ace, Europeans Visiting the US for the World Cup Have Been Marveling At American Plenty, So the Left-Wing Bitter Widow Vanity Magazine "The Atlantic" Tries to Prove It's All a Right-Wing Psyop.

Sundance at CTH hosts Vice President JD Vance Giving an Update on U.S-Iran Ceasefire Discussion. From NYPo, Vance suggests US, Iran could ‘transform’ relationship but Tehran officials insist they’re not making friends: ‘Primary option is jihad’, Capt Ed at Hat Hair wonders Did Vance Cut Israel Out Of the Loop on Hezbollah 'Deconfliction'? THE SKIN DOCTOR @theskindoctor13, "US-Iran Peace Talks Fail. The US delegation, led by JD Vance, entered the meeting arena first. This was strange, because the party that claims to be the upper hand typically arrives last. Shortly after, the Iranian delegation arrived. They greeted the mediator, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, but informed him that they refused to negotiate due to recent threats issued by Trump. They didn't meet Vance and then abruptly left. A panicked Sharif frantically requested his boss, "Field Marshal" Munir, to intervene, but Munir also appeared helpless. Watching from a distance, Vance approached and asked what had happened. A shaken Sharif and Munir apologetically explained the situation to him." Buck Throckmorton at Ace's, MORNING RANT: The Iran Situation and Trump’s MOU – What Constitutes “Finishing the Job” After the Lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan?

John Sexton at Hat Hair hears Elon Musk Suggests He Could Sue Ro Khanna. "On the same show he suggested that Musk needed to be investigated and possibly prosecuted for killing millions of children," by helping shut down USAID. At NYPo, Bill Maher shuts down Rep. Ro Khanna as he fawns over Mamdani: ‘He pals around with terrorists!’Ro Khanna @RoKhanna, "Ro against the Robber Barons of our time." Quote DogeDesigner @cb_doge, "BREAKING: Elon Musk calls for the arrest of Ro 'the Robber' Khanna. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a USAID official and several executives pleaded guilty in a bribery scheme involving more than $550 million in contracts." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "You mean the people who are building things, creating the wealth you feed on, creating jobs? The parasites are in Congress. Insider trading and trying to bilk the rest of us for graft. Anyway, congrats, a public feud with @elonmusk is the best thing that ever happened to you. After the insider trading, that is. Fundraising off that, angling off that, aren't you." Ro Khanna @RoKhanna, "Elon, how about just paying the 5% instead of hurling random insults? And here are the facts, man. Your USAID cuts did this: https://ph.ucla.edu/news-events/news/research-finds-more-14-million-preventable-deaths-2030-if-usaid-defunding." Quote Elon Musk @elonmusk, Replying to @WesternLensman, "He’s such an evil liar." Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "Hello Ro, As a sign of good faith in the idea, why don't you personally, ahead of any tax, donate 5% of your $232.7 MILLION net worth to the government. It will fund childcare for 1,000 kids. Why won't you donate your own money to this cause?" From Twitchy, Ruh-Ro!: Khanna Wants Debate With Elon Musk After He Threatened to Sue Over USAID Child Murder Claims. Ace, Ro Khanna, Attempting to Appeal to the Antifa Left for His Presidential Run, Begins the Assassination Prep Machine Against Elon Musk. "Foreign disruptor Ro Khanna says Musk "needs to answer" for "sentencing 4.5 million children to death" with DOGE cuts. He says this as the left is shooting all of their hate objects and cheering on the assassins."

From the Free Bacon, Graham Platner Endorsed Comment From 'RevolutionaryCommie' Calling America a 'Disgraceful Country': 'I'm an American, and I Can't Disagree'. "The since-deleted Reddit post came in the wake of the Iranian terror chief Qassem Soleimani's death." PJM's Chris Queen would like you to Meet James Talarico’s 'TransQueer,' 'Latinx' Theology, Umm, Bro. Atop Da Hill, Will AOC suffer the same fate as Bernie and RFK Jr. in the next Democratic primary? TownHall's Matt Vespa cites an Interesting Poll About the Dems From NY Voters...and Not in a Good Way and Jeff Charles says The FBI Just Made a Huge Fraud Arrest in Chicago. No, really! Da Caller hears ‘Done Talking To You’ as Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Lashes Out When Asked About State Fraud Scandal. Tyler Bowyer @tylerbowyer, "The Arizona Republic is so defunct it is fully ignoring reports of the absolute melt down from the most embarrassing US Senator in America who happens to be from THEIR STATE." Quote Irie Sentner @iriesentner, "SCOOP: Sen. Ruben Gallego repeatedly used campaign cash to fund luxury outings with his wife and to care for his children since launching his campaign for Senate in 2023, including attending the Super Bowl using a joint campaign account with Eric Swalwell." Ward Clark at RedState calls it a Shocker: Adam Schiff Now Concedes Trump DOJ May Have Case Against Newsom. Driscoll at Insty on CALIFORNIA DYING: "How Skid Row got to this point has been a long time in the making, with many guilty parties. In the 1970s, an unholy alliance of trade unions, business, activists and nearby nimby’s agreed on a ‘containment’ plan, that focused all homelessness, medical drug support and NGO activity to the area, with vagrants heavily discouraged from leaving that area." Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "It's easy to say crime is down when you just...stop counting crimes." Quote Lisa Cusack @lisa_4_la, " At Father’s Day dinner tonight my dad told us that one of his restaurants had been broken into the last four nights in a row. The perpetrators took mostly beer—bottled and tap—and broke some windows. He went to report it, but was told it looked like it done by homeless, and the city doesn’t report petty thefts by homeless. (Crime is down!) Hope the Bass/Raman voters enjoy their free beer." TownHall's Joe Chalfant reports The Biden Administration Is at the Center of a Massive Fentanyl Trafficking Scandal. "The DEA, under President Joe Biden’s leadership, is at the center of a jaw-dropping "drugwalking" scandal that revealed the agency allowed 1.8 million fentanyl pills to be delivered, a move that a whistleblower says “100 percent got people killed.”"

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh " HOLY CRAP. Sen. Chuck Schumer just sounded the alarm that the SAVE America Act will REMOVE "25 MILLION PEOPLE" from the voter rolls Keep in mind, the bill is for voter ID and proof of citizenship If true, that means 25 MILLION people are illegals or not eligible citizens without ID!" Chuck is either making crap up or HE KNOWS THERE ARE 25 MILLION ILLEGALS VOTING Which is it, Chuck? PASS THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!" A Larry video at Hat Hair, Chuck Schumer Slips Up: 25 Million Voters Erased. The Center Square Georgia reports Georgia Senate passes voting bill over Democrats' objections. WANE, Black Democrats push back on Wasserman Schultz’s bid in Florida’s 20th District. Calling All Rush-Babes says *Just when you thought the Democrats couldn’t stoop any lower…”Senator” Jon Ossoff of Georgia goes lower. Dick Morris to Newsmax: Cheap Gas Will Sink Dems in Midterms.

Joe Chalfant, Federal Judge Declares That Common-Sense Election Integrity Is Illegal "Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, a Biden-appointed federal judge from Trinidad and Tobago." Tom Knighton at BA opines Jackson's Concurring Opinion in Hemani Case Makes Laughable Argument Against Bruen. John Sexton reports DOJ Appeals Light Sentence for Kavanaugh's Would-Be Assassin, because he claimed to be trans.

Bob Hoge at RedState happily reports 'The Deep State Firings Have Begun' — Reports Indicate Acting DNI Pulte Carrying Out Mass Terminations. No need for Senate confirmation. From Sundance, Promethean PAC Barbara Boyd Evaluates Tulsi Gabbard Biolab Releases and L.A School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho Resigns During Ongoing FBI Investigation.

From the Chronic, Trump Ramps Up War on the Birth Tourism Industry. Beege Welborn hears A Dutch 'Tugboat Harbor' No Longer Willing to Be an Asylum Seeker Safe Port.

MAZE @mazemoore, "For years Jake Tapper spread the Fine People Hoax. Since Tapper hates white supremacy so much, surely he will be reporting on the SPLC scandal soon right? The SPLC was funding white supremacy so I'm sure Tapper will be doing to do a deep dive on it any day now." John LeFevre @JohnLeFevre, "NYT headline yesterday: A driver in a Tesla vehicle that was engaged in automated driver-assistance mode crashed into a house in Texas and killed a woman. Today: Tesla logs confirm the driver manually overrode the self-driving system and had the accelerator floored the entire time. The first headline (lie) gets all the clicks. The facts get overlooked. And the NYT doesn't bother with a correction because it doesn't fit their narrative."

At the Tele, Starmer resigns as Prime Minister. News Wax reports UK PM Starmer Quits, Will Stay on Until Successor Is Chosen. Beege Welborn says And We Won't Have Keir Starmer to Kick Around Much Longer - Prime Minister Quits. At Ace, Keir Starmer Announces Resignation as His Pre-Arranged Replacement Is Sworn In To Parliament. "Before that, here's a completely unrelated story. UK Police told mother of daughter stabbed to death 23 times with screwdriver by Rwandan 'asylum seeker' to 'tone down' statement to avoid anti-migrant 'violence'." Sundance, As Expected U.K Prime Minister Keir Starmer Officially Resigns – Labour Party Lining Up Behind Andy Burnham. Driscoll at Insty cites BRENDAN O’NEILL: Good riddance to Keir Starmer’s tyranny of greyness. VodkaPundit at PJM says Fail, Britannia: Meet the New Commie, Worse Than the Old Commie. Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Keir Starmer stepping down is like replacing a hammer to the forehead with a brick to the temple. It’s nice to see him go, but for now, you’ll get Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney. Andy Burnham is still a socialist. He still complains about “Islamophobia.” Nothing will change." Newsbusters notices No Mention of U.K. Migrant Crisis in CNN’s Starmer Resignation Coverage. From Fire, UK teen social media ban is anonymity-killer for adults.

At Ace, Massachusetts Middle School Principal Apoglogizes to Muslim Students for Making Them Feel "Unseen" and "Unsafe" for... A Teacher Teaching a Standard, Basic Lesson About the Holocaust. "They intend to make you submit to Islam."

Julia Cassidy at TownHall reports a Fired Teacher Accused of Forcing Students to Kiss Lands New Job at Colorado Elementary School, girl on girl. Insty notes GAY MARRIAGE BECAME POPULAR BY BEING NORMALIZED. THIS STUFF IS DENORMALIZING IT. "Virtue Signaling as a Vice: How LGBTQ+ Activism is Slowly Killing Support for Gay Marriage. Gays never should have let the TQ+ crowd into the tent." CJ asks Do “Anti-LGBTQ+” Policies Worsen Mental Health? "A recent survey claims to find they do, but its conclusions ignore key evidence."

And even more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.22.26. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Meanwhile, Somewhere In The Great Basin a bit late, but within reason.

Flotsam and Jetsam - All Hallows' Eve

Sundance hosts President Trump Meets with Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping – Livestream Links and Secretary Scott Bessent Provides Background on Trump/Xi Discussions and Agreement. Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports Trump says China to buy US farm products, export rare earth minerals in exchange for tariff cuts "President Trump also announced a potential deal with China to purchase U.S. energy" and help with fentanyl. From LifeZette, Trump Hammers Out Major Deal With Xi to Slash Tariffs, Boost U.S. Exports. But the Free Bacon claims A Potent Replacement for Fentanyl Is Emerging in the U.S. and Experts Say China Is Behind It. "'China is the number one source, not even a close second,' former DEA agent tells Free Beacon." I'll bet Xi's position is that it's not covered.

From Breitbart, Trump Administration Overhauls Biden’s DEI Broadband Program that Connected Zero Households in 4 Years. Just give them Star Link. Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks It's Bizarre, but Democrats Are Arguing That Trump Is Senile. If that is senile, I hope to be so senile. 

From News Wax news that CBO: Shutdown to Shave Up to $14B From US Economy, fortunately mostly in areas that need a razor taken to them, WashPost: Dems Holding Govt 'Hostage;' End Shutdown Now and Trump Renews Call to Replace 'Obamacare,' End Shutdown. Military.com hears Vice President Vance Says Troops Will Be Paid as Pressure Builds on Congress to End the Shutdown. Margot Cleveland @ProfMJCleveland, "Senate Minority Leader AOC has told Schumer to create a fake problem to solve to end the shut down. He's gonna have Senate Dems vote for the CR as the only way to restore SNAP. It's all a fake sideshow." Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal has A Modest Proposal for SNAP Amid the Schumer Shutdown and Jacob Adams says ‘Shame on the Senate Democrats’: Florida Congressman Slams Democrats for Shutdown and Refusal to Pay Troops. Guy Benson @guypbenson, "He’s losing. He was always going to lose." Quote David M. McIntosh @DavidMMcintosh, "Chuck Schumer is melting down. Democrats have absolutely lost the plot on the shutdown. The only thing they can do now is reopen the government with a clean CR." Hat Hair's Duane Patterson thinks Democrats Setting Themselves Up to Cave Twice in Two Weeks on the Same C.R. due to the timing problem we've already identified. By now, most of the CR the House passed will have elapsed. Sen. Lankford to Newsmax: Moderate Dems May Vote With GOP on Shutdown. PJM's Matt Margolis sees Scalise Just Ended Schumer’s Shutdown Spin With a Brutal Reality Check and thinks Jasmine Crockett Accidentally Proved Republicans Are Right on the Shutdown. "“You don’t have 60 in the Senate. That means you have to talk to the other side.” Cute. Except here’s the part she conveniently left out: The current government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, is the first in American history triggered by the refusal to pass a clean continuing resolution." Amy Curtis at TownHall hears Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Blames Trump for SNAP Shutdown While Sitting on $370 Million. Matt Walsh @MattWalshBlog, "Well, congratulations then. EBT feeds Doritos to fat people AND funds private jets also. Billions of dollars are funneled to Walmart, junk food companies, and Coca Cola through food stamps. You’re getting ripped off by the poor and the rich at the same time. What a great program!" Quote WarMonitor @TheWarMonitor Replying to @MattWalshBlog "I’d rather my tax dollars feed families Doritos than fund private jets." From Twitchy, Kamala Harris Loses It Ranting About Trump's Ballroom and Starving Babies. Catturd ™ @catturd2, "Two more days until the Democrat Party starts starving little children because they want to give illegals free healthcare." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Democrats Vow To Starve As Many Food Stamp Recipients As It Takes To Get Free Healthcare For Illegal Immigrants https://buff.ly/6ZGT5F8."

From Sundance, Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks at TPUSA Conference and Answers Questions – Full Video and Transcript. Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "Please don’t miss this… Tonight was just remarkable. When have you ever seen a sitting Vice President take hostile questions for a straight hour from the American people? No vetting, no screening. JD Vance took the fire tonight — and crushed it. Proving he’s 48 every day." Jen O'Connell at RedState has the clip, JD Vance Hits It Out the Park When Confronted by Student on His 'Inter-Cultural' Marriage, Immigration.

Cheryl Hines

At PBS, WATCH: Health Secretary RFK Jr. announces new FDA move to fast-track biosimilar drug approvals. Althouse finds "There’s just mutual headshaking. It’s like you lock eyes and you shake heads and you move on"/"It’s a sense of betrayal, like, who are you? Were you always like this? I don’t know you anymore!" "Said unnamed acquaintances of Cheryl Hines, quoted in "Cheryl Hines’s MAGA Makeover Has Her Hollywood Colleagues Scratching Their Heads: 'I Don’t Know You Anymore!'/'It’s a sense of betrayal, like, who are you?' says one industry insider, of the Curb Your Enthusiasm star and wife of RFK" (Vanity Fair)" and "Bobby’s doing the eulogy and in the middle of it, his older brother—of which he only has one, Joe Kennedy, former congressman from Massachusetts—starts cursing him and throwing a scene." ""In his mother’s funeral. This happened?! You were there? You witnessed it.... Talk about the physiological response in your body when this was happening." Billy Bush was pressing Cheryl Hines about something she wrote about in her forthcoming book "Unscripted" (commission earned)."

At Da Signal, Hegseth on Fentanyl, Narco-Terrorists, and America’s Response: ‘It’s Self-Defense.’

Matt Margolis says Wait, There Are Still Democrats Who Claim That Biden Wasn’t Cognitively Impaired? Ace, Key Biden Advisor Ian Sams Previously Claimed that Biden Was Sharp as a Tack. Only Now Does He Admit: I Only Met With Biden Twice In the Two Years I Worked For Him. "Via Twitchy, he previously swore to the American people that Biden was, as they say, sharp as a tack." From Da Blaze, Reporter humiliates Kamala Harris over Biden health cover-up: 'That is a world-class pivot'. See the video, Jason Cohen @JasonJournoDC "NEW: Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Sarah Ferguson *REPEATEDLY* CALLS OUT Kamala Harris for ducking question on Biden's decline FERGUSON: "Wasn't his refusal to recognize his own frailties the reason that you faced a nearly impossible task?" HARRIS: *Rambles about TRUMP* FERGUSON: "I want to interrupt you — because that is a world-class pivot, but it is not the question that I asked you."" Anxious anxiously Biden "didn't want" 2024 debate, Harris says, Jay Caruso @JayCaruso "This 14 second video had so many cuts its almost like a claymation film." Quote Joe Biden @JoeBiden May 15, 2024, "Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again." At Da Caller, ‘Shut The F*ck Up’: James Carville Tears Into Hunter Biden, Says ‘He Was Guilty Of Some Sh*t’, no sh*t! Jim Geraghty at NRO looks at The Left’s Disingenuous Pile-On of Karine Jean-Pierre. It's like making fun of the retarded. It's fun for a minute, but then you feel bad. 

Stacy McCain, Who Democrats Are, What Democrats Do It is no surprise, then, that we see Democrats on the verge of electing Zohran Mamdani as the mayor of New York City. Mamdani, whose anti-police rhetoric was widely known, got 56% of the vote in the Democratic mayoral primary, in a city where Kamala Harris last year got 75% of the vote in the presidential election. NYPo reports a Bidding war frenzy and soaring prices hit Connecticut homes as NYC buyers flee amid fears of a Mamdani win and Mamdani’s 9/11 crocodile tears reveal his callow self-regard — and total unfitness for office. From Breitbart, Nolte reports Criminal Referrals Filed Against Zohran Mamdani for Alleged Foreign Contributions. John Kass fears Zohran Mamdani’s New York is Infecting America. Philip Klein @philipaklein "Did @BillKristol ever believe anything he said he did for decades?" Quote, Kendall White @kendallwhite01 "As far as I know, this is the first time @BillKristol has explicitly said he would vote for Mamdani. Somewhat surprising, though I guess it really shouldn’t be." PJM's Athena Thorne asks Why Aren’t We Doing More of This to Zohran Mamdani? and Rick Moran sees The DSA Is Having a Moment and We Should Be Very Afraid.

Carl Campanile and Ryan King at NYPo claim Ciattarelli, Sherrill in dead heat for NJ governor in final days of campaign: poll. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Once Upon a Shoo-In: Jersey Mikie Has an Old Fashioned Fight on Her Hands. Ace, Schmock Schmoll: Ciattarelli Now Virtually Tied With Cheater and Grifter Mikie Sherrill for NJ Governor, "Sherrill 49%, Ciattarelli 48%, 2% undecided. And this is via a public poll, and those tend to skew Democrat by three or more points." It still means it's not outside the margin of fraud. At the Pop Times, Jack Ciattarelli Gets Green Light to Sue Mikie Sherrill Over Opioid Crisis Remarks. Dave Strom worries Could There Be a November Surprise?

End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Omar Fateh waves foreign flag, speaks a foreign language, pledges his loyalty to Somalia, tells Somalians to elect him This is a rally in Minneapolis." David French @DavidAFrench, "Ten years ago, many of us started warning about the rise of the alt-right, and we were told to shut up and focus on the left. Well now anti-Semitism, racism, and conspiracies are exploding all over the right (especially with young Republicans), with some of the biggest voicesShow more." Brother Seamus@WaynePelota, "The Democrats are about to nominate a guy for Senate with a literal SS tattoo, but do go on about a minority population of very online dumbasses on the right. It’s what the audience you’ve created expects." VodkaPundit at Insty, THE DEMOCRATS ARE ALMOST BEYOND PARODY: "But only almost." At PJM VIP he writes his Thursday Essay: What in the Actual Hell Is Wrong With the Democrats? Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears Jon Karl say to Newsom: You Know Your Friends Think You Have An 'American Psycho' Vibe, Right?

Inez Stepman @InezFeltscher, "Biden admin used the apparatus of the state to surveil basically all of their political opponents and their organizations. By FAR the biggest scandal in American history. By far." Quote Mike Benz @MikeBenzCyber, "The Biden FBI set up a dragnet on American media companies, including Fox News, Fox Business, Newsmax, OANN, Sinclair, the works. Fucking insane. x.com/C__Herridge/st…" Ace, Revealed: Jack Smith and Christopher Wray Subpoenaed the Donor Lists and Emails of Every Single Conservative Organization on "Biden's Enemies List", "Trump is such a dictator he works backwards through time." At JTN John Solomon and Jerry Dunleavyreport the FBI memo opening Arctic Frost probe into Trump was thin on evidence and justification, experts say. "Biden DOJ investigations into Trump were born in sea of retribution: The picture of the politicized nature of the Arctic Frost investigation into Donald Trump continues take shape, and it's not pretty, " Misty Severi, Trump Media blasts Jack Smith for subpoenaing bank records "Nunes said TMTG was one of the 400 Trump-aligned individuals and organizations that Smith "spied on" in his probes, and that Smith's team issued a "shockingly broad, secret subpoena for our banking records,"" and Jim Jordan threatens to subpoena Jack Smith for deposition, change FISA rules "The comments come after recent documents showed that the Biden administration's FBI opened an investigation into President Donald Trump and hundreds of his allies over their Jan. 6 activities with weak evidence," and Ben Whedon hears Brandon Gill hints at impeachment articles for Judge Boasberg, "Cruz, for his part, pointed to Boasberg's sign-off of an effort to spy on Republican senators." Sundance, Senators Ted Cruz and Eric Schmitt Call for the Impeachment of DC Judge James Boasberg. "Now that they personally become a target of Lawfare practices, suddenly the Senate wants to see some actionable accountability. Funny that." Fred Lucas at Da Signal sees 4 Likely Next Steps From Congressional Probe of Jack Smith and ‘Arctic Frost’. Dave Strom notes Pravda Ignores Arctic Frost Story. Sean Davis @seanmdav, "Federal sources confirmed to
@FDRLST that Biden’s DOJ deliberately chose the name “Arctic Frost,” rather than follow the customary procedure of using a randomly generated name from agency computers. Why? Because Arctic Frost is also a type of orange tree cultivar that can withstand cold temperatures. The name itself proves the entire corrupt operation was designed from the beginning to take down the Bad Orange Man and his Florida estate. It turns out that Donald Trump can withstand filthy Beltway blight just as well as he can handle the cold." Rachel Bovard @rachelbovard, "I really, really need the political right to understand how existential Arctic Frost was to our entire movement. I literally don't care who Tucker had on his podcast. Joe Biden's government tried to judicially assault us all out of existence, and was very close to doing it."

Sundance notes the FBI Leadership Stakes a Position in Opposition to Expanded Authority of Director of National Intelligence "It has often been said that a person cannot serve two masters. Throughout years of reviewing the activity of the FBI, one larger picture is clear; the primary mission of the FBI is to protect the interests of Washington, DC – not to protect the interests of truth."

 

Ace woke up and noticed Antifa Terrorists Are Being Arrested and Convicted, "Finally. Andy Ngo reports that an Antifa terrorist, "Anarchy Marie, has been arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting the sniper who shot an agent at an ICE facility in North Texas." From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.30.25, Twitchy, Federally Indicted Democrat Kat Abughazaleh Quits Interview After Clip Of Her Blocking ICE SUV Is Shown, Jeff Charles at TownHall, This Progressive Candidate Thought She Would Stop an ICE Vehicle – Now She's in Deep Trouble "Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive Democrat running for an open House seat in Illinois, faces federal charges after attending a protest at a U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement processing center outside Chicago." News Wax cites DHS: Death Threats Against ICE Officers Soar 8,000% Shipwreckedcrew discusses The Insurrection Act: Officials In Blue States and Cities Are "Running with Scissors" Expecting Nothing Bad Will Happen From Opposing DHS/ICE. "The factual preconditions for invoking the Insurrection Act have already been met -- only President Trump's forbearance in asserting his lawful authority has prevented it from happening."

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.30.25, Twitchy, Trump Officials Flee to Military Bases: Left-Wing Threats Force Miller, Rubio, and Noem into Hiding. John Sexton reports an ISU Teaching Assistant was Arrested for Threatening to Kill President Trump. Commentary comments on The Assassination Fan Base "Once horrifying, the targeted murder of prominent people now comes with a built-in subculture and cheering section." NYPo, Alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson scores court win after making same request as Luigi Mangione, to wear civilian clothes in court to avoid prejudice. Brianna Lyman at Da Fed sees Nicolle Wallace Is Blatantly Lying About Democrats’ Assassination Prep.

Jeff Charles fears Letitia James Might've Found a Way to Avoid Being Convicted of Mortgage Fraud "The mortgage contract James signed does not prohibit renting out the house, according to POLITICO’s review of the contract and legal and real estate experts. In fact, the key language in the contract expressly allows renting under certain conditions." The AP whines the Justice Department is investigating fraud allegations in Black Lives Matter movement, AP sources say. John Sexton, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation is Under Investigation for Fraud.

Shipwreckedcrew laughs at "They Are Deporting Me Too Fast, Please Make Them Stop" Says Mahmoud Khalil, Columbia Protest Leader to District Court. "The Anti-Israel Columbia Protest Leader -- In His 30s -- With A Removal Order based on lying on his visa application tells a judge without jurisdiction that he should make the Government slow down." Fox News, ICE says suspect accused of killing teen in second drunk driving incident was in US illegally "Franklin Oriel Fajardo-Arana has an active warrant 'for a separate DUI offense,' ICE says". At OTP, Pritzker Asks Federal Officials To Pause Immigration Operations On Halloween. But News Wax reports Noem Denies Pritzker: ICE Will Be Out on Halloween. Trick or treat!

OTP reports an Ousted CBS Reporter Threatens Suit After Contentious Huckabee Interview. Before the Bari Weiss takeover. At Da Mail, Gayle King expected to depart CBS News in bombshell move amid Bari Weiss takeover. From the Wrap, ‘The View’ Sets Marjorie Taylor Greene as Guest After Co-Hosts Call for More Republicans on the Show "The Republican congresswoman will visit the ABC talk show on Tuesday." I'm pretty sure they won't walk all over her, although she was clearly chosen because of stances she's taken against Trump. From NYPo, CNN’s Jake Tapper says Gen Z will be ‘a lot more conservative’ after schools forced lefty politics ‘down their throats.’ Rebellion is a thing. 

From Da Wire, Loudoun County Schools Manipulated, Deleted Evidence In Transgender Locker Room Filming Case: Lawsuit "The school is punishing boys who questioned why there was a girl filming them in a locker room." At Insty, Driscoll wonders rhetorically Why is Glamour honoring men as its Women of the Year? J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling, "I grew up in an era when mainstream women’s magazines told girls they needed to be thinner and prettier. Now mainstream women’s magazines tell girls that men are better women than they are."

More links at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.30.25, but it's time to get ready for trick or treat. 

Forget It Jake, It's Baltimore

 UPI, Five hospitalized in another mass drug overdose incident in Baltimore

Five people in Baltimore were hospitalized for a reported mass overdose incident, one week after 27 were sickened in the same area of the city because of a "bad batch" of drugs, police said. The victims Friday were in serious condition, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said at a news conference, including addition to two who refused treatment after first responders deployed Narcan.

The 911 calls started coming just before 9 a.m. Friday and not from a concentrated area as last week, police said. Both incidents are in the historic Penn North neighborhood of West Baltimore.

"People have already heard what is out here and yet they still gotta go get it because their body is calling for it," one man who goes by the nickname 'Slim Rob' told WJZ-TV. "It's heartbreaking, man. It's heartbreaking. You got people's mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents out here -- and the kids need them and yet they need that when you can be gone like this."

On July 10, people were hospitalized in the incident in West Baltimore, which law enforcement officers and community advocates called a "bad batch of drugs."
. . .
Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology who examined substances from last week said they contained fentanyl, a powerful painkiller; methylclonazepam, which has sedative effects; Mannitol, a diuretic; quinine, an anti-malaria drug; and caffeine.

Sounds like an episode of The Wire, Slim Rob and all. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Waltz Out At Nat Sec, In At UN?

Mike Waltz, whose sloppiness in setting up that Signal chat that inadvertantly included virulently anti-Trump Jeffrey Goldman of the Slantic, has been eased out of his seat as National Security Advisor, and offered the UN Ambassadorship, assuming he can pass Senate confirmation (which is not a given). While there have been memorable UN Ambassadors (Jean Kirkpatrick comes to mind), the whole UN is such a shit show that it's hard not to see this as a demotion. At Sauron's Eye, Mike Waltz out as national security adviser, but Trump says he'll be ambassador to U.N. Fox, Mike Waltz, other National Security Council staffers out in latest Trump purge following Signal chat leak, "Fox News confirmed Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, left the office Thursday."  NYPo, Trump taps Mike Waltz as new UN ambassador, Rubio as acting national security adviser. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, BREAKING: Waltz Out As Nat-Sec Adviser? UPDATE: Rubio Interim NSA, Waltz Gets New Gig at UN.  Althouse, "But most of Mr. Trump’s advisers had already viewed him as too hawkish to work for a president who campaigned as a skeptic of American intervention and is eager to reach a nuclear deal with Iran and normalize relations with Russia." "I'm reading "Trump is ousting Michael Waltz, his national security adviser" (NYT)." Ace, Mike Waltz Rumored to be Leaving his position as NSA, along with his aide, Alex Wong. "From Trent Crimm, the Independent . . ." "Adam Smith, representative from Washington, is very mad that Republicans won't repeat Russian Collusion and spend years of committee time looking into this."

Matt Vespa at TownHall thinks he knows Why the Liberal Media Thinks Trump's First 100 Days Are a Disaster: No Wonder. "When you boil down why the press is so mad, it’s simple: Trump is doing the opposite of what Biden would have done." Michael Goodwin at NYPo says Trump’s first 100 days illustrate his strengths and mindset —decisive, bold, and in a hurry. Mike LaChance at LI notes Network Coverage of Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth Was 100% Negative in Trump’s First 100 Days, “I think we’re controversial because we’re OVER the target!” Doing the opposite of Biden. From Da Fetched, Enough to Kill 119 Million: Trump’s First 100 Days Mark Major Fentanyl Crackdown with 22 Million Pills Seized. Good, but we need it shut off at the source. At Althouse, Talk about Trump's third term goes on and "Look, it would be easy for me not to just respond, when you say that, and I could just let you go on. But I’m a very honest person." "Said Donald Trump when The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg asked him why he doesn't quit saying he won the 2020 election." At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.30.25, Don Surber says Trump changed DC this time. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.01.25 (Afternoon Edition) Louder With Crowder, “You’re fake news”: ABC News’ Terry Moran tried coming after Donald Trump, Scott Jennings has Trump rally crowd laughing, but what he says about Trump’s “bad” polling will truly trigger CNN and Dems, and Exposing 3 Major Anti-Trump LIES (What You Need to Look For).

At NewsMax, Lutnick to Newsmax: Some Trade Deals 'Less' Than Weeks Away. Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports China exports drop amid tariff fight with U.S. "A gauge of new export orders decreased this month to its lowest reading since December 2022." Althouse finds Maybe you have enough toys. "I'm trying to read "Trump, on Tariffs, Says ‘Maybe the Children Will Have 2 Dolls Instead of 30’/At the end of a cabinet meeting, the president allowed for the possibility that trade war could disrupt supply chains" (NYT)." PJM's Matt Margolis claims Trump is Winning: China Caves to Trump on Tariffs Again. "In a stunning reversal that validates President Donald Trump's hardline stance, China caved on Tuesday and lifted its punitive 125% tariff on American ethane imports." Sauron's Eye, U.S. vehicle sales surge as buyers hope to beat tariff hikes. Eric Worral at WUWT dismisses the Claim that Trump Tariffs are to Blame for the UK Economic Slump (Not Climate Policy). Hat Hair's Dave Strom sees that Europe's Problem With Trump Is That He Tells Them the Truth. That's so undiplomatic!  

At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.30.25,  Louder With Crowder Here’s Why Canada’s Election Results Are A Golden Opportunity For Trump, America & Alberta, Vox Popoli, The Ports Shut Down, Postcards From Barsoom: Post-Mortem For The Canadian Election.  And at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.01.25 (Afternoon Edition), Don Surber, The Trump and only, Matt Taibbi: When Genius Failed…Again, also, NYT Accuses Trump Of Inventing The Surveillance State.

Sean Davis @seanmdav "With very few exceptions, Republicans in Congress don’t seem interested in doing anything other than being in Congress. As our country teeters on collapse, the most powerful branch in our government is run by do-nothings who are terrified of using their power to save the country, while their opponents are champing at the bit to get power back so they can finish us off once and for all." Quote Cernovich@Cernovich, "The Republican Congress isn't interested in enacting Trump's agenda. No judges impeached. No funding cut for DC courts. No nothing."

At Breitbart, Judge Blocks Trump from Deporting Alleged Venezuelan Gang Members from South Texas Using Alien Enemies Act. Da Caller, Trump-Appointed Judge Blocks Administration From Using Alien Enemies Act To Deport Gang Members. Remember, the court did not address that in their Kilmar Abrego Garcia intervention. Atop Da Hill, Trump administration asks Supreme Court to end protected status for 600,000 Venezuelans. Miami Herald reports Judge says she’s ‘shocked’ Florida attorney general defied her order on immigration arrests "Williams issued a preliminary injunction late Tuesday prohibiting all state law enforcement officials and police agencies from arresting undocumented immigrants who come into Florida." John Kass says Democrat Judges Spit on Rule of Law. Fox, Ex-New Mexico judge, wife who allegedly harbored illegal Tren de Aragua member released on bond. "A federal judge released the couple on $10K bonds under certain conditions." Dave Bernstein at Insty has NEWS YOU WON’T FIND IN THE NEW YORK TIMES: "Potential deportee and Columbia grad student Mohsen Mahdawi won a habeas hearing yesterday. That perhaps temporary victory should not obscure the truly blockbuster revelation in the judge’s opinion, that Mahdawi was reported to the authorities and investigated by the FBI in 2015 after he told a gun store owner that he was involved in murdering Jews in Israel, and telling another individual that he liked to kill Jews, all why eyeing various firearms. The judge, seemingly intent on teaching the Trump administration a lesson did not take these statements very seriously, but (a) Mahdawi should have been referred to ICE for deportation in 2015; and (b) if he can’t be deported now, something is very wrong with our immigration system. Meanwhile, I won’t bother linking to the Times’ story on the habeas ruling but, no surprise, no mention of Mahdawi’s love of Jew-killing."

Terence P. Jeffrey maintains America's Immigration Laws Are Just. Tim Graham is amused by the media Blurring Trump's Posters Displaying Illegal Immigrant Mugshots. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.30.25, Rep. Jamie Raskin Says The Biden Administration Knew The Right Way To Deport People.

Habba to Newsmax: Law Firms 'Were Colluding' Against Trump, who keeps milking them for cash and free legal services now. "The firms of Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP; Latham & Watkins LLP; and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, LLP announced they would each provide $125 million in free legal work for causes including veterans and combating antisemitism. In exchange, the White House would absolve the firms of any investigation into their hiring practices. Habba said the firms signed "because they knew they didn’t want any investigations opened into them.""  At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.30.25, Twitchy: Julie Kelly Destroys Fired J6 Prosecutor For Her Crocodile Tears, Everything Is “Swine” Among Democrats, and Rep. Jamie Raskin Says The Biden Administration Knew The Right Way To Deport People Louder With Crowder: Another Dem congressman attempts to defend his Articles Of Impeachment against Trump.

National Review is sort of grateful that the  National Science Foundation Cancels Hundreds of Grants to Left-Wing Research Projects. Ace, EPA cancels 781 Environmental Justice Grants because Trump is a big ole meanie who ran on just this sort of thing, and you should be super mad about it. "You regretting your vote yet, MAGAts?!" WokeSpy has a 2024 Voter Fraud Bombshell: DOGE Discovery Leads To Arrests. Two Ukrainians arrested for voting. "This arrest marks the first publicly known case where DOGE’s internal intelligence has led directly to law enforcement action." Breitbart reports Neil Young Rages at Elon Musk in Latest Hippie Rock Song: ‘If You’re a Fascist, Get a Tesla’. I guess you can't tell him to just shut up and sing. 

From OTP, Bizarre Kamala Harris Speech Talks Elephants, Trump In 18-Minute ‘Comeback’. "Bizarre 18-Minute Speech Talks Elephants, Trump." Althouse, Kamala is back, and she's teaching the wisdom of the elephants. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, So What Happened When the Coconut Queen Stepped Up to Sing? NewsMax cites Netanyahu: Beeper Attack Moved Up, Held From Biden for Fear of Leaks. Jerry Dunleavy at JTN reports Hunter Biden drops lawsuit against IRS whistleblowers, who say suit was 'attempt to intimidate’ "Hunter Biden has finally given up his lawsuit against the IRS whistleblowers who exposed the federal government's slow-walking and mishandling of the investigation into Joe Biden's son."

Matt Vespa enjoys how House GOP Reps Mock Dems for Being Totally Lost and Adrift. Beege Welborn sees Hogg and Carville, Fightin' in a Tree - What Happened Next Was OMG. James Carville @JamesCarville "Just called @DavidHogg111. He reminded me of the story of, after the battle of Shiloh, Henry Halleck urged President Lincoln to fire Ulysses Grant. Lincoln said: “I can’t fire him. This man fights.” David Hogg fights. The DNC needs him." At WaEx, Sanders rebuffs Schumer’s claim that Democrats are ‘totally united,’ widens split with party establishment. Hat Hair's Dave Strom says Yes, Democrats Are Imploding, But No, They Are Not Doomed. Da Mail, Democrat's 'grotesque' blanket statement about Latinos sends internet ablaze  "'First, they came for the Latinos outside of the Home Depots trying to get work so that they could feed their families,' Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said during a congressional hearing on Wednesday. 'I didn't say anything about it, because I'm not a Latino at the Home Depot,' the Democrat continued." Mitch Berg at Hat Hair VIP,  paraphrasing Hawaii, Michigan Democrats: "We Could Learn a Thing Or Two From The Stasi..." Da Caller notes Leading National Democrats Are Now Calling For Outright Violence.

Sarah Anderson at PJM says You Won't Believe What Rubio Found In Biden's State Department Files, but I believe it. Leah Barkoukis at TownHall, In Cabinet Meeting, Rubio Reveals Biden Admin Had 'Disinformation' Dossier on 'One Person at This Table'. Only one? Drew Berquist, Marco Rubio: Biden Admin Kept a Secret File on Trump Cabinet Member.  

TownHall's Jeff Charles, Trump Didn't Have to Humiliate '60 Minutes' Like This, but He Did It Anyway "The president on Wednesday said his lawsuit against the three entities “is a true WINNER” and claimed they “cheated and defrauded the American People at levels never seen before in the Political Arena.” Over the 60 Minute reimagination of the Kamala interview. From Breitbart, Exclusive–Morris: The White House Correspondents Dinner Taught Me That Media Bias Isn’t About Politics, Just Insanity. "I mean, like, actually insane. Delusional. Zero self-awareness, or awareness of reality. Not everyone, but, mostly." Bob Hoge at RedState hears 'I'm Black—You're Not': CNN Panel Explodes Into Ragefest As 'The View's' Ana Navarro Loses Her Mind. Are we sure she was in possession of it?  Becky Noble at RedState, Here's the Latest Idea for the White House to Bypass Legacy Media, and It's Glorious. "In yet one more way to bypass the rapidly and increasingly irrelevant mainstream media, the White House has announced the launch of what they are describing as a "Drudge-style" website that will promote pro-Trump stories and give accurate information on what is happening throughout the administration. The new site is called "White House Wire.""

From GateWay, BREAKING: President Trump Signs “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media” Executive Order to Defund NPR and PBS. NewsBusters hears NPR CEO Claims They Are 'Foundational Infrastructure For Our Country'. 

Hat Hair's John Sexton reports Robby Starbuck Sues Meta Over False Claims Its AI Made About Him "What he found, after querying Meta's AI himself, was a whole list of false claims about him. . . Large language models like Meta's AI can hallucinate false answers about a topic, but he wondered if these specific claims may have absorbed from some "source" when Meta's AI was scraping the internet for training material. However, Starbuck's research team couldn't find anyone making these specific claims about him anywhere else online. Also, other AI companies did not make the same errors."

Jim Piereson at CJ on why Trump Is Likely to Win His Fight with Universities. "The administration holds many cards, and it seems determined to play them all." At the Free Bacon, Scathing Harvard Report Details Pervasive Anti-Semitism Driven By 'Politicized Instruction'. "'I am sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set for our community,' says university president Garber." Rick Moran at PJM VIP, Harvard Reluctantly Admits that Woke Politics Destroyed the School. Ilya Shapiro@ishapiro "Worse than I thought it would be. If Bob Jones U deserved to lose its tax-exempt status, doing the same to Harvard—and every other school that so baldly fails to uphold its civil-rights obligations—is a no-brainer." Quote Yehuda Teitelbaum @chalavyishmael "BREAKING: Harvard Just Released its Final Report on Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias. It’s 300+ pages and pretty devastating to read."

NRO reports HHS Report Finds No Strong Evidence Supporting ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Effectiveness. Ryan King at NYPo, Gender dysphoria should be treated with therapy instead of transition treatments, massive Trump-ordered HHS report urges. NewsMax, Ed Dept Investigates Washington State Over Trans Athletes. At the California Globe, CA Democrats Predictably Kill Sen. Grove’s Bill to Secure Women’s Prisons from Predatory Trans ‘Women.’ ‘This measure ensures the protection of biological women at birth in shared spaces such as sleeping quarters and restrooms.’ At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.30.25, Louder With Crowder CA lawmakers refuse to make it a felony to buy teens for sex and…wait, what?

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Out of the Cellar (Again) up at The Other McCain.

Oregon, My Oregon

 UPI, Fentanyl state of emergency declared for Portland

A state of emergency was declared Tuesday for downtown Portland, as Oregon, county and city officials attempt to tackle the ongoing fentanyl crisis.

"Our country and our state have never seen a drug this deadly and addictive, and all are grappling with how to respond," Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement.


Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is between 50 and 100 times more potent than morphine, and is a main driver of the United States' ongoing opioid epidemic.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, the state experienced more opioid overdose visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers last year compared to previous years, while the Portland Police Department's Bureau of Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit saw a 75% increase in notifications of overdose deaths in 2023 over a year prior.

Last month, an annual report was published, stating that of the 123 drug overdose deaths experienced by those suffering from homelessness in Multnomah County, which is home to Portland, fentanyl was found to have contributed to 74% of them.

On Tuesday, Kotek, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler each declared a 90-day state of emergency to commit available resources into a unified response to the crisis.

"The chair, the mayor and I recognize the need to act with urgency and unity across our public health and community safety systems to make a dent in this crisis," Kotek said. "We are all in this together."

Under the declaration, a command center will be established in the center of the city where state, county and city employees will coordinate strategies and response efforts, the state said, adding that it will serve to refocus existing resources and report data on the effects of fentanyl in downtown, while identifying and responding to acute needs and issues. It will also identify specific resources needed and establish a system that will exist after the 90-day declaration elapses.

90 day will do it, huh?  

Oregon, My Oregon

Clearly, the contagion from California has taken a deep hold. From PM, Portland ex-journalist lauded for covering right-wing groups found mentally unfit for hate crimes trial

On Thursday, former Portland journalist Michael Bivins, 35, was ordered to the Oregon State Hospital after being found unfit to stand trial on May 3rd. He was set to stand trial for arson, four counts of criminal mischief, and five bias crimes against religious institutions in 2022. Bivins was accused of vandalizing the Shir Tikvah and the Jewish Synagogue Congregation Beth Israel, as well as setting fire to the Muslim Community Center of Portland while people were inside.

According to KOIN 6, Bivins was homeless in the months leading up to his arrest in May of 2022. He was arrested by the Portland Police Bureau, with the assistance of the Beaverton Police Department, after he reportedly visited a television news station and demanded to speak to reporters.

Prior to this he was known for his coverage of right-wing rallies and protests including many viral videos of riots in Portland. In May of 2020, The Post Millennial Editor-at-large Andy Ngo broke the news of Bivins' Arrest. Ngo said, "His last DM to me in 2020 was a message critical of me posting #Antifa riot mugshots."

At the time of his arrest, journalists who had worked with Bivins began to distance themselves from him. The news editor for Willamette Week, Aaron Mesh, said, "Mike Bivins wrote for @wweek from 2017 to 2019. He covered street brawls and other political polarization for us (along with selling video to local and national outlets). We're conducting a review of his work."

"Since I expect to get asked about this: Mike and I shared a byline once on a story about rising right-wing extremism in Portland, but we reported and filed entirely separately and the story was stitched together later in editing. I really can't speak to his life, or this event," freelance journalist Corey Pein said.

Just because he's crazy doesn't mean he isn't a journalist anymore. I mean, look at Hunter Thompson. 

Also, Hat Hair's John Sexton reports Portland fentanyl deaths are up nearly 50% over last year's record, but I think that's more or less generally true across the country, and more a function of Joe Biden's disastrous border policy than Portland's anti-police attitude, although I'm sure that contributes.