The Wednesday Wetness

The Peacock, Utah set to become first state to ban fluoride in public water "A bill awaiting the governor's signature would prohibit the addition of fluoride to public water systems."

Utah is gearing up to make history as the first state to ban fluoride in public water systems if Gov. Spencer Cox signs a bill to prohibit the addition of the tooth decay-fighting mineral.

If signed into law, HB0081 would prevent any individual or political subdivision from adding fluoride "to water in or intended for public water systems."
. . .
This bill, introduced last month and passed out of the state legislature on Friday, comes as the new federal health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has openly criticized use of the mineral. He linked fluoride to various illnesses, despite major medical associations supporting water fluoridation.

A report published recently in JAMA Pediatrics found a statistically significant association between higher fluoride exposure and lower children’s IQ scores — but the researchers did not suggest that fluoride should be removed from drinking water.

According to the report's authors, most of the 74 studies they reviewed were low-quality and done in countries other than the United States, such as China, where fluoride levels tend to be much higher, the researchers noted.

There's simply no doubt that fluoride in water helps prevent cavities. That's been well known for years. However, the fluoride doesn't need to ingested to work, the effect happens as fluoride in water touches and binds to tooth material. Too much fluoride in water can be toxic, and cause bone problems. So topical applications of fluoride (as dentists like to charge for) are probably preferable. I don't know about the IQ link, but I know if this were something they didn't want, they would be up in arms about the possibility, as they are with mercury.

Our own local water system is too small to add fluoride, too much risk. The fluoride metering systems in larger systems have been known to screw up, and cause harm, including death.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Denim on the Beach up and garnering clicks at the Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - NSA/CIA Sex Chat Room Revealed

Despite pushback from the media, claiming widespread opposition, Sarah Anderson at PJM notes It's Official: Data Shows That the U.S. Loves What Trump Is Doing. NewsMax, Harvard/Harris Poll: Trump Approval Rating at 52 Percent. Mario Nawfal @MarioNawfal,"AMERICANS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT TRUMP’S POLICIES—MEDIA WON’T TELL YOU THIS New polling shows massive majorities back Trump’s agenda, including: - 81% support deporting illegal immigrants who commit crimes - 76% want a full crackdown on government waste - 76% back securing the border - 69% support banning biological men from girls’ sports - 68% agree there are only 2 genders in government forms Yet the media pretends Trump’s policies are "extreme." If that’s true, why does America agree with him? Source: Harvard/Harris Poll." RCP, President Trump Job Approval. Hat Hair's Capt. Ed finds an MSNBC Analyst: We Regret To Inform You That Trump Is Not Losing. From the Victory Girls, James Carville Wishcrafts A Trump Administrative Collapse. At Fox, DAVID MARCUS: Radical transparency is the secret to Trump’s early success, "Working fast and out in the open is the kind of customer service Americans can appreciate." At Da Wire, Keeping Up With Trump: Here’s Everything The President Did Week Five, "More DOGE, border wins, and a White House clash over men in women's sports." John Lucas at Da Fed thinks Republicans Should Fight ‘Resistance’ Democrats’ Nationwide Injunctions. Sister Toldja at RedState sees a Legal Analyst Stuns MSNBC Panel Into Silence With Inconvenient Facts on Trump Admin's 'Legal Setbacks'. Thomas Hern @ThomasMHern "MSNBC's legal analyst leaves far left panel on the verge of tears after informing them Trump is not really losing legal battles. "These are not major setbacks." "They’re going to fight at every single turn. And that means appealing everything because it costs them nothing." Stephen Kruiser at PJM say The Never Trump Grift Goes On, but It Has a Shelf Life Now. 

ET, House to Move Ahead With Budget Plan to Fund Trump’s Agenda. "The plan allocates several trillion dollars worth of spending to fund Trump’s political priorities. The Senate has passed a different plan." Michael Goodwin at NYPo revels in Trump revealing how White House meeting with Hochul went after prez’s admin axes NYC congestion pricing “I don’t see how I can back off.” Nick Pope at Da Signal, Trump Admin’s War on Federal Bureaucracy Threatens Nancy Pelosi’s ‘Local Legacy’ in San Francisco, "President Donald Trump announced in a Wednesday executive order that his administration will look to cut the Presidio Trust to the fullest extent possible, picking a fight with the federal agency that oversees the nearly-1,500-acre park in San Francisco." Shipwreckedcrew, The Fight Is On -- Trump Admin Goes "All In" To Eliminate Congressional Limits on Ability To Fire Appointed Officials. "This is the key first step to bringing the "Bureaucratic State" firmly under the control of the Presidency -- but the bureaucrats won't go down easy." The bureacracy was largely running things during the Biden "presidency," and they thinks they own it. Sarah Anderson at PJM, New Ag Secretary Says This Is Now the USDA's Top Priority, stopping China from buying all our farmland (the part Bill Gates doesn't own).

At NewMax, Hegseth Defends Trump's Firings of Pentagon Leaders and Says There May Be More. Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "Low IQ reporter: "Why did you select an underqualified retired lieutenant general to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?" Pete Hegseth: "I'm going to choose to reject your unqualified question. Who's next?" MIC DROP." 

Charlotte Hazard at JTN reports Trump says Putin would accept European peacemakers in Ukraine in potential peace deal. Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks it's Hardly Surprising the Ukraine Mineral Agreement Implies US Sovereignty Guarantee. And from my brother Mark, at the Telegraph, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard says Trump’s embrace of Putin is a Molotov-Ribbentrop crisis for Europe, "The new regime in Washington is testing pro-American sympathies to breaking point." From Responsible Statecraft wonders Did Trump just crown Saudi with leadership of Gaza ‘day after’ plan? "His threats — bluff? — to clear out the Palestinian territory may have spurred the only realistic reconstruction plan in the offing." Dave Strom finds it Hilarious: Danish Petition Calls for Buying California. Larry Gator @LarryLarrygator "Can we please make this happen!! What about Oregon and Washington to Boot?? A package deal for all 3!"

At PJM, VodkaPundit thinks DOGE Might Hold the Key to Opening up All of Washington's Dirtiest Secrets "A confidential source of Data Republican (Small-r)'s reveals that a PATRIOT Act provision meant to track terrorists' funds could prove to be a goldmine of information about NGO funding — and that might be the real reason Washington is so afraid of Elon Musk and his DOGE boys," and Matt Margolis says Elon Musk Has ‘Cracked the Code’ on Government Secrecy. Mark Tapscott at Insty says NO, DOGE IS NOT RADICAL: Lydia Mashburn Newman, writing for The Daily Economy, published by the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), lays out in terms even a Washington bureaucrat or career Member of Congress can understand on why what the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is no mystery – it’s introducing to the federal bureaucracy what are in the real world widely accepted “best practices.” Mario Nawfal @MarioNawfal, "83% OF VOTERS DEMAND SPENDING CUTS New poll: 83% of Americans want the government to cut spending instead of raising taxes—but D.C. just kept spending under Biden. - 67% say the debt is unsustainable - 83% want the budget balanced - 77% demand a full review of government spending Yet Democrats refused to cut a dime while pushing higher taxes and endless deficits. Now, @DOGE and Trump are doing what the voters asked for." Randy Barnett@RandyEBarnett, "“They are profoundly aware that they MUST act fast and with some degree of ferocity, even recklessness, else we will default back to the status quo of leaders who pretend to be in charge while the embedded system runs things behind the scenes.” All of this." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair VIP says The Only Good Argument For a DOGE Dividend Is ... paywalled but obvious, keeping the public invested. 

Ace woke up and noticed Elon Musk Sent Federal Workers a Mass-Email Asking Them What They Actually Accomplished In the Past Week "I don't know if this is a real question or a rhetorical one, but maybe it will spur some deadweight to clear out and spur others to focus more on their jobs. Some Trump-appointed heads of departments, like Kash Patel, are actually advising workers to ignore the email, or "pause their response," at least." At ET, Mass Email Sent to Federal Employees: 5 Things We Know. Capt. Ed notices The Genius of 'What Would You Say You Do Here?' "Musk means "pulse check" in both the literal and figurative senses. First off, he wants to know how many on the federal payroll actually exist, and then how many answer e-mails from senior executive-branch officers." 

At Fox, Federal workers who fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave, Musk states. Maryland, My Maryland, the Balmer Sun reports Maryland gearing up for potential influx of unemployment claims from federal workers. Carl Paulus@CarlPaulus, "The bureaucracy seems intent on proving that they're an insulated self interest group who believes itself to be unaccountable to American democracy and should be fired. They keep accidentally proving the point for retweets." Quote Rachel Cohen@rmc031"this video of Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet is playing in the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development cafeteria this morning." At NYPo, Hackers play AI video of Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet on cafeteria screens at HUD headquarters: ‘LONG LIVE THE REAL KING’. Jesse Kelly @JesseKellyDC, "The despair you’re seeing from the communists is because their religion is coming apart. Imagine watching barbarians dismantle your church. That’s how communists feel watching the taxpayer gravy train come to an end. Ignore the Hall Monitor Right. Keep going. More. Faster." Department of Government Efficiency@DOGE, "Agencies often have more software licenses than employees, and the licenses are often idle (i.e. paid for, but not installed on any computer). For example, at GSA, with 13,000 employees, there are: - 37,000 WinZip licenses - 19,000 training software subscriptions (and multiple parallel training software platforms) -7,500 project management software seats for a division with 5,500 employees - 3 different ticketing systems running in parallel Fixes are actively in work." WinZip is still a thing? At the American Tribune, DOGE Discovers “Career Civil Service Workers” Filling the Tees at Over 40 DC Golf Courses on the Taxpayer’s Dime. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Dimon in the Rough. Chief Nerd @TheChiefNerd "Jamie Dimon on DOGE: “You’ve got to look at @elonmusk … The guy is our Einstein … We deserve good government and I don't think anyone thinks sending another trillion dollars to Washington D.C. will lead to good government.”" NewsBusters, CENSORED! ABC, CBS, NBC Spend Less Than Two Minutes on DOGE Taxpayer Savings. From WokeSpy, Anti-Musk Democrat Who Called for “Actual Weapons” in “Actual Fight” Whimpers after DOJ Petitions Him. 

DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican. " I've said it again, I'll say it again. Taxpayer-funded NGOs function as a parallel government. Even worse, many sitting members of Congress are directly involved in them. They see themselves as the real government, prioritizing debates with other bureaucrats on the global stage over serving the people they represent. This is why critical issues like healthcare, education, and help for Helene victims are consistently neglected." Quote Tom@BoreGuru "Replying to @DataRepublican and @BasedMikeLee Everything the Democrats would like to pass in Congress, but know they couldn't, just gets done by an NGO." John DePetro Show @JohnDePetroshow, "Dem Sen. Whitehouse in hot water over wife's nonprofit's millions in federal grants. FOX: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., is being accused of violating ethics rules after backing laws that financially benefited his wife's environmental organization." At Ace's THE MORNING RANT: Stacey Abrams Has a History of Illegal Slush Funds Predating the Recent $2 Billion Revelation from DOGE. Dave Strom, Stonewall, UK's Largest Trans Rights Organization, Turned Out to Be a USAID Front. Hayden Daniel at Da Fed thinks The Administrative State Is So Corrupt It Makes The 19th Century’s Patronage System Look Good. At least you could throw the bums out after 4 years.

Ace, Trump Names New Deputy Director of the FBI, "Good get. I have to imagine that Bongino was making a lot more with his podcasting venture than he'll make as a Deputy FBI Director. He's taking a paycut to do the right thing." At Bongino, Dan Bongino Accepts Role as Deputy Director of the FBI. Da Wire, ‘It’s A Lot To Walk Away From’: Dan Bongino Chokes Up On Air Announcing Plan To Exit Radio. Capt. Ed, Kash Patel Gets a Hatchet Man at the FBI. "Patel had already promised to select his #2 from the rank-and-file, in part to adhere to tradition but more to bolster confidence in his outsider leadership. This intervention by Trump sends a very clear message that he wants to clear the decks at the FBI, and the rank and file had better get ready for it. This is not just a DOGE deadwood-clearing exercise; Trump means to wring all of the political chicanery out of the FBI, and to do it toute suite." At Twitchy, NBC News’ Ken Dilanian Says FBI Officials Are Appalled at Dan Bongino’s Appointment. Bryan Jung at PJM, Trump Is Expected to Put FBI Director Kash Patel in Charge of ATF, Say DOJ Sources. Jeff Carlson@themarketswork, "Goldman was lead counsel for House Dems during Trump's first impeachment. Designed to prevent Trump from uncovering Biden's actions in Ukraine-and Obama’s knowledge & involvement. Goldman knew everything Biden did. He even met w/Hunter during the trial. Of course he’s nervous." Quote Daniel Goldman@danielsgoldman, "For a party that preaches “meritocracy,” this Administration is shockingly unqualified and incompetent. Hiring based on wealth and loyalty alone is literally the opposite of a meritocracy." Unauthorized Narrative @mgEyesOpen, "Exactly right. And Dan Bongino literally wrote a book on Democrat corruption surrounding Ukraine. Bongino knows, and Goldman knows he knows." Interestingly, the position doesn't require Senate confirmation. 

Dave Strom sees CNN Accidentally Suggest that CIA Employees Are Disloyal to US. Might give away secrets in response to DOGE cuts. Twitchy, 'WOW': Michael Shellenberger Drops ANOTHER Bombshell That FBI Employees Are Destroying Evidence. Michael Shellenberger@shellenberger, "FBI whistleblower @GOBactual confirmed to me that a source inside FBI said FBI employees were destroying evidence on servers, and that he informed @Kash_Patel I hope he @AGPamBondi @JohnRatcliffe @elonmusk @realannapaulina are preventing this. We urgently need disclosure!" Quote, Anna Paulina Luna, @realannapaulina "There is a massive war happening in the intelligence agencies right now. The corruption being exposed right now is actual treason… x.com/charliekirk11/…"

At City Journal, Christopher F. Rufo and Hannah Grossman expose The NSA’s Secret Sex Chats. Intelligence officials maintained a chatroom to discuss polyamory and transgender surgeries, internal documents reveal." Dave Strom, NSA Intelligence Sharing Chatroom Filled With Transgender Fetishism Discussion. Bonchie at RedState, EXPOSED: NSA, CIA, FBI, and Others Used Government Resources to Do Absolutely Deranged, Disgusting Things. Matt Vespa, Reporters Found What Intel Officers Spoke About on Government Time. You'll Need Bleach for Your Eyes and The CIA Issued This Response Regarding the Secret Sex Chat Fiasco Involving the Intel Community. Christopher F. Rufo @realchrisrufo "BREAKING: The CIA has released a statement on the trans sex chats, claiming it "will be taking immediate action on this matter.""

From OTP, Kamala Swipes At Trump And Elon Musk In NAACP Award Acceptance Speech “Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities, the shadows gathering over our democracy and ask ‘What do we do now?’” I suggest more wine (and whine). Mike Miller at RedState hears a Top Biden Advisor Says Democrat Party 'Lost Its Mind' After Disastrous Debate: 'It Melted Down'. Scott Pinsker at PJM says The Democratic Party Is Starving to Death. "The Hill published a fascinating story today: “Angry Democratic donors turn off the flow of money.”" Da Wire, Democrat Donors Pull Funding From Party: The Party ‘Is F***ing Terrible.’ "Many donors are angry that did not get a choice of who the party's nominee was in 2024." John Sexton, If Democrats Were Smarter They Would Adopts Denmark's Immigration Approach, but they aren't so they won't. The California Globe reports that While ‘Trump-Proofing’ CA, Gov. Gavin Newsom Asks Congress for $40 Billion in Fire Relief Funds, "Congress and the Trump admin should tell Gov. Newsom to clean up his own state – then offer special federal tax break directly to the fire victims." Say, did you hear Trump wants to rename the San Andreas fault Newsom's Fault?

WokeSpy, AG Pam Bondi Warns Democrat Governors Refusing to Comply with Deportations: “You’re Next.” Mia Cathell at TownHall, Tom Homan Has a Message for Boston Authorities Vowing Not to Work With ICE “I'm coming to Boston, and I'm bringing HELL with me.” From Fox, Border Patrol taking control of former USAID HQ, "USAID activities could be reorganized under the State Department." NYPo reports Trump admin planning to revive Title 42 policy to boot migrants on health grounds: report. "The Trump administration is planning to revive a pandemic-era Title 42 policy to swiftly turn migrants away at the US border on the grounds they could potentially spread diseases like tuberculosis, a new report says." Da Wire, Deportation Operations Launched In Colony Ridge ‘Targeting Criminals And Illegal Immigrants’ “Colony Ridge is being targeted today,” Abbott wrote in a post on X. “Texas DPS Troopers & Special Agents are assisting Homeland Security Investigations with an operation in Colony Ridge this morning.” PM, NYC to shutter Roosevelt Hotel migrant housing. At Da Signal, What Has Changed in the Darien Gap Under Trump’s Presidency? "Human migration through the Darien Gap connecting Panama and Colombia has fallen by more than 90% when compared with the same time last year, according to Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies." Breitbart reports a Secret Biden Policy Fast-Tracked Illegals Through Airport Security Lines.

Anxious anxiously whines Judge upholds Trump's right to block AP for now. Capt. Ed adds "McFadden's denial of a TRO doesn't mean Trump will win this on the merits. It does mean that McFadden doesn't see any irreparable harm to the Associated Press over the exclusion in the short run. McFadden did say that this appears to be a viewpoint-based exclusion, which generally is not permissible, but that a full hearing is needed to make that determination." Hans Mahncke @HansMahncke, "The best part about the AP's lawsuit is that the judge openly questioned today why the White House Correspondents Association—a self-appointed, fake organization with no statutory or legitimate authority, that exists solely to project an air of official status and wield influence it was never granted—should have any say over “who can and cannot come into the Oval Office.” He even suggested, “Seems to me the White House could decide to throw out the White House Correspondents Association altogether.” This could turn into a massive own goal, and I sincerely hope it does."

Duane Patterson at Hat Hair notes Maine Governor Janet Mills Already FO After Her FA with Donald Trump on Friday. Sassafrass84 @Sassafrass_84 "Maine Governor Janet Mills decided that women's sports was the hill she wanted to die on. She refused to comply with Trumps EO and told him she would see him in court. Several hours later, the Office of Civil Rights announced they were investigating Maine for Title IX violations. F*cked around she did. Found out she did. Democrats have this world perception that they have bigger balls than President Trump. And that they are going to do whatever the hell they want . They're gonna learn." UPI whines that Kansas lawmakers override veto of ban on gender-affirming care for kids. Off The Press@OffThePress1, "NEW: A Texas doctor told
@C__Herridge the Biden DOJ went after him for objecting to child gender transitions at Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Eithan Haim, who was hit with multiple criminal charges, says Biden DOJ prosecutors "were going to do anything possible to make me pay for what I did."" Toni Airaksinen explains Why Colleges Should Stop Teaching “Toxic Masculinity.” "Teaching men that masculinity is inherently poisonous is cruel and counterproductive."

At the College Fix, a UCLA study: Whites’ ‘anti-democratic’ attitudes linked to racism against minorities. NYPo opines Trump’s Justice Dept. vows to end college affirmative action — here’s where to start. Tax Prof, ABA Legal Ed Council Suspends Diversity Accreditation Standard In Wake Of Trump Executive Order And DOE Letter. Kevin Downey. Nothing Steams My Clams Like Liberal Cucks Pretending to Be Virtuous.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: A Rare Winning Week up and garnering clicks at the Other McCain.

A Tuesday Tune - No. 7 Road

 

I swear, if there were four of them, the cuteness would implode into a blonde hole. The Castellows:

Neo-Traditional Country music trio, The Castellows, bring a literal meaning to the phrase, “family tradition.” The band comprised of sisters Ellie (lead guitar), Powell (banjo) and Lily (vocals), hail from small rural Georgetown, Georgia, but now call Nashville home. The Castellows’ sound is traditional, yet modern. Authentic, yet harnessed. The common thread among the trio, other than their DNA, is their masterful three-part harmonies which blend together to create one singular, almost angelic, voice. 

The Castellows’ craft as songwriters is as robust as their voices, which is evident across the trio’s debut EP, A Little Goes A Long Way, which released worldwide on February 9, 2024. The band wrote/co-wrote six of the seven songs that make up the project, with the promise of much more music to come. The band began turning heads of music industry insiders in January 2023. When spring arrived, The Castellows had signed a record deal with Warner Music Nashville & Warner Records, collectively. Wasting no time on pleasantries, The Castellows immediately got to work writing, recording, and performing live. Tapping veteran producer Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow, Nanci Griffith, Queens of the Stone Age), the first fruits of labor to be harvested from 2023 is the debut A Little Goes A Long Way.

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The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Denim on the Beach up and garnering clicks at the Other McCain.

RIP: Roberta Flack

 The Peacock, Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning singer of 'Killing Me Softly With His Song,' dies at 88. "Flack’s music was introduced to a new generation thanks to the Fugees and Lauryn Hill, whose cover of "Killing Me Softly With His Song" topped the charts in 1996."

Grammy award-winning singer Roberta Flack, who crooned hits like “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” has died, a representative confirmed to NBC News. She was 88.

In November 2022, a representative announced that Flack had ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and could no longer sing. The progressive disease “has made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak,” Flack’s manager Suzanne Koga said in a news release.

ALS! Yuck. 

In a statement on Monday, representatives for Flack said they are "heartbroken" by her passing. "She died peacefully surrounded by her family," Koga and Mikel Gilmore said in the statement. "Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator."

Flack was born Feb. 10, 1937, in North Carolina. The daughter of a church organist, Flack began playing classical piano at a young age. At 15, her talents earned her a scholarship to Howard University in Washington, D.C. Jazz musician Les McCann claims he discovered Flack’s talents while she was singing at Mr. Henry’s, a Washington nightclub. “Her voice touched, tapped, trapped and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known,” McCann said. “I laughed, cried and screamed for more.”

Eventually, McCann helped the young singer sign with Atlantic Records Group, where Flack recorded “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” which was written by Ewan MacColl. The song became a breakout for Flack after it appeared on her first album, “First Take,” in 1969. After being used in Clint Eastwood’s 1971 directorial debut “Play Misty for Me,” however, Atlantic Records released a radio version, which became a huge hit, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.

In 1973, the song won Grammys for record and song of the year.

Curiously, the first time ever I heard "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was from the Kingston Trio, who recorded it back in 1962. I thought Flack did it better.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Denim on the Beach up and garnering clicks at the Other McCain.

D.C. Issues Fish Consumption Advisories over PFAS

At the Bay Journal, District of Columbia issues fish consumption advisory over ‘forever chemicals’

The District of Columbia’s environmental health agency has issued its first fish consumption advisory based on the presence of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in fish caught in the rivers running through the nation’s capital. The advisory warns people who eat fish caught from portions of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers within the district to consider eating less or none of certain fish.

Issued in December, the advisory is based on fish tissue studies conducted by the district’s Department of Energy and Environment. For the first time, these studies tested for the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in addition to looking for PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), metals and certain pesticides. PCBs are also considered a “chemical of concern” in fish tissues taken from these same water bodies.

I elided a big section explaining PFAS. I assume if you're looking at this you have at least a passing familiarity with the compounds and the issues.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published draft criteria for limiting certain PFAS in waters that support aquatic life but doesn’t yet have final standards in place. Studies are under way to better understand how much is too much when it comes to the ubiquitous chemicals. While federal drinking water standards for PFAS have been issued, the process of setting standards for fish consumption advisories can be even more complex. The Department of Energy and Environment said its fish advisory notice for PFAS is “preliminary” because the EPA has not yet issued its final guidance “on how to interpret” concentrations of PFAS in fish tissue.

The district’s fish consumption warnings do not pertain to fish purchased from restaurants, supermarkets or fish vendors in the city.

Because being caught by commercial fishermen magically negates the contaminants. 

For now, the agency advises the general public not to eat eel, carp, striped bass or largemouth bass from any DC waterway; to limit consumption of blue catfish to three servings per month; and to have no more than one serving per month of brown bullhead catfish, channel catfish, gizzard shad, smallmouth bass, snakehead, sunfish, white perch and yellow perch.

DOEE did not sample tissue from flathead catfish.

Yet another good reason to avoid fish caught in the Anacostia. You do realize that these are basically the same Blue Catfish running up and down the Potomac River that Maryland is trying to get more people to eat? 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Denim on the Beach up and garnering clicks at the Other McCain.

Maryland, My Maryland - Kondoms for Kindergarten?

The “C-ndoms for Kiddies” Bill, which installs c-ndom vending machines in preschools - high schools, is set to be passed in Maryland. Democrats are pushing to require all K-12 schools to implement the same s-x ed curriculum endorsed by Wisconsin State Superintendent Jill Underly. pic.twitter.com/EqsUEUap81

— Scarlett Johnson (@scarlett4kids) February 22, 2025

You must be kidding me!

Flotsam and Jetsam - Bongino to FBI

Roger Kimball at Am Great, The Three Amigos Give a Progress Report, "Trump’s team delivered a historic first-month briefing, touting DEI’s demise, economic gains, and global diplomacy—leaving the press stunned by the candor and transparency." Mark Penn@Mark_Penn, "Voters are mostly liking what they see in the first month of the new presidency. By 57/43 voters say Trump doing a better job than Biden in advance look at poll coming out Monday. Job approval at 52 but closing the border, cutting waste are hugely popular. So is resetting merit as the prime hiring and contracting principle . . ." At Da Signal, Trump Is ‘Reclaiming Control’: Senior White House Official Issues Warning to Defiant Bureaucrats. Liz Stauffer at LI cites VDH at His Finest: ‘We’re in the midst of a counter-revolution.’ Althouse is upset when Stephen Miller — at CPAC yesterday — called America's left wing "communists" and even "commies:" "Trump] is fighting for the fundamental idea that this country belongs... not to the radical left Communists...." Jon Gabriel @exjon, "The endgame here seems to be the Chief Executive running the Executive Branch. And as a constitutional law professor who somehow never read Article II, this confuses and frightens me." Quote 60 Minutes@60Minutes, "“The endgame here seems to be controlling every single apparatus of the federal government directly out of the White House. And that's just never been how we've understood executive power,” says Stephen Vladeck, a constitutional law professor at Georgetown." John Ringo SF Author@Jringo1508, Follow up to the Jacksonian Thread: The State sees the Jacksonian Revolution as what it is in some ways: A coup. The entire term is 'Coup de tat.' Blow to the State. It has metaphorically severed what they think of as the REAL head of government: Long term government 'experts' who pass policy as the Blob agrees no matter which party is in or out of power . . ." Chris Jacobs at Da Fed sees Health Policy ‘Experts’ Won’t Give Up Marxist Agenda Despite Election Trouncing. From Twitchy, EGG-CELLENT! Data Republican ENDS Dem's Favorite New Anti-Trump Talking Point in One Straight-FIRE Post Ken Martin@kenmartin73 "Spotted in Wisconsin. $10.49 for eggs. Prices keep going up and Donald Trump isn’t doing a damn thing about it!": DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Dear Mr. Martin, I appreciate your willingness to engage in the discussion on egg prices, especially considering how Andrew Yang’s foray into the topic ended in well-documented embarrassment. As I demonstrated this morning, the data clearly links rising costs to bird flu culls under the Biden administration . . ."

Chad Felix Greene@chadfelixg "I dunno, Sara, how many?" Quote Sara Sidner @sarasidnerCNN, "Question: How many times does someone have to do a Nazi salute before you call them a Nazi?"

Sundance at CTH hosts President Trump's Full CPAC Speech and President Trump Delivers “Unity Remarks” During National Governors Association Dinner. ET reports At CPAC, Trump Urges Republicans to Stick Together. Jon Levine at NYPo, Vice President JD Vance wins CPAC straw poll with overwhelming majority.

No doubt causing liberal heads to explode everywhere, NYPo reports Trump announces commentator Dan Bongino as FBI deputy director: ‘Congratulations! Insty, says OPENING A BIG GAP IN DAYTIME RADIO: Trump names Dan Bongino as Deputy FBI Director. "The press will say “Trump appointed a talk show host,” but Bongino has a lot of law enforcement experience and a lot of knowledge of high-level Washington." From Fox, Following key wins, Trump poised for cabinet completion in record time. "'Americans voted for a bold, new direction in Washington. Senate Republicans are delivering it,' said Majority Whip John Barrasso." Reagan Reese at Da Caller explains How Senate Sherpa JD Vance Helped Guide MAGA’s Favorite Cabinet Picks To Confirmation. Breitbart notes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Fires Two Four-Stars, Top JAG Officers. Driscoll at Insty, MSNBC’S JOHN BRENNAN: ‘Absurd’ To Say Fired Joint Chiefs Head Had Woke Agenda. "As Obi-Wan would say regarding Brennan’s dissembling, “What I told you was true, from a certain point of view:” John Brennan and the Aging Radicals: “Brennan is the classic illiberal liberal, an aging radical who openly favors in America the repressiveness he once excused in the Soviet Union. Recall that at the height of the Cold War he was rooting for the Reds. He has admitted that in 1976 he voted for Gus Hall, the American Communist Party’s presidential candidate. That radicalism never left Brennan’s system.” Related: He’s Sweatin’: John Brennan Whines About Being on Kash Patel’s ‘Enemies List’ and It’s Glorious (Watch)." Zach Yost at Am Con thinks Trump Should Scrap the 2023 National Defense Industrial Strategy. "As has happened in seemingly every other aspect of the government, DEI has openly infected the Pentagon’s military industrial base (MIB) planning. In a section titled “Expand Recruitment of Non-Traditional Communities” the report bemoans that the MIB lacks sufficient diversity and that this indicates that “companies may not be targeting diverse groups for employment”. Why does this matter at all? Well, according to the authors of the report, “(DEI) is important to ensure that we have an industrial base that reflects the nation itself”."

CNN whines Zelensky says he's ready to quit if it brings peace, pushes back on US demand for Ukrainian minerals. ET cites Bessent: US–Ukraine Minerals Deal Will Transform War-Torn Nation, Protect US Taxpayers. From Nora Dimitrova Clinton at LI, JD Vance Was Right, Europe Needs To Save Itself, "My take on his Munich speech: If we want the European “fascinating legacy to endure, Europe must respect and safeguard the national sovereignty and cultural traditions of the separate countries that comprise it.”" At Brownstone, Mike Sutton opines a Bad Peace Is Better Than Good War. Mark Tapscott worries Is the Potential Second Wuhan Virus China's Warning to Trump to Back Off? At WUWT, Trump Cuts U.S. Scientists Loose from IPCC Report: Climate Juggernaut Takes a Hit. Shooting News Weekly reports Commerce Department Has Ended Biden Administration’s Ban on Small Arms Exports.

Nick Arama at RedState sees NPS Staffers Hang Upside-Down Flag in Yosemite to Protest Firings -- They Don't Get Reaction They Expect. Sunny @sunnyright "Okay you’ve sold me. Fire more of them https://x.com/luckytran/stat" Insty, TELL THE THEATER KIDS WHO SEEM TO RUN THE BUREAUCRACY TO SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP: "An upside-down American flag flew over Yosemite National Park yesterday, as the park plummets into ruin because of Orange Hitler’s fascist plan to make the federal government somewhat smaller. “So the number of employees who run the park and serve visitors has PLUMMETED from about 1,151 to about 1,140, with NPS staffing falling from about 451 to about 440. It’s like we don’t even have a national park there anymore, Hitler Hitler Hitler. Eleven actual employees have been laid off, in a savage Nazi assault on the very concept of public parks. These numbers show that Yosemite National Park has been ruined, and everything has gone straight to hell, and the park is under attack.”"

From NewsMax, Musk Says All US Govt Staff Must Justify Their Work or Lose Jobs. Althouse records NYT's whine Let Musk justify his method in 5 bullet points. "I'm reading "Musk Says Government Workers Must Detail Their Workweek or Lose Their Jobs/Elon Musk has drawn inspiration from his 2022 takeover of Twitter with the tactic. His threat on social media of termination did not appear in an email to federal workers requesting the work summaries" (NYT)." It would be a long list, but I think he could let GROK handle it. Breitbart reports U.S. Marshals Service reportedly deputizes Elon Musk’s private security detail, allowing them to carry guns in Federal facilities. He's wise not to trust it to the feds. At Hat Hair, Words Are Violence Alert: Rep. Robert Garcia’s Comment About Musk Probed by U.S. Attorney for D.C. Atop Da Hill, Patel tells FBI employees to pause any responses to DOGE email. At ET, Trump Urges Musk, DOGE to Get More Aggressive With Spending Cuts and Reform and Buffett Offers Advice to Trump on Government Spending After Paying $26.8 Billion in Tax. NewsMax cites 'Wolf' Belfort: Musk Ending Waste of 'Biblical Proportions.' From NYPo, DOGE, EPA cut $67M in grants for lefty groups pushing Biden’s ‘environmental justice’ mandate. Jeffrey A Tucker @jeffreyatucker, "I'm concerned that many people do not understand the historical and institutional context in which the DOGE labor reforms are unfolding. They look at this as if these are some random, chaotic, arbitrary, strange, and even cruel measures to impose on a devoted civil service. The reality is very different, and I'm not even sure that Elon entirely understands this. For more than a century, even dating back to 1883, the civil service has grown and grown without check from the elected branch, either the presidency or the legislature . The bureaucracies have ballooned from a few to 450 or so. The bloat and absurdities have grown too. Get this: no one has ever known what to do about it. Not Coolidge, not Hoover, not Nixon, not Reagan, not Clinton, no one. No president has been able to crack this nut. The only reforms ever to have made it through are those that make the administrative state bigger, never smaller. . .  " 

From Twitchy, WHOA: Alexander Vindman Reportedly a USAID Recipient and DAMNING Revelations All Start Falling Into Place. Rebel A. Cole @RebelACole, "Why on earth did USAid send money to this traitor and how much did it send? How about his traitorous twin brother? Did he ALSO get USAid funds? This is outrageous." Marc @gopher_marc, "Makes you wonder what he was trying to retrieve from the closed USAID office." Tom Knighton at BA, NRA Takes Shot at Outrage Over Tax Dollars No Longer Going for Anti-Gun Advocacy. Listener says RICO the NGOs, "Make them pay or it will happen again."

Tom Knighton, AG Bondi Fires ATF General Counsel. John Kass, The Man the Deep State Hates: Kash Patel. Sarah Arnold at TownHall reports the CIA is Set for a Historic Shakeup: Largest Firing in 50 Years Underway. Sundance hosts DNI Tulsi Gabbard Discussing the Blurred Line Between Liberty and Security. "While I do not expect Mrs. Gabbard to be a heroine in defense of liberty, perhaps she will pause government weaponization and privacy destruction for a few years."

At WokeSpy, DNC Doubles Down on Failure, Releases “Deeply Embarrassing and Useless Document.” DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican "I've considered making ActBlue donor information searchable and providing instructions on how to request a refund if donations were made without your authorization." Chaya Raichik@ChayaRaichik10, "So you’re admitting mail in voting can be tampered with??" Quote, Liberal Lisa in Oklahoma @lisa_liberal "Trump wants to control the USPS so he can fuck with mail in voting. TRUMP WANTS CONTROL OF THE USPS SO HE CAN FUCK WITH MAIL IN VOTING." Teri Christoph at RedState, Global Elites Are in a Panic As Musk-Backed AfD Is Set to Make Electoral History Today in Germany. 

At NewsMax, Trump Administration Directs ICE Agents to Find, Deport Unaccompanied Migrant Children. WJ, Kristi Noem Revokes Protected Status for 500,000 Haitians, Opens Them Up for Deportation Althouse finds "Wealthy residents of the Hamptons demand perfection"... and live in fear of Trump's deportation agenda. "The NYT drums up sympathy for completely unsympathetic rich people who've been relying on illegal immigration to serve their various needs! The rich are not the "They" in the headline, "They Help Make the Hamptons the Hamptons, and Now They’re Living in Fear/Latino immigrants care for some of America’s most lavish beachside mansions. Their disappearance would affect the wealthy, too."" At Breitbart, Homan: Reassigned Acting ICE Director Will Now Focus on Interior Alone, Arrests Will Go Up and Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro Claims Biden Moved Tren de Aragua into U.S. Twitchy, WATCH: Whistleblower Spills ALL THE TEA About Approving Social Security Disability Benefits for Illegals.

/luckytran/status/1893541082803114200

🚨BREAKING: Whistleblower reveals she was encouraged to approve long-term disability for illegals, essentially securing lifetime Social Security benefits for each approval: pic.twitter.com/Etemct6Gdh

— DOGE NEWS- Department of Government Efficiency (@realdogeusa) February 23, 2025

At The Bugscuffle Gazette Citizenship, "That gets complicated."

Stacy McCain is enjoying the fact that Joy Reid Is Out at MSNBC. I could find a ton of links for this, but I don't care that much, I never watch her, and only see clips when she says something exceptionally stupid, which seem often enough.

At Da Caller, Federal Trade Commission Launches Probe Into Big Tech’s Censorship Of Americans.

Breitbart, Trump’s Education Dept. Announces Investigation After Boy Wins High School Girls’ Pole Vault Competition in Maine. "The investigation comes after Maine school sports officials publicly said last week that they planned to defy Trump’s order protecting women and girls’ sports and spaces in favor of a state law recognizing “gender identity.” Subsequently, a transgender-identifying boy won a high school girls’ pole vault competition in the state on Monday." "At the meet, the boy jumped 11 feet, “a mediocre score for boys, but within just one inch of Maine’s girls’ pole-vault champion, who set an 11-foot, one-inch record last year at the National Pole Vault Summit,” The Maine Wire reported. “He jumped a full eight inches higher than the second-place winner among the girls.”"

At NYPo, Deroy Murdock predicts there's No going back: The left will fail in trying to reverse Trump’s DEI death sentence.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: A Rare Winning Week up and garnering clicks at the Other McCain.

The Monday Morning Stimulus

Madison Pettis

Daily Coffee News, The Price of Coffee is All Over the News, But What Is the Price of Coffee? and Coffee Roasters Are (or Should Be) Raising Prices. Here’s Some Advice on How

Coffee prices are, in relative terms, really high right now.

The ICE arabica futures (a.k.a. the “C price”) eclipsed US$4 per pound earlier this month, continuing a generally upward trajectory that started in late 2023. The $4 mark has served as an important psychological marker within the coffee industry, much like the $1 mark did back in 2018, when the C price was at crisis-level lows.

While volatility continues to define the coffee market, a key difference between now and then is that most analysts and traders are not expecting a major pendulum swing. In other words, even if coffee prices retreat some in the coming months, experts predict they will remain at historically high levels, relatively speaking.

Thanks, Brandon.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Denim on the Beach up and garnering clicks at the Other McCain.