Rule 5 Saturday - Nicola Peltz - Good Enough for Hunter Biden

This Rule 5 post instigated by this NYPo article cited in a recent Flotsam and Jetsam post, Texts reveal Hunter Biden asked cousin to set him up with Nicola Peltz — who is 25 years younger than him

The infamous first son repeatedly begged his cousin to set him up with actress Nicola Peltz — who is a staggering 25 years his junior — so he could get over his breakup with his brother’s widow, Hallie Biden, newly revealed text messages show.
. . .
“Set me up with Nicola,” Hunter pleaded in a Jan. 28 text, adding that the then-24-year-old “Transformers” actress would help him “get over Hallie.”

First time I had ever heard of her, not a great shock. 

Nicola Anne Peltz (born January 9, 1995) is an American actress.

Peltz has appeared in roles as Katara in The Last Airbender (2010), Bradley Martin in the A&E drama series Bates Motel (2013–2015) and Tessa Yeager in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), a role for which she received a Young Hollywood Award's nomination.

She is married to Brooklyn Beckham, the son of football player David Beckham and fashion designer and former pop singer Victoria Beckham.

Better luck next time, Hunter. 

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.  The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Lana Turner and FMJRA 2.0: Home Is Nevada up at The Other McCain. 

Maryland Tightens Recreational Limits on He-Crabs

Bay to Bay News,  Recreational crabbing limits in Chesapeake Bay starting April 1 in Maryland announced

ANNAPOLIS — The Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces modifications to the recreational male hard crab catch and possession limits for the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries for April through June 2023.

These limits apply to recreational crabbers. Effective 12:01 a.m. April 1, 2023, male hard crab catch and possession limits for individuals on a vessel are:

1 bushel of male crabs per licensed boat with any number of licensed or unlicensed individuals on board;

1 bushel of male crabs on an unlicensed boat with one or more licensees and any number of unlicensed individuals;

4 dozen male crabs on an unlicensed boat with two or more unlicensed individuals on board; and

2 dozen male crabs on an unlicensed boat with one unlicensed individual on board.

 

These limits apply to recreational crabbing on vessels in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, including the Maryland tributaries of the Potomac River. This change does not affect recreational crabbing from shore in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries.

This change also does not affect recreational crabbing from shore or on a vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, its coastal bays, or their tributaries.

Department officials state that this action is necessary to ensure male blue crab harvest does not exceed the Chesapeake Bay male conservation trigger referenced in Amendment 2 to the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan. The male hard crab catch and possession limits are based on results of the 2022 winter crab dredge survey conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and consultation with advisory groups and stakeholders.

I haven't been able to find a copy of the regs from last year; they seem to have updated all the usual links, but it must be a substantial decrease in the limit for the recreational anglers as it is being highly publicized. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Lana Turner up at The Other McCain.

Forget It Jake, It's Baltimore

 John Sexton at Hat Hair has Good news for one child stuck in Baltimore City's awful public schools

Earlier this month David wrote about a new report on Baltimore City schools. State testing revealed that there were 23 schools where not a single student was doing math at grade level. Only 7% of kids in Baltimore City schools from grades 3-8 were judged proficient in math.

Fox45, the local affiliate that aired that report, followed up with an interview with a mom whose son was attending one of those 23 schools. Nichelle Watkins knew her son Logan was in trouble because he was in 4th grade and still couldn’t read well or do basic math. She had written to the school asking for help or for the school to hold her son back so he’d have a chance to learn but the school had ignored her requests and kept passing her son into higher grades. “I feel like they don’t care. It’s not they’re children. They don’t care,” she told reporter Chris Papst. She was in tears as she worried that without an education her son was likely to wind up dead or in prison. She felt her son needed a tutor but as a single mother living in public housing she said she didn’t have $1,000 to hire one from Sylvan learning.

The good news is that a lot of people saw that report and some of them offered to help.

It’s now been two weeks since Watkins shared her story with Project Baltimore. And in those two weeks, her life has changed…

“I have so many people reaching out,” Watkins told Project Baltimore. “It’s been crazy.”

Watkins’s story triggered an outpouring of support. Numerous tutoring services, including Sylvan Learning, contacted Watkins offering free tutoring for Logan. Two viewers came forward, each one offering $1,000 to pay for tutoring services. A local private school has offered Logan free tuition. But the first to reach out was Blanca Tapahuasco.

“It is sad that he’s so far behind,” Tapahuasco told Project Baltimore.

Tapahuasco has been a tutor for 25 years, at one point for Baltimore City Schools. When she saw Logan’s story on Fox45 News, she immediately offered to help.

“After assessing Logan and listening to him read, I have him at a first grade,” Tapahuasco told Project Baltimore. “Definitely kindergarten for math.”

The story notes that Baltimore City schools has an annual budget of $1.6 billion, making it one of the best funded systems in the country. But since the original story aired, no one at BCS has attempted to contact Nichelle Watkins, not the principal of her son’s school, nor the superintendent. No one. They are treating this as a political problem to be managed away.

At least his mother cared enough to reach out. A lot of them don't. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Mayor Pete Checks Out East Palestine

Cutie Pavlich at Town Hall notes Buttigieg Finally Visited East Palestine. It Didn't Go Well, with numerous clips to back up the assertion. Nick Arama at Red State agrees, Buttigieg Finally Makes It to East Palestine, but It Does Not Go Well 

Buttigieg came with a hard hat and an attitude, at 7 a.m. in the morning. Reporters tried to ask him questions but he blew them off and his press secretary got up in their faces. She said she didn’t want to have a conversation on camera for a public appearance with her boss, and that asking that she do so was “aggressive.”

Matt Margolis at PM Media says Pete Buttigieg Bombed in Visit to East Palestine — Big Time. The Free Bacon, thinks Pete Buttigieg Is Not Ready for Primetime, "The East Palestine trainwreck exposes a weak Democratic bench." At Althouse, "Publicly and privately, signs are growing that the Transportation secretary’s usual Eagle Scout patience is giving way to frustration." "It says here in Politico, in "Buttigieg world frustrated at GOP attacks over train wreck/'Pete Buttigieg has taken a lot of bullets for the president on this,' one senior Democrat said." I think Politico means this to be taken for serious analysis." Slay, Trump Overrules Pete Buttigieg, Delivers Truckloads of Water to East Palestine, Ohio. At The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.23.23 EBL: Trump goes to East Palestine, Biden and Buttigieg just snipe, The Geller Reports Shamed By Trump, Buttigieg Slouches to East Palestine, Refuses to Take Questions and Weasel Zippers: While Buttigieg Does Nothing, Trump Buys McDonald’s For East Palestine First Responders. Matt Margolis at Substack, How Trump Upstaged the Biden dministration. Insty,Why Does Biden Care More About Ukraine Than Rural Ohio? RURAL OHIO NEVER HIRED HUNTER FOR A MID-SIX-FIGURE NO-SHOW JOB. From Mediaite, ‘The View’ Audience Loudly Gasps When Joy Behar Tells Trump-Voting East Palestine: ‘That’s Who You Voted For!’  At the Free Bacon, a FACT CHECK: Is the Trump Administration To Blame for the Ohio Train Derailment? No:

National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, who was appointed by Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate, said the rule wouldn’t have applied to the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine on Feb. 3. "PLEASE STOP SPREADING MISINFORMATION," Homendy pleaded in a Feb. 16 tweet thread.

"Some are saying the ECP (electronically controlled pneumatic) brake rule, if implemented, would've prevented this derailment. FALSE—here's why," Homendy wrote. "The ECP braking rule would've applied ONLY to HIGH HAZARD FLAMMABLE TRAINS. The train that derailed in East Palestine was a MIXED FREIGHT TRAIN containing only 3 placarded Class 3 flammable liquids cars." "This means even if the rule had gone into effect, this train wouldn't have had ECP brakes," she concluded.

Furthermore, the Biden administration has done little to revive the braking rule, which would have mandated technology that would enable all rail cars on a single train system to apply brakes simultaneously. Federal officials told the Washington Post that the Biden administration tried to restart the rule, only to drop the effort after a cost-benefit analysis showed the cost-prohibitive regulation would produce little real-world benefits.

Anyway, the brakes didn't fail. A wheel bearing failed, and overheated. Sensors notified the operators and they began to slow the train (the brakes worked), but the wheel fell off and the train derailed. Wapoo,  Crew tried to stop Ohio train after alert on overheating wheel bearing, NTSB says.  At Am Great Jim Nelles says America’s Leaders Have Failed the Country "While a town in Ohio is suffering a major environmental disaster, the nation’s leadership flees the country to support their globalist agenda." And, John Conlin wonders Are People Suffering Because We Don’t Want to Piss off the Feds? "We can’t sit back and watch adults and children sicken and die—perhaps years down the road—all because we don’t want to make the EPA, pathetic Pete, and the Biden Administration look bad. "

I&I notes Biden Is Still After Your Gas Stoves. It's not really Biden, who doesn't care about anything but his afternoon ice cream cone and the graft. It's the true believers in the administration. Lloyd Billingsley at Front Page looks at Decrepit Biden’s Puppet Presidency, "White House physician Kevin O’Connor - and his intriguing report on Biden's "health". Ace, Biden Steered $36 Billion In Taxpayer Money Into Teamster Union Pension Funds "And this sets a nice precedent for when all the rest of the unions' pensions begin failing one after the other -- you'll just have to pay for it all." At The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.23.23, Steve McCann at Am Think doesn't think much of Biden’s Wonderful World of ‘Equity’. At The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.23.23, Da Tech Guy The Biden Regime is planning on surrendering US sovereignty to the World Health Organization, Dana Loesch: Disaster Averted! Biden Solves All Our Problems With Identity Politics Dream Team! Legal Insurrection, Biden’s Pause on Announcing Plans to Run in 2024 Has Some Democrats Nervous, Biden Admin Thinks Diversity is ‘Really Important’ When Picking Next Fed Vice Chair,

In the wonderful world of 2024 presidential candidates (declared and presumed), PJ Media's Stephen Kruiser has Just a Thought: Maybe Trump Should Start Lashing Out at Democrats Again, instead of fellow Republicans. Maybe, but he does see them as a threat to his nomination. At The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.23.23, Da Tech Guy thinks The Best Move for Trump on DeSantis is the Pappy O’Daniel Gambit, "So Johnson took a different path. He painted O’Daniel as the indispensable man of Texas the man who was needed in the statehouse to fight for you and your pension here while he (LBJ) could fight for you in the Senate." Also, Jordan Boyd at Da Fed,  Team DeSantis Shows The Only Way To Beat The Lying Media Is To Cut Them Off. Bob Spencer at PJ, Mike Pence Seems to Think Being a Conservative Means Letting the Left Get Away With Everything, "If you want solid, stolid, poker-faced, self-righteous impotence and me-tooism, Mike Pence is your man." Kruiser again, on DeSantis' Florida—Come for the Sunshine, Stay for the Rejection of Trans Fascism. At Am Con, Bradley Devlin is Never Nikki, explaining why "Politics and principle alike provide reasons to oppose her." Charlie Kirk at HE, The Don Lemon Outrage Exposes the Vile Hypocrisy of Liberal Feminism, like there wasn't already plenty of evidence. "This whole episode, I'll admit, struck me as profoundly odd. Does Nikki Haley really need CNN to protect her from the awkward comments of a gay man?" VodkaPundit at PJ, Don Lemon: Why Won’t CNN Fire This Underperforming, Overpaid Jerk? At I&I, Ramaswamy For President? Did We Hear That Right?, but I remember thinking the same thing about the peanut farmer from Georgia. 

At the Free Bacon, On the Campaign Trail, John Fetterman Cited Doctors' Notes Attesting to His Vitality. Now He Says He Was Told to Get More Rest. "Fetterman's medical issues raise questions about what medical advice the stroke survivor actually received." More rest is rarely bad advice. Also, This Crucial Senate Target Just Got Harder for Republicans to Flip in 2024 "Montana Dem Jon Tester says he'll seek fourth term." KT at Hat Hair, Will the Democrats hold on to the Senate in 2024? Tester announces re-election bid. Laurel Duggan at Da Caller calls ‘A Disaster’: New York Democrats Are On The Brink Of Despair After Midterm Drubbing. Speaking of New York congresscritters, at Hat Hair, Jazz Shaw looks at George Santos' imaginary campaign donations, a strange dude indeed, even by congressional standards.

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Scandal: Two more Republicans say DoD leaked their files to Dem oppo-research group; Update: Follow the money?  "Want to bet that DDG pulled the same trick on the other service branches — assuming that this is even accurate? It worked on the Air Force, so why would Payton and DDG have limited it to just these eleven files?"  Ace, Democrat-Aligned Opposition Research Firm Illegally Obtained Personal Files of Two More Republican Congressional Candidates, Air Force Admits.   "I do not believe the Air Force clerks handing out sensitive personnel files like they're candy whistles at a kid's birthday party were "tricked" by this firm. I think they're corrupt partisan Democrats who knew what they were doing was illegal, but wanted to "help the cause" and also wanted a little cash in pocket."

At The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.23.23, Legal Insurrection: Fashion Designer Claims Sam Brinton Wore Her Clothes From Her Lost Luggage at DC Airport in 2018. Bob Spencer at PJ, Tanzanian Fashion Designer Accuses Sam Brinton, Biden’s Ex-Nuclear Waste Chief, of Stealing Her Luggage — and She Has Proof. He never seems to steal men's luggage.

Joe Fried at Am Think thinks he knows Why the 2020 Election was Unverifiable. A pretty decent rundown on the issues in the contested states. At Da Fed Hayden Ludwig says To Save Wisconsin Elections, Republicans Must Kill Automatic Voter Registration. At The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.23.23, Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed observes Oklahoma Senate Moves To Ensure Only U.S. Citizens Are Voting In State Elections.

At Da Caller, High School Coach Filmed 16-Year-Olds Engaging In Sex Act In Classroom, Police Say. Training for a job in porn? Breitbart reports a Florida Bill Would Ban Mandatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statements for Hiring, Tenure at Colleges. 

Da Wire's Virginia Kruta watches ‘The View’ Hosts — Even The Republican — Are Really Mad That Tucker Carlson Got The J6 Tapes, and Dan Chaitin, Kevin McCarthy Breaks Silence On Giving January 6 Tapes To Tucker Carlson “I promised,” McCarthy told The New York Times on Wednesday. “I was asked in the press about these tapes, and I said they do belong to the American public. I think sunshine lets everybody make their own judgment.”

At The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.23.23,  At A Shot in the Dark, Justice Is Blind And Probably A Little Buzzed On Adderall. Da Fed's Mahvelous Margot Cleveland, Oops! Georgia’s ‘Get-Trump’ Grand Jury Forewoman Accidentally Confirms The Recommended Charges Are Bunk. Nicolo Silva at Da Caller calls it a ‘Nightmare’: Grand Jury Forewoman’s Media Blitz Draws Bipartisan Criticism. Twitchy wants you to WATCH: Mary Katherine Ham absolutely nails it in HILARIOUS giggly grand jury gal spoof. 

An interview with my toddler. #iykyk

Instagram mom jokes come to Twitter! https://t.co/F1yfxRmljP pic.twitter.com/yGJjLoaSw2

— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) February 22, 2023

At Da Wire, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner Subpoenaed To Testify In Criminal Investigation Into Trump. Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller records ‘Partisan Prosecutors’ At Every Level Of Gov’t Are Trying To Stop Trump’s 2024 Bid, Tucker Carlson Says.

This one angers me particularly. From Behind the Black, The new normal: persecuting an expert witness because he testified for the defense in a political-charged trial

The trial in this case was against Derek Chauvin, the police officer who in 2020 held George Floyd down by the neck during the arrest in which Floyd died. The expert witness is Dr. David Fowler, the former Chief Medical Examiner of the State of Maryland, who testified for Chauvin’s defense.

The persecution of Fowler was instigated by Dr. Roger Mitchell, former Chief Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia, Deputy Mayor of DC, and now Chief of the Department of Pathology at Howard University. Mitchell was outraged that Fowler had dared express an opinion challenging the political narrative that insisted Chauvin killed Floyd for racial reasons, refusing to get off his neck even as the man was dying of suffocation. Mitchell wrote a open letter, signed by 400 others, calling for a full review of all of Fowler’s past cases in Maryland, with the clear intent of punishing Fowler by having his medical license revoked.

Soon thereafter, in April 2021, Maryland authorities agreed to Mitchell’s demand, forming a panel to review Fowler’s work and his right to continue to practice medicine of any kind.

Also,  Today’s blacklisted American: Policeman forced to resign simply because he is Christian and dared post anti-gay message on his Facebook.

At NYPo, Hunter Biden snubs GOP-led House panel’s records request, and we can be pretty sure the Biden/Garland DOJ won't be pressing contempt of Congress charges. Reason's John Stoessel, The Real Political Scandal Is That Too Many Documents Are Classified. "Many Democrats and Republicans were outraged when Trump and Biden respectively were found with classified documents. But both sides are missing the point. . . .Former CIA Director Mike Hayden once got a classified email saying "Merry Christmas."

Breitbart reports Joe Biden Releases Executive Order Promoting Woke AI "The Electronic Privacy Information Center reports that President Joe Biden has approved an executive order directing federal organizations to create an annual “equity action plan” to support underserved communities. The order instructs organizations to use AI in a way that promotes equity and complies with the law." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair claims Biden DoE to end wider Trump 1st Amend protections for campus religious clubs. Of course. At NewsBusters, Morning Joe Declares Free Speech to Be 'Out of Date'. Gabe Kaminsky at WaEx, Board member of 'disinformation' tracker defunding conservative news recently forced out of Harvard. "I would not describe Joan Donovan as an academic but, rather, a political activist who has done agenda-driven work since she went to the Shorenstein Center," Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars, a group seeking to "uphold the standards of a liberal arts education," told the Washington Examiner."  Hmmm. At Da Signal, National Archives Fires Security Officer Who Ordered Students to Remove Pro-Life Apparel

On Jan. 20, 2023, the day the national March for Life took place in Washington, D.C., security officers at the National Archives ordered multiple visitors to “remove their hats and cover their attire displaying pro-life messages,” according to a letter from acting Archivist Debra Steidel Wall obtained by The Daily Signal.

“This action was contrary to NARA policy,” she said. “The irony that this happened just steps away from the permanent display of the original Bill of Rights is not lost on me or any of the employees who proudly welcome more than one million annual visitors to the Museum.”

Linked at The (new) Daley Gator in Weekend News/Opinions Links!

Fish Pic Friday - Heather Born to Fish

Heather Born to fish

Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama. The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Lana Turner up at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam DIY - Trump Visits East Palestine, Georgia Jury Foreman Casts Her Spell

Places to go and things to do, and I'll kind of miss snarking on this one because it's pretty funny, in a twisted way

The East Palestine Disaster

‘We’re Like A Third World Nation’: Trump Hammers Pete Buttigieg Over Handling Of Toxic Train Derailment - The Daily Caller
Trump brought goodwill to East Palestine, Ohio while the Biden administration sniped at him – HotAir
Raw Video - Love and Cheers as President Donald Trump Raises Spirits During Visit to East Palestine, Ohio - The Last Refuge
EPA Administrator Quietly Postpones Africa Climate Change Trip With Idris And Sabrina Elba As Ohio Train Disaster Unfolds - The Daily Wire
EPA Orders Norfolk Southern To Handle All Ohio Train Derailment Cleanup, Pay Triple If They Cut Corners | The Daily Wire
Company Tasked With Testing East Palestine Water Hired by Norfolk Southern – PJ Media
Norfolk Southern, USDOT, Congress All Targeted In Buttigieg's Requests - The Political Insider
Ohio train derailment: Buttigieg to visit East Palestine following toxic crash - Washington Examiner
Report: Buttigieg Finally Plans To Visit East Palestine—Three Weeks After Chemical Disaster
East Palestine Will FINALLY Get A Buttigieg Visit - Victory Girls Blog
Pete Buttigieg Takes ‘Personal Time’ In Midst Of East Palestine Disaster, Asks If He Can Snap Photo Of Reporter Who Dares To Question Him - The Daily Wire
Exclusive: Trump Delivers Truckloads of Water to East Palestine
Fiddling while Ohio burns - spiked
Biden finally responds to East Palestine, Ohio residents... from Poland – HotAir

The Trump Great Googly Oogly Grand Jury Witch

Is Georgia Anti-Trump Grand Jury Forewoman Literally a Witch? : The Other McCain

In The Mailbox: 02.22.23 : The Other McCain

EBL: Weirdo Trump Grand Jury Foreperson in Georgia 🍑🤔😬

Twitter This is the foreperson of the Georgia Grand Jury that investigated Trump
What the Hell Is Going on With That Trump Grand Jury Foreman? – PJ Media
Ace of Spades HQ Fulton County, Georgia Grand Jury Forewoman Promises "Long List" of Names Coming for Recommended Indictment in "Election Interference" Case, But There's a Problem UPDATE: A Witch, Now?!
Trump grand jury forewoman’s Pinterest page is real and it’s spectacular – twitchy.com
Justice must be blind - y'all see that Trump grand jury forewoman? – HotAir
Georgia Jury Leak By Giggly Forewoman Could Tank Trump Prosecution - Victory Girls Blog
Althouse: "Could the Georgia grand jury forewoman’s media tour cause problems?"
President Trump Responds to Georgia Grand Jury Foreperson and the Circus Media Tour She Is Undertaking - The Last Refuge

Politics as Usual

Some awkward moments from Biden's trip to Ukraine and Poland – HotAir

Ace of Spades HQ Biden Heroically Falls While Walking Up the Steps of Air Force One, Again
Will Biden’s Ukraine Trip Inspire Even More Of His Lies? – Issues & Insights
WATCH: Biden Falls on the Stairs to Air Force One – PJ Media
Watch: Joe Biden Falls, Catches Himself Again Boarding Air Force One
Politico: Some starting to wonder if Biden is really up for 2024 – HotAir
House Oversight Committee mulls subpoena if Hunter Biden misses Wednesday deadline to produce documents - Fox News

‘Tip Of The Iceberg’: Biden Appointee’s Ties To Alleged Chinese Intel Groups Put Him In Legal Hot Water, Experts Say - The Daily Caller

MSNBC host: DeSantis' Florida is "all crystal meth and alligators" – HotAir
Yes, Governor Ron DeSantis's claim that Florida's crime rate is at a 50-year low is true | firstcoastnews.com
Draft Ron DeSantis effort reaches 200,000 - Washington Examiner
Ace of Spades HQ - Andrea Mitchell Lies, Claiming Ron DeSantis Demands That "Slavery and the Aftermath of Slavery Should Not Be Taught to Florida Schoolchildren"
DeSantis Swears Off All NBC Interviews Until Andrea Mitchell Issues Correction - The Daily Caller
MSNBC Host Offers Correction After Making False Ron DeSantis Claim - The Daily Caller
Did Andrea Mitchell climb down to fake a grovel to Ron DeSantis? Why, yes - yes, she did. – HotAir
DeSantis admin slams Andrea Mitchell for 'blatant lie' and subsequent 'non-apology,' vows to shun NBCUniversal interview requests - TheBlaze
Tucker Carlson Rips Nikki Haley: "She's Indistinguishable from the Neo-Liberal Donor Base"
Who needs Nikki? - Your Daily Don Surber
Megyn Kelly to CNN: Does Lemon have to cop a feel to get fired, or what? – HotAir
Don Lemon gets away with a slap on the wrist - The Spectator World
Instapundit - HE’S NOT ALLOWED TO APOLOGIZE TO REPUBLICANS: …
Vivek Ramaswamy Announces 2024 Presidential Bid - The Daily Caller
A Time for Serious Populism - The American Conservative
2024 presidential candidates face scrutiny from Republican and Democratic voters : NPR
Well, it looks like the GOP field for 2024 is going to be large – HotAir
The Fetterman Fiasco - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
Kari Lake Confirms She’s Taking Election Lawsuit to State Supreme Court
Key Dominion exec admitted company products 'riddled with bugs' days before 2020 vote: Fox lawyers - Just The News
How GA Became Dems' Test Site For Their 2024 Election Takeover
Frontpage Magazine Follows Foreign Election Money to West Virginia - Frontpage Mag
Idaho Republican Introduces Bill To Ban Ranked-Choice Voting
How A Texas Lawsuit Could Nuke Biden's $1.7T Spending Spree
Tell Me Teacher-Groomers Aren't Real: Degenerate Teacher's Aide Arrested for Licking the Feet of a Seven-Year-Old – PJ Media
Crybullies – HotAir
Clinton Aide Linked to Jeffrey Epstein Ruled a Suicide Despite No Sign of Weapon – PJ Media

Jan 6 and FBI/DOJ Misdeeds

MSNBC: Giving Tucker J6 video is a disaster – HotAir

Eric Swalwell leads Democrats seeking to ban Trump from US Capitol | Washington Examiner
Democrats Scramble to Block Tucker Carlson Reporting on Jan 6 Tapes - Slay News
Chuck Schumer’s clearly in a PANIC about J6 footage being released to Tucker Carlson – twitchy.com
Ace of Spades HQ Metropolitan Police Officer on January 6th: "They Set Us Up, They Set Us the F*** Up" Update: The Left Freaks Out That The Public Will Get to See the Videos They've Hid From Them For Two Years
Biden DOJ Charges 8 More Pro-Life Activists With Violating FACE Act

Twitter, Musk and Cybersecurity

The Twitter Files Reveal An Existential Threat
How Does This Happen? U.S. Military Email Server Was Exposed for Two Weeks – PJ Media
JPMorgan restricts ChatGPT usage for its 250,000 staff over data privacy fears - Daily Mail Online

Some Thursday Tanlines

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Lana Turner up at The Other McCain.

Lighten Up, Girls

Paige Spiranac

Fox, Golf influencer Paige Spiranac defends Tiger Woods' tampon gag: 'Can’t pick and choose when to be a feminist

Tiger Woods received backlash after he handed Justin Thomas a tampon upon outdriving him on Thursday.

The 15-time major champion said it was nothing more than a "prank," and it was "friends having fun."

However, one writer said Woods had "employed basic misogyny to insult" Thomas, "replicating an old prank that immature school boys used to think was funny." Many others thought it was sexist and degrading to women.

On the contrary, Paige Spiranac, former professional golfer turned social media influencer, is defending the 47-year-old.

"If anyone tries to cancel Tiger over this we riot. It’s funny," Spiranac tweeted on Thursday.

This is hardly Woods' first controversy - his biggest came in 2009 when it was revealed he was cheating on his then-wife, Elin Nordegren. That didn't stop the outcry, though.

 

But Spirinac, whose self-promotion has garnered criticism for sexualizing women's golf, put those who are ripping Woods to the test.

"It’s interesting to see women outraged by Tiger slipping JT a tampon after out driving him but those same women will quickly tear me down for how I’ve decided to build my business. You can’t pick and choose when to be a feminist," Spirinac wrote on Friday.

If you don't appreciate the joke, girls, try driving from the men's tees. (Not that I should talk, I can barely play golf). 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Lana Turner up at The Other McCain.

Beach Report 2/22/23

Cooler today, just about 50 F, with a bit of east wind.

The tide was about half way up, but we still got up to the boulders above Matoaka. 

My two best, a Snaggletooth lower (left) and White shark upper (right). Georgia had a slightly better Snaggletooth lower, not pictured. Also a drum tooth, a fish spine, a ray barb, and some ray plates.

The Osprey is back! (V22 that is)

Flotsam and Jetsam: Random Thoughts from the Wrack Line

Not a lot of theme going today, Breitbart, East Palestine Mayor: Biden Giving Millions to Ukraine, Not Us Shows ‘He Doesn’t Care about Us’. The Ukrainians fund his family, East Palestine doesn't even vote for him. At Front Page, Joe Klein examines Buttigieg and a Train Derailment, "And the disaster that is a "Transportation Secretary".   KT at Hat Hair hears Buttigieg will visit East Palestine, Ohio when the time is right, whenever that is. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.21.23 (Morning Edition) Da Tech Guy contributes  America has its secretary of silly walks, Pete Buttigieg and at American Greatness  Biden Slammed For Visiting Ukraine on Presidents Day Instead of East Palestine. Even the EPA diversity hire showed up to drink a glass of municipal water, and say they will take it out of the railroad's hide if they don't clean up. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.21.23 (Evening Edition) Da Tech Guy, One Palestine the Left Doesn’t Care About, and  Louder With Crowder East Palestine mayor unloads on POTUS visiting Ukraine, ‘not caring’ about Ohio residents, and Drew Allen at Am Think thinks The EPA Has No Credibility. That's not true, it's negative. On the other hand, I suspect there's a lot of psychosomatic illness going around in New Palestine. It's hard to blame them. At Am Great, he wonders Is Biden Using the Russia-Ukraine War to Make a Green Economy? "Investing in solar panels and electric vehicles in America is going to defeat the Russians, according to the Department of Energy." Especially when the solar panels and most of the cars come from China, another Biden investor.  At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.21.23 (Morning Edition) Da Fed's Shawn Fleetwood calls Biden’s New ‘Equity’ Executive Order Systemic Racism In Disguise. From Da Caller, Coalition Urges Biden Admin To Drop Proposal That Could Allow Male Students Into Female Bathrooms, Locker Rooms, the polling sucks. Also at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.21.23 (Morning Edition)and Da Lid reminds us that Lying Hate-Filled Joe Biden Falsely Claims White People Love to Watch Lynching of Blacks "Does He Remember WHO Was Promoting The Lynching?" Democrats, of course. At I&I, Did Biden’s Trove Of Classified Docs Jeopardize U.S. National Security? I&I/TIPP Poll say yes. 

APJ Media's Rick Moran writes New York City Mayor Eric Adams Takes a Shot at Ron DeSantis. Hits Himself Instead. Christina Pushaw @ChristinaPushaw "Nice rhetoric — but here’s reality: More Americans fled NYC than any other metro area last year. More Americans moved to Florida than any other state. You know this, Mayor Adams, and you’ve talked (accurately) about crime pushing people out of NYC. Florida’s crime rate meanwhile is at a 50 year low. Maybe it’s you who can learn from @RonDeSantisFL?" Quote Tweet Mayor Eric Adams@NYCMayor "Welcome to NYC, @GovRonDeSantis, a place where we don’t ban books, discriminate against our LGBTQ+ neighbors, use asylum seekers as props, or let the government stand between a woman and health care. We’re happy to teach you something about values while you’re here. twitter.com/politicony/sta…"At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.21.23 (Morning Edition), Da Tech Guy Donald Trump is either Getting Bad Advice or Ignoring Good Advice in DeSantis Attacks the Shark Tank: DeSantis Launches Pro-Police Tour. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.21.23 (Evening Edition) Da Tech Guy: DeSantis, Trump, and the Fauci Card, "It would take very little effort for Ron DeSantis to link Trump and Fauci and the Donald knows that. It’s no coincidence that he no longer pushes the COVID Vaccine at rallies as he discovered quickly."

At the Hollywood Reporter Don Lemon to Undergo “Formal Training” After Nikki Haley Remarks, Will Return to CNN Show Wednesday, so he can be a better sexist and ageist. Am Think's Richard McDonough thinks about CNN's Lemon Problem. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.21.23 (Morning Edition) Vox Popoli: She Has to Go Back. Da Tech Guy, Haley, unjustly attacked but still “Meh.” Yep. 

VodkaPundit at Insty, ANGLING FOR THAT POST-PRIMARIES GIG ON MSNBC: 2024 GOP Fantasist Hogan Says Opposing Trans Propaganda in Schools Is ‘Authoritarian.’ From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.21.23 (Evening Edition) The Federalist, Larry Hogan’s Authoritarian Covid Response Proves He’s Not The ‘Small Government’ Republican He Pretends To Be.

The Peacock, Democratic Rep. David Cicilline says he's leaving Congress early for new job in June. It's a safe seat but an indication 2024 might be a little rough. Hat Hair cites the NYT, BREAKING: Barbara Lee announces run to replace Feinstein. So much for Adam Schiff's hopes. 

At WaEx, House Republican would amend Constitution to require cognitive competency for presidents. David Harsanyi at Da Fed, We Don’t Need A ‘National Divorce,’ We Need More Federalism. A case in point, Upstate Federalist@upstatefederlst Nearly all the lawfare in the United States is meant to make rural Alabama do the things that New York and California want it to do. What are you talking about?
Quote Tweet Tom Nichols@RadioFreeTom "If you really want to understand the roots of rage in the red states, think about how much time people in those states spending think about cities and blue states. Now considcer how little time anyone in those places spends thinking about what goes on in, say, rural Alabama. /1 twitter.com/monomoyhistory…"

Vicky Marshall at Da Fed reports on a California Democrat Arrested, Charged With Mail-In Ballot Fraud. Impossible, they tell me it can't happen! At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.21.23 (Morning Edition),  The Gellar Reports, FOX News Legal Filing: DOMINION Voting Systems Executives Including Eric Coomer Knew Its Voting Systems Had Major Security Issues, Was Hacked, and Was “Riddled with Bugs.” At Am Spec, John Wohlstetter speculates about The 2022 ‘Titanic’ Vote: Iceberg Ahead, or Are We Already Sinking? "The results of last November remain inexplicable, especially in contrast to prevailing public attitudes about the state of our nation’s decline." David Catron says The Democrat War on Election Integrity Continues "All-mail elections and ranked-choice voting pose a clear and present danger to the republic." Cato Inst throws More Cold Water Thrown on Some Alarmist Election Claims.

Stacy McCain tells the story of the Gay Activist Couple who Allegedly Pimped Out Adopted Boys because the rest of the media won't. At Da Caller,  Here’s How Many Pride Events The Air Force Held In 2022, According To A Just-Launched DEI Newsletter, 67. They have one job, and that ain't it.

Herr Professor Jacobsen at LI, House Republicans Give Tucker Carlson Producers Access To Thousands of Hours of J6 Video "It is consistent to condemn the riot, and also to note that Democrats and the media have lied relentlessly about that day for political purposes. That’s my position." At Am Great, the redoubtable Julie Kelly, House Republicans Release J6 Videos to Tucker Carlson and Anatomy of a Cover-up: The January 6 Tapes, "Like all good political scandals, the path to the truth begins with the tapes." Scott Johnson at Power Line on Releasing the J6 footage. Dan Chaitin at Da Wire, January 6 Panel Chairman Issues Warning Over Tucker Carlson Getting Tapes. PJ Media's Stephen Kruiser sees Dems Are Oozing Flop Sweat Over Release of J6 Surveillance Video. Nick Arama at Red State observes Schiff Panic Over Release of Jan. 6 Footage, Goes Into Conspiracy Overdrive. From Twitchy, Adam Kinzinger LOSING it over Tucker Carlson having J6 footage says SO MUCH (and it ain’t good, for HIM). What are they afraid of ? At the Wildfire Newsletter, Newly Released J6 Footage Shows 'Non-Uniformed' Officers, Police Urging Pro-Trump Protesters to Go to the Capitol "Newly released bodycam footage obtained due to the court trial of Jan. 6 defendant William Pope of Topeka, Kansas shows uniformed officers discussing how to spot "non-uniform" agents. In addition, the released videos show that undercover officers climbed barricades and urged protesters to go toward the Capitol Building. MPD bicycle officers stopped four armed men in plainclothes that turned out to be law enforcement agents." James Lynch at Da Caller, ‘I Know You’re Not The Bad Guy’: Video Shows Alexandra Pelosi Downplaying Jan. 6 Riot To Former Proud Boys Member. 

At Bongino, Unearthed Photo Indicates McGonigal Scandal Could Be Deeper Than We Thought and Despite FBI Denials, Recent Pattern Changes Tell Different Story on Director Wray's Jet Usage at Your Expense. Christian Parenti at Compact asks Will the Left Stand Up to the Deep State? Only when it bites them in the ass.

Ham sandwich nation. The Peacock, Special grand jury that investigated Trump election interference recommends indictments. 'Bonchie' at Red State sees Member of Trump-Targeting Georgia Grand Jury Speaks Out, Destroys Credibility of the Case. "I’m not sure if she’s just really nervous or if she actually has the personality of a teenage girl, but nothing about this makes the grand jury in Georgia look good or credible. Instead, it makes the process look like a joke, propagated by people desperately pushing a political fight in the legal arena." Sundance at CTH, This, You Must Watch – Atlanta, GA, “Special Grand Jury” Foreperson Speaks to MSNBC About Their Trump Investigation. 

Scott Johnson at Power Line has more Notes on the Twitter Files (16). Ace, Free Beacon: The Campaign to Pressure Corporations to Boycott Twitter Is Being Funded by, Get This, Leftwing Billionaire and Patron of NeverTrump Pierre Omidyar, "Of course. And once again he's spending money to limit your right to speak -- and read -- freely." Jonathan Turley, discusses The War on Musk: Washington Post Slammed Over Twitter Hit Piece. 

Wednesday Wetness

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Lana Turner up at The Other McCain.

Pirates With a 501(c)(3)

Front Page, The Court Says They’re Pirates, the IRS Says They’re a Nonprofit "Is there anything a leftist group can do to lose its tax deductible status?"

Every time we dive deeper into these investigations, someone asks if there’s anywhere that the IRS will draw the line. A few weeks ago, someone suggested pirates. Surely there couldn’t be nonprofit pirates with tax deductible donations that the IRS has decided is a legitimate charity.

Not only is there a pirate nonprofit, but it’s been denounced by the court, described as eco-terrorists by the FBI, and has shown up on Interpol’s Red Notice while being the subject of international incidents without ever persuading the IRS to drop its 501(c)(3) status.

 

A decade ago, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling stated that, “you don’t need a peg leg or an eye patch. When you ram ships; hurl glass containers of acid; drag metal-reinforced ropes in the water to damage propellers and rudders; launch smoke bombs and flares with hooks; and point high-powered lasers at other ships, you are, without a doubt, a pirate.”

The group in question was Sea Shepherd: a trendy anti-fishing organization whose celebrity supporters included Pamela Anderson, Martin Sheen and Sean Penn. And a decade after the Court of Appeals stated that Sea Shepherd’s alleged acts were “clear instances of violent acts for private ends, the very embodiment of piracy”, Sea Shepherd maintains a presence on Facebook, Amazon, YouTube and other Big Tech platforms that purged conservations for “extremism”,where it sells merchandise featuring its version of the skull and bones pirate flag.

 

And it has retained its status with the IRS as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity for over 40 years.

In 2002, the Domestic Terrorism Section Chief of the FBI told the House Resources Committee that Sea Shepherd was an example of “eco-terrorism”. The IRS took no action even when it was caught harboring a nonprofit that federal law enforcement had described as eco-terrorists.

Unlike many of the other leftist groups we previously profiled, the IRS did begin an audit of Sea Shepherd a few months after the Court of Appeals ruling. The token IRS effort was likely in response to pressure from Japan whose whaling ships faced harassment from the group.

 

While the IRS has ignored conservative protests over tax deductible status being granted to domestic terrorist groups, the Japanese government spent years lobbying to suspend Sea Shepherd’s nonprofit status. After a court ruling described the group as pirates, the Japanese could not believe that the Obama administration still refused to take action. Finally the Japanese embassy turned directly to the IRS, including contacting Lois Lerner, who would become infamous for her role in the IRS targeting of conservative and Jewish opponents of Obama.

The IRS went through the motions of auditing Sea Shepherd, then it dispatched a letter claiming that “our examination of the information return(s) indicated above disclosed that your organization continues to qualify for exemption from Federal income tax.” The Internal Revenue Service does not however seem to have consulted the Court of Appeals, the FBI or the law.

As the Freedom Center’s pamphlet, Internal Radical Service by David Horowitz and John Perazzo, discusses, regulations state that “exempt purposes may generally be equated with the public good, and violations of law are the antithesis of the public good”. They warn that, “violation of constitutionally valid laws is inconsistent with exemption under IRC 501(c)(3)” and that “planned activities that violate laws are not in furtherance of a charitable purpose”.

Is piracy not the antithesis of the public good? Which part of ramming ships or hurling containers of acid would the IRS consider to be in the furtherance of a charitable purpose?

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Lana Turner up at The Other McCain.