Flotsam and Jetsam - Elon Explains Starlink Ukraine Link

At ZeroHedge, Musk Clarifies Why Starlink Speed Limits Were Throttled In Ukraine: "May You Burn In Hell". Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Correct. Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them. Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week. Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now. Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact. Starlink was also crucial to preventing Russia from overrunning Ukraine in the early days of the war, as all other means of communication were destroyed or jammed by Russia. SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR. That said, I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell. End of story." Quote varifrank @varifrank, "STARLINK WORKS THE SAME WAY ITS ALWAYS WORKED. ITS NOT A WEAPONS SYSTEM, NO MATTER HOW MUCH UKRAINE WANTS IT TO BE. From a commenter at Althouse "x.com/CNBC/status/21…" “If Russia decides that the civilian Starlink satellite network is weaponized and fair game, we risk a serious Kessler syndrome. First modeled by NASA’s Donald Kessler and Burton Cour-Palais in 1978, it describes a scenario in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit gets so high that collisions start producing debris faster than natural processes (mainly atmospheric drag) can remove. Each collision creates more fragments, which raise the odds of further collisions, leading to a self-sustaining cascade, a runaway cloud of satellite debris that can make certain orbital bands increasingly hazardous. Space could become unusable for years to centuries. You like driving around with GPS? Starlink MUST remain a civilian entity.”Elon Musk’s response: “This is indeed one of the main reasons that Starlink must remain a civilian operation. It can be used for infrastructure that is military, but it cannot be used for unequivocally offensive strikes that make it fair game to be struck back. An adversary blowing up Starlink satellites would create a domino effect of destruction that would generate a vast field of debris making space unusable.” John Hawkins @johnhawkinsrwn, "Ukraine would have been overrun 10 times over if not for Musk giving them Starlink early on and denying Russia Starlink. The whole idea that he's some kind of monster because he also doesn't want people dying by the tens of thousands for nothing is insanity pushed by bad actors." Quote Josh Kraushaar @JoshKraushaar, "all of Musk's money can't change the fundamental reality of American public opinion:" Quote ian bremmer @ianbremmer, "50% of maga voters sympathize with ukraine, 5% (!) with russia."

Mashable notes the Critical 'Musk' documentary pulled from theatres after just two weeks, "The film concludes its theatrical run with a $571,902 box-office performance." George MF Washington @GMFWashington, "Wait… was it pulled or did it just get a 2 week Oscar-qualifying run?"

Sundance at CTH hosts Attorney General Todd Blanche -vs- CBS Margaret Brennan, Video and Transcript and Sunday Talks – AG Todd Blanche -vs- CNN Dana Bash on Alaska Election Fraud. Kyle Becker at RedState appreciates how Blanche Torches Dana Bash for Insane Remark on Next 'January 6': 'That's Not a Real Question!' At Da Caller, ‘Oh, Stop It!’: Todd Blanche Cuts Off Dana Bash’s Speculating How Trump’s Alaska Election Lawsuit Could Lead To Another Jan 6. 

At Da Caller, Jared Kushner’s Phone Was Hacked — It Exposed An Alleged $2 Billion Foreign Money Web. "In an official statement, Mizelle said the book’s central allegation is false, as “there are no bank accounts.” Mizelle continued, saying no evidence has been produced that his client’s phone was ever hacked, and noted that the Jerusalem Post took down its reporting on Cole’s claims after identifying “significant factual questions about the alleged financial transactions.”"

The Left is celebrating as Lula wins shock Brazil election but Bolsonaro refuses to concede. As Beege Welborn at Hat Hair notes The Fix Is In: Judge Who Was Lula's Personal Lawyer Extends Brazil's Voting for Two More Hours WELP, so that they could manufacture the votes they needed. Nick shirley @nickshirleyy, "Brazil's right wing revolution has begun... Thousands upon thousands of people took to the streets in Rio de Janeiro in support of Flavio Bolsonaro as he attempts to take down Lula and declare war on the gangs of Brazil. Under Lula a Supreme Court judge put former president Jair Bolsonaro in prison and then house arrest for the next 20+ years. His son Flavio is running to free his father and free Brazil from Lula’s communist-like government. Brazil's right wing movement is being led by the Bolsonaros, 30 year old Nikolas Ferreira, and 28 year old Lucas Pavanato. Something incredible is taking place as millions reject the ideas of socialism and communism. VAMOS BRAZIL!" Nancy Pearcey @NancyRPearcey, ""When the left loses an election, it tries to destroy the country; when it wins, it succeeds." — Friedrich Hayek."

Sister Toldja at RedState, sees Mike Rogers Shuts Down Kristen Welker's Gotcha Games in Contentious 'Meet the Press' Interview. At Twitchy, Dana Bash Presses Haley Stevens on 'Stepstool' Abdul El-Sayed ... Her Response Is Brutal. From Da Wire, Abdul El-Sayed, You’re No Jack Kennedy, "By claiming the mantle of JFK, El-Sayed implies his critics are bigots." Renewed Right reports An Abdul El-Sayed Operative Was Caught on Camera Saying Three Words That May Cost Democrats the Election. James O'Keefe @JamesOKeefeIII, "BREAKING NEWS: Abdul El-Sayed Campaign Official Reveals El-Sayed Receives Overseas Donations, Admits Foreign Contributions Are Illegal Under Federal Law, Warns Denouncing Hamas Could Cost Support “You know, he [Abdul El-Sayed] has people from overseas that donate to him...No it is not allowed." “He [Abdul El Sayed] can't just say, you know, no, I don't support Hamas, you know, I reject all of them, because he's going to lose the people that brought him up in the first place.” At TownHall Amy Curtis lays out All the Documented Ties Between Abdul El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood. Driscoll at Insyt cites CHRISTIAN TOTO: Spencer Pratt, Gad Saad Slam Princess Bride Alum Over El-Sayed. Gad Saad @GadSaad, "Here we go: @PatinkinMandy is a Self-Loathing Degenerate, Lobotomized Wood Cricket Jew. I despise Patinkin more than I do @AbdulElSayed."

At NYPo, Miranda Devine says Dems know Ilhan Omar is in deep trouble — that’s why they had Obama parachute in. At Althouse wonders Does Obama even know what cheesecake is? "I've listened to this 20 times: ... I believe he's trying to talk like a standup comedian. I feel as though he's been coached on how to sound like a standup comedian who is also the Obama who once presided over what's now supposed to be remembered as a golden age. That's not easy, but when he gets to his big punchline — "He's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory" — it's like he doesn't even know what cheesecake is let alone have any familiarity with the restaurant chain a lot of Americans regard as a pretty nice place to go out to eat." Mickey Kaus @kausmickey, "Did a memo go out to Dems: "We're going to win this mid-term on Design!" Quote Aaron Rupar @atrupar, "Bill Clinton: "I think Congress made a mistake not protesting turning the Rose Garden into what looks like the entrance to Liberace's bathroom."" Mickey Kaus @kausmickey, "“The hard fact is that Nixon lacks taste”--Arthur Schlesinger Jr., 1960. (That was designed to win over skeptical Adlai voters, I believe. But class snobbery is still one theme of Dem politics and policy--eg. screw those hillbillies if they won't learn to code when migrants do their former jobs.)" Lance Gooden @Lancegooden, "Democrats and Barack Obama told us American manufacturing jobs “are just not coming back.” President Trump just announced Audi is building a $4.2 billion manufacturing plant in the United States. Turns out putting America First works!" Hat Hair's Larry Elder disputes a Trump Critic: He's 'Racist' Because He 'Demeans' Black Politicians, who happen to be Democrats. Jordan Briskey @JordanBriskeyWI, "I did it today. I went and voted. I voted against fascism. I voted against racism. I voted to protect my rights and all rights for all, the Constitution, and for democracy. That’s why I voted to a straight Wisconsin Republican ticket +1 ‘If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism.’ -
@RonaldReagan"

Stacy McCain takes on Fake Polls, Real Bias: ‘Shaping the Narrative’ and the Bandwagon Effect. "The polls may be fake, but the bias is real. Once you recognize how these influence operations function — once you start noticing the sneaky ways in which journalists smuggle their own prejudices into allegedly “objective” news coverage — you become skeptical about everything you see in the news media. Be not deceived!" The Manhattan Contrarian shows how The New York Times Shows Democrats How To Run On "Energy Affordability", by ignoring the inconvenient fact that most of the high cost of energy is caused by Democrats. And just some flat out lying. Tim O'Brien at PJM looks at The Lindsay Clancy Effect and How the Democrats Are Courting the Psycho Vote. At Da Signal, LA Registrar Says Citizenship Check Stops at Voter’s Word—Even After Federal Charges and an 8-1 Supreme Court Decision Upends Student ID Fight in Battleground Days Before Key Senate Election. The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision, allowed New Hampshire to block student IDs as a valid form of voter identification. In an unsigned order released Thursday, the justices paused Oct. 2 and Oct. 5 orders by U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante, a George W. Bush appointee, that prevented the state from enforcing its restrictions on student IDs. Justices cited past precedent, noting, “This Court has repeatedly emphasized that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter the election rules on the eve of an election.” They added, “Here, the District Court did not point to anything that would justify deviating from that principle.”" Anyone care to guess who the lone dissenter was?

Breccan Thies at Da Fed hears CIA Spook Slotkin Doubles Down On Threat To Destroy Young Conservative Staffers. Da Caller notes Ex-USAID Officials, Military Brass Reportedly Discussed ‘Extra-Constitutional’ Plans For America. Shipwreckedcrew Answers The Question Of Why Kash Patel And Dan Bongino Set About To Fire Many Senior FBI Officials, "Deputy Assistant Director and HQ Section Chief Led “Operation Round River” To Deflect Any Derogatory Information About Hunter Biden As “Russian Disinformation” After His Laptop Contents Were Known." Because they deserved it. Josh Hammer at Hat Hair outlines November's Stark Choice: Two Visions for Justice and the Rule of Law.

Charlie Martin at PJM reports Ian Brinksman Arrested: Caught in a Honeypot? "Ian A. Brinksman, a government contractor, was arrested by the FBI on October 23 after a search of his residence and charged criminally under the Espionage Act, specifically 18 USC 793(d). I won't quote the whole paragraph, but I will note the last sentence of paragraph (f): Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.... Allegedly, Brinksman was passing TOP SECRET /Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) to someone identified only as "Individual 1" for publication. "Individual 1" is reportedly Brinksman's girlfriend, whom several news reports have identified as Aida Chavez, a journalist who has a Substack and reports on national security stuff. She has previously been associated with The Nation, The Intercept, More Perfect Union, and The Hill." "After my own divorce, a cynical friend commented that the question every divorced man has to deal with is whether the screwing you get was worth the screwing you got. Brinksman should be asking himself that question."

From Da Caller, ICE Nabs Violent Illegal Who Came Back After 2 Deportations. Joe Chalfant at TownHall thinks This Admission Shows Why Trump Was Right to End TPS for Haiti. Insider Wire @InsiderWire, "#BREAKING: Haiti says it's “overwhelmed” by illegals deported from the United States." CBD at Ace's documents how Modern Immigration Is A Far Cry From That Of Our Ancestors. Old immigrants came to make a better life, new ones come to get a better life, at our expense. 

At NYPo, Top LA journalist had fling with Dem SoCal lawmaker, let her write his stories. "A high-profile Los Angeles immigration reporter has been fired amid allegations of ethical breaches, including claims he had a secret romantic relationship with a rising California state senator and allowed her to help write stories published under his byline. Memo Torres, 46, abruptly parted ways with left-leaning news outlet L.A. TACO this week after an internal investigation that the publication says followed nearly five months of discussions over repeated violations of its policies and journalistic standards, according to LA Material. ... The publication said it gave Torres multiple opportunities to take responsibility and improve, insisting his departure had nothing to do with its immigration coverage. “The rumor that we’ve turned our back on ICE coverage is a lie. And a dangerous one,” the statement said. But according to the outlet, sources have raised questions about Torres’ coverage of Democratic state Sen. Sasha Renee Pérez, 34, including allegations that the pair had a personal relationship while he reported on her political agenda."

From eugyppius: a plague chronicle, New German legislation will require that social media platforms massively boost “diversity-promoting” content. "The regulatory war on the demon social media algorithms continues." The Alliance Defending Freedom warns Defend the right to speak the truth about gender.

Amy Denton at PJM observes France Is on Fire Again, with emphasis on again. Greg Lukianoff at The Eternally Radical Idea explains Why Macron is MacWRONG about the France Riots, FIRE West Coast, Busting the Filibuster & more! The Brawl Street Journal, Fueling the Next Riot, "How Europe’s energy policies set up a hot winter." Driscoll at Insty cites JULIE BURCHILL: The ‘homicidal empathy’ of the Islamo-left. RadioGenoa @RadioGenoa, "This video is very important for Europe. It shows that those who loot, destroy cars, set fires and cause chaos speak Arabic. And if they speak Arabic, they are not Europeans. Let's assume many people won't want this video to spread, because it tells too much truth." And, THE BBC BOLDLY GOES WHERE CNN HAS GONE BEFORE: BBC News (World) @BBCWorld, "Clashes erupt in Paris after largely peaceful protests across France" At Am Think JB Shurk think Many Western Governments Won’t Survive, "Why would citizens defend governments that abuse them?" At Da Signal, the Great Victor Davis Hanson: Why Western Civilization Is Fighting Back.

From Campus Reform, Federal judge upholds Trump admin executive order banning federal contractors’ DEI initiatives, "A Biden appointee has upheld an executive order from President Donald Trump, further eroding federal contractors' ability to promote DEI initiatives." Betsey McCaughey at Hat Hair calls out Hollywood Lawyers Perverting Justice in the Cornell 7 case. (Shouldn't that be the Cornell 8?)

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Last of the Autumn Light and FMJRA 2.0: The Continuing Crisis up on time and under budget.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Did Ilhan Omar Flunk Her DNA Test?

Well now, if this is true... At Twitchy, WHOA ... So THAT'S What the DNA Is for: Ilhan Omar Is Officially in DEEP and We Are ALL Here for It. Miranda Devine @mirandadevine, "Ahem. Five years ago I wrote a column about DNA test results that showed there was a 99.999998 percent chance that Ilhan Omar and her second husband Ahmed Elmi were siblings. A few hours before we went to press my informant was arrested by Biden's FBI. Funny that." Insider Wire @InsiderWire, "#BREAKING: DNA report says Ilhan Omar and her ex-husband are siblings; Biden DOJ refused to act." But did he preemptively pardon her? Ace sees the Report: DNA Proves Ilhan Omar Married Her Gay Brother, "Is that so." Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain, "WaPo, while attempting to exonerate Ilhan Omar, actually reported some incredibly new, damning information. Ilhan Omar's second husband - the one alleged to be her brother - applied for a green card, was asked about the marriage, and then withdrew his application." Quote Benjamin Weingarten @bhweingarten, "Lo and behold, it appears Ilhan Omar's alleged Brother-Husband had filed one of the same documents that her lawyers were seeking out back in 2019 regarding a petition to convert one's immigration status from conditional to permanent residency." PJM's Cathy Salgado wonders Did Ilhan Omar’s Husband Sell Empty Barrels of Wine? Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "HOLY CRAP Ilhan Omar and her husband's winery was SHUT DOWN for FRAUD after they reportedly sold EMPTY WINE BARRELS." To be fair, if you were shutting down a winery, you'd probably be able to see the empty barrels. Not the Bee @Not_the_Bee, "So if all the reports are true, Ilhan Omar lied about her age to make it seem like she naturalized through her father, who apparently she lied about being a citizen in the first place, then used her illegitimate citizenship to marry her brother so that he could inherit her fake naturalization before remarrying and starting a fraudulent winery that sold empty bottles of wine?" The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Ilhan Omar Furiously Denies Immigration Fraud Charges, Says She Only Married Brother For Love."

Joe Chalfant at TownHall, Zelensky's Temper Tantrum May Have Just Cost Ukraine American Military Support. Hat Hair's John Sexton cites WSJ: Musk Ordered the Starshield Slowdown in Ukraine, but the evidence seems muddled. Sundance at CTH is all over Ukraine's woes, with Zelenskyy Calls Rubio as Witkoff Travels to Meet Him in Norway, Following 45 Minute Call with Zelenskyy, Secretary Marco Rubio Notes Ukraine Officials are Lying and Manipulative Which He Told Zelenskyy Openly "As noted, Rubio emphasized nothing substantive has changed in the U.S. support profile with Ukraine and President Trump has not modified any security arrangement at all. Zelenskyy is just making stuff up. Rubio noted that Ukraine is targeting U.S. commercial shipping in the Black Sea and that has to stop. That was part of the phone call. Additionally, Rubio emphasized how Ukraine officials are just “making stuff up” for some reason, that can best be considered a Ukraine political operation against the Trump White House. " And Interesting – Following the “Cut the BS” Confrontation by Rubio, Suddenly Zelenskyy Thanks USA and Says All Early Warning Systems “Working Great”.

AP claims China defends DeepSeek after US ban of its AI from government systems. Trent Telenko @TrentTelenko, "The ability to lay mines by drone-subs will be the biggest use case for them in a war with China. The problem is China can and will do the same to Western ports." Quote TWZ @thewarzonewire, "Ghost Shark Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles’ Payload Bay Seen For First Time Ghost Shark will deploy aerial drones, lay mines, and execute seabed resupply missions as part of Australia’s new undersea arsenal."

Sundance hosts President Trump Holding an Oval Office Press Conference Following Announcement from Fraud Taskforce. Ace, Trump Creates $25 Million Fund to Pay Bounties to Whistleblowers Who Alert the Government of Fraud, "If you want to stop foreign pirates, issue letters of marque and reprisal. This isn't quite that but it's good to incentivize people to report fraud. ... A 1% commission. That could be huge." From WaEx, Trump administration withholds $1.2 billion in federal Medicaid funding from California, over fraud concerns.

Roger Simon wonders Are the French Riots the Republicans’ October Surprise. "Don't be a “chi-en-lit” and vote Democrat." From State of the Day, the STATE OF MONDAY: The GOP Has Billionaires. But Where Are The Voters? "The people are souring, and the oligarchs are spending." A Larry video at Hat Hair highlights a Trump’s Pollster Explaining the Voter Turnout Gap That Could Decide the Midterms. Liz Mair at Not Quite Miss Congeniality says Matt Lewis is right: Ted Cruz could totally be a presidential contender in 2028. Yeah, but I'm still leaning Vance/Rubio or Rubio Vance. Put Cruz on the Supreme Court instead. At PJM, Sarah Anderson hears María Corina Machado Has a Message for Midterm Voters and VodkaPundit points out This TDS Sufferer Actually Left the Country, and the Schadenfreude Is Almost Unbearable. ""Annie," to name just one, complained about the "huge misconceptions about access to quality health care" in Britain, and she even admitted that "the quality of life is significantly lower than in the U.S.""

Amy Curtis at TownHall, Abdul El-Sayed's Events Are Astroturfed, and Here's the Proof. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair snickers at El-Sayed's New Pitch to Black Voters: I'm No 'Gas Station Abdul'! "Actually, it's tough to determine who's being racist in Michigan. Is it black voters who worry that El-Sayed has much more invested in 'Palestine' than Detroit? Or is it the candidate who thinks that "gas station Abduls" have poisoned voters' minds against him?" Kevin Downey at PJM calls him El-So Long: The Detroit News Throws Michigan's Jihaddy Daddy Under the Bus. Abe Greenwald at Commentary on The Disavowal Game. Dan Greenfield at Jihadwatch hears 1 in 3 Minnesota Gang Members are Somali Muslims.

At PJM, Ohio Dem Gubernatorial Candidate Has Mommy Issues That You Won't Believe. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair hears One of the Most Brutal Political Campaign Ads Ever Is Unleashed - 'My Daughter Is a Liar' . Kentucky Girl @Kentuckygirl1, "This is Dr. Amy Acton, the Democrat candidate for Governor. In 2019, there was a police visit to her home after she and her husband apparently got into a drunken domestic dispute. According to the police record, after drinking and taking an unknown amount of medication, she allegedly pulled a mirror off the wall, and was about to start driving until her husband talked her out of it. A medic was dispatched to the scene and advised that Acton be taken to the hospital to get checked out, but she declined. At the time, she was the director of the Ohio Department of Health. This is not a person who should be leading anything, except maybe an AA meeting." Ace, Ohio Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Is a "Liar" Who "Needs Help" Says... Her Mom in Campaign Attack Ad, "Amy Acton is, reportedly, Kamalaesque in her passion for self-medication." Teri Christoph at RedState reports Hakeem Jeffries Walks Into a Cuban Bakery in Miami and All Hell Breaks Loose. "House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) walked into a Cuban bakery in Miami last week hoping to help a Democrat win a congressional seat, but instead set off a political firestorm that has ended with two Cuban bakeries publicly denouncing socialism."

At the NYT a Midterm Update: Bloomberg Gives $80 Million to Democrats as Election Day Nears. Money in politics is bad, except when it ours. Beege Welborn sees Gloom, Despair and Agony - when the Bulwark Discovers Some Dem Turncoats Financed by Republican Money. From Commonplace, Calling Elections Rigged Is Bad Politics and Worse Civics. "The habit that’s killing confidence in elections—and the party that keeps picking it up."

Eric Florack at PJM asserts Elissa Slotkin’s ‘Deterrence Message’ Has a Name, and It Isn’t ‘Defending Democracy’. Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "You are an elected official. You made a public statement encouraging members of the Armed Forces to defy lawful orders. You chose to run for office and subject yourself to that scrutiny. What you are proposing, on the other hand, is a legal/political vendetta against persons for no reason other than they have political positions different than yours. Your goal is to drive them away from public service. That's a Stanlist/Maoist approach to political opposition -- your clearly stated desire is to create a one-party state where political opposition is not just to be rebutted, but to be imprisoned. You're a disgrace -- and I suspect your comments will haunt the rest of your political career. You've likely put a ceiling on any ability you might have had to climb higher." Quote Elissa Slotkin @ElissaSlotkin, "This isn't my first rodeo with President Trump. After calling for me to be arrested, tried, and hanged for a 90 second video he didn't like, he is now attacking me for saying that there will be accountability for people who commit crimes on his behalf." InfantryDort @infantrydort, "THE LAST GATE You may be wondering why there has been a full on attack against the War Department the past couple of years. Coupled with disturbing reports of communists planning some form of uprising, and the picture becomes clearer. Let's break it down so you can remain vigilant: If you want to break a republic without rolling tanks down Pennsylvania Avenue, you don't start with the center of power. You start with the men who guard it. That's the part people still don't seem to understand. The street is noise. The NGOs are scaffolding. The lawyers give the thing language. None of it matters if the military still answers to lawful civilian authority. So you work the force. You teach officers to distrust the chain. Telling them obedience is weakness and resistance is conscience. You turn every single hard order into a moral emergency. Making hesitation sound noble. You make defiance sound constitutional. You scare them, saying they'll be investigated. Sound familiar? You don't need a coup in the old sense..." Quote DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "THREAD: The true reason Pete Hegseth is being targeted is because he's standing between President Trump and a coup @PeteHegseth named the institutions... CFR, Brookings, the general class... in 37 seconds in a video by @Liz_Wheeler . Within 72 hours of his nomination, a color revolution planning document cited him as an insider threat. They didn't go after him because of drinking. They didn't go after him because of women. They went after him because every color revolution manual ever written says the same thing: you cannot topple a government unless the security forces defect. And a loyal Secretary of Defense is the one person who makes sure they don't. I have the receipts. Their own documents. Their own training sessions. Their own words on camera. As always, patience as I pull together the thread."

Ace has a Report: Debanking of Conservatives Was Driven by the KKK-Funding Race Grift Organization the SPLC, "Ben Whedon of Just the News... Hat Hair's John Sexton safely predicts More Lawfare on the Way if Democrats prevail in the midterms. Riley Rogerson @riley_rogerson, "NEW — Elon Musk is facing a gauntlet of Democratic oversight next term. Multiple committees — including Foreign Affairs, Oversight and Science — are looking at investigating Musk if they have the gavels. From DOGE to Ukraine, the uberwealthy GOP donor could be an irresistible target. “The sheer number of conflicts of interest are astounding,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren said. w/ @ChrisMarquette_ @adamwren" Althouse finds "Congress must demand a full accounting of the damage Mr. Musk and DOGE caused, and we will not let anyone obstruct our oversight." "Said House Foreign Affairs ranking member Rep. Greg Meeks, quoted in "Capitol agenda: Dem gavels are coming for Elon Musk/Democrats have long eyed investigating the world’s richest man and the GOP’s top donor. They may get their chance if they win back congressional power in November." That's in Politico this morning, along with this: "Democrats have a message for Elon Musk: Watch out/From DOGE to Ukraine, the uberwealthy GOP donor could be an irresistible target if House gavels change hands."" Hans Mahncke at Da Fed explains How Democrat Activists Conned The Country By Pretending To Be ‘Journalists.’

From Expression, Campus deplatformings hit record high. "For the first time, FIRE has recorded more than 200 attempts to block campus speakers in a single year." At Campus Reform, a Survey finds 45% of students say violence is justified if it stops 'hate speech'. "The Buckley Institute's 2026 undergraduate survey also found students prefer socialism to capitalism and that 22 percent say America deserved the Sept. 11 attacks." Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79, "“Such opinions simply should not be permitted, argued the Columbia Political Review.” Are these some of the kids who are supposedly always on the right side of history?" Quote Adam Lehodey @adamlehodey, "Last week, two Columbia students dared to offer a dissenting opinion on the Cornell case—they got death threats and were told they should not be allowed to speak. @Nikos_Mohammadi and Christina Ma argued no more than that students should think before arriving at sweeping conclusions about a complex case, and that it was infantilizing to suggest women could not make decisions they might later regret. None of their detractors have so-far been able to offer a coherent response to their arguments—except making personal attacks and saying they should not be allowed to speak. In that regard, they've already won the argument."

Sundance reports France Plans to Use Military to Control Riots and Support Police. CBS still going with "mostly peaceful riots": CBS News @CBSNews, "CCTV footage from Nice, France shows the moment a mob of looters broke into a phone case store over the weekend, destroying displays and stealing merchandise. The incident comes after largely peaceful anti-government protests in many cities across France descended into riots, with damage to historic properties and thousands of arrests." At Twitchy, Rob Schneider Lists All the Social Benefits France Has (and Is Burning Anyway). Rob Schneider @RobSchneider, "France has FREE health care, paid parental leave, paid family leave, FREE child care, FREE preschool, 5 weeks paid vacation, a 35 hour work week, generous unemployment and housing benefits, and heavily subsidized higher education. Everything the left says they want AND THEY'RE STILL PROTESTING AND BURNING SHIT DOWN." Matt Vespa at TownHall, Here's What Caused a Liberal Journalist to Suffer a Total Meltdown on Katie Pavlich's Show. Overton @overton_news, "Social justice journalist Lisa Durden MELTS DOWN on air after getting absolutely wrecked about the riots in France by conservative commentator Ben Ferguson. Durden claimed the riots were just “student protests,” but Ferguson wasn’t about to let that slide, and he had the receipts to back it up. Then he delivered a brutal reality check that sent Durden into a fit of RAGE. FERGUSON: “You either have to be incredibly incompetent or totally blind to look at the images and think that this is students that are doing this.” Durden immediately snapped. DURDEN: “What you’re not going to do is call me a pathological liar!” “I’m talking now! You’re not going to call me a pathological liar because you don’t know me, so stop that right now!”"“EXCUSE YOU!”" From Ace, Fox News Identifies 54 Marxist /Communist Organizations Funding and Directing the Riots in France, "Many of these are funded by CCP-connected Marxist tech billionaire, Neville Roy Singham and his awful communist wife," and Feminists: Rape Is a Weapon of White Supremacy. Also Feminists: If Our Revolutionary Islamic Brothers Threaten to Rape Women, That's Just "Collateral Damage" In the Cause of Socialist Justice. VodkaPundit at Insty, THAT’S GONNA LEAVE A MARK: "Sorry, but X’s autotranslate feature is so smooth that I don’t always notice — but which X doesn’t do for embeds. So here’s the English translation from the original Portuguese: “Europe will be destroyed by women who project onto those animals the motherhood that belonged to the children they aborted.”"

Florence Pugh

Sidney Sweeney is back in the news, kinda, at The Telegraph, Feminist snobs who attack Sydney Sweeney’s naked body are hypocrites "Except… Boy oh boy, does Sweeney reap a different critical reception – especially from women – whenever she disrobes, or dresses daringly. Pugh's stance is widely commended as empowering. But when Sweeney chooses to pose naked for an ad, she is single handedly reversing women's rights by decades. The actress's recent participation in the prediction market platform Novig's "Just Sports" campaign, saw Marie Claire denounce her for a retrogressive step that "sexualised female bodies". Good thing Marie Claire has never, ever put a naked woman on its cover. Except, hang on, didn't Cara Delevingne "Bare All" on the front cover of their September 2019 "Obsession Issue" (to pluck one of many examples)? Meanwhile the Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Ariarne Titmus called Sweeney's decision not just, "a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sport for what it really is". Beege Welborn is outraged (not unusual for her), Oh, Say, Can You See...WNBA Teams Scooting Off the Court Before the National Anthem? I Do. John Sexton wonders Could This Teen Wrestler's Case Be the Last Straw for Trans Athletes? Do trans girls have the constitutional right to feel up cis girls? Now it's Vicky Taft's turn to be outraged at PJM, Girls Are Forced to Compete With Boys in Washington. Now They Sleep and Bathe With Them. "Now the girls need to bunk in with the boys on the team, and the one dude on the team is hazing your daughter. He'd love to be in a "lesbian relationship" (heterosexual, if you're keeping book) with her. Wink, wink. Oh, yes, that happened too. And it's perfectly fine with the state superintendent of schools, who is a complete dyed-in-the-wool leftist whackadoodle, because he reckons there is such a thing as "chest feeding." Reminder, Chris Reykdal is in charge of school science departments too."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Casual Friday Redux and FMJRA 2.0: Better Than Nothing up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Ukraine Russia Still Fighting, France Still Burning

WaEx reports Blaze at St. Petersburg oil sites as Kyiv launches more than 1,000 drones at Russia. Jen Kavanaugh at Am Con proposes A Long-Term Plan to Secure Peace for Ukraine, "The brutal, yearslong war might end in 2027—if the White House plays its cards right." Ace looks at The Cognitive Dissonance Of The Pro-Ukraine/Anti-Russia Commentariat. "There is a default assumption among the vast majority of the media, both the mass-market variety and the supposedly high-minded elites who comment on everything, no matter their expertise. Ukraine GOOD! Russia BAD! That sums it up nicely. And they are half correct! What they seem to miss is that Ukraine is a kleptocratic cesspool of corruption, and their only saving grace is that they were attacked by Putin's Russia, and not by Poland or Belarus, which would have elicited a giant yawn in western capitals. And they also miss the provocation from the West that probably began with Bush senior, when Russia was still the Soviet Union. They were promised that NATO had no plans to expand east, so the buffer between western Europe and mother Russia that the Soviet Union had created wasn't necessary." And Sundance at CTH, well, sundance has Sunday Talks – Treasury Secretary Bessent: “Zelenskyy Needs to be Very Careful About Making Statements That are Not True”…, Zelenskyy is Lying – Secretary Marco Rubio Responds to False Claims About Ukraine, Starlink and Starshield, President Trump Points Out Zelenskyy’s Financial Motivation to Keep War Going and Mike Steger Interprets President Trump Ukraine and Russia Policy Objectives. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Man Frustrated By Gas Prices Votes To Start Castrating Kids Again."

Also at CTH, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Confirms 4 Dead, Several Dozens Injured, During Military Live-Fire Exercise, live fire hit a natural gas wellhead, started a wildfire in a drought with high winds. What the...? Did they hire Karen Bass to advise?

At Da Wire Trump Lays Out Why He’s Canceling Plans To Live-Stream Terrorist Execution, "The decision came after days of speculation on whether the administration would follow through on Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's announcement." Don Surber explains How Trump got Hasan’s execution accepted, "Cartoonist Scott Adams saw him as a wizard who got people to think through the sale. Trump did." He starts by asking for the moon and stars, and settles for the moon.

Dave Strom sees Radicals Burning France Down. From Driscoll at Insty, IS PARIS SCUFFLING? Government Buildings Torched As French Riots Reach the ‘Point of No Return.’ "Related: Very fine people on both sides..." EuroNews reports a Euronews' crew assaulted by masked individuals while covering protests in Paris. At Althouse just Paris. Visegrád 24 @visegrad24, "Galeries Lafayette in Paris is being looted tonight. It’s the French equivalent of Harrods in London or Bergdorf Goodman in NYC," and BREAKING: The looters in Marseille have started targeting private homes villas in affluent areas. They are breaking into large villas in the 7th arrondissement of Marseille." Cathy Salgado at PJM hears a Report: Marseille Rioters Burned Jewish-Owned Shops, Left Muslim-Owned Ones Untouched. Nick Arama at RedState, Macron Faces Fury When It's Revealed What He Was Doing As Riots Escalated in France; "Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were spotted at Dion’s concert at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, according to French media reports. The couple reportedly arrived and left discreetly and were among roughly 35,000 spectators at the performance." From sundance, During National Address to France President Macron Says He “Doesn’t Know What is Going On” but He’s Sure President Trump is to Blame. At the Telegraph, Trump blames France violence on immigration, "US president urges country to ‘close your borders and take control’ as cost-of-living demonstrations turn violent."

From the Manhattan Contrarian, France Is The Future Of The Progressive Project. Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "Europe gives them free healthcare, free housing, free education, every social program, and a quality of life they could never have back home… yet they will still loot and destroy the West into the third-world. There is no magic soil. A nation is simply it’s people." Twitchy finds @IsraelWarRoom Has Some Interesting Suggestions on How France Should Address Its Riots (LOL). Israel War Room @IsraelWarRoom, "We call on France to exercise restraint when dispersing the freedom fighters on the streets of Paris. These brave warriors for justice must receive immediate humanitarian aid, and their safety must be guaranteed in accordance with international law. Failure to comply will leave us no choice but to bring a case before the ICJ, in close cooperation with that renowned champion of human rights, Afghanistan."

Hat Hair's Josh Hammer calls Abdul El-Sayed A Muslim Brotherhood Puppet and a Grave National Security Threat. Sister Toldja at RedState hears 'No': Mike Rogers Shuts Down Reporter's TDS in Exchange on El-Sayed's Muslim Brotherhood Ties. From the Crimson Hub, Profiting from Socialism: Meet the DSA lobbyists set to make bank if DSA-dominated Dems win big next month. At Althouse, "The D.S.A.’s rise is at once a story of party-blobification and of a revolt against it. Like the conservatives of the 1970s..." "... the group frankly views the party it occupies as a host for an ideological movement rather than as a partner...." From "Is Anyone Actually in Charge of the Democratic Party? And Does It Matter? This year’s midterm elections are a test of whether a party can be a success and a failure at the same time" (NYT)." Nicolle Russell at USA Today warns Texas, don't let James Talarico's charm fool you. "Like former President Barack Obama, Texas state Rep. James Talarico sells unity to cloud his progressive record. Conservatives who believed Obama know how that ends." 

At Am Think Monica Showalter thinks about Is Rep. Ilhan Omar a U.S. citizen? "So, not Somali-American anymore, just Somali?" From Twitchy, Welp, This Tidbit About the Ilhan Omar Raid BLOWS the Left's Trump Targeting Claims Out of the WATER. Fox News Politics @foxnewspolitics, "The judge who signed the warrant to raid Rep. Ilhan Omar's DC home is a Hillary Clinton donor who clerked for an Obama appointee. That fact alone demolishes the left's claim that this is some Trump-orchestrated political hit job. Mike Davis argues the opposite is true: the evidence against Omar must be so overwhelming that even a judge with deep leftist ties couldn't refuse to sign off. The Fourth Amendment requires probable cause of at least one federal crime inside that home, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh — appointed by a bench dominated by Obama and Biden picks — found it was there...." Joe Chalfant thinks Obama's Comments on the Ilhan Omar Situation Are Absolutely Insane. Will Ricciardella @WillRicci, "FLASHBACK: Obama’s IRS singled out Tea Party and other conservative groups for heightened scrutiny based on their names and political positions, delayed tax-exempt applications for years and demanded unnecessary donor information. The IRS ultimately admitted wrongdoing and apologized. Obama insisted there was “not even a smidgen of corruption.” Quote Barack Obama @BarackObama, "It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say. But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota."

Atop Da Hill, Read this before you buy the ‘blue tsunami’ hype, "4 reasons why we should treat midterm polls with caution." Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, "We've seen this movie before, it's a very common attempt to manipulate the voter pool. Phase 1: Bogus polls put the Democrat way ahead during most of the run-up in an attempt to demoralize Republican voters. Phase 2: Bogus polls are allowed to tighten to a very narrow D lead just before the election. An honest poll would show a huge R lead. Phase 3: Ballot fraud steals the election. The purpose of the bogus polls was to supply top cover for the fraud. It's a tale as old as time." Quote Kostas Moros @MorosKostas, "Texas polls converging on much smaller Talarico leads than they showed a month ago. From 5-7 point leads down to just 1-3 points. Either the massive Paxton rescue effort is working, or the Talarico leads were always BS." Commonplace urges Confidence, Not Faith, in the Ballot Box, "An election system should provide something that transcends disagreements: a process that can be examined."

DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "The past few days, I got my hands on thousands of new transcripts and hundreds of recordings, thanks to leads from @SKDoubleDub33 and @iamlisalogan . You've heard that the DSA is proposing structural reforms to America, including abolishing the Senate and imposing term limits. What you not have heard is - there is an operational plan to put it all into action. If the Democratic Party sweeps 2026, then DSA will become "foot soldiers" in constant clashes with the administration to cross a "red line" or invoke a "doomsday scenario" - meaning, President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, probably sometime in 2027...." ((( Charlottesville ))) @CvilleBubble, "Heads Up, Virginia: AG Jay Jones’ 10-page election directive is the DataRepublican blueprint in real time. @DataRepublican laid it out: coordinated clashes with the federal government to delegitimize it and hand legitimacy to Democratic state officials -- specifically governors & AGs Virginia’s AG just ordered election officials to: • Deny ordinary DOJ monitors access to polls • Tell federal agents to leave and call local police • Document badges, weapons, vehicles & movements • Challenge federal subpoenas • While eliminating Election Day voter eligibility challenges. No specific unlawful federal operation identified—just preemptive resistance that sets up the “red line” showdown and shifts authority to the state and transfers legitimacy and control to Democratic state officials -- in Virginia's case, leftwing extremists Governor Abigail Spanberger and Attorney General Jay Jones --This is an operational plan, not theory. The conditions for escalation are being set in advance. SHARE with your friends. VOTE REPUBLICAN..."

There were a veritable plethora of responses to Elissa Slotkins stated plan of going after Republican youth to discourage them from supporting Trump. PJM's Matt Margolis, Democrats Just Cranked Their Government Weaponization Agenda Up to 11. Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Elissa Slotkin to Young Republicans: We Are Coming for You. Insty collected a number of tweets, Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "I honestly do not understand how any American who is not already a literal Communist or a literal Jihadist could vote Democrat after hearing what Slotkin said below. This is LITERALLY totalitarianism. It's not the fake "fascism" the Left likes to accuse the Right of, it is the REAL THING. Undeniably. Irrefutably. This is a sitting member of Congress who was in the CIA saying that dissent from what she believes will result in imprisonment. ..." Karol Markowicz @karol, "They told me the US was heading toward fascism and they were right," Quote New York Post @nypost, "Sen. Slotkin urges Dems to use prosecution to make young people afraid to serve in Trump admin." Hon. Vickie Paladino @VickieforNYC, "It’s a very short jump from here to reeducation camps, gulags, and mass graves." Quote The Chicago Thinker @ThinkerChicago, "ON UCHICAGO CAMPUS: U.S. Senator from Michigan Elissa Slotkin hopes planned political prosecutions of republican leaders will scare young conservatives from getting involved in politics." Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis, "Really looking forward to the David French column about how Slotkin is right."

Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, "Make no mistake: this sort of conspiratorial hyperbole, utterly disconnected from the actual written Constitution & aiming at its marginalization, is agitprop aimed at the destruction of our constitutional order." Quote Josh Marshall @joshtpm, Replying to @joshtpm, "2/ Supreme Court in American history with the possible exception of the Roger Taney's Dred Scott court. The Roberts Court has spent the last 15 years tearing up the constitutional order and the last seven or eight years being little more than an extra-constitutional veto for ..."

Greg Lukianoff at The Eternally Radical Idea declares FIRE victory in NJ! Deplatformings hit all-time high! The impending (and ongoing) ‘Academic Filibuster’! & more! From The Telegraph (UK) Mother referred to Prevent for ‘over-identifying with Israel’ Coming to New York soon, I expect. 

Charles Murray @charlesmurray, "Starting with the Coleman Report in 1966, continuing with studies of prison rehabilitation, job training programs, causes of poverty, race differences in IQ, and causes of sex differences in occupational preferences. To name a few." Quote Steve Sailer @Steve_Sailer Replying to @ArtemisConsort, "Almost nobody realizes that just about every liberal feel-good nostrum has been tested by liberal social scientists over the last 60 years, with practically none of them turning out true. That was already fairly well established when I started reading social science in 1972."

At Althouse, "If sexual misconduct prevents a victim from taking full advantage of her education, then the institution has to address it." ""That responsibility is an awkward fit in some ways, but it reflects the reality that colleges are not just classrooms; they are a very particular kind of community in which all members have a duty of care toward one another. The Cornell case shows how hard it can be for universities to enforce Title IX well and also why they have to keep trying...." Writes Emily Bazelon, in "This Is One of the Saddest Facts About the Cornell Rape Case" (NYT). The sad fact in question is that Jane Doe dropped out, and she did not complete her degree elsewhere. Her education — her path to a career — was disrupted." By actions she initiated and participated in willingly. One of the commenters suggested OnlyFans. 

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Better Than Nothing up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Suddenly Monday

Tedford Tyler at Am Con thinks this week's visit show Trump Has Learned How to Deal With China. "The president’s engagement with Xi is delivering results." We'll see. At Hat Hair, Josh Hammer notes  Trump's Greenland Agreement Is the 'Art of the Deal' in Action. Ask for the moon and stars, and settle for just the moon. 

Georgia took this picture in McKinleyville CA this week

Polymarket @Polymarket, "JUST IN: Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent declares the U.S. economy has entered “the acceleration phase.”" From the Chronic, Republicans Cannot Blame Any Midterm Losses on Trump’s Economy. Except for gas prices, things are going great, which is why the Democrats and media (but I redund) keep talking about gas prices. Shawn Farash @Shawn_Farash, "Good morning X! Did you know: Of the top 5 states with the most expensive gas, only one has a Republican governor? (Nevada) Of the bottom five states with the cheapest gas, all are GOP-led states. On rent: The top five states with the most expensive rent prices are ALL democrat-run states. The bottom five are all GOP-run states. If your motivating factor this election is affordability, then democrats are not a good choice."  Breitbart Bus Dig is Raising ‘a Fuss and a Holler’ About the Labor Market, "Young American men had a hot, hot, hot summer in the labor market—as long as you count working as a hot summer." Ben Smith at LI, Trump Cancels $810M for Illegal Immigrants, Race-Based Programs. "Trump spending cuts target $810 million for illegal immigrant services, race-focused programs and other federal spending." 

TMZ @TMZ, "Nicki Minaj is jumping into the upcoming midterm elections, insisting that all young voters must do one thing -- vote Republican."Don Surber on Midterms diplomacy, "Iran is waiting for Democrats to take back Congress." And Democrats are encouraging them. The inimitable Kurt Schlichter at TownHall says We Are So Tired of the Loudmouth Quitters, and names a few. "Every election cycle we hear the same stupid spiel from a certain band of pseudo-conservative quitters: “Oh no, I’m not getting my way. I’ve got no reason to vote. I’m not going to vote. The Republicans aren’t conservative enough, so I’m just going to let the communist pervert Democrats win. Waa, waa, waa.”" Roger Kimball at Am Great examines the many Varieties of Trump Derangement Syndrome, "The effort to normalize various pathologies seems to be, as we have been taught to say, trending." The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "I was there. Overwhelming applause and cheers. This is dumb, even for People magazine."

Bob Graboyes at Bastiat's Window, discourses on  AI, Internet, and Rapid Advances in the Technology of Fraud. "AI and global connectivity have made the production, refinement, and dissemination of fraudulent information far easier than could have imagined a generation or two ago." The answer to most of AI's potential downfalls is to task AI with preventing them. At Common Place, Oren Cass explains How to Worry About AI, "Lessons from climate catastrophism for the cataclysm du jour,"

Kyle Becker at RedState hears AOC Gets Brutal News As She Test-Runs Senate Bid: She Is 'Rejected'. If she's too radical for New York State, she's not going to become preznit. At Althouse, Fetterman knows how to play viral media. I say he did this — deadpan — on purpose. "Well played, Senator!" That stroke clearly killed something in the left side of his brain. Tom Knighton at BA asks and answers What Did Newsom Do on Gun Bills? Now We Know. 

From Law and Liberty, The Slippery Constitutionality of Open Primaries. If Republicans want to get rid of them, they need to abuse them to the disadvantage of the Democrats.

PJM's Bob Spencer notices The Latest Attempt to Impeach Trump Criminalizes Not Being a Leftist. "Prof. Jonathan Turley remarked drily that Cohen “appears to believe that the problem with past impeachments has been brevity. His 26 articles of impeachment include everything short of ripping a label off a mattress, including the new impeachable offense of ‘self-aggrandizement.’” 

From Twitchy, Trump Intervenes After Overnight ICE Order Sparks Base Revolt: ‘No One Is Off the Table’ "Last night, panic spread across social media as reporters claimed the Trump Administration had decided to only arrest illegals who had criminal charges pending or convictions. That was a big change from 'anyone here illegally needs to go home'." Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "I’ve spoken on the phone with President Trump and nine ICE & DHS sources about this today. Here’s what I’ve learned. Yes, this verbal guidance did go out to ICE offices across the country last night. I’ve spoken with ICE agents who received it & were shocked & frustrated by it. It’s unclear who it started with. However, I’m told it’s erroneous, was some type of “miscommunication” during conversations about prioritizing “worst first”, and there is no change in immigration enforcement policy. President Trump tells me anyone in the country illegally remains “on the table” for ICE arrest & deportation. I’m also told new guidance went out to ICE field offices tonight to reaffirm this and that yes, arrests of illegal aliens and “collaterals” without additional criminal history will continue. ICE sources confirm to me they received the new guidance. I’m not really sure what happened here - but everyone is on the same page, including President Trump, in telling me that his immigration enforcement agenda isn’t scaling back." Quote Jennie Taer @JennieSTaer "SCOOP: ICE officers across the country were told this weekend to stop arresting non-criminals, agency sources tell @realDailyWire Now, ICE may only arrest illegal immigrants with criminal convictions or charges for the time being, said the sources." From FreightWaves, ICE launches tip line to report CDL fraud as crackdown widens. "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hot line follows shutdown of 110 truck driving schools and investigations spanning 23 states." The Redheaded libertarian @TRHLofficial, "These people obviously can’t get in. Who is funding this op and why?" Quote Anthony Aguero Live @AnthonyAguero, "Over 400 aliens predominantly from Honduras entered Mexico on Thursday, ready to make their way to the US southern border… Here’s footage of the caravan. Someone is incentivizing this movement, this is not organic." Obviously a midterm op. Insty calls it A REMINDER OF WHAT IS AT STAKE IN NOVEMBER. Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "As we enter the age of AI, robotics and widespread automation there is zero reason for more mass immigration of low-skilled labor… Immigration at this point in American history should be extremely restrictive." Quote Starship Gazer @StarshipGazer, "Big drone cleaning the Starbase launch control room windows for clear views of Starship flight 14 on launch day."

Leslie Eastman at LI reports Ceuta Confirms First Monkeypox Case After Summer Border Surge from Morocco "Meanwhile, Kasai province in the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a mpox epidemic." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "When they pissed off this guy, they pissed off someone who has fought insurgencies, in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan, knows how to run one, and knows the British counterinsurgency game from the inside. They’ve succeeded in pissing off other British vets who know the same things. What they don’t have is guns." Quote Andrew Fox @Mr_Andrew_Fox, "This story has broken me. It has unleashed a rage so strong I can barely express it, but allow me to try. Above all, I am angry with the decades-long malevolent incompetence of the British state: politicians of all parties, the judiciary, the civil service. Their collective uselessness has shattered the social contract and made us all poorer and less safe. In just 25 years, they have led us from an affluent, high-trust society to a broken, low-trust one..." Dr Strangetweet or How I Learned to Love the RT @lone_rides, "I have an idea for a book. “Hit me” A patriarchal society, women have no rights. They’re forced to dress appropriately. “Like it so far.” This society then starts to fifth column other countries. And people welcome it! “That’s slightly unrealistic but keep going.” Then when the group from this patriarchal society is big enough, they take over the host country. There is some pushback but many people in the host country join with the society in crushing it. “Nope. The plot won’t work. It’s unbelievable.” That’s what I thought but this is a history book about the spread of Islam through immigration." Quote Be Thinkful @BThinkful, "Now what if I told you the people most sympathetic to the invasion were women?"

Larry Elder at Hat Hair hears Trump Bans Media from the White House -- This Is Why He's Angry "The better question is: What took so long?" Nick Arama at RedState laughs as CNN Hilariously Begs Mike Waltz for Trump to Let Them Back in the Pool - His Answer Is Gold Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "LMAO!! CNN's Jake Tapper just BEGGED Ambassador Mike Waltz on national TV to ask President Trump to "let CNN back in the pool" for Air Force One and event coverage "Yesterday, the White House barred CNN from pool...I'd ask if you can convey to President Trump to let CNN back in the pool." Waltz did not promise to do so. ..." Sundance at CTH sees Media Aghast at Not Controlling White House Press Coverage, hosts AG Todd Blanche -VS- ABC Martha Raddatz. "There’s still obviously litigation going on, but the important thing, Martha, is to know that that being in the White House is a privilege. It’s not a — it’s not a right." unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "Pretty much most the reasons people state for why they are upset about Trump is based on some fake news they read or were exposed to, whether that person is a dem or republican."

From the College Fix, Elementary school staff presented with ‘anti-oppressive’ pledges to dismantle the system. O Canada! Monica Showalter thinks Nikole Hannah-Jones has just written a new version of 'The Jungle'?  "Sinclair, recall, was a progressive-era muckraker who wrote 'The Jungle' in 1906, with the express aim of converting America to socialism. His book described the filthy meat-packing plants of Chicago and the terrible labor conditions experienced by America's Lithuanian and other immigrant workers in a wrenching, emotionally engaging book that became a massive bestseller. But much to his surprise, he didn't convert anyone to socialism. People read about those filthy meat-packing plants where chemicals and spoilage were present, and absolutely shuddered at the thought that they were eating from them. That prompted major legislation to reform food sanitation practices, including the Meat Inspection Act, and the Pure Food and Drug Act by Congress." Garry Kasparov@Kasparov63, "I wish it was a bad joke," Quote Seattle Extremist @SeattleIndepen1, "This book is real. So is the award. In “A Dead White: An Argument Against White Paint” the author argues that white paint isn’t neutral—it carries associations with purity, cleanliness, and power that tie into systems of exclusion and racism. This from the university that gave us Mortimer J Adler and the Great Books movement."

Rob Henderson @robkhenderson, "One of Sweeney’s sins is that she entertains men without first assuring women that their approval disgusts her. Contrast this with Sabrina Carpenter...Her sexual presentation comes with a clear assurance of female allegiance." Bill Costello at Realities Last Stand looks at The Science of Why Women Hate Sydney Sweeney, "Intrasexual competition, guy’s gals, and the vulnerable young men the controversy overlooks." "Evidence suggests women are more supportive than men of egalitarian outcomes and equity over merit-based hierarchies. Beauty is a particularly visible inequality, and its rewards are hardly distributed fairly."

At NYPo, Paranoid owner of woke Mass. lesbian bar puts big restrictions on mask-free Saturday over ‘infiltrator’ fear. Armand Domalewski @ArmandDoma, "the reason this lesbian bar story went so viral is that basically every left wing person in America has personally experienced some version of this story in their life over the course of the last decade and is really goddam sick of it." Quote Max Tani @maxwelltani, "Per a note to Boston Globe staff today, the lesbian bar story generated 1,000 subscriptions to the paper yesterday. The Globe’s managing editor said it was “by far our best performing story of the year,” and appears to be “on pace to shatter all sorts of Globe records.”"

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: A Salute to Mrs. Justin Verlander and FMJRA 2.0: No Grandeur This Week Just Misery up and awaiting your digital pleasure.