Flotsam and Jetsam - Jobs Down but Wages Up?

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair wonders how July Jobs Report Shows Stall -- But Wages Up? "The data tells us that wages are increasing by nearly 4% year-on-year and 0.3% month-on-month, both well above current inflation rates ... in the middle of a three-month stall in job creation. Is that possible? Perhaps wages lag a bit on job creation, but it's tough to believe that wages would still be going up at all if the economy had all but stopped producing jobs." zerohedge @zerohedge, "Today's jobs report is a consequence of the illegal alien labor purge: foreign-born workers down 4 months in a row, down 1.5 million since April. Native-born workers up 383K in July." JD Vance @JDVance, "I was told 6 months ago that Americans losing jobs and the foreign-born gaining jobs was an irreversible demographic fact. Turns out you just needed a new president and a new immigration policy." Quote Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital, "Holy. Shit. I thought this was a typo… In the last 4 months, native-born Americans have gained 1.8 MILLION jobs." Sundance at CTH, President Trump Fires Commissioner of Labor Statistics, “In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad — Just like when they had three great days around the 2024 Presidential Election, and then, those numbers were “taken away” on November 15, 2024, right after the Election, when the Jobs Numbers were massively revised DOWNWARD, making a correction of over 818,000 Jobs — A TOTAL SCAM. Jerome “Too Late” Powell is no better! But, the good news is, our Country is doing GREAT!” There has been something wrong with BLS for quite some time. If it wasn't political, it was just being an incompetent chief. 

AAA, Gas Prices Stay Cool As Demand Heats Up. From the Brussels Signal, In trade as in defence, the US is strong and the EU is weak. Hat Hair's Dave Strom asks if you Remember TACO? George @BehizyTweets "WATCH: Trump just hit a home run with his response to a reporter's snarky question. Reporter: "Wall Street analysts have a new term called the TACO trade.. Saying 'Trump Always Chickens Out on tariffs'" Trump: "You call that chickening out? Because we have $14 trillion now invested, committed to investing, when Biden didn't have practically anything." "You mean because I reduced China from 145% that I said down to 100%, and then down to another, and I said you have to open up your whole country, and because I gave the EU a 50% tax tariff and they called up and they said, please, let's meet right now?" That was spectacular." The high tariff rates were always a starting point for negotiations. From ET, Trump’s Tariff Revenues Smash Record With $28 Billion Haul in July, "Collections top $151 billion for the fiscal year to date as Trump’s trade policy enters a critical phase ahead of the Aug. 1 reciprocal tariff deadline." Sundance at CTH is gratified that Adriana D. Kugler Submits Resignation as Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors "President Trump will now get to appoint a replacement." Mark Tapscott at Wash Stand, GAO Budget Stand-Off: Why Is the House GOP Cutting Off Its Nose to Spite Its Face? It's what they do; I'm surprised any of them have noses at all.

Althouse was on a miscellaneous Trumpiania roll, with "Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity", "There is no precedent for politicians so aggressively raising money for their own entities when they do not have a campaign to use it for." "Writes Theodore Schleifer, in "Trump, Term-Limited, Amasses $200 Million War Chest for Political Ambitions/The money is meant to beat Democrats, but some Republicans worry it could be used to beat Republicans, too", "Elon Musk continued to bankroll Republican candidates after his public fallout with US President Donald Trump, donating millions of dollars to campaign groups gearing up for next year’s midterm elections," "Financial Times reports," and "[T]he White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away..." Regarding the last one, Katie Jerkovich at RedState elaborates Karoline Leavitt Reveals Details, Images About Upcoming Grand White House Expansion. "White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt finally revealed details and shared images about plans for a grand ballroom on the White House grounds complex, following President Donald Trump's announcement earlier this week about the upcoming expansion." From Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, Trump Halts Biden-Era Texas Land Grab. Ace, Trump Signs EO Reversing Obama's Ending of the Presidential Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, Marking the Beginning of Trump GAINZZZ, "America will no longer be celebrating weakness and slothfulness as some kind of special virtue of the very unhealthy," and The Climate Hoax Is Being Canceled with the EPA Terminating the “Endangerment Finding.” I'm sure courts will tie that up indefinitely. How dare Trump's EPA revoke an Obama EPA pronouncement? Is there anything Trump can't do in six months? From UPI, NOAA says Gulf of Mexico dead zone is smaller this year. "Area is about 30% smaller than last year, scientists say." That's the Gulf of America. 

From Sundance, President Trump Moves 2 Nuclear Subs Within Striking Distance of Russia, in response to Russian President Medvedev's saber rattling. I thought the point of nuclear subs was that they were always within striking range using long range ballistic missiles. 

Shipwreckedcrew on The Durham Report's Classified Annex -- What Did We Learn? "The details aren't firm, but it does confirm that the FBI ignored clear evidence of the Clinton Campaign's planning and execution of the worst "Dirty Trick" in U.S. political history." Sundance, DNI Tulsi Gabbard Breaks Down How the Declassified Documents Outline the Trump-Russia Hoax and thinks fn 109, Page 25 is particularly important. Vicky Taft at PJM, And There It Was — One Sentence in Declassified Docs Proves We All Were Censored to Protect Hillary Mike Benz @MikeBenzCyber, "HOLY FUCKING SHIT ***THIS*** IN THE GODDAMN CLASSIFIED INDEX THAT HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED FOR 9 GODDAMN YEARS **THIS** IS WHERE THEY COOKED UP THE 'CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE' HOAX THAT CREATED THE LEGAL PREDICATE COVER FOR THE ENTIRE CENSORSHIP INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX." At Da Fed The Marvelous Margot Cleveland outraged that the Clapper Crew Threatened Whistleblower Who Refused To Sign Off On Fabricated Intel Assessment and Shawn Fleetwood says the Docs show Soros Executive Predicted FBI Would ‘Put More Oil Into The Fire’ Of Russia Hoax. Matt Vespa notes Two of Obama's Most Prominent Russian Collusion Hoax Peddlers Penned an Op-Ed. It Got Blown Up Already. Matt Margolis at PJM thinks Brennan and Clapper Just Hit the Panic Button. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn looks at The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll Brennan and Mr John Hyde. At Ace, Angry Boxed-Wine Connoisseur AWFL Says She's Totally Proud to Have Written the ICA and the "Steele Dossier" Might Be True. "A Brennan stooge named Susan Miller was recruited to write up RussiaGate "reports" which ultimately served as the foundation of the ICA that kicked off RussiaGate. Actually she claims to have written the ICA itself, which seems to be, what's the word, a lie. But more on that later. She has now re-emerged to claim that all of her sexless partisan fantasies about Trump and Putin might have, maybe, been halfway true." PJM's Cathy Salgado reports Trump Says Russia Hoax Perpetrators Must ‘Pay a Big Price’. I'm not holding my breath. Matt Taibbi at Racket says The New York Times Can't Stop Sucking, in the context of Russiagate, but it's generally true.

Bob Hoge at RedState, Now It's His Turn: Jack Smith Reportedly Under Investigation for Violating Hatch Act, attempting to sabotage Trump's campaign. 

From ET, Judge Blocks DHS Bid to End Protected Status for Immigrants From Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, "The Homeland Security Department had argued that extending the immigrants’ protected status would undermine U.S. foreign policy and national interests." Randy Barnett @RandyEBarnett, “When a lower court’s order attempting to limit the executive is also an act of mutiny against the Supreme Court, the issue is not conflict between branches, but the legitimate hierarchy of authority within the judicial branch….” Quote Adrian Vermeule @Vermeullarmine, "On the mutiny by lower-court judges: https://nytimes.com/2025/07/31/opi."

At Da Caller, ‘RIP Democracy:’ Left-Wing Protesters Drop Coffin On Wisconsin GOP Rep’s Doorstep. John Sexton at Hat Hair reports Protesters Arrested at Offices for Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand, for not being left enough. Also, New Hampshire Bans Gender Affirming Care as Letitia James Sues Trump.

Jeff Charles at TownHall with at sad story, Cops Assault Disabled Veteran, Tase His Dog—a Federal Judge Just Gave Him a Chance to Fight Back. The dog died. 

VodkaPundit at PJM was not impressed by Kamala's Colbert Cringe-Fest. Mike Miller at RedState, hears Kamala 'Word Salad' Harris Announces Upcoming Book About Her Failed Campaign, and We Can't Wait! Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Harris to Colbert: Trump Broke Me. Nick Sortor @nicksortor "In the MOST amount of words possible, Kamala Harris admits President Trump BROKE her, which is why she doesn’t want to run for Governor of California “The system’s broken… so I don’t wanna go back into the system.” She just GAVE UP"  Ace, Kamala Harris: I Lost Because "The System" Is "Broken;" "Democracy" Failed to Position Me For Success. "Before that: Of course she's writing a book to cash in on her Massive Historic Failure. The dollar figure of the deal is not yet known." Althouse, "And um recently I made the decision that I just for now I don't want to go back in the system. I think it's broken...."  "You are going into political oblivion." NYPo, Stephen Colbert needles Kamala Harris after she fails to answer simple question. Take me to your leader! Ace hears Mark Halperin: Biden's Inner Circle Is Threatening Kamala Harris That If She Dishes About His Cogntivie Impairment, They'll Start Admitting How Incompetent She Is "So now the very mean old man, the most absurdly thin-skinned moron narcissist on the planet -- whoops, except for Jasmine Ratchet -- is threatening Kamala Harris that if she discusses Biden's dementia in her stupid book, they'll open the vaults about her." Insty has A REMINDER THAT WE DODGED A BULLET: “Last night Joe Biden spoke before an event sponsored by a black lawyers’ association in Chicago. You can see him in the clip below. In terms of content, it was typical Biden: hateful and fact-free. Just one anti-Trump smear after another, “without evidence” as the papers like to say. But content aside, he was hardly able to read the teleprompter. He is feeble and barely functional. If he had been re-elected in 2024, he would now be just six months into a four-year term that he couldn’t possibly complete.”

A Larry video, CNN Reveals Shock Polls: Will Democrats Ever Recover? Defiant L’s @DefiantLs, "CNN: It keeps getting worse for Democrats." John Lucas at Bravo Blue, sees Juvenile Delinquents in the United States Senate "A snapshot of obstructionism and refusal to accept election results." Ruy Teixeira at the Liberal Patriot says Democrats Should Give Up on #Resistance 2.0 "It hasn’t worked and it won’t work." Capt. Ed takes note of Axios: Guess What Democrats Have Stopped Talking About? The Green Nude Eel. 

From LifeZette, JD Vance Cooks Gavin Newsom to a Crisp Over His ‘Outrageous’ Gerrymandering. At TNP, NYC’s Mamdani Bragged About Channeling Public Funds to Illegals. Shooting News Weekly, Chris Murphy Gives Gun Owners a Preview of What Dems Would Do to Gun Rights If and When They Regain Power.

John Sexton reports Border Apprehensions Hit Another Record Low in July, in a good way. Dave Manney at PJM, Not One More Number: Say Their Names or Admit You Don’t Care "We're told about the arrests in the cold newspeak spoken by the newsreader providing the voiceover as we watch footage accompanied by numbers, charts, and press statements. We learn so much, but not the most important part: What those men actually did before they were caught. . . " An example from Ace, A Cultural Enricher With 43 Prior Counts of Aggravated Cultural Enrichment Attempts to Kidnap a Child at a Virginia Mall, "This is in super-progressive, tyrannical Fairfax County, where they cover up "transgender" boys' forcible sodomization of girls in the bathroom so as not to upset The Bigots. Of course it's also a Sanctuary County." Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal finds an IMMIGRATION HOLD-OVER: Biden Political Appointee Still Holds Prominent DHS Position Under Trump. Roaches are so hard to eliminate entirely. From Twitchy, Fool Us Twice: Dem Neera Tanden Says Democrats Should Be Trusted on ‘New’ Immigration Reform Plan.

John Sexton reports The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is Shutting Down. “Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” said CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison. “CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care.” But we heard the feds only provided a fraction of their funding, am I right? "Say Goodbye to Sesame Street" Paula Bolyard at PJM, The CBP Is Closing Up Shop! Jim Thompson at RedState, This Week's Tsunami Scare Proved One Thing - No One Relies on NPR. From LifeZette, PBS and NPR Tied to Soros-Backed Fact-Checkers Through Taxpayer CPB Funding. Christopher F. Rufo @realchrisrufo, "Conservatives should not forget that there has been virtually no blowback to defunding NPR. In the past, the Left would claim that Republicans wanted to execute Big Bird, and Republicans would dutifully back down. Not anymore. Simple principle: stop sending cash to your enemies." From Twitchy, WaPo’s Glenn Kessler Squeezes Out Last Laughable ‘Fact-Check’ and X Rapidly Responds With the Truth. Ace, Exactly as Predicted, EU Law Supposedly Intended to Protect Children from Porn Is Immediately Deployed Against Its Real Target: Political Speech by Adults That is Critical of the Failing, Traitorous Regime "Trump is warning effeminate ponce Keir Starmer that if the EU continues using this law to stifle Americans' speech, there's going to be big trouble." The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee "Doctor Strange Reveals That Across 14 Million Universes, Colbert’s Show Bombs In Every Single One https://buff.ly/6lXfufR."

I, for one, continue to relish "Sweeneygate!" Variety whines JD Vance Urges Democrats Angry Over Sydney Sweeney Jeans Ads to Keep It Up: ‘Continue to Tell Everybody’ Who Thinks She Is Attractive That They’re ‘a Nazi’ At USA Today, Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad triggers liberals. She looks good. They don't. Dave Strom wonders Why Do Statues of Fat Black Women Keep Popping Up? In random places. Stephen Kruiser at PJM sees Gender Sanity Is Slowly Returning to the World of Sports, but Da Wire reports a Virginia Dad was Suspended From Pool After Calling Out Boy In Girls’ Races. "Luis Fernandez wrote the word 'BOY' on a scoreboard next to the name of the young male swimmer, who won two girls' races." VodkaPundit at PJM, DOING THE 2028 PIVOT: Pete Buttigieg acknowledges ‘fairness issues’ with trans athletes in women’s sports. From Ace, CEO of Jaguar Steps Down After Disastrous Rebrand of Storied Car Company as Trans-Portation "He turned a man's brand into a trans brand. But men are 49% of the market (actually, more like 90% for a sportscar) and the trans market is.... slightly less than that, right?"

From the College Fix, ‘Race based scholarships’ are ‘unlawful’: DOJ memo. Insty, MAKE THEM PAY. MAKE THEM ALL PAY. Inez Stepman @InezFeltscher "There’s like 20 years of legally actionable material like this hanging like a sword of Damocles over every major corporation in America, we can drop it whenever we want against anyone." Quote David Decosimo @DavidDecosimo, "On my first day at BU, a colleague took me to lunch & said: “Do you know what the real miracle of your hire is? You’re a white male. Do you know how much better than every other candidate you have to be to get hired here as a white man?" I couldn't believe he'd said it out loud." And, THIS CALLS FOR, DARE I SAY IT, REPARATIONS: Melissa Chen @MsMelChen, "The anti-white bias in faculty hiring is pervasive. I spent way too much time in academia, and ended up getting to know many tenured professors who were grandfathered in long before the DEI madness. Many were serving on hiring committees where their job was to interview potential candidates for entry-level faculty jobs; some also served on tenure committees. At first it was a slow drip. Every now and then, a candidate would be denied purely because the administration prioritized a woman or a person of color for that position. By 2018, it was pretty much the conventional norm. Professor friends told me “I don’t even know why we are going through this show trial. . . ” Quote Colin Wright @SwipeWright, ANNOUNCEMENT: I’ve taken legal action against Cornell University for racial discrimination. Represented by @A1Policy, I’ve filed an EEOC complaint after leaked internal emails revealed Cornell secretly ran a faculty search in my exact field (evolutionary biology) specifically to make a “diversity hire.” The committee privately reached out to pre-selected "diverse" candidates, one at a time, to bypass open competition. Qualified white applicants like myself were excluded from even applying. This is a direct and egregious violation of my civil rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Lotsa links left at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.01.25 but it's a glorious cool August day, and I've got to get out. Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Doughnut Dolly and FMJRA 2.0: World Series ’73 Week Two up on time and under budget.on/supreme-court-trump-judges-defiance.html

Flotsam and Jetsam - CNN Doesn't Know a Hole In the Ground from Their Ass

Only 6 months to finish your Christmas shopping. Of course, the US attack on three nuclear sites in Iran, and the subsequent attempt by President Donald Trump to force Israel and Iran into a ceasefire is still the focus of the news. After a shaky start, (Trump Tried to End the War. Iran Would Rather Murder Jews - VodkaPundit at PJM, Trump Shows Frustration at Israel, Iran, and the Leftwing Gaslight Media, Iran violated the ceasefire a bit, and Israel rushed to punish them for that. Trump's annoyed that his ceasefire isn't being embraced by both sides. - Ace), the ceasefire seems to be holding up. Meanwhile the mainstream media and the Democrats (but I redund), are doing whatever they can to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the strikes. Matt Vespa at TownHall sees CNN's Anti-Trump Narrative Fell Apart Live On-Air Last Night At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed records Trump's f-bomb, Cease Fire, Ceased? 'Two Countries That Don't Know What the F*** They're Doing'. Althouse is mortified, "They basically are 2 countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the fuck they're doing." Later, "That appeared to suggest that the two sides... want the truce to hold." NYT: From "Live Updates: Shaky Cease-Fire Takes Hold, Under Pressure From Trump/President Trump lashed out at both Iran and Israel for launching attacks after his cease-fire announcement. Iran denied violating the truce and Israel’s retaliation appeared limited, suggesting that the deal remained intact for now." Joel Kotkin at Unherd, Trump’s Iran ceasefire depends on American oil. Da Wire, Oil Prices Fall As Iran’s ‘Weak’ Retaliation Gives Way To Ceasefire. The ceasefire is more in Iran's interest that Israel's, who would prefer to continue with the business of dismantling Iran from the top down. But Iran could use the breather to put its government back in order and take stock of the damage done (there are more than a few holes to fill). President Trump wants a peace, even if it's only temporary. I don't believe for a second Iran and Israel are done. NewsWeak, Trump Rejected Putin's Iran Offer: 'I Need Help With You.' Fox Business, reports Trump declares China can purchase Iranian oil as market signals cautious optimism. "Oil prices continue to drop after Trump brokers ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran." At Insty, A KNOWLEDGEABLE FRIEND COMMENTS ON THE IRAN/ISRAEL SITUATION: "Noteworthy that the first overt cooperative military action against a Muslim nation by Israel and the United States has not resulted in any significant squawking. Hushed awe, if anything. . . "

John Sexton at Hat Hair reports on a Leaked DIA Report: Iranian Nuclear Sites Sealed Up but Not Destroyed, issued with low confidence, but leaked to anti-Trump news outlets. Jennifer Griffin @JenGriffinFNC "According to well-placed sources who have seen the classified DIA assessment of the bomb damage assessment (BDA) after the US military strikes last weekend, DIA assesses that the Iran nuclear program could be back on line in a matters of “months” from 1-2 months on the low end to less than a year on the high end. This is a preliminary intelligence assessment and is deemed "low confidence," in intelligence parlance. . . . According to the preliminary DIA intelligence assessment: an unknown amount of the highly enriched uranium (the 440 kg that was enriched to 60 percent) was moved out of the Fordow facility. One possibility, according to the DIA assessment, is that it was moved to the “3rd site” that the Iranians told the IAEA about ahead of the strikes – a secret site." Brit Hume @brithume "Bear in mind that the CNN correspondent who broadcast this story swallowed the infamous Steele dossier hook, line and sinker." Ward Clarke at RedState, FAKE NEWS FAIL: CNN Exposed for Bad Iran Strike Reporting. Karoline Leavitt@PressSec, "FAKE NEWS CNN STRIKES AGAIN: This alleged "assessment" is flat-out wrong and was classified as "top secret" but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community. The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program. Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration." Karoline Leavitt @PressSec, "This CNN story was written by the same "reporter" who wrote the very first FAKE NEWS story claiming the Hunter Biden laptop was disinformation. How did that work out for you, @NatashaBertrand?" Well, she's still getting paid. This is the first use of the giant bunker buster bombs against actual enemies so some doubt as to the actual damage inflicted on targets hundreds of feet underground is to be expected, and we don't actually expect Iran to less us come an inspect them. I have no doubt Trump was overly optimistic when he called the targets totally obliterated. Still, this feels like a set up from anti-Trump staffers left at the DIA. Seth Mandel at Commentary, on Pooh-Poohing the Iran Bombing "Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons has been made more dangerous for them, vastly more expensive, and more difficult by significant margins. And any progress at all will have to evade Israel’s watchful eye." John Sexton, What Happened to Iran's Stockpile of Enriched Uranium? (Update). "J.D. Vance was just asked about the 900 pounds of enriched uranium on Bret Baier's show. He was somewhat non-committal on where it is. He suggested he believes it's buried but also said that even if the Iranians have it, they can't enrich it further at the moment (which is true). Elliot Kaufman @ElliotKaufman6 "The best-informed journalist in Israel says Israel believes i) all the centrifuges have been hit; and ii) the highly enriched uranium was not moved and has been buried deep underneath Fordow and Natanz by bombs. That would mean the strikes were an immense success." Quote Amit Segal @AmitSegal "I was interviewed by @BiannaGolodryga on @CNN about the uranium buried in Fordo and Israel's next steps." Tim Burchett @timburchett "It’s ironic that Democrats want Iran to have nukes but don’t want you to have a gun." THURSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM: Christiane Amanpour @amanpour,
“You cannot bomb away the memory of how to make a bomb,” says former Secretary of State John Kerry, “One of the dangers here is that the more this goes on in a military way, the more power goes to the worst offenders within Iran: the IRGC. And that’s not good for anybody.” Darrell B. Harrison @D_B_Harrison "“You cannot bomb away the memory of how to make a bomb,” says former Secretary of State John Kerry Um, actually, you can—by ‘bombing away’ those who know how to make a bomb. When you do that, the memory of how to make a bomb goes into eternity with them. I tend to agree with Kerry, knowledge once spread is hard to eradicate, but you can make them very uncomfortable to get into the field.

At NYPo the Divine Miranda Devine says Trump’s ‘spectacular’ Iran strike could carve his place in history as most courageous leader since Ronald Reagan. The Freep, Trump Keeps His Promise on Iran. The World Is Safer for It. Phil Wegman at RCP, Wartime President: Trump Makes Good on Promise To Stop Iran From Getting Nuclear Weapons. Jeff Blehar at NRO says Trump’s Iran Strike Shows Precisely Why Elections Matter. JNS, Would anyone but Trump have done it? "By acting to avert an existential threat to the West and Israel that his predecessors had allowed to grow, the president has secured his place in American and Jewish history." Don Surber asserts Trump Always Confuses Opponents, "The TACO that helped him end Iran's nuke program." Austin Bay, Simultaneous Strategic Bombing Strike, 12 Day War and Mid-East Peace? Katie Jerkovich at RedState notes Trump Shares Incredible Message From NATO Secretary General, the message to the President from Rutte congratulated and thanked the President for the "truly extraordinary" actions, stating that it was something "no one else dared to do" following the U.S. airstrikes to take out several of the Islamic State's key enrichment facilities." Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "Anybody who thinks Iran not having nuclear weapons benefits only Israel is a rat-brained lobotomite devoid of reasoning skills." NewsBusters remembers Obama 2012: A President Should Use ‘All Options’ to Stop Iran’s Nuclear Program. Sarah Arnold at TownHall hears Scarborough Shock Viewers with Rare Defense of Trump’s Iran Strike: 'Any President Would've Done It and Biden Ally Admits Only Trump Had the Guts to Strike Iran, Something He Says Kamala Harris Would Never Do. At Da Mail, CNN pundit Van Jones shames liberal colleagues for their Iran comments. MAZE @mazemoore "Erin Burnett five days ago: Iran is years away from a nuclear weapon. Trump is risking starting a world war for no reason. Erin Burnett today: Iran's nuclear program has only been set back a few months. This is a big deal. This is CNN." From LifeZette, Greg Steube Destroys Thomas Massie’s Claim Trump’s Iran Strike Was Illegal. John Sexton sees The AOC-Trump Battle Turns Hilarious. Hat Hair's Dave Strom says Nobody Bats a Thousand, But Tucker Got This One Very Wrong. TCW thinks Tucker’s wrong, Trump is an America First pragmatist. Capt. Ed cites a Poll: Media Reports of MAGA Death Over Iran Strikes Are ... Greatly Exaggerated. John Kass, Iran, Israel and the Constant Threat of Nuclear War. Sgt Mom at the Chicago Boyz, The Long Awaited Fix. Inside Paper, Iraq probes drone attacks on military radar systems. At Twitchy, THIS Is NOT a DRILL! Scott Jennings Just Dropped THE New Meme of the Year and It's Truly GLORIOUS

ET reports Bondi Says DOJ on ‘High Alert’ Over Concerns About Iranian Sleeper Cells "‘Over 1,000 have entered our country, and I can tell you we are on high alert,’ Bondi said." From WokeSpy, Tom Homan: Iranian Sleeper Cells Could Be Hiding Among Biden-Era Gotaways, or even supposedly legitimate Iranian immigrants. Capt. Ed watches CBS: ICE Rounds Up Former IRGC Sniper, 10 Other Iranian Illegals in 48 Hours. I expect a District Court judge to set them free ASAP. Fox remembers Over 700 Iranian nationals released into US during Biden administration despite terrorism concerns. "Trump's decisive action against Iran raises alarm about security risks following Biden's release of 729 special interest aliens."

Sundance at CTH sees NATO Nervously Awaits Godzilla Trump’s Arrival, Pre-Stage Agreement for Big Spending Increase. DW.com, NATO members agree to 5% defense spending increase.

Sundance also gives Credit Where Due – Majority Leader John Thune Eyes Friday for Senate BBB Votes to Begin. Tom Knighton at TAW says Sure, give me another reason to support One Big Beautiful Bill. From TNP, The Senate Parliamentarian Is Gutting Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’ CNN reluctantly reports Fed officials are starting to break rank and join Trump, to lower interest rates. "Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman on Monday downplayed the potential impacts of Trump’s tariffs on prices and said the US central bank should swiftly lower rates to preserve the labor market’s health." Sarah Anderson calls it a MUST WATCH: VA Secretary Collins Destroys Lying Democratic Senator During Hearing. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Oh! Won't Someone Stop Her?! Murkowski Threatens to Become the (D) We Were Already Sure She Was.

At PJM VodkaPundit wonders Is New York City About to Go Full Communist? Sarah Arnold, Socialist Muslim Projected to Win in Democratic Primary for NYC Mayor; UPDATE: Cuomo Concedes to Mamdani. Althouse, Who votes and who doesn't vote when it's incredibly hot?, "I see it's going to be record-breakingly hot in New York City today — 100 degrees. And today is the NYC primary: "The contest has narrowed into a two-man sprint between Andrew M. Cuomo, the state’s scandal-plagued former governor, and Zohran Mamdani, an assemblyman and democratic socialist with a short track record, with a crowded field of nine rivals trailing behind. Polls suggest the outcome is a tossup" (NYT). . . I see the Cuomo group as pragmatic and the Mamdani group as passionate. Not sure how that interfaces with heat. The heat is personal, specific — about you, right now. In that light, I'll predict Cuomo prevails. But he needs to prevail with more than 50% or that "ranked-choice" voting could throw the nomination to Mamdani." A Chi Trib Editorial: Want to know how a socialist mayor would govern New York City? Ask Chicago. Driscoll at Insty, CUOMO CONCEDES TO ZOHRAN MAMDANI IN NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL PRIMARY. "UPDATE (FROM GLENN):" Kamel Amin Thaabet @K_AminThaabet "Mamdani is basically what would happen if you pulled some random kid out of the Columbia Hamas encampment and made them Mayor." Daniel Greenfield - "Hang Together or Separately"@Sultanknish "Mandani polls poorly with minority and working class voters And voters over 50 He underperforms among women They aren't enough white hipsters in New York to give him the numbers he's supposedly getting especially in places like the Bronx There's something very wrong here." Rita Panahi @RitaPanahi "NYers just elected a socialist nepo baby mayor. Good luck, loons." Well, they have a chance to choose the lesser evil in the election, with Adams running as an Independent. OTH, NYC has a history of choosing badly, and then showing regret next time around, Dinkins paved the way for Giuliani. 

From Twitchy, Chuck Todd’s Biden Revelation: Finally Admits That Joe’s ‘Family Man’ Act Was a 40-Year Con, abetted by the media. James Rosen at NYPo opines Hollywood and Obama should be judged for covering up Joe Biden’s frailty. Bob Hoge at RedState thinks you should Watch: AG Pam Bondi Claps Back at Bitter Dem Congresswoman in Epic Congressional Face-Off. Not too bad!

From Ace, Jasmine Ratchet Runs to Be the Ranking Democrat Member of the House Oversight Committee; The Democrats Reject Her In Humiliating Fashion "She received the lowest vote total of any candidate. I wonder why. Must be because Democrats hate black women." Turns out there is such a thing as bad press. Mitch Berg at Hat Hair VIP says Incredibly, Democrat Approach To Young Men Is Cratering.

From Da Caller, California Dems Blame Wildfires On Trump After Their Party Created Tinderbox Of Regs. Beege Welborn replies Is there anything Trump can't be held responsible for? The man's a machine.

Collin Rugg @CollinRugg "NEW: Big Balls no longer works for the United States government, has resigned according to WIRED. DOGE legend Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old high school graduate, resigned yesterday according to the White House. “Coristine received full-time employment status at the GSA late last month … As of Tuesday afternoon, his Google Workspace account with the General Services Administration (GSA) was no longer active,” WIRED reported." Sister Toldja at RedState, MTG Goes for the Coup de Grace After House Democrat Embarrasses Herself During DOGE Hearing. Oversight Committee @GOPoversight, "Watch Democrats FUMBLING to explain after being called out for their FAKE POLL that adds up to 110%. @RepBrianJack: “Is it meant to add up to 110% or is that an error?” *gibberish* @RepMTG: "It still adds up to 110%. That's a fake poll right there!" They have ZERO substance." From the Washington Stand, OPM Watchdog Says Agency Failed to Enforce Teleworking Rules under Biden. 

Sundance notes Even A Caveman Can’t Do It – Impeachment Vote Fails as Democrats Join with Republicans. Fox, 128 Democrats join House GOP to block progressive's bid to impeach Trump. "Dozens of Democrats joined Republicans to kill the measure by Rep. Al Green." I would hate to think this means they're wising up.

Matt Margolis calls it a BOMBSHELL: Former FBI Leadership Buried Evidence of Chinese Plot to Rig 2020 for Biden. Something else for Chris Wray to answer for. 

Ace, Lowly District Court Judge Championed by Elizabeth Warren Now "Defies the Supreme Court," Decides That His Own Authority Is Greater Than Both the President's and Supreme Court's. "Lowly district court functionary Brian Murphy ruled that Trump could not deport illegal aliens with deportation orders -- some convicted of attempted murder -- to a third country. I think Trump wanted to deport them to a third country because they claim their home country is a shithole country and they say they'd be persecuted there or some bullshit. The Supreme Court overruled him and said that the deportations can continue. Deciding that he is now more supreme than the Supremes, this dinky little bureaucrat worm now writes an order that effectively blocks the deportation the Supreme Court just said could proceed. He's saying that the Supreme Court's ruling doesn't apply to the six people this case is specifically about." Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter "I guess Justice Roberts is learning that the judiciary is really just a fancy cellblock, and you either grab a shiv or you end up nicknamed “Sugar” cause you give it up so sweet." Quote Kevin Tierney @CatholicSmark, "As with so much of John Roberts play, his attempt to preserve the legitimacy of the judicial branch is now openly damaging the credibility of the Supreme Court, as even lower court justices do not feel bound by it. x.com/ProfMJClevelan…" From ET, Big Decisions Remain as Supreme Court’s Term Approaches End, "The justices have yet to release rulings on nationwide injunctions, pornography regulation, Planned Parenthood funding, and other issues."

Andy Ngo @MrAndyNgo "Many, many U.S. Attorney positions are still unappointed across the U.S., especially in very woke districts where the state attorney generals are corrupt and woke." Quote James Buchal @JamesBuchal "Replying to @MrAndyNgo @ICEgov and @KatieDaviscourt. Unfortunately, as far as I know, @realdonaldtrump and @AGPamBondi have not appointed any U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon to conduct effective, conspiracy/RICO based prosecutions, or appointed anyone to run @DOJCrimDiv to roll up these networks nationally. By all appearances, we are seeing the same problems as during the first Trump Administration. Of course, many other things are going on ..."

Batya Ungar-Sargon @bungarsargon "When someone tells you there are jobs Americans won't do, your job is to add "...for those wages." It's godless to build an economy on jobs so poorly paid and unsafe that only desperate foreigners will do them. Mass deportations are the answer to an economic and moral emergency." Quote Daniel Kishi @DanielMKishi, "A meatpacker in Nebraska has developed a "novel pitch" to attract more American workers: competitive pay, predictable shift scheduling, and better workplace ergonomics." Tom Knighton at TAW wants to Make them suffer "Anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activists in Denver, Colorado, managed to thwart agents trying to arrest an illegal migrant wanted in Italy for child rape. ICE Colorado said on Friday their agents were trying to detain Jose Reyes Leon-Deras, a criminal alien from El Salvador who was convicted of child rape in Italy, when members of a local anti-ICE group alerted him to their presence. ICE said the group, Colorado Rapid Response, posted on social media that ICE was in the area, allowing him time to flee."

From Hat Hair a Larry video, Trump Obliterates Fake News Reporters to Their Faces. Upstate Federalist @upstatefederlst "This is being removed because, much like body cameras, it doesn't say what they wanted it to say." Quote, "Carl @HistoryBoomer, "Big bummer. The Washington Post is ending its police shooting database. This has been an immensely useful source, especially when you’re dealing with folks who think police kill 1000s of unarmed people."

John Sexton hears Harvard Considers a Deal with Trump but is Worried About Losing Its Resistance Credibility and University Professors Explain the Problems with the Woke, Elitist Democratic Party. Crémieux @cremieuxrecueil, "I have a story to break. Columbia is still practicing racially discriminatory admissions in defiance of the Supreme Court's ruling in SFFA v. Harvard. Newly-leaked data shows they still prefer less-qualified Blacks and Hispanics over more-qualified Asians."

John Sexton also thinks The UK Seems to Be Setting Aside Some of the Nuttier Elements of Trans Identity.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Kiss .500 Goodbye up more or less on time and under budget.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Fallout from Iran Raid Continues

Big Fish @BigFish3000 "General Dan Caine gives plan information on Operation Midnight Hammer. 75 precision guided munitions 14 GBU 57 3 heavily damaged nuclear facilities." Video. Open Source Intel @Osint613 "FRESH IMAGES OF FORDOW Fordow at this moment, bomb craters clearly visible. I don't know what they should look like. Bill Ackman @BillAckman "In eight days, the United States and Israel eliminated Iran’s nuclear capabilities with minimal civilian casualties. One of the greatest military achievements ever." Aimen Dean @AimenDean "Debunking the “We Evacuated Everything” Narrative: As expected, following the strikes, the Iranian propaganda machine has kicked into gear, claiming - rather predictably - that the targeted nuclear facilities, such as Fordow and Natanz, had been emptied in advance. Let’s address that. . . " Nick Arama at RedState is impressed by The Genius Deception Trump Pulled on Iran Just Before the Attack on the Iranian Nuclear Sites and says Whoops: If You Didn't Think Iran Was Working on Nukes, Check Out What This Russian Leader Just Admitted. At Althouse, "Mr. Trump had been under pressure from the noninterventionist wing of his party to stay out of the conflict, and was having lunch that day... "".... with one of the most outspoken opponents of a bombing campaign, Stephen K. Bannon, fueling speculation that he might hold off." Hat Hair's Dave Strom hears Dmitri Medvedev: A Number of Countries Ready to Gift Iran Nukes. From NYPo, Iran orders closure of Strait of Hormuz — putting one-fifth of world’s oil supply at risk. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Iran Says It Will Close Strait of Hormuz, but the US Navy gets to vote, too. Roger Simon at American Refugees, Yes, Iranians Can Throw Off the Mullahs. "Bombing nukes not the beginning of World War III but the prevention." Driscoll at Insty, WELL, I’M GLAD WE CLEARED ALL THAT UP: Carol Roth @caroljsroth "So, Iran admits it’s a sponsor of terrorists and uses them as its proxy- exactly why all this started." Quote The Spectator Index @spectatorindex. "BREAKING: Iran sent a message to Trump threatening to activate 'sleeper-cell terror inside the United States if it were attacked', according to NBC News report." Sundance sees President Trump Targets Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie for a variety of reasons.

From Twitchy, That's Gotta Be Embarrassing: Papa Johns Pizza Knew More About US Action Than Democrats, and he was right to keep them in the dark. Matt Vespa at TownHall, Here's What Impressed This MSNBC Host About Trump's Air Strikes on Iran "Capehart was stunned by the level of secrecy, the decoys deployed to the Pacific, and virtually no Iranian resistance to this operation." Roger Kimball at Am Great, What Trump’s Critics Still Don’t Understand About Iran. "Trump’s Iran policy confounds critics because it’s not about war or appeasement—it’s about weakening Iran without revealing the playbook." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair remembers 'We Came, We Saw, He Died': Dems' Breathtaking Hypocrisy On War Powers. Ryan King at NYPo sees AOC, furious Dems call for Trump to be impeached over Iran strikes. At OTP, Dem Leader Jeffries Is Big Mad At Trump For Iran Attack and Top Hill Democrat Schumer Calls On Senate To Vote On Act To Limit Trump’s War Powers. Matt Margolis, is all About Those Democrats Calling for Trump’s Impeachment Over His Iran Strikes Joe Concha @JoeConchaTV "Too easy:" Nancy Pelosi @SpeakerPelosi "Tonight, the President ignored the Constitution by unilaterally engaging our military without Congressional authorization. I join my colleagues in demanding answers from the Administration on this operation which endangers American lives and risks further escalation and dangerous destabilization of the region." Matt Vespa,  Is This Why the Left Is Throwing a Tantrum Over Trump's Air Strikes Against Iran? David Harsanyi @davidharsanyi "If the strikes work, and Iran is neutered, the Middle East will be a far more peaceful place. These people aren't against war. They just want the war on Israel to continue." Quote New York Post @nypost "Watch rally crowd react as Bernie Sanders reveals US strike on Iran." Larry Elder at TownHall, On Iran, Democrats -- Except Fetterman -- Have Gone Underground.At the Daily Telegraph, Baited by the bauble: How the outrage-obsessed left ended up backing Iran. "A “Bandwagon Bauble” of online activists and hashtag riders are lured by anything that lets them unleash their hatred for Israel and Donald Trump - even if it means backing one of the world’s most brutal regimes, writes Joe Hildebrand." Insty, WWIII BEGAN WHEN KAREN BASS GOT HOLD OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON: Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok "Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office sends condolences to Iran following the US destroying their nuclear plants." Matt Vespa, Did a Rogue Staffer at the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. Post This Insane Tweet About the Iran Air Strikes? Deleted, but the internet remembers. Noam Blum @neontaster "I am personally not thinking of the New Yorkers with loved ones who work at one of Iran's military nuclear facilities. YMMV" Quote Zohran Kwame Mamdani @ZohranKMamdani, "My statement on the Trump administration's illegal military actions and the wars that must end." From the Guardian, Keir Starmer backs US strike on Iran but warns of wider escalation risk.

Stacy McCain  explains How Trump Ruined the Media’s Weekend, "Suppose you’re the lead national security reporter for the Washington Post or the New York Times. It’s a Saturday in June, so maybe you’re out at the beach for the weekend, having a nice seafood dinner with friends at some beachside bistro on the Maryland shore. You’re probably on your third glass of wine when, shortly before 8 p.m., your phone explodes with messages from your editors. “HOLY FUCKING SHIT! THAT SON OF A BITCH!”. . . " Driscoll at Insty, David Frum must not be feeling too happy this morning: Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "SEC. RUBIO: "If Iran retaliates, it will be the WORST mistake they've ever made. If they attack us, we have capabilities they haven't even SEEN before." From sundance at CTH hosts Sunday Talks – Secretary of State Marco Rubio Discusses U.S. Strike on Iran, Secretary Marco Rubio -vs- Margaret Brennan and Sunday Talks: JD Vance Discusses Purpose and Intent of Iranian Bombing Campaign.  Sarah Anderson at PJM, 'You Don't Know What You're Talking About': Rubio Wipes the Floor With Brennan Over Iranian Nukes. Althouse highlights "We’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program," said JD Vance. "Quoted in "Vance says U.S. 'not at war with Iran, we're at war with Iran's nuclear program'/President Donald Trump said Saturday night that the U.S. had dropped bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites, the first time the U.S. has directly attacked Iran" (NBC News)." Dan Pletka at What The Hell is Going On, #WTH Iran won't give up its nukes, "It's just not who they are." Insty at his substack has Five Takes on Bombing Iran, "From the department of Earth-shattering kabooms." From Twitchy, Seth Abramson's Frothy-Mouthed, Chest-Thumping, 'Don't You Know Who I AM,' MELTDOWN Over Iran Is PRECIOUS. 

Driscoll, QUESTION ASKED AND ANSWERED: "Many Have Tried to Fix Penn Station. Can Trump Get the Job Done?  Events this weekend may allow Trump to accelerate the tearing down process of rebuilding the station exponentially:" Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "#BREAKING: Pro Iran rioters have just STORMED Penn Station in NYC, and most of them are wearing face coverings Face coverings should be BANNED in public. And EVERY SINGLE ONE of these foreign rioters needs to be deported NOW!" Sarah Anderson at TownHall say No Kings 2.0 Protests are Set for July 4 Because the First One Was a Bust. Betsy McCaughey at Hat Hair says Democrats Would Rather Embrace Crime Than Prevent It. From OTP, ACLU Goes Full Antifa, Sues DHS For ‘Assaulting’ LA Rioters.

Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter "Plenty of money for stupid tattoos." Quote "Kirsten Gillibrand @SenGillibrand, "The choice is simple – Republicans can choose to help families put food on the table, or they can vote to give tax breaks to billionaires. It shouldn't even be a question." To be fair, they're pretty hard to pawn or sell off. At Hat Hair, Steve Moore says  Congress Should Just Say No to a Remittance Tax. I disagree. From Fox Business, US manufacturing giant teases 'big' investment back into the American economy. "Whirlpool CEO talks investing for the ‘benefit’ of US factories, products, consumers." At Hat Hair, Trump Fires NRC Democrat Amid Push to Overhaul Nuclear Safety Rules.

PJM's Scott Pinsker sees a Shock Poll: 47% of Dems Demand a Third Party. So WHEN Will the Rebellion Begin? From LifeZette, Top Dem Insider Reveals ‘Really Depressing’ State of the Democratic Party. "Veteran Democratic strategist Patti Solis Doyle said Friday that the Democratic Party is facing a crisis of leadership, message, and direction following significant losses in the 2024 election cycle." But on the bright side, NYPo reports Pelosi raked in millions last year — and her portfolio out-performed every large hedge fund with stunning returns. 

Read this thread, Rasmussen Reports @Rasmussen_Poll "Wisconsin: Election Fraud, Conspiracy Theory No Longer. Corrupt government actors force citizens to sue them repeatedly in courts for embarrassing public records that they control. @PeterBernegger did this and attests to what those records show. Then critics go silent. 1/6"

At CNN, Suspect in Minnesota lawmaker attacks was a ‘prepper’ who had drafted a ‘bailout plan’ for wife, according to court filing. DC_Draino @DC_Draino "Remember when some random guy shot up the Trump Doral in 2018 and he said he was a Diddy sex party victim and we all thought he was crazy? And then it turned out it was 100% true Well now some people think this Minnesota assassin sounds crazy for saying Tim Walz wanted him to assassinate Amy Klobuchar so Walz could take her Senate seat Guess we’ll find out!" Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter "And I wanna go back to when Democrats didn’t murder federal officers, but that would be before 1861." Quote Amy McGrath @AmyMcGrathKY, "I want to go back to the day when federal law enforcement officials didn't cover their faces like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and the KKK."

Josh Blackmun at the Volokh Conspiracy thinks Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Gorsuch Walk Back Bostock. 

Hat Hair sees 'We Hate America' Club: AOC Was There When They Let Khalil Out of Detention. Documenting Jew Hatred on Campus at Columbia U @CampusJewHate "We are not sure whether it is the Islamist giving flowers to the Socialist or the other way around. What we are quite certain of is that one antisemite giving flowers to another." From the Midwesterner, CBP nabs Chinese ‘special interest alien’ in Flint, others in Tawas City. Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter "You dildos let 20 million illegal aliens in. Some US citizens will be inconvenienced cleaning up the mess. You should apologize to them." Quote Jon Favreau @jonfavs "Just this week, ICE has mistakenly arrested and jailed a man with legal status TWICE Anything to hit that 3,000 arrests per day # that @StephenM has demanded x.com/L_Toczylowski/…" OTP, LA Dodgers Pledge $1M To Help Families Impacted By Recent ICE Raids. It's their fan base.

ET, Trump Signals Possible Deal With Harvard in ‘Next Week or So’ "This announcement follows months of legal battles between the president and America’s oldest university." Campus Reform reports Princeton refuses to punish masked students who hurled slurs at Jews.

From Liberty Unyielding, Alabama to release incriminating documents from World Professional Association for Transgender Health, which made dubious claims to push trans treatments for kids. At WokeSpy, Lib Rep From San Diego Not Ready for Pete Hegseth’s Slap-Down Defiant L’s @DefiantLs, "Hegseth “These are men who think they are women?” “They are women; I’m happy to educate you” Hegseth: "We’ve identified there’s mental health issues with that belief system""

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Kiss .500 Goodbye up more or less on time and under budget.

Flotsam and Jetsam - It's Summertime

And the living is easy. Unless you're Iran. Sundance at CTH reports President Trump Gives Himself Two Weeks to Decide Whether to Strike Iran. "“Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place in the near future, I will make my decision of whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday." Ace, Trump: I'll Decide Within #TwoWeeks Whether I'll Send Bombers to Take Out the Iranian Nuke Sites "Trump doesn't want to alienate the minority of his base that has gone full Code Pink, so he wants to delay making a decision." Maybe the Israelis will do something about Fordo before that. NewsMax cites the NY Post: Trump Worries Iran Could Become 'Another Libya', (remembering how well that Obama era intervention worked out), and NY Times: Iran Will Make Nuke if Fordow, Khamenei Attacked. It's definitely a risk, but they'll certainly make one if it's not. Ben Whedon at JTN reports Trump denies WSJ reporting that he authorized strike on Iran. Afshon Ostovar at Foreign Affairs, explains How Iran Lost, "Tehran’s Hard-Liners Squandered Decades of Strategic Capital and Undermined Deterrence."  From Da Wire, Trump Explains What Unconditional Surrender Looks Like For Iranian Regime, "“Unconditional surrender, that means I’ve had it. I’ve had it, I give up. No more. Then we go blow up all of the nuclear stuff that’s all over the place there,” Trump said." Dmitri Bolt at TownHall says Iran Refuses to Surrender — Even As Its Power Crumbles. In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over." In the UK Times, ‘Iranian regime in death throes risks a major economic shock’ "Historian Sir Niall Ferguson warns of an economic crisis “the scale of which we haven’t seen since the 1970s” . . . He predicted that the Iranian regime and its allies could hurt the US by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, and that would have a “massive economic impact”, pushing up the price of oil." Bob Spencer at PJM remembers Iran Has Been at War With the U.S. Since 1979. They even still occupy the US embassy in Tehran.  

The Times of Israel explores the question How close was Iran to the bomb, and how far has Israel pushed it back?, "The more we learn, the clearer it becomes that Israel struck in the nick of time: Iran was very close to the bomb. Its ballistic missiles were becoming a dire threat. And then there’s that derided ‘Destruction of Israel Plan’." The Telegraph reports Israel strikes Iranian nuclear reactor "The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it targeted Iran’s heavy water nuclear reactor, striking what it described as “a key component in plutonium production”. From TNP, The U.S. Is Sending More Warships Towards Israel. Dave Strom at Hat Hair wonders Could Israel Deploy Massive Bunker Busters That Duplicate US Capabilities? Tyler Rogoway@Aviation_Intel, "Could Israeli C-130s Drop GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bunker Busters? B-2s are the only aircraft that can employ MOPs to get at Iran's deepest facilities, but C-130s may be a viable option with a similar weapon." The Israeli's are highly motivated. Breitbart reports Flight Tracker Allegedly Spies Mysterious Chinese Transport Planes Heading for Iran. Bringing weapons? Evacuating Chinese?

Phil Wegmann at RCP, ‘America First’ War With Iran? Uneasy MAGA Confronts Possible Intervention. Jack Hunter at Am Con, The Neocons Are Working Hard to Co-Opt MAGA, "Perpetual war hawks are trying hard to fool conservatives into believing that “America First” really means America last." From Da Blaze, Lindsey Graham champions sending troops to Iran despite Americans' weariness of endless war "The men and women who serve, they're the ones going — not people answering the poll. And if you ask them, 'Would you be willing to risk your life to stop the ayatollah from having a nuclear weapon?' All of them would say, 'Yes.'" VodkaPundit at Insty cites SETH MANDEL: The ‘America First’ Crew’s Complete Disregard for American Lives. Sundance hosts Gordon Chang Outlining Quiet Administration Motive to Support Israeli Strikes Against Iran. "China has significant economic exposure within Beijing’s financial ties to Iran. With 90% of Iranian oil production fueling the Chinese economy any disruption would have considerable impact." At Insty, WHEN THE NEW GOVERNMENT COMES IN, IT SHOULD DEMAND THAT FRANCE PAY REPARATIONS: Marina Medvin @MarinaMedvin "France helped to install Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 after hosting him in Neauphle-le-Château, from where he coordinated the Iranian Revolution. France even chartered an Air France flight for him to Tehran in 1979. Now, France is offering to negotiate a peace deal to help Khamenei stay in power. lol." NiohBerg@NiohBerg "Dear Canada, Read this headline again. And again. And again." Can Nat Po, FIRST READING: If Iran collapses, regime officials likely to flee to Canada, "Canada already has a reputation as a safe haven for high-ranking officials from Tehran." Stephen Kruise wonders Are the Good Iranian People About to Have a Moment? It's possible I suppose, but history suggests things get worse before they get better. 

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.19.25 (Abbreviated Juneteenth Edition) EBL, Why destroying Iran’s nuclear program is so important, Louder With Crowder, Whoopi Goldberg Claims Being Black In America Is The Same As Living In Iran, Vox Popoli, Iran Has Nukes, There is No “We”, Kemosabe, The War Drums Get Louder, and Why the USA is Under Pressure, and Don Surber: Shouldn’t it be World War 6 or 7 by now?

Kim Strassel at WSJ is optimistic about The GOP Tax-Bill Endgame "Don’t let the dire reporting fool you. Republicans are closing in on a legislative win." Mark Tapscott at Insty, IF CBO KEEPS GETTING IT WRONG: "Then, doesn’t it make sense to change how CBO does its work? That’s what a bunch of folks on Capitol Hill are saying, including especially House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas)."

From Fox, Portland anti-ICE riot crushed by federal agents "Agents deployed non-lethal munitions like flash bags to disperse the unruly crowd." Nick Arama at RedState thinks you should Watch New Anti-ICE Action Against Portland Facility Gets Absolutely Crushed by Fed Agents. Sundance, Antifa and the FBI – Ask the Right Questions "How can a group within America openly threaten police, use violence against police, throw Molotov cocktails, bricks and explosive fireworks at police. Use batons, shields, bats and physical violence against police and federal law enforcement; destroy vehicles, set cars on fire, destroy property, trash and block the streets and create chaos…. Completely without being stopped? It doesn’t matter where it is happening, that’s irrelevant. Think plainly and simply. How does any individual or group get to do this without being arrested? It doesn’t make sense… unless…. …. Unless…. The group conducting the violence cannot be arrested. Many people are coming around to the understanding that the FBI is Antifa."

Cam at Bearing Arms sees Shannon Watts Melts Down Over ICE Arrest of New York Politician. At WokeSpy, Hegseth Shuts Down Furious Dem Sen. in Congress: “Your Time’s Up, Senator”. At Twitchy, An Unhinged Elizabeth Warren Gave Pete Hegseth a GREAT Opportunity to Point Out the MANY Dem Failures. Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan@SECNAV, "I am proud to announce that we have met our Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal three months ahead of schedule. A total of 40,600 future Sailors have stepped up to serve in our @USNavy. This achievement reflects the courage of those who choose a life of honor and commitment in defense of our nation. . . " Leslie Eastman at LI reports Transportation Sec. Duffy Tells Sanctuary Cities Feds Are Not Paying for Anti-ICE Riot Damage. "L.A. riots costs reach nearly $20 million for police and city repairs." You broke it, you fix it. Dave Strom notes Democrats Are Suddenly Anti-Mask, for ICE agents. Sister Toldja at RedState has a Report: Here's What Gavin Newsom Was Doing in the Early Days of the Riots As LA Burned, wine tasting. Matt Vespa at TownHall hears a Liberal Commentator Had the Perfect Word to Describe the Left's 'No Kings' Protest "not enough." At NewsMax, Rep. Max Miller After Road Rage Incident: Won't Hide. "Miller posted a video on X about the incident, saying, "This morning as I was driving to work, some unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road when he couldn't get my attention to show me a Palestinian flag, not to mention death to Israel, death to me, that he wanted to kill me and my family.""

Shooting News Weekly is pleased that the Department of Justice Plans to Cut Two-Thirds of ATF’s IOI Firearm Inspectors. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn sees Ag Secretary Jumps Into Fight for NJ Family Farm. Blaze reports Leftists rage over Trump's latest patriotic installment at the White House. Two big effing poles with big effing flags. 

NewsMax, On Juneteenth, Trump Says 'Too Many Non-Working Holidays In America'.  From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.19.25 (Abbreviated Juneteenth Edition) Dana Loesch: What’s The Point Of Complaining About Juneteenth? Althouse Joe Biden — who declared Juneteenth a federal holiday — celebrates Juneteenth. "At the Reedy Church, yesterday, in Galveston, Texas: . . The actual fact he didn't even approach is that the Emancipation Proclamation didn't abolish slavery in Delaware. It took the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery in Delaware, so on Juneteenth — June 19, 1865 — the Delaware slaves were still slaves. The Thirteenth Amendment was not ratified until December 6, 1865." I propose a new "Federal Appreciation Day", where everyone but Federal workers get the day off paid, and Feds work for free to pay them. 

Beege Welborn notices Jake Tapper Still Working the Weasel Words. Jason Cohen @JasonJournoDC, "NEW: Jake Tapper on Biden's decline: "We all saw it happening and we all refused to see it." Not all, just the partisan hacks. Commentary, The Scandal of the Biden ‘Tell-All’ Books "The authors claim to be teaching us something new. What they are really doing, though, is telling us what we already knew but that they are only now willing to tell us." Jeff Clark @JeffClarkUS "Conservative constitutionalists believe the President is a *singular* official — the only branch of our three federal branches of government that consists of only one man. In important ways, widespread use of the autopen— and certainly abuse without knowledge by the singular President — functionally creates a *multiplicity* of cloaked Presidents. . . " 

PJM's Rick Moran hears New York Business Leaders Say They'll Flee If Mamdani Is Elected Mayor. Ace is pleased to report Dems In Disarray: The DNC Is Broke-Ass as Megadonors Close Their Wallets. "I mentioned this in last night's Quick Hits but didn't actually bother to read the article. John Sexton reports it's full of good stuff. By "good stuff" I mean the Democrat Party is now basically a slap-fight melee 8th grade girls and their gay besties."

Julie Kelly @julie_kelly2 "As expected. Breyer made a fool of himself in this decision. Appellate panel rightly overturned his partisan and baseless order." Quote Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney, "BREAKING: A federal appeals court has indefinitely blocked Judge Breyer’s order to put Gavin Newsom back in control of the National Guard. The three-judge panel, which included two Trump and one Biden appointee, was unanimous." From the College Fix, Latest Supreme Court ruling could help white males sue universities, experts say. At Da Blaze, 'Rogue' Biden judge ignores biological truth, blocks Trump's common-sense passport policy. Ben Weingarten at Da Fed wonders at how 80 Percent Of Anti-Trump Lawsuits Are Filed In Courts Ruled By Democrat Appointees. At Law and Liberty, Environmentalists Lose Their "Perfect Tool" "The high court’s decision not only revived a major energy project but also corrected a troubling trend: the misuse of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to obstruct economic development through ever-expanding regulatory demands."

Matt Margolis says Bombshell Emails Reveal Shocking Lengths the Biden DOJ Went to Get Trump. Ace, Emails Show Biden DOJ Officials Scheming to Contrive Any Charges They Could Against Trump, Even Attempting to Prosecute Him for... Appearing on the J6 Prisoner's Protest Song, "Democrats totally support everyone's right to protest, right? And not just their violent transgender street revolutionaries, right?" John O'Connor at Am Great highlights Prohibited Access: A Cache of FBI Corruption?. "A secret FBI document cache—“Prohibited Access”—may hold explosive evidence of political cover-ups, misconduct, and a decade of justice corrupted from within." From LifeZette, James Comey’s Message Used by Arrested Ex-Coast Guard Officer Who Threatened Trump. "Stinson is accused of making multiple threats against President Trump, including references to “86 47,” a phrase that appeared in a controversial post made by Comey in May. 

From Da Caller, Trump Admin’s Effort To Detect Noncitizen Voters Already Appears To Be Yielding Fruit. 

Stacy McCain reports a YUGE Win for Trump: Illegal Immigrant Population Has Dropped by 1 Million! Turns out self-deportation works. Cal Matters, From San Diego to the Bay Area, California restaurants are on edge over immigration raids. From LifeZette, Aurora Hit Again by Suspected Tren de Aragua Gang Members. From the Pop Times, Illegal Alien Charged With Attempted Murder After Allegedly Chasing Trump’s Attorney with a Knife. At Da Wire, Bill Backed By Assassinated Minnesota Lawmaker To Yank Healthcare From Illegals Is Signed Into Law "Hortman was the lone Democrat to vote for the bill just days before she was killed."

Tom Bevan @TomBevanRCP "Orwellian and insane. Obama: Distinguishing Between Fact And Opinion Will Require Government Constraints, "We Don't Want A Diversity Of Facts"" Democrats have a habit of asserting their opinions are facts. Bob Hoge at RedState is So Sad Sunny Hostin Has Regrets for Actually Asking Kamala a Question and Tanking Her Campaign. Drew Berquist, Jim Acosta Says the ‘Far-Right Has Infiltrated the Heartland,’ Led Farmers Astray. Matt Vespa, Watch Trump's Reaction When This Reporter Revealed Who She Worked for. At NYPo, Charles Gasparino reports Paramount delays $35M settlement with Trump as media giant fears bribery backlash. 

Campus Reform reports Millions of students dropped out as higher ed shifted focus from degrees to DEI. From the Free Bacon, Exclusive: Harvard Law Review Axes 85 Percent of Submissions Using Race-Conscious Rubric, Documents Show. Sarah Anderson at TownHall, State Department to Resume Student Visa Appointments, but There's a Catch. "Visa applicants with social media profiles must ensure that all privacy settings are set to "public" so consulate officers can view them." From Da Wire, Rock Singer Declares: ‘If You Voted for Trump, Do Not Come To My Shows’ "Ronnie Winter, lead singer of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, is being mocked for his declaration." Fine.

Matt Margolis thinks Justice Thomas Destroyed the ‘Experts’ Who Support Mutilating Children. From Fox, The Supreme Court did the right thing. I know because I was part of a horrifying gender transition. "A detransitioner who supported Tennessee law restricting gender procedures tells how such surgeries rely on pseudoscience." John Sexton at Hat Hair has An Excellent Story on the Recent History of the Trans Movement. Althouse finds, "Some people, including those self-identified liberals worried about going too far, will see reducing the number of people who choose to transition as a good thing..." Writes M. Gessen, in "The Supreme Court Fails to See Transgender Teens" (NYT)" Madeline Leesman at TownHall, hears Trump’s Education Secretary Reveals What Will Happen If States Allow Transgender Athletes to Compete. “We do investigate…our Office of Civil Rights (OCR) investigates any of those allegations, and if there is a finding, sometimes we can negotiate with that particular school. Or, we can turn it over to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate further,” McMahon said. . . . One of the potential actions we can take, also, is taking federal funds away from some of the schools that are in noncompliance. So, those options are on the table as well,” 

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Before The Deluge up on time and under budget at the Other McCain.