Flotsam and Jetsam - US Military Captures Maduro

Stacy McCain either stayed up late, or got up early. BREAKING: U.S. Strikes Venezuela UPDATE: Maduro Captured, Trump Says "The U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, who has been taken out of the country, President Donald Trump said on Saturday. . . . “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said in a Truth Social post." BNO News Live @BNODesk, "BREAKING: Maduro was arrested to stand trial on criminal charges in the U.S. and no further military action is expected, Sec. Rubio told Sen. Lee." Hat Hair's John Sexton, Explosions in Caracas, Helicopters Fire on a Military Base. Matt Vespa at TownHall, President Trump Announces the Capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. At Althouse, "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. " From Twitchy, BREAKING: The US Strikes Venezuela Following Orders by President Trump . So, I guess this one's off the table? Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Maduro to Trump: Call Me, Maybe ... Please?

John Sexton, Shadow Fleet Tanker Flees to Russia with US Coast Guard in Pursuit. From Ace, "America First:" Stop Taking Any Action Against Any Hostile Foreign Regime, Focus on Fentanyl Smuggling
Also "America First:" Don't Take Hostile Action Against the World's Biggest Narcoterrorist States "The "America First" clowns both want an end to drug smuggling from foreign countries, and a policy of pink pacifism toward the foreign dictators arranging the bulk of drug smuggling into the US."

From Fox, Trump says US will intervene if Iran starts killing protesters: ‘Locked and loaded’ "Iranian official warns that the U.S. should be 'mindful of their soldiers’ safety' following Trump's comments." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn sees Trump Comes Out Swinging for Iranian Protestors in the Streets. Raylan Givens @JewishWarrior13, "BREAKING" President Trump with a direct threat to the Iranian regime: “If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J.TRUMP” Ace, Trump: If Iran Begins Shooting the Protesters Challenging Their Corrupt Terrorist Rule, I'll Take Their Asses Out, "The Iranian people are rising up again, like they did in 2009, when Obama was president. But Obama isn't president any longer." Between their financial woes and the water crisis, things are looking bad for the mullahs.

At Euro Con, European Defence as a Mirage: Plenty of Money, Little Strategy.

News Wax reports Elon Confirms He's 'All In' to Finance GOP for Midterms "In posts on X, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO framed the upcoming congressional races as an existential battle for the country's future. "America is toast if the radical left wins," Musk wrote. "They will open the floodgates to illegal immigration and fraud. Won't be America anymore." Elon Musk @elonmusk, "USAID was not just an apple with a few worms inside, it was a festering ball of worms in the shape of an apple." Quote The SCIF @TheSCIF, "USAID was funding BOTH the WUHAN Lab gain-of-function research & SMARTMATIC Election Systems. Do you think it was a coincidence that "covid" came out right around the 2020 election? Coincidentally, the same left-wing billionaires, NGOs, and USAID also funded the 'NO KINGS' protest, aka, the color revolutions across America. . . " Kaiser Von Lohengramm @KaiserLoengramm, "There are two major flaws with the idea of having the Republican Party lose so that we get something better as an end result. . . ." Quote Michael @Michael00987111, Replying to @KaiserLoengramm and @OldGloryClub, "Make the Republicans lose so badly, and in a way that's clear that their voters didn't vote for Democrats. End result: an actual right wing party can compete."

Grover Norquist at Rod Martin.org on The "Yuge" Trump Win You Haven't Heard Of. "The Trump team is taking a sword to the federal regulatory Gordian knot. In 2025 it slashed 22 regulations for every new one. Potential savings to the American people? $2 trillion a year."

At Spec World, Roger Kimball asserts The Somali fraud scandal is a turning point. Da Fed's Chris Bray thinks the Minneapolis Daycare Scandal Reveals The Trajectory Of Blue Zone Fraud Culture. Dave Strom at Hat Hair notices Nothing Happens Until Things Are Broken. Sgt. Mom at the Chicago Boyz, Another Merry Minnesota Walz. From NYPo, GOP lawmakers demand Gov. Hochul root out Minnesota-style fraud with independent audit. Amy Curtis at TownHall, hears a Democrat Prosecutor Receives Massive Blowback After Statement on Reports of Somali Fraud. A Larry video at Hat Hair, Somalian Fraudsters Accidentally Blow Their Entire Operation During Humiliating Press Conference. Drew Holden @DrewHolden360, "Step 1: there’s no fraud. Step 2: okay there’s fraud but it isn’t as bad as critics claim. Step 3: okay there is as much fraud as critics say but the gov’t is stopping it. Step 4; okay there is as much fraud as critics claim but the government can’t stop it. (You are here)." Quote CBS News @CBSNews, "Audits completed in the past 10 years show that Minnesota has lacked the teeth to properly vet attendance records and go after possible fraudsters proactively. https://cbsn.ws/4jpUTXp." Drew Holden @DrewHolden360, "Step 5: Republicans are the real problem." Quote Aaron Rupar @atrupar, "New in PN: The blame for alleged fraud in Minnesota belongs to conservatives "Republican policies have created a perfect vicious cycle: Privatize services, let private companies run amok, then declare govt is the problem. And Trump is turbo-charging it." https://publicnotice.co/p/shirley-video-somali-daycares-fraud" Mike LaChance at LI sees a CNN Panel Goes Off the Rails When Scott Jennings Asks Why MN Democrats Cater to Somalis, “They’ve got the lieutenant governor up there dressed like the Handmaid’s Tale.” Ward Clark at RedState, SBA Strikes Back: Now Suspending 6,900 Fraud Suspects in Minnesota. Roger Simon, Long Live Somaliland! "... and the Shah!"

TheUnquirer @unquirer "Seattle Washington - Investigating Somalian Daycares Somalians Call Police & LIE Saying: "He Has A Gun" @iamfreeauditing finds 20 Somalian daycares in a 3 block area of subsidized housing(same style as Lewiston Maine). He goes to 12 and has doors slammed in his face & no kids! The "community" gets pissed off that he is investigating & try to have him removed by lying to the police saying he is armed with a gun and flashed it at them (which was completely made up). Full video: https://youtu.be/WiL5LObJGNU *In Maine we found the same style being found in Seattle & Boston. These are clusters w/ countless empty daycares that collect money from tax payers." From Fox, Independent journalist says he's gotten death threats, told he'll be 'Kirked' over Minnesota fraud viral video, "Nick Shirley says harassment extends to his family in wake of video documenting alleged widespread fraud at state-funded centers." On NPR Megan Basham @megbasham, "Their first instinct is always to go after the reporter not to investigate the issue. Because they’re not journalists, they’re gatekeepers." Todd of Mischief @AndToddsaid "This is an excellent primer on how the Shirley video *could* be disinformation without ever affirming the core assumption that it actually *is.* The author knows her topic well. As counter-propaganda goes, this is top-notch." Quote Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D @RVAwonk "I wrote about Nick Shirley’s bullsh*t video and the disinformation tactics he used to make it go viral." Amy Curtis hears 'Then It Is War:' Elon Musk Responds to Somali TikToker's Death Threat. Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Then it is war." Quote DogeDesigner @cb_doge, "BREAKING: Somali TikToker threatens Elon Musk’s life: "I wouldn't worry too much about him. He about to die." Protect Elon Musk at all costs." Insty, EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN: Babylon Bee Editor Thanks Snopes for Debunking This Believable Story About Tim Walz’s $8 Billion Grant. Mark Krikorian @MarkSKrikorian, "Snopes feels the need to "debunk" precisely because the satire is so believable." Quote Kyle Mann @The_Kyle_Mann, "Thanks to Snopes for debunking yet another dangerous Babylon Bee article."

From NYPo, Zohran Mamdani fans disappointed by disastrous ‘block party’ with no food or bathrooms, welcome to "democratic" socialism. The Telegraph cites Zohran Mamdani: I’ll show the world whether the Left can govern, "Newly inaugurated New York mayor tells his supporters he will ‘audaciously’ work on ‘big government’ plans." ET, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Revokes Orders Issued After Adams’s Indictment "‘The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations,’ New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in his inaugural address." Including orders to protect NYC Jews. Rob Jenkins @profontheright, "Zohran Mamdani is uniquely prepared to be the first person in history to make Communism work due to his experience as a trust fund kid and failed rapper." Ryan Saavedra @RyanSaavedra "Even top Putin ally Kirill Dmitriev, who is CEO of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is dunking on Zohran Mamdani."

Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol "Here’s a list of all the news networks who have not covered Zohran Mamdani’s salute: - NYTimes - CNN - Washington Post - MSNBC - NPR - USA Today - Reuters - Axios - ABC News Every single one of them wrote stories on Elon Musk’s “salute”… …do you get it yet?" Twitchy, Brit Hume Shares DAMNING Post That Explains What Zohran Mamdani's 'Warmth of Collectivism' REALLY Means: Brit Hume @brithume, "Re: Mamdani's reference today to the "warmth of collectivism." Quote Dominic Pino @DominicJPino, "A hilariously bad metaphor, if you know how collectivist heating worked in the USSR. In Soviet Moscow, they had a centralized heating system for the whole city. Heat was centrally generated and then distributed through a network of pipes to houses and other buildings. The x.com/semaforben/sta…Show more." VodkaPundit at Insty, WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL DID SHE THINK SHE WAS VOTING FOR? Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate. "This isn’t a matter of ‘bad speechwriting.’ The problem is that everything actually is as stupid as it seems. A lot of middle aged pundits like Filipovic can’t or don’t want to come to terms with this and so they resort to denial and dissembling." Quote Jill Filipovic @JillFilipovic, "Listen I am as excited for the Zohran era as the next person but I am begging begging begging his speechwriters to allow him to talk like a normal person and not an Oberlin freshman writing a persuasive essay. x.com/Acyn/status/20…" The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Mamdani Dethrones Gavin Newsom As U-Haul's Top Salesman https://buff.ly/lLWkJHc."

Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "Gavin Newsom now has 8 separate agencies officially designated as “high risk for waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement” in California Roughly $76 billion in fraud, improper payments and mismanagement was discovered by the auditor Let me repeat that, $76 BILLION . . ." VodkaPundit at Insty adds Meanwhile, in San Francisco: San Fran mayor signs bill that could give black residents $5M each — but admits city is too broke to pay. "Every time I think SF has hit Peak San Francisco, the city goes and does something like this. Plus: “A state that never allowed slavery wants to make residents who never owned slaves pay reparations to people who never were slaves.” UPDATE: “A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. — George Bernard Shaw” (Charlie)." Mike LaChance, San Francisco Mayor Signs Reparations Bill, Admits There’s No Money to Pay Them “We are not allocating money to this fund — with a historic $1 billion budget deficit, we are going to spend our money on making the city safer and cleaner.” Beege Welborn says Black Gold Has Frustrated California Cultists Weeping in Their Chai Tea. Twitchy, On Today’s Episode of 'That’s Not How Money Works', The Left Discovers Finance, and It’s HILARIOUSLY BAD. Hank Venture @HankVenture5 "I've come to the realization that most people think that billionaires actually have a billion dollars in their checking account." David Cho @DavidChovan84, "So true. They don’t know or care how worth really works. Bottom line is, you have money and they want it." At RCE, High Electricity Prices Are a Choice Blue States Make Every Day. "A new report from Always On Energy Research and the Institute for Energy Research finds that 86% of states with electricity prices above the national average voted for Democratic presidential candidates in 2020 and 2024. In contrast, 80% of the 10 states with the lowest electricity prices are reliably red. That’s not a coincidence. Those high prices reflect a consistent pattern of state-level energy policies that dictate emissions reduction targets at the expense of affordability, reliability, and physics." John Sexton at Hat Hair hears The Backlash to Rep. Ro Khanna Continues martin_casado @martin_casado, "Ro has done a speed run alienating every moderate I know who has supported him. Including myself. Beyond being totally out of touch with that faction of his base, he’s devolved into an obnoxious jerk. At least that makes voting him the fuck out all the more gratifying." Quote Ro Khanna @RoKhanna, "Peter Thiel is leaving California if we pass a 1% tax on billionaires for 5 years to pay for healthcare for the working class facing steep Medicaid cuts. I echo what FDR said with sarcasm of economic royalists when they threatened to leave, "I will miss them very much." x.com/teddyschleifer…" Readers added context: The proposed ballot proposition actually imposes a minimum of 5% (not 1% per post) one time tax on billionaires, even on unrealized gains."

Sundance at CTH reports the FBI Intercepts Lone Wolf ISIS Attack in Mint Hill, North Carolina. At GatewayPundit, “F*ck Trump” – DC Home of Active-Duty Space Force Officers Broken Into, Robbed, Vandalized and Intentionally Set on Fire. "The DC home of active-duty Space Force officers Jason and Kaylee Taylor was broken into, vandalized, and intentionally set on fire on Sunday evening. Their car was also reportedly spray-painted: “F*ck Trump and F*ck the Space Force” The couple was out of town with their infant daughter at the time their home was destroyed. According to the couple’s GoFundMe, they lost everything they owned, including their beloved pet cat." From Ace, The CIA Promoted Abstract Modern Art As a Psyop. "Interesting video. The CIA promoted abstract expressionists like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollack as some kind of bulwark against the propaganda value of Soviet art, which itself was realistic and representational. (Though idealized in showing proud, strong, happy Soviet peasants harvesting the abundant fields.) So using taxpayer money, they pushed this crap. "Our" art would be simple geometric shapes and paint splatters. It was literal Gay Ops."

AMAC thinks The Judicial Coup in Utah Is a Warning to the Nation. 

PJM's Cathy Salgado notices Despite 1347% Increase in Assaults, ICE Had a Historic Year. LifeZette hears Tom Homan Deliver a Message That Will Keep Some Mayors and Governors Up at Night. “I can just say, look, wait, wait and see.” 

John Sexton hears CBS Evening News Announces a New Anchor and a New Approach. The Patriarch Tree @PatriarchTree "Are we to assume, @bariweiss, that there was a backlog of left-wing anti-Trump stories like this “in the pipeline,” so to speak, before you took over?" Quote Amee Vanderpool @girlsreallyrule, "NYU law professor Ryan Goodman and his nonpartisan team compiled a review that found more than 35 federal judges had explicitly stated that the Trump’s Justice Department lawyers were providing false, highly misleading, or intentionally inaccurate information in cases." Ace, CBS "News" Announces That They Have "Missed" Big Stories Because They Only Talk to "Advocates," "Academics," and "Elites;" Admits That No One Trusts the "Legacy Media" Any Longer "And they promise they'll correct that. Now, they continue lying by omission -- the problem isn't just that they only speak to "advocates" or "academics" or "elites." There are conservative versions of those, whom they don't speak to. Their bias is not to "advocates" or "academics" or "elites," but to the communist left." And More CBS "News:" CBS Executives Killed an Interview With Elon Musk Because They Insisted They Should Be Able to Edit and Hide What He Had to Say "Elon Musk wanted to do the interview live precisely so they couldn't give him an Asshole Edit and hide his actual words to push their previously-decided narrative. CBS "news" executives said they would never, ever agree to do that. They need to control the narrative. This comes from former CBS investigative reporter Catherine Herridge, who left the network, presumably over this kind of absolute bias and corruption." Capt. Ed, 'We Can't Do It Live': Former CBS Reporter Explains the Protection Racket Media. At Da Caller, Social Security Administration Offers Receipts To Dispute WaPo Hit Job. "Sundance" is concerned: Good Grief – Israeli billionaire Shlomo Kramer Wants End to First Amendment and Anonymous Internet Users. From WUWT, The Misinformation Inquisition: How Censorship Shields Approved Narratives from Scrutiny.

A pair at The College Fix, Amherst erupts after student reporter exposes sex skits thrust upon freshmen at orientation and More than half of UC Berkeley disability accommodations are ’emotional.’ From Real Clear Education, Florida Shows How to Push Back Against Campus Speech Radicalism.

Still more at The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.02.26. Linked at the Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.  The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Still Stuck In The Ruts up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Maryland, My Maryland

 Dan Greenfield at Front Page, Black Governor Vetoes Racial Reparations Bill

Slavery reparations are dead. How dead are they? Dead enough that not even black governors want them.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore vetoed a measure that would have created a commission to study reparations in the former slave state.

Moore vetoed the bill on Friday but said he will propose other methods to address the effects of slavery, Jim Crow laws and other forms of discrimination against blacks in Maryland.

The proposed commission would have explored options for addressing the state’s past and subsequent laws deemed discriminatory toward blacks from 1865 to 1965.

The options would have included a formal apology, cash payments or enacting laws that would make amends for past wrongs.

Why did Moore veto it? California’s experiment with racial reparations was probably an influence. After authorizing commissions to study reparations, they did nothing except stir up controversy. California let the process go far enough that it produced massive potential payments that could never be authorized, raising hopes in the black community of huge checks while touching off outrage among white residents.

And then there’s the whole awkward problem of whether reparations would be limited to actual descendants of slaves or anyone who is black which created its own divisions in the black community.

Besides, they all ready got reparations. Remember 40 acres and a mule? I asked Grok what an acre of farmland in Alabama is worth currently; the answer is approximately  $3,409, but of course, it varies by region. And a mule? "The cost of a mule in Alabama in 2025 typically ranges from $1,000 to $8,000, with most mules sold between $1,000 and $3,000" So the value of the reparations they received is worth on the order of $137,000 in today's money. Now, of course, that was per family, not per person. Still, not insignificant.

Maryland, My Maryland

 From ET, Maryland Legislature Approves Bill Creating Commission to Study Slavery Reparations

The Maryland General Assembly gave final approval on April 2 to legislation authorizing the state to form a commission to study the possibility of providing reparations for slavery. Except as punishment for a crime, slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865 with the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Slavery was abolished in Maryland a year before that when the state amended its constitution to outlaw the practice. In 2007, the Maryland General Assembly and the Annapolis City Council issued official statements expressing “regret for the role Maryland played in instituting and maintaining slavery.”

The state House approved Senate Bill 587 in a 101–36 vote on April 2 after the Senate passed it by 32–13 on March 14.

The measure creates a Maryland Reparations Commission that will “study and make recommendations relating to appropriate benefits to be offered to individuals whose ancestors were enslaved in the State or were impacted by certain inequitable government policies.”

An analysis by state legislative staff does not estimate how much such benefits might cost taxpayers.

The commission is required to file a preliminary report by Jan. 1, 2027, and a final report including its findings and recommendations with the governor and the Maryland General Assembly by Nov. 1, 2027.

Among the various benefits that the commission will explore are an official apology, monetary compensation, property tax rebates, down payment assistance for purchasing residential real estate, child care, debt forgiveness, and higher education tuition payment waivers.

"or were impacted by certain inequitable government policies ” is a loophole big enough to drive the Dali under. I would like to assume that this will go the way of proposed reparations in California, where they looked at the cost and blanched, but I'm not hopeful.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Kamala Attempts to Bribe Black Men

At ZeroHedge, After Locking Up 1000s For Weed Possession, Kamala Harris Patronizes Black Men In Pot Pandering Scheme

On track to post Democrats' worst presidential-election performance with blacks in 64 years, a desperate Kamala Harris smashed the vote-buying button on Monday, proposing an "Opportunity Agenda" for black men that includes dishing out one million "forgivable loans" at $20,000 each.

The loans would be offered to black entrepreneurs "in partnership with trusted organizations like mission-driven lenders and banks with a proven commitment to their communities," the Harris-Walz campaign said. If these "forgivable loans" are anything like the ones dished out to businesses during the madness of Covid stimulus, they'll be loans in name only -- meaning this is just a blatant wealth redistribution scheme aimed at buying black votes.

Unsurprisingly, the campaign provided few details about the program's requirements -- such as just how black one will need to be to qualify . . .

Da Caller, Kamala Harris Didn’t Send 1500 People To Jail For Pot — It Was More Than That. WokeSpy, Kamala Harris Proposes $20,000 Forgivable Loans for Black Entrepreneurs. Nick Pope at Da Caller, Kamala Harris Appears To Propose New Race-Based Payments As Support From Black Men Lags. It's hard to see this as anything but a last-ditch attempt to lure back black men straying from the fold. It would, of course, be shot down by the Supreme, with the added benefit that they could then rail against the Supreme Court (more). Bill Otis at the Ringside, sees Kamala Harris reach out to men. "This is not satire, although it would win an award if it were." Matt Vespa at TownHall, Fox News Host Wasn't Going to Let Kamala's Spokesperson Get Away With This Laughable Spin Line "The red flags are everywhere that Kamala is doing historically poor with men, especially men of color." At NYPo, Democrats have a man problem, and belittling them is only making it worse. At Althouse, "Nothing has come to fruition. Look at the schools, the playgrounds, the parks. Downtown is struggling. In our community, typically, we vote for Democrats." ""How has that panned out for us? You’re so bold and loud when you want to help transgender people, immigrants. [Harris] said she wouldn’t pass anything for just Black people, but you had no problem with the LGBT community. Give us some hope you’re listening to our concerns." Said Ahmad Taylor, 47, of Pontiac, Michigan, quoted in "In a Michigan city, Harris has failed to catch fire with Black men/In December, Black men in Pontiac told The Post they were unenthused about Biden. Now, some feel the same about Harris" (WaPo)(free-access link)."

At the College Fix, Kamala Harris accused of plagiarizing parts of 2009 book ‘Smart on Crime’. WokeSpy, Kamala Harris Accused Of Plagiarizing Articles And Wikipedia For 2009 Book. Stephan Kruiser at PJM, The Idiot Doesn't Fall Far From the Moron — Kamala's a Plagiarist Too! Driscoll at Insty, LIKE LED ZEPPELIN, IF YOU’RE GOING TO PLAGIARIZE, WHY NOT STEAL FROM THE BEST? " Kamala Harris has been accused of plagiarizing Martin Luther King in the book that helped launch her political career." The Telegraph, Kamala Harris embroiled in plagiarism row. "US vice president appears to copy Martin Luther King in an anecdote from her childhood during the civil rights movement." Ace calls it the Final Proof That Kamala Is a DEI Hire: She Has a Massive Plagiarism Problem. "Of course! Darn, everyone should have thought of this years ago."

Althouse, "Vice President Kamala Harris has gone 86 days as the presumptive, and now, official Democratic nominee for president without holding an official press conference." "Says Fox News, just Fox News, but isn't it true? It seems impossible. I'm reading about this and that podcast, and an occasional interview with a mainstream newsperson, such as Fox's Bret Baier coming up, but never a news conference. How is it possible to rise to the presidency without one attempt at handling a press conference?" Also, "In a July interview... Rogan called Harris 'the worst'... said he was bothered to see her suddenly viewed as a 'hero' and 'solution,' wondered if she was medicated...", "... with anti-anxiety medications because of 'disconnected ramblings,' but still said he thinks she will win the presidency because people think she’s a stronger alternative than Trump. In a September interview... Rogan said, 'whoever’s coaching her, whoever’s the puppet master running the strings' is doing a 'f****** amazing job.'..." Sundance at CTH doesn't expect much from Brett Baier Scheduled to Interview Kamala Harris – Tomorrow, Wednesday. Scott Pinsker at PJM, Gauntlet Thrown, Challenge Accepted: NOW the Democrats Are Panicking "Kamala Harris will suddenly open up and do a ton of interviews — including hostile interviews." Matt Vespa, We Have an Interesting Development About Kamala's Univision Town Hall Event. Nick Arama at RedState watches Kamala Goes Off the Rails in PA, but It Was Who Wasn't There That Tells the Tale. Trump War Room@TrumpWarRoom, "Kamala — who has been in office for the past four years — says "it's time to turn the page." WE AGREE!" NewsMax, Harris Gives New Word Salad About Constellations. johnny maga@_johnnymaga, "Just 2 days after the Kamala campaign launched an effort to label Trump a "weak" man who's "hiding" mental decline, he went at it for a solid hour — live and unscripted — with a hostile journalist. Kamala declined the same interview. Total victory."

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair notices CNN: Say, Remember When Kamala Pledged to Prosecute Oil Producers Rather Than Praise Them? DC Journal, Harris Says If You Like Your Car, You Can Keep It. Her Record Says Otherwise. Restoration News notes Anti-Fracking Groups Gave Kamala $17 Million After She Swore Off Fracking. They Know She's Lying to Win the Election. Anxiouse claims a Scoop: Karine Jean-Pierre blocks John Kirby at White House podium. Capt. Ed adds "It's no surprise to see the least competent person win a feud in the Biden administration, though. Failing upward is practically a core value." Stephen Kruiser at PJM, Bidenomics Wrecking Ball Continues Handing Campaign Ammo to Trump. From the Free Bacon, Transgender 'Yacht Killer' Serving Life Sentence Gets Taxpayer-Funded Sex-Change Surgery Thanks to Kamala Harris: 'He Killed My Daughter and Son-in-Law, Now He Gets What He Wants' "Harris's support for taxpayer-funded sex changes for transgender inmates has emerged as a vulnerability on the campaign trail."

'We Have Not Intentionally Allowed Millions Of Illegals To Cross The Border To Vote,' Says Mayorkas Waving His Hand Attempting A Jedi Mind Trick https://t.co/Zk6MF6cV7k pic.twitter.com/yQgp0iAjvS

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) October 14, 2024

From Fox, Top House committee launches probe into Biden admin 'priorities' on FEMA hurricane relief, migrant spending, "DHS says claims it has diverted disaster money are 'completely false'" Dave Strom at Hat Hair wonders Is the Government Hiding Deaths from Hurricane Helene? Almost Certainly. At Breitbart, Feds Admit: Child Sex Trafficking Reports Triple under Harris and Biden.

Ashe Schow at Da Wire reports Team Kamala Angry At Biden For Not Thinking Of Campaign Before Praising DeSantis "A staffer reportedly said the "White House is lacking someone in the room thinking first and foremost about how things would affect the campaign.”" 'Bonchie' at RedState, Kamala Harris Spokesman Is Asked About Tensions With Joe Biden, His Answer Says Everything "Well, I think first and foremost when you think about tensions between a president and VP, you have to think about J6 when Trump let his supporters chant 'hang Mike Pence.'" At Ace's, Incredibly, Kamala Harris's Staff Again Puts Out the Word That Biden is Failing to Position Her for Success. 

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.14.24, EBL: Team Harris Fighting With Team Biden, Twitchy Las Vegas Review-Journal Endorses Trump With Scathing Rebuke Of Kamala, American Greatness: Fake Crowds, Fake Ads, Real Ridicule – A Week of Failures for Harris-Walz, Pennsylvania Taxpayers Paid Over $2.5 Million for Kids ‘Sex Change’ Interventions, The Strange, Mythological Campaign of Kamala Harris, America’s National Security Is Far Worse Off Than Four Years Ago, and Poll: Majority Favors Federal Ban on Transgender Surgeries for Minors, American Thinker, Harris-Walz Burlesque, and How Do You Solve a Problem Like Kamala?, Cafe Hayek: Still More on So-Called “Price Gouging”, Victory Girls: Tim Walz Elmer Fudd’s His Pheasant Hunt. And at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.15.24, Twitchy: Kamala’s Husband Offers A Really Strange Glimpse Into Their Very Weird Marriage, Politico Says Federal Employees Are Sweating A Trump Comeback, American Conservative: Obama and Clinton Haunt Harris, American Greatness: Kamala to Sit Down with Brett Baier for FNC Interview, House Committee to Investigate FEMA Mishandling of Funds Amid Hurricane Relief, Dana Loesch: Tim Walz Doesn’t Know What A Venture Capitalist Does, The Lid: Biden’s Corrupt DOJ Orders U.S. Military to Use ‘Lethal Force’ against American Civilians, Legal Insurrection: Kamala Harris Mocks Trump for Stopping Town Hall…After 2 People Needed Medical Help, Biden Threatens to Halt Military Aid to Israel if Humanitarian Conditions in Gaza ‘Not Improved’, Victory Girls: Harris Muses About Constellations Or Something, The Federalist Trump Is Conquering New Media While Harris Stumbles Through Walled-Off Campaign.

NewsMax reports Pelosi says No Contact With Biden Since He Dropped Out. At Da Mail, Pelosi admits she hasn't spoken to Biden since she forced him out of the Presidential race. Say, about that knife in your back . . . Capt. Ed, "I'd accept that as a principled stand ... except that Pelosi knew that Biden's cognitive capacity had begun to decline as early as October 2021. Yet she played along with his re-election bid and didn't lift a finger to make sure the primary allowed for competitive challenges. She only acted after the cover-up got exposed on national TV on June 27th." 

The Dersh thinks President Biden Can Still Save the World in His Remaining Time in Office, by regime change in Iran? But they're his buddies! VodkaPundit at PJM, Biden's Parting Gift to the World: Nuclear Holocaust. I hope not, that would ruin the whole day. At NYPo The Great Victor Davis Hanson wants Biden and Harris to own up to your foolish Iran overtures and ignited its war against Israel. Real Clear Defense examines The Failure of Biden’s 'Just Say Don’t' Foreign Policy. 

The Divine Ms. Devine at NYPo says Blundering Tim Walz dragging down Harris campaign — while brilliant JD Vance helps Trump surge NewsMax opines 'Gun Guy' Walz Should Ask Noem for Pointers on Competence. Dave Strom translates Tim Walz: Vote for Me Because I Haven't Got a Clue About Economics Greg Price @greg_price11, "Walz: "JD Vance is a venture capitalist cosplaying as a cowboy. I don't even know what a venture capitalist does."" "Walz advertising his ignorance shouldn't surprise me, I guess. The Harris/Walz team is so tone deaf that it is just another day on the trail." Shore News Network, Tim Walz, Doug Emhoff Walk Away Without Paying for Order at Coffee Shop. They have taxpayers for that. Twitchy, Kamala's Husband Offers a Really Strange Glimpse into Their Very Weird Marriage. Collin Rugg@CollinRugg, "NEW: Doug Emhoff says his wife Kamala cussed at him and told him to "get to work" when Joe Biden dropped out of the race because he was in a spin class."

Larry at Hat Hair, Jake Tapper & Margaret Brennan Stunned by the Receipts! Trump on Top! From WokeSpy, Democrats Enter Panic Mode As Trump Tightens Race In Swing States. Larry at Hat Hair, talks to somebody On the Ground in Pennsylvania: The Most Important Battleground State. Da Fetched, CNN: Trump Is Strongest Republican with Black Voters Since 1960 Breitbart, Michelle Obama Enlists Drag Queens, Cardi B to Gin Up Swing-State Turnout Where Kamala’s Losing Ground. At Da Caller, ‘They Have A Problem’: Mark Halperin Says Harris’ ‘New’ Trump Talking Points Indicate She’s Running ‘Losing’ Campaign. At Twitchy, And BOOM! User Who 'Can't Stand Trump' Explains WHY He's Voting FOR HIM and Just DECIMATES Kamala Harris. At WaEx Paul Bedard finds RFK Jr. voters shifting to Trump to deliver battleground state wins. Speaking of RFK Jr, at Hat Hair, Eternal Triangle Court Filing: RFK Wanted to Do What? Well, he is a Kennedy, after all. At TownHall Kurt Schlichter warns Don’t Get Complacent.

Nick Arama, Trump May Just Have Best Troll of Kamala Ever - and It All Has to Do With McDonald's. Dave Strom explains The Latest Trump-Related Hoax. Ace, Trump Pauses Campaign Event While Several Attendees Are Escorted Out for "Medical Emergencies;" Kamala Harris and MSNBC Claim Trump Had a Senior Moment. "He was literally standing and watching as EMS personnel helped several stricken rally-goers out. Because he was standing on stage quietly while EMS got the sick people out, they're claiming Trump had a Biden-like bout of lost time. It's egregious. So egregious that even the Disney Groomer Corporation's fake news division, ABC, is debunking the claim." Althouse, We were watching Trump's Oaks, Pennsylvania town hall live, so we experienced the shift from talk to pure music.... "... and if you didn't watch live, you can still watch the video and thereby have your own opinion of what happened... and of the way the mainstream media are reporting it." Ace, Trump Releases Campaign Ad Decrying "WOKE" Military, Using Clips from Full Metal Jacket; Stanley Kubrick's Daughter Denounces Him. Wait, My Mistake: Stanley Kubrick's Daughter Defends Him. "Well that was unexpected. Vivian Kubrick composed the music for Full Metal Jacket so she has some say in this." Liz Mair at RCP tries to explain Why Trump and Harris Shouldn’t Embrace Tariffs. There are plenty of tariffs already, Trump is just planning to use them more strategically. Driscoll at Insty, AND YET, CURIOUSLY, TRUMP DIDN’T SEND THE B-52s OVER ABC NEWS HQ DURING HIS FIRST TERM: Kooky Joy Behar is Convinced Donald Trump Will Bomb Her and Her Co-Hosts if He Wins the Presidency. Jen O'Connell at RedState is optimistic, GOP Only Needs to Flip Two Senate Seats to Win the Majority, but Polling Shows They Could Take Five.

OTP reports Early Voting Begins In Swing State Of Georgia and Georgia Expects To Break Records In First Day Of Early Voting. From Nick Ballasy at JTN, Court in Fulton County rules Georgia officials can't delay, refuse to certify election results "“Election superintendents in Georgia have a mandatory fixed obligation to certify election results,” wrote Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney in the ruling." OTP, Youngkin Outlines Plan To Rid Illegals From Virginia Voter Roles Over DOJ Opposition. Sundance at CTH hosts Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Discusses DOJ Lawsuit Against State Clean Voter Rolls. Da Fetched, Absentee Ballots Suddenly Begin Disappearing in Michigan Just Weeks Before Election. From the Center Square, a Poll: Vast majority of Americans support election integrity measures. At Hat Hair, CNN Panel Rages After Conservative Exposes Election Denying Democrats

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.14.24, The Federalist: J.D. Vance Has An Even Stronger Case For A Rigged 2020 Election In The Number Of Illegal Ballots, Democrat Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Seeking To Keep Noncitizens Off Arizona’s Voter Rolls, Texas Poll Workers Must Now Require Naturalization Docs From People Trying To Vote With Noncitizen IDs, and Exclusive: Maricopa County Elections Chief Enlisted Foreign Censorship Group In War On Disapproved Speech. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.15.24, The Federalist: West Virginia Secretary Of State Demands Feds Answer For 2020 Election Interference, GA Judge Rules Election Officials Must Rubber Stamp Results Even If They Are ‘Non-Sensical’, Pennsylvania Secretary Of State Refuses To Say He’d Catch Noncitizens Voting.

Ryan King at NYPo, Biden tells Iran that attempts on Trump’s life would be act of war: report. 

John Solomon and Steve Richards at JTN, Liz Cheney contacted controversial J6 witness on encrypted app behind lawyer's back, messages show "Liability Liz? Text messages raise fresh ethical concerns since Cheney was a DC attorney and local bar rules require approval of defense counsel for any communications with witnesses." The Washington Times@WashTimes, "A Jan. 6 defendant said he spent four months in solitary confinement in federal prison, harsh conditions that could have been avoided in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling that the DOJ overreached when it charged hundreds of the U.S. Capitol defendants with felony obstruction." Kaelen Deese at WaEx, reports Trump asks appeals court to move New York criminal case to federal court. Mia Cathell at TownHall wonders What Is Fani Willis Hiding? House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸@JudiciaryGOP, "🚨 #BREAKING: FANI WILLIS demands NATHAN WADE not answer questions at his deposition tomorrow before the Judiciary Committee."

FIRE, Supreme Court revives lawsuit of citizen journalist arrested for asking a question. Dave Strom, Gallup says Even Democrats Are Losing Faith in the Media and Did The New York Times Publish a Hoax? Yes, but to which one do you refer? Sundance, CBS Busted Again, This Time by Speaker Mike Johnson, For Deceptive Edits and Manufacturing Responses During Interviews. Speaker Mike Johnson@SpeakerJohnson "CBS has been under fire for selectively editing their interviews to PROMOTE Democrats and UNDERMINE Republicans. Yesterday, they chose to cut FIVE important minutes out of my nearly 15 minute interview. You can be the judge as to why." Speaker Mike Johnson@SpeakerJohnson "I recently traveled to NC and victims of Hurricane Helene told me nearly two weeks after landfall, the Biden-Harris Administration had STILL not provided them with all the resources they desperately needed. But CBS selectively edited OUT ENTIRELY this first-hand perspective." Speaker Mike Johnson@SpeakerJohnson "Apparently, CBS also doesn't want you to hear about Virginia Gov. Youngkin, who is trying to clean the state's voter rolls so non-American citizens can't vote there. We need more states doing this, but the Biden-Harris Administration is SUING VIRGINIA and trying to STOP it." Driscoll at Insty says ALWAYS BRING YOUR OWN CAMERA: See how CBS aggressively edited an interview with Speaker Mike Johnson to fit the Narrative.™ Ace, cites Ben Weingarten: The US Government Is Funding Foreign Entities Which In Turn Censor American Citizens. "The old CIA trick of getting foreign governments and organizations to do what they are technically forbidden to do themselves." Logan Washburn at WaEx, Exclusive: Maricopa Elections Chief Enlisted Foreign Censorship Group In War On Disapproved Speech. 

From the Free Bacon, ‘Do Your Job’: Ernst and Stefanik Demand FBI Investigate Pro-Terror Columbia Student Group "These violent threats demand immediate attention and a thorough investigation to prevent any acts of terrorism."

VodkaPundit at Insty sees PRIORITIES: "DOJ Tells Four Police, Fire Departments That It’s Racist To Expect Employees To Know Basic Math. Most blacks generally pass the tests, and the lawsuits do not explain how the tests can be racist against only some blacks. Blacks who passed the tests are excluded from the financial payouts." Tom Knighton at TAW, This is why you can't take the woke mob seriously. At Wokal Distance, "There's a huge story behind @realchrisrufo's plagiarism investigations people have missed: The integrity of America's elite institutions has been destroyed by fraud, lying, low standards, and political corruption. It's just like the 2007 housing market. I'll explain . . . " wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat "For those who believe "property is theft", success as exhibited by SpaceX or South Korea is prima facie proof of evil. Conversely, destitution and abject failure are irrefutable tokens of virtue. Self-multilation enhances the effect because the previously pitiable are more so."

At the Midwesterner, Meet Gretchen Whitmer’s ‘queer content creator’ plotting governor’s chase for social media fame. Dave Strom, Whitmer's Social Media Guru Is EXACTLY Who You Think. Queer as a three dollar bill. PM reports California moves to provide surrogates to gay male couples in the name of 'fertility equality'. "Co-author of the bill Senator Caroline Menjivar (D) said the bill "will ensure that queer couples no longer have to pay more out of pocket to start families than non-queer families."" That's equity, not equality. At OutKick, University Of Nevada Says Forfeit Against SJSU 'Does Not Represent Position' Of School, "in a new statement to OutKick, the University says that it "intends to move forward with the match as scheduled" and that the players' decision "does not represent the position of the University." "On Oct. 13, 2024, the majority of members of the University of Nevada, Reno women’s volleyball team sent a statement to the University advising the institution that they were forfeiting its scheduled match with San Jose State University on Oct. 26, 2024," a University of Nevada spokesperson wrote to OutKick in an email."

Flotsam and Jetsam - Debt Ceiling Deal Reached

Our long, and recurring, national nightmare is over, as two days after Janet Yellen announced they had until June 5 to raise the debt ceiling, Republicans in the  House, Democrats in the Senate and whoever is really in charge at the white White House (aided by Arizona 'independent' Senator Kristin Synema) agreed on a plan to raise the debt ceiling, and cut spending (some). Reuters, Biden, McCarthy reach tentative US debt ceiling deal 

the deal was announced without any celebration, in terms that reflected the bitter tenor of the negotiations and the difficult path it has to pass through Congress before the United States runs out of money to pay its debts in early June.
. . .
The deal would suspend the debt limit through January of 2025, while capping spending in the 2024 and 2025 budgets, claw back unused COVID funds, speed up the permitting process for some energy projects and includes some extra work requirements for food aid programs for poor Americans.

Insty, links Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, MCCARTHY GETS DEBT-CEILING DEAL — WITH WORK REQUIREMENTS: “Biden and Chuck Schumer lost this weeks ago, and now they just caved. It would not surprise me if the Democrats knew this was coming all along, and they merely waited for a holiday weekend to give them enough cover to pull the trigger.” Nick Arama at Red State, Debt Ceiling Deal Reached by Biden, McCarthy - Agreement in Principle. At NYPo, President Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy strike tentative debt ceiling deal. Sundance at CTH, McCarthy and Biden Strike Spending Deal to Raise Debt Ceiling. At Da Wire, Democrat Jamaal Bowman Calls GOP ‘Economic Terrorists’ For Negotiating Over Debt Ceiling, coming from him I assume it's a term of endearment. Da Caller catches ‘That’s Not What The Poll Says’: Poppy Harlow Pushes Back Against Jayapal Over Debt Ceiling. At WaEx  Paul Bedard's White House Report Card: Biden losing on 2024, debt, public opinion. The deal pisses off plenty of people on both sides of the aisle who didn't get all they wanted, so I assume it's somewhere near the worst deal either side could accept, which is what a compromise is all about. It will be interesting (as in the ancient Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times") to see how the voting shakes out.

Politico whines Ron DeSantis upended education in Florida. He’s coming for your state next. Dan McLaughlan at NRO  says David French Is Wrong: Ron DeSantis Won't Destroy Conservatism. I know how he could have saved 5 words in the headline. Insty snarks "I’m reminded of one of Kurt Schlichter’s novels, where a collaborating Bill Kristol is still planning “conservative” cruises in an America that has become, literally, a People’s Republic."

Town Hall's Matt Vespa sees The Today Show Cornered Kamala Harris...And Things Quickly Went Off the Rails "What does Harris do right? Seriously? She’s failed at promoting COVID vaccinations. She’s certainly failed at the border. This is The Today Show. This is softball territory—and she couldn’t even manage that. This is the easy stuff—and she failed miserably." But Matt Towry at RCP warns A Lot Has to Change Quickly for Republicans to Have a Chance in 2024. "Only that massive “Red Tidal Wave” can carry a Republican back into the White House. Here’s a list of why such a GOP meltdown is possible again and the potential remedies for the party that, at present, seem unlikely to materialize in time to avert disaster for Republicans in 2024." Fox, Reparations demands are spiking and Democrats have this astonishing reaction "Democrat promises of money for reparations have created expectations among Black citizens" I predict poor black voter turnout in cities without vote "harvesting." Sarah Arnold at Town Hall finds AOC Heckled and Shouted Off Stage by NYC Voters: 'Put America First'. That renews my faith in New York, at least a little. PM, Oprah responds to rumors Gavin Newsom sought her to fill Diane Feinstein's potentially vacant seat. Are you kidding me? That's work! Sort of. The Peacock is screaming about Jack Dorsey sharing a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. video echoing conspiracy theories. "Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter and the head of Block Inc, has previously supported unconventional Democratic candidates."

John Solomon at JTN reports IRS whistleblower provided Congress origins of Biden probe, evidence of political interference "Special Agent Gary Shapley turned over 23 pages of evidence, gave six hours of testimony to House Ways and Means Committee." PM, Whistleblower in IRS Hunter Biden probe says tax agency 'deviated from the normal process' in favor of Biden son, "There were multiple steps that were slow-walked, at the direction of the Department of Justice.” Jonathan Turley, “I Don’t Want to Do Any of This”: IRS Whistleblower Defies the Biden Administration and the Media. "The source of the interference with the IRS investigation, according to Gary Shapley, was the Department of Justice. It is the latest chapter in the story of “The Incredibly Shrinking Merrick Garland.”"

Jerry Dunleavy at WaEx reports John Durham to testify before GOP-led House Judiciary Committee in June. Good, but I wish he had better news to talk about.

Atop Da Hill news that ‘QAnon Shaman’ released from halfway house. Meanwhile, many J6 trespassers are being held in pre-trial detention in Gitmo like conditions in the DC jail. 9and10 News, Michigan Man Gets Community Service for Shooting Anti-Abortion Campaigner, claims it was an accident.

TechCrunch, Elon Musk takes Twitter out of the EU’s Disinformation Code of Practice. Trying to get Twitter out of the government censorship game. The article is laughably slanted "  

It’s increasingly looking like an inevitability — one that’s being driven by the billionaire’s goal of advancing a far right political ideology which demands he give succour to disinformation in order that the seeds of anti-democratic conspiracy theories may fly. (As Charlie Warzel put it in a recent Atlantic article: “[Twitter] has unquestionably transformed under [Musk’s] leadership into an alternative social-media platform — one that offers a haven to far-right influencers and advances the interests, prejudices, and conspiracy theories of the right wing of American politics.”

At WUWT,  BBC Verify "The BBC, Britain’s public broadcaster, announced the launch of a new “disinformation” unit in its newsroom to combat claimed conspiracy theories and fake news. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which is funded by a statutory fee on individuals who watch live television under penalty of fine or imprisonment, stated that its news division will include a new squad branded “BBC Verify” to refute misinformation."

Halle Bailey

From Da Caller, Bud Light, Target Bleeding Money As Conservatives Boycott. The Dollar Amount Is Staggering. Good job, ya'll. I can't claim to have contributed, since I never bought Bud Light or shopped at Target. Meanwhile, Da Wire reports Target Donates To Group That Promotes Secret Child Gender Transitions, LGBTQ Books In Schools and PM reveals Target tells employees only 'extremists' are concerned with sexualization of children. PJM's Rick Moran says Lululemon Employees were Fired for Calling 911 on Looters Robbing the Store. At Twitchy, Another WOKE failure: ALWAYS sanitary products refers to girls as bodies with female sex organs. Elphaba @Phabala77 "Don't you wish you could say you were hacked? We see you want a @Target on you too. Do you need someone to hold your @budlight ?" I rarely agree with the ChiComs, but this is true, BIC, ‘The Little Mermaid’: Chinese State Run Media Warns Disney To Stop Pushing Racism Narrative Around Fairy Tales Or They Will Lose Their “Magic Glory.”  I don't care if they picked Halle Bailey to play a mermaid, just don't racialize it. The New Neo asks Wherefore woke corporations? "They are learning that the right can put economic pressure on them too. Will it matter? I don’t know. I think there will be a little pullback by these companies from the more egregious examples, but not a lot."

At the Frisco Chronic, Attacks on trans athletes have little basis in science "Experts say a paucity of research on transgender athletes makes it difficult to determine if trans women actually are faster or stronger. The science is even murkier for young athletes." It's such nonsense only 'experts' can believe it. At Da Mail, The NIH-published study that exposes the gulf between trans athletes and women in sports: Male-to-female transitioners are faster, stronger and fitter than most women even AFTER taking hormone drugs.

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair wonders Did WaPo reporters conspire with extremists to attack National Gallery of Art?  "And if they did, will anyone from the Washington Post face charges over it?" They certainly had a heads up something was going to happen. And no, they will not face charges.

Insty, cites College Fix, A SMALL VICTORY: Arizona drops charges against ASU student arrested for handing out Constitution. "“All witnesses who testified to Tizon’s actions confirmed that the table did not block pedestrians nor interfere with other groups, his attorneys had argued, adding university officials disregarded their own policy, unlawfully restricting Tizon’s freedom of expression.” Now punish the people responsible."