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.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Storms the UN

President Trump visited the UN General Assembly yesterday, and it was everything you could hope for. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair calls him, affectionately, the Troll in Chief 'Can You See Me Now?' - Dinking on CNN. Ace is a little cruder, Trump to the UN: S My D and L My Bs, but provides this synopsis of his talk, - Called out the UN for ignoring Christian persecution worldwide while obsessing over America - Demanded every ICC member resign immediately from that rogue anti-American tribunal - Called Communist Cuba a failed state that will fall, then watched officials storm out - Declared there is no human right to illegal immigration, only the right to stay a sovereign nation - Scorched UNESCO globalists for pushing mass migration that destroys Western cultures - Said there is NO global government and there will be NO global taxes while he is president - Bragged that America cut the UN budget 15% and killed over 4,000 bureaucracy jobs - Boasted of the most secure border in American history with ZERO illegal aliens admitted - Declared America is BACK, stronger than ever, and in a GOLDEN AGE after Biden's dark age - Mic-dropped failed globalist leaders: while others talked peace, he MADE peace - Vowed Iran will NEVER get a nuclear weapon and said the Middle East bully is finished - Teased a huge post-election decision: strike a deal, or annihilate the Islamic Republic - Exposed Iran as weak and desperate, not strong, and predicted Iranian terror's end - Slammed cowards and traitors leaking fake "low munitions" claims mid-conflict - Took a victory lap over capturing Maduro and signing the largest oil deal in history - Laid down the Donroe Doctrine: no threats get a foothold in the Western Hemisphere - Refused to apologize for crushing drug cartels, calling them the ISIS of the hemisphere - Locked in permanent Greenland security rights that shut out China, Russia, and adversary investment - Renamed Artificial Intelligence to Super Intelligence and vowed America stays #1 over China." Whew! If you really want to see it all, sundance at CTH has President Trump 's Speech to United Nations General Assembly, and a lot more: President Trump Signs U.S-Greenland Arctic Security Agreement, President Trump Meets with the Gulf Cooperation Council During UNGA Event, President Trump Participates in a Shield of Americas Event at the United Nations, President Trump Holds a Bilateral Meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Trump Holds a Bilateral Meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham and First Lady Melania Trump Outlines Plans for Chairman Xi Jinping Official State Visit. 

At Hat Hat Hair John Sexton cites Trump on Cuba: 'It Will Fall' and a Larry video, Trump Ripped Iran & Cuba in Fiery UN Speech As They Storm Out of the Room. Sarah Anderson at PJM sees Cuba Storms Out. Delcy Pouts. These Dictatorships Didn't Care for Trump's UN Speech. From News Wax, Trump Targets ICC at UN, Demands Member Nations Quit 'Rogue' Court, Trump Says 'Momentum' Building for Iran Deal at Expanded Mideast Meeting and Mark Meadows to Newsmax: Greenland Deal 'Snuck Up on All of Us'. Velina Tchakarova @vtchakarova, "Most European security analysts can pick another job since they were totally wrong on how the Greenland crisis was solved. Gardening for example." Quote Disclose.tv @disclosetv, "NOW - Trump signs trilateral agreement with the PM of Denmark and the PM of Greenland, expanding U.S. military presence in Greenland." From WaEx, State Department clamps down on size of Iran’s UN delegation and ability to splurge on ‘shopping sprees.’

At the Institute for the Study of War, What a Limited Russian Incursion Into Estonia Might Look Like: A Narva Scenario. Rick Moran at PJM wonders Will the U.S. Send Troops to Die for Estonia? Putin Doesn't Think So. Sundance observes Russia Strategic Diesel Supplies Full, Excess Production Now Flowing to “Stans” Central Asia – The Rule of 96. Mark Dubowitz @mdubowitz, "If you’d told me a few years ago this is where we’d be on Iran, I’d have said you were high: 1. Nuke program set back years. Enrichment and reprocessing gutted, weaponization sites destroyed, Fordow inoperable, Natanz in ruins, a generation of senior nuclear scientists eliminated..." At WaEx, State Department clamps down on size of Iran’s UN delegation and ability to splurge on ‘shopping sprees.’ Trust In Trump 47 @Trustintrump47, "REPORTER: Why would more U.S. troops be sent to the region if ground troops are not being considered for deployment in Iran? SECWAR PETE HEGSETH: “Look, son… this is such a basic military lesson that even a reporter should understand it: Never reveal to your enemy what you are going to do… or what you’re not going to do. And certainly don’t tell them when you plan to surrender. Especially to a coward who hides in bunkers, hoards his missiles like a miser, and prays that the United States will get tired and go home. But let me give you some free advice: the next time you want to ask a question, try not to sound like you’re lobbying for the Iranian regime. It gives a very bad image.”" Sarah Anderson at PJM, Rubio Tells Angry MSM Host, 'U.S. Media Sounds Like It's Rooting for Iran.' For you Harry Potter fans, Hat Hair's Duane Patterson says The Houthis Are the Last Horcrux. After That, the Iran Regime Is Alone. Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain, "Huh. The bulk of the casualties in Gaza - by Hamas' own statistics, apparently - are military age males Who'da thunk it." Quote Jeremy Corbin MP, Prime Ministerial Parody @CorbynSnap, "The final analysis of Gaza deaths based on Hamas’ own data is really bloody annoying." Considering they hide behind women and children, that says a lot about the restraint of the Israeli military. 

How To Subvert Subversion with Yuri Bezmenov warns us to Beware of CCP Unrestricted Warfare. "Connecting the dots on 10 of the CCP's subversive fronts in America that must be stopped before they inflict crippling irreversible damage." Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks Net Zero Turns Western Countries Into Chinese Satrapies.

Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "There is an Army saying you hear dozens of times when you make full colonel: "Congratulations, that's the last promotion you will ever make based solely on merit." The idea behind that saying is that when it comes time to compete for a 1-star promotion, you need a sponsor, and having a sponsor who sits on the promotion board matters, greatly. That's how we get politicized generals who support racist, anti-American nonsense like DEI. This is a great, great step in replacing politics with merit at our senior ranks. This is what a revolution in military personnel affairs looks like." Quote Secretary of War Pete Hegseth @SecWar, "Today, I am announcing the Joint Warfighter Evaluation." John Ʌ Konrad V @johnkonrad, "Oh boy. The Louisiana Maneuvers are returning. ENDORSED!" Now please tell me they’re going to stress logistics HARD. Patton’s tanks stopping at highway gas stations during the 1941 maneuvers exposed a major weakness… and made fuel delivery a top wartime priority." From RCP, Mark Montgomery & Emmerson Overell warn that America Must Be Able to Restore Its Space Power at War Speed.

Hmmm, at the Independent, Venezuela closing in on deal to move $4bn gold reserves from Bank of England to New York.

From NYPo, Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent says OpenAI bears ‘responsibility’ for Hugging Face hack. Leslie Eastman at LI reports Manufactured AI Panic Hits the Streets, Complete With T-Shirts, Marching Robots. "A look at the “protests” in San Francisco, in OpenAI’s Bellevue office, and Poland." Dave Strom, We Are Always Doomed Because Scared People Demand to Be Saved. Catturd ™ @catturd2, "It's all about scaring you to death so they can control every aspect of your life." Quote Bob Iaccino @Bob_Iaccino, "I’m officially done being scared of every crisis the news tells me I should be scared of. I’ve reached my crisis limit." Tech.org, AMD Crosses $1 Trillion in Market Value for the First Time as AI Chip Stocks Rally. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Thought about AI controlling bank accounts, access to sex, that kind of thing. To control our behavior. Hadn’t thought about elections. Wait til AI figures out how to start mailing in ballots." Quote Center for Strategic Politics @StratPolitics, "Replying to @StratPolitics 27% of Democrats told us they plan to use AI to figure out how to vote in future elections, with 7% saying they plan to use it "a lot"." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Too bad we can’t even get voter ID, same day voting, proof of citizenship. Never mind proof of human."Thomas Chatterton Williams @thomaschattwill, "Absolutely beyond parody. Dartmouth’s provost has been turning in 70-100-percent AI-written work (in academic journals, newspapers, and even in email correspondence!) since LLMs came out, the student paper reports. He even used AI to write an op-ed about how universities are dealing with AI cheating." Polymarket @Polymarket, "JUST IN: Stanford University is accused of using AI to change students’ race & gender while making others appear thinner in advertising, with one student saying he felt “silenced & erased.”"

John Sexton reports Vance Anti-Fraud Task Force Focuses on ACA Enrollment. Ben Smith at LI, USDA Targets 170 NYC Retailers in SNAP Fraud Sweep, “SNAP benefits should go to Americans, not fraudsters or illegal immigrants,” White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Executive Director Scott Brady said." Breitbart Bus Dig notices Trump Refuses to Launch World War Warsh.

The Post Millennial @TPostMillennial, "REVEALED: More Canadians die from MAID each year than Americans do from gun homicides." Daniel @WVDanielM, "@grok how many gun related homicides were in the United States? Use the newest data from the FBI. How many MAID deaths were in Canada? Use the newest data. Extrapolate those figures into a per-capita basis." Replying to @WVDanielM @TPostMillennial and @grok Grok @grok, "FBI 2025 data: estimated 14,085 total murders, firearms used in 72.3% (~10,183 gun homicides). Canada Health 2024 MAID: 16,499 (newest full official). Per capita: US (~342M pop) ~3.0/100k. Canada (~41.5M) ~39.8/100k." So, on a per capita basis, Canadian government is more than ten times as lethal as American guns. Tom Knighton at BA is happy about Trump's New EO Defends Hunting, Rolls Back Inane Hunting Regulations.

Hon. Vickie Paladino @VickieforNYC, "People have absolutely no idea the reign of terror we’re headed for if Democrats gain total power. They want Trump dead, and they want everyone who supported him or worked for him in prison. They want our constitutional rights dissolved, and they want the courts packed to facilitate it all. This is an EXTREMELY dark place and I don’t know that there’s any good way out." Quote Center for Strategic Politics @StratPolitics, Replying to @StratPolitics, "We polled five routes for Trump to leave office before the end of his term. A plurality of Dems support four of them, including a military coup and death by natural causes. The only one underwater, an assassination, is still supported by 29%." Marc Thiessen @marcthiessen, "60% of Democrats would welcome a … (checks notes) … MILITARY COUP to remove Donald Trump from office. Please don’t tell me these people care a whit about democracy or democratic norms." Gene Volokh at the Volokh Conspiracy finds an odd one, 39% of Democratic Voters Think Restaurant Industry "Should Be Publicly Owned and Operated." So, they want service like the DMV?

Stephen Kruiser, Republicans Aren't Letting El-Sayed Memory Hole Hasan Piker, nor should they, but it's not enough to swing an election. From the Free Bacon, Meet the 'Jews for Abdul': El-Sayed Ads Feature 'Social Justice' Activists Tied to Group That Excused Oct 7. "Dan Klein, who appeared in an El-Sayed spot in a yarmulke, is a 'community organizer' for Detroit Jews for Justice, while a Rosh Hashanah video featured the Jewish Voice for Peace-tied Shifman family." Jason Bedrick @JasonBedrick, "In 25 years, Todd Beamer's dad never got involved in a political campaign. That's because for the past 25 years, no major candidate had ever campaigned with someone who said America deserved 9/11. Until now." Quote Clay Travis @ClayTravis, "Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer’s dad narrates a new ad attacking Abdul El-Sayed for campaigning with Hasan Piker, who said America deserved 9/11 and was worse than Al-Qaeda. Watch this." At a Sayed presser, Will Hild @WillHild, "Kamala Harris, seemingly 4 vodka sodas deep, goes on a bizarre rant about how "attacks on DEI" are an "attack on maternal care"."

News Wax reports Newsom Donors Scrutinized Over China Contacts. NYPo, Democratic megadonor who gave to Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris linked to murky honeypot spy saga. China, China, China! From the OCR, California tenants suffered 8th-highest rent hikes in US over four decades. "California rent's share of income was second-highest among the states in 2024." Matthew Lilley @MattGLilley, "A bunch of Nobel Prize-winning economists have endorsed California's proposed billionaire wealth tax. I can't oppose them on authority. But I know some academics who can."

At the Conversation, No cheery time for election pollsters in run‑up to US midterms. "In fact, it hasn’t been very cheery for pollsters for the better part of 10 years, since Donald Trump confounded poll-based expectations to defeat Hillary Clinton for the U.S. presidency in 2016." John Carrasco reports Immigrant from the Philippines Pleads Guilty to Illegally Voting in 2024 US Presidential Election. Capitán Bitcoin @CapitanBitcoin, Translated from Spanish "FRAUD. Spain is in shock. The opposition stunned. Spain, 2023, General Elections. The head of PSOE Argentina created a voting circuit with fake mail-in votes to rig the CERA vote. Audio leaks have surfaced. It's extremely serious, pay attention. It calls into question Pedro Sánchez's legitimacy for the past 3 years..." PeterSweden @PeterSweden7, "Swedish election update. There's now the possibility of a NEW ELECTION in the affected area after authorities are investigating possible ELECTION FRAUD. A man from Somalia who got Swedish citizenship 7 months ago was elected to parliament for the Left. It's reported that people were given money and pre filled ballots and were driven to voting location. The constituency of Dalarna could see a rerun of the election take place with around 223,000 eligible voters." Elections are consequential. That give people incentive to cheat. At Ace, After Supreme Court Declines to Overrule State Supreme Court, Federal District Court Steps In to Allow Missouri to Use Its New Congressional Map for Midterm Elections, "This is good for us."

Bruce Blakeman @NassauExec, "Kathy Hochul now admits closing Indian Point was a mistake. Our electric bills are up 50% on her watch. Today, energy groups are warning that New York could face serious reliability problems as energy demand grows. New Yorkers deserve reliable, affordable energy, not more uncertainty and higher costs. When I am Governor, we will extract natural gas to help cut electric bills in half."

Dave Strom looks at The NGO to Government Pipeline. From the Free Bacon, Bloomberg-Backed Climate Group Paying Salaries of Democratic State AG Officials Quietly Shuts Down Amid Congressional, Legal Scrutiny. "The initiative’s website states that it is ‘historical material,’ and its leaders no longer list it as their employer on their LinkedIn pages." Trust Ace for a great headline, Bloomberg Was Paying -- Bribing, We Sometimes Call It -- Democrat State AGs to Push "Environmentalism" Lawsuits. "But that's okay, because the law doesn't apply to leftists. Being a leftist is playing life on Easy Mode with all cheat codes enabled." Also from Ace, Lindsay Clancy's Lawyer Asks Judge to Investigate the "Rogue" Juror, "Boy, Gentry Leftists really don't believe any of the bullshit they say about Respeccing Black People's Lived Experience and Indigenous Ways of Knowing, do they?."

Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "BREAKING: DHS releases a bullet-point list of what they say are false claims about the shooting of a Venezuelan illegal alien in Austin, TX. They say claims that he was legal and had a valid work permit are false. Per DHS: “CLAIM: ICE refused to remove the bullet from the illegal alien’s body. FACT: This is false. ICE does not and would not advise, nor be the authority on, a medical procedure for an illegal alien at a hospital...."Where Did 4.5 Million Illegal Aliens, Who Arrived Under Joe Biden, End Up Staying in the U.S.? Rick Moran at PJM checks. At NYPo, Meet the US Army vet running a California baby factory for Chinese nationals to have American kids. "Patriot Conceptions founder Haotian Bai has cozied up to powerful Republican groups while running a business that lets wealthy parents in China have “American” babies via surrogacy."

Dave Catron at Am Spec wonders Does the Press Understand the First Amendment? "It’s not very complicated but they can’t seem to decode what it means." At Althouse TrumpTV, "Background: "After Years as the Star of Must-See TV, Trump Faces the Sting of Cancellation/A boycott of the White House press pool by the major networks deprives the president of the oxygen of screen time. But he is still finding ways to get on the air" (NYT gift link). So you get it: He doesn't need the fake-news networks. He's got a YouTube channel." The Larry video cited above has a long segment on the networks off again on again White House boycott. Joe Concha @JoeConchaTV, "And here’s @ananavarro after Trump was banned from social media in 2021… in case anyone needs a reminder to never take this person remotely seriously…" TownHall's Matt Vespa has a Flashback: That Time When CNN Wondered Whether Biden Should Ban Fox News From the White House. Eric Abbenante @EricAbbenante, "Supercut of Obama's War on Whistleblowers: James Risen: "I plan to spend the rest of my life fighting to undo damage done to press freedom in the United States by Barack Obama ..." Teri Christoph at RedState hears Karoline Leavitt Blows the Lid Off the White House Press Corps' Phony Little Game. "Appearing Tuesday on Sean Hannity's podcast, Leavitt recalled how reporters would privately apologize to her for their aggressive behavior and "unfair" questions during her briefings, something she referred to as "performative." Many of the press corps now whining about their restricted access, she revealed, were “totally different people” when the briefings ended and the cameras stopped rolling. “There’s a performative aspect to the briefing room. In fairness, I think on both sides, right?"

Amy Curtis at TownHall is satisfied John Cleese Refused to Back Down Despite Islamists Threatening His Birmingham Show.

Sarah at Insty says THE OUTRAGE IS DESERVED: Outrage is erupting after a 22-year-old who runs into BURNING BUILDINGS as a volunteer firefighter was told he isn’t qualified to be a paid firefighter… …because he was HOMESCHOOLED. Then the city changed the job posting to cover it up. His name is Andrew Coates. He’s 22 years old, in Nebraska. Right now, today, he runs into burning buildings as a volunteer firefighter for Cedar Bluffs Fire. He is a state-licensed EMT. He is doing the job. For free. All he wanted was to get PAID to do it. In his words: “Make a career out of it would be the goal. To get paid to do what you love.”

From the College Fix, ‘Queering God’ and ‘Thinking with Bad Bunny’: Inside YAF’s new report criticizing college curricula. Ace reports an Angry Lesbian Karen Tries to Cancel Football Coach for Laughing at a Meme and Then Cries As She's Cancelled from TV, Plus: Colin Kaepernick Persists. Evie notices The Gender War Is Increasingly Fueled by Women. Colin Wright @SwipeWright, "The Boston Globe has just published a shockingly sober article about the nonexistent genocide supposedly targeting the transgender community. In it, they cite a report I coauthored showing that the murder rate is actually lower for trans-identifying people than the general population. Our report was responding to the HRC's annual reports pushing the narrative that there is an ongoing "Epidemic of Violence" against the transgender community. The reporter says he "offered the Human Rights Campaign's key researcher, the transgender woman Charleigh Flohr, or anyone else with the organization an opportunity to rebut the Manhattan Institute finding, but they didn't reply to me." That's unsurprising because the HRC is engaging in fundraising propaganda. They don't care about the truth, only promoting the narrative. Our report presenting the actual data is irrefutable. That's why they have nothing to say in response."

And the masked lesbians are at it again. From NYPo, Massachusetts lesbian bar nearly bullied out of town after lifting mask mandate — for one night a week, Matt Vespa observes A Massachusetts Lesbian Bar Relaxed Its Masking Rules and Absolute Mayhem Ensued. At Twitchy, Boston Globe: Queer Community Splintered Over Lesbian Bar That Dropped Strict Mask Mandate. Globe Magazine, A Western Mass. lesbian bar required KN-95 masks. When it changed the rules, all hell broke loose. "Last Ditch Bar in Greenfield wanted to build community. They got a firestorm instead." Ace, Five Years After Covid, a Lesbian Bar Finally Relaxed Its Covid Mask Policy, Which Required Wearing a KN-95 Mask at All Times. The Backlash Is, Get This, Unhinged. Enguerrand VII de Coucy @ingelramdecoucy, "Everything starts making a bit more sense when you realize that there’s a sizable contingent of the political Left that functionally lives on an entirely different planet from the rest of us."

And much much more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 09.22.26 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 09.22.26 (Evening Edition)! The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: An Awful Road Trip up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Maryland, My Maryland

From Cam at Bearing Arms, Media Hunts for Outrage Over ICE Training at Maryland Gun Range

I think we're seeing an attempt to manufacture a controversy in the Baltimore suburb of Owings Mills, home to a high-end range called The Guntry Club. As it turns out, the range has a contract allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to train at the facility, and Baltimore CBS affiliate WJZ has decided this is somehow newsworthy... even though they couldn't find anyone willing to go on camera to complain about it.

"We came just to do some target practice. One of my friend's birthdays just passed, so we all met up here just to shoot some guns," Guntry customer Fernando Escobar said.

Escobar said he had a great time at Guntry in Owings Mills.

He said he isn't bothered that the range is one of the facilities the Department of Homeland Security contracts with for ICE agents to use for firearms training.

"As a Hispanic male, people would probably say I shouldn't support it, but at the end of the day, I've got to get my training in as well. So whether it's a place that they train at or a place that they don't, I still got to go," Escobar said.

That's the thing. Whether you're okay with ICE being in your community or ticked off about their presence, I think we can all agree that we want our law enforcement agents to have some firearms training (unless you're opposed to them having firearms at all, I suppose). The same is true for gun owners. Training is good. Heck, according to gun control activists training should be mandatory before we can even keep a gun in our home. 

So if the vast majority of us can agree that training is a good thing, why should ICE training at a commercial range be controversial?

I don't object to journolists trying to stir up a little controversy, but why is it always slanted to the left? Oh yeah, Maryland. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Oktoberfest up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Talarico Campaign Caught Buying Votes

But first, Dave Strom at Hat Hair is here to remind us Just Because the AI Doomerism Is Overhyped Doesn't Mean That It Can't Be Dangerous. ZitoSalena @ZitoSalena, "The building of AI data centers is not landing in a neutral country. It is landing in one where the debate over artificial intelligence has turned political, cultural, and increasingly fearful. That opposition is not theoretical. In Archbald, in Conshohocken, in Wilkes-Barre, in Hampden Township outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvanians have packed municipal meeting rooms to fight data-center proposals over noise, water, air quality, property values, and the fear that their power bills will subsidize somebody else’s chatbot. .... And people — actual complicated people and not the caricatures that the loudest voices on either side reduce them to — are perfectly capable of holding both views at once." Francis Turner on AI and the security/regulation shell game, "Regulation is not security and vice versa." At PJM Tim O'Brien says AI Regulation: If Bill Gates Is for It, I’m Against It. But Is It That Simple? and VodkaPundit has a Thursday Essay: They Want to Save Us From AI. Who Saves Us From Them? Catturd ™ @catturd2, "Always remember, the climate hoax cult has never been right about a single doom prediction ever." Quote Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, " WOW: Laura Ingraham just marked 20 YEARS since Al Gore tried to scare the living daylights out of America. Florida underwater. Shanghai gone. Calcutta wiped. Manhattan’s World Trade Center memorial submerged. Hundreds of thousands of refugees. ..." TheLastRefuge @TheLastRefuge2, "It's a tale of two viruses. One created in 2020 (Wuhan Labs), the other created in 2026 (Frontier Labs). One was molecular (covid), the other digital (AI). Both man made. Both promoted by media. Both escape a lab. Both create fear/panic. Both require experts to inform. Both introduce mitigation measures. Both end with govt control rules. Both timed to coincide w/ critical elections. COVID Passport / Digital ID Trust the medical scientists Trust the computer scientists There's a pattern here folks. Stop me when you can see it." Dave Rubin @RubinReport, "Six years ago Bernie told us that we had six years left because of climate change. That grift is over and now he’s onto the robots. Mock this miserable goon into oblivion." Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "As you get older, you become allergic to this doomer bullshit, because you’ve seen a million doomsday prophecies fail to ever materialize, and you realize…they’re just constantly lying." Quote Dr. Eli David @DrEliDavid, "The cover of Time magazine in 2006 and 2026. From "climate change will destroy humanity" to "AI will destroy humanity"." and Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "You know a movement is totally grassroots and organic when they spontaneously have coordinated signs with logos and corporate level branding. What an op." Quote PauseAI @PauseAI, "The world is waking up to extinction risk in the wake of Jacob Coxon's resignation. We need to rise up to the occasion now." DC_Draino @DC_Draino, "These look like the people who used to run Twitter and would ban you for saying men can’t be women." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Meet Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s handpicked super-woke globalists he thinks will save us from an AI apocalypse. Read today's cover here: https://trib.al/lNmAVwg." Breitbart Bus, AI Wizards Want to Govern the Muggles "A cabal comprised of some of the biggest players in the artificial intelligence industry has discovered a potentially lucrative application for human intelligence: persuading Washington to regulate the sector and hold down potential competitors." Driscoll at Insty, SKYNET PONDERS WHO WILL PAY ITS CRIPPLING STUDENT LOANS: Cody Fenwick @codytfenwick, "My favorite AI joke: Current models are getting close to PhD-level intelligence. After that, they're expected to achieve the intelligence of someone who decided not to do a PhD."

Rick Moran at PJM sees Iranian Security Forces Prepare for Anniversary of Anti-Hijab Protests. Saudi pipeline closure is a brief interruption that will last days, U.S. Energy secretary tells CNBC. Hat Hair's Duane Patterson looks at Houthis and the Media Blowhards. PJM's Sarah Anderson reports Rubio Redirects Millions in Military Money Away From Europe and the Middle East. 

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn, Said the Spider to the Fly: EU Issues Invitation to Canada to Be Its First 'Associate'. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Da Signal thinks Mark Carney Is Leading Canada ‘Right Over the Cliff’. 

Mickey Kaus @kausmickey, "I dunno, but if I were President and the poverty rate dropped to the LOWEST RATE ON RECORD I might make a big deal out of it -- a lot bigger deal than the Trump White House is making." Quote Reuters @Reuters, "US poverty rate dips to lowest on record, Census Bureau says https://reut.rs/4j68xR9 https://reut.rs/4j68xR9." From Commonplace, What Low Interest Rates Hath Wrought. "Suppressing rates steers the U.S. economy away from real economic activity and toward financialization." Amy Curtis at TownHall catches Gavin Newsom Tries Blaming President Trump for Home Prices, but Data Shows Who's Really to Blame. Matt Margolis at PJM notes Democrats Still Don’t Know How to Read Charts. Oh, they know, they just choose to misread them. 

Hat Hair's Dave Strom expounds on how Socialism Is the Ideology of the Failure. Mark Ross at Am Think thinks he is Getting used to tyranny, "Sometimes I feel like a frog that’s getting boiled." Insty at his NYPo gig says Leftists’ masks are coming all the way off — revealing the ugly truth.

David Marcus @BlueBoxDave, "It was clear last week that Talarico was trying to get ahead of some bad things coming, now they are arriving." Quote Townhall.com @townhallcom, "EXCLUSIVE: TALARICO SUPER PAC CAUGHT PAYING VOTERS! "We are paying people $25...a roundabout way of paying people for their votes." At Hat Hair, Larry has a vid, Hidden Camera Footage Catches Talarico SuperPAC Paying For Votes and Capt. Ed calls it 'Shady As F***': Team Talarico Buying Votes in Texas, $25 a Pop. Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "The intent to violate the statute is there. THis is no different than the use of straw donors in making contributions. I think this guy and his group have a bigger problem than he imagines. Creating "evading" of federal law is just another word for "conspiracy." This might get interesting." Amy Curtis at TownHall sees an Explosive Judiciary Committee Report Accuses ActBlue of Major Fraudulent Donation Cover-Up. Ace has another Report: ActBlue Raised Illegal Foreign Money for Democrats and Then Covered It Up. "In before the guy who says "nothing will happen" says "nothing will happen." Alas, I agree. We've been watching this story for years and like all other stories about Democrat Party corruption and treasonous partnership with hostile foreign actors, nothing ever happens." Vicky Taft at PJM thinks Karen Bass Feels Heat From Feds Over Millions in Stolen and Laundered ‘Homeless’ Funds. Christopher Rufo @christopherrufo, "EXCLUSIVE: Chinese criminal gangs with links to the CCP have built an illegal cannabis empire in Siskiyou County, California. They're generating $2 billion a year in revenues and criminal growers are now 20% of the entire population. Gavin Newsom is doing nothing to stop them."

Matt Margolis at PJM sees James Talarico's Lesbian Minister Just Outed Him, no, not a gay, which we assume, but as misleading us on his true views. Capt. Ed, Talarico's Question for Texans: Who's Your Favey-Fave Drag Queen? From Ace, New Zohran Mamdani Top Advisor Literally Wrote the Book on "Gay Communism" "Okay, it wasn't a book, it was a magazine, and she didn't write it, she edited it. So, more accurately: She literally edited the magazine by and for Gay Communists."

Matt Vespa at TownHall is amused that Chuck Grassley Couldn't Handle Cory Booker's Theatrics Over Kash Patel Yesterday. From FIRE, VICTORY: Federal court says ICE threatened critic by serving him with 'Warning Notice' over an email. From Shooting Newsweek, Federal Judge Blocks Maryland From Enforcing Prohibition On Concealed Carry in Silver Spring Synagogue. 

DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "This is a big announcement. Leftists have had their own free legal representation for decades. Conservatives haven’t. This is because traditionally, conservatives have thought of politics as winning the debate. It’s comfortable. It’s institutional. They don’t have to be “mean” to anyone. Until, enter Oversight Project (@ItsYourGov ). Think of them as an actiontank instead of thinktank. The first such organization for conservatives to meet leftists on their own terms. Creating the first-ever home for conservatives affected by lawfare is just the start." Quote Jeff Clark @JeffClarkUS, " Alert -- Critical announcement: Under the banner of The Oversight Project, I am opening a new law firm that I am opening a new law firm that I will lead to combat government weaponization of all types, but especially abuses of congressional and state legislative branch oversight, perversion of bar discipline processes, and securing the dismissal of bogus criminal indictments...." DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "I would like to introduce you to Rosa-Luxemberg-Stiftung NYC (EIN 45-3658022), which is registered as a 501(c)(3) and also is a straight-up German-funded soft money passthrough for Die Linke, the German Communist party. I couldn't find any FARA records for any of their employees." Quote DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, " MAJOR BREAKING: German government has been grooming DSA leaders for over a decade, and nobody noticed? Last night, Darializa Avila Chevalier — endorsed by NYC-DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) — beat a five-term incumbent to win New York's 13th."

Still more in my digital frig, and more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 09.16.26, but I have places to go. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Finally, A Winning Week awaiting your digital pleasure.

Oregon, My Oregon

From Shooting News Week, Oregon Anti-Hunting Animal Rights Ballot Initiative Fails to Qualify…But It Was Close

An Oregon anti-hunting ballot initiative opposed by NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, failed to gather enough certified signatures to be considered by voters. Oregon’s Initiative Petition 28, called the “People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act,” was proposed to prohibit and criminalize hunting, trapping and livestock production.

The proposed ballot initiative was disqualified by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division for consideration by voters on Nov. 3, 2026, after it gathered just 104,262 valid signatures, well below the threshold requirement of 117,173 required signatures.

“This radical anti-hunting plan was clearly, and correctly, rejected by Oregonians who wanted no part of this attack on the heritage of outdoorsmanship and proven conservation efforts that managed hunting requires,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel. “The proposal would have, without question, destroyed Oregon’s rural communities, outdoor economy and abundant wildlife. Hunters are the original wildlife conservationists and are crucial to sustained propagation of managed wildlife for future generations. Oregonians are correct to reject this short-sighted and politically-driven agenda that would have annihilated over a century’s work to restore wildlife across Oregon’s landscape.”

 

NSSF vocally opposed IP 28, which was pitched to voters as a measure to strengthen state animal cruelty laws. However, Oregon already punishes animal cruelty. IP 28 would have removed legal protections for regulated hunting, fishing, ranching and other lawful activities that are critical for wildlife management, culturally rooted and economically important across the state.

Further, IP 28 would have threatened the funding structure that supports wild game and non-game species alike. In fact, 85 percent of Oregon’s wildlife money comes from the combination of excise taxes paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers and hunting license, permit and stamp fees. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service apportioned $1.3 billion to state wildlife agencies last year. Over $804 million of that is sourced directly from the Pittman-Robertson excise tax paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers. Oregon received over $9.7 million from that apportionment.

You mean there's still a reservoir of common sense in Oregon? That's heartening.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Getting Strapped up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - In Spite of Our Selves

From Da Caller, Mark Sanford Announces Bid For Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat (just say no) and Conservative Leaders Call GOP-Led Amnesty Bill ‘Betrayal’ To Voters (it is). Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed notices that Cornyn, Tillis Drag Their Feet On Blanche Nomination After Voting For Obama, Biden Appointees out of spite. From Campus Reform, House Republicans advance package to shrink Education Department "Education Secretary Linda McMahon says the legislation would reduce bureaucracy as Republicans seek to return more education authority to the states." Eliminating it altogether would be better. At Am Spec, Jeff Lord discusses Sally Quinn and the Establishment Blues, "It’s all about the power. ... Ms. Quinn’s column epitomizes that sense of Washington’s permanent power brokers that they are somehow, in their world of power elites, deserving of their place and have a right to be running the rest of the country and telling everybody else what to do. Whether the rest of the country likes it or not." TownHall's Joe Chalfant sees The Left Is Going All in to Take Out One of America's Favorite Conservatives, Rep. Andy Ogles, D-Cal.

TownHall's Kurt Schlichter issues a spoiler alert, It’s Going to Be JD and Kamala, So Calm Down. Hey, I'm not done deciding between JD and Marco!

Gina Milan @ginamilan_ "Trump jokes that Kaitlan Collins looks like Dylan Mulvaney. Media: “Disgusting. Mean. Unacceptable.” Jimmy Kimmel mocks Charlie Kirk’s murder, calls Melania an “expectant widow,” and airs a “Trump’s gonna kill you” shirt. Media: “Relax. It’s comedy. It’s free speech.” Got it." Bad Hombre @Badhombre, "Democrats: Dylan Mulvaney is a beautiful woman. Trump: Kaitlan Collins looks like Dylan Mulvaney. Democrats: How dare Trump compare Kaitlan Collins to an ugly man!" Gina Milan @ginamilan_, "Can someone explain this to me like I’m five? Trump compared Kaitlan Collins to Dylan Mulvaney and the media is losing its mind calling it an “attack.” But wait… don’t they constantly tell us that trans women are beautiful? That they’re real women? That we should celebrate them? So why is comparing a woman to a trans woman suddenly an insult? Wouldn’t that be a compliment in their world? I’m genuinely confused." Andrew Isker @BonifaceOption, "It’s the perfect joke. They can’t articulate why it is offensive without admitting their beliefs are fake. What is she supposed to say? “How dare you compare me to a man pretending to be a woman?”" At Twitchy, Fellow Americans: Trump Doubles Down on Comparing CNN’s Kaitlan Collins to Trans Icon Dylan Mulvaney.

Jesse Singal @jessesingal, "DSA folks: Democrats are are the enemy Some Dems: DSA folks view us as the enemy and are therefore not our allies -- they could help wreck the party DSA folks: Holy shit how could you say that??? Unbelievable slanderlibel," Quote Mike from PA@Mike_from_PA, "Personally it’s time that we stop pretending that liberals like Jon Ossoff, Gretchen Whitmer, Mayor Pete, etc. are anything but enemies. She was literally recruited into politics by a Blue Cross/ Blue Shield health insurance executive. They are not progressive." PJM's Rick Moran explains why Why Every Young DSA Member Needs to See 'Star City'. Hat Hair's Josh Hammer asserts the DSA Assault on Prisons Is Rooted in Third World-ist Lust for Barbarism. Don't worry, they'll save prisons for "enemies of the people," ie, conservatives.PJM's Bob Spencer wonders Is Zohran Mamdani Mentally Ill? Not by normal definitions. Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "New York under Mamdani is going to become London under Sadiq Khan, if it hasn't already." Quote Roger Zakheim @RogerZakheim Replying to @RogerZakheim, "Rabbi Levine: “When I was growing up the only time we saw security outside of my synagogue or my Jewish day school was when the mayor came to speak. The police were there to protect him. Today every time the mayor speaks we need the police to protect us.”" Just wait until all the Jews move out and take their money with them. From Twitchy, GOOD! Families of 9/11 Victims Want Mayor Zohran Mamdani BANNED From 25th Anniversary. Shooting News Week says Oh Look! Another Bloomberg Mayor Would Rather Limit Gun Rights Than Jail Criminals. Criminals are their voters, gun owners are not. That McCotter at Am Great, ‘Meet the New Boss, Worse Than the Old Boss’: Welcome to Ortega-Murillo’s Nicaragua, the socialist end game.

At Althouse, "The Democratic Party is so short on cash that leaders at its headquarters have undertaken a new gambit to mask the severity of the problems: asking vendors not to send bills until after the midterm elections...." "From "Inside the Phone-Throwing Drama at the Troubled, Broke Democratic Party/The Democrats should be well positioned to make gains in this year’s midterms. But inside party headquarters, every week brings paranoia, worries about money and, on occasion, emotional eruptions" (NYT gift link)." I'm sure some billionaires will step up.

News Wax hears CENTCOM Chief Urged Iran Strike Halt. "Cooper told administration officials that most of the military's designated targets in the Strait of Hormuz region had already been struck, leaving relatively few remaining objectives." Make the rubble bounce. Responsible Statecraft sees Aiming at the Gulf, Iran shoots itself in the foot. "Tehran's attacks on its Arab neighbors have increased their reliance on the US rather than reducing it." RedState's Nick Arama hears Mike Waltz Reveals Why Iran's Regime Is in Even Deeper Trouble "President Donald Trump announced that they were going to use any of the Iranian regime money they could lay their hands on to pay off any damage that Iran was causing, such as with shipping. And they've been going after Iran's money big time, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has explained, even tracking down Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's "money man," and freezing regime-related accounts. Bessent said they were preserving that money for "the American people." Bessent explained how they've been tracking accounts all over the world, and now they've also frozen a crypto wallet containing about $130 million linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)." Trump and Bessent understand money can be a weapon. At Hat Hair, Larry Elder notices Trump's War Critics Discuss Everything -- Except the Point, stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons, and the means to use them. News Wax cites Waltz: Saudi Nuclear Deal Includes 'No Enrichment' Capability, not that Waltz, the other Waltz.

Fox, Rand Paul releases documents on intercepted COVID research materials, "CBP intercepted biological materials tied to US–China virus network before COVID, new documents show. A DHS report details a coronavirus research network centered around University of Minnesota virologist Fang Li." At Insty, a Driscolly post, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has released another batch of documents related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Robby Soave @robbysoave, "Privately, in his diaries, Doctor Fauci admitted he no longer believed the wet market was the origin of covid. A week later, he convenes a call with 12 scientists, and only two of them think it's definitely animal spillover. Publicly, he comes out against lab leak and presses the Proximal Origins paper to find in favor of animal spillover. Seems bad." Tom Elliott @tomselliott, "Wow, @Alyssafarah -- formerly of the Trump Admin, currently of The View -- emailed Fauci in 2020 saying she's trying to get Dr. Scott Atlas fired: "He goes rogue and it’s wildly unhelpful. I’m so sorry you have to deal with this. I’ve advocated for his dismissal for months to no avail.."

John First at Energy, Security and Freedom is elated by That PA Supreme Court Case Finding Land Is A Possession and Rights to It Cannot Be Erased by Agency Eager Beavers! Jon Adler at The Volokh Conspiracy, sees Brian Fitzpatrick Makes the Case for Callais "There appears to be an academic consensus that the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana in Callais is incorrect. But does this tell us more about the decision or about the legal academy?"

Bill Ackman @BillAckman, "It is incredible how far the Democratic Party has moved politically. Just listen to @BarackObama on immigration 20 years ago. @HillaryClinton spoke similarly back then. The question of course is why. The answer I believe is not a change in fundamental views, but rather a tactical one. At some point, the Democratic Party believed it had a higher likelihood of staying in power if our country had open borders. When did this take place? What was the catalyst for this reversal of views?" Quote MAZE @mazemoore "This might be the most amazing one yet. More from Senator Obama on immigration. Obama not only said that illegals must not be allowed to work here, he went one step further and said that employers should be forced to prove that they offered the job to American citizens before they are allowed to hire guest workers. Democrats today would call this racist and xenophobic." Andrew Ireland @AndrewIrelandIN, "The H-1B program is a total scam. Purdue University is hiring a foreigner to help make newsletters and social media posts even though thousands of qualified Americans live within a 30 minute drive of this job. As a state lawmaker, I will do everything I can to end this next session." Quote indy reporter @Indy_reporter_, "Purdue University filing an H-1B for an “Assistant Director” of Communications & Marketing in Hammond, IN. Because nothing says “we couldn’t find a single American who can write a press release” like importing one for $55k–$87k starting in 2027." Sundance at CTH suggests The Scale of Ineligible People Called for Jury Duty Starts to Highlight Number of Illegal Aliens Currently on Voter Rolls. "About 75,000 noncitizens are summoned for jury duty in New Jersey each year, based on data from three state government agencies, including the Motor Vehicle Commission — a stunning figure that widens the scope of a growing controversy over government databases that may incorrectly identify noncitizens as eligible voters and jurors." At News Wax, Trump Admin to Review ICE Vetting After Shooting.

PJM's Matt Margolis observes Tucker Carlson Has Gone Bat Poop Crazy, Wants Trump Tried for Treason. Stacy McCain has his Own Tucker Carlson Theory, which basically boils down to spite. "And it seems to me that such strictly personal grievances, related to his being fired from Fox News in 2023, make much more sense in explaining what happened to Carlson than any speculation about secret payments from Qatar."

Greg Lukianoff at the Eternally Radical Idea has more free speech news, Fed withdraws New York Times subpoenas, CA tries to speech code-ify campus AI, “Wait, Community Had a Season SIX!?”, & more!

At Hat Hair Mark Judge has Questions for Tom Rosenstiel and the Students at the Philip Merrill School of Journalism regarding his usual (and well earned) obsession, the Kavanaugh nomination. "Here’s the question I’d like to ask Tom Rosenstiel and his students: Why did Washingtonian magazine recently spike a planned profile of me? A profile that writer Cathy Alter had begged me to do for six years?"

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Terror in Berlin as Member of the Religion of Peace Slams Van Into Pride Festival. Driscoll at Insty, AND AGAIN: Terror Attack in Berlin. “Fifteen people were injured, with one having died so far. "MORE: Suspect in Berlin Pride attack identified as ‘Islamist.’ “‘Based on the investigators’ initial findings, we have already identified a suspected perpetrator,’ Florian Nath, a spokesman for Berlin police, said, adding that the force’s search for the suspect was ‘proceeding at full speed’. ‘He is known to us as a member of Islamic circles here in Berlin … we still have no information whatsoever regarding his specific motives, the exact sequence of events, or his role in the crime itself.’”... UPDATE (1:50 PM): Suspect in deadly Berlin Pride attack is killed in a confrontation with police." Andy Ngo @MrAndyNgo, "Organizers of the Berlin Pride that was targeted in a deadly attack by a Muslim Arab man read off a speech saying that the Islamic terror incident shouldn’t be politicised. The problem is with cowards like this. They want to stand in the way of those who seek to address deadly problems and danger stemming from radical Islam." Suicidal empathy. Ace, As Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap: The Failure Of Western Europe To Defend Itself From Invasion "US State Department Issues Travel Advisory for Belgium."

Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed, Congress Spotlights American Bar Association’s Dance With The DEI Devil. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Live by the DEI, die by the DEI." Quote Toby Young @toadmeister, "The youngest black professor in Cambridge University's history, Jason Arday, is at the centre of a plagiarism row after academics came forward claiming large parts of his work are copied almost verbatim from others." Amy Curtis @RantyAmyCurtis, "Once again, I’ll remind you the Smithsonian said the anti-slavery Benjamin Franklin conducted electroshock experiments on slaves. With no evidence to prove it. And boatloads of evidence to the contrary." Quote Fox News@FoxNews, "Rep. Brandon Gill says it's time to "clean house" at the @smithsonian. The Texas Republican is backing President Trump's executive order directing warning signs to be posted outside the National Museum of American History highlighting what the White House calls ideological bias."

From NYPo, Taxpayer-funded trans dolls with removable genitalia to hit classrooms this fall for kids as young as 4 to ‘learn about different options’ Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Use the Word 'Man?' That Will Be $95,000, Please. REDUXX @reduxx, "A women's rights campaigner in Australia found guilty of "vilifying" two trans-identified males has lost her appeal. @KirralieS has been ordered to pay them $95,000 for referring to them as "men" and condemning their participation in female sports."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: On The Beach and FMJRA 2.0: In The Bowels of the Draft up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.