Some More Random Celebrity News

For some values of "random," "celebrity" and "news."

Gisele Bündchen

A reliable source, OutKick,  Gisele Bündchen Squeezes Into Some Black Lingerie To Show Tom Brady What He's Missing 

Oh, you wanna start hooking up with models, Tom Brady? Fine. Do what you gotta do. Gisele Bündchen is gonna counter that by wearing some black lingerie for Victoria’s Secret like it’s 1996 all over again.

Check and mate, GOAT. Your move, but maybe steer clear of Gisele’s Instagram page for a few days, because it’s an absolute VOLCANO of content right now.

And, just like that, Gisele is back on top. Tom Brady’s been in the news cycle for weeks after (allegedly) hooking up with model Irina Shayk, so much so that you almost forget about Gisele Bündchen. Almost.

Irina Shayk

How’s that for a little memory jogging on a Thursday morning? You remember now, losers?

Hard to believe that we’re closing in on the 1-year mark since the two untied the knot, and a lot has happened. Gisele’s been linked to her horseback-riding martial arts trainer for months now, while Brady may or may not have bagged like 10 models/Kardashians.

But this heater from the Brazilian supermodel should remind everyone — Brady included — who the bread-winner was, and IS, in the family. Gisele Bündchen squeezing into some Victoria’s Secret lingerie to kick off the fall season will trump anything Tom Brady ever does.

That’s just the way of the world.

Glad to have her back. Hope she stays hot.

I do miss the separation of America's breeding program, but I find Irina Shayk an acceptable alternative. We could use a few new genes in the gene pool.

 From WaEx, Are Taylor Swift and Beyonce really to blame for inflation? CNN reported on Wednesday that we may have new culprits for inflation: Beyonce and Taylor Swift.

“Taylor Swift and Beyonce are impacting inflation and the GDP with their respective tours,” CNN tweeted with a segment discussing the macroeconomic impact of the tours of the two celebrities.

Taylor Swift and Beyonce are impacting inflation and the GDP with their respective tours. pic.twitter.com/Lc8G7SNzK7— CNN (@CNN) August 9, 2023

CNN isn’t alone. CNBC made a similar claim in a report on “tourflation” in July, which explored the surge in prices localities experience when Beyonce and Swift come to town.

“It’s not just that the tickets become more expensive,” Klaus Baader, global chief economist at Societe Generale, told CNBC. “It’s also that your beer or cider or your Coca-Cola or your hot dog at the venue has also gotten a lot more expensive.”

Baader is right that prices of goods and services at events go up a lot, which is why it’s not a surprise that massive tours such as Eras can rack up billions of dollars in gross domestic product. Fans spend lots of money at big events — whether it’s a Beyonce concert, a Yankees game, or a NASCAR race — where they buy expensive food, drinks, and souvenirs.

This economic impact goes beyond the stadium. It was recently observed that hotel prices surge when Swifties descend on cities to attend concerts, much to the annoyance of some locals and other travelers.

But is this really evidence of inflation? In one sense, the question is tricky to answer because there’s more than one definition of inflation (more on that in a minute). But a closer examination reveals the answer is no regardless of the definition one chooses.

This hasn't affect my pocketbook in the slightest. From Fox,  Vanna White misses 'Wheel of Fortune' for first time in 30 years: Her upcoming absence explained  

Vanna White will not be on screen for five upcoming episodes of "Wheel of Fortune," but her absence is not permanent.

White was sick during a day of taping the show's "Teachers Week," Fox News Digital has learned. The taping of the episodes couldn't be rescheduled due to the academic school year starting.

In sticking to the theme of the episodes, Bridgette Donald-Blue, the 2023 California Teacher of the Year, filled in for White while she recovered from an illness.

White's upcoming absences mark the first time she has missed an episode in 30 years. In her 41-year-reign on the show, she has been absent from "Wheel of Fortune" a total of three times.

At Hat Hair,  Smug, woke chick who plays "Snow White" in Disney movie not doing it any favors

It just gets worse and worse....

The new Snow White says that the Prince was a creepy stalker and suggests that all scenes of the Prince could be cut

She’s a walking PR disaster for Disney pic.twitter.com/7QJGDIx5er

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 13, 2023

The Wombat has a double-stuffed Rule 5 Sunday: Vengeance Bikinis ready for consumption.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Some Sunday Leftovers

Nothing really new and exciting today, but I guess yesterday's news for Biden and son was so big, even the WaPoo chose to cover it, DOJ names special counsel in Hunter Biden case as plea agreement falls apart and Collapse of Hunter Biden plea deal could complicate president’s campaign.

Stacy McCain When the ‘Investigation’ Is a Cover-Up "Anyone with two eyes and a brain can see what’s happening, but the media won’t tell the truth. And they wonder why we don’t trust them." At WaEx, Hunter Biden investigation: Congressional Republicans fume over special counsel news. Collin Rugg@CollinRugg, "JUST IN: CBS News corespondent Catherine Herridge suggests Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Delaware US Attorney David Weiss as special counsel to protect the Biden family by blocking Weiss from testifying. Once the DOJ realized they wouldn't be able to push Hunter Biden's sweetheart deal through the finish line, the DOJ quickly sprung into action. As suggested by Herridge, Weiss was appointed to "delay a resolution on the Hunter Biden matter" and to also stop Weiss from testifying before Congress. Just more corruption…" Ben Whedon at JTN hears from the IRS whistleblowers, 'Wrong choice': IRS whistleblower's legal team blasts Weiss's special counsel appointment "While Shapley's attorneys took the Friday announcement of Weiss's appointment as a vindication, they nonetheless asserted that it would not be sufficient to remedy the prior issues in the case." Michael Clancy at Da Caller,  The Bizarre Appointment Of David Weiss As Hunter Biden Special Counsel. At Breitbart, Kevin McCarthy Blasts Garland’s Appointment of David Weiss as Special Counsel in Hunter Biden Probe and from Mediaite, Fox’s Andrew McCarthy Decries ‘Sham’ Hunter Biden Special Counsel: Meant to Be Someone From ‘Outside the Government.’  PM, Trump SLAMS Biden DOJ as they appoint Special Counsel. "Crooked Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, and the entire Biden Crime Family have been protected by the Justice Department for decades." Town Hall's Matt Vespa thinks I Guess We Can Thank This Democrat for the Hunter Biden Special Counsel Investigation. Dan Goldman, the more he talks the worse it looks.

At The Victory Girls CNN: Dana Bash Decries DOJ “Lack of Humanity” for picking on poor Hunter. Breitbart notes California Bar Opens Ethics Probe into Kevin Morris, Hunter Biden’s Lawyer, for allegedly spying on the My Son Hunter movie set. Gabe Kaminsky at WaEx goes Inside the Biden family-tied accounts at the heart of the GOP 'foreign influence' inquiry. It sure looks like a money laundering operation. PJM's Matt Margolis wonders Is This Why Joe Biden Will Drop Out of the Race?  "While the special counsel may be a clever ploy to obstruct the House Oversight Committee’s investigations, there’s no doubt that the Biden family’s dirty laundry is going to be aired out publicly for the next fifteen months — particularly troublesome for Biden when most Americans are already convinced that he’s guilty of peddling influence." The Peacock mentions another coverup, Biden attorneys in talks with federal prosecutors over terms of his interview in classified documents case. "Special Counsel Robert Hur, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, is investigating the president’s handling of classified documents after his term as vice president ended." Town Halls Matt Vespa catches Jonathan Turley dissing Merrick, Law Professor Highlights How Merrick Garland Is a Total Failure.

From the NH Journal, Scott Brown Threatened to ‘Kick the Sh–‘ Out of Biden Over Treatment of Wife. Ben Bartee at PJM, Former U.S. Senator Reportedly Threatened to 'Kick the Sh**' Out of Biden for Groping His Wife. “We all know people who have dementia and have the beginning of Alzheimer’s, and he’s got it. I mean, it’s the walk. It’s the way he’s mumbling, his angry outbursts. And it’s a shame that we can’t do better in this great country.” Hat Hair has TwitterX "Don't worry about him - POTATUS "at the beach" this weekend." "Since taking office, Biden has spent 369 days — 39.5% of his presidency — on vacation. pic.twitter.com/58aMJ8GJHo"

From TNP, ‘NOT GUILTY’ – Trump Pleads to Added Charges From Obama-World Prosecutor in Florida. Herr Professor Jacobsen at LI reports Feds Request January 2 Trial Start In DC Case Against Trump. "The government is not wrong that it’s in the public interest to have an early trial, before people start voting in Iowa in mid January, but then the feds should have brought this case (if at all) a year ago. The timing of all these trials, possibly 4 in 2024, is election interference." Jordan Boyd at Da Fed hears the Left-Wing Judge On Trump’s Claim Political Prosecution Is Election Interference: ‘So Be It.’ Charlotte Hazard at JTN with a positive spin, Judge sides with Trump on protective order, handing Jack Smith an early defeat. ""Mr. Trump, like any American, has a right to free speech," Judge Chutkan said. "But that right is not absolute."" NewsMax, Judge: Trump Can Share Some Evidence Publicly in Election Case. The redoubtable Julie Kelly on TwitterX, Julie Kelly 🇺🇸@julie_kelly2, "Today Judge Tanya Chutkan warned Trump's lawyers that politics had no place in her courtroom or in this case. But here is Judge Chutkan berating a J6er during a sentencing hearing in Oct. 2022. She clearly expressed anger that Trump was still "free" and not behind bars . . ." Nope, no bias there. Tim Graham, Jack Smith Thinks He Can Leak Evidence, but Trump Can't.

Newsmax reports CNN reports Georgia DA to Seek Over a Dozen Trump Indictments.  At Da Caller, CNN Legal Analyst Explains How GA Prosecutor Could ‘Blow Up’ Jack Smith’s Indictment . Dan Greenfield wants to know Where is Hillary’s Indictment on the Same Charges as Trump? "The Clinton campaign is actually guilty of the electoral coup Trump was indicted for." From Breitbart, Kathy Griffin Posts Photo of Jack Smith Holding Donald Trump’s Severed Head.

At Da Fed, the unsinkable Mollie Hemingway claims Biden Won In 2020 The Same Way Soviet Basketball Won Gold In 1972. If you don't remember, look it up. From Twitchy, 'It's like she speaks in gypsy curses' ... Kamala Harris tried to speak again and it was so bad. Nonetheless, WaEx's Paul Bedard believes Biden is sticking with VP Harris: 'The perfect choice.' At Fox, Liberals rage over photo of Woody Harrelson sporting RFK Jr hat: 'Dead to me.' Breitbart, Woody Harrelson Breaks with Hollywood Elites to Endorse Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for President. JTN's Charlotte Hazard reports Manchin to skip White House campaign-style event, fueling rumors of Biden challenge. "Manchin is expected to skip a White House event next week celebrating the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act." Matt Margolis hopes Is Joe Manchin About to Ditch Democrats?

PJM's Cathy Salgado, hears an Economic Expert: ‘Transitory’ Inflation Enters 31st Month, and It’s Not Going Away. Alex Berenson at Unreported Truths, explains How we stopped inflation without a recession (hint: by not stopping inflation) "Do we really have no hangover after the largest economic orgy in history - more than $10 trillion in fiscal and monetary stimulus in 2020 and 2021? The charts below suggest we're still just drunk." Hat Hair's KT hears Deep thoughts from James Carville, Is it still the economy, stupid? "“I’m starting to doubt myself a little bit, because this economy is quite good. Maybe it will kick in. And sometimes it takes a while for people to feel it,” he said." CNN' s Megan Etan cited by Hat Hair, Inflation "easing": Americans spending $709 more a month than 2 years ago. “High inflation of the past 2+ years has done lots of economic damage,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter."

Jeff Carter at Points and Figures, How And Why Trump? "They Still Don't Get It." CNN at Hat Hair, again, Most former Trump megadonors still sitting out 2024. Adds Capt. Ed hopefully, "Four out of 88? That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of Trump’s staying power. This tends to show that Trump’s inevitability argument isn’t convincing even his former backers. If they thought Trump had this sewn up already, they’d be jumping in with their money." PJM's Stephen Kruiser, Ultra MAGAs: Let's Talk About Trump's Brain-Dead Support of Ronna McDaniel. In sports they fire losing coaches. Althouse, "I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have?" ""I wouldn't have certain people as, you know, somebody that I endorse. So they want you to sign a pledge. I can name three or four people that I wouldn't support for president. So right there, there's a problem right there. There's a problem." Said Donald Trump, quoted in "DeSantis torches Trump for refusing to sign GOP candidate pledge: 'You don't take your ball and go home'/GOP candidates are required to sign the pledge to be allowed on the debate stage" (Fox News)." Scott McKay at Am Spec says DeSantis Doesn’t Have to Be the Nominee, but He Must Be Viable. "You’d better have a backup plan." In retrospect, I think DeSantis started too early. Insty at his substack thinks Vivek Ramaswamy Channels Robert Heinlein, and Me "Raising the voting age, and demanding a commitment" in response to AP,  Ramaswamy proposes raising voting age to 25, unless people serve in military or pass a test.

The Center Square reports New York certifies touchscreen voting despite warnings. Despite or because? 

At Hat Hair Beege Wellborn snarks SBF lost his "Stay Out of Jail" card. Sundance at CTH, Sam Bankman-Fried Heading to Prison After Intimidating Key Witness Using Leaks to New York Times, and he expects that to be used against Trump.

As noted by Leah Barkoukis at Town Hall, Tucker Carlson's Newest Episode Is Causing Quite a Stir. Nick Arama at Red State, Tucker's Explosive Interview With Former Capitol Police Chief: The Story Fox Didn't Air, Pelosi, and Who Knew What When. Sundance at CTH, Tucker Carlson Interviews Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund About January 6th – Remarkable Revelations About DHS, FBI and DoD Proactive Intent. Ace, Tucker Re-Interviews Former Chief of the Capitol Police Steven Sund -- the Interview That Fox Fired Tucker Over. If you haven't seen it, do (it's at sundance's link) or at least the best clips from Leah Barkoukis. Something funny happened there, and I don't mean that in a good way. At Twitchy, Insurrection? Stephen King is now incapable of recognizing fiction

Did they go looking for an excuse? At Da Wire, Utah Man Shot Dead By FBI Agents Was ‘Kind Person’ Who Posed No Real Threat, Neighbor Says, "Community reels after early-morning FBI raid ends with death of elderly man." 'Bonchie' at Red State, What the FBI Isn't Saying About Its Shooting of a Utah Trump Supporter Should Concern Everyone. Vox Populi, FBI 1, Boomerwaffen 0. "It would be nice to think he was wrong, but there simply isn’t any evidence that he is. The fact is that the FBI showed up at an old man’s door because he was expressing himself on Facebook, then shot and killed him. That’s not America. That’s the exact opposite of America as its ideals are expressed in the words, actions, and documents of its Founding Fathers."

Greg Piper at JTN reports 'Strong-arming': Appeals court judges compare Biden social media pressure to mafia "Federal officials appeared to practice "fairly unsubtle strong-arming" social media companies into censorship, appellate judge says, likening them to mafia. Censorship is ongoing against Louisiana officials, state claims." Matt Taibbi at Racket "F-bomb This": The Biden Administration's Brutal Censorship Faceplant "An awkward moment in the Missouri v. Biden case highlighted how the administration sure didn't like Internet censorship, when they were on the business end of it" and In Landmark Censorship Case, Judges Grill the Feds "The federal government's pro-censorship arguments seemed to take a hit in a contentious, fascinating hearing in New Orleans." Jonathan Turley on how Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Secretly Sought the Censorship of Political Critics. And a step backwards at TwitterX, WEF CEO Says SHE Runs Twitter (X), Not Elon, & Introduces Censorious ‘Labeling’ of ‘Lawful But Awful’ Users. "Linda Yaccarino, the World Economic Forum (WEF) former NBC executive hired by Elon Musk as CEO of Twitter, now X, has boasted that she, not Musk, is in charge of the site, with the South African billionaire banished to the tech team. Yaccarino also boasted that X now has a “freedom of speech not freedom of reach” policy which “labels” users for posting unapproved narratives, then demonetizes them and limits their exposure."

And, just to get done, Culture War Crap DIY style:

Ace of Spades HQ The Culture War Is a Kitchen Table Issue
Feel-Good Friday: The Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute launches – HotAir
Biden DOJ's Threats to Pro-Lifers and Catholics Are Unhinged
Finnish Grandmother Is Back In Court For Tweeting Bible Verses
Nine Years Later, Race Hustlers are Still Lying About the Death of Michael Brown
Today’s blacklisted American was fired for refusing to participate in company’s programs that purposely excluded whites – Behind The Black – Robert Zimmerman
Only 'White People' Ever Enslaved Others, Says Black Professor - American Thinker
Canceled by educated liberal women! - American Thinker
The Left’s War on Free Speech › American Greatness
New College of Florida Abolishes Gender Studies - City Journal
“The days when universities could get away with racial discrimination to advance diversity are over”Innumeracy and Lunacy - Frontpage Mag
Why Ban Books if you can Rewrite Them? - American Thinker
‘It’s a Gag Order’: California Threatens Researcher Who Testified That Pandemic Closures Hurt Poor Kids
Remy: "Try That in a Large Town" – HotAir
Conservative students appear blackballed from top law reviews - The College Fix
Vanderbilt University Med Center in hot water for turning trans records over to TN AG – HotAir
FDA Sneakily Announces Doctors Are Allowed To Prescribe Ivermectin - Victory Girls Blog

Palm Sunday

 With Chiara Stile:

KCRW LA’s palm trees are ‘senior citizens.’ How many years do they have left?

Ahead of the 1932 Olympics, Los Angeles officials planted tens of thousands of Mexican fan palm trees around the city of Angels, as part of a plan to beautify the burgeoning metropolis and solidify its place on the world map.

The palms were tall, dramatic, and tropical, swaying gently in LA’s warm breeze – or bending horizontally with the gusty Santa Anas. A century later, it’s hard to imagine LA without these trees. But Angelenos might be right to start trying, because many palm trees live about 100 years.

“They're senior citizens,” says Donald Hodel, retired environmental and landscape horticulture advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension. “But they still have many good years ahead of them.”

Hodel estimates many of the palms planted ahead of the 1932 Olympics have between 30 and 50 years left. “If there's a die-off, it won't be because of the age, it'll be because of some new introduced disease,” he says.

You know, you can always plant more. 

Our old family home in Cheviot Hills (an LA subdivision) had, and may still have several large palm trees, big Date Palms in front and back, and several Fan Palms along the side. I wonder how they're doing.

The Wombat has a double-stuffed Rule 5 Sunday: Vengeance Bikinis ready for consumption.

Beach Report 8/12/23

It was hot today, with the thermometer showing low 90s at home, and the Cove Point site shows mid 80s, with a 15 kt wind out of the east

Not a great day for fossils, Georgia and I each got three teeth, although I admit, her's were generally better than mine.

Skye getting her drink and cooling rest at the Calvert Beach stream.

Nearby, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail  male getting a sip from wet sand.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Garland Names Weiss "Special" Counsel

Yeah, he's special all right. So a few days after US Attorney for Delaware Devid Weiss took at deal to court which would have let Hunter Biden off for all possible past crimes with a lightly slapped wrist, only to be rebuffed by a sharp-eyed judge who saw what was happening, Merrick Garland finally thought it might was safe to appoint him "Special" Counsel status, which, at least in theory, allows him to prosecute cases outside of Delaware (DC and California, most notably), so he can clean of the rest of Hunter's messes. Of course, it was a Friday afternoon news dump, to get minimal attention. Andy McCarthy at NR, AG Garland Press Statement at 12:15 P.M. The Peacock, AG Merrick Garland appoints a special counsel in Hunter Biden probe. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, BREAKING: Garland upgrades Weiss to special-counsel status in Hunter probes; Update: Plea deal dead?

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.11.23, EBL, The (Democrat) Fix Is In: David Weiss Appointed Special Counsel for Hunter Biden, Twitchy, Megan Kelly Explains Why AG Garland’s Appointment Of David Weiss As Special Counsel Is A Total Joke and at Da Fed, Dave Harsanyi, Garland’s Special Counsel Gambit Confirms Hunter Investigation Was Always Shady. Insty, ONCE I WOULD HAVE ASSUMED THIS WAS AN INVESTIGATION, NOW I ASSUME IT’S A COVERUP: Attorney General Garland Appoints a Special Counsel in Hunter Biden Probe. UPDATE: It’s David Weiss. Mark Tapscott at Insty has TWO BIG PROBLEMS WITH WEISS AS SPECIAL COUNSEL: "The law says a Special Counsel must be impartial and must be from outside the government.  David Weiss arguably is anything but impartial, as evidenced by his endorsement of the sweetheart plea deal offered Hunter Biden. And Weiss obviously is a government insider, according to Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and multiple others." Ace gives it a flaming skull, Merrick Garland Appoints David Weiss Special Counsel -- Which He Should Have Done Years Ago -- in Apparent Bid to Protect Weiss From Being Investigated Over His Attempt to Defraud the Court to Covertly Confer Blanket Immunity on Hunter Biden. At Hat Hair a thread from Tad Pergram, Comer: Special counsel appointment part of the Biden admin cover-up. Charles Lipson at Da Spec, Hunter’s new special counsel also needs investigating "As US attorney, David Weiss slow-walked the Biden case for years." Capt. Ed, "Catherine Herridge astutely pointed out that the new status for Weiss will likely be used to refuse to testify to Congress about these issues. Technically speaking, Congress could impeach Weiss from both of his offices, but the Senate would almost certainly refuse to remove him. The whole thing smells like a bureaucratic stonewall project." Sundance at CTH, Here We Go – Garland and Weiss Throw Bag Over Hunter Biden Investigation with Declaration of Special Counsel Status and Devin Nunes – David Weiss is Another John Durham Protective Silo – The Deep State Operation Tracks Back to Obama Weaponizing Intel and DOJ. At NewsBusters, CNN, MSNBC Spent 36 Min. Dismissing Comer, Then Special Counsel Gets Appointed. Althouse reads the NYT, "They thought it was over, that they could put it in the rearview mirror. All that Hunter Biden had to do was show up in a courtroom, answer a few questions..."  

"... sign some paperwork and that would be it. Not that the Republicans would let it go, but any real danger would be past. Except that it did not work out that way. The criminal investigation that President Biden’s advisers believed was all but done has instead been given new life with the collapse of the plea agreement and the appointment of a special counsel who now might bring the president’s son to trial.

Babylon Bee,  Garland Appoints Special Counsel To Cover Up Biden's Crimes "

"I have given Mr. Weiss full power and authority to investigate Hunter Biden and the Biden family. We must conduct a thorough investigation so we can know which crimes to sweep under the rug," said Garland. "After a thorough inquiry, Mr. Weiss will be in charge of destroying all evidence, bringing no serious charges, and granting Hunter Biden immunity forever. He is a man of the utmost integrity and I trust him to do this job to the best of his ability."

I fear the Bee has stumbled onto the truth, again, and this is, in fact, a cover up, not an investigation. Weiss and Garland have a chance to prove me wrong, though, and I hope they do.

At Fox Business,  House GOP to subpoena Biden family: 'Bank records don't lie,' Rep. Comer says "Rep. James Comer, GOP eye subpoenas for Biden, Hunter in influence peddling case." Jonathan Turley catches The Media Moving the Goalpost Again on Biden Corruption Coverage: “Illusion of Influence.” Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller posts a interview of Turley with Laura Ingrahm, ‘Being A Crook Doesn’t Mean You’re A Moron’: Jonathan Turley Slams ‘Direct Deposit’ Depictions Of Biden Allegations. Insty, PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS. Paul Sperry at Am Great, For Washington Post’s Feared ‘Pinocchio’ Fact Checker, Forthrightness Dies in ‘Updates’ to Biden-Burisma Story. "Kessler’s fact check has not aged well."

The Peacock reports Biden attorneys in talks with federal prosecutors over terms of his interview in classified documents case. "Special Counsel Robert Hur, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, is investigating the president’s handling of classified documents after his term as vice president ended." PJM's Matt Margolis reports Biden Legal Team Negotiating With Prosecutors Over Classified Documents Investigation. Capt. Ed, "HUR LIVES! That’s certainly a new development in a case that had largely gone dark for months. This is a different situation than the Hunter Biden probe under David Weiss; Hur actually has special-counsel status. DoJ doctrine prevents an indictment of a sitting president, but he could still embarrass Biden by refusing to close the case while he’s in office. But somehow I doubt that’s what Hur will do."

Tony Gonzales at PJM reports Rep. Greg Steube Files Articles of Impeachment Against President Joe Biden. J Bob Smith at Am Think thinks Impeach Biden, Make Democrats Sweat. 

Tony Gonzales again, Biden's Regret About the Inflation Reduction Act: 'I Wish I Hadn't Called It That', "It has less to do with inflation than it does providing alternatives to economic growth,” I&I says Welcome To Biden’s Grand Illusion Of Prosperity. At CJ, Steve Miran worries about Eating Our Seed Corn. "Runaway spending is eroding America’s ability to respond to future economic downturns." Hat Hair's KT blames Bidenomics: Food prices went up 4.9% in July. At Reason, Biden's New 'Prevailing Wage' Rule Will Cost Taxpayers, Benefit Unions, and Hike Inflation. From Breitbart, Joe Biden Touts Green Policies in New Mexico as Hispanic Ranchers Turn on Democrats over Climate Agenda. mrcTV points out a GENDER PAY GAP! Turns Out Women In Biden's White House Make Way Less Than Men. 

From Gateway, Joe Biden Tells Egregious Lie About Granddaughter Navy Joan Roberts. She doesn't get SS protection.

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.11.23,  Twitchy, LOL! The looks on their FACES! WATCH as CNN finds out just how WRONG they really are about everything.

Gonna stop here for now, even though the other bins are still grumbling to be cleared. 

Rule 5 Saturday - Chiara Stile

This week's Rule 5 wonder hails from Italy.

Chiara Stile is a model, blogger and web influencer who was born in Salerno on April 2, 1999. From an early age she had a passion for sport, practicing dance, swimming and later crossfit. She graduated from classical high school at the age of 18 and immediately after she enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Salerno. She has always defined herself as a dreamer and lover of beauty.

Since May 2018 she has been working as a television correspondent on Telenova , a Christian family broadcaster visible in Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle D'Aosta, in the format of the journalist and archaeologist Aristide Malnati. Among these: " Hunting for exhibitions ", broadcast every Thursday on the Telenova news. Chiara is also a television journalist for the services of " Storia e Misteri " of which the second edition is forthcoming every Tuesday in December at 11.00 pm. She hosts a format available on www.webtv1.it entitled “ Let's talk about it ”, where she interviews prominent guests and chats about fashion, entertainment and current events. But that's not all: Chiara is a practicing journalist on the well-known newspaper ZetaNews.it.

Instagram, Facebook, TikTok

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Potato On The Beach and FMJRA 2.0: Time For New Water Coolers ready for prime time at the Other McCain.

Maryland, My Maryland

Rachel Morin

Kevin Downey Jr. at PJM warns us to Pay Attention to the Case of the Murdered Mother in Maryland

Rachel Morin, the 37-year-old mother recently killed in Maryland, wasn’t just pretty; she was a stun gun, especially considering she was a mother of five children. Many of her pictures in the headlines show her rocking skimpy clothes. She had dyed-blonde hair and what appears to be some “work done” to her lips and decolletage.

Morin made the headlines recently when she was reported missing after going for a hike on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air, Md.

A lot of people, especially women, disappear every day. The media doesn’t report on all of them, but pretty blondes who vanish are hard to ignore.

The media released something very interesting today in regard to the demise of Rachel Morin. Morin was found dead and naked. Her body was hidden in a tunnel of some sort and was found by a dude who “had a feeling” she might be in a tunnel. Huh. Most importantly, half of her face was brutally bashed in.

“It looked like [the killer] was trying to erase her identity… the right side of her face was gone,” according to the man who found her. I disagree.

I believe whoever disfigured this poor woman’s face has an issue with her pulchritude or with pretty women in general. Morin was clearly dedicated to her appearance. Whoever did this to her wanted to deprive her of that beauty in death.

FACT-O-RAMA! Morin’s boyfriend has a history with law enforcement, including violating restraining orders, though he has maintained his innocence.

Perhaps her beauty made her a narcissist, and the killer hated her for it. She may have been killed by a woman (unlikely but possible) who found her beauty intimidating.

It’s possible she was killed by an unattractive incel. They are known to hate gorgeous women who won’t give them the time of day, like this miscreant who wanted to kill 3,000 women, including sorority girls, “out of hatred, jealousy, and revenge.”

Yuck. Duly noted. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Potato On The Beach ready for prime time at the Other McCain.

ASMFC Continues Ban on Bagging Big Bass

Southern Maryland Chronicles, Striped bass emergency catch limit extended

Anglers will be barred at least until next year from catching the biggest Atlantic striped bass under an emergency measure intended to protect the popular but troubled fish while regulators grapple with next steps aimed at restoring its abundance.

The striped bass management board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission — which regulates in-shore catches of migratory fish — agreed on Aug. 1 to extend the 31-inch size limit it had imposed in May.

 

That limit, originally scheduled to expire on Oct. 28, is to remain in effect for another year or until the board has replaced it with other conservation measures.

Striped bass, also known as rockfish, are one of the most sought-after sport and commercial fish in the Chesapeake Bay and along the mid-Atlantic coast. The commission has imposed tighter catch rules the last few years after scientists warned that they were being overfished and that numbers of adult female fish had fallen below what is needed to sustain the population. Scientists say catch-and-release fishing by anglers is killing many fish in summer when they are weakened by warm water temperatures and lower oxygen levels.

 

Despite other fishing restrictions imposed in 2020, the estimated recreational catch of striped bass coastwide nearly doubled in 2022 over the previous year’s tally. The commission took immediate emergency action in May while weighing further steps as scientists warned that the prospect for rebuilding the population by the end of the decade was fading.

They settled on the 31-inch limit as a way to reduce the harvest of striped bass spawned in 2015. That was the last bumper crop of the species and those fish are a critical component of the spawning population. The striped bass population has suffered weak reproduction the last four years.

The 31-inch limit mainly affects anglers fishing along the coast because striped bass that large spend most of the year roaming the Atlantic. They only enter the Chesapeake in spring to spawn, and most have returned to the ocean by May, when anglers can begin to catch striped bass in the Bay.

Sadly, until we actually get some substantially better than average years of recruitment, and enough time for those fish to mature (about 3 years), the fishable population of Stripers will continue to decline.  That doesn't mean it will be impossible to fish for them, but you'll have to travel farther and farther to find those schools 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Potato On The Beach ready for prime time at the Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Comey to Subpoena Biden Syndicate Members, Tucker Interviews Capitol Ex-Top Cop

Mary Chastain at LI, New House GOP Memo Shows Payments to Biden Family from Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine. It's so nice of eastern European oligarchs and governments to help fund our politicians, for absolutely no reason at all. Oh, also, Via the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.10.23, a Report: Biden Planning to Ask Congress for $13 Billion for Ukraine. Dan Chaitin at WaEx,  House Oversight Releases Memo Alleging Hunter Biden Received Millions From Oligarchs and Biden Family Will Face Subpoenas, Comer Says. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Comer to Bidens: Wonderful thing, subpoenas "This should get interesting. The headline quote comes from the film “Absence of Malice,” spoken by Wilford Brimley in his role as sort of the Deus ex Machina in the third act. In that film, the subpoenas led to resignations and firings. Will subpoenas do the same here — and do we really WANT President Kamala Harris as a result?" She would no more be in charge than Biden really is. Remember, they subpoenaed both Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, and both testified.  At NYPo, Jonathan Turley says Joe Biden ABSOLUTELY benefited from Hunter’s foreign business.

For a family that Hunter explained was “the best” at this type of dealing, it is absurd to expect a deposit slip from a corrupt Ukrainian official to the account of Joe and Jill Biden, one of the most vulnerable accounts in the world to review and monitoring.

These claims, moreover, ignore emails discussing Hunter and his father’s use of joint accounts to pay for expenses, including how one account was used to pay Joe’s taxes. There is also Hunter’s complaint that he was using half of his earnings to support his father. Indeed, one trusted FBI informant said that, in planning a bribe, one foreign figure was told to avoid direct payments to Joe Biden. Today, that is as amateurish as an envelope of cash and the Bidens have been in the business of influence peddling for decades.

Charlotte Hazard at JTN reports an FBI expert says evidence now justifies bribery, money laundering probe of Biden family, "Brock said that President Biden could be looked into under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act." Scott Johnson at Power Line wonders when the media will start taking the Biden corruption scandal seriously but concludes Today is not the day. The Babylon Bee@TheBabylonBee, "Democrats Say It’ll Take A Lot More Than Eyewitness Testimony, Bank Records, Audio, Video, Complete Confessions For Them To Believe Biden Did Anything Wrong https://buff.ly/3YsPSm8" PJM's Matt Margolis thinks Joe Biden’s Response to Devon Archer Testimony Is More Incriminating Than You Think, "No one has suggested that Joe Biden was the salesman; he was the product." Nick Arama at Red State says Doocy Reveals Funny Backstory to Explosive Exchange With Biden - and the WH Response "He said the White House then immediately got back to him, even as he was in the parking lot in New Mexico, “as soon as I got back to my rental car” to dispute the “very premise of the question” that he asked. He says they’re disputing it because Archer doesn’t say that they talked “business.” But as Doocy notes, Archer did later come out to say (in Tucker Carlson’s interview, Part 2) that it was “categorically false” that Joe Biden had no role/wasn’t aware of his son’s business." Matt Vespa at Town Hall, Guess What Hunter Biden Wanted Removed From Burisma's Website, Joe's picture. Well, I guess if he was on the payroll, they might as well put him up there.

Town Hall's Julio Rosas is amused, by What Happens When Sen. Warren Is Asked About Biden Family's Payments. Deflection, "Warren said she has always been against the corrupting influence of political money, which is why she is more concerned about the Supreme Court."

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.10.23, The Lid notes Inflation Back Up To 3.2 Percent Amid Oil Price Jump, Weakening Dollar Despite Inflation Reduction Act And Biden’s ‘Assurances’. Salena Zito at WaEx thinks The reality of Bidenomics is that nothing is better. Doing nothing is better than Bidenomics. At TNP, BIDENOMICS: US Housing Affordability at an ‘All-Time Low’. 

'Bonchie' at Red State, notes Joe Biden's Handlers Appear to Have Told Him to Stop Misleading About His Son's Death Following Gold Star Family Backlash. Not misleading, lying. Biden cops a feel on TV, Hat Hair cites NYPo, There he goes again. Capt. Ed, "This is weird, but it’s not anywhere near as weird as other Biden encounters with women. It’s tough to tell from the angle, but it appears that Biden’s hand landed more on the shoulder than the “upper chest,” and not at all in the vicinity of a grope. If it weren’t for his track record in that regard, few would have noticed this. Still, Biden could have just pointed the big out to Abrams and let her decide what to do with it. And so should the rest of us under similar circumstances."

Dave Strom at Hat Hair thinks it's Insane: judge determined that Trump is a flight risk  "Flight risk. If anybody thinks Donald Trump is a flight risk they belong in a mental institution, not sitting on a judicial bench or as a prosecutor."

The Special Counsel apparently was asked to justify this contention and backed off, but apparently the judge who made the original decision had actually found “reason to believe” that Trump would flee.

It is remarkable how much sloppy government lawyering there has been from high-level Justice Department employees. The US Attorney in Delaware “accidentally” almost gave plenary immunity from prosecution to Hunter Biden, and now the Special Counsel gives specious reasons for hiding elements of his investigation.

Honestly, we are to trust these people if they are admittedly so incompetent?

Jonathan Turley@JonathanTurley "Judge Howell actually agreed that the former President was a flight risk. Trump has 24/7 security. Yet Howell agreed that he might shake his sizable security detail, evade them, and go on the lam. He is one of the most recognized figures in the world, so he would have to to to Mars to live incognito... https://jonathanturley.org/2023/08/10/federal-court-declares-trump-a-flight-risk-in-secret-subpoena-decision/" Technofog, Trump's DC Judge - Evidence of Bias "Judge Tanya Chutkan's unfairly harsh treatment of Defendant Trump" I believe the DC judges are well aware the Supreme Court will throw out the 'Special' Persecutors DC case, and are just trying to inflict that maximum amount of damage they can before they get called on the carpet. Insty, OF COURSE IT IS. NEXT QUESTION? Cotton: It’s impossible for Trump to get a fair trial in DC. That’s the point.  From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.10.23, at the Volokh Report Steve Calabresi insists Trump Is Disqualified from Being on Any Election Ballots, no due process necessary.

At Reason, Twitter Fined for Failing To Quickly Turn Over Trump Data to Jack Smith. Capt. Ed, "The search warrant itself is understandable, given the context of the investigation, but not the secrecy. Secret search warrants should be rare and only issued in cases of grave security risks. I hope Elon Musk appeals the fine to the Supreme Court to give them a chance to review this process, more for the sake of less-wealthy targets of criminal probes than for Trump or Musk." No, there should be no "secret" search warrants. Period. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.10.23, Am Think's Glenn Spitzer thinks Political Prosecution are A Constitutional Crisis In The Making. No, the crisis is here. At TNP, NYT: Don’t Televise Trump Trials Because It Might Sway Public Opinion. What's the fun of having a Star Chamber if it's out in the open?

If you have an hour or so to spend today, this is the thing to watch, Nick Arama at Red State hosts Tucker's Explosive Interview With Former Capitol Police Chief: The Story Fox Didn't Air, Pelosi, and Who Knew What When

Ep. 15 Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund reveals what really happened on January 6th. Our Fox News interview with him never aired, so we invited him back. pic.twitter.com/opDlu4QGlp

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) August 10, 2023

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.10.23, Tristan Justice at Da Fed hears Republicans Investigating J6 Committee Suggest Dems Destroyed Evidence In Apparent Cover Up   At the Daily Fetched, Jan 6 Committee Broke the Law, Violated Trump’s Rights by Destroying Records and Videos. Breitbart, January 6 Committee Destroyed Records, Videos; Trump’s Rights Violated. There's something there that they don't want Republicans and the public to see. 

Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed reports on the Unredacted FBI Memo which Contradicts Christopher Wray’s Claim Only ‘A Single Field Office’ Targeted Traditional Catholics. Ace, The Criminal Wray Perjured Himself to Congress About the Extent of the FBI's Targeting of Traditionalist Catholics As Terrorists; Also Redacted Required Disclosures to Congress to Hide the Extent of the FBI's Spying. The first job of a director is to protect the institution. 

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.10.23, At Da Fed,   California Court Greenlights Foreign Interference In San Francisco’s School Board Elections, Exclusive: Arizona, Virginia Voters Demand Election Officials Correct Their States’ Erroneous Voter Rolls, and Republican Groups Intervene To Stop Democrats’ Lawfare Against Wisconsin Elections.

From The Free Bacon Rubio Asks DOJ To Investigate Chinese Funding of Left-Wing Activists

'Combatting Beijing’s malign influence must be a key objective for the DOJ,' Rubio says. You can't do that, China owns Joe.

Ace, FaceBook Objected to Biden's Demands for Censorship, But Censored Vax Skeptics Anyway, Because They Need the Government's Help in Protecting Their Consumer Spying Operations in Europe.

At Da Caller, State Lawmakers Across The Country Are Ditching The Democrats For The GOP. Ed Ring at Am Great is hopeful about Turning California Purple "Can conservatives ever win again in the Golden State?" Ruy Teixeira worries The Democrats’ Nonwhite Working-Class Problem Re-Emerges. KT at Hat Hair, Jamaal Bowman: The Biden border crisis makes Democrats look bad.  Matt Taibbi at Racket thinks Campaign 2024 is not Not Left Versus Right, But Aflluent Versus Everyone Else "The realignment of major parties away from blue against red and toward a rich versus poor dynamic is America's most undercovered political story." 

Hat Hair's KT notes Trump won't sign the RNC loyalty pledge and that's a problem and thinks Trump's entourage to Iowa State Fair is a troll move on DeSantis. Da Tech Guy says Rubicon Crossed: DaTechGuy Endorses Ron DeSantis For President in 2024. Doesn't think Trump can win. At Da Fed, Kyle Lamb explains Why Ron DeSantis Is The Man To Lead The Great American Comeback   Stephen Kruiser at PJM wonders What Color Is the Sky in Chris Christie's World? Donut. 

Hat Hair summarizes Politico, Clarence Thomas must resign because he went on vacation or something. 

Ace tells the long sad story of the Racist Teacher Who Thought She Could Publicly Post About Wanting to Commit Violence Against Another Race Without Consequence, Sees Consequences. According to Jazz Shaw at Hat Hair, We now apparently have Black supremacists too.

At Campus Reform, Virginia Tech officially ends affirmative action, legacy admissions policies. A fair trade. The College Fix reports University of North Texas to shut down DEI office to comply with new state law.

Twitchy reports Singer Oliver Anthony BLOWS up after America falls in love with his ode to the working man

Banger

Oliver Anthony “Rich Men North of Richmond” pic.twitter.com/yp7MrGa2ek

— Chase Steely (@Chase_Steely) August 10, 2023

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Time For New Water Coolers ready for prime time at the Other McCain.

Fish Pic Friday - Destiny Cockrell

Destiny Cockrell@ destiny.cockrell ᴬᴸᴬᴮᴬᴹᴬ 📍Gym . Outdoors . Lifestyle • Social Media Creator for @mahoshades

Linked at the Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Potato On The Beach ready for prime time at the Other McCain.

MD Supreme Court Makes Chicken Shit Decision

From the Balmer Sun, Maryland Supreme Court says ammonia rules for chicken farms are sufficient. Environmental groups disagree.

The Maryland Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Maryland is doing enough to regulate gaseous ammonia emitted by the state’s poultry houses, overturning a lower court ruling.

The 6-1 decision reversed a 2021 ruling from the Montgomery County Circuit Court that would have required the Maryland Department of the Environment to regulate the smelly, harmful gas under a water pollution permit issued to chicken farms and other animal feeding operations, since the gas can pollute state waterways. The majority of the state Supreme Court justices felt that Maryland’s original water pollution permit, issued in 2019 under Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, was sufficient, since it called on animal feeding operations to adopt “best management practices” to curtail ammonia pollution.

The case began in 2020, when the Assateague Coastal Trust, an environmental group, challenged the Maryland permit. The Trust also had challenged previous iterations of the permit for chicken farms, to no avail. In the 2020 case, the group found success as the Montgomery County court agreed that Maryland would have to reconsider the permit and add restrictions on the amount of ammonia released.

But MDE appealed in 2021, and the state Supreme Court sided with the agency. “The Legislature has given broad discretion to the Department to establish permit terms and conditions as the Department determines are necessary,” the decision released Wednesday said. “The text of the statute does not instruct the Department as to how it must make these determinations or the water quality controls that must be included.”

In a statement Wednesday, Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain, who serves under Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, called the court’s decision “a win for the Chesapeake Bay.”
. . .
The Delmarva Chicken Association, which represents poultry farmers in the region and has supported the agency’s original permit in court, also cheered Wednesday’s decision. “We’re glad the Maryland Supreme Court recognized this challenge to the 2019 permit lacked merit and mischaracterized the law‚” Holly Porter, the organization’s executive director, said in a statement. “This is the third consecutive time these activists have tried and failed to persuade courts to overrule science-based, legally sound water quality regulations.”
. . .
But environmental advocates, who have long pushed for tighter controls on the chicken houses that dot the Eastern Shore, argued the ruling deals a blow to the state’s effort to clean up the Chesapeake. “We have a substantial source of unregulated pollution and the agency has chosen to do nothing about it,” said Brenda Davis, the Coastal Trust’s executive director, in a statement Wednesday. Part of why environmental groups have sought regulation under the Clean Water permit process is because Maryland animal feeding operations, as a category, aren’t required to get Clean Air Act permits.

Maryland to Provide Support for Invasive Species

Largemouth Bass

Baltimore Fish Bowl, New Maryland initiative to fund black bass conservation projects

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will start collecting donations from anglers, boaters and hunters when applying for licenses to help fund the Black Bass Conservation Fund.

Changing ecosystems, invasive species, climate change impacts, and other factors have contributed to the need for conservation.

“This dedicated source of funding has been long in the making and should enable us to do more to make better fisheries for our black bass anglers,” Dr. Joseph Love, the Department of Natural Resources’ program manager for black bass conservation, said in a press release. “While management objectives have been met with existing funding, expanding existing access to the fishery and addressing long-term challenges that bass face in our ecosystems requires new approaches and a new way of funding them.”

Smallmouth Bass

The announcement comes just over three months after Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation to create the voluntary donation fund. Funds will go toward installing infrastructure to improve the aquatic area, “purchase supplies that promote conservation during bass tournaments, and support scientific research related to conservation of the resource,” according to the press release.

According to the press release, the Black Bass Advisory Committee will consider new projects to receive funding every year.

Both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, together called "Black Bass" are "invasive" species in Maryland, species which were imported from other areas of country for their food and sports value, and which have adapted well, and spread to all suitable habitat, presumably displacing, at least to some extent, true native species. I'm not complaining, mind you, I like catching, and sometimes eating them, but when we hear horror stories about Northern Snakeheads and Blue Catfish disrupting the ecosystem, we need to remember, we are already dealing with a substantially altered system.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Potato On The Beach ready for prime time at the Other McCain.