Ace: aceofspadeshq at gee mail.com
Buck: buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com
CBD: cbd at cutjibnewsletter.com
joe mannix: mannix2024 at proton.me
MisHum: petmorons at gee mail.com
J.J. Sefton: sefton at cutjibnewsletter.com
Chavez the Hugo 2020
Ibguy 2020
Rickl 2019
Joffen 2014
AoSHQ Writers Group
A site for members of the Horde to post their stories seeking beta readers, editing help, brainstorming, and story ideas. Also to share links to potential publishing outlets, writing help sites, and videos posting tips to get published.
Contact OrangeEnt for info: maildrop62 at proton dot me
The Morning Rant: Our Goal In Venezuela Should Not Be The Creation Of a Jeffersonian Democracy
—CBD
The Trump administration and the United States military has begun the process of freeing Venezuela from the self-imposed grip of communist dictators. But the goal for us should not be to release Venezuelans from their bondage, but to stop the flow of drugs into America, end Venezuela's interference in our domestic affairs, and stop the illegal movement of petroleum.
That our activity is finally allowing some semblance of a resistance in Venezuela to coalesce around American military power is very nice, but it is a bonus. And our activities should be focused on what is best for America, not necessarily what is best for Venezuela.
It is the people of Venezuela who must continue the fight against their totalitarian masters, and if that means taking to the streets in mass protest, with the very real risk of a violent response from the ruling junta, then so be it. American blood and treasure has been spent too profligately in the last 20+ years for us to do more than support Venezuelan freedom fighters as a consequence of our efforts to further American interests.
She also issued sharp criticism of Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as interim president on Monday. Rodríguez has served as vice president under Maduro since 2018.
"Delcy Rodriguez, as you know, is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narco trafficking," Machado said.
"She's the main ally and liaison with Russia, China, Iran, certainly not an individual that could be trusted by international investors. And she's really rejected, repudiated by the Venezuelan people."
Machado's presence in Venezuela will be a perfect focus for the people's efforts to overthrow the communist structures of government and the military. She is far too public and well known a figure for the current dictator to arrest and kill her, and she can be a continual reminder of their manipulation of the 2024 presidential election.
The Trump administration's assumption that Delcy Rodríguez is the correct choice to maintain some semblance of continuity in government is an odd one, since she is simply a reflection of Maduro's fanatical anti-Americanism, and a willing participant in the evil perpetrated by the communist government. Hopefully she will be kept on a very short leash as the Venezuelan people do the work to dismantle communism. But even if Rodríguez remains in power, as long as our national security interests proceed, that is up to the people of Venezuela to remedy.
The real question is whether a communist dictatorship is structurally capable of functioning as an honest player on the world stage. The historical record suggests that the answer is a resounding "NO!" So communism in Venezuela will probably end if our goals are to be achieved. But that is a delightful bonus...not the end game.
[Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter and X/Twitter]. If you folks who are on X/Twitter would follow us it would be much appreciated!
Good morning kids. The top story is of course not only the justified taking out of what can only be described as a domestic terrorist behind the wheel of an automobile as she attempted to mow down ICE agents in Minneapolis, but of the truly insane, heinous and altogether completely predictable reaction of the Anti-American Left and its heart of darkness in the Democrat Party. The Projection and incandescent chutzpocrisy to blame President Trump and ICE for doing their duty in rounding up and deporting illegal aliens while at the same time encouraging and praising violent attacks on ICE and police is off the charts infuriating.
Yesterday at 2:22PM, Ace himself said
It's time for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act.
The Insurrection Act is a U.S. federal law passed in 1807 that originally authorized the president of the United States to deploy “such part of the land or naval force of the United States” that the president deems necessary to suppress an insurrection or to enable the local enforcement of federal or state laws. The act thereby expanded the president’s existing authority—under the Militia Acts of 1792 and 1795—to employ state militias to repel invasions or to enforce federal laws. The original text of the Insurrection Act is: individual state or territory, where it is lawful for the President of the United States to call forth the militia for the purpose of suppressing such insurrection, or of causing the laws to be duly executed, it shall be lawful for him to employ, for the same purposes, such part of the land or naval force of the United States, as shall be judged necessary, having first observed all the pre-requisites of the law in that respect.
Psaki-Psircling back to the chutzpocrisy of the Left, considering what happened at the Capitol 5 years ago this past Tuesday, imagine the nightmare scenario if God-forbid Hillary Clinton had been President. There is no doubt that Ashli Babbitt and Roseanne Boyland would've been two among dozens or scores of Americans whose bodies would've been stacked like cordwood, and the Republican lawmakers and others rounded up and arrested for fomenting insurrection.
That said, President Trump would be completely justified in his invocation of that act. And now given the fact that the pederast criminal governor Walz is contemplating calling up the National Guard to essentially do what that now ventilated asshole in the car attempted to do and that is form a skirmish line to open fire on ICE agents to stop them from doing their sworn duty.
That and declare total war on all organized and individual acts of anti-law enforcement insurrectionists. And as Ace suggested if the insurrection act is invoked. It's high time to decapitate the head of the snake — The Democrat National Committee and anyone who publicly foments, and approves of any assault on any law enforcement officer, national or local. It's terrorism straight up. It must be crushed. Whatever dangers there may be politically in the near or long term, the danger to our civil society is real and it is mortal Doing nothing will be one of the final signposts on the road to America's extinction as it was founded.
The Insurrection Proclamation: Trump issued it eight months ago. Governors called it an immigration order.
When you review the eight-month timeline you recognize what most ‘experts’ miss. The April 28 EO satisfied every Section 334 requirement.
It designated sanctuary conduct as insurrection. It provided formal notification. It established consequences. It granted eight months to comply.
Compliance never arrived. California and New York passed laws shielding criminal networks. Illinois officials threatened to prosecute ICE agents. Multiple states coordinated legal defenses against federal authority.
Courts blocked every standard enforcement attempt. They certified that ordinary measures have become impracticable.
Have a great day.
And lastly, a quick shout-out and a huge thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.
ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY LINKS
Trump issued it eight months ago. Governors called it an immigration order. (Hat tip to bothGrumpy/Recalcitrant & Helena Handbasket - jjs) The Insurrection Proclamation
Homeland Security posted to X, “Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.” ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Woman Who Allegedly ‘Weaponized Her Vehicle’
Renee Nicole Good has been identified as the woman fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer while attempting to run agents over. Woman Who Tried to Run Over ICE Agents Identified.
The media granted their leftist goons the moral authority to "peacefully" burn down American… ICE Has The Right To Resist
Schumer also said that while he wouldn’t get ahead of the relevant committees and subcommittees as to whether the Department of Homeland Security budget should have more constraints on ICE, “I’m appalled by what they do. I have repeatedly voted for many different restrictions on ICE and the FBI, and I believe that the committee will consider it in a very serious way.” Schumer: ICE Agents ‘Don’t Belong in Our Cities’, Need an Investigation of Minneapolis Shooting (Illegal alien criminal invaders don't belong in our cities, and you don't belong on this side of the grass you bastard jjs)
Months of incendiary rhetoric, coupled with Democrats’ immediate assumption of wrongdoing, have turned ICE agents’ enforcement duties into life-threatening situations. Labeling likely defensive actions as “murder” or “heinous killings” provides moral cover for further attacks. Dems React To Minneapolis Car-Ramming By Inciting More Anti-ICE Violence
CIVIL WAR 2.0, LEFTIST PERSECUTIONS, DEMOCRAT PUTSCH, AMERICAN DISSOLUTION
Of course, repeating communist dogma and a degree in Africana studies from Bowdoin College can still get you elected as mayor of New York City. However, for many, the lack of employment prospects seems to reaffirm what radical faculty told them about the conspiracy of evil capitalists ranging from oligarchs to oil companies. Jonathan Turley Op-Ed: The peril of Mamdani and Weaver’s communist college kids’ field trip in New York City
Affluent progressives have the ongoing challenge of maintaining their wealth and status while keeping up appearances of benevolence and compassion. Progressives Give Blacks Just Enough
In a two-page order, the Texas Supreme Court approved amendments it proposed in late September 2025, which effectively declared “that the ABA should no longer have the final say on whether a law school’s graduates are eligible to sit for the Texas bar exam and become licensed to practice law in Texas.” As noted by local media, the bar exam is “a requirement to becoming a licensed lawyer in each state.” Texas Squashes Left-Wing American Bar Association’s Monopoly On Law School Accreditation
J-6 FBI/PELOSI-ENGINEERED FALSE FLAG "RIOT" & AFTERMATH,
Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that former [so-called quote-unquote] President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats have caused “record high inflation,” which has caused the “American Dream” to become “increasingly out of reach for far too many people.” (RELATED: Here’s How The US Economy Really Fared Under Trump In 2025) Blackstone Stock Nosedives As Trump Comes For Their Real Estate Cash Grab
THE 2020 and SUBSEQUENT ELECTION HEISTS , SHENANIGANS/FRAUD and AFTERMATH
“This Department of Justice has now sued 23 states for failing to provide voter roll data and will continue filing lawsuits to protect American elections,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement:
Speaking at a Goldman Sachs conference in Miami, Wright said the U.S. will initially market backed-up crude currently stored in Venezuelan facilities and tankers, then continue selling all Venezuelan oil production going forward. U.S. to Control Venezuelan Oil Sales Indefinitely
Yet, that's pretty much what General "Vanilli" Milley did to President Trump 45. He defanged and disarmed the biggest dealmaker in the business to frame himself as the only adult in the room. He subsumed Trump's role and, in his phone calls with the People's Liberation Army commander, assured him that if that crazy president started talking about nuking the ChiComs, he'd be Milley's first call. Aren't You Glad the Head of the Joint Chiefs Didn't Call Maduro to Tell Him We Were Coming?
“Trump team puts a target on Cuba, with threats and oil blockade. … The emboldened second Trump administration presents an entirely new threat to Cuba’s leaders.” Why Cuba Might Be the First Casualty of Maduro’s Fall
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Maduro’s successor, interim president Delcy Rodríguez, and other Venezuelan officials have agreed to sell up to $2 billion in crude oil to the United States. The deal would divert oil coveted by China to U.S. refineries. Reports: China Expected to Replace Venezuelan Oil with Iranian Crude (The Chi-Coms will do whatever they can to help the mullahs stay in power - jjs)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that Jews are safer in Budapest than anywhere else in Europe, pointing to strict immigration controls and zero tolerance for antisemitism as the foundation of what a modern European capital “ought to be.” (he nay be right, though ironically it was its most lethal 82 years ago - jjs) Orbán: Budapest Is Europe’s Safest City for Jews — ‘This Is What a Modern Capital Looks Like’
Private equity’s takeover of cancer care is driving up costs, degrading outcomes, and sidelining doctors—proof that profit-first finance is a danger to American healthcare. Private Equity Is Making a Mess of Healthcare
ACTUAL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
Scientists have now published the first results from the Rubin Observatory in Chile during its on-going commissioning phase, during which they detected more than 2,000 asteroids in just one patch in the sky, most of which had been unknown previously and many rotating at record-breaking speeds. Rubin Observatory’s first observations detects more than 2,000 asteroids
I am suggesting this because right now it appears that NASA, the President, and Congress are all repeating the same mistakes NASA made in 1967 with the Apollo 1 launchpad fire that killed three astronauts, as well as in 1986 with the space shuttle Challenger disaster that killed seven astronauts. In both cases, there were clear and obvious engineering issues that said both the Apollo capsule and the space shuttle were not ready to fly, but the pressure of schedule convinced managers at NASA to look the other way, to place those scheduling concerns above fundamental engineering principles. In both cases, people died when the engineering issues were ignored. President Trump and NASA Administrator Isaacman: Please Take the Crew
Off of Artemis II
“If we could explore that ocean with a remote-control submarine, we predict we wouldn’t see any new fractures, active volcanoes or plumes of hot water on the seafloor,” Byrne said. “Geologically, there’s not a lot happening down there. Everything would be quiet.” And on an icy world like Europa, a quiet seafloor might well mean a lifeless ocean, he added. Study: If Europa has an underground ocean, it is lifeless and dormant
Reagan, a conservative commentator and broadcaster and President Reagan’s son with his first wife, Jane Wyman, passed on Sunday, according to his family. Michael Reagan, Ronald Reagan’s Son, Dies at 80
ALSO: The Morning Report cross-posts at CutJibNewsletter.com usually within an hour or so of posting here, if you want to continue the conversation all day.
Cloud support well end as scheduled, but they will instead work with your own local wifi without need for a cloud app. And Bose has released technical documentation for the SoundTouch APIs, allowing hackers to create open source solutions.
You don't need to worry about this, though. All current consumer SSDs are built with TLC or QLC flash; the last MLC model was Samsung's 970 Pro introduced in 2018.
The memory is soldered in, whatever configuration you choose, because that is the only option with the 388H. It used LPDDR5X-9600 RAM, so the bandwidth is 50% higher than you can get from conventional SODIMMs - and the graphics performance is 50% higher than previous Intel models.
Meaning that it sticks five fake frames between each two rendered frames, rather than just three. Making graphics buttery smooth, and game responsiveness a tar pit full of dead dinosaurs.
Looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow.
Wednesday Overnight Open Thread - January 7, 2026 [Apollo Rex]
—Open Blogger
Good evening Horde. The time has come for mid-week shenanigans of the post-cafe overnight variety.
Welcome to the Wednesday night ONT which means another edition of random overnight fun and games. Pull up a chair and sit a spell. Good will offerings of amusing puns are happily accepted. Pants are optional. Be nice to your fellow commenters and AoS contributors.
Results of the Official 2025 Wednesday ONT Prediction Challenge
Did the predicting moose out front already tell ya the winners?
Thank you for those who participated. The challenge had two parts - financial data and events. The financial predictions attracted 19 participants. The event predictions attracted 37 participants.
Financial metrics: cost of gasoline, S&P 500, dollar to Euro exchange rate, 2x4 lumber, Ford F-150 MSRP, Bitcoin, share price of Smith & Wesson, Home Depot and Tesla.
The winner of the financial metrics challenge is: Publius Redux. Blaster was a very close second place and Pennsyltucky was close behind in third.
The rest of the rankings:
Dave H
Grateful
Anonymous Rogue in Kalifornistan (ARiK)
Gouverneur Morris
pookysgirl
no one of any consequence
Luca I
Mikeski
PaleRider
lin-duh
tankdemon
Jimmy Doolittle
scampydog
SPinRH_F-16
jimmy mcnulty
Methos
The ten event predictions included elimination of Daylight time, departures of Supreme Court justice, Iran's Khamanei, and Canada's Trudeau, declassification of JFK files, Epstein client list, and Diddy client list, SpaceX Starship launches, defunding of NPR and PBS, and RFK remaining in office at HHS.
The clear winner of the event prediction challenge is PaleRider who guessed ALL ten correctly. Impressive. Nobody else was close. Several guessed seven but nobody guessed eight or nine.
The rest of the rankings:
Dr Claw - 7
Dirk Manly - 7
Methos - 7
Anonymous Rogue in Kalifornistan (ARiK) - 7
Durak Kazyol - 7
SPinRH_F-16 - 7
no one of any consequence - 7
Luca I - 7
SanFranpsycho - 6
scampydog - 6
Mikeski - 6
MammaB - 6
Jimmy Doolittle - 6
Clovis Sangrail - 6
Gouverneur Morris - 6
Lin-duh - 5
AOP - 5
gilbar - 5
Moonbeam - 5
Iris - 5
Pennsyltucky - 5
blaster - 5
Lola - 5
Puddlegum - 5
Nemo- 5
Publius Redux - 5
Dave H - 5
Grateful - 5
deplorable Ian Galt - 4
Sal - 4
pookysgirl - 4
tankdemon - 4
BourbonChicken - 4
jimmy mcnulty - 4
Piper - 3
ScaryMary - 3
Congratulations!! Well done!
Winners can pick up their prizes on Saturday in the form of drink tickets in Club ONT.
Dublin's Sean O'Casey Bridge, which has been unable to open to shipping for the past four years, was finally re-opened in the past few weeks after experts created a new remote control for the structure.
Spanning the Liffey between the IFSC and City Quay, it's designed to swing apart to allow sail-craft upriver as far as the Talbot Memorial Bridge.
The design includes two 44-metre-long arms, capable of swinging open when required. That operation is controlled by a hand-held remote device - that device went missing some years ago, meaning openings were no longer possible.
Speaking to this website, Financial Advisor to the Authority John Crawley confirmed that it was once again possible to open the structure to shipping, following an engineering review. A lack of funding meant the process couldn't happen until recently, he said.
As part of the overhaul, work has been carried out on the bridge itself, and contractors were tasked with "reprogramming an opening device," Crawley said.
"Its not like a Sky box remote control. You have to make sure that it's a secure system, so there are layers of security."
An Irish-based firm carried out the reprogramming, and that aspect of the work cost around €1,800, Crawley said.
Easy to laugh, but who among us hasn't lost a remote control to something we own?
Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Special Session to Redistrict Florida Tim Walz Activates National Guard -- Hinting He'll Use It to Fight FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
—Ace
This is still my guy. And he doesn't play footsie with Nazis just to keep Tucker Carlson on his side.
This is a small surprise, because while DeSantis talked about doing this, he mostly talked about doing this after the Supreme Court rendered judgment on the Democrat-fabricated "rule" that legislative districts must be drawn to elect as many minorities as mathematically possible. The Supreme Court hasn't ruled on that yet, but DeSantis is going ahead with the redistricting plan.
lorida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that he will convene a special legislative session for redistricting.
"Today, I announced that I will be convening a Special Session of the Legislature focused on redistricting to ensure that Florida's congressional maps accurately reflect the population of our state," he posted on X.
"Every Florida resident deserves to be represented fairly and constitutionally. This Special Session will take place after the regular legislative session, which will allow the Legislature to first focus on the pressing issues facing Floridians before devoting its full attention to congressional redistricting in April."
Meanwhile, potty-mouthed pork-chop Jasmine Ratchet erupted into a, get this, profane tirade over the Supreme Court refusing to step in and save her own racially-contrived district.
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett erupted into a profanity-laced tirade this week after the Supreme Court declined to step in and block Texas's newly drawn congressional maps, a ruling that clears the way for Republicans to gain as many as five additional House seats in 2026.
In a video posted to her YouTube channel, Crockett blasted the Court, President Trump, and GOP-controlled state governments, accusing them of "rigging the system" ahead of the midterms. "Obviously, Trump is still doing his bidding with these state Houses and state Senates and governors' mansions to try to rig the system," she said, before praising states she claims are resisting Republicans. "Kudos to Indiana for saying f*** you. Kudos to California for saying we're going to fight back." Crockett then aimed her anger directly at the justices, exclaiming, "And f*** you to the Supreme Court for what they did."
She then ate the microphone and took a selfie with her backfat.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) says “f*** you” to the Supreme Court for basically ending her political career by allowing Texas redistricting to go forward.
Crockett has given up running for her House seat and is now desperately running for Senate. She has no chance.
Governor Uptwinkles has given a "warning" to the National Guard to be ready to deploy, once his antifa and illegal supporters start rioting. He's also demanded Trump and Noem go home. He sounds like he's mobilizing the National Guard as an insurrection against the federal government.
BREAKING - Tim Walz is now threatening to mobilize the Minnesota National Guard to keep the federal government out of Minnesota.
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) January 7, 2026
INSURRECTION? Gov Walz revealed that 7,800 National Guard troops are in training for a possible deployment and has sent out a warning notice preparing troops that may be deployed against federal immigration agents. A governor preparing state troops against federal law enforcement… pic.twitter.com/6z58NyQjoF
Two Venezuela-Linked "Dark Fleet" Ships Change Their Registrations Mid-Cruise to Russian In the Belief That This Will Protect Them from Trump; But Trump Gives No Effs and Seizes Them
—Ace
Russia actually sent an attack sub to protect one of the terrorist oil smuggling ships. Plus it suddenly hoisted a Russian flag and declared itself a Russian ship. Russia was part of this, because they approved the re-flagging of the ship without any of the normal steps required.
They thought Trump would be a-scared to seize a Russian-flagged terror ship.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that the U.S. seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela.
"In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two 'ghost fleet' tanker ships--one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean. Both vessels--the Motor Tanker Bella I and the Motor Taker [sic] Sophia--were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it," Noem posted on X.
"Under President Trump's bold and visionary leadership, US Coast Guard tactical teams worked closely with its counterparts at the Departments of War, Department of Justice and State and used their specialized expertise to conduct these operations and conduct two safe, effective boardings within hours of each other," she continued.
"One of these tankers, Motor Tanker Bella I, has been trying to evade the Coast Guard for weeks, even changing its flag and painting a new name on the hull while being pursued, in a desperate and failed attempt to escape justice. The heroic crew of the USCGC Munro pursued this vessel across the high seas and through treacherous storms--keeping diligent watch, and protecting our country with the determination and patriotism that make Americans proud. These brave men and women deserve our nation's thanks for their selfless devotion to duty."
...
The vessel was one of a number of sanctioned oil tankers operating near Venezuela that recently changed their flags to Russia.
Visegrád 24
@visegrad24
9h
Russia has dispatched a submarine and several warships to escort a shadow-fleet tanker that the United States attempted to seize off the coast of Venezuela and is now pursuing in the Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The tanker Bella 1 spent more than two weeks trying to bypass the U.S. blockade on Venezuela but failed to dock and load cargo. In December, the vessel's crew repelled a U.S. attempt to board the ship and then sailed into the Atlantic Ocean.
It is now being pursued in international waters by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The tanker has since re-registered as Russian, been renamed Marinera, and the crew painted a Russian flag on the hull.
According to U.S. sources, Russia then asked Washington to stop pursuing what it now claims is a Russian vessel. On Tuesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said it was following the situation around the tanker "with concern."
The ship is currently sailing about 300 miles south of Iceland toward the North Sea. A Russian submarine and other naval assets are moving in to support it.
RUSSIAN AGENT Donald Trump is going rogue like Ethan Hunt, yo!
In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two “ghost fleet” tanker ships— one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean. Both vessels —the Motor Tanker Bella I and the Motor… pic.twitter.com/EZlHEtcufX
The U.S European command has successfully made seizure of Bella 1, following weeks-long pursuit and shortly after the Russian authorities sent another vessel to protect the sanctioned oil tanker. pic.twitter.com/IIehE1wGL6
Bu-bu-but Russia has shopping carts with refundable coin payment slots and Vladimir Putin is Super Socially Conservative you guys.
Meanwhile, Tucker Carlson's other allied nation, Iran, continues to burn.
Make no mistake: By taking out Maduro and crippling Venezuela's ability to ferry terrorist-funding Iranian oil and send oil to prop up their Cuban benefactors, Trump has taken major steps to destabilize and overthrow the (I know I shouldn't use this word but I can't help it) Axis of Evil.
And Tucker Carlson and his crew of goosestepping loonies want to pull an Obama and bail them all out!
Surge of Economic Pain Pushes Iranians to the Streets
High inflation and a currency collapse have squeezed Iranians' budgets, challenging the country's leaders.
Protesters took to the streets of the capital, Tehran, and other cities in Iran on Monday to decry surging inflation and the collapse of the national currency, which have thrown markets into chaos and punched holes in family budgets.
The currency plunged to a record low this past weekend against the U.S. dollar and the annual inflation rate rose to 42.2 percent in December.
Amid the turmoil, the head of Iran's central bank, Mohammad Reza Farzin, resigned on Monday, pending the president's acceptance, local news media reported. A former economy minister, Abdolnaser Hemmati, was set to replace him.
The economic turmoil poses a new challenge for Iran's leaders as they seek to maintain control of their country of 92 million people while recovering from attacks on its nuclear facilities in June by Israel and the United States and a campaign of "maximum pressure" from the Trump administration aimed at securing a new agreement about Iran's nuclear program.
...
Experts attribute Iran's deepening economic pain to a host of factors from poor management to policies that keep the country's economy closed. The stepped-up efforts by the Trump administration to limit Iran's oil sales to foreign countries and the war with Israel in June, during which the government tapped Iranian banks to cover its costs, have also contributed to the worsening economy.
...
The proposed 2026 budget showed the government's dilemma, reflecting a substantial decrease in oil revenue and an increased reliance on tax revenue.
On Monday, the Parliament rejected the proposed budget, the semiofficial Tasnim News Agency reported.
...
The currency collapse has been painful for ordinary Iranians, who have watched the value of their salaries and savings drop while prices for goods and services skyrocketed.
Omid, a 42-year-old sales manager in Tehran, said the value of his monthly income has dropped to the equivalent of $200 per month from $300 in just two months, giving him anxiety.
Below, in Germany (I think), a white woman shows up to counter-protest Iranians cheering on the anti-Mullah protests.
Leftist woman melts down and screams “Free Palestine” at Iranian people’s rally to support the uprising against the Islamic government pic.twitter.com/NiDBFaa6C9
As someone observed: White leftist women always make every single thing about themselves and their own bullshit and the thousands of evil snakes wriggling around in their heads.
RFKJr. Unveils What Leftwing Ninnies Are Calling an "Upside-Down" Food Pyramid
—Ace
No, it's rightside up. The old one was upside down, created out of nothing besides what one Senator's quack doctor told him about nutrition, plus lots of lobbying by vegetarians who constantly pressure the government into lying about nutrition.
The White House on Wednesday unveiled new dietary guidelines, with officials calling it the "most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history."
The new guidelines were represented with an upside-down pyramid placing vegetables, fruits, proteins, dairy and healthy fats at the top and whole grains at the bottom.
"The new guidelines recognize that whole, nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower health care costs," said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
"The new framework centers on protein and healthy fats, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. It's upside down, a lot of people say. It was actually upside down before," he added.
The initial food pyramid was introduced in the 1990s, showing a small amount of sugars at the top, recommending 2-4 servings of dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables in the middle, and 8-11 servings of bread, rice, pasta and other grains at the bottom. It was updated to "My Plate" under the Obama administration.
...
It was the first White House press briefing of 2026.
"Diets rich in vegetables and fruits reduce disease risk more effectively than many drugs," Kennedy added. "All grains outperform refined carbohydrates, added sugars, especially sugar sweetened beverages, drive metabolic disease, and today, our government declares war on added sugar, highly processed foods loaded with additives, added sugar and excess salt."
Rollins said these guidelines will apply to whole foods whether they are "fresh, frozen, canned or dried."
"These new guidelines are going to update the food that is served to America's children in our public schools to the plates that are served to our great men in uniform, in our military, our veterans, in the food that they are consuming at the VA and these new guidelines are also going to impact nutritional programs for the needy in our country, such as WIC and Head Start," Leavitt said, adding that these new guidelines would also help Americans save "thousands" on groceries.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins today released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025--2030, marking the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades.
The new Guidelines deliver a clear, common-sense message to the American people: eat real food.
The U.S. faces a national health emergency. Nearly 90% of health care spending goes toward treating chronic disease, much of it linked to diet and lifestyle. More than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese, and nearly 1 in 3 adolescents has prediabetes. Diet-driven chronic disease now disqualifies many young Americans from military service, threatening national readiness and limiting opportunity.
...
"Under President Trump's leadership, the Administration is restoring scientific integrity, accountability, and common sense to federal health guidance. The 2025--2030 Guidelines reestablish food--not pharmaceuticals--as the foundation of health and reclaim the food pyramid as a tool for nourishment and education.
The Guidelines emphasize simple, flexible guidance rooted in modern nutrition science:
Prioritize protein at every meal
Consume full-fat dairy with no added sugars
Eat vegetables and fruits throughout the day, focusing on whole forms
Incorporate healthy fats from whole foods such as meats, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados
Focus on whole grains, while sharply reducing refined carbohydratesLimit highly processed foods, added sugars, and artificial additives
Eat the right amount for you, based on age, sex, size, and activity level
Choose water and unsweetened beverages to support hydration
Limit alcohol consumption for better overall health
Nutritional reformer and debunker of lies Nina Teichholz isn't satisfied -- the new dietary suggestions continue claiming that animal fat is bad for you and must be capped at 10% of all calories. Which she says make the new recommendations contradictory, given that they suggest a protein-first diet.
Delayed for months, the highly anticipated new U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be released to the public tomorrow, followed by a large (invite-only) event at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday. As promised, the new guidelines are expected to be only about eight pages, far shorter than the 100+ tomes of previous administrations. The guidelines are also likely to include a lengthy appendix with scientific reviews to justify their changes.
The one widely touted reform was an "end to the war on saturated fat," as both HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have repeatedly pledged since taking office--including as recently as Nov 27th. This was a revolutionary proposal. The cap on saturated fats has been a bedrock piece of advice since the launch of this policy in 1980, and it is why so many Americans avoid red meat, drink skim milk, and opt to cook with seed oils over butter.
Yet I learned from two administration officials that saturated fats will not be liberated after all. The longstanding 10% of calories cap on these fats will remain.
At the same time, the guidelines' language will encourage cooking with "butter" and "tallow," both of which are high in saturated fat. It will also introduce a colorful new food pyramid with proteins--including red meat--occupying the largest portion. These are powerful messages, never before conveyed by our national food policy, and are likely to influence consumer behavior.
Teichholz is a Hot MILF who probably looks good in a white lab coat and therefore all of what she says is presumptively true. Still, the new recommendations are good, and big, first step.
She notes that the new guidelines finally advocate for a low-carb diet, for those who tend to be fluffy:
Other Changes to the Guidelines
Before taking a deeper dive into saturated fats, here are some other details of the revamped guidelines I've learned:
• The limit on sugar will be dramatically lowered, from the current limit of 10% of calories to possibly 2% of calories, although that target may be for children only.
• A low-carbohydrate diet will be included as a possible option for people with obesity, diabetes, and perhaps other metabolic diseases. This is a huge win and one for which the Nutrition Coalition, the non-profit group I founded, has been advocating since 2020. This new low-carb option will be included in a section entitled "special considerations," even though 93% of American adults are metabolically unhealthy, according to a 2022 paper based on government data, making low-carb seem logical as a more mainstream approach. An important caveat here is that achieving a low-carbohydrate diet, which is almost always higher in fish, meat, dairy, butter, and fat generally, will be impossible with the continued 10% cap on saturated fats.
House Oversight Committee Takes Testimony About Somali Fraud (While Democrats Yammer about January 6th and White Supremacy)
—Ace
Media Lies
@MediasLies
Democrat Rep. Robert Garcia's opening statement at the House Oversight hearing on fraud: Agrees fraud is bad... then immediately pivots to "but Trump!"
"Republicans like to talk about fraud in states with Democratic governors... but Republicans also have a president who has pardoned or reduced jail time for 25 criminals convicted of fraud..."
Classic TDS deflection. Instead of addressing fraud in blue states, it's all Trump's fault.
Three state Republican lawmakers who have investigated public assistance fraud told the House Oversight Committee taxpayers were being ripped off to the tune of billions of dollars over recent years and the state's Democratic leadership refused to act. Walz, who recently announced he would drop his bid for a third term, has been asked to testify at a later hearing amid scrutiny of his handling of the schemes and faced criticism for failing to step in sooner to shut down payments to fraudsters.
House Republicans launched an investigation into Walz's handling of the fraud claims in December claiming the former vice-presidential nominee allowed efforts to cover it up and retaliate against whistleblowers under his watch. Walz has claimed the hearings and broader federal actions against the state are a political stunt to silence critics of the administration.
Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican who chairs the committee, questioned whether Walz, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the state's Democratic leadership were negligent or complicit in the fraud.
"Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota's Democrat leadership have either been asleep at the wheel or complicit in these crimes," Comer said. "We must expose this theft of taxpayer dollars and hold everybody accountable who let it happen."
...
One prosecutor has alleged that half or more of the $18 billion in federal funds for 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 could have been stolen. Most of the defendants in the case are Somali Americans.
...
State Rep. Marion Rarick told lawmakers the Walz administration had retaliated against state employees who raised concerns about the fraud with threats of being fired for cause so they cannot collect unemployment insurance or being involuntarily transferred to other departments to damage their careers.
State Rep. Kristin Robbins, a Republican who is running for governor, also said Walz has overseen a culture that encourages fraud. She said the committee she leads had identified fraud in Medicaid programs, autism centers, housing stabilization and other programs.
"Culture matters. Fraud flourishes when leaders ignore it, and criminals see they can get away with it," she testified. "Second, fraud flourishes when basic internal controls are not followed. This is not complicated."
She accused Walz and his administration of actively interfering with criminal investigations looking into the fraud and refusing to address the fraud for political gains through the support of Somali Americans in Minnesota. The state Department of Human Services undermined attempts to strengthen fraud prevention by making it harder to disqualify providers for the Child Care Assistance Program than others.
"We have many whistleblower reports talking about how DHS undermined the ability to strengthen internal controls," Robbins said.
Some videos of the questioning -- and the Democrats making animal noises -- below.
UNBELIEVABLE: !Just watched this disgusting display from a Dem in the House Oversight hearing on massive Minnesota fraud schemes.
Instead of addressing the childcare crisis and fraud that's bleeding taxpayers dry, she launches into a vile tirade painting white men as the real criminals and even dragging Jan 6 pardons into it.
She mocks "bad groups" and "others," then demands we "look at ourselves" -- meaning blame American citizens, especially white men, for "disproportionate" violence.
She even laughs while spewing this BULLSHIT! And get this: Defends Somali donors to campaigns, insisting they're all citizens so no problem. Total deflection from the real fraud investigations hitting her backyard.
This is peak anti-American, anti-white hatred from the left -- ignoring border chaos, criminal illegals, and fraud rings while demonizing hardworking patriots and even the President.
She's the real threat to our country, pushing division and excuses for corruption.
Time to call out these race-baiting Dems and demand accountability!
UNBELIEVABLE: !Just watched this disgusting display from a Dem in the House Oversight hearing on massive Minnesota fraud schemes.
Instead of addressing the childcare crisis and fraud that's bleeding taxpayers dry, she launches into a vile tirade painting white men as the real… pic.twitter.com/mfke5gAHFv
This gape-assed faggot is using the committee's time to whine about the "stolen valor" of Trump -- who's only the second US president with a background in entertainment, btw -- putting his name on the Trump-Kennedy Center.
He says he has legishhlashion ready for thish purposhh.
Either he's in Biden-like cognitive decline and the speesh shentersh of his brain are degraded, or he's a Kamala-like daydrinker and slosh-drunk during working hours.
You choose.
But choose wisely, because as the True Grail brings everlasting life, the False Grail brings eternal damnation.
That said, the answer is "Both."
Update:
America
@america
Majority Whip Tom Emmer: "Do you have any doubt that Tim Walz knew about that fraud as it was occurring?"
Minnesota State Reps:
"None whatsoever"
"He absolutely knew that it was occurring."
Video. The whistleblowers were told they would be fired for cause so that they could not receive unemployment insurance.
The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday defended an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who fatally shot someone in what the agency says was self-defense.
"Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them--an act of domestic terrorism," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "
An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots."
...
"This is the direct consequence of constant attacks and demonization of our officers by sanctuary politicians who fuel and encourage rampant assaults on our law enforcement," McLaughlin added.
It's time for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act.
This is intentional. This is the deliberate enabling of fraud.
This is conspiracy.
The Biden administration didn't require verification that kids were attending child care centers before sending them as much as $19 billion in federal funding, a stunning oversight the Trump administration is trying to reverse.
Trump Health and Human Services officials announced Monday it would restore "attendance-based billing" and reverse a Biden-era practice of states paying the child care centers without proper checks, the Post can exclusively reveal.
The President Biden rule took effect on April 30, 2024, meaning more than $19.3 billion in taxpayer dollars over 20 months may have been spent before President Trump could correct provisions that could have prolonged massive day care fraud in Minnesota.
"Congress appropriated this funding to support working families and ensure children have safe places to grow and learn," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaking from the Oval Office with the American flag and the Presidential Seal visible behind him. 7
"Loopholes and fraud diverted that money to bad actors instead. Today, we are correcting that failure and returning these funds to the working families they were meant to serve."
Between 2021 and 2024, the Administration for Children and Families shelled out more than $91.8 billion from its Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), a federal block grant program that helps fund child care in states, US territories and tribes, per HHS data.
A whopping $56 billion went out the door just in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why would there be an urgent need to send out $56 billion for "day care" during the "height of covid," when 80% of the population was under orders to remain at home?
Yes, some people needed day care because Democrats also shut down the schools, and they were considered "essential workers."
But this would still mean that most children were now at home with their imprisoned parents. Only a fraction would need day care.
A Trans "Woman" Beats His Pud In the Planet Fitness Woman's Bathroom; Planet Fitness Throws Out The Actual Woman Who Reported the Public Masturbator, Let the Public Masturbator Stay
—Ace
The very obvious man pounded it out like he was John Bonham playing Kashmir at Wembley.
The male public masturbatior jerked off openly with women present. When one woman reported him to the staff, they kicked her out of the Planet Fitness and let the sex criminal stay.
Because he's "transgender" and so he's allowed to pull his dick like choad-flavored taffy.
The mentally-ill man and sex predator was in a stall, but you could see what he was doing in the shadows beneath him. It's obvious he's jerking off. Either that or he's trying to start an outboard motor he keeps on his belt.
Planet Fitness instructs its female clients to show "understanding" towards publicly-masturbating men invading their private spaces.
This took place near San Francisco -- of course. A place called Concord.
Below, you can really see the mentally-ill sex pest shadowboxing with his hog.
The woman sent in her boyfriend to confront his fellow penis-tugging man. He keeps saying "Dude, you're jerking off, everyone can see it" and "Bro, this is totally inappropriate." The "Transgender" doesn't really deny it, he just keeps saying "I was in the stall" as if when you're in a public stall, there are no rules. It's Dick Thunderdome.
⚠️GRAPHIC⚠️
Man pretending to be a woman caught m*sturbating in the women’s bathroom with women present
Adam Carolla talked about this. When the transgender is asked "well if you weren't jerking off, what were you doing?!," Adam Carolla answers, "I was trying to pull this golf-ball through a sock."
By the way, he talks about his old left-wing lunatic co-hosts, Bald Brian and Gina Grad. Of Grad, he says that she engaged in straight-up denialism of the incident at the Wii spa, where a black woman famously complained of a transgender man showing off his dick to underaged girls in the women's rooms. Gina Grad simply claimed "it didn't happen." She likes transgenders and therefore, like a good communist, insists that any Identity Group she is an "ally" to is not capable of any crimes or bad behavior. If you claim they are, you're a racist or a transphobe.
There's a lot of that going 'round. Somalis, for example, are taking great advantage of this Minority Criminal Cheat Code.
Don't go to Planet Fitness. It's time for the Full Bud Light.
‼️ A woman reports a transgender man pleasuring himself in the women’s bathroom at Planet Fitness… and she gets kicked out.
You might say, "But they're in a bind, California law demands they do this."
Well, sort of. California requires women to share intimate spaces with mentally-ill men, yes -- but I'm pretty sure that they haven't yet taken the step of making it official that transgenders are allowed to publicly masturbate in women's rooms next to women and girls.
Planet Fitness has implemented this policy on their own. They had an "excuse" -- if one is needed -- to kick the pervert out. They decided to excuse his behavior and eject the woman who reported him.
In the wake of the US's audacious raid on Venezuela and it's successful capture of that country's dictator, many countries now face a difficult question: "what is our exposure to Venezuela?" For some countries, it's significant. Executing an American arrest warrant against Maduro for drug trafficking is the official purpose of the raid, but as many have pointed out, there is much more than that going on. Venezuela is much more than a drug nexus.
Venezuela is also an oil producer and sits in a geographically convenient place for coordinating trade amongst various enemies and rivals of the United States. There is a complex web of trade between these countries, and Venezuela is often involved. It sometimes finds itself in the trade system between Red China, Iran and Russia, and is a major supplier of oil to Red China. This oil moves in a "dark fleet" of tankers under US sanction, and they sometimes operate without flag or transponder on the high seas to run US blockades.
That oil has a common destination: Red China, and it serves a purpose beyond that country's endless need for energy. As everyone knows, Red China has numerous major projects throughout the world, using infrastructure and development deals in pursuit of its diplomatic objectives as its global reach continuous to expand. It has found a willing partner in Maduro's Venezuela, and Red Chinese investment has flooded into Venezuela over the years. Red China, however, doesn't usually extend credit for these projects willy-nilly and there is often security involved. In Venezuela's case, that security is oil.
So what happens now that this oil supply is threatened? Not only have the initial US actions against Venezuela's "dark fleet" threatened oil shipments to Red China, the US raid on Venezuela has caused them to essentially stop. Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA's primary external partner - Chevron - has resumed oil shipments, but per recent shipping data, none of those shipments are flowing to the Orient. PDVSA's production continues to fall and its exports to Asia - which is to say, its exports to Red China - are in free-fall.
This poses a problem for Red China, which has major investments in Venezuela backed by oil-for-loans deals between those two countries. Red China invests in Venezuela's infrastructure (and gains an important foothold in this hemisphere and a means to coordinate and enable trade with major partners), and protects its capital exposure by using oil as security. With the oil trade between the two countries now collapsing, risk is back in a big way. Red China has now demanded that its major lenders assess their exposure to Venezuela and determine their risks in the new environment:
The National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) also advised banks to strengthen risk monitoring of all Venezuela-related credit, seeking to assess potential dangers to China's lenders, the report added.
...
The Bloomberg report said the NFRA's move highlights growing concerns among regulators over potential shocks to the banking sector as geopolitical risks mount. Billions in loans have been extended over the past decade by China to the South American country, primarily led by policy banks such as China Development, the report added.
I have no idea if any banks in Red China are going to collapse if (likely when) Venezuela defaults and PDVSA can't ship oil to cover the shortfall, but Red China's regulators are trying to find out. There is a ton of exposure to Venezuela and the odds of repayment - and of non-capital diplomatic and geopolitical power returns - on their major capital investment is now very much in question. So are other Chinese investments in other Latin American countries like Cuba, which may collapse on their own absent Venezuela as a backer.
All of Red China's investments in Venezuela and Cuba, and some of its investments elsewhere in Latin America, could end up being total losses for Red China's lenders, and that may be a major blow. Time will tell. No wonder Red China has been so loud about this action as, per Reuters, it "tests [the] limits of China's diplomatic push." That may be putting it mildly.
Many of America's rivals and enemies have capital or operational exposure to Venezuela, but Red China leads the pack. Red China's external noise masks its internal scrambling to determine just how much exposure it has to Venezuela - and underscores how big a blow toppling Maduro may have been.
Good morning kids. The removal of Maduro from Venezuela certainly has our enemies and rivals around the globe siting up and taking notice. I would hope that both the President and his national security and foreign policy team including Hegseth and Rubio would have gamed out the aftermath of who would step into the breach to fill the void once we had taken down Maduro. While it's great that the Venezuelan people are cheering his removal, there is still this to contend with
Plain-clothes gunmen deployed by Venezuela’s leaders are walking the streets and stopping vehicles as they crack down on dissent and pro-American sentiment in the wake of the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. The paramilitary members, known as Colectivos, were out in full force on Tuesday as the pro-Maduro regime seeks to maintain control of the country following the surprise U.S. strikes over the weekend, The Guardian reported. Men armed with rifles set up checkpoints in the capital city of Caracas, where they stopped drivers to search their vehicles, phones, and personal belongings, looking for any evidence of support for the United States capturing Maduro, according to The Telegraph. Police, meanwhile, were instructed to “immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States.”
A classified U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that top figures within Nicolás Maduro’s regime would be best positioned to maintain short-term stability in Venezuela in the immediate aftermath of the dictator’s removal, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analysis, which was briefed to President Donald Trump and shared with a small circle of senior administration officials, reportedly shaped Trump’s decision to back Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, rather than opposition leader María Corina Machado as an interim leader, WSJ reported. “I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader if she doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within the country,” Trump said during a Saturday press conference after U.S. forces captured Maduro to face federal narco-terrorism charges in New York. “She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.” (RELATED: Venezuelan Oil Could Make America ‘Master Of The Hemisphere’ If Trump’s Domination Continues)
Trump concluded that Venezuela’s short-term stability would depend on whether the next leader retained the loyalty of the country’s military and ruling elites, according to people familiar with the intelligence review cited by the outlet. Senior administration officials commissioned the CIA to analyze day-after scenarios amid internal debates over how Venezuela might be governed if Maduro were removed. While the report did not recommend regime change or speculate on how Maduro might lose power, it evaluated who could maintain order if that outcome occurred, WSJ reported.
So, if all we did here was a little bit of Titanic deck chair rearrangement on the Lido Deck, then have we really accomplished anything? If we're concerned about maintaining the support of the military and ruling elites then I fear the question is rhetorical. Rodriguez has made some very nice pronouncements of looking forward to working with President Trump and forging a new relationship, for whatever that's worth.
Meanwhile, halfway across the globe this is happening to one of Maduro's biggest backers and boosters, Iran. While the usual thugs in the IRGC and others are cracking down on the protesters and there have been reports of the Mullahs getting set to take it on the lam to Russia, here's a little bit of encouraging news:
The Iranian Police in Ilam have now joined the revolution. People are seen celebrating as police officers have put down their weapons and are cheering on the protestors.
While the combined Israeli and USAF strike that took out the Iranian nuclear weapons sites as well as the collapsing Iranian currency and a catastrophic water crisis among the dissatisfaction with the regime that has been brewing for years might at long last bring it down. Of course considering the power of Iran's IRGC and that since 1979 it has become among the most repressive security states on the planet, to expect them to just give up power, especially to any non-Islamic forces of moderation, modernity and more western/secular oriented parties is wish-casting in the extreme.
I hope and pray that the Persian and the Venezuelan people can somehow wrest control of their respective governments and prevent a collapsing of their societies back into tyranny and despotism. I certainly also hope we have a plan to help them that does not include the kind of intervention and adventurism that were the hallmarks of the disastrous globalist fever dream of Democracy Projects and nation-building.
The Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funds from being used for abortion. Trump told GOP House members during the retreat at the Trump-Kennedy Center that they should work to take the issue of health care away from Democrats. “We don’t have that as one of our issues. It’s the only thing they have. They’re lousy at it. They came up with Obamacare. We tried to fight it. We almost had it won, but we didn’t get three votes,” he said.
Well, since when is infanticide "healthcare?" Yeah, I get it, healthcare and this "affordability" madness is an albatross being hung around the GOP's neck by the Dems and their propagandist cheerleaders. And I do agree about Obamacare, but certainly the Hyde Amendment and abortion in general must be be non-starters, or am I missing something?
Have a great day.
And lastly, a quick shout-out and a huge thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.
ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY LINKS
With all due respect to the 20% of eligible New York voters who cast their ballots for Mamdani, the adults need to step in and remove him. The Case For Stripping Mamdani’s Citizenship
A Venezuela-linked oil tanker operating in the so-called “dark fleet” painted a Russian flag on its hull, changed its name, and reflagged to Russia in an apparent bid to evade the US Coast Guard, according to reports. The vessel has since been spotted off Ireland, with the US, UK, France and Ireland reportedly conducting aerial surveillance after it escaped US interception in December, The Times reported. Venezuelan ‘dark fleet’ tanker evades US Coast Guard as Russia sends submarine to escort vessel: reports
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analysis, which was briefed to President Donald Trump and shared with a small circle of senior administration officials, reportedly shaped Trump’s decision to back Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, rather than opposition leader María Corina Machado as an interim leader, WSJ reported. Trump Kept Venezuela Under Maduro Loyalists After CIA Flagged Opposition Risks: REPORT
China is not a random foe whose front row seat to the Maduro Disappearing Act, feeling the loin-quaking rotor wash of the 160th SOAR's MH-47G Chinooks, is simply a convenient bonus for us, although that would be enough. Trump's removal of Maduro is a major blow to China
With the arrest of Venezuela's dictator Nicolás Maduro, the U.S. positions itself as a decisive player in the global energy market. With Maduro Arrest, U.S. Lands a Heavy Blow
So, here is what I can tell you about what's next for Venezuela: No one outside the White House knows. I don't know. You don't know. The loudest reporters, anchors, and pundits in the rest of the media don’t know — even the ones with the fancy anonymous sources who claim to be insiders, even the ones with the big names who get all the attention. None of them know. I'd also be willing to bet that inside the White House, they don't know exactly because extracting a complex and corrupt authoritarian regime that's been embedded for nearly three decades isn't a predictable operation and certainly not something that happens overnight. I'm sure there's an action for every predictable reaction planned, and Donald Trump is bold enough and Rubio is smart enough to execute it. What's REALLY Next for Venezuela and What the MSM Gets Wrong
Abukar Dahir Osman, the permanent representative of Somalia to the United Nations, is linked to a home healthcare agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, that was prosecuted for Medicaid fraud, officials with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have confirmed. Feds: Somalia’s Ambassador to United Nations Linked to Medicaid Fraud in Ohio
. . . the only reason government executives ever let go of power that could easily be retained, if holding on to it is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, more likely to lead to personal, financial, reputational ruin. Perhaps even jail — who knows how exposed he and his administration are. There’s Only One Reason Government Executives Abruptly Give Up Power
As tax season nears, scandals from Minnesota to California expose a “Theft Industrial Complex” where billions meant for families instead enrich political allies and insiders. Three Examples of the “Theft Industrial Complex” in 2025
Free markets are Nature’s way of satisfying both buyers and sellers. Artificial economics happens when politicians and bureaucrats screw around with this process in order to initiate behavior that would not normally happen. Welcome to Artificial Economics 101
America’s schools won’t recover through more spending or slogans, but through a return to proven basics—clear instruction, firm discipline, accountable teaching, and classrooms focused on learning. Six Ways to Improve Schools
The Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funds from being used for abortion. Trump told GOP House members during the retreat at the Trump-Kennedy Center that they should work to take the issue of health care away from Democrats. “We don’t have that as one of our issues. It’s the only thing they have. They’re lousy at it. They came up with Obamacare. We tried to fight it. We almost had it won, but we didn’t get three votes,” he said. Trump Tells House Republicans ‘to Be a Little Flexible’ on Hyde Amendment in Healthcare Reform Pitch (since when is infanticide healthcare, Mr. President?! - jjs)
THE 2020 and SUBSEQUENT ELECTION HEISTS , SHENANIGANS/FRAUD and AFTERMATH
DEMOCRAT/LEFTIST AND RINO SCANDALS, MESHUGAS, CHUTZPOCRISY
Office of Tenant Protection Director Cea Weaver’s mom, Celia Applegate, teaches German studies at Vanderbilt University and owns a pricey classic Craftsman home just south of the main strip in Nashville, Tennessee. Mom of Zohran Mamdani aide who said owning a home fuels ‘white supremacy’ has $1.6M house in Tennessee (Pfft, self gassing Commie corpse Bernie Sanders owns 6 multi-million dollar ski lodges in Vermont! - jjs)
Following a meeting in Paris of American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, European leaders, and top Ukrainian officials, British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a declaration of intent to deploy a multinational military force in Ukraine to enforce a potential ceasefire with Russia. UK and France Sign Declaration of Intent to Deploy Troops to Ukraine in Event of Ceasefire
This is one of the curses that astronomers live with. Things take a loooong time to unfold, often several generations. Thus Kepler might see this supernova when it erupts, but the explosion continues for many centuries. The growing X-ray shell of the 1604 Kepler supernova
The uncertainty of science: Using the Webb Space Telescope, scientists now believe that the mysterious little red dots that Webb had previously detected in the early universe are actually supermassive stars, the predicted first stars to form after the Big Bang that also might produce the universe’s first black holes. Scientists: We think the little red dots in the early universe are supermassive stars
ALSO: The Morning Report cross-posts at CutJibNewsletter.com usually within an hour or so of posting here, if you want to continue the conversation all day.
Socket AM4 runs on DDR4 memory, where AM5 is DDR5 only. And DDR4 memory hasn't increased in price as much as DDR5, but more importantly, people already have it.
Several AM4 chips are still in production, but some of AMD's most popular CPUs like the 5700X3D and 5800X3D were cancelled because the competed too well with newer models, while others like the 5600X3D and 5700G were never widely available in retail channels.
Don't expect anything actually new, but a return of the 5800X3D would be welcome.
They accidentally made the code public for a short ehile, which quickly led to experimental backports that supported RDNA3 and even RDNA2 graphics cards.
It's... Okay, I guess. It has the Four Essential Keys but that's no great achievement in a desktop keyboard. It has a "programmable touchbar" but that just means you can change what it does; you can't change the display.
It's ten-keyless, which is to say, it has no numeric keypad.
But in its place it as twelve fully programmable keys - with LCD keycaps, the aforementioned 1280x720 display (I'm not sure it's really 1280x720 because the article also says it's a 5" screen and it's definitely not that big) and two small rotary dials. A mini Stream Deck built right into your keyboard.
At $350 it is very not cheap though. You can get 16GB of RAM for that. Or a Corsair TKL keyboard like the K70 and a Stream Deck.
These are identical to existing Zen 5 desktop and laptop chips - including embedded version of the Strix Halo AI processer - but the family includes models rated for industrial and automotive conditions (-40C to 105C) and for operating 24/7 for ten years.
Epiphany is a Christian feast celebrating the revelation of Jesus Christ to the world. It is connected to the Magi’s visit from the East. Christians use the day to celebrate how Jesus came not just for Israel but for all nations.
The Three Wise Men, also known as the Magi or the Three Kings, are figures mentioned in the Bible in the Gospel of Matthew. They are said to have visited the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Bible does not specify the number of Wise Men; the idea of three Wise Men likely comes from the fact that three gifts are mentioned.
Any mention of the Wise Men reminds me of this gem from Gary Larson
Thousands of Americans paid the price for political failures they did not create.
Since January 6, 2021, Nancy Pelosi spent over 3 years and nearly $20 million in taxpayer funds on her partisan Select Committee, producing a scripted TV spectacle to fabricate an “insurrection” narrative and pin all blame on President Trump.
Video and audio recordings, including unaired HBO footage from her own daughter, show Nancy Pelosi repeatedly acknowledging responsibility for the catastrophic security failures - admitting “We have totally failed” and “I take full responsibility” for not having the National Guard pre-deployed, despite intelligence warnings and President Trump’s offers of troops that were ignored under her leadership as Speaker.
The Democrats masterfully reversed reality after January 6, branding peaceful patriotic protesters as “insurrectionists” and framing the event as a violent coup attempt orchestrated by Trump - despite no evidence of armed rebellion or intent to overthrow the government. In truth, it was the Democrats who staged the real insurrection by certifying a fraud-ridden election, ignoring widespread irregularities, and weaponizing federal agencies to hunt down dissenters, all while Pelosi’s own security lapses invited the chaos they later exploited to seize and consolidate power. This gaslighting narrative allowed them to persecute innocent Americans, silence opposition, and distract from their own role in undermining democracy.
We here at AOSHQ know Nancy Pelosi was responsible
Please do NOT retweet Nancy Pelosi admitting full responsibility for not calling the National Guard on January 6th. 5 years ago TODAY
Timely reminder that Alec Baldwin alone has killed more people by himself than all Trump supporters combined did on January 6th at the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/oO4kOMbxk4
How did Joe Biden receive the MOST VOTES IN AMERICAN HISTORY with 81 million, all while losing 18 of 19 bellwether counties and winning only 16% of counties overall? Here is the answer 👇🏼@realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/C89Of95k5r
3. Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts
Carefully framed photos make Plymouth Rock seem historically grand, but visitors are often surprised by how small and anticlimactic it is in person. Set below street level and behind a railing, the site feels more symbolic than impressive, with the surrounding urban setting dampening the sense of historic awe.
Can confirm. Underwhelming.
-----
I recently discovered this site (streetartutopia.com) and featured it on a previous ONT. Hope you enjoy it too!
acing up to five years in prison for helping a violent illegal immigrant escape ICE officers, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan is resigning. But even with the felony conviction on her record, Dugan will receive a generous taxpayer-funded retirement no matter what happens next.
A federal jury last month found Dugan guilty on the obstruction charge for the April 18 incident in which the leftist judge escorted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to the "jury door," allowing the illegal alien to briefly flee from Department of Homeland Security agents.
On Saturday, Dugan submitted her resignation letter to Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. In it, she attempted to play both the martyr card and the social-justice hero as she decried the "unprecedented" charges against her. The Milwaukee County judge is appealing her conviction. She awaits a sentencing date, although it is unlikely Dugan will see much, if any, time behind bars for her first offense.
"I am the subject of unprecedented federal legal proceedings, which are far from concluded but which present immense and complex challenges that threaten the independence of our judiciary," Dugan asserts in the resignation letter. As The Federalist has reported, a Massachusetts judge faced criminal proceedings in 2019 following a nearly identical incident.
"I am pursuing this fight for myself and for our independent judiciary," the felon judge bloviated. "However, the Wisconsin citizens that I cherish deserve to start the year with a judge on the bench in Milwaukee County Branch 31 rather than have the fate of that Court rest in a partisan fight in the state legislature."
As a felon, Dugan really has no other choice but to resign. The Wisconsin constitution makes clear that those convicted of a felony are barred from holding "any office of trust, profit or honor in this state" -- unless they have been pardoned.
New Yorkers are shocked after footage goes viral of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Tenant Director stating that white people will be HEAVILY impacted after they transition property "as an individual good to a collective good" [CBD]
Podcast: The Somali grift might be the biggest financial scandal in American history, will the Mullahs finally fall? CFPB gets a lifeline from a corrupt judge, Brigitte Bardot...RIP, and more!
This isn't Christmas Eve fare, and I thought about waiting until the 26th to post it, but supposedly an amateur detective has solved the Zodiac killer mystery. And the horrific Black Dahlia killing. He says it's the same person! I always thought of them as very far apart in time but I think Black Dahlia was mid-fifties (nope, 1947) mid and the Zodiac murders began in 1968 so it's possible it's the same killer.
The killer, if it's the same man, would have been in his 20s when he killed the Black Dahlia and his 40s when he did the Zodiac murders. Possible.
A little caveat: I saw someone snark on Reddit, "The Zodiac case gets solved more often than Wordle." There are a ton of coincidences here, supposedly, like a Zodiac cipher being solved by the name "Elizabeth." Elizabeth Short was the name of the so-called Black Dahlia.
If you don't know about the Black Dahlia, don't look it up. Just accept that it's grisly on the level of Jack the Ripper.
Yes, the named suspect resembles the police sketch of Zodiac.
Podcast: Will Ukraine be a flashpoint for a Korean conflict, Trump's intemperate Reiner comments, it's the economy stupid! the Monroe/Trump Doctrine, Bondi, Brown, MIT, and more!
Recent Comments
Martini Farmer:
"Mamdani's going to have an opinion on every little ..."
Warai-otoko:
"Wow.
Translating from the original Timwalzese i ..."
.jpg)
