Oregon, My Oregon

This sign at an Oregon theatre is objectively untrue.

We don't have exact points in history for either, but the Odyssey was written around 700 BCE, and the earliest mention of Israel came in 1213 BCE, with Jews undoubtedly having been around a lot longer before then.

But more… pic.twitter.com/B9vuBFqAg6

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) July 18, 2026

Insty, THE CORBYNIZATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONTINUES APACE: Provocative Lake Oswego theater’s marquee message about Jews provokes criticism, worry.

The foremost criticisms of the marquee missive included that the statement was incorrect – and that it might spark antisemitic acts, such as the death threat scrawled on Northwest Portland’s Congregation Beth Israel building in 2022.

“It’s historically inaccurate. That’s the first piece,” said Rabbi Eve Posen of Congregation Neveh Shalom in Southwest Portland. “It’s a movie that doesn’t need much to get people to come see it, so why the theater would make this decision knowing that it’s historically inaccurate makes no sense.”

Historians generally date “The Odyssey” to the eighth or seventh century B.C.E., while the Jewish people predate that period by centuries.

Posen said she began receiving complaints Wednesday morning from congregants who were offended by the message. Others in the community also were outraged by the theater’s message.

In an email to the theater, West Linn resident Abby Farber wrote: “I think your marquee advertising ‘The Odyssey’ contains an inappropriate reference to Jews. If it’s an attempt at humor, it falls flat. Moreover, in this era of rising antisemitism, I think it’s also highly distasteful to everyone who is a fair-minded person.”

Farber continued: “What do Jews have to do with this piece of fictional art? Why bring up a religion? Definitely not funny.”

Maryland, My Maryland

Bob Spencer at PJM has this story: Muslims Should 'Sacrifice Their Blood for the Sake of Allah,' Says Imam... In Maryland. 

You mean they should open a vein and bleed all over the Koran? Umm, not really.

An imam in Alabama, Ragab Abdelmoneim of the Islamic Academy of Huntsville, openly told his audience that Muslims must be ready to sacrifice their lives through jihad in order to establish “the religion of Allah” in the United States.
He claimed that victory over America is… pic.twitter.com/Jtb5NcaKBl

— Yossi BenYakar (@YossiBenYakar) June 25, 2026

Ragab Abdelmoneim is not some wild-eyed fanatic screaming obscenities on a streetcorner. On the contrary, he is a prominent, respected member of the Muslim community in the U.S. today. Alabama’s 1819 News reported recently that he is “now the Imam and ‘Resident Scholar’ at the Islamic Center of Maryland.” An Alabama publication is reporting on him because before he moved to Maryland, he served as an imam at the Islamic Academy in Huntsville, Ala., and was also a “part-time lecturer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).”

Feel free to try to convert people with your words. But otherwise, be prepared to spill your own blood. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - More From the Platner Poo-Poo Plater

Somehow the lead goes again to Graham Platner, the Nazi-tattooed, Kik posting, allegedly girlfriend beating Democrat candidate for Maine's senate seat, currently occupied by that "fascist" Susan Collins. New York Post @nypost, "Fetterman vows to ditch hoodie for suit if Graham Platner proves he didn't send 'd-k pics' to minors https://trib.al/vM0kJRk" Nick Arama at RedState, Platner's Response to Fetterman's Challenge for Him to Release Texts Raises More Eyebrows. "John Fetterman seems to genuinely think that the reason no one likes him is because he refuses to wear a suit. It's not the hoodie, dude. It's because you've become a stooge for AIPAC and the Republican party." "Notice what you don't see in that response? He doesn't agree to release the texts." Matt Vespa at TownHall thinks you should Look at This CNN Host's Face When John Fetterman Said This About Graham Platner “Did you say or...did Senate Democrats discuss Graham Platner posting pictures of his...uh...you called it his dick...at...did you discuss this in a lunch?” From the Free Bacon, New York Times Accused of Omitting 'Accusations of Sexual Assault' From Piece on 'Toxic' Graham Platner. "'After the story went up I began to ask … wait, where are the stories from the other women?' Platner's ex says." Jim Treacher says I Believe Lyndsey Fifield. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, New Nazi-Tat Abuser Strategy: Threaten Defamation For, Er ... "As we like to say: discovery will be lit!" Graham Platner for Senate @grahamformaine, "This is false and defamatory. I would have thought Fox News learned their lesson after paying Dominion $787.5 million." Quote RNC Research @RNCResearch, "Maine Wire reporter, Steve Robinson on Graham Platner: “He’s proven himself to be a pathological liar...The oyster business, totally fake...Look at the date that his website for his fake oyster business was created, it was created after Graham for Maine, his Senate website.”" Kurt Schlichter at TownHall wonders Why Are Male-Identifying Democrat Candidates All Creepy Weirdos? From Twitchy, A Big Stretch: The Atlantic Reaches Across the Pond to Find a Writer Who Believes James Talarico Is Manly. Capt. Ed has Monday's Final Word Drop Site: @DropSiteNews, "A Maine voter says Graham Platner’s mistakenly obtained tattoo is not a major issue for her. An Israeli flag tattoo, however, would be a deal-breaker, because she could not support a candidate that supports genocide."

Teri Christoph at RedState wonders Is This How Democrats Will Solve Their Graham Platner Problem? "The kindling is being set by Anthony's supporters, and the trial's outcome will be the flame. And that's because, despite the outcome, the race baiters have a ready-made excuse at hand to light cities on fire – and Democrats will be holding the flamethrower. A guilty verdict or a plea deal? Another young black man has been unfairly punished by the judicial system! Let's riot. An acquittal? This faultless young black man was unfairly targeted by the judicial system! Let's riot. And the Democrat Party is rubbing its hands with glee. They love nothing more than summers of riots, and this setup is just too perfect."

From NYPo, Die-hard Spencer Pratt supporters devastated by late vote surge as faith in election falters. Sundance at CTH, President Trump Notes California Ballot Curation Likely to Eliminate Steve Hilton. Auron MacIntyre @AuronMacintyre, "Helicopters full of ballots Helicopters." Quote Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department used helicopters to fly in ballots from vote centers across the region “They're picking up ballots from 8 cities including Lancaster, Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lakewood, Santa Monica, Van Nuys, Pomona, and Torrance. Once." Bill Mitchell @mitchellvii, "One thing is for sure. When Democrats are counting votes, crazy, statistically impossible things are possible. Joe Biden can lose 18 out of 19 bellwether counties. He can lose Iowa, Ohio, and Florida. He can lose massive House seats and still get the most votes in presidential history. It's MAGIC." Hat Hair's Dave Strom explains How We Know That Los Angeles Vote Was Rigged. Jarvis @jarvis_best, "LA is wild because the election will be between a Cuban trained Marxist guerrilla fighter and a woman running to her left." Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD @houmanhemmati, "As @BoredElonMusk & the data show, Raman’s late mail in ballot surge was fueled in large part by ballots from Skid Row. Tens of thousands of homeless whose ballots are sent to central addresses (not the sidewalk) & can be filled out/returned by someone else. Suspicious…" End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Mail-ins arriving before Election Day: Bass: 38.1% Pratt: 27.9% Raman: 20% Mail-ins arriving after Election Day: Raman: 37% (+17% surge) Bass: 34.9% (-3% drop) Pratt: 19% (-9% drop) Who are we kidding here? This is fraud." At the Volokh Conspiracy, Volokh asks "Why Can't California Count?" Dmitri Bolt at TownHall notes CNN's Harry Enten Says Election Fraud in LA Is 'the Dumbest Conspiracy Theory' He's Ever Heard. No need for fraud when the law allows them to cheat. Nick shirley @nickshirleyy, "Meet Doris, she lives in California and is registered as a 126 year old who has voted in 51 elections and has NO IDEA. California’s voting system is so corrupt that by simply knocking on the door of the “126 year old” proves election fraud. EXPOSE IT ALL." Bill Mitchell @mitchellvii, "You know, after watching CA count votes, I feel much more comfortable with Republicans flexing a bit in redistricting, don't you?" wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "The significance to outside observers of Spencer Pratt vs Karen Bass was not as a political race per se, but a diagnostic. A kind of recon by force they could watch from afar. If you were looking to invest in LA, or in California the fate of Pratt was likely to predict your own. How honest was city hall? How reliable was the state? None of the answers to these things are available from Google but you can infer it from observation. Thus "poor devil, he never had a chance" can also mean "don't go to that swamp. It's full of reptiles."" Amy Curtis at TownHall, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Calls for Federal Funding Cuts Until California Cleans Up Its Disastrous Elections. PJM's Vicky Taft thinks What Happened to Spencer Pratt Is Why the Supreme Court Decision on Election DAY Is Key.

PJM's Kevin Downey identifies the Filthy Pinko of the Week: Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy! Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Democrat Chris Murphy is REFUSING to apologize after saying it was "awesome" that Iranian ships slipped past the U.S. blockade. He says it was just "sarcasm." This traitor needs to resign in disgrace." Matt Vespa thinks What This Dem Rep Said About Trump Over the Weekend Is What Cost ABC News $15 Million.

Don Surber likes how Trump ignores RNC, gets half the Hispanic vote. "Democrats are peeing their pants over losing 40-point majorities among Hispanics." DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Turns out that @LeaderJohnThune was totally projecting when he said the SAVE Act was an influencer campaign. Senator John Thune is compromised by a company that literally exists to sell access to himself. Pass it on." Quote DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, Replying to @AndrewDesiderio, "Hello, Mr. Desiderio, Punchbowl News sells access to Capitol Hill for corporate clients. Their senior Senate reporter is you, Andrew Desiderio."

Sarah Anderson at PJM hears Are the Vances Adding More Than Just a New Baby to Their Family?. A chicken coop? "According to the Daily Wire, the Vance family is joining millions of people across the United States who are raising their own backyard flocks of chickens. More specifically, as of 2025, 11 million households in the US have their own chickens, and now, it sounds like we can add the VP's residence at the Naval Observatory to the list. The coop, which is stunning, was built by North Carolina-based, family-owned Carolina Coops, and it was "designed to match the architectural themes of the historic vice presidential residence." It's also worth noting that this was not paid for with your tax dollars, according to the Daily Wire."

From Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, How Ukraine Is Hammering Russian Logistics, Sundance at CTH hears the EU Coalition of the Willing Establishes Five Terms for Direct Ukraine-Russia Negotiations "The #3, #4 and #5 points are not going to go anywhere." At the Nat Sec J, Russia Might Actually Win the War in Ukraine. That Could Be the Worst Thing That Ever Happened to It. RCD's Rebecca Grant envisions A Permanent Armored Brigade in Poland?

Sundance is pleasantly surprised to hear Congress is Getting Nervous About Reauthorizing FISA-702. Eric Boehm at Reason believes Stephen Miller and Pete Hegseth Are Wildly Misleading About Section 702 Warrantless Surveillance. "Miller says it is "madness" to expect law enforcement to get a warrant before spying on Americans' electronic communications."

Shipwreckedcrew sees SCOTUS Smacks Obama/Biden Appointees With A Newspaper Across The Nose For Wrongfully Acting Like A "Roving Commission Looking For Wrongs To Right." "A very pointed Per Curiam Opinion issued this morning identifies the Fourth Circuit as a repeat offender in deciding cases on issues never raised by the parties -- THAT is judicial activism." Upstate Federalist @upstatefederlst, "I have been reliably informed that a fee is not a tax." Quote, "Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney, "JUST IN: A federal judge has ruled Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee is an unauthorized tax on businesses and must be vacated." Cam at BA reports SCOTUS Keeps Hardware Bans on Hold, but Makes Interesting Move on Prohibited Person Case. Firearms Policy Coalition @gunpolicy, "The cert petition filed by the federal government in a case where the Fifth Circuit ruled that the felon gun ban is unconstitutional as applied to the defendant whose "sole predicate offense... is his failure to pay child support" has been denied."

The Chronic chronicles Tina Peters’ Escape from Devil’s Island.

NYPo opines on Sneaky leftist lawsuits taking aim at US energy dominance.

Hat Hair's John Sexton is heartened that 'Protesters' Face Felony Convictions for Blocking the Golden Gate, but fears jury nullifications. Being San Francisco, it's not an unreasonable fear. "My take is that these protesters were basically taking a cue from Hamas. They essentially took a bridge full of people hostage for four hours (and would have done so for longer if the police had let them) and then complain in court that no one was harmed by the brief hostage taking. Except people were harmed."

Three different takes on Scott Pelley's interview with the NYT. From Sundance, The Alarming and Deeply Disturbing Scott Pelley Interview. PJM's Stephen Kruiser, Scott Pelley's Podcast Tears Made My Schadenfreude Cup Runneth Over. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, It's Kinda Hilarious to See Scott Pelley Expose Himself as Such a Doofus. I'm kind of in the schadenfreude camp. Also from Kruiser, OK, I Think President Trump Really Enjoys Trolling Kristen Welker.

Leslie Eastman at LI sees more Fallout from Video Release Expands: Police Sought to Cast Henry Nowak as Aggressor. "Europe Reacts with Demonstrations and “Taking a Knee” Movement while Media Deflects in Wake of Henry Nowak Killing." Bernie @Artemisfornow, "The Sunday Times reports that 3 days after Henry Nowak’s death, police wanted to issue a statement implying Henry was the aggressor. By then, they already had evidence that wasn’t the case. Only after objections from Henry’s family was the wording changed. They weren’t trying to protect Henry. They were trying to protect themselves. That was the disinformation."

At Althouse, The proposed rule would impose "a narrow, culturally specific understanding of family" that "privileges a dominant cultural framework over the lived realities of communities of color and global Christians." "I'm reading "Presbyterian Church faces revolt after proposing clergy must be in monogamous relationships — and critics blame white privilege" (NY Post).

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Keepers & Discards up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - "Thank You Darling, Have a Good Time"

Ryan King at NYPo reports Trump storms off ‘Meet The Press’ interview after fiery exchange with NBC’s Kristen Welker over 2020 election. Jeff Charles at TownHall, 'Thank You Darling, Have a Good Time': Trump Storms Out of Interview With Kirsten Welker. PJM's Matt Margolis, Trump Storms Out of ‘Meet the Press’ Interview. Nick Arama at RedState thinks you should Watch: Trump Drops Kristen Welker in Fiery Interview, Ends With Him Walking Out. At Althouse, "Because it was raining, I got a little bit angry at them. I was not happy with them. But we had a good time." "Said Trump, quoted at the end of "Trump walks out of 'Meet the Press' interview when challenged over false claims/When pressed by host Kristen Welker, the president cited no evidence for claims about Jan. 6 and elections he said were 'rigged'" (WaPo)(gift link)." Sundance at CTH hosts the whole interview President Trump Meet the Press Interview – Full Video and Transcript. Buzz Patterson @BuzzPatterson, "AMERICAN MEDIA EXPOSED! The funniest thing about this video is Welker bitching about the fact that she had to fly to Wisconsin for the interview. You know who else had to fly to Wisconsin for the interview? The President of the United States. Get over yourself, @MeetThePress! New rules!" miguelifornia @miguelifornia, ""There's no evidence of Capitol Police escorting protesters into the Capitol on J6" - @kwelkernbc to President @realDonaldTrump on @MeetThePress." Video of Kap Kops." Carmine Sabia @CarmineSabia, "This is what psychopath Kristin Welker looked like talking to the President of the United States. Maybe if she showed some respect people would respect her."

And as long as we're documenting the follies of the press, Charles Gasparino at NYPo explains How CBS News boss Bari Weiss finally reached her decision to fire Scott Pelley from ‘60 Minutes’. Ward Clark at RedState thinks Scott Pelley Embarrasses Himself in Wild New NYT Interview. A Driscolly post at Insty, SCOTT PELLEY BREAKS DOWN, COMPARES 60 MINUTES FIRINGS TO ‘FAMILY’ BEING MURDERED IN LUDICROUS NEW INTERVIEW: Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "Scott Pelley says Bari Weiss asked 60 Minutes staffers: “Why do you think the country thinks you’re biased?" Pelley: "Why do you think so? Do you have a poll? Is there market research? What are you talking about?" "Because we certainly didn't believe that." Incredible." Sarah Hoyt at Insty says DON’T THINK OF IT AS A MURDER, SCOTT. THINK OF IT AS MAID. YOU SOCIALISTS ARE ALL FOR IT: "Scott Pelley Snivels To NY Times: My Firing “Murdered” The 60 Minutes Family." TownHall's Scott McLallen asserts Scott Pelley's Post-Firing Pity Tour Is Everything Wrong With Legacy Media. Oh no, there's plenty more wrong. Dave Manney at PJM, Scott Pelley Mistook '60 Minutes' for His Personal Throne Room. Hat Hair's Josh Hammer looks at the CBS News' Shakeup and the Future of the Mainstream Press.

Dave Catron at Am Spec speculates on Eric Swalwell and the Decline of Media Objectivity "A free press must inform the people, yet today’s media often withholds what matters most." Preston Byrne @prestonjbyrne, "The Guardian says that further censorship of U.S. social media companies is needed to control dissent in Europe. The U.S. govt needs to make it clear: targeting Americans with censorship laws is not an available solution to Europe's domestic problems. https://theguardian.com/comment"

Iran and Israel are swapping strikes after Iran took special offence at Israel's targeted strike against an IRGC leader in Lebanon. Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles against Israel, and Israel responded by striking targets in Iran. Reuters, Israel and Iran strike each other for first time since ceasefire. CNN, Trump demands Israel and Iran ‘immediately stop ‘shooting’’ as fresh strikes imperil ceasefire, "Israel and Iran are trading the worst strikes in months. Trump previously urged Netanyahu not to retaliate, according to a US official." Tousi TV, Iran’s Inflation Rate Soars Past 77 Percent. I don't think we'll see much progress with Iran until we peel back a few more layers of the IRGC. Sundance catches House Intel Ranking Member Jim Himes Anticipating Political Benefit of Terrorist Attack Following FISA (702) Expiration.

At Althouse, "In the White House, there is a system for dealing with a president who rarely sleeps. The staff take it in shifts so they get a nap..." Writes Katie Balls, in "Donald Trump at 80: is refusing to act his age his secret weapon?/The president is still known to work 12-hour days and post all night as he enters his ninth decade" (London Times). Larry Elder at Hat Hair is on the TDS Watch: Dispelling The 'Convicted Felon' Argument.

Joe Cunningham at RedState notes, not too surprisingly Progressive Councilwoman Overtakes Spencer Pratt for Second Place, Heads to Run-off in LA Mayor Primary, which is too bad. I never expected Pratt to win, or become Mayor, but I hoped getting into second spot and being in the actual elections might turn some heads in my hometown. But apparently, the vote mines are in full production mode. Driscoll warning, GOOD AND HARD, L.A., GOOD AND HARD: Trevor Ewen @trevor_ewen, "In the words of Ed Koch: "The people have spoken, now they must be punished." Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "BREAKING: Nithya Raman just defeated Spencer Pratt after giving a concession speech on election night and then getting the largest number in almost every mail-in ballot dump. They just cheated in an election right in front of our eyes." Sundance sees the California U.S. Attorney Office Pretends Not to Know Specifics or Origin of California Voter Fraud. Betsy Stauffer at LI sees signs of hope that Newsom’s Effort to Flip Five Red Seats May Fall Short of his Expectations. “District by district, the picture emerging is one of Republican resilience — and in some cases, a surprising Democratic collapse in races Newsom’s allies had hoped to turn.”

Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "The communist with a Nazi SS tattoo? His OPPONENT is a fascist?" Quote Dean Baker @DeanBaker13, "The merits are that Platner is infinitely better than Susan Collins, who supports fascism. Is that too simple for you to understand? x.com/ NateSilver538/…" Sunny @sunnyright, "The people who found outrageous Nazi symbolism in “Ok” hand signs can’t find it in a Nazi death squad chest tattoo." CBD at Ace's The Democrat Party Is The Party Of Violence And Hatred, And They Are Proving It Every Day. At Hat Hair Betsy McCaughey worries about Young Voters Falling for Socialist Myths. The Victory Girls look at James Talarico and the Presbyterian Church’s Embrace of Polyamory. I mean, who wouldn't want a harem?

Twitchy says POPCORN! DataRepublican Says 'Hello' to Mr. Hunter Biden and His Newfound Popularity on X and HERE WE GO. DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Hello Mr. Hunter Biden, You're getting six-digit likes on every post lately. I don't have any hope to ratio you or whatever through traditional "Hello" means. But for those uninitiated, those who are captivated by your fake-humble persona obviously PR-engineered to capture unsuspecting disaffected Republicans: You are not some humility, witty guy turning over a new leaf. You are the ultimate proof of nepotism, everything that the so-called "Epstein Class" is supposed to represent. Let me explain - off the top of my head...."

At the Chronic, AstroTurf Outrage at Delaney Hall. Siraj Hashmi @SirajAHashmi, “The replies are just them posting ‘this is what I voted for’ over and over again” Quote Pubity @pubity, "For the first time since the 1930s, more people are moving out of America than are moving in. People are leaving for other countries in droves."

The Independent (UK) reports David Lammy told JD Vance 'you're wrong' after Henry Nowak case intervention "David Lammy has told JD Vance he was wrong to link Henry Nowak’s murder to immigration and warned him the intervention on social media was “not helpful”. Was it helpful when Keir Starmer knelt for BLM? The Deputy Prime Minister said he challenged the US vice-president in a “robust” phone call on Saturday after Mr Vance appeared to blame the killing on a “mass invasion” of people into Europe." At Euro Con, Henry Nowak: The Footage We Were Never Meant to See. Sundance examines the Ongoing Fallout from Nowak Murder Case.

Joel Kotkin at CJ looks at The Rise of the UnJews. "Anti-Zionism is rising among diaspora Jews; the future of Jewish identity may be increasingly Israeli." Call them JINOs.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Keepers & Discards up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Reflections on the Reflecting Pool

Dr. Clayton Forrester @DrClaytonForre1, "Trump hired a bunch of chuds to restore the Reflecting Pool, which they did on time and on budget. Liberals are absolutely furious because they don't want voters to see that you can just fix things." Quote The White House @WhiteHouse, "“Our Great ‘Warriors’ who fixed and rebuilt the Reflecting Pool!” - President Donald J. Trump." richard wolf @RawdogDMonkey, "Wait, you can fix things without a $452m study to determine if we should perform a $36m environmental impact study before awarding a $875m contract to do what some pool guys did for $3m?" At Althouse, Live feed of the filling of the Reflecting Pool, and a poll, Can we all just say it looks beautiful? Pick the answer closest to what you think. 1) Never. It looks like Trump. That's all I see and that's always ugly. 2) Let's be empathetic to those who are so deeply troubled by Trump that they can't see what is true. 3) It's objectively beautiful, and everyone ought to acknowledge what is true.

Imagine being angry about this https://t.co/GfBt1FVWvq

— Marc Thiessen (@marcthiessen) June 6, 2026

Breccan Theis at Da Fed approve of how Rubio, Bessent Show Obsequious GOP How To Give No Quarter To Propagandists. They won't be polite, or give you the benefit of the doubt, so show them no weakness or mercy and stand your ground. A vid at Hat Hair, Border Security Funded, Family Values Defended: Conservatives Deliver on Capitol Hill. 

Sundance at CTH hosts Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Delivers Remarks Honoring D-Day Anniversary. Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "He paid his own way so that he could honor our war dead and teach his children the accurate lessons of history leftist filth like you would deny them in the classroom. Just when I think the so-called profession of "journalism" could not stoop any lower, you surprise me." Quote John Hudson @John_Hudson, "Hegseth takes six of his children to France on official trip, reports @taracopp https://washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/06/05/hegseth-takes-six-his-kids-france-official-trip/"

Andrew Breitbart and Lyndsey Fifield

Stacy McCain sings the praises of The Unexpected Heroine Lyndsey Fifield. "When the story broke Thursday, I was stunned. The ex-girlfriend of Graham Platner featured in the lengthy New York Times story was someone I’ve known since 2010. I spent most of the afternoon calling and texting friends who also knew her, and they were similarly surprised." Atop Da Hill Jonathan Turley observes that 8 years after Kavanaugh, Democrats have stopped believing all women. They never really did; it was always selective. Althouse finds Dirtbagism. "I'm reading "Graham Platner and the Rise of the ‘Dirtbag’ Democrat/And what the Maine candidate reveals about politics today" in the NYT." At Hat Hair, Mark Judge observes The Left Covers for Graham Platner and Dave Strom sees The Irony of Graham Platner's Campaign. Chuck Ross @ChuckRossDC, "The guy who divorced his wife when she was 9 months pregnant has some thoughts on Graham Platner’s sexts," Quote Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur, "Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on Platner: “We know that Graham has lived not your typical political experience. He's been very clear and open with his wife, and they worked through whatever they worked through. At the end of the day, this man has had 60 more town halls than Susan." Liz Mair @LizMair, "My grandfather never physically injured my grandmother in the course of an altercation. He served in WWII. My father-in-law is also not a wife-beater; he ran logistics for the British Army during the Falklands War, in theater." Quote David Weigel @daveweigel, Replying to @daveweigel, "Khanna says that Democrats should respect the women who came forward to talk about Platner while understanding that he changed and that veterans were “broken” in stupid wars." 

Matt Whitlock @MattWhitlock, "This is a really valuable read to understand how Graham Platner rose - it wasn't some organic populist surge. It was a well-funded op - including glowing NYT and GQ profiles BEFORE he even announced, promoting a very specific curated message intended to get libs online buzzing." Quote Jim Geraghty @jimgeraghty, "So… it was, and is, “an op.” The right Democratic political consulting and media firm created an artificial buzz and persuaded all of these publications that Grähäm Plätner was The Next Big Thing™. You see, that company is called “Good Influence” because it helps Democrats." Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate, "The Chapo guys (except the one who had the stroke), AOC, Mamdani, Platner, ‘Claire Valdez,’ etc. - they all have the same bios: They come from affluent backgrounds and have educated and/ or wealthy parents but are downwardly mobile, they fail to launch and then find a foothold in leftist politics." Quote Corey Walker @CoreyWriting, "Graham Platner is a trust fund kid that attended elite private schools. Stop pretending like he's some everyman. x.com/musepwt/status…" From Twitchy, He MAD! Graham Platner’s Antisemitic RANT at John Fetterman for Calling Him Out As a Creeper Is DAMNING. New York Post @nypost, "Fetterman vows to ditch hoodie for suit if Graham Platner proves he didn't send 'd-k pics' to minors https://trib.al/vM0kJRk." Graham Platner for Senate @grahamformaine, "John Fetterman seems to genuinely think that the reason no one likes him is because he refuses to wear a suit. It's not the hoodie, dude. It's because you've become a stooge for AIPAC and the Republican party." Joe Chalfant at TownHall wonders Why Are Democrats Siccing Staffers on People Asking Questions?

Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "It's not that hard. The left lets institutions and communities break down to a point of total degradation to prove why more government and non profits are the answer. The goal is to purposely not solve problems and make life and safety worse. See the entire defund the police movement and homelessness nonprofits in California. Gavin Newson promised to end homelessness and instead it ballooned on purpose. This is why there was such enormous flip out over Trump renovating the reflecting pool or spencer Pratt's campaign. Once people realize that things can be improved a lot of nonprofits and public union/money dries up. ... Because once an AI is programmed to tell people that boys can become girls it's the death of truth. Data centers being built isn't the problem, the data in those data centers is." Quote David Sacks @DavidSacks "While I’m no fan of socialism or arbitrary confiscations of wealth, I can see why Bernie Sanders’ proposal (for the government to take a 50% stake in AI companies) resonates, including with many on the right. The CEOs of the leading AI labs have told us repeatedly that they will cause massive job loss. This is not a story that I believe, nor does the data bear it out, but this is what they have told us. Similarly, they have hyped the risks of AI without putting an equal or greater emphasis on the benefits or readily available mitigations... From NewsWeek, China Backs U.S. Social Media Opposing AI Data Centers. It's shaping up to be a big topic in our county, and our socials are full of anti-data center propaganda.

Matt Vespa at TownHall asks Is This Why It's Taking California So Long to Count Its Ballots? "In Los Angeles, the election nerve center has rows of empty seats and plenty of space, despite having a $330+ million budget (via NY Post)." At AOL, Thieves swipe Bay Area mail-in ballots as questions swirl about vote count. Susie Crabtree at RCP observes Newsom’s Gerrymander Power Play Fizzles. "With early primary returns now in, the grand gerrymandering plan looks like it’s unraveling – or at the very least, won’t deliver the sweeping seat eliminations Newsom and Democrats had hoped for in California where Republicans previously held only nine of the state’s 52 seats." Wait, they're not through manufacturing votes.

California Globe @CaliforniaGlobe, "California Dethroned: Fortune 500 Crown Goes to Texas. This isn’t “California Derangement Syndrome” as Gov. Gavin Newsom claims. This is the economic reality by businesses to California’s toxic business climate, and as the Billionaire Tax threat looms large. @CaliforniaGlobe" USA Today, Bye, Chicago! Bears announce major step toward Indiana stadium. I can't imagine why?

NYPo, Bill Maher says artists quitting America 250 concert makes it look like Dems ‘don’t love America’ "Maher argued that the performers made a mistake by abandoning the event celebrating America’s 250th birthday and said their exit only turned it into a full-blown “MAGA rally.”" Nick Arama at Red State sees Police Bring Down the Fire When Radical Activists Create Chaos at TPUSA Women's Summit in TX. From Twitchy, Lefty Thug Trying to Block Vehicles at ICE Detention Center Gets Introduced to the Pavement. Dave Strom, Police Leaving Newark ICE Facility Exposed to Riots Tonight.

Driscoll at Insty hears JENNIFER LOPEZ: “You have to be born in New York to be a New Yorker!” Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Do you think she realizes the broader implications of what she’s saying? Or nah?"

API whines about the FBI firing several analysts tied to disputed ‘Catholic ideology’ memo. Disputed? Even Wray and Garland turned their backs on it when they were caught en flagrante. At Da Fed Bryanna Lyman thinks Bolton’s Guilty Plea Makes Media Attacks On Trump DOJ Look Even More Ridiculous. The Wash Stand, Feds to Probe Criminal Fraudsters Who Boast of Their Success on Social Media and Tell Others How to Do It. Shooting News Week, hears so-called ‘Experts’ are Troubled the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is Now Working to Protect Civil Rights Guaranteed by the Second Amendment. At Da Caller, FBI Docs Reveal Trump’s Would Be Assassin Contacted Butler Officials Before The Attack "The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was forced to release heavily redacted documents that revealed Thomas Matthew Crooks, one of President Donald Trump’s would-be assassins, had exchanged emails with a Butler County Sheriff’s deputy prior to his attack on July 13, 2024 ... The file indicates that a deputy had “checked her emails and records and only had two email communications” from Crooks. The nature of the communication was redacted, and the unnamed deputy said she had not had any “personal interaction” with Crooks."

NYPo opines that the Self-righteous mutiny at ‘60 Minutes’ isn’t about saving the show — it’s about sabotage and being a martyr for the rotting left. At Althouse "Do you think Bari Weiss needs to be removed?"/"Oh, gosh, yes. Look, she’s a lovely person. And her Free Press organization that she founded has been very successful. But television’s not her thing." ""This is like somebody walking up to me and saying, 'There’s a 747, there are 400 people on it, we need you to fly it to Paris.' I’m going to decline because I don’t have a clue. And it would have been so much better if Bari Weiss had been offered this job and said, 'Oh, that’s not for me, I don’t know how to do that.'"That's Scott Pelley, answering a question in "The Interview/Scott Pelley on the Bari Weiss Era and His Last Days at '60 Minutes'" (NYT)."

Keir Starmer kneeling to BLM

Also at Althouse An intervention. "I'm reading, in the London Times, "Why JD Vance is so critical of Keir Starmer’s Britain/Having intervened on the murder of Henry Nowak, the US vice-president was accused of trying to ‘stir up division’ by the put-out prime minister." Vance "intervened"? Vance published a statement. He said something. (We talked about it here, yesterday.)" Dave Strom exposes How Britain Treats Actual Hate Crimes Committed By the 'Right' People. The British Patriot @TheBritLad, "BREAKING: Multiple reports are coming in that Britain citizens are kneeling inside local police stations across the country." Conrad Black at the Brussels Signal, What killed Nowak: One murderer and all the malignancy of collective self-hate. The Telegraph worries How bad will white rage get?

Andrew Sullivan explains The TQ+ Threat To LGB Rights, "The return to the narrative of gays as queers, freaks, and child-obsessed is dangerous."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Rebel Yell and FMJRA 2.0: Keepers & Discards up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Democrats Seeing Red over Virginia Setback

Democrats are still in high dudgeon over their loss in the Virginia Supreme court, in their last minute attempt to redistrict from 6-5 D to 10-1 D, aka Abigail Spanberger’s Faceplant (Free Bacon). Matt Margolis at PJM hears Democrats Now Want to ABOLISH the Virginia Government, because they didn't like the results. The Democrats election lawyer, Marc E. Elias @marceelias, "VA Const. "whenever any government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community hath an indubitable, inalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter, or abolish it, in such manner as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal." Fusilli Spock @awstar11, "Replacing the judiciary branch with a version that specifically agrees with your policies is certainly not something a fascist would do, right?" Quote RNC Research @RNCResearch "House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries proposes a nationwide radical takeover of the courts if Democrats gain power: "We're going to have to explore judicial 'reform' state by state and at the federal level...everything should be on the table as far as I'm concerned." Amy Curtis at TownHall hears Speaker Mike Johnson Calls Out Dems' for 'Stunning' Plan to Nuke Judicial Branch of Government and reminds them that NY started the midcycle redistricting war, not Texas. Speaker Mike Johnson @SpeakerJohnson, "House Democrats started the current mid-decade redistricting battle in NY before the 2024 election. Now that it’s backfired on them, they are pushing a stunning next step: nuke the judicial branch of government and pack the court! They are anarchists now." Bob Hoge at RedState In Nashville, Capitol Tantrums Come With a Bill — and Tennessee Dems Just Received It. Robby Starbuck @robbystarbuck, "Tennessee’s Speaker of the House @CSexton25 just removed elected Democrats from ALL committees due to their disruptive, disrespectful behavior during the session to redraw Tennessee’s congressional map. Good. They aren’t entitled to be on committees. Fantastic work @tnhousegop!" Ace is up! South Carolina's Legislature Will Delete C***s***er Jim Clyburn's Seat Tomorrow; Alabama Now Free to Eliminate One of Its Two Democrat Districts, "Alabama has two majority-minority districts due to unconstitutional racist and Democrat Protection Racket mandates. The Supreme Court just vacated a lower court ruling mandating the racially rigged districts, and Alabama will swiftly move to eliminate one of them," then down again, as South Carolina Dixiecrats Tank Effort to Gain a Congressional Seat, Voting With the Declared Democrats to Kill It, "Indiana redux." JR Dunn at Am Thinker thinks about Louisiana v. Callais and the Long Run, "If Republicans are wise, Louisiana v. Callais could be the kind of once-in-a-century Supreme Court decision that returns America to its constitutional roots."

Driscoll at Insty, ‘BE NICE TO ME:’ Dem CA Gov Hopeful Xavier Becerra Begs Reporter for Friendly Treatment, Exposes Entitlement. "Xavier Becerra was in the Biden Administration as the DHS Secretary. He was terrible at the job and did not keep the ‘homeland’ safe, in the least. Democrats fail up, so now he is running for the job of top executive in California. He sat down for a news interview and before they started, he wanted to be sure the journalist knew he expected a friendly interview and not a ‘gotcha’ interview. How does he expect to run a huge state when he’s afraid of a news interview? What a wimp!" Kevin Liao @KevinLiao_, "Everyone’s been wondering whether Xavier Becerra can withstand scrutiny. Take a look at this interview clip and judge for yourself." Ace, Obama's Oxygen Thief HHS Secretary, Xavier Becerra, Is Currently the Leading Democrat for California Governor and Cannot Answer Questions About His Record Without Begging for Mercy. "First, he wasn't able to answer questions about the 85,000 migrant children he lost while supposedly safeguarding them in the Biden Open Borders Regime. He claims they weren't "lost" at all. Merely, that when their "sponsors" were contacted to check up on the health and safety of the children, the sponsors didn't respond." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn, Mayorkas: Man, Somebody Shoulda Done Sumpthin' About That Border. Amazing. Leslie Eastman at LI, Spencer Pratt Vows to Bring in CDC to Rid Los Angeles Of ‘Medieval Diseases’, like Typhus. "You don’t need a federal task force to tell you that rats, refuse, and unchecked human misery are a breeding ground for disease. You simply need the political will to stop pretending this is normal."

At Hat Hair, John Sexton sees Zohran still relying on handouts, Mamdani Balances City Budget With a Big Handout from Gov. Hochul. I'm sure upstaters are super thrilled about paying the bills for his social programs. Anti-semitic "protestors" heckled Jews at home in Brooklyn and Beege Welborn thinks What Happened in the Streets of New York City Last Night Was a Disgrace. Yehuda Teitelbaum @chalavyishmael, "HAPPENING NOW IN BROOKLYN: Insane footage of pro-Hamas rioters marching through an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood toward a synagogue while assaulting Jewish kids. This is what Mamdani wants to see. He could stop this at any time." David Bernstein @ProfDBernstein, "We are getting closer to an actual pogrom like Crown Heights 1991. Seriously time for Brooklyn Jews to arm themselves." Quote Eli Kowaz - איליי קואז @elikowaz, "Masked marchers, chanting "Zionism will fail," Orthodox families watching from their doorsteps. Just a normal night in a Jewish Brooklyn neighbourhood. If someone tells you this isn't about Jews, ask them why they chose this block."

Amy Curtis notices Democrats Suddenly Forgot About the Separation of Church and State and Ted Lieu Promised Dems Will Make Everything More Expensive If They Retake Power. Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "You are not gonna believe what I just found The California Mayor who admitted to being a Chinese spy donated to the Democrat Senate Campaign Committee Democrat Senators are being funded by Chinese spies If it was the other way around, it would be front page news for weeks." I believe it!

Chef Andrew Gruel @ChefGruel, "I thought we hate billionaires?" Quote California Post @californiapost, "Hollywood billionaire is first Dem megadonor to throw weight behind Gavin Newsom for 2028 White House run https://trib.al/WdLRya4." At Da Signal, Don Lemon Teases Presidential Run. Put down that crack pipe. But you have to admit, there would be some entertainment there.

At PJM VodkaPundit is pleased to report We Get Greenland! (Sort Of) "One source told the Beeb that administration officials "floated an arrangement in which the three new military bases would be formally designated as U.S. sovereign territory."" Don Surber is satisfied with Pax Annexa "The 51st state threat works well for Trump...Trump treats negotiation with the seriousness of a war. His statements are part of the fog of his war." 

VodkaPundit again How to Make the Trump Battleship Even Deadlier With This 1 Weird Trick, not one but rather two nuclear reactors. Energy beam weapons take power.

Sundance at CTH reports Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff Andrey Yermak Appears in Court to Face Stunning Charges of Corruption and Money Laundering. Corruption in Ukraine? Well, knock me over with a feather. 

Ace is in Shock: Cuck of the Century Thomas Massie Claimed to be Sexual Deviant by Ex-GF, She Claims He Offered $5000 to Keep Quiet About His Proclivities "Maybe Massie orchestrated this leak himself. As you might have heard, the humiliation is the kink. Allegedly he DM'd her two months after his wife died and began a sexual relationship shortly after that. Is this true? Who knows. What are the deviant sex acts Massie allegedly demanded that made her feel "uncomfortable"? No idea, she doesn't say. Spoiler alert, it's usually about poop." A shit-head in Congress? No surprise there. 

John Lucas at Bravo Blue says Enough Already! Please Stop With the Talk About a "Deal," Mr. President. John Betts @JohnFromCranber, "Trump: No Need to Rush Anything With Iran. Frankly, I would rather see action rather than talk I would like to see oil prices and inflation back down And I am sick and tired of Iran poking us in the eye on the world stage, and making it look like we're desperate for some sort of exit strategy it's way past time to end this - unleash hell!" I think he's just letting the rubble settle before the next round of destruction. Ron Tiersky at RCW says Victory or Defeat, Iranian Old Regime's Fate is Sealed.

From Ace, Democrat Whistleblower Claims that Adam Schiff Ordered His Staff to Illegally Leak Classified Information In Order to Rig an Indictment Against Trump. "Adam Schiff, I assume, has been quizzed about this before. And I assume he lied to federal investigators when he was asked. That's obstruction of justice." Svetlana Lokhova @RealSLokhova, "Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell conspired to leak classified, and falsified, information that I was a Russian Spy who had an affair with President Trump's National Security Advisor General Flynn. The goal was to impeach President Trump. The motive: Schiff didn't get the CIA Director role that Hillary promised him if she won. So Schiff did everything to try and remove President Trump. A highly reliable whistleblower who worked on the Intel Committee with Schiff reported this to the FBI. The FBI found this to be true but then Christopher Wray refused to refer Schiff and Swalwell for prosecution, despite all the evidence, which he hid. The documents are now released but Patel/Blanche still have not arrested anyone for this."

At Am Great Nice Deb sees Trump Shares Video on Truth Social Alleging Rigged 2020 Election in Michigan "On July 5, 2021, constitutional attorney Matt DePerno appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room and made a series of bombshell claims about the election. “We’ve proved now that there was direct access to the Antrim County Election Management System,” DePerno tells Bannon in the video. “On November 5, we can see in the forensic images that an anonymous user logged onto the EMS [Election Management System] remotely with escalated privileges and made changes to the database while they were trying to retabulate the election.” DePerno explained that the Dominion forensic images also confirm that the “black solid boxes” on the side of ballots were “intentionally modified” to generate an automatic error, or “adjudication,” in Republican ballots."

Ace hears about a New Foreign Pirate Pillaging Operation Uncovered: 10,000 Foreign Students "Working" at Fraudulent Jobs Created by Fraudulent "Employers." "Why the hell would we be paying foreign students to work, anyway? Why on earth would we be subsidizing foreigners to come here? Pay full freight or go home. Better yet, go home whether you're paying full freight or not. Correction: I assumed the taxpayers were paying the salaries of these fake "workers." But I haven't seen anyone say that and now believe this is simply a scheme to remain in the country beyond the limits of one's student visa." Twitchy, NBC News: 18-Year-Old US Citizen Dies of Cancer With His Parents by His Side. "Rep. Joaquin Castro is the master of illegal immigration sob stories. If an illegal alien stubs their toe in an ICE detention facility, he'll report the national news story on it. Earlier this month, Castro shared the sad story of Kevin González, an 18-year-old with Stage 4 colon cancer who had only days to live. González is a U.S. citizen, but his parents are not, and were detained by ICE."

Dave Bernstein at Insty says YOU CAN’T HATE THE NEW YORK TIMES ENOUGH–THIS IS HOW THE HAMAS PROPAGANDA MACHINE WORKS: "New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof published a lengthy piece alleging systematic sexual assault on Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails. The piece was based on extremely dubious sourcing, and included the absurd allegation, which has circulated for months with no actual evidence provided, that Israel trains dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners. Even a credulous fool might have paused at that one. But it looks like Kristof, and the Times, are no mere credulous fools. A very extensive, detailed, and exquisitely sourced report was released today documenting, in gruesome detail, Hamas’s sexual depravity on 10/7 and its sexual crimes against the hostages it kidnapped to Gaza. As @aizenbergt55 comments on X, “If you do not believe @nytimes knew EXACTLY what they were doing with the timing of the Kristof “opinion” piece [ie, trying to preempt justified outrage at Hamas’s sexual crimes by suggesting that Israel similarly engages in such crimes] I have a nice bridge to sell you.”" Driscoll at Insty cites DAVID HARSANYI: Nick Kristof’s grotesque journalistic malpractice. "Kristof’s most cartoonishly evil accusation contends that the Israelis use trained dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners. This hoax is the favorite of online antisemitic podcaster types. Not only has there never been a shred of evidence that this has happened, but it’s also probably “biologically and cognitively unfeasible” for humans to train dogs to rape people..." David Shuster @DavidShuster, "Hearing from longtime friends @nytimes there are already discussions, including up the masthead, about retracting @NickKristof column. Issues with source credibility and lack of evidence. No indications the Kristof sourcing mistakes were deliberate. Still problematic:" Physics Geek @physicsgeek, ""he won two Pulitzers writing for the NYT" ::laughs in Walter Duranty:: The fact that you think this is a flex is one of the funniest things I've ever seen." 

'The View' Announces All-New Cast Of Angry, Middle-Aged Women https://t.co/uay1ttMTnY pic.twitter.com/hk6jok7wsQ

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) May 12, 2026

Still mohr at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.12.26! The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Marking Time up and at'em at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Strait of Hormuz Constipated Again

It only takes one asshole to stop up the works. A day after Trump and the Iranians declared the Strait of Hormuz open for business again, the IRGC started firing on shipping to other gulf ports, claiming that by maintaining the blockade on Iranian traffic, Trump has violated the terms of the ceasefire. I sort of get the point, but they need to be made to come to the realization that they're not dictating the terms. They also need to figure out who's really in charge. NYPo, Iran fires on at least two ships near Oman after re-closing Strait of Hormuz — as Trump warns Tehran against ‘blackmail’. I think he means extortion. At DW.com, Iran war: Trump says Tehran cannot 'blackmail us'. Dave Strom at Hat Hair reports IRGC Closes Strait Again, Calls Iran's Foreign Minister an 'Idiot,' Fires on Oil Tankers. TownHall's Joe Chalfant says The Iranians Are at It Again in the Strait of Hormuz and This Radio Chatter From the Iranian Attack on an Oil Tanker Is Crazy. سيف الدرعي| Saif alderei @saif_aldareei, "The Indian tanker captain in the Strait of Hormuz explodes in anger over the radio, confronting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats: “You gave me clearance to pass! My name is listed as number 2 in your papers! Now you’re firing on me?! Give me a chance to turn around and go back!” This is the reality in the Strait of Hormuz today. The Iranians… as naturally as they breathe… they lie… they betray… and they stab you in the back." At Althouse, "Merchant ships were sent scrambling to retreat after Iran fired on multiple vessels on Saturday morning, part of its sudden decision to re-close the Strait of Hormuz." "The Washington Examiner reports." and "Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!" At RedState, Nick Arama hears a Report: Trump Planning to Drop Another Hammer on Iran and Their Ships. "The U.S. military is preparing in coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters, according to U.S. officials, expanding its naval crackdown beyond the Middle East." "if the regime is sane, there's only one way out of this. But it's the Iranian regime, so it isn't, and they keep stepping in it. and picking the insane option." It's only a day late, but still stale from sundance at CTH, With Strait Open, British Prime Minister Kier Starmer Says He’s Organizing EU Security Force in Effort to Remain Relevant, maybe next time, say Monday. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great explains Trump’s Weeklong Strategy to Bleed Iran Dry.

Scott McKay at Am Spec, No, You Morons, Iran Has Not ‘Won.’ "The final chapter in this war has yet to be written." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "CNN's Melissa Bell reveals she doesn't know what a navy is." Quote Furkan Gözükara@FurkanGozukara "CNN's Melissa Bell reveals the world is completely bypassing the United States. Over 30 global leaders met in Paris to secure the Strait of Hormuz, deliberately excluding Washington. The international community is actively organizing to survive Trump's disastrous war." Dave Strom notes Iran Giving Mixed Signals, But Europeans Are Talking Tough, So US Must Have Won. From Da Blaze, CNN's Christiane Amanpour issues crazed response to Hegseth criticism of the media. "And finally an observation: the current Secretary of War, f/k/a Defence, left the military with the rank of Major," she added. "I recall my dogtag in the first Gulf war had the rank of major ... the very same rank. Just sayin'!" Jerry Dunleavy IV @JerryDunleavy, "I am told Amanpour may have been referencing a press ID she was given during the Gulf War, which listed the fake administrative rank of "major" for access purposes, which is actually more insane, becuz she is comparing that to U.S. troops who actually achieve the rank of major..." Dave Bernstein at Insty, SO, WE SHOULD HAVE A FORMAL DEFENSE TREATY WITH ISRAEL AND STATION THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS THERE: "The latest meme among Democrats (and some Republicans) is that we should treat Israel “like every other ally,” i.e., no military aid. I think US aid to Israel is a mixed blessing for both countries, but I want to focus here on the underlying dishonesty. Yes, Israel officially gets “foreign military aid” and the others don’t. But that’s an artifact of budget shenanigans, in particular Democrats historically insisting that our military relationship with Israel be put in the foreign aid budget to help get the rest of the (unpopular) foreign aid budget passed. But the US provides massive in-kind subsidies to our other allies in the form of US soldiers stationed there and mutual defense pacts, allowing countries like Canada to freeload off US defense. And then they won’t even let the US use their bases when needed." Steve Cortes at Am Great, thinks It’s Time to Rethink NATO, "NATO won the Cold War—but clinging to it now drains U.S. power from the Indo-Pacific, where the real contest for the future is unfolding."

Ryan Gerritsen @ryangerritsen, "“An RBC report released Tuesday confirmed that new investment in Canada has completely collapsed during the Liberals’ tenure in power” Trudeau cost our Country 1 TRILLION DOLLARS in investments. Just a reminder, he was taking advice from the “master economist” currently running our Country." John Sexton sees Signs That Things Could Be Ramping Up in Cuba.  

NYPo, String of missing or dead scientists ‘too coincidental’ not to be major concern, congressman says — as 11th mystery emerges. Atop Da Hill, White House, FBI looking into case of missing scientists: ‘No stone will be unturned.’ I remain unconvinced, but convincible.

Trump's ballroom has been on off on off on. The Peacock whines Appeals court allows Trump's White House ballroom construction to continue into June "The decision came a day after a federal judge halted aboveground work on the project." Althouse, "A federal appeals court on Friday allowed construction to continue on President Donald Trump’s new White House ballroom until June, just a day after a federal judge halted progress." "NBC News reports. Meanwhile, The Washington Post has just come out with an "analysis" of the quantity of Trump's "fixation" on building the ballroom: "Trump’s fixation on White House ballroom is increasing, Post analysis finds/The president has publicly highlighted his ballroom project on roughly a third of the days this year.""

Dave Strom thinks the Catholic Charities 'Scandal' Is an Object Lesson on How Coordinated Propaganda Campaigns Work. Althouse shares "President Trump has been rampaging around the globe like Grendel at dinner time, a rapacious, feral creature. Who could stand up to him?" "The soft-spoken, humble Leo, who strives to unify, squared off against the bombastic, solipsistic Trump, who strives to divide. And watching the saintly pope school the amoral president is a blessed sight...." Writes Maureen Dowd, in "The Pope Bedevils Trump" (NYT)."

Libs: “we need to make Trump look bad”

Journalist: “hey get a shot where he’s wearing royal purple and looks taller than a jumbo jet and has a 10 foot dick and everyone around him is kneeling or staring in awe” pic.twitter.com/4pK5znxeMT

— Lee (Greater) (@shortmagsmle) April 18, 2026

Jesús Enrique Rosas @Knesix, "Trump is going to frame this and put it in the Oval Office, isn't he?"

Bryan Jung at PJM, 6,000 Apply as Air Traffic Controllers After DOT Secretary Duffy Proposes Recruiting Gamers. At Althouse, "I got a call from a number of people, including the great Joe Rogan, and he said we have to do something about this." "The executive order I'm signing... today.... directs the FDA to expedite their review of certain psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs...." and "The Trump administration has urged professional football’s leaders to induct Theodore Roosevelt into the sport’s hall of fame..."

Althouse opposes The notion that Swalwell was "flirty.", "I'm seeing this inane word "flirty" in the context of Swalwell's downfall. In the Politico article "'I fell for it:' Gallego gives emotional remarks following Swalwell sexual assault allegations/The Arizona Democratic senator said he regrets not seeing the signs that his colleague was “a predator'" (Politico)." At NYPo, the Divine Miranda Devine: Eric Swalwell’s fall from grace was by design — and so Dems can keep their grubby hands on California. Matt Taibbi at Racket says Public Stonings are Not "Accountability" "The high-speed demolition of Eric Swalwell is being celebrated as appropriate "accountability," but removing due process isn't justice." Hey, don't short circuit my schadenfreude!

Kevin Dalton @TheKevinDalton, "Gavin Newsom just used his own PAC to buy $1.5 million worth of his own book. Even more comically, that accounts for 2/3 of the entire print sales." Shooting News Week explain Why California’s ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ Should Worry Gun Owners. Althouse, "If that’s what 'woke' means, it explains why most Americans don’t want to be woke." ""Transgender adults should have the freedom to live as they see fit and that includes the option to pursue elective medical procedures. But why should that choice come at taxpayer expense, especially for noncitizens? If the fiscal well-being of California isn’t incentive enough to crack down on such wasteful mismanagement of tax dollars, then maybe Newsom’s political future is. The outgoing governor seems determined not to learn from the failure of another California Democrat. The most devastating attack ad against Kamala Harris in 2024 featured her saying during her previous presidential campaign that she supported taxpayers picking up the tab for federal prisoners to receive gender transition care...." Writes the Editorial Board of The Washington Post, in "Gavin Newsom chooses the wrong side of gender politics again/Sex changes for illegal immigrants might sound like a Republican ad, but it’s California policy.""

Habeas Corpus Linguistics @HabCorpLinguist, "Average Mamdani scandal: High level staffer discovered to have anonymous account where he posted "Wallahi, we will wage jihad on the zionists of Crown Heights" Average Eric Adams scandal: I approved a permit for a guy who gave me a free plane ticket upgrade." Quote 𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖊 @atlanticesque, "That’s the thing about Adams, most of his “scandals” were actually just the hijinx and misadventures of his ratchet ass staff But the man was loyal to his people, for better and for worse x.com/daniela__127/s…" VodkaPundit at Insty says MOVE ALONG, NOTHING TO SEE HERE: "Ilhan Omar Says She Isn’t a Multimillionaire, Blames Accounting Error. "An Omar disclosure filed last year showed she and her husband held assets of between $6 million and $30 million, a massive rise in wealth from her previous annual filing. That jump triggered questions among Republicans eager to scrutinize a critic of the president." Republicans pounce!" At the Free Bacon, Michigan Senate Hopeful Abdul El-Sayed Blamed US for 'Creating' Terrorism: 'What Happens When People Are in Pain?' "The remarks came at a sparsely attended campaign stop in July, where El-Sayed questioned how the US might cause a terrorist to 'think that we don't see them.'"

Althouse highlight's a Supreme Court leak to the NYT, "Secret memos obtained by The New York Times illuminate the origins of the court’s now-routine 'shadow docket' rulings on presidential power." Conn Carroll @conncarroll, "This is an odd way of saying, “How the Obama administration gamed the appeals process to enact costly and illegal regulations on the energy sector.”" Quote The New York Times @nytimes "Secret memos by Supreme Court justices, obtained by The New York Times, show how they decided to bypass time-tested procedures and create the modern “shadow docket,” a controversial new way of doing business. https://nyti.ms/4csrD0l" At Twitchy, From Whose Office Could the NYT Have Obtained Classified SCOTUS Memos? Sotomayor and Jackson are the leading candidates. 𝔻𝕠𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕖 @georg3, "It’s a real mystery who dislikes the shadow docket and would leak this information. I hope we can find out one day. In other news, KBJ has thoughts…" Sunny @sunnyright, "Another leftist presumably employed in the chambers of the Supreme Court has leaked confidential court items to the media to help the left. Fire everyone below Justice who had access. Start new." Austin Justice @AustinJustice, "The judge who kept a criminal on the street -- until he killed 26-year-old UT engineering grad Larissa Herold -- was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old Brazilian foreign exchange student living in her home. In 2006, Chantal Eldridge gave the student alcohol and asked him to play strip poker with her, before they had sex in his bedroom. Her 8-year-old son was in the house..."

Sundance is worried, Miami Prosecutor Moved from Brennan Conspiracy Investigation.

Clint Brown @DissidentClint "Hey @S_Fitzpatrick I was Kash Patel’s Sherpa on the transition. I spent nearly all day everyday with him for 3+ months and have been with him frequently since. I have never seen the type of behavior that you’re describing from him. Your anon sourced story is BS...." quote Sarah Fitzpatrick @S_Fitzpatrick, "EXCLUSIVE @TheAtlantic On multiple occasions Patel’s security detail had difficulty waking him because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to info supplied to DOJ and White House officials. A request for “breaching equipment”was made because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors."

Gitmo (Health is a Wealth) @Gitmo99, "Proud Boys were innocent The star witness who convicted the Proud Boys of seditious conspiracy just recanted. His name is Jeremy Bertino. He was the entire case. The prosecution had nothing without him. Here's what he's now saying publicly: The FBI threatened him with 25 years in prison. Told him what to say. Coached him until he said it the way they needed. Then put him on the stand." Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "The Proud Boys just went around beating up violent communist terrorists. That’s it. They just beat up communist domestic terrorists. And that made them public enemy number one, because Antifa’s whole organizing strategy fails if CIVILIANS bash them up instead of police."

At Da Caller, Harriet Hageman Unveils Bill To Protect American Energy From ‘Leftist Legal Crusades.’

Stacy McCain is on fire with The Ivy League Is Decadent and Depraved and Guess Who Made an Interesting Point? "Where do I start in explaining my hatred of Nick Fuentes? That this preposterous Jew-hating homosexual has been elevated to podcast royalty — the Pied Piper of 21st-century neo-Nazism — is one of those phenomena that makes me despair for the future of humanity. And I honestly fail to see what it is that makes Fuentes so appealing to younger people, but then again, I don’t understand the appeal of Ariana Grande or Sabrina Carpenter, either." Tits? "The truth is still the truth, even if the person saying it — Nick Fuentes or David Frum or Donald Trump — is someone you loathe. And as for J.D. Vance, why should I condemn or distrust him for having abandoned his earlier Frum-approved establishment beliefs, when I wish everyone else (including Frum) would do the same? We are supposed to be living under a representative government, and yet Frum seems to believe that people who disagree with him don’t deserve representation."

Camus @newstart_2024, "Helen Andrews dropped a blunt explanation for why wokeness proved so hard to kill: It’s rooted in feminine patterns of conflict — where disagreement isn’t debated, it’s treated as emotional harm that must be punished or silenced..." Because that's how you have to deal with children, but not adults. VodkaPundit at Insty, SO MANY OF OUR CURRENT ILLS STARTED WITH OBAMA: Zineb Riboua @zriboua, "I’ve warned you all. Third-Worldism is the fastest growing ideological movement in the United States."

NYPo, Lefty love boat: Greta Thunberg’s freedom flotilla rocked by sexual misconduct allegations. "“A senior leader within the flotilla — a member of the steering committee, the highest governing body of the organization — engaged in sexual relations with multiple activists while on the boat heading to Gaza. Not one person. Not two. Three different individuals,” claimed Palestinian group Heart of Falastin in a social media post earlier this week ... One Brazilian group named the alleged horndog as activist Thiago Avila, in an X post unearthed by media watchdog Honest Reporting and shared with The Post." I'm shocked, shocked!

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: It’s (Almost) That Time of Year Again and FMJRA 2.0: Down To The Wire up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.