Flotsam and Jetsam - FBI Raids Eric Swalwell's House, Office

From NRO, FBI Raids Eric Swalwell’s Home, Seizes Electronics in Connection with Sexual Assault Investigation. Teri Christoph at RedState say We Just Learned What Was Behind the FBI Warrant for Eric Swalwell – It's Not Looking Good for Him "The Swalwell search warrant was apparently issued under 18 U.S.C. § 242, a federal civil-rights statute that applies when someone uses their governmental authority to deprive another person of rights provided to them either through the Constitution or by federal law." Dana Loesch @DLoesch, "I’m trying hard to be Proverbs 24:17-18 over this but man, the schadenfreude is real." Quote New York Post @nypost, "FBI confronts Eric Swalwell at airport, seizes electronics in sexual misconduct probe." It couldn't happen to a sleazier pol.

Jim Treacher has BREAKING NEWS: Presidential Aide Aids President "The president has a secretary. He has a staff, people who work for him. We all know this. Then, the other day, Jon Ossoff insinuated that there’s something going on between Trump and Natalie Harp. So now, it’s off to the races. Now, CNN airs crap like this. They dug up Natalie Harp’s brother, who’s apparently estranged from her, to badmouth her." State of the Day has the State of Tuesday: JON 'PEE-WEE HERMAN' OSSOFF IS DOA, "Ossoff’s mealy-mouthed response didn’t help his case."

Kurt Schlichter at TownHall says Good Riddance to John Cornyn and His Democrat Staffers in his own inimitable way.

Chris Bray @a_chrisbray, "From a New York Times video about the suffering among sailors deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln. The caption, in case it's too small to read, says, "They didn't sign up to be on a ship in the middle of the ocean."" Umm, yes they did. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn thinks The Disconnect Between Some Military Families and Their Service Member's Actual Job Is Stunning. 'Donut Eater' at RCD thinks Nobody Asked Me but…Let’s Stick the Seals in the Marine Corps. Seems natural to me. At Twitchy, Time to Clutch the Pearls: Jake Tapper Is BIG MAD at Pete Hegseth for Alleged 'Slur' in Iowa. "Training, not trannies!"

Guy Benson @guypbenson, "A disgrace. Republicans are the fiscally irresponsible party, Democrats are the fiscally insane party. Voters claim they want this addressed, but don’t really act accordingly. Meaningful solutions are demagogued to the hilt — so further toward the fiscal abyss we climb." Quote The Wall Street Journal @WSJ, "Gross U.S. debt has surpassed $40 trillion, a new milestone in the country’s struggle to control its finances. A look at how we got here. https://on.wsj.com/45xgRl7" PJM's Matt Margolis likes how Scott Jennings Schools CNN Panel on Biden's Inflation Disaster. VodkaPundit at PJM, I'm Sorry, The Feds Wasted HOW MANY TRILLIONS in Improper Payments? It's not waste, it's constituent services for Democrats. At Althouse, Steve Hilton, the GOP nominee for Governor of California, talks to Joe Rogan. "Joe and Hilton are old friends, and this discussion goes on for 3 hours, so this should be a major boost for Hilton. I'll just jump in at the point where they are talking about the waste of money on nonprofits that deal with homelessness:"

Hat Hair's John Sexton, Will Iran Escalate As an October Surprise? It wouldn't be much of a surprise, but the media would fall for it, and might even conspire with Iran. PJM's Stephen Kruiser asserts The Price of 'Wait Them Out' Keeps Going Up for Iran. Vivid. @VividProwess, "A Palestinian woman in Gaza admits everyone in Gaza is Hamas: “In Gaza, every house has Hamas. Are you going to kill us all?!”" Well...

Ryan King at NYPo reports Abdul El-Sayed wants to go a ‘step further’ than even Bernie Sanders in pitch for public ownership of AI firms. Daniel Greenfield - "Hang Together or Separately" @Sultanknish, "Correction Abdul El Sayed's ancestors sold Africans as slaves." Quote DSA Watch @DSA_Watch "Abdul El-Sayed responds to black voters who do not support him: “I am African.”" The Free Bacon reveals Hasan Piker’s Wingman Brother Is Space Engineer With Security Clearances Who’s Worked on Air Force One and Nuclear ‘Doomsday Plane’ for Boeing. "Murat Piker, who muses on the nature of ‘incels’ on his brother’s livestream, has worked on major military projects including jets and undersea drones." Wesley Yang @wesyang, "Not at all surprising to anyone familiar with the present (and past) of the Left." Quote Michelle Tandler @michelletandler, "Let me get this straight. The head of the NYC DSA: + Went to Yale for sculpture + Never held a real job + Had his dad pay his rent + Failed an electrician apprenticeship." From the Victory Girls, DSA Co-Chair Got His Comrades To Pay Him After Lying About Job. At Commentary, Abe Greenwald on Wokesters Without Borders.

This is the way to combat the false lure of socialism to young women. With real stories. Great campaign from @IWV pic.twitter.com/YTCBCU6faO

— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) August 19, 2026

Jeff Charles at TownHall notices James Talarico Claims Black Americans Too Dumb to Get Voter ID. To be fair, most white Democrats espouse that belief; some may even believe it. PJM's Stephen Kruieser says Sadly, It's Illegal to Punch Democrats Who Constantly Lie About Voter ID. Ace cites Moderate Centrist Normal Completely Heterosexual Candidate James Talarico Backs Knife-Murderer Karmelo Anthony: "The System Is Not Working for Black Texans" "He just gets more centrist and normal and Christian every single day." Bad Hombre @Badhombre, "Hey Rachel Vindman @natsechobbyist, why are you using different addresses with the FEC for your recurring contributions to ActBlue, your husband's money laundering PAC "VoteVets", and your donations to the Harris campaign? Are you circumventing contribution limits and concealing the source of those funds? Not good! Time to start combing through your "situation.""

At the Chronic, Dan McCarthy looks at Democrats’ Southern Strategy. MD Kittle at Da Fed thinks Milwaukee’s Latest Election Mess Is All Just A Little Bit Of History Repeating. Kira Davis at The Orange Report finds California’s Medicaid Program is a Voter Registration Program...Literally. "An LA resident discovered some shocking loopholes in CA’s public health exchange process."

Bluesky Libs @BlueskyLibs, "A single day of Charlie Kirk Bluesky commentary. A thread. Retard right: “Israel and TPUSA killed Charlie Kirk.” The left says these things openly and loudly, daily. Motive and Occam’s Razor, folks. Nobody wants us dead like the left - and it’s not particularly close."

VodkaPundit reports the FBI Disrupts ISIS-Inspired Terrorist Attack on New York Statehouse.

Shooting News Week approves of the Trump DOJ’s Path for Restoring Prohibited Persons’ Gun Rights – Here’s How it Will Work. At Da Signal, The Most Unsung Victory of Trump’s Administration "Charles and Heather Maude, a small, fifth-generation farming and ranching family near Pennington County in South Dakota, were prosecuted by the Biden administration via the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service in 2024. Both parents were charged separately, facing $250,000 fines and up to 10 years in prison each, for allowing their cattle to graze on 25 acres of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland."

Ryan King at NYPo is outraged that Fauci was privately informed about questions over COVID-19 vaccines and miscarriages, new texts show.

Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "Something big is about to happen with deportations in America. You should be ready for this… I just spoke with a senior DHS official. They shared deportation numbers with me that frankly stunned me. +27,000 deportations. Last week. +3,600 a day average. Tracking for 1.4 million deportations across the calendar year. +69,000 illegals are in DHS jails waiting to be deported at this moment. And you haven’t heard a blip about it in the corporate press. Why? My DHS source says “stealth tactics.” “We’re everywhere in every major city. We tell no one. Plain clothes. Beat up old cars. Quick work. Tactical strikes. No one sees anything. No drama. No tears. No media circus. You’re just going back home where you belong.” And here’s where it gets insane… DHS tells me blue states are quietly and very secretly working with the Trump administration to assist in the mass deportation of criminals. The criminal alien issue has become so “politically toxic” and “costly” that Democrat Governors have given the green light to Sheriffs and Police Chiefs in major blue cities to drop their illegals off with undercover ICE for removal. It’s happening. You just don’t see it. We can track if these numbers hold, but as for now this is a historic white pill and exactly what MAGA voted for." Cam Arcand at TownHall reports Multiple Sex Offenders Snatched in Latest ICE Arrests: 'Defending the Homeland.' Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "Immigration is supposed to benefit your people and your nation. You get to choose who comes in, from where, and in what number… The people purposefully flooding the West with millions of foreign men from incompatible cultures are committing treason." EducatëdHillbilly™ @RobProvince, "The Clinton Gun ban was just 22 years ago. Pistol brace BS is dead. Tax stamps are dead. FRTs are plentiful and legal. The NFA is hanging by a thread. The border is on absolute lockdown. We’re deporting ~50,000 illegals a month. And now TPS is gone. And you’re blackpilling?" Matt Lamb at LI hears from NY Gov. Kathy Hochul: Don’t Deport ‘Essential’ Haitians, Salvadorans Who Staff Government. "Temporary immigrants are “essential” to the operation of New York’s government, Governor Kathy Hochul said." Doing the bullshit real Americans won't. Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog hears Abbott Wants Foreign Funding, H-1B Employment Banned In Public Schools. Seems reasonable. From Ace, New UK PM Andy Burnham Is Taking Migrant Rape Seriously. He's Distributing a Pamphlet Telling Migrants They're Not Allowed to Rape (Or Have Sex With Children), "Um, do they speak English? Will they even be able to read this?"

From Da Signal, In Wake of Arday Scandal, European Elite Institutions Attack Free Speech. Because they're afraid to say anything bad about their "Woke" plagiarists. Amy Curtis at TownHall wants you to Guess What Just Happened to the Academic Who Exposed Jason Arday's Plagiarism. Human Events (that doesn't narrow it much, does it?) reports Ghent University's trans rector suspends 'race realist' Nathan Cofnas over Jason Arday's death. Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630, "Cofnas should set up a massively crowd-funded NGO fully dedicated to rooting out academic plagiarism and incompetence." Quote Nathan Cofnas @nathancofnas, "I was just suspended by Ghent University. They will almost certainly fire me. The decision was made by rector Petra De Sutter, a former leader of the Green Party." Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "USA: woke 1 was craaaazy.UK/Europe: let’s crank up the crazy to infinity." Benjamin Ryan @benryanwriter, "Nathan Cofnas, suspended by the rector of Ghent University, Petra De Sutter, in the wake of Jason Arday’s death, notes that De Sutter used ChatGPT for her inaugural address, which included fabricated quotes. Previous news reports confirm this." Razib Khan @razibkhan, "turns out when you select for cowardice you get an institution incapable of policing itself." Quote Jacob Shell @JacobAShell, "Academia faces a potential extinction level event if it's established that exposing academic plagiarism in a public article means you're fired. It would be like a fire department firing the guy who points out they don't have any water." Timur Kuran @timurkuran, "Exaggerated, but the basic point is valid. George Floyd tested Anglosphere universities, and they flunked. Instead of feeding the hysteria, they should have served as beacons of reason. The Jason Arday tragedy provides another test. Time for academia to face its pathologies." Jarvis @jarvis_best, "Every 6 months or so all of academia takes a break from their important scholarship in order to remind us that each and every single hillbilly luddite stereotype about higher education being a cocoon of berserk shrieking Stalinist savages is 100% correct."

From NYPo, Disgraced Mamdani-loving journo Ross Barkan apologizes — after being caught plagiarizing 67 times. At 404 Media, ‘Show How 3M Is 0% at Fault:’ Expert Witness Used ChatGPT to Write Report Defending Company in Deadly Explosion Lawsuit, contained numerous AI "hallucinations." Matt Calkins explains I was a sports columnist at the Seattle Times for 11 years. This is why I resigned.

Philanthropy Daily examines God and Man at Yale at 75. In hindsight, WFB's complaints about higher education seem kind of quaint. Owen Gregorian @OwenGregorian, "Education Department Breaks Left-Wing University Accreditation Cabal | Breccan F. Thies, The Federalist The Department of Education on Wednesday announced a new rule that would allow more organizations to accredit universities, stripping the left of one of its most potent tools for enforcing its worldview through higher education...."

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.

Maryland, My Maryland

 Tom Knighton at Bearing Arms, Maryland Court Upholds Gun Ban for Adults Under 21

How many actual rights do we have preserved in the Constitution that have an age limit? Voting, of course, does, but what else? Even the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, didn't include an age limit on who could drink. Then again, it didn't actually say drinking was a right, either.  And yet, while we acknowledge adulthood at 18, and people can register to vote then, some states have decided that despite someone otherwise having the totality of their rights when they reach the age of majority, they can't have guns because...well, because.

One of those is Maryland, and the fight to overturn that law just got a setback. The Appellate Court of Maryland upheld last week the state’s ban on firearm possession by people aged under 21 in the latest example of state courts grappling with a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that dramatically expanded gun rights. 

On Thursday, the state’s intermediate appellate court found historical precedent for age-based restrictions on firearm ownership and ruled that Maryland’s permitting scheme was not invalidated in its entirety by the Supreme Court’s decision ending states’ discretion to limit firearm possession to people with a demonstrated need to carry. “Based on our review of this caselaw, we conclude that the burden that (the law) imposes on the Second Amendment right of 18-to-20-year-olds is consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” wrote Appellate Judge Kathryn Graeff. She was joined by Judge Rosalyn Tang and Senior Judge Donald Beachley, who was specially assigned.

In doing so, the court allowed charges to proceed against Terrell Henry Fields, who was 20 in 2019 when he was arrested in Prince George’s County for gun and drug offenses. The opinion states that Fields did not have a permit and hadn’t shown that he ever applied for one. The drug charges were dropped, and for nearly three years, the case was put on hold “several times” for “various reasons,” including the coronavirus pandemic, the opinion stated.

One day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, Fields filed a motion to dismiss, arguing the ruling invalidated Maryland’s entire firearm permitting scheme. Of course, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Florida's age limit law, which is unfortunate as it would have had bearing on this particular matter.

But how did the state somehow make the case that such restrictions are part of the historic tradition of gun laws? The answer lies in the argument that the age of majority was considered 21 at the time of the nation's founding; thus, those who are under 21 were not intended to be part of "the people" in the Second Amendment.

That's kind of ridiculous, though, because despite that claim, I haven't been able to find any examples of age-based restrictions on the ownership or carrying of firearms from that time. If the age of majority was enough of a bar then, where are the laws illustrating that? It seems pretty clear that even if those under 21 were considered too young for certain things, the carrying of guns wasn't one of them.

So from 18-21 you are too immature to own guns or drink, but plenty old enough to vote for Democrats.

Maryland, My Maryland

Shooting News Week, Maryland Governor Wes Moore Signs GLOCK Ban Bill Into Law

Instead of targeting gang members and other violent criminals driving serious violent crime in his state, Maryland’s Gov. Wes Moore has signed legislation to ban the sale of popular self-defense pistols. The new law targets GLOCKS and similar guns that can accept a (highly illegal) switch to make them full-auto. Because nothing says tough on crime like disarming the victims of gang violence

If you guessed Maryland’s Gov. Wes Moore is a Democrat, you guessed right. The Dems have gone hard in support for unconstitutional gun control for law-abiding citizens in response to crime carried out by criminals they refuse to prosecute and jail. All while party leadership live with armed bodyguards close by.

Maryland becomes the second state to enact such a gun ban after California. For now at least, existing owners can keep their firearms. Violations carry fines up to $5,000 and up to three years in prison. Anticipating the all-too-predictable move by Governor Moore, the National Rifle Association, Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition have already filed a lawsuit challenging the law.

GLOCKs are among America’s most common pistols due to their simplicity, durability, and widespread adoption by civilians and law enforcement. Critics of the ban call it symbolism intended to burden lawful gun owners while being ignored by criminals. It’s akin to locking up shampoo and deodorant in stores instead of locking up shoplifters.

Not that I own a Glock, but I hope the Supreme Court will overturn this ASAP.

The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: Outstanding In Her Field up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - So President Trump Went to the White House Correspondents Dinner...

And a man, later identified as Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, reportedly armed with a shotgun and a pistol, charged a magnetometer security station outside the ballroom where the dinner was taking place. He was engaged by Secret Service and police, and reportedly exchanged fire. One Secret Service agent was struck by a bullet, and saved from serious harm by his protective vest. The "suspect" was taken alive, apparently without being shot. Early reports had the assailant killed, or had two, but as the evening sorted out, there appears to be only one person overtly involved and he is in custody generally undamaged. As usual, the 48 hour rule applies. Stacy McCain says Yet Another Democrat Has Failed to Assassinate President Donald Trump.  From Insty, SO MUCH POLITICAL VIOLENCE FROM THE LEFT: "Shots Fired at Correspondents Dinner, Shooter Neutralized, Trump Evacuated. “The shooter who fired off multiple rounds at the White House correspondents’ dinner Saturday evening is reportedly dead, and Secret Service agents successfully took President Donald Trump off the stage to safety." Driscoll at Insty, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER LIVE UPDATES: Shots fired at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump evacuated as Secret Service yells ‘he’s down!’ after gunman taken out. Dave Strom, SHOOTER AT WHCD Alive? Trump: Let the Show Go On; SECRET SERVICE: Not on Our Watch. At LI, Ben Smith Trump Evacuated to a Holding Room After Shots Fired at White House Correspondents Association Dinner "“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended,” and Update: Gunman Stopped Before Reaching WHCA Dinner Named, "The shooter has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, two law enforcement officials told the AP." NRO, Secret Service Agent Shot at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Suspect Apprehended in Chaotic Scene. Bob Hoge at RedState, The Show Will Not Go On: WH Correspondents' Dinner to Be Rescheduled After Chaotic Night at the Gala. Trump seriously wanted it to continue. The SS told him no way. Ace, Another Democrat Inspired Assassin Attempts to Kill Trump; Trump And All Innocents Appear Safe and Unharmed, and the Left-Wing Assassin Apprehended "ANOTHER LEFT WING ASSASSIN ATTEMPTS TO KILL TRUMP." Didn't even get red font, let alone the trademark flaming skull. I guess it's become so common. 

Dave Strom What We Know About WHCD Shooting So Far; Shooter Identified? UPDATE: Video of His Charge. Registered as a No Party Preference voter in L.A. County, CalTech grad, donated 25 bucks to ActBlue, which doesn't mean much since ActBlue has been credibly accused of hiding donations under the names of people who didn't actually donate. At Althouse "We see them every day and we just say hi and they’re very nice. They’re peaceful people, they don’t make any noise and when they see you they say hi.", "Said a neighbor of Cole Tomas Allen, quoted in "Who is Cole Tomas Allen? White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect in custody/The suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting was identified as California man Cole Tomas Allen" (Independent). What's with the awkward "they" pronouns? "They’re peaceful people," etc. Maybe that's just the way they talk in California."

Blake Neff @BlakeSNeff "Friend at WHCD sent me a photo as she walked out of demonstrators waving signs that say “Death to tyrants” and “Death to all of them,” just in case you’re wondering if an actual attempted shooting would make them feel any shame." Dustin Grage @GrageDustin, "This brewery in Wisconsin is gushing over the assassination attempt. These people want us dead." Dustin Grage @GrageDustin, "The owner of this brewery is running for office as a Democrat." Insty, THE LEFT’S ASSASSINATION CULTURE HAS MAINSTREAM ENABLERS WHO SHOULD BE HELD STRICTLY ACCOUNTABLE: Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "OK, how many assassination attempts now? He must hold the record, or is getting close to it. And by Monday, this story will be over. Just like all the other ones. They'll have found some new faux outrage to posture about." Quote Election Wizard @ElectionWiz, "Most of the people in that Washington Hilton ballroom tonight are morally responsible for what just happened. For over 10 years they’ve pushed the most hateful, vile conspiracies: Trump is a threat to democracy, a dictator, literally Hitler 2.0. They demonized him nonstop, normalized violence in their rhetoric, then acted shocked when the inevitable keeps occurring." Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "They don't kill you because you're a Nazi. They call you a Nazi so they can kill you." Twitchy, Self-Proclaimed Boss Babes Blame Trump for Their Meltdown: 'It's Not Me, It's the Orange Man'.

Althouse hosts Trump's public statement after the events, "This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press. And in a certain way it did..." ""I saw a room that was totally unified. It was in one way very beautiful — a very beautiful thing to see." Said President Trump, in an impromptu press conference at the White House, 2 hours after the incident at the Correspondents' Dinner." United? They were all under the same tables. Capt. Ed in Saturday's Final Word finds Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "Paul Begala goes on rant about Trump censoring journalists and attacking the First Amendment. @ScottJenningsKY issued a simple challenge to which Begala had no answer: “Name a single journalist who right now is incapable of speaking negatively about Donald Trump.""

Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "It's really tempting to applaud that. I'd rather have 84,000 US troops already forward deployed in Europistan, for when we need them there. Because sooner or later, we will. I'd say make nice with Europe. Don't even charge them, keep going. Just harden up the bases. Make sure every soldier, every base commander, understands they are already behind enemy lines. What was that Nicholson line? "I eat breakfast three hundred yards away from four thousand Mohammedans who are trained to kill me." OK, that's not exactly what he said. Works though." Quote Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "GREAT NEWS. We are all for it. Should have been done 3 decades ago with the collapse of the Soviet Union." SaltyGoat @SaltyGoat17, "Everyone cool with us pulling ALL of our troops from Europe and NEVER sending them another dime?"

Jon Gabriel @exjon, "This "clown" entered the Navy enlisted and earned a commission as a Special Operations Officer from Annapolis. As EOD Officer, he led threat missions for Special Warfare & Special Forces in Iraq, Afghanistan & Somalia. He retired from active duty as Captain in 2021. He then was VP at CACI Intl., fielding EW packages, counter-drone tech, optical comm, & photonics. Hung Cao is a decorated combat veteran, a qualified Navy Special Operations, EOD & Diving Officer, Naval Parachutist, and Surface Warfare Officer. He has a bachelor’s in Ocean Engineering, a master’s in Applied Physics, & was a Fellow with MIT Seminar XXI & Harvard's Kennedy School." Quote Democrats @TheDemocrats, "Trump dragged our country to war and now this clown is in charge." FactPost @factpostnews, "Trump has fired Navy Secretary John Phelan, replacing him with failed VA Senate candidate Hung Cao who: — Asked for a KKK hood with "slits" as eye holes instead of circles so he could see better — Falsely claimed to have been injured in combat — Warned that a wave of "witchcraft" was taking over America — Argued he is African American because he once lived in Africa." Safing Sector @Gplavallee72, "Bitch please..."

From NYPo, Trump cancels US delegation’s Pakistan trip as Iran peace talks stall: ‘They can call us anytime they want’. Capt. Ed, So Much For Islamabad II: Taqiyya Boogaloo? UPDATE: Trump Cancels Witkoff, Kushner Trip. At Am Great the Great Victor Davis Hanson expounds on How Iran Committed Suicide, "Iran’s decades-long bluff—built on terror proxies, nuclear brinkmanship, and Western appeasement—collapsed the moment it faced direct force and a changed geopolitical landscape." Beege Welborn reports Reza Pahlavi Went to Berlin. "Operation Epic Fury had distinct parameters for the security of the world and the United States, and not one of them was returning a Pahlavi to the throne. The last thing Trump would need, especially in the middle of all this nutzoid Democratic squawking about losing, is being accused of installing a king. Nope, nope, nope." At 1945, American History Teaches That Operation Epic Fury Is Not Another ‘Forever War’.

At AMAC, Democrats’ Virginia Gerrymander is GOP’s Sign to Play Hardball. Shipwreckedcrew explains Why Washington State's "Climate Commitment Act" Should Worry the Rest of the Country. "The state's budget is so bad that state parks will can't open due to an inability to pay needed maintenance -- but if you want to grow food in a Seattle roof-top garden, NGOs have millions to help."

Althouse finds "There’s one thing that’s stealing when you are a teenager and you want the adrenaline rush. And part of it is about testing the rules..." ""... and getting away with something. But what I’m seeing on TikTok and social media is people saying that they’re stealing from Whole Foods not just for the thrill of it, but out of a feeling of anger and moral justification. Because the rich don’t play by the rules, so why should I? And Jeff Bezos has too much money — he’s a billionaire — so why should I have to pay for organic avocados? My friends and I have started calling this microlooting, because it has a slight political valence to theft, as opposed to just the thrill of getting away with something. Have you noticed this around you online? Have you noticed more people talking about stealing in this way?" Says NYT writer Nadja Spiegelman on an episode of the NYT "Opinions" podcast, "'The Rich Don’t Play by the Rules. So Why Should I?'Why petty theft might be the new political protest."" Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "In fairness, Piker self-weaponized. The right noticed. Promoting political assassination, car theft, shoplifting. Hardly benign speech. I suppose, given the SPLC indictment, we now have to consider the possibility that Piker is a conservative op. But I doubt it. He's just stating outright what the others have been broadly hinting at." Quote Charlie Sykes @SykesCharlie, "Not surprisingly, Piker has turned out to be a massive gift to the GOP, which is weaponizing Piker’s commentary. You may not have seen them, but his latest comments have gone viral on right-wing media. Tens of millions of dollars of GOP ads are being written as we speak." Walter Curt at TownHall notes They Can’t Even Flip Burgers. Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "You can literally smoke crack, get caught in an FBI sting, go to prison, commit tax fraud, be a stalker, make racist remarks, and turn your city into a crime-infested hellhole, and Democrats *will still* build a statue of you." Quote Katie Pavlich @KatiePavlich "LOL of course there’s a Marion Barry statute outside of the DC Mayor’s office." Tom Knighton at TAW notices Reality is what the left wants to believe it is.

The Week in Pictures:
Frauds All the Way Down - Power Line

Jonathan Turley considers the question about The SPLC Indictment: Can Public Interest Groups Run Alleged Black-Bag Jobs and Confidential Informants? "The government has a tough case, with the alleged fraud used to produce evidence submitted to state and federal prosecutors. In addition, if this case extends into a new administration, a Democratic Justice Department could scuttle the case as did the Biden Administration. Once again, it is remarkable to read the extent to which the Center acted like a mini-FBI in running its own confidential informants and allegedly conducting a “black bag job.” The unfolding prosecution is likely to shine a light on the tactics used by the Center. It could also further define the constitutional protections for such organizations in using such novel and controversial means." A video at Hat Hair, BUSTED: "Anti-Hate" Group Gets Caught Funding Hate. Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "If the SPLC's payments of millions of dollars to individuals involved with racist hate groups wasn't controversial, why did the SPLC take active steps to conceal what it was doing? If donors would have been fine with what they were doing, why the need for bank accounts in the name of fictitious companies?" T. Becket Adams @BecketAdams, "So ... the SPLC revived a dead neo-Nazi group?" Quote Sarah Bedford @sarahcbedford, "New: The SPLC paid more than $1 million to a neo-Nazi gorup that it had declared effectively dead years earlier. At the same time, the neo-Nazi group was fighting in court for $160k it said was vital to its survival." Dr. Interracial @billysandytodd, "Makes me wonder if the SPLC fire bombed their own office in 1983." Quote Tyler O'Neil @Tyler2ONeil, Replying to @Tyler2ONeil, "While the KKK firebombed the SPLC’s offices in 1983, the indictment covers 2014-2023. During that time, SPLC exaggerated hate by putting mainstream conservatives and Christians on a “hate map” with Klan chapters." Elon Musk @elonmusk, "SPLC got better returns than Nancy Pelosi and inverse Cramer combined!" Quote David Sacks @DavidSacks, "SPLC invested $270k in Charlottesville and got $81 million in additional donations. Extraordinary returns." Rothmus @Rothmus, "I know Elon isn’t a Nazi because he wasn’t funded by the SPLC." Quote Joe Rogan Podcast News @joeroganhq, "Joe Rogan to Elon Musk: "What is it like to buy a company for $44B and then people call you a Nazi on that same thing that you bought?"

AJ Christopher at PJM looks at The United States of America v. John Roberts.

Matt Vespa at TownHall celebrates how January 6 Star Witness Cassidy Hutchinson Is in the DOJ's Crosshairs.

At Da Wire, America’s Most Conservative State Just Gave Property Owners The Right To Shoot Invaders, Tennessee.

Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "The fact that ICE found HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of migrant children in 2025, many of whom were in forced labor on a farms, is somehow NOT the biggest story in America... ...tells you everything you need to know about the media It's totally insane." Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "Success!" Quote The Calvin Coolidge Project @TheCalvinCooli1 "Report: The desire to move to the U.S. has dropped to an all-time low Via: The Hill"

From the Free Bacon, New York Times Puts Elise Stefanik Third on Best Sellers List Despite Sales Data Showing She Had Top-Selling Title, "The Times has not reviewed or covered Stefanik's book, 'Poisoned Ivies,' as New York Republican accuses outlet of refusing to 'acknowledge the crisis of antisemitism'" Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "He's accusing others of anti-free speech...while threatening to destroy companies with government power for saying things he doesn't like. Perfect. Just perfect." Quote Chris Murphy @ChrisMurphyCT, "Ellison and the information oligarchs should enjoy it while they can because when Democrats win power we are going to break these anti-consumer, anti-free speech media conglomerates into pieces."

NYPo reports Trans substitute teacher, 19, allegedly plotted chilling ‘murder spree’ at a Virginia school. "Dollery worked as a “non-licensed” substitute teacher for the 2025-26 school year but was later scrubbed from the district’s list after being thrown behind bars, the outlet reported. The long-haired suspect, seen grinning in their mugshot, was charged with threats of bodily harm and is now being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, cops said.The deranged teen — who identifies as a trans woman — was booked as a male and is reportedly being housed alone, WJLA reported."

Campus Reform, Harvard students call grading reform ‘racist’ in petition.

Varad Mehta @varadmehta, ""I will not thank Rufo for anything as long as his rhetoric salts the earth for rebuilding trust with the left." IMO this is backwards. It is the left that needs to rebuild trust with us. The onus is on it, at least as far as academia is concerned. Rufo is not the problem there." Quote Kevin Vallier @kvallier, "I want to clearly state where I think @christopherrufo has been harmful for American civic life. He has certainly done some good. My concern is that his tactics are a kind of civic poison. They salt the social earth, making trust hard to rebuild and polarization hard to reduce. x.com/christopherruf…"

Oregon, My Oregon

Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms, Republicans Walk Out as Gun Control Bill Roils Oregon House

Republican lawmakers in Oregon staged a walkout in the House of Representative on Monday, with a controversial gun control bill and the recent actions by its sponsor among the reasons for their departure.

Without a quorum, the Democrat majority can't move forward on a bill that would, among other things, raise the fee for a planned "permit to purchase" narrowly approved by voters as part of Measure 114 in 2022 ,from $65 to $150, while doubling the time licensing authorities have to issue the permit from one month to two months. It looked like HB 4145 would be killed off in committee, but its chief author, Rep. Jason Kropf, yanked fellow Democrat Rep. Thủy Trần into a hallway and allegedly berated her for close to 20 minutes after she voted "no" on an amended version of the bill. When the pair returned to the committee room, Trân switched her vote to a "yes."

Trân told the press after the hearing that Kropf had created a hostile work environment with his actions, but it was firearms instructor and Second Amendment advocate Derek LeBlanc who filed a complaint with the Legislative Equity Office. LeBlanc says he was told by the office that an independent investigator concluded no investigation was needed and the complaint was dismissed last week.

 

House Democrats emerged from a caucus meeting on Monday two hours after the chamber was set to convene, with House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, announcing that Kropf had resigned from the House Conduct Committee and appointing Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland as a replacement. House Republicans were caught off-guard by the move and demanded a full investigation into Kropf’s conduct after Fahey ruled that the motion to replace Kropf was not up for debate.


House Minority Leader Rep. Lucetta Elmer, R-McMinnville, accused Democrats of attempting to sweep the dispute under the rug instead of supporting Trần. She called for the Legislative Equity Office to conduct “a full investigation into this matter that is both inclusive and transparent.”

“The allegation that a lawmaker created a hostile working environment by intimidating another lawmaker into changing their vote is a serious allegation that creates distrust in the democratic process,” Elmer said in a statement. “It must be properly addressed and thoroughly investigated through a transparent process that respects the victim and remedies the wrong committed against them.”In a bit of revisionist history, Kropf's name was also removed as a sponsor of HB 4145. While Democrats are eager to sweep his actions under the rug, they're unwilling at this point to kill his bill and move on to other business.

 

By walking out, Republicans not only helped to keep Kropf's bullying in the news, but at least temporarily thwarted passage of the legislation.

Laura Daniel, a retired teacher from Keizer who came to show support for the bill with Moms Demand Action, a nonprofit nationwide gun control group, sat waiting in the gallery above the House floor Monday afternoon.

“You’re expecting to be able to hear testimony and see a vote on a bill and then to just have it not happen, it’s frustrating,” Daniel said.,

Maybe so, but I guarantee it's not nearly as frustrating as having to fork over $150, get mandatory training, and wait for two months before you can exercise a fundamental civil right.

When I lived in Oregon a generation or so ago, it was a center of gun culture. How times have changed! 

Forget It Jake, It's Baltimore

Across the pond, at the Guardian, US student handcuffed after AI system apparently mistook bag of chips for gun

An artificial intelligence system (AI) apparently mistook a high school student’s bag of Doritos for a firearm and called local police to tell them the pupil was armed. 

Taki Allen was sitting with friends on Monday night outside Kenwood high school in Baltimore and eating a snack when police officers with guns approached him.  “At first, I didn’t know where they were going until they started walking toward me with guns, talking about, ‘Get on the ground,’ and I was like, ‘What?’” Allen told the WBAL-TV 11 News television station.

Allen said they made him get on his knees, handcuffed and searched him – finding nothing. They then showed him a copy of the picture that had triggered the alert. “I was just holding a Doritos bag – it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun,” Allen said.

Baltimore county high schools last year began using a gun detection system using school cameras and AI to detect potential weapons. If it spots something it believes to be suspicious, it sends an alert to the school and law enforcement officials.

In a letter to school families obtained by WBAL TV 11 News, the school wrote: “We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched as well as the other students who witnessed the incident. Our counselors will provide direct support to the students who were involved in this incident and are also available to speak with any student who may need support.”

Baltimore county police told the outlet: “Officers assigned to Precinct 11-Essex responded to Kenwood High School following a report of a suspicious person with a weapon. Once on scene, the person was searched and it was determined the subject was not in possession of any weapons.”

Lamont Davis, Allen’s grandfather, told the television station: “Nobody wants this to happen to their child. No one wants this to happen.”

Sometimes a bag of chips is just a bag of chips. They should punish the AI by turning off it's power for a day or so.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Leftist Loon Shoots Up ABC Affiliate in Revenge for Kimmel Cancelation

From Twitchy, Jimmy Kimmel, Groypers, and Israel, OH MY: The Left's Desperate Attempt to Characterize a Killer. Insurrection Barbie @DefiyantlyFree, "Every Democrat that opens their mouth and says a single thing about free speech needs to watch a video montage of themselves being complete and total hypocrites." Carl Benjamin @Sargon_of_Akkad "We recreated Weimar conditions and some how it produced a huge aggressive right wing movement, we have no idea why!" Quote The News Agents @TheNewsAgents, "We saw it in Weimar Germany and Mussolini's Italy... It's not a million miles away from this." Former US Ambassador to the EU Anthony Gardner tells @maitlis that curbs on free speech put America on “slippery territory” for democracy." NYPo, Jimmy Kimmel hosted just one right-leaning guest in past three years — and it came with a condition "MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, Trump’s longtime pal and a major Republican donor, appeared on JKL in 2023, but only after agreeing to spend the entire interview inside an arcade claw-machine game because he wasn’t vaccinated. Kimmel, however, said he insisted Lindell be in the claw machine “because it’s hilarious.”" Atop Da Hill, Jonathan Turley sees The funniest joke Jimmy Kimmel never told "So Kimmel is now a hero of democracy — all he had to do was spread disinformation. That makes this the funniest joke that Kimmel never told." From DNYUZ, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Crew To Be Paid Next Week As Discussions To Bring Back Show Carry On.

Misty Severi at JTN reports Ted Cruz blasts FCC Chair Brendan Carr's criticism of ABC as mob tactics 'right out of Goodfellas'. Nice network you have there . . . From Twitchy, Man Arrested for Firing Shots at ABC Affiliate After Kimmel Protest. Steve Lookner @lookner, "Anibal Hernandez-Santana, 64, was arrested for firing shots into the window of ABC10 in Sacramento yesterday. An X account that appears to be his "contains a steady stream of anti-Trump commentary," according to Variety." "You mean it wasn't some MAGA conservative celebrating the cancellation of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" with some celebratory gunfire?" ABC 10, Arrest made in ABC10 shooting. KCRA 3, FBI arrests Sacramento man in connection with ABC10 news station shooting after earlier release on bail "Jail records show he is now ineligible for bail."

Matt Vespa at TownHall thinks NPR's Latest Article on the Charlie Kirk Assassination Is Why It Got Defunded. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great thinks The Murder of Charlie Kirk Was Not a George Floyd Moment "Charlie Kirk’s murder sparked peaceful resolve, not riots—sharply contrasting the violence, destruction, and radical agendas unleashed after George Floyd’s death." No riots. John Sexton at Hat Hair wonders Are We Done With Political Violence (or Could It Keep Spiraling)? I think you mean, will the left continue to be violent? From OTP, NJ Teacher Canned Over Callous Quip About Kirk: ‘Some People Have To Die’. And some people have to be fired. Nick Ballasy at JTN hears a Democratic congresswoman accuse Charlie Kirk of 'advocating for a Christian nationalist government' "Sherrill said Kirk was "advocating for a Christian nationalist government and to roll back the rights of women and Black people. This flies in the face of every value I hold dear and that I fight for." I'm not a close follower of Charlie Kirk, but I don't believe he advocated anything of the kind. But they need to repeat it to themselves over and over to justify their hate. Sarah Arnold at TownHall notes a Longtime Democrat Says Only Trump Can Unite the Country After Kirk’s Assassination, Manchin. Since when does the left take any lead from Trump? He can get them to go against the sanest policies by merely advocating for them.

At OTP, Arizona Prosecutor Issues Warning Ahead Of Charlie Kirk Memorial With Trump. FAFO. At Althouse, "When Secret Service agents approached him, he claimed to be a member of law enforcement and said he was armed, the service said." ""'The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event and is currently in custody,' the service said, adding that he had not been arrested as of late Friday night.... The apparent unauthorized entry raised security concerns around the memorial, which is at capacity and is expected to include President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and many other administration officials and top aides." I'm reading "Armed man detained at site of planned memorial service for Charlie Kirk/The service, which will feature President Donald Trump and Cabinet members, has a top-level security designation akin to a Super Bowl" (WaPo)." Nick Ballasy at JTN, Armed man arrested at Charlie Kirk memorial site providing advance security for known guest: TPUSA. "We do not believe this person was attempting anything nefarious, however the advance was not done in proper coordination with the TPUSA security team or US Secret Service. Also important to note that this was before the site had been fully sealed and locked down," says TPUSA spokesperson."

Also at OTP, WWI Rifle That Killed Charlie Kirk May Be Untraceable. Too old to have a serial number. Still shoots straight, thought. Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal thinks Transgender Ideology Is Motivating Violence: It’s High Time the FBI Designate It as Such. Put Ru Paul on the watch list? I think that's going overboard. Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "The trans furry pervert demographic is a key constituency of you and the rest of the Democrats." Quote Tim Miller @Timodc, "One more thing. “one of MINE” didn’t kill Charlie. Unless you mean he was a human or a man like me." I don't know about key, but I guess a bunch of tiny fanatic fringes add up.

At RCP Larry Kudlow thinks Powell's Mismanagement of the Fed Is Beyond the Pale. It's pretty clear now he did his best to bolster Slow Joe and inhibit Trump. Department of Government Efficiency @DOGE "Contracts Update! Over the last 5 days, agencies terminated and descoped 87 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $2.1B and savings of $673M, including a $509k State Dept. professional support contract for an “Iran press assistant position in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs”, a $509k State Dept. professional support contract for a “press advisory specialist in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs”, and a $911k NASA climate & sustainability contract for “integrating Earth observations toward advancing equitable resilience to geo-hazards in a changing climate”." Atop Da Hill, Trump predicts government could shut down ‘for a period of time’, blames Chucky. “I don’t know if you can make a deal with these people,” Trump said. “I think these people are crazy.” Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller, Mike Johnson Has 4 Words For Chuck Schumer’s Demand That Taxpayers Prop Up Left-Wing Media, “We’re not doing that.” “He’s trying to force, for example, and everybody at home needs to understand what Chuck Schumer is trying to do, is force $1.4 trillion in additional spending on the American people, a spending on a very short-term continued resolution to keep the government out.”

The Brussel's Signal claims The EU sanctions on Russia have had no effect on Putin’s economy. No effect? I doubt it, but certainly not enough to bring Putin to the table. Across the pond at the Telegraph comes word that Britain’s Vagina Museum hit by Trump’s trade war, really! "The Vagina Museum in Bethnal Green, east London, sells items including postcards, magnets, stickers and tea towels featuring the female anatomy. But they are now subject to the US president’s 10 per cent baseline tariff which came into effect in August." Oh dear, how sad to pay 10% more for a vagina tea towel!

At Althouse, "The FBI under former President Biden launched a sweeping investigation called 'Arctic Frost' that included major Republican organizations and conservative groups..." "... according to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Grassley revealed whistleblower evidence at a Senate Judiciary hearing showing the probe, which began with 2020 election challenges, later expanded to 92 Republican targets such as the RNC, the Republican Attorneys General Association, and Turning Point USA. 'Arctic Frost wasn't just a case to politically investigate Trump,' Grassley said. 'It was the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus." From "FBI's 'Arctic Frost' probe into Jan. 6 investigated Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA" (Yahoo, republishing Snopes, quoting the Facebook page The Federalist Papers)."

ET reports Prosecution Rests Case in Trial of Trump Assassination Attempt Suspect: 5 Takeaways "The trial resumes on Monday with Routh—who is representing himself—calling his first witness." At CJ, The Dangerous Celebration of Luigi Mangione "It’s his admirers’ adulation, not the court’s decision to toss first-degree murder charges, that should concern us most."

Kaelen Deese at WaEx reports Alex Acosta said he never saw Trump’s name when handling Epstein case. Democrats keep their fingers in their ears, shouting la, la, la, la!

Beth Brelje at Da Fed, FBI Sources Alleged Biden Stopped Burisma Investigation ‘To Protect The Interests Of Hunter,’ New Docs Show. Matt Margolis at PJM, Does This Prove Hunter Biden Orchestrated His Own Pardon? "Biden’s former chief of staff, Jeff Zients, revealed during his House Oversight Committee testimony this week that Hunter Biden wasn't just sitting on the sidelines during those crucial final weeks of his father's presidency—he was actively participating in pardon discussions, attending multiple meetings with White House aides." Rusty Weiss at RedState is shocked by The Loyalty Threat Jill Biden Made to Kamala’s Husband That Left Him ‘Grim’ Faced “She seemed tense, even angry. ‘What’s going on?’ she demanded. ‘Are you supporting us?’ Of course, Doug said. Of course, we are supporting you," one passage obtained by The Guardian reveals. "‘OK. That’s really important. We need to know that.’" Scott Pinsker at PJM sees The Spectacular Self-Destruction of Kamala Harris.

TNP hears Jasmine Crockett: Committing Crimes Doesn’t Make You a Criminal. Fox, Mother ‘furious’ after Rep. Crockett calls daughter murdered by illegal migrant a ‘random dead person’.

Matt Vespa, Abigail Spanberger Was Asked About Men in Women's Bathrooms. Her Answer Was a Trainwreck. Word salad worthy of Kamala after half a box of wine.

Stacy McCain on Collective Grievance, Collective Guilt, Collective Rage: A Case Study "What’s wrong with the Democratic Party? There are two ways to approach this question. Democrats ask what’s wrong with their party in order to fix it, so that they can win more elections. Republicans ask the question in order to make the argument that nobody should vote for that dysfunctional trainwreck of a party." James Banakis at John Kass's thinks we're Living in One Big Nuthouse "Today, I’m going to put all my knowledge of listening to and observing the hungry, overserved masses, and with the help of WebMD, tell you what I think are the afflictions tormenting the Lefties." Josh Kraushaar @JoshKraushaar, "Andrew Sullivan: “We all became used to soft-liberal bias on TV and newspapers for years like background music, and it didn’t delegitimize them entirely. We let it go. They kept up a veil of respectability, a wispy fig leaf of balance over their leftist privates. We sighed and kept subscribing and watching. But the full-on neo-Marxist propaganda of 2020? And far-left disinformation at the Kimmel level in the wake of an assassination? Well, the veil slipped, didn’t it, and here we are.”"

LifeZette sees a Democrat Candidate Tossed Like a Rag Doll While Trying to Block ICE Operation in Illinois. Did she wear a sign proclaiming her candidacy? FAFO. Streiff at RedState reports New York Officials Arrested While Conducting Resistance Theater at ICE Facility. From TNP, Portland Officials Join Fight Against ICE Facility Besieged by Antifa.

At MSN, Trump signs proclamation that adds $100K fee to H-1B visas. If you want to bring in someone super qualified, $100k is worth it, but just to man a call center or ordinary coding? Probably not. Atop Da Hill, Trump signs ‘gold card’ order with $2M visa fee for companies, $1 million for individuals.

MSN, ‘You’re Guilty, Jon’: Trump Rails Against ABC Correspondent in the Oval Office, Says ‘You’re a Terrible Reporter’. From NewsBusters, STUDY: Nets Spent Near Double on Blowout Pre-Election Jobs Report Vs. Massive Revision. Best Emily Littella voice, Nevermind!

John Sexton is pleased a Lawsuit Can Proceed Against School District that Socially Transitioned Child and Hid It From Parents.

At CJ, Trump Is Right to Fight Wokeness at the Smithsonian. "As mostly federally funded institutions, the museums owe Americans a faithful account of their history." "Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch responded to the White House initiative with a letter to staff, declaring, “Our independence is paramount.” This defiance, while understandable, is a bit rich. The most prominent Smithsonian museums are located on prime federal land. The institution receives 62 percent of its revenues from the federal government—that is, from taxpayers. Having the Smithsonian assert its “independence” is reminiscent of a 30-year-old who lives with his parents, rent-free, and receives most of his income from them, yet claims that he’s his own man and beholden to no one." 62 percent of it's direct revenues comes from the Congressional appropriation, but much of the rest comes from grants from the federal government one way or another. Ask me how I know.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Meanwhile At The Catgirl Barrel up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.