Thursday Tanlines

From the List, Kayleigh McEnany's Fake Tan Fail Will Haunt Her Forever 

There's nothing wrong with a good ol' fake tan, but anyone who's ever tried self-tanning lotion knows that it can be a tricky thing to get right. Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is living proof of this. McEnany has had her fair share of makeup fails, and some of the former Trump staffer's outfits have completely missed the mark too, but while interviewing conservative political commentator Benny Johnson in December 2025, it was her fake tan mishap that caught people's eye. McEnany sported an orange skin tone reminiscent of President Donald Trump's while conducting the interview, and even her hands appeared to have been covered with fake tan lotion. The TV personality's feet and ankles, however, were apparently overlooked when the product was applied. McEnany wore ankle-grazing trousers with high heels, putting her pale feet on full display. It was an awkward look for television, and unfortunately, an instantly memorable slip-up. 

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I suspect she has a pretty thick skin by now. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Snow Bunnies up on time and under budget.

Oregon, My Oregon

PM, Portland Police shoot, kill armed suspect who posed as Secret Service agent, had shell casings threatening President Trump

A wanted violent and dangerous suspect who posed as a US Secret Service agent is now deceased following a Saturday morning officer-involved shooting in Portland, Oregon. The subject allegedly opened fire on Portland Police officers during the execution of a warrant, resulting in the exchange of gunfire, according to a press release.

Authorities said the suspect entered a grocery store in the 1300 block of Northwest Lovejoy Street on January 31 and pointed a handgun at one of the security guards. The suspect, who falsely claimed he was a US Secret Service agent, pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire. Security officers wrestled with the suspect before he fled the scene.

“Because of the US Secret Service angle, the fact that he was impersonating an agent, the fact that there was a potential threat to the president that prompted them to bring in the Secret Service as part of the investigation," a Porland Police Bureau spokesman told reporters

On Thursday, February 5, at around 5:15 am, officers arrived at the suspect's apartment and executed the warrant. Portland Police ordered the suspect to exit the building, but he did not comply. Officers evacuated the entire floor of the apartment building before proceeding to the suspect's unit. After 35 minutes of attempted negotiations, the suspect failed to come out of his unit, resulting in officers deploying tear gas into his apartment.

The effort was effective, and the suspect exited the unit. He emerged into the hallway allegedly armed with a handgun, police said. "Shots were fired by two PPB SERT officers. One of the PPB SERT officers reported that the suspect had pointed a gun at him," the press release states. PPB said officers moved to render the suspect medical aid. Paramedics determined the suspect was deceased at the scene.

KPTV, Police have identified the man killed in a police shooting last week as Erik D. Sherrer, 57, of Portland.

FAFO.

Bay Foundation Throws its Weight Behind MD Rockfish Regs

WBOC, Chesapeake Bay Foundation urges public to support proposed striped bass season changes

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is encouraging Marylanders to weigh in on proposed changes to the state’s striped bass fishing season, saying the adjustments could better protect the species when it is most vulnerable.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment through Feb. 23 on a plan that would close all striped bass fishing in Maryland waters during August while reopening several days of catch-and-release fishing in April.

According to the foundation, juvenile striped bass numbers have been well below average for six consecutive years. Officials say habitat loss and invasive predators such as blue catfish are among the challenges limiting the number of young fish that survive.

 

Adult striped bass also face increased risk during the summer months, when low oxygen levels and heat-related stress can lead to higher catch-and-release mortality rates. The proposed August closure is intended to reduce that stress, while the additional April catch-and-release days would take advantage of cooler conditions that improve the fish’s chances of survival.

Supporters say the change would also make Maryland’s fishing regulations easier to follow. The current schedule includes a mix of harvest days, catch-and-release periods and temporary closures, which can create confusion for anglers.

“Our understanding about the health of the striped bass population is based on the assumption that anglers are fishing according to regulations,” Colden said. “Ensuring the rules are clear and easy to follow is key to conservation efforts.”

Residents interested in commenting on the proposed changes can submit feedback to the Department of Natural Resources before the Feb. 23 deadline.

I think the new regs are reasonable, but if we don't get a good recruitment year soon, it will time for another moratorium. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Snow Bunnies up on time and under budget.

Maryland, My Maryland

At Hat Hair, Beege Welborn hears Fabulous Fabulist Gov 'Less Wes Is Moore' Not Invited to WH Dinner UPDATE

The National Governors' Association (NGA) dinner is coming up. The event is hosted by the president at the White House, so that's who sends the invitations out.

And the fabulous fabulist, who is also the NGA's vice-chair, did get one in the mail, but the White House took it back.

Oh, Moore is in a serious snit, and Donald Trump is a racist.

...“This week, I learned that I was uninvited to this year’s National Governors Association dinner — a decades-long annual tradition meant to bring governors from both parties together to build bonds and celebrate a shared service to our citizens with the President of the United States,” Moore said in a statement Sunday. “… It’s hard not to see this decision as another example of blatant disrespect and a snub to the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership.”

...Moore also said on CNN that it was “not lost” on him that he is the only Black governor of a state.

“I find that to be particularly painful, considering the fact that the president is trying to exclude me from an organization that not only my peers have asked me to help to lead, but then also a place where I know I belong in,” he said. “I’m never in a room because of someone’s benevolence nor kindness. I’m not in a room because of a social experiment. I’m in the room because I belong there and the room was incomplete until I got there.”

The ego on dis guy. The problem with 'they only left the black man out' routine is that Trump had taken the Jewish governor from Colorado off the invitation list, too. So much for Moore's throwing the race card.

...According to the governors’ offices, the president also revoked invitations sent to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), the NGA’s vice chair; and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) to attend a second White House event scheduled to occur around the summit: a dinner for governors.

...Eric Maruyama, a spokesperson for Polis, said the decision to exclude the Colorado governor was “disappointing.”

“Gov. Polis has always been willing to work with anyone across the political spectrum who wants to help work on the hardest problems facing Colorado and America, regardless of party or who occupies the White House,” Maruyama said in a statement.

Now, the two governors might not have religion or skin hue in common, but they both have vicious, anti-Trump, pro-sanctuary state policies and rhetoric they share. Might that not be a common link?

I AM THE ONLY BLACK GOVERNOR IN THIS COUNTRY, AND I FIND THAT TO BE PARTICULARLY PAINFUL

Naturally, that doesn't play well to Moore's racial grievance pandering, but it is what it is. Moore looks excessively dense, parading himself as a victim of anything other than his own resistance tactics.

What's going to make his blatant race-baiting look even worse is when and if other Democratic governors are 'uninvited,' as the WaPo seems to think they will be, since some were apparently not invited to begin with.

Trump plans to keep Democratic governors out of traditionally bipartisan meeting

The White House did not explain why Democrats were not invited to the meeting. In addition, at least two Democrats were uninvited to a White House dinner, according to their offices.

President Donald Trump plans to keep Democrats out of a traditionally bipartisan White House gathering of governors typically held as part of the National Governors Association’s annual Washington summit, the organization said.

Oh, man. This is totally going to ruin Moore's whole schtick if every last Democrat gets Xed off the list. Did you know Wes Moore was a black man? >
 

It turns out there's a little more to the 'Trump dissed the ONLY BLACK GOVERNOR IN AMERICA' story, and darn - you knew there had to be. Many Democratic governors are banding together to boycott the dinner in solidarity with the only black governor in the country.

Now remember - as Wes Moore said above, it's so painful to him to have been excluded. 'Particularly painful,' are his exact words. Somehow, though, it wasn't as painful last year when Wes Moore didn't show up for that same dinner after being invited to the White House.

...It’s unclear why Polis and Moore were excluded from the dinner, but Leavitt said that Moore, the NGA’s vice chair, was invited last year and chose not to attend.

Well...hang on. That's kind of rude, isn't it? I imagine the White House had second thoughts about giving the only black governor in the country another chance to grandstand and decided they'd had enough. Here's some background on their feud this summer. Moore was going to stay home anyway. He's not kidding anyone.

Sometimes I wish Trump were a bigger person, but not always.  

Flotsam and Jetsam - Progress, or Lack Thereof on Guthrie Kidnapping

While I've avoided it until now, the Guthrie kidnap caper is heating up. Yesterday the FBI released a partial Ring camera video that they managed to extract from Googles clutches. It showed a ski-masked, gloved and armed man approach the door and disable the camera. It's hard to believe it was a well organized affair, more likely a burglary gone wrong, which is not good for the family, but probably helps law enforcement quite a lot. It hard to imagine there's not a local cop who looked at the video and said "that's probably X." Later that day SWAT forces were deployed, and a man was detained, questioned and released. John Sexton at Hat Hair, CNN/TMZ: There Is 'Activity' in the Ransom Account (Update). At Althouse, "The Pima County sheriff said last week that investigators were unable to retrieve any footage from Guthrie’s surveillance cameras..." ""... because she did not pay for a subscription that would have stored the video. But the sheriff’s department and F.B.I. said that investigators recovered the video today by accessing 'residual data.'" I'm reading "New Video Shows a Masked Figure at Nancy Guthrie’s Door" (NYT). My 3 questions: 1. You can't maintain your privacy by declining to pay for the subscriptions? 2. Why pay for the subscription now? and 3. Did Google withhold this video because it didn't want customers to realize they didn't need to pay for the subscription?" Jen O'Connell at RedState, BREAKING: Person Detained in Guthrie Case Per FBI Sources. NYT, Man Detained for Questioning in Nancy Guthrie Case Is Released. So, did he have any useful information?

And another killer tranny? At Althouse, "A shooter described as a 'female in a dress' killed nine people in a remote part of Canada on Tuesday." ""Seven people died after being shot at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, while two more people were found dead at a nearby home. Another 27 people were hurt.... An alert was issued about an active shooter at the school.... The suspect was described in the alert as a 'female in a dress.' The local police superintendent later described the suspect as a 'gunperson' in a press briefing, without giving further details about their identity.... From "'Female in dress' kills nine in school shooting/Suspect in Canada’s worst school massacre for 30 years described as 'gunperson'" (The Telegraph). From My Christian Daily, 10 Dead, 25 Injured in Canadian Mass School Shooting. Sunday Guardian, Who is Jesse Strang? What We Know So Far About 18-Year-Old Linked To Canada’s Tumbler Ridge Secondary School Shooting "Jesse Strang, an 18-year-old, has been identified by some Canadian media outlets as the alleged suspect in the deadly shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, though the RCMP has not officially confirmed the identity. . . Some Canadian media outlets, including Western Standard and Juno News, reported that the suspect was 18-year-old Jesse Strang. The identification reportedly came from a close family member, with Juno News stating that the suspect’s uncle, Russell G. Strang, confirmed the identity." Strang was/is? a well known trans-activist. 48 hour rule in effect. 

Something weird is happening at the US border near El Paso Texas. Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "BREAKING: The FAA has abruptly CLOSED the airspace around El Paso for TEN DAYS for “special security reasons” ALL flights are grounded, including commercial, cargo, general aviation, and there’s no exemption for medevac. The airport and pilots were given little to no notice, and it’s unclear exactly what’s being planned. Air Traffic Control recordings show how caught off guard both pilots and controllers were h/t @thenewarea51" Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, US Closes Airspace Over El Paso – For Ten Days; UPDATE: FAA Pulls an Emily Litella? "Update: CBS News' Jennifer Jacobs reports that the FAA closed the airspace in reaction to an intrusion by drones from Mexican cartels. CNN reports that the military wanted to test "unmanned aircraft operations and laser countermeasure testing in airspace directly adjacent to civilian routes into El Paso International," presumably at nearby Fort Bliss. Neither explains the ten-day ground stop, nor its sudden cancellation within a few hours."

ToI, Iran steps up arrests, floats ‘diluting’ its enriched uranium as Netanyahu heads to US. Noa Rothman at NRO has A Requiem for Communist Cuba’s Apologists. Victoria Coates @VictoriaCoates, "Ok let me get this straight. Greta is trying to break the U.S. embargo on…oil?" Quote Antifa_Ultras @ultras_antifaa, "Greta Thunberg is reported to be part of humanitarian aid convoys to be formed to travel to Cuba in an effort to break the US blockade." RCD is considering what happens After Greenland, "Next on Trump’s list should be the old Subic Bay naval base and Clark air base in the Philippines." Sarah Anderson at PJM notes Dems Move to Kill Trump’s Western Hemisphere Policy, Replace It with Something Far Worse. Par for their course. Rebeka Zeljko @rebekazeljko, "NEW: Hegseth tells me the real reason why there are massive production delays in the defense industry: “A lot of the hang up has been us.” “The way we do business, we’ve been impossible to deal with.”"

Democrats hoping for the pony in the pile of Epstein horseshit are only finding more dung. PJM's Matt Margolis, The Democrats’ Trump-Epstein Smear Campaign Just Collapsed. Capt. Ed, The Shocking Trump Reveal In the Epstein Files Is ... ... "Donald Trump snitched? Kinda. In fact, Trump was one of the first in the Palm Beach socialite circle to urge police to intensify their investigations both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. An FBI report from 2006 reveals that Trump notified Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter about both Epstein and Maxwell, calling her "evil" and urging police to focus on her role in Epstein's activities." Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet, " . . . Absolutely brilliant move by Trump not to exculpate himself by saying in public "I helped the law take Epstein down". Now his enemies are in so deep that all of their choices are horribly self-destructive. Look for a whole lot of journalists to have heart attacks and aneurysms as they grapple with the concept of publishing anything about this. They've organized their world-view and their public appeal around "Bad Orange Man is baaaad!" for so long that acknowledging he was one of the heroes of the Epstein story rather than a villain would break their brains and be reputational suicide. . ." Ace, in red all caps italics, EPSTEIN FILES BOMBSHELL SHOWS TRUMP'S CONNECTION TO THE CONVICTED PEDOPHILE! And That Connection Is: Trump Dropped Dime on Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and Urged Police to Investigate Them. "Sorry to scare you with the red font headline, but that's how the " " " Mainstream " " " media is playing this story and I want to prove I'm a Real Journalist Too." Jim Geraghty at NRO, liberal hero Noam Chomsky’s Lame Excuses for His Years of Friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. TCW asks So, Bill Gates, why did you talk to Jeffrey Epstein about ‘co-branding’ a pandemic? Some congresscritter should ask him in a hearing. Ace, Email: Epstein Hid Cameras In Kleenex Boxes and All Around His Palm Beach Home. "I know yesterday I said there was no evidence of an Epstein blackmail operation but I'm going to exercise the Democrat Denialist Maneuver of declaring "I never said that nor held that position." If you contradict me I will call you a Far Right Extremist. NYT:" Lack of evidence is not proof of lack of existence. Still rooting for Bigfoot, too. 

MD Kittle at Da Fed hears Mitch McConnell Might Try To Smother The SAVE Act To Spite Trump. Dave Catron at Am Spec wonders Why Are Senate Republicans Dithering on The SAVE Act? "Time is running out to pass the SAVE Act and the GOP Senate majority can’t decide how to vote on an 80-20 issue." TNP, RINO Senator Breaks With GOP to Oppose Voter ID Law. One of the usual suspects, Murkowski. Ace, Trump Renews Call for SAVE Act to Keep Illegal Aliens (and Dead Citizens) from Voting as the Spanish Left Legalizes Illegal Alien Voting "Yes!" and sees RINOs in Retreat: Conservatives Take Lead for Cornyn's, McConnell's Seats, "Ken Paxton has moved ahead of lifetime liberal and backstabber John Cornyn for Senator from Texas." Amy Curtis at TownHall, Scott Jennings: Democrats Are Losing the Voter ID Argument. Cam at BA has the Latest Liberal Laugher: Trump's 'Abolished the Second Amendment'.

Capt. Ed cites the WSJ: Trump Admin Set to Repeal Key Obama-Era Climate-Change Finding. Dmitri Bolt at TownHall says Trump Is Set to Make the 'Largest Act of Deregulation in the History.' Dave Manney at PJM, Trump Frees America from Climate Shackles. Heartland Institute Experts Applaud Trump’s Imminent Repeal of the Endangering Finding for CO2.

Fairfax GOP @FairfaxGOP, "EVEN THE EXPERTS ARE CALLING THEM OUT A VCU professor who WROTE THE BOOK on gerrymandering just dropped a truth bomb on Virginia Democrats: "Democrats are asking voters to protect democracy by abandoning America's most sacred of democratic principles: that voters get to choose their politicians, and that elections mean something." This isn't a Republican talking point. This is Dr. Alex Keena—a political scientist—publishing in the left-leaning Virginia Mercury. He's talking about Governor Abigail Spanberger, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), and Louise Lucas, who are pushing a 10-1 gerrymandered map that would silence nearly half of Virginia voters for a decade. Remember: In 2020, Virginians voted OVERWHELMINGLY to end gerrymandering. Now these same Democrats want to throw out YOUR decision because it doesn't guarantee them power." To be fair, they only voted to end Republican gerrymandering. At Bastiat's Window, the Clueless Canvasser Conjecture, "Why on Earth are door-to-door political canvassers a thing in the DC suburbs?"

PJM's Rick Moran feigns shock, Did Mayor Mamdani Just Appoint an Antisemite to the City Office of Antisemitism? Sundance at CTH sees Ilhan Omar Catches a Big Break – Republican Oversight Committee Drops Financial Review, Hands off to Ethics. Bob Hoge at RedState, Did Radical Leftist Somali Congresswoman Just Call for the Execution of POTUS? Sure Seems Like It Ilhan Omar @IlhanMN, "The leader of the Pedophile Protection Party is trying to deflect attention from his name being all over the Epstein files. At least in Somalia they execute pedophiles not elect them." Quote Aaron Rupar @atrupar "Trump: "Somalia has come in here -- what they've done to our country, these people -- they've come into our country, and what they've done with that fake congresswoman. She's so bad."" Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Money Laundering: Fidelity Charitable Fund Funneled Millions to Dem Dark Money Group.

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn thinks It's a Big Couple of Days for Little Eric the Redface Swalwell. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "HOLY CRAP. President Trump just posted a bombshell report that Eric Swalwell WORKED with Adam Schiff to leak classified information to trigger an investigation that would ultimately OVERTHROW the Trump administration Swalwell and Schiff are CRIMINALS and must be expelled from Congress! JOHN SOLOMON: "One of the guys that's in here is Eric Swalwell. Now, that is second-hand information from the whistleblower, but the whistleblower actually attended a meeting with Adam Schiff when he was a ranking member." "He tells the FBI, where Adam Schiff authorized the leaking of classified secrets to dirty up Donald Trump and to try to build towards either a select committee in Congress or a special prosecutor!"

The Redheaded libertarian @TRHLofficial, "California’s “jock taxes,” force pro athletes who don’t live in the state to fork over percentages of their yearly income based on the number of days they work in California. Darnold received $178k for winning the Super Bowl He owes California $249k." Twitchy, Punishing the Winner? Somehow, Sam Darnold Has to Pay California $14,000 For Winning the Super Bowl, different numbers, same tax.

Dave Strom say THIS Is What 'Compassionate' Government Really Looks Like Thomas Hawk @thomashawk, "Remember over two years ago when @GavinNewsom went on @60Minutes and talked about he was going to spend “billions” on “Care Court” and how it was going to be this HUGE “game changer?” Whatever happened to that? There are still crazy people doing drugs all over the city of San Francisco. Maybe @60Minutes should do a follow up on why this program was such a failure
@bariweiss Now today the SF Chronicle is saying in the past two years it’s only helped 11 people." PJM's Stephen Kruiser recommends you Find Someone Who Looks at You the Way Dems Look at Violent Criminals, as potential voters? Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate "These people will scream at you that you’re a moral leper, for years, decades even, right up to the millisecond they realize, ‘Gee, that’s actually right,’ at which point the belief instantaneously becomes reasonable to have." Quote Jill Filipovic @JillFilipovic, "One of the things I've really changed my mind on is public order enforcement. I think a lot of liberals (like me) assumed people do things like turnstile-jumping were poor or just kids, but it seems like actually, a small number of people just do a lot of antisocial shit. x.com/meatballtimes/…" Shooting News Week reports Another Social Misfit Busted for Threatening an Assassination Online…And More.

Dave Strom reports Fulton County Suing to Prevent FBI Examination of Ballots, and 40+ Boxes Missing. The cleanest election in American history /sarc.

Matt Vespa at TownHall hears CBP and ICE Chiefs Faced Off Against Unhinged Dems...and One Said the Quiet Part Out Loud. Bonchie at RedState thinks you should Watch: Democrat Congresswoman Charged With Assaulting ICE Agents Goes Insane During Hearing. Goes? She's been there a while. At Twitchy, Question Nutso Dem Rep. LaMonica McIver Asked ICE Director So DUMB It Made the Whole ROOM Groan (WATCH) Greg Price @greg_price11, "Rep. LaMonica McIver-- currently under indictment for assaulting ICE agents-- tells ICE Director Todd Lyons that he's going to hell: "How do you think Judgement Day will go for you with so much blood on your hands? You think you're going to hell, Mr. Lyons?"" Matt Margolis, Swalwell’s Gotcha Question Backfires After ICE Director Drops a Truth Bomb on Him Then the big question: "Mr. Lyons, will you resign from ICE?" Lyons didn't flinch. "No, sir, I won't," he replied flat out. "Why not?" Swalwell pressed. That's when Lyons dropped the hammer. "Because, sir, that child that you're showing right there, the men and women of ICE took care of him when his father abandoned him and ran from law enforcement," he said, pointing to the photo of Ramos behind Swalwell. Boom! Swalwell's narrative crumbled. Reports confirm that Ramos, a 5-year-old, got left behind when his illegal alien dad bolted from ICE agents in Minneapolis. Officers stayed with the kid in the bitter cold to keep him safe until the family could take over. No hair-dragging. No public executions. Just agents doing their jobs against criminals who ditch their own kids to dodge the law."

Liz Shield at Am Great, Appeals Court Backs Noem Move to End TPS Protections for Nepal, Honduras, Nicaragua. Capt. Ed, Ninth Circuit: We Regret To Concede That Noem Has a Point About 'Temporary'. Matthew Schmitz @matthewschmitz, “Controversial as it may be domestically, Trump’s stace on illegal immigration is unexceptional in the global context. Many other nations ... pursue similar policies, and usually without anything close to the same level of controversy.” From Ace, Newsom's Lawless "Law" Presuming to Strip ICE Agents of Their Masks So That His Anatifa Paramilitaries Can Bomb Their Houses Rejected by Even a Left-Wing Judge, "Even a Clinton judge understands that until the left finds its courage and simply declares, like the Confederacy, that they are separating from the US, states are still bound by federal law in federal matters."

Nick Gillespie @nickgillespie "This is appalling and I hope cuts through to the 'heritage American' types who otherwise could care less about due process for immigrants: 'Culleton said he was carrying a Massachusetts driving licence and a valid work permit issued by the US government when he was pulled over  . . . "From irishtimes.com" Hannibal Lecture @AltKurtis "It's really not. He knowingly overstayed his tourist visa. He spent 20 years knowingly breaking the law, probably skirting taxes, and otherwise flouting the law. Now he has to go home because he got caught. Remind me again why I should feel bad for him?" Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, ""Here's an attractive white guy they want to deport. That will outrage those white racists and demonstrate their hypocrisy." *Send his pale potato-gobbling ass back on the next Aer Lingus flight* "Wait, wut?"" Ace, Irish Illegal Alien Who Dodged Deportation for 20 Years Will Finally Be Kicked Out of Country; Supposedly "anti-Racist" Libertarian Nick Gillespie Says We Shouldn't Deport Him, Because He's White Like Us, "Of course. Nick Gillespie will claim that he made his racist plea of special privilege only because he assumes that we're the Real Racists Here and will keep this White Criminal in the country because he's white, but I don't know man, this attempt at Judo Reverse Racism just sounds like plain old racism to me. Libertarians are just nasty 1960s "Hey man" hippies with a strong streak of racism. Here are the facts, via Twitchy's JustMindy."

Shooting News Week wonders Why is California Protecting 33,179 Criminal Illegal Aliens in its Prisons and Jails? Part of the answer from Arthur MacWaters @ArthurMacwaters, "Sanctuary states aren't defending illegal immigrants out of empathy - They're defending their congressional seats, and allowing a permanent underclass Ironically, this is **exactly** why slave states fought to count slaves in the census Literally exactly why. Read the original documents from the constitutional convention. It's not empathy. It's the opposite. They're fine with human beings being subjected to a terrible life, as long as they count toward power in congress and electoral votes. It's demographic gerrymandering, and tens of millions of illegal immigrants are the pawns in the strategy."

Dave Manney takes on Don Lemon and the Cult of Self-Importance. At RCP Larry Kudlow says Democrats Are Truly the Party of Nonsense.

Stinger gets stung, Sean Davis @seanmdav, "Hard to express in words just how hilarious this is. Imagine how stupid and arrogant you’d have to be to 1) work with the Feds to backstab and sabotage your sting/ambush artist business partner, only to 2) get busted bragging about what you did in a honey trap ambush designed by your victim. This is art." Quote James O'Keefe@JamesOKeefeIII, "CAUGHT ON HIDDEN CAMERA: Former Project Veritas Board Member @MatthewTyrmand Admits To Being An FBI/SDNY Informant Against Conservative Organizations, James O’Keefe, Threatens to Murder O'Keefe, And Puts Rifle Bullets In O'Keefe's Heart On The Front Of His Book “Breakthrough”." At Am Mind John Rosenthal on Stopping the European Censorship Machine. At Hat Hair, Mark Judge wonders I Just Got Kicked Off Of X. Whodunit? Express, Fox News host Greg Gutfeld begs Elon Musk to get his X account back on air. It may be time for Elon to cull a few more censors.

At the College Fix, Oklahoma governor ends tenure at most public universities. Insty, at his substack, Tenure: What is it Good For? "Academia leaves it's F.A. period and enters its F.O. period . . . “Get tenure as fast as you can, and never give it up for anything.” That was the advice given to me by Yale Law Professor Geoffrey Hazard, for whom I was a teaching assistant in law school, after I took the job at Tennessee. And it was good advice at the time. Especially the part that followed, where he expanded by noting that he’d seen a lot of people leave tenured jobs for opportunities outside academia that seemed promising, only to see those opportunities fade away, and the tenured jobs gone for good. . . " But it no longer seems to protect conservative professors, if you can find them. Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, Anybody remember Richard Sander? He was a law professor who proposed the “mismatch” theory of racial preferences in school admissions. The theory basically claimed that racial preferences in admissions to elite schools actually HARMED those minority students who were admitted with objectively lesser qualifications. His theory held that because those students did not have high enough test scores and grades as others admitted to those elite universities, they would therefore lag behind in their school work, receive lesser grades and lesser job opportunities post-graduation, and possibly not graduate at all. His theory further held that those minority students would be far more successful in life going to schools where their credentials were good enough for admission without racial preferences. He suggested that going to a state school, for example, would lead to higher grades, higher rates of graduation and better life opportunities. For this theory he had his life ruined. He was metaphorically crucified in the public square as a “racist." Now look at the headline below from the NY Times. (I’ll link to the full article one post below.) America owes Richard Sander a huge apology."

There are a few more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.10.26. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Snow Bunnies and FMJRA 2.0: Harvey Dent Week up on time and under budget.

The Wednesday Wetness

 With Laura Coviella:

Red Bull, Hard charging Spanish surfer Laura Coviella is determined to change the face of women's surfing, one perfect tube at a time.

Born and bred in Spain's Canary Islands, Laura Coviella came to surfing later than most of her peers, but when she finally stood on a board, at age 12, it ignited a lifelong love affair. By 15, Laura was hooked and spending her days glued to her favourite pros' video parts, by 18 she was competing internationally, and before too long she would relocate from the mellow waves of Tenerife to the heaving slabs of Lanzarote, a few islands over from home.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Snow Bunnies up on time and under budget.

Watermen Want More Time to Get That Last Oyster

 Sauron's Eye, Frozen Chesapeake Bay leaves Maryland watermen struggling during peak oyster season

Many Maryland watermen have been stuck on land for weeks because parts of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries remain frozen over, leaving some oystermen out of work during peak season. Life-long waterman John Clopine said conditions have not been this bad in decades. "Us watermen can't get out and go to work and we've got bills to pay," Clopine said. "You can't pay bills"

Parts of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed are still iced over, keeping watermen like Clopine on land during commercial oyster season, which runs from October through the end of March. "The ice would sink the boat basically," Clopine said.

My marina is still totally iced in. 

Clopine and fellow Eastern Shore waterman Tyrone Meredith said they have not been able to work in weeks, missing out on critical income. "You can't make money; you can't pay bills. We're not getting any oysters to the market," Meredith said.

Last week, Maryland congressman Andy Harris asked the federal government to step in. Rep. Harris sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration requesting an economic fishery disaster declaration, which could open the door to emergency relief for Maryland oystermen under federal law. Harris said severe weather, reduced market access and competition left many crews able to fish only one or two days all season. NOAA has not yet announced whether it will approve that disaster request.

From UnDark, An Effort to Ease Water Pollution With Oysters Fizzled. Why?

Years ago, the state of Maryland adopted a plan to capitalize on those environmental benefits. Under the Water Quality Trading Program, established in 2018, farms, sewage and wastewater treatment plants, and stormwater treatment facilities could earn credits by implementing certain management practices that reduced nitrogen, phosphorous, or sediment loads within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. They could then sell those credits on a state-run market to companies or municipalities looking to offset their own nutrient emissions to meet permit requirements or sustainability goals. For the oyster fisheries that later began participating in the program, this meant allowing them to claim and sell credits for the nitrogen and phosphorous they extracted from the watershed with each harvest.

The idea was to create opportunities for farmers like McClarren “through market-based approaches” to take advantage of their environmental assets, in order to “unleash the full strength of markets,” said Greg Allen, a former environmental scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office.

But McClarren has yet to earn or sell a single nutrient credit on the state market. And he is not alone.

According to a registry maintained by Maryland’s Department of the Environment, there have been just three trades involving oyster aquaculture over the program’s lifetime, and none since June 2020. Oyster farmers have been slow to participate, and would-be buyers of nutrient credits even slower. The vast majority of nitrogen and phosphorous credits generated through oyster farming have languished on the market unpurchased.
. . .
Allen attributed the disappointing performance to a shortfall of demand to buy credits. Indeed, roughly 90 percent of the nutrient reduction credits certified through the program have languished on the market without a buyer, according to the state registry.

Ya gotta have someone to buy the product.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Snow Bunnies up on time and under budget.

Beach Report 2/10/26

The temperature actually broke freezing today, up to 33 F! That, and winds that were not too onerous, only about 7 kts from the east, encouraged us to actually try a walk on the beach.

The tide was stupidly high, well above astronomical high tide, and the beach was littered with big chunks of ice, but a least the floating ice out many yards was finally gone, and there was even a little bit of beach exposed. 

I even managed 3 shark's teeth, the best of which was this Snaggletooth lower.  These are the first teeth since the storm on Jan. 25.

Flotsam and Jetsam - WaPoo Openly Worries About Hot Trump Economy

From Fox, Treasury secretary predicts blockbuster 2026 for US economy as Dow hits historic milestone, "Bessent says cooling inflation, record stock gains signal a recovery is headed for American wallets." Meanwhile, the WaPoo complains Trump wants to run the economy hot, as midterm elections approach, thereby showing progressives would rather kill the economy to save the party. Cathy Salgado at PJM, Trump White House Touts Wins as Dems Gripe and Moan. At ET, TrumpRx: How to Access Discounted Drug Prices on the Platform "The website launched on Feb. 5 with more than 40 prescription drugs on the platform."

Sundance at CTH reports President Trump Threatens Blockade of Almost Completed Michigan-Ontario Bridge, just to piss them off, I suspect. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears from Iran: How About We Dilute Our Enriched Uranium For A New JCPOA? From News Wax Trump Signs Order Threatening Tariffs on Nations Doing Business With Iran. Laughing Wolf has some Iran Thoughts: "I have suspicions as to what has been going on, and I truly hope that Qatar does not have its hooks into certain members of the administration. Sadly, there is a lot of damage done right now regardless of the source. A promise was made, a red line set, and nothing done when the mullahs gleefully crossed it. There is still time, but a lot of damage has been done and it will take more than words to undo it." Hat Hair's John Sexton is predicting Communist Cuba's Last Year. I hope so. From Ace, Japan's "Ultra-Right-Wing" Extremist PM Wins a Shockingly Large Victory By Running on Promise to Seriously Restrict Immigration to the Island Nation. "NPR is of course very sad and rushes to soothe its meltbrain medicated AWFUL readers about all the way this crushing victory could turn in a huge disaster!"

PJM's Matt Margolis hears Nicki Minaj Fans Are Flipping Republican. Should Democrats Be Afraid?

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " BREAKING: Files confirm Donald Trump BLEW THE WHISTLE on Jeffrey Epstein's disgusting activities in a 2006 phone call with the police, "TRUMP was one of the very first people to call." Trump said Ghislaine Maxwell is "evil" and "focus on her" Democrats are SPEECHLESS." According to Matt Margolis at PJM, The Epstein Cover-Up Just Got So Much Worse. Capt. Ed believes the FBI: Epstein Didn't Run a Sex-Trafficking Ring for the Powerful, just an influencing op. Ace, FBI: Jeffrey Epstein Was a Child Sex Abuser But He Wasn't Running a Pedophile Sex Ring for the World's Rich and Famous. "He certainly does seem to have made young women available for the use of his pedophile pals. But this seems to have been a matter of ingratiation and favor-banking rather than a quid pro quo with billionaires paying Ghislaine Maxwell at the till before passing the turnstile and entering Pedo Island." Dinesh D'Souza @DineshDSouza, "Isn’t it interesting that your newspaper is reporting this now, decades after the fact? Are you guys so incompetent you couldn’t trace this connection earlier? Or were you covering up for the Clintons all that time?" Quote Peter Baker @peterbakernyt, "Ghislaine Maxwell played a substantial role in supporting the creation of the Clinton Global Initiative, one of Bill Clinton’s signature post-White House endeavors, documents show. " At Am Mind, Hillary Clinton’s Failure of Empathy. Power Line's John Hinderacker on The Vapidity of Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends. At Fox, Ghislaine Maxwell told lawmakers Trump, Clinton 'innocent of any wrongdoing' regarding Epstein, "Maxwell appeared virtually before the committee on Monday morning." Capt. Ed interpretes, Ghislaine to Trump: Pardon Me And I'll Clear You. Sabine Hossenfelder on YouTube explains why I'm in the "Epstein files." Here is the story.

Dave Manney at PJM, The Man Who Always Has Proof Tomorrow: Adam Schiff Cries Election Fraud Again. Scott McLallen at TownHall hears Jeffries Calls Citizenship Proof ‘Voter Suppression’ As Majority of Americans Back Voter ID. At Culturcidal by John Hawkins So Much of Liberalism Really is Them Pretending Not to Understand Things, like voter fraud and ID. PJM's Stephen Kruiser fears Dems' Election Fraud Fetish Will Be What Ends America. Jen Van Laar at RedState says Yes, a Pakistani Citizen, Living in Pakistan, Voted in CA's 2020 Election: Here's the Rest of the Story. 

From Cathy Salgado, Chicago Mayor Confesses to 30 Percent Drop in Homicides After Trump Crackdown.

At Fox, JONATHAN TURLEY reveals Grandstanding Newsom will stop at nothing to ride the rails to glory in 2028. "California governor uses diesel freight train on conventional track to create appearance of progress on high-speed rail boondoggle." Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks California Has Become Uninvestable. Mike Netter @nettermike, "Valero just paid a $1.1 billion breakup fee to leave California. When a company is willing to absorb a billion-dollar write-down just to exit a market, that’s not a routine business decision. It’s a signal that the operating environment no longer works. Valero is shutting down its Benicia refinery by April 2026 rather than continue operating under California’s current regulatory and economic framework." Hat Hair's John Sexton hears Karen Bass Faces Last Minute Challenge from Former Supporter, but she's probably not much improvement. At NYPo Michael Goodwin claims The Democratic Party we once knew is dead and Rich Lowry sees Virginia Democrats aim to ‘protect’ democracy — by screwing voters.

Mary Chastain at LI, Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction to Pause California Law Banning Masks on ICE Agent. "Snyder denied to issue a preliminary injunction to stop the No Vigilantes Act." Cathy Salgado, Judge Stops California From Un-Masking ICE Agents Amid Increased Dem Violence. Capt. Ed, Fifth Circuit Lowers Boom On Dems Over Immigration. Ace, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Overrules Lawless Lowly District Court Judges, Rules that Illegal Aliens May Be Held Without Bond While They Fight Their Deportation Orders. From Da Blaze, Mamdani cites the Quran and quotes Muhammed while announcing order to protect illegal aliens from ICE.

John Sexton reports ICE is Still Operating in Minneapolis and Local Activists Aren't Happy. Matt Vespa sees Some Guy Wanted to Test Something at an Anti-ICE Rally. Their Reaction Says It All, sheeple. Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "BREAKING: Random Americans have begun to siphon away the paid anti-ICE protestors' goods in Minnesota — pretending they're anti-ICE but then enjoying the snacks and leaving "Just to piss him off" More of this! Use it all up!" John Hinderacker sees More Dildos at anti-ICE "protests." Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis are now sticking dildos to their own heads to protest against arresting criminal illegal aliens. They're also throwing the dildos at federal agents and assaulting federal vehicles." Dickheads. From Fox, Far-left group with foreign ties undermining US under guise of protest, report warns. "House Ways and Means Committee set to investigate alleged 'malign foreign influence' in US nonprofits in Tuesday hearing." Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "I’m stunned" Quote Chris @chriswithans "Wow, in the most shocking turn of events imaginable, the so-called Real Conservatives at the National Review are coming out against deportations. Who could've seen this coming. What a surprise. But thEy aRe aLl thE rEaL coNseRvaTivEs?"

At the Wash Stand, regarding Don Lemon, Neither Law nor Common Sense Gives Journalists a ‘Get-out-of-Jail Free’ Card in News Reporting.

Dave Strom sees CBS News Tries to Parse What Kind of Crimes Should Lead to Deportation, and it Is Bizarre. @LeighWolf, "There’s a reason they never link to the article or full videos. “His criminal history includes domestic assault, criminal trespass, reckless conduct, deposit account fraud, violation of probation, multiple arrests for driving on a suspended license.” "In 2014, an immigration judge ordered him removed after he failed to show up for his immigration hearing.” You have to wonder what, precisely, democrats are so desperate to protect that they would lie in such a comically absurd manner." Quote Congressman Seth Magaziner @Rep_Magaziner, "They are still deporting veterans." Twitchy sees Bill Melugin FINISHES the Dem/Media's Desperate and Dishonest 'Non-Violent Illegal' Spin. Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_, "None of Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, & Rachel Morin’s illegal alien killers had any “violent” criminal history beforehand." Quote CBS News @CBSNews, "DHS data show 14% of immigrants arrested by ICE in the past year had been charged or convicted of violent crimes."

Bonchie at RedState, That Tulsi Gabbard 'Whistleblower' Story Just Completely Fell Apart. From Sundance, DNI General Counsel Sets Record Straight – NSA Whistleblower Claims are Baseless and NSA “Whistleblower” Attorney Andrew Bakaj Appears on Video Making False Claim About “Underlying Intercept” and explains Why is the Deep State Targeting DNI Tulsi Gabbard with Such Ferocity? Svetlana Lokhova @RealSLokhova, "The @guardian are now dissembling because in their attempted hit on @TulsiGabbard, they relied on the word of the CIA operative "lawyer" Andrew Bakaj, who worked for Hillary and Schumer on the Hill and represented the Vindmans in the fake Ukraine impeachment. Bakaj has now walked back the whole story. The British intelligence-ran Guardian are now having to "correct" i.e. retract." InfantryDort @infantrydort. "Tulsi Gabbard must be so close to the target it’s not even funny. The amount of heat on her and her team is being revved up to unforeseen levels. BS hit pieces to be sure. But they smear who they fear. And filth media is going hard in the paint right now." Quote Alexa Henning @alexahenning "Your story is false. This headline is not accurate. Your leaker lied to you. And you ignored our requests to give us time to get you accurate information and published your story before we could respond. You are a total loser being used by your sources (likely Congress) to leak highly classified information." Quote Cate Brown @catebrown12 "SCOOP: The NSA detected a phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump last spring. Whistleblower says that @DNIGabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff." Ace, Left-Wing "Scoop" That Tulsi Gabbard Was on a Secret, Traitorous Phone Call with a Foreign Person Blows Up Within Hours, Exposed As Another Schiffian Hoax. "The "story" was broken by Cate Brown -- formerly of the Washington Post. She's a Deep State operator programmed by her masters to take out Tulsi Gabbard." Bob Hoge at RedState, Tulsi Gabbard Comes Out Swinging Against Mark Warner, Says Senator's Whistleblower Tale Is 'Blatant Lie'.

Josh Blackmun at The Volokh Conspiracy reads history, Seven Pages Of Nixon Grand Jury Testimony Reveal The Real Threat Of the Deep State.

Matt Margolis hears The Trump Administration FINALLY Tells Boasberg to Pound Sand “The Trump administration will not comply with a court order requiring due process for hundreds of Venezuelan migrants deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador last year, DOJ lawyers said,” reports Fox News Digital. “It sets up a heated clash in court next week in a case that is almost certainly headed back to the Supreme Court.” ET sees Federal Judge Order Transportation Department to Restore Hudson Tunnel Project Funding "The two states were challenging funding cuts tied to federal scrutiny of diversity, equity, and inclusion contracting rules." End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Judge: He's just a hurt black man Suspect: I would do it again, b*tch." Quote End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "BREAKING: Judge Tracy Davis cuts in half a 65 year recommended prison sentence for r*pist kidnapper She portrayed his as a black victim."

Dave Strom, WaPo Lionizes Adam Schiff as a Democratic Leader in the Age of Trump. Elon Musk @elonmusk, "CBS (prior to current ownership) engaged in deliberate election interference." Quote Stand Up For Trump @StandUpForTrmp, "BREAKING: In a bombshell revelation, CBS investigative journalist Catherine Herridge has gone public with explosive allegations: "CBS executives deliberately buried the 'Hunter Biden laptop story' and ordered her to wait until AFTER the 2022 midterms to help the Democratic Party . . ." alexandriabrown @alexthechick, "The use of seize to refer to election results reveals the assumption that there is something illegitimate about parties on the right winning elections." Quote Sky News @SkyNews, "BREAKING: Japan's ultra-conservative prime minister is set to seize more power after an exit poll had her securing a big majority in the country's lower house." "Readers added context: Wording is misleading. « Seizing » power is commonly used for forcefully taking power. The Prime minister is set to gain more power after wining the vast majority in an election." Matt Vespa thinks Why This Former CNN Reporter Saying He'd Fire Scott Jennings Is Amusing. Joe Concha @JoeConchaTV, "Legacy media: “The First Amendment is under attack!” @acosta: Let’s fire people our team disagrees with! Irony- all three people on this stage found a way to get fired from CNN and MSNBC…" Quote Western Lensman @WesternLensman "Jim Acosta tells Mehdi Hassan and Joy Reid: "If @ScottJenningsKY worked for me, I'd fire his ass."

At TownHall, Joe Chalfant laughs at WaPo Claims That Bad Bunny's Profane Performance Represented 'Wholesome Family Values', Amy Curtis wonders how John Kasich Called Bad Bunny's Show a Celebration of Latino Culture. Did He Read Some of the Lyrics? and Matt Vespa wants you to Notice Where This Ex-ESPN Reporter's Attempt to Mock Conservatives Over Bad Bunny Laughably Derailed. Bob Salera @BobSalera, "The last, and funniest, stage of Trump Derangement Syndrome: being forced to pretend you like Bad Bunny as a 73 year old white guy." Quote John Kasich @JohnKasich "Love the halftime show which celebrates the wonderful Latino culture. Great pick and great show. Bad Bunny hit a grand slam home run!" In at Hat Hair video Larry sees Joe Scarborough Melt Down As Americans Tune Out Woke Super Bowl Halftime Show.

From the College Fix, UMN professor allegedly conducted ‘ICE drill’ in class, had students shield ‘targeted’ peers: report. Campus Reform reports the U.S. Justice Department joins lawsuit against UCLA medical school over use of race-based admissions, "The U.S. Department of Justice has joined a lawsuit against UCLA’s medical school over the alleged use of racial discrimination in application processes."

Matt Margolis sees We Finally Have a Trans Athlete Whom the Media Isn’t Gushing Over. "You may or may not have heard about Elis Lundholm, a 23-year-old Swedish mogul skier. There's a reason for that. Lundholm is the first and only openly trans athlete competing at these Winter Games, but outside of a handful of puff pieces, the mainstream media seems to want nothing to do with this story. Why? Because it exposes every contradiction and shred of hypocrisy baked into their gender ideology crusade. Lundholm is a biological female who "identifies" as a man but is competing in the women's category at the Milan-Cortina Games." At UnDivided, Teen athlete says she was sexually violated by trans wrestler – and the school district did nothing "Checking the oil." Now that's a euphemism to remember! At Ace's THE MORNING RANT Buck Throckmorton sees Trans-Children Advocates Are Back-Tracking to Salvage Their Reputations as Lawsuits and a Preference Cascade Bring the Butchery to an End. 

Kurt Schlichter at TownHall warns Men Are Going to Strike Back

White Liberal Woman smacks coffee out of a guy’s hands because she believes he is an ICE officer. pic.twitter.com/GX6UbQjpj9

— Red Line News (@RedLineNewsUSA) February 2, 2026

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Snow Bunnies and FMJRA 2.0: Harvey Dent Week up on time and under budget.