Flotsam and Jetsam - Will the Shutdown Shutdown?

The government shutdown is starting to bite, well, democrats mostly. From Fox, Schumer again blocks GOP bid to reopen government as air traffic controllers go unpaid. "Failure to reopen the government on Tuesday came as air traffic controllers missed their first payday. The military is set to miss its first full payday on Friday. Then there is the looming cliff for federal nutrition benefits on Saturday — the same day as open enrollment begins nationwide for Obamacare." American Greatness staff cites Treasury Sec. Bessent: American People Are ‘Hostage’ To Schumer’s and Jeffries’ Poll Numbers. At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed sees the CNN Data Guru warn Schumer Shutdown May Be Making Republicans More Popular. At TownHall Jeff Charles notes Uh Oh, Even CNN Is Admitting the Schumer Shutdown Isn't Going Well for Democrats and Amy Curtis hears Another Democrat Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud About the Schumer Shutdown. Senate Republicans @SenateGOP, "Chris Coons believes that denying Americans their SNAP benefits may be “unpleasant,” but it’s worth doing because it gives Democrats political “leverage.” Absolutely deranged." Rick Moran at PJM thinks Democrats' Resolve is Wearing Thin as Major Union Calls on Them to Pass GOP Stopgap. Reagan Reese at Da Caller, Independent Women Urges Dem Leadership To End Government Shutdown. Also at Hat Hair, Dave Strom claims The Dike Holding Back Democrat Discontent on Schumer Shutdown Is Cracking, Capt. Ed cites Thune: I Don't Know But I've Been Told, Democrat Feet Are Gettin' Cold and a Larry video, Democrats Abandon Schumer, Demand Shutdown Ends Now.

At ET, These States Lose Most If Federal Food Aid Runs Out, "Large states stand to lose the most federal funding, but a higher percentage of the population receives food assistance in some smaller states." Dave Strom, TikTok Filled With Videos of People Threatening to Loot Grocery Stores. From Twitchy, Oilfield Rando's Genius: Kill SNAP for a Month, Watch Illegals' Foreign Remittances Starve. Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando "I want SNAP to shut down for a month just to observe how much foreign remittances plummet in that month." Pericles @PerryALPHA, "Dominicans and other Caribbean immigrants literally use SNAP as remittances. They load up blue barrels with food they buy with EBT and ship it back to the islands so their relatives can sell them for cash."

John Sexton hears Democrats Are Still Running With This Lie About the Ballroom. From the Free Bacon, Counterpoint: Calm Down, No One Cares About the White House Renovation, "It if makes you feel 'almost the same' as 9/11, there's something seriously wrong with you/" At NYPo, the Divine Ms. Devine notices Trump Derangement Syndrome has morphed into something far more lethal — Trump Projection Disorder. From Politico, Political peril spurs Trump to act on beef prices even as ranchers rage "The average price for a pound of ground beef is $6.32, up about 14 percent since Trump took office." It takes a while to build herds back after the Biden economy decimated them.

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn claims It Turned Out to Be a Gangbuster Japanese Visit. Sundance at CTH hosts President Trump and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Speak to U.S. Troops On USS George Washington in Japan and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Informs Govt and Business Leaders No Trade Deals Possible until after Thanksgiving. “Canada burnt the bridges with America,” he said. “Donald Trump did not slam the door.”

John Lucas at Bravo Blue, Insubordinate Generals and Senior Officers Publicly Attack the Secretary of War, "Anonymous but public criticisms topped by massive hypocrisy." And they may have committed a felony "Article 88 of the UCMJ provides that “any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words” against senior officials, including the Secretary of Defense, “shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.” Nota bene: Truth of the statement is not a defense; contemptuous words suffice regardless of intent." Diogenes at Ace's discourses On Fat Generals and Admirals.

Misty Severi at JTN reports HHS fires senior adviser who opposed COVID-19 vaccines, "The former health official previously served as Trump's adviser in his first term and advocated for using hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, for treating COVID-19 infections during the pandemic." :HHS told The Hill that it fired Steven Hatfill over the weekend for cause, but did not provide details about the termination. An official told the New York Times that Hatfill was fired because he misrepresented himself as the "chief medical officer” for the assistant secretary for preparedness and response, but Hatfill said he was ousted as part of “a coup to overthrow" Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which was allegedly organized by the secretary's chief of staff Matt Buckham." Steven Hatfill has an interesting past. At FBI director, Robert Mueller attempted to railroad him for the anthrax attacks, and the FBI had to pay him a tidy sum when the apparent culprit was identified at Ft. Detrick. I could see the deep state still having it in for him. From Althouse, "Texas becomes the first state to allege that taking [Tylenol] while pregnant can cause autism, despite unsettled scientific evidence." "I'm reading "Texas AG Paxton files Tylenol lawsuit, taking cues from Trump, Kennedy" (WaPo)(free-access link)."

Cathy Salgado at PJM reports Trump’s Truth Social Is First Platform With Prediction Markets Via Crypto Exchange.

From Ace, "I'm Not Done:" Kamala Harris Threatens to Run for President Again. "I've said a bunch of times that I don't think she really wants to run for office again. I think the play here is extortion: Give me my own Harris-branded Clinton Global Initiative grift and I'll go away. If not, I'm running. Speaking as a black and queer woman, I say, You go girl. You secure that bag." PJM's Matt Margolis, We Got Juicy Details on Obama’s Furious Call to Pelosi After Kamala Endorsement. Capt. Ed, 'What the F*** Did You Just Do?': Obama Ripped Pelosi Over Kamala Endorsement. Driscoll at Insty, WHAT A STUPID QUESTION: "Did Jonathan Chait get a lobotomy? I don’t think so, and whatever else he is, stupid is not an attribute I associated with him. So when I saw this tweet I about burst out laughing." Jonathan Chait @jonathanchait, "This is an interview that should inspire some follow-up reporting: how was KJP hired for her job in the first place?" Daniel Friedman @DanFriedman81, "She was hired by the same people and for the same reasons as Kamala Harris, Ketanji Brown Jackson, dozens of federal judges and hundreds of agency appointees. Is that really a rabbit hole you want to go down? Whether the various women of color hired by the Biden administration were the most qualified for their jobs?" At Althouse, "There’s a silent minority of people out there who feel that Biden was taken advantage of, and most people don’t want to say it. Is that what you mean?" "The New Yorker's Isaac Chotiner asks Karine Jean-Pierre in an interview."

Noah Rothman at NRO, Imagine That — Actions Have Consequences. "GOP Ready to Target Mamdani’s NYC Victory." Fox claims Cuomo closes gap on Mamdani as NYC mayor race tightens dramatically in new poll. "Former governor gains ground after Eric Adams endorsement, trailing democratic socialist by 10 points." 10 pts is still a blowout. Ace, Mamdani Holds Rally With AOC in "Show of Force." "The end of New York City. And, speaking as a black lesbian of color, good riddance." PJM's Scott Pinsker thinks Zohran Mamdani’s Fatal Flaw Revealed — and It’s NOT Communism, Socialism or Radical Islam. John Sexton at Hat Hair VIP, Mamdami in 2023: 'When the Boot of the NYPD is on Your Neck, It’s Been Laced by the IDF'. Driscoll, SAY, I’M BEGINNING TO BELIEVE THIS MAMDANI FELLA MAY HAVE JUST A TWINGE OF ANTISEMITISM TO HIM: Zohran Mamdani made vile, conspiracy-tinged statement tying NYPD to IDF, resurfaced video shows, and CLOWN NOSE ON? Stewart Gushes Over Mamdani In Pre-Election Puff Segment. The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Mamdani Vows To Knock Down World Trade Center To Build More Affordable Housing https://buff.ly/8MpBGDX." From OTP, Mamdani Faces Criminal Referrals Over Alleged Foreign Contributions To NYC Mayoral Campaign.

Dave Weigel at Semafor worries Left-wing ideas have wrecked Democrats’ brand, new report warns. I&I ed board, It’s Official: The Democratic Party Is Now Straight Up Socialist. Twitchy, Research Fellow Shares DATA-Filled Thread Telling Democrats How to WIN Again and LOL, Lefties CANNOT DEAL. Frank Luntz @FrankLuntz "This is a party who tried to label their opponents "weird" during the 2024 election cycle, Quote Josh Barro @jbarro "This is a sign of a party that does not care about winning: https://welcomestack.org/p/deciding-to-" Garry Tan @garrytan, "If you look at the crumbling policies that destroy blue cities it’s directly traceable to the rapidly growing nonprofit industrial complex." Quote Jason Curtis Anderson @JCAndersonNYC "NYC’s changing of the guard: Wall Street’s shrinking, but the nonprofit industrial complex is exploding—fueled by $20B+ in public funds and staffed by anti-capitalist revolutionaries. Nonprofits now make up 17% of NYC’s private workforce and added nearly all new jobs last year." David Bernstein @ProfDBernstein, "One more thing: The dearth of jobs for Humanities majors was masked for about a decade by an explosion in dubious HR jobs focused on DEI, perfect for, say, an anthropology major with an interest in trans rights. No one's hiring for that anymore, and people who had those jobs are getting laid off." Quote David Bernstein @ProfDBernstein, "In all seriousness, part of the Mamdani phenomenon, and the related growth of "socialism" in the circles of young, highly educated Democrats is that the traditional jobs you'd get as a humanities major from fancy liberal arts colleges--publishing, media, paralegal--have disappeared. 

Sasha Stone thinks The Democrats Have a Nazi Problem "And it's time to call them out." Matt Vespa calls out What's Missing From Abigail Spanberger's Bus? Voters Definitely Noticed. Jay Jones. From the Free Bacon, Inside Jasmine Crockett's Secret Stock Portfolio and Failed Attempts To Become a Marijuana Magnate "Crockett, a potential 2028 Senate candidate, did not report her stakes in major pharmaceutical, fossil fuel, marijuana, technology, and automobile firms." The Telegraph claims Scandal-ridden candidates expose Democrats’ turmoil "As party fights for relevance, each public misstep provides rocket fuel for opponents."

Shipwreckedcrew explores The Mythology And Fact-Lite Renditions of Gavin Newsom's Life On The Perimeter of SF "Aristocracy." "Newsom's family was not "rich" -- they were "rich adjacent" in a way that allowed him to draft his way through life immune from the consequences of failure." From NYPo, Arnold Schwarzenegger slams Gavin Newsom’s claim that California’s redistricting is ‘temporary.’ PJM's Stephen Kruiser thinks The Dem 2028 Speculation Is Entertaining Political Theater.

Anxious is anxious that Trump appeals felony conviction citing Supreme Court immunity. Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "President Trump has filed the appeal in his criminal case. Many of us criticized the case as based on a legally unfounded legal theory tried before a highly biased judge. The brief is a devastating litany of errors ignored by a prosecutor and court hellbent on conviction..." and "...The only silver lining is the possibility that the court system can now redeem itself and lay down new, important case law to prevent future lawfare abuses of this kind."

John Solomon at JTN, AG Pam Bondi probes Biden autopen scandal as House chairman demands revocation of pardons "“We've handed this to Pam Bondi on a silver platter. We've done all the heavy lifting,” the House Oversight Committee Chairman tells Just the News." From Sundance, House Oversight Committee Releases 100-page Report on Joe Biden Autopen – Requests DOJ Open Investigation of All Executive Actions. At PJM VodkaPundit has the CORN, POPPED: House Oversight Nixes Biden Autopen, Refers to DOJ. Capt. Ed, House Oversight: Biden's Autopen Pardons 'Void,' Urge Bondi to Act. I presume this advances by the DOJ charging someone who has one of these pardons with a crime in the covered period, and then the case wends its way through the courts.

Misty at JTN again, Federal judge indefinitely blocks Trump admin from laying off federal workers during shutdown. "The judge also said that she believes the administration's efforts to fire the employees will be deemed illegal and an overstep of executive authority." ABC News, Border Patrol chief ordered to meet with judge daily on Chicago immigration crackdown. 

Driscoll, sees a MANHUNT: Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze "Gosh, I kind of think this was someone worth monitoring." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Charlie Kirk suspect’s trans lover Lance Twiggs goes missing 6 weeks after political assassination https://trib.al/3JZfPlD."

At Am Con, We Secured the Border—but ‘We’re Not Done Yet.’ From ET, Judge Directs Trump Admin Officials to Limit Statements About Abrego Garcia, "The ruling came amid uncertainty about whether the human-smuggling suspect would be deported." Townhall.com @townhallcom, "SUPERCUT: MSNBC has an addiction to calling ICE “gestapo.”" Cathy Salgado hears the Chicago Mayor on Illegal Alien Rapist: ‘Let’s Move On’. From Fox, Whistleblower warns illegal immigrants are sending 'shockwave' through crucial industry, "DOT Sec Sean Duffy accused California of issuing a commercial driver’s license to a foreign national whose truck killed three people." From Campus Reform, UC Berkeley course promotes ‘Abolish ICE’ movement, calls agency a ‘racist deportation force.’

Vigilant Fox @VigilantFox "Barack Obama says the quiet part out loud — it’s time to “experiment” with “new forms of journalism” with “government regulatory constraints.” “Part of what we’re going to have to do is to start experimenting with new forms of journalism and how we use social media in ways that reaffirm facts and separate facts from opinion. We want diversity of opinion. We don’t want diversity of facts. That, I think, is one of the big tasks of social media. By the way, it will require some government regulatory constraints…” VodkaPundit sees Bari Weiss Sharpening Her Axe for '60 Minutes' Crew.

From the College Fix, Faculty work to block Trump administration probe of antisemitism on Calif. campuses and Under Trump 2.0, colleges celebrate Halloween instead of warning against ‘offensive’ costumes. Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports DC's sole Confederate general statue returns after vandalized, toppled during 2020 BLM riots, "The inscriptions on the monument do not directly mention Brig. Gen. Albert Pike's Confederate ties, but rather depict him as a leader of the Freemasons."

Still more links at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.29.25 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 10.29.25 (Evening Edition). The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Another Fine Mess up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - John Bolton Faces the Hoosegow

Weirdly enough, the FBI raid on John Bolton's house and office are still garnering attention. From Fox, FBI raid of John Bolton's home reportedly linked to classified documents probe, "Vice President JD Vance denied the Bolton raid was politically motivated, " and Trump–Bolton feud back in focus after FBI raid: 'Never had a clue … what a dope!' "Trump called Bolton a 'wacko' and 'dope' in their feud following Bolton's exit in 2019." Sundance at CTH, John Bolton Under Investigation for Violations of the Espionage Act. Nicole Silvero at Da Caller relays Jonathan Turley Estimating How Many Years John Bolton Could Spend Behind Bars If Convicted “It would suggested it could be national defense information,” Turley said. “The reason why that’s important is that creates a heightened potential of penalty. So, you can have penalties that range from 5 to 20 years, 20 years seems to be the consensus for concealing information, obstructing justice. Simply having classified information can weigh in at about 10 years and there’s often multiple counts because each of those documents can be charged separately.” John Bolton is 78. At RedState, Katie Jerkovich thinks JD Vance Gives Grade-A Lesson in Handling Press' Gotcha Questions When Asked About Bolton Raid. Norm Eisen @NormEisen, "“Today’s raid is an obvious act of intimidation, and another example of the double standards this president is applying as he puts himself and his cronies above the law, and weaponizes it against his perceived enemies” Our statement on the Bolton raid." DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Hello Mr. Eisen, I have to say, your statement in support of John Bolton is one of the most audacious things I've ever read, and I read your playbook on color revolutions. You yourself filed a DOJ complaint urging a criminal investigation into Bolton's Super PAC. You argued that Bolton should never again hold a security clearance or a White House position. (Receipts attached.) And on top of that, you called for Trump to be prosecuted for mishandling classified documents. Yet today, you're burnishing Bolton's reputation as if none of that history exists. The only reason to make a move this brazen is fear. Fear of real accountability. Fear that if scrutiny of classified material handling is applied evenly--to Bolton, to Trump, to anyone--it undermines the partisan lawfare you've built your career around. . . " Althouse cites the formerly sensible Megan McArdle, "For 10 years, I’ve been hearing that we needed to fight fire with fire, to oppose Trump by becoming him, to protect our supposedly sacred liberal institutions by taking some shortcut..." ""... that carved a destructive path straight through them: cracking down on speech, abandoning the norms of journalistic objectivity, making unprecedented use of prosecutorial power. These were bad ideas in their own right, and they did absolutely nothing to stop Trump." Writes Megan McArdle, in "When the rule of law becomes rule of lawfare/Friday’s Bolton raid and the rebuke of Trump’s $500M fine show what happens when justice is not impartial" (WaPo)." Sundance thinks Devin Nunes Frames a Remarkable Reality "Here’s the statement that really deserves to be emphasized @05:25: “Imagine where we sit today, with all the things going on around the world, and the President has to have the DOJ, the FBI, the CIA, his own intelligence board, all making sure the intelligence is not weaponized. I mean it’s rather incredible, this is something that is unprecedented in the United States of America.”" Matt Vespa thinks it's incredible, A CNN Reporter Did Not Just Say This on Live Television, shocked when the President asserts he's the top law enforcement official in the US. 

At Am Great Roger Kimball celebrates Trump’s Whirlwind Week: Peace Talks, D.C. Cleanup, and a CBO Win. WaEx's Paul Bedard hears Americans urge Trump: Get on with draining the ‘swamp.’ Amanda Head at JTN finds Trump policies bringing a 'Blue-Collar' swing to the Republican Party.

Sundance hears When Questioned About Ukraine-Russia Intransigence, President Trump Says, “Maybe I do Nothing, and Say It’s Your Fight.” Da Mail whines Pete Hegseth continues purge of 'Deep State' national security officials with shock new firing."Hegseth axed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who led the Defense Intelligence Agency, as part of a spree of Friday firings that sent an unmistakable message through the Pentagon's ranks." Get on board or go home. Jerry Dunleavy at JTN, Pentagon, DEA, Mexican forces hold intel training aimed at 'putting an end to the godless cartels' otherwise known as the Mexican government. "The Pentagon under Pete Hegseth continues to increase the U.S. military's role in securing the southern border and confronting cartels long-engaged in human trafficking and drug production and distribution." From OTP, UK’s Top Diplomat Scolded For Not Getting License To Fish With JD Vance. "David Lammy reported himself to the agency after an “administrative oversight” meant he failed to get a rod licence while hosting JD Vance at his grace-and-favour retreat in Chevening, Kent, on 8 August. Mr Lammy failed to catch any fish, although Mr Vance and his children were more successful, and returned their catches to the lake."

Sundance again with news that President Trump Announces U.S. Govt Takes 10% Stake in INTEL, Semiconductor and Chip Manufacturing. At ET, Sen. Sanders Backs Trump Admin Plan for Stake in Intel. "The administration wants a profit from the $11 billion invested via grants from the CHIPS and Sciences Act." I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. PJM's Matt Margolis hears The CBO Just Dropped a $4 Trillion Truth Bomb on the Dems’ Anti-Trump Tariffs Rhetoric "We project that increases in tariffs implemented during the period from January 6, 2025, to August 19 will decrease primary deficits (which exclude net outlays for interest) by $3.3 trillion if the higher tariffs persist for the 2025‒2035 period." Hat Hair's Steve Moore reports 'Drill, Baby, Drill' Is Working. "What's impressive about the Trump oil production spike is that it's happened even as the global spot price of oil has fallen. In other words, we're getting the best of both worlds: made-in-America energy AND low prices at the pump. The Energy Information Administration reports forecasts that gas prices will keep falling to below $3 a gallon by next year. That is, unless you live in California, where gas still costs above $5 a gallon." From Da Caller, Trump Admin Kills Massive Offshore Wind Project. From Da Wire, RFK Jr Makes Another Major Change To Boost ‘Radical Transparency’ " ... the FDA will disclose adverse events publicly in real time."

Sauron's Eye reveals Pentagon reportedly planning military deployment in Chicago; Pritzker accuses Trump of "attempting to manufacture a crisis." NewsWax, Pentagon Plans to Send Guard to Chicago, Ready for 19 States. I say let them alone; they voted for high crime. From Twitchy, It's Not MAGA Country? Chicago Carjack Victim Defies Trump, Says There Are 'No Red Hats' There, see? Richard Grenell to Newsmax: Trump Should Tackle LA Crime After D.C. Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "The average AWFL would rather be carjacked and have her arm broken than not be able to virtue signal. It’s mental illness. "From Shooting News Weekly, Trump Says He’s a Second Amendment Person, Favors Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity in Washington, DC. It's not like gun laws are keeping guns out of the hands of the criminals in DC.

Nick Arama at RedState reports Blinken Reportedly Gets Kicked Off Beach, While New Video of Biden Is Concerning. Beach was closed for Hurricane Erin waves. At PJM Scott Pinsker celebrates The Day Gavin Newsom Cut His Own Throat, (I don't see it that way at all, unfortunately) and Bob Spencer thinks OK, It’s Time to Arrest AOC for the funny financial business with her significant other. If only for the mugshot.

At RCP, John Lott says Mail-In Ballots Need To Go. 

From NewsMax, Judge Blocks Trump's Funding Cuts to Sanctuary Cities. Legal Newsline reports IL threats over E-Verify use don't break fed law: Judge. At OTP, Biden Judge Frees Suspects In Carjacking Attack Of DOGE’s ‘Big Balls.’ Kevin Killough at JTN, sees A Wisconsin judge refuse to dismiss lawsuit against Bloomberg-funded assistant AGs with eco-agenda "The State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU provides “special assistant” staffers in state attorneys general offices. Since taxpayer funds pay the special assistant’s travel expenses, bar dues and court fees, the judge ruled that the plaintiffs have a legally protected interest in challenging the contract with NYU."

From NYPo notices Letitia James’ political crusade against Donald Trump was an abomination of the law.

Da Caller has an update on Rhode Island Assistant AG Who Went Viral, Put On Unpaid Leave.

John Sexton at Hat Hair is amused that Kilmar Abrego Garcia Released (Now Heading to Uganda?) All the judge said was that they couldn't deport him to El Salvador. From Da Mail, Mob of rioters in Dem-run city assault ICE agents as knife-wielding thug wearing keffiyeh is arrested for trying to 'stab' officer, San Francisco. Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes "This is what should happen EVERY TIME Sergeant Miles with Trenton New Jersey Police Department is protecting ICE agents doing their jobs. Liberal activists show up, start screaming, impeding ICE’s operation and causing problems. They are arrested." Drew Berquist reports an Illegal Immigrant Allegedly Tried ‘Russian Roulette’ Murder, Cries Uncontrollably in ICE Custody. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: Governor Ron DeSantis just announced the deportations WILL CONTINUE at Alligator Alcatraz after an activist judge ordered they start shutting the facility down. "We're not gonna be deterred. We're totally in the right on this." "We are gonna be opening ANOTHER facility...Deportation Depot. @GovRonDeSantis." At Hat Hair, DeSantis Tells Activist Judge to Kiss His Alligators.

Misty Severi at JTN reports the Pentagon press secretary threatens to pull WaPo's access to Defense Department for doxxing Hegseth. "The Washington Post article criticized Hegseth for pulling Army Criminal Investigation Division agents from criminal investigations to protect Hegseth’s family residences in Minnesota, Tennessee and Washington, D.C."

Althouse is shocked, shocked "People in Mississippi can no longer use the social media platform Bluesky." ""The company announced Friday that it will be blocking all IP addresses within Mississippi for the foreseeable future in response to a recent US Supreme Court decision that allows the state to enforce strict age verification for social media platforms.... The company says that compliance with Mississippi’s law—which would require identifying and tracking all users under 18, in addition to asking every user for sensitive personal information to verify their age—is not possible with the team’s current resources and infrastructure...." From "Bluesky Goes Dark in Mississippi Over Age Verification Law/Bluesky has chosen to block access in the state rather than risk potential fines of up to $10,000 per violation" (Wired)." Oh, what will Mississippi do without Bluesky?

From the Free Bacon, George Mason President Implemented Illegal Race-Based Hiring Schemes, Education Department Finds "Proposed resolution requires President Gregory Washington to issue a public apology for promoting discriminatory practices." Sorry, not sorry. Allen Mendenhall, Daniel Sutter at CJ report Business Schools Are Embracing Left-Wing Activism, "Many institutions no longer teach students how to flourish in a free-market system." Well, we don't really have one. PJM's Tyler O'Neil hears a 1619 Project Founder Admits It's 'Not a History,' But a Fight to 'Control the National Narrative'. The most profound tweet from yesterday, Hans Fiene @HansFiene, "In any moral debate, the people using the most euphemisms are probably wrong."

At Da Caller, Transgenderism Among Youth Continues To Grow. "More than 3% of youth aged 13 to 17 now think they are transgender, a new report released Wednesday found." Won't they be disappointed. Twitchy, Mom Speaks Out After a 6-Foot-Four Boy Awarded Coveted Spot on Girls’ Volleyball Team " The school's longtime coach also reportedly resigned after being forced to accept the male player on the team." FandomPulse, Washington D.C.'s Office Of LGBTQ Affairs Sees Budget Cut $600,000 Due Partially To President Trump Axing Federal Workforce. Hey, if you want to raise DC's city taxes to fund more LGBTQRSTUVWZYZ, have at it.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Agonizing Reappraisal up and at 'm at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Zuck Renounces Facebook Censorship

Charlie Martin at PJM, Meta Announces Reduced Censorship and Elimination of ‘Independent’ Fact Checkers as Too Biased. "Alternate headline: “Trump and Musk Win Again!”" Nick Ballasy at JTN, Meta to replace its fact-checking program with system like X’s community notes. "Meta CEO Marc Zuckerberg said the 2024 election was a “cultural tipping point.”" Matt Taibbi at Racket, On Mark Zuckerberg's Speech Announcement. "The Meta chief's surprising public address on free speech hints at a coming battle between the U.S. and the rest of the world." Sundance at CTH, calls it a Trump Effect – Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Admits Platform Censorship Has Gone Too Far, Promises Fundamental Changes. At Ace's , Zuckerberg Announces "Drastic Reduction" in "Censorship;" Says "Fact-Checkers" are "Too Politically Biased," Says US Government "Has Pushed For Censorship", claims "Total vindication. You're going to see so much vindication you'll get tired of all the vindication." Jordan Schachtel at The Dossier, Zuck orchestrates hiring blitz to take Meta back from the woke mob. A firing blitz might work better. Breitbart, UFC Head, Trump Ally Dana White Joins Meta Board of Directors. Althouse finds "It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression... We're going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes, similar to X, " "The fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the U.S...."" and "This shows how Mark Zuckerberg is feeling that society is more accepting of those libertarian and right-leaning viewpoints that he’s always had. This is an evolved return to his political origins, " "Said Katie Harbath, "chief executive of Anchor Change, a tech consulting firm, who previously worked at Facebook"" "I'd like to think that the idea of freedom of speech won out in the marketplace of ideas, but I can understand how the speech controllers gravitate toward the idea that Zuckerberg was always a right-winger and he's just regressing after faking aspirations to higher values." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Dude. Babylon Bee, Guy Who Said Facebook Was Not Suppressing Free Speech Announces Facebook Will Stop Suppressing Free Speech.

John Sexton at Hat Hair hears Fact-Checkers Call an Emergency Meeting as Meta Cuts Their Funding. Glenn Greenwald@ggreenwald ""The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has convened an emergency meeting" - hilarious. It's long past time for the fraudulent, politicized self-anointed "disinformation" and "fact-checker" industry to come crashing down on its shattered foundations." At Fox, Internet roasts NYT headline about fact-checkers ruling Meta criticism of fact checks 'false:' 'Beyond parody.' "'They really wrote this and then published it,' senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute Chris Rufo marveled." From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.07.25 Twitchy, Brian Stelter Claims Meta’s “MAGA Makeover” Will Lead To More Lies And Confusion and Louder With Crowder REEEEEEE! The insufferable CNN duo of Brian Stelter, Jim Acosta cry over Zuckerberg ending Meta’s censorship, Mark Zuckerberg makes MAJOR changes to Facebook, credits Trump’s reelection for bringing back free speech, American Greatness, Zuckerberg Announces META Will End Fact-Checking Program and Move to Community Notes Model to ‘Restore Free Expression’, The Federalist, We’re Still Waiting For Facebook To Atone For The 11 Times (We Know Of) It Censored The Federalist, and Mark Zuckerberg Just Admitted To The Big Tech-Government Censorship The Supreme Court Ignored. Matt Vespa at TownHall finds CNN's Media Reporter Did Not Just Tweet This About Facebook's Changes to 'Fact-Checking' Brian Stelter@brianstelter, "Big picture: Mark Zuckerberg just announced sweeping changes to the social internet, all in line with the desires of President Trump and Trump voters. Out with the fact-checkers that conservatives deride. In with more permissive rules for posting conservative opinions." VodkaPundit at Insty, MAYBE CNN DOESN’T WANT THE COMPETITION: Stephen L. Miller@redsteeze, "CNN is currently in court at this moment over defamation and lying." Ace, Leftwing Media and Censorship Complex Seethes Over Meta's Abandonment of Leftwing "Fact"-Checkers; "Fact"-Checkers Worry They Might Lose Their Funding and Their Jobs. "Brian Stelter, CNN's Chief Deplatforming Officer, who for years and years has made "combating misinformation" his main mission, calling up social media monopolies every time Media Matters ran a hit on a right-leaning speaker and demanding why are you allowing this Russian Disinformation on your platform!?!, is now shrieking that his censorious grift has taken a big hit."

My own interactions with Facebook have been calm, but then I never broach politics. However, my dear departed brother, Ted, quit Facebook in a huff when it started censoring his gun posts. 

At the Other McCain, Vindicated: Britain’s ‘Grooming Gangs’ Finally Get the Attention They Deserve. Insty cites Capt. ED MORRISSEY: EU Leaders to Musk: How Dare You Interfere With Our Interference! Ben Kew@ben_kew, "According to BBC Newsnight, Britain's socialist government are considering ending their security partnership with the U.S. unless Donald Trump distances himself from Elon Musk's views on grooming gangs." Sundance at CTH, EU Not at All Happy with Elon Musk Tinkering with Long Standing Control of The Proles.

'Bonchie' at RedState, Sunny Hostin Accidently Exposed Her Husband's Alleged Insurance Scam, Now He's a Defendant in a RICO Case. Twitchy, Sunny Hostin's Hubby Caught in Massive NYC RICO Scandal: Doctor's Oath Meets Fraud Allegations. Nicholas Fondacaro@NickFondacaro, "Sunny Hostin's husband has been named in a massive insurance fraud RICO case. WACTH: Hostin implicates her husband in such a scheme: "[He] operates on someone even though they don't have insurance and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work...""

Jeff Charles at TownHall worries Are Leftists Planning an 'Insurrection' Against Donald Trump's Inauguration? Will there be a repeat of 2016s inauguration riots? Maybe, if Democrats can't control their mob. "A coalition of left-wing organizations has announced a “We Fight Back” National Day of Action set to take place on January 20 as Trump is inaugurated. The purported aim of the demonstrations is to “defeat Trump’s extreme right, billionaire agenda,” according to its website." Matt Vespa, Libs Are Not Going to Like What CNN's Scott Jennings Said About the 2024 Election Certification. Byron York@ByronYork, "It should be noted that today's proceeding was the first time no Democrat objected to the certification of a Republican president since the certification of George H.W. Bush in 1989." (((tedfrank)))@tedfrank, "The January 6, 2025 certification of Trump’s election victory is the first time in fifty-two years that no Democrats challenged the certification of a GOP victory in a presidential election. Dems in the House challenged the results in 1981, 1985, 1989, 2001, 2005, & 2017. /1" Scott Pinsker at PJM, The Age of Covfefe Has Officially Begun! "The whole January 6 certification spectacle has been a “riot” to watch, if you’ll “pardon” the pun. What a show! (Democrats are sort of cute when they’re out of power.) With sweeping brushstrokes, they painted themselves in a corner: After four long years of hysterical caterwauling about the so-called “insurrection,” the dangers of election denialism, and Trump being “literally Hitler,” they had absolutely no card left to play. All they could do was eat the s**t sandwich and pretend it was yummy."

DC_Draino@DC_Draino, "We are about to experience something that’s never been done before Republicans have only controlled the White House, Senate, and House for 10 years in the past century And you know how many of those years included a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court plus a powerful MAGA media ecosystem with hundreds of millions of followers to hold RINOs accountable? Zero This is why we call it the Golden Age Republicans have never held this much power in modern history. Let’s use the hell out of it and save this country." Teri Christoph at RedState, Senate Democrats Force Delay on Tulsi Gabbard Confirmation Hearing, Put United States at Risk. Sundance, Curious Outcome – Senate Intel Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner Met with DNI Nominee Tulsi Gabbard, Has More Questions. Bob Spencer at PJM, Elizabeth Warren Finds One of Those Right-Wing Extremists the Biden Regime Has Been Warning Us About. "The far-left Warren professed to be particularly worried about a tattoo on Hegseth’s bicep, which says “Deus Vult,” or “God wills it.”" Matt Vespa, John Fetterman Announces Which Trump Nominees He'll Vote to Confirm.

Sundance, President Trump Holds a Press Conference in Mar-a-Lago – Hussain Sajwani to Invest $20 Billion For AI Datacenters. Press conference at link. Ace, Trump Press Conference: He'll Rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America," Still Wants Greenland, "All Hell Will Break Loose" if Hamas Doesn't Release Hostages by His Inauguration. Cynical Publius@CynicalPublius, "I'm hearing MAGAs complain that the whole Greenland thing is a "distraction" and Trump should instead be focused on his key campaign promises. IMO, at a certain level this definitely IS a distraction, one that Trump has purposely created. . . " Beege Welborn, Denmark Strikes Back at Trump: How Do You Like Us Now, Tough Guy? "“We are open for business, but we’re not for sale,” Greenland’s foreign minister, Ane Lone Bagger, said." Twitchy cites Harry Sisson: MAGA Said Trump Was 'Anti-War' but Now He's Going to 'Invade' Greenland. At NewsMax, Trump Hits at Trudeau, Pushes Perks of US-Canada Merger. Fox, Trump reacts to Trudeau resignation: 'Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State', "Trump says if Canada merged with U.S., there would be no tariffs." Stephen Kruiser at PJM, Canada's Commie Soy Boy Trudeau Slithers Off to Ignominy. Bari Weiss@bariweiss, The problem with Trudeau’s government is not the name at the top of the ticket. The problem is bad ideas, strongly held. The comprehensive failure of Justin Trudeau:" Jeff Charles, Trump Does a Bit of Trolling After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Announces His Resignation. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.07.25, American Thinker: Trump’s Arctic Policy Is No Folly.

Althouse, Respect for the recently deceased Jimmy Carter outweighed by unquenchable need to disparage Trump. "At The Daily Beast:" Sister Toldja want you to WATCH: Donald Trump Shuts Down Reporter Who Got Fauxfended Over His Jimmy Carter/Panama Canal Criticisms. Curtis Houck@CurtisHouck "The AP's Will Weissert is mad at Donald Trump that he criticized the late Jimmy Carter for his decision about turning over the Panama Canal. Trump reminds this complete hack he said he "liked him as a man and I disagreed with" him on "his policy."" Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson "BREAKING: President Trump announces plans to push for all votes to be fully counted by 10:00 PM on future Election Nights.

Leah Barkoukis at TownHall, The Laken Riley Act Is Back. Teri Christoph, Fetterman Just Threw a Wrench Into Dem Plans to Block Laken Riley Act From Making Its Way to Trump's Desk. Eric Daugherty@EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) sponsors the Laken Riley Act in the Senate. Fetterman is the first Senate Democrat to sponsor it. This bill will ensure detention and deportations of criminal aliens before they can commit heinous crimes like what happened to Laken Riley." From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.07.25, Twitchy: Laken Riley Act Passes House Despite 158 Votes Against From Pro-Illegal Democrats. Da Signal, BIPARTISAN: Laken Riley Act Passes With Many Democrat Votes. Henry Rogers at Da Caller points out 159 Democrats Voted Against The Laken Riley Act, for murder. 

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.07.25, American Greatness: Trump Vows to ‘Terminate’ Joe Biden’s ‘Costly and Ridiculous’ Executive Orders, Including His New Ban on Offshore Drilling,

At NewsMax, Trump Weighs Executive Order to Protect Gas Stoves. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.07.25  CDR Salamander wonders Is Trump a Navalist? "President-elect Trump tells Hugh Hewitt."

WokeSpy, Biden Gets Confused While Singing “Happy Birthday” to Kid He Invited on Stage. OTP asserts Joe Biden Falls Asleep During New Orleans Prayer Service. Breitbart, Democrats Begin Dumping on Biden After Years of Claiming He Was Fit to Serve. Ace of Spades@AceofSpadesHQ. "the criminals who covered up Biden's senility and illegally ran the country without constitutional mandate must be named, shamed, and arraigned." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears Gallup: Biden Is The New Nixon. Leslie Eastman at LI, Biden Shames Presidential Medal of Freedom Even Further by Giving it to “Science Guy,” "Bill Nye "Nye is to science as Biden is to great statesmen." Da Caller, Left Eats Its Own After High-Profile Activists Accept Medals From ‘Genocide Joe’. If only it were literal. At Twitchy, LOOK on Van Jones Face As Scott Jennings OWNS CNN Panel for Canonizing Saint Kamala Is PRICELESS (Watch). Eric Daugherty@EricLDaugh, "NEW: Scott Jennings reins in CNN panel that got a little too excited about Kamala Harris. Van Jones' reaction is priceless. "Before we canonize Saint Kamala here on the high holy day of January 6th, let's remember: the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 makes it perfectly clear that the Vice President has nothing but purely ministerial duties on this day." "She didn't actually certify the results - that was done by the voters and people of the states." HOST: "Nobody's trying to canonize her..." JENNINGS: "Oh, they're not? She put out a video trying to canonize herself."" Ace, Liberals Agree: The Democrat/Progressive Failure Is Epochal and Democrats and Progressives Are Incapable of Reform. "POC liberal Fareed Zakaria knocks down the idea that there's a "Crisis of Democracy" in the west. No, he says. It's a crisis of progressive governance, which is a catastrophic failure."

Althouse, "The Pentagon carried out the secret operation in the early hours of Monday..." "From "U.S. Sends 11 Guantánamo Prisoners to Oman to Start New Lives/The secret mission left the smallest number of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay since the day the detention center opened in 2002" (NYT)." Da Caller, How The Biden FBI Let An ISIS Acolyte Slip Right Past Them. At Da Signal, Biden Administration Admits Defeat by Withdrawing 7 Woke Rule Changes. Balmer Sun, Jimmy Carter federal holiday: What’s open, what’s closed Jan. 9 for National Day of Mourning.

NewsMax, La. AG Orders Security Probe as Biden Directs Resources to Better Protect New Orleans. At Task and Purpose, Army says New Years bombers overlapped at Fort Liberty and were both in Afghanistan ‘surge’. I still don't think they're related.

NewsMax, Trump Tries to Stop Release of Special Counsel Report. Althouse, Judge Merchan and Judge Cannon respond to Trump requests. "Merchan says no: "N.Y. judge denies Trump effort to block sentencing in hush money case/Lawyers for Donald Trump asked a New York judge to stop Trump’s sentencing scheduled for Friday on his convictions for falsifying business documents" (WaPo). Cannon says yes: "Cannon temporarily blocks report on Trump classified-documents probe/Two Trump employees charged alongside him in the classified documents case separately asked Judge Aileen Cannon to block the release" (WaPo)." Sundance, Judge Aileen Cannon Blocks DOJ Release of Jack Smith Report. Ace, Trump Files Emergency Appeal to Delay Merchan's Political Rush to Brand Him a "Convicted and Sentenced Felon;" Judge Aileen Canon Blocks Release of Jack Smith's Hitjob "Report" "Jack Smith needs some prosecutorial attention. If it's good for the goose, it's even better for the rogue prosecutor bending the law to persecute the goose." John Sexton at Hat Hair, Trump Seeks Delay of Sentencing (Does Judge Merchan Expect to Lose This Fight?) Margot Cleveland at Da Fed, Efforts To Sentence Trump In Sham NY Criminal Case Confirm Democrats’ Crazy Lawfare. Pop Times reports Trump Decimates Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg after “HACK” Judge Schedules “Hush Money” Sentencing 10 Days Before Inauguration. Jonathan Turley opines atop Da Hill, The Trump sentencing: Curtain to fall on Merchan’s Hamlet on the Hudson. 

Capt. Ed, Hmm: FBI Redacts Origins of RussiaGate in Final Report.

Kaelan Deese at WaEx, Biden DOJ floats charging 200 more Jan. 6 defendants. Twitchy, 'Justice Is COMING': Mike Davis Goes SCORCHED EARTH on Biden Agents Who 'Hunted' J6 Protesters (Watch). Cathy Salgado at PJM, J6ers Ask Trump for Pardons in DC as Election Is Certified. Matt Vespa, What This CNN Commentator Said About Trump and J6 Left CNN's Acosta Aghast. Joy Pullman at Da Fed, Homeland Security Targets Democrats’ Opponents Instead Of Stopping Terrorists.

At Insty, VodkaPundit, SOME? McDonald’s is ending some of its DEI practices. "McDonald’s is the latest US corporation – and among the largest – to back off some of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices, as a Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action and conservative backlash to those programs continues to lead businesses to reevaluate their diversity pledges . . .", and I FINALLY FOUND THE TOXIC MASCULINITY THE LEFT IS ALWAYS GOING ON ABOUT: 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎@NiohBerg "This is a very important symptom of mass immigration: The gradual disappearance of women from crowded public spaces out of fear of harassment. People don't talk enough about this." John Sexton at Hat Hair VIP, Washington Post Doing Away with Gender Columnist Role.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: New York, New York up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - ProPublica and West Point Try to Smear Hegseth and Fail

Dave Strom at Hat Hair has the story of how ProPublica Almost Succeeded in Smearing Pete Hegseth. 

EXCLUSIVE: Emails, Phone Logs Reveal How Botched Hegseth West Point Story Imploded

After a West Point spokesperson falsely claimed that @PeteHegseth had not applied or been accepted to the school, ProPublica reached out to Hegseth's lawyer, asserting that the Secretary of… pic.twitter.com/bN9ahCwC1p

— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) December 12, 2024

Ace, "That's How Real Journalism Works:" Leaked Emails Show How ProPublica Tried to Manufacture a Smear Against Pete Hegseth. At ET, West Point Apologizes, Confirms It Accepted Trump Nominee Pete Hegseth to the Academy, "The academy had falsely said that Hegseth did not even apply to the school." ProPublica is a anti-conservative so called news outlet. The writer will probably get fired for missing. But West Point is a military outfit, and, first, they should not have commented on Hegseth's records without checking with him, and second, they shouldn't have quickly assented to ProPublica request, and then screw it up. If somebody didn't get fired quickly, I'm sure they will be once Hegseth is confirmed. At Da Signal, ‘No One Gets Away With That S**t’: Alums of Hegseth-led Veterans Group Dismantle Media Narrative. RCD, For Pete's Sake ... Enough! "This is the real message: The Administrative State is not pleased. The Pentagon is panicking. The Deep state has come to the conclusion that they are in deep sh…." Paul Kengor at Am Spec, Pete Hegseth, Rachel Levine, and the Promising Return to Normalcy. It’s refreshing to once again have political appointees with normal scandals. Virginia Kruta at Da Wire, Hegseth Spares No Feelings In Quip To Media: ‘I Don’t Feel The Need To Respond To CNN’.  At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 12.13.24, This Ain’t Hell, Pete Hegseth: Allowing Gays in military a part of Marxist agenda and The Federalist: Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) Invites A Primary Challenge By Refusing To Back Hegseth, How Team Trump Turned The RNC Into A Get-Out-The-Vote Machine, Leftist ProPublica’s Failed Hit Piece Just Made Pete Hegseth Defense Secretary and Power Line, A fair chance, ProPublica style.

At TownHall, Matt Vespa, Bombshell: The FBI Spied on Kash Patel, but we knew that. And Wray signed off on extended spying. Ace, Former CIA Director Counter-Terrorism: Tulsi Gabbard is Well-Qualified to be Director of National Intelligence and Rein in the Incompetent and Malign "Intelligence" Community. "This is a big endorsement for Gabbard. Bernie Hudson is as qualified a judge as anyone, and he's writing in National Review, to let other institutions-aligned people know that Gabbard is worthy." At OTP, New Border Czar Targets Chicago: ‘Your Mayor Sucks And Your Governor Sucks’. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 12.13.24, Louder With Crowder: Tom Homan Promises To Prosecute Mayors Who Impede ICE, Shark Tank, Progressive Democrats Whine Lake Appointment To VOA Is “Abuse of Power”

 Althouse read WaPoo, Headline writers blithely omit "a" and "the," but there's a big difference between "the polio vaccine" and "a polio vaccine." "The Washington Post splashes this in our face: "RFK Jr. ally filed petition to revoke FDA approval for polio vaccine." I suspect that many readers experience alarm — Oh, no, it's crazy to take away the polio vaccine! — and read no further. But it's not the polio vaccine. It's a polio vaccine. From the text of the article:" It's the Sabin, live-virus vaccine. A child of the 50's, I remember the polio epidemics and scares, how people were relieved when a vaccine came out, but kids especially liked the Sabin vaccine, because it was given with a sugar cube instead of a shot. But, yes, we've known for a long time that the Sabin vaccine converts into full blown polio in rare cases. People have argued that, in fact, the Sabin vaccine is what is keeping polio alive in the wild. It may or may not be true, but it's not a silly argument. Da Fetched, Whoopi Goldberg: RFK Jr Is “Fat Shaming” Obese People by Promoting Healthy Diets.  At the TN Star, Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Introduces DOGE Acts to Cut Wasteful Government Spending. 

Paul Bedard at WaEx thinks Trump forms MAGA ‘Dream Team’ for 100-day sprint. Sundance at CTH hears  Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski Lament the Horror of Next Four Years Accountable to the Voters, Ace's THE MORNING RANT: Why I’ll Support an Ethically Flawed Politician Who Advances My Agenda. At Althouse, What the NYT is saying today under the heading "Trump Transition." "On the front page of the NYT website right now. . . "

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair reports A Good Penny To Turn Up In Trump-Vance Box Tomorrow. Fox, JD Vance confirms Daniel Penny will attend Army-Navy game after acquittal in subway chokehold trial. Althouse, "I’m grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he’s able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage." "Said JD Vance, quoted in "Daniel Penny accepts VP-elect JD Vance's invite to be his 'personal guest' at the Army-Navy game Saturday. ""

Katie Couric and Jessica Tarlov admit Republicans sending illegals to blue cities worked. Call it the “smartest thing they ever did.”

Correct. The only way to make left-wingers change is to have them suffer the results of their own policies.

pic.twitter.com/AUaqyMPXR2

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) December 13, 2024

Driscoll at Insty, BURIED LEDE: KATIE COURIC ACTUALLY GOT A STORY RIGHT! ‘Smartest Thing They Ever Did:’ Katie Couric, Jessica Tarlov Admit GOP Leaders Sending Migrants North Was Game Changer (Da Caller). "The ghost of Saul Alinsky smiles: “Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. ‘You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.’”"

Capt. Ed watches NBC: Hamas Backing Down Over 'Trump Pressure'. 

Beege Welborn at Hat Hair sees An Interesting Thing Happened on the Way to an East Coast Longshoreman's Strike. Sundance at CTH, President Trump Supports Dockworker Position Against Automation. Da Beast, Canada Threatens to Cut Power to U.S. Over Trump Tariffs. 

At OTP, DC Restaurants Hate MAGA, Trump, Wait Staff To ‘Throw A Drink’ In Their Faces. Beege Welborn says Hey, Screechers - Leave Those Eats Alone! Nice one. Greg Price@greg_price11, "My favorite part of this story is when a liberal bartender was forced to admit that Republicans are cooler people than Democrats." Dave Strom at Hat Hair says About D@mn Time! when a Republican congresscritter proposes to revoke home rule for D.C. "Washington, D.C., is poorly run, an embarrassment to the country, and has proven its inability to responsibly govern itself."

COVER OF THE WEEK:

Capt. Ed hear Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro: Why Did Biden Let Corrupt Judge Off the Hook?. Because "they" put the pardon in front of him. NYPo, Biden slammed for commuting sentence of notorious ‘Kids-for-Cash’ judge convicted of imprisoning juveniles for $2.1M kickbacks. Althouse, "Though Mr. Biden has the prerogative to confer broad immunity with what are sometimes called safe harbor or protective pardons, doing so now on a large scale would be difficult to achieve..." "... at least with any principled consistency.... [E]ven the broadest presidential pardon couldn’t fully protect someone Mr. Trump was determined to harass. . . . So writes the Washington Post Editorial Board, in "Biden should rule out preemptive pardons/Trump might target his enemies, but get-out-of-jail-free cards are unnecessary and imply guilt." Ace, Merrick Garland's Corrupt DOJ Makes Up New "Rule:" When January 6th Political Prisoners Accept Their Pardons from President Trump, That Counts as a Legal Admission of Being Insurrectionists. At PM,  Bennie Thompson would accept Biden's pardon after chairing J6 committee, "The president, it’s his prerogative. If he offers it, to me or other members of the committee, I think it — I would accept it, but it’s his choice," said Thompson.  PJM's Stephen Kruiser says Great — Biden Just Let All of Hunter's Friends Out of Jail. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 12.13.24, EBL, Biden Crime Family is Pounding out the Pardons!, American Greatness, The Real Criminal Here is Not Hunter Biden, Biden’s Pardon Is A Smokescreen for Corruption and Biden’s Paranoid Pardons and Leftist Morality. Nicholas Ballasy at JTN reports Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov pleads guilty to lying to agency about the Bidens. "Smirnov reportedly told the FBI handler in 2020 that Biden and his son accepted $5 million from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma several years prior. According to the court filing, the turned out to be false, "as the Defendant knew." NewsMax reports Trump Will Pardon 'Most' Jan. 6 Defendants During First Hour in WH.

Ace wakes up and notices Biden's Selling Off All the Materials Trump Bought for Building a Border Wall, to Prevent Trump From Building It "And he's selling tons of steel and concrete for pennies on the dollar. This will force Trump to re-buy all the material he already bought." Charlotte Hazard at JTN, Texas Lt Gov Patrick wants to buy construction materials auctioned by DHS, donate them to Trump, "Message to the White House right now: I will bid on all of that wall and we will buy it in Texas and we will give it to Donald Trump," Dan Patrick said." WokeSpy, New York Times Surprisingly Admits Joe Biden Is to Flame for “Largest Surge in Illegal Immigration in U.S. History” I assume they meant Blame. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 12.13.24, BattleSwarm, Biden: I’m Going To Force Taxpayers To Pay For Illegal Alien Healthcare. Federal Judge: Like Hell You Will. Dave Strom, Trump Goes After Climate Fanatics; UPDATE: Biden Says "Expect More Climate Funding" Before He Leaves. Richard A. Stern@RichAStern, "INFLATION IS BACK UP. Wonder why? The Fed has worked to quietly pump another $650 billion newly created dollars into the market over the last year. This artificially gave the economy a buzz before the election, but now comes the inflation hangover. As the money supply goes, so goes prices..." From WaEx, Biden gives economic farewell speech as voters say good riddance. WaEx, Jimmy Carter 2.0: Yet another Democratic presidency ends in disaster. At least Jimmy was fundamentally honest, misguided but honest. 

Matt Vespa Reports  Pelosi's Injuries in Luxembourg Are Quite Serious. Busted hip. Sundance, During CODEL, Pelosi Falls Down Marble Steps in Luxembourg. Ace, Nancy Pelosi Suffers Serious Injuries -- a Fractured Hip -- After Falling Down a Staircase in Luxembourg, "Any hip injury at age 84 is a major cause for concern." At Da Fetched, Calls for Term Limits Mount as Leaked Photo Shows Mitch McConnell Being Carted Around in Wheelchair. Time to go.

WokeSpy is concerned about Six Shot Missed Within 5 Feet:  House Task Force Publishes Damning Report on Trump’s Attempted Assassinations. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 12.13.24, BattleSwarm, How Do You Miss Six Shots From Five Feet Away? Panic. 

Campus Reform reports Socialist University of Pennsylvania prof apologizes for praising CEO-killer suspect, school condemns her post. At Spiked at explanation of Why the online left is simping for Luigi Mangione. "The celebration of the alleged assassin speaks to how morally and politically unmoored some ‘progressives’ have become." Mike LaChance at LI, hears Elizabeth Warren Triy to Walk Back Horrendous Comments on Murder of Healthcare CEO, “I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” At Althouse, Peter Thiel talks to Piers Morgan about Daniel Penny and Luigi Mangione. "It's an interesting discussion, but many people are getting hung up on Thiel's very awkward, disfluent manner of speaking:"

John Sexton at Hat Hair, Bluesky: A Land of Unicorns, Rainbows and Death Threats and More Bluesky Blues: 'We Draw Battle Lines and F***ing Enforce Them'. TechCrunch, Bluesky at a crossroads as users petition to ban Jesse Singal over anti-trans views, harassment. Insty, SUCCESS: Elon Musk@elonmusk, "That is the goal. This platform only seems to”right-wing” to the left." Quote, Stat Shepherd@stat_sherpa "𝕏 stands out as the most politically balanced social media platform. Unlike many other platforms, 𝕏 has an almost equal split between Democrat (48%) and Republican (47%) news consumers. As you would expect, the data don't align with the "right-wing dominance" narrative."

At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 12.13.24, Don Surber explains Why I want Dems to rely on MSM. Keep fooling themselves. 

Herr Professor Jacobson at LI sees Fifty-One Discriminatory Scholarships At University of Rhode Island Challenged By Equal Protection Project, “We’re going to seek to make URI a test case for the Trump administration.” From the College Fix, ‘Totally unacceptable’: House Education committee criticizes Dept. of Ed. targeting of Christian colleges. From the Free Bacon, Amy Wax Threatens To Sue Penn for Race Discrimination, Breach of Contract, "The embattled law professor says she will take legal action if Penn doesn't lift the sanctions against her." Also, Ex-CCP Officials Funneled Millions to US Universities, Nonprofits To Promote Green Energy, Tax Forms Show, "Energy Foundation China, which operates primarily from Beijing, promotes energy policies designed to weaken US, watchdogs warn." Ace, New York Times: Is the "Awkward" Era of the "Diversity Blockbuster" Behind Us? "If even the Marxist New York Times is contemplating the end of DEI even in Hollywood, then the era of DEI must really be coming to an end." Christopher F. Rufo@realchrisrufo, "Now is the time for a blitz through the institutions. The Left is exhausted. BLM is shattered. Trans is imploding. Trump has a mandate to abolish DEI, defund left-wing racialism, and restore public authority over the public institutions. The counterrevolution starts now." But at Commentary, Christopher Rufo’s Dangerous Wishful Thinking.

YaHoo! UCLA student sues California doctors, says she was 'fast-tracked' into transgender surgery.

Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: A Christmas Break From Baseball up on time at The Other McCain.