Maryland, My Maryland

Good news from the AP, Gov. Wes Moore falls short in push to redraw Maryland’s congressional map to boost Democrat. The headline could read Gov. Moore fails to end all congressional representation for Republicans in Maryland

Maryland Democrats have rejected an effort to redraw the state’s congressional map to boost their party’s chances in the midterm elections, a setback for Gov. Wes Moore who put his clout behind the attempt to blunt President Donald Trump’s own redistricting campaign.

The clock officially ran out on the proposal late Monday night as the state legislative session ended, a casualty of internal party disagreements. In the end, the Maryland Senate left the bill in a committee, with Democrats who control the chamber concerned it could backfire under judicial review.

The unusual mid-decade redistricting, which started when Trump encouraged Republican-controlled Texas to redraw their map last year, is expected to continue next week. Republicans want to change congressional boundaries during a special legislative session in Florida, while Democrats are asking voters to approve a redistricting referendum in Virginia.

But Democrats will not be poised to pick up a seat in Maryland, where the proposed map would have made it easier for voters to oust the state’s lone Republican member of the U.S. House.

But they did find time to pass this one,  Maryland state shark: Lawmakers approve first in the nation — the megalodon, even though they're all millions of years dead. 

In a last-minute move on the last day of the legislative session Monday, lawmakers gave approval to making the mighty, extinct shark a state symbol.

The megalodon is the largest shark to have ever lived, growing to 80 feet. Beachcombers regularly find its massive teeth along the Chesapeake Bay.

The legislation awaits Gov. Wes Moore’s signature.

Researchers at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons Island led the effort to get a state shark.

Regularly might be overstating it just a bit, although I'm pretty sure one or two are found fairly routinely among all the people looking. 

The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: More Hot Girls & Hot Cars up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Oregon, My Oregon

Good news for Oregon gun owners from Cam at Bearing Arms: Senate Committee Guts Major Changes to Oregon Gun Control Law

The permit-to-purchase and magazine ban included in Oregon's Measure 114 could still take effect if the state Supreme Court rules the gun control measures don't violate the state's constitution, but a Senate committee has gutted a bill that would have, among other things, more than doubled the fee for a permit and given county sheriffs up to two months to
approve or deny an application.

House Bill 4145, which advanced out of a House committee only after the bill's sponsor berated a fellow Democrat who originally voted against it so badly that she switched her vote (and declared he had created a hostile work environment afterward), saw major changes made during its appearance before the Senate Rules committee on Wednesday morning.

The committee, meeting in a work session, kept the portion of HB 4145 that extends the effective date of Measure 114 to 2028, but scrapped the language increasing the fees and doubling the potential wait time for a permit. That still doesn't address the underlying problems with Measure 114, but at least the bill won't make anything worse... so long as the committee's amended language isn't further replaced on the Senate floor.

Assuming the amended version of HB 4145 is adopted by the Senate, the House would need to concur with those changes before the bill could be sent to the governor. If that doesn't happen, the bill would go to a conference committee where lawmakers would try to find some accord.

There's a little sense of urgency to get something done, since Measure 114 is technically slated to take effect later this month. The law, though, is currently on hold thanks to an injunction issued by a Harney County judge in 2023; an injunction that has remained in place as litigation over the constitutionality of Measure 114 has made its way up to the Oregon Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments on November 6, 2025.

I'm pleasantly surprised to see even a scintilla of common sense exhibited in Oregon. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Because I Can up and at 'em at The Other McCain.

Maryland, My Maryland

 At the Bay Journal, Maryland lawmakers override climate, environmental bill vetoes

Meeting this week in special session, Maryland lawmakers passed again a trio of climate and environmental bills that Gov. Wes Moore had vetoed after the 2025 General Assembly.

House and Senate members voted overwhelmingly Dec. 16 to override Moore’s vetoes of legislation requiring studies of the cost to Maryland of climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions and of the economic, energy and environmental impacts of data center development in the state. By a similarly wide margin, they also bucked the governor to set up an office tasked with planning to meet the state’s energy needs.

Moore, a Democrat, had cited the state’s budget crunch as reasons for vetoing all three measures while implying that legislatively mandated studies are “a drag on state government.” His rejections disappointed and even angered climate and environmental advocates, who lobbied the Democrat-dominated legislature to override him.

The environmental impacts and energy demands of data centers and the related issue of soaring electricity costs have lately become hot-button topics in Maryland.

A few days ahead of the special session, the governor relented on the climate costs study and announced he had agreed to fund it. But lawmakers went ahead with the override, as Moore had only provided half the $500,000 funding called for in the bill. Advocates say the study is a needed precursor to suing fossil fuel companies to help cover the state’s costs of mitigating and adapting to climate change.

I didn't have Gov. Moore being a (relative) moderate on my bingo card. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - The Dersh Claims Judges Holding Up Epstein Files

At JTN Ben Whedon notes Dershowitz fingers NY judges for suppressing Epstein info, Majority don't believe FBI report on Epstein: Poll and Charlotte Hazard hears Speaker Johnson says he supports more transparency on Epstein files, Ghislaine Maxwell. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Dershowitz: There Is No Epstein Client List, And Don't Blame the DoJ. Dershowitz to Newsmax: Courts, Not Bondi or DOJ, Have Epstein File Jurisdiction. From OTP, Lara Trump Hints At More White House Action On Epstein. At Splendid Isolation on That Epstein Thing. VodkaPundit at PJM, Rep. Hank Johnson Drops a New Epstein Protest Song, and I'm Murdered.

VodkaPundit thinks The Kremlin Sure Woke Up Cranky After Trump's Ultimatum. GeoInsider @InsiderGeo "JUST IN: Russia has threatened to continue its military operation if its position is ignored. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Russia rejects any demands or ultimatums in response to Trump’s new plan, warning that if Moscow’s willingness to negotiate is not met, its goals will be pursued through "the Special Military Operation."" At OTP, Russia Turns Down Trump’s Call For Ukraine Ceasefire In 50 Days. Charlotte Hazard hears Kremlin official says Trump's threats of tariffs are 'serious' and Putin will comment if necessary, "President Donald Trump on Monday announced that he would implement 100% tariffs on Russia if Moscow did not reach an agreement to end the war within 50 days." From Responsible Statecraft, Blob exploiting Trump's anger with Putin, risking return to Biden's war, "Neocons and hawks are crowing today but the president would be smart to remember 'America First' means doing things differently." At Da Caller, Trump Reportedly Wants Zelenskyy To Go For Russia’s Throat “Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St. Petersburg too?” Trump reportedly asked Zelenskyy on the call, sources told the Financial Times. Zelenskyy reportedly replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.” Polymarket Intel @PolymarketIntel, "Reporter: Are you on Ukraine's side now? Trump: I am on nobody's side. I am on humanity's side. I want to stop the killing." From Task at Purpose, Space Force is training for ‘orbital warfare’ in its largest exercise yet.

 

From Ace, Harvard-Harris Poll: Democrats (and Tucker Carlson) Are Once Again on the Wrong Side of an 80/20 Issue "The American voter favors stopping Iran's nuke program "by any means necessary" by a margin of literally 80 to 20. Even Democrats support this to the tune of 70%." Capt. Ed has a Poll: Trump Has a New 80/20 Winning Issue. PJM's Cathy Salgado hears Trump Announce a 'Landmark' Indonesia Trade Deal. At OTP, White House Accuses Media Of Spreading False Claims About Global HIV/AIDS Funding. "A senior administration official told The Daily Wire that cuts to PEPFAR, global health funding provided by the United States to combat AIDS and HIV, were not impacting essential life-saving services. The official noted that there were some targeted cuts to ideological aspects of the program."

Joe Cunningham at RedState reports Latest Inflation Report Offers Hopes for Rate Cut, Beats Month-Over-Month Expectation. Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47, "@PressSec: "Every month since @POTUS took office, core inflation—the best measure of inflation—has beat or matched expectations. The data proves that @POTUS is stabilizing inflation and the Panicans continue to be wrong about tariffs raising prices." PJM's Matt Margolis identifies What the Left Doesn’t Want You to Know About the Inflation Report E.J. Antoni, Ph.D. @RealEJAntoni "To be clear, the uptick in the CPI does not appear to be from tariffs; import prices were flat M/M in May and preliminary data shows only a small increase for Jun; the big culprit here was energy - all the more reason why we need more domestic production." Ace, Inflation Ticks Upwards But Comes In Under Expectations, "It rose 0.1% to 2.7%." "Regime hack Jerome Powell cut interest rates just before the election to boost Biden, and refused to raise interest rates throughout most of Biden's reign of inflation. He never cautioned Biden on his massive overspending or linked it to inflation. But now that a president he doesn't like is in the White House, he's claiming he can't ever cut interest rates, because Trump's tariffs may, one day, possibly, cause price increases in the future." NewMax, Trump: Fed Should Drop Interest Rates to 1 Percent. Fox Bus, Fed official reveals why America's economy remains 'really healthy' despite holding off on rate cuts, "Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack doesn't see immediate need for interest rate cuts." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Jerome's House Is a Very, Very, Very Fine House. From Breitbart, Under Pressure From White House, Powell Asks Fed Inspector General To Review HQ Renovations. $2.5 billion to refurbish fed HQ. "Last month, Powell was pressed on the issue by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, after a New York Post article likened the building overhaul to the construction of a “Palace of Versailles”—a comparison Powell rejected during the hearing."

Matt Vespa at TownHall reports JD Vance Breaks Tie in Key Rescissions Package Vote in Senate After These Three Republicans Betrayed Us. You can guess who. Sen. Mullin at Da Wire explains How The One Big, Beautiful Bill Sustains And Saves Medicaid "Today, roughly 35 million Americans are living below the poverty line. Over 70 million people are on Medicaid." At OTP, Speaker Johnson Claims Musk Switched Numbers Due To OBBB.

VodkaPundit at Insty, MICHAEL BAHARAEEN: A Final, Comprehensive Look at How Trump Won in 2024. "The rightward shift nationally was propelled almost entirely by non-white voters."

Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports House Oversight Chairman Comer subpoenas former Biden deputy chief of staff. "Annie Tomasini's lawyers requested a subpoena to compel her appearance on July 18." At RedState Nick Arama claims New Investigation Into Autopen Scandal Spells Big Trouble for the Biden Team. A Hat Hair video on Understanding Biden's Autopen: How It Fueled the Biggest Scandal In Modern U.S. History. Matt Margolis sees the Media Runs Interference as Biden Autopen Scandal Explodes. At Twitchy, NBC News Tries to Sweep Biden's Pardon Problem Under the Rug With the LAMEST 'Gotcha' EVER. NBC News @NBCNews, "The House Oversight Committee chair used a digital signature to send out letters and subpoena notices related to the Biden autopen investigation." From NewsBusters, NBC Is the Only Legacy Newscast Reporting Explosive Biden Autopen Revelations. Matt Vespa, Ex-MSNBC Analyst Highlights What's Missing From the NYT Piece on the Biden Autopen Scandal.

The Times thinks Wall Street can’t make sense of the rise of Zohran Mamdani. "Business leaders blindsided by the victory of a self-styled socialist in the Democratic primary for New York mayor are queuing up to meet him this week." At NYPo, Charles Gasparino claims the Rise of Zohran Mamdani has Wall Street giving up on Gotham. Dave Strom want you to Guess Which Billionaire Funded Mamdani's Campaign. From the Free Bacon, New York City's Public Housing Is Infamously Trashy. Zohran Mamdani Wants a Lot More of It. "'The buildings that are in the worst shape right now ... are co-owned by the city,' one local real estate pro says." Karol Markowicz@karol "What a great idea. All supermarkets should think about buying in bulk." Quote Patrick Hedger @pat_hedger, "Wait wait wait wait… Mamdani’s plan to offer cheap groceries comes from bulk pricing? Hahahahaha." Dave Strom thinks The Democrat Revolution Is Eating Its Own.

Ben Whedon at JTN reports Trump urges 'justice' for Schiff after Fannie Mae identifies possible mortgage fraud. ""I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist," he said." Cutie Pavlich at TownHall wonders Did Adam Schiff Commit Mortgage Fraud? Ace, Trump Advises Prosecution of Adam Schiff for Mortgage Fraud. "This doesn't seem like a big story but it's a slow news day." Only Republicans are eligible to be charged with mortgage fraud. 

Ace, As Predicted, Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass are Refusing to Allow People to Rebuild Their Houses in the Pallisades. The Plan is to Starve Them Out and Offer Them Pennies on the Dollar for Their Property, to Build Low-Income Apartments. "Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass promised Californians who lost their homes in their engineered firestorm that there would be reduced red-tape to allow reconstruction to begin within weeks. More than six months later, not a single home has been rebuilt. In fact, not a single construction has even started. People suspected that Newsom and Bass would not let this crisis go to waste and would seize people's property in order to build apartment buildings for the poor. That's exactly what they're doing. They're refusing to grant permits to let people rebuild, so that their multimillion-dollar properties become effectively valueless. Then they're going to offer peanuts to buy these distressed, deliberately-impoverished landowners out." Twitchy, California Senate Passes Bill Granting LA County Authority to Purchase Fire-Destroyed Lots. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair And Now for a Word From Presidential Hopeful Shimmy Shimmy Coco Bot Jazz Hands...

The Guardian, DNC threatens to sue North Carolina elections board over plan to purge 100,000 voters.

Dave Strom has Hilarious 'Then' vs. 'Now' Reddit Posts From Fired State Department Employee.Reddit Lies @reddit_lies "Yesterday: "Trump fired me from the state department" 4 years ago: "Last week I did literally nothing of value""

TownHall's Madeline Leesman sees America’s Largest Teachers Union Lost It Over SCOTUS Ruling to Dismantle the Department of Education. From Althouse, "Democrats and a union representing Education Department workers warned of dire consequences." "From the New York Times article..." NYPo says The left is a cult — and parents can fight it, with Supreme Court’s blessing. At Da Caller, EXCLUSIVE: Congressional Republicans To Unveil Bill Stripping National Education Association’s Federal Charter. From RCP, Federal Judge Takes Control of US Government. Seth Tillman at the New Reform Club, Must Article III Courts Issue Explanations for their Orders? Apparently not. Also, A Response to Professor Jack Rakove. OTP, Judge Blocks Effort To Remove Medical Debt From Credit Reports "A federal judge in Texas removed a Biden-era finalized ruled by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would have removed medical debt from credit reports. U.S. District Court Judge Sean Jordan of Texas’s Eastern District, who was appointed by Trump, found on Friday that the rule exceeded the CFPB ‘s authority. Jordan said that the CFPB is not permitted to remove medical debt from credit reports according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which protects information collected by consumer reporting agencies." At Da Caller, Senate Confirms Trump’s First Judicial Pick To Replace Obama Appointee. NewsMax opines Justice Jackson Illustrates Problem With Diversity Hires.

Matt Taibbi at Racket says At Last: John Brennan and James Comey Under Criminal Investigation for Russiagate, ""The beginning of the end" just took on new meaning," and give an interview, Matt Taibbi Breaks News on New FBI Investigations Into Brennan and Comey... and Absurd Media Spin. From Ace, Paul Sperry: The Criminal Case for Comey's and Brennan's Perjury is Real and It's Spectacular, "They have repeatedly lied to Congress," and Just the News: Discovery of "Vault" Where Comey Hid Evidence of His Russiagate Maneuverings May Help Prove Conspiracy, "I think the idea here is one that the DOJ uses all the time in prosecutions: If you do something that indicates a consciousness of guilt, such as hiding evidence, then that can be used as evidence to prove intent at trial. So, James "No Intent" Comey may have proven his intent to defraud the United States of the presidency they voted for by hiding the evidence of his crimes. The Masterful Margo Cleveland at Da Fed, Brennan’s Fake Russia Collusion Assessment Even More Corrupt Than Current Report Shows. Sundance, Tick Tock Co-Pilot John Solomon Says FBI Currently Investigating “Conspiracy” Involving, Obama, Comey, Brennan and Clapper. Drew Berquist, Tulsi Gabbard Reveals the Reality of the Deep State, More Declassification Coming [WATCH].

NewsMax, GAO, Grassley: Biden Admin Hid Trump (assassination) Threat Intel. Pop Times has a Report: Trump’s Secret Service Director Sean Curran Implicated in His Assassination Attempt? I'd hate to believe that. Katie Jerkovich at RedState reveals Minnesota Assassin's Confession Letter Released Following Federal Indictment "Recently, I was approached about a project that Tim Walz wanted done…," the letter added. "and Keith ____ was also aware of the project. Tim wanted me to kill Amy Klobuchar and Tina [Smith]. Tim wants to be a senator and doesn't trust ______ to retire as planned. "With Amy and [Tina] gone, Tim would get one of the open Senate seats, and ________ wants to be gov, and Keith Ellison would be rewarded with a ______ government position," the letter continued." " I don't believe him, but he might.

From OTP, FBI Captures Ex-Marine Accused Of Shooting At ICE Officers, in Texas. Fox, Federal authorities charge pair who allegedly helped ICE facility attacker escape after shooting. Mike Miller at RedState catches MSNBC Being MSNBC: Failing Network Pushes Notion of 'Lawful' Violence Against ICE. Dave Strom, Trump Drops Receipts on Democrats' Call to Violence Against ICE. Capt. Ed sings Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: Trump Ends Catch-And-Release Bonds for Illegal Immigrants. Center Square CA reports Trump releases half of National Guard on LA guard duty. "“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," U.S. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Tuesday. “As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2,000 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission."" From MXM News, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton seeks to close birthright citizenship loophole. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Newsom Founds Underground Railroad To Help Mexican Kids Travel To Work The Marijuana Farms https://buff.ly/7L9cxuG"

From the College Fix, Harvard ethics professor fired for dishonesty maintains her innocence "Francesca Gino became the first person since the 1940s to lose tenure at Harvard University after the school investigated allegations she tampered with data. The investigation followed accusations made by a trio of behavioral scientists with the blog Data Colada." Greg Piper at JTN, Professor punished for arguing classical music isn't racist gets massive settlement "University of North Texas professor wanted "everything exposed publicly" at trial but settled for $725,000. Other courts side with prof punished for sharing COVID views with media, student forced to subsidize liberal speech."

UPI whines DOJ subpoenas more than 20 gender-affirming care doctors, clinics. Dave Strom, 'Queer' Is Not About Gender; It Is an Assault on Reality Itself. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Makes Jobs for Americans

Dave Strom at Hat Hair reports Jobs for Americans Up, Jobs for Immigrants Down. Ace, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment of American Citizens Increased by 2,000,000 Since January, While 530,000 Fewer Illegals Have Jobs, "Real hope and change." From NYPo, Republicans’ righteous win on the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ saved the party’s future. Steve Moore calls it The Biggest Conservative Victory in 30 Years. At Hat Hair, a Hugh Hewitt video, Brent Gardner Talks Social Security, Border Funding & Entitlement Reform After OBBB. Althouse finds "With Taxes and Tariffs in Place, Trump Takes Reins of U.S. Economy President/Trump has achieved much of his agenda, leaving the fate of the economy squarely in his hands." "A surprisingly pro-Trump headline in the NYT, so I guess he really deserves it." Reuters reports White House adviser Hassett emerging as serious contender for next Fed chair.

Rich Lowry at NYPo says Malicious critics are scrambling to blame Trump for the deadly Texas floods. "It’s natural that observers will ask how it could have happened, but the fact-free, malicious attacks constitute one of the more poisonously stupid episodes of the Trump years — and that’s saying a lot." Scott McKay at Am Spec, The Texas Hill Country River Ghouls Must Be Condemned. "Exploiting the deaths of innocents to make your political argument is evil." Misty Severi at JTN reports Trump's NOAA chief nominee vows to make staffing at weather service a priority after recent floods "The promise comes after lawmakers in both chambers expressed concern about NWS staffing amid heavy flooding in Texas last week that resulted in over 110 deaths, including the deaths of dozens of children, and storms in the southwest." There should be plenty of room for expansion of that part of the agency after they deworm the climate parasites. Politico whines Over 2,000 senior staff set to leave NASA under agency push. Same

Katie Jerkovich at RedState hears Hegseth, Trump Open Up About Operation Midnight Hammer Impact, Offer Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair wonders Did Trump Guarantee a Permanent Cease-Fire in Gaza? There's no such thing as a permanent ceasefire in the Middle East. Sundance at CTH sees WSJ, NYT and WaPo Authors Promote Leaked Audio of Trump Threatening Xi and Putin. "The leaked audio is essentially unremarkable as President Trump has told this story several times. However, the background context is more interesting when we consider the motives of the WSJ, NYT and WaPo. . . " Jon Gabriel at Discourse says Hear Me Out—Trump Deserves the Nobel Peace Prize "It may be strange to think of Trump as an international peacemaker, but you can’t deny the results." The Nobel Peace prize is worthless after Obama got one for being Black.

From Fox, Biden doctor pleads the Fifth in speedy House closed-door interview "Dr. Kevin O'Connor's lawyers have asked for the House GOP probe to be paused." Disclose.tv @disclosetv "JUST IN - Biden’s White House doctor pleads the Fifth Amendment, refuses to testify at a closed-door House hearing on Biden’s mental health — Politico." PJM's Matt Margolis says Joe Biden’s Doctor Stonewalls Investigation Into Health Cover-Up. Ace, Biden's Corrupt Doctor and Biden, Inc. Business Partner Refuses to Testify to Congress, Citing the Fifth Amendment Right Against Self-Incrimination, "No one is above the law, right? They sent Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro to jail for refusing to cooperate. So no one is above the law, right?" Charlotte Hazard at JTN, Rep. Biggs suggests Congress obviate Biden doctor's Fifth Amendment rights to get him to testify, "Dr. Kevin O'Connor is among several members of Biden's inner circle being called to testify on the matter of Biden's mental acuity." I'm OK with Drs not being forced to testify regarding someone's health, but he should be able to testify as to their joint business partners. Force his aides to testify about his senility. At Hat Hair's Capt. Ed, Hmmm: Biden's Doc Takes the Fifth In House Oversight Competence Probe, John Sexton sees Chris Cillizza: By George, I Think Biden's Team is Trying to Hide His Decline! and a Larry video, Biden Handlers Panic as Investigation Blows Cover-Up Wide Open.

Rusty Weiss at RedState hears a Host Dish on Kamala Interview That Was So Bad He Refused to Air It, Fearing He’d Be Blamed for Her Loss. "Comedian and podcast host Kareem Rahma admitted that an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris before the election was so bad, so awkward, that he decided not to air it in part because he feared being blamed for her loss." At PJM Chris Queen says Behold the World's Most Awkward Interview "Kamala Harris’ “hot take” was so painfully awkward that even a social media influencer said, “Let’s never speak of this again.” It wasn’t just tone-deaf. It was bacon-deaf." Hat Hair's Dave Strom hears Walz is Charging Taxpayers $430,000 in Legal Fees for Congressional Testimony Prep. Twitchy, Gavin Newsom's Attempt to Make Trump Anti-Freedom of Religion Is a YUGE Self-Awareness Backfire.

Ariel McDowell at Da Fed has a Report that 9 Suspects, Including Multiple Democrat Officials, Indicted For Voter Fraud.

At Am Great (which seems to have paid their internet bill), the Great Victor Davis Hanson looks at The Frightening Dream House of Zoran Mamdani, "Zoran Mamdani built his dream on radical chic—but now that he's winning, he's scrambling to bury the blueprint." Beth Brelje at Da Fed reads Politifact: You Can’t Call Mamdani A Communist Just Because He Said All These Communist Things. Sauron's Eye sees the United Federation of Teachers endorses Zohran Mamdani in NYC mayor's race. Of course they do. Breitbart cites Vance on Mamdani: ‘Who the Hell Does He Think He Is?’ Charlie Kirk @charliekirk11, "WATCH Vice President JD Vance absolutely TORCH the next likely Mayor of NYC for disrespecting America on our Independence Day: “Mamdani's family fled violent racial hatred only for him to come to this country—a country built by people he never knew, overflowing with generosity to his family, offering a haven from the kind of violent ethnic conflict that is common place in world history, but it is not common place here—and he dares on our 249th anniversary to congratulate it by paying homage to its ‘incompleteness,’ and to its, as he calls it, ‘contradiction.’"" At LifeZette, Trump Warns of Federal Action If ‘Communist’ Mamdani Is Elected Mayor of NYC. "The President indicated that the federal government may consider steps to oversee or guide the city’s operations should Mamdani win the mayoral election. “New York City will run properly. I’m going to bring New York back. I love New York.”" John Sexton reports Zohran Mamdami Former Intern is a Real Peach "City College student Hadeeqa Arzoo Malik — who interned for Mamdani prior to his mayoral campaign — verbally attacked an officer over his career choice at what appears to be a pro-Palestine demonstration on the CUNY school’s campus, the video, originally posted on Feb. 28..."

WaEx's Byron York sees Disturbing glimpses of Democratic anger. PJM's Vicky Taft claims a Commie Congresswoman and Harvard Prof Are Put on Blast for Holding Mob Boot Camp. Dave Strom is Revisiting 'Assassination Culture. Erick Erickson @EWErickson, "We are watching the slow motion collaboration of the American press corps and political left pushing fringe progressives towards murder all while claiming, falsely, Trump is getting people killed. And it is a press + political left collaboration towards murder." From LifeZette, Four More Antifa Extremists Charged Over Attack on Portland ICE Facility. Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "BREAKING: Six Secret Service agents suspended over the Butler, PA assassination attempt on President Trump." JTN's Misty Severi reports Secret Service suspended half a dozen agents without pay in aftermath of Butler shooting, "Deputy Secret Service Director Matt Quinn said the agents who were suspended over the first assassination attempt were given penalties that ranged from 10-42 days of suspension without pay or benefits."

Capt. Ed, No One Is Above the Law Update: DoJ Probing Brennan *and* Comey. Throw Clapper in there too. Ace, FBI Now Investigating John Brennan and James Comey for Crimes Including Perjury and... Conspiracy, "No one is above the law. That's what you said, right? You said "no one is above the law," right?"

Mark Judge at Chronic is Exposing the Palo Alto-Deep State Cabal.

Katie Jerkovich, Megyn Kelly Breaks Down Why She Thinks Pam Bondi's 'Days Are Numbered' "So either Pam Bondi knew she was about to embarrass some of his most loyal surrogates out there and did that willingly, or she didn't take the time to make sure what was in those binders," she added. "She was too lazy to actually figure out none of this is new. And yet she called a meeting with the influencers that included Kash Patel, the head of the FBI, and the sitting vice president." At Althouse, "Trump’s Top Aides Spread the Epstein Conspiracy. Now They Are Trying to Kill It. "Today's episode of the NYT "Daily" podcast — transcript and audio at Podscribe."

From Behind the Black, The walls of Jericho blocking Trump’s effort to streamline government have now fallen. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn looks at Ketanji 'I Don't Understand' Brown-Jackson. "The question is, obviously, how did someone so unsuitable, so ill-prepared to sit on the nation's highest court, even considering the mushroom we had for a president at the time, get the nod to begin with?" At ET, Supreme Court Rejects Shielding Identities of Police Attending Jan. 6 Capitol Rally. "Courts in Washington state have declined to protect the officers’ identities in ongoing litigation." Fred Lucas at Da Signal, What You Need to Know About the Judge Protecting Planned Parenthood’s Funding From One Big, Beautiful Bill. John Sexton, Judge Refuses to Dismiss Case Against Judge Hannah Dugan. Sundance, Douglass Mackey, aka “Ricky Vaughn”, Wins Second Circuit Court of Appeals – Dismissing Egregious First Amendment Prosecution "The background of the insufferable case is HERE and HERE. Today, the second circuit court of appeals finally overturns one of the most ridiculous Obama/Biden dystopian lawfare cases against the first amendment. Defendant Douglass Mackey wins his appeal and the case is dismissed [RULING HERE]" Cathy Salgado at PJM, Meme Maker’s Conviction Thrown Out in Free Speech Win. Jeff Charles at TownHall, He Went to Prison for Sharing Anti-Hillary Clinton Memes – Now He Has Been Vindicated.

Driscoll at Insty thinks GROK IS READY FOR ITS TUCKER CARLSON INTERVIEW: Grok Goes Full Hitler. Sundance reports Twitter CEO Resigns as Elon Musk’s Epic Political Meltdown Continues.

Vicky Taft, Saboteurs Busted for Spiking Tires of LA ICE Vehicles. But Wait, What About Those Bags? Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_ "BREAKING: Border Patrol releases names & photos of suspects accused of using devices to spike their vehicles in LA today. The suspects were in possession of a tote bag w/ CHIRLA branding on it that had more spikes in it. CHIRLA is the major anti-ICE activist network in LA, and it has received $34 million in taxpayer funding. Law enforcement sources tell me that one of the suspects is transgender. They are all now facing felony charges." WJ, More ICE Shootings - Alleged Antifa Thugs Face 30 Attempted Murder Charges, Up to 10 Lifetime Sentences Over ICE Attack. Dmitri Bolt at TownHall, Anti-ICE Protesters Attack Agents Outside SF Court. It Doesn't End Well for Them. Cathy Salgado hears Legal Immigrants Say No Amnesty for Illegals. Ben Whedon at JTN, Stephen Miller gloats as LA witnesses improved traffic, declining crime amid deportations. "Dear Lord. Monday evening rush hour… it’s just gone," posted Joshua Steinman. "Turns out the solution to LA traffic was mass deportations." At Town Hall, Ann Coulter celebrates The Ineffeable Brilliance of Stephen Miller.

Abi Johnson at TownHall reports Pro-Palestinian Activists Vandalize Homes of University Regents, U Wisconsin. Toni Airaksinen, Macalester Prof Calls For “Dismantling" America, Israel, in Favor of "Decolonialization" “The US is the greatest predator empire that has ever existed...There is real hope that Palestine offers us." Paula Bolyard at PJM thinks it's DESPICABLE: JFK Airport Forced to Issue Travel Warning Amid Antisemitic Protests. Capt. Ed sees Escalation: DHS Subpoenas Harvard Records Over Foreign Student Info.

Capt. Ed calls Escalation II, Newsom Boogaloo: Trump Admin Files Title IX Suit Against CA Over Trans Athletes and Newsom Transes on Trans Athletes -- Again. John Sexton thinks This AP Story on LA's Gender Affirming Care Center Leaves Out a Few Things. "Not mentioned at all in the story is the Medical Director at the Center for Transyouth Health, Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy. Dr. Olson-Kennedy made news last year when the NY Times revealed she had been sitting on research funded by $10 million in federal money because the outcome didn't suit her." From Da Wire, DOJ Subpoenas Transgender Clinics And Doctors For Transitioning Children.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Wait Until Next Year up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Michigan Man Dies Trying to Bushwhack Border Patrol in Texas

Stacy McCain, Terrorism in Texas: Michigan Maniac Opens Fire on Border Facility in McAllen "As of 6 p.m. ET Monday, we know nothing about the shooter’s background or motive, but we all probably have our hunches . . . So when you take into consideration the expense of traveling 1,700 miles cross country, plus renting a hotel room for several nights, add in the cost of a rifle and ammunition, etc., this terrorist attack required a lot of resources. Where did Mosqueda get all that money? Did he have accomplices? Was he affiliated with any groups? Had he previously been involved in protests? Or was he just a “lone wolf” lunatic, radicalized in online forums? The mainstream media don’t seem to be very curious about any of this, for some reason. It’s just so mysterious . . ." Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_ "BREAKING: Three federal & TX law enforcement sources tell me an active shooter with a rifle & tactical gear ambushed Border Patrol agents as they arrived at a Border Patrol annex facility in McAllen, TX this morning. Local police and federal agents returned fire, killing him. I’m told this was a purposeful ambush/attack against federal agents and a press conference is planned for later this morning. No federal agents injured. Im told a McAllen police officer may have been shot, but is in stable condition." Paula Bolyard at PJM, Border Patrol Agents Ambushed at McAllen, Texas, ICE Detention Center. Da Caller, Active Shooter Ambushes Border Patrol Agents. Cam at Bearing Arms, Michigan Man Shot and Killed After Opening Fire at Texas Border Patrol Facility.

John Sexton hears some Democrats: Maybe We Went Too Far Left on Immigration. Ya think? At the College Fix, a Harvard professor claims ICE expansion is Trump’s ‘devilishly clever’ way of creating autocracy. Rusty Weiss at RedState thinks What Liberal Voters Are Demanding Democrats Do to Stop ICE Is Insane: ‘Not Just Unreal, but Dangerous’ "Axios on Monday published an astonishing report citing numerous Democrat members of Congress who say their voters want to see representatives literally willing to take a bullet to "protect our democracy."" I'm for it! Cabot Phillips @cabot_phillips "The desire to preserve one's culture and homeland is only xenophobic when white people are the ones expressing it." Quote DW News @dwnews ""Gringos, stop stealing our homes." Tourists were shouted at and store windows smashed during a protest against gentrification in Mexico City, where an influx of Americans and other "digital nomads" is driving up rents and pushing out locals." Sister Toldja at RedState, Federal Agents Respond Accordingly (and Massively) After Karen Bass Demands Immigration Sweeps Cease: Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_ "NEW: I just spoke to Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino @USBPChiefELC, who was the official on the phone with LA Mayor Karen Bass at MacArthur Park today. I asked him for his message to her, as she demands raids end? “I don’t work for Karen Bass. Better get used to us now, cause this is going to be normal very soon. We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles.” Matt Vespa hears Charlie Kirk Got an Interesting Call Before Trump Signed the Reconciliation Package. It Wasn't Good. The usual crowd pushing for amnesty. Gotta keep those wages down, don't you know!

The death toll in the Texas flood has now climbed to 100+. Democrats and the media, (but I redund) wasted no time in blaming Trump and DOGE. At CNN, US Coast Guard rescue swimmer hailed as a hero after saving 165 kids from Texas flooding. VodkaPundit at PJM, Guess Who Lied About Trump's NWS Budget Cuts..., Grok. Of course, it just skims its data from "the media." From Reason, The Texas Floods Were a Natural Disaster, Not a Policy Disaster. "There's no evidence that cuts to the National Weather Service impacted the response to the weekend's tragic flash floods." It's inherently difficult to predict 15 inches of rain from thunderstorms in a limited area much ahead of time. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, What They Needed Was Sirens in Texas. Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal, Climate Expert Slams Democrats for Trying to ‘Exploit the Tragedy’ of Camp Mystic Flooding. Bo Snerdley @BoSnerdley "Perhaps it is time to ring the lawyers again. Perhaps ABC News needs a refresher course." Quote Republicans against Trump @RpsAgainstTrump, "George Stephanopoulos: “We’re also learning there were significant staffing shortfalls to the National Weather Services offices in the region.”" VodkaPundit at Insty, YOU CAN’T MAKE AN OMELET WITHOUT PARADING OVER THE BODIES OF A FEW DOZEN DEAD CHILDREN: End Wokeness @EndWokeness "Whoops… there goes the narrative." AP admits extra staffing at Austin office to cover the weather event. Warnings went out, and were not received or heeded. MAZE @mazemoore "This is CNN. This is Dana Bash. Two weeks after the NC flood, after it became painfully clear that the federal response was inadequate, Dana Bash was viciously defending the Biden/Harris Admin and warning about the dangers of politicizing a storm response. It's only two days after the Texas flood and Dana Bash is already trying to blame Trump for the disaster. This is CNN." George MF Washington @GMFWashington "Social media is a poison, no different than drugs or booze. Some people can handle it, but almost no one can handle it as well as they think they can." Quote Raylan Givens@JewishWarrior13, "NYP: Pediatrician fired for vile post politicizing devastating Texas floods: May Trump supporters get ‘what they voted for’" From Twitchy, Massive Loser Troll Account Comes Face-to-Face with KARMA on His FILTHY Post About Girls Lost in TX Flood. 

From his NYPo gig, Insty says Take a political time-out, Elon Musk: ‘America Party’ rant proves even your genius has its limits. From NewsMax, Musk Should Stay Out of Politics, US Treasury Secretary Bessent Says. From Twitchy, Ron DeSantis Has a Suggestion for Elon Musk That Could Have a MONUMENTAL Impact. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " BREAKING: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis calls on Elon Musk to put his resources toward a BALANCED BUDGET and TERM LIMITS FOR CONGRESS amendment, says that would be FAR more successful than a new political party. "You need to do a BALANCED BUDGET amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and you can do that through the states. You can do it through Article 5. We've got 28 states that have approved this! There's another four or five that are on the docket. Once you hit 34, then you write an amendment and then the states are able to ratify that." "If @ElonMusk wanted to weigh in on that and work on those state legislatures, he would have a MONUMENTAL impact doing this." "And we also need term limits for members of Congress. So you can do both of those things." PJM's Stephen Kruiser says Mars Will Have a Tesla Dealership Before Musk Has a Viable Third Party.

Matt Vespa at TownHall notices Top Trump Officials Smacked Down All the Anti-Reconciliation Nonsense on the Sunday Talk Shows. From NewsMax, Speaker Johnson: Expect 2 More Reconciliation Bills This Congress. Buck Throckmorton at Ace's is joyous that The Big Beautiful Bill Has Just Kneecapped Green Energy and the “EV Transition.” You can have all the green energy you want, but you'll have to pay for it yourself. From Reuters, Eyeing Arctic dominance, Trump bill earmarks $8.6 billion for US Coast Guard icebreakers.

Dave Manney at PJM says Trump’s 'Take It or Leave It' Tariff Blitz Is Bigger Than Monday. At Automotive News Europe, EU-U.S. trade talks focus on tariff offset for automakers. The Peacock whines Trump threatens extra 10% tariff on countries that align with ‘Anti-American’ BRICS policies. From sundance at CTH, President Trump Posts International Tariff Announcement Letters on Truth Social, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Explains MAGA Policy Intent on Growing U.S Economy to Deal with Debt Crisis and White House Trade and Manufacturing Economy Advisor Peter Navarro Discusses the Misalignment With Fed Chair Powell.

At NewsMax, NATO Head predicts WWIII Will Begin With Joint Attacks by China and Russia. “There’s an increasing realization, and let’s not be naïve about this: If (Chinese leader) Xi Jinping would attack Taiwan, he would first make sure that he makes a call to his very junior partner in all of this, (Russian President) Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, residing in Moscow, and telling him, Hey, I’m going to do this, and I need you to to keep them busy in Europe by attacking NATO territory.”

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, And the 2024 Award For Worst Political Memo Goes To .... Matt Margolis at PJM, Does This Bombshell Memo Prove That Biden’s Campaign Sabotaged Him? Ace, Revealed: The Six-Page Memo That Conned Biden Into Debating Trump Early (So That the Democrat Party Could Force Him Out). At Althouse, "Former President Joe Biden’s advisers convinced the aging commander in chief to hold an early summer debate with Donald Trump last year by insisting it would allow him to reach the “widest audience possible'..." "I don't for one minute believe the advisers believed the assertions in the memo. I will be presuming that they could see he was going to be incapable of appearing competent and that they needed to push him to release his hold on the nomination, and they only wanted to do that once the primaries were over and it was too late to do anything but advance Kamala Harris. So they conned him into humiliating himself in the debate and giving the media the basis for declaring him unfit — as if they just noticed — and demanding that he withdraw. The advisers were not mistaken. They knew what they were doing. They were lying. And they were devious. Let me restate that. THEY knew what THEY were doing. THEY were lying. And THEY were devious." Bob Spencer at PJM, Here’s Kamala Harris’s Snarling Response to Inquiries About Old Joe Biden’s Condition, “this is about saving our f**king democracy.”

From NewsMax, Jewish Group Slams Mamdani for Ridiculing Hanukkah. "Mamdani shared a video on his X account last year from the Geeta Brothers Duet Group, which showed two men wearing wigs dancing behind a menorah, spinning dreidels, and celebrating with Punjabi-style music." Dancing in "jewface." John Lucas at Bravo Blue, Zohran Mamdani — An Analysis of His Video Propaganda Piece Shows That His Core Beliefs Are Communist Dogma, ‘Profits? You don’t need no stinkin’ profits.’ Driscoll at Insty, HOW IT STARTED:" “PolitiFact” declares Zohran Mamdani is not a communist in fact-check of Trump. —David Rutz, Fox News, June 30th. How it’s going:" At Hat Hair Beege Welborn, sees Everyone All Hot and Bothered About the Jihadi Running for Mayor in NYC and Capt. Ed, Behold the Power of Independent Media: NYT Rushed Mamdani Scoop to Beat Rufo. Ace laughs at the news LOL: Zohran Mamdani Claimed He Was Black on His Columbia University Application, "Someone hacked Columbia's computers to prove they were still using illegal racial discrimination practices in admissions. We don't know if they found evidence of that yet, but what they did find is that the pro-Hamas jihadi communist New Democrat Zohran Mamdani claimed in his Columbia application package that he was "Asian" and... "black."" Robby Soave at Reason, Colleges Created a Diversity Box-Ticking Game—Zohran Mamdani Just Played It. "The big problem here is the elite racism of college admissions departments, not the mayoral candidate's creative box-checking." Althouse, "Race in America is often presented in two buckets: White and non-White. This is an update to the buckets..." ""... that existed for much of American history — White and Black — reflecting how the end of immigration restrictions in the 1960s allowed more Asian and Hispanic and Middle Eastern and you-name-it people to come to the U.S. But there are still two buckets, buckets into which people with mixed racial backgrounds jump (or are dropped) depending on circumstance." Explains Philip Bump, in "The useful political lesson from Zohran Mamdani’s college application/America’s understanding of race and ethnicity is still woefully simplistic" (WaPo)." Derek Hunter at Front Page, says Help New York City Kill Itself "A big dose of their own medicine is exactly what the doctor ordered." At NYPo, Why the future of NY under a ‘Mayor Mamdani’ has already arrived. From RCP, Could Dems Be Opening the Door for GOP in California’s Most Progressive Cities?

VodkaPundit at Insty, THE TRUTH HURTS, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS GETTING SHOT BY A BERNIE BRO <-

Hat Hair's John Sexton outraged that a Federal Judge Blocks BBB from Cutting Off Planned Parenthood's Funding. Bonchie at RedState, New: Judge Stops Congress From Defunding Planned Parenthood, Outrage and Confusion Follow. This is not a judge enjoining an executive order, this is a judge reversing an act of Congress, for apparently no reason other than she thinks PP needs money.

Capt. Ed has a FBI Surprise: Epstein Took His 'Client List' With Him. Sundance is blistering, Karoline Leavitt Announces DOJ/FBI Memo Authentic – “No Clients” for Jeffrey Epstein Sex Trafficking and Exhaustive FBI Investigation Says Jeffrey Epstein Acted Alone, 1,000+ Victims But No Clients, and No Sexploitation Purpose Apart from Self Gratification. Needless to say, there is some skepticism on the right. Connor Boyack @cboyack "Feb 21, 2025: Bondi says Epstein files are on her desk, under review per Trump’s directive. Feb 26: Announces files, including flight logs and names, to be released Feb 27, cites victim privacy for delays. Feb 27: Releases "Phase 1" files (200+ pages, mostly public), hands binders to influencers, accuses FBI of withholding thousands of documents. Feb 28: Demands FBI deliver all Epstein files by 8 AM, orders probe into withheld documents. Mar 2: Claims FBI misled her, says she now has thousands of pages under review, official who withheld docs fired. Mar 14: Says she received a “truckload” of unreleased documents, no release timeline given. Apr 28: Covertly recorded saying FBI reviews “tens of thousands” of Epstein videos with children. May 7: Publicly states FBI is reviewing “tens of thousands” of videos, denies files are missing, cites victim protection. And now Jul 6: Nothing to see here, no victims, no client list…"

Miranda Devine@mirandadevine "Fox hit is up! @SundayFutures with @jasoninthehouse this morning talking about how Brennan Comey and Clapper have been exposed as corrupt political hacks in a new official report by CIA career professionals. The new evidence reveals that at least one of them has opened himself up to perjury allegations." Quote Karli Bonne @KarluskaP, "When are we going to see people held accountable!!! @mirandadevine reports." Ace reports Trump May Prosecute Disgraced Ex-Communist CIA Head John Brennan for Perjury, "Matt Taibbi on the central role John Brennan played in legitimizing Hillary Clinton's completely fake oppo research "dossier" into a product of official US intelligence:" At the Free Bacon, Comey Don't Play That: Former FBI Goon Writes Crime Novel About Saving the World from MAGA 'Mouth Breathers'.

VodkaPundit at Insty, MORE LIKE THIS, PLEASE: Harmeet Dhillon: Civil rights being rebuilt after ‘cultural shift’ under Trump. "The Justice Department‘s Civil Rights Division is undergoing a complete internal transformation under President Donald Trump’s second term — not just of enforcement strategy but of personnel, institutional practices, and long-held assumptions about how federal civil rights laws should be applied. “When my memos went out, that culture changed,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, head of the division, told the Washington Examiner in an exclusive interview. “There’s literally been lawyers there who spent their entire careers — over 40 years — doing the same thing, no matter who the president is.”" . . . Say what you will about the corrupt old patronage system, but at least it cleaned house every four or eight years." The Business Insider whines Some federal lawyers want to leave. They can't find jobs because Trump's policies are closing typical exit paths.

Auron MacIntyre @AuronMacintyre "Treason This is called treason." Quote Bradley Jaye @bradleyajaye "Fired USAID bureaucrats warn Trump of coming regime change." Ace, Report: Fired USAID and Deep State Operatives Are Planning to Use Their Regime Change/Color Revolution Skills Against Trump, "Pretty sure this is treason." Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog is Uncovering the Soros/Singham NGO Soldiers: Nate Friedman @NateFriedman97 "Another paid protestor tries to stop my interview and then I expose him and the people he works for. The people's forum and Singham want to destroy America from within... WATCH."

Sundance reports TSA Drops Shoe Removal Screening for Airline Passengers.

Ace laughs as CBS "News" Fears Mass Layoffs Under New Skydance Ownership "Won't someone think of the journalists!" At Fox, Karol Markowicz hears Trump cuts millions in taxpayer funding for pushing COVID ‘cover-up’ "Springer Nature faced criticism for thousands of retractions and allegedly censoring content to appease Chinese government." NewsBusters listened to a Totally Tilted NPR Hour on Defunding, ONE Caller Says It's 'Terrible, Partisan, Hacky'. 

Atop Da Hill The New York Times wants your private ChatGPT history — even the parts you’ve deleted, and a judge is going along with them. "As it stands now, billions of user chats will be preserved as evidence in The New York Times’s copyright lawsuit against OpenAI."

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Wait Until Next Year up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Cleaning Up from July 4

Actually, as usual, the people who shot off the fireworks on the beach did a very good job of cleaning up after themselves.

At Hat Hair Salena Zito details A Very Consequential Two Weeks for Donald Trump's Presidency. From LifeZette, Mount Rushmore Could Get Trump Upgrade Under GOP Push. "Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) has formally requested that President Donald Trump be added to Mount Rushmore, reigniting a long-discussed idea just ahead of Independence Day." Nah, Give him his own mountain. I suggest El Capitan in Yosemite. NYPo reports Melania does President Trump’s signature dance as first couple celebrates Fourth of July at White House. I hope she's having more fun this time around.

Herr Professor Jacobson at LI relays the news Elon Musk Says Will Launch The “America Party” In Third-Party Attempt To Punish Republicans. "Considering how much Democrats hate Musk and want to bring him down – and they absolutely will if they regain power – Elon shouldn’t wish to hard for something, his third party ploy may just get it for him." Sundance at CTH, Elon Musk Announces The Creation of a Third Party. I understand his frustration, but I also understand that politicians will be politicians; he doesn't seem to. The last time a third part succeeded in the US was when the Republicans took over from the wreckage of the Whig party, before the Civil war. Democrats have been pissed Republican freed their slaves ever since then. Jerry Dunleavy at JTN reports Trump threatens Musk’s government contracts — and SpaceX founder’s China ties may get new scrutiny. At Mediaite, Elon Musk Blasts ‘Fat, Drunken Slob’ Steve Bannon: ‘Will Go Back To Prison and This Time for a Long Time’.

At LifeZette, Byron Donalds Details How Businessman Trump Closed the ‘Big, Beautiful’ Deal. "If he has to use the stick, he’ll use it. If he has to use carrots, he’ll do that too. He’s about accomplishing the mission—period, point blank." From Da Caller, Media Said The Big Beautiful Bill Was Dead. Trump Proved Them Wrong. They almost had me convinced. Well, drama sells clicks. PJM's Matt Margolis hears House Dems Secretly Raged as Jeffries’ Marathon Speech Backfired Spectacularly.

The Peacock reports Trump says tariff letters to 12 countries signed, going out Monday. "U.S. President Donald Trump said he had signed letters to 12 countries outlining the various tariff levels they would face on goods they export to the United States, with the “take it or leave it” offers to be sent out on Monday." At NYPo, Trump begins rolling out ‘reciprocal’ tariffs of up to 70% on nations without deals: ‘We’re giving them a bargain.’ At Da Wire, Trump Set To Send A Dozen ‘Take It Or Leave It’ Trade Deal Offers. NewsMax, EU Diplomat: US Has Threatened Potential 17 Percent Tariff on EU Food Exports. From WokeSpy, Fed Reserve Chair Jerome Powell Accused of Lying to Congress Over $2.5B “Palace of Versailles” HQ Revamp. Send them to Fargo, ND.

From NewsMax, Trump Says Ukraine Needs Patriot Missiles for Its Defense, Chides Putin. Steve Richards at JTN, Trump reshapes Middle East by boxing in Iran, facilitating peace between Israel and neighbors. "In five short months, the president has made tremendous progress towards his early second term promises on the Middle East." At OTP, ‘Trumpugees’ Look To The Netherlands To Escape Trump. Great!

LifeZette reports Trump Signals Plan to Reclaim D.C. After Congressional Staffer Killed. Good luck with that.

At OTP, Noem Grilled Over Delayed Flood Warning System In Texas Tragedy. My dear departed Uncle John had a job with the weather service that largely consisted of estimating the probability of the maximum amount of rain that could fall in areas. It's a tough job, since weather is a chaotic system. 

'Becca Downs at TownHall notices The Fact-Checkers Once Again Race to Defend Mamdani and Scott Jennings Offers a Telling Reminder on Democrats' 'Big Tent' Amidst Concerns With Mamdani From NYPo, Why Trump’s ‘Mamdani the Commie’ tag will stick — despite the media’s cover operation. Because they're true. Nick Arama at RedState, Scott Jennings Skewers the Democrats for Exactly Why They Are Hemorrhaging Voters. Scott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY, "Democrats are having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that Republicans are taking all of their voters. The Democratic tent is so diverse that in one corner they have the socialists and in the other corner they have the communists! It's really wide - lol." Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby "This didn’t get enough attention." From Da Caller, NYPD Retirements Reportedly Hit Historic High — And Union Says Zohran Mamdani Could Make It Worse.

'Becca Downs says Yikes! Did You See How Biden Celebrated the 4th of July Holiday Weekend in Malibu?, "struggling to set up beach chairs." Da Fetched cites a DNC Insider: Jill Biden Committed ‘Elder Abuse’ to Keep Joe in Office. “They deny the cover-up, but I had a front-row seat watching it happen.” Nick Arama reads a New Book that Reveals Who Hunter Wanted to Pay His Legal Bills and His 'Inappropriate' Appearance in Meetings. NYPo, Hunter Biden begged DNC to pay his legal fees for tax, gun cases. From Althouse, "This Fourth of July, I am taking a moment to reflect. Things are hard right now. They are probably going to get worse before they get better." ""But I love our country — and when you love something, you fight for it. Together, we will continue to fight for the ideals of our nation." Tweeted Kamala Harris, quoted in "Critics slam Kamala Harris for gloomy July 4 post — with photo that crops out Biden" (NY Post). That reads as though somebody forced her. Come on, you have to write something for the 4th of July. Speaking of Biden and The New York Post, there's also "Biden struggles to set up beach chair in Malibu during first Fourth of July weekend since leaving office." Malibu! Whatever happened to Delaware? Oh, I see Malibu is Hunter's home. As for the struggling with the chair, he has Stage 4 cancer, and he is no longer attempting to serve as President." Hunter has a place in Malibu, but needs the DNC to pay his legal bills, so he can stay in Malibu. OutKick reminds us of a Shocker: Less Than 40 Percent Of Democrats Are Proud To Be American.

Stacy McCain notices Chicago Celebrates 4th of July With Patriotism and Deadly Gunfire "But, yeah, mainly it was the gunfire . . ."

Carlo Carrasco, USAID formally shut down and incorporated into State Department. Reagan Reese at Da Caller, State Department Ends Decades-Long Program Paying Under-Performing Diplomats. 

From Power Line's This Week in Pictures

Kaelen Deese at WaEx reports a Judge temporarily halts South Sudan deportations despite Trump wins at Supreme Court "This marks the third time the removal efforts have been delayed by lower court intervention after the Supreme Court has twice said the removals can take place." PJM's Matt Margolis asks Did You Catch Sotomayor’s Latest Supreme Court Meltdown? "Sotomayor has a clear pattern: when she doesn’t get her way, she doesn’t just dissent—she melts down. Her opinions read more like political rants than legal reasoning, full of dramatic warnings about the supposed collapse of judicial independence. She’s quick to accuse her colleagues of bias, yet never questions her own." At Althouse, "Her opinions, sometimes joined by no other justice, have been the subject of scornful criticism from the right and have raised questions about her relationships with her fellow justices, including the other two members of its liberal wing." "Writes Adam Liptak, in The New York Times, about Ketanji Brown Jackson. . . . I think Liptak is trying to build Jackson's reputation. He writes things like: "Justice Jackson has appeared comfortable expressing herself from the start." He compares her to Justice Breyer and Justice Brandeis. . . That does not work as a compliment to Jackson." Also, "It remains unclear whether South Sudan’s government in Juba has detained the men, or what their ultimate fate might be." "From "U.S. Turns Eight Migrants Over to South Sudan, Ending Weeks of Legal Limbo/Courts blocked the handover after lawyers raised concerns of torture. Then the Supreme Court intervened to allow the Trump administration’s plan to move forward" (NYT)." From WokeSpy, Michigan AG Dana Nessel Sues President Donald Trump To Keep Illegal Immigrants On Medicaid.

LifeZette, Trump Sends In Marines to Back ICE in Florida as AOC Melts Down Again. From NYPo, Hundreds of accused murderers, thieves and sex offenders, including illegal migrants, nabbed in sweeping federal operation, in New Jersey. At Da Blaze, Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration could greatly impact Democrats' political clout. DOJ, The Department of Justice Creates Section Dedicated to Denaturalization Cases. I agree in principle that egregious offenders by naturalized citizens should lead to denaturalization, the law is so complicated it's hard not be stray over the line now and then.

At Twitchy, Dan Bongino Shreds NY Times Into Confetti Over 'Trump's Politicized FBI Made America Less Safe' Hit Piece. Matt Margolis, Bongino Drops a Truth Bomb Destroying the New York Times. "Backing up his rebuttal with a barrage of statistics, Bongino offered a “small snippet of data points” that he says prove the effectiveness of the FBI’s new direction. Among the highlights, he touted the Bureau’s violent crime initiative, “Summer Heat,” which he notes has the murder rate “trending to be the lowest in U.S. history by a longshot.” He promised that “Summer Heat is coming to a city or town near you soon as we assist your community in removing criminal predators from the streets.”" Catturd ™ @catturd2 "This POS needs to be arrested - @FBI @FBIDDBongino @FBIDirectorKash" Quote, The Patriot Oasis™ @ThePatriotOasis, "BREAKING: Far-Left extremist calls to "Un-Alive" Supreme Court Justise Clarence Thomas and President Donald Trump Hey @FBI we need you on this one."

Dave Strom at Hat Hair takes a look at a New Batch of Kennedy Assassination Docs which Begin Peeling the Onion of CIA Lies "After six decades of life, I have become a terrible cynic, but I still don't believe the CIA actively conspired to kill the president. Still, I am perfectly willing to believe that they conspired to cover up their gross or even criminal negligence in allowing it to happen. I've never believed that Johnson had Kennedy killed--no, I am not CERTAIN he didn't, but it strikes me as vanishingly unlikely--and a CIA conspiracy to kill the president seems way too risky for all involved. Too many potential leaks to risk it, even if they wanted to."

Nick Dixon @NJDixon "I see the left have arrived at the quoting Mussolini on breakfast TV stage." Quote BBC Breakfast @BBCBreakfast "You can break one stick, but if you get a bundle of sticks tied together you can't break them' Actor Steve Coogan told #BBCBreakfast why he believes the co-operative movement still has a significant role to play in society." To be fair, the fasces was featured on American dimes right up until the end of WWII.

Insty wonders DOES WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY THINK IT’S HARVARD? "University shakes down Jewish student for handing out pro-Israel book." Tom Knighton at BA thinks Maine College Professors Attacks Christian Student's 2A Beliefs With Asinine Argument. What would Jesus carry? Libs of TikTok, EXCLUSIVE: WA School District ADMITS to Ignoring Christmas While Promoting Pride. At Da Caller, ‘Trans’ Inmate Back In Male Prison Years After Allegedly Raping Female Cellmate, in Washington, or as I like to call it, Ultima California.

Hunter Ash @ArtemisConsort "A great explanation for white wokeness I heard: upper-middle-class whites desperately want to express sneering, classist contempt, and lower-class whites are the only socially acceptable target."

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Wait Until Next Year up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.